The World May I Championships (WMIC) is an annual May I? tournament held in Sydney Australia on January 2nd. Its origins date to 2010 where it was created to settle a long-standing rivalry amongst players as to whom was the world's best May I? card player. The winner of the event, or "Champ", receives an official World May I Championships certificate and has their name etched on the official World May I Championships trophy. The first ever sanctioned World May I Championships was held in Sydney Australia on January 2nd, 2011 and drew players from Australia, Italy, England and the USA. The WMIC Tournament has evolved the traditional game of May I? into a faster, more competitive game with the refinement of play, penalty and scoring.
May I?
May I? is a variation of the popular card game Continental using two packs of cards as one deck and sees players vie to assemble designated collections of cards known as Sets and Runs. A 'Set' consists of a minimum of three of a kind (3 Aces, 3 Twos, 3 Kings, etc.) and a 'Run' is a minimum of four consecutive cards of the same suit (2, 3, 4, 5 of hearts, Jack, Queen, King, Ace of spades, etc.) The object of May I? is to be the player with the fewest amount of penalty points after playing all seven rounds.
Rounds
1. Two Sets (3+3)
2. One Set and One Run (3+4)
3. Two Runs (4+4)
4. Three Sets (3+3+3)
5. Two Set and One Runs (3+3+4)
6. One Sets and Two Runs (3+4+4)
7. Three Runs (4+4+4)
Gameplay
Each player is dealt 10 cards, with the remaining stockpile of cards set on the table to be drawn from.
The dealer commences play by turning the top card over revealing it to all players and places it next to the pile creating a discard pile. The player to the left of the dealer now has the option to take that card, or draw the next top card of the stockpile into his hand. After a card is drawn, one must be discarded from the player's hand at which point the next player to the left has the option of drawing the top discard or top stock card.
Once a card has been discarded, other players may call a "May I?" as a request to take the card out of turn. If the next player in the rotation allows this, the player who has called the "May I?" must collect that card as well as take the top card from the stockpile as a penalty. Play then resumes in order of rotation.
Each player is allowed a maximum number of 3 "May I?" calls per round and cards in hand cannot exceed 16 (the initial 10 plus any May I and penalty cards).
Once a player has collected the required combination of Runs and Sets they may "go down" ("open") by laying down the sets and runs appropriate for that hand. Having "gone down", the player is then free to play (in that same turn and in subsequent turns) additional cards onto existing sets or runs that have already been played on the table. A player may not put any cards into play until he has "gone down".
Play ends when one player is "Out" by placing any excess cards on existing sets or runs played and has no cards left in their hand. Remaining players must tally the cards left in their hand with cards 2-9 taken on face value and cards 10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace accounting for 10 points each.
Whilst it is customary to play May I with 4 players and 2 decks, Jokers may be included in the decks when 5 or more players convene. Jokers are considered wild and can be placed as a missing card in sets or runs however if not played a Joker count for 20 points in the tally.
The World May I? Championships
The World May I Championships is based on a tournament style of play consisting of tables of 4 players. The total number of players will determine the number of elimination rounds. The winning player at each table advances to the next round as do players with the next lowest scores across all tables. Through a series of knockout rounds the Final 4 take their place to battle it out to crown the new World May I? Champion.
World May I Championships Anthem
Prior to the commencement of play, The World May I Anthem is sung to herald in a new year's tournament. The anthem is a rousing call to cards aimed to inspire players to bring their best play to the tables and its lyrics reference the challenges ahead and the mix of skill and luck required to claim the title of Champion.
The World May I Championships Anthem
MAY I ! MAY I ! MAY I ! MAY I !
MAY I ! MAY I ! MAY I ! MAY I !
Needing two sets / One set and one run / For three sets you pray and hope that Eric comes!
Three three four / Three four four / With no place to Run, Run, RUN!
MAY I ... MAY I ... MAY I... It’s May I... not May Us!
MAY I ... MAY I ... MAY I... It’s May I… not May Us!
Tournament Rules
Due to a degree of discrepancies in play during regional games leading up to the WMIC, a set of Tournament Rules were established to bring about a level playing field, speed up play and place pressure on the issuing of “May I?” requests.
The Official World May I Championships Rules & By-Laws as decreed by the Commissioners of the WMIC Governing Body:
* 1 Dealing: One card at a time. Player ahead cuts. Machine shuffling preferred.
* 2 May I?: (i) All “May I” calls must be taken. The is no changing your mind. You make the call, you take the card. (ii) Only English usage of ‘May I’ will be used. No abbreviations or foreign language variations will be recognised. (iii) Thou shalt wait 2 seconds before picking up to allow for ‘May I” requests.
* 3 Mistakes: (i) All mistakes are final. Any card down, stays down. Pick it up, you keep it. (ii) No pay attention. Your problem. No back tracking. (iii) Disputes are resolved at each table by majority rule vote. Deadlocks broken by Tournament Marshall - currently held by Mary Coustas.
* 4 Fast play: (i) 15 sec. rule applies. Maximum 15 seconds to make a decision. You will get two x 3sec warnings per game. Slow play penalty of 10 points after your 3rd warning. (ii) Fast, clean, crisp putdown of discards. No obscuring your card.
* 5 No help: Thou shalt not give hints or assist other players. Penalty 10 points.
* 6 Accuracy: Every player must count their own points. Dumb mistakes are penalised 3x the error difference. E.g. 5 point error = + 15 onto your score. Any player may check your point count. If there is no error, there is a 10 point penalty for unnecessary recounts. Please count silently. Or quietly hum. No singing your score.
* 7 Other penalties: • 20 points - failure to discard correctly, uneven card count. • 10 points - mis-deals, flip cards, throw on floor, forget to include
* 8 Misc: (i) Mobile phones - all mobile phones on silent. No calls or SMS during gameplay. (ii) Toilet breaks - 1 x bathroom break during gameplay, only during shuffling (90 secs max) (iii) Thou shalt not show your cards at any point during the game. (iv) Disruptive noise levels - please respect the other tables. Penalty 20 points for repeat offenders. You know who you are. (v) No food at the tables. (vi) No player taunting. General banter allowed. No punching or eye gouging. (vii) Please announce when you have one card left. e.g. “One card!” in a clear voice.
* 9 The Final: (i) 1 x time out for each player allowed.
* GENERAL : Table seating allocation: Seeding rules apply. Previous years finalists are to be seated at separate tables. Remaining players draw name and table from a hat.
Attendees
The WMIC draws players from all over the world with several nations represented including Greece, Australia, England, Italy, and the USA. As the popularity of the tournament grows member nations in attendance is also expected to grow.
The World May I Champ
Since its inception the WMIC has aimed to bestow upon the greatest player the title of “Champ”. The winner of the tournament receives a certificate declaring their status as current champion and has their name etched onto the WMIC trophy to stand for all time. The “Champ” also has the responsibility to spread goodwill towards the game and keep the hunger alive amongst competitors to claim the title the following year. Whilst the WMIC is yet to see a carry-over Champ, the runner up position has been held in both years of its inception by Mary Coustas who has her eyes firmly set on the title in 2013.
*2011 Champ - George Betsis
*2012 Champ - Andy Healy
*2013 Champ - to be decided in Sydney Australia January 2, 2013
May I? Gameplay Code
Over the years several May I? colloquialisms have made their way into competition and are recognised by the WMIC as allowable during play. These codes may be called during play as a strategic move to alert or bluff your opponents to the strength of your hand.
Eric
To Eric is to pick up a penalty card following a call of May I? that aids your hand. < /br> The Los Angeles Chapter has evolved this call into sighting famous Erics such as “Stoltz”, “Banner”, “Idle”, “Clapton” and “Estrada”.
Bo Derick
To call a Bo Derick is to pick up a 10 as your penalty card following a call of May I? helping you complete a run or set.
Jeric
A Jeric is called when a player draws a Joker card as a penalty allowing them to use it as a wild in a set or run. It should be noted that Jokers are only allowed in Regional games and not in the WMIC.
Viagra
A Viagra is achieved when the penalty card resulting from a May I? call allows the player to “flop” all their cards in one play and “go out”.
Regionals
In order to participate in The World May I Championships players must first compete and qualify in a registered regional game in a WMIC sanctioned competition.
Currently Regionals are played in:
* Los Angeles, New York (USA)
* Athens (Greece)
* Melbourne, Sydney (Australia).
May I?
May I? is a variation of the popular card game Continental using two packs of cards as one deck and sees players vie to assemble designated collections of cards known as Sets and Runs. A 'Set' consists of a minimum of three of a kind (3 Aces, 3 Twos, 3 Kings, etc.) and a 'Run' is a minimum of four consecutive cards of the same suit (2, 3, 4, 5 of hearts, Jack, Queen, King, Ace of spades, etc.) The object of May I? is to be the player with the fewest amount of penalty points after playing all seven rounds.
Rounds
1. Two Sets (3+3)
2. One Set and One Run (3+4)
3. Two Runs (4+4)
4. Three Sets (3+3+3)
5. Two Set and One Runs (3+3+4)
6. One Sets and Two Runs (3+4+4)
7. Three Runs (4+4+4)
Gameplay
Each player is dealt 10 cards, with the remaining stockpile of cards set on the table to be drawn from.
The dealer commences play by turning the top card over revealing it to all players and places it next to the pile creating a discard pile. The player to the left of the dealer now has the option to take that card, or draw the next top card of the stockpile into his hand. After a card is drawn, one must be discarded from the player's hand at which point the next player to the left has the option of drawing the top discard or top stock card.
Once a card has been discarded, other players may call a "May I?" as a request to take the card out of turn. If the next player in the rotation allows this, the player who has called the "May I?" must collect that card as well as take the top card from the stockpile as a penalty. Play then resumes in order of rotation.
Each player is allowed a maximum number of 3 "May I?" calls per round and cards in hand cannot exceed 16 (the initial 10 plus any May I and penalty cards).
Once a player has collected the required combination of Runs and Sets they may "go down" ("open") by laying down the sets and runs appropriate for that hand. Having "gone down", the player is then free to play (in that same turn and in subsequent turns) additional cards onto existing sets or runs that have already been played on the table. A player may not put any cards into play until he has "gone down".
Play ends when one player is "Out" by placing any excess cards on existing sets or runs played and has no cards left in their hand. Remaining players must tally the cards left in their hand with cards 2-9 taken on face value and cards 10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace accounting for 10 points each.
Whilst it is customary to play May I with 4 players and 2 decks, Jokers may be included in the decks when 5 or more players convene. Jokers are considered wild and can be placed as a missing card in sets or runs however if not played a Joker count for 20 points in the tally.
The World May I? Championships
The World May I Championships is based on a tournament style of play consisting of tables of 4 players. The total number of players will determine the number of elimination rounds. The winning player at each table advances to the next round as do players with the next lowest scores across all tables. Through a series of knockout rounds the Final 4 take their place to battle it out to crown the new World May I? Champion.
World May I Championships Anthem
Prior to the commencement of play, The World May I Anthem is sung to herald in a new year's tournament. The anthem is a rousing call to cards aimed to inspire players to bring their best play to the tables and its lyrics reference the challenges ahead and the mix of skill and luck required to claim the title of Champion.
The World May I Championships Anthem
MAY I ! MAY I ! MAY I ! MAY I !
MAY I ! MAY I ! MAY I ! MAY I !
Needing two sets / One set and one run / For three sets you pray and hope that Eric comes!
Three three four / Three four four / With no place to Run, Run, RUN!
MAY I ... MAY I ... MAY I... It’s May I... not May Us!
MAY I ... MAY I ... MAY I... It’s May I… not May Us!
Tournament Rules
Due to a degree of discrepancies in play during regional games leading up to the WMIC, a set of Tournament Rules were established to bring about a level playing field, speed up play and place pressure on the issuing of “May I?” requests.
The Official World May I Championships Rules & By-Laws as decreed by the Commissioners of the WMIC Governing Body:
* 1 Dealing: One card at a time. Player ahead cuts. Machine shuffling preferred.
* 2 May I?: (i) All “May I” calls must be taken. The is no changing your mind. You make the call, you take the card. (ii) Only English usage of ‘May I’ will be used. No abbreviations or foreign language variations will be recognised. (iii) Thou shalt wait 2 seconds before picking up to allow for ‘May I” requests.
* 3 Mistakes: (i) All mistakes are final. Any card down, stays down. Pick it up, you keep it. (ii) No pay attention. Your problem. No back tracking. (iii) Disputes are resolved at each table by majority rule vote. Deadlocks broken by Tournament Marshall - currently held by Mary Coustas.
* 4 Fast play: (i) 15 sec. rule applies. Maximum 15 seconds to make a decision. You will get two x 3sec warnings per game. Slow play penalty of 10 points after your 3rd warning. (ii) Fast, clean, crisp putdown of discards. No obscuring your card.
* 5 No help: Thou shalt not give hints or assist other players. Penalty 10 points.
* 6 Accuracy: Every player must count their own points. Dumb mistakes are penalised 3x the error difference. E.g. 5 point error = + 15 onto your score. Any player may check your point count. If there is no error, there is a 10 point penalty for unnecessary recounts. Please count silently. Or quietly hum. No singing your score.
* 7 Other penalties: • 20 points - failure to discard correctly, uneven card count. • 10 points - mis-deals, flip cards, throw on floor, forget to include
* 8 Misc: (i) Mobile phones - all mobile phones on silent. No calls or SMS during gameplay. (ii) Toilet breaks - 1 x bathroom break during gameplay, only during shuffling (90 secs max) (iii) Thou shalt not show your cards at any point during the game. (iv) Disruptive noise levels - please respect the other tables. Penalty 20 points for repeat offenders. You know who you are. (v) No food at the tables. (vi) No player taunting. General banter allowed. No punching or eye gouging. (vii) Please announce when you have one card left. e.g. “One card!” in a clear voice.
* 9 The Final: (i) 1 x time out for each player allowed.
* GENERAL : Table seating allocation: Seeding rules apply. Previous years finalists are to be seated at separate tables. Remaining players draw name and table from a hat.
Attendees
The WMIC draws players from all over the world with several nations represented including Greece, Australia, England, Italy, and the USA. As the popularity of the tournament grows member nations in attendance is also expected to grow.
The World May I Champ
Since its inception the WMIC has aimed to bestow upon the greatest player the title of “Champ”. The winner of the tournament receives a certificate declaring their status as current champion and has their name etched onto the WMIC trophy to stand for all time. The “Champ” also has the responsibility to spread goodwill towards the game and keep the hunger alive amongst competitors to claim the title the following year. Whilst the WMIC is yet to see a carry-over Champ, the runner up position has been held in both years of its inception by Mary Coustas who has her eyes firmly set on the title in 2013.
*2011 Champ - George Betsis
*2012 Champ - Andy Healy
*2013 Champ - to be decided in Sydney Australia January 2, 2013
May I? Gameplay Code
Over the years several May I? colloquialisms have made their way into competition and are recognised by the WMIC as allowable during play. These codes may be called during play as a strategic move to alert or bluff your opponents to the strength of your hand.
Eric
To Eric is to pick up a penalty card following a call of May I? that aids your hand. < /br> The Los Angeles Chapter has evolved this call into sighting famous Erics such as “Stoltz”, “Banner”, “Idle”, “Clapton” and “Estrada”.
Bo Derick
To call a Bo Derick is to pick up a 10 as your penalty card following a call of May I? helping you complete a run or set.
Jeric
A Jeric is called when a player draws a Joker card as a penalty allowing them to use it as a wild in a set or run. It should be noted that Jokers are only allowed in Regional games and not in the WMIC.
Viagra
A Viagra is achieved when the penalty card resulting from a May I? call allows the player to “flop” all their cards in one play and “go out”.
Regionals
In order to participate in The World May I Championships players must first compete and qualify in a registered regional game in a WMIC sanctioned competition.
Currently Regionals are played in:
* Los Angeles, New York (USA)
* Athens (Greece)
* Melbourne, Sydney (Australia).
Sovereign Denizen is a 2007 documentary film by Link Starbureiy. The film stars Rich Angell and loosely follows his teachings and experiences as they relate to his public television program Sovereign Solutions.
Summary
An intimate portrait detailing the thoughts, handles, and travels of Rich Angell before he embarks on Freestatesmanhood.
Rich Angell is unique among many, in that he has discovered what he believes is the true nature of contemporary society - fraud, and that the only way to beat the system is to systematically avoid it. Some of his common practices - including the use of questionable alternative currencies, permit structures, husbandry, and so forth - have given him a chance to test his theories in the real world. It's an everyday battle with both himself and his controlling government for the ultimate power - sovereignty.
Originally filmed in portions of 2006 and 2007 throughout Missoula, Montana, Link Starbureiy was able to capture actual, first-hand accounts of the fascinating figure that is the so-called Freestatesman. The footage is real and unscripted. The story is ongoing. And the subject has something to teach all of us.
In the quiet town of Missoula, Montana there are competing lifestyles of liberalism. Perhaps none of those quite match that of the individual who seeks to compromise their own security for the sake of independence.
As a citizenry, we have been taught from an early age that the all-American way of life should be steady and predictable. We are made to believe that our Government always has our best interests at heart, and that We The People are ultimately in control of our own destinies. But believing in such an ideology requires that we not question our leaders or their motives. For the system to work, its subjects must be totally compliant, or else. However, change is inevitable, and to act on emotion is a natural expression of courage.
Our star, Rich Angell, is just the person to challenge the status quo for the sake of his own happiness. He firmly believes that we may all benefit in the long-run if we just take a stand today for what we truly value - freedom.
As the saying goes, 'We are in the system because we are not free.'. Angell is a prototypical agent of disruption; he is someone who is willing to 'walk the talk'.
Documented is real footage of the everyday life of a so-called 'Freestater': a person who has renounced a majority of their constitutional rights to explore what it means to live supra-legally. We watch through the lens of Link Starbureiy's camera as our Freestater comes to grips with a well-established system that does not reward radical thinking in the context of socialism.
Development, production and promotion
Angell and Starbureiy were fellow producers at from 2005-07.
The film is the first documentary by producer Link Starbureiy, who said he became interested in documenting Angell's livelihood because of what he perceived to be a real misunderstanding and gross misinterpretation of American history. Angell initially moved to Montana for the state's stance on strong Constitutional adherence, but later became disillusioned with the pro-war issues promoted by the Bush Administration.
The film contains real-life drama, some of which was edited from the final film product.
Release and reception
The original version - titled The Sovereign Denizen: The Life and Times of Rich Angell - was first screened at the MCAT studio during the Summer of 2007, just prior to Angell's departure for New Hampshire. It received favorable reviews from both the Missoulian and the Missoula Independent. Upon its update and re-release in 2012, it was made publicly available under a Creative Commons license on both YouTube and the Internet Archive, as well as an having an additional screening on MCAT.
Summary
An intimate portrait detailing the thoughts, handles, and travels of Rich Angell before he embarks on Freestatesmanhood.
Rich Angell is unique among many, in that he has discovered what he believes is the true nature of contemporary society - fraud, and that the only way to beat the system is to systematically avoid it. Some of his common practices - including the use of questionable alternative currencies, permit structures, husbandry, and so forth - have given him a chance to test his theories in the real world. It's an everyday battle with both himself and his controlling government for the ultimate power - sovereignty.
Originally filmed in portions of 2006 and 2007 throughout Missoula, Montana, Link Starbureiy was able to capture actual, first-hand accounts of the fascinating figure that is the so-called Freestatesman. The footage is real and unscripted. The story is ongoing. And the subject has something to teach all of us.
In the quiet town of Missoula, Montana there are competing lifestyles of liberalism. Perhaps none of those quite match that of the individual who seeks to compromise their own security for the sake of independence.
As a citizenry, we have been taught from an early age that the all-American way of life should be steady and predictable. We are made to believe that our Government always has our best interests at heart, and that We The People are ultimately in control of our own destinies. But believing in such an ideology requires that we not question our leaders or their motives. For the system to work, its subjects must be totally compliant, or else. However, change is inevitable, and to act on emotion is a natural expression of courage.
Our star, Rich Angell, is just the person to challenge the status quo for the sake of his own happiness. He firmly believes that we may all benefit in the long-run if we just take a stand today for what we truly value - freedom.
As the saying goes, 'We are in the system because we are not free.'. Angell is a prototypical agent of disruption; he is someone who is willing to 'walk the talk'.
Documented is real footage of the everyday life of a so-called 'Freestater': a person who has renounced a majority of their constitutional rights to explore what it means to live supra-legally. We watch through the lens of Link Starbureiy's camera as our Freestater comes to grips with a well-established system that does not reward radical thinking in the context of socialism.
Development, production and promotion
Angell and Starbureiy were fellow producers at from 2005-07.
The film is the first documentary by producer Link Starbureiy, who said he became interested in documenting Angell's livelihood because of what he perceived to be a real misunderstanding and gross misinterpretation of American history. Angell initially moved to Montana for the state's stance on strong Constitutional adherence, but later became disillusioned with the pro-war issues promoted by the Bush Administration.
The film contains real-life drama, some of which was edited from the final film product.
Release and reception
The original version - titled The Sovereign Denizen: The Life and Times of Rich Angell - was first screened at the MCAT studio during the Summer of 2007, just prior to Angell's departure for New Hampshire. It received favorable reviews from both the Missoulian and the Missoula Independent. Upon its update and re-release in 2012, it was made publicly available under a Creative Commons license on both YouTube and the Internet Archive, as well as an having an additional screening on MCAT.
I Hua Huang (23 June 1908 - 2007), originally named Shian, was a Kuomintang general born in Yizhang County, Hunan. During his youth, the country was in turmoil and suffered from civil war and warlord-ism. After graduating from high school, I Hua joined the military and spent the next 10 years studying and applying military science. The general sentiment of relatives at the time was that joining the army was a bad decision. Despite the negative opinions of others, Huang never regretted his decision.
Military
Second Sino-Japanese War
Huang participated in the following battles:
Battle of Shanghai (August-October 1937): The opening battle of the Anti-Japanese War.
Battle of Nanjing (December 1937): Huang was a Colonel at this time. On Dec. 13, Nanjing fell. The Japanese army massacred the populace of Nanjing and Huang was almost captured by the Japanese during their attack on the city.
Battle of Wuhan (June-November 1938): The battle involved areas of four provinces, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hubei, and Hunan. The battle lasted approximately six months and was especially difficult. Casualties of the Japanese forces were estimated at 200,000. Wuhan was abandoned in November and the Nationalist army withdrew to regroup and prepare for subsequent battles.
Battle of Xiangbei ( Northern Hunan campaign) (Sept-Oct, 1939): The goal of the Japanese army was to advance toward Changsha, the capital of the Hunan province. At this time, Huang was promoted to major general and stationed to the 9th military region at Nanyu, Hunan as a staff officer. Huang's appointment to Major General was noteworthy in that he was only 30 years old at the time and became one of the youngest generals in the country. General Chen Chen, Huang's superior commander, highly regarded Huang's skills and praised him frequently. Huang drafted many of the directives and orders for General Chen and frequently represented him in meetings. It was during this campaign that Huang's second child, Yue Shiou, was born.
Battle of Zhao Yi (Zhaoyang Yichang, Hunan/Hubei provinces) (May-June 1940): The battle was marked by its ferocity. During the battle, one of the high ranking nationalist army generals, General Zhang Zhi Zhong, was lost. General Zhang was a 3-star general and the highest-ranked officer to lose his life during the Anti-Japanese war. During the Battle, Huang's units were overrun by the Japanese and escaped to the safety through enemy lines. During the escape, they hid in farm fields and only moved at night. With the assistance of the local population and militia, they were able to make their way to safety after seven days. Many people at the time thought that Huang had perished.
Huang's third child, Ling Shiou, was born when he was with the stationed at Ensi, Hubei.
December 7, 1941: Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese and America entered the war. The Japanese advance in China halted at Yichang, Hubei. General Huang was promoted to deputy division command of the 4th division and stationed in Sandouping, Hubei for about three years. Sandouping is located near Yichang and the present-day Three Gorges Dam.
Huang's fourth child, Ying Sheng, was born.
1944: General Huang was promoted as division commander of the 16th division at age 36. It was at this time that the Japanese began their attack towards Chongqing, then the wartime capital of Republican China, from occupied Guilin and Vietnam. The 16th division was redeployed to the southern area of Sichuan to prepare for the Japanese attack. However, since the Japanese advance was defeated by another Chinese unit, the 16th was redeployed back to Shandouping. It was at this time that Huang's fifth child, Cheng Sheng, was born.
1945: The Japanese surrender after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The 16th division was ordered to receive the Japanese surrender at Yichang, Hubei. Th 16th division received the surrender of the 132nd division of the Japanese army at Tianmen, Hubei. By President Chiang Kai Shek's order, the Chinese army did not mistreat the surrendering Japanese.
Chinese Civil War
In the subsequent years after World War II, General Huang participated in the Civil War against the Communist forces from 1947-49 and engaged in many battles. Hann Sheng (Hankou 1946) and Shian Sheng (Nanjing, 1947) were born. Huang became the 103rd Corp Deputy Commander in 1948. The 103rd consisted of 3 divisions (347th, 234th, and a third division. The 103rd Corp was lost in battle in Guangxi near the Vietnamese border. General Huang escaped through Communist lines to safety.
In Taiwan (1950-1975)
1950- General Huang arrived in Taiwan and was appointed Chief of Staff (3rd highest officer) of the Eastern Defense Military Region headquartered at Hualien. Afterwards, General Huang became the head of the 8th and 3rd Army Officer Fighting Regiments and eventually retired from the army in 1955. After the army, Huang worked in the Bureau of National Property as a regional director. At the age of 65, I Hua retired from public office.
In the United States (1975-2007)
I Hua came to the United States in 1975 and lived in Elmhurst, Queens, New York with his family. General Huang and his wife, Lee Yuen were both born in the countryside of Hunan. They married early and their marriage lasted over 72 years. Lee Yuen lived until 1998. All of his seven children are currently in the United States. Of the seven, four attained PhD Degrees and one attained a Master's Degree. Two of his children (Ling Shiou and Yi Sheng) did not escape mainland China after the Communist victory and were not able to rejoin him in the U.S. until the 1980s. Because of I Hua's status as a KMT general, the two experienced persecution from the Communists. I Hua and Lee Yuen always regretted leaving their two children behind in mainland China and were moved to tears whenever the incident was mentioned.
Military
Second Sino-Japanese War
Huang participated in the following battles:
Battle of Shanghai (August-October 1937): The opening battle of the Anti-Japanese War.
Battle of Nanjing (December 1937): Huang was a Colonel at this time. On Dec. 13, Nanjing fell. The Japanese army massacred the populace of Nanjing and Huang was almost captured by the Japanese during their attack on the city.
Battle of Wuhan (June-November 1938): The battle involved areas of four provinces, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hubei, and Hunan. The battle lasted approximately six months and was especially difficult. Casualties of the Japanese forces were estimated at 200,000. Wuhan was abandoned in November and the Nationalist army withdrew to regroup and prepare for subsequent battles.
Battle of Xiangbei ( Northern Hunan campaign) (Sept-Oct, 1939): The goal of the Japanese army was to advance toward Changsha, the capital of the Hunan province. At this time, Huang was promoted to major general and stationed to the 9th military region at Nanyu, Hunan as a staff officer. Huang's appointment to Major General was noteworthy in that he was only 30 years old at the time and became one of the youngest generals in the country. General Chen Chen, Huang's superior commander, highly regarded Huang's skills and praised him frequently. Huang drafted many of the directives and orders for General Chen and frequently represented him in meetings. It was during this campaign that Huang's second child, Yue Shiou, was born.
Battle of Zhao Yi (Zhaoyang Yichang, Hunan/Hubei provinces) (May-June 1940): The battle was marked by its ferocity. During the battle, one of the high ranking nationalist army generals, General Zhang Zhi Zhong, was lost. General Zhang was a 3-star general and the highest-ranked officer to lose his life during the Anti-Japanese war. During the Battle, Huang's units were overrun by the Japanese and escaped to the safety through enemy lines. During the escape, they hid in farm fields and only moved at night. With the assistance of the local population and militia, they were able to make their way to safety after seven days. Many people at the time thought that Huang had perished.
Huang's third child, Ling Shiou, was born when he was with the stationed at Ensi, Hubei.
December 7, 1941: Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese and America entered the war. The Japanese advance in China halted at Yichang, Hubei. General Huang was promoted to deputy division command of the 4th division and stationed in Sandouping, Hubei for about three years. Sandouping is located near Yichang and the present-day Three Gorges Dam.
Huang's fourth child, Ying Sheng, was born.
1944: General Huang was promoted as division commander of the 16th division at age 36. It was at this time that the Japanese began their attack towards Chongqing, then the wartime capital of Republican China, from occupied Guilin and Vietnam. The 16th division was redeployed to the southern area of Sichuan to prepare for the Japanese attack. However, since the Japanese advance was defeated by another Chinese unit, the 16th was redeployed back to Shandouping. It was at this time that Huang's fifth child, Cheng Sheng, was born.
1945: The Japanese surrender after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The 16th division was ordered to receive the Japanese surrender at Yichang, Hubei. Th 16th division received the surrender of the 132nd division of the Japanese army at Tianmen, Hubei. By President Chiang Kai Shek's order, the Chinese army did not mistreat the surrendering Japanese.
Chinese Civil War
In the subsequent years after World War II, General Huang participated in the Civil War against the Communist forces from 1947-49 and engaged in many battles. Hann Sheng (Hankou 1946) and Shian Sheng (Nanjing, 1947) were born. Huang became the 103rd Corp Deputy Commander in 1948. The 103rd consisted of 3 divisions (347th, 234th, and a third division. The 103rd Corp was lost in battle in Guangxi near the Vietnamese border. General Huang escaped through Communist lines to safety.
In Taiwan (1950-1975)
1950- General Huang arrived in Taiwan and was appointed Chief of Staff (3rd highest officer) of the Eastern Defense Military Region headquartered at Hualien. Afterwards, General Huang became the head of the 8th and 3rd Army Officer Fighting Regiments and eventually retired from the army in 1955. After the army, Huang worked in the Bureau of National Property as a regional director. At the age of 65, I Hua retired from public office.
In the United States (1975-2007)
I Hua came to the United States in 1975 and lived in Elmhurst, Queens, New York with his family. General Huang and his wife, Lee Yuen were both born in the countryside of Hunan. They married early and their marriage lasted over 72 years. Lee Yuen lived until 1998. All of his seven children are currently in the United States. Of the seven, four attained PhD Degrees and one attained a Master's Degree. Two of his children (Ling Shiou and Yi Sheng) did not escape mainland China after the Communist victory and were not able to rejoin him in the U.S. until the 1980s. Because of I Hua's status as a KMT general, the two experienced persecution from the Communists. I Hua and Lee Yuen always regretted leaving their two children behind in mainland China and were moved to tears whenever the incident was mentioned.
Scraplets is the name of several fictional characters and an alien race in the various Transformers universes.
Transformers: Generation 1
Scraplets are robotic parasites. They are semi-sentient robotic lifeforms, generally about five centimetres tall. Like the Transformers, Scraplets can transform between two modes: they transform from various humanoid or animal modes to nuts or bolts.
Marvel Comics
In the comic, the Scraplets first appeared as an interplanetary cloud which a Decepticon cargo freighter passed through on its voyage from Cybertron to Earth. During the incident, the pilot of the freighter was infected by the Scraplets and involuntarily brought them to Earth along with him.
Scraplets feed on other robotic lifeforms, which makes them very dangerous to them. Scraplets generally travel in large packs in search for robots, and on finding one, they eagerly jump onto it, fastening themselves to the robot's armour plating. Once fastened, the scraplets release some kind of corrosive agent that lets them sink partly under the armour plating and makes them impossible to remove. Using the raw materials of the host, one scraplet can multiply itself many times, creating further scraplets and rapidly overwhelming the host.
As the feeding continues, the host robot begins to rust and decay, withering away until its inevitable death. Scraplets are - in effect - very contagious, so other robots near an infected robot risk infection themselves.
Scraplets also can combine large numbers of themselves into a single giant humanoid-shaped creature, to attack large-scale threats/food.
However, scraplets have one major weakness: water is fatally poisonous to them. When doused with water, a scraplet loosens its grip on the host robot and falls away, letting it be safely destroyed without harming the host. Furthermore, they have no taste for organic material, so humans can approach them without fear.
The origin and homeworld of the scraplets has never been explained in the comic.
Transformers: Timelines
Scraplets appeared in the "Shattered Glass" storyline by Fun Publications. These scraplets came from a mirror-universe, and repaired robots, instead of destroying them. However, they eat dead Transformers such as their Cliffjumper.
Fun Publications
Scraplets appeared in the "Dungeons & Dinobots". They were a potion designed to heal damaged Transformers. They feasted on dead metal, leaving healthy metal untouched. The metal is recycled into living metal or into more scraplets. They are fatal to Zombies. They were usually contained in vials, as the air in Cybertron's Shatterverse is loaded with water vapor, which kills them.
Transformers: Prime
Scraplets appeared in Transformers: Prime. Like their comic book counterparts, the Scraplets ignore organic material. Unlike their comic book counterparts, they do not transform, and are spherical in shape. They can fly, and their mouths contain rows of razor-sharp teeth, which make a sound like a chainsaw when they are about to attack. While Scraplets will eat anything metal, they prefer living metal, making them a threat to Autobots and Decepticons alike, however like their comic incarnation, they are harmless to organics, making them vulnerable to attack by the Autobots' human allies, and on one occasion a human tricked the Scarlet swarm into an Insecticon by picking up a scraplet and throwing it at the Insecticon, causing the whole swarm to attack as well. The Scraplets demonstrate a weakness to cold temperatures; it is unknown if they have a weakness to water as in the comics. They are regarded as the most dangerous vermin on Cybertron. The episode "Scrapheap" marks their first appearance outside the comics.
Animated series
In "Scrapheap", the Scraplets were recovered from a crashed escape pod buried in the Arctic. Once thawed, they invade the Autobot's HQ while Optimus and Arcee patrol the Arctic leaving Bumblebee, Bulkhead, Ratchet, Jack, Miko, and Raf to repel the enemy. The Autobots' human allies helped to fight against them. The Scraplets were frozen when Bulkhead lured them through the Ground Bridge back into the Arctic.
They are among the few lifeforms remaining on Cybertron. In "Orion Pax" Pt. 3, Jack Darby tries to stop a horde of scraplets from eating Vector Sigma. When an Insecticon catches up with him, Jack uses the Scraplets as a weapon to destroy the Insecticon where they end up chewing upon its body.
Transformers: Generation 1
Scraplets are robotic parasites. They are semi-sentient robotic lifeforms, generally about five centimetres tall. Like the Transformers, Scraplets can transform between two modes: they transform from various humanoid or animal modes to nuts or bolts.
Marvel Comics
In the comic, the Scraplets first appeared as an interplanetary cloud which a Decepticon cargo freighter passed through on its voyage from Cybertron to Earth. During the incident, the pilot of the freighter was infected by the Scraplets and involuntarily brought them to Earth along with him.
Scraplets feed on other robotic lifeforms, which makes them very dangerous to them. Scraplets generally travel in large packs in search for robots, and on finding one, they eagerly jump onto it, fastening themselves to the robot's armour plating. Once fastened, the scraplets release some kind of corrosive agent that lets them sink partly under the armour plating and makes them impossible to remove. Using the raw materials of the host, one scraplet can multiply itself many times, creating further scraplets and rapidly overwhelming the host.
As the feeding continues, the host robot begins to rust and decay, withering away until its inevitable death. Scraplets are - in effect - very contagious, so other robots near an infected robot risk infection themselves.
Scraplets also can combine large numbers of themselves into a single giant humanoid-shaped creature, to attack large-scale threats/food.
However, scraplets have one major weakness: water is fatally poisonous to them. When doused with water, a scraplet loosens its grip on the host robot and falls away, letting it be safely destroyed without harming the host. Furthermore, they have no taste for organic material, so humans can approach them without fear.
The origin and homeworld of the scraplets has never been explained in the comic.
Transformers: Timelines
Scraplets appeared in the "Shattered Glass" storyline by Fun Publications. These scraplets came from a mirror-universe, and repaired robots, instead of destroying them. However, they eat dead Transformers such as their Cliffjumper.
Fun Publications
Scraplets appeared in the "Dungeons & Dinobots". They were a potion designed to heal damaged Transformers. They feasted on dead metal, leaving healthy metal untouched. The metal is recycled into living metal or into more scraplets. They are fatal to Zombies. They were usually contained in vials, as the air in Cybertron's Shatterverse is loaded with water vapor, which kills them.
Transformers: Prime
Scraplets appeared in Transformers: Prime. Like their comic book counterparts, the Scraplets ignore organic material. Unlike their comic book counterparts, they do not transform, and are spherical in shape. They can fly, and their mouths contain rows of razor-sharp teeth, which make a sound like a chainsaw when they are about to attack. While Scraplets will eat anything metal, they prefer living metal, making them a threat to Autobots and Decepticons alike, however like their comic incarnation, they are harmless to organics, making them vulnerable to attack by the Autobots' human allies, and on one occasion a human tricked the Scarlet swarm into an Insecticon by picking up a scraplet and throwing it at the Insecticon, causing the whole swarm to attack as well. The Scraplets demonstrate a weakness to cold temperatures; it is unknown if they have a weakness to water as in the comics. They are regarded as the most dangerous vermin on Cybertron. The episode "Scrapheap" marks their first appearance outside the comics.
Animated series
In "Scrapheap", the Scraplets were recovered from a crashed escape pod buried in the Arctic. Once thawed, they invade the Autobot's HQ while Optimus and Arcee patrol the Arctic leaving Bumblebee, Bulkhead, Ratchet, Jack, Miko, and Raf to repel the enemy. The Autobots' human allies helped to fight against them. The Scraplets were frozen when Bulkhead lured them through the Ground Bridge back into the Arctic.
They are among the few lifeforms remaining on Cybertron. In "Orion Pax" Pt. 3, Jack Darby tries to stop a horde of scraplets from eating Vector Sigma. When an Insecticon catches up with him, Jack uses the Scraplets as a weapon to destroy the Insecticon where they end up chewing upon its body.