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Believe (Disturbed album)

Believe is the second studio album by American heavy metal band Disturbed, released on September 17, 2002 via Reprise Records. Produced by the band and Johnny K, it focuses heavily on religious and spiritual themes inspired by recent tragedies. With greater emphases on melodic dynamics, it also demonstrates a broadening in the band's musical range compared to their 2000 debut The Sickness. Believe was the last studio album to feature original bassist Steve "Fuzz" Kmak before he was fired from the band in 2003.

Believe debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, making it Disturbed's first number one debut, selling over 284,000 copies in its first week of sales. It was certified double platinum by the RIAA in the United States on September 23, 2008. Three singles were released from the album: "Prayer", "Remember", and "Liberate".

Background and recording
With Black Sabbath's August 2001 tour canceled, and Disturbed's opening slot with it, the Chicago quartet planned to use the month following Ozzfest to begin pre-production of their next album while preparing for their own headlining tour.

That summer, vocalist David Draiman's grandfather, an Orthodox Jew, died in Israel. At a young age, Draiman was beloved by his grandfather; however, when Draiman became a heavy metal musician, his elder cut off their communication. It was not until the grandfather fell ill that he wished to see his grandson. But by the time word got to Draiman, who was on Ozzfest, his grandfather had mere hours to live. Regarding his grandfather's death, he noted, "No one could look at the aura I projected over the course of that next week and not feel my pain and those feelings very definitely will present themselves on the record."

That same month, Draiman had undergone surgery to remove a damaged valve that was causing acid to spill on his vocal cords. The successful surgery not only repaired Draiman's voice but also allegedly broadened his vocal range.

The band entered K's Groovemaster Studios in mid March 2002 to begin recording with producer Johnny K, the man behind their debut album. The majority of songs, which reportedly included about 10 at the time, had been written since November the previous year, including "Prayer" which debuted during Ozzfest.

By mid-April, Disturbed had completed 12 songs for Believe. In an interview with MTV, Draiman elaborated how the reevaluating of his own Jewish heritage and compromises of life as a musician affected his writing. He noted the album as being "the greatest work we have ever done in our lives" but also expressed concern over how fans would react to the vulnerability and vast expression of emotions showcased on the album.

Music and lyrics
As The Sickness, Believe has been described as nu metal, but stylistically it witnessed the band place more emphases on lead guitar and melodic complexity. This musical progression would follow through on future Disturbed albums where guitar solos would become commonplace. While The Sickness focused on heavy compositions, Disturbed's sophomore effort varies more greatly in its range of heaviness and melody, closing with a somber, acoustic ballad entitled "Darkness." Singer David Draiman also wished to demonstrate a greater vocal dimension than the intense style he was previously associated with. Nevertheless, he described the content of the album as "pure and unadulterated in every sense of the word 'metal'."

As noted by Draiman, Believe contains overt religious and spiritual themes. These were inspired by various experiences such as the September 11 attacks and the recent death of Draiman's Orthodox Jewish grandfather:
 * "All the songs on the record revolve around the theme of belief in oneself and in humanity's potential. . . And the right-wing reactions of religious leaders of the world to the events of 9/11 had a lot to do with the original impetus of where this record came from. It angered me beyond any way I could possibly explain. The whole album's about questioning your beliefs to determine what you really can believe in."

Lyrically, the album deals with various other topics as well. "Remember" delves into the cutthroat nature of the music industry as well as Draiman's resistance to indulgent partying; "Awaken" deals with America's never-ending obsession with vacuous "wallpaper music"; the tracks "Bound" and "Intoxication" focus on Draiman's inability to have a meaningful romantic relationship. In an interview, he noted, "I've had various experiences with women over the past two-and-a-half years that have made me have several chips on my shoulder - not in an angry way necessarily, but almost in a pleading way. I'm at a point in my life where I've had my heart torn apart so many times that there's just not much left to it."

In keeping with the lyrical themes, the album cover features symbols of major religions, including the Jewish Star of David, the Islamic crescent, the Wiccan pentacle, and the Christian cross. Draiman explained the meaning of the symbol on stage during the Music as a Weapon II Tour:
 * "The symbol that you see elevated above the set behind me is a symbol of universal belief."

Touring and promotion
Believe boasted three singles which gained substantial radio and video airplay. The lead single, "Prayer", featured a video with apocalyptic imagery of a city being destroyed. This led some outlets to refuse to play the video on the grounds that it conjures similarities to the September 11 attacks. After initially considering to edit the video, Disturbed ultimately chose not to. Follow up singles "Remember" and "Liberate" also charted well and gained significant rotation on radio and television. The title track "Believe," although not a single, would also find its way to radio airwaves.

In 2003, Disturbed headlined Music as a Weapon II with Chevelle, Taproot, and Ünloco. A live album, featuring Disturbed's cover of "Fade to Black", would result in 2004. Upon finishing the tour, Steve Kmak was fired by the band because of "personality differences". He was soon replaced by John Moyer, and the group joined the Main Stage of Ozzfest 2003.

"Liberate" appeared on the soundtrack for the video game Tony Hawk's Underground 2. "Intoxication" appeared on the soundtrack for NFL GameDay 2004.

Critical reception
Believe currently holds a score of 62 out of 100 on review-aggregating website Metacritic, indicating "generally favorable reviews", based on nine reviews. AllMusic's Bradley Torreano praised the album, declaring that on Believe, Disturbed takes the kind of leap that their heroes in Soundgarden and Pantera had after their respective albums of progress. He also states that "it is not a function of the agitation of the tempo and percussion-based riffing of the past; guitarist Dan Donegan has made great strides in expanding its sound to include more varied guitar work all around." Greg Cot from Rolling Stone called the record "a skillful, if calculated, variation on the melodrama-meets-mayhem formula that has been driving the most commercially successful new metal in recent years," praising Andy Wallace's mixing of Wengren's drumming for having "a John Bonham-like prominence" and Donegan's guitar work for having the feel of "a percussive hammer." Ben Mitchell of Blender gave credit to the band for doing away any idiosyncratic vocal work and rap metal flourishes from their debut effort for more political topics and highlighted both Donegan's guitar line as well as Draiman's melodic delivery, saying that "Musically, Believe is as solid as this kind of generic support-slot-on-Ozzfest stuff gets and — thank Christ — at least there’s no DJ." He concluded that "Overwhelmingly, though, Disturbed have yet to come to terms with just how average they really are — seldom unlistenable, never inspirational, but consistently merely OK." Culturedose.net cited Believe as "one of the best rock albums of 2002". In 2005, Believe was ranked number 429 in Rock Hard magazine's book The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time.

Commercial performance
Believe debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, making it Disturbed's first number 1 debut, and shipped over 284,000 copies in its first week. The album also debuted at number 2 on the Canadian Albums Chart, selling 13,400 copies in the country in its first week.

By January 2003, SoundScan had recorded over 1 million album sales. The record was certified double platinum by the RIAA in the United States on September 23, 2008.

Personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Believe.

Disturbed
 * David Draiman – vocals
 * Dan Donegan – guitar, keyboards
 * Steve "Fuzz" Kmak – bass
 * Mike Wengren – drums, percussion

Additional musicians
 * Alison Chesley – cello on "Darkness"

Production
 * Johnny K – producer
 * Disturbed – producers
 * Andy Wallace – mixing
 * Howie Weinberg – mastering
 * Tony Adams – studio drum technician
 * Chris "Rock" Glatfelter – studio guitar technician

Design
 * Mick Haggerty – art direction and design
 * Stephen Danelian – photography

title: Believe (Disturbed album)


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Princess Beatrice

Princess Beatrice, Mrs Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi (Beatrice Elizabeth Mary; born 8 August 1988) is a member of the British royal family. She is the elder daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Sarah, Duchess of York. She is a niece of King Charles III. Born fifth in line of succession to the British throne, she is now ninth.

Beatrice attended St George's School, Ascot, before studying at Goldsmiths College, graduating with a bachelor's degree in history. She was briefly employed at the Foreign Office and Sony Pictures before joining software company Afiniti as Vice President of Strategic Partnerships. Beatrice also works privately with a number of charitable organisations, including the Teenage Cancer Trust and Outward Bound. She married Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, a property developer and English-born Italian noble, in 2020. Their daughter, Sienna, was born in September 2021.

Early life and education

Princess Beatrice was born at 8:18 pm on 8 August 1988 at the Portland Hospital in London, the first child of the Duke and Duchess of York, and fifth grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. She was baptised in the Chapel Royal at St James's Palace on 20 December 1988, her godparents being Viscount Linley (her father's cousin, now the 2nd Earl of Snowdon); the Duchess of Roxburghe (now Lady Jane Dawnay); Peter Palumbo; Gabrielle Greenall; and Carolyn Cotterell. Her name, an unexpected choice, was not announced until almost two weeks after her birth. Her younger sister, Princess Eugenie, was born in 1990.

Beatrice's parents divorced amicably when she was seven years old and agreed to joint custody of their two children. After the divorce, the Queen provided her parents with £1.4 million to set up a trust fund for her and Eugenie. Beatrice and her sister frequently travelled abroad with one or both of their parents.

Beatrice began her early education at the independent Upton House School in Windsor, in 1991. From there, she and her sister both attended the independent Coworth Park School (now Coworth Flexlands School) from 1995. Beatrice continued her education at the independent St George's School in Ascot, where she was a pupil from 2000 to 2007. She was diagnosed with dyslexia at the age of seven and went public with the diagnosis in 2005. She delayed sitting her GCSE exams for one year. She remained at St George's to take her A-Levels, earning an 'A' in drama, a 'B' in history, and a 'B' in film studies. She was elected Head Girl in her final year, and was a member of the school choir. Beatrice celebrated her 18th birthday with a masked ball at Windsor Castle in July 2006. Nikolai von Bismarck took her official birthday portrait.

In September 2008, Beatrice started a three-year course studying for a BA in history and history of ideas at Goldsmiths, University of London. She graduated in 2011 with a 2:1 degree.

Career
During the summer of 2008, Beatrice obtained work experience as a sales assistant at Selfridges. She also worked at the Foreign Office's press office for a period of time without receiving a salary. It was also reported in 2008 that Beatrice was interested in pursuing a career at the Financial Times website. Beatrice was the first member of the family to appear in a non-documentary film when she had a small, non-speaking role as an extra in The Young Victoria (2009), based on the accession and early reign of her ancestor Queen Victoria. For a while, she was a paid intern at Sony Pictures, but she resigned after the hacking incident that affected the company in late 2014.

In April 2015, it was reported that Beatrice had decided to move to New York City. , Beatrice had a full-time job and split her time between London and New York City. She is known as Beatrice York in her professional life and is Vice President of Partnerships and Strategy at Afiniti. She is also in charge of an Afiniti programme to engage senior business chiefs around the world to support women in leadership. She works with the programme through charity endeavours and speaking engagements.

In January 2022, it was reported that Beatrice had lost her taxpayer-funded police security in 2011, supposedly after her uncle Charles III (then Prince of Wales) intervened.

Duties and appointments
Beatrice and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh accompanied Queen Elizabeth II to the traditional Royal Maundy services on 5 April 2012 in York. There, Beatrice interacted with parishioners, received flowers from the public, and assisted the Queen as she passed out the Maundy money to the pensioners. In the lead up to the 2012 Summer Olympics, Beatrice welcomed the Olympic flame on the steps of Harewood House near Leeds. In 2013, Beatrice and her sister promoted Britain overseas in Germany. She visited the Isle of Wight in 2014, whose governor had been Beatrice's namesake Princess Beatrice, daughter of Queen Victoria. She accompanied her father during an official engagement in the United Arab Emirates on 24 November 2014.

On 17 September 2022, during the period of official mourning for Queen Elizabeth II, Beatrice joined her sister and six cousins to mount a 15-minute vigil around the coffin of the late Queen, as it lay in state at Westminster Hall. On 19 September, she joined other family members at the state funeral.

Upon the accession of Charles III, her position in the line of succession made Beatrice eligible to be appointed a Counsellor of State. In this role she can potentially carry out official duties while the monarch is abroad or unwell.

Early relationships
In 2006, Beatrice was briefly in a relationship with Paolo Liuzzo, an American whose previous charge for assault and battery caused controversy at the time. For ten years, until July 2016, she was in a relationship with Virgin Galactic businessman Dave Clark.

Marriage and family

In March 2019, Beatrice attended a fundraising event at the National Portrait Gallery, London, accompanied by property developer Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, the son of Alex Mapelli-Mozzi, a British-Italian Olympic alpine skier and descendant of the Italian nobility; the BBC describes Edoardo as "also a count", like his father; however, that title is not officially recognised in Italy or the UK. The couple are believed to have begun dating in September 2018. Together, they attended the May 2019 wedding of Lady Gabriella Windsor, Beatrice's second cousin once removed.

Princess Beatrice and Mozzi became engaged in Italy in September 2019, with their engagement formally announced by the Duke of York's Office on 26 September.

The wedding was scheduled to take place on 29 May 2020 at the Chapel Royal at St James's Palace, followed by a private reception in the gardens of Buckingham Palace, but first the reception and then the wedding itself were postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The wedding was eventually held in private on 17 July 2020, at the Royal Chapel of All Saints, Royal Lodge, Windsor, and was not publicly announced in advance. Her father’s friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, an American financier and convicted sex offender who was charged with sex trafficking of minors who died in prison, greatly impacted her wedding plans. After Prince Andrew’s subsequent BBC interview, he was retired from royal duties and her wedding arrangements were scaled down; he walked her down the aisle, but he did not appear in the official wedding portraits released by Buckingham Palace. Her wedding dress was a remodelled Norman Hartnell dress that was lent by the Queen, and she wore the Queen Mary Fringe Tiara that was also worn by the Queen at her own wedding.

Princess Beatrice has a stepson, Christopher Woolf (born 2016), her husband's child from a relationship with architect Dara Huang. She gave birth to a daughter, Sienna Elizabeth Mapelli Mozzi, on 18 September 2021 at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in Chelsea, London. At birth, Sienna was eleventh in line to the throne, and following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on 8 September 2022, she became tenth in line.

Sienna was christened at the Chapel Royal at St James's Palace, on 29 April 2022. Beatrice and her husband lived at first in a four-bedroom apartment at St James's Palace, but reportedly moved to a manor home in the Cotswolds in late 2022.

Charity work
In 2002, Beatrice visited children living with HIV in Russia. In Britain, she supported Springboard for Children (a literacy project for primary-school children with learning difficulties) and the Teenage Cancer Trust. In an interview to mark her 18th birthday, Beatrice said she wanted to use her position to assist others through charity work; she had already undertaken charitable duties alongside her mother through the various organisations the Duchess supported.

In April 2010, running to raise money for Children in Crisis, she became the first member of the royal family to complete the London Marathon. Beatrice is the patron of Forget Me Not Children's Hospice, which supports children with life-shortening conditions in West Yorkshire and North Manchester. At the April 2011 wedding of her cousin Prince William, Beatrice's unusual fascinator, designed by Philip Treacy, received much attention and derision from the public and the media. The following month, the headpiece was auctioned for £81,000 on eBay, with the proceeds going to two charities: UNICEF and Children in Crisis.

In November 2012, Beatrice became a patron of the York Musical Society. In April 2013, she became royal patron of the Helen Arkell Dyslexia Centre, a charity that she credits with helping her overcome her own academic challenges resulting from dyslexia.

In 2016, Beatrice, her mother, and her sister Eugenie collaborated with British contemporary artist Teddy McDonald to create the first royal contemporary art painting. Titled Royal Love, it was painted at Royal Lodge and exhibited at Masterpiece London before being sold with all proceeds from the sale donated by McDonald to Children in Crisis. In 2018, Children in Crisis merged with Street Child, a children's charity active in multiple countries, with Beatrice serving as its ambassador. She is also a supporter of the Pitch@Palace initiative, a charity her father founded to amplify and accelerate entrepreneurs' business ideas.

Beatrice took part in a South Asia Tour 2016 that lasted nine days. She visited Nepal, India, and Bhutan on behalf of the Franks Family Foundation (FFF), and Jamgon Kongtrul Eyes Centres, a free micro-surgical cataract programme in technical collaboration with Nepal's Tilganga Eye Centre under Nepali eye surgeon Sanduk Ruit's direction. A few weeks later, she attended the 2016 Asia Game Changer Awards Dinner at the United Nations in New York City, which honoured Ruit and others. Beatrice and Charles Rockefeller presented Ruit with his Asia Society Asia Game Changer award.

Beatrice is the founder of Big Change, a charity she established with six of her friends to encourage young people to develop skills "outside a traditional academic curriculum". In 2012, she climbed Mont Blanc in aid of the charity. In 2016, with Richard Branson and his children, she participated in the fundraising challenge Virgin Strive Challenge, which involved climbing Mount Etna.

In 2017, Beatrice helped promote the anti-bullying book Be Cool Be Nice and gave an interview to Vogue at a House of Lords event, speaking about her own experiences with being bullied for her fashion choices in her early adulthood. Hello! magazine later named her one of the best-dressed royals. In May 2018, she attended the Met Gala in New York City. In October 2018, she undertook an extended tour of Laos to "raise the profile of the UK" there, and also participated in the Luang Prabang Half Marathon for Children.

In March 2019, Beatrice was elected to the board of the UK charity the Outward Bound Trust as a trustee, after her father took over the patronage from his father, the Duke of Edinburgh. In May 2019, she was honoured at a gala in New York City for her work with Friends Without a Border. She has supported the Kairos Society, a non-profit organisation of entrepreneurs at universities in China, Europe, India and the US.

In April 2022 and in her capacity as an ambassador for the charity Made By Dyslexia, Beatrice and her husband took part in the first World Dyslexia Assembly, which was hosted by Prince Carl Philip in Sweden.

In February 2023, Beatrice was named patron of the British Skin Foundation.

Titles and styles
As a male-line grandchild of a sovereign, Beatrice was known as "Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice of York" at birth, the territorial designation coming from her father's title, Duke of York. Since her marriage, she has been styled "Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice, Mrs Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi" in the Court Circular.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Princess Beatrice


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AM General

AM General is an American heavy vehicle and contract automotive manufacturer based in South Bend, Indiana. It is best known for the civilian Hummer and the military Humvee that are assembled in Mishawaka, Indiana. From 1974–1979 the company also manufactured transit buses, making more than 5,400 of them.

AM General has also been a provider of vehicles for the CUCV program carried out by the United States Armed Forces.

Beginning
AM General traces its roots to the Standard Wheel Company of Terre Haute, Indiana, which expanded in 1903 to include the Overland Automotive Division. In 1908, John North Willys purchased the Overland company, then based in Indianapolis, Indiana, and renamed it Willys-Overland Motors. In the 1940s, as Willys, it collaborated with Ford to develop a vehicle to US Army specifications. It then mass-produced that vehicle as "America's first four-wheel-drive, one-fourth-ton, tactical utility truck"—the Jeep of World War II fame. In 1953, Kaiser Motors purchased Willys-Overland, changing its name first to Kaiser-Willys Motor Company, and in 1963, to Kaiser-Jeep Corporation. In 1970, it was purchased by American Motors Corporation (AMC). In July 2020, KPS Capital Partners acquired the company.

Defense and Government Products Division
In 1964, Kaiser-Jeep purchased the Studebaker facilities on Chippewa Avenue in South Bend, Indiana, which included Studebaker's "General Products Division", along with its substantial defense contracts.

At the time, Kaiser had been awarded a US$87 million Army truck contract, and under government pressure, agreed to perform the work at the South Bend plant it had recently acquired from Studebaker.

American Motors
American Motors Corporation (AMC) purchased the Jeep Corporation from Kaiser in 1970 when Kaiser decided to leave the auto business.

In 1971, AMC made the General Products Division of Jeep (producing military trucks as well as contract and non-commercial vehicles) a wholly owned subsidiary and renamed it "AM General Corporation".

American Motors ceased to function as an independent automaker in 1982 when a controlling interest was purchased by Renault.

US government regulations at that time forbade ownership of defense contractors by foreign governments—and Renault was partially owned by the French government.

LTV Corporation
In 1983, LTV Corporation bought AM General and established it as a wholly owned subsidiary. In 1984, its headquarters moved from the American Motors AMTEK Building in Detroit, Michigan, to Livonia, Michigan, and two years later to South Bend, Indiana, where primary manufacturing operations were located.

Renco Group
In 1992, AM General was sold to Renco Group, which in 2002 converted it to a limited liability company.

Hummer brand
In 1984 AM General built a separate factory at 13200 McKinley Hwy in Mishawaka for HMMWV production.

In 1992 AM General began marketing the HMMWV to the civilian market under the Hummer brand. In 1999, GM acquired the rights to the brand and continued production of the original civilian Hummer as the H1 until June 2006.

The Hummer H2 went on the market in 2002, and was produced until January 2009. It was designed and marketed by GM, but manufactured by AM General at the Mishawaka plant. AM General did not build the H3 model.

GM was sued early in 2003 by DaimlerChrysler, owners of the Jeep brand, for the resemblance of the Hummer's seven-slot grille to Jeep's. The lawsuit was dismissed after acknowledgment of the shared corporate history of AMC and Jeep. GM in turn sued boutique automaker Avanti Motor Corporation of Cancun, Mexico after it introduced the Studebaker XUV at the Chicago Auto show in 2002. GM said Avanti infringed on the Hummer looks by planning a vehicle that closely resembled the Hummer. It seemed the AM General Hummer line had gone full circle back to the original Studebaker General Products Division which was responsible for all military contracts.

2004–present
On August 20, 2004, it was announced that Ronald Perelman's MacAndrews & Forbes company would form a joint venture with AM General's then-owner, Renco Group, to give Perelman 70% ownership. The deal reportedly cost close to US$1 billion.

In 2008, AM General and the Vehicle Production Group (VPG), of Troy, Michigan, announced that contracts had been signed for AM General to begin producing purpose-built taxi-cabs in 2009. Actual production would not begin until October 2011. The first vehicle off the line was presented to Marc Buoniconti, a former linebacker for The Citadel who was partially paralyzed in 1985.

In May 2010, Azure Dynamics announced it had chosen AM General to assemble its electric drivetrain for Ford Transit Connect vehicles for the North American market at its Livonia, Michigan, factory.

In September 2013, AM General reached an agreement to purchase the United States Department of Energy's secured loan to the Vehicle Production Group (VPG). Prior to this, AM General acted as the sole vehicle assembler for VPG. As a result of this transaction, AM General created a wholly owned company, Mobility Ventures LLC, to operate the Mobility Vehicle-1 (MV-1) business and receive all VPG assets.

In 2015, production of the Mercedes-Benz R-Class began at the Mishawaka assembly plant. Without this deal, "the German automaker would likely have had to shut down production of the vehicle, currently only sold in China." Production ended in October 2017.

In July 2020, it was revelead that investment company KPS Capital Partners had reached an agreement to acquire AM General from its previous owner, MacAndrews & Forbes.

AM General submitted a prototype to become the United States Postal Service's Next Generation Delivery Vehicle, but their entry was not chosen.

Jeep Dispatcher 100
Another familiar product from the AM General line was the Jeep DJ-5 series—a purpose-built "Dispatch Jeep" 2-wheel drive (RWD) version of the Jeep CJ-5—used in huge numbers as a right-hand drive mail delivery vehicle by the United States Postal Service.

Buses

The AM General Metropolitan buses were manufactured for city transit use from 1974 until 1979, producing a total of 5,431 buses (including 219 electric trolley buses). The Metropolitan was built under a 1971 agreement with Flyer Industries of Winnipeg, Manitoba; AM General licensed the rights to build and market the Western Flyer D700 for the US market. The D700 itself was similar in design to the contemporaneous GM New Look buses. The front end of the D700 was restyled and thus the resulting Metropolitan was not simply a Flyer design built under license but rather a jointly designed vehicle. Flyer later adopted the design changes for its own line as the models D800 and E800. Buses were built in lengths of either 35 ft or 40 ft, and widths of 96 in or 102 in. The model numbers reflected the chosen dimensions; for example, model "10240" indicated a 102-inch wide, 40-foot long bus. Suffixes "A" or "B" were used for later models to indicate certain options. In total, 3,571 40-foot diesel buses and 1,641 35-foot diesel buses were produced.

Articulated buses
In 1977–1979, AM General also worked under a partnership with MAN of Germany to build SG 220 articulated buses for US transit systems. MAN fabricated the bodyshells in Germany and shipped them to the US for AM General for final assembly. Two different lengths were offered, 55 ft and 60 ft; 93 buses were built to the shorter length while the rest were 60 feet long. By October 1978, the company discontinued bus production with the last unit completed in March 1979. The total number built was just under 400 (392 or 399 ), the largest group by far being 150 for Seattle's Metro Transit. MAN subsequently set up its own factory for US production in Cleveland, North Carolina.

Trolleybuses
Production of complete motor buses (and of any two-axle motor buses) had ended in 1978 and aside from the fitting-out of the last articulated MAN shells, the only production in 1979 was two batches of trolleybuses (and the only such vehicles ever built by the company). These were all 40 ft vehicles, model 10240T: 110 trackless trolleys for the Philadelphia trolleybus system, operated by SEPTA; and 109 for the Seattle trolleybus system, operated by Metro Transit (now King County Metro). One of the latter has been preserved since its retirement in 2003 by King County Metro (see King County Metro fleet).

Development and production of the HMMWV
In 1979, AM General began preliminary design work on the M998 Series High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV, pronounced Humvee), a 1.25-ton truck intended to replace the M151 and other Light Utility Vehicles. The US Army awarded AM General a prototype contract in 1981 with development and operational testing conducted over a five-month period in 1982. In March 1983, AM General won an initial $1.2 billion contract to produce 55,000 Humvees to be delivered in five basic models and 15 different configurations over a five-year period.

Production began at the Mishawaka, Indiana, assembly plant in the fall of 1984 and the first deliveries were made in early 1985. The total international production by mid-1991 was more than 72,000. Since 1991, an additional 20,000 HMMWVs ordered brought total international production to 100,000 in March 1995.

Late in 2000, AM General was awarded another contract for 2,962 M998A2 series trucks. The contract contained six single-year options running to the fiscal year 2007 and continues to be renewed. Nearly 250,000 units have been produced.

Humvees feature full-time four-wheel drive, an independent suspension, steep approach and departure angles, 60-percent grade ability and 16 in of ground clearance. More recent production models include the M1151, M1152, M1165, and M1167. As of 2015, Humvees are in use by the US Army, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Navy. The combined fleet numbers 140,000. More than 50 nations have bought these vehicles.

The Humvee's replacement, a completely new Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) design, has been in production by Oshkosh Corporation since 2016. AM General was unsuccessful in its bid for this $30-billion 25-year contract, and it is now focused on military Humvee support (they still outnumber JLTVs by three to one) and development of a new ambulance model.

Other military vehicles
AM General also acquired Department of Defense contracts for medium and heavy trucks, including the M151 series, 2 1/2 ton M35 series, and 5 ton M809 series in the 1970s then the M939 series in the 1980s.

In 2005, AM General was contracted to take over militarization, sales, and marketing of LSSV vehicles.

title: AM General


text:
Sesame Street discography

This is a list of recordings released by the TV series Sesame Street. Many of the early Columbia and CTW (Children's Television Workshop) releases have been re-released on the Sony Wonder label, and later by The Orchard and Warner Music Group.

1970s

 * 1970 - The Sesame Street Book & Record: Original Cast (a.k.a. Sesame Street 1) (Columbia CS 1069) / 1974 (CTW 22064) (US #23, 54 weeks)
 * 1970 - The Sesame Street Carry About Box Set (Columbia) / (CRA)
 * 1970 - Susan Sings Songs From Sesame Street (Scepter SPS-584) (US #86, 13 weeks)
 * 1970 - Bob McGrath from Sesame Street (Affinity 1001) (US #126, 11 weeks)
 * 1971 - Sesame Street 2 - Original Cast (Warner Bros. BS 2569) / 1975 (CTW 22074) (US #78, 10 weeks)
 * 1971 - The Muppet Alphabet Album (Columbia CC 25503) / 1996 - Sing The Alphabet (Sony Wonder 67747-67748) / 2008 (Koch Records)
 * 1971 - The Muppet Alphabet Album Carry About (CRA) / 1990 - The Sesame Street Alphabet Album (Golden)
 * 1971 - The Year of Roosevelt Franklin a.k.a. My Name is Roosevelt Franklin (Columbia C 30387) / 1974 (CTW 22067)
 * 1972 - Havin' Fun With Ernie and Bert (Columbia CC 25506)
 * 1972 - Havin' Fun With Ernie and Bert Carry About (CRA)
 * 1973 - Sesame Street Concert/On Stage - Live! (Columbia KC 32343) / 1975 (CTW 22075)
 * 1974 - Bert's Blockbusters (CTW 22051)
 * 1974 - Letters ...and Numbers, Too! (CTW 22055)
 * 1974 - Ernie's Hits (CTW 22056)
 * 1974 - Sing the Hit Songs of Sesame Street (CTW 22057)
 * 1974 - "C" Is For Cookie (CTW 22058) / 1995 - "C" is for Cookie: Cookie's Favorite Songs (Sony Wonder)
 * 1974 - Big Bird Sings (CTW 22059)
 * 1974 - Somebody Come and Play a.k.a. Play-Along Songs (CTW 22060)
 * 1974 - Let a Frown Be Your Umbrella (CTW 22061)
 * 1974 - Pete Seeger and Brother Kirk Visit Sesame Street (CTW 22062)
 * 1974 - Grover Sings The Blues (CTW 22066)
 * 1974 - Sesame Mucho! (CRA 25507) / 1979 - Welcome! (CTW 22091)
 * 1974 - Bob McGrath Sings For All The Boys and Girls
 * 1975 - Bert & Ernie Sing-Along (CTW 22068)
 * 1975 - The Count Counts! (CTW 22069)
 * 1975 - Sesame Street Monsters! (CTW 22071) / 1996 - Monster Melodies (Sony Wonder)
 * 1975 - Merry Christmas from Sesame Street (CTW 25516) / 1995 - A Sesame Street Christmas (Sony Wonder) / 2008 (Koch Records)
 * 1976 - Just Friends (CTW)
 * 1976 - Letters ABCD (CRA) / (CTW)
 * 1976 - Letters EFGH (CRA) / (CTW)
 * 1976 - Letters IJKL (CRA) / (CTW)
 * 1976 - Letters MNOP (CRA) / (CTW)
 * 1976 - Letters QRST (CRA) / (CTW)
 * 1976 - Letters UVW (CRA) / (CTW)
 * 1976 - Letters XYZ (CRA) / (CTW)
 * 1977 - Let Your Feelings Show! (CTW 22076)
 * 1977 - Signs! (CTW 22077)
 * 1977 - Happy Birthday from Sesame Street (CTW 22078) / 1992 (Golden) / 2004 (Sony Wonder)
 * 1977 - Numbers! (CTW 22079) / 1995 (Sony Wonder)
 * 1977 - Letters, Numbers and Signs 3-LP Box Set (CTW 160)
 * 1977 - Big Bird Leads The Band (CTW 22080)
 * 1977 - The Sesame Street Fairy Tale Album (CTW 22081)
 * 1977 - Sleepytime Bird (CTW 22082) / 1990 - Sleepytime on Sesame Street (Golden)
 * 1977 - Aren't You Glad You're You? (CTW 22083)
 * 1977 - Bob Sings! (CTW 22084)
 * 1977 - What Time Is It On Sesame Street? (CTW 25517)
 * 1977 - Sesame Street Gold! (CTW 79001)
 * 1978 - Sesame Street Story Time (CTW 22086)
 * 1978 - On The Street Where We Live - Block Party! (CTW 22087)
 * 1978 - David: Daydreamin' On A Rainy Day (CTW 25518)
 * 1978 - Fair Is Fair (CTW 22088)
 * 1978 - Sing, Sang Song Singalong (CTW 25520)
 * 1978 - Sesame Street Silver - 10th Anniversary Album (CTW 79002)
 * 1978 - Sesame Street Fever soundtrack (CTW)
 * 1979 - At Home With Ernie and Bert (CTW)
 * 1979 - Every Body's Record (CTW)
 * 1979 - Anne Murray Sings for the Sesame Street Generation (CTW)
 * 1979 - The Stars Come Out On Sesame Street (CTW)
 * 1979 - Sesame Disco (CTW)
 * 1979 - Dinah! Pays a Visit to Sesame Street—I've Got A Song (CTW)

1980s

 * 1980 - In Harmony: A Sesame Street Record (Warner Bros) (US #156)
 * 1980 - The People in Your Neighborhood (CTW)
 * 1980 - Big Bird's Birdtime Stories (CTW)
 * 1980 - Christmas Eve on Sesame Street (CTW)
 * 1980 - Love (CTW)
 * 1980 - Sesame Street Treasury (Columbia House)
 * 1981 - Bert & Ernie Side By Side (Golden)
 * 1981 - Camping in Canada
 * 1981 - Getting Ready For School (CTW)
 * 1981 - Sesame Country (CTW)
 * 1981 - Big Bird Discovers the Orchestra (CTW)
 * 1981 - Grin and Giggle With Big Bird (CTW)
 * 1981 - ''Sesame Count (CTW) / 1992 (Golden)
 * 1982 - Big Bird Presents Hans Christian Andersen
 * 1982 - For The First Time
 * 1982 - Exercise! (CTW)
 * 1982 - Just Friends
 * 1982 - Just the Two of Us
 * 1982 - Sesame Street Sing-Along! (CTW) / 1993 - A Sesame Street Sing-Along (Golden)
 * 1983 - Surprise!
 * 1983 - The Gang's All Here
 * 1983 - Born To Add: Great Rock & Roll (CTW) / 1993 (Golden) / 1995 (Sony Wonder)
 * 1983 - The Best of Big Bird (Golden)
 * 1983 - The Best of Ernie (Golden)
 * 1983 - The Best of Bert (Golden)
 * 1983 - The Best of Grover (Golden)
 * 1983 - The Best of Cookie Monster (Golden)
 * 1983 - The Best of Oscar the Grouch (Golden)
 * 1983 - The Best of The Count (Golden)
 * 1984 - Sesame Street Christmas Sing-Along (CTW) / 1993 - Merry Christmas: A Sesame Street Sing-Along (Golden)
 * 1985 -  Sesame Street Presents Follow That Bird Soundtrack (RCA)
 * 1986 - Bounce Along with Big Bird (Golden) / 1996 (Sony)
 * 1986 - Christmas on Sesame Street (CBS)
 * 1987 - The Best of Sesame Street (Sight & Sound)

1990s

 * 1990 - Put Down the Duckie! (Golden)
 * 1991 - Bob's Favorite Street Songs (A&M)
 * 1991 - Jim Henson: A Sesame Street Celebration (Golden)
 * 1992 - Sing: Songs of Joe Raposo (Golden)
 * 1993 - Sesame Road (Golden) / 1995 (Sony Wonder)
 * 1993 - We Are All Earthlings (Golden)
 * 1994 - Sesame Street Celebrates! (Golden)
 * 1994 - Cheep Thrills (Golden)
 * 1995 - Sesame Street Platinum: All-Time Favorites (Sony Wonder) / 2008 (Koch Records)
 * 1995 - The Bird is the Word! Big Bird's Favorite Songs (Sony Wonder)
 * 1995 - Splish Splash: Bath Time Fun (Sony Wonder)
 * 1996 - Bert and Ernie's Greatest Hits (Sony Wonder)
 * 1996 - Big Bird's Band Plays Together (Sony Wonder)
 * 1996 - Rosita's Block Party (Sony Wonder)
 * 1996 - Sing-Along Travel Songs (Sony Wonder)
 * 1996 - Silly Songs (Sony Wonder) / 2009 (Koch Records)
 * 1996 - Dreamytime Songs (Sony Wonder)
 * 1997 - Hot! Hot! Hot! Dance Songs (Sony Wonder) / 2008 (Koch Records)
 * 1997 - Sesame Street Platinum Too (Sony Wonder)
 * 1997 - The Count's Countdown (Sony Wonder)
 * 1997 - Oscar's Trashy Songs (Sony Wonder)
 * 1997 - The Best Of Elmo (Sony Wonder) / 2008 (Koch Records)
 * 1997 - Elmo's Favorite Sing-Alongs (Sony Wonder)
 * 1997 - Kids' Favorite Songs (Sony Wonder) / 2008 (Koch Records)
 * 1998 - Fiesta Songs! (Sony Wonder)
 * 1998 - Elmopalooza! (Sony Wonder) / 2008 (Koch Records)
 * 1998 - Elmo's Lowdown Hoedown (Sony Wonder)
 * 1998 - Elmo Says BOO! (Sony Wonder)
 * 1998 - Elmo Saves Christmas (Sony Wonder) / 2008 (Koch Records)
 * 1999 - The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland (Sony Wonder)
 * 1999 - The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland (Sony Wonder)

2000s

 * 2000 - CinderElmo (Sony Wonder)
 * 2001 - Elmo & the Orchestra (Sony Wonder)
 * 2001 - Kids' Favorite Songs 2 (Sony Wonder)
 * 2003 - Songs from the Street: 35 Years of Music (Sony Wonder)

2010s

 * 2010 - Sesame Street Old School Volume 1 (Koch Records)
 * 2010 - Sesame Street Old School Volume 2 (Koch Records)
 * 2011 - Sesame Street Music: Amazon Sampler (Amazon.com/Sesame Workshop)
 * 2011 - Sesame Street Christmas Collection (Sesame Workshop)
 * 2012 - Sesame Street Valentine's Collection (Sesame Workshop)
 * 2012 - A Special Sesame Street Christmas: Soundtrack from the Emmy Nmminated Special (Legend Group Records)
 * 2012 - Elmo's Dance Party (Sesame Workshop)
 * 2012 - Sunny Days Collection (Sesame Workshop)
 * 2012 - Travel Songs (Sesame Workshop)
 * 2012 - Summer Games Collection (Sesame Workshop)
 * 2012 - Back to School Collection
 * 2012 - Halloween Collection
 * 2012 - Giving Thanks Collection
 * 2013 - Holiday Classics
 * 2014 - V is for Valentine
 * 2014 - Lyrical Letters
 * 2015 - Keep Christmas with You (Mormon Tabernacle Choir)

Unreleased 1974 Sesame Street record albums

 * Bob and Susan Sing Songs from Sesame Street
 * Tu Me Gustas (I Like You)
 * Sesame Street Zoo

title: Sesame Street discography


text:
Talk:Piper PA-32 Cherokee Six

I removed text that was exactly the same as text at http://www.heliaust.com.au/piper.html. If there was permission for us to use and modify this text under terms of our license then please indicate so here. --mav

The information you removed was basically factual information, available from many sources.The text referenced above is NOT authoritative nor has any explicit copyright. In fact, I didn't use it. I used another source of information, which also did not have copyright limitations.

Also, I disagree with your insertion about the "notoriety" -- it was NOT the airplane that became notorious; in fact, it was Kennedy the pilot who became notorious, because of his relative lack of IFR/nigh-VFR training.

What is appropriate content for Wikipedia -- factual information, available from many sources, or opinionated information, such as might be available from uninformed media? --Alan

 * Whether or not the information is factual has zero bearing on whether or not the text was copyrighted. Information can not be copyrighted but the artistic expression of the information in text is automatically copyrighted when it is written. In fact an author must explicitly give-up copyright in order to have the text placed in the public domain. Please feel free to rewrite the text in your own words (sic your own artistic expression) and re-add the information. BTW all I did was delete the offending paragraphs. Check the article history for the person who inserted the passage you are talking about. --mav

I updated this page with some information I gleaned from my own knowledge as well as the FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet for the PA-32 series. However, I believe that this page and the Piper Saratoga page should be combined. It is the same series of aircraft except for fixed vs. retractable gear, and there was even a fixed-gear version of the Saratoga.

I'll add more info on the retract PA32R's at the Saratoga page as well, but I'd prefer that it all be merged onto this page.

 * I agree that the two pages should be combined. Have a look at Beechcraft Musketeer for an example of this - that page includes the fixed gear Musketeers and the retractable Sierras and it works well like that Ahunt 09:36, 28 August 2006 (UTC)

Duplicate specs
User:65.254.173.116 recently added a second set of specs for the 1966 model PA-32-260 to the existing set of 1972 model PA-32-300 specs already in this article. As per WikiProject Aircraft guidelines articles usually only have one representative set of specs for an aircraft type and not multiple specs for multiple variants, since this is an encyclopedia and not Janes. Is there any reason to have two sets of almost identical specs? - Ahunt (talk) 16:14, 22 December 2009 (UTC)

 * I tend to say no. I'd put any differences in the model summaries, where they're really significant (& a couple of knots on Vmax or Vref don't make it, IMO). Otherwise, take it out.  TREKphiler   any time you're ready, Uhura  20:05, 22 December 2009 (UTC)

 * Okay lacking any reason for duplicating he specs I will remove them. Note to anyone tempted to put the duplicate back in: Please discuss and provide a justification here first. - Ahunt (talk) 17:55, 23 December 2009 (UTC)

User 65.254.173.116 (AKA ensminger@yahoo.com) included these because they were very difficult for me to find. There are significant differences to the purchaser of one of these aircraft in terms of useful load and performance. I felt the side-by-side comparison would be useful if some referenced wikipedia early in the decision making process. I would not have included the comparable airframe size specs but I am not familiar with html code and did not know how to just include the differences. I was also not aware that there were so many rules to submission and will refrain from submitting again because it ended up being a waste of my time. I noticed ahunt that you were working with a link for fantasy air allegro on the talk boards. I am an owner of one of these as well and if you need any reference info please feel free to contact me by email. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.173.110.218 (talk) 14:33, 26 December 2009 (UTC)

 * Wikipedia really isn't intended to be a buyer's guide for prospective purchasers, otherwise you would want specs from each year and price comparisons, etc. There are many publications and websites that are better equipped for that sort of thing. That said, if you think there are significant differences then these should be mentioned in the section in the article dealing with that specific model, rather than adding a second set of specs. Thanks for the thought on the Allegro. I have an extensive pilot report article that I had published a few years ago and also about 100 photos, too, so I should be able to expand it significantly as soon as I have a chance to do so. - Ahunt (talk) 16:39, 26 December 2009 (UTC)

Embraer Minuano.
There appears to be an Embraer 720 Minuano more or less based on the PA-32 - is it a license build or a further development? (illustration: http://www.centrohistoricoembraer.com.br/pt-BR/HistoriaAeronaves/Paginas/EMB-720-Minuano.aspx ) Jan olieslagers (talk) 05:11, 4 August 2014 (UTC)

fatal accident Piper PA-32-260 I am not sure where to put it.
Five foreign tourists killed in plane crash in Honduras The Piper PA-32-260 plane was headed to the tourist port city of Trujillo, about 80 kilometers (49.71 miles) from Roatan https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/world/five-foreign-tourists-killed-in-plane-crash-in-honduras-3992001.htmlGeo8rge (talk) 09:52, 19 May 2019 (UTC)

 * The normal way would be to add a chapter, after the "Variants" chapter but before the "Specifications". However in this particular case the accident might be considered non-noteworthy by some; perhap think twice before adding it. Jan olieslagers (talk) 09:56, 19 May 2019 (UTC)

 * It is not notable, there have been hundreds of accidents like this in this aircraft type, so we don;t add them all. For the inclusion criteria see WP:AIRCRASH. - Ahunt (talk) 12:44, 19 May 2019 (UTC)

 * It certainly isn't notable enough to have an article to itself. But as a mention in the plane type's article I am not so sure, are there no precedents? Jan olieslagers (talk) 15:29, 19 May 2019 (UTC)

 * Yes, it is all explained at WP:AIRCRASH. Basically light aircraft accidents are daily occurrences globally, so we only include ones in which notable people are killed (i.e. has a bio on Wikipedia and not just notable for being killed in the accident) or if the accident results systemic changes, like airworthiness directives, changes in ATC procedures or similar. Otherwise we don't list "garden variety" crashes as there are too many and there is nothing to be learned from most of them (most are "repeat" accidents). If we did add all crashes this article would have several hundred of them. The Cessna 172 and Piper Cherokee would have many thousands. It is very much like the automoble articles. If you check Ford Mustang, you won't see any accidents mentioned. Probably over a million Mustangs have been crashed and that makes individual ones not notable. It is the same with light aircraft. - Ahunt (talk) 20:37, 19 May 2019 (UTC)

title: Talk:Piper PA-32 Cherokee Six


text: User:Alan Stebbens

title: User:Alan Stebbens


text:
User talk:Alan Stebbens

Hello and welcome! There is a message for you at Talk:Piper PA-32 Series.--mav

title: User talk:Alan Stebbens


text: User:Braniac

title: User:Braniac


text:
User talk:Braniac

Hello and Welcome! I hope you like the place. --mav

Just type which then renders as  If you want to align an image then just copy the correct line under the Images heading in  Boilerplate text. Don't forget to have fun. :-) --mav

Unverified images
Hi! Thanks for uploading the following image:

I notice it currently doesn't have an image copyright tag. Could you add one to let us know its copyright status? (You can use if you release it under the GNU Free Documentation License,  if you claim fair use, etc.) If you don't know what any of this means, just let me know at my talk page where you got the images and I'll tag them for you. Thanks so much. [[User:Poccil|Peter O. (Talk, automation script)]] 03:39, Dec 11, 2004 (UTC)
 * Image:Djaci.gif
 * Image:Veliki.jpg

P.S. You can help tag other images at User:Yann/Untagged_Images. Thanks again.

Thanks for uploading Image:Panorama.jpg. I notice it currently doesn't have an image copyright tag. Could you add one to let us know its copyright status? (You can use if you release it under the GFDL, or  if you claim fair use, etc.) If you don't know what any of this means, just let me know where you got the images and I'll tag them for you. Thanks so much,   — Edwin Stearns | Talk 17:49, 15 Dec 2004 (UTC)

title: User talk:Braniac


text:
Talk:Ernie (Sesame Street)

Move
Why the move? Is there another Ernie we need to disambiguate from? --mav

 * Also did this with Bert. I don't know, it's just that if there ever was... user:zanimum

 * When and if that happens we will take care of it then. --mav

 * Sigh. Whatever.

Moved back. --mav

no homage
I removed the It's a Wonderful Life reference, as Henson said specifically that the names are NOT from the two supporting characters in that movie. It says this in Bert and Ernie - DavidWBrooks 11:56, 17 Dec 2004 (UTC)

Than again, perhaps Henson's lawyers advised this course of action and it's just a coincidence that Bert is the officious muppet where Bert is the police officer, Ernie is the goofie muppet where Ernie the taxi driver is the goofier one of the pair (who kisses Bert after they croon to the newlyweds), etc. Denied or not, the coincidences are too striking and my statement was couched in "may" language; you probably should have left it in both articles, adding the official denial if you wished.

Atlant 13:07, 17 Dec 2004 (UTC)

Seems inappropriate to me to remove this altogether. It would seem more appropriate to replace it with a proper reference to Henson's statement. Paul Brannan (talk) 14:34, 13 December 2013 (UTC)

rumors
I (hopefully) improved the language in the section titled "Rumors of Homosexuality" (previously titled "Bert and Ernie are Gay").

Homosexual rumor
A few weeks ago, a contributor removed the "Rumors of Homosexuality" entry to this article. His rationale, according to the history, was that "Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, not a rumor mill." In response, I say this is a urban legend, not a rumor; and the fact is, this urban legend exists; it is not rumormongering merely by restating it. The link I had provided was to snopes.com, a reputable Web site that reports the factual veracity of urban legends such as the one concerning the relationship between Bert and Ernie. The author of the article used nine sources - including the New York Times and USA Weekend to create the article (scroll to the very bottom of the article); to be sure, she sure didn't make it up out of thin air or base it on her personal opinion. I say the "Rumors of Homosexuality," along with the link to the snopes.com article, ought to go back in. Briguy52748 16:25, 15 July 2006 (UTC)]]

 * I agree that snopes.com is a reliable enough source for urban legends and such; furthermore, the fact that Sesame Workshop had to issue a press release denying the urban legend shows that it's noteworthy. Not to mention the Avenue Q connection!  I'll restore the section. —Josiah Rowe (talk • contribs) 05:14, 16 July 2006 (UTC)

 * Your thoughts were exactly what I was planning to add, Josiah, had no one restored it yet. Anyhow, I have renamed the subsection "Sexual orientation" to dispel any unintended notions. Briguy52748 19:21, 16 July 2006 (UTC)]]

I always thought they were brothers... let's make it official! :)

In a german song(„Hallo, Wie Wär's Mit Einem O?“) from sesame street theres a phrase where somebody talking ti ernie„Oder schenk' es deiner Frau.“("Or give it to your wife.") he answer„Wem? Bert?“("Who?Bert?")

Regarding the comment regarding Cookie Monster's cookie addiction, they did end up putting him on a diet, didn't they? Just some food for thought. Personally I always thought Bert and Ernie were based on The Odd Couple. horse  dreamer  01:53, 25 March 2007 (UTC)

It's more like Cookie Monster was encouraged to moderate his diet on screen so the audience at home would be encouraged to do the same. Tyrekecorrea (talk) 21:46, 18 December 2021 (UTC)

I always thought they were brothers too! but I also agree that they are based off the odd couple Julie 08:31, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

This is the worst page I've ever found in Wikipedia.
There is nothing in here but speculation on unfounded and irrelevant rumors. I actually looked up Ernie to try and remember an album I had as a kid. Like the creators of the show said, they are asexual. The idea that people can't get past that is yet another example of how American society is operating at about a 7th grade intelect. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.196.109.55  (talk • contribs)  19:47, 1 December 2007 (UTC)
 * I realize this post is more than 18 months old, but a note to all contributors: If you believe this (or any other page) is "the worst" on Wikipedia, or is otherwise in need of cleanup, please be bold and improve it to how you see fit. The homosexual rumor statement was sourced and has the sourced counter-argument; I do not know how more clearly that it can be stated. Nowhere in this article does it state that "Ernie and Bert are gay" as fact. Nowhere. Briguy52748 (talk) 16:32, 17 July 2009 (UTC)]]

Merge
There is an article for Bert, an article for Ernie, and an article for Bert and Ernie. At least one of those three needs to go. I'd merge the first two into the third. Vidor (talk)

Whitmire as Ernie
According to Steve he only played Ernie in 1993 as Sesame Street toys and didn't start preforming him in live action till 1994

Primary topic
Is this character the primary topic? There could be a US systemic bias here. There are some other omportant meanings, including the Premium Bond machine, and Ernie Wise, famous British comic. PatGallacher (talk) 09:56, 18 August 2011 (UTC)

requested move

 * The following discussion is an archived discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. Editors desiring to contest the closing decision should consider a move review. No further edits should be made to this section.

The result of the move request was: moved Dpmuk (talk) 15:48, 3 March 2014 (UTC)

Ernie → Ernie (Sesame Street) – better 76.120.175.135 (talk) 20:02, 16 February 2014 (UTC)
 * Support - and move Ernie (disambiguation) to Ernie. In ictu oculi (talk) 21:38, 16 February 2014 (UTC)
 * Support and move as above. -- Necrothesp (talk) 16:25, 19 February 2014 (UTC)
 * Oppose, 45 years of existance denotes the WP:PTOPIC is this and no other major competence for it. ©   Tb hotch ™ (en-2.5). 04:44, 23 February 2014 (UTC)
 * Support - and move Ernie (disambiguation) to Ernie. If there is primary topic for Ernie, it is as the diminutive form of the given name Ernest.  However, there are plenty of other highly notable uses, such as the Benny Hill song, so I don't think that even it is primary. -- Brown HairedGirl (talk) • (contribs) 17:35, 23 February 2014 (UTC)
 * Support Love the Sesame Street character though I do, there is no primary topic for Ernie. As others have said, also move Ernie (disambiguation) to Ernie. Xoloz (talk) 02:58, 24 February 2014 (UTC)
 * Support. Even if arguably "PrimaryTopic", the title is not sufficiently recognizable.  Ernie (Sesame Street), Bert (Sesame Street) & Bert and Ernie are content forks of the basically the same, fairly shallow, children's fictional topic and should all be merged into one article.  --SmokeyJoe (talk) 03:45, 25 February 2014 (UTC)
 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on this talk page or in a move review. No further edits should be made to this section.

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 * Bert and Ernie (2841396233).jpg

Ernie's Nationality
Where does it say that Ernie's Filipino? I can't find anything anywhere that serves as verification that it's more than rumor, and it bugs me. Tyrekecorrea (talk) 21:49, 18 December 2021 (UTC)

title: Talk:Ernie (Sesame Street)


text:
Talk:5

Wiki Education assignment: 4A Wikipedia Assignment
— Assignment last updated by Ahlluhn (talk) 00:57, 31 May 2024 (UTC)

Glyph development section
I removed material from the "Evolution of the Arabic digit" section yesterday for WP:OR concerns, but it was restored by User:Radlrb. First, thanks to Radlrb for providing the link to the source book at ; I can see from this that at least the basic graphic listing of the glyphs is sourced appropriately. However, I'm still concerned about the nature of the whole descriptive narrative made about them, which still strikes me as WP:OR, i.e. statements such as "The evolution of the modern Western digit for the numeral 5 cannot be traced back to the Indian system" (well, evidently it can, otherwise we wouldn't have this succession of glyphs). All the narrative about who "took" what from where and what were the defining graphical characteristics and innovations of each glyph at each stage is not taken from the source, but is some Wikipedian's highly speculative interpretation of Ifrah's graphics. The same goes for the similar passage in the 7 article I also removed, which is full of interpretative claims such as "to make the longer line diagonal rather than straight, though they showed some tendencies to making the digit more rectilinear". Add to these problems, there's the embarrassing error of referring to things like "Nagari" or "Ghubar" as if they were peoples. They are not; they are writing styles – there's no such thing as "Ghubar Arabs", any more than there's "Cursive Italians" or "Minuscule Frenchmen" or "Gothic Germans". (As an aside, all these passages were first written by a highly problematic editor back in 2004, User:Numerao, who was banned shortly after for running a sockfarm, and they have sat here uncorrected ever since.) – Fut.Perf. ☼ 10:27, 29 May 2024 (UTC)

 * If you read into the narrative in the book, and other sources, it's basically how it is explained in the section, however with much more concise, and less casual language. There are those embarrassing errors that you mentioned, and that should be changed, however it's not too far off. Basically, the early Indian 5 looked more like a 4, and the Europeans eventually started using a 5 that looked like a 3 or 4 from the Arabs (mainly) rather than the 5 from the Indians (that looked like a 4 still, and might be the explanation for writing "cannot be traced back to the Indian system" directly, if we are talking about maintaining most of the same original form it had - * alas, yes, the root is Indian regardless. Radlrb (talk) 04:07, 31 May 2024 (UTC) *). Thank you for pointing out those very obvious errors, and yes, as it stands it does read somewhat like OR, however the underlying notions, I believe, were not intended to be OR, were rather just written very casually (and quickly, possibly). It should be re-written, still. Radlrb (talk) 17:16, 29 May 2024 (UTC)
 * I think, I was more interested in why this information was taken out of 5 and 7, when the sourced used is also used in other integer articles we have, for the evolution of the digit to the forms used today, so it seemed selective to me, but maybe you were not aware that this source was used for many of the first ten integer articles we have? (And zero too? I have not checked.) We should reference at least four good sources here, the WP articles mentioning the evolution of gliphs have sources we can refer to as well I believe, if need be. Recent sources on the matter would also be interesting to include (fresh). Radlrb (talk) 20:44, 29 May 2024 (UTC)

6
after 5 and before 7 (i should be at harvard) 185.85.57.38 (talk) 13:19, 5 June 2024 (UTC)

 * That information does not seem especially helpful, as I suggested in Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Numbers/Archive 8 Certes (talk) 13:49, 5 June 2024 (UTC)

title: Talk:5


text:
Bull riding

Bull riding is a rodeo sport that involves a rider getting on a bucking bull and attempting to stay mounted while the animal tries to buck off the rider.

American bull riding has been called "the most dangerous eight seconds in sports." To receive a score, the rider must stay on top of the bull for eight seconds with the use of one hand gripped on a bull rope tied behind the bull's forelegs. Touching the bull or themselves with the free hand, or failing to reach the eight-second mark, results in a no-score ride. Depending on the bull riding organization and the contest, up to four judges might judge the rider and four judge the bull on their performance. For most organizations, a perfect score is 100 points. In general, most professional riders score in the neighborhood of the mid-70s to the high 80s.

Outside of the United States, bull riding traditions with varying rules and histories also exist in Canada, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, the Philippines, Japan, South Africa, England, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Australia and New Zealand with the majority of them following similar rules, especially with the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) organization.

History

The taming of bulls has ancient roots in contests dating as far back as Minoan culture. Bull riding itself has its direct roots in Mexican contests of equestrian, ranching and bullfighting skills now collectively known as charreada. During the 18th century, and probably before, Mexican bullfights consisted of traditional native games and exercises, different from those in Spain, which included roping, saddling and riding a bull like a horse, until it stopped bucking. In —Rusticatio Mexicana (1782)— Jesuit priest, Rafael Landivar, vividly described in epic verse, the riding of the bull during a traditional bullfight, including how another bull is let loose to confront the bull being ridden: Sometimes a bull of great corpulence, remarkable in its strength, and a fury that threatens death, these people take out of the herd in order to saddle and ride it. A young man cinches his harness on his bristly back just like a horse, and surrounds his neck with a round rope, like neat reins with which he then, armed with just a rigid spur and his strength, impassively rides on the grim back of the reluctant bull. The bull, bellowing with rage, reacts to all sides, and tries madly to throw the rider off his back; he then attacks the auras from above with its curved horns, standing, upright, tall; or furious, kicking the air, he launches himself in a race, yearning towards the one who torments him; and while he tries to jump over the barrier of the concave Circus, he disturbs the whole stage, making the mob tremble. Like the Lion of Libya, badly wounded by a rigid blow, roaring, threatens ferociously with a look and bloody jaw, and showing his claws, attacks the cunning enemy, either by launching himself in a rapacious leap through the air, or by chasing the mob with a swift chase; not dissimilar, indignant, for such a strange load on his back, the bull rouses the whole arena, attacking some and others. But the young man, affirming his body, constantly dominates the bullish back, spurring endlessly his flanks.

The young man with his effective right hand, mounted on the bull, rinskingly wielding a blunt spear, also orders, from the depths of the palisade fences, another bull to come out, which he joyfully torments with pricks throughout the rodeo. Suddenly, this bull is stunned before this strange figure, and dodges, in a winged run, his saddled partner. But at the moment, his flanks being pierced by a cruel spear, he flares up with rage and gores his opponent head-on, exchanging injuries between the two in fierce combat. On his part, the robust rider settles the fight with the spear, and continues energetically throughout the rodeo taunting the bulls, until they, sweating exhaustedly, let go of their anger and calm down. Scottish noblewoman Frances Erskine Inglis, 1st Marquise of Calderón de la Barca witnessed Bull Riding while living in Mexico in 1839, and wrote about it in her book Life in Mexico (1843):

"The skill of the men is surprising; but the most curious part of the exhibition was when a coachman, a strong, handsome Mexican, mounted on the back of a fierce bull, which plunged and flung himself about as if possessed by a legion of demons, and forced the animal to gallop round and round the arena. The bull is first caught by the lasso, and thrown on his side, struggling furiously. The man mounts while he is still on the ground. At the same moment the lasso is withdrawn, and the bull starts up, maddened by feeling the weight of his unusual burden. The rider must dismount in the same way, the bull being first thrown down, otherwise he would be gored in a moment. It is terribly dangerous, for if the man were to lose his seat, his death is nearly certain; but these Mexicans are superb riders. A monk, who is attached to the establishment, seems an ardent admirer of these sports, and his presence is useful, in case of a dangerous accident occurring, which is not infrequent."

By the mid-19th century, charreada competition was popular on Texas and California cattle ranches where Anglo and Hispanic ranch hands often worked together.

Many early Texas rangers, who had to be expert horse riders and later went on to become ranchers, learned and adapted Hispanic techniques and traditions to ranches in the United States. Many also enjoyed traditional Mexican celebrations, and H. L. Kinney, a rancher, promoter and former Texas Ranger staged what is thought to be the first Anglo-American organized bullfight in the southwest in 1852. This event also included a jaripeo competition and was the subject of newspaper reports from as far away as the New Orleans Daily Delta. However, popular sentiment shifted away from various blood sports and both bullfighting and prize fighting were banned by the Texas legislature in 1891. In the same time period, however, Wild West Shows began to add steer riding to their exhibitions, choosing to use castrated animals because steers were easier to handle and transport than bulls. Additionally, informal rodeos began as competitions between neighboring ranches in the American Old West. The location of the first formal rodeo is debated. Deer Trail, Colorado claims the first rodeo was in 1869, but so does Cheyenne, Wyoming in 1872.

Although steer riding contests existed into the 1920s, the sport did not gain popularity until bulls were returned to the arena and replaced steers as the mount of choice. The first-known rodeo to use brahma bulls was in Columbia, Mississippi, produced in 1935 by Canadian brothers Earl and Weldon Bascom with Jake Lybbert and Waldo Ross. This rodeo was the first to feature a bull riding event at a night rodeo held outdoors under electric lights. From these roots, bull riding as a competitive sport has spread to a number of other nations worldwide.

A pivotal moment for modern bull riding, and rodeo in general, came with the founding of the Cowboys' Turtle Association (CTA) in 1936, which later became the Rodeo Cowboys Association (RCA) in 1945, and eventually the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) in 1975. Through this organization, many hundreds of rodeos are held each year. Since that time, the popularity of all aspects of the rodeo has risen. In addition to the PRCA, which has PRCA ProRodeo with bull riding and the Xtreme Bulls events for bull riding only, there is the Professional Bull Riders (PBR), which has staged events since 1993. The organization's championship event, the PBR World Finals, took place in Las Vegas, Nevada, for nearly 30 years. Since 2022, it has taken place in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The PBR's major league tour, titled the Unleash the Beast Series since 2018, is televised on CBS Sports Network, with the primary broadcast network televising selected bonus rounds (known as 15/15 Bucking Battles). The major league tour was previously known as the Bud Light Cup Series from 1994 through 2002, then the Built Ford Tough Series from 2003 through 2017.

Rules and regulations
Each bull has a unique name and number called a brand used to help identify it. A sufficient number of bulls, each judged to be of good strength, health, agility, and age, are selected to perform. The rider and bull are matched randomly before the competition, although starting in 2008, some ranked riders are allowed to choose their own bulls from a bull draft for selected rounds in PBR events. In more recent times, bulls must have the tips of their horns shaved off and filed down so they are not sharp.

A rider mounts a bull and grips a flat braided rope. After they secure a good grip on the rope, the rider nods to signal they are ready. The bucking chute (a small enclosure which opens from the side) is opened and the bull storms out into the arena. The rider must attempt to stay on the bull for at least eight seconds, while only touching the bull with their riding hand. The other hand must remain free for the duration of the ride. Originally, the rules required a 10-second ride, but that was changed to the current eight seconds.

The bull bucks, rears, kicks, spins, and twists in an effort to throw the rider off. This continues for a number of seconds until the rider is bucked off the bull or dismounts after completing the ride. A loud buzzer or whistle announces the completion of an eight-second ride.

Throughout the ride, bullfighters, previously known as rodeo clowns, stay near the bull to aid the rider if necessary. When the ride ends, either intentionally or not, the bullfighters distract the bull to protect the rider from harm. The bull then exits the arena via the exit chute. If he refuses to leave, then the wrangler on horseback ropes the bull and takes him into the exit chute so the next rider can go. Some bulls, however, have a tendency to walk or run around the arena in a circle after bucking off their riders as a form of "victory lap" before exiting the arena.

Many competitions have a format that involves multiple rounds, sometimes called "go-rounds". Generally, events span two to three nights. The rider is given a chance to ride one bull per night. The total points scored by the end of the event are recorded, and after the first or first two go-rounds, the top 20 riders are given a chance to ride one more bull. This final round is called the "short go" or sometimes it is called the championship round. After the end of the short go, the rider with the most total points wins the event. A rider who had a disturbance during his or her ride can go to the judges himself and ask for a reride. The bull can fall, another bull gets out, someone interfered, or the bull did not buck are all reasons why a rider can be given a reride. With rerides they all run different. The rider may get the same bull or another one will be drawn at random.

Points and scoring
Scoring is done consistently within a rodeo organization. The two largest sanctioning bodies are the PRCA and PBR. They vary slightly in how they score bull rides. There are many other organizations, and each has its own particular rules on how they score, but most follow rules similar to the PRCA. The rider only scores points if he successfully rides the bull for eight seconds. The bull is always given a score. In the PRCA, a ride is scored from 0–100 points. Both the rider and the bull are awarded points. In the regular season, there are four judges, two judges scoring the bull's effort from 0–25 points, and two judges scoring the rider's performance from 0-25 points. There is the potential for the rider and the bull to earn up to 50 points each. The two scores are added together for a total ride score of up to 100 points. This system was spearheaded by former PRCA president Dale Smith. Scores of zero are quite common, as many riders lose control of the animal almost immediately after the bull leaves the bucking chute. Many experienced professionals are able to earn scores of 75 or more. Scores above 80 are considered excellent, and a score in the 90s exceptional.

In the PBR, a ride is scored from 0-100 points in total. Up to 50 points is scored for the rider and 50 points for the bull. The rider only scores points if he successfully rides the bull for eight seconds. The bull is always given a score. Four judges award a score of up to 25 points each for the rider's performance, and four judges award up to 25 points each for the bull's effort. Then all the scores are combined and then the total is divided in half for the official score.

Judges award points based on several key aspects of the ride. Bull riding rules require for judges to be former bull riders themselves. They look for constant control and rhythm in the rider in matching their movements with the bull. Points are usually deducted if a rider is constantly off balance. For points actually to be awarded, the rider must stay mounted for a minimum of eight seconds, and they are scored only for actions during those eight seconds. The ability to control the bull well allows riders to gain extra style points. These are often gained by spurring the animal. A rider is disqualified for touching the bull, the riding equipment, themself, or the ground with their free arm during the ride.

Bucking bulls have more raw power and a different style of movement than bucking horses. One move particular to bulls is a belly roll ("sunfishing"), in which the bull is completely off the ground and kicks either his hind feet or all four feet to the side in a twisting, rolling motion. Bulls also are more likely than horses to spin in tight, quick circles, and are less likely to run or to jump extremely high ("break in two").

For the bull, judges look at the animal's overall agility, power and speed; his back legs kick, and his front end drops. In general, if a bull gives a rider a very hard time, more points will be awarded. If a rider fails to stay mounted for at least eight seconds, the bull is still awarded a score. The PBR and PRCA record bulls' past scores so that the best bulls can be brought to the finals, ensuring that riders will be given a chance to score highly. Both organizations award one bull an award for the best bull of the year, decided by bull scores in both buckoffs and successful qualified rides. The award brings prestige to the ranch at which the bull was raised.

If a rider scores sufficiently low due to poor bull performance, the judges may offer the rider the option of a re-ride. By taking the option, the rider gives up the score received, waits until all other riders have ridden, and rides again. This can be risky because the rider loses their score and risks being bucked off and receiving no score. A re-ride may also be given if a bull stumbles or runs into the fence or gate.

In some PBR events that use an elimination style bracket, if both riders in a bracket fail to reach eight seconds, the rider who lasts longer advances to the next round. Otherwise, the rider with a higher score advances.

Equipment
Bull riders use many pieces of equipment both functionally and to ensure maximum safety, both to themselves and to the animals involved.

Bull rope
The primary piece of equipment used is the bull rope. It is a braided rope made of polypropylene, grass, or some combination. A handle is braided into the center of the rope and is usually stiffened with leather. One side of the rope is tied in an adjustable knot that can be changed for the size of bull. The other side of the rope (the tail) is a flat braid and is usually coated with rosin to keep it from sliding through the rider's hand. A metallic bell is strapped to the knot and hangs directly under the bull throughout the ride. In addition to the sound the bell produces, it also gives the rope some weight, allowing it to fall off the bull once a rider has dismounted.

Chaps
Chaps are probably the most noticeable piece of bull rider clothing, as their distinctive coloring and patterns add flair to the sport. Usually made of leather, chaps also provide protection for the rider's legs and thighs.

Vest
Bull riders wear a protective vest which is made of high density foam that allows the shock to disperse over a wide area, thereby reducing pain and injury. The vest's foam is covered with a ballistic material called Spectra, similar to Kevlar. It is then covered up with leather, giving it a western look.

Bull rider Cody Lambert was inspired to create a protective vest for fellow riders after witnessing the fatal injury of his friend and 1987 PRCA world champion bull rider, Lane Frost who died at the 1989 Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo. After successfully riding his bull during the championship round, Frost dismounted and landed in the muddy arena floor. The bull then turned and pressed a horn against Frost's back and pushed him against the mud. Frost got up and took a few steps towards the bucking chutes and signaled for help. He then collapsed. He died on the arena floor before he could be transported to the hospital. No autopsy was performed, and it was assumed that when the bull pushed Frost against the ground, its entire body weight was on the end of its horn, breaking some of Frost's ribs and severing a main artery.

Lambert based the bull riding protective vest on the one worn by his brother who was a horse jockey. He debuted the vest at the California Rodeo Salinas in the summer of 1993, and for several months, he was the only bull rider using one. It was not until the spring of 1994 when other contestants began riding with vests. The number of bull riders with vests grew over the months, and by the autumn of that year, the vast majority of riders were using them. They were officially made mandatory for all contestants by 1996. Some bull riding vests also include a neck roll for protection to the neck, although very few riders use a vest with this modification.

Glove
To prevent a rope burn, riders must wear a protective glove, usually made of leather. It must be fastened to the rider's hand since the force the animal is able to exert could easily tear it away. The rider often applies rosin to the glove, which allows for additional grip.

Boots
Cowboy boots are worn with blunted and loosely locked spurs help keep the rider balanced and is crucial piece of equipment to the sport as a whole. The bulls are unharmed by the rowels, as their hide is roughly seven times thicker than a human being's skin. Truly skilled riders will often spur the bull in the hope of achieving extra style points from the judges.

Mouthguard
Many riders wear mouthguards, which are optional at the professional level.

Headgear
For most of bull riding's history, the primary headgear worn by contestants was cowboy hats. However, things started to slowly change during the latter years of the 20th century. Among the earliest bull riders to use protective headgear was 1982 PRCA world champion, Charlie Sampson. At an exhibition rodeo in Landover, Maryland, during the latter part of the 1983 PRCA regular season, Sampson suffered some major injuries after he was jerked down and his face collided with the bull's head during the ride, knocking him unconscious. The wreck cracked his skull and fractured nearly every bone in his face. As a result, he had reconstructive surgery. When the regular season ended, he had won enough money to qualify for the National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City in December. Against doctors' recommendations, he decided to compete at the event. However, his face was still recovering, so he rode at the event with a lacrosse helmet and a neck roll. When his face was healed up, Sampson went back to riding in a cowboy hat. However, he would suffer additional facial injuries throughout the rest of his career and rode with a helmet if his injuries were severe enough to warrant it. He would always go back to riding in a hat when healed up and never made a helmet a permanent part of his gear.

Into the 1990s, a small number of other professional bull riders began using protective headgear such as leather face masks with metal bars that they wore under their hats while riding or modified ice hockey helmets. Like Charlie Sampson, most of these riders only wore headgear while recovering from serious facial or head injuries, only to ditch it when healed up. Very few bull riders made protective headwear a permanent part of their gear. However, by 2003, though still a minority, helmeted bull riders were more common than ever. Many were now riders that did not necessarily suffer serious injuries, but who grew up riding with them for the sake of extra safety. The number of contestants who rode with helmets grew throughout the rest of the 2000s, especially during the latter years of the decade.

By the early 2010s, manufacturers were building helmets made specifically for bull riding. During the same time period, most up-and-comers were already riding with helmets. In 2013, the PBR made it mandatory that all contestants at their events who were born on or after October 15, 1994 ride with a full bull riding helmet. Those born before that date were grandfathered in and permitted to ride with a protective face mask underneath their hat or simply with their hat if so desired.

Public health researchers found evidence suggesting that bull riding helmets are protective, when riders wearing one particular type of helmet suffered approximately 50% fewer head and facial injuries.

In 2004, at the 1st International Rodeo Research and Clinical Care Conference in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, the licensed rodeo and bull riding medical personnel and clinicians recommended to the rodeo and bull riding associations mentioned in the agreement the mandatory use of helmets to all youth bull riders and the recommendation of helmets to all adult bull riders.

For competitors under the age of 18, mandatory protective headgear incorporating an ice hockey-style helmet is worn. Riders who use helmets as youths tend to continue wearing them as they reach adulthood and turn professional.

Flank strap
The flank strap is a soft cotton rope at least 5/8" in diameter and is used without extra padding like sheepskin or neoprene. It is tied around the bull's flank. Contrary to popular belief, the flank strap is not tied around the bull's testicles. This rope is to encourage the bull to use his hind legs more in a bucking motion, as this is a true test of a rider's skill in maintaining the ride. The flank strap causes the bull to buck in motions such as bucking side to side, jumping up and down, or kicking its legs in the air in a circular motion. If it is applied improperly a rider may request to ride again, as the bull will not buck well if the flank strap is too tight.  The flank strap is applied by the stock contractor or his designate.

The arena
The arenas used in professional bull riding vary. Some are rodeo arenas that are used only for bull riding and other rodeo events. Others are event centers that play host to many different sports. Common to all arenas is a large, open area that gives the bulls, bull riders, and bull fighters plenty of room to maneuver. The area is fenced, six to seven feet high or more, to protect the audience from escaped bulls. The fencing of the arena is metal fencing that has metal rods across it so that when the bulls buck and kick the fence they do not break the fence and end up in the crowd. There are generally exits on each corner of the arena for riders to get out of the way quickly. Riders can also hop onto the fence to avoid danger. One end of the arena contains the bucking chutes from which the bulls are released. An arena usually contains two to six bucking chutes. Especially for big events to keep it flowing the nights of the events. They load the bulls into all two to six chutes, releasing one at a time. There is also an exit chute where the bulls can exit the arena. Also in the arena, there will be two to four guys mounted on horses with ropes, and chaps on to rope the bulls and take them into the exit chute to help keep all people in the arena safe and keep the show moving. These men or women will lasso the bull around the head and neck and pull them into the exit chute where one of the workers will open the exit chute and put the bull back.

North America
In the United States and Canada, most professional bull riders start out riding in high school rodeo or other junior associations. From there, riders may go on the college rodeo circuit or to one of several national or regional semi-professional associations including the Southern Extreme Bull Riding Association (SEBRA), the National Federation of Professional Bull Riders (NFPB), the International Bull Riders Association (IBR), the Professional Championship Bull Riders Tour (PCB), the American Bull Riders Tour (ABT), Bull Riders Canada (BRC), the International Professional Rodeo Association (IPRA), the Cowboys Professional Rodeo Association (CPRA), the United Professional Rodeo Association (UPRA), the Southern Rodeo Association (SRA), the Professional Western Rodeo Association (PWRA), the Canadian Cowboys Association (CCA), among others. Bull riders compete in these organizations as they are climbing the ladder to the professional ranks and to supplement their income.

In Mexico, the two professional stand-alone bull riding circuits that tour nationwide are Cuernos Chuecos (Crooked Horns) and Circuito Tombstone (Tombstone Circuit). La Federación Mexicana de Rodeo (The Mexican Rodeo Federation) is Mexico's sanctioning body that includes all of professional American rodeo's standard events, including bull riding.

Professional bull riders can win in excess of $100,000 a year while competing in either the PBR or PRCA circuits.

Australia and New Zealand
There are approximately 200 rodeos and bushmen's carnivals held annually across Australia. At most of these events bull riding is one of the featured competitions.

Initially bullocks and steers were used for roughriding events and these were owned by local graziers that lent them for these events. Nowadays bulls are used for the open events and stock contractors supply the various roughriding associations. Contract stock has produced a more uniform range of bucking stock which is also quieter to handle. The competitions are run and scored in a similar style to that used in the United States.

In May 1992, the National Rodeo Council of Australia (NRCA) was formed to promote and further the sport of rodeo and has represented the following associations, which also control bull riding:
 * Australian Bushmen's Campdraft & Rodeo Association (ABCRA)
 * Australian Professional Bull Riders Association (APBA)
 * Central Rodeo Cowboys Association (CRCA)
 * Indigenous Rodeo Riders Australia (IRRA)
 * National Student Rodeo Association (NSRA)
 * National Rodeo Association (NRA)
 * Northern Cowboys Association (NCA)
 * Queensland Rodeo Association (QRA)
 * Rodeo Services Association (RSA)
 * West Coast Rodeo Circuit (WCRC)

There are strict standards for the selection, care and treatment of rodeo livestock, arenas, plus equipment requirements and specifications.

Chainsaw was one of Australia's most famous bucking bulls. Only nine contestants scored on him and he won the Australian national title of Bull of the Year a world record eight times during 1987 to 1994.

Some of Australia's best bull riders travel and compete internationally in Canada, New Zealand and the United States. Some of Australia's leading bull riders conduct bull riding clinics to assist learners and novice riders.

A World Challenge of Professional Bull Riders (PBR) was held on 29 May 2010 at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre (BEC). The 2010 PBR Finals were held over two nights at the Australian Equine and Livestock Events Centre (AELEC), with five top-ranked professional bull riders from the United States and 25 of Australia's best bull riders contesting the event.

Rodeo is also popular in country regions of New Zealand where approximately 32 rodeos, which include bull riding contests, are held each summer.

Animal welfare
There is debate between animal rights/welfare organizations and bull riding enthusiasts over many aspects of the sport. One source of controversy is the flank strap. The flank strap is placed around a bull's flank, just in front of the hind legs, to encourage bucking. Critics say that the flank strap encircles or otherwise binds the genitals of the bull. However, the flank strap is anatomically impossible to place over the testicles. Many point out that the bull's genes are valuable and that there is a strong economic incentive to keep the animal in good reproductive health. Further, particularly in the case of bulls, an animal that is sick and in pain usually will not want to move at all, will not buck as well, and may even lie down in the chute or ring rather than buck.

Critics also claim that electric cattle prods ("hot shots") are used to injure and torture bulls, while supporters of bull riding claim that the cattle prod simply gets the bull out of the chute quickly and is only a moderate irritation due to the thickness of the animal's hide. Cattle prods have not been used in the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) tour for several years. However, in smaller associations, a cattle prod is still sometimes used to ensure that the animal leaves the chute as soon as the rider nods their head. Cattle prods are not allowed by any major association.

Spurs are also a source of controversy, though modern rodeo rules place strict regulations on the type and use of spurs and participants point out that they are a tool commonly used in other non-rodeo equestrian disciplines. Spurs used in bull riding do not have a fixed rowel, nor can they be sharpened. The PBR currently allows only two types of rowels to ensure the safety of the animals.

title: Bull riding