text:
User talk:Mahaabaala

Useful Stuff.

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Mantra
Re: mantra -- Rather than deleting it, its far better to edit it. I agree with your statements, but mine also have some validity. Note that I wrote "spell" (in quote marks), and perhaps "prayer" might be somewhat valid -- that is to say, while these are not spells, they may appear similar to the reader. Likewise, you are correct regarding issues of pronunciation and such; but, I am also correct that the pronunciation is seen as very important to some groups. I have edited the page to try and address the issues you noted. LirQ

 * still not happy with this as an introduction to mantra - focused on specific issues on mantra (pronuciation) which would be better dealt with further down - ie in the section on Hindu mantra you might want to add something about pronounciation being important. I've already mentioned the effect of the movement out of India in my section on Mantra generally. Also it is not true that Mantra's are religious verses - they are often used for entirely mundane, not to say profane purposes such as getting wealthy, and killing ones enemies!

I'll have a go at something more general Mahaabaala 13:02, 24 Sep 2003 (UTC)

It is worth noting that, prior to my edits, the mantra article had no introductory paragraph. Now that it does, I would agree that a specific discussion of pronunciation is not needed at the opening. LirQ

 * So noted, and thanks. A note for you is that before I wrote this article, a couple of days ago, the mantra entry was two short paragraphs of absolute rubbish and a 'see also' to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder! :-) I suggest we transfer this discussion to the talk:mantra page if you want to go into it further - I've copied our exchanges to there. Regards Mahaabaala 16:21, 24 Sep 2003 (UTC)

made some edits to mantra -- I do not think it is NPOV to insinuate that the pursuit of wealth is un-religious. LirQ

 * How do you justify that? IN what religion is the pursuit of wealth seen as religious. I familiar with most of the them and they all have some variation on "the desire for money is the root of all evil".

It has been quite some time since my last edit or glance at Sarnath. I'd like to convey my appreciation and joy after viewing your major contributions at that specific article, and as well as many other related Buddhist articles. Well done. Usedbook 16:27, 22 Nov 2003 (UTC)

 * I've just been there and really enjoyed it. I must see if anything needs updating on the basis of actually visting the place - places to stay and eat? :-) Mahaabaala 10:09, 21 Jan 2004 (UTC)

I have seen your helpful recent reversions of user 200.101.75.10 in the Buddhism article. For your information, administrators can revert articles to their former version in just one click. Do not hesitate to ask me to do so in the future. Thanks! olivier 22:04, Jan 20, 2004 (UTC)

 * Thanks - Buddhism seems to atract plenty of cranks.Mahaabaala 10:09, 21 Jan 2004 (UTC)

Hinayana
Moved this discussion to Talk:Hinayana mahābāla 13:56, 13 Feb 2004 (UTC)

Buddha nature
I'm very glad that you are editing the Buddha nature article. I stumbled into the article after creating the Masahiro Mori page (after Uncanny Valley) and found the page was a mess. I spent a good day's effort looking through books trying to arrive at a definition that seemed like a traditional "correct" one (that basic opening sentence was mine), but I don't really have the background to know what is the "correct-correct" one. It seems like you do. By the way, one thing I discovered which I didn't put in was that the doctrine seems to be a part of Tibetan Buddhism as well as Mahayana. I read this is in one source, but I didn't include it because, as I said, it is not my field of expertise nor my practice. Again thanks. -- Decumanus 17:39, 16 Feb 2004 (UTC)

 * Thanks. And yes Tibetan Buddhism inherited all the major Mahayana doctrines including Madhyamika, Yogacara, and Tathagatagarbha. Their attempts to mash all of them together, along with the Vajrayana to make a coherent system of thought make Tibetan Buddhism quite interesting.

Three Jewels
Hi Nat, When we're talking about the three refuges/jewels then Sangha does refer only to the Arya-Sangha. We don't go for refuge to the monks and laypeople, but to the Arahants, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and actually to anyone from Stream Entrants up - ie those who have "seen things as they really are". I think this distinction is important, and you could easily mention that Sangha also has a broader, more general use. mahābāla 14:29, 12 Mar 2004 (UTC)

 * Do you have a citation on this? I am a little concerned about this issue in part because I have taken refuge on many occasions and it couldn't hurt for me to know exactly what I'm doing!  I left the old wording in the last time I was revising the article because it was buried in the text, but now that it has been moved to the front I feel uncomfortable with it being so wordy. - NYK 14:49, 12 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Nat, I'd have to go through some books, but this is just how I've understood it after ten years of study. The three jewels are transcendental, else why would one go to them for refuge from the sufferings of the phenomenal world? To be a refuge from the phenomenal world, the refuges must in some way go beyond phenomena - and the monastic Sangha clearly don't fo this. In the case of Tibetan Buddhism one is encouraged to see one's guru as enlightened, in which case, to the extent that a. they were enlightened, and b. you were able to see them as enlightened: then they would consitute a true refuge. Otherwise in what way is an ordinary person going to offer you refuge from suffering. If you think this through in these terms it occurs to me that a reference may become unnecessary. I always find it valuable to reflect on what I am taking refuge from, and what I am taking refuge in. mahābāla 16:15, 12 Mar 2004 (UTC)

 * I think this is a very interesting point. However, after thinking about it, it occurred to me that, even if you convinced me, because this is at odds with what I've heard from other sources, I would still have a problem with including it in the article.  You and me might be the only ones that think this way!  I remember reading Yin Shun, one of the "grand old man"s of Taiwanese Buddhism, say that the third refuge meant that laypeople shouldn't interfere in the business of monks (the Chinese word for "monk" is an approximation of "sangha").  I certainly object to his interpretation, but it shows that there are different opinions.  I would think that the current "Buddhist community" is sufficiently vague, and the specifics could be discussed on a "sangha" page. - NYK 06:43, 14 Mar 2004 (UTC)

 * Well I disagree very strongly that this is simply a matter of interpretation. It is fundamentally important that the part of the entry that refers specifically to the three refuges makes this important distinction. One cannot go for refuge to anything mundane - in fact going for refuge to something mundane is the definition of samsara. Anything which is subject to impermanence, insubstantiality (ie anitya, Anatman) cannot provide you with refuge from suffering, it can only be a caused for more suffering. References be damned on this one, this is something one has to work out for oneself. While the article does not make this distinction it is a serious distortion of the Dharma - unless you feel confident in making the claim that the monastic Sangha is somehow beyond the three marks of conditioned existence. What you are in effect choosing to do is to say that the monastic sangha is transcendental! mahābāla 12:54, 15 Mar 2004 (UTC)

 * I can't agree that this is NPOV, because there seem to be a lot of people who disagree with you. However, I'm not really concerned with disputing it, so you can edit the entry as you see fit.  I think it would be best to have some kind of acceptable weasel term in the main article and then discuss things more clearly in the sangha article. - NYK 17:14, 18 Mar 2004 (UTC)

 * your last suggestion is good. I'll try and come up with something suitably weasly :-) mahābāla 13:08, 24 Mar 2004 (UTC)

As I also said to User:20040302, editing user pages without their permission is not OK. Please stop doing so, and follow the principles of Wikiquette. Dori | Talk 15:02, Mar 12, 2004 (UTC)

I was just a little confused, and wasn't purposefully editing 20030402's user page, I had meant merely to leave a comment - albeit a somewhat reactive one. I apologise if that has caused anoyance. mahābāla 16:15, 12 Mar 2004 (UTC)

 * Yes, it's not a big deal when you don't do it on purpose. Just move it to the talk page once you realize it though. I just wanted to make sure it wasn't a tit-for-tat kind of deal. Dori | Talk 16:31, Mar 12, 2004 (UTC)

If you're still having problems with User:20040302, check out Requests for mediation regarding the edit war, and Vandalism in progress regarding him editing your userpage. Good luck! --zandperl 18:42, 17 Mar 2004 (UTC)

- Mahaabaala, I see you added "Buddhist texts" to the list again on the Buddhism page. I think it is a mistake to re-add everything that was moved to List of Buddhist topics, since that is the first link in the list, and was intended to de-clutter lists such as the one you just added to. Is there a reason why you think "Buddhist texts" to be an exception, or was this just an oversight on your part? heidimo 16:09, 18 Mar 2004 (UTC)

 * Again? I created the article yesterday, and added links to and from the most relevant pages. I don't remember adding it twice. But it seems to me that a link from Buddhism to Buddhist texts is pretty fundamental isn't it? mahābāla 17:30, 18 Mar 2004 (UTC)

 * Just my 2 cents, but it seems to me that "buddhist texts" belongs in that list more than some other things that are currently there. Texts seems like one of the 3 or 4 most important Buddhist subtopics, so that should justify its inclusion separate from "list of buddhist topics". - NYK 17:14, 18 Mar 2004 (UTC)

The point is that it is redundant to list topics here that are also on the List of Buddhist topics since the page links there directly. Negates the point of having such a list. heidimo 23:46, 18 Mar 2004 (UTC)

 * Redundancy is an important principle to maintain in structurting any info-scape. Believe me, the more links the better. Your list does not obviate the requirement for the same link in other places. Pages should be massively interlinked in order to be most accessible. Tidyness is good, but you have to ask, is that the best principle for organising information, and at what point does one let tidyness over-ride such important factors as user-friendliness, accessibility, minimum clicks to reach information and a whole bunch of other factors. You list is a very useful addition to this process - good thinking, and well down for creating it. But it's not the be all and end all of links to and from the Buddhism page. Regards mahābāla 12:49, 19 Mar 2004 (UTC)

"Redundancy is good?" "More is better?" Is your interest in Buddhism purely academic? And no, the List of Buddhist topics isn't mine, I'm just the major contributor so far. Your link stands. 'Bye. heidimo 17:51, 21 Mar 2004 (UTC)

 * Heh, let's not get ad hom here. - NYK 18:36, 21 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Dear Heidimo, I have been a practising Buddhist for about 10 years. However I am also a professional librarian, with a post graduate qualification and 15 years of experience. Those comments were made with that hat on - 15 years of working with, organising, structuring, and creating, information, about half of that promoting the internet revolution, writing webpages etc. So my credentials are pretty good actually! And my considerable experience, plus my knowledge of library science research tells me that: hypertext works best when there are many links; and that users want the maximum info for minimum clicks.

If you have a rationale beyond being "tidy" for defeating these two essential principles of web based user interface design, then I'd certainly be interested to hear it, and would take it under advisement when adding, or subtracting links to the many other Wikipedia articles I've written and contriubted to. mahābāla 15:55, 22 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Regarding Mahabala's claim that Shingon is NON-Mahayana
http://www.asunam.com/buddhist_schools.htm "The Shingon (Tantric) tradition of Mahayana Buddhism arose in India in approximately the 6th century AD, although its roots go back many hundreds of years before that."

http://www.koyasan.org/nckoyasan/discipline.html "The Jukai (full monastic precepts) ceremony is held in June only at Koyasan Headquarters, Japan. It takes three days and prostrations to the 1,000 Buddhas of the past, present and future (Butsumyo-e) is held each day. During this ceremony you will receive precepts of Mahayana, Theravada(sic) and Esoteric lineages. You should proceed two petitions to the headquarters through your master before and after." (Also note the lay practice of the ten perfections of a Bodhisattva).

Limiting ownership of the concept of "Tantra as belonging to Mahayana" to the Gelugpa you are making such an amazing faux pas that I can't believe you are serious. I recommend you read the Lam Rim Chenmo (ISBN 1559391529) as a point of reference before making further claims. You will enjoy the read, and may get a lot more out of it than you think.

If you have learned even a little about Tantra, you will know about the three gates. These are the three gates required for tantric initiation (obviously none of this may occur in FWBO who seem to have their own ideas about initiations) The three gates are the Vinaya of Tantra and are as follows:

1) The vows of a Buddhist. You must be a Buddhist

2) The vows of a Bodhisattva. You must be a Bodhisattva. 3) The tantric vows. (there are several subclasses of these)

Lastly, you seem to want to deny the world by just telling people "You are wrong". But all that indicates to me is that you have some particularly reified ideas about truth.

Mahabala. Open your eyes. Free your mind. Really. Wake up. 20040302 14:58, 24 Mar 2004 (UTC)

More on Shingon as Mahayana
(I do not depend upon google for references, but they are there to share)

We seem to be at cross-purposes here, Mahabala - I do not dispute the distinction between Mahayana and Vajrayana as different vehicles (your points 1,4,5), however just as the Mahayana depends upon most of the Hinayana practices, methods and texts, so does the Vajrayana in turn depend upon the Mahayana practices, methods and texts. This is indicated by the three gates. Points 2 and 3 (in my opinion) do not by themselves contra-indicate Mahayana, but I would say they are doctrinal and possibly special to Kukai.

Of course I think we may have fallen into a previous misunderstanding - for me Mahayana indicates motivation, not school. Mahayana is the Bodhisattva-Buddha path. To suggest that Tantra is not Mahayana suggests to me that the result is not a Bodhisattva-Buddha. To suggest that you can practice Tantra without taking the Bodhisattva vow as a part of your practice goes against every tantra that I have studied (including the Mahavairocana Sutra, which I have read parts of).

My personal view of Kukai, based on reading "The Weaving of Mantra" by Ryûichi Abé (ISBN: 0231112874 - I recommend it if you are not familiar with it) is that a lot of his motivation was political, which is understandable in context. Moreover, doctrinally, I find his position on the nature of mantra and practice to be no longer relevant to the practitioner, in that they represent a reified position which is hard to justify.

At about the same time that Kukai was returning to Japan with his Tantras, Nalanda was still developing and enhancing the tantric methodologies. I guess this is why the Annutarayoga tantras (especially the Guhyasamaja - which was written down around 600-700.) never reached Japan, which would have helped shed light on the context and significance of the Mahavairocana Sutra in the tantric movement. In the end (from a scholarly perspective) Tibet was able to inherit a more complete set of the tantric lineage from Nalanda, solely due to proximity. So Japan's tantric heritage was to be with the Yoga tantras. On a purely personal note, I find that the Madhyamaka schools are a fantastic entry into understanding the perfection of wisdom; and of course they do not claim to be the final truth. I highly recommend Huntington to you (ISBN: 0824817125) - I really believe you would get a lot out of this, regardless of our differences. To me as a practitioner, the very notion of acontextual truth seems to undermine the specific purpose of the practice of tantra. This view does not seem to accord with Kukai.

I recently had the fortune to visit Alchi monastery in Ladakh - which is resplendent with 11th century depictions of Vairochana mandalas - unfortunately slowly ruined by water damage. It is a distress to Western Europeans to see how India's ancient culture is being washed away.

Obviously we have our differences, Mahabala. But let us not hold that against our purpose. 20040302 18:59, 24 Mar 2004 (UTC)

 * Abe's book is a good one, which I have studied in detail, but of course it gives everything a political spin because Abe's thesis is a political one. However Kukai does seem to have been an astute politician amongst other things. I agree on the difference in our approaches that you are highlighting: you seemed to be saying that the Vajrayana is simply Mahayana, whereas you obviously do see the difference. And it is that difference which I was concerned to preserve. I agree that almost every synthesis of Buddhist teachings is conservative in that it retains everythig that has come before, although it tends to treat it as provisional.
 * I would like to continue a dialogue over your ideas of provisionality, Mahabala; I would certainly maintain that the lineages of Tantra (not all of which are Tibetan) do not consider the works of Nagarjuna (or the Madhyamaka in general) to be provisional. There are plenty of texts that refer to this issue; primarily the distinction (between exoteric Mahayana and Tantra) is identified as the type of consciousness that perceives selflessness, rather than the object of meditation itself. (20040302 17:13, 28 Mar 2004 (UTC))

 * Sangharakshita seems to me to be the only person in history who has come up with a hermeneutic for understanding the various manifestations of Buddhism without relegating most of them as provisional.
 * On this we differ so wildly that I doubt we could ever reconcile our views. Not only do I disagree with your premise, but also I disagree with nearly every claim he has made about his relationship with the Tibetan tradition. These issues of course are very well-known and dealt with elsewhere by others. However, rather than getting agitated by each other's opinions on this, I would prefer to let the issue not get between other discussions that may be of mutual benefit. (20040302 17:13, 28 Mar 2004 (UTC))

 * part of the reason that the later tantras never reached Japan was the collapse of tantric Buddhism in China afer the Tang Dynasty. After that there was no direct route for the long journey from Nalanda to Nara.
 * There is plenty of historic and archeological evidence to show that Tantra was active in China well after the Tang Dynasty, although there may have been an interregnum between Tang and Yuan as there was with Buddhism in general (with a major persecution in 845). Certainly the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties were deeply involved in Tantric Buddhism. (20040302 17:13, 28 Mar 2004 (UTC))

As an aside the Japanese seem to consider the later tantras, and the practices associated with them, as an abberation - there is an interesting polemic (though it is not given much emphasis) in Wayman and Tajima's book on the Mahavairocana Sutra. Tajima considers Tibetan Buddhism to be "far from the Buddha's teaching".
 * Yes. Well. What does Tajima know that Tibetans don't? (20040302 17:13, 28 Mar 2004 (UTC))

 * One of the things I would like to achieve here is a differentiation between Japanese and Tibetan Vajrayana which do have features in common, but are also quite distinct.
 * The intention is appreciated, but IMHO it would require many years to be able to achieve such a goal: The entire corpus of Tibetan literature on the Mahavairochana Sutra/Tantra (which is considerable: The text is held to be key for all four schools) is almost entirely untranslated to date, and there are many different approaches and interpretations. This means that one would have to choose specific sub-schools of both the Japanese and the Tibetan traditions, and   there is enough work to be done in terms of differentiating different schools of thought within the respective cultures. Personally, I consider such a broad approach to these distinctions would require such a vast and profound understanding of both cultures (and all the schools of thought) that any derivatives would change the nature of the subject in question. (20040302 17:13, 28 Mar 2004 (UTC))

 * On a personal note it would help if you stuck to the issues and did not make personal comments about me. I don't think you are particularly insightful as to my understanding, my character, nor my motivations, and your opinions just get in the way of trying to sort out some of these knotty issues. mahābāla 12:48, 25 Mar 2004 (UTC)
 * Well spoken - and as Nat Krause pointed out - it takes two. Neither of us know much about the other, and you know less about me than I know about you. (20040302 17:13, 28 Mar 2004 (UTC))

Request for comment
Hey, Mahā, what do you think of the tathagata page? I had originally made it a redirect to buddha, but then someone came along and put in a jargony definition about the buddha-mind and a bunch of quotes. Yet, I am hesitant to revert it unilaterally. I thought maybe you could put your eyes on it. - Nat Krause 04:45, 29 Mar 2004 (UTC)

 * It looks like crap to me. Sometimes these Zen people really talk a lot of nonsense. Axe it. mahābāla 09:39, 29 Mar 2004 (UTC)

 * Comments anonymised and moved over to Talk:Tathagata (20040302 10:22, 29 Mar 2004 (UTC))

Welcome back
Hey, welcome back to the 'paedia, Maha. Hope you'll stick around a little. - Nat Krause 02:51, 11 Jul 2004 (UTC)

 * Hi Nat. Yeah I've had a lot going on and little time to write anything - still have a lot of stuff floating around on Shingon that needs work. I've had a change of jobs which is taking a lot of assimilating and meaning that I spend a lot less time online. mahābāla 09:45, 11 Jul 2004 (UTC)

Cantus IMBB
Nice write-up. I see you are a fellow fan of Pärt (and apparently also a fellow devotee of the Buddha). I think all of Pärt's pieces deserve articles! Antandrus 20:11, 11 Jul 2004 (UTC)

A Request
Over at Culture of the United Kingdom one of the main things that is stopping us from putting it forward as a featured article candidate is the fact that the art section is so small (one small paragraph). You have listed yourself on List of Wikipedians by fields of interest as someone with an interest in art. Would you be able to pop over there at some point and help us to expand the section please? Many thanks. -- Graham ☺ | Talk 11:55, 1 Dec 2004 (UTC)

Article Licensing
Hi, I've started a drive to get users to multi-license all of their contributions that they've made to either (1) all U.S. state, county, and city articles or (2) all articles, using the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike (CC-by-sa) v1.0 and v2.0 Licenses or into the public domain if they prefer. The CC-by-sa license is a true free documentation license that is similar to Wikipedia's license, the GFDL, but it allows other projects, such as WikiTravel, to use our articles. Since you are among the top 2000 Wikipedians by edits, I was wondering if you would be willing to multi-license all of your contributions or at minimum those on the geographic articles. Over 90% of people asked have agreed. For More Information:
 * Multi-Licensing FAQ - Lots of questions answered
 * Multi-Licensing Guide
 * Free the Rambot Articles Project

To allow us to track those users who muli-license their contributions, many users copy and paste the " " template into their user page, but there are other options at Template messages/User namespace. The following examples could also copied and pasted into your user page:

 * Option 1
 * I agree to multi-license all my contributions, with the exception of my user pages, as described below:

OR
 * Option 2
 * I agree to multi-license all my contributions to any U.S. state, county, or city article as described below:

Or if you wanted to place your work into the public domain, you could replace " " with "  ". If you only prefer using the GFDL, I would like to know that too. Please let me know what you think at my talk page. It's important to know either way so no one keeps asking. -- Ram-Man (comment| talk)

Category:Wikipedians in New Zealand
Hi, You might want to consider adding User NZ res to the top of your user page, which will add you to this category automatically and also add a nice graphic. Onco_p53 07:41, 15 November 2005 (UTC)

Jurgen Schnake
I can see why having an article on Jurgen Schnake makes sense if his criticisms of Friends of the Western Buddhist Order are not to be given more weight than they deserve. The answer, I think, is that his criticisms, cranky German nobody that he is, should not appear in Friends of the Western Buddhist Order. How's that for a solution? That would mean rewriting the Criticisms section. If you meet with resistance from editors who insist on including Schnake's materials, rather than criticisms from sources such as the Guardian, please let me know. I'll do my best to help out. Criticism is reasonable, so long as it comes from reliable sources. Schnake's website isn't that. All the best, Angus McLellan (Talk) 21:59, 23 December 2006 (UTC)

Thanks for the note. I was on my vandalism patrol when I saw it got blanked. I didn't think it was vandalism, but I thought you had accidentally blanked it. Maybe you should use now? Thanks again for explaining.--Bouncy 09:24, 28 December 2006 (UTC)

tA ra
Hi, Mahaabaala. You put diacritical horizontal line above both letters "a" in the Tara article. Ranjung yeshe Tibetan-English dictionary gives only the first A as long. --Klimov 10:31, 20 July 2007 (UTC)

 * Hmmm... http://www.wildmind.org/mantras/figures/greentara also gives only the first vowel as long. Are you sure? --Klimov 20:59, 22 July 2007 (UTC)

 * Looks convincing. I'll try to see if Tibetan sources confirm that. --Klimov 13:29, 26 July 2007 (UTC)

Thank you!
Thanks for chiming in on the Kukai page. It helps to have some background context. Anyways, I will do what I can to update the format (citations, etc), but thank you for laying the groundwork! :) Ph0kin 19:38, 27 July 2007 (UTC)

P.S. I know all about how Wikipedia can be a timesink. :p

Talk:Calligraphy
You have an answer on this talk page ;) --Yug (talk)  13:14, 29 July 2007 (UTC)

Hello Mahaabaala, I come request your help to expand and make a summary introduction in the new article Indian calligraphy. But I also come to request your help on the article Calligraphy. It is need to make clear and new section about Indian calligraphy, according to this guildeline on the talk page.
 * Indian Calligraphy, Help need

Knowing that you are interested in this topic, I hope you may help.

Yug (talk)  10:07, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

Siddhaṃ script
It seems that you created. Could you please write the phrase in Siddham on and add it to the image. (The image illustrates which scripts are used presently for writing Sanskrit) Thanks. --RaviC (talk) 09:37, 3 September 2008 (UTC)

Cambridge meetup 14 November
Another Cambridge meetup is set for the afternoon of Saturday 14 November. Please contribute to the page and come along if you can. Charles Matthews (talk) 20:06, 11 November 2009 (UTC)

Your recent edits
Hello. In case you didn't know, when you add content to talk pages and Wikipedia pages that have open discussion, you should sign your posts by typing four tildes ( ~~~~ ) at the end of your comment. You could also click on the signature button or  located above the edit window. This will automatically insert a signature with your username or IP address and the time you posted the comment. This information is useful because other editors will be able to tell who said what, and when. Thank you. --SineBot (talk) 20:28, 17 October 2011 (UTC)

Your recent edits
Hello. In case you didn't know, when you add content to talk pages and Wikipedia pages that have open discussion, you should sign your posts by typing four tildes ( ~~~~ ) at the end of your comment. You could also click on the signature button or  located above the edit window. This will automatically insert a signature with your username or IP address and the time you posted the comment. This information is useful because other editors will be able to tell who said what, and when they said it. Thank you. --SineBot (talk) 09:12, 28 May 2012 (UTC)

Yes. I do sign my posts. Jayarava 10:07, 2 June 2012 (UTC)

ArbCom elections are now open!
MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 08:53, 23 November 2015 (UTC)

title: User talk:Mahaabaala


text:
Pyrenean

The term Pyrenean refers to things of or from the Pyrenees mountain range dividing France and Spain, being Andorra in the middle. It may also refer to:

 * Pyrenean Shepherd, a medium-small breed of dog native to the Pyrenees mountains in southern France and northern Spain
 * Pyrenean Mountain Dog or Great Pyrenees, a large breed of dog used as a livestock guardian dog
 * Pyrenean Mastiff, a large breed of dog originally from the Aragonese Pyrenees in Spain
 * Pyrenean ibex, a species of wild goat that became extinct in January 2000

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

title: Pyrenean


text:
Synovial membrane

The synovial membrane (also known as the synovial stratum, synovium or stratum synoviale) is a specialized connective tissue that lines the inner surface of capsules of synovial joints, tendon sheaths, and synovial bursas. It makes direct contact with the fibrous membrane on the outside surface and with the synovial fluid lubricant on the inside surface. In contact with the synovial fluid at the tissue surface are many rounded macrophage-like synovial cells (type A) and also type B cells, which are also known as fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS). Type A cells maintain the synovial fluid by removing wear-and-tear debris. As for the FLS, they produce hyaluronan, as well as other extracellular components in the synovial fluid.

Structure
The synovial membrane is variable but often has two layers:
 * The outer layer, or subintima, can be of almost any type of connective tissue – fibrous (dense collagenous type), adipose (fatty; e.g. in intra-articular fat pads) or areolar (loose collagenous type).
 * The inner layer (in contact with synovial fluid), or intima, consists of a sheet of cells thinner than a piece of paper.

Where the underlying subintima is loose, the intima sits on a pliable membrane, giving rise to the term synovial membrane.

This membrane, together with the cells of the intima, provides something like an inner tube, sealing the synovial fluid from the surrounding tissue (effectively stopping the joints from being squeezed dry when subject to impact, such as running).

Just beneath the intima, most synovium has a dense net of fenestrated small blood vessels that provide nutrients not only for synovium but also for the avascular cartilage.

In any one position, much of the cartilage is close enough to get nutrition directly from the synovium.

Some areas of cartilage have to obtain nutrients indirectly and may do so either from diffusion through cartilage or possibly by 'stirring' of synovial fluid.

The surface of synovium may be flat or may be covered with finger-like projections or villi, which, it is presumed, help to allow the soft tissue to change shape as the joint surfaces move one on another.

The synovial fluid can be thought of as a specialized fluid form of synovial extracellular matrix rather than a secretion in the usual sense. The fluid is transudative in nature which facilitates continuous exchange of oxygen, carbon dioxide and metabolites between blood and synovial fluid. This is especially important since it is the major source of metabolic support for articular cartilage. Under normal conditions synovial fluid contain <100/mL of leucocytes in which majority are monocytes.

Synovial cells
The intimal cells are of two types, fibroblast-like type B synovial cells and macrophage-like type A synovial cells. Surface cells have no basement membrane or junctional complexes denoting an epithelium despite superficial resemblance.
 * The fibroblast-like synoviocytes (derived from mesenchyme) manufacture a long-chain sugar polymer called hyaluronan (hence rich in endoplasmic reticulum); which makes the synovial fluid "ropy"-like egg-white, together with a molecule called lubricin, which lubricates the joint surfaces. The water of synovial fluid is not secreted as such but is effectively trapped in the joint space by the hyaluronan.
 * The macrophage-like synovial cells (derived from monocytes in blood) are responsible for the removal of undesirable substances from the synovial fluid (hence are rich in Golgi apparatus). It accounts for approximately 25% of cells lining the synovium.

Mechanics
Although a biological joint can resemble a man-made joint in being a hinge or a ball and socket, the engineering problems that nature must solve are very different because the joint works within an almost completely solid structure, with no wheels or nuts and bolts.

In general, the bearing surfaces of manmade joints interlock, as in a hinge. This is rare for biological joints (although the badger's jaw interlocks).

More often the surfaces are held together by cord-like ligaments. Virtually all the space between muscles, ligaments, bones, and cartilage is filled with pliable solid tissue. The fluid-filled gap is at most only a twentieth of a millimetre thick. This means that synovium has certain jobs to do. These may include:
 * 1) Providing a plane of separation, or disconnection, between solid tissues so that movement can occur with minimum bending of solid components. If this separation is lost, as in a 'frozen shoulder', the joint cannot move.
 * 2) Providing a packing that can change shape in whatever way is needed to allow the bearing surfaces to move on each other.
 * 3) Controlling the volume of fluid in the cavity so that it is just enough to allow the solid components to move over each other freely. This volume is normally so small that the joint is under slight suction.

Pathology
Synovium can become irritated and thickened (synovitis) in conditions such as osteoarthritis, Ross River virus or rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) play a key role in the pathogenesis of RA, and the aggressive phenotype of FLS in RA and the effect these cells have on the microenvironment in the joint can be summarized into hallmarks that distinguish them from healthy FLS. These hallmark features of FLS in RA are divided into seven cell-intrinsic hallmarks (such as reduced apoptosis and impaired contact inhibition) and four cell-extrinsic hallmarks (such as their ability to recruit and stimulate immune cells).

In general, inflamed synovium is accompanied by extra macrophage recruitment (as well as the existing type A cells), fibroblast proliferation and an influx of inflammatory cells including lymphocytes, monocytes and plasma cells. When this happens, the synovium can interfere with the normal functioning of the joint. Excessive thickened synovium, filled with cells and fibrotic collagenous tissue, can physically restrict joint movement. The synovial fibroblasts may make smaller hyaluronan so it is a less effective lubricant of the cartilage surfaces. Under stimulation from invading inflammatory cells, the synovial cells may also produce enzymes (proteinases) that can digest the cartilage extracellular matrix. Fragments of extracellular matrix can then further irritate the synovium.

Etymology and pronunciation
The word synovium is related to the word synovia in its sense meaning "synovial fluid". The latter was coined by Paracelsus. More information is given at Synovial fluid § Etymology and pronunciation.

title: Synovial membrane


text:
Talk:Nijmegen

2003 comments on size
When we say that Nijmegen is a city of 150,000 does that include the other towns in the municipalty? Or should this be "Nijmegen is a municipality" not a city? Rmhermen 14:19 21 Jul 2003 (UTC)

 * I agree that this was a bit unclear, I changed it. - Patrick 14:42 21 Jul 2003 (UTC)

WWII History
I added the casulty count from the US bombing and slightly reworded the para. It would actually be nice to have a subsection on WWII history. The current paragraph should at least be split into 1) Invasion 2) Bombing 3) Market Garden and any other notable incidents. Numbers from http://www.godutch.com/windmill/newsItem.asp?id=684 (over 750 - I've also seen 800 quoted). The bombardment was not an error. The pilots said after landing they had bombarded Nijmegen. They knew it. See 'Nijmegen '44. Verwoesting, verdriet en verwerking' author Joost Rosendaal  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 145.221.193.38 (talk) 15:54, 18 July 2011 (UTC)

Charlemagne
The article presently states: "It has been contended that in the 8th century Emperor Charlemagne built a castle in Nijmegen. Research has demonstrated that it is a historical fallacy.". However, German wikipedia states that Charlemagne built a castle from the deserted castellum in 777, and Dutch wikipedia states that Charlemagne built the castle in 770, and Louis the Pious had a conference there in 830. I would like to know which statement is right, and what research is referred to. Markussep 11:12, 28 April 2006 (UTC)

 * It is "general knowledge" that he built a castle in Nijmegen. nl:Karel de Grote has an external link at the bottom to a "highly controversial" theory of Albert Delahaye that several events from early Dutch history in fact took place in Flanders or the north of France.
 * The location of Charlemagne's castle is known to be "Noviomagus". According to Delahaye, this also refers to the town of Noyon, which is close to the birth place of Charlemagne, and a more logical place for him to build a castle early in his life.
 * I have heard of this controversy before; I don't think his theories are widely accepted. The scale of his claims makes them quite hard to believe. -- Eugene van der Pijll 11:29, 28 April 2006 (UTC)

 * I read some of Delahaye's statements, it all seems pretty paranoid to me. The statement about continuous flooding and lack of human activity in the region between the 4th and 11th century (as presently in the article) seems far fetched to me as well. Better change it to something more widely accepted. Markussep 10:08, 29 April 2006 (UTC)

 * Although I disagree with Delahaye's conclusions, I agree that there is no evidence for the claim that Charlemagne actually built a palace, or ever resided in Nijmegen. There has been no or very little archeological research on this site, known as Valkhof. I also found on the dutch version of this page Charlemagne's name in the list of famous people from Nijmegen. As with it's Roman past, in my view, these popular historical claims have little scientific foundation. Wvdc 14:14, 17 May 2006 (UTC)

 * I have removed the line "Due to climate changes that caused continuous flooding there was, during the time-span between the 4th century and the 11th century, hardly any human activity in Nijmegen or its region" as there really isn't any evidence other than the decline of Nijmegen to support this theory. Speaking against it, however, is the fact that Nijmegen lies at an altitude of about 30m above sea level - that's some serious flooding Delahaye is suggesting.

 * Delahaye is full of shite. He's mixing up facts, and making up his own ideas to fill the gaps... I know a few people who work for the Archaeology department, and we've been discussing this issue many of times, the general consensus among city archaeologists is that there's been constant activity around Valkhof Hill, but, indeed, the old roman city in what's now called "Waterkwartier" did get abandoned because of an increase of water flowing through the Waal River in the 5th- 8th century. (The major Rhine outlet shifted from Nederrijn - Oude Rijn to Waal in this period) City archaeologists believe, that because of this, the town centre was moved to what's now the "Westelijke Benedenstad" around the Lange Hezelstraat and Bottelstraat, which is at 13-15 meters ASL, instead of 9 meters ASL for the old Roman town. The problem with this, though, is that Valkhof Hill is protected, and they're only allowed to excavate there if there's ever going to be some construction of some kind. (which is why some archaeologists wouldn't mind the Donjon), and the Westelijke Benedenstad has had 1000-1600 years of constant habitation, so the soil up to a depth of about three meters is disturbed to the point it's unusable. Although there is general consensus among city archaeologists that Nijmegen has existed through the dark ages as a centre of population, they also believe it was a small one compared to Roman times, or post-9th century Nijmegen. The population probably never exceeded 500 in this period. Clint.hotvedt 09:14, 16 October 2007 (UTC)

 * May I refer you to the book in 3 parts: Nijmegen. Geschiedenis van de oudste styad van Nederland. Forget Delahaye. Electionworld = Wilfried (talk 07:18, 25 June 2006 (UTC)

 * Agreed. Delahaye is not taken seriously by any respected historian. Let's keep his crazy theories out of this article. Venetian 21:36, 19 September 2006 (UTC)

Oldest city?
In 'History' it reads:

Nijmegen is celebrating its 2000 year existence in 2005. With its history going back to the 0's it is considered the oldest city in the Netherlands. In gaining this qualification, it has competed with the city of Maastricht.

The 'dispute' over which city is actually the oldest is not quite settled yet. It appears to be a question of definition whether Maastricht or Nijmegen is the oldest city in the Netherlands. Perhaps it would be better to reflect this 'unresolved' status in this article as well?

 * That is not necesary since Maastricht recognized some time ago Nijmegen was elder. Electionworld = Wilfried (talk 16:50, 26 June 2006 (UTC)

 * No where in the article does it mention why they believe the city was founded in the year 5 CE (or AD if you must insist, though i prefer you didnt). Did they just randomly decide on the year 2005 for their 2000th anniversary? The article states when they recieved their roman city rights, but that was later than the year 5 CE, and it seems there were settlements before 5 CE according to history as well. What is up? Camelbinky (talk) 03:43, 6 December 2008 (UTC)

 * Nijmegen got city rights in 105 CE, but for the Batavians Nijmegen was already their main centre for about a century. The official slogan in 2005 was "city since 1900 years, urban life for 2000 years". Of course, this is somewhat arbitrary, because it could've just as well have been 1992 or 2009 years back in 2005. And when one counts "urban functions", Maastricht predates Nijmegen by at least 350-400 years, but if one counts continuous habitation Nijmegen wins it from Maastricht by at least 400 more years. As far as I know, the official consensus is that Nijmegen is the site of longest continuous habitation, since 900 BCE, or 2900 years (as long as one leaves Delahaye's shite out), Maastricht is the longest-serving "urban centre" at around 2300-2500 years, and Nijmegen is the oldest "official" city, of which official records exist, at 1904 years at september 2009. Clint.hotvedt (talk) 09:09, 23 September 2009 (UTC)

Taipei101
"Building: The Erasmus Tower, famous for its architecture. The Taipei 101 was based upon the architecture of the Erasmus."

I hope someone can provide a source, because it sounds ridiculous. --Venetian 00:28, 18 November 2006 (UTC)

Coat of Arms
Can someone add the coat of arms that seams to be deleated? It's public domain (Gezien de regelgeving kan de afbeelding als publiek domein worden beschouwd, evenals reproducties van het wapen).

http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afbeelding:Wapen_van_Nijmegen.gif --80.140.122.121 13:59, 10 May 2007 (UTC)
 * Done. --Djcj 12:04, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

Dialect spoken in area
Would it be possible for someone to write a little on this page about the dialect spoken in the area. I quote from Wikipedia's Zuid-Gelders Zuid-Gelders (E: South Guelderish), or (G:) Kleverlãndisch (E.: Kleverlandish, from Land of Cleves), is a dialect of the Dutch language that is spoken on the edge of the Veluwe country, around Nijmegen, in the Bommelerwaard, and other neighbouring areas in the Netherlands. Among the local variants of Zuid-Gelders spoken in the Netherlands are Zevenaars, Waals and Nijmegens. --Brenont 19:22, 12 May 2007 (UTC)

'Sister cities'
"Sister cities" is the term used in at least parts of the United States, in my experience and also according to Twin towns and sister cities. Knile (talk) 20:53, 5 June 2010 (UTC)
 * Isn't sister cities a (too) literal translation from Dutch and shouldn't the English twin town (/cities) be used, instead?

 * The website of the municipality only mentions Pskov and Masaya. Does anyone have references for the other two/three? Xmth 08:42, 9 July 2007 (UTC)

Population
You might notice the metropolitan population is off by about 50,000. Reason i've given this figure is because i've included the municipalities of Cuijk, Grave, Kranenburg and Elten in the Metropolitan area. These four municipalities have extensive commuter traffic to Nijmegen (Cuijk, Grave and Kranenburg) or Arnhem (Elten), and could be considered a part of the Metropolitan area, even more so than Doesburg, which is in Stadsregio KAN. Clint.hotvedt 13:33, 28 October 2007 (UTC)

Verifying History
I just noticed the history of this article contains a lot of facts with wiki links to other pages. I'm not sure what the WP policy is, but I'm sure it wouldn't hurt to add sources to back up that information regarding the history. Deganveranx (talk) 22:07, 14 December 2009 (UTC)

Climate
There are some problems with the section on climate.

The statement about the lack of north-south mountain ranges seems a bit dubious as I don't think it would create such a local effect, but as I don't know much about that I'll keep it for the moment.

The statement "a Weather Underground station in Nijmegen-Dukenburg reached a high of 38.7 °C (101.7 °F)" is unsourced (for obvious reasons, if the measurements were officially published it wouldn't be underground) and sounds like original research, possibly by the owner of said Weather Underground station. My thermometer happened to be 2 km further north and recorded 38.0 °C that day, so it sounds plausible. KNMI doesn't consider these data for obvious reasons, as the quality cannot be guaranteed.

That record minimum, with -8.5 °C it was indeed one of the coldest nights in recent history in Nijmegen, although the next night was -10.5 °C and 2 January 1997 was -16 °C (all original research, -18.7 °C at closest official station Volkel), so I don't think it warrants mentioning.

The table is sourced from a book, which I happen to have in my possession. It does not mention temperatures or sunshine hours precisely as those aren't officially measured in Nijmegen (but contains interpolated maps to allow reasonably accurate numbers to be quoted), whilst the precipitation numbers in the book differ from the ones in the table. Per WP:OR I won't put in my own (reasonably accurate) averages and extremes, but I will replace the currently quoted numbers by the ones given in the Klimaatatlas van Nederland, normaalperiode 1971–2000, using the nearest official station's data (which is Nijmegen for total precipitation, Deelen for sunshine and Volkel for everything else).

PiusImpavidus (talk) 19:50, 24 June 2013 (UTC)
 * I think that your conclusions are fair. It is good to see you updated the table with well sourced information. You might want to use ref-tags to create a full citation. It is good you included all the information provided here in the text as well. Keep up the good work! CRwikiCA  talk 18:48, 27 June 2013 (UTC)

 * Weather Underground is a perfectly respectable organization. Much of their data comes from official sources, and I wouldn’t have any qualms about using that.  Their data from private sources might not be as reliable.  I don’t know whether the above-named weather station is official or private.  They mustn’t be confused with the radical political organization of the same name.TheTruth-2009 (talk) 12:33, 4 June 2014 (UTC)

Grote Markt
The meaning of “Grote Markt” has been changed from "Big Market" to "Great Market". To me, “great” has connotations of “grand”, so I think “big” is more appropriate in this context.TheTruth-2009 (talk) 20:19, 3 June 2014 (UTC)
 * Or "large". Actually Grote Markt is the name of a big square. To me, it better should not be translated at all as in Grote Markt, Haarlem. Other articles "Grote Markt (..)", like Grote Markt (Kortrijk), use Grand Square, which seems pretty close. --Ajv39 (talk) 21:14, 3 June 2014 (UTC)
 * Perhaps Big Market Square is more appropriate ... --Ajv39 (talk) 21:24, 3 June 2014 (UTC)
 * Thanks for that information. I appreciate the research you did.  As other articles have gone so far as to use “grand”, I can’t complain at this one merely using “great”.TheTruth-2009 (talk) 11:56, 4 June 2014 (UTC)

Historical remains - wording
Maybe “very rigorous city planners” should rather read “vigorous city planners”.TheTruth-2009 (talk) 12:18, 22 July 2014 (UTC)
 * That statement seems WP:POV and should be reworded in a neutral way in my opinion. CRwikiCA  talk 13:23, 22 July 2014 (UTC)

 * I presume you are referring to the last portion of that sentence: the city planners “finished what the Americans and Germans started”, and not the portion I commented on. If so, then I agree that the current wording could cause offense.TheTruth-2009 (talk) 07:23, 23 July 2014 (UTC)
 * Yes, indeed, that part is non neutral, neither is the unfortunately that starts the (long) sentence. CRwikiCA  talk 13:27, 23 July 2014 (UTC)

 * I hadn’t noticed that “unfortunately”, possibly because usually I prefer to preserve very old buildings. I’ve just spotted something else: shouldn’t the “eight, ninth century” in the final sentence rather read “eighth, ninth century”?TheTruth-2009 (talk) 05:41, 24 July 2014 (UTC)
 * Yes, it should include the extra h. CRwikiCA  talk 13:34, 24 July 2014 (UTC)

 * I have now implemented the changes discussed; I hope the revised wording is acceptable. I also changed “1950s, 60's and 70's” to “1950s, 60s and 70s” for consistency and because that seems to be the Wikipedia standard.TheTruth-2009 (talk) 06:03, 25 July 2014 (UTC)
 * Seems fine to me. Keep up the good work! CRwikiCA  talk 13:11, 25 July 2014 (UTC)

 * Thank you.TheTruth-2009 (talk) 17:38, 25 July 2014 (UTC)

Pierson riots
I would think this major battle between police/army versus squatters and sympathisant deserves more attention. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.95.192.16 (talk) 16:23, 26 August 2015 (UTC)

Timeline of Nijmegen
What is missing from the recently created city timeline article? Please add relevant content! Contributions welcome. Thank you. -- M2545 (talk) 21:23, 19 October 2015 (UTC)

More room for the river Waal - the island
The word “alleged” has been added - twice in one sentence. That word is, in itself, non-neutral, and so is generally forbidden in Wikipedia. There is only one source given, but that seems to be an official source, not a profit-making company. And no reason (justification) has been given for the skepticism: a second source, expressing doubt, is desirable. Otherwise, I suggest the following possible rewording:

"The island is giving birth to an urban river park, with possibilities for recreation, culture, water and nature, and this project is expected to be one of sustainable urbanism."TheTruth-2009 (talk) 20:18, 19 December 2015 (UTC)

Photo of City
Why was the first photo "Nijmegen city centre", replaced with "Nijmegen city view from the north west"? I'm not against the new photo, but I think the former one is preferable.TheTruth-2009 (talk) 15:56, 6 May 2016 (UTC)

Donation historical photographic material concerning Nijmegen
Regionaal Archief Nijmegen has donated over 3500 photographs concerning historical people, places and events in Nijmegen. These images are possibly useful for illustrating Wikipedia articles that do not have an image yet. The images can be found in the administrative Commons category https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Media_from_Regionaal_Archief_Nijmegen

Greetings, Reniervdg (talk) 09:13, 2 February 2018 (UTC)

Graphene and the Radboud
"The Nobel Prize for Physics in 2010 was awarded to Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov while at Radboud University "for groundbreaking experiments regarding the two-dimensional material graphene."" I'm pretty certain that the work was done at the University of Manchester, I can't find anything linking it to their work at the Radboud. I'd recommend removing the line. Chris (talk) 15:47, 16 July 2021 (UTC)

3,600-year-old Roman sauna?
There is obviously some mix up in the information on the sauna. If it is 3,600 years old it cannot be Roman or vice versa. AoSpades (talk) 11:58, 30 May 2023 (UTC)

title: Talk:Nijmegen


text:
Core War

Core War is a 1984 programming game created by D. G. Jones and A. K. Dewdney in which two or more battle programs (called "warriors") compete for control of a virtual computer. These battle programs are written in an abstract assembly language called Redcode. The standards for the language and the virtual machine were initially set by the International Core Wars Society (ICWS), but later standards were determined by community consensus.

Gameplay
At the beginning of a game, each battle program is loaded into memory at a random location, after which each program executes one instruction in turn. The goal of the game is to cause the processes of opposing programs to terminate (which happens if they execute an invalid instruction), leaving the victorious program in sole possession of the machine.

The earliest published version of Redcode defined only eight instructions. The ICWS-86 standard increased the number to 10 while the ICWS-88 standard increased it to 11. The currently used 1994 draft standard has 16 instructions. However, Redcode supports a number of different addressing modes and (starting from the 1994 draft standard) instruction modifiers which increase the actual number of operations possible to 7168. The Redcode standard leaves the underlying instruction representation undefined and provides no means for programs to access it. Arithmetic operations may be done on the two address fields contained in each instruction, but the only operations supported on the instruction codes themselves are copying and comparing for equality.

 * Constant instruction length and time: Each Redcode instruction occupies exactly one memory slot and takes exactly one cycle to execute. The rate at which a process executes instructions, however, depends on the number of other processes in the queue, as processing time is shared equally.

 * Circular memory: The memory is addressed in units of one instruction. The memory space (or core) is of finite size, but only relative addressing is used, that is, address 0 always refers to the currently executing instruction, address 1 to the instruction after it, and so on. The maximum address value is set to equal one less than the number of memory locations and will wrap around if necessary. As a result, there is a one-to-one correspondence between addresses and memory locations, but it is impossible for a Redcode program to determine any absolute address. A process that encounters no invalid or jump instructions will continue executing successive instructions endlessly, eventually returning to the instruction where it started.

 * Low-level multiprocessing: Instead of a single instruction pointer a Redcode simulator has a process queue for each program containing a variable number of instruction pointers which the simulator cycles through. Each program starts with only one process, but new processes may be added to the queue using the  instruction. A process dies when it executes a DAT instruction or performs a division by zero. A program is considered dead when it has no more processes left.

 * No external access: Redcode and the MARS architecture provide no input or output functions. The simulator is a closed system, with the only input being the initial values of the memory and the process queues, and the only output being the outcome of the battle, i.e., which programs had surviving processes. Of course, the simulator may still allow external inspections and modification of the memory while the simulation is running.

Versions of Redcode
A number of versions of Redcode exist. The earliest version described by A. K. Dewdney differs in many respects from the later standards established by the International Core War Society, and could be considered a different, albeit related, language. The form of Redcode most commonly used today is based on a draft standard submitted to the ICWS in 1994 that was never formally accepted, as the ICWS had become effectively defunct around that time. Development of Redcode, however, has continued in an informal manner, chiefly via online forums such as the newsgroup.

Strategy
Warriors are commonly divided into a number of broad categories, although actual warriors may often combine the behavior of two or more of these. Three of the common strategies (replicator, scanner and bomber) are also known as paper, scissors and stone, since their performance against each other approximates that of their namesakes in the well-known playground game.

 * Paper (or replicator): A replicator makes repeated copies of itself and executes them in parallel, eventually filling the entire core with copies of its code. Replicators are hard to kill, but often have difficulty killing their opponents. Replicators therefore tend to score a lot of ties, particularly against other replicators.
 * A silk is a special type of very rapid replicator, named after Silk Warrior by Juha Pohjalainen. Most modern replicators are of this type. Silk replicators use parallel execution to copy their entire code with one instruction, and begin execution of the copy before it is finished.

 * Scissors (or scanner): A scanner is designed to beat replicators. A scanner does not attack blindly, but tries to locate its enemy before launching a targeted attack. This makes it more effective against hard-to-kill opponents like replicators, but also leaves it vulnerable to decoys. A scanner usually bombs memory with SPL 0 instructions. This causes the enemy to create a huge number of processes which do nothing but create more processes, slowing down useful processes. When the enemy becomes so slow that it is unable to do anything useful, the memory is then bombed with DAT instructions. Scanners are also generally more complex, and therefore are larger and more fragile, than other types of warriors.
 * A one-shot is a very simple scanner that only scans the core until it finds the first target, and then permanently switches to an attack strategy, usually a core clear. Myrmidon by Roy van Rijn is an example of a oneshot.

 * Stone (or bomber): A bomber blindly copies a "bomb" at regular intervals in the core, hoping to hit the enemy. The bomb is often a DAT instruction, although other instructions, or even multi-instruction bombs, may be used. A bomber can be small and fast, and they gain an extra edge over scanning opponents since the bombs also serve as convenient distractions. Bombers are often combined with imp spirals to gain extra resiliency against replicators.

 * Vampire (or pit-trapper): A vampire tries to make its opponent's processes jump into a piece of its own code called a "pit". Vampires can be based on either bombers or scanners. A major weakness of vampires is that they can be easily attacked indirectly, since they must by necessity scatter pointers to their code all over the core. Their attacks are also slow, as it takes an extra round for the processes to reach the pit. myVamp by Paulsson is an example of a vampire.

 * Imp: Imps are named after the first ever published warrior, Imp by A. K. Dewdney, a trivial one-instruction mobile warrior that continually copies its sole instruction just ahead of its instruction pointer. Imps are hard to kill but next to useless for offense. Their use lies in the fact that they can easily be spawned in large numbers, and may survive even if the rest of the warriors are killed.
 * An imp ring (or imp spiral) consists of imps spaced at equal intervals around the core and executing alternately. The imps at each arm of the ring/spiral copy their instructions to the next arm, where it is immediately executed again. Rings and spirals are even harder to kill than simple imps, and they even have a (small) chance of killing warriors not protected against them. The number of arms in an imp ring or spiral must be relatively prime with the size of the core.

 * Quickscanner (or q-scan): A quickscanner attempts to catch its opponent early by using a very fast unrolled scanning loop. Quickscanning is an early-game strategy, and always requires some other strategy as a backup. Adding a quickscanning component to a warrior can improve its score against long warriors such as other quickscanners. However, the unrolled scan can only target a limited number of locations, and is unlikely to catch a small opponent.

 * Core clear: A core clear sequentially overwrites every instruction in the core, sometimes even including itself. Core clears are not very common as stand-alone warriors, but are often used as an end-game strategy by bombers and scanners.

Core War Programming
With an understanding of Core War strategies, a programmer can create a warrior to achieve certain goals. Revolutionary ideas come once in a while; most of the time, however, programmers base their programs on already published warriors. Using optimizers such as OptiMax or core-step optimizer tools, a more effective warrior can be created.

Warriors can also be generated by genetic algorithms or genetic programming. Programs that integrate this evolutionary technique are known as evolvers. Several evolvers were introduced by the Core War community and tend to focus on generating warriors for smaller core settings. The latest evolver with significant success was μGP which produced some of the most successful nano and tiny warriors. Nevertheless, evolutionary strategy still needs to prove its effectiveness on larger core settings.

Development
Core War was inspired by a self-replicating program called Creeper and a subsequent program called Reaper that destroyed copies of Creeper. Creeper was created by Bob Thomas at BBN. Dewdney was not aware of the origin of Creeper and Reaper and refers to them as a rumor originating from Darwin and the worm experiments of Shoch and Hupp. The 1984 Scientific American article on Core War nevertheless cites the game Darwin, played by Victor A. Vyssotsky, Robert Morris, and Douglas McIlroy at Bell Labs in 1961.

The word "Core" in the name comes from magnetic-core memory, an obsolete random-access memory technology. This term was then, and still today, typically in use as the term for working memory in working memory dumps, called core dumps, on Unix and most Unix-like systems. Additionally, the default filename used for core dumps on such systems is usually "core" or contains the word core.

The first description of the Redcode language was published in March 1984, in Core War Guidelines by D. G. Jones and A. K. Dewdney. The game was introduced to the public in May 1984, in an article written by Dewdney in Scientific American. Dewdney revisited Core War in his "Computer Recreations" column in March 1985, and again in January 1987.

The International Core Wars Society (ICWS) was founded in 1985, one year after Dewdney's original article. The ICWS published new standards for the Redcode language in 1986 and 1988, and proposed an update in 1994 that was never formally set as the new standard. Nonetheless, the 1994 draft was commonly adopted and extended, and forms the basis of the de facto standard for Redcode today. The ICWS was directed by Mark Clarkson (1985–1987), William R. Buckley (1987–1992), and Jon Newman (1992–); currently the ICWS is defunct.

Redcode
 Assembled ICWS-94 style Redcode Redcode is the programming language used in Core War. It is executed by a virtual machine known as a Memory Array Redcode Simulator, or MARS. The design of Redcode is loosely based on actual CISC assembly languages of the early 1980s, but contains several features not usually found in actual computer systems.

Both Redcode and the MARS environment are designed to provide a simple and abstract platform without the complexity of actual computers and processors. Although Redcode is meant to resemble an ordinary CISC assembly language, it is quite simplified relative to "real" assembly, and has no absolute memory addressing

The original 8 instructions are described as follows. Later versions added NOP, multiply and more complex comparisons. the ICWS '94 standard draft added more addressing modes, mostly to deal with A-field indirection, to give a total of 8 address modes:

Implementations
Development of implementations of the game continued over the years by several authors. There are multiple versions of the game available, ported for several platforms. For instance pMARS which is open source software with source code on SourceForge, or the SDL based SDL pMARS for Windows.

The common implementation pMars was downloaded over 35,000 times between 2000 and 2021 from SourceForge.

title: Core War


text:
Martin Guerre

Martin Guerre, a French peasant of the 16th century, was at the centre of a famous case of imposture. Several years after Martin Guerre had left his wife, child and village, a man claiming to be him appeared. He lived with Guerre's wife and son for three years.

The false Martin Guerre was eventually suspected of the impersonation. He was tried, discovered to be a man named Arnaud du Tilh and executed. The real Martin Guerre had returned during the trial. The case continues to be studied and dramatised to this day. The story was published many times and was spread throughout Europe.

Life before leaving his wife
Martin Daguerre was born around 1524 in the Basque town of Hendaye. In 1527, his family moved to the village of Artigat in the Pyrenees of southwestern France. They changed their name to Guerre. When he was about fourteen years old, Martin married Bertrande de Rols, the daughter of a well-off family. The marriage was childless for eight years until a son was born.

Accused of stealing grain from his father, Martin abruptly disappeared in 1548. Canon law did not allow his abandoned wife to remarry.

Martin Guerre's supposed return
In the summer of 1556, a man arrived in Artigat who claimed to be the long-gone Martin Guerre. By his similar looks and detailed knowledge of Guerre's life, he convinced most of the villagers. Martin Guerre's uncle and four sisters, as well as his wife Bertrande, believed the man was Guerre, as he claimed, although doubts remained.

The man who had returned as Martin Guerre lived for three years with Bertrande and her son; they had two children together, with one daughter surviving. He claimed the inheritance of Guerre's father, who had died. When he sued Guerre's paternal uncle, Pierre Guerre, who had married Bertrande's widowed mother during Martin Guerre's long absence, for part of the inheritance, Pierre became suspicious. He and his wife tried to convince Bertrande that the returnee was an impostor. A soldier who passed through Artigat claimed the man was a fraud, pointing out that the true Martin had lost a leg in the ongoing war in Italy. Pierre and his sons-in-law attacked the returnee with a club, but Bertrande intervened.

In 1559, villagers accused the returnee of arson and of impersonating the real Martin Guerre. With Bertrande remaining by his side, he was acquitted in 1560.

Trial in Rieux
In the meantime, Pierre Guerre had been asking around and believed he had uncovered the identity of the impostor: Arnaud du Tilh, nicknamed "Pansette", a man with a poor reputation from the nearby village of Tilh, in the region of Sajas. Pierre initiated a new case against the man by falsely claiming to act in Bertrande's name (only the wronged wife could bring the suit). He and his wife, Bertrande's mother, pressured Bertrande to support the charge, to which she eventually agreed.

In 1560, the case was tried in Rieux. Bertrande testified that at first she had honestly believed the man to be her husband, but that she had since realised that he was an impostor. Both Bertrande and the accused independently related an identical story about their intimate life from before 1548.

The man claiming to be Martin then challenged her: if she would swear that he was not her husband, he would gladly agree to be executed – Bertrande remained silent. After hearing from more than 150 witnesses, with many testifying they recognized Martin Guerre (including his four sisters), many others testifying to Arnaud du Tilh's identity, and others refusing to take a side, the accused was convicted and sentenced to death by beheading.

Appeal and reappearance of Martin Guerre
The condemned man immediately appealed to the parlement of Toulouse. Officials arrested Bertrande and Pierre on charges of false accusation, and in the case of Pierre, soliciting perjury. The returnee eloquently argued his case, and the judges in Toulouse tended to believe his version of the story: that Bertrande was pressured to perjury by the greedy Pierre Guerre. The accused had to undergo detailed questioning about his past; his statements were double-checked, and no contradictions were found.

Then, dramatically, a man appeared in Toulouse during the trial, with a wooden leg, claiming to be the true Martin Guerre. When asked about the married couple's past, the man had forgotten some details and was not able to answer the questions as well as the alleged impostor; however, when the two men were both presented to the Guerre family, the case was closed: Pierre, Bertrande, and Martin's four sisters all agreed that the newly arrived man was the true Martin Guerre.

The impostor, who maintained his innocence, was convicted and sentenced to death for adultery and fraud; the public sentencing on 12 September 1560 was attended by Michel de Montaigne. Afterward, the condemned confessed. He revealed that he had learned about Guerre's life after two men had confused him with Guerre, and then decided to take Guerre's place, with two conspirators helping him with the details. He apologized to all involved, including Bertrande, for having deceived them. He was hanged in front of Martin Guerre's house in Artigat four days later.

Martin's life during his absence
During his long absence from Artigat, the real Martin Guerre had moved to Spain, where he served in the militia for a cardinal and subsequently in the army of Pedro de Mendoza. As part of the Spanish army, he was sent to Flanders. He was wounded in the Spanish attack on St. Quentin in 1557; his leg had to be amputated.

For years, Guerre lived in a monastery before returning to his wife and family. The reason for his return at the time of the trial is unknown. Initially, he rejected his wife's apologies, maintaining that she should have known better than to take another man.

Contemporary accounts and interpretations
Two contemporary accounts of the case were written: Histoire Admirable by Guillaume Le Sueur and the better-known Arrest Memorable by Jean de Coras, one of the trial judges in Toulouse.

In 1983, Princeton University history professor Natalie Zemon Davis published a detailed exploration of the case in her book The Return of Martin Guerre. She argued that Bertrande had silently or explicitly agreed to the fraud because she needed a husband in that society, and she was treated well by the impostor. Davis noted as evidence for this theory the improbability of a woman's mistaking a stranger for her husband, Bertrande's support for Arnaud until (and even partially during) the trial, and their shared story of intimacy, likely prepared in advance.

The historian Robert Finlay has criticised Davis's conclusions, arguing that Bertrande was duped (as most of her contemporaries believed, including the trial judges) after her husband's long absence. He thought that Davis attempted to superimpose a modern societal model of an independent woman making her own choices onto the historical account. He points to the improbability of Bertrande's charging her own accomplice with fraud, as she would run the risk of having to defend herself against charges of adultery or false accusation.

Davis published a response to Finlay's arguments, called "On the Lame", in the same issue of The American Historical Review in June 1988.

Literature and popular culture
The unusual story has continued to fascinate and inspire many writers:

 * Alexandre Dumas, père, included a fictional account of the events in his novel The Two Dianas as well as in his multi-volume Celebrated Crimes (1841).
 * Janet Lewis's historical novel The Wife of Martin Guerre (1941) is an exploration of Bertrande and her motives for her actions.
 * Philip K. Dick's 1955 short story "Human Is" tells of the dilemma for the wife of a cold abusive man who returns from a mission changed for the better. The story was dramatised in the 2017 TV series Electric Dreams, which features the man on trial as an alien imposter, who is saved by the testimony of his wife.
 * The Wife of Martin Guerre (1956) is an opera by the American composer William Bergsma with a libretto by Janet Lewis.
 * The 1982 film Le Retour de Martin Guerre (The Return of Martin Guerre), directed by Daniel Vigne and starring Gérard Depardieu and Nathalie Baye, was based on the historic accounts. The screenplay added a fictional ending, including an account of Bertrande's motives. Historian Natalie Davis (see above) served as consultant for the film.
 * The True Story of Martin Guerre, a BBC Radio 4 two-part drama by Guy Meredith from the trial notes of Jean de Coras, first broadcast in June 1992 and starring Sean Bean as both Martin Guerre and the Imposter and Lesley Dunlop as Bertrande. It also uses the same fictionalized motives of Bertrande as in the Depardieu film, and was rebroadcast in 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2023 on BBC Radio 4 Extra.
 * Sommersby (1993) was a Hollywood adaptation of the story, starring Jodie Foster and Richard Gere. It set the events in the United States during and after the American Civil War.
 * The musical The House of Martin Guerre (1993) was based on the case and was first produced in Toronto.
 * The musical Martin Guerre (1996), by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, premiered in London at the Prince Edward Theatre. It set the story at the time of the Massacre of St Bartholomew, during the French government's persecution of the Huguenots. Its ending deviated from the historical account.
 * Wiedersehen mit einem Fremden ("The Return of a Stranger"), a 2010 German TV film, directed by Niki Stein, sets the account in a village in the Black Forest after World War II. The end differs from the historic events.
 * Another musical titled Martin Guerre, written by Laura Harrington and Roger Ames, was premiered at the Hartford Stage, 1993, directed by Mark Lamos and starring Judy Kuhn. It won the Connecticut "Best Play" award that year and had a sold-out, extended run into 1994.
 * The Simpsons season 9 episode "The Principal and the Pauper" is sometimes noted for its similarities to the case, with Principal Seymour Skinner discovered to be an imposter after the real Skinner returns to Springfield. However, the episode's writer, Ken Keeler, has stated that "This episode is not – despite what people have been saying for eight years – based on or a rip-off of or a goof on the story of Martin Guerre." He said "The pattern of facts is clearly the Tichborne claimant story, and not Martin Guerre."
 * Beatriz's War (2013), the first feature film produced in the country of East Timor, reprised the plot of Martin Guerre.
 * Martin Guerre is mentioned in the pilot episode of the British sitcom Back (2017).
 * The video game Pentiment (2022) contains a character inspired by this event, also named Martin.

title: Martin Guerre


text:
Ryōkan

Ryōkan Taigu (良寛大愚) (1758 – 18 February 1831) was a quiet and unconventional Sōtō Zen Buddhist monk who lived much of his life as a hermit. Ryōkan is remembered for his poetry and calligraphy, which present the essence of Zen life. He is also known by the name Ryokwan in English.

Early life
Ryōkan was born Eizō Yamamoto (山本栄蔵) in the village of Izumozaki in Echigo Province (now Niigata Prefecture) in Japan to the village headman. He renounced the world at an early age to train at nearby Sōtō Zen temple Kōshō-ji, refusing to meet with or accept charity from his family. Once the Zen master Kokusen visited the temple, and Ryōkan was deeply impressed with his demeanour. He solicited permission to become Kokusen's disciple. Kokusen accepted, and the two returned to Entsū-ji monastery in Tamashima (now Okayama Prefecture).

It was at Entsū-ji that Ryōkan attained satori and was presented with an Inka by Kokusen. Kokusen died the following year, and Ryōkan left Entsū-ji to embark on a long pilgrimage. He lived much of the rest of his monastic life as a hermit. His decision to leave Entsū-ji may have been influenced by Gentō Sokuchū, the abbot of the temple. At the time, Gentō was aggressively reforming the Sōtō school to remove perceived 'foreign' elements, including kōan. The scholar Michel Mohr suggests Ryōkan may have been in disagreement with Gentō's efforts.

Life as a hermit
Ryōkan spent much of his time writing poetry, doing calligraphy, and communing with nature. His poetry is often very simple and inspired by nature. He loved children, and sometimes forgot to beg for food because he was playing with the children of the nearby village. Ryōkan refused to accept any position as a priest or even as a "poet." In the tradition of Zen his quotes and poems show he had a good sense of humour and didn't take himself too seriously.

Ryōkan lived a very simple life, and stories about his kindness and generosity abound. On his deathbed, Ryōkan offered the following death poem to Teishin, his close companion:

Now it reveals its hidden side and now the other—thus it falls, an autumn leaf.
 * 裏を見せ 表を見せて 散る紅葉
 * うらをみせ おもてをみせて ちるもみじ
 * ura wo mise / omote wo misete / chiru momiji

Final years
In 1826 Ryōkan became ill and was unable to continue living as a hermit. He moved into the house of one of his patrons, Kimura Motouemon, and was cared for by a young nun called Teishin. "The [first] visit left them both exhilarated, and led to a close relationship that brightened Ryōkan's final years". The two of them exchanged a series of haiku. The poems they exchanged are both lively and tender. Ryōkan died from his illness on the 6th day of the new year 1831. "Teishin records that Ryōkan, seated in meditation posture, died 'just as if he were falling asleep'".

Stories of Ryōkan
It is common practice for a monk to abstain from eating meat. Once a young monk sat to dinner with Ryōkan and watched him eat fish. When asked why, Ryōkan replied, “I eat fish when it's offered, but I also let the fleas and flies feast on me [when sleeping at night]. Neither bothers me at all.”

It is said Ryōkan only slept with most of his body inside of a mosquito net so that he would not hurt the bugs outside.

Ryōkan was fond of rice wine and would sometimes drink it to excess. "I send one of the children to buy some country wine/ And after I'm drunk, toss off a few lines of calligraphy."

Ryōkan attended the midsummer Bon Festivals. Because he was a monk, he would normally be unable to attend, but sneaked in disguised as a woman.

Ryōkan hated waste, and so any food that he was offered that he did not eat, he put into a little pot. Over time, the food rotted and became filled with maggots and other bugs. When warned against eating it, all Ryōkan said was, “No, no, it's all right. I let the maggots escape before I eat it and it tastes just fine!”

One evening a thief visited Ryōkan's hut at the base of the mountain only to discover there was nothing to steal. Ryōkan returned and caught him. "You have come a long way to visit me," he told the prowler, "and you should not return empty-handed. Please take my clothes as a gift." The thief was bewildered. He took the clothes and slunk away. Ryōkan sat naked, watching the moon. "Poor fellow," he mused, "I wish I could have given him this beautiful moon." This story may be an interpretation of an account mentioned by Ryōkan in a haiku:

 * 盗人に 取り残されし 窓の月
 * ぬすっとに とりのこされし まどのつき
 * nusutto ni / torinokosareshi / mado no tsuki

 * The thief left it behind:
 * the moon
 * at my window.

title: Ryōkan


text:
Oulu (disambiguation)

Oulu can refer to:

Astronomy

 * 1512 Oulu (1939 FE), an asteroid

Places

 * Finland
 * Oulu, a city and municipality in Finland (Uleåborg)
 * Oulu Province, one of the provinces of Finland (Oulun lääni/Uleåborgs län)
 * University of Oulu, a university located in Oulu
 * Oulu railway station
 * Oulu Airport
 * Port of Oulu
 * Oulujoki, a river
 * Oulujärvi, a lake
 * United States
 * Oulu, Wisconsin, a town
 * Oulu (community), Wisconsin, an unincorporated community

title: Oulu (disambiguation)


text:
User:Mahaabaala

Mahaabaala aka Jayarava aka Michael Attwood

My Websites

 * homepage
 * blog

Pages I've Contributed to

 * F._Matthias_Alexander
 * Arvo Pärt
 * Ayya_Khema
 * Buddhaghosa
 * Buddhism and all it's myriad associated articles.
 * Buddhist texts
 * Buddhist polemics since deleted
 * Cantus_In_Memoriam_Benjamin_Britten
 * Caroline Augusta Foley Rhys Davids
 * Dhardo Rimpoche
 * Friends_of_the_Western_Buddhist_Order (FWBO)
 * Heart sutra
 * Hinayana
 * I Ching (monk) - a Chinese Buddhist who travelled to India
 * Jodo_Shinshu
 * Kūkai - Founder of Shingon Buddhism.
 * Mantra
 * Outsider Art
 * Pali Text Society
 * Pema_Chodron
 * Pratitya-samutpada
 * Reginald_Ray
 * Ryōkan
 * Sangharakshita
 * Sarnath
 * Shingon_Buddhism
 * Shinran
 * Siddham
 * Sound Symbolism
 * T.W. Rhys Davids
 * Trikaya
 * Vinaya
 * Yana
 * Frank_Zappa

title: User:Mahaabaala


text:
Intersection syndrome

Intersection syndrome is a painful condition that affects the lateral side of the forearm when inflammation occurs at the intersection of the muscle bellies of the abductor pollicis longus and extensor pollicis brevis cross over the extensor carpi radialis longus and the extensor carpi radialis brevis. These 1st and 2nd dorsal muscle compartments intersect at this location, hence the name. The mechanism of injury is usually repetitive resisted extension, as with rowing, weight lifting, or pulling.

Intersection syndrome is often confused with another condition called DeQuervain's syndrome, which is an irritation of the thumb-sided set of tendons at the wrist, called the first dorsal compartment.

title: Intersection syndrome


text:
Cove

A cove is a small bay or coastal inlet. Coves usually have narrow, restricted entrances, are often circular or oval, and are often situated within a larger bay. Small, narrow, sheltered bays, inlets, creeks, or recesses in a coast are often considered coves.

Colloquially, the term can be used to describe a sheltered bay. Geomorphology describes coves as precipitously walled and rounded cirque-like openings as in a valley extending into or down a mountainside, or in a hollow or nook of a cliff or steep mountainside. A cove can also refer to a corner, nook, or cranny, either in a river, road, or wall, especially where the wall meets the floor.

A notable example is Lulworth Cove on the Jurassic Coast in Dorset, England. To its west, a second cove, Stair Hole, is forming.

Formation
Coves are formed by differential erosion, which occurs when softer rocks are worn away faster than the harder rocks surrounding them. These rocks further erode to form a circular bay with a narrow entrance, called a cove.

title: Cove