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At the Drive-In

At the Drive-In was an American post-hardcore band from El Paso, Texas, formed in 1994. The band's most recent line-up consisted of Cedric Bixler-Zavala (vocals), Omar Rodríguez-López (guitar, vocals), Paul Hinojos (bass), Tony Hajjar (drums) and Keeley Davis (guitar, vocals).

After several early line-up changes, the band solidified into a five-piece, consisting of Bixler-Zavala, Rodríguez-López, Jim Ward, Hinojos and Hajjar. At the Drive-In released three studio albums and five EPs before breaking up in 2001. Their third and final album before their split, 2000's Relationship of Command, received a number of accolades and is cited as a landmark of the post-hardcore genre. Following the breakup, Bixler-Zavala and Rodríguez-López formed the Mars Volta while Ward, Hinojos, and Hajjar formed Sparta; Hinojos would later join the Mars Volta.

At the Drive-In reunited in January 2012 and played the 2012 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, as well as the 2012 Lollapalooza Festival. In 2016, the band reunited for a second time, with guitarist and occasional lead vocalist Jim Ward no longer participating. He was replaced by Sparta's Keeley Davis. The band released their fourth studio album, in•ter a•li•a, in 2017. The band announced an indefinite hiatus in November 2018.

Formation and Acrobatic Tenement (1994–97)
At the Drive-In was founded in 1994 by guitarist Jim Ward and vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala. The newly formed band played its first live show on October 14, 1994, at The Attic, a venue in El Paso, Texas, followed up by a show on the 15th at the Loretto High School Fair. Not long after, At the Drive-In released its first studio recording entitled Hell Paso, a 7-inch EP issued in November 1994. Following Hell Paso release, the band members embarked on their first tour – a 2,000-mile trek across the state of Texas. After a drummer change due to Bernie Rincon's death, At the Drive-In released its second EP ¡Alfaro Vive, Carajo! in June 1995. The band then set out on another tour, this one in a newly purchased 1981 Ford Econoline and spanning 42 days and 10,000 miles across the United States. During these tours, At the Drive-In began developing a large underground following by mostly playing in basements and small venues across the western United States, with their popularity spread by word of mouth among fans. One such show that changed the course of history for the band was in a now defunct bar in Los Angeles, where the band put on an explosive performance for just nine people – some of them employees of the Flipside record label. The staffers were so enthralled by the show that they offered to put out At the Drive-In's record then and there. Accepting the offer, the band first headed out on another 21-day tour of the Southwest before ending in Los Angeles again where they recorded their debut full-length album titled Acrobatic Tenement for $600.

The album was released August 18, 1996, and the band commenced another tour of the United States the following year spanning 100 days (February to June 1997) and 24,000 miles. This tour included shows with hundreds of other bands such as Screw 32, J Church, AFI, Still Life, Mustard Plug, Face to Face, and Cosmic Psychos. At the Drive-In's fan base began to swell with every show it performed. Following this tour, the band members took a month vacation (Jim Ward remained on vacation until the recording of In/Casino/Out) before rehearsing for their next record and subsequent tour. Following the recording of Acrobatic Tenement in July 1996, the final line-up of At the Drive-In fell into place with the addition of Tony Hajjar and Paul Hinojos and with Omar Rodríguez-López transitioning from bass to guitar. At the Drive-In's third EP titled El Gran Orgo was released on September 18, 1997, and "showed a more melodic side of the band, but the musical depth and heartfelt emotion was never more apparent." Two days after its release, the band was in Boulder, Colorado, playing a show with Welt to kick off its next 35-day, 11,000-mile tour that also included six dates with Karp and the Young Pioneers, and one-offs with Guttermouth, The Criminals, Piss Drunks, and the Humpers. At the Drive-In's popularity at this point was undeniable, with headlining shows in the Midwest drawing between 100 and 350 fans.

In/Casino/Out and Vaya (1998–1999)
When the time came for At the Drive-In's next recording, Flipside quit producing records and Offtime was financially unable to, "so the band figuratively approached almost every indie label they could think of." When hope was almost lost and the possibility of another record seemed dim, Bob and Michelle Becker of Fearless Records saw At the Drive-In open for Supernova at a bar named Club Mesa. Despite Fearless's history of producing mainly pop punk bands, the band members "felt very comfortable with Bob and Michelle on a personal level" and a deal was signed. Consequently, At the Drive-In began recording its second full-length album titled In/Casino/Out on June 3, 1998. With producer and mixer Alex Newport, the band spent four days recording at Doug Messenger's, in North Hollywood, Revolver Recordings in Costa Mesa with Engineer Andy Troy for Fearless Records, and an additional two days mixing the album at Paramount, in Hollywood. This album marked a notable maturation in At the Drive-In's sound and is special in that it was recorded live with just a small number of overdubs. In/Casino/Out was chosen to be recorded live because, according to some sources, At the Drive-In struggled to capture the intensity and emotion of its live shows in the recording studio.

In/Casino/Out was released on August 18, 1998, although the band toured almost non-stop from July until December, playing shows with bands like Knapsack and The Murder City Devils. At the Drive-In took a couple month break until March 1999, at which point they kicked off another tour with a two-week stint with Jimmy Eat World in the United States until they headed to Europe for a six-week European tour spanning eleven countries. Upon returning to the United States, At the Drive-In played a handful of shows before returning to the studio to record their fourth EP entitled Vaya, which was released on July 13, 1999. Without missing a beat, the band kicked off another tour on July 28 at Emo's in Austin, Texas, with El Paso band Universal Recovered and Austin band Schatzi opening this show. This tour included shows with bands like The Get Up Kids and Rage Against the Machine. Later, in April 2000, At the Drive-In released a split EP with the Czech band Sunshine, containing five songs, two of them by At the Drive-In.

Relationship of Command (2000–2001)
Recording for At the Drive-In's third and then-final full-length album Relationship of Command began on January 17, 2000. The recording took place at Indigo Ranch Studios in Malibu, California, with producer Ross Robinson (and mixer Andy Wallace), who the band had met on an earlier tour and who had "convinced the boys that he was the guy who could get every ounce of them onto tape." Relationship of Command was recorded over a seven-week period and featured Iggy Pop with minor parts on a couple of the album's songs. It was released September 12, 2000, to critical acclaim, and catapulted At the Drive-In into the mainstream musical spotlight.

In addition to touring worldwide in Europe, Japan, and the United States following the release of Relationship of Command, At The Drive-In performed on several television shows. The band's first nationally televised performance was on Farmclub, a now defunct television show which aired late at night on the USA Network. After that performance, they also appeared on Later with Jools Holland, Late Night with Conan O'Brien and the Late Show with David Letterman. Additionally, their minor hit radio single "One Armed Scissor" had circulation on MTV and significantly contributed to the band's popularity. By 2002, Relationship of Command had sold 273,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Breakup (2001)
On November 12, 2000, At the Drive-In was involved in a motor vehicle accident when their touring van skidded out of control on ice and flipped onto its roof. Though the accident left the band shaken, none of the members sustained serious injury – Hajjar and Bixler-Zavala were taken to the hospital for minor injuries and released. In January 2001, At the Drive-In traveled to Australia for the Big Day Out music festival. While performing in Sydney, they left partway through their set after telling the attendance to calm down and observe the safety rules against moshing. After the refusal of the crowd, frontman Cedric Bixler-Zavala told them "You're a robot, you're a sheep!" and bleated at them several times before the band left the stage after performing only three songs. "I think it's a very, very sad day when the only way you can express yourself is through slam-dancing", he proclaimed. The following month, At the Drive-In cancelled the last five dates of its European tour, citing "complete mental and physical exhaustion" of the members.

In March 2001—less than a month away from a United States tour set to begin on April 14—at the peak of their popularity and following a world tour, At the Drive-In broke up, initially referring to the split as an "indefinite hiatus". The band played their last show at Groningen's Vera venue on February 21, 2001. A combination of excessive hype, relentless touring, artistic differences, and Rodríguez-López and Bixler-Zavala's drug habits contributed to the demise of the band. Commenting on the hiatus, guitarist Rodríguez-López said: "After a non-stop six-year cycle of record/tour/record/tour, we are going on an indefinite hiatus. We need time to rest up and re-evaluate, just to be human beings again and to decide when we feel like playing music again."

Cedric Bixler-Zavala took responsibility for the breakup, saying repeatedly in interviews that he felt almost as if At the Drive-In was holding him back and that he did not want his music to be confined to punk or hardcore — that it should encompass many genres and be even more progressive, alternative, and "against-the-grain." Bixler-Zavala and Rodríguez-López had stated that they wanted their next album to sound like Pink Floyd's The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, while the other members were intent on progressing in a more alternative rock direction.

Post-breakup activity (2001–2009)
Following the break-up of At the Drive-In, Bixler-Zavala and Rodríguez-López focused on their dub side-project De Facto, before starting The Mars Volta. This project was a departure from their previous work, as it pursued the progressive rock sound that they had been interested in. Meanwhile, the other members – Ward, Hinojos, and Hajjar – started the more traditional band Sparta. Hinojos would then leave Sparta to join Bixler-Zavala and Rodríguez-López in The Mars Volta from 2005 to 2009. The Mars Volta disbanded in 2013, and Rodríguez-López went on to play with Bosnian Rainbows, while Bixler-Zavala started a new band called Zavalaz. Bixler-Zavala and Rodríguez-López eventually reunited once again and formed Antemasque in 2014.

First reunion (2009–2012)
During an interview with Drowned in Sound in June 2009, Bixler-Zavala stated that he had been in discussions with the band's former members and suggested that they could get back together after they sorted their financial business out. He added, "I wouldn't mind it. It might happen, we just have to iron out a lot of personal things. A lot of it we've dealt with already and I've apologized for a lot of things I've said and the way it ended... we'll see what happens."

In response to Bixler-Zavala's comments, guitarist Jim Ward quickly quashed rumors of a reunion by stating "I don't think that I'll be answering any questions or doing any interviews anymore, thank you very much. I haven't got much to say about anything except with songs which I will continue to make and release."

At the Drive-in finally got back together in late 2011 and officially announced their reunion on January 9, 2012. They played their first show since 2001 on April 9 at Red 7 in Austin, Texas, as part of a 4-date tour across Texas with Zechs Marquise warming up prior to performing at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 15 and 22. Later in the year At the Drive-in also performed at festivals such as Lollapalooza, Splendour in the Grass, Fuji Rock and Reading and Leeds Festival.

The band had also acquired the rights from Fearless Records to reissue most of their catalogue (three full-length albums as well as Vaya EP) and launched their own label, Twenty-first Chapter, to handle the reissues. The name of the label is a reference to the chapter omitted from the US version of the Anthony Burgess book A Clockwork Orange.

While the reunion shows were met with mostly positive reviews, Rodríguez-López received criticism from fans and observers for his evident lack of enthusiasm while playing on stage; initially this was attributed to the recent death of his mother; however, Rodríguez-López later stated that he also no longer felt connected with At the Drive-in's music.

Rodríguez-López also ruled out the possibility of the band recording new material, though he reversed this stance in light of the band's 2016 reunion.

Following the dissolution of The Mars Volta in 2013, Bixler-Zavala and Rodríguez-López ceased all contact with each other. Bixler-Zavala blamed Rodríguez-López for the breakup on Twitter; however, he stated that he was still happy with At the Drive-In's reunion: "And for the record I'm still in love with ATDI. Proof was in MY performance. I would never get on stage if my heart was elsewhere." The two subsequently focused their efforts on their respective projects, Zavalaz and Bosnian Rainbows, and remained on non-speaking terms until early 2014, when they finally resolved their issues. An initial attempt to restart At the Drive-In did not work out, however, so Bixler-Zavala and Rodríguez-López went on to form Antemasque, touring and recording for the next two years.

Second reunion and in•ter a•li•a (2015–2018)
In October 2015, At the Drive-In agreed on doing another reunion, and an appearance at Rock On The Range festival in the following May was scheduled. In January 2016, trailed by a 15-second video of seemingly new music, the band detailed plans for a world tour and new album later in the year. After initial rehearsals, Jim Ward left the reunited band, and was replaced by his former Sparta bandmate Keeley Davis.

Looking back on Ward's departure, in 2017 Bixler-Zavala stated that Ward was not ready for a new album and tour: "His head wasn't there. His head wasn't trustworthy. Because of the way Omar and I exploded [with Mars Volta], I completely understood that. You know, you either let it go and keep going forward, or the train goes on without you. We have to honor what is happening now, which is age and the want to do it. I love him. He's a beautiful human being. A beautiful artist. I just wish he would remember that he's an amazing guitar player. I don't know if he does."

The band canceled part of their North American tour after Bixler-Zavala began to have issues with his voice. On December 8, the band released their first new song in 16 years, "Governed by Contagions", through Rise Records. A new album, in•ter a•li•a, was released on May 5, 2017, preceded by another single, "Incurably Innocent". The Diamanté EP was released on November 24 as part of Record Store Day; it had a limited vinyl release of 4000 copies. In May 2018, the band headlined the Neon Desert Music Festival.

Hiatus (2018–present)
During a show on November 17, 2018, at the Circo Voador in Brazil, Bixler-Zavala announced to the crowd that the following night's show would be their final show for the foreseeable future. That night, Bixler-Zavala posted on Twitter stating "Maybe it's a sign of weakness to some of you but I had to give a huge thank you to my ATDI family. This was our 2nd to last show. Tomorrow is the last. Don't know when we'll play again. Thank you Rio. How do I even sleep now?" The following day on November 18, 2018, the band played their final show at Bar Opinião in Porto Alegre, Brazil. On November 19, 2018, the band released a statement on their official Instagram announcing a hiatus.

Musical style and influences
At the Drive-In's style is usually described as post-hardcore. Their sound has also been called punk rock, emo, and art punk. Some of the group's influences are Indian Summer, Swing Kids, Fugazi, Sunny Day Real Estate (referred to by Ward as "Fugazi beyond Fugazi"), Bad Brains, and the Gravity Records-led post-hardcore sound of the 1990s that featured acts such as Antioch Arrow and Heroin. In their last period before their initial breakup, the biggest influences of At the Drive-In included bands such as Drive Like Jehu, Hot Snakes, and The Nation of Ulysses, with frontman Bixler-Zavala going on to say that "there would be no Relationship of Command without Drive Like Jehu." The band also performed cover versions of songs such as "This Night Has Opened My Eyes" by The Smiths and "Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk" by Pink Floyd, both included in the 2004 compilation This Station Is Non-Operational. Their name was taken from the fact that Bad Brains took their name from the Ramones' song "Bad Brain" (from Road to Ruin), and Bixler-Zavala liked the Bad Brains' song title "At the Movies" (featured in Rock for Light), while Ward liked "at the drive-in" from the chorus of the Poison song "Talk Dirty to Me" and his suggestion would eventually win out.

Though In/Casino/Out was recorded live, "Relationship of Command may very well be the first record to harness the chaotic balance of adrenaline and intellect of ATDI's live performance." "Ross was instrumental in bringing out a lot of feeling from us," Bixler-Zavala recalls. "We channeled a lot of emotion into this record. He pushed us farther than we thought we could go. I learned to cut loose the way we do live and not to be afraid to break something or whatever." While capturing the essence of ATDI's live shows in a way never before seen, the record also featured some of the band's most experimental songs, including "Rolodex Propaganda," "Non-Zero Possibility," and "Invalid Litter Dept."

The band's guitar-playing, in the majority of their songs, is characterized by unusual chords, a fast tempo, and a quiet-loud-quiet song structure. While Jim Ward and Paul Hinojos provided the rhythmic structure of the song, Omar Rodriguez-Lopez often played more experimental riffs and melodies over the top. Effects were heavily used by Rodriguez-Lopez, especially on Relationship of Command, while Ward used the keyboard to create melody, often switching between the guitar and keyboard such as in "Invalid Litter Department".

Legacy
At the Drive-In is considered one of the most influential post-hardcore artists of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Accolades for their album Relationship of Command include being ranked 47th in the 50 Greatest Albums of the 21st century in Kerrang!, 83rd on Spin Magazine 100 Greatest Albums 1985–2005, and 90 on MTV2's greatest albums ever list. BBC's Mike Diver stated that the success and eventual "landmark status" of the album helped post-hardcore position itself as a "vital commercial force," adding that Relationship of Command "is the high against which every post-hardcore record since 2000 has been measured."

In October 2011, Rock Sound magazine inducted Relationship of Command into Rock Sound's Hall Of Fame. Their writer Ryan Bird spoke about the legacy of the album, stating that "though At the Drive-In may not have built the road, they were most certainly leading the convoy, allowing those who followed behind to reap the benifits [sic] of their navigation while they crashed and burned on the hard shoulder. What remains, however, is a legacy the likes of which may not been seen again."

Among the artists who have cited At the Drive-In as an influence or expressed admiration for them are …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, Thursday, Billy Talent, Biffy Clyro, Underoath, Will Swan of Dance Gavin Dance,  Nick Hipa of As I Lay Dying, The Fall of Troy, Jamie Lenman, Rolo Tomassi,  La Dispute,  Mutiny on the Bounty, sleepmakeswaves, Jarvis Cocker,  Night Verses, and St Vincent.

Members
Final lineup
 * Cedric Bixler-Zavala – lead vocals, occasional guitar, melodica, percussion (1994–2001, 2012, 2016–2018)
 * Omar Rodríguez-López – guitar, backing vocals, tambourine (1996–2001, 2012, 2016–2018) ; bass guitar (1995–1996)
 * Paul Hinojos – bass guitar (1996–2001, 2012, 2016–2018)
 * Tony Hajjar – drums (1996–2001, 2012, 2016–2018)
 * Keeley Davis – guitar, backing vocals (2016–2018)

Former members
 * Jim Ward – guitar, vocals (1994–1996, 1997–2001, 2012), keyboards (1998–2001, 2012)
 * Kenny Hopper – bass (1994–1995)
 * Jarrett Wrenn – guitar (1994–1995)
 * Adam Amparan – guitar (1995–1996)
 * Ben Rodriguez – guitar, backing vocals (1996–1997)
 * Bernie Rincon – drums (1994–1995; died 1995)
 * Davy Simmons – drums (1995)
 * Ryan Sawyer – drums (1996)

Timeline

Discography

 * Acrobatic Tenement (1996)
 * In/Casino/Out (1998)
 * Relationship of Command (2000)
 * in•ter a•li•a (2017)

title: At the Drive-In


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Relationship of Command

Relationship of Command is the third studio album by American post-hardcore band At the Drive-In, released on September 12, 2000. The album combines an aggressive edge with a melodic drive, harmonious, emotive vocals, and surreal lyrics. While it continues in the alternative style of At the Drive-In's previous albums, Relationship of Command is seen as a more well-rounded album than its predecessors. Initially received positively by critics, the album is now seen not only as one of the most influential post-hardcore albums of the 2000s, but also as one of the most accomplished recent works in the wider rock spectrum. Relationship of Command was voted twelfth out of 100 in the Albums of the Decade by NME, and the 37th most influential album of all time by Kerrang!. It was the band's final album to feature founding guitarist Jim Ward.

Background and recording
Relationship of Command was recorded over a seven-week period starting on January 17, 2000, following a tour supporting Rage Against the Machine. The album was recorded at the Indigo Ranch Studios, in Malibu, California, and was produced by Ross Robinson and mixed by Andy Wallace. Known for his unorthodox production methods, Robinson at one point took bass player Paul Hinojos for a drive in his SUV through the hills of Malibu to get his adrenaline going prior to recording. He also brought Iggy Pop to the studio for a guest appearance; Omar Rodriguez commented: "[Ross] had been talking to Iggy because they were gonna work together. I don't know if they ever did, but they'd sort of been chatting, so Ross had passed him our previous records and he liked them. So, of course I brought up the idea, "Why not [have Iggy] come and do something on the album?" Ross mentioned it to Iggy, and he was completely open to it. He came down to the studio for a whole day in which he sang [on "Rolodex Propaganda"] and did the ransom note [on "Enfilade"]."

In 2010, Rodriguez stated that he felt the album was “ruined by the mix”, calling it “plastic” and said he did not feel it captured the band’s true energy.

The album's cover artwork (including the covers for the singles "One Armed Scissor," "Invalid Litter Dept." and "Rolodex Propaganda"), illustrated by Damon Locks, all revolve around imagery of the Trojan War, and the Trojan Horse in particular.

Release
In March 2000, the band embarked on a five-week tour of Europe, two of which were spent with Sunshine. Following this, the band played a few shows in Japan in May, with Eastern Youth. They returned to the US, in time for a July tour. "One Armed Scissor" was released as a single in August 2000. Relationship of Command was released on September 12, 2000. In March 2001, the band went on indefinite hiatus.

Critical reception
The album initially received generally positive reviews, with Metacritic giving the album an aggregate score of 77. The album is now seen as one of the most influential rock albums of the decade, with it being ranked 47th in the 50 Greatest Albums of the 21st century in Kerrang!, number 83 on Spin magazine's 100 Greatest Albums 1985–2005, 6th in State magazine's 100 albums of the decade, 3rd in JustPressPlay's Top 100 Albums of the 2000s, 52nd in Decibel magazine's Greatest 100 albums of the decade, 117th in Uncut magazine's 150 Albums of the decade, as well as being ranked at number 90 on MTV2's greatest albums ever list. A retrospective BBC music review hailed the significance of Relationship of Command's uniqueness, calling the album "mesmerising" and a "statement of grand intent that could never be followed."

In 2005, the album was ranked number 423 in Rock Hard magazine's book The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time. The album is also seen as an influential guitar album, being ranked number 94 in a Guitar World reader's poll of the 100 greatest guitar albums of all time. This list appeared in the October 2006 issue of Guitar World.

Legacy
Following the release of the album, At the Drive-In gained brief mainstream critical and commercial success, with Relationship of Command appearing in end-of-year lists of the best albums of 2000 by publications such as the Los Angeles Times and Rolling Stone, as well as becoming their first album to reach the Billboard 200. The band also made appearances on shows such as Late Night with Conan O'Brien and the Late Show with David Letterman. However, despite this success, the band went on an indefinite hiatus in 2001, with the members splitting to form The Mars Volta and Sparta.

The album was included in Rock Sound's 101 Modern Classics list at number 4. The album was ranked at number 177 on Spin's "The 300 Best Albums of the Past 30 Years (1985–2014)" list. In 2019, the album was ranked 42nd on The Guardian's 100 Best Albums of the 21st Century list. In 2020, it was named one of the 20 best metal albums of 2000 by Metal Hammer magazine. Journalists Leslie Simon and Trevor Kelley included the album in their list of the most essential emo releases in their book Everybody Hurts: An Essential Guide to Emo Culture (2007). Alternative Press ranked "One Armed Scissor" at number one on their list of the best 100 singles from the 2000s.

Personnel
At the Drive-In Other musicians Technical personnel
 * Cedric Bixler-Zavala – lead vocals, guitar on "Rolodex Propaganda", melodica on "Enfilade", percussion
 * Jim Ward – guitar, vocals, keyboards
 * Omar Rodríguez-López – guitar, backing vocals
 * Paul Hinojos – bass
 * Tony Hajjar – drums
 * Iggy Pop – guest vocals on "Rolodex Propaganda" and "Enfilade"
 * Ross Robinson – producer
 * Chuck Johnson – engineer
 * Zak Girdis – assistant engineer
 * Kevin Bosley – assistant engineer
 * Andy Wallace – mixing
 * Eddy Schreyer – mastering
 * Damon Locks – illustrations
 * Jason Farrell – layout design

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

title: Relationship of Command


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Sparta (band)

Sparta is an American rock band from El Paso, Texas, formed in 2001. The band currently consists of Jim Ward (vocals, guitar) and Matt Miller (bass), who are touring as a three-piece with rotating session drummers. Founding members Ward, Paul Hinojos, and Tony Hajjar were members of post-hardcore group At the Drive-In, forming Sparta in 2001 after the break-up of their former band. The band went on hiatus in 2008 for Ward to focus on his solo career and side projects, reuniting from 2011 to 2013 for a series of shows and permanently reuniting in 2017. The band has released five studio albums to date; their fourth, Trust the River, was released in 2020 after a 14-year break between releases.

Sparta's music has been described by Pitchfork as "anxious, epic guitar rock", and by SPIN Magazine as having "a reliably cathartic and emotionally charged presence".

Austere (2001–2002)
After the demise of their previous band, At the Drive-In, drummer Tony Hajjar and bassist Paul Hinojos talked about forming a new band. Hinojos contacted former At the Drive-In guitarist and back-up vocalist Jim Ward to take the role of lead vocalist. After a brief stint with Erick Sanger, the three recruited Matt Miller, a native to El Paso and then bassist of the band Belknap to permanently fill the position of bassist, with Hinojos switching to guitar. The band then scored a deal with Dreamworks in 2001. The band released their first EP, entitled Austere, in early 2002 under the name Sparta. The EP met with mixed reviews, with most believing that the group had talent and the ability, but had yet to find their voice.

Wiretap Scars and Live at La Zona Rosa (2002–2004)
In August 2002, Sparta released their debut full-length album, Wiretap Scars. The album, although not well received by all of the mainstream post-hardcore audience, brought well-earned respect and relieved some of the pressure brought on by the shadow of At The Drive-In. The record was deemed a cleaner, more accessible sound than ATDI's distortion-fueled offerings. True to their roots, the opening song, "Cut Your Ribbon", was described as "splintering, power-hungry rock", and other tracks such as "Cataract", "Glasshouse Tarot" and "Mye" were noted for their emotion and "absurdly exuberant melody". Sparta maintained its underground following with shows at smaller venues throughout North America and Europe. They were also exposed to a wider audience in April and May 2003, opening several shows for Pearl Jam. While on tour for Wiretap Scars, Sparta employed the help of their friend Gabriel Gonzalez to play third guitar and keyboards; he can be seen in the music videos from 2003's Big Day Out festival, among other videos circulating online. Gonzalez now performs with his own band, Volador, and is a member of Ward's side project Sleepercar. Gonzalez rejoined Sparta in 2017. On May 25, 2003, Ward's cousin, Jeremy, died of a heroin overdose. Jeremy was at the time the sound manipulator for The Mars Volta, created by former At the Drive-In bandmates Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodríguez-López, and frontman of De Facto. The loss of his cousin would have a profound and lasting impact on Ward.

The band resumed writing new material, and on March 19, 2004 recorded a live album at La Zona Rosa. The album had seven tracks and six songs, including two previously unrecorded tracks: "Lines in Sand" and "La Cerca". The album captured some of the live performance experience, but was not sold in stores and only available as a promotional CD. Videos for the songs "Cut Your Ribbon", "Mye", and "La Cerca" can be found online, recorded by the music television station Fuse TV.

Porcelain and line-up changes (2004–2006)
In July 2004, the band released their second album, Porcelain. Despite popular belief, none of the tracks are fueled by the loss of Jeremy Ward (Jim's cousin and sound manipulator for the Mars Volta). Tracks such as "Death in the Family" and "Travel by Bloodline" stem from other personal losses, such as Jim Ward's grandfather and a close friend. In a 2004 issue of the magazine Alternative Press, Ward describes his feelings towards these events, and how they have affected him. "...he will admit that he hasn't yet made sense of it, and, perhaps for that reason, there isn't a song on Porcelain about Jeremy. I don't think I'll ever make peace with that," he says. Immediately prior to the release, Sparta toured as the opening act for Incubus, after which followed their own headlining tour.

In 2005, after pulling the band off the road mid-tour, Ward said he needed to re-group. "I walked out in the middle of a tour.... I needed to get away from everything and everyone. I wasn't enjoying myself at all, and I didn't feel my life or the band was where I wanted it to be... I needed to step back and reassess everything." For two months, he retreated to his home without speaking to anyone in his professional life. In an article with PE.com, Ward said, "When I left, I honestly didn't know if I was going to continue the band or not, so I told everyone to pursue whatever they wanted,". During that time, Hinojos left to join The Mars Volta as their new secondary guitarist and sound manipulator, filling the void left by Jeremy Ward's death. Hinojos was replaced by Keeley Davis.

Eventually, Ward went to visit Hajjar in Los Angeles. They began writing new material without the restrictions of a deadline, and soon Ward had rekindled his desire to perform. In January 2006, the band announced that they had signed a deal with Hollywood Records, and announced their intention to release a short film, titled Eme Nakia, based on Hajjar's experiences as a child in Beirut, Lebanon.

Threes and "Eme Nakia" (2006–2008)
On March 9, 2006, by way of their official website, Sparta announced a new album, entitled Threes. Two days before the release, the entire album was available for streaming on their MySpace page. The album was released on October 24, 2006. Their first single off the album was "Taking Back Control", and "Erase It Again" was released as the second single in mid-2007.

Davis' first show with the band was at the Viper Room in Los Angeles, in July 2006. However, the band looked at the show as a "warm-up" and the show at Los Angeles' Troubadour, July 29, 2006, was referred to as their "first show to the public in 15 months" by Ward. They played three songs off the upcoming album: "Crawl", "Weather The Storm", and the single "Taking Back Control". At this show Ward also told the crowd about what happened when he left the band the previous year, saying he would rather have the crowd hear it from him, than the press in the following months. Sparta played at Chicago's Lollapalooza festival the following week. The band toured the United States, Canada, Australia and Europe heavily after the release of the album with bands such as Lola Ray, Aloha, As Tall As Lions, Sound Team, Moneen, MeWithoutYou, Lovedrug, Straylight Run, Deftones and My Chemical Romance. On February 19, 2007, the band played a free concert with Lydia Vance in Las Vegas for the XPOZ Coalition, an anti-smoking organization. While touring with Straylight Run and Lovedrug, Sparta allowed Lovedrug to continue touring by letting them use their instruments and equipment after Lovedrug's gear was stolen following a show in Detroit, Michigan.

In conjunction with the album Threes, Sparta also released a 16-minute film entitled "Eme Nakia". The film, the soundtrack for which is performed by Sparta, is about drummer Hajjar's early life, set during the Lebanese civil war of 1975–1990. Hajjar fled at the age of five to the United States, settling in the sprawling west Texas border town of El Paso. When Hajjar was 14, his mother ("Eme") died after a bout with cancer and his father, who had been distant, left the family. His brother, 18 years old at the time, assumed responsibility for the family and raised Hajjar and his sister. The film follows Hajjar's early life story, showing his challenges and ending with him in present day. The independent film received good reviews and is available for free with purchase of the Threes album. The word "Eme" is Arabic for mother, and "Nakia" was Hajjar's mother's name.

Hiatus (2008–2011)
In June 2008, Ward stated that Sparta is "currently on hiatus and label-less", and that he will be focusing on his project Sleepercar. In January 2009, when asked if a return to Sparta was foreseeable, Ward stated that he has no plans to reunite with his bandmates: "I don't right now, no. Who knows what the future will bring?" In July 2010, sleepercarmusic.com stated that "Sparta is not broken up, Sparta is taking a nap."

First return (2011-2013)
Following a three-year "nap", Sparta played their first show since 2008 in November 2011 in their hometown of El Paso, Texas. They performed on November 17 and 18 at Tricky Falls, the newly renovated venue co-owned by frontman Jim Ward. The band headed into the studio that fall to begin work on their fourth LP, the follow-up to 2006's Threes. A short tour of the southwestern US followed in May 2012.

Sparta released a new song on May 17, 2012 called "Chemical Feel". The song was free to download, and was the first new song the band had released in six years. In January 2012, At The Drive-In reunited for a series of shows, splitting up once again at the end of the year. In January 2016, At The Drive-In reunited for the second time. However, days before the tour start in March 2016, it was announced that Ward had been replaced in the band by his former Sparta bandmate Keeley Davis.

Second return, line-up changes, Trust the River and Sparta (2017–present)
On November 13, 2017 a new line-up was announced, consisting of returning members Ward, Matt Miller and Gabriel Gonzalez, along with former Cursive drummer Cully Symington. A new song, "Graveyard Luck," was released on the same day. Another song, "Cat Scream", was released in April 2018 together with a tour announcement. The band played in several North American cities throughout the rest of 2018.

The band announced the release of the single "Believe" on January 23, 2020, through their Instagram account – along with a new music video and a date for their new album, Trust The River, which was released on April 10, 2020. The band also shared information on a US tour to start in San Francisco on April 23, 2020 – though this was ultimately cancelled in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Both Gonzalez and Symington exited the band in 2021 and were not replaced, converting Sparta into the duo of Ward and Miller. Sparta played their first live shows in over two years at Ward's own restaurant, Eloise, in El Paso across two nights on March 18 and 19, 2022. They later announced a North American tour in support of The Get Up Kids.

In August 2022, Sparta announced their fifth studio album – a self-titled release, which marked the band's first as a duo. Ward and Miller made the album with assistance from members of Thursday and musician Kayleigh Goldsworthy. The band also shared two singles from the album to coincide with the announcement: "Mind Over Matter" and "Spiders". Sparta was released on October 14, 2022, via Dine Alone.

Members

 * Current members
 * Jim Ward – lead vocals, guitar, keyboards (2001–2008, 2011–2013, 2017–present)
 * Matt Miller – bass, backing vocals (2001–2008, 2011–2013, 2017–present)

 * Current touring musicians
 * Neil Hennessy – drums (2023–present)

 * Former members
 * Erick Sanger – bass (2001)
 * Tony Hajjar – drums (2001–2008, 2011–2013)
 * Paul Hinojos – guitar, backing vocals (2001–2005)
 * Keeley Davis – guitar, backing vocals (2005–2008, 2011–2013)
 * Gabriel Gonzalez – guitar, keyboards (2003, 2017–2021)
 * Cully Symington – drums (2017–2021)

Live albums

 * Live at La Zona Rosa 3.19.04 (2004)

Music videos

 * "Cut Your Ribbon" (2002)
 * "Air" (2002)
 * "Breaking the Broken" (2004)
 * "Taking Back Control" (2006)
 * "Erase It Again" (2007)
 * "Believe" (2020)

Other songs

 * "Taking Back Control" was featured in the movie The Invisible. In addition to being in the album released for the movie, the music video is a special feature on the DVD release.
 * "Each Brave Eye" was released in 2002 as a B-side on the "Cut Your Ribbon" single.
 * The band also performed a cover of "Kiss the Bottle" for the Jawbreaker tribute album, Bad Scene, Everyone's Fault.
 * The songs "Farewell Ruins" and "Bombs and Us" were released on the Japanese version of Porcelain. "Farewell Ruins" was also released on a 7" vinyl and iTunes. Ward confirmed that "Bombs and Us" was written about the late songwriter Elliott Smith.
 * An earlier version of "Taking Back Control", originally titled "Future Needs", appears on the video game Madden NFL 07.
 * There are three B-sides for Threes: "As Far As We Go", which was handed out upon purchase of Threes at participating stores, "Blood Spills", an iTunes exclusive, and "Born and Buried," a bonus track on the European version of the album.
 * The intro to the song "Cut Your Ribbon" has been used for the show True Life, which can be seen on MTV.

title: Sparta (band)


text:
Talk:Tippoo Sahib

This needs to be merged with Tipu Sultan. DanKeshet 16:08 27 Jul 2003 (UTC)

title: Talk:Tippoo Sahib


text:
User talk:Big Bob the Finder

Hello 'Bob', welcome to Wikipedia. I hope you enjoy editing here and being a Wikipedian. You can learn more on the how to edit page. The naming conventions and style guide pages are also useful. There is a sandbox which you can use to experiment in. If you have any questions, see the help pages or add a question to the village pump. Angela 16:15 27 Jul 2003 (UTC)

Welcome from me as well. Thanks for updating the old stuff - I noticed you did that anonymously in the last few days, nice to see you have decided to stick around for a while. —Eloquence 01:53 28 Jul 2003 (UTC)

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html Big Bob the Finder 01:59 28 Jul 2003 (UTC)
 * It's addictive. Plus, it's relatively simple stuff- just look up the new info from the CIA Factbook and go from there. :-)

Hi Bob,

If it's something that interests you, you may want to merge Brewster's angle and Brewsters angle. I'll do it in a couple of days if not. Cheers, Ams80 01:25, 2 Aug 2003 (UTC)

Gold mining
Excellent article on Gold mining... technical and concise but still accessible. 68.81.231.127 12:44, 18 Dec 2004 (UTC) Oh, BTW:  Did you know has been updated and a fact from the article Gold mining, which you recently created, has been featured in that section on the Main Page. If you have another interesting fact to submit, then please suggest it at the section's talk page. 68.81.231.127 23:01, 18 Dec 2004 (UTC)

Please vote at Featured article candidates/Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs/archive1
I noticed you were one of the early editors of the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances. As you may know, that convention supplements the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. That article is listed as a featured article candidate. I encourage you to review it and vote at Featured article candidates/Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs/archive1. Thanks, Rad Racer | Talk 15:13, 6 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Speedy deletion nomination of Keystone National High School
A tag has been placed on Keystone National High School, requesting that it be speedily deleted from Wikipedia. This has been done under section G11 of the criteria for speedy deletion, because the page seems to be unambiguous advertising which only promotes a company, product, group, service or person and would need to be fundamentally rewritten in order to become an encyclopedia article. Please read the guidelines on spam as well as FAQ/Business for more information.

If you think that this notice was placed here in error, you may contest the deletion by adding  to the top of the page that has been nominated for deletion (just below the existing speedy deletion or "db" tag), coupled with adding a note on the talk page explaining your position, but be aware that once tagged for speedy deletion, if the page meets the criterion it may be deleted without delay. Please do not remove the speedy deletion tag yourself, but don't hesitate to add information to the page that would render it more in conformance with Wikipedia's policies and guidelines. Lastly, please note that if the page does get deleted, you can contact one of these admins to request that they userfy the page or have a copy emailed to you. Michael (talk) 13:34, 30 August 2009 (UTC)

ArbCom elections are now open!
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title: User talk:Big Bob the Finder


text:
Eyre Coote (East India Company officer)

Lieutenant-General Sir Eyre Coote, KB (c. 1726 – 28 April 1783) was an Anglo-Irish military officer and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1768 to 1780. He is best known for his many years of service with the British Army in India. His victory at the Battle of Wandiwash is considered a decisive turning point in the struggle for control in India between Britain and France. He was known by his sepoy troops as Coote Bahadur (Coote the Brave).

Early life
A member of the Coote family headed by the Earl of Mountrath, he was born in Kilmallock, near Limerick, Ireland, the son of the Reverend Chidley Coote and Jane Evans, daughter of George Evans, and sister of George Evans, 1st Baron Carbery. He entered the 27th Regiment of Foot. He first saw active service in the Jacobite rising of 1745, and later obtained a captaincy in the 39th Regiment, the first regular British regiment to serve in India.

Recapture of Calcutta
In 1756 a part of the regiment, then quartered at Madras, was sent forward to join Robert Clive in his operations against Calcutta which had recently been captured by the forces of the Nawab of Bengal, which had been followed by the Black Hole of Calcutta. The city was reoccupied without difficulty in January 1757. However, Coote and Clive argued so violently over who should reoccupy Fort William that they almost fired at each other, which began a lifelong rivalry and hatred between the two men.

Plassey
Coote was soon given the local rank of major for his good conduct in surprising the camp of the Nawab of Bengal. Soon afterwards came the Battle of Plassey, which would probably never have taken place but for Coote's advice at the council of war; after the defeat of the Nawab he led a detachment in pursuit of the French for 400 miles under extraordinary difficulties. His conduct won him the rank of lieutenant-colonel and the command of the 84th Regiment of Foot, newly raised in Britain for Indian service, but his exertions had seriously damaged his health.

Wandiwash
In October 1759 Coote's regiment arrived to take part in the decisive struggle between French and British in the Carnatic. He took command of the forces at Madras, where a French siege had recently been defeated, and on 22 January 1760 led them in the decisive victory of Battle of Wandiwash.

After a time the remnants of Lally's forces were besieged in Pondicherry. For some reason Coote was not entrusted with the siege operations, but loyally supported William Monson, who brought the siege to a successful end on 15 January 1761. In the latter year he sat for Maryborough in the Irish House of Commons.

Soon afterwards Coote was given the command of the British East India Company's forces in Bengal, and settled a serious dispute between the Nawab Mir Qasim and a powerful subordinate.

Member of Parliament
In 1762, he returned to Britain, receiving a jewelled sword of honour from the company and other rewards for his great services. In 1771 he was made a Knight of the Order of the Bath. In 1768, he was elected M.P. for the borough of Leicester in the Parliament of Great Britain, before transferring to Poole, nearer his Hampshire estates, in 1774. He relinquished the seat in 1780 after his last return to India.

Return to India

In 1779 he sailed on Stafford to India to assume the role of commander in chief of the company forces in India. He allied himself to Warren Hastings, the Governor-General who generally deferred to him and gave him a free hand over military matters, in opposition to Hasting's opponents on the ruling Council Edward Wheler and Philip Francis. He spent much of his time visiting outlying garrisons and chose to attend meetings of the Calcutta Council only when it was necessary to pass some important measure. Without Coote's support, Hastings was likely to be outvoted on the council. This situation only ended when Francis returned home where he began to stir up criticism of Hastings' conduct which ultimately led to his failed impeachment.

Second Anglo-Mysore War
Following Hyder Ali's opening of the Second Anglo-Mysore War in southern India, Coote returned to active service. It was not until 1 June 1781 that Coote struck the first heavy blow against Hyder in the decisive Battle of Porto Novo. The battle was won by Coote against odds of five to one. It was followed up by another hard-fought battle at Pollilur (the scene of an earlier triumph of Hyder over a British force) on 27 August, in which the British won another success, and by the rout of the Mysore troops at Sholinghur a month later. His last service was the arduous campaign of 1782, which finally shattered a constitution already gravely impaired by hardship and exertions.

Death

In 1782, Coote relinquished his command, and moved to Calcutta. However amid increasing French harassment, and ruptures between the governor and new commander in chief, Hastings persuaded Coote to return to his command. He died of a stroke soon after returning to Madras on 28 April 1783. His body was brought back to England and buried in the parish church of Rockbourne in Hampshire, the location of his estate.

Legacy
Coote is generally remembered for his victory at Wandiwash and capture of Pondicherry which were decisive moments in the struggle between Britain and France for dominance in India. Although he often quarrelled with other British officers and officials, Coote was adored by the sepoy troops under his command. Following his death a monument was erected to him in Westminster Abbey and another, in the form of a tall column, within his estate at West Park, Rockbourne, Hampshire. His nephew was Eyre Coote who served as Governor General of India.

He had married in 1769 a daughter of Charles Hutchinson, Governor of St. Helena. They had no children, and his property, worth over £200,000, was left to his brother, Doctor Charles Coote, Dean of Kilfenora, in County Clare, Ireland. In his autobiography the American General and Secretary of State Colin Powell claims direct descent from Coote's identically named nephew Eyre Coote while the latter was serving as Governor of Jamaica, which has led to Powell sometimes being incorrectly referred to as a direct descendant of the elder General Coote.

title: Eyre Coote (East India Company officer)


text:
Talk:Andrews County, Texas

Untitled
Wondering how to edit this U.S. County Entry? The WikiProject U.S. Counties standards might help.

Shafter Lake
There's an entry for the ghost town, but not for the lake itself. I cannot find out how big the lake is anywhere, including this website. If someone will make an in-depth entry for the lake, I have pictures which I could supply for it, as well.

Yours truly, A concerned citizen. 69.94.169.120 (talk) 18:40, 28 January 2009 (UTC) Jan. 28, 2009

Image Requested
I can't find a free image of the Andrews County Courthouse online. It would be a nice addition to this page. ★ Bigr   Tex  17:21, 18 February 2015 (UTC)

External links modified
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title: Talk:Andrews County, Texas


text:
Lumbar vertebrae

The lumbar vertebrae are located between the thoracic vertebrae and pelvis. They form the lower part of the human back in humans, and the tail end of the back in quadrupeds. In humans, there are five lumbar vertebrae. The term is used to describe the anatomy of humans and quadrupeds, such as horses, pigs, or cattle. These bones are found in particular cuts of meat, including tenderloin or sirloin steak.

Human anatomy
In human anatomy, the five vertebrae are between the rib cage and the pelvis. They are the largest segments of the vertebral column and are characterized by the absence of the foramen transversarium within the transverse process (since it is only found in the cervical region) and by the absence of facets on the sides of the body (as found only in the thoracic region). They are designated L1 to L5, starting at the top. The lumbar vertebrae help support the weight of the body, and permit movement.

General characteristics
The adjacent figure depicts the general characteristics of the first through fourth lumbar vertebrae. The fifth vertebra contains certain peculiarities, which are detailed below.

As with other vertebrae, each lumbar vertebra consists of a vertebral body and a vertebral arch. The vertebral arch, consisting of a pair of pedicles and a pair of laminae, encloses the vertebral foramen (opening) and supports seven processes.

Body
The vertebral body of each lumbar vertebra is kidney shaped, wider from side to side than from front to back, and a little thicker in front than in back. It is flattened or slightly concave above and below, concave behind, and deeply constricted in front and at the sides.

Arch
The pedicles are very strong, directed backward from the upper part of the vertebral body; consequently, the inferior vertebral notches are of considerable depth. The pedicles change in morphology from the upper lumbar to the lower lumbar. They increase in sagittal width from 9 mm to up to 18 mm at L5. They increase in angulation in the axial plane from 10 degrees to 20 degrees by L5. The pedicle is sometimes used as a portal of entrance into the vertebral body for fixation with pedicle screws or for placement of bone cement as with kyphoplasty or vertebroplasty.

The laminae are broad, short, and strong. They form the posterior portion of the vertebral arch. In the upper lumbar region the lamina are taller than wide but in the lower lumbar vertebra the lamina are wider than tall. The lamina connects the spinous process to the pedicles.

The vertebral foramen within the arch is triangular, larger than the thoracic vertebrae, but smaller than in the cervical vertebrae.

Processes
The spinous process is thick, broad, and somewhat quadrilateral; it projects backward and ends in a rough, uneven border, thickest below where it is occasionally notched.

The superior and inferior articular processes are well-defined, projecting respectively upward and downward from the junctions of pedicles and laminae. The facets on the superior processes are concave, and look backward and medialward; those on the inferior are convex, and are directed forward and lateralward. The former are wider apart than the latter since in the articulated column, the inferior articular processes are embraced by the superior processes of the subjacent vertebra.

The transverse processes are long and slender. They are horizontal in the upper three lumbar vertebrae and incline a little upward in the lower two. In the upper three vertebrae they arise from the junctions of the pedicles and laminae, but in the lower two they are set farther forward and spring from the pedicles and posterior parts of the vertebral bodies. They are situated in front of the articular processes instead of behind them as in the thoracic vertebrae, and are homologous with the ribs.

Three portions or tubercles can be noticed in a transverse process of a lower lumbar vertebrae: the lateral or costiform process, the mammillary process, and the accessory process. The costiform is lateral, the mammillary is superior (cranial), and the accessory is inferior (caudal). The mammillary is connected in the lumbar region with the back part of the superior articular process. The accessory process is situated at the back part of the base of the transverse process. The tallest and thickest costiform process is usually that of L5.

First and fifth lumbar vertebrae

The first lumbar vertebra is level with the anterior end of the ninth rib. This level is also called the important transpyloric plane, since the pylorus of the stomach is at this level. Other important structures are also located at this level, they include; fundus of the gall bladder, celiac trunk, superior mesenteric artery, termination of spinal cord, beginning of filum terminale, renal vessels, middle suprarenal arteries, and hila of kidneys.

The fifth lumbar vertebra is characterized by its body being much deeper in front than behind, which accords with the prominence of the sacrovertebral articulation; by the smaller size of its spinous process; by the wide interval between the inferior articular processes, and by the thickness of its transverse processes, which spring from the body as well as from the pedicles. The fifth lumbar vertebra is by far the most common site of spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis.

Most individuals have five lumbar vertebrae, while some have four or six. Lumbar disorders that normally affect L5 will affect L4 or L6 in these latter individuals.

Segmental movements
The range of segmental movements in a single segment is difficult to measure clinically, not only because of variations between individuals, but also because it is age and sex dependent. Furthermore, flexion and extension in the lumbal spine is the product of a combination of rotation and translation in the sagittal plane between each vertebra.

Ranges of segmental movements in the lumbar spine (White and Punjabi, 1990) are (in degrees):

Congenital anomalies
Congenital vertebral anomalies can cause compression of the spinal cord by deforming the vertebral canal or causing instability.

Other apes
African apes have three and four lumbar vertebrae, (bonobos have longer spines with an additional vertebra) and humans normally five. This difference, and because the lumbar spines of the extinct Nacholapithecus (a Miocene hominoid with six lumbar vertebrae and no tail) are similar to those of early Australopithecus and early Homo, it is assumed that the chimpanzee–human last common ancestor also had a long vertebral column with a long lumbar region and that the reduction in the number of lumbar vertebrae evolved independently in each ape clade. The limited number of lumbar vertebrae in chimpanzees and gorillas result in an inability to lordose (curve) their lumbar spines, in contrast to the spines of Old World monkeys and Nacholapithecus and Proconsul, which suggests that the last common ancestor was not "short-backed" as previously believed.

title: Lumbar vertebrae


text:
User talk:Kaare

Hello Kåre, welcome to Wikipedia. I hope you enjoy editing here and being a Wikipedian. You can learn more on the how to edit page. The naming conventions and style guide pages are also useful. There is a sandbox which you can use to experiment in. If you have any questions, see the help pages or add a question to the village pump. Angela 16:17 27 Jul 2003 (UTC)

Its done! I posted Danish monarchs family tree today, if you want to have a look for bugs!! Muriel 18:20, 4 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Marie Amalie of Bourbon-Sicilies
Sorry about the redirect, my mistake. --Alex S 05:37, 7 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Fundraising notice translations
Thanks! Can you do this on the wiktionary project also? +sj + 07:47, 14 Jul 2004 (UTC)

 * Thanks again... even though in the end the messages were taken down quickly, because of the hasty way they were put up. +sj +

Greetings again
... and again. Thanks for your AC feedback. Do you have time this month to help keep an eye on translations of a Wikimedia newsletter? Not to do many translations yourself, as much as to communicate with people handling sv, no, and da translations. +sj + 12:43, 30 Aug 2004 (UTC)
 * You might be interested in the new changes we've made to the En: version. +sj +

Translations

 * Wikimedia Newsletter
 * Global 1 million-article press release.

Translation guidelines:
 * 1) Start by copying the structure of the original page to a new subpage under the translation requests (TR) page, and translating any headings or nav links.
 * 2) Keep the listing on Translation requests updated with your progress; update that page after each significant bout of translation.

Watch Translation requests for other updates. +sj + 21:33, 1 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Danish wikipedians' notice board
You have shown an interest in Denmark or Danish related topics in the past, so I invite you to have a look at Danish wikipedians' notice board. It is a tool to help people interested in Denmark post articles they'd like to see, and to keep track of the existent coverage of Denmark. It can also serve as a place to address concerns regarding any aspect of Danish coverage on the english wikipedia. Hope you find it useful! In any case, could you please look at it and fill in any articles you know of that are not covered by the list? Thanks,

Peregrine981 04:17, Dec 9, 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)

User Categorisation
You were listed on the Wikipedians/Denmark page as living in or being associated with Denmark. As part of the User categorisation project, these lists are being replaced with user categories. If you would like to add yourself to the category that is replacing the page, please visit Category:Danish Wikipedians for instructions.--Rmky87 17:12, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Done. - Kaare 20:01, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

confirmation
Hello Kaare, this is to confirm stuff I've said elsewhere. 'Nuff said. Thanks! -- Kyok o  03:21, 20 April 2008 (UTC)

Notification: changes to "Mark my edits as minor by default" preference
Hello there. This is an automated message to tell you about the gradual phasing out of the preference entitled "Mark all edits minor by default", which you currently have (or very recently had) enabled.

On 13 March 2011, this preference was hidden from the user preferences screen as part of efforts to prevent its accidental misuse (consensus discussion). This had the effect of locking users in to their existing preference, which, in your case, was. To complete the process, your preference will automatically be changed to  in the next few days. This does not require any intervention on your part and you will still be able to manually mark your edits as being minor in the usual way.

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Thank you for your understanding and happy editing :) Editing on behalf of User:Jarry1250, LivingBot (talk) 19:01, 15 March 2011 (UTC)

Re: usurpation
Thank you :) I'm lagging with your GPG key signature, though :( stay tuned. --Joy-temporary (talk) 12:57, 8 August 2011 (UTC)

Danish Wikipedia - Usurpation of Username
Hello Kaare! I would like to create a unified login in Wikipedia Project with my username Cabana. But this username has been already taken in Danish Wikipedia. Could you please help me as a bureaucrat to usurp the username Cabana in Danish Wikipedia? Thank You. Best regards, --Cabana (talk) 11:56, 10 January 2014 (UTC)

 * The Danish Wikipedia has a request page with instructions in both Danish and English, please use it: da:Wikipedia:Anmodning om ændring af brugernavn. - Kaare (talk) 18:10, 10 January 2014 (UTC)
 * Thank you, Kaare! Mange tak! :) --Cabana (talk) 20:06, 20 January 2014 (UTC)

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

A page you started (Halsskov) has been reviewed!
Thanks for creating Halsskov.

User:Sam Sailor while reveiwing this page as a part of our page curation process had the following comments:

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title: User talk:Kaare


text:
Palden Thondup Namgyal

Palden Thondup Namgyal (Sikkimese: ; Wylie: dpal-ldan don-grub rnam-rgyal; 23 May 1923 – 29 January 1982) was the 12th and last Chogyal (king) of the Kingdom of Sikkim.

Biography
Palden thondup Namgyal was born on 23 May 1923 at the Royal Palace, Park Ridge, Gangtok.

At six, he became a student at St. Joseph's Convent in Kalimpong, but had to terminate his studies due to attacks of malaria. From age eight to eleven he studied under his uncle, Rimpoche Lhatsun, in order to be ordained a Buddhist monk; he was subsequently recognised as the reincarnated leader of both Phodong and Rumtek monasteries. He later continued his studies at St. Joseph's College in Darjeeling and finally graduated from Bishop Cotton School in Shimla, in 1941. His plans to study science at Cambridge were dashed when his elder brother, the crown prince, a member of the Indian Air Force was killed in a plane crash in 1941. He underwent training for Indian Civil Service at Dehradun I.C.S. Camp.

Namgyal served as adviser for internal affairs for his father, Sir Tashi Namgyal, the 11th Chogyal, and led the negotiating team which established Sikkim's relationship to India after independence in 1949. He married Samyo Kushoe Sangideki in 1950, a daughter of an important Tibetan family of Lhasa, and together they had two sons and a daughter. Samyo Kushoe Sangideki died in 1957. In 1963, Namgyal married Hope Cooke, a 22-year-old American socialite from New York City; she was a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College in Yonkers in the state of New York. The marriage brought worldwide media attention to Sikkim. The couple, who had two children, divorced in 1980.

Shortly after Namgyal's marriage, his father died and he was crowned the new Chogyal on an astrologically favourable date in 1965. In 1975, the Prime Minister of Sikkim appealed to the Indian Parliament for Sikkim to become a state of India. In April of that year, the Indian Army took over the city of Gangtok and disarmed the Chogyal's palace guards. Namgyal was deposed after a referendum on 14 April 1975 resulted in the abolition of the monarchy and Sikkim becoming a state of India. Namgyal was placed under house arrest.

In November 1976, Namgyal allegedly attempted suicide by consuming barbiturates and was airlifted to IPGMER and SSKM Hospital. He was successfully treated by Professor Dr. Amal Kumar Bose, Head of the Department of Anesthesia and Respiratory Care Unit at the SSKM hospital.

Namgyal died of cancer at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, United States on 29 January 1982. He was 58 years old at the time of his death. Upon his death, 31 members of the State Legislative Assembly offered khadas to the Chogyal as a mark of respect.

Other interests

Namgyal was an amateur radio operator, call-sign AC3PT, and was a highly sought after contact on the airwaves. The international callbook listed his address as: P.T. Namgyal, The Palace, Gangtok, Sikkim.

He financed the documentary Sikkim (1971) by Indian filmmaker Satyajit Ray.

Legacy
Namgyal shaped a "model Asian state" where the literacy rate and per capita income were twice as high as neighbours Nepal, Bhutan and India.

His first son, the former crown prince Tenzing Kunzang Jigme Namgyal, died in 1978 in a car accident. His second son from his first marriage, Tobgyal Wangchuk Tenzing Namgyal, was named the 13th Chogyal, but the position no longer confers any official authority.

His son from his second marriage, Palden Gyurmed Namgyal, moved to New York aged nine with his mother and sister, being educated at Dalton School. He would go on to work for JPMorgan Chase, becoming a managing director. He was dismissed in 2003 following an incident of sexual harassment against a colleague.

Titles

 * 1923–1941: Prince Palden Thondup Namgyal.
 * 1941–1947: Maharajkumar Sri Panch Palden Thondup Namgyal.
 * 1947–1953: Maharajkumar Sri Panch Palden Thondup Namgyal, OBE.
 * 1953–1963: Lieutenant-Colonel Maharajkumar Sri Panch Palden Thondup Namgyal, OBE.
 * 1963–1965: Lieutenant-Colonel His Highness Muwong Chogyal Sri Panch Chempo Palden Thondup Namgyal, Maharaja Chogyal of Sikkim, OBE.
 * 1965–1982: Major-General His Highness Muwong Chogyal Sri Panch Chempo Palden Thondup Namgyal, Maharaja Chogyal of Sikkim, OBE.

Honours
(ribbon bar, as it would look today)

 * Kingdom of Sikkim:
 * Order_of_the_Precious_Jewel_of_the_Heart_of_Sikkim.gif Order of the Precious Jewel of the Heart of Sikkim (Founder), September 1972

 * 🇮🇳 India:
 * Padma Bhushan Ribbon.svg Padma Vibhushan, 22 February 1954

 * 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
 * Order of the British Empire (Civil) Ribbon.svg Order of the British Empire (OBE), 1 January 1947
 * Indian Independence medal 1947.svg Indian Independence Medal, 1948

 * 🇫🇷 France
 * Ordre de l'Etoile Noire Commandeur ribbon.svg Order of the Black Star (Commandeur), 1956

 * 🇳🇵 Nepal
 * King_Mahendra_Investiture_Medal_1956.gif King Mahendra Investiture Medal, 2 May 1956
 * King Birendra Investiture Medal 1975.png King Birendra Investiture Medal, 24 February 1975

 * 🇧🇹 Bhutan
 * King Jigme Singye Investiture Medal 1974.gif King Jigme Singye Investiture Medal, 2 June 1974

title: Palden Thondup Namgyal


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Vote pairing

Vote swapping, also called co-voting or vote pairing, occurs when a voter in one district agrees to vote tactically for a less-preferred candidate or party who has a greater chance of winning in their district, in exchange for a voter from another district voting tactically for the candidate the first voter prefers, because that candidate has a greater possibility of winning in that district.

Vote pairing occurs informally (i.e. without binding agreements), but sometimes with great sophistication in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada, where voters often use online venues to organize such strategies. In all three countries, the process has been subjected to legal challenge and been deemed legal.

Using UK elections as an example, tactical voting is often between the Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats. There may be one constituency in which the Labour Party and the Conservative Party candidates are running in a tight race, with the Liberal Democrat far behind. In another constituency, the Liberal Democrat may be in a close race with either a Labour or Conservative candidate. A Liberal Democrat voter in the first constituency would agree to vote for the Labour candidate in exchange for a Labour voter from the second constituency voting for the Liberal Democrat candidate, allowing either Labour or the Liberal Democrats to pick up an extra seat from the Conservatives.

Tactical voting has been used since 2000 as a strategy in U.S. presidential elections. In this practice, major party voters from safe states support third-party candidates in exchange for voters from swing states voting for one of the two front runners. Through the United States Electoral College, all of a state's votes go to the winning presidential candidate for that state, no matter how close the margin (Maine and Nebraska excepted). Third-party candidates for president frequently garner no Electoral College votes, but can siphon off total votes from the front runners in order to call attention to their causes. In vote-pairing agreements, third-party supporters in swing states vote strategically with major-party supporters in non-swing states, in the hope that the third-party candidate will get more of the popular vote, while the major-party candidate gets more of the Electoral College vote.

Legality
In the United States, the legality of vote pairing in public elections has been questioned. Opponents claim that it is illegal to give or accept anything that has pecuniary value in exchange for a vote. (Indeed, efforts to buy or sell votes are illegal, and in the 2000 presidential election, there was even a satirical web site for buying and selling votes, vote-auction.com, which was shut down by an Illinois judge.) Proponents for vote pairing respond that vote pairing does not involve any pecuniary or monetary exchange; rather, simply informal, nonbinding agreements between people to vote strategically. Also, vote pairing is a routine practice in legislative bodies, city councils, etc.

On October 30, 2000, eight days before the November 2000 United States presidential elections, California Secretary of State Bill Jones threatened to prosecute voteswap2000.com, a California-based vote pairing website. In response, voteswap2000.com and votexchange2000.com immediately shut their virtual doors. The site operators, Alan Porter (votexchange2000.com) and William Cody (voteswap2000.com), and two potential users of the sites, Patrick Kerr and Steven Lewis, took the state of California to court.

On August 6, 2007, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that "the websites' vote-swapping mechanisms as well as the communication and vote swaps they enabled were constitutionally protected" and California's spurious threats violated the First Amendment. The 9th Circuit did not decide whether the threats violated the U.S. Constitution's Commerce Clause.

"Both the websites' vote-swapping mechanisms and the communication and vote swaps that they enabled were...constitutionally protected. At their core, they amounted to efforts by politically engaged people to support their preferred candidates and to avoid election results that they feared would contravene the preferences of a majority of voters in closely contested states. Whether or not one agrees with these voters' tactics, such efforts, when conducted honestly and without money changing hands, are at the heart of the liberty safeguarded by the First Amendment."

In Canada, vote swapping with other people in Canada is legal per the Elections Act, as long as there is no money or "material benefit" that passes hands in the vote swap agreement. It's also illegal to trick someone using a false identity to influence someone to vote in a different way.

United States presidential election, 2000
The debate regarding the legality of vote pairing peaked during the 2000 presidential election, when there was a strong effort to shut down the U.S. vote-pairing websites. However, the federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals eventually ruled against this action, and by the 2004 presidential election there was no such effort to shut down vote pairing.

The debate intensified in the final days of the 2000 election when six Republican state secretaries of state, led by the California Secretary of State Bill Jones, charged that vote-pairing web sites were illegal and threatened criminal charges against their creators. Multiple web sites had sprung up that were matching supporters of the Democratic presidential candidate, Al Gore, in non-swing states, with supporters in swing states of the strongest third-party candidate, Ralph Nader. Some argued that Ralph Nader was drawing support from left leaning Democrats that would otherwise vote for Al Gore. This would have allowed Nader to get more of the popular vote, or at least his fair share of it, and at the same time allowed Gore to perhaps get more of the Electoral College vote.

There are multiple reasons it would be important for Ralph Nader to still get his share of the national popular vote. One is that if he got five percent or more, then he could get federally distributed public funding in the next election. Also, and perhaps more importantly, he could possibly get included in the presidential debates for the next election in 2004. Third parties have protested their exclusion from the presidential debates.

In 2000, many of the vote pairing web sites were hosted in California, and so when the California Secretary of State, Bill Jones, charged that the web sites were illegal and threatened their creators with criminal prosecution, some (but not all) of the sites reluctantly shut down. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) got involved to protect the web sites, seeking a restraining order against Jones and then a permanent injunction against him, alleging that he had violated the constitutional rights of the web site creators. However, the issue would only be resolved after the 2000 election had already occurred. The media at the time gave little coverage to vote pairing, except for how it was being charged as illegal.

It is possible that Jones's threats of criminal charges against the creators of the vote-pair web sites changed the outcome of the 2000 presidential election. One of the web sites, votetrader.org, tallied the number of people who had registered to pair their votes on all the vote-pairing websites. They tallied that 1,412 Nader supporters in Florida had gotten matched with Gore supporters from Republican states (although more likely vote paired with relatives and friends in other states—instead of over the Internet). George W. Bush was certified as winning Florida by only 537 votes—by Florida's Secretary of State, Katherine Harris. The Florida Supreme Court then changed this margin to just 193 votes at most, in their ruling on December 8, 2004. Approximately 2,900,000 people voted for George W. Bush and Al Gore each in Florida, while the number who voted for Ralph Nader was certified at 97,421. If only another 0.2% of the voters for Ralph Nader in Florida had vote paired (about 200 divided by 97,421)—if about 1,600 Nader supporters had vote paired instead of 1,400—Al Gore would have carried the election.

There were numerous other controversies in Florida's vote count: from the Palm Beach County butterfly ballots; to the question of whether Bush would have still won the state in a full recount; to how Katherine Harris, a Republican, was the co-chair of the Bush campaign in Florida at the same time she was the Florida state secretary of state. Notably, the California state secretary of state, Bill Jones, who charged that the vote-pairing web sites were illegal, was also a Republican supporter of George W. Bush. The federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals would eventually rule against him, but this decision did not come down until February 6, 2003, long after the 2000 election was already over. In the next presidential election, in 2004, the legality of the vote-pairing web sites went unquestioned. Indeed, the California state secretary of state for the 2004 election (a successor to Bill Jones) publicly announced, before that election, that vote pairing was legal.

United States presidential election, 2016
In United States presidential elections, vote pairing usually comes in the form of voters from "safe" states, or non-swing states, voting for third-party candidates, and voters from swing states voting for their second-preference candidate. This form of vote pairing encourages third-party support while minimizing the risk that the more favored major-party candidate will lose electoral votes in the nationwide election (i.e. the "spoiler effect"). In the 2016 United States presidential election, this usually manifested in the form of supporters in swing states of Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson and Green Party candidate Jill Stein swapping votes with supporters in blue states of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.

With other voting systems
Vote pairing is most often used as a strategy in first-past-the-post voting with winner-takes-all constituencies, as they provide the strongest incentives for dishonesty. However, such a strategy can be effective when using ranked-choice voting as well. Instant-runoff systems are particularly vulnerable to the practice because they frequently fail the favorite betrayal criterion, which means casting a first-rank vote for a third-party can cause a "greater evil" candidate to win.

For example, in the 2009 Burlington mayoral election, voters who supported moderate Republican Kurt Wright eliminated Democrat Andy Montroll in the second round, allowing socialist candidate Bob Kiss to win. If a similar instant-runoff system were adopted nationwide, Republicans in Vermont would have a strong incentive to swap votes with Democrats in districts where the Democrat was unlikely to win. A similar situation occurred in the 2022 Alaska special election.

Most rated voting systems (including approval voting and score voting) satisfy the favorite betrayal criterion, rendering vote-pairing fully unnecessary. Proportional representation systems also make the practice less important (although it can still occur if there are regionally-calculated electoral thresholds).

title: Vote pairing