text:
John Elefante

John Elefante (born March 18, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. From 1981-1984, he was lead vocalist of the rock group Kansas and is currently touring with several groups that have featured members from classic rock bands. His credits include writing and singing lead vocals on three multi-platinum albums. He produced albums that have earned numerous GMA Dove Awards, four Grammy Awards (most recently in 2000), and ten Grammy nominations. He has maintained a close working relationship with his brother, Dino, co-writer of several Kansas songs.

Early life
He was born in Levittown, New York, and his family soon moved to Long Beach, California. He sang and played drums for his family band, The Brotherhood.

1981–1984: Kansas
In late 1981, Elefante auditioned for his second band position, as the new lead singer and keyboardist for Kansas, after the departure of its co-founder Steve Walsh. The previous year, Kansas was one of the top-grossing concert acts in the world. Several of the top vocalists of the time applied for the job, including Sammy Hagar, Dennis "Fergie" Fredriksen, and Jim Stafford.

Elefante did lead vocals and keyboards on two albums, and was a major songwriter along with Kerry Livgren. On 1982's Vinyl Confessions, he sang the No. 4 Billboard Mainstream Rock hit, "Play the Game Tonight". He wrote "Chasing Shadows and the Top 40 single, "Right Away". In 1983, on the following album, Drastic Measures, he wrote "Fight Fire with Fire", which remains the band's highest charting single at No. 3 (Mainstream Rock). He wrote "Everybody's My Friend", which is the second single and reached No. 34 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.

While with Kansas, he became a record producer. He issued Perfect Timing (1984) for the Southern California group, Sweet Comfort Band. Though not a major commercial success, Petra's Back to the Street was a Grammy-nominated, breakthrough, commercial success for both Elefante and the band. He also contributed songwriting, keyboards, background vocals, and engineering to the effort.

In 1984, on the retrospective collection The Best of Kansas, he wrote the album's one new track, "Perfect Lover". That year, he, Kerry Livgren, and Dave Hope left the band.

1985–1994
In 1985, "Young and Innocent" appeared on the soundtrack to St. Elmo's Fire and was credited to "Elefante" – a collaborative effort by John and his brother Dino Elefante.

With both John and Dino Elefante as the band's primary producers, Petra's already popular Christian pop/rock niche was given a timely boost. Their accolades include multiple gold albums, 10 consecutive CCM Magazine Reader's Choice Awards, induction into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and Hard Rock Cafe, and becoming the only artist to ever have four albums in the SoundScan top-100 Christian chart.

In 1987, while producing a various-artists album called California Metal, the album's production team of John and Dino Elefante ended up one track short and they decided to add a song which had been written for Kansas called "Wasn't It Love" (originally titled "What About Love") as the band Mastedon. Regency later requested a full-length album which became Mastedon's debut, It's a Jungle Out There.

He produced Petra's further releases, and 30 other albums. He usually performed on them, often sharing songwriting credits. He was committed as producer, eschewing other opportunities such as an offer to replace Bobby Kimball as lead singer for Grammy winners, Toto.

Elefante focused on heavier music in the early 1990s, including the Guardian release, Fire and Love, reaching regular rotation on MTV. He continued Mastedon with his brother. The band's name is a pachyderm-inspired reference to the brothers' last name. Its albums feature multiple lead singers and performances by other artists, creating an eclectic sound anchored by Elefante's songwriting. His brother Dino was songwriter and main guitarist.

Mastedon's first release is It's a Jungle Out There! (1989). In 1990, the band released Lofcaudio. This album continued the guest performance theme, though Elefante sang more of the lead vocals. Unfortunately, John and Dino's production schedule preempted any touring to commercially support the album (though the band did appear at least one Christian rock festival, Cornerstone, in 1991). The albums charted at No. 25 and No. 10, respectively.

John and Dino Elefante formed their own record label, Pakaderm. Most of the music they produced in the next 10 years was released from it. With major distribution through Word Records and A&M Records, Pakaderm became an important element in the brothers' success. Their label afforded them and their artists significant creative control, while still benefiting from major label resources.

With intense recording schedules in 1993, the brothers built their own 28000 sqft recording studio in Nashville, called Sound Kitchen. In addition to their own productions, the brothers planned to rent time in the studio to other artists and producers.

1995–1999
Elefante continued as producer, became record label chief, and began a solo career. He released two solo albums: Windows of Heaven (1995) and Corridors (1997).

Under the brothers’ management, Sound Kitchen recorded artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, and Buddy Guy. The complex was soon expanded to 80000 sqft.

Elefante was hired by Pamplin Records in 1998, working with Dino to generate artist development. They produced 32 albums, most of which feature Elefante as arranger and performer. The styles include rock, gospel, pop, and metal.

In 1999, Elefante released his most popular solo effort, Defying Gravity (1999). It spawned several hit singles and mainstream music videos. He planned a 25-date solo tour but he was badly injured in an accident before the first concert and had to cancel the tour.

2000–2007
Elefante rebounded, beginning with the production of Petra's Grammy award-winning album, Double Take. He continued working at Pamplin, producing 20 more albums for them in just three years. Simultaneously, he and Dino continued managing Sound Kitchen.

In 2002, he left Pamplin after a string of successful albums, including the debut for Natalie Grant.

That year, John and Dino sold Sound Kitchen. It had become the largest recording studio in the southeastern United States. Artists included Alabama, Amy Grant, Barry Manilow, Brad Paisley, Brooks & Dunn, Carrie Underwood, Dixie Chicks, Dolly Parton, Donna Summer, George Strait, Gretchen Wilson, Jewel, Jimmy Buffett, Julio Iglesias, Keith Urban, Kenny Rogers, LeAnn Rimes, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Michael W Smith, Peter Cetera, Reba McEntire, Rascal Flatts, Third Day, Trisha Yearwood, and Vince Gill.

Elefante started a new major-distributed label with his brother in 2003, Selectric Records. Co-managing the label with his brother, he produced 10 albums over the next three years. As a singer, he recorded with artists including Pat Boone and Bono.

In late 2006, the brothers closed the label but he produced three albums in 2007.

Elefante made a new Mastedon album, 3, featuring former Kansas bandmate Kerry Livgren. Its style is similar to Mastedon, his Kansas work, and his solo albums.

2010
As of 2010, Elefante had produced and or performed on more than 100 major label albums.

In 2010, Big3 Records rereleased 3 as Elefante's Revolution of Mind.

His latest studio album, On My Way to the Sun, released in May 2013, reunited Elefante with former Kansas bandmate Rich Williams and also featured current Kansas violinist David Ragsdale.

In 2013, Elefante released a single, "This Time" which was accompanied by a music video, that tells the story of his adopted daughter who was nearly aborted by her birth mother. The video shows a pregnant teenager entering an abortion clinic and then having a dream about a little girl she knew to be her unborn daughter.

Elefante is a member of the Jay Sekulow Band which is named after band leader Jay Sekulow, chief counsel of the American Center for Law & Justice (ACLJ), and one of Donald Trump's personal lawyers during his US presidency.

Discography
Kansas
 * 1982: Vinyl Confessions
 * 1982: Best of Kansas Live (VHS) (a.k.a. Live Confessions DVD)
 * 1983: Drastic Measures
 * 1984: The Best of Kansas including "Perfect Lover" (Lead vocals, songwriter, keyboards, guitar, bass, drums, producer)

Mastedon
 * 1989: It's a Jungle Out There! – Mastedon (Lead vocals, songwriter, keyboards, producer)
 * 1990: Lofcaudio – Mastedon (Lead vocals, songwriter, keyboards, producer)
 * 1992: Mastedon: Pakaderm Presents Video Stampede (VHS)
 * 2009: 3* – Mastedon (Lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards, producer, songwriter) (Europe/Asia)
 * 2010: Revolution of Mind* – Mastedon (North America)

* Mastedon: 3 and Revolution Of Mind are the same album, but released in different markets.

Solo
 * 1995: Windows of Heaven (Word Records) (Lead vocals, songwriter, keyboards, percussion, producer)
 * 1997: Corridors (Pamplin Music) (Lead vocals, songwriter, keyboards, producer)
 * 1999: Defying Gravity (Pamplin) (Lead vocals, songwriter, keyboards, producer)
 * 2013: On My Way to the Sun (independent) (Lead vocals, songwriter, keyboards, producer)
 * 2022: The Amazing Grace (independent) (Lead vocals, songwriter, keyboards, lead guitar, producer)

Awards

 * 1991 Grammy Award Best Rock Gospel Album for "Beyond Belief" – Petra (co-producer)
 * 1993: GMA Dove Award Rock Song of the Year for "Destiny" – Petra (co-songwriter)
 * 2000: Grammy Award Best Rock/Contemporary Gospel Album for Double Take – Petra (co-producer)

title: John Elefante


text:
Ballymun Flats

The Ballymun Flats referred to a number of flats—including the seven Ballymun tower blocks—in Ballymun, Dublin, Ireland. Built rapidly in the 1960s, there were 36 blocks in total, consisting of 7 fifteen-storey, 19 eight-storey, and 10 four-storey blocks. The complex was built in a Corbusian style known as towers in the park, which was popular in European and American cities in the mid-20th century.

The 15-storey blocks actually had 17 storeys, including the entrance floor and a plant room on their roofs. Joseph Plunkett tower, named after one of the signatories of the Proclamation of the Irish Republic, was typical of the taller tower blocks. It was a 42-metre, 8,500-tonne building that housed 90 families in 30 three-, two-, and one-bedroom units.

The entire complex was demolished in the early 21st century. By October 2013, there were just three remaining blocks, all of which were empty. The last block was demolished in September 2015.

History
The Ballymun Flats were built in the 1960s to accommodate the rising population, particularly to accommodate former residents of inner-city areas which were being cleared in the process of 1960s urban slum clearances. Whilst suffering from a lack of sufficient public amenities, several schools served the area (Holy Spirit N.S. and Ballymun Comprehensive), as well as an Eastern Health Board medical centre and a purpose-built shopping centre. The area suffered from many social problems such as drugs and rampant crime. The causes of these social problems, and the subsequent discrimination faced by many people with Ballymun addresses when seeking employment outside the suburb, have been disputed, but Ballymun generally paralleled the experience of many working-class people in the 1960 and 1970s when placed in high-rise locations.

Despite the negative perceptions of many non-residents of Ballymun, many of the residents insist that there is a strong sense of pride and community in the area. Lynn Connolly, whose 2006 memoir The Mun: Growing Up in Ballymun detailed her raising there in the 1970s and 1980s, readily acknowledged the problems there and wanted to get out at the time. But she later came to realise that there had been much that was good at the towers – in terms of a collective wit among residents and a helping sense of community – which had been ignored by the media.

The Ballymun Flats were the first homes with cable television in Ireland. RTÉ Relays Ltd, a subsidiary of the national broadcaster RTÉ, installed cable television into the flats in 1963, giving each residence access to Irish stations such as RTÉ Television and UK stations such as BBC One, BBC Two, ITV, and from 1982, Channel 4.

Four-storey flats
The four-storey flats were situated on Sandyhill Avenue, Sillogue Avenue, and Shangan Avenue. They were the earliest complexes to be demolished. The former flats of Sillogue Avenue are now open land, whilst the former flats of Shangan Avenue have been replaced by new complexes. A new area called Marewood, consisting of houses and apartments, is now situated where the Sandyhill Avenue flats once stood.

Eight-storey flats
The eight-storey flats were situated along Balbutcher Lane, where there were two blocks; Shangan Road, where there were three blocks; Coultry Road, where there were four blocks; and Balcurris and Sillogue Roads, each of which had five blocks.

The flats had two different designs, the more common being with the lift on the opposite side of the stairwell, Balbutcher and Shangan were the only ones to feature this design. Balcurris contained one of the alternative blocks, Sillogue contained the alternative blocks and three of the other blocks, three of the four Coultry blocks were made contained the lift on the side of the stairwell. Balcurris was the only row of flats to have its blocks separated by a road, the latter three blocks faced a different direction to the first two blocks and were the most visible from Dublin Airport.

Balbutcher Lane was upgraded in the 1990s where only residents were allowed to enter and had to buzz their way in, visitors needed permission from residents in order to enter. Windows were placed on the balconies and post would be delivered similar to how an apartment block would receive their mail. Railings were also placed around the flats and a playground was built at the back of the complex.

Sections of Coultry and Balcurris were demolished first, with the latter becoming the first complex to be completely demolished by 2009, it was originally noted that the Ballymun Shopping Centre and Metro North would be situated on the old Balcurris site, although these plans failed to materialize. Many of the complexes were demolished by 2012, after the removal of the Sillogue flats. Balbutcher Lane were the last eight-storey flats to go in 2015.

Fifteen-story flats
The Ballymun tower blocks were seven landmark residential towers built in the 1960s. The seven towers were named after the seven leaders of the 1916 rising; Patrick Pearse, Thomas MacDonagh, Seán Mac Diarmada, Éamonn Ceannt, Thomas Clarke, James Connolly, and Joseph Plunkett.

In 2004, demolition of the first tower began. The Pearse tower was demolished slowly by mechanical means, whilst MacDermott and MacDonagh Towers were demolished by controlled implosion. Ceannt, Plunkett, Clarke, and Connolly towers were demolished by mechanical means.

The red aircraft warning lights on these structures were not connected to any form of back-up power for many years, leaving the towers completely dark in a power outage.

Construction/Demolition

 * Patrick Pearse tower (1966–2004) was the first tower to be erected, in 1966. It was halfway through construction when the construction of MacDonagh Tower started. Pearse Tower was the first one to be demolished in 2004.
 * Thomas MacDonagh tower (1966–2005) was the second tower, built in 1966, and in 2005 was demolished by controlled implosion.
 * Éamonn Ceannt tower (1966–2005) was the third tower, built in 1966; in 2005 it was demolished.
 * James Connolly tower (1966–2007) was the fourth tower, built in 1966. In 2007 it was demolished.
 * Seán MacDermott tower (Seán Mac Diarmada) (1966–2005) was the fifth tower to be built, in 1966. In 2005, it was demolished by controlled implosion and collapsed in less than eight seconds.
 * Thomas Clarke tower (1966–2008) was the sixth tower, built in 1966. Before it was demolished in 2008, the top floor was turned into a short-stay hotel.
 * Joseph Plunkett tower (1967–2015) was the last one built, in 1967. The tower's demolition began on 22 September 2015.

In popular culture

 * The line "I see seven towers, but I only see one way out" from U2's 1987 song "Running to Stand Still" (on The Joshua Tree album) refers to these towers. The link between the towers and the song was pervasive enough to be mentioned in some tourist books about Dublin.
 * Ballymun flats feature in M. J. Hyland's Booker-shortlisted novel Carry Me Down (2006), symbolising John's family's descent into poverty.
 * The Ballymun Trilogy is a series of three plays about the process of change in Ballymun, written by Dermot Bolger and staged by the Axis Art Centre located close to the original site of McDonagh Tower. They are From These Green Heights, The Townlands of Brazil, and The Consequences of Lightning.
 * Lynn Connolly followed up her memoir with a 2012 mystery set in the Ballymun flats entitled Elizabeth III'.
 * On an episode of the podcast Song Exploder, U2's Bono detailed the track "Cedarwood Road" focuses on the violence that youth faced in the Ballymun Flats community during the '70s.
 * Ballymun also appears in the popular Irish film The Commitments where some of its residents become members of the titular band. This film was voted the best Irish film of the decade, favoured mostly for its wry humour. Some of the quips in the film directly reference this part of North Dublin.
 * The flats feature in the opening scene of the 2004 film Adam & Paul which follows a day in the lives of two addicts looking to score heroin. Later on in the film they return to the Ballymun flats, where they finally have success.

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

title: Ballymun Flats


text: User:Punani

title: User:Punani


text:
Mama

Mama(s) or Mamma or Momma may refer to:

Roles

 * Mother, a female parent
 * Mama-san, in Japan and East Asia, a woman in a position of authority
 * Mamas, a name for female associates of the Hells Angels

Places

 * Mama, Russia, an urban-type settlement in the Mamsko-Chuysky District of Irkutsk Oblast, Russia
 * Mama Airport, an airport located near the settlement
 * Mama (river), a tributary of the Vitim of which the settlement takes its name
 * Mama Municipality, Yucatán, a municipality
 * Mama, Yucatán, the municipal seat of the Mama Municipality, Yucatán

Anatomy

 * The breast, the upper ventral region of a mammal's torso; see:
 * Mamma (anatomy) of humans
 * Mammary gland of female mammals
 * Udder of female quadruped mammals

People and fictional characters

 * Big Bad Mama, stage name of Lynn Braxton, professional wrestler from the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling
 * Big Mama, former manager of American professional wrestler Jimmy Valiant (born 1942)
 * Gemma Teller Morrow, a character on The Sons of Anarchy television show, called "Mama" by her lover Nero Padilla
 * Mama Fratelli, a character in the 1985 American adventure comedy The Goonies
 * Mama Maybelle Harper, a character in the American TV sitcom Gimme a Break!
 * Mamas K. Chandran (born 1981), Indian film director, known professionally as Mamas
 * Mama Threadgoode, a character in the 1991 American comedy-drama movie Fried Green Tomatoes
 * Momma Lift, a character in the 1987 American crime comedy movie Throw Momma from the Train
 * Shylo Malsawmtluanga, an Indian footballer nicknamed Mama
 * Thelma Harper or "Mama", a fictional character on The Carol Burnett Show and the sitcom Mama's Family
 * Mama Thakur, fictional villain in the 1994 Indian film Dilwale, played by Paresh Rawal

Film and television

 * Ma-ma (1976 film), a Soviet–French–Romanian musical film directed by Elisabeta Bostan
 * Mamma (1982 film), a Swedish film directed by Suzanne Osten
 * Mama (1990 film), a Chinese film directed by Zhang Yuan
 * "Mama", a 1985 episode of the TV sitcom Gimme a Break!
 * Mamá (2008 film), an Argentine short film directed by Andres Muschietti
 * Mama (2013 film), a Spanish-Canadian-Mexican supernatural horror directed by Andres Muschietti
 * Ma Ma (2015 film), a Spanish film directed by Julio Medem
 * Mama (American TV series), a 1949–1957 American comedy–drama series
 * Mama (South Korean TV series), a 2014 South Korean television series
 * "Mama", a season 3 final episode of Servant (TV series)

Literature

 * Mamma (1908), a novel by Rhoda Broughton
 * "Mama", a short story by Dorothy Allison in the collection Trash: Short Stories (1988)
 * Mama: Love, Motherhood and Revolution, a 2015 anthology by Antonella Gambotto-Burke
 * Momma, a syndicated comic strip

Bands

 * Momma (band), an American indie rock band from Los Angeles, California formed in 2018

Albums

 * Mama (Brenda Fassie album) or the title song, 1994
 * Mama (Nomeansno album), 1982
 * Mama (Vitas album), or the title song, 2003
 * Mama (EP) or the title song (see below), by EXO-K and EXO-M, 2012
 * Mama, an EP by Adrian Eagle, 2019

Songs

 * "Mama" (6ix9ine song), 2018
 * "Mama" (B. J. Thomas song), 1966
 * "Mama" (Clean Bandit song), 2019
 * "Mama" (Exo song), 2012
 * "Mama" (Genesis song), 1983
 * "Mama" (Jonas Blue song), 2017
 * "Mama" (My Chemical Romance song), 2006
 * "Mama" (Spice Girls song), 1997
 * "Mama" (Vladimir Arzumanyan song), Armenia entry in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2010
 * "Mama (Ana Ahabak)", by Christina Stürmer, 2003
 * "Mama (Loves a Crackhead)", by Plan B, 2006
 * "Mamas" (song), by Anne Wilson and Hillary Scott, 2022
 * "Mamma" (song), a 1940 Italian song composed by Cesare Andrea Bixio and Bixio Cherubini; covered in English by David Whitfield (1955), Connie Francis (1960), and others
 * "Mama", by Alabama Shakes from Boys & Girls, 2012
 * "Mama", by Ant Wan, 2019
 * "Mama", by Beth Hart from Screamin' for My Supper, 1999
 * "Mama", by Brymo from Oṣó, 2018
 * "Mama", by BTS from Wings, 2016
 * "Mama", by Chris Brown from Exclusive, 2007
 * "Mama", by Doda from Aquaria (physical reissue edition), 2022
 * "Mama", by Electric Light Orchestra from ELO 2, 1973
 * "Mama", by Ella Eyre and Banx & Ranx, 2019
 * "Mama", by Godsmack from IV, 2006
 * "Mama", by Helen Reddy from Music, Music, 1976
 * "Mama", by Il Divo from Il Divo, 2004
 * "Mama", by The Kelly Family, 1999
 * "Mama", by Kim Appleby from Kim Appleby, 1990
 * "Mama", by The Lonely Island from Turtleneck & Chain, 2011
 * "Mama", by Lyfe Jennings from I Still Believe, 2010
 * "MAMA", by MadClip (1987-2021) Greek-American rapper
 * "Mama", by Oingo Boingo from Boi-ngo, 1986
 * "Mama", by The Sugarcubes from Life's Too Good, 1988
 * "Mama", by The-Dream from Love Hate, 2007
 * "Mamá", by Timbiriche from La Banda Timbiriche, 1982
 * "Mama", by Toto from Hydra, 1979
 * "Mama", by Trina from The One, 2019
 * "Mama", by Umberto Tozzi, a B-side of "Gloria", 1979
 * "Mama", by Yemi Alade from Mama Africa, 2016
 * "M.A.M.A", by Nana Mizuki from Alive & Kicking, 2004

Other music

 * MAMA Records, an American record label
 * Mnet Asian Music Awards, an annual South Korean music awards show
 * MTV Africa Music Awards, a continental music awards show

Other entertainment

 * Mama (magazine), a Swedish magazine
 * Mama (1966), a stage musical by Mbongeni Ngema

Brands and enterprises

 * MAMA & Company, a UK live-venue and event management company
 * MAMA Gallery, an art gallery in Los Angeles, California
 * MAMMA (association), Modernist Architects of Morocco Memorial Association
 * Murray Art Museum Albury, New South Wales, Australia
 * Massachusetts Academy of Math and Science at WPI (MAMAS)
 * Mama, a brand of instant noodles by Thai President Foods

Computing and technology

 * Mama (software), an object-oriented programming language
 * Mamma.com, a metasearch engine operated by Copernic

Religion and mythology

 * Mammes of Caesarea or Mammas (259–275), semi-legendary child-martyr of the 3rd century
 * Mami (goddess) or Mama, a goddess in the Babylonian epic Atra-Hasis
 * Ninhursag or Mamma, a Sumerian earth goddess

Other uses

 * Mama (wasp), a genus of wasps in the tribe Euphorini
 * Mama and papa, in linguistics, the sequences of sounds corresponding to the words for "mother" and "father"
 * Mama or sugar mama, a term for an age disparity in sexual relationships in which the older partner takes care of the younger, usually financially

title: Mama


text:
Daddy (disambiguation)

Daddy is a familiar term of endearment, form of direct address, or nickname for father, and may also refer to:

Film

 * Daddy (1917 film), a British silent film directed by Thomas Bentley
 * Daddy (1923 film), an American film starring Jackie Coogan and Josie Sedgwick
 * Daddy (1987 film), a TV movie starring Danny Aiello and Dermot Mulroney
 * Daddy (1989 film), an Indian Hindi-language film starring Anupam Kher
 * Daddy (1991 film), a film based on the book of the same name by Danielle Steele
 * Daddy (1992 film), an Indian Malayalam-language film
 * Daddy (2001 film), an Indian Telugu-language film starring Chiranjeevi and Simran
 * Daddy (2004 film), a Russian film
 * Daddy (2015 film), an American film directed by Gerald McCullouch
 * Daddy (2017 film), an Indian Hindi-language film starring Arjun Rampal, based on the life of gangster and politician Arun Gawli

Television

 * Daddy (serial), a 2010–2011 Pakistani television drama serial that aired on ARY Digital
 * Daddy (Keeping Up Appearances), a fictional character in the British comedy television series Keeping Up Appearances

Music

 * Daddy, former name of the band Supertramp
 * "Daddy" (Sammy Kaye song), a 1941 song
 * "Daddy" (Korn song), a 1994 song
 * "Daddy" (Beyoncé Knowles song), a 2003 song
 * "Daddy" (Emeli Sandé song), the second single from Emeli Sande's debut album Our Version of Events
 * "Daddy" (Psy song), a 2015 song
 * "Daddy" (Coldplay song), a 2019 song
 * "Daddy" (Tulisa song), a 2019 song
 * "Daddy", a song from the album In the Hot Seat by Emerson, Lake & Palmer
 * "Daddy", a song from the album Pieces of You by Jewel
 * "Daddy", a 1994 single from the Dutch pop group Pussycat

In print

 * Daddy (novel), a 1989 novel by Danielle Steel
 * Daddy (poem), a 1965 poem by Sylvia Plath

People and fictional characters

 * Daddy (nickname), a list of people and fictional characters
 * Daddy Bazuaye (born 1988), Nigerian footballer
 * Daddy Lumba (born 1964), Ghanaian musician

Other uses

 * Daddy (dog) (1994–2010), an assistant dog-psychologist dog owned and used by Cesar Millan
 * Daddy (slang), a slang term meaning an older man sexually involved in a relationship or having a sexual interest in a younger person

title: Daddy (disambiguation)


text:
Robert the Devil

Robert the Devil (Robertus Diabolus) is a legend of medieval origin about a Norman knight who discovers he is the son of Satan. His mother, despairing of heaven's aid in order to obtain a son, had asked for help from the devil. Robert's satanic instincts propel him into a violent and sinful life, but he eventually overcomes them to achieve repentance.

The story originated in France in the 13th century and has since provided the basis for many literary and dramatic works, most notably the Meyerbeer opera Robert le diable.

Story
The 19th-century Italian writer Arturo Graf gives this version of the legend in his 1889 book Il Diavolo:"There was once a duchess of Normandy who was tormented with a desire to have children and yet could have none. Weary of recommending herself to God, who will not listen to her, she betakes herself to the Devil, and her wish is speedily satisfied. A son is born to her, a veritable firebrand. As an infant, he bites his nurse and tears out her hair; as a lad, he knifes his teachers; at the age of twenty, he becomes a bandit chief. He is dubbed knight, in the belief that thus the wicked instincts raging within him may be overcome; but thereafter he is worse than he was before. No one surpasses him in strength or in courage. In a tourney he overthrows and slays thirty opponents; then he goes roaming about the world; then he returns to his native land, and begins once more to play the bandit, robbing, burning, murdering, ravishing. One day, after cutting the throats of all the nuns of a certain abbey, he remembers his mother and goes in search of her. Soon as they spy him, the servants take to their heels, scattering in all directions; not one tarries to ask him whence he comes or what he desires. Then, for the first time in his life, Robert is astounded at the horror which he inspires in his fellow-beings; for the first time, he becomes conscious of his own monstrous wickedness, and he feels how his heart is pierced by the sharp tooth of remorse. But why is he wickeder than other men? Why was he born thus? Who made him what he is? An ardent longing seizes him to unravel this mystery. He hastens to his mother, and with drawn sword he adjures her to unveil to him the secret of his birth. Learning this, he becomes frantic with terror, shame, and grief. But his sturdy nature is not weakened; he does not yield to despair; instead, the hope of a laborious redemption, of a marvelous victory, urges and spurs on his proud spirit. He will learn to conquer Hell, to subdue himself, to thwart the designs of that accursed fiend who created him to serve his own ends, who has made of him a docile instrument of destruction and of sin. And he makes no delay. He goes to Rome, casts himself at the feet of the pope, makes confession to a holy hermit, submits himself to the harshest kind of penance, and swears that henceforth he will taste no food that he has not first wrested from the jaws of a dog. On two separate occasions, when Rome was besieged by the Saracens, he fights incognito for the Emperor and gains the victory for the Christians. Recognized at last, he refuses all rewards and honors, the imperial crown, even the monarch's own daughter, goes away to dwell with his hermit in the wilderness, and dies a saint, blessed by both God and men. In other accounts, he finally weds the beautiful princess who is deeply in love with him."

Literary history
The oldest-known account of this legend is a Latin prose narrative by a Dominican friar, Etienne de Bourbon (c. 1250), in which no information on Robert's family is given. Then it appears in a French metrical romance of the 13th century, in which Robert is described as the son of the duchess of Normandy. An English translation by Samuel N. Rosenberg of the 13th-century French romance was published in 2018 by Penn State University Press. It appears also in a "dit" of somewhat later date, and in a miracle play of the 14th century. A French prose version was also prefixed to the old Croniques de Normandie (probably of the 13th century). But the legend owes its popularity to the story-books, of which the earliest known appeared at Lyons in 1496, and again at Paris in 1497, under the title La Vie du terrible Robert le dyable. Since the 16th century the legend was often printed together with that of Richard sans Peur (Richard I, Duke of Normandy); it was published in completely recast form in 1769 under the title Histoire de Robert le Diable, duc de Normandie, et de Richard Sans Peur, son fils.

From France the legend spread to Spain, where it was very popular. In England, the subject was treated in the metrical romance, Sir Gowther, probably written around the end of the 14th century (though in this version the devil disguises himself as the mother's husband). An English translation from the French chapbook was made by Wynkyn de Worde, Caxton's assistant, and published without date under the title Robert deuyll. Another version, not based on the preceding, was written by Thomas Lodge in his book on Robin the Divell, in which Robert is the "second Duke of Normandy" (London, 1591). In the Netherlands, the romance of Robrecht den Duyvel was put on the index of forbidden books by the Bishop of Antwerp in 1621.

In Germany, the legend never attained much of a vogue; not until the 19th century did it pass into the Volksbücher, being introduced by Görres. It was treated in epic form by Victor von Strauß (1854), in dramatic form by Raupach (1835) and in comic travesty (after the 1831 Meyerbeer opera Robert le diable) by W. S. Gilbert in 1868.

The villain in Erich Kästner's 1931 children's story Pünktchen und Anton, a petty criminal and thief, is rather facetiously nicknamed "Robert the Devil".

Historicity
Various attempts have been made to identify Robert with a historical individual, generally a Norman aristocrat of the 11th century. F. J. Furnivall, following earlier writers, argued that Robert I, Duke of Normandy was the source of the story, writing that, "The original of Robert the Devil was Robert, father of William the Conqueror, and sixth Duke of Normandy. Part of the legends about him have been transferred to a different person, Robert, King of Sicily (and of Jerusalem), Duke of Apulia etc., who tried to make peace between Edward III and the French king, and whom Froissart and others tell us of."

Other scholars have dismissed this. Charles Homer Haskins says that it is nothing more than "an unwarranted confusion with this hero, or rather villain, of romance and grand opera". Another Norman aristocrat, Robert of Bellême, has also been suggested as the original. According to William Hunt in the Dictionary of National Biography, various stories of his sadistic cruelty were circulated after his death. In Maine, "his abiding works are pointed to as the works of Robert the Devil, a surname that has been transferred from him to the father of the Conqueror."

A Norman castle near Rouen, known as Château de Robert le Diable, is associated with the legend. The Elizabethan statesman Robert Cecil was called "Robert the devil" by his enemies, but this was with reference to the existing legend.

Folkloristic analysis
Scholars (e.g., Eilert Løseth, Ernst Tegethoff, Laura Hibbard Loomis, Jack Zipes, Waldemar Liungman, Maxime Chevalier (es), Francisco Vaz da Silva ) have noted similarities between the medieval tale of Robert le Diable and two folktales classified in the international Aarne-Thompson-Uther Index as types ATU 314, "Goldener", and ATU 502, "The Wild Man as Helper", in their common second part: the hero leaves home and goes to work in a lowly position in another kingdom (usually, as a gardener); later, he rides into battle to save the kingdom from a foreign enemy, and is injured during a battle; his wound or bandaged injury is used to identify him.

title: Robert the Devil


text:
Talk:Hitlerism

Nothing links here except the List of isms. Doesn't that say something? "Hitlerism" would safely put it all in a historical box though... Like waybackthenism Wetman 06:09, 30 Nov 2003 (UTC)

title: Talk:Hitlerism


text:
User talk:Punani

Hello, welcome to Wikipedia. Here are some useful links in case you haven't already found them:

 * How to edit a page
 * How to write a great article
 * Naming conventions
 * Manual of Style

If you have any questions, see the help pages, add a question to the village pump or ask me on my talk page. I hope you enjoy editing here and being a Wikipedian!

Tip: you can sign your name with ~

Regarding your username, you might want to visit Username. Some users might regard your username as offensive and you might be asked to have it renamed. Does your username refer to something other than this?

Dori | Talk 06:11, Nov 30, 2003 (UTC)

Your edits as this user have now been attributed to User:Moof. Regards  — Kate Turner | Talk 22:58, 2004 Oct 13 (UTC)

title: User talk:Punani


text:
Talk:Forest falcon

Nice work, Seglea. Alas, they live a bit far from me, so I can't hope to supply a picture. Tannin

A little problem
There is a Cryptic Forest Falcon article, but its link says it doesn't exist. Why? Shrewpelt 19:40, 12 August 2007 (UTC)

Harrier-hawk
I have spend years within the range of these species and had the luck of seeing all of them. Despite this, I have never heard anyone ever referring to any of these as harrier-hawks (also pretty unlikely considering their very non-harrier behavior!). I have also been unable to find a reference supporting this claim. I have therefore removed the section claiming that they sometimes are called harrier-hawks. If you have a reference supporting it, feel free to re-add w. ref. Rabo3 (talk) 01:04, 16 January 2008 (UTC)

Hyphenated form
as these are polyborine rather than falconine ("true") falcons -- and as the specific entries linked to herein use the hyphen -- the hyphenated form of the name, "forest-falcon", seems to be the preferred label for this group. is there anyone who feels that the article title itself shouldn't reflect this, i.e., Forest-falcon instead of Forest falcon? - Μετανοιδ  (talk, email) 02:50, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

title: Talk:Forest falcon


text:
Bray, County Wicklow

Bray is a coastal town in north County Wicklow, Ireland. It is situated about 20 km south of Dublin city centre on the east coast. It has a population of 33,512 making it the tenth largest urban area within Ireland (at the 2022 census). Bray is home to Ardmore Studios, and some light industry is located in the town, with some business and retail parks on its southern periphery. Commuter links between Bray and Dublin are provided by rail, Dublin Bus and the M11 and M50 motorways. Parts of the town's northern outskirts are in County Dublin.

Originally developed as a planned resort town in the 19th century, Bray's popularity as a seaside resort was serviced by the Dublin and Kingstown Railway, which was extended to Bray in 1854. During the late 20th century, the town's use as a resort declined when foreign travel became an option for holiday-makers. However, day-trippers continued to come to Bray during the summer months.

Etymology
The name Bray is an anglicisation of the Irish Bré, whose meaning is unclear. Liam Price suggested it may be an old name for the River Dargle or a tributary. In 1875 P. W. Joyce mistakenly ascribed the Irish name Brí, an old word meaning "hill", referring in this case to Bray Head. In a 1905 Gaelic League publication advocating use of Irish-language postal addresses, Seosamh Laoide coined the name Brí Cualann "Brí in Cualu", as part of his policy that "If the name of the town [in Irish] be one word, the [ancient Gaelic] territory should be added to it in the genitive case". Brí and Brí C[h]ualann remained in use in the mid 20th century despite having been refuted by Liam Price and Osborn Bergin. Bré was adopted by statute in 1975.

History

During the medieval period of Irish history, Bray was situated on the southern border of the Pale, and the coastal district was governed directly by the English crown from Dublin Castle. Inland, the countryside was largely under the control of Gaelic Chieftains, such as the O'Toole and O'Byrne clans. Bray features on the 1598 map "A Modern Depiction of Ireland, One of the British Isles" by Abraham Ortelius as "Brey". William Brabazon, 1st Earl of Meath purchased the Killruddery Estate in Bray in 1627 with the establishment of the Earl title.

The Dublin and Kingstown Railway, the first in Ireland, opened in 1834 and was extended as far as Bray in 1854. With the coming of the railway in the mid-19th century, the town grew to become a seaside resort. It was developed primarily by local entrepreneurs as a planned resort town, modelled on the seaside resorts of the English south-coast, specifically Brighton. Hotels and residential terraces were built in the vicinity of the seafront. Railway entrepreneur William Dargan developed the Turkish baths, designed in a Moorish style at a cost of £10,000; built in 1859, these were demolished in 1980.

Bray was a popular destination from the 1860s onwards. While small amenities such as regattas, firework displays and band performances were plentiful in the town, Bray failed to secure the necessary capital to develop major attractions and sustain tourism, leading to its decline in the early 1900s. Pleasure piers such as the Palace Pier were a mainstay of resorts at that time. Despite repeated efforts, Bray never acquired such a pier and abandoned plans to build one in 1906. Additional planned amenities which were never built included a concert hall, a theatre, an exhibition centre, a marine aquarium, winter gardens and an electrified tramway along the seafront. It experienced a brief revival from British tourists in the years immediately after World War II. However, Bray's popularity as a seaside resort declined significantly when foreign travel became an option for holiday-makers. Its proximity to Dublin still makes it a popular destination for day-trippers from the capital.

Location
The town is situated on the east coast to the south of County Dublin. Shankill, County Dublin lies to the north, and Greystones, County Wicklow to the south. The village of Enniskerry lies to the west of the town, at the foot of the Wicklow Mountains. People participate in such sports as sailing, rowing, and swimming. The beach and seafront promenade are used by residents and visitors. While Bray's promenade and south beach is to a Blue Flag standard, the north beach has been impacted by erosion and leaching pollution since the closure and sale of a municipal landfill in the late 20th century.

The River Dargle which enters the sea at the north end of Bray rises from a source near Djouce, in the Wicklow Mountains. Bray Head is situated at the southern end of the Victorian Promenade with paths leading to the summit and along the sea cliffs. The rocks of Bray Head are a mixture of greywackes and quartzite. There is a large cross at the summit.

Climate
Bray has a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen: Cfb), similar to most other towns in Ireland, with few extremes of temperature and abundant precipitation year round. However, Bray is relatively sheltered from the prevailing south-westerly winds by the Wicklow Mountains and receives around 750 mm of rainfall per year. The sunniest months on average are May and June, while October is by far the wettest.

Rail
A public transport network, both north into Dublin and south into County Wicklow and County Wexford, serves the town. Bray is on the Irish Rail DART Rail Network which stretches north to Malahide and Howth and south to Greystones. The town is also on the mainline InterCity and Commuter rail network which connects north to Connolly Station in Dublin city centre and further to Drogheda and Dundalk. To the south, the rail line goes through Arklow and Gorey before reaching Rosslare Europort. Bray's railway station is named after Edward Daly, an executed leader of the 1916 Easter Rising. Bray Station was opened on 10 July 1854. The Dublin and South Eastern Railway had two lines out from Bray into Dublin, the coastal line (formerly known as the Kingstown and Bray branch line) and the Harcourt Street line. The latter was closed in 1958 but most of it has been reopened as part of the Luas Green Line, which is proposed for an extension to Bray.

Road
Bray lies along the M11 motorway corridor; an interchange at its northern side links with the M50 Dublin bypass.

Several bus companies pass through Bray: Dublin Bus, Go-Ahead Ireland, Bus Éireann, Finnegan Bray, Aircoach, and St. Kevin's Bus Service to Glendalough. Dublin Bus and Go-Ahead Ireland are the two primary bus operators in the town operating service on behalf of the NTA. Bus services serving the town include the 145 which is routed from Ballywaltrim, just south of Bray, to Heuston Station via UCD and Dublin city centre. Other routes include the 45A/B, 84/A, 84X, 84N, 155, 184 and 185.

Aircoach operates a service to and from Dublin Airport, with two stops in Bray at Castle Street and Vevay Road. Wexford Bus also offer services to the village of Kilmacanogue, just to the south of Bray, with routes 740 and 740A. Finnegan Bray formerly offered a night bus service from Dublin (route 984N), however, this was suspended in March 2020 due to Covid restrictions. It was discontinued in late 2022, with the company blaming "unfair competition from state subsidised services" in a Facebook post.

Air
Dublin Airport is reachable via the M50, which passes to the west of Dublin City, and is served by Aircoach route 702. Newcastle Aerodrome is the closest private airfield a short distance south of Bray.

Demography
Bray has a growing population of permanent residents.

Local government
Bray is represented on Wicklow County Council by two local electoral areas. Bray East (4 seats) is approximately two-thirds of the town, while Bray West (4 seats) is the other third and includes the neighbouring villages of Enniskerry and Kilmacanogue. The electoral divisions of Bray East are Bray No. 1 Urban, Bray No. 2 Urban, Bray No. 3 Urban and Rathmichael (Bray). The electoral divisions of Bray West are Enniskerry, Kilmacanoge and Powerscourt. Bray Municipal District consists of both of these local electoral areas.

The Bray Town Commissioners were established by a local act in 1866. The Earl of Meath was named in the act as the first chairman of the commissioners. In 1899, this body became an urban district council under the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898. At the same time, a portion of the town which had been in County Dublin was transferred to County Wicklow and the jurisdiction of the urban district. The boundary of the town was further extended in 1952 (taking in the area around Killruddery), in 1958 (taking in the area in Rathmichael which had been transferred the previous year from County Dublin to County Wicklow), and in 1978 (extending the town to the west).

The urban district council became a town council in 2002. It was abolished by the Local Government Reform Act 2014, with the powers and functions of the town council given to the county council, but its functions could be administered by the new municipal district council created by the act.

Part of the northern Bray area lies within the local authority area of Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, and forms part of the Shankill–Killiney local electoral area. The border between County Wicklow and County Dublin (Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown) lies along Old Connaught Avenue and runs down along and across the Dublin Road to Ravenswell, making all areas north of that line Bray, County Dublin.

Tourism
Bray is a long-established holiday resort dating back to the early 19th century. The Parliamentary gazetteer of 1846 described it thusly: The town has for many years been a favourite summer resort of the wealthier of the Dublin citizens and of the gentry from a large part of Ireland; and it possesses, in a state of high facility and polish, the various appliances required for their accommodation and comfort, whether as lodgers or as tourists. Handsome cottages ornees, boarding houses on different scales of economy, and furnished houses from the small abode to the luxurious mansion, abound both in the town and in its environs, for the special use of visitors. Bray has numerous hotels and guesthouses, shops, restaurants and evening entertainment. The town also hosts a number of festival events. In the town's vicinity are an 18-hole golf courses, a tennis club, fishing, a sailing club and horse riding. Other features of Bray are the amusement arcades and the National Sealife Centre. It has a beach of sand and shingle which is over 1.6 km long, fronted by an esplanade and Bray Head, which rises 241 m from the coast, has views of mountains and sea. The concrete cross at the top of Bray head was erected in 1950 for the holy year.

Bray is used as a base for walkers, and has a 1 mi promenade which stretches from the harbour, with its colony of mute swans, to the base of Bray Head at the southern end. A track leads to the summit. Also used by walkers is the 7 km Cliff Walk along Bray Head out to Greystones.

In January 2010, Bray was named the "cleanest town in Ireland" in the 2009 Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) survey of 60 towns and cities.

Tourist sites
Tourist sites in the area include the Elizabethan-revival mansion Killruddery House (which is open to the public in the summer months), and the hill and headland at Bray Head (which has a number of walking trails). Raheen-a-Cluig, a medieval church which is catalogued as national monument, is located on the north face of Bray Head. Other religious sites and churches in the area include the Fassaroe Cross (12th century), the Holy Redeemer Church, Bray (1792), and the Gothic Revival churches of Christ Church (1863) and Bray Methodist Church (1864).

Festivals and events
The Bray St. Patrick's Carnival and Parade is presented by Bray and District Chamber to celebrate Saint Patrick's Day.

Bray also hosts a yearly silent film festival, the Killruddery Film Festival in Killruddery Gardens. Bray Jazz Festival takes place annually on the May bank holiday weekend and includes performances by jazz and world music artists.

The annual Bray Summerfest takes place over six weeks in July and August and includes free entertainment, live music, markets, sporting events, and carnivals. Performers who have headlined include Mundy, Brian Kennedy, the Undertones, the Hothouse Flowers and Mary Black. An air display, the Bray Air Display, is held annually in late July.

Hell & Back is an adventure race that takes place in Kilruddery Estates. The 10 km Cliff Run from Bray to Greystones is an annual run on the coast around Bray Head Mountain. In 2023, Bray was named by Time Out magazine as one of the fourteen most underrated travel destinations in the world.

Pubs and restaurants
Bray's pubs and restaurants include the first Porterhouse bar, who brew their own ales, stouts and beers. In 2010, the Lonely Planet Guide ranked the Harbour Bar in Bray the Best Bar in the World and the Best off the Beaten Track Bar in the world. The O'Toole family owned the bar for three generations, but it was bought by the Duggan family in 2013.

There are twelve fully licensed restaurants, several unlicensed restaurants and cafes, and fast food outlets in Bray. In 2015, The Irish Times published a study which analysed the presence of fast food outlets in Ireland. Bray was found to have the lowest per capita concentration of the ten towns and cities included, with just 0.09 stores per 1,000 people.

Film
Bray is home to Ireland's oldest film studios, Ardmore Studios, established in 1958, where films such as Excalibur, Braveheart and Breakfast on Pluto have been shot. Custer's Last Stand-up was filmed in Bray and the town was also used to film Neil Jordan's 2012 film Byzantium, part of which was shot in the Bray Head Inn. Neil Jordan's 1991 film The Miracle is set in Bray.

Theatre and literature
Bray hosts a number of theatre groups including the Bray Arts and Square One Theatre Group.

Authors who have lived in Bray have included James Joyce, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Molly Keane and Neil Jordan. Situated on Eglinton Road is a Carnegie Library dating from 1910. There is also another library serving the Ballywaltrim district on Boghall Road, at the southern end of the town

Media
The Bray People newspaper is focused on the news in the local areas and neighbourhoods, as does the freesheet Wicklow Times (North Edition). East Coast FM Radio Station also operates locally.

Music
Musicians associated with Bray include Mary Coughlan, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Fionn Regan, and Hozier. The singer Sinéad O'Connor was also a resident of Bray for a number of years, living in a house overlooking the sea on Strand Road. While O'Connor died in London, her funeral procession took place on Bray seafront in August 2023.

Sports
Bray is home to League of Ireland football club Bray Wanderers who play at the Carlisle Grounds. It also hosts schoolboy football club Ardmore Rovers and Wolfe Tone F.C. The local Gaelic Athletic Association club's are Fergal Og's and Bray Emmets. Bray Emmets Established in 1885, the club hosts the annual All-Ireland Kick Fada Championship.

There are a number of golf clubs and pitch & putt courses in the area, including Bray Golf Club, Dun Laoghaire Golf Club, and Old Conna Golf Club. Bray is also host to Bray Bowling Club, which trains in Fáilte Park, and there is 10 Pin Bowling at the Bray Bowling Alley.

There is fishing in both the River Dargle and on the sea coastline, and a number of clubs locally, including Bray Head Fishing Club and Dargle Anglers Club. Other clubs and facilities in the area include Bray Wheelers Cycling Club, Brennanstown Riding School, Bray Sailing Club, Wicklow Lawn Tennis Club, founded in 1894 and located on Vevay Road, Bray Hockey Club, and Wicklow County Cricket Club.

A short-lived greyhound racing track existed in the town from 1949 until 1955, run by the Bray Greyhound Racing Association Ltd. In December 1947, notice was given that a track would be constructed at Sunnybank but the Wicklow County Manager refused the application. However, the greyhound company continued to build the facilities and in 1949 the track opened. It was not until 1950 that the High Court ruled against the company for building without planning permission and levied a fine of £470. The dispute continued until, in 1955, the track was bought by Bray Urban Council under a compulsory purchase order. The site, consisting of almost five acres, was bought at £440 per acre, and 36 houses were built on the land.

Thousands of people turned out on the seafront to see Olympic boxing champion Katie Taylor, return home from London in August 2012.

Education
There are approximately 13 primary schools in the Bray area, including national schools (like Saint Cronan's Boys' National School), gaelscoileanna (like Gaelscoil Uí Chéadaigh), a co-educational day school (St. Gerard's School), and schools for special needs. Secondary schools in the area include Saint Brendan's College, Loreto Secondary School and St. Kilian's Community School and Presentation College, Bray. A number of "English as a foreign language" and third-level schools also operate locally, including Bray Institute of Further Education.

People

Former or current residents of the town have included (in alphabetical order):
 * Eamon de Buitlear, writer, filmmaker and traditional Irish musician
 * Conrad Burke, physicist and entrepreneur
 * Seamus Costello, founding member of the Irish National Liberation Army
 * Suzanne Crowe, President of the Medical Council of Ireland
 * Mary Coughlan, singer who resides in the town
 * S.M. Cyril, India-based Irish nun, educationist, educational innovator and 2007 winner of the Padma Shri Award
 * Fergal Devitt, professional wrestler in WWE, who wrestles under the name Finn Bálor
 * Jordan Devlin, professional wrestler in WWE
 * Hozier, singer and songwriter
 * Eddie Jordan, former racing driver and Jordan Grand Prix founder
 * Ed Joyce, professional cricketer
 * James Joyce, writer
 * Maria Doyle Kennedy, singer and actress who resided in the town as a child.
 * Denzil Lacey, former RTÉ 2fm and current Spin South West presenter
 * Sheridan Le Fanu, writer of gothic horror and mystery novels
 * Thomas Langlois Lefroy, politician and judge, who lived in his family estate in Newcourt
 * Keith Nolan, professional golfer, former GB & Ireland Walker Cup player, and PGA Tour player
 * Dara Ó Briain, comedian and television host
 * Sinéad O'Connor, singer who resided in the town
 * Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh, fifth President of Ireland
 * Fran O'Toole, former lead singer in The Miami Showband, murdered in the Miami Showband massacre of July 1975.
 * Gary O'Toole, former Irish Olympic swimmer from Bray
 * Darren Randolph, goalkeeper for the Republic of Ireland national football team
 * Fionn Regan, musician
 * Lennox Robinson, dramatist and poet
 * Katie Taylor, world, European, and Olympic boxing gold medalist
 * Laura Whitmore, TV personality and presenter
 * William Wilde and Jane Wilde, the parents of Oscar Wilde, built properties on Esplanade Terrace in 1863, one of which is now the Strand Hotel

Twin towns
Bray has town twinning agreements with:
 * Bègles, France
 * Dublin, California, United States
 * Würzburg, Germany

title: Bray, County Wicklow


text:
Talk:Caryatid

Untitled
we'll need a photo of Caryatids. either Caryatid Porch of the Erechtheum and caryatid somewhere else.

Xah P0lyglut 06:13, 2003 Nov 30 (UTC)

Here is a good place to put the request: Requested pictures --snoyes 06:37, 30 Nov 2003 (UTC)

is there a word for the female-form sculpture that often seen as part of a ship's prow?

P0lyglut 08:47, 2004 Feb 2 (UTC)

It's called a figurehead

P0lyglut 15:07, 2004 Mar 13 (UTC)

The most famous one is Rodin's check out this URL http://www.phototour.com/echtml/caryatid_3049.html --Randyjg2 23:21, 12 March 2006 (UTC)

 * I've made a redirect from Karyatid. In modern English, Caryatid is not "also spelled Karyatid", which is an affectation that needn't be inflicted on Wikipedia's readers. --Wetman 18:21, 16 March 2007 (UTC)

What is this sentence supposed to mean?
"In the arts of design, the draped figure supporting an acanthus-grown basket capital taking the form of a candlestick or a table-support is a familiar cliché of neoclassical decorative arts."--Filll (talk | wpc ) 12:21, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

This whole section appears to need citation from: Kerenyi 1980 p 149

Further, the external links at the bottom are actually internal. 67.177.182.101 (talk) 06:15, 4 December 2008 (UTC)

19th century
Most extant examples in architecture will be from the 19th century. This period is almost completely missing from coverage in the article at the moment and that is very misleading. For example, there is no mention of their use in France. And the form was adapted, so balconies might be supported by the top half of a figure, and so on. Figures, human and otherwise, fascinated the architects of the Art Nouveau and derivatives. This needs a fair bit of work. AJHingston (talk) 21:59, 16 January 2011 (UTC)
 * Wellthen, you'd better get to work. Carptrash (talk) 23:15, 16 January 2011 (UTC)

External links modified
Hello fellow Wikipedians,

I have just modified one external link on Caryatid. Please take a moment to review my edit. If you have any questions, or need the bot to ignore the links, or the page altogether, please visit this simple FaQ for additional information. I made the following changes:
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20110707155719/http://www.archsculptbooks.com/home.htm to http://www.archsculptbooks.com/home.htm

When you have finished reviewing my changes, you may follow the instructions on the template below to fix any issues with the URLs.

Cheers.— InternetArchiveBot  (Report bug) 16:23, 31 July 2017 (UTC)

First photo
I was wondering if and how we can replace the first photo because the first thing that people see when they come to this page is a statue that is not in a Greek museum. And then move the one that is in London further down. Onoufrios d (talk) 18:14, 5 July 2019 (UTC)
 * The point of the picture is to show a good example and, for me, this one works just fine. Carptrash (talk) 18:34, 5 July 2019 (UTC)

Please choose one name for the town in the Peloponnese
Yes I know that Karyai and Caryae are the same thing. Most likely the editor of this article also knows that. But many, and most likely most, readers are probably less well acquainted with the classical languages and the history of the Englishing Greek names. Please choose either Karuai, or Karyai, or Caryae, and stick with it. Ideally, when first mentioning the town, also indicate the alternate spellings of its name. Imerologul Valah (talk) 14:20, 29 August 2022 (UTC)

I have been wondering if we should
organize the gallery somewhat, perhaps by geography, chronology could play a role, and maybe separating the more decorative ones from the architectural ones. However before I leap in and start whipping everything around I thought I'd let you weigh in on the idea. Carptrash (talk) 18:33, 15 December 2023 (UTC)

Vitruvius makes no reference to the Erechtheum in the relevant section of De architectura
So I removed the reference. This is a huge misunderstanding when it comes to the Caryatids, which are not limited to the Erechtheum, as is clear 2603:6081:8300:22CA:E135:67B0:91C6:A91 (talk) 04:14, 10 March 2024 (UTC)

title: Talk:Caryatid


text:
U Sports

U Sports (stylized as U SPORTS) is the national sport governing body for universities in Canada, comprising the majority of degree-granting universities in the country and four regional conferences: Ontario University Athletics (OUA), Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ), Canada West (CW), and Atlantic University Sport (AUS). The equivalent body for organized sports at colleges in Canada is the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). Some institutions are members of both bodies for different sports.

Formation, CIAU, CIS
The original Canadian Intercollegiate Athletic Union (CIAU) was founded in 1906 and existed until 1955, composed only of universities from Ontario and Quebec. The semi-national organization, CIAU Central, provided common rules and regulations.

A growth spurt between 1944–55 saw the CIAU Central grow into a large group of nineteen (19) member universities each of which had diverse enrollment, philosophy, and practices both academically and athletically. The result saw the collapse of CIAU Central as there was no forum to evaluate or research policy in order to adjudicate conflicts within the organization

At the same time women's programs were expanding and required organization. In 1923, the Women's Intercollegiate Athletic Union (WIAU) was founded to provide athletic competition for female students in Ontario and the Ontario-Quebec Women's Intercollegiate Athletics (O-QWICA) coordinated programs for female students in Ontario and Quebec.

With the collapse of the CIAU Central in the mid-1950s, calls for a new, national governing body for university sport accelerated. Once the Royal Military College of Canada became a degree granting institution, Major W. J. (Danny) McLeod, athletic director at the RMC directed the establishment of the Canadian Intercollegiate Athletic Union (CIAU) in 1961.

With financial assistance from the federal government, universities committed themselves to excellence in their sports programs, increased their schedules, and assigned coaches to year round programs to assist the federal government in identifying talent, national training centers, provision of facilities, sport research, and testing, all with an eye on developing international competitors.

Major McLeod ran the CIAU from his office at RMC as the first CIAU Secretary-Treasurer. In the 1960s the CIAU functioned as a voluntary, autonomous, educational sport organization which represented by the various universities from coast to coast.

In 1978, the Canadian Women's Interuniversity Athletic Union (CWIAU), which had formed in 1970, merged with the CIAU; the expanded CIAU reinforced its university focus by adjusting its name to the Canadian Interuniversity Athletics Union.

In June 2001, the membership of the CIAU voted to change the name and logo of the organization to Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS).

Rebrand and new approach
On October 20, 2016, CIS announced that it would be changing its name to U Sports, accompanied by a new logo and approach to Canadian University sports. The name was chosen in part to better represent Canada as a bilingual nation with a united name as opposed to separate acronyms. The new name and look were also intended to increase the marketability of Canadian University sports.

Athletic funding & eligibility
The U Sports member institutions offer athletic scholarships known as Athletic Financial Awards (AFA); subject to minimum academic requirements. The AFA's are capped and may not exceed the value of the tuition and compulsory fees for the student-athlete. Universities also may provide additional non-athletic awards including academic scholarships and needs-based grants for athletes in addition to this cap, provided the additional awards do not include athletic criteria. In 2008-09 one in two U Sports athletes was receiving an athletic scholarship.

Increasingly, U Sports schools are offering booster-support programs, where alumni, parents and/or corporations can donate money to a targeted fund especially designed to off-set a student-athlete's tuition and living costs. The University of Windsor has an Adopt-A-Lancer program, for example. U Sports has no regulations regarding how much each school can provide to teams through private support. The Université Laval's Rouge et Or football team, winner of seven of the last 12 Vanier Cups, is so successful with fund raising that the team trains in Florida during the spring.

Canadian Hockey League teams offer financial support for their graduates – who attend school within two years of playing major junior – who choose to play for a U Sports school after graduating from major junior hockey based on a model where the league will give scholarships commensurate with the seasons they played in the CHL.

Beginning with the 2024–25 season, students will be able to receive athletic scholarships regardless of the grades they receive in their final year of high school or CEGEP. U Sports institutions will also be required to give a minimum of 45 per cent of their total athletic scholarship units to athletes on men's teams and a minimum of 45 per cent to athletes on women's teams.

Sponsored sports
Sports sanctioned include the following: basketball, cross country, curling, field hockey (women), football (men), ice hockey, rugby union (women), soccer, swimming, track and field, volleyball, and wrestling.

National championships
U Sports hosts national championships for the following sports:

Conferences and members
There are 58 member universities in U Sports. These 58 member universities are currently organized into the four following regional associations. In some of these sports, these associations are sometimes referred to as conferences. These conferences also organize regional championships.
 * Atlantic University Sport (AUS)
 * Canada West Universities Athletic Association (CW)
 * Ontario University Athletics (OUA)
 * Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ)

 * Notes

Sponsors
Source:

 * Sherrard Kuzz
 * Fox 40
 * Wilson
 * Mikasa Canada
 * Gilbert
 * Vereburn
 * Baron Rings
 * Nike
 * 88 Coaches Clinics
 * OGP Enterprises

title: U Sports


text:
Talk:Sabians

Incorporating the view that the Quranic Sabians were Mandaeans
I have copied the following comment from this page, since this is a better place to discuss it.

Although I would personally strongly agree with Mcvti's argument that the Sabians can indeed by connected to the Mandaeans and that this can be backed up by WP:RS, I do realize that there are other more skeptical points of view that I may not necessarily agree with, per WP:NPOV and that Wikipedia needs to present different viewpoints. Is there a way for everyone to somehow incorporate and synthethize all of their different viewpoints into the relevant articles? Nebulousquasar (talk) 05:06, 2 June 2022 (UTC)
 * Yes, I would like that, but with just one caveat: if by 'everyone' you mean all Wikipedia editors with different points of view, that would be a wrong approach, since we need to incorporate and synthesize the reliable sources' points of view, not our own. The article should not reflect the proportion in which Wikipedia editors hold certain views, but the proportion in which scholars hold them.
 * Now I have mainly seen sources that are skeptical, not necessarily about the Quranic Sabians being Mandaeans as such (which by no means is some kind of standard view, as it has been falsely portrayed lately in our article here), but about whether it is realistic to try to identify the Quranic Sabians with any known religious group at all. Thus Hämeen-Anttila 2006 p. 50, who speaks about the wild goose chase for the identity of the Qur'anic Sabians, which has taken all too much attention. Thus also van Bladel 2009 p. 68, who believes that the real identity of the group intended in the Qur'ān cannot be known for certain given the present evidence. See also de Blois 1960–2012: Their identity, which has been much debated both by the Muslim commentators and by modern orientalists, was evidently uncertain already shortly after the time of Muḥammad and remains uncertain now. They were clearly not Mandaeans (as Chwolsohn and many others believed), and hardly Elchasaites (as proposed below, s.v. ṣābiʾa); there is indeed little reason to believe that Muḥammad and his compatriots could have had any knowledge of either of these communities. Stroumsa 2004 has called the elaborations of scholars on the Sabians as being one specific religious group, especially but not exclusively with regard to the speculations on the Sabians of Harran, a "modern myth". She writes about this at length at pp. 335–341:
 * Courtesy translation from Google translate, emended:
 * These are all top scholars publishing with the most reputable publishing houses (in order of appearance, Brill, OUP, Brill, and Peeters) and mainly writing in the 21st century. It seems inevitable to me that the idea of uncertainty should therefore be the main approach taken in our article.
 * But that said, it would of course be great if we could summarize the arguments that different scholars have made for their different conclusions with regard to the identity of the Quranic Sabians. For the identification as Mandaean, it seems that Chwolsohn 1856 and Gündüz 1994 are the two main sources which have argued for this at length. Drower 1960 affirms this identification but does not argue for it (there are probably many others like Drower in this regard, as de Blois 1960–2012 notes). It would be especially helpful if someone would read Gündüz 1994 and summarize his arguments in a separate section of the article. Do you feel like taking this on? ☿ Apaugasma  ( talk  ☉) 10:16, 2 June 2022 (UTC)
 * These are all top scholars publishing with the most reputable publishing houses (in order of appearance, Brill, OUP, Brill, and Peeters) and mainly writing in the 21st century. It seems inevitable to me that the idea of uncertainty should therefore be the main approach taken in our article.
 * But that said, it would of course be great if we could summarize the arguments that different scholars have made for their different conclusions with regard to the identity of the Quranic Sabians. For the identification as Mandaean, it seems that Chwolsohn 1856 and Gündüz 1994 are the two main sources which have argued for this at length. Drower 1960 affirms this identification but does not argue for it (there are probably many others like Drower in this regard, as de Blois 1960–2012 notes). It would be especially helpful if someone would read Gündüz 1994 and summarize his arguments in a separate section of the article. Do you feel like taking this on? ☿ Apaugasma  ( talk  ☉) 10:16, 2 June 2022 (UTC)

Good source for detailed overview of the various scholarly identifications of the Quranic Sabians
Right now we're citing in the lead paragraph the various religious groups with whom scholars have identified the Sabians of the Quran. However, this should of course also be covered in the article body. I don't have time to do this myself now, but I've found that a good source for this is. She treats all of the arguments advanced by different scholars before her in great detail, and given that she herself has no preference (cf pp. 119–120) she's also quite neutral about it. Obviously, she doesn't treat of the important arguments of scholars who came after her, like Gündüz 1994 and de Blois 1995, for which we should find another source. But if anyone is willing to write a section on this, Green 1992 is a great start.

☿ Apaugasma  ( talk  ☉) 21:18, 11 June 2022 (UTC)

title: Talk:Sabians


text:
Talk:Robert Bloch

Japanese Wikipedia Media
I found a LARGE list of media from the Japanese Wikipedia. However, the Japanese list organizes by whether the work is long or short, not by fiction or nonfiction. Therefore, I'm trying to classify these books appropriately.

殺意の記憶（The Will to Kill） サイコ（Psycho） ろくでなし（The Dead Beat） トッド調書（The Todd Dosier） 都市国家ハリウッド（Sneak Review） アーカム計画（Strange Eons） サイコ2（Psycho II） トワイライトゾーン（Twilight Zone） サイコハウス（Psycho House）

[edit]短編集 血は冷たく流れる（Blood Runs Cold） 夜の恐怖（Terror in the Night） 切り裂きジャックはあなたの友（Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper） 楽しい悪夢（Pleasant Dreams） 殺しのグルメ（Out of the Mouths of Graves） 暗黒界の悪霊（The Dark Demon）

WhisperToMe 06:21, 30 Nov 2003 (UTC)

Jewish American
It seems from limited reseach, there are so many famous Jews :), that only non American born biograpies use the term Jewish American in them. It seems that his decent should be in a lower section rather the top section. Does this really his most defining attribute? Thanks.198.176.188.201 03:06, 22 April 2006 (UTC)

Biography assessment rating comment
The article may be improved by following the WikiProject Biography 11 easy steps to producing at least a B article. -- HornandsoccerTalk 02:07, 19 March 2007 (UTC)

Vaudeville
The penultimate sentence of the intro states that Bloch was in vaudeville. Due to that sentence, I added him to the List of vaudeville performers and added him to Category:Vaudeville performers. However, I can find no other information that actually corroborates that he performed in vaudeville. It is possible that he wrote for vaudeville, as many writers did in that period. If anyone has evidence that Bloch performed in vaudeville, please let me know and I will re-add him to this list. Thanks! *Exeunt* Ganymead | Dialogue? 14:41, 3 April 2007 (UTC)
 * According to his autobiography, Once Around the Bloch: An Unauthorized Autobiography, he appeared once on an "amateur night" in Milwaukee in order to get the attention of a pro playing in town, to whom he was trying to sell some material. As a result of that appearance, he got a few gigs as what we would now call a stand-up comedian, purely locally "at the kind of bar that advertised 'Entertainment Nightly'"; his agent got half of his $10 fee, and he didn't pursue this line of work for long. He also sold a few jokes to performers (local and national); and tried (unsuccessfully) to persuade vaudeville veteran Lou Holtz that there was more market for an autobiography of his colorful career than for a "novel" based on his Jewish dialect material about "Sam Lapidus" (which was already on the path to 'no-longer-acceptable'). That was about the extent of his "vaudeville" career. -- Orange Mike 17:41, 3 April 2007 (UTC) (typing this a couple of blocks from one of Bloch's old apartments in Milwaukee)
 * Thanks for the information. I would say nix on him actually being a performer, but I will keep him in mind if I do anything about writers for vaude. Thanks also for the information on Lou Holtz, I'm going to cut and paste your note to the talk page for future reference. Thank you for your response! *Exeunt* Ganymead | Dialogue? 13:49, 4 April 2007 (UTC)

In the Milwaukee Journal interview in April 6, 1935, he stated that his ultimate desire was to be a comedian and that writing horror stories was just an "interlude". He would write gags regularly and saw similarities between the horrible and ludicrous.PaulRaunette (talk) 16:07, 30 May 2013 (UTC)

External links modified
Hello fellow Wikipedians,

I have just modified 3 external links on Robert Bloch. Please take a moment to review my edit. If you have any questions, or need the bot to ignore the links, or the page altogether, please visit this simple FaQ for additional information. I made the following changes:
 * Added archive https://archive.is/20130629210858/http://mcfarland.metapress.com/content/x22170662p030371/ to http://mcfarland.metapress.com/content/x22170662p030371/
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20110604230952/http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/rbloch.htm to http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/rbloch.htm
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20110123160133/http://www.worldcon.org/hy.html to http://www.worldcon.org/hy.html

When you have finished reviewing my changes, you may follow the instructions on the template below to fix any issues with the URLs.

Cheers.— InternetArchiveBot  (Report bug) 02:55, 2 December 2017 (UTC)

title: Talk:Robert Bloch


text:
Spotted shag

The spotted shag or pārekareka (Phalacrocorax punctatus) is a species of cormorant endemic to New Zealand. Though originally classified as Phalacrocorax punctatus, it is sufficiently different in appearance from typical members of that genus that for a time it was placed in a separate genus, Stictocarbo, along with a similar species, the Pitt shag. Subsequent genetic studies show that the spotted shag's lineage is nested within the typical shags.

Taxonomy
The spotted shag was initially called the ‘crested shag’ by Johann Forster. He shot the bird while out hunting with the famous James Cook. Swedish naturalist Anders Sparrman was Forster's assistant on this second voyage of James Cook, and he described the spotted shag in 1786 as Pelicanus punctatus. Bonaparte erected the separate genus Stictocarbo for it in 1855. It was later returned to its original genus.

In 1930, the Stewart Island population was described as a separate species, the blue shag (Stictocarbo steadi), distinguished by its narrow rather than broad white stripe on its head and neck.

A 2014 molecular study by Kennedy and Spencer found that the spotted shag belongs to a clade of Old World cormorants. Its closest relative is the Pitt shag (P. featherstoni), and their common ancestor split from a lineage giving rise to the black-faced, pied and little black cormorants of Australia.

Description
The spotted shag is a medium-sized marine bird. They are usually between 64 and 74 cm high and weigh between 700 and 1200 g. Their bodies are very slim and they have a very distinctive black, decurved, double crest growing on their nape and their forehead. They have a long, slender, orange-brown coloured, hooked bill and yellow-orange feet. The feathers on their bodies are grey and blue. The adults have small black spots on their backs and wings, which gave them their name. Their irises are brown, while the ring around the iris is blue. They have a small patch of bare facial skin between their eyes and bill, which turns green-blue just before breeding season. Furthermore, non-breeding adults do not have crests and have paler underparts. The males and females do look very alike, there is almost no sexual dimorphism. Sexual dimorphism means that the males and females of a species look different and can be easily told apart, which is not the case for the spotted shag. However, the males and females can be told apart by their calls and mating behavior. Normally they do not produce much noise, only when they are at resting, roosting and nesting areas. When they produce sounds, it can be heard as loud grunts. Spotted shags usually fly in V-formation and it is hard to tell males and female apart. In flight, they look slender and pale, while their rump and tail look darker. It is hard to estimate the total number of spotted shags in New Zealand; estimates are between 10,000 and 50,000 breeding pairs (20,000 to 100,000 birds). In the past, the number of spotted shags has been limited by the availability of food, which caused an increase in number during the late 1980s.

Distribution and habitat
The spotted shag is endemic to New Zealand. It breeds only on the coastlines of New Zealand and some of the offshore islands, being mainly found on the South Island. High numbers can be found on the west coast and near Stewart Island, but they also inhabit some places on the North Island. During breeding, they can mostly be found on their breeding sites, but otherwise they are more dispersed to other coastal areas. Large colonies can be found around Banks Peninsula near Christchurch, and in a rocky outcrop named the 'Shag Rock' in Wellington Harbour. Phalacrocorax punctatus are locally common, with estimates of numbers nationwide varying from 10,000 to 50,000 pairs.

This species prefers to nest on cliffs along rocky coasts where they occupy ledges or cracks, forming colonies of over a thousand birds. They seldom go into freshwater environments or enclosed estuaries (Heather & Robertson, 2000). Seaweed is often used in lining the nests, the foundation of which is made of sticks.

Breeding
The spotted shag lays one to four (usually three) blue eggs with chalky covering, with both parents continuously guarding the chicks for about 30 days. Chicks do not leave the nest until they are at least 52 days old. They may breed all year round. When the spotted shag hatches, it is completely blind, naked and weak and has very poor coordination. They will beg their parents for food, but are not able to direct it. Between day 4 and 6, their eyes start to open and between day 7 and 11 their begging starts to become more directed towards the parent. They also become a lot stronger and they start calling loudly. Down starts to cover their body and is becoming thicker between day 12 and 17. Then, they also become more active and start flapping their wings. Between day 18 and 23, the chicks start to move more rapidly, though clumsily. By this time, the tail feathers have grown to about 1 cm. Between day 24 and 30, the spotted contour feathers are developing on the top surface of their wings. Some chicks start to leave the nests. Between day 30 and 35, the birds have almost reached adult size, but the down is still covering their bodies. The contour feathers will appear between day 35 and 40 and will be complete between day 40 and 50. By this time, the tail is also fully grown and many birds will have left the nests to form small groups. Later in life, they will form monogamous breeding pairs. Breeding colonies can sometimes consist of even 700 pairs. These pairs lay 3 to 4 blue eggs and the tasks of incubation and the rearing of the chicks are shared. Both parents feed the young by the ordinary manner in the nest. The fast flight of spotted shags up to a cliff-side perch makes its approach to nest spectacular. After breeding, most spotted shags remain within 200 kilometres of their breeding grounds. They form large winter flocks of up to 2000 birds, often flying in long lines between their feeding and roosting areas.

It is common to find red-billed gull hanging around the spotted shag colony. Also, it is easy to find that the gulls’ nesting colony are built nearby. The fact is that after the young spotted shag have been fed, parents have to leave nests to find more food to raise their young shags. At this moment, gulls forthwith fly to the nest and standing on the edge of it, their whole manner and tone of voice convey the impression of swearing. The young immediately disgorge some of their food, which the gull promptly eats.

Diet and foraging
Spotted shags are able to feed up to 16 km offshore. Their main diet consists of small fish and marine invertebrates, but they barely affect the New Zealand fish stock. The birds catch fish by diving from the sea surface and propelling themselves underwater with their webbed feet. They dive for an average of about 30 seconds, usually resting on the surface for 10 to 15 seconds between dives. The longest dive ever recorded was 70 seconds. Spotted shags often carry some small stones in their gizzard, which might function as to grind food or to avoid unwanted gut parasites. Sometimes they may be seen fishing singly, but more often a number are seen together, fishing by long dives or following a shoal.

Predators, parasites and disease
Some birds are accidentally caught by fishing nets and drown. Spotted shags might be affected by the lice species Eidmanniella pellucida (Rudow, 1869) and Pectinopygus punctatus (Timmermann, 1964) (Pilgrim & Palma, 1982). Furthermore, they might be affected by the following tick species: Carios capensis (Neumann, 1901), Ixodes eudyptidis (Maskell, 1885), Ixodes jacksoni (Hoogstraal, 1967) that only appears on the spotted shag and Ixodes uriae (White, 1852) (Heath et al., 2011). They also might carry the flea species Parapsyllus longicornis (Enderlein, 1901) (Part & Part, 1990). The spotted shag does not appear to be subject to significant predation and disease. A parasite that may affect it is Contracaecum spiculigerum, Eustrongylides sp.

Conservation status
The species is considered to be not threatened. However, although the species used to be prevalent in the Hauraki Gulf, their populations have undergone a significant decline in the last century. DNA analysis has recently indicated that the birds originating from the northern parts of New Zealand are genetically distinct thus increasing the concern over the continuing decline of the species in and around Auckland.

In culture
In 1988, New Zealand released a series of postage stamps devoted to the native birds of the country. The spotted shag was featured on the 60-cent stamp.

title: Spotted shag