text:
Talk:Howland Island

Wrong island
There seems to be some confusion in this article between "Howland Island" and "Howard Island". In most cases, it appears to be just a typo.

However, I'm deleting the following link, because it seems to be referring to a totally different island (Howard Island, near Elcho Island, near Arnhem Land, in Australia).

 * Description of a crash landing on Howard Island in 1943

Ray Spalding 06:52, 11 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Miles problem--distnace here off by 500 km. See Talk:Baker Island. Gene Nygaard 17:30, 18 Dec 2004 (UTC)

Note: No plane is known to have ever landed on Howland island.Wyss 23:35, 18 February 2006 (UTC)

Adding Abbott "alternate history hoax"
While searching for some trivia on Valentine's Day celebrity Esther Howland, I ran across the (real) factbook entry for Howland Island, and then immediately into the hoax website (ranked today as 1st and 4th, respectively, on google, under the term "Howland").

The hoax has some red flags, but in the end is surprisingly believable out of sheer depth; he's included the full text for a constitution, a seating chart for a government assembly hall, a long series of local news articles, and home pages for nearly half a dozen local political parties. His disclaimer is linked from the front page, but sounds like a travel company slogan and is missable.

I added a three paragraph description of the phenomenon both because I think it is interesting and marginally topical, but also as a prophylaxis against anyone "correcting" the reference material after seeing the hoax.

--Option 17:11, 25 Feb 2005 (UTC)

 * This project seems to have almost wholly vanished from the Internet. I glark the author was unhappy his benign socio/political fiction project/hobby was being widley mistaken for a fraudulent micronation (not all of them are meant to be frauds though, some seem to be more or less hobbies followed as role-playing games or whatever and a few may even be sincere, honest takes on "micro-independence"). I don't see any reason to note it in the article. Gwen Gale (talk) 17:53, 11 January 2008 (UTC)

An atoll?
Howland Island is a coral island that does not appear to have a central depression as atolls typically do. According to : "There is no pronounced beach crest and no central basin (dried up lagoon) such as one usually finds on such flat coral islands. For this reason it was naturally adapted to development as an airfield." Does that mean it is not an atoll? A-giau 05:47, 1 Jun 2005 (UTC)

You are correct; it is an island, not an atoll. --Safety Cap 17:10, 18 July 2005 (UTC)

There is indeed a slight (and dry) central depression and technically it's an atoll, Encyclopædia Britannica calls it Howland Island coral atoll. Wyss 17:31, 18 July 2005 (UTC)

Earhart Light
It has been called Earhart light since around 1938. Wyss 03:57, 17 February 2006 (UTC) Readers who don't already know the story of Amelia Earheart's tragic last flight will not understand the casual allusion to it, nor will they know why the beacon is named after her. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 217.157.224.13 (talk) 23:13, 24 October 2009 (UTC)

Locator map
This article needs a locator showing the position of the territory in the world. -- Beland 01:06, 17 February 2007 (UTC)
 * (It has since been provided.) -- Beland 01:50, 18 February 2007 (UTC)

The red x on the locator is way too far east. Howland is on the other side of the dateline, for starters. Gwen Gale 01:37, 18 February 2007 (UTC)
 * I'm not sure where it is supposed to be, but you can move it by editing the x and y coordinates of Template:Howland Island Locator. Good catch, -- Beland 01:50, 18 February 2007 (UTC)

Guano?
Was this island REALLY mined for guano? 66.161.222.40 13:01, 30 March 2007 (UTC)
 * Si, but not as much as some other islands like Jarvis Island. -Indolences 14:35, 30 March 2007 (UTC)
 * Most of these Pacific atolls were literally covered in it. 120 years ago mining the stuff was a cost-effective way to bring fertilizer to market. Gwen Gale 00:07, 31 March 2007 (UTC)

Organization of topics
The standard or conventional style for an article on a geographical location is to identify the location, describe its geography, flora and fauna, climate and then establish its history. IMHO Bzuk 02:28, 14 September 2007 (UTC).
 * Quick and dirty cut and paste re-organization is not helpful. IMHO. Gwen Gale 03:20, 14 September 2007 (UTC)
 * Not at all, but that was not what was happening here. The wording was retained so that no contentious issues of rewrite were involved. It was merely the order of topics that was being addressed. The only revision was an edit of the one cite/quote which was a bit off. FWIW Bzuk 03:32, 14 September 2007 (UTC).
 * The wording was based on the order of topics. By changing that order the wording and hence, the article, becomes less helpful. Lastly, could you please cite a WP policy which supports your changes? Thanks. Gwen Gale 03:40, 14 September 2007 (UTC)
 * No wording is changed, but the order that you read them follows a style used in geographic articles. See: Minnesota, Channel Islands, Indo-Gangetic Plain among others. There is no completely accepted style but the above guide is followed in atlas and encyclopedia articles. Policy I believe is intended for the following: 1.1 Behavioral issues, 1.2 Content and style referring to research mainly, 1.3 Deletion, 1.4 Enforcing policies and 1.5 Legal and copyright concerns. FWIW Bzuk 04:07, 14 September 2007 (UTC).
 * Flora: grasses. Fauna: Birds. Climate: Hot and dry. History: Discovered, mined, abandoned, colonized, abandoned. --Henry W. Schmitt 04:00, 14 September 2007 (UTC)

 * What on earth are you talking about? Also I made a mistake in my above comment. The Polynesian stuff should be first. -Henry W. Schmitt 04:21, 14 September 2007 (UTC)
 * and why do you think that? I'm open to discussion. FWIW Bzuk 04:25, 14 September 2007 (UTC).
 * I'm just confused about what your 1.1...1.5 stuff has to do with Howland Island. "Why do I think that" what? that the Polynesians came first? Well I would just guess that that stuff happened before the white man came to all of these islands. I don't know if the Polynesians would be sailing around looking for land at that time. -Henry W. Schmitt 04:36, 14 September 2007 (UTC)

 * I see what happened, I was answering another question and there was an "edit conflict" where you were adding your comment. I am fine with either format although I edited a change that was more like the typical encyclopedia article where geography comes first then history – the traditional land and peoples approach of research articles. I have seen many variations on that style in Wikipedia and it looks like anything goes. FWIW Bzuk 04:55, 14 September 2007 (UTC).

 * "Howland Island is a bleak, dry coral island located just north of the equator, 68 kilometers south of Baker Island. The grassy island is a thriving habitat for Widget birds who in their great numbers over millions of years deposited vast amounts of guano. In an area void of large islands, the nearest volcanic islands are that of the Hawaii group, located 3100 km north-east of Howland. In the mid to late 1800s the island was exploited for its guano by american and british phosphate companies. More recently, just prior to WWII, the US colonized the island, only to later leave after the japanese attacked the island by sea and air, as part of the continuing war for the pacific. Today the *descriptive phrase* island is part of the USMOI and is designated by the US as a wildlife refuge." something like that? -Henry W. Schmitt 05:50, 14 September 2007 (UTC)

I've tried to repair some of the damage done by the crude copy-pasted re-organization. Please bring proposals for any future organization changes or any other significant changes to the talk page first. Thanks. Gwen Gale 17:02, 14 September 2007 (UTC)
 * Gain some perspective, this comment is very unbecoming. Bzuk 20:08, 14 September 2007 (UTC).
 * Bzuk, you're a helpful editor. In the future, please discuss significant changes to stable articles before making them and please, don't fall into a revert war, which you've done in the past when you think you're right. I've reflowed and re-written the text to accomodate the new ordering of sections. Everyone would have been saved some time if you had proposed your changes here first. Thanks and all the best to you, as ever. Gwen Gale 22:07, 14 September 2007 (UTC)

And two other islands...?
I'm referring to the last sentence of the "Itascatown (1935-1942)" section of the article. It says "Similar colonization projects were started on nearby Baker Island, Jarvis Island, and two other islands."

Do we have any way of identifying these "two other islands"?

FrunkSpace (talk) 07:02, 12 April 2008 (UTC)

 * They are Kanton Island and Enderbury Island, now part of Kiribati. I've added a source in the article. Geobica (talk) 02:21, 15 March 2021 (UTC)

"No airplane"
It reads, "no airplane is known to have ever landed there". Then how does one explain that photo of an airplane? Varlaam (talk) 03:45, 10 October 2010 (UTC)
 * Despite the photo which shows clearly a float, aircraft (I will change the colloquialism "airplane" later) could not possibly land at Howland since there is no runway, however, float equipped aircraft or flying boats could berth at a number of shallow anchorages. FWiW, three "roughed-out" runways were built to accommodate the Earhart 1937 World Flight, but were destroyed by the Japanese in World War II. Bzuk (talk) 04:15, 10 October 2010 (UTC).
 * Perhaps the caption could be a little clearer. Varlaam (talk) 04:52, 10 October 2010 (UTC)
 * See revised statement in relevant passage. FWiW Bzuk (talk) 06:05, 10 October 2010 (UTC)

No claim
The United States has no legal claim to this island, having simply placed 'squatters' on it, and appropriated it, in a similar way as if squatters had set up a tent city in your backyard, and then called it their property. And then issued an executive order, saying if anyone else tried to also make use of your backyard, they would be forcibly removed. This method being a repeat of the pattern, they used to squat and steal the land of the Native Americans in North America. I.e., you have no flag, and we are going to ignore your invisible lines on the ground, and draw our own. With no inhabitants on the island, any claim upon it by the United States has been relinquished, and it has now reverted to unincorporated territory. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.226.11.248 (talk) 12:13, 20 March 2012 (UTC)
 * Interesting point, but an authoritative reference source needs to be cited in order to address this issue in the article. FWiW Bzuk (talk) 14:10, 20 March 2012 (UTC).

 * The US says they own it, and they have the US Navy to control it. You have an IP address.  Guess who wins?  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 63.152.107.179 (talk) 00:08, 27 April 2013 (UTC)

 * It's not in any way like squatters setting up in your backyard, since your backyard is recognized as an inhabited area you've already laid legal claim to. This island was completely uninhibited when the US laid claim to it, and no other sovereign nation had previously made such a claim, so there you go, that's the US's legal claim to it.  Call it res nullius, or "finders keepers," but no other sovereign nation had a previous claim to this island before the U.S. did. 75.71.194.124 (talk) 06:24, 11 August 2014 (UTC)

Amelia's plane not at Howland Island?
The hypothesis that Amelia Earhart crashed in the vicinity of Howland Island may be intuitive because AE fans consider it a simple explanation of why the US Navy couldn't find Amelia's plane in Howland Island despite the possibility that there could be faint radio signals coming out of Howland Island. However, there are two problems with this hypothesis. First, Amelia Earhart never said that her plane ran out of fuel or was suffering mechanical problems. Secondly, the Electra would have had to burn fuel fast enough to crash into the sea. As stressed by proponents of the crash and sink hypothesis, the only way to prove that AE crashed her plane into the sea is to search the ocean floor for any aircraft wreckage, 17,000 feet deep. So far, four expeditions have gone to Howland Island to test the hypothesis (the 1999 Williamson and Associates expedition, the 2002 and 2006 Nauticos expeditions, and the 2009 Waitt Institute expedition). However, those expeditions failed to find any trace of NR16020 despite extensive survey of areas of the ocean floor west of Howland Island and Baker Island with AUVs and ROVS (including the hypothetical impact site in the northwest corner of Howland postulated by Elgen Long). All of this shows that the crash-and-sink hypothesis is based on flawed assumptions and misinterpretation of the scope of AE's last transmission regarding the amount of fuel remaining. 68.4.28.33 (talk) 16:59, 17 January 2013 (UTC)Vahe Demirjian

 * Failure to find her aircraft after searching zillions of square miles of ocean floor is hardly conclusive proof that it is not there. Such a search is far more challenging than a backyard Easter egg hunt in long grass, even when performed by patient, careful adults.  After this many years, the plane could be buried in silt, broken up, mightily corroded, etc.  They could have looked right at it and not recognized it simply because the image did not fit expectations.  Worse, the potential observer could have been momentarily distracted by sipping coffee or sheer boredom.  Howland is still one of the best regions to look based on the scant evidence available.  —EncMstr (talk) 20:36, 17 January 2013 (UTC)

 * But the crash and sink hypothesis doesn't fully explain why Pan Am received mysterious radio messages coming from the vicinity of Nikumaroro. This is why some Earhart researchers stick to the Nikumaroro hypothesis because it accounts for the alleged post-loss radio transmissions. 68.4.28.33 (talk) 23:28, 17 January 2013 (UTC) Vahe Demirjian

Good hello?
Not even some sort of referential nod to C. Elliot Friday? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.224.73.221 (talk) 02:41, 26 October 2021 (UTC)

Prehistory section anecdotal
It feels like the source (there's only one discussing Howland specifically) is anecdotal at best and refrences artifacts that would have poor preservation (bamboo and wood canoe fragments) or else did not exist in this part of the pacific prior to european contact. I've reached out to US Fish & Wildlife to see if they can provide the comprehensive conservation plan for the island to hopefully provide a concrete answer but really feels like there's missing burden of proof. 5BonusDucks (talk) 05:24, 18 March 2022 (UTC)

 * Looking at A Brief History of Human Activities in the US Pacific Remote Islands (2o12), the original evidence for pre-Western visits to Howland is from an 1862 description of the island. It mentions excavations, mounds, and other early construction activity, as well as a human skeleton (near the remains of a hut, bamboo, the blue bead, and canoe fragments). He also speculates humans brought at least one tree species, rats, and lizards to the island. I agree what's in the current text seems overstated based on the evidence (and it looks like Hague's 1902 description in the note is less detailed than his 1862 version I'm looking at). I'll see about making some WP:BOLD edits later today. Carter (Tcr25) (talk) 13:39, 18 March 2022 (UTC)
 * Archaeology of the Pacific Equatorial Islands cites the same evidence as well as discussion a few potential sites but all are reported in the late 19th/early 20th century well after European occupation of the island. Still waiting on FWS reply; will update. 5BonusDucks (talk) 21:48, 18 March 2022 (UTC)

 * Update: US FWS provides much of the same shaky sourcing but does support the conclusion that Howland was not permanently inhabited. US Army Corps conducted a survey in 1987 including sub-surface testing. I have a FOIA request in to get a copy will update main page asap. 5BonusDucks (talk) 22:45, 6 April 2022 (UTC)

title: Talk:Howland Island


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Syria Accountability Act

The Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act (SALSRA,) is a bill of the United States Congress passed into law on December 12, 2003.

The bill's stated purpose is to end what the United States sees as Syrian support for terrorism, to end Syria's presence in Lebanon, which has been in effect since the end of the Lebanese Civil War in 1990, to stop Syria's alleged development of WMDs, to cease Syria's illegal importation of Iraqi oil and to end illegal shipments of military items to anti-US forces in Iraq.

The bill was sponsored by Representative Eliot L. Engel (D) from New York and was introduced April 12, 2003.

2013 Ghouta chemical attack
In response to the use of chemical weapons against civilians during the 2013 Ghouta chemical attack, president Barack Obama asked Congress to authorize the use of military force against Syria. An early draft of that authorization cites the Syria Accountability Act, saying: "Whereas in the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2003, Congress found that Syria’s acquisition of weapons of mass destruction threatens the security of the Middle East and the national security interests of the United States."

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

title: Syria Accountability Act


text:
User:Venceremos

Venceremos!

title: User:Venceremos


text:
User talk:Venceremos

Leave comments here.

User:Richardchilton

- Very good article! I totally concur with everything but one of the finer details. Perhaps it was bit too hard on Jimbo Wales. At least from my interactions with him, I've found him fair-minded, polite, and amiable. In fact, Jimbo was the one who granted me admin status. Had it not been for Jimbo, there would've been no way for me to garner a "consensus" on the votes for admin page. Moreover, on the mailing list, Jimbo's usually the first to act and the first to reply whenever I post something warning of intolerance on Wiki. 172 18:50, 12 Mar 2004 (UTC)

-- Venceremos: do you feel that the latest version of 'torture and murder in Iraq' before protection by 172 is acceptable? pir 13:42, 18 Mar 2004 (UTC)

title: User talk:Venceremos


text:
Terrell Brandon

Thomas Terrell Brandon (born May 20, 1970) is an American former professional basketball player. He played for three teams during his 11-year career in the National Basketball Association (NBA). A two-time All-Star, Brandon was a key starter on three NBA franchises before a series of injuries ultimately forced him to play his last game at 31 years old.

Early life
Brandon was born in Portland, Oregon and attended Grant High School, where he led his team to the 1988 Class AAA Oregon high-school basketball championship, being named Oregon high school player of the year. As a child, he suffered from chronic foot deformation.

College career
Brandon attended the University of Oregon, leading his team to the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) in 1989–90 as a sophomore. He then went on to hold several school records: career- and single-season scoring average, assists in a single game (13), single-season steals (twice), and single-game steals (eight). Brandon earned team MVP honors in 1990 and 1991. After being an honorable mention All-American, he became the first Oregon player to leave school early for the NBA.

Cleveland Cavaliers (1991–1997)
Brandon was selected 11th overall in the 1991 NBA draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers. After a strong rookie season, Brandon was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team. He spent his first three and a half seasons as the backup to All–Star point guard Mark Price. On December 21, 1993, Brandon scored 18 points and recorded 14 assists coming off the bench in a win over the Utah Jazz. Filling in for an injured Price during the 1994–95 season, Brandon responded by leading Cleveland on an 11–game winning streak. After the season, Cleveland traded Price to Washington. On February 15, 1995, Brandon scored 31 points on 12–15 shooting from the field, alongside recording 8 assists and 4 rebounds, in a 100–99 win against the Orlando Magic.

As Cleveland's starting point guard, Brandon earned consecutive All-Star Game appearances in 1996 and 1997, the second of which Cleveland hosted. Between these selections, on December 22, 1996, Brandon scored 33 points, recorded nine assists, grabbed six rebounds, and stole the ball four times in a 100–94 win over the Utah Jazz, which was notable as he was primarily guarded by all-time great John Stockton. Sports Illustrated labeled him "The Best Point Guard in the NBA" in a 1997 issue, the year he led the Cavaliers in points, assists and steals. He was also awarded the NBA Sportsmanship Award in 1997, for his work with underprivileged youth.

Milwaukee Bucks (1997–1999)
In September 1997, Cleveland traded Brandon to the Milwaukee Bucks. In the trade, Cleveland also sent Tyrone Hill and a top 10 protected draft pick to the Bucks; Milwaukee sent Sherman Douglas to Cleveland and Vin Baker to the Seattle SuperSonics, who dealt Shawn Kemp to Cleveland. Though Cleveland was not looking to trade Brandon, the team felt they could not pass over the opportunity to trade for a superstar of Kemp's caliber. On December 7, 1997, Brandon scored 20 points, recorded 13 assists, and grabbed seven rebounds in a 97–91 win over the SuperSonics. On January 5, 1998, Brandon again helped lead the Bucks to a victory, scoring 16 points and recording 15 assists in a 98–92 win against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Despite success on the court, injuries limited him to just 50 games in his first season with the Bucks, and Milwaukee struggled without him playing. Brandon was among the league leaders in steals and led the team in assists during his two-year stint with the Bucks. Though he expressed interest in playing in Milwaukee long-term with Ray Allen, the Bucks feared they would be unable to re-sign Brandon or continue to lose his playing time to injuries and did not want to risk losing him without return.

Minnesota Timberwolves (1999–2003)
On March 12, 1999, after just 15 games in his second Milwaukee season, Brandon was traded to Minnesota in a three-team, nine player trade that sent Sam Cassell to Milwaukee and Stephon Marbury to the New Jersey Nets.

Paired with Kevin Garnett, Brandon helped lead Minnesota to their first 50-win season in 1999–2000 with averages of 17 points, 9 assists and 2 steals per game. However, he was often plagued by injuries and on February 13, 2002, he was placed on the injury list by the Timberwolves, from which he did not return. It was during his stint with the Timberwolves that Brandon would get to team up and mentor Chauncey Billups.

On July 23, 2003, Brandon was traded to the Atlanta Hawks for salary cap purposes. He was waived by the Hawks on February 19, 2004, two years and 13 days after his last game, and he subsequently announced his retirement.

Brandon finished his career averaging 13.8 points, three rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.6 steals per game, and came within six points of scoring 10,000 in his career. His career-high for assists registered in a game was 16, which he accomplished five times. He was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 2006.

Personal life
Brandon now runs the Terrell Brandon Barber Shop on Portland's Northeast Alberta Street, which is frequented by numerous NBA players. He is also a real estate developer and serves as CEO for Tee Bee Enterprises and Tee Bee Enterprise Music.

Brandon has 2 sons, Trevor, Terrell Jr, from a college relationship. His father, Charles, was a supply store supervisor for Oregon Health Sciences University, and was also an assistant pastor in a Pentecostal church. Brandon's mother, Charlotte, was one of the founders of Mothers of Professional Basketball Players, an organization for mothers of NBA players. Though Brandon was considered "underpaid" by NBA standards, he told his mom to retire immediately after he signed his first contract.

Extortion attempt
In late February 2008, Brandon and former NFL defensive back Anthony Newman were the victims of an extortion attempt. Both Brandon and Newman received letters demanding money. Brandon and his friend, Timothy Upshaw, went along with the letter's request for Brandon to leave a bag outside of his garage with money inside (though they only placed a single dollar bill and plain paper in the bag). Bobby Hayes, the man responsible for the letters, arrived to retrieve the bag when he was confronted by Upshaw. Police were later called to the scene after a resident heard men talking about killing someone. Bobby Hayes was brought into custody and later released on bail, receiving orders not to contact Brandon, Newman or their families.

title: Terrell Brandon


text:
Same-sex adoption

Same-sex adoption is the adoption of children by same-sex couples. It may take the form of a joint adoption by the couple, or of the adoption by one partner of the other's biological child (stepchild adoption).

Joint adoption by same-sex couples is permitted in 39 countries. Most countries and territories that allow same-sex marriage (exceptions being Aruba, Curaçao and Ecuador), as well as several countries and dependent territories that do not (Bolivia, Croatia, Israel and two UK territories of Bermuda and the Cayman Islands) allow for same-sex joint adoption. In some of the countries with marriage, legislation for adoption preceded that for marriage.

Adoption is only permitted for same sex married couples in 21 of the 31 Mexican states and Mexico City, despite a Supreme Court ruling that requires states to allow it. Stepchild adoption is permitted for same-sex couples in two countries without same-sex marriage - San Marino and Czechia permits step-child adoption in which the registered partner can adopt the biological and, in some cases, the adopted child of his or her partner.

Given that constitutions and statutes usually do not address the adoption rights of LGBT persons, judicial decisions often determine whether they can serve as parents either individually or as couples. Opponents of adoption by same-sex couples have argued that LGBT parenting adversely affects children. However, research consistently shows that gay and lesbian parents are as fit and capable as heterosexual parents, and their children are as psychologically healthy and well-adjusted as those reared by heterosexual parents.

Same-sex parents pursuing adoption must also contend with social pressures to conform to heteronormative gender roles. The concept of gender role models is necessitated by the bureaucratic organization of foster care and adoption agencies, particularly in the United States.

LGBT parenting

The existing body of research on outcomes for children with LGBT parents includes limited studies that consider the specific case of adoption. Moreover, where studies do mention adoption they often fail to distinguish between outcomes for unrelated children versus those in their original family or step-families, causing research on the more general case of LGBT parenting to be used to counter the claims of LGBT-adoption opponents. One study has addressed the question directly, evaluating the outcomes of adoptees less than 3-years old who had been placed in one of 56 lesbian and gay households since infancy. Despite the small sample, and the fact that the children have yet to become aware of their adoption status or the dynamics of gender development, the study found no significant associations between parental sexual orientation and child adjustment.

Scientific research indicates that the children of same-sex couples fare just as well as the children of opposite-sex couples.                                   Brief of the American Psychological Association, Kentucky Psychological Association, Ohio Psychological Association, American Psychiatric Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, Michigan Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, National Association of Social Workers, National Association of Social Workers Tennessee Chapter, National Association of Social Workers Michigan Chapter, National Association of Social Workers Kentucky Chapter, National Association of Social Workers Ohio Chapter, American Psychoanalytic Association, American Academy of Family Physicians, and American Medical Association as Amici Curiae in Support of Petitioners             Brief presented to the Legislative House of Commons Committee on Bill C38 by the Canadian Psychological Association – June 2, 2005.

In 1979, Reverend John Kuiper of the Metropolitan Community Church and his husband became the first gay men in America to win the right to adopt a child.

Arguments
The adoption of children by LGBT people is an issue of active debate. In the United States, for example, legislation to prevent adoption by LGBT people has been introduced in many jurisdictions; such efforts have largely been defeated. Prior to 1973, state courts commonly barred gay and lesbian individuals from holding a parenting role, especially through adoption.

Major professional organizations have made statements in defense of adoption by same-sex couples. The American Psychological Association has supported adoption by same-sex couples, citing social prejudice as harming the psychological health of lesbians and gays while noting there is no evidence that their parenting causes harm. The American Medical Association has issued a similar position supporting second parent adoption by same-sex partner, stating that lack of formal recognition can cause health-care disparities for children of same-sex parents.

The following arguments are made in support of adoption by LGBT parents:
 * The right of a child to have a family, guardians or people who can take care of their wellbeing.
 * Human rights – child's and parent's right to have a family life.
 * There are almost no differences between children raised by same-sex or straight couples.  For that reason, sexual orientation of the parents has almost no relevance when it comes to raising a child.
 * Evidence confirming that, despite the claims of those opposed to LGBT+ parenting, same-sex couples can provide good conditions to raise a child.
 * For children, adoption is a better alternative to orphanage.
 * Fewer formalities for step-parents in everyday life, as well as the situation of a death of a biological parent of a child.

Legal status
Joint adoption by same-sex couples is legal in the following 39 countries, Mexico in some states:
 * Andorra (2014)
 * Argentina (2010)
 * Australia (first jurisdiction 2002, last jurisdiction 2018)
 * Austria (2016)
 * Belgium (2006)
 * Bolivia (first couples eligible 2020; nationwide 2023)
 * Brazil (2010)
 * Canada (first jurisdiction 1996, last jurisdiction 2011)
 * Chile (2022)
 * Colombia (2015)
 * Costa Rica (2020)
 * Croatia (2022)
 * Cuba (2022)
 * Denmark (2010)
 * Greenland (2016)
 * Faroe Islands (2017)
 * Estonia (2024)
 * Finland (2017)
 * France (2013)
 * Germany (2017)
 * Greece (2024)
 * Iceland (2006)
 * Ireland (2015)
 * Israel (2023)
 * Liechtenstein (2023)
 * Luxembourg (2015)
 * Malta (2014)
 * Netherlands (2001)
 * New Zealand (2013)
 * Norway (2009)
 * Portugal (2016)
 * Slovenia (2022)
 * South Africa (2002)
 * Spain (2005)
 * Sweden (2003)
 * Switzerland (2022)
 * Taiwan (2023)
 * Thailand (TBD)
 * United Kingdom
 * England and Wales (2005)
 * Scotland (2009)
 * Northern Ireland (2013)
 * United States (first jurisdiction 1993, last jurisdiction 2017)
 * Uruguay (2009)

Joint adoption by same-sex couples is legal in the following subnational jurisdictions or dependent territories:
 * UK Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories:
 * Bermuda (2015)
 * Cayman Islands (2019)
 * Gibraltar (2014)
 * Guernsey (2017)
 * Isle of Man (2011)
 * Jersey (2012)
 * Pitcairn Islands (2015)
 * Falkland Islands (2017)
 * Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha (2017)
 * Mexico:
 * Aguascalientes (2019)
 * Baja California (2017)
 * Baja California Sur (2022)
 * Campeche (2016)
 * Chiapas (2017)
 * Chihuahua (2017)
 * Coahuila (2014)
 * Colima (2016)
 * Durango (2022 -- prohibition never existed)
 * Jalisco (2019)
 * Hidalgo (2019)
 * Mexico City (2010)
 * Michoacán (2016)
 * Morelos (2016)
 * Nayarit (2019)
 * Nuevo Leon (2019)
 * Puebla (2017)
 * Querétaro (2017)
 * Quintana Roo (2022)
 * San Luis Potosí (2019)
 * Tamaulipas (prior to 2022 -- there is no prohibition)
 * Veracruz (2016)
 * Caribbean Netherlands (2012)

The following countries permit step-child adoption in which the partner in a relationship can adopt the natural and/or the adopted child of his or her partner:

Step-child adoption is legal in the following subnational jurisdictions or dependent territories:
 * San Marino (2018)
 * Czechia (effective from 1/1/2025)

 * Hong Kong (2021)

In Italy step-child adoption can only be recognized by court order since 2016.

South Africa
South Africa is the only African country to allow joint adoption by same-sex couples. The 2002 decision of the Constitutional Court in the case of Du Toit v Minister of Welfare and Population Development amended the Child Care Act, 1983 to allow both joint adoption and step-parent adoption by "permanent same-sex life partners". The Child Care Act has since been replaced by the Children's Act, 2005, which allows joint adoption by "partners in a permanent domestic life-partnership", whether same- or opposite-sex, and step-parent adoption by a person who is the "permanent domestic life-partner" of the child's current parent. Same-sex marriage has been legal since 2006, and is equivalent to opposite-sex marriage for all purposes, including adoption.

Argentina
Argentina allows adoption by same and different-sex marriages, and even by single people, since 2010. The law makes no difference in the requirements for adoption for any of these.

Canada
Canada has no nation-wide law legalizing same-sex adoption, but rather has smaller provincial laws that cover the entire nation. Same-sex adoption legalization in Canada began with British Columbia in 1996 and was finalized with Nunavut in 2011. By 2013, an Ipsos Global poll showed 70% of Canadians approved of same-sex adoption to some degree with 45% strongly approving.

Chile
Since March 10, 2022 joint parenthood of same-sex couples is legal in Chile after the entry into force of Law 21,400 on Equal Marriage, which explicitly guarantees non-discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity for custody purposes, filiation and adoption whether or not the couples are married or whether or not they had their children through assisted human fertilization. The law amends the Civil Code to recognize the parents of children as their mother and/or father, their two mothers, or their two fathers.

A 2021 survey, shows that 65% of Chileans support same-sex adoption.

Colombia
On 4 November 2015, in a 6-2 Constitutional Court ruling, Colombia decided to allow adoption by LGBT peoples. The ruling came before same-sex marriage became legal in the country on 28 April 2016.

Cuba
Cuba allows adoption by same-sex marriages (since September 2022 referendum) and different-sex marriages, and even by single people.

Honduras
As of May 2019, the Honduras Supreme Court is expected to rule on a decision regarding both same-sex marriage and adoption.

Mexico
Same-sex couples are able to adopt in Mexico City (since 2010), Coahuila (2014), Campeche (2016), Colima (2016), Michoacán (2016), Morelos (2016), Veracruz (2016), Baja California (2017), Chihuahua (2017), Querétaro (2017), Puebla (2018), Chiapas (2018), Nayarit (2019), Aguascalientes (2019), Hidalgo (2019), San Luis Potosí (2019), Quintana Roo (2022) and Durango (2022).

In Mexico City, the Legislative Assembly of the Federal District passed legislation on 21 December 2009 enabling same-sex couples to adopt children. Eight days later, Head of Government ("Mayor") Marcelo Ebrard signed the bill into law, which officially took effect on 4 March 2010.

On 24 November 2011, the Coahuila Supreme Court struck down the state's law barring same-sex couples from adopting, urging the state's legislature to amend the adoption law as soon as possible. On 12 February 2014, the state's congress overwhelmingly approved the measure more than two years following the supreme court decision.

On 3 February 2017 the SCJN emitted tesis 08/2017 in which it is stated that the family of the LGBT community doesn't end with a couple, but that it also extends onto the right to have and raise children. Therefore, LGBT couples wishing to form a family and adopt children will be legally protected and can't be limited by any governmental entity.

In October 2021, a bill was introduced to the legislature of Baja California Sur.

In September 2022, a bill was passed in Quintana Roo.

United States
Adoption by LGBT individuals or same-sex couples is legal in all fifty states as of June 2017.

Uruguay
A government-sponsored adoption law in Uruguay allowing LGBT adoption was approved by the lower house on 28 August 2009, and by the Senate on 9 September 2009. In October 2009, the law was signed by President and took effect. According to Equipos Mori Poll's, 53% of Uruguayans are opposed to same sex adoption against 39% that support it. Interconsult's Poll made in 2008 says that 49% are opposed to same sex adoption against 35% that support it.

Asia
LGBT rights for adoption of children in Asia are almost nonexistent, except in Israel, Thailand (TBD) and Taiwan. Some Asian countries still criminalize same-sex activities and do not have anti-discrimination laws, which are obstacles for legislating for LGBT adoption.

Israel
The issue of same-sex adoption has been the subject of a long-running political and legal battle in Israel that was resolved on December 2023, when the Israeli Supreme Court interpreted existing law to allow same-sex adoptions, as the law gives absolute priority to the welfare of the child and not to the gender of its parents.

Taiwan
Until 2023, members of same-sex couples could only adopt the biological child of their spouse (so-called stepchild adoptions). Taiwan law allowed for opposite-sex married people to jointly adopt, and also allowed single individuals to adopt, depending on the circumstances, including individual LGBT people. The same-sex marriage law only granted same-sex couples the right to adopt children genetically related to one of the spouses.

Europe

In February 2006, France's Court of Cassation ruled that both partners in a same-sex relationship can have parental rights over one partner's biological child. The result came from a case where a woman tried to give parental rights of her two daughters to her partner, with whom she was in a civil union. In the case of adoption, however, in February 2007, the same court ruled against a lesbian couple where one partner tried to adopt the child of the other partner. The court stated that the woman's partner cannot be recognized unless the mother withdrew her own parental rights. On 17 May 2013, French President François Hollande signed into law the bill that opened marriage and adoption rights linked to it for same sex couples.

In 1998, a nursery school teacher from Lons-le-Saunier, living as a couple with another woman, had applied for an authorization to adopt a child from the département (local government) of Jura. The adoption board recommended against the authorization because the child would lack a paternal reference, and thus the president of the département ruled against the authorization. The case was appealed before the administrative courts and ended before the Council of State, acting as supreme administrative court, which ruled against the woman. The European Court of Human Rights concluded that these actions and this ruling were a violation of Article 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights taken in conjunction with Article 8.

On 2 June 2006, the Icelandic Parliament unanimously passed a proposal accepting adoption, parenting and assisted insemination treatment for same-sex couples on the same basis as heterosexual couples. The law went into effect on 27 June 2006.

In Bulgaria, according to the Ministry of Justice the laws regarding adoption "lack a norm, concerning the sexual orientation of the individuals". Therefore, a single gay person or same-sex couples may adopt.

On 17 May 2013, the Portuguese parliament approved a bill in first reading allowing "co-adoption" of the biological or adopted child of the same-sex spouse or partner, where that spouse or partner is the only legally recognized parent of the child (e.g. the mother with the natural father not being registered). However, in October 2013 members of parliament opposed to the bill proposed a referendum on the issue and killed a motion to have the second vote in the plenary; the motion on the possible referendum was then considered, but the Constitutional Court declared it unconstitutional. On 14 March 2014, the original bill was rejected in second reading. On 20 November 2015, 5 proposals from several left-wing parties were voted favourably by the new parliament as result of 4 October General Elections.

In July 2014 through Life Partnership Act Croatia recognized an institution similar to step-child adoption called partner-guardian. A partner who is not a biological parent of a child can share parental responsibilities with a biological parent or parents if they agree to it, or if the court decides it is in the best interest of a child. Additionally, a biological parent or parents can temporarily give a partner who is not a biological parent full parental responsibilities. A partner who is not a biological parent can also gain permanent parental responsibilities through an institution of partner-guardian if both biological parents of a child have died, or exceptionally if a second biological parent of a child is unknown, and if the court decides it is in the best interest of a child.

In January 2015, the Constitutional Court of Austria found the existing laws on adoption to be unconstitutional and ordered the laws to be changed by 31 December 2015 to allow joint adoption by same-sex couples in Austria.

On 6 April 2015, the Children and Family Relationships Bill 2015 passed by Parliament in March 2015 which extends full adoption rights to cohabiting couples and those in civil partnerships was promulgated by the President of Ireland. The law went into effect a year later on 6 April 2016.

On 20 November 2015 the Portuguese Parliament approved; by 141 votes against 87 with 2 abstentions; a diploma presented by all the parties (except the right-wing PàF) to allow same-sex adoption. On 26 January 2016, the conservative Portuguese President Aníbal Cavaco Silva vetoed the bill and a week later the Portuguese Parliament overridden the veto. The law went into effect on 1 March 2016.

On 22 June 2016 the Italian Supreme Court of Cassation upheld a lower court's decision to approve a request for a lesbian to adopt her partner's daughter. Prosecutors had appealed against the decision by the Rome court of appeal. Decisions by the supreme court set a precedent.

In December 2020, Hungary explicitly legally banned adoption for same-sex couples within its constitution.

In April 2021, a court in Croatia ruled that same-sex partners have the right to adopt children. In May 2022, the High Administrative Court affirmed the ruling and rejected the appeal of the responsible Ministry.

In June 2022, the Constitutional Court of Slovenia ruled that same-sex partners have the right to jointly adopt. On 4 October 2022, the National Assembly (lower chamber of Slovenian parliament) passed the relevant act implementing this judgement, but a week later, the act was vetoed by the National Council (upper chamber of the parliament). This is to be followed by another vote on the act in the National Assembly and potentially a national referendum.

Estonia and Greece since 2024, allows full-joint adoption of children by same-sex couples - along with same-sex marriage being legalized at the same time.

Effective from 1/1/2025, the Czechia will allow same-sex couples “partial adoption” of their own biological child or children - but not full joint adoption.

Australia
In Australia, same-sex adoption is legal in all states and territories since April 2018.

New Zealand
The Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Act 2013, which came into force on 19 August 2013, allowed same-sex marriage and permitted married same-sex couples to jointly adopt children. Previously, an LGBT individual was able to adopt children, but same-sex couples could not adopt jointly.

Currently, there are no specific barriers preventing an LGBT individual from adopting children, except that male individuals cannot adopt a female child. Same-sex marriage law became effective from 19 August 2013, and since then married same-sex couples were able to adopt children jointly. Unmarried couples of any sex and couples in a civil union can now jointly adopt children, under a New Zealand High Court ruling in December 2015. The ban breached the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990. The minimum age to adopt in New Zealand is 20 years for a related child, and 25 years or the child's age plus 20 years (whichever is greater) for an unrelated child.

title: Same-sex adoption


text:
Talk:Las Vegas Strip

Covert 'Demolished or closed Strip casinos and hotels' into table
Can this please be converted into a table? It would make it much easier to navigate the key info (I'm thinking of the columns as follows: name, build date, demolition date, notes/additional information). — Preceding unsigned comment added by 118.211.51.253 (talk) 07:49, 13 November 2017 (UTC)

Stadium???
Sure, the new stadium is being built "near" The Strip, but on the other side of the highway behind Luxor. While certainly worth mentioning in the same breath as Palms and Rio from a "hey, it's in the general area" kind of way... is it right to include it in a manner that suggests it is part of The Strip? SpikeJones (talk) 22:56, 15 May 2018 (UTC)

Russell Road
According to Google Maps, Russell Road does actually go through. SportsFan007 (talk) 07:43, 18 June 2018 (UTC)SportsFan007

 * Not sure what you're looking at—Russell Road does not go through at the Strip. See this Google Map: https://goo.gl/maps/zAAfkXUuRMS2. Russell Road dead ends at Las Vegas Blvd, and then picks up again to the east on the other side of McCarran Airport. --  LJ  ↗  15:11, 18 June 2018 (UTC)

 * I'm looking at that it goes through the I15. SportsFan007 (talk) 15:19, 18 June 2018 (UTC)SportsFan007
 * The vertical road in the map in the article is Las Vegas Blvd, not I-15. The point is that it doesn't go through Las Vegas Blvd. Toohool (talk) 17:43, 18 June 2018 (UTC)
 * Ah ok, my apologies for the confusion, I labeled the vertical road so that there isn’t any further confusion. Thank you!!! SportsFan007 (talk) 18:01, 18 June 2018 (UTC)SportsFan007

~ Restaurants ~
Should we start a section of notable restaurants on the strip ? ~ ~mitch~ (talk) 16:40, 6 July 2019 (UTC)

I think it should go in this section ~ Attractions on the Strip ~mitch~ (talk) 16:45, 6 July 2019 (UTC)

Oakland A's stadium needs to be included
Since I heard that the Oakland A's are demolishing the Tropicana casino and replacing it with a new stadium, I think it really needs to be included… EverestMachine 4001 (talk) 02:26, 10 May 2023 (UTC)

 * It was only a week or two ago that the A's were seriously considering another site nearby but off the Strip. Since the stadium site is still being negotiated, I would not include mention in this in the article until a proposal is finalized and contract negotiated. --  LJ  ↗  13:08, 11 May 2023 (UTC)

Capitalization
Hello When it comes to "The Strip" vs. "the Strip", the lowercase version is far more common in sources. This was standardized across the article in 2009 (1, 2), though I see you have changed it here to a capitalized "The". Any objection to restoring the lowercase version? AJFU (talk) 14:42, 5 June 2024 (UTC)
 * No problem... 2009 was a bit before my time. Thanks for the note.X CP X (talk) 17:06, 5 June 2024 (UTC)

title: Talk:Las Vegas Strip


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Weimaraner

The Weimaraner is a German breed of hunting dog of medium to large size, with history going back at least to the nineteenth century.

It originated in the area of the city of Weimar (then in Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, now in the state of Thuringia), for which it is named. It was recognised as a breed in 1891. It is an all-purpose gun dog, characterised by its speed and stamina, its good nose and eye, and its courage and intelligence; in Germany it is not considered suitable for keeping as a companion dog.

History
Many theories of the origin of the Weimaraner have been advanced, but there are few documented historical facts; silver-grey dogs are shown in paintings by Antoon van Dyck in the seventeenth century and by Jean-Baptiste Oudry in the eighteenth. The breed is believed to have originated in the area of the city of Weimar (then in Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, now in the state of Thuringia) – the city from which its name derives. It is sometimes claimed that the dogs were kept at the court of Karl August, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, in the early nineteenth century.

From 1879 the dogs were considered to be a blue variant of the German Short-haired Pointer, and were eligible for registration in the stud-book of the Kurzhaar Klub. They first appeared at a dog show in 1880, when fourteen examples were presented in Berlin. These were of three differing types, from three different kennels: the traditional Thüringer Hund; the Weißenfelser Hund, which was rather more elegant; and the Sanderslebener, which was intermediate between the two. The Weimaraner was recognised as a distinct breed in 1891. A breed standard was drawn up in 1896, and in 1897 a breed association was established in Erfurt with the name Verein zur Reinzucht des silbergrauen Weimaraner-Vorstehhund; this was soon changed to Verein zur Züchtung des Weimaraner Vorstehhundes.

In the early years of the twentieth century – the time of the Great War – the Weimaraner came close to extinction; it was reconstituted from the few surviving examples of the breed.

It was definitively accepted by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale in 1954.

In the fifteen years from 2007 to 2021, the annual number of new registrations in Germany averaged about 485, with a low of 390 and a high of 607.

Characteristics

The Weimaraner is of medium to large size: dogs stand some $59 cm$ at the withers, bitches about $57 cm$; weights are in the range $30 kg$ for dogs, $25 kg$ for bitches.

The coat may be either short or long; a double coat of intermediate length is sometimes seen. The coat may be mouse-grey, roe-grey or silver-grey in various shades, or of a colour intermediate between these; minor white markings to the feet and chest are tolerated. The eyes are amber, ranging from pale to dark; the ears are pendent, with rounded tips.

Among the neurological diseases associated with the Weimaraner are cerebellar hypoplasia, hypomyelinogenesis and spinal dysraphism. Other diseases or defects to which it has some genetic or statistical predisposition include corneal dystrophy, distichiasis, entropion, eversion of the cartilage of the nictitating membrane, generalised demodicosis, medial canthal pocket syndrome, refractory corneal ulceration and XX sex reversal, and also – in dogs only – Weimaraner neutrophil dysfunction, pododermatitis and tricuspid dysplasia.

A 2024 UK study found a median lifespan of 12.8 years for the breed compared to an average of 12.7 for purebreeds and 12 for crossbreeds.

Use
The Weimaraner is a versatile hunting dog, and may be used to track, point to, flush or retrieve birds or other game. Registration is subject to successful completion of a working trial. In Germany it is not considered to be suitable for keeping as a companion dog. According to the breed club, it "... basically belongs in the hands of hunters due to its development and its characteristics ... It is not a companion dog, but a hunting dog through and through. As such, it needs work in practical hunting in order to preserve its balanced nature"; whelps are placed mainly with hunters.

title: Weimaraner


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Bengali cuisine

Bengali cuisine is the culinary style of Bengal, that comprises Bangladesh and the Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura and Assam's Karimganj district. The cuisine has been shaped by the region's diverse history and climate. It is known for its varied use of flavours including mustard oil, as well as the spread of its confectioneries and desserts. There is a strong emphasis on rice as a staple, with fish traditionally the most common protein. Freshwater fish are preferred to seafish, although barramundi, known as bhetki, is also common. Meat is also a common protein among Bengalis with chicken and mutton meat being the most popular. Beef is popular within the muslim community. In more recent times, lentils have begun to form a significant part of the diet. Many Bengali food traditions draw from social activities, such as adda, Poila Boishakh, Mezban, Iftar and Eid feast.

Mughal influence
Muslims conquered Bengal around the mid-thirteenth century, bringing with them Persian and Arabic cuisine. Such dishes as biryani, korma and bhuna had once been meals of the higher courts, but the cooks of the Mughals brought their recipes to the lower and middle classes. The influence was reinforced during the rule of the British Raj, where Kolkata became the place of refuge for many prominent exiled Nawabs, notably the family of Tipu Sultan from Mysore and Wajid Ali Shah, the ousted Nawab of Awadh. The exiles brought with them hundreds of cooks and masalchis (spice mixers), and as their royal patronage and wealth diminished, they became interspersed into the local population. These cooks came with the knowledge of a very wide range of spices (most notably jafran and mace), the extensive use of ghee, and marinating meat with yoghurt and chilli. In Bangladesh, this food has become common fare for the population while in West Bengal, they have remained the food of professional chefs. Further innovations include chap (ribs slow cooked on a tawa), rezala (meat in a thin yogurt and cardamom gravy) and kathi roll (kebabs in a wrap).

The Mughals had a particular fixation on meat, bringing mutton and beef into mainstream Bengali cuisine as well as already known kinds of meat like chicken and venison.

Furthermore, traditional desserts had been primarily based on rice pastes and jaggery, but under Mughal influence moved towards significantly increased use of milk, cream, and sugar along with expensive spices such as cardamom and saffron.

Influence of widows
In Hindu tradition, widows were not allowed to eat foods that would not be classified as "bitter", necessitating experiment and innovation. While most Bengali castes ate meat and fish, this was barred for widows. Widows also could not use "heating" foods such as shallot and garlic, but ginger was allowed. This style found a core place in Bengali curries in general, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian. Expensive spices such as saffron, cinnamon or cloves were used very sparingly—if at all. Nuts, dry fruits, milk and milk products (such as cream, ghee or curd) were similarly scarce. These economic and social restrictions influenced Bengali widows to create a brand new set of meals that utilized only vegetables and cheap spices.

Partition of Bengal
The large-scale displacement along religious lines as a result of the partition led to changes in meal-taking, so as to adhere to religious restrictions. In Bangladesh (former East Bengal and East Pakistan), Mughlai food is common, and includes foods that are less popular in West Bengal, such as beef kebab. Additionally, sweets such as zarda and firni-payesh are eaten. In rural Bangladesh, many people eat makna fried, popped, or raw.

During the colonial period, many Western food shops were established in Kolkata, making puff pastries, channa, chocolate, and chips especially popular. Dishes such as chop, gravy cutlet, sponge rasogolla, and ledikeni. As a result of a multi-cultural community, Kolkata city's cuisine continuously changes, and takes heavy influence from Chinese and European palates.

Characteristics
Bengali cuisine can be subdivided into four different types of dishes: eatables (খাদ্য, ভক্ষ্য, or ভোজ্য); চর্ব্য, or chewables, such as rice or fish; চোষ্য, or suckables, such as ambal and tak; লেহ্য, or lickables, like chutney; and পেয়, or drinkables which includes drinks, mainly milk.

Regional specialties
Different parts of Bengal are famed for certain dishes, food items and ingredients. For example, South Bengali districts around the Sundarbans boast of the expensive chui jhal chilli, which they peel and chop into small pieces to be cooked in their dishes and give off a strong aroma. On the other hand, North Bengal are the homes of many Bengali desserts such as the Mishti doi of Bogra, the Kachagolla of Natore and the Chomchom of Porabari. However, other regions also have famous desserts like the Balish Mishti (pillow-sweet) of Netrokona, the Monda of Muktagachha, the Red Yoghurt of Nabadwip and the famed Roshmolai of Comilla.

Chittagong
Chittagonian Bengali culinary tradition is mostly known for Mezban and mixed rice dishes like kala bhuna, which has shoulder pieces of beef and traditional spices. Dried fish (shutki) is more available in the Chittagong region than in other parts of Bengal.

Mezban
Mezban (locally known as Mejjan) is the Bengali word for special occasion feasts in the Chittagong region of Bangladesh. Historically Mezbani is a traditional regional feast where people are invited to enjoy a meal with white rice and beef, besides other dishes rich in animal fat and dairy. It is held on the occasions such as death anniversary, birth anniversary, celebrating successes, launching of a new business, entry into a new house, the birth of a child, marriage, aqiqah and circumcision, ear piercing of girls and naming of the newborn. The invitation of the Mezban ceremony generally remains open for all and various people to different places and neighbourhoods convey the invitation for the feast. In urban areas, attending a mezban is by invitation only. Usually, the consumption of food at Mezbani takes place from morning to afternoon.

Beef-based dishes are preferred by Bengali Muslims and are a symbol of social prestige for a Mezban feast. The rich and the poor arrange feasts on various occasions as much as circumstances allow them. It has a distinct style of cooking and proper Mezban meat demands a certain skill; for example: The unique beef curry served in this feast is known as Mezbani gosht, that carries a distinctive recipe, knowledge of which is essentially confined within the Chittagonian cooks. Fish is used instead of beef while cooking Mezban in Hindu tradition. The Hindu community of Chittagong organises Mezbani each year under the banner of "Chittagong Parishad", with curries made from fish, vegetable and dried fish.

Dhaka
Dhakaiya food is one of the most notable regional Bengali cuisines. The rich culinary customs are influenced by Mughlai, Central Asian, Armenian, Hindustani and native Bengali cuisines. However, it also has dishes unique to Dhaka. The Nawabs of Dhaka had brought Mughlai cuisine to Bengal, that were wholly retained by Dhaka's culinary community. Due to the high costs of producing Mughlai food, the recipes were limited to the elite classes in colonial India, and slowly expanded as Bangladesh's economy grew. The main focus on lamb, mutton, beef, yoghurt, and mild spices define the taste of the style. Such dishes as kebab; stuffed breads; kacchi biriyani; roast lamb, duck, and chicken; patisapta; Kashmiri tea; and korma are still served at special occasions like Eid and weddings. Due to the high class of the food, using an excess amount of expensive ingredients like ghee, and making the food melt in one's mouth were essential to the feel of the food. Old Dhaka boasts a variation of the famous pilaf - the Morog Polao - in which the rice is cooked after and the chicken pieces are cut. Other polaos include ilish polao and rui polao. Dhakaiyas are noted for introducing paneer and boiled eggs to khichuri. Dhakai bakarkhani is a thick, biscuit-like flat-bread which is a traditional street-food snack, famed for its quality and taste. It is mainly dished up with tea. Dhakaiyas proudly hold a heritage of creating the best khili paan using various herbs and spices. They also offer a khili paan for diabetic patients called the "paan afsana". Haji biryani is a dish, invented by a restaurateur in 1939, made with highly seasoned rice, goat's meat and number of spices and nuts. The restaurant has become an integral part of Dhakaiya culture.

Kolkata
In Kolkata, many local street vendors own small shops from which they sell their own homemade goods. Items like cheeses (paneer) can be eaten as is, or can be made into sweet sandesh, rosomalai, rosogolla, or chanar payesh. Milk is especially used in Kolkata's various types of payesh, differing in use of different grains and additives like dates, figs, and berries. In addition to European foodstuffs like chocolate, Kolkata takes culinary influence from its Chinese diaspora. Phuchka, known the rest of India as panipuri, is a common kind of Bengali street food made with a fried dough casing and a potato and chickpea filling, usually found in small stalls alongside bhelpuri, masala chai, ghugni and chaat stalls.

Influences
During the 19th century many Odia cooks migrated to Bengal to work in the households of affluent Kolkata families. They were also hired to cook in weddings and other family ceremonies. Introduction of Odia cooks into their kitchens brought in subtle but significant changes to Kolkata's cuisine. Some of Kolkata's classic dishes were originally from Odisha but were refined in Kolkata kitchens by Odia cooks. In fact some researchers say that dishes like kanika (Bengali mishti pulao) were first introduced to Kolkata kitchens by Odia cooks although this is contested by other researchers. Even to this date most of the cooks in Kolkata kitchens and hotels are Odia cooks.

The Chinese of Kolkata originally settled into a village called Achipur south of Kolkata in the late 18th century, later moving into the city and finally into its present home in Tangra at the eastern edge of Kolkata. The Chinese-origin people of Kolkata form a substantial and successful community with a distinct identity. With this identity came Chinese food, available at almost every street corner in Kolkata at present, due to the taste, quick cooking procedure, and no similarity with the original Chinese recipe other than the use of soy sauce. They were mostly Cantonese tradesmen and sailors who first settled down here and decided to cook with whatever items they had at hand.

Calcuttan immigrants to other countries have started carrying this abroad as well; Indian Chinese restaurants have appeared in many places in the United States and UK.

Indian Chinese food has been given a second boost in popularity since the 1950s when a large number of Tibetans migrated into Indian Territory, following the 14th Dalai Lama's flight. Tibetans brought their own taste preferences to add to the genre, such as the popular momo (a kind of dumpling) or thukpa (a hearty noodle soup). Tibetans and Nepali immigrants found ready employment in the many kitchens that can now be found on virtually every street in Kolkata.

Adda
Adda (আড্ডা) is a traditional Bengali means of socialising over food during the work day. Food taken during adda consists usually of mishti or sweetmeats, tea, and coffee, although heartier meats such as fried fish may be brought out as well.

The adda saw a rise during the colonial era among the Bhadralok guild members to meet and talk about a range of topics: "'You could be discussing Charles and Camilla's marriage this moment, and the next moment you're swinging over to the latest cricket series between India and Pakistan, and then swing back to the recent controversy over Tagore.'"Being a hobby for artisans, women were largely secluded from adda, a sentiment that has begun to disappear with the democratization of adda and women occupying a larger space in social life. For this reason, adda was seen as a refuge "...from the home, a neutral rendezvous away from both the perceived drudgery of the workplace and domesticity".

In the post-colonial era, the adda has been fading due to the more rigid structure of work and exploitative perceptions of unnecessary laziness. This has inspired a sizeable movement of Bengalis who believe it integral to the idea of lyadh, or doing nothing to relax and recharge. However, adda does still exist, being attended during vacation time or after work at clubs or coffee shops. The tradition even has an equivalent to the Greek symposium, as students may meet for a study session over food or have a teacher teach in a more relaxed environment.

Sylhet
Sylhet boasts a variation of the famous pilaf dish – Akhni polao – in which the rice is cooked after and the chicken pieces are cut. Commonly consumed varieties of meat include beef, chicken, mutton and duck/goose in dishes such as Hash O Bash. They also proudly hold the heritage of Beef Hatkora, a rice dish consisting of a wild citrus fruit not found in other parts of Bengal.

During the British period, biscuits and loaves were introduced in Sylhet and received popularity within the Muslim community. The middle-class Hindus of Cachar and Sylhet however were very suspicious of biscuits and breads as they believed they were baked by Muslims. In one occasion, a few Hindus in Cachar caught some Englishman eating biscuits with tea which caused an uproar. The information reached the Hindus of Sylhet and a little rebellion occurred. In response to this, companies started to advertise their bread as "machine-made" and "untouched by (Muslim) hand" to tell Hindus that the breads were "safe for consumption". This incident is mentioned in Bipin Chandra Pal's autobiography and he mentions how gradually culinary habits of Hindus eventually changed.

Utensils

Bengali food is often served on plates which have a distinct flowery pattern often in blue or pink. Another characteristic of Bengali food is the use the boti (also called dao or da). It is a long curved blade on a platform held down by one or both feet; both hands are used to hold whatever is being cut and move it against the blade, which faces the user. This method gives effective control over the cutting process, and can be used to cut anything from prawns to large pumpkins.

A korai is a cooking vessel for most Bengali sauces and stir-fry. The dekchi (a flat-bottomed pan) is used generally for larger amounts of cooking or for making rice. It comes with a thin flat lid which is used also to strain out the starch while finishing up cooking rice. The tawa is used to make roti and paratha. The other prominent cooking utensil is a hari, which is a round-bottomed pot-like vessel. The three mentioned vessels all come in various sizes and in various metals and alloys.

A flat metal spatula, khunti, is used often, along with hata (scoop with a long handle), jhanjri (round-shaped sieve-like spatula to deep-fry food), the shanrashi (pincers to remove vessels from the fire), the ghuntni (wooden hand blender) for puréeing dal, the wooden belun chaki (round pastry board and rolling pin), and the shil nora, which is a rough form of a mortar and pestle or grinding stone. The kuruni is used only to grate coconuts.

Silverware is not a part of traditional Bengali cookery.

Historical
Bengalis usually eat sitting on the floor with food served on a dostorkhan. They historically ate without silverware, with a large banana or plantain leaf serving as the plate, or with plates made from dried sal leaves sewn together.

It is customary to offer guests food and drink appropriate to the time of their visit. At meals, guests are served first, with the possible exception of very old or very young members of the host family. Within the family, serving starts with the senior males (those of highest social rank or eldest). School-age children are served before wives, daughter-in-laws, and the cook, who are the last to eat.

Contemporary
Prior to colonisation, adherence to meal order was a marker of social status, but with British and Portuguese influence and the growth of the middle class, this has slowly disappeared. Courses are frequently skipped or combined with everyday meals. Meals were usually served course by course to the diners by the youngest housewives, but increasing influence of nuclear families and urbanisation has replaced this. It is common to place everything on platters in the centre of the table, and each diner serves themselves. Ceremonial occasions such as weddings used to have elaborate serving rituals, but professional catering and buffet-style dining is now commonplace. However, large family occasions and more lavish ceremonial feasts may still abide by these rules.

Meals
Daily meals are usually simple, geared to balance nutrition and making extensive use of vegetables. The courses progress broadly from lighter to richer and heavier and go through various tastes and taste cleansers. Rice remains common throughout the meal and is the main constituent of the meal, until the chaţni (chutney) course.

Fish
Fish is a core part of the Bengali diet, and is the main source of protein. Bengalis typically use freshwater and brackish fish when making meals. Spices are used heavily in the preparation of fish, and the fish is usually served either as a curry or a fried steak. Popular fish curries include boal, rohu, ilish, and pabda.

One tradition includes the left side of the cidal fish being cooked in oil. Bengali Vaishnavas avoid all types of fish, eggs and meat.

Sweets
Bengali sweets have a long history. The Portuguese friar Sebastien Manrique, travelling in the region in the 17th century, noted the multitude of milk-based foods and sweets prepared in traditional ways. Falooda, shahi jilapi and shemai are popular sweet foods and desserts.

Roshogolla
Roshogolla, a Bengali traditional sweet, is one of the most widely consumed sweets in India. It spread to Bengal in 1868. Chhana based sweets were introduced in Eastern India from about the 18th century; as the process and technology involved in synthesizing "Chhana" was introduced to the Indians by the Dutch in the 1790s. The cottage cheese "schmierkase" was also known as Dutch cheese. The earlier versions of Rossogolla lacked binding capacity of the modern avatar that is well known and highly acclaimed today. This was due to the fact that the know-how involved in synthesizing such a sweet was unknown before being experimentally developed by Nobin Chandra Das and then constantly improved and further standardized by his successors. Furthermore, the "chhana" manufactured in those days was a coarse and granular variety and had low binding capacity. It was made by citric and ascorbic acid from natural fruit extracts. This type of "chhana" cannot be worked on to compact into any regular and firm shape for the purpose of sweet-making, leave alone making Rossogolla. This is because of a documented technological issue – lactic acid (extracted from whey) used to curdle milk now was introduced to India in the late 18th century by Dutch and Portuguese colonists (along with acetic acid). It is this method that creates the fine, smooth modern "chhana" with high binding capacity – which is now the staple raw material for Bengali confectioners. At present, Nobin Chandra Das is referred to have invented the spongy variant of rossogolla.

Darbesh
Laddu (or as it is known as "darbesh" in Bengal) is a very common sweet in West Bengal and Bangladesh, as well as the rest of the subcontinent, especially during celebrations and festivities. They are usually made out of flour, ghee/butter/oil and sugar. Alternative recipes can be made of coconut shavings and jaggery, raisins, chopped nuts, oatmeal, khoa, nutmeg, cardamom, or poppy seeds, among other ingredients. The sweet dates back to the year 4 BCE, where it was used for medicinal purposes and to keep the hormones of 9-11-year-old girls' hormones "in check".

Pantua
Pantua is similar to gulab jamun, and could be called a Bengali variant of that dish.

Other sweets
Several varieties of doi such as mishţi doi, fruit-floured doi like aam doi, custards, and rice pudding (khir or firni) are also popular in West Bengal.

Shôndesh, chhanar jilapi, kalo jam, raghobshai, "pantua", "jolbhora shondesh", "roshbhora", "lord chomchom", payesh, bundiya, nalengurer shôndesh, malpoa, shor bhaja, langcha, babarsa, and a variety of others are examples of sweets in Bengali cuisine.

Beverages
Common beverages include shorbot, lachhi, ghol, matha, falooda and Rooh Afza. The two main types of Bengali tea are dudh cha (milk tea) and masala cha. Srimangal, the tea capital of Bengal, is famed for the Seven Color Tea whilst Dhaka is famed for the borhani. Traditional fruit juices (rosh) are also drunk such as sugarcane juice, mango juice, palm fruit juice, date juice as well as basil seed or tukma-based drinks.

title: Bengali cuisine


text:
Talk:Dog kung fu

Untitled
Are you sure about this? Any sources? Dog style should be a Fujian style (South China), and I doubt that they have dog-like crawling stances.

Edededed 07:11, 11 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Yes, you have to know how to fight from the ground. please see the source links. Masssiveego 07:03, 9 April 2006 (UTC)

 * The source links do not specify a stance that requires both hands and feet to be on the ground, and none of the images shows such a stance. This information requires a reliable verifiable source. -- Medains 09:21, 12 October 2006 (UTC)

I have removed the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYxI-0l56-E Gao Shi Quan (Dog Style Boxing) video on YouTube

According to the sources stated (FuJian Shaolin Dog Boxing by Chen Zhi Fan and Shaolin Dog Style Boxing Manual by Ding Xiao Se), this performance does not appear to be dog boxing at all. As is stated in comments to video, this appears to be a combination of Toad Boxing and breakdancing.

In agreement with Medains 09:21, 12 October 2006, the vast majority of stances in the system do not appear to require that you be facing down with your hands and feet (or knees) as the foundation. In fact, the majority appear to have the practitioner on his/her back. Example at http://www.plumpub.com/images/Mini/chinbkmini/bk_tc515.jpg.

Mmercede 21:24, 16 April 2007 (UTC)mmercede

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title: Talk:Dog kung fu


text:
Talk:Langston Hughes

From Peace to war
Did Hughes' decision to support fighting in WWII come before or after the sudden switch by the Communists from peace to war? The article does not make it clear if he was just following the party line, or sincerely thought that segregation was not as bad as he had thought. More references to his own writings on the subject would be useful, as well.86.167.55.125 (talk)

Typo: felowship
Typo: fellowship

Langston Hughes
The photo captioned "The Poet at age 21" is not Hughes but rather a photo of the English composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor. BJECarpenter (talk) 20:00, 24 December 2023 (UTC)

 * I agree - note the autograph in the picture, which I have today removed from the page, and that it closely resembles other photos of Coleridge-Taylor in his wiki biography. The file name needs correcting.Cloptonson (talk) 12:51, 9 February 2024 (UTC)Langston HughesPC.jpg

Category: Poets from Missouri
Could someone add the page to Category:Poets from Missouri? I cannot because it is locked 2A00:23C7:CB0D:9D01:D087:BB45:2008:C907 (talk) 00:57, 12 March 2024 (UTC)

title: Talk:Langston Hughes


text:
Tropfest

Tropfest is the world's largest short film festival. It has also become known as the world's first global film festival.

Founded by actor/director John Polson, Tropfest began in 1993 as a screening for 200 people at the 'Tropicana Caffe' in Darlinghurst, Sydney, Australia, but has since become the largest platform for short films in the world. Tropfest Australia usually takes place in February each year in Sydney and it has been broadcast live via free-to-air television as well as global streaming and catch up. Sydney Tropfest 2015 was cancelled less than a month before it was scheduled to run. After much support on social media, Tropfest founder Polson announced in early December 2015 that extra funding had been sourced, and the festival took place in Centennial Park on 14 February 2016. In August 2016 it was announced that from February 2017 Sydney's Tropfest would be held in Parramatta Park.

While the festival has been on hiatus since 2019, Polson has stated that he is hopeful the festival will return.

Entry requirements
Tropfest differs from other cinema events by being a "content generation" platform, rather than an exhibition platform. Filmmakers are required to create new works for the festival which must include an item, known as the "Tropfest Signature Item" (TSI) and which changes each year. The films must be less than 7 minutes (including titles and credits) and be world premieres at the Tropfest event.

History
The festival's name is derived from the first year's location—the Tropicana Caffe in Darlinghurst, an inner-eastern suburb of Sydney. Created by Australian-born filmmaker John Polson, the first festival was held in 1993 and was originally called the Tropicana Short Film Festival.

The support and involvement of film personalities from around the world has become one of the trademarks of the festival. Selection of the winning Tropfest film takes place live on the night of the festival by a panel of high-profile industry and celebrity judges, in addition to the previous year's winner. Past judges have included Nicole Kidman, Cate Blanchett, Naomi Watts, Toni Collette, Rose Byrne, Geoffrey Rush, Russell Crowe, John Woo, Samuel L. Jackson, Baz Luhrmann, Keanu Reeves, Sam Neill, Ewan McGregor, Jane Campion, Salma Hayek, George Miller, Susan Sarandon and Gabriel Byrne. Judges in 2018 included Eric Bana, Aaron Pedersen, Marta Dusseldorp, David Michôd, Jessica McNamee and Michele Bennett. Corporate supporters have included Intel, Sony, Qantas, Cointreau and MadFish Wines. Movie Extra used to be the primary sponsor of Tropfest Australia, which is now supported by Holden, Parramatta City Council, Screen Australia, Western Sydney University, Parramatta Park and Melrose Park.

The festival attracts a wide degree of media coverage but it is the casual, grassroots nature of the event, rather than its high profile, which ensures the continued support of its patrons and guests. Notable alumni include filmmakers and actors such as Alister Grierson, Rowan Woods, Clayton Jacobson, Alethea Jones, Joel Edgerton, Daina Reid, Nash Edgerton, Peter Carstairs, Rob Carlton, Rebel Wilson, Sam Worthington, Robert Connolly, Leon Ford, Justin Drape, Tim Bullock and Elissa Down.

Tropfest now includes the popular Trop Jr, a short filmmaking competition and festival for youngsters under 16.

Other Tropfest programs have included:

 * APRA TROPSCORE, a film scoring and synching competition
 * Nikon DSLR Film Category, a category in the competition awarding short films created using DSLR technology
 * Holden 7 second Challenge, a 7-second film competition

Locations
The main event from 1993 to 2016 took place in Sydney but live satellite events have also been staged in Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane, Adelaide, Hobart, Perth and other cities. The event has been broadcast live on television by ABC Comedy, Movie Network, SBS and other networks and webcast to viewers around Australia and the world. In August 2016 it was announced that, beginning in February 2017, the venue would be moved to Parramatta in western Sydney.

Tropfest has expanded to locations around the world including Japan, Turkey, Africa, Abu Dhabi, London, Berlin, Toronto, Bangkok, and New York City. The inaugural Tropfest Arabia, encompassing approximately 33 countries throughout the Middle East and North Africa, took place in Abu Dhabi in November 2011. Tropfest launched into the United States in June 2012, with a weekend-long event in Las Vegas and a fully-fledged Tropfest New York competition in New York on 23 June 2012 at Manhattan's Bryant Park. Tropfest New Zealand launched in 2013 and Tropfest South East Asia at Penang, Malaysia in 2014.

Festival
Each year there are hundreds and hundreds of entries featuring the TSI and every year 16 finalists are screened in public to a huge live audience in Sydney. Annual audiences of around 100,000 people in The Domain have been recorded, to watch the finalists on large video screens. With a television and on-line audience, this number swells to hundreds of thousands.

The Sydney screening of Tropfest 2006 was abandoned after 13 films due to severe electrical storms. Screenings in other cities were not affected. With the judges located in Sydney it was necessary to announce the winners two days later at a press conference.

Each film must be no longer than seven minutes, have never been shown publicly before and contain the "Tropfest Signature Item", which changes each year, to show that the film was made specifically for the festival.

In April 2007, Tropfest formed a partnership with PBL Media which would see festival content archived and screened across various PBL properties and brands.

For Tropfest 2009, pay television channel Movie Extra replaced Sony as the naming rights sponsor for the next seven years. A new feature in 2009 was the live national broadcast of Tropfest and screening of the finalist films on the Movie Extra channel.

Tropfest Australia 2011 was the largest Tropfest ever staged, and reached a national audience of approximately 1,000,000 people (not including the internet).

Prior to the first full Tropfest New York competition in June 2012, Tropfest held annual New York screenings between 2006 and 2008. Signature items were a manhole cover, a slice, and a sunflower respectively. In November 2011, ahead of the 2012 competition, filmmakers were invited to "grab a camera, start shooting and tell their story through film", using the Tropfest NY 2012 Signature Item of "Bagel".

Over a weekend in June 2012, The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas celebrated Tropfest's 20th anniversary, culminating in a screening of the best 16 films from the past two decades in the Tropfest All Star Competition. With judges Toni Collette (President of the Jury), Tobey Maguire, Rebel Wilson, James Woods, Anthony LaPaglia, Trevor Groth and Charles Randolph presiding over the competition, The Story of Bubble Boy, directed by Sean Ascroft, ultimately took out the top prize.

A few weeks later, on 23 June 2012, Tropfest New York had its debut in Bryant Park. Hosted by Hugh Jackman and including musical performances by Alexi Murdoch and Milagres, the festival attracted a crowd of approximately 10,000. Judges Rose Byrne, Judah Friedlander, Jennifer Westfeldt, Scott Foundas and Ted Hope awarded the $20,000 first prize to director Josh Leake for his film Emptys. Tropfest NY 2013 festival was held on 22 June in Brooklyn's Prospect Park, with a bridge as the signature item. In 2014 Tropfest postponed its New York event. The festival planned a 2015 event, using a kiss as the signature item, which was originally announced for 2014.

Tropfest has one of the most successful channels on YouTube, having attracted more than 45,000,000 video views for its films in a relatively short time period.

In February 2013 festival founder John Polson announced a change of date to 8 December and a change of venue from the Domain to Centennial Park. We feel like we are changing gears, we are growing every year and Centennial Park is in some ways the emotional heart of Sydney

The winner of the December 2013 festival, Bamboozled, was accused of homophobia and transphobia. It is a comedy in which a man sleeps with a man he believes to be his transitioned ex-girlfriend.

2015 cancellation
On 11 November Polson announced that the 2015 Sydney Tropfest had been cancelled. He said "... I have been made aware that the company contracted to raise the funding and administer the Tropfest event is unable to move forward for financial reasons.". CEO of Tropfest Festival Productions, Michael Laverty, has been unavailable for comment.

Financial difficulties
Polsons said he had discovered to his "surprise" Tropfest was facing a financial crisis and could not proceed due to a lack of funds. It emerged the management company Polson had fallen out with over the alleged "mismanagement" of Tropfest funds was managed by Laverty, his long-time Tropfest partner and its managing director.

Over the following days it emerged suppliers and contracted partners of Tropfest have been experiencing payment delays for several months. As of 14 November Laverty was un-contactable for any comments. Commercial entertainment services agency The Intersection, who was retained in 2014 by Tropfest issued a statement on Facebook stating its relationship with Tropfest ended in 2014 over a pay dispute.

An outpouring of support for Tropfest quickly appeared over social media, including Twitter and Facebook, with calls for generous benefactors, state or federal government support, or crowd-funding.

On 6 December Polson announced that the Sydney festival would be held in its intended venue, Centennial Park on 14 February 2016. CGU Insurance was the source of the necessary extra funding.

Signature item
Each year, Tropfest requires that entries include a particular "signature item" or action to ensure that they are unique and are made specifically for the festival. No TSI was required for the 1993 festival. The following are TSIs by year:
 * 2019 – Candle
 * 2018 – Rose
 * 2017 – Pineapple
 * 2015 – Card
 * 2014 – Mirror
 * 2013, December – Change
 * 2013, February – Balloon
 * 2012 – Lightbulb
 * 2011 – Key
 * 2010 – Dice
 * 2009 – Spring
 * 2008 – The Number 8
 * 2007 – Sneeze
 * 2006 – Bubble
 * 2005 – Umbrella
 * 2004 – Hook
 * 2003 – Rock
 * 2002 – Match
 * 2001 – Horn
 * 2000 – Bug
 * 1999 – Chopsticks
 * 1998 – Kiss
 * 1997 – Pickle
 * 1996 – Teaspoon
 * 1995 – Coffee Bean
 * 1994 – Muffin
 * 1993 – Not Applicable

title: Tropfest


text:
Quebec (disambiguation)

Quebec is a French-speaking province in Eastern Canada.

Quebec may also refer to:
 * Province of Quebec (1763–1791), a British colony in North America
 * Quebec City, the capital city of the province of Quebec

Canada

 * Québec (electoral district), Canadian federal electoral district
 * Quebec (census division), a census division and county-municipal territorial unit of the province
 * Communauté métropolitaine de Québec, an administrative division of the province comprising the Quebec City metropolitan area
 * Québec administrative region, the former name of the Capitale-Nationale administrative region of Quebec
 * Quebec County, Quebec, a historic county comprising Quebec City and its environs

United Kingdom

 * Quebec, County Durham, a village in England, in the United Kingdom
 * Quebec, West Sussex, a UK location

United States

 * Quebec, Connecticut, a neighborhood in the Borough of Danielson, Windham County, Connecticut
 * Quebec, Montana
 * Quebeck, Tennessee

Arts

 * Quebec (album), a 2003 album by Ween
 * Quebec (1951 film), a 1951 film directed by George Templeton about the Patriotes Rebellion
 * Quebec (2007 film), a 2007 film directed by Steve Conrad
 * Québec: Duplessis and After..., a 1972 film directed by Denys Arcand
 * Ike Quebec (1918–1963), jazz tenor saxophonist

Ships

 * HMCS Quebec, a list of ships
 * HMCS Ville de Quebec
 * HMS Quebec, three ships and a shore establishment of the British Royal Navy
 * Project 615 submarine, the NATO reporting name for the Soviet Project 615 submarine

Other uses

 * "Quebec", the letter Q in the NATO phonetic alphabet
 * Quebec platelet disorder, a genetic blood disorder
 * 45555 Quebec, a British LMS Jubilee Class locomotive
 * Pingualuit crater, a meteor crater once known as the New Quebec Crater

title: Quebec (disambiguation)


text:
User:John540

Wikipedia is the coolest! I love editing articles.

title: User:John540


text:
Mid-stream operation

Mid-stream operation is the operation of loading and unloading cargo containers at the container ship while at sea, with barges or dumb steel lighters performing the transfer, distribution or landing of containers to piers nearby.

Although mid-stream operation has the significant advantage of low costs, it has been criticized for its dangerous operation where cargoes are transferred between two ships on sea, which make it very difficult to operate.

Hong Kong operations
Mid-stream operation has been abandoned almost everywhere except Hong Kong, where land is insufficient and the fees for using the container pier are quite high. In Hong Kong, mid-stream operations occur at 12 different locations occupying a total land area of 34.6 hectares and water frontage of 3,513 metres.

Operators include:
 * Fat Kee Stevedores Ltd.
 * Tai Wah Sea/Land Heavy Transportation Ltd.
 * Transward Ltd.

title: Mid-stream operation


text:
Premier (Canada)

In Canada, a premier is the head of government of a province or territory. Though the word is merely a synonym for prime minister, it is employed for provincial prime ministers to differentiate them from the prime minister of Canada. There are ten provincial premiers and three territorial premiers. In most provinces and all territories, these persons are styled the Honourable only while in office, unless they are admitted to the King's Privy Council for Canada, in which case they retain the title even after leaving the premiership. In Nova Scotia and Alberta, former premiers are honorary members of the provincial Executive Council and thereby retain the style the Honourable for life.

The prime minister–premier distinction does not exist in French, with both federal and provincial first ministers being styled premier ministre (masculine) or première ministre (feminine).

Name
In a number of provinces, premiers were previously known by the title prime minister, with premier being an informal term used to apply to all prime ministers, even the prime minister of Canada. This practice was eventually phased out to avoid confusing the provincial leaders with the federal prime minister, as well as to indicate the distinct nature of the provincial offices. The last such case outside Quebec was that of W. A. C. Bennett, who served as premier of British Columbia and styled himself as prime minister until leaving office in 1972. The title premier is typically not granted by written law. The formal name of the government position held by the premier is president of the Executive Council or some similar term, but that formal term is rarely used.

The French language does not make a distinction between premier, prime minister and first minister, which are all rendered as "premier ministre". Thus, "The prime minister of Canada and the premier of Ontario" will be translated as "Le premier ministre du Canada et le premier ministre de l'Ontario".

The terms prime minister and premier come from the United Kingdom, where there is only one prime minister / premier. Heads of government of constituent countries in the UK are titled first minister. Collectively, Canada's federal prime minister and the premiers are collectively referred to as first ministers, another synonym of British origin.

Role
Under Canada's system of responsible government, the premier is both a member of the provincial legislative assembly and the head of the executive. The premier normally holds a seat in the legislative assembly, being elected in one of the electoral constituencies of the province. The leader of the party which commands a majority in the assembly is then legally appointed the premier by the lieutenant governor, representing the Canadian monarch in right of the province. While most often the leader of the largest party in a provincial or territorial legislature is invited to become premier, this is not always the case, the most recent exception occurring after the 2021 general election in Yukon.

Premiers advise the lieutenant governor on whom to appoint to the cabinet and they guide legislation through the legislature. Premiers thus exercise a significant amount of power within the Canadian federation, especially in regard to the federal government. In many ways they remain the most effective representatives of provincial interests to the federal government, as parliament's strong party discipline and other factors have impaired provincial representation there. This reality is acknowledged in annual "first ministers conferences" in which the federal prime minister and the 10 premiers meet to discuss provincial-federal relations. The Meech Lake Accord proposed that these meetings be constitutionally mandated, and some premiers have even proposed that these meetings become a formal branch of government, active in the legislative process (see Council of the Federation). However, only one Canadian provincial premier has ever gone on to serve as prime minister: John Thompson. Canada's first and sixth prime ministers (John A. Macdonald and Charles Tupper) had also been co-premier and premier of British provinces that became part of Canada, but no one who has led a victorious general election campaign in a Canadian province has ever been prime minister.

Canada's three territories have premiers as well, though they are technically known as "government leaders". The premier of Yukon is chosen in the usual fashion, but the premiers of Nunavut and Northwest Territories are selected from within the small and non-partisan elected territorial councils.

title: Premier (Canada)