text:
Veterans' affairs

Veterans' affairs is an area of public policy concerned with relations between a government and its communities of military veterans. Some jurisdictions have a designated government agency or department, a Department of Veterans' Affairs, Ministry of Veterans' Affairs, Department of Veterans Services, or the like, which oversees issues relating to veterans' affairs. These departments provide a variety of services for veterans.

Functions
The particular services provided can vary by jurisdiction, but can include things such as:

 * Resolving issues regarding compensation due following service
 * Provision of military pensions
 * Assistance with housing
 * Assistance obtaining post-service employment
 * Provision of treatment for service-related injuries
 * Arranging for burial in cemeteries designated for veterans

In a survey of benefits and services offered to Veterans in four English-speaking countries, Veterans Affairs Canada noted that "[w]hile each country's suite of programs is very different, there is general consistency in the services and benefits available to support a Veteran's re-establishment".

Examples
Departments for Veteran Affairs in country or state jurisdictions include:

 * United States Department of Veterans Affairs (departments of this type in individual US states are independent of the federal entity)
 * Arizona Department of Veterans' Services
 * Florida Department of Veterans Affairs
 * Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs
 * Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs
 * Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs
 * New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs
 * Ohio Department of Veterans Services
 * Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs
 * Oregon Department of Veterans' Affairs
 * Tennessee Department of Veterans Services
 * West Virginia Department of Veterans Assistance
 * Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs
 * Department of Veterans' Affairs, Australia
 * Veterans Affairs Canada, Canada
 * Veterans Affairs Council of Taiwan
 * Ministry of Veterans Affairs, China
 * Ministry of Croatian Veterans, Croatia
 * Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, South Korea
 * Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs (South Sudan)
 * Service Personnel and Veterans Agency, United Kingdom

title: Veterans' affairs


text:
Frank Dux

Frank William Dux (born April 6, 1956) is a Canadian-American martial artist and fight choreographer. According to Dux, a ninjutsu expert named Senzo Tanaka trained him as a ninja when he was a teenager. He established his own school of ninjutsu called Dux Ryu Ninjutsu, and has said he won a secret martial arts tournament called the Kumite in 1975. His alleged victory at the Kumite served as the inspiration for the 1988 film Bloodsport starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. Dux's victory at the Kumite has been disputed, as has the existence of both the Kumite he described and Senzo Tanaka.

Dux served in the United States Marine Corps Reserve from 1975 to 1981, and claims he was sent on covert missions to Southeast Asia and awarded the Medal of Honor. He also asserts he was recruited by Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) director William J. Casey to work as a covert agent. His military records, however, show he was never sent overseas and has not received any awards; Dux states the military sabotaged his records to discredit him. He has been accused of falsifying his military service by authors B.G. Burkett, Ralph Keyes and Nigel West, and his claim to have worked for the CIA has been dismissed by Director of Central Intelligence Robert Gates, General Norman Schwarzkopf Jr., Major General John K. Singlaub, and Soldier of Fortune magazine.

Dux worked as a fight choreographer for Bloodsport, Lionheart (1990) and Only the Strong (1993). He detailed his alleged work for the CIA in the book The Secret Man in 1996, and that same year co-wrote the story for the film The Quest alongside Jean-Claude Van Damme. He sued Van Damme for breach of contract over the film, but lost the suit in 1998. He also lost a lawsuit against Soldier of Fortune for libel the following year, over their claims he had falsified his military and CIA service.

Early life
Dux was born on April 6, 1956, in Toronto, Canada. His family relocated from Ontario to Los Angeles, California when he was seven, and he later attended Grant High School. Dux states that he was introduced to and trained in ninjutsu by Senzo "Tiger" Tanaka, whom he described as a "world-famous" teacher and the descendant of 40 generations of warriors. Dux says that Tanaka brought him to Masuda, Japan, when he was 16, to train him as a ninja.

Career
Dux served in the United States Marine Corps Reserve from 1975 to 1981, and claimed he was sent on covert missions in Southeast Asia during this time. He also claimed he was awarded the Medal of Honor. Dux wrote articles for the September and October 1980 issues of Black Belt magazine, giving advice on martial arts techniques including knife fighting. He was described as being "decorated for his blade fighting techniques in actual combat in Southeast Asia" and as holding black belts in "Taekwondo and other arts". He also co-authored an article on knife fighting for Inside Kung Fu magazine in 1987.

In 1980, Dux was interviewed by John Stewart from Black Belt, stating that he participated in a 1975 martial arts competition in The Bahamas called the Kumite, describing the event as a 60-round single-elimination tournament held in secret every five years. According to Dux, he was the first person to be given permission to speak publicly about the event, and was the first Westerner to win the tournament, achieving several world records there including the most consecutive knock-outs (56) and the fastest knockout punch (0.12 seconds). The 1988 film Bloodsport is based on his alleged Kumite victory. At the time of the film's release, he was operating martial arts schools in Woodland Hills and North Hollywood, Los Angeles, teaching his own martial art style, Dux Ryu ninjutsu, which is based on the Koga Ninja root principles of Ko-ryū, "adaptability and consistent change". Dux worked as the fight coordinator for Bloodsport and also for the 1990 film Lionheart and the 1993 film Only the Strong.

In 1993, Dux attended the 2nd annual Draka Martial Arts Trade Show in Los Angeles, where he had a confrontation with kickboxer Zane Frazier. Dux had previously hired Frazier to teach classes for him, though Frazier alleges that Dux never paid him. A fight ensued, with Frazier proving victorious. Rorion Gracie and Art Davie witnessed the fight and subsequently offered Frazier a position in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Dux states that Frazier sucker punched him while wearing brass knuckles, in contradiction to multiple sources, including mixed martial arts (MMA) referee John McCarthy, who make no mention of this in their accounts of the fight.

Dux released the book The Secret Man: An American Warrior's Uncensored Story in 1996. In the book, Dux states that Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) director William J. Casey arranged to meet him in a restroom, and recruited him to work on covert missions, including destroying a fuel depot in Nicaragua and a chemical weapons plant in Iraq.

Alongside Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dux was a co-author of the 1996 film The Quest. Dux sued Van Damme after the film's release for breach of contract, on the grounds the finished film was too similar to the manuscript Enter the New Dragon, which the two had also written. In 1998, Dux lost the case, with the jury foreman stating jurors found Dux's testimony "less than credible", including his assertion that audiotapes of his agreement with Van Damme were destroyed in the 1994 Northridge earthquake. Dux appealed the verdict, though his appeal was dismissed in 1999.

Military service and Medal of Honor
Contrary to his claims, Dux's military records obtained through the Freedom of Information Act show that he never served overseas, that he has not been given the Medal of Honor or any other award, and that in January 1978 he was referred for psychiatric evaluation after he expressed "flighty and disconnected ideas". Dux states that the military sabotaged his service record to discredit him. A photograph of Dux in military uniform shows service ribbons being displayed in an incorrect order, and the Medal of Honor he is wearing is the version given to members of the United States Army, rather than the Marine Corps. Questioned about the photograph in 1988, Dux told John Johnson from the Los Angeles Times he was not able to get the military to explain why he was awarded a medal from the wrong service, though in later years he changed his story to say the uniform was just a Halloween costume.

In his book Stolen Valor, which won the Colby Award in 2000, B.G. Burkett says that Dux fabricated his military history and awards, and had not served in Vietnam, noting the war had ended before he enlisted. Dux responded to the allegations by saying he never claimed to have served in Vietnam, only in covert missions in Southeast Asia, though, in 1980, he was described in Black Belt as having "a distinguished military record during the Vietnam conflict", and an interview with him in a 1987 issue of Inside Kung Fu describes him as a Vietnam veteran. Authors Ralph Keyes and Nigel West have also disputed Dux's military service, as has Soldier of Fortune magazine. In 2012 Sheldon Lettich, co-writer of Bloodsport, said that Dux originally showed him a Medal of Honor he claimed to have been awarded, though years later, after people began questioning if he had "won" the medal, Dux then tried to convince him he had never made such a claim.

Kumite
When interviewed by John Johnson in 1988, John Stewart expressed regret for writing the Black Belt article on Dux's alleged Kumite victory. He described himself as naive for believing Dux, saying that after the story was published he received information that "raised questions about Dux's military career". Jim Coleman, then editor of Black Belt, added that Dux's story was "based on false premises" and there was no evidence of the Kumite. Kenneth Wilson from the Ministry of Sports in The Bahamas disputed the existence of the Kumite, saying it was impossible a martial arts tournament of that scale could have been kept a secret. According to Johnson, an invoice for the organization that allegedly staged the Kumite listed Dux as its only point of contact, and the base of the trophy he claims to have won was bought by him at a local trophy store. Dux told Johnson to speak to a man named Richard Robinson, whom he said he had met at the Kumite. Robinson initially confirmed Dux's story, saying that he was invited to the Kumite as he was an undefeated wrestler at Lower Merion High School. Johnson later uncovered that Robinson had not attended that school, and had actually gone to school with Dux. Confronted with this information, Robinson responded "All right. I don't know what to say ... Frank was a buddy of mine when I was in L.A."

Sheldon Lettich said that he got the idea for Bloodsport after listening to Dux's "tall tales" regarding the Kumite. Dux introduced him to a man named Richard Bender who claimed to have been at the Kumite and verified the story, though a few years later confessed to Lettich that he had been lying and that Dux had instructed him on what to say. Lettich described Dux as a "delusional day-dreamer". Citing his Kumite claims, MMA website Fightland includes Dux among their list of martial arts frauds. Both John Johnson and Fightland believe Dux faked his story to help promote his martial arts schools.

Senzo "Tiger" Tanaka
John Johnson reported he could find no evidence of Dux's alleged teacher Senzo "Tiger" Tanaka in history books or from other martial arts experts. Dux told Johnson he did not know the whereabouts of Tanaka or even if he was still alive, though in later years changed his story to say it was Tanaka's dying wish for him to compete in the Kumite. When Johnson pointed out that Dux's teacher has the same name as a ninja commander from Ian Fleming's James Bond novel You Only Live Twice, Dux responded by saying that Fleming "used to base his characters on real people". In March 2017, Dux wrote an article saying he had found Tanaka's death certificate, which showed he had died in Los Angeles in 1975, though as of 2016 Dux's website said that Tanaka died in Japan.

Fight record
In 1980, Dux told Black Belt that his fight record so far was 321 wins, one loss and seven draws, though in 2014 he told AXS TV that he had retired with a fight record of 329 wins, zero losses. Curtis Wong, an editor of Inside Kung Fu, doubted whether Dux's alleged 56 consecutive knockout record was possible. Others observe the difficulty in proving or disproving Dux's "impossibly impressive" records, as "the only person able to verify any of this information is Dux himself".

CIA work and The Secret Man
Several notable figures refuted Dux's claims in his book The Secret Man to have worked for the CIA. Robert Gates, William J. Casey's deputy and successor, said he had never heard of Dux, nor had anyone else he knew in the CIA. Dux named General Norman Schwarzkopf Jr. and Major-General John K. Singlaub as other people he had worked for, both of whom denied Dux's assertions. Singlaub called the book, "virtually a complete fabrication." He had his lawyer write to HarperCollins, the company that owned the imprint ReganBooks which published the book, asking for it to be recalled. Soldier of Fortune opined there were at least ten logical inconsistencies in the book, such as Dux's "preposterous" claim that Casey personally handled his operations and ensured that no one else in the CIA would know of his existence, yet contradicts this by describing receiving documents and support from other personnel on numerous occasions. A CIA spokesman said the book was, "sheer fantasy," adding that it was unusual for the CIA to comment on such matters though Dux's claims were, "so preposterous that we thought it was necessary," also stating that it was convenient for Dux that Casey was dead and unable to refute the book himself. Reviewing the book, Publishers Weekly said, "It's hard to tell whether the author is merely posturing or expressing his fantasy life in a memoir that reads as if patterned on the early paperback Avenger series."

Dux also alleged in the book that his father Alfred had worked for Mossad before the Second World War and also joined the Jewish Brigade in 1939. Nigel West says that Dux's family history does not "withstand much scrutiny", noting that Mossad was not formed until after the Second World War and that the Jewish Brigade was not formed until several years after Alfred is said to have joined it. Lieutenant Commander Larry Simmons, a novelist who formerly commanded SEAL Team 5 and who had the same literary agent as Dux, posed with Dux for a photograph. Dux featured the photo in the book, with the caption saying he was "talking shop" with the SEAL Team leader. Simmons denied "talking shop" with him, adding that Dux was "not an American warrior. He is a con man."

Other claims and reactions
Writing in the book Action Speaks Louder, Eric Lichtenfield said that, when his exploits are questioned, Dux counters by "actually exploiting his lack of substantiating evidence, and spinning it" into even wilder stories. Dux says that the reason he no longer has a sword he was presented with at the Kumite is that he sold it in a failed attempt to buy the freedom of a boat of orphans whom he later rescued from pirates, that he stopped a plot to assassinate Steven Seagal, and that discrepancies in his martial arts history are the work of fabrications by his rivals including ninjutsu master Stephen K. Hayes.

While many sources dismiss Dux's claims entirely, others believe there may be some truth to his stories. Dux sued Soldier of Fortune publisher Robert K. Brown for libel following the publication of their articles about him. While he eventually lost the case, during the hearing, John Johnson presented a photocopy of the receipt which he said proved that Dux had purchased his Kumite trophy, though the judge refused to allow it as evidence, noting several discrepancies such as the date on the receipt being after Dux was photographed with his trophy. Dariel Figueroa from Uproxx opined that there were several holes in both Dux's claims, as well as those of some of his critics, "leading to a mess of false evidence, lies, and, somewhere in the middle, the truth." Hugh Landman from Ranker has stated that while Dux "lies about, or at least greatly exaggerates, many aspects of his career," that does not necessarily mean his story is entirely false, speculating he may have won a Kumite that was significantly different from the one that appears in Bloodsport.

Film credits
Dux's credits on martial arts films are as follows:
 * 1988 Bloodsport (fight choreographer)
 * 1990 Lionheart (fight choreographer)
 * 1993 Only the Strong (fight choreographer)
 * 1996 The Quest (story co-writer)

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

title: Frank Dux


text:
Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer

Carl Dean Switzer (August 8, 1927 – January 21, 1959) was an American singer, child actor, dog breeder, and guide. He was best known for his role as Alfalfa in the short subjects series Our Gang.

Switzer began his career as a child actor in the mid-1930s appearing in the Our Gang short subjects series as Alfalfa, one of the series' most popular and best-remembered characters. After leaving the series in 1940, Switzer struggled to find substantial roles owing to typecasting. As an adult, he appeared mainly in bit parts and B-movies. He later became a dog breeder and hunting guide.

Switzer was married to Diantha Collingwood in 1954 and had a son named Justin. He was shot and killed by Moses "Bud" Stiltz in 1959 due to a disagreement regarding a business arrangement.

Early life and family
Switzer was born in Paris, Illinois, the youngest of four children born to Gladys Carrie Shanks (1904–1997) and George Frederick "Fred" Switzer (1905–1960). The eldest brother died in 1922. A sister Janice was born in 1923 and a brother Harold was born in 1925. He was named Carl Dean after a member of the Switzer family and many relatives on his grandmother's side (respectively). He and his brother Harold became famous in their hometown for their musical talent and performances. Both sang and could play a number of instruments.

Our Gang

In 1934, the Switzers traveled to California to visit family. While sightseeing, they went to Hal Roach Studios. Following a public tour, 8-year-old Harold and 6-year-old Carl entered the Hal Roach Studio's open-to-the-public cafeteria, the Our Gang Café, and began an impromptu performance. Producer Hal Roach was present and was impressed. He signed both brothers to appear in Our Gang. Harold was given two nicknames, "Slim" and "Deadpan", while Carl was dubbed "Alfalfa".

The brothers first appeared in the 1935 Our Gang short Beginner's Luck. By the end of the year, Alfalfa was one of the main characters, while Harold had been relegated to the background. Although Carl was an experienced singer and musician, his character Alfalfa was often called upon to sing off-key renditions of popular songs for comic effect, most often those of Bing Crosby. Alfalfa also sported a cowlick.

By the end of 1937, Switzer's "Alfalfa" had surpassed the series' nominal star, George "Spanky" McFarland, in popularity. While the boys got along, their fathers argued constantly over their sons' screen time and salaries. Switzer's best friend among the Our Gang actors was Tommy Bond, who played his on-screen nemesis "Butch". In Bond's words, he and Switzer became good friends because "neither of us could replace the others".

Adult years
Switzer's tenure on Our Gang ended in 1940, when he was twelve. His first role after leaving the series was as a Boy Scout in I Love You Again (1940) starring William Powell and Myrna Loy. He then co-starred in the 1941 comedy Reg'lar Fellers. The next year, he had a supporting role in Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch. Switzer continued to appear in films in various supporting roles, including in Johnny Doughboy (1942), Going My Way (1944), and The Great Mike (1944).

Switzer had an uncredited role as Auggie in the 1943 film The Human Comedy. Switzer's last starring roles were in a brief series of imitation Bowery Boys films. He reprised his "Alfalfa" character, complete with comically sour vocals, in PRC's Gas House Kids comedies in 1946 and 1947. By this time Switzer was downplaying his earlier Our Gang work. In his 1946 resume, he referred to the films generically as "M-G-M short product".

Switzer had small parts in both the 1946 Christmas film It's a Wonderful Life as Mary Hatch's (Donna Reed) date at a high school dance in the film's beginning and again in the 1948 film On Our Merry Way as the mayor's son, a trumpet player in a fixed musical talent contest. In 1952, he played a busboy in the film Pat and Mike starring Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. In the 1954 musical film White Christmas, his photo was used to depict "Freckle-Faced Haynes, the Dog-Faced Boy", an army buddy of lead characters Wallace and Davis (played by Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye) who was also the brother of the female leads the Haynes Sisters, played by Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen.

In the 1950s, Switzer returned to television. Between 1952 and 1955, he made six appearances on The Roy Rogers Show. He also guest-starred in an episode of the American science fiction anthology series Science Fiction Theatre and The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. In 1953 and 1954, Switzer co-starred in three William A. Wellman-directed films: Island in the Sky and The High and the Mighty, both starring John Wayne, and Track of the Cat, starring Robert Mitchum. In 1956, he co-starred in The Bowery Boys film Dig That Uranium followed by a bit part as a Hebrew slave in Cecil B. DeMille's The Ten Commandments. Switzer's final film role was in the 1958 drama The Defiant Ones.

Besides acting, Switzer bred and trained hunting dogs and guided hunting expeditions. Among his notable clients were Roy Rogers and Dale Evans (Switzer's son's godparents), James Stewart, and Henry Fonda.

Personal life
In early 1954, Switzer went on a blind date with Diantha Collingwood (1930–2004), also known as Dian or Diana. She was the daughter of Lelo and Faye Collingwood, and an heiress to the grain elevator empire Collingwood Grain. Collingwood had moved with her mother and sister to California in 1953 because her sister wanted to become an actress. Switzer and Collingwood got along well and married in Las Vegas three months later.

In 1956, with his money running out and Diantha pregnant, his mother-in-law offered them a farm near Pretty Prairie, Kansas. Their son, Justin Lance Collingwood Switzer (later Justin Lance Collingwood Eldridge) was born that year. They divorced in 1957. Diantha married Richard Rosswell "Ross" Eldridge (1933–2007), who adopted and raised Lance as his own, and had two other children by him, sons Chris and Lee Eldridge.

In 1987, former Our Gang co-star George "Spanky" McFarland recalled a meeting with Switzer when they spoke about the farm:

"The last time I saw Carl was 1957. It was a tough time for me—and him. I was starting a tour of theme parks and county fairs in the Midwest. Carl had married this girl whose father owned a pretty good size farm near Wichita. When I came through town, he heard about it and called. He told me he was helping to run the farm, but he finally had to put a radio on the tractor while he was out there plowing. Knowing Carl, I knew that wasn't going to last. He may have come from Paris, Illinois, but he wasn't a farmer! We hadn't seen each other since we left the 'Gang.' So we had lunch. We talked about all the things you'd expect. And then I never saw him again. He looked pretty much the same. He was just Carl Switzer—kind of cocky, a little antsy—and I thought to myself he hadn't changed that much. He still talked big. He just grew up."

On January 26, 1958, Switzer was getting into his car in front of a bar in Studio City, when a bullet smashed through the window and struck him in the upper right arm. However, the gunman was never caught. Later that December, Switzer was arrested in Sequoia National Forest for cutting down 15 pine trees he had intended to illegally sell as Christmas trees. He was sentenced to one year's probation. Switzer was also ordered to pay a $225 fine (more than $ today).

Death

Sometime in 1959, Switzer agreed to train a hunting dog, a Treeing Walker Coonhound, for Moses Samuel "Bud" Stiltz. Stiltz was Switzer's longtime friend and sometime business partner, whom Switzer had met while working with Roy Rogers on various productions at the Corriganville Movie Ranch. While in Switzer's possession, the dog ran off to chase after a bear. After learning that the dog had disappeared while Switzer was looking after it, Stiltz was unsympathetic towards Switzer, firm in his demands that Switzer had to either return his dog or pay him the equivalent of the dog's value.

Unable to produce money to settle the debt, Switzer took out ads in newspapers and put up fliers, offering a reward for the safe return of the animal. Eventually, the dog was located and brought to the bar where Switzer was working at the time. The rescuer was rewarded with $35 in cash and $15 in alcoholic beverages, the equivalent of about $450 in 2020. The loss of his $50 did not sit well with Switzer. During an emotional conversation with his friend Jack Piott, a 37-year-old unit still photographer, that took place a few days later, the two decided that Stiltz should reimburse Switzer the finder's fee. Their argument was that the dog was Stiltz's and not Switzer's.

The two arrived at Stiltz's home in Mission Hills, at 10400 Columbus Avenue. Stiltz shared the home with his wife, Rita Corrigan, and his stepchildren. Switzer and Piott intended to demand money from Stiltz. Though differing accounts of the event exist, all agree that Stiltz was struck over the left side of his head with a glass clock. He later retreated to his room to retrieve a .38-caliber revolver, which Switzer wrestled him for. Their struggle caused the gun to discharge and almost shot Tom Corrigan, Stiltz's 14-year-old stepson.

Stiltz's account of the event was one of self-defense, testifying that Switzer had banged on his front door, yelling "Let me in, or I'll kick in the door." The threat was followed by a struggle that began with one of the men, Switzer or Piott, striking Stiltz with the clock. This prompted Stiltz to retrieve his firearm, which Switzer grabbed for. The gun discharged accidentally, almost shooting Corrigan. Switzer then, according to Stiltz, threatened him with a knife and yelled, "I'm going to kill you!" Stiltz fired and shot Switzer in the groin, damaging an artery that caused massive internal bleeding. Switzer was pronounced dead on arrival at 7:27 pm at the Hospital at the age of 31.

Tom Corrigan's account differed significantly from his stepfather's. He told investigators that Stiltz shot Switzer as he and Piott were leaving. After the gun's accidental discharge that almost hit Corrigan, Switzer turned to Piott and said they needed to leave. The two were headed for the door when Stiltz then fired the fatal shot. Switzer never drew a knife, as Stiltz had claimed he had.

Corrigan was never called to testify at the coroner's inquest, and Stiltz testified in his own favor. His testimony was taken to be truthful, despite physical evidence that contradicted his account and his past perjury conviction. Years later, Corrigan stood by what he told officers had happened that night, and said his stepfather did not have to kill Switzer.

Later account
The shooting was judged to be self-defense. During the inquest regarding Switzer's death, it was revealed that what was reported as a "hunting knife" was in fact a penknife. It had been found by crime scene investigators under his body.

Over 42 years later, in January 2001, Tom Corrigan told reporters "It was more like murder". He said he heard the knock on the front door, and Switzer said "Western Union for Bud Stiltz." Corrigan's mother, Rita Corrigan, opened the door to find a drunk Switzer, complaining about a perceived month-old debt and demanding repayment. Corrigan said Switzer entered the house first, followed by Jack Piott. Switzer said he was going to beat up Stiltz, and Stiltz confronted Switzer with a .38-caliber revolver in his hand.

Corrigan said that Switzer grabbed the revolver and Stiltz and Switzer struggled over it. He said Piott broke a glass-domed clock over Stiltz's head, causing Stiltz's eye to swell shut. During the struggle, a shot was fired into the ceiling and Corrigan was struck in the leg by a fragment. Corrigan said his two younger sisters ran to a neighbor's house to call for help. "Well, we shot Tommy, enough of this," he said he recalled Switzer saying, just before Switzer and Piott started to leave the house.

Corrigan said he had just stepped out the front door when he heard, but did not witness, a second shot behind him. He said he then turned and saw Switzer sliding down the wall with a surprised look on his face after Stiltz had shot him. Corrigan said he saw a closed penknife at Switzer's side, which he presumed fell out of his pocket or his hand. He said he then saw his stepfather shove Piott against the kitchen counter and threaten to kill him too. Corrigan said they heard emergency sirens as Piott begged for his life, and that he thought this was the only reason Stiltz did not kill Piott. Corrigan said his stepfather lied in his account of the event before the coroner's jury.

Corrigan said a Los Angeles Police Department detective interviewed him and asked if he would testify before the judge. Corrigan said he agreed to, but he was never called before the court.

Moses Stiltz died in 1983 at the age of 62.

Burial
Carl Switzer was interred at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Hollywood, California on January 27, 1959. Because he died the same day as Cecil B. DeMille, his death received only minor notice in most newspapers, as DeMille's obituary dominated the columns. Switzer had appeared as a slave (uncredited) in the last film for which DeMille was credited as a director, The Ten Commandments.

Switzer's gravestone features the square and compasses of Freemasonry and an image of a hunting dog.

Documentary

 * "The Life and Death of Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer," Grave Explorations, via YouTube, July 2, 2020.

title: Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer


text:
Peleliu

Peleliu (or Beliliou) is an island in the island nation of Palau. Peleliu, along with two small islands to its northeast, forms one of the sixteen states of Palau. The island is notable as the location of the Battle of Peleliu in World War II.

History
Beliliou was traditionally divided into five villages. Teliu is located on the southwest coast bordered on the north by Ngerkeiukl on the west coast, Ngesias in the central portion of the island, and Ngerdelolk on the east coast. Ngerchol occupies the northern part of the island on the west side of Bloody Nose Ridge. Most of the surface remains of the traditional villages have been obliterated. However, the locations of the villages and the locations of features within the villages, including odesongel, are known and preserved in the oral tradition. These traditional features are important symbols giving identity to families, clans and regions.

The lagoon and adjacent rock islands are important resource areas, and probably were intensively exploited prehistorically. Important resources include many different species of trees and other plants and many different species of fish and shellfish. On the islands, traditional gardens would have been located in areas where sufficient soil had accumulated in low lying pockets and marshes.

First sighting of Peleliu, Babeldaob, and Koror recorded by Westerners was by the Spanish expedition of Ruy López de Villalobos at the end of January 1543. They were then charted as Los Arrecifes ("The Reefs" in Spanish). In November and December 1710 these three islands were again visited and explored by the Spanish missionary expedition commanded by Sargento Mayor Francisco Padilla on board of the patache Santísima Trinidad. Two years later they were explored in detail by the expedition of Spanish naval officer Bernardo de Egoy. Following its defeat in the Spanish–American War, Spain sold Palau (including Peleliu) to Germany in 1899. Control passed to Japan in 1914.

During World War II, the Battle of Peleliu was a major battle between units of the United States Marine Corps and United States Army against the Imperial Japanese Army in 1944. The battle for the island was particularly brutal because by this time the Japanese military had evolved island defense tactics with strong fortifications in the island's caves and rock formations within the Umurbrogol Mountains (Bloody Nose Ridge), which enabled a defense in depth which maximized casualties on the attacking force. On both sides involved in the fighting there were high losses with more than 2,000 Americans and 10,000 Japanese killed, but, remarkably, there were no casualties among the local civilians because they were evacuated from the fighting to other islands of Palau.

The ruins of many of the military installations of the era, such as the airstrip, are still intact, and shipwrecks from the battle remain visible underwater just off the coast. There are war memorials on the island to both the American and the Japanese dead. Peleliu and Angaur were the only islands in the Palau archipelago to be occupied by the Americans during the war. The capital of Koror remained in Japanese hands to the end of the war.

Peleliu was formally placed under the control of the United States under United Nations auspices in 1947 as part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. In 1947, two and a half years after Japanese surrender, there were over 30 Japanese still hiding in caves, believing the war was not over. The Americans sent a senior Japanese military official into the caves to convince them to surrender and the last Japanese survivor, Keiji Nagai, died in 2019.

Palau became independent in 1978, and Peleliu was organized as a state within the new republic. In August 2014, Peleliu hosted the "leader's retreat" at the 45th Pacific Islands Forum, featuring representatives from the forum's 15 member states.

Geography
Peleliu is approximately 10 km northeast of the island of Angaur and 40 km southwest of the island of Koror. The state of Beliliou includes the islands of Beliliou, Ngedbus, Olngeuaol, Ngercheu, Belualasmau, Ruruid, Ngebad, Ngurungor, Ngesuall, and several islets. The total area for the state is approximately 19.52 km2. Beliliou Island, like Angaur, is a raised platform coralline island with an area of 16.98 km2. Located at the southern tip of the lagoon which encircles the main group of islands, Beliliou is surrounded by a thick fringe of mangrove forest comprising more than a quarter of its total area. On the island's west side is a steep spine named Bloody Nose Ridge during the Battle for Peleliu in World War II - rising to an elevation of 75 m. A second raised area, Rois ra Sang and Roischemiangel, rises to elevations of just over 50 m at the northern tip of the island. The rest of the island generally lies below 10 m in elevation. Along this ridge, jagged spires of coralline limestone jut skyward in a tangled maze.

Much of Beliliou is covered by a limestone island forest with stands of Casuarina forest along sandy beach berms. With the exception of Ngercheu, the rest of the islands in the state are low, flat islands with large areas of sandy deposits covered by coconut or Casuarina forests. Ngercheu, located in the northern part of the state, has a typical rock island profile with steep cliffs of uplifted reef covered by a rock island forest.

The geography of Beliliou has been dramatically reshaped by the events of World War II. In preparation for the anticipated American invasion, the Japanese defenders transformed Beliliou into a defensive fortress. The build up, which was underway by 1943, began with the evacuation of Palauans from Beliliou to Babeldaob. As many as 10,000 Japanese defenders dug into the natural caves and fissures of the coralline limestone formations, reinforcing these positions with concrete bunkers. So well established were the Japanese defenders that they withstood a massive naval bombardment and met the American invasion force at nearly full strength on September 5, 1944. The Battle of Peleliu, which proved in hindsight to be a costly miscalculation by the Americans, dragged on for weeks of bitter fighting at a terrible cost of lives.

Most of the land use in Beliliou today is for private gardens located in and around residential areas. There are no commercial enterprises active today, and municipal use is limited to a few small facilities. A large coconut plantation is on Ngedbus Island.

Demography
The population of the state was 484 in the 2015 census and median age was 34.5 years. The official languages of the state are Palauan and English.

, its population was about 571, making it the third most populous state of Palau. Most of the island's population lives in the village of Kloulklubed which is the state capital on the northwestern coast. Including the capital, there are a total of four villages:

Today, the major concentration of people live in Kloulklubed near the northern tip of the island.
 * Kloulklubed (northwest)
 * Imelechol (northeast)
 * Lademisang (southernmost, in the central part of the island)
 * Ongeuidel (northernmost)

Islands of the state
The state consists of the following islands:

Phosphate
As at Angaur, phosphate mining in the Bloody Nose Ridge area of Beliliou began during the German administration and continued into the Japanese administration. The phosphate was loaded onto ships at a small harbor facility located at the northern tip of the island.

Important Bird Areas
The island has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports populations of most of Palau's endemic birds, including Micronesian megapodes, Palau ground doves, Micronesian imperial pigeons, Palau fruit doves, swiftlets, owls and kingfishers, Micronesian myzomelas, morningbirds, Palau fantails, flycatchers and bush warblers, giant, dusky and citrine white-eyes, and Micronesian starlings.

The sandflats, mangroves, seagrass beds and islets just off the northern end of Peleliu provide feeding and roosting habitat for various wader species, as well as being home to megapodes. The site is an IBA for the megapodes, Far Eastern curlews, ruddy turnstones, great knots, red-necked stints, and grey-tailed tattlers.

Political system
The state of Peleliu has an elected chief executive with a 3-year term length, known as the governor. The state also has a legislature elected every three years. The state population elects one of the members of the House of Delegates of Palau. Obak is the title of the traditional high chief from the state.

Transport
Peleliu Airfield, created by the Japanese in World War II, has the longest and widest runway in Palau (1850 m), but has been used only by small chartered aircraft after Palau's domestic flights were discontinued in late 2005. A regular boat service connects the island twice a week to Koror and Angaur. Travel time by boat from Koror is over an hour. The small harbor in the far north of the island is shallow and suitable only for yachts with shallow draft.

The main road lies on the west side of Bloody Nose Ridge and extends from Kloulklubed to the landing strip. Secondary roads extend to all parts of the island. The landing strip was built during the Japanese era and originally consisted of a 6600-foot runway oriented SW to NE with a smaller perpendicular runway intersecting the main run way about 2200 feet from the SW. Additional taxiways connected the runways to airport facilities located to the north of the runways. The landing strips are unimproved, but still serve for the daily flight from the Airai airport by a single engine plane. A third landing strip was built on Ngedbus Island, just north of Beliliou, during the Japanese administration. It was abandoned after the Battle of Peleliu and today is overgrown with a coconut plantation.

Peleliu Battlefield
The entire island has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Peleliu Battlefield, and has been designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark.

Education
The Ministry of Education operates public schools. Peleliu Elementary School opened in 1946, and had its second building open in 1966, with the first still in use.

Palau High School in Koror is the country's only public high school, so children from this community go there.

title: Peleliu


text:
Kenneth D. Taylor

Kenneth Douglas Taylor (October 5, 1934 – October 15, 2015) was a Canadian diplomat, educator and businessman, best known for his role in the 1979 covert operation called the "Canadian Caper" when he was the Canadian ambassador to Iran. With the cooperation of the American Central Intelligence Agency, Taylor helped six Americans escape from Iran during the Iran hostage crisis by procuring Canadian passports for the Americans to deceive the Iranian Revolutionary guard by posing as a Canadian film crew scouting locations. Had the IRG known, every Canadian in the embassy would have been executed. Before the escape, the six Americans spent several weeks hiding in the homes of Taylor and another Canadian diplomat, John Sheardown.

Taylor is portrayed by Gordon Pinsent in the Canadian 1981 television film, Escape from Iran: The Canadian Caper which dramatizes the cover story for the operation. The later 2012 American film, Argo, focuses more on the CIA and Hollywood's role, with Taylor played by Canadian actor Victor Garber.

After his death, The Washington Post described Taylor as the "main hero" of the Iran hostage escape "who orchestrated the entire process", quoting former president Jimmy Carter in doing so. In 1981, Taylor was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by President Ronald Reagan. Nonetheless, the significance of his role was downplayed in the film Argo.

Early life and education
Taylor was born in Calgary, Alberta. He completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at Victoria College at the University of Toronto and his Master of Business Administration degree at the University of California, Berkeley. He was a brother of the Sigma Chi fraternity and was later honoured with its highest award, Significant Sigma Chi.

Iran hostage crisis
Iranian students invaded the United States embassy in Tehran on November 4, 1979. During the riot, six Americans managed to escape. They hid for four days before reaching the Canadian embassy, where they met Taylor, who devised the plan to get them out of Iran safely. On January 20, 1981, as Ronald Reagan was being sworn in as President, the remaining 52 American hostages were released by Iran into US custody, having spent 444 days in captivity.

Taylor played a crucial role in providing intelligence on the hostage crisis to Canadian and American intelligence agencies. Reportedly, he helped scout out landing sites for the abortive Delta Force rescue attempt, Operation Eagle Claw.

A made-for-TV movie of the events, Escape from Iran: The Canadian Caper, was produced in 1981. In 2012, Ben Affleck produced and starred in a movie titled Argo, which is based on the book The Master of Disguise by Tony Mendez, a CIA agent involved in the incident. After the film was previewed at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival, criticism arose that the film unfairly minimized the participation of the Canadian government, and Taylor in particular, in the extraction operation. This included the addition to the film of several fictional events for dramatic reasons, as well as a postscript text indicating that the CIA let Taylor take the credit for political purposes, implying that he did not deserve the accolades he received. Affleck noted, "Because we say it's based on a true story, rather than this is a true story, we're allowed to take some dramatic license. There's a spirit of truth." However, Affleck did respond by changing the postscript text to read, "The involvement of the CIA complemented efforts of the Canadian embassy to free the six held in Tehran. To this day the story stands as an enduring model of international co-operation between governments." Historical news footage discussing Canada's role in the rescue was also added near the end of the film. Taylor himself said that the film was "fun, it's thrilling, it's pertinent, it's timely," but noted that "Canada was not merely standing around watching events take place. The CIA was a junior partner."

Later life and death
After returning from Iran, Taylor was appointed Canadian Consul-General to New York City. In 1980, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada along with his wife Pat and other Canadian personnel involved in the escape, and was also awarded the United States Congressional Gold Medal that same year. He also received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement in 1980.

He returned to the University of Toronto for several years as the Chancellor of Victoria College.

Taylor left the foreign service in 1984 and served as Senior Vice-President of Nabisco (RJR Nabisco after 1986) from 1984 to 1989.

Taylor moved to the United States and resided in New York City until his death at the age of 81 on October 15, 2015. Taylor died at NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital, where he had been treated for Stage 4 colon cancer. Taylor's funeral service was held at Timothy Eaton Memorial Church in Toronto on October 27, 2015. He is survived by his wife, Patricia, his son, Douglas, and two grandchildren, Tristan and Kassia.

Notes and references
a. Taylor did not present credentials because of the Canadian government's decision to change residency and accreditation from Iran to Kuwait, with the opening of a Canadian Embassy in Kuwait.

title: Kenneth D. Taylor


text:
Lateral line

The lateral line, also called the lateral line organ (LLO), is a system of sensory organs found in fish, used to detect movement, vibration, and pressure gradients in the surrounding water. The sensory ability is achieved via modified epithelial cells, known as hair cells, which respond to displacement caused by motion and transduce these signals into electrical impulses via excitatory synapses. Lateral lines play an important role in schooling behavior, predation, and orientation.

Early in the evolution of fish, some of the sensory organs of the lateral line were modified to function as the electroreceptors called ampullae of Lorenzini. The lateral line system is ancient and basal to the vertebrate clade, as it is found in fishes that diverged over 400 million years ago.

Function
The lateral line system allows the detection of movement, vibration, and pressure gradients in the water surrounding an animal. It plays an essential role in orientation, predation, and fish schooling by providing spatial awareness and the ability to navigate in the environment. Analysis has shown that the lateral line system should be an effective passive sensing system able to discriminate between submerged obstacles by their shape. The lateral line allows fish to navigate and hunt in water with poor visibility.

The lateral line system enables predatory fishes to detect vibrations made by their prey, and to orient towards the source to begin predatory action. Blinded predatory fishes remain able to hunt, but not when lateral line function is inhibited by cobalt ions.

The lateral line plays a role in fish schooling. Blinded Pollachius virens were able to integrate into a school, whereas fish with severed lateral lines could not. It may have evolved further to allow fish to forage in dark caves. In Mexican blind cave fish, Astyanax mexicanus, neuromasts in and around the orbit of the eye are bigger and around twice as sensitive as those of surface-living fish.

One function of schooling may be to confuse the lateral line of predatory fishes. A single prey fish creates a simple particle velocity pattern, whereas the pressure gradients of many closely swimming (schooling) prey fish overlap, creating a complex pattern. This makes it difficult for predatory fishes to identify individual prey through lateral line perception.

Anatomy

Lateral lines are usually visible as faint lines of pores running along each side of a fish's body. The functional units of the lateral line are the neuromasts, discrete mechanoreceptive organs that sense movement in water. There are two main varieties: canal neuromasts and superficial neuromasts. Superficial neuromasts are on the surface of the body, while canal neuromasts are along the lateral lines in subdermal, fluid-filled canals. Each neuromast consists of receptive hair cells whose tips are covered by a flexible jellylike cupula. Hair cells typically possess both glutamatergic afferent connections and cholinergic efferent connections. The receptive hair cells are modified epithelial cells; they typically possess bundles of 40-50 microvilli "hairs" which function as the mechanoreceptors. Within each bundle, the hairs are organized in a rough "staircase" from shortest to longest.

Signal transduction

The hair cells are stimulated by the deflection of their hair bundles in the direction of the tallest "hairs" or stereocilia. The deflection allows cations to enter through a mechanically gated channel, causing depolarization or hyperpolarization of the hair cell. Depolarization opens Ca v 1.3 calcium channels in the basolateral membrane.

Hair cells use a system of transduction with rate coding to transmit the directionality of a stimulus. The hair cells produce a constant, tonic rate of firing. As mechanical motion is transmitted through water to the neuromast, the cupula bends and is displaced according to the strength of the stimulus. This results in a shift in the cell's ionic permeability. Deflection towards the longest hair results in depolarization of the hair cell, increased neurotransmitter release at the excitatory afferent synapse, and a higher rate of signal transduction. Deflection towards the shorter hair has the opposite effect, hyperpolarizing the hair cell and producing a decreased rate of neurotransmitter release. These electrical impulses are then transmitted along afferent lateral neurons to the brain.

While both varieties of neuromasts utilize this method of transduction, their specialized organization gives them different mechanoreceptive capacities. Superficial organs are exposed more directly to the external environment. The organization of the bundles within their organs is seemingly haphazard, incorporating various shapes and sizes of microvilli within bundles. This suggests coarse but wide-ranging detection. In contrast, the structure of canal organs allow canal neuromasts more sophisticated mechanoreception, such as of pressure differentials. As current moves across the pores, a pressure differential is created, inducing a flow in the canal fluid. This moves the cupulae of the neuromasts in the canal, resulting in a deflection of the hairs in the direction of the flow.

Electrophysiology
The mechanoreceptive hair cells of the lateral line structure are integrated into more complex circuits through their afferent and efferent connections. The synapses that directly participate in the transduction of mechanical information are excitatory afferent connections that utilize glutamate. Species vary in their neuromast and afferent connections, providing differing mechanoreceptive properties. For instance, the superficial neuromasts of the midshipman fish, Porichthys notatus, are sensitive to specific stimulation frequencies. One variety is attuned to collect information about acceleration, at stimulation frequencies between 30 and 200 Hz. The other type obtains information about velocity, and is most receptive to stimulation below 30 Hz.

The efferent synapses to hair cells are inhibitory and use acetylcholine as a transmitter. They are crucial participants in a corollary discharge system designed to limit self-generated interference. When a fish moves, it creates disturbances in the water that could be detected by the lateral line system, potentially interfering with the detection of other biologically relevant signals. To prevent this, an efferent signal is sent to the hair cell upon motor action, resulting in inhibition which counteracts the excitation resulting from reception of the self-generated stimulation. This allows the fish to detect external stimuli without interference from its own movements.

Signals from the hair cells are transmitted along lateral neurons to the brain. The area where these signals most often terminate is the medial octavolateralis nucleus (MON), which probably processes and integrates mechanoreceptive information. The deep MON contains distinct layers of basilar and non-basilar crest cells, suggesting computational pathways analogous to the electrosensory lateral line lobe of electric fish. The MON is likely involved in the integration of excitatory and inhibitory parallel circuits to interpret mechanoreceptive information.

Evolution

The use of mechanosensitive hairs is homologous to the functioning of hair cells in the auditory and vestibular systems, indicating a close link between these systems. Due to many overlapping functions and their great similarity in ultrastructure and development, the lateral line system and the inner ear of fish are often grouped together as the octavolateralis system (OLS). Here, the lateral line system detects particle velocities and accelerations with frequencies below 100 Hz. These low frequencies create large wavelengths, which induce strong particle accelerations in the near field of swimming fish that do not radiate into the far field as acoustic waves due to an acoustic short circuit. The auditory system detects pressure fluctuations with frequencies above 100 Hz that propagate to the far field as waves.

The lateral line system is ancient and basal to the vertebrate clade; it is found in groups of fishes that diverged over 400 million years ago, including the lampreys, cartilaginous fishes, and bony fishes. Most amphibian larvae and some fully aquatic adult amphibians possess mechanosensitive systems comparable to the lateral line. The terrestrial tetrapods have secondarily lost their lateral line organs, which are ineffective when not submerged.

The electroreceptive organs, called ampullae of Lorenzini, appearing as pits in the skin of sharks and some other fishes, evolved from the lateral line organ. Passive electroreception using ampullae is an ancestral trait in the vertebrates, meaning that it was present in their last common ancestor.

title: Lateral line


text:
Wesel

Wesel is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the capital of the Wesel district.

Geography
Wesel is situated at the confluence of the Lippe River and the Rhine.

Division of the city
Suburbs of Wesel include Lackhausen, Obrighoven, Ginderich, Feldmark, Fusternberg, Büderich, Flüren and Blumenkamp.

Origin
The city originated from a Franconian manor that was first recorded in the 8th century. In the 12th century, the Duke of Clèves took possession of Wesel. The city became a member of the Hanseatic League during the 15th century. Wesel was second only to Cologne in the lower Rhine region as an entrepôt. It was an important commercial centre: a clearing station for the transshipment and trading of goods.

Early modern
In 1590 the Spanish captured Wesel after a four-year siege. The city changed hands between the Dutch and Spanish several times during the Eighty Years War. In 1672 a French force under Louis II de Bourbon, Prince de Condé captured the city. Wesel was inherited by the Hohenzollerns of the Margraviate of Brandenburg in 1609 but they were unable to take control of Wesel until the Treaty of Nijmegen in 1678. Although the city had been heavily fortified the Prussians evacuated the city during the Seven Years' War and it was occupied by the French. It was returned to Prussia at the end of the war. Friedrich Wilhelm von Dossow was the Prussian Governor of Wesel during the 18th century. Wesel was ceded to the French in 1805 under the Treaty of Schönbrunn. The French heavily fortified the city constructing a rectangular fort called the Citadelle Napoleon at Büderich and the Citadelle Bonaparte on an island in the Rhine off Wesel. Though blockaded by the Allies in 1813 the city remained in French hands until after the Battle of Waterloo. After the Napoleonic Wars of the early 19th century, the city became part of the Prussian Rhine Province and the Citadelle Napoleon was renamed Fort Blücher.

World War II

During World War II, as a strategic depot, Wesel became a target of Allied bombing. Air raids, using impact and air-burst bombs, on 16, 17, 18 and 19 February 1945, destroyed 97% of the town. The Wehrmacht blew up bridges along the Rhine and Lippe to prevent Allied forces from advancing. The Wehrmacht also destroyed the 1,950m-long railway bridge, the last Rhine bridge remaining in German hands, on 10 March. On 23 March, Wesel came under the fire of over 3,000 guns when it was bombarded anew, in preparation for Operation Plunder. The shelling was assisted by a raid of RAF bombers and a larger raid that night, during which ten individual bombers each dropped a 10,000 kg bomb on Wesel at 2100 hours. Before the town was finally taken by Allied troops, 97% of its structures were destroyed. In the ensuing attacks by Allied forces, the town was taken with minimal casualties. Operation Varsity – the largest airborne landings of the war –  dropped 18,000 troops into the area to take the hills behind Wesel. The British 1st Commando Brigade was already attacking Wesel, carried into action by LVT Buffalos. The remainder of the Allied force crossed the Rhine in more amphibious vehicles.

From almost 25,000 in 1939, the population was reduced to 1,900 by May 1945. In 1946 Wesel became part of the new state North Rhine-Westphalia of West Germany.

Politics
Wesel's mayors:
 * 1808–1814: Johann Hermann Westermann
 * 1814–1840: Christian Adolphi
 * 1841–1862: Franz Luck
 * 1863–1870: Wilhelm Otto van Calker
 * 1870–1873: Heinrich Bang
 * 1873–1881: Carl Friedrich August von Albert
 * 1881–1891: Caspar Baur
 * 1891–1902: Josef Fluthgraf (1896 Oberbürgermeister)
 * 1903–1931: Ludwig Poppelbaum
 * 1931–1933: Emil Nohl
 * 1933–1945: Otto Borgers

Since 1945:
 * 1945: Jean Groos
 * 1945: Wilhelm Groos
 * 1946–1947: Anton Ebert (CDU)
 * 1947–1948: Paul Körner (CDU)
 * 1948–1952: Ewald Fournell (CDU)
 * 1952–1956: Helmut Berckel (CDU)
 * 1956–1966: Kurt Kräcker (SPD)
 * 1967–1969: Willi Nakaten (SPD)
 * 1969–1979: Günther Detert (CDU)
 * 1979–1984: Wilhelm Schneider (SPD)
 * 1984–1989: Volker Haubitz (CDU)
 * 1989–1994: Wilhelm Schneider (SPD)
 * 1994–1999: Bernhard Gründken (SPD)
 * 1999–2004: Jörn Schroh (CDU)
 * since 2004: Ulrike Westkamp (SPD)

Twin towns – sister cities
Wesel is twinned with:
 * 🇺🇸 Hagerstown, United States (1952)
 * 🏴 Felixstowe, England (1972)
 * 🇩🇪 Salzwedel, Germany (1990)
 * 🇵🇱 Kętrzyn, Poland (2002)

Transport
There is a railway station in the city centre as well as Wesel-Feldmark, about 2 km north. The stations are served by trains to Oberhausen, Duisburg, Düsseldorf, Cologne, Arnhem (Netherlands), and Mönchengladbach. A small diesel-only connecting railway line goes to Bocholt also, there are plans to electrify it.

Buildings and places of interest

 * Berliner Tor, city gate
 * Willibrordi-Dom (Cathedral). Commemorative plaque for Peter Minuit, Gründer von New York (founder of New York)
 * Zitadelle Wesel (Citadel)
 * Restored 15th century city hall
 * Broadcasting Mast Wesel, one of Germany's tallest constructions
 * Niederrheinbrücke Wesel, modern Rhine bridge opened in 2009
 * Auesee, an artificial bathing lake

Notable people

 * Derick Baegert (1440–after 1509), painter
 * Andreas Wytinck van Wesel, or Andreas Vesalius, anatomist, imperial physician to the court of Emperor Charles V
 * Jan Joest (1455–1519), painter
 * Hermann Wesel († 1563), last Bishop of Dorpat
 * Hans Lippershey (1550–1619), eyeglass maker associated with the invention of the telescope
 * Peregrine Bertie, 13th Baron Willoughby de Eresby (1555–1601), English diplomat and soldier
 * Carl Philipp, Reichsgraf von Wylich und Lottum (1650–1719), Prussian field marshal
 * Peter Minuit (1594–1638), founder of New Amsterdam, which later became New York City
 * Johann Friedrich Welsch (1796–1871), painter
 * Konrad Duden (1829–1911), author of the first Duden
 * Ludwig Hugo Becker (1833–1868), painter
 * Friedrich Geselschap (1835–1898), painter
 * Richard Veenfliet (1843–1922), painter and soldier
 * Ida Tacke (1896–1978), co-discoverer of the chemical elements rhenium and technetium
 * Joachim von Ribbentrop (1893–1946), foreign minister of Nazi Germany (1938–1945)
 * Jan Hofer (born 1950), journalist and television presenter
 * Dieter Nuhr (born 1960), comedian
 * Martin Bambauer (born 1970), church musician
 * Raimund Berens, film producer

Miscellaneous
One of Germany's highest radio masts is situated in the district of Büderich on the left bank of the Rhine. The Wesel transmitter measures 320.8 metres in height.

Books

 * Jutta Prieur (Hrsg.): Geschichte der Stadt Wesel: Beiträge zur Stadtgeschichte der frühen Neuzeit (= Studien und Quellen zur Geschichte von Wesel 20). Stadtarchiv, Wesel 1998, ISBN 3-924380-15-5
 * Daniel Vasta (Hrsg.): Wesel – Hansestadt am Niederrhein: Beiträge zum zeitgenössischen Geschehen (= Bilder von Menschen, Land und Leuten, Wesel 2009). Sutton Verlag, Wesel 2009, ISBN 3-86680-568-3
 * Martin W. Roelen (Hrsg.): Ecclesia Wesele: Beiträge zur Ortsnamenforschung und Kirchengeschichte (= Studien und Quellen zur Geschichte von Wesel 28). Stadtarchiv, Wesel 2005, ISBN 3-924380-23-6

title: Wesel


text:
User:Soldaatvanoranje

b. 1980, New Haven, CT

r. New Haven / Miami / New York City / Boston / Los Angeles

My current focus is to start with what one knows: mainly, New Haven county, Connecticut and environs. Please be kind in editing my New Haven-centric articles; I only mean to give the old Elm City a deep and interesting wiki article as grand as those for Boston or New York...well, at least as nice as Boston's.

Also of interest are police departments, especially sub-departmental special units such as the NYPD Highway Patrol or Boston's Special Operations Unit. Definitely could use a helping hand if anyone with more info on these units.

I have edited, added to, or created the following local articles:

Towns and cities:
 * New Haven
 * Long Wharf
 * Wooster Square
 * Downtown New Haven
 * East Rock
 * West Rock
 * New Haven Coliseum
 * New Haven Green
 * Westville

 * East Haven
 * Hamden
 * Sleeping Giant

 * Orange
 * Milford
 * Woodbridge
 * The Flats, Woodbridge

 * Cheshire
 * Bridgeport

Other CT-related articles:
 * Greater New Haven
 * New Haven County
 * Quinnipiack
 * Quiripi
 * Oak Street Connector/Route 34
 * Connecticut State Highway 34
 * Connecticut State Highway 15
 * Amity High School (attempting to clean it up)
 * Regions of Connecticut
 * Litchfield Hills
 * Naugatuck River Valley
 * Greater Hartford
 * Quiet Corner (Connecticut)
 * Southeastern Connecticut
 * Lower Connecticut River Valley
 * Gold Coast

 * Connecticut
 * New England

Police-related articles:
 * NYPD Highway Patrol (Unique special unit within the NYPD)
 * Boston Police Department
 * Boston Police Special Operations Unit

 * Philadelphia Police Department
 * Philadelphia Highway Patrol (Unique special unit within the Philadelphia Police Department)

 * Massachusetts State Police
 * Rhode Island State Police
 * Connecticut State Police

Errata:
 * Irish-American
 * Embroiled in the brouhaha at Jyllands-Posten_Muhammad_cartoons

title: User:Soldaatvanoranje


text:
Unit 777

Unit 777 (الوحدة 777 قتال), also known as Task Force 777, is a tier two special force in the Egyptian Army, falling under the El-Sa'ka Force. They specializes in black operations, commando style raids, counterterrorism, executive protection, hostage rescue, irregular warfare, manhunting, and special operations in behind enemy lines. It was created in 1978 by the government of Anwar Sadat in response to concerns of increased terrorist activity following the expulsion of Soviet military advisors from the country by Sadat and his efforts to achieve peace with Israel.

Creation
In 1978, Egyptian Army Special Forces were dispatched to Larnaca International Airport, Larnaca, Cyprus in response to the hijacking of a Cyprus Air passenger aircraft by operatives of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). Cairo merely informed Cypriot president Kyprianou that "people are on the way to help rescue the hostages" and did not reveal who was on board nor what their intentions were. Upon landing in Cyprus, the Egyptian force immediately launched an all out assault, dispatching a single Jeep all-terrain vehicle with three men to race ahead of an estimated 58 troops (another report has this figure at 74) moving towards the hijacked aircraft on foot. As the Egyptian troops advanced quickly towards the hijacked DC-8 aircraft and the Cypriot special forces who surrounded it, the Cypriot special forces reportedly issued a single verbal warning to halt and submit, though in other reports, the Cypriots issued two verbal warnings, the second demand for the Egyptians to return to their aircraft. As this occurred, the occupants of the Jeep and the Cypriot operators exchanged gunfire, and the Egyptian Jeep was struck by a rocket propelled grenade (RPG), as well as gunfire, killing all three occupants. As the vehicle came to a halt, the Cypriots and the main Egyptian force confronted each other at a range of less than 300 metres (330 yd), and it is variously reported that the Egyptians, who lacked any form of cover, dropped down onto the tarmac in prone firing positions. At this moment, the two forces engaged each other with heavy gunfire, and the Cypriots opened fire on the Egyptian C-130H aircraft with a 106 mm anti-tank missile, striking it in the nose and killing the three crew on board.

With their aircraft destroyed, the Egyptian force and the Cypriot special forces exchanged heavy gunfire for nearly an hour in sporadic fighting on the open tarmac. Some of the Egyptian troops took cover in a nearby empty Air France aircraft.

Kyprianou, who was watching the events unfolding from the airport control tower, was forced to withdraw from the windows and take cover as Egyptian commandos shot at the tower with automatic gunfire. Of the Egyptian commando force, 15 men were killed, in addition to three crew of the C-130H Hercules transport aircraft who were killed when it was struck by a missile. An estimated 15 more Egyptian commandos were reported to have been taken injured to Larnaca General Hospital with gunshot wounds. No fatalities of Cypriot commandos were recorded. Following the assault, it emerged that the surrender of the two hostage-takers had already been secured at the time of the failed Egyptian attack, and the two men were taken prisoner by the Cypriots and later extradited to Egypt, where they received death sentences, later commuted to life sentences.The aftermath of the failed night-time incident and the need of a professional counter-terrorism unit in Egypt resulted in the creation of Unit 777.

EgyptAir Flight 321
On August 23, 1976, three armed terrorists claiming to be from the Abd Al-Nasir Movement hijacked the EgyptAir Flight 321, a Cairo-Luxor flight, and asked the pilot to land in Tripoli. One of the three hijackers was a 21-year-old Palestinian, Mohammed Naguid, who was working in Kuwait. They demanded the release of five Libyans imprisoned in Cairo in connection with two assassination attempts. The context was the deterioration of relations between Egypt and Libya after the Yom Kippur War due to Libyan opposition to Sadat's peace policy. There had been a breakdown in unification talks between the two governments, which subsequently led to the Libyan-Egyptian War. Fifteen minutes after takeoff from Cairo International Airport, an Italian pilot called the airport to report that he had received a beam aerial from the Egyptian aircraft heading to Luxor that it had been hijacked and the flight was under terrorist control.

President Sadat ordered the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense to make the necessary decisions to protect the passengers and arrest the terrorists. The Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense quickly flew to Luxor International Airport where they started a secret meeting in the airport's tower, while Major General Abdul Hafiz Al-Bagori, Governor of Qena started negotiations with the three terrorists in order to gain time. During a call between the cockpit and the airport, the pilot complained about a problem in the aircraft - that it had not shown that the aircraft needing refuelling - and that the aircraft needed maintenance. The terrorists were persuaded to allow the aircraft to land in Luxor for refuelling. Negotiations continued until 3 p.m., when the governor told the terrorists that engineers were ready. The engineers were two disguised Sa'ka officers, who went inside and outside the aircraft several times in order to appear to be maintenance workers. Minutes later three officers stormed the aircraft and captured the hijackers.

The force that stormed the aircraft was later announced to be a special unit within the Sa'ka Forces and further information was classified, the same force which was later named 777.

EgyptAir Flight 648, 1985
In 1985, Unit 777 was dispatched again to deal with a hijacking, this time to Malta. An Egypt Air Boeing 737 (EgyptAir Flight 648) had landed in Luqa Airport under the control of Abu Nidal faction terrorists, purportedly as retaliation for Egypt's failure to protect the terrorists that had hijacked the MS Achille Lauro earlier that year. Although the operation was planned more carefully this time, the TF 777 operators committed several mistakes that would eventually prove fatal to many of the hostages. As explosives were detonated to attempt to blow a hole on the top of the airframe, the explosion ripped through the cabin area, immediately killing 20 passengers. Using the same hole, the operators gained entry to the plane but in the confusion opened fire indiscriminately and killed and injured more passengers. In the ensuing chaos, passengers that managed to flee the plane were then gunned down by snipers in positions around the airport who mistook them for terrorists attempting to escape. The total number of passengers killed was 57, out of 88 total.

Op-Global Sky
On June 3, 1998, in response to the departure of the ship Global Sky from Suez without paying port fees it owed, the Suez Canal Authority asked the Egyptian Armed Forces to intervene. The Egyptian Armed Forces decided to send Unit 777 along with naval forces to deal with the ship in international waters. Unit 777 used a Commando helicopter to descend on the main deck, capturing the whole crew without damaging the vessel.

Current status
After the outcomes of their first two major operations, Unit 777 was temporarily disbanded, and formed again later to deal with internal threats. The unit is currently located in southern Cairo and is equipped with Mi-8 helicopters. The unit actively trains with a number of Western special operations groups, including the United States Army's Delta Force, United States Navy's SEAL Team Six, and the French GIGN.

Firearms

 * 🇩🇪 Germany: Heckler & Koch MP5
 * 🇩🇪 Germany: Heckler & Koch G36
 * 🇩🇪 Germany: SIG Sauer SSG 3000
 * 🇺🇸 United States: M1911 pistol
 * 🇮🇶 Iraq: Beretta M1951
 * 🇷🇺 Russia: Orsis T-5000
 * Soviet Union/🇪🇬 Egypt: AKM - Locally made Egyptian rifle
 * 🇨🇭 Switzerland: SIG SG 550
 * 🇨🇭 Switzerland: SIG P226
 * 🇩🇪 Germany: Heckler & Koch USP
 * 🇮🇹 Italy: Beretta ARX160

title: Unit 777


text:
HMS Majestic

Four ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Majestic, whilst another was planned:
 * HMS Majestic (1785) was a 74-gun third rate launched in 1785, razeed into a 56-gun fourth-rate frigate in 1814 and broken up in 1816 after a stranding.
 * HMS Majestic (1853) was a screw-propelled 80-gun second rate launched in 1853 and broken up in 1868.
 * HMS Majestic was to have been a Colossus-class battleship (1882) battleship. She was renamed Edinburgh two days before being launched in 1882, and was sold in 1910.
 * HMS Majestic (1895) was Majestic-class battleship launched in 1895 and sunk by U-21 in 1915.
 * HMS Majestic (R77) was a Majestic-class aircraft carrier launched in 1945. Work was suspended in 1946, she was later completed in 1955 and transferred to the Royal Australian Navy that year as HMAS Melbourne (R21). She was broken up in 1985.

title: HMS Majestic


text:
List of birds of South Asia: part 4

This list includes those birds of South Asia in the passerine families from Old World warblers to buntings.

For an introduction to the birds of the region, see List of birds of the South Asia.

For the rest of the species lists, see:
 * part 1 – Megapodes, Galliformes, Gruiformes and near passerines
 * part 2 – remainder of non-passerines
 * part 3 – passerines from pittas to cisticolas

Passeriformes

 * Family: Sylviidae
 * Chestnut-headed tesia, Tesia castaneocoronata – r
 * Slaty-bellied tesia, Tesia olivea – r
 * Grey-bellied tesia, Tesia cyaniventer – r
 * Asian stubtail, Urospena squameiceps
 * Pale-footed bush warbler, Cettia pallidipes – r
 * Japanese bush warbler, Cettia diphone – V
 * Brownish-flanked bush warbler, Cettia fortipes – r
 * Chestnut-crowned bush warbler, Cettia major – r
 * Aberrant bush warbler, Cettia flavolivacea – r
 * Yellowish-bellied bush warbler, Cettia acanthizoides – r
 * Grey-sided bush warbler, Cettia brunnifrons – r
 * Cetti's warbler, Cettia cetti – W
 * Spotted bush warbler, Bradypterus thoracicus – r
 * Long-billed bush warbler, Bradypterus major – N r
 * Chinese bush warbler, Bradypterus tacsanowskius – V
 * Brown bush warbler, Bradypterus luteoventris – r
 * Russet bush warbler, Bradypterus seebohmi – V
 * Sri Lanka bush warbler, Bradypterus palliseri – N r
 * Lanceolated warbler, Locustella lanceolata – W
 * Grasshopper warbler, Locustella naevia – W
 * Pallas's grasshopper warbler, Locustella certhiola – W
 * Moustached warbler, Acrocephalus melanopogon – r w
 * Sedge warbler, Acrocephalus schoenobaenus  – V
 * Black-browed reed warbler, Acrocephalus bistrigiceps – W
 * Paddyfield warbler, Acrocephalus agricola – W
 * Blunt-winged warbler, Acrocephalus concinens – r
 * Blyth's reed warbler, Acrocephalus dumetorum – W
 * Great reed warbler, Acrocephalus arundinaceus – W
 * Oriental reed warbler, Acrocephalus orientalis – W
 * Large-billed reed-warbler, Acrocephalus orinus – R ?
 * Clamorous reed warbler, Acrocephalus stentoreus – R
 * Thick-billed warbler, Acrocephalus aedon – W
 * Booted warbler, Hippolais caligata – r w
 * Sykes's warbler, Hippolais rama
 * Upcher's warbler, Hippolais languida – r
 * Mountain tailorbird, Orthotomus cuculatus – r
 * Common tailorbird, Orthotomus sutorius – R
 * Dark-necked tailorbird, Orthotomus atrogularis – r
 * White-browed tit warbler, Leptopoecile sophiae – r
 * Chiffchaff, Phylloscopus collybita – s W
 * Mountain chiffchaff, Phylloscopus sindianus – R w
 * Plain leaf warbler, Phylloscopus neglectus – W
 * Dusky warbler, Phylloscopus fuscatus – W
 * Smoky warbler, Phylloscopus fuligiventer – s w
 * Tickell's leaf warbler, Phylloscopus affinis – s W
 * Buff-throated warbler, Phylloscopus subaffinis – V
 * Sulphur-bellied warbler, Phylloscopus griseolus – s w
 * Radde's warbler, Phylloscopus schwarzi – V
 * Buff-barred warbler, Phylloscopus pulcher – r
 * Ashy-throated warbler, Phylloscopus maculipennis – r
 * Pallas's warbler, Phylloscopus chloronotus – r W
 * Chinese leaf warbler, Phylloscopus sichuanensis
 * Brooks's leaf warbler, Phylloscopus subviridis – W
 * Yellow-browed warbler, Phylloscopus inornatus – r W
 * Hume's warbler, Phylloscopus humei – W
 * Arctic warbler, Phylloscopus borealis – V
 * Greenish warbler, Phylloscopus trochiloides – r W
 * Pale-legged leaf warbler, Phylloscopus tenellipes – V
 * Large-billed leaf warbler, Phylloscopus magnirostris – r w
 * Tytler's leaf warbler, Phylloscopus tytleri – r
 * Western crowned warbler, Phylloscopus occipitalis – r
 * Eastern crowned warbler, Phylloscopus coronatus – W
 * Blyth's leaf warbler, Phylloscopus reguloides – r
 * Yellow-vented warbler, Phylloscopus cantator – r
 * Green-crowned warbler, Seicercus burkii – R
 * Grey-hooded warbler, Seicercus xanthoschistos – R
 * White-spectacled warbler, Seicercus affinis – r
 * Grey-cheeked warbler, Seicercus poliogenys – r
 * Chestnut-crowned warbler, Seicercus castaniceps – r
 * Broad-billed warbler, Tickellia hodgsoni – r
 * Rufous-faced warbler, Abroscopus albogularis – r
 * Black-faced warbler, Abroscopus schisticeps – r
 * Yellow-bellied warbler, Abroscopus superciliaris – r
 * Striated grassbird, Megalurus palustris – R
 * Bristled grassbird, Chaetornis striatus – V r
 * Rufous-rumped grassbird, Graminicola bengalensis – N r
 * Broad-tailed grassbird, Schoenicola platyura – V r
 * Garden warbler, Sylvia borin – V
 * Greater whitethroat, Sylvia communis – p
 * Lesser whitethroat, Sylvia curruca blythi – W
 * Hume's lesser whitethroat, Sylvia althaea – W
 * Small whitethroat, Sylvia minula – W
 * Menetries warbler, Sylvia mystacea – s
 * Eastern desert warbler, Sylvia nana – W
 * Barred warbler, Sylvia nisoria – V
 * Eastern Orphean warbler, Sylvia crassirostris – r W
 * Family: Timaliidae
 * Abbott's babbler, Malacocincla abbotti – r
 * Buff-breasted babbler, Pellorneum tickelli – r
 * Spot-throated babbler, Pellorneum albiventre – r
 * Marsh babbler, Pellorneum palustre – V r
 * Puff-throated babbler, Pellorneum ruficeps – R
 * Brown-capped babbler, Pellorneum fuscocapillum – r
 * Large scimitar babbler, Pomatorhinus hypoleucos – r
 * Spot-breasted scimitar babbler, Pomatorhinus erythrocnemis – r
 * Rusty-cheeked scimitar babbler, Pomatorhinus erythrogenys – r
 * White-browed scimitar babbler, Pomatorhinus schisticeps – r
 * Indian scimitar babbler, Pomatorhinus horsfieldii – r
 * Streak-breasted scimitar babbler, Pomatorhinus ruficollis – r
 * Red-billed scimitar babbler, Pomatorhinus ochraciceps – r
 * Coral-billed scimitar babbler, Pomatorhinus ferruginosus – r
 * Slender-billed scimitar babbler, Xiphirhynchus superciliaris – r
 * Long-billed wren-babbler, Rimator malacoptilus – r
 * Streaked wren-babbler, Napothera brevicaudata – r
 * Eyebrowed wren-babbler, Napothera epilepidota – r
 * Scaly-breasted wren-babbler, Pnoepyga albiventer – r
 * Nepal wren-babbler, Pnoepyga immaculata – r
 * Pygmy wren-babbler, Pnoepyga pusilla – r
 * Rufous-throated wren-babbler, Spelaeornis caudatus – N r
 * Rusty-throated wren-babbler, Spelaeornis badeigularis – V r
 * Bar-winged wren-babbler, Spelaeornis troglodytoides – r
 * Spotted wren-babbler, Spelaeornis formosus – r
 * Long-tailed wren-babbler, Spelaeornis chocolatinus – r
 * Tawny-breasted wren-babbler, Spelaeornis longicaudatus – V r
 * Wedge-billed wren-babbler, Sphenocichla humei – r
 * Rufous-fronted babbler, Stachyris rufifrons – r
 * Rufous-capped babbler, Stachyris ruficeps – r
 * Black-chinned babbler, Stachyris pyrrhops – R
 * Golden babbler, Stachyris chrysaea – r
 * Grey-throated babbler, Stachyris nigriceps – r
 * Snowy-throated babbler, Stachyris oglei – V r
 * Tawny-bellied babbler, Dumetia hyperythra – R
 * Dark-fronted babbler, Rhopocichla atriceps – r
 * Striped tit babbler, Macronous gularis – R
 * Chestnut-capped babbler, Timalia pileata – R
 * Yellow-eyed babbler, Chrysomma sinense – R
 * Jerdon's babbler, Chrysomma altirostre – V r
 * Spiny babbler, Turdoides nipalensis – r
 * Common babbler, Turdoides caudatus – R
 * Striated babbler, Turdoides earlei – R
 * Slender-billed babbler, Turdoides longirostris – V r
 * Large grey babbler, Turdoides malcolmi – R
 * Rufous babbler, Turdoides subrufus – r
 * Jungle babbler, Turdoides striatus – R
 * Orange-billed babbler, Turdoides rufescens – N r
 * Yellow-billed babbler, Turdoides affinis – R
 * Chinese babax, Babax lanceolatus – V
 * Giant babax, Babax waddelli – r
 * Silver-eared mesia, Leiothrix argentauris – r
 * Red-billed leiothrix, Leiothrix lutea – r
 * Cutia, Cutia nipalensis – r
 * Black-headed shrike babbler, Pteruthius rufiventer – r
 * White-browed shrike babbler, Pteruthius flaviscapis – r
 * Green shrike babbler, Pteruthius xanthochlorus – r
 * Black-eared shrike babbler, Pteruthius melanotis – r
 * Chestnut-fronted shrike babbler, Pteruthius aenobarbus – r
 * White-hooded babbler, Gampsorhynchus rufulus – r
 * Rusty-fronted barwing, Actinodura egertoni – r
 * Hoary-throated barwing, Actinodura nipalensis – r
 * Streak-throated barwing, Actinodura waldeni – r
 * Blue-winged minla, Minla cyanouroptera – r
 * Chestnut-tailed minla, Minla strigula – r
 * Red-tailed minla, Minla ignotincta – r
 * Golden-breasted fulvetta, Alcippe chrysotis – r
 * Yellow-throated fulvetta, Alcippe cinerea – r
 * Rufous-winged fulvetta, Alcippe castaneceps – r
 * White-browed fulvetta, Alcippe vinipectus – r
 * Streak-throated fulvetta, Alcippe cinereiceps – r
 * Ludlow's fulvetta, Alcippe ludlowi – r
 * Rufous-throated fulvetta, Alcippe rufogularis – r
 * Rusty-capped fulvetta, Alcippe dubia – r
 * Brown-cheeked fulvetta, Alcippe poioicephala – R
 * Nepal fulvetta, Alcippe nipalensis – r
 * Rufous-backed sibia, Heterophasia annectans – r
 * Rufous sibia, Heterophasia capistrata – R
 * Grey sibia, Heterophasia gracilis – r
 * Beautiful sibia, Heterophasia pulchella – r
 * Long-tailed sibia, Heterophasia picaoides – r
 * Striated yuhina, Yuhina castaniceps – r
 * White-naped yuhina, Yuhina bakeri – r
 * Whiskered yuhina, Yuhina flavicollis – R
 * Stripe-throated yuhina, Yuhina gularis – R
 * Rufous-vented yuhina, Yuhina occipitalis – r
 * Black-chinned yuhina, Yuhina nigrimenta – R
 * White-bellied yuhina, Yuhina zantholeuca – r
 * Fire-tailed myzornis, Myzornis pyrrhoura – r
 * Bearded parrotbill, Panurus biarmicus
 * Great parrotbill, Conostoma oemodium – r
 * Brown parrotbill, Paradoxornis unicolor – r
 * Grey-headed parrotbill, Paradoxornis gularis – r
 * Black-breasted parrotbill, Paradoxornis flavirostris – V r
 * Spot-breasted parrotbill, Paradoxornis guttaticollis – r
 * Fulvous parrotbill, Paradoxornis fulvifrons – r
 * Black-throated parrotbill, Paradoxornis nipalensis – r
 * Lesser rufous-headed parrotbill, Paradoxornis atrosuperciliaris – r
 * Greater rufous-headed parrotbill, Paradoxornis ruficeps – r
 * Family: Alaudidae
 * Singing bushlark, Mirafra cantillans – r
 * Indian bushlark, Mirafra erythroptera – R
 * Bengal bushlark, Mirafra assamica – R
 * Rufous-winged bushlark, Mirafra affinis – R
 * Black-crowned sparrow lark, Eremopterix nigriceps – r
 * Ashy-crowned sparrow lark, Eremopterix grisea – R
 * Bar-tailed lark, Ammomanes cincturus – r
 * Rufous-tailed lark, Ammomanes phoenicurus – R
 * Desert lark, Ammomanes deserti – r
 * Greater hoopoe lark, Alaemon alaudipes – r
 * Bimaculated lark, Melanocorypha bimaculata – W
 * Tibetan lark, Melanocorypha maxima – r
 * Short-toed lark, Calandrella brachydactyla – W
 * Hume's lark, Calandrella acutirostris – r w
 * Lesser short-toed lark, Calandrella rufescens – W
 * Asian short-toed lark, Calandrella cheleensis – V
 * Sand lark, Calandrella raytal – R
 * Crested lark, Galerida cristata – R
 * Malabar crested lark, Galerida malabarica – r
 * Sykes's lark, Galerida deva – r
 * Eurasian skylark, Alauda arvensis – W
 * Oriental skylark, Alauda gulgula – R
 * Horned lark, Eremophila alpestris – r
 * Family: Nectariniidae
 * Thick-billed flowerpecker, Dicaeum agile – R
 * Yellow-vented flowerpecker, Dicaeum chrysorrheum – r
 * Yellow-bellied flowerpecker, Dicaeum melanoxanthum – r
 * Legge's flowerpecker, Dicaeum vincens – N r
 * Orange-bellied flowerpecker, Dicaeum trigonostigma – r
 * Pale-billed flowerpecker, Dicaeum erythrorynchos – R
 * Plain flowerpecker, Dicaeum concolor – r
 * Fire-breasted flowerpecker, Dicaeum ignipectus – r
 * Scarlet-backed flowerpecker, Dicaeum cruentatum – r
 * Ruby-cheeked sunbird, Anthreptes singalensis – r
 * Purple-rumped sunbird, Nectarinia zeylonica – R
 * Crimson-backed sunbird, Nectarinia minima – r
 * Purple-throated sunbird, Nectarinia sperata – r
 * Olive-backed sunbird, Nectarinia jugularis – r
 * Purple sunbird, Nectarinia asiatica – R
 * Loten's sunbird, Nectarinia lotenia – R
 * Gould's sunbird, Aethopyga gouldiae – r
 * Green-tailed sunbird, Aethopyga nipalensis – r
 * Black-throated sunbird, Aethopyga saturata – r
 * Crimson sunbird, Aethopyga siparaja – R
 * Fire-tailed sunbird, Aethopyga ignicauda – r
 * Little spiderhunter, Arachnothera longirostra – r
 * Streaked spiderhunter, Arachnothera magna – r
 * Family: Passeridae
 * House sparrow, Passer domesticus – R
 * Spanish sparrow, Passer hispaniolensis – W
 * Sind sparrow, Passer pyrrhonotus – r
 * Russet sparrow, Passer rutilans – R
 * Dead Sea sparrow, Passer moabiticus – V
 * Eurasian tree sparrow, Passer montanus – R
 * Chestnut-shouldered petronia, Petronia xanthocollis – R
 * Rock sparrow, Petronia petronia – W
 * Tibetan snowfinch, Montifringilla adamsi – r
 * White-rumped snowfinch, Pyrgilauda taczanowskii – r
 * Rufous-necked snowfinch, Pyrgilauda ruficollis – W
 * Plain-backed snowfinch, Pyrgilauda blanfordi – W
 * Family: Motacillidae
 * Forest wagtail, Dendronanthus indicus – r W
 * White wagtail, Motacilla alba  – r W
 * White-browed wagtail, Motacilla maderaspatensis – R
 * Citrine wagtail, Motacilla citreola citreola – r W
 * Yellow wagtail, Motacilla flava  – W
 * Grey wagtail, Motacilla cinerea – r W
 * Richard's pipit, Anthus richardi – W
 * Paddyfield pipit, Anthus rufulus – R
 * Tawny pipit, Anthus campestris – W
 * Blyth's pipit, Anthus godlewskii – W
 * Long-billed pipit, Anthus similis – R w
 * Tree pipit, Anthus trivialis – r W
 * Olive-backed pipit, Anthus hodgsoni – R W
 * Meadow pipit, Anthus pratensis – V
 * Red-throated pipit, Anthus cervinus – p
 * Rosy pipit, Anthus roseatus – r
 * Water pipit, Anthus spinoletta – W
 * Buff-bellied pipit, Anthus rubescens – W
 * Upland pipit, Anthus sylvanus – r
 * Nilgiri pipit, Anthus nilghiriensis – N r
 * Family: Prunellidae
 * Alpine accentor, Prunella collaris – r
 * Altai accentor, Prunella himalayana – W
 * Robin accentor, Prunella rubeculoides – R
 * Rufous-breasted accentor, Prunella strophiata – r
 * Radde's accentor, Prunella ocularis – V
 * Brown accentor, Prunella fulvescens – r
 * Black-throated accentor, Prunella atrogularis – W
 * Maroon-backed accentor, Prunella immaculata – r
 * Family: Ploceidae
 * Black-breasted weaver, Ploceus benghalensis – R
 * Streaked weaver, Ploceus manyar – R
 * Baya weaver, Ploceus philippinus – R
 * Finn's weaver, Ploceus megarhynchus – V r
 * Family: Estrildidae
 * Red avadavat, Amandava amandava – R
 * Green avadavat, Amandava formosa – V r
 * Indian silverbill, Lonchura malabarica – R
 * White-rumped munia, Lonchura striata – R
 * Black-throated munia, Lonchura kelaarti – r
 * Scaly-breasted munia, Lonchura punctulata – R
 * Black-headed munia, Lonchura malacca – R
 * Java sparrow, Lonchura oryzivora – I r
 * Family: Fringillidae
 * Common chaffinch, Fringilla coelebs – V
 * Brambling, Fringilla montifringilla – V
 * Fire-fronted serin, Serinus pusillus – R
 * Yellow-breasted greenfinch, Carduelis spinoides – R
 * Black-headed greenfinch, Carduelis ambigua – r
 * Eurasian siskin, Carduelis spinus – V
 * Tibetan serin, Carduelis thibetana – r
 * European goldfinch, Carduelis carduelis – r
 * Twite, Carduelis flavirostris – r
 * Eurasian linnet, Carduelis cannabina – W
 * Plain mountain finch, Leucosticte nemoricola – r
 * Black-headed mountain finch, Leucosticte brandti – r
 * Red-browed finch, Callacanthis burtoni –
 * Crimson-winged finch, Rhodopechys sanguinea – r
 * Trumpeter finch, Bucanetes githagineus – W
 * Mongolian finch, Bucanetes mongolicus – W
 * Desert finch, Rhodospiza absoleta – V
 * Blanford's rosefinch, Carpodacus rubescens – r
 * Dark-breasted rosefinch, Carpodacus nipalensis – r
 * Common rosefinch, Carpodacus erythrinus – r w
 * Beautiful rosefinch, Carpodacus pulcherrimus – r
 * Pink-browed rosefinch, Carpodacus rodochrous – r
 * Vinaceous rosefinch, Carpodacus vinaceus – r
 * Dark-rumped rosefinch, Carpodacus edwardsii – r
 * Three-banded rosefinch, Carpodacus trifasciatus – V
 * Spot-winged rosefinch, Carpodacus rodopeplus – r
 * White-browed rosefinch, Carpodacus thura – r
 * Red-mantled rosefinch, Carpodacus rhodochlamys – r
 * Streaked rosefinch, Carpodacus rubicilloides – r
 * Great rosefinch, Carpodacus rubicilla – r
 * Red-fronted rosefinch, Carpodacus puniceus – r
 * Crimson-browed finch, Propyrrhula subhimachala – r
 * Scarlet finch, Haematospiza sipahi – r
 * Red crossbill, Loxia curvirostra – r
 * Brown bullfinch, Pyrrhula nipalensis – r
 * Orange bullfinch, Pyrrhula aurantiaca – r
 * Red-headed bullfinch, Pyrrhula erythrocephala – r
 * Grey-headed bullfinch, Pyrrhula erythaca – r
 * Hawfinch, Coccothraustes coccothraustes – W
 * Japanese grosbeak, Eophona personata – V
 * Black-and-yellow grosbeak, Mycerobas icterioides – r
 * Collared grosbeak, Mycerobas affinis – r
 * Spot-winged grosbeak, Mycerobas melanozanthos – r
 * White-winged grosbeak, Mycerobas carnipes – r
 * Gold-naped finch, Pyrrhoplectes epauletta – r
 * Family: Emberizidae
 * Crested bunting, Melophus lathami – R
 * Yellowhammer, Emberiza citrinella – W
 * Pine bunting, Emberiza leucocephalos – W
 * Rock bunting, Emberiza cia – R
 * Godlewski's bunting, Emberiza godlewskii – r
 * Grey-necked bunting, Emberiza buchanani – W
 * Ortolan bunting, Emberiza hortulana – V
 * Chestnut-breasted bunting, Emberiza stewarti – r w
 * Striolated bunting, Emberiza striolata – r
 * Chestnut-eared bunting, Emberiza fucata – r w
 * Little bunting, Emberiza pusilla – W
 * Rustic bunting, Emberiza rustica –
 * Yellow-breasted bunting, Emberiza aureola – W
 * Chestnut bunting, Emberiza rutila – W
 * Black-headed bunting, Emberiza melanocephala – W
 * Red-headed bunting, Emberiza bruniceps – W
 * Black-faced bunting, Emberiza spodocephala – W
 * Pallas's reed bunting, Emberiza pallasi – V
 * Reed bunting, Emberiza schoeniclus – r w
 * Corn bunting, Miliaria calandra – V

title: List of birds of South Asia: part 4


text:
Mun River

The Mun River (แม่น้ำมูล,, ; , ), sometimes spelled Moon River, is a tributary of the Mekong River. It carries approximately 26 km3 of water per year.

Geography

The river begins in the Khao Yai National Park area of the Sankamphaeng Range, near Nakhon Ratchasima in northeast Thailand. It flows east through the Khorat Plateau in southern Isan (Nakhon Ratchasima, Buriram, Surin, and Sisaket Provinces) for 466 mi, until it joins the Mekong at Khong Chiam in Ubon Ratchathani. The Mun River's main tributary is the Chi River, which joins it in the Kanthararom District of Sisaket Province.

History
Thanks to the Andy Williams hit song, the Mun River was called "Moon River" by US Air Force personnel stationed at Ubon Ratchathani airbase during the Vietnam War. The spelling is still fairly common.

The controversial Pak Mun Dam, which is charged with causing environmental damage, is near the river's confluence with the Mekong.

Tributaries

 * Lam Dom Noi
 * Chi River
 * Lam Takhong

title: Mun River


text:
User talk:Rishartha

Stop vandalizing pages. You will no doubt be banned. Moncrief 06:47, Mar 18, 2004 (UTC)

You have been blocked for your actions; while this will only stay in effect for 24 hours, we can easily re-block you (for a much longer period, if necessary) if you choose to continue defacing Wikipedia. -- Hadal 06:57, 18 Mar 2004 (UTC)

 * moved from Requests for comment

This user, who uses many variant names, has committed vandalism against many pages, mostly those having to do with religion. He also has repeatedly made links to a very disgusting image elsewhere on the internet.

His modus operandi is to blank an entire page and replace it with an offensive one-liner, often disguising his page as an rv vandalism and flagging it as a minor edit. He has many alternate identities such as:

 * Aenea666
 * Rishartha106
 * Rishartha555
 * Lalalanothing69
 * RisharthaUpTheButt
 * Hey Fagots Yuo Cant Block Me

Some IP addresses that are, most likely, this user:

 * 67.1.48.142
 * 67.1.53.196
 * 167.128.1.219

There is also cause to think that this user is the same person responsible for other trolling incidents throughout the month of March.

Mike Church 15:53, 24 Mar 2004 (UTC)

title: User talk:Rishartha


text:
Wataugans

Wataugans may refer to:

 * The Wataugans, the former name of the play Liberty! The Saga of Sycamore Shoals
 * Watauga Association, a government in the 1770s
 * People living along the Watauga River
 * Residents of Watauga County, North Carolina

title: Wataugans


text:
Billy Laughlin

William Robert Laughlin (July 5, 1932 – August 31, 1948) was an American child actor. He is best known for playing the character Froggy in the Our Gang short films from 1940 to 1944, the films′ final years of production.

Early life
Laughlin was born on July 5, 1932, in San Gabriel, California, to Robert Vine Laughlin (August 28, 1901 – September 30, 1972) and Charlotte C. Cruikshank (March 11, 1903 – June 4, 1992). According to Our Gang actor Robert Blake, Laughlin was "dearly loved".

Career
Laughlin rose to fame at the age of eight when he appeared in his first Our Gang film, The New Pupil, as "Harold" in 1940. He worked in support of Alfalfa Switzer in his first three films and then replaced the now-too-old Switzer as the comic lead of the group with the 1941 films. His character was known for his strange, guttural voice, which was reminiscent of a frog's croak. Laughlin's last Our Gang short film was the last film of the series in 1944 called Dancing Romeo. Laughlin did the voice himself without dubbing, basing it on a Popeye impersonation he had been doing for friends.

When Our Gang stopped production in 1944, Laughlin appeared in a cameo in Monogram's Johnny Doesn't Live Here Any More, his only non-Our Gang film, speaking in his natural voice for the only time on film.

Death
Laughlin died at a hospital on August 31, 1948, after colliding with a speeding truck while riding with a friend on a Cushman motor scooter. He was delivering newspapers near his home in La Puente, California. The 16-year-old friend who was operating the scooter, John Wilbrand, made a U-turn in front of the truck, but survived with minor injuries. The scooter was given to Laughlin by his parents two weeks prior to the accident. Only 16, Laughlin was the youngest death of any of the other actors who appeared in the Our Gang films.

Laughlin is interred in a grave at the Rose Hills Memorial Park Cemetery in Whittier, California, next to his parents.

title: Billy Laughlin