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Lasso (programming language)

Lasso is an application server and server management interface designed to develop internet applications. It is also a general-purpose, high-level programming language. Originally a web datasource connection tool for Filemaker and later included in Apple Computer's FileMaker 4.0 and Claris Homepage as CDML, it has since evolved into a complex language used to develop and serve large-scale internet applications and web pages.

Lasso includes a simple template system allowing code to control generation of HTML and other content types. Lasso is an object-oriented programming language in which every value is an object. It also supports procedural programming through unbound methods. The language uses traits and multiple dispatch extensively.

Lasso has a dynamic type system, where objects can be loaded and augmented at runtime, automatic memory management, a comprehensive standard library, and three compiling methodologies: dynamic (comparable to PHP-Python), just-in-time compilation (comparable to Java or .NET Framework), and pre-compiled (comparable to C). Lasso also supports Query Expressions, allowing elements within arrays and other types of sequences to be iterated, filtered, and manipulated using a natural language syntax similar to SQL. Lasso includes full Unicode character support in the standard string object, allowing it to serve and support multi-byte characters such as Japanese and Swedish, and supports transparent UTF-8 conversion when writing string data to the network or file system.

Lasso is often used as a scripting language, and also used in a wide range of non-scripting contexts. Lasso code can be packaged into standalone executable programs called "LassoApps", in which folder structures are compiled into single files.

The Lasso Server application server runs as a system service and receives requests from the web server through FastCGI. It then hands the request off to the appropriate Lasso Instance, which formulates the response. Multiple individual instances are supported, allowing one server to handle multiple sites, each as separate processes. The server uses a high performance IO-based green threading system designed for multi-core systems.

Lasso can be compared to the server-side scripting languages PHP and Python, ColdFusion, Ruby, etc.

History
Lasso began in the mid-1990s when early web developers were attempting to build database-backed websites using Apple's FileMaker Pro. On the Mac platform, there were two solutions: Eric Bickford's WEB-FM, and Russell Owens' FileMaker CGI (ROFM) - both built in AppleScript and requiring the use of FileMaker Pro calculation fields for formatting. (WEB-FM was subsequently rewritten in C).

In the fall of 1995, independent developer Vince Bonfanti wrote a new CGI based on ROFM, using C/C++ for improved performance, and using the notion of HTML-based "templates" instead of relying on calculation fields. This proved very popular in the FileMaker community, and was brought to the attention of Bill Doerrfeld, owner of Blue World Communications Inc., a print and website development firm based out of Issaquah, Washington, who bought the source code.

At this time, Blue World experimented with improvements for the CGI in the Frontier scripting environment, which inspired the name "Lasso". Further need for improvement drove the creation of a C-based CGI which was later released as "Lasso 1.0". At this point Lasso only worked with FileMaker Pro 3.x and WebSTAR, and only ran on Apple Mac OS 8 and above.

Lasso's usage grew notably from reviews in print publications and Blue World's hosting of and participation in many email discussion lists, many of which specifically pertained to FileMaker Pro. Blue World also made frequent appearances and was known as a leading company at MacWorld conferences.

Following the release of the Lasso 1.2 lineup in January 1997, Blue World and the Bonfantis entered private talks with Claris, the software division of Apple Computer, and owner of FileMaker Pro. Claris eventually licensed the post-version-1.2 Lasso source code, and with the help of Vince and Paul Bonfanti released the FileMaker Web Companion as a component of FileMaker Pro 4.0. FileMaker Web Companion's language, CDML (Claris Dynamic Markup Language), differed from Lasso 1.2's LDML (Lasso Dynamic Markup Language), but was close enough as to offer an easy transition for developers looking to serve from FileMaker Pro through third-party servers and offered more compelling features.

Including the Lasso-like Web Companion in FileMaker 4.0 also stimulated growth of Lasso within the Macintosh web development community. Blue World continued developing Lasso with Kyle Jessup becoming Lasso's lead programmer. Lasso 2.0 was released in July 1997, introducing some fundamental shifts in how Lasso could be used.

On February 26, 2002, Blue World released Lasso 5, a radical departure from the FileMaker-centric language to date. (There was never a Lasso 4 release; the version number skipped from 3 to 5.) Lasso 5 included, among many updates, a completely rewritten architecture (for OS X, Windows, Linux), and an embedded MySQL database. Though Lasso 5 still spoke to a FileMaker database (but not to a FileMaker Server), FileMaker as a data source remained relatively slow compared to an SQL engine, and was prohibitively more expensive. Since v2.0, Lasso was fully multithreaded, allowing many connections at once, but succumbed to FileMaker's latency or lag in certain operations, and there was no way to get around it reliably other than to make major changes to the data source.

Lasso 5 also added support for Apache HTTP Server natively under OS X, Windows, and Linux, joining Webstar 5, AppleShare IP (which was replaced by OS X Server), and iTools (from Tenon ). (Mac OS 9, on which Lasso had been used for many years, was unsupported). This drove closer ties to a classic LAMP server architecture.

Blue World Communications released a series of plug-ins for popular Web development packages from Macromedia and Adobe. Lasso Studio 1.5 for Dreamweaver was a runner-up in MacWorld magazine's Editors' Choice Awards for Internet and Development in 2001, losing out to Adobe Dreamweaver 3. Lasso Studio for Dreamweaver 1.5 was also reviewed favorably by MacWorld magazine, earning $4 1/2$ mice. Later version of Lasso Studio supported both Macromedia Dreamweaver and Adobe GoLive including Lasso Studio 7 for Dreamweaver and GoLive on March 26, 2004.

With the release of FileMaker Server and FileMaker Server Advanced version 7 in 2004 FileMaker signaled a major change in their strategy for serving data to Web sites. They emphasized XML-XSLT, ODBC, and JDBC connectivity, but only through the more expensive FileMaker Server Advanced product. Blue World began to distance the Lasso language from FileMaker and Apple. In 2005, Lasso Pro received MySQL Network certification demonstrating the importance of the popular open source database to the future of Lasso.

On August 1 of 2004, Bill Doerrfeld officially sold the Lasso product line to OmniPilot Software, Inc. in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Lasso 7.0.3 was the last version of Lasso released by Blue World.

On October 25, 2004, OmniPilot officially announced the release of Lasso 8, a version including sandboxing for multiple sites on the same server and connectivity to many new datasources. This also included the first "free" version of Lasso limited to IP addresses. OmniPilot followed this release with a number of complementary products, including Lasso Studio 8 for Dreamweaver and GoLive on March 28, 2005, Lasso Studio for Eclipse, ChartFX integration and a number of free Lasso-based solutions.

In 2007, three OmniPilot employees, Kyle Jessup (the original developer of Lasso 1.0), Fletcher Sandbeck (an early employee of Blue World known for regular Tips and Tricks) and Kerry Adams (an employee of OmniPilot) created a new company, LassoSoft LLC, to purchase the intellectual property of Lasso from OmniPilot and continue development. Recognizing the need to be competitive against much more popular languages such as PHP and ASP, radical changes in architecture, syntax and structure were made and released as Lasso 9.0. Technical challenges caused by these changes, coupled with limited marketing resources, led to significant community decline as the company struggled to release documentation and support for the new language.

In December 2010 a new Canadian company LassoSoft Inc. was formed, which bought and invested heavily in the Lasso 9.0 language, marketing and documentation. Kyle Jessup agreed to stay on as both Lasso's Lead Developer and Benevolent Dictator for Life. Several releases (9.1 and 9.2) have released further developments in recent years.

Hello World
Here are three ways to say "Hello world!" on a Lasso page. Square brackets are reserved in Lasso, so HTML entities must be used to show square brackets on Lasso pages for other purposes than marking Lasso tags. Alternatively, printing square brackets can be by Lasso or be disabled by including [no_square_brackets] at the file top.

Inlines
Inlines are the basic Lasso tool for database actions. Database commands can be issued as above, in Lasso's db-independent metalanguage, in which case the same search code works for MySQL, FileMaker Pro or for any other database backend with which Lasso can connect.

If needed, a SQL statement can of course be embedded in the inline when using a database server that supports SQL: In the above example, the dashes (-) before commands denote optional parameters. These can be specified in any order and generated dynamically; the last of any duplicate parameters take precedence. The inline command supports a large range of parameters allowing developers to interact with databases that they may not have intimate knowledge of.

Custom database connectors can be created which allows leveraging the abstracted nature of the inline command.

99 Bottles of Beer
The next procedural example prints out the lyrics for the song "99 Bottles of Beer".

The next example uses an OOP approach to print out the lyrics when the object is represented as a string:

Development tools, environments

 * LassoLab
 * Lasso Studio for Eclipse
 * Lasso language mode for Coda
 * Lasso language module for BBEdit

title: Lasso (programming language)


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Talk:Apgar score

Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment
This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 30 August 2021 and 21 September 2021. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): Ucsfmedstudent97, Mmehari, Jeremyccwang.

Above undated message substituted from Template:Dashboard.wikiedu.org assignment by PrimeBOT (talk) 17:27, 17 January 2022 (UTC)

Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment
This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 1 July 2019 and 23 August 2019. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): Jhum4993, Gabidriller, Tnguyen26, Allydiiorio.

Above undated message substituted from Template:Dashboard.wikiedu.org assignment by PrimeBOT (talk) 14:31, 16 January 2022 (UTC)

Thanx, Lupo, you can see that I'm not a native speaker/writer. We do seem to share the wolf bit Jfdwolff 20:36, 13 Mar 2004 (UTC)

How is "How Ready Is This Child" a Mnemonic for APGAR (which has its own separate mnemonic)?--64.241.37.140 21:38, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

Please add a note about common usage currently. The article provides an environment of the 1950's with the date the score was created & a black/white photo. Nothing is said about 2009 and if this score is commonly used today or not.
 * Oh, snap! I'll see if the relevant wikiproject can be bugged. Ubiquitously, by the way. --Kiz o r  17:10, 6 July 2009 (UTC)

Current Usage

I don't know if this helps, but my son was born in December, 2005. The APGAR score was still in use here in Palm Beach County, Florida at that time.

Some discussion on the actual mathematics of the scoring might be in order. My son's score was a 9.9. Presumably, each aspect of APGAR is scored from 0-2 in 1 decimal place accuracy. Are they all equally weighted? If not, how are they weighted, and why? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Sciottos (talk • contribs) 12:29, 21 October 2009 (UTC)
 * There is no weighting in the score, it gives integer values ,I presume they just meant a 9 at 1 minute and a 9 at 5 minutes (it is usually recorded twice), medics are very good at over-abbreviating things or recording things in ways that you would only know if you are "in the club" (trust me I'm a doctor!)  .Arfgab (talk) 09:57, 27 March 2010 (UTC)

Who?
Does anybody know who Jared Barnhill is? Maybe that was a random name insertion? 165.214.12.77 (talk) 07:24, 1 March 2015 (UTC)

 * Good catch. A vandal. Reverted. Anastrophe (talk) 07:28, 1 March 2015 (UTC)

Suggestions to improve accuracy
I noticed that a couple details in this article are inaccurate.

1. "A low score on the one-minute test may show that the neonate requires medical attention..."
 * This statement is misleading at best. Resuscitation, if required, should already be underway by the first minute of life.

2. "An Apgar score that remains below 3 at later times—such as 10, 15, or 30 minutes—may indicate longer-term neurological damage..."
 * A low apgar score at the fifth minute of life is NOT predictive of future neurologic dysfunction.

I recommend that the information in this Wikipedia page be compared with the information in the article, The Apgar Score, by the American Academy of Pediatrics. As well, I will also note that there is a discrepancy between the mind map and the information in the page. The mind map indicates that a pulse between 0 and 60 is awarded 0 points, while the Wikipedia page would give one point for the same heart rate.
 * So fix it. Esrever (klaT) 18:29, 18 February 2017 (UTC)

Foundations 2 2019, Group 6b goals
Group goals: (1) Determine who Jared Barnhill is (rescinded). (2) Determine how commonly the Apgar score is used - is it used in every hospital? What proportion of hospitals? (3) Compare the information between this article and the article "The Apgar Score" by the American Academy of Pediatrics. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Gabidriller (talk • contribs) 21:46, July 29, 2019 (UTC) Gabidriller (talk) 20:13, 30 July 2019 (UTC)

 * While pursuing your group goals, please be sure that any changes to the article conform to Wikipedia policies and guidelines, especially the policies on Verifiability and Neutral point of view. Thanks, Mathglot (talk) 05:29, 30 July 2019 (UTC)

 * While posting on this page (or any Talk page) make sure you sign your posts using WP:4TILDES and use indentation to separate replies, as explained at WP:THREAD. Pinging Thanks, Mathglot (talk) 05:39, 30 July 2019 (UTC)
 * While posting on this page (or any Talk page) make sure you sign your posts using WP:4TILDES and use indentation to separate replies, as explained at WP:THREAD. Pinging Thanks, Mathglot (talk) 05:39, 30 July 2019 (UTC)

 * Thanks Mathglot! I'll make sure to keep an eye on them! Shalor (Wiki Ed) (talk) 15:01, 30 July 2019 (UTC)
 * , would you please explain your "who is" comment in point 1 above? Of what relevance is this to the article, and where did you get that name from?  Thanks Mathglot (talk) 20:27, 30 July 2019 (UTC)

 * That goal was posted in regards to a question posted above under "Who?". Since Jared Barnhill's name was removed from the article, I will remove that goal. Gabidriller (talk) 20:52, 30 July 2019 (UTC)
 * , thanks, that's the right approach. By the way, you can remove it from your personal goals or external lists, but don't actually delete the words from your post above. According to Wikipedia Talk page guidelines, items that are no longer valid in earlier comments you have made, should not be deleted per WP:TPO, because it could lead to confusing conversations, with people appearing to respond to points that aren't there anymore. However, you can strike your comment in point 1, if you wish, per WP:REDACT. But you don't have to; it's up to you. From the subsequent comments, it's clear you have abandoned that goal.  If you wish to strike it, the way to do that is using the <s> tag, like this: , which generates this: strike me out .  Thanks for the quick reply.  Mathglot (talk) 21:01, 30 July 2019 (UTC)
 * Ah, I see you added 'rescinded'; that's just fine; good instincts. You could be a good editor here; hope you stick around after the class. Mathglot (talk) 21:02, 30 July 2019 (UTC)
 * You may wish to consider including the updated clinical guidelines. Health policy (talk) 02:55, 31 July 2019 (UTC)

I added a section about limitations to the Apgar Score from the ACOG guidelines. Hoping to expand more on other factors and limitations / misuse of the apgar score. Allydiiorio (talk) 21:42, 1 August 2019 (UTC)

Sabrina's Peer Review (Group 6A)
1. A) Do the group’s edits improve the article as described in the Wikipedia peer review “Guiding framework”? The lead section was clear, there was no edits made to this section (And I do not think any are needed). There is a clear structure of the article with the implementation of scores being followed by limitations of the scores. This is a logical outline to follow along with giving balanced coverage by showing data for and against the score. The sources are reliable and drawn such as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

B) Has the group achieved its overall goals for improvement? The group may have determined who Jared Barnhill is but did not write about Jared in the article. The group discussed when the Apgar score is used, but did not report any statistics regarding the proportion it is used in hospitals. The group used reliable sources for the articles, but the American Academy of Pediatrics is not cited.

2. Is there any evidence of plagiarism or copyright violation? There is some similarities to guidelines regarding resuscitation information in "Implementation of Scores" section. The limitation section also closely mimics the citation. However, these information in these section would be hard to not adhere to closely to the citation.

Sabrinabulla (talk) 21:19, 5 August 2019 (UTC)

Amanda's Peer Review - Group 6a
1a. Do the group’s edits improve the article as described in the Wikipedia peer review “Guiding framework”? The lead section of the article was well written. There were no edits made to this section. There is a clear structure and it is written in an order that is easy to follow (i.e. defining apgar score, criteria, interpretation of the score, and limitations for its use). All sections of the article are given an appropriate amount of space and there is a good distribution of information throughout. The content added to the article is neutral and they did a good job citing the articles and using systematic reviews as reliable sources.

1b. Has the group achieved its overall goals for improvement? This article has definitely been improved although all the goals stated on the talk page were not achieved.

2. Are the points included verifiable with cited secondary sources that are freely available? If not, specify… Yes, all the points that are included are cited and with sources that are freely available.

Amandabair (talk) 21:46, 5 August 2019 (UTC)

Nora's Peer Review (Group 6a)
1. a. Do the group’s edits improve the article as described in the Wikipedia peer review “Guiding framework”? The lead section was easy to understand. It begins with the definition of Apgar Score, which is helpful in introducing the topic. No edits were made to this section. The article is divided into sections (for example: “Implementation of scores” and “Limitations”) that are clearly labeled according to the subject. These sections were not there before. The group added this new information, which gives the reader more information about when and how the Apgar Score is used. The content is worded to sound neutral. It simply provides the reader with information about how the score is used and interpreted. The article also uses systematic reviews to provide information about the limitations and implementation of Apgar score. However, the sentence:“A systematic review that analyzed the relationship between umbilical cord pH and neonatal outcomes found that low cord pH is strongly correlated with mortality,morbidity and cerebral palsy in childhood.[7]” appears to begin abruptly as it begins with “umbilical cord pH” without any introduction.

b. Has the group achieved its overall goals for improvement? The group did not determine who Jared Barnhill is. They also did not specifically provided statistics on how often the Apgar Score is used, but they provided extensive information on the scenarios when the scores are implemented and the limitations of using the Apgar Score.

2. Person C. Are the edits formatted consistent with Wikipedia’s manual of style? If not, specify… The edits are formatted with a clear structure. They divided the information into sections with information that is consistent with the title of the section. The writing style is conducted in a neutral manner. The sources consist of review articles and .org websites dedicated specifically to Apgar score.

NoraCortez (talk) 02:16, 6 August 2019 (UTC)

UCSF Foundations 2 2019, Group 6a: Kim Chi's Peer Review
1a: Do the group’s edits improve the article as described in the Wikipedia peer review “Guiding framework”? 1b: Has the group achieved its overall goals for improvement? 2a: Does the draft submission reflect a neutral point of view? If not, specify… Knguyen525 (talk) 17:23, 6 August 2019 (UTC)
 * Sections are organized well and flow in a logical manner (introduction of Apgar score, to criteria, interpretation, implementation, limitations). Each section seems equal in length and importance.
 * The first goal was "rescinded", and although the second goal is slightly addressed under interpretation of scores, that section discusses frequency of use, but not how commonly it is used in hospitals overall. Third goal was difficult to find, and as aforementioned in another peer review, the American Academy of Pediatrics is not cited.
 * Draft submission has a neutral point of view

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

title: Talk:Apgar score


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The Sex Monster

The Sex Monster is a 1999 American comedy film written and directed by Mike Binder, produced by Jack Binder and Scott Stephens, and starring Mariel Hemingway and Mike Binder.

Plot
Martin "Marty" Barnes, a businessman (director-writer Mike Binder) who works as a building contractor in Los Angeles, tries to improve his sex life with his wife Laura (Mariel Hemingway) by encouraging her to have a threesome involving another woman. Though Marty is fortunate enough to find that Laura likes the idea, he is not prepared for her coming to prefer women to men, and seducing other women including Marty's own secretary.

Cast

 * Mike Binder as Marty Barnes
 * Mariel Hemingway as Laura Barnes
 * Renée Humphrey as Didi
 * Taylor Nicholas as Billy
 * Missy Crider as Diva
 * Christopher Lawford as Dave Pembroke
 * Joanna Heimbold as Evie Pembroke
 * Kevin Pollak as Dr. Jerry Berman
 * Stephen Baldwin as Murphy
 * Anita Barone as Carol
 * Kara Zediker as Ellen
 * Marisol Nichols as Lucia
 * Holland Taylor as Muriel
 * Noah Stone as Danny

title: The Sex Monster


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Brodmann area 5

Brodmann area 5 is one of Brodmann's cytoarchitectural defined regions of the brain. It is involved in somatosensory processing, movement and association, and is part of the posterior parietal cortex.

Human
Brodmann area 5 is a subdivision of the parietal cortex, part of the cortex in the human brain. BA5 is part of the superior parietal lobule and part of the postcentral gyrus. It is situated immediately posterior to the primary somatosensory cortex.

It is bounded cytoarchitecturally by Brodmann area 2, Brodmann area 7, Brodmann area 4, and Brodmann area 31.

Monkey
In guenon Brodmann area 5 is a subdivision of the parietal lobe defined on the basis of cytoarchitecture. It occupies primarily the superior parietal lobule. Brodmann-1909 considered it topologically and cytoarchitecturally homologous to the preparietal area 5 of the human. Distinctive features (Brodmann-1905): compared to area 4 of Brodmann-1909 area 5 has a thick self-contained internal granular layer (IV); lacks a distinct internal pyramidal layer (V); has a marked sublayer 3b of pyramidal cells in the external pyramidal layer (III); has a distinct boundary between the internal pyramidal layer (V) and the multiform layer (VI); and has ganglion cells in layer V beneath its boundary with layer IV that are separated from layer VI by a wide clear zone.

In the macaque monkey the area PE corresponds to BA5.

title: Brodmann area 5


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Brodmann area 7

Brodmann area 7 is one of Brodmann's cytologically defined regions of the brain corresponding to precuneus and superior parietal lobule (SPL). It is involved in locating objects in space. It serves as a point of convergence between vision and proprioception to determine where objects are in relation to parts of the body.

In humans
Brodmann area 7 is part of the parietal cortex in the human brain. Situated posterior to the primary somatosensory cortex (Brodmann areas 3, 1 and 2), and superior to the occipital lobe, this region is believed to play a role in visuo-motor coordination (e.g., in reaching to grasp an object). In addition, area 7 along with area 5 has been linked to a wide variety of high-level processing tasks, including activation in association with language use. This function in language has been theorized to stem from how these two regions play a vital role in generating conscious constructs of objects in the world.

Brodmann area 7 spans both the medial and lateral walls of the parietal cortex. The medial part of Brodmann area 7 is called precuneus. Laterally, it is called the superior parietal lobule (SPL). At the base of the SPL is the intraparietal sulcus, below which is the inferior parietal lobule (IPL), which in turn divides into Brodmann areas 39 (angular gyrus) and 40 (supramarginal gyrus).

In guenon
Brodmann area 7 is a subdivision of the cytoarchitecturally defined parietal region of cerebral cortex in Guenon primates. It occupies most of the parietal lobe excluding the postcentral gyrus and superior parietal lobule. This layer is distinguished by a lack of large ganglion cells in cortical layer V, slightly larger layer III pyramidal cells, and a multiform layer VI that is sharply bounded by white matter tracts.

title: Brodmann area 7


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Mel Allen

Mel Allen (born Melvin Allen Israel; February 14, 1913 – June 16, 1996) was an American sportscaster, best known for his long tenure as the primary play-by-play announcer for the New York Yankees. During the peak of his career in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, Allen was arguably the most prominent member of his profession, his voice familiar to millions. Years after his death, he is still promoted as having been "The Voice of the Yankees."

In his later years, Allen was the first host of This Week in Baseball.

Early life and career
Allen was born Melvin Allen Israel was born in Birmingham, Alabama. He attended the University of Alabama, where he was a member of the Kappa Nu fraternity as an undergraduate.

During his time at Alabama, Israel served as the public address announcer for Alabama Crimson Tide football games. In 1933, when the station manager or sports director of Birmingham's radio station WBRC asked Alabama coach Frank Thomas to recommend a new play-by-play announcer, he suggested Allen. His first broadcast was Alabama's home opener that year, against the Tulane Green Wave.

Allen graduated from the University of Alabama School of Law in 1937. Shortly after graduating, Allen took a train to New York City for a week's vacation. While on that vacation, he auditioned for a staff announcer's position at the CBS Radio Network. CBS executives already knew of Allen; the network's top sportscaster, Ted Husing, had heard many of his Crimson Tide broadcasts. He was hired at $45 a week. He often did non-sports announcing such as for big band remotes, or "emceeing" game shows such as Truth or Consequences, serving as an understudy for both sportscaster Husing and newscaster Bob Trout.

In his first year at CBS, Allen announced the crash of the Hindenburg when the station cut away from singer Kate Smith's show. He first became a national celebrity when he ad libbed for a half-hour during the rain-delayed Vanderbilt Cup from an airplane. In 1939, he was the announcer for the Warner Brothers & Vitaphone film musical short-subject, On the Air, with Leith Stevens and the Saturday Night Swing Club.

Stephen Borelli, in his biography How About That?! (a favorite expression of Allen's after an outstanding play by the home team), states that it was at CBS's suggestion in 1937, the year Melvin Israel joined the network, that he go by a different last name on the air. He chose Allen, his father's middle name as well as his own, and legally changed his name to Melvin Allen in 1943.

Baseball
Allen was used as a color commentator for CBS's radio broadcast of the 1938 World Series. This led Wheaties to tap him to replace Arch McDonald, who was moving on to New York as the first full-time radio voice of both the Yankees and the New York Giants for their home games, as the voice of the Washington Senators for the 1939 season. Senators' owner Clark Griffith wanted Walter Johnson, a former Senators pitcher, instead of Allen, and Wheaties relented.

In June 1939, Garnett Marks, McDonald's partner on Yankee broadcasts, twice mispronounced Ivory Soap, the Yankees' sponsor at the time, as "Ovary Soap." He was fired, and Allen was tapped to replace him. McDonald himself went back to Washington after only one season, and Allen became the Yankees' and Giants' lead announcer, doing double duty for both teams because only their home games were broadcast at that time.

He periodically recounted an anecdote that occurred during his first full season (1940) as Yankee play-by-play man. Hall of Fame first baseman Lou Gehrig had been forced to retire the year before after having been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a fatal illness. Speaking with Allen in the Yankee dugout, Gehrig told him "Mel, I never got a chance to listen to your games before because I was playing every day. But I want you to know they're the only thing that keeps me going." Allen broke down in tears after Gehrig departed.

Allen's stint with the Yankees and Giants was interrupted in 1941, when no sponsor could be found and both teams went off the air, but the broadcasts resumed in 1942. Allen was the voice of both the Yankees and the Giants until 1943, when he entered the United States Army during World War II, broadcasting on The Army Hour and Armed Forces Radio.

After the war, Allen called Yankee games exclusively. By this time, road games were added to the broadcast schedule. Before long Allen and the Yankees were fused in the public consciousness, an association strengthened by the team's frequent World Series appearances. Allen eventually called 22 World Series on radio or television, including all but one in the 17-year stretch between 1947 and 1963, and also called 24 All-Star Games. Interestingly, Allen's play-by-play of the 1948 World Series between the Cleveland Indians and the Boston Braves alongside Boston Braves announcer Jim Britt occurred because neither Cleveland Indians announcer was selected by MLB commissioner Happy Chandler; Jack Graney was ineligible due to having been a former player, and Jimmy Dudley was passed over due to a lack of experience.

In 1952, Allen was one of the first three celebrities spoofed in the just-created Mad satirical comic book. In the second issue, Allen, Giant manager Leo Durocher and Hall of Fame Yankee catcher Yogi Berra were all caricatured in a baseball story, "Hex!", illustrated by Jack Davis. His likeness was also licensed by Standard Comics for a two-issue "Mel Allen's Sports Comics" series between 1949 and 1950.

After Russ Hodges departed from the Yankee booth to become the longtime voice of the New York (and starting in 1958, San Francisco) Giants, the young Curt Gowdy replaced him as Allen's broadcast partner in 1949 & 1950, having been brought in from Oklahoma City after winning a national audition. Gowdy, originally from Wyoming, credited Mel Allen's mentoring as a big factor in his own success as a broadcaster and became the voice of the Boston Red Sox from 1951 to 1965. Red Barber, the former Brooklyn Dodgers announcer who had served as Allen's crosstown rival and frequent World Series broadcast partner, joined the Yankees' booth in 1954 and teamed with Allen until the latter's dismissal a decade later.

Allen called the second half of Game 7 of the 1960 World Series, as broadcasting duties were split between Allen and Pittsburgh broadcaster Bob Prince. Bill Mazeroski hit a walk-off home run off Ralph Terry to win the fall classic for the Pittsburgh Pirates. It was the only walk-off home run ever to occur in a Game 7 of a World Series.

"There's a drive into deep left field, look out now…! That ball is going… going gone! And the World Series is over! Mazeroski… hits it over the left field fence for a home run, and the Pirates win it 10-9 and win the World Series…!"

Allen lost his voice late in the fourth and last game of the 1963 World Series, in which the Dodgers swept the Yankees in four games and their longtime announcer, Vin Scully, paired with Allen on the national telecast, spontaneously took over from him for the end of the game after he could no longer talk, telling him soothingly, "That's all right, Mel." (Scully had announced the first half of the game, and Allen had begun to announce the second half.)

Among Allen's many catchphrases were "Hello there, everybody!" to start a game, "How a-bout that?!" on outstanding Yankee plays, "There's a drive, hit deep to right. That ball is go-ing, go-ing, gonnne!!" for Yankee home runs, for full counts, "Three and two. What'll he do?" and after a robust Yankee swing and miss, "He took a good cut!"

Other sports
Allen called a number of college football bowl games, including 14 Rose Bowls, two Orange Bowls, and two Sugar Bowls. In the National Football League, Allen served as play-by-play announcer for the Washington Redskins in 1952 and 1953 and for the New York Giants on WCBS-AM in 1960, with some of the Giants' broadcasts also carried nationally by the CBS Radio Network. He also did radio play-by-play for the Miami Dolphins' and for the Miami Hurricanes.

Allen hosted Jackpot Bowling on NBC in 1959 after Leo Durocher had left to return to major league baseball coaching, but his lack of bowling knowledge made him an unpopular host and Bud Palmer replaced him as the show's host in April.

Allen narrated a film about the 1961 Maccabiah Games which took place in Israel, titled The Sixth World Maccabiah Games.

Non-sports work
In the early 1940s, Allen hosted Thirty Minutes to Play on CBS radio. The program featured "interviews of sports and musical personalities." In the early 1940s Mel Allen announced a few Glenn Miller radio programs as well.

In 1947, Allen was a disc jockey on 1010 WINS in New York City, with a 2-5 p.m. program daily. An ad for the station in Broadcasting called the show "the initial step in our plans for bloc [sic] programming."

In the early 1960s, Allen hosted the three-hour Saturday morning segment of the weekend NBC Radio program Monitor. He also contributed sportscasts to the program until the late 1960s. Allen also provided voiceover narration for Fox Movietone newsreels for many years.

Allen appeared in a cameo role in the 1988 comedy film The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!.

In 1994, he voiced the stadium announcer for the Broadway revival of Damn Yankees, as himself.

Fired by the Yankees
On September 21, 1964—prior to the start of the World Series—the Yankees informed Allen that his contract with the team would not be renewed for 1965. In those days, the main announcers for both Series participants always called the World Series on NBC television. Although Allen was thus technically eligible to call the 1964 World Series, Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick honored the Yankees' request to have retired Yankee star shortstop Phil Rizzuto, Allen's sidekick in the radio booth, join the Series crew instead. It would be one of only four Yankee World Series going back to 1938 that Allen had not broadcast, and the first since 1943 (which he'd missed due to his Army service).

On December 17, 1964, after much media speculation and many letters to the Yankees from fans disgruntled by Allen's absence from the Series, the Yankees issued a terse press release announcing Allen's firing; he was replaced by Joe Garagiola. NBC and Movietone dropped him soon afterward. To this day, the Yankees have never given an explanation for the sudden firing, and rumors abounded. Depending on the rumor, Allen was either homosexual, an alcoholic, a drug addict, or had a nervous breakdown.

Years later, Allen told author Curt Smith that the Yankees had fired him under pressure from the team's longtime sponsor, Ballantine Beer. According to Allen, he was fired as a cost-cutting move by Ballantine, which had been experiencing poor sales for years (it would eventually be sold in 1969). Smith, in his book Voices of Summer, also indicated that the medications Allen took to see him through his busy schedule may have affected his on-air performance. (Stephen Borelli, another biographer, has also pointed out that Allen's heavy workload did not allow him time to take care of his health.)

Allen became Merle Harmon's partner for Milwaukee Braves games in 1965, and worked Cleveland Indians games on television in 1968. But he would not commit to either team full-time, nor to the Oakland Athletics, who also wanted to hire him after the team's move from Kansas City. Despite the firing in 1964, Allen remained loyal to the Yankees for the remainder of his life, and to this day—years after his death—he is still popularly known as "the Voice of the Yankees."

The Yankees eventually brought Allen back to emcee special Yankee Stadium ceremonies, including Old-Timers' Day, which Allen had originally handled when he was lead announcer. Although Yankee broadcaster Frank Messer, who joined the club in 1968, replaced him as emcee for Old-Timers' Day and other special events like Mickey Mantle Day, the Yankees continued to invite Allen to call the actual exhibition game between the Old Timers, and to take part in players' number-retirement ceremonies.

Return to the Yankees
Allen was brought back to the Yankees' on-air team in 1976 as a pre/post-game host for the cable telecasts with John Sterling, and also started calling play-by-play again. He announced Yankees cable telecasts on SportsChannel New York (now MSG Plus) with Phil Rizzuto, Bill White, Frank Messer, and occasionally, Fran Healy.

Allen remained with the Yankees' play-by-play crew until 1985 and made occasional appearances on Yankee telecasts and commercials into the late 1980s. In 1990, Allen called play-by-play for a WPIX Yankees game to officially make him baseball's first seven-decade announcer. Among the memorable moments Allen called in his latter stretch were Yankee outfielder Reggie Jackson's 400th home run in 1980, and Yankee pitcher Dave Righetti's no-hitter on July 4, 1983.

This Week in Baseball
In his later years, Allen was exposed to a new audience as the host of the syndicated highlights show This Week in Baseball, which he hosted from its inception in 1977 until his death. When FOX relaunched TWIB in 2000 (after a one-year hiatus), it used a claymation version of Allen to open and close the show until 2002.

Computer games
Allen recorded the play-by-play for two computer baseball games, Tony La Russa Baseball and Old Time Baseball, which were published by Stormfront Studios. The games included his signature "How about that?!" home run call. He also used the same catch-phrase during his cameo appearances in the films The Naked Gun (1988) and Needful Things (1993).

Producer Don Daglow said in a 1995 interview with Computer Gaming World that

"Allen was a dream to work with. If something sounded the least bit off, he caught it himself and self-corrected before you even had a chance to ask for another take. Sometimes he'd hear a problem live that we would only have noticed later. When he was reading the long list of numbers that would be spliced into sentences to announce batting averages and so on, he stopped suddenly and said, 'That's not good.' Then he started again and finished the list. When we checked the tape we heard that he had just started to get a sing-song rhythm from repeating too many numbers in a row, and he'd noticed before anyone else had."

Awards
The National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association inducted Allen into its Hall of Fame in 1972. In 1978, he was one of the first two winners of the Baseball Hall of Fame's Ford C. Frick Award for broadcasting, along with Red Barber. In 1985, Allen was inducted into the American Sportscasters Association Hall of Fame along with former Yankee partner (and later Red Sox and NBC Sports voice) Curt Gowdy and Chicago legend Jack Brickhouse. He was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 1988. In 2009, the American Sportscasters Association ranked Allen as the #2 greatest sportscaster of all time, second only to Vin Scully.

Death and legacy
Allen died of heart failure at age 83 on June 16, 1996; he had undergone open-heart surgery in 1989. His one-week vacation to New York had turned into 60 years; he had settled in New York after landing a job at CBS Radio and lived there and in southwestern Connecticut for the rest of his life.

Allen was buried at Temple Beth El Cemetery in Stamford, Connecticut. On July 25, 1998, the Yankees dedicated a plaque in his memory at Monument Park at Yankee Stadium. The plaque calls him "A Yankee institution, a national treasure" and includes his much-spoken line "How about that?!"

Film roles

 * The Babe Ruth Story (1948) - New York Yankees Radio Announcer
 * The Flamingo Kid (1984) - Himself (voice)
 * The Naked Gun (1988) - The Baseball Announcer #4
 * Born on the Fourth of July (1989) - Himself (voice)
 * Needful Things (1993) - Baseball Announcer

title: Mel Allen


text:
Talk:Flag of Ohio

Only two?
"one of only two non-rectangular flags in the world", the article read. Ohio. Nepal. The Danish, Swedish, Icelandic, and Norwegian governments. The Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian navies. The Ryukyu Islands. The flag of the Romanian uprising of 1980. Numerous historical war flags from north Africa and Asia.... I have removed thhe comment from the text. Grutness...  wha?  09:09, 3 November 2005 (UTC)

 * Thanks for helping with this article; I built this article using information from the Nepal flag and Ohio flag articles. My apologies; IanManka 04:23, 24 November 2005 (UTC)

I've added an image of the flag itself; it seems to be an appropriate illustration of the content. Z iggurat 02:21, 29 May 2006 (UTC)

 * Just to update the information supplied by Grutness, the use of "swallow-tailed" flags in the Nordic Countries applies to the following flags: State Flag / Naval Ensign in both Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The flags of Denmark and Iceland use two "tails"; Sweden, Norway and Finland use three. A number of official flags in all countries use the same form as well since they are basically modified versions of the local State flag. This applies e.g. to a large number of flags in Denmark, most notably the standards used by the royal family and by leading naval officers. The civil flags are square in all five countries. Valentinian (talk) / (contribs) 10:39, 15 September 2006 (UTC)

 * Btw, Danes also use rows of swallow-tailed paper flags for birthday party decorations and for decorating Christmas trees. Valentinian (talk) / (contribs) 11:09, 15 September 2006 (UTC)

Why Flag Shape
Any explanation of why it's the only state flag of a pennant type?--Carl
 * This should be easy to find. I recently read it was supposed to resemble a cavalry flag.--208.102.210.163 (talk) 00:13, 8 May 2008 (UTC)
 * Amusingly, I read the cavalry flag relation on this article. (see second paragraph)--208.102.210.163 (talk) 00:31, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

Only 2 non-rectangular flags in the whole world?
Is there any proof of this fact? This is a bold claim as there are probably hundreds of thousands of flags in use by the world's governments (Think of all the county flags in the US alone). A proof would require a researcher investigating the flags of every country, territory, region, state, county, etc...

This sounds like the work of an over-zealous editor and I vote for this to be stricken from this article and Flag of Nepal.Asteron ノレツァ 05:23, Jan 30, 2005 (UTC)

 * This criticism does not apply to Flag of Nepal: that page claims that Nepal's is the only non-rectangular national flag, and although it is uncertain exactly how many countries there are, and exactly what their flags are, it is pretty certain (and well established) that Nepal's is the only non-rectangular national flag. --Taejo 08:24, 5 Jun 2005 (UTC)
 * In addition, Flag of Nepal says that there are four non-rectangular flags including Flag of Switzerland and Flag of Vatican City. Some rewording is in order, at the very least.  Dismas|(talk) 14:31, 22 April 2006 (UTC)
 * Squares are a type of rectangle, so the flags of Switzerland and the Vatican City are indeed rectangular. User:Angr 15:26, 28 June 2006 (UTC)

First 100 years of Ohio's Existence - State Flag?
Was there any semblance of a state flag from 1803 - 1902? It's strange to see a state exist for 100 years without any flag.
 * Yeah, I came here ready to pose the same question. Gold Stur 22:06, 13 August 2007 (UTC)

Colors Wrong
The colors are definitely wrong. The shades of blue and red seem to correspond with those of the flag of the United States of America, a drastically darker shade. Consider the picture on the page as evidence. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 208.102.210.163 (talk) 00:22, 8 May 2008 (UTC)
 * Hello? Anyone?--189.33.38.206 (talk) 02:07, 26 November 2009 (UTC)

Bob Grant Controversy
On his October 15th show, conservative talk show host Bob Grant mistook the Ohio flag for an "Obama" flag, saying, But really folks, did you notice Obama is not content with just having several American flags, plain old American flags with the 50 states represented by 50 stars? He has the "O" flag. And that's what that "O" is. That's what that "O" is. Just like he did with the plane he was using. He had the flag painted over, and the "O" for Obama. Now, these are symptom -- these things are symptomatic of a person who would like to be a potentate -- a dictator. And I really see this in this man. DarkAudit (talk) 01:41, 26 October 2008 (UTC)
 * not sure if it's relevent/notable enough to be mentioned in the article, but that's hilarious. Even I knew it was the Ohio flag, and I'm not even American. --86.138.30.7 (talk) 17:52, 1 November 2008 (UTC)
 * It was mentioned in the Bob Grant article, and that's enough. DarkAudit (talk) 03:50, 11 November 2008 (UTC)

Only two non-rectangular flags - again
"[The flag of Ohio is] one of only two non-rectangular official jurisdictional flags, at the state level or above, in the world (the other is the flag of Nepal)."

If "at the state level or above" means "countries and first-level subdivisions only", this text is false, as two of the Polish voivodeships have trapezoid-shaped flags. SiBr4 (talk) 19:35, 18 February 2014 (UTC)

 * The text now says "non-quadrilateral", which excludes trapezoids. Off to find more counterexamples!  – Minh Nguyễn (talk, contribs) 08:58, 28 July 2014 (UTC)
 * I may have some more; I'm not sure whether "official jurisdictional flags" would include state flags and naval ensigns, but several Northern European countries have swallowtail-shaped ensigns . The word "current" would explicitly exclude flags like that of the . SiBr4 (talk) 19:05, 29 July 2014 (UTC)

 * I think "official jurisdictional flags" referred to "civil flags" (as opposed to naval flags and the like), but I decided to weasel the article out of this one. Ohio's flag is now a "rare example of a non-quadrilateral civil flag". Does "civil flag" necessarily imply that the government uses a distinct state flag? – Minh Nguyễn (talk, contribs) 12:34, 30 July 2014 (UTC)

Earlier flags
This article describes one earlier state flag, but this Enquirer article quotes the Ohio Historical Society's spokesman pointing out the existence of "different, earlier versions of a flag" – plural. – Minh Nguyễn (talk, contribs) 03:26, 22 September 2014 (UTC)

External links modified
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Isn't Eisenmann's geometry wrong?
If the triangle is constructed according to the instructions, the distance OK is about 2.4721

But the dashed circle ("With OK as radius inscribe the circle I.J.K.L.M.N.") has a radius 2.5.

Anyone tried?

title: Talk:Flag of Ohio


text:
Ransom

Ransom is the practice of holding a prisoner or item to extort money or property to secure their release, or the sum of money involved in such a practice.

When ransom means "payment", the word comes via Old French rançon from Latin redemptio, 'buying back'; compare "redemption".

Ransom cases
Julius Caesar was captured by pirates near the island of Pharmacusa, and held until someone paid 50 talents to free him.

In Europe during the Middle Ages, ransom became an important custom of chivalric warfare. An important knight, especially nobility or royalty, was worth a significant sum of money if captured, but nothing if he was killed. For this reason, the practice of ransom contributed to the development of heraldry, which allowed knights to advertise their identities, and by implication their ransom value, and made them less likely to be killed out of hand. Examples include Richard the Lion Heart and Bertrand du Guesclin.

In 1532, Francisco Pizarro was paid a ransom amounting to a roomful of gold by the Inca Empire before having their leader Atahualpa, his victim, executed in a rigged trial. The ransom payment received by Pizarro is recognized as the largest ever paid to a single individual, probably over $2 billion in today's economic markets.

Modern
The abduction of Charley Ross on July 1, 1874, is considered to be the first American kidnapping for ransom.

East Germany, which built the Inner German border to stop emigration, practised ransom with people. East German citizens could emigrate through the semi-secret route of being ransomed by the West German government in a process termed Freikauf (literally the buying of freedom). Between 1964 and 1989, 33,755 political prisoners were ransomed. West Germany paid over 3.4 billion DM—nearly $2.3 billion at 1990 prices—in goods and hard currency. Those ransomed were valued on a sliding scale, ranging from around 1,875 DM for a worker to around 11,250 DM for a physician. For a while, payments were made in kind using goods that were in short supply in East Germany, such as oranges, bananas, coffee, and medical drugs. The average prisoner was worth around 4,000 DM worth of goods.

Ransom notes
A request for ransom may be conveyed to the target of the effort by a ransom note, a written document outlining the demands of the kidnappers. In some instances, however, the note itself can be used as forensic evidence to discover the identities of unknown kidnappers, or to convict them at trial. For example, if a ransom note contains misspellings, a suspect might be asked to write a sample of text to determine if they make the same spelling errors.

Following cases where forensic evidence pinpointed particular typewriters to typed ransom notes, kidnappers started to use pre-printed words assembled from different newspapers. In popular culture, ransom notes are often depicted as being made from words in different typefaces clipped from different sources (typically newspapers), in order to disguise the handwriting of the kidnapper, leading to the phrase ransom note effect being used to describe documents containing jarringly mixed fonts. An early use of this technique in film is in the 1952 film The Atomic City.

In some instances, a person may forge a ransom note in order to falsely collect a ransom despite not having an actual connection to the kidnapper. On other occasions, a ransom note has been used as a ploy to convince family members that a person is being held for ransom when that person has actually left of their own volition or was already dead before the note was sent.

Variations
There were numerous instances in which towns paid to avoid being plundered, an example being Salzburg which, under Paris Lodron, paid a ransom to Bavaria to prevent its being sacked during the Thirty Years' War. As late as the Peninsular War (1808–14), it was the belief of the English soldiers that a town taken by storm was liable to sack for three days, and they acted on their conviction at Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajoz and San Sebastian.

In the early 18th century, the custom was that the captain of a captured vessel gave a bond or "ransom bill", leaving one of his crew as a hostage or "ransomer" in the hands of the captor. Frequent mention is made of the taking of French privateers which had in them ten or a dozen ransomers. The owner could be sued on his bond. Payment of ransom was banned by the Parliament of Great Britain in 1782 although this was repealed in 1864. It was generally allowed by other nations.

In the Russo-Japanese War, though no mention was made of ransom, the contributions levied by invading armies might still be accurately described by the name.

Although ransom is usually demanded only after the kidnapping of a person, it is not unheard of for thieves to demand ransom for the return of an inanimate object or body part. In 1987, thieves broke into the tomb of Argentinian president Juan Perón and then severed and stole his hands; they later demanded $8million US for their return. The ransom was not paid.

The practice of towing vehicles and charging towing fees for the vehicles' release is often dysphemised as "ransoming" by opponents of towing. In Scotland, booting vehicles on private property is outlawed as extortion. In England, the clamping of vehicles is theoretically the Common law offence of "holding property to ransom".

Warring international military groups have demanded ransom for any personnel they can capture from their opposition or their opposition's supporters. Ransom paid to these groups can encourage more hostage-taking.

title: Ransom


text:
Brodmann area 18

Human
Brodmann area 18, or BA18, is part of the occipital cortex in the human brain. It accounts for the bulk of the volume of the occipital lobe. It is known as a "Visual Association Area" or V2 and is a first stage in processing or feature extraction of retinotopic images from V1.

This area is also known as parastriate area 18. It is a subdivision of the cytoarchitecturally defined occipital region of cerebral cortex. In the human it is located in parts of the cuneus, the lingual gyrus and the lateral occipital gyrus (H) of the occipital lobe. It is bounded on one side by the Brodmann area 17, from which it is distinguished by absence of a band of Gennari, and on the other by the peristriate area 19 (Brodmann-1909).

Guenon
Brodmann area 18 is a subdivision of the cerebral cortex of the guenon defined on the basis of cytoarchitecture. It is topographically and cytoarchitecturally homologous to parastriate area 18 of the human (Brodmann-1909). Distinctive features (Brodmann-1905): a wide, dense internal granular cell layer (IV); a distinct sublayer 3b of closely packed large pyramidal cells positioned in the external pyramidal layer (III) directly above layer IV; an almost cell-free, narrow internal pyramidal layer (V) with no larger ganglion cells; a very narrow, dense multiform layer (VI) composed of small polymorphic cells that form a distinct boundary with the underlying subcortical white matter. Like area 17 of Brodmann-1905, area 18 is relatively thin, with the three deep layers thin relative to the three outer layers, and has distinct boundaries between layers, abundance of granule cells, narrow layer VI, and sharp boundary between cortex and subcortical white matter.

title: Brodmann area 18


text:
Brodmann area 19

Brodmann area 19, or BA 19, is part of the occipital lobe cortex in the human brain. Along with area 18, it comprises the extrastriate (or peristriate) cortex. In humans with normal sight, extrastriate cortex is a visual association area, with feature-extracting, shape recognition, attentional, and multimodal integrating functions.

This area is also known as peristriate area 19, and it refers to a subdivision of the cytoarchitecturally defined occipital region of cerebral cortex. In the human it is located in parts of the lingual gyrus, the cuneus, the lateral occipital gyrus (H) and the superior occipital gyrus (H) of the occipital lobe where it is bounded approximately by the parieto-occipital sulcus. It is bounded on one side by the parastriate area 18, which it surrounds. It is bounded rostrally by the angular area 39 (H) and the occipitotemporal area 37 (H) (Brodmann-1909).

In animals
Brodmann area 19-1909 is a subdivision of the cerebral cortex of the guenon defined on the basis of cytoarchitecture. It is cytoarchitecturally homologous to the peristriate area 19 of the human (Brodmann-1909). Distinctive features (Brodmann-1905): Compared to Brodmann area 18-1909, the pyramidal cells of sublayer 3b of the external pyramidal layer (III) are not as densely distributed, the layer is not as narrow, and its boundary with the internal granular layer (IV) is not as distinct; the cells in sublayer 3b are concentrated at its outer boundary leaving a narrow clear zone with no large pyramidal cells adjacent to layer IV; the granule cells of layer IV are less densely distributed and are intermixed with larger polymorphic cells so that, while the layer is still quite dark and prominent, it is somewhat widened and not as self-contained; the internal pyramidal layer (V) is characterized by large pyramidal ganglion cells, most in small groups, a pattern not seen in area 18; the cells in the multiform layer (VI) are clearly larger than in area 18; overall, area 19 is somewhat thicker and less densely populated than area 18.

Function
Area 19 is a histologically delineated band anterolaterally abutting visual area 18. Single-cell electrophysiological recordings from area 19 in the cat suggest sensitivity to motion-delineated forms; recordings from primates have yielded varying results, indicating that this area may be a heterogeneous collection of visual areas, with multiple incomplete representations of the visual scene.

In humans, this band is reputed to contain regions of the visual areas designated V3, V4, V5 (also known as the middle temporal area, or MT), and V6 (also known as dorsomedial area) in the primate. Functional magnetic resonance imaging shows the existence of various retinotopic maps within area 19. In general, the diverse fields that comprise area 19 have reciprocal connections with areas 17 and 18, as well as posterior parietal and inferior temporal association areas.

Area 19 has been noted to receive inputs from the retina via the superior colliculus and pulvinar and may contribute to the phenomenon of blindsight. In patients blind from a young age, the area has been found to be activated by somatosensory stimuli.

Because of these findings, it is thought that area 19 is the differentiation point of the two visual streams of the 'what' and 'where' visual pathways. The dorsal region may contain motion-sensitive neurons, and ventral areas may be specialised for object recognition.

title: Brodmann area 19


text:
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title: User:Alan Au


text:
Demetae

The Demetae were a Celtic people of Iron Age and Roman period, who inhabited modern Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire in south-west Wales. The tribe also gave their name to the medieval Kingdom of Dyfed, the modern area and county of Dyfed and the distinct dialect of Welsh spoken in modern south-west Wales, Dyfedeg.

Etymology and relationship to Dyfed
The tribal name Demetae is thought to derive from a Common Celtic element related to the modern Welsh word defaid (sheep) as well as the Ancient Brythonic word defod (wealth, property or riches). This element persists in the name for the area of West Wales that the tribe inhabited, with the post-Roman Kingdom of Dyfed (proto-Celtic *dametos) a clear continuation of the Pre-Roman etymon. The name even survived the Norman conquest of Wales and the introduction of the Shire system, with Thomas Morgan noting that the Welsh inhabitants of Pembrokeshire still referred to the area as Dyfed in the nineteenth century.

This etymology is supported by the tribal area being especially noted for the cultivation of sheep, from which the Demetae would have generated much of their wealth. Even in the modern era, etymologists and antiquarians such as William Baxter noted the names Dyfed and Demetae derived as "a country fit for the pasture of sheep" and that the local people were noted for their cultivation of large numbers of sheep and goats from ancient times.

History
The Demetae are mentioned in Ptolemy's Geographia, as being west of the Silures. He mentions two of their towns, Moridunum (modern Carmarthen) and Luentinum (identified as the Dolaucothi Gold Mines near Pumsaint, Carmarthenshire). They are not mentioned in Tacitus' accounts of Roman warfare in Wales, which concentrate on their neighbours the Silures and Ordovices.

Vortiporius, "tyrant of the Demetae", is one of the kings condemned by Gildas in his 6th century polemic De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae. This probably signifies the sub-Roman petty kingdom of Dyfed.

title: Demetae


text:
Meroë

Meroë (also spelled Meroe; Meroitic: Medewi; مرواه and مروي; Μερόη) was an ancient city on the east bank of the Nile about 6 km north-east of the Kabushiya station near Shendi, Sudan, approximately 200 km north-east of Khartoum. Near the site is a group of villages called Bagrawiyah (البجراوية). This city was the capital of the Kingdom of Kush for several centuries from around 590 BC, until its collapse in the 4th century AD. The Kushitic Kingdom of Meroë gave its name to the "Island of Meroë", which was the modern region of Butana, a region bounded by the Nile (from the Atbarah River to Khartoum), the Atbarah and the Blue Nile.

The city of Meroë was on the edge of Butana. There were two other Meroitic cities in Butana: Musawwarat es-Sufra and Naqa. The first of these sites was given the name Meroë by the Persian king Cambyses, in honor of his sister who was called by that name. The city had originally borne the ancient appellation Saba, named after the country's original founder. The eponym Saba, or Seba, is named for one of the sons of Cush (see Genesis 10:7). The presence of numerous Meroitic sites within the western Butana region and on the border of Butana proper is significant to the settlement of the core of the developed region. The orientation of these settlements exhibit the exercise of state power over subsistence production.

The Kingdom of Kush which housed the city of Meroë represents one of a series of early states located within the middle Nile. It was one of the earliest and most advanced states found on the African continent. Looking at the specificity of the surrounding early states within the middle Nile, one's understanding of Meroë in combination with the historical developments of other historic states may be enhanced through looking at the development of power relation characteristics within other Nile Valley states.

The site of the city of Meroë is marked by more than two hundred pyramids in three groups, of which many are in ruins. They have the distinctive size and proportions of Nubian pyramids.

History
Meroë was the southern capital of the Kingdom of Kush. The Kingdom of Kush spanned the period c. 800 BC – c. 350 AD. Initially, its main capital was farther north at Napata. King Aspelta moved the capital to Meroë, considerably farther south than Napata, possibly c. 591 BC, just after the sack of Napata by Egyptian Pharaoh Psamtik II.

Martin Meredith states the Kushite rulers chose Meroë, between the Fifth and Sixth Cataracts, because it was on the fringe of the summer rainfall belt, and the area was rich in iron ore and hardwood for iron working. The location also afforded access to trade routes to the Red Sea. The city of Meroë was located along the middle Nile which is of much importance due to the annual flooding of the Nile river valley and the connection to many major river systems such as the Niger which aided with the production of pottery and iron characteristic to the Meroitic kingdom that allowed for the rise in power of its people. According to partially deciphered Meroitic texts, Meroitic "d" was transcribed in foreign languages as "r", with the native name of the city being Medewi.

First Meroitic Period (542–315 BC)
The Kings ruled over Napata and Meroë. The seat of government and the royal palace were in Meroë. The Main temple of Amun was located in Napata. Kings and many queens are buried in Nuri, some queens are buried in Meroë, in the West Cemetery. The earliest king was Analmaye (542–538 BC) and the last king of the first phase is Nastasen (335–315 BC)

In the fifth century BC, Greek historian Herodotus described it as "a great city...said to be the mother city of the other Ethiopians."

Excavations revealed evidence of important, high ranking Kushite burials from the Napatan Period (c. 800 – c. 280 BC) in the vicinity of the settlement called the Western Cemetery. The importance of the town gradually increased from the beginning of the Meroitic Period, especially from the reign of Arakamani (c. 280 BC) when the royal burial ground was transferred to Meroë from Napata (Gebel Barkal). Royal burials formed the Pyramids of Meroë, containing the remains of the Kings and Queens of Meroë from c. 300 BC to about 350 AD.

Second Meroitic Period (3rd century BC)
The seat of government and the royal palace are in Meroë. Kings and many queens are buried in Meroë, in the South Cemetery. Napata remained relevant for the Amun Temple. The first King of the period was Aktisanes (Early 3rd century BC) and the last king of the period was Sabrakamani (first half 3rd century BC).

Third Meroitic Period (270 BC – 1st century AD)
The seat of government and the royal palace are in Meroë. Kings are buried in Meroë, in the North Cemetery, and Queens in West Cemetery. Napata remained relevant for the Amun Temple. Meroë flourished and many building projects were undertaken. The first king of the period is Arakamani (270–260 BC), the last ruler is Queen Amanitore (mid/late 1st century AD)

Many artifacts were found in Meroitic tombs from around this time.

Conflict with Rome
Rome's conquest of Egypt led to border skirmishes and incursions by Meroë beyond the Roman borders. In 23 BC, in response to a Nubian attack on southern Egypt, the Roman governor of Egypt, Publius Petronius, invaded Nubia to end the Meroitic raids. He pillaged northern Nubia and sacked Napata (22 BC) before returning home. In retaliation, the Nubians crossed the lower border of Egypt and looted many statues from the Egyptian towns near the first cataract of the Nile at Aswan. Roman forces later reclaimed many of the statues intact, and others were returned following the peace treaty signed in 22 BC between Rome and Meroë under Augustus and Amanirenas, respectively. One looted head, from a statue of the emperor Augustus, was buried under the steps of a temple; it is now kept in the British Museum.

The next recorded contact between Rome and Meroë was in the autumn of 61 AD. The Emperor Nero sent a party of Praetorian soldiers under the command of a tribune and two centurions into this country, who reached the city of Meroë where they were given an escort, then proceeded up the White Nile until they encountered the swamps of the Sudd. This marked the limit of Roman penetration into Africa.

The period following Petronius' punitive expedition is marked by abundant trade finds at sites in Meroë. L. P. Kirwan provides a short list of finds from archeological sites in that country. The kingdom of Meroë began to fade as a power by the 1st or 2nd century AD, sapped by the war with Roman Egypt and the decline of its traditional industries.

Meroë is mentioned briefly in the 1st century AD Periplus of the Erythraean Sea: "2. On the right-hand coast next below Berenice is the country of the Berbers. Along the shore are the Fish-Eaters, living in scattered caves in the narrow valleys. Farther inland are the Berbers, and beyond them the Wild-flesh-Eaters and Calf-Eaters, each tribe governed by its chief; and behind them, farther inland, in the country towards the west, there lies a city called Meroe."

Fourth Meroitic Period (1st century – 4th century AD)
Kings were buried in Meroë, in the North Cemetery, and Queens in West Cemetery. In 350 AD Meroë was destroyed by Axum. The first king of the fourth period was Shorkaror (1st century AD), while the last rulers may have been King Yesebokheamani or King Talakhidamani in the 4th century AD. The Aksumite presence was short lived before Meroë was taken by the Kingdom of Alodia.

A stele of Ge'ez of an unnamed ruler of the Kingdom of Aksum thought to be Ezana was found at the site of Meroë; from its description, in Greek, he was "King of the Aksumites and the Omerites," (i.e. of Aksum and Himyar) it is likely this king ruled sometime around 330. Another inscription in Greek gives the regnal claims of Ezana:

"I, Ezana, King of the Axumites and Himyarites and of Reeidan and of the Sabaites and of Sileel (?) and of Hasa and of the Bougaites and of Taimo..."

While some authorities interpret these inscriptions as proof that the Axumites destroyed the Kingdom of Kush, others note that archeological evidence points to an economic and political decline in Meroë around 300.

Meroë in Jewish legend
Jewish oral tradition avers that Moses, in his younger years, had led an Egyptian military expedition into Sudan (Kush), as far as the city of Meroë, which was then called Saba. The city was built near the confluence of two great rivers and was encircled by a formidable wall, and governed by a renegade king. To ensure the safety of his men who traversed that desert country, Moses had invented a stratagem whereby the Egyptian army would carry along with them baskets of sedge, each containing an ibis, only to be released when they approached the enemy's country. The purpose of the birds was to kill the deadly serpents that lay all about that country. Having successfully laid siege to the city, the city was eventually subdued by the betrayal of the king's daughter, who had agreed to deliver the city to Moses on condition that he would consummate a marriage with her, under the solemn assurance of an oath.

Civilization
Meroë was the base of a flourishing kingdom whose wealth was centered around a strong iron industry, as well as international trade involving India and China. Metalworking is believed to have taken place in Meroë, possibly through bloomeries and blast furnaces. Archibald Sayce reportedly referred to it as "the Birmingham of Africa", because of perceived vast production and trade of iron (a contention that is a matter of debate in modern scholarship).

The centralized control of production within the Meroitic empire and distribution of certain crafts and manufactures may have been politically important with their iron industry and pottery crafts gaining the most significant attention. The Meroitic settlements were oriented in a savannah orientation with the varying of permanent and less permanent agricultural settlements can be attributed to the exploitation of rainlands and savannah-oriented forms of subsistence.

At the time, iron was one of the most important metals worldwide, and Meroitic metalworkers were among the best in the world. Meroë traded ivory, slaves, rare skins, ostrich feathers, copper, and ebony. Meroë also exported textiles and jewelry. Their textiles were based on cotton and working on this product reached its highest achievement in Nubia around 400 BC. Furthermore, Nubia was very rich in gold. It is possible that the Egyptian word for gold, nub, was the source of name of Nubia. Trade in "exotic" animals from farther south in Africa was another feature of their economy.

Apart from the iron trade, pottery was a widespread and prominent industry in the Meroë kingdom. The production of fine and elaborately decorated wares was a strong tradition within the middle Nile. Such productions carried considerable social significance and are believed to be involved in mortuary rites. The long history of goods imported into the Meroitic empire and their subsequent distribution provides insight into the social and political workings of the Meroitic state. The major determinant of production was attributed to the availability of labor rather than the political power associated with land. Power was associated with control of people rather than control of territory.

The sakia, was used to move water, in conjunction with irrigation, to increase crop production.

At its peak, the rulers of Meroë controlled the Nile Valley north to south, over a straight-line distance of more than 1000 km.

The King of Meroë was an autocratic ruler who shared his authority only with the Queen Mother, or Candace. However, the role of the Queen Mother remains obscure. The administration consisted of treasurers, seal bearers, heads of archives and chief scribes, among others.

Although the people of Meroë also had southern deities such as Apedemak, the lion-son of Sekhmet (or Bast, depending upon the region), they also continued worshipping ancient Egyptian gods that they had brought with them. Among these deities were Amun, Tefnut, Horus, Isis, Thoth and Satis, though to a lesser extent.

The collapse of their external trade with other Nile Valley states may be considered one of the prime causes of the decline of royal power and disintegration of the Meroitic state in the 3rd and 4th centuries AD.

Language
The Meroitic language was spoken in Meroë and the Sudan during the Meroitic period (attested from 300 BC). It became extinct around 400 AD. The language was written in two forms of the Meroitic alphabet: Meroitic Cursive, which was written with a stylus and was used for general record-keeping; and Meroitic Hieroglyphic, which was carved in stone or used for royal or religious documents. It is not well understood due to the scarcity of bilingual texts. The earliest inscription in Meroitic writing dates from between 180 and 170 BC. These hieroglyphics were found engraved on the temple of Queen Shanakdakhete. Meroitic Cursive is written horizontally, and reads from right to left like all Semitic orthographies.

By the 3rd century BC, a new indigenous alphabet, the Meroitic, consisting of twenty-three letters, replaced Egyptian script. The Meroitic script is an alphabetic script originally derived from Egyptian hieroglyphs, used to write the Meroitic language of the Kingdom of Kush. It was developed in the Napatan Period (c. 700 – 300 BC), and first appears in the 2nd century BC. For a time, it was also possibly used to write the Nubian language of the successor Nubian kingdoms.

It is uncertain to which language family the Meroitic language is related. Kirsty Rowan suggests that Meroitic, like the Egyptian language, belongs to the Afro-Asiatic family. She bases this on its sound inventory and phonotactics, which, she proposes, are similar to those of the Afro-Asiatic languages and dissimilar from those of the Nilo-Saharan languages. Claude Rilly, based on its syntax, morphology, and known vocabulary, proposes that Meroitic, like the Nobiin language, instead belongs to the Eastern Sudanic branch of the Nilo-Saharan family.

Archaeology
The site of Meroë was brought to the knowledge of Europeans in 1821 by the French mineralogist Frédéric Cailliaud (1787–1869), who published an illustrated in-folio describing the ruins. His work included the first publication of the southernmost known Latin inscription.

As Margoliouth notes in the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica, small scale excavations occurred in 1834, led by Giuseppe Ferlini, who, as Margoliouth states, "discovered (or professed to discover) various antiquities, chiefly in the form of jewelry, now in the museums of Berlin and Munich." Margoliouth continues, "The ruins were examined in 1844 by C. R. Lepsius, who brought many plans, sketches and copies, besides actual antiquities, to Berlin. Further excavations were carried on by E. A. Wallis Budge in the years 1902 and 1905, the results of which are recorded in his work, The Egyptian Sudan: its History and Monuments… Troops were furnished by Sir Reginald Wingate, governor of the Sudan, who made paths to and between the pyramids, and sank shafts, &c. It was found that the pyramids were regularly built over sepulchral chambers, containing the remains of bodies either burned or buried without being mummified. The most interesting objects found were the reliefs on the chapel walls, already described by Lepsius, and containing the names with representations of queens and some kings, with some chapters of the Book of the Dead; some steles with inscriptions in the Meroitic language, and some vessels of metal and earthenware. The best of the reliefs were taken down stone by stone in 1905, and set up partly in the British Museum and partly in the museum at Khartoum. In 1910, in consequence of a report by Professor Archibald Sayce, excavations were commenced in the mounds of the town and the necropolis by J[ohn] Garstang on behalf of the University of Liverpool, and the ruins of a palace and several temples were discovered, built by the Meroite kings."

World Heritage listing
In June 2011, the Archeological Sites of Meroë were listed by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites.

title: Meroë


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Street artist

A street artist is a person who makes art in public places. Street artists include portrait artists, caricaturists, graffiti artists, muralists and people making crafts. Street artists can also refer to street performers such as musicians, acrobats, jugglers, living statues, and street theatre performers. Street artists can be seen throughout the world.

Legality
Some countries and sub-national jurisdictions require a license or permit in order to do business as a street artist. Without legal authorization, artists run the risk of being fined or arrested by the police if municipal ordinances prohibit their activities. For graffiti artists and muralists, part of the experience may be finding a suitable wall, permitted or not. In some municipalities, artists may apply for a license that allows them to legally occupy public space or a permit to paint a building. These licenses and permits place limitations on where the artist can perform or create their art, and may also regulate what artists are allowed to sell or depict. San Francisco, Berkeley, and Seattle are American cities that regulate the display and trade of artists selling their wares on the street. Additionally, San Francisco has a public approval process for murals painted on public buildings or using public money on private property.

Graffiti art is often seen as a controversial art form and can at times be referred to as vandalism. However some graffiti artists have become famous for their art, notably Banksy and Shepard Fairey also known as Obey.

title: Street artist


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Lise-Marie Morerod

Lise-Marie Morerod (born 16 April 1956) is a Swiss former slalom skier. In 1977, she was women's overall season champion.

Biography
She born in Les Diablerets, Vaud. In 1972, at age 15, she became Swiss champion in giant slalom. Her winning the bronze medal in the slalom race at the FIS Alpine Skiing World Championships was a great surprise because she was an unknown racer. (Best racers wear bib numbers between 1 and 15; she had 39.) It was the only medal won by the Swiss racers at their "Home World Championships". At the 1976 Winter Olympics, she took fourth place in the giant slalom but didn't finish the slalom race. She achieved 24 victories and another 17 podiums in World Cup races and was the first Swiss racer to win the Overall World Cup.

A car accident in July 1978 left Morerod in a coma for six weeks and led to a six-month hospital stay. The injuries she sustained in the accident left her with long-term memory problems. She returned to the World Cup in 1979, but failed to find her previous form and did not qualify for the 1980 Winter Olympics. She retired after the 1979–80 season.

title: Lise-Marie Morerod


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Ward Hill Lamon

Ward Hill Lamon (January 6, 1828 – May 7, 1893) was a personal friend and self-appointed bodyguard of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. Lamon was famously absent the night Lincoln was assassinated at Ford's Theatre on April 14, 1865, having been sent by Lincoln to Richmond, Virginia.

Background
Lamon's family name was spelled by some relatives with an "e" and by others with an "a", and was pronounced as "lemon" regardless of spelling. Lamon's relationship with Lincoln has been traced by Clint Clay Tilton in Lincoln and Lamon. Lamon was born near Winchester, Virginia, studied medicine for two years, and moved to Danville, Illinois, when he was 19 to live with relatives. He attended the University of Louisville to receive his law degree and was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1851. In 1850, he moved back to Virginia, married Angelina Turner, and then returned to Illinois to practice law. Angelina was a daughter of Ehud and Priscilla Strode Turner, whose house at Beddington, West Virginia, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002 as the Priscilla Strode Turner House. Angelina died in April 1859, leaving a daughter, Dorothy, who was raised in Danville by Lamon's sister, Mrs. William Morgan. In November 1860, Lamon married Sally Logan, daughter of Judge Stephen T. Logan. Logan had been Lincoln's law partner from 1851 to 1854.

Early years with Lincoln
Lamon's professional association with Lincoln started in 1852. Lamon became the prosecuting attorney for the Old Eighth Judicial district and subsequently moved to Bloomington, Illinois, in 1858. While Lamon had Southern sympathies and his hatred of abolitionism set him apart from Lincoln, they remained friends, despite their very different characters. Lamon joined the then-young Republican Party and campaigned for Lincoln in 1860. Lincoln was up against New York Senator William Seward for the Republican nomination, and Lamon proved his friendship by printing up extra tickets for the convention to fill the hall with Lincoln supporters. When Lincoln was elected president, Lamon hoped for a foreign diplomatic post but received a letter from his friend that said, "Dear Hill, I need you. I want you to go to Washington with me and be prepared for a long stay." Lamon then accompanied him as he traveled from Springfield, Illinois, to Washington D.C. in February 1861. This trip would prove to be eventful.

Lamon and the Baltimore Plot, 1861
Lamon was a physically imposing man, and during the presidency, often took it upon himself to guard Lincoln. In February 1861, detective Allan Pinkerton uncovered a plot whereby Lincoln would be assassinated when he arrived in Baltimore on his way to his inauguration in Washington. Pinkerton advised Lincoln that rather than ride publicly through the city between train stations as planned, he should take a midnight train straight through to Washington. Lamon was the sole friend chosen to accompany him.

Lamon and Pinkerton famously clashed over the President-elect's protection. Lamon offered Lincoln "a Revolver and a Bowie Knife" but Pinkerton protested that he "would not for the world have it said that Mr. Lincoln had to enter the national Capital armed". The two men further disagreed over Lamon's desire to alert the Chicago Journal to their early arrival in Washington because Pinkerton, more prudently, wished not to publicize their change of plans. In Pinkerton's account of the plot, he wrote disparagingly of Lamon, referring to him as a "brainless, egotistical fool". Pinkerton allowed William Herndon to copy his report, which was obtained by Lamon when he purchased Herndon's papers to write his Life of Abraham Lincoln. However, when Herndon first requested copies of Pinkerton's report, Pinkerton agreed only on the condition that certain material be kept confidential, specifically naming his remarks about Lamon.

Lincoln was secreted through Baltimore during the night. The train carrying Mrs. Lincoln and others went through Baltimore unharmed the next day, despite the claim of Pinkerton that hand grenades and firebombs would be used to attack the train.

Lamon summed up his disbelief in the plot in the biography: "It is perfectly manifest that there was no conspiracy, – no conspiracy of a hundred, of fifty, of twenty, of three; no definite purpose in the heart of even one man to murder Mr. Lincoln in Baltimore."

Lamon as U.S. Marshal and his relationship with Lincoln 1861–1865
Shortly after his inauguration in 1861, Lincoln appointed Lamon United States Marshal of the District of Columbia; he resigned his commission in June 1865. One of Lamon's first acts as Marshal was to visit Fort Sumter, South Carolina in March 1861, to meet with Major Robert Anderson, commander of the fort, and Governor Francis Pickens. Reports vary on Lamon's responsibilities with regard to that visit.

One account chronicles that Lamon was just one of a few emissaries sent by Lincoln, the first being Captain Gustavus Fox, who went to determine if Fort Sumter could be relieved by sea. Lamon was sent concurrently with another Illinois friend of Lincoln's, Stephen Hurlbut, with the implication that Lamon was sent to take the focus off of Hurlbut's visit as Hurlbut was there to measure anti-Union sentiment in Charleston (he discovered it was high). Lamon incurred Lincoln's displeasure by meeting with Governor Pickens and informing him of the government's interest in withdrawing from Fort Sumter.

Another account represents Lamon as traveling with the full confidence of Lincoln: "It called for courage and the trip was made over the objection of Secretary Seward. 'Mr. Secretary,' said Lincoln, 'I have known to be in many a close place and he's never been in one he didn't get out of. By Jing.  I'll risk it.  Go, Lamon and God bless you.'"  Yet another account characterizes Lamon as being under Seward's influence and angering Lincoln:  "It was under Seward's influence that he actually told Governor Pickens that he had come to arrange for the withdrawal of the garrison, and that after his return he wrote the governor that he would be back in a few days to assist with the evacuation.  He also gave Major Anderson the impression that no relief would be attempted.  All this was outrageous, and when Lincoln heard of Lamon's letter to Pickens, he indignantly denied that the man possessed any authority to make such a statement." Missions to Fort Sumter aside, the marshal's position was not an onerous one and afforded Lamon legitimate access to the President. What Lamon took upon himself, however, was to represent himself as Lincoln's bodyguard, which he did out of friendship rather than the requirements of the position.

Lamon took this so seriously that his friend Leonard Swett recounted that in the three months he stayed with Lamon in the Fall of 1864, he saw Lamon leave every night to go to the White House where he patrolled the grounds. Presidential secretary John Hay adds to this portrait of devotion by noting in his diary that one night he observed Lamon wrap himself up in his cloak and lie down to sleep in front of Lincoln's bedroom door. Lamon was not in Washington on the night of Lincoln's assassination, being on assignment in Richmond. In his Recollections of Abraham Lincoln, Lamon reveals that before he left for Richmond, he implored the president not to "go out at night after [he] was gone, particularly to the theatre." After the assassination, Lamon accompanied the funeral procession to Springfield, Illinois.

Lamon as Lincoln's biographer
After Lincoln's death, Lamon published two books (one posthumously) about the late President. The more famous of the two is a biography that was largely ghostwritten by Chauncey Black, the son of former Attorney General of the United States Jeremiah Black. The elder Black was Lamon's law partner from 1865 until 1879. The book, published in 1872 by James R. Osgood and Company of Boston under the title The Life of Abraham Lincoln; From his Birth to his Inauguration as President, contained allegations and personal information about Lincoln that were deemed scandalous by nineteenth century society. It was a financial failure. One of the most shocking claims was that Lincoln was not a man of faith: "Mr. Lincoln was never a member of any church, nor did he believe in the divinity of Christ, or the inspiration of the Scriptures in the sense understood by evangelical Christians." The basis of the book was the papers of William Herndon, which Lamon purchased for either $2,000 or $4,000. Shortly after his death, Lamon's daughter collected and edited many of his unpublished writings about Lincoln into a biography of the president, Recollections of Abraham Lincoln (1895). In Recollections, Lamon reversed his earlier denial of the Baltimore plot of 1861, writing, "It is now an acknowledged fact that there was never a moment from the day he crossed the Maryland line, up until the time of his assassination, that he was not in danger of death by violence, and that his life was spared until the night of the 14th of April, 1865, only through the ceaseless and watchful care of the guards thrown around him." The authenticity of this book is generally more highly regarded by the scholarly community than is the earlier volume by Lamon and Black.

According to Lamon, three days before he was shot, Lincoln related a dream in which he wandered the White House searching for the source of mournful sounds:

"I kept on until I arrived at the East Room, which I entered. There I met with a sickening surprise. Before me was a catafalque, on which rested a corpse wrapped in funeral vestments. Around it were stationed soldiers who were acting as guards; and there was a throng of people, gazing mournfully upon the corpse, whose face was covered, others weeping pitifully. 'Who is dead in the White House?' I demanded of one of the soldiers, 'The President,' was his answer; 'he was killed by an assassin.'"

However, Lincoln later told Lamon that "In this dream it was not me, but some other fellow, that was killed. It seems that this ghostly assassin tried his hand on someone else." Although perpetuated by various authors, historians Don E. Fehrenbacher and Virginia Fehrenbacher have cited internal inconsistencies and external evidence regarding Lamon's account that lead them to question its veracity. Lamon stated that the incident had occurred only a few days prior to the assassination, yet within Lincoln's monologue he related at one point that the dream occurred "the other night" and also "about ten days ago." The Fehrenbachers also note that although Lincoln stated in the account that on the night of the dream he "had been up waiting for important dispatches from the front," during the period of March 24 to April 9, he in fact had been at the front, rather than in the White House. In addition, there was no contemporaneous account of the dream following the assassination. No one mentioned it in the voluminous writings of the period, not Mary Lincoln, Lamon, anyone else at the supposed telling of the dream, or anyone to whom those who heard it may have relayed it.

Later life and death
Lamon had tendered his resignation as Marshal of the District of Columbia in June 1865. In April 1866, Lamon purchased the funeral rail car that transported Lincoln's remains to Springfield, Illinois. The price he paid for the rail car was a little less than $10,000. He was offered the cabinet position of Postmaster General but declined. He formed his law partnership with Jeremiah Black (referenced above), and the law practice dissolved in 1879 due to the poor reception of The Life of Lincoln ghostwritten by Black's son Chauncey. In 1879, Lamon and his wife Sally moved to Boulder, Colorado, and later to Denver where he formed a friendship with poet Eugene Field. The ill health of both Lamon and Sally caused them to return to Washington in 1886, and in 1889, they traveled to Europe for the spas and subsequently Sally died in Brussels in 1892.

Lamon moved to Martinsburg, West Virginia, where he was cared for by his daughter Dorothy until his death on May 7, 1893. He was 65 years old. Lamon was buried in Gerrardstown, West Virginia, in the Presbyterian Cemetery. (Sally had been buried in Springfield, Illinois.) The home built by Lamon's cousin Joseph in Danville, Illinois, has become a museum.

Perceptions of Lamon
Some contemporaries and biographers of Lincoln tend to treat Lamon with a certain casual contempt. In 1862, during his tenure as Marshal, a number of senators called for his removal from office. Although Lincoln refused this demand, the Senate was able to decrease some of Lamon's official duties and thus reduce his income. Allan Pinkerton's opinion of him was voiced above, during the Baltimore Plot. Historian Allan Nevins in The War for the Union characterizes Lamon as "a big loquacious bumbler of more self-assurance than discretion". Even one of Nevin's footnotes that discusses the controversial trip to Charleston in 1861 further dismisses Lamon: "Lamon's papers in the Huntington Library throw no light on the subject except to confirm his general ineptness." Some accounts are more sympathetic to Lamon, however. In 1931, Clint Clay Tilton repeatedly affirmed Lamon's generosity and good humor and dubbed him "the Cavalier". When Lamon campaigned for Lincoln's re-election in 1864, a song was written which included the following verse: A great good man is Ward Hill Lamon; Abe is Pythias; he is Damon; He's the President's protector, He's his political protector, Who? Ward Hill Lamon. Ward Hill Lamon.

The tune to this song has been lost to history; the unusual metrical pattern is compatible with Stille Nacht, the tune for "Silent Night."

Portrayals

 * Lamon is portrayed by actor Lea Coco in the 2013 film, Saving Lincoln.
 * Lamon is portrayed by actor Sam Elliott in the 2015 documentary film The Gettysburg Address.

title: Ward Hill Lamon


text: Template:University of North Carolina

title: Template:University of North Carolina