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Talk:Fingerprint

Finger mark
I am currently watching the Canadian mystery series "Murdoc Mysteries", where the eponymous character refers to "finger marks". Was this term at one time in use, or is this merely artist license to emphasize the time period of the series? Wschart (talk), —Preceding undated comment added 16:19, 26 February 2016 (UTC)

 * Finger mark is commonly used to mean fingerprint in the UK, but fingerprint is by far the preferred term in English worldwide, as can be seen at the website of the world’s oldest and largest forensic science organization, the International Association for Identification (IAI) at https://theiai.org CLPEandFFS (talk) 15:15, 8 March 2023 (UTC)

A serious problem with interwiki links.
There are two groups of interwikis: Q178022 and Q1435618, which is misleading.

For example Polish [daktyloskopia] is forensic science concerned with the study of fingerprints. There is no separate article about a fingerprint in the Polish Wikipedia, so the current article should link there. Unfortunately the Polish article has a different ID. Can't we join these two IDs into one? It will solve the same problem with other interwikis too. 85.193.197.246 (talk) 02:53, 26 April 2016 (UTC)

Accuracy of Fingerprint Examiners
Unbeknownst to some people, finger prints are not actually matched by just throwing them into a computer system and waiting for the system to search through thousands of different finger prints until a match is found. Unlike what is shown on several criminal shows such as CSI, Law and Order and Criminal Minds, finger prints are actually examined by real people, by professional finger print examiners. When finger prints are found at a crime scene they are analyzed by expert examiners until the examiners feel enough marker are found in the print pairs, that they report them as being a match. How do we know how accurate these examiners truly are? How do we know their professional accuracy rate? Have they ever been wrong?

In previous year’s people always assumed, or more importantly, to their knowledge fingerprinting evidence was 100% accurate and reliable (Lawson, 2003). When fingerprinting evidence was brought to court, no questions were asked and no challenges were made to argue against it (Lawson, 2003). If a fingerprint was found at a crime scene and a match was made with the suspect then that was all that was needed to determine their sentencing (Lawson, 2003). However, a study conducted on identifying how accurate fingerprint expertise are and found that they are indeed not 100% accurate, and are instead, 99.32% accurate (Thompson, Tangen, & McCarthy, 2013). Though this is a very high accuracy rate it is still not 100% and thus still leaves room for error. Another study also compared the accuracy and reliability of the decisions made by latent fingerprint examiners’ (Ulery, Hicklin, Buscaglia, & Roberts, 2011). From a sample of 169 latent print examiners, the researchers found that 5 examiners made false positive errors, meaning they incorrectly determined a match when there was no match (Ulery et al., 2011). Where 85% of the examiners made false negative errors, meaning they incorrectly said there was no match when there was (Ulery et al., 2011).

Due to this inconsistency in accuracy of finger print examiners, and due to the amount of power theses examiners hold when making a decision of fingerprint matching. It is clear that the court system should not put all of their trust into this form of evidence when deciding on a person’s future, but instead be more inclined to challenge the evidence and focus on other methods of evidence to ensure the right thing is being done. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Mvw022 (talk • contribs) 14:39, 7 November 2016 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 25 March 2017
Under "Footprints" heading Remove "When recovered at crime scenes or on items of evidence, sole and toe impressions can be used in the same manner as finger and palm prints to effect identifications. Footprint (toe and sole friction ridge skin) evidence has been admitted in courts in the United States since 1934."

The source has no mention of footprints used as evidence. The reference number is 19. The case refers to the use of footprints for "identifying new-born babies in the obstetrical wards of hospitals". Footprint evidence is not mentioned in court. The use of footprints was to support the use of prints in general through the demonstration of identification of prints in history. The source I used was "https://casetext.com/case/people-v-les" People v. Les, 267 Michigan 648, 255 NW 407. DISKFIGHTER2 (talk) 06:34, 25 March 2017 (UTC)

 * I've edited the article as your requested. I've left the first sentence in as I think it's likely that foot and toe prints can be uniquely identifiable just as palm and fingerprints, but I've added a citation needed tag. Please correct me if I'm wrong here. Daß   Wölf 23:32, 21 May 2017 (UTC)

External links modified
Hello fellow Wikipedians,

I have just modified 2 external links on Fingerprint. Please take a moment to review my edit. If you have any questions, or need the bot to ignore the links, or the page altogether, please visit this simple FaQ for additional information. I made the following changes:
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20141112224002/http://www.articesbase.com/business-articles/history-of-fingerprinting-for-identification-1328238.html to http://www.articesbase.com/business-articles/history-of-fingerprinting-for-identification-1328238.html
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20051120033237/http://www.fpsociety.org.uk/ to http://www.fpsociety.org.uk/

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 * Chinese site = "domain name for sale". Martinevans123 (talk) 20:08, 23 June 2021 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 16 March 2018
"In 1892, after studying Galton's pattern types, Vucetich set up the world's first fingerprint bureau."

"A Fingerprint Bureau was established in Calcutta (Kolkata), India, in 1897 [...] Working in the Calcutta Anthropometric Bureau, before it became the first Fingerprint Bureau in the world, were Azizul Haque and Hem Chandra Bose."

There is a clear discrepancy here. The Argentinian fingerprint bureau established by Vucetich in 1892 would logically be the first fingerprinting bureau in the world, yet the article also cites the Kolkata bureau, established five years later, as the first in the world.

There is another discrepency in regards to world firsts in this article as well that I would like clarified:

"In that same year [1892], Francisca Rojas of Necochea, was found in a house with neck injuries, whilst her two sons were found dead with their throats cut. [...] Inspector Alvarez, a colleague of Vucetich, went to the scene and found a bloody thumb mark on a door. When it was compared with Rojas' prints, it was found to be identical with her right thumb. She then confessed to the murder of her sons."

"The Scheffer case of 1902 is the first case of the identification, arrest and conviction of a murderer based upon fingerprint evidence."

Does the arrest of Rojas not satisfy the three conditions the Scheffer case is noted as being the "first" of? It seems as though the bloody fingerprint identified, and lead to the arrest and conviction of Rojas, though I would understand if it was invalidated due to Rojas' confession being the final source of conviction. Either way, it seems to me to deserve clarification. Tadpoleon (talk) 13:43, 16 March 2018 (UTC)
 * Red question icon with gradient background.svg Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. –Ammarpad (talk) 06:05, 18 March 2018 (UTC)

Electronic Fingerprint ID
Electronic ID is so ubiquitous these days it seems strange to have an article just for Apple's Touch ID but have electronic fingerprint recognition as a subset of this page, with no real information on how it works, the different technologies, security issues (as of 2018 rather than 2002). I came looking for such information, so I'm not the one to add it, sadly.

Not unusually, Simple English Wikipedia has a better coverage of the topic: []. Is there a simple way to copy an entire page over? Stub Mandrel (talk) 19:26, 12 April 2018 (UTC)

 * I have noticed the new article and have participated to clean it up a bit. It is still an orphan however.  I was about to initiate a merge request discussion (to merge it in this article), but now that I am reading this I'll leave it.  Thanks, — Paleo  Neonate  – 01:54, 17 May 2018 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 9 June 2018
105.112.106.209 (talk) 07:22, 9 June 2018 (UTC)
 * Red question icon with gradient background.svg Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. L293D (☎ • ✎) 13:23, 9 June 2018 (UTC)

Broken external link
Remove The link is broken Halfwit Genius, The (talk) 08:26, 25 September 2018 (UTC)
 * Fingerprints and Human Identification
 * I removed the inappropriate link to bleaching-dental.com, some herbal products company. I think other links in the "External links" section can go too.  -- Ed (Edgar181) 11:10, 25 September 2018 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 7 November 2018
In the HISTORY section, next to MODERN ERA is a picture captioned "Fingerprints taken by William Herschel 1859/60" falsely linked to the astronomer William Herschel. Please change it to the 2nd Baronet Sir William James Herschel! 85.212.209.177 (talk) 17:58, 7 November 2018 (UTC)
 * Yes check.svg Done DannyS712 (talk) 18:07, 7 November 2018 (UTC)

Use of Leading Subheadings
Hi there,

I find some of the subheadings that are used in this Wikipedia article, specifically those pertaining to the forensic uses of fingerprint analysis, to be very leading.

Given the role Wikipedia plays in informing the general public on controversial topics such as the use of fingerprint analysis in criminal cases, there should be more effort made to ensure the information provided on this website is not only objective, but is also presented in an objective way. After reviewing the information on this page about the forensic use of fingerprint analysis, I noticed that although there is information given about the various criticisms of this method, they are presented in a downplayed way, while arguments in favour of its use are emphasized.

To give an example, why exactly is there a "Defense" and a "Track Record" section after the criticisms of fingerprint analysis? Within the preamble that precedes the "Criticism" section, everything relevant from these two sections has already been alluded to. Also, one of the claims made in the "Track Record" section (i.e. about the increasing popularity of the use of this method compared to other forensic methodologies) is not even cited. How did this make it onto the page? I would also argue that the popularity of fingerprint analysis has nothing to do with its "Track Record".

I also believe that the "Errors" section that follows the "Track Record" section is problematic. Dismissing the examples in which fingerprint analysis was proven to be fallible, and put innocent peoples' lives at stake, as errors, is undoubtedly leading. It is even more leading because it follows this "Track Record" section. Why are these "errors" not part of finger print analysis' track record?

I think this page needs to be reorganized in a less biased way. The "Defense" subheading and the information provided in this section should be deleted, and the examples given in the "Errors" section should be included under the "Track Record" subheading instead. Also, the information that is currently included in this section should be properly cited, if not completely reconsidered. The information provided in this section is vague, leading, and has little to do with fingerprint analysis' "Track Record".

Fern1959 (talk) 14:06, 10 March 2019 (UTC)

Reference of Fingerprint in the Holy Quran
Fingerprints are unique to each individual. We all have fingerprints however they are unique. Even identical twins have different fingerprints. However nobody knew this 1400 years ago. But it was mentioned in the Quran that on Resurrection Day Allah will recreate humans with all details even their fingertips. Today we know that those contain fingerprints which are unique to each individual.

Quran: 75.4 Yes indeed; We are Able to reconstruct his fingertips.

Direct link to the verse

On Resurrection Day Allah will reconstruct our bodies to the smallest detail even our unique fingerprints. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Yusuf.islam.al (talk • contribs) 04:00, 28 March 2019 (UTC)

 * Didier NIYITANGA 197.157.184.12 (talk) 18:59, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

lede
"Human fingerprints are detailed, nearly unique, difficult to alter, and durable over the life of an individual, making them suitable as long-term markers of human identity." the whole of the article deals with fingerprints as a personal identification marker. i think it is a tad one-sided and out of ballance. if the article's aim is to deal with identification by fingertips instead of the fingertip patterns per se, then the article title should probably reflect this.

theres some relevant info on fingerprints not included in this article that i found in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twin#Genetic_and_epigenetic_similarity: "the fetuses touch different parts of their environment, giving rise to small variations in their corresponding prints and thus making them unique." -that would be a useful addition to this article.

also the article should explain in more details the "nearly! unique" nature of fingerprints as opposed to common belief that they are completely unique.

on the other hand, the lede saying that fingerprints are detailed seems unnecessary. it is a kind of weasel wording (what is the definition of a detailed object??) if it means that the digital or printed REPRODUCTION of the pattern on the fingertips can be detailed, that would be another thing (but still unnecessary verbouseness, as it epends entirely on the resolution used by the capturing technology and thus is describing the imagery technology as opposed to the fingerprints themselves). actually the article should make a distinction whether it means by fingerprint the physical pattern on the fingers or the printed image left by these on objects.

89.134.199.32 (talk) 21:04, 18 July 2019 (UTC).

This article wildly misinforms the public
It states:

 * Human fingerprints are detailed, nearly unique, difficult to alter, and durable over the life of an individual, making them suitable as long-term markers of human identity.

"Nearly unique" must be like being a little pregnant. "Detailed"? Both "durable" and "difficult to alter"? This is a shameful collection of weasel words and the conclusion simply does not follow and despite being an extraordinary statement remains completely uncited.

But more to the point the lede fails to mention the remarkable fact that supposed uniqueness of fingerprints has NEVER been scientifically proven and that the process of fingerprint identification is an entirely subjective art in which two equally trained experts may have differing findings given the same fingerprints. It also ignores the fact that widespread misconceptions about fingerprints are common in the public and are constantly being spread by police procedural television fiction.

https://clant.org.au/wp-content/uploads/Graham_paper.pdf

 * fingerprint evidence has been afforded a near magical quality in our culture. In essence, we have adopted a cultural assumption that a government representative's assertion that a defendant's fingerprint was found at a crime scene is an infallible fact, and not merely the examiner's opinion. As a consequence, fingerprint evidence is often all that is needed to convict a defendant, even in the absence of any other evidence of guilt. Unfortunately, our societal acceptance of the infallibility of examiners' opinions appears to be misplaced

But don't believe me or the above paper. Believe the American Assocation for the Advancement of Science which has gone to the extraordinary step of releasing a report on latent fingerprint examination.

https://www.aaas.org/resources/latent-fingerprint-examination

https://www.aaas.org/news/fingerprint-source-identity-lacks-scientific-basis-legal-certainty

 * Courtroom testimony and reports stating or even those implying that fingerprints collected from a crime scene belong to a single person are indefensible and lack scientific foundation, a new AAAS working group report on the quality of latent fingerprint analysis says.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/myth-fingerprints-180971640/

 * Yet it also became clear, over time, that fingerprinting wasn’t as rock solid as boosters would suggest. Police experts would often proclaim in court that “no two people have identical prints”—even though this had never been proven, or even carefully studied. (It’s still not proven.)

 * The real problem, Cole notes, is that fingerprinting experts have never agreed on “a way of measuring the rarity of an arrangement of friction ridge features in the human population.” How many points of similarity should two prints have before the expert analyst declares they’re the same? Eight? Ten? Twenty? Depending on what city you were tried in, the standards could vary dramatically. And to make matters more complex, when police lift prints from a crime scene, they are often incomplete and unclear, giving authorities scant material to make a match.

https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn8011-how-far-should-fingerprints-be-trusted/

 * But evidence from qualified fingerprint examiners suggests a higher error rate. These are the results of proficiency tests cited by Cole in the Journal of Criminal Law & Criminology (vol 93, p 985). From these he estimates that false matches occurred at a rate of 0.8 per cent on average, and in one year were as high as 4.4 per cent. Even if the lower figure is correct, this would equate to 1900 mistaken fingerprint matches in the US in 2002 alone.

 * Fingerprint examiners can be heavily influenced by external factors when making judgements, according to research in which examiners were duped into thinking matching prints actually came from different people.

http://www.criminaljusticenetwork.eu/en/post/the-reliability-of-fingerprint-evidence

 * The reliability of a method like fingerprinting depends on the skill, experience, and the work done by the examiner. The Presidential Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) 2016 report concluded that while “foundationally valid,” fingerprint analysis should never be presented in court without evidence of its error rates and of the proficiency or reliability of not just the method, but the particular examiner using the method. Fingerprint analysis depends on the experience and skill of the person doing the analysis.  For that reason, the factfinder must know how reliable the person’s work is.

https://psmag.com/news/why-fingerprints-arent-proof-47079

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/8144044/Fingerprint-identification-evidence-questioned-by-senior-judge.html

 * A senior judge has raised concerns over fingerprint evidence used in criminal trials, warning that it rests on “assumptions” that have never been scientifically proven.

 * The validity of forensic fingerprint evidence has been challenged by academics, judges and the media.

"Academics" do not challenge the validity of fingerprint evidence; the results of their scientific studies do.

Since the 2009 National Research Council report on the scientific failing and lack of objective evidence for much forensic science - with particular regard to fingerprints - the pro-fingerprint community has had a decade to respond with scientific proof of statistical evidence in forensics but has failed to do so and in fact the amount of legitimate findings against fingerprints and the fingerprint expert industry has only increased. The fact that Wikipedia has not updated this article to reflect these changes and the views of the wider scientific community and instead maintains it as pro-fingerprinting propaganda is shameful.

I predict any changes I make to this article will be swiftly reverted, since fingerprint experts rely on a public perception of the infallibility of fingerprint evidence for their income, just as other forensic 'experts' have defended the prestige of the own domains despite a lack of any objective scientific evidence and the thousands of innocent people who have been imprisoned or worse due to their testimony. There's a great deal of money tied up in ensuring that the public perception of forensic science is not put at risk by things like scientific objectivity. As a side note I just corrected the **lede** of the DNA profiling article which falsely equates the (statistically proven) uniqueness of DNA to that of (entirely unproven) fingerprints. A categorically false statement which has never been accepted as true by science whatsoever but has remained in the lede since at least 2016.

This changes that need to be made to this article are so wide-ranging that I am loathe to do it all myself but I hope there are others who want to improve this article so as to reflect the current broader *scientific* consensus regarding fingerprint examination and identification by citing the numerous scientific studies by disinterested practitioners of the scientific method rather than uncritically repeating the opinions of forensic "experts" whose views on the validity of fingerprint analysis are compromised by what can only be described as an _obvious_ - dazzlingly so - conflict of interest.

I think the lede should resemble something more like this rather than it's current state, but of course I'm open to opinion.

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00737/full

 * ...fingerprint examiners have testified in court for over one hundred years, but there have been few experiments directly investigating the extent to which experts can correctly match fingerprints to one another, how competent and proficient fingerprint experts are, how examiners make their decisions, or the factors that affect performance (Loftus and Cole, 2004; Saks and Koehler, 2005; Vokey et al., 2009; Spinney, 2010b; Thompson et al., 2013a). Indeed, many examiners have even claimed that fingerprint identification is infallible (Federal Bureau of Investigation, 1984). Academics, judges, scientists, and US Senators have reported on the absence of solid scientific practices in the forensic sciences. They highlight the absence of experiments on human expertise in forensic pattern matching, suggesting that faulty analyses may be contributing to wrongful convictions of innocent people (Edwards, 2009; National Research Council, 2009; Campbell, 2011; Carle, 2011; Expert Working Group on Human Factors in Latent Print Analysis, 2012; Maxmen, 2012), and they lament the lack of a research culture in the forensic sciences (Mnookin et al., 2011). The field of forensics is, however, beginning to acknowledge the central role that fallible humans play in the identification process (Tangen, 2013).

What concerns me most about this article is that - given Wikipedia's influence on the public - it may be responsible for misinforming potential future jurors about the reliability of fingerprint evidence thus resulting in yet more convictions of innocent people. Surely Wikipedia has a responsibility if not to inform at least not to deliberately misinform? Stemdude (talk) 16:29, 20 December 2019 (UTC)
 * We should probably differentiate between "fingerprints are probably unique" (which they probably are) and "they can be reliably identified by the methods used by forensic scientists" (which they cannot). – Thjarkur (talk) 14:42, 21 May 2020 (UTC)

Biology lead-in
> A fingerprint is formed on any opaque surface and is the impression of the friction ridges on the finger of a human.[1]

I know I've cleaned fingerprints from windows which are not opaque. It is also quite difficult to get usable fingerprints from a textured surface despite its level of transparency. This statement needs to be corrected or removed. 192.31.209.190 (talk) 21:45, 30 March 2020 (UTC)
 * Agree, this is strange, although it is what the cited source says. – Thjarkur (talk) 14:37, 21 May 2020 (UTC)

citation sourse for the phrase in "Biology" paragraph
Hi, there is a citation sourse for the phrase in "Biology" paragraph: http://ispub.com/IJBA/2/2/9413 Pio8181 (talk) 11:25, 21 May 2020 (UTC)
 * That's a predatory open access journal, and as such its use is discouraged. We should be able to find a better source. – Thjarkur (talk) 14:25, 21 May 2020 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 26 May 2020
In the Fingerprint Verification section, there are three pictures of different Minutiae patterns. What I suggest is that we substitute those three pictures with one picture that contains all the minutiae patterns mentioned in the article. I've created that picture and it is already submitted to Wikimedia Commons, we would just have to replace the three pictures with this one. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fingerprints_Minutiae_Patterns_Representation.jpg This is the link to the picture (I forgot to attach it in the first request). Inaki Rom (talk) 18:35, 26 May 2020 (UTC)
 * Done, thank you . If you're able to export your drawing to .svg instead of .jpg, that would improve the quality of the picture. – Thjarkur (talk) 19:00, 26 May 2020 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 24 May 2021
Fingerprint Comparison Eiondale (talk) 18:05, 24 May 2021 (UTC)
 * Red question icon with gradient background.svg Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. ‑‑ El Hef  ( Meep? ) 18:39, 24 May 2021 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 24 May 2021
Eiondale (talk) 18:10, 24 May 2021 (UTC)
 * Red question icon with gradient background.svg Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. ‑‑ El Hef  ( Meep? ) 18:40, 24 May 2021 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 23 June 2021
This entire paragrah under the Crime Scene Investigations headings is self-evidently false:

“Another problem for the early twenty-first century is that during crime scene investigations, a decision has to be made at an early stage whether to attempt to retrieve fingerprints through the use of developers or whether to swab surfaces in an attempt to salvage material for DNA profiling. The two processes are mutually incompatible, as fingerprint developers destroy material that could potentially be used for DNA analysis, and swabbing is likely to make fingerprint identification impossible.”

This link here: https://www.guardian-forensics.org/effect-of-fingerprint-processing-on-dna-analysis.html and hundreds like it found with a quick internet search show that DNA collection before fingerprinting likely destroys the fingerprints, but NOT necessarily the other way around. Crime Labs all over the country (including the one I've worked for over the past 12 years) have protocols in place for processing items for fingerprints and then successfully recovering DNA from the item in the exact same areas of the item. Some fingerprint processes can damage or destroy DNA, others may dilute DNA, while still others have shown to have no deleterious effects at all. Saying the two processes are mutually incompatible is a 100% false statement.

I would suggest the following instead:

“Another problem for the early twenty-first century is that during crime scene investigations, attempting to retrieve fingerprints through the use of developers or swabbing surfaces in an attempt to salvage material for DNA profiling can sometimes interfere with each other. Some fingerprint developers have the potential to destroy material that could potentially be used for DNA analysis, and swabbing is likely to make fingerprint identification impossible.” 148.167.148.100 (talk) 18:59, 23 June 2021 (UTC)

 * I tend to agree. Your argument seems sound and is supported by The Guardian guardian-forensics.org. Your suggested text looks ok, although the source actually explicitly says: "Fingerprint processing actually helps the DNA analyst, as it tells them where the cells are." There is no reason to doubt your personal claim of working in a crime lab for 12 years, but that's not a WP:RS. I wonder could you offer any other source(s) to bolster The Guardian guardian-forensics.org one? Many thanks. Martinevans123 (talk) 19:58, 23 June 2021 (UTC)
 * Red information icon with gradient background.svg Not done for now: The source they give (obvious from the bare url) is not The Guardian (theguardian.com) but some random blog-like website. It looks like WP:SPS and it is not a reliable source since the authors seem like relative nobodies, not like subject-matter experts. The sources the website itself cites could be investigated. RandomCanadian (talk / contribs)  02:31, 24 June 2021 (UTC)
 * Ah yes, thanks for spotting that, RandomCanadian. It must be obvious to most people. I must have assumed the authors were somebodies. I agree those other source might be useful. I suspect the IP's argument is still correct, so I've commented out the disputed text for now. Martinevans123 (talk) 07:13, 24 June 2021 (UTC)

Classification systems
The part of this section beginning with "The system used by most experts" is very confusing. There are two mathematical formula, which do not match each other ($$\frac{a}{b} + \frac{c}{d}$$ does not equal $$\frac{a+c}{b+d}$$) and there's an additional 1 added in the calculation that isn't part of either stated formula. It seems, from Henry Classification System, that the quantity is usually not reduced: you can have the fraction 32/32 and that's not written as 1/1, nor as 1. This part also isn't cited, which makes it hard to determine what was intended. -Apocheir (talk) 23:28, 25 August 2021 (UTC)

Edit request in section "Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries"
The paragraph in section "Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries" ends with "In 1880 Henry Faulds suggested, based on his studies, that fingerprints are unique to a human.[43]".

That is not in the 17th or 18th century. It doesn't belong in that section. The next section is titled "19th century" and Henry Faulds is already mentioned there in more detail, so the reference at the end of the 17th/18th century section should be removed. 200.68.77.103 (talk) 07:37, 31 October 2021 (UTC)

 * This is an obvious error. I moved the statement from the 17-18th Century to the following para where it belongs. — RB Ostrum. 16:21, 28 November 2023 (UTC)

Studies on the use of fingerprints not mentioned in the article
Accuracy and reliability of forensic latent fingerprint decisions, Fingerprint Source Identity Lacks Scientific Basis for Legal Certainty. these interest you. I've tagged Forensic science for NPOV after noticing very little criticism of the methods used. I got here from a Skeptoid article. Doug Weller  talk 14:41, 5 March 2022 (UTC)

 * you edit this talk page. I should have mentioned User:Martinevans123 as well. Doug Weller  talk 15:14, 5 March 2022 (UTC)

 * Don't blame me. It wasn't my fault. You can't prove it. Martinevans123 (talk) 21:11, 5 March 2022 (UTC)
 * Yes, the final 2017 AAAS report is here. I'd say those were important publications that should be summarised in the article. Martinevans123 (talk) 12:30, 6 March 2022 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 12 July 2022
external link Fingerprinting.com has moved to FingerprintZone.com so please change Fingerprinting.com to FingerprintZone.com 2601:645:4301:3CB0:D9A8:5B6D:5433:7512 (talk) 03:16, 12 July 2022 (UTC)
 * I just trimmed the whole section down significantly. ScottishFinnishRadish (talk) 11:05, 12 July 2022 (UTC)

Wiki Education assignment: Seminars in Forensic Science
— Assignment last updated by Nameless and unknown (talk) 21:08, 5 April 2023 (UTC)

Math
1234 Myajin jgbxfjor 103.121.173.55 (talk) 03:12, 10 June 2023 (UTC)

english 223.123.108.173 (talk) 07:41, 12 June 2023 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 16 June 2023
49.148.240.37 (talk) 09:55, 16 June 2023 (UTC)
 * Red question icon with gradient background.svg Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. Actualcpscm (talk) 11:31, 16 June 2023 (UTC)

Sensor explanations too vague
An example of what I mean is the following:

Ultrasound fingerprint scanners use high frequency sound waves to penetrate the epidermal (outer) layer of the skin.

This is not a very satisfactory explanation because it doesn't explain much, if at all, and begs a lot of questions: How does penetrating the skin allow it to scan the fingerprint on the surface? What makes this penetration, or ultrasound in general a superior method over other methods? What applications would use these types of sensors over cheaper alternatives and why? What frequencies/ranges/waveforms are typically used and why?

More generally, I also think a comparison of the various methods in terms of cost, resolution/accuracy, viability, strengths and vulnerabilities/exploitable flaws and other factors would be very helpful.

These are just some ideas off the top of my head, mind you. For the sake of brevity, I've omitted the other methods listed in the article, but they all have similar issues with vagueness and are in need of similar considerations to what I brought up.

Unfortunately I don't know very much about fingerprint sensors. I was hoping to learn about them here since Google just told me they work by "scanning your fingerprint." So, if anyone else can add even just a few things I have no doubt it would greatly improve the quality of this section.

Thanks in advance. And really I mean it. I know contributing is a thankless job. VoidHalo (talk) 17:59, 2 September 2023 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 7 May 2024
Typo in text. "Fringerprint" as opposed to "Fingerprint". Additional r after F. Camicarva (talk) 19:35, 7 May 2024 (UTC)
 * ✅ Many thanks. Martinevans123 (talk) 19:44, 7 May 2024 (UTC)

😃HANIA 139.135.38.179 (talk) 14:51, 2 June 2024 (UTC)

Trouble sourcing a claim
Hello! I recently noticed that all claims citing the existence of 'The Volume of Crime Scene Investigation—Burglary (Qin Dynasty)' wherein the authors make the claim of palm and finger printing being used in the Qin Dynasty come from a single 7 page article:

Xiang-Xin, Z.; Chun-Ge, L. The Historical Application of Hand Prints in Chinese Litigation. J. Forensic Ident. 1988, 38 (6), 277–284.

I was curious as a Chinese Historian as I had never heard of this primary source before - and given the limited primary sources about the Qin dynasty I wanted to investigate. Every source I have been able to find making this claim always cite this single source (or like the citation in this article, cite someone who cites this source) and never the primary source directly. I can not find a copy of the journal article to verify the claim (though https://archive.org/details/sim_journal-of-forensic-identification_1988-1997_38-47_cumulative-index/page/668/mode/2up shows it does indeed appear in that journal). I'm not prepared to spend money to try and verify the claim and wanted to know if someone more familiar with this journal could take a look and make sure this is a reliable claim and not just a case of circular citation off-discipline. Relm (talk) 20:04, 5 June 2024 (UTC)

title: Talk:Fingerprint


text:
Boundaries Scotland

Boundaries Scotland is an independent body in Scotland created as the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973. According to its website, it is responsible for: carrying out reviews of boundaries of local authority areas; reviews of electoral arrangements for local authorities; responding to requests for ad hoc reviews of electoral or administrative arrangements; and reviews of constituencies and regions for the Scottish Parliament. Its work relates to the local government of Scotland, and it reports to the Scottish Government. Its counterpart organisations elsewhere in the UK are the Local Government Boundary Commission for England, the Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru (Wales) and the Local Government Boundaries Commissioner for Northern Ireland.

The Boundary Commission for Scotland is a separate body, concerned with the boundaries of UK parliament constituencies in Scotland.

When section 28 of the Scottish Elections (Reform) Act 2020 came into force, the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland was renamed Boundaries Scotland.

Electoral reviews
In 2006, the Commission completed its Fourth Statutory Review of Electoral Arrangements, as required by the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004, producing new wards for use in single transferable vote elections which each return 3 or 4 councillors. These were first used in elections in 2007. The review resulted in a total of 353 wards across Scotland, returning a total of 1222 councillors. A subsequent interim review in 2011 did not change any ward boundaries, but increased the number of councilors to 1223 from May 2012. A fifth review in 2016 resulted in ward boundaries being changed yet again, though some of the proposed were not implemented, such as in Argyll and Bute.

The Commission's Third Statutory Review of Electoral Arrangements reported during 1998 and recommended the electoral arrangements for the unitary local authorities introduced in 1996. The Commission's Second Review reported between 1992 and 1994, and its Initial Review between 1977 and 1979: both concerned the Region and District local government structure that was then in place.

Administrative area reviews
The Commission has conducted a series of reviews of local authority areas to address situations where development has taken place across local authority boundaries, or where local authority areas established by the 1973 Act did not reflect local preferences. In the words of the 1973 Act, the Commission's recommendations are made "in the interests of effective and convenient local government". Since the establishment of Scotland's current 32 unitary councils in 1996, the Commission has conducted 7 such reviews each of which resulted in small changes to the boundaries of authorities to avoid bisecting developed areas.

The 1973 Act gives the Commission powers to conduct wide-ranging reviews of local authority structures in Scotland. However, throughout its existence, Ministers have directed the Commission not to conduct such reviews.

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

title: Boundaries Scotland


text:
Talk:Claudia Schiffer

Removed unusual 'Bardot' reference from opening sentence
Please note that:

1) Schiffer does not particularly look like Bardot, any more than 100s of other "tall blonde models."

2) The article opened with a sentence stating that Schiffer "achieved superstardom due to her close resemblance to Bardot" - this is nonsensical. From her discovery onwards there was no particular moment when Schiffer was used as (in photography, advertising, promotions, sponsorship or the catwalk, or in films or TV) or seen as a "new Bardot"; there are no examples of this and it was not seen as a common phenomenon.

3) It is true that the designer Karl Lagerfeld once mentioned in passing that "she is the new Bardot." This is exactly analogous to saying, for example, "U2 ARE THE NEW BEATLES" -- it would not in any way mean that U2 look like or sound like The Beatles or are stylistically similar, but rather than U2 are a similar type of sensation to the the Beatles sensation in their era.

4) Simply read the article referenced and you can see this is exactly the case.

5) Schiffer is the rather germanic "ice queen" type - for instance she is famously the one "supermodel" who has never done naked photography; Bardot was a sultry latin raunchy sex-queen type.

Here is the deleted sentence and reference ...

due to her close resemblance to Brigitte Bardot. ... Karl Lagerfeld used to call Schiffer the “new Bardot” in the early 1990s, see

6) If someone wants to mention that one famous designer in passing mentioned that Schiffer was a phenomenon as big as Bardot, sure maybe mention it down the bottom somewhere with other general apotheosism.

 * You're wrong. It's not about whether you think Schiffer does or does not look like Bardot. It is whether some one important (e.g. Lagerfeld) made that reference. And he did. End of argument. ––bender235 (talk) 19:36, 28 December 2008 (UTC)
 * By the way, buddy: Here's a nice Youtube clip of Schiffer refering to the Bardot comparison on her own.

 * I was going to write about this. I think that the reference is ok, but not in the opening of the article, it sounds like the only thing that make Schiffer a super model is her resemblance, that's really prejudicial and diminish Schiffer. It's fine that she has a resemblece to her, but that's not the only reason why she got there. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 190.21.240.227 (talk) 23:18, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

You are right. There are so many lookalikes. Just to look or 'maybe' to look like someone else doesn't bring success. What I can remember myself is that she in fact was compared to Brigitte Bardot. But when you look at the pictures of her when she was young and starting with the first covers, she just looked like a very beautiful young girl with good makeup and photographed by very good photographers, but not really like Brigitte Bardot. (And about the credibility and objectivity and therefore the relevance of Karl Lagerfeld just read what he said about Heidi Klum a couple of days ago: Basically he said he never worked with her, so he doesn't regard her high. "I don't know any Heidi Klum." Fashion is so neatly joint with advertising that it's hard to believe anyone could call Lagerfeld a reliable source, when he simply tried to promote his model and his fashion. Though as said, later on she, her agency ,the contractors and the photogrophers obviously worked on that comparison with Brigitte Bardot.)

As she obviously was already successful before compared to Brigitte Bardot, and is still nowadays successfull, I wouldn't put this comparison in the leading part of the article, but in the "Background" or "Modelling and Fashion" part. And there I would use another phrase.

P.S. Seeing how one person uses already slang and offensive language, and is lurking around on this article for a long period already, though he obviously hasn't seen pictures of Claudia Schiffer when she was starting her career, I won't follow this topic any further. It's just too often a waste of time. (I came here by already using much time on following someone's edits. That person changed hundred of articles, often deleting. Obviously routing for adminship or higher. That's enough of my precious time lost. I won't read any wikipedia-nonsens from people without manners for at least 4 weeks.) =)

Major rewrite
I've done some major refactoring here; I don't think a lot of it belongs in this article, as it has nothing to do with Claudia Schiffer. (Indeed, the part I removed earlier to the Matthew Vaughn article does not have one word about Schiffer, and is in fact a mini-biography of Vaughn, which is why I put it there). Schiffer is not a blood relative of the Earldom of Oxford, Vaughn is. It is enough here to explain why she will not inherit the title. - Hephaestos|§ 14:49, 19 May 2004 (UTC)

 * This is still no reason to delete this text. Also the text you've used to replace it with "Matthew Vaughn, an illegitimate son in the line of the Earldom of Oxford and Mortimer." is wrong. Neither he nor his father is in line of succession for this or any other title, as was clearly explained in the previous version of the text. I see absolutely no reason to delete this information. Mintguy (T) 20:29, 19 May 2004 (UTC)

 * Well, it's not about Claudia Schiffer, as Hephaestos said... Adam Bishop 20:33, 19 May 2004 (UTC)

 * Yes, I'd like to try to reach some compromise on this article rather than getting involved in reversions. Why should this article, for example, link to The Man from U.N.C.L.E.? - Hephaestos|§ 22:57, 20 May 2004 (UTC)

 * Why not? I can't see that it does the article any harm whatsoever. Does it? What I would say is that the article needs more information on Schiffer herself. But that is no reason to delete information on her husband. You said it amounts to a mini-biography. This sounds entirely appropriate, whilst the main article on Vaughn should be a fuller biography. Mintguy (T) 18:21, 21 May 2004 (UTC)

 * Why not? Because she was not in the show, she had nothing to do with the show, she was not even born yet when the show went off the air. Nor do I think people look up a biography on Claudia Schiffer expecting to read about some fellow who died in 1853 from whom she's not even descended. This seems fairly obvious to me. - Hephaestos|§ 20:21, 23 May 2004 (UTC)

 * She's not descended but her husband is. The media reports about her becoming part of the British peerage were about her and you will find very few places other than Wikipedia which give a clear and consise explanation of why this was twaddle. It's important to explain this clearly. The problem is that there isn't enough information about Schiffer herself on this page. Rectify that rather than delete useful information. Mintguy (T) 08:24, 24 May 2004 (UTC)

Gay Icon Project
In my effort to merge the now-deleted list from the article Gay icon to the Gay icons category, I have added this page to the category. I engaged in this effort as a "human script", adding everyone from the list to the category, bypassing the fact-checking stage. That is what I am relying on you to do. Please check the article Gay icon and make a judgment as to whether this person or group fits the category. By distributing this task from the regular editors of one article to the regular editors of several articles, I believe that the task of fact-checking this information can be expedited. Thank you very much. Philwelch 22:13, 24 Mar 2005 (UTC)

Uptown Girl?
This Wiki claims Claudia Schiffer was the eponymous "Uptown Girl" in the Billy Joel video; it has always been my understanding that it was, in fact, Joel's then-wife Christie Brinkley.

Well -- It's not the Billy Joel video she was in, but a cover.
 * Westlife redid the song and had her in the video.71.167.177.236 (talk) 03:37, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

Weight
Does no-one really see how ackward it is to state the person's weight in an Encylopedia article? Is it at all a significant fact, that she's around 58kg? (Or was). ---G. 22:07, 8 February 2007 (UTC)

Austria
I'm searching for sources now.

External link
I want add this link Claudia Schiffer Claudia-Schiffer.com.ar —Preceding unsigned comment added by 200.3.222.13 (talk) 23:26, 10 November 2007 (UTC)
 * This site looks like an "adsense mill". ► robomod  22:13, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

Please add this link For Fans Claudia Schiffer And this link Official Claudia Schiffer (190.2.96.16 (talk) 06:56, 20 September 2008 (UTC))

Notable TV guest appearances
I have restored this section in order to avoid possible edit-warring, as some users might disagree with the removing editor's rationale. Let's reach a consensus whether this section should be kept or not. Thx. --Catgut (talk) 21:59, 26 January 2008 (UTC)

700 covers not 500
FMD writes the following: "Claudia holds the record for appearing on the most magazine covers (over 700)." Spiegel once wrote over 600 a few years ago. Shouldn't we change the 500 to something in between these numbers? ► robomod 22:12, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

I contact World record Guinnes and this is the answer. The current record is as follows:

As of 2004, supermodel Claudia Schiffer (Germany) has graced the covers of an estimated 700 magazines including Elle, Harper's Bazaar, Vogue and Cosmopolitan.

Kind regards, Claudia Schiffer Fan Website--190.2.96.16 (talk) 22:12, 1 October 2008 (UTC)

"Paris Match" lawsuit question
There is currently discussion at Talk:David Copperfield (illusionist) regarding the subject of adding some material to that article regarding the lawsuit he and Schiffer filed against Paris Match. As editors who work on this article are, I think, reasonably interested in the material of that article, I believe anyone so inclined should feel free to take part in the RfC there. Thank you. John Carter (talk) 00:44, 24 June 2009 (UTC)

Covers Editorials Books Publicity
Please we can add Covers, Editorials and Books where appear Claudia.

She is model and is important.

Date, Issue, Cover or no, The name of the Editorial, Photograper, Etc.

The books: Name, Autor, ISBN, Publisher, Photograper, pages.

And Publicity: brand and year.

Please we can make one great job all together

http://www.bellazon.com/main/index.php?showtopic=819&st=5520

http://foros.vogue.es/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=30157&start=22975

www.claudia-schiffer.com.ar Contact me --200.81.126.54 (talk) 23:28, 1 September 2010 (UTC)

Rewrite
I have just applied a rewrite to Claudia Schiffer's wikipedia page. I have kept virtually all of the information that stands, unless it is factually incorrect. The reason for my rewrite is to give a better flow to the text, update the information so it is factual and ensure the links are correct / working as the page is so out of date it was in need of some revision. I have amended the modelling and fashion sub heading to solely modelling as this deals with this part of her career. As she is now the creative director of her own label i have included a sub heading and information regarding this as it is import the reader is kept fully up to date with her developing career. As she is no longer an occasional actress I have replaced this with Creative Director to reflect her career status. I have also added a sub heading referring to her charitable commitments. Where possible i have tried to include new links as the majority of the reference pages were no longer found / working. This is extremely annoying and if a reference is cited it should link to something. I have removed references regarding having her ears pieced as this is not true. The reference link to this no longer works and it is inaccurate reporting therefore this should not be stated on the page. Claudia no longer holds a contract with Ebel watches, did not appear in the Fart Party and she never appeared on stage with David Copperfield. I have kept the reference to their relationship but taken out the other information as totally incorrect. I have tidied up the way the page is written as whole. I have done this to offer the reader far more accurate biographical information. — Preceding unsigned comment added by CJW9 (talk • contribs) 14:40, 16 March 2012 (UTC)

External links modified
Hello fellow Wikipedians,

I have just added archive links to 3 one external links on Claudia Schiffer. Please take a moment to review my edit. If necessary, add after the link to keep me from modifying it. Alternatively, you can add to keep me off the page altogether. I made the following changes:
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/20140805072703/http://www.vogue.com/voguepedia/Claudia_Schiffer to http://www.vogue.com/voguepedia/Claudia_Schiffer
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/20120622033441/http://articles.nydailynews.com/1999-08-29/gossip/18117427_1_sotheby-recorder-claudia-schiffer to http://articles.nydailynews.com/1999-08-29/gossip/18117427_1_sotheby-recorder-claudia-schiffer
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/20140529201158/http://www.buryfreepress.co.uk/news/regional/model-schiffer-s-home-hit-by-fire-1-6085837 to http://www.buryfreepress.co.uk/news/regional/model-schiffer-s-home-hit-by-fire-1-6085837

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Cheers. —cyberbot II  Talk to my owner :Online 05:05, 29 August 2015 (UTC)

External links modified
Hello fellow Wikipedians,

I have just modified one external link on Claudia Schiffer. Please take a moment to review my edit. If you have any questions, or need the bot to ignore the links, or the page altogether, please visit this simple FaQ for additional information. I made the following changes:
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20120610154259/http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/Article.aspx?Id=TMG8434512 to http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/Article.aspx?Id=TMG8434512

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External links modified
Hello fellow Wikipedians,

I have just modified 2 external links on Claudia Schiffer. Please take a moment to review my edit. If you have any questions, or need the bot to ignore the links, or the page altogether, please visit this simple FaQ for additional information. I made the following changes:
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20071001003546/http://uk.askmen.com/women/models/6c_claudia_schiffer.html to http://uk.askmen.com/women/models/6c_claudia_schiffer.html
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20120624085751/http://www.vogue.co.uk/spy/celebrity-photos/2009/10/28/style-file---claudia-schiffer/gallery/1 to http://www.vogue.co.uk/spy/celebrity-photos/2009/10/28/style-file---claudia-schiffer/gallery/1

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Inferno
IMDB lists her as having a role in a 1992 TV movie Inferno, which stars a number of supermodels, apparently as themselves. IMDB also mentions, on its Inferno page, that there was a 1993 international version, titled Inferno!. I've looked at the latter very briefly on YouTube, some version with Japanese captioning. About all I can say is that Schiffer is not listed in the end-credits of that version. 2607:F470:6:2001:956D:7D4F:95E:B27D (talk) 15:44, 29 July 2019 (UTC)

Model or Supermodel?
Is it appropriate to refer to Schiffer in the lead as a model or a supermodel? The Rambling Man (REJOICE!) 21:50, 1 August 2019 (UTC)
 * No one is disputing her supermodel status, but it is customary to only list her occupations on the lead, and she is a model in the simplest of terms. No one on Wiki is labeled a superstar. Maxen Embry (talk) 05:16, 2 August 2019 (UTC)
 * Please chime in Trillfendi, Onel5969 — Preceding unsigned comment added by Maxen Embry (talk • contribs) 03:11, 9 August 2019 (UTC)
 * I think the fact that we restored supermodel already indicates that we do not think it improves the article to remove it. -- 109.77.209.211 (talk) 03:10, 9 August 2019 (UTC)
 * She is referred to in countless RS as a supermodel (in many referred to as the original supermodel), not simply a model. Instead of imposing our own will on this, let's just stick to those sources. The Rambling Man (REJOICE!) 15:55, 9 August 2019 (UTC)

title: Talk:Claudia Schiffer


text:
Carmen Possum

Carmen Possum is a popular 80-line macaronic poem written in a mix of Latin and English and dating to the 19th century. Its author is unknown, but the poem's theme and language enable one to surmise that he or she was from the United States of America and was either a teacher or at least a student of Latin.

The title is a multilingual pun: it could be taken to mean "I Can Sing" in Latin, but, as revealed in the text, it is supposed to mean "Song of the Opossum". However, both interpretations violate Latin grammar.

The poem can be used as a pedagogical device for elementary Latin teaching. The language mix includes vocabulary, morphology (turnus) and grammar (trunkum longum).

Carmen Possum is also an unpublished musical piece by Normand Lockwood.

Publication history
An early version of the poem, with different words, a couple extra lines, and divided into four sections and titled Tale of a 'Possum, appeared in a Michigan University publication dated 1867, where it is attributed to Wheaton College. That same version later appeared in an 1886 issue of the University of Virginia magazine Virginia Spectator, with the title The Tale of a 'Possum; the editors inquired of readers as to the poem's authorship.

A version closer to the modern version, attributed to a "Prof. W. W. Legare" of northern Georgia and dated to the 1850s, was featured in a 1914 periodical.

The poem (modern version)
Carmen Possum The nox was lit by lux of Luna, And 'twas a nox most opportuna To catch a possum or a coona; For nix was scattered o'er this mundus, A shallow nix, et non profundus. On sic a nox with canis unus, Two boys went out to hunt for coonus. The corpus of this bonus canis Was full as long as octo span is, But brevior legs had canis never Quam had hic dog; et bonus clever. Some used to say, in stultum jocum Quod a field was too small locum For sic a dog to make a turnus Circum self from stem to sternus. Unus canis, duo puer, Nunquam braver, nunquam truer, Quam hoc trio nunquam fuit, If there was I never knew it. This bonus dog had one bad habit, Amabat much to tree a rabbit, Amabat plus to chase a rattus, Amabat bene tree a cattus. But on this nixy moonlight night This old canis did just right. Nunquam treed a starving rattus, Nunquam chased a starving cattus, But sucurrit on, intentus On the track and on the scentus, Till he trees a possum strongum, In a hollow trunkum longum. Loud he barked in horrid bellum, Seemed on terra vehit pellum. Quickly ran the duo puer Mors of possum to secure. Quam venerit, one began To chop away like quisque man. Soon the axe went through the truncum Soon he hit it all kerchunkum; Combat deepens, on ye braves! Canis, pueri et staves As his powers non longius carry, Possum potest non pugnare. On the nix his corpus lieth. Down to Hades spirit flieth, Joyful pueri, canis bonus, Think him dead as any stonus. Now they seek their pater's domo, Feeling proud as any homo, Knowing, certe, they will blossom Into heroes, when with possum They arrive, narrabunt story, Plenus blood et plenior glory. Pompey, David, Samson, Caesar, Cyrus, Black Hawk, Shalmanezer! Tell me where est now the gloria, Where the honors of victoria? Nunc a domum narrent story, Plenus sanguine, tragic, gory. Pater praiseth, likewise mater, Wonders greatly younger frater. Possum leave they on the mundus, Go themselves to sleep profundus, Somniunt possums slain in battle, Strong as ursae, large as cattle. When nox gives way to lux of morning, Albam terram much adorning, Up they jump to see the varmin, Of the which this is the carmen. Lo! possum est resurrectum! Ecce pueri dejectum, Ne relinquit back behind him, Et the pueri never find him. Cruel possum! bestia vilest, How the pueros thou beguilest! Pueri think non plus of Caesar, Go ad Orcum, Shalmanezer, Take your laurels, cum the honor, Since ista possum is a goner!

Summary translation
The poem chronicles the adventures of two boys who go out hunting for an opossum or raccoon on a snowy night, with their Dachshund dog. Although the dog was often mocked for its disproportionate length ("eight spans", or seventy inches) and love of chasing rabbits, cats, and rats, it performs flawlessly on the night, chasing an opossum into a long, hollow log.

The boys run quickly to secure their prey, chopping away at the log to get hold of it. They go back home, leaving the dead opossum on the ground. They proudly tell the story, which is said by the author to dwarf the feats of Pompey, Samson, Julius Caesar, Cyrus the Great, and other great military leaders of antiquity, as well as of American Indian chief Black Hawk; winning the praise of their parents and admiration of their younger brother. They go to sleep, dreaming of opossums as strong as bears and as large as cattle. Early the next morning, the two boys go to see their catch, but cannot find it. The "vile possum" had tricked them by playing dead—as opossums do when threatened and cornered. The kids never find the opossum again, and feel dejected.

Title
While carmen possum may sound like a Latin phrase, it is grammatically incorrect. The closest interpretation, satisfying (if only barely) the requirements of syntax, would be "I am capable of song" (with "of" here constituting not a stand-alone preposition but rather a portion of an English phrasal verb).

However, as the text reveals ("Up they jump to see the varmin / Of the which this is the carmen"), the title itself is a macaronic mix of Latin and English, and should be understood as "Song of [the] Opossum". Yet, the noun "possum", if it were a Latin word, should be in the genitive case (possi) rather than the nominative (possum). Although one could assume that possum is an indeclinable noun.

Poem structure
The poem is written from a third-person omniscient perspective in a rhyming mix of trochaic tetrameter and iambic tetrameter, with turns of phrase satirising Homerian epic.

title: Carmen Possum


text:
Bob Kalsu

James Robert Kalsu (April 13, 1945 – July 21, 1970) was an American football player who was an All-American tackle at the University of Oklahoma and an eighth-round selection in the 1968 NFL/AFL draft by the Buffalo Bills of the American Football League (AFL). Kalsu joined the U.S. Army as an officer after the 1968 season and was killed in action in the Vietnam War in 1970.

Kalsu was one of two professional football players killed in the Vietnam War and the last to be killed serving as a soldier in a war until Pat Tillman in 2004.

Biography
James Robert Kalsu was born on 13 April 1945 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and attended Del City High School. Kalsu was a starting guard for the Buffalo Bills in the 1968 season, playing the entire season and was the Bills' team rookie-of-the-year.

Following the 1968 season, to satisfy his Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) obligation, Kalsu entered the U.S. Army as a second lieutenant and arrived in South Vietnam in November 1969 as part of the 101st Airborne Division. On July 21, 1970, Kalsu was killed in action at the Battle of Fire Support Base Ripcord when his unit came under enemy 82-millimeter mortar fire while stationed near the A Shau Valley in Thua Thien Province. His family has declined to talk in detail about the circumstances surrounding his death.

When Kalsu had left for South Vietnam, Kalsu had to say goodbye to his wife, Jan, and his daughter Jill. On July 23, 1970, two days after his death, Jan gave birth to his son, James Robert Kalsu Jr, at the Kalsu home in Oklahoma City, and was informed that he had died only hours later. Kalsu was one of two professional football players killed in action during the Vietnam War along with Don Steinbrunner, a former Cleveland Brown player who died on July 20, 1967. Kalsu and Steinbrunner were the first professional players to be killed in action since Al Blozis of the New York Football Giants died during World War II in 1945. Kalsu remained the last professional player to be killed in action until Pat Tillman died in the Afghanistan War in 2004.

Legacy

 * FOB Kalsu in Babil, Iraq, was founded and named after him by the 105th Military Police Company from Buffalo, New York, in early 2003. The name was chosen in a way to honor his sacrifice for his country and his connection to the Buffalo Bills.
 * In 1999, NFL Films produced a feature on Kalsu that was nominated for an Emmy Award.
 * In 2000, the Buffalo Bills added Kalsu's name to the Buffalo Bills Wall of Fame.
 * In 2002, the replacement company at Fort Campbell was named in honor of him – 1LT J. Robert Kalsu Replacement Company.
 * Del City High School's football stadium bears his name.
 * There is a CrossFit Work Out of the Day (WOD) named in his honor.
 * There is a post office in Del City, Oklahoma, named for Kalsu. The legislation was signed in law by President Barack Obama on November 5, 2015, and the post office was dedicated on November 5, 2016. The official name of the post office is the James Robert Kalsu Post Office, located at 4500 SE 28th Street in Del City, where Kalsu played high school football before enrolling at the University of Oklahoma.

title: Bob Kalsu


text:
List of airports in Slovenia

This is a list of airports in Slovenia, grouped by type and sorted by location.

Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia (Republika Slovenija), is a country in Central Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy on the west, the Adriatic Sea on the southwest, Croatia on the south and east, Hungary on the northeast, and Austria on the north. The capital and largest city of Slovenia is Ljubljana. Slovenia covers an area of 20271 km2 and has a population of about 2 million. The highest point of Slovenia is Mount Triglav at 2864 m; the lowest point is the Adriatic Sea at sea level.

Slovenia has 3 civil IFR airports, one military air base, 12 VFR-only airports, and 40 airstrips.

Airports
Airport names shown in bold indicate the airport has scheduled service on commercial airlines.

title: List of airports in Slovenia


text:
Talk:Diane Chambers

Date
I'm changing the date back to 1986 as I originally had it. My source is the Radio Times Book of Television Comedy.

If you have a different one, please let me know what it is. --bodnotbod 14:57, May 19, 2004 (UTC)

Fair use rationale for Image:Cheers diane.JPG
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BetacommandBot (talk) 21:23, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

Rebecca/Diane
I'm not sure how to edit this but someone has changed a lot of the names "Diane" to "Rebecca" or "rabecca" and could someone please fix it — Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.141.246.19 (talk) 19:20, 9 March 2012 (UTC)

Removing excessive content that was added back?
Why was excessive content added back? I could not find ways to convince you that adding back that content was a bad idea. Therefore, I created. You can discuss my version in its talk page. --George Ho (talk) 06:32, 23 March 2012 (UTC)

Ben Shapiro the "culture scold"
Johnny Pez, can you explain this edit? Calling Shapiro a "right-wing culture scold" seems... close to being too biased. --George Ho (talk) 16:31, 22 December 2016 (UTC)

title: Talk:Diane Chambers


text:
Erika Salumäe

Erika Salumäe (born 11 June 1962) is an Estonian track bicycle racer who won the first Olympic gold medal for Estonia after the country regained independence in 1991.

Salumäe was born in Pärnu, Estonia. She trained at VSS Kalev in Tallinn. At the 1983 Summer Universiade she won two gold medals, in the women's sprint and women's 500 m time trial and the silver medal in the women's points race. Salumäe won the gold medal in track cycling at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, competing for the USSR team and in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, competing for Estonia.

At World Championships from 1984 to 1989, she won 2 golds (1987 and 1989), 2 silvers (1984 and 1986) and 1 bronze (1995). From 1982 to 1989, she set 15 world records and was elected the Best Estonian Athlete in 1983, 1984, 1987–1990, 1992, 1995, and 1996.

title: Erika Salumäe


text:
Craterus

Craterus or Krateros (Κρατερός; c. 370 BC – 321 BC) was a Macedonian general under Alexander the Great and one of the Diadochi. Throughout his life, he was a loyal royalist and supporter of Alexander the Great.

Craterus was the son of a Macedonian nobleman named Alexander from Orestis and brother of admiral Amphoterus. Craterus commanded the phalanx and all infantry on the left wing in Battle of Issus in 333 BC. In Hyrcania, he was sent on a mission against the Tapurians, his first independent command with the Macedonian army. At the Battle of the Hydaspes in 326 BC, near modern Jhelum, he commanded the rearguard, which stayed on the western bank; his men crossed the river only during the final stages of the battle.

At the festivities in Susa, Craterus married princess Amastris, daughter of Oxyathres, the brother of Darius III. Craterus left Alexander's troops in Opis in 324 BC. Craterus and Polyperchon were appointed to lead 11,500 veteran soldiers back to Macedonia and replace Antipater who was ordered to lead a fresh contingent of soldiers to join Alexander's army in the east. But Craterus' arrival to Macedonia was delayed by a lack of vessels for the transport over the sea. Craterus stayed in Cilicia, where he was building the fleet, when Alexander unexpectedly died in Babylon. In case Craterus wouldn't be able to govern in Macedonia due to his health, his successor was to be Polyperchon. At the time, he had about 10,000 veterans with him. Craterus eventually crossed into Europe when Antipater requested assistance from several commanders in the Lamian war, but leaving the supreme command in possession of Antipater.

He sailed with his Cilician navy to Greece and led troops at the Battle of Crannon in August 322 BC. When Antigonus rose in rebellion against Perdiccas and Eumenes, Craterus joined him, alongside Antipater and Ptolemy. He married Antipater's daughter Phila, with whom he had a son, also called Craterus.

He was killed in battle against Eumenes in Asia Minor when his charging horse fell over him, somewhere near the Hellespont, in 321 BC.

In popular media

 * Named with the phonetically accurate spelling of Krateros, Craterus is one of the minor characters in the historical novel Roxana Romance by A.J. Cave.
 * Also named as Krateros, Craterus is a major character in the two Alexander novels by Mary Renault, The Persian Boy and Fire From Heaven.
 * In the film Alexander, he is played by British actor Rory McCann.

title: Craterus


text:
Memphis Sounds

The Memphis Sounds were an American professional sports franchise that played in Memphis, Tennessee from 1970 until 1975 as a member of the American Basketball Association. The team was founded as the New Orleans Buccaneers in 1967.

Known during their time in Memphis as the Memphis Pros, Memphis Tams and, finally, Sounds, they played their home games at the Mid-South Coliseum.

New Orleans Buccaneers 1967–1970
The New Orleans Buccaneers were a charter member of the ABA. The Buccaneers were coached by Babe McCarthy, who was famous for two reasons. One was that he had coached Mississippi State University to a Southeastern Conference championship in an era when that league's basketball was dominated by the University of Kentucky. The other was when the then all-white Mississippi state legislature forbade the team to participate in the racially integrated NCAA Tournament. McCarthy took the team out-of-state in the dead of night and had them participate anyway, which gave him a near-legend status in the eyes of some (and the undying hatred of others).

Memphis Pros 1970–1972
On August 21, 1970, the team was sold to Mississippi businessman P. W. Blake. Ten days later, he moved the team to Memphis and changed its name to the Memphis Pros, reportedly because the already purchased 'Bucs' uniforms could easily be converted to 'Pros' uniforms at little expense.

1970–1971 season
The Pros immediately ran into problems due to the timing of the move. The Mid-South Coliseum was nearly booked through the winter, and the Pros were only able to secure one Friday home game. They were forced to play the balance of their home schedule in several other arenas in Tennessee and Mississippi. Not surprisingly, ticket sales slowed to a trickle; by the start of the season they'd only sold 180 season tickets.

Bob Warren of the Los Angeles Stars joined the team, and Ron Franz and Dave Nash were traded to The Floridians for Wilbert Jones, Al Cueto, and Erv Staggs; later, Red Robbins was traded to the Utah Stars for Craig Raymond and Skeeter Swift was traded to the Pittsburgh Pipers for Charlie Williams. Jimmy Jones, Steve Jones, and Wendell Ladner played in the 1971 ABA All-Star Game; Ladner, a pick in the last ABA draft, also made the ABA All-Rookie team. An average of 3,199 fans attended Pros home games during the season. The Pros finished with 41 wins and 43 losses, which put them in third place in the Eastern Division. The Pros advanced to the playoffs but lost in the Eastern Division semifinals to the Indiana Pacers, four games to none.

The Pros almost did not survive that season. In December 1970, Blake simply walked away from the team, claiming to have lost $200,000. The league desperately tried to find a new owner, but there were no takers. Finally in February, a community group, Memphis Area Sports Inc., bought the team for $700,000. It was composed of 4,600 Tennessee residents who bought the team's stock at $5, $10, and $50 a share and elected a 24-person board to run the team. Memphis bond broker Albert S. Hart was installed as team president.

1971–1972 season
The team signed Johnny Neumann, an underclassman All American from the University of Mississippi, and added Larry Cannon, but lost Steve Jones to the Dallas Chaparrals through free agency; Jimmy Jones also departed, ending up with the Utah Stars.

On October 6, 1971, the Pros hosted the NBA's Boston Celtics for a preseason exhibition game. The Celtics won, 115–94. This was the only time a Memphis team played an NBA team until the Vancouver Grizzlies moved to Memphis in 2001, thirty years later.

The Pros traded Larry Cannon to the Indiana Pacers in mid-season for Don Sidle, and executed another midseason trade which sent Wendell Ladner, Tom Owens, and Bobby Warren to the Carolina Cougars for Randy Denton, Warren Davis, and George Lehmann. The latter trade was initiated by Hart without consulting McCarthy.

The Pros had one player, Wil Jones, play in the 1972 ABA All-Star Game.

Despite (or perhaps because of) all the personnel moves, the team finished with only 26 wins against 58 losses, which put them in fifth (last) place in the Western Division, 34 games behind the Utah Stars, and kept them out of the playoffs.

Although they averaged 4,441 fans per home game, the team's financial problems cropped up again, and forcing the league to take control of the team for a second time.

On April 27, 1972, Babe McCarthy resigned as the Pros' coach.

Memphis Tams 1972–1974
On June 13, 1972, the team and its debts were purchased by Charles O. Finley, who also owned Major League Baseball's Oakland A's and the NHL's California Golden Seals. Legendary former University of Kentucky head coach Adolph Rupp became team president. The winning entry in a "Rename the Team" contest was the Memphis Tams. The nickname was an acronym for Tennessee – Arkansas – Mississippi, and the logo was a tam o'shanter-style hat in white, green and gold, which were also the new team colors, shared with the Athletics and Golden Seals.

1972–1973 season
McCarthy was succeeded by Bob Bass. The Tams landed George Thompson in a dispersal draft of Pittsburgh Condors players. Gerald Govan was traded to the Utah Stars for Merv Jackson. George Thompson played in the ABA All Star game but the Tams finished the season with only 24 wins compared to 60 losses. It was the worst record in the ABA and put them in fifth (last) place in the Eastern Division, 33 games behind the Carolina Cougars. The Tams did not make the playoffs, in part due to heavy roster turnover (they made 28 roster moves in the first two months of the season alone). Despite their poor play they averaged 3,476 fans per home game.

Finley had the team wear all possible combinations of green, white and gold tops and trunks. However, he had little to no involvement with franchise operations. Despite his earlier promises, he was already in negotiations with officials in St. Paul, Minnesota to move the team there. When word got out of this, Finley went from savior to pariah almost overnight. He didn't help his own cause by instituting several cost-cutting moves.

1973–1974 season
The Tams picked up draft picks Larry Kenon and Larry Finch. The Tams also used a draft pick to select underclassman David Thompson but Thompson stayed in college. Finley had asked the ABA to look into his claims that ABA president Bill Daniels had a conflict of interest due to asking Finley to pay him a finder's fee for helping Finley find potential buyers for his team. The ABA declined to investigate Finley's charges.

Finley tried to sell the team to a group of investors from Providence, Rhode Island but no sale was forthcoming. For much of the summer, the Tams' status was up in the air. Bass had resigned to take a position with the league, and the team offices had been closed since mid-June. It was not until late August that Finley sent word that the Tams would play. In the process, he'd held up almost all of the league's radio and TV contracts. Even then, the team had no coach and virtually no front office when training camp opened in September. Finally, two days before the team's first preseason game, Butch van Breda Kolff was hired as general manager and head coach.

The Tams signed Charlie Edge, traded Larry Kenon to the New York Nets for Jim Ard and John Baum and traded Johnny Neumann to the Utah Stars for Glen Combs, Ronnie Robinson, Mike Jackson and cash. George Thompson played in the ABA All Star game but the team had another poor season, finishing with 21 wins and 63 losses—the worst record in all of pro basketball.

With their poor play the team's home attendance dropped by about one third from the prior season as the Tams averaged 2,331 fans per home game. This was largely because Finley seemed to lose whatever interest he had in the Tams. He went weeks without communicating with van Breda Kolff about team business or roster moves. He also stopped putting out programs, replacing them with free typed mimeographed lineup sheets. Van Breda Kolff was visibly frustrated with the situation, telling Basketball News that the Tams would be a solid franchise if they had solid backing.

Memphis Sounds 1974–1975
It soon became apparent that the Tams were not high on the list of Finley's priorities. Amenities like programs began to disappear, and morale suffered as players began to wonder if they would receive paychecks and if those would clear the bank when they did. After two seasons of this, the ABA stepped in and took control of the team. ABA Commissioner Mike Storen resigned his position with the league to take over the operation and run the team in Memphis.

Storen lined up several notable local figures as co-owners of the new team including musician Isaac Hayes and Holiday Inn founder Kemmons Wilson. Storen named the new team the Memphis Sounds and developed a new red and white color scheme and logo.

Storen cleared out the former Tams roster and brought in veteran players such as Mel Daniels, Freddie Lewis, Roger Brown, Chuck Williams, Collis Jones, George Carter, Rick Mount and Julius Keye. The only player who had played for the Tams who appeared in uniform for the Sounds was Larry Finch, a local favorite because he had played college basketball at Memphis State University.

The Sounds, coached by Joe Mullaney, finished the 1974–75 season with a record of 27–57, which was good for fourth place in the Eastern Division and a spot in the 1975 ABA Playoffs. Unfortunately for the Sounds, their first round opponent was the Kentucky Colonels, who had won the Eastern Division and defeated the Sounds 4 games to 1 (the one win being the only playoff-game victory in the franchise's tenure) en route to winning the 1975 ABA Championship.

Aftermath
The team's elimination by the Colonels would be the last meaningful game that the franchise would play. Although the 1974–75 season saw the highest attendance figures during the team's stay in Memphis, both Wilson and Hayes were having financial troubles that required them to sell their shares. After the 1974–75 season the ABA franchise was sold to a group of businessmen in Baltimore, Maryland who used it to create a team that was first briefly known as the Baltimore Hustlers and then the Baltimore Claws. However, the team had serious financial problems and collapsed before the season started, playing only three exhibition games in its brief history.

Not long after the Claws folded, the San Diego Sails and then the Utah Stars folded early in the 1975–76 regular season, abruptly shrinking the league from 10 teams to 7. The failure of those franchises was a factor behind the ABA–NBA merger in the summer after the 1975–76 season ended.

When the ABA became defunct and the copyrights on its properties were allowed to lapse, a new minor league baseball team in Nashville — the Nashville Sounds — adopted the Memphis Sounds' color scheme and logo. As of 2023, the name is still in use. The use of the color scheme and styled logo was replaced as the primary scheme after the 1998 season, but is still used on the field for Throwback Thursday promotions, and merchandise featuring the mark remains in regular availability.

In 2001 professional basketball returned to Memphis with the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s Memphis Grizzlies, who relocated from Vancouver, British Columbia. The Grizzlies played their home games at The Pyramid from 2001 until 2004, before moving to FedExForum for the 2004–05 season, and have called it home since then.

During the, the Grizzlies wore Hardwood Classics throwback uniforms honoring the heritage of the Sounds for select games. The Hardwood Classics uniforms debuted on November 16, 2015, during the Grizzlies' home game vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Grizzlies planned to wear the throwback uniforms for six more games (three home, three away) during the 2015–16 season.

Season-by-season

 * colspan="6" align=center style="background:#000080; color:#FFFFFF; border:2px solid #FF0000;"| Memphis Pros
 * 1970–71 || 41 || 43 || .488 || Lost Division Semifinals || Indiana 4, Memphis 0
 * 1971–72 || 26 || 58 || .310 || colspan=2|Did not qualify
 * colspan="6" align=center style="background:#228B22; color:#DAA520;"| Memphis Tams
 * 1972–73 || 24 || 60 || .286 || colspan=2 rowspan=2|Did not qualify
 * 1973–74 || 21 || 63 || .250
 * colspan="6" align=center style="background:#FF0000; color:#FFFFFF;"| Memphis Sounds
 * 1974–75 || 27 || 57 || .321 || Lost Division Semifinals || Kentucky 4, Memphis 1
 * 1972–73 || 24 || 60 || .286 || colspan=2 rowspan=2|Did not qualify
 * 1973–74 || 21 || 63 || .250
 * colspan="6" align=center style="background:#FF0000; color:#FFFFFF;"| Memphis Sounds
 * 1974–75 || 27 || 57 || .321 || Lost Division Semifinals || Kentucky 4, Memphis 1
 * colspan="6" align=center style="background:#FF0000; color:#FFFFFF;"| Memphis Sounds
 * 1974–75 || 27 || 57 || .321 || Lost Division Semifinals || Kentucky 4, Memphis 1
 * 1974–75 || 27 || 57 || .321 || Lost Division Semifinals || Kentucky 4, Memphis 1
 * 1974–75 || 27 || 57 || .321 || Lost Division Semifinals || Kentucky 4, Memphis 1

title: Memphis Sounds


text:
John Masters

Lieutenant Colonel John Masters, DSO, OBE (26 October 1914 – 7 May 1983) was a British novelist and regular officer of the Indian Army.

In World War II, he served with the Chindits behind enemy lines in Burma, and became the GSO1 (chief staff officer) of the 19th Indian Infantry Division. Masters is principally known for his historical novels set in India, notably Bhowani Junction, which was turned into a successful film. He also wrote three volumes of autobiography, which were positively received by critics.

Life
Masters was the son of a regular soldier, a lieutenant-colonel whose family had a long tradition of service in the British Indian Army. He was educated at Wellington and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. On graduating from Sandhurst in 1933, he was seconded to the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry (DCLI) for a year before applying to serve with the 4th Prince of Wales's Own Gurkha Rifles. He saw service on the North-West Frontier with the 2nd battalion of the regiment, and was rapidly given a variety of appointments within the battalion and the regimental depot.

In 1938, he organised a hunt for a leopard reported to be roaming the depot at Bakloh, only to find himself facing a full-grown tiger (which killed one of the Gurkhas acting as beaters). He later commented that whatever rank and decorations he was awarded, he was always known to the Gurkhas as "The Sahib who shot the Bakloh tiger".

In early 1939, he was appointed the Adjutant of the 2nd battalion of the 4th Gurkhas. During the Second World War his battalion was sent to Basra in Iraq, during the brief Anglo-Iraqi War. Masters subsequently served in Iraq, Syria, and Persia with the battalion, before being briefly seconded as a staff officer in a Line of Communications HQ. In early 1942, he attended the Indian Army's Staff College at Quetta. Here he met the wife of a fellow officer and they began an affair. Even though they later married, there was something of a scandal at the time.

After passing the Staff College, Masters next served as brigade major in the 114th Indian Infantry Brigade before being "poached" by Joe Lentaigne, another officer from the 4th Gurkhas, to be brigade major in the 111th Indian Infantry Brigade, a Chindit formation. From March 1944, the brigade served behind the Japanese lines in Burma. On the death of General Orde Wingate on 24 April, Lentaigne became the Chindit commander and Masters commanded the main body of the 111th Indian Infantry Brigade.

In May 1944, the brigade was ordered to hold a position code-named 'Blackpool' near Mogaung in northern Burma. The isolated position was attacked with great intensity for seventeen days and eventually the brigade was forced to withdraw. Masters felt obliged to order the medical orderlies to shoot 19 of his own men, casualties who had no hope of recovery or rescue. Masters later wrote about these events in the second volume of his autobiography, The Road Past Mandalay. In recognition of his "gallant and distinguished services in Burma", he was in October awarded the DSO.

After briefly commanding the 3rd battalion of his regiment, Masters subsequently became GSO1 (the Chief of Staff) of the Indian 19th Infantry Division, which was involved in the later stages of the Burma Campaign. Near the end of the war he was offered command of an Indian airborne brigade but the Japanese surrender intervened. On 17 January 1946 he was awarded an OBE for his service in Burma.

After a spell as a staff officer in GHQ India in Delhi, he then served as an instructor at the British Army Staff College, Camberley. He left the army in 1948 with the rank of lieutenant-colonel, and moved to the United States, where he set up a business promoting walking tours in the Himalayas, one of his hobbies. The business was not a success and, to make ends meet, he decided to write of his experiences in the army. When his novels proved popular, he became a full-time writer.

In later life, Masters and his wife Barbara moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico. He died in 1983 from complications following heart surgery. His family and friends scattered his ashes from an aeroplane over a mountain trail he frequently hiked in. General Sir Michael Rose, the former UN commander in Bosnia, is a stepson of Masters.

Personality
John Masters: A Regimented Life by John Clay was published by Michael Joseph in 1992. Now out of print, it is a sympathetic but not uncritical biography. According to Clay, Masters possessed a strong and sometimes domineering personality, and could be impatient with weakness or incompetence. He could also be extremely warmhearted and generous. His outgoing and boisterous personality flourished during his long residence in the United States. Masters was impatient with the literary establishment, which faulted his Indian novels as unsympathetic to Indians, and he was impatient with editors who wanted to remove the rough edges from his characters. Masters strove for accuracy and realism, resenting it when people mistook his characters' views as his own. He was extremely hard-working and meticulously well-organised, both as a soldier and a novelist. Clay speculates that Masters may have been driven to achieve by rumours that his family was not "pure" English, but Anglo-Indian or Eurasian. In 1962 Masters learned what he had apparently long suspected, that he did indeed have a distant Indian ancestor.

Clay's biography provides details that Masters omitted from the three volumes of autobiography he wrote: Bugles and a Tiger (1956); Road Past Mandalay (1961); and Pilgrim Son (1971). They are nevertheless extremely revealing. Bugles and a Tiger, details Masters's time at Sandhurst and service on India's northwest frontier on the eve of the Second World War. Road Past Mandalay deals mostly with the Burma campaign in the War, while Pilgrim Son chronicles his career as a writer.

History of the British in India
Apart from the autobiographical works mentioned above, Masters is also known for his historical novels set in India. Seven of these portray members of successive generations of the Savage family serving in the British and Indian Armies in India, in an attempt to trace the history of the British in India through the life of one family. In chronological order of events (but not in order of publication) these novels are:
 * Coromandel! (1955): a 17th-century English youth runs away to sea and ends up in India.
 * The Deceivers (1952): an English officer goes undercover to root out the ritual murders of Thuggee.
 * Nightrunners of Bengal (1951): a tale of the Indian Rebellion of 1857.
 * The Lotus and the Wind (1953): a tale of The Great Game of British and Russian agents on the Northwest Frontier.
 * Far, Far the Mountain Peak (1957): a tale of mountaineering and the First World War.
 * The Ravi Lancers (1972): an offshoot of the series, set in the First World War, with one of the protagonists related to the Savages but having a different name.
 * Bhowani Junction (1954): a romance set in a railway town at the time of Indian calls for independence and the Partition of India.
 * To the Coral Strand (1962): the story of an ex-officer who refuses to go gracefully after Indian independence.
 * The Himalayan Concerto (1976): another offshoot, as the protagonist isn't named Savage, a 1970s Cold War thriller about spying on a planned Chinese invasion of India.

One of Masters's last Indian novels, The Venus of Konpara, is notable for the fact that its principal characters are Indians. The Savage family play no role in the storyline, though it is hinted that a minor unidentified character is a family member. It is set in the nineteenth century during the British Raj, but explores the history of Indo-Aryan and Dravidian identities in the country.

Master's works have come under criticism for their depiction of Indian characters. However, both Nightrunners of Bengal and The Ravi Lancers contain sympathetic portrayals of Indian nationalists and portray irreconcilable tensions between British and Indian characters that mirror the conflicts inherent in British India in a manner comparable to E. M. Forster's A Passage to India. The descendant of the hero of the former novel (who is in practice manifestly the same character) experiences the partition of India with a resigned detachment and later undergoes a deep personal crisis which ends with his staying on in independent India rather than returning to Britain. One Indian novelist (Khushwant Singh) remarked that while Kipling understood India, Masters understood Indians.

Adaptations
The best-known film is probably Bhowani Junction (1956), which concerns the Partition of India and the Anglo-Indian community. It starred Ava Gardner. Four of the novels (the 2nd, 3rd, 4th & 6th in the series) were adapted for an 18-part serial in BBC Radio 4's Classic Serial slot, being broadcast from October 1984 to January 1985. The Venus of Konpara had also been dramatised for BBC Radio in 1973. The Deceivers was filmed in 1988 and starred Pierce Brosnan.

Other themes
Masters's trilogy of Now God Be Thanked, Heart of War, and In The Green of the Spring has some claim to be considered his magnum opus, covering the changes to various segments of British society wrought by the upheavals of the First World War. Masters's book Man of War appears to have been the first of a planned trilogy on the Second World War; however, the author died before any other connected books were published.

The 1959 Fandango Rock, written in between the Indian books, is an exception – its plot being set in the fascist Spain ruled by General Franco and focusing on the relationship between the American and Spanish governments.

In the 1950s and 1960s the books of Masters sold in large numbers, particularly Bhowani Junction, which was also translated into various other languages. Some of his works are now out of print.

Fiction
• Nightrunners of Bengal (1951)

• The Deceivers (1952)

• The Lotus and the Wind (1953)

• Bhowani Junction (1954)

• Coromandel! (1955)

• Far, Far the Mountain Peak (1957)

• Fandango Rock (1959)

• The Venus of Konpara (1960)

• To the Coral Strand (1962)

• Trial at Monomoy (1964)

• The Breaking Strain (1967)

• The Rock (1970)

• The Ravi Lancers (1972)

• Thunder at Sunset (1974)

• The Field Marshal's Memoirs (1975)

• The Himalayan Concerto (1976)

• Now, God Be Thanked (1979)

• Heart of War (1980)

• By the Green of the Spring (1981)

• Man of War (1983) – US title High Command

Non-fiction
•  The Compleat Indian Angler (1938) Country Life, London, with numerous ink drawings and paintings by the author's father. Now available as a reprint edition.

• Bugles and a Tiger (1956)

• The Road Past Mandalay (1961)

• Fourteen Eighteen (1965)

• Casanova (1969)

• The Rock (1970) : a mix of fiction & history covering the tale of Gibraltar

• Pilgrim Son: A Personal Odyssey (1971)

title: John Masters


text:
USS Rhode Island (SSBN-740)

USS Rhode Island (SSBN-740) is a United States Navy Ohio-class submarine ballistic missile submarine which has been in commission since 1994. She is the third U.S. Navy ship to be named for Rhode Island, the 13th state.

Construction and commissioning
Originally, another Ohio-class submarine, SSBN-730, was to have been named Rhode Island; a contract was awarded in 1977 for SSBN-730's construction and her keel was laid in 1981 with the name Rhode Island planned for the completed submarine. However, shortly after the sudden death of United States Senator Henry M. Jackson of Washington, SSBN-730 was renamed USS Henry M. Jackson (SSBN-730) while still under construction. The name Rhode Island was transferred to SSBN-740, for which a construction contract had not yet been awarded.

The contract to build Rhode Island (SSBN-740) was awarded to the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corporation in Groton, Connecticut, on 5 January 1988 and her keel was laid down there on 15 September 1988. She was launched on 17 July 1993, sponsored by Mrs. Kati Machtley, and commissioned on 9 July 1994, with Captain John K. Eldridge commanding the Blue Crew and Commander Michael Maxfield commanding the Gold Crew.

Service history
On 11 August 2009, Rhode Island rescued five Bahamian fishermen whose boat had capsized on 7 August 2009. Rhode Island's medical staff tended to the four men and one boy before transferring them to a ship which took them to shore for further treatment.

In 2010 Rhode Island was awarded the Battle "E" for Squadron 20. In 2011 Rhode Island was awarded the Omaha Trophy in recognition for superior performance and setting fleet standards in the field of strategic deterrence.

From December 2015 to August 2018, Rhode Island was in Norfolk Naval Shipyard undergoing an Engineered Refueling Overhaul, in which her reactor was refueled and numerous other systems modernized.

On 1 November 2022, Rhode Island arrived at Gibraltar for a scheduled port visit.

USS Rhode Island in popular culture
On 8 May 2007, Rhode Island was named the "official ballistic missile submarine" of the American satirical television show The Colbert Report after crew members submitted photos of a "Colbert Nation" poster taken in different locations aboard the vessel. The connection to the show was made through one of the sailors who was engaged to Stephen Colbert's cousin.

title: USS Rhode Island (SSBN-740)


text:
AIME

AIME, Aime, or Aimé may refer to:

 * American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers
 * American Invitational Mathematics Examination, a selective mathematics test used to determine people who can compete in the United States of America Mathematical Olympiad
 * Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience, of which Jeff McMullen was a director for 15 years
 * Average Indexed Monthly Earnings (OASDI) for Social Security in the United States

Other

 * Aime, settlement in France
 * Aime (service), an online service by Sega
 * Aime (Estonian name), a feminine Estonian given name
 * Aimé, a masculine French given name
 * The word for love in French

title: AIME