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Mega Man & Bass

Mega Man & Bass (ロックマン&フォルテ) is an action-platform video game developed and published by Capcom. It is a spin-off game in the original Mega Man series and was originally released in Japan for the Super Famicom on April 24, 1998. It was later ported to the Game Boy Advance (GBA) handheld in 2002, and localized in English and released the following year.

After defeating the evil Dr. Wily many times, the robotic hero Mega Man is called into action once again when a powerful being known as King steals the blueprints to the creations of Dr. Wily and Dr. Light in order to create an army for robotic dominance over humans. Having learned of the threat, Mega Man's rival Bass decides to take matters into his own hands. The game is an action-platformer where the player advances by defeating bosses and acquiring their signature weapons. Mega Man & Bass lets the player choose between either of its title characters, each of which plays differently from the other.

Mega Man & Bass debuted on the aging 16-bit Super Famicom despite the series having already transitioned to the PlayStation and Sega Saturn with Mega Man 8. Producer Keiji Inafune claimed Mega Man & Bass was created with regard to younger players who didn't yet own one of the more advanced gaming systems. The game received positive remarks from critics for its graphics and use of a tried-and-true gameplay formula, though many found the difficulty to be too steep. Although Mega Man & Bass shares many traits with previous console games in the series, Mega Man 9 wouldn't be released up until 2008.

Plot
The story of Mega Man & Bass varies extremely depending on which player character is chosen. It begins one year after the events of Mega Man 8 when a robot villain named King breaks into Dr. Wily's laboratory and then the Robot Museum to collect the data blueprints for the creations of Dr. Light. Dr. Light alerts the hero Mega Man that he must go at once to the Robot Museum to confront this new enemy. Meanwhile, Bass (Mega Man's rival and Wily's greatest creation), being kicked out of Wily's laboratory due to the events, hears of the new criminal's appearance and decides to prove himself the stronger robot by defeating King. Proto Man is the first to arrive at the scene. King divulges his plan to him, he desires to create a utopia in which robots rule the world over humans. To accomplish this, King seeks to create an unstoppable army using the data and invites Proto Man to join him. Proto Man refuses and attempts to attack, but King counters and slices his body in half. Proto Man then teleports back to the lab for repairs while King escapes with the data, instructing his minions to handle the heroes. With their own motivations, Mega Man and Bass set out to put a stop to King's plans.

After vanquishing eight powerful robots under allegiance to King, the duo infiltrates his castle and engages him in combat. Proto Man interrupts the fight and again attempts to defeat their new nemesis. Putting all of his remaining energy into a blast, Proto Man manages to destroy King's shield and loses consciousness, allowing Mega Man and Bass to best King in battle afterwards. King questions why they fight so hard for humans when robots are the superior species. The pair explains that humans are the ones who created robots in the first place, which confuses King, who teleported Proto Man out of his castle after the battle. The villain reveals that his creator is Dr. Wily, who then appears on a video monitor. When King asks the evil inventor why robots fight each other for the sake of humans, Wily strengthens his "brainwashing level" and restores his power. Mega Man and Bass engage King in another battle and defeat him. The castle begins a self-destruct sequence and the protagonists escape without King.

Mega Man and Bass confront Dr. Wily in his newly regained laboratory. When Wily is beaten, Bass demands to know why he deceived him. Wily explains that he created King simply to test Bass' abilities. Wily shows him written plans for making a newer version of King to join with Bass in this venture, promising that the two would be invincible together. Proto Man appears and immediately destroys these plans. Wily then demands Bass to destroy Proto Man, but Bass is unsure. Proto Man tells Bass that although he is a strong robot of free will, he can never defeat his rival because he has nothing for which to fight. Bass doesn't care and forces Proto Man to leave, saying that he will still destroy Mega Man to prove his cause. Mega Man returns home where his sister Roll presents him a letter from King, who has somehow escaped the destruction of his castle. King wishes to atone for his own crimes against humans and hopes for them to be friends if they were to meet in the future.

Gameplay
The gameplay in Mega Man & Bass is similar to earlier games in the series. The player is tasked with completing a series of action-platform stages while overcoming obstacles, solving minor puzzles, and battling enemies. Destroying the "Robot Master" boss at the end of a stage lets the player acquire its special weapon. In previous games, the player generally took on the role of the hero Mega Man. In this game, the player can choose to start the game as either Mega Man or Bass. However, whichever character is picked must be used for the rest of the game and cannot be changed. Mega Man is able to charge his shots to make them more powerful and has the ability to slide along the ground. Bass is able to rapidly fire his arm cannon in eight directions, though shots cannot be fired while moving or pass through walls unless a certain upgrade is obtained. Bass is also able to double-jump (jump a second time in mid-air) and dash along the ground (similar to X in Mega Man X). Performing both simultaneously lets him cross great distances by doing a dash-jump.

The stage structure is much different from other games in the series. After the introduction level, the player can only choose between three Robot Masters. Defeating Cold Man unlocks Burner Man and Pirate Man; defeating Astro Man unlocks Dynamo Man, Tengu Man, and Pirate Man, and defeating Ground Man unlocks Magic Man and Tengu Man. Clearing one of these unlocked stages opens the way to a security room where the player must destroy a series of crystals with obtained Robot Master weapons. Bypassing all eight crystals opens the way to the fortress stages. In a similar fashion to previous installments in the series, enemies often drop bolts after they are destroyed, and these can be exchanged for various restorative items and upgrades. However, unlike in Mega Man 7 the security cavern offers a way to obtain large amounts of bolts without having to repeatedly visit stages. Some upgrades are unique to either character, such as Mega Man's ability to call on his dog Rush to search for items, or an adaptor for Bass to combine with his wolf Treble to temporarily fly. Also distributed throughout the introduction and Robot Master levels are a collection of 100 data CDs that contain information on many prominent characters in the series. Most of the CDs are hidden either behind obstacles that need to be destroyed with a special weapon or accessed with a character-specific ability, making it impossible to collect them all on a single playthrough. CDs collected in each playthrough are permanently placed in a database and remain unlocked after beating the game. Saved games are used in place of the series' traditional password system.

Development
Mega Man & Bass was developed for the Super Famicom after the release of Mega Man 8, which preceded Mega Man & Bass on the two 32-bit consoles, the PlayStation and Sega Saturn. According to series producer Keiji Inafune, Mega Man & Bass was intended for younger players who still owned a Super Famicom and did not have the means to experience Mega Man 8 on one of the newer systems. "Even though trying to bridge out a new title on the [Super Famicom] was a little backwards at the time, we didn't want to make a half-hearted attempt at it," Inafune explained. The design team included several new employees, as well as members of previous Mega Man games. Inafune required them to make the game "as hardcore as possible". Designer Hideki Ishikawa recalled the development of Mega Man & Bass as "one big party". The staff attempted to create an original game while avoiding the "same old, same old [...] pitfall" that so many long video game series suffer and "had a lot of fun doing it".

Graphically, Mega Man & Bass uses many of the same two-dimensional sprites and animations as Mega Man 8. Two of the eight Robot Master bosses in Mega Man & Bass (Tengu Man and Astro Man) are borrowed from Mega Man 8. The other six were newly created for the game by three character designers: Hitoshi Ariga (credited as "H. Ariga"), Yoshihiro Iwamoto (credited as "Y. Iwamoto") and Koji Izuki (credited as "K. Iduki") designed two characters each. The bosses were officially unveiled on a teaser page in the Kodansha magazine Comic BonBon. Each boss was given distinct characteristics so that they could be easily identified by players in both their aesthetics and personalities. Some of these characters had different names during their conceptual phase prior to the finalization of the game. "Blast Man" became Burner Man, "Freezer Man" became Cold Man, and "Coil Man" became Dynamo Man. Iwamoto originally denoted Ground Man as "Drill Man" despite there already being a Robot Master by that name in Mega Man 4. The musical score for Mega Man & Bass was composed by Akari Kaida (credited as "A. Kaida"), Naoshi Mizuta (credited as "N. Mizuta"), and "Kirikiri-chan" (Toshihiko Horiyama). Rather than create tracks together, each composer was responsible for their own songs.

Until its GBA re-release, it was one of the few Mega Man titles not localized for English-speaking countries. The company commemorated the 15th anniversary of the Mega Man franchise with the GBA version of the game.

Reception and legacy
The GBA port has received generally positive critical reviews, currently holding an aggregate score of 79% on both GameRankings and Metacritic. Most critics found the game to be a solid yet conventional action-platformer that successfully adheres to the classic Mega Man formula. Electronic Gaming Monthly summarized that Mega Man & Bass is "one of the best action games on GBA" and "a great, if slightly derivative, platformer" with plenty of replay value due to the collectible CDs. GamePro was pleased with the game's fidelity to its predecessors when compared to the deviations made by the Mega Man Battle Network and Mega Man Zero series on the same system. GameSpy contrarily criticized its lack of innovation, declaring, "Anyone that hasn't tried a Mega Man game yet would be better advised to spend $15 on a new copy of Mega Man 8 on the PSOne rather than paying $30 for an inferior retread of the same game".

Many reviews also noted the game's high difficulty. Both Giancarlo Varanini of GameSpot and Craig Harris of IGN found that the game's bosses have very unpredictable attack patterns, thus making the battles extremely challenging. Harris additionally observed a heavy amount of trial-and-error for the levels themselves where the player must die several times before completing each one. He concluded, "[...] It's really the way Mega Man games have always been... and to be honest, with all of the annoying little deaths in the game, there's always that sensation after every failure that you've learned the challenge, and perseverance definitely prevails in this game".

According to Famitsu, Mega Man & Bass for the GBA sold 91,097 copies in Japan between its release date and the week of December 23, 2002. A related game exclusive to Japan titled Rockman & Forte Mirai kara no Chōsensha (ロックマン&フォルテ 未来からの挑戦者) was released for the WonderSwan handheld in 1999. The plot consists of the titular duo's struggle against an adversary named "Rockman Shadow". As Mega Man & Bass was released directly after Mega Man 8 and it shares plot and gameplay characteristics with the rest of the numbered titles in the series, many believed it to be the ninth main game in the series; however, the actual Mega Man 9 would not be released until 2008. Inafune explained in an interview with the Brazilian magazine Nintendo World that the ninth installment follows the storyline of Mega Man 8 and that the worlds for Mega Man & Bass and Mega Man 9 are meant to coincide with one another, as evidenced by a schematic of Bass in the ending of the game. In 2010, Bass was made playable via downloadable content in Mega Man 10. As in Mega Man & Bass, he is able to dash, fire in seven directions with his buster, and fly by combining with Treble.

Nintendo Power listed Mega Man & Bass as the 14th best GBA game of all time in its 20th anniversary issue in 2008.

title: Mega Man & Bass


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List of Formula One drivers

Formula One, abbreviated to F1, is the highest class of open-wheeled auto racing defined by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), motorsport's world governing body. The "formula" in the name refers to a set of rules to which all participants and cars must conform. Each year, the F1 World Championship season is held. It consists of a series of races, known as Grands Prix, held usually on purpose-built circuits, and in a few cases on closed city streets. Drivers are awarded points based on their finishing position in each race, and the driver who accumulates the most points over each championship is crowned that year's World Drivers' Champion. As of the 2024 British Grand Prix, there have been 776 Formula One drivers from 41 different nationalities who have raced in at least one of the 1,113 FIA World Championship races since the first such event, the.

Seven-time champions Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton hold the record for the most championships. Hamilton also holds the record for the most wins with, the most pole positions with , the most points with , and the most podiums with. Fernando Alonso has entered more Grands Prix than anyone else and also holds the record for the most Grand Prix starts. The United Kingdom is the most represented country, having produced 163 drivers. Ten countries have been represented by just one. China became the latest country to be represented by a driver when Zhou Guanyu made his Formula One debut at the driving for Alfa Romeo. The most recent driver to make their Formula One debut is Oliver Bearman, who debuted at the.

This list includes all drivers who have entered a World Championship race, including participants of the Indianapolis 500 between and  when it was part of the World Championship (although not being run according to Formula One rules or sanctioned by the FIA).

Drivers

This list is accurate as of the. Drivers who only participated in Friday practice and who were not actually entered for the race are not included.

By country
Drivers from 41 countries have entered a World Championship race. The United Kingdom is the most heavily represented with 162 drivers. Second is the United States with 158; between 1950 and 1960 the American Indianapolis 500 race, then rarely contested by drivers from outside the United States, was part of the World Championship (but it was not sanctioned by the FIA and was instead sanctioned by either AAA in 1950–1955 or USAC in 1956–1960). A total of 36 American drivers have started World Championship races sanctioned by the FIA. Third is Italy with 99. Nine of these countries were represented in the very first race, the, and the most recent newly represented country is China, with Zhou Guanyu making his debut at the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix. Statistics are accurate as of the.

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

title: List of Formula One drivers


text:
NPAT

NPAT or Npat may refer to:

 * NPAT (gene)
 * National Political Awareness Test
 * Net profit after tax

title: NPAT


text:
Sangoan

The Sangoan is the name given by archaeologists to a Palaeolithic tool manufacturing style which may have developed from the earlier Acheulian types. In addition to the Acheulian stone tools, bone and antler picks were also used. Sangoan toolkits were used especially for grubbing.

As originally proposed, the Sangoan period was broadly analogous to the Mousterian culture in Europe and was dated to about 130 to 10 thousand years (kya). This was misleading because the Mousterian culture was predominantly made by Neanderthals, not by modern humans as in Africa. Dating was complicated by the lack of stratified deposits even after newer dating methods became available since 1980. Some sites have become available that indicate the Sangoan industry was produced before 250 kya, perhaps substantially earlier. It continues to be considered transitional between the African early Stone Age and middle Stone Age, but the MSA transition is now considered to have begun 500-350 kya.

It is named after the site of Sango Bay in Uganda where it was first discerned in 1920. Although Desmond Clark considered the complex to be tied to the tropical forest, the peoples who used Sangoan tools were hunting and gathering cultures, also known as the Sangoan, occupied southern Africa in areas where annual rainfall now is less than 1016 mm and Central African areas whose rainfall is above 2000 mm from the beginning of the Upper Paleolithic period. The Sangoan industry was distributed broadly from present day Botswana to Ethiopia and from Uganda to Angola and Gabon. In the Kalahari Desert, many prehistoric stone tools have been recovered by archaeologists dating at least as early as the period of the Sangoan culture. It also went as far north as the forested regions of the Congo. Confusion exists within literature as to what to call this early percussion-made bifacial complex, with certain writers stating the term Lupembum, or the term Sangoan.

Confusion exists as to how to define the Sangoan. Dating is not refined enough to clarify the climate conditions at the time the tools were deposited in the various sites. The Lupemban industry has been found in similar environments and may be more closely associated with forests. The technical details of the differences between the two are not clear. Both are associated with prepared cores typical of the middle Stone Age. The Lupemban industry is usually associated with more frequent long lance-like or leaf shaped, biface points (finished on both sides). The early versions are both are made with percussion knapping. The name Lupemban is applied to certain biface points made more recently, possibly in the late Pleistocene, in which indirect and direct pressure flaking is observed, but these techniques are not characteristics which separate the early Lupemban and Sangoan.

title: Sangoan


text: User talk:65.219.252.131

title: User talk:65.219.252.131


text:
George Jeffreys

George Jeffreys may refer to:

 * George Jeffreys (composer) (c. 1610–1685), composer and organist to Charles I
 * George Jeffreys, 1st Baron Jeffreys (1645–1689), British politician & jurist
 * George Jeffreys, 1st Baron Jeffreys (British Army officer) (1878–1960), British soldier & politician
 * George Jeffreys (pastor) (1889–1962), British religious leader

title: George Jeffreys


text: User talk:208.27.111.132

title: User talk:208.27.111.132


text:
Talk:Neiman Marcus

Update several sections and add current CEO
Hi, I have several requests to update the article as our company has changed a good deal since this was last edited. The below are recommended factual corrections to accurately represent NMG's current standing.
 * In the introduction I want to clarify the differences between the "Neiman Marcus Group, Inc.," which is the corporate 'mother company' and "Neiman Marcus," one of several department store chains owned by NMG, as well as add current information and remove outdated information. Please replace the current introduction with the following. (I added one source, and took out the outdated ownership. The first and third sources are from the current introduction):
 * Neiman Marcus Group, Inc., is an American integrated luxury retailer headquartered in Dallas, Texas, which owns Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Horchow, and Last Call. The Group filed for bankruptcy on May 7, 2020, and emerged from Chapter 11 restructuring in late September 2021.  Since September 2021, NMG has been owned by a group of investment companies lead by Davidson Kempner Capital Management, Sixth Street Partners and Pacific Investment Management.
 * Red information icon with gradient background.svg Not done for now: first reference has a broken URL, can you please fix it? Storchy (talk) 19:03, 8 August 2022 (UTC)

 * Please add the current CEO, placing the following sentence in the section called "2010-present" directly before the last sentence in the section, which begins "In April 2019, Neiman Marcus..."
 * In 2018 Geoffroy van Raemdonck replaced Karen Katz as CEO.
 * ✅ Storchy (talk) 19:03, 8 August 2022 (UTC)

 * In the "Corporate affairs" section, please update the number of Neiman Marcus stores from 42 to 36, and change the number of Last Call clearance centers from 30 to 5.
 * ✅ Storchy (talk) 19:03, 8 August 2022 (UTC)

 * Please add the following paragraph to the end of the Chapter 11 bankruptcy section:
 * In June 2022 NMG reported their highest sales volume in almost half of their stores, and sales of their 20 best-selling brands grew by 70% above pre-COVID levels in 2019. The company has also been attracting younger customers, with the average age falling by seven years from pre-pandemic levels, from the mid-40s to the high-30s.
 * ✅ Storchy (talk) 19:07, 8 August 2022 (UTC)

Thanks so much for your help, NMGCommsMgr (talk) 17:52, 8 August 2022 (UTC)
 * Thank you for implementing almost all of my edit request. I apologize for the broken source. It could be I broke it when I copied it to the Talk page, but even so, the link was already dead, I just didn’t know if it was appropriate for me to change it. Here is the same paragraph with a working, more recent source, replacing the dead/broken link:

 * Neiman Marcus Group, Inc., is an American integrated luxury retailer headquartered in Dallas, Texas, which owns Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Horchow, and Last Call. The Group filed for bankruptcy on May

7, 2020, and emerged from Chapter 11 restructuring in late September 2021. Since September 2021, NMG has been owned by a group of investment companies lead by Davidson Kempner Capital Management, Sixth Street Partners and Pacific Investment Management.

 * Thanks again, NMGCommsMgr (talk) 14:11, 10 August 2022 (UTC)
 * Would you like to revisit this request, since you replied above? --- Another Believer ( Talk ) 15:26, 31 August 2022 (UTC)
 * ✅ Eek, missed that reply by three weeks, sorry. Storchy (talk) 15:32, 31 August 2022 (UTC)
 * @Storchy Time to mark this request as answered? Let me know if you need help updating the template at the top of this request. Thanks for the follow up. --- Another Believer ( Talk ) 16:34, 31 August 2022 (UTC)
 * ✅ 😀 Thanks for the reminder. Storchy (talk) 16:50, 31 August 2022 (UTC)
 * No prob! Thanks, --- Another Believer ( Talk ) 16:56, 31 August 2022 (UTC)

 * Thank you so much and  for implementing the remaining bullet point of my edit request above. Your work and initiative are appreciated. NMGCommsMgr (talk) 13:23, 7 September 2022 (UTC)

Improve headings and sub-heads
Hi. The following edits that I am requesting are to rename headings and subheadings so that the organization of the content is clear and precise. I am also requesting the addition of a small bit of new information (a date with a source) and some grammar fixes.
 * Please change the heading "Operations during the 20th century" to "History". This is the clearest possible title for what follows.
 * Please change the following sub-heading from "Early history" to "1907—1949". This specific title is more useful to readers looking for information quickly. It also matches all the rest of the sub-heads that follow in the History section.
 * Please delete the heading "Operations during the 21st century". This is an unnecessary and even confusing heading.
 * Please change the sub-heading "2010—present" to "2010—2019". We will add a new section including updated information after this section.
 * Please delete the sub-heading "Chapter 11 bankruptcy" and replace it with "2020—present". There is no reason to have a separate heading here for the bankruptcy, since there is no other subject in History that has its own sub-heading. Having a separate heading here implies that this event is more important than all the other events so far mentioned in the History section.
 * In the second paragraph of the newly named "2020—present" section, directly after the phrase "United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas," please add "in May 2020."
 * In the following sentence, "The debtors have requested" please remove the word "have". Simple past tense is correct.
 * In the same paragraph, the tense of the following sentence should also be changed by removing the words "is" and "now" and replacing with "was" and "is" with the final result of: "The company's website, mytheresa.com, was not part of the bankruptcy. At the end of September 2020, Neiman Marcus exited Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and as of 2022 is owned by a consortium of investment firms..."

Thanks so much. I am pinging who was so helpful with the previous edit request. C at nmg (talk) 13:43, 7 September 2022 (UTC)
 * ✅ Storchy (talk) 15:32, 7 September 2022 (UTC)

Infobox edits
Hi. A few things first. A big thank you to for their quick and thorough response to my last edit request. Second, I would like to clarify, in case there is any confusion, that I am one of two COI editors who have disclosed a conflict of interest with this page. My user name is C at NMG, and my colleague is EH at NMG. However, her first user name was NMGCommsMgr, which she had changed so there would be no suspicion that that account was corporate in nature. If anyone has any questions about this, please don’t hesitate to ask. Now to the edit request. There are four things that need to be updated in the Infobox:
 * 1) The number of locations is now 36 not including "Neiman Marcus Last Call"
 * 2) The 'Owners' have changed and it should say "Davidson Kempner Capital Management, Sixth Street Partners and Pacific Investment Management
 * 3) The number of employees should be 10,000+ (2022)
 * 4) In the Divisions parameter, please remove (43 stores). It is not needed there, and it is a number that is always changing. It is better if that number is confined to the "Number of locations" parameter.

Thanks again. C at nmg (talk) 13:41, 21 September 2022 (UTC)
 * ✅, though the number 43 already seems to have been removed. Storchy (talk) 13:51, 21 September 2022 (UTC)

Corporate affairs and other edits
Thank you for answering my last edit request. Below are a few additional edit requests for the Neiman Marcus article.
 * In the History section's subsection called "1950—1999", at the end of the second to last sentence, right after "However, the project did not come to fruition, instead opening its concept store in the 1990s," please add the following sentence:
 * In 1987 Bergdorf Goodman was acquired by the Neiman Marcus Group.
 * For the History section edit, I'm not clear about the reliability of the zippia.com reference. Some of it appears to be copied from this blog post. The Brittanica reference doesn't quite verify what's written. Google Books won't show me the third reference you've cited. Have you got a more WP:Reliable source? Storchy (talk) 15:37, 21 October 2022 (UTC)

 * In the last sentence of the same paragraph, "In 1988 the company's name was officially changed..." please change "company's" to "brand" so the sentence now reads: "In 1988 the brand name was officially changed from Neiman-Marcus to Neiman Marcus and the current logo was adopted."
 * This sentence is unsourced. Can you please supply a source to verify the 1988 change? Storchy (talk) 15:37, 21 October 2022 (UTC)

 * In the subsection "2010—2019" please move the entire last paragraph that begins "In April 2020, Neiman Marcus was..." to the beginning of the next subsection, "2020—present". Since the paragraph is about something that happened in 2020, it belongs in that subsection.
 * That sentence is no longer there. Can you please revise this request? Storchy (talk) 15:37, 21 October 2022 (UTC)

 * In the Corporate affairs section, in the first sentence, after the words "...is still headquartered in..." please add the word "Dallas" so the sentence reads "...is still headquartered in Dallas, the city where it began."
 * ✅ I've change the sentence to "still headquartered in Dallas, where it was founded." "Where it began" is a tiny bit promotional. Storchy (talk) 15:37, 21 October 2022 (UTC)

 * In the same paragraph and the following sentence, please delete "— Cusp (a contemporary boutique format) and the Direct Marketing division, Neiman Marcus Direct." This is no longer true. I am not sure if it ever was true. The remaining sentence should be: "The Neiman Marcus Group comprises the Specialty Retail stores division including Neiman Marcus Stores and Bergdorf Goodman." I am not sure why "Neiman Marcus Group" is bold there. If you think it should be de-bolded, that is fine with me.
 * ✅, de-bolded, and some minor edits for tone: I've swapped "luxury goods" for the rather ambiguous word "upscale". Storchy (talk) 15:37, 21 October 2022 (UTC)

 * Please add "As of mid-2022" to the beginning of the sentence "The company operates 36 Neiman Marcus stores..." so it reads "As of mid-2022 the company operates 36 Neiman Marcus stores..." ✅
 * At the end of the sentence that begins "The company also operates five "Last Call" clearance centers..." please change "...two Horchow Finale Furniture Outlets" to "...and the online luxury furniture outlet Horchow.com." ✅
 * Please delete the last sentence of this paragraph: "These store operations total more than five million square feet (four hundred sixty thousand square metres) gross." It is not relevant. ✅

Thanks so much, C at nmg (talk) 19:15, 29 September 2022 (UTC)

 * Hi . Thank you again for your edits and taking time to help out. Here are my answers to your concerns and requests:

 * I found a new source for the first bullet point for the following sentence in the History section. The supporting statement from the source is in the fifth paragraph.

 * In 1987 Bergdorf Goodman was acquired by the Neiman Marcus Group. https://www.forbes.com/sites/walterloeb/2021/07/05/neiman-marcus-explores-sale-of-bergdorf-goodman/?sh=40a2f7aa200b

 * The second bullet point concerning the sentence "In 1988 the company's name was officially changed from Neiman-Marcus to Neiman Marcus and the current logo was adopted," I was able to find the following sources: https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-10-21-vw-4241-story.html and https://logos.fandom.com/wiki/Neiman_Marcus. As additional proof of the logo change, when comparing the logo from the Christmas book in 1987 to the logo on the Christmas book in 1988 you will see that the logo changed in 1988.
 * The LA Times reference verifies that the logo has changed, but doesn't say when or how. Quote: "Is it Neiman-Marcus or Neiman Marcus? We called company headquarters in Dallas to get the lowdown and found out the hyphen is indeed gone from the name on anything paper related, such as ads, bills and letterheads, but not from the outside of buildings. That would have been a major undertaking in what is described as “a small stylistic revision to make the name more legible.” Although at one time there was a Mr. Neiman and a Mr. Marcus, no one seems to know why a hyphen came between them originally."

 * Fandom and Etsy are unfortunately not considered reliable sources on Wikipedia. Since you work for the company, perhaps you could persuade the website's maintainer to include confirmation at the history page? It's a primary source, but better than nothing.
 * Circling back to my original request, would it be possible for you to change the word "company's" to "brand" in that sentence?
 * In the case of the third bullet point, it is now no longer relevant since the statement in question has been removed.
 * In the case of the third bullet point, it is now no longer relevant since the statement in question has been removed.

 * Thanks for all your excellent edits. C at nmg (talk) 14:57, 2 November 2022 (UTC)

 * Hi, all done but one, please see above inline. Storchy (talk) 15:35, 2 November 2022 (UTC)
 * It has been several months without any specific replies to the inquiries above. For now, I will mark this as addressed since the majority of the request has been implemented. I am marking this request as addressed; to re-open it if responses are provided to clarify any additional requested edits, remove the "|A" in the request edit template above.  Spencer T• C 21:46, 15 February 2023 (UTC)

More corporate affairs
Hi again. Thanks so much for all your help. We are working on either finding a reliable source for the date of the logo change, or adding it to the website. When that gets done, we will let you know. I have a few more edit requests for the 'Corporate affairs' section.
 * The second paragraph in the Corporate affairs section, which begins "Neiman Marcus Direct conducts both print catalog and online operations..." is outdated, unnecessary, and unsourced. Please remove the entire paragraph.
 * Please add the following three paragraphs to the end of the Corporate affairs section. They are updates about the company's recent important developments.
 * ✅ Storchy (talk) 17:51, 15 November 2022 (UTC)
 * In March 2020, NMG launched an app tool called NM CONNECT. The tool allows salespeople (stylists) to give personal attention to on-line customers using texts, email, phone and video calls.
 * In June 2021, NMG acquired Stylyze, an e-commerce platform, to expand the company's e-commerce capabilities. Users connect to NMG using the proprietary app CONNECT.
 * In April 2022, Farfetch Limited agreed to a $200 million minority investment in the Neiman Marcus Group to stimulate growth through the stores' use of Farfetch Platform Solutions' e-commerce marketplace.
 * ✅, with some minor edits for tone. Storchy (talk) 17:51, 15 November 2022 (UTC)

Thanks so much, C at nmg (talk) 16:23, 15 November 2022 (UTC)
 * This request appears to have been implemented without any remaining outstanding requests in this section. I am marking this request as addressed; to re-open it, remove the "|A" in the request edit template above.  Spencer T• C 21:45, 15 February 2023 (UTC)

"Needless markup"
Why isn't the "nedeless markup" nickname included in the article? It's fairly well-known (reasonably prominent)... AnonMoos (talk) 11:59, 28 October 2023 (UTC)

title: Talk:Neiman Marcus


text:
User:RoToRa/monobook.js

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title: User:RoToRa/monobook.js


text:
Magosian

The Magosian is the name given by archaeologists to an industry found in southern and eastern Africa. It dates to between 10,000 and 6,000 years BC and is distinguished from its predecessors by the use of microliths and small blades.

In 1953, J. Desmond Clark found a notable site of Magosian artifacts at Kalambo Falls, on what is now the border between Zambia and Tanzania.

title: Magosian


text:
Granular convection

Granular convection is a phenomenon where granular material subjected to shaking or vibration will exhibit circulation patterns similar to types of fluid convection. It is sometimes called the Brazil nut effect, when the largest of irregularly shaped particles end up on the surface of a granular material containing a mixture of variously sized objects. This name derives from the example of a typical container of mixed nuts, in which the largest will be Brazil nuts. The phenomenon is also known as the muesli effect since it is seen in packets of breakfast cereal containing particles of different sizes but similar density, such as muesli mix.

Under experimental conditions, granular convection of variously sized particles has been observed forming convection cells similar to fluid motion.

Explanation
It may be counterintuitive to find that the largest and (presumably) heaviest particles rise to the top, but several explanations are possible:
 * When the objects are irregularly shaped, random motion causes some oblong items to occasionally turn in a vertical orientation. The vertical orientation allows smaller items to fall beneath the larger item.  If subsequent motion causes the larger item to re-orient horizontally, then it will remain at the top of the mixture.
 * The center of mass of the whole system (containing the mixed nuts) in an arbitrary state is not optimally low; it has the tendency to be higher due to there being more empty space around the larger Brazil nuts than around smaller nuts. When the nuts are shaken, the system has the tendency to move to a lower energy state, which means moving the center of mass down by moving the smaller nuts down and thereby the Brazil nuts up.
 * Including the effects of air in spaces between particles, larger particles may become buoyant or sink. Smaller particles can fall into the spaces underneath a larger particle after each shake. Over time, the larger particle rises in the mixture. (According to Heinrich Jaeger, "[this] explanation for size separation might work in situations in which there is no granular convection, for example for containers with completely frictionless side walls or deep below the surface of tall containers (where convection is strongly suppressed). On the other hand, when friction with the side walls or other mechanisms set up a convection roll pattern inside the vibrated container, we found that the convective motion immediately takes over as the dominant mechanism for size separation." )
 * The same explanation without buoyancy or center of mass arguments: As a larger particle moves upward, any motion of smaller particles into the spaces underneath blocks the larger particle from settling back in its previous position. Repetitive motion results in more smaller particles slipping beneath larger particles. A greater density of the larger particles has no effect on this process. Shaking is not necessary; any process which raises particles and then lets them settle would have this effect. The process of raising the particles imparts potential energy into the system. The result of all the particles settling in a different order may be an increase in the potential energy—a raising of the center of mass.
 * When shaken, the particles move in vibration-induced convection flow; individual particles move up through the middle, across the surface, and down the sides. If a large particle is involved, it will be moved up to the top by convection flow. Once at the top, the large particle will stay there because the convection currents are too narrow to sweep it down along the wall.
 * The pore size distribution of a random packing of hard spheres with various sizes makes that smaller spheres have larger probability to move downwards by gravitation than larger spheres.

The phenomenon is related to Parrondo's paradox in as much as the Brazil nuts move to the top of the mixed nuts against the gravitational gradient when subjected to random shaking.

Study techniques
Granular convection has been probed by the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), where convection rolls similar to those in fluids (Bénard cells) can be visualized.

Other studies have used time-lapse CT scans, refractive index matched fluids, and positron emission tracing. On the lower-tech end of the scale, researchers have also used thin, clear plastic boxes, so that the motion of some objects is directly visible.

The effect has been observed in even tiny particles driven only by brownian motion with no external energy input.

Manufacturing

The effect is of interest to food manufacturing and similar operations. Once a homogeneous mixture of granular materials has been produced, it is usually undesirable for the different particle types to segregate. Several factors determine the severity of the Brazil nut effect, including the sizes and densities of the particles, the pressure of any gas between the particles, and the shape of the container. A rectangular box (such as a box of breakfast cereal) or cylinder (such as a can of nuts) works well to favour the effect, while a container with outwardly slanting walls (such as in a conical or spherical geometry) results in what is known as the reverse Brazil nut effect.

Astronomy
In astronomy, it is common in low density, or rubble pile asteroids, for example the asteroid 25143 Itokawa and 101955 Bennu.

Geology
In geology, the effect is common in formerly glaciated areas such as New England and areas in regions of permafrost where the landscape is shaped into hummocks by frost heave — new stones appear in the fields every year from deeper underground. Horace Greeley noted "Picking stones is a never-ending labor on one of those New England farms. Pick as closely as you may, the next plowing turns up a fresh eruption of boulders and pebbles, from the size of a hickory nut to that of a tea-kettle." A hint to the cause appears in his further description that "this work is mainly to be done in March or April, when the earth is saturated with ice-cold water". Underground water freezes, lifting all particles above it. As the water starts to melt, smaller particles can settle into the opening spaces while larger particles are still raised. By the time ice no longer supports the larger rocks, they are at least partially supported by the smaller particles that slipped below them. Repeated freeze-thaw cycles in a single year speeds up the process.

This phenomenon is one of the causes of inverse grading which can be observed in many situations including soil liquefaction during earthquakes or mudslides. Liquefaction is a general phenomenon where a mixture of fluid and granular material subjected to vibration ultimately leads to circulation patterns similar to both fluid convection and granular convection. Indeed, liquefaction is fluid-granular convection with circulation patterns which are known as sand boils or sand volcanoes in the study of soil liquefaction. Granular convection is also exemplified by debris flow, which is a fast moving, liquefied landslide of unconsolidated, saturated debris that looks like flowing concrete. These flows can carry material ranging in size from clay to boulders, including woody debris such as logs and tree stumps. Flows can be triggered by intense rainfall, glacial melt, or a combination of the two.

title: Granular convection


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Nicholson Museum

The Nicholson Museum was an archaeological museum at the University of Sydney home to the Nicholson Collection, the largest collection of antiquities in both Australia and the Southern Hemisphere. Founded in 1860, the collection spans the ancient world with primary collection areas including ancient Egypt, Greece, Italy, Cyprus, and the Near East. The museum closed permanently in February 2020, and the Nicholson Collection is now housed in the Chau Chak Wing Museum at the University of Sydney, open from November 2020. The museum was located in the main quadrangle of the University.

Introduction
The Nicholson Museum was named after its founder, Sir Charles Nicholson. In 1856-57, Nicholson traveled throughout Egypt and then Italy where he acquired the first thousand or so primarily ancient Egyptian, Greek, South Italian and Etruscan artefacts. These he donated to the University in 1860. The museum's collection grew exponentially since this founding donation. Individual benefaction, donations, sponsored archaeological projects and curatorial acquisition have all contributed to the wealth of material in the Nicholson Collection.

The museum had a mixture of permanent and temporary exhibition areas within its gallery. Permanent or ongoing exhibitions included: Egyptians, Gods and Mummies: Travels with Herodotus, Aphrodite's Island: Australian Archaeologists in Cyprus; The Etruscans: A Classical Fantasy; Tombs, Tells and Temples: Excavating the Near East as well as a permanent display of artefacts from the Greek and Italian Classical world. Temporary exhibitions included: LEGO Pompeii, featuring a large scale model of the site of Pompeii in LEGO and 50 Objects, 50 Stories – which was moved to Chau Chak Wing Museum upon the closing of Nicholson.

The Nicholson Museum, along with its sister institutions, the Macleay Museum and the University Art Gallery, were united under a single director, David Ellis, in 2003 to form Sydney University Museums. In 2005, Michael Turner was appointed Senior Curator.

Permanent collections
The permanent collections of the Nicholson Museum spanned the ancient world with primary collection areas including the Classical world of Greece and Italy, Egypt, Cyprus, the Near East and Northern Europe from the Neolithic to Medieval periods. The Collection also includes a significant historic photograph collection of over 1,350 glass negatives taken by former curator William J. Woodhouse.

Egyptian collection
The ancient Egyptian collection included artefacts from a variety of ancient sites including Abydos, Alexandria, Bubastis, Fayum, Heliopolis, Memphis, Saqqara, and Thebes. Egyptian material formed a large part of Sir Charles Nicholson's founding donation. He traveled throughout Egypt between 1856 and 1857 purchasing artefacts from dealers in Cairo and Luxor as well as collecting artefacts straight from sites, including Karnak where he collected a fragment of a red granite thought to be from Hatshepsut's obelisk.

Cypriot collection
Beginning in 1860 with a single artefact from the original donation by Sir Charles Nicholson, the collection grew exponentially, especially under the curatorial direction of firstly William Woodhouse (honorary curator 1903-1938) and then James Stewart (honorary curator 1954-1962). Many of the artefacts within the collection were sourced directly from Stewart's own excavations conducted at Bellapais Vounous, Karmi Palealona, Karmi Lapasta, Nicosia Ayia Paraskevi and Vasilia Kafkallia as well as from the excavations of at the sites of Myrtou Stephania and Myrtou Sphagion, conducted by Stewart's former student Basil Hennessy, who later became Professor of Near Eastern Archaeology at the University of Sydney. As a result of these acquisitions, the Museum held many complete tomb groups of archaeological importance.

Greek collection
The Nicholson Collection's Greek collections contains artefacts representative of the material culture of the Greek mainland, islands and surrounding regions, from the Bronze Age through to the Late Hellenistic period. During Sir Charles Nicholson's travels to Egypt and Europe between 1856 and 1858 he acquired, primarily in Rome, a range of Classical and Hellenistic Greek ceramics as well as terracotta figurines. In total over seventy significant Greek artefacts were included in the founding donation of the Nicholson Museum. Further material, representative of the Greek mainland and islands, was bought during the curatorship of A. D. Trendall. His proactive acquisition program involved purchasing a wide range of ceramic types of Greek origin as well as significant contributions of sherd material for teaching purposes sought from prominent museums and individual collectors and scholars, including Sir John Beazley. The collection was then expanded following a donation of hundreds of pottery fragments and small votive objects by the family of former curator William J Woodhouse in 1948. The majority of this material is thought to have been collected during Woodhouse's 1890s and 1930s trips to Greece, documented in the Woodhouse photographic collection.

Italian collection
The Italian collection is representative of the diversity of the ancient Italian world with significant cultural material from Etruria, South Italy and the Roman World. From the museum's foundation the cultures of ancient Italy have been strongly represented in the collection. Sir Charles Nicholson spent considerable time in Rome collecting Latin inscriptions, Etruscan funerary urns and bronzes, South Italian vases and Roman lamps, figurines and ceramics. Additional large sculptural works were also acquired by Sir Charles including two life-sized togatus statues along with several fragmentary figures. The Italian collection was further developed with the acquisition of a significant corpus of South Italian vases by A.D. Trendall during his curatorial tenure. Many of the significant pieces from the South Italian collection were comprehensively published in the first Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum of an Australian collection.

Near Eastern collection
The Nicholson Museum's collection of Near Eastern artefacts represented many of the great cities and civilisations that flourished along the Levantine coast, across Mesopotamia and through to Pakistan and India. The Near Eastern collection began with just a handful of artefacts from Ur, donated by the British Museum in 1926. This was greatly expanded upon in the mid 20th century by the acquisition program of the curators A.D. Trendall and his successor James Stewart. Both curators wrote countless letters to museums and government agencies around the world requesting representative samples of artefacts to ensure the Nicholson Museum's holdings reflected the diversity of this expansive region. The University of Sydney also contributed financially to archaeological excavations and projects in the Near East, most notably Dame Kathleen Kenyon’s excavations at Jericho. In return for the University's support the Nicholson Museum received a consignment of objects at the end of each season including full tomb groups from the Bronze Age and rare finds such as our Neolithic over plastered skull. Other items have been acquired through generous donations of individual archaeologists, including Sir Leonard Woolley and Sir Flinders Petrie, as well as from archaeological institutes, museums and private donors.

LEGO Pompeii
A modern display of Pompeii built with LEGO was featured in Nicholson museum. Professional LEGO builder Ryan McNaught assembled the work. The display showed Pompeii as it was the moment of destruction, as it was when rediscovered, and as it is today. The exhibit appears to be an attempt to appeal to contemporary audiences, and especially a younger generation, including current HSC ancient history students, as Pompeii is an early part of the curriculum taught. Upon seeing the exhibit it is apparent that a lot of work has gone into it (around 470 hours). The deep red glow – only noticeable from the rear of the piece – foreshadows the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, which destroyed the town. The exhibit attracted new audiences to Nicholson Museum.

title: Nicholson Museum


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Higher Education Funding Council for England

The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) was a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom, which was responsible for the distribution of funding for higher education to universities and further education colleges in England since 1992. It ceased to exist as of 1 April 2018, when its duties were divided between the newly created Office for Students and Research England (operating within United Kingdom Research and Innovation).

Most universities are charities and HEFCE (rather than the Charity Commission for England and Wales) was their principal regulator. HEFCE therefore had the duty to promote compliance with charity law by the universities for which it was responsible.

History
HEFCE was created by the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 (which also created the Further Education Funding Council for England (FEFC), replaced in 2001 by the Learning and Skills Council).

On 1 June 2010 HEFCE became the principal regulator of those higher education institutions in England that are 'exempt charities'. This followed the Charities Act 2006, according to which all charities should be subject to regulation.

The Higher Education and Research Act 2017 directed that HEFCE should be replaced by a new body, the Office for Students, also incorporating the Office for Fair Access (OFFA), but with HEFCE's research funding functions reassigned to UK Research and Innovation.

Chief Executives

 * Prof Madeleine Atkins (2014–2018)
 * Sir Alan Langlands (2009–2013)
 * Prof David Eastwood (2006–2009)
 * Sir Howard Newby (2001–2006)
 * Sir Brian Fender (1995–2001)
 * Sir Graeme Davies (1992–1995)

Structure
HEFCE staff worked within six directorates. Leadership for these key strategic areas was shared between the Chief Executive and directors.

Management
The chief executive of HEFCE was Professor Madeleine Atkins (since 1 January 2014), previously Vice-Chancellor of the University of Coventry. Her predecessor, Sir Alan Langlands is now the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leeds.

Function
In 2017-18 HEFCE allocated £3.5 billion in public funds from the UK Government to universities and colleges in England to 'invest on behalf of students and the public to promote excellence and innovation in research, teaching and knowledge exchange'. It only funds the institutions and does not give grants or loans to individual students. It also helps develop and implement higher education policy, based on research and consultation.

Charity regulation
HEFCE was the legal 'principal regulator' for the many UK universities and colleges who are classed as exempt charities. HEFCE described its role as 'to promote compliance by charity trustees with their legal obligations in exercising control and management of the administration of the charity' and has a memorandum of understanding with the Charity Commission that details how the two will work together.

Industry-academia links
In addition to distributing both teaching and research funding to higher education institutions HEFCE was also involved with: widening participation; developing links between higher education institutions and business and the community; and enhancing leadership, governance and management within the sector. It provided both a contribution to core funding, and ring-fenced funding for special initiatives, projects and strategic aims.

The Prevent duty
The Government delegated to HEFCE the responsibility for overseeing the Prevent duty, which obliged relevant higher education bodies to have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism. HEFCE monitored whether these bodies were carrying out the duty effectively, and reports findings back to providers and the Government on a regular basis.

Register of Higher Education Providers
HEFCE administered the Register of Higher Education Providers, a searchable tool that shows how the Government regulates higher education providers in England. This is primarily a regulatory tool, which lists each provider's names and addresses, its powers and the standards it is required to meet, among other information useful to other regulators and Government agencies.

Unistats
HEFCE also owned the Unistats website which includes the student satisfaction ratings for different universities and subjects. These satisfaction ratings are compiled from the National Student Survey, and the feedback from students is held within the Unistats website and allows students to compare subjects, universities and UCAS points, see satisfaction ratings from other students and see what the employment prospects are for graduate jobs by subject chosen.

Higher Education Academy
The Higher Education Academy (HEA), founded in May 2004, is funded by the UK HE Funding Councils (including HEFCE) and institutional subscriptions. It was established as the result of a merger of the Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (ILTHE), the Learning and Teaching Support Network (LTSN), and the TQEF National Co-ordination Team (NCT).

National Teaching Fellowship Scheme
HEFCE also funded a National Teaching Fellowship (NTF) scheme for those working in England and Northern Ireland. The initiative is administered by the HEA and has two separate strands providing individual awards – recognising individual excellence in teaching within the Higher Education sector – and awards for large-scale projects typically undertaken by Higher Education institutions over periods of up to three years.

Discontinued initiatives

 * The Centres for Excellence in Teaching and Learning initiative aimed to reward and invest in excellent teaching practice. It was HEFCE's largest ever single funding initiative in teaching and learning, providing £350 million to 74 centres over a five-year period.
 * The Higher Education Innovation Fund.
 * The Fund for the Development of Teaching and Learning was established to stimulate good teaching and learning practice in Higher Education. Over 164 projects were given awards.
 * The Teaching and Learning Research Programme aimed to promote excellent educational research designed to enhance learning.
 * The Online Learning Task Force aimed to maintain and develop the position of UK higher education as a world leader in online learning.

Criticism
The journal Nanotechnology Perceptions expressed doubt about the ability of HEFCE to effectively regulate the universities for which it was responsible, suggesting that while it would have the power to impose financial penalties on universities engaging in dishonest practice, there was no indication that it was prepared to do so.

Location
HEFCE was based in Stoke Gifford to the north of Bristol. OFFA was based on the same site.

Video clips

 * HEFCE YouTube channel


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Wizard's First Rule

Wizard's First Rule, written by Terry Goodkind, is the first book in the epic fantasy series The Sword of Truth. Published by Tor Books, it was released on August 15, 1994 in hardcover, and in mass market paperback in September 1995. The book was also re-released with new cover artwork by Keith Parkinson in paperback on June 23, 2001. The novel was adapted to television in the 2008 television series Legend of the Seeker.

Goodkind had no trouble selling his first book to a publisher. "I'm sort of the exception that proves the rule," he says. "I wanted to be represented by the best agent in the country and I wrote him a letter." He asked to see the book and he liked it." He showed it to a number of publishers. Three of them had an auction. Ten weeks after I'd written 'The End' it sold for a record price ($275,000)," the most money ever paid for a fantasy novel by a first time author.

Plot summary
Richard Cypher, a young woods guide, lives in an area of the world known as Westland, which is one of three parts of the known world, divided by magical underworld boundaries. Of the three, Westland is united under one government and contains no magic, the Midlands are a coalition of sovereign nations with magic, and past another magical boundary lies the empire of D'Hara - a single kingdom ruled by Wizards.

After the unexplained murder of his father, Richard investigates. He discovers a piece of vine in his father's house, and searches the mountains for a live part of the plant, thinking it might lead him to the murderers. He finds the plant, but it attacks him, implanting a poisonous thorn. While returning to town to find a healer, he finds a woman named Kahlan Amnell, who is being hunted by a group of assassins. Richard helps save Kahlan from the men, and learns that Kahlan is searching for the First Wizard, who is rumored to have crossed into Westland after the creation of the boundaries. Richard takes Kahlan to his best friend and mentor, Zedd. Soon after arriving, Richard collapses from the illness caused by the vine.

When Richard recovers under Zedd's care, he identifies Zedd as the First Wizard. Kahlan pleads for Zedd's help, asking for him to name a Seeker of Truth to confront Darken Rahl, the ruler of D'Hara. Rahl has activated the magical "Boxes of Orden," which, depending how they are opened, could make Rahl ruler of the world, destroy all life, or destroy himself. Kahlan believes that the "Seeker" empowered by the Sword of Truth—a magical weapon forged by the powerful wizards of old—can stop Rahl before the magic expires on the winter solstice. Zedd tests Richard, to see if he is worthy of wielding the Sword of Truth. Richard passes the test, becoming the next ”Seeker.”

Richard deduces a way to cross the boundary as a group, and with the help of a friend, the boundary warden Chase, Richard, Kahlan and Zedd travel south towards a pass in the boundary. They encounter underworldly creatures which are escaping the weakening boundary. During one of the encounters, both Chase and Zedd are injured, but Kahlan and Richard find the pass. There, they meet the bone woman Adie, who shelters Chase and Zedd, and teaches them how to go through the pass.

Kahlan and Richard journey through the pass, nearly getting killed by dangerous creatures that live there. Once through, Richard asks Kahlan to lead them to the Mud People, a tribe with the ability to contact spirit ancestors, for guidance on how to prevent Rahl from seizing the third box of Orden. To summon the ancestors, they must be full members of the tribe. During this time, Richard and Kahlan fall in love, but a secret power held by Kahlan prevents a full relationship. After convincing the Mud People that they are honorable, and seek to help all humans, Richard and Kahlan become members of tribe. The elders then summon the ancestors, which reveal that the witch woman Shota, one of the most feared people in the Midlands, can reveal the location of the third box. Darken Rahl interrupts the gathering, slaughters several Mud People and kidnaps Siddin, a tribe member and friend of Richard.

Richard and Kahlan travel to Shota's territory, where they learn that Queen Milena has the last box. Kahlan tells Richard her secret, that she is a Confessor, an enchanted person whose power of love destroys the minds of others and enslaves them. Shota also warns Richard that both Kahlan and Zedd will use their powers against him. The two travel to Tamarang, seat of Queen Milena, meeting back up with Zedd along the way. Upon reaching Tamarang, they discover that the last box is gone, and realize it was taken by Rahl.

Soon after, Richard is captured by a beautiful, skin-tight red leather catsuit wearing Mord-Sith named Denna, who tortures him for a month. After only half an hour at her mercy, he is left groveling on the dungeon floor, begging to please his new mistress to avoid pain. She manages to train and break him by the use of several instruments, including a painful small red leather rod by the name of the Agiel. Once Richard is broken, she takes him for her mate. Mistress Denna reports to Darken Rahl, and Rahl hopes to force Richard to recite the Book of Counted Shadows, a magical book which Richard had memorized under the bequest of his father. However, after a month as her pet and slave, Richard's innate gentleness alters their relationship, and Richard breaks free of Denna's control. Rahl allows Richard to leave, but sets a wizard web on him which makes all of his friends think Richard is Rahl himself.

After helping a dragon named Scarlet find her egg, which had been stolen by Rahl, Richard discovers how to beat Rahl, and be with Kahlan. Kahlan, falsely thinking Richard dead by Rahl, uses her powers on him. Rahl, thinking Richard is now enslaved, uses him to recite the Book of Counted Shadows. In the end, Rahl opens the wrong Box of Orden, under Richard's false guidance, thus killing Rahl. Richard reveals he was protected from Kahlan's power by his already complete and unconditional love for her.

Zedd reveals that Richard is the progeny of Rahl's rape of Zedd's daughter. Thus, Zedd is Richard's grandfather, and Richard is the new Lord Rahl. Kahlan and Richard set off for the Mud People's village to return Siddin to his parents.

The Wizard's First Rule
Each of the novels in the Sword of Truth series reveals a "Wizard's Rule"—a magical principle that allows Wizards to be savvy manipulators of the world around them. The novel reveals the Wizard's First Rule: "'Wizard's First Rule: people are stupid.' Richard and Kahlan frowned even more. 'People are stupid; given proper motivation, almost anyone will believe almost anything. Because people are stupid, they will believe a lie because they want to believe it's true, or because they are afraid it might be true. People's heads are full of knowledge, facts, and beliefs, and most of it is false, yet they think it all true.  People are stupid; they can only rarely tell the difference between a lie and the truth, and yet they are confident they can, and so are all the easier to fool.' 'Because of Wizards First Rule, the old wizards created Confessors, and Seekers, as a means of helping find the truth, when the truth is important enough. Darken Rahl knows the Wizard's Rules. He is using the first one. People need an enemy to feel a sense of purpose. It's easy to lead people when they have a sense of purpose. Sense of purpose is more important by far than the truth. In fact, truth has no bearing in this. Darken Rahl is providing them with an enemy, other than himself, a sense of purpose. People are stupid; they want to believe, so they do.'"

Reception
Terri Windling identified Wizard's First Rule as one of the best fantasy debuts of 1994, saying that although the novel was "derivative," it "does have a certain charm and earnestness about it". Kirkus Reviews called the novel "a wonderfully creative, seamless, and stirring epic fantasy debut." Booklist favorably described the novel as the "first volume of a saga" and within the "same breath as Robert Jordan" but "hardly an aspirant to Tolkien's mantle." The review also stated that "the characters and their world come to life, and Goodkind's ambitious juxtaposition of modern ambiguities and the classical fantasy setting works more often than not." Library Journal called the novel "an intriguing variant on the standard fantasy quest" recommending the novel for  "mature fantasy aficionados" noting the sado-eroticism of the Mord Sith might "deter purchase by some libraries."

TV series
The first season of the TV series Legend of the Seeker was based on Wizard's First Rule. Starring Craig Horner as Richard and Bridget Regan as Kahlan, the series was produced by Sam Raimi and Robert Tapert, and expanded upon some of the themes of the book's storyline, but bore only a passing resemblance to the book on a grander scale. Terry Goodkind noted his lack of involvement and displeasure with the production in a 2019 AMA when he stated "...after Disney bought [the rights to produce the show], they didn't allow me to be involved in any way. It showed." It premiered on November 1, 2008 and ended in May 2010.

title: Wizard's First Rule


text:
Category:Theologians

People should be categorized as theologian if:
 * their occupation has been academic theologian
 * or if their works are or have been the subject of study of academic theologians

People should not be categorized as theologian if they only studied theology and if, by their clerical occupation, they should be in Category:Clergy.

title: Category:Theologians


text:
Category:Theology

Theology is the systematic and rational study of concepts of God and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university, seminary or school of divinity. It can be contrasted with religious studies, which is the study of religion from a secular perspective.

For religious beliefs concerning other concepts, see Category:Religious belief and doctrine. For the academic study of religion, see Category:Religious studies.

title: Category:Theology


text:
Lord Wentworth

An unqualified reference to Lord Wentworth could mean:

 * Thomas Wentworth, 1st Baron Wentworth (1501–1551)
 * Thomas Wentworth, 2nd Baron Wentworth (1525–1584)
 * Henry Wentworth, 3rd Baron Wentworth (1558–1593)
 * Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Cleveland (1591–1667)
 * Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford (1593–1641)
 * William Wentworth, 2nd Earl of Strafford (1626–1695)

title: Lord Wentworth


text:
Lupemban culture

The Lupemban is the name given by archaeologists to a central African culture which, though once thought to date between c. 30,000 and 12,000 BC, is now generally recognised to be far older (dates of c. 300,000 have been obtained from Twin Rivers, Zambia and Muguruk, Kenya, respectively). The industry is characterised by the occurrence of bi-facially flaked lanceolate points. It has been postulated that Lupemban tools, being generally distributed within the modern day Congo forest belt, may have been adapted to woodworking. The lanceolate points are commonly interpreted as being the surviving elements of composite spears.

Activity sites include: Kalambo Falls and Dundo.

title: Lupemban culture


text:
Ikari Warriors

Ikari Warriors, known as Ikari (怒) in Japan, is a vertically scrolling run and gun video game released for arcades by SNK in 1986. It was published in North America by Tradewest. At the time there were many Commando clones on the market. What distinguished Ikari Warriors were rotary joysticks and a two-player cooperative mode. The rotary joystick controls were in turn based on SNK's earlier TNK III (1985). Ikari was originally intended to be an official licensed adaptation of the film Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985), but SNK were initially unable to acquire the rights to the film.

The game was a major commercial success in arcades. It was Japan's second highest-grossing table arcade in 1986, and London's third highest-grossing arcade game that year. It was also a major breakthrough US release for SNK, ranking among America's top five highest-grossing dedicated arcade games for two years in a row, in 1986 and 1987.

Gameplay
The player takes the role of commandos named Colonel Ralf Jones (red) and Second Lieutenant Clark Still (blue), who must try to reach the village of Ikari. Enemy units attempting to kill the player include tanks, enemy soldiers and helicopters. A number of power-ups along the way help the player achieve victory.

Players must proceed from the bottom of the screen upwards, towards the village of Ikari. Trying to prevent them from reaching the village are enemy soldiers and other units. Along the way, players may commandeer enemy tanks and helicopters (NES version) to help fight their way through the enemy personnel. The tanks are immune to enemy bullets, but have a limited supply of fuel and will sustain damage when it runs out or the tank is caught in an explosion, taking the player with it unless he can exit the tank and get clear before it blows up. The helicopters have two different weapons, a spread gun and a cannon, and may fly over water.

Rotating the joystick changes the direction the character faced independent of the direction the character was moving, as controlled by pushing the joystick. This gives the player freedom to attack or walk in eight different directions. No shot is fired from directly in front of the player; the warrior uses the machine gun in his right hand, and throws grenades with his left. If a player character takes too long moving up screen, the computer starts using "call for fire". A red spot appears below him, which is tracking fire to speed up the game.

Hardware
Ikari Warriors uses SNK's model LS-30 joysticks, which contain a 12-way rotary switch box. The joysticks can be rotated in addition to being pushed in eight directions. The less successful TNK III, released in 1985 and also from SNK, is the first to have used such joysticks. There are also two buttons: one for the standard gun and another for lobbing grenades.

Ikari Warriors printed circuit boards (PCBs) were manufactured in two different versions: SNK pinout and JAMMA pinout. Most SNK-pinout units were put into Ikari Warriors cabinets, while most JAMMA-pinout units were supplied as conversion kits. The SNK-pinout boards have a 22/44-pin edge connectors. The JAMMA-pinout PCBs have a 28/56-pin edge connectors. Both types consist of a stack of three boards, with interconnects.

Development
The game was developed by SNK, where it was designed and directed by Koji Obada. He had previously designed SNK's TNK III (1985), known as T.A.N.K. in Japan and Europe, a vertical tank shooter inspired by Taito's Front Line (1982) that used rotary joystick controls. The same year, Capcom's vertical run-and-gun shooter Commando (1985), known as Senjō no Ōkami ("Wolf of the Battlefield") in Japan, had become a major global arcade hit. Ikari combined the run-and-gun shooter gameplay of Commando with the rotary joysticks and tank vehicles of T.A.N.K.

The game was also inspired by the action film Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985), released as Rambo: Ikari no Dasshutsu ("Rambo: The Furious Escape") in Japan. Obada had originally intended the game to be an official licensed adaptation of Rambo, but SNK were initially unable to acquire the rights to the film. This resulted in the game's title being shortened to Ikari, referencing part of the film's Japanese title. After the game made its North American debut at an arcade game expo, they got in touch with the film's star Sylvester Stallone, who was friends with SNK's president, about acquiring the rights to the film, but it was too late by that point, as the game had already become popularly known by its Japanese title Ikari among arcade players in Japan and North America, leading to the game being officially released as Ikari Warriors in North America.

Regional differences
In addition to changing the names of the main characters from Ralf and Clark to Paul and Vince, the military commander the player rescues at the end of the game is named General Kawasaki in the Japanese version (named after SNK's founder Eikichi Kawasaki) and Colonel Cook in the US/Euro version (named after Tradewest's founder Leland Cook). General Kawasaki's name was unchanged in the NES version. The enemies in the game were actually Neo-Nazis, as evidenced by the presence of a swastika at the middle of the final room.

Ports
Ikari Warriors was initially ported to the Apple II, Commodore 64 and IBM PC by Quicksilver Software and published by Data East USA in the US in 1986. Elite Systems acquired the licence for Europe releasing the Amstrad CPC version in late 1986. A version for the ZX Spectrum by David Perry was scheduled for November 1986 but was never released.

In 1988 Elite published a second Commodore 64 port (by John Twiddy, programmer of The Last Ninja), a new ZX Spectrum port (by David Shea, author of the Amstrad version) along with versions for the Commodore 16, Amiga and Atari ST.

SNK released their own port for the MSX in 1987. The NES version was developed by Micronics. Both the Atari 2600 and Atari 7800 ports were released in 1990 as one of the final published games for those systems. The game was also included on the SNK 40th Anniversary Collection for various modern consoles and Windows (through Steam).

Reception
In Japan, Game Machine listed Ikari on their March 15, 1986 issue as being the most-successful table arcade cabinet of the month. It remained at the top of the Game Machine table arcade cabinet charts through April and early May, before returning to the top in June 1986. It went on to become Japan's second highest-grossing table arcade game of 1986. In the United Kingdom, it was one of the top three highest-grossing arcade games of 1986 in London, appearing at number-three on the annual 1986 Electrocoin chart.

In North America, Ikari Warriors was the second top-grossing arcade game on the monthly Play Meter charts in July 1986. It went on to be one of the top five highest-grossing dedicated arcade games of 1986 according to AMOA, and the year's eight highest arcade video game according to RePlay. It was also among the top five dedicated arcade games of 1987.

In 1996, Next Generation listed the arcade version of Ikari Warriors as number 61 on their "Top 100 Games of All Time", lauding the innovative joysticks, play balance, and power-ups which offer an invigorating boost to the player character's capabilities without taking away the game's challenge.

Conversions
Computer and Video Games enthusiastically reviewed the "classy" Amstrad personal computer conversion, calling the graphics "simply brilliant" and the gameplay "awesomely addictive". They said that players "won't see better ... probably for quite a while" because "the Amstrad graphics are as close as dammit to the arcade machine and the playability goes off the C+VG scale".

The IBM PC version of the game received 4 out of 5 stars in Dragon.

Legacy
Ikari Warriors spawned the sequels Victory Road (1986) and Ikari III: The Rescue (1989).

SNK released an Ikari Warriors clone in 1987 called Guerrilla War (known as Guevara in Japan). The game features communist fighters Che Guevara and Fidel Castro as its heroes.

Sylvester Stallone, whose role as John Rambo had an influence on the game, owned an Ikari Warriors arcade cabinet in the 1980s. The future mixed martial arts (MMA) champion Kazushi Sakuraba (later famous for defeating the Gracie family of Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighters) was also a fan of Ikari in his high school years.

The characters Ralf and Clark appeared again as playable characters in Metal Slug 6 and 7, as well as in the King of Fighters series. Their names were used for two minor unrelated characters in Crystalis, and they were featured as cameos in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as background characters in the King Of Fighters Stadium stage.

title: Ikari Warriors


text:
Talk:Alma mater

Redirect
Current version of the article is little more than a dictionary definition. I have redirected to List of Latin phrases. If/when someone has enough more to say to turn this into a full stand-alone article, please revert this redirect to the prior version. Rossami 21:46, 1 Jun 2004 (UTC)

The current definition is misleading
It is clear when read in context that the cited definition from the Random House Dictionary is strongly implying that the predominant meaning of the phrase is the university from which one graduated. It is much, much rarer to see alma mater used to refer to a university which one merely attended. Any objections before I clean up this garbage? --Coolcaesar (talk) 22:42, 28 December 2017 (UTC)
 * Hearing no objections, it's fixed. --Coolcaesar (talk) 05:38, 30 January 2018 (UTC)
 * A few months later, but judging from the IP's previous and subsequent revisions, right thing to do. I've reverted further than you did to remove their other deterius.  Nate  • ( chatter ) 13:06, 2 May 2018 (UTC)

The Merriam-Webster definition says "a school, college, or university which one has attended or from which one has graduated". There are two meanings (attended or graduated), in the US. Both meanings should be included. -- Green  C  17:50, 14 March 2019 (UTC)

Current usage
"Before its current usage", states the article. Should this not indicate that it's (presumably) specific to the US, at least in English usage? See the previous discussion page for commentary from various other likely more worldly-wise than me, but speaking as an Englishwoman I found the term rather perplexing when I first encountered it on Wikipedia and years later I've still yet to encounter it elsewhere. I dare say it may be used within particular social circles (such as the infamously closeted "Oxbridge PPE crowd", to hazard a guess) but it doesn't seem to be used in general; or at least not here. --Vometia (talk) 16:05, 8 September 2019 (UTC)

 * There seems to be a wide gulf between British and US usage of this term. It's extremely common in the US where it usually means one has graduated from (ie. not a drop-out). Though some may disagree (often drop outs themselves!). In the UK it seems like the term is not used much at all, and when so, its meaning can infer simply any attendance (graduate or not) but I am guessing here. -- Green  C  16:26, 8 September 2019 (UTC)

Ufo
mother earth 207.62.170.211 (talk) 23:34, 27 January 2023 (UTC)

title: Talk:Alma mater


text: User talk:206.245.141.3

title: User talk:206.245.141.3


text:
Safe

A safe (also called a strongbox or coffer) is a secure lockable enclosure used for securing valuable objects against theft or fire. A safe is usually a hollow cuboid or cylinder, with one face being removable or hinged to form a door. The body and door may be cast from metal (such as steel) or formed out of plastic through blow molding. Bank teller safes typically are secured to the counter, have a slit opening for dropping valuables into the safe without opening it, and a time-delay combination lock to foil thieves. One significant distinction between types of safes is whether the safe is secured to a wall or structure or if it can be moved around.

History
The first known safe dates back to the 13th century BC and was found in the tomb of Pharaoh Ramesses II. It was made of wood and consisted of a locking system resembling the modern pin tumbler lock. In the 16th century, blacksmiths in southern Germany, Austria, and France first forged cash boxes in sheet iron. These sheet-iron money chests served as the models for mass-produced cash boxes in the 19th century.

In the 17th century, in northern Europe, iron safes were sometimes made in the shape of a barrel, with a padlock on top.

In 1835, English inventors Charles and Jeremiah Chubb in Wolverhampton, England, received a patent for a burglar-resisting safe and began a production of safes. The Chubb brothers had produced locks since 1818. Chubb Locks was an independent company until 2000 when it was sold to Assa Abloy.

On November 2, 1886, inventor Henry Brown patented a "receptacle for storing and preserving papers". The container was fire retardant and accident resistant as it was made from forged metal. The box was able to be safely secured with a lock and key and also able to maintain organization by offering different slots to organize important papers.

Specifications
Specifications for safes include some or all of the following parameters:
 * Burglar-resistance
 * Fire-resistance
 * Environmental resistance (e.g., to water or dust)
 * Type of lock (e.g., combination, key, time lock, electronic locking)
 * Location (e.g., wall safe, floor safe)
 * Smart safes as part of an automated cash handling system

It is often possible to open a safe without access to the key or knowledge of the combination; this activity is known as safe-cracking and is a popular theme in heist films.

A diversion safe, or hidden safe, is a safe that is made from an otherwise ordinary object such as a book, a candle, a can, or wall outlet. Valuables are placed in these hidden safes, which are themselves placed inconspicuously (for example, a book would be placed on a book shelf).

Fire resistant record protection equipment consists of self-contained devices that incorporate insulated bodies, doors, drawers or lids, or non-rated multi-drawer devices housing individually rated containers that contain one or more inner compartments for storage of records. These devices are intended to provide protection to one or more types of records as evidenced by the assigned Class rating or ratings; Class 350 for paper, Class 150 for microfilm, microfiche other and photographic film and Class 125 for magnetic media and hard drives.

These types of enclosures can be rated for periods of ½-, 1-, 2- and 4-hour durations.

In addition, these enclosures may be rated for their impact resistance, should the safe fall a number of feet to a lower level or have debris fall upon it during a fire.

Burglary resistant safes are rated as to their resistance to the type of tools to be used in their attack and also the duration of the attack.

Safes can also contain hardware that automatically dispenses cash or validates bills as part of an automated cash handling system.

Room-sized fireproof vaults
For larger volumes of heat-sensitive materials, a modular room-sized vault is much more economical than purchasing and storing many fire rated safes. Typically these room-sized vaults are utilized by corporations, government agencies and off-site storage service firms. Fireproof vaults are rated up to Class 125-4 Hour for large data storage applications. These vaults utilize ceramic fiber, a high temperature industrial insulating material, as the core of their modular panel system. All components of the vault, not just the walls and roof panels, must be Class 125 rated to achieve that overall rating for the vault. This includes the door assembly (a double door is needed since there is no single Class 125 vault door available), cable penetrations, coolant line penetrations (for split HVAC systems), and air duct penetrations.

There are also Class 150 applications (such as microfilm) and Class 350 vaults for protecting valuable paper documents. Like the data-rated (Class 125) structures, these vault systems employ ceramic fiber insulation and components rated to meet or exceed the required level of protection.

In recent years room-sized Class 125 vaults have been installed to protect entire data centers. As data storage technologies migrate from tape-based storage methods to hard drives, this trend is likely to continue.

Fire-resistant safes
A fire-resistant safe is a type of safe that is designed to protect its contents from high temperatures or actual fire. Fire resistant safes are usually rated by the amount of time they can withstand the extreme temperatures a fire produces, while not exceeding a set internal temperature, e.g., less than 350 °F. Models are typically available between half-hour and four-hour durations.

In the UK the BS EN-1047 standard is set aside for data and document safes to determine their ability to withstand prolonged intense heat and impact damage. These conditions are maintained for the duration of the test. This is usually at least 30 minutes but can extend to many hours depending on grade. Both kinds of safe are also tested for impact by dropping from a set height onto a solid surface and then tested for fire survivability once again.
 * Document safes are designed to maintain an internal temperature no greater than 177 °C while in a constantly heated environment in excess of 1000 °C.
 * Data safes are designed to maintain an internal temperature no greater than 55 °C while in a constantly heated environment in excess of 1000 °C.

In the United States, both the writing of standards for fire-resistance and the actual testing of safes is performed by Underwriters Laboratories.

An in-floor safe installed in a concrete floor is very resistant to fire. However, not all floor safes are watertight and will often fill with water from fire hoses, therefore everything stored inside should be placed in either double zip lock bags, dry bags, or sealed plastic containers.

Reinforced, fireproof cabinets are also used for dangerous chemicals or flammable goods.

Wall safes
Wall safes are designed to provide hidden protection for documents and miscellaneous valuables. Adjustable depth allows the maximization of usable space when installed in different wall thicknesses. Some wall safes feature pry-resistant recessed doors with concealed hinges for anti-theft protection. A painting can be hung over a wall safe to obscure it from public view.

Safe-cracking
Safe cracking is opening a safe without a combination or key. There are many methods of safe cracking ranging from brute force methods to guessing the combination. The easiest method that can be used on many safes is "safe bouncing", which involves hitting the safe on top; this may cause the locking pin to budge, opening the safe.

UL Safe Standards
Underwriters Laboratories (UL) testing certifications are known to be some of the most rigorous and most respected in the world. UL provides numerous ratings, the most common security and fire ratings as discussed below. UL ratings are the typical rating standards used for safes within the United States. They are only matched by B.T.U/VDMA certifications (Germany).

Fire ratings
UL provides a variety of fire rating classifications, 125, 150, and 350 representing the maximum internal temperature in degrees Fahrenheit the safe may not exceed during the test. The classifications come in durations from 1/2 hour to 4 hours in length. The safe is exposed to gradually higher temperatures depending on the duration of the test. The most common standards being the 350 one hour (1,700 degrees) and 350 two hour (1,850 degrees) ratings as the temperature paper chars is approximately 451 degrees Fahrenheit.

Burglary Ratings
UL standards are one of the principal protection standards considered by North American consumers when considering purchasing a safe. The time limit only includes "tools on the safe" time (measured with a stopwatch). The actual test might take hours to run and can be repeated as many times as the UL staff feels is necessary to ensure that all prospective avenues of attack have been thoroughly explored.

Residential Security Containers (RSC)
This is the entry level security rating offered by Underwriters Laboratories and it has its own standard: (UL 1037). The standard originally had one level, which is now known as RSC Level I. The standard was expanded in 2016 providing a greater range of security options. This standard also involves a drop test for products weighing 750 pounds or less. That aspect of the test simulates attempting to gain entry by forcibly dropping or knocking the safe to the ground.

 * RSC Level I - Must withstand a five-minute attack by one technician using common hand tools such as drills, screwdrivers and hammers.
 * RSC Level II - Must withstand a ten-minute attack by two technicians who use more aggressive tools such as picks, sledgehammers, pry bars, high-speed carbide drills and pressure applying devices. In addition, the technicians will attempt to make a six-square-inch opening in the door or the front face of the gun safe.
 * RSC Level III - Similar to RSC Level II and gives two technicians a ten-minute window to perform the test, but the range of tools become even more aggressive. Additionally, the size of the maximum attack opening shrinks significantly from six-square-inches to two-square-inches.

Tool-Resistant Safe (TL)
Safes at this level are typically, but not exclusively, used for commercial applications such as jewelers and coin dealers. These ratings are granted to combination locked safes that successfully resist when attacked by two technicians with common hand tools, picking tools, mechanical or portable electric tools, grinding points, carbide drills and pressure applying devices or mechanisms. In addition to those requirements, the safe must be at least 750 pounds or come with instructions for anchoring, have body walls of material equivalent to at least 1" open hearth steel with a minimum tensile strength of 50,000 P.S.I. The UL Standard for tool resistant safes and above are governed by UL Standard 687.

 * TL-15 - This is a combination locked safe that offers limited protection against combinations of common mechanical and electrical tools. The safe will resist abuse for 15 minutes from tools such as hand tools, picking tools, mechanical or electric tools, grinding points, carbide drills and devices that apply pressure. While the UL 687 defines this as a "limited degree" of protection that standard is used for commercial applications and the TL-15 rating still offers significant protection compared to unrated safes.

 * TL-30 - This safe offers moderate protection against combinations of mechanical and electrical tools. The safe will resist abuse for 30 minutes from the tools as in the TL-15 test but with the addition of more aggressive tools including: cutting wheels and power saws.
 * TL-30x6 - This is safe can withstand the same assaults as the TL-30 but protection is offered on all six-sides of the body as opposed to only the door.

Torch & Tool Resistant Safe (TRTL)

 * TRTL-30x6 - This is a combination locked safe that offers high protection against combinations of mechanical, electrical, and cutting tools. The safe will resist abuse for 30 minutes from tools such as hand tools, picking tools, mechanical or electrical tools, grinding points, carbide drills, devices that apply pressure, cutting wheels, power saws, impact tools and, in addition, can withstand an oxy-fuel welding and cutting torch (tested gas limited to 1000 cuft combined total oxygen and fuel gas.)

 * TRTL-60x6 - This class will withstand the same assaults as Class TRTL-30x6 for 60 minutes.

Torch, Explosive & Tool Resistant Safe (TXTL)

 * TXTL-60x6 - This class meets all the requirements for Class TRTL-60x6 and, in addition, can withstand high explosives such as nitroglycerin or equivalent to not more than 4 oz of nitroglycerin in one charge (entire test must not use more explosive than that equivalent to 8 oz of nitroglycerin).

European safe standards
Depending on the usage, the European Committee for Standardization has published different European standards for safes. Testing and certification according to these standards should be done by an accredited certification body, e.g. European Certification Body.
 * EN 1143-1 is the main testing standard for safes, ATM safes, strongroom doors and strongrooms. For safes it features eleven resistance grades (0, I, II, ..., to X). From one grade to the next the security rises by approximately 50%. Testing is based on a free choice of attack tools and methods. Testing requires partial access (hand hole) and complete access attempts, on all sides of the product. The security is calculated by using ratings of tools and the attack time. The result is expressed in resistance units (RU).
 * EN 14450 is a testing standard for secure cabinets and strongboxes. The standard covers products meant for purposes where the security resistance required is less than that of EN 1143–1.

For fire-resistant safes the EN 1047-1 (fire resistance standard similar to the fire resistance safe standard of UL) and EN 15659 (for light fire storage units) were published.

title: Safe