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WSM (AM)

WSM (650 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station, located in Nashville, Tennessee. It broadcasts a country music format (with classic country and Americana leanings, the latter of which is branded as "Route 650") and is known as the home of the Grand Ole Opry, the world's longest running radio program. The station is owned Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. After nearly 40 years broadcasting from a studio within the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, WSM currently operates out of a temporary studio at its parent company's offices. A new, permanent studio inside the former home of Roy Acuff, just outside the Grand Ole Opry House, is set to open in July 2024.

Nicknamed "The Air Castle of the South", the station broadcasts with 50,000 watts around the clock from a facility in Brentwood, Tennessee. It has one of the largest daytime coverage areas in the country, providing at least grade B coverage as far southeast as Chattanooga, as far northwest as Evansville, Indiana, as far west as Jackson, Tennessee and as far south as Huntsville, Alabama. At night, WSM's clear channel signal reaches much of North America and nearby countries.

WSM reaches a worldwide audience via its Internet simulcast. It is the National Primary Entry Point (PEP) for the Emergency Alert System (EAS) in Middle Tennessee and the southwestern portion of Indiana.

Programming
WSM is one of two clear-channel stations in North America, along with CFZM in Toronto, that still primarily broadcast secular music. (CKDO, in Ontario, is authorized as a clear channel but operates at a fifth of the broadcast power of WSM and CFZM, and operates directionally such that it is inaudible in the United States.)

Bill Cody has been the host of the morning show, Coffee, Country and Cody since 1998 and has been in radio since 1975. Since its establishment on January 1, 2020, the country music oriented TV network Circle simulcast Coffee, Country, and Cody, following a period of several years where the Heartland network. Cody's Pure American Country syndicated show is flagshipped at WSM. Larry Gatlin, lead singer of the Gatlin Brothers, hosts an hourlong gospel program on the weekends as of 2016. Tracy Lawrence's syndicated program Honky Tonkin' has been flagshipped at WSM since 2015. Dailey & Vincent host a monthly radio show on the station. Chris Scruggs, grandson of Earl Scruggs, hosts a weekly show Friends and Neighbors with his house band, the Stone Fox Five, after most Friday Night Opry episodes. Mandy Barnett hosts a Nashville Songbook series for one hour each Monday evening. Charlie Worsham hosts the Air Castle Community Hour, mainly featuring artists in the Nashville music scene. Jason Coleman hosts a Sunday night piano music show in honor of his grandfather, longtime Nashville keyboardist Floyd Cramer.

The Grand Ole Opry fills several nights of the station's evening schedule. Following the Opry on most Saturday nights is the Midnite Jamboree, an aftershow that was originally founded by Ernest Tubb in 1947 and continues to be sponsored by Tubb's eponymous record shop. Following the Jamboree is the regionally syndicated Sutton Ole Time Music Hour.

Syndicated programming on WSM as of 2021 includes reruns of Bob Kingsley-era American Country Countdown, Into the Blue, The Crook & Chase Countdown.

In 2017, WSM launched Route 650, a full-time Americana music streaming station available via its website, mobile app and services like TuneIn.

In 2018, WSM launched Opry Nashville Radio, a full-time streaming station billed as being "based on the Grand Ole Opry and Nashville lifestyle" and focusing mainly on contemporary country music. During December, this channel flips to all Christmas music.

As recently as 2020, the station was live and locally operated during the overnight hours, but the overnight host position was eliminated in February 2020.

History
Founded by the National Life and Accident Insurance Company as a platform to sell the company's insurance products, WSM first signed on October 5, 1925. The call letters were derived from the company's motto, "We Shield Millions". Studios were first located in the company's building on Seventh Avenue and Union Street in downtown Nashville; this was the original home of the Opry, until 1934.

WSM is associated with the popularization of country music through its weekly Saturday night program, the Grand Ole Opry, the longest-running radio program in history. The Opry began as the WSM Barn Dance on November 28, 1925, with Uncle Jimmy Thompson as the first performer. George D. Hay, a newspaper reporter from Memphis, was WSM's first program director. On December 10, 1927, Hay is quoted as saying "For the past hour we have been listening to music largely from Grand Opera, but from now on we will present 'The Grand Ole Opry'", contrasting the preceding program on the NBC Red Network with WSM's local broadcast.

The station traditionally played country music in the nighttime hours, when listeners from around the United States would tune in. During daytime hours, the station broadcast long-form radio, including both local and NBC network programs, in addition to music. WSM is credited with helping shape Nashville into a recording industry capital. Because of WSM's wide reach, musical acts from all across the eastern United States came to Nashville in the early decades of the station's existence, in hopes of getting to perform on WSM. Over time, as more acts and recording companies came to Nashville, the city became known as the center of the country music industry. Disc jockey David Cobb is credited with first referring to Nashville as "Music City USA", a designation that has since been adopted as the city's official nickname by the local tourism board.

On November 11, 1928, the Federal Radio Commission implemented General Order 40, which assigned WSM to a frequency of 650 kHz, as Tennessee's sole "clear channel" allocation. In 1932, the station boosted its power to 50,000 watts. On September 30, 1950, WSM added a television sister station on channel 4, operating as a primary NBC affiliate; WSM-TV was Nashville's first TV station.

The studios remained in its original location until the mid-1960s, when the company built a new headquarters building downtown and new studios for WSM-TV on Knob Road in west Nashville (the TV station had been located near Belmont College). Upon completion of the new headquarters, National Life and Accident Insurance Company chose to relocate WSM radio to their new TV studios, and WSM radio, joined in 1968 by its new FM sister, broadcast from that location from 1966 to 1983. For most of its history, WSM, along with WSM-TV and the Grand Ole Opry, was owned by the Nashville-based National Life and Accident Insurance Company. In 1974, National Life and Accident Insurance Company reorganized itself as a holding company, NLT Corporation, with the WSM stations as one of the major subsidiaries.

After television became popular (thus largely eliminating the audience for full-length radio programs), WSM adopted a middle of the road (MOR) music format during the daytime hours, and continued to play country music at night. It was not until 1980 that WSM adopted the 24-hour country music format of today.

Country and bluegrass legend John Hartford parodied the distinctive style of WSM DJs on the 1971 album Aereo-Plain, humorously changing the station's call letters to the phrase "Dorothy S. Ma'am".

In 1981, the American General Corporation (now part of the American International Group) bought NLT. At one time, American General was the parent company of the Life and Casualty Insurance Company based in Nashville, former owner of WSM-TV rival WLAC-TV (now WTVF), and WLAC-AM-FM, but divested the broadcast properties in 1975, long before the NLT merger. American General was not interested in NLT's non-insurance operations, and sold WSM, Inc. (which included Opryland Hotel, Opryland USA, Ryman Auditorium, The Grand Ole Opry, the fledgling The Nashville Network cable television outlet, WSM-FM, and WSM) to Gaylord Broadcasting Company. WSM-TV, due to FCC ownership limits at the time, was sold instead to Gillett Broadcasting and changed its callsign to WSMV-TV. However, there was still considerable overlap between the stations' on-air personnel for some years after the ownership change. Gaylord would also move the WSM radio stations to new facilities at the Opryland Hotel, departing their shared building on Knob Road, which still houses WSMV today.

WSM broadcast in the C-QUAM format of AM stereo, which could be heard over several states at night, from 1982 until 2000.

In 1996, the station was named Radio Station of the Year at the International Bluegrass Music Awards.

In 2001, management had sought to capitalize on the success of sister station WWTN's sports trappings by converting WSM to an all-sports format. Word was leaked to other media resulting in protests, including longtime Opry personalities and country music singers, outside the station's studios. Management eventually made the decision to keep the station's classic country format.

In 2003, WSM-FM and WWTN, sister stations to WSM, were sold to Cumulus Media. Cumulus intended to purchase WSM as well, but Gaylord decided to maintain ownership at the eleventh hour. Through a five-year joint sales agreement, however, Gaylord paid Cumulus a fee to operate WSM's sales department and provide news updates for the station. Gaylord Entertainment continued to control WSM and operate all other departments, including programming, engineering, and promotions. The agreement ended in 2008, at which point all control of the station reverted to Gaylord. In 2012, Gaylord Entertainment Company was renamed Ryman Hospitality Properties. Ryman sold minority stakes in the Opry businesses to NBCUniversal and Atairos in April 2022, but spun WSM's license off into a subsidiary that remained separate from that transaction and wholly-owned by Ryman.

From 2002 until 2006, the station was a choice on Sirius Satellite Radio, which carried a full-time simulcast of WSM's signal, except during NASCAR races. Briefly in 2006, the channel converted to "WSM Entertainment", a separate satellite radio feed that carried the same classic country music format as the AM signal. About a year after the channel was eliminated, then-rival XM Satellite Radio announced the carriage of the Grand Ole Opry on Nashville! channel 11 beginning in October 2007, as well as the Eddie Stubbs Show on America channel 10 beginning in November 2007. After the merger between Sirius and XM, the Grand Ole Opry broadcasts were moved to the service's The Roadhouse channel, which is heard on both Sirius and XM.

Following the devastating 2010 Tennessee flood that inundated Gaylord Opryland and the Grand Ole Opry House, the station broadcast from a makeshift studio at its transmitter site for six months, while the Grand Ole Opry rotated between several performance sites, until the buildings at the Opryland complex were repaired. WSM's administrative offices next door to the Grand Ole Opry House were completely destroyed by the flood, resulting in the loss of several priceless documents from the station's history, and later demolished.

In 2024, WSM vacated its longstanding studio inside the Magnolia Lobby of Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, and began a transition to a new showcase studio inside the home originally built for Roy Acuff on the grounds of the Grand Ole Opry House.

Transmitter tower
WSM's unusual diamond-shaped transmitting antenna (manufactured by Blaw-Knox) is visible from Interstate 65 just south of Nashville (in Brentwood) and is one of the area's landmarks. It is located near the I-65 exit 71 interchange with Concord Road (State Highway 253). When the tower was built in 1932, it was 878 feet (267.6m) tall and was the tallest antenna in North America. Its height was reduced to 808 feet (246 m) in 1939 when it was discovered that the taller tower was causing self-cancellation in the "fringe" areas of reception of the station (it is now known that 195 electrical degrees, about 810 feet, is the optimum height for a Class A station on that frequency). For a period during World War II it was designated to provide transmissions to submarines in the event that ship-to-shore communications were lost. It is now one of the oldest operating broadcast towers in the United States.

As a tribute to the station's centrality in country music history, the diamond antenna design was incorporated into the new Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum's design in 2001. The tower is listed as a National Engineering Landmark and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 15, 2011.

Alumni
name="Dorman">Dorman, Lee (2009). Nashville Broadcasting. Arcadia Publishing. p. 125. Retrieved August 26, 2018. During that time, he also worked as a weekend weathercaster and substitute talk show host on WSM-TV.
 * Teddy Bart, a Nashville broadcaster of long tenure, began as a singer on shows like Waking Crew and parlayed his skills into hosting that show, an afternoon drive-time program with Larry Munson in the early 1960s and Nashville's first-ever call-in talk show, which ran from 1969 to 1981. He also hosted WSM-TV's Noon Show in the 1970s and anchored WKRN-TV's newscast briefly in the early 1980s before launching the group-discussion radio talk show Roundtable on WLAC in 1985, a show that ran for 20 years on several different stations.
 * Keith Bilbrey moved to Nashville in 1974 to begin working for WSM, first as a substitute announcer for WSM-FM and then as a full-time disc jockey on WSM's AM and FM stations. Throughout his career, Bilbrey worked every single time slot at WSM and became an iconic voice in the modern history of the station and was truly a fan favorite. In 1982, Bilbrey began announcing on The Grand Ole Opry. When The Nashville Network (TNN) began televising a 30-minute portion of the show in 1985, the young announcer became the first host of Grand Ole Opry Live. Bilbrey hosted Opry Live, along with the Opry warm-up show, Backstage Live, until TNN stopped airing the show in 2000. He also hosted the Opry warm-up show on WSM. His 35-year career at the station ended in 2009.
 * Ralph Emery served as the overnight host of WSM from the late 1950s until the early 1970s. Because of his time slot, listeners all over the U.S. could hear Emery spin country music records. This and The Grand Ole Opry solidified WSM's central role in the history of country music. In the 1980s, Emery gained further national fame as the host of Nashville Now! on The Nashville Network; before then, he hosted syndicated radio and television country music interview shows, and a long-running, highly rated morning show on WSMV-TV.
 * Sondra Locke joined the WSM staff in late 1963 or early 1964 as secretary to operations manager Tom Griscom Tom Griscom. She left in 1965 to work for WSM-TV.
 * Larry Munson was a sportscaster for the Nashville Vols, Vanderbilt Commodores men's basketball and Vanderbilt Commodores football in the 1950s and 1960s, as well as working for WSM-TV. He was later renowned for his long tenure as the legendary voice of Georgia Bulldogs football.
 * Pat Sajak (host of Wheel of Fortune) served as the afternoon DJ on WSM during the mid-1970s.<ref
 * Eddie Stubbs was the station's evening host and hosted of the Grand Ole Opry from 1995 until his retirement in 2020.
 * Ernest Tubb hosted a Midnite Jamboree from his record shop following each episode of the Opry from 1947 until his death. The Midnite Jamboree continued from the record shop after his death, with other hosts, until the record shop closed in 2022.
 * Grant Turner (born Jesse Granderson Turner) was known as the "dean of the Opry announcers" and had a nearly 50-year association with the station, also announcing country music programs in the early morning hours. His show was so popular that NL&AI used its title, Opryland USA, as the name for the theme park built in 1972.

Former sister stations
In 1939, WSM began operating an experimental high-frequency, high-fidelity AM "Apex" station, W4XA, on 26.15 MHz. This was replaced in 1941 by a commercial FM station, initially with the call sign W47NV and operating on 44.7 MHz. This was reported to be first commercial FM to be fully licensed; although a few FM stations had begun broadcasting earlier, they were operating under experimental or "Special Temporary Authorizations" and had not yet been granted operating licenses. In 1943 the call sign was changed to WSM-FM, however the station was shut down in 1951, although its antenna is still mounted atop the Blaw Knox tower at Brentwood.

Seventeen years later the current incarnation of WSM-FM was established after a National Life subsidiary purchased WLWM and renamed it WSM-FM in 1968. This WSM-FM (95.5 MHz) was WSM's sister until 2008, when Cumulus Media, the full owner of WSM-FM since 2003, ended its joint sales agreement with the AM station. Despite having the same base call sign, the two stations are no longer related; incidentally, both the current WSM-FM on 95.5 MHz and the current occupant of the 103.3 frequency vacated by the original WSM-FM, WKDF, are now sister stations, with each separately broadcasting a country music format.

Television channel 4 (originally WSM-TV, and now WSMV-TV), was started by WSM, Inc. in 1950 and sold to George N. Gillett Jr. in 1981.

title: WSM (AM)


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Liberal Party (Japan, 1881)

The Jiyūtō (自由党) is the name of several liberal political parties in the history of Japan, two of which existed in the Empire of Japan prior to 1945.

Liberal Party of 1881
The first Liberal Party of Japan was formed on October 18, 1881, by Itagaki Taisuke and other members of the Freedom and People's Rights Movement (League for the Establishment of a National Assembly) to agitate for the establishment of a national assembly, with a membership based on the ideals of liberal democracy under a constitutional monarchy. It attracted a wide following of former samurai who were discontent because they were no longer an elite class and no longer received stipends from the government. The Jiyūtō also aimed for suffrage for samurai and an elected assembly in each prefecture. Itagaki was party president, with Nakajima Nobuyuki as vice-president. Other notable members included Gotō Shōjirō, Baba Tatsui, Tetchō Suehiro, Ueki Emori, and Nakae Chōmin.

The Meiji government viewed the growth of the Jiyūtō with misgivings, suspecting it of harboring tendencies towards republicanism. The party was also made vulnerable due to peasant uprisings in rural areas led or inspired by local Jiyūtō members. The Jiyūtō voted to dissolve itself on October 29, 1884, on the eve of the Chichibu Incident.

In 1887, Gotō Shojirō regrouped some members of the former Jiyūtō into a proto-party called the Daidō Danketsu Movement. This group split into two groups (Daidō Club led by Kōno Hironaka and Daidō Kyōwakai led by Ōi Kentarō and Nakae Chōmin ) in March 1889. In 1890, they were merged by Itagaki Taisuke to form the Constitutional Liberal Party, which was later renamed the Liberal Party. Some politicians who supported Gotō didn't join this party and formed National Liberal Party.

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

title: Liberal Party (Japan, 1881)


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Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/User:IndigoGenius/Micronation

User:IndigoGenius/Micronation
IndigoGenius has restored frequently deleted content on a user subpage, saying on his main userpage: "This is My Encyclopedia. I don't care what you think about my articles, and I don't care even if they are never published in the standard Wiki. I am my own Admin, and I don't need those human rejects. Geniuses don't learn much from others anyway, but mostly from themselves, their own experiences, intuitions, and research. So here folks you will find articles that belong in a Separate Volume, the volume being User:IndigoGenius/Novel_Subject." This violates the policies on userpages, specifically the one that states that using your user subpages as personal webspace is inappropriate. Snowspinner 22:15, Jul 27, 2004 (UTC)
 * Which policy does this page specifically violate? Where is that policy written? When was it passed? Please provide a link, not more circular discussion. Zocky 13:57, 31 Jul 2004 (UTC)

 * Also: "I don't work for Wikipedia anymore because they are a waste of time. Nobody is paying you for your time and effort here, and to make matters worse, nobody ultimately appreciates it either. Wikipedia has thousands of users and they are all volunteers, so even if you know how to make an H-bomb, these folks couldn't care less.". Suggest moving to geocities.com, don't hit the door on the way out, mind the H-Bomb by the bins. Ianb 23:17, 27 Jul 2004 (UTC) (a one person cabal).
 * Oy. Move that last bit to BJAODN and delete the rest.  RickK`
 * Blatant disregard for established Wikipedia policy: Delete. Spectatrix 23:53, 2004 Jul 27 (UTC)
 * Which policy does this page disregard? Where is that policy written? When was it passed? Please provide a link. Zocky 13:57, 31 Jul 2004 (UTC)
 * Delete. Ambivalenthysteria 00:21, 28 Jul 2004 (UTC)
 * Delete. Contributor cannot distinguish fact from fiction and disregards established policy.--Gene_poole 02:21, 28 Jul 2004 (UTC)
 * Delete and bomb his nation back to the stone age. Seriously, he needs some banning. - UtherSRG 03:29, 28 Jul 2004 (UTC)
 * Delete. This guy has not done anything here except promote a personal agenda while griping all the while about how horrible this site is.  Let's put an end to it here and now. - Lucky 6.9 03:51, 28 Jul 2004 (UTC)
 * Delete, and ban user for abusing Wikipedia resources. -Sean Curtin 06:08, 28 Jul 2004 (UTC)

 * Users have been permanently blocked for a lot less abuse of/disregard for the system than this. Delete and permanently block user. -- Graham  ☺ | Talk 12:18, 28 Jul 2004 (UTC)

 * He calls it 'My encyclopaedia'? Either send him the bill for server space and bandwidth, or delete it. If you don't like Wikipedia, you're free to leave at any time, and you free to take your data with you. Average Earthman 13:29, 28 Jul 2004 (UTC)

 * Keep. If you don't like what he says on his user page, don't look at it. User pages are not expected to conform to same standards as articles or Wikipedia:. If you think he's comments are genuinely offensive, remove them. SO, he keeps his pet version of one article in his namespace. So what? Jeez. Zocky 13:34, 29 Jul 2004 (UTC)
 * You're wrong, Zocky. User pages ARE expected to conform to standards.  Not the same ones as articles, but there are standards.  And using Wikipedia space in order to run your own encyclopedia is not an acceptable practice.  RickK 19:51, Jul 29, 2004 (UTC)
 * OK, let me spell this out:
 * User subpages with versions of articles are commonly used as scratch pads.
 * User subpages are not commonly touched, let alone deleted, unless they contain advertising, copyright violations or are really offensive, none of which is true for this page.
 * This page is not linked from anywhere but his user page, so it's not disruptive to the encyclopaedia in any way.
 * Also (this goes for Snowspinner, not RickK):
 * If you have problems with his page calling his collection of subpages (1 so far) "his encyclopaedia" talk to him about it or change it. This is a wiki.
 * If you have problems with his behaviour elsewhere or with people he calls friends, come out and discuss it openly with him and others. Don't misuse VFD to get at users you find problematic. Zocky 21:37, 30 Jul 2004 (UTC)

 * I'm sure Mr. Genius, being a genius and all, and so far above the rest of us that we ought to be using his farts as aftershave, will be able to identify the common phrase containing these words: door, through, ass, out. Denni ☯ 02:13, 2004 Jul 30 (UTC)
 * Wikipedia is not a wiki hosting service. If he's such a genius, he should be able to set up his own Wiki where he can write whatever he wants. Delete. -- Cyrius|✎

 * Now everybody hang on to your hats here. Despite the inflammatory comment Snowspinner has quoted above, IndigoGenius has a single -- one -- sub page, which is not materially different from Micronation in the main namespace. What Snowspinner hasn't quoted is the header that introduces Indigo's screed, and which makes it far more forgivable: "This Area is Indigo Brainstorm Zone". So he wrote some inflammatory (and for all we know, tongue-in-cheek) rhetoric under that header, which Snowspinner quotes. Maybe IndigoGenius is a bit wacky, but he hardly seems malicious.

 * So what we have here is not Indigo's own website, encyclopedia, coup d'etat, or micronation: it's simply the guy's version of a sandbox. A single sandbox page. Just as most wiki users have a sandbox in which to work out articles or techniques (one of mine involves table formatting) for stuff they want to work on but realize is not yet ready for the main namespace.

 * And for a single sandbox page -- and a single admittedly inflammatory introductory paragraph, the usually fair minded Graham ☺ | Talk wants to permanently ban the poor guy?  UtherSRG jokes "bomb his nation back to the stone age", and seriously recommends banning? Ambivalenthysteria, who has her own hilarious parody on her user page, User:Ambivalenthysteria/top_sekrit_sysop_kabal wants to delete it? Lighten up folks, lighten up. This is supposed to be a fun project, remember, not constant knife-sharpening and arguing and banning. Lighten up.

 * We gain nothing by being so heavy-handed as to delete somebody's sandbox, and it can't take up much more bandwidth that, say, Snowspinner's own "evidence" against Avala, also a user subpage: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Snowspinner/Avala_Evidence (and also not ready for prime time, in my opinion, but that's neither here nor there). Let's try to spend more time on articles in the main namespace, and less time trying to police -- and politicize -- other users' personal pages.

 * This need to police others' personal areas strikes me as similar to rifling through the papers on a co-worker's desk, and seems as friendly. Lay off, and live and let live. -- orthogonal 21:21, 30 Jul 2004 (UTC)

 * "I don't work for Wikipedia anymore because they are a waste of time." "This is My Encyclopedia." Doesn't look like an innocent sandbox page to me. -- Cyrius|✎ 23:28, 30 Jul 2004 (UTC)

 * KEEP When did we start telling people what they could put on their user pages?  If IndigoGenius has a problem with the main wiki, I say let him write as many articles in his space as he wants.  There is nothing here that contravenes any policy I found: related to the encyclopedia, not advertising, not copyvio, not offensive, not personal webspace.  If he ever gets to a high enough number of such articles to be of concern (which I doubt), then it is time to think about a policy saying how many subpages/diskspace/whatever each user is allowed, and not sooner.    The Steve 00:08, Jul 31, 2004 (UTC)

 * Keep/Ignore: It's a user page.  If IndigoGenius actually acts on these dangerous ideas and does something to harm the Wikipedia, he should face sanction.  If he ceases to contribute edits and yet adds bulk to his user pages, then he's using Wikipedia for a webhost and should have his pages deleted.  Griping about Wikipedia and Wikipedians on his user pages is different, first, and the pages, as user pages that do not advocate criminal acts nor rally disruptive behavior nor advertise, just don't belong on VfD.  I do try to vote by silence, but the amount of vitriol involved here is just out of bounds.  If folks want to follow IndigoGenius around and watch him for bad behavior, that's not a VfD matter.  Geogre 12:52, 31 Jul 2004 (UTC)

 * Keep. Users pages are users pages. - XED . talk .stalk.mail. csb  11:01, 22 Dec 2004 (UTC)


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George Goodman

George Jerome Waldo Goodman (August 10, 1930 – January 3, 2014) was an American author and economics broadcast commentator, best known by his pseudonym Adam Smith (which was assigned by Clay Felker at New York magazine in order to keep his published articles about Wall Street anonymous). He published fiction under his own name.

Background, education, and career
Goodman was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of Alexander Mark Goodman and Viona Cremer Goodman. He attended Harvard College, graduating magna cum laude, and served as an editor of The Harvard Crimson. Goodman won a Rhodes Scholarship to Brasenose College, Oxford, where he read for the B. Litt. His first novel, The Bubble Makers, published simultaneously in the UK and the United States, was written during this period.

In 1954, before the Special Forces became the Green Berets, he joined the US Army Special Forces in the Intelligence group known as Psywar (psychological warfare). In 1961, Goodman married American actress Sally Brophy, with whom he had two children. She died in 2007.

His personal style of presenting economic facts and data has been described as that of "a witty, urbane dinner guest, a droll observer of human affairs", rather than a stodgy economics. Goodman pioneered a style of financial writing that made the language and concepts of Wall Street more understandable and accessible to the typical investor.

Goodman's first non-fiction book, The Money Game (1968), was a number one bestseller for over a year and earned him the 1969 Gerald Loeb Special Book Award. In Paper Money (1981), he memorably introduced the catchphrase "Assume a can opener" to mock the tendency of economists to make unjustified assumptions and asked "Why are the economists almost always wrong?" During a stint in Hollywood, he wrote screen plays, including that for The Wheeler Dealers, starring James Garner and Lee Remick, adapted from his novel of the same title.

He was a member of the Editorial Board of The New York Times, an editor of Esquire Magazine, a writer for Fortune magazine, and a founding member of New York magazine where he worked with such writers as Tom Wolfe, Jimmy Breslin, and Gloria Steinem.

In 1984, Goodman came to television as the creator, anchor and editor-in-chief of Adam Smith's Money World. Running on the Public Broadcasting Service in the US, it became the most honored program in its field, winning eight Emmy nominations and five Emmy Awards, as well as the Overseas Press Club Award. The documentary specials won gold medals at the Houston International Film Festival and the Flagstaff Film Festival. The show used cartoon characters and reports from the field to explain and simplify complex financial subjects to its audience. Airing in over forty countries, it was also the first American business news show broadcast in the Soviet Union, airing weekly with a Russian soundtrack.

In 1998 Goodman was elected as a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration.

Recent work
Beginning in 1998 Goodman traveled the globe each year doing specials on countries and regions with fast-growing or emerging economies such as China, Russia, the Pacific Rim, Latin America, India, and Israel. Goodman has also conducted interviews with leaders in both the fields of business and politics—ranging from Warren Buffett to Mikhail Gorbachev.

Beginning March 10, 2008, Goodman appeared along with two other personal finance advisers in the "Dollars and Sense" television advertising campaign for the Hyundai Motor Company.

Death
Goodman's son Mark announced his father died at the age of 83 on January 3, 2014, at the University of Miami Hospital after a long battle with the bone marrow disorder myelofibrosis.

Publications

 * Fiction:
 * The Bubble Makers (1955)
 * A Time for Paris (1957)
 * The Wheeler Dealers (1963)

 * Nonfiction:
 * The Money Game (1968)
 * Supermoney (1972)
 * Powers of Mind (1975)
 * Paper Money (1981)
 * The Roaring ’80s (1988)

title: George Goodman


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Nikita Panin

Count Nikita Ivanovich Panin (Никита Иванович Панин; September 29 1718 – April 11 1783) was an influential Russian statesman and political mentor to Catherine the Great for the first 18 years of her reign (1762–1780). In that role, he advocated the Northern Alliance, closer ties with Frederick the Great of Prussia and the establishment of an advisory privy council. His staunch opposition to the Partitions of Poland led to his being replaced by the more compliant Prince Alexander Bezborodko. Catherine appointed many men to the Senate who were related to Panin's powerful family.

Early life and career
Nikita Ivanovich Panin was born in Danzig, to the Russian commandant of Pärnu, the city where he would spend most of his childhood. In 1740, he entered the Imperial Russian Army, and was rumored to be one of the favorites of Empress Elizabeth. In 1747, he was accredited to Copenhagen as Russian minister, but a few months later was transferred to Stockholm, where for the next 12 years he played a conspicuous part as the chief opponent of the French party. During his residence in Sweden, Panin, who certainly had a strong speculative bent, is said to have conceived a fondness for constitutional forms of government. Politically, he was a pupil of Alexey Bestuzhev-Ryumin; consequently, when in the middle 1750s, Russia suddenly turned Francophile instead of Francophobe, Panin's position became extremely difficult. However, he found a friend in Bestuzhev's supplanter, Mikhail Illarionovich Vorontsov, and when in 1760 he was unexpectedly appointed the governor of the little grand duke Paul, his influence was assured.

Catherine's reign

Panin supported Catherine when she overthrew her husband, Tsar Peter III, and declared herself empress in 1762, but his jealousy of Catherine's lovers caused him to constantly try to sleep with her. Also, his jealousy of the influence which Grigory Orlov and his brothers seemed likely to obtain over the new empress predisposed him to favor the proclamation of his ward the grand duke Paul as emperor, with Catherine as regent only. To circumscribe the influence of the ruling favorites, he next suggested the formation of a cabinet council of six or eight ministers, through whom all the business of the state was to be transacted, but Catherine, suspecting in the skillfully presented novelty a subtle attempt to limit her power, rejected it after some hesitation. Nevertheless, Panin continued to be indispensable. His influence partly was because he was the governor of Paul, who was greatly attached to him, partly to the peculiar circumstances in which Catherine had mounted the throne, and partly to his knowledge of foreign affairs. Although acting as minister of foreign affairs, he was never made chancellor.

Panin was the inventor of the famous Northern Accord, which aimed at opposing a combination of Russia, Prussia, Poland, Sweden, and perhaps Great Britain, against the Bourbon-Habsburg League. Such an attempt to bind together nations with such different aims and characters was doomed to failure. Great Britain, for instance, could never be persuaded it was as much in her interests as in the interests of Russia to subsidize the anti-French party in Sweden. Several other accords were attempted as well, such as Grigory Potemkin's "Eastern System" (this later resulted in the basis for Catherine the Great's Greek Plan). Yet, the idea of the Northern Accord, though never quite realized, had important political consequences and influenced the policy of Russia for many years. It explains, too, Panin's strange tenderness toward Poland. For a long time, he could not endure the thought of destroying her, because he regarded her as an indispensable member of his accord, wherein she was to replace Austria, which circumstances had temporarily detached from the Russian alliance. All of the diplomatic questions concerning Russia from 1762 to 1783 are intimately associated with the name of Panin. His influence began to wane only when the impossibility of realizing the Northern Accord, his pet scheme over which Russia had fruitlessly sacrificed millions of rubles, became evident.

Decline

After 1772, when Gustav III upset Panin's plans in Sweden, Panin pursued a policy of the Russo-Prussian alliance. As to Poland, his views differed widely from the views of both Frederick and Catherine. He firmly guaranteed the integrity of Polish territory, after placing Stanisław II on the throne, so Poland, undivided and as strong as circumstances would permit, might be drawn wholly within the orbit of Russia. He did not foresee, though, the complications which were likely to arise from Russia's interference in the domestic affairs of Poland. Thus, the Bar Confederation, and the ensuing Russo-Turkish War, took him completely by surprise and considerably weakened his position. He was forced to acquiesce in the First Partition of Poland, and when Russia came off third-best, Grigory Orlov declared in the council that the minister who had signed such a partition treaty was worthy of death.

Panin further incensed Catherine by meddling with the marriage arrangements of the grand duke Paul and by advocating a closer alliance with Prussia, whereas the empress was beginning to incline more and more towards Austria. Nevertheless, even after Paul's second marriage, Panin maintained all his old influence over his pupil, who, like himself, was now a warm admirer of the king of Prussia. Traditional tales exist from this period of an actual conspiracy of Panin and Paul against the empress. As the Austrian influence increased, Panin found a fresh enemy in Joseph II, and the efforts of the old statesman to prevent a matrimonial alliance between the Russian and Austrian courts catalyzed Catherine into getting rid of a counselor of whom, for some mysterious reason, she was secretly afraid. The circumstances of his disgrace are complicated and obscure. The final rupture seems to have arisen on the question of the declaration of the armed neutrality of the North, but it is known that Grigory Potemkin and the British ambassador, James Harris, had both been working against him some time before that. In May 1781, Panin was dismissed. He died two years later in the spring of 1783.

Personal qualities
Panin was one of the most learned, accomplished, and courteous Russians of his day. Catherine called him her encyclopedia. British ambassador John Hobart declared him to be the most amiable negotiator he had ever met. He was also of a most humane disposition and a friend of liberal institutions. As to his honesty and kindness of heart there were never two opinions. By nature a sybarite, he took care to have the best cook in the capital, and women had for him an irresistible attraction, though he never married.

title: Nikita Panin


text:
Adam Smith (disambiguation)

Adam Smith (1723–1790) was a moral philosopher, author and economics pioneer.

Adam Smith may also refer to:

Sports

 * Adam Smith (coach) (born 1971), English football coach and former footballer
 * Adam Smith (American football) (born 1990), American football offensive guard
 * Adam Smith (basketball) (born 1992), basketball player for Hapoel Holon in the Israel Basketball Premier League
 * Adam Smith (cricketer) (born 1976), Australian cricketer
 * Adam Smith (footballer, born February 1985), English footballer for Chesterfield, Mansfield Town, Lincoln City, and others
 * Adam Smith (footballer, born September 1985), English footballer playing for Lowestoft Town
 * Adam Smith (footballer, born 1991), English footballer playing for AFC Bournemouth
 * Adam Smith (footballer, born 1992), English footballer playing for Stevenage
 * Adam Smith (ice hockey) (born 1976), Canadian player
 * Adam Smith (swimmer) (1903–1985), American freestyle swimmer who competed in the 1924 Summer Olympics

Others

 * Adam Smith (director) (fl. 1990s–2020s), British television director
 * Adam Smith (EastEnders), fictional character in EastEnders
 * Adam Smith (Washington politician) (born 1965), U.S. representative from Washington
 * Adam Smith (Kentucky) (born 1977), American political activist
 * Adam Smith, pseudonym of George Goodman (1930–2014), American economics writer and commentator
 * Adam Smith (Torchwood), fictional character in Torchwood
 * Adam Neal Smith (fl. 2000s), American actor, musician and film composer
 * Adam T. Smith (fl. 1990s–2010s), American professor of anthropology at Cornell University
 * Adam D. Smith (fl. 2000s–2010s), professor of computer science at Boston University
 * Adam Smith (Kansas politician) (fl. 2010s–2020s), member of the Kansas House of Representatives
 * Adam Smith (YouTuber) (fl. 2010s–2020s), Australian doctor and YouTuber
 * Adam Smith (TV series), a 1972 British series

title: Adam Smith (disambiguation)


text:
Kevin Kerr (actor)

Kevin Kerr (born 1968 in Vancouver, British Columbia) is a Canadian playwright, actor, director and founding member of Electric Company Theatre. From 2007 to 2010, he was Lee Playwright in Residence at University of Alberta.

He was born in Vancouver and grew up in Kamloops, British Columbia. He studied theatre at the University of British Columbia, and at Studio 58, Langara College.

He has co-authored several plays with Electric Company Theatre based in Vancouver, British Columbia including The Wake, The Score, Dora Flor and Her Two Husbands, Flop, The Fall, and ''Brilliant! The Blinding Enlightenment of Nikola Tesla''. His 2001 play Unity (1918) explores the Influenza epidemic of 1918 and won the 2002 Governor General's Award for Drama.

Published works

 * Unity (1918). Vancouver, BC: Talonbooks, 2002. ISBN 978-0-88922-461-2.
 * Brilliant!: The Blinding Enlightenment of Nikola Tesla. Victoria, BC: Brindle and Glass, 2004. ISBN 0-9732481-9-X
 * Studies in Motion. Vancouver, BC: Talonbooks, 2008. ISBN 978-0-88922-592-3.
 * Skydive. Vancouver, BC: Talonbooks, 2010. ISBN 978-0-88922-638-8.

title: Kevin Kerr (actor)


text:
Aurora (1957 automobile)

The Aurora was an American automobile prototype manufactured by Father Alfred A. Juliano, a Catholic priest, from 1957 to 1958. The Aurora is arguably the first Experimental Safety Vehicle ever made, even before the coinage of the ESV initialism. This safety car was to be available with a Chrysler, Cadillac, or Lincoln engine, built on a Buick chassis. However, the Aurora Motor Company of Branford, Connecticut, partially funded by Juliano's congregation, went out of business after producing just one $30,000 prototype.

Juliano had studied art before entering the priesthood, and expressed a lifelong interest in automotive design. His family said that he had won a coveted scholarship from General Motors to study with Harley Earl, which arrived only after he had already been ordained. He maintained his interest in automotive design, however, which he combined with a belief that there was much which could be done to make current automobiles safer.

Conceived, invented and built by Juliano, the Aurora was an 18 ft long fibreglass-bodied car that was two years on the drawing board and required three years to build. The high quality of the workmanship was "astounding", particularly in the fibreglass body and the plastic windows. At a retail price of $12,000.00, it would have been priced just under the most costly car in the U.S., the $13,000.00 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham. The body, said to be dent, rust, and corrosion proof, was specifically designed for long distance highway travel. The vehicle had a tinted, transparent, plastic "astrodome" roof with adjustable interior metal shades. Dashboard controlled hydraulic jacks mounted in the frame assisted in tire changing. The spare tire, located under the front end, was mounted on a platform which would lower the tire to the ground without manual contact.

The vehicle had many car safety-related features, novel at the time, some now routine. These features included seatbelts, a roll cage, a padded instrument panel, side-impact bars, and a collapsible steering column. The placement of the spare tire under the front end served to absorb impacts. The most innovative safety feature, which has not been incorporated into other cars, was the ability to swivel the seats to face rearwards should a collision seem imminent.

The Aurora is mainly remembered for its appearance, however, and is often cited in lists of the ugliest cars ever, frequently as the single ugliest car. This assessment is largely due to two factors, in addition to the general overwrought "swoopiness" of the car typical of the "futuristic" styling of the time: the gaping front end and the bulbous windshield, both dictated by safety considerations. The bulging windshield was designed to eliminate impact with occupants' heads, in the era prior to air bags, while the scoop-like front end served as a large, foam filled bumper, designed to scoop up not only air, but also pedestrians without injury.

The prototype had a fiberglass body over a largely wooden structure built on the salvaged chassis of a 1953 Buick, which was not adequately tested before the scheduled public unveiling in 1957 and broke down 15 times on the way to the press conference, requiring towing to 7 different garages; mainly due to clogging of the fuel system, which had sat unused for the previous four years. After the inauspicious beginning of arriving hours late for its own unveiling, the car did not inspire the public due to its appearance, lack of performance, and high price, and there were no advance orders.

The company's finances were called into question; Juliano stated that that had been instigated by General Motors, and compared himself to Preston Tucker. He was investigated by the IRS, accused by the Catholic Church of misappropriating parishioners' donations, and forced to leave the Order of the Holy Ghost. But in fact, he himself had gone deeply into personal debt financing the company, and eventually declared bankruptcy, forfeiting the prototype to a repair shop as collateral for unpaid repair bills. It passed through several hands before finally being abandoned behind a Cheshire auto body shop in 1967. Juliano died of a brain hemorrhage in 1989.

In 1993, the car was discovered by British car enthusiast Andy Saunders of Poole, Dorset, in a sketch in a book about dream cars; "It was so ugly it was unreal. I said straightaway, 'I've got to own that.'" After several years of searching, he eventually tracked the car down by the name of the garage in the background of a photograph of the car, purchased it sight unseen for $1,500, and had it shipped to Britain for another $2,000. The fiberglass and wood structure of the car proved to have deteriorated terribly from exposure, as well as the interior and plastic windshield. Restoration was further complicated by a lack of adequate documentation or even photographs of the car, the absence of the late Father Juliano to assist as a consultant, and the lack of replacement parts for a prototype vehicle. However, restoration was completed in early 2005, and the car was unveiled to a newly re-astounded public at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. It was recently acquired by the Lane Motor Museum in Nashville, TN and is now on display.

title: Aurora (1957 automobile)


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Liberal Party (Japan, 1998)

The Liberal Party (自由党) was a political party in Japan formed in 1998 by Ichirō Ozawa and Hirohisa Fujii. It is now defunct, having joined the Democratic Party of Japan in 2003.

The Liberal Party were part of the Japanese liberal parties genealogy, neoliberal and neoconservative.

History
The Liberal Party was formed from remnants of the New Frontier Party after it dissolved in 1998. The party did do quite well for a new party, joining the opposition led by the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) and also including the New Kōmeitō, the Social Democratic Party and Japanese Communist Party, and thus helped contest elections against the ruling conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

In January 1999, it formed a coalition with the ruling LDP under Keizō Obuchi. Takeshi Noda as Minister for Home Affairs became its only member in the realigned Obuchi cabinet, later replaced by Toshihiro Nikai as Minister of Transportation. Later that year, the New Kōmeitō joined the coalition as well, and party president Ichirō Ozawa decided to lead the Liberal Party back into the opposition as he saw his party's position endangered. However, some members of the coalition wanted to stay in the government and eventually formed the breakaway New Conservative Party.

In October 2003, because of the upcoming election, the Liberal Party finally merged with the DPJ and all its members joined the new party, making an influential grouping within the party. The DPJ did tremendously well, and Hirohisa Fujii became the Secretary General of the Democratic Party of Japan, while Ichiro Ozawa led the Liberal Party faction within the DPJ. In 2016, the name was revived by Ozawa, on his renaming of the People's Life Party to the Liberal Party.

title: Liberal Party (Japan, 1998)


text:
Radical Democratic Party (India)

Radical Democratic Party (RDP), was a political party in India which existed at the time of the Second World War. Also known as the Radical Communist Party. RDP evolved out of the League of Radical Congressmen, which had been founded in 1939 by former Communist International leader M.N. Roy. Roy founded Radical Democratic Party in 1940 with the purpose of engaging India in the war to support the Allies. RDP also worked for Indian independence. RDP was against the industrial strike that took place at the time.

During the period 1944–1948 the general secretary of RDP was V. M. Tarkunde.

The trade union wing of the Royists was the Indian Federation of Labour.

RDP was dissolved in 1948, to give place to the Radical Humanist movement.

title: Radical Democratic Party (India)


text:
David Alan Stevenson

David Alan Stevenson (21 July 1854 in Edinburgh – 11 April 1938) was a lighthouse engineer who built 26 lighthouses in and around Scotland.

Life

He was born on 21 July 1854 the son of David Stevenson and his wife, Elizabeth Mackay. His early years were spent at their home at 8 Forth Street in the eastern section of the New Town in Edinburgh. The family later moved to 45 Melville Street.

He was part of the famous Stevenson family of lighthouse engineers, including brother Charles Stevenson, uncle Thomas Stevenson, and grandfather Robert Stevenson. His cousin was the author Robert Louis Stevenson.

Stevenson was educated at Edinburgh Academy (1865–70) and then studied Engineering at the University of Edinburgh, graduating BSc in 1875.

In 1884 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. His proposers were William Swan, Peter Guthrie Tait, Robert MacKay Smith and George Chrystal.).

Stevenson died at his home, "Troqueer", in the Kingsknowe area of Edinburgh on 11 April 1938. He is buried in Dean Cemetery. The grave lies on the north wall of the original cemetery, backing onto the first northern extension. It is heavily worn.

Family
In 1882 he married Annie Roberts (1862–1945). The family resided in Edinburgh's West End at 45 Melville Street.

Their daughter Dorothy Emily was born in 1892; she became a best-selling author of more than 40 books published under the name D. E. Stevenson. A commemorative plaque marks the house.

His nephew was also named David Alan Stevenson (1891-1971).

Works
Between 1885 and 1886 he built three lighthouses with his uncle Thomas, and over the following 50 years, built a further 23 with his brother Charles.

From 1904 he was assisted by John Davidson Gardner who became his Chief assistant in 1911.

He retired aged 83 in March 1938.

Lighthouses of David A Stevenson
Stevenson worked on 26 lighthouses during his career. Among them are:

 * Fidra (1885)
 * Oxcar (1886)
 * Ailsa Craig (1886)
 * Skroo, Fair Isle (1892)
 * Helliar Holm (1893)
 * Sule Skerry (1895)
 * Rattray Head (1895)
 * Stroma (1896)
 * Tod Head (1897): Catterline, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
 * Noup Head (1898)
 * Flannan Isles (1899)
 * Tiumpan Head (1900)
 * Killantringan (1900)
 * Barns Ness (1901)
 * Hoxa Head (1901)
 * Bass Rock (1903)
 * Hyskeir (1904)
 * Trodday (1908)
 * Neist Point (1909)
 * Rubh Re (1912)
 * Milaid Point (1912)
 * Maughold Head (1914)
 * Copinsay (1915)
 * Clyth Ness (1916)
 * Duncansby Head (1924)
 * Brough of Birsay Lighthouse (1925)
 * Ardtornish (1927)
 * Esha Ness (1929)
 * Tor Ness (1937)

title: David Alan Stevenson


text:
Talk:Eurasian collared dove

Untitled
Source for history in U.S.:. For northern European range, lots of Web sites. For call, Sibley and personal experience. --JerryFriedman 23:23, 27 Jul 2004 (UTC)
 * Wow! This dove is more beautiful than the ordinairy dove! Stanton BG 19:05, 1 May 2006 (UTC)

Name "decaocto"
I recall reading that this received the name "decaocto" (18) in the 19th century not because of its call, but because at the time it was seen as so devoid of interesting characteristics that it was named simply by virtue of being registered as 18th on a list of similar birds (Streptopelia ?). I don't have any details - can this be verified ? If so, it may be worth stating, given the bird's subsequent highly unusual spread and ubiquity (a pair in my garden now ...). Ghmyrtle 12:17, 7 February 2007 (UTC)
 * I think you are right, according to "Wember, Viktor (2005): Die Namen der Vögel Europas. Bedeutung der deutschen und wissenschaftlichen Namen" http://www.ornithologie-hamburg.de/html/namendervoegeleuropas.htm (unfortunately in German) "decaocto" was used, because it was the 18th described form of Streptopelia. I do not know about the other theory, though, but I guess you might change the entry, if you want to. Karmesinkoenig 19:55, 23 April 2007 (UTC)

I have been unable to edit the first section of this topic's text, but I do take issue with the statement that the Collared dove is "small". It is abundant where I live and I have captured several specimens for brief study and release, and have incidentally captured mourning doves as well, which were also released. The collared doves are respectably larger than mourning doves, in some cases being almost twice the measured weight of adult mourning doves. An adult Collared dove is larger than virtually any songbird of North America, comparable in size to large blackbirds but smaller than crows. Large specimens are nearly the size of smaller common pigeons. (Based on personal observations and direct comparisons.)  As an aside, the Collared doves take well to gentle handling. They can make excellent pets which are rapidly tamed even if caught wild. They are gentle, non-aggressive, and quiet. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Cmjohnson65 (talk • contribs) 03:03, 19 August 2008 (UTC)
 * A sparrow of this size would be a large sparrow: a goose of this size would be a small goose; a dove of this size is a small dove, viz it is small compared to most other doves. Kevin McE (talk) 10:58, 23 August 2008 (UTC)

 * German is my native language, but the link above doesn't work anymore.
 * However, listen to the recording of the call: it's 3 x 6... How anyone can claim it sounds similar to decaocto is beyond me.
 * David Marjanović (talk) 10:38, 23 June 2016 (UTC)

The scream of the dove
We have a couple of these guys visiting our garden occasionally and I hear them 'scream' often. It sounds a bit like; 'Wheuuuh' and is often repeated two to four times, emitted when the birds fly away scaredly. Why is it that this, in my opinion, best animal sound ever is almost never mentioned anywhere on the internet? I'd love to get it as a MP3 too... best sound ever.

Uh, I see it gets a small mention on here but it deserves more. 'K.

Ribbedebie (talk) 19:15, 22 October 2009 (UTC)

A sound please!

Shouldn't it be considered native not naturalised?
Since it migrated across Europe and Central Asia itself, shouldn't it be considered native in the areas not naturalised? Naturalised suggests it was introduced by man to me. It being new to these areas doesn't seem to make any difference really as it spread itself so i think naturalised is the wrong word to use. Maybe if was put something like "and has colonised most of Europe and much of Central Asia within the last century", this would be more suited? Kentynet (talk) 09:15, 28 March 2017 (UTC)
 * Kentynet, I rephrased, you are correct Jimfbleak - talk to me?  12:06, 28 March 2017 (UTC)

Minor vagueness (description of the recording)
The recording available in the specie box is the song of the specie, not its call (the specie's call is quite different from its song). I couldn't manage to correct it myself because I couldn't find the recording's description in the specie box edit mode. Can somebody with better editing skills do it ? TanguyLoïs (talk) 10:56, 17 June 2024 (UTC)

 * Done. It wasn't in the taxonomy template, it was in the taxobox itself. All you had to do was edit the article. (Note: "Species" is both singular and plural. "Specie" is an incorrect usage.) - UtherSRG (talk) 11:42, 17 June 2024 (UTC)

title: Talk:Eurasian collared dove


text:
Bristol Sycamore

The Bristol Type 171 Sycamore is an early helicopter developed and built by the helicopter division of the Bristol Aeroplane Company. The name refers to the seeds of the sycamore tree, Acer pseudoplatanus, which fall with a rotating motion. It has the distinction of being the first British helicopter to receive a certificate of airworthiness, as well as being the first British-designed helicopter to be introduced by and to serve with the Royal Air Force (RAF).

Typically capable of seating up to three passengers, the type was often used as a transport for both passengers and cargo alike. In RAF service, the Sycamore was normally used in the search and rescue and casualty evacuation roles. The type proved the value of rotorcraft to easily traverse inhospitable or otherwise inaccessible terrain; the Sycamore made valuable contributions to British military activities during the Malayan Emergency, the Cyprus Emergency, and the Aden Emergency, in addition to other operations.

In addition to its British military service, various models of the Sycamore were produced and operated by a number of users, including overseas military operations and civil customers. Civilian operations typically involved transportation, mountain rescue, and aerial survey work. In 1959, production of the Sycamore ended after 180 rotorcraft had been completed.

Development
During the Second World War, new methods of aircraft propulsion were devised and experimented with; in particular, breakthroughs in rotary aircraft, such as gyrocopters and helicopters, were making such aircraft more practical. In 1944, Bristol established a specialised helicopter division shortly after the Allied invasion of Europe, when engineers from the Airborne Forces Experimental Establishment (AFEE) at Beaulieu became available. The AFEE had been conducting its own work on the development of rotorcraft designs under the noted helicopter pioneer Raoul Hafner; however, the successful use of Airspeed Horsa and General Aircraft Hamilcar gliders during Operation Overlord had led to helicopter development being recognised as a priority. Hafner, whose company had been acquired by Bristol was promptly appointed by the company as the head of Bristol's new helicopter division.

In June 1944, work commenced on the development on a four-seat helicopter intended for both civil and military use; it was out of this programme that the Sycamore would emerge. During development, particular emphasis was assigned to the producing the necessary level of endurance of the rotorcraft's mechanical components. On 25 July 1947, the first prototype, VL958, which was powered by a 450 hp Pratt & Whitney Wasp Junior (there being no suitable engine in the Bristol range), performed the type's maiden flight. In mid-1948, the third prototype, which had been built to the improved Sycamore Mk.2 standard, was completed; this model had been fitted with a 550 hp Alvis Leonides engine, the Leonides engine would become the standard powerplant for all subsequent Sycamore production. On 25 April 1949, a certificate of airworthiness was granted for the Sycamore, the first such to be granted to a British helicopter.

During the flight test programme, Bristol's key development pilots for the Type 171 included Charles "Sox" Hosegood and Col. Robert "Bob" Smith. In 1951, a Bristol-owned Sycamore Mk.2 was used during a series of deck landing trials performed on board the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Triumph. An improved model of the helicopter, designated as the Sycamore Mk.3, was rapidly developed; it featured an increased capacity for five occupants, a wider fuselage and a shortened nose. A total of 23 Sycamore Mk.3s were produced, 15 of these were principally used for joint evaluation purposes by the Royal Air Force (RAF), Army Air Corps (AAC), and British European Airways (BEA).

Versions of the Sycamore up to and including the Mk.3A retained the standard two-seat cockpit layout, placing the pilot in the left-hand seat and the co-pilot in the right. However, on the main production model, designated Sycamore Mk.4, this seating arrangement was switched to the American practice of positioning the pilot's seat on the right. There were also a number of other developments that had featured upon the earlier versions, such as a four-door design, which had been standardised upon the Sycamore Mk.4. This version entered RAF service, receiving the military designation of HR.14.

Civil versions were not marketed under the Sycamore name, they were instead known simply as the Bristol Type 171. By May 1958, over 150 Sycamores had been manufactured and four units per month were being built.

Design
The Bristol Sycamore was one of the first production helicopters to be developed. Each Sycamore was manufactured with all of the necessary fixed fittings to enable it to be quickly adapted for any of six major roles: search and rescue, air ambulance, passenger transport, freight transport, aerial crane and dual instruction; it was also used for other specialised roles. The Sycamore seated four-to-five occupants, depending on the model; it was usually fitted with three folding canvas seats as well as a single rotating seat besides the pilot. In addition to the passenger cabin, it had a separate luggage compartment.

A specialised air ambulance model of the Sycamore was developed during the early 1950s. In this configuration, up to two patients were carried inside the cabin on stretchers stacked one above the other; this was different to the usual arrangement of the era of using externally-mounted "pods" for carrying patients. To provide the extra width necessary in the cabin, detachable Perspex blisters were fitted on each side of the cabin. The stretcher racks could be folded into the sides of the cabin, providing room for up to three sitting casualties instead; an electrical supply outlet was available for connecting electric blankets. Next to the pilot was a swivelling seat for a medical attendant.

The blades of the three-bladed main rotor were attached to the rotor head with lightweight interleaving steel plates while tie-rods carried the centrifugal tension loads. The blade levers were connected using ball joints to the arms of a control spider, the cone of which was actuated up and down by the collective pitch lever which changed the pitch of all the blades; an irreversible mechanism was used to prevent blade loads being transferred back to the control stick. The blades were supported when stationary or turning slowly by droop stops, which maintained a minimum clearance between the blade tips and the tailboom even in high winds; these stops were withdrawn above 100 rpm so that full freedom of movement for effective flight was possible.

The Sycamore was powered by a single Alvis Leonides piston engine of 550 hp. The engine was mounted below and to the rear of the main rotor on a flexible mounting to reduce vibrations transmitted to the helicopter structure. It was isolated in a fireproof enclosure which was fitted with fire detection and extinguishing equipment to meet certification requirements. Air was drawn through a forward-facing grill to cool the gearbox before passing through the engine cowling and leaving the fuselage. The engine power was controlled by the collective pitch lever. In order to maintain the rotor speed at its required setting fuel to the engine had to be automatically varied as the rotor pitch setting commanded by the pilot changed the load on the engine; fine adjustment of engine power was achieved by twisting the pitch lever. The Sycamore had a relatively high rotor speed for the era, which was claimed to give a smoother ride and be safer in the event of engine failure.

Operational history
From 1952 to 1955 the Sycamore was used for various trials by the Air-Sea Warfare Development Unit RAF which was stationed at RAF St. Mawgan. In April 1953, the Sycamore HR14 entered service with No. 275 Squadron of the RAF and went on to serve with nine squadrons in total. Various marks of Sycamore served with the RAF; they would primarily be used as air ambulances ( Sycamore HC.10 ), for Army communications ( Sycamore HC.11 ) and for search and rescue operations (Sycamore HR.12 to Sycamore HR.14). In 1953, No. 275 Squadron, equipped with Sycamores, became the RAF's first helicopter search and rescue squadron in Great Britain. The type was used by the RAF Central Flying School for pilot training purposes. In June 1953, a Sycamore towing a large RAF Ensign led a flypast by 640 British and Commonwealth aircraft at the Coronation Review of the RAF.

The Sycamore was heavily used during the Malayan Emergency (1948–1960), typically deploying Army foot patrols into the jungle. Numerous Sycamores were transferred to the Far East Air Force to participate in the conflict; however, the type was involved in a number of crashes in the region which had occurred as a result of tail or main rotor blade problems. In response, a series of blade trials were conducted prior to a modified blade design being adopted and Sycamore operations in the theatre being resumed. Following the end of most combat operations in August 1960, Sycamores remained in the region, including a detachment in Brunei, to support British forces stationed there to deter further aggression by Malayan communist guerrillas. The type also saw combat service with the RAF during the Cyprus Emergency and the Aden Emergency, in addition to other operations. In December 1971, the last of the RAF's Sycamores were officially retired; this had been due to critical parts having reached the end of their fatigue life. However 32 Squadron continued to operate two Sycamores until August 1972.

Fifty Sycamores were delivered to the German Federal Government. Three helicopters were produced for the Belgian Government for use in the Belgian Congo; it had been picked due to the type's good capabilities in tropical environments, as proven during its combat use in Malaysia. The Sycamore was the second helicopter type to be used by the Australian Defence Force; ten were delivered to the Royal Australian Navy.

The Sycamore was also used in a variety of civilian roles. A single example was used during the construction of the M1 motorway between London and Leeds; the type provided support in various roles, including to perform aerial surveying, communication across various sites, the carriage of both personnel and equipment, and the mitigation of flooding on the project. Sycamores operated by Australian National Airways were routinely available for charter, performing tasks such as the aerial surveying of mining claims, supply missions, and the transporting of equipment across the remote Outback areas of the nation.

Type 171

 * Mk 1
 * Prototype; two built.

 * Mk 2
 * Second prototype; one built.

 * Mk 3
 * Production model with five seats in a widened fuselage, with a shortened nose to improve visibility. 23 built, including Mk 3A.

 * Mk 3A
 * Civilian version with additional freight hold, two built for British European Airways.

 * Mk 4
 * This was the main production model and similar to the military version called Sycamore with a more powerful engine. 154 built.

Sycamore

 * Sycamore HC.10
 * (=Mk.3) one built for evaluation by the Army Air Corps as an air ambulance.

 * Sycamore HC.11
 * (=Mk.3) four built for evaluation by the Army Air Corps, as communications aircraft.

 * Sycamore HR.12
 * (=Mk.3A) four built for the RAF for evaluation as search and rescue aircraft.

 * Sycamore HR.13
 * (=Mk.3A) two built with rescue winches for the RAF for evaluation as search and rescue aircraft.

 * Sycamore HR.14
 * (=Mk.4) 85 built for the RAF, as search and rescue aircraft.

 * Sycamore Mk.14
 * three built for the Belgian Air Force, for use in the Belgian Congo.

 * Sycamore Mk.50
 * three built for the Royal Australian Navy, for search and rescue, and plane guard duties.

 * Sycamore HC.51
 * seven built for the Royal Australian Navy, for search and rescue, and plane guard duties.

 * Sycamore Mk.52
 * 50 built for the German Air Force and Navy.

Civil operators

 * British European Airways
 * Australian National Airways/Ansett-ANA
 * Jayrow Helicopters
 * Flying Bulls In 2013 the Flying Bulls by Red Bull reinstated one Sycamore
 * Jayrow Helicopters
 * Flying Bulls In 2013 the Flying Bulls by Red Bull reinstated one Sycamore
 * Flying Bulls In 2013 the Flying Bulls by Red Bull reinstated one Sycamore

Military operators

 * Royal Australian Air Force – Only two Sycamores were in service with the RAAF from 1951 to 1965. The two helicopters were used for general support duties at the Woomera Rocket Range in South Australia.
 * Aircraft Research and Development Unit
 * No. 1 Air Trials unit
 * Royal Australian Navy
 * 723 Squadron RAN
 * 724 Squadron RAN
 * Belgian Air Force: Belgium used three Mk.14B's (registered as B1/OT-ZKA, B2/OT-ZKB & B3/OT-ZKC) to equip the metropolitan power in the Congo with a rescue flight based at Kamina Air Base, Katanga Province. Used between 1954 and 1960.
 * Luftwaffe
 * German Navy
 * Luftwaffe
 * German Navy
 * German Navy
 * Royal Air Force
 * Air-Sea Warfare Development Unit
 * Central Flying School
 * 22 Squadron
 * 32 Squadron
 * 84 Squadron
 * 103 Squadron
 * 110 Squadron
 * 118 Squadron
 * 194 Squadron
 * 225 Squadron
 * 228 Squadron
 * 275 Squadron
 * 284 Squadron
 * 651 Squadron
 * 657 Squadron
 * No. 1563 (Helicopter) Flight RAF
 * Army Air Corps

Australia

 * On display
 * Australian Fleet Air Arm Museum in Nowra

Stored or under restoration

 * Sycamore A91-1, former RAAF, at the Australian National Aviation Museum in Moorabbin, Victoria

Austria

 * Airworthy
 * Sycamore HR.52 OE-XSY – Red Bull

 * stored, on display for special events
 * Waste Watchers Kehr Force One of MA48 (Vienna department for waste collection) trainee centre
 * stored and used for technical training
 * Bundesfachschule für Flugtechnik, Langenlebarn, ex D-HFUM

Belgium

 * On display
 * Sycamore HR.14 XG547 of the Royal Air Force at Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History in Brussels

Germany

 * On display

 * Sycamore HR.52 78+20 of the German Army at Hubschraubermuseum Bückeburg

United Kingdom

 * On display
 * Sycamore 3 G-ALSX – The Helicopter Museum in Weston-super-Mare
 * Sycamore 3 WA576 – Dumfries and Galloway Aviation Museum, Dumfries.
 * Sycamore 3 WA577 – North East Aircraft Museum, Sunderland.
 * Sycamore 3 WT933 – Newark Air Museum, Newark.
 * Sycamore HR.12 WV781 – Caernarfon Airport Airworld Museum, Caernarfon
 * Sycamore HR.12 WV787 – RAF Museum London.
 * Sycamore HR.14 XG502 – Museum of Army Flying, Middle Wallop, Hampshire.
 * Sycamore HR.14 XG518 – Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum, Flixton.
 * Sycamore HR.14 XJ380 – Boscombe Down Aviation Collection, Old Sarum.
 * Sycamore HR.14 XJ918 – RAF Museum Cosford, Cosford. This aircraft saw active service during the Malayan Emergency and was one of the last four Sycamores to be officially retired from RAF service in 1971. XJ918 was relocated to the RAF Museum Cosford in 1983. Relocated to Ulster Aviation Society in late 2022.
 * Sycamore HR.14 XL824 – Aerospace Bristol, Filton.
 * Sycamore HR.14 XL829 – The Helicopter Museum in Weston-super-Mare
 * Sycamore HR.14 XE317 – South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum, Doncaster.

 * Stored or under restoration
 * Sycamore HR.14 XJ917 – Aerospace Bristol, Filton.

title: Bristol Sycamore


text: File:Ryfcal.jpg

title: File:Ryfcal.jpg


text:
Austral (automobile)

The Austral was a French automobile manufactured in Paris in 1907; the company offered "touring tricars" and motorized delivery tricycles.

title: Austral (automobile)