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Apology (Plato)

The Apology of Socrates (Ἀπολογία Σωκράτους, Apología Sokrátous; Apologia Socratis), written by Plato, is a Socratic dialogue of the speech of legal self-defence which Socrates (469–399 BC) spoke at his trial for impiety and corruption in 399 BC.

Specifically, the Apology of Socrates is a defence against the charges of "corrupting the youth" and "not believing in the gods in whom the city believes, but in other daimonia that are novel" to Athens (24b).

Among the primary sources about the trial and death of the philosopher Socrates, the Apology of Socrates is the dialogue that depicts the trial, and is one of four Socratic dialogues, along with Euthyphro, Phaedo, and Crito, through which Plato details the final days of the philosopher Socrates.

The text of Apology
The Apology of Socrates, by the philosopher Plato (429–347 BC), was one of many explanatory apologia about Socrates's legal defence against accusations of corruption and impiety; most apologia were published in the decade after the Trial of Socrates (399 BC). As such, Plato's Apology of Socrates is an early philosophic defence of Socrates, presented in the form of a Socratic dialogue. Although Aristotle later classified it as a genre of fiction, it is still a useful historical source about Socrates (469–399 BC) the philosopher. Aristotle believed the dialogue, particularly the scene where Socrates questions Meletus, represented a good use of interrogation.

Except for Socrates's two dialogues with Meletus, about the nature and logic of his accusations of impiety, the text of the Apology of Socrates is in the first-person perspective and voice of the philosopher Socrates (24d–25d and 26b–27d). Moreover, during the trial, in his speech of self-defence, Socrates twice mentions that Plato is present at the trial (34a and 38b).

Introduction
The Apology of Socrates begins with Socrates addressing the jury of perhaps 500 Athenian men to ask if they have been persuaded by the Orators Lycon, Anytus, and Meletus, who have accused Socrates of corrupting the young people of the city and impiety against the pantheon of Athens. The first sentence of his speech establishes the theme of the dialogue—that philosophy begins with an admission of ignorance. Socrates later clarifies that point of philosophy when he says that whatever wisdom he possesses comes from knowing that he knows nothing (23b, 29b).

In the course of the trial, Socrates imitates, parodies, and corrects the Orators, his accusers, and asks the jury to judge him by the truth of his statements, not by his oratorical skill (cf. Lysias XIX 1,2,3; Isaeus X 1; Isocrates XV 79; Aeschines II 24). Socrates says he will not use sophisticated language—carefully arranged ornate words and phrases—but will speak using the common idiom of the Greek language. Socrates says that he will speak in the manner he has used in the agora and at the money tables which he states is his native tongue and the fashion of his country. Although offered the opportunity to appease the prejudices of the jury, with a minimal concession to the charges of corruption and impiety, Socrates does not yield his integrity to avoid the penalty of death. The jury condemns Socrates to death.

Accusers of Socrates
In the society of 5th-century BC Athens, the three men who formally accused the philosopher Socrates of impiety and corruption against the people and the city, officially represented the interests of the politicians and the craftsmen, of the scholars, poets, and rhetoricians. The accusers of Socrates were:

 * Anytus, a rich and socially prominent Athenian who opposed the Sophists on principle. Socrates says that Anytus joined the prosecution because he was "vexed on behalf of the craftsmen and politicians" (23e–24a); moreover, Anytus appears in the Meno dialogue (90f). Whilst Socrates and Meno (a visitor to Athens) are discussing Virtue, Anytus unexpectedly appears before them, and overhears their conversation. From the philosophic stance that virtue cannot be taught, Socrates adduces that many socially prominent Athenians have produced sons who are inferior to themselves, as fathers; Socrates names several such men, including Pericles and Thucydides. In the event, Anytus is offended by the observation, and warns Socrates that stepping on people’s toes (kakós legein) could, someday, cause trouble for him (Meno 94e–95a).
 * Meletus, the only accuser to speak during Socrates's speech of self-defence; he was the tool of Anytus, the true enemy of Socrates. Socrates says that Meletus joined the prosecution because he was "vexed on behalf of the poets" (23e); moreover, Meletus features in the Euthyphro dialogue. At trial, Socrates identifies Meletus as an unknown, young man with an aquiline nose. In the Apology of Socrates, Meletus agrees to be cross-examined by Socrates, whose questions lead Meletus into a semantic trap. Inattentive to the logical implications of his accusations of corruption and impiety, Meletus contradicts himself in accusing Socrates of atheism and of believing in demigods.
 * Lycon, who represented the professional rhetoricians as an interest group. Socrates says that Lycon joined the prosecution because he was "vexed on behalf of the rhetoricians" (24a). That he joined the prosecution because he associated Socrates with the pro–Spartan Oligarchy of the Thirty Tyrants (404 BC), who killed his son, Autolycus. As a prosecutor of Socrates, Lycon also is a figure of ridicule in a play by Aristophanes and had become a successful democratic politician in the democracy restored after the fall of the Oligarchy of the Four Hundred (411 BC).

In his defence at trial, Socrates faced two sets of accusations: (i) asebeia (impiety) against the pantheon of Athens, by introducing new gods; and (ii) corruption of Athenian youth, by teaching them to doubt the status quo. Socrates says to the court that these old accusations arise from years of gossip and prejudice against him; hence, are matters difficult to address. He then reformulates the diffuse accusations from the orators against him into the proper legal form: "Socrates is committing an injustice, in that he inquires into things below the earth and in the sky; and makes the weaker argument the stronger; and teaches others to follow his example" (19b-c).
 * The accusations

Socrates also says that the accusations for which he is answering in court already had been spoken and published by the comic poet Aristophanes, and are therefore beyond the legal scope of a trial for corruption and impiety. Years earlier, in the play The Clouds (423 BC), Aristophanes lampooned Socrates as a charlatan, the paradigm philosopher of atheist and scientific sophistry—carefully arranged arguments constructed of ornate words and phrases—misrepresented as wisdom. In light of that definition, Socrates defensively argues that he cannot be mistaken for a Sophist philosopher because Sophists are wise men, are thought to be wise by the people of Athens, and, thus, are highly paid for their teaching; whereas he (Socrates) lives in ten-thousand-fold poverty, and knows nothing noble and good (23c).

For his self-defence, Socrates first eliminates any claim that he is a wise man. He says that Chaerephon, reputed to be impetuous, went to the Oracle of Delphi and asked her, the prophetess, Pythia, to tell him of anyone wiser than Socrates. The Pythia answered to Chaerephon that there was no man wiser. On learning of that oracular pronouncement, Socrates says he was astounded, because, on the one hand, it is against the nature of the Oracle to lie, but, on the other hand, he knew he was not wise. Therefore, Socrates sought to find someone wiser than himself, so that he could take that person as evidence to the Oracle at Delphi. Hence why Socrates minutely queried everyone who appeared to be a wise person. In that vein, he tested the minds of politicians, poets, and scholars, for wisdom; although he occasionally found genius, Socrates says that he found no one who possessed wisdom; yet, each man was thought wise by the people, and each man thought himself wise; therefore, he thought he was the better man, because he was aware that he was not wise.
 * Impiety

 * Corruption of the Athenian youth

Socrates explained that the young, rich men of the city of Athens have little to do with their time. They, therefore, follow him about the city, observing his questioning of intellectual arguments in dialogue with other intellectual men. In turn, young men imitate the method of Socrates. Socrates thought that the arguments of the men he examined were wanting, and when he said this, to not lose face, they would restate stock accusations against Socrates; that he is a morally abominable man who corrupts the youth of Athens with sophistry and atheism. In his defence, Socrates said: "For those who are examined, instead of being angry with themselves, are angry with me!".

The dialogue
The Apology of Socrates, by Plato, is a Socratic dialogue in three parts that cover the Trial of Socrates (399 BC): (i) the legal self-defence of Socrates, (ii) the verdict of the jury, and (iii) the sentence of the court.

Part one: The defence of Socrates
Socrates begins his legal defence by telling the jury that their minds were poisoned by his enemies when they (the jury) were young and impressionable. He also says that his false reputation as a sophistical philosopher comes from his enemies and that all of them are malicious, yet must remain nameless—except for the playwright Aristophanes, who lampooned him (Socrates) as a charlatan-philosopher in the comedy play The Clouds (423 BC). About corrupting the rich, young men of Athens, Socrates argues that deliberate corruption is an illogical action because it would hurt him, as well. He says that the accusations of him being a corrupter of youth began at the time of his obedience to the Oracle at Delphi, and tells how Chaerephon went to the Oracle, to ask her, the Pythian prophetess, if there was a man wiser than Socrates. When Chaerephon reported to him that the Oracle said there is no wiser man, Socrates interpreted that divine report as a riddle—because he was aware of possessing no wisdom "great or small", and that lying is not in the nature of the gods.

 * The wisest man

Socrates then sought to solve the divine paradox—how an ignorant man also could be the wisest of all men—in effort to illuminate the meaning of the Oracles' categorical statement that he is the wisest man in the land. After systematically interrogating the politicians, the poets, and the craftsmen, Socrates determined that the politicians were not wise like he was. He says of himself, in reference to a politician: "I am wiser than this man; it is likely that neither of us knows anything worthwhile, but he thinks he knows something when he does not."(21d). Socrates says that the poets did not understand their poetry; that the prophets and seers did not understand what they said; and that the craftsmen while knowing many things, thought they also had much knowledge on things of which they had none. In that light, Socrates saw himself as a spokesman for the Oracle at Delphi (22e). He asked himself if he would rather be an impostor, like the "wise people" he interrogated, or if he would rather be himself, Socrates of Athens. Socrates tells the jury that he would rather be himself than be anyone else. He says that in searching for a man wiser than himself, he came to be regarded as a social gadfly and acquired a bad reputation among Athens' politically powerful personages.

 * Corrupter of youth

Having addressed the social prejudices against him, Socrates addresses the first accusation—the moral corruption of Athenian youth—by accusing his accuser, Meletus, of being indifferent to the persons and things about which he professes to care. Whilst interrogating Meletus, Socrates says that no one would intentionally corrupt another person—because the corrupter later stands to be harmed in vengeance by the corrupted person. The matter of moral corruption is important for two reasons: (i) the accusation is that Socrates corrupted the rich, young men of Athens by teaching atheism; (ii) that if he is convicted of corruption, it will be because the playwright Aristophanes already had corrupted the minds of his audience, when they were young, by lampooning Socrates as the "Sophistical philosopher" in The Clouds, a comic play produced about twenty-four years earlier.

 * Atheist

Socrates then addresses the second accusation—asebeia (impiety) against the pantheon of Athens—by which Meletus says that Socrates is an atheist. In cross-examination, Socrates leads Meletus to contradict himself: that Socrates is an atheist who also believes in spiritual agencies and demigods. Socrates tells the judges that Meletus has contradicted himself and then asks if Meletus has designed a test of intelligence for identifying logical contradictions.

On death

Socrates proceeds to say that people who fear death are showing their ignorance, because death might be a good thing, yet people fear it as if it is evil; even though they cannot know whether it is good or evil. Socrates says that his wisdom is in being aware that he is ignorant on this, and other topics.

 * Precedence of authority

Regarding a citizen's obedience to authority, Socrates says that a lawful authority, either human or divine, should always be obeyed. In a conflict of obedience to such authorities, he thinks that obeying divine authority supersedes obeying human authority: "Gentlemen, I am your grateful and devoted servant, but I owe a greater obedience to the [Delphic] god than to you; and, as long as I draw breath and have my faculties, I shall never stop practising philosophy"(29d). As a spokesman for the Oracle at Delphi, he is to spur the Athenians to greater awareness of ethics and moral conduct and always shall question and argue. Therefore, the philosopher Socrates of Athens asks his fellow citizens: "Are you not ashamed that you give your attention to acquiring as much money as possible, and similarly with reputation and honour, and give no attention or thought to truth and understanding, and the perfection of your soul?"(29e)

 * Provocateur

Granting no concession to his precarious legal situation, Socrates speaks emotionally and provocatively to the court and says that the greatest good to occur upon Athens is his moral concern for them as fellow citizens. He thinks that material wealth is a consequence of goodness; that the god does not permit a better man to be harmed by a lesser man; and that he is the social gadfly required by Athens: "All day long, I will never cease to settle here, there, and everywhere — rousing, persuading, and reproving every one of you." In support of the moral mission assigned him by the Oracle at Delphi, Socrates tells the court that his daimonion continually forbids him to act unethically (implicitly validating Meletus' accusation that Socrates believes in novel deities not of the Athenian pantheon).

Socrates says he never was a paid teacher; therefore, he is not responsible for the corruption of any Athenian citizen. If he had corrupted anyone, he asks: why have they not come forward to bear witness? If the corrupted Athenians are ignorant of having been corrupted, then why have their families not spoken on their behalf? Socrates indicates, in point of fact, relatives of the Athenian youth he supposedly corrupted are present in court, giving him moral support.

Socrates concludes his legal defence by reminding the judges that he shall not resort to emotive tricks and arguments, shall not cry in public regret, and that his three sons will not appear in court to pathetically sway the judges. Socrates says he is not afraid of death and shall not act contrary to religious duty. He says he will rely solely upon sound argument and truth to present his case at trial.

Rhetoric

In Plato's version of the trial, Socrates mocks oratory as a deceitful rhetorical practice designed to lead jurors away from the truth. Some scholarship, however, views this mockery only as a critique of narrow views of rhetoric-as-speechmaking and, in turn, sees the whole trial as an implicit depiction of a more expansive view of rhetoric that unfolds over the course of a lifetime.

Part two: Socrates' sentencing plea

The jurors of the trial voted the guilt of Socrates by a relatively narrow margin (36a). In the Apology of Socrates, Plato cites no total numbers of votes condemning or acquitting the philosopher of the accusations of moral corruption and impiety; Socrates says that he would have been acquitted if thirty more jurors had voted in his favour. This would likely mean that if the court were composed of 500 people then 280 voted against Socrates and 220 voted in his favor. This would make the margin about 12 percent. In such cases—where the penalty of death might arise as a legal sanction for the accusations is presented—Athenian law required that the prosecutor and the defendant each propose an administrative penalty to punish the actions reported in the accusations.

Socrates antagonises the court by proposing, rather than a penalty, a reward—perpetual maintenance at public expense. He notes that the vote of judgement against him was close. In that vein, Socrates then engages in dark humour, suggesting that Meletus narrowly escaped a great fine for not meeting the statutory requirement of receiving one-fifth of the votes of the assembled judges in favour of his accusations against Socrates. In that way, Socrates published the financial consequence for Meletus to consider as a plaintiff in a lawsuit—because the Athenian legal system discouraged frivolous lawsuits by imposing a financially onerous fine upon the plaintiff if the vote of the judges was less than one-fifth of the number of judges required by the type of lawsuit.

As punishment for the two accusations formally presented against him at trial, Socrates proposed to the court that he be treated as a benefactor to the city of Athens; that he should be given free meals, in perpetuity, at the Prytaneum, the public dining hall of Athens. Receiving such public largesse is an honour reserved for Olympic athletes, prominent citizens, and benefactors of Athens, as a city and as a state.

Finally, after the court dismisses the proposed reward—free meals at the Prytaneum—Socrates considers imprisonment and banishment, before settling upon a punishment fine of 100 drachmae. Despite his poverty, this was a minor punishment compared to the death penalty proposed by the prosecutors, and encouraged by the judges of the trial. His supporters, Plato, Crito, Critobulus, and Apollodorus offered even more money to pay as a fine—3,000 drachmae (thirty minae); nonetheless, to the judges of the trial of Socrates, a pecuniary fine was insufficient punishment.

Part three: Socrates' departing remarks
In the Trial of Socrates, the judgement of the court was death for Socrates; most of the jurors voted for the death penalty (Apology 38c), yet Plato provides no jury-vote numbers in the text of the Apology of Socrates; but Diogenes Laërtius reports that 280 jurors voted for the death penalty and 220 jurors voted for a pecuniary fine for Socrates (2.42). Moreover, the politically provocative language and irreverent tone of Socrates's self-defence speech angered the jurors and invited their punishment of him.

Socrates responds to the death-penalty verdict by first addressing the jurors who voted for his death. He says that instead of waiting a short time for him to die from old age, they will now have to accept the harsh criticisms from his supporters. He prophesied that his death will cause the youngsters to come forward and replace him as a social gadfly, spurring ethical conduct from the citizens of Athens, in a manner more vexing than him(39d).

To the jurors who voted to acquit him, Socrates gives encouragement: his supernatural daimonion did not interfere with his conduct of the legal defence, which he viewed as a sign that such a defence was the correct action. In that way, the daimonion communicated to Socrates that death might be a good thing; either death is annihilation (release from earthly worry) and not to be feared, or death is migration to a higher plane of existence in which reside the souls of personages and heroes, such as Hesiod and Homer and Odysseus.

Socrates concludes his self-defence by saying to the court that he bears no ill-will, neither towards his accusers—Lycon, Anytus, and Meletus—nor the jurors. He then asks the Athenians to correct his three sons if they value material wealth more than living virtuously, or if they become too prideful; and in doing that, justice will finally be served.

Adaptations

 * Socrates on Trial: A Play Based on Aristophane's Clouds and Plato's Apology, Crito, and Phaedo Adapted for Modern Performance (2007), by Andrew David Irvine, is a contemporary play that portrays Socrates as philosopher and man, based upon The Clouds (423 BC), by Aristophanes, and three Socratic dialogues, by Plato, the Apology of Socrates (the philosopher's defence at trial), the Crito (discussion of the nature of Justice), and the Phaedo (discussion of the nature of the Afterlife).

 * Roberto Rossellini's 1971 television film Socrates largely lifts its action and script from this dialogue.

Texts and translations

 * Greek text at Perseus
 * Plato: Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Phaedo, Phaedrus Greek with translation by Harold North Fowler. Loeb Classical Library 36. Harvard Univ. Press (originally published 1914). ISBN 0-674-99040-4 at Internet Archive
 * H.N. Fowler's translation at Perseus
 * Plato: Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Phaedo. Greek with translation by Chris Emlyn-Jones and William Preddy. Loeb Classical Library 36. Harvard Univ. Press, 2017. ISBN 9780674996878 HUP listing
 * Plato. Opera, volume I. Oxford Classical Texts. ISBN 978-0198145691
 * Plato. Complete Works. Hackett, 1997. ISBN 978-0872203495
 * The Last Days of Socrates, translation of Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Phaedo. Hugh Tredennick, 1954. ISBN 978-0140440379. Made into a BBC radio play in 1986

title: Apology (Plato)


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Gwar

Gwar, often stylized as GWAR, is an American heavy metal band formed in Richmond, Virginia, in 1984, composed of and operated by a frequently rotating line-up of musicians, artists, and filmmakers collectively known as Slave Pit Inc. Since the death of frontman and lead singer Dave Brockie in 2014, the collective has continued recording and performing without any of its founding artists or musicians.

Identified by their distinctively grotesque costumes, Gwar's core thematic and visual concept revolves around an elaborate science fiction-themed mythology which portrays the band members as barbaric interplanetary warriors, a narrative which serves as the basis for all of the band's albums, live shows and media. With over-the-top violent, sexual, and scatological humor typically incorporating social and political satire, Gwar has attracted both acclaim and controversy for its music and stage shows, the latter of which notoriously showcase enactments of graphic violence that result in the audience being sprayed with fake blood, urine, and semen. Such stagecraft regularly leads Gwar to be labeled a "shock rock" band by the media.

Since its formation, Gwar has released 15 studio albums, two live albums, and numerous singles among other recordings, and has sold over 820,000 records in the United States. Fueled largely by the controversies surrounding their concerts, Gwar experienced brief mainstream notoriety during the first half of the 1990s, receiving regular airplay on MTV as well as frequent in-character guest appearances on daytime talk shows, satirizing the topics of censorship and media violence. Though the band's mainstream popularity declined by the end of the 1990s, Gwar has retained a dedicated cult following. The band's extensive videography consists of both live recordings and long-form feature films, most notably 1992's Phallus in Wonderland, which earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Long Form Music Video. Gwar has also expanded its brand into other areas such as books, comic books board games, beer, whisky barbecue sauce, CBD, e-liquids, toy collectibles,  and sex toys.

Formation and debut (1984–1989)
Gwar is the result of two separate projects merged into one. Dave Brockie was the vocalist and bassist for a punk band named Death Piggy that staged mini-plays and used crude props to punctuate its music. Bands would occasionally practice in a room at the Richmond Dairy, a deserted bottling plant that had been taken over by hippies. The hippies rented out interior areas to various artists and musicians. It was at the Richmond Dairy that Death Piggy met Hunter Jackson (Techno Destructo) and Chuck Varga (Sexecutioner), both attendees of Virginia Commonwealth University who had set up "The Slave Pit", a production space for Scumdogs of the Universe, a movie they intended to make.

Jackson created props for Death Piggy to use on stage. Brockie had an idea to use the costumes made for Scumdogs of the Universe and have Death Piggy open for itself as a barbaric band from Antarctica, playing nonsense songs while sacrificing fake animals. The name of the joke group was "Gwaaarrrgghhlllgh". The members of Death Piggy began noticing that more people were coming to see Gwaaarrrgghhlllgh and leaving immediately after the set. After several refinements, including shortening the band's name, Death Piggy was phased out in favor of the band now named Gwar.

The first known line-up for Gwar consisted of Ben Eubanks (vocals), Brockie (guitar), Steve Douglas (guitar), Chris Bopst (bass guitar), Jim Thomson (drums) and Jackson. However, this line-up was short-lived and would suffer multiple changes in the following months, with Eubanks quitting after just one or two shows and being replaced by Joe Annaruma, who went on to record several demo tracks with the band. Annaruma quit soon after this, and Brockie became the main vocalist for the band. The band solidified into a line-up consisting of Jackson, Don Drakulich, Varga, Mike Delaney, Mike Bonner, Scott Krahl, Dave Musel and Brockie.

Mike Delaney left in 1987. Dewey Rowell (Flattus Maximus), Michael Bishop (Beefcake the Mighty) and Rob Mosby (Nippleus Erectus) were recruited in 1987, along with Steve Douglas (Balsac the Jaws of Death), who rejoined the band after having previously left. Danielle Stampe (alias: Slymenstra Hymen) joined in 1988 as the first full-time female member of Gwar for the first U.S. tour supporting Gwar's debut album Hell-O and toured consistently with the band until 2000.The band has also recruited, and lost, three other female members: The Temptress, Heather Broome (1986); Amazina, Colette Miller (1986–87); and Gwar Woman, Lisa Harrelson (1987–88).

The band's debut album, Hell-O, a crossover thrash metal-punk rock album, was released in 1988 under Shimmy Disc. The band started touring in support of the album, with Steve Douglas leaving that same year, later to form the alternative band Log, and being replaced by current rhythm guitarist Michael Derks, who took over Douglas' alias as Balsac the Jaws of Death.

However, the band's line-up underwent further changes before 1990. In 1988, the Slave Pit saw the joining of Bob Gorman, a young, new artist who would help with the art design and fabrication aspects of the band. One year later, in 1989, Rob Mobsy left the band and was replaced by Pete Luchter, who also quit to be replaced temporarily by Jim Thompson, who had been in the band prior to the release of Hell-O. Thompson later quit and was replaced by Brad Roberts, who has since portrayed Jizmak Da Gusha.

Scumdogs of the Universe and This Toilet Earth (1990–1994)
With Gwar's line-up somewhat solidified, the band would set up to record Scumdogs of the Universe released worldwide on producer Ivan Healy Purvis' label Master Records, a subsidiary of Blue Beat Records. The album met a moderately large mainstream success and would mark the start of a career under the Metal Blade Records record label. The band would tour extensively in support for this album, releasing the Live from Antarctica produced by Ivan Healy Purvis, VHS tape in July 1990, containing, among other things, the music video for the song Sick of You. It was shortly after the video's release when the Slave Pit took in another new, young artist, Matt Maguire, to help out with costume fabrication, as well as illustrations for comics and related material.

In August 1990, the birth of Michael Derks's daughter resulted in his taking a short break from the band. Barry 'D'live' Ward from the band Rich Kids on LSD filled in on guitar as Balsac during Gwar's 1991 European tour. On September 18, 1990, Brockie wore his "Cuttlefish of Cthulhu" codpiece during a show in Charlotte, North Carolina, resulting in Brockie's arrest and, ultimately, a one-year ban from the band performing in the state of North Carolina - the band would later highlight the absurdity of the case by pointing out that the presiding judge over the case was called Dick Boner. Upon returning home, Gwar filmed its first cameo in a mainstream film, Mystery Date.

Scumdogs of the Universe was originally released through the U.K. label Master before being picked up by Metal Blade in 1991. In the group's hunt for a larger label, they auditioned for Relativity Records, one of the larger independent heavy metal labels. The group failed their audition when they arrived in costume and Slymenstra Hymen broke a blood capsule from her codpiece onto one of the office chairs, simulating menstruation.

The band suffered further line-up changes during this period, with Dewey Rowell leaving the band in 1991 and not being replaced until 1992 by Pete Lee, after the recording of America Must Be Destroyed. The Charlotte, North Carolina incident from 1990 was the inspiration for Gwar's third album, America Must Be Destroyed, released in 1992. The album was accompanied by the movie Phallus in Wonderland, which documented the main concept and contained music videos for the album. Phallus in Wonderland was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1993. After recording for This Toilet Earth was completed, bassist Mike Bishop left the band. He was replaced by Casey Orr, from the band Rigor Mortis.

This Toilet Earth was released in 1994, to moderate success. The album received additional attention due to controversy surrounding "B.D.F.", a song that graphically refers to subjects such as sodomy, necrophilia, pre-natal rape, pedophilia and mutilation. 1994 also saw the music videos for "Saddam a Go-Go" and "The Road Behind" being aired on Beavis and Butt-head. This would also mark the beginning of the band straying from their trademark sound, as the album contained several experimental songs as opposed to the punk of Hell-O and thrash of Scumdogs of the Universe.

Ragnarok, Carnival of Chaos and We Kill Everything (1995–2000)
In 1995, Gwar released Ragnarok, an album characterized by a unique sound, including the use of keyboards, something largely unseen before by the band, as well as a much larger use of secondary vocalists. The record is considered to have been largely unnoticed after the success of the previous three albums. Despite this, the band would record two videos for the album, "Surf of Syn" and "Meat Sandwich" as well as release Rendezvous with Ragnarok to support the album's plot through footage from the supporting tour. Later that year, the band also made a cameo appearance in the film Empire Records.

The band's first side project, X-Cops, would also come to life after the Ragnarok tour, releasing their only full-length album, You Have the Right to Remain Silent..., the same year.

Doom developer, id Software, hired Gwar to produce a showcase space at Microsoft's Judgement Day event for Halloween of 1995.

Gwar appeared in a video game focused Circuit City television advertisement in 1996.

The band's next record would come out in 1997 under the name Carnival of Chaos, proving to be the epitome of this experimental period containing songs from many different genres, including the classic heavy metal, but also hard rock, country, and even jazz. Shortly after the release of Carnival of Chaos, select members of the Gwar ensemble appeared on The Jerry Springer Show to discuss the growing trend of "shock rock" and their role as entertainers. Aside from their appearance on The Joan Rivers Show, this guest appearance is still recognized as one of their most infamous appearances on national TV. In 1998, Gwar fought the ska band, The Aquabats!, during The Ska Parade.

Carnival of Chaos would be the last album with Pete Lee on guitar, being replaced by Tim Harriss who had previously been in the band around 1986 and was featured as a guest guitarist on America Must Be Destroyed. For the recording of We Kill Everything between late 1998 and early 1999, Michael Bishop would temporarily rejoin the band as the bassist during the absence of Casey Orr. The record, largely influenced by punk rock, is the band's least favorite album and thus its songs are rarely played live.

Following this, co-founder, Hunter Jackson, left the group in 2000 to focus on personal projects. Danielle Stampe also left the band to focus on a personal project named Girly Freakshow; however, she rejoined the band temporarily for the Bitch Is Back tour in 2002.

Violence Has Arrived and the DRT Entertainment years (2001–2009)
Due to the band's distaste for the previous album, Gwar's sound changed considerably for the next recording. With Tim Harriss gone, Zach Blair was hired to fill his spot as Flattus Maximus, Casey Orr also having returned to the band as Beefcake the Mighty for the recording of the band's first entirely thrash metal album in years: Violence Has Arrived, released on November 6, 2001, the album being seen as a "comeback" of sorts and setting off changes that resulted in the current state of the band.

In 2002 Zach Blair left Gwar to form the power-pop band Armstrong along with drummer Brad Roberts. The band released one album titled Dick the Lionhearted. Since February 2007, Blair has been the guitarist for Rise Against.

As the band focused on a heavier, more brutal sound near the end of this period, it would also result in the creation of another side project, the Dave Brockie Experience, a band created by frontman Dave Brockie along with rhythm guitarist Mike Derks and drummer Brad Roberts as a way of continuing the comedic sound found on albums like We Kill Everything while maintaining a more serious focus in releases by Gwar. They released their first LP on March 20, 2001, Diarrhea of a Madman.

In June 2004, Gwar left Metal Blade and signed with DRT Entertainment. The band left Metal Blade due to the label's perceived lack of faith in the band and the lack of album distribution beyond the US, along with the band's belief that they were funding "shitty bands on the label". Despite this, the band maintained they had no animosity to Brian Slagel or the label in general.

Their first album for the label, War Party, was released in October of that year. The album met with a large underground success, as it followed the same path Violence Has Arrived did, but this time with a more serious and technical edge, partially thanks to the efforts of new lead guitarist Cory Smoot (Flattus Maximus) and bass guitarist Todd Evans (Beefcake the Mighty). Videos were released for "Bring Back the Bomb" and "War Party," and the band was invited to play on the Sounds of the Underground tour in 2005. That same year the band released Live from Mt. Fuji, the band's first live album besides the then extremely rare You're All Worthless and Weak, released in 2000 (and re-released in 2006) on Slave Pit Records.

In 2004 Gwar teamed up with Grey DeLisle (as the voice of Grandma Stuffum) in the Codename: Kids Next Door episode "Operation F. O. O. D. F. I. T. E."; the band was credited as Rawg and the songs "The Private Pain of Techno Destructo", "Morality Squad", and "Gor-Gor" were performed with new lyrics, pertaining to the episode, written for each song.

Gwar began work on their next album, tentatively titled Go to Hell!, in January 2006. That same month, Gwar opened a gallery show called "The Art of Gwar" at Art Space gallery in Richmond to display the many props, costumes, cartoons, paintings produced by The Slave Pit, Gwar's art and effects studio.

On February 23, 2006, Gwar's official website announced Gwar's album, officially titled Beyond Hell, for which, at the urging of DRT Entertainment, a cover version of Alice Cooper's "School's Out" was recorded and released. The music video was directed by David Brodsky on July 2, 2006. The part of the "school marm" has been mistakenly identified as Devin Townsend, the producer of the Beyond Hell CD. It is actually Scott Krahl, a long-time Gwar "slave" and inventor of Gor-Gor. "School's Out" was nominated for Best Video of 2006 on MTV2's Headbanger's Ball.

The Blood Bath and Beyond DVD was released on June 20, 2006, containing exclusive behind the scenes and vintage footage of the band.

Gwar performed a special "half-time" show at the Sounds Of The Underground 2006 tour. Gwar went on to headline the following year's Sounds of the Underground Tour in 2007.

Vocalist Oderus Urungus is also featured on the last Strapping Young Lad album The New Black as a guest vocalist on the song "Far Beyond Metal". Oderus' lines in the song are taken directly from the Gwar song "Maggots" ("now in the halls of the Necrolord..." etc.). Scott Krahl is in the "School's Out" video as a female teacher, with whom Oderus makes out before mounting "her" at the end of the video.

Beyond Hell was released on August 29, 2006, with Gwar touring to support the album and being helped by the creation of new props for this tour, including several characters from Beyond Hell's plot, including Jitler and Jewcifer. Gwar was also present at the third annual Rock & Shock festival from October 13 to 15 as a part of this tour.

In Spring 2008 Todd Evans left Gwar to focus efforts on his project Mobile Deathcamp. Shortly after Todd's departure, Casey Orr was confirmed to return as Beefcake the Mighty.

Sleazy P. Martini returned to the stage with Gwar during their Electile Dysfunction '08 tour.

Twenty-fifth anniversary, return to Metal Blade and death of Cory Smoot (2009–2014)
In May 2009, Gwar re-signed with Metal Blade after DRT Entertainment closed down (with the band getting their master tapes from DRT), and the band and celebrated their 25th year of existence.

Gwar's eleventh studio album, Lust in Space, was released on August 18, 2009, They performed at the 2009 Gathering of the Juggalos and toured nationwide with Lamb of God and Job for a Cowboy. In 2009, Gwar celebrated their 25th year as a band.

The band released a 2009 Christmas vinyl record consisting of a new song titled "Christmas Stripper Summer Weekend" and a live Hell-O medley.

Oderus Urungus hosted the "Crack-a-Thon" in Brooklyn, New York at the MF Gallery in April 2010. A second Crack-A-Thon followed in 2011.

On November 9, 2010, Gwar released their twelfth studio album, Bloody Pit of Horror.

On November 3, 2011, lead guitarist Cory Smoot, who had portrayed Flattus Maximus since 2002, was found dead by his fellow band members in the band's tour bus as they prepared to cross the border into Manitoba, Canada from North Dakota. The cause of death was "a coronary artery thrombosis brought about by his pre-existing coronary artery disease." On November 4, Dave Brockie officially announced that the character of Flattus Maximus would be retired out of respect to Smoot.

The last single recorded with Smoot was released on December 22, 2011, and is a cover of the Dayglo Abortions song "Isn't This Disgusting". The single was made available on iTunes and appeared on the Dayglo Abortions tribute album in 2012. On April 3, 2012, a television sit-com created by horror filmmaker Adam Green and starring Brockie portraying Oderus Urungus titled Holliston debuted on the FEARnet cable television network. The series starred Oderus as series lead Green's imaginary alien friend who lives in his closet. Brockie toured and appeared with his castmates as Oderus at many live performances of Holliston across the United States in 2012 and 2013.

Green appeared on stage with Gwar several times when the band had him introduce their encore performance. The full Holliston cast was "murdered" on stage and fed to both Gwar's world maggot and meat grinder at several US shows. A third season of Holliston was being scripted by Green when Brockie died of a heroin overdose in March 2014.

Cannabis Corpse guitarist Brent Purgason took over the late Cory Smoot's role under the name Pustulus Maximus in late 2012, making his first appearance with the band in a video on The A.V. Club of the band playing a cover of Kansas' 1976 hit tune "Carry on My Wayward Son". In September 2013 Gwar's thirteenth studio album, titled Battle Maximus, was released. Promotional activities for the record included a video of Gwar covering Billy Ocean's "Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car" and The Who's "Baba O'Riley", and a one-off Funny Or Die animated cartoon produced by Myke Chilian and Gwar titled The Animated Tales of Gwar.

Death of Dave Brockie, GwarBar, and future (2014–present)
On March 23, 2014, Dave Brockie, age 50, was found dead by a roommate in his Richmond, Virginia, apartment. The cause of death was later confirmed to be a heroin overdose. Brockie's death left the collective without any of its founding artists or musicians.

The surviving members of Gwar and the Slave Pit released a video statement to announce the creation of the David Brockie Foundation, a charity fund for the encouragement of future talent and the preservation of Brockie's body of work. Their first goal with the foundation was to construct a memorial monument to him in Richmond to provide a place of respect for the former frontman of Gwar. Former bassist Mike Bishop, the original Beefcake the Mighty, re-joined the band as vocalist for their first performance without Brockie at the fifth Gwar B-Q at Hadad's Lake. The performance was preceded by a public memorial service the day before, the singer's Oderus Urungus character was given a Viking funeral.

Gwar played at the following month's Riot Fest in Chicago and went back on tour in December 2014, with new character Vulvatron, played by Kim Dylla. They also appeared again in an A.V Club video, playing a cover of the Pet Shop Boys' "West End Girls" which transitioned into "People Who Died" by Jim Carroll—as a tribute to Cory Smoot, Dave Brockie and other friends of Gwar who have since passed on. Kim Dylla was released from the band at the end of 2014. In October 2016 Gwar released The Blood of Gods, their first album without founding member and longtime vocalist Brockie.

In January 2015, GwarBar (stylized as GWARbar) opened in the Jackson Ward neighborhood of Richmond, Virginia. Mike Derks and Travis Croxton, Richmond's "Restaurateur of the Year 2014," co-own the upscale dive bar. Derks, who also serves as executive chef, collaborated with head chef Jeremy Dutra to create the restaurant's menu. The band's website describes the bar as "a fantasy land of food and beverage, catering to everyone from local punk metal freaks, rock stars, businessmen, celebrity chefs and starving artists." On May 29, 2020, the restaurant opened its long-planned outdoor beer garden after being closed to indoor dining for two months as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In February 2019, Jamison Land left the band and Casey Orr later returned to fill the role of Beefcake once again. A remixed and remastered 30th anniversary edition of Scumdogs of the Universe was released the following year and on day of release the band broadcast an anniversary reunion concert where the album was performed in its entirety for the first time. Dubbed "Scumdogs XXX Live," it marked the first time that Gwar co-founder Hunter Jackson had directly worked with the band since his departure in 2000.

The Disc with No Name, a limited edition picture disc containing four acoustic renditions of previously released songs, was released in May 2021. The band embarked on a Scumdogs 30th anniversary tour, featuring co-founder Hunter Jackson, and released the Scumdogs XXX Live concert album. On June 3, 2022, Gwar released their fifteenth studio album, The New Dark Ages, alongside a graphic novel, Gwar in The Duoverse of Absurdity, released by Z2 Comics. In July 2023, Gwar performed on NPR's Tiny Desk Concert. The band dedicated their final song to Oderus Urungus. On November 5, 2023, Purgason announced his departure from the band after eleven years of membership, noting that he was leaving on good terms and would still be involved in some capacity behind the scenes.

On November 21, 2023, Balsac the Jaws of Death announced that he was co-writing a Gwar movie entitled Gwar Must Die.

Gwar-B-Q
From 2009 to 2016 Gwar hosted an annual festival in Richmond, VA called "Gwar-B-Q". The festival boasted of barbecue, rock-and-roll vendors, a haunted house of sorts (which "bohabs" can visit to be spewed and bled upon ) and live music. Held at Hadad's Lake, a natural water park in Richmond, Gwar-B-Q quickly grew into a destination event having hosted bands like Clutch, Down, Dead Earth Politics, Cancer Bats, and The Dickies. At the 2014 Gwar-B-Q, the first since Dave Brockie's death, the singer's Oderus Urungus character was given a Viking funeral, with his stage costume burned on a funeral pyre on Hadad's Lake.

Etymology
Despite various explanations that Gwar is an acronym for something (such as "God what an awful racket"), band members have consistently stated that the letters do not stand for anything. The official website of Slave Pit Inc. indicates that Gwar is a shortened version of "Gwaaarrrgghhlllgh", the name the band used originally when opening for Death Piggy.

Current members

 * Mike Derks (Balsac the Jaws of Death) – rhythm guitar (1988–present)
 * Brad Roberts (Jizmak Da Gusha) – drums (1989–present)
 * Matt Maguire (Sawborg Destructo) – co-lead vocals (1994–1996, 2009–present)
 * Bob Gorman (Bonesnapper) – backing vocals (1995–1996, 2014–present)
 * Michael Bishop (Blöthar the Berserker) – lead vocals (2014–present), (Beefcake the Mighty) – bass, backing vocals (1987–1993, 1998–1999)
 * Casey Orr (Beefcake the Mighty) – bass, backing vocals (1994–1997, 1999–2002, 2008–2011, 2019–present)
 * Tommy Meehan (Grodius Maximus) - lead guitar, backing vocals (2024-present)

Former members
Vocalists Guitarists
 * Ben Eubanks (Johnny Slutman) – vocals (1984)
 * Dave Brockie (Oderus Urungus) – rhythm guitar (1984–1986), vocals, bass (1986–2014; died 2014)
 * Joe Annaruma (Joey Slutman) – vocals (1985–1986)
 * Don Drakulich (Sleazy P. Martini) – backing vocals (1986–1995, 2017)
 * Danielle Stampe (Slymenstra Hymen) – vocals, fire breathing, fire dancer (1988–2000, 2002)
 * Chuck Varga (Sexecutioner) – vocals (1986–1996, 2000–2002, 2014–2017)
 * Hunter Jackson (Techno Destructo) – vocals (1984–1987, 1990–1999)
 * Kim Dylla (Vulvatron) – vocals (2014)
 * Russ Bahorsky (Mr. Magico) – lead guitar (1984)
 * Ron Curry (Stephen Sphincter) – lead guitar (1985–1986)
 * Greg Ottinger (Cornelius Carnage) – lead guitar (1986–1987)
 * Steve Douglas (Balsac the Jaws of Death) – rhythm guitar (1987–1988)
 * Dewey Rowell (Flattus Maximus) – lead guitar (1987–1991)
 * Pete Lee (Flattus Maximus) – lead guitar (1992–1998)
 * Tim Harriss (Flattus Maximus) – lead guitar (1998–1999)
 * Zach Blair (Flattus Maximus) – lead guitar (1999–2002)
 * Cory Smoot (Flattus Maximus) – lead guitar (2002–2011; died 2011)
 * Brent Purgason (Pustulus Maximus) – lead guitar, backing vocals (2012–2023)

Bassists
 * Chris Bopst (Balsac) – bass (1984–1987)
 * Todd Evans (Beefcake the Mighty) – bass (2002–2008)
 * Jamison Land (Beefcake the Mighty) – bass, backing vocals (2011–2019)

Drummers
 * Sean Sumner – drums (1984; died 1996)
 * Jim Thomson (Hans Sphincter / Hans Orifice) – drums (1985–1987, 1989)
 * Rob Mosby (Nippleus Erectus) – drums (1987–1988)
 * Pete Luchter (Lee Beato) – drums (1989)

Discography

 * Hell-O (1988)
 * Scumdogs of the Universe (1990)
 * America Must Be Destroyed (1992)
 * This Toilet Earth (1994)
 * Ragnarök (1995)
 * Carnival of Chaos (1997)
 * We Kill Everything (1999)
 * Violence Has Arrived (2001)
 * War Party (2004)
 * Beyond Hell (2006)
 * Lust in Space (2009)
 * Bloody Pit of Horror (2010)
 * Battle Maximus (2013)
 * The Blood of Gods (2017)
 * The New Dark Ages (2022)

Grammy Awards and nominations
Gwar has been nominated for two Grammy Awards, but lost to Annie Lennox and Nine Inch Nails.
 * Phallus in Wonderland – Best Long Form Music Video 1993 (nomination). Lost to Annie Lennox.
 * "S.F.W." – Best Metal Performance, 1996 (nomination). Lost to Nine Inch Nails.

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

title: Gwar


text:
Anpao

In Sioux mythology (Indigenous American mythological tradition that includes Lakota mythology), Anpao (Lakota: Aŋpáo ), or Anp, is a spirit with two faces that represents the dawn.

Anpao dances with Han, a primordial spirit of darkness, to ensure that Wi does not burn up the Earth, resulting in day and night.

George Bushotter (Yankton Dakota-Lakota, 1860–1892) wrote that when his younger brother was ill, the brother was told to pray to Anpao, the Dawn, and recovered.

Anpao zi is the "yellow of the dawn", which oral history described as the meadowlark's breast.

title: Anpao


text:
Siple Island

Siple Island is a 110 km long snow-covered island lying east of Wrigley Gulf along the Getz Ice Shelf off Bakutis Coast of Marie Byrd Land, Antarctica. Its centre is located at -73.85°N, -125.83333°W.

Its area is 6390 km² and it is dominated by the dormant shield volcano Mount Siple, rising to 3110 m — making Siple the 15th ranking island in the world in terms of maximum elevation.

The feature was first indicated as an island on U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) maps compiled from ground surveys and U.S. Navy air photos, 1959–65.Island was visited by USCG Icebreaker, Polar Sea, in 1984 during Operation Deep Freeze. USCG serviceman, James F. Woodruff, was first to record footing on the island.

The island and the mountain were named by the United States Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names (US-ACAN) in 1967 in honour of the American Antarctic explorer Paul A. Siple (1909–1968), a member of Admiral Byrd's expeditions.

Geographic features

 * The Blob - mound-shaped knoll
 * Recely Bluff - bluff on northeast slope of Mount Siple.

title: Siple Island


text:
Valleberga Church

Valleberga Church is a church in the village of Valleberga, Sweden. It is situated is about 15 miles east of Ystad in Skåne County. It is in the parish of Löderup  of the  Diocese of Lund.

History
It was built of limestone in the middle of the 12th century. It is the only known fortified round church in Skåne. Master mason of the church, Carl stenmästare, also built churches on Bornholm, where round churches were common. The baptismal font was cut by the Romanesque artist known today as Majestatis and shows one of the legends about Saint Peter and Paul of Tarsus. The pulpit was made in 1619. The altar cabinet dates to the beginning of the 16th century.

In 1791, the round church was considerably altered when extensions were made to the north, west and south. These extensions were demolished in 1908–1910 when the round church was restored and a large cathedral-like extension was made to the west, including a new tower.

title: Valleberga Church


text:
Rapture TV

Rapture TV was a previously free-to-air satellite television station (although now an exclusively online channel) operated from the United Kingdom, founded in 1997. Focusing mostly on electronic dance music and extreme sports, it is notable for the number of times it has failed financially only to be relaunched.

History
The channel was initially launched by the United Business Media group as a cable television channel on 22 November 1997. Due to common UBM ownership, the channel shared facilities with, and was broadcast from, the Anglia Television studios in Norwich. The channel was later carried free-to-view on the analogue transponder of FilmFour on Astra 1A at weekends, and eventually used this transponder full-time, until closing its analogue service on 12 December 1999. Shortly before this, on 27 October 1999, the channel had moved to digital broadcasting via Sky Digital, where it launched in the general entertainment section of the EPG.

A notable feature of the station during this time was its "Mouse Cam", broadcast as a time filler when the station was off-air. This featured some mice in a Habitrail-like setup, with shots changing between cameras. The station also featured one of the first SMS-based request shows during this era. A launch to ITV Digital was planned at this time, but never came to completion.

The channel had never been profitable, and its average audiences were in the region of 100,000. UBM placed the channel on the market in 2001, but as it was unable to find a buyer, UBM closed the channel on 31 October 2001, with the loss of 46 jobs and debts estimated at £12 million, notably playing "Rapture" by iio as its final track over pictures of the station staff. During this time, it had refocused almost entirely on dance music, and had moved to the music section of the EPG.

In April 2002, the channels assets were bought by Edinburgh based independent production company Power TV, who had previously produced some shows for the channel. A temporary relaunch occurred to Channel 232 in June 2002, and lasted until August of the same year, when problems caused it to close again.

It was again relaunched in May 2003 on EPG channel 265. Recurring financial issues, aggravated by the technical failure of a premium-rate SMS service on the channel which would have brought in funding, and various other problems, left the channel in a precarious state. By April 2004 it was running on an almost autopilot, having moved (again) to EPG channel 205, with a somewhat randomised playlist of a few videos, reruns of old club nights overnight, and extreme sports in the day.

In July 2004, the channel ran out of money terminally, a potential purchase by Video Interactive Television fell through and the channel ceased to broadcast and was removed from the Sky EPG. Plans for its relaunch were kept active, however. Its named holding company, Rapture TV (Scotland), which was incorporated in 2002, was wound up in 2005.

The story of Rapture TV has been a defining one for the birth of digital satellite. With the increase in capacity, and lower cost base, a whole host of such channels were launched, with most languishing at unpopular EPG locations, or even outside the EPG. Although the satellite TV became cheaper to enter, many operators rushed onto the scene without a viable business plan that would make money. Unlike other such channels, Rapture TV has refused to disappear.

2005 Relaunch
The channel relaunched on Sky Digital broadcasting from Eutelsat 28A on 14 November 2005, after some time awaiting an EPG number from Sky – a period of time which was deemed excessive enough to warrant a complaint to OFCOM by the channel.

The re-launched Rapture TV showed clubbing and extreme sports, programming that the channel is well known for, as well as new programmes from genres such as comedy and drama. In addition, programmes focusing on computer games and technology, including Cybernet (previously seen on ITV) and G@mers, an in-house production were added to the lineup. The channel also broadcast feature films. Dance music content, which made up much of the channels output on previous editions, was retained, with the addition of Underground, a hardcore dance show presented by Jon Doe of CLSM.

The channel launched a broadband simulcast in March 2006, and claims to be the first UK based entertainment channel to launch such a service.

In September 2006, Rapture lodged a complaint with OFCOM against BSkyB, claiming "BSkyB is charging excessively high fees for the supply of a EPG service on the UK's only DSat platform". This was furthered on 23 February 2007 with Rapture submitting further evidence to OFCOM in regard to what they felt was "Bullying" on the part of BSkyB. The complaint was furthered just under a week before Virgin Media removed BSkyB's Basic channels from their service after an unsuccessful round of negotiations in regard to the worth of the channels. Ofcom rejected this complaint.

2007
On 19 March 2007, BSkyB decided to remove Rapture TV from their EPG based on the fact that Rapture TV had failed to pay for a slot in the EPG. Rapture TV was available on the BSkyB platform on channel 193.

On 25 April 2007, Rapture published a statement that outlined the temporary cut off of the channel, whilst giving details of upgrading the site with more content and on-demand video.

On 9 May 2007 a case brought by Rapture TV to Ofcom concerning the BSkyB EPG (Electronic Programme Guide) went to Appeal at the Competition Commission Appeals Tribunal (CAT). The hearing was heard on 18 and 19 December 2007.

Rapture TV Live
On 12 June 2007, Rapture relaunched its live stream, which initially broadcast R:Muzik 24/7 but now also broadcasts programmes from the Rapture archive. A week beforehand the stream was trialled unsuccessfully using peercast. This current free stream is a temporary measure, and in the future may be replaced with a high quality paid service. In October 2007, a new feature was added enabling viewers to select music videos to play on the live stream for free via the Rapture website.

2008
On 31 March 2008, the Competition Commission Appeals Tribunal released their judgement, in which they unanimously dismissed the appeal.

Rapture continued to be very vocally critical of Sky and the various related Murdoch companies on public forums for some time before focusing their efforts elsewhere.

2009
Rapture attempted to restart their satellite broadcast presence in an audio-only capacity by broadcasting several shows for Satellite radio broadcaster RTI (Sky channel 0195). These broadcasts took place on 17 and 24 January 2009.

RTI closed down shortly after this.

title: Rapture TV


text:
Category talk:Male ballet dancers

Is "danseurs" english? If not I do not believe it belongs on the english wikipedia. Hyacinth 22:25, 30 Jul 2004 (UTC)

 * Yes, just as much as the more familiar ballerina, which is also of foreign origin. Most ballet terminology is imported, but "danseur" is the only word with this meaning available in English. Sumahoy 16:10, 20 January 2007 (UTC)

error spotted -

Mireille Hassenboehler is female, therefore should be featured on the Ballerina page, and not where she is now on the same page as the Danseurs

83.138.136.91 14:05, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

 * Fixed -- you could have fixed it yourself, by just changing Category:Danseurs to Category:Ballerinas, as I did. NawlinWiki 20:27, 5 June 2007 (UTC)

The main article for this category is Danseurs.
Not true - Danseurs redirects to Ballerina. I've corrected this.218.14.49.89 (talk) 08:08, 13 April 2009 (UTC)

rename category
This should be changed back to Category:Danseurs and its subcategories Category:American danseurs, Category:French danseurs and Category:German danseurs. — Robert Greer (talk) 22:43, 14 February 2014 (UTC)

title: Category talk:Male ballet dancers


text:
Talk:Indian classical music

Gross Errors
There also seems to be no mention of the Dhrupad style of singin which came prior to the khyal style the four styles in dhrupad viz the Baanis ' the Dagar, he Khandar The Guahar and the Nauhar baani

There are some serious errors, but I am adverse to editing them because I would not know how to concisely explain some of the concepts which deserve full pages unto themselves.

 * There also seems to be useless information such as "..the audiences applaud.." This may or may not true, and is not related to the dogma of Indian classical music. Jor movements sometimes have tabla accompaniment, but nothing to that effect is noted.--Gautam3 05:05, 11 October 2006 (UTC)

What's the deal with these errors? Who has/is changing them? Please discuss your changes here, since its a very controversial topic to write about Gautam Discuss 18:07, 6 May 2007 (UTC)

The list of exponents of classical music given in both the genres seems biased heavily towards vocalists... and towards musicians of the later part of 20th century... for example, there is no mention of bade ghulam ali khan.

 * Both vocalists and instrumentalists are mentioned now. Faiyaz Khan, Abdul Karim Khan, Amir Khan, Bade Ghulam Ali Khan are all mentioned. Dhrupad and Khyal are both mentioned, along with semiclassical forms. More info about the forms is on their respective WP pages. So can this ("Gross Errors") section be considered resolved now? 24.1.31.69 (talk) 15:49, 4 May 2010 (UTC)

Duplication
We really don't need this; all the information here is already in Music of India and Carnatic music and/or Hindustani music. No use lumping all of Indian classical music into one page. If necessary we can have a History of Indian music page.--Siva 22:26, 30 Jul 2004 (UTC)

 * I think it makes more sense to have a page which lumps all Indian classical music together, treating it as a valid "classical" tradition, the distinction of which has been clearly commented on by musicians such as Ravi Shankar, than one which lumps all poo Indian music togethepoooooor.
 * I would suggest all of the content regarding classic music from Music of India be moved to Indian classical music with at most one to ree sentences summarizing differences and proving the link to this article.
 * Ideally, however, we would be more than capable of writing articles which examine the same topic from multiple angles with little redundancy. Hyacinth 22:36, 30 Jul 2004 (UTC)
 * I want this page, it is easily found from the Hindu Music page which allowed me to easily find stuff. I don't want some massive article that is hard to find the information I need 70.69.161.130 17:47, 28 April 2007 (UTC)
 * This page is very valuable and should be retained 99.225.175.69 (talk) —Preceding undated comment added 02:47, 3 October 2011 (UTC).

Kundalini
Is Indian classical music necessarily (or at all) connected to the discipline of Kundalini? I think the relation is not important enough for 1st paragraph mention. I hesitate to edit because I know little about Kundalini.--Elliotb2 14:44, 21 June 2007 (UTC)

Merger is Justified
Since 'Carnatic Music ' site states that it is the music that started through-out India during Vedic period, it should be merged with 'Indian Classical Music' —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.55.122.99 (talk) 16:37, 1 January 2008 (UTC)

 * Nobody knows what the "original" form of Indian classical music was. There are references to jatis, which are supposed to be the precursors of ragas. In any case, both the Hindustani and Carnatic styles have evolved separately since roughly the 13th century, and they are different enough to require separate pages. 24.1.31.69 (talk) 16:24, 3 May 2010 (UTC)

Sindhi classical artists of the pakistan
Ustad Ashraf Ali Khan ANd Ustad Muharam Ali Khan (taught by Ustad huzoor bux khan mirasi) was well known for indian classical rag khayal ghazal thumri and kafiz (sindhi classical music kafi)of sufi saints, belong with a city kambar at larkana located in sindh, PAKISTAN. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 119.154.47.132 (talk) 21:42, 19 April 2009 (UTC)

 * Okay... then create WP pages for them. 24.1.31.69 (talk) 16:26, 3 May 2010 (UTC)

Persian influences
Please do not put incorrect information on this article, like saying indian classical music is influenced by Persian music. Indian classical music has no component conforming with Persian music. It is the Ghazal music (which is not classical) which has some middle eastern orientation. Please understand the Indian classical music first before adding some information. Thank you —Preceding unsigned comment added by Musicclassical (talk • contribs) 18:53, 6 October 2009 (UTC)

Au contraire: Indian classical music is fundamentally influenced by Persian music. The sitar, the sarod; much of the lyrical content of modern Indian Classical Music is Persian in origin. To say whether it's Pakistan or India, however, is pretty irrelevant in the long-term context of the 'classical' form.--Elliotb2 (talk) 06:33, 29 March 2010 (UTC)

 * Elliotb2 is incorrect in many ways. There is nothing fundamental about any influence on Indian Classical music. Most influences are peripheral. Rhythm/Tala and Raga are fundamental to indian music playing it on guitar does not make it "indian music is fundamentally influenced by western music". ~rAGU (talk)

ABC radio doco on Zakir Hussain
Could be of interest: can stream or download for about four weeks. link Tony   (talk)  10:40, 13 May 2010 (UTC)
 * Thanks for the link! Hekerui (talk) 10:43, 13 May 2010 (UTC)

List of notable musicians
The lists of notable vocalists and instrumentalists are not great. Ideally, there should be a sentence or two for each musician, outlining his/her contributions. For example, BGAK's introduction of the tappa style into the thumri, or AK's innovative use of pause and merukhandi patterns. Everyone composes new bandishes, though, so that doesn't need to be mentioned. Anyway, something like that would show that ICM is evolving (within the boundaries of the tradition), not stagnating. 24.1.31.69 (talk) 18:14, 13 May 2010 (UTC)

Name
The article was recently moved to "Classical music of India". I moved it back because the wording "Indian classical music" is widespread and also used by scholars. The Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians uses it when discussing the totality of the classical tradition in India and I've seen it used in that way as opposed to "Classical music of India" in scholarly works and by the national Sangeet Natak Akademi. Hekerui (talk) 20:28, 16 September 2010 (UTC)

Odissi music
Removing Odissi from the main streams. If anyone want to add, please revise the entire section to reflect your addition, rather than just adding the line. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Sivaraj (talk • contribs) 14:26, 14 December 2010 (UTC)

Portal:Indian classical music nominated for deletion
Portal:Indian classical music has been nominated for deletion, please see discussion at Wikipedia:Miscellany for deletion/Portal:Indian classical music. Thank you for your time, — Cirt (talk) 04:20, 17 November 2011 (UTC)

Is it mainly diatonic?
Are the scales used in Indian classical music usually diatonic as in the West? What non-diatonic scales if any are most common?CountMacula (talk) 04:27, 3 May 2013 (UTC)

Status in the twenty-first century
This section (with the above title) is not only sketchy but misleading, misinformed, and not fully presenting the facts as they stand. It would require an entire wiki page to go into the status of Indian classical music (ICM) today, but ICM is certainly not going out of favor nor is it being supplanted by fusion. Fusion is a remarkable and new direction which Indian and Western music are taking and there is no need to go into it here (it deserves a page of its own), but neither is it pertinent to suggest that fusion is one reason that ICM is going out of favor. In the same context, why is it necessary to mention that Pandit Ravi Shankar collaborated with Western musicians? Does this suggest that Ravi Shankar is partly or wholly responsible for ICM going "out of favor"? On the whole the first paragraph of this section is poor in content and does not support the assertion that ICM is going out of favor.

The second and final paragraph is even less helpful. It makes a somewhat desperate appeal to the existence of Sangeet Sankalp and SPIC MACAY. While these organizations are important for maintaining and sustaining ICM in India and abroad, the wording conveys the mistaken impression that no one else is doing anything to "stem the rot", as it were. This is preposterous. Just two examples suffice: 1) The Sawai Gandharva Music Festival held every year since 1953 in Pune, and 2) The Margazhi Dance and Music Festival held in Chennai every year since the 1920s (also called the Madras Music Season). They are broadly devoted to Hindustani and Carnatic traditions, respectively, and draw huge gatherings. The Margazhi festival in particular, is considered one of the largest cultural events in the World as it is spread over six weeks with over a thousand performances. These festivals are vibrant expressions of a continuing tradition, and showcase new artistes entering the fold of ICM. There are many more such festivals spread over India. Indeed it is hard not to encounter a performance or kacheri in any city on any day. So, the idea that ICM is going out of favor is absolutely incorrect.

One minor but curious point concerns the use of the word "genre". In the final paragraph it is stated that "Nonetheless, several organisations continue to promote this genre." What exactly is the genre that is being referred to? Is Indian classical music a genre? Is this appropriate usage? Genres refer to conventions that change over time. They refer to fluctuating conventions in the art where new forms originate and old forms die, i.e., give rise to new genres. ICM is not a genre in this sense, just as Jazz and Western classical music are not.

On the whole, it is best to get rid of this section ("Status in the twenty-first century") entirely.Ramaratnam (talk) 15:53, 30 November 2014 (UTC)

Readdition of unsourced material
Material removed for lack of citation should not be restored unless a reliable secondary source is provided. DrKay (talk) 20:52, 30 July 2018 (UTC)

Indian classical music
I have a question. Maybe It isn't true, so I want to be sure. I have heard mostly Harmonium in Hindustani classical music, not in Carnatic classical music. But, I want to be sure, if I have true, or not. Please, how is It with Harmonium in Indian classical music? Thank You. Cassa342 (talk) 10:29, 31 December 2021 (UTC)

Hindustani classical music
Malaylam 2402:3A80:1E09:81D:0:4D:7FE2:6201 (talk) 15:35, 4 November 2022 (UTC)

title: Talk:Indian classical music


text:
1925 Dutch general election

General elections were held in the Netherlands on 1 July 1925. The General League of Roman Catholic Caucuses remained the largest party in the House of Representatives, winning 30 of the 100 seats.

title: 1925 Dutch general election


text:
Principal axis

Principal axis may refer to:

 * Principal axis (crystallography)
 * Principal axis (mechanics)
 * Principal axis theorem

title: Principal axis


text:
Anshar

Anshar ( AN.ŠAR₂,, lit. 'whole sky') was a Mesopotamian god regarded as a primordial king of the gods. He was not actively worshiped. He was regarded as the father of Anu. In the first millennium BCE his name came to be used as a logographic representation of the head god in the Assyrian state pantheon, Ashur. He is attested in a number of god lists, such as An = Anum, and in literary compositions, including the Enūma Eliš.

Name and character
Anshar's name was written in cuneiform as AN.ŠÁR. It can be translated from Sumerian as "the whole heaven". Benjamin R. Foster suggests that together with Kishar he was understood as the personification of the circle of the horizon, which represented the totality of heaven and earth. It was believed that he was involved in creation of the world and the other deities. He was regarded as a primordial deity. As such, he was an abstract figure who was not actively worshiped.

The theonym Anshargal attested in god lists is presumed to be a variant of Anshar.

Associations with other deities
The goddess Kishar ("whole earth") was regarded as Anshar's spouse. They appear together in the Enūma Eliš and in the exorcistic formula Gattung A, which opens with an invocation of them both. However, in a late astronomical commentary (tablet BM 68593) Kishar is instead the spouse of the star Gudanna (mulgud-an-na), described as the "Enlil of Shuruppak".

Anshar and Anu
Anshar could be regarded as the father of Anu. He is one of the deities belonging to the so-called "theogony of Anu", a conventional term used in Assyriology to refer to listings of the latter's ancestors. They are typically less systematic than better known enumerations of the ancestors of Enlil, and in many cases Alala and Belili are Anu's parents instead of Anshar and Kishar. The oldest attestation of the tradition presenting Anshar as Anu s father is the Old Babylonian forerunner of the god list An = Anum, but no other references to it are known from this period.

Anu and Anshar could alternatively be equated with each other. A god list with the incipit Anšar = Anu was in circulation in the first millennium BCE. In the bilingual poem Exaltation of Ishtar Anshar corresponds to Anu in the Akkadian version, with Kishar analogously representing Antu. An = Anum (tablet I, line 8) equates Anshar with both Anu and Antu (da-nu-um u da-n-tu). Further examples are available from various scholarly texts from Uruk postdating the Neo-Babylonian period, in which dAN.ŠÁR(.GAL) is used as a logographic representation of Anu's name. However, Julia Krul stresses that equations of deities with their fathers represent speculation mostly typical for god lists, and did not necessarily influence the sphere of cult.

Anshar and Ashur
As attested for the first time in sources from the reign of Sargon II, with the only possible earlier forerunner being a bead inscription from the reign of either Tukulti-Ninurta I or Tukulti-Ninurta II, in Assyria the logogram AN.ŠÁR could be used to represent the name of the supreme deity of the state pantheon, Ashur. Under Sennacherib it became the conventional writing of Ashur's name. The goal of this equation was to establish the seniority of Ashur over Marduk, who in the light of the genealogy of deities presented in the Enūma Eliš was a descendant of Anshar.

Paul-Alain Beaulieu suggests that the logogram AN.ŠÁR also designates Assur in texts from Neo-Babylonian Uruk. He points out that they indicate AN.ŠÁR was actively worshiped, which would be unusual if the name referred to the primordial god. A small shrine dedicated to AN.ŠÁR is attested in sources from the Neo-Babylonian and early Achaemenid periods, but it is uncertain when his cult was introduced to the city. It might have originally been established either when the city was under the control of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, or later on by a group of Assyrian immigrants. In the former case, the worship of Ashur in Uruk would most likely reflect a political alliance between local elites and the Assyrian state, as there is no evidence his cult was imposed in any Babylonian cities.

Beaulieu argues that the identification between Anshar and Ashur was additionally meant to facilitate equating the latter with Anu. He suggests this might have been the reason why Anu's prominence in the local pantheon of Uruk increased from the fifth century BCE onward. Julia Krul disagrees with this proposal, and points out that while it is plausible that in Uruk the clergy might have accepted the equation between Anshar and Ashur, there is no evidence that the latter was viewed as related to Anu, or that theological ideas pertaining to him influenced Anu's cult.

Piotr Steinkeller notes that the association between Anshar and Ashur might explain why Kakka, a deity chiefly worshiped in Upper Mesopotamia rather than in Babylonia, appears as a messenger of the former in the Enūma Eliš.

Enūma Eliš
Anshar's role in the conventional genealogy of Anu resulted in his incorporation into the Enūma Eliš. The text does not explicitly state whether he and Kishar are the children of Lahmu and Lahamu, or instead a second pair of Apsu's and Tiamat's children. However, the former option is considered the correct interpretation. Anshar serves for a time as the king of the gods. His grandson Ea informs him about Tiamat plotting against the younger deities, which prompts Anshar to blame him and task him with finding a solution. After he fails, Anshar sends Anu to attempt to solve the issue, but he is similarly unsuccessful. Ea eventually convinces him that the only god who can defeat Tiamat is his own son, Marduk. Anshar then summons his attendant Kakka to inform Lahmu and Lahamu about his decision to rely on Marduk. After emerging victorious, Marduk replaces Anshar as the new king of the gods. The latter is the first deity to provide him with new names. He states that Marduk will be known as Asalluhi and subsequently partakes in further name-giving alongside Lahmu and Lahamu.

In an Assyrian recension of the Enūma Eliš, known only from a number of incomplete late copies from Assur and Nineveh tentatively dated to the reign from Sennacherib, the logogram AN.ŠÁR is used to refer to both Anshar himself and to Ashur, who replaces Marduk as the protagonist, but is also identified with the aforementioned primordial deity. As noted by Wilfred G. Lambert, the change is "superficial" and "leaves the plot in chaos by attributing Marduk's part to his great-grandfather, without making any attempt to iron out the resulting confusion". This rewrite might be referenced in a late Assyrian commentary on the Enūma Eliš, which states that Anshar came into being "when heaven and underworld had not been created" but "city and house were in existence", which reflects the role of Marduk (and thus Ashur) more accurately than that of Anshar himself.

An esoteric commentary linking passages from the Enūma Eliš with various ritual observances from Babylon states that Anshar sending Anu to confront Tiamat corresponds to the celebrations during which Mandanu headed to Ḫursagkalamma (Kish).

Other compositions
Anshar is referenced in passing in the myth Enlil and Sud and in a hymn to Haya from the reign of Rim-Sîn I.

Anshar appears in multiple lists of defeated primordial figures alongside Asag, Enmesharra, Lugaldukuga, Qingu and others. Such enumerations are embedded in a number of expository or ritual texts. In one case, Anshar is equated in this context with the minor underworld god Alla.

A royal hymn from the reign of Nebuchadnezzar I focused on establishing a connection between him and Enmeduranki, a mythical king of Sippar, mentions Anshar in passing and refers to Shuzianna as his sister.

A myth only known from five fragments dated to either Seleucid or Parthian period, four of which come from the same copy, refers to Anshar as the father of Anu. While restoration of the text remains uncertain, it is possible that it describes his death at the hands of Enki and Ninamakalla, which would indicate it preserves a succession narrative in which the actively worshiped members of the Mesopotamian pantheon depose a generation of primordial deities.

A reference to Anshar has been identified in a quotation from Eudemus of Rhodes preserved by the Neo-Platonic philosopher Damascius, according to which in Babylonian cosmology figures named Assōros and Kissarē were the parents of Anos (Anu), Illinos (Enlil) and Aos (Ea). It is presumed that Eudemus relied on a source related to the tradition represented by the Enūma Eliš, but not identical with it.

title: Anshar


text:
Power Station

Power Station or The Power Station may refer to:

 * Power station, a facility for the generation of electricity

Music

 * The Power Station (band), a 1980s supergroup
 * The Power Station (album), a 1985 album by The Power Station
 * Power Station (Taiwanese band), a Taiwanese rock duo
 * Kraftwerk (German for power station), a German musical group
 * The Power Station Years: The Unreleased Recordings, a 1998 compilation by Jon Bon Jovi
 * Power Station (recording studio), a recording studio in New York City
 * Powerstation, a 2019 album by British band BBMak

Other uses

 * Power Station of Art, a contemporary art museum in Shanghai
 * The Power Station (art space), a gallery in Dallas, Texas
 * The Power Station (TV channel), a British television channel
 * Power station (UTA), a light rail station in Utah
 * Power Station, a category of high capacity power banks with built in pure sine wave inverter and multiple household sockets

title: Power Station


text:
Talk:Hypnic jerk

Question about phrasing.
Do "subjects who have successfully deprived themselves of sleep for longer than 24 hours" actually experience more hypnic jerks than those who are just "sleep-deprived for longer than 24 hours"? I'm wondering if this particular wording is relevant. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 69.108.81.97 (talk) 10:46, 20 January 2007 (UTC).

 * I agree. The word "successfully" is unnecessary in that sentence.  I'll change it. M. Frederick 13:58, 11 April 2007 (UTC)

Hmm
Well this is pretty normal, it's not a sleep disorder. I had read once long ago that at some point at the moment you are about to fall asleep, your brain for some reason decides to either fall into sleep, or to sort of abort the whole thing. When it decides to abort, the nerves leading down to your legs all fire simultaneously, causing a twitch powerful enough to wake you up; originating from your legs. This article mentions nothing about that, and I am now wondering if the original article turned out to be incorrect, or if the Wiki article is just inadequate. --24.199.103.240 20:49, 8 April 2007 (UTC)
 * Source it, add it as another hypothesis. 213.1.30.167 19:48, 12 May 2007 (UTC)
 * I would love to but unfortunately I don't remember where I read it! If anybody recalls ever seeing an article or other information like this, I'll work it in. Sorry... --24.199.103.240 15:48, 31 May 2007 (UTC)
 * I've heard it too.. got no source. I remember it as it's your brain shutting off your limbs to prepare for REM sleep, so you dont go running and throwing arms while you dream. BTW, I only get the "jerk" when REALLY tired and going to sleep. On airplanes, or after a really busy day. sorry. no source, another anecdote for the talk page :) --Kvuo 06:46, 23 September 2007 (UTC)
 * I'm familiar with two hypotheses regarding (physiologic) hypnagogic myoclonus. One is similar to what you mentioned: it is the misfiring of nerves in the periphery in response to your brain's transition to a sleeping state. Think of it as trying to switch drivers in a car that is slowing down, and the car "jerking" while the new driver is settling in. The other hypothesis is that it is a reflex in response to a sudden relaxation of the legs and arms. From an evolutionary point of view, you can imagine how this may be protective against falling out of a tree, for example. (The movement is a flexing movement where you draw your limbs inward, so I presume that this reflex would help you grab onto a tree branch or something.) I am not sure there is definitive evidence for either theory, however.172.6.83.34 (talk) 10:38, 26 February 2013 (UTC)
 * This may be a good place to start. Vetrugno, R., F. Provini, and P. Montagna. "Isolated motor phenomena and symptoms of sleep." Handbook of clinical neurology/edited by PJ Vinken and GW Bruyn 99 (2011): 883.172.6.83.34 (talk) 10:38, 26 February 2013 (UTC)
 * You're right. It's not a sleep disorder; but both a natural and necessary process. It's you undergoing simulation training for mobility, agility, reaction speed, navigation, particularly in the early phases while sleep paralysis is shut off. I can remain fully aware while passing into different phases of sleep and have observed and studied the phenomenon in some depth. Typical actions include running over rough terrain at high speed and tripping on a sudden unexpected obstacle, running up or down the stairs and tripping or getting caught on one of the stairs. Other actions may involve slipping and falling, or reacting to sudden events. I don't have any references (other than myself), but I'm sure there has to be studies out there where they wake up the person *immediately* after a hypnic jerk to try and get a first-hand read on what was going on. Such studies will confirm the account I described here. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 65.29.226.169 (talk) 07:38, 3 May 2023 (UTC)

This isn't an edit, but the apes falling out a tree theory is dumb. Dogs have hypnic jerks too. How many species of dog nest in trees? Fishgibblets (talk) 06:27, 22 September 2017 (UTC)

So, wait...
Is this when you're just dreaming, and, like, you see a tree branch leaning down, it hits you, you jerk, you wake up? I'm confused, my head hurts and I'm hungry.-- Editor510  drop us a line, mate  08:33, 22 June 2008 (UTC)
 * Yes. I'm quite sure I am asleep always when this happens. One time, I had a dream of playing football, until I suddendly stumbled on a ball and woke up. But I didn't actually see the dream, I felt it.Troodonraptor (talk) 19:03, 15 December 2008 (UTC)
 * I've imagined or dreamt (although I don't have a good visual imagination, and it was much more vivid than usual) a soccer ball flying at me, and I tried to dodge it. >.> MichaelExe (talk) 16:03, 2 January 2010 (UTC)
 * It happens to me most often when I'm dreaming about either hitting someone or being hit by somoene. My arms usually jerk in a reflex.  It happens with my legs in more random scenarios such as running or jumping but for some reason I guess dreams/day dreams of conflict startle my reflexes.  The odd thing is that it is usually a reaction to a dream, not just a random twich (though I do get those too).   Lime in the Coconut   20:56, 29 February 2012 (UTC)

Other hallucinations during a hypnic jerk?
Can there be other hallucinations during this event? like visual hallucinations?

i swear that one time when i was in school, i was very sleepy and all of a sudden some gray-scale picture appeared, taking my entire vision, than zoomed in to a corner, and disappeared, without leaving a single trace. it didn't even fade out. it just disappeared.

i jerked during the event. --Peacock486 (talk) 13:18, 5 March 2010 (UTC)

Occurrence
The article states (with no reference) "Hypnic jerks are usually felt once or twice per night." I don't know what kind of sleep the writer of that quote has but I certainly do not feel hypnic jerks more than occasionally. Is that meant to mean once or twice per night for people suffering with a sleeping disorder associated with hypnic jerks?  McLerristarr |  Mclay1  07:32, 29 November 2010 (UTC)
 * You make a good point that this article should make a distinction between physiological involuntary muscle movements that happen in normal sleep and pathological muscle movements that are associated with neurological disorders.172.6.83.34 (talk) 10:12, 26 February 2013 (UTC)

I never have more than one a night and then only occasionally. I have them at times when I'm physically tired but still mentally quite awake. I sometimes catch the state I'm in where I know I'm going to have one before it happens. My body is relaxing but my mind is going 19 to the dozen, all sorts of thoughts swirling around which won't cease even though I try to get them to. This is alluded to in the article, the brain getting confused between the body's muscular relaxation and its own still high level of activity and trying to shake the muscles awake. I never experience a sense of falling though. It's a very unpleasant sensation, like being really made to jump by some unexpected stimulus Martyn Smith (talk) 23:54, 16 December 2011 (UTC)

 * Physiological myoclonus and fasciculations occur in normal people at sleep onset and during REM sleep, and can often happen without the person being aware. However, I agree that the sentence is poorly worded since it uses the word "felt", implying that people are aware of the so-called jerks. I believe this sentence has already been edited with a citation regarding the frequency of "jerks" during sleep.172.6.83.34 (talk) 10:12, 26 February 2013 (UTC)
 * Snippets from two sections of the article:
 * "an involuntary twitch which occurs just as a person is beginning to fall asleep"
 * "According to a study on sleep disturbances in the Journal of Neural Transmission, a hypnic jerk occurs during the non-rapid eye movement sleep cycle"
 * The definition in the Atlas of Epilepsies seems to cover all bases:
 * "They occur at sleep onset, during drowsiness, and in lighter stages of sleep."
 * However the description in the Journal of Neural Transmission accords more with "occurring at the transition between wakefulness and sleep" as described in the Contemporary Sleep Medicine for Physicians.
 * What is their expected frequency in the population? Could not locate any definitive results other than cited, but FWIW my experience has it about once every 2 or three months- perhaps longer. Certainly not the 1.. 7 per hour as the article suggests- again research data is lacking. Lmstearn (talk) 10:12, 2 November 2017 (UTC)

Inception stuff
What does being awakened by a disturbance have to do with hypnic jerks? The whole point is that the hypnic jerk is spontaneously generated by the brain without external stimulus. In the film Inception, what's happening is an external stimulus (external relative to the dream layer) is bringing the dreamer out of sleep or a lower level dream state. Please provide a reference that equates a hypnic jerk with dropping a sleeping person into a bathtub if you care to argue this, but this bit about Inception is based on a complete misunderstanding of both the film and hypnic jerks. Tarchon (talk) 05:38, 29 December 2010 (UTC)
 * 68.52.163.120 - when you removed my addition to the film comments, were you objecting that it was not a proven fact the the film is a work of fiction? You film buffs need to get a life. It is a movie - it has nothing to do with reality, and Christopher Nolan's use of terms that he doesn't understand to fluff up his dialog does not belong in an encyclopedia. Get a real user ID if you want to contribute too, instead of hiding behind some anonymous IP number. Tarchon (talk) 18:51, 11 January 2011 (UTC)
 * Perhaps you'd like to read up on our policy on personal attacks. And it's anyone's right to edit "anonymously", you shouldn't consider people's contributions as lesser or invalid just because they haven't logged in. Rehevkor ✉  19:09, 11 January 2011 (UTC)
 * The dialogue of the movie calls those disturbances "kicks", not "jerks" or "hypnic jerks". The source of the disturbance is different: external for a kick, internal for a hypnic jerk. The moment when the disturbance occurs is different: during a dream for the kick, while falling asleep for a jerk. Given these objections, I'll remove the Inception section unless someone can provide a citation. If Christopher Nolan or someone else involved in the making of the movie called them "Hypnic jerks" in an interview / website / DVD commentary, then their remarks (however misinformed) should be enough to let the section survive. Rizzardi (talk) 10:22, 3 March 2011 (UTC)
 * LOL at this conversation. 108.18.122.226 (talk) 11:29, 1 February 2012 (UTC)

Parkinson's bit relevant?
I just changed the sentence about Parkinson's to reflect what the source actually says (namely, that it's about Parkinson's victims, not about the general populace, as the previous version would let one believe). Now that it's accurate, is it really relevant enough to retain in the article? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.24.14.43 (talk) 05:50, 5 February 2013 (UTC)
 * I was curious about the citation myself, but having looked at it, the paper is clearly talking about the general populace with regard to those numbers. The relevant sentence is in the Introduction section of the paper, where the author gives a brief overview of normal sleep. Here is the paragraph: "During sleep, motor activity is present under the classical two states of relaxation and contraction at an unconscious level. In NonREM sleep relaxation is characterized by a regressive gradient muscle tone, paralleling the deepness of sleep, randomally[sic] populated by isolated motor unit potentials. The NonREM sleep muscle contractions consist in hypnic jerks mostly at the onset of sleep and postural shifts at stage changes. The hypnic jerk consists in a abrupt muscle action flexing movement, generalized or partial and asymmetric, which may cause arousal, with an illusion of falling. Electromyographically it displays complexes of 250 msec. in various skeletal muscles, predominantly in the limbs. The postural shifts at stage changes involve multiple skeletal muscles. They are more frequent in childhood 4,7/hour at the age 8 to 12 years old, decreasing toward 2,1/hour at 65–80 years old." The preceding statements are consistent with a description of normal sleep, so taken into context, this is not a description of sleep in patients with PD, but rather a description of what happens in normal sleep. However, the author does not cite a specific paper for this statement. One can only assume that his remarks are backed up by one or more of the numerous references given at the end of the paper. 172.6.83.34 (talk) 09:55, 26 February 2013 (UTC)

 * I would also like to see any information or studies on the "hypnic jerk" and if it is related to restless leg syndrome and patients with restless leg syndrome. Since this article talked about certain causes such as anxiety, caffeine, stress, and restless leg syndrome is more prevalent in people with low iron levels, diabetes, women who are pregnant, and people taking specific medications, I wonder if there is any correlation of severity of hypnic jerks in patients who fall asleep but are woken by the itchy and crawling sensation of RLS. Amykchristensen (talk) 04:27, 1 April 2014 (UTC)

title: Talk:Hypnic jerk