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Queen regnant

A queen regnant (: queens regnant) is a female monarch, equivalent in rank, title and position to a king. She reigns suo jure (in her own right) over a realm known as a kingdom; as opposed to a queen consort, who is married to a reigning king; or a queen regent, who is the guardian of a child monarch and rules pro tempore in the child's stead or instead of her husband who is absent from the realm, be it de jure in sharing power or de facto in ruling alone. A queen regnant is sometimes called a woman king. A princess regnant is a female monarch who reigns suo jure over a principality; an empress regnant is a female monarch who reigns suo jure over an empire.

A queen regnant possesses and exercises sovereign powers, whereas a queen consort or queen regent shares her spouse's or child's rank and titles but does not share the sovereignty of her spouse or child. The husband of a queen regnant traditionally does not share the queen regnant's rank, title, or sovereignty. However, the concept of a king consort or prince consort is not unheard of in both contemporary and historical periods.

A queen dowager or empress dowager is the widow of a king or emperor; a queen mother is a queen dowager who is also the mother of a reigning sovereign.

Since the abdication of Margrethe II of Denmark on 14 January 2024, there are currently no female sovereigns in the world. This is the first time this has been the case in over 200 years.

History
The oldest attested queen regnant was the Pharaoh Sobekneferu from the 18th/17th century BC.

In Ancient Africa, Ancient Persia, Asian and Pacific cultures, and in some European countries, female monarchs have been given the title king or its equivalent, such as pharaoh, when gender is irrelevant to the office, or else have used the masculine form of the word in languages that have grammatical gender as a way to classify nouns. The Roman Empress Irene of Athens sometimes titled herself basileus (βασιλεύς), 'emperor', rather than basilissa (βασίλισσα), 'empress', and Mary of Hungary was crowned as Rex Hungariae, King of Hungary in 1382.

Among the Davidic Monarchs of the Kingdom of Judah, there is mentioned a single queen regnant, Athaliah, though the Hebrew Bible regards her negatively as a usurper. The much later Hasmonean Queen Salome Alexandra (Shlom Tzion) was highly popular.

Accession of a queen regnant occurs as a nation's order of succession permits. Methods of succession to kingdoms, tribal chiefships, and such include nomination (the reigning monarch or a council names an heir), primogeniture (in which the children of a monarch or chief have preference in order of birth from eldest to youngest), and ultimogeniture (in which the children have preference in the reverse order of birth from youngest to eldest). The scope of succession may be matrilineal, patrilineal, or both; or, rarely, open to general election when necessary. The right of succession may be open to men and women, or limited to men only or to women only.

The most typical succession in European monarchies from the Late Middle Ages until the late 20th century was male-preference primogeniture: the order of succession ranked the sons of the monarch in order of their birth, followed by the daughters. Historically, many realms like France and the Holy Roman Empire forbade succession by women or through a female line in accordance with the Salic law, and nine countries still do, such countries being Japan, Morocco, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Brunei, Liechtenstein, Bhutan. No queen regnant ever ruled France, for example. Only one woman, Maria Theresa, ruled Austria. As noted in the list below of widely-known ruling queens, many reigned in European monarchies.

Male-preference primogeniture was also practised in a lot of the separate kingdoms of the Indian subcontinent from the Middle Ages, until the Indian independence movement. In a lot of these kingdoms, adoption was allowed from a relative if a monarch didn't have children, and the adopted child could succeed to the throne at the death of the monarch, subject to the rules of male-preference primogeniture. A lot of times, the wife or mother of a childless king were allowed to succeed to the throne as well and allowed to rule as queen regnants in their own right, until their death, after which the throne passed to the next closest relative.

In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, Sweden, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Luxembourg and the United Kingdom amended their laws of succession to absolute primogeniture (in which the children of a monarch or chief have preference in order of birth from eldest to youngest regardless of gender). In some cases, the change does not take effect during the lifetimes of people already in the line of succession at the time the law was passed.

In 2011, the United Kingdom and the 15 other Commonwealth realms agreed to remove the rule of male-preference primogeniture. Once the necessary legislation was passed, this means that had Prince William had a daughter first, a younger son would not have become heir apparent.

In 2015, Elizabeth II became the longest-reigning queen regnant and female head of state in world history. She was the longest currently serving head of state and longest currently reigning monarch from 2016 until her death on 8 September 2022.

Since the abdication of Margrethe II of Denmark on 14 January 2024, there are currently no female sovereigns in the world,  for the first time in over 200 years. Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant (monarchy of Belgium), and Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange (monarchy of the Netherlands) are currently heiresses apparent to the thrones of their respective monarchies, along with Leonor, Princess of Asturias, who is the heiress presumptive of the throne of Spain. All four are therefore liable to become queens regnant following the end of the current reigns.

East Asia
Because there is no feminine equivalent to king and emperor in East Asian languages, different titles are used for female monarchs and female consorts. The titles of female monarchs in East Asia are translated directly as "female king" or "female emperor" and the titles of female consorts in East Asia are translated directly as "king's consort" or "emperor's consort". So, the titles of female monarchs in East Asia are the same as those of male monarchs, just indicating that they are women.

In China the term nǚhuángdì (女皇帝, "female emperor"), abbreviated as nǚhuáng (女皇), has been used for three empresses regnant to assume the title of huángdì: Daughter of Xiaoming, Chen Shuozhen and Wu Zetian, because the title huánghòu (皇后, "emperor's consort") means only an empress consort. The term nǚwáng (女王, "female king") was also used for queens regnant of Eastern Kingdom of Women of the tribe Sumpa and it is different from the title wánghòu (王后, "king's consort") which means a queen consort.

In Korea, the term yeowang (Hangul: 여왕, Hanja: 女王, "female king") was developed to refer to three queens regnant of Silla: Seondeok, Jindeok and Jinseong, because the title wangbi (Hangul: 왕비, Hanja: 王妃, "king's consort") means only a queen consort. The term yeoje (Hangul: 여제, Hanja: 女帝, "female emperor") was also used for Yi Hae-won, the titular empress regnant of Korean Empire because the title hwanghu (Hangul: 황후, Hanja: 皇后, "emperor's consort") means only an empress consort.

Although Vietnam is a country in Southeast Asia, it used the royal titles of East Asia. The title as a queen regnant of Trưng Trắc was Nữ vương (chữ Hán: 女王, "female king") and the title as an empress regnant of Lý Chiêu Hoàng was Nữ hoàng (chữ Hán: 女皇, "female emperor"), and they are different from the titles of female consorts.

In Japan, the title used for two queens regnant of Yamatai: Himiko and Toyo was joō (女王, "female king") and it is different from the title ōhi (王妃, "king's consort") which means only a queen consort. The term jotei (女帝, "female emperor") or josei tennō (女性天皇, "female heavenly emperor") has been used for empresses regnant of Japan because the title kōgō (皇后, "emperor's consort") means only an empress consort.

Although the Chrysanthemum Throne of Japan is currently barred to women following the Imperial Household Law (Emperor Naruhito has a daughter, Princess Aiko. She cannot accede to the Chrysanthemum Throne), this has not always been the case; throughout Japanese history, there have been eight empresses regnant. The Japanese imperial succession debate became a significant political issue during the early 2000s, as no male children had been born to the Imperial House of Japan since 1965. Prime Minister Junichirō Koizumi pledged to present parliament with a bill to allow women to ascend the Imperial Throne, but he withdrew this after the birth of Prince Hisahito (Naruhito's nephew) in 2006.

title: Queen regnant


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Barbara Hershey

Barbara Lynn Herzstein, better known as Barbara Hershey (born February 5, 1948), is an American actress. In a career spanning more than 50 years, she has played a variety of roles on television and in cinema in several genres, including westerns and comedies. She began acting at age 17 in 1965 but did not achieve widespread critical acclaim until the 1980s. By that time, the Chicago Tribune referred to her as "one of America's finest actresses".

Hershey won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries/TV Film for her role in A Killing in a Small Town (1990). She received Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Mary Magdalene in The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) and for her role in The Portrait of a Lady (1996). For the latter film, she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and won the Los Angeles Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress. She has won two Best Actress awards at the Cannes Film Festival for her roles in Shy People (1987) and A World Apart (1988). She was featured in Woody Allen's Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), for which she was nominated for the British Academy Film Award for Best Supporting Actress and Garry Marshall's melodrama Beaches (1988), and she earned a second British Academy Film Award nomination for Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan (2010).

Establishing a reputation early in her career as a hippie, Hershey experienced conflict between her personal life and her acting goals. Her career suffered a decline during a six-year relationship with actor David Carradine, with whom she had a child. She experimented with a change in stage name to Barbara Seagull. During this time, her personal life was highly publicized and ridiculed. Her acting career was not well established until she separated from Carradine and changed her stage name back to Hershey. In 1990, later in her career, it was reported that she began to keep her personal life private.

Early life
Barbara Lynn Herzstein was born in Hollywood, the daughter of Arnold Nathan Herzstein, a horse-racing columnist, and Melrose Herzstein (née Moore). Her father's parents were Jewish emigrants from Hungary and Russia, while her mother, a native of Arkansas, was a Presbyterian of Scots-Irish descent.

The youngest of three children, Barbara always wanted to be an actress, and her family nicknamed her "Sarah Bernhardt". She was shy in school and so quiet that people thought she was deaf. By the age of ten, she proved herself to be an "A" student. Her high-school drama coach helped her find an agent, and in 1965, at age 17, she landed a role on Sally Field's television series Gidget. Barbara said that she found Field to be very supportive of her in her first acting role. According to The New York Times All Movie Guide, Barbara graduated from Hollywood High School in 1966, but David Carradine, in his autobiography, said she dropped out of high school after she began acting.

1960s

Hershey's acting debut, three episodes of Gidget, was followed by the short-lived television series The Monroes (1966), which also featured Michael Anderson, Jr. By this point, she had adopted the stage name "Barbara Hershey". Although Hershey said the series helped her career, she expressed some frustration with her role, saying: "One week I was strong, the next, weak". While on the series, Hershey garnered several other roles, including one in Doris Day's final feature film, With Six You Get Eggroll.

In 1968, Hershey worked in the 1969 Glenn Ford Western Heaven with a Gun. On the set, she met and began a romantic relationship with actor David Carradine, who later starred in the television series Kung Fu (see Personal life). In the same year, she acted in the controversial drama Last Summer, which was based on Evan Hunter's eponymous novel. In this film, Hershey played Sandy, the "heavy" who influences two young men (played by Bruce Davison and Richard Thomas) to rape another girl, Rhoda (played by Catherine Burns). Though the film, directed by Frank Perry, received an X rating for the graphic rape scene, Burns earned a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for her performance.

During the filming of Last Summer, a seagull was killed. "In one scene," Hershey explained, "I had to throw the bird in the air to make her fly. We had to reshoot the scene over and over again. I could tell the bird was tired. Finally, when the scene was finished, the director, Frank Perry, told me the bird had broken her neck on the last throw." Hershey felt responsible for the bird's death and changed her stage name to "Seagull" as a tribute to the creature. "I felt her spirit enter me," she later explained. "It was the only moral thing to do." The name change was not positively received. When she was offered a part opposite Timothy Bottoms in The Crazy World of Julius Vrooder (1974) (or Vrooder's Hooch), Hershey had to forfeit half her salary, $25,000, to be billed under the name "Seagull" because the producers were not in favor of the billing.

1970s
In 1970, Hershey played Tish Grey in The Baby Maker, a film that explored surrogate motherhood. Criticizing the directing and writing of James Bridges, critic Shirley Rigby said of the "bizarre" film, "Only the performances in the film save it from being a total travesty." Rigby went on to say, "Barbara Hershey is a great little actress, much, much more than just another pretty face."

Hershey once said that starring in Boxcar Bertha (1972) "was the most fun I ever had on a movie." The film, co-starring Hershey's domestic partner, David Carradine, and produced by Roger Corman, was Martin Scorsese's first Hollywood picture. Shot in six weeks on a budget of $600,000, Boxcar Bertha was intended to be a period crime drama similar to Corman's Bloody Mama (1970) or Bonnie and Clyde (1967). Although Corman publicized it as an exploitation piece with plenty of sex and violence, Scorsese's influence made it "something much more". Roger Ebert, of the Chicago Sun-Times, wrote of the film's direction, "Martin Scorsese has gone for mood and atmosphere more than for action, and his violence is always blunt and unpleasant—never liberating and exhilarating, as the New Violence is supposed to be." A pictorial recreating sexually explicit scenes from the movie appeared in Playboy magazine in 1972.

Hershey's experience with Scorsese was extended to another major role for her 16 years later in The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) as Mary Magdalene. During the filming of Boxcar Bertha, Hershey had introduced Scorsese to the Nikos Kazantzakis novel on which the latter film was based. That collaboration resulted in an Academy Award nomination for the director and a Golden Globe nod for Hershey.

By the mid-1970s, Hershey concluded, "I've been so tied up with David [Carradine] that people have forgotten that I am me. I spend 50 percent of my time working with David." She had, in 1974, guest-starred in a two-part episode of Carradine's television series Kung Fu. She played, under the direction of Carradine, a love interest to his character, Kwai Chang Caine, during his time at the Shaolin temple. She also appeared in two of Carradine's independent directorial projects, You and Me (1975) and Americana (1983), both of which had been filmed in 1973. Her father, Arnold Herzstein, also appeared in Americana.

She publicly acknowledged the desire to be recognized in her own right. Later, in 1974, she did just that, winning a gold medal at the Atlanta Film Festival for her role in the Dutch-produced film Love Comes Quietly.

Later in the decade, Hershey starred with Charlton Heston in The Last Hard Men (1976). She hoped the film would revive her career after the damage she felt it had suffered while she was with Carradine, believing that the hippie label she had been given was a career impediment. By this time, she had shed Carradine and her "Seagull" pseudonym. Throughout the rest of the 1970s, however, she was appearing in made-for-TV movies that were described as "forgettable", like Flood! (1976), Sunshine Christmas (1977), and The Glitter Palace (1977), in which she played a lesbian.

1980s

Hershey landed a role in Richard Rush's The Stunt Man (1980), marking a return to the big screen after four years and earning her critical praise. Hershey felt that she would be forever in debt to Rush for fighting with financiers to allow her a part in that film. She also felt The Stunt Man was an important transition for her, from playing girls to playing women.

Some of the "women roles" that followed The Stunt Man included the horror movie The Entity (1982); Philip Kaufman's The Right Stuff (1983), in which she played Glennis Yeager, wife of test pilot Chuck Yeager; and The Natural (1984), in which she shot Robert Redford's character, inspired by a real-life incident where Ruth Ann Steinhagen shot ballplayer Eddie Waitkus. For the role of Harriet Bird, Hershey had chosen a particular hat as her "anchor". Director Barry Levinson disagreed with her choice, but she insisted on wearing it. Levinson later cast Hershey as the wife of Danny DeVito's character in the comedy Tin Men (1987).

In 1986, Hershey left her native California and moved with her son to Manhattan. Three days later, she met briefly with Woody Allen, who offered her the role of Lee in Hannah and Her Sisters (1986). In addition to a Manhattan apartment, Hershey bought an antique home in rural Connecticut. The Allen picture won three Academy Awards and a Golden Globe. The film also earned Hershey a BAFTA nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. She described her part as "a wonderful gift".

Hershey followed Hannah and Her Sisters with back-to-back wins for Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival for Shy People and for her appearance as anti-apartheid activist Diana Roth in A World Apart (1988). Her character in the latter film was based on Ruth First. Also in the 1980s, she portrayed Errol Flynn's first wife, actress Lili Damita, in the TV movie adaptation of My Wicked, Wicked Ways: The Legend of Errol Flynn (1985), which was based on Flynn's autobiography. She also played the love interest to Gene Hackman's character in the basketball film Hoosiers (1986).

Barbara Cloud of the Pittsburgh Press gave attribution to Hershey for starting a trend when she had collagen injected into her lips for her role in Beaches (1988). Humorist Erma Bombeck said of the movie, which also starred Bette Midler, "I have no idea what Beaches was all about. All I could focus on was Barbara Hershey's lips. She looked like she stopped off at a gas station and someone said, 'Your lips are down 30 pounds. Better let me hit 'em with some air.

1990s
In 1990, Hershey won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Special for her role as Candy Morrison in A Killing in a Small Town, which was based on Candy Montgomery's acquittal for the death of Betty Gore. Montgomery had killed Gore on Friday, June 13, 1980, in Gore's Wylie, Texas, home, by hitting her 41 times with an ax. The jury determined that she did so in self-defense. In preparation for the part, Hershey had a phone conversation with Montgomery. Many of the names of the real-life principals in the case were changed for the movie. The film's alternative title was Evidence of Love, the name of a 1984 book about the case.

Also in 1990, Hershey drew upon what Woody Allen once described as her "erotic overtones", portraying a woman who falls in love with her much younger nephew by marriage, played by Keanu Reeves, in the comedic Tune in Tomorrow.

In 1991, Hershey played Hanna Trout, the wife of the title character in Paris Trout (1991), a made-for-cable television movie. In this Showtime production, Hershey collaborated again with A Killing in a Small Town director Stephen Gyllenhaal to play a woman who has an affair with her husband's lawyer. Her husband, an abusive bigot (played by Dennis Hopper), is on trial for murdering a young African American girl. The film, which was based on Pete Dexter's 1988 National Book Award-winning novel, featured Hopper and Hershey enacting a graphic rape scene that the actress found difficult to view. The picture was described as a "dramatic reach deep into the dark hollows of racism, abuse and murder." Paris Trout was nominated for five Prime Time Emmy Awards, including nods for both Hershey and Hopper.

Later in the year, Hershey played an attorney defending her college roommate for the murder of her husband in the suspenseful whodunit Defenseless (1991).

Because of her frequent television appearances, by the end of 1991, Hershey was accused of "selling out to the small screen". In 1992, Hershey appeared with Jane Alexander in the ABC miniseries Stay the Night (1992), prompting Associated Press writer Jerry Buck to write, "Barbara Hershey is a person who jumps back and forth between features and television very easily." She starred in another TV miniseries in 1993, succeeding Anjelica Huston as Clara Allen in the sequel series Return to Lonesome Dove. She was nominated for a Golden Satellite Award for another TV appearance, The Staircase (1998). Between 1999 and 2000, she played Dr. Francesca Alberghetti in 22 season-six episodes of the medical TV drama Chicago Hope.

Hershey co-starred with Joe Pesci as a nightclub owner in the film drama The Public Eye (1992) and as the abused estranged wife of a homicidal Michael Douglas in the thriller Falling Down (1993). Among the other feature films in which she appeared during the 1990s was Jane Campion's adaptation of the Henry James novel The Portrait of a Lady (1996). Hershey earned an Oscar nomination and won the Best Supporting Actress award from the National Society of Film Critics for her role as Madame Serena Merle in that picture. In 1995, Last of the Dogmen, co-starring Tom Berenger, was released through Savoy Pictures. In 1999, Hershey starred in an independent film called Drowning on Dry Land; during production she met co-star Naveen Andrews, with whom she began a romantic relationship that lasted until 2010.

2000s
In 2001, Hershey appeared in the psychological thriller Lantana. She was the only American in a mostly Australian cast, which included Kerry Armstrong, Anthony LaPaglia, and Geoffrey Rush. Film writer Sheila Johnson said the film was "one of the best to emerge from Australia in years." Another thriller followed: 11:14 (2003) also featured Rachael Leigh Cook, Patrick Swayze, Hilary Swank, and Colin Hanks. In 2002, she appeared in a two-scene cameo role as the Contessa in the mini-series, Daniel Deronda.

Hershey continued to appear on television during the 2000s, including a season on the series The Mountain. In 2008, she replaced Megan Follows in the role of Anne Shirley in Anne of Green Gables: A New Beginning, the fourth in a series of made-for-TV films based on the character.

2010s
Hershey appeared as an American actress, Mrs. Hubbard, in an adaptation of Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express for the British television series Poirot (starring David Suchet), which aired in the United States on Public Broadcast Service in July 2010. Also in 2010, Hershey co-starred in Darren Aronofsky's acclaimed psychological thriller Black Swan (2010) opposite Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis. The following year, she co-starred in the James Wan horror film Insidious (2011). From 2012 to 2013, she had a recurring role in the first two seasons of ABC's hit drama Once Upon a Time as Cora, the Queen of Hearts and mother of the Evil Queen. In 2014, she reprised the role in one episode of the show's spin-off Once Upon a Time in Wonderland. In 2015, she once more reprised the role when she returned to the show for an episode of its fourth season, and in 2016, she appeared again for two episodes of the show's fifth season, most notably its landmark 100th episode.

In A&E's series Damien, Hershey portrayed series regular Ann Rutledge, the world's most powerful woman, who has been given the task to make sure Damien fulfills his destiny as the Antichrist. The role marks Hershey's most recent TV gig following Once Upon a Time, The Mountain, Chicago Hope, and Lifetime's Left to Die TV movie.

2020s
Hershey's more recent films include The Manor (2021) and 9 Bullets (2022).

Personal life
In 1968, Hershey met David Carradine while they were working on Heaven with a Gun. The pair began a domestic relationship that lasted until 1975. Carradine said that during the rape scene in that movie, he cracked one of Barbara's ribs. They appeared in other films together including Martin Scorsese's Boxcar Bertha. In 1972, the couple posed together in a nude Playboy spread, recreating some sex scenes from Boxcar Bertha.

On October 6, 1972, Hershey gave birth to their son, Free, who changed his name to Tom when he was nine years old. The relationship fell apart around the time of Carradine's 1974 burglary arrest, after he had begun an affair with Season Hubley, who had guest-starred in Kung Fu.

During this period, Hershey changed her stage name to "Seagull". In 1979, a blunt newspaper article from the Knight News Service referenced this period of her life, saying of her acting career that "it looked as if she blew it." The article referred to Hershey as a "kook" and stated that she was frequently "high on something". In addition to that criticism, she had been ostracized for breast-feeding her son during an appearance on The Dick Cavett Show, and for breast-feeding him beyond the age of two years.

She said that this period of her life hurt her career: "Producers wouldn't see me because I had a reputation for using drugs and being undependable. I never used drugs at all and I have always been serious about my acting career." After splitting up with Carradine, she changed her stage name back to "Hershey", explaining that she had told the story of why she adopted the name "Seagull" so many times that it had lost its meaning.

By the time Hershey was 42, she was described by columnist Luaina Lee as a "private person who was mired in some heavy publicity when she first became a professional actress." Yardena Arar, writing for the Los Angeles Daily News, confirmed that Hershey had become a private person by 1990.

On August 8, 1992, Hershey married artist Stephen Douglas. The ceremony took place at her home in Oxford, Connecticut, where the only guests were their two mothers and Hershey's then 19-year-old son, Tom (né Free) Carradine. The couple separated and divorced one year after the wedding.

Hershey began dating actor Naveen Andrews in 1999. During a brief separation in 2005, Andrews fathered a child with another woman. In May 2010, after Andrews won sole custody of his son, the couple announced that they had ended their 10-year relationship six months earlier.

title: Barbara Hershey


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Ray Jardine

Ray Jardine (born in 1944) is an American rock climber and rock-climbing equipment innovator, who specialized in traditional climbing and big wall climbing. In 1997, Jardine made the first free ascent of The Phoenix, which was the first-ever consensus route at the grade of in climbing history. In 1979, with Bill Price, he became the first to free climb the West Face of El Capitan in Yosemite Valley.

Jardine is noted for inventing and developing the spring-loaded camming devices (SCLDs, also called "Friends") with the late Mark Vallance, which revolutionized traditional climbing in the late 1970s. He is also noted for his major contributions to the ultralight backpacking community through his books and his "make-it-yourself" gear company, Ray-Way Products.

Early life
Born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, as a youth, Jardine climbed Colorado's Pikes Peak dozens of times, mostly solo, and with the Boy Scouts of America. In 1959, Jardine achieved Eagle Scout (Boy Scouts of America). During his Junior and Senior years (1959-1961) at General William J. Palmer High School in Colorado Springs, Jardine competed in Gymnastics on the Trampoline. He worked part-time after school at his family's plumbing business.

In 1963, at the age of 19, Jardine took a summer job in Yellowstone National Park, and enrolled in his first rock climbing class with instructor Barry Corbet (member of the 1963 Mount Everest expedition), in Grand Teton National Park. In the fall of that year, Jardine enrolled at Northrop University in Los Angeles, California.

During the three years of his formal education at Northrop, Jardine worked evenings as a draftsman at North American Aviation in Los Angeles, California. In the spring of 1967 Jardine graduated from Northrop University with a degree in Aerospace Engineering.

Professional life
Immediately following his graduation from Northrop University in 1967, Jardine was hired by Martin Marietta as a specialist in computer-simulated space-flight mechanics, shaping trajectories for earth satellite and interplanetary missions.

Rock climbing
He began his climbing career in 1963 in the Tetons and climbed in Eldorado Canyon State Park near Boulder, Colorado during the 1960s.

Jardine became active in Yosemite around 1970, and during the 1970s he materially pushed traditional climbing standards in Yosemite by creating new climbing routes that were of a grade never seen before. In 1977, Jardine made the first free ascent of The Phoenix, which was the first-ever consensus route at the grade of in climbing history. He used his new SCLDs on the route.

Sailing and SCUBA
In 1982, Ray and his wife Jenny sailed around the world in three years aboard their 41-foot ketch Suka (an acronym for "Seeking UnKnown Adventures"). During the voyage, they spent six months scuba diving and snorkeling in the Caribbean. Ray is a Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) certified diver.

Hiking
In 1991 he discussed ideas related to backpacking with the publication of his PCT Hikers Handbook, which described hiking the entire Pacific Crest Trail in a much shorter time, using homemade lightweight gear and techniques including early start times with longer days and more mileage at a slower pace. The book was revised and retitled in 1999 as Beyond Backpacking, and revised and retitled again in 2009 as Trail Life.

In 1998, according to former GoLite owner Kim Coupounas, it was Ray Jardine who designed the original 12 lightweight backpacking products offered by the startup company, which had a royalty arrangement with Jardine in its early years.

Polar skiing
Starting on November 11, 2006, at the Patriot Hills Base Camp on Antarctica, Ray and his wife Jenny skied to the South Pole. They pulled sleds containing their gear and supplies. They traveled for 57 days, covered 750 miles, and reached the South Pole on January 8, 2007.

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Wilfred Le Bouthillier

Wilfred Le Bouthillier (born May 12, 1978) is an Acadian singer from the town of Tracadie-Sheila, New Brunswick, and the winner of both the 2003 edition of Star Académie, a French Canadian reality show for aspiring singers, and the 2021 edition of Chanteurs masqués, the French Canadian adaptation of The Masked Singer, along with Marie-Élaine Thibert.

Life
He is known simply by his first name, Wilfred. His debut album Wilfred Le Bouthillier was released in the autumn of 2003. Produced with the assistance of Cajun singer Zachary Richard, it proved to be an enviable success, selling over 200,000 copies. This is exceptional for a french canadian artist in Canada. By way of comparison, this would be equivalent to selling more than 8 million copies of an English-language album in the United States.

Among his awards and distinctions, Wilfred has received several "Prix Étoiles" (in Acadie). He took home the Juno Award for Francophone Album of the Year for his debut album, Wilfred Le Bouthillier. He was also nominated in several categories during the Quebec l'ADISQ 2005 gala, including one nomination in the Best Seller category. At the 16th SOCAN gala, his song "Je ferai tout", was listed among the top ten most-played francophone songs on the radio.

Wilfred recorded a follow-up album in 2005 called Poussières. The first song released from that album, "Avec toi", reached the top five in the radio BDS countdown while the video also placed the song in the top five on Musique Plus and Musimax (the Francophone version of MuchMusic).

At the end of August 2007, "L'insignifiant", also from the album Poussières, was sitting at number seven on Quebec's "Top 50 Radio Correspondants Francophone."

In 2021, Le Bouthillier and Thibert performed together in the first season of Chanteurs masqués, the Quebec adaptation of The Masked Singer, as a pair of lovebirds. Although not a couple in real life, their careers have been closely associated since the start, as Thibert was the runner-up on Le Bouthillier's winning season of Star Académie and they have often performed together since. They won the competition.

Discography

 * Je poursuis ma route (2013)
 * Droit Devant (2009)
 * Poussières (2006)
 * L'Acadie en Chanson (2005)
 * Simple – Si demain... (Turn Around) (2005)
 * L'Acadie en Chanson (2004)
 * Le choix du Québec (2004)
 * Merci pour la chanson (2004)
 * Wilfred Le Bouthillier (2003)
 * Star Académie (2003)

title: Wilfred Le Bouthillier


text:
Ghosts of the Great Highway

Ghosts of the Great Highway is the debut studio album by San Francisco quartet Sun Kil Moon, led by Red House Painters' founder Mark Kozelek, who composed all of the lyrics and music on this album. The other members are Anthony Koutsos (former drummer for Red House Painters), Geoff Stanfield, and Tim Mooney.

Three of the album's songs are named after boxers, following on from "Find Me, Rubén Olivares" from Kozelek's debut solo EP Rock 'n' Roll Singer. The band name is also a pun on the Korean boxer Sung-Kil Moon. The opening number is named after Judas Priest guitarist Glenn Tipton. The song "Pancho Villa" is a more luscious arrangement of "Salvador Sanchez".

Ghosts of the Great Highway was re-issued as a double CD on February 6, 2007 on Kozelek's own label, Caldo Verde Records. The second disc features 6 bonus tracks, including two versions of Leonard Bernstein's "Somewhere", and the instrumental track "Arrival", which was originally recorded for the movie The Girl Next Door. The songs "Carry Me Ohio" and "Lily and Parrots" were featured in the film Shopgirl, in which Kozelek made a cameo appearance.

The song "Carry Me Ohio" was listed at #462 on Pitchfork's Top 500 Songs of the 2000s list.

Reception
Upon its release, Ghosts of the Great Highway received critical acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews and ratings from mainstream critics, the album has received a metascore of 84, based on 18 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".

Singles

 * "Duk Koo Kim" (Mark Kozelek solo) (September 15, 2003)
 * Limited edition 10" vinyl single (limited to 2,000 copies worldwide), features acoustic studio version and live version.

title: Ghosts of the Great Highway


text:
Hédi Bouraoui

Hédi André Bouraoui (born July 16, 1932 in Sfax, Tunisia) is a Tunisian/Canadian poet, novelist and academic, who regularly deals with themes involving the transcendence of cultural boundaries.

Bouraoui was educated in France and in the United States, in French, English and American literature. In 1966, he joined the faculty at York University in Toronto, Ontario, where he teaches both French and English literature, specializing in African, Caribbean and franco-ontarian literatures. He also launched the Canada-Mediterranean Centre (CMC) at the university.

In May 2003, he was granted an honorary doctorate from Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, in recognition of his contributions to Canadian and world literature. He has also received a number of literary awards in Canada, France, and Tunisia.

In 2018, he was named a member of the Order of Canada.

Novels

 * L'Icônaison, 1985 ISBN 2-89040-352-1
 * Bangkok Blues, 1994 ISBN 1-895873-08-8
 * Retour à Thyna, 1996 ISBN 9973-757-26-2
 * La Pharaone, 1998 ISBN 9973-757-04-1
 * Ainsi parle la Tour CN, 1999 ISBN 2-921463-23-7
 * La Composée, 2001 ISBN 2-921463-28-8
 * La Femme d'entre les lignes, 2002 ISBN 0-921916-70-1
 * Sept Portes pour une Brûlance, 2005 ISBN 978-1-897058-10-7
 * Puglia à bras ouverts, 2007 ISBN 978-2-9809692-4-9
 * Cap Nord, 2008 ISBN 978-1-897058-73-2
 * Les aléas d'une odyssée, 2009 ISBN 978-1-897058-88-6
 * Méditerranée à voile toute, 2010
 * Le Conteur, 2012
 * La Plantée, 2017

Poetry

 * Musocktail, 1966
 * Tremblé, 1969
 * Eclate-Module, 1972
 * Vésuviade, 1976 ISBN 2-243-00261-2
 * Haïtuvois, suivi de Antillades, 1980 ISBN 2-89017-011-X
 * Tales of Heritage I, 1981
 * Vers et l'Envers, 1982 ISBN 0-920802-44-3
 * Ignescent, 1982 ISBN 2-903871-05-1
 * Tales of Heritage II, 1986
 * Echosmos, 1986 ISBN 0-9691270-2-2 or ISBN 0-9691270-3-0
 * Reflet Pluriel, 1986
 * Emergent les Branches, 1986
 * Arc-en-Terre, 1991 ISBN 1-895667-00-3
 * Poésies, 1991
 * Emigressence, 1992 ISBN 0-919925-83-9
 * Nomadaime, 1995 ISBN 0-921916-52-3
 * Transvivance, 1996
 * L'Ange perVers, 1998
 * Illuminations Autistes, 2003 ISBN 9973-51-018-6
 * Struga, suivi de Margelle d'un festival, 2004 ISBN 2-923153-09-X
 * Sfaxitude, 2005
 * Livr'Errance, 2005
 * In-side Faces/ Visages du Dedans, 2008 ISBN 978-2-9809692-6-3
 * Adamesques, 2009 ISBN 978-2-915235-59-3

Essays

 * Créaculture I, 1971
 * Créaculture II, 1971
 * The Canadian Alternative, 1980 ISBN 0-920802-16-8
 * Critical Strategy, 1983 ISBN 0-920802-60-5
 * La Francophonie à l'Estomac, 1995 ISBN 2-87931-047-4
 * La Littérature franco-ontarienne. Etat des lieux, 2000
 * Pierre Léon: Poète de l'Humour, 2003 ISBN 1-894547-77-2
 * Transpoétique: Éloge du Nomadisme, 2005 ISBN 2-923153-39-1
 * Perspectives sur la littérature franco-ontarienne, 2007
 * Vingt-quatre heures en tesselles mosaïcales, 2018

Honours

 * 2019 : Member of the Order of Canada
 * 2010 : Honorary citizenship of Acquaviva delle Fonti
 * 2004 : Officier of the Ordre des Palmes Académiques (France)
 * 1993 : Medal of the Regional Council of Guadeloupe

Awards

 * 2005 : Prize for the best scholarly book, awarded by the Association of French Professors of Canadian Universities and Colleges
 * 2000 : Africa Mediterranean / Maghreb Award
 * 2000 : Christine Dumitriu Van Saanen Award
 * 1999 : Comar d'or
 * 1999 : Ontario Award
 * 1999 : Jean-Dalba Award
 * 1998 : Grand prize of Salon du livre de Toronto
 * 1996 : Comar Jury Special Prize
 * 1995 : Grand Prix of the city of Sfax
 * 1994 : France-Canada Award

Honorary degrees

 * 2003 : Laurentian University
 * 1993 : Chulalongkorn University
 * 1988 : American Academy of Arts and Sciences

title: Hédi Bouraoui


text:
The Assassination Bureau

The Assassination Bureau Limited (also known The Assassination Bureau in the United States) is a 1969 British Technicolor black comedy adventure film, produced by Michael Relph, directed by Basil Dearden, and starring Oliver Reed, Diana Rigg, Telly Savalas, and Curd Jürgens. It was released in the U.S. by Paramount Pictures and is based on Jack London's unfinished novel, The Assassination Bureau, Ltd, posthumously published in 1963. Unlike the novel, which is set in the United States, the film is set in Europe.

The Assassination Bureau Limited was the penultimate film of Basil Dearden.

Plot
In London, in 1908, aspiring journalist and women's rights campaigner Sonia Winter (Diana Rigg) uncovers an organisation that specialises in killing for money, the Assassination Bureau Limited. To bring about its destruction, she commissions the assassination of the bureau's own chairman, Ivan Dragomiloff (Oliver Reed) for £20,000 after being bankrolled by her employer, Lord Bostwick.

Far from being outraged or angry, Dragomiloff is amused and delighted and decides to turn the situation to his own advantage. The guiding principle of his bureau, founded by his father, has always been that there was a moral reason why their victims should be killed; these have included despots and tyrants. More recently, though, his elder colleagues have tended to kill more for financial gain than for moral reasons. Dragomiloff, therefore, decides to accept the commission of his own death and challenge the other board members: Kill him or he will kill them!

He meets Miss Winter at the Albert Memorial and with her in tow, Dragomiloff sets off on a tour of Edwardian Europe, challenging and systematically purging the bureau's senior members. Their first stop is Paris where Dragomiloff disguises himself as Le Comte and goes to a brothel. Miss Winter materialises and they hide in a laundry room. The staff outside put a gas pipe into the room, but there is a police raid. They escape down the laundry chute, but leave a booby trap that blows the room up when the door is eventually smashed in, killing Lucoville. Miss Winter is arrested while Dragomiloff sneaks off.

She catches him on a train to Zürich, but Popescu also appears, disguised as a train waiter serving cognac and cigars. He pulls a gun, but Dragomiloff sprays him with fiery brandy, lit by the cigar, burning his face and he jumps off the train and dies. In Zürich the bank manager Weiss pulls a gun on a suspicious-looking customer and throws his bag into the street, thinking it is a bomb. The angry customer leaves, and while Weiss is distracted, Dragomiloff hides a real bomb that kills Weiss.

Next, in Vienna the couple watch a military parade. A man behind them pulls a pistol, but he is trying to assassinate the Archduke watching the parade from a balcony opposite. Dragomiloff disdainfully remarks to Miss Winter that had "The Assassination Bureau" undertaken this "assignment", the Archduke would not remain alive. In Venice Bureau member Cesare Spado dies after being poisoned by his wife; with the help of her lover Angelo she tries to poison Dragomiloff and have Baron Muntzof kill Miss Winter. Dragomiloff not only survives the attempt on his life, but kills both Angelo and Muntzof and rescues Miss Winter. Eleanora Spado tries to blackmail the Assassination Bureau for money by using her knowledge of its existence; the Bureau's response is to deem her expendable and General Pinck kills her with his Luger pistol.

Little do they realise that this is a plot by Miss Winter's sponsor, newspaper publisher Lord Bostwick (Telly Savalas), to take over the bureau, as Bostwick is the bureau's vice-chairman and is bitter for having been passed over in favour of the founder's son. Bostwick and the other surviving members of the Bureau plan to get rich quick by the "biggest killing" of them all, namely buying stocks in arms companies and then propelling Europe into a world war. Their plan is to assassinate all the European heads of state. They attend a secret peace conference where the kings, emperors, and prime ministers of Europe are trying to avoid a possible war over the assassination of a Balkan prince who had accidentally been killed by a bomb intended for Dragomiloff.

Dragomiloff and Miss Winter uncover the plot, which is to drop a large aerial bomb from a hijacked Zeppelin airship directly onto the castle in Ruthenia where the peace conference is being held. Dragomiloff steals aboard the airship and destroys the bomb, while disposing of Lord Bostwick and the remaining members of his board of directors. He exploits General Pinck's one weakness, a sword duel challenge to the death. He is hailed as a hero and later decorated by the heads of state that he has saved. It is implied that Dragomiloff may now wed Miss Winter, since he has been redeemed by his actions.

Original novel
The film was based on the Jack London novel, The Assassination Bureau. London purchased a storyline from Sinclair Lewis in 1910 and used it as the basis of two short stories and a novel. He was two-thirds of the way through finishing the novel (having written 40,000 words) when he died in 1916. The novel was later completed by Robert L. Fish and finally published in 1963. The New York Times called it "delightfully ridiculous".

Development
Film rights were bought and in May 1966 United Artists announced that Burt Lancaster would star in the film. Lancaster, however, pulled out and film rights reverted to Paramount, where it was made by the team of Basil Dearden and Michael Relph; it was their 25th film together.

Filming
Filming took place in April 1968.

Michael Flint of Paramount later said the film wound up costing a lot of money "because it was decided that it must be a locomotive", namely, a sort of film which "would really carry weight with exhibitors and eventually television networks buying batches of our films, by virtue of stars or production value". He added that in the case of Assassination Bureau "we laboured under the delusion that this could be ensured by spending more on 'production value'".

By February 1969, the film had not been released. According to Diana Rigg, "the film company is stuck with the rather awkward - for America - title and hasn't made up its mind what to do".

Home video
This film was issued on LaserDisc in the mid-1990s. It was also released on VHS at the same time and later on Region 1 DVD. The Assassination Bureau was restored and released in 1080p HD on an Arrow Films Special Edition Blu-ray in 2023, which included a new audio commentary track and the short critique "Right Film, Wrong Time."

title: The Assassination Bureau


text: Category:Lists of bridges

title: Category:Lists of bridges


text:
User:The Cardigan Kid

Thirtysomething (sigh!) based in Perth, Australia, who has been infrequently editing Wikipedia since 2003. My work has included substantially updating details about the works of American composer Stephen Sondheim, British novelist Barbara Pym, the plays of William Shakespeare, and my core love, Australian literature.

Please do contact me if you take issue with anything I've posted, or think I've committed a cardinal sin! Always appreciate the guidance.

title: User:The Cardigan Kid


text:
Quebec East

Quebec East (also known as Québec-Est and Québec East) was a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that was represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1867 to 2004.

While its boundaries changed over the decades, it was essentially made up of the eastern part of Quebec City and was largely of working class composition. It was created in 1867. It was renamed "Québec-Est" in 1966, and "Québec East" in 1996. It was abolished through redistribution 2003 into the ridings of Québec, Louis-Saint-Laurent, and Beauport.

From 1877 to 1958, the riding was represented by only three Members of Parliament (MPs): Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier (1877–1919), senior Cabinet member Ernest Lapointe (1919–1941) and Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent (1942–1958). With Laurier serving as prime minister from 1896 until 1911, and St. Laurent doing likewise from 1948 until 1957, Quebec East became one of two districts to be represented by two sitting prime ministers; the only other to date is Prince Albert.

Members of Parliament
This riding has elected the following members of Parliament:

Quebec East

 * Canadian Party
 * Paul Bouchard
 * align=right|12,768

title: Quebec East


text:
Talk:OTM gag

All of the different BDSM gag articles should probably be consolidated into one article. Dlloyd 04:31, 9 Aug 2004 (UTC)

title: Talk:OTM gag


text:
Talk:Keyring

Although a key ring is essentially a very simple device, expanation of such is always difficult. A picture counts a lot. Indeed a picture of the alternate forms where a clasp is hinged to the ring and can be lifted similarly to a bridge to allow a key to be added is probably best described with a picture unless someone is really good with words. Rjstott 04:34, 9 Aug 2004 (UTC)

I suggest that this is a dictionary article, not an encyclopedia article. It should be moved. soverman 03:53 28 Sept 2005 (UTC)

 * no, I think it is an encyclopedia artile because its not explaning a work its info in a actial thing. Think outside the box 09:40, 14 February 2007 (UTC)

Keyloop?
Ive left a question at: Talk:Keychain. Btw, wouldnt it make more sense to merge fob, chain and ring than to further split this article? Sparafucil 08:08, 25 October 2007 (UTC)

Inventor?
Something I've always been curious about- exactly who invented the modern keyring, and when? (of course I'm talking about the metal loop type). 76.199.13.11 15:27, 5 November 2007 (UTC)

I'm doing a little research; I find:
 * About Key Rings -- references US patent numbers #1327534, #1333655, #1338085, all in 1920.
 * WikiAnswers -- someone says "G Herluf Johnson" did it, but that "the ring part" was done by a juggler in Russia from the 1830's..? More on the juggler, from another source, after the tall tale, but this is hardly an authoritative source.

LionKimbro (talk) 00:28, 28 August 2009 (UTC)

UNNECESSARY PHOTO
Do we really need the photo of the clear photo slide with a keyring? Destroyer000 (talk) 12:57, 19 May 2009 (UTC)

title: Talk:Keyring


text: User talk:65.83.138.31

title: User talk:65.83.138.31


text:
User talk:Ivosetyadi

rights on images?
The wayang images you recently added are lovely, but none of the image pages indicate how we come to have the rights to use them. Are the photos your own? If so, you should explicitly say on the image page that you are giving us permission to use them. See Image:Cismigiu Winter Promenade.jpg for an example of appropriate text. Are they someone else's that we come by legitimately? See Image:Pax tux.png for an example of appropriate text. If neither of these is the case, it's too bad, but please delete them from the article and the image page: we are very scrupulous about copyright. We have to be.

Similar comments apply for the drawing. If it's old enough to be public domain -- and if you know that -- say so. If, for example, it comes from an old book, say what book.

If any of this is unclear, just respond below, I'll watchlist this page for a week or two. -- Jmabel 04:38, Aug 9, 2004 (UTC)

test
test

title: User talk:Ivosetyadi


text: User talk:68.35.125.52

title: User talk:68.35.125.52


text:
Colpitts oscillator

A Colpitts oscillator, invented in 1918 by Canadian-American engineer Edwin H. Colpitts using vacuum tubes, is one of a number of designs for LC oscillators, electronic oscillators that use a combination of inductors (L) and capacitors (C) to produce an oscillation at a certain frequency. The distinguishing feature of the Colpitts oscillator is that the feedback for the active device is taken from a voltage divider made of two capacitors in series across the inductor.

Overview
The Colpitts circuit, like other LC oscillators, consists of a gain device (such as a bipolar junction transistor, field-effect transistor, operational amplifier, or vacuum tube) with its output connected to its input in a feedback loop containing a parallel LC circuit (tuned circuit), which functions as a bandpass filter to set the frequency of oscillation. The amplifier will have differing input and output impedances, and these need to be coupled into the LC circuit without overly damping it.

A Colpitts oscillator uses a pair of capacitors to provide voltage division to couple the energy in and out of the tuned circuit. (It can be considered as the electrical dual of a Hartley oscillator, where the feedback signal is taken from an "inductive" voltage divider consisting of two coils in series (or a tapped coil).) Fig. 1 shows the common-base Colpitts circuit. The inductor L and the series combination of C1 and C2 form the resonant tank circuit, which determines the frequency of the oscillator. The voltage across C2 is applied to the base-emitter junction of the transistor, as feedback to create oscillations. Fig. 2 shows the common-collector version. Here the voltage across C1 provides feedback. The frequency of oscillation is approximately the resonant frequency of the LC circuit, which is the series combination of the two capacitors in parallel with the inductor:
 * $$f_0 = \frac{1}{2\pi \sqrt{L \frac{C_1 C_2}{C_1 + C_2}}}.$$

The actual frequency of oscillation will be slightly lower due to junction capacitances and resistive loading of the transistor.

As with any oscillator, the amplification of the active component should be marginally larger than the attenuation of the resonator losses and its voltage division, to obtain stable operation. Thus, a Colpitts oscillator used as a variable-frequency oscillator (VFO) performs best when a variable inductance is used for tuning, as opposed to tuning just one of the two capacitors. If tuning by variable capacitor is needed, it should be done with a third capacitor connected in parallel to the inductor (or in series as in the Clapp oscillator).

Practical example

Fig. 3 shows an example with component values. Instead of field-effect transistors, other active components such as bipolar junction transistors or vacuum tubes, capable of producing gain at the desired frequency, could be used.

The common gate amplifier has a low input impedance and a high output impedance. Therefore the amplifier input, the source, is connected to the low impedance tap of the LC circuit L1, C1, C2, C3 and the amplifier output, the drain, is connected to the high impedance top of the LC circuit. The resistor R1 sets the operating point to 0.5mA drain current with no oscillating. The output is at the low impedance tap and can drive some load. Still, this circuit has low harmonic distortion. An additional variable capacitor between drain of J1 and ground allows to change the frequency of the circuit. The load resistor RL is part of the simulation, not part of the circuit.

Theory

One method of oscillator analysis is to determine the input impedance of an input port neglecting any reactive components. If the impedance yields a negative resistance term, oscillation is possible. This method will be used here to determine conditions of oscillation and the frequency of oscillation.

An ideal model is shown to the right. This configuration models the common collector circuit in the section above. For initial analysis, parasitic elements and device non-linearities will be ignored. These terms can be included later in a more rigorous analysis. Even with these approximations, acceptable comparison with experimental results is possible.

Ignoring the inductor, the input impedance at the base can be written as

 * $$Z_\text{in} = \frac{v_1}{i_1},$$

where $$v_1$$ is the input voltage, and $$i_1$$ is the input current. The voltage $$v_2$$ is given by

 * $$v_2 = i_2 Z_2,$$

where $$Z_2$$ is the impedance of $$C_2$$. The current flowing into $$C_2$$ is $$i_2$$, which is the sum of two currents:

 * $$i_2 = i_1 + i_s,$$

where $$i_s$$ is the current supplied by the transistor. $$i_s$$ is a dependent current source given by

 * $$i_s = g_m (v_1 - v_2),$$

where $$g_m$$ is the transconductance of the transistor. The input current $$i_1$$ is given by

 * $$i_1 = \frac{v_1 - v_2}{Z_1},$$

where $$Z_1$$ is the impedance of $$C_1$$. Solving for $$v_2$$ and substituting above yields

 * $$Z_\text{in} = Z_1 + Z_2 + g_m Z_1 Z_2.$$

The input impedance appears as the two capacitors in series with the term $$R_\text{in}$$, which is proportional to the product of the two impedances:

 * $$R_\text{in} = g_m Z_1 Z_2.$$

If $$Z_1$$ and $$Z_2$$ are complex and of the same sign, then $$R_\text{in}$$ will be a negative resistance. If the impedances for $$Z_1$$ and $$Z_2$$ are substituted, $$R_\text{in}$$ is

 * $$R_\text{in} = \frac{-g_m}{\omega^2 C_1 C_2}.$$

If an inductor is connected to the input, then the circuit will oscillate if the magnitude of the negative resistance is greater than the resistance of the inductor and any stray elements. The frequency of oscillation is as given in the previous section.

For the example oscillator above, the emitter current is roughly 1 mA. The transconductance is roughly 40 mS. Given all other values, the input resistance is roughly

 * $$R_\text{in} = -30\ \Omega.$$

This value should be sufficient to overcome any positive resistance in the circuit. By inspection, oscillation is more likely for larger values of transconductance and smaller values of capacitance. A more complicated analysis of the common-base oscillator reveals that a low-frequency amplifier voltage gain must be at least 4 to achieve oscillation. The low-frequency gain is given by

 * $$A_v = g_m R_p \ge 4.$$

If the two capacitors are replaced by inductors, and magnetic coupling is ignored, the circuit becomes a Hartley oscillator. In that case, the input impedance is the sum of the two inductors and a negative resistance given by

 * $$R_\text{in} = -g_m \omega^2 L_1 L_2.$$

In the Hartley circuit, oscillation is more likely for larger values of transconductance and larger values of inductance.

The above analysis also describes the behavior of the Pierce oscillator. The Pierce oscillator, with two capacitors and one inductor, is equivalent to the Colpitts oscillator. Equivalence can be shown by choosing the junction of the two capacitors as the ground point. An electrical dual of the standard Pierce oscillator using two inductors and one capacitor is equivalent to the Hartley oscillator.

Working Principle
A Colpitts oscillator is an electronic circuit that generates a sinusoidal waveform, typically in the radio frequency range. It uses an inductor and two capacitors in parallel to form a resonant tank circuit, which determines the oscillation frequency. The output signal from the tank circuit is fed back into the input of an amplifier, where it is amplified and fed back into the tank circuit. The feedback signal provides the necessary phase shift for sustained oscillation.

The working principle of a Colpitts oscillator can be explained as follows:

 * When the power supply is switched on, the capacitors $$C_1$$ and $$C_2$$ start charging through the resistor $$R_1$$ and $$R_2$$. The voltage across $$C_2$$ is coupled to the base of the transistor through the capacitor $$C_\text{in}$$.
 * The transistor amplifies the input signal and produces an inverted output signal at the collector. The output signal is coupled to the tank circuit through the capacitor $$C_\text{out}$$.
 * The tank circuit resonates at its natural frequency, which is given by:

 * $$f = \frac{1}{2 \pi \sqrt{LC_t}}$$

Where:

 * f = frequency of oscillation
 * L = inductance of the inductor
 * $$C_t$$ = total capacitance of the series combination of $$C_1$$ and $$C_2$$, given by:

 * $$C_t = \frac{C_1 C_2}{C_1 + C_2}$$

 * The resonant frequency is independent of the values of $$C_1$$ and $$C_2$$, but depends on their ratio. The ratio of $$C_1$$ and $$C_2$$ also affects the feedback gain and the stability of the oscillator.
 * The voltage across the inductor L is in phase with the voltage across $$C_2$$, and 180 degrees out of phase with the voltage across $$C_1$$. Therefore, the voltage at the junction of $$C_1$$ and $$C_2$$is 180 degrees out of phase with the voltage at the collector of the transistor. This voltage is fed back to the base of the transistor through $$C_\text{in}$$, providing another 180 degrees phase shift. Thus, the total phase shift around the loop is 360 degrees, which is equivalent to zero degrees. This satisfies the Barkhausen criterion for oscillation.
 * The amplitude of the oscillation depends on the feedback gain and the losses in the tank circuit. The feedback gain should be equal to or slightly greater than the losses for sustained oscillation. The feedback gain can be adjusted by varying the values of $$R_1$$ and $$R_2$$, or by using a variable capacitor in place of $$C_1$$ or $$C_2$$.

The Colpitts oscillator is widely used in various applications, such as RF communication systems, signal generators, and electronic testing equipment. It has better frequency stability than the Hartley oscillator, which uses a tapped inductor instead of a tapped capacitor in the tank circuit. However, the Colpitts oscillator may require a higher supply voltage and a larger coupling capacitor than the Hartley oscillator.

Oscillation amplitude
The amplitude of oscillation is generally difficult to predict, but it can often be accurately estimated using the describing function method.

For the common-base oscillator in Figure 1, this approach applied to a simplified model predicts an output (collector) voltage amplitude given by

V_C = 2 I_C R_L \frac{C_2}{C_1 + C_2}, $$

where $$I_C$$ is the bias current, and $$R_L$$ is the load resistance at the collector.

This assumes that the transistor does not saturate, the collector current flows in narrow pulses, and that the output voltage is sinusoidal (low distortion).

This approximate result also applies to oscillators employing different active device, such as MOSFETs and vacuum tubes.

title: Colpitts oscillator


text:
Category:Stafford County, Kansas

This category is for topics related to Stafford County, Kansas. For other locations select another Kansas county, or for a more comprehensive listing of locations in the entire state, see also these categories:
 * Cities in Kansas

title: Category:Stafford County, Kansas


text:
Black Dog (Led Zeppelin song)

"Black Dog" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin. It is the first track on the band's untitled fourth album (1971), which has become one of the best-selling albums of all time. The lyrics contain typical bluesman themes of lust, eroticism and betrayal. The song was released as a single and reached the charts in many countries. It is "one of the most instantly recognisable Zeppelin tracks", and was included in Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list (US), and ranked No. 1 in Q magazine's (UK) "20 Greatest Guitar Tracks".

Composition
The title is a reference to a nameless black Labrador Retriever the band used to see wandering the Headley Grange studio grounds. The dog would disappear in the evening and return exhausted in the early morning, before resting all day and repeating his evening sojourns. Robert Plant believed the lab was spending nights with his "old lady" (dog). Likewise the lyrics are narrated by a man obsessed with a woman, "got a flaming heart can't get my fill", he "can't keep away" from her "honey drip"; she reveals her true intention, spending his money, taking his car, "telling her friends she's gonna be a star", at which point the deception becomes clear and he turns cold, saying "a big-legged woman ain't got no soul". The story of lust, eroticism, and ultimately betrayal echoes the traditional reputation of the blues as being the music of the devil, alluded to in the lyric "eyes that shine a burning red".

The song opens with muted sounds of guitars warming up in the background, an idea by Jimmy Page, who also made curious opening sounds in "Immigrant Song" and "Friends", he was fond of starting songs in an unexpected way. The sounds are actually recordings of various guitar track openings played simultaneously, creating a "sonic collage" in which the tape can be heard spinning up to speed. Robert Plant then begins singing in a high strong voice, "hey, hey, mama" unaccompanied by music (a cappella). This sets the structure of the song, around a call and response dynamic, between the vocalist and the band, back and forth. It was Jimmy Page's idea to start and stop the music, and he was inspired by Fleetwood Mac's 1969 song "Oh Well".

Bassist John Paul Jones, who is credited with writing the main riff, said he was inspired by Muddy Waters' controversial 1968 album Electric Mud. However he retracted this, in 2007, saying that he was confused, and that his main inspiration was actually The Howlin' Wolf Album by Howlin' Wolf, particularly the repeating riff in "Smokestack Lightning", which Jones and Page sped up.

Jones added complex rhythm changes, that biographer Keith Shadwick describes as a "clever pattern that turns back on itself more than once, crossing between time signatures as it does." The group had a difficult time with the turnaround, but drummer John Bonham's solution was to play it straight through as if there was no turnaround. As Jean-Michel Guesdon notes, the recording contains rhythmic coordination errors, such as between 0:41 and 0:47, when the guitars are not in sync with the drums. He says it was part of the band's "genius" to discount these "errors" as "curiosities" ie. characteristic signatures of the song. In live performances, Bonham eliminated the variation so that Robert Plant could perform his a cappella vocal interludes and then have the instruments return at the proper time.

For his guitar parts, Jimmy Page used a Gibson Les Paul and made a complicated series of overdubs through various compressors and other equipment. There was so much distortion, Page later said it sounded like an analog synthesizer.

Recordings and releases
The initial backing tracks of "Black Dog" were recorded on 5 December 1970 at Island Studios on Basing Street in London, with recording engineer Andy Johns. It was the band's first recording at Island Studios. Further tracks were made at Headley Grange (January 1971), and again at Island Studios (February 1971).

Although played at live concerts since March 1971, its first commercial release was on 8 November 1971, as track #1 side one of the album Led Zeppelin IV, which went on to become one of the best-selling albums of all time.

The single followed about a month later, on 2 December 1971 in continental Europe, the United States (via Europe), and Australia. As was their practice, the United Kingdom did not receive the single. "Misty Mountain Hop" is on the B-side.

Personnel
Source:

 * Robert Plant – vocals
 * Jimmy Page – guitars
 * John Paul Jones – bass
 * John Bonham – drums

Live performances
"Black Dog" became a staple of Led Zeppelin's live concert performances. It was first played live at Belfast's Ulster Hall on 5 March 1971, a concert which also featured the first ever live performance of "Stairway to Heaven". It was retained for each subsequent concert tour until 1973. In 1975 it was used as an encore medley with "Whole Lotta Love", but was hardly used on the band's 1977 US concert tour. It was recalled to the set for the Knebworth Festival 1979 and the 1980 Tour of Europe. For these final 1980 performances, Page introduced the song from stage. "Black Dog" was performed for the final time at the Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert in 2007, during Led Zeppelin's headline set.

Reception
In 2004, the song appeared on the Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list at number 294. In 2010, it was demoted to number 300. Music sociologist Deena Weinstein calls "Black Dog" "one of the most instantly recognisable Zeppelin tracks". In 2007, Q magazine polled an "all-star panel", who ranked Black Dog as number one in a list of the "20 Greatest Guitar Tracks".

* designates unordered lists.

Digital download
Note: The official UK Singles Chart incorporated legal downloads as of 17 April 2005.

title: Black Dog (Led Zeppelin song)


text:
Great diving beetle

The great diving beetle (Dytiscus marginalis) is an aquatic diving beetle native to Europe and northern Asia, and in the UK is common in Wales, much of England and southern Scotland but less common on chalk and in the far north. The great diving beetle, true to its name, is a rather large insect. The larvae can grow up to 60 mm in length, while the adults are generally 27 –.

These beetles live in fresh water, either still or slow-running, and seem to prefer water with vegetation. They are dark-coloured (brown to black) on their back and wing cases (elytra) and yellow on their abdomen and legs. The male's wing cases are shiny, while those of the female are finely grooved. A voracious predator, this beetle hunts a wide variety of prey including small fish. The first two pairs of legs of the male are equipped with numerous suction cups, enabling them to obtain a secure grip while mating, and on their prey.

They are able fliers, and fly usually at night. They use the reflection of moonlight to locate new water sources. This location method can sometimes cause them to land on wet roads or other hard wet surfaces.

Before they dive, they collect air bubbles in their wing cases which goes through the spiracles. The jaws of a great diving beetle are strong compared to their body size.

The beetle reproduces by laying eggs under water in the mesophyll of an aquatic plant leaf. The incubation period is between 17 and 19 days.

title: Great diving beetle


text:
Tracadie-Sheila

Tracadie-Sheila is a former town in Gloucester County, New Brunswick, Canada. It is now part of the Regional Municipality of Tracadie.

Tourism and culture
Located on the Acadian Peninsula, the area has a number of sandy beaches. Val-Comeau, the most popular, is protected as a Provincial Park. The beaches can usually be enjoyed from June until September, when the water is a moderate temperature.

Signage is in French, as most inhabitants of the Acadian Peninsula are predominantly French speaking. The community became known as the hometown of Wilfred Le Bouthillier, winner of the 2003 Quebec reality show Star Académie. The success of the young singer, known simply as Wilfred, resulted in a significant rise in tourism to the region.

The town is also home to pop singer Jean-François Breau. Well-known AIDS activist Dr. Réjean Thomas and opera singer Michèle Losier, (both now residing in Montreal), are from the neighbouring village of St-Isidore, part of the greater Tracadie area.

Economy
The region suffers from high unemployment because of its relative isolation from centres of greater population. It depends on federal government assistance to compensate for the weak economic performance of the last decades. Most well-paid jobs tend to be government-related, including teachers, nurses and doctors. Other employers are in the "Parc Industriel".

Tourism is an important seasonal employer, particularly in the summer months of June, July and August. Thousands of vacationers, mostly from neighbouring Québec, come for the beaches, ocean, and hospitality.

Transportation
The closest public airport is Bathurst Airport (IATA code: ZBF), 75 kilometres west of the town. It is served by Air Canada Jazz with twice daily flights to Montreal.

The community was once served by CN Rail for freight rail transport, but the rail line was abandoned in the 1980s. Today the nearest rail service is at Miramichi or Bathurst with the New Brunswick East Coast Railway; Via Rail Canada provides 6-day/week passenger rail service at Bathurst and Miramichi using its train the Ocean, running to Montreal and Halifax.

The town is located on Highway 11 which links the town to Caraquet and Shippagan to the northeast and Miramichi to the southwest. The town is connected to Highway 8 to Bathurst via Highway 365 and Highway 160 through Saint-Isidore and Allardville.

title: Tracadie-Sheila


text:
Talk:Ford Contour

Manufacturing numbers?
Would be nice to get some numbers on how many Ford Contours they made over time. Probably should be a standard detail for any mass produced vehicle. -- KarlHallowell 22:23, 7 November 2005 (UTC)
 * They made 150,616 in 1995, but I don't have any more production data than that. IFCAR 12:54, 30 July 2006 (UTC)

Direct Competitors
According to MSN autos, the year 2000 Ford Contour competes with:

 * VW Jetta MK4
 * Chevy Malibu
 * Dodge Stratus
 * Honda Civic
 * Mercury Mystique (sibling)
 * Nissan Altima
 * Oldsmobile Alero
 * Pontiac GrandAm
 * Saturn LS
 * Mazda 626

Evidence

Since there is no information for the first year production of the contour in 1995; in 1997, top competitors are:

 * Buick Skylark
 * Dodge Stratus
 * Honda Civic
 * Hyundai Sonata
 * Mazda 626
 * Mercury Mystique (sibling)
 * Mitsubishi Galant
 * Plymouth Breeze
 * VW Jetta MK3

Evidence

Also, the Ford Fusion isn't the replacement for the contour but for the Ford Taurus.

Evidence see last line.

"Overall, there is very little to pick on. Fusion is a car Ford needs and the company is hoping it performs and lasts as well as the Taurus it replaces." 70.27.182.175

Firstly, I own a Contour SE that I bought new in 1996. I have the Car and Driver comparison articles and other consumer information that helped make the decision to purchase at the time. In the abscence of that being available online, see internetAutoGuide.com and Consumer Guide The Contour was intended as a competitor to the Camry, Accord, 626 and Altima. However you could get a Taurus, a larger car, for about the same price as an Accord or Camry, which is why it sold so much better than the Contour. A 1996 Taurus is a larger car than a 1996 Accord. With regards the Fusion, because Ford have not had a car in this size segment since the demise of the Contour, it will be compared to the Taurus. In reality the Five Hundred is the replacement for the Taurus. The Fusion, a smaller car, is the replacement for the Contour. Indeed it uses the same platform as the Mazda 6, the 626 replacement. What makes comparisons like this difficult is that car models typically grow over their lives as they are restyled. The Taurus is bigger at the end of its life than at the beginning (but actually slightly smaller than it was in 1996). The Jetta and Accord have both grown substantially since their introduction. The Fusion is 5 inches longer than the Contour, but 7 inches shorter than the Taurus. Likewise, the Focus is not really a replacement for the Contour, but the Escort. It is a substantially smaller car than the Contour, but because of Ford's emphasis on SUVs rather than cars it was all there was if you didn't want a Taurus. RXUYDC 18:50, 3 January 2006 (UTC)

There seems to be a continuing debate about the Contour's size and successor. Perhaps the problem stems from the absurdities of the EPA classification system. See the EPA website for 1995 comparisons. In this the Accord, Contour and Altima are classed as compacts, but so are the Acura Legend, Alfa 164, Mazda Millenia, Jaguar XJ12. The 626 is a midsize, meaning it is a class up from the Millenia. This is simply because the class is derived by volume of passenger space and cargo space. Hence a 2006 Focus is a compact, but the wagon is a midsize. So it seems some are saying the Fusion is not a successor to the Contour because it is a midsize, not a compact. However the 1995 Accord was a compact and the 2006 is a midsize. Following this logic the Accord would not be a successor to itself! If we look at the MSN Cars site referenced above, the Fusion is listed as a competitor to Accord, Jetta, Malibu and G6 (Grand Am successor). These are all the cars listed as competitors for the Contour, so it seems to me that MSN Cars is saying the Fusion is the successor to Contour. The Fusion is a natural replacement to Contour in terms of its sporty fun-to-drive focus for a family four door. It also fits in between the Focus and Five Hundred, just as the Contour fitted between the Escort and Taurus.-- RXUYDC 00:54, 7 January 2006 (UTC)

 * It strikes me that what car model succeeds what is a POV statement and must be attributed rather than simply stated. Valid sources might include the manufacturer and professional reviews, magazine articles etc. —Matthew Brown (T:C) 06:44, 7 January 2006 (UTC)

Not really. Cars are sold in market segments. THe MSN site among others, show what those segments are. The Contour and Fusion are both listed with the same set of competitors on not only the MSN site but others as well. However I'm not going to revert or further this discussion. I will say that your comments in the history of the main article - "just because you have one doesn't mean its correct either" - are inappropriate and are out of context with the discussion. What I was saying is that I have the consumer and product info from 1996 (when I bought one) that indicated the Accord was a competitor. At least take the time to read and understand the discussion before making such comments. --RXUYDC 19:48, 7 January 2006 (UTC)

 * To follow up on this dicussion, basically I think you're confused yourself. From the sources you listed, you think the Contour is a "compact" car (from your EPA source), in which I agree. That is why the Contour is not a competitor to Honda Accord and Toyota Camry because they are classified as "mid-size". And not only do you we have to consider the size of the car, also price.
 * For some reason, in this article, the contour is listed as mid-size which makes no sense because if one would sit in either both cars, clearly, the camry or accord would be a lot bigger.

No, I'm not confused, just following the rules that everyone else seems to be making. Look again at the EPA list for COMPACTS in 1995 - the HONDA ACCORD is listed. So is the Nissan Altima. You also chose to ignore the Consumer Guide site that is definitive in its statement that the Contour is a rival to the Accord (see first sentence). I agree the EPA classification is not a good guide to use to compare cars, but that is exactly what you and everyone else is doing. Strangely I was using the EPA site to justify the Contour being a Compact, which above you say you agree with, but you reverted the article to state it was a midsize, which it isn't. Your comments above are subjective. I cited sources, and created a section for others to do the same. There is nothing wrong with that section heading - it is a valid part of a Wikipedia article, so why was this deleted?. Use it before making changes again. --RXUYDC

 * No I did not revert it back to midsize. Why would I do that when I explcitly stated I agree with the contour being a compact car. Nevertheless, the article still says "midsize" in the introduction.
 * My comments aren't subjective, this isn't something you prefer or not. And why would I need to state my sources? I didn't add new information, you did. And the sources isn't sufficient, as you pointed out, the EPA isn't a good guide to use to compare cars...So what if Honda Accord or Nissan Altima is listed. The list doesn't prove anything. Theres even MB S600 on there, would that make sense? NO

Old Ford Lineup: Escort Contour Taurus

New Ford Lineup: Focus Fusion 500

The Fusion is the replacement for the Contour. Simple as that.

Cite your information so it can be varified. At this point I don't agree. Btw, sign your comments 24.57.131.18 04:20, 20 February 2006 (UTC)

 * Ford's new lineup doesn't automatically imply it is a replacement for the models. Many articles on the internet state the Ford Fusion is the replacement for the Taurus not the Contour. Provide sources so people can varify new information. 130.113.128.11

Fusion "replaced" contour. Focus phased out the zx2 (escort). The Five Hundred replaced the taurus. You cant listen to websites that are wrong. Ford would not replace the taurus with 2 cars, these 3 cars satisfy 3 different levels of automobiles. So really they did replace the older ones. --129.1.31.61 07:19, 25 September 2006 (UTC)

 * And who are you to decide which websites are wrong and which aren't? --Sable232 15:46, 5 October 2006 (UTC)

The Focus (C170), Taurus (D186) and Five Hundred (D258) were all build concurrently until shortly after the Fusion (CD338) came out. The Fusion is a CD class car, the old Taurus, D. But, the Fusion is pretty close in most dimensions. The Taurus (D186) was a place holder for a model year until the Fusion came out. It went to fleet only shortly after and then was killed in 07MY. This freed up the name to be used on the new 08MY Taurus (D258). Alp1075 (talk) 19:05, 28 August 2008 (UTC)

Pictures
How about adding this picture to the main article:

This is ford contour 1998

 * If nobody objects, I will myself add this image --BorisFromStockdale

Contour Replacement
The Taurus introduced the SE trim line in 1998 as the middle trim, and seemed to be the successor for the Contour, because Taurus & Contour were midsize cars. -- Bull-Doser 05:53, 30 July 2006 (UTC)

Umm…
You've got to be kidding me.

It's this simple:

The Focus replaced the Escort and the Contour. The Fusion replaced the Taurus. The 500 is a fullsize car meant to compete with the FWD offerings from other companies, since the CV is more of a niche market. The Taurus did not get smaller to replace the Contour. The Focus was made to straddle the line between Escort and Contour. --Sable232 00:26, 23 September 2006 (UTC)

 * I know the Focus replaced both the [[Ford Escort (North American)|

Escort]] and the Contour. The Focus was priced sub-Contour and probably above the Escort. It also replaced the Mercury Mystique in Canada when Mercury was phased out. -- Bull-Doser 14:29, 19 January 2007 (UTC)

"World Car"
Does anybody have more sources for all the hype that went into Ford's development of the Contour/Mystique under the "World Car" campaign? I remember the whole idea was to integrate European, North American, and other worldwide Ford resources leading to increased sharing of designs and technologies across the entire company. With a $6 billion cost, somebody must have gotten royally fired if in the end it flopped... Wl219 11:02, 3 May 2007 (UTC) The World car program was in fact for this car which is why in all other markets it was called the mondeo (Apparently renamed for the US so people didn't get confused with rodeo). The Mondeo is a major sucess in Europe and I belive alot of the rest of the world.(86.31.177.249 (talk) 21:37, 17 January 2009 (UTC))

Merger of Mercury Mystique
I propose a merger similar to what was done with Mercury Monterey van and Ford Freestar. The article doesn't seem to have enough information or notability to stand on its own really, and is pretty much a clone of it Ford cousin. This will also improve the Contour article giving it more substance. 74.204.40.46 (talk) 22:40, 26 July 2008 (UTC)

 * This is ludicrous. The Mystique article was taken intact and stuck on the end of this one. That isn't a "merge." Might as well just have two pages then. --Sable232 (talk) 17:35, 6 September 2008 (UTC)

 * Yes, it is hopeless. I'll try to get down to properly merging it later. PrinceGloria (talk) 22:01, 9 September 2008 (UTC)

 * OMG I did it... Still lots of work to do... PrinceGloria (talk) 09:36, 10 September 2008 (UTC)

My have you changed...
OK, I haven't been there (the article) for ages and things have change a lot... I am not quite sure about some of the changes, and I'd like to discuss them there:

 * 1) I am not quite sure the new lead is better than the one I can remember. Any reasons for the change?
 * 2) The Mystique cannot quite be considered a rebadged variant, it had considerable changes to the front and rear sections. We can say they are a result of badge engineering, but to me a rebadge is something like Toyota Corolla and Geo Prizm
 * 3) I don't think we can talk of two "generations" of the Contour. It just had an MCE, I wouldn't call that a generation. Going by that, we'd have an all-new generation of Panther cars every two or three years!
 * 4) Far too much weight is attributed to the "Dishonorable mention" editorial from C&D, and there is a fair amount of POV and OR in citing that
 * 5) The Ford SVT Contour article consists entirely of trivia and is absolutely unnecessary

I guess those are the only major issues I see with the article, I'll gladly discuss those. I think I could also tweak a few details, but I'd like to sort the big stuff out before I go on to polish spelling or syntax. Kind, PrinceGloria (talk) 04:58, 20 July 2009 (UTC)

1998 & 19998.5
By mid-February 1997 it was no longer possible to order a 1997 model from the factory. I took delivery of my customer-ordered 1998 model in early April 2007; it was the first one the dealer had seen. I also think that the so called 1998.5 version, described in the article as "mid-production for the 1998 model", was introduced around September 2007, the traditional time for introducing the following year's changes. I think some of that belongs in the main article. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.252.179.125 (talk) 14:18, 18 November 2009 (UTC)

Successor, again...
Unless an official statement from Ford that states the Focus replaced the Contour in the US is found, I propose removing it from the list of sucessors. The Contour did not have an official sucessor in the US. ANDROS1337 TALK 05:06, 6 April 2011 (UTC)

The Ford Contour was not a midsize car.
The Ford Contour was barely larger than the escort, which was a compact car. But, Going by the fact that people say the contour was a mid-size car, wouldn't that effectively make the taurus a full-sized car, and the crown vic a super-full-sized car? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Wikimann1234 (talk • contribs) 15:32, 14 October 2011 (UTC)

title: Talk:Ford Contour