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Time–frequency analysis

In signal processing, time–frequency analysis comprises those techniques that study a signal in both the time and frequency domains simultaneously, using various time–frequency representations. Rather than viewing a 1-dimensional signal (a function, real or complex-valued, whose domain is the real line) and some transform (another function whose domain is the real line, obtained from the original via some transform), time–frequency analysis studies a two-dimensional signal – a function whose domain is the two-dimensional real plane, obtained from the signal via a time–frequency transform.

The mathematical motivation for this study is that functions and their transform representation are tightly connected, and they can be understood better by studying them jointly, as a two-dimensional object, rather than separately. A simple example is that the 4-fold periodicity of the Fourier transform – and the fact that two-fold Fourier transform reverses direction – can be interpreted by considering the Fourier transform as a 90° rotation in the associated time–frequency plane: 4 such rotations yield the identity, and 2 such rotations simply reverse direction (reflection through the origin).

The practical motivation for time–frequency analysis is that classical Fourier analysis assumes that signals are infinite in time or periodic, while many signals in practice are of short duration, and change substantially over their duration. For example, traditional musical instruments do not produce infinite duration sinusoids, but instead begin with an attack, then gradually decay. This is poorly represented by traditional methods, which motivates time–frequency analysis.

One of the most basic forms of time–frequency analysis is the short-time Fourier transform (STFT), but more sophisticated techniques have been developed, notably wavelets and least-squares spectral analysis methods for unevenly spaced data.

Motivation
In signal processing, time–frequency analysis is a body of techniques and methods used for characterizing and manipulating signals whose statistics vary in time, such as transient signals.

It is a generalization and refinement of Fourier analysis, for the case when the signal frequency characteristics are varying with time. Since many signals of interest – such as speech, music, images, and medical signals – have changing frequency characteristics, time–frequency analysis has broad scope of applications.

Whereas the technique of the Fourier transform can be extended to obtain the frequency spectrum of any slowly growing locally integrable signal, this approach requires a complete description of the signal's behavior over all time. Indeed, one can think of points in the (spectral) frequency domain as smearing together information from across the entire time domain. While mathematically elegant, such a technique is not appropriate for analyzing a signal with indeterminate future behavior. For instance, one must presuppose some degree of indeterminate future behavior in any telecommunications systems to achieve non-zero entropy (if one already knows what the other person will say one cannot learn anything).

To harness the power of a frequency representation without the need of a complete characterization in the time domain, one first obtains a time–frequency distribution of the signal, which represents the signal in both the time and frequency domains simultaneously. In such a representation the frequency domain will only reflect the behavior of a temporally localized version of the signal. This enables one to talk sensibly about signals whose component frequencies vary in time.

For instance rather than using tempered distributions to globally transform the following function into the frequency domain one could instead use these methods to describe it as a signal with a time varying frequency.

 * $$x(t)=\begin{cases}

\cos( \pi t);  & t  <10 \\ \cos(3 \pi t); & 10 \le t < 20 \\ \cos(2 \pi t); & t  > 20 \end{cases}$$

Once such a representation has been generated other techniques in time–frequency analysis may then be applied to the signal in order to extract information from the signal, to separate the signal from noise or interfering signals, etc.

Formulations
There are several different ways to formulate a valid time–frequency distribution function, resulting in several well-known time–frequency distributions, such as:

 * Short-time Fourier transform (including the Gabor transform),
 * Wavelet transform,
 * Bilinear time–frequency distribution function (Wigner distribution function, or WDF),
 * Modified Wigner distribution function, Gabor–Wigner distribution function, and so on (see Gabor–Wigner transform).
 * Hilbert–Huang transform

More information about the history and the motivation of development of time–frequency distribution can be found in the entry Time–frequency representation.

Ideal TF distribution function
A time–frequency distribution function ideally has the following properties:

 * 1) High resolution in both time and frequency, to make it easier to be analyzed and interpreted.
 * 2) No cross-term to avoid confusing real components from artifacts or noise.
 * 3) A list of desirable mathematical properties to ensure such methods benefit real-life application.
 * 4) Lower computational complexity to ensure the time needed to represent and process a signal on a time–frequency plane allows real-time implementations.

Below is a brief comparison of some selected time–frequency distribution functions.

To analyze the signals well, choosing an appropriate time–frequency distribution function is important. Which time–frequency distribution function should be used depends on the application being considered, as shown by reviewing a list of applications. The high clarity of the Wigner distribution function (WDF) obtained for some signals is due to the auto-correlation function inherent in its formulation; however, the latter also causes the cross-term problem. Therefore, if we want to analyze a single-term signal, using the WDF may be the best approach; if the signal is composed of multiple components, some other methods like the Gabor transform, Gabor-Wigner distribution or Modified B-Distribution functions may be better choices.

As an illustration, magnitudes from non-localized Fourier analysis cannot distinguish the signals:

 * $$x_1 (t)=\begin{cases}

\cos( \pi t);  & t  <10 \\ \cos(3 \pi t); & 10 \le t < 20 \\ \cos(2 \pi t); & t  > 20 \end{cases}$$

 * $$x_2 (t)=\begin{cases}

\cos( \pi t);  & t  <10 \\ \cos(2 \pi t); & 10 \le t < 20 \\ \cos(3 \pi t); & t  > 20 \end{cases}$$

But time–frequency analysis can.

== TF analysis and random processes == For a random process x(t), we cannot find the explicit value of x(t).

The value of x(t) is expressed as a probability function.

General random processes

 * Auto-covariance function (ACF) $$R_x(t,\tau)$$
 * $$R_x(t,\tau) = E[x(t+\tau/2)x^*(t-\tau/2)]$$
 * In usual, we suppose that $$E[x(t)] = 0 $$ for any t,

 * $$E[x(t+\tau/2)x^*(t-\tau/2)]$$
 * $$=\iint x(t+\tau/2,\xi_1)x^*(t-\tau/2,\xi_2)P(\xi_1,\xi_2)d\xi_1d\xi_2$$
 * (alternative definition of the auto-covariance function)
 * $$\overset{\land}{R_x}(t,\tau)=E[x(t)x(t+\tau)]$$

 * Power spectral density (PSD) $$S_x(t,f)$$
 * $$S_x(t,f) = \int_{-\infty}^{\infty} R_x(t,\tau)e^{-j2\pi f\tau}d\tau$$

 * Relation between the WDF (Wigner Distribution Function) and the PSD
 * $$E[W_x(t,f)] = \int_{-\infty}^{\infty} E[x(t+\tau/2)x^*(t-\tau/2)]\cdot e^{-j2\pi f\tau}\cdot d\tau$$
 * $$= \int_{-\infty}^{\infty} R_x(t,\tau)\cdot e^{-j2\pi f\tau}\cdot d\tau$$$$= S_x(t,f)$$

 * Relation between the ambiguity function and the ACF
 * $$E[A_X(\eta,\tau)] = \int_{-\infty}^{\infty} E[x(t+\tau/2)x^*(t-\tau/2)]e^{-j2\pi t\eta}dt$$
 * $$= \int_{-\infty}^{\infty} R_x(t,\tau)e^{-j2\pi t\eta}dt$$

Stationary random processes
$$R_x(t_1,\tau) = R_x(t_2,\tau) = R_x(\tau)$$              for any $$t$$, Therefore, $$R_x(\tau) = E[x(\tau/2)x^*(-\tau/2)]$$ $$=\iint x(\tau/2,\xi_1)x^*(-\tau/2,\xi_2)P(\xi_1,\xi_2)d\xi_1d\xi_2$$PSD, $$S_x(f) = \int_{-\infty}^{\infty} R_x(\tau)e^{-j2\pi f\tau}d\tau$$ White noise: $$S_x(f) = \sigma$$                                 , where $$\sigma$$ is some constant. $$E[W_x(t,f)] = S_x(f)$$              , (invariant with $$t$$)
 * Stationary random process: the statistical properties do not change with t. Its auto-covariance function:
 * When x(t) is stationary,

$$E[A_x(\eta,\tau)] = \int_{-\infty}^{\infty} R_x(\tau)\cdot e^{-j2\pi t\eta}\cdot dt$$ $$= R_x(\tau)\int_{-\infty}^{\infty} e^{-j2\pi t\eta}\cdot dt$$$$= R_x(\tau)\delta(\eta)$$      , (nonzero only when $$\eta = 0$$)

Additive white noise

 * For additive white noise (AWN),
 * $$E[W_g(t,f)] = \sigma$$
 * $$E[A_x(\eta,\tau)] = \sigma\delta(\tau)\delta(\eta)$$

 * Filter Design for a signal in additive white noise

$$E_x$$: energy of the signal

$$A$$ : area of the time frequency distribution of the signal

The PSD of the white noise is $$S_n(f) = \sigma$$

$$SNR \approx 10\log_{10}\frac{E_x}{\iint\limits_{(t,f)\in\text{signal part}} S_x(t,f)dtdf}$$

$$SNR \approx 10\log_{10}\frac{E_x}{\sigma\Alpha}$$

Non-stationary random processes

 * If $$E[W_x(t,f)]$$ varies with $$t$$ and $$E[A_x(\eta,\tau)]$$ is nonzero when $$\eta = 0$$, then $$x(t)$$ is a non-stationary random process.
 * If
 * $$h(t) = x_1(t)+x_2(t)+x_3(t)+......+x_k(t)$$
 * $$x_n(t)$$'s have zero mean for all $$t$$'s
 * $$x_n(t)$$'s are mutually independent for all $$t$$'s and $$\tau$$'s
 * then:
 * $$E[x_m(t+\tau/2)x_n^*(t-\tau/2)] = E[x_m(t+\tau/2)]E[x_n^*(t-\tau/2)] = 0$$

 * if $$m \neq n$$, then

 * $$E[W_h(t,f)] = \sum_{n=1}^k E[W_{x_n}(t,f)]$$
 * $$E[A_h(\eta,\tau)] = \sum_{n=1}^k E[A_{x_n}(\eta,\tau)]$$

Short-time Fourier transform
$$E[x(t)]\neq 0$$   should be satisfied. Otherwise, $$E[X(t,f)] = E[\int_{t-B}^{t+B} x(\tau)w(t-\tau)e^{-j2\pi f\tau}d\tau]$$ $$=\int_{t-B}^{t+B} E[x(\tau)]w(t-\tau)e^{-j2\pi f\tau}d\tau$$for zero-mean random process, $$E[X(t,f)] = 0$$
 * Random process for STFT (Short Time Fourier Transform)

 * Decompose by the AF and the FRFT. Any non-stationary random process can be expressed as a summation of the fractional Fourier transform (or chirp multiplication) of stationary random process.

Applications
The following applications need not only the time–frequency distribution functions but also some operations to the signal. The Linear canonical transform (LCT) is really helpful. By LCTs, the shape and location on the time–frequency plane of a signal can be in the arbitrary form that we want it to be. For example, the LCTs can shift the time–frequency distribution to any location, dilate it in the horizontal and vertical direction without changing its area on the plane, shear (or twist) it, and rotate it (Fractional Fourier transform). This powerful operation, LCT, make it more flexible to analyze and apply the time–frequency distributions.

Instantaneous frequency estimation
The definition of instantaneous frequency is the time rate of change of phase, or

 * $$\frac{1}{2 \pi} \frac{d}{dt} \phi (t), $$

where $$\phi (t)$$ is the instantaneous phase of a signal. We can know the instantaneous frequency from the time–frequency plane directly if the image is clear enough. Because the high clarity is critical, we often use WDF to analyze it.

TF filtering and signal decomposition
The goal of filter design is to remove the undesired component of a signal. Conventionally, we can just filter in the time domain or in the frequency domain individually as shown below.

The filtering methods mentioned above can’t work well for every signal which may overlap in the time domain or in the frequency domain. By using the time–frequency distribution function, we can filter in the Euclidean time–frequency domain or in the fractional domain by employing the fractional Fourier transform. An example is shown below.

Filter design in time–frequency analysis always deals with signals composed of multiple components, so one cannot use WDF due to cross-term. The Gabor transform, Gabor–Wigner distribution function, or Cohen's class distribution function may be better choices.

The concept of signal decomposition relates to the need to separate one component from the others in a signal; this can be achieved through a filtering operation which require a filter design stage. Such filtering is traditionally done in the time domain or in the frequency domain; however, this may not be possible in the case of non-stationary signals that are multicomponent as such components could overlap in both the time domain and also in the frequency domain; as a consequence, the only possible way to achieve component separation and therefore a signal decomposition is to implement a time–frequency filter.

Sampling theory
By the Nyquist–Shannon sampling theorem, we can conclude that the minimum number of sampling points without aliasing is equivalent to the area of the time–frequency distribution of a signal. (This is actually just an approximation, because the TF area of any signal is infinite.) Below is an example before and after we combine the sampling theory with the time–frequency distribution:

It is noticeable that the number of sampling points decreases after we apply the time–frequency distribution.

When we use the WDF, there might be the cross-term problem (also called interference). On the other hand, using Gabor transform causes an improvement in the clarity and readability of the representation, therefore improving its interpretation and application to practical problems.

Consequently, when the signal we tend to sample is composed of single component, we use the WDF; however, if the signal consists of more than one component, using the Gabor transform, Gabor-Wigner distribution function, or other reduced interference TFDs may achieve better results.

The Balian–Low theorem formalizes this, and provides a bound on the minimum number of time–frequency samples needed.

Modulation and multiplexing
Conventionally, the operation of modulation and multiplexing concentrates in time or in frequency, separately. By taking advantage of the time–frequency distribution, we can make it more efficient to modulate and multiplex. All we have to do is to fill up the time–frequency plane. We present an example as below.

As illustrated in the upper example, using the WDF is not smart since the serious cross-term problem make it difficult to multiplex and modulate.

Electromagnetic wave propagation
We can represent an electromagnetic wave in the form of a 2 by 1 matrix

 * $$\begin{bmatrix}

x \\ y \end{bmatrix},$$

which is similar to the time–frequency plane. When electromagnetic wave propagates through free-space, the Fresnel diffraction occurs. We can operate with the 2 by 1 matrix

 * $$\begin{bmatrix}

x \\ y \end{bmatrix}$$

by LCT with parameter matrix

 * $$\begin{bmatrix}

a & b \\ c & d \end{bmatrix} = \begin{bmatrix} 1 & \lambda z \\ 0 & 1 \end{bmatrix}, $$

where z is the propagation distance and $$\lambda $$ is the wavelength. When electromagnetic wave pass through a spherical lens or be reflected by a disk, the parameter matrix should be

 * $$\begin{bmatrix}

a & b \\ c & d \end{bmatrix} = \begin{bmatrix} 1 & 0 \\   -\frac{1}{\lambda f} & 1 \end{bmatrix} $$

and

 * $$\begin{bmatrix}

a & b \\ c & d \end{bmatrix} = \begin{bmatrix} 1 & 0 \\   \frac{1}{\lambda R} & 1 \end{bmatrix} $$

respectively, where ƒ is the focal length of the lens and R is the radius of the disk. These corresponding results can be obtained from

 * $$\begin{bmatrix}

a & b \\ c & d \end{bmatrix} \begin{bmatrix} x \\ y \end{bmatrix}. $$

Optics, acoustics, and biomedicine
Light is an electromagnetic wave, so time–frequency analysis applies to optics in the same way as for general electromagnetic wave propagation.

Similarly, it is a characteristic of acoustic signals, that their frequency components undergo abrupt variations in time and would hence be not well represented by a single frequency component analysis covering their entire durations.

As acoustic signals are used as speech in communication between the human-sender and -receiver, their undelayedly transmission in technical communication systems is crucial, which makes the use of simpler TFDs, such as the Gabor transform, suitable to analyze these signals in real-time by reducing computational complexity.

If frequency analysis speed is not a limitation, a detailed feature comparison with well defined criteria should be made before selecting a particular TFD. Another approach is to define a signal dependent TFD that is adapted to the data. In biomedicine, one can use time–frequency distribution to analyze the electromyography (EMG), electroencephalography (EEG), electrocardiogram (ECG) or otoacoustic emissions (OAEs).

History
Early work in time–frequency analysis can be seen in the Haar wavelets (1909) of Alfréd Haar, though these were not significantly applied to signal processing. More substantial work was undertaken by Dennis Gabor, such as Gabor atoms (1947), an early form of wavelets, and the Gabor transform, a modified short-time Fourier transform. The Wigner–Ville distribution (Ville 1948, in a signal processing context) was another foundational step.

Particularly in the 1930s and 1940s, early time–frequency analysis developed in concert with quantum mechanics (Wigner developed the Wigner–Ville distribution in 1932 in quantum mechanics, and Gabor was influenced by quantum mechanics – see Gabor atom); this is reflected in the shared mathematics of the position-momentum plane and the time–frequency plane – as in the Heisenberg uncertainty principle (quantum mechanics) and the Gabor limit (time–frequency analysis), ultimately both reflecting a symplectic structure.

An early practical motivation for time–frequency analysis was the development of radar – see ambiguity function.

title: Time–frequency analysis


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No Exit (Blondie album)

No Exit is the seventh studio album by American rock band Blondie, released on February 15, 1999, by Beyond Music. It was the band's first album in 17 years and features the UK number-one single "Maria". As of March 2006, the album had sold two million copies worldwide.

Overview
As was customary for a Blondie album, No Exit dabbled in many genres, including pop, reggae, country, and hip hop. Mike Chapman, who had produced all but the first two of Blondie's previous albums, produced some of the early demos for the album, though final production of the album fell to Craig Leon.

A cover of the Shangri-Las' 1965 song "Out in the Streets" was included on the album. It was originally recorded by the band in 1975 while they were trying to get a record deal. The demo version was first issued on EMI's 1994 anthology The Platinum Collection and was later included on the 2001 remastered version of the band's eponymous debut studio album.

A comeback promotional tour, the No Exit Tour, was launched preceding the release of the album, which spanned 13 months and visited Europe, North America and Oceania.

Release and reception
No Exit reached number three on the UK Albums Chart, and was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for sales in excess of 100,000 copies. It was preceded by the single "Maria", which became Blondie's sixth UK number one, exactly 20 years after the band's first number one, "Heart of Glass", making them the first American band to have chart-topping UK singles in three different decades: 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. A second single, "Nothing Is Real but the Girl", peaked at number 26 on the UK Singles Chart. The title track, "No Exit", was released as a limited-edition third single in Europe, and is a fusion of classical, hip hop and rock, and featured raps by Mobb Deep, Coolio, U-God, and Inspectah Deck. "Screaming Skin" was released as a promo single in the US in late 1999.

The album was released in several editions in different countries with various bonus tracks, mainly live versions of songs recorded during the band's No Exit Tour. The album was also reissued in 2001 along with all of Blondie's other studio albums, this time including three bonus tracks.

Chris Stein commented on the title of the album in a 2004 interview: "The title was taken from a Sartre play, which says there's no madness in individuals, it's all in groups. I think that's probably what all these reality TV shows are about. Maybe we were a reality TV show before there was reality TV."

The album was not available on streaming platforms or digital music stores for several years, most likely because of a possible dispute in licensing or distribution rights, although the song "Maria" from the album could still be found on these platforms and stores on compilation albums. No Exit and its follower The Curse of Blondie (2003) were added to all streaming platforms on November 16, 2023.

Personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of No Exit.

Blondie

 * Clem Burke
 * Jimmy Destri
 * Deborah Harry
 * Chris Stein

Additional musicians

 * Leigh Foxx – bass guitar
 * Paul Carbonara – guitar
 * James Chance – saxophone
 * Candy Dulfer – saxophone (track 5)
 * Helen Hooke – violin
 * Frank Pagano – percussion
 * Dave Ironside – saxophone
 * Robert Aaron – tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, flute
 * Rick Davies – trombone
 * Ken Fradley – trumpet
 * Rik Simpson – drum programming
 * Coolio – vocals (track 4)
 * Donna Destri – backing vocals
 * Cassell Webb – backing vocals
 * Jeffrey Lee Pierce – backing vocals
 * Nancy West – backing vocals
 * Theo Kogan – backing vocals
 * Romy Ashby – backing vocals

Technical

 * Craig Leon – production, recording (all tracks); mixing (tracks 1, 7, 9–11, 13, 14)
 * Cassell Webb – production assistance
 * Mike Shipley – mixing (tracks 2–6, 8)
 * Randy Nicklaus – mixing (track 12)
 * Michael Tocci – engineering assistance
 * John Wydrycs – engineering assistance
 * Ian Blanch – engineering assistance
 * Milton Chan – engineering assistance
 * Tal Miller – engineering assistance
 * John Tamburello – technical installation
 * Michael Block – technical installation
 * Steve Hall – mastering

Artwork

 * Rob Roth – art direction, design, photography
 * Jana Paterson – design

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

title: No Exit (Blondie album)


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Swanndri

Swanndri is a trade name for a range of popular New Zealand outdoor clothing, and also used informally to refer to their original long heavy bush shirt.

The classic "swanny" or bush shirt is a heavy, hooded, woollen garment with a lace up section at the neck. Although a wide range of colours and patterns are available, the traditional swanny pattern is a dark tartan which could be described as a 'reverse gingham', with thick criss-crossing stripes of either blue or red over a black base. The item was widely worn by farmers, but in recent years its popularity has spread and it has become something of a fashion item.

The Swanndri company also now produces a range of more urban-focussed garments.

History
The Swanndri, or "swanny" as it has been dubbed, was designed by William Broome (1873–1942). Since he registered Swanndri as a trademark on 23 December 1913, it has become an iconic New Zealand garment, and the term "swanny" has, to some extent at least, become a genericised trademark for heavy bush shirts within New Zealand.

Broome, born in Staffordshire, England, emigrated to New Zealand at age 21. A tailor by trade, he established a clothier and outfitters business, The Palatine, which was located on Devon Street, New Plymouth. Part of his business involved sewing woollen fabric from mills in Wanganui, Kaiapoi and Wellington, into the Swanndri garments. The characteristics of the "swanny" design include its heavy dark fabric, often in a tartan pattern, hood and laced neck closure. In more recent designs, a zip has replaced the lace-up neck.

The original design was short sleeved, long in the back, and would be worn on top of work clothes for warmth and shower proofing. During production, these garments were dipped into a secret mixture and then dried. It is not known if Broome had been taught the method for shower proofing the fabric he used or whether he developed the formula himself. The mixture caused the garments to shrink unevenly so were sold as one size fits all.

In 1938, Broome transferred the business to his wife, Ivy. Broome himself died four years later aged 69 years. In 1952, Ivy sold the business and trademark to John McKendrick, who operated a clothing factory at Waitara. McKendrick began purchasing fabric that was closely woven and pre-shrunk which enabled him to make different pattern sizes and garments. He sourced his cloth from South Island-based Alliance Textiles, and the business expanded with factories in Waitara and Ōpunake. Alliance Textiles bought the Swanndri trademark in 1975 and later the whole company in 1990, moving production from their factories in Timaru. In 1994, Swanndri New Zealand Ltd purchased the brand from Alliance Textiles.

According to Swanndri's corporate history, Broome's design began after he was frustrated by the persistently rainy New Zealand weather. The name Swanndri was named by Broome because the rain would literally run off the back of the garment as it does on a swan. Although new colours and features have been incorporated into the Swanndri, Broom's original design influence can still be seen in New Zealand and among other producers around the world.

Recent history
Swanndri has been outsourcing its production to China since 2005. While the packaging and postage reinforces the NZ connection, the labelling says "Final construction in China to Swanndri NZ standards". Thus, the manufacturer no longer qualifies for Buy NZ Made.

title: Swanndri


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Hardware store

Hardware stores (in a number of countries, "shops"), sometimes known as DIY stores, sell household hardware for home improvement including: fasteners, building materials, hand tools, power tools, keys, locks, hinges, chains, plumbing supplies, electrical supplies, cleaning products, housewares, tools, utensils, paint, and lawn and garden products directly to consumers for use at home or for business. Many hardware stores have specialty departments unique to its region or its owner's interests. These departments include hunting and fishing supplies, plants and nursery products, marine and boating supplies, pet food and supplies, farm and ranch supplies including animal feed, swimming pool chemicals, homebrewing supplies and canning supplies. The five largest hardware retailers in the world are The Home Depot, Lowe's (both in the United States), Kingfisher of the United Kingdom, Obi of Germany, and Leroy Merlin of France.

Australia and New Zealand
In Australia hardware stores specialise in home décor and include large selections of paint. There are three major hardware companies in Australia: Bunnings, Mitre 10 and Home Hardware. Home Hardware is a retailers' co-operative and has many banners which store owners trade under.

Since the acquisition of Bunnings by Wesfarmers in 1994, the big-box store concept has changed how new hardware stores are built. In 2004, Mitre 10 built its first supercentre Mitre 10 MEGA with an average store size of 13,500 m2. These were later either closed or turned into large-concept Mitre 10 stores. In 2011 Masters Home Improvement entered the market and opened more than 49 stores, with an average footprint of 13,500 m2. Masters Home Improvement, which was the second-largest hardware chain in Australia, closed in December 2016.

Bunnings also operates in New Zealand, competing against Mitre 10 New Zealand and Hammer Hardware. The Australian Bunnings and Mitre 10 Mega format have also been introduced to New Zealand.

Canada
Home Hardware, Rona, Canac, BMR Group and Réno-Dépôt are Canadian hardware retailers. Aikenhead's Hardware became the Canadian unit of The Home Depot in 1994. Canadian Tire, Central, Kent Building Supplies, Lowe's and many smaller chains also sell hardware in Canada.

China
Most hardware stores in China, whether in the city or rural areas, are small, family-owned, non-franchise companies. They provide similar products to Western hardware stores, including plumbing and electrical supplies, tools, and some housewares. They do not normally carry lumber, fishing supplies, gardening products, or boating supplies. Some rural hardware stores supply animal feed, such as chicken feed.

Common to most non-Western countries, China has specialty hardware stores, dedicated to selling products in a particular category. These stores are usually grouped together in a shopping district. Examples are groups of stores that specialize in:
 * Chain, carrying different sizes of chain, couplings, lifting hooks, cutters, etc.
 * Generators and compressors, selling parts, hoses, plus products and tools related the maintenance and repair of generators and compressors.
 * Tubing and metal rods of various sizes and materials.
 * Large power tools, with accessories.
 * Electrical wire and wire rope, electrical switches, fuse boxes, wire rope sockets, clamps, and thimbles.

United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, hardware stores can be known as ironmongers, DIY stores and home improvement stores. British retail chains include B&Q, Homebase, and Wickes. Australian hardware chain Bunnings opened their first shop in St Albans in February 2017 and planned to convert several other Homebase shops into pilot Bunnings shops after acquiring them in February 2016.

United States

Larger hardware stores may also sell building supplies including lumber, flooring, roofing materials and fencing. Such stores are often referred to as home-improvement centers or home centers.

There may be fewer hardware stores in the US now than in the past, but according to the US Census Bureau, there were still 14,300 hardware stores in the US in 2005, employing on average 10 employees each. Despite competition from large chain stores (commonly referred to as big-box or destination hardware stores, e.g., The Home Depot, Lowe's and Menards) new hardware stores in the US continue to open.

There are four major nationwide wholesale suppliers to hardware stores. All four report more than US$1 billion in annual sales. Two of them operate as retailers' cooperatives: Do It Best Corp, from Fort Wayne Indiana, and Ace Hardware from Oakbrook Illinois. Hardware store owners purchase stock in these suppliers and may choose to include the name of the cooperative in the advertised name of the store. The fourth nationwide supplier is Orgill, Inc., a traditional wholesale organization.

Hardware stores also purchase from a variety of regional wholesalers and specialty manufacturers. Some hardware stores operate rental businesses which can offer equipment from construction tools to inflatable playhouses. The major hardware cooperatives provide brand name rental advertising and support for hardware store owners including Just Ask Rental, Party Central, Grand Rental Station and Taylor Rental, all four of which are brands owned by the True Value Company.

Elwood Adams Hardware of Worcester, Massachusetts claims to be the oldest operating hardware store in the US, having begun business in 1782.

Unique services in hardware stores
Part of the popularity of American hardware stores is the range of services they provide. Most retail outlets only sell goods, while some hardware stores custom-make or repair a large variety of household items. It is common for a hardware store in the US to repair broken windows and screens, repair power equipment such as lawn mowers, re-key entry locks, make copies of house keys and car keys, re-wire lamps and vacuum cleaners, sharpen knives and cutting tools, make minor repairs to faucet and shower parts, repair kerosene heaters and cut and thread plumbing pipe.

Hardware industry trade association
The North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA ) is a membership organization that provides training and resources for hardware store owners and publishes a trade magazine in print and online.

Europe and the Middle East
European-based stores include:

 * Arabesque / BudMax / Mathaus
 * Bauhaus
 * Biltema
 * Brico
 * Brico Dépôt
 * Bricorama
 * Bricostore
 * Castorama
 * Clas Ohlson
 * Dedeman
 * EpiCentre K
 * Formido
 * Gamma
 * Hornbach
 * Hubo Belgium
 * Hubo Netherlands
 * Karwei
 * Leroy Merlin
 * Mr. Bricolage
 * Obi
 * Praktiker
 * Praxis
 * Puuilo
 * SACO Hardware
 * Jernia

India
In India hardware stores are mostly small businesses, with no major store chains that carry a large selection of products. Stores lack ample floor space compared to their Western counterparts, but are usually stocked with a wide variety of items.

Indian hardware stores are similar to hardware stores around the world, offering products from several categories such as plumbing, machinery, household, gardening, manufacturing, cobbler, carpenter, and electrical.

title: Hardware store


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Category:Hardware stores

A hardware store traditionally sells household hardware such as fasteners, keys, locks, hinges, wire, chains, plumbing supples, tools, cutlery and machine parts.

title: Category:Hardware stores


text:
Great Fire of 1892

The Great Fire of 8 July 1892 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador is remembered as the worst disaster ever to befall that city. Previous "Great Fires" had occurred in St. John's, during 1819 and 1846.

Timeline
At approximately 4:45 in the afternoon of July 8, 1892, a dropped pipe in Timothy O'Brien's stable, atop Carter's Hill on Freshwater Road, began what would become the worst fire in the history of St. John's. Initially, the fire did not cause any widespread panic; however, a series of catastrophic coincidences caused the fire to spread and devour virtually all of the east end of the city, including much of its major commercial area, before being extinguished.

Rev. Moses Harvey witnessed the initial stages of the fire, and remarked to his friend that it "was a bad day for a fire." A high wind from the northwest was blowing, hurling the sparks far and wide on the roofs of the clusters of wooden houses. For a month previous, hardly any rain had fallen, and the shingled roofs were as dry as tinder." The situation was exacerbated because of work completed earlier in the day on the water mains. Although water flow was re-established by 3 p.m., two hours before the fire began, water pressure was insufficient to force water up into the higher sections of the city where the fire began. W.J. Kent remarked that the "flames therefore made headway before water was procurable and, as a very high westerly wind was furiously fanning the fire, it began to spread rapidly."

An hour into the blaze, the people of St. John's realized that the fire could not be contained in the area of O'Brien's farm. Because locals believed stone walls would withstand the flames, residents moved valuables into numerous stone buildings in the city. One of the most common refuge areas was the Anglican Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. The nave and transepts of the church were filled with valuable property belonging to numerous families, including that of the Anglican bishop Lleweyn Jones. The cathedral and much of this property were also destroyed by the ravenous fire. Kent described the burning of the cathedral as follows:

"with one fearful rush the demonic fire seized upon the doomed cathedral, and sooner than tongue could tell the immense edifice, a gem of Gothic architecture, the masterpiece of Sir Gilbert Scott and the pride of every Newfoundlander, was a seething mass of flame. With a crash, heard even above the din of the elements the roof fell in, and the result of the labours and offerings of thousands for many years vanished in a cloud of smoke and dust."

The fire was far from finished; the wind caused offshoots of the main fire to consume new sections of the city while the main fire continued its destructive trek towards the city's commercial centre, Water Street. The businesses that lined Water Street and Duckworth Street were destroyed as the fire spread throughout the downtown area.

Rev. Harvey said, "'The beautiful shops, full of valuable goods; the stores behind, containing thousands of barrels of flour and provisions of all kinds; the fish stores; the wharves, which it had cost immense sums to erect, -- disappeared one by one into the maw of the destroyer...the whole of Water Street, on both sides, was 'swept with the besom of destruction.''"

The fire continued to burn into the night and the early hours of the next morning. Rev. Harvey's description of the restless night said that "the terror-stricken inhabitants flying before the destroyer,… the cries of weeping women hurrying with their children to places of safety -- all constituted a scene which not even the pen of Dante could describe."

Similarly, Kent said of that night, "All the arteries which led from the water to the higher portions of the town were crowded with the terrorised mob and the screams and cries of the women mingled with the wailing of children, the shouts intensified by the ever-freshening masses of livid fire and the glare of the burning buildings, contributed to make a scene the like of which it is not often given to the lot of many to witness.... Few there were who closed their eyes that night."

Daybreak on the morning of July 9, 1892 revealed the full extent of the fire's devastation. Kent described the sight of local residents viewing the desolation:

"When morning broke the thick clouds of smoke still ascended from the burning ruins, and it was hours before it had cleared sufficiently to admit a view of the track of the desolating scourge. A walk through the deserted streets demonstrated that the ruin was even more complete than seemed possible at first. Of the whole easterly section, scarcely a building remained… of the costly and imposing structures and public buildings which were the pride and glory of the people, scarcely a vestige remained; and St. John's lay in the morning as a city despoiled of her beauty, her choicest ornaments, presenting a picture of utter desolation and woe."

Rev. Harvey presents a similar description:

"The next morning I took a walk around the awful scene of devastation. It was heart-rending. Nothing visible for a mile from Devon Row but chimneys and fallen and tottering walls. The thick smoke, from the smouldering ruins still filled the air… The wrecks of the fanes of religion stood out, then [sic] broken walls pointing heavenward, as if in mournful protest against the desecration that had been wrought.

And the poor inhabitants, where were they? It made the heart ache to see the groups of men, women and children, with weary, blood-shot eyes and smoke begrimed faces, standing over their scraps of furniture and clothing -- some of them asleep on the ground from utter exhaustion -- all with despondency depicted on their faces. They filled the park and grounds around the city. Many hundreds escaped with nothing but the clothes they wore… At least twelve thousand people were burnt out."

Less than $5,000,000 of the total estimated losses of $13,000,000 were covered by insurance. A large influx of financial aid from Britain, Canada and the United States helped the city recover from its devastating losses.

Many of the present-day registered heritage structures were either built or re-built in the reconstruction period after the 1892 fire. The most prominent architect of this era in St. John's was John Thomas Southcott. He designed numerous Second Empire-styled buildings that had distinctive mansard roofs with bonnet-topped dormers protruding from the concave-curved roof surface. Southcott was so prolific that the term the "Southcott style" became associated with the architecture in the re-built city. Each year in Southcott's honour, the Newfoundland Historic Trust presents the Southcott Award for excellence in the restoration of heritage structures.

Because of the devastation of the fire, the city of St. John's reorganized its fire department. It had previously relied only on volunteer brigades. By the end of 1895, the city had hired 22 paid firefighters and established three new fire stations throughout the city. Control of the fire department was placed under Newfoundland Constabulary’s Inspector-General.

title: Great Fire of 1892


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Lake Goodwin (Snohomish County, Washington)

Lake Goodwin is a lake in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. The surrounding census district of Lake Goodwin, Washington is named after the lake.

The lake is the largest and by far the most popular of the Seven Lakes area northwest of Marysville, Washington. Wenberg County Park is the main public access to the lake. In 1996, Snohomish County bought a formerly privately owned resort on the north tip of the lake, and is working on developing it into a park.


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Josiah P. Wilbarger

Josiah Pugh Wilbarger (September 10, 1801 – April 11, 1845) was an early Texan who lived for twelve years after being scalped by Comanche Indians.

Early life
He was born in Rockingham County, Virginia, and moved to Kentucky in 1818. Wilbarger moved to Pike County, Missouri, in 1823 and married Margaret Barker in September 1827. They left for Texas soon after the wedding and reached what is now Matagorda County on December 26. Wilbarger was a teacher at Matagorda for a year before moving to La Grange, where he taught and surveyed until he settled in Stephen F. Austin's colony in a bend of the Colorado River, some ten miles above the site of present Bastrop, Texas.

The scalping
In August 1833, Wilbarger was a member of a surveying party that was attacked by the Comanche about four miles east of the site of present Austin, Texas. Josiah and another man were struck by bullets and arrows and scalped by the Comanches. The third member managed to flee. A rescue party found Wilbarger, who had been left for dead, the next day.

title: Josiah P. Wilbarger


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Talk:Impreza

For a December 204 deletion debate over this page see Votes for deletion/Impreza

Much of this looks an awful lot like a copyvio. Can anyone vouch for its legality?--Sfoskett 03:34, 26 Jul 2004 (UTC)

 * I agree—this is definitely copied from somewhere IMO. The figures seem copied from a magazine. Plus it needs a major clean-up if it is to be retained. Stombs 08:02, Dec 21, 2004 (UTC)

Redundant
This entire article should be merged with the "Subaru Impreza" article. The Impreza WRX article should go, too.

 * I am going to remove everything from 'Specifications' downwards as it looks like copyvio, and will begin merging. Stombs 08:03, Dec 21, 2004 (UTC)

Merged
I have merged the info that didn't look copied into 'Subaru Impreza'. Can someone alert an admin here and get rid of this piece, please? Stombs 08:10, Dec 21, 2004 (UTC)

 * I have gone to VfD but maybe I'm not following the instructions carefully enough. I can't get it listed because I believe whomever has voted 'Vladimir de León' has it listed oddly on the page, or there's some glitch on that page. My entry doesn't show up with its own header. If anyone can help, please do. Stombs 08:20, Dec 21, 2004 (UTC)

title: Talk:Impreza


text: User talk:67.42.202.144

title: User talk:67.42.202.144


text:
Category:Bookstores

Bookstore (also found as Bookshop or Book shop) is a retailer that primarily sells books.

title: Category:Bookstores


text:
Category:Subaru vehicles

This category is for automobiles sold under the Subaru marque.

title: Category:Subaru vehicles


text:
Saliva (album)

Saliva is the debut studio album by American nu-metal band Saliva. The album was recorded during several sessions between January and July 1997 at Rockingchair Recording Studios in Memphis, Tennessee, and released on Rockingchair Records on August 26, 1997. It is their only album to feature original drummer Todd Poole, who would leave in 1999 and was replaced by Paul Crosby.

Re-Issue (2003)
Following the major record label success of the band, after the release of Every Six Seconds (2001) and Back Into Your System (2002), Rockingchair Records made a manufacturing and distribution deal with Diamond Productions and RED Distribution imprint RUMM (RED Urban Music Marketing). The re-issue came out in 2003 with identical audio content but featured updated artwork. The front cover was completely redesigned and features a woman's face with her eyes closed, playing off the artwork of Every Six Seconds. The CD face was also altered from an all-black background on the original to a crackled texture on the re-issue. The booklet and back cover remained mostly identical with few exceptions; a different font was used for the text, the alignment was improved, the contact information was changed and there is a slight color shade difference: while the original issue had a more blue-ish gray tone, the re-issue has a more green-ish gray tone. The re-issue version's artwork was also designed and updated by Brandon Seavers, who had by this time bought out the multi-media company Audio MasterWorks with Mark Yoshida and renamed it AudioGraphic MasterWorks.

Appearances
Four songs originally recorded for Saliva were later re-recorded with producer Bob Marlette and mixed by John Goodmanson and Steve Thompson as part of the band's major record label Island Records debut Every Six Seconds in 2000. The four songs were Beg, Greater Than Less Than, Pin Cushion and 800. Beg and Greater Than Less Than appeared on Every Six Seconds, however Pin Cushion and 800 were cut from the album and kept as b-sides. The re-recording of Pin Cushion appeared on the soundtrack to the Canadian werewolf horror film Ginger Snaps in 2000, while 800 appeared on the soundtrack to the American horror film Resident Evil in 2002.

When Saliva released its greatest hits compilation Moving Forward in Reverse: Greatest Hits in 2010, Saliva was the only release not to be showcased.

Personnel
Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.

Saliva
 * Josey Scott – vocals
 * Todd Poole – drums, vocals
 * Wayne Swinny – guitar
 * Chris D'Abaldo – guitar
 * Dave Novotny – bass

Artwork
 * Brandon Seavers – art direction, layout, design
 * Steve Roberts – photography

Production
 * Bill Pappas – production, mixing, engineering
 * Saliva – production, engineering
 * Mark Yoshida – executive producer
 * Jeff Speight – mastering
 * Bryan Coleman – management
 * Jim Zumwalt – legal affairs for Saliva
 * Dave Moser – legal affairs for Rockingchair Records

title: Saliva (album)


text:
Talk:National Scenic Trail

Untitled
Is there anyone else out there with an interest in these trails? Additionally, most of the trails need some sort of page (or at least a stub). Please help. User:Ajdecandis

To do: Ajdecandis 14:07, 27 Jul 2004 (UTC)
 * Extend the intro paragraph. Can probably take some of the verbage out of the original act.  Once this is done, the stub tag can probably be removed.
 * How does it look if we double column the list(s) of trails?
 * Add some history. Why was the act created?  What was the political climate?  Was Silent Spring and the rising environmental movement a factor?
 * How has the NST system evolved over the years?
 * Future. What are the new trails that are being planned?  Is there any danger to the system due to changing environmental policies?
 * More?
 * Hello Ajdecandis. I know there are a number of editors who contribute to national scenic trails articles. Peruse the pages of the two Wikiprojects shown above & leave notes there. However, you'll probably find that edits--especially major revampings--don't happen overnight. Anyone with the time and energy to do that sort of work is welcome to (see WP:Bold). Some short answers to your questions:

Best, --Pgagnon999 (talk) 04:51, 6 February 2008 (UTC)
 * Please go right ahead and edit the article as you see fit, keeping within Wikipedia's style guide as best as possible (WP:Style).
 * Double column sounds fine.
 * The national trails system act has its roots in the Appalachian Trail. Investigating that trail will reveal its origins.
 * Both the NST and Silent Spring are both products of their time and contributers to the mindset of the time. I believe Silent Spring came before the NST act, however, the A.T. came before Silent Spring and draws on an older environmental consciousness. So, you're looking at early 20th century influences and factors such as the New Deal, Benton MacKaye, the Civilian Conservation Corps, Aldo Leopold, John Muir, and Teddy Roosevelt, among many others.
 * Many trails within the NST system are "under development". The National Park Service maintains a website on the NST system. Another place to look for information would be at the website of the Appalachian Long Distance Hiker's Association, which is a pretty good clearinghouse of long distance trails nationwide.
 * As far as danger to the system, the Bush administration has certainly had a regressive impact on environmental policy in the U.S. which has indirectly affected the NST act. You should check the news archives of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, the Appalachian Mountain Club, and the Sierra Club, among others, for mention of specific instances of conflict and related lawsuits against the Bush admin.

Time to update this page there are new trails to add. --philoserf (talk) 20180821 —Preceding undated comment added 06:42, 22 August 2018 (UTC)

title: Talk:National Scenic Trail


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Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/World Constitution

Not encyclopedic. - Kenwarren 03:41, Jul 26, 2004 (UTC)
 * Original research. Delete -- Cyrius|✎ 04:06, 26 Jul 2004 (UTC)
 * Original research or political idea with potential for major flamefest ("a program to address current World problems as a series of transformations of the Constitution of the United States of America"). Delete. Ianb 05:57, 26 Jul 2004 (UTC)
 * Original research. Delete.  SWAdair | Talk  06:04, 26 Jul 2004 (UTC)
 * ORD. - UtherSRG 11:38, 26 Jul 2004 (UTC)
 * Delete: It's also provincial (beginning with the US). Geogre 12:47, 26 Jul 2004 (UTC)
 * Delete. Original research, straight transcription with no discussion or analysis, nothing links to it. Triskaideka 16:08, 26 Jul 2004 (UTC)
 * Delete -- Chuq 08:03, 29 Jul 2004 (UTC)


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User talk:Snowspinner~enwiki/arbcom

Mediation
"If either says no, however, that should not be a black mark against arbitration in any way"

 * I don't agree, and this does not seen to be current policy. As an arbitrator would you take policy and precident as the primary determinant behind your descisions, or would personal preference hold a higher position? How do you intend to balance the two? Sam [Spade] 03:41, 26 Jul 2004 (UTC)

 * The policy says "Where a dispute has not gone through mediation, the arbitrators may refer the dispute to the mediation committee if it believes mediation is likely to help." If a party refuses mediation, then it seems very unlikely that mediation will help. In response to the more broad question, however, as I noted, the principles of Wikipedia are the primary determinant - policy is obviously the main ennumeration of those. Precedent, not so much, because the arbcom has explicitly decided against having binding precedents. So, yes, I would follow policy over personal preference any time I felt the two were in conflict. Snowspinner 13:36, Jul 26, 2004 (UTC)

Policy
Are you of the opinion that the arbitration committe is intended to write policy, or to supercede it in anyway? Sam [Spade] 03:41, 26 Jul 2004 (UTC)
 * Absolutely not. I do think that the arbitration committee's job necessarily entails the interpretation of policy. But that's nothing special - everybody's job entails that, and certainly one factor in any interpretation is how everybody else is interpreting the policy. Certainly the arbitration committee shouldn't be superceding policy in any way. The only exception I could concieve to this is if we had two actively contradictory policies. If a case were referred to the arbcom which two contradictorry policies applied to, I suppose the arbcom would necessarily have to sort that out. However, I see that possibility as highly unlikely, and, if it did occur, my ruling would be to refer to Jimbo with a request for him to alter policy as needed to remove the contradiction. Snowspinner 13:04, Jul 26, 2004 (UTC)

me
I currently have two requested cases before the arbitration committe. While I don't expect a thorough analysis, and can understand if you refuse to comment on cases not yet concluded, I would of course be interested in your thoughts on these matters. Sam [Spade] 03:41, 26 Jul 2004 (UTC)

 * In the first case, although I think interpretation of the NPOV policy as it stands is within the scope of the arbcom (Since, technically, the arbcom can mandate changes to articles), I think the arbcom has been very, very wise to stay out of article content disputes, and that the best arbitors of NPOV policy is always going to be community consensus. Thus I probably would have rejected the case on those grounds.

 * In the second case, it's tough to say, because there wasn't that much evidence presented off the bat. I think I would have attempted to throw to mediation. If mediation were refused, I'd accept. The biggest penalty I'd seriously consider would be three days to either you or AndyL if personal attacks were actually made, with a note to not engage in personal attacks, and to stay cool. That's if personal attacks occurred. If they did not, I'd probably point out again that mediation is a good thing. Snowspinner 13:30, Jul 26, 2004 (UTC)

title: User talk:Snowspinner~enwiki/arbcom


text: User talk:66.24.109.83

title: User talk:66.24.109.83


text: Category:General Motors

title: Category:General Motors


text:
Yelena Baturina

Yelena Nikolayevna Baturina (Елена Николаевна Батурина; born 8 March 1963) is an international billionaire businesswoman and a philanthropist of Russian origin. She is based in Austria. She was married to Yury Luzhkov, mayor of Moscow (from 1992 to 2010), until his death in 2019.

In 1991, she founded Inteco, an investment and construction company. According to Forbes, with a fortune of $1.2 billion, she was the richest woman in Russia, until Tatyana Bakalchuk overtook her spot in February 2020 with $1.4 billion.

Biography
Baturina is a Moscow native who began working as a design-technician at the Frezer industrial tool plant (where her parents worked) after graduating from high school.

 * 1980–1982: the Frazer plant, technician-designer, then senior design engineer of the Chief Technologist Department;
 * 1982–1989: Institute of Integrated Economic Development of Moscow, researcher; Russian Union of United Cooperatives, head of the Secretariat; the Mosgorispolkom Commission on cooperative activity, senior specialist.
 * since 1989 engaged in private business activities;
 * 1991–1994: LLP "Inteco", director;
 * 1994–2011: CJSC "Inteco", president;
 * 2006–2011: deputy head of the interdepartmental working group on the priority national project "Affordable and Comfortable Housing to Russian citizens", a member of the commission on the development of affordable housing under the President of the Russian Federation on the implementation of priority national projects and demographic policy.

Baturina met her future husband, Yury Luzhkov, in 1987 when they were both serving at Mosgorispolkom, a Soviet-era municipal commission. At the period of their co-working the relationships were purely professional. In one of her interviews Baturina remembers: "We never even thought about anything like that when we were working together, it all happened much later". Baturina and Luzhkov married in 1991. The next year, he became mayor of Moscow. In 2010, he was dismissed by President Dmitry Medvedev amidst still unproven accusations of corruption and mismanagement voiced on state run television.

After her husband's dismissal, Baturina moved to London. She explains the choice of the city by the fact that her two daughters decided to study in London

In November 2010, Luzhkov gave an interview to the Telegraph newspaper stating that the couple was sending their daughters to study in London to protect them from possible persecution from the Russian authorities. He also said that a house had been rented in the west of the city for them and that he and his wife intend to visit them regularly. Luzhkov also claimed that the Russian authorities were planning to break up Baturina's business empire and that the couple would fight the attempt: "We will not give up. My wife will battle for her business and for her honour and self-worth. That is for sure".

In September 2009, The Sunday Times erroneously stated that Witanhurst, a large house in Highgate, North London, had been bought by Baturina, via an offshore front company. Baturina sued the papers owners, Times Newspapers, a subsidiary of News International. Times Newspapers apologized for the story and paid damages to her in October 2011.

Inteco
In 1989, Baturina launched her first enterprise with her elder brother Victor, primarily dealing with computer software and hardware. In 1991 Baturina founded her company, Inteco ("Inteko" (Интеко) in Russian), which focused on construction though it began as a plastics business. In 1994, Inteco purchased a plastic factory. In 1998, the company won the contract for producing 85,000 seats for Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow's largest stadium. The critics claimed that the decision was affected by Luzhkov as Mayor of Moscow, though Inteco stated that their price was 50% less than their nearest competitor's.

In the middle of 1990s, Inteco entered the construction business focusing on development of advanced materials and technologies for facade work, cement, brick and poured concrete construction, architectural design and real estate business.

In 2001, Inteco acquired from a private person the controlling stake in one of the leading housebuilding factories in Moscow DSK-3. Following modernization the construction plant provided 500,000 square meters of housing per year. This acquisition, according to Baturina's interviews, became the starting point for the company's major construction activity. "DSK-3 is my first real step into construction. I had been viewing the market for a long time. I saw how quickly and dynamically it was developing, how many opportunities it was offering. Still the deal took place sort of accidentally. The lawyers of the former main owner's widow came to me and said that some unfriendly entities were questioning her property rights and trying to simply rob her of her stake. And the frightened woman had decided to sell all the shares to Inteco on the condition that we defend her rights in court. We have successfully managed that and just like that, almost by accident, became the owners of the plant."

At one point, Inteco was said to control 20% of construction in the capital. However, according to experts, quoted by media, from 2000 to 2010 of construction activities Inteco's share in the state order was no more than 2%. While the main contractors for the implementation of the Moscow government orders were construction companies MFS-6 (24.5%) Glavmosstroy (20.7%), SU-155 (13.7%) and MSM-5 (12.2%). In 2002, Inteco created a subsidiary "Strategy Construction Company", whose main objective was the construction of monolithic buildings. Such cement plants as "Podgorensky cementnik" and "Oskolcement", one of the largest cement producers in the central Russia, were also bought at that time.

In 2005, Inteco sold its cement works for estimated US$800 000 to Eurocement Group in order to consolidate financial and administrative recourses that the company needed for the implementation of perspective construction programs.

In 2006, Baturina was appointed Deputy Head for the inter-ministerial group under the national project "Affordable and Comfortable Housing for Russian citizens".

Shortly afterwards, Inteco sold DSK-3, a producer of prefabricated buildings, as well and fully concentrated on the construction of monolithic housing and commercial real estate.

Part of the proceeds from the sale of these assets were directed by Baturina to buying some high-yield "blue chips" of the largest Russian companies such as Gazprom and Sberbank. This step allowed the visionary businesswoman to later sell the shares in the crisis year of 2009 at a significant profit and return Inteco's earlier business development bank loans ahead of schedule, which allowed to keep the businesses afloat. The interest rate on loans at that time sprang up from 10.8 to 18 percent, which led to the ruin of a significant number of Russian developers.

At the same time, as part of a new cement project, Inteco purchased Verkhnebakansky Cement Plant and the Atakaytsement cement factory located in the Krasnodar region.

As of 2007, the company owned such entities as Inteko Plast (55%), Bistro Plast (50%), construction firms SK DSK-3 (100%), Styre (100%), Inteco CENTER (100%), Inteco Chess (Elista, 100%), Intekostroy (70%). The company also owned enterprises in the city of Sochi - Park (100%), The Matrix (100%), Sochi AO (75.58%), Horizont (50%), Selectioner (Belgorod region., 100%) and Uspensky Agromashplast (Moscow reg., Uspensky, 38%). Inteco Group also included Russian Zemelny Bank and trading house Moscow River involved in the supply of grain.

In 2007, the company's revenue, according to its own data, amounted to $1 billion.

At the end of 2008, along with Gazprom and Russian Railways, Inteco was included into the list of 295 strategic enterprises of the country.

In 2009, the company begins cooperating with an outstanding Spanish architect Ricardo Bofill as part of the programme aimed at creating fundamentally new systems for mass housing in Russia.

In 2010, Inteco launched the construction of the second academic building for the Moscow State University named after Lomonosov.

In 2010, Baturina was named one of the largest taxpayers in Russia, the taxes to the state budget for 2009 amounted to 4 billion rubles. As of 2009, 99% of the company is owned by Baturina, 1% is on the balance sheet of the Company itself. The project development portfolio is more than 7,000,000 square meters, the cement capacities exceed 0.6 million tons per year.

At the end of 2010, Baturina sold its Russian Zemelny Bank (RZB) to foreign investors.

The most significant completed projects of Inteco in Moscow (in the period of company Baturina's ownership) are: the residential quarter "Shuvalov" (270,000 square meters), the residential quarter "Grand Park" (400,000 square meters), the residential site "Volga" (400,000 square meters), the multifunctional complex "Fusion Park" with the "Autoville" - museum of unique cars from private collections (100,000 square meters), the Fundamental Library (60,000 square feet), and the academic building for Humanities (100,000 square meters) of the Moscow State University.

After her husband's resignation, Baturina started selling her assets in Russia. The best offer was filed by Mikail Shishkhanov and Sberbank Investments. They bought the 95% and 5% shares of Inteco correspondingly. The exact amount of the transaction was never disclosed, but the report of Sberbank stated that according to the experts that participated in the preparation of the deal, the market value of Inteco, its projects and structures was around 1.2 billion dollars. The deal did not include the cement plants of Inteco. One of them was later sold to Lev Kvetnoy for estimated 17 billion rubles.

Hotel business
The first development in the new hotel chain was the five-star Grand Tirolia Golf & Ski Resort, located in the heart of the Eichenheim golf club in Kitzbühel, Austria. Construction, which was completed in 2009, cost in the region of €35–40 million. The hotel is located in the center of the golf club Eichenheim, together they make Grand Tirolia Golf & Ski Resort. In 2009, the hotel achieved honorary status as the "Home of Laureus" in Austria, and became the official venue for the annual ceremony of the prestigious international award that those in the field call the "Oscar" of sports journalism. In 2018, the hotel was sold to the Austrian investor, presumably for €45 million.

In 2010, Baturina opened the New Peterhof Hotel in Saint Petersburg, which received a number of architectural awards. In 2012, following major reconstruction work, Baturina opened the Quisisana Palace in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic. Housed in a late 19th century building, the hotel combines elements of Neo-Renaissance and Neo-Gothic styles. The restoration of the historic building required significant investment. The hotel is a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World association. In 2013, Baturina opened the Morrison Hotel in Dublin, Ireland. She bought it from NAMA in early 2012 for €22 million. The 138-room hotel on Dublin's Lower Ormond Quay has undergone a €7 million refurbishment. It was sold in 2022 to Zetland Capital for €65 million.

Grand Tirolia Hotel and Resort, Kitzbühel
The first development in the hotel chain, located in the heart of the Eichenheim golf club in Kitzbühel, Austria. Its construction was completed in 2009. In 2018, the hotel was sold to the Austrian investor.

Quisisana Palace, Karlovy Vary
Quisisana Palace is a restored 19th-century building turned boutique hotel with 19 guest rooms and suites, a restaurant and a wellness centre. It opened in September 2012.

New Peterhof, St. Petersburg
New Peterhof Hotel opened in June 2010.

Baturina has announced her intentions to the press to continue to expand her hotel chain. "In the future, we think of making up hotel clusters in those regions where we are already present. These are Ireland - United Kingdom, Northern Italy - Austria - Germany, the Baltic States - Russia - Kazakhstan," Baturina said in her interview to "Sobesednik".

Development business
In late 2015, Baturina set up an office in New York to oversee her US$10 million investment into commercial buildings she acquired in central Brooklyn, and look into the prospects of developing a construction project: “The company is considering transferring the land they are located on to a category suitable for residential construction, so that a large-scale development project can be realised.”

In November 2016, Baturina's structures launched a construction and development project in Europe. Her company acquired a land plot on the coastline of Limassol, Cyprus. The construction of high-end apartment building Symbol Residence was launched in 2019, the overall investment into the project has exceeded EUR 40 million, and the completion of the construction was planned for 2021.

Membrane Construction
In autumn 2015, Baturina's structures became a strategic investor of Hightex GmbH, a global membrane construction company based in Rimsting, Germany.

Renewable energy
Since 2014, Baturina's Investment Group has been developing a project to generate, use and market renewable energy in Europe. In 2018, Baturina's enterprise has launched the first ESCO (Energy Services Company) project in Cyprus.

Brother
In 2007, Viktor Baturin, Baturina's brother, with whom she founded Inteco, sued Inteco for US$120 million for wrongful dismissal.

The court dismissed all the claims later that year.

After that, in 2011 he was found guilty by the Presnensky Court of Moscow in a real-estate fraud case and got a 3 years suspended sentence.

In 2013, the Nikulinsky Court of Moscow sentenced him for attempting to cash in forged Inteco promissory notes worth more than 5 billion rubles. He was released in January 2016, with the unserved time of his sentence replaced with a fine.

In 2017, another case was initiated against Viktor Baturin for attempted fraud of a large scale and two counts of evidence falsification in a civil case. In 2021 he was formally accused and arrested. In 2022, Viktor Baturin pleaded guilty to fraud and falsification of evidence and in November 2023, found guilty by the Simonovsky court of Moscow and sentenced to six years imprisonment and a fine of 500 thousand rubles.

Allegations of Criminal Links
According to leaked diplomatic cables, the US ambassador to Russia, John Beyrle, reported allegations that Baturina had links to major criminal groups, particularly Solntsevskaya Bratva. The full text of the cable makes clear that Mr Beyrle is simply repeating gossip and allegations conveyed to him by journalist Sergei Kanev. Beyrle writes, 'Kanev told us that Luzhkov's wife, Yelena Baturina, definitely has links to the criminal world, and particularly to the Solntsevo criminal group'. Beyrle stated that her husband Yury Luzhkov sat on top of a "pyramid of corruption". "Luzhkov oversees a system in which it appears that almost everyone at every level is involved in some form of corruption or criminal behaviour," wrote Beyrle. "Analysts identify a three-tiered structure in Moscow's criminal world. Luzhkov is at the top. The FSB, MVD and militia are at the second level. Finally ordinary criminals and corrupt inspectors are at the lowest level." Beyrle also suggested that much of Luzhkov's business empire had been acquired using municipal finances to invest in "less than transparent" projects with former Soviet republics. The couple denied the accusations as "total rubbish".

Philanthropy
Elena Baturina has been involved in local and international charities since 1990s.The main focus of her charitable projects is transforming the world and society for the better, based on the principles of sustainability, design-thinking, and investing into the creative mind power of the next generation.

Since 2012, the BE OPEN Foundation has been the vehicle of Elena Baturina's international philanthropy. BE OPEN is a Switzerland-registered “cultural and social initiative which aims to become a bridge between the great minds of our time, and the promising new minds of the next generation through a system of conferences, competitions, exhibitions, master classes and art events.”

BE OPEN has been actively cooperating with the world renown designers, international brands, educational and cultural institutions, and state bodies, i.e. the Government of India, Greater London Authority, the Municipality of Milan, the EXPO Universal Exposition, and many others.

For two years, Mrs Baturina served as a Trustee to the Board of the Mayor's Fund for London.

Mrs Baturina also serves as vice-president for Maggie’s, a UK-based charity that offers free practical, emotional and social support to people with cancer. She is also a member of Maggie's London Board which is responsible for the coordination of all Maggie's fundraising activity in London.

BE OPEN Foundation
BE OPEN is a cultural and social initiative set up in 2012, and funded by Elena Baturina with the “aim to harness the brainpower of creative leaders through a system of conferences, competitions, exhibitions, master classes and art events.”

“A long-term, international, multidisciplinary, multi-faceted project, BE OPEN is committed to becoming a bridge between the great minds of our time – philosophers, sociologists, designers, architects, artists, publishers, writers, businessmen and opinion leaders — and the promising new minds of the next generation. It also strives to help leading contemporary thinkers and creatives meet up with those in the media and business, discuss their ideas and visions and ultimately make change happen.”

The foundation was launched at Milan Design Week 2012. Working in collaboration with leading design publication Interni, the foundation had significant presence at the Fuori Salone.

BE OPEN revisited Milan Design Week in 2013 with a multi-sensory experience, with a focus on synaesthesia, exploring the overlap between colour and taste, smell and sight represented in the House of the Senses, designed by French architect Christophe Pillet and in 2015 with a mesmerizing Garden of Wonders exposition dedicated to redesigning defunct perfume brands.

In 2014, with support from the Government and ministries of India, BE OPEN created an important exhibition of works by promising local designers in Delhi to encourage artisans to explore alternative ways of using traditional skills and keeping them alive. “Made in…India” became an important milestone for many of the participating designers.

Other significant global design events that BE OPEN has been part of over the years are Design Basel with an exposition of projects by students of European top design schools. Design Miami with a conference on sensory design. London Design Festival with an installation in Trafalgar square Chelsea College of Art roundtable on sound design and others.

BE OPEN has worked with the Mayor’s Fund for London, the Mayor's Office and GLA on a number of charitable programmes.

BE OPEN's every ‘public appearance’ is a multi-faceted event that features celebration of winners of dedicated student competitions with expositions and awards ceremonies.

For the past four years, the foundation has been running a multiyear competition programme in support of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Among the partners of the programme are the Cumulus Global Association of Art and Design Education and Student Energy. The upcoming competition Design Your Climate Action will focus on SDG#13.

In 2020, BE OPEN set up a nonprofit online gallery BE OPEN Art to offer emerging artists around the globe an opportunity to be seen, and a starting point for connections to be built between the creators and collectors of today. The gallery opened to help battle the challenges that creative community had to face due to COVID-19.

In 2023, BE OPEN Art expanded its operations to run BE OPEN Regional Art, a series of competitions for emerging artists, aimed to support those whose art best represents their regional, cultural and ethnic identities. Each regional stage lasts three months, therefore four stages are run a year, with a winner named for each of them. The regional winners get cash prizes, while a selection of artwork best representing the region forms an exhibition, in order to share the art with the wide public and celebrate the artists involved.

In June 2023, at the Centre of Visual Arts and Research in Nicosia, BE OPEN Art hosted an exhibition of artwork selected over the Eastern Mediterranean region. The exhibition was attended by the participating artists and their families, representatives of Cyprus's Ministries of Education and Culture, Nicosia municipality, members of academic, artistic and business communities, guests of the island, etc.

Personal life
In 1991, Baturina married Yury Luzhkov. In 1992 their first daughter, Elena, was born, followed in 1994 by Olga. In November 2010, Luzhkov gave an interview to the Telegraph newspaper stating that the couple were sending their daughters to study in London to protect them from possible persecution by the Russian authorities. Elena Baturina owns a house in Aurach, Austria, and spends a lot of her time there.

It is understood that the family owns a home in the affluent Kensington area of London, purchased in 2013 through an offshore company domiciled in Gibraltar. The property, near Holland Park, was reported in 2018 to be worth at least £25 million. In her interviews Baturina often said that she and Luzhkov were very lucky, as they still loved each other. She enjoys cooking his favourite dish, borscht, and claims that a traditional "Soviet upbringing" made a good housewife of her.

Baturina has had no contacts with her brother since a public conflict on business issues that occurred in 2007.

She was involved in a libel case against a former financial director for her brother. After failing to appear before a court in December 2019, the court declared Baturina a "fugitive". The subpoena was rescinded in late January by Elista City Court. Allegedly, the subpoena was issued under instruction from the A1 investment company as part of its financial claim to Elena Baturina. In May 2021, Viktor Baturin, his financial director and his representatives have lost their final case in a series of litigations in the Tverskoy District Court of Moscow. As of today, Viktor Baturin is in a detention facility in Moscow, he was detained for a suspected attempt at fraud and admitted committing the crime.

In 2017, another case was initiated against Viktor Baturin for attempted fraud of a large scale and two counts of evidence falsification in a civil case. In 2021 he was formally accused and arrested. In 2022, Viktor Baturin pleaded guilty to fraud and falsification of evidence and in November 2023, found guilty by the Simonovsky court of Moscow and sentenced to six years imprisonment and a fine of 500 thousand rubles.

From 1999 to 2005, Baturina was President of the Equestrian Federation of Russia. Baturina succeeded in raising funds for developing equestrian sport in Russia to the sufficient level for such competition.

Baturina runs the BE OPEN Foundation she set up in 2012. BE OPEN works in close partnership with the Mayor's Fund for London. Baturina was a trustee for the Mayor's Fund for London from 2017 to 2019.

Personal wealth
In 2021, the Sunday Times Rich List estimated Baturina's net worth to be £1.133 billion. In 2018 and 2019, her net worth was estimated at $1.2 billion. In 2020, Forbes announced that Baturina's position as the richest woman in Russia was overtaken by Tatyana Bakalchuk, the founder of Wildberries, with a net worth of $1.4 billion.

According to Forbes, Baturina's net worth was US$4.2 billion in 2008, up from US$3.1 billion in 2007, US$2.3 billion in 2006 and US$1.1 billion in 2004. According to magazine Finans, her wealth fell during the credit crunch to just US$1 billion in February 2009, causing her to ask the Russian government for a bailout for Inteko. Her wealth, as of 2012, was listed as US$1.1 billion.

In the noughties, Baturina owned hotels in the Black Sea tourist resort of Sochi, over 72,000 hectares of agricultural land in the Belgorod Oblast and also a factory that produces a million cans of sweetened condensed milk each year. In the following decade - a hotel in Dublin through a private foundation in Austria, other hotels in Austria and the Czech Republic,  But now all the assets except for the hotel in Dublin are no longer associated with Baturina.

She owns a private jet. She claims to own one of the largest private collections of Russian Imperial porcelain, preferring the porcelain of the era of Nicholay I. In April 2011, Yelena Baturina donated about 40 pieces of art – a part of her collection of rare porcelain – to the "Tsaritsyno" museum in Moscow. Up to early 2010s, she owned the "Veedern" horse breeding estate founded in the 18th century. In 2020, Alexander Luzhkov, Yury Luzhkov's son from his previous marriage, became the sole owner of the estate. After a major reconstruction the estate is now successfully breeding Hanoverian and Trakehner horses.

In 2011, Baturina won a lawsuit against the British newspaper "The Sunday Times", which attributed to the Russian businesswoman the acquisition of Witanhurst estate in London, which is the second value after Buckingham Palace. As a result, the newspaper published a retraction and apologized.

Honours and awards
Baturina won the State Prize of the Russian Federation for Science and Technology in 2003. Inteco and its projects have won numerous awards and competitions, including: the "Russian Building Olympus" prize for "Architecture and Design Planning" (2008); "Brand of the Year/EFFIE 2007"; national prize for "Construction and Real Estate" (2008); International Star of Leadership award for quality at the 13th Business Initiative Directions (BID) international convention (Paris, 2009), "Company of the Year" national prize for business for "The Best Investment and Construction Company in Russia in 2009" (2009); International Award for Technology & Quality (Madrid, 2010); International Construction Award (France, 2011).

title: Yelena Baturina


text:
Fyodor Matyushkin

Fyodor Fyodorovich Matyushkin (Матюшкин, Федор Федорович; 21 July 1799 - 28 September 1872) was a Russian navigator, Admiral (1867), and a close friend of Aleksandr Pushkin, who studied with him at the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum.

Matyushkin graduated from Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum in 1817. After having volunteered for the navy, he participated in Vassili Golovnin's world cruise on the ship Kamchatka in 1817–1819.

In 1820–1824, Matyushkin took part in Ferdinand Wrangel's Arctic expedition to the East Siberian Sea and the Chukchi Sea. They explored and mapped Chetyrekhstolbovoy Island, the southernmost of the Medvyezhi Islands, then an almost unknown island group. Following this survey Matyushkin explored on his own a vast tundra area east of the Kolyma river and collected valuable ethnographic data.

In 1825–1827, he joined Ferdinand von Wrangel in his world cruise on the ship Krotky. In 1828–1829, Matyushkin took part in the Russo-Turkish war, commanding different military vessels. In 1835, he served in the Black Sea Fleet, in 1850—1851 — in the Baltic Fleet. Starting from 1852, Matyushkin worked in the Department of the Navy as an admiral. In 1858, he was appointed Chairman of the Naval Scientific Committee. In 1861, Matyushkin became a senator.

In 1825, before Matyushkin's second round-the-world voyage, Pushkin addressed him in his poem "October 19th".

title: Fyodor Matyushkin


text:
Talk:Lake Goodwin (disambiguation)

Untitled
raw data from http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnis/web_query.gnisprod Goodwin Lakes 	CO 	Custer 	lake 	380435N 	1053720W 	Horn Peak Goodwin Pond 	CT 	Hartford 	lake 	415319N 	0724239W 	Windsor Locks Goodwin Pond 	ME 	Oxford 	lake 	445630N 	0705051W 	Oquossoc Goodwin Lake 	MN 	Hubbard 	lake 	471135N 	0950846W 	Lake Itasca Goodwin Lake 	MN 	Mahnomen 	lake 	471937N 	0953839W 	North Twin Lake Goodwins Millpond 	SC 	Marlboro 	lake 	344414N 	0793948W 	Bennettsville North Goodwin, Lake 	WA 	Snohomish 	lake 	480823N 	1221738W 	Stanwood Goodwin Lake 	WA 	Thurston 	lake 	465345N 	1223636W 	McKenna Goodwin Lake 	WI 	Sawyer 	lake 	460753N 	0910104W 	Namekagon Lake Goodwin Lake 	WY 	Teton 	lake 	432818N 	1103658W 	Turquoise Lake

title: Talk:Lake Goodwin (disambiguation)