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Contestable market

In economics, the theory of contestable markets, associated primarily with its 1982 proponent William J. Baumol, held that there are markets served by a small number of firms that are nevertheless characterized by competitive equilibrium (and therefore desirable welfare outcomes) because of the existence of potential short-term entrants.

Theory
A perfectly contestable market has three main features:
 * 1)  No entry or exit barriers
 * 2)  No sunk costs
 * 3)  Access to the same level of technology (to incumbent firms and new entrants)

A perfectly contestable market is not possible in real life. Instead, the degree of contestability of a market is talked about. The more contestable a market is, the closer it will be to a perfectly contestable market.

Some economists argue that determining price and output is actually dependent not on the type of market structure (whether it is a monopoly or perfectly competitive market) but on the threat of competition.

Thus, for example, a monopoly protected by high barriers to entry (for example, it owns all the strategic resources) will make supernormal or abnormal profits with no fear of competition. However, in the same case, if it did not own the strategic resources for production, other firms could easily enter the market, which would lead to higher competition and thus lower prices. That would make the market more contestable. Sunk costs are those costs that cannot be recovered after a firm shuts down. For example, if a new firm enters the steel industry, the entrant needs to buy new machinery. If, for any reason, the new firm cannot cope with the competition of the incumbent firm, it will plan to move out of the market. However, if the new firm cannot use or transfer the new machines that it bought for the production of steel to other uses in another industry, the fixed costs on machinery become sunk costs so if there are sunk costs in the market, they impede the first assumption of no exit barriers. That market will not be contestable, and no firms would enter the steel industry.

It is very important for firms to have access to the same level of technology as that helps determine the average cost of the product. An incumbent firm having more knowledge and access to a technology for the production of a commodity could enjoy higher economies of scale in the form of lower average cost of production. A new firm entering the market, with insufficient information or technology, could incur a higher average cost of production and so be unable to compete with the incumbent firm. That would lead to the incumbent firm enjoying monopoly power and supernormal profit in the market, as the new firm will exit the market. A solution to the problem could be governments providing equal access to knowledge and technology, as well as financial resources for the same.

Its fundamental features are low barriers to entry and exit; in theory, a perfectly contestable market would have no barriers to entry or exit ("frictionless reversible entry" in economist William Brock's terms). Contestable markets are characterized by "hit and run" competition; if a firm in a contestable market raises its prices so as to begin to earn excess profits, potential rivals will enter the market, hoping to exploit the high price for easy profit. When the original incumbent firm(s) respond by returning prices to levels consistent with normal profits, the new firms will exit. Because of that, even a single-firm market can show highly competitive behavior.

A concise theoretical statement of contestable markets with an illustrative graph is at Economics Online.

Application
The theory of contestable markets has been used to argue for weaker application of antitrust laws, as simply observing a monopoly market may not prove that a firm is exploiting its market power to control the price level. Baumol himself argued based on the theory for both deregulation in certain industries and for more regulation in others.

The applicability of the theory to real-world situations may be questioned, however, particularly as there are very few markets which are completely free of sunk costs and entry and exit barriers. Low-cost airlines remain a commonly referenced example of a contestable market; entrants have the possibility of leasing aircraft and should be able to respond to high profits by quickly entering and exiting. However, it is now generally admitted that Baumol's judgment that the US airline industry was therefore best left deregulated was incorrect since the now duly deregulated industry is "well on its way" to evolving into a concentrated oligopoly. More generally, experimental evidence collected since the publication of Baumol's paper has suggested that perfectly competitive markets would, if they existed, behave in the way Baumol outlined, but the performance of imperfectly contestable markets (i.e. real-world markets) depends "on actual rather than potential competition" perhaps in part due to the range of "strategic responses" available to incumbents that were not considered by Baumol as part of his theory.

title: Contestable market


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Le Vey

Le Vey is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France.

Geography
The commune is part of the area known as Suisse Normande.

The commune is made up of the following collection of villages and hamlets, Sourdeval, Le Haut du Vey and Le Vey.

The River Orne is the only watercourse that flows through the commune.

Points of Interest

 * Rocher des Parcs is a 1400 Hectare nature reserve in the commune. The nature reserve features a 90 metre rockface, which is the sixth most visited place in France for climbers.

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

title: Le Vey


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Vicques

Vicques may refer to the following places:

 * Vicques, Switzerland, in the canton of Jura
 * site of the Jura Observatory
 * Vicques, Calvados, in France

title: Vicques


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Vicques, Calvados

Vicques is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France.

title: Vicques, Calvados


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Talk:Liberté, égalité, fraternité

Death?
Should there be something mentioned about the line from the Tale of Two Cities: "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity, or Death"? Keeperoftheseal 13:22, 6 April 2006 (UTC

Gallois cigarettes?
I think that Gallois cigarettes refers in fact to the brand "Gauloises" (Gaul) ("Gallois" in french means "from Wales" !) -Unsigned

Reference link needed for "Marshall Petain" to the article "Philippe Pétain"
A link to the Philippe Pétain article is an important part of this article. Without the link Marshall Petain seems to be a minor character in French history. -Unsigned

External links modified
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Oui oui bagget
Oui oui bagget qkwakson 88.118.115.133 (talk) 09:25, 26 January 2023 (UTC)

title: Talk:Liberté, égalité, fraternité


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Mark Lucovsky

Mark Lucovsky is an American software developer who was previously employed by Google as an Operating System Engineering Director. He also served as the General Manager of Operating Systems at Facebook. Prior to this, he worked at Microsoft and VMware. He is noted for being a part of the team that designed and built the Windows NT operating system, which, starting with Windows XP, became the basis of all current Windows releases.

Lucovsky earned his bachelor's degree in computer science in 1983 from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. He worked at Digital Equipment Corporation, where he came to the attention of Dave Cutler and Lou Perazzoli. When Cutler and Perazzoli moved to Microsoft to work on their next generation operating system after the cancellation of the PRISM and MICA projects at Digital, they asked him to join them.

Among his contributions to Windows NT was an eighty-page manual that he wrote with Steve R. Wood defining the Windows application programming interfaces for software developers working on the Windows NT platform. He also managed check-ins to the Windows NT source code, tracking each check-in and discussing it with the developer before allowing it to be committed. Lucovsky was instrumental in moving the Windows team from the homegrown SLM revision control system to a custom version of Perforce (SourceDepot).

Lucovsky has stated that Steve Ballmer, on being informed that Lucovsky was about to leave Microsoft for Google, picked up a chair and threw it across his office, hitting a table. Lucovsky also described Ballmer as saying: "Fucking Eric Schmidt is a fucking pussy. I'm going to fucking bury that guy, I have done it before, and I will do it again. I'm going to fucking kill Google," then resumed trying to persuade Lucovsky to stay at Microsoft. Ballmer has described this as a "gross exaggeration of what actually took place."

Lucovsky worked on the Microsoft .NET My Services product (codenamed Hailstorm) prior to moving to Google. At Google, he served as a Technical Director for the Ajax Search API. He joined VMware in July 2009.

title: Mark Lucovsky


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Atlanta Gladiators

The Atlanta Gladiators are a professional minor league ice hockey team based in Duluth, Georgia. The Gladiators play in the South Division of the ECHL's Eastern Conference. They play their home games at Gas South Arena, approximately 22 mi northeast of Atlanta.

The franchise originated as the Mobile Mysticks in 1995. They suspended operations in 2002 and moved to Duluth in 2003 where they were originally known as the Gwinnett Gladiators. In 2015, they changed their name to the Atlanta Gladiators. They were the South Division and American Conference champions in 2006, falling four-games-to-one to the Alaska Aces in the Kelly Cup finals.

Birth of the Gladiators
The franchise originated as the Mobile Mysticks who played in Mobile, Alabama, from 1995 to 2002. It suspended operations in 2002 due to declining attendance. After a year off, Toby Jeffreys, the owner of the Mysticks, relocated his franchise to Gwinnett County, Georgia, in 2003 and was rebranded the Gwinnett Gladiators. He then sold minority stakes of the franchise to local business owners to create Gwinnett County Hockey, LLC. Jeff Pyle—who served as the Mysticks' head coach starting in 1998—returned to the franchise for their first season.

The Gladiators made an appearance in the 2006 Kelly Cup Finals, losing to the Alaska Aces in five games.

On July 13, 2011, Pyle was named head coach of the American Hockey League's Texas Stars. The Gladiators announced on August 3, 2011, that John Wroblewski, former assistant coach for the Wheeling Nailers, had been selected to take Pyle's place as the team's head coach. The Gladiators won the ECHL South Division in the two years of Wrobelski's tenure.

On August 7, 2013, Wroblewski was hired by the AHL's Rochester Americans as an assistant coach. Rick Emmett, a former defenseman for the Gladiators, took over as head coach.

Emmett was relieved of his duties as head coach on December 2, 2014. At the time, assistant coach, and former Gladiator captain, Andy Brandt was named the interim head coach. Brandt would remain the interim head coach through the remainder of the 2014–15 season before being named to head coach on March 21, 2015. Former Valpellice Bulldogs head coach Mike Flanagan also joined the coaching staff in December 2014, serving as the team's assistant coach.

Rebranding as Atlanta Gladiators
Following the 2014–15 season, the Gladiators became the affiliate of the Boston Bruins and their AHL affiliate, the Providence Bruins. On September 9, 2015, the Gladiators organization announced that they would be known as the Atlanta Gladiators to expand their brand to include the entire Atlanta metropolitan area. As part of the name change, the Gladiators updated their “primary” and “wordmark” logos to reflect the Atlanta designation. The rest of the Gladiators logos remained the same, as did the team colors.

After two seasons as head coach, Andy Brandt left to take the associate coaching position with St. Norbert College in 2017. The Gladiators would then hire two-time Kelly Cup winning coach Chuck Weber as his replacement.

During the 2017–18 season, the franchise was purchased by Virginia-based ownership group called Danor Vienna LLC, headed by real estate developer P. Daniel Orlich. Head coach Weber left after one season to take an assistant coaching position with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) NCAA Div. I men's team in order to be closer to home. Jeff Pyle was then brought back as head coach and general manager after leaving for the AHL in 2011.

In 2019, the Gladiators updated their primary colors from garnet and black to navy blue and gold.

On October 1, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic the Gladiators enacted the ECHL's COVID-19 voluntary suspension policy and opted out of playing in the 2020–21 season. The team announced they would return to play in the 2021–22 season.

Prior to the start of the 2022–23 season on October 19, 2022, ownership of the team was transferred to ATL Hockey Group, LLC, led by businessman Alex Campbell with former NHL player and NHL on TNT commentator Anson Carter holding a minority stake. On November 7, 2022, the Gladiators unveiled plans to take on the identity of the former Atlanta Thrashers for a single game on December 16 against the Greenville Swamp Rabbits.

On June 6, 2023, the Gladiators announced former team captain Derek Nesbitt as the sixth head coach in team history. Jeff Pyle, who had served as the team's head coach for the previous four seasons, was promoted to Director of Hockey Operations for the club.

Affiliations
The Gladiators served as the ECHL affiliate of the NHL's Atlanta Thrashers and their AHL affiliate Chicago Wolves from their inception in 2003 until 2011, when the Thrashers franchise moved to Winnipeg and the Gladiators ended their affiliation with the franchise. The team also served as an affiliate for the Chicago Blackhawks during the 2008–09 season and for the Columbus Blue Jackets during the 2009–10 season.

On August 17, 2011, the Gladiators announced their affiliation with the Phoenix Coyotes and the Portland Pirates for the 2011–12 season. They later announced an affiliation agreement with the Buffalo Sabres, and their AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans. That affiliation lapsed at the end of the 2011–12 season, leaving the Gladiators affiliated exclusively with Phoenix for the 2012–13 season. The Gladiators would carry that affiliation through the end of the 2014–15 season.

On August 6, 2015, the Gladiators announced a two-year affiliation deal with the Boston Bruins and their AHL affiliate, the Providence Bruins. In February 2017, the Gladiators and Bruins extended their affiliation for another two seasons and then added fifth season for 2019–20. In 2021, the Bruins switched their ECHL affiliation to the Maine Mariners and the Gladiators affiliated with the Ottawa Senators.

On August 25, 2022, the Gladiators became the ECHL affiliate for the Arizona Coyotes for the second time.

On June 6, 2023, the Gladiators became the ECHL affiliate for the NHL's Nashville Predators and AHL's Milwaukee Admirals.

Season-by-season record

 * § The ECHL used an unbalanced playoff format from the 1998–99 season to the 2003–04 season and again from the 2005–06 season to the 2007–08 season which resulted in five rounds.

Notable players

 * Matt Anderson
 * Adam Berkhoel
 * Cam Brown
 * Kevin Doell
 * Louis Domingue
 * Mike Dunham
 * Chris Durno

 * Patrick Dwyer
 * Ryan Garbutt
 * Michael Garnett
 * Simon Lajeunesse
 * Mike Lee
 * Adam Munro
 * Derek Nesbitt
 * Pascal Pelletier
 * Daniel Vladar

title: Atlanta Gladiators


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Marshall Meyer

Rabbi Marshall T. Meyer (March 25, 1930 – December 29, 1993) was an American Conservative rabbi who became a recognized international human rights activist while living and working in Argentina from 1958 to 1984, during the period of the "Dirty War" in the 1970s. He was elected by president Raúl Alfonsín to be one of the members of the National Commission on the Disappearance of Persons. After the restoration of democracy in 1983, Meyer was awarded the nation's highest honor, the Order of the Liberator General San Martín, by the new president.

In Argentina Meyer also led the congregation Comunidad Bet El and founded Seminario Rabínico Latinoamericano, a Conservative Judaism rabbinical school in Buenos Aires that has trained generations of Spanish-speaking rabbis.

Rabbi Meyer returned to the United States in 1984 and that year became rabbi of Congregation Bnai Jeshurun in New York City. He was called to revive the congregation of the oldest Ashkenazi synagogue in the city.

He was one of those honored by president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner to those who fought for the restoration of democracy in Argentina.

Early life and education
Marshall Theodore Meyer was born in Brooklyn New York in a Jewish family and raised in Norwich, Connecticut. He attended Dartmouth College, graduating in 1952. After meeting Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, he enrolled in the Jewish Theological Seminary. Heschel became his mentor and spiritual guide, whose influence and example profoundly affected Meyer's career as a religious leader. After receiving ordination in 1958, Meyer was called as a rabbi to the Congregación Israelita de la República Argentina (Templo Libertad), where he worked for two years. He then left and started the Comunidad Bet El in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Career in Argentina
Rabbi Marshall T. Meyer used his energy and charisma to contribute to the Argentine Jewish community. He founded the Seminario Rabínico Latinoamericano, a rabbinical school in Buenos Aires that soon became the center of Conservative Judaism in Latin America. In it were ordained dozens of Spanish-speaking rabbis who served communities in Argentina, Latin America, and the rest of the world.

Rabbi Meyer led Comunidad Bet El, a congregation that became a model of many other Conservative synagogues, both in Argentina and Latin America. The congregation established its own day-school.

During the years of the military regime of 1976–1983, Rabbi Meyer became a strong critic of the military government and its violations of human rights. He worked to save the lives of hundreds of people who were being persecuted by the regime. He visited political prisoners in jails. He worked with the Israeli government to free the renowned journalist, Jacobo Timerman, who had been persecuted, imprisoned and subjected to extended house arrest. Timerman dedicated his memoir of that time, Prisoner Without A Name, Cell Without A Number (1981), to the rabbi. Timerman wrote that Meyer had "brought solace to Jewish, Christian and atheist prisoners". Meyer additionally founded the Movimiento Judío por los Derechos Humanos, an organization that played a key role in the fight for human rights in Argentina.

In 1983, when democracy was restored in Argentina, the newly elected president, Raúl Alfonsín, recognized the work of Rabbi Meyer by awarding him the highest Argentine decoration, Order of the Liberator General San Martín. Rabbi Meyer returned the United States in 1984.

Later period
After a short stay at the University of Judaism (now the American Jewish University) in Los Angeles, in 1984 Rabbi Meyer accepted the position of rabbi at Congregation Bnai Jeshurun in New York City. It is the oldest Ashkenazic synagogue in the city, and he had the mission of reviving the congregation.

Between 1984 and 1993, B'nai Jeshurun became a thriving liberal community that attracted thousands of Jewish people. The challenging theology espoused by Rabbi Meyer, the spiritually uplifting religious services, an agenda that emphasized social action as a central part of the synagogue's principles, ecumenical work with Christian and Muslim clergy, and a leading role in the peace movement in regard to the Arab–Israeli conflict, led to the rapid growth of the congregation. It became a model for many other synagogues in the United States.

Marriage and family
Rabbi Meyer was married to Naomi Meyer, and they had three children: Anita, Dodi and Gabriel.

Death
He died in 1993 of cancer. He was buried in the cemetery of the synagogue of his home town in Norwich, Connecticut.

title: Marshall Meyer


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Supporting actor

A supporting actor or supporting actress is an actor who performs a role in a play or film below that of the leading actor(s), and above that of a bit part. In recognition of important nature of this work, the theater and film industries give separate awards to the best supporting actors and actresses.

These range from minor roles to principal players and are often pivotal or vital to the story as in a best friend, love interest, sidekick (such as Robin in the Batman series), or antagonist (such as the villain). They are sometimes but not necessarily character roles. In earlier times, these could often be ethnic stereotypes. A supporting actor should usually not upstage the main actor or actress, but often do.

In television, the term day player is used to refer to most performers with supporting speaking roles hired daily without long-term contracts.

In Academy Awards, an annual award is given for the Best Performance by an actor/ actress in a supporting role. There is currently no specific criteria for the difference between nominations for supporting or lead actor/actress roles, so long as the actor's dialog has not been dubbed. Determination of supporting and lead roles are determined by the members of the academy. Critics have pointed out that the leading/supporting roles have "no set rules, no general rational, just vibes" that may stem from racial, social, or gender identity bias.

title: Supporting actor


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Dunnville

Dunnville is an unincorporated community located near the mouth of the Grand River in Haldimand County, Ontario, Canada, near the historic Talbot Trail. It was formerly an incorporated town encompassing the surrounding area with a total population of 12,000.

History
Dunnville was the site of a Cayuga settlement called Detgahnegaha'gó:wah. The European settlement was originally built as the entrance to the Welland "feeder" canal, and the town once boasted several water-powered mills and a once-bustling canal port. The feeder canal closed in the late 1880s, and the last mill was destroyed and replaced with a condominium complex. There is an impassable dam at Dunnville which regulates the level of the Grand River at Port Maitland, which, in the 19th century, also helped regulate the level of the Welland Canal (from 1829 to 1887 when the third canal began to intake its water directly from Lake Erie). Dunnville was incorporated as a village in 1860 and then as a town in 1900. In 1974, the town amalgamated with the Dunn, Canborough, Moulton and Sherbrooke townships into an enlarged Dunville. In 2001, Dunnville was amalgamated with Haldimand and half of Nanticoke to form Haldimand. What was the incorporated town of Dunnville now consists of Wards 5 and 6 in Haldimand County.

It is located only a few kilometres from Lake Erie, so Dunnville has many private vacation properties.

Dunnville has many events and natural attractions. In June, the annual Mudcat Festival is held to celebrate one of the Grand River's most well-known inhabitants. The festival includes a parade, strongman contests, midway and fireworks. Another popular event is the Dunnville Agricultural Fair, held in late August, which includes heavy, light, miniature horse shows, and sheep and goat shows.Dunnville has tennis, golf and swimming facilities and many Bed and Breakfasts and campsites. Tuesday and Saturday are Farmers Market days since the relocation of the local arena. Dunnville is currently constructing a new Farmers Market Pavilion, providing more protection from the elements while helping to support what the local farming has to offer (heating may still be an issue).

The former World War II RCAF Training Base, the Dunnville Airport, offers a unique window on history with its massive hangars and runways. Previously used for recreational flying and skydiving, the airport is now closed due to six large wind-turbine power generators on the airfield. The airport is also home to Haldimand County's newest museum, the No. 6 RCAF Dunnville Museum. It has also been the home of the Driver Rehabilitation Centre for the reality television program Canada's Worst Driver since 2010. The Grand River and nearby Lake Erie offers aquatic activities including swimming, sailing, windsurfing, canoeing and features prime locations for fishing. Nearby are Byng Island Conservation Area, Rock Point Provincial Park and Port Maitland's new pier. In the fall, Rock Point hosts thousands of monarch butterflies heading south. Dunnville is also the site of one of Ontario's largest expanses of provincially significant wetlands where bird watching and nature photography are popular activities. Smuckers Foods of Canada Co., which operates the Bick's Pickle Plant (Dunnville's largest factory), employs a small percentage of the town's population, mainly students. In 2001, Bick's head office facility in Scarborough, Ontario was shut down, and operations were transferred to the Dunnville location, where it remained until the end of November 2011, at which point it closed. This community is the easternmost city that belongs to the Green Energy Hub of Southern Ontario.

2009 Grand River flood
On February 13, 2009, the Grand River flooded when the river ice thawed, damaging Cayuga and Dunnville. The next day, the CCGC Griffon proceeded up the river to help clear ice.

Ethnicity
Only those populations that comprise more than 1% of the population have been included.

Language
As of the 2021 census, 5,585 citizens spoke English only, 140 that spoke both official languages and five that spoke neither.

Religion
As of the 2021 census, 3,255 citizens were identifying as Christian and 2,395 as non-religious and secular perspectives.

Education
Public education is administered by the Grand Erie District School Board. Schools located in Dunville include:
 * Dunnville Secondary School
 * Mapleview Elementary School
 * Thompson Creek Elementary School

Catholic Education is administered by the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board. Catholic schools located in Dunnville include:
 * St. Michael's School

Notable people

 * James N. Allan, politician
 * Ryan Barnes, hockey player
 * John Bowen, Bishop of Sierra Leone
 * Cory Conacher, Former National Hockey League (NHL) player for the Ottawa Senators
 * Peter DeBoer, NHL coach
 * David Fenyves, retired NHL player
 * W. A. Fry, Dunnville Chronicle publisher and president of the Ontario Hockey Association, Canadian Amateur Hockey Association and Amateur Athletic Union of Canada
 * Jim Gregory, past General Manager for the Toronto Maple Leafs
 * Ryan Hayashi, magician
 * Nathan Horton, NHL player for the Florida Panthers, Boston Bruins and Columbus Bluejackets
 * Matt Roik, professional lacrosse goaltender for the Washington Stealth

title: Dunnville


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Kawasaki Ninja 250R

The Kawasaki Ninja 250R (codenamed EX250; previous generations had market-specific names) is a motorcycle in the Ninja sport bike series from the Japanese manufacturer Kawasaki originally introduced in 1986. As the marque's entry-level sport bike, the motorcycle has undergone few changes throughout its quarter-century lifetime, having received only three substantial redesigns. In some markets the Ninja 250R has been succeeded by the Ninja 300.

Nomenclature
Since 2008, the bike is marketed as the Ninja 250R in all markets. It is also referred to by its platform designation, EX250, to which a generational suffix is attached. In the United States, previous models (EX250-E/F/G/H) were already being marketed as members of the Ninja family of sport bikes, while outside of the U.S. the bike was known variously as the ZZR-250, ZX-250, or as the GPX-250R. One of the earliest models, the EX250-C, was given the name GPz-250 (the lower case z representing the air-cooled engine) and was a variant of the GPz-305.

Model history

The Ninja 250R's particular ergonomics, chassis design, and engine placement have resulted in a motorcycle that straddles the standard and sport classes. The Ninja's riding posture also falls between standard and sport.

1983–1985 (EX250-C)
The first generation was produced between 1983 and 1985, and known by the production number EX250-C. It was sold as the GPz-250. Sold only in its home market of Japan, this earliest, belt-driven version was first produced in 1983, and shares no commonality with later generations, but is a variant of the z-250-Scorpion and the GPz-305 range. The bike has 32 mm fork tubes.

1986–1987 (EX250-E)
Produced between 1986 and 1987 was the EX250-E. This model was sold as the Ninja 250R in Canada and the U.S. between 1986 and 1987. It was known as the GPZ-250R elsewhere. When originally introduced, it was more costly than the Honda Rebel, and reviewers complained that while the 14,000 rpm redline was nice, the engine was slow to rev.

1988–2007 (EX250-F/EX250-G/EX250-H)
For the 1988 model year, there were both cosmetic changes and changes in engine tuning. While the bore and stroke, and other major engine components, were unchanged, minor tuning adjustments were made. The carburetor diameters were reduced 2 mm to 30 mm, the cylinder compression ratio was increased from 12.0:1 to 12.4:1, ignition timing advance was increased, and the rear sprocket was increased by three teeth to 45. Reviewers reported that this made the engine more free-revving, reaching the high 14,000 redline more quickly, and the tested top speed increased by a few miles per hour. The new, more fully enclosed bodywork was complimented for being stylish, at the time, and easily mistaken for the larger Ninja 750.

The third generation of production of the Ninja 250R encompassed three models:

 * EX250-F - The most widespread EX250 variant, the E model was completely revamped and sold as the F model between 1988 and 2007 in the United States. Canada received the model between 1988 and 1999, and it was available elsewhere as the GPX-250R as early as 1987.

 * EX250-G - Sold only in its home market of Japan, this version was known as the GPX-250R-II. It had dual front brakes and a wider wheel and tire (110/80-16). All other parts were identical to the -F model. It was sold after 1988.
 * EX250-H - This model came to Canada as the Ninja 250R between 2000 and 2002, after which it received a new name: ZZR-250, in line with the -H model's name elsewhere in the world, where it had existed since 1992. This motorcycle has parts in common with the -F model, though it shares the same engine, albeit with different casings. It sports a lateral aluminum frame, a different fairing (designed to make it look sportier), larger 17-inch wheels, an adjustable rear shock absorber, adjustable brake and clutch levers, a smaller drive sprocket, computer-controlled timing advance, and a revised electrical system. It also had a smaller carburetor, & slightly different compression ratio, both of which were designed for quicker revving and slightly higher top end power. However, these upgrades came at a 6 kg weight gain.

2008–2012 (EX250-J)
In 2008, Kawasaki gave the EX250 its most extensive redesign in twenty years. The EX250-J model is known as the Ninja 250R worldwide, regardless of market.

Parts from the third generation are still found on the -J, but its redesigned exterior panels bring the Ninja's appearance out of the 1990s and into line with late-2000s sportbikes. The engine and drivetrain retain 30% of the -F model's parts, according to Kawasaki. The engine's compression and maximum torque have been lowered to provide better midrange performance. The redesign of the engine resulted in improvements in engine response at low engine speeds, making the bike smoother and "much easier to ride."

Though the previous generation Ninja 250R had a peak power advantage of 1 to 5 hp, the new version's 20 or 30 percent increase in mid-range power allows the bike to pull from 3,000 rpm where previously it had to be revved to 4,000 rpm. The U.S. -J model uses dual carburetors like the -F model, but the European, Brazilian and Thai models have fuel injection. The wheels were increased in size to 17 inches, the front suspension was improved, and the brake rotors were replaced with a larger petal shape. On the carbureted version, a fuel gauge was added in place of the temperature gauge. With the additional and redesigned equipment, the EX250-J suffered a 10 kg increase in wet weight over its predecessors.

With the arrival of the EX250-J, manufacturing continues to be located in Thailand.

2013–2017 (EX250-L/EX250-M)
The 2013 Ninja 250R had a new bodywork, twin headlights, a digital instruments cluster, new wheels with a wider 140 mm rear tire, and a reworked engine and exhaust. ABS is available as an option. Like the previous generation, the engine is fuel injected in some markets and carbureted in others. For 2013, in some markets, the Ninja 250R was replaced by the 296 cc Ninja 300 (EX300), while in others they are sold alongside each other.

2018– (EX250-P)
At the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show, Kawasaki introduced the 2018 Ninja 250R along with the all-new 2018 Ninja 400, with the latter to be sold in Europe and America, replacing the Ninja 300.

title: Kawasaki Ninja 250R


text:
Silent Scope (video game)

Silent Scope (サイレントスコープ) is an arcade game created in 1999 by Konami. The game puts the player in the shoes of a sniper during a series of terrorist incidents. It is the first in the Silent Scope series.

Plot
The U.S. First Family, including the President of the United States, returns from a function in Chicago, Illinois when their convoy is ambushed by terrorists. In the resulting confusion, the terrorists manage to capture the entire First Family, and are demanding the release of their leader (the dictator) in exchange for the safe return of the president. Washington officials have decided to resolve the problem quietly, using military force.

The player assists police at the scene of the kidnapping, from several high rise structures and after making a choice on tactics, the player defeats one of the terrorist leaders and manages to rescue the president's daughter in the process. Next the player pursues a terrorist boss in order to safely rescue the President's Wife. Finally, the player makes an invasive entry into the terrorist base. After fighting through the heavily guarded mansion, the player defeats Monica and liberates the President himself. However, the dictator is making a getaway and the player exhausts nearly an entire magazine on bulletproof glass and has only one bullet left to eliminate the dictator.

Gameplay
The game uses a rifle that is mounted on the console, requiring players to physically alter their position in order to shoot accurately. In addition, the rifle's scope displays a close-up view of a small portion of the screen, representing the sniper's long-range view of the area where the rifle is pointed. Certain stage areas are dark and require players to use night vision scopes to spot and shoot opponents. The player can fire five shots in succession before reloading is required.

Players have limited time and health during gameplay. Extra time can be gained by killing certain enemies, while training the scope on an attractive woman awards extra health and bonus points. The game consists of three stages corresponding with the members of the First Family. In each stage, the player(s) must kill as many enemies as possible in short time facing sub bosses along the way and a large boss at the end. Unless a precise, lethal head shot is made, it will take more than one bullet to kill a sub-boss or boss. Enemies can shoot the player if they are not killed fast enough. Players must take care not to shoot innocent civilians in the crossfire. During game stages the player is able to choose one of two (easy, hard) or three (easy, medium or hard) paths to progress, facing a different boss and doing a different following mission depending on the choice made.

Points are scored based on where an opponent is hit, multiplied by the number of successful shots the player has made. In arcade mode, the best points are given for headshots, but on the practice range, bonus points are obtained for shooting the human shaped targets' guns.

The home versions have a cheat code where one can exchange life for time and vice versa. There are also secret codes for all versions that will make the game more difficult, such as hiding target indicators on enemies.

Reception
The initial console ports of Silent Scope received moderately positive reviews from magazines of the time. The review aggregation website Metacritic places its average score at 63%, indicating "mixed or average reviews" however this score is based on a low, unrepresentative sample of reviews.

Brett Alan Weiss of AllGame said the arcade version was "a blast to play, though a few more realistic sniper missions would be nice. Graphics are acceptable with decent animation, but the music is indiscernible during the action. The voice acting is unintentionally hilarious." Major Mike of GamePro said of the PlayStation 2 version in its November 2000 issue, "In a field devoid of competition, Silent Scope is a strong first-generation offering and a picture-perfect arcade conversion. While a debatable purchase, Scope easily qualifies as a must-rent title." An issue later, Jake The Snake said that the Dreamcast version's several training courses "offer diverse fun, including no-missed-shots allowed, pop-up targets, and moving targets. But you should rent Silent Scope before buying to see if you'll want to keep playing after a few hours." Edge gave the same Dreamcast version a score of seven out of ten, saying that "it won't take most players long to complete the game, but Silent Scope is all about high scores through high accuracy. That's what Konami needed to port the consoles, and the one shot, one kill moments moments of euphoria and despar crystallise this as a success." Randy Nelson of NextGen said of the PS2 version, "It's not groundbreaking, but it's a solid shooting game with unique play mechanics." In Japan, Famitsu gave the GBA version a score of 23 out of 40.

Also in Japan, Game Machine listed the arcade version in their September 1, 1999 issue as the second most-successful dedicated arcade game of the month.

title: Silent Scope (video game)


text:
Talk:Puffing Billy (locomotive)

Pub
As an interesting aside, there is a pub called "The Puffing Billy" in North Devon, England, between Bideford and Great Torrington. It is a converted station that is part of a now defunct railway in Devon. This is probably not worth mentioning in the main article though. No[[User_talk:norm|rm]] 23:12, 7 Oct 2004 (UTC)

 * (William M. Connolley 08:37, 8 Oct 2004 (UTC)) I added it to the disambig page instead: Puffing Billy

Gauge
Question: What gauge is the original Puffing Billy, and its replica in the Science Museum?

Syd1435 08:15, 2004 Oct 30 (UTC)

PB line in Victoria
The narrow gauge (2' 6") line from Belgrave to Gembrook east of Melbourne, is often called "Puffing Billy".

Syd1435 22:49, 2004 Oct 31 (UTC)

New Orleans locomotive
"Puffing Billy" was also the nickname of a mid-19th century vintage locomotive which saw decades of service on the Pontchartrain Rail-Road in New Orleans, Louisiana. I suppose this is worth a passing mention. Suggestions of the best way of doing so? -- Infrogmation 22:04, 19 July 2006 (UTC)

Billy-o
The claim that Puffing Billy is being referred to by the phrase "like billy-o" can't be verified: http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/like-billy-o.html, though it's certainly a vague possibility. --Rfsmit 20:47, 18 June 2007 (UTC)

I came by this article looking for an expression used in my childhood in West Yorks referring to a heavy blizzard of snow, when it was said to be "Snowing like Billy Steam" - which is still used to day, but less commonly. I must have also heard snowing like Billy-O - it clearly means exactly the same thing. The fact that I could only find references in search engines to "Puffing Billy Steam train" tends to make me think that the locomotive may well be the source of this expression. Otherwise I'd be tempted to think that Billy-O was a "minced oath" and that Billy-O meant Bloody Hell - which would certainly fit with the expression "Snowing like Bloody Hell", "Running like Bloody Hell" - but I've spent most of my life wondering who the legendary Billy Steam was.

78.32.193.115 (talk) 20:09, 13 December 2010 (UTC)

Puffing Billy was one of three (not two)?
A web article that seems knowledgeable and reputable at http://www.locos-in-profile.co.uk/Articles/Early_Locos/early3.html states Hedley built three locomotives for Wytham colliery - Puffing Billy, Wylham Dilly and Lady Mary. It also states that - The locomotive was lent to the Patent Office Museum, London (the forerunner of the Science Museum) in 1862 and it was only after three years of acrimonious letters that Christopher Blackett agreed to part with it for £40 as he said ‘It could still do useful work’. £40 is a lot less than stated in the article (£200)! Some research is needed to a) verify Lady Mary and b) establish which sum was paid for Puffing Billy. Sources from published books are required! Pete Hobbs (talk) 16:09, 30 July 2011 (UTC)
 * Like Brunel scholarship, there are some very fragmentary books from the 1950s and these still colour the "common knowledge" of the day, even though, later, more complete, but less well-known works have clarified things.
 * The likelihood here is that "three locomotives" refers to Grasshopper (1812), Puffing Billy and Wylam Dilly. Grasshopper (which is almost unknown) was the "prototype", the others were the "production" locomotives. Grasshopper's name seems to be a nickname and in most correspondence it was called the 'travelling engine'. We know little about it. What we do know is that it was a single cylinder, inspired by Trevithick, and it was built on the chassis of the hand-cranked wagon (1811) used for adhesion tests on plain rail (from which the Wylam arrangement of geared drive derives). We don't know if the single flue was straight or a return flue. We don't even know if the cylinder was vertical or horizontal.
 * Also Puffing Billy(1813) and Wylam Dilly(1815) weren't built as a simultaneous pair, as this article claims. 1814 separated them, and their builders were different. Timothy Hackworth had left Blackett in May 1815, after refusing to work on the Sabbath. Nor did Hedley, not an engineer, design either of them (the descendants of the two families are divided on this) - he was a colliery viewer, or manager, and didn't have the engineering, engine-tending or blacksmithing background to do so. He probably did contribute the name though, as the asthmatic and overweight William Hedley, became "Puffing Billy" to the pitmen. Andy Dingley (talk) 11:10, 14 September 2017 (UTC)

title: Talk:Puffing Billy (locomotive)


text:
Talk:Lintel

[Untitled]
At some point the content here may have been merged to Talk:Post and lintel.

supposed 120 ton example
I removed the following, at first because I was thinking it is not an example of a lintel and/or its stated weight is wrong (and, though it basically may be a valid example, I am keeping it out for now due to wondering about current sources and/or how it should be presented):"An example from the Mycenaean Greece cultural period (c. 1600 – 1100 BCE) is the Treasury of Atreus in Mycenae, Greece. It weighs 120 tons, with approximate dimensions 8.3 × 5.2 × 1.2 m, one of the largest in the world." First of all, I was not sure I believe a block of stone of dimensions 8.3 × 5.2 × 1.2 m would weigh that much. Maybe that would be a huge block of stone, like maybe that could weigh that much. But, are the dimensions of the relevant lintel (perhaps the one shown in images at right?) actually that large, or is the lintel there much smaller, perhaps 8.3 x 5.2 x 1.2 feet instead?

I note the Treasury of Atreus article currently mentions a 1,200 ton weight for the entrance, perhaps termed an architrave, but that consists of an entire domed structure, not just a single lintel. Was "120 ton" an editing mistake misrepresenting the actual 1,200 ton weight, and also assuming the weight of the lintel alone was that of the whole entrance structure?

I also modified the article to clarify that the term "architrave" may refer to a lintel, but that the term has other (larger) meanings. Perhaps there is a source that says the architrave of the Treasury of Atreus is estimated to weigh 120 or 1,200 tons, and perhaps there are sources saying that an architrave is a lintel, which it may be in some cases, in some usage. --Doncram (talk,contribs) 05:01, 6 July 2023 (UTC)

 * The cited source covers the Treasury of Atreus in its Chapter VI, with mention on its page 230 that the entranceway (I think the one in photo here) is 20 feet wide, with an entrance itself that is seven feet ten inches wide at the top.

"A space of twenty feet in width between two walls leads to the entrance, which is nine feet and a half wide at the base, and seven feet ten inches at top, and about nineteen feet1 in height, and leads by a passage of eighteen feet in depth, to the subterraneous circular chamber, which is in the form of a Gothic dome, terminating at top in a point or key stone."

 * So 8.3 x 5.2 x 1.2 feet rather than meters seems more plausible as size of the lintel here?

 * But, hmm, on page 233 is an account of a "gigantic stone", of breccia, which is one part of a lintel (where, perhaps at the entrance to a main chamber inside?):"The lintel of the door is composed of two masses of stone, the largest of which is of the surprising dimensions of twenty-seven feet in length, seventeen feet in breadth, and three feet nine inches in thickness, the specific gravity of which must be about one hundred and thirty-three tons. No masses* except those of Egypt and Balbec, can be compared with this gigantic stone, which is of the same material as the rest of the building."

 * Using the convert template as a tool to check conversions from feet to meters: those are 27 ft, 17 ft, and 3.75 ft, so that would be "8.3 x 5.2 x 1.14 m", not far off from "8.3 x 5.2 x 1.2 m" that was stated in the article. Okay perhaps in approximate terms then?  But does the lintel run much further than the opening it spans, i.e. run out of sight to the left and right? (If the depicted width is 20 feet, and the actual width of the lintel is 27 feet, it would have to extend out of sight to the left and right;  in which case how is its length known? Or is the lintel mentioned not the one in these images?

 * I would have thought that the term "specific gravity" would refer to a density measure, say pounds per cubic foot or tons per cubic meter; the term specific gravity in wikipedia refers to a ratio of densities;  in context here the author seems to be using it to mean simply the weight, presumably computed by multiplying the usual density of breccia times the estimated volume of the lintel, with result in some type of ton measure (long ton or short ton or metric ton?).  His estimate of 133 tons could correspond to 120 tons of some other type?

 * The source, published in 1819 (or should it be 1834?), is about Edward Dodwell's trips in 1801, 1805, and 1806, and I don't think that would be definitive about this one being the largest lintel in the world known today; there could be larger in temples of other ancient cultures in Mexico or Thailand or elsewhere not known to Dodwell back then, or as "lintel" of a bridge somewhere, or in some unusual modern structure.  --Doncram (talk,contribs) 05:38, 6 July 2023 (UTC)

 * This 2014 article "WORLD’S LONGEST CONCRETE BEAMS INSTALLED" by Sharon J. Rehana in or at "Concrete Construction" (a trade magazine? or just a website?), states "The longest prestressed concrete beams ever manufactured were successfully installed in the Netherlands. These huge box beams—223 feet long and 480,000 pounds—form the main span of the new bridge in Zuidhorn." Those would properly be termed lintels, I think.  Again using convert template tool to convert lbs to tons, that is: 480000 lb . --Doncram (talk,contribs) 06:03, 6 July 2023 (UTC)

 * One natural application for very large concrete "blocks" (actually more likely hollow box beams, aka box girders, made of prestressed concrete (same as post-tensioned concrete?) that I happen to know a very little about (because I largely developed the Wikipedia article) might be for aircraft taxiway bridges.|this 2008 source cited in that article describes large concrete box girder(s) (one one big one across 5 spans or more likely five separate ones?) at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, Arizona: "The 406-ft-long, design-build project features five continuous spans of posttensioned concrete box girders. The bridge was designed to be 214 ft wide to meet the safety area requirement for Group V aircraft and to support a gross aircraft weight of 1.5 million lb using the wheel configurations for a Boeing 747-400." But there are not statements of the dimensions of concrete beam(s) cast there, nor weight estimate(s). --Doncram (talk,contribs) 06:18, 6 July 2023 (UTC)

Maybe the example was approximately okay and should be restored, but... Are there no more recent sources about the estimated dimensions and weight of that specific "gigantic stone". And are there other examples to be presented? And/or how could the one example be presented better here (and in the Treasury of Atreus article, which should have the detail of anything being cited here)? --Doncram (talk,contribs) 06:31, 6 July 2023 (UTC)

title: Talk:Lintel


text: User talk:68.61.78.180

title: User talk:68.61.78.180


text:
2004 Israeli operation in the northern Gaza Strip

In 2004, the Israeli Defense Forces launched Operation "Days of Penitence" (מבצע ימי תשובה), otherwise known as Operation "Days of Repentance" in the northern Gaza Strip. The operation lasted between 29 September and 16 October 2004. About 130 Palestinians, and 1 Israeli were killed.

The operation, focused on the town of Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahia and Jabalia refugee camps, which were said to have been used as launching sites of Qassam rockets on the Israeli town of Sderot and Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip, and in particular in response to the death of two children in Sderot. The operation's name corresponds to the Hebrew name for the High Holiday season during which the operation was carried out.

Overview
Following the death of two Israeli children from a Qassam rocket launched by Palestinian militants, Israel launched a major military invasion of the northern Gaza strip, focusing on the towns of Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahia and the Jabaliya refugee camp. The stated goal of the operation, code-named "Days of Penitence" (ימי תשובה) by the Israeli Defence Force, was to prevent Palestinians from launching rockets and mortar shells into Israeli settlements in Gaza and the town of Sderot in Israel.

During this 17 day attack the Israeli military killed some 130 Palestinians; demolished at least 85 houses and damaged hundreds more; damaged public facilities, including schools, kindergartens and mosques, and destroyed farmland. According to Israeli soldiers, many of the buildings that were demolished were used by Palestinian militants as a cover for launching Qassam rockets and for shooting anti-tank missiles.

During the UN Security Council deliberations over censuring Israel for this military attack, Israel accused the United Nations Relief and Welfare Agency (UNRWA) of complicity in Palestinian attacks by allowing its vehicles to transport rockets. The Israeli government released a video claiming that it showed rockets being loaded into the UNRWA ambulance. UNRWA denied the accusation and demanded an apology stating that the object was a stretcher, not a rocket (the person in the video was carrying the lightweight object with just one hand). On October 6, Israel retracted the accusation.(Reuters) See further discussion here.

The attack resulted in a proposed Security Council resolution condemning the Israeli action, calling for Israeli withdrawal and respect for human rights of Palestinians. The resolution was vetoed by the United States on October 5 who criticized it for ignoring terrorism against Israelis.

Over the weekend of October 17, the Israeli military announced that its troops withdrew from the Jabalia refugee camp and other populated areas and redeployed to positions nearby and proclaimed the attack a success, with a warning that the troops would return if the rocket attacks resume, which analysts from both sides say is likely. Israel 'redeploys' in Gaza, but who won?

Both sides claimed victory in the operation.

Capt. Jacob Dallal, an Israeli Defence Forces spokesman, acclaimed the operation's success: "We really impaired the ability to shoot Qassams from Jabalya. We engaged many cells and now there are fewer Hamas members to shoot rockets," he says. "We dealt a hard blow to the whole Hamas infrastructure in Jabalia." Israel 'redeploys' in Gaza, but who won?

The Palestine Information Center published a statement by Hamas spokesman Ismail Hanneya who asserted that the problem was not in resistance or in Qassam missiles but rather in what Hamas views as the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land: "Hamas achieved a victory over the Zionist enemy ... the blows of the resistance and the steadfastness of the people caused the occupying forces to withdraw without achieving any of their goals." Hamas: Resistance forced occupation to retreat

September 29

 * Five Palestinians, including Hamas member Tawfik Ali Charafi, were killed during Israeli raids in the Jabalia refugee camp in the Gaza Strip and Nablus in the West Bank. The Israeli government claims the troops entered in response to continued shelling of the Israeli town of Sderot from the Jabalia area, including Qassam rockets launched on September 28. (BBC) (Reuters) (Al Jazeera) (Haaretz)
 * Two Israeli children, aged 3 and 5, are killed after a Qassam rocket attack by Hamas on the town of Sderot. Hamas claimed the attack was launched in retaliation for the Israeli raid of the Jabalia refugee camp, which left four Palestinians dead. (BBC) (Haaretz)
 * Two Palestinian teenagers are killed and power supplies are knocked out after an Israeli raid on the Jabalia refugee camp. The raid was launched in response to the rocket attacks on the town of Sderot which left two children dead. (BBC)

September 30

 * Israel launched a major offensive into the Jabalia refugee camp killing at least 23 gunmen and civilians. Earlier this morning, a column of Israeli tanks moved into the center of the camp, followed by bulldozers. At least three Palestinian civilians have been killed thus far. Homes are being demolished, forcing people to flee. 72 Palestinians are known to have been wounded. (BBC) (Reuters)
 * Two Palestinians are killed by Israeli troops returning fire after an Israeli soldier was killed at an observation post in the northern Gaza Strip. The troops have been engaged in that part of the northern Gaza Strip since yesterday, September 29. (AP)
 * Two Israelis, including a civilian, are killed in an ambush close to Gaza. The Palestinian gunman was also killed. (BBC)

October 1

 * Israeli troops, backed by tanks and other military vehicles, entered the northern Gaza Strip city of Jabalia, and the nearby towns of Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya. At least five Palestinians are killed by Israeli rocket strikes on Jabalia. (BBC) (The Guardian)
 * The Israeli military releases unmanned drone footage of the Gaza Strip showing what Israel says are Palestinian militants loading rockets into a van marked "UN." The UN dismisses the claim, saying that the footage actually shows a stretcher being loaded into a van. (Islam Online, S. Arabia) (Haaretz: 1, 2)

October 2

 * Yassir Arafat declared a state of emergency in the Gaza Strip and called for international aid following Israel's raid into Jabalia. (News 24 [S. Africa])
 * Israeli forces shoot dead four members of Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades and Hamas, who had tried to infiltrate the Israeli Kibbutz of Nahal Oz, about 200 meters outside of that Kibbutz. (Haaretz) (Al Jazeera) (The Statesman [India]) (INN [Israel])
 * The U.S. government issues a statement urging Israel not to use excessive force during its current offensive into the Gaza Strip. (BBC)
 * The Palestinian militant group Hamas says that it will continue using rockets to attack Israeli communities that border on the Gaza Strip, or Israeli settlements within it, regardless of Israeli military operations. (BBC)
 * The Israeli military begins an operation to create a 9 km "buffer zone" within the northern Gaza Strip. Israel says that the purpose of the zone is to protect Israel from attacks using Qassam rockets (which have a 9 km range). (The Telegraph) (CNN)

October 3

 * On interview to CBC, UNRWA's commissioner-general, Peter Hansen said that he was sure that members of Hamas are also members of UNRWA. The Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs, who designate Hamas as a terrorist organization said it "will immediately seek clarification from Mr. Hansen directly and from UN authorities." (CBC)
 * The UNRWA demanded an apology from Israel over claims that Gaza militants used a UN vehicle to transport a homemade Qassam rocket. The UN body showed what it said was the ambulance seen in footage released by the Israel Defense Forces and presented its driver and rescue workers to reporters. (Haaretz) (Jerusalem Post) He later said it would "have been outright dishonest to say that among a population with about 30% support for Hamas that none of them worked for us" (The Guardian)
 * Secretary-General Kofi Annan requested that Israel halt its current military operations in the Gaza Strip, saying that they have led to "the deaths of scores of Palestinians, among them many civilians, including children." He also urges the Palestinian Authority to convince Hamas to halt the firing of rockets into Israel.
 * At least four civilians—a deaf man and 3 children—are killed during Israeli raids in the Gaza Strip town of Jabalia. More than 60 Palestinians, including civilians, have been killed during Israel's current offensive into Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon says the Gaza operation will continue until Qassam rocket attacks end. (BBC) (Toronto Star)
 * Two Palestinians are killed by an Israeli helicopter-launched missile moments after they launch a Qassam rocket into Israel. (Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights)

October 4

 * The siege on and within Gaza was severely tightened. According to Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, electricity and water facilities were targeted. Sick people were not allowed access to medical treatment in main hospitals in Gaza City or Egypt.
 * Israel Defense Forces killed six more Palestinians in their attack on Jabalia including five Palestinians who were killed in an air strike just before dawn. IDF said it targets bomb-planters and Qassam launchers. (UN Monitor)
 * Two senior Hamas activists were also seriously injured in a separate Israeli helicopter gunship attack in Gaza City overnight. Two rockets were fired at Mohammad al Simri and Hassan al Jabari. A Palestinian woman was also injured in the attack. (UN Monitor)
 * Ramzi Hassaballah, 21, was fatally hit by a bullet in the eye in Jabalia. (UN Monitor)
 * Israeli army chief Moshe Yaalon warned that the raid could last weeks. Melbourne Herald

October 5

 * The United States vetoed a Security Council resolution demanding an immediate end to military operations in the northern Gaza Strip and the withdrawal of Israeli forces. The vote in the 15-member Security Council was 11 in favor and one against, with Britain, Germany and Romania abstaining. (ABC News)
 * A 13-year-old girl, Iman Darweesh Al Hams, was shot by soldiers from an Israeli military post near Rafah, while she was on her way to school. According to Israeli forces, the area was restricted and they suspected that Iman's schoolbag contained a bomb. IDF chief of staff Moshe Yaalon said she was sent there as a decoy by Palestinian militants. Platoon soldiers accused their commander of shooting 20 rounds at close range to "confirm the kill". The Israeli army chief prosecutor ordered an investigation of the allegations.
 * Palestinians claim an Israeli unmanned drone aircraft fired a missile towards the Al Ajramy street in Jabalia camp. Two brothers were killed, Hasan Abdul Hai Darweesh, 30, and Mousa Abdul Hai Darweesh, 24, both from the neighboring Mashrou' neighborhood. Six others were injured, two of whom critically. (Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights)
 * In Gaza City, Bashir al-Dabbash, a leader in the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad, is killed by a missile fired from an Israeli aircraft. (INN)  (BBC)
 * Three Hamas militants are killed after infiltrating the Israeli settlement of Kfar Darom. One of the militants blew up when hit by Israeli gunfire, killing a Thai worker in addition to himself. The other two militants were killed by IDF forces. Gaza Strip. (Haaretz) (INN) (IMRA)

October 6

 * An Israeli tank fired artillery at homes in the Al Maslakh neighborhood of Jabalia camp killing Abdullah Qahman, 15, Hamdan Faraj Ubaid, 50, and his 22-year-old son Hammudeh Ubaid. IDF said it shot back after being attacked by anti-tank weapon, hitting the house from which the rocket was fired. Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights, (Guardian)
 * Ahmad Imad Abu Samak, 8, and Amneh An Najjar, 60, were critically injured by bullet wounds to the head in al Maslakh and Nuzha neighborhoods, respectively, of Jabalia town.
 * A 10-year-old boy, Muhammad Mansour Abed Rabu was wounded in his left leg by Israeli gunfire in al Mahkama street in Jabalia. (Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights)

October 7

 * Suleyman abu Foul, 15, and his 14-year-old nephew Raed abu Zaid, were killed by Israeli fire in Jabalia. Israeli military sources said Suleyman and his nephew were killed by a missile fired from a helicopter after an airborne drone spotted two suspicious figures who appeared to be launching a Qassam rocket. A 16-year-old from Jabalia, Muhammad Abu Saif, died from wounds received by Israeli bullets in the neck and the chest on October 1. (Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights)
 * Their deaths—plus the death of a 13-year-old Palestinian boy who had been injured earlier—pushed the toll from the latest fighting to more than 80. Late in the day, Israeli forces shot a 12-year-old girl, Samah Mu'een Udeh, in the head in the Beit Hanoun community. (Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights)(Boston Globe)
 * Witnesses say that two Palestinian children were killed when the Israeli military shelled a crowd near the Jabaliya refugee camp. Israel says that an Israeli helicopter gunship fired at two people attempting to launch a Qassam rocket. (BBC)

October 8

 * A nine-year-old girl, Samah Samir Nassar, was killed and several homes were damaged.
 * Israeli tanks fired shell towards Abu Hasira neighborhood, near Jabalia Youth Club and killed two Palestinians: Muhammad Nabil Subeh and Yasir Al Khateeb, both 19, from Jabalia camp. Three other people were injured, one of whom critically. (Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights)
 * A worker at Rafiah Yam is shot and killed by Palestinian militants. (INN), (INN)
 * Salih Abu Al Ghseen, 35, a man suffering from mental illness, was killed by Israeli forces east of Wadi as-Salqa village in the middle of the Gaza Strip. (Al Mezan Center for Human Rights).

October 9

 * Israeli troops shot and killed a local leader of the Hamas' military wing in Jabalia, Abed Rauf Nabhan, as he was preparing to fire an anti-tank missile at Israel Defense Forces tanks invading the Jabalia refugee camp. The Israeli military claimed that Nabhan was responsible for the launching of the rocket that killed two young children in Sderot on Sukkot eve, triggering the army offensive in northern Gaza. Abed Nabhan, 25, was one of five Palestinians killed Saturday. (ABC News) (Maariv)
 * Israeli tanks fired shells towards a 6-story residential building, owned by the Salim family, in the town of Beit Lahia. It hit the sixth floor and killed Ameen Mahmud Salim, 36 Sufiyan Mousa Salim, 28. Three of the family members were injured in the attack: Dawoud Salim, Ahmad Salim and Muhammad Salim. (Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights)
 * Palestinian anti-tank missile hit a house in Beit Hanoun, causing to collapse on the people inside. (Maariv)

October 10

 * At approximately 3am today, Sunday 10 October 2004, explosion is heard at the Center of the town of Beit Hanoun. Palestinian say a missile hit close to the UNRWA Women's Center and injured two Palestinians critically.(Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights)
 * Raid Muhammad Al Mabhouh, 22, from Jabalia camp died from wounds sustained on October 1, 2004. (Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights)
 * Israeli forces fired a missile at a house owned by Adnan Al Ajrami and a crafts factory in a densely populated neighborhood in Jabalia camp. The house and factory were destroyed and nine neighboring homes were severely damaged. A schoolteacher, Mahir Muhammad Zaqout, 39, was killed on his way to school and nine people were injured, including 4 children. The IDF said it targeted bomb-planters.(Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights)
 * An Israeli drone launched a missile towards Al Ajrami Street in Jabalia refugee camp. Four Palestinians were injured, one of whom, 21-year-old Sameh Zamil Al Wheedy, died at hospital a few hours later. (Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights)

October 11

 * At 3:15am, an Israeli unmanned aerial vehicle launched a missile towards Al Harthani Secondary School in Beit Lahia. Three people were injured, one critically. (Al Mezan Center for Human Rights)
 * In the middle-Gaza town of Deir Al Balah, Israeli tanks and armored bulldozers entered the Al Mahata neighborhood of Jabalia camp. Samir Muhammad Khammash, 29, was killed by a bullet to the head. Five other people were injured, including three children. Ibrahim Fayiz Abdul Hadi, 7, was injured while inside his house. (Al Mezan Center for Human Rights)
 * At 10:30am, artillery from the Israeli settlement of Neve Dekalim was launched on the Palestinian refugee camp at Khan Younis. The maternity ward of Nasser Hospital was hit. Hospital workers and patients were treated for trauma. (Al Mezan Center for Human Rights)
 * At 3:15am today, 22-year-old Ahmad Zaki Hamad, from the town of Beit Hanoun, and 21-year-old Yousif Abu Saif of Jabalia were pronounced dead from injuries suffered in two separate missile attacks on October 10. (Al Mezan Center for Human Rights)
 * About 3:56pm, two Qassam rockets were launched at Kibbutz Saad in the Negev. No injuries were reported. (INN)
 * About 5:50pm, security fence workers were fired upon south of Kissufim. No injuries were reported.(INN)
 * About 6:16pm, three Israeli soldiers were wounded in Jabaliya. (INN)
 * About 8:38pm, two 25 kilogram bombs were disarmed by Israeli demolition experts (INN)
 * About 7:52pm, a Qassam rocket was launched against Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak in the Negev. No injuries were reported. (INN)

October 12

 * About 8:15am, several mortar shells were fired at the community of Ganei Tal. (INN)
 * At approximately 11:00am, Palestinian security and hospital sources claimed that Israeli soldiers at the Neve Dekalim settlement shot at UNRWA Al Khalidyeh Primary School in Khan Younis refugee camp critically injuring 10-year-old Ghadeer Jaber Mkheemar in the chest while she was inside her classroom. Israeli military sources claim that the soldiers where shooting at a mortar emplacement either next to or within the school grounds. (CNN)
 * About 12:30pm, an anti-tank missile was fired at Israeli soldiers near Rafah. (INN)
 * About 1:15pm, a bomb was detonated against Israeli soldiers operating in Jabaliah. (INN)
 * About 4:22pm, Israeli soldiers fired at fighters attempting to launch a missile from within the area of a mosque in Khan Yunis. The missile launch was prevented. (INN)
 * Mortar attack in southern Gaza. (INN)

October 13

 * About 4:48am, Arab medics reported that an Israeli helicopter missile strike upon a house in Beit Lahia killed Mohammed Marous, 22, a Hamas militant and wounded three others. (Reuters)
 * Israeli Defence Forces killed two al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades militants in Jabalia. (Haaretz)
 * At 12:20pm today Israeli forces fired a missile towards a crowd of people in the western part of Beit Lahia killing two Palestinians, Riziq Hasan Az Zeety, 38, and Muhammad Said Al Masri, 25. (Al Mezan Center for Human Rights)
 * Two Qassam rockets landed in open field near Sderot. An early warning system to alert the residents of Sderot, which was installed by the IDF, worked flawlessly, according to security officer. Due to the closeness of Gaza launch sites to Sderot only 15–20 seconds of warning was possible. (Haaretz)(INN)
 * In Rafah at 6:40pm, Israeli forces killed Jihad Housam Barhoum, 16, and critically wounded Abdul Rahman Barhoum, 8, when a tank fired shells at the refugee camp. (Al Mezan Center for Human Rights)
 * In Hebron, IDF forces arrested Imad Qawasameh, Hamas senior who was responsible for the double suicide bombing which killed 16 people in Beersheba on August 31, 2004. According to witnesses, Imad surrendered immediately after a Caterpillar D9 armoured bulldozer started to demolish his house. (Haaretz)(INN)
 * About 7:20pm, a Qassam rocket landed near Kibbutz Miflasim in the Negev. (INN)
 * About 9:21pm, mortar shells landed within the Israeli community of Netzarim. (INN)
 * Four militants were killed in two actions by Israeli soldiers. (Reuters)

October 14

 * The Israeli army attacked the refugee camp of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip. Israeli forces stormed into Block (J) of the refugee camp at 9:45pm. Tanks fired shells towards the densely populated block killing Ismail Muhammad As Sawalha, 70, Ahmad Salih Al Tahrawi, 21, and Ali Abdul Kareem Shaath, 23. In addition, Khadra Shoman, 75, was wounded by shrapnel wound to the head. Israeli press, however, reported that the Tahrawi and Shaath were armed militants.

October 15

 * Israeli Defence Forces prevented a launch of Qassam rocket from Jabalia refugee camp. According to soldiers from the Golani Brigade, militants were accompanied by children, who helped carry the rockets to the launch site. The army refrained from using a helicopter gunship because of the presence of children allegedly being used as human shields. Israeli forces report that infantry units engaged the militants with warning shots causing them to flee, abandoning the launcher and other equipment. (Haaretz)
 * At 12:05am today, Israeli forces launched a missile towards Block (7) in Jabalia camp. Two Palestinians, Muhyi Ad Din Al Madhoun, 19, and Nidal Harb Masoud, 20, were killed. Several homes were also damaged in the attack.
 * Three armed militants, two of al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades and one of Hamas were killed in Jabalia by Israeli Air Force strike. (Haaretz)
 * IDF begins to redeploy in northern Gaza area. Troops, armored forces and engineers pull-back from Jabalia, Beit Lahia and Beit Hanoun. The forces remain on alert to reenter the area if a Qassam rocket should be launched. (Haaretz)
 * An IDF investigation regarding the death of Iman Darweesh Al Hams in Rafah on October 5 cleared the Givati Brigade platoon commander on the scene of charges by fellow soldiers that he emptied his rifle magazine into the girl's body as she lay wounded. The IDF accepted the commander's claim that he fired into the ground near the girl after coming under fire in a dangerous area. The officer was suspended from duty pending the outcome of a police investigation. (BBC)(Maariv)
 * In Rafah, two soldiers are lightly injured from an anti-tank missile. (Haaretz)
 * The Israeli army in the evening began withdrawing from Jabalia, Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza as "a gesture to the Palestinians ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan", which began that Friday and entered Rafah in southern Gaza, to continue their military operations.

October 16

 * One al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades militant, hit on Friday, died from his wounds.(Haaretz)
 * The US State Department welcomed the Israeli withdrawal and stressed the U.S. government position that Palestinians were responsible "for ending violence and terror, and particularly for ensuring that this area - that no area is used for attacks on Israel with rockets."

Allegations of Israeli war crimes
In 2005 and 2006 Adalah requested the Military Advocate General (MAG) to initiate a criminal investigation into events that took place during Operation Rainbow. In 2007 also for Operation Days of Penitence. All requests had been denied. On 15 April 2007, Adalah, PCHR and Al-Haq filed a petition, in which they asked the Israeli High Court of Justice to order a criminal investigation, referring to many local and international organizations who had accused Israel of committing war crimes. Not earlier than two years later, on 6 May 2009, the Court held a hearing. Another 1.5 years later, on 8 December 2011, the Court rejected the petition because, according to the Israeli judges, the request was too late and too unspecific, the aim of the operations was justified, and a criminal investigation was not the most appropriate tool.

Casualties
The casualties from 28 September to 16 October 2004 are as follows:

Israelis

 * One soldier
 * One woman
 * Two children

Palestinians

 * According to Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, from 28 September to 14 October: 129 people killed, including 31 children
 * According to Haaretz: 129 Palestinians: 68 members of the military wing of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad; 42 civilians
 * According to B'Tselem: 133 Palestinians, including at least 50 civilians
 * According to IDF: circa 130 people, most of them armed militants; 9 or 10 civilians
 * According to Reuters: some 50 Hamas fighters; at least 62 militants and 43 other Palestinians believed to be civilians


text:
Spanish Bonk

Spanish Bonk is a volcanic plug located in the Quesnel Highland of the Wells Gray-Clearwater volcanic field in southeastern British Columbia, Canada. Spanish Bonk last erupted during the Pleistocene.

title: Spanish Bonk


text:
Black Label

Black Label may refer to:

Businesses and products

 * Black Label Media, an American film and multimedia production company
 * Black Label Content, a multimedia creative content studio
 * The Black Label, a South Korean record label
 * Carling Black Label, a Canadian beer brand
 * DC Black Label, a DC Comics label
 * Johnnie Walker Black Label, a Scotch whisky blend
 * LG Black Label Series, a line of mobile phones
 * Black Label, a trim package for Lincoln Motor Company vehicles
 * Black Label Games, a subsidiary of Vivendi Games

Music

 * Black Label Society, an American heavy metal band
 * Black Label (Fiestar EP), 2015
 * Black Label (Ocean Grove EP), 2015
 * "Black Label", a song by Lamb of God from New American Gospel, 2000

Other uses

 * Black Label Bike Club, an international bicycle club founded in Minneapolis, Minnesota, US
 * Black Label, a 2011–2014 spin-off of the manga series Nana & Kaoru

title: Black Label


text:
Smithville, Ontario

Smithville is a community in the township of West Lincoln, Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada. The former police village is located on Highway 20 between Hamilton and Niagara Falls. Smithville is the largest population centre and governing centre of the township of West Lincoln.

History
Smithville was first settled by Richard Griffin and his family, including his sons Abraham, Edward, Nathaniel, Isaiah, Smith, Jonathan, and Richard Jr., United Empire Loyalists who came from Nine Partners, New York in 1787. They settled on Lots 8, 9, 10, Concession IX, on the Twenty Mile Creek in Grimsby (later South Grimsby) Township. Solomon Hill, who married Bethia, daughter of Richard Griffin, settled on Lot 6, Charles Meridith on Lot 7; Thomas Harris on Lot 11, and Thomas North on Lot 12. These lots, all in the 9th Concession became the settlement first known as Griffintown, but later renamed after Mrs. Griffin, whose maiden name was Mary Smith.

Edward "Ned" Griffin is sometimes claimed to be the real founder of the village. He was the one who felled the first tree, chose the village site, cleared the first acre of land, built the first house, and lived his entire life in the village. His brother, Smith Griffin, another of Richard Griffin's sons is credited with building a treadwheel in 1810. Settlers who wanted their grain ground were required to provide their own motive power by putting their oxen on the tread. Later, Smith Griffin built a dam and mill on the Twenty Mile Creek, making the treadmill obsolete. Smith also started an ashery, while Edward opened a general store.

By 1849, Smithville had reached a population of about 150, and had been granted a post office with twice-weekly delivery. The settlement had a grist mill, a saw mill, a carding machine and cloth factory, four stores, one machine shop, one tannery, two blacksmiths, two tailors and two shoemakers.

Smithville first became a police village in 1887, however the arrangement was unsatisfactory and the village again became part of South Grimsby Township in 1889. It was not until 1914 that Smithville was reorganized into a police village on a more permanent basis. By the 1950s, the population had grown to approximately 1,000.

Smithville, along with the remainder of South Grimsby Township was amalgamated into the newly formed Township of West Lincoln on January 1, 1970.

Demographics
Population:
 * Population in 2016: 5489
 * Population in 2011: 4391
 * Population in 2006: 4122
 * Population in 2001: 3317

Mother tongue:
 * English as first language: 92.2%
 * French as first language: 0.6%
 * English and French as first language: >0.1%
 * Other as first language: 7.2%

Patron:
 * Lord S. Grey

Economy
Retail establishments in Smithville are congregated amongst two major nodes: the downtown core, and the Village Square Mall.

Arts and culture
Until 2017, Smithville held an annual agricultural festival called PoultryFest.

The Smithville Fair was historically held at the West Lincoln Mixed Use Recreation Site (formerly Smithville Fairgrounds). The Smithville Agricultural Society merged with the Lincoln Agricultural Society in 2012, and the fair was moved to the nearby West Niagara Fairgrounds, where the agricultural fair is held annually before Labour Day.

Parks
Parks in Smithville include the Smithville Conservation Area, and the Mixed Use Recreational Site (MURS).

The "Murgatroyd Parkette" is at the corner of Griffin and St. Catharines Street. It has trees and benches, and features the town clock (from the original post offices) mounted on a pedestal. Once was a tie factory, this location was occupied by Hellbender Ink Vintage Tattoo, becoming it's very first tattoo shop in 2013.

The Smithville Branch of the West Lincoln Public Library is located at the West Lincoln Community Complex and Arena on West St. and is open six days a week.

The Kiwanis of West Lincoln was chartered in May 2018 and currently meets at the Smithville Legion (172 Saint Catharines St.) every Tuesday at 7 pm

Government
In some ways Smithville acts as the "administrative centre" of the Township of West Lincoln. The council chambers and the largest branch of the municipal library are located in town, as well as the major fire station. The public works yard is also centralized in a Smithville location.

From 1970 to 2018, Smithville fell just north of the boundary of two municipal wards. The area north of Townline Road, the bulk of the community, was part of Ward 3, the former Township of South Grimsby. New development south of Townline, mainly the Alma Acres, fell into Ward 2, the former Township of Gainsborough. In 2018, a revision of ward boundaries placed Smithville and its environs into a new, smaller Ward 3.

West Lincoln elects one regional councillor, in addition to the Mayor who also serves as the local regional council.

Federally and provincially, Smithville is located in the riding of Niagara West.

Transportation
Smithville is located on two regional roads. Regional Road 20, formerly King's Highway 20, goes primarily east-west, connecting Smithville with Niagara Falls and Hamilton. Regional Road 14 connects Smithville to Grimsby and the Queen Elizabeth Way in the north, and Highway 3 in the south.

Smithville is located he Canadian Pacific's Hamilton Subdivision, the mainline of the former-Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo Railway. Smithville had a passenger station until 1981, when all such service along the line was discontinued. The former station (built 1903) is a local landmark, and serves as the headquarters of the West Lincoln Historical Society.

Smithville was also the junction with the railroad's Dunnville spur. Passenger service along the Dunnville line was suspended in 1933. Freight service lasted until 2003, when the line was abandoned. The tracks were subsequently lifted and the bridges over the Twenty Mile Creek and Highway 20 demolished.

Education
Smithville has five schools, including four elementary and one secondary.

Smithville Public School, on Colver Street, opened in 2018 in the former South Lincoln High School. Coincidentally, the now disused College Street Public School had been the location of Smithville High School until 1948.

St. Martin's, on West Street (Highway 20) is an elementary school in the Catholic (separate) board. John Calvin (Station Street) associated with the Canadian Reformed Church and Cairn Christian (Townline Road) are private Christian schools.

Smithville Christian High School, formerly Smithville District Christian High School, is a Christian secondary school and the only remaining secondary school in town, after the closure of South Lincoln High School for the 2017-2018 school year, which ended over 150 years of public secondary education in the community.

title: Smithville, Ontario


text:
Ninetynine

Ninetynine (styled as ninetynine) is an indie band based in Melbourne, Australia. The band was founded by Laura MacFarlane, who played drums in Sleater-Kinney, in 1996 as a solo project. The first album, 99, was recorded with her playing all the instruments. Not long after she assembled a band with Cameron Potts, Rhonda Simmonds (who has since left the group) and Iain McIntyre (who played with Laura in several earlier bands). Other former members of the band include Michelle Mansford and Amy Clarke. Meg Butler joined in 2006.

Ninetynine's music has been described as art-pop, combining elements of indie rock, post punk and power pop with strong melodic elements and a playful approach. Some of their songs incorporate experimental elements such as unusual time signatures or exotic scales. One of the band's trademarks is the use of Casiotone keyboards and chromatic percussion (typically a vibraphone) in their music, with the musicians frequently swapping instruments between songs, even sometimes in the middle of songs.

Recordings
Ninetynine The Triantiwontigongolo – Ninetynine EP CD 1996 (Woozy)

Ninetynine 99 CD 1996 (Patsy/Endearing )

Ninetynine 767 CD and LP Album 1998 (Patsy/Endearing/Chapter)

Ninetynine Girl Crazy – Woekender LP 1998 (Remedial Records)

Ninetynine Ersatz Split 7" 1999 (Radio One)

Ninetynine 180 Degrees CD and LP 2000 (Patsy/ Radio One)

Ninetynine Vivian Girls Split 7" 2001 (Chapter)

Ninetynine Anatomy of Distance CD 2002 (Patsy/Stckfigure)

Ninetynine The Process CD and LP 2002 (Trifekta/Appliances & Cars)

Ninetynine Receiving the Sounds of Science Fiction CD EP 2003 (Dark Beloved Cloud)

Ninetynine World of Space World of Population World of Robots CD 2006 (UAR/Stickfigure)

Nineytynine Chapter 99 – Compilation CD 2006 (Sones)

Ninetynine Silo EP 2008 (Patsy) Ninetynine Bande Magnetique CD 2010 (Patsy)

Ninetynine Woods 7" 2016 (Patsy)

Ninetynine Further 7" and CD 2016 (Patsy)

Ninetynine albums are released through the band's own label Patsy. Some albums have been previously released through other labels such as Chapter Music, Trifekta, Stickfigure, Unstable Ape, If Society and Endearing Records.

They also have recorded a number of tracks for various compilations. Anatomy of Distance is a retrospective compilation of tracks recorded for various compilations and 7" singles between 1997 and 2001. Receiving the Sounds of Science Fiction was released exclusively to subscribers of the New York-based Dark Beloved Cloud single club. Chapter 99 (Sones, 2006) was a compilation of previously released songs. Original releases of 99, 767 and 180 degrees came in hand-folded sleeves made of printed card. The release of Further was part of the band's 20th anniversary celebrations.

Live shows and tours
Ninetynine have played live extensively in Australia, and toured internationally in New Zealand, Japan, the UK, Europe and North America.

title: Ninetynine


text:
Loo of the Year Awards

The Loo of the Year Awards are run to celebrate the best public toilets in the United Kingdom, and promote high standards.

The awards competition receives sponsorship from a number of companies involved in providing products and services to washroom providers.

History
First introduced in 1987, the Loo of the Year Awards competition has run annually, except for 1993.

Eligibility criteria
Any type of public facility ('away from home' toilet) can be nominated for consideration. There are sixty one award categories. Eligible facilities can be located in England, Scotland, Wales or Ireland.

Anyone can submit a nomination—staff, customers, visitors, managers, owners or contractors—but owners or managers must authorise entries.

Judging criteria
After an unannounced inspection from an authorised Loo of the Year Awards Inspector, nominees are graded on a scale from Bronze to Diamond. Grades are awarded based on 101 criteria, and are judged on both male and female facilities, as well as any baby changing and accessible facilities provided. The criteria include cleanliness, decor, signage, accessibility and customer care.

Awards
Awards are given in one of sixty three categories. An entrant receiving a Diamond or possibly a Platinum grading will be considered for one a number of major national awards in each of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland:

 * National Category Winners (up to sixty-three categories in each country)
 * National Accessible Toilet Winner
 * National (Baby) Changing Facilities Winner
 * Public Toilet Entries – National Winner
 * Individual Category Entries – National Winner
 * Changing Places Toilet Entries – National Winner
 * Space to Change Toilet Entries – National Winner
 * Eco Friendly Toilet – National Winner
 * Local Authority Award – National Winner
 * Toilets in Education – National Winner
 * Hygiene Room – National Winner

Other awards include:

 * Individual UK Loo of the Year Trophy: The winner of this award is selected from one of the eight national winners in the Public Toilet Entries and the Individual Category Entries categories above.
 * UK Corporate Provider Trophy: The winner of this award is selected from organizations or authorities entering ten or more different locations and winning five or more five-star awards.
 * Champions' League – Standards of Excellence Awards: This award is presented to organizations or local authorities winning five or more five-star awards and who, in the inspectors' opinion, are maintaining a consistently high standard of management in all their Loo of the Year Awards entries.
 * Local Authority Premier League: Membership in the League is granted to the top twenty local authority public toilet providers.
 * Washroom Technician of the Year Awards: These "people awards" are open to all full-time techbicians, as well as employed washroom technicians and retained washroom technician contractors. Separate Washroom Technician of the Year Award Certificates are awarded in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland with Commended and National Winners for each country.

In addition, the overall UK winner (either an individual, in-house washroom technician teams or external washroom technician contractor teams) is awarded the UK Washroom Technician of The Year Trophy.

Overall "Loo of the Year" trophy winners
The winner of this category is presented with a Golden Loo Seat Trophy.

title: Loo of the Year Awards


text:
Meryn Cadell

Meryn Cadell is an American-Canadian writer and performance artist. He is an assistant professor of song lyrics and libretto writing in the Creative Writing Program at University of British Columbia.

Early life and education
Cadell was born in Brooklyn, New York, grew up in Waterloo, Ontario, and later moved to Toronto in the mid-1980s. Cadell is a graduate of the Ontario College of Art and Design.

Career
Cadell re-released an independent cassette titled Mare-In Ka-Dell in 1988 while active as a performance artist in Toronto's Queen Street West scene. As a performance artist, Cadell was particularly known for performing with a heating duct to add reverb.

Cadell soon signed to Intrepid Records, and recorded with Jim Creeggan of Barenaked Ladies, Bob Wiseman and members of Rheostatics. Those sessions were released in 1991 as the album Angel Food for Thought, whose first single "The Sweater" became a surprise hit in Canada in 1992 and was very popular on college radio and alternative stations in the United States. "The Sweater" is a spoken word monologue with a musical backing track--a remixed sample of Syd Dale’s jazzy instrumental track “Walk and Talk”. The monologue revolves around a girl's thoughts about a boy's sweater. Canadian figure skater Josée Chouinard performed a memorable, high-scoring routine to "The Sweater" at the 1997 Ladies' Professional Championships final in Pensacola, Florida.

In 1993, Cadell released a follow-up album, Bombazine, on Sire Records. This album featured guest appearances by Rheostatics, Ben Mink, Tyler Stewart, Anne Bourne and John Alcorn. Following the album, Cadell took a hiatus from music to do human rights work with PEN Canada. Cadell also wrote an independent film, which was never produced.

In 1997, Cadell returned to music with the album 6 Blocks on the independent label Handsome Boy Records. Guest performers on this outing included Anne Bourne, Mary Margaret O'Hara, Chris Wardman and Jason Sniderman (Blue Peter), Paul Brennan (Odds) and Martin Tielli.

Following that album, Cadell retired from the music business. He publicly came out as transgender on Bill Richardson's CBC Radio One program Bunny Watson on October 2, 2004, although he had already been out to friends and family for a number of years.

In 2007, Bongo Beat released an expanded edition of Angel Food for Thought, including two tracks that were previously available only on cassette as well as the video for "The Sweater". The CD was remastered by Graemme Brown. Cadell is also known for the Christmas song "The Cat Carol".

Personal life
Cadell is a transgender man who transitioned in 2003.

Discography

 * MARE-in ka-DELL (1988)
 * Angel Food for Thought (1991)
 * "Barbie" (1992)
 * Bombazine (1993)
 * 6 Blocks (1997)
 * Angel Food for Thought [bonus tracks] (2007)

title: Meryn Cadell


text:
Venture Light Aircraft

Venture Light Aircraft LLC is a US aircraft manufacturer based in Tucson, Arizona. It markets the Thorp T-211 in kitplane form.

title: Venture Light Aircraft


text:
Talk:Errett Lobban Cord

Untitled
E.L. Cord's middle name was "Lobban," which was his mother's birth name. I am going to start a new article titled "Errett Lobban Cord" and convert this page to redirect the visitor there.

title: Talk:Errett Lobban Cord


text:
Talk:Non-positive

This article was nominated for deletion, but a redirect was decided to be more appropriate. See Votes for deletion/Non-positive

title: Talk:Non-positive