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Situation analysis

In strategic management, situation analysis (or situational analysis) refers to a collection of methods that managers use to analyze an organization's internal and external environment to understand the organization's capabilities, customers, and business environment. The situation analysis can include several methods of analysis such as the 5C analysis, SWOT analysis and Porter's five forces analysis.

In marketing
In marketing, a marketing plan is created to guide businesses on how to communicate the benefits of their products to the needs of potential customer. The situation analysis is the second step in the marketing plan and is a critical step in establishing a long term relationship with customers.

The parts of a marketing plan are:
 * Introduction
 * Situation analysis
 * Objectives
 * Budgeting
 * Strategy
 * Execution
 * Evaluation

The situation analysis looks at both the macro-environmental factors that affect many firms within the environment and the micro-environmental factors that specifically affect the firm. The purpose of the situation analysis is to indicate to a company about the organizational and product position, as well as the overall survival of the business, within the environment. Companies must be able to summarize opportunities and problems within the environment so they can understand their capabilities within the market.

5C analysis
While a situation analysis is often referred to as the "3C analysis", the extension to the 5C analysis has allowed businesses to gain more information on the internal, macro-environmental and micro-environmental factors within the environment. The 5C analysis is considered the most useful and common way to analyze the market environment, because of the extensive information it provides.

Company
The company analysis involves evaluation of the company's objectives, strategy, and capabilities. These indicate to an organization the strength of the business model, whether there are areas for improvement, and how well an organization fits the external environment.
 * Goals and objectives: An analysis on the mission of the business, the industry of the business and the stated goals required to achieve the mission.
 * Position: An analysis on the marketing strategy and the marketing mix.
 * Performance: An analysis on how effective the business is achieving their stated mission and goals.
 * Product line: An analysis on the products manufactured by the business and how successful it is in the market.

Competitors
The competitor analysis takes into consideration the competitors position within the industry and the potential threat it may pose to other businesses. The main purpose of the competitor analysis is for businesses to analyze a competitor's current and potential nature and capabilities so they can prepare against competition. The competitor analysis looks at the following criteria:
 * Identify competitors: Businesses must be able to identify competitors within their industry. Identifying whether competitors provide the same services or products to the same customer base is useful in gaining knowledge of direct competitors. Both direct and indirect competitors must be identified, as well as potential future competitors.
 * Assessment of competitors: The competitor analysis looks at competitor goals, mission, strategies and resources. This supports a thorough comparison of goals and strategies of competitors and the organization.
 * Predict future initiatives of competitors: An early insight into the potential activity of a competitor helps a company prepare against competition.

Customers
Customer analysis can be vast and complicated. Some of the important areas that a company analyzes includes:
 * Demographics
 * Advertising that is most suitable for the demographic
 * Market size and potential growth
 * Customer wants and needs
 * Motivation to buy the product
 * Distribution channels (retail, online, wholesale, etc...)
 * Quantity and frequency of purchase
 * Income level of customer

Collaborators
Collaborators are useful for businesses as they allow for an increase in the creation of ideas, as well as an increase in the likelihood of gaining more business opportunities. The following type of collaborators are:
 * Agencies: Agencies are the middlemen of the business world. When businesses need a specific worker who specializes in the trade, they go to a recruitment agency.
 * Suppliers: Suppliers provide raw materials that are required to build products. Different types of Suppliers include manufacturers, wholesalers, merchants, franchisors, importers and exporters, independent crafts people and drop shippers. Each category of suppliers can bring a different skill and experience to the company.
 * Distributors: Distributors are important as they are the holding areas for inventory. Distributors can help manage manufacturer relationships as well as handle vendor relationships.
 * Partnerships: Business partners would share assets and liabilities, allowing for a new source of capital and skills.

Businesses must be able to identify whether the collaborator has the capabilities needed to help run the business as well as an analysis on the level of commitment needed for a collaborator-business relationship.

Climate
To fully understand the business climate and environment, many factors that can affect the business must be researched and understood. An analysis on the climate is also known as PEST analysis. The types of climate/environment firms have to analyse are:
 * Political and regulatory environment: An analysis of how actively the government regulates the market with their policies and how it would affect the production, distribution and sale of the goods and services.
 * Economic Environment: An analysis of trends regarding macroeconomics, such as exchange rates and inflation rate, can prove to influence businesses.
 * Social/cultural environment: An analysis interpreting the trends of society, which includes the study of demographics, education, culture etc.
 * Technological analysis: An analysis of technology helps improve on old routines and suggest new methods for being cost efficient. To stay competitive and gain an advantage over competitors, businesses must sufficiently understand technological advances.

SWOT
A SWOT analysis is another method of situation analysis that examines the strengths and weaknesses of a company (internal environment) as well as the opportunities and threats within the market (external environment). A SWOT analysis looks at both current and future situations. The goal is to build on strengths as much as possible while reducing weaknesses. This analysis helps a company come up with a plan that keeps it prepared for a number of potential scenarios, as part of corporate planning or strategic planning

Porter's five forces industry analysis
Porter's model involves scanning the environment for threats from competitors and identifying problems early on to minimize threats imposed by competitors. This model can apply for any type of business, from small to larger sized businesses. Porter's model is not just for businesses, but can also be applied to a country to help gain insight into creating a competitive advantage in the global market. The ultimate purpose of Porter's five forces model is to help businesses compare and analyze their profitability and position with the industry against indirect and direct competition.

title: Situation analysis


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Category:Science fiction writers by nationality

Note: For the purpose of this category, "nationality" refers to where the author did their writing, i.e. if they were born in one country but did all their writing in another, only the latter would be mentioned, but if they lived in more than one country during their writing career, all nationalities should be included. (E.g. Gordon Dickson, born in Alberta, writing in Minneapolis, is an American writer; William Gibson, born in South Carolina, living in Vancouver, is a Canadian writer.) However, a clear and verifiable preference expressed by the subject will take precedence over this general rule. (For example, a British writer living in Ireland would often not consider herself to be Irish, or vice versa.)

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


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Questions and Answers (TV programme)

Questions and Answers is a topical debate television programme broadcast in Ireland for 23 years between 1986 and 2009.

Similar in format to the BBC television programme Question Time, it originally aired on Sunday nights but later moved to Monday nights when it was usually shown at 10.30 pm. The first two series were presented by Olivia O'Leary; however, John Bowman took over as chairperson for all subsequent series.

Broadcast on RTÉ One, the show typically featured politicians from large political parties as well as public figures who answered questions put to them by the audience. The final edition aired on 29 June 2009. Director-General of RTÉ Cathal Goan described the programme as an "integral part of the national conversation for over 20 years". It was replaced by The Frontline, a series hosted by Pat Kenny.

Format
The programme, was launched in the late 1980s. Each week the chairperson initiates a discussion between several prominent politicians and commentators. The discussion is led by questions asked by members of the audience. The first question will usually deal with the major political issue of the week. The final question is often a trivial or comic question.

Questions and Answers was usually broadcast from the RTÉ television complex in Donnybrook, Dublin with only occasional broadcasts from around Ireland.

It was broadcast at 22:30, although one edition which was broadcast at 21:30 drew comment from Declan Lynch in the Irish Independent who wondered if it was "a gesture to the poor ould fellas who might have some chance of staying awake past the first question".

For its first decade the programme was taped for broadcast from approximately 19:00 on the night of transmission. From the late 1990s, however, the programme was broadcast live, with phoned-in or emailed-in comments from viewers read out on air.

Presenters

 * Olivia O'Leary (1986–88)
 * John Bowman (1988–2009)
 * Vincent Browne (Guest Presenter)

Lenihan Tape Affair: 1990
The programme has occasionally set the national news agenda. During a broadcast in 1990 the then Tánaiste and expected next President of Ireland, Brian Lenihan, badly damaged his chances of being elected. He denied involvement in an effort eight years earlier in January 1982 to pressurise the then President to refuse a parliamentary dissolution – contradicting previous statement he had made.

Lenihan had actually confirmed his involvement in the effort some months earlier in an on-the-record interview with a journalist Jim Duffy, as he had to numerous political colleagues privately over eight years. During the presidential election campaign he changed his story, first in an Irish Press interview, and then on Questions and Answers. Some journalists had been told by Lenihan previously of his role in pressurising Hillery, but had been told it in an 'off the record' conversation and so could not reveal it (though one did hint it in an unsigned editorial in the Irish Independent during the crisis following the programme).

However following the programme, Duffy, in a backlash to pressure from Lenihan's Fianna Fáil not to reveal the information, did reveal that Lenihan's account on the programme conflicted with his pre-campaign version. The minor party in Charles Haughey's government, the Progressive Democrats, threatened to quit government and cause a general election unless either Lenihan was sacked from cabinet or an inquiry was ordered into the events of January 1982. When Lenihan refused to resign, Haughey, instead of ordering an inquiry into who had made the calls in 1982, sacked him.

The "ill-fated appearance" was remembered in the final episode of Questions and Answers in 2009.

Doherty on McCabe death: 1996
Sinn Féin's Pat Doherty also used the show in 1996 to deny the involvement of the Provisional IRA in the death of Jerry McCabe. Members of that group were later convicted of manslaughter and Sinn Féin have campaigned for their early release in conjunction with the Belfast Agreement.

Doherty's refusal to condemn the murder was remembered in the final episode of Questions and Answers in 2009.

McLaughlin and Michael McDowell on Jean McConville killing: 2005
In 2005, Sinn Féin chairman Mitchel McLaughlin told viewers that though it had been wrong for the Provisional IRA to kill Jean McConville, a widowed mother of ten young children kidnapped, shot and secretly buried, the action was not a "crime". In the aftermath of his comments, he was subjected to extreme criticism from within the Irish government, from all the main parties in Dáil Éireann, the media and by the public on radio shows.

Labour Party leader Pat Rabbitte, in a press release immediately afterwards commented that "Any civilised society must consider the abduction and murder of a mother of 10 children to be a crime of considerable barbarism" while Mrs McConville's son Michael said that McLaughlin, along with Sinn Féin TD Arthur Morgan, who had made similar comments elsewhere, "should be holding their heads in shame".

McLaughlin's refusal to call the murder a crime was remembered in the final episode of Questions and Answers in 2009.

O'Dea: 2008
O'Dea once held a gun to a cameraman

Michael O'Brien vs. Noel Dempsey: 2009
In one of the last episodes, former Mayor of Clonmel and Fianna Fáil member, Michael O'Brien confronted Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey about the way the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse had treated survivors of the industrial schools, pointing out that the allegedly non-adversarial process had involved him being accused of lying. He said the government should change the constitution so that the assets of the religious orders who ran the industrial schools could be frozen. He also spoke of how he still suffered nightmares about the abuse he suffered in Ferryhouse and how his experience of the questioning had led him to contemplate suicide but his wife had persuaded him not to do it. He ended his remarks by saying "You know me minister" to Noel Dempsey to which Dempsey nodded in silence. Presenter John Bowman in the final show just weeks later said that interruption was "by far the most memorable moment" in the history of Questions and Answers.

Final episode
The final episode was broadcast on 29 June 2009. It featured an interview with Taoiseach Brian Cowen plus three separate panels filled with senior politicians. The first panel featured Minister for Health Mary Harney, Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny, Labour spokesman on justice Pat Rabbitte, tax lawyer Suzanne Kelly, and Senator David Norris. The second panel featured The Irish Times columnist and writer John Waters, former Progressive Democrats minister Liz O'Donnell, Fergus Finlay, former chef-de-cabinet of the Irish Labour Party and current chief executive of Barnardos, solicitor Catherine Ghent, and vice-president of Sinn Féin Mary Lou McDonald. The third panel featured Noel Whelan, barrister with political background, Eddie Hobbs financial advisor with political future, Green party leader and Minister for the Environment John Gormley, MEP Mairéad McGuinness, editor of the Irish Daily Star Ger Colleran.

John Boland, writing in the Irish Independent, described the final episode as "genuinely engrossing", saying that "reminiscence rather than recrimination won through". He described the overall programme as a "weird combination of the unmissable and the frequently unwatchable".

Demise
The final Questions and Answers aired on 29 June 2009. The decision was taken when the presenter, John Bowman stepped aside. It would be replaced by a similar programme, The Frontline said to involve public participation and to run in the same time slot on a Monday night. Some politicians were said to have welcomed the show's demise, saying it was "well past its sell-by date". One government Minister told the Evening Herald newspaper: "Government and opposition parties were finding it more and more difficult to get people to go on a show that was late at night and at the start of the week to debate topics which had been trashed to death on every other show over the weekend." Prime Time presenter Miriam O'Callaghan was speculated upon as a replacement but insisted she knew nothing of the show's departure until she read about it on the RTÉ website.

title: Questions and Answers (TV programme)


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User:Frodo u

Frodo u was born on April 17,1965 in London, UK. He currently resides in Coventry, UK.

Vocations and Avocations

 * Computer Programmer and Document Management
 * ColdFusion
 * HTML
 * Livelink

Interests

 * Music
 * Gothic
 * Punk
 * Musician, especially synthesizer and guitar
 * Games
 * Chess
 * Sport
 * Horseriding

New Pages and Significant Contributions

 * Music
 * Alien Sex Fiend - first attempt, later wikified by Satori - thanks.

title: User:Frodo u


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Marmorata

Marmorata (from the Latin marmor for "marble") can refer to several different species or conditions presenting with a marbled appearance, including:

 * Salmo marmoratus, marble trout
 * Acronicta marmorata, marble dagger moth
 * Synodontis marmorata, a catfish
 * Pleurodema marmorata, a frog
 * Cutis marmorata telangiectatica congenita, a disease

title: Marmorata


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Blót

Blót (Old Norse and Old English) or geblōt (Old English) are religious ceremonies in Germanic paganism that centred on the killing and offering of an animal to a particular being, typically followed by the communal cooking and eating of its meat. Old Norse sources present it as a central ritual in Old Nordic religion that was intimately connected with many wider aspects of life. Large blót are often described as taking place in halls, organised by the rulers of the region who were expected to carry out the practice on behalf of the people. Blót were central to the legitimacy of rulers and Christian rulers refusing to hold them were at times replaced by more willing alternatives and driven out of the land. Smaller, household blót were sometimes recorded as being led by women. Beyond strengthening legitimacy for the ruling elites, the performance of blót was often in order to ensure the fertility of the land, a good harvest and peace, although they are also recorded as being performed for divination or to achieve desired results in legal matters.

After the establishment of Christianity, blót were routinely made punishable offences, as seen in early Germanic legal codes, with the recipients of the worship and sacrifice often equated with demons. Despite this, some aspects of the practice were likely incorporated into local Christian culture and continued into the modern period. Conscious reviving of blót has also been revived in the modern period as part of the practice of modern heathens.

Etymology
The verb form is seen in blóta ("to worship; to sacrifice"), blotan ("to serve (God); to worship"; to honour (through sacrifice)"), blōtan ("to sacrifice") and blōzan. The Proto-Germanic form of the verb can be reconstructed as the strong verb blōtanan, or blōtan meaning "to sacrifice".

The noun form is seen in blót and ge-blót ("sacrifice"), and blót ("sacrifice; worship"). A Proto-Germanic form of the noun can be similarly reconstructed as blōtan. A similar and related form can be reconstructed as blōtan from bluostar ("sacrifice") and blostreis, a component of guþ-blostreis ("worshipper of God"). Blót can also be used to mean "idol-worship" in general, an "idol" (often in the form blœti) or metaphorically to mean "cursing" or "swearing" in Christian times due to the negative view of heathenry.

The shared Germanic root has been proposed to be related to blōtan ("to blow; to bloom; to blossom"), which is further connected to blōđan ("blood"). A connection has been further proposed to flamen ("priest"), although it has been argued that the validity of this is dependent on the exact root of flamen which cannot be determined with certainty.

Usage
In the context of "to worship" or "to worship with sacrifice", the Old Norse verb blóta is typically used with that being worshipped in the accusative case, and rarely with it in the dative case. The dative case is more typically used for the object being sacrificed. The verb is often followed by the aim of the blót, for example til friðar, sigrs, langlífis, árs, byrjar ("for peace, victory, long life, good season, fair wind").

In compounds
Blót is found in many compound words relating to worship or sacrifice. These include adjectives such as blót-auðigr ("rich in sacrifices") and terms for individuals also include it is a prefix such as blót-biskup, blót-kennimaðr, or blót-goði ("heathen priest"), blót-hofðingi ("heathen chief"). Other compounds include recipients of worship such as blót-guð ("heathen god") and blót-kálfr ("calf worshipped with sacrifices"). Items with religious function can also include it as a prefix such as blót-bolli ("sacrificial bowl") and blót-klæði ("garments worn at sacrifices"), and it can refer to religious concepts such as blót-dómr or blót-skapr ("idolatry"), and blótnaðr which is used to mean both "sacrificing to heathen gods" and "idolatry".

Location
It has been proposed that during the Migration Period, religious organisation drastically changed, with rulers gaining enough power to centralise sacrifices and ceremonies to their own homes rather than in outdoor spaces such as bogs and lakes, as had been done before. These indoor cultic buildings are referred to in Old Norse soures variously as hof, hǫrgar, goðahús, blóthús.

Sources do still record Viking Age blót taking place a diverse range of sites, with groves, hofs and waterfalls being described as the recipients of blót, along with beings such as gods, elves and heathen vættir. Some nouns for places include blót as a prefix, suggesting them as sites where these ceremonies took place, such as blót-haugr ("sacrificial mound or cairn") and blót-hof ("heathen house of worship"). Kjalnesinga saga describes how there was a site near a large hof called Blótkelda ("sacrificial fen/bog/well/spring" or "fen near the heathen temple") into which sacrifices were thrown during sacrifical feasts. This idea is also reflected in Icelandic placenames such as Blótkelda at Möðrudalur and Goðakelda ("fen/spring of the gods") at Mývatn.

Killing of humans and other animals
The written sources and the archaeological record indicate that in Old Norse religious practice, the sacrifice of animals, particularly pigs and horses, played a significant part in the blót. Closer in conception to a gift, it usually involved killing animals, and sometimes humans, in ritual fashion.

Adam of Bremen's account of the temple at Uppsala notes that only the heads were offered. This practice is possibly supported by the archaeological record. At the temple-hall of Hofstaðir in northern Iceland, oxen were decapitated in seasonal rituals for many years and the heads displayed at the hall. Osteological analysis of the bones shows that the animals were killed with blows to the neck by axe or sword. This method was perhaps intended to produce the spectacle of a shower of arterial blood. Similar observations have been made at other sites such as the Viking Age birch stump found underneath the church at Frösön ("Freyr's island") in Jämtland, and a site of a possible cult-house in Borg in Östergötland. Both of these sites had a significant enrichment of skulls relative to other bones. It has been proposed that there was a widespread practice to offer the heads to the gods, whilst cooking the meat for the feast that followed. It has also been suggested that the number of skulls that a hall displayed would act as a status signal, indicating the size of the feast that could be hosted within.

The written sources speak of sacrifices made of prisoners of war; Roman descriptions of Germanic tribes sacrificing their defeated enemies to Mars or Mercury have a similarity with customs related to the cult of Óðinn in Old Norse religion. The Icelandic skáld Helgi Trausti mentions his killing an enemy as a sacrifice to Óðinn; Egils saga einhenda ok Ásmundar berserkjabana and Orkneyinga saga describe the sacrificing of captive enemies to Óðinn. In depositions of remains found near Uppland, most of the human bodies are of young males with healed bone trauma, a possible congruence with the sacrificed captives of war mentioned in the written corpus. In almost all instances, human sacrifices occurring in the context of the Old Norse texts are related to Óðinn. Criminals and slaves are the humans being sacrificed in the majority of cases which has been compared to modern executions. Scholars doubt the reliability of some claims of human sacrifice. In the case of Adam of Bremen's account of the sacrifices at Uppsala, for example, the author likely exaggerated about the sacrifices of humans in order to demonise Germanic religion. Similarly, the accuracy of the account of human sacrifice in Kjalnesinga saga has been doubted by some scholars.

Role of blood and stallar
In Hákonar saga góða, Snorri Sturluson describes hlautteinar ("sacrificial twigs") being used like sprinklers to spread blood over the stallar ("altars" or "platforms"), the walls of the hof (both inside and outside) and the people who were present there. It is possible that this description was influenced by the ecclesiastical ceremonies of the medieval church in which holy water was sprinkled over the congregation, or the account in the Old Testament, in which Moses sprinkles blood on his people. Snorri in his description explicitly notes the similarity between hlautteinar and stǫklar ("aspergillum"). Building on this, it has been proposed that the use of terms such as hlaut, hlautolli and hlautteinn to mean "sacrificial blood", "sacrificial twig" and "sacrificial bowl" respectively does not accurately reflect their use in pre-Christian times. This is partly based on the absence of the terms from Skaldic poetry and Eddic poems. Olof Sundqvist supports the idea that hlaut formerly had the meaning of "lot" in the context of divination.

While Klaus Düwel has taken this argument further, arguing that the sprinkling of sacrificial blood had no influence from heathen Germanic culture and was derived wholly from other sources such as the Old Testament, this has been challenged. The word stallar (corresponding to one of the places sprinkled with blood in Snorri's account), likely did have a meaning related to sacrifice in pre-Christian Scandinavian contexts. The phrase véstallr ("sacred stand") is found in Skaldic poetry and there are attestations of blood being smeared on holy objects elsewhere in Western Scandinavia. In Hyndluljóð, Freyja says about how one of her worshippers has made a hǫrgr ("altar") for her, faced with stone that was turned to glass and reddened with ox blood. Similarly, the U-version of Hervarar saga tells how a holy tree, referred to as a blóttre, is reddened with blood from a sacrificial horse. It is unclear if this is meant to be interpretted as a literal tree or as a platform or altar (véstallr, stallr or véstalli). In Ynglinga saga, the king Dómaldi is sacrificed in order to make their crops grow and they redden the stallar with his blood; Ynglingatal, the poem upon which this narrative is built, does not reference stallar but it does emphasise that the ground was reddened with blood. It has been suggested that the pouring of blood on the ground below stallar may be related to the taking of soil from below the stallr by Þórólfr from Norway to Iceland during the settlement of the island, as described in Eyrbyggja saga. Religious objects are recorded as being reddened with blood during blót, like oath-rings according to the Hauksbók version of Landnámabók. The practice of collecting sacrificial blood and pouring it on altars is well attested in other cultures such as in Ancient Greek and religion and in Jewish burnt offerings.

Along with having a role in divination, other suggestions for the importance of blood in blót have been put forward by scholars. It has been put forward that the violence used to kill the animals found at Hofstaðir may have acted as a way to remove tensions in the community. Olof Sundqvist instead proposes that the blood was used in a performative setting, creating a feeling of spectacle and that the event was strongly separate from usual daily life. If true, those participating in the ceremony would likely have become emotionally engaged in the ritual drama. He further suggests, consistent with ideas by Bruce Lincoln, that there may have been a perceived connection between the killing during the blót and the killing of Ymir during the creation account told in Gylfaginning, which acted as its mythic counterpart. In this context, the bloodshed may have signalled a renewal of the world, in which conditions would improve for those who performed the blót.

Feasting and drinking
Sacrificial feasts (blótveizlur or blótdrykkjur) had a prominent place in the ancient religious practices of the Scandinavians, and were part of the seasonal festivals attended by large numbers of people. Family rituals such as the álfablót in western Sweden mentioned by the Norwegian skald Sigvatr Þórðarson in an early 11th-century poem, were usually performed on farm homesteads. Feasts and ritual drinking at blót are also mirrored in a mythological context in the depictions of Valhǫll in Hákonarmál.

Horses are often recorded as being eaten in blótveizlur and the eating of horsemeat was made an offence punishable by fines and outlawry by a number of medieval Scandinavian laws made after the adoption of Christianity, such as the Borgarthings-Lov, Den ældre Gulathings-Lov and the Frostathings-Lov. In Iceland, an exception was made for eating horsemeat in private for a short time after the establishment of Christianity but was later repealed.

The ritual killing of animals was followed by feasts on the meat, as described in the Eddic and Scaldic poetry, the Icelandic sagas, and on rune stones. The meat was boiled in large cooking pits with heated stones, either indoors or outdoors, and ale or mead was drunk in the ceremony.

Sites suggesting religious feasting have been found in Scandinavia such as in Melhus where many cooking pits, mainly dating to between 900 and 1300 CE, were found containing bones of domesticated animals. The hearths in hall-room C at Borg in Lofoten has also been suggested to have been the site of ritual cooking of meat from sacrificed animals. One large pit measuring around 6 m by 3 m has been interpreted as a seyðir (a cooking pit intended for ritual preparation of meat). The Old Gutnish cognate term is found as a prefix in Guta saga, which describes those who partook in blót together as suþnautar ("boiling companions") as they cooked their meals made from sacrificed animals together. Seyðir and suþ- are likely both related to sauþs ("sacrifice").

Function
More than just a simple sacrifice, blót was central to all the ritual activities that took place in Norse sacral structures.

Help from the gods
Bulls have been noted to have been often sacrificed when seeking help from the gods in legal matters. Blót are also often described as being performed in order to achieve good harvests, with some texts explicitly recording that they are held til árs ok friðar ("for a good harvest and peace"). The rituals are suggested to be effective by some sources such as Fagrskinna, which notes that Hákon Sigurðarson restored the holy sites that had been damaged by Christians and made more blót than before and soon a period of prosperity followed, with a greater grain harvest and abundance of herring. This has been argued to show an ideology that a legitimate ruler must protect holy places and uphold blót so as to maintain a good relationship with the gods, in turn leading to the good fortunes of the people.

Divination
Divination is suggested to have occurred at some blót and is recorded in Ynglinga saga in connection to a sonarblót ("boar sacrifice"). This is not accepted universally by scholars, with Düwel arguing the link is only seen in Snorri's works. The link has been proposed to be seen elsewhere though, such as the compound word blótspánn ("chip used in divination").

According to Eyrbyggja saga, Þórólf Mostrarskeggi made preparations for his settlement of Iceland by performing a blót before he left Norway:

According to the Sturlubók and Hauksbók versions of Landnámabók, a man named Ingólf prepared to settle in Iceland with his brother Hjörleif by performing a blót in a similar way to Þórólf:

Hjörleif was later killed by his thralls which Ingólf attributed to his refusal to uphold heathen customs. The book later states that no one dared live where Hjörleif had settled for fear of the landvættir.

Legitimisation of rulers
The holding of blót and associated feasts were an opportunity for rulers to demonstrate their wealth and generosity and praise of these traits is recorded in sources such as the skaldic poem Sigurðardrápa. Giving of gifts at feasts, such as rings, is well attested in Germanic texts such as Egils saga and Beowulf and has been proposed to have been a central practice in building loyalty to the king and strengthening authority. Displaying of heads of eaten animals may have created a degree of competition between communities and played into the wider strategy of rulership in Viking Age Iceland.

Religious and cultic leaders
Scholars have debated the concept of religious leaders in Late Iron Age Scandinavia, with some such as Folke Ström supporting the idea that there was no professional priesthood and that rulers instead held this role. While this remains debated by scholars, there is no strong evidence for formal training into religious role whilst the organisation of sanctuaries and blót by elites is well attested in Old Norse texts.

Certain elites are highlighted for their participation in blót such as Sigurðr Hlaðajarl who is called inn mesti blótmaðr ("the most ardent heathen worshipper") and is described as having maintained all the sacrificial feasts in Trøndelag on behalf of the king. This concept is also attested on the Stentoften stone which records that a man named HaþuwulfR, likely a local ruler, held a blót to give a good harvest. In Iceland, goðar ("chieftains") are often recorded as leading public religious activities including blót.

Sources further describe how in both Norway and Svetjud, taking part in public blót was required for the ruler to be accepted by their subjects. Hákonar saga góða tells how the Christian King Hákon came to Trøndelag and did not want to take part in the blót, upsetting the local farmers and chieftains. At the Frostaþing he was asked to partake in them as his father had done and he was later strongly pressured to eat horse liver at a blótveizla ("sacrificial feast") in Mære. Similarly, the heathen king Blótsveinn took part in a horse sacrifice and ate horsemeat when becoming king of the Svear according to Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks. The U-version of this saga further tells how Blótsveinn became king after his brother-in-law, Ingi, refused to uphold the old customs due to him being Christian and was thus driven away by the Svear to Västergötland. This closely resembles Adam of Bremen's description of king Anunder who was also driven out for refusing to uphold the performing of blót.

There is evidence of blót being led by women such as the húsfreyja ("housewife") in Vǫlsa þáttr and possibly the húsfreyja who is also mentioned as holding álfablót in Austrfararvísur. Whilst absent from detailed accounts such as those in Hákonar saga góða, this is consistent with a wider Germanic context of some women playing central roles in ceremonies, the holding of feasts and running of the farm. This is attestedin written sources such as Beowulf, Egils saga and the Hassmyra Runestone and is potentially also represented in the archaeological record in high status female burials.

Beginning of winter
Blót taking place at the beginning of winter in Norway and Iceland to celebrate vetrnætr ("winter-nights") are recorded in multiple sources, such as Gísla saga Súrssonar, in which the goði Þorgrímr Þorsteinsson sacrifices to Freyr during the feast. This time has been suggested to have marked the beginning of the new year and may be the same as the dísablót, named for the disir, which is recorded in Ynglinga saga as having taken place in Uppsala. Two further blót are attested as having taken place in Scandinavia, each in a single source. Völsa þáttr, preserved in Flateyjarbók, describes a family in Northern Norway at the beginning of the 11th century CE in which blót are performed each night in the autumn to the preserved penis of a horse that had been previously killed. An álfablót is recorded as having taken place in autumn in Svetjud in Austrfaravísur, written around 1020 CE.

In Anglo-Saxon contexts, blót are recorded as occurring in Blōtmōnaþ, a month in the Old English calendar which roughly corresponds to the Greogrian month of November.

Later in winter
Other blót are also recorded as having taken place in winter, such as the miðsvetrarblót in Trøndelag recorded in Heimskringla. Yule was celebrated in the middle of winter and had a diversity of religious components such as the performing of blót and heitstrengingar. The Þorrablót was held at midwinter in the month of Þorri. The Orkneyinga saga tells in an aetiological story that the blót got its name from the son of King Snær who held a blót every year at this time but it is more likely it got its name from the month.

Summer
Óláfs saga Tryggvasonar mentions a miðsumarsblót ("midsummer sacrifice") at Mære. Furthermore, Ynglinga saga describes how Odin instituted three festivals in Sweden, one of which was the sigrblót ("sacrifice for victory"), which was to take place at the start of summer.

Other
Saxo Grammaticus's Gesta Danorum tells how Hadding, after having his fleet destroyed in a storm began sacrificing dark-coloured victims to Frey to regain his favourof the gods. The sacrifice was repeated yearly, being called by the Swedes the Frøblot

Lejre
Thietmar of Merseburg wrote in his chronicle, dated to the early 11th century CE, that the Danes had their main cult centre on Zealand at Lejre and gathered there every nine years and held a large sacrifice:

It has been noted that at the time of Thietmar's writing, Denmark had been nominally Christian for nearly 50 years and it is unlikely that large scale blót were still being performed at the end of the 10th century in Lejre. It has been further noted that Thietmar was determined to show the heathen Danes as being as ferocious and backwards as possible, using large numbers to show their barbarity. He further potentially based his description on existing literature available to him, which formed part of a long tradition of supposing that heathens in general commonly sacrificed humans. Such sources would have allowed him to further dehumanise the Danish heathen population and depict them as evil.

Uppsala
The chronicler Adam of Bremen has described a blót being performed every 9 years at Temple at Uppsala in Sweden in Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum, written in the mid 11th century CE:

Rudolf Simek has argued that Adam of Bremen had a strong motive in his work to present both that a Christian mission to Scandinavia would be successful, while also emphasising the urgency as the heathens were still supposedly performing what he perceived as evil practices, such as performing blood sacrifices to idols. He proposes that he likely drew on accounts such as Thietmar of Merseburg's chronicle and this could have been the source of certain details such as it recurring every nine years, although the possibility does remain that similar sacrifices were held at both religious sites. Despite this, he argues there that the account is still informed by reliable sources and notable details are not found in sources that he would have had access to, such as the hanging of the sacrificed in trees.

Blót strengthening evil spirits
Several conversion þættir, short stories concerned with reconciling Christian doctrine and heathen beliefs, present blót as harmful practices that, whilst effective in bringing benefits to the community that performs them, function by empowering evil spirits that pose as the helpful beings in which the heathens believe.

The conversion þáttr Óláfs þáttr Geirstaðaálfs gives an account of Óláfr digrbeinn, a king who the author says predicted his own death and warned his people not to perform blót to him after he dies, claiming that doing so turns the dead into trolls. Following this, Óláfr explains that these demons can bring good harvests but are also harmful. After his death, bad harvests occur and the people ignore his requests and worship him, calling him "Geirstaðaálfr" ("the elf of Geirstad"). Shortly after this, the harvests improve though when they stop their blót, the evil spirits that were receiving the gifts become angered. It has been proposed that this tale is the result of the author imperfectly trying to combine the ideas of Christian demonology and "the noble heathen", who is meant to maintain his dignity after death.

Similarly in another conversion þáttr, Ögmundar þáttr dytts, the author equates Freyr and the devil and explains that the constant offerings to the carving of Freyr have given the devil the ability to speak through it so as to strengthen their belief in Freyr. Later in the tale, Óláfr Tryggvason spiritually helps a Norwegian named Gunnar in defeating the devil, driving it out of the wooden carving. Gunnar then pretends to be Freyr, putting on the clothes of the cult image and accepting offerings of valuable gifts from the worshippers of the god, who stop sacrificing animals from then on.

Banning and suppression
The Anglo-Saxon Penitential of Theodore imposes 1-10 years of penance for those qui immolant demonibus ("who sacrifice to demons"). In this context, "demons" would likely have been used to refer to heathen gods and other beings connected to the cult, given that these were commonly equated in Christian thought. The penitential further prohibits the eating of food offered in sacrifices to the recipient being. Similar prohibitions are seen throughout later law codes in England such as the laws of King Wihtred of Kent. In Norðhymbra preosta lagu, blót are explicitly forbidden along with other practices deemed heathen such as idol-worship, with those caught performing them being made to pay 5 half-marks to the Church and 5 to the king.

Early Norwegian law codes explicitly forbid performing of blót, making it a punishable offence. The Older Gulaþing Law, dating to around the mid 11th century CE, bans performing of blót to heathen gods, howes or hǫrgar, listing it an offence for which the punishment is a fine, penance and if this is not followed, expulsion from the land. This is built upon in the ecclesiastical Law of Sverrir Sigurðarson, which further forbids blót to heathen vættir, and is consistent with the Frostaþing law which likewise bans blót. When Christianity was adopted as the main religion of Iceland, blót were allowed for a short time, as long as they were performed in private, with the punishment being lesser outlawry if they were observed publicly. This exception was soon repealed and the practice was fully banned.

The Af blotan section of Gutalagen, the legal code for Gotland, imposes fines for those who perform blót, along with those who follow heathen customs more widely. It further specifies that it is forbidden to make invocations with food or drink if they are not following Christian customs. In Sweden, the Upplandslagen forbade veneration of groves and stones, and sacrificing to affguþum ("idols").

Incorporation into Christian culture
Upon adoption of Christianity by the elite, ritual drinking at blót was sometimes blended with the incoming traditions, as recorded in the late 12th-century history of the kings of Norway Ágrip when King Óláfr Tryggvason:

This process of incorporating pre-existing heathen traditions into Christian traditions is likely also seen with the ritual formula til árs ok friðar ("for good harvest and peace"). In Hákonar saga góða it is used as part of Njörðr's and Freyr's toast, while other sources record it being used in a Christian context. Den ældre Gulathings-Lov, for example, states that the beer drunk during All Saint's Day and Christmas should be consecrated to thank Christ and Mary til árs. oc til friðar ("For property and peace").

Modern period
After the banning of blót by church officials, the giving of food and drink to beings believed to inhabit the landscape continued as part of local folk practices. This includes the offering to house spirits such as tomter in Sweden which is recorded throughout history such as in medieval criticisms by individuals such as heliga Birgitta and Olaus Magnus and folktales as late as the 20th century. Further, the blót at Yule may be the origin of the practice in Orkney recorded in the 18th century by which each family in Sandwick that rears pigs would slaughter one sow on the 17th of December which was known as Sow Day. A similar practice is recorded in the 19th century in which each household on North Ronaldsay slaughtered a sheep known as the Yule sheep on Christmas Eve.

Reconstructionist adherents of contemporary Germanic paganism have developed traditions of blót rituals celebrated in a contemporary context since the 1970s. In these practices, animal sacrifice is usually replaced with offerings of food or drink, although there remains a large focus on sharing food and strengthening relationships.

title: Blót


text:
Talk:Sucralose

Side Effects
This article neglects to mention possible side effects of Sucralose such as its genotoxicity and diarrhea-inducing effects. Many other sources, such as WebMD confirm and discuss such side effects. 65.183.164.194 (talk) 11:44, 27 June 2023 (UTC)

 * Feel free to add information about side effects - if you have some reviews complying with WP:MEDRS and WP:BURDEN. Thanks JimRenge (talk) 12:24, 27 June 2023 (UTC)

 * A new study suggests serious side effects []  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.202.48.248 (talk) 07:36, 29 June 2023 (UTC)
 * And there are people out there like me that have a severe allergic reaction to artificial sweeteners, this one included.....so anaphylactic shock is the at the top of the list for me for side effects, and most food companies do NOT list artificial sweeteners as an allergen. 72.240.196.141 (talk) 23:43, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Calorific content
This article says that sucralose contains 3 calories per gram, which I think is incorrect. The 3 calories comes from reference [3 ] which is actually for Splenda, not pure sucralose. Other sources e.g. https://www.splenda.com.au/faq/ say that sucralose has "no calories" but given that (according to other sections of this article) some of the sucralose is metalbolised, I'm not sure if it's actually zero calories or just a very small number. Wesli 1 (talk) 22:05, 28 June 2024 (UTC)

 * The USDA nutrition data page is entitled "Sweeteners, tabletop, sucralose, SPLENDA packets", i.e., Sucralose is Splenda, which is the brand name. One gram (a tabletop packet) of Splenda supplies 3 calories or essentially no calorie content of significance. Zefr (talk) 22:25, 28 June 2024 (UTC)
 * Splenda is not pure sucralose. Splenda is a mix of sucralose and sugars (maltodextrin, dextrose, and/or lactose, depending on the type of Splenda) and the calories come from those sugars, not from the sucralose. Wesli 1 (talk) 04:05, 29 June 2024 (UTC)
 * The faq you provided and the article section on calorie content explain adequately that the minimal addition of a bulking agent has a non-significant calorie effect on the sweetener. Otherwise, the definition of sucralose itself is clear in the chemistry section. Zefr (talk) 04:59, 29 June 2024 (UTC)

title: Talk:Sucralose


text:
Anarchists Against the Wall

Anarchists Against the Wall (AAtW; אנרכיסטים נגד גדרות) sometimes called "Anarchists Against Fences" or "Jews Against Ghettos", was a direct action group composed of Israeli anarchists and anti-authoritarians who opposed the construction of the Israeli West Bank barrier.

A member of Anarchists Against the Wall described the construction of the barrier as part of a strategy of ethnic cleansing, "one of the greatest threats the Palestinian population has known over the last century... which is to make life so appalling for the Palestinian people that they will be left with one choice: move out."

The group disbanded, at least in part due to the decline in Palestinian popular resistance in the late 2010s.

A collection of writings by various anti-wall activists under the name Anarchists Against the Wall: Direct Action and Solidarity with the Palestinian Popular Struggle was published in the English language by AK Press in 2013.

Activities
The activists routinely broke the law, based on their position that the construction of the West Bank barrier was illegal according to international law, making the barrier itself illegitimate. Their direct action took the form of entering closed-off military zones, burning tires, halting construction work, damaging or tearing down sections of the barrier, breaking through gates of the barrier, and throwing stones. The military responses against the Palestinians, Israelis, and foreign national activists included tear gas canisters, rubber-coated metal bullets, concussion grenades, and at times live ammunition.

On 26 December 2003, during an AAtW demonstration near the village of Mas'ha, the Israeli Defense Forces fired shots after demonstrators started to shake the locked gate in the fence. Israeli anarchist and former paratrooper Gil Na'amati was shot in both legs. This got a great deal of media coverage, leading the group to keep what had been a temporary name that it was using at the moment.

title: Anarchists Against the Wall


text: User talk:217.43.44.169

title: User talk:217.43.44.169


text:
Wikipedia talk:Spanish Translation of the Week

New SPATRAs
I have lots of potential candidates on my user page, but I don't want to clog up the main page and detract from everyone else's nominations. Any thoughts on which I should nominate? Estrellador* 19:14, 14 May 2006 (UTC)
 * I think it would also be useful to translate Balearic Islands. I don't have time to contribute, and only speak spanish at a basic level so I won't nominate it. Hopefully somebody else will. Falphin 00:05, 15 May 2006 (UTC)
 * That's a great list you have there. I think the best candidates are: es:Rafael_Maroto, es:Vuelo_LAPA_3142, es:Conquista_de_Hispania, and es:Literatura_española_del_Romanticismo since they all seem to have no counterpart in the English Wikipedia, and some are featured articles. - Draeco 17:53, 15 May 2006 (UTC)

Template on Article or Talk page?
Oleg Alexandrov has raised the issue on Wikipedia talk:Collaborations of whether the template for the current winner of a collaboration should go on the article or the talk page. You might be interested in taking part. Pruneau 00:20, 24 May 2006 (UTC)

/Translation subpages
The current SPATRA Mesoamerica is being translated at Mesoamerica/Translation. This isn't the first SPATRA to be done this way, and it's working well now as it has in the past. I'm wondering if we should make this standard procedure for all SPATRAs that have an exisitng article, even if it's stubby, because several people don't like having a sloppy work-in-progress in the main namespace. If so, I'll write an appropriate line or two into the SPATRA process instructions. What do ya'll think? - Draeco 03:23, 2 June 2006 (UTC)

 * Sounds reasonable to me. In fact, why not make subpages standard procedure for all SPATRAs? Then only the finished product appears in the main namespace, free of any work-in-progress messiness. -- bcasterline • talk 04:11, 2 June 2006 (UTC)

Time for another
I believe Mesoamerica is complete. - Jmabel | Talk 00:25, 10 June 2006 (UTC)
 * Some copyedits still need to be done, but I think that will fall to the few who are working on that right now. I'm with you, it's time to move on, I'm going to promote the LAPA flight 3142 article. - Draeco 18:01, 11 June 2006 (UTC)
 * Additionally, I'm going to start that article as /Translation, which is something we haven't done before when there is no pre-existing article. - Draeco 18:03, 11 June 2006 (UTC)

Nice job
Kudos to the SPATRA team and all who helped out at Mesoamerica- a very nice job indeed, will make updating and revision of that article a much easier task. Thanks.--cjllw | TALK  00:43, 12 June 2006 (UTC)

History of Chile
Hello. If someone is interrested in Latin America history, he can translate es:historia de Chile which is a featured article on es:.--Youssef 06:44, 25 June 2006 (UTC)

What is the difference from ? As far as I see, it only includes one more link to SPATRA, which is discouraged by WP:ASR... Tito xd (?!?) 06:46, 25 June 2006 (UTC)
 * I created the new SPATRAcite template because I thought the SPATRA link would be beneficial. You make a valid point about WP:ASR, but it's not "one more" link but rather the only link to SPATRA in the articles. I thought the self-reference was valuable because it lets readers easily identify the hands behind the translation and gives them a link to follow to pose questions/challenges/suggestions. I didn't modify the existing SPATRAref because it has been used on several pages that weren't SPATRA's. Perhaps another option would be to put a banner at the top of Talk pages - Draeco 04:02, 29 June 2006 (UTC)

Merglations
I've noticed several suggestions to translate articles that are already fairly extensive in the merge-to language (namely English). Examples are the Joaquín Torres García nomination and the History of Chile suggestion above, among others. In my experience these translations become difficult translation/merge tangles. However, I seem to be the only one who ever objects. Does anyone else share my sentiments, or am I just paranoid? - Draeco 04:14, 29 June 2006 (UTC)
 * I agree that they are tougher, but the results have generally been good. - Jmabel | Talk 22:54, 4 July 2006 (UTC)

Next COTW
Speaking of merglations, our current SPATRA is nearing completion so nos toca to select a new article. Both Joaquín Torres García and Rafael  Maroto have three votes. The page says the first chronological nomination gets the nod, but Joaquín has languished on the nomination list for three months now. Which will it be? - Draeco 23:05, 22 July 2006 (UTC)
 * Problem solved; Rafa got a fourth vote several days ago. I'm promoting it to the new SPATRA. - Draeco 01:07, 31 July 2006 (UTC)

How to?
Hi folks

What is the etiquette of translating the article? Do you overwrite the bit you translate, or add the English and leave the original Spanish in there for others to check?

MyNameIsClare  talk  14:36, 8 August 2006 (UTC)

 * If you are confident (and have some basis for that confidence!), then just overwrite. If you think it needs review, then leave the Spanish commented out as an HTML comment (<-- Like this -->). - Jmabel | Talk 02:59, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

 * OK, thanks MyNameIsClare   talk  22:06, 17 August 2006 (UTC)

WikiProject Biography
Let us know if you happen to pick an article on a person and we'll alert our members! plange 05:45, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

New template!
Hello, in an attempt to help collaborate across COTW projects, I'm making a template that displays the current picks of each. I've made a template for you to be able to add the name of the current article SPATRA article, which you can also use to transclude in your other templates so you don't have to update those manually. You'd only need to update this new one to populate the others on rollover. The new template that will display your current pick is COTWCurrentPicks. plange 03:01, 24 August 2006 (UTC)

My list
I thought you might like to know I have improved my list of potential SPATRAs and moved them to User:Estrellador*/SPATRA. They were all featured articles in Spanish last time I looked, and all deal with local topics, as is my preference. I may have missed a few under these criteria; if so feel free to add them to the page. Feel free also to make it easier to navigate, if you have some spare time on your hands :).--Estrellador* 11:30, 28 August 2006 (UTC)

Maroto
We could really use some help at Rafael Maroto/Translation. I was doing other things for a few days, and literally no one did anything in my absence. - Jmabel | Talk 22:33, 8 September 2006 (UTC)
 * How long has this been translation of the week? Two months? Can we get a new one or does it stay up until the translation's finished? I tried to help but am not interested in the topic. Maybe others feel the same way. Lagringa 00:45, 9 September 2006 (UTC)

Usually, we've kept them up until they are finished. This particular one is truly a toughie. Sorry if this one doesn't interest you. Maybe we could do two at once? Because I'd really hate to see this left 60-70% accomplished and there is still a lot of need for help. I'm a pretty competent translator, but this one has been quite a challenge. - Jmabel | Talk 06:39, 12 September 2006 (UTC)
 * Hi, I'm new to the SPATRA project... I'd like to help, but since this is my first contact with it, I'm not sure where to start. Should I wait until the next article is selected, or is there anything I can do with this article?  What is still left to do here? ----Steve 13:50, 19 October 2006 (UTC)

Maroto is basically done (although there are about a dozen cleanup issues still listed on its talk page if anyone wants to be helpful, and it could still use a lot of citation. - Jmabel | Talk 19:53, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

Time for another
Will someone please "promote" an article for us to work on? - Jmabel | Talk 19:53, 5 November 2006 (UTC)
 * I have been asked for help with Cúcuta. See my talk page. I think it is a good candidate. Regards, Asterion talk 20:26, 5 November 2006 (UTC)
 * I second Jmabel's request for a timely promotion of another SPATRA. There are so many articles worthy of this effort; let us give them their time! -Fsotrain09 21:20, 12 November 2006 (UTC)

That time, we did Threshing-board, and I'm really happy with the result. What's next? - Jmabel | Talk 19:07, 28 December 2006 (UTC)

I am about to become rather inactive in Wikipedia, so someone else will need to move this forward. - Jmabel | Talk 19:18, 29 December 2006 (UTC)
 * I have prepared the new SPATRA, Civil Code of Argentina, which was approved with 5 votes. --Fsotrain09 00:11, 4 February 2007 (UTC)

Forests of the Iberian Peninsula
The Spanish Wikipedia article es:Bosques de la Península Ibérica was copied, untranslated, into the main namespace. Since it is a SPATRAnom, I thought I'd request translation assistance here. I'm not suggesting that we disgard the current vote counts and make this the SPATRA, just that the dedicated translators here kindly take a look and assist if they can. My own translation skills aren't sufficient for the subject matter. Thank you! -Fsotrain09 22:28, 30 December 2006 (UTC)

Álvaro Torres translated
Hello all, I just translated the article of Álvaro Torres from Wikipedia en español. I also added some more info. But this article still needs a lot of work and more info. So, if anyone wants to help, please reasearch some more info and add it. Charleenmerced 02:51, 12 February 2007 (UTC)Charleenmerced

Cantabria translated - next SPATRA ?
Hi. I think Cantabria is now completely translated. I think we should promote the next article. Nevertheless I invite all of you to read the article because it may need some copyediting. --Wafry 15:14, 1 June 2007 (UTC)
 * Hi. this evening i'm planning on promoting the next SPATRA, which will be Confederación Nacional del Trabajo, as it has 5 votes and it's older than Mixtecan Lang. --Wafry 12:44, 7 June 2007 (UTC)

Confederación Nacional del Trabajo translated
Confederación Nacional del Trabajo/Translation is now completely translated. It may need some copyediting, but I think it's safe to promote the next SPATRA. Could someone do the honor?--Wafry 22:48, 5 August 2007 (UTC)

Mérida, Mérida translated
Mérida, Mérida/Translation seems completely translated now. Some of the notes and externals links might need to be removed, as they are all in Spanish. However, aside from some copyediting and minor clean-ups, I think the article is pretty much done. Can we promote the next SPATRA? On a related note, is SPATRA still alive? --Malachirality 00:08, 1 November 2007 (UTC)

Participant userbox
If anyone feels like it would make their day to create one, it would be cool to have a userbox for people who take part in the project. Many thanks, Drum guy (talk) 20:47, 10 April 2008 (UTC)
 * You mean User SPATRA? Tito xd (?!? - cool stuff) 03:34, 3 May 2008 (UTC)

Inverse
How about translating from english INTO spanish. You know... like because english wikipedia has the most number of articles of all wikipedias!! - Damërung  ...ÏìíÏ..._ ΞΞΞ_         .   --, 29 July 2024 (UTC-5)
 * That would be a project corresponding to the Spanish Wikipedia. Yo can help here. --Wafry (talk) 11:36, 4 May 2009 (UTC)
 * Yes, I know, but that project is only to translate featured articles (complete them mostly), and even if not, I still think we should do some kind of task or project or something to translate articles into other languages (sometimes a project that exist here is missing in other language). - Damërung  ...ÏìíÏ..._ ΞΞΞ_         .   --, 29 July 2024 (UTC-5)

Travesti
The Spanish article on this topic has much more information and lots of references. Can anyone translate the information and put it in the English article Travesti? All the best! -- Ssilvers (talk) 23:14, 9 February 2011 (UTC)

Reviving WikiProject:SPATRA
Hola a todos, Es un placer ser miembro de Wikipedia. Deseo mejorar los artículos en español y revivir este projecto. Por eso, si alguien quiere trabajar en traducido artículos,o tiene sugerencias, por favor comenta aquí.

Hi everyone, It's a pleasure to be a member of Wikipedia. I would like to improve the current Spanish articles and revive this project. If you would like to work on translating articles, or if you have any suggestions, please comment here. GeneralKutuzov (talk) 23:14, 10 October 2015 (UTC)

A new newsletter directory is out!
A new Newsletter directory has been created to replace the old, out-of-date one. If your WikiProject and its taskforces have newsletters (even inactive ones), or if you know of a missing newsletter (including from sister projects like WikiSpecies), please include it in the directory! The template can be a bit tricky, so if you need help, just post the newsletter on the template's talk page and someone will add it for you.
 * – Sent on behalf of Headbomb. 03:11, 11 April 2019 (UTC)


text:
The Black League

The Black League was a Finnish heavy metal band. They were formed in 1998 by Taneli Jarva, three years after his departure from the gothic metal band Sentenced. The Black League's first two full-lengths carry on the spirit from Taneli's work with his former band, seasoning their metal with elements of traditional rock 'n' roll. On their third release, Man's Ruin Revisited, these influences take an even more prominent role in their sound. In October 2014, Taneli Jarva pronounced of his decision to call the band the quits due to "lack of personal inspiration".

Band members

 * Taneli Jarva – lead vocals (1998–2014)
 * Maike Valanne – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (1998–2014)
 * Heavy Hiltunen – lead guitar (2005–2014)
 * Ilkka Tanska – bass (2005–2014)
 * Rale Tiiainen – drums (2005–2014)

Previous members

 * Alexi Ranta – lead guitar (1998–2005)
 * Mikko Laurila (a.k.a. Florida) – bass (1998–2005)
 * Kimmo Luttinen (a.k.a. Sir Luttinen) – drums (1998–2005)

Session members

 * Lene Leinonen – bass (live 2004)

Demos

 * Demo 98 (1998)

Singles

 * Cold Women & Warm Beer (2003)

EPs

 * Doomsday Sun (2001)

Albums

 * Ichor (2000)
 * Utopia A.D. (2001)
 * Man's Ruin Revisited (2004)
 * A Place Called Bad (2005)
 * Ghost Brothel (2009)

Videography

 * Winter Winds Sing (2000)
 * Rex Talionis (2002)
 * Same Ol' Fuckery (2005)
 * The Pusher (2007)
 * The Beast Is a Riddle (2009)

title: The Black League


text:
Motorway 1 (Greece)

Motorway 1 (code: A1, also known as Athens-Thessaloniki-Evzonoi (A.TH.E.) Motorway,  and previously as Patras-Athens-Thessaloniki-Evzonoi (P.A.TH.E.) Motorway the 2nd longest motorway in Greece with a length of 550 km. It is the principal north–south road connection in Greece, connecting the country's capital Athens with the regions of Thessaly and Macedonia, as well as the country's second largest city, Thessaloniki. It starts from Neo Faliro in Attica and continues north to reach the Evzonoi border station, on the Greek border with North Macedonia.

Today, the construction, operation and maintenance of Motorway 1 have been largely outsourced to private companies: Aftokinitodromos Aigaiou SA. (Kleidi, Imathia - Raches, Fthiotida), Kentriki Odos SA (Raches, Fthiotida - Skrafia, Fthiotida) and Nea Odos SA (Skarfia, Fthiotida - Metamorfosi, Attica). The section of Kleidi, Imathia-Evzoni since 2014 operates and is maintained by Egnatia Odos SA.

Route
The motorway passes through Mainland Greece and has largely replaced National Road 1. It begins at Kifissou Avenue, Athens, just north of the Bay of Phaliro, and continues northward to Evzonoi, on the border with the country's northern neighbour, North Macedonia, where it continues as the A1. Before the European routes numbers were changed, the northern part from Efzoni to EO2 was E5N, while today the entire road is part of European route E75. The task of maintaining and charging for parts of the motorway has recently been ceded to private consortia, part of the deal for the construction of the Ionia Odos, the E65, as well as the bypass of Tempe Valley.

The part west of downtown Athens runs over the Cephisus river and Kifissou Avenue. From north of the boundary of Voiotia - Phthiotis, up to near Velestino, the tollway runs close to the coast of the Aegean Sea. It then continues north of the Tempe Valley and up to the junction of the European route E90. It then shares a 25 km common part with A2 / E90 (on a west–east direction), and then, at the "Axios Interchange", continues north to Evzonoi and the national border with North Macedonia. Its total length is approximately 550 km.

Cities
Motorway 1 passes near major urban centers in the country:

 * 1) Athens
 * 2) Thebes
 * 3) Chalcis (20 km south - connection via A11)
 * 4) Lamia
 * 5) Larissa
 * 6) Katerini
 * 7) Thessaloniki (20 km west - connection via Egnatia Motorway and Thessaloniki's New West Entrance)
 * 8) Polykastro

Airports
The ATHE motorway is connected to the following airports:

 * 1) Thessaloniki (Macedonia Airport) (45 km west - connection via Egnatia Motorway, Thessaloniki's new West Entrance and Thessaloniki's Ring Road)
 * 2) Nea Anchialos - (10 km west - connection via National Road 30)
 * 3) Athens (Eleftherios Venizelos Airport) - (25 km west - connection via Attiki Odos)

Harbours
The ATH motorway is connected to the following harbours:

 * 1) Thessaloniki
 * 2) Volos
 * 3) Piraeus

1950s-1970s
The old Greek National Road 1, was a historic road, which connected Athens with the Customs of Evzoni, through Dhekelia, Atalanti, Kamena Vourla, Thermopylae, Lamia, Stylida, Almyros, Velestino, Larissa, Valley of Tempi, Katerini, Alexandria, Gefyra and Polykastro. The road followed the route of the streets of antiquity. However, over time, its specifications began to be considered obsolete, as in the rest of Europe, modern highways began were started to be built. Thus, in the mid-1950s, construction work began on a new road, which began in 1959 with the delivery of the Larissa-Katerini section (Later, the Athens-Lamia section in 1962 and the Lamia-Larissa section in 1967) and were completed in 1973, with the delivery of the part Katerini - Thessaloniki - Evzoni. For the most part it was 13 m - 14 m (except for the part of the Valley of Tempi, which was 10 m, because it was built on a mountain) and 2 traffic lanes (1 lane + 1 auxiliary lane in each direction), without a median strip. The Polykastro - Evzoni section was the first section with motorway specifications.

1980-today
Work on the conversion to a motorway began in the mid-1980s, with the construction of the sections Klidi interchange- Gallikos river (delivered in 1988), Bogiati camp - Kryoneri interchange (delivered in 1989) (4.5 km), Inofyta interchange- Schimatari interchange (delivered in 1989) (12.5 km), Ritsona interchange - Thebes interchange (delivered in 1989) (14.8 km). In the early 1990s, work began on the entire length of the sections Athens - Thebes interchange, and Katerini - Klidi.

As early as 1995, National Road 1 had highway specifications in the sections Athens - Yliki, Katerini - Klidi - Thessaloniki and Polykastro - Evzoni.

In 1998, it had six lanes in the Athens (Metamorfosi) -Thebe section and four in the Thebes-Tempi section, with the exception of a few sections in Magnesia, which still had two.

In 2002 the Yliki-Agios Konstantinos section was completed.

In 2004 the first tunnel of the A1 was built, the tunnel of Katerini (tunnels of Alexander the Great and Philip), while in the same year Kifissos Avenue was handed over, which is the part of the road that connects Metamorfosi with Faliro, above the Kifissos river, inside Athens.

In November 2017, with the launch of the tender for the privatization of Egnatia Motorway and the announcement of its terms, it was announced that the upgrade of the Halastra-Polykastro section from an expressway to as motorway was under planning. This was confirmed in September 2018. Construction costs are estimated to exceed €200 million, and the remainder of the axis from Polykastro to Evzoni, which has already been characterized a motorway will be upgraded with more modern features such as safety barriers, new signage and road improvements.

In 2005, it was completed along its entire length, except for the "Horseshoe" of Maliakos and Tempi.

On June 13, 2007, the Aegean Motorway SA was established, which undertook the construction and operation of the motorway in the Raches-Klidi section.

In the same year, the first sections of Maliakos, the Agios Konstantinos Bypass, the Kamenon Vourlon Bypass and the 4.5 km long Agia Paraskevi-Agia Marina section were opened to traffic. In 2008 the Thermopylae-Bralos Bypass section was delivered.

In 2014, the Velestino interchange was completed, which connects ATHE with Volos.

In 2015, the last section of Maliakos Stylida-Raches with the tunnels of Stylida, with the upgraded Lamia interchange and the new bridge of Sperchios (bypass of Lamia) was handed over to traffic.

In 2016, the northern interchange of Katerini was completed, after about 26 years of construction, due to expropriation and financing problems. On April 6, 2017, the section Evangelismos - Skotina (bypass of Tempi and Platamonas), 25 km long, was delivered. In November 2017, with the start of the tender for the privatization of Egnatia Odos and the announcement of its terms, it became known that the HRDH may include in the object of the Concession Agreement the upgrade of the section Halastra - Polykastro from expressway to motorway, which was confirmed in September 2018. The construction cost is estimated to exceed 200 million euros, while the rest of the axis from Polykastro to Evzoni, which already has highway features, will be upgraded with more modern features such as safety railings, new signage and pavement improvement.

Exit list
The exits of the completed sections of the A1 motorway:

title: Motorway 1 (Greece)


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Might makes right

"Might makes right" or "Might is right" is an aphorism on the origin of morality, with both descriptive and prescriptive senses.

Descriptively, it asserts that a society's view of right and wrong is determined by those in power, with a meaning similar to "History is written by the victors". That is, although all people have their personal ideas of the good, only those strong enough to overcome obstacles and enemies can put their ideas into effect, and spread their own standards to society at large. Montague defined kratocracy or kraterocracy (from the κράτος) as a government based on coercive power, by those strong enough to seize control through physical violence or demagogic manipulation.

"Might makes right" has been described as the credo of totalitarian regimes. The sociologist Max Weber analyzed the relations between a state's power and its moral authority in Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft. Realist scholars of international politics use the phrase to describe the "state of nature" in which power determines the relations among sovereign states.

Prescriptively (or normatively), the phrase is most often used pejoratively, to protest perceived tyranny.

The phrase sometimes has a positive connotation in the context of master morality or social Darwinism, which hold that a society's strongest members should rule and determine its standards of right and wrong, as well as its goals for the greater good.

History
The idea of "woe to the conquered" is vividly expressed in Homer, in the hawk parable from Hesiod's Works and Days, and in Livy, in which the equivalent Latin phrase "vae victis" is first recorded.

The idea, though not the wording, has been attributed to the History of the Peloponnesian War, written around 410 BC by the ancient historian Thucydides, who stated that "right, as the world goes, is only in question between equals in power, while the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must."

In the first chapter of Plato's Republic, authored around 375 BC Thrasymachus claims that "justice is nothing else than the interest of the stronger", which Socrates then disputes. Callicles in Gorgias argues similarly that the strong should rule the weak, as a right owed to their superiority.

The Book of Wisdom, written around the first century BC to first century AD, describes the reasoning of the wicked: "Let us oppress the righteous poor man; let us not spare the widow nor regard the gray hairs of the aged. But let our might be our law of right, for what is weak proves itself to be useless."

An early instance of the phrase in English is found in Thomas Carlyle's 1839 essay Chartism: "Might and Right do differ frightfully from hour to hour; but give them centuries to try it in, they are found to be identical." He later clarified his position in a journal entry from 1848, saying that "right is the eternal symbol of might" rather than the reverse.

In 1846, the American pacifist and abolitionist Adin Ballou (1803–1890) wrote, "But now, instead of discussion and argument, brute force rises up to the rescue of discomfited error, and crushes truth and right into the dust. 'Might makes right,' and hoary folly totters on in her mad career escorted by armies and navies."

Abraham Lincoln's Cooper Union campaign address (1860) reverses the phrase: "Let us have faith that right makes might, and in that faith, let us, to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it". He spoke in defense of neutral engagement with slave-holders, as against violent confrontation.

Arthur Desmond authored Might Is Right in 1896, which prompted criticism from Leo Tolstoy.

Philosopher William Pepperell Montague coined the term Kratocracy, from the κρατερός (krateros), meaning "strong", for government by those who are strong enough to seize power through force or cunning.

In a letter to Albert Einstein from 1932, Sigmund Freud also explores the history and validity of "might versus right".

Pope Francis has observed that "immense inequality, injustice and acts of violence" have arisen from adoption of the principle of "might is right".

General references

 * Freud, Sigmund (1968). "Why War?", Civilization, War and Death.

title: Might makes right


text:
Placentophagy

Placentophagy, also known as placentophagia, is the act of consuming part or all of the afterbirth following parturition in mammals. Parturition involves the delivery of the neonate, as well as the placenta and fetal membranes. The placenta is a critical organ that develops in the maternal uterus during pregnancy to support the fetus. It connects to the fetus via the umbilical cord in order to allow nutrient transport, waste excretion and gas exchange between mother and fetus. The morphological features of the placenta differ among species, but the function is universal. The behaviour is characteristic to the mother of the majority of placental mammals. Significant documentation has been provided on placentophagy in a range of animals.

Anomalies generally include humans and aquatic species, as well as camels. However, the concept is becoming more popular among women in the Western World despite its controversial overtone.

Theories as to why mammals engage in placentophagy are related to the many proposed benefits of placental consumption. These vary between animals but tend to be behavioural, medical or spiritual in nature.

Prevalence
Placentophagy is a normality in most members of the taxonomic group Eutheria. It has been observed in animals ranging from rodents to primates, and even in some instances humans. The most extensive study has been on animals in orders Rodentia, Chiroptera, Lagomorpha, Carnivora, Perissodactyla, Artiodactyla, and Primates. Exceptions to the ubiquitous behaviour in mammals can be seen in humans, sea mammals and camelids. It is suggested that the portion of marine species that do not practice placentophagy are ones that deliver their offspring in the water because beneficial components are dispersed upon expulsion from the mother, and that the domestication of camelids has eradicated the behaviour by placing stress and selective pressure on the species.

In rabbits
Placentophagia in rabbits is exclusively performed by maternal figures that have recently given birth. A study shows that even when pregnant and pre-parturient female rabbits are presented with placental meal there is little participation in the behavior but all postpartum mothers ate the afterbirth. When compared with the consumption of liver, another protein source, the occurrence of placentophagia alone increases by roughly 55% in the short 1–5 day period following parturition. The liver is preferential to non-pregnant, pregnant and pre-parturient mothers consistently as opposed to post-partum mothers who chose to consume only placenta when presented with both. The same study also looked at the interest of the placenta in pregnant rabbits, they saw that in the days leading up to delivery the animals were more intrigued by the placenta when it was presented, which was shown by increasing sniffing of the placenta. The attraction was not demonstrated towards the liver. This infers that there is a tie between elements prompting both delivery and placentophagy in pregnant maternal rabbits. In some instances placentophagia is tied to cannibalism in rabbits. As the mother engages in the act of consuming the placenta, they accidentally ingest the neonate as well.

In rats
Placentophagia has been studied most commonly in rodents, specifically rats. There have been multiple conclusions drawn from the available literature. One major finding is that the consumption of the afterbirth and associated materials increases the onset and intensity of maternal behavior in rats. The increased contact between the adult and the infant is what enhances the adoption of parental behavior. In addition to increasing the parenting tendencies of mother rats, it has been seen that placentophagia by female weanling laboratory rats when the mother births a subsequent litter, elevates alloparenting behavior toward their siblings. Additional research has shown that ingestion of the placenta and amniotic fluid influences the pain tolerance in pregnant rats via elevation of naturally occurring opioid-mediated analgesia. Production of endogenous opioids produced by the central nervous system, is increased during the birthing process which raises the pain threshold of the mother. When coupled with the ingestion of placenta or amniotic fluid, there is a drastic increase in the opioid effect. A test whereby rats were given meat rather than placenta supported the contribution of the afterbirth components to the enhanced opioid effect by showing no increase in the pain threshold of the post-partum mother.

Hypothesized benefits
There are numerous hypothesized benefits to the practice of placentophagy in both human and nonhuman mammals, which are seen as the direct motivation for various animals to engage in the consumption of the afterbirth. Many of these proposed benefits have since been disproved through scientific study.

Satiation of hunger
Some initial conjectures related directly to the satiation of specific and general maternal hunger. These hinged on the idea that prior to parturition mothers ceased to eat and so, immediately after birth they consumed the placenta to satisfy an intense hunger. A further idea was that of specific hunger, according to which the maternal figure participated in placentophagy in order to replenish any resources depleted during pregnancy that were contained within the placenta. This was later disproved by studies on rats and other species showing that a wide range of animals do not typically decrease the amount of food or water taken in prior to delivery, and that rats presented with placenta will consume it regardless of pregnancy or virginity.

Cleanliness and protection against predation
Another aspect of placentophagy that was initially considered a beneficial reason for its occurrence was that the consumption of the afterbirth ensured cleanliness of the nest and eliminated any sign of new and vulnerable offspring. It was suggested that nesting animals, who would then rear their young within the nest, benefited by having an aseptic area. Further, predators would be attracted to the site of parturition by the scent of blood and of fetal tissue, so ingesting the afterbirth would eliminate the ability for predators to easily locate newborns. This would in turn provide protection for the defenseless young. These hypothesized benefits were later rejected because the act of consuming the placenta would be more time-consuming than merely abandoning the site of parturition or removing the afterbirth from the nesting area, each of which would provide the same benefit as placentophagy was presumed to provide.

Increased pain threshold
A newer hypothesis about the maternal consumption of afterbirth in mammals is that the placenta contains compounds that increase pain tolerance post parturition. Although it is known that during pregnancy and labour there is a natural increase in internal production of enkephalins and endorphins that decrease the sensation of pain, studies indicated that the consumption of placenta by maternal rats after delivery spiked the subsequent numbers of these opioids. This was due to the active ingredient present in the placenta as well as the amniotic fluid, placental opioid-enhancing factor (POEF). It is important to note that afterbirth also contains amniotic fluid, and scientists believe its consumption may be equally as important in the elevation of pain threshold as is the placental ingestion. Amniotic fluid is likely taken in unknowingly by cleaning the genital area prior or post delivery, or by cleaning or kissing the infant soon after expulsion.

Evolution
Placentophagy evolved independently in different lineages as adaptations to various challenges faced by ancestral species. The behaviour was ultimately attractive to the maternal subject based on the hypothesized benefits discussed above but provided some kind of advantage. Based on this advantage, placentophagy was selected for by natural selection which lead to its persistence in mammal species.

Human placentophagy
Although the placenta is revered in many cultures, there is scarce evidence that any customarily eat the placenta after the newborn's birth.

Those who advocate placentophagy in humans believe that eating the placenta prevents postpartum depression and other pregnancy complications. Obstetrician and spokesperson for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Maggie Blott disputes the post-natal depression theory, stating there is no medical reason to eat the placenta: "Animals eat their placenta to get nutrition – but when people are already well-nourished, there is no benefit, there is no reason to do it." While no scientific study has proven any benefits, a survey was conducted by American medical anthropologists at the University of South Florida and University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Among the respondents, about three-fourths claimed to have positive experiences from eating their own placenta, citing "improved mood", "increased energy", and "improved lactation".

Human placenta has also been an ingredient in some traditional Chinese medicines, including using dried human placenta, known as ziheche, to treat wasting diseases, infertility, impotence and other conditions. Most recently, the CDC published a report of a newborn infected with group B Streptococcus (GBS) bacteria likely after the mother ingested placenta capsules. Consequently, the CDC said that placenta capsule ingestion should be avoided and to educate mothers interested in placenta encapsulation about the potential risks. A recent publication advised that physicians should discourage placentophagy because it is potentially harmful with no documented benefit.

British celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, known for his series of River Cottage programmes, notoriously cooked and ate a human placenta on one of his programmes.

Pg.104-7 in Cecil Adams's Return of the Straight Dope (1994) describes a home childbirth, followed by placentophagy, in Berkeley, California.

title: Placentophagy


text:
Medal of Honor: European Assault

Medal of Honor: European Assault is a first-person shooter video game, the eighth installment in the Medal of Honor series. European Assault was released for GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox on June 7, 2005. The game's story was written by John Milius. The plot is based on Lieutenant William Holt, an operative in the Office of Strategic Services, and follows his deployments to allied forces in France, North Africa, the Soviet Union and Belgium.

The game received generally positive reviews.

Gameplay
Gameplay of European Assault is similar to that of its predecessor, a first-person shooter; however, the weapons and interface have been slightly upgraded to be more player-friendly. Most notably the HUD has been upgraded to indicate primary and secondary target and show other squad members, and ironsights were added. The addition of Adrenaline Mode, activated by killing numerous enemies or scoring headshots, allows the player to be invincible and have unlimited ammo for a short period of time. As with all Medal of Honor games, the player is presented with a wide variety of weapons and stages pertaining to World War II.

Multiplayer
European Assault features an offline splitscreen multiplayer mode. The game contains three different modes of games (Death Match, Axis vs. Allies, Free for All), about a dozen maps, and differing game types in Free for All and Axis vs. Allies (e.g. Survival). It supports 2-4 players and has the option to create custom games with varying options depending on the mode.

Plot
There are four overall areas the player (as Lt. William Holt) is sent to France, North Africa, the Soviet Union and Belgium. Each area has a set of missions for the player to complete. While some objectives will be detailed from the start, exploration of the area will cause Holt to discover more missions. Each mission consists of five elements: a primary objective, secondary objectives, killing a German officer (Nemesis battle in the game), obtaining documents from the officer and escaping. If all are completed, a gold medallion will be given. Missing one or two will gain a silver or bronze.

Most missions involve Holt fighting alongside allied non-player characters and working towards a common objective, often based on historical events during World War II. However, as a member of the OSS, Holt also has secondary objectives for each level, including finding documents and eliminating important German officers, such as henchmen belonging to the antagonist Graf Von Schrader.

St. Nazaire, France
In the beginning of the game, in a wholly fictionalized storyline based on Operation Chariot (as no Americans took part in the original raid), Holt and the British force are heading to the vital submarine pens at German-held St. Nazaire. They approach the port aboard HMS Campbeltown (I42). However, the ship begins to take fire and soon raises the British Union Jack after they lose their cover. Upon landing, Holt is told to meet an officer that has the only radio after their radio officer is killed, at another side of the dock, which is denoted by a green flare. Upon meeting the officer, Holt has to head back to the ship to take cover from the airstrike the officer called, thus finishing the first mission. Then Holt goes with the British commandos on the St. Nazaire Raid, where he destroys a fuel tank and eliminates a German officer named Klaus Mueller. Holt also has the option to destroy a Flakvierling AA gun, and a shore gun. Holt later travels through the docks in order to destroy an electric power plant and a U-boat, shutting off power to the city and eliminating another German officer by the name of Horst Brenner. Early the next morning, Holt and his British comrades receive word that no reinforcements will be coming, forcing them to fight their way through two German Panzers. They must battle officer Erich Koster and his forces throughout the city to escape into the French countryside.

North Africa
Mission 1 in North Africa is to destroy Tiger tank prototypes. One of Holt's optional targets is a Nazi officer named Adabold Brecht. Optional objectives include blowing up a radar dish and taking out a panzer inside a destroyed village. After initial fighting, Holt makes his way inside a German compound and attempts to rescue captured SAS commandos and kill another of Von Schrader's men, Hans Schneider. With their help, Holt manages to get his hands on film which was recorded by Von Schrader, and ends up destroying a prototype V-2 rocket.

Soviet Union
There are 2 missions in the Soviet Union. The first mission is On the Road to Stalingrad. Holt's main objective is to destroy a rail gun on the other side of a river that runs through a small town. Holt also has an option to destroy 3 Panzers. The final part of the mission is to secure and then defend a fortified Church on the edge of town, and eliminate Walter Neumann. The second, and final, Soviet mission is Climbing Mamayev Hill. Holt, along with his squad and a Soviet battalion, lead a charge through a small village, driving the Germans back across a river. Holt must then follow them across the river and signal a rocket strike to clear the path. Once the area is secure, Holt's allies set themselves up around the entrance to a fort, on top of the hill. Once Holt blows the doors open, there is a fierce firefight. After destroying three artillery guns, Holt must eliminate Franz Greubner, and then Transmit Virus House Intel to the OSS (the Main Objective), before finally destroying the documents.

Belgium
The final mission of the game involves the Battle of the Bulge. Holt is sent in with the 101st Airborne Division, surrounded within the Ardennes forest in Belgium and participates in the battle to liberate the Bastogne Pocket. The Mission starts with an intense German offensive. Holt, with the help of paratroopers from the 101st Airborne manages to stop the initial assault by killing Folker Kappelhorf and blows up a strategically important bridge. Then Holt is sent to a Belgian farm to rescue Manon Batiste, a female OSS operative and the main character of Medal of Honor: Underground (although renamed to Manon Du Champs in European Assault), who was captured by Von Schrader's most loyal man, Freder Engel. After defeating Engel, he has to defend a farmhouse from a massive German assault until reinforcements arrive. Holt frees the operative. In the final mission, Holt, accompanied with a platoon of US soldiers, makes the critical assault on Von Schrader's Virus House. With one final suicide battle, Holt eliminates Von Schrader and destroys the dirty bomb by dropping it into the underground bunker at the last moment and escaping with some minor wounds.

Reception
Medal of Honor: European Assault received "average" reviews, according to video game review aggregator Metacritic.

Maxim gave the game a score of eight out of ten, stating that "It may not appease the history buffs, but it will delight the trigger-happy." Detroit Free Press gave the Xbox version a score of three stars out of four and stated, "It was maddening to nearly finish a mission, then die and have to start over. There are no checkpoints, but that's part of this game's challenge." The Sydney Morning Herald, however, gave the PS2 version a score of three-and-a-half stars out of five, saying that "Long-term appeal is doubtful with only 11 missions available and a lack of online support for multiplayer action."

title: Medal of Honor: European Assault