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Compton Wynyates

Compton Wynyates is a Tudor country house in Warwickshire, England, a Grade I listed building. The Tudor period house is constructed of red brick and built around a central courtyard. It is castellated and turreted in parts. Following action in the Civil War, half timbered gables were added to replace damaged parts of the building.

The Compton family, who still live today in this private house, appear in records as resident on the site as early as 1204. The family continued to live in the manor house as knights and squires of the county until Sir Edmund Compton (who died c. 1493) decided, c. 1481, to build a new family home.

Edmund Compton's house
Edmund Compton constructed the house of bricks which have a glowing raspberry colour of striking intensity. Edmund's four-winged house around a central courtyard is recognisable by the thickness of the 4 ft deep walls which form the core of the existing mansion. This new fortified house was fully moated, and parts of the moat form a pond in the garden today. There was also a second moat (probably dry) and second drawbridge. However, fortifications were not the only consideration for the new mansion—dark brick diapering and decorative mouldings add variety to the façade. Over the entrance the Royal Arms of England are supported by the dragon and greyhound of Henry VII and Henry VIII. The architect or mason builder is unknown.

William Compton's house
Edmund died young and, as a consequence, his son William Compton became a ward of the Crown, as was the custom. At the court of Henry VII the eleven-year-old, orphaned William Compton became a page to the two-year-old Prince Henry, thus began a close friendship which continued after the prince succeeded as Henry VIII. As a result of this lifelong friendship, Henry VIII gave William, who was also to become a military hero, many rewards, amongst them the ruinous Fulbroke Castle. Numerous fittings at Fulbroke were brought to embellish Compton Wynyates, including the huge bay window full of heraldic glass, which looks into the courtyard from the great hall; also from the castle came many of the mullioned windows with vine-patterned ornamentation.

It was at this time (c. 1515) that the great entrance porch, chapel and many of the towers were built. In fact, this was the start of the many additions over the next ten years which were added to the house with no thought of symmetry, height or regularity. The house was simply extended wherever space within the confines of the moat permitted. The brick-fluted and twisted chimneys also date from this time and are one of the house's most notable features.

Unlike many other houses of the period, Compton Wynyates has not been greatly altered over the centuries. This is because in 1574 its owner Henry Compton, 1st Baron Compton, began work on one of Britain's finest houses, Castle Ashby. The Comptons continued to lavish money on this new mansion for the next century or so; as a consequence, Compton Wynyates has survived almost intact as the perfect Tudor mansion, spared the constant improvements of successive generations.

Royal visits
The Comptons, as loyal and rich subjects of the Crown, frequently played host to the reigning sovereign of their time. The frequency with which they entertained state visitors was a barometer of their wealth, and this was an era in which a one-day visit from the monarch could, and frequently did, bankrupt the host.

King Henry VIII stayed many times at Compton Wynyates, and his bedroom window still retains the king's arms in stained glass combined with the arms of Aragon, the home country of his first Queen. Much later, in 1572, Elizabeth I stayed in the house. In 1617 James I spent a night at the house; he had been a frequent guest on previous occasions at Castle Ashby. In 1629 King Charles I, who himself stayed at the house, created Lord Compton, Earl of Northampton. The ceiling of the royal bedroom is decorated with the monograms of all the monarchs who have slept here.

An anecdote from the time of the Civil War is that the Cromwellian commander of the house took such a liking to the gilded bed of state, slept in by so many monarchs, that he sequestered it for himself. After the restoration of the monarchy, the 3rd Earl recovered the bed, and it too was restored to its rightful place. Later, when the family fell upon hard times in 1744, this historic bed was sold for £10 and has never since been traced.

Civil War

Spencer, 2nd Earl of Northampton, a godson of Elizabeth I, was a close friend of Charles I, and the Comptons had strong Royalist ties during the civil war. At the battle of Edgehill six miles from the house, Spencer and three of his sons fought for the King; the three sons were all knighted for their valour on the battlefield.

The 2nd Earl was killed at the Battle of Hopton Heath in 1643 fighting for his cause, and in the same battle his son and successor, James 3rd Earl of Northampton, was wounded, leaving the family vulnerable. On 12 June 1644, Compton Wynyates was besieged by the Cromwellians, and it fell two days later. The Parliamentarians were recorded as having taken 120 prisoners, £5000 (equivalent to £720,000 in 2008), 60 horses, 400 sheep, 160 head of cattle, 18 loads of plunder (this would have been the furnishings of the mansion), and six earthen pots of coins recovered from the moat. The house and the adjacent church still bear the scars of the cannon today.

There is a legend that the widow of the 2nd Earl remained hidden in the attics of the vast house tending to Royalist wounded, undetected by the Cromwellians, until their escape was possible. As the house is a warren of small staircases, passages, and almost concealed rooms – one tower room, the Priest's Room, has three staircases hidden behind its panelling – this story is possible.

During the night of 29 January 1645, the Comptons made an abortive attempt to recapture their home, but were repelled after four hours fighting. The Compton family fled into exile abroad and did not return until the restoration of the monarchy.

Neglect

Following the restoration of the monarchy, the Comptons too were restored to their estates. As Compton Wynyates was now the minor family house, it tended to be the country home of the heir. Minor alterations were made but usually in sympathy to its Tudor origins. The 5th Earl of Northampton c. 1730 added a wing between two towers on the east side of the house in the classical style, which was not in keeping at all. By this time though, the family fortunes were running low and, as a result, Compton Wynyates began to suffer neglect. In 1768 the Comptons found themselves in such penury that the entire contents of the house were sold, never to be recovered. The then Lord Northampton, living at Castle Ashby, ordered Compton Wynyates to be demolished. However the family's land-agent ignored the order and merely had the windows bricked up (to avoid the window tax). So the house remained largely forgotten.

Restoration

In 1835, the 2nd Marquess of Northampton (the family had been elevated from Earls in 1812) visited Compton Wynyates for the first time and found the house in a ruinous state; he made some minor renovations to prevent complete dereliction. He also employed the architect Sir Digby Wyatt to gothicise the out-of-keeping east front and create a new staircase in the house. This work was a success, and the east front harmonises with the earlier facades of the house.

It was the 4th Marquess who had the house fully restored and presented it to his son, the future 5th Marquess, on his marriage in 1884. The 5th Marquess and Marchioness were the first people to reside in the house since 1770. It was this couple who laid out the topiary gardens and made the mansion the comfortable house it is today.

Wynates is the birthplace and burial place of Spencer Compton, 1st Earl of Wilmington, considered to be the second Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

Today
The house today remains essentially the mansion that Edmund Compton and his son William completed within a thirty-year period during the reigns of the first two Tudor monarchs.

The 6th Marquess of Northampton (1885–1978) cared greatly for the house and spent a few months each year at Compton Wynyates. It was he who installed the electricity and water supplies; however, his principal home always remained Castle Ashby. For a short time the panelled rooms of Compton Wynyates were open to the public: the chapel overlooked by the chapel drawing room, the King's bedroom, the heavily panelled drawing and dining rooms with their moulded plaster ceilings, and works of art, such as the crucifixion by Matteo Balducci, were on limited public display.

On the succession of Spencer, 7th Marquess of Northampton, it was decided that in order for the family to survive the 20th century, Castle Ashby would have to be heavily commercialised. This was achieved and the Marquess and his family returned to make Compton Wynyates their sole country house. However, in the 21st century Castle Ashby was closed to the public (except for occasional weddings), and both houses are now lived in by the family once again.

In 1914, Compton Wynyates served as the inspiration for noted American architect John Russell Pope's design of Branch House in Richmond, Virginia, which was built for the financier John Kerr Branch and his wife.

A dead-end public footpath runs from the village of Upper Tysoe about a mile away, ending at a tall locked gate a few yards short of the estate church, where the walker is instructed to return the way they came. There is no access through to the public road a short distance further on.

Cultural references
Compton Wynyates has occasionally been used as a filming location, including: The Black Tent (1955); Carry On Camping (1969), (Coincidentally these establishing shots are said to have come from the earlier Black Tent footage); Candleshoe (1977); Death on the Nile (1978); the 1980s television show Silver Spoons; An Instance of the Fingerpost (1998); The Mirror Crack'd (1980); a 1995 episode of Keeping Up Appearances and the television series The Tudors. The house was the inspiration for Croft Manor in the Tomb Raider series. The Cinema Museum in London holds film of the house from 1938 (Ref HM00083).

title: Compton Wynyates


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File:Book the illusion of life.jpg

Summary
Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life cover

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

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Spark spread

The spark spread is the theoretical gross margin of a gas-fired power plant from selling a unit of electricity, having bought the fuel required to produce this unit of electricity. All other costs (operation and maintenance, capital and other financial costs) must be covered from the spark spread. The term was first coined by Tony West's trading team on the trading floor of National Power Ltd in Swindon, UK during the late 1990s and quickly came into common usage as other traders realised the trading and hedging opportunities.

The terms dark spread, quark spread and bark spread refer to the similarly defined differences ("spreads") between cash streams for coal-fired power plants, nuclear power plants and bio-mass power plants, respectively. These indicators of power plant economics are useful for trading energy markets. For operating or investment decisions published "spread" data are not applicable. Local market conditions, actual plant efficiencies and other plant costs have to be considered. A higher dark spread is more economically beneficial to the owner of the generator; an IPP with a dark spread of €15/MWh will be more profitable than a competitor with a dark spread of only €10/MWh.

Further definition of clean spread indicators include the price of carbon dioxide emission allowances (see: Emission trading).

Definition of spark spread
Conceptually, the spark spread (SS in megawatt-hours) equals:

 * Electricity total value minus fuel total cost, divided by
 * the megawatt-hours of electricity delivered, equals
 * spark spread in $/Mwh

A more refined version of this calculation may be:
 * $$ SS = p_E - \frac{p_G}{\eta_{el}} = p_E - HR \cdot p_G $$

 * with
 * pE as price of electricity in MU/MWh
 * pG as price of natural gas in MU/MWh or MU/Btu
 * ηel as electrical efficiency resp.
 * HR as heat rate in Btu/MWh

While the above equations may be sufficient for a single power plant or electricity provider, more detailed calculations may needed depending on the analysis being performed. If the data is sourced from futures contracts for fuels and over-the-counter contracts for electricity, further calculations must be made to determine the appropriate hedge ratio of electricity to fuel.

A precise definition of a spark spread has to be given by the source publishing such indicators. Definitions should specify energy (electricity and fuel) prices considered (delivery point & conditions) and the plant efficiency used for the calculation. Also, any plant operating costs that may be included should be stated. Typically, an efficiency of 50 % is considered for gas-fired plants, and 36% for coal-fired plants.

In the UK, a non-rounded efficiency of 49.13% is used for calculating the gas conversion. In reality, each gas-fired plant has a different fuel efficiency, but 49.13% is used as a standard in the UK market because it provides an easy conversion between gas and power volumes. The spark spread value is therefore the power price minus the gas cost divided by 0.4913, i.e. Spark Spread = Power Price – (Gas cost/0.4913). As of August 2006, UK dark spreads were in the range of 10–30 £/MWh, while UK spark spreads were in the range of 4–9 £/MWh.

It is well-known that these values substantially understate the actual efficiency of modern plants. Best-in-class efficiencies (as of 2019) are near 64%, and commercial development is rapid.

Clean spread
In countries that are covered by the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme, generators have to consider also the cost of carbon dioxide emission allowances that will be under a cap and trade regime. Emission trading has started in the EU in January 2005.

The Clean Spark Spread is calculated using a gas emissions intensity factor of 0.411 tCO2/MWh. Therefore, the clean spark spread is calculated by subtracting the carbon price per tonne (multiplied by 0.411) from the ‘dirty’ spark spread, i.e. Clean Spark Spread = Spark Spread – (Carbon Price*0.411).

Clean spark spread or "spark green spread" represents the net revenue a generator makes from selling power, having bought gas and the required number of carbon allowances. This spread is calculated by adjusting the cost of natural gas for the efficiency of the generation and subsequently applying the market cost of procuring or opportunity cost of setting aside an emissions allowance such as a European Union Allowance (EUA) in the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS).

Let S: spark spread, E: electricity price, G: gas cost, Ng: number of carbon credits necessary to cover gas operation, Pcc: price of a carbon credit.

Then the Clean spark spread is defined as

 * $$ Clean Spark Spread = p_E - \frac{p_G}{\eta_{el}} -Ng*Pcc$$

Clean dark spread or "dark green spread" refers to an analogous indicator for coal-fired generation of electricity. The spark green spread and the dark green spread are especially important in areas where coal-fired electricity generation is prevalent as the convergence of the spreads will lead to an important decision point.

Let D: dark spread, E: electricity price, C: coal cost, Nc: number of carbon credits necessary to cover coal operation (2–2.5x that of gas), Pcc: price of a carbon credit.

Then, Clean dark spread = E - C - Nc*Pcc = D - Nc*Pcc

Climate spread: The difference between the dark green spread and the spark green spread is known as the "Climate Spread".

Climate spread = Clean dark spread - Clean spark spread = (D - Nc*Pcc) - (S - Ng*Pcc) = (D - S) - (Nc - Ng)*Pcc.

Note: (D - S) and (Nc - Ng) are positive numbers.

In a carbon constrained economy a power producer in a geographic area where coal is currently the preferred method by which electricity is generated may eventually encounter a negative climate spread if carbon credit prices rise. This would mean that when taking into consideration the cost to produce plus the cost of compliance with a cap and trade (coal is on average 2.5 times as polluting as natural gas for the same output of electricity), natural gas would be a better decision. This would begin to cause more internal abatement via power generation fuel switching and less reliance on flexible mechanisms. This is important due to concerns regarding supplementarity.

Climate spread is also interesting in that it is the fundamental driver for the price of carbon credits. Since the ETS cap-and-trade system covers the major polluting industries, power generation by coal- and gas-fired power plants, by far the largest power sources, create the most carbon credit demand within the ETS. To cover emissions on an ever-tightening ration of free EUA allowances, a coal-fired powered power plant will either have to abate internally or buy credits. If the price of marginal internal abatement is lower than the price of carbon credits, the firm will choose internal abatement. However marginal abatement becomes more and more expensive, at some point forcing the plant to buy credits – thus the carbon credit price is equal to the marginal cost of abatement to the extent that European power plants have chosen to abate.

Clean Dark Spreads are a reflection of the cost of generating power from coal after taking into account fuel (coal) and carbon allowance costs. A positive spread effectively means that it is profitable to generate electricity on a Baseload basis for the period in question, while a negative spread means that generation would be a loss-making activity. The Clean Spark Spreads do not take into account additional generating charges (beyond fuel and carbon), such as operational costs.

Both the UK and German Dark Spread tables use a fuel efficiency factor of 35% for the coal conversion, and an energy conversion factor of 7.1 for converting tonnes/coal into MWh/electricity. In reality, each type of coal has a different energy value and each coal-fired plant has a different fuel efficiency, but 35% is accepted as a broad standard. At the time of writing (March 2007) there is no liquid Dark Spread traded market in either the UK or Germany. The Dark Spread value is the power price minus the coal price divided by 0.35, i.e. Dark Spread = Power price – (Coal price/0.35).

The Clean Dark Spread is calculated using a coal emissions intensity factor of 0.971 tCO2/MWh. Therefore, the Clean Dark Spread is calculated by subtracting the carbon price (multiplied by 0.971) from the ‘dirty’ spark spread, i.e. Clean Dark Spread = Dark Spread – (Carbon Price*0.971).

Spark spread as cost of replacement power for intermittent renewables
Spark spread can be used to assess the loss of revenue if a power station is switched from a normal running scenario to one where it is held in reserve to provide power when a large population of wind, or other renewable generators, is unable to generate.

In theory, the power station operator would be indifferent to such non-running as long as he was paid the spread it would have earned during the normally expected number of hour run. In fact, if paid the expected spark spread for the hours it had expected to run in normal operating mode, the operator would be better off, because it would not incur the variable operating and maintenance costs (O&M costs), which are proportional to the electrical energy produced.

An assessment of the lost revenues is needed if some power plants, such as wind turbines, have absolute priority (must-run plants). A dispatching authority will in this case order the other plants to decrease power. In some countries plant operators are entitled to receive compensation for such interventions. In a competitive electricity market the situation can be handled by a balancing mechanism, in which any imbalance from the schedule (typically a day-ahead schedule) is penalized, either using the price from a balancing market or a calculated price. Thus, since UK spark spreads were in the range of 4–9 £/MWh – on average £6.5/MWh, or 0.65 p/kWh, we can assess the likely cost of relegating existing power stations to a standby role for a large penetration of renewables as being around 0.65 p/kWh.

title: Spark spread


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Keuthan Aircraft

Keuthan Aircraft was a US aircraft manufacturer located in Merritt Island, Florida. The firm marketed ultralights in kit form. It ceased business in 1996 and its assets were acquired by Arnet Pereyra Inc.

title: Keuthan Aircraft


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Talk:Lima Locomotive Works

Baldwin diesels vs Lima diesels
There is no Lima diesels template, so making that change creates a red link from valid data. Baldwin diesels was included in this article because Lima merged with Baldwin. Rather than changing the template back so it prints valid data and not a red link, I've simply removed it from the article. Until someone creates Lima diesels (which I don't see happening any time soon), changing the template here only creates a red link. slambo 15:13, 3 October 2005 (UTC)

 * I created a Lima diesels template using the existing List of Lima-Hamilton diesel locomotives, only to find out after the fact there is an identical Lima-Hamilton diesels template (my own fault for not researching it first). Both are limited since all the switcher links basically go to the same page (Lima 750, 800, 1000, and 1200 hp switchers). Perhaps in the future a page should be made for each switcher locomotive if there isn't one already, in either case the template links need to be changed to direct to each new page. Which ever template is decided to be used is fine with me. I won't be offended if Lima diesels gets deleted as a mistake and the other used instead. -- DP 67  (talk/contribs) 23:42, 14 November 2007 (UTC)

External links modified
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Lima locomotive restored by stock market trader.
Dear readers: Some 10-12 years ago I watched a t.v. program about a stock trader who restored a Lima locomotive, got his railroad engineer license, and drove that machine as a (huge kind) of hobby over some tracks with one or two classic waggons. He told the reporter he had in the run of years three wives, all of them wanting him give up his loc. He told them to go away and leave instead. He said ,,There is nothing nicer than 434 tons of living steam". The fire chamber was not fed by a fireman, but by a very long screw from the coal tender to that chamber, he explained it was done because of the huge amount of coal while driving. He said the machine had about 5000 HP. Now my question is: Does anyone of you know who that man was and if he is still running that loc? I can not find anything on the internet. Well, I wish you all the best, Gerard Rorik, retired ships mecanic, Eindhoven, the Netherlands. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 77.162.178.42 (talk) 20:04, 21 March 2020 (UTC)

title: Talk:Lima Locomotive Works


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Talk:On the Cult of Personality and Its Consequences

Common name
The subject is almost always referred to as the "secret speech". Per WP:COMMONNAME, shouldn't that be the article's title? Everyking (talk) 00:54, 25 February 2014 (UTC)
 * It's been more than a year since I suggested this. Does anyone have any thoughts, for or against? Everyking (talk) 06:31, 9 March 2015 (UTC)
 * Well, we have an official name, and a reasonable one. The "common name" is a misconception, I am not sure Wikipedia must contribute to its propagation, common or not. No wonder quite often is is called so in quotes, just like you did . So at best I could have agreed to Khrushchev's "secret speech", so that the word "secret" not to be taken it its face value. -M.Altenmann >t 06:12, 10 March 2015 (UTC)
 * Regardless, it's essentially always called the "secret speech". So, per WP:COMMONNAME, this seems pretty straightforward. Everyking (talk) 00:17, 11 March 2015 (UTC)
 * Regardless, it's essentially always called Khrushchev's secret speech, often in quotes, or variant thereof, as I checked in google books (where I found several more "secret speeches"). If you don't object, I would suggest to go ahead and move to the latter title, since the version with quotes, while IMO more correct, I fear will cause objections as ugly. -M.Altenmann >t 05:56, 11 March 2015 (UTC)
 * That would be much better than the current title, although I think the best title would simply be Secret Speech. Everyking (talk) 00:33, 21 March 2015 (UTC)
 * I have never once heard the name that this page is labelled and I have heard "Secret Speech" probably 40 times in my life. I don't know how to prove this quantifiably but it is actively confusing with the current name. Even the Khrushchev page calls it the Secret Speech because it increases clarity.2601:602:0:231B:7D31:1DE3:EFF5:E82B ([[User talk) 20:10, 20 March 2018 (UTC)

Things that should be referenced
Khrushchev's ulterior motivation, however, was to legitimize and help consolidate his control of the Communist party and government, power obtained in a political struggle with Stalin loyalists Vyacheslav Molotov and Georgy Malenkov. I think the author should put from which reference this was taken. Otherwise, it would be personal judgment which are not to be made on Wikipedia. Tumsaa (talk) 15:22, 14 May 2014 (UTC)
 * Among others, this type of opinion was held by Anne Appelbaum, but her accent, in addition to power consolidation, was cover-up of Kruschev's personal responsibility . I am pretty sure some others may have expressed similar opinions. -M.Altenmann >t 06:25, 10 March 2015 (UTC)
 * The author of that comment is obviously biased. Khrushchev condemned political repression and responded releasing political prisoners and considerably lowering censoring and repression. When words are consistent with actions there is no need to guess further motivations. -Miguel, from Mexico. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 187.145.144.187 (talk) 07:26, 26 June 2016 (UTC)
 * WRONG. Wiki follows what the Reliable Sources say, not your personal philosophy. 50.111.36.47 (talk) 16:30, 25 February 2022 (UTC)

A 2011 book titled Khrushchev Lied by American academic Grover Furr
Please be serious. Grover Furr is an academician in old English literature. It doesn't make him an expert in chemistry or Soviet history. The text should be removed.Xx236 (talk) 06:03, 1 April 2015 (UTC) The quoted Sven-Eric Holmstrom isn't an academician, he is probably dead, so let's forget him.Xx236 (talk) 06:07, 1 April 2015 (UTC)
 * Geoffrey Roberts is a Stalinist. The article seems to be POV, dominated by Stalinists.
 * Kołakowski doesn't deserve to be quoted among Stalinists.Xx236 (talk) 06:10, 1 April 2015 (UTC)
 * Roberts is not a fan of Stalin at all. He calls him a dictator in his books. --Ismail (talk) 04:24, 29 October 2015 (UTC)

 * According to Kolakowski, Stalin presided over a country "blessed with the most progressive and democratic system of government in human history." Seriously? Seriously? Needs to be removed as biased with no counter-balancing pov. ~ Alcmaeonid (talk) 04:27, 25 August 2015 (UTC)
 * Kołakowski was being sarcastic when he wrote that, he didn't actually think the USSR was progressive or democratic. His claim was that the post-1956 Soviet narrative made little sense. --Ismail (talk) 04:23, 29 October 2015 (UTC)

Requested move 28 February 2016

 * The following is a closed discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. Editors desiring to contest the closing decision should consider a move review. No further edits should be made to this section.

The result of the move request was: No move. Cúchullain t/ c 18:47, 8 March 2016 (UTC)

On the Cult of Personality and Its Consequences → ? – "Secret Speech" is the more common and recognizable name of the speech Prisencolin (talk) 00:55, 28 February 2016 (UTC)
 * Oppose per Polly Jones Myth, Memory, Trauma: Rethinking the Stalinist Past in the Soviet Union, 1953-70 and White Spots—Black Spots "Nikita Khrushchev, first secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU, gave a secret speech titled, “On the Cult of Personality and Its Consequences,” ". As we can see "a secret speech" has a title.  In ictu oculi (talk) 07:07, 28 February 2016 (UTC)
 * Oppose – see discussion above ("Common name"). I'd agree that many people looking for the speech may not know its title, but the WP redirection from secret speech is picked up with a Google search. Newton's book Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica is commonly called The Principia by scientists, but the WP article uses its full title. Secret speech isn't even a convenient shortening like that. I wouldn't say that it's the "commonly recognisable name". It's not really a name at all; it's more like an ambiguous nickname. We could reduce the ambiguity by using Khrushchev’s secret speech, the name used by the Encyclopedia Britannica. But to do so we've moved into less common usage while still not approaching the real name or proper specificity. How about Khrushchev’s secret speech about Stalin? Or even better, the speech's actual title On the Cult of Personality and Its Consequences? Polly Tunnel (talk) 16:14, 28 February 2016 (UTC)
 * Support. WP:COMMONNAME clearly dictates that the article should be titled "Secret speech". It's always called the "secret speech"; there's not even a contest here. Everyking (talk) 06:50, 29 February 2016 (UTC)
 * Oppose. Ambiguous and wrong title. Current title is correct, clear and reasonably short. COMMONNAME cannot 'dictate' anything. This is a guideline and must be used wisely. By straightforward logic we have to use the article title fucking for sexual intercourse, if most common usage to consider. - üser:Altenmann >t 06:18, 1 March 2016 (UTC)
 * Oppose, per above and the NYT headline "Soviets, After 33 Years, Publish Khrushchev's Anti-Stalin Speech", suggesting it's not all that common. zzz (talk) 08:33, 29 February 2016 (UTC)
 * It is very common, I assure you. It is always called the "secret speech". If people for some reason want the overly long, obscure official title, fine, but it blatantly contradicts WP:COMMONNAME. Everyking (talk) 03:57, 1 March 2016 (UTC)
 * Well, to be less sloppy, it is commonly called "Khrushchev's Secret Speech" - and this one is cewrtainly recognizable. - üser:Altenmann >t 06:18, 1 March 2016 (UTC)
 * I think just "Secret Speech" is simpler and more common. And there aren't any other famous speeches known to history as the "Secret Speech", so specifying Khrushchev wouldn't be necessary. Everyking (talk) 19:55, 1 March 2016 (UTC)

 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on this talk page or in a move review. No further edits should be made to this section.

Out of how many?
" the Communist Party USA alone lost more than 30,000 members within weeks of its publication." Out of how many? Polar Apposite (talk) 18:43, 10 September 2023 (UTC)

 * Communist Party Membership by Districts 1922-1950 source unfortunately goes up to 1950, and it shows only 37,751 members by 1950. If it hadn't moved a lot away from a figure like that by 1956, it would be consistent with the lead section statement from article Communist Party USA: The party itself imploded following the public condemnation of Stalin by Nikita Khrushchev in 1956, with membership sinking to a few thousand [...]. A few thousand plus 30,000-ish lost is close to membership in 1950. –Vipz (talk) 12:49, 12 September 2023 (UTC)
 * Would it be justified to add something along the lines, of, "[...] which would have been most of their members. Soon membership had sunk to just a few thousand. Khrushchev's public condemnation had the effect of causing the CPUSA to implode."? Polar Apposite (talk) 00:09, 13 September 2023 (UTC)
 * @Polar Apposite: "which would have been most of their members" would be WP:SYNTH if it's not in the source, and we don't really have to connect the dots for readers. –Vipz (talk) 13:33, 15 September 2023 (UTC)
 * Is there some other way to phrase it that would be acceptable? How about "out of a total of about 40,000 members)"? The important fact, to the ordinary reader, is, surely, what fraction of the members left. To say the party lost 30,000 members without saying what proportion that represented, besides being highly uninformative, and to the inquiring mind, somewhat tantalizing, also seems to imply that the writer is assuming that the reader already knows what the total was, which is atrocious writing, IMHO. Polar Apposite (talk) 15:59, 15 September 2023 (UTC)
 * Well, we know that the party lost more than 30,000 and afterwards had a few thousand members, and these are both estimates. The total could've been anywhere from 30,000 to 40,000, maybe even more (if for example "more than 30,000" meant 35,000 and "a few thousand" in the aftermath of loss meant "7,000", making for e.g. 42,000). It is ultimately synthesis, there is no way around it than to avoid it altogether. We ought to seek other reliable sources, perhaps even contact CPUSA itself to see if they have anything in their archives (and of course, include such information only if published in reliable sources) about membership since 1950. –Vipz (talk) 17:07, 15 September 2023 (UTC)
 * How about stating, "The total could've been anywhere from 30,000 to 40,000, maybe even more", then? As a stopgap, until we get a more precise figure? Polar Apposite (talk) 19:51, 15 September 2023 (UTC)


text:
File:SmithsVeryBest.jpg

Summary
The sleeve for the 2001 The Smiths compilation, The Very Best of….

title: File:SmithsVeryBest.jpg


text:
User:Olivier Debre

Introducing me, very quickly
If you are looking for information about Olivier Debré, you may well be referring to my namesake :-)

My wikistats

title: User:Olivier Debre


text:
River Dodder

The River Dodder (An Dothra) is one of the three main rivers in Dublin, Ireland, the others being the Liffey, of which the Dodder is the largest tributary, and the Tolka.

Course and system

The Dodder rises on the northern slopes of Kippure in the Wicklow Mountains and is formed from several streams. The headwaters flow from Kippure Ridge, and include, and are often mapped solely as, Tromanallison (Allison's Brook), which is then joined by Mareen's Brook, including the Cataract of the Brown Rowan, and then the combined flow meeting the Cot and Slade Brooks.

In the river's valley at Glenasmole are the two Bohernabreena Reservoirs, a major part of the Dublin water supply system.

The Dodder is 26 km long. It passes the Dublin suburbs of Tallaght and then Firhouse, travels by Templeogue, passes Rathfarnham, Rathgar, Milltown, Clonskeagh, and Donnybrook, and goes through Ballsbridge and past Sandymount, before entering the Liffey near Ringsend, along with the Grand Canal, at Grand Canal Dock.

There is a weir just above the bridge at Ballsbridge and the river becomes tidal roughly where the bridge at Lansdowne Road crosses it. The Dodder and the River Tolka are Dublin's second-largest rivers, after the Liffey.

Tributaries
The Dodder's main tributaries after Glenasmole, in and prior to which many streams join, are the Jobstown (or Whitestown) Stream, the Owendoher River and its tributary the Whitechurch Stream, the Little Dargle River (with Castle Stream and other tributaries), the Slang or Dundrum River, the Swan River (or Water), and the small Muckross Stream.

Link with the Poddle
The River Poddle, a tributary of the Liffey in its own right, was linked with the River Dodder from a large weir, in Balrothery, north of Firhouse village, from the 13th century. This weir, variously called the City, Great, Balrothery or Firhouse Weir, facilitated the offtake of part of the Dodder flow through a sluice and canal structure, known as the "City Watercourse", which ran through part of Templeogue. This link formerly provided much of Dublin City's water supply. It was partly piped in the mid-20th century, and the connection was later broken by housing development. All that remains now are a small channel from the weir, dead-ending less than 100m from the weir, and some unseen underground flows.

History
The Dodder lay well beyond the original city of Dublin but began to have an important impact in the 13th century when water from its course was diverted to boost the small Poddle River, which in turn supplied fresh water to parts of Dublin.

Over centuries, the Dodder and its tributaries drove many mills, crucial to Dublin's industrial base, but all are now disused. In many cases, all traces have been erased but there are some remaining, such as millraces. The de Meones family, who gave their name to the nearby suburb of Rathmines, owned a mill in that area as early as the mid-fourteenth century. In the sixteenth century much of the surrounding lands belonged to the Talbot family, ancestors of the Talbots of Mount Talbot. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries the Domvile family, who owned much of Templeogue, effectively controlled access to much of the river, which passed through their estates. At that time the Dodder was the main source of Dublin's drinking water, and whether fairly or unfairly, the Domviles were accused of using their control of the Dublin water supply to further their own selfish ends, by threatening to divert its course if their wishes were not met. In fact, the legal right to control the course of the river was vested in the Mayor and Corporation of Dublin; this was confirmed by a court ruling as early as 1527.

Flooding
The river floods some surrounding areas from time to time, as it is too short and shallow to hold the volume of water which pours into it from its tributaries during heavy rain. The River Dodder "has a history of flooding and is known as a "flashy" river with a quick response to rainstorms."

A flood on the Dodder in March 1628 claimed the life of Arthur Ussher, Deputy Clerk to the Privy Council of Ireland, who was "carried away by the current, nobody being able to succour him, although many persons.... his nearest friends, were by on both sides."

The two greatest Dodder floods before 1986 occurred on 25 August 1905, and on 3 and 4 August 1931. Hurricane Charley (often spelt "Charlie" in Ireland) passed south of the country on 25 August 1986. In 24 hours, 200mm (almost 8 inches) of rain poured down on Kippure Mountain while 100mm fell on Dublin causing heavy river flooding, including the Dodder in many places, and hardship and loss were experienced.

It has long been recognised that the problem of flooding is very difficult to solve, due to the sheer volume of water which pours into the river during periods of heavy rainfall.

Flora and fauna
There is an abundance of flora and fauna at the river. However, as the river flows through urban areas, pollution has long been a problem.

Flora
Flora along the river is varied. Bryophytes and algae are common with an abundance of filamentous green algae. Crocosmia, Japanese knotweed and Himalayan balsam are the only invasive species recorded along the river.

Fauna
The Dodder is home to many water-bird species including mallard, grey heron, kingfisher, dipper, coot, moorhen, grey wagtail, common sandpiper, cormorant and mute swan; the sparrowhawk nests in the trees lining the riverbanks. The red fox is common along the riverbank and the badger and otter have also been seen. In recent years a small feral population of mandarin ducks has become established by the river. It was reported in 2013 that an Irish Wildlife Trust survey found otters living along the Dodder.

Fish present in the river include brown trout, sea trout, stone loach, three-spined stickleback and European eel. Atlantic salmon can also be found in the river's lower course.

Atlantic salmon and lamprey eels are expected to return to most of the river after a more than 200-year absence pending the construction of fish ladders

Fishing and angling
The Dodder is a popular river for fishing and angling amongst Dubliners. The fishing season is open between 17 March and 30 September.

Books
The Dodder is the main focus of Down the Dodder (Christopher Moriarty, 1998) and The Rivers Dodder and Poddle (McEntee and Corcoran, 2016), and is also discussed in multiple more general books, including The Rivers of Dublin (Sweeney, 1991), and Ten Dozen Waters: The Rivers and Streams of County Dublin (Doyle, 2008 et seq) and other volumes by the same author.

title: River Dodder


text:
The Life of the Last Prophet

The Life of the Last Prophet is the first album released by Yusuf Islam (after leaving the Western pop music business in 1978, when he was known as Cat Stevens). After that time, he recorded only albums with Islamic themes, including recordings for children to learn both the Arabic alphabet and basic tenets of Islam. This album is both an attempt to give praise to Muhammad, which is encouraged as an act of faith in the Qur'an, and an attempt to reach out to young people and those who wish to understand more about Islam, and to explain why such a popular commercial recording artist would leave the business at the height of his career.

Released in 1995, the album is a spoken-word, audio production.

Track listing

 * 1) Call to Prayer [Adhan]
 * 2) Introduction
 * 3) The Lone Orphan
 * 4) The Trustworthy
 * 5) The Black Stone
 * 6) Polytheists and Idols
 * 7) The Cave
 * 8) Read! [Surah Al'alaq]
 * 9) The Opening [Surah Al-Fatihah]
 * 10) Allah; the One [Surah Al-Ikhlas]
 * 11) Rejection and Boycott
 * 12) The Night Journey
 * 13) The Lote Tree [Surah Al-Isra']
 * 14) Five Daily Prayers
 * 15) Al-Madinah
 * 16) The First Constitution
 * 17) Migrants and Helpers [Surah Al-Anfal]
 * 18) Charity and Fasting
 * 19) People of the Book
 * 20) Permission to Fight [Surah Al-Hajj]
 * 21) Battle of Badr
 * 22) Truce of Hudaybiyyah
 * 23) Call to the Rulers
 * 24) Common Terms [Surah Al 'Imran]
 * 25) Makkah Opened
 * 26) Ilaha Illa Allah
 * 27) Idols Smashed
 * 28) Religion of Truth [Surah Al-Saf]
 * 29) Farewell Pilgrimage
 * 30) This Day [Surah Al-Mustafa]
 * 31) The Death of the Prophet
 * 32) Muhammad Al Mustafa
 * 33) Supplication [Du'd]
 * 34) Tala'a Al-Badru 'Alayna

title: The Life of the Last Prophet


text:
The Very Best of The Smiths

The Very Best of The Smiths is a compilation album by English rock band The Smiths. It was released in June 2001 by WEA in Europe, without consent or input from the band. It reached number 30 on the UK Albums Chart. The album was not released in the United States.

Background
After Singles (1995), the previous Smiths compilation album that WEA (now the Warner Music Group) had issued, went out of print in Europe, Australia and Taiwan, the record company decided to revamp the package slightly and release it under the name The Very Best of The Smiths. WEA scrambled the running order and added five tracks, and enticed the record buyers with the incentive of digital remastering.

The album was widely criticised by the British music press, who, after stopping to praise the actual music, went on to condemn what they saw as a money-grabbing exercise. They were quickly joined by singer Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr, who distanced themselves from the album, stating they had had no input whatsoever and that it should be ignored by fans. Both ridiculed the cover design and Marr additionally denounced the sound quality.

In the tradition of other Smiths compilations which largely overlapped except for a few songs, this album does contain two versions not available on any other of The Smiths' albums: the single mix of "Ask" and the 7-inch edit of "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me". The Singles compilation used the album versions of these songs.

Cover
The sleeve for The Very Best of The Smiths features Charles Hawtrey of Carry On fame, one of Morrissey's favourite actors (he wrote an obituary of him in the NME). The band members had no say in the cover, which has been described as "an adman's approximation of a Smiths cover" by Mojo magazine.

Track listing
All songs written by Morrissey/Marr. Songs marked "*" are exclusive to this compilation.

 * 1) "Panic" – 2:20
 * 2) "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side" (single version) – 3:17
 * 3) "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" – 3:35
 * 4) "Ask" (single version)* – 3:09
 * 5) "Bigmouth Strikes Again" – 3:13
 * 6) "How Soon Is Now?" (album version) – 6:45
 * 7) "This Charming Man" – 2:42
 * 8) "What Difference Does It Make?" – 3:51
 * 9) "William, It Was Really Nothing" – 2:12
 * 10) "Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others" – 3:17
 * 11) "Girlfriend in a Coma" – 2:02
 * 12) "Hand in Glove" (album version) – 3:24
 * 13) "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" – 4:04
 * 14) "Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want" – 1:53
 * 15) "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore" (album version) – 4:59
 * 16) "I Know It's Over" – 5:49
 * 17) "Sheila Take a Bow" – 2:41
 * 18) "I Started Something I Couldn't Finish" – 3:47
 * 19) "Still Ill" – 3:22
 * 20) "Shakespeare's Sister" – 2:09
 * 21) "Shoplifters of the World Unite" – 2:58
 * 22) "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me" (single version)* – 3:10
 * 23) "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before" – 3:33

 * Tracks 7, 8, 12 and 19 – The Smiths
 * Tracks 3, 6, 9 and 14 – Hatful of Hollow
 * Tracks 6 and 15 – Meat Is Murder
 * Tracks 5, 10, 13 and 16 – The Queen Is Dead
 * Tracks 1, 3, 4, 14, 17, 20 and 21 – Louder Than Bombs
 * Tracks 1, 2, 3, 9, 14, 17, 20 and 21 – The World Won't Listen
 * Tracks 11, 18 and 23 – Strangeways, Here We Come

Personnel

 * Morrissey – vocals
 * Johnny Marr – guitars, keyboard instruments, harmonica, mandolins, synthesized saxophone, string and flute arrangements
 * Andy Rourke – bass guitar, cello on "Shakespeare's Sister"
 * Mike Joyce – drums

Additional musicians

 * Craig Gannon – rhythm guitar on "Panic" and "Ask"
 * Kirsty MacColl – backing vocals on "Ask"
 * John Porter – slide guitar on "Sheila Take a Bow"
 * Stephen Street – drum machine on "I Started Something I Couldn't Finish" and synthesized string arrangements on "Girlfriend in a Coma"

Production

 * John Porter – producer (1, 3–4, 6–9, 14, 19), remixer (12)
 * The Smiths – producers (12, 15, 20)
 * Morrissey and Marr – producers (2, 5, 10, 13, 16)
 * Johnny Marr – producer (21)
 * Johnny Marr, Morrissey and Stephen Street – producers (11, 17–18, 22–23)
 * Steve Lillywhite – remixer (4)

title: The Very Best of The Smiths


text:
Talk:Cultural identity

The Last Section
I'm not an anthropology student, but I am an avid reader of this website. The last section about the internet does not read in the same neutral tone as the rest of Wikipedia. It reads like the author is writing a high school English essay, rather than a Wikipedia article. It uses overly fanciful language, such as "The internet is becoming an extension of the expressive dimension of the youth condition." It isn't restating information taken from another source, it's the making broad generalizations with fluffy words, and tellign a story to make a point. Amtrak Official (talk) 6:52, 16 October 2019 (UTC)

Distuped neutrality
In the opening part of the article about people who have their cultural identity change more it sounds very opinionated and not at all neutral and unbiased. Particularbeach (talk) 04:15, 20 May 2023 (UTC)

 * Agreed, I've added the POV lead template. I've also added Tone as much of the article isn't written in an encyclopedic style (evidenced e.g. by multiple uses of "we"). AVDLCZ (talk) 23:13, 8 June 2023 (UTC)

Wiki Education assignment: The Anthropology of Violence
— Assignment last updated by RiverScullerPDX (talk) 18:13, 15 February 2024 (UTC)

The description section appears to be disorganized, and restating the intro paragraph in a lot of ways. I think that the paragraph about Nation could be given its own section where postcolonial framework of teaching in education could be discussed. I also think that the paragraph after that one could be removed, it uses "we" a lot. Jennlu (talk) 06:14, 5 February 2024 (UTC)

Biculturalism
I think that a section about biculturalism can be added that discusses more about the experiences of people who are split between two or more cultures. Topics include assimilation, acculturation, generational trauma, hybridity. Jennlu (talk) 06:16, 5 February 2024 (UTC)

title: Talk:Cultural identity


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Moi, Norway

Moi is the administrative centre of Lund municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The village is located at the northern end of the lake Lundevatnet, one of the deepest lakes in Norway. The European route E39 highway passes through Moi. The Sørlandet Line also runs through Moi, stopping at Moi Station.

The 1.6 km2 village has a population (2019) of 1,926 and a population density of 1204 PD/km2.

Industry
The largest employer in Moi is NorDan, which is the largest window factory in northern Europe. After the Industrial Revolution, Moi developed a relatively large timber industry. Moi is also home to Moen Bjøllefabrikk, a bell manufacturer, which was the official supplier of animal bells used to cheer on athletes at the Lillehammer 1994 Winter Olympics, and in partnership with Cowbells.com for the Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Olympics. Additionally, Norway's only active clog factory is located just north of Moi in the village of Eik.

Attractions

 * Lund kirke, the local church, is approximately 200 years old and built in the traditional Norwegian country style in wood and painted white.
 * Lund bygdemuseum og kulturbank, the local museum, is located by the church in the old barn of the priest's farm. It has an extensive display of agricultural tools as well as objects from World War II. Attached to the museum is Haien, an old farm, which is very well preserved.

Notable residents

 * Several musicians are from Moi:
 * Elvira Nikolaisen
 * Emil Nikolaisen (Serena Maneesh)
 * Ivar Nikolaisen (Silver, The Good The Bad and The Zugly, Kvelertak)
 * Hilma Nikolaisen (Serena Maneesh)
 * Øystein Stensheim (Det Norske Solistkor).
 * Pete Sanstol, Norway's only boxing world champion, was born in Moi. On 7 June 2005, the village raised a monolith in its city park to his memory.
 * Boye Brogeland, a world champion contract bridge player, was born in Moi in 1973.

title: Moi, Norway


text:
Trocken

Trocken, German for dry, is a classification of German wine that indicates a wine that is dry rather than off-dry (halbtrocken), sweeter (lieblich) or sweet (süß). Trocken wines are not devoid of residual sugar, but have, at most, a few grams per liter, which can be perceptible but is not overtly sweet. Trocken is also a designation for Austrian wine, but more rarely used there than in Germany, since many quality categories of Austrian wines are dry by default.

Somewhat confusingly, for Sekt and other sparkling wines, trocken indicates a higher level of sugar than it does for non-sparkling wines. A Sekt trocken is best described as off-dry or semi-sweet, while a Sekt brut is completely dry.

Requirements
The maximum amount of sugar allowed for a trocken designation depends on the level of acid in the wine. For wine low in acid, a maximum of 4 g/L sugar is allowed. If the acid level exceeds 2 g/L, the sugar may exceed the acid level by 2 grams per liter, up to a maximum sugar content of 9 g/L. Most high-quality German white wines have a high enough acidity to be allowed up to 9 grams per liter of sugar under the trocken level. When used, the requirements in Austria are exactly the same.

Sparkling wines
When used for sparkling wine, the term trocken means a sugar content of 17 to 35 g/L. This parallels the term sec ("dry") in French, which indicates a sparkling wine of the same sugar level as trocken. Drier wines are designated extra trocken at 12 to 20 g/L, while completely dry sparkling wines are given the designation brut (0–15 g/L) or extra brut (0–6 g/L).

Background
Until the invention of sterile filtration, most German wines were dry. Fermentation continued until all the sugar was consumed, leaving only miscellaneous unfermentable sugars. Only the occasional sweet rarity, made from extremely ripe grapes, kept any residual sugar. For most of the twentieth century, the style was typically sweeter low-alcohol wines. Only since about 1990 has trocken wine become popular, partly because many prefer it with food. Most exported German wine is still of the sweeter styles. While it appears in the term trockenbeerenauslese, trocken in that case refers to the dried grapes, not the dryness of the resulting wine.

title: Trocken


text:
Chinmi

Chinmi (珍味) is a Japanese term meaning literally "rare taste", but more appropriately "delicacy". They are local cuisines that have fallen out of popularity or that are peculiar to a certain area. Many involve pickled seafood.

Hokkaidō area

 * Hizunamasu
 * Ikanankotsu – Cooked soft bones of squid
 * Kankai – Dried Komai fish. It may be eaten as is, or broiled and eaten with a sauce made by mixing mayonnaise and soy sauce and sprinkles of red pepper powder.
 * Kirikomi
 * Matsumaezuke
 * Mefun
 * Saketoba – A smoked salmon
 * Tachikama
 * Uni

Tōhoku area

 * Awabi no Kimo – Ground internal organs of abalone
 * Donpiko – The heart of a salmon. As only one can be taken from a fish, it is very rare.
 * Hoya – sea pineapple
 * Momijizuke – Shreds of fresh salmons and Ikura pickled together
 * Tonburi – A speciality of Akita prefecture. The dried seeds of the hosagi plant.

Kanto area

 * Ankimo – Either fresh or steamed liver of an Anko fish
 * Kusaya – Dried and pickled fish of Izu islands

Chūbu area

 * Fugu no Ranso no Nukazuke – detoxed blowfish ovary in rice-bran
 * Hebo
 * Ika no Maruboshi
 * Inago no Tsukudani
 * Konowata
 * Kuchiko
 * Kurozukuri
 * Zazamushi

Kinki area

 * Daitokuji Natto
 * Funazushi
 * Kinzanji Miso

Chūgoku area

 * Hiroshimana

Shikoku area

 * Chorogi
 * Katsuo no Heso
 * Shuto
 * Dorome

Kyūshū area

 * Ganzuke (Saga)
 * Karashi Mentaiko (Fukuoka)
 * Karashi Renkon (Kumamoto)
 * Karasumi (Nagasaki)
 * Okyuto (Fukuoka)

Okinawa area

 * Tofuyo
 * Umibudo – A type of edible seaweed with tiny seeds that hang from its stems

title: Chinmi


text:
Gods of Arr-Kelaan

The Gods of Arr-Kelaan is a fantasy/humor webcomic drawn and written by illustrator Chuck Rowles and aided with visual effects and the coloring help of his brother Steve Rowles. It's hosted on its own site, as well as some publications still found on a webcomic portal/community known as "The Duck" (formally "Drunk Duck").

The comic, although still online and available in printed works, has been on unknown hiatus since Early 2010. The comic at its most popular updated twice a week, with the comic gathering approximately 4400 unique hits per day. It has been featured on Comixpedia, the Webcomics Examiner and Comic World News, and in print in the Weekender. Rowles has also done book signings.

The world of Arr-Kelaan was created in 1986 by Len Zaikoski, a friend of Chuck Rowles, for use in a role-playing game. Rowles initially contributed one deity, then a few more, then found himself with a full pantheon and stories to tell about them. He started drawing the comic to do so, initially intending it to be in pamphlet form but ending up taking it online. Gods has been published in several paperback print collections, and one of its five major story arcs is only available in print.

Setting
As the interstellar cruise ship Traveller on its maiden voyage (with Earthling passengers and a multiplanetary crew) comes under pirate attack, its captain panics and does the impossible, sending his vessel plunging into an alternate dimension. Upon waking on the world of Arr-Kelaan, the survivors discover they have gained the power of gods: they are indestructible, they can hear the thoughts of mortals, create anything with a mere thought and even bring back the dead. Arr-Kelaan itself is something out of a fantasy novel, with mages and dragons.

Campaign
Zaikoski's Arr-Kelaan grew into a full-scale Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting, compatible with 2nd edition rules and available online. In contrast to many RPG-derived works, Rowles' Arr-Kelaan is scantly recognizable. The geography and the basic D&D elements of a vaguely medieval society and polytheistic/henotheistic pantheons are the same, but whereas the game focuses on adventurers in a world stably ruled by Travellers-turned-gods for millennia, Gods portrays the effects of the Travellers on the world and each other when they first arrive and establish themselves.

Structure
Gods shows its offline origins in its full-page paperback layout. Stories are organized into lengthy arcs, which in turn are split into "issues" of roughly two dozen pages each. Pages are designed to form a whole more than to stand on their own; conversations often carry over for several, and there are few overt last-panel punchlines. Gods is normally black and white, although issue "covers" and "Volume Zero" are in color. Partway through "Consequences" "Gods" made a switch to full colour, there are plans to add color to all pages from "Consequences".

The comic's plot is highly character-driven, to the point of largely leaving the mages and dragons on the wayside: When asked how Gods fits into the fantasy genre, Rowles answered "With a shoehorn, I think." The great number of characters forms an ensemble cast, though in practice Ronson has received the most exposure.

Stories
The timeline of Gods of Arr-Kelaan can be somewhat confusing, as the events were neither drawn nor shown in their chronological order.

Here are the stories in order of their own timeline, with the more supplemental ones indented:
 * "As Luck Would Have It" - Sharra and Loki find themselves in opposition over a mortal wager. Part of "Myths and Legends".

 * "Volume 0"  - details Ronson waking up on Arr-Kelaan, uncertain of how he got there and slowly discovering his new godly abilities. This story and the next do feature a party of adventurers, only to have Ronson's presence irreparably break their paradigm.
 * "For the Death of Kings" - Details one of Ronson's first adventures, which takes place several months after Volume 0 and features the first appearances of Claremont and Salsmen. The story is available only in print, in the first book of "Going Home." (Written from 1991–1993)
 * The Price of Knowledge - Originally planned as a featurette for the comic book publication of Death of Kings, Price was instead gathered into one place as a chapter in the former's book release. The two take place simultaneously.
 * "A Tolerable Day" - A wordless short story that gives an example of Ronson's life. The story has been printed in the first Night Gig Sampler and reprinted in the book version of "Myths & Legends." (Started in 2002, finished in 2006)

 * "Going Home"  - Details Ronson's travels to find the ship he crashed on Arr-Kelaan with, as he encounters various other Traveller gods and how they have adapted to their new powers. Features the most pivotal single event of the new pantheon. The print version is slightly expanded with a handful of pages through the story that are not present online. (Written from 2003–2005)
 * "The Guy on the Rock" - Ronson and his followers come upon a man in the desert. The story is four pages long and takes place between the first and second parts of Going Home. It is printed in the second book of Going Home.

 * "Consequences" - The ongoing story, taking place months after Going Home. Consequences takes a broader look into the state of the planet and has several major storylines. (Started in 2006, finished in 2009)
 * "Lucky Break" - General Shrub was banished to a small island in the middle of nowhere. It would take a lot of luck to get him out of there. Features the Sharras. The story is an offshoot of the events in Going Home, it has been printed in "Drunk Duck Volume 2." and The Gods of Arr-Kelaan: Short Stories Volume One
 * "The Point of Some Return" - A party of adventurous seeks a cleric to revive a fallen comrade. This story shows the long-term results of some events in Consequences.
 * "Scared To Death" - A follower of Shadowscared dies but his soul is nowhere to be found, Thanantria sends Shadowscared to track him down.
 * "Fear of Bunnies" - Bunny objects to Zeus' treatment of his followers while Shadowscared watches on. Part of "Myths and Legends".
 * "The Love of Knowledge" - Claremont travels to the top of the highest mountain in Arr-Kelaan for an experiment, to his surprise Wenya is waiting for him. Part of "Myths and Legends".
 * "This Guy Walks Into A Bar" - Features Brindle and Aanlonar from Going Home, many years later. The story is an offshoot of the events in "Going Home" and is printed in "Drunk Duck Volume 3 and The Gods of Arr-Kelaan: Short Stories Volume One."
 * "Dead Man Working" - A follower of Bikk's gets unusually creative to make a profit. The story is a collaboration between Chuck Rowles and Sean Howard of squidi.net, it has been printed in "NightGig of the Living Dead #2 and The Gods of Arr-Kelaan: Short Stories Volume One."
 * "Family Matters" - To protect his daughter Claremont seeks the aid of several different gods. Part of "Myths and Legends".
 * "Tankard of Trouble" - Many years after two miraculous tankards of endless ale were given to a couple of soldiers, Ronson steps in to rectify a situation he had not been aware of. The story is an offshoot of the events in Going Home it was printed in "Drunk Duck Volume 1." and The Gods of Arr-Kelaan: Short Stories Volume One"
 * "Dealing with Deities" - Bikk decides to recruit Teldin into his service. Part of "Myths and Legends".
 * "Not All Prophets are Profitable" - Kerrimachus has a rather confusing encounter with Sephin. Part of "Myths and Legends".

 * "Myths & Legends"   - Well over a century after all other stories, the Gods of Arr-Kelaan have settled in and become a worshipped pantheon. The story is told from the point of view of mortals, with numerous flashbacks and tales. Ronson is not the main character. Myths & Legends was originally written in 1996, and rescripted (and somewhat revised) in 2006, making it the second oldest of all stories.

Travellers
The Traveller gods are the survivors of the spaceship crash, who awakened years if not decades later all over the world to find themselves apparently appointed its rightful deities. Mentally they're unchanged, and a central theme of the comic is their adaptation to their new positions. Most are human beings in shape; two are of demihuman races and three of monstrous humanoid races, all endemic to Earth's universe. The name is a slight misnomer, as several are from the Competent Offender, the pirate vessel that attacked the Traveller and in fact supply much of the pantheon's sinister side.

As deities, each is associated with a domain that reflects their personality or traits (the survivors, and thus the domains, were "almost certainly" not determined randomly. ) What they're actually known as can vary: Salsmen of Deceit is much more likely to be worshipped as Salsmen of Power. They hear mortal prayers associated either with them or their domains. In "Myths and Legends", a large group of people unhappy and afraid draws both Bunny (happiness) and Shadowscared (fear). One without a following hears everything in the vicinity.

Their godly powers amount to reality warping around themselves: spontaneous item generation, flight, teleporting themselves and others to where they've already been, slowing their perception of time, polymorphing, telepathy, the traditional fireballs and lightning bolts, etc. Gods generate divine power spontaneously, without any external source, and in a very real sense they are beings of this power: Their appearance is now entirely a personal choice (many loom huge when appropriate, Claremont's gone subatomic), with a default to how they see themselves, and they are impervious to physical damage and pain, up to and including atmospheric reentry without a vehicle. They can sleep but need not to. The Traveller Gods are not entirely immortal when facing each other, non-Traveller gods or legendary magic items.

The Travellers start as rough equals, but their powers are limited by their levels of skill in wielding them. . Making new life is thus far too complex, resurrection is only possible if the soul is available. The acquisition of magical artifacts has given some gods an advantage.

Priests and clerics draw upon their patrons' strength as magical power. The closer the followers' beliefs are to the ideals of their god, the more power they have. The gods could leave Arr-Kelaan and settle on another world, although their powers would be weaker. This is the same drop in power experienced by earth gods who came to Arr-Kelaan.

(An illustration of just about all of the gods can be found at http://www.rmcomics.com/Cast.htm .)

 * Ronson B. Eichler – God of Apathy/Alcohol, a passenger on the Traveller. The main character of most of the stories and the author's first creation. A balding man, almost perpetually unhappy, Ronson was once a successful businessman living a marvelous life on Earth – until the death of his wife, Emily, left him an alcoholic wreck and practically emotionally dead. Though he's a recluse and prefers not being bothered by prayers, Ronson rarely ignores people who need his help. He began his success story with a brewery and brought beer to Arr-Kelaan, making him the God of Alcohol as well. Unable to become drunk, but still spends much of his time manifesting and consuming drinks. Ronson has no desire for glory, no grand plans for Arr-Kelaan. He initially refuses to be worshipped, not seeing why he should be or why he'd have any right for it. After he caves in his actual temples lie very few and far between, and his clerics are in taverns doing much the same as him. Whatever it is that Sephin hears seems to have appointed him the leader of the gods; his response is to drink beer and really wish it hadn't. Inti in the comic and theologians in the original setting both surmise that such leadership may actually be beneficial by tempering others' desires to make demands of their followers and shape the planet in their image.
 * Bikk – God of Trade/Commerce, the chief financier and navigator of the Competent Offender. A man obsessed with wealth, power and status, Bikk's first move on Arr-Kelaan was to establish a church of himself. His ultimate goal is his boyhood dream of world domination. Though happy on Arr-Kelaan Bikk has expressed a desire to return and conquer Earth. Bikk is an expert at manipulation and negotiation, highly deceitful although he will stick to any written contract. Physically Bikk resembles a relatively normal man with a huge nose, and always dresses in the latest fashions. Bikk's church is a cross between a religious institute and a commercial one, his opulent temples often doubling as merchants guilds or banks. The church exhibits all the negative traits of capitalism and will go to any lengths to make a profit; on the other hand, Zaikoski's prototypical Arr-Kelaan describes it as a major investor in roads and other trading infrastructure.
 * Beyurn – Goddess of War, the first mate on the Traveller with some kind of military background. Beyurn is an honourable, hot-headed, pointy-eared, slightly built juhlann, a member of a conveniently elf-like race native to Earth's universe. As Goddess of War Beyurn takes more interest in planning and strategy than taking part in combat however she is still a formidable fighter and makes full use of her divine powers alongside traditional combat skills. Beyurn believes that as a Goddess it is her duty to change Arr-Kelaan for the better, she seeks to promote peace, stability and Civilization. These goals have led to a strong alliance with Mike. In person, Beyurn reacts to every sign of trouble as if the barbarians were at the gates. In her defense, they often are.
 * Claremont Grimsby – God of Knowledge, a passenger on the Traveller. Claremont's is a keen mind endlessly fascinated with the universe, slow to anger but just and resolute. Gray-haired, bespectacled and bearing a moustache, he suits his role like a glove. It took deification to make him religious. Claremont is a friend of Ronson, and Emily's brother, and his clerics are the scientists of the world. Claremont's information networks are rivaled only by Bikk's. He weds a mortal named Wenya a good time after his arrival, and decades later has a daughter named Hazel, becoming (in his own words) "the first god to take parenting seriously".
 * Mike – God of Honor/Valor, chief of security on the Traveller. Mike's a blonde-haired ox of a man without an unkind bone in his body. When he woke up with his strange new powers, he did the logical thing and became a superhero. For four years, he was the defender of the city of Kinidrius with a strong Superman motif both in his clothing (a blue suit, with a red cape) and his actions (catching evildoers, saving kittens from burning buildings, the works). Like Beyurn, Mike was shocked to learn the full extent of his godly abilities. He left Kinidrius, planning to teach humans to care for themselves rather than rely on him. He kept the outfit.

 * Salsmen D'elgadath – God of Evil/Deceit, captain of the Competent Offender. Brother of Thanantria. Salsmen is a hulking man with a strong, roguish charm spoiled by his sinister air, and the primary antagonist. He's megalomaniacal and believes himself to be the one true god of the world. Salsmen's combination of ruthlessness, strength and intelligence makes him likely the greatest threat to Arr-Kelaan: will can attack for fun when he can, make grand plans when it's required and coerce or intimidate others to his side. Salsmen is a major character in "For The Death of Kings" and "Consequences", and a bit player elsewhere. He was originally planned as the god of deceit before being promoted to the primary antagonist – his name is a play on "salesman."
 * Shadowscared (John Shadowscar) – God of Fear (being afraid), captain of the Traveller. He's afraid of almost everything, from ordinary fears like heights to fear of Abraham Lincoln. He was first called "Shadowscared" by Sephin, but in unenthusiastic company; most likely Sephin was just channeling the actual coiner of the name. Shadowscared's cloak makes him invisible and intangible even to other gods.
 * Sharra – Goddess(es) of Fortune and Misfortune, a passenger on the Traveller. An attractive black woman who was split into her opposite aspects in combat with a non-Traveller deity. The two get along well enough, but calling on one can bring the attention of the other – or both. Their familiar is a talking dog, Pilfo, a boy who lost his humanity in the same battle (but appears to regain it as a young human man on his time off).
 * Krushcor – God of Battles, crew member on the Competent Offender. An Ares to Beyurn's Athena, the two get along like oil and water. He relishes fighting and to the point of taking on fellow Travellers barehanded. For his domain Krushcor is surprisingly well groomed, polite and properly spoken, even possessing a form of charm through his childlike honesty. Mainly he seeks to enjoy himself, though finding a satisfying opponent is quite hard – and he doesn't particularly care about whom he hurts. Krushcor first properly appears in "Consequences" after cameos and mentions. It is blasphemy against Krushor to resurrect the dead ; this rule evolved from a punishment enforced by Thanantria during Consequences.
 * Dulcifer – Goddess of Love/Romance, passenger on the Traveller. A refined, composed, sleek raven-haired woman who wrote romance novels or other related books as a human. In Zaikoski's prototypical, not necessarily applicable, descriptions of the world she and Ronson are close. She first meets him and his aura of indifference in "Consequences"; in "Myths and Legends", set decades after, they appear next to each other in a crowd.
 * Bunny – Goddess of Happiness, a passenger on the Traveller. Bunny is a friendly, open, blonde young woman with an inexhaustible supply of perkiness. She looks and acts much like a cheerleader.
 * Thanantria – Goddess of Death, crew member on the Competent Offender. Originally called Nan. The sister of Salsmen is grim and blunt both in looks and in personality. She is defined largely by her tasks – seeing to the fallen – which by her account are not a choice. She gains and befriends the skeleton god-staff Thanatos by exchanging it with her brother for a soul-drinking sword. With it, she's the ultimate authority over death on Arr-Kelaan.
 * Kerrimachus – God of Disease, passenger on the Traveller. A small, pale, dapper man who believes that the creation of plagues is crucial to the development of the world in a Darwinian sense. As he is known to have repeatedly failed medical school, his real motive could be spite. Kerrimachus is European and may have something against Americans, or perhaps just Alden and Claremont. Sephin has foretold the death of Kerrimachus at the hands of Trista, assuming Sephin told/actually knows the truth. Even if it is true, it may not happen for a long, long time.
 * Alden – Goddess of Medicine.
 * V'lnn – Goddess of Pain. V'lnn is a reptilian humanoid who served on the Competent Offender; since deification she remained loyal to Salsmen. Little is known of V'lnn other than that she believes that pain offers pleasure, tries to avoid doing anything that lessens pain, and distrusts Bikk.
 * Durrill – God of Craftsmen/Artisans, chief engineer on the Traveller. A member of a conveniently dwarflike race in Earth's dimension, their short height being the result of high gravity on their homeworld Trellinda. Durrill is an extremely skilled engineer and prone to get highly excited over his latest project.
 * Darkmarr – God of Assassins/Thieves.
 * Sploon – God of Hate/Prejudice.
 * Isurus – God of Nightmares, crew member on the Competent Offender. Isurus is a short tempered and violent deity with a sadistic streak that leads him to routinely inflict mortals with nightmares for enjoyment. Isurus possess powers over dreams that even experienced deities lack. Physically Isurus resembles a brown-skinned human with a horse's head.
 * Providence – God(s) of Music/Art. A divine band, whose members are able to play any instrument they choose.
 * Luranna Greenglade – Goddess of Nature. Luranna is an environmentalist named by her hippie parents and the only god known to communicate with Arr-Kelaan itself and has become "one with nature" after being told everything Arr-Kelaan experienced since its birth as a molecular cloud. Luranna is the only Traveller god not visible on the cast page.

Notable characters

 * Sephin - The Oracle of Leshan-Faar is a laid-back, perky and highly infuriating man in a Hawaiian shirt and sunglasses. His background and the extent of his considerable powers are unknown, but he claims to know absolutely everything (but not all at once) and that the planet talks to him. The former boast is backed up by the way Sephin's unhampered by traditional chronology and makes references to future events, and he's also shown massive magical and technological know-how. Sephin does not age. The Traveller gods owe their lives and positions to his foresight, and he can often be seen setting things up with varying degrees of subtlety to go the way he knows they will. If he ever knows why, he's not talking. In Myths and Legends he's a seemingly helpless agent of causality, in Consequences the deliberate proverbial butterfly.
 * Wenya - A scientist of exceptional skill and a capable adventurer. She never joined the scientific institutions, Claremont's priesthood, not being religious. Her life's work was to prove the existence of an invisible third moon, which led her to enormous lengths to reach Claremont himself as he made the moon visible for a brief while. Their meeting led to co-research, marriage and an eventual child, Hazel. Like all god's companions, Wenya is immortal.
 * Hazel - The daughter of Claremont and Wenya, who unlike her parents has no aptitude or interest in science and studied combat with Beyurn, eventually becoming her follower. Hazel left the floating city of the gods to live as a mortal and took the life of a hero. By all accounts she was quite successful at this. Surprisingly for the daughter of a god, magic makes Hazel queasy. Hazel first appears as a main character of Myths and Legends, having grown old, retired and now living as a hermit.
 * Teldin - A valiant and retired hero. The second main character of Myths and Legends. Teldin was once tricked into working for Bikk until Hazel, on one of her quests, showed him the error of his ways. Thankfully Bikk did not kill him when he quit, but instead told him that the one he loved would die an early death. This turned out to be a half-truth.  Bikk knew about Hazel's potion that could make her immortal, and he guessed(correctly) that Hazel would never take it.
 * Inti - The non-Traveller sun god, and the only old deity known to have left the world peacefully. The current story is centered around his final days on Arr-Kelaan. Inti is dressed in largely Mesoamerican garb, described by Chuck Rowles as "Part Incan, part Aztec and part Dwarfish," and comes across as kind and unassuming when he's not being 20 meters tall.
 * Trista - Princess of Panvonia. According to Sephin, Trista is fated to kill Kerrimachus. Attempting to protect himself, Kerrimachus attempted to kill Trista first. To prevent this, Hazel gave her a potion created by Claremont with the aid of several other gods, originally meant for Hazel herself. This potion gave Trista immunity to disease, physical injury, pain and death (until she wishes it). It also means that her enemies have no knowledge of her unless she wishes it, making Sephin's prophecy quite plausible.
 * Satan: Satan has been at work in Gods of Arr-Kelaan since the beginning, he was the mysterious entity holding Emily hostage. Satan revealed himself in part 2 of Consequences, he appears as a human with small horns, smart yet casual modern attire and completely white eyes. In conversation Satan is a smooth talker with a cheerful, friendly attitude and casual acknowledgement of the wickedness of his designs, overall Satan's attitude is highly evocative of Salsman's. Satan enjoys damning souls whether or not they justly deserve Hell's torments, he has a particular fondness for capturing other gods. It is later revealed that this is for the gods to serve as batteries for a machines that will allow gods to return to Earth.

Secondary characters

 * Emily - Ronson's late wife. The two were very much in love until she died of cancer on Earth five years before Ronson crashed on Arr-Kelaan Her ghost occasionally appear before Ronson, but only to disappear shortly after. He screamed her name at night. It was discovered that Satan had used her as bait to lure Ronson into a trap and bind the both of them in hell.
 * It is claimed by Satan that, when Ronson became a god, his desire for her was enough to call her out of heaven to him. However, Satan's claim has been called into question by Inti, who stated that neither Satan nor Ronson had the power to pull Emily from Heaven.

 * Brindle - One of Ronson's first "followers". Ronson first encountered Brindle in the desert, where he was attempting to run away from the General Shrub's army. Brindle accompanied Ronson through much of Going Home, and left towards the end when Ronson set up a tavern for him to run.
 * The following years are good to him as he minds the bar and sires offspring. Brindle becomes a man devoted to his patron's way of not getting devoted: Laid-back and easygoing as only someone who has not getting worked up as a teaching can be, yet he doesn't care that much about the rules and gets involved whenever the well-being of those dear to him is jeopardized. This makes Ronson amiably noncommittal.

 * Aanlonar - Ronson's second "follower", he was a friend of Brindle's in General Shrub's army, and eventually followed Ronson as well on his journey. Aanlonar is an elf of unusually large size, though he claims this is a "glandular disorder". Other people suspect that he is not pure elf, but likely has some mixed blood from an ogre. Aanlonar eventually left Ronson (with Ronson's blessing) for a life of defending justice by joining Mike.
 * General Shrub - An unpleasant man, he created a large army on the orders of Beyurn.
 * Grox - A brog (a sentient species on Arr-Kelaan). Formerly violent and angry, but eventually changed after meeting Mike. Grox runs Mike's school of ethics and justice.

Print collections

 * The Gods of Arr-Kelaan: Going Home (book 1) ISBN 0-9748960-0-4
 * The Gods of Arr-Kelaan: Going Home (book 2) ISBN 0-9748960-2-0
 * The Gods of Arr-Kelaan: Myths & Legends ISBN 0-9748960-3-9

title: Gods of Arr-Kelaan


text: User talk:64.107.187.22

title: User talk:64.107.187.22