text:
Talk:Steam (service)

does steam beta changes page exist
is there page on steam beta update that tell what new in current steam beta? 2001:14BB:1C3:29FE:164:1561:D082:5B2C (talk) 12:25, 7 July 2021 (UTC)
 * There is this but we wouldn't incorporate that into the article. IceWelder  [ ✉ ] 12:46, 7 July 2021 (UTC)

Logo
Why are we using the desktop app icon as the infobox logo? It seems to have been edit warred over a little bit and then finally changed in Special:Diff/696605488 in December 2015 without an edit summary or any talk page discussion as far as I can tell. If you look at places like the Steam homepage https://store.steampowered.com/, the bottom of Valve's site https://www.valvesoftware.com/en/, and pages like https://store.steampowered.com/oldnews/?feed=steam_blog the logo with words (on commons at File:Steam gray-brown logo.svg or black and white at File:Steam 2016 logo black.svg) is much more prominent. Steam's December 2017 brand guidelines (some other info is here) say that on screens and printed the logo should always be the wordmark in black or white. DemonDays64 (talk) 01:49, 23 September 2021 (UTC)

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Article length
@Masem there were zero given reasons as to how the article contains an intricate level of detail, nor has the tag ever been in place since the article entered GA status in 2014. What specific sections are on the longer side / contain an intricate level of detail? Because I personally do not see anything that might be considered as intricate, nor are there really any sections that can be separated from the article itself. - Evelyn Harthbrooke (leave a message · contributions) 00:40, 29 August 2023 (UTC)
 * At the time of the article's promotion in 2014, it was 5000 words of readable prose. It is now triple that. Nikkimaria (talk) 00:50, 29 August 2023 (UTC)
 * @Nikkimaria Okay, but that doesn't answer my questions. I have another question: Why does the length of the prose matter? World War II for example is even longer in length, but has less citations (with most of those being citations from physical media like books). And most of the bulk of the byte size for this article was artificially increased by users adding archive links to the various sources used in this article (wiki markup for citations takes up more bytes than you think). Additionally, Steam has added a significant amount of new features since 2014. I see nothing in the article that genuinely warrants the tag existing, nor are there any sections that were specifically mentioned as needing to be trimmed. Oh and don't get me started on the length of the article of a notoriously controversial American politician.
 * I just genuinely disagree with the tag being in place when no reasoning was given. - Evelyn Harthbrooke (leave a message · contributions) 01:00, 29 August 2023 (UTC)

 * It's not an issue of how many citations a page has, nor markup - WWII is in fact shorter in terms of readable prose. See WP:AS and WP:SS. Nikkimaria (talk) 01:02, 29 August 2023 (UTC)
 * @Nikkimaria So then what's the issue here? I don't see article coverage on every single Steam feature that exists on the platform and client. I am still being given zero examples of article sections that need to be trimmed, or what sections contain an "intriciate level of detail". A tag cannot be added without grounds or reasoning to add it in the first place. - Evelyn Harthbrooke (leave a message · contributions) 01:05, 29 August 2023 (UTC)
 * There's an overall need to review the article and trim out some of the things that we go into a bit too much detail. WP articles are to summarize a topic to what the sources give, and unlike WWII where there are hundreds of books written on it, most of what we have on Steam are bits of info here and there. We can keep a good amount of that, but there's clearly things we don't need to focus on too much now that we didn't know in the past. M asem (t) 02:04, 29 August 2023 (UTC)
 * The article does not go into too much detail. Stop re-adding the template without PROPER reasons that actually explain the problems with the article because the template has been removed by more than 3 editors now. I've read the article in full. There is nothing in the article that is irrelevant to Steam or its history and its not excessively detailed, Steam just has a lot of components that require a longer article. - Evelyn Harthbrooke (leave a message · contributions) 03:32, 2 September 2023 (UTC)
 * I have written a large percentage of this article and even I know it needs to be reworked and trimmed down. Now that we know where things have gone, there are parts that can be trimmed down or removed as unnecessary from a summary point of view. Others who have added the tag clearly agree. M asem (t) 13:36, 2 September 2023 (UTC)
 * Then do it. This was inappropriate of me to say. I genuinely apologize for this. - Evelyn Harthbrooke (leave a message · contributions) 13:47, 2 September 2023 (UTC)
 * @Evelyn Harthbrooke There's no deadline. Multiple maintainers of this article acknowledge that it requires some work. I'll add my support on that note as well. Please don't earn yourself a disruption block over a minor maintenance tag. If you don't personally see anything you can trim, you'd don't have to work on this article, there are many others. -- ferret (talk) 14:49, 2 September 2023 (UTC)
 * @Ferret I don't see anything to trim because to me everything seems concise, with some sections being longer than others due to their depth or functionality / relevance to Steam as a platform and service. Maybe I'm oblivious to the sections that may need trimming, but if there were any issues, how come they haven't been corrected in over 3 months since the tag was first added? I know Wikipedia editing activity has gradually decreased from its peak years ago, but like, that's a long time for a tag to sit inactive especially on an article that receives relatively high traffic like the Steam article. I apologize for my editing behaviour re: the tag, but I just generally severely disagree with its inclusion when there don't appear to be any obvious flaws. People haven't pointed out anything. If there were sections or parts of the article that were pointed out that need some work, I'd be entirely up for making those changes. But so far nothing's been presented and it's frustrating. - Evelyn Harthbrooke (leave a message · contributions) 15:05, 2 September 2023 (UTC)
 * There's no deadline. I plan to get to it when I get a chance but I haven't had a chance. M asem (t) 15:16, 2 September 2023 (UTC)

While I don't condone any edit warring, I sympathize with Evelyn's frustration here. Editors who tag an article are generally expected to explain their rationale, particularly when explicitly asked. Several editors here have offered vague generalities, but none have answered the quite reasonable question she asked at the top: Which sections or areas need work? Nor has anyone provided a specific example of something too detailed (although I do see in the edit history that has now gone in to start the condensing). Providing actionable information about what needs fixing rather than bickering over consensus would have been a much more constructive path.I'm not an expert in this subject area and have only briefly glanced at the article, but I'll try to take small step down that path. I notice that neither Steam Greenlight nor Steam Direct have their own article, and neither are mentioned in the introduction, yet they have fairly significant coverage in the body. So that might be a potential place to trim. {{u| Sdkb  }}  talk 12:38, 4 September 2023 (UTC)

 * I can certainly sympathize with her frustration as well, but on the other hand I don't agree the answer she was given is incorrect: as Masem indicated, there was an overall need to review and rework the article. There wasn't a single section that didn't need editing, so there was no satisfying answer on which ones did. Nikkimaria (talk) 13:14, 4 September 2023 (UTC)
 * To explain the issue, the overall article has been built as Steam has developed - which is reasonable for starting and building an article on an evolving service. But that means me and other editors in the past may have added "fresh" content that nowadays is a minor footnote and need not be documented. Or there are features that came and went that we probably cover too much. So the overall article needs to trim this fat, probably may need some better reorganization, and things along those lines that come about with any topic that has continued to evolve and receive coverage in reliable sources. I can't point to any one section because of that. M asem (t) 13:26, 4 September 2023 (UTC)

DRM lead wording
WP:BRD as recommended by. We should describe how Digital distribution of video games works here, i.e. consumers retrieve purchased games by download. Just as the lead for iTunes Store doesn't mention a DRM feature, this comparable service shouldn't like this. The reported "DRM" thing mentioned is the "Custom Executable Generation" technology of the anti-piracy Steamworks product. IgelRM (talk) 01:09, 22 October 2023 (UTC)

 * "digital distribution" already inherently implies that the purchase of products are distributed digitally (downloaded). Meanwhile, Steam's DRM is an explicit feature of the platform which is not inherently implied by "digital distribution". Not all digital distribution platforms have it, and Steam (Valve) explicitly offers DRM to it's publishers as an option. This isn't really quite the same thing as Apple's closed garden. Apple had DRM has part of licensing deals with record companies, which it has slowly eliminated. It wasn't a platform feature so much as a contractual obligation. The use of DRM in the video game market also has far more focus and coverage these days, while music DRM is certainly not quite the same. -- ferret (talk) 01:24, 22 October 2023 (UTC)
 * The lead says "video game digital distribution service", which redirects to aforementioned article. Digital distribution could refer to Bulletin Board Systems shareware or Famicom_Disk_System, so it is more ambiguous (strictly it should be called internet distribution since CDs are digital etc).
 * I am primarily arguing about wording, the "feature" would be the custom executable generation. What sources mention DRM as a notable feature of Steam? Engadget says "Every major gaming platform today relies on DRM, with companies like Valve, Epic Games, Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo owning players' libraries in some form. In a digital-first ecosystem, it's just easier this way." Although I think there is a difference between copy protection and DRM.
 * Xbox (app) and Kindle Store also don't mention DRM in the lead, but I don't follow the "contractual obligation" logic. By the way, I actually recently added the DRM part to the Epic Game Store lead as I saw it on the lead here.
 * IgelRM (talk) 04:23, 22 October 2023 (UTC)
 * It's hard to take you seriously if you ask "what sources mention DRM as a notable feature". Multiple paragraphs of this article, with heavy sourcing, detail the role of DRM both in Steam's conception, its continued market presence, how it publishes games, and it's very reception. "Every gaming platform today relies on" is a red herring, because Steam was the first of its kind, and essentially pioneered the current day trend. -- ferret (talk) 14:55, 22 October 2023 (UTC)
 * I know it can be difficult to follow my writing and sometimes imprudent. I meant it is more a concept and not a feature like matchmaking and social networking, not that there has been no reception about it. I think if it pioneered the trend, it would be appropriate to word it that way. I have changed the wording in a way that I hope is understandable, please adjust if necessary. IgelRM (talk) 09:56, 25 October 2023 (UTC)

title: Talk:Steam (service)


text:
Kir'Shara

"Kir'Shara" is the ninth episode of the fourth season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Enterprise. It was writer Michael Sussman's third episode of the season, while it was director David Livingston's second. The episode was the third in a three-part story arc, following on from the episodes "The Forge" and "Awakening". The title "Kir'Shara" refers to a Vulcan religious relic, and the three part Vulcan story arc explored themes relating to the Protestant Reformation resulting in comparisons to books such as The Da Vinci Code and The Celestine Prophecy, while the Kir'Shara itself was compared to the Nag Hammadi library.

Set in the 22nd century, the series follows the adventures of the first Starfleet starship Enterprise, registration NX-01. In this episode, Enterprise attempts to avert a war, and is caught in a crossfire between Vulcan and Andorian starships. Meanwhile. Captain Archer, Commander T'Pol and T'Pau aim to take the Kir'Shara to the Vulcan capital, and use it to reveal Administrator V'Las' plot to the rest of the Vulcan High Command.

In addition to the guest stars returning from the previous arc episodes, or the episode "Home", Jeffrey Combs returned as Shran. The episode was shot across seven days using mostly standing sets, with only an Andorian brig built specifically for this episode. "Kir'Shara" also saw the return of the Vulcan lirpa, a weapon which had been first introduced in the Star Trek: The Original Series episode "Amok Time". The episode originally aired on December 3, 2004 on UPN. It received a Nielsen rating of 2.1/4 percent, which equalled the highest ratings seen during the fourth season. It was warmly received by critics who praised Combs' performance and noted that this episode was an indication of the improving quality of the series. However, there was mixed opinion regarding the ending of the episode.

Plot
Enterprise heads to Andoria after Ambassador Soval informs them that the Vulcans believe they have been developing Xindi weapon technology. Soval guides Enterprise to a nebula where the Andorian fleet is hiding. Commander Shran is dubious, and abducts and tortures Soval. After believing him, Enterprise joins a fleet of six Andorian ships to intercept the Vulcans. Commander Tucker attempts to buy time by ordering Enterprise directly between the two fleets — this works for a while until Administrator V'Las orders them to be targeted too.

Meanwhile, at The Forge, Captain Archer, Commander T'Pol and T'Pau, having found the sacred Kir'Shara (which the Syrrannites believe will usher a Vulcan enlightenment), endeavor to take it to the capital. En route, T'Pol and T'Pau discuss the taboo of mind-melds, and T'Pau offers to mind-meld with T'Pol. She states the meld is safe when performed by those trained in the art, and that Pa'nar Syndrome is merely the by-product of an improperly conducted meld. The trio are then attacked by Major Talok and Vulcan commandos, and T'Pol is captured while the others escape. She tells her captors that they are headed to Mount Seleya in order to mislead them from their true destination.

She is then taken to the capital. Archer and T'Pau also arrive after T'Pol's husband, Koss, provides transporter security codes. They present the Kir'Shara to the High Command and reveal that the embassy bombing was merely a pretext to weaken the pacifist Syrrannites prior to the Andorian strike. Visibly angered, V'Las lunges for the Kir'Shara, but is stunned by High Minister Kuvak, who orders the fleet to stand down. Enterprise returns to Vulcan, and Koss visits to release T'Pol from their marriage. Meanwhile, the Vulcan High Command is dissolved, granting Earth greater autonomy, and the katra of Surak is transferred to a Vulcan high priest. V'Las, relieved of his post, meets secretly with Talok, revealed to be a Romulan agent, who states that the reunification of their worlds is only a matter of time.

Production
Like "Home", "Kir'Shara" was written by Michael Sussman and was his third script during the fourth season. David Livingston directed the episode, which was his second episode of the season having previously directed "Borderland". Most of the guest stars had appeared in the previous episode "Awakening", including Robert Foxworth as Administrator V'Las, Kara Zediker as T'Pau and John Rubinstein as Kuvak. In addition, Michael Reilly Burke resumes his role as Koss for the third time, having appeared in the role both in "Home" and "The Forge". Also appearing, having appeared in "Home", was Jack Donner as a Vulcan priest. Donner appeared in The Original Series episode "The Enterprise Incident" as the Romulan Commander Subcommander Tal. "Kir'Shara" also saw the return of Jeffrey Combs as the Andorian Commander Shran for the sixth time as well as Gary Graham as Ambassador Soval, who has appeared as a recurring character in Enterprise since the pilot episode "Broken Bow". Todd Stashwick plays Talok, later known for his role as Captain Shaw in the third season of Star Trek: Picard.

Filming began on October 4, 2004 and continued until October 12. Despite the desert locations, all filming took place on soundstages. These represented a variety of places throughout the Vulcan desert-like Forge. The remaining sets used were either standing sets, or those which had been constructed for the previous two episodes. The exceptions to that were two sets to represent scenes on board Commander Shran's Andorian vessel. The Andorian bridge set, which had been used previously in the series, had a single wall brought out of storage in order to appear as a backdrop for Shran when he appears on the Enterprise viewscreen. The Andorian brig was built specifically for this episode for scenes with Shran and Soval.

Re-appearing in "Kir'Shara" were the traditional Vulcan weapon, the lirpa, which was first introduced in The Original Series episode "Amok Time". The lirpa is a long shaft with a crescent blade on one end and a spiked cudgel on the other. Brand new props were built for this episode, modifying the original design by making them more lightweight. They were wielded in "Kir'Shara" by Vulcan commandos, who were all played by stunt actors in non-speaking roles. Additional stunt doubles were required for Archer, T'Pol, T'Pau and Talok while two puppeteers were needed for the Andorian antennae seen on screen.

Themes
"Kir'Shara" followed up the events of the previous two episodes in the story arc as well some of the elements seen earlier in the season in the episode "Home". "The Forge" sees Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) and T'Pol (Jolene Blalock) travel into the Vulcan desert known as the Forge in order to find a renegade faction of Vulcans, known as the Syrrannites. During the journey, Archer has the katra of Surak transferred into him. In "Awakening", the duo meet the Syrrannites and find out they are peaceful. After Enterprise leaves orbit, the Vulcans start bombarding the caves where the Syrrannites are located, killing T'Pol's mother, T'Les (Joanna Cassidy).

Speaking about "Awakening", show runner Manny Coto had previously said that he envisaged the story arc to be about a Vulcan reformation as a metaphor to the real-world 16th century Protestant Reformation with T'Pau playing the role of Martin Luther. This view was supported by the 2010 book Star Trek As Myth, which saw the original Vulcan religion prior to the Reformation arc seen from "The Forge" onwards as equating to the Catholic Church while the Syrannites were the Protestants. In doing so, Administrator V'Las is therefore linked to the Antichrist in much the same way that the Protestant Reformation saw the Pope as the Antichrist. In this role, the Romulans in the story take the place of the subversive devils to form an unholy alliance.

It was also suggested that the Kir'Shara itself was similar in context to the Nag Hammadi library, which was a collection of thirteen codices found in Nag Hammadi, Egypt, in 1945 that date back to between the 2nd to 5th centuries. Unlike those codices, the Vulcan High Council attempts to suppress the revelation of the Kir'Shara in a similar manner to the Catholic Church's suppression seen in other fictional works such as Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code or James Redfield's The Celestine Prophecy.

Reception
"Kir'Shara" was first aired in the United States on UPN on December 3, 2004. The broadcast saw the episode come in fourth place during the timeslot, with a Nielsen rating of 2.1/4 percent. This means that it was seen by 2.1 percent of all households, and 4 percent of all those watching television at the time of broadcast. It gained higher ratings than The WB, who aired What I Like About You and Grounded for Life. The ratings equalled the highest ratings of the season so far, which were previously achieved by "Borderland", "Cold Station 12" and "The Augments".

TV Guide listed "Kir'Shara" on its Hot List for the day. IGN gave the episode 4.5 out of 5 and said that the show "finally grows up and becomes a Star Trek series this week". It described "Kir'Shara" as "far from a perfectly executed Trek story but they get enough right to make it a lot easier to overlook the few things they miss." It said that there had been an overall improvement in the fourth season, and that "this could become some of the best Star Trek ever made".

Herc, in his review for Ain't It Cool News, praised the reliability of Jeffrey Combs as Shran, but thought that there were no major surprises. Herc did say that the biggest shock was the revelation that the Romulans were behind the bombing of the Human Embassy. He gave it a rating of three out of five.

Michelle Erica Green reviewed the episode for TrekNation, calling it an "absolutely gripping episode" except for the "ludicrousness of the ending". She made the admission about the ending that, "I suppose the Romulans had to show up at some point, I guess Vulcan is as good a place as any." She thought that the torture scenes were "pointless", but was pleased with the characterization seen in Archer, T'Pol and Tucker.

Jamahl Epsicokhan at his website Jammer's Reviews rated "Kir'Shara" of three out of four, noting it was "not perfect, but good" with an "intriguing" ending. Epsicokhan praised Jeffrey Combs as Shran, and thought that the torture scenes were potent but that the ending was rushed.

In Matthew Kappell's 2010 book Star Trek as Myth: Essays on Symbol and Archetype at the Final Frontier, he said that he felt that the revelation that the previous Vulcan administration was working with the Romulans all along "suddenly makes sense of years of previously incomprehensible Vulcan policy" and linked to The Next Generation episode "Unification".

Screen Rant praised casting actress Kara Zediker as the Vulcan character T'Pau. James Whitbrook of Io9 highlighted this episode as a "must watch" episode of the series. The Digital Fix said this was the best episode of the fourth season, calling it a "well-paced, satisfying resolution" to the Vulcan storyline in the series. They felt the episode successfully capitalizes on the story elements established the previous episode "The Forge".

Home media release
The first home media release of "Kir'Shara" was in the season four DVD box set of Enterprise, originally released in the United States on November 1, 2005. The Blu-ray edition was released on April 1, 2014.

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

title: Kir'Shara


text:
NLRB v. Jones & Laughlin Steel Corp.

National Labor Relations Board v Jones & Laughlin Steel Corporation, 301 U.S. 1 (1937), was a United States Supreme Court case that upheld the constitutionality of the National Labor Relations Act of 1935, also known as the Wagner Act. The case represented a major expansion in the Court's interpretation of Congress's power under the Commerce Clause and effectively spelled the end to the Court's striking down of New Deal economic legislation.

The case arose after the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ordered Jones & Laughlin Steel to rehire workers who had been fired for seeking to unionize. Jones and Laughlin refused to comply on the grounds that the Wagner Act, which had established the NLRB, was unconstitutional.

In a 5–4 decision, Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes upheld the constitutionality of the Wagner Act, holding that Congress could regulate economic activities that were "intrastate in character when separately considered" if they held "such a close and substantial relation to interstate commerce that their control is essential or appropriate to protect that commerce from burdens and obstructions." In his dissent, Associate Justice James Clark McReynolds argued that Congress's power to regulate interstate commerce should be limited to cases in which a violation is "direct and material."

Background
Jones & Laughlin Steel, the fourth largest steel producer in the United States, was charged with discriminating against workers who wanted to join the Steel Workers Organizing Committee (SWOC). The company had fired ten employees at its plant in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, after they moved to unionize. The NLRB ruled against the company and ordered that the workers be rehired and given back pay, but Jones & Laughlin refused to comply on the grounds and believed the Act to be unconstitutional. Citing Supreme Court precedent, lower courts agreed.

Decision
Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes wrote the majority opinion in the case, which reversed the lower court's ruling, in a 5–4 decision:

...the statute goes no further than to safeguard the right of employees to self-organization and to select representatives of their own choosing for collective bargaining or other mutual protection without restraint or coercion by their employer.

That is a fundamental right. Employees have as clear a right to organize and select their representatives for lawful purposes as the respondent has to organize its business and select its own officers and agents. Discrimination and coercion to prevent the free exercise of the right of employees to self-organization and representation is a proper subject for condemnation by competent legislative authority. Long ago we stated the reason for labor organizations. We said that they were organized out of the necessities of the situation; that a single employee was helpless in dealing with an employer; that he was dependent ordinarily on his daily wage for the maintenance of himself and family; that, if the employer refused to pay him the wages that he thought fair, he was nevertheless unable to leave the employ and resist arbitrary and unfair treatment; that union was essential to give laborers opportunity to deal on an equality with their employer. American Steel Foundries v. Tri-City Central Trades Council, 257 U.S. 184, 209... We reiterated these views when we had under consideration the Railway Labor Act of 1926, 44 Stat. 577. Fully recognizing the legality of collective action on the part of employees in order to safeguard their proper interests, we said that Congress was not required to ignore this right but could safeguard it. Congress could seek to make appropriate collective action of employees an instrument of peace rather than of strife. We said that such collective action would be a mockery if representation were made futile by interference with freedom of choice. Hence the prohibition by Congress of interference with the selection of representatives for the purpose of negotiation and conference between employers and employees, 'instead of being an invasion of the constitutional right of either, was based on the recognition of the rights of both.' Texas & N.O.R. Co. v. Railway & S.S. Clerks, supra. We have reasserted the same principle in sustaining the application of the Railway Labor Act as amended in 1934 (45 U.S.C.A. § 151 et seq.). Virginian Railway Co. v. System Federation, No. 40, supra.

...

Although activities may be intrastate in character when separately considered, if they have such a close and substantial relation to interstate commerce that their control is essential or appropriate to protect that commerce from burdens and obstructions, Congress cannot be denied the power to exercise that control.

Justice McReynolds dissented, questioning Congress's enhanced power under the commerce clause. Although he did not dispute Congress's regulation of commerce between the states, he stated that Congress's interference should be in cases where a violation is "direct and material." McReynolds stated that taxation on property, for example, may indirectly but seriously affect the cost of transportation. He concluded that Congress had transcended the power granted to it by the Constitution.

title: NLRB v. Jones & Laughlin Steel Corp.


text:
Disney Legends

Disney Legends is a Hall of Fame award that is awarded by The Walt Disney Company to individuals who "[have] made a significant impact on the Disney legacy." The honor was established in 1987, and was traditionally awarded annually during a special private ceremony. Since 2009, it has been awarded on a biennial basis during Disney's D23 Expo.

Criteria
Recipients are chosen by a selection committee, formerly appointed and chaired by Disney Legend Roy E. Disney, Walt Disney's nephew, former vice chairman and director emeritus of The Walt Disney Company. The committee consists of long-time Disney executives, historians, and other authorities. Besides the award statuette itself, each honoree is represented by a bronze commemorative plaque featuring the recipients' handprints and signature if they were living when inducted, or simply an image of the statuette emblem if the induction was posthumous. The plaques are placed on display in Legends Plaza at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California, across from the Michael D. Eisner Building.

The award
Imagineer Andrea Favilli created the Disney Legends award, which is handcrafted from bronze each year. The award depicts the arm of Mickey Mouse holding a star-tipped wand.

Disney describes the award as follows:

The Disney Legends award has three distinct elements that characterize the contributions made by each talented recipient. The Spiral ... stands for imagination, the power of an idea. The Hand ... holds the gifts of skill, discipline and craftsmanship. The Wand and the Star ... represent magic: the spark that is ignited when imagination and skill combine to create a new dream.

The first Disney Legends committee consisted of Dave Smith; Arlene Ludwig; Marty Sklar, Randy Bright; Jack Lindquist; Sharon Harwood; Art Levitt; Shelley Miles; Paula Sigman; Doris Smith; and Stacia Martin.

In 2017, Muppet performer Steve Whitmire alleged that the company offered him "consolation prizes" including the Disney Legends award in return for keeping quiet about the details surrounding his termination and/or resignation depending on who tells his story.

A 14 foot sculpture replica of the award exists outside the entrance of Disneyland Paris. It was dedicated and unveiled in 1997 and re-dedicated in 2002.

Recipients

= awarded posthumously

Class of 1987

 * Fred MacMurray, Film

Class of 1989

 * Les Clark, Animation
 * Marc Davis, Animation & Imagineering
 * Ub Iwerks, Animation & Imagineering
 * Ollie Johnston, Animation
 * Milt Kahl, Animation
 * Ward Kimball, Animation & Imagineering
 * Eric Larson, Animation
 * John Lounsbery, Animation
 * Wolfgang Reitherman, Animation
 * Frank Thomas, Animation

All except Iwerks were Disney's "Nine Old Men".

Class of 1990

 * Roger Broggie, Imagineering
 * Joe Fowler, Attractions
 * John Hench, Animation & Imagineering
 * Richard Irvine, Imagineering
 * Herb Ryman, Imagineering
 * Sherman Brothers, Music

Class of 1991

 * Ken Anderson, Animation & Imagineering
 * Julie Andrews, Film
 * Carl Barks, Animation & Publishing
 * Mary Blair, Animation & Imagineering
 * Claude Coats, Animation & Imagineering
 * Don DaGradi, Animation & Film
 * Sterling Holloway, Animation—Voice
 * Fess Parker, Film & Television
 * Bill Walsh, Film & Television

Class of 1992

 * Jimmie Dodd, Television
 * Bill Evans, Imagineering
 * Annette Funicello, Film & Television
 * Joe Grant, Animation
 * Jack Hannah, Animation
 * Winston Hibler, Film
 * Ken O'Connor, Animation & Imagineering
 * Roy Williams, Animation & Television

Class of 1993

 * Pinto Colvig, Animation—Voice
 * Buddy Ebsen, Film & Television
 * Peter Ellenshaw, Film
 * Blaine Gibson, Animation & Imagineering
 * Harper Goff, Film & Imagineering
 * Irving Ludwig, Film
 * Jimmy MacDonald, Animation—Voice
 * Clarence Nash, Animation—Voice
 * Donn Tatum, Administration
 * Card Walker, Administration

Class of 1994

 * Adriana Caselotti, Animation—Voice
 * Bill Cottrell, Animation & Imagineering
 * Marvin Davis, Film & Imagineering
 * Van France, Attractions
 * David Hand, Animation
 * Jack Lindquist, Attractions
 * Bill Martin, Imagineering
 * Paul J. Smith, Music
 * Frank Wells, Administration

Class of 1995

 * Wally Boag, Attractions
 * Fulton Burley, Attractions
 * Dean Jones, Film
 * Angela Lansbury, Film
 * Edward Meck, Attractions
 * Fred Moore, Animation
 * Thurl Ravenscroft, Animation—Voice
 * Wathel Rogers, Imagineering
 * Betty Taylor, Attractions

Class of 1996

 * Bob Allen, Attractions
 * Rex Allen, Film & Television
 * X Atencio, Animation & Imagineering
 * Betty Lou Gerson, Animation—Voice
 * Bill Justice, Animation & Imagineering
 * Bob Matheison, Attractions
 * Sam McKim, Imagineering
 * Bob Moore, Animation & Film
 * Bill Peet, Animation—Story

Class of 1997

 * Lucien Adés, Music
 * Angel Angelopoulos, Publishing
 * Antonio Bertini, Character Merchandise
 * Armand Bigle, Character Merchandise
 * Gaudenzio Capelli, Publishing
 * Roberto de Leonardis, Film
 * Cyril Edgar, Film
 * Wally Feignoux, Film
 * Didier Fouret, Publishing
 * Mario Gentilini, Publishing
 * Cyril James, Film & Merchandise
 * Horst Koblischek, Character Merchandise
 * Gunnar Mansson, Character Merchandise
 * Arnoldo Mondadori, Publishing
 * Armand Palivoda, Film
 * Poul Brahe Pedersen, Publishing
 * Joe Potter, Attractions
 * André Vanneste, Character Merchandise
 * Paul Winkler, Character Merchandise

Class of 1998

 * James Algar, Animation & Film
 * Buddy Baker, Music
 * Kathryn Beaumont, Animation—Voice
 * Virginia Davis, Animation
 * Roy E. Disney, Film, Animation & Administration
 * Don Escen, Administration
 * Wilfred Jackson, Animation
 * Glynis Johns, Film
 * Kay Kamen, Character Merchandise
 * Paul Kenworthy, Film
 * Larry Lansburgh, Film & Television
 * Hayley Mills, Film
 * Al Milotte and Elma Milotte, Film
 * Norman "Stormy" Palmer, Film
 * Lloyd Richardson, Film
 * Kurt Russell, Film
 * Ben Sharpsteen, Animation & Film
 * Masatomo Takahashi, Administration
 * Vladimir (Bill) Tytla, Animation
 * Dick Van Dyke, Film
 * Matsuo Yokoyama, Character Merchandise

Class of 1999

 * Tim Allen, Television, Film & Animation—Voice
 * Mary Costa, Animation—Voice
 * Norm Ferguson, Animation
 * Bill Garity, Film
 * Yale Gracey, Animation & Imagineering
 * Al Konetzni, Character Merchandise
 * Hamilton Luske, Animation
 * Dick Nunis, Attractions
 * Charlie Ridgway, Attractions

Class of 2000

 * Grace Bailey, Animation
 * Harriet Burns, Imagineering
 * Joyce Carlson, Animation & Imagineering
 * Ron Dominguez, Parks & Resorts
 * Cliff Edwards, Animation—Voice
 * Becky Fallberg, Animation
 * Dick Jones, Animation—Voice
 * Dodie Roberts, Animation
 * Retta Scott, Animation
 * Ruthie Tompson, Animation

Class of 2001

 * Howard Ashman, Music
 * Bob Broughton, Film
 * George Bruns, Music
 * Frank Churchill, Music
 * Leigh Harline, Music
 * Fred Joerger, Imagineering
 * Alan Menken, Music
 * Martin Sklar, Imagineering
 * Ned Washington, Music
 * Tyrus Wong, Animation

Class of 2002
Note: In honor of the opening of the Walt Disney Studios Park at Disneyland Paris, all 2002 inductees are of European origin. The ceremony was held in the Animation building at the new park on opening day.
 * Ken Annakin, Film
 * Hugh Attwooll, Film
 * Maurice Chevalier, Film
 * Phil Collins, Music
 * Sir John Mills, Film
 * Robert Newton, Film & Television
 * Tim Rice, Music
 * Robert Stevenson, Film
 * Richard Todd, Film & Television
 * David Tomlinson, Film

Class of 2003
Following a dispute between Roy E. Disney and the company that resulted in Disney departing, Robert Iger, the company's then-president and COO co-presented with Michael Eisner.
 * Neil Beckett, Merchandise
 * Tutti Camarata, Music
 * Edna Francis Disney
 * Lillian Disney
 * Orlando Ferrante, Imagineering
 * Richard Fleischer, Film
 * Floyd Gottfredson, Animation
 * Buddy Hackett, Film & Television
 * Harrison "Buzz" Price, Research Economist
 * Al Taliaferro, Cartoonist
 * Ilene Woods, Music—Voice

Class of 2004

 * Bill Anderson, Film & Television
 * Tim Conway, Film
 * Rolly Crump, Imagineering
 * Alice Davis, Imagineering
 * Karen Dotrice, Film & Television
 * Matthew Garber, Film
 * Leonard H. Goldenson, Television
 * Bob Gurr, Imagineering
 * Ralph Kent, Imagineering & Attractions
 * Irwin Kostal, Music
 * Mel Shaw, Animation

Class of 2005
In honor of Disneyland's 50th anniversary in 2005, all recipients are related to either Walt Disney Parks and Resorts and/or Walt Disney Imagineering, and nearly all have had some connection with Disneyland. Roy E. Disney again co-presented the awards, after a two-year hiatus and a return to the company.
 * Chuck Abbott, Parks & Resorts
 * Milt Albright, Parks & Resorts
 * Hideo Amemiya, Parks & Resorts
 * Hideo Aramaki, Parks & Resorts
 * Charles Boyer, Parks & Resorts
 * Randy Bright, Imagineering
 * James Cora, Parks & Resorts
 * Robert Jani, Parks & Resorts
 * Mary Jones, Parks & Resorts
 * Art Linkletter, Parks & Resorts
 * Mary Anne Mang, Parks & Resorts
 * Steve Martin, Parks & Resorts
 * Tom Nabbe, Parks & Resorts
 * Jack Olsen, Parks & Resorts
 * Cicely Rigdon, Parks & Resorts
 * William Sullivan, Parks & Resorts
 * Jack Wagner, Parks & Resorts
 * Vesey Walker, Parks & Resorts

Class of 2006

 * Tim Considine, Television & Film
 * Kevin Corcoran, Television & Film
 * Al Dempster, Animation
 * Don Edgren, Imagineering
 * Paul Frees, Television, Film & Parks
 * Peter Jennings, Television
 * Elton John, Music
 * Jimmy Johnson, Music
 * Tommy Kirk, Television & Film
 * Joe Ranft, Animation
 * David Stollery, Television & Film
 * Ginny Tyler, Television & Film

Class of 2007

 * Roone Arledge, Television
 * Art Babbitt, Animation
 * Carl Bongirno, Imagineering
 * Marge Champion, Animation
 * Dick Huemer, Animation
 * Ron Logan, Parks & Resorts
 * Lucille Martin, Administration
 * Tom Murphy, Administration
 * Randy Newman, Music
 * Floyd Norman, Animation
 * Bob Schiffer, Film Production
 * Dave Smith, Archives

Class of 2008

 * Wayne Allwine, Animation—Voice
 * Bob Booth, Attractions
 * Neil Gallagher, Attractions
 * Frank Gifford, Television
 * Toshio Kagami, Parks and Resorts
 * Burny Mattinson, Animation
 * Ian McGuinness, Television
 * Walter Peregoy, Animation
 * Dorothea Redmond, Designer
 * Russi Taylor, Animation—Voice
 * Barbara Walters, Television
 * Oliver Wallace, Music

Class of 2009

 * Tony Anselmo, Animation—Voice
 * Harry Archinal, Administration
 * Beatrice Arthur, Film & Television
 * Bill Farmer, Animation—Voice
 * Estelle Getty, Film & Television
 * Don Iwerks, Film
 * Rue McClanahan, Film & Television
 * Leota Toombs Thomas, Attractions
 * Betty White, Film & Television
 * Robin Williams, Film & Animation—Voice

Class of 2011

 * Regis Philbin, Television
 * Jim Henson, Film & Television
 * Jodi Benson, Animation—Voice
 * Paige O'Hara, Animation—Voice
 * Lea Salonga, Animation—Voice
 * Linda Larkin, Animation—Voice
 * Anika Noni Rose, Animation—Voice
 * Jack Wrather, Parks & Resorts
 * Bonita Wrather, Film
 * Guy Williams, Television
 * Bo Boyd, Consumer Products
 * Raymond Watson, Administration

Class of 2013

 * Tony Baxter, Imagineering
 * Collin Campbell, Imagineering
 * Dick Clark, Television
 * Billy Crystal, Film & Animation—Voice
 * John Goodman, Film & Animation—Voice
 * Steve Jobs, Animation
 * Glen Keane, Animation
 * Ed Wynn, Film & Animation—Voice

Class of 2015

 * George Bodenheimer, Administration & Television
 * Andreas Deja, Animation
 * Johnny Depp, Film
 * Eyvind Earle, Animation
 * Danny Elfman, Music
 * George Lucas, Film & Parks and Resorts
 * Susan Lucci, Television
 * Julie Reihm Casaletto, Parks and Resorts
 * Carson Van Osten, Consumer Products

Class of 2017

 * Carrie Fisher, Film
 * Clyde Geronimi, Animation
 * Whoopi Goldberg, Film & Television
 * Manuel Gonzales, Animation
 * Mark Hamill, Film
 * Wayne Jackson, Imagineering
 * Jack Kirby, Publishing
 * Stan Lee, Film & Publishing
 * Garry Marshall, Film & Television
 * Julie Taymor, Theatrical
 * Oprah Winfrey, Film & Television

Class of 2019

 * Christina Aguilera, Music & Television
 * Wing T. Chao, Parks & Resorts
 * Robert Downey Jr., Film
 * James Earl Jones, Film
 * Jon Favreau, Film
 * Bette Midler, Film
 * Kenny Ortega, Film & Television
 * Barnette Ricci, Parks & Resorts
 * Robin Roberts, Television
 * Diane Sawyer, Television
 * Ming-Na Wen, Film, Television & Animation—Voice
 * Hans Zimmer, Music

title: Disney Legends


text:
That's Me in the Bar

That's Me in the Bar is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter A. J. Croce, released in 1995.

Track listing
All songs written by A.J. Croce, except where noted

 * 1) "That's Me in the Bar" (Croce, David Curtis) – 3:54
 * 2) "Sign on the Line" (Croce, Ramsey McClean) – 2:53
 * 3) "She's Waiting for Me" – 2:47
 * 4) "Checkin' In" – 2:34
 * 5) "Music Box" – 2:49
 * 6) "Callin' Home" – 2:10
 * 7) "Night Out on the Town" – 3:17
 * 8) "Pass Me By" – 2:38
 * 9) "I Meant What I Said" – 3:50
 * 10) "Maybe I'm to Blame" – 2:14
 * 11) "I Confess" – 3:14
 * 12) "Some People Call It Love" – 4:15

Personnel

 * A.J. Croce – piano, vocals
 * Sweet Pea Atkinson – vocals
 * Robert Becker – viola
 * Sir Harry Bowens – vocals
 * Stephen Bruton – guitar
 * Ry Cooder – bass, mandolin, slide guitar
 * Rudy Copeland – organ
 * Bruce Dukov – violin
 * Robben Ford – guitar
 * Bob Glaub – bass
 * John Goux – guitar, slide guitar
 * David Hidalgo – accordion
 * Dan Higgins – clarinet
 * Suzie Katayama – cello
 * Jim Keltner – bass, drums
 * John Leftwich – bass, acoustic bass
 * Mitch Manker & his Brass Section – trumpet
 * Jonell Mosser – vocals
 * Sid Page – violin
 * Dean Parks – guitar
 * Billy Payne – piano
 * Bill Reichenbach Jr. – trombone
 * Waddy Wachtel – guitar

Production

 * Producer: Jim Keltner
 * Arranger: David Hidalgo, John Leftwich

title: That's Me in the Bar


text: Talk:That's Me in the Bar

title: Talk:That's Me in the Bar


text:
R. T. Rybak

Raymond Thomas Rybak Jr. (born November 12, 1955) is an American politician, journalist, businessman, and activist who served as the 46th mayor of Minneapolis from 2002 to 2014. In the 2001 election Rybak, endorsed by the Minneapolis Police Federation, defeated incumbent Sharon Sayles Belton by a margin of 65% to 35%, the widest margin of victory over an incumbent mayor in city history. He took office in January 2002, and won a second term in 2005 and a third in 2009. In late December 2012, he announced he would not run for another term and was going to be concentrating on his family. Rybak called being mayor his "dream job."

Before being elected mayor, Rybak worked in journalism, business and activism. The first mayor of a major U.S. city to endorse Barack Obama's 2008 campaign for president, Rybak was one of five Vice Chairs of the Democratic National Committee.

Background
Rybak grew up in Minneapolis, the son of Lorraine Ann (née Palmer) and Raymond Thomas Rybak, a pharmacist. He is partly of Czech descent. He graduated from Breck School in 1974 and from Boston College in 1978.

After returning to Minneapolis, in the 1970s and '80s Rybak worked as a journalist for the Minneapolis Tribune. He became managing editor of the Twin Cities Reader, where he also launched Q Monthly, a local gay and lesbian newspaper. For a few years, he headed Internet Broadcasting Systems, which started as an online division of Minneapolis television station WCCO and runs websites for many stations across the United States. Rybak did consulting work as an Internet strategist, and assisted with some projects with Minnesota Public Radio and Public Radio International.

He also acted as Development Director for Minneapolis's Downtown Council. During this time, Rybak worked as a community and political activist. In 1994, he was campaign manager for Tony Bouza, the former Minneapolis chief of police who unsuccessfully sought the DFL nomination for Governor of Minnesota. Rybak was an early member of the group ROAR ("Residents Opposed to Airport Racket"), which campaigned for noise mitigation projects in neighborhoods around the Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport. The group staged a memorable "pajama protest," where area residents wore their nighttime clothes at the airport to show that they were losing sleep because of airplane noise.

Rybak serves on the Board of Directors of Nice Ride Minnesota, a public bicycle sharing program.

Mayoralty
In 2001 Rybak defeated incumbent Mayor Sharon Sayles Belton, receiving 57,739 votes (64.7%) to her 30,896 (34.6%).

Rybak's mayoralty focused mostly on reducing crime, creating jobs, building affordable housing, and balancing the city budget. He regularly attended public events and participated directly in discussions of city issues on his Facebook page. He notably crowd-surfed while mayor, diving from the stage during a "Rock for Democracy" event at the Minneapolis club First Avenue in July 2004.

In 2002, Rybak developed the City of Lakes Loppet, a 35-kilometer urban cross-country ski race through Theodore Wirth Park and across Cedar Lake, Lake of the Isles and Bde Maka Ska, which ends on the streets of the Uptown Minneapolis. The event attracts nearly 2,000 skiers. Rybak is a skier and has participated in races.

Rybak made many public appearances at rallies and protests. In April 2004 he spoke to a rally of striking Metro Transit workers at the Hennepin County Government Center plaza. Like many Twin Cities politicians, he marched in the annual Twin Cities Pride Parade.

In his 2005 reelection campaign Rybak defeated challenger (and fellow DFLer) Peter McLaughlin by nearly 25 percentage points, 61.5% to 36.7%. He celebrated with another crowd-surf.

In August 2007, after the collapse of the I-35W Mississippi River bridge, Rybak asked Governor Tim Pawlenty and Minnesota state officials to implement its replacement, ensuring that the new bridge would be capable of handling mass transit. Rybak pushed to ensure that future needs and policy considerations would not be ignored in the rush to build a replacement. The resulting plan accommodated a light rail line. Rybak said, "we (the City) have a vision that we believe will be for a bridge that will serve us for many years to come." His role also involved authorizing municipal consent of the final bridge replacement.

Rybak was listed as a finalist for the 2008 World Mayor award. In June 2008 Rybak was elected Vice President for Communications of the National Conference of Democratic Mayors.

According to DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Rybak was the first mayor of a large U.S. city to endorse Barack Obama's presidential campaign in 2007. Rybak campaigned for Obama and was active in the campaign's youth wing.

In January 2009, Rybak announced his intention to run for reelection to a third term.

In March 2009, Rybak proposed eliminating the Minneapolis Civil Rights Investigations Division, which was established in 1967 to investigate discriminatory practices as part of the city's Civil Rights Department. The plan was met by community opposition, with both the DFL African American Caucus and the Minneapolis Urban League speaking out against it. During his tenure as mayor, Rybak went through six civil rights directors and decreased the number of workers in the department.

On November 3, 2009, Rybak was elected to a third term, winning more than 73.6% of the first-place votes.

Rybak's office regularly used social media including Twitter to alert followers to vital city information.

Rybak chose not to run for a fourth term. His mayoralty ended on January 2, 2014, when Betsy Hodges was sworn in as the city's 47th mayor. After leaving office, Rybak became Executive Director of Generation Next, an organization seeking to help close the achievement gap for minority students. He is now President and CEO of the Minneapolis Foundation.

2010 gubernatorial campaign

On November 5, 2009, Rybak filed paperwork creating a campaign for governor of Minnesota. A month later, he officially announced his candidacy at the Varsity Theater in Minneapolis. Rybak won the straw poll on February 2, 2010, at Minnesota's precinct caucus events statewide.

On April 24, 2010, Rybak withdrew his name from consideration for the nomination at the DFL convention after six ballots. He endorsed Margaret Anderson Kelliher, and called on Democrats remaining in the race to withdraw and support her. Former U.S. Senator Mark Dayton subsequently won the Democratic nomination and the general election that year.

Other work
Living Cities, a philanthropic collaborative of 22 foundations and financial institutions, reported that Rybak was hired in May 2014 as a senior advisor for municipal practice. Living Cities members include Bank of America, J.P. Morgan, Wells Fargo and Morgan Stanley.

In September 2011, Rybak became vice chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

Personal life
Rybak lives in the city's East Harriet neighborhood with his wife, Megan, and their children, Charlie and Grace. Like their father, the Rybak children have attended Breck School, an Episcopal private school. Rybak's mother worked there during a difficult period in his childhood. Rybak was awarded Breck's Distinguished Alumnus award in 2002, and spoke at the school's commencement ceremony in 2015.

On January 4, 2014, Rybak was cross-country skiing when he started experiencing chest pains and shortness of breath. He was hospitalized and received an angioplasty and stents after it was determined he had had a heart attack. Heart problems run in his family.

Rybak has been honored with a star on the outside mural of the Minneapolis nightclub First Avenue. The mural recognizes performers that have played sold-out shows or have otherwise demonstrated a major contribution to the culture at the iconic venue. Receiving a star "might be the most prestigious public honor an artist can receive in Minneapolis," according to journalist Steve Marsh. Rybak is one of the few non-musicians to have a star on the mural.

title: R. T. Rybak


text:
Lisa Germano

Lisa Ruth Germano (born June 27, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Indiana. Her album Geek the Girl (1994) was chosen as a top album of the 1990s by Spin magazine. She began her career as a violinist for John Mellencamp. , she has released thirteen albums.

Early life
Germano was born in Mishawaka, Indiana, one of six children of violinist Rocco and Betty Germano. She studied music, including piano and violin, as a child. When she was seven, she composed a fifteen-minute opera for the piano.

On the road with Mellencamp
Germano was working as a violinist when rock singer John Mellencamp invited her to play on his album. For seven years she toured and recorded as a member of Mellencamp's band, appearing on The Lonesome Jubilee (1987), Big Daddy (1989), Falling from Grace (1991), Human Wheels (1993), and Dance Naked (1994). Germano played with Mellencamp from 1985 to 1993 before leaving in 1994 to pursue a solo career. During the 1980s she also appeared on albums by Simple Minds and the Indigo Girls.

Mellencamp's 2023 Live and In Person tour marked the return of Lisa Germano to Mellencamp's band. Germano also played violin on Orpheus Descending, marking the first Mellencamp studio album she has played on since 1993's Human Wheels.

Solo career
After recording with Henry Lee Summer, Bob Seger, and Carrie Newcomer, Germano began a solo career with the album On the Way Down from the Moon Palace (1991), recorded in Indianapolis and released by her label, Major Bill Records. Although sales were low, the album got the attention of Capitol Records, which signed her to a contract and released her next album Happiness (1993). Personnel changes at Capitol resulted in the departure of most of her benefactors, but she retained the rights to her album.

Working for a British label
She signed a contract with the British label 4AD, which had a manufacturing and distribution deal with Warner Bros. in the U.S. Ivo Watts-Russell, founder and president of 4AD, was a fan of Germano's work. He remixed some of the tracks from Happiness with producer and engineer John Fryer, who had been involved in Watts-Russell's This Mortal Coil project. In early 1994, 4AD issued Inconsiderate Bitch, a limited-edition EP which contained five of the remixed tracks. In April of that year Happiness was reissued with different artwork, mixing, sequencing. Two tracks, including a cover version of "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'", were replaced.

Germano's album Geek the Girl (1994) was reviewed positively by the press

Excerpts From a Love Circus (1996) was praised by Spin and Rolling Stone. Earlier that year, Watts-Russell approached 4AD's musicians with the idea that each act would find another person or band to collaborate with on three songs. The recordings would then be released by the label as a monthly series of EPs. Germano worked with rock band Giant Sand, but after their tracks had been recorded, the label decided that the series would be unfeasible and rejected the idea. Germano and the members of Giant Sand liked the results and enjoyed collaborating, and despite the labels' lack of interest in the recordings, recorded an album in less than a week. Managers for Germano and Giant Sand made a deal with Thirsty Ear Recordings to release the album as a one-off project under the name OP8, and the album Slush was released in February 1997. In April 1997, 4AD began promoting "I Love a Snot" (remixed by Tchad Blake) to radio and retail stores in America, but sales of the album remained static at best. "Lovesick" from Excerpts from a Love Circus was remixed by Trevor Jackson (a.k.a. The Underdog), and released by his label, Output Recordings.

Sales began to sag noticeably with the release of Slide, produced by Tchad Blake, in July 1998. The distribution deal with Warner Bros. ended, returning 4AD to independent status, and without Warner Bros. Slide received less promotion. Before the album was released she was invited to sing backup vocals on tour for The Smashing Pumpkins. Although she rejected the offer at first, singer Billy Corgan persuaded her that she would have a more collaborative role, and she agreed to join the tour. She rehearsed with the band for four weeks in Chicago. The night before the tour was supposed to begin, Corgan dismissed her (via the tour manager) with no explanation.

Intent on resuming the promotion of Slide, she went on tour, opening for the Eels and then headlining smaller clubs. While on tour she was notified by 4AD that they were dropping her from the label. By the end of 1998, she announced that she was done with the music business. She fired her management. Nonetheless, in 1999 she performed in Toronto at Lee's Palace, and continued to release new albums with various labels.

Discography

 * On the Way Down from the Moon Palace (Major Bill, 1991)
 * Happiness (Capitol, 1993/4AD, 1994)
 * Geek the Girl (4AD, 1994)
 * Excerpts from a Love Circus (4AD, 1996)
 * Slush (Thirsty Ear, 1997) (with OP8)
 * Slide (4AD, 1998)
 * Lullaby for Liquid Pig (Ineffable/ARTISTdirect, 2003)
 * In the Maybe World (Young God, 2006)
 * Magic Neighbor (Young God, 2009)
 * No Elephants (Badman, 2013)

As guest
With David Bowie
 * 2002 Heathen
 * 2002 "Slow Burn"

With Michael Brook
 * 2006 RockPaperScissors
 * 2007 BellCurve

With Eels
 * 1998 Electro-Shock Blues
 * 2000 Oh What a Beautiful Morning
 * 2003 Shootenanny!

With Neil Finn
 * 1998 Try Whistling This
 * 2001 One Nil
 * 2002 7 Worlds Collide

With Howe Gelb
 * 1998 Hisser
 * 2013 Little Sand Box

With Indigo Girls
 * 1989 Indigo Girls
 * 1990 Nomads Indians Saints
 * 1992 Rites of Passage
 * 1994 Swamp Ophelia
 * 1997 Shaming of the Sun

With Billy Joel
 * 1990 Live at Yankee Stadium, violin on "The Downeaster "Alexa""

With John Mellencamp
 * 1987 The Lonesome Jubilee
 * 1989 Big Daddy
 * 1993 Human Wheels
 * 1994 Dance Naked
 * 1998 John Mellencamp
 * 2010 On the Rural Route 7609
 * 2018 Other People's Stuff
 * 2023 Orpheus Descending (album)

With Simple Minds
 * 1987 Live in the City of Light
 * 1989 Street Fighting Years
 * 1991 Real Life

With Yann Tiersen
 * 2001 L' Absente
 * 2003 C'était Ici
 * 2008 C'était Ici: Live

With others
 * 1987 The Sound of Music, The dB's
 * 1988 Rebels Without a Clue, The Bellamy Brothers
 * 1989 I've Got Everything, Henry Lee Summer
 * 1991 The Fire Inside, Bob Seger
 * 1991 Visions and Dreams, Carrie Newcomer
 * 1991 World So Bright, Adam Schmitt
 * 1992 Candyland, James McMurtry
 * 1993 American Caesar, Iggy Pop
 * 1993 Strays, Junkhouse
 * 1995 Glum, Giant Sand
 * 1996 Caledonia, John P. Strohm
 * 1996 Dead Spy Report, Craig Ross
 * 1996 In Flight, Linda Perry
 * 1997 Eli's Comin', Time and Love: The Music of Laura Nyro
 * 1998 Dopamine, Mitchell Froom
 * 1998 The Globe Sessions, Sheryl Crow
 * 2001 Las Vegas Is Cursed, Hector Zazou
 * 2002 Anna, Anna Waronker
 * 2003 0304, Jewel
 * 2003 From Every Sphere, Ed Harcourt
 * 2003 The Official Fiction, Something for Kate
 * 2003 True Reflections, Boyd Tinsley
 * 2004 Impossible Dream, Patty Griffin
 * 2005 The Roads Don't Love You, Gemma Hayes
 * 2009 Amor Vincit Omnia, Draco Rosa
 * 2009 Devil's Halo, Meshell Ndegeocello
 * 2009 Goodnight Unknown, Lou Barlow
 * 2009 The Sun Came Out, 7 Worlds Collide
 * 2010 Intriguer, Crowded House

title: Lisa Germano


text:
Chosen (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

"Chosen" is the series finale of the American television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It is the 22nd episode of the seventh season and the 144th episode of the series overall. It was both written and directed by series creator Joss Whedon, and originally aired on UPN on May 20, 2003. The Buffy story would not be continued beyond this point until "The Long Way Home", a comic book, in 2007 and the Buffy and Angel saga would end in the Season Twelve series in late 2018.

Plot
A bloody Caleb rises and Buffy finally kills him with the scythe by slicing him in two from the crotch up. Angel has brought an amulet intended to be worn by someone ensouled, yet more than human. He tells her he will fight alongside her, but she turns him down, asking him to instead organize a second front in case she loses to the First Evil. They discuss Spike, his soul, and Buffy's feelings for him, with Angel clearly unsettled and jealous. When Angel asks whether he has a place in her future, Buffy explains that she still needs to grow up; there might be a future for them, but it will be a long time coming, if ever. Accepting this, Angel walks into the shadows, just like on the night they first met. As all this occurs, Spike watches unseen, with the First in Buffy's form by his side.

Back at the house, Dawn angrily kicks Buffy in the shin for having Xander try to take her away from Sunnydale. Spike is in the basement, working out his anger on a punching bag with a crude drawing of Angel's face on it. He asks for the amulet, and she explains that it is very powerful and meant only for a champion. She then hands it to him. When Buffy tells Spike coyly that Faith is still sleeping in her room, he is reluctant to have her stay downstairs with him since she kissed Angel, but gives in. Late at night, as Buffy and Spike are sleeping in each other's arms, the First appears to taunt Buffy in the form of Caleb, and then in the form of Buffy herself. Its words give Buffy a plan; when Spike wakes up, Buffy tells him that she now knows that they will win.

The next morning, Buffy unveils her plan to the Potential Slayers off-camera. Afterward, Willow expresses to Kennedy her concerns about using magic again. She says this is the most powerful magic she will have attempted and asks Kennedy to kill her if it turns bad. Faith and Principal Wood also have a discussion while preparing the school for the battle. Wood demonstrates that he understands her defensiveness over getting emotionally involved with men and asks her to give him a chance after the battle. During the night, Buffy goes to the basement, where she apparently spends her last night with Spike.

The next morning, everyone arrives at Sunnydale High in a yellow school bus. The Slayers and the Potentials head to the seal in the basement while Kennedy helps Willow set up her spell in Wood's office, Andrew is paired with Anya, Dawn leaves to set up her post with Xander, and Wood leaves to wait at his post for Giles. The core four share a moment talking about going to the mall after saving the world which causes Giles to say "the earth is definitely doomed." Xander and Willow walk down the hallway with Buffy before each one peels off, leaving Buffy walking alone to the seal. The Potentials, Faith and Spike are waiting, and the Potentials cut their hands to open the seal with their blood. They climb down the hole in the ground and come face to face with the army of Turok-Han. The Ubervamps spot Buffy, Faith and the Potentials, and attack.

Willow sits in the school principal's office directly above the Seal, the scythe before her. While chanting a spell, she places her hands on the scythe, and both she and the weapon light up in an ethereal glow and her hair turns white, the opposite of Dark Willow. A flashback to Buffy's final speech to the Potentials reveals that Willow is channeling the essence of the scythe in order to activate Potentials all over the world. Defying the tradition of only one slayer per generation, Willow's spell will raise an army strong enough to do battle with The First. After Willow performs the magic, Kennedy takes the scythe to Buffy, who is deep in the fight with Faith and Spike against the army of the Turok-Han, numbering in the thousands.

As she pauses to give orders, Buffy is stabbed through her abdomen from behind by a Turok-Han and falls to the ground. She passes the scythe to Faith and asks her to hold the line. As she lies on the ground, she sees several Slayers fall, including Amanda. In the halls of the school, a few Turok-Han make it to the surface and attack the group guarding the entrances. A small group of Bringers also appear and attack. During the battle, Anya is bisected by a Bringer, Andrew fights until he is overwhelmed, Wood is stabbed by a Bringer who is then killed by Giles, and Xander and Dawn take on some Turok-Han who are disintegrated by sunlight when Dawn throws open a skylight window, but more follow. In the Hellmouth, the First then appears to Buffy as a mortally wounded Buffy herself, taunting her. Ordering The First to "get out of my face!", Buffy arises with renewed determination and knocks several Turok-Han off the ledge. Other Slayers are reinvigorated as well.

Just then, Spike's amulet consumes him in blue light and blasts a hole upward into the sky. The sunlight is channeled through his soul to the amulet and in powerful rays that begin dusting the ubervamps. The ground begins to shake and rocks tumble. The few surviving Slayers start to flee. Buffy tells Spike to do so as well, but he insists on finishing it. They share a quiet moment as the world crumbles around them. With tears in her eyes, Buffy tells Spike she loves him (as predicted by Cassie months earlier); Spike dismisses her declaration but thanks her for it. He orders her to leave as he has to stay and finish the job. As Buffy flees, Spike burns to dust as the Hellmouth collapses.

On the way out of the school, Xander yells for Anya, whose body lies nearby unseen as Dawn pulls him out. The survivors board a school bus and flee. Buffy runs across rooftops to catch up, and leaps onto the top of the bus. The entire town of Sunnydale collapses into the Hellmouth cavern, leaving a large crater. As the ground stops shaking, Andrew comforts Xander by telling him that Anya died saving his life. While a few of the new Slayers tend to the wounded, the other survivors look back at the crater's rim. As Willow and Dawn ponder what to do next, Buffy slowly begins to smile, knowing that she is no longer alone in the world and that the burden of being the one chosen Slayer is no longer on her shoulders.

Production details
Originally the series finale was planned as a two-hour event. However, UPN only ordered 22 episodes instead of the required 23. This was why stories were so rushed at the end, according to Gellar.

Writing

 * Season seven explores the fundamental separation between the Slayer and other people, which the series finale turns upside down. As J. Lichtenberg points out in her essay on heroism in the Buffyverse, Buffy is a hero because she makes her own rules. "Finally an adult, Buffy rejects the fate laid out for her by the Council of Watchers and a couple of old men millennia ago," Lichtenberg writes. "She finally achieves her goal of normality - not by changing her own nature, but by making others like her."
 * In a BBC interview before this episode aired, writer/director Joss Whedon said, "If nobody cries... then I've definitely failed. It's really emotional - you're supposed to laugh, cry and gasp with excitement - as well as take away a beautiful feminist message." He acknowledges that the magic unleashed from the scythe in this episode is "somewhat convenient" and that the Turok-Han vampires are far easier to kill in this episode than in previous episodes (in which Anya noted their tough chest bones make staking them extremely difficult), but as a writer, it was more important for him to get to the show's message of empowerment by showing what Willow's magic and Buffy's status as the Slayer means to each of them.
 * As opposed to Spike's "perfect, noble" death, Whedon wanted another character to die in a "real middle-of-the-battle death" and to have it done "brutally and suddenly and never really pay it off". Emma Caulfield stated at the beginning of season 7 that this would be her last season on Buffy, even if the show was renewed for another season, and so Caulfield was fine with having Anya be the character who was killed.
 * In the DVD commentary, Whedon says that he wanted Angel to exit the show exactly like he entered, backing out into the darkness behind him.

Reception
"Chosen" attracted 4.9 million viewers on its original run. SFX, a British sci-fi magazine, listed "Chosen" the 8th best episode of Buffy (number one was "Hush").

The episode was nominated for both a 2003 Emmy Award in the Category of Special Visual Effects for a Series, and for the 2004 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form.

The Futon Critic named it the 50th best episode of 2003, saying "the final Buffy from Joss Whedon's pen was a reason to celebrate in 2003: back was the snappy dialogue we've come to expect from the show over the years. In essence the show came to life just as its run drew to a close. Not a bad way to go out."

In May 2013, Entertainment Weekly named "Chosen" as number nine on their list of 20 Best TV Series Finales Ever. The L.A. Times also named the episode number 13 as their most memorable TV series finales.

Screen Rant named it an episode including some of "The Best 60 Seconds From All 7 Seasons," saying the show's "most rousing and goosebump-inducing 60-second sequence ever plays out, as powerful music plays over Buffy's inspiring words. Potentials worldwide, including Buffy's army, become slayers, turning the tables in the fight against the First Evil."

title: Chosen (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)


text:
Killzone (video game)

Killzone is a first-person shooter video game developed by Guerrilla Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2. It was originally released on 2 November 2004 in North America and 26 November 2004 in Europe. The game was remastered in HD by Supermassive Games and re-released within the Killzone Trilogy for PlayStation 3 as well as a standalone PSN title in 2012.

Killzone takes place in the middle of the 24th century and chronicles the war between two human factions; the Vektans, and the Helghast. The game is played from a first-person view and follows Jan Templar, a high-ranking officer within the Interplanetary Strategic Alliance, as he battles invading Helghast forces on his homeworld of Vekta.

Prior to its release Killzone was heavily anticipated with several publications considering it to be Sony's "Halo killer" title. Upon release, however, the game was met with mixed responses, with critics praising the visuals, sound, and music, but criticizing the gameplay, AI, and technical issues. Despite mixed reactions, Killzone spawned numerous sequels, beginning with a direct sequel, Killzone 2.

Plot
Killzone takes place in a fictional world set in the year 2357. After nuclear war rendered much of the Earth uninhabitable in 2055, world governments formed an international order known as the United Colonial Nations. Partnering with private firms, the UCN moved to establish human colonies in Alpha Centauri, a system occupied by two planets: Vekta, a rich Earth-like world (named after the CEO of the mining conglomerate Helghan, Philip Vekta), and Helghan, a barren wasteland named after the same company. The Helghan Corporation sought to buy ownership of Vekta as well, but when the UCN imposed sanctions against its unfair business practices, a war broke out (known as the First Extrasolar War), which led to the ISA, the military arm of the UCN, driving the company out of Vekta. In response, the exiled colonists established their own civilization on Helghan, built on the principles of militarism and authoritarianism. The harsh environment and atmosphere killed many Helghans, forcing the survivors to use respirators and air tanks just to breathe. Eventually, the population, now known as the Helghast, mutated into pale-skinned hairless humanoids with increased strength, stamina, and intelligence. Violently xenophobic and convinced of their superiority, the Helghan consider humans to be beneath them, and dream of one day reconquering Vekta and expanding their empire to Earth and the neighboring star systems.

Story
Scolar Visari, emperor of Helghan, sends the Helghast Third Army to launch a secret invasion of Vekta. Alerted to the attack, the ISA attempt to prevent it with their SD (Solar Defense) network, but are unable to activate it in time to stop the invaders. With the element of surprise on their side, the Helghast quickly overwhelm the unprepared ISA ground forces and capture several strategic locations, including ISA Central Command.

While taking part in an offensive to slow the Helghast assault, Captain Jan Templar, a veteran ISA officer, is summoned to a meeting by his mentor and close friend, General Bradley Vaughton. Vaughton discloses that the ISA has requested assistance from the UCN and are working to restore the defense network. He also reveals that Colonel Gregor Hakha, a half-Helghan intelligence officer, had, on his orders, infiltrated the inner circle of Third Army commander General Joseph Lente, only to vanish while traveling to an extraction point in Vekta's slums. As Hakha is the only individual with knowledge of how the invasion bypassed SD, he assigns Jan to locate him. After fighting his way through the Helghast occupying the exterior of Central Command, Jan runs into Luger, a former comrade who is now working with an elite ISA division known as the Shadow Marshals. He also recruits the services of Ricardo Velasquez, an ISA gunner seeking revenge for the massacre of his entire platoon.

After rescuing Hakha, the team discovers that General Stuart Adams, the overseer for SD, is secretly working for Lente. He murders Vaughton and takes control of the system, planning to use it to destroy the relief fleet headed to Vekta. Under Jan's leadership, the team destroys several Helghast bases and infrastructure projects, eventually intercepting and killing Lente when he tries to deal with them personally. Adams retreats to the SD control center and tries to reason with the group, explaining that the Helghast will stop at nothing to reclaim Vekta, regardless of how many lives they lose. Nevertheless, the team disables the station and escapes just as the fleet destroys it, killing Adams. Jan and Luger speculate about what the future holds, realizing that the real war is far from over.

Voice cast

 * Kal Weber as Captain Jan Templar
 * Taylor Lawrence as Shadow Marshal Luger (credit as Jennifer Lawrence)
 * Tom Clarke Hill as Sgt. Rico Valasquez
 * Sean Pertwee as Colonel Gregor Hakha
 * Brian Cox as Scolar Visari
 * Steven Berkoff as General Joseph Lente
 * Ronny Cox as General Stuart Adams
 * Bob Sherman as General Bradley Vaughton
 * John Schwab as Additional ISA Voices
 * Kenny Andrews as Additional ISA Voices (credit as Kennie Andrews)
 * Kerry Shale as Additional ISA Voices
 * Eric Meyers as Additional ISA Voices (credit as Eric Myers)
 * Larissa Murray as Additional ISA Voices
 * Jonathan Keeble as Additional Helghast Voices
 * Gary Martin as Additional Helghast Voices

Reception
Killzone received "mixed or average" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. Reviewers cited technical problems with Killzone, including inconsistent AI, occasional bugs, frame-rate issues, distracting graphical glitches, repetition of the same voices, short draw distance, and an awkward control system. Critics also complained about the gameplay, with IGN labeling it "underwhelming and mediocre".

Reviewers such as GameSpy claimed that Killzone partly suffered due to the incredible publicity it received before release, raising expectations only for them to go unfulfilled. Despite this, Killzone was admired for its sound effects, its soundtrack, and its presentation of a gritty war zone; it was also credited for its unique hard sci-fi art design. In Japan, where the game was ported and published by Sega in 2004, Famitsu gave it a score of one seven, one nine, one eight, and one seven for a total of 31 out of 40. Despite the mixed reception, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated Killzone for "Console First-Person Action Game of the Year" and "Outstanding Achievement in Original Musical Composition" during the 8th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards.

The game shipped close to 2 million units worldwide by December 2005.

title: Killzone (video game)


text:
Darkside Blues

Darkside Blues (ダークサイド・ブルース) is a manga series by Hideyuki Kikuchi. The story has been adapted into an anime film directed by Yoshimichi Furukawa. The film was originally licensed by Central Park Media and then later licensed by ADV Films.

Storyline
The story involves the town of Kabuki-cho, home of a resistance faction called Messiah. In the futuristic setting, Kabuki-cho is one of the last places of freedom because the Persona Century Corporation has taken control of the majority of the Earth. Kabuki-cho is hence known as "The Dark Side of Tokyo". Furthermore, a mysterious stranger called Darkside appears to protect the citizens of Kabuki-cho.

Release
The manga was published by Akita Shoten into two volumes between September 1988 and December 1988. The series was rereleased three times in special one-volume editions: on November 22, 1993; on May 10, 2002; and on March 16, 2012.

Darkside Blues was adapted into a film by J.C. Staff under the direction of Yoriyasu Kogawa and based on a script by Mayori Sekijima. It was released theatrically by Toho on October 8, 1994. Central Park Media licensed it for a North American audience and first released it in VHS on May 6, 1997.

Reception
Helen McCarthy in 500 Essential Anime Movies calls the film "one of the most atmospheric films" of the 1990s. She praises the design, but states that "the luxuriant designs are almost outdone by the well-crafted background track, with some superior foley editing and jazzy, atmospheric music".

title: Darkside Blues


text: Template:PD-USGov-HHS-CDC

title: Template:PD-USGov-HHS-CDC


text:
Phoca

Phoca is a genus of the earless seals, within the family Phocidae. It now contains just two species, the common seal (or harbour seal) and the spotted seal (or largha seal). Several species formerly listed under this genus have been split into the genera Pusa, Pagophilus, and Histriophoca. Until recently, Phoca largha has been considered a subspecies of Phoca vitulina but now is considered its own species. For this reason, the fossil history of the genus is unclear, and it has formerly been used as wastebasket taxon for a number of fossils of uncertain affinity.

Species
Currently there are two confirmed members:

There is also a third unconfirmed member:

Former members of Phoca:
 * Histriophoca fasciata (ribbon seal)
 * Pusa caspica (Caspian seal)
 * Pusa hispida (ringed seal)
 * Pusa sibirica (nerpa or Baikal seal)
 * Pagophilus groenlandica (harp seal)

Mating ecology

Both harbour and spotted seals are aquatically mating pinnipeds. Mating occurs in the water around the time when pups are weaned. Females in estrus are typically more dispersed than land-breeding pinnipeds and the distinction between foraging and reproductive behavior is less apparent. For this reason, it is difficult to study the mating patterns of this genus.

Female harbour seals start making foraging trips shortly before weaning their pup and consequently are widely dispersed when in estrus. Males restrict their range around the time females start to make these foraging trips. Harbour seals follow a polygynous mating system. More specifically it has been shown that male harbour seals partake in lek polygyny. Male seals defend underwater territories with well-defined boundaries. The most valuable territories are near haulouts or along traffic corridors that provide maximum exposure to estrous females. One male will occupy an area throughout the breeding season, and they will return to the same display area in consecutive years. Female harbour seals receive direct benefits from being in a lek, as the congregation of males into an area makes mate selection easier because females do not have to travel as far and it also helps to reduce exposure to predators.

Harbour seal males use underwater vocalizations and display dives within their aquatic territories, for both female attraction and male-male competition. Male harbour seal vocalizations consist of low-frequency broadband growls that peak in occurrence during the mating season. Males vocalize and display in small, distinct territories covering around 40–135 m2. Each display area is spatially discrete and can be separated by up to 250 meters. Male harbour seals have considerable individual and geographic variation in their underwater vocalizations. Territory holders use the acoustic displays of intruders to locate and challenge invaders and will respond aggressively to a male call. Males assess each other by their vocalizations before deciding whether to respond. These vocalizations are energetically expensive to produce and are honest signals of male quality and dominance. Male body condition will decline as the mating season progresses.

Aquatic hierarchies in harbour seals develop before the breeding season and dominance is determined by direct male contests. These contests involve repeated confrontations between two males using surface splashing, fighting, paired somersaulting, and chasing techniques. The hierarchies may aid in holding territories or to mate with females during the breeding season. The dominance relationships are determined by size and sex, with adult males dominant to sub-adult males, and sub-adult females submissive to all other social classes. Aquatic courtship is long in duration and involves rolling, bubble blowing, and splashing to attract females. Female choice appears to play a strong role in this mating system but it has yet to be formally studied.

The mating system of spotted seals is quite different from harbour seals as spotted seals are serially monogamous. During the breeding season, a male will join a female approximately ten days before the female gives birth to a pup from the previous years mating. The pairs are considered to be territorial as they keep widely spaced from other spotted seals. The social group consists of an isolated adult pair and the females pup. The female spotted seal receives direct benefits from the male as he provides protection for her and the pup until it is weaned. Immediately after weaning mating occurs.

title: Phoca


text: Category:Less Than Jake albums

title: Category:Less Than Jake albums


text: User talk:62.52.37.249

title: User talk:62.52.37.249


text:
User talk:Gersson

Please stop adding nonsense to Wikipedia. It is considered vandalism. If you want to experiment, please use the sandbox. Thank you. -- Graham ☺ | Talk 23:47, 5 Dec 2004 (UTC)

Please stop. If you continue to vandalize pages, you will be blocked from editing Wikipedia. -- Graham ☺ | Talk 23:52, 5 Dec 2004 (UTC)

title: User talk:Gersson


text:
Marcel Grossmann

Marcel Grossmann (April 9, 1878 – September 7, 1936) was a Swiss mathematician who was a friend and classmate of Albert Einstein. Grossmann came from an old Swiss family in Zürich. His father managed a textile factory. He became a Professor of Mathematics at the Federal Polytechnic School in Zürich, today the ETH Zurich, specializing in descriptive geometry.

Career
In 1900 Grossmann graduated from the Federal Polytechnic School (ETH) and became an assistant to the geometer Wilhelm Fiedler. He continued to do research on non-Euclidean geometry and taught in high schools for the next seven years. In 1902, he earned his doctorate from the University of Zurich with the thesis Ueber die metrischen Eigenschaften kollinearer Gebilde (translated On the Metrical Properties of Collinear Structures) with Fiedler as advisor. In 1907, he was appointed full professor of descriptive geometry at the Federal Polytechnic School.

As a professor of geometry, Grossmann organized summer courses for high school teachers. In 1910, he became one of the founders of the Swiss Mathematical Society. He was an Invited Speaker of the ICM in 1912 at Cambridge and in 1920 at Strasbourg.

Collaborations with Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein's friendship with Grossmann began with their school days in Zürich. Grossmann's careful and complete lecture notes at the Federal Polytechnic School proved to be a salvation for Einstein, who missed many lectures. Grossmann's father helped Einstein get his job at the Swiss Patent Office in Bern, and it was Grossmann who helped to conduct the negotiations to bring Einstein back from Prague as a professor of physics at the Zurich Polytechnic. Grossmann was an expert in differential geometry and tensor calculus; just the mathematical tools providing a proper mathematical framework for Einstein's work on gravity. Thus, it was natural that Einstein would enter into a scientific collaboration with Grossmann.

It was Grossmann who emphasized the importance of a non-Euclidean geometry called Riemannian geometry (also elliptic geometry) to Einstein, which was a necessary step in the development of Einstein's general theory of relativity. Abraham Pais's book on Einstein suggests that Grossmann mentored Einstein in tensor theory as well. Grossmann introduced Einstein to the absolute differential calculus, started by Elwin Bruno Christoffel and fully developed by Gregorio Ricci-Curbastro and Tullio Levi-Civita. Grossmann facilitated Einstein's unique synthesis of mathematical and theoretical physics in what is still today considered the most elegant and powerful theory of gravity: the general theory of relativity. The collaboration of Einstein and Grossmann led to a ground-breaking paper, "Outline of a Generalized Theory of Relativity and of a Theory of Gravitation", which was published in 1913 and was one of the two fundamental papers which established Einstein's theory of gravity.

Death
Grossmann died of multiple sclerosis in 1936. The community of relativists celebrates Grossmann's contributions to physics by organizing Marcel Grossmann meetings every three years.

Legacy
The International Center for Relativistic Astrophysics presents the Marcel Grossmann Awards. Each recipient receives a silver casting of the T. E. S. T. sculpture by the artist A. Pierelli. Each year, an institution is selected and between two and six individual scientists are selected. Past institutional winners include the Planck Scientific Collaboration (ESA), AlbaNova University Center, Institut des Hautes Etudes Scientifique (IHES) and others. Past individual winners include Shing-Tung Yau, Tsung-Dao Lee, Christine Jones Forman and Stephen Hawking.

title: Marcel Grossmann


text:
User:FlimFlam~enwiki

I am Flim Flam Man!

Lata!

Flim Flam

title: User:FlimFlam~enwiki


text: Category:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention images


text:
User talk:FlimFlam~enwiki

Welcome!

Hello, and welcome to Wikipedia. Thank you for your contributions. I hope you like the place and decide to stay. Here are a few good links for newcomers: I hope you enjoy editing here and being a Wikipedian! By the way, you can sign your name on Talk and vote pages using three tildes, like this: ~ ~ ~. Four tildes (~ ~ ) produces your name and the current date. If you have any questions, see the help pages, add a question to the village pump or ask me on my Talk page. Again, welcome! -- Graham ☺ | Talk 23:51, 5 Dec 2004 (UTC)
 * How to edit a page
 * Editing tutorial
 * Picture tutorial
 * How to write a great article
 * Naming conventions
 * Manual of Style

Your account will be renamed
Hello,

The developer team at Wikimedia is making some changes to how accounts work, as part of our on-going efforts to provide new and better tools for our users like cross-wiki notifications. These changes will mean you have the same account name everywhere. This will let us give you new features that will help you edit and discuss better, and allow more flexible user permissions for tools. One of the side-effects of this is that user accounts will now have to be unique across all 900 Wikimedia wikis. See the announcement for more information.

Unfortunately, your account clashes with another account also called FlimFlam. To make sure that both of you can use all Wikimedia projects in future, we have reserved the name FlimFlam~enwiki that only you will have. If you like it, you don't have to do anything. If you do not like it, you can pick out a different name. If you think you might own all of the accounts with this name and this message is in error, please visit Special:MergeAccount to check and attach all of your accounts to prevent them from being renamed.

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Renamed
 This account has been renamed as part of single-user login finalisation. If you own this account you can |log in using your previous username and password for more information. If you do not like this account's new name, you can choose your own using this form after logging in: . -- Keegan (WMF) (talk) 12:56, 22 April 2015 (UTC)

title: User talk:FlimFlam~enwiki


text:
User:Hendrik Sollich~enwiki

I am an angry pirate when I'm drunk, the rest of the time I'm a german highschool student. I spent the school-year 2003/2004 In Lawrenceville, Georgia as a Foreign_exchange Student. I got into Wikipedia to edit and maybe compose some entries of my own because I think Wikipedia is a great project evangelizing the idea of Open_Source/Open_Content.

And to write a sentence not beginning with the word I I made the final line.

title: User:Hendrik Sollich~enwiki


text: User talk:62.134.104.30

title: User talk:62.134.104.30


text:
File:A.J. Croce - Fit to Serve.jpg

Cover for album Fit to Serve by A. J. Croce.

Fair use rationale for

 * It is believed that the use of this image on the English-language Wikipedia to illustrate an article on the audio recording in question falls under the "Non-profit educational" clause of the Fair Use doctrine currently upheld by United States law. (17 U.S.C. § 107)
 * The image is irreplaceable; a free analogue is impossible to produce as the original will be covered by copyright for the foreseeable future
 * Owing to the limited web-resolution of the image, only a small portion of a copyrighted work is used
 * For the same reasons, the portion of the copyrighted work used is of inherently lower quality than the original, reducing the risk of competitiveness and therefore the effects of this copy on the market for or value of versions held by the owner of the copyright

title: File:A.J. Croce - Fit to Serve.jpg


text:
Unity Temple

Unity Temple is a Unitarian Universalist church in Oak Park, Illinois, and the home of the Unity Temple Unitarian Universalist Congregation. It was designed by the American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, and built between 1905 and 1908. Unity Temple is considered to be one of Wright's most important structures dating from the first decade of the twentieth century. Because of its consolidation of aesthetic intent and structure through use of a single material, reinforced concrete, Unity Temple is considered by many architects to be the first modern building in the world. This idea became of central importance to the modern architects who followed Wright, such as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and even the post-modernists, such as Frank Gehry. In 2019, along with seven other buildings designed by Wright in the 20th century, Unity Temple was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The Unitarian Universalist congregation that worships in Unity Temple was formed in 1871, and has no connection with Unity Church, a religious organization founded in 1889.

Background
In 1905, a lightning strike started a fire which destroyed the wood-framed Oak Park Unity Church, architect Frank Lloyd Wright was one of the many architects who vied for the commission, and was ultimately selected to design a new structure for the Universalist congregation of Oak Park, Illinois. The result was the Unity Temple. Wright was not only living in Oak Park but also came from a family of Unitarians, a faith that had many beliefs in common with Universalism. The congregation needed a space of worship, as well as a community room. There were several immediate problems that the architect had to work with in order to satisfy the client. The budget was $45,000, a modest amount even in the early 20th century. Building materials had to be inexpensive and as Wright said, “concrete is cheap.” The same concrete molds were used multiple times, as Wright had designed repeating walls with similar dimensions. Additionally, the building site stood on a busy street. And finally, the architect was expected to design not only the structure but also furniture and stained glass for the building. Charles E. Roberts, an engineer, inventor and an important early client of Frank Lloyd Wright, served on the church's building committee and was a key figure in seeing that Wright's vision for the church became a reality. For Roberts, Wright also remodeled Roberts' home and the Charles E. Roberts Stable.

Design and construction
To meet the congregation's needs, Wright divided the community space from the temple space with a low, central loggia accessible from either side. This layout efficiently utilized space and minimized noise between the two primary gathering areas: attendees of religious services were separated by the loggia from those attending community events. Wright's design plan harkens back to the bipartite design of his own studio, constructed several blocks away in 1898, featuring two sections of the building with similar compositions separated by a lower passageway, with one section larger than the other (similar to the Guggenheim Museum in New York City, another bipartite design). Additionally, for the Temple's architecture, Wright incorporated several elements from his previous creation, the Larkin Administration Building. Key features included the use of stained glass windows and geometric figures. However, unlike the Larkin Building, the Temple's plan resulted in a perfect square rather than the double-square rectangle of the Larkin.

To minimize noise from the street, Wright omitted street-level windows in the temple. Instead, natural light filters in through stained glass windows in the roof and clerestories along the upper walls. As parishioners wouldn't have outside views, Unity Temple's stained glass was crafted with green, yellow, and brown tones to evoke the colors of nature. The main floor of the temple is elevated a few steps above the main level of the building, which accommodates seating space. Additionally, the room features two balconies for congregation seating. These varying seating levels enabled the architect to design a building that efficiently accommodates the congregation's size, ensuring no individual is more than 40 feet from the pulpit. Furthermore, Wright prioritized excellent acoustics in his design.

The design of Unity Temple represents a leap forward in design for Wright. In recounting his experiences with Unity Temple, he stated that this design was the first time he ever realized that the real heart of a building is its space, not its walls. Indeed, architectural historians have commented on Wright's genius in creating and manipulating space in his designs; in his book The Master Builders, Peter Blake entitled the section on Wright "The Mastery of Space."

In addition to being very accomplished with making the most out of the space he had, Wright also found the concept of "Unity" was very prominent mainly because of how he managed to fuse together space, experience and the material world. This was key to Unity Temple which has both a common meeting area and the congregation of church-goers. The sanctuary space gives the best example of this according to practicing architect Robert McCarter.

The building was completed in 1908 and officially dedicated on September 26, 1909.

Significance
The building has been a United States National Historic Landmark since December 30, 1970 and was chosen in a 1991 poll in the magazine, Architectural Record as one of the 100 most significant buildings in the United States of the previous 100 years (Unity Temple was #14). Additionally, Unity Temple was chosen by the American Institute of Architects as one of 17 buildings by Frank Lloyd Wright that should be retained as his architectural contribution to American culture.

In 2008, the U.S. National Park Service submitted Unity Temple, along with nine other Frank Lloyd Wright properties, to a tentative list for World Heritage Status. The 10 sites have been submitted as one, total, site. The January 22, 2008 press release from the National Park Service website announcing the nominations states that, "The preparation of a Tentative List is a necessary first step in the process of nominating a site to the World Heritage List." After revised proposals, the properties were inscribed on the World Heritage List under the title "The 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright" in July 2019.

Restoration
A drawback to the modern design of the Unity Temple is structural problems that have emerged over time. Through the years of its existence, the Unity Temple's concrete structure has suffered extensive water damage. Pieces of the roof fell inside the structure, and water eroded other parts of the exterior, as well.

The original Universalist (now Unitarian Universalist) congregation still uses Unity Temple, although a separate and secular organization, the Unity Temple Restoration Foundation is in charge of the building's multimillion-dollar restoration effort. The foundation and church developed a restoration plan over many years, beginning in 2000. In April 2009, Unity Temple, due to water seepage, was added to the National Trust for Historic Preservation's 11 most endangered historic places.

Chicago restoration architect Gunny Harboe was in charge of the restoration with CTLGroup providing the engineering and materials technology expertise. In April 2015, a $25 million interior and exterior restoration began. The restoration focused on structural improvements such as replacing the majority of the building's 16 separate flat roofs. The restoration also addressed decorative and environmental improvements to the building. Unity Temple closed to the public in June 2015.

Restoration work was completed in June 2017 and the building reopened for tours as of July 1, 2017. The building is closed to tours on Sundays, when the Unitarian Universalist church that calls the building home has its day of worship, but offers tours on other days of the week. The Unity Temple Restoration Foundation offers a full calendar of artistic and educational programming.

In 2018, the restoration of the temple received an award for excellence by the American Institute of Architects, Chicago chapter, and in 2019 was awarded the Urban Land Institute - Chicago Vision Award for historic restoration.

title: Unity Temple