text:
User:ChatOmbre

About my username: It's in French. Chat = cat, and ombre = shadow. I didn't know that an X-Men character by the name of Shadowcat existed when I started going by this, but nowadays I do enjoy reading the comics whenever I get a chance.

Birthplace: Dublin, GA.

Location: Metro-Atlanta area, GA, USA, Earth.

Age: 16 (at the time I last updated this page)

Interests: Far too many to list! Probably enough to keep me busy for more than a lifetime.

On music: I don't have a favorite kind of music. I like almost every kind, and am usually glad to listen to something I haven't heard yet. I played piano for 3 years, although it's been quite a while since then. Some friends recently started teaching me to drum, though!

On Religion: I was raised to be a Christian until I was about 9 years old, but I am not a Christian any more. I now consider myself a Unitarian Universalist and Neo-Pagan. I always enjoy learning about other religions and cultures, though, and I find such topics quite interesting.

Websites: My Website and Blog

title: User:ChatOmbre


text:
Talk:Escape from atlantis

This article was listed on votes for deletion; see Votes for deletion/Escape from atlantis. [[User:Poccil|Peter O. (Talk, automation script)]] 02:03, Dec 6, 2004 (UTC)

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

title: Talk:Escape from atlantis


text:
Talk:Leslie Grantham

Get rid of the webcam photo please!
Must the webcam picture be here? I find it extremely tacky. Mike H 02:04, Dec 6, 2004 (UTC)

 * I agree-- very tacky to have the webcam photo here.  It puts Wikipedia on the level of the tabloids, exploiting his bad judgment for entertainment value.  He's going to have a difficult enough time getting past this, in his personal and professional life;  what is to be gained by continuing to plaster this photo around, except to hamper a gifted human being in putting his life back together?  I don't think that an encyclopedia article about him should choose, as its one photo of him, this embarrassing moment which he never intended to be public, any more than Rob Lowe's entry should have his photo be a still from his sexual video. [I think the Rob Lowe entry, and the nice photo, show how it should be done for Mr. Grantham.] I certainly expect that Mr. Grantham will get past the webcam incident, just as Rob Lowe recovered from his video scandal.  Mr. Grantham has had a long and impressive career, and there are any number of other photos (some of which, I hope, would be in the public domain, or otherwise available) which would more accurately reflect who he is and what he has accomplished in his acting career.    (Submitted by Marjorie M, Vancouver WA USA)

 * I figured out how to delete the webcam photo from this article, so I have done so, and I ask that it not be re-posted, for the reasons stated in my prior post. I am fairly new to Wikipedia and haven't a clue how to get a nice photo of Leslie Grantham posted here, much less one which wouldn't violate copyright laws.   I hope someone will post a nice photo of him here soon (and on the Den Watts article-- I saw that the webcam photo was deleted there, but I didn't do that one!).  If not, I will try to find one and figure out how to post it.  (Posted by Marjorie M, Vancouver WA USA.)

 * Hello Marjorie. I was the one who deleted the photo in the Den Watts article. It seems particularly gratuitous to have the photo in that article, as it is about the fictional character not Grantham himself. I have asked the person who uploaded the photo to come to the talk pages to discuss why he thinks we should include it. Your reasons to not include it are largely based out of respect for him, which is fair enough. On top of that we should look it from the point of view of Wikipedia. A quality resource should not stoop to such tawdry depths. Pcb21| Pete 14:33, 10 Dec 2004 (UTC)

 * Thanks, Pete, for deleting the other webcam photo.  I agree with you.  I hope that folks will not continue to (ab)use the wonderful free access at Wikipedia to reduce it to the level of a tabloid, whipping post, or sensationalist forum.  I know I'm treading a fine line here, because what is one person's slander or tackiness is another person's free speech or humor. But I do respect Mr. Grantham and would be a friend to him if I could, and I saw the photos and thought about his sons coming across them here, as a permanent record of their father's life for all to see, and I felt I should try to do something.

 * Wow, I registered and everything, and thought my ID would automatically post here. I have registered as MarjorieM, so that I would not be anonymous here.  I just found the Signature button so here goes...  --MarjorieM 15:01, 11 Dec 2004 (UTC)

Thanks for editing and expanding this article
Just want to say thanks to the person who updated this article today. (This is with the assumption that all the facts are correct; I don't have the ability to confirm the accuracy of the information, but it seems to be in keeping with other information I've seen.) I'm not exactly objective because I'm a fan of Mr. Grantham's-- when I saw the update it felt like a nice holiday gift!-- but I think you've provided an enhanced perspective over his remarkable life and made a nice addition to Wikipedia. I hope you're around to provide updates as he departs from EastEnders within the next couple of months and moves into the next phase of his career. Best wishes from --MarjorieM 06:13, 25 Dec 2004 (UTC)

Clint Boon story
The paragraph regarding Clint Boon is totally unsourced and unverified, so unless the author cares to provide some proof that this isn't a figment of their imagination, it's been removed. The rules regarding this kind of thing are clear - Back up your statements. Nsign.

E-mail address removed
I have removed the e-mail address from the article. Not only does this violate Grantham's privacy, it is also unverified. The Sun only mentioned that he used the "sign-on" Kwanertoo, but they didn't make clear whether this was his screen name or part of his e-mail address. A ecis Brievenbus 13:10, 8 February 2008 (UTC)

EastEnders photo
The photo of Leslie Grantham has been deleted twice without explanation:,. The same editor has removed photos from other articles without explanation:, , , , , , , ,. At least one picture is used with permission and another was released under Creative Commons, only two seem to have copyright restrictions, so it may be be anthing to do with copyright issues. I've restored the photo for the time being - if the picture is deleted again I'll leave a message on the editors' talk page to open a discussion. Autarch (talk) 17:36, 13 August 2009 (UTC)

The latest deletion seems to come from an unregistered editor with some vandalism in their history. Autarch (talk) 17:05, 17 August 2009 (UTC)

Allegations of death
Some edits made by User:86.162.165.166 made unsourced claims that Leslie Grantham has died in Iceland. As neither BBC News nor any other news source mentioned this event, it has been reverted. Autarch (talk) 03:29, 28 February 2012 (UTC)

'Sex scandal' material
I've removed all the material from this article about Grantham being involved in a tabloid 'sex scandal' in 2004. I don't doubt that this happened, but contentious claims about living people require better sources than the Sunday People. Anyone who wants to restore the text had better find reliable sources for it first. Robofish (talk) 22:14, 6 January 2015 (UTC)

External links modified
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I have just modified one external link on Leslie Grantham. Please take a moment to review my edit. If you have any questions, or need the bot to ignore the links, or the page altogether, please visit this simple FaQ for additional information. I made the following changes:
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20090219231045/http://www.my-tardis.co.uk/interviews_lj.php to http://www.my-tardis.co.uk/interviews_lj.php

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Living people tag
This article has been headed by a tag saying "This biographical article about a living person needs additional sources for verification". It has been announced on the news today (June 15 2016) that Grantham has died, so he is no longer  a living person. Vorbee (talk) 17:33, 15 June 2018 (UTC)

 * The template has been updated. Philip Cross (talk) 18:11, 15 June 2018 (UTC)

Lung cancer
His cause of death was lung cancer: http://allworldreport.com/celebrities/leslie-grantham-secretly-battled-cancer-death-aged-71/ (86.173.162.249 (talk) 07:17, 16 June 2018 (UTC))

Netball player?
Does anybody else find it questionable that Leslie Grantham was a 'promising netball player', given that traditionally in the UK at least, netball has not been a sport for men. This 'fact' was put on Leslie Grantham's wikipedia page on January 7, 2015. But there was no reference to it made at the time. Since Leslie Grantham died, a couple of online obituaries mention it. And now these articles have used Wikipedia as the basis of their obituary. So we still need a reference that predates Leslie Grantham's death for this to be trustworthy. Booklung (talk) 21:48, 24 June 2018 (UTC)

Of course it is questionable, the Metro simply copied what was a joke addition, and now we are citing that. I have checked with British Library resources and there is no reference to Grantham playing netball in previous interviews (and why would he? - it is like saying that Anita Dobson was an accomplished rugby player in her youth - not at all likely). The original statement was not referenced so we shouldn't rely on a reference from after the assertion was made. Hazel75 (talk) 10:05, 27 June 2018 (UTC)

Dennis Nilsen reference
An IP editor added a mention that Grantham and serial killer Dennis Nilsen had served together in the British Army in West Germany. That mention was removed. I've no strong opinion on whether or not the information belongs in this article, but it is mentioned in this Times article about Nilsen's autobiography. Jean-de-Nivelle (talk) 18:49, 25 April 2023 (UTC)
 * The timing of Grantham's service may support the likelihood they were regimental contemporaries when Nilsen was assigned to the Fusiliers in 1964 (prior to Grantham's enlistement in 1965) as a regimental chef of the Army Catering Corps, but Nilsen would strictly speaking have been attached to the Fusiliers while retaining separate cap badge. I wonder if Grantham ever mentioned Nilsen when interviewed about his service?Cloptonson (talk) 08:33, 23 June 2024 (UTC)

title: Talk:Leslie Grantham


text:
Dominic Miller

Dominic James Miller (born 21 March 1960) is a British guitarist. With much of his career as a sideman and guitarist for singer Sting, he has also released several solo albums.

Career
Miller was born in Hurlingham, Argentina to an Irish-born mother and an American-born father who worked for Johnson Wax. When he was ten, his family moved to Racine, Wisconsin, where the Johnson headquarters was located, and moved to London two years later. Returning to Racine, at fifteen, he performed publicly for the first time at a club in Racine as the only white person in a soul music band. He moved to London and studied at Guildhall School of Music, then returned to the U.S. and took a summer course at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. He also took lessons from Brazilian guitarist Sebastião Tapajós.

In the 1980s, Miller toured as a guitarist for World Party and King Swamp. As a session musician he recorded with the Pretenders, Phil Collins, Paul Young, and Level 42. Since 1990, he has recorded and toured with Sting. He co-wrote the hit song "Shape of My Heart" with Sting. He released his debut solo album, First Touch, in 1995, followed by Second Nature and Third World.

In 2003 he released the classical album Shapes, with interpretations of Bach, Beethoven, Edward Elgar, and Tomaso Albinoni.

His son Rufus (b. June 1985 in Hammersmith), also a guitarist, has recently joined the band.

Discography

 * The Latin/Jazz Guitars of Dominic Miller and Dylan Fowler (Music Factory, 1984)
 * Music by David Heath & Dominic Miller (Grapevine, 1985)
 * First Touch (EarthBeat!, 1995)
 * Second Nature (Rutis/BMG, 1999)
 * New Dawn with Neil Stacey (Naim, 2002)
 * Shapes (Decca, 2004)
 * Third World (Alula, 2005)
 * Fourth Wall (Q-Rious, 2006)
 * In a Dream with Peter Kater (Point of Light, 2008)
 * November (Q-Rious, 2010)
 * 5th House (Q-Rious, 2012)
 * Ad Hoc (Q-Rious, 2014)
 * Hecho en Cuba with Manolito Simonet (Q-Rious, 2016)
 * Silent Light (ECM, 2017)
 * Absinthe (ECM, 2019)
 * Vagabond (ECM, 2023)

As sideman or guest
With Chris Botti
 * Night Sessions (2001)
 * When I Fall in Love (2004)

With Julia Fordham
 * Porcelain (1989)
 * Swept (1991)
 * Falling Forward (1994)

With Vlado Georgiev
 * Do svitanja (2007)
 * Daljina (2013)

With King Swamp
 * King Swamp (1989)
 * Wiseblood (1990)

With Level 42
 * Staring at the Sun (1988)
 * Guaranteed (1991)

With Eddi Reader
 * Mirmama (1992)
 * Candyfloss and Medicine (1996)

With Soraya
 * Torre De Marfil (1997)
 * Cuerpo y Alma (2000)

With Sting
 * The Soul Cages (1991)
 * Ten Summoner's Tales (1993)
 * Demolition Man (1993)
 * Mercury Falling (1996)
 * Brand New Day (1999)
 * All This Time (2001)
 * Sacred Love (2003)
 * Songs from the Labyrinth (2006) - Guitar on two live songs on the Dowland Anniversary Edition of the album.
 * If on a Winter's Night... (2009) - Guitar on 7 songs.
 * Symphonicities (2010)
 * Live in Berlin (2011)
 * The Last Ship (2013)
 * 57th & 9th (2016)
 * 57th & 9th: Live From Chicago (2017) - Vinyl
 * My Songs (2019)
 * My Songs Live (2019, CD2 in My Songs Special Edition)
 * The Bridge (2021)

With William Topley
 * Black River (1997)
 * Mixed Blessing (1998)
 * Spanish Wells (1999))
 * Sea Fever (2005)

With others
 * Beth Nielsen Chapman, Sand and Water (1997)
 * The Chieftains, The Long Black Veil (1995)
 * Vinnie Colaiuta, Vinnie Colaiuta (1994)
 * Phil Collins, ...But Seriously (1989)
 * Beverley Craven, Mixed Emotions (1999)
 * Gabin Dabiré Tieru (2002)
 * Blossom Dearie, Blossom's Planet (2000)
 * Manu Dibango, Wakafrika (1994)
 * Lesley Garrett, The Singer (2003)
 * Mark Hollis, Mark Hollis (1998)
 * Manu Katché, It's About Time (1992)
 * Ronan Keating, Ronan (2000)
 * David Lanz, East of the Moon (2000)
 * Marc Lavoine, Marc Lavoine (2001)
 * Alejandro Lerner, Si Quieres Saber Quien Soy (2000)
 * Chuck Loeb, Simple Things (1994)
 * Kami Lyle, Blue Cinderella (1997)
 * Mango, Come l'acqua (1996)
 * Katie Melua, The House (2010)
 * Wendy Moten, Life's What You Make It (1996)
 * Youssou N'Dour, Joko (2000)
 * Jimmy Nail, Crocodile Shoes II (1996)
 * Novocento, Surrender (2009)
 * Trijntje Oosterhuis, Trijntje Oosterhuis (2003)
 * The Pretenders, Packed! (1990)
 * A. R. Rahman, Vande Mataram (1997)
 * Conner Reeves, Earthbound (2004)
 * Kim Richey, Glimmer (1999)
 * Eric Starr, She (2016)
 * John Tesh, Guitar by the Fire (1998)
 * Tina Turner, Wildest Dreams (1996)
 * World Party, Bang! (1993)
 * Richard Wright, Broken China (1996)
 * Paul Young, Other Voices (1990)

title: Dominic Miller


text:
John Farmer Jr.

John J. Farmer Jr. (born June 24, 1957) is an American author, lawyer, politician, and jurist. He is the director of the Eagleton Institute of Politics, where he also leads the Miller Center for Community Protection and Resilience (CPR). He served as acting governor of New Jersey for 90 minutes on January 8, 2002, by virtue of his status as New Jersey Attorney General.

Early life and education
Farmer was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, in 1957. He attended Georgetown University, where he received a B.A. degree in 1979 and a J.D. degree in 1986.

Career
After law school, he worked as a clerk for New Jersey Supreme Court Justice Alan B. Handler. From 1988 to 1990, he was an associate in the law firm of Riker, Danzig, Scherer, Hyland & Perretti in Morristown. From 1990 to 1994, he was an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey.

Whitman administration
In 1997, Governor Christine Todd Whitman appointed Farmer as chief counsel, after having served as deputy chief counsel and assistant counsel to the governor.

Farmer was nominated to be New Jersey Attorney General on March 15, 1999, and was sworn in the following June after being confirmed unanimously by the New Jersey Senate. He continued to serve under Donald DiFrancesco after Whitman's resignation.

Acting governor
Farmer served as Acting Governor for 90 minutes on January 8, 2002. Following Governor Christine Todd Whitman's resignation the previous year to become head of the EPA, Farmer was one of four people to serve as acting governor for the one-year period between Whitman's resignation and Jim McGreevey's inauguration, along with three different senate presidents, Donald DiFrancesco, John O. Bennett, and Richard Codey. DiFrancesco served as acting governor for all but the last week of this period, when his term as senate president ended with the mandate of the outgoing senate on January 8, 2002, while newly elected governor Jim McGreevey would not be inaugurated before January 15, 2002.

The state did not have the position of lieutenant governor until 2010, and succession rules specified that the next in line for governor after the Senate President and the Speaker of the Assembly, which both became vacant on January 8, would be the Attorney General until the next Senate President could be sworn in or until an Acting Senate President could be elected. This automatically made Farmer Acting Governor. Farmer served as Acting Governor for 90 minutes until Republican Senator John O. Bennett and Democratic Senator Richard Codey were duly elected and sworn in as co-presidents of the senate, as the Senate had been evenly split between the two parties. They agreed to evenly divide the remaining week in the gubernatorial term, with Bennett serving from January 8, 2002 to January 12, 2002; and Codey serving from January 12, 2002, to January 15, 2002.

As a result, the state had five different people serving as governor during a period of eight days: DiFrancesco, Farmer, Bennett, Codey, and McGreevey. In 2018, political journalist David Wildstein speculated that, as Robert E. Littell served as acting president of the senate until Bennett and Codey assumed the role, it's possible that "maybe" Littell assumed the governorship for "a few minutes" as well. However, Littell is not included on a list of governors of the state published by the National Governors Association.

9/11 Commission senior counsel
Farmer subsequently acted as senior counsel to the 9/11 Commission, chaired by former New Jersey Governor Thomas Kean.

Farmer's book, The Ground Truth: The Untold Story of America Under Attack On 9/11, was released days before the eighth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. In "The Ground Truth," Farmer made the following controversial statement: "At some level of government," says Dean Farmer, "at some point in time, a decision was made not to tell the truth about the national response to the attacks on the morning of 9/11. We owe the truth to the families of the victims of 9/11. We owe it to the American public as well, because only by understanding what has gone wrong in the past can we assure our nation's safety in the future."

On January 21, 2010, he appeared on The Colbert Report.

In July 2011, he was appointed the 13th (and tie-breaking) member of New Jersey's Congressional Redistricting Commission by both its Democratic and Republican members. New Jersey lost one Congressional seat in redistricting and the panel redrew the congressional districts, determining which seat was lost.

Rutgers University
Farmer has served as dean of Rutgers School of Law–Newark. In his tenure, In conjunction with Rutgers Law Review, Farmer planned a multi-day symposium to address the many legal uncertainties in national security policies and practices following the September 11 terrorist attacks. The symposium featured Thomas Kean, Michael Chertoff, John Joseph Gibbons, and others. Two United States Supreme Court justices, Stephen Breyer and Samuel Alito, also have spoken at the law school. Prior to his deanship, Farmer practiced law as a partner in a North Jersey firm he founded, and was an adjunct professor of law at the Rutgers School of Law–Newark. He also regularly contributes to The Star-Ledger, The New York Times, and other publications.

On April 11, 2013, he was appointed as the senior vice president and general counsel at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

On August 19, 2019, Farmer was appointed by Chancellor Christopher J. Molloy to succeed Ruth B. Mandel as the director of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University.

title: John Farmer Jr.


text:
Talk:John J. Duncan, Jr.

Why is there another article about this guy at John Duncan? 170.140.70.125 02:05, 6 Dec 2004 (UTC)

title: Talk:John J. Duncan, Jr.


text:
Rush'n Attack

Rush'n Attack, also known as Green Beret (グリーンベレー) in Japan and Europe, is a run-and-gun and hack-and-slash video game developed and released by Konami for arcades in 1985, and later converted to the Nintendo Entertainment System and home computers. Its North American title is a play on the phrase "Russian attack" due to its Cold War setting. It was ported to home systems and became a critical and commercial success for arcades and home computers.

Gameplay
The players assume the roles of the United States special operations Green Berets (named Steve and Ben on the Japanese Famicom ad poster) who are infiltrating an enemy military base to save POWs from execution by firing squad. There are four stages, each ending with a special group of ambushers: The Soviet Armed Forces that attack throughout every stage are Soldiers, Gunners, Supply Runners, Combat Specialists, Jetpack Soldiers, German Shepherds, Parachute Gunners, Gyrocopters, and Flame Throwers.
 * 1) Marshalling Area, ends with a truckload of jump-kicking enemies
 * 2) Harbor, ends with a pack of German Shepherds
 * 3) Air Base, ends with three autogyros
 * 4) Siberian Camp, ends with three flame thrower operators

The omnipresent combat knife can be supplemented with captured arms. By eliminating certain Russian militants, the players can obtain a three-shot flamethrower, a four-shot RPG, or a three-pack of hand grenades. When the mission is accomplished, the four rescued POWs salute and the player repeats the game from the first stage on the next difficulty level. An invisible time limit kills the player.

Extra lives are given at 30,000 and 70,000, and per 70,000 up to 980,000, and survival of the fittest mode thereafter.

Ports
In 1986, Ocean Software released home versions as Green Beret on their Imagine label for the ZX Spectrum, Commodore Plus/4, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, Atari 8-bit computers, MSX, and BBC Micro.

The Commodore 64 port was programmed by David Collier, with graphics by Steve Wahid and music by Martin Galway. The Spectrum version was programmed by Jonathan Smith.

It was released in North America in December 1986 and an unrelated IBM PC version was released by Konami for the North American market with the Rush'n Attack name in 1989.

Famicom Disk System and NES
A Family Computer Disk System version of Green Beret was released in Japan on April 10, 1987, along with a corresponding version for the Nintendo Entertainment System (as Rush'n Attack) released that month in North America, and on June 8, 1989 in Europe.

The objective in the NES version was changed from rescuing prisoners to destroying a secret weapon being developed in the enemy's headquarters. A two-player simultaneous cooperative mode was introduced. The gameplay mechanics are essentially identical to the arcade version, but the Flamethrower is removed (only the Rocket Launcher and Grenades remain) and two new power-up items are introduced: a Star mark which grants invincibility and a pistol with unlimited ammo, both which are only usable for a limited period. The NES version features two additional stages that are not in the arcade game: an airport set between the Missile Base and the Harbor, where the player faces a group of rocket soldiers at the end; and a new final stage set inside the enemy's base that ends with the player using rocket launchers dropped by enemy soldiers to disarm a nuclear missile. The flamethrower corps at the end of the Warehouse stage was replaced by a paratrooper unit. The Famicom version has a few cosmetic differences with higher difficulty compared to its NES counterpart, along with underground areas in three of the levels, which are accessed via destroying specific mines that reveal ladders to the floors below.

Game Boy Advance
A conversion of the arcade version of Rush'n Attack is included in the 2002 compilation Konami Collector's Series: Arcade Advanced for the Game Boy Advance. The game features the same four stages as in the arcade version, and two extra stages unlocked via the Konami Code. A two-player versus mode has been added, which utilizes the Game Link Cable. The A button jumps instead of the D-pad.

Nintendo DS
A second portable version is included in the 2007 compilation Konami Classics Series: Arcade Hits for the Nintendo DS. Unlike the GBA version, the DS version is a direct port of the original arcade game, but includes various bonus features such as scans of the instruction cards and leaflet, as well as tips.

Xbox 360
Rush'n Attack was released on Xbox Live Arcade for the Xbox 360 in May 2007. This version is another direct port of the arcade game, but features an optional game mode with improved graphics and a remixed soundtrack. It was developed by Digital Eclipse.

Konami Net DX
Green Beret was released for smartphones in Japan in 2006. The mobile version is a direct port of the Famicom version with a new health bar. The mobile port was re-released in China for Java phones in December 2008.

Reception
In Japan, Game Machine listed Green Beret in its November 15, 1985, issue as the third-most successful table arcade unit of the month. In Europe, Green Beret was considered one "of the first military shoot 'em ups" on the market and became a major hit in arcades. The home computer conversions topped the UK Gallup sales charts in June 1986, becoming one of the top four best-selling games of 1986 in the UK, and one of the year's top three best-selling Commodore 64 games. Its budget re-release later topped the UK budget sales chart in July 1989.

Green Beret was well-received by critics. Mike Roberts and Eric Doyle of Computer Gamer magazine gave the arcade game a positive review, comparing it favorably with the action film Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) while calling it an "incredibly violent game" that is "brilliant to play". Commodore User said the arcade version is "a kind of rightwards scrolling Commando [but] much better" while praising "brilliant" graphics and sound.

Computer and Video Games reviewed the Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum versions, calling the game "Konami's answer" to Capcom's Commando (1985) and comparing it favorably with the Rambo film series. The review said it is fast, "furious" and "terribly addictive".

The MS-DOS version of Rush'n Attack was reviewed in 1989 in Dragon magazine by Patricia Hartley and Kirk Lesser, giving 3$1/2$ out of 5 stars. ACE reviewed the budget re-release of Green Beret for the Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, and Amstrad CPC in 1989, calling it an "intelligently thought out shoot 'em up with excellent graphics". The NES version ranked 99 on IGN's top 100 NES games list.

title: Rush'n Attack


text:
Don Omar

William Omar Landrón Rivera (born February 10, 1978), known professionally as Don Omar, is a Puerto Rican rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. He is also known as the "King of Reggaeton" by music critics and fans alike. The artist was recognized by Billboard and Rolling Stone as one reggaeton legend. He is often cited as an influence by other Hispanic urban performers.

Landrón was born in Santurce, a neighborhood of San Juan, Puerto Rico. He is one of the artists credited with presenting reggaeton to audiences around the world and having turned the musical genre into a global phenomenon. He jumped to stardom with the release of his first studio album, The Last Don, released in 2003. The album sold 411,000 units in the US and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Since then, he has sold around 15 million records, making him one of the best-selling Latin music artists. On September 1, 2017, after a long musical career he announced that he would retire after a series of concerts at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in Puerto Rico, scheduled to be held on December 15, 16 and 17. However, he returned to music on April 20, 2019 with his song single "Ramayama" featuring Farruko.

During his career, Don Omar earned numerous accolades, including three Latin Grammy Awards, one Billboard Music Awards, 17 Billboard Latin Music Awards, three Lo Nuestro Awards, eight Viña del Mar International Song Festival Awards, among others.

Don Omar has also portrayed Rico Santos in four films in the Fast & Furious franchise. He first played the character in 2009's Fast & Furious and then returned for Fast Five (2011), The Fate of the Furious (2017) and F9 (2021).

Early life
Don Omar was born in Santurce, a neighborhood of San Juan, Puerto Rico, where he was raised, the oldest son of William Landrón and Luz Antonia Rivera. From an early age, he showed interest in the music of Vico C and Brewley MC. During his youth, he became an active member of a Protestant church, Iglesia Evangélica Restauración en Cristo in Bayamón where he occasionally offered sermons. However, after four years, he left the church to dedicate himself to singing.

Career
His first public performance in a night club was accompanied by disc jockey Eliel Lind Osorio. Afterwards, he appeared regularly on compilation albums from popular DJs and producers including Luny Tunes, Noriega, and DJ Eric. He also worked as a backup singer for the duo Héctor & Tito. One of the members, Héctor el Father, helped him produce his first solo album.

Omar's career rose to stardom with the release of his first studio album, The Last Don with Frankie Needles. Both the studio version and its live edition have been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. Worldwide, The Last Don: Live [CD & DVD] has sold over one million copies, according to his official website. He earned awards for Latin Pop Album of the Year and New Artist & Latin Rap/Hip-Hop Album of the Year by the Billboard Latin Music Awards in 2003. The Last Don: Live [CD & DVD] was also nominated for Urban Music Album at the 2005 Latin Grammy Awards.

Omar's May 2006 album King of Kings, became history's highest ranking reggaeton LP in the top 10 US charts, with its debut at #1 on the Latin sales charts and the #1 spot on the Billboard Latin Rhythm Radio Chart with his single "Angelito". Omar was also able to beat the in-store appearance sales record at Disney World's Virgin Megastore previously set by pop star Britney Spears. With the highest charting debut by a reggaeton artist, Omar's King of Kings entered at No. 7 with 74,000 beating. In April 2007, Don Omar received the Billboard Latin Music Award for Reggaeton Album of the Year for King of Kings. Billboard recognized that King of Kings was the most successful album of the decade in Latin America, besides being the most successful in the history of the genre of reggaeton. Billboard estimated that the album sold over 4.1 million copies by the end of 2009.

Omar participated in Gilberto Santa Rosa's presentation in an event titled "Concierto del Amor", presented in the Madison Square Garden on February 9, 2008. He closed the event and performed reggaeton themes with Frankie Needles.

Omar's third studio album, iDon, was released on April 28, 2009. This album is of Sold over 2.5 million. "Virtual Diva" became the most requested song on Latin radio stations. The second official single, titled "Sexy Robótica", was released on July 6, 2009.

The album Don Omar Presents: Meet the Orphans was released on November 16, 2010. The album features the artists under Don Omar's Orfanato Music Group label and other reggaeton artists. The album includes the promotional single "Hasta Abajo" and the album's lead single "Danza Kuduro" featuring Portuguese-French singer Lucenzo, as well as collaborations from Orfanato Music Group artists including Kendo Kaponi, Syko, Plan B, Zion & Lennox, Yaga & Mackie and Danny Fornaris. "Danza Kuduro" appears on the Fast Five soundtrack and is the song played at the conclusion of the movie. He is signed to VI Music and Machete Music through Universal Music Latino. The album sold over 3 million.

The album Don Omar Presents MTO²: New Generation was released on May 1, 2012. The album features newly signed to Orfanato Music Group Natti Natasha as well as many other signed artists and other reggaeton artists like Zion & Lennox. The album includes the singles "Hasta Que Salga el Sol", which won the award for Best Urban Song at the 2012 Latin Grammy Awards, and "Dutty Love" featuring Natti Natasha, which was also nominated. The album also features collaborations with Juan Magán, Mims, Syko, Vinny el Vendito, and Yunel Cruz. The album has been well received as it won the award for Best Urban Music Album at the 2012 Latin Grammy Awards.

After a decade-long rivalry feud with fellow artist Daddy Yankee for the "King of Reggaeton" title, in early 2016 Daddy Yankee and Don Omar announced in a Billboard press conference that they would perform together on stage in a concert series called The Kingdom Tour. The tour announcement left many fans in disbelief, while selling out in minutes in cities like Las Vegas, Orlando, Los Angeles, New York. Discussing the tour and his rivalry with Daddy Yankee, Don Omar said "Let me clarify: I am not his best friend, and he is not my best friend, but we respect each other. That desire to be the best is what has pushed us to be better."

In September 2021, Omar signed a multi-year partnership with Saban Music Group. In February 2022, Omar was announced as a headliner of the 2022 Los Della Festival in San Bernardino, California.

Personal life
In 2003, Omar had his first son, Nicolás Valle Gómez. Omar married forecaster/journalist Jackie Guerrido on April 19, 2008. In March 2011, it was revealed they had divorced.

On June 17, 2024, Omar posted on his Instagram a picture of his arm with an Orlando Health wristband on, stating in the caption that he has cancer. He ended off the caption with the words "See you soon," then the hashtag "#fuckcancer."

Just a day after the post regarding his cancer diagnosis, Omar announced he was cancer free. "Today I woke up cancer free and grateful," said Omar.

Legal issues
On September 18, 2007, Omar was briefly detained in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia due to a legal dispute. A Bolivian concert promoter sued him and some of his management after he canceled a concert scheduled for earlier that year in La Paz as part of the international tour Up Close. The organization claimed that he had defrauded US$70,000 due to the cancellation. Omar responded that he canceled the concert because the company did not provide air tickets in time. After the case was presented before a local judge, both parties reached an agreement. Omar was allowed to leave the country in order to comply with a previously scheduled appearance in Buenos Aires on Argentine television and returned the next day to hold his concert in Santa Cruz's Tahuichi Aguilera football stadium.

Studio albums

 * The Last Don (2003)
 * King of Kings (2006)
 * iDon (2009)
 * Meet the Orphans (2010)
 * MTO²: New Generation (2012)
 * The Last Don 2 (2015)
 * The Last Album (2019)
 * Forever King (2023)

Live albums

 * The Last Don Live (2004)
 * King of Kings: Live (2007)

Compilation & Greatest Hits albums

 * Los Bandoleros (2005)
 * Da Hitman Presents Reggaetón Latino (2005)
 * Los Bandoleros Reloaded (2006)
 * El Pentágono (2007)
 * El Pentágono: The Return (2008)

Concert tours

 * The Last World Tour
 * King of Kings World Tour (2006-2007)
 * iDon World Tour
 * Meet the Orphans World Tour
 * MTO²: New Generation World Tour
 * Hecho en Puerto Rico
 * Retro Evolución World Tour
 * The Kingdom Tour (2015-2016)
 * Back to Reggeaton Tour (2024)

title: Don Omar


text:
Let's Stay Together (Al Green album)

Let's Stay Together is the fourth studio album by soul singer Al Green. Released in 1972, as the follow-up to his moderate success, Al Green Gets Next to You, it was recorded at Royal Recording Studio in Memphis, Tennessee. A commercial success, it peaked at number eight on the pop albums chart and became the first of six consecutive Green albums to peak at number one on the soul album chart, where it held the position for ten straight weeks.

Let's Stay Together is best-known for its title track, "Let's Stay Together", which became Green's signature song and his only number-one pop hit single. The third Green album produced by Willie Mitchell; Let's Stay Together marked the beginning of Green's classic period of critically acclaimed albums.

Critical reaction
The album's appeal was widespread among critics; Rolling Stone noted, "Green's voice is something to marvel at. He can croon, shout, scat, rise to the smoothest falsetto, and throw in the funkiest growls ... Let's Stay Together'' is, like its predecessor, an indispensable treat."

In 1999, Q magazine wrote that the album "shows him as the authentic voice of love's pain and purity on such wonders as 'How Can You Mend A Broken Heart?'" and that "[H]is cover of the Bee Gees' [song] took the soul ballad to new levels of artistry and refinement."

List rankings

 * Included in Q magazine's "Best Soul Albums of All Time"
 * Ranked #335 in the Virgin All-Time top 1000 album list
 * Ranked #608 in the Guinness top 1000 album poll (1994) and #25 in the Top 50 Soul Albums list

Track listing
All songs written by Al Green, except where noted

Side one

 * 1) "Let's Stay Together" (Green, Al Jackson, Jr., Willie Mitchell) – 3:18
 * 2) "La-La for You" (Green, Mitchell) – 3:31
 * 3) "So You're Leaving" – 2:57
 * 4) "What Is This Feeling" – 3:42
 * 5) "Old Time Lovin'" – 3:19

Side two

 * 1) "I've Never Found a Girl (Who Loves Me Like You Do)" (Eddie Floyd, Alvertis Isbell, Booker T. Jones) – 3:41
 * 2) "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" (Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb) – 6:22
 * 3) "Judy" – 3:47
 * 4) "It Ain't No Fun to Me" – 3:23

Reissue tracks
Bonus tracks on 2003 reissue
 * "Eli's Game" – 4:55
 * "Listen to Me" (Traditional) – 2:30

Personnel

Rhythm section
 * Howard Grimes – drums
 * Al Jackson Jr. – drums
 * Leroy Hodges – bass guitar
 * Charles Hodges – organ, piano
 * Teenie Hodges – guitar

Horn section
 * Wayne Jackson – trumpet
 * Andrew Love – horn, tenor saxophone
 * Ed Logan – horn, tenor saxophone
 * James Mitchell – bass, baritone saxophone, arrangements
 * Jack Hale, Sr. – trombone

Vocals
 * Al Green – vocals
 * Charles Chalmers, Donna Rhodes, Sandra Rhodes – background vocals, arrangements

Additional personnel
 * Willie Mitchell – producer, engineer
 * Willie Mitchell & Terry Manning – mixing engineers
 * Peter Rynston – mastering engineer
 * Jools DeVere – artwork
 * Bud Lee – photography

title: Let's Stay Together (Al Green album)


text:
Raymond S. McLain

Lieutenant General Raymond Stallings McLain (April 4, 1890 – December 14, 1954) was a senior United States Army officer. From October 1944, through the end of World War II, McLain commanded XIX Corps (United States).

In the words of General George C. Marshall, Raymond S. McLain "gave great distinction to the term 'citizen soldier. His service to his state and nation spanned more than forty years.

Early life and military career
Raymond McLain was born in Washington County, Kentucky, as a son of Thomas A. and Lucetta (Stallings) McLain. He graduated from Hill's Business College in Oklahoma City in 1909 and subsequently worked as a clerk in real estate office and then worked as an abstractor. Simultaneously, he entered in the Oklahoma Army National Guard in 1912, where he attained the rank of sergeant.

In December 1914, during World War I (although the United States was still neutral at this stage), he was commissioned as an officer, with the rank of second lieutenant in the Oklahoma Army National Guard after he attended the School of Musketry at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. He was promoted again next year to the rank of first lieutenant. Following the Pancho Villa Expedition in 1916, he served on the Mexican border.

The American entry into World War I came on April 6, 1917. During the war, Raymond served as a machine gun company commander with the 36th Division on the Western Front with the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) under General John Pershing until 1919. After return home, he continued his service with the Oklahoma Army National Guard and subsequently returned to his career in business.

Between the wars
In 1938, while pursuing a career in business, McLain, rose to the rank of brigadier general in the Oklahoma National Guard and attended the U.S. Army Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. After graduating he was posted to the 45th Infantry Division, an Oklahoma Army National Guard formation, as an assistant chief of staff.

In September 1940, he was recalled to the active duty and was appointed as the artillery commander of the 45th Infantry Division.

World War II
During World War II, he commanded the divisional artillery. He led the artillery overseas during the Allied invasion of Sicily in July – August 1943, where he earned the first of two Distinguished Service Crosses. He continued to lead the artillery in the Allied invasion of Italy in September, and in the early stages of the Italian campaign, before eventually being sent to England. His performance in these campaigns gained the respect of many of his Regular Army colleagues, such as Omar Bradley, Mark W. Clark, John P. Lucas, Troy H. Middleton, and even George S. Patton, who was normally very critical of many of his fellow senior officers. Lucas wrote about McLain, "He is an exceptionally capable field artilleryman and a very gallant soldier."

During the Battle of Normandy in August 1944, McLain briefly took command of the 90th Infantry Division, which was having numerous command problems. McLain transformed the 90th into a first-class fighting formation, and led it across France in the Allied advance from Paris to the Rhine and in many numerous battles on the Western Front. In October he then assumed command of the XIX Corps, remaining its commander for the rest of the war. He was the only National Guardsman to command a corps in combat during World War II.

Postwar
McClain was promoted to temporary lieutenant general on 6 June 1945 and was also to brigadier general in the Regular Army. He served as Chief of Information for the US Army from 1948 to 1949. In 1949 he became the Comptroller of the United States Army, and was appointed as the Army's first statutory comptroller general.

In 1952 he retired from the Army after 40 years of service. At the time of his death in 1954, he was serving on President Dwight D. Eisenhower's National Security Training Commission.

He died at Walter Reed General Hospital in Washington, D.C., on December 14, 1954, at the age of 64.

Honors
For the service and performance exhibited by McLain in his military career, the Tulsa Public Schools built and honored General McLain, by opening McLain High School, in September, 1959. In the years that followed its opening, many relatives, friends and descendants of General McLain attended school assemblies and honored him. After almost 50 years of graduating many young adults who have achieved similar excellence in their own lives from McLain, today McLain High School now serves the community in an occupational job program role.
 * Tulsa Public High School Named is his honor.

On May 22 and 23, 2009, the McLain High School graduates of the first three classes came together for a joint class reunion and honored General McLain and the schools' 50th birthday.

Decorations
Lieutenant General McLain's decorations include: Distinguished Service Cross with Oak leaf Cluster (Sicily, 1943 and France, 1944), Army Distinguished Service Medal with Oak leaf Cluster (France, 1944 and Germany, 1945), Silver Star (Italy, 1943), Legion of Merit, Bronze Star with Oak leaf Cluster (Italy, 1944 and Germany, 1945), Mexican Border Service Medal, World War I Victory Medal with two battle clasps, American Defense Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with one silver and three bronze service stars and Arrowhead device, World War II Victory Medal, Army of Occupation Medal, Chevalier of the Legion of Honor, French Croix de Guerre 1939–1945, Grand officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau with swords, Commander of the Order of Leopold II and Belgian Croix de Guerre.

Lieutenant General McLain's ribbon bar:

title: Raymond S. McLain


text:
Live Full House

"Live" Full House is the first live album by American rock band The J. Geils Band, released in 1972.

The album peaked at #54 on the Billboard 200 album chart in the United States. The tracks "Looking for a Love" and "Serves You Right to Suffer" enjoyed considerable radio airplay, thus setting up the breakthrough success of the band's next album, 1973's Bloodshot. The album was cited as one of the top five live rock'n'roll albums of all time by Walter de Paduwa.

The album's cover depicts a poker hand, but the hand shown is not a "full house" as defined by the rules of the game (this is intentional; the Queen in the poker hand is winking). The title is also a play on words, referring to a packed concert venue or "full house" by concert promoters.

Recording
This was the first of three live albums recorded by the J. Geils Band. The others were Blow Your Face Out in 1976 and Showtime! in 1982.

Although living in Boston, the band had always considered Detroit their second home because of their enormous popularity there. Two of their three live albums were recorded in Detroit at various venues. The third live album was recorded in Detroit and Boston.

Side one

 * 1) "First I Look at the Purse" (Robert Rogers, Smokey Robinson) – 3:56
 * 2) "Homework" (Dave Clark, Al Perkins, Otis Rush) – 2:34
 * 3) "Pack Fair and Square" (Walter Travis Price) – 1:41
 * 4) "Whammer Jammer" (Juke Joint Jimmy) – 2:21
 * 5) "Hard Drivin' Man" (J. Geils, Peter Wolf) – 4:23

Side two

 * 1) "Serves You Right to Suffer" (John Lee Hooker) – 9:32
 * 2) "Cruisin' for a Love" (Juke Joint Jimmy) – 3:32
 * 3) "Looking for a Love" (J. W. Alexander, Zelda Samuels) – 4:55

Personnel
The J. Geils Band
 * Peter Wolf – lead vocals
 * J. Geils – guitar
 * Magic Dick – harmonica
 * Seth Justman – keyboards
 * Danny Klein – bass
 * Stephen Jo Bladd – drums, vocals

Production
 * Producers: Geoffrey Haslam, J. Geils Band
 * Engineer: Geoffrey Haslam
 * Live mixing: Dinky Dawson
 * Arranger: J. Geils

title: Live Full House


text: Talk:Live Full House

title: Talk:Live Full House


text:
Subirrigation

Subirrigation also known as seepage irrigation, is a method of irrigation where water is delivered to the plant root zone. The excess may be collected for reuse.

Subirrigation is used in growing field crops such as tomatoes, peppers, and sugar cane in areas with high water tables such as Florida and in commercial greenhouse operations.

Three basic types of subirrigation system are in general use for potted plants in greenhouses: ebb-and-flow (bench-mounted enclosures holding pots are filled and then drained); trough (water is flowed through bench-mounted, slightly sloping enclosures containing pots); and flooded floor (special sloped concrete flooring is flooded and drained).

Greenhouse subirrigation has been growing in popularity since the 1990s. Advantages are water and nutrient conservation, and labor-saving. The outfitting cost is relatively high. Potential problems, such as the possibility of increased presence of disease in recycle water, have only begun to be investigated.

One of the disadvantages of sub-irrigated closed systems, such like Earth Boxes and sub-irrigated planters, is that soluble salts cannot be flushed into the lower soil profile and build up over time.

title: Subirrigation


text:
Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility

The Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility (CSBF), established in 1961 and formerly known as the National Scientific Balloon Facility (NSBF), is a NASA facility responsible for providing launch, tracking and control, airspace coordination, telemetry and command systems, and recovery services for unmanned high-altitude balloons. Customers of the CSBF include NASA centers, universities, and scientific groups from all over the world.

Mission
CSBF has a threefold mission:
 * Provide maintenance, operations and logistics support for NASA's scientific balloon program and facilities.
 * Provide sophisticated ground and flight systems for launch, control, data retrieval, commanding, and recovery of NASA's balloon missions.
 * Perform research and development to advance the capabilities of NASA's suborbital programs.

History
The Balloon Facility was established by Vincent E. Lally at NCAR in Boulder, Colorado in 1961 under the auspices of the National Science Foundation. It was moved to Palestine, Texas in 1963 and designated as the National Scientific Balloon Facility (NSBF) in January 1973.

In 1982, sponsorship of the NSBF was transferred from the National Science Foundation to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the NSBF became a separate entity under the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR).

From October 1987 to January 2015, the CSBF was operated by the Physical Science Laboratory under the auspices of New Mexico State University located in Las Cruces, New Mexico. In February 2015, operation of the facility was transferred to the Technical Services Division of Orbital ATK. It is administered by Goddard Space Flight Center's Wallops Flight Facility Balloon Program Office.

Its Texas location put the NSBF in the middle of the area where the debris from the Space Shuttle Columbia dropped to Earth on February 1, 2003. In February 2006, the NSBF was renamed the Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility in honor of the Crew of STS-107.

Balloon
CSBF conventional and long duration (LDB) balloons are made of 20 micrometer thick polyethylene film, and at float have a diameter of up to 140 m and a volume of up to 1.12 e6m3. The balloons are filled with helium gas, can carry payloads up to 3600 kg, fly at altitudes of up to 42 km, and can remain at float in excess of 40 days.

The balloons are zero pressure difference balloons, and are vented at the bottom. They are only partially inflated when launched, and as they rise up, the lower atmospheric pressure causes them to fully inflate.

The bottom of the balloon is attached to a parachute, which is then attached by steel suspension cables to the payload. A flight is terminated by firing an explosive squib which separates the parachute from the balloon. A rip line simultaneously tears open the top of the balloon. The balloon quickly deflates and falls to the ground, to be retrieved and disposed of (balloons are single use). The payload descends, suspended by the parachute, and is recovered by the ground crew.

Conventional payloads typically have a float duration at altitude of 72+ hours. Long Duration Ballooning payloads float at durations of 42+ days. Ultra long duration balloons (ULDB) are being developed which can operate at float for +100 days. The limiting factor is the diurnal cycle of the sun, rising and setting. Heat during the day causes the balloon to expand and gain altitude, thereby losing helium. Heat loss at night causes the balloon to sink and contract. Ballast is carried to overcome the effect. Flying in a polar region during full sunlight allows more negligible altitude variations.

ULDB balloons or superpressure balloons (SPB) are sealed to prevent helium loss and have a pumpkin shape at flight altitude. The SPB TRAVALB-2 surpassed previous Antarctic balloon flights by staying aloft for 149 days, 3 hours, and 58 minutes after launch from the NASA Long Duration Balloon (LDB) site at LDB Camp, McMurdo Station, Antarctica. The operation was supported by National Science Foundation and United States Antarctic Program. After the Travalb-1 launch abort, the Travalb-2 lifted off on 29 December 2019 to test NASA balloon trajectory predictions in Antarctica and to study electron losses from Earth's radiation belts.

Preparation, launch, and flight
A balloon flight involves both the CSBF and a scientific team(s). The CSBF determines the launch site based on scientific goals, and provides local preparation facilities, a balloon(s), launch and recovery vehicles, and personnel to support the logistical aspects of pre flight, flight, and post flight activities. Scientific teams ship a payload to the launch site, and set up a small field station to assemble their equipment, make last-minute preparations, and manage the experiment during flight. The payload is typically a large instrument or cluster of instruments, plus onboard computers, radio telemetry equipment, and ballast.

Launching a balloon requires the conjunction of light low-level winds (to comply with the limitations of the CSBF dynamic launch technique) and suitable upper-level winds (so the balloon remains within telemetry range of a ground station, and within the permitted flight region). The payload may be rolled out to the launch area several times before surface and upper atmosphere conditions are acceptable for launch.

During the flight, data is transmitted to the ground for quick-look analysis, and is usually recorded on board as well. Scientists on the ground usually actively control the payload. An astronomical telescope, for example, can be real time directed toward a variety of sources for observations, or left in an autonomous mode of operation.

Launch sites
CSBF launches balloons from several sites in the world, depending on the needs of the experiment they carry. Sites include:
 * Palestine, Texas
 * Fort Sumner, New Mexico
 * McMurdo Station, Antarctica
 * Alice Springs, Australia
 * Esrange, Sweden
 * Fairbanks, Alaska
 * Lynn Lake, Manitoba
 * Wānaka, New Zealand

Backup Control Center
Since 2017, CSBF has been designated as the Backup Control Center (BCC) for the International Space Station's Mission Control Center (MCC) in Houston, TX. Approximately 3 hours from Houston, CSBF provides facilities that NASA can utilize for short-term control of the ISS in case MCC is evacuated. The BCC was temporarily activated in August 2020 while the Johnson Space Center prepared for Hurricane Laura.

title: Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility


text:
Stevenson High School (Lincolnshire, Illinois)

Adlai E. Stevenson High School (AESHS), commonly called Stevenson High School (SHS), is a four-year public high school located in Lincolnshire, Illinois, United States. It is named after Adlai E. Stevenson II, the 31st Governor of Illinois.

History
In 1964, growing disagreement between the western (Lake Zurich) and eastern (current Stevenson) sections of the district emerged regarding the school's direction. Before the opening of Stevenson, the students in the Stevenson area attended Ela-Vernon High School in Lake Zurich. Stevenson was planned to be a second school for the growing district, but the western side (Lake Zurich) of the district decided to build their own district. Adlai E. Stevenson High School opened in September 1965. This left Stevenson with an unfinished building, no board or administration, and no faculty. When Stevenson opened to 467 students and 31 teachers in 1965, the building was not carpeted, the library was empty, most classrooms were without desks and athletic fields were non-existent, as most of the school furniture had been shipped to Prairie View, Texas instead of Prairie View, Illinois.

In the 1980s, the release of "A Nation at Risk" and the arrival of Richard DuFour as school principal marked pivotal events. During the 1980s and 1990s, the school's student activities program expanded, providing over 100 clubs and teams for students. By the late 1990s, intense student competition led to the formation of a task force to find solutions to issues like grading system manipulation. In 1992, a community referendum determined that Stevenson would remain the district's only high school, with 52% supporting this option. In 1995, Stevenson underwent its largest expansion, growing by more than 50% with a $25 million project.

Stevenson has grown since its opening to become one of the largest high schools in the area. The school has undergone various additions over the years, the first being in 1970 where the school gym and pool were renovated. To accommodate the increasing student population, another round of remodeling occurred in the mid-1990s. After the addition of the three-level east building in 1995, the physical size of SHS increased to more than six times its original size of 113,000 square feet. The new east building included 60 new classrooms, a new Performing Arts Center (PAC), the Patriot Aquatic Center, Field House, and the Technology Center, among other projects as well. Also built was a new indoor walkway ("The Link") between the original west building and the new east building.

In 2002, a referendum seeking an increase in the education tax rate received nearly 70% support from the community, stabilizing the district's finances. Since 2002, DuFour's retirement year, he had become a leading voice for school reform within the education community until his death in 2017. In April 2008, Education Week featured Stevenson High School in an article about its successful implementation of professional learning community practices.

In 2004, the main entrance to the school was completely rebuilt and transformed into another commons area now known as "The Point." Other renovations that year included more fine arts areas around the band, choir, and orchestra rooms in the west building. Around 2008, many of the athletic fields were expanded and the football field received new turf. In that same year, the original auditorium was renovated as well.

In the 2005–06 school year, Stevenson had its highest enrollment of 4,573 students. Between the 2005–06 and 2014–15 school years, each school year saw progressively declining enrollment in the student body. In the 2014–15 school year, Stevenson had its first enrollment increase since the peak in the 2005–06 school year. Stevenson's enrollment was 4,337 for the 2018–19 school year, and enrollment is expected to surpass 4500 by 2020.

In 2011, the school library and student resource center in the old/west building were renovated for the first time in Stevenson's history. The project was finished in 2015 when the removal of the two lecture halls was completed to make way for the Quiet Learning Center (QLC). In addition to the new ILC/QLC, the photography studio was also renovated in the summer of 2013.

In 2019, the school added an extension to the east building, including 22 new classrooms, conference rooms, a green roof and flower garden, multiple living walls and solar panels, with the intent of making the new addition a net-zero building.

In 2020, Stevenson began planning for an additional expansion, with new athletic courts, an artificial turf playing field, a larger running track, an area for exercise equipment, and other features to be built in the enlarged field house. This addition was finished in August 2022.

Demographics
In 2023, the demographics were: White: 46.6%, Asian: 39.3%, Hispanic: 9.0%, Black: 1.7%, Two or More Races: 3.2%, and American Indian: 0.2%.

Communities served
The school serves students in the area's District 125 coming from Lincolnshire, Long Grove, Prairie View, portions of Buffalo Grove, Mundelein, Kildeer, Hawthorn Woods and smaller portions of Vernon Hills, Lake Zurich, Riverwoods, Bannockburn,  and Mettawa.

Newspaper censorship
In November 2009, a dispute erupted between school officials and the student newspaper, The Statesman, regarding censorship of stories. The administration stopped publication of the November 20 issue, objecting to stories regarding drugs, teen pregnancy, and shoplifting. When students wanted to leave the front page blank in protest of the censorship, the officials instead required the students to produce other stories approved by the administration. The Stevenson public information officer released a statement November 20 stating the administration did not think anonymous sources discussing alleged illegal activity was fit for print.

The Chicago Tribune, in a November 26 editorial, said the school was wrong to force students to produce administration-approved stories. "This isn't editing, it's censorship," wrote columnist Zak Stambor. The Society of Professional Journalists' Freedom of Information chairman called the censorship "immoral, un-American, irresponsible and not fit for education."

Following the censorship fiasco, 11 of 14 Statesman staffers — and all the paper's top editors — resigned from their positions at the start of the spring 2010 semester.

Confiscation of student cellphones
In February 2012, the school administration initiated an investigation into marijuana sales at the school, during which the cellphones of students suspected of marijuana sales were confiscated, and the text messages stored on the phones were read. The American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois described the incident as a "fishing expedition", while school officials stated they were "perfectly within our rights". In one instance a student was suspended for five days and barred from participating in extracurricular activities because he refused to provide the password to his cellphone. The probe resulted in two arrests on misdemeanor drug charges.

Student altercations
In 2017, three female students were put on academic suspension when a video surfaced of a student attacking another student on a bus. The student was later charged in juvenile court for aggravated battery.

Discrimination against Black students
In January of 2020, a black student at Stevenson was allegedly targeted and disrespected by dean Nick Valenziano on a recorded video. This led to student protesting and an uproar in the Stevenson community. School administrators accepted Valenziano's resignation around June of 2020, and hired a diversity director to address racial issues within the school.

Athletics
The Stevenson Patriots compete in the North Suburban Conference. The following is a list of sports Stevenson lists for the 2023–24 school year:

 * Badminton
 * Baseball
 * Basketball
 * Bass Fishing
 * Bowling
 * Cheerleading
 * Cross Country
 * Sideline Dance
 * Fencing
 * Field Hockey
 * Football
 * Flag Football
 * Golf
 * Gymnastics

 * Ice hockey
 * Lacrosse
 * Patriettes (Dance squad)
 * Soccer
 * Softball
 * Swimming
 * Tennis
 * Track and Field
 * Volleyball
 * Water Polo
 * Wrestling

Stevenson High School is a member of the IHSA, the athletic teams are stylized as the Patriots. Many of its teams are top-ranked nationally and have a history of producing collegiate and professional athletes.

The following teams have won their respective IHSA sponsored state championship tournament or meets:

Awards and recognition
Stevenson High School is one of the only high schools in the country to receive the United States Department of Education's "Excellence in Education" Blue Ribbon Award five times. In addition, Stevenson has been named one of America's top high schools by both U.S. News & World Report and Newsweek magazines, and has been named a National School of Distinction in Arts Education by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Niche ranked Stevenson as one of the best public high schools in America in 2017. In 2016, Niche gave A+ ratings in the following areas: academics, teachers, educational outcomes, health and safety, resources and facilities, sports and fitness, co-curricular activities, food service, and administration and policies.

Several national publications have regularly included Stevenson in their lists of America's best public high schools. Stevenson was the top-ranked open-enrollment public high school in Illinois in 2021, 2015, and 2014 in U.S. News & World Report, and was the top-ranked open-enrollment school in Illinois in the Washington Post’s rankings in 2014, 2013, and 2012.

In 2021, U.S. News & World Report ranked Stevenson as 171st in national rankings and 6th in Illinois.

For the class of 2016, 99.9% attended college. In 2015–2016, 360 students were named Illinois State Scholars. In addition, there were 32 National Merit Semi-Finalists in the Class of 2016 and 38 Commended students.

Notable alumni

 * Megan Bozek – 2014 USA women's Olympic hockey player.
 * Kyle Brandt – actor and media personality.
 * Jalen Brunson – NBA basketball player (point guard) New York Knicks, 2024 All-Star, member of 2016 and 2018 NCAA champion Villanova Wildcats.
 * Tamika Catchings – former professional basketball player, WNBA champion and 2011 MVP.
 * Brad Cieslak – former NFL tight end for the Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns.
 * Kevin Frederick – former Major League Baseball pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays.
 * Dylan Geick – wrestler, writer, and social media personality
 * Ron Goldman – friend of Nicole Brown Simpson and one of the murder victims from the trial of O.J. Simpson. Simpson was acquitted of his murder in 1995, but found liable for his death in a 1997 civil lawsuit.
 * Hal Gordon – unofficial mascot for the Oakland Athletics, hotdog vendor, and economist.
 * Andrea Jaeger – professional tennis player, Wimbledon and French Open finalist, who became a nun.
 * Lauren Jiggetts is an American Emmy Award-winning journalist and news personality currently with WGN-TV Chicago.
 * Holden Karnofsky – the chief executive officer of the Open Philanthropy Project and a co-founder and board member of GiveWell.
 * Joe Lando – actor, known for the television series Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.
 * Alison La Placa – actress, known for sitcoms Duet, Open House and The John Larroquette Show.
 * Drew Mormino – NFL football player for the Miami Dolphins.
 * Ted Musgrave – professional stock car racing driver.
 * Maema Njongmeta - linebacker for the Wisconsin Badgers
 * Aidan O'Connell – NFL football player (quarterback) Las Vegas Raiders.
 * Matt O'Dwyer – former NFL offensive guard for the New York Jets and Cincinnati Bengals.
 * Mosheh Oinounou (born 1982), former executive producer of CBS Evening News
 * Danny Richmond – former professional ice hockey defenceman.
 * Rex Ryan – analyst at ESPN, former NFL head coach for the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills.
 * Rob Ryan – NFL assistant coach.
 * Justin Smith (born 1999) - basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
 * David Simon - professional basketball player in the Japanese B.League
 * Gene Stupnitsky – head writer and executive producer of The Office. Television and film writer, director and producer.
 * Kiki Van Zanten – women's soccer player, represented Jamaica in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup
 * Lisa Wang – rhythmic gymnast, winner of the 2007 Pan American Games.
 * Andy Wozniewski – former professional hockey player.


text:
User:Rturus

My interests include gnosticism, rosecrucianism, hermeticism, quabbalah and other wisdom and illumination traditions.

title: User:Rturus