text:
Talk:Ancient Greek religion

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Aristotle was a Pandeist?
Right now this article makes the claim that "Plato's disciple, Aristotle, also disagreed that polythiestic deities existed, because he could not find enough empirical evidence for it. He was a pandeist, believing in a deity called the Prime Mover, which had set creation going, but was not connected to or interested in the universe." This is wrong to a comic degree. The school of thought inhabited by Aristotle had nothing to do with Pandeism. Pandeism is a combination of aspects of Pantheism and Deism, vis, a belief that there was a Creator of our Universe which in fact became our Universe through the act of Creation, and could hardly, hardly be described as "not connected" to our Universe. This idea was part of the school of thought of the Milesians, but was not picked up in the Platonic or Aristotelian traditions. Even the traditional providential entity of Classical Deism might not be uninterested in our Universe, though it is surely classed as noninterfering in it. Nor is it correct, I think, to claim that Aristotle called the deity of his model "the Prime Mover" as if that were some sort of proper name. My recollection is that Aristotle fell into the school of Emanationism, hewing to an unnamed Prime Mover. DeistCosmos (talk) 22:24, 26 February 2011 (UTC)

What's missing is a section on the ancient Greek language for the concepts related to what we moderns call "religion"
All the comments made by Akhilleus are most relevant and pertinent.

Quite a few Greek words are mentioned "en passant" in the body of the article, but Greek being for us primarily an ancient language, there's a need for a thorough section explaining the key words used by the ancient Greeks to talk and write about what we, moderns, call religion.

For instance: theos, theology, εὐσεβής, εὐσέβεια (eusebeia), σέβω, σέβομαι, θεοσέβεια, anosioi, asebeia, bebelos, θρησκεία (threskeia), θρήσκος, ethelo, εθελοθρησκεία (ethelothreskia), ἐκκλησία, ekklesiastikos, kyrios, Θρέομαι, deido, δειλός, daimon, δεισιδαίμων, deisidaimonia, δεισιδαιμονεστέρους, pistis (faith), pisteuo (believe), philao, agape, Χριστός (anointed), τινα, προσήλυτος, blasphemia, episkopos, hairesis, orthodoxein, etc.

Of course, the key Greek words used by the Septuagint and the early Greek writers who preached the new cult of Christ, should be included as being part of the language of ancient Greeks related to our modern concept of religion.

A separate section could theoretically be set up for the Greek language of the early Christians, but I think this would be unfair, and in fact unscholarly. When they lived and were writing their epistles towards the end of the first century (Paul, Hebrews, James, John, Peter, and Revelation), they never were or thought of themselves as a special group, they were using the Koine language of their time and culture, which was the ancient Greek language of the first Century, and the same as used by other writers of the same era. Second century Christians, although a little more conscious of their distinctions, were still using the common stock of ancient Greek words. Even when they tended to give a slanted meaning to some of the words, creating a kind of jargon for the new cult. --ROO BOOKAROO (talk) 15:20, 23 November 2012 (UTC)

"The Five Stages of Greek Religion", by Gilbert Murray, is nowhere mentioned
This is truly astonishing, a failure, not of nerve, but of scholarship. I find it hard to believe such an overlook. The book is complex, covers a lot of territory, and is in part, difficult to understand and summarize. But it deserves a mention, in the body, or at least in See Also, References, or Notes. --ROO BOOKAROO (talk) 15:20, 23 November 2012 (UTC)

Plato
I cannot edit this page, but I would appreciate it if someone else could. The article states that, " Plato did not believe in many deities, but instead believed that there was one supreme god, whom he called the Form of the good, and which he believed was the emanation of perfection in the universe." This is misleading at best, and totally false at worst. Plato was certainly a polytheist, and it is likely that he believed that the forms had deity status, *IN ADDITION TO* other Gods. For instance, from the Phaedrus:

Now the great leader in heaven, Zeus, comes first, driving a winged chariot, imposing order upon all things and caring for them; and the host of gods and spirits follows him, marshalled in eleven sections, for Hestia [goddess of the hearth] alone remains in          the House of the Gods. But for the others all that are counted among the Twelve Ruling Gods proceed in due order according to          rank, each at the head of his own division.

Many and wonderful to see are the orbits within the heavens and the blessed gods constantly turn to contemplate these as each busies himself with his special duties. There follows whoever will and can [this includes good human souls], for envy has no             place in the company of heaven. But when they proceed to the divine banquet, they mount the steep ascent to the top of the vault of heaven; and here the advance is easy for the gods' chariots, well balance and guided as they are, but the others have difficulty. (Phaedrus246e-247b)

Plato also talks about the Gods in Laws. He believed in the Demiurge, but that certainly did not preclude other Gods. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Somnum (talk • contribs) 19:42, 21 June 2013 (UTC)

Greek religion was neither polytheistic nor monotheistic
Somnum is right, but the problem he has highlighted above is not the only one. This article is a shame for various reasons, first of all because it's made up of a bunch of personal opinions by various users without using any reliable works as source.

The ancient Greek religion, just like all other Indo-European religion was neither polytheistic nor monotheistic. All these categories (polytheism, monotheism, etc.) were unknown to the ancients, being inventions of the 18th century French Enlightenment culture.

The Greeks viewed their gods as powers moving/forming nature according to the Logos, not as material beings residing in the sky; and all the gods and the Logos (Rule, Dharma) were conceived as emanations of the primordial divinity, center of the universe and of all things, that was known with various names: the Monad, the One, the Platonic Form of Good, or the Aristotelian Unmoved Mover, corresponding to the Tat ("That", later Brahman) of the Vedas.--95.236.77.161 (talk) 15:35, 8 August 2013 (UTC)

Someone should copy entirely the Italian version of the article, which has been written professionally by experts.--95.236.77.161 (talk) 15:39, 8 August 2013 (UTC) ALL THIS IS FAKE! — Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.94.17.233 (talk) 21:37, 3 March 2014 (UTC)

Add this See Also
Please add to See Also: Religion in ancient Rome — Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.66.149.221 (talk) 23:12, 11 May 2014 (UTC)

"Hades" Name Origin
The section on afterlife (among a few issues) sates unsourced that "Hades" the place is named after "Hades" the person. As I understand it, "Hades" the place is the earlier concept, with "Hades" possibly coming from "House of Ais", possibly meaning "House of Invisibility", in reference to the separation between the psyches or eidolons of the dead that dwell within the afterlife and the people in this life. "Hades" or "Aides" is then the anthropomorphized incarnation of the afterlife. This is fairly common as an origin for a Greek god: Hestia/hearth and Okeanos/ocean are also gods named for the thing they are the personification of.

I don't think all of this information is needed in this article, but the false information about the origin of the word "Hades" ought to be removed at least. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.167.62.143 (talk) 01:04, 3 June 2015 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 18 September 2015
Prmjeet00 (talk) 12:13, 18 September 2015 (UTC) If you want to suggest a change, please request this in the form "Please replace XXX with YYY" or "Please add ZZZ between PPP and QQQ". Please also cite reliable sources to back up your request, without which no information should be added to, or changed in, any article. - Arjayay (talk) 12:44, 18 September 2015 (UTC)
 * Red information icon with gradient background.svg Not done: as you have not requested a change.

Semi-protected edit request on 18 February 2016
i think that more about the forms of practice and prayers that they used.

Cuddes888888 (talk) 15:44, 18 February 2016 (UTC) More importantly, you have not cited reliable sources to back up your request, without which no information should be added to, or changed in, any article. - Arjayay (talk) 18:17, 18 February 2016 (UTC)
 * Red information icon with gradient background.svg Not done: as you have not requested a specific change in the form "Please replace XXX with YYY" or "Please add ZZZ between PPP and QQQ".

Semi-protected edit request on 21 July 2016
The sacred texts section has various problems. Problem #1: it openly goes against the source it cites. The source says that Homeric texts weren't sacred texts, and then suggests some texts which in antiquity were categorized as hieroi logoi (sacred texts), which were either ancient or foreign, and none of which has reached us. The source then cites a certain number of texts which referred to mysterical traditions, where they were referenced as sacred. The idea that texts beginning with an invocation to the Muses were sacred makes no sense whatsoever, since it is a poetic expedient which remained in use for a variety of texts in the classical era, none of which could be thought of as sacred. Concerning Greek religion there are two things to be said: 1. The lack of a centralised faith system or of a sacerdotal class, since priests were actually servants of the polis or demos or of the sanctuary and only answered to them; this means that there were no brahmins to unify the Veda, no canons for a common Church, and that versions of mythical events could differ significantly without causing schisms, because no one expected an unitary version to exist in the first place. 2. the lack of a sacred, revealed, universally accepted text concerning the nature of the divine and its relationship with the physical world. Some poetical texts were produced to be sung as hymns (lyric poetry) during religious events (like the Olympiads and other festivities). They had a cult element, but weren't regarded as inspired. Tragedies were also part of religious festivals, but they also were never thought of as inspired. And even inspired words spoken by Oracles only had momentary relevance, and were not collected together from different oracles. Finally, while the Greeks did regard the poets as an information source about the gods, they did not believe Homer and Hesiod to be certainly telling things as they were concerning the gods, because their versions exclude each other.

As it is, it would be better if the section would disappear or say something in the lines of: "The lack of a unified priestly class, such as Brahmans in Vedic religions, meant that a unified, canonic form of the religious texts or practice never existed: there was no unified, common sacred text for the Greek belief system. Instead, religious practices were organized on local levels, with priests normally being magistrates for the city or village, or gaining authority from one of the many sanctuaries. Some priestly functions, like the care for a particular local festival, could be given by tradition to a certain family. The local character of worship meant that different, conflicting versions of myths developed in different places and times; an example are the ancient poets Homer and Hesiod, whose genealogies of the gods are incompatible. While some traditions, such as mysteric cults, did uphold certain texts as canonic within their own cultual praxis, such texts were respected but not necessarily accepted as canonic outside their circle. In this field, of particular importance are certain texts referring to Orphic cults: multiple copies, ranging from 450 BC to 250 AD, have been found in various locations of the Greek world. Even the words of the oracles never turned into a sacred text. Other texts were specially composed for religious events, and some have survived within the lyric tradition; although they had a cultual function, they were bound to performance and never developed into a common, standard prayer form comparable e.g. to the Christian Pater Noster. An exception to this rule were the already named Orphic and Mysteric rituals, which, in this, set themselves aside from the rest of the Greek religious system. Finally, some texts called hieroi logoi (sacred texts) by the ancient sources, originated from outside the Greek world, or were supposedly adopted in remote times, representing yet more different traditions within the Greek belief system. No one of these sacred texts has reached us. (add note currently present in paragraph)."

78.34.36.166 (talk) 14:12, 21 July 2016 (UTC)
 * Red question icon with gradient background.svg Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format. Perhaps you can format the request more clearly as a set of bullet points saying Change "text old" to "text new". The editor enacting your request can then sift through the two large paragraphs you've provided above for reasoning. Hope that's sensible. Requests that are short and to the point will be carried out faster. — Andy W.  ( talk  · ctb) 23:47, 29 July 2016 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 1 August 2016
Change

Sacred texts
Hesiod's Theogony and Works and Days, Homer's Iliad and Odyssey and Pindar's Odes are included as sacred texts as are other works of classical antiquity. These are the core texts that were considered inspired and usually include an invocation to the Muses for inspiration at the beginning of the work. Such texts, however, were not considered inspired in the sense that they had to be believed by everyone. Plato even wanted to exclude the myths from his ideal state described in the Republic because of their low moral tone.

into

Sacred texts
The lack of a unified priestly class, such as Brahmans in Vedic religions, meant that a unified, canonic form of the religious texts or practice never existed: there was no unified, common sacred text for the Greek belief system. Instead, religious practices were organized on local levels, with priests normally being magistrates for the city or village, or gaining authority from one of the many sanctuaries. Some priestly functions, like the care for a particular local festival, could be given by tradition to a certain family. The local character of worship meant that different, conflicting versions of myths developed in different places and times; an example are the ancient poets Homer and Hesiod, whose genealogies of the gods are incompatible. While some traditions, such as Mystery cults, did uphold certain texts as canonic within their own cult praxis, such texts were respected but not necessarily accepted as canonic outside their circle. In this field, of particular importance are certain texts referring to Orphic cults: multiple copies, ranging from 450 BC to 250 AD, have been found in various locations of the Greek world. Even the words of the oracles never turned into a sacred text. Other texts were specially composed for religious events, and some have survived within the lyric tradition; although they had a cult function, they were bound to performance and never developed into a common, standard prayer form comparable e.g. to the Christian Pater Noster. An exception to this rule were the already named Orphic and Mystery rituals, which, in this, set themselves aside from the rest of the Greek religious system. Finally, some texts called hieroi logoi (sacred texts) by the ancient sources, originated from outside the Greek world, or were supposedly adopted in remote times, representing yet more different traditions within the Greek belief system. No one of these sacred texts has reached us..

78.34.36.166 (talk) 15:26, 1 August 2016 (UTC)

 * Yes check.svg Done, but added as an additional paragraph. -- MorbidEntree - (Talk to me! (っ◕‿◕)っ♥) (please reply using {{ping}}) 05:02, 3 August 2016 (UTC)

Thank you, the first paragraph (the original one) needs reworking because it gives a much less nuanced image of the attitude towards Homer than it actually was across Greek history (what I mean is that it evolved during a long period of time, 1200 years more or less, across numerous cultural and religious movements, which is not signalled yet). I will add a new edit request once I have the new version ready. Have a good day! 78.34.36.166 (talk) 09:48, 3 August 2016 (UTC)

Beginning
This article is semi-protected and so I request someone to add this:-
 * , citing this as a reference: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Greek-religion — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2402:8100:281F:8D56:0:0:0:1 (talk) 02:36, 17 October 2019 (UTC)
 * It is to show when it began — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2402:8100:281F:8D56:0:0:0:1 (talk) 02:50, 17 October 2019 (UTC)
 * Red information icon with gradient background.svg Not done: Contributions to Wikipedia must be written in your own words, not copied and pasted from another source. Please see WP:COPYPASTE for information on this. ‑‑ El Hef  ( Meep? ) 13:26, 17 October 2019 (UTC)
 * So you can use this: — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2402:8100:281e:8afa::1 (talk)
 * Still Red information icon with gradient background.svg Not done: You've given the exact same text and reversed the order of the clauses in the sentence. See If you'd like to make an edit (or request one, in this case), you need to write the words yourself. Don't start from the wording in the source and try to change it enough to make it different. You'll need to start from scratch and base your writing on the information contained in the source. ‑‑ El Hef  ( Meep? ) 21:06, 18 October 2019 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 13 January 2021
In section Role of women, the first sentence reads:

> The role of women in sacrifices in discussed above.

Shouldn't it be this instead?

> The role of women in sacrifices is discussed above. 46.128.252.3 (talk) 00:54, 13 January 2021 (UTC)
 * Someone fixed it. RudolfRed (talk) 00:58, 13 January 2021 (UTC)

 * ✅. Thanks, I've made the change. Paul August ☎ 01:00, 13 January 2021 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 11 April 2021
Add a link to Adonia (festival of Adonis) in section Role of women when listing agricultural festivals women were involved in in Athens. It is an interesting and unique example of a religious festival that is not included in the calendar or as respected by the polis as other festivals. BeaAllen2021 (talk) 23:13, 11 April 2021 (UTC)BeaAllen2021
 * Yes check.svg Done ScottishFinnishRadish (talk) 13:53, 14 April 2021 (UTC)

Quote in Belief section
I find it weird to start the first paragraph of the Belief section with a quote that contains no reference to the speaker or the context in which it was given. I agree with its point, that there was not a unified name but the phrasing of it seems very strange to me, especially in such a prominent position. Any qualms on changing this? Kazamzam (talk) 18:11, 23 June 2022 (UTC)
 * Or attribute it, from the citation. Or put it in a box, which might be best. I'd rather not just lose it. Johnbod (talk) 19:43, 23 June 2022 (UTC)

Would a Greek person be killed for not believing in Zeus?
In ancient Greece, would a greek person be killed for not believing in Zeus? 192.161.201.27 (talk) 03:25, 12 May 2024 (UTC)
 * Potentially, yes. See History_of_atheism. Johnbod (talk) 02:03, 13 May 2024 (UTC)
 * Well, that's a complicated question. In ancient Greece, religion wasn't like the "Should I believe in this or not?" Style of religion that we see in the modern world. In ancient Greece,the Greek god were kinda just believed in by everyone who lived in ancient Greece unless someone there came from somewhere else. And if someone in ancient Greece who was hellenistic didn't believe in Zeus, they didn't believe in the other gods, and their for were not heleninistic, since they worshiped a whole pantheon of gods, not just Zeus. So the answer is, maybe? Likely not. However, I'm a mythology buff, but not an actual historian or scholar, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. 142.163.116.242 (talk) 17:50, 19 July 2024 (UTC)

title: Talk:Ancient Greek religion


text:
Brokenclaw

Brokenclaw, first published in 1990, was the tenth novel by John Gardner featuring Ian Fleming's secret agent, James Bond. Carrying the Glidrose Publications copyright, it was first published in the United Kingdom by Hodder & Stoughton and in the United States by Putnam. The book title is sometimes presented as two words, but is correctly one word since it is a character name.

Instead of picking up where the novelisation Licence to Kill left off, Brokenclaw completely ignores the story's events and continues from Win, Lose or Die.

Plot summary
After expressing frustration over a lack of action after his year-long mission with the Royal Navy (as detailed in Win, Lose or Die), Bond threatens to resign. Instead, M orders Bond to take a vacation. Bond travels to Victoria, British Columbia where he is intrigued by Lee Fu-Chu, a half-Blackfoot, half-Chinese philanthropist who is known as "Brokenclaw" because of a deformed hand.

Later, Bond is ordered to San Francisco where he is tasked to investigate the kidnapping of several scientists who have been working on a new submarine detection system and an "antidote" known as LORDS and LORDS DAY. Bond and CIA agent Chi-Chi Sue go undercover using the codenames Peter Abelard and Héloïse that were assigned to two agents from the People's Republic of China that are sent to evaluate the submarine technology before purchasing it.

Ultimately, Bond discovers that Brokenclaw is involved in this scheme on behalf of China, and also has plans of his own which involve sparking a worldwide economic disaster by bringing about the collapse of the dollar by tapping into the New York Stock Exchange, which would in turn bring down other major currencies worldwide. The plan, dubbed Operation Jericho was a long-term plan initially started by the Japanese, but now believed to have been worked on simultaneously by the Chinese before being acquired by Brokenclaw.

Brokenclaw's hideout in California is raided by Special Forces after he is located by Naval Intelligence officer Ed Rushia who was searching and attempting to help Bond and Chi-Chi while on their mission. Brokenclaw escapes the raid only to be tracked down by Bond and Rushia, off the books, to the Chelan Mountains of Washington where Bond is challenged to a torture ritual known as o-kee-pa. In the end, the competition comes down to a fight between the two using bow and arrows; Brokenclaw barely misses Bond and in turn is shot through the neck by Bond's arrow.

Characters

 * James Bond
 * M
 * Bill Tanner
 * Ann Reilly
 * Brokenclaw: Half Chinese, half Blackfoot, he was born Lee Fu-Chu. He received the name "Brokenclaw" because of a deformity in his left hand where his thumb is on the right (viewing the palm up) rather than the left. Brokenclaw is a crime lord in San Francisco who has a large hold on the city's prostitution, gambling, and drug rackets. He also works for CELD (Central External Liaison Department), the intelligence service of the People's Republic of China, and possibly CCI (Central Control of Intelligence). Brokenclaw has managed to get his hands on a new technology that can detect submarine signatures which he plans to give to CELD. Additionally, Brokenclaw also plans to cause economic disaster by bringing about the collapse of the dollar. Ultimately Brokenclaw's plans are prevented by Bond. He later retreats to a getaway location in the Chelan Mountains of Washington. There he challenges Bond to a ritual known as o-kee-pa. During this competition he is shot by Bond in the neck with an arrow.
 * Miss Sue Chi-Ho: Known to her friends as Chi-Chi Sue or simply Chi-Chi, she is on loan from the CIA. She can speak fluent Cantonese and was previously a U.S. Naval Intelligence officer. She accompanies Bond on Operation Curve posing as Jenny Mo, an operative codenamed Héloïse from the People's Republic of China who was sent to evaluate Brokenclaw's submarine detection technology.
 * Ed Rushia: A Commander with U.S. Naval Intelligence. He is tasked with following Bond and Chi-Chi to ensure their safety throughout their mission. After Bond and Chi-Chi disappear, Rushia searches California for them. After eventually picking up their signal he helps Bond escape a deathtrap in which Bond is thrown to Brokenclaw's wolves. He later teams up with Bond, off the record, to find Brokenclaw in Washington after Brokenclaw's hideout is raided.
 * Wanda Man Song Hing: A Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy, Wanda is undercover posing as Brokenclaw's lover. Her father who owed Brokenclaw an enormous sum of money gave her (willingly to go undercover) to Brokenclaw as compensation. She is later discovered and as retribution her father is thrown to the wolves while she is badly tortured.
 * Agents Nolan and Wood: Crooked FBI agents who are working secretly for Brokenclaw. They discover Bond is not who he claims to be and capture him for Brokenclaw. They later capture Chi-Chi for Brokenclaw and attempt to hold her ransom. They are eventually arrested by Ed Rushia.

Publication history

 * U.S. first hardback edition: 1 August 1990 Putnam
 * UK first hardback edition: September 1990 Hodder & Stoughton
 * UK first paperback edition: October 1991 Coronet Books
 * U.S. first paperback edition: 1991 Berkley Books

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

title: Brokenclaw


text:
Criminal Assets Bureau

The Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) (An Biúró um Shócmhainní Coiriúla) is a law enforcement agency in Ireland. The CAB was established with powers to focus on the illegally acquired assets of criminals involved in serious crime. The aims of the CAB are to identify the criminally acquired assets of persons and to take the appropriate action to deny such people these assets. This action is taken particularly through the application of the Proceeds of Crime Act 1996. The CAB was established as a body corporate with perpetual succession in 1996 and is founded on the multi-agency concept, drawing together law enforcement officers, tax officials, social welfare officials as well as other specialist officers including legal officers, forensic analysts and financial analysts. This multi-agency concept is regarded by some as the model for other European jurisdictions.

The CAB is not a division of the Garda Síochána (police) but rather an independent body corporate although it has many of the powers normally given to the Gardaí. The Chief Bureau Officer is drawn from a member of the Garda Síochána holding the rank of Chief Superintendent and is appointed by the Garda Commissioner. The remaining staff of the CAB are appointed by the Minister for Justice. CAB members retain their original powers as if they were working within their separate entities and have direct access to information and databases that their original organisations are allowed by law. This ability to share information was described by the Garda Síochána Inspectorate in its Crime Investigation Report of October 2014 as "a good model that could be replicated outside of CAB".

The CAB reports annually to the Minister through the Commissioner of the Garda Síochána and this report is laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas. The Minister for Justice, in publishing the 2011 CAB Annual Report, stated: "The work of the bureau is one of the key law enforcement responses to tackling crime and the Government is very much committed to further strengthening the powers of the bureau through forthcoming legislative proposals." In publishing the Bureau's 2012 report the Minister for Justice set out: "The Annual Report provides an insight into the workings of the Bureau and highlights the advantage of adopting a multi-agency and multi-disciplinary approach to the targeting of illicit assets. The Bureau is an essential component in the State’s law enforcement response to serious and organised crime and the Government is fully committed to further strengthening its powers through future legislative reform."

The Minister for Justice set out that Ireland, through the work of the Bureau, has established itself as a jurisdiction that is responding to that challenge and the work of the Bureau is internationally recognised as a best practice approach to tackling criminality and the illicit monies it generates.

The CAB has been effective against organised criminals, especially those involved in the importation and distribution of drugs. It has also been used against corrupt public officials and terrorists.

Legislative framework
The Law Reform Commission provides consolidated legislation relating to the Bureau, namely:
 * Criminal Assets Bureau Act 1996 (updated to 28 May 2019)
 * Proceeds of Crime Act 1996 (updated to 30 July 2018)

The Proceeds of Crime Acts were amended further by the Proceeds of Crime (Amendment) Act 2016. The Proceeds of Crime (Amendment) Act 2016 is designed to facilitate the seizure of property which is suspected to be the proceeds of crime by expanding the powers of the Criminal Assets Bureau to seize those proceeds. This act amends the Proceeds of Crime Act 1996 in two key respects. First, it allows the Criminal Assets Bureau to seize property which it suspects to be the proceeds of crime for up to 21 days. Second, it reduces the threshold value of property which can be pursued by the Criminal Assets Bureau from €13,000 to €5,000.

Objectives
The statutory objectives of the CAB are –
 * 1) the identification of the assets of persons which derive, or are suspected to derive, directly or indirectly from criminal conduct;
 * 2) the taking of appropriate action under the law to deprive or to deny those persons of such assets or the benefit of such assets, and
 * 3) the pursuit of any necessary investigation or other preparatory work in relation to relevant proceedings.

The emergence of CAB signalled a more focused approach on targeting the financial proceeds of crime than previously existed.

Overview
The CAB collected €89 million in taxes in its first ten years of existence and it also engaged in initiatives to curtail international criminality. The CAB has a staff of 91, including members of Garda Síochána, Revenue Commissioners, (both customs and taxes officers), and civil servants from the Department of Social Protection and the Department of Justice. Its annual budget for 2011 was €6.673 million, of which 86% is salary cost. This was reduced to €6.410 million in 2012, but has increased to 8.832m Euro in 2018.

Budget
The budget of the Bureau over the period 2008 to 2021 was as follows:

Officers and staff
Officers and staff of the CAB (with the exception of members of the Garda Síochána and the Bureau Legal Officer) are protected with statutory anonymity. This anonymity, whilst causing some concerns, has been recognised an important practical issue for all countries when faced with action against people who may be involved in violent crime and extortion and recognises that although police and customs officers are usually trained to deal with such threats and to expect them, revenue and social security officials do not reasonably expect to have to deal with such risks when they take a job.

A number of people have been convicted for threatening CAB officers:

 * Christopher Pratt was sentenced in 2013 to three years in prison for threatening to "take the head off" a CAB officer.
 * Paschal Kelly was sentenced in 2015 to four-and-a-half years in prison for threatening a CAB officer, tax evasion and serious driving offences, and more recently in February 2019 was sentenced to 18 years in prison following a conviction for a "tiger kidnapping".

Fachtna Murphy was the first Chief Bureau Officer and Barry Galvin was the first Bureau Legal Officer. The current Chief Bureau Officer is Detective Chief Superintendent Michael Gubbins (who succeeded Pat Clavin ) and the current Bureau Legal Officer is Kevin McMeel. The former Bureau Legal Officer was Declan O'Reilly. The Bureau Legal Officer is appointed following a recruitment campaign run by the Public Appointments Service.

Background
The Criminal Assets Bureau was established on 15 October 1996 by the then Minister for Justice, Nora Owen TD. The CAB was established to deal with increasing levels of serious organised crime in Ireland, most notable being the murders of crime reporter Veronica Guerin and Detective Garda Jerry McCabe.

The CAB was set up by the Oireachtas as a body corporate primarily for the purpose of ensuring that persons should not benefit from any assets acquired by them from any criminal activity. It was given power to take all necessary actions in relation to seizing and securing assets derived from criminal activity, certain powers to ensure that the proceeds of such activity are subject to tax, and also in relation to the Social Welfare Acts. However, as the High Court has noted, it is not a prosecuting body nor a police authority but rather it is an investigating authority which, having investigated and used its powers of investigation, then applies to the High Court for assistance in enforcing its functions.

Proceeds of crime
A novel or radical aspect of the CAB was the use of civil forfeiture to freeze and seize the proceeds of criminal conduct under the Proceeds of Crime Act, 1996. Ireland was one of the first countries to introduce civil forfeiture. Civil forfeiture involved a recognition on the part of the State that conventional methods of tackling organised crime were ineffective. Whilst the CAB was perhaps intended to confiscate the assets of drug dealers and those involved in organised crime its powers can extend to all assets that are the result of criminal activity. Even though the CAB focuses on serious and organised crime, it has increasingly moved against low- and medium-level offenders who may present as poor role models within their communities, albeit that these cases often cost more to bring than they return financially. The CAB has been distinguished from other agencies who tackle serious organised crime in Ireland in that those agencies may be typified as being reactive whereas the CAB is proactive; a fact which may be considered as representing a significant development in crime control. Whilst novel to Ireland, the concept of forfeiture in the absence of a criminal conviction has a long ancestry, with roots in ancient Rome and evidence of its lineage in the Old Testament. It has long been an important feature of the jurisprudence of the US and has recently been adopted in other common law jurisdictions, including the UK and the Cayman Islands, in their proceeds of crime legislation.

In 2005, the CAB's powers were amended by Part 3 of the Proceeds of Crime (Amendment) Act 2005. The purpose of this Act was to make further provision in relation to the recovery and disposal of proceeds of crime. This involved amending four different acts as follows:
 * 1) the Proceeds of Crime Act 1996,
 * 2) the Criminal Assets Bureau Act 1996,
 * 3) the Criminal Justice Act 1994, and
 * 4) the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act 2001.

The Act was intended to substantially bolster the powers of the CAB in the continuing battle to target the proceeds of all types of crime and will extend those powers to the proceeds of white-collar crime and corruption. The substantial provisions of the Act extended the proceeds of crime legislation to cover foreign criminality and corrupt enrichment. In addition, there were a number of technical provisions relating to court procedures, search powers and evidence.

Under the Proceeds of Crime Act 1996 and 2005, if the CAB can satisfy the High Court on the balance of probabilities that specified property is the proceeds of crime, the court will make an interim order over the property preventing anybody from dealing with it. This order stays in place for 21 days, following which an application is made for an interlocutory hearing, on notice to any person who has an interest in that property. If it appears to the court that such property is the proceeds of crime, despite anything said by any respondent, an interlocutory order is put in place for a period of seven years. In the course of that time any person who can satisfy the court that the property is not the proceeds of crime can move to have the order lifted. If no such order has been granted during those seven years, the CAB can seek a disposal order effectively extinguishing anybody's rights to the properties and transferring it to the central exchequer. In April 2014, Deputy Eamonn Maloney sponsored a private members Bill to amend the Proceeds of Crime Acts. Section 1 of the Bill seeks to reduce the seven-year period to two years. This Bill was listed before the Dáil on Friday 8 May 2015 and is viewed as a move by the Government to toughen the laws on confiscating criminals' assets and similarly is expected to yield a multimillion-euro windfall for the taxpayer. As the Bill is a Private Members' Bill, its referral to Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality was required pursuant to the Standing Orders 82A and 118.

In July 2016, the statutory threshold of €13,000 as set out under the Proceeds of Crime Act, 1996 was reduced to €5,000. This was done to facilitate the Bureau in targeting mid-level proceeds of crime.

This Irish model, including the Irish legislation, the innovative multi-agency Criminal Assets Bureau approach, as well as judicial dicta, has played a central role in the expansion of the non-conviction based approach across the common law world.

Constitutional and human rights debate
Some have suggested that, for example, a bridal gift from a perpetual tax evader to his daughter might now find itself on the responding end of an order from the CAB. The limits of the legislation are uncertain and accordingly, the Proceeds of Crime Act 1996 and 2005 has been subject to academic review. Writing in 2014, one academic concluded:

"'The Proceeds of Crime Act was hastily rushed through parliament in the summer of 1996 in the wake of significant concerns surrounding organized crime and little thought was given to its implications, and likely effectiveness, of this legislation... Ireland will continue to be driven by this sense of populist punitiveness whereby harsh regimes are introduced for no other reason than that they are appealing.'"

Others conclude that civil forfeiture and recovery is a potent crime fighting device:

"'Civil recovery is a particularly useful device where the offender is unavailable for prosecution or where it is difficult to obtain sufficient evidence to obtain a conviction against him, primarily because of the reluctance of witnesses to testify. Hence, it is an important tool for dealingwith crime bosses who are usually divorced from the day-to-day activities of their enterprise and thus insulated from detection and prosecution.'"

Civil forfeiture holds with the view that it is not enough to prosecute the perpetrator but recognises the importance of also combatting the driving forces behind the criminal act.

The Supreme Court, however, in reviewing the Proceeds of Crime Act 1996 concluded:

"... as has been pointed out, repeatedly, a person directly or indirectly in possession of the proceeds of crime can have no constitutional grievance if deprived of their use. The Proceeds of Crime Acts 1996–2005 are identified as being legislation 'to enable the High Court, as respects the proceeds of crime, to make orders for the preservation and, where appropriate, the disposal of property concerned and to provide for related matters'. There is a strong public policy dimension to this legislation. That policy is to ensure that persons do not benefit from assets which were obtained with the proceeds of crime irrespective of whether the person benefiting actually knew how such property was obtained with the proceeds of crime but subject to whether or not such person may have been a bona fide purchaser for value, where different considerations may arise.

The Act provides for fair procedures to be observed. It cannot be seen as arbitrary. It is designed to achieve a desirable social objective and be proportionate. It cannot be said to impinge on a right to private property, as the property was acquired unlawfully. One of the facts to be borne in mind is the extent to which, as a result of the commission of crime, persons may directly or indirectly benefit in a way not open to other members of the community, such as living without the requirements of payments of tax, mortgage repayments or rent. These activities are profoundly anti-social and contrary to the common good. The interference with the rights of private property embodied in Article 40.3.2 and Article 43 of the Constitution and Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights are, therefore, proportionate and in accordance with law."

Similar legislation in England and Wales has also withstood constitutional scrutiny in its highest courts. In 2014, the Supreme Court of India addressed the issue of whether forfeiture of property violated Article 20 of the Constitution of India. In deciding that forfeiture did not violate the constitution, the Indian Supreme Court cited with approval the Irish High Court decision in Gilligan v Criminal Assets Bureau. It noted that non-conviction based asset forfeiture model was also to be found in various countries: United States of America, Italy, Ireland, South Africa, UK, Australia and certain provinces of Canada. Similar civil forfeiture legislation was found to be constitutional compliant in Bulgaria.

Ad Hoc Legal Aid
The Department of Justice operated the CAB Ad Hoc Legal Aid Scheme until 2014. However, from 1 January 2014 the remit for the administration of the Scheme transferred to the Legal Aid Board. The scheme is applicable to persons who are respondents and/or defendants in any court proceedings brought by, or in the name of, the CAB or its Chief Bureau Officer or any member of the CAB, including court proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act 1996, Revenue Acts or Social Welfare Acts.

The scheme also includes:
 * social welfare appeals made to the Circuit Court under Section 34 of the Social Welfare Act 1997;
 * tax appeals made to the Circuit Court under the Taxes Acts where the CAB or its Chief Bureau Officer or any member of the CAB is the respondent and/or defendant; and
 * applications made by the Director of Public Prosecutions under Section 39 of the Criminal Justice Act 1994

The Ad Hoc Legal Aid Scheme provides that the grant of legal aid, including the level of legal representation and/or witness expenses allowed, is a matter for the court with the appropriate jurisdiction to deal with the specific case. The calculation of fees which apply to counsel representing the legally aided person is made in accordance with the mechanism which is in operation under the Criminal Justice (Legal Aid) Act 1962 and the Regulations made under that Act.

The CAB Ad Hoc Legal Aid Scheme cost €334,000 in 2009, up 18% from the previous year's figure of €283,000. It cost €257,000 in 2010.

In October 2014, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform suggested that the State could cut its criminal legal aid bill by using the Criminal Assets Bureau to carry out a "more thorough" analysis of defendants' ability to pay.

Outcomes
From the Bureau's establishment in October 1996 up to end of 2011 the Bureau successfully froze over €70m worth of criminals' assets. It also collected €137m of the €200m demanded in unpaid taxes, interest and penalties. CAB also made social welfare savings of almost €6m and recovered over €2m in fraudulently claimed welfare. According to the Annual Report for 2017, the total amount of funds restrained was in excess of €4.8 million. However, one case currently under investigation accounts for approximately €3.5 million. Tax recovered by the Bureau during 2017 amounted to €2.374m from fifty one individuals / entities and as a result of actions by Social Welfare Bureau Officers, a total sum of €319,720.31 was returned to the Exchequer in 2017.

International cooperation
The statutory functions of the Criminal Assets Bureau include the taking of all necessary actions for the purpose of the freezing and confiscation of assets suspected of deriving from criminal activity and that such actions include, where appropriate, subject to any international agreement, cooperation with any police force or any authority outside Ireland which has functions related to the recovery of proceeds of crime.

CAB represents Ireland at the Camden Assets Recovery Interagency Network (CARIN), a group which aims to improve informal cross-border and inter-agency cooperation within the European Union and elsewhere. CAB currently sits on the CARIN steering group. The CAB held the presidency of CARIN in 2005 and again in 2013.

EU Council Decision 2007/845/JHA obliges Member States to set up or designate national Asset Recovery Offices (AROs) as national central contact points which facilitate, through enhanced cooperation, the fastest possible EU-wide tracing of assets derived from crime. This Decision was designed to complete the CARIN by providing a legal basis for the exchange of information between Asset Recovery Offices of all the Member States. The Decision allows the AROs to exchange information and best practices, both upon request and spontaneously, regardless of their status (administrative, law enforcement or judicial authority). It requests AROs to exchange information under the conditions laid down in Framework Decision 2006/960/JHA2 ("the Swedish Initiative") and in compliance with the applicable data protection provisions. Ireland designated the Criminal Assets Bureau as its ARO.

In 2008 a Cross Border Fuel Fraud Enforcement Group was established by the Northern Ireland Security Minister, Paul Goggins, and operates under the auspices of the Organised Crime Task Force. On this group, which is chaired by HM Revenue and Customs, sits the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), the Northern Ireland Environment Agency together with the CAB, the Revenue Commissioners and the Garda Síochána. The Criminal Assets Bureau is also represented on the Joint Agency Task Force, which was created under the "Fresh Start Agreement" to identify strategic priorities for combatting cross-border organised crime and to oversee operational co-ordination.

The CAB is a member partner of Organised Crime Portfolio (OCP) (HOME/2011/ISEC/AG/FINEC/400000222) which is funded by EU Commission, DG Home Affairs and is carried out by an international consortium coordinated by Transcrime – Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (Milan, Italy). The aims of the project are to study the investments of organised crime in European Union Member States, analyse the infiltration of organised crime groups and assess the impact on legitimate markets.

External links – Annual Reports

 * CAB Annual Report 2003
 * CAB Annual Report 2004
 * CAB Annual Report 2005
 * CAB Annual Report 2006
 * CAB Annual Report 2007
 * CAB Annual Report 2008
 * CAB Annual Report 2009
 * CAB Annual Report 2010
 * CAB Annual Report 2011
 * CAB Annual Report 2012
 * CAB Annual Report 2013
 * CAB Annual Report 2014
 * CAB Annual Report 2015
 * CAB Annual Report 2016
 * CAB Annual Report 2017
 * CAB Annual Report 2018
 * CAB Annual Report 2019
 * CAB Annual Report 2020
 * CAB Annual Report 2021

External links – Other

 * Tribunal of Inquiry Into Certain Planning Matters and Payments

title: Criminal Assets Bureau


text:
Talk:USS Lapon (SSN-661)

 * A history of Lapon is being requested in the main article from C. 1969 - C. 1992. May I suggest anyone interested in contributing to this or other U.S. submarine and naval articles, read the book 'Blind Man's Bluff: The Untold Story of American Submarine Espionage'? I found it very enlightening. I would proceed to transcribe/attribute parts of it myself, but my Wikipedia editing skills are few to nonexistent.... Noble Korhedron 18:51, 23 June 2011 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Noble Korhedron (talk • contribs)

title: Talk:USS Lapon (SSN-661)


text:
HVDC converter station

An HVDC converter station (or simply converter station) is a specialised type of substation which forms the terminal equipment for a high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission line. It converts direct current to alternating current or the reverse. In addition to the converter, the station usually contains:
 * three-phase alternating current switch gear
 * transformers
 * capacitors or synchronous condensers for reactive power
 * filters for harmonic suppression, and
 * direct current switch gear.

Converter
The converter is usually installed in a building called the valve hall. Early HVDC systems used mercury-arc valves, but since the mid-1970s, solid state devices such as thyristors have been used. Converters using thyristors or mercury-arc valves are known as line commutated converters. In thyristor-based converters, many thyristors are connected in series to form a thyristor valve, and each converter normally consists of six or twelve thyristor valves. The thyristor valves are usually grouped in pairs or groups of four and can stand on insulators on the floor or hang from insulators from the ceiling.

Line commutated converters require voltage from the AC network for commutation, but since the late 1990s, voltage sourced converters have started to be used for HVDC. Voltage sourced converters use insulated-gate bipolar transistors instead of thyristors, and these can provide power to a deenergized AC system.

Almost all converters used for HVDC are intrinsically able to operate with power conversion in either direction. Power conversion from AC to DC is called rectification and conversion from DC to AC is called inversion.

DC equipment
The direct current equipment often includes a coil (called a reactor) that adds inductance in series with the DC line to help smooth the direct current. The inductance typically amounts to between 0.1 H and 1 H. The smoothing reactor can have either an air-core or an iron-core. Iron-core coils look like oil-filled high voltage transformers. Air-core smoothing coils resemble, but are considerably larger than, carrier frequency choke coils in high voltage transmission lines and are supported by insulators. Air coils have the advantage of generating less acoustical noise than iron-core coils, they eliminate the potential environmental hazard of spilled oil, and they do not saturate under transient high current fault conditions. This part of the plant will also contain instruments for measurement of direct current and voltage.

Special direct current filters are used to eliminate high frequency interference. Such filters are required if the transmission line will use power-line communication techniques for communication and control, or if the overhead line will run through populated areas. These filters can be passive LC filters or active filters, consisting of an amplifier coupled through transformers and protection capacitors, which gives a signal out of phase to the interference signal on the line, thereby cancelling it. Such a system was used on the Baltic Cable HVDC project.

Converter transformer
The converter transformers step up the voltage of the AC supply network. Using a star-to-delta or "wye-delta" connection of the transformer windings, the converter can operate with 12 pulses for each cycle in the AC supply, which eliminates numerous harmonic current components. The insulation of the transformer windings must be specially designed to withstand a large DC potential to earth. Converter transformers can be built as large as 300 Mega volt amperes (MVA) as a single unit. It is impractical to transport larger transformers, so when larger ratings are required, several individual transformers are connected together. Either two three-phase units or three single-phase units can be used. With the latter variant only one type of transformer is used, making the supply of a spare transformer more economical.

Converter transformers operate with high flux Power Steps In the Four Steps of the Converter per cycle, and so produce more acoustic noise than normal three-phase power transformers. This effect should be considered in the siting of an HVDC converter station. Noise-reducing enclosures may be applied.

Reactive power
When line commutated converters are used, the converter station will require between 40% and 60% of its power rating as reactive power. This can be provided by banks of switched capacitors or by synchronous condensers, or if a suitable power generating station is located close to the static inverter plant, the generators in the power station. The demand for reactive power can be reduced if the converter transformers have on-load tap changers with a sufficient range of taps for AC voltage control. Some of the reactive power requirement can be supplied in the harmonic filter components.

Voltage sourced converters can generate or absorb reactive as well as real power, and additional reactive power equipment is generally not needed.

Harmonic filters
Harmonic filters are necessary for the elimination of the harmonic waves and for the production of the reactive power at line commutated converter stations. At plants with six pulse line commutated converters, complex harmonic filters are necessary because there are odd numbered harmonics of the orders $6n + 1$ and $6n - 1$ produced on the AC side and even harmonics of order $6n$ on the DC side. At 12 pulse converter stations, only harmonic voltages or currents of the order $12n + 1$ and $12n - 1$ (on the AC side) or $12n$ (on the DC side) result. Filters are tuned to the expected harmonic frequencies and consist of series combinations of capacitors and inductors.

Voltage sourced converters generally produce lower intensity harmonics than line commutated converters. As a result, harmonic filters are generally smaller or may be omitted altogether.

Beside the harmonic filters, equipment is also provided to eliminate spurious signals in the frequency range of power-line carrier equipment in the range of 30 kHz to 500 kHz. These filters are usually near the alternating current terminal of the static inverter transformer. They consist of a coil which passes the load current, with a parallel capacitor to form a resonant circuit.

In special cases, it may be possible to use exclusively machines for generating the reactive power. This is realized at the terminal of HVDC Volgograd-Donbass situated on Volga Hydroelectric Station.

AC switchgear
The three-phase alternating current switch gear of a converter station is similar to that of an AC substation. It will contain circuit breakers for overcurrent protection of the converter transformers, isolating switches, grounding switches, and instrument transformers for control, measurement and protection. The station will also have lightning arresters for protection of the AC equipment from lightning surges on the AC system.

Required area
The area required for a converter station is much larger than a conventional transformer, for example a site with a transmission rating of 600 megawatts and a transmission voltage of 400 kV is approximately 300 x 300 metres (1000 x 1000 feet). Lower-voltage plants may require somewhat less ground area, since less air space clearance would be required around outdoor high-voltage equipment.

Location factors
Converter stations produce acoustic noise. Converter stations can generate serious levels of radio-frequency interference, so include design features to control these emissions. Walls may provide noise protection. As with all AC substations, oil from equipment must be prevented from contaminating ground water in case of a spill. Substantial area may be required for overhead transmission lines, but can be reduced if underground cable is used.

title: HVDC converter station


text:
File:ManFromBarbarossa.jpg

Summary
Source: Image scanned and uploaded by 23skidoo.

Rationale for "fair use" in the article The Man from Barbarossa :

No free or public domain images have been located for this book.

This image is used on various websites, and has been published in several books, so use on Wikipedia does not make it significantly more accessible or visible than it already is. It does not detract from the original and is used for information purposes only.

title: File:ManFromBarbarossa.jpg


text:
Pandemonium! (video game)

Pandemonium! is a 1996 platform video game developed by Toys for Bob and published by Crystal Dynamics for the PlayStation, Sega Saturn, Microsoft Windows, N-Gage, mobile and iOS. Pandemonium! features Fargus, a joker, and Nikki, a sorceress, who unwittingly casts a spell that destroys the town. The goal of the game is to reach the Wishing Engine, where they can wish the town back to normal. For each level, the player can choose which character to be. Each has a special move – Fargus can deliver a special spinning attack, and Nikki can double jump. The game consists of a great variety of unique gameplay objects, such as watermelons, clouds, spider webs and logs. A sequel, Pandemonium 2 (Miracle Jumpers in Japan), was released in 1997 for PlayStation and Microsoft Windows.

Gameplay
Pandemonium! employs 2.5D gameplay; while the game renders polygons in a typical 3D fashion, gameplay is 2D. The area of gameplay is as a two-dimensional surface twisting and bending in a three-dimensional world. Occasionally, this surface will overlap itself. There are segments where the path branches, allowing the player to choose their course.

Enemies are generally defeated through the usual platform jumping method of bouncing on the enemy's head. There are power-ups located in each level, with varying effects. One is a freeze ray which turns enemies into ice, while another is a shrink ray which reduces the size of enemies to the point where the player character can step on them.

Plot
In the land of Lyr, an unpopular carnival jester called Fargus, and his stick-puppet Sid, are seeking a new career. Meanwhile, a talented acrobat named Nikki, bored of carnival life, runs away to pursue her dream of being a wizard. Fargus, Sid, and Nikki meet at a "Wizards in Training" seminar at Lancelot Castle. The seminar turns out to be rather boring, so during a break Nikki and Fargus steal the speaker's spellbook and take it to the high balcony overlooking the village.

When Nikki begins practicing with the magical book, Fargus and Sid urge her to perform a 10th level spell. With a few magical words, a green monster called Yungo appears and consumes the entire village. They search the book for how to get rid of the monster. The book reveals that they'll have to obtain a wish from the Wishing Engine. With a map from the book to help them, they set off on their journey.

When they find the Wishing Engine, it tells them to speak three wishes. Fargus wastes the first wish on a chicken (he claims it was just to see if it works) and Nikki then wishes that the village was returned to as it was before the spell was cast. Nikki and Fargus are then teleported back to the top of Lancelot Castle. Yungo spits out the village and is pulled back into his own dimension. Nikki ponders what happened to their third wish, and Fargus guiltily admits that out of desire to share his joy with the world, he wished that everyone back home could be just like him, inadvertently turning everyone in the village into Fargus clones. Nikki and Fargus resign themselves to another trip to the Wishing Engine.

Development and release
Work on Pandemonium! began in December 1994, starting with two months spent on learning the dynamics of 3D games. The team concentrated on building a prototype level to demonstrate at Electronic Entertainment Expo 1995. Once this was done, set designers and artists were brought on to help create the bulk of the game, bringing the development team up to 30 people. Early in development it was planned to record hundreds of one-liners for the player characters, similar to the earlier Crystal Dynamics game Gex.

According to lead designer Paul Reiche III, at the beginning of June 1996 the team decided they wanted the game to be released before Thanksgiving Day of that year and shifted into "high gear mode". The last 2–3 months of development were devoted to fine-tuning, balancing, and bug-fixing, in particular adjusting the level of detail on levels so as to maintain a consistent frame rate of 30 frames per second.

Having decided to step down as a publisher and focus on development, Crystal Dynamics sold the publication rights for Pandemonium! to Electronic Arts once the game was finished. As usual for Crystal Dynamics games, the European publishing rights were given to BMG Interactive. However, BMG decided against publishing the Saturn version, so Sega of Europe purchased the rights from BMG and published that version. The Saturn EU release date was originally slated for May 1997, but was pushed back to June so that a bug could be fixed.

The Saturn, PlayStation and PC versions have 18 levels, while the N-Gage version has 11. In the PlayStation and Saturn versions, progress is saved using a password system. The Japanese version of the game, called Magical Hoppers, has considerable changes to the story, characters and cutscenes and is distributed by Bandai.

The PlayStation version was released to the PlayStation Store on October 8, 2009.

Reception
The PlayStation version of Pandemonium received mixed to positive reviews. Critics generally said that while the gameplay is essentially 2D, the open, airy graphic designs and the exceptional camerawork make it easy for players to be caught in an illusion of 3D. Most found that the gameplay was lacking in innovation, though the diverse and surprising level designs made it enjoyable and relatively fresh. Some critics complained that the "boing" sound which accompanies each jump is annoying. GamePro concluded the game to be a mixed bag, and advised gamers to rent it to determine if it fits their interests. Dan Hsu of Electronic Gaming Monthly felt it had little to offer besides the graphics, but the other three members of the review team were much more enthusiastic, saying they particularly enjoyed searching out the levels' secrets. GameSpot gave it a largely negative review, arguing that the level design is flawed and the two playable characters are not differentiated enough. They criticized Burke Tresichmann's music for having tracks which are too juvenile and/or similar to his scores for The Horde and Captain Quazar. However, GamePro and Sushi-X of Electronic Gaming Monthly opined that the music was both well-done and consistently suited the tone. Next Generation summarized that "while Pandemonium keeps the player on rails, it's still an enjoyable and extremely colorful ride."

The Saturn version was also well-received, as critics agreed that despite the half a year that had passed since the game's release on PlayStation, it still held up well. Sega Saturn Magazine and Saturn Power both deemed it the first truly outstanding platform game for the Saturn. GamePro said that "It breaks little new ground beyond the cool perspectives, but the gameplay's meaty enough to hold your interest." Sushi-X of Electronic Gaming Monthly said it "is a step above its PlayStation sibling", citing tighter controls. However, his co-reviewer Shawn Smith and GamePro both felt the PlayStation version was better, due to the port's slight decrease in graphical quality, though critics unanimously agreed that Crystal Dynamics had done an overall exemplary job of optimizing the game for the Saturn.

title: Pandemonium! (video game)


text:
Bruce Leak

Bruce Leak is an American inventor and entrepreneur, and currently a co-founder at Playground Global. He was one of three co-founders of WebTV and is credited with making several major advances in the Macintosh operating system. Wired magazine described him as an "Apple Hero," saying that he "kick-started the multimedia revolution, bringing quality video to the Mac a year before anything even remotely comparable hit Windows."

Background
Leak graduated from Stanford University with bachelor's and master's degrees in electrical engineering and computer science. During his Stanford years, he worked at Microsoft on the initial versions of Word and Multiplan (Excel). He held senior management and engineering roles at Rocket Science Games and General Magic.

Apple
He began his career at Apple Computer, where he invented and brought to market QuickTime (1991) and 32-bit QuickDraw. '

WebTV
He is one of the co-founders of WebTV Networks, a company founded in 1995 that enabled households to access the Internet through their televisions. He also served as the company's chief operating officer and later president. WebTV Networks was purchased by Microsoft in 1997 and absorbed into the Microsoft Network. Leak became the President of Microsoft's WebTV Network subsidiary.

Carrier IQ
In 2005 Leak co-founded Carrier IQ, a company that provides embedded analytics to the wireless industry through embedding diagnostic software in the mobile phone. He served as CEO until his replacement by Mark Quinlivan in late 2006. Mr. Quinlivan left Carrier IQ in 2010. In 2011 Larry Lenhart was appointed CEO. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110831006226/en/Carrier-IQ-Appoints-Larry-Lenhart-President-CEO. In early 2016, Carrier IQ ceased operations and it was announced that AT&T had acquired software assets and staff from the company.

Playground Global
In early 2015 Leak co-founded Playground Global, alongside Andy Rubin, Matt Hershenson and Peter Barrett. Playground Global is a combination venture capital fund and tech incubator that provides resources, mentorship and funding to startups making hardware devices. As of late 2015, Playground Global had raised more than $300 million from investors including Google, Hewlett-Packard Co., electronics manufacturer Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Tencent Holdings Ltd., Redpoint Ventures, and Seagate Technology PLC.

title: Bruce Leak


text:
Lift table

A lift table is a device that employs a scissors mechanism to raise or lower goods and/or persons. Typically lift tables are used to raise large, heavy loads through relatively small distances. Common applications include pallet handling, vehicle loading and work positioning. Lift tables are a recommended way to help reduce incidents of musculoskeletal disorders by correctly re-positioning work at a suitable height for operators. Lift tables lend themselves to being easily adapted to a specific use. They can work in hostile environments, be manufactured in stainless steel and have equipment like conveyors, turn-tables, barriers and gates easily added to their deckplates.

Use
Lift tables can come in a vast array of configurations and can be built to suit various highly specialized industrial processes. The most common lift table design incorporates hydraulic cylinders and an electrically powered pump to actuate the scissor lifting mechanism. Lift tables can also be driven by pneumatic sources, trapezoidal-threaded screw drives, push chains or by hydraulic foot pump when the load is not heavy. Lift tables can be mounted in a pit for floor-level loading, especially useful for access by manual pallet-pump trucks and the mobility impaired or wheelchair users.

Industries that commonly use lift tables include woodworking, upholstered furniture manufacturing, metalworking, paper, printing and publishing, warehousing and distribution, heavy machinery and transportation.

Common uses
Common uses of lift tables include
 * Vehicle loading and docking operations
 * Mobility impaired access (see below)
 * Work positioning and ergonomic handling
 * Load positioning (e.g. when integrated into conveyor systems)
 * Materials positioning in machine feeding applications
 * Pallet and roll cage handling
 * Furniture upholstery

Standards
In Europe there is a published standard BS EN 1570: 1998 + A2: 2009 Safety requirements for lifting tables. Standard EN 1570-1 is now EN 15701-1:2011+A1:2014. It is a Type C standard and compliance with this standard confers conformity with the Machinery Directive, 2006/42/EC. Work is already being undertaken to revise this standard and possibly split it into 3 parts. It specifies the criteria for the raising and lowering of goods and/or persons associated with the movement of goods carried by lifting tables.

In North America, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) approved and published the ANSI MH29.1:2012 standard in February 2012, itself a revision of the previous MH29.1:2008 standard.

Common accidents
The most common types of accidents involving a scissor lift caused by misapplication of the machine, obstacles, misuse of the equipment, and lack of maintenance.

title: Lift table


text: User talk:144.126.100.4

title: User talk:144.126.100.4


text:
Norman Wagner

Norman Ernest Wagner, (March 29, 1935 – December 10, 2004) was a Canadian archeologist, professor and University president.

Born in Edenwold, Saskatchewan, Wagner received a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Divinities from the University of Saskatchewan in 1958, a Master of Arts in 1960 and PhD in Near Eastern Studies in 1965 from the University of Toronto.

Career
From 1962 to 1978, Wagner taught Near Eastern Languages, Literature and Archaeology at Wilfrid Laurier University and was Dean of Graduate Studies and Research from 1974 to 1978. He founded the School of Religion and Culture, and the Wilfrid Laurier University Press. During his time at Wilfrid Laurier University he also served a term as the President of the Canadian Society of Biblical Studies. Wagner was President of the University of Calgary from 1978 to 1988.

Wagner served on the Board of Directors of Alberta Natural Gas Co. Ltd. from 1988 to 1995 and was chairman, president and chief executive officer from 1991 to 1994. He was on the board of the Organizing Committee for the 1988 Winter Olympics held in Calgary. He was chairman of the Terry Fox Humanitarian Award Program. He died of cancer in 2004.

Honours

 * Officer of the Order of Canada, 1988
 * Honorary LL.D., Wilfrid Laurier University, 1984
 * President Emeritus, The University of Calgary, 1990
 * Honorary Patron, The Ecole Biblique et Archeologique Francaise Jerusalem - The Library Project.

Personal life
Wagner was married to Cathy and had three children: Marj, Richard, and Jan.

title: Norman Wagner


text:
The Man from Barbarossa

The Man from Barbarossa, first published in 1991, was the eleventh novel by John Gardner featuring Ian Fleming's secret agent, James Bond. Carrying the Glidrose Publications copyright, it was first published in the United Kingdom by Hodder & Stoughton and in the United States by Putnam.

More so than any previous Bond novel, The Man from Barbarossa acknowledges then-current world events. The story begins in January 1991 just prior to the end of the Persian Gulf War, and later includes a description of the early stage of the war against Iraq. Gardner also predicted that hardliners within the Soviet Union might attempt a coup against the government, which did occur later in 1991 but under different circumstances. The book also strongly suggests that the Cold War was soon to end, which did occur that year in December.

John Gardner has stated on many occasions that of the 007 novels he wrote, this is his favourite because it was different and had a more creative approach than all his previous attempts. Additionally, Gardner believes that of all his novels, this was Glidrose's favourite as well, although the American publishers took a strong dislike to it. Critics were mixed, with many feeling it was one of Gardner's lesser Bond novels.

Plot summary
The Man from Barbarossa begins with a prelude that includes some background information on the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union codenamed Operation Barbarossa, the massacre at Babi Yar that occurred not long after, and information on Josif Voronstov, a fictional character said to be a deputy of real-life Paul Blobel who was primarily responsible for the massacre.

When the story begins, an elderly American living in New Jersey is kidnapped by a Russian terrorist group called the "Scales of Justice". The man, Joel Penderek, was captured under the belief that he is Josif Voronstov, the war criminal partially responsible for the massacre at Babi Yar.

M is informed by Boris Stepakov of the possibility of infiltrating two Britons into the Scales of Justice. He decides to rely on James Bond and an anomalous collaboration with the Mossad. The Israeli secret service sends Pete Natkowitz to London. Natkowitz brings information that they can prove that Vorontsov and Penderek are in fact two different men and that the Scales of Justice have kidnapped the wrong person and that Mossad has Vorontsov under coverage.

The two secret agents investigate the activities of Stéphanie Adoré and Henri Rampart: two French agents who, during the London night, met with two KGB-connected individuals without unauthorization. The next day James Bond and Pete Natkowitz leave for Moscow where they are greeted by Boris Stepakov.

They discover that the two French agents have kidnapped the real Joseph Vorontsov and handed him over to the Russians who are holding him at a dacha on the Black Sea. Meanwhile, the Scales of Justice have begun assassinating members of the Soviet government.

Through Professor Vladimir Lyko, an English professor who has been converted into a double agent for the terrorist group, they discover that the organization has decided to carry out a mock trial and film it. Their only chance is to send Bond and Natkowitz to the Soviet Union as replacements for a British film crew that Scales of Justice has sent for.

Stepakov has decided to infiltrate 007 and Natkowitz as operators, together with his agent Nina Bibikova who will pose as Bond's wife. The girl knows English well and is the daughter of Michael Brooks and Emerald Lacy, British agents infiltrated into the KGB, who died in a car accident a few years earlier.

The three are thus delivered by the professor to the Scales of Justice and taken to an isolated convent near the border with Finland. Lyko is murdered immediately afterwards.

There they are assigned to film a trial against Vorontsov (played by Penderek, who turns out to be a Russian agent), with a whole host of Jewish witnesses. While Bond is busy filming the mock trial (and flirting with Nina), Stepakov is harshly reprimanded by the President of the Soviet Union for the surmounting political assassinations. But the man explains to his interlocutor that he has infiltrated some men and knows where they are. The President authorizes an operation and entrusts it to a Spetsnaz team led by General Gleb Berzin.

Bond discovers that two actors in the process are Michael Brooks and Emerald Lacy the parents of Nina, who were not dead as previously thought. The two say they have infiltrated the terrorist organization and have a plan, but the Bond has doubts. Meanwhile, an important politician of the Soviet Union enters the trial: General Yevgeny Yuskovich, commander in chief of the missile forces. Yuskovich plays the judge at the trial.

Berzin's Spetsnaz arrive at convenient time, accompanied by Stepakov and the two French agents. However, its a ploy, as General Berzin and his Spetsnaz are on Yuskovich's side, which explains the miraculous assassinations on Soviet politicians. Yuskovich tells that that the Scales of Justice was originally a small organization that Yuskovich took the name from to spread misinformation and fear.

The Scales of Justice imprison Stepakov, Adorè, Rampart, the spouses Brooks and Natkowitz. Nina turns out to be Yuskovich's lover. One of the Spetsnaz reports that they have found Bond dead, with his face disfigured by a stray gunshot.

After filming, the group moves to Baku where Yuskovich has sold a military arsenal to Iran. The general's aim is to exploit the probable war between the United States and Iraq to make Iran hit Washington with a nuclear bomb. By distributing photos of Western agents handing over weapons and explaining to the world how he ended a tragic chapter of history with the mock trial, which would open the way for him to take over the Russian presidency and end perestroika and glasnost.

Weapon boats leave from the port of Baku. On the main boat is the soldier who had found Bond's body. But in reality he is 007 himself. He frees his companions and collects weapons. Stepakov dives into the water and manages to sink two ships loaded with explosives before being killed. Rampart is also murdered as he lowers himself into a lifeboat. Bond, Natkowitz and Adorè are about to be hit on their lifeboat when Soviet planes arrive, signaled by a message from 007, which bomb the boats.

Back in London, Bond debriefs M. The United States launches Operation Desert Storm and 007 places a box attributed to him on M's desk, which contains the Order of Lenin.

Characters

 * James Bond
 * M
 * Bill Tanner
 * Miss Moneypenny
 * Josif Voronstov: Deputy to Paul Blobel, the instigator of the massacre at Babi Yar. Said to have driven the victims to their deaths. Is actually Joel Penderek who is captured in Hawthorne, New Jersey by the Scales of Justice. Voronstov is put on a mock trial where it is discovered he is the cousin of General Yevgeny Yuskovich.
 * General Yevgeny Yuskovich: Yuskovich is the leader of the Scales of Justice and the primary villain of the novel. He attempts to sabotage perestroika and supply Iraq with nuclear arms.

Publication history

 * UK first hardback edition: August 1991 Hodder & Stoughton
 * U.S. first hardback edition: May 1991 Putnam
 * UK first paperback edition: 1991 Coronet Books
 * U.S. first paperback edition: January 1992 Berkley Books

title: The Man from Barbarossa


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1887 in rail transport

January events

 * January 28 – Jay Gould purchases the Little Rock, Mississippi River and Texas Railway at foreclosure then deeds it to the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railroad.

February events

 * February 4 – The Interstate Commerce Act in the United States is signed into law, creating the Interstate Commerce Commission to regulate the prices for hauling freight on American railroads.

April events

 * April 20 – The North British Railway's Tay Bridge across the Firth of Tay in Scotland, reconstructed after its collapse in 1879, is reopened and then shortly closed thereafter.
 * April 26 – At 11:00 am a silver spike is driven in a ceremony in Indian Territory connecting the Kansas and Texas branches of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad. The town of Purcell, Oklahoma, rises at the location, named in honor of ATSF railroad director Edward Benton (E.B.) Purcell, of Manhattan, Kansas.

May events

 * May 20 – Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway consolidates eight of its subsidiary railroads in California into the California Central Railway.
 * May 31 – The first Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway train over the newly constructed San Bernardino and Los Angeles Railroad line arrives in Los Angeles.

June events

 * June – The Péchot-Bourdon locomotive is patented in France.
 * June 9 – Construction of the first railway in Taiwan, between Keelung and Taipei began.
 * June 20 – The Great Indian Peninsula Railway officially opens Victoria Terminus in Bombay.

July events

 * July 13 – The Chateaugay Railway, a predecessor of the Delaware and Hudson Railway, is incorporated.
 * July 20 – The Youngstown, Lawrence and Pittsburg Railroad and the Ashtabula, Niles and Youngstown Railroad, both in Ohio, are merged to form the Pittsburg, Youngstown and Ashtabula Railroad (a Pennsylvania Railroad subsidiary).

October events

 * October 11
 * St. Louis Southwestern Railway predecessor Paragould and Buffalo Island Railway, in Arkansas, is incorporated.
 * The New York and Northern Railway (a predecessor name for the New York and Putnam Railroad) emerges from reorganization after foreclosure the previous July.

November events

 * November 10 – Canada Atlantic Railway becomes the first Canadian railway to use steam from a train's locomotive to heat the passenger cars instead of coal or wood stoves in each car.
 * November 13 – The Union Pacific Railroad, Central Pacific Railroad, and Chicago and North Western Railway introduce the Overland Flyer passenger train between Chicago and San Francisco.

December events

 * December 31 – Spokane International Railroad begins operations.

Unknown date events

 * Rebuilding of Gare Saint-Lazare terminus of the Chemins de fer de l'Ouest in Paris is completed.
 * Rebuilding of New London Union Station of the Central Vermont Railway in New London, Connecticut, is completed to the design of Henry Hobson Richardson.
 * Colorado Midland completes construction of the Hagerman Tunnel.
 * Tapa–Tartu railway in Estonia is extended to Valga where it connects to the Riga–Pskov line.
 * The first battery rail car is used on the Royal Bavarian State Railways.
 * Reuben Wells is appointed as shop superintendent of American steam locomotive manufacturing company Rogers Locomotive and Machine Works.
 * Stuyvesant Fish becomes president of the Illinois Central.

March births

 * March 9 – Nathaniel Lamson Howard, president of Chicago Great Western Railway 1925–1929 (d. 1949).

September births

 * September 5 – Charles Fairburn, Chief Mechanical Engineer of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway 1944–1945 (d. 1945).

April deaths

 * April 19 – Alexander Mitchell, president of Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway 1864–1887 (b. 1817).
 * April 20 – Horatio G. Brooks, founder of Brooks Locomotive Works (b. 1828).

July deaths

 * July 4 – Anson P. Morrill, president of Maine Central Railroad 1864–1866 and 1873–1875 (b. 1803).

August deaths

 * August 14 – Aaron Augustus Sargent, American journalist, lawyer and politician; authored the first Pacific Railroad Act (b. 1827)

title: 1887 in rail transport


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Teardrop trailer

A teardrop trailer, also known as a teardrop camper trailer, is a streamlined, compact, lightweight caravan, which gets its name from its teardrop profile. They usually only have sleeping space for two adults and often have a basic kitchen in the rear.

Teardrop trailers first became popular in the 1930s, when magazines such as Mechanix Illustrated published DIY construction plans. The first teardrop designs incorporated standard 4 by 8 ft sheets of plywood with hardwood spars. Teardrop trailers remained popular until the mid-1960s, after which they disappeared from mainstream camping. However, in the late 1990s, plans became available on the Internet and in recent years teardrop trailers have made a resurgence and are again growing in popularity. A teardrop trailer is generally small, ranging from 4 ft to 6 ft in width and 8 ft to 10 ft in length. They are usually 4 ft to 5 ft in height. Wheels and tires are usually outside the body and are covered by fenders. Since teardrop trailers are so light, usually less than 1,000 lb, just about any car can tow one and fuel consumption is minimally affected. There is room inside a teardrop trailer for two people to sleep, as well as storage for clothes and other items. Outside, in the rear under a hatch, there is usually a galley for cooking. Teardrop trailers tend to have lighting and other electrical power supplied by a storage battery, although some have mains power hookups like regular travel trailers.

Teardrop trailers are featured in California's Gold Episode 6001 with Huell Howser.

title: Teardrop trailer


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Monark 540

The Monark 540 is a 5.40 m sailboat. It has four beds and a small kitchen under one of the beds.

History
The Monark 540 was designed by Pelle Petterson for Monark in 1972.

title: Monark 540


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Galactic

Galactic is an American funk band from New Orleans, Louisiana.

Origins and background
Formed in 1994 as an octet (under the name Galactic Prophylactic) and including singer Chris Lane and guitarist Rob Gowen, the group was soon pared down to a sextet of: guitarist Jeff Raines, bassist Robert Mercurio, drummer Stanton Moore, Hammond organist Rich Vogel, Theryl DeClouet on vocals, and later adding saxophonist Ben Ellman.

The group was started when Raines and Mercurio, childhood friends from affluent Chevy Chase, Maryland, moved to New Orleans together to attend college at Tulane and Loyola Universities, became enamored of the local funk scene, populated by such legendary acts as The Meters and Dirty Dozen Brass Band and inspired by local legends such as Professor Longhair. There they teamed with noted New Orleans drummer Stanton Moore, saxophonist/harmonica (now producer) Ben Ellman, Rich Vogel, and Theryl de Clouet. In 2004, the band parted ways with vocalist DeClouet, and continued as an instrumental group until 2007 when they released From the Corner to the Block featuring rappers ranging from Juvenile, Chali 2na, Boots Riley, and Lyrics Born. They continue to tour with different vocalists: 2011 and 2012 with Cyril Neville, 2011 through 2014 with Corey Glover, 2014 with Maggie Koerner, from 2015 with Erica Falls. They have also toured with trombonist Corey Henry from 2009 through 2016 and trumpet player Shamarr Allen from 2016. They have been releasing albums consistently since 1996.

Musical style
The band has developed a unique sound as a result of their influences, including: rock, funk, brass band, blues, jazz, hip hop, electronic, and world music. Many of their songs include performances by other artists of various styles of music, like hip-hop artists Boots Riley (of The Coup), Gift of Gab (of Blackalicious) and Chali 2na (of Jurassic 5), to vocalists Macy Gray, Mavis Staples, Allen Toussaint, Irma Thomas, David Shaw, Mystikal, Mannie Fresh, and JJ Grey & Mofro. On the European version of From the Corner to the Block there are two tracks more than on the US version. One of those tracks ("Valley Of Pain") features the German rapper Dendemann.

Evolution
The band's sound has evolved from organic New Orleans funk to a more modern style, incorporating elements of hip hop, electronica, fusion, and jazz. This change has been largely characterized by the increased use of electronic effects on guitar, bass, saxophone, and drums. Drummer Stanton Moore uses phrase samplers to sample a rhythm which he can then play over, producing intricate and layered drum sounds. Ben Ellman, saxophonist and harmonica player, often distorts his instruments to the degree that they sound similar to an electric guitar. In 2007, the band began to produce their own albums (mainly Ben Ellman and Robert Mercurio). This opened them up to more studio experimentation and exploration resulting in their loop, edit and production heavy album Ya-Ka-May.

Tipitina's
The band has long considered the legendary New Orleans music venue Tipitina's an unofficial home base, having recorded a live album there. and having performed there regularly since the beginning of their career. This includes annual performances on Halloween, New Year's Eve, during the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, and a yearly "sunrise set" on Lundi Gras (the day preceding Mardi Gras), appropriately playing until the sun rises on Mardi Gras day. In 2018, the members of the band made their association with the venue official, purchasing the venue from the previous owners, Mary and Roland Von Kurnatowski.

Live performances
The band is also noted for inviting guest musicians from New Orleans to perform onstage with them. These include: the Soul Rebels Brass Band, The Neville Brothers, Brian Seeger, Corey "Boe Money" Henry, George Porter of The Meters, Dirty Dozen Brass Band and Skerik (a saxophone player who is actually based in Seattle, Washington, but is part of Stanton Moore's side project Garage A Trois). The band is often on tour, and have shared the stage with acts including Live, Counting Crows, the Allman Brothers Band, The Roots, Fusebox Funk, Widespread Panic, B.B. King, Mike Doughty (formerly of Soul Coughing), Gift of Gab (of Blackalicious), Jurassic 5, Jack Johnson, Gov't Mule, The Revivalists, The Record Company, Trombone Shorty and Orleans Ave, Toots and the Maytals, and Steel Pulse.

Galactic performed "I Got It (What You Need)" on Jimmy Kimmel Live in 2007. They also performed "Back That Ass Up" and "Rodeo" as Juvenile's band on Jimmy Kimmel Live in 2006. Galactic toured North America in 2012 with Corey Glover and Soul Rebels Brass Band. On March 29, 2012, Galactic appeared with Soul Rebels Brass Band and Corey Glover on Conan show on TBS.

In 2015, they performed Summer Festivals in the US, Canada, and Japan with vocalist Macy Gray. While on their 2016 tour, Galactic performed on marine themed call-in talkshow, FishCenter Live. They correctly guessed the coloration of a squirrelfish and won points for a zebra moray eel, Eel Hamburger. They will be headlining the 11th annual Rooster Walk Music and Arts Festival in Martinsville, VA in May 2019.

Recent releases
Ya-Ka-May was released on February 9, 2010, on ANTI-. The album includes guest performances by a range of New Orleans musicians. Long-established performers such as Rebirth Brass Band, Irma Thomas, Big Chief Bo Dollis of The Wild Magnolias, Allen Toussaint and Walter "Wolfman" Washington are represented, along with younger performers in the traditional vein, such as Trombone Shorty and Corey Henry, John Boutté, Josh Cohen and Ryan Scully of Morning 40 Federation, and Glen David Andrews, and also Bounce artists Cheeky Blakk, Big Freedia, Katey Red, and Sissy Nobby.

Galactic released a live album in May 2011 titled The Other Side of Midnight: Live in New Orleans.This album includes live versions of many songs on Ya-Ka-May.

On February 21, 2012, Galactic released a new studio album titled Carnivale Electricos which focused on the theme of Carnivale. They invited artists from New Orleans to flesh out the diversity of the town's music in a virtual Fat Tuesday strut across town: the battle chant of Mardi Gras Indian War Chief Juan Pardo and the Golden Comanches; the  voice of Mystikal; and the 40-piece Kipp Renaissance High School marching band. For "Voyage Ton Flag" they sampled the late accordionist Clifton Chenier and carnival-rock number "Hey Na Na (Hey Na)" with David Shaw of New Orleans's Revivalists. Brazil is represented by samba poet Moyseis Marques on "O Coco da Galinha" and by Casa Samba, who retake the forro "Magalenha..." The LP has been described by the band as "a tour" through New Orleans' various styles of music.

On July 17, 2015, Galactic released a new studio album titled Into the Deep. It featured Macy Gray, J.J. Grey, David Shaw, Maggie Koerner, and Mavis Staples.

On February 8, 2019, Galactic released their latest studio album, Already Ready Already, via Tchoup-Zilla Records. It was produced by Galactic's own Robert Mercurio and Ben Ellman, and marks the band's 10th studio LP. The album features guest appearances from Erica Falls, Princess Shaw, Miss Charm Taylor, David Shaw (The Revivalists), Nahko, and Boyfriend.

On February 7, 2020, Galactic released a single titled "Float Up". The track features Anjelika "Jelly" Joseph.

In 2023, Galactic released Tchompitoulas, an EP which includes singer Anjelika "Jelly" Joseph, trumpeter Eric Gordon, Afro-Cuban musician Cimafunk, trombonist and singer Glen David Andrews, and rapper Eric Biddines.

Members
Current
 * Robert Mercurio – bass guitar (1994–present)
 * Jeff Raines – guitar (1994–present)
 * Richard Vogel – Hammond organ (1994–present)
 * Stanton Moore – drums (1994–present)
 * Ben Ellman – saxophone, harmonica (1994–present)

Former
 * Chris Lane – vocals (1994)
 * Rob Gowen – guitar (1994)
 * Theryl DeClouet – vocals (1994–2004)
 * Jason Mingledorff – saxophone (1997–1998)

Touring
 * Cyril Neville – vocals (2011, 2012)
 * Corey Glover – vocals (2011-2014)
 * Maggie Koerner – vocals (2014)
 * Erica Falls – vocals (2015)
 * Corey Henry – trombone (2009–2016)
 * Shamarr Allen – trumpet (2016–present)

Discography
Studio albums
 * Coolin' Off (Fog City, 1996)
 * Crazyhorse Mongoose (Capricorn, 1998)
 * Late for the Future (Polygram, 2000)
 * Ruckus (Sanctuary, 2003)
 * From the Corner to the Block (2007)
 * Ya-Ka-May (Anti, 2010) – US Billboard 200 No. 161
 * Carnivale Electricos (Anti, 2012) – US Billboard 200 No. 118
 * Into the Deep (Provogue, 2015)
 * Already Ready Already (Tchoup-zilla Records, 2019)

Live albums
 * We Love 'Em Tonight: Live at Tipitina's (Volcano, 2001)
 * The Other Side of Midnight: Live in New Orleans (Anti, 2011)

Compilation album
 * Vintage Reserve (Volcano, 2003)

Other appearances
 * Goin' Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino (Vanguard, 2007) – performing "Going to the River" with Robbie Robertson and "So Long" with Big Chief Monk Boudreaux

title: Galactic


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Death Is Forever

Death Is Forever, first published in 1992, was the twelfth novel by John Gardner to feature Ian Fleming's secret agent, James Bond (including Gardner's novelization of Licence to Kill). Carrying the Glidrose Publications copyright, it was first published in the United Kingdom by Hodder & Stoughton and in the United States by Putnam.

Death Is Forever is significant as the first James Bond novel to be published after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, two elements that were part and parcel of Bond's creation 40 years earlier.

More than most other Gardner novels, Death Is Forever is grounded in contemporary events, with the fallout from the end of the Cold War and the failed 1991 Russian coup being important backdrops to the story. The Eurotunnel connecting England and France, which was still under construction at the time the book was written, also serves as a major setting.

Plot summary
In Frankfurt, a veteran spy codenamed Vanya is killed, and a week later another codenamed Eagle is killed in Berlin, both in ways reminiscent of old-time assassinations. Both were also parts of a now defunct spy network, the Cabal. Bond, along with American desk agent Elizabeth Zara St. John, M and Bill Tanner go through Vanya and Eagle's last days, to understand how they could be tracked down.

To find out if any of the remaining members of the Cabal are traitors, Bond and Easy must take on the roles of Vanya and Eagle and travel to Berlin. In the shadows, villain Wolfgang Wiesen plans reintroducing Josef Stalin's type of communism.

Bond soon discovers he is being followed, but is interrupted when Easy is caught off guard by one of the few remaining Cabal members, Oscar Vomburg. They manage to convince him that they are harmless and that he needs to put them in touch with Praxi Simeon, who was the Cabal's coordinator. While Vomburg tries to get hold of Simeon, Bond and Easy manage to avoid food that is full of "fiddleback" spiders.

Soon after, Vomburg is found dead, and the next Cabal member, Harry Spraker, makes contact. They ride the Ost-West Express train towards Paris. After successfully breaking free from two of Wiesen's men on the train, Bond decides he doesn't trust Spraker and they split up at the Paris station. Bond shadows Spraker and sees him meeting an unknown man, but is captured by two French agents, who do not want foreign agents on their soil. He is released on condition that he leaves the country and goes straight to Simeon, where the real Spraker is also found.

Simeon, Spraker and a third Cabal member, Bruin, know that one of Wiesen's bases is in Venice, and that he has sworn revenge on the Cabal. They head there, separately. Bond then meets another Cabal member, Gus Wimper, with whom he forms a temporary alliance when Easy, Simeon, Spraker and Bruin are captured by Wiesen's men. Bond and Wimper try to free the four, but are captured themselves, whereupon Bond is taken to Wiesen and interrogated.

Afterwards, he is taken to a cell in the basement, where the entire gang is to be killed before Wiesen and his men depart and carry out their grand plan. Bond manages to free them and capture Wiesen, though not without Easy being killed. They take Wiesen towards Calais, where his plan is to take place, but additional henchmen attack them and carry off the sedated Wiesen, with only Bond and Simeon surviving.

Bond realizes that the plan involves the not-yet-completed Channel Tunnel between France and Great Britain, where the EU's twelve prime ministers will meet at the premiere of the Eurostar. With the help of French GIGN soldiers, Bond succeeds in preventing the plan to blow up the train and kill the dignitaries, preventing a political vacuum.

Once home, Bond is attacked by Wiesen's wife, but manages to escape after an even knife fight.

Publication history

 * UK first hardback edition: July 1992 Hodder & Stoughton
 * U.S. first hardback edition: June 1992 Putnam
 * UK first paperback edition: July 1993 Coronet Books
 * U.S. first paperback edition: August 1993 Berkley Books

title: Death Is Forever