text:
Johann Jakob Brucker

Johann Jakob Brucker (Jacobus Bruckerus; 22 January 1696 – 26 November 1770) was a German historian of philosophy.

Life
He was born at Augsburg. He was destined for the Lutheran Church, and graduated at the University of Jena in 1718. He returned to Augsburg in 1720, but became parish minister of Kaufbeuren in 1723. In 1731 he was elected a member of the Academy of Sciences at Berlin, and was invited to return again to Augsburg as pastor and senior minister of the Church of St. Ulrich.

He died at Augsburg.

Works
His chief work, Historia Critica Philosophiae ("Critical History of Philosophy"), appeared at Leipzig (originally 5 volumes, 1742–1744). Its success was such that a new edition was published in six volumes (1766–1767; English translation by William Enfield, 1791). It is primarily by this work alone that Brucker is now known, and was the modern era's first complete history of the different philosophical schools. It embodies an ample collection of materials, and contains valuable biographies. Schopenhauer in his advice to read the original writings of philosophers, praised Brucker. He wrote that "Their real study demands all of a long and studious life, such as the stout-hearted Brucker formerly devoted to them in the industrious times of old (Parerga and Paralipomena, Volume 1, "Fragments for the History of Philosophy," § 1)."

He also wrote Tentamen Introductionis in Historiam Doctrinae de Ideis, afterwards completed and republished under the title of Historia Philosophicae Doctrinae de Ideis (Augsburg, 1723); Otium Vindelicum (1731); Kurze Fragen aus der philosophischen Historiae (7 volumes, Ulm, 1731–1736), a history of philosophy in question and answer, containing many details, especially in the department of literary history, which he omitted in his chief work; Pinacotheca Scriptorum nostra aetate literis illustrium, etc. (Augsburg, 1741–1755); Ehrentempel der deutschen Gelehrsamkeit (Augsburg, 1747–1749); Institutiones Historiae Philosophicae (Leipzig, 1747 and 1756; 3rd edition with a continuation by F. G. B. Born (1743–1807) of Leipzig, in 1790); Miscellanea Historiae Philosophicae Literariae Criticae olim sparsim edita (Augsburg, 1748); Erste Anfangsgründe der philosophischen Geschichte (Ulm, 1751). He superintended an edition of Martin Luther's translation of the Old and New Testament, with a commentary extracted from the writings of the English theologians (Leipzig, 1758–1770, completed by V. A. Teller).

title: Johann Jakob Brucker


text:
User talk:Mojotexas

Hi! welcome to Wikipedia!

Hope you enjoy contributing to Wikipedia. Be bold in editing pages. Here are some links that you might find useful:

 * Try the Tutorial. If you have less time, try How to edit a page.
 * To sign your posts (for eg. on talk pages) use 	 ~  (four tildes). This will insert your name and timestamp. To insert just your name, type (3 tildes).
 * You can experiment in the Sandbox.
 * For help, see Where to ask a question.
 * Some other pages that will help you know more about Wikipedia: Manual of Style and Five pillars, Neutral point of view, Civility, What Wikipedia is not
 * You can contribute in many ways: write a great article, fight vandalism, upload pictures, perform maintainance tasks, contribute to existing projects...

I hope you stick around and keep contributing to Wikipedia. Drop us a note at New user log.

-- utcursch | talk

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

title: User talk:Mojotexas


text:
User talk:Ibenjamin

Hi! welcome to Wikipedia!

Hope you enjoy contributing to Wikipedia. Be bold in editing pages. Here are some links that you might find useful:

 * Try the Tutorial. If you have less time, try How to edit a page.
 * To sign your posts (for eg. on talk pages) use 	 ~  (four tildes). This will insert your name and timestamp. To insert just your name, type (3 tildes).
 * You can experiment in the Sandbox.
 * For help, see Where to ask a question.
 * Some other pages that will help you know more about Wikipedia: Manual of Style and Five pillars, Neutral point of view, Civility, What Wikipedia is not
 * You can contribute in many ways: write a great article, fight vandalism, upload pictures, perform maintainance tasks, contribute to existing projects...

I hope you stick around and keep contributing to Wikipedia. Drop us a note at New user log.

-- utcursch | talk

title: User talk:Ibenjamin


text:
User talk:LullTheConqueror

Hi! welcome to Wikipedia!

Hope you enjoy contributing to Wikipedia. Be bold in editing pages. Here are some links that you might find useful:

 * Try the Tutorial. If you have less time, try How to edit a page.
 * To sign your posts (for eg. on talk pages) use 	 ~  (four tildes). This will insert your name and timestamp. To insert just your name, type (3 tildes).
 * You can experiment in the Sandbox.
 * For help, see Where to ask a question.
 * Some other pages that will help you know more about Wikipedia: Manual of Style and Five pillars, Neutral point of view, Civility, What Wikipedia is not
 * You can contribute in many ways: write a great article, fight vandalism, upload pictures, perform maintainance tasks, contribute to existing projects...

I hope you stick around and keep contributing to Wikipedia. Drop us a note at New user log.

-- utcursch | talk

title: User talk:LullTheConqueror


text:
Alexanderson alternator

An Alexanderson alternator is a rotating machine, developed by Ernst Alexanderson beginning in 1904, for the generation of high-frequency alternating current for use as a radio transmitter. It was one of the first devices capable of generating the continuous radio waves needed for transmission of amplitude modulated (AM) signals by radio. It was used from about 1910 in a few "superpower" longwave radiotelegraphy stations to transmit transoceanic message traffic by Morse code to similar stations all over the world.

Although superseded in the early 1920s by the development of vacuum-tube transmitters, the Alexanderson alternator continued to be used until World War II. It is on the list of IEEE Milestones as a key achievement in electrical engineering.

Prior developments
After radio waves were discovered in 1887, the first generation of radio transmitters, the spark gap transmitters, produced strings of damped waves, pulses of radio waves which died out to zero quickly. By the 1890s it was realized that damped waves had disadvantages; their energy was spread over a broad frequency band so transmitters on different frequencies interfered with each other, and they could not be modulated with an audio signal to transmit sound. Efforts were made to invent transmitters that would produce continuous waves -- a sinusoidal alternating current at a single frequency.

In an 1891 lecture, Frederick Thomas Trouton pointed out that, if an electrical alternator were run at a great enough cycle speed (that is, if it turned fast enough and was built with a large enough number of magnetic poles on its armature) it would generate continuous waves at radio frequency. Starting with Elihu Thomson in 1889,   a series of researchers built high frequency alternators, Nikola Tesla  (1891, 15 kHz), Salomons and Pyke (1891, 9 kHz), Parsons and Ewing (1892, 14 kHz.), Siemens (5 kHz), B. G. Lamme (1902, 10 kHz), but none was able to reach the frequencies required for radio transmission, above 20 kHz.

Construction
In 1904, Reginald Fessenden contracted with General Electric for an alternator that generated a frequency of 100,000 hertz for continuous wave radio. The alternator was designed by Ernst Alexanderson. The Alexanderson alternator was extensively used for long-wave radio communications by shore stations, but was too large and heavy to be installed on most ships. In 1906 the first 50-kilowatt alternators were delivered. One was to Reginald Fessenden at Brant Rock, Massachusetts, another to John Hays Hammond, Jr. in Gloucester, Massachusetts and another to the American Marconi Company in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

Alexanderson would receive a patent in 1911 for his device. The Alexanderson alternator followed Fessenden's rotary spark-gap transmitter as the second radio transmitter to be modulated to carry the human voice. Until the invention of vacuum-tube (valve) oscillators in 1913 such as the Armstrong oscillator, the Alexanderson alternator was an important high-power radio transmitter, and allowed amplitude modulation radio transmission of the human voice. The last remaining operable Alexanderson alternator is at the VLF transmitter Grimeton in Sweden and was in regular service until 1996. It continues to be operated for a few minutes on Alexanderson Day, which is either the last Sunday in June or first Sunday in July every year.

World War I and the formation of RCA
The outbreak of World War I forced European nations to temporarily abandon development of international radio communications networks, while the United States increased efforts to develop transoceanic radio. By the end of the war the Alexanderson alternator was operating to reliably provide transoceanic radio service. British Marconi offered General Electric $5,000 in business in exchange for exclusive rights to use the alternator, but just as the deal was about to go through, the American president Woodrow Wilson requested that GE decline the offer, which would have given the British (who were the leader in submarine communications cables) dominance over worldwide radio communications. GE complied with the request and joined with American Telephone and Telegraph (AT&T), the United Fruit Company, the Western Electric Company and the Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company to form the Radio Corporation of America (RCA), giving American companies control of American radio for the first time.

Stations
Thorn L. Mayes identified the production of ten pairs of 200 KW Alexanderson alternators, totaling 20 transmitters, in the period up to 1924:

U.S. military use during and after World War II
Beginning in 1941, seven of the twenty original 200 KW alternators were put into service by the U.S. Navy and Air Force:

During World War II the U.S. Navy recognized the need for reliable distant longwave (VLF) transmissions to the Pacific fleet. A new facility was constructed at Haiku in Hawaii, where two 200 KW Alexanderson alternators transferred from the mainland were installed. The Navy also operated an existing transmitter at Bolinas, California, again for Pacific ocean communication. Both Haiku alternators were sold for salvage in 1969, possibly to Kreger Company of California.

In the late 1940s the Air Force assumed control of the Haiku and Marion, Massachusetts facilities. The Air Force found that longwave transmissions were more reliable than shortwave when sending weather information to Arctic researchers as well as bases in Greenland, Labrador, and Iceland. The two Marion transmitters were used until 1957. One was scrapped in 1961 and the other was reportedly handed over to the U.S. Bureau of Standards and stored in a Smithsonian Institution warehouse.

Design

The Alexanderson alternator works similarly to an AC electric generator, but generates higher-frequency current, in the very low frequency (VLF) radio frequency range. The rotor has no conductive windings or electrical connections; it consists of a solid disc of high tensile strength magnetic steel, with narrow slots cut in its circumference to create a series of narrow "teeth" that function as magnetic poles. The space between the teeth is filled with nonmagnetic material, to give the rotor a smooth surface to decrease aerodynamic drag. The rotor is turned at a high speed by an electric motor through a speed–increaser gearbox.

The machine operates by variable reluctance (similar to an electric guitar pickup), changing the magnetic flux linking two coils. The periphery of the rotor is embraced by a circular iron stator with a C-shaped cross-section, divided into narrow poles, the same number as the rotor has, carrying two sets of coils. One set of coils is energized with direct current and produces a magnetic field in the air gap in the stator, which passes axially (sideways) through the rotor.

As the rotor turns, alternately either an iron section of the disk is in the gap between each pair of stator poles, allowing a high magnetic flux to cross the gap, or else a non-magnetic slot is in the stator gap, allowing less magnetic flux to pass. Thus the magnetic flux through the stator varies sinusoidally at a rapid rate. These changes in flux induce a radio-frequency voltage in a second set of coils on the stator.

The RF collector coils are all interconnected by an output transformer, whose secondary winding is connected to the antenna circuit. Modulation or telegraph keying of the radio frequency energy was done by a magnetic amplifier, which was also used for amplitude modulation and voice transmissions.

The frequency of the current generated by an Alexanderson alternator in hertz is the product of the number of rotor poles and the revolutions per second. Higher radio frequencies thus require more poles, a higher rotational speed, or both. Alexanderson alternators were used to produce radio waves in the very low frequency (VLF) range, for transcontinental wireless communication. A typical alternator with an output frequency of 100 kHz had 300 poles and rotated at 20,000 revolutions per minute (RPM) (333 revolutions per second). To produce high power, the clearance between the rotor and stator had to be kept to only 1 mm. The manufacture of precision machines rotating at such high speeds presented many new problems, and Alexanderson transmitters were bulky and very expensive.

Frequency control
The output frequency of the transmitter is proportional to the speed of the rotor. To keep the frequency constant, the speed of the electric motor turning it was controlled with a feedback loop. In one method, a sample of the output signal is applied to a high-Q tuned circuit, whose resonant frequency is slightly above the output frequency. The generator's frequency falls on the "skirt" of the LC circuit's impedance curve, where the impedance increases rapidly with frequency. The output of the LC circuit is rectified, and the resulting voltage is compared with a constant reference voltage to produce a feedback signal to control the motor speed. If the output frequency gets too high, the impedance presented by the LC circuit increases, and the amplitude of the RF signal getting through the LC circuit drops. The feedback signal to the motor drops, and the motor slows down. Thus the alternator output frequency is "locked" to the tuned circuit resonant frequency.

The sets were built to operate at wavelengths of 10,500 to 24,000 meters (28.57 to 12.5 kHz). This was accomplished by three design variables. The alternators were built with 1220, 976 or 772 poles. Three gearboxes were available with ratios of 2.675, 2.973 and 3.324 and the 900 RPM driving motor was operated at slips of 4% to 20%, giving speeds of 864 to 720 RPM. Transmitters installed in Europe, operating on 50-cycle power, had a wavelength range of 12,500 to 28,800 meters due to the lower speed of the driving motor.

Performance advantages
A large Alexanderson alternator might produce 500 kW of output radio-frequency energy and would be water- or oil-cooled. One such machine had 600 pole pairs in the stator winding, and the rotor was driven at 2170 RPM, for an output frequency near 21.7 kHz. To obtain higher frequencies, higher rotor speeds were required, up to 20,000 RPM.

Along with the arc converter invented in 1903, the Alexanderson alternator was one of the first radio transmitters that generated continuous waves. In contrast, the earlier spark-gap transmitters generated a string of damped waves. These were electrically "noisy"; the energy of the transmitter was spread over a wide frequency range, so they interfered with other transmissions and operated inefficiently. With a continuous-wave transmitter, all of the energy was concentrated within a narrow frequency band, so for a given output power they could communicate over longer distances. In addition, continuous waves could be modulated with an audio signal to carry sound. The Alexanderson alternator was one of the first transmitters to be used for AM transmission.

The Alexanderson alternator produced "purer" continuous waves than the arc converter, whose nonsinusoidal output generated significant harmonics, so the alternator was preferred for long-distance telegraphy.

Disadvantages
Because of the extremely high rotational speed compared to a conventional alternator, the Alexanderson alternator required continuous maintenance by skilled personnel. Efficient lubrication and oil or water cooling was essential for reliability which was difficult to achieve with the lubricants available at the time. In fact, early editions of the Royal Navy's "Admiralty Handbook of Wireless Telegraphy" cover this in considerable detail, mostly as an explanation as to why the navy did not use that particular technology. However, the US Navy did.

Other major problems were that changing the operating frequency was a lengthy and complicated process, and unlike a spark transmitter, the carrier signal could not be switched on and off at will. The latter problem greatly complicated "listening through" (that is, stopping the transmission to listen for any answer). There was also the risk that it would allow enemy vessels to detect the presence of the ship.

Because of the limits of the number of poles and rotational speed of a machine, the Alexanderson alternator is capable of generating transmission frequencies up to around 600 kHz in the lower Medium wave band, with shortwave and higher frequencies being physically impossible.

title: Alexanderson alternator


text:
Nota

Nota Sports and Racing Cars  is an automobile manufacturer in Australia that was established in 1952. Their best-selling car was the Nota Fang, with 105 cars built between 1968 and 1975.

History
The company was founded by Guy Buckingham in 1952. He was an aircraft engineer and used his expertise to build triangulated spaceframed sportscars. Possibly Australia's first space-framed cars. In 1958 the company built a series of all-enveloping aluminium streamlined sports cars. First called "Streamliners", and later called "Mazengarbs". Up to 1960 eleven of those were made. In the late 1950s the company produced Formula Junior cars in both front and mid-engined formats. Nota also made a series of specialist monoposto racing cars for the track and hill climbing events. In 1963 the company made a series of Mini powered sports cars. In 1964 they started production of the Nota Sapphire, an alloy bodied sports and coupe designs with Ford Fiat and Coventry Climax engines. In 1965 Nota started producing Formula Vee cars for Warwick Farm race track making 34 in the first year. In the 1960s the company formulated their "Sportsman", a Lotus 7 lookalike, which they still build today and are now building in a mid-engined version for the modern day transverse engines which the major car manufacturers produce. In 1968 came the Nota Fang Chris Buckinghams first real design, a midengined sports car using a Cooper S engine power plant behind the driver but in front of the rear wheels, their most successful model with over 100 being made. Later the Fang was equipped with Lancia engines, then Toyota engines, finally being fitted with Toyota's V6 Quad cam supercharged engines with over 400BHP. In 1973 Nota started with their Marauder range of cars using the same mechanicals as the Nota Fang. At the same time they were making the Nota Levanti front engine twin cam coupe. In 1975 the supply of Leyland 1275 GT engines started to run out so Nota contacted FIAT and both Marauders and Fangs were made with the 2-litre twin cam FIAT/Lancia engine. Leyland were then approached and the P76 engine was fitted to the Marauders using a Nota made gearbox trans-axle with the gear box next to the driver and the engine behind.

In the late 1970s Nota had started on 4WD 351 V8 mid-engined Marauders, but in the 1980s Ford stopped export of the 351 engine to Australia. After a trip to England Chris Buckingham assembled a design team to design a Fang with Fl 3 litre V6 quad cam engine as well as a fully enclosed, similarly specified Chimera. In 2003 Nota developed the Nota Le Mans, powered by either a Suzuki GTi 1300 cc or 1100 cc motor cycle engine. For road use it could also use a Toyota 1800 cc VVTi 6-speed or the 3.5-litre V6 quad cam. By 2012 Nota had decided that due to the lack of front engine rear wheel drive 4 cylinder engine being available they would use an existing front-engined Nota clubman chassis and move the seats forward by 150mm and fit a transverse engine behind the driver. It looks just like their front-engined clubmans but with the advantage of a mid-engined design.

Older models

 * Nota FJ (Formula Junior)
 * Nota Major
 * Nota Sapphire
 * Nota Fang

Current models

 * Nota Le Mans
 * Nota F1
 * Nota Fang
 * Nota Sportsman
 * Nota Chimera

title: Nota


text:
Country Party (New Zealand)

The Country Party of New Zealand was a political party which appealed to rural voters. It was represented in Parliament from 1928 to 1938. Its policies were a mixture of rural advocacy and social credit theory.

History
The Country Party had its origins in the Auckland Farmers' Union, a branch of the New Zealand Farmers' Union which covered most of the upper North Island. In the 1920s, members of the branch increasingly came to believe that the Reform Party, which traditionally enjoyed much support in rural areas, was now putting the interests of farmers behind those of businesses in the city. The Auckland branch was also strongly influenced by the social credit theory of monetary reform, promoted by C. H. Douglas. Many farmers believed that the country's financial system did not treat them fairly and that they were being exploited by big-city bankers and moneylenders.

The Auckland branch grew increasingly frustrated with the Farmers' Union leadership, which did not support having an independent rural party. Eventually, members of the Auckland branch established the Country Party without the Union's backing. In 1928, the branch broke away from the Union altogether and gave its full backing to the Country Party. Because of that geographical basis, the Country Party was largely confined to the upper North Island.

In the 1925 elections, the Country Party fielded five candidates but won only 0.3% of the vote. In the 1928 elections, however, the party won 1.6% of the vote, and Harold Rushworth, its candidate in the Bay of Islands seat, was narrowly elected. In Parliament, the Country Party tended to align itself with the growing Labour Party, primarily because both parties were distrustful of the financial and banking industries.

In the 1931 elections, the Country Party increased its share of the vote to 2.3%, and Rushworth kept his seat. In the 1935 elections, the party's share of the vote dropped slightly, but it won two seats. Rushworth, aided by the Labour Party's decision not to stand a candidate against him, was re-elected, and Arthur Sexton was elected in the Franklin electorate.

In the 1938 elections, the Country Party lost both its seats, as Labour decided to contest them. Rushworth had retired, partly because of Labour's intervention, and Sexton was defeated by the National Party. The party won only 0.23% of the vote and disappeared soon afterwards. Most rural voters who had supported it turned to the National Party, which incorporated the Reform Party. Later, however, the Social Credit Party would gain a certain amount of success in rural areas using much the same formula, and some see the Country Party as a forerunner to the more long-lived Social Credit.

Country Party, 1969
The Country Party was revived for the by Clifford Stanley Emeny of New Plymouth (1920–2000), a World War II air force veteran. The party put forward candidates in 15 seats, and they attracted 6,715 votes. Emeny stood in Stratford where he got 1130 votes, the largest vote for the party; and in Egmont, New Plymouth, Tauranga and Waimarino. The other seats contested were Ashburton, Hamilton West, Otago, Pahiatua, Raglan, Rangitikei, Rodney, Waikato, Waitomo and Wallace.

The Country Party had changed its name to the Liberal Reform Party in 1970. In the, Emeny stood as a Liberal Reform candidate.

title: Country Party (New Zealand)


text:
Brucker

Brucker is a surname, and may refer to:

 * Ferdinand Brucker (1858–1904), American politician
 * Jane Brucker (born 1958), American actress
 * Johann Jakob Brucker (1696–1770), German historian of philosophy
 * Roger Brucker (born 1929), American cave explorer and author
 * Wilber M. Brucker (1894–1968), American politician

title: Brucker


text:
List of cities in Aruba

The island of Aruba is one of the constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the southern Caribbean Sea. Aruba has no administrative subdivisions, but, for census purposes, is divided into six districts, each of which has many neighbourhoods within it. Many of these neighbourhoods have names, but are not considered by the Aruban government to be separate political or administrative entities. The capital of Aruba is the city of Oranjestad.

The following is a list of districts in the country of Aruba, with known neighbourhoods and villages listed beneath them.

Districts
• Noord

• *Alto Vista

• *Bubali

• *Malmok

• *Moko

• *Palm Beach

• *Tanki Flip

• *Tanki Leendert

• *Washington

• Oranjestad (capital)

• *Barcadera

• *Companashi

• *Cumana

• *Cunucu Abao

• *Dakota

• *Eagle Beach

• *Kavel

• *Klip

• *Madiki

• *Mahuma

• *Mon Plaisir

• *Paardenbaai

• *Paradijswijk

• *Parkietenbos

• *Ponton

• *Potrero

• *Pos Abao

• *Rancho

• *Sabana Blanco

• *Santa Helena

• *Seroe Blanco

• *Simeon Antonio

• *Sividivi

• *Socotoro

• *Solito

• *Tarabana

• Paradera

• *Ayo

• *Piedra Plat

• *Shiribana

• San Nicolaas

• *Brasil

• *Esso Heights

• *Essoville

• *Juana Morto

• *Kustbatterij

• *Lago Colony

• *Rooi Congo

• *Rooi Hundo

• *Seroe Colorado

• *Standardville

• *Watapana Gezaag

• *Zeewijk

• Santa Cruz

• *Balashi

• *Cashero

• *Hooiberg

• *Macuarima

• *Papilon

• *Urataka

• Savaneta

• *Cura Cabai

• *De Bruynewijk

• *Jara

• *Pos Chiquito

• *Seroe Alejandro

title: List of cities in Aruba


text:
List of cities in the Dutch Caribbean

List of cities of each of the islands in the former Netherlands Antilles. Aruba left the Netherlands Antilles in 1986. Curaçao and Sint Maarten left in 2010, and the remaining islands are now part of the Caribbean Netherlands.

Island of Aruba

 * Oranjestad*
 * Noord
 * San Nicolaas
 * Santa Cruz
 * Savaneta
 * Palm Beach
 * Paradera
 * Lago Colony

Island of Bonaire

 * Kralendijk*
 * Rincón
 * Antriol

Island of Curaçao

 * Barber
 * Lagún
 * Santa Rosa
 * Spaanse Water
 * Tera Corá
 * Willemstad*

Island of Saba

 * The Bottom*

Island of Sint Eustatius (Statia)

 * Oranjestad*

Island of Sint Maarten

 * Philipsburg*
 * Lower Prince's Quarter
 * Cul de Sac
 * Cole Bay
 * Upper Prince's Quarter
 * Little Bay
 * Simpson Bay
 * Lowlands

* Capital of respective island.

title: List of cities in the Dutch Caribbean


text:
Talk:Autism spectrum/Childhood autism

Childhood autism is the developmental disability autism in children. It usually appears within the first three years of a child's life. It is a result of a neurological disorder that affects the functioning of the brain and is estimated to effect as many as 1 in 500 individuals. Autism knows no social, economic, or racial boundaries. Typically, this disability impacts the normal development of the brain in areas that include social interaction and communication skills thus children with autism have difficulty communicating in verbal and non-verbal ways, socializing with others, and completing everyday leisure activities. In some cases, children with autism engage in aggressive or self-injurious behaviour although this is not the case with all who suffer from autism. Typical symptoms of autism include repetitive movements (such as rocking), unusual responses to people, attachments to objects, and difficulty with routines.

Autism in the classroom
There are a number of techniques for aiding autistic children in a classroom environment.
 * Form a strong parent-teacher bond. This is crucial for the success of the child.
 * Create an ongoing web of communication between the teacher, speech therapist, occupational therapist, any special education teachers, and/or counselors in the child's life
 * Determine the child's functioning level
 * Teach with behavior in mind
 * Help the child interact in a social setting

For more information or in-depth breakdown of the above steps click on the link below:

http://www.brainconnection.com/topics/?main=fa/autism-class

Autism and technology
The following are a few articles that focus on using different forms of technology with Autistic children. The articles cover inclusive aspects of technology, beneficial technological practices, assessment of technology in regards to social needs, etc.

 * Computer Technology and Autism

 * Communication Through Technology

 * Assistive Technology For Children With Autism

 * Inclusive Technology For The Autistic Child

Annotated Bibliography
The following bibliography will serve to answer questions for those searching for more information.

Websites

 * Explanation Guide (n.d.) Retrieved November 1, 2004 from http://explanation-guide.info/meaning/Autism.html

This website outlines information that would be pertinent to someone wanting to know exact details about autism. It begins with a working definition of the disorder which includes the notion that each diagnosis falls along a spectrum. This is followed by a brief history of the disorder in which the reader can learn who introduced the term infantile autism and how many children suffer from the disorder. Finally, a list and explanation of symptoms is provided including social symptoms, communication difficulties, repetitive behaviors, and high versus low functioning.

 * Dunlap, G., Fox, L. (1999). Teaching Students with Autism. Eric Digest. Retrieved November 1, 2004 from http://www.ericdigests.org/2000-3/autism.htm

This website is a resource for those who want to teach children with autism. Although it is geared towards teachers, it is also an effective website for parents of children with autism. After a brief introduction as to what the disorder entails, the site goes on to explain general guideline considerations and instructional content that would be useful (for example, providing structure in the environment, with clear guidelines regarding expectations for appropriate and inappropriate behavior). This is followed by both communication and motivational issues that need to be considered, and finally, the importance of Positive Behavioral Support (PBS).

 * Desorgher, S., Desorgher, M. (2002). Autism: Dietary Treatment Options. Retrieved November 2, 2004 fromhttp://www.positivehealth.com/permit/Articles/Medical%20Conditions/desorg57.htm

This website explores how dietary intervention therapy can be used as a treatment method to reduce and alleviate the symptoms of autism. The author is a nutritional researcher who has an adopted daughter with the disorder and has chosen to implement this practice to help her child thrive. She goes on to explain about vitamin deficiencies in our society and how certain foods, if eliminated from the diet of an autistic child, can help to improve his functioning levels. An example of this would be the successful results of a lutein-free diet.

 * E Medicine Consumer Health (n.d.) Received November 1, 2004 from http://www.emedicinehealth.com/articles/29544-6.asp

This website offers advice to parents on how to locate a specialist for their child and what to look for when searching for the right doctor. It also outlines the various treatment options that parents have while still maintaining that their is no standard treatments but rather a number of different philosophies and practices that can be undergone. For example, biomedical and dietary treatments are widely used for those with autism, as well as number of different medications both herbal, and non-herbal. Finally, the article discusses possible behavioral therapies as well as options for an educational environment.

Articles

 * Offit, P. (n.d.). Vaccines and Autism. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Retrieved November 1, 2004 from http://www.immunize.org/autism/offit_article.pdf

For many years there has been a great debate concerning whether certain vaccines, such as MMR, cause autism. In this article Dr. Paul Offit challenges two previous papers written by Andrew Wakefield who has embarked on a multi-city tour to promote the notion MMR causes autism. By identifying critical flaws within both of Wakefield's writings and countering his views with new evidence, Dr. Offit allows his readers to feel more confident in vaccinating their children.

 * Yazbak, F. E., (2003). Autism in the United States: A Perspective. Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons. Retrieved November 1, 2004 from http://www.vacunacionlibre.org/yazbak.pdf

This journal discuses the rise of autism diagnosis in the United States of America despite the fact that diagnostic criteria have become more restrictive. Like many other sites it begins with a brief history of the disorder but the main focus of the article is the strain on the economy that autism causes and the intense need for more research to find a cure. The journal offers charts and diagrams to illustrate the increase in childhood autism as well as a breakdown of specific numbers in each state.

Research Articles

 * Obaray, J. (2002). Autism in Children. Retrieved November 2, 2004 from http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/biology/b103/f00/web1/obaray.html

This paper was written by a student intending to encourage others to learn and think more about the subject of autism. The author begins by stating a personal experience with the disorder and then continues on to provide a variety of information. She includes a working definition and history of autism, explaining that the disorder falls under the category of Pervasive Developmental Disorders and them moves on to discuss a number of different struggles faced by an autistic child. The paper ends with a list of seventeen different links to websites where readers expand on the knowledge she has introduced to them.

 * Wood, D. (n.d). Autism: Clinical Paper. Retrieved November 1, 2004 from http://www.mental-health-matters.com/articles/article.php?artID=238

This website contains a clinical paper written by Derek Wood, a registered nurse and PhD candidate. It begins with the story of John, a three year old child, whose mother brings him in because he refuses to talk or socialize with the family. Upon observing his behavior the author presents his findings in relation to the DSM-IV categorization of Autism Spectrum Disorder, noting that the child fits the criteria. The article continues on to describe the incidence and prevalence rates as well as the etiology (causes) and pathogenesis (origin) of the disorder. Finally, Wood examines treatments that are relationship-based, skill-based, psychology-based, and pharmacology-based.

 * Autism Society Canada, (2004). Canadian Autism Research Agenda and Canadian Autism Strategy. Autism Society Canada White Paper. Retrieved from http://www.autismsocietycanada.ca/finalwhite-eng.pdf

This paper contains 58 pages of information surrounding autism in Canada. It begins with an introduction to the Autism Society of Canada followed by the need for a Canadian autism research agenda. The next part of the paper consists of an overview of autism and research that has been completed and then moves on to strategies for implementing a Canadian research agenda. The paper also includes a number of appendices.

title: Talk:Autism spectrum/Childhood autism


text:
Melbourne Showgrounds

Melbourne Showgrounds is located in the inner north-western suburb of Ascot Vale, Victoria, Australia, next door to Flemington Racecourse. The largest and most flexible indoor/outdoor venue space in Melbourne the Showgrounds is the home of the annual Melbourne Royal Show, as well as major exhibitions, trade shows, and music concerts, including the Supanova Pop Culture Expo, the Caravan & Camping Touring Supershow and MotoExpo.

The venue has also been the selected site for TV and film production and is the current filming location for MasterChef Australia.

It has previously been used for large music festivals – as of 2010, it plays host to Stereosonic until the Festivals end in 2015.

It also was used on the last show on The Police's Synchronicity Tour, their last world tour, before they re-united briefly to play three concerts for the Amnesty International A Conspiracy of Hope Tour and reuniting in the studio.

Establishment

The 30 acre site at Ascot Vale was given to the National Agricultural Society of Victoria (predecessor of the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria) in 1882. The first Show held the next year and over the next few decades a number of pavilions were erected on the site. During both World War I and World War II the showgrounds were requisitioned for military purposes. The main arena played host to harness racing as well as the annual show; in fact, it was the main harness racecourse in metropolitan Melbourne for almost four decades until the early 1980s, when all major Victorian harness meetings were moved to Moonee Valley Racecourse. During the 1970s the first major attractions were built, such as the 1,800 feet long chairlift, with 112 chairs that covered the journey in 7 minutes. In 1977 the new Government Pavilion was completed, costing $1,800,000 and covering an area of 2,839 square metres. The iconic "Pie in the Sky" was also built the same year, and was heritage listed in 1999.

As well as hosting harness racing, the 610 m Melbourne Showground track was a semi regular host of speedway. During the 1980s and early 1990s the showground saw such Motorcycle speedway riders as World Champions Ivan Mauger, Hans Nielsen, Michael Lee, Shawn Moran, Simon Wigg and Tommy Knudsen, as well as Australian's Phil Crump, Rod Hunter, Mark Fiora and Todd Wiltshire. During this time the showground hosted two annual speedway events, the "Boxing Day Spectacular", and the "Mr Melbourne" title held in January. Winners of these events included Simon Wigg, Tommy Knudsen and Todd Wiltshire.

Redevelopment
By the early 2000s the Royal Melbourne Showgrounds had become dilapidated, especially when compared to other Australian venues such as the Sydney Showgrounds at Homebush. As a result, the State Government announced a redevelopment of the Royal Melbourne Showgrounds site, to be carried out as a joint venture partnership with the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria and private sector investors, with demolition commencing in June 2002, and all work to be completed by the 2006 Royal Melbourne Show.

In March 2004 a list of the three short-listed consortia was announced, with the winning applicant revealed in December that year: PPP Solutions – a consortium of financier Babcock and Brown, Multiplex Constructions, Multiplex Facilities Management, Spotless Services and Daryl Jackson Architects. The contract with PPP Solutions was signed on 22 June 2005, and required the consortium to design, build, finance and maintain the showground facilities for a period of 25 years.

Costing $146 million, the government provided $101 million for the project, the Royal Agricultural Society $16 million, and the remaining $29 million will come from lease revenue and management fees. Two-thirds of the 27 hectare site was redeveloped as a venue for the Royal Melbourne Show, while 'non-core' land along Epsom Road and Langs Road to be given over to other uses.

The works were completed as planned by the 2006 Royal Melbourne Show, and included the following new works:

 * An 8,000-square metre Grand Pavilion,
 * A new 10,000-square metre Exhibition Pavilion, which can house livestock,
 * A new 4,300-seat outdoor arena, capable of holding two horse competition rings,
 * A Grand Boulevard linking the grassy spaces and events areas, and
 * The new headquarters for the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria.

The following heritage buildings were also restored:

 * Centenary Hall, an art-deco hall built in 1934 and now restored to its original condition,
 * The heritage-listed Public Grandstand, built in 1915 with new seating,
 * Pie in the Sky, the heritage-listed and popular meeting point which was built in 1977.

Before the redevelopment the main arena had a 15,000 capacity, with the new basic rectangle arena opened for the 2006 Royal Melbourne Show. Around the same time the rest of old arena was demolished.

In 2008 the development of the Epsom Road site was announced, with Coles Group building a $40 million neighbourhood shopping centre, featuring a Coles supermarket, 1st Choice Liquor superstore, 30 retail spaces ranging in size from 50 square metres to 600 square metres, and a not-for-profit child care centre able to accommodate up to 120 children. The heritage listed Woodfull Pavilion was also incorporated into the development, which opened in August 2009.

Film and television productions
The showgrounds have also been used to film numerous television productions including commercials.

Current

 * MasterChef Australia (Ten Network) (2013–present)
 * Thank God You're Here (Seven Network) (2009), (Ten Network) (2023–present)

Past

 * Pugwall (Nine Network) (1989-1991)
 * The Librarians (ABC) (2007, 2009-2010)
 * Rush (Ten Network) (2008-2011)
 * MasterChef Australia: The Professionals (Ten Network) (2013)
 * AFL commercial shoot
 * ME Bank commercial shoot
 * Family Food Fight (Nine Network) (2017)
 * On The Beach (1959 movie) by Stanley Kramer Productions (All interiors shot in the Government Pavilion)
 * Lego Masters (Australian TV series) (Nine Network) (2019–2021)

Public transport
The showgrounds has its own railway station on the Flemington Racecourse line, only open for the Royal Melbourne Show and other special events.

Extra trams also run to the showgrounds for the duration of the Royal Melbourne Show, running along route 57.

title: Melbourne Showgrounds


text:
Talk:Big Bayou Canot rail accident

Untitled
Is it Conot or Canot?. I wrote this article and the World Almanac says Conot, more Google hits on Canot though 129.177.61.124 10:55, 15 Dec 2004 (UTC)

I say it's Canot, I'm from Mobile, and the name sounds much more familiar.

The NTSB uses "Canot" in its report on the accident ( http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/1994/RAR9401.htm ), as do other news sources referring to the incident. Almost all Google hits for "Conot" are from Wikipedia's mirrors. Therefore I believe "Conot" is a mistake.

Analysis
I don't see the basis for this article including "it is likely that the size and number of barges pushed by one tug had increased over time in excess of what the bridge could handle in a collision" added by User:Tabletop in the analysis portion of the article.

I am not aware of any changes in the loading criteria for barge impact on railroad bridges -- is there really a factual justification for this comment (if so, eliminate the "it is likely...") or is this pure speculation which doesn't belong in this article? —Mmathu (talk) 05:34, 4 January 2008 (UTC)

The tugboat must have gone into reverse after the collision. There is no involvement with the barges during the accident. Consequently, the tugboat went into reverse after the collision. [rem486] Rem486 (talk) 18:40, 4 November 2021 (UTC)

Disaster article naming convention
With an interest to create consistency in rail accident naming, I propose that this article be moved to 1993 Big Bayou Canot train wreck. Highspeed (talk) 21:43, 17 December 2008 (UTC)
 * OK, why was the page moved without discussion and consensus on the talk page here? It had been previouslydecided that all articles concerning individual disasters should be < > < > < >. Can you advise why we're moving this? I'll move it back in a week if there is no response, as that would indicate that the mover didn't really care. Highspeed (talk) 04:26, 26 February 2009 (UTC)

Notable passengers?
Is it worth mentioning that R. C. Sproul and his wife were passengers on the Sunset Limited at the time of the wreck? --Philosopher Let us reason together. 05:29, 30 June 2009 (UTC)

No Citation Needed
Why is there a "citation needed" link included under Analysis? It's clearly shown that this comes from the Seconds from Disaster episode. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.57.254.71 (talk) 11:22, 3 July 2009 (UTC)

The Picture
Why are all the train incident pictures disappearing from Wikipedia (Ufton Nervet rail crash, is another) disappearing?--The Navigators (talk)-May British Rail Rest in Peace. 02:46, 7 December 2009 (UTC)

Terminology (pendatry) Collision vs Allision?
Strictly speaking, the term "collision" is used to describe a vessel striking another vessel (or theoretically, any other moving object). The term used to describe a vessel striking a fixed object is "allision".

I haven't made any changes since the word isn't in common usage, and may be confusing unless it's explained or pointed to a definition. I'm not certain of WP policies for this sort of thing, so any suggestions welcomed. Shobble (talk) 12:07, 2 October 2011 (UTC)

title: Talk:Big Bayou Canot rail accident


text:
Hilbert's syzygy theorem

In mathematics, Hilbert's syzygy theorem is one of the three fundamental theorems about polynomial rings over fields, first proved by David Hilbert in 1890, that were introduced for solving important open questions in invariant theory, and are at the basis of modern algebraic geometry. The two other theorems are Hilbert's basis theorem, which asserts that all ideals of polynomial rings over a field are finitely generated, and Hilbert's Nullstellensatz, which establishes a bijective correspondence between affine algebraic varieties and prime ideals of polynomial rings.

Hilbert's syzygy theorem concerns the relations, or syzygies in Hilbert's terminology, between the generators of an ideal, or, more generally, a module. As the relations form a module, one may consider the relations between the relations; the theorem asserts that, if one continues in this way, starting with a module over a polynomial ring in $n$ indeterminates over a field, one eventually finds a zero module of relations, after at most $n$ steps.

Hilbert's syzygy theorem is now considered to be an early result of homological algebra. It is the starting point of the use of homological methods in commutative algebra and algebraic geometry.

History
The syzygy theorem first appeared in Hilbert's seminal paper "Über die Theorie der algebraischen Formen" (1890). The paper is split into five parts: part I proves Hilbert's basis theorem over a field, while part II proves it over the integers. Part III contains the syzygy theorem (Theorem III), which is used in part IV to discuss the Hilbert polynomial. The last part, part V, proves finite generation of certain rings of invariants. Incidentally part III also contains a special case of the Hilbert–Burch theorem.

Syzygies (relations)
Originally, Hilbert defined syzygies for ideals in polynomial rings, but the concept generalizes trivially to (left) modules over any ring.

Given a generating set $$g_1, \ldots, g_k$$ of a module $M$ over a ring $R$, a relation or first syzygy between the generators is a $k$-tuple $$(a_1, \ldots, a_k)$$ of elements of $R$ such that
 * $$a_1g_1 + \cdots + a_kg_k =0.$$

Let $$L_0$$ be a free module with basis $$(G_1, \ldots, G_k).$$ The $k$-tuple $$(a_1, \ldots, a_k)$$ may be identified with the element
 * $$a_1G_1 + \cdots + a_kG_k,$$

and the relations form the kernel $$R_1$$ of the linear map $$L_0 \to M$$ defined by $$G_i \mapsto g_i.$$ In other words, one has an exact sequence
 * $$0 \to R_1 \to L_0 \to M \to 0.$$

This first syzygy module $$R_1$$ depends on the choice of a generating set, but, if $$S_1$$ is the module that is obtained with another generating set, there exist two free modules $$F_1$$ and $$F_2$$ such that
 * $$R_1 \oplus F_1 \cong S_1 \oplus F_2$$

where $$\oplus$$ denote the direct sum of modules.

The second syzygy module is the module of the relations between generators of the first syzygy module. By continuing in this way, one may define the $k$th syzygy module for every positive integer $k$.

If the $k$th syzygy module is free for some $k$, then by taking a basis as a generating set, the next syzygy module (and every subsequent one) is the zero module. If one does not take a basis as a generating set, then all subsequent syzygy modules are free.

Let $n$ be the smallest integer, if any, such that the $n$th syzygy module of a module $M$ is free or projective. The above property of invariance, up to the sum direct with free modules, implies that $n$ does not depend on the choice of generating sets. The projective dimension of $M$ is this integer, if it exists, or $∞$ if not. This is equivalent with the existence of an exact sequence
 * $$0 \longrightarrow R_n \longrightarrow L_{n-1} \longrightarrow \cdots \longrightarrow L_0 \longrightarrow M \longrightarrow 0,$$

where the modules $$L_i$$ are free and $$R_n$$ is projective. It can be shown that one may always choose the generating sets for $$R_n$$ being free, that is for the above exact sequence to be a free resolution.

Statement
Hilbert's syzygy theorem states that, if $M$ is a finitely generated module over a polynomial ring $$k[x_1,\ldots,x_n]$$ in $n$ indeterminates over a field $k$, then the $n$th syzygy module of $M$ is always a free module.

In modern language, this implies that the projective dimension of $M$ is at most $n$, and thus that there exists a free resolution
 * $$0 \longrightarrow L_k \longrightarrow L_{k-1} \longrightarrow \cdots \longrightarrow L_0 \longrightarrow M \longrightarrow 0$$

of length $k ≤ n$.

This upper bound on the projective dimension is sharp, that is, there are modules of projective dimension exactly $n$. The standard example is the field $k$, which may be considered as a $$k[x_1,\ldots,x_n]$$-module by setting $$x_i c=0$$ for every $i$ and every $c ∈ k$. For this module, the $n$th syzygy module is free, but not the $(n − 1)$th one (for a proof, see, below).

The theorem is also true for modules that are not finitely generated. As the global dimension of a ring is the supremum of the projective dimensions of all modules, Hilbert's syzygy theorem may be restated as: the global dimension of $$k[x_1,\ldots,x_n]$$ is $n$.

Low dimension
In the case of zero indeterminates, Hilbert's syzygy theorem is simply the fact that every vector space has a basis.

In the case of a single indeterminate, Hilbert's syzygy theorem is an instance of the theorem asserting that over a principal ideal ring, every submodule of a free module is itself free.

Koszul complex
The Koszul complex, also called "complex of exterior algebra", allows, in some cases, an explicit description of all syzygy modules.

Let $$g_1, \ldots, g_k$$ be a generating system of an ideal $I$ in a polynomial ring $$R=k[x_1,\ldots,x_n]$$, and let $$L_1$$ be a free module of basis $$G_1, \ldots, G_k.$$ The exterior algebra of $$L_1$$ is the direct sum
 * $$\Lambda(L_1)=\bigoplus_{t=0}^k L_t,$$

where $$L_t$$ is the free module, which has, as a basis, the exterior products
 * $$G_{i_1} \wedge \cdots \wedge G_{i_t},$$

such that $$i_1< i_2<\cdots  k$. For every positive $t$, one may define a linear map $$L_t\to L_{t-1}$$ by

 * $$G_{i_1} \wedge \cdots \wedge G_{i_t} \mapsto \sum_{j=1}^t (-1)^{j+1}g_{i_j}G_{i_1}\wedge \cdots\wedge \widehat{G}_{i_j} \wedge \cdots\wedge G_{i_t}, $$

where the hat means that the factor is omitted. A straightforward computation shows that the composition of two consecutive such maps is zero, and thus that one has a complex
 * $$0\to L_t \to L_{t-1} \to \cdots \to L_1 \to L_0 \to R/I.$$

This is the Koszul complex. In general the Koszul complex is not an exact sequence, but it is an exact sequence if one works with a polynomial ring $$R=k[x_1,\ldots,x_n]$$ and an ideal generated by a regular sequence of homogeneous polynomials.

In particular, the sequence $$x_1,\ldots,x_n$$ is regular, and the Koszul complex is thus a projective resolution of $$$$$$k=R/\langle x_1, \ldots, x_n\rangle.$$ In this case, the $n$th syzygy module is free of dimension one (generated by the product of all $$G_i$$); the $(n − 1)$th syzygy module is thus the quotient of a free module of dimension $n$ by the submodule generated by $$(x_1, -x_2, \ldots, \pm x_n).$$ This quotient may not be a projective module, as otherwise, there would exist polynomials $$p_i$$ such that $$p_1x_1 + \cdots +p_nx_n=1,$$ which is impossible (substituting 0 for the $$x_i$$ in the latter equality provides $1 = 0$). This proves that the projective dimension of $$k=R/\langle x_1, \ldots, x_n\rangle$$ is exactly $n$.

The same proof applies for proving that the projective dimension of $$k[x_1, \ldots, x_n]/\langle g_1, \ldots, g_t\rangle$$ is exactly $t$ if the $$g_i$$ form a regular sequence of homogeneous polynomials.

Computation
At Hilbert's time, there was no method available for computing syzygies. It was only known that an algorithm may be deduced from any upper bound of the degree of the generators of the module of syzygies. In fact, the coefficients of the syzygies are unknown polynomials. If the degree of these polynomials is bounded, the number of their monomials is also bounded. Expressing that one has a syzygy provides a system of linear equations whose unknowns are the coefficients of these monomials. Therefore, any algorithm for linear systems implies an algorithm for syzygies, as soon as a bound of the degrees is known.

The first bound for syzygies (as well as for the ideal membership problem) was given in 1926 by Grete Hermann: Let $M$ a submodule of a free module $L$ of dimension $t$ over $$k[x_1, \ldots, x_n];$$ if the coefficients over a basis of $L$ of a generating system of $M$ have a total degree at most $d$, then there is a constant $c$ such that the degrees occurring in a generating system of the first syzygy module is at most $$(td)^{2^{cn}}.$$ The same bound applies for testing the membership to $M$ of an element of $L$.

On the other hand, there are examples where a double exponential degree necessarily occurs. However such examples are extremely rare, and this sets the question of an algorithm that is efficient when the output is not too large. At the present time, the best algorithms for computing syzygies are Gröbner basis algorithms. They allow the computation of the first syzygy module, and also, with almost no extra cost, all syzygies modules.

Syzygies and regularity
One might wonder which ring-theoretic property of $$A=k[x_1,\ldots,x_n]$$ causes the Hilbert syzygy theorem to hold. It turns out that this is regularity, which is an algebraic formulation of the fact that affine $c = 1$-space is a variety without singularities. In fact the following generalization holds: Let $$A$$ be a Noetherian ring. Then $$A$$ has finite global dimension if and only if $$A$$ is regular and the Krull dimension of $$A$$ is finite; in that case the global dimension of $$A$$ is equal to the Krull dimension. This result may be proven using Serre's theorem on regular local rings.

title: Hilbert's syzygy theorem


text:
Casa Bonita

Casa Bonita (lit. 'pretty house' in Spanish) is a Mexican restaurant in Lakewood, Colorado, located within the Lamar Station Plaza. It first opened in 1974, and was originally part of a chain of Mexican entertainment restaurants that started in Oklahoma City. The restaurant attracted a cult following among Coloradans since its opening, and is considered by many to be an iconic establishment of Lakewood and the greater Denver metropolitan area.

In 2019, The Denver Post published a feature on the restaurant and described the decor, saying, "Its pink exterior conceals a vast network of nooks and crannies inside. While the main, multilevel dining room is decorated with plastic palm trees and strings of lights, different facades and themed rooms invoke regional Mexican architectural styles, including the resort of Puerto Vallarta." The centerpiece is a 30 foot indoor waterfall with cliff divers, an imitation of the cliffs of Acapulco. The building is crowned with a gold dome and a statue of Cuauhtémoc, the last Aztec emperor of Mexico. It was designated a historic landmark of the city in March 2015.

Casa Bonita temporarily closed in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its owner filed for bankruptcy in April 2021. Later that year, it was acquired by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, who gave the restaurant a significant renovation. The restaurant held a soft relaunch beginning June 23, 2023, now billing itself as The Greatest Restaurant in the World!

History
Founder Bill Waugh opened the first Casa Bonita restaurant in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, in 1968. By the mid-1970s, the chain had expanded to locations in adjacent states and was known for its "all you can eat" beef or chicken plates and offering sopapillas—small squares of fried bread served with honey—with every meal.

In 1982, Casa Bonita's parent company, which also owned Taco Bueno fast food restaurants, was sold to Unigate (later Uniq plc). In 1992, Unigate sold the restaurants to CKE Restaurants, owner of Carl's Jr. In 1997, the two remaining Casa Bonita restaurants, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Lakewood, Colorado, were spun off by CKE as part of Star Buffet. The Tulsa location closed in September 2005, then reopened for two years as Casa Viva, and closed again in December 2007. It was reopened by Star Buffet under the original name in late July 2008 but closed again in 2011, leaving the Lakewood location as the last Casa Bonita. The Lakewood Historical Society chose to designate the restaurant as a city landmark in March 2015.

In March 2020, Casa Bonita closed temporarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic, during which Colorado Governor Jared Polis had placed a ban on in-person dining during the two-month span between March 17 and May 26. In March, several employees reported that their most recent paychecks had bounced due to insufficient funds in the Casa Bonita payroll account. The restaurant's website disappeared during the summer of 2020 sometime between July 7 and July 30.

On April 6, 2021, Summit Family Restaurants, Casa Bonita's owner, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Arizona. On September 23, 2021, South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone reached an agreement to purchase the restaurant for $3.1 million. A group named "Save Casa Bonita" filed an objection to Parker and Stone's purchase, pointing out that they had in fact made an offer first. Their objection was later withdrawn, and the sale was completed by November 19.

Parker and Stone spent $40 million renovating the restaurant and hired Chef Dana Rodriguez to update the menu. The restaurant had a soft opening on May 26, 2023. In early June, Casa Bonita began taking reservations for weekends beginning June 23. Stone and Parker amended the employee compensation system at Casa Bonita, removing the need for wait staff to earn tips, instead paying every employee $30 per hour, much higher than the Colorado minimum wage, $13.65. This came on the heels of a nationwide campaign to eliminate tipping in food service, owing to "tipping fatigue" on the part of customers who came to oppose the practice.

Location
The Lakewood location was built in 1973 and opened in early 1974 on Colfax Avenue west of Denver, along U.S. Route 40/I-70 Business. Similar in architecture to the Tulsa location (both were previously large retail store locations) features strolling mariachis, flame jugglers (no longer allowed in 2019 for violating fire code), and a 30 ft waterfall with cliff divers. The website Roadside America mentions that the restaurant has "Wild West shootouts, brawling pirates, [and] a dancing gorilla" that "can be viewed while you eat". It also has a small puppet theater, a "haunted tunnel" (Black Bart's Cave), an arcade with a large skee-ball room, and a magic theater. Since 2023, as a nod to its new owners, the restaurant has references to South Park, such as a prop of Eric Cartman having food in his iconic table and a ManBearPig meet-and-greet. The restaurant is 52,000 ft2 and can seat up to 1,100 patrons.

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
The first Casa Bonita was opened in the summer of 1968 in Oklahoma City, at a time when Mexican food was considered a novelty in the area. The restaurant was located along U.S. Route 66 at the intersection of NW 39th and Portland. On opening, it featured themed rooms, including the Garden Room and El Pokey, a room themed as a Mexican jail. The Oklahoma City location closed in 1993. After housing other businesses, the building was demolished in 2015.

Tulsa, Oklahoma
The Tulsa location opened in 1971 near the intersection of 21st and Sheridan. The interior was designed to create the outdoor nighttime atmosphere of a Mexican village. Its various themed dining areas, with seating for over 500, included a village square with fountain, a 2-level lantern-lit cave, a tropical garden with 20 foot waterfall and stream, and a room resembling an aristocratic dining hall with a porch along with strolling mariachis. The Tulsa location also included a puppet and magic show theater, a video arcade, a working carousel, and a gift shop.

It closed on September 30, 2005, due to a reported inability to reach suitable lease terms with the property owner. It was reopened, as Casa Viva, in May 2006 and then closed again in December 2007. In late July 2008, the restaurant, having been sold back to its previous owner group, reopened under the original Casa Bonita name. In February 2011, the restaurant failed to reopen after lengthy snowstorms hit Tulsa, and a sign on the door said it was closed for business.

Little Rock, Arkansas
The Little Rock location opened in 1969 at the corner of University Avenue and Asher Avenue (at the time U.S. Highway 67/70), just south of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock campus. This location had many of the same features as its sister locations including a Garden Room, an El Pokey (a room themed as a Mexican jail), a fully functioning video arcade, and a gift shop. In its heyday, the Little Rock location was reported to have been the highest volume Mexican restaurant in the United States with annual sales of up to $2,500,000. That distinction would later go to the Denver location which would go on to post nearly $8,000,000 in sales on an annual basis.

The restaurant closed and rebranded under the ownership of the Waugh family as "Casa Viva" on August 2, 1993, after a reported $250,000 was spent in renovations. It would revert to the original Casa Bonita branding in 1995, until closing permanently in 2005.

Fort Worth, Texas

 * Hulen Mall, Fort Worth, Texas (1982–1985)

In popular culture
The South Park episode "Casa Bonita" prominently features the Colorado branch of the restaurant. Other episodes that mention it briefly are: "Quest for Ratings" (where a clock is labeled as showing the time at Casa Bonita), "You Have 0 Friends", "201" (where the restaurant is reportedly destroyed), "Let Go, Let Gov", and "South ParQ Vaccination Special". Additionally, the building that houses South Park Studios was named after the restaurant. In August 2021, the show's creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, announced they would purchase Casa Bonita. In one of downloadable content packs to the video game South Park: The Fractured But Whole, the restaurant plays a central role in the story.

In 2009, rock band The Fray held the release party for their eponymous second album at Casa Bonita.

In the reboot of Roseanne, Casa Bonita is featured as the workplace of Becky Connor in Episode 4.

The music video for Collapsing Scenery's "Resort Beyond the Last Resort", directed by Kansas Bowling and starring Boyd Rice, was partially filmed at Casa Bonita.

Punk rock band SPELLS performed their song "A Huevo" at Casa Bonita.

In 2018, the Denver Broncos announced their draft picks at Casa Bonita with the help of the resident magician.

For several years, artist Andrew Novick has hosted a Casa Bonita-themed art show at Denver's NEXT Gallery. Novick has been to the restaurant more than 300 times and has given tours of it. He says of the restaurant, "every time I go there, I have a sense of wonder all over again because it's so big and there's so many things in there—like the waterfall—and you feel like you're outside, and the sounds and lights and everything in there. It's just ... it's unmatched."

title: Casa Bonita


text: User talk:80.127.108.58

title: User talk:80.127.108.58


text:
User talk:Eraserhead~enwiki

Hi! welcome to Wikipedia!

Hope you enjoy contributing to Wikipedia. Be bold in editing pages. Here are some links that you might find useful:

 * Try the Tutorial. If you have less time, try How to edit a page.
 * To sign your posts (for eg. on talk pages) use 	 ~  (four tildes). This will insert your name and timestamp. To insert just your name, type (3 tildes).
 * You can experiment in the Sandbox.
 * For help, see Where to ask a question.
 * Some other pages that will help you know more about Wikipedia: Manual of Style and Five pillars, Neutral point of view, Civility, What Wikipedia is not
 * You can contribute in many ways: write a great article, fight vandalism, upload pictures, perform maintainance tasks, contribute to existing projects...

I hope you stick around and keep contributing to Wikipedia. Drop us a note at New user log.

-- utcursch | talk

Your AfD comment on Prussian Blue
I moved your AfD comment on the Prussian Blue girl-nazi-band to the AfD page's talk page because the AfD had already been closed. — mendel ☎ 23:48, 28 October 2005 (UTC)

Image Tagging for Image:Alma_Rubens.jpg
Thanks for uploading Image:Alma_Rubens.jpg. The image has been identified as not specifying the source and creator of the image, which is required by Wikipedia's policy on images. If you don't indicate the source and creator of the image on the image's description page, it may be deleted some time in the next seven days. If you have uploaded other images, please verify that you have provided source information for them as well.

For more information on using images, see the following pages:
 * Image use policy
 * Image copyright tags

This is an automated notice by OrphanBot. For assistance on the image use policy, see Media copyright questions. 11:11, 20 June 2006 (UTC)

Image Tagging for Image:Seena_Owen.jpg
Thanks for uploading Image:Seena_Owen.jpg. The image has been identified as not specifying the source and creator of the image, which is required by Wikipedia's policy on images. If you don't indicate the source and creator of the image on the image's description page, it may be deleted some time in the next seven days. If you have uploaded other images, please verify that you have provided source information for them as well.

For more information on using images, see the following pages:
 * Image use policy
 * Image copyright tags

This is an automated notice by OrphanBot. For assistance on the image use policy, see Media copyright questions. 12:09, 24 June 2006 (UTC)

Replaceable fair use Image:Joel-Peter Witkin.jpg
Thanks for uploading Image:Joel-Peter Witkin.jpg. I noticed the 'image' page specifies that the image is being used under fair use, but its use in Wikipedia articles fails our first fair use criterion in that it illustrates a subject for which a freely licensed image could reasonably be found or created that provides substantially the same information. If you believe this image is not replaceable, please:

 * 1) Go to the image description page and edit it to add, without deleting the original Replaceable fair use template.
 * 2) On the image discussion page, write the reason why this image is not replaceable at all.

Alternatively, you can also choose to replace the fair use image by finding a freely licensed image of its subject, requesting that the copyright holder release this (or a similar) image under a free license, or by taking a picture of it yourself.

If you have uploaded other fair use media, consider checking that you have specified how these images fully satisfy our fair use criteria. You can find a list of 'image' pages you have edited by clicking on [ this link]. Note that even if you follow steps 1 and 2 above, fair use images which could be replaced by free-licensed alternatives will be deleted 2 days after this notification (7 days if not used in an article), per our Fair Use policy. If you have any questions please ask them at the Media copyright questions page. Thank you. —Remember the dot (talk) 19:34, 17 November 2007 (UTC)

Unreferenced BLPs
Hello Eraserhead! Thank you for your contributions. I am a bot alerting you that 1 of the articles that you created  is an  Unreferenced Biography of a Living Person. Please note that all biographies of living persons must be sourced. If you were to add reliable, secondary sources to this article, it would greatly help us with the current Category:All_unreferenced_BLPs article backlog. Once the article is adequately referenced, please remove the unreferencedBLP tag. Here is the article:

Thanks!--DASHBot (talk) 19:38, 2 January 2010 (UTC)
 * 1) Luciana Salazar -

TUSC token c369d39633cfeef21b1ba07809bf01d2
I am now proud owner of a TUSC account!

Your account will be renamed
Hello,

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

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

Your account will still work as before, and you will be credited for all your edits made so far, but you will have to use the new account name when you log in.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Yours, Keegan Peterzell Community Liaison, Wikimedia Foundation 23:46, 19 March 2015 (UTC)

Renamed
 This account has been renamed as part of single-user login finalisation. If you own this account you can |log in using your previous username and password for more information. If you do not like this account's new name, you can choose your own using this form after logging in: . -- Keegan (WMF) (talk) 12:37, 22 April 2015 (UTC)

ArbCom elections are now open!
MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 12:51, 23 November 2015 (UTC)

title: User talk:Eraserhead~enwiki


text:
Chicheley Hall

Chicheley Hall, Chicheley, Buckinghamshire, England is a country house built in the first quarter of the 18th century. The client was Sir John Chester, the main architect was Francis Smith of Warwick and the architectural style is Baroque. Later owners included David Beatty, 2nd Earl Beatty and the Royal Society. Chicheley Hall is a Grade I listed building.

Earlier buildings
A manor house on the site belonged to the Pagnell family of Newport Pagnell, but was donated by them to the church. Cardinal Wolsey gave the manor to Christ Church, Oxford, but it subsequently reverted to the Crown after Wolsey's fall and was acquired by a wool merchant, Anthony Cave, in 1545, who built a manor house in the form of a hollow square. On his death the house was left to his daughter Judith, who had married her cousin William Chester, son of Sir William Chester. Their only son Anthony was High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire for 1602 and created a baronet in 1620.

The house then descended in the Chester family to the time of the English Civil War, when it was shelled by Parliamentary forces and eventually demolished. The present Chicheley Hall was built in the early 1700s on the same site. All that remains of the old manor house is one Jacobean over-mantel with termini caryatids, and some panelling in the new Chicheley Hall.

Building the current hall: 1719-1724
The present hall was built between 1719 and 1723, with the interior fittings completed in 1725. The house was often attributed to the architect Thomas Archer, but more recent research suggests Francis Smith, who is thought to have designed it for Sir John Chester, 4th Baronet.

After John Chester's death the house descended to Charles Bagot Chester, the 7th Baronet, a drunk and gambler, who jumped out of a second floor window in a drunken fit. Before dying of his injuries he bequeathed all of his estates, including Chicheley, to a distant relative and school friend, Charles Bagot, on condition he adopted the name of Chester. Charles' son Charles Bagot Chester, a gambler, rake and Member of Parliament, rented out the hall for many years. After his death the estate descended to the unmarried Charles Anthony Chester and from 1883 was again rented out to a series of tenants for the next 70 years.

20th century
In 1911, the Hall was rented by Sir George Farrar, a Randlord who made his fortune in gold in South Africa, and his wife Ella. Their daughter Gwen was a noted cellist.

During the Second World War, Chicheley Hall was used by the Special Operations Executive as its Special Training School No. 46. From 1942 until 1943, it was used for training Czechoslovaks for SOE parachute missions. The hall was later used as a base to train Polish agents, and then became a FANY wireless telegraphy school. Fortunately, the fine interior was protected by hardboard.

The house was purchased from the Chester family in 1952 by David Beatty, 2nd Earl Beatty. Beatty, son of Admiral Lord Beatty, began a large restoration programme and finally employed the renowned interior decorator Felix Harboard, famed for his work at Luttrellstown Castle near Dublin. Harboard's classical colour schemes accentuating moulding and panelling perfectly suit the house. Chicheley Hall remained the home of the 2nd Earl's fourth wife, Diane, after his death. She remarried, to Sir John Nutting, and was later the chairman of the Georgian Group. Together, they ran the house as a venue for weddings and conferences, and as a filming location. The house represented Bletchley Park in the 2001 film Enigma.

21st century
In 2007, Chicheley Hall was offered for sale, with a guide price of £9 million. It was bought by the Royal Society for £6.5 million, funded in part by the Norwegian philanthropist Fred Kavli. The Royal Society spent £12 million renovating the house, and adapting it to become the Kavli Royal Society International Centre, a venue for science seminars and conferences. Outside of these scientific events the hall may be hired for corporate and social events.

Chicheley Hall was operated by De Vere Venues until June 2020, when it closed 'permanently' following (initially) a temporary closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Later that year, it was again listed for sale. Writing in Country Life, Penny Churchill noted that the Royal Society had restored the mansion and converted the stable block to a hotel with 48 bedrooms and a conference centre. The hall was sold in March 2021 to Pyrrho Investments.

Architecture and description
The principal, south, facade of the house is of nine bays and three storeys above a raised basement; the central section of three bays projects. Massive fluted Corinthian pilasters flank the central three bays. These are repeated at each termination of the facade and again divide the second from the third bay of each wing that flanks the central projection. The facade is symmetrical, however the curve-topped windows of the central projection are taller than the flat-topped windows of the wings, thus uniformity at roof level is achieved by an upward curve to the central section from the wings. These motifs, examples of baroque architecture are exceedingly rare in Britain, where baroque was fashionable for a very brief period at the end of the 17th century and beginning of the 18th. The brickwork, from bricks made on site, is described by Nikolaus Pevsner and Elizabeth Williamson, in their 2003 Buckinghamshire volume of the Pevsner Buildings of England, as "among the finest of any house of this date".

The main door opens to a fine panelled Great Hall, in the manner of William Kent with a classical double-height ceiling depicting Herse and her sisters sacrificing to Flora. Through an arcade of marble columns, oak staircases lead to the upper floors. The most remarkable room is the library on the upper floor, with all shelving and books concealed behind what appears to be panelling, thus disguising the room's true use.

The house is surrounded by a park of 100 acre, including a lake, canal, and 25 acre of gardens, laid out by George London and Henry Wise. An avenue of lime trees leads to the house, past an octagonal dovecote. The River Ouse lies to the east.

Listing designations
Chicheley Hall is a Grade I listed building. The stable block, the service wing, and the dovecote are listed Grade II*. A garden house to the north-west of the hall, and a summerhouse to the north-east are listed Grade II, as are three sets of gates, with attached walls and gate piers.

title: Chicheley Hall


text:
Small Münsterländer

The Small Münsterländer (also SM or Kleiner Münsterländer) is a versatile hunting-pointing-retrieving dog breed that reached its current form in the area around Münster, Germany. The Large Münsterländer is from the same area, but was developed from different breeding stock and is not related as the names would suggest. Small Münsterländers bear a resemblance to both spaniels and setters but are more versatile while hunting on land and water. The Small Münsterländer is recognized by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale under Group 7, Section 1.2, Continental Pointing Dogs of Spaniel type, by the American Kennel Club as a Foundation Stock Service breed, and by The Kennel Club and the United Kennel Club as a gun dog. It is related to the Epagneul Français and the Drentsche Patrijshond.

Appearance
Males should stand between 20.5 - 22 in, and females should stand between  19.75 - 21.25 in at the withers. The weight ranges between 38 - 58 lb with the males being the larger of the two. Strong and harmonious build of medium size, showing balanced proportions with a lot of quality and elegance. In upright posture the dog displays flowing outlines with a horizontally carried, well flagged tail. The dog should appear to be strong in the hindquarters and balanced with a distinguished, not too blocky head. Its front legs are well feathered, the hind legs with breeches. The coat should be medium length, glossy, dense, and straight or slightly wavy. The dog's movement should be athletic, graceful and far reaching.

The coloration of the dog is large patches of brown on a ticked or solid white background.

Temperament
Small Münsterländers are extremely intelligent, trainable, and attentive but require gentle and patient training. Coupled with their intelligence, if they determine an owner to be inconsistent or indecisive, the owner might find that the dog will challenge the owner. For training, both voice and hand signals are used, and a Small Münsterländer will routinely look back to check in with the hunter for silent signals at intervals when on hold or pointing. They have a very strong prey drive and enjoy rewarding their owner with productive hunts. They thrive with hunting or comparable challenging exercise for an hour or more every day. They are strong swimmers, especially when compared to other short-haired hunting breeds.

Lack of regular and sufficient exercise and mental challenge will likely result in unwanted behavior, which is common in highly intelligent, driven breeds. The Small Münsterländer is a happy, affectionate family pet when in the house, while remaining a keenly focused, even driven, hunter-pointer-retriever when in the field. They are not suited to life in a kennel because of their sociable nature and need to interact with people – they need to live in the home of their family. Small Münsterländers will pick an individual person to bond most closely with, typically the one who hunts with the dog, but will revel in the company of the rest of the family as well. When raised with other pets in the household, such as cats, they can coexist happily though they may enjoy a game of chase and point. Unfamiliar small animals outdoors will not be tolerated in the same way.

Health
Due to the breed organizations, responsible kennels, and owners having a strong commitment to the health of the breed, breed programs are overwhelmingly very selective in breeding dogs that are OFA/Penn Hip, CERF, and temperament clear. As a result, instances of congenital diseases and conditions are extremely low and any dog clearly showing physical or behavioral abnormalities shall be disqualified from the breeding program. The breed is robustly healthy with rare issues save dry skin in colder climates and water in its ears after swimming.

History
Originally a dog bred exclusively for noble families and to work with their families' falconers before guns were used in bird and small game hunting, ancestors of the Small Münsterländer (formerly the Kleiner Münsterländer Vorstehhund) had to work in upland areas to flush prey for the falcon, then allow the falcon to keep the prey until the falconer could retrieve it while the dog pointed at the catch. To this day the Small Münsterländer has excellent close searching and pointing drive. All privileges and immunities of the German nobility as a legally defined class were abolished on August 11, 1919, with the promulgation of the Weimar Constitution, recognising all Germans as equal before the laws of their country. With wider availability of guns and land use for commoners, hunting became more popular, and the breed was further developed as a retriever that worked equally well in the field and water. The breed is considered to be uniquely effective in working as a team with the huntsman in all phases of the hunt, akin to the close cooperation between a sheep herder and Border Collie. It is an elite hunter within the versatile hunting dog arena and is trained to retrieve, hunt, and track the following: woodcock, rail, grouse, dove, partridge, chukar, quail, pheasant, duck, goose, rabbit, deer and fox. The Small Münsterländer is not a far-ranging dog, usually hunting close in heavier cover and ranging 100-150 yards in light cover, all in an effort to maintain the hunting partnership with its owner.

The Small Münsterländer is one of the four oldest versatile breeds and the longhaired versatile hunting dogs evolved from the Small Münsterländer and Flat-Coated Retriever. The Small Münsterländer is thought to be well over 500 years old, originating from the Munster region of Germany but not related to the Large Münsterländer, and documentation of ancestors around the 13th and 14th centuries. By the 1800s the breed had fallen into obscurity. Small Munsterlanders were little known, kept by a few families on farms around Munster. For a half century the few dogs that were bred were primarily companions, and used when hunting to feed the family rather than for sport. It developed a local reputation as the dog to have when a hunter's success or failure determined whether his family would have enough to eat. At the end of the 19th century, a concerted effort was made to re-establish the breed from the remaining lines in the Munster region. The fortunate outcome of the companion phase in the Small Münsterländer history was its excellent in-home personality. Cultural and wildlife use changes slowly put an end to the "bread hunting" and was replaced by recreational hunting. With the advance in firearms, falconry too became outmoded. At the turn of the century, Edmund Lons, brother of the famous hunting and nature poet Hermann Lons, discovered Small Münsterländers in two towns in Lower Saxony. Lons obtained dogs from two lines. One line consisted of fine boned, agile, lively and intelligent dogs, well known for their "track sound" on the trail. Dogs of the other line were slow in search, of strong build, and excellent in their use of nose. The background and breeding of these dogs could be traced for several generations.

International popularity

The Small Münsterländer is a rare breed in the United States, numbering around 2000, and demand from hunters outstrips the number of available dogs, so breeders typically give preference to hunters. They are especially hard to come by for non-hunters there and regardless are required to have their dog tested in the field and adhere to maintaining an updated health profile. They are more numerous in Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, and the Czech Republic and are bred, trained and tested to high standards to maintain the superior versatility.

Due to very low prevalence and high standards of the breed organizations, kennels and owners having a strong commitment to the health of the breed, breed programs are overwhelmingly very selective in breeding dogs and are required to maintain OFA/Penn Hip, CERF and temperament clear. As a result, instances of congenital diseases and conditions are extremely low.

In the United Kingdom, the breed is rarer still. Recognized by The Kennel Club as an imported breed in 2006, they are still to be established in the hunting community.

title: Small Münsterländer


text:
Langenberg (Rhineland)

Langenberg is a borough (Stadtbezirk) of Velbert, a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Its population is 15,717 (2021). Located in this district is the famous Sender Langenberg transmission site, which transmits MW, FM, and TV broadcasting signals.

title: Langenberg (Rhineland)


text:
FIS Nordic World Ski Championships

The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships is a biennial Nordic skiing event organized by the International Ski Federation (FIS). The World Championships was started in 1925 for men and opened for women's participation in 1954. World Championship events include Nordic skiing's three disciplines: cross-country skiing, ski jumping, and Nordic combined (the latter being a combination sport consisting of both cross-country and ski jumping). From 1924 to 1939, the World Championships were held every year, including the Winter Olympics. After World War II, the World Championships were held every four years from 1950 to 1982. Since 1985, the World Championships have been held in odd-numbered years.

History
The International Ski Federation arranged annual Rendezvous races from 1925 to 1927 and annual FIS races from 1929 to 1935. At the FIS congress in 1936, it was decided that the first World Championships should be held in 1937 and take place in Chamonix, France. All Rendezvous and FIS races were given official World Championship status at FIS' 25th congress in 1965. This decision meant that the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 1925 in Janské Lázně, Czechoslovakia, were given status as the first official World Championships.

The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 1941 were declared a non-World Championship event by FIS at the 16th FIS congress in 1946 and their results have been struck from the official records.

The 1980 and 1984 World Championships consisted of a total of only three events; women's 20 km cross-country (1980), ski-jumping team event and Nordic combined team event (both 1984). These events were not held in the 1980 and 1984 Winter Olympics and therefore got their own World Championships.

Historical notes

 * 1) In the years 1925–1927, the FIS referred to these events as Rendezvous races. During the periods of 1929–1931 and 1933–1935, the FIS referred to these events as FIS races. This event has been officially referred to as the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships since 1937.
 * 2) The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 1941 were declared a non-event by the FIS at their 1946 meeting and their results have been struck from the official records.
 * 3) The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 1980 consisted of a women's 20 km cross-country event because it was not included in the program of the Winter Olympics at Lake Placid.
 * 4) The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 1984 consisted of team events in both ski jumping and Nordic combined held at separate locations because neither event was included in the program of the Winter Olympics in Sarajevo.

The following list shows when new events were added for the first time:
 * 1933, men's relay (cross-country) was added.
 * 1954, women's 10 km and 3 × 5 km relay was added, men's 15 km (cross-country) replaced the 18 km.
 * 1962, men's normal hill (ski jumping) and women's 5 km (cross-country) were added.
 * 1978, women's 20 km (cross-country) was added.
 * 1982, men's ski jumping team large hill and Nordic combined team large hill were added.
 * 1989, women's 15 km was added (cross-country) and women's 30 km replaced the 20 km.
 * 1991, men's 10 km (cross-country) was added.
 * 1993, cross-country pursuit (both genders) were added.
 * 2001, men's ski jumping team normal hill was added and cross-country sprint (both genders) replaced the 10 km (men) and the 5 km (women).
 * 2003, women's 30 km and men's 50 km (cross-country) changed from interval start to mass start.
 * 2005, cross-country team sprint (both genders) were added.
 * 2009, women's normal hill (ski jumping) was added.
 * 2011, Nordic combined team normal hill was added.
 * 2013, mixed team (ski jumping) was added and team sprint large hill (Nordic combined) replaced the team large hill.
 * 2019, women's team normal hill (ski jumping) was added.
 * 2021, women's Nordic combined with women's large hill (ski jumping) were added.
 * 2023, Nordic combined mixed team event replaced men's team sprint large hill.
 * 2025, men's 10 km replaced the 15 km (interval start, cross-country), women's 50 km replaced the 30 km (mass-start, cross-country), men's and women's 4x7,5 km replaced the men's 4x10 km and the women's 4x5 km (relay, cross-country), men's and women's 20 km replaced the men's 30 km and the women's 15 km (skiathlon, cross-country), men's compact 7,5 km replaced the Gundersen 10 km (normal hill, Nordic combined), women's mass-start 5 km + normal hill (Nordic combined) and men's and women's Para Sprint (separated from Para Cross-Country World Championships) were added.

Medalists by sport

 * Cross-country skiing
 * List of FIS Nordic World Ski Championships medalists in men's cross-country skiing
 * List of FIS Nordic World Ski Championships medalists in women's cross-country skiing
 * Nordic combined
 * List of FIS Nordic World Ski Championships medalists in Nordic combined
 * Ski jumping
 * List of FIS Nordic World Ski Championships medalists in ski jumping

Medal table
Table updated after the 2023 Championships.

Multiple medalists
Boldface denotes active athletes and highest medal count among all athletes (including these who not included in these tables) per type.

TV broadcasters
Eurosport (75 countries) Match TV (Russia) ORF (Austria) Eesti Media (Estonia) YLE (Finland) ARD/ZDF (Germany) NRK (Norway) Viaplay/TV6 (Sweden) SRG/SSR (Switzerland) RUV (Iceland) NBC (USA) TVP (Poland) Rai Sport (Italia) L'equipe (France) CBC (Canada) CT Sport (Czech Republic) JOJ Sport (Slovakia) RTV Slovenija (Slovenia)

title: FIS Nordic World Ski Championships


text:
Charles Pratt and Company

Charles Pratt and Company was an oil company that was formed in 1867 by Charles Pratt and Henry H. Rogers in Brooklyn, New York. It became part of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil organization in 1874.

History
Pratt, born in Watertown, Massachusetts, had come to New York around 1850-1851, where he worked for a company specializing in paints and whale-oil products. Pratt became a pioneer of the natural oil industry, and established his kerosene refinery Astral Oil Works in Brooklyn. Pratt's product later gave rise to the slogan, "The holy lamps of Tibet are primed with Astral Oil."

In the mid-1860s, Pratt met two aspiring young men, Charles Ellis and Henry H. Rogers in western Pennsylvania. Pratt had bought whale-oil from Charles Ellis in Fairhaven, Massachusetts, the young men's hometown. He purchased the entire future output of their small venture, Wamsutta Oil Refinery, at McClintocksville, near Oil City at a fixed price.

Ellis and Rogers had no wells and were dependent upon purchasing crude oil to refine and sell to Pratt. A few months later, crude oil prices suddenly increased due to manipulation by speculators. The young entrepreneurs and their Wamsutta Oil Refinery struggled to try to live up to their contract with Pratt, but soon their surplus was wiped out. Before long, they were heavily in debt to him.

Charles Ellis gave up, but in 1866, Henry Rogers went to Pratt in New York, and told him he would take personal responsibility for the entire debt. This so impressed Pratt that he immediately hired him for his own organization. In the next few years Rogers became, in the words of Elbert Hubbard, Pratt's "hands and feet and eyes and ears" (Little Journeys to the Homes, 1909).

Pratt made Rogers foreman of his Brooklyn refinery, with a promise of a partnership if sales ran over fifty thousand dollars a year. Rogers and his wife Abbie moved to Brooklyn and lived frugally. Abbie brought his meals to the "works"; often he would sleep three hours a night rolled up in a blanket by the side of a still. Rogers moved steadily from foreman to manager, and then superintendent of Pratt's Astral Oil Refinery. Pratt finally gave Rogers an interest in the business. In 1867, with Henry Rogers as a partner, he established the firm of Charles Pratt and Company.

In the early 1870s, Pratt and Rogers became involved in conflicts with John D. Rockefeller's infamous South Improvement Company, which was basically a scheme to obtain favorable net rates from the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) and other railroads through a secret system of rebates. Rockefeller and the South Improvement Company scheme outraged independent oil producers in western Pennsylvania and refineries there and afar alike.

The opposition to the South Improvement Company scheme among the New York refiners was led by Rogers. The New York interests formed an association, and about the middle of March, 1872, sent a committee of three, with Rogers, of Charles Pratt and Company, as head, to Oil City to consult with the Oil Producers' Union there. Their arrival in the oil regions was a matter of great satisfaction. Working with the Pennsylvania independents, they managed to forge an agreement with the PRR and other railroads whose leaders eventually agreed to open rates to all promised to end their shady dealings with South Improvement. The oil men were most exultant, but their joy was to be short-lived, for Rockefeller had already begun forming his Standard Oil organization and was busy trying another approach, which included frequently buying up opposing interests.

Rockefeller approached Charles Pratt with his plans of cooperation and consolidation. Pratt talked it over with Rogers, and they decided that the combination would benefit them. Rogers formulated terms, which guaranteed financial security and jobs for Pratt and himself. John D. Rockefeller quietly accepted the offer on Rogers' exact terms. Charles Pratt and Company (including Astral Oil) became one of the important formerly independent refiners to join Rockefeller's organization, and it was to become part of the Standard Oil Trust in 1874. Pratt's son, Charles Millard Pratt (1858-1913) became Secretary of Standard Oil.

Pratts' protégé, Henry H. Rogers soon rose to become one of the key men of Standard Oil, and was a Vice-President by 1890. Rogers, who kept his residence in New York after moving there at Pratt's request, invested outside of Standard Oil and became one of the wealthiest men in the world. He had interests in oil, gas, steel, copper, coal, and railroads, and eventually founded and built the Virginian Railway at the end of his own career.

Charles Pratt is credited with recognizing the growing need for trained industrial workers in a changing economy. In 1886, he founded and endowed the Pratt Institute, which opened in Brooklyn, New York in 1887.

Pratt settled in Glen Cove, Long Island, New York about 1890. In an effort to keep his family near him, he purchased large tracts of land surrounding his estate, totaling 1,100 acres (4.5 km²). However, he died the next year, 1891, in New York City.

At Glen Cove, on Long Island, Pratt's six sons and two daughters later built their homes. As of 2004, most of the extant Pratt mansions along the Gold Coast there are still in use:

 * Welwyn, originally the home of Harold I. Pratt, is now the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County.
 * The Braes, originally owned by Herbert L. Pratt, is now the Webb Institute of Naval Architecture.
 * The Manor House, built for John Teele Pratt, is now the Glen Cove Mansion Hotel and Conference Center.
 * Poplar Hill, the Frederic B. Pratt house, is now owned by Glengariff Nursing Home.
 * Killenworth, originally the house of George Dupont Pratt, is now the retreat for the Soviet Delegation to the United Nations.

The current Charles Pratt & Co. exists, according to its website "as a central administrative office providing professional financial services for the descendants of Charles Pratt and selected other private clients."

title: Charles Pratt and Company