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Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Golfers with 20 Champions Tour wins

 This page is an archive of the discussion about the proposed deletion of the article below. This page is no longer live. Further comments should be made on the article's talk page rather than here so that this page is preserved as an historic record. The result of the debate was NO CONSENSUS. dbenbenn | talk 23:41, 10 Mar 2005 (UTC)

Golfers with 20 Champions Tour wins
Just a table of Golfers and how many wins they have. Wikipedia is not a general knowledge base. Nor is it an almanac. Also 20 is kind of an arbitrary cut off. If this gets deleted, then we should probably also delete most of the articles in Category:Golf_records, as they are very similar. DaveTheRed 08:58, 24 Feb 2005 (UTC) Capitalistroadster 18:46, 24 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * A friendly request to Wincoote - please don't post a lengthy 'rebuttal' under every vote that runs counter to your opinion. Thanks. Radiant! 09:49, Feb 25, 2005 (UTC)
 * It is a standard practice on controversial discussions. It is not "friendly" to attempt to deny me a right of replyWincoote 17:07, 25 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * It is not standard to repeat your own opinion dozens of times. I'm not denying you anything, I'm simply requesting that you not repeat yourself. A good argument is worn down in repetition; a bad argument simply remains bad no matter how often it is repeated. Radiant! 21:14, Feb 25, 2005 (UTC)
 * I have made many different arguments, some of which only occurred to me at a later stage. Wincoote 11:24, 26 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * Comment Sorry, I'm a little new at this, but when I tried to update the vdf log, I accidentally forgot to change the PageName field in the last step. So now the entry is screwed up and I don't know how to fix it. Someone please help DaveTheRed 09:36, 24 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * Yay! someone fixed it! DaveTheRed 10:08, 24 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * Borderline keep - it's highly verifiable - Wikipedia has much almanac-like information - but it would date a bit easily - David Gerard 12:38, 24 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * This is arbitrary, and so are Golfers with most PGA Tour wins (meaning 20+ wins), Most PGA Tour wins in a year (meaning 8 or more), and List of golfers with most major title wins (meaning 5 or more). As can be seen from the varying quantities (20, 8, 5) this is a very arbitrary category. Wikipedia is not the Guinness book of records. However, the category also includes Official World Golf Rankings, which is very notable and should in fact be the correct way of displaying this. Since there is an official standard, I would suggest we delete the non-official ones. Radiant! 13:53, Feb 24, 2005 (UTC)
 * Keep I created this page. Wikipedia is an almanac. It won't "date" any more than any other article which requires updating because I will be updating it, and others can easily do so. It is a totally different thing from the Official World Golf Rankings. It is not arbitary to select different numbers of events for differnt lists because the are more tour events than majors and a player can play more events in a career than in a season. The numbers are in each case designed to show which are the really distinguished players. All of the criteria of inclusion of tourmaments are official and all of this information can be confirmed from the official sites of the leading golf tours. There is no subjectivity involved whatsoever. This information is fundamental for the comparison of the career achievements of professional golfers and cannot be better represented in any other form. I consider these lists to be absolutely fundamental to Wikipedia's coverage of professional golf. They list the most widely used objective criteria for assessing golfers' achievements, and provide a context for the claims made about golfer's level of distinction in their individual articles, which are often difficult to assess unless you have a very good knowledge of the sport. The World Rankings (I wrote that article too by the way) shift every week and are actually more subjective and controversial. They also only go back to 1986, so they are completely useless for assessing most of the greats of the game.
 * I suspect that Radiant!'s involvement here is intended as revenge for my exposure of him as a practioner of "extreme deletion" a so-called "sport" in which points are awarded for getting legitimate articles deleted - see the link on his user page unless he has removed it now to protect his credibility.
 * An ad hominem doesn't substantiate anything. You didn't bother to check what I've been doing the past weeks, which is categorizing every article on Dead End Pages. You didn't bother to check your private mailbox here, where I explained that. You didn't bother to double-check my user page before accusing me of changing it, since I didn't change it. And you didn't bother to check the obvious markings on both the Extreme Deletion page and my user page indicating that neither is in any way serious. You should read up on Civility, Wikiquette and Good Faith before making wild allegations like these. Radiant! 19:06, Feb 24, 2005 (UTC)
 * I knew what you were doing and I don't think it is a good use of time. You have noted yourself that the votes for deletion page is overburdened. I don't think your approach is beneficial. The dead end pages system is obselete imo because it ignores the category system. I did read your message. I don't accept that a disclaimer makes the ridiculous joke you signed up for legitimate. I couldn't check your user page because the system was frozen, as it has been much of the time for the last few days. Wincoote 23:08, 24 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * No, you didn't understand what I wrote. The Dead End Pages is very relevant, since most of them are valid pages that aren't categorized yet. Hence, I categorize them, and that is a useful activity. The VfD system is more burdened than it used to, and that is unfortunate, but it isn't overburdened as of yet, and anyway that is no reason to stop cleanup. And the system hasn't been frozen the last few days, and you know it because you have made substantial edits. Radiant! 09:49, Feb 25, 2005 (UTC)
 * The system has been frozen at times. When I tried to check your page I had two copies of Wikipedia open, one to edit this article and another to look at your user page. The latter timed out twice.Wincoote 17:25, 25 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * I think it's important to always assume good faith and not assume revenge. Also, the "extreme deletion" page is satire and has the heading "This page is satire, and we must point this out to the humor impaired as it does not represent any official or unofficial Wikipedia policy, past or present.".Carrp | Talk 17:28, 24 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * There is no reason to rely on assumptions one way or the other as he has made many nominations which go against established consensus. Wincoote 17:39, 24 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * This does not go against the established consensus. It merely goes against your opinion. Radiant! 19:06, Feb 24, 2005 (UTC)
 * The nomination is by a user who registered on 21 Feb, and appears not to be aware of the range of articles to be found in Wikipedia. It's not just for six thousand word essays about philosophy and physics. Wincoote 17:26, 24 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * Firstly, I registered on Feb. 15th, not the 21st. I admit that still makes me relatively new, but I have been studying the vdf pages and the deletion policy. The fact that there are people agreeing with me means I can't be wholly off-base. Secondly, as far as the article goes, I'm not saying this information is not useful, just that it would probably fit better in some other form. We could probably make an infinite number of lists about what golfers won which tournaments. Who chooses the criteria for the lists? I think this info would be better represented either a) appended to the relevant golfer's articles or b) by having one article devoted to all such lists. DaveTheRed 20:55, 24 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * The information can and should be mentioned in the relevant articles, but that only performs part of the function. It does not provide any context to assess the significace of the players win taly against that of other players. Having the information the site makes it easier to add these details to individual articles. I have already started to add the appropriate links. Wincoote 22:56, 24 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * Why can't it perform the rest of the function, as you say? Why can't we provide context in the relevent articles? Can we not say "John Doe has won 26 PGA tournaments, the 6th largest number of wins for one person" in his article? DaveTheRed 00:03, 25 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * Of course there should be statements like that, but not instead of the table. It is more cumbersome to keep up to date. Are you offering to do it for every player for the next forty years or so like I am planning to update the table? It wouldn't show relative numbers or the names of the comparable players for comparison unless there was a whole paragraph in each case - is the table in a less digestible form. And the only way to keep such statements up to date, is to keep the table up to date, which clearly demonstrates how useful it is. Wincoote 08:16, 25 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * Why have one article? This information relates to different tours, each of which have there own section. I will be adding the articles to each section, if I have not already done so in all cases. The specific titles tell people exactly what they can find. A single overall title would have to be vaguer and would be less likely to encourage use. Wincoote 22:56, 24 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * Keep. There are plenty of arbitrary cut-offs in sports. See MLB players who have hit 30 or more home runs before the All-Star break or List of pitchers who have struck out 18 or more batters in a nine-inning baseball game. As long as the pages are updated on a regular basis, I see no problem with keeping them. Carrp | Talk 17:17, 24 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * Delete. I don't how this can be useful, actually. --Neigel von Teighen 17:30, 24 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * Are you able to give any reasons for your opinion? What basis can it have apart from a conviction that Wikipedia should not cover golf? But Wikpedia does cover sport in detail - tens of thousands of articles probably. If one is interested in professional golf these articles are among the most useful in Wikipedia - far more useful than most of the individual profiles. It should be noted that the voting has been appended to the least important article, but the result is supposed to apply to all of them. Wincoote 17:45, 24 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * Well, you yourself tend not to give any reasons for your votes other than personal attacks. Anyway, yes, Wikipedia should cover golf, but it's not particularly useful to make four separate lists of people who have won an arbitrary number of tournaments. Particularly since there's an official ranking already on the site. Radiant! 19:06, Feb 24, 2005 (UTC)
 * I have already explained the limitations of the rankings. Read the articles for more details. They did not exist until 1986. Jack Nicklaus is nobody in the eyes of the rankings. Full historical records of old rankings are not even included on the official site. The oldest year end table is for 2001. Tournament wins are OVERWHELMINGLY the criteria on which golfers' careers are judged by posperity. There is not the slightest intention on the part of the operators of the official rankings that they should replace the role of tournament wins. Wincoote 23:12, 24 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * Delete. These articles seem to have somewhat arbitrary levels set — why not, say, 17 wins? (Yes, I am aware that base-10 counting is quite common.) As Radiant! notes above, there is an officially established ranking system. If the consensus is that there should also be a list by number of Champions Tour wins, then there should simply be a list of all winners, not only winners that have cleared some arbitrary bar, in my opinion. HyperZonktalk 18:05, Feb 24, 2005 (UTC)
 * If you want to extend the lists down to one win you are welcome to do so. I do not have infinite time. Every reputable golf site has such lists with a cut off point of more than one win. Wincoote 22:56, 24 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * Keep all of these. These are indications of notable golfers throughout history based on the number of tour wins. We have a commitment to keep the lists up to date so keep.
 * DeleteThis is just a meaningless table which could/should be incorporated in more detailed biographies elsewhere or even a researched page on golf tours etc.  This is not even an article. Giano 23:00, 24 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * In the last couple of weeks, I have written articles about every significant professional golf tour which did not already have one (about fifteen) and made major enhancements about to the one about the most prominent tour: the PGA Tour. There is still a separate place for records in a reference work. In any sporting reference book, you are likely to find a mixture of text based and tabular content. Why should Wikipedia be different? If these tables are meaningless, why can the like be found in almost every reference book concerned with professional golf? Are they all doing something stupid? Wincoote 23:08, 24 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * Delete, concur with Hyperzonk and Giano. Megan1967 23:30, 24 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * Megan is a hyper-deletionist of sports articles despite demonstrating no knowledge of sport. Like Giano, her deletion vote may be motivated by past conflicts with me (in his case there is little doubt of this, ever since I corrected some clear factual errors of his, which led him to engage in personal abuse, he had been tracking my user page, looking for opportunities to attack me). No one would be voting to delete this information if it was in the main articles for the tours, but it is much more useful in this context because links can be provided from the indiviual articles directly to the relevant information. Links to the main articles, such as PGA Tour would be much less clear, especially as I continue to expand those articles. Wincoote 08:16, 25 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * Normally I ignore comments like yours however, I have no idea about any past conflicts with you Wincoote. If there is, please reference where this past conflict occured otherwise please desist with these wild accusations. Megan1967 22:30, 25 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * An ad hominem doesn't substantiate anything. Wincoote, you have made your point, now you must allow others to make theirs. There is no point in reiterating your arguments under every vote that isn't to your liking. We understand you feel passionate about the subject, but arguably that also means you aren't objective about it. Radiant! 09:49, Feb 25, 2005 (UTC)
 * Comment There have been no detailed rebuttals of the many arguments for retention that I have put forward by anyone who demonstrates a good understanding of professional golf. All the deletion votes are apparently by people who do not know the subject.Wincoote 08:19, 25 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * And once more, an ad hominem doesn't substantiate anything. Radiant! 09:49, Feb 25, 2005 (UTC)
 * My last "insult" to Wincoote included the words "Grow up!" Giano 09:34, 25 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * It's been two months now since I offended your pride by pointing out some simple factual errors you had made and you've been stalking me ever since. I haven't inititiated any of the contacts between us since early January. Wincoote 17:07, 25 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * Excuse me, but that is irrelevant to this discussion, isn't it? Radiant! 21:14, Feb 25, 2005 (UTC)

 * I would vote to delete or rename Golfers with 20 Champions Tour wins because I think it's a bit arbitrary to say 20, also it's quite high so there aren't that many golfers on it. I would prefer if it was renamed as "Golfers with most Champions Tour wins" and started at 5, 10 or 20. However I think that the other lists such as Most PGA Tour wins in a year and List of golfers with most major title wins are worth keeping as it is useful information. Perhaps it might be best to standardise the start at 5 though, then as the list grows longer and those with only 5 become less notable then move start to 10 then 20 etc. However, if it's all or nothing I'd prefer to keep all of them. -- Lochaber 11:38, 25 Feb 2005 (UTC)

 * Realised I should probably say why I think they should be kept. Firstly, IMO these list are not the same as the official rankings. Rankings look at a certain point in time whereas these lists allow comparisions between golfers who were playing at different time. Secondly, they certainly aren't meaningless, they might be meaningless to certain people in the same way that an article about the International Congress of Mathematicians is meaningless to me but I recognise that for those with interest in the subject they do have meaning. Thirdly, on the idea of them being arbitrary, Wincoote has answered the questions about put to him about the cut-offs being arbitrary (except for the Golfers with 20 Champions Tour wins), anyone is welcome to expand the other articles to include all players who have won each tournament. Fourthly, while the facts can and probably are being incorporated into the golfers biographies, the purpose of these articles is to have a focal point where golfers can be compared. As someone who doesn't know much about golf I wouldn't know which golfer has won the most PGA tournaments and I would have to go searching loads of biographies to find that out. As for there being seperate articles, well they are separate tournaments that people may look up seperately. -- Lochaber 11:38, 25 Feb 2005 (UTC)

 * Also if we are standardising then it might be best to rename List of golfers with most major title wins to "Golfers with most major titles wins" particularly because I would like to see little bit at the top about what the major titles are. I know it's at the top of the table but I think it worth having a little explanation at the top as all the articles are accessible in Category:Golf Records, separate from the tournaments and someone like me who doesn't know much about golf would like to know why those tournaments are major and others aren't, do more people play in them? -- Lochaber 11:38, 25 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * That's a good point, but I still say delete. However, I should qualify that, as a golf fanatic, when I wrote "meaningless" I meant "meaningless" in the context of this article standing alone.  This table and the other articles need to be incorporated where they are relevant.  The titles are neither "user friendly" or likely to typed in by anyone seeking information.  If they are just here so they can be referred to from other pages then they may as well be there in the first place. Giano 12:00, 25 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * Fair enough, I see your point and I agree the titles are not user-friendly. I think there need to be standardisation in the titles. IMO "Golfers with (the?) most PGA Tour wins" is a good title b/c it is that's the kind of thing that one might stick in google or any search engine if you wanted to know. The others should be called "Golfers with (the?) most PGA Tour wins in one year", "Golfers with most major title wins", "Golfers with (the?) most Champions Tour wins" and so forth. I also think that they need to be expanded. -- Lochaber 13:39, 25 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * On combining I suppose it's a style issue, I wouldn't agree that they should be combined with the individual tour / tournament pages just because I think it makes those articles messy. To me, who as I mentioned knows v. little about golf, I would go to the PGA tour page to find out what it is, but I'm not necessarily be interested in who has the most wins. I would favour creating a seperate articles for the things like the list of leading money winners by year as well. If you look at the Routes section in the Ryanair article, which btw is a featured article, you'll see there is a link for a seperate page for the destinations. It makes the Ryanair page easier to read, if you stuck a big list in there it would interrupt the flow of the article. I suppose it's not an issue if the parent article is quite short but I think that the golf tour articles can be expanded further - like the PGA TOUR article already has been - and separating these types of things saves clean-up later. Anyway, that's just my opinion and there is a certain presumption on my part that the tour / tournament articles can be expanded to the point where this becomes an issue and that the lists will be regularly updated. -- Lochaber 13:34, 25 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * Apologies for writing so much but I just want to get it all out there... -- Lochaber 13:34, 25 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * Perhaps it would be a good idea if Windcoote is keen to retain these tables, he amalgamated them into ONE large article entitled "Golfing statistics" or "Golfing records" or something similar, where they could all be lumped together; that way the index box at the top of the page would make each table and section readily available.  But as small scrappy little pages of one table or so each with little or no explanatory information  delete is the only option Giano 13:52, 25 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * I can see your point but I think that combining all these articles will just give you one entirely messy page. I think your idea would work if what there is right now was all there was ever going to be, but keeping them separate gives them room to expand beyond what they currently are. Having them in Category:Golf Records allows them to all be accessed in the handy manner you describe, though maybe it should be changed to Golf statistics as these lists aren't actually records and the official rankings definitely aren't. Anyway I think we've had our say now (or at least I've said enough ;-)), it's really up to others now to decide what is best. -- Lochaber 15:13, 25 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * There is no minimum size for a Wikipedia article, and there are tens of thousands which are shorter than these articles (especially the other three larger ones - the debate has been cunningly attached to the smallest article). The Champions Tour list is the shortest because the Champions Tour is much younger than the PGA Tour or the majors. It is intended to include players with a similar level of achievement to the other lists. I have written dozens of golf articles recently, on tours, tournaments, and individual players. I am rapidly boosting the number of links between them. The value of having separate list is illustrated by, for example, the link in Greg Norman which goes directly to the one list out of the four which is relevant to him (Golfers with most PGA tour wins), and not to the other three which aren't. Wincoote 17:07, 25 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * Comment I have added players with four and three majors to the majors list, and will get down to one on this list eventually, though not on the others. I have also moved it to Golfers with most major title wins as requested by Lochaber, expanded the introduction to the list, and added a link to majors, which hadn't been written when I did the list (the article start dates are 31 Jan and 15 Feb). Wincoote 17:07, 25 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * Delete. Arbitrary list. Jayjg (talk) 17:23, 25 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * What is arbitary about it? Do you just mean this list or all of them. They are not all of quite the same nature (and once again it is inappropriate that the discussion has been appended to the articles which is clearly the least significant of the four). There is a great lack of detail in the negative votes. I should have mentioned before that the level of 20 wins on the PGA Tour actually has huge and official significance. It confers life membership of the tour, which means that a player no longer has to finish in the top 125 on the money list to retain his tour card. There may be a similar rule for the Champions Tour. I will go and look it up. Wincoote 17:31, 25 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * I can't find a full statement of eligibility criteria for Champions Tour events, but by inference from the profiles of Champions Tour members on the official site, the eqivalent status is "Top 30 on the all time money list" which would be much harder to maintain as many of the lines of such a table would change every week, rather than a maximum of one. Wincoote 17:40, 25 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * Windcoote there is an immense amount of detail and helpful suggestions in the negative vote, why don't you stop repeating yourself and read them Giano 17:44, 25 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * Concur with Giano. Radiant! 21:14, Feb 25, 2005 (UTC)
 * I have acted on two helpful suggestions, neither of which came from either of you. This vote appears to be the only one on this page in which Giano has participated. Whatever one thinks of this article, it is not credible to suggest that it is more deserving of deletion than all of the others. Giano's involvement here is clearly based on a personal vendetta rather than a concern for the well-being of Wikipedia. Despite his claim that he has stopped tracking my page, which I already knew to be almost certainly untrue, he appeared here just after this debate was mentioned on my user page. Wincoote 11:24, 26 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * Please compose yourself, and  confine your hysterical tantrums  to your user page where they belong. Giano 11:50, 26 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * And once more, Wincoote, an ad hominem doesn't substantiate anything. We're trying to keep a sensible discussion here, and your aim seems to be to insult everyone who disagrees with you. Your antics haven't convinced me to change my vote to anything else than delete. Radiant! 12:16, Feb 26, 2005 (UTC)
 * Keep. Lists like these are encyclopedic. -- AllyUnion (talk) 16:41, 1 Mar 2005 (UTC)

This page is now preserved as an archive of the debate and, like some other VfD subpages, is no longer 'live'. Subsequent comments on the issue, the deletion, or the decision-making process should be placed on the relevant 'live' pages. Please do not edit this page.


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User talk:Swaroopch

Hi Swaroop, Welcome aboard. Hope you stick around.

-- Sundar 09:00, Feb 24, 2005 (UTC)

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

title: User talk:Swaroopch


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User:Emes

My Name is Martin I'm from Bozen. I'm editing many German Wikipedia articles. In this language I'll work on articles related to Italy, Catholic Church and Theology de:Benutzer:Emes es:usario:Emes it:Utente:Emes la:Usor:Emes

title: User:Emes


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Talk:Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell (video game)

Untitled
Instead of getting into a pointless (not to mention time consuming) edit war I would like to discuss why the link is considered spam. Please see http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/When_should_I_link_externally and especially the discussion about IMDB. // Liftarn
 * Category at ODP

 * There is a considerable difference between IMDB and an open directory with just links to other websites. IMDB supports our articles by stating the actors, directors, producers, etc etc of everyone involved in a film/video game or whatever. The site also has information on plot summary, awards etc etc etc. The site has high-content, which is a prerequisite for External links. An open directory that has no content of it's own besides links to other websites does not have high-content. I've discussed this with you already. Seeing that you've targeted other articles on Wikipedia with this link, I will request an admin/mediator to look into this matter. K1Bond007 20:02, Feb 24, 2005 (UTC)

 * IMDb has information. DMOZ is just a directory with more external links. I don't think linking to DMOZ is a good idea. Andre ( talk ) 21:36, Feb 24, 2005 (UTC)

 * I can't say that I'm for or against it but it should be pointed out that according to a Google search there exist at least 500 articles on the English Wikipedia that contain links to dmoz.org. Some articles, such as Literature, contain multiple links to the directory. --TheDotGamer | Talk 03:35, Feb 25, 2005 (UTC)

First I would like to point out that I find that you (K1Bond007) call it spam quite rude. I would also point out External_links/temp that while not official do say "When deemed appropriate by those contributing to an article on Wikipedia, a link to one web directory listing can be added, with preference to open directories". Personally I find it better to have a single link to a link directory rather than making the article into a link directory (because that's not what Wikipedia is, but ODP is a link directory). // Liftarn

 * Well I'm sorry you took it so personal. I wasn't trying to be rude, but whatever. I don't think it really adds anything to the article, but if you truly feel it does, with only 7 links 1 redudant, and 4 others going to Gamespot, then add it. I don't care. K1Bond007 18:18, Feb 25, 2005 (UTC)

 * Done! // Liftarn

The best stealth game i ever played
Splinter Cell is the best game i have ever played. it had me hooked from day one and the stealth mode made the game ever more thirlling. Ubisoft has done a great job in splinter cell. i think that if it had been given more publicity or released by a financial powerhouse like EA it would have sold more copies coz this game rocks. The graphics in the game is stunning and the weapons and tools we get to use are breathtaking. I have to mention it again : the graphics are stunning. the gameplay is one which hooks us into it. we have to use our brain in order to win this game and its not like some mindless killing FPS like counter strike or Max Payne.

all in all :  SPLINTER CELL ROCKS!!!

 * The graphics are pretty plain for an Unreal engine game (have you actually played Unreal?). The weapons and tools are standard fare for the genre, except that the weapons are annoyingly weak (you can shoot a guy 2 times in the head and he can still be alive), and overall the gameplay is extremely linear when compared to other stealth games, like Thief or Metal Gear, and unlike those games which handle stealth elegantly, Splinter Cell shoves it down your throat, for example when you move to certain checkpoints, there is a "body check" to make sure that you hid all the bodies or the alert status increases (even though no actual NPCs found the bodies). There are also a lot of "gotchas" like when you snipe some random guy from 200 feet away and get a message "surprise, you needed that guy to open a lock, so mission failed" (huh??). Also, when you slip up and cause guards to be alerted, there is often no way out of it other than to start shooting and kill everyone. There is no recovery mechanism like Thief's flash bombs or hiding places like in Metal Gear. You just have to sit in a dark spot and hope you don't get cornered, but if you do, it turns into a bad fps. It's a decent game with high production values in a very small genre, so of course it is appreciated. But as far as stealth games go, the design has numerous shortcomings and flaws. The series could be a lot better than it is. 24.6.99.30 11:12, 22 February 2007 (UTC)
 * Aye, it's a good game. – Illegitimate Barrister (talk • contribs), 02:48, 30 January 2021 (UTC)

Georgian Progammers
Is it necesarry to mentio all those Gerogian programmers? They serve no real purpose to the story and are really just generic cannon fodder bad guys. And shouldnt Blaustein and Madison be mentioned?

Dtox.danny 03:25, 29 January 2006 (UTC)

Faaaaar too technical
"PlayStation 2: this version runs at a lower resolution than the Xbox and GCN versions, and sacrifices had to be made to the graphics including more jagged edges, duller colors and less lighting effects"

You might want to dumb that down some more, I can't understand it! Ps, how many more jagged edges were included? 6? 7? Shouldn't this number really be researched? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Poddster (talk • contribs) 23:44, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

 * It means the edges are more jagged. I'm not sure what else is "too technical". Wikipedia can educate readers about Display resolution, jaggies, colours and lighting effects. Jetekus 17:10, 17 September 2007 (UTC)

Fair use rationale for Image:Tharealsplintercell.jpg
Image:Tharealsplintercell.jpg is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in this Wikipedia article constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.

Please go to the image description page and edit it to include a fair use rationale. Using one of the templates at Fair use rationale guideline is an easy way to insure that your image is in compliance with Wikipedia policy, but remember that you must complete the template. Do not simply insert a blank template on an image page.

If there is other fair use media, consider checking that you have specified the fair use rationale on the other images used on this page. Note that any fair use images lacking such an explanation can be deleted one week after being tagged, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. If you have any questions please ask them at the Media copyright questions page. Thank you.

BetacommandBot (talk) 06:28, 24 January 2008 (UTC)
 * Rationale added to image article. Johnmc (talk) 14:35, 19 February 2008 (UTC)

PC Bonus levels
"None of the bonus content from the other versions are present on this version. To get the Xbox Live bonus levels (Kola Cell, Vselka Infiltration, Vselka Submarine) for the PC version, you have to buy the limited collector's edition of Chaos Theory or Splinter Cell: Mission Pack, which is sold only in Europe." This is completely false. I bought the Bargain Bin version of Splinter Cell, (just a jewel case), from Best Buy and this is the latest patched version and it includes the levels. —Preceding unsigned comment added by ZuljinRaynor (talk • contribs) 20:48, 11 March 2008 (UTC)
 * Prior to the release of Chaos Theory, the content in the article was true. I don't know what re-releases they have made since then. ColdFusion650 (talk) 21:08, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

Thief and MGS
"Splinter Cell's stealth-based gameplay, although frequently compared to the Metal Gear series, has more in common with that of the cult PC series Thief which pre-dates it by several years."

Am I missing something about the dates here? The Thief series seems to originate in 1998 (unless the 1981 arcade game is related, which it doesn't appear to be), while the Metal Gear series began in 1987(!) and Metal Gear Solid was released in 1998, the same year as Thief: The Dark Project. Or is this just an unclear sentence supposed to indicate that Thief predates Splinter Cell? Philip Reuben (talk) 18:30, 22 June 2008 (UTC)

 * I think the original author was referring to the fact that Thief came several years before SC. However, there appears to be some validity to the statement because MGS uses nothing but vision-fields for its stealth element; Thief and Splinter Cell use shadows, light-indicators, walk-speed, etc. Still, not entirely encyclopedic.69.26.207.224 (talk) 06:57, 16 June 2009 (UTC)

Introduction video
The bonus disc on the Xbox Classics edition features an "introduction" video (along with a "making of" section for it) which depicts a version of events leading up to the first mission in Georgia (seemingly contradicting everything you're told about Madison and Blaustein at the same time) followed by a short sequence of Sam on a sharkdiving expedition with his daughter. Does anyone know anything about this, specifically why there's so much contradiction in the narrative, and why it was included on the bonus disc rather than on the original game? MultipleTom (talk) 16:36, 19 September 2008 (UTC)

Censorship
Should it not be pointed out that Crystal Methods "Name of the game" song is censored in at least the version for the PC? Instead for singing "you motherfuckers", its now only "you mother"?
 * That would be trivial information. It wouldn't help the article in any significant way. Eik Corell 19:04, 5 October 2009 (UTC)

 * Do you call censorship a trivial thing? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 91.150.21.45 (talk) 20:44, 10 October 2009 (UTC)
 * In this case, yep. And unless reliable third party sources have picked up on it, it's not worth including. Eik Corell 22:02, 10 October 2009 (UTC)

 * Not in this case or in any other case is censorship a trivial thing, what do you mean by "reliable third sources" I could post youtube links so you could hear for yourself that its censored. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 91.150.21.45 (talk) 15:36, 12 October 2009 (UTC)

 * The fact that a song in a video-game has been censored is not notable. Unless a reliable source has covered or written about this, it is not notable per the policy WP:N, specifically the "general notability guideline". Eik Corell 18:14, 12 October 2009 (UTC)

 * I disagree at the strongest. A game that starts with explaining what FREEDOM OF SPEECH means and is itself CENSORED is a major issue. Maybe you like censorship what do i know? PS Your links to Wp:s so called "Reliable sources" and "Notability" have been blocked because they were after all not so reliable as you said, but what do you others think? Should it be mentioned on the main page? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 91.150.21.45 (talk) 00:57, 28 October 2009 (UTC)

 * The guidelines on original research state that
 * Wikipedia does not publish original research or original thought. This includes unpublished facts, arguments, speculation, and ideas; and any unpublished analysis or synthesis of published material that serves to advance a position. This means that Wikipedia is not the place to publish your own opinions, experiences, arguments, or conclusions.

 * Citing sources and avoiding original research are inextricably linked. To demonstrate that you are not presenting original research, you must cite reliable sources that are directly related to the topic of the article, and that directly support the information as it is presented.

 * If the shortcut hotlinks are not working on your computer, try entering the links directly: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:No_original_research and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Reliable_sources
 * To recap: Ynless you can find a reliable source for what you're trying to add, it probably shouldn't be in the article. Eik Corell 02:40, 28 October 2009 (UTC)

 * Scary! Especially this: Wikipedia does not publish original research or original thought. (1984?) This includes unpublished facts, (Nope! Youtube!) arguments, (Strong) speculation, (None whatsoever) and ideas; (1984?) and any unpublished analysis or synthesis of published material that serves to advance a position. This means that Wikipedia is not the place to publish your own opinions, experiences, arguments, or conclusions. While we at the same time can see the full uncut video on youtube of Crystal Methods "Name of the game"! Which in this case is over the top HYPOCRISY since the game starts with explaining FREEDOM OF SPEECH and NOT CENSORSHIP! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 91.150.21.45 (talk) 05:32, 28 October 2009 (UTC)
 * This has nothing to do with fascism. WP:OR serves to protect Wikipedia from becoming a fan site by requiring rigorous fact-checking. This is done by using reliable sources. Also, remember that as a matter of principle, Wikipedia doesn't deal with truth, it deals with verifiability! - That information added is from a reliable source. You would be wise to go through WP:VERIFIABILITY, WP:No_original_research, and WP:What_Wikipedia_is_not. Those are the biggest relevant guidelines. Now, please stick to discussing matters regarding the article as Wikipedia is not a forum. Eik Corell 06:15, 28 October 2009 (UTC)

='Story' section= Am I the only one to be shocked by the massive chunk of text that makes the 'Story' section? Amenel (talk) 16:15, 4 April 2011 (UTC)
 * Nope. I've reverted that section back to an earlier state, which I also edited a bit for clarity. Eik Corell (talk) 19:44, 4 April 2011 (UTC)

=Question= Would the fact that this game is one of the ones that can be used to enable homebrew by soft methods rather than needing a mod chip be notable enough to note in the article? 208.110.183.9 (talk) 19:55, 18 July 2011 (UTC)

External links modified
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release date November 12, 2002?
where's the reference?

58.127.14.52 (talk) 13:32, 21 August 2017 (UTC)

External links modified
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Splinter Cell: Stealth Action Redefined
Is "Stealth Action Redefined" part of the official title? – Illegitimate Barrister (talk • contribs), 10:30, 29 January 2021 (UTC)

Remake
"Most of the staff involved in the original game are involved in doing the remake."

That information is not in the source (Polygon article). 193.175.5.167 (talk) 09:37, 23 October 2022 (UTC)

I've reviewed the source and couldn't find a part of the article to back up the sentence. Therefore, it will be removed. Thank you for pointing it out. HPSR (talk) 15:20, 23 October 2022 (UTC)


text:
Brugia malayi

Brugia malayi is a filarial (arthropod-borne) nematode (roundworm), one of the three causative agents of lymphatic filariasis in humans. Lymphatic filariasis, also known as elephantiasis, is a condition characterized by swelling of the lower limbs. The two other filarial causes of lymphatic filariasis are Wuchereria bancrofti and Brugia timori, which both differ from B. malayi morphologically, symptomatically, and in geographical extent.

B. malayi is transmitted by Mansonia mosquitoes and is restricted to South and Southeast Asia. It is one of the tropical diseases targeted for elimination by the year 2020 by the World Health Organization, which has spurred vaccine and drug development, as well as new methods of vector control.

Signs and symptoms
B. malayi is one of the causative agents of lymphatic filariasis, a condition marked by infection and swelling of the lymphatic system. The disease is primarily caused by the presence of worms in the lymphatic vessels and the resulting inflammatory response of the host. Signs of infection are typically consistent with those seen in Bancroftian filariasis—fever, lymphadenitis, lymphangitis, lymphedema, and secondary bacterial infection—with a few exceptions.

Lymphadenitis
Lymphadenitis, the swelling of the lymph nodes, is a commonly recognized symptom of many diseases. It is an early manifestation of filariasis, usually occurs in the inguinal area during B. malayi infection and can occur before the worms mature.

Lymphangitis
Lymphangitis is the inflammation of the lymphatic vessels in response to infection. It occurs early in the course of infection in response to worm development, molting, death, or bacterial and fungal infection. The affected lymphatic vessels become distended and tender, and the overlying skin becomes erythematous and hot. Abscess formation and ulceration of the affected lymph node occasionally occurs during B. malayi infection, more often than in Bancroftian filariasis. Remnants of adult worms can sometimes be found in the ulcer drainage.

Lymphedema
The most obvious sign of infection, elephantiasis, is the enlargement of the limbs–usually the legs. A late complication of infection, elephantiasis is a form of lymphedema and is caused by repeated inflammation of the lymphatic vessels. Repeated inflammatory reactions causes vessel dilation and thickening of the affected lymphatic vessels, which can compromise function. The lymphatic system normally functions to maintain fluid balance between tissues and the blood and serves as an integral part of the immune system. Blockage of these vessels due to inflammatory induced fibrosis, dead worms, or granulomatous reactions can interfere with normal fluid balance, thus leading to swelling in the extremities. Elephantiasis resulting from B. malayi infection typically affects the distal portions of the extremities. Unlike Bancroftian filariasis, B. malayi rarely affects genitalia and does not cause funiculitis, orchitis, epididymitis, hydrocele, or chyluria, conditions more often observed with Bancroftian infection.

Secondary bacterial infection
Secondary bacterial infection is common among patients with filariasis. Compromised immune function due to lymphatic damage in addition to lymph node ulcerations and abscesses exposure and impaired circulation due to elephantiasis can cause secondary bacterial or fungal infection. Elephantiasis, in addition to the physical burden of a swollen limb, can be a severely debilitating condition given bacterial infection. Part of the WHO's "Strategy to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis" targets hygiene promotion programs in order to alleviate the suffering of affected individuals (see Prevention Strategies).

However, clinical manifestations of infection are variable and depend on several factors, including host immune system, infectious dose, and parasite strain differences. Most infections appear asymptomatic, yet vary from individual to individual. Individuals living in endemic areas with microfilaremia may never present with overt symptoms, whereas in other cases, only a few worms can exacerbate a severe inflammatory response.

The development of the disease in humans, however, is not well understood. Adults typically develop worse symptoms, given the long exposure time required for infection. Infection may occur during childhood, but the disease appears to take many years to manifest. The incubation period for infection ranges from 1 month to 2 years and typically microfilariae appear before overt symptoms. Lymphedema can develop within six months and development of elephantiasis has been reported within a year of infection among refugees, who are more immunologically naive. Men tend to develop worse symptoms than women.

Hosts
Hosts of B. malayi include Southeast Asian cats.

Life cycle
Development and replication of B. malayi occurs in two discrete phases: in the mosquito vector and in the human. Both stages are essential to the life cycle of the parasite.

Mosquito: The mosquito serves as a biological vector and intermediate host – it is required for the developmental cycle and transmission of B. malayi.

4. The mosquito takes a human blood meal and ingests microfilariae (worm-like sheathed eggs) that circulate in the human blood stream.

5-7 In the mosquito, the microfilariae shed sheaths, penetrate the midgut, and migrate to the thoracic muscles were the microfilariae increase in size, molt, and develop into infective larvae (L1 and L3) over a span of 7–21 days. No multiplication or sexual reproduction of microfilariae occurs in the mosquito.

8-1 The infective larvae (L3) migrate to the salivary glands, enter the proboscis and escape onto human skin when the mosquito takes another blood meal.

Human: B. malayi undergoes further development in the human as well as sexual reproduction and egg production.

1-2 The infective larvae (L3) actively penetrate the skin through the bite hole and develop into adults in the lymphatic system over a span of 6 months. Adult worms can survive in the lymphatic system for 5–15 years

3. The male and female adult worms mate and the females produce an average of 10,000 sheathed eggs (microfilaria) daily The microfilariae enter the blood stream and exhibit nocturnal periodicity and subperiodicity.

4. Another mosquito takes a blood meal and ingests the microfilariae. Infection depends on the mosquito taking a blood meal during a periodic episode – when microfilariae are present in the bloodstream.

Adult
Adult worms resemble typical nematode roundworms. Long and threadlike, B. malayi and other nematode possess only longitudinal muscles and move in an S-shape motion. Adults are typically smaller than adult W. bancrofti, though few adults have been isolated. Female adult worms (50 mm) are larger than male worms (25 mm).

Microfilariae
B. malayi microfilariae are 200–275 µm in length and have a round anterior end and a pointed posterior end. The microfilariae are sheathed, which stains heavily with Giemsa. The sheath is actually the egg shell, a thin layer that surrounds the egg shell as the microfilariae circulates in the bloodstream. The microfilariae retain the sheath until they are digested in the mosquito midgut.

B. malayi microfilariae resemble W. bancrofti and Loa loa microfilariae with minor differences that can aid in laboratory diagnosis. B. malayi microfilariae can be distinguished by the noncontinuous row of nuclei found in the tip of the tail. There are two terminal nuclei that are distinctly separated from the other nuclei in the tail, whereas the tail of W. bancrofti contains no nuclei and Loa loa microfilariae nuclei form a continuous row in the tail. B. malayi microfilariae also have a characteristic cephalic space ratio of 2:1.

Spread
B. malayi is transmitted by a mosquito vector. The principal mosquito vectors include Mansonia, Anopheles, and Aedes mosquitoes. The geographical distribution of the disease is thus dependent on suitable mosquito breeding habitat.
 * The nocturnal periodic form is transmitted by Mansonia and some anopheline mosquitoes in open swamps and rice growing areas. These mosquitoes tend to bite at night and appear to only infect humans. Natural animal infections are rare and experimental animals do not retain infection.
 * The nocturnal subperiodic form is transmitted by Mansonia in forest swamps, where mosquitoes bite in the shade at any time. Natural zoonotic infections are common. Cats, dogs, monkeys, slow lorises, civet cats, and hamsters have all been successfully experimentally infected with B. malayi from man and may serve as important reservoirs.

The accumulation of many infective mosquito bites – several hundreds to thousands – is required to establish infection. This is because a competent mosquito usually transmits only a few infective L3 larvae (see Life cycle), and less than 10% of those larvae progress through all the necessary molting steps and develop into adult worms that can mate. Thus those at greatest risk for infection are individuals living in endemic areas—short term tourists are unlikely to develop lymphatic filariasis.

Diagnosis
Tender or enlarged inguinal lymph nodes or swelling in the extremities can alert physicians or public health officials to infection.

With appropriate laboratory equipment, microscopic examination of differential morphological features of microfilariae in stained blood films can aid diagnosis—in particular the examination of the tail portion, the presence of a sheath, and the size of the cephalic space. Giemsa staining will uniquely stain B. malayi sheath pink. However, finding the microfilariae on blood films can be difficult because of the nocturnal periodicity of some forms of B. malayi.

PCR based assays are highly sensitive and can be used to monitor infections both in humans and the mosquito vectors. However, PCR assays are time-consuming, labor-intensive and require laboratory equipment. Lymphatic filariasis mainly affects the poor, who live in areas without such resources.

The ICT antigen card test is widely used in the diagnosis of W. bancrofti, but commercial antigens of B. malayi have not been widely available. However, new research developments have identified a recombinant antigen (BmR1) that is both specific and sensitive in the detection of IgG4 antibodies against B. malayi and B. timori in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and an immunochromatographic rapid dipstick (Brugia Rapid) test. However, it appears that immunoreactivity to this antigen is variable in individuals infected with other filarial nematodes. This research has led to the development of two new rapid immunochromatographic IgG4 cassette tests – WB rapid and PanLF rapid – which detect Bancroftian filariasis and all three species of lymphatic filariasis, respectively, with high sensitivity and selectivity.

Vaccines
There is currently no licensed vaccine to prevent lymphatic filariasis. However, recent research has produced vaccine candidates with good results in experimental animals. A glutathione-S-transferase, a detoxification enzyme in parasites isolated from Setaria cervi, a bovine filarial parasite, reduced B. malayi adult parasite burden by more than 82% for 90 days after treatment.

Vector control
Vector control has been effective in virtually eliminating lymphatic filariasis in some regions, but vector control combined with chemotherapy produces the best results. It is suggested that 11 to 12 years of effective vector control may eliminate lymphatic filariasis. Successful methods of B. malayi vector control include residual house spraying using DDT and insecticide treated bednets. Mansonia larvae attach their breathing tubes to underwater roots and plants in order to survive. While chemical larvicides have only provided partial control, plant removal could prevent vector development, but also potential adverse effects on the aquatic environment. Lymphatic filariasis vector control is neglected in comparison to the far more established efforts to control malaria and dengue vectors. Integrated vector control methods should be applied in areas where the same mosquito species is responsible for transmitting multiple pathogens.

Management
The Global Alliance to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis was launched by the World Health Organization in 2000 with two primary goals: 1) to interrupt transmission and 2) to alleviate the suffering of affected individuals. Mass drug treatment programs are the main strategy for interrupting parasite transmission, and morbidity management, focusing on hygiene, improves the quality of life of infected individuals.

Drugs
A goal of community-based efforts is to eliminate microfilariae from the blood of infected individuals in order to prevent transmission to the mosquito. This is primarily accomplished through the use of drugs. The treatment for B. malayi infection is the same as for Bancroftian filariasis. Diethylcarbamazine has been used in mass treatment programs as an effective microfilaricidal drug in several locations, including India. While diethylcarbamazine tends to cause adverse reactions like immediate fever and weakness, it is not known to cause any long-term adverse drug effects. It has been shown to kill both adult worms and microfilariae. In Malaysia, diethylcarbamazine dosages (6 mg/kg weekly for 6 weeks; 6 mg/kg daily for 9 days) reduced microfilariae by 80% for 18–24 months after treatment in the absence of mosquito control. Microfilariae numbers slowly return many months after treatment, thus requiring multiple drug doses over time in order to achieve long-term control. However, it is not known how many years of mass drug administration is required to eliminate transmission. there have been any confirmed cases of diethylcarbamazine resistance as of 2007.

Single doses of two drugs (albendazole-diethylcarbamazine and albendazole-ivermectin) have been shown to remove 99% of microfilariae for a year after treatment and help to improve elephantiasis during early stages of the disease. Ivermectin, while not lethal to adult Brugia malayi worms, functions as an effective, less toxic microfilaricide. It disrupts the function of the excretory-secretory apparatus in microfilariae, essential for their survival and immune evasion.

Since the discovery of the importance of Wolbachia bacteria in the life cycle of B. malayi and other nematodes, novel drug efforts have targeted the endobacterium. Tetracyclines, rifampicin, and chloramphenicol have been effective in vitro by interfering with larvae molting and microfilariae development. Tetracyclines have been shown to cause reproductive and embryogenesis abnormalities in the adult worms, resulting in worm sterility. Clinical trials have demonstrated the successful reduction of Wolbachia and microfilariae in onchocerciasis and W. bancrofti infected patients. These antibiotics, while acting through a slightly more indirect route, are promising antifilarial drugs.

Hygiene
Secondary bacterial infection is often observed with lymphatic filariasis. Rigorous hygiene practices, including washing with soap and water daily and disinfecting wounds can help heal infected surfaces, and slow and potentially reverse existing tissue damage. Promoting hygiene is essential for lymphatic filariasis patients given the compromised immune and damaged lymphatic systems and can help prevent suffering and disability.

Preventative chemotherapy
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends preventive chemotherapy as a key strategy to eliminate lymphatic filariasis. This involves mass drug administration (MDA), where entire at-risk populations are treated annually with safe medicine combinations. The medicines used in MDA are primarily effective against the microfilariae, the immature larvae of the parasite, and have limited effects on the adult worms.

Epidemiology
B. malayi infects 13 million people in south and southeast Asia and is responsible for nearly 10% of the world's total cases of lymphatic filariasis. B. malayi infection is endemic or potentially endemic in 16 countries, where it is most common in southern China and India, but it also occurs in Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, and South Korea. The distribution of B. malayi overlaps with W. bancrofti in these regions, but does not coexist with B. timori. Regional foci of endemicity are determined in part by the mosquito vectors

Distinct parasite
B. malayi was discovered in 1927 by the Dutch parasitologist Steffen Lambert Brug (1879–1946) (who is commonly known in the scientific literature as S.L. Brug) while working in Indonesia. It was similar to another filarial roundworm Wuchereria bancrofti (then called Filaria (Microfilaria) bancrofti). But the new species of human filaria in North Sumatra was both physiologically and morphologically distinct from the W. bancrofti microfilariae commonly found in Jakarta. Based on their resemblance and differences, the new species was named Filaria malayi. Despite epidemiological studies identifying Filaria malayi in India, Sri Lanka, China, North Vietnam, and Malaysia in the 1930s, Lichtenstein and Brug's hypothesis was not accepted until the 1940s, when Rao and Mapelstone identified two adult worms in India.

Based on the similarities with W. bancrofti, Rao and Mapelstone proposed to call the parasite Wuchereria malayi. After the discovery of new species such as W. pahangi (now B. pahangi) in 1956, and W. patei (now B. patei) in 1958, the scientific classification was reassessed in 1960. Buckley proposed to divide the old genus Wuchereria, into two genera, Wuchereria and introduced a new Brugia after the original discoverer. Then Wuchereria contains only W. bancrofti, which so far has been found to infect only humans, and the genus Brugia contains B. malayi, which infects humans and animals, as well as other zoonotic species.

Different strains
In 1957, two subspecies of human infecting B. malayi were discovered by Turner and Edeson in Malaysia based on the observation of different patterns of microfilaria periodicity. Periodicity refers to a pronounced peak in microfilariae count during a 24‑hour interval when microfilariae are present and detectable in the circulating blood. The basis for this phenomenon remains largely unknown.
 * Nocturnal periodicity: microfilariae are not detectable in the blood for the majority of the day, but the microfilarial density peaks between midnight and 2 AM nightly.
 * Nocturnal subperiodicity: microfilariae are present in the blood at all times, but appear at greatest density between noon and 8 PM.

Research
In 2007, scientists sequenced the genome of Brugia malayi. Identifying the genes of this organism might lead to development of new drugs and vaccines.

To decipher the genome, "Whole Genome Shotgun Sequencing" was performed. The genome was found to be approximately 90-95 megabases in size. The results of the sequencing were then compared to those of the reference nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, along with its prototype Caenorhabditis briggsae. These two free-living nematodes were incorporated in the study and were important for several reasons:
 * comparing genomes using C. elegans allowed for the identification of similar linkages in genes
 * the researchers found a genomic conservation with an absence of conservation at a more local gene level
 * this demonstrated that rearrangements had occurred over time between the C. elegans and B. malayi and allowed researchers to identify genes or proteins that were specific to B. malayi
 * these unique genes were significant because they could have led to the parasitism seen in B. malayi, and therefore are potential targets for future studies
 * gene linkages offer insight into the evolutionary trend of parasitic genes that could yield clues to further explain their unique ability to successfully survive for many years in humans

New medications
Sequence comparisons between the two genomes allow for mapping of C. elegans orthologs to B. malayi genes. By using orthology mappings (between C. elegans and B.malayi) and incorporating the extensive genomic and functional genomic data, including genome-wide RNAi screens that already exist for C. elegans, potentially essential genes in B. malayi can be identified. Scientists are hoping to be able to target these genes as potential new targets for drug treatments. The longevity of this parasite complicates treatment because most existing drugs target the larvae and thus do not kill adult worms. The drugs often must be taken periodically for years, and the worms can cause a massive immune reaction when they die and releases foreign molecules in the body. Drug treatments for filariasis have not changed significantly in over 20 years, and with the risk of resistance rising, there is an urgent need for the development of new anti-filarial drug therapies. From the genome sequence, several metabolic pathways have been identified, containing dozens of gene products that may be helpful in the discovery of more targeted and effective drug therapies.
 * possible new drug targets include:
 * molting
 * nuclear receptors
 * collagens and collagen processing
 * neuronal signaling
 * the B. malayi kinome
 * reliance on host (B. malayi) and endosymbiont (Wolbachia) metabolism

These potential new targets for drugs or vaccines may provide new opportunities for understanding, treating and preventing elephantiasis.

Relationship with Wolbachia
The relationship between the Wolbachia bacteria and B. malayi is not fully understood. Extrapolating from research done with Wuchereria bancrofti, another nematode that causes filariasis, Wolbachia may aid in embryogenesis of the worm, be responsible for potent inflammatory responses from macrophages and filarial disease, and be linked to the onset of lymphedema and blindness sometimes associated with B. malayi infections. In a study done by the University of Bonn in Ghana, doxycycline effectively depleted Wolbachia from W. bancrofti. It is likely that the mechanism of doxycycline is similar to that in other filarial species, i.e., a predominant blockade of embryogenesis, leading to a decline of microfilariae according to their half-life. This could render doxycycline treatment an additional tool for the treatment of microfilaria-associated diseases in Bancroftian filariasis, along with B. malayi fiariasis. The course of treatment with doxycycline could be much shorter as it would make the adult worm sterile in one shot rather than repeatedly have to target the replenished larvae that current treatments kill, and there would be fewer side effects for the infected individual.

Transplant research
Another hopeful use for the research is in the area of transplant research. Because the B. malayi genome is the first parasitic genome to have been sequenced, the implications on the mechanism of parasitism in humans are crucial to understand. According to Alan L. Scott, Ph.D., a collaborator at Johns Hopkins University, understanding how a particular parasite, such as B. malayi, can adapt to humans, may yield medical benefits far beyond treating elephantiasis. According to the author, "This worm can reside in the host for years and not necessarily cause disease, in fact the less disease the individual has, the more worms there are in circulation. Now that we know those genes don't exist in humans we can target them to control disease." Some of the predicted proteins for these new genes appear similar to known immuno-modulator proteins, regulators of the immune system, suggesting that they are involved in deactivating the host's immune system to ensure the parasite remains undetected. Knowledge of these previously unknown immune suppressors could also be of use in organ transplants and to help treat autoimmune disease.

According to the Filarial Genome Project being done by The Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases, the Brugia malayi MIF gene is expressed in all life-cycle stages of the parasite, and results suggest that B. malayi MIF may interact with the human immune system during the course of infection by altering the function of macrophages in the infected individual. Studies are currently testing the hypothesis that MIF may be involved in reducing the host's immune response to the microfilariae. Understanding how this particular parasite has adapted to humans may help organ transplant researchers by figuring out how to prevent the immune system from attacking the transplanted tissue.

title: Brugia malayi


text:
Sheet resistance

Sheet resistance is the resistance of a square piece of a thin material with contacts made to two opposite sides of the square. It is usually a measurement of electrical resistance of thin films that are uniform in thickness. It is commonly used to characterize materials made by semiconductor doping, metal deposition, resistive paste printing, and glass coating. Examples of these processes are: doped semiconductor regions (e.g., silicon or polysilicon), and the resistors that are screen printed onto the substrates of thick-film hybrid microcircuits.

The utility of sheet resistance as opposed to resistance or resistivity is that it is directly measured using a four-terminal sensing measurement (also known as a four-point probe measurement) or indirectly by using a non-contact eddy-current-based testing device. Sheet resistance is invariable under scaling of the film contact and therefore can be used to compare the electrical properties of devices that are significantly different in size.

Calculations

Sheet resistance is applicable to two-dimensional systems in which thin films are considered two-dimensional entities. When the term sheet resistance is used, it is implied that the current is along the plane of the sheet, not perpendicular to it.

In a regular three-dimensional conductor, the resistance can be written as $$R = \rho \frac{L}{A} = \rho \frac{L}{W t},$$ where

 * $$\rho$$ is material resistivity,
 * $$L$$ is the length,
 * $$A$$ is the cross-sectional area, which can be split into:
 * width $$W$$,
 * thickness $$t$$.

Upon combining the resistivity with the thickness, the resistance can then be written as $$R = \frac{\rho}{t} \frac{L}{W} = R_\text{s} \frac{L}{W},$$ where $$R_\text{s}$$ is the sheet resistance. If the film thickness is known, the bulk resistivity $$\rho$$ (in Ω·m) can be calculated by multiplying the sheet resistance by the film thickness in m: $$\rho = R_s \cdot t.$$

Units
Sheet resistance is a special case of resistivity for a uniform sheet thickness. Commonly, resistivity (also known as bulk resistivity, specific electrical resistivity, or volume resistivity) is in units of Ω·m, which is more completely stated in units of Ω·m2/m (Ω·area/length). When divided by the sheet thickness (m), the units are Ω·m·(m/m)/m = Ω. The term "(m/m)" cancels, but represents a special "square" situation yielding an answer in ohms. An alternative, common unit is "ohms square" (denoted "$$\Omega\Box$$") or "ohms per square" (denoted "Ω/sq" or "$$\Omega/\Box$$"), which is dimensionally equal to an ohm, but is exclusively used for sheet resistance. This is an advantage, because sheet resistance of 1 Ω could be taken out of context and misinterpreted as bulk resistance of 1 ohm, whereas sheet resistance of 1 Ω/sq cannot thus be misinterpreted.

The reason for the name "ohms per square" is that a square sheet with sheet resistance 10 ohm/square has an actual resistance of 10 ohm, regardless of the size of the square. (For a square, $$L = W$$, so $$R_\text{s} = R$$.) The unit can be thought of as, loosely, "ohms · aspect ratio". Example: A 3-unit long by 1-unit wide (aspect ratio = 3) sheet made of material having a sheet resistance of 21 Ω/sq would measure 63 Ω (since it is composed of three 1-unit by 1-unit squares), if the 1-unit edges were attached to an ohmmeter that made contact entirely over each edge.

For semiconductors
For semiconductors doped through diffusion or surface peaked ion implantation we define the sheet resistance using the average resistivity $$\overline{\rho} = 1 / \overline{\sigma}$$ of the material:

$$R_\text{s} = \overline{\rho} / x_\text{j} = (\overline{\sigma} x_\text{j})^{-1} = \frac{1}{ \int_0^{x_\text{j}} \sigma(x) \,dx },$$ which in materials with majority-carrier properties can be approximated by (neglecting intrinsic charge carriers):

$$R_\text{s} = \frac{1}{\int_0^{x_\text{j}} \mu q N(x) \,dx},$$ where $$x_\text{j}$$ is the junction depth, $$\mu$$ is the majority-carrier mobility, $$q$$ is the carrier charge, and $$N(x)$$ is the net impurity concentration in terms of depth. Knowing the background carrier concentration $$N_\text{B}$$ and the surface impurity concentration, the sheet resistance-junction depth product $$R_\text{s} x_\text{j}$$ can be found using Irvin's curves, which are numerical solutions to the above equation.

Measurement
A four-point probe is used to avoid contact resistance, which can often have the same magnitude as the sheet resistance. Typically a constant current is applied to two probes, and the potential on the other two probes is measured with a high-impedance voltmeter. A geometry factor needs to be applied according to the shape of the four-point array. Two common arrays are square and in-line. For more details see Van der Pauw method.

Measurement may also be made by applying high-conductivity bus bars to opposite edges of a square (or rectangular) sample. Resistance across a square area will be measured in Ω/sq. For a rectangle an appropriate geometric factor is added. Bus bars must make ohmic contact.

Inductive measurement is used as well. This method measures the shielding effect created by eddy currents. In one version of this technique a conductive sheet under test is placed between two coils. This non-contact sheet resistance measurement method also allows to characterize encapsulated thin-films or films with rough surfaces. A very crude two-point probe method is to measure resistance with the probes close together and the resistance with the probes far apart. The difference between these two resistances will be of the order of magnitude of the sheet resistance.

Typical applications
Sheet resistance measurements are very common to characterize the uniformity of conductive or semiconductive coatings and materials, e.g. for quality assurance. Typical applications include the inline process control of metal, TCO, conductive nanomaterials or other coatings on architectural glass, wafers, flat panel displays, polymer foils, OLED, ceramics, etc. The contacting four-point probe is often applied for single-point measurements of hard or coarse materials. Non-contact eddy current systems are applied for sensitive or encapsulated coatings, for inline measurements and for high-resolution mapping.

General references

 * Measuring Sheet Resistance

title: Sheet resistance


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Roy Bennett (politician)

Roy Leslie Bennett (16 February 1957 – 17 January 2018) was a Zimbabwean politician and member of the British South Africa Police. He was also a member of the House of Assembly of Zimbabwe for the seat of Chimanimani, where he was affectionately known as Pachedu (loosely translated as "Amongst Us"). He was the Treasurer of the Movement for Democratic Change party led by Morgan Tsvangirai and a member of the Senate of Zimbabwe. He was set to become the Deputy Minister of Agriculture of Zimbabwe until President Robert Mugabe refused to swear him in.

He was one of three white parliamentarians elected in the 2000 Zimbabwean parliamentary election despite the intimidation against MDC voters by supporters of ZANU-PF. During the election campaign, his wife who was three months pregnant, was physically abused by ZANU activists on their farm and subsequently miscarried her baby boy.

Imprisonment
In 2004, during a parliamentary debate in which Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa was pushing to amend the mandatory three-year sentence for stock theft to nine years, Bennett argued that only because the ZANU-PF government had stolen cattle did they now want to revert to a repressive Rhodesian law. Chinamasa then said:

"Mr. Bennett has not forgiven the government for acquiring his farm, but he forgets that his forefathers were thieves and murderers."

Bennett stood up and walked towards Chinamasa, shouting, "Unoda kundijairira iwewe nhai nhai! Unoda kuti ndiite sei?" (Shona: "Don't think you can get away with trying to take advantage of me! What do you want me to do?") Bennett then pushed Chinamasa, who fell to the floor. He was kicked from behind by Anti-Corruption Minister Didymus Mutasa, whom he then unsuccessfully tried to punch. ZANU-PF MP Elliot Manyika reached for a gun in his jacket and threatened Bennett. The Sergeant at Arms escorted Bennett out of the chamber. Deputy Speaker Edna Madzongwe ejected Nelson Chamisa and Willias Madzimure for their involvement in the fight.

The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition condemned the actions of Bennett and Chinamasa.

A bill of attainder was then passed. The parliamentary committee investigating the incident, which eventually imprisoned Bennett for 15 months, consisted of three Zanu PF MPs and two MDC MPs. While the MDC MPs vehemently defended Bennett, he was still imprisoned as ZANU-PF had a majority of seats on the committee.

Release
On 28 June 2005, Bennett was released from Chikurubi Prison after spending eight months of his twelve-month sentence in custody. It is standard prison procedure to commute a third of any sentence for good behaviour. He told reporters he had been made to stand naked in front of prison guards and was then given a prison uniform covered with human excrement and lice when he arrived in jail. He denounced prison conditions generally in a press conference after his release, saying, "The inhumanity with which the prisoners are treated and their total lack of recourse to any representation or justice combined with the filth and stench of daily life is something I will never forget and I will not rest until their conditions are improved." Bennett was also scarred by the screams he would hear from other prisoners being beaten on the soles of their feet.

Bennett declared his desire to continue in politics, saying, "I am more determined than ever to continue to strive for a better Zimbabwe for all Zimbabweans, the current oppression cannot continue for much longer and sooner, rather than later, the people will assert their rights." He also said that if the opportunity arose and the people for Chimanimani asked him to, he would stand as their representative again.

Subsequent developments
During the MDC split over the proposed boycott of elections to the Zimbabwe Senate in 2005, Bennett sided with MDC President Morgan Tsvangirai in support of the boycott.

Bennett previously lived in South Africa as a refugee. His application for asylum was initially rejected by the South African Department of Immigration. After a court ruling by the South African Human Rights Commission, his asylum request was accepted on 13 May 2007. During his time in exile, he had an active role in activism for Zimbabwe and particularly the MDC in South Africa. In 2006 he became the treasurer general for the mainstream faction of the MDC led by Morgan Tsvangirai. He was also a spokesman in South Africa and made regular interviews on behalf of the MDC.

During Robert Mugabe's 84th birthday celebrations at the border area of Beitbridge before the 2008 election, Roy Bennett led a demonstration on the South African side of the border against the president:

"We are gathered here after many years of suffering, while across the river, after 28 years, a man who is now 84 years old, is having a birthday party. A birthday party while everybody around him is starving and dying. There's no electricity, there are no roads, there are no jobs, there's no education, there's no medical, there's nothing. He is spending 300,000 US dollars to have a birthday party."

Return
At the end of January 2009, after several years in exile, he returned to Zimbabwe to join a debate within the MDC to decide whether or not to agree to the power-sharing government with Mugabe. After the MDC ultimately agreed to share power with ZANU-PF, Morgan Tsvangirai designated Bennett as Deputy Minister of Agriculture on 10 February 2009. On 13 February, he was arrested again while trying to (legally) leave Zimbabwe on a private plane at Charles Prince Airport. He was brought to police stations in Goromonzi and Mutare on that day. He was charged with treason, and the MDC reported that he had been denied food in jail.

Charges were later replaced with those of "conspiring to acquire arms with a view to disrupting essential services". When a magistrate ordered Bennett to be released on remand, the magistrate himself was arrested because "he has passed a judgment that is not popular with the state", and was charged with criminal abuse of office. Bennett was released from prison on bail on 12 March 2009, but was ordered back on 14 October 2009. On 16 October 2009, Judge Hungwe instructed the prison to release Roy Bennett on his old bail conditions.

On Monday 10 May 2010, Roy Bennett was acquitted. On the day of his acquittal, fresh charges were brought against him by CID Law and Order detectives for illegally storing grain. As there were no grounds for these accusations, he was instead charged of perjury and contempt of court. After warrants for his arrest were issued, Roy Bennett lived in exile in South Africa after September 2010.

Death
Roy Bennett and his wife Heather died 17 January 2018 in a helicopter crash in Colfax County, New Mexico, USA.

title: Roy Bennett (politician)


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Stars (Canadian band)

Stars is a Canadian indie pop/rock band based in Montreal, Quebec. Since forming in 2000, they have released nine albums and a number of EPs. Their music has been nominated for two Juno Awards and two Polaris Music Prizes.

History
All members of Stars grew up in Toronto, Ontario. Torquil Campbell and Christopher Seligman recorded the first Stars album Nightsongs in New York in 1999. When they began to do live shows, they called in Evan Cranley, a childhood friend, to play bass. Cranley then recruited Amy Millan to be part of the band.

After a short stint in New York, the four musicians moved to Montreal and began to work on the second full-length album, Heart. In Montreal, they met Patrick McGee, who became their drummer. Heart was released on the new label Arts&Crafts, which also hosted their friends Broken Social Scene. While on their first North American tour together, Stars and Broken Social Scene shared and swapped members on a nightly basis. Heart appeared on the !earshot National Top 50 chart in March 2003, and won critical acclaim.

Stars rented a house in the Eastern Townships in the middle of winter. For a month and a half, the five of them lived together and wrote Set Yourself on Fire. It was recorded at Studio Plateau in Montreal and was produced by the band and Tom McFall. The record received good reviews, and, along with the band's live performances, established them on the national indie rock scene in Canada.

Stars have cited a wide variety of musical influences ranging from Berlioz to Outkast, citing among others Paddy McAloon, New Order, The Smiths, Brian Wilson, and Momus. They covered The Smiths' "This Charming Man" on 2001's Nightsongs and The Pogues' "Fairytale of New York" in 2005. Other indie artists have been guest collaborators on many of their tracks, especially for an early period including the release of their first LP.

Anticipating that their album In Our Bedroom After the War would leak at some point between the final mixing and the official release, Stars was one of the first bands to make their album available in digital form the day after it was completed on July 10, 2007. The CD release included a bonus DVD, a film called "Are we here now". It is a collection of interviews with the band and the band's close friends as well as live performances around the globe; it was directed by Anthony Seck.

Meanwhile, Campbell was also an active member of the band Memphis. Millan has released two solo albums, Honey from the Tombs in 2006 and Masters of the Burial in 2009.

On September 1, 2008, the band released the EP Sad Robots through their online store and also sold it during live shows.

Their single "Celebration Guns" is the title song for the television series ZOS: Zone of Separation and was provided for free as part of a collaboration with Moms Against Climate Change.

Stars have covered The Smiths' "Asleep" for American Laundromat Records' charity CD "Sing Me To Sleep - Indie Lullabies". The CD was released worldwide in May 2010.

In June 2010 the band released their fifth studio album, The Five Ghosts. In Canada, the album was released via Soft Revolution, the band's own new label. It has been distributed worldwide via Vagrant Records.

The band's sixth studio album, The North, was released on September 4, 2012, via ATO Records. It was promoted by offering a free download of the first single "The Theory of Relativity" in exchange for signing up for the band's official e-mail list.

Stars performed at the 2013 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival as well as the Field Trip Arts & Crafts Music Festival, celebrating the tenth anniversary of their label Arts & Crafts Productions.

The band released their seventh album, No One Is Lost, in October 2014. Chris McCarron, formerly of Land of Talk, officially joined the band as the lead guitarist; he had previously contributed to The North and toured with the band.

Stars were on the line-up for the WayHome festival in the summer of 2016, north of Toronto.

On January 1, 2017, the band was part of CBC's The Strombo Show's Hip 30. Various Canadian bands covered songs from The Tragically Hip to commemorate the Hip's 30th anniversary.

Stars released their eighth album, There Is No Love in Fluorescent Light, produced by Peter Katis, on October 13, 2017, on Last Gang Records worldwide.

Musical style and influence
Stars' music has been described as "beautiful, eloquent indie pop", characterized by lush instrumentation, nimble production and mixing, narrative lyrics, and soft but nuanced vocals. The band's style has evolved from an electronic-pop sound as heard on Nightsongs (released on Le Grand Magistery record label) to more rock-based instrumentation on their following three full-length albums, reflecting the permanent additions of singer-guitarist Amy Millan and bassist Evan Cranley on Heart (released on Paper Bag Records), and eventually drummer Patrick McGee on Set Yourself on Fire.

Their songs have been featured on Queer as Folk, Alias, The O.C., Warehouse 13, Degrassi: The Next Generation, Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill, The Vampire Diaries, Skins, Continuum, Chuck, One Week, indie film Tanner Hall (2009), Studio C, and the 2011 film Like Crazy. Their music is also featured in the software-based artwork I Want You to Want Me (2007), by American artist Jonathan Harris.

Members

 * Torquil Campbell – lead vocals, synthesizer, melodica, occasional backing vocals (2000–present)
 * Chris Seligman – keyboards, French horn, backing vocals (2000–present)
 * Evan Cranley – bass, guitars, backing vocals (2000–present)
 * Amy Millan – backing vocals, keyboards, guitars, occasional lead vocals (2000–present)
 * Pat McGee – drums, percussion (2003–present)
 * Chris McCarron – lead guitar (2014–present)

Discography

 * Nightsongs (2001)
 * Heart (2003)
 * Set Yourself on Fire (2004)
 * In Our Bedroom After the War (2007)
 * The Five Ghosts (2010)
 * The North (2012)
 * No One Is Lost (2014)
 * There Is No Love in Fluorescent Light (2017)
 * From Capelton Hill (2022)

Juno nominations
Stars have received two Juno nominations throughout their career:

 * || Heart || Alternative Album of the Year || Nominated
 * || Set Yourself on Fire || Alternative Album of the Year || Nominated
 * || Set Yourself on Fire || Alternative Album of the Year || Nominated
 * || Set Yourself on Fire || Alternative Album of the Year || Nominated

Polaris Music Prizes
The band has received two Polaris nominations:

 * || In Our Bedroom After the War || Polaris Music Prize || Nominated
 * || The Five Ghosts || Polaris Music Prize || Nominated
 * || The Five Ghosts || Polaris Music Prize || Nominated
 * || The Five Ghosts || Polaris Music Prize || Nominated

TV appearances

 * Live! At the Rehearsal Hall
 * Late Night with Conan O'Brien
 * Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

title: Stars (Canadian band)


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Bill Engvall

William Ray Engvall Jr. (born July 27, 1957) is a retired American  stand-up comedian, actor, and television host. Engvall has released a number of stand-up comedy albums through Warner Records and the defunct BNA Records. His commercially successful album is the 1996 debut Here's Your Sign, certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. The album derives its name from Engvall's signature routine "here's your sign", wherein he offers "signs" to people whom he deems lacking in intellect. He has toured as a comedian both by himself and as a member of Blue Collar Comedy Tour, which included Jeff Foxworthy, Larry the Cable Guy, and Ron White. Engvall's television roles include Delta, The Jeff Foxworthy Show, The Bill Engvall Show, and Lingo.

Early life
William Ray Engvall Jr. was born in Galveston, Texas on July 27, 1957. His father, William Ray Engvall Sr., was a U.S. Navy doctor, who then went into private practice. Engvall spent most of his childhood living first in Galveston, then in Winslow, Arizona, then moving back to near Dallas, Texas during middle school. Following graduation from Richardson High School in Richardson, Texas, where he chose trombone when the teacher gave him the choice of either that or the tuba which led him into the jazz marching band, Engvall attended Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, intending to earn a bachelor's degree and become a teacher. While at Southwestern he was a member of Xi Chapter of the Kappa Alpha Order. Engvall left college without graduating and worked a series of jobs, including tour guide at Inner Space Caverns, and disc jockey in a Dallas, Texas nightclub. It was while working as the club DJ that he first ventured into stand-up comedy at amateur and open mic nights around Dallas.

Career
In 1990, Bill Engvall moved to Southern California to dedicate full-time to comedy. Early notoriety came from hosting the cable show A Pair of Jokers with Rosie O'Donnell and an appearance on The Golden Palace where he played Blanche's son Matthew, a stockbroker turned aspiring comic. Other early appearances included hosting A&E Networks An Evening at The Improv as well as stand-up routines on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and the ''Late Show with David Letterman.

A career breakthrough happened in 1992 when Engvall was named Best Male Standup at the American Comedy Awards. His first role as a series regular came soon after when he was cast in the ABC series Delta, starring Delta Burke. However, the show only lasted one season and Engvall returned to making the rounds of comedy clubs and the occasional television appearance until 1996 when he was cast with fellow comic and best friend Jeff Foxworthy in the NBC version of The Jeff Foxworthy Show. Signed by Warner Records in 1996, Engvall released the first of a series of successful comedy albums, Here's Your Sign, based on his signature joke. The album was certified Platinum and peaked at number 5 on the Billboard Country album chart. Excerpts from this album were remixed into a musical track titled "Here's Your Sign (Get the Picture)", featuring a chorus sung by country music artist Travis Tritt. "Here's Your Sign (Get the Picture)" charted at number 29 on Billboard Hot Country Songs and number 43 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1997. Engvall released two more albums by the end of the 1990s: Dorkfish in 1998 and Here's Your Christmas Album in 1999. The latter featured narrations by Engvall, as well as songs he co-wrote sung by session musicians. One of these original compositions, "Here's Your Sign Christmas", also made the country charts in both 1998 and 1999.

In 2000, Engvall exited Warner Records for BNA Records, citing managerial changes at Warner. His only BNA album, Now That's Awesome, came out that same year. Like most of the albums before it, this included two tracks that interpolated stand-up lines from the album with a musical track. The title track featured guest vocals from T. Graham Brown, Tracy Byrd, and Neal McCoy, while "Shoulda Shut Up" featured Julie Reeves.

Engvall moved back to Warner for all subsequent albums. Cheap Drunk: An Autobiography in 2002, Here's Your Sign Reloaded in 2003, 15° Off Cool in 2007, and Aged and Confused in 2009.

In 2021, Engvall announced his intention to retire from stand-up comedy after his "Here's Your Sign, It's Finally Time" farewell tour. He posted a video on YouTube confirming his retirement on December 30, 2022. His final performance was at the Eccles Theater in Salt Lake City the following day.

Blue Collar Comedy Tour
In 2000, Jeff Foxworthy and Engvall launched the first of six Blue Collar Comedy Tours. The tours also featured Ron White and Larry the Cable Guy and were largely responsible for their breakout success. Each of the six years of the tour was very successful and spawned three films, a satellite radio show, and a television series titled Blue Collar TV on The WB Network.

The Bill Engvall Show
In 2007, Engvall starred in his own sitcom where he played himself as a family counselor. The show lasted three seasons.

Game show host
On June 6, 2011, Engvall took over as host of Lingo on Game Show Network. According to an interview in American Profile magazine, Engvall said that he jumped at the chance to host the show, citing the fun that his friend Foxworthy had hosting Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? Engvall had been a fan of Lingo when it aired a few years previously before ending in 2007, admitting that his wife always beat him to the answers. When asked if there were any plans to have buddies Foxworthy or Larry the Cable Guy appear on Lingo, he replied, "You never know! I would love to have them on the show because it would be a blast. I would really dig that."

Dancing with the Stars
In 2013, Engvall was announced as a contestant on the 17th season of Dancing with the Stars paired with professional dancer Emma Slater. In the first week, he danced the Foxtrot and received a score of 18. The second week was Latin week and he saw some higher scores from the judges receiving a 21 for his Jive. And the third week of competition, Bill saw his highest score of 24 with a Paso Doble to the Lone Ranger theme song. Throughout the rest of the show, the judges usually placed Engvall and Slater at the bottom of the leaderboard, but an enormous fan base kept them in the competition, resulting in higher-scoring contestants, e.g. Christina Milian, Snooki, Brant Daugherty, Elizabeth Berkley, and Leah Remini being voted out instead.

On November 18, Engvall and Slater made it to the finals, along with Amber Riley, Jack Osbourne and Corbin Bleu. The two finished in fourth place.

Comedic style
Engvall's most well-known routine is "here's your sign". In this routine, he offers "signs" to people whom he considers lacking in intellect. These jokes typically take the form of another person asking Engvall a "stupid question", to which Engvall typically responds with a sarcastic response before telling the person "here's your sign". Other jokes in Engvall's routine include anecdotes about his life as a father and husband, typically in the form of self-deprecation.

Personal life
Bill and Gail Engvall (born August 5, 1960) have been married since December 18, 1982. They have a daughter named Emily (born June 9, 1986), a 2008 graduate from the University of Puget Sound who is married to Will Holden, as well as a son, Travis (born June 25, 1991), a 2015 graduate from Northern Arizona University; both of whom are often mentioned during his routines. Engvall resides in Utah when not on tour and maintains a blog for the Los Angeles Angels on the website of Fox Sports West. Engvall is an ordained minister. He graduated with a degree in Christian Studies from Grand Canyon University in 2021.

Albums

 * Notes
 * A ^ Here's Your Sign also peaked at number 3 on Top Heatseekers.
 * B ^ Here's Your Christmas Album also peaked at number 33 on Top Holiday Albums. It was re-released in 2005.
 * C ^ A Decade of Laughs was the second number 1 album upon the 2004 debut of the Billboard "Top Comedy Albums" chart, after Lord, I Apologize by fellow Blue Collar Comedy star Larry the Cable Guy.

title: Bill Engvall


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