text:
Talk:FreeType

Need ref for "widely used in games"
Hi. The claim in the intro that fontconfig has become widely used in games was backed up by this "reference":

I've skimmed the Internet Channel article, but can't see how this reference helps me find anything in that article which might back up the relevent claim. Anyone know how this should be interpretted? --Gronky (talk) 15:29, 13 August 2008 (UTC)

 * The reference appears to be a set of instructions to see a credits screen in Opera 9 for the Wii. The comment is from me, and was quickly added - most Relic / id games make use of freetype, and it's prominently included in their credits. Should be a vanity page of some sort in the freetype documentation to serve as a better link. Chris Cunningham (not at work) - talk 15:32, 13 August 2008 (UTC)

 * Ah. Ok.  I guessed they were instructions for navigating a Wikipedia page or a website.  I'll re-add it, trying to make it clearer. --Gronky (talk) 21:32, 13 August 2008 (UTC)

Needs to be changed
Wikipedia article:

"FreeType does not provide APIs to perform higher-level features, like text layout or graphics processing (e.g., colored text rendering, "hollowing", etc.). However, it greatly simplifies these tasks by providing a simple, easy to use and uniform interface to access the content of font files."

The FreeType webpage:

"Note that FreeType 2 is a font service and doesn't provide APIs to perform higher-level features like text layout or graphics processing (e.g., colored text rendering, ‘hollowing’, etc.). However, it greatly simplifies these tasks by providing a simple, easy to use, and uniform interface to access the content of font files."

At work right now, I'll change this once I get the chance (unless someone beats me to it). --Marco Passarani (talk) 19:26, 28 August 2008 (UTC)

external link dead
article on FreeType leads to a now unuseful page, needs to be removed, I guess —Preceding unsigned comment added by 194.199.172.33 (talk) 08:20, 18 February 2009 (UTC)

X-TT
What is the difference between this and X-TT? 82.139.86.4 (talk) 21:34, 14 July 2009 (UTC)

Patents
I thought the Apple patents at issue related to the hinting instructions that adjust the shape of the glyphs (the rendering of the glyph into pixels) at different rendering sizes to improve the character appearance. This is not the same thing as sub-pixel rendering, which would only be involved when doing ClearType style R/G/B rendering. ? Jonabbey (talk) 21:47, 12 April 2011 (UTC)

Linux does not include freetype
Linux, the kernel, which is the only project which uses that name, does not include freetype. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 212.130.79.38 (talk) 00:29, 17 January 2015 (UTC)

"Features" section
The "Features" section is a series of pretty much unreadable walls of text. I suggest it should be replaced with just a few well-written sentences. Two or three paragraphs would be plenty. I will aim to do this in a few days, if there are no objections. 94.119.64.77 (talk) 07:26, 9 February 2022 (UTC)
 * There actually is an objection. You're a sock of the Best Known For IP, and should apologize for getting me blocked back in December. 🐔dat (talk) 11:18, 10 February 2022 (UTC)

title: Talk:FreeType


text:
Bankya

Bankya (Банкя ) is a small town located on the outskirts of Sofia in western Bulgaria. It is administratively part of Greater Sofia.

The district is famous for the mineral springs and baths that have been used for medicinal purposes for hundreds of years. In 1969 the village of Bankya was proclaimed a town, and in 1979 it became part of Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria.

Bankya is 17 km west of capital Sofia. It is situated at the foot of Lyulin Mountain at an average elevation of around 630–750 meters. The first people to populate the region of Bankya were Thracian tribes, over 2,500 years ago. Archaeological excavations near the quarter of Ivanyane have unearthed remains of Ancient Roman buildings, walls and sewers, and bronze bracelets from the 4th–5th century. Bankya's economy depends mainly on tourism and balneological treatment.

Bankya was first mentioned as Banka in the 15th century. The former villages of Verdikal, Gradoman and Mihaylovo are part of the town itself, while Ivanyane and Klisura are part of the municipality. Bankya's name stems from the common noun bankya, "hot spring", a diminutive of banya ("baths").

Bankya is the birthplace of the founder of GERB – Boyko Borisov, former Prime Minister of Bulgaria, Bankya is also a birth place of the rapper Anonimen

Places of interest

 * "Vazov's Oak", Ivan Vazov's favourite resting place.
 * The Church of Martyrs Quiricus and Julietta, built in 1932 and inaugurated by bishop Stephen from Sofia.
 * The Mineral Baths in Bankya, built in 1907 – 1910 to the design of Munich architect Carl Hocheder.

Honour
Bankya Peak on Graham Land in Antarctica is named after the town.

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

title: Bankya


text:
User talk:Wikipedian231/Archive

Monkstown
Please note that the format for Irish towns is first "Townname". If this is not available, or disambiguation is necessary, the format "Townname, County Countyname" is followed - except for Dublin where the city and county are too closely associated (we use "Townname, Dublin"). Any suburbs are at Suburbname or Suburbname, Cityname.

This is the current status quo for Irish town articles.

zoney ♣ talk 15:59, 11 Feb 2005 (UTC)

Welcome
Hey, welcome to Wikipedia! Hope to see you active on the Irish Notice Board. CGorman 18:06, 11 Feb 2005 (UTC)

Fáilte
Just thought I'd give you an official welcome to Wikipedia! If you made any edits before you got an account, you might be interested in assigning those to your username.

You might find these links helpful in creating new pages or contributing: How to edit a page, How to write a great article, Naming conventions, Manual of Style. You should read our policies at some point too. If you ever think a page or image should be deleted, please list it at the votes for deletion page. There is also a votes for undeletion page if you want to retrieve something that you think should not have been deleted.

If you have any questions, see the help pages, add a question to the village pump, or ask me on my talk page. I hope you enjoy editing here and being a Wikipedian!

zoney ♣ talk 20:37, 11 Feb 2005 (UTC)

How to edit a page
How to edit a page has the details of how to use the wiki-markup.

A useful fact is that adding ~ to the end of your edit will automatically appear when you save a comment as your name and datestamp. Like this:

zoney ♣ talk 09:45, 14 Feb 2005 (UTC)

You can use just three tildes (those squiggly lines) for just your name, or five for just a datestamp (less usual).

Linking and headings are the two most important things. Tables are important too, but harder to grasp (but I think the page I've linked to covers the basics, or links to another page that does. Adding images is about the only other thing I can think of off-hand.

Having a look at how an existing page is done might help, don't forget, you can change things and then hit "preview" and it won't save your version, but will show what it would look like if you do.

Hope that helps.

zoney ♣ talk 09:45, 14 Feb 2005 (UTC)

17:28, 16 Feb 2005 (UTC)~
Thanks for experimenting with Wikipedia. Your test worked, and has been reverted or removed. Please use the sandbox for any other tests you want to do. Take a look at the welcome page if you would like to learn more about contributing to our encyclopedia. Thanks. Gamaliel 17:11, 16 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * Sorry about that. Got bored and didn't know what to do

Hi! Here's a page that will help you get started: Manual of style. This is the single best resource for learning what should and should not go into an article. The "weather in London" contribution was more of a comment than an actual article. Anyway, please click on my user name and leave word on my talk page if I can be of further help. Best, Lucky 6.9 17:15, 16 Feb 2005 (UTC)

 * Pleasure to be of service. Oh, and keep in mind that you don't have to write a huge, fully-fledged article right off the bat.  Just tag your work with the stub notice the way you did and come back later to fill it out if you wish.  Have fun!! - Lucky 6.9 17:25, 16 Feb 2005 (UTC)

If you want to create your own sandbox, just create a page at User:Wikipedian231/Sandbox. See About the Sandbox for more information on the use of a sandbox. Angela. 13:50, Feb 17, 2005 (UTC)

Sandbox bot cleanup
May I ask why the change when the other sandboxes have a period of one week before cleanup? -- AllyUnion (talk) 05:59, 23 Mar 2005 (UTC)

 * I have changed it to every 12 hours. Better? -- AllyUnion (talk) 00:13, 25 Mar 2005 (UTC)

Mind Bendrs
Hello! I've noticed your past interest in Mind Benders and wanted to share the following announcement with you! I've taken over the responsibilities of Mind Benders, and the page will now be regularly updated. Right now, the pre-round is open (it's more of a creative artistic competition), and round one will open soon (the questions are done, we just need to wait for the pre-round to begin/finish)! So why not check it out? I'll keep you updated! Thanks, Flcelloguy | A note? | Desk 01:43, 21 Jun 2005 (UTC)

P.S. Feel free to pass this news on to other Wikipedians.

Mind Benders
Thank you for your submission to the pre-round of Mind Benders! The voting has now begun, and you are welcome to submit one vote! In addition, why not try round one, which is now open? Round one consists of many challenging (I hope) problems that are lots of WikiFun! Hope to see you there! Flcelloguy | A note? | Desk 15:40, 16 July 2005 (UTC)

Mind Benders
Hello,. Thank you for submitting an entry to the pre-round and/or participating in round one of WP:MIND. I sincerly hope you enjoyed it. Round Two, which I have made a bit more difficult than round one, will open at approximately 2 PM EST, Sunday, July 24. In addition, the voting for pre-round has also been extended until the end of round two. I hope to see you at Round Two, so prepare for some WikIFun!!! Flcelloguy | A note? | Desk 17:10, 23 July 2005 (UTC)

Wikimedia UK/Wikimania 2006
Hi, this is a circular to Wikipedians in Ireland to draw your attention to Wikimedia UK, where the establishment of a local Wikimedia chapter for the United Kingdom (and possibly for the Republic of Ireland) is being discussed. See the talk page, as well as the mailing list; a meetup will take place to discuss matters in London in September, for anyone who can get there. On another topic, plans are being drawn up for a UK bid for Wikimania 2006, which would be conveniently close to Ireland. On the other hand, Dublin's bid was one of the final three last year - might we bid again? --Kwekubo 19:39, 31 August 2005 (UTC)

Image Tagging for Image:Reunion_flag.jpg
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Image copyright problem with Image:Monkstown centre.jpg
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May 2007
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Spam in FM104 PhoneShow
Hello, this is a message from an automated bot. A tag has been placed on FM104 PhoneShow, by another Wikipedia user, requesting that it be speedily deleted from Wikipedia. The tag claims that it should be speedily deleted because FM104 PhoneShow is blatant advertising for a company, product, group, service or person that would require a substantial rewrite in order to become an encyclopedia article. To contest the tagging and request that administrators wait before possibly deleting FM104 PhoneShow, please affix the template to the page, and put a note on its talk page. If the article has already been deleted, see the advice and instructions at WP:WMD. Feel free to leave a message on the bot operator's talk page if you have any questions about this or any problems with this bot, bearing in mind that this bot is only informing you of the nomination for speedy deletion; it does not perform any nominations or deletions itself. --Android Mouse Bot 2 11:08, 10 July 2007 (UTC)

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Re: Ben'); DROP TABLE Articles;--
-- The Anome 19:37, 14 October 2007 (UTC)
 * No, it doesn't work
 * 1) Trying to break the Wikipedia infrastructure again is likely to result in your being permanently blocked from editing.

Oink's Pink Palace
That s not called proof. It is called original research. They would be more investigation by then they would be enough of evidence weather you said it correctly or not. --SkyWalker 04:25, 25 October 2007 (UTC)

title: User talk:Wikipedian231/Archive


text: User talk:194.105.47.13

title: User talk:194.105.47.13


text:
Eurotrash

Eurotrash may refer to:

 * Eurotrash (term), derogatory term used for certain Europeans, especially in the United States
 * Eurotrash (album), 2001 album of Norwegian industrial rock band Zeromancer
 * Eurotrash (novel), 2021 novel by Christian Kracht
 * Eurotrash (TV series), late-night British comedy series from 1993 to 2007
 * "Eurotrash", 1994 short story by Irvine Welsh in the collection The Acid House
 * "Eurotrash", 1997 song by Celtic punk band Dropkick Murphys on Boys on the Docks

title: Eurotrash


text:
Reiko Takashima

Reiko Takashima (高島 礼子) is a Japanese actress.

Career
Takashima starred in Shinji Aoyama's 1999 film, EM Embalming. She has also appeared in films such as K-20: Legend of the Mask, Railways and Space Battleship Yamato.

Film

 * Like a Rolling Stone (1994)
 * Ruby Fruit (1995)
 * Shomuni (1998)
 * Dreammaker (1999)
 * EM Embalming (1999)
 * Sennen no Koi Story of Genji (2001)
 * The Boat to Heaven (2003)
 * Tsuribaka Nisshi 14 (2003)
 * Jusei: Last Drop of Blood (2003)
 * Half a Confession (2004)
 * The Hidden Blade (2004)
 * 2/2 (2005)
 * Yakuza Wives: Burning Desire (2005)
 * Azumi 2: Death or Love (2005)
 * The Ode to Joy (2006)
 * Adiantum Blue (2006)
 * Oh! Oku (2006)
 * Last Love (2007 film) (2007)
 * Cahcha (2007)
 * K-20: Legend of the Mask (2008)
 * 10 Promises to My Dog (2008)
 * Pride (2009)
 * Killer Virgin Road (2009)
 * Dear Heart (2009)
 * Space Battleship Yamato (2010)
 * Railways (2010)
 * Ranhansha (2011)
 * Home: Itoshi no Zashiki Warashi (2012)
 * Genesect and the Legend Awakened (2013)
 * The Next Generation -Patlabor- (2015)
 * Sakura Guardian in the North (2018)
 * Omiokuri (2018)
 * Anoko no Toriko (2018)
 * JK Rock (2019)
 * Howling Village (2020)
 * Apparel Designer (2020)
 * Inori (2021)
 * The Lone Ume Tree (2021)
 * The One I Long to See (2023)

Television

 * Ōoku (2004) – Oeyo
 * Kekkon Dekinai Otoko (2006)
 * Tenchijin (2009) – Sentō-In
 * Carnation (2011)
 * Angel Heart (2015) - Saeko Nogami
 * Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit (2016) – Torogai
 * Atashinchi no Danshi (2009) - Koganei Kyoko
 * Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge (2010) - Nakahara Mine (Oba-san)
 * Shiroi Kyotō (2019) - Masako Azuma
 * Fixer season 3 (2023)

Dubbing

 * Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) – Lieutenant Helga Katrina Sinclair

title: Reiko Takashima


text:
Talk:Velvalee Dickinson

Untitled
I wonder where this Velvalee Dickinson is today? Any news would be appreciated.--205.68.101.193 16:46, 9 Feb 2005 (UTC)bobby
 * While revising the article, I came across an Italian reference that stated she died in 1980, but said nothing else.--Mitsukai 17:37, 3 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Moved here from article page by --VivaEmilyDavies 03:11, 6 Mar 2005 (UTC) : I believe this was accidentally placed on the article rather than the talk!

Ms. Velvalee Dickinsin [that's how she spelt it on her own letterhead, as shown below] was mentioned on an Antiques Roadshow episode airing on WGTV, channel 8, in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, on from 8:00 to 9:00 PM on January 3rd, 2005.

The doll was wearing a blue dress. It was a "Jumeau". The appraiser for AR mistakenly identified Ms. Dickinsin as a Nazi spy. Apparently, as David Kahn explains on page 520 of _The CodeBreakers_, Ms. Dickinsin was a spy during WWII and worked out of her exclusive Madison Ave. doll shop in New York, New York, USA. The doll was accompanied by a letter, on Dickinsin's letterhead.

David Kahn explains that Dickinsin was, in fact, a spy for the Japanese, and goes into detail about what kind of codes she used, and how she was caught [she used the return address of a woman "with whom she had had a spat"]. She was sentenced to 10 years in prison and fined $10,000.00; she could easily have faced the death penalty.

The method of passing codes was via letters concerning, ostensibly, dolls. It's quite possible that the letter accompanying this doll represents an instance of "jargon code" passed among Dickinsin and her fellow spies. I imagine that, if this proves to be true, the letter may not only further enhance the value of the doll but also prove to be a valuable artifact in its own right, being, as it may well be, a surviving example of World War II espionage materiel. The doll, its dress, or something else about its presentation might have played a part in the meaning of the code, but it's more likely that the letter itself is an example of code.

The book I mention is David Kahn's _The CodeBreakers_, revised edition, ISBN 0-684-83130-9. See page 520 or refer to "Dickinson" [sic] in the index.

I just asked myself the same “where are they now” question and was able to find limited information in the biography on Eunice Kennedy, which I’ve edited onto the end of the article. BreakfastBurrito (talk) 00:36, 8 April 2018 (UTC)

Motivation ??
Does anyone who is already familiar with this person have any idea as to her motivations? Purely for money? Engr105th 06:36, 24 October 2007 (UTC)

Clarification
This sentence "Typewritten letters between Dickinson and the women involved were identified by the FBI as having been used in the "Springfield" letter." seems confusing. Is this describing the typewritten individual characters from the typewriter (letters) are the same? Or that the entire mailed letters between the two were somehow "used" in the springfield letter? The latter is quite ambiguous.72.25.177.218 (talk) 18:33, 24 October 2014 (UTC)

External links modified
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The following Wikimedia Commons files used on this page or its Wikidata item have been nominated for deletion: Participate in the deletion discussion at the. —Community Tech bot (talk) 19:51, 22 January 2020 (UTC)
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title: Talk:Velvalee Dickinson


text:
Balchik

Balchik (Балчик ; Balcic, Balçık) is a Black Sea coastal town and seaside resort in the Southern Dobruja area of northeastern Bulgaria. It is in Dobrich Province, 35 km southeast of Dobrich and 42 km northeast of Varna. It sprawls scenically along hilly terraces descending from the Dobruja plateau to the sea, and is often called "The White City" because of its white hills.

Etymology
Under the Ottoman Empire, the town came to be known with its present name, which perhaps derived from a Gagauz word meaning "small town".

Another theory suggests that it is named after the medieval ruler Balik, brother of Dobrotitsa, after whom the city of Dobrich is named.

Antiquity: Thracians and Greeks
Founded as a Thracian settlement, it was later colonised by the ancient Greek Ionians with the name Krounoi (Κρουνοί), later renamed as Dionysopolis (Διονυσόπολις) after the discovery of a statue of Dionysus in the sea.

Early Middle Ages: Byzantines and Bulgarians
Later it became a Greek-Byzantine and Bulgarian fortress.

Karvuna is the old Bulgarian name of the ancient Dionysopol. The external resemblance to the name of the modern town of Kavarna is an occasion for some local historians to identify Karvuna with Kavarna, but the archaeological and historical data are not in favour of this proposal. Karvuna was the capital of the Karvuna region - so called Dobrogea (Dobrudja) in the Middle Ages until the arrival of the Turks. The remains of the castle of the boyars Balik and Dobrotitsa were found above the city hospital of Balchik in the "Horizon" district (Gemidzhiya), but were almost erased by natural processes. In the Vasil Levski neighbourhood there are remains of the great fortress of Karvuna, built by the Byzantines and used by them and by the Bulgarians during the First Bulgarian Kingdom. Later, due to difficulties in defending the vast fortress located in the plain and the lack of a view of the sea, the Bulgarians built a fort of which only modest remains are preserved on the highest hill of the city, the Dzheni Bair or Ekhoto ('Echo') hill. The earthen rampart behind the ditch dates to the late 12th century, with various habitation-related findings from the 11th-15th centuries. The boyar Balik lived in the said castle opposite it on the hill above the present hospital, south of the great Kavarna fortress, which the centuries have now completely obliterated. Dobrotitsa (r. 1347–86), after ruling for some time here, moved the capital of the Despotate of Karvuna from Karvuna to Kaliakra.

Ottoman period
Under the Ottomans, the town came to be known by its present name.

Part of Bulgaria (1878-1913)
After the liberation of Bulgaria in 1878, Balchik developed as centre of a rich agricultural region, wheat-exporting port, and district (okoliya) town, and later, as a major tourist destination with the beachfront resort of Albena to its south.

Part of Romania (1913-1940)

After the Second Balkan War, in 1913, the town became part of the Kingdom of Romania, with its name spelled Balcic. It was regained by Bulgaria during World War I (1916–1919), but Romania restored its authority when hostilities in the region ceased.

During Romania's administration, the Balchik Palace was the favourite summer residence of Queen Marie of Romania and her immediate family. The town is the site of Marie's Oriental villa, the place where her heart was kept, in accordance with her last wishes, until 1940 (when the Treaty of Craiova awarded the region back to Bulgaria). It was then moved to Bran Castle, in central Romania. Today, the Balchik Palace and the adjacent Balchik Botanical Garden are the town's most popular landmarks and a popular tourist sightseeing destination.

During the inter-war period, Balchik was also a favorite destination for Romanian avant-garde painters, lending his name to an informal school of post-impressionist painters, the Balcic School of Painting, which is central in the development of Romanian 20th-century painting. Many works of the artists comprising the group depict the town's houses and the Turkish inhabitants, as well as the sea.

Back to Bulgaria (1940)
In 1940, just before the outbreak of World War II in the region and in the wider context of Hitler's intervention and the Second Vienna Award, Balchik was ceded back by Romania to Bulgaria by the terms of the Treaty of Craiova. This included an exchange of populations by ethnic groups.

Population
The city's population was 11,051 people (data from National Statistics Institute - Bulgaria, 2018). The total population of Balchik municipality was 19,331.

According to an estimate by Bulgarian historian Rayna Gavrilova, the Bulgarian population before 1878 was only around 10%.

The ethnic composition has gradually changed from mostly Gagauz and Tatar/Turkish to predominantly Bulgarian. According to the latest (2011) census data, Balchik's ethnic composition is the following:

 * Bulgarians: 7,916 (72.9%)
 * Turks: 1,715 (15.8%)
 * Gypsies: 954 (8.8%)
 * Others: 191 (1.8%)
 * Indefinable: 79 (0.7%)
 * Undeclared: 755 (6.5%)

Art
Held each year since 1991, "The Process – Space Art Festival" is an annual international festival of contemporary art, which takes place over two weeks in June. Balchik Palace also hosts the "In the Palace International Short Film Festival".

Music
Held annually each summer since 2006 in the nearby town of Kavarna, the Kavarna Rock Fest hosts top-name bands for a three-day festival. Previous acts have included Motörhead, Twisted Sister, Mötley Crüe, Scorpions, Alice Cooper, Deep Purple, and the Michael Schenker Group.

For the last few years, the mayor has cancelled the Kavarna Rock Fest due to different music preference.

Sports
Balchik is becoming well known internationally as a golfing destination. There are three 18-hole championship golf courses within the local vicinity, two designed by Gary Player - Thracian Cliffs GC and BlackSeaRama GC; and one designed by Ian Woosnam - Lighthouse GC. A fourth 18-hole golf course is currently in the planning stages.

Trivia

 * Francis Ford Coppola spent 11 days at the Balchik palace shooting scenes of Youth Without Youth (2007).
 * Balchik Ridge, in Antarctica, is named after the town.
 * The as of 2011 unused Balchik Airfield is envisaged to be prepared for low-cost airlines, especially from Russia.
 * Turkish poet Nazım Hikmet wrote his well-known poem "Mavi Liman" ('The Blue Port') in Balchik.

Twin towns - sister cities
Balchik is twinned with:

 * 🇩🇪 Boxberg, Germany
 * 🇷🇴 Bran, Romania
 * 🇵🇱 Cieszyn, Poland
 * 🇷🇺 Galich, Russia
 * 🇸🇪 Hagfors, Sweden
 * 🇷🇴 Mangalia, Romania
 * 🇸🇰 Stará Ľubovňa, Slovakia
 * 🇷🇺 Tambov, Russia
 * 🇨🇿 Valašské Meziříčí, Czech Republic

title: Balchik


text:
Desjardins Canal

The Desjardins Canal, named after its promoter Pierre Desjardins, was a canal in Ontario, Canada. It was built to give the town of Dundas easier access to Lake Ontario and the Great Lakes system of North America. Although a technological achievement and a short term commercial success, the canal was soon eclipsed by the railway, and Dundas by neighbouring Hamilton.

Context
Following the US Revolutionary War the British government felt an urgent need to populate the interior of the province of Upper Canada. The immediate concern was to find a refuge for Loyalists forced from their previous homes in the United States. After the early settlement of Kingston and the lower St. Lawrence River, and the establishment of Butler's Rangers and others in the Niagara peninsula, the possibility also existed for Loyalist communities at the head of Lake Ontario.

Another priority was the need to accelerate the settlement of the unoccupied areas in western Upper Canada to provide a buffer zone between that province and the United States in the event of further hostilities. Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe hoped to achieve this by offering free 200-acre (80 ha) grants of land in the interior of the province to prospective settlers regardless of nationality. It had been expected that this would entice from the United States immigrants who would become loyal citizens and add to the province's defensive capability. However land in the Ohio Territory and western New York proved more to their liking.

To make the area more attractive, Simcoe wished to open transportation arteries between the interior of the province and the shipping corridor provided by Lake Ontario and the Saint Lawrence River. Not only would these support commercial services for the expanding population and economy of the new territory, they would also serve military purposes, routing traffic away from areas controlled by the United States.

The story of the area around the head of the lake during the early 19th century is one of competition between the towns of Dundas, Ancaster and Hamilton to service this increased trade and achieve economic supremacy. Each town had its unique advantages and disadvantages which might make it more or less attractive to prospective businessmen and settlers. Ancaster had an abundance of fertile land, streams adequate to power mills, and a population of nearly two thousand people. However, for an industrial economy to develop, easy access to Lake Ontario was critical. As Ancaster did not border on the lake, in the 1820s and 1830s Dundas, with better water access, an established commercial centre, a relatively stable industrial base and available water power eclipsed it in size and importance. However Dundas in turn was challenged by Hamilton.

In 1816 the district of Gore had been created at the head of the lake amid jockeying over the selection of the district town. The previous year George Hamilton, then living in Queenston, had decided to move away from the border with the United States due to concern about further conflict. Well-connected (his father had been a member of the Legislative Council and an extensive landowner), he was aware that a new district was to be established and purchased a substantial amount of land in the area from James Durand. Within a year Hamilton had been selected as the district town. The Desjardins Canal was the centerpiece of Dundas’ efforts to adjust to this development and preserve its early status as the industrial hub of the area.

Early manoeuvring
Access to Lake Ontario from the mainland was made more difficult by the topography of the area, which included a large sandbar, a natural sand and gravel barrier, across Burlington Bay. A water outlet to the lake through a depression in the sandbar existed but it was intermittent and quite near the water's surface with clearance of two to three feet, allowing only small boats and bateaux to pass through. For any other type of craft it was necessary for the cargo to be unloaded, carried across the barrier, and then reloaded on another vessel for further handling.

Because of this obstacle to any commercial shipping entering the bay from Lake Ontario all parties had an interest in seeing the barrier breached. Restricted access to Burlington Bay was a concern for reasons other than the usual commercial ones. One involved vessel safety, as access to a protected harbor had obvious advantages in the event of lake storms. There were also military considerations. Since action on the Niagara Peninsula could be expected in any future war with the United States, warships sheltering in Burlington Bay could be protected by land-based guns.

An added incentive was that the liberalization of the British Navigation Acts in the 1820s meant that certain U.S. products could be exported from Canada as though they had originated there, allowing the U.S. Midwest to share in Colonial preferences and attracting additional trade from this source. Improved access to the lake from the entrepôts at the limits of land transportation was required for the scheme to achieve its full potential. However, with the road network in the province at that time being dismal at best, improving water transportation, was seen as vital to economic growth.

It was in this context that the government of Upper Canada authorized in 1823 the construction of a canal through the sandbar. In 1826 the passage was completed, allowing schooners to sail right up to Hamilton's doorstep. Hamilton then became a major port and quickly expanded as a center of trade and commerce. Access to the hinterland through Dundas was still easier as the Dundas Valley offered a natural route up the Niagara Escarpment, yet its major problem, difficult passage of goods and produce through the marsh, still existed. The two most influential people in the effort to ensure that Dundas got its share of increased trade with the interior were Richard Hatt and Peter Desjardins.

Key players
Richard Hatt emigrated from England to Canada in 1792, settling first at Niagara and moving, possibly as early as 1796, to Ancaster. In 1798 Hatt and his brother built his so-called "Red Mill" in Ancaster and cleared a road from there to Dundas to attract customers. However success in Ancaster was limited and he soon focused his attention on Spencer Creek in the Dundas area, which not only had ample water to power a mill but also potentially better access to Lake Ontario and the interior of the province.

In 1800 Hatt purchased land for a flour mill in Dundas. Recognizing the need for facilities near the inlet to the marsh, where cargoes were loaded and unloaded because of the lack of water clearance over the sandbar, he petitioned for land to build a storehouse and wharf. This request was granted in 1804. He expanded his holdings by building warehouses on both Burlington beach and in Cootes Paradise (the early name for Dundas). He also funded the clearing of debris from Spencer Creek and the deepening of portions of the channel between Burlington beach and Dundas.

Hatt saw the benefits of controlling not only the milling operation but also the transportation of goods to and from the area. In 1809 he received approval to deepen the channel through the village of Coote's Paradise to the wharf at his mill. By 1808 he owned all the water rights and mills from Webster's Falls to Main Street in Dundas and in that year cleared a path through the marsh, which was used until the canal opened in 1837. Hatt set in place the initial plans and facilities from which the Desjardins Canal would later emerge. When he died in 1819 he was one of the wealthiest men in Upper Canada, having an interest in over 10000 acre of land, several farms and a number of industries along Spencer Creek. On his death his business empire was divided. His waterway, storage and bateau interests were acquired by Pierre (Peter) Desjardins while his milling interests and water rights were taken over by others.

Desjardins, who was born in France, came to Canada in 1792. Following his arrival he worked in several locations, from 1812 serving as a clerk for Richard Hatt while Hatt was away campaigning. He held this position until Hatt's death in 1819, then becoming a partner with William Lyon Mackenzie in a warehouse on the bank of Spencer Creek. Desjardins saw the considerable benefits possible if access from the lake to Dundas were improved. He was primarily interested in developing a canal between his property and Burlington Bay but also promoted related schemes, including a second canal (never built) extending from the Desjardins Canal in Dundas to Lake Huron. The proposal would have allowed the Desjardins Canal a direct water access to the western areas of both Canada and the United States and might have proved financially attractive, if technically viable. However, by this time the Erie Canal was completed and the Welland Canal was well on its way so undoubtedly the competition was seen to be too great, considering the late start.

Search for support
In 1820 Desjardins had petitioned the government for a lot on Spencer Creek as well as for a small island in front of the lot. He planned to build a storehouse beside Spencer Creek, deepen the creek to make a channel from the town to the marsh and cut a channel through the marsh to allow access of larger boats from Lake Ontario. The government was far from being solidly behind the project but was willing to let Desjardins go ahead on an experimental basis as long as in case of failure no risk would be transferred to the province. Desjardins’ proposal to provide access for "sloops and small vessels" was endorsed by local business leaders and approved by an order-in-council Nov 14, 1820, with the injunction that Desjardins could not charge tolls for access to the properties.

Unfortunately, during the 1820s there was a serious depression and a reversal in the flour trade. For three years Desjardins circulated a prospectus to draw in capital but was unsuccessful. In spite of this he persevered and made substantial progress using his own resources. In 1825 a group of local incorporators, seeing in the canal a means of directing additional business to themselves and increasing the value of their real estate holdings, applied for a charter to build the canal. A joint stock company was planned.

Royal assent to the formation of the corporation was given on January 30, 1826. Eight hundred shares of capital stock were authorized at a price of £12/10/0 for a projected capitalization of £10,000. The parliamentary approval provided for a fifty-year lease, with title to revert to the Crown after that period subject to reimbursement to the stockholders of the value of their holdings. Desjardins was granted land including a lot on North Quay Street in Coote's Paradise, a piece of land on the bank of the creek in front of the lot and a small island in the creek itself.

However Desjardins did not live to see the results of his efforts. The costs that he personally incurred to get the Desjardins Canal project under way exhausted his assets and credit. He had hoped to be reimbursed when investor capital began to flow but instead was required by the agreement with the province to accept canal stock for one half of his expenditures and security (a provincial bond) for the other half. No actual cash was forthcoming. By 1827 he was forced to offer his house and some land for sale to finance work on the canal.

Peter Desjardins died on September 7, 1827, from injuries received while collecting amounts owing for stock in the Desjardins Canal. When his horse returned without a rider a search was made and Desjardins’ body was discovered. An inquest was inconclusive and finally ruled that Desjardins had "Died by the visitation of God". There were no witnesses to the event and the cause of death was never truly known.

Progress
The project to build Desjardins Canal continued for ten years, from 1827 to 1837. It was a local operation with limited objectives and attracted financial backers and political support almost exclusively from within Upper Canada. In this it contrasted with such projects as the Welland Canal, the completion of which was of international importance, and whose individual backers were largely from outside the province.

Once work on the Desjardins Canal had begun in earnest it was necessary to recruit a supply of workers. Although canal labourers were much in demand due to the many projects previously alluded to, still wages were low, fluctuating around two to three shillings per day, an amount barely sufficient for a family's basic needs. The Desjardins Canal Company hired labourers directly for some tasks, for others dealing with contractors who would then recruit the labour force themselves.

Attracting capital was a continuing problem for the company. Available records do not indicate that at any time more than 70-80% of the authorized shares were subscribed or that more than £6000 (out of an authorized £10000) was raised in this way. A limited amount of money came from canal operations (tolls) but for the bulk of the needed capital other sources were required. Government financial support was continually necessary to prop up the company. The early 1830s were especially bleak.

However work continued in spite of all the difficulties that the project had endured, and by 1837 the company was able to put the final touches on the canal. For that year the company's financial statements recorded income of close to £6000 of which the majority, £5,000, was from a government loan. £166 was received from canal tolls in 1837, the first year for which any operating income was recorded. The canal was officially opened and dedicated on August 16, 1837, to great celebration and hoopla. Steamers brought revellers to Dundas from Hamilton for concerts and an evening dinner.

Mid-century
Dundas experienced significantly increased prosperity once the canal had opened. Since flour could now be shipped more cheaply the local mills prospered. Shipments of lumber-based products of all types increased. Once the canal had provided an outlet to the lake, local manufacturers could sell to a broader market. As money flowed into the area the town was able to accumulate capital to finance the growth of local industries. The population, which had been 800 in 1836, had increased to 2000 by this time. Soon sailing vessels were being built in the turning basin.

In spite of the economic benefits that the canal was generating, however, the company continued to struggle with technical and financial problems. Repairs and improvements were necessary to make canal operations viable on an ongoing basis but sufficient money was not available from private sources, or from canal operations. There were, however, some bright spots. Increased imports of coal and pig iron through the canal were indicative of the fact that an industrial economy was developing in Dundas. Imports of merchandise rapidly increased as the population grew, the economy developed, and people had more money to spend.

By the beginning of the 1850s the citizens of Dundas had reason to feel optimistic about their town. In 1849, 14,000 tons of produce had been shipped via the Desjardins Canal, a reflection of the importance of the canal in supporting the export trade of the area. The construction of a road network connecting Dundas with the back country was also accelerated by the incorporation of the Paris and Dundas Road Company. The Desjardins Canal Company was able to keep the canal operational by means of a scaled down dredging operation.

Along the canal a warehouse 120 by 100 ft, described as one of the largest in British North America was nearing completion and had already been rented by a Toronto firm. There were several other warehouses on the margin of the canal and it was not uncommon to ship more than 100,000 barrels of flour yearly through the port. However the coming of railway service to Hamilton caused added complications and the competition finally doomed the canal.

End of the road
The first railway in Canada was the Champlain and St. Lawrence Railroad, built in 1836 in Lower Canada to connect ports on the St. Lawrence and Richelieu Rivers. The potential for railroad transportation in Upper Canada was quickly recognized and almost immediately the Desjardins Canal Company was forced to deal with this new source of competition. Railways came on stream rapidly during the mid-1850s but the one that had the most impact on Dundas and the Desjardins Canal was the Great Western Railway connecting Niagara Falls and Windsor through Hamilton, Dundas and London. This development was good news for the province as a whole but, as the lines serviced areas on which the Desjardins Canal depended for much of its traffic, they had a negative impact on the canal company.

While the canal continued to provide benefits to Dundas, its problems did not abate. Chief among them were financial issues as the canal continued to be unable to generate sufficient operating income to remain viable. Competition from the railroads, and from the network of roads allowing improved travel between producers and consumers, certainly contributed to this. Another factor was that, with the development of steam-based power technology, it became possible to locate industry away from sources of water power. This, along with the availability of waterfront access not dependent on the vagaries of the Desjardins Canal, accelerated the growth of industry on Hamilton's bay shore to the detriment of Dundas.

All this was exacerbated by squabbling between the railroad, road and canal companies about bridge construction and rights-of-way. As the canal cut through the shortest route between Toronto and Hamilton for both rail and road traffic it was necessary to bridge the gap in some way to accommodate land-based traffic. Conflict over the years centered over whether to build a low level bridge (cheaper but with the potential to block canal traffic, and difficult for trains to use) or a high level one (more expensive but providing a straight and level base for train traffic). The bridges also presented safety issues, most notably in 1857 when a train wreck which killed 59 people received wide attention.

Protracted negotiations between the contending companies led nowhere and finally the Desjardins Canal Company was offered $10,000 if they would close the canal down. However the town of Dundas had become the canal's principal mortgage holder, with a $52,000 stake in the canal, and as income from future tolls was the only apparent way by which this debt could be discharged, the offer was refused. To protect their interest the town seized the canal to settle the mortgage and applied to the government for relief from canal debts. This was granted in 1873. However the bridges were still perceived to be in an unstable condition and this, along with rapidly dropping canal revenues, caused the town to reverse its position and agree to close the canal subject to payments of $35,000 each from both the road company and the railway company in lieu of any claims.

For all practical purposes the canal had ceased to have a serious commercial future once a low level road bridge was constructed in 1869, denying access to most lake schooners. Writing in 1875 a local historian commented on "The ill-fated Desjardins canal. It is now seldom used except by raftsmen for the purpose of floating timber into Burlington Bay, or sometimes by the people of Dundas who might use the small boat Argylle for the purpose of convening pleasure parties to Rock Bay or other points along the shore."

In 1876 the canal company was liquidated. The canal was turned over to the Crown as required by the original incorporation agreement and became a public work. However the provincial government, then as in the past, had no interest in equity ownership and the canal was placed under the control and management of the town of Dundas by an Order in Council on April 25, 1877. In October of that year full ownership was transferred to the town by two additional Orders in Council. In 1878 a canal committee was struck by Dundas, the canal was dredged again, tolls were revised and advertisements for business published. However this was to little avail and in 1895 direct rail service to Dundas was inaugurated, finally ending any dreams of commercial potential for the Desjardins Canal. Today, its remains can be seen north of Cootes Drive in east Dundas and in the rotting logs in the shallows of Cootes Paradise. As part of the renaissance in the area, the city of Hamilton established a walking path along the former canal.

title: Desjardins Canal


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Talk:Portfolio (finance)

Title
The title of Portfolio (finance) seems somewhat clumsy. Are all financial portfolios investment portfolios, as the lead section suggests? If so, why not move it to Investment portfolio? That would be easier to read and to link. --Hroðulf (or Hrothulf) (Talk) 13:35, 24 April 2008 (UTC)
 * I agree with this point. -- — Keithbob • Talk  • 20:08, 16 July 2011 (UTC)
 * ✅. Millbug  talk 22:16, 7 March 2019 (UTC)
 * I'm not so sure. The common term is "Portfolio" and the disamgbiguator is "Finance" so the current title makes sense. Also, the term is used in many different ways of which "Investment portfolio" is only one (trading portfolio, market neutral portfolio, etc.). --regentspark (comment) 05:02, 8 March 2019 (UTC)
 * So why not to change the disamb to investment? Millbug  talk 01:30, 9 March 2019 (UTC)
 * Because not all portfolios are investment portfolios. For example, a trading portfolio that is held by a high frequency trader is not called an investment portfolio. Though, technically, anything held for even a nano second is an investment, in common as well as financial usage, it implies holding assets for a longer period. --regentspark (comment) 04:48, 9 March 2019 (UTC)

Contant creator
I have a good story video 2400:1A00:B050:425B:946D:BD53:4B0C:C8E2 (talk) 16:33, 12 May 2024 (UTC)

title: Talk:Portfolio (finance)


text:
Peter Collinson

Peter Collinson may refer to:

 * Peter Collinson (botanist) (1694–1768), English scientist and horticulturalist
 * Peter Collinson (film director) (1936–1980), film director
 * Pseudonym used by Dashiell Hammett, derived from commonly used stage name 'Peter Collins' meaning 'nobody', Peter Collinson therefore meaning 'Nobody's Son'

title: Peter Collinson


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Lucid (programming language)

Lucid is a dataflow programming language designed to experiment with non-von Neumann programming models. It was designed by Bill Wadge and Ed Ashcroft and described in the 1985 book Lucid, the Dataflow Programming Language.

pLucid was the first interpreter for Lucid.

Model
Lucid uses a demand-driven model for data computation. Each statement can be understood as an equation defining a network of processors and communication lines between them through which data flows. Each variable is an infinite stream of values and every function is a filter or a transformer. Iteration is simulated by 'current' values and 'fby' (read as 'followed by') operator allowing composition of streams.

Lucid is based on an algebra of histories, a history being an infinite sequence of data items. Operationally, a history can be thought of as a record of the changing values of a variable, history operations such as first and next can be understood in ways suggested by their names. Lucid was originally conceived as a disciplined, mathematically pure, single-assignment language, in which verification would be simplified. However, the dataflow interpretation has been an important influence on the direction in which Lucid has evolved.

Details
In Lucid (and other dataflow languages) an expression that contains a variable that has not yet been bound waits until the variable has been bound, before proceeding. An expression like  will wait until both x and y are bound before returning with the output of the expression. An important consequence of this is that explicit logic for updating related values is avoided, which results in substantial code reduction, compared to mainstream languages.

Each variable in Lucid is a stream of values. An expression  defines a stream using the operator 'fby' (a mnemonic for "followed by"). fby defines what comes after the previous expression. (In this instance the stream produces 1,2,3,...). The values in a stream can be addressed by these operators (assuming x is the variable being used):

- fetches the first value in the stream x,

- the current value of the stream,

- fetches the next value in the stream.

- an operator that does some thing 'as soon as' the condition given becomes true.

- upon is an operator that repeats the old value of the stream x, and updates to the new values only when the stream p makes a  value available. (It serves to slow down the stream x) i.e.:  is the stream x with new values appearing upon the truth of p.

The computation is carried out by defining filters or transformation functions that act on these time-varying streams of data.

Factorial
fac where n = 0 fby (n + 1); fac = 1 fby ( fac * (n + 1) ); end

Fibonacci sequence
fib where fib = 0 fby ( 1 fby fib + next fib ); end

Total of a Sequence
total where total = 0 fby total + x  end;

Running Average
running_avg where sum = first(input) fby sum + next(input); n = 1 fby n + 1; running_avg = sum / n;  end;

Prime numbers
prime where prime = 2 fby (n whenever isprime(n)); n = 3 fby n+1; isprime(n) = not(divs) asa divs or prime*prime > N                     where N is current n;                       divs = N mod prime eq 0; end; end

Quick sort
qsort(a) = if eof(first a) then a else follow(qsort(b0),qsort(b1)) fi  where p = first a < a;     b0 = a whenever p;      b1 = a whenever not p;      follow(x,y) = if xdone then y upon xdone else x fi                      where xdone = iseod x fby xdone or iseod x;                      end end

Data flow diagram
> whenever -> qsort - |            ^                           |    |             |                           |    |            not                          | |            ^                           |    |---> first   |                           | |      |     |                           |    |       V     |                           | |---> less ---                           | |            |                           |    |             V                           V ---+> whenever -> qsort -> conc ---> ifthenelse -> |                                                      ^   ^    |                                                       |   |     > next > first --> iseod --    | |                                                          |     ---

Root mean square
sqroot(avg(square(a))) where square(x) = x*x; avg(y)   = mean where n = 1 fby n+1; mean = first y fby mean + d;          d = (next y - mean)/(n+1); end; sqroot(z) = approx asa err < 0.0001 where Z is current z;          approx = Z/2 fby (approx + Z/approx)/2; err   = abs(square(approx)-Z); end; end

Hamming problem
h   where h = 1 fby merge(merge(2 * h, 3 * h), 5 * h); merge(x,y) = if xx <= yy then xx else yy fi        where xx = x upon xx <= yy; yy = y upon yy <= xx; end; end;

title: Lucid (programming language)


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Perfect Strangers (2004 film)

Perfect Strangers is a 2004 British romantic comedy film starring Rob Lowe and Anna Friel.

Plot summary
Lloyd and Susie in London work for the same ad agency, but in different cities. An arrangement is made where they switch jobs and homes for a month. After settling into each other's place they consult each other by phone. It's not long before they fall in love.

Cast

 * Rob Lowe as Lloyd Rockwell
 * Anna Friel as Susie Wilding
 * Khandi Alexander as Christie Kaplan
 * Sarah Alexander as Alix Mason
 * Jennifer Baxter as Betsy
 * Gabriel Hogan as Harvey Truelove
 * Jane Luk as Dee Dee
 * Colin Fox as Sir Nigel
 * Katie Bergin as Kathy

title: Perfect Strangers (2004 film)


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Keiko Takeshita

Keiko Takeshita (竹下景子 Takeshita Keiko; born on September 15, 1953, in Higashi-ku, Nagoya, Japan) is a Japanese actress. She starred in the Japanese version of From Up on Poppy Hill as Hana Matsuzaki.

Film

 * Blue Christmas (1978) - Saeko Nishida
 * Phoenix 2772 (1980) - The Phoenix (Voice)
 * Swan Lake (1981) - Princess Odette (Voice)
 * Tora-san Goes Religious? (1983) - Tomoko
 * Tora-san Goes North (1987) - Rinko
 * Tora-san Goes to Vienna (1989) - Kumiko Egami
 * A Class to Remember (1993) - Tajima
 * Sennen no Koi Story of Genji (2001) - Lady Rokujo
 * Arrietty (2010) - Sadako Maki (Voice)
 * From Up on Poppy Hill (2011) - Hana Matsuzaki (Voice)
 * The Wind Rises (2013) - Jiro's mother (Voice)
 * From Kobe (2015) - Mayumi Takeuchi
 * Satoshi: A Move for Tomorrow (2016) - Tomiko Murayama
 * Flower and Sword (2017) - Jōchin-ni
 * Futari no Uketorinin (2018)
 * Kazokuwari (2019)
 * Ware Yowakereba: Yajima Kajiko-den (2022)
 * The Life of Chiyoko Ito (2022) - Tetsu Yasui
 * The Boy and the Heron (2023) - Maid #1 (Voice)

Television drama

 * Ōgon no Hibi (NHK, 1978) - Kikyō
 * Kita no Kuni kara (Fuji TV, 1981–2002) - Yukiko
 * Tokugawa Ieyasu (NHK, 1983) - Lady Saigō
 * Sanada Taiheiki (NHK, 1985–86) - Ono no Otsū
 * Dokuganryū Masamune (NHK, 1987) - Katakura Kita
 * The Sun Never Sets (Fuji TV, 2000) - Teruko Masaki
 * Saka no Ue no Kumo (NHK, 2009) - Akiyama Sada
 * From Kobe (Sun Television, 2015) - Mayumi Takeuchi
 * Warotenka (NHK, 2017) - Hatsu
 * Okaeri Mone (NHK, 2021) - Masayo Nagaura/narrator

Other television

 * Quiz Derby (TBS, 1976–92)

Dubbing

 * #AnneFrank: Parallel Stories (2020) - Helen Mirren

title: Keiko Takeshita


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Cláudio Taffarel

Cláudio André Mergen Taffarel (born 8 May 1966) is a former Brazilian football goalkeeper who is the goalkeeping coach of both English Premier League club Liverpool and the Brazil national team.

Taffarel began his senior career in 1985 with Internacional in his native Brazil and then played in Parma, Reggiana, Atlético Mineiro and Galatasaray. He retired in 2003 after a second spell at Parma.

The recipient of more than 100 international caps, Taffarel played a key role in Brazil's victorious 1994 World Cup campaign and also appeared in eight other major international tournaments over the course of one full decade, most notably winning two Copa América titles in 1989 and 1997, as well as a World Cup runners-up finish in 1998. He also won a silver medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics in South Korea.

Club career
Born in Santa Rosa, Rio Grande do Sul with Italian Brazilian ancestry, Taffarel began his career playing for Internacional but only appeared in 14 Série A games during his five-year spell, being however awarded the Golden Ball award for the 1988 season.

In 1990, he Parma in Italy, a club which had just been promoted to Serie A for the first time in their history; according to a 2003 article by Andrea Schianchi of La Gazzetta dello Sport, Taffarel's move to Parma was also carried out for commercial reasons, as at the time, Calisto Tanzi, the then–owner of Parmalat – the company that owned the club –, was looking to have the Brazilian goalkeeper become the face of the corporation's new advertising campaign following its recent expansion into Brazil. Taffarel became the first non–Italian goalkeeper to play in Serie A, and proceeded to appear in all 34 league games in the following campaign under manager Nevio Scala, as the Emilia-Romagna side finished in sixth position and qualified to the UEFA Cup. He won the Coppa Italia in 1992 and the Cup Winners' Cup in 1993 during his first spell with the club, although following a series of unconvincing performances, and the regulations at the time that only allowed three non–Italian players in the team's starting XI (with Faustino Asprilla, Tomas Brolin, and Georges Grün usually being selected to start by Scala), he was relegated to the bench over the course of the next two seasons, initially behind Marco Ballotta and later Luca Bucci.

In 1993, Taffarel, now only a back-up at Parma, signed for fellow Serie A team Reggiana, where he was first-choice throughout the following season in a narrow escape from relegation. However, he was subsequently dropped from the first team in 1994, and remained without a professional club in the run up to and following that year's World Cup in the United States, playing instead at amateur level with his local church team, and even featuring as a centre-forward on occasion. Afterwards, he returned to his home country in 1995 and played three years with Atlético Mineiro.

On 24 June 1998, when still appearing for Seleçao at 1998 FIFA World Cup tournament in France, Taffarel signed a two-year deal with Galatasaray at Disneyland Paris. Galatasaray paid a transfer fee of around $1.5 million to his former club Atlético Mineiro. At Galatasaray, he has won six major trophies during his three-year stint, most notably two Süper Lig titles and the 1999–2000 UEFA Cup and 2000 UEFA Super Cup; in the final of the former competition – a 4–1 penalty shootout victory over Arsenal following a 0–0 draw after 120 minutes – he was chosen as Man of the match.

He closed out his career with former club Parma, joining the team in 2001; he mainly featured as a second-choice keeper behind Sébastien Frey during his second spell with the club, but started in both legs of the 2002 Coppa Italia final, which saw Parma triumph over the newly crowned Serie A champions, Juventus. He retired in 2003, after one-and-a-half seasons with the club, at the age of 37, and after having refused an offer from Empoli: his car broke down on the way to sign the contract and finalise the deal, which he later described as a "sign of God".

International career
Taffarel made his debut for Brazil on 7 July 1988 in the Australia Bicentenary Gold Cup, playing all four games and conceding two goals as his team won the tournament. He was also in goal for the following year's Copa América, which Brazil also won (during his ten-year international career, he appeared in five editions of the latter tournament, winning the title for a second time in 1997, and collecting runners-up medals in 1991 and 1995). At the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, he won a silver medal, saving three penalties against West Germany in the semi-finals of the tournament: one in regulation time, and two in Brazil's successful shoot-out. He was also a member of the Brazilian team that took part at the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy, where Brazil were eliminated in the round of 16 following a 1–0 defeat to rivals and defending champions Argentina, with Taffarel conceding only two goals in total throughout the tournament.

Taffarel was the starter for the nation during the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the United States, only allowing one goal in the first round and two in the knock-out phases, excluding two penalty kicks in the final shootout victory against Italy. Four years later, in France, he helped his national team to a second consecutive World Cup final, which proved to be his final international appearance; on this occasion, however, Brazil lost out 3–0 to the hosts. In the run-up to the final, Taffarel had notably saved two penalties in the team's 4–2 shootout victory over the Netherlands in the semi-finals. He was also a member of the Brazilian side that finished in third place at the 1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

In total, Taffarel played 101 times with the Seleção, making him Brazil's most capped goalkeeper of all time, and one of the few Brazilian players to have made at least 100 caps for the national side. Upon his retirement in 2003, coach Carlos Alberto Parreira offered to arrange a farewell match but the player refused, stating that he was not interested in such fanfare; he did return to play alongside Romário in late 2004 against Mexico, to commemorate the 1994 World Cup victory at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Style of play
Regarded as one of the greatest Brazilian goalkeepers of all time,  Taffarel was known to be a rational, effective, and generally consistent keeper, with good fundamental goalkeeping technique, who favoured an efficient rather than spectacular playing style. His main attributes were his explosive reflexes, positional sense, and calm composure in goal, as well as his penalty-stopping abilities; due to the muscle power in his legs that he developed while playing beach volleyball in his youth, he was known for his surprising spring and elevation from a standstill position, despite his modest stature, which gave him significant hang time and aided him in stopping penalties. Furthermore, he was known to be quick when coming off his line, and was also highly regarded for his flair and skill with the ball at his feet, having played as a forward in his youth. Due to his lack of height, however, as well as his poor handling and decision-making, he struggled at times when dealing with crosses, and was not particularly confident or decisive when coming off his line to catch high balls; as such, critical reception of Taffarel was often divided throughout his career. While he drew praise from the Brazilian fans and media for his decisive performances with the Brazil national team, which even earned him the nickname "Saint Taffarel" in the Brazilian media, he also drew criticism at times from Italian pundits over the mental aspect of his game, and his lack of development during his time in Serie A, which made him unreliable and prone to technical errors on occasion, despite his shot-stopping ability and generally high-quality gameplay, as well as his capacity to produce excellent saves. Moreover, his struggles to cope with his nerves are thought to have impeded him from succeeding consistently at the highest level with top European clubs throughout his career, despite his success and reputation. Ahead of the 1998 FIFA World Cup final, Mike Penner of the Los Angeles Times speculated that Taffarel, and the goalkeeping position more broadly, was the "weak link" of an otherwise world class Brazil national side, due to the lack of top goalkeepers in Brazilian football at the time; indeed, prior to the tournament, Reuters had dismissed Taffarel as: "One of around a dozen goalkeepers in Brazil of roughly the same standard." Beyond his playing ability, Taffarel often made a name for himself as a key dressing room personality for his teams.

Post-retirement

Taffarel and his former Atlético Mineiro teammate Paulo Roberto started up a player agency, with the focus mainly on promising youngsters.

During the 1998 World Cup, when the Brazil national team was training at Trois-Sapins stadium in Ozoir-la-Ferrière, a suburb southeast of Paris, the town's mayor proposed renaming the stadium after him.

In 2004, Taffarel rejoined Galatasaray as goalkeeping coach – under former teammate Gheorghe Hagi – returning to the club for the 2011–12 season, again with Fatih Terim as manager. Taffarel had two short spells as interim manager before leaving the Turkish side in 2019.

He currently works as a goalkeeper coach for both Liverpool, having joined in 2021, and the Brazil national team, having taken up the role in 2014.

Personal life
Born in Santa Rosa, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, Taffarel is of German and Italian descent.

Taffarel is a born-again Christian who has actively shared his faith in numerous venues. He was a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes since 1988, and has 17 children, 15 of them adopted.

Honours
Parma
 * Coppa Italia: 1991–92, 2001–02
 * UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1992–93

Atlético Mineiro
 * Campeonato Mineiro: 1995
 * Copa CONMEBOL: 1997

Galatasaray
 * Süper Lig: 1998–99, 1999–2000
 * Turkish Cup: 1998–99, 1999–2000
 * UEFA Cup: 1999–2000
 * UEFA Super Cup: 2000

Brazil
 * FIFA World Cup: 1994; runner-up 1998
 * Copa América: 1989, 1997; runner-up 1991, 1995
 * Summer Olympic Games Silver Medal: 1988
 * FIFA World Youth Championship: 1985

Individual
 * Toulon Tournament Best Goalkeeper: 1987
 * Bola de Ouro: 1988
 * Bola de Prata: 1988
 * FIFA XI: 1998
 * Brazilian Football Museum Hall of Fame
 * Man of the Match: 2000 UEFA Cup final

title: Cláudio Taffarel


text:
Batanovtsi

Batanovtsi (Батановци, ) is a town in western Bulgaria. It is located in Pernik Province and is close to the towns of Radomir and Pernik.

Geography
Its located between the towns of Pernik and Radomir. In the land of the town of Batanovtsi is the village of Cherna gora, which has no land of its own.

History
The town's name was first attested in a 1564 Bulgarian text: ВИШЄ СЄЛА БАТЄНОВЦИ БЛИЗЬ РЄЦЄ СТРОУМЄ, and several other sources from the 1560s. It is derived from the personal name Batan, probably of Pecheneg or Cuman origin. From 1950 to 1992 it was known as Temelkovo. It was proclaimed a town in 1974.

Religion
Eastern orthodoxy

Notable people

 * Asen Daskalov (1899 – 1925), revolutionary

title: Batanovtsi


text: Category:Airlines of Mongolia

title: Category:Airlines of Mongolia


text:
Talk:International relations within the Comecon

Present tense?
Seeing as the Communist bloc no longer exsists in Europe, it seems daft to refer to how the comecon is 'benefiting' nations such as Cuba, Vietnam etc. Snooo 16:58, 9 Feb 2005 (UTC)

The text is copied from a 1987 US government text in the Library of US Congress, implying that 1. you have "corrected" the grammar in an official US government text, 2. all present tense should be changed to past tense. Juro 20:14, 9 Feb 2005 (UTC)

 * Lol, didn't notice at the time :-D . It seemed to be a very clunky document - although looking back most of the changes I made were related to the tense of the document. Will look back over to make more changes when I get a chance. Snooo 16:32, 10 Feb 2005 (UTC)

It refers to the six East European countries and lists them - but doesn't include East Germany. Oversight? Secretlondon 15:05, 30 March 2006 (UTC)
 * Since nobody objected in almost 16 years, and given that it seems a clear oversight, I just added it. Steffens123 (talk) 17:38, 4 March 2024 (UTC)