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Benue State

Benue State is one of the North Central states in Nigeria with a population of about 4,253,641 in the 2006 census. The state was created in 1976 and was among the seven states created at that time. The state derives its name from the Benue River which is the second largest river in Nigeria after the River Niger. The state borders Nasarawa State to the North; Taraba State to the East; Kogi State to the West; Enugu State to the South-West; Ebonyi and Cross-Rivers State to the South; and has an international border with Cameroon to the South-East. It is inhabited predominantly by the Tiv, Idoma, and Igede people. Minority ethnic groups in Benue are Etulo, Igbo, and Jukun people, etc. Its capital is Makurdi. Benue is a rich agricultural region; common crops cultivated in the statte include oranges, yams, mangoes, sweet potatoes, cassava, soya bean, guinea corn, flax,, sesame, rice, groundnuts, and palm trees.

Benue State is a legacy of an administrative entity that was carved out of the protectorate of northern Nigeria at the beginning of the twentieth century. The territory was initially known as Munshi Province until 1918 when the name of its dominant geographical feature, the Benue River was adopted.

Benue State is named after the Benue River and was formed from the former Benue-Plateau State in 1976, along with Igala and some part of Kwara State. In 1991, some areas of Benue state (mostly the Igala-speaking area), along with areas in Kwara State, were clubbed together to form the new Kogi State. Igbo people are found in the boundary areas like the Obi, Oju, and Ado Local Government Areas. It is known as the "Heartbeat of the Middle Belt" and the "Entertainment Capital of the Middle Belt" north of the Niger River. Otukpo, the Idoma people's traditional and administrative capital, is also known as the Lion's Heart and the Land of the Brave.

Population structure and distribution
Benue State, which is located in the North Central region of Nigeria, has a total population of 4,253,641 in the 2006 census, with an average population density of 99 persons per km2. This makes Benue the 9th most populous state in Nigeria. However, the distribution of the population according to Local government areas shows marked duality.

There are areas of low population density, such as Guma, Ohimini, Tarka, Apa, Logo and Agatu, each with less than seventy persons per km2, while Vandeikya, Ukum, Kwande, Otukpo, Okpokwu, and Gboko have densities ranging from 160 persons to 200 persons per km2. Makurdi LGA has over 380 persons per km2. The males are 49.8 percent of the total population while females constitute 50.2 per cent.

Settlement pattern and urbanization
Benue State region was depleted of its human population during the slave trade. It is largely rural, with scattered settlements mainly in tiny compounds or homesteads, whose population range from 630 people, most of whom are farmers.

Urbanization in Benue State did not predate the colonial era. The few towns established during colonial rule remained very small (less than 30,000 people) up to the creation of Benue State in 1976.

Benue towns can be categorised into three groups. The first group consists of those with a population of 80,000 to 500,000 people. These include Makurdi, the State Capital, Gboko and Otukpo the "headquarters" of the two dominant ethnic groups (125,944 and 88,958 people respectively). The second group comprises towns with a population of between 20,000 and 50,000 people and includes Katsina-Ala, Zaki-Biam, Ukum, and Adikpo, Kwande. These are all local government headquarters. The third category comprises towns with a population of 10,000 to 19,000 people and includes Vandeikya, Lessel, Ihugh, Naka, Adoka, Aliade, Okpoga, Igumale, Oju, Utonkon, Ugbokolo, Wannune, Ugbokpo, Otukpa, Ugba and Korinya. Most of these towns are headquarters of recently created Local Government Areas and/or district headquarters or major market areas. Some of the headquarters of the newly created LGAs have populations of less than 10,000 people. Such places include Tse-Agberaba, Gbajimba, Buruku, Idekpa, Obagaji and Obarikeito. Apart from earth roads, schools, periodic markets and chemists (local drug stores), the rural areas are largely used for farming, relying on the urban centres for most of their urban needs. Benue State has no problem of capital city primacy. Rather, three towns stand out very clearly as important urban centres which together account for more than 70 per cent of the social amenities provided in the state and almost all the industrial establishments. These centres are Makurdi, Gboko and Otukpo. They are among the oldest towns in the state and are growing at a much faster rate than the smaller younger towns.

Makurdi doubles as the capital of the state and the headquarters of Makurdi LGA, while Gboko, Otukpo and Oju double as the local government and ethnic headquarters (i.e. for Tiv, Idoma, and Igede). All the roads in the state radiate from these three centres. As an administrative unit, Benue State was first created on 3 February 1976. It was one of the seven states created by the military administration headed by General Murtala Mohammed, which increased the number of states in the country from 13 to 19. In 1991, its boundaries were re-adjusted with the creation of Kogi State. The new Benue State of today has twenty-three (23) local government areas, which are administered by local government councils.

Geography
Benue State lies within the lower river Benue trough in the middle belt region of Nigeria. Its geographic coordinates are longitude 7° 47' and 10° 0' East. Latitude 6° 25' and 8° 8' North; and shares boundaries with five other states namely: Nasarawa State to the north for 231 km (partly across the Benue River), Taraba State to the east for 235 km, Cross-River State to the south for 96 km, Enugu State to the south-west for 84 km, and Kogi State to the west for 153 km. The state also shares a common boundary for 22 km with the Nord-Ouest Province, claimed by both Ambazonia and the Republic of Cameroon on the south-east. Benue occupies a landmass of 34,059 square kilometres.

Climate
Benue state has a Tropical wet and dry or savanna climate. The city's yearly temperature is 29.38 °C (84.88 °F) and it is −0.08% lower than Nigeria's averages. The state receives about 135.2 millimeters (5.32 inches) of precipitation and has 160.01 rainy days (43.84% of the time) annually.

Geology
Based on Köppen climate classification, Benue State lies within the AW climate and experiences two distinct seasons, the Wet season and the Dry season. The rainy season lasts from April to October with annual rainfall in the range of 100-200mm. The dry season begins in November and ends in March. Temperatures fluctuate between 21 – 37 degrees Celsius in the year. The south-eastern part of the state adjoining the Obudu-Cameroun mountain range, however, has a cooler climate similar to that of Plateau State.

Much of Benue State falls within the Benue Valley/trough which is believed to be structurally developed. During the Tertiary and possibly the Interglacial periods of the Quaternary glaciation, the Benue and Niger Valleys, otherwise known as the Niger/Benue trough, were transgressed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. As a result, marine sediments form the dominant surface geology of much of Benue State.

Mineral resources
Benue State is blessed with abundant mineral resources. These resources are distributed in the Local Government Areas of the state. Of these mineral resources, only Limestone at Tse-Kucha near Gboko and Kaolinite at Otukpo are being commercially exploited. Other mineral deposits include Baryte, Gypsum, Feldspar, Wolframite, Kaolinite, mineral salts and Gemstone etc.

Agriculture
Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy of Benue State, engaging over 75% of the state's workforce. Prominent crops include Yam, Rice, Beans, Cassava, Sweet potato, Maize, Soybean, Sorghum, Millet, Sesame, Cocoyam etc. The state also accounts for over 70% of Nigeria's Soybean production.

The vegetation of the southern parts of the state is characterised by forests, which yield trees for timber and provide a suitable habitat for rare animals types and species. The state thus possesses potential for the development of viable forest and wildlife reserves.

Relief and drainage
The land is generally low lying (averaging 100m-250m) and gently undulating with occasional inselbergs, Knoll, Laterite etc. It is only at the boundary area with Cameroon, also Kwande and Oju Local Government Areas that hilly terrain with appreciable local relief is encountered. Here, the terrain is characterised by steep slopes, deep incised valleys and generally rugged relief. Elsewhere, gradients average less than 4°. River Benue is the dominant geographical feature in the state. It is one of the few large rivers in Nigeria. The Katsina-Ala is the largest tributary, while the smaller rivers include Mkomon, Amile, Duru, Loko Konshisha, Kpa, Okpokwu, Mu, Be, Aya, Apa Ogede and Ombi. The flood plains which are characterised by extensive swamps and ponds are good for dry season irrigated farming.

Though Benue State has high drainage density many of the streams are seasonal. Hence, there is an acute water shortage in the dry season in Local Government Areas such as Guma, Okpokwu, Ogbadibo, Gwer West (Naka, Nigeria) and Oju. This river system has great potential for a viable fishing industry, dry season farming through irrigation and for an inland water highway.

People and culture
The state is populated by several ethnic groups: Tiv, Idoma, Igede, Etulo, Ufia Orring, Abakpa, Jukun, Igbo, Akweya and Nyifon. The Tiv are occupying 14 local government areas with the Etulo and Jukun, with the Idoma, Orring, Igede, Igbo, Akweya and Nyifon occupying nine.

Most of the Tiv people are farmers while the inhabitants of the river areas engage in fishing as their primary or important secondary occupation. The people of the state are famous for their cheerful and hospitable disposition as well as rich cultural heritage.

Traditional rulers
The Benue State Government accords high respect to traditional rulers in recognition of their role as custodians of culture and as agents of development. Also, their roles in enhancing peace and order at the grassroots level are also recognised. To enhance their contribution to the affairs of the state, government has established a three-tier traditional council system made up of Local Government Area Traditional Councils, Area Traditional Councils and the State Council of Chiefs with the Tor Tiv (Tiv King) as chairman.

The two Area Councils are the Tiv Traditional Council and the Idoma Traditional Council. The former has the Tor Tiv (Tiv King) as chairman of all the traditional rulers from the Tiv dominant Local Government Areas, while the latter has the Och' Idoma (Idoma king) as the chairman of all the traditional rulers from the Idoma dominant Local Government Areas.

The State Council of Chiefs has the Tor Tiv, Orchivirigh Professor James Ortese Iorzua Ayatse (Tor Tiv V), with Och'Idoma and all second class Chiefs/Chairmen of the Local Government Traditional Council as members.

Culture
Benue State possesses a rich and diverse cultural heritage which finds expression in colourful cloths, exotic masquerades, supplicated music and dances. Traditional dances from Benue State have won acclaim at national and international cultural festivals. The most popular of these dances include Ingyough, Ange, Anchanakupa, Swange and Ogirinya among others.

The socio-religious festivals of the people, colourful dances, dresses and songs are also of tourist value. The Alekwu ancestral festival of the Idoma people, for instance, is an occasion when the local people believe their ancestors re-established contact with the living in the form of masquerades.

The Igede-Agba is a Yam Festival, marked every year in September by the Igede people of Oju and Obi local government areas. Among the Tiv, the Tiv Day, marriage ceremonies and dance competitions (e.g. Swange dance) are often very colourful. Kwagh-Hir is a very entertaining Tiv puppet show.

Social life in Benue State is also enriched by the availability of diverse recreational facilities. Apart from parks, beaches, dancing and masquerades mentioned above, the big hotels in Makurdi, Gboko and Otukpo are equipped with several indoor sporting facilities. There are golf clubs, the Makurdi Club, Railway Club, Police Club and Air Force Club, where, apart from the sale of drinks and snacks, various types of games are played.

There is a standard Arts Theatre, a modern Sports Complex which includes the Aper Aku Stadium, which has provisions for such games as tennis, basketball, volleyball and handball, an indoor sports hall and Olympic size swimming pool in Makurdi. Smaller stadia exist in Gboko (J. S. Tarka Stadium), Katsina-Ala, Adikpo, Vandeikya and Otukpo. The BCC Lawn Tennis tournament attracts players from all over the country. Benue State has three teams in the professional soccer ranks, Lobi Stars F.C. in Division One, BCC Lions FC in Division Two, Mark mentors as the basketball premier league team.

Languages
Languages of Benue State listed by LGA: Other languages spoken in the State include Korring Etulo, Nyifon, Basa, Jukun (including Wannu), and Utugwang Irungene Afrike.

Igbo is also spoken in border areas.

Religion
The Roman Catholic Church has 2,354,410 followers in four suffragans of the Archdiocese of Abuja:
 * The Diocese of Makurdi (1934 as Benue) with 89 parishes under Bishop Wilfred Chikpa Anagbe (2015),
 * The Diocese of Gboko (2012) with 84 parishes under Bishop William Amove Avenya (2012),
 * The Diocese of Katsina-Ala (2012) with 34 parishes under Bishop Isaac Bundepuun Dugu (2022), and
 * The Diocese of Otukpo (1995) with 61 parishes under Bishop Michael Ekwoy Apochi (2002).

The Anglican Province of Abuja in the Church of Nigeria includes the Dioceses of Makurdi (1990) with 25 parishes led by Bishop Nathan Inyom (1990), Gboko (2009) led by Bishop Emmanuel Nyitsse, and Otukpo (1996) led by Bishop David Bello (2004).

Government
The state is under the current administration of Hyacinth Alia. The governor of Benue State leads its executive branch. They appoint heads of the state ministries. They also serve as the chief security officer of the state.

Local Government Areas
Benue State consists of twenty-three (23) Local Government Areas. They are:

Makurdi
Makurdi, the state capital was established in the early twenties and gained prominence in 1927 when it became the headquarters of the then Benue Province. Being a river port, it attracted the establishment of trading depots by companies such as United Africa Company of Nigeria and John Holt plc. Its commercial status was further enhanced when the Railway Bridge was completed and opened in 1932. In 1976, the town became the capital of Benue State and today, doubles as the headquarters of Makurdi Local Government Area.The town is divided by the River Benue into the north and south banks, which are connected by two bridges: the railway bridge, which was built in 1932, and the new dual carriage bridge commissioned in 1978.

The southern part of the town is made up of several wards, including Central Ward, Old GRA, Ankpa Ward, Wadata Ward, High Level, Wurukum (Low Level), New GRA etc. Important establishments and offices located here include the Government House, The State Secretariat, The Federal Secretariat, The Central Bank of Nigeria Regional headquarters, Commercial Banks, Telecommunication companies, Police Headquarters, Nigeria Prisons Service, Aper Aku Stadium, Nigeria Air force Base, Makurdi, The Makurdi Modern Market, the Federal Medical Centre, Nigeria Railway Station, Benue Printing and Publishing Company Limited, Radio Benue, Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Nigerian Postal service, Benue Hotels Makurdi, Benue Plaza hotel, Benue State University, Benue State Breweries.

The North bank area of the town houses among other establishments, the Federal University of Agriculture, the Nigerian Army School of Military Engineering, the headquarters of the 72 Airborne Battalion, Akawe Torkula Polytechnic (ATP) and the State Headquarters of the Department of Customs and Excise.

Owing to its location in the valley of River Benue, Makurdi experiences warm temperatures most of the year. The period from November to January, when the harmattan weather is experienced is, however, relatively cool.

Makurdi can be reached by air, rail, road and water as the airport is presently not functioning. The major northern route is the Makurdi – Lafia – Jos road. The southern routes are Makurdi – Otukpo – Enugu and Makurdi – Yandev – Adikpo – Calabar roads. Traffic from the west comes through Makurdi – (3) Naka – Adoka Ankpa (3) – Okene (1) roads and from the east through Makurdi – Yandev – Katsina Ala – Wukari roads. The Makurdi Rail Bridge provides the only rail link between the northern and eastern parts of Nigeria.

The beaches of River Benue can be exploited to provide good sites for relaxation. The river itself provides tourist opportunities for boating, angling and swimming. The Makurdi Moratorium that houses a variety of animals including some rare species also serves as another feature of tourist attraction.

Agricultural production
Agriculture forms the backbone of the Benue State economy, engaging more than 70 per cent of the working population. This has made Benue the major source of food production in the Nation. Experts say that it can still be developed because most of the modern techniques are not yet popular to majority of Nigerian farmers. Mechanization and plantation agriculture/agro-forestry are still at its infancy. Farm inputs such as fertilizers, improved seed, insecticides and other foreign methods are being increasingly used. However, cost and availability is still a challenge. Important cash crops include soybeans, rice, peanuts, mango varieties, citrus, etc.

Other cash crops include palm oil, melon, African pear, chili pepper, tomatoes etc. Food crops include Yam, Cassava, Sweet potato, Beans, Maize, Millet, Guinea corn, Vegetables etc. There is very little irrigation agriculture and techniques.

Animal production includes: Cattle, Pork, Poultry and Goat but no dairy and dairy products yet.

The Zaki Ibiam International Yam Market is the biggest market for a single product in Nigeria.

Commerce and industry
Banking services are available as all the banks in Nigeria have branches in the state, with the Central Bank of Nigeria having its regional headquarters in Makurdi. Dangote Cement Company is a private company that operates within the state and provides a little employment to the people.

This is a rough estimated employment percentage in the state: 75% are farmers, 10% traders, 6% civil servants, 9% private.

Benue State has the capacity to support a wide range of industries using local agricultural and mineral resources although potentials are yet to be exploited. Private initiatives in commerce and industry, particularly by indigenes, is as also on a small scale and is limited to carpentry, shoe repairs and manufacturing, small scale rice mills, leather and plastic industries, weaving, printing, catering, block making, food processing, etc. Industry and commerce have been greatly retarded by the absence of capital funds, basic infrastructure and the frequent political changes.

Infrastructure and transportation
The location of Benue State in the centre of the country plus the presence of bridges on two large rivers, the Benue River and Katsina-Ala River, make the state a major cross-roads centre. The present government has shown commitment to the construction of roads within the state capital Makurdi and other major roads leading in and out of the state. The roads are in an excellent condition.

Two Federal Highways connect the Eastern States to the North and Northeast. Other major roads include:
 * A3 north from Enugu via Otukpo and Makurdi to Lafia, Nasarawa State.
 * A4 northeast from Benue State at Gakem to Taraba State near Kado as the Katsina Ala-Zaki Biam road.
 * Makurdi-Gboko road southeast via Yandev to Ugbema where the Katsina Ala Road continues southwest via Adikpo to Cross River State at Gakem,
 * Makurdi-Naka-Adoka-Ankpa-Okene road west,
 * Makurdi-Yandev-Katsina Ala-Wukari road east,
 * Makurdi North-Uda Road west to Nasarawa State at Utagudu,
 * Adoka-Weto Road north from Adoka across the Benue River by the two km Loko-Oweto Bridge (2022),
 * Gboko-Mbasere Road east from A3 at Aliade
 * Katsina Ala-Takum road east to Taraba State at Dogon Gawa.

The Federal government is also remodelling and expanding the Makurdi Airport to become the largest agricultural cargo airport in the country.

The rivers Benue and Katsina-Ala only need to be dredged and a modern river port built at Makurdi, Turan, Buruku and Katsina-Ala to transport goods all over the nation since the state is at the middle of the country. Ships are sighted very occasionally offloading cargo for Benue company at the Abinsi jetty.

The Eastern rail line north from Enugu across the Benue River by the Makurdi Rail Bridge (1932) to Nasarawa State connects Makurdi, Otukpo, Taraku, Utonkon and Igumale with the rest of the country. Altogether, about 180 km of rail line traverses the state.

Power supply
Electricity challenges in Benue are no different from every other region in Nigeria. Places like Makurdi, Otukpo and Gboko, as some examples, enjoy at least 60% of power supply. However, private industries have other sources of power supply as a contingency.

Telecommunications
Benue has facilities for the GSM service companies operating in the Country. The state also has at least 7 radio stations (Radio Benue, Joy FM, Harvest FM, Ashiwave FM, Sun Rays FM, Brothers' FM and Speed FM) and 2 television stations.

Tourism and recreation
Benue State possesses immense tourism potentials which are yet to be exploited. Since some of the tourist attractions are best selected by the tourist, Benue State in her bid to develop tourism embarked on infrastructural development necessary for the overall well-being of the tourist. The options are still opened to foreign investors.

The programme of road development, hotels, postal, telephone and Email services, electricity, potable water, recreational facilities and the general hospitality of the people will eventually open up the state to tourists. An amusement park and Zoo have been developed at Makurdi. There is a wildlife park at lkwe where a conference hall and chalets have been built to serve tourists. Tourist attractions in the state may be grouped into natural scenic, historical monuments and festivals.

Natural Attractions in Benue State include hills and ranges such as Ikyogen, Abande, Ngokur, Mkar, Ushongo and Harga. There is a heavily wooded natural trench at Tse-Mker which is believed to be inhabited by dangerous creatures including Pythons. Gurgul is a waterfall on Katsina Ala River. The border stretch adjoining the Obudu/South Cameroon Plateau ranges features forests, dissected hills, Dykes, dozens of fast flowing streams and incised valleys. In the Dry season, the water level in both the Benue River and Katsina-Ala River falls, giving rise to sandy river beaches and clean shallow waters. The waters are used for recreational boating and swimming. At Orokam in Ogbadibo Local government areas, occurs the Enumabia Warm Spring. At Epwa-Ibilla, Andi-Ibilla, Uchenyum-Ibilla, Okochi-Uwokwu, Irachi-Uwokwu, Ette-Uda-Uwokwu, Odepa-Uwokwu, Igbegi-Ipinu-Uwokwu, Edde-Ibilla-Uwokwu, and Ohuma-Uwokwu of Oju, are springs of clean water. There are masses of unusually tall trees in the deep valleys and on the pretty steep highlands, which are all however inhabited.

Historical monuments in the state include the Royal Niger Company Trading Stores at Makurdi and Gbileve near Katsina-Ala; the tombs of the first Dutch missionaries at Harga and Sai in Katsina-Ala Local Government Areas; the tombs of the legendary politician, Mr. J. S. Tarka and past three Tor Tiv in Gboko town; and the trench fortifications in Turan district of Kwande local government areas which were dug by the Tiv to ward off Chamba invasions in the 19th century.

At Utonkon, is a thick forest with tall giant trees, the centre of which used to serve as a slave trade market but is now the site of shrines and a periodic market. Swem is a shrine site at the foot of the Cameroon range in Kwande local government area from where the Tivs were said to have originated.

Education
Higher education institutions in Benue State include:

 * Akawe Torkula Polytechnic, ATP, Makurdi.
 * Benue State Polytechnic, Ugbokolo
 * Benue State University, Makurdi
 * College of Education, Katsina-Ala
 * Joseph Sarwuan Tarka Uniniversity (JOSTUM), Makurdi
 * University of Mkar

Notable people

 * Aper Aku
 * George Akume
 * Daniel Amokachi
 * D. Denenge Duyst-Akpem
 * David Mark
 * Lawrence Onoja
 * Gift Orban
 * Samuel Ortom
 * Kunle Remi
 * Gabriel Suswam
 * Joseph Tarka

title: Benue State


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Purser

A purser is the person on a ship principally responsible for the handling of money on board. On modern merchant ships, the purser is the officer responsible for all administration (including the ship's cargo and passenger manifests) and supply. Frequently, the cooks and stewards answer to the purser as well. They were also called a pusser in British naval slang.

History
The purser joined the warrant officer ranks of the Royal Navy in the early 14th century and existed as a naval rank until 1852. The development of the warrant officer system began in 1040, when five English ports began furnishing warships to King Edward the Confessor in exchange for certain privileges. They also furnished crews whose officers were the master, boatswain, carpenter and cook. Later these officers were "warranted" by the British Admiralty. Pursers received no pay but were entitled to profits made through their business activities. In the 18th century a purser would buy his warrant for £65 and was required to post sureties totalling £2,100 with the Admiralty. They maintained and sailed the ships and were the standing officers of the navy, staying with the ships in port between voyages as caretakers supervising repairs and refitting.

In charge of supplies such as food and drink, clothing, bedding, candles, the purser was originally known as "the clerk of burser." They would usually charge the supplier a 5% commission for making a purchase and it is recorded they charged a considerable markup when they resold the goods to the crew. The purser was not in charge of pay, but he had to track it closely since the crew had to pay for all their supplies, and it was the purser's job to deduct those expenses from their wages. The purser bought everything (except food and drink) on credit, acting as an unofficial private merchant. In addition to his official responsibilities, it was customary for the purser to act as an official private merchant for luxuries such as tobacco and to be the crew's banker.

As a result, the purser could be at risk of losing money and being thrown into debtor's prison; conversely, the crew and officers habitually suspected the purser of making an illicit profit out of his complex dealings. It was the common practice of pursers forging pay tickets to claim wages for "phantom" crew members that led to the Navy's implementation of muster inspection to confirm who worked on a vessel. The position, though unpaid, was very sought after because of the expectation of making a reasonable profit; although there were wealthy pursers, it was from side businesses facilitated by their ships' travels.

On modern-day passenger ships, the purser has evolved into a multiperson office that handles general administration, fees and charges, currency exchange, and any other money-related needs of the passengers and crew.

Aircraft
On modern airliners, the cabin manager (chief flight attendant) is often called the purser. The purser oversees the flight attendants by making sure airline passengers are safe and comfortable. A flight purser completes detailed reports and verifies all safety procedures are followed.

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

title: Purser


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WHYY

WHYY may refer to:

 * WHYY-TV, a television station (channel 13, virtual 12) licensed to Wilmington, Delaware, United States
 * WHYY-FM, a radio station (90.9 FM) licensed to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

title: WHYY


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Matthews Arena

Matthews Arena (formerly Boston Arena) is a multi-purpose arena in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the world's oldest multi-purpose athletic building still in use, as well as the oldest arena in use for ice hockey.

The arena opened in 1910 on what is now the east end of Northeastern University's campus. It is the original home of the National Hockey League (NHL) Boston Bruins—the only team of the NHL's Original Six whose original home arena still exists for the sport of ice hockey; the WHA New England Whalers (now the NHL Carolina Hurricanes); and the NBA's Boston Celtics.

Today, Matthews Arena is owned by the university. It is used by the Northeastern Huskies men's and women's ice hockey teams, and men's basketball team as well as various high school ice hockey programs in the city of Boston. The venue also hosts Northeastern's graduation ceremonies, its annual Springfest concert, and other events.

The closest MBTA station is the Massachusetts Ave Orange Line subway station; the Green Line E branch's underground Symphony station is two blocks northwest.

History
Originally named the Boston Arena, groundbreaking took place on October 11, 1909. The 1896 United States skating champion Herbert S. Evans dug the first portion of earth. The arena was to have a capacity of 5,000 and was to be used for ice skating, curling, horse shows, and a variety of sporting events. The arena had its own power plant, which powered the two 100-ton ice machines and all of the arena's lighting. Charles C. Abbey was the first president and treasurer of the Boston Arena Company and William T. Richardson was the building's first general manager. The arena was scheduled to open on Christmas Day 1909, but construction delays pushed back the opening until April 25, 1910. The arena's inaugural event was an ice carnival to benefit the Sharon Sanatorium. Skating events were held throughout the day, including a performance by Irving Brokaw. The area's first ice hockey game was won by the Harvard Freshmen hockey team, who defeated Newton High School, 4–0. The Harvard varsity squad played later that evening, losing to Crescent H. C., 1–0. The Arena's original ice surface was larger than the current standard at 220 x.

The Arena was partially destroyed by fire on December 18, 1918. It was rebuilt, and the new facility opened January 1, 1921, with an ice show. Harvard played the first hockey game after being reopened, January 8, 1921, against Kings College. The first games of professional ice hockey at the Arena took place in March 1911 when a two-game $2,500 competition between two NHA teams, the Montreal Wanderers and the Ottawa Senators took place. The NHL's first US-based franchise, the Boston Bruins, played their first-ever NHL regular season game at the Arena on Monday, December 1, 1924. with the Bruins' most historic rivalry with the Montreal Canadiens being initiated only one week later. The Bruins left the Arena in 1928 when Tex Rickard's new indoor sports facility in Boston, the Boston Garden, was completed. The WHA's New England Whalers played some of their first-season home games at the Arena in 1972–73.

Matthews is where the hockey programs of Boston College, Boston University, Harvard, MIT, Northeastern University, Tufts University, Boston State College (later merged into the University of Massachusetts Boston) and Wentworth Institute of Technology all began.

In basketball, the Boston Celtics played their first game at the Arena in 1946, and played at the Arena until 1955.

The Arena was purchased in 1979 by Northeastern University. The Arena was renamed in 1982 when Northeastern alumnus George J. Matthews helped fund its refurbishment. The arena was briefly known as Northeastern Arena as well. A 1995 renovation expanded the ice surface from 200 x. The ice surface had been reduced when the Bruins moved in as tenant, so as to accommodate more seats, so the enlargement actually returned the size of the ice surface closer to its original size. Another round of renovations took place in the summer of 2009. The centerpiece of the renovations were all-new seating and a brand new center ice jumbotron. In 2018, a new jumbotron was installed, currently one of the largest videoboards in the Northeastern US. The lobby was also reworked, with additional concessions and an elevator for ADA compliance. A new weight room and expanded locker rooms were provided for the athletes. The total cost of the renovations was estimated at $12 million. It still shares a feature with both the 1998-demolished Boston Garden pro sports facility and Harvard's existing Bright-Landry Hockey Center where ice hockey is concerned; with non-standard team bench locations, one on either side of the rink, much as the departed Garden possessed. This feature was for years not uncommon on rinks throughout the East, as the Montreal Forum and Le Colisée de Québec both had split benches for much of their histories. The reason behind this arrangement was so teams could have their benches adjacent to their dressing rooms, which were across the ice from each other for security reasons. Most modern facilities solved this dilemma not by placing dressing rooms on opposite sides of the ice, as those arenas did, but rather on opposite ends on the same side of the rink. However this arrangement still exists in American collegiate hockey, as even some newer venues such as Conte Forum at Boston College or Compton Family Ice Arena at Notre Dame have split benches.

Matthews Arena has played host to many famous people and events during its lifetime. Matthews hosted every president from Theodore Roosevelt in 1912 to John F. Kennedy in 1946. Other dignitaries to hold events at the arena include Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart. Boxing was once a mainstay at the arena and hosted bouts with Jack Sharkey, Jack Dempsey, Gene Tunney, Joe Louis and Marvin Hagler. Muhammad Ali trained at what was called Santos Gym, where the Varsity Club now sits, for his second bout with Sonny Liston. Professional wrestling events were also staged there. In the 1950s the arena also hosted the Rodeo led by Roy Rogers and Dale Evans.

Matthews Arena also proved famous as a concert venue during much of its lifetime. On Saturday evening May 3, 1958 the 'Big Beat' Rock n Roll show hosted by Alan Freed was cut short due to riots inside the Arena and a non-fatal serious stabbing outside. Headlining the bill were Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, and Buddy Holly & The Crickets. Alan Freed was arrested after police repeatedly had the house-lights turned on to stop teens jiving in the aisles, and Freed issued the now infamous line, "I guess the police don't want you to have fun." Other famous acts to grace the arena were The Doors in a 1970 concert that was later released to the public. Another famous concert was the Phish New Year's Eve concert on December 31, 1992. The show was the highest attended Phish concert to date and was played on WBCN the next day. Matthews has hosted all or part of the America East Conference men's basketball tournament a total of seven times and hosted the 1960 Frozen Four. The arena also served as the original home to the annual Beanpot tournament between Boston's four major college hockey programs.

In May 2024, Northeastern University filed a letter of intent to the Boston Planning & Development Agency to construct a new multi-purpose athletics facility that would presumably replace Matthews Arena. This came as concerns surrounding the foundation of Matthews Arena increased.

title: Matthews Arena


text:
Talk:Itanium 2

Corporate interference with this page
Recently, someone from an IP belonging to Texas Instruments corporation posted some uninformative opinion on the article page. Things like "death of itanium" hardly belong in an encyclopedia until such time as they come to pass as historic events. Even then, it is highly unlikely that such text, however interesting it might be one day, belongs on a page dedicated to the [Itanium 2] processor and its variants. This stuff should go somewhere else, but for the time being I've just zapped it.

Intel to spotlight new Itanium: 'Poulson' (28 Feb 05) -- just trying to keep up with developments; ok to delete this when the news gets too old <>< tbc

Moved from article
This unformatted unincorporated comment from somebody moved from article. Gene Nygaard 01:54, 4 May 2005 (UTC)

The above links to aceshardware.com are inacurat, they used data from SPEC(standard performance evaluation corperation) and manipulated it to support the mythe that you should think about performance per Ghz. yea it would be true that an itinium 2 would be faster than a single core POWER5, but IBM doesnt make single core POWER5's there all dual-cores. Intel cant compet on design so they have create this confusing bs. the itanium2's die is to large to go dual-core at 90nm, it's twice the size and uses twice the wattage allready compared to a POWER5 using 130nm. so at 65nm they'll try dual-core. but at 65nm IBM can put 4-6 cores of the POWER5 on a single die and stil be smaller than a dual-itanium2 and use less wattage. these are more realistic.

SPECfp2000 highest score achieved by this processor POWER5 SPECfp 2796 and by this one itanium 2 SPECfp 2675 and this one opteron SPECfp 2045 SPECint2000 highest score achieved by this processor opteron SPECint 1792 and by this one itanium 2 SPECint 1590 and this one POWER5 SPECint 1542

How is "Merced" pronounced?
I have tried looking up the California town, too, for guidance on pronunciation, but no joy. Nonky 22:08, 10 January 2006 (UTC)nonky
 * It's pronounced like "mer-said". There is also a WAV file on m-w.com -- Bovineone 02:15, 11 January 2006 (UTC)

Thank you so much! Nonky 18:34, 11 January 2006 (UTC)nonky

Moved comparison with Cell to here
I deleted the following from the page:

The latest research in the field of HPC showed that Itanium 2, along few others among highest-class processors, only concedes to Cell, when compared by performance. Cell is capable to perform any type of double precision scientific calculations 3 to 12 times faster than any desktop processor, including Itanium 2 1.4 and Opteron 248. Single precision performance (which is best fit for genetics, visualisation and scaled-precision tasks) of Cell dominates over competitors by order.

I deleted it for several reasons. The main reason was that the reference is to a paper citing research in 2004 taht compared a theoretical Cell implementation wiht real Opteron and Itanium processors of the time. The second reason is that even if it is valid to put processor comparisons in hte individual processor article, it is certainly not reasonable to put them in the lead paragraph. The third reason is that the paragraph is poorly formated and points to disambiguation pages rather than to the correct articles. The fourth reason is that Cell is not yet available in large quantity for real head-to-head comparison with current-generation Itaniums.

I do not like the Itanium. It's a dog, and its gross under-performance and exceedingly late delivery had sereral major detrimental effects on the entire industry. But just because HP and expecially Intel were guilty of severe marketing hype is no reason to hype in the other direction here on Wikipedia. Afer we get real number for real Cells, perhaps we can put a comparison back in. However, I think a separate comparison article would be better.-Arch dude 00:42, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

 * First of all, the reasearch is not from 2004, but from 2006. Second, it concerns not only to theaoretically calculated performance results, but actual chip perforance also -- see tables where both theoretical and practical Cell results published. So I am going to publish the mention of comparison back. Also, it is very strange that You do not like this comparison to be in the lead paragraph, while Intel's own tests are there and You somehow all right with that. Even more strange -- and this is against Wiki's principles -- that You prefer independent Berkley research to be edited out, while Intel's own one to be left here.

 * If You want to move comparison to some lower paragraph, I do not mind. But this should be done simultaneously with moving refernces of Intel's tests. 87.237.114.24 13:37, 12 November 2006 (UTC)
 * The paper you refer to was published in May of 2006 by ACM, but has copyright 2005 by LBL and reflects work that was done earlier. The tables you refer to generally have two columns: "CellFSS" and "Cellpm". FFS is IBM's "full-system simulator," while "pm" is the author's "Performance Model." Neither of these is the actual cell hardware. Please describe the table with the actual hardware. Am I missing something? -Arch dude 21:24, 19 November 2006 (UTC)

In addition to the four reasons I listed above, this comparison is inapprioriate for quite a different reason. Itanium 2 is a general-purpose processor that can run standard softwrae without source-code modification. Cell is a special-purpose system with a mix of standard and special-purpose processors. Software must be refactored for Cell to get the performance gains you discuss.Speaking personally, I think we will see a cell-based supercomputer in the near future that will utterly crush the Itanium supercomputers, but this result will be reflected in the portion of the Itanium article that relates to supercomputers.-Arch dude 21:24, 19 November 2006 (UTC)

Your reference paper compares a Cell to a mono-processor Itanium of the same clock rate. But Cell has nine processors on one die. If we allow multi-processor dies (or modules) Then a theoretical Quad-processor Itanium would win over a Cell based on this paper for 64-bit floatiing-point applications. My personal opinion is that a large class of HPC problems can be re-factored to take advantage of Cell's massive internal interconnect bandwidth, but this will show up on the "Top 500" list. -Arch dude 21:24, 19 November 2006 (UTC)

Reads Like an Advert
"Competitive performance", "...doubles the performance..." and other passages throughout this article... it all reads like an advert. I'm about to do some rewriting, but I don't know enough about Itanium processors to go through it thoroughly, and I'm probably going to leave the advert tag on it. Also, I'm adding some more links to articles, as this article lacks them. Sloverlord 02:59, 26 November 2006 (UTC)
 * Thanks! Yep, it still reads like an advert. I've been adding facts occasionally to counter this, but it's too depressing, and I'm not an expert either. I did adjust your "parallel" links a bit. There are many levels of parallelism in computing, and you picked the wrong one in this narrow case, although I think the original text helped confuse you. The level we need here is instruction-level parallism. IA-64 uses EPIC, while most others use a superscalar approach. -Arch dude 17:12, 26 November 2006 (UTC)

Request for comment: consolidated article
I have attempted to write a consolidated article, capturing all the important stuff from Itanium, Itanium 2, and IA-64, with the intent of replacing the three with one article named Itanium.

The proposed article is in my workspace. Please review and comment. (Comments on the proposed article's talk page, please.)

In addition to simplification and consolidation, I have attempted to add citations wherever I could, and I have removed some material that I could not find citations for. The article is basically a complete rewrite, but almost everything in it is from the original articles, with two major exceptions:
 * The material on the architecture is considerably more detailed and focused on architecture.
 * I added a timeline, moved many statements to the timeline, and added material to it.

The form of the citations still needs work, and we need still more citations. We are still missing a lot of history from the timeline,(mostly 1994-1997) and we are missing a paragraph in the "History" section abou tthe period from 2002 to present.However, this is material that is not present in the current articles either.

Thanks.-Arch dude 23:07, 19 March 2007 (UTC)

UPDATE: Colleagues, the WP:MERGE guideline is that a proposed merge can be completed after a two-week discussion period if consensus is reached, or after a four-week period if no comments are received. So far, there are no comments. I intend to perform the merger on or about 16 april if there are still no comments by then, but I would really prefer to have someone review the proposed new article. -Arch dude 18:27, 30 March 2007 (UTC)

title: Talk:Itanium 2


text:
Stanimir Atanasov

Stanimir Atanasov (Станимир Атанасов) (born 20 April 1976 in Rousse) is a Bulgarian sprint canoer who has competed from 1995 to 2004. He won a bronze medal in the C-4 500 m event at the 1995 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Duisburg. Atanasov was a European bronze medallist in 1997 (C-2) and 2002 (C-1).

At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, he earned his best finish of eighth in the C-1 500 m event.

title: Stanimir Atanasov


text:
Talk:Bay to Breakers

Photos
Bay to Breakers is both a serious foot race and a fun festive event. The selection of photos in this article does not represent these important attributes of the event. This article needs some photos on the serious side (e.g. the winners crossing the finish line) and the fun side (like the costume competition, centipedes & floats and the Footstock concert in the Polo field etc.) Kowloonese 20:37, 23 April 2007 (UTC)

Bay to Breakers vs. Boston Marathon
How is this the "longest consecutively running footrace"? The Boston Marathon has been run every year since 1897. Is this some obscure and unexplained distinction between a marathon and a "footrace"? 18.26.0.18 03:24, 1 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * Boston Marathon changed over time — In 1924, the B.A.A. moved the starting line from Ashland to Hopkinton. In 1927, the Boston Marathon course was lengthened to the full distance of 26 miles, 385 yards to conform to Olympic standards.jk 15:17, 1 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * See: http://www.bostonmarathon.org/BostonMarathon/History.asp
 * The answer may lie in how one interprets the phrase "consecutively running", not "footrace". In order to eliminate any ambiguity and confusion, I've modified the verbiage to read "the longest consecutively running 12K footrace in the world." —RaD Man (talk) 23:46, 6 Apr 2005 (UTC)
 * Also see: http://www.baytobreakers.com/history/index.html
 * There was no Boston Marathon in 1918. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.169.144.170 (talk) 02:04, 11 January 2013 (UTC)

Bay to Breakers route changed in 2013 around the last mile. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 107.1.192.10 (talk) 22:49, 20 May 2013 (UTC)

Date of Race?
It is noted that this is an annual footrace based on tradition. Ommitted in this article is any mention of a "traditional" date, if there is one, or any date whatsoever. T.E. Goodwin 01:11, 3 February 2007 (UTC)
 * I believe it is always on the third Sunday in May each year. Kowloonese 18:52, 16 April 2007 (UTC)
 * Note that the date of the 2020 race will not occur on the third Sunday in May, but rather on Sunday, May 31, 2020 due to the fact that the 2020 PGA Championship has selected San Francisco as the host city. RACE FAQs Mikevoyt (talk) 15:14, 30 October 2019 (UTC)

Footnote added--2 1/2 months from now???
The one footnote on the page, refering to the date of the race (third Sunday in May) says it was retrieved September 9, 2007. I'm writing this on June 20, 2007. How, pray tell, was this accomplished? 140.147.160.78 17:47, 20 June 2007 (UTC)Stephen Kosciesza

The links--really necessary?
Is it appropriate to have a link to just some individual's website of photos? It's not a particularly large or comprehensive collection--just a couple of dozen photos of the 2008 race. I'm not sure what use it is, except to give the site's owner a link. 71.163.37.245 (talk) 11:10, 29 May 2008 (UTC)Stephen Kosciesza

New Policies
The general manager for the ING Bay to Breakers 12k race submitted a letter to the editor describing how the sponsors are not responsible for decision-making about race logistics and management. The decision to enforce these policies was made by those who plan, organize and manage the race throughout the year.
 * See: http://www.sfexaminer.com/opinion/letters/?date=02132009

It should also be noted that there are many Bay Area residents and athletes that are in support of the new policies.
 * See: http://runnersf.blogspot.com/2009/02/bay-to-breakers-changes.html
 * See: http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/3/3_1/ing-bay-to-breakers-insti.shtml
 * See: http://www.runnerstribe.com/newrules.php

—Preceding unsigned comment added by Amy ingbaytobreakers (talk • contribs) 00:16, 21 February 2009

 * All four of these links are now dead, and as you've not given us any context, I don't know what it is you're suggesting we say about this. -- Finlay McWalter • Talk 20:13, 4 July 2010 (UTC)

Route KML test - please verify
As an experiment (which may be deleted at any time) I've created a .kml showing the B2B route (or what I believe it to be). Can someone with Google Earth (or another KML capable geobrowser) try clicking (it goes to a script on the Wikimedia toolserver, that's already used a bit on Commons and is quite safe) and verify firstly that it opens in Google Earth okay for them, and secondly that it's a pretty accurate rendition of the route? Thanks. -- Finlay McWalter • Talk 20:09, 4 July 2010 (UTC)
 * The kml file accurately shows the course. If you want to be perfectionist about it, some of the turns in Golden Gate Park could be smoothed out, but anybody would get the point.  By the way, the course change that occurred in 1983 moved the start line .05 miles down Howard Street to Beale.  Previous to that it had been part way up the block from Spear.  Further back from the race's inception to 1968 the course went from the Ferry Building--truly at the Bay, along Market Street to Golden Gate Ave. (meaning it went up a significantly lesser hill than Hayes Street) then went 4 extra blocks down Divisadero to join the course as it is today.  Of course, the disruption to the city with a course on Market Street was not as significant with a small field of what one could consider more serious runners than the tail end of the thousands of participants of today's race.  In 1963-64, only around 25 competitors ran the race.  Starting with 1966, participation shot up soon necessitating the course change (I first ran it in 1971 and it was about 25K then--it was THE thing to do for any runner in the Bay Area, a point of mutual comparison).  Ten years later it was around 30 thousand, and twenty years later 110 thousand--the largest footrace ever. Trackinfo (talk) 07:13, 5 July 2010 (UTC)

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title: Talk:Bay to Breakers


text:
Independence Day (Ford novel)

Independence Day is a 1995 novel by Richard Ford and the sequel to Ford's 1986 novel The Sportswriter. This novel is the second in what is now a five-part series, the first being The Sportswriter. It was followed by The Lay of the Land (2006), Let Me Be Frank With You (2014) and Be Mine (2023). Independence Day won the Pulitzer Prize and PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction in 1996, becoming the first novel ever to win both awards in a single year.

Plot summary
The novel follows Frank Bascombe, a New Jersey real estate agent (and ex-sportswriter), through the titular holiday weekend as he visits his ex-wife, his troubled son, his current lover, the tenants of one of his properties, and some clients of his who have been having trouble finding the perfect house. It focuses in particular on a car trip with his son to the Basketball and Baseball Halls of Fame. Similar in form and common themes to John Updike's Rabbit novels, Independence Day is a pastoral meditation on a man reaching middle age and assessing his place in life and the greater world.

Critical reception
Independence Day won the Pulitzer Prize and PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction in 1996, becoming the first novel ever to win both awards in a single year.

The book was well-reviewed, with Michiko Kakutani writing in The New York Times that "Mr. Ford has galvanized his reputation as one of his generation's most eloquent voices." Barbara Ehrenreich of The New Republic wrote "for dead-on dialogue and a perfect rendering of small-town and suburban distractedness, writing doesn’t get much better than this."

Conversely, a 1995 book review by Kirkus Reviews summarized the book as "humorless and full of sham insight ("We're all free agents"), though fans of the first installment will not be disappointed." The review also found the central character, Bascombe, to be "part angry white male, and part new sensitive guy, but mostly just a smug fool, who lingers over every detail of his life with Harold Brodkey-style obsession."

title: Independence Day (Ford novel)


text:
Talk:Joel Robinson

Last name
his name is Joel Hodgson, not Robinson

Um, this page is about the character, not the actor. --Trogga 20:51, 1 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Sleepy persona
He acted the same way in his stand-up routine, so I don't think it was new for the show. --69.255.17.40 (talk) 20:12, 14 December 2007 (UTC)

title: Talk:Joel Robinson


text:
Sean McDonough

Sean McDonough (born May 13, 1962) is an American sportscaster, currently employed by ESPN and the WEEI Boston Red Sox Radio Network. McDonough has play-by-play experience for all four major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada (NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL).

Early life
The son of Boston Globe sportswriter Will McDonough, McDonough graduated from the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications of Syracuse University in 1984 with a degree in broadcast journalism. At Syracuse, he joined the WAER-FM sports department and provided play-by-play calls for Syracuse Chiefs baseball games. During college, he worked for Syracuse football coach Dick MacPherson.

Early career
McDonough was an intern at the short-lived Enterprise Radio Network in 1981.

It was in Syracuse where McDonough began his broadcasting career in 1982 as the play-by-play announcer for the Syracuse Chiefs of the International League. McDonough was also an Ivy League football announcer for PBS. He was a sideline reporter from 1984 to 1985 and a play-by-play announcer from 1986 to 1987.

Boston Red Sox
Four years after graduating from Syracuse, he began broadcasting Boston Red Sox games on WSBK-TV (Channel 38) in Boston with former Red Sox catcher Bob Montgomery and later former Red Sox second baseman Jerry Remy.

McDonough continued announcing broadcast Red Sox games through the 2004 season, moving over the years to various local stations, including WFXT (Channel 25), WABU (Channel 68), and WLVI (Channel 56). In 1996, he was teamed with Jerry Remy. He worked with Remy for nine seasons, ultimately only Friday night games, before being replaced in 2005 by NESN announcer Don Orsillo. McDonough attributed his firing to his salary and disputed talk that his "candor" was to blame.

He turned down an offer to become the New York Mets play-by-play man on television in 2005 before the Red Sox notified him that they would not pick up his option for 2005.

In 2019, McDonough returned to Red Sox broadcasts as a part-time play-by-play announcer on the team's radio network, announcing 30-32 games that season and becoming a permanent part-time announcer alongside Joe Castiglione, Will Flemming, and Lou Merloni in 2020.

CBS Sports
He began work for CBS Sports in 1990, where he broadcast college basketball (including 10 NCAA tournaments), college football (including the prestigious Orange Bowl game), the College World Series, the NFL, US Open tennis, three Winter Olympics (bobsled and luge in 1992 and 1994 and ice hockey in 1998), and golf (including four Masters and PGA Championships).

In December 1999, CBS Sports President Sean McManus informed McDonough that his contract would not be renewed. Once Dick Enberg, late of NBC was available, McDonough became the odd man out.

Major League Baseball on CBS
Outside of New England, he is probably best remembered for his time as CBS's lead baseball announcer, a role in which he was teamed with Tim McCarver. In 1992 at the age of 30, he became the youngest man to announce the national broadcast (and all nine innings of all of the games played) of the World Series. Coincidentally, that particular record would be broken four years later by Fox's 27-year-old Joe Buck, the son of the man McDonough replaced on CBS, Jack Buck.

Perhaps McDonough's most famous call is his emotional description of the Atlanta Braves' Francisco Cabrera (who had only 10 at-bats at the major league level that season) getting a dramatic, game-winning base hit in Game 7 of the 1992 National League Championship Series against the Pittsburgh Pirates: Line-drive and a base-hit! Justice has scored the tying run, Bream to the plate...and he is SAFE! Safe at the plate! The Braves go to the World Series! The unlikeliest of heroes wins the National League Championship Series for the Atlanta Braves. Francisco Cabrera, who had only ten at-bats in the major leagues during the regular season, singled through the left side, scoring Sid Bream from second base with the winning run. Bream, who's had five knee operations in his lifetime, just beat the tag from his ex-mate Mike LaValliere and Atlanta pulls out Game 7 with three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning. This place is bedlam. There will be no second nightmare for Bobby Cox. Final score in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series: the Braves 3 and the Pirates 2.

He also called the final play of the subsequent 1992 World Series, in which the Toronto Blue Jays became the first non-American based team to win the Major League Baseball's world championship: Nixon bunts! Timlin on it! Throws to first. . . For the first time in history, the world championship banner will fly north of the border! The Toronto Blue Jays are baseball's best in 1992!

A year later, McDonough called Joe Carter's dramatic 1993 World Series ending home run off Mitch Williams of the Philadelphia Phillies: Well-hit down the left-field line! Way back and GONE! Joe Carter with a three-run homer! The winners and still world champions, the Toronto Blue Jays!

Three years later, while calling the College World Series for CBS alongside Steve Garvey, McDonough called another series-clinching home run. This time, it was Warren Morris, who hit a two out, 9th inning walk-off home run that won the 1996 College World Series for the Louisiana State University Fighting Tigers against Miami.

Now Warren Morris...hits a deep drive down the right-field line, that ball is...GONE! LSU wins the College World Series on a home run by Morris!

NCAA Basketball on CBS
McDonough's other major endeavor at CBS was his coverage of the NCAA tournament with then-partner (and fellow Irish-American) Bill Raftery. McDonough and Raftery covered a number of regional finals in the 1990s before McDonough's run at CBS came to an end. The pair developed a terrific on-air rapport, thereby enabling them to spice up their broadcasts. Before the 1999 South Regional Final between Ohio State and St. John's from Knoxville, Tennessee, McDonough and Raftery donned fishing gear as they previewed the game from a boat on the Tennessee River, which was just outside the arena.

In 1998, McDonough—with Raftery at his side—called one of the great buzzer-beaters in NCAA Tournament history, as Connecticut defeated Washington in the East Regional semifinals on a last-second shot by Richard Hamilton.

Spreading the court for El-Amin. Ten seconds remaining. El-Amin, off to Voskuhl. He was pushed, the shot wouldn't drop...Hamilton, no! Another tip, no! Hamilton, at the buzzer, yes! Yes! Connecticut wins!

ABC/ESPN
Since 2000, McDonough has announced baseball, college basketball, college football, golf, NBA, NHL, and NCAA hockey for ESPN/ABC. Specifically, McDonough announced many Big East college football and basketball events. He has also contributed to ESPN's coverage of the U.S. Open and British Open golf tournaments, and called the 2010 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship Final Four alongside Quint Kessenich.

McDonough called NCAA basketball play-by-play on March 12, 2009 on ESPN between UConn and Syracuse which went into 6 overtimes, becoming the longest game in Big East history, clocking 3 hours and 46 minutes. The final score was 127–117 in favor of Syracuse. Also on the broadcast was color commentary from Bill Raftery and Jay Bilas.

On September 28, 2011, McDonough called the nationally televised game in which the Baltimore Orioles came back to defeat the Boston Red Sox 4–3 after Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon came within one strike of closing the game. McDonough called Baltimore's Robert Andino's walk-off single, which occurred only three minutes before Evan Longoria's walk-off home run against the New York Yankees in St. Petersburg gave the Tampa Bay Rays, who trailed the Red Sox by nine games on September 3, the American League Wild Card, as follows:

Lined to left, Crawford playing shallow dives...cannot make the catch! Reimold comes to the plate! He scores! And the Baltimore Orioles stun the Boston Red Sox!

College football, the NFL, and the NHL
McDonough was also behind the mic for the fumbled punt in the final seconds of the Michigan State-Michigan football game on October 17, 2015, that resulted in the game-winning touchdown for the Spartans. Whoa, he (Michigan punter Blake O'Neill) has trouble with the snap…and the ball is free! It's picked up by Michigan State's Jalen Watts-Jackson…and he scores! On the last play of the game! Unbelievable! (pauses while the team celebrates) Michigan State is still the big boy on the block in the state of Michigan. A shocking ending to this rivalry game.

Starting in 2013, McDonough started play-by-play work for the NFL on ESPN Radio. Others included Ryan Ruocco, Marc Kestecher, and Bill Rosinski, who previously did NFL games for NFL on Westwood One as the Atlanta Falcons and the Carolina Panthers.

McDonough was named the lead play-by-play announcer for Monday Night Football (succeeding Mike Tirico, who departed for NBC Sports) beginning in the 2016 season. In March 2018, ESPN announced that McDonough would be leaving Monday Night Football and would return to announcing college football games.

On June 29, 2021, ESPN formally confirmed that he would be its lead play-by-play voice for their forthcoming NHL coverage beginning in the 2021–22 season, when the league returned to ESPN and ABC, after 16 years at NBC. He was reportedly interested in an NHL role ever since ESPN reacquired the rights to the NHL in March, and ESPN reportedly considered him and Steve Levy for the #1 play-by-play announcer role before eventually choosing him. He teams with up with former NHL center Ray Ferraro, who provides analysis from ice-level, and Emily Kaplan, who provides reports throughout the game, on the lead team. Previously, he teamed up with Brian Engblom on ESPN2 NHL broadcasts from 1993–2004. Initially, ESPN had McDonough and Ferraro together in the booth before the network decided to place Ferraro at ice-level.

Health
In 2012, McDonough had surgery for superior canal dehiscence syndrome which kept him from working for several months.

Honors
In 2014, McDonough was named to the WAER Hall of Fame along with Bill Roth, Syracuse University's noncommercial radio station, where he began his sports broadcasting career as a student. S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications also honored McDonough in July 2016 with the 4th annual Marty Glickman Award. In May 2007, he received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Southern Vermont College.

Career timeline

 * 1982–1984: Syracuse Chiefs Radio Play-by-Play
 * 1988–2004: Boston Red Sox TV Play-by-Play
 * 1990–1999: College Basketball on CBS Play-by-Play
 * 1991–1993: NFL on CBS Play-by-Play
 * 1992–1993: MLB on CBS Lead Play-by-Play
 * 1992–1994: Bobsled and Luge in Winter Olympics Play-by-Play
 * 1993–1994, 1999–2000, 2002–2004: NHL on ESPN Play-by-Play
 * 1995–1999: College World Series Play-by-Play
 * 1996–1999: College Football on CBS Lead Play-by-Play
 * 1996–1999: Masters Tournament Hole Announcer
 * 1998: Ice Hockey 1998 Winter Olympics Play-by-Play
 * 2000–2003, 2009–2015, 2018–present: College Football on ABC Play-by-Play
 * 2000–present: College Basketball on ESPN Play-by-Play
 * 2004–2015, 2018–present: College Football on ESPN Play-by-Play
 * 2010–2011: NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship Play-by-Play
 * 2010–2014: U.S. Open Hole Announcer
 * 2010–2015: British Open Hole Announcer
 * 2011–2012: ESPN Monday Night Baseball Play-by-Play
 * 2013–2015: NFL on ESPN Radio Play-by-Play
 * 2016–2017: MNF on ESPN Play-by-Play
 * 2019–present: Boston Red Sox Radio Play-by-Play
 * 2021–present: NHL on ESPN/NHL on ABC Lead Play-by-play

title: Sean McDonough


text:
Black Betty

"Black Betty" (Roud 11668) is a 20th-century African-American work song often credited to Huddie "Lead Belly" Ledbetter as the author, though the earliest recordings are not by him. Some sources say it is one of Lead Belly's many adaptations of earlier folk material.

There are numerous recorded versions, including a cappella and folk. The song was eventually, with modified lyrics, remade as a rock song by the American band Ram Jam in 1977. Subsequent recordings, including hits by Tom Jones and Spiderbait, retain the structure of this version.

Meaning and origin
The origin and meaning of the lyrics are subject to debate. Historically, the "Black Betty" of the title may refer to the nickname given to a number of objects: a bottle of whiskey, a whip, or a penitentiary transfer wagon.

David Hackett Fischer, in his book Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America (Oxford University Press, 1989), states that "Black Betty" was a common term for a bottle of whisky in the borderlands between northern England and southern Scotland; it later became a euphemism in the backcountry areas of the eastern United States. In January 1736, Benjamin Franklin published The Drinker's Dictionary in the Pennsylvania Gazette offering 228 round-about phrases for being drunk. One of those phrases is "He's kiss'd black Betty." Other sources give the meaning of "Black Betty" in the United States (from at least 1827) as a liquor bottle.

In Caldwells's Illustrated Combination Centennial Atlas of Washington Co. Pennsylvania of 1876, a short section describes wedding ceremonies and marriage customs, including a wedding tradition where two young men from the bridegroom procession were challenged to run for a bottle of whiskey. This challenge was usually given when the bridegroom party was about a mile from the destination-home where the ceremony was to be had. Upon securing the prize, referred to as "Black Betty", the winner of the race would bring the bottle back to the bridegroom and his party. The whiskey was offered to the bridegroom first and then successively to each of the groom's friends.

John A. and Alan Lomax's 1934 book, American Ballads and Folk Songs describes the origins of "Black Betty": ""Black Betty is not another Frankie, nor yet a two-timing woman that a man can moan his blues about. She is the whip that was and is used in some Southern prisons. A convict on the Darrington State Farm in Texas, where, by the way, whipping has been practically discontinued, laughed at Black Betty and mimicked her conversation in the following song." (In the text, the music notation and lyrics follow.)"

- Lomax, John A. and Alan Lomax

John Lomax also interviewed blues musician James Baker (better known as "Iron Head") in 1934, almost one year after Iron Head performed the first known recorded performance of the song. In the resulting article for Musical Quarterly, titled "'Sinful Songs' of the Southern Negro", Lomax again mentions the nickname of the bullwhip is "Black Betty". Steven Cornelius in his book, Music of the Civil War Era, states in a section concerning folk music following the war's end that "prisoners sang of 'Black Betty', the driver's whip."

In an interview conducted by Alan Lomax with former Texas penal farm prisoner Doc "Big Head" Reese, Reese stated that the term "Black Betty" was used by prisoners to refer to the "Black Maria" — the penitentiary transfer wagon.

Robert Vells, in Life Flows On in Endless Song: Folk Songs and American History, writes: "As late as the 1960s, the vehicle that carried men to prison was known as "Black Betty," though the same name may have also been used for the whip that so often was laid on the prisoners' backs, "bam-ba-lam.""

- Wells, Robert V.

In later versions, "Black Betty" was depicted as various vehicles, including a motorcycle and a hot rod.

Early recordings (1933–1939)
The song was first recorded in the field by US musicologists John and Alan Lomax in December 1933, performed a cappella by the convict James "Iron Head" Baker and a group at Central State Farm, Sugar Land, Texas (a State prison farm). Baker was 63 years old at the time of the recording.

The Lomaxes were recording for the Library of Congress and later field recordings in 1934, 1936, and 1939 also include versions of "Black Betty". A notated version was published in 1934 in the Lomaxes book American Ballads and Folk Songs. It was recorded commercially in New York in April 1939 for the Musicraft Records label by Lead Belly, as part of a medley with two other work songs: "Looky Looky Yonder" and "Yellow Woman's Doorbells". Musicraft issued the recording in 1939 as part of a 78-rpm five-disc album entitled Negro Sinful Songs sung by Lead Belly. Lead Belly had a long association with the Lomaxes, and had himself served time in State prison farms. Lead Belly was first recorded by the Lomaxes in 1933 when he was approximately 44 years old. John Lomax helped Lead Belly get the recording contract with Musicraft in 1939.

Post-1939
While Lead Belly's 1939 recording was also performed a cappella (with hand claps in place of hammer blows), most subsequent versions added guitar accompaniment. These include folk-style recordings in 1964 by Odetta (as a medley with "Looky Yonder", with staccato guitar strums in place of hand claps), and Alan Lomax himself.

Singer Dave Ray of the folk-blues trio Koerner, Ray and Glover also recorded the song unaccompanied on their 1964 album Lots More Blues, Rags and Hollers.

In 1968, Manfred Mann released a version of the song, arranged for a band, on their LP Mighty Garvey!, with the title and lyrics changed to "Big Betty". In 1972, Manfred Mann's Earth Band performed "Black Betty" live for John Peel's In Concert on the BBC, this version was released in 2019 on the double CD / triple LP Radio Days Volume 4, which also contains an earlier rendition from 1971 under the title "Big Betty". The same musical arrangement but with a new lyric and altered vocal melody appeared on the Earth Band's second album Glorified Magnified as "Look Around", credited solely to drummer Chris Slade. A studio version of "Big Betty" was recorded at the same sessions but remained unreleased until the 40th Anniversary box set in 2011.

Ram Jam version
Bill Bartlett had been in the Lemon Pipers and then formed a group called Starstruck. While in Starstruck, Bartlett took Lead Belly's 59-second long "Black Betty" and arranged, recorded and released it on the group's own TruckStar label. "Black Betty" became a regional hit. Producers Jerry Kasenetz and Jeffry Katz in New York formed a group around Bartlett called Ram Jam. They re-released the song, and it became a hit nationally. The Ram Jam version was actually the same one originally recorded by Starstruck (albeit significantly edited to rearrange the song structure). The song became an instant hit with listeners, and reached number 18 on the singles charts in the United States and achieved more success in the UK and Australia reaching the top ten.

Both the Ram Jam and the Spiderbait versions appear in the 2005 film The Dukes of Hazzard, with the Ram Jam version also appearing on the soundtrack album.

Figure skating world champion Javier Fernández performed his short program to Ram Jam's version of "Black Betty" during the 2014–15 season, when he won his third European Championships title and his first World Championships gold medal. The level Castle Rock from the 2013 video game Rayman Legends is based on Ram Jam's version of "Black Betty".

The song was remixed by Dutch DJ Ben Liebrand in 1989 as Rough 'n' Ready Remix and became successful, reaching number 13 in the UK as well as charting in several other countries.

It appeared twice in the season 20 episode of Family Guy, "Cootie & The Blowhard".

The song was used in the movie Kung Pow! Enter the Fist, during a fight between the hero and a villain who called himself Master Betty.

Formats and track listings
7-inch (1977)

 * 1) "Black Betty" – 2:32
 * 2) "I Should Have Known" – 4:45

7-inch (1989)

 * 1) "Black Betty" (Rough 'n' Ready Remix – Edit) – 3:12
 * 2) "Black Betty" (Original Version) – 3:56

12-inch (1989)

 * 1) "Black Betty" (Rough 'n' Ready Remix) – 5:28
 * 2) "Black Betty" (Original Version) – 3:56
 * 3) "Black Betty" (Rough 'n' Ready Remix – Edit) – 3:12

CD (1989)

 * 1) "Black Betty" (Rough 'n' Ready Remix – Edit) – 3:12
 * 2) "Black Betty" (Original Version) – 3:56
 * 3) "Black Betty" (Rough 'n' Ready Remix) – 5:28

CD (1989)

 * 1) "Black Betty" – 2:29
 * 2) "Let It All Out" – 4:00
 * 3) "High Steppin'" – 3:41
 * 4) "Hey Boogie Woman" – 3:09

12-inch (France, 1994)

 * 1) "Black Betty" (Rough 'n' Ready Remix) – 5:28
 * 2) "Black Betty" (Rough 'n' Ready Remix – Edit) – 3:12
 * 3) "Black Betty" (Version Courte) – 2:32
 * 4) "Black Betty" (Version Album) – 3:57
 * 5) "Black Betty" (Rough 'n' Ready Remix) – 5:28
 * 6) "Black Betty" (Rough 'n' Ready Remix – Edit) – 3:12
 * 7) "Black Betty" (Version Courte) – 2:32
 * 8) "Black Betty" (Version Album) – 3:57

CD (France, 1994)

 * 1) "Black Betty" (Rough 'n' Ready Remix) – 5:28
 * 2) "Black Betty" (Rough 'n' Ready Remix – Edit) – 3:12
 * 3) "Black Betty" (Version Courte) – 2:32
 * 4) "Black Betty" (Version Album) – 3:57

CD (France, 1994)

 * 1) "Black Betty" (Version Courte) – 2:32
 * 2) "Black Betty" (Version Album) – 3:57

Spiderbait version
In 2004, Australian alternative rock band Spiderbait released a version of "Black Betty" as the lead single from their sixth studio album, Tonight Alright, on March 15. Produced by Sylvia Massy, this version is a slightly faster re-working of Ram Jam's hard rock arrangement. The song was a hit in Australia, reaching number one on the ARIA Singles Chart in May 2004 to become Spiderbait's first number-one single in their home country. The song was released as Spiderbait's debut single in the United States on October 18, 2004, reaching number 32 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in November of the same year. The song was included on the soundtrack of Need for Speed: Underground 2.

At the ARIA Music Awards of 2004, the song was nominated for Highest Selling Single and Best Video. Despite the song's success, Spiderbait's drummer, Kram, has considered their version of "Black Betty" a "fluke", as he wanted to perform three drum solos on the recording but was outvoted by the other band members.

In May 2024, Spiderbait announced a national tour celebrating 20 years of their version of Black Betty alongside their 2004 album Tonight Alright.

University of New Hampshire controversy
In 2006, the University of New Hampshire administration controversially banned the playing of Ram Jam's "Black Betty" at UNH hockey games. UNH Athletic Director Marty Scarano explained the reason for the decision: "UNH is not going to stand for something that insults any segment of society", misinterpreting the song as referring to an African-American woman named Betty. In 2006 UNH students started the "Save Black Betty" campaign. Students protested at the hockey games by singing Ram Jam's "Black Betty", wearing T-shirts with writing on the front "Save Black Betty" and writing on the back "Bam-A-Lam", and holding up campaign posters at the game. The Ram Jam version was again played once at a UNH–UMaine hockey game on January 24, 2013, after a seven-year hiatus.

Selected list of recorded versions

 * 1933 James Baker (AKA Iron Head) and group
 * 1939 Mose Platt (AKA Clear Rock)
 * 1939 Huddie Ledbetter (AKA Lead Belly), originally on the 78rpm album Negro Sinful Songs
 * 1964 Odetta, as "Looky Yonder" on the album Odetta Sings of Many Things
 * 1964 Alan Lomax, Texas Folk Songs album
 * 1968 Manfred Mann, as "Big Betty" on the Mighty Garvey! album
 * 1986 Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds on the album Kicking Against the Pricks
 * 2002 Tom Jones UK #50 single, also on the UK #36 album Mr. Tom Jones
 * 2007 Larkin Poe on the live album Jam in the Van
 * 2012 Dinosaur Jr. on the japanese edition of the album I Bet on Sky

title: Black Betty


text:
Marián Ostrčil

Marián Ostrčil (born 15 October 1980 in Bratislava) is a Slovak sprint canoer who has been competing since 1998.

In 1998, in Nyköping, Sweden, he became European junior champion in the individual Canadian canoe (C-1) 500m. In 2002 he won the European under-23 championship in Zagreb, Croatia in the same event.

At the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships, Ostrčil won two medals with one silver (C-1 1000 m: 2007) and one bronze (C-1 5000 m: 2010). Competing in two Summer Olympics, he earned his best finish of seventh in the C-1 1000 m event at Athens in 2004.

Ostrčil is 190 cm (6'3") tall and weighs 90 kg (198 lbs). He is a member of the AŠK Dukla club in Trenčín where he is coached by Atlanta silver medallist Slavomír Kňazovický.

title: Marián Ostrčil


text:
Russ Potts

Harry Russell Potts Jr. (March 4, 1939 – December 19, 2021) was an American businessman, journalist, and politician who served as a Republican state senator in Virginia, representing the 27th district from 1992 to 2008. An independent candidate for Governor of Virginia in 2005, Potts received 2.22 percent of the vote in a race won by Democrat Tim Kaine, far below the votes received by Republican Jerry Kilgore. Following backlash within the Republican Party from his 2005 independent candidacy, Potts retired from the state senate at the following election.

Early life
Born in Richmond, Virginia on March 4, 1939, Potts graduated from the University of Maryland with a major in journalism and a minor in political science. Potts served in the U.S. Army Reserves (1958–64).

Career
A former sports editor for the Winchester Star, Potts held various athletic management and marketing positions with the University of Maryland and Southern Methodist University. He was also once vice president of the Chicago White Sox. In 1982, he founded Russ Potts Productions Inc., a small business in sports marketing. The company claims to have promoted many of the biggest and most successful independent sporting events in North America in the past four decades, as well as worked with various collegiate teams, Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association. Potts has been inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame, NACMA Hall of Fame (National Association of College Marketing Administrators), Shenandoah University Hall of Fame, Potomac State College of West Virginia University Hall of Fame, John Handley High School Hall of Fame and the Phi Delta Theta Hall of Fame.

Politics
First elected to the Virginia General Assembly in 1991 as a Republican, Potts received 49.6% of the vote in a four-candidate race. He was re-elected by large margins in 1995 and 1999, the latter year only facing a challenger (Mark D. Tate) in the Republican primary. In 2003, he defeated Democrat Mark R. Herring, who later became Virginia's Attorney General. Potts eventually chaired the Senate Education and Health Committee. Decades earlier, Harry Byrd, Sr. represented the same Senate district, but Potts actually succeeded fellow Methodist and Republican state senator William A. Truban (1971–1991). He was succeeded by Jill Holtzman Vogel, who also defeated Mark D. Tate (in the 2007 Republican primary).

Views
Potts frequently referred to himself as a "moderate Republican," and criticized the Republican Party for being too far right politically to be in touch with the people it represents. Potts' moderate views on abortion and taxes led some Republicans to label him a Republican In Name Only.

Republican opposition to 2005 gubernatorial run
Potts ran as an independent in the Virginia gubernatorial election, 2005. Virginia pundits disagreed on how he would affect the November gubernatorial election, and the Winchester City Republican Committee disowned him in early March 2005. Both the Kilgore and Kaine campaigns announced his candidacy to be in their favor — the former because of Potts' relatively liberal views, and the latter for his appeal to moderate Republicans. Potts was considered an underdog to both of these candidates, trailing behind them in popular and financial support. Lloyd Ross, founder of the Tuesday Morning retail chain and frequent contributor to Republican campaigns, donated $300,000 to the Potts campaign.

In April 2005, Lieutenant Governor and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tim Kaine, in his role as president of the Senate, refused to entertain a motion to strip Potts of his committee assignments. His ruling was upheld on a 27–9 vote.

Kilgore refused to debate Russ Potts, a decision which columnist Barnie Day said could strengthen Potts' underdog appeal and was a poor decision by Kilgore. It is unclear whether this had any effect on the election's outcome. Russ Potts polled 9% in a Mason-Dixon poll, but then dropped to 6% in a September poll. He needed to poll 15% in two separate polls to qualify for participation in the October Kaine-Kilgore debate. This poll was taken before Potts' TV ads ran. Although Potts was excluded from the final debate, he agreed to be sequestered in an office at Richmond's WTVR-TV during Sunday evening's debate and was not allowed to hear any of the questions nor any of the answers offered by his opponents. Minutes after the debate ended, Potts was taken into WTVR-TV studios where the station played back the debate in real time and recorded Potts' answers to each of the debate questions.

In the last week of the campaign, Jerry Kilgore's campaign sent out a direct mail piece contrasting Potts with Tim Kaine and encouraging "progressive" voters to support Potts. The piece was billed as a "2005 Official Democrat and Progressive Voter Guide," but a notice in small print, turned 90 degrees to the rest of the piece and placed next to a picture so as to resemble a photo credit, noted that it was paid for by "Virginians for Jerry Kilgore". The State Board of Elections imposed a $100 fine for the violation.

Personal life and death
Potts married Emily Strite in 1965, and they had three daughters.

After a series of falls, Potts died from viral pneumonia in Winchester on December 19, 2021, aged 82.

title: Russ Potts


text:
User:Tobb

Well, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Tobb. As strange as it is read, it's pronounced "Tobe", with a short 'o' sound, it will make perfect sense in a few minutes.

I came upon Wikipedia through a barage of links, each one leading to another, until I came upon user pages. I can still remember my first article; Irony. The context, although long forgotten, is actually quite funny. I migrated here from Metal Gear Net, a fansite for the works of Hideo Kojima. There, as well as here, Tobb stands for the other Big Boss, a favorite character of mine from the Metal Gear Solid series.

My interests include cartooning, fooling around with photoshop, and reading/watching webcomics / webtoons. Oh, and I also invented the word stupendiferous. I haven't looked at this page in 15 years and it shows.

title: User:Tobb


text: User talk:68.122.116.250

title: User talk:68.122.116.250


text:
Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Recess (TV series)

 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 KEEP. Carrp | Talk 20:20, 9 Mar 2005 (UTC)

Recess (TV series)
This honestly doesn't seem notable enough. It might be a Disney series, but they make hundreds of them, and I really don't think this is appropriate for an encyclopedia. - Ta bu shi da yu 03:31, 1 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * Keep This show was on network "Saturday Morning Cartoons" (for lack of a better description) for about three years, and now is playing on Disney's cable channel. We have a lot of lesser TV shows on Wikipedia than this. Bratsche 04:12, Mar 1, 2005 (UTC)
 * Delete, article does not establish notability. Entire article merely consist of a list of fictious characters in the series. Megan1967 04:42, 1 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * Strong Keep. Since when were television series not suitable? There's thousands of them already. Xezbeth  05:55, Mar 1, 2005 (UTC)
 * Keep. This show ran for years and is still running on many television stations in early-morning syndication. Research. Cripes. Mike H 07:41, Mar 1, 2005 (UTC)
 * Concur with Megan; the series may be notable, but this article is a Bad Thing. I'd say delete the article and rewrite from scratch as a description of the series, rather than a list of characters. Radiant! 08:43, Mar 1, 2005 (UTC)
 * When something needs a rewrite, it goes on cleanup. It is not deleted. Mike H 08:55, Mar 1, 2005 (UTC)
 * Yes, except when a future rewrite would benefit from having all current information erased first. Radiant! 12:10, Mar 1, 2005 (UTC)
 * Keep. I'm guessing this show's not really notable outside the USA, but here it's at least borderline notable. /sɪzlæk  ˺/  08:47, 1 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * Keep. Wasn't there a Recess spin off film made? And it was (still is?) popular in the UK as well, being shown on ITV Nick04 08:50, 1 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * Keep TV series aired on major networks. Kappa 09:08, 1 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * Utter keep. Popular show on national TV in US and UK, so certainly notable. sjorford →•← 11:13, 1 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * Keep and cleanup. It's been on for several years on a major network, I don't see how it CAN'T be notable. --InShaneee 15:31, 1 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * Keep. If Votes for deletion/Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi was kept, why not this? -- AllyUnion (talk) 16:49, 1 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * Strong Keep I would say that pretty much any national network TV show is notable enough for an article, and this is more notable than most. 4 seasons on network TV, continued airings on national cable, it has a dedicated fan community, it's won Emmy awards, it's been spun off as a feature film, it's had several direct-to-video movies, it's had big-name guest stars like Eric Idle, James Earl Jones, and Dick Clark... do I have to go on?  It's notable.  Andrew Lenahan - St ar bli nd  19:54, Mar 1, 2005 (UTC)
 * Strong keep! Encyclopedic article, notable program. Sure, the article needs a bit of TLC, but it sure isn't a VfD candidate. - Lucky 6.9 23:31, 1 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * Keep. The many TV series articles in existence pretty much indicates that such articles are encyclopedic and worthy of inclusion in Wikipedia. Like most articles, this one can use some improvement but that's normal. 23skidoo 01:01, 2 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * Strong Keep, notable show that lasted several seasons. --Matteh (talk) 05:03, 3 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * Strong Keep very notable and popular Disney TV show. I will clean it up a little bit right now. --b. Touch 14:58, 4 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * Strong keep. Notable TV series, encyclopedic topic. --Andylkl 04:19, Mar 5, 2005 (UTC)
 * Keep. I don't watch television, but even I have heard of this one. Zetawoof 10:58, 6 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * Keep. National release or better from a major company. - RedWordSmith 19:23, Mar 6, 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.


text: User talk:210.8.110.36

title: User talk:210.8.110.36


text:
KBC Band

KBC Band (also sometimes referred to as The Kantner Balin Casady Band) was formed in 1985 by former Jefferson Airplane (later Jefferson Starship) members Paul Kantner (guitar and vocals), Marty Balin (vocals and guitar) and Jack Casady (bass). Other members included Keith Crossan (saxophone, guitar and vocals), Tim Gorman (keyboards and vocals), Slick Aguilar (guitar and vocals) and Darrell Verdusco (drums). Their sole LP, KBC Band, featured the singles "America" and "It's Not You, It's Not Me."

The band performed supporting tours from 1985 to 1987 before Kantner left for Nicaragua to investigate the Sandinista situation. The band did not perform after his return. Kantner said that Balin was becoming "difficult" near the end of KBC's existence. However, Kantner and Casady continued to perform onstage together during Hot Tuna concerts in late 1987 and early 1988, and the three reunited with Grace Slick and Jorma Kaukonen for a Jefferson Airplane reunion album and a reunion tour in 1989, along with Tim Gorman on keyboards for the tour. The album included three songs that had been performed by KBC Band: "Planes", "Solidarity" and "Summer of Love". They had also performed "Let's Go", which was considered for but rejected from that album.

In 1992, Kantner, Casady, Aguilar, and Gorman reformed Jefferson Starship. Balin would also eventually rejoin them in 1993. All members of KBC Band except for Verdusco and Crossan participated in the recording of Deep Space/Virgin Sky and Windows of Heaven. Verdusco has been a member of Starship featuring Mickey Thomas since 1995.

Personnel

 * Slick Aguilar - guitar, vocals
 * Marty Balin - vocals, guitar ( died 2018 )
 * Jack Casady - bass
 * Keith Crossan - saxophone, guitar, vocals
 * Tim Gorman - keyboards, vocals
 * Paul Kantner - guitar, vocals ( died 2016 )
 * Darrell Verdusco - drums

title: KBC Band


text: User talk:210.8.110.34

title: User talk:210.8.110.34


text:
Category talk:Universities and colleges affiliated with the Churches of Christ

Untitled
Church of Christ? Isn't the academic usage normally Churches of Christ ?

Better listing
http://www.faulkner.edu/libraries/gnl/ccl/CCLInstitutions.htm

Only schools that are part of the heritage of the Churches of Christ take part in the Christian College Librarians organization. This list would seem more authoritative.

 * Link now seems to be dead. Would the unsinged editor care to relink it or post it?  Rlquall 14:43, 16 May 2006 (UTC)

"Theological University of America"
I recently saw an full-page Gospel Advocate ad for the above. However, it seems to be primarily a "distance learning" or correspondance school. Should it be on this list? (Southern Christian University seems to be somewhat similar.) Rlquall 14:45, 16 May 2006 (UTC)

Are there not redundant categories here?
This page seems to be doing about the same thing that another one does: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universities_and_colleges_affiliated_with_the_Church_of_Christ

Accreditation
Only colleges and universities with regional accreditation should be included here.Josh a brewer 05:26, 31 December 2006 (UTC)


text:
WJKS (FM)

WJKS (104.3 MHz) is a commercial FM radio station in the Champlain Valley of northern New England, in the United States. WJKS broadcasts a country music radio format, simulcast with 100.9 WWFY in Berlin, Vermont. The two stations are owned by Great Eastern Radio. WJKS serves the Burlington–Plattsburgh media market, while WWFY serves Barre–Montpelier.

History
Before it went on the air, the station first took the call sign WVFA on May 3, 1991, and changed to WGLV on June 14, 1991. It officially launched on March 15, 1992, with a religious format in Hartford, Vermont. On October 11, 2000, the station launched its WWOD call letters and changed its format to oldies as "Oldies 104.3".

In 2008, the station was granted a U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) construction permit to change its city of license from Hartford, Vermont, to Keeseville, New York, increasing its effective radiated power (ERP) to 25,000 watts and decreasing its tower's height above average terrain (HAAT) to 88 meters/289 feet, using a directional antenna located in Au Sable, New York.

On May 22, 2012, WWOD, along with 28 other Nassau Broadcasting stations in Northern New England, was purchased at bankruptcy auction by Carlisle Capital Corporation, a company controlled by Bill Binnie (owner of WBIN-TV in Derry). WWOD and 11 of the other stations, were then acquire by Vertical Capital Partners, controlled by Jeff Shapiro. As this would put Shapiro over the Federal Communications Commission's ownership limits in the Lebanon-Rutland-White River Junction market, WWOD and WEXP were acquired by Electromagnetic Company, a company controlled by William and Gail Goddard. This transaction was consummated on November 30, 2012, with the WWOD/WEXP portion of the purchase valued at $600,000.

On November 30, 2012, WWOD went silent and swapped call signs with WMXR in Woodstock, Vermont. On July 9, 2013, the call letters were again changed, to WMVY. WMVY returned to the air on October 30, 2013, still operating from the Hartford facility. The call letters became WECM on June 9, 2014.

On November 10, 2014, WECM began transmitting from its new Keeseville facilities stunting with Christmas music, branded as "Ho Ho 104". After the holiday season, the station continued to run the stunt.

Electromagnetic Company sold WECM to Jeffrey D. Shapiro's Great Eastern Radio, LLC in a transaction that was consummated on March 23, 2015. Electromagnetic received a 6.4% equity interest in Great Eastern Radio (valued at $250,000) in exchange.

On June 15, 2015, at noon, after seven months of stunting, the station finally flipped to classic hip hop as "Kiss 104.3", with the new call sign WJKS. On June 15, 2020, WJKS replaced the classic hip hop format with a simulcast of WWFY (100.9 FM), a co-owned country music station in Berlin, Vermont, under the "Froggy 104.3 & 100.9" branding.

title: WJKS (FM)


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Category:Destroyed landmarks

Landmarks that have been destroyed intentionally or by natural means.

title: Category:Destroyed landmarks