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Weaver ant

Weaver ants or green ants are eusocial insects of the Hymenoptera family Formicidae belonging to the tribe Oecophyllini. Weaver ants live in trees (they are obligately arboreal) and are known for their unique nest building behaviour where workers construct nests by weaving together leaves using larval silk. Colonies can be extremely large consisting of more than a hundred nests spanning numerous trees and containing more than half a million workers. Like many other ant species, weaver ants prey on small insects and supplement their diet with carbohydrate-rich honeydew excreted by scale insects (Hemiptera). Weaver ant workers exhibit a clear bimodal size distribution, with almost no overlap between the size of the minor and major workers. The major workers are approximately 8 - 10 mm in length and the minors approximately half the length of the majors. Major workers forage, defend, maintain, and expand the colony whereas minor workers tend to stay within the nests where they care for the brood and 'milk' scale insects in or close to the nests.

Weaver ants vary in color from reddish to yellowish brown dependent on the species. Oecophylla smaragdina found in Australia often have bright green gasters. Weaver ants are highly territorial and workers aggressively defend their territories against intruders. Because they prey on insects harmful to their host trees, weaver ants are sometime used by indigenous farmers, particularly in southeast Asia, as natural biocontrol agents against agricultural pests. Although weaver ants lack a functional sting they can inflict painful bites and often spray formic acid directly at the bite wound resulting in intense discomfort.

Taxonomy
The weaver ants belong to the genus Oecophylla (subfamily Formicinae) which contains two closely related living species: O. longinoda and O. smaragdina. They are placed in a tribe of their own, Oecophyllini with the extinct genus Eoecophylla. The weaver ant genus Oecophylla is relatively old, and 15 fossil species have been described from Eocene to Miocene deposits. The oldest members of both Oecophyllini and Oecophylla are fossils described from the mid-Ypresian Eocene Okanagan Highlands of Northwestern North America. Three other genera of weaving ants, Polyrhachis, Camponotus and Dendromyrmex, also use larval silk in nest construction, but the construction and architecture of their nests are simpler than those of Oecophylla.

The common features of the genus include an elongated first funicular segment, presence of propodeal lobes, helcium at midheight of abdominal segment 3 and gaster capable of reflexion over the mesosoma. Males have vestigial pretarsal claws.

Genera and species
Extant species:
 * Oecophylla

 * Oecophylla kolhapurensis Kurane et al., 2015
 * Oecophylla longinoda (Latreille, 1802)
 * Oecophylla smaragdina (Fabricius, 1775)

Extinct species:

 * †Oecophylla atavina Cockerell, 1915
 * †Oecophylla bartoniana Cockerell, 1920
 * †Oecophylla brischkei Mayr, 1868
 * †Oecophylla crassinoda Wheeler, 1922
 * †Oecophylla eckfeldiana Dlussky, Wappler & Wedmann, 2008
 * †Oecophylla grandimandibula Riou, 1999
 * †Oecophylla kraussei (Dlussky & Rasnitsyn, 1999)
 * †Oecophylla leakeyi Wilson & Taylor, 1964
 * †Oecophylla longiceps Dlussky, Wappler & Wedmann, 2008
 * †Oecophylla megarche Cockerell, 1915
 * †Oecophylla obesa (Heer, 1849)
 * †Oecophylla praeclara Förster, 1891
 * †Oecophylla sicula Emery, 1891
 * †Oecophylla superba Théobald, 1937

 * †Eoecophylla Archibald, Mathewes, & Perfilieva, 2024

Description
Oecophylla have 12-segmented antennae, a feature shared with some other ant genera. The mandibles each have 10 or more teeth, and the fourth tooth from the tip is longer than the third and fifth teeth. The palps are short, with the maxillary palps being 5-segmented and the labial palps being 4-segmented. The mesonotum is constricted and (in dorsal view) narrower than the pronotum and propodeum. The node of the petiole is low and rounded.

Distribution and habitat
O. longinoda is distributed in the Afrotropics and O. smaragdina from India and Sri Lanka in southern Asia, through southeastern Asia to northern Australia and Melanesia. In Australia, Oecophylla smaragdina is found in the tropical coastal areas as far south as Broome in Western Australia and across the coastal tropics of the Northern Territory down to Yeppoon in Queensland.

Colony ontogeny and social organization
Weaver ant colonies are founded by one or more mated females (queens). A queen lays her first clutch of eggs on a leaf and protects and feeds the larvae until they develop into mature workers. The workers then construct leaf nests and help rear new brood laid by the queen. As the number of workers increases, more nests are constructed and colony productivity and growth increase significantly. Workers perform tasks that are essential to colony survival, including foraging, nest construction, and colony defense. The exchange of information and modulation of worker behaviour that occur during worker-worker interactions are facilitated by the use of chemical and tactile communication signals. These signals are used primarily in the contexts of foraging and colony defense. Successful foragers lay down pheromone trails that help recruit other workers to new food sources. Pheromone trails are also used by patrollers to recruit workers against territorial intruders. Along with chemical signals, workers also use tactile communication signals such as attenation and body shaking to stimulate activity in signal recipients. Multimodal communication in Oecophylla weaver ants importantly contributes to colony self-organization. Like many other ant species, Oecophylla workers exhibit social carrying behavior as part of the recruitment process, in which one worker will carry another worker in its mandibles and transport it to a location requiring attention.

Nest building behaviour
Oecophylla weaver ants are known for their cooperative behaviour used in nest construction. Possibly the first description of weaver ant's nest building behaviour was made by the English naturalist Joseph Banks, who took part in Captain James Cook's voyage to Australia in 1768. An excerpt from Joseph Banks' Journal (cited in Hölldobler and Wilson 1990) is included below:

The ants...one green as a leaf, and living upon trees, where it built a nest, in size between that of a man's head and his fist, by bending the leaves together, and gluing them with whitish paperish substances which held them firmly together. In doing this their management was most curious: they bend down four leaves broader than a man's hand, and place them in such a direction as they choose. This requires a much larger force than these animals seem capable of; many thousands indeed are employed in the joint work. I have seen as many as could stand by one another, holding down such a leaf, each drawing down with all his might, while others within were employed to fasten the glue. How they had bent it down I had not the opportunity of seeing, but it was held down by main strength, I easily proved by disturbing a part of them, on which the leaf bursting from the rest, returned to its natural situation, and I had an opportunity of trying with my finger the strength of these little animals must have used to get it down.

The weaver ant's ability to build capacious nests from living leaves has undeniably contributed to their ecological success. The first phase in nest construction involves workers surveying potential nesting leaves by pulling on the edges with their mandibles. When a few ants have successfully bent a leaf onto itself or drawn its edge toward another, other workers nearby join the effort. The probability of a worker joining the concerted effort is dependent on the size of the group, with workers showing a higher probability of joining when group size is large. When the span between two leaves is beyond the reach of a single ant, workers form chains with their bodies by grasping one another's petiole (waist). Multiple intricate chains working in unison are often used to ratchet together large leaves during nest construction. Once the edges of the leaves are drawn together, other workers retrieve larvae from existing nests using their mandibles. Upon reaching a seam to be joined, these workers tap the head of the clutched larvae, which causes them to excrete silk. They can only produce so much silk, so the larva will have to pupate without a cocoon. The workers then maneuver between the leaves in a highly coordinated fashion to bind them together. Weaver ant's nests are usually elliptical in shape and range in size from a single small leaf folded and bound onto itself to large nests consisting of many leaves and measure over half a meter in length. The time required to construct a nest varies depending on leaf type and eventual size, but often a large nest can be built in significantly less than 24 hours. Although weaver ant's nests are strong and impermeable to water, new nests are continually being built by workers in large colonies to replace old dying nests and those damaged by storms.

In agriculture
Large colonies of Oecophylla weaver ants consume significant amounts of food, and workers continuously kill a variety of arthropods (primarily other insects) close to their nests. Insects are not only consumed by workers, but this protein source is necessary for brood development. Because weaver ant workers hunt and kill insects that are potentially harmful plant pests, trees harboring weaver ants benefit from having decreased levels of herbivory. They have traditionally been used in biological control in Chinese and Southeast Asian citrus orchards from at least 400 AD. Many studies have shown the efficacy of using weaver ants as natural biocontrol agents against agricultural pests. The use of weaver ants as biocontrol agents has especially been effective for fruit agriculture, particularly in Australia and southeast Asia. Fruit trees harboring weaver ants produce higher quality fruits, show less leaf damage by herbivores, and require fewer applications of synthetic pesticides. They do on the other hand protect the scale insects which they 'milk' for honeydew. In several cases the use of weaver ants has nonetheless been shown to be more efficient than applying chemical insecticides and at the same time cheaper, leaving farmers with increased net incomes and more sustainable pest control.

Weaver ant husbandry is often practiced in Southeast Asia, where farmers provide shelter, food and construct ropes between trees populated with weaver ants in order to protect their colonies from potential competitors.

Oecophylla colonies may not be entirely beneficial to the host plants. Studies indicate that the presence of Oecophylla colonies may also have negative effects on the performance of host plants by reducing fruit removal by mammals and birds and therefore reducing seed dispersal and by lowering the flower-visiting rate of flying insects including pollinators. Weaver ants also have an adverse effect on tree productivity by protecting sap feeding insects such as scale insects and leafhoppers from which they collect honeydew. By protecting these insects from predators they increase their population and increase the damage they cause to trees.

As food, feed and medicine
Weaver ants are one of the most valued types of edible insects consumed by humans (human entomophagy). In addition to being used as a biological control agent to increase plant production, weaver ants can be utilized directly as a protein and food source since the ants (especially the ant larvae) are edible for humans and high in protein and fatty acids. In some countries the weaver ant is a highly prized delicacy harvested in vast amounts and in this way contribute to local socio-economics. In Northeastern Thailand the price of weaver ant larvae is twice the price of good-quality beef and in a single Thai province ant larvae worth US$620,000 are harvested every year. It has furthermore been shown that the harvest of weaver ants can be maintained while at the same time using the ants for biocontrol of pest insects in tropical plantations, since the queen larvae and pupae that are the primary target of harvest, are not vital for colony survival.

The larvae of weaver ants are also collected commercially as an expensive feed for insect-eating birds in Indonesia.

In India and China, the worker ants are used in traditional medicine.

title: Weaver ant


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Wikipedia:Featured picture candidates/Image:American Civil War Battles by Theater, Year.png

Featured picture candidates/American Civil War Battles by Theater, Year.png
This map, created by User:Brian0918, is the most useful Civil War visual reference I have ever come across. I am not over-stating myself. You get a real sense of the evolution and the breadth of the battles. - Kingturtle 04:14, 15 Apr 2005 (UTC)
 * Nominate and support. I nominate and support this - Kingturtle 04:14, 15 Apr 2005 (UTC)
 * Are you actually using it in your class? :) brian0918  ™  04:29, 15 Apr 2005 (UTC)
 * I will next fall, for sure. Kingturtle 04:31, 15 Apr 2005 (UTC)
 * Support. This was something I knew needed to be made. -- brian0918  ™  04:29, 15 Apr 2005 (UTC)
 * Support TomStar81 04:58, 15 Apr 2005 (UTC)
 * Regretful oppose. Too hard to differentiate between the various shades of color. Also, while the information content is high, it's visually not very appealing. Junes 13:46, 15 Apr 2005 (UTC)
 * I used different shades of the same color to try and show how the war evolved within each theater over the years. I would've liked to use more clearly different colors, but that wasn't possible.  -- brian0918  ™  14:59, 15 Apr 2005 (UTC)
 * visually, this map speaks volumes. the American Civil War is very difficult to get a handle on, geographically. this map really helps. Kingturtle 15:08, 15 Apr 2005 (UTC)
 * Oppose. I agree with Junes. Jonas Olson 14:55, 15 Apr 2005 (UTC)
 * Regretful oppose. I appreciate the effort and think it's nice to look at, but don't feel that it conveys the information well. Why use different colors for different theaters when we can tell that by simply looking at the map?  I would have simply used darker (or different) colors for years and mixed them for multi-year battles.  Not that it's bad, it could just have been better.  And I'm a Tufte-ite...  --SFoskett 14:44, Apr 15, 2005 (UTC)
 * What do you mean by "by simply looking at the map"? -- brian0918 ™  14:56, 15 Apr 2005 (UTC)
 * Since the theaters are geographic in nature, the map itself tells you which theater is which. I would innately know that a battle to the left is a Western one, while one to the right is Eastern.  Not that it's BAD, since the battles were categorized into theaters over time, just that it's unnecessary to "waste" precious chart information (color) on something that can be grasped without it.  Instead, as I said, I would use the color to denote a more interesting metric like the year of the battle, its length, casualties, victors, etc...  I'm trying to be helpful, not to be rude here.  --SFoskett 23:01, Apr 17, 2005 (UTC)
 * Have you looked closely at the map? How would you be able to tell which theater a battle is in when they're mixed together at the boundaries?  What about the counties where multiple theaters too place, would you be able to know right away that multiple theaters took place there? It's not as simple as "left is west, right is east." -- brian0918  ™  04:07, 18 Apr 2005 (UTC)
 * My point was that there are many other metrics that could have been presented on the map with color rather than one which was chosen. Perhaps they would have added to the value of the map more than the abstract concept of theaters of battle.  As it is, I find it difficult to discern the information being presented.  I'd love to make some more suggestions but feel that perhaps this is the wrong place and want to make sure that they are welcome.  If you would like to hear my suggestions for improvement, please visit my talk page and we can continue this discussion on the map's discussion page.  Otherwise, thanks for your continued contribution to Wikipedia!  --SFoskett 05:33, Apr 18, 2005 (UTC)
 * I chose to use theaters so that it would be easier for the user to navigate the Civil War battle categories. By using theaters, one can also get a sense of troop movements over the years, whereas some random metric like number of casualties wouldn't tell you that. I think a diagram displaying casualties might be nice to look at, but not very useful. Same with the diagram of victories. I may still create those sometime, though. -- brian0918  ™  10:03, 18 Apr 2005 (UTC)
 * The information is conveyed superbly. The eye gets a really quick notion of a very complicated story. Kingturtle 15:08, 15 Apr 2005 (UTC)

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


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Wainai Sadayuki

Wainai Sadayuki (和井内貞行) was a pioneer known for his contributions to the development of Lake Towada in Akita Prefecture.

Biography
Wainai was born in what is now Kazuno, Akita in 1858. He initially began his career in 1881 in the mining industry, then the backbone of Kazuno's economy, working at Kosaka Mines, which worked iron ore deposits at the shore of Lake Towada. At the time, Lake Towada was largely sterile, and the 2500 mine workers had to subsist on dried fish from town. Wainai worked as a guard on the water supply to the mines, and decided to ignore local folklore and superstition against stocking the lake with fish. Starting in 1884, Wainai attempted to introduce 600 salmon fry into Lake Towada. The effort failed, but persevering in the face of multiple setbacks and failures to the extent that he was forced to sell his personal belongings to continue the effort, Wainai finally succeeded in 1903 after a majority of trout fry he had released two years earlier survived. Wainai continued his efforts in following years, establishing a hatchery to attempt to introduce other varieties of fish as well. Today, thanks to Wainai's efforts, princess trout (姫鱒) and many other species flourish in Lake Towada, making it a very popular fishing spot.

Wainai also opened the Wainai Towadako Hotel in 1916 and is also known for promoting Lake Towada as one of the top tourist destinations in Tōhoku Region. He led legal efforts to preserve the lake and its surrounding natural environment, which eventually resulted in the proclamation of Towada National Park in 1936.

After his death in 1922, Wainai's spirit was enshrined in the Wainai Jinja, a Shinto shrine located in Kosaka, Akita near the lake in acknowledgment for his works.

title: Wainai Sadayuki


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Richmond Parkway

The name Richmond Parkway may refer to:

 * In California:
 * Richmond Parkway (California) in Richmond, California
 * Richmond Parkway Transit Center, a bus hub in Richmond, California
 * In New York:
 * Korean War Veterans Parkway, Staten Island, officially named Richmond Parkway until 1997 and still commonly known by that name

title: Richmond Parkway


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Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Walhus

 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 delete. – ABCD 23:24, 21 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Walhus
Vanity, not encyclopedic, advertisement. The link in the article goes to a commercial website. The article should be deleted. - Jersyko 04:16, Apr 15, 2005 (UTC)
 * Delete for reasons stated. Major link spam now but possible userfy soon. - Lucky 6.9 05:34, 15 Apr 2005 (UTC)
 * Userfy - vanity. — flamingspinach | (talk) 06:26, 2005 Apr 15 (UTC)
 * Userfy if author wants it, otherwise delete. Megan1967 08:56, 15 Apr 2005 (UTC)
 * Speedy delete, prima facie vanity. Tempshill 22:43, 15 Apr 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.

title: Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Walhus


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Linda Gradstein

Linda Gradstein is the Israel bureau chief for The Media Line news agency. Gradstein was the Israel correspondent for NPR News from 1990 until 2009. As a freelance reporter she has reported for PRI's The World and AOL News and other venues such as Slate. Gradstein is a member of the team that received the Overseas Press Club award for her coverage of the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and the team that received Alfred I. DuPont-Columbia University Award for Excellence in Broadcast Journalism for her coverage of the Persian Gulf War. Linda spent 1998-9 as a Knight Journalist Fellow at Stanford University.

Gradstein has covered important events in Israel and the West Bank and Gaza Strip including the intifada, the mass immigration of Soviet immigrants to Israel, the return of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to Gaza, the rise of Hamas, the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin, the Persian Gulf war, and two elections in Israel.

Gradstein earned a bachelor's degree in Foreign Service from Georgetown University in 1985 and a master's degree in Arab Studies. She spent a year as a Rotary Fellow at the American University in Cairo. She speaks both Hebrew and Arabic.

title: Linda Gradstein


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Associação Portuguesa de Desportos

Associação Portuguesa de Desportos, commonly referred to as Portuguesa or Lusa, is a Brazilian professional football club based in the district of Pari, São Paulo, that competes in the Campeonato Paulista, the top tier of the São Paulo state football league. It is part of a sports club, founded on 14 August 1920, by the Portuguese population of the city.

Foundation
On 14 August 1920 (the same day of the 1385 Battle of Aljubarrota), the five Paulista clubs representing the Portuguese community of São Paulo (Lusíadas Futebol Club, Portugal Marinhense, Associação Cinco de Outubro, Associação Atlética Marquês de Pombal and Esporte Club Lusitano) met at Salão da Câmara Portuguesa de Comércio to merge, and founded Associação Portuguesa de Esportes. They chose the colors of Portugal: green and red. The club merged with Mackenzie College in 1920, and was then renamed Mackenzie-Portuguesa.

The 1940s and the 1950s
In 1940, the club changed its name to Associação Portuguesa de Desportos, its current name. In 1956, Portuguesa bought from São Paulo a big piece of land located in the limits between the northeast and center of the city. In the land, the Canindé stadium was built, as well as the official headquarters, offices and social club.

2011 Série B
In the 2011 season Portuguesa participated on the São Paulo State Championship Série A1 (first division) when they were eliminated in the Quarterfinals by São Paulo, in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série B (second division) and in the Copa do Brasil (Brazilian Cup), when they were eliminated in the First Round by Bangu.

After a comeback victory against Americana, on 22 October 2011, the club achieved promotion to Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 2012. On 8 November, after a 2–2 draw against Sport Recife, the club won the 2011 Série B, the first national title won by the club. The title crowned a strong campaign by the Lusa side, with 23 wins, 12 draws and only three defeats. The offensive and fast-paced style of play implemented by the team's coach, Jorginho, and the great number of 82 goals scored led to the nickname of "Barcelusa", referring to FC Barcelona's style of playing. Lusa ended the 2011 Season with a 2–0 win over Icasa, finishing 21 straight games undefeated.

2012: Poor start, relegation and arrival of Dida
In 2012, the "Barcelusa" squad struggled in the Campeonato Paulista following the losses of players Marco Antonio and Edno, which led to the relegation to the Campeonato Paulista Série A2 after a 4–2 loss to Mirassol and combined results on other games. The chairman disappointment with the awful campaign in a much considered easy tournament led to the dismissal of the team's coach, Jorginho, after 14 months working for the Lusa side.

The team then turned sights on Geninho, and confirmed the former Brazilian champion as their new head coach. The team mounted a good campaign in the Copa do Brasil, but fell through at the Round of 16 after a 2–0 defeat to Bahia.

Lusa started the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A with their goalkeeper Wéverton negotiating with his departure to play for Atlético Paranaense. Without a good replacement at the youth squad nor the recently added Glédson, Lusa then started negotiating with the two-time UEFA Champions League champion and former Brazil national team goalkeeper Dida, and signed the 38-year-old keeper to wear their colors until the end of the Brasileirão. The keeper started for the first time for Lusa in a match against São Paulo, and had a good showing in a 1–0 win for the Lusa side. Lusa then played against Neymar's Santos, again at home, and with amazing saves by the veteran goalkeeper and losing several clear scoring chances at the first half, the game ended 0–0, with Lusa mounting two wins, three losses and two draws starting the tournament.

Lusa then pulled off a trade with Atlético Paranaense, bringing aboard striker Bruno Mineiro. The negotiation proved to be extremely positive, since the new number 9 started scoring goals at will: in 12 games, he scored 11 times, becoming one of the top scorers in the league, pursuing closely the likes of Vagner Love, Fred and Luís Fabiano.

After twenty-seven games in the Brasileirão, Lusa survived a series of difficult games to maintain its spot out of the relegation zone. Playing against Palmeiras and Coritiba, Lusa won both games by three goals to none at home. Playing Fluminense, São Paulo, Santos and Atlético Mineiro, Lusa lost the first two games, but benefited from the absence of superstar Neymar to beat Santos away by 3–1 and then allowed Atlético Mineiro to escape out of Canindé with a draw. Despite having Brazilian international and former Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldinho, the Atlético side struggled to get out of the strong midfield pressure and ball possession imposed by Lusa, which had played the majority of the second half with a one-man advantage after defender Leonardo Silva was sent off.

Playing against Sport Club do Recife, Bruno Mineiro scored a hat-trick in a turnaround win by 5–1, becoming the new league scoring leader, trespassing Fred. Fred and Mineiro both played for América Mineiro at the youth level.

2013: Promotion back to A1, STJD issues and relegation to Série B
In December 2012, Péricles Chamusca was announced as the new head coach, with a one-year contract. He was fired in April 2013. A day after Chamusca's dismissal, the club announced a Colonel, Edson Pimenta, as new coach.

On 16 April 2013, Portuguesa was eliminated by Naviraiense in 2013 Copa do Brasil's first round. Only nine days later, Lusa won promotion to Campeonato Paulista Série A1, after a 2–1 victory against Capivariano.

Although Portuguesa finished the championship just above the relegation positions (precisely in 12th), it was punished by the Superior Court of Sport Justice for irregularly calling in a player during a match against Grêmio – Héverton, who was suspended for a red card received at his previous Copa do Brasil match. With the punishment, the team lost four points – three for the irregular usage of a player and a fourth one which the team won due to the game resulting in a tie – and ended up being relegated in 17th place. This way, Fluminense managed to finish the championship above the relegation positions (15th) and was spared from having to compete in the next year's second division as well as Flamengo, who had also lost four points as punishment for an irregular usage of a player and finished in 16th place.

2014: Late reaction in Paulistão, another relegation
On 10 January 2014, a supporter from the club won a lawsuit in São Paulo's courts, which determines the points would be returned to Portuguesa, relegating Flamengo. However, CBF refused to accept the lawsuit, and published the 2014 Série A table without Lusa, placing the club in Série B instead.

In 2014 Campeonato Paulista, Lusa was placed in the Group C, with Santos, Ponte Preta, São Bernardo and Paulista. The club failed to win in their first five games, and saw Guto Ferreira's resignation as head coach. Under Argel Fucks, the club fared better and finished fourth in the group, only four points behind second-placed Ponte.

In April, the club was again knocked out of Copa do Brasil, this time by lowly Potiguar Mossoró; also in the same month, the club left the pitch in the 16th minute of a match against Joinville, and was later punished by STJD due to disbandment.

Argel left Lusa in the following month, and after short-reign terms of Marcelo Veiga and Silas, the club announced the arrival of Vágner Benazzi in mid-September, highly known for his abilities to guide a team out of the relegation places. However, he was also dismissed in the following month, after failing to achieve a single win. During that time, the club also saw a host of players coming and going out, with the squad surpassing the 40 players mark.

Portuguesa was relegated to Série C (for the first time in the club's history) on 28 October, after losing 0–3 to Oeste.

2015–2016: Série C and Série A2
Portuguesa started the 2015 Paulistão with a win, defeating Ponte Preta by 3–2. On 4 March 2015 the club reached the second stage of Copa do Brasil, after a 3–1 away win against Santos-AP.

On 20 March, after being highly pressured, president Ilídio Lico resigned and was replaced by Jorge Manuel Marques Gonçalves. Two weeks later, the club was again relegated to Série A2, after a 0–3 away loss against São Paulo.

During the year's Série C, Portuguesa qualified to the final rounds as second in its group, but missed out promotion after losing to eventual champions Vila Nova. The following year, the club narrowly avoided relegation in Série A2 after finishing 13th.

Portuguesa suffered another relegation in the end of the 2016 season, after a 0–2 away loss against Tombense, being demoted to Série D ahead of the 2017 campaign.

2017–: Série D, non-division and Copa Paulista title
Ahead of the 2017 season, Portuguesa announced Émerson Leão as their football consultant, with Tuca Guimarães being appointed as head coach. With subsequent head coaches Estevam Soares and Mauro Fernandes, the club was knocked out in the first phase of the year's Série D, and also reached the semifinals of the Copa Paulista, meaning that the club was not included in any national division for the 2018 season.

During the 2018 campaign, Lusa had Guilherme Alves and Allan Aal as their head coaches, finishing in both disappointing mid-table positions in the Série A2 and in the Copa Paulista. In the 2019 season, the first team was managed by Luís Carlos Martins, Vica and former youth graduate Zé Maria, again with little success.

Moacir Júnior started the 2020 campaign as head coach, but was sacked in February. Another youth graduate, Fernando Marchiori, was named in his place, and led the club to the quarterfinals of the Série A2. In the Copa Paulista, the club lifted the trophy for the first time in their history, only losing one match in the entire competition and having the second-best defensive records of the tournament's history; the title also ensured Portuguesa back in a national tournament after three years of absence.

In the 2021 Campeonato Brasileiro Série D, Portuguesa led their group but was knocked out of the tournament on penalties by Caxias. This led to the departure of Marchiori as head coach, and another former player of the club, Alex Alves, took over.

On 9 April 2022, under the guidance of Sérgio Soares, Lusa achieved promotion to the Campeonato Paulista after seven years. The club started the 2023 season with Mazola Júnior as head coach, and narrowly avoided relegation in the 2023 Campeonato Paulista under Gilson Kleina, who opted to leave the club at the end of the competition; in that year, they also introduced a new Rooster of Barcelos-themed third kit, which was inspired on a popular Portuguese folk tale and symbol.

Portuguesa started the 2024 campaign with Dado Cavalcanti as head coach, but he was replaced by Pintado after five matches.

National

 * Campeonato Brasileiro Série A:
 * Runner-up (1): 1996

 * Campeonato Brasileiro Série B: 1
 * 2011

Inter-state

 * Torneio Rio – São Paulo: 2
 * 1952, 1955

State

 * Campeonato Paulista: 3
 * 1935, 1936, 1973

 * Copa Paulista: 1
 * 2020

 * Campeonato Paulista Série A2: 3
 * 2007, 2013, 2022

 * Taça Estado de São Paulo: 1
 * 1973

 * Copa Governador do Estado de São Paulo: 1
 * 1976

 * Taça Piratininga: 1
 * 1964

 * Torneio Início: 3
 * 1935, 1947, 1996

Youth team

 * Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior: 2
 * 1991, 2002

Women's Football

 * Campeonato Brasileiro de Futebol Feminino: 1
 * 1999–2000

 * Campeonato Paulista de Futebol Feminino: 2
 * 1998, 2000

Rivals
During its time in the Serie A and state championships, Portuguesa has had run-ins with Corinthians, Palmeiras, São Paulo and Juventus.

Stadium
Portuguesa's stadium is the Estádio do Canindé, built in 1956, with a maximum capacity of 27,500. Following current FIFA safety rules, the maximum capacity is 25,470 people.

Logo history

The club's first logo was introduced on 14 August 1920, during the club's foundation, was a Portuguese shield. This logo was chosen to honor Portugal.

The club's second logo, introduced in 1923, had a Cross of Avis bordered by a red outline. The Cross of Avis represents Portuguese independence from the Kingdom of Castille, which happened after the Battle of Aljubarrota on 14 August 1385.

In 2005, the club's logo design was modernized, and golden trim was added around the red outline.

In 2015, Portuguesa returned to the badge used between 1923 and 2005.

Team colors
Portuguesa's first kit, introduced on 20 September 1920, was an all-red shirt, white shorts, and red socks with two horizontal green lines. The goalkeeper kit was completely white.

On 26 March 1923, the club's kit was changed to red and green vertically striped shirts.

The team kit was later changed again, with the red and green stripes changed to horizontal ones, and the away kit became an all-white shirt, red shorts and red socks.

Mascots
Portuguesa's first mascot was a Portuguese girl named Severa. She was named after the 1930s fado singer Dima Tereza who was nicknamed A Severa, after the Portuguese fado singer Maria Severa Onofriana.

In 1994, Portuguesa changed its mascot. The club's unique original mascot was replaced by a lion wearing the club's home kit. The lion is one of the most common Brazilian football club's mascots.

Anthems
There are two club's anthems. The first anthem, called Hino Rubro-verde (Portuguese for Red and Green Anthem) is the old one, and was composed by Archimedes Messina and Carlos Leite Guerra.

The second anthem, called Campeões (Portuguese for Champions) is the current club's anthem, and was composed by Roberto Leal and Márcia Lúcia.

Managers

 * 🇧🇷 Otto Glória (1973–75)
 * 🇧🇷 Candinho (1997–99)
 * 🇧🇷 Mário Zagallo (1999–2000)
 * 🇧🇷 Candinho (2001–02)
 * 🇧🇷 Heriberto da Cunha (2003)
 * 🇧🇷 Paulo Comelli (2004)
 * 🇧🇷 Alexandre Gallo (2005)
 * 🇧🇷 Giba (2005–06)
 * 🇧🇷 Candinho (2006)
 * 🇧🇷 Vágner Benazzi (2006–08)
 * 🇧🇷 Estevam Soares (2008–09)
 * 🇧🇷 Mário Sérgio (2009)
 * 🇧🇷 Paulo Bonamigo (2009)
 * 🇧🇷 Renê Simões (2009)
 * 🇧🇷 Vágner Benazzi (2009–10)
 * 🇧🇷 Vadão (2010)
 * 🇧🇷 Sérgio Guedes (2010–11)
 * 🇧🇷 Jorginho (2011–12)
 * 🇧🇷 Geninho (2012)
 * 🇧🇷 Péricles Chamusca (2012–13)
 * 🇧🇷 Guto Ferreira (2013–14)
 * 🇧🇷 Argel Fucks (2014)
 * 🇧🇷 Marcelo Veiga (2014)
 * 🇧🇷 Paulo Silas (2014)
 * 🇧🇷 Vágner Benazzi (2014)
 * 🇧🇷 Ailton Silva (2014–15)
 * 🇧🇷 Júnior Lopes (2015)
 * 🇧🇷 Estevam Soares (2015)
 * 🇧🇷 Anderson Beraldo (2016)
 * 🇧🇷 Jorginho (2016)
 * 🇧🇷 Márcio Ribeiro (2016)
 * 🇧🇷 Tuca Guimarães (2017)
 * 🇧🇷 Estevam Soares (2017)
 * 🇧🇷 Mauro Fernandes (2017)
 * 🇧🇷 PC Gusmão (2017)
 * 🇧🇷 Guilherme Alves (2018)
 * 🇧🇷 Allan Aal (2018)
 * 🇧🇷 Luís Carlos Martins (2019)
 * 🇧🇷 Vica (2019)
 * 🇧🇷 Zé Maria (2019)
 * 🇧🇷 Moacir Júnior (2020)
 * 🇧🇷 Fernando Marchiori (2020–21)
 * 🇧🇷 Alex Alves (2021)
 * 🇧🇷 Sérgio Soares (2022)
 * 🇧🇷 Mazola Júnior (2023)
 * 🇧🇷 Gilson Kleina (2023)
 * 🇧🇷 Leandro Zago (2023)
 * 🇧🇷 Dado Cavalcanti (2024)
 * 🇧🇷 Pintado (2024)
 * 🇧🇷 Alan Dotti (2024–)

title: Associação Portuguesa de Desportos


text:
Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Young Left

 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 vote was inconclusive so the result of the debate was keep for all four articles. - AndyL 03:25, 22 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Young Left

 * It appears that this never made it main VfD page... re-posting. Vote Delete as non-notable. Googling "young left"+toronto-jays (need to omit the young left-handers on the Toronto Blue Jays) gives approx 500 hits. Feco 23:38, 15 Apr 2005 (UTC)

The Young Left article seems worthy of deletion on notability grounds. I tried to encourage improvement but on re-reading it seems unlikely to be notable enough to justify it. I vote Delete Johnnyio 04:19, 15 Apr 2005 (UTC)

It is most likely that this sock puppet troll Johnnyio is out for revenge, probably over the stuff in the Paul Robeson article with TDC. I think membership in the World Federation of Democratic Youth alone is significant enough for an entry. I vote Keep! --Mista-X 04:34, 15 Apr 2005 (UTC)

 * Love out to Mista-X our brother from Canada, but I am not motivated by revenge I am just not at all certain a membership organization with no members is notable enough for an entry. If you are or were a member, perhaps there is more you can tell us about the organization to justify its article. I doubt membership of the World Federation of Democratic Youth is sufficient, and such membership would need to be established anyway. Good luck with it. Johnnyio 04:39, 15 Apr 2005 (UTC)

 * I never said I was from Canada and why does it matter? Why do you assume that YL has no members? The organization is smaller than it was a year ago, but it still exists. Some of the members are currently abroad, and some are holding posts in student unions. When I get the chance to add more information I will. I am 90% sure YL was a member of WFDY, and perhaps I can e-mail WFDY to confirm this. At any rate, YL is a historical reality, which may be more than you can say for yourself. --Mista-X 04:47, 15 Apr 2005 (UTC)

 * Delete, not notable. Megan1967 02:57, 16 Apr 2005 (UTC)

 * Delete unless something can be changed, Axeattack 05:14, 16 Apr 2005 (UTC)
 * Keep group is relatively well known in Toronto. AndyL 07:09, 16 Apr 2005 (UTC)
 * Keep. I trust AndyL above. (Mista-X, you too but please avoid personal attacks.) Samaritan 15:07, 16 Apr 2005 (UTC)

 * Keep. CJCurrie 23:32, 16 Apr 2005 (UTC)
 * Delete --Spinboy 00:15, 17 Apr 2005 (UTC)
 * Delete. Notability not established. Indrian 04:08, Apr 17, 2005 (UTC)
 * Keep - SimonP 13:06, Apr 17, 2005 (UTC)
 * Weak keep, seems established well enough. Radiant_* 13:31, Apr 18, 2005 (UTC)
 * Keep. Ground Zero 14:19, 18 Apr 2005 (UTC)
 * Delete Lack of Notability TDC 01:21, Apr 20, 2005 (UTC)
 * Delete YL not notable, the article itself acknowledges that. Dagen 05:37, 20 Apr 2005 (UTC)
 * Keep A significant Toronto left group which is recognized by the United Nations Ruy Lopez 05:52, 21 Apr 2005 (UTC)
 * Recognized the United Nations? What are you talking about? Dagen 06:23, 21 Apr 2005 (UTC)

 * Keep. They're quite notable, actually. T IMBO  ( T A L K )  08:11, 21 Apr 2005 (UTC)
 * I also must note that Johnnyio was blocked shortly after his posts here for sockpuppeting, POV pushing, vandalism etc. T IMBO  ( T A L K )  08:13, 21 Apr 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:
Louisiana and Arkansas Railway

The Louisiana and Arkansas Railway was a railroad that operated in the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas. The railroad's main line extended 332 miles, from Hope, Arkansas to Shreveport and New Orleans. Branch lines served Vidalia, Louisiana (opposite Natchez, Mississippi), and Dallas, Texas.

History
The Louisiana and Arkansas Railroad was incorporated in Arkansas in 1898 for the purpose of acquiring former logging railroad properties in Arkansas and Louisiana. The railroad was constructed and initially operated under the leadership of William Buchanan, a prosperous timberman with extensive investments in southwest Arkansas and northwest Louisiana. Buchanan's partners were Harvey C. Couch and William C. Edenborn. Buchanan's primary company, Bodcaw Lumber Company, was headquartered in Stamps, Arkansas, and that city also served as headquarters of the L&A until the late 1920s. It was reorganized in 1902 as the Louisiana and Arkansas Railway.

1910

In 1910, the L&A Railway and Arkansas Southern Railroad were involved in a dispute over Louisiana taxes, a notable court case which ultimately was heard by the U.S. Supreme Court.

1920s
During the late 1920s, a group of investors led by Harvey Couch began acquiring Louisiana & Arkansas stock. These investors owned electric and telephone utilities in Arkansas and Louisiana and believed that railroad ownership in their service area would also be profitable. When control of the L&A was thus secured on January 16, 1928, a new company was chartered in Delaware in 1928 to acquire the former Louisiana and Arkansas Railway Company, and to acquire and lease the Louisiana Railway and Navigation Company, that operated a marginally profitable railroad between New Orleans and Shreveport.

The L&A inaugurated a new premier passenger train, The Shreveporter, on December 30, 1928, operating between Shreveport and Hope, Arkansas. This train carried a through Pullman sleeping car between Shreveport and St. Louis, Missouri, in conjunction with Missouri Pacific Railroad. A second named passenger train, The Hustler, was added to provide overnight service between Shreveport and New Orleans, beginning on July 2, 1932.

1930s
The Harvey Couch interests began purchasing stock of the Kansas City Southern Railway (KCS) in 1937. After gaining control of the KCS in 1939, a decision was made to merge the two properties. Kansas City Southern was the surviving corporation, with the Louisiana & Arkansas as a KCS subsidiary, but the KCS president and the controlling stockholders were all from the L&A. This merger created "single line" railroad freight service between Kansas City and New Orleans, and on September 2, 1940, a new KCS-L&A diesel powered streamliner, the Southern Belle, was inaugurated to connect the two cities.

1940s
In 1948, in a letter to Ernest W. Roberts, Harry Truman described the difficult working conditions for certain black workers employed by this railroad.

1950s
The worst wreck in the history of the L&A occurred on August 10, 1951, when a northbound L&A troop train collided head-on with the southbound Southern Belle just north of Lettsworth, Louisiana; Lettsworth is located approximately 55 miles northwest of Baton Rouge, on a segment of the Texas and Pacific Railway over which L&A trains had operating rights. The troop train was traveling 40 mph (64 km/h) and the Southern Belle was moving at the maximum speed limit of 55 mph (89 km/h) when the collision occurred on a long curve where vegetation obscured visibility. Thirteen people were killed, and another eighty-two were injured. It was determined that the accident had occurred because the troop train had overlooked a train order to wait in a siding at Lettsworth to allow the passenger train to pass.

1950- 1960
The identity of the Louisiana & Arkansas gradually disappeared in the 1950s and 1960s, as the Kansas City Southern name was adopted for all properties. By 1966, all reference to the Louisiana & Arkansas had disappeared from the annual stockholder reports of Kansas City Southern. The Shreveporter, once the pride of the L&A, was discontinued on January 24, 1962, and the Southern Belle was discontinued on November 2, 1969, ending all passenger train service on the former Louisiana & Arkansas.

1990s
In 1992, Kansas City Southern dissolved the subsidiary Louisiana & Arkansas Railway, although the former L&A route continues to be a major component of the Kansas City Southern.

title: Louisiana and Arkansas Railway


text:
Joe Kyrillos

Joseph M. Kyrillos Jr. (born April 12, 1960) is an American Republican Party politician and businessman from New Jersey. Kyrillos served in the New Jersey State Senate from 1992 to 2018, where he represented the 13th Legislative District, and in the General Assembly from 1988 to 1992.

Kyrillos started the consulting firm SK partners and is employed with Newport Capital Group, Red Bank, a financial services firm. He is affiliated with Woodmont Properties, a regional real estate development company and is senior managing director of Newmark Grubb Knight Frank, a commercial real estate services firm.

From 2001 to 2004, Kyrillos served as Chairman of the New Jersey Republican State Committee and a member of the Republican National Committee. In that role, he facilitated the logistics and implementation of the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York City and read the delegate count for President George W. Bush’s nomination for re-election on the convention floor. He was the New Jersey Chairman of Mitt Romney’s campaign in 2008, and in 2009, he served as the Chairman of Governor Christie's successful campaign and as a member of the transition team. He served as a close advisor to former Florida Governor Jeb Bush in the 2016 Republican Party presidential primaries.

Early life and education
Joseph M. Kyrillos Jr. was born April 12, 1960, in Kearny, New Jersey, one of four children of a pediatrician, Dr. Joseph M. Kyrillos, and his wife, Marguerite Kyrillos ( Shlala), who wed on May 11, 1958. His father and his mother's parents immigrated to the United States from Lebanon. His maternal grandfather worked as a tool and die maker at Thomas Edison's factory in West Orange. His mother graduated from college at age 50.

Kyrillos graduated from Rumson Country Day School and the Lawrenceville School. He received a B.A. degree from Hobart College in Political Science and was awarded an M.S. from Boston University in Communications.

After graduating from college, Kyrillos worked for Vice President George Bush during the 1984 Reagan-Bush campaign. Following the campaign, he served as Special Assistant to Secretary of the Interior Donald Hodel from 1985 to 1987.

Kyrillos has served on the Executive Committee of the National Conference of State Legislatures and as a trustee of the American Council of Young Political Leaders.

Elections
Kyrillos was first elected to the New Jersey General Assembly in 1987, together with his incumbent running mate Joann H. Smith, with both candidates receiving more than $25,000 each in campaign funding from the $1.1 million spent by the New Jersey Republican State Committee to support candidates statewide. In 1989, he won re-election to a second term. After spending two terms in the Assembly, he retired to run for the seat in the New Jersey Senate in 1991.

Tenure
Kyrillos strongly opposed Democratic Governor Jim Florio's tax increases, citing his opposition to "the Florio tax plan" repeatedly in his campaign advertising. He also opposed the Abbott districts.

Committee assignments

 * Assembly Education Committee

Elections
In 1991, Kyrillos decided to run for the 13th District seat in the New Jersey Senate. He defeated incumbent appointed Senator James T. Phillips 68%-32%. In 1993, after redistricting, he won re-election to a second term with 64% of the vote. In 1997, he won re-election to a third term with 63% of the vote.

After redistricting, the 13th district became more competitive. In 2001, he won re-election to a fourth term (two-year term) with 64% of the vote. He won re-election to a fifth term in 2003 against former state assemblyman Bill Flynn 54%-41%. In 2007, he won re-election to a sixth term with 61% of the vote. In 2011, he won re-election to a seventh term, defeating Hazlet Mayor Chris Cullen, 60%-37%.

Tenure
When Republicans held the legislative majority in the Statehouse, Kyrillos served as Majority Conference Leader and chaired standing committees on economic development and coastal resources.

Kyrillos was ranking member of the Economic Growth, Judiciary and Legislative Oversight committees.

On October 25, 2016, Kyrillos told Observer.com that he would not seek a re-election for the 2017 State Senate elections. He was succeeded by Assemblyman Declan O'Scanlon in 2018.

Committee assignments

 * Senate Natural Resources and Tourism Committee (Chairman)
 * Senate Economic Growth Committee
 * Senate Judiciary Committee
 * Senate Oversight Committee

 * Other positions
 * Senate Majority Conference Leader
 * New Jersey Republican State Committee (Chairman)

1992 congressional election
In 1992, Kyrillos ran for the United States House of Representatives but was defeated by incumbent Democrat Frank Pallone in a competitive race, falling short by about 10 points.

2001–2004: Chairman, New Jersey Republican State Committee
From 2001 to 2004, Kyrillos served as Chairman of the New Jersey Republican State Committee and a member of the Republican National Committee, where he worked to elect Republicans who shared his vision. In that role, he facilitated the logistics and implementation of the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York City and read the delegate count for President George W. Bush's nomination for re-election on the convention floor.

2008 Romney presidential campaign
Kyrillos was the New Jersey Chairman of Mitt Romney's 2008 presidential campaign.

2009 Christie gubernatorial campaign
In 2009, Kyrillos served as chairman of Chris Christie's successful gubernatorial campaign and was a member of the Governor's Transition Committee, serving as the liaison to all transition sub-committees.

2012 U.S. Senate election
In June 2011, Kyrillos filed an exploratory committee for a potential race in either 2012 or 2014.

On January 19, 2012, Kyrillos officially decided to run for the U.S. Senate, citing unemployment, housing prices and the national debt as issues he would tackle in the Senate. Kyrillos won the Republican nomination on June 5, 2012. He opposed Democratic incumbent Bob Menendez in the November 6th general election, in which he was defeated 58.4% to 40%.

Memberships
Kyrillos has served on the boards of the American Council of Young Political Leaders, National Conference of State Legislatures Foundation, Bayshore Senior Day Center, Count Basie Theatre, Garden State Arts Center Foundation, Monmouth County Historical Association, New Jersey Historical Society, Prevention First, Rainbow Foundation, and the Two River Theatre Company.

Personal life
Kyrillos is married to Susan Doctorian Kyrillos and has two children, Max and Georgia.

title: Joe Kyrillos


text:
Artoces

Artoces was a king (mepe) of Iberia (Kartli, eastern Georgia) from 78 to 63 BC. He features in the Classical accounts of the Third Mithridatic War (Appian, Bell. Mithr. 103, 117; Cassius Dio 37.1-2; Eutropius 6.14 [Artaces]; Festus 16; Orosius 6.4.8) and is identified with the Artag (არტაგ), Arik (არიკ), Rok (როკ), or Aderk (ადერკ), of the medieval Georgian annals.

According to the Georgian historic tradition, he was the son and successor of Artaxias I of the Artaxiads. The medieval Georgian account of his reign is brief and focuses on the devastation of his kingdom at the hands of Iranians while the Classical sources much closer to the period in question contain a detailed description of Artoces's war with Rome on the side of Mithridates VI of Pontus and Tigranes of Armenia.

Alarmed by the Roman occupation of the neighboring Albania, Artoces promised peace and friendship; but the Roman commander Pompey, informed that he was secretly arming so as to fall upon the Romans on their march in the passes of the Caucasus, advanced in March 65 BC, before resuming the pursuit of Mithridates, to the Iberian strongholds of Harmozica and Seusamora. Artoces, caught by surprise, hastily burnt the bridge over the Cyrus and retreated further in his forested country. Pompey occupied the fortresses and crossed the river, but met a fierce resistance by the Iberian army. In the end, the Romans prevailed, and, when Artoces saw the Pelorus river, apparently the modern Aragvi, also crossed by Pompey, he surrendered, and sent his children as hostages.

title: Artoces


text:
User talk:Mozsi~enwiki

Hello. I noticed you uploaded Vamphu200412.jpg and Vamplogo.gif to Wikipedia. Please attach an image copyright tag to each one of their image description pages so we know its copyright status. Please see our image use policy for more information. Thanks. Zzyzx11 | Talk 04:22, 15 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Cool TV (Central Europe)
Your article Cool TV (Central Europe) has appeared in the Dead End Pages list because it is not wikified. Please consult the Wikipedia Guide to Layout for more information on how to write a good, wikified article. I would encourage you to revisit your submissions and them. Thanks and happy editing! James084 19:52, 24 February 2006 (UTC)

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

Please go to the image description page and edit it to include a fair use rationale.

If you have uploaded other fair use media, consider checking that you have specified the fair use rationale on those pages too. You can find a list of 'image' pages you have edited by clicking on the "my contributions" link (it is located at the very top of any Wikipedia page when you are logged in), and then selecting "Image" from the dropdown box. Note that any fair use images uploaded after 4 May, 2006, and lacking such an explanation will be deleted one week after they have been uploaded, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. If you have any questions please ask them at the Media copyright questions page. Thank you.Betacommand (talk • contribs • Bot) 17:26, 16 May 2007 (UTC)

Unspecified source for Image:Cooltvce.jpg
Thanks for uploading Image:Cooltvce.jpg. I noticed that the file's description page currently doesn't specify who created the content, so the copyright status is unclear. If you did not create this file yourself, then you will need to specify the owner of the copyright. If you obtained it from a website, then a link to the website from which it was taken, together with a restatement of that website's terms of use of its content, is usually sufficient information. However, if the copyright holder is different from the website's publisher, then their copyright should also be acknowledged.

As well as adding the source, please add a proper copyright licensing tag if the file doesn't have one already. If you created/took the picture, audio, or video then the GFDL-self-no-disclaimers tag can be used to release it under the GFDL. If you believe the media meets the criteria at Fair use, use a tag such as or one of the other tags listed at Image copyright tags. See Image copyright tags for the full list of copyright tags that you can use.

If you have uploaded other files, consider checking that you have specified their source and tagged them, too. You can find a list of files you have uploaded by following [ this link]. Unsourced and untagged images may be deleted one week after they have been tagged, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. If the image is copyrighted under a non-free license (per Fair use) then the image will be deleted 48 hours after 17:26, 16 May 2007 (UTC). If you have any questions please ask them at the Media copyright questions page. Thank you.Betacommand (talk • contribs • Bot) 17:26, 16 May 2007 (UTC)

Orphaned non-free image (Image:Cooltvce.jpg)
Thanks for uploading Image:Cooltvce.jpg. The image description page currently specifies that the image is non-free and may only be used on Wikipedia under a claim of fair use. However, the image is currently orphaned, meaning that it is not used in any articles on Wikipedia. If the image was previously in an article, please go to the article and see why it was removed. You may add it back if you think that that will be useful. However, please note that images for which a replacement could be created are not acceptable for use on Wikipedia (see our policy for non-free media).

If you have uploaded other unlicensed media, please check whether they're used in any articles or not. You can find a list of 'image' pages you have edited by clicking on the "my contributions" link (it is located at the very top of any Wikipedia page when you are logged in), and then selecting "Image" from the dropdown box. Note that any non-free images not used in any articles will be deleted after seven days, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. Thank you. BetacommandBot 06:58, 28 May 2007 (UTC)

Your account will be renamed
Hello,

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

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

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

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Yours, Keegan Peterzell Community Liaison, Wikimedia Foundation 01:58, 20 March 2015 (UTC)

Renamed
 This account has been renamed as part of single-user login finalisation. If you own this account you can |log in using your previous username and password for more information. If you do not like this account's new name, you can choose your own using this form after logging in: . -- Keegan (WMF) (talk) 16:36, 22 April 2015 (UTC)

title: User talk:Mozsi~enwiki


text:
Talk:Cuts Like a Knife

Orphaned references in Cuts Like a Knife
I check pages listed in Category:Pages with incorrect ref formatting to try to fix reference errors. One of the things I do is look for content for orphaned references in wikilinked articles. I have found content for some of Cuts Like a Knife's orphans, the problem is that I found more than one version. I can't determine which (if any) is correct for this article, so I am asking for a sentient editor to look it over and copy the correct ref content into this article.

Reference named "Irland": From Run to You (song):  From Somebody (song):

Reference named "US": From Into the Fire (album):  From Summer of '69:  From Bryan Adams discography:

I apologize if any of the above are effectively identical; I am just a simple computer program, so I can't determine whether minor differences are significant or not. AnomieBOT ⚡ 14:06, 21 September 2008 (UTC)

Cover Photo
I'm curious if it's worth noting that the cover photograph was taken by Jim O'Mara - http://www.jamesomara.com/portfolio/music/music12.html - and if so where it should be noted on the page. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.67.93.133 (talk) 05:02, 20 November 2008 (UTC)

External links modified
Hello fellow Wikipedians,

I have just modified 3 one external links on Cuts Like a Knife. Please take a moment to review my edit. If you have any questions, or need the bot to ignore the links, or the page altogether, please visit this simple FaQ for additional information. I made the following changes:
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20140306120429/http://www.jimvallance.com:80/01-music-folder/albums-folder/pg-album-adams-03-cuts.html to http://www.jimvallance.com/01-music-folder/albums-folder/pg-album-adams-03-cuts.html
 * Corrected formatting/usage for http://allmusic.com/album/cuts-like-a-knife-r128
 * Corrected formatting/usage for http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/271162/review/5940332

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title: Talk:Cuts Like a Knife


text:
Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Surrealist Group in Ioannina

 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 delete. – ABCD 22:31, 21 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Surrealist Group in Ioannina

 * Delete,  Vanity,  Spam,  Non-Notable,   Extremely unknown and non-notable group with no credible history at all to justify any encyclopedia article. Wikipedia is being exploited for the purposes of cheap promotion. Who are these people in this group? What justifies a Wikipedia article on this unknown entity? Please consider the fact that Wikipedia is an encyclopedia and not the place for Vanity articles and Spam.Classicjupiter2 04:26, 15 Apr 2005 (UTC)
 * Delete as absolute nonsense, link spam and "content" that does little more than echo the title. - Lucky 6.9 05:04, 15 Apr 2005 (UTC)
 * Delete. — flamingspinach | (talk) 06:29, 2005 Apr 15 (UTC)
 * Delete, not notable, promo. Megan1967 08:57, 15 Apr 2005 (UTC)
 * Delete not notable, spam. Seems to exist only as a platform for a link.  Is it just me, or does anyone else notice a whole lot of dubious articles linking to this surreal coconut site?  Possibly a stealth spam campaign? Andrew Lenahan - St ar bli nd  12:02, Apr 15, 2005 (UTC)
 * It does give me a sense of deja vu, yes. (delete btw) Radiant_* 14:48, Apr 15, 2005 (UTC)
 * Delete, promo. Wile E. Heresiarch 22:57, 16 Apr 2005 (UTC)
 * Delete, surrealist vanity vandal spam. Cleduc 02:25, 17 Apr 2005 (UTC)
 * Delete Largely on grounds of content being minimal to the point of tautology.  Alai 07:31, 17 Apr 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:Norawright

Jules Henry
You (I think) wrote:''Thanks for editing my Jules Henry stub. I hope you can save it and develop it further or give me suggestions for doing so.''
 * I hope I'm replying to the right place... All I did was change the stub template to a more precise one. That should enable people editing similar articles to find it and improve it. As to what to do to improve it, do a Google search, see if you can find something about him - dates of birth and death, when he was at Washington University, where he was born, where else he worked - that sort of stuff. General biographical background. That will add quite a bit to the article. It might also give you some ideas about who he was influenced by and who he influenced. He was involved in developmental and educational psychology - who else was working in that field at the time? Plus you should be able to add some links to other articles - at the moment the article has no links on it at all. Hope that helps.

 * PS - remember to sign when you put a message on a user talk page! :) Grutness|hello? [[Image:Grutness.jpg|25px|]] 04:27, 15 Apr 2005 (UTC)

title: User talk:Norawright


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User:MPerel/sandbox

-- M P er el ( talk 04:34, Apr 15, 2005 (UTC) -- M P er el ( talk A B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z  a  b  c  d  e  f  g  h  i  j  k  l  m  n  o  p  q  r  s  t  u  v  w  x  y  z  0 1 2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  &  #  A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z  a  b  c  d  e  f  g  h  i  j  k  l  m  n  o  p  q  r  s  t  u  v  w  x  y  z  0 1 2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  &  #  A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z  a  b  c  d  e  f  g  h  i  j  k  l  m  n  o  p  q  r  s  t  u  v  w  x  y  z  0 1 2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  &  #  A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z  a  b  c  d  e  f  g  h  i  j  k  l  m  n  o  p  q  r  s  t  u  v  w  x  y  z  0 1 2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  &  #

title: User:MPerel/sandbox


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Talk:Emile

This page should probably be turned into a disambiguation page, with different entries for each of the Emiles. --FashionNugget 04:29, 15 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Agreed.Unschool 04:52, 30 November 2005 (UTC)

Agree. There's some overlap already. Kevin 19:21, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

Move discussion
For anyone still following this page, please see Talk:Emile, or On Education czar  ♔  23:01, 31 October 2013 (UTC)

title: Talk:Emile


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National Brotherhood of Skiers

The National Brotherhood of Skiers (NBS) is a nonprofit focused on organizing and supporting African American skiers. The NBS comprises dozens of predominantly-black ski clubs in the United States.

History
The NBS was founded by Art Clay and Ben Finley after being introduced to each other by a mutual friend in 1972. The first NBS event was a summit of members of the 13 founding associated clubs in 1973, which became an annual event. That first summit, held at Aspen, is the first known organized gathering of black skiers.

The organization was chartered in 1974 and incorporated in 1975. It is a member of the National Ski Council Federation, an organization formed in 1999 and composed of the largest ski clubs (and groups of ski clubs) in the United States.

REI published a short film about the National Brotherhood of Skiers and its history in 2019, also focusing on the outreach its member clubs do to spread snowsports.

In 2020, co-founders Clay and Finley were set to be the first African Americans inducted into the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame. It was initially planned for late March, but was postponed to December of the same year due to COVID-19. Members of NBS had twice previously submitted Clay and Finley to be inducted, both of which were unsuccessful.

Summits and events
The NBS had its first summit at Aspen in 1973 with 350 participants from 13 clubs. Before the summit, the Colorado National Guard was put on alert and remained on standby during the events.

The summits are held annually, usually lasting about a week, and the location changes from one year to the next.

In 1993, which was one of the largest summits the NBS organized, about 6,000 participants met at Vail Ski Resort in Colorado.

2020
The 2020 summit, held at Sun Valley from February 27 to March 7, consisted of about 600 participants from 51 clubs. More than 100 of those participants, in the few weeks after the event, experienced symptoms of COVID-19. Four participants, as of late April 2020, died from the virus.

Both co-founders, Art Clay and Ben Finley, were among those who tested positive for COVID-19 after the event. Finley spent 3 days in the intensive care unit at UCLA Medical Center with the virus.

Sun Valley ski resort closed on March 15 due to COVID-19, following many other ski resorts in the United States.

Local club events
Many clubs that are affiliated with the National Brotherhood of Skiers host local events with the goal of encouraging black people to become involved in skiing and snowboarding. Most affiliated clubs plan trips and events each season for their members.

The Boston Ski Party, an affiliated club, hosts multiple annual events including "YouthFest", which brings 140 children to a local ski mountain to introduce them to snowsports.

Scholarships
On an annual basis, the NBS awards multiple scholarships to young adults in skiing in snowboarding, many of whom compete nationally or internationally. Each year, the NBS runs a fundraiser for its Olympic Scholarship Fund with the goal of an African American skier or snowboarder competing in the Olympics.

Membership
Rather than joining directly, prospective participants in events are required to be a part of a local ski organization affiliated with the NBS.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, over 80 clubs were members of the NBS, and the 1993 summit saw 6,000 participants. After that period, which REI describes as the organization's heyday, membership and participation in summits and events began to decline. By 2019, club membership had declined to 53 with that year's summit's participation estimated at about 1,000. However, from the period of about 2014 to 2019 membership levels continuously hovered at around 3,500 people.

In terms of demographics, the NBS determined in 2016 that about half of members were over the age of 50.

title: National Brotherhood of Skiers


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Alligator gar

The alligator gar (Atractosteus spatula) is a euryhaline ray-finned fish in the clade Ginglymodi of the infraclass Holostei, being most closely related to the bowfins. It is the largest species in the gar family (Lepisosteidae), and is among the largest freshwater fish in North America. The fossil record traces its group's existence back to the Early Cretaceous over 100 million years ago. Gars are often referred to as "primitive fishes" or "living fossils", because they have retained some morphological characteristics of their early ancestors, such as a spiral valve intestine, which is also common to the digestive system of sharks, and the ability to breathe in both air and water. Their common name was derived from their resemblance to the American alligator, particularly their broad snouts and long, sharp teeth. It is suggested that an alligator gar can grow up to 10 ft in length.

The body of an alligator gar is torpedo-shaped, usually brown or olive colored, fading to a lighter gray or yellow ventral surface. In very rare occurrences, they can also be black, seen in gars that have a high level of melanin. Their scales are not like the scales of other fishes; rather, they are ganoid scales, which are bone-like, rhomboidal-shaped scales, often with serrated edges, and covered by an enamel-like substance. Ganoid scales are nearly impenetrable, and are excellent protection against predation. Unlike other gar species, the upper jaw of an alligator gar has a dual row of large, sharp teeth that are used to impale and hold prey. Alligator gar are stalking, ambush predators, primarily piscivores, but they also ambush and eat waterfowl and small mammals they find floating on the water's surface.

Populations of alligator gar have been extirpated from much of their historic range as a result of habitat destruction, indiscriminate culling, and unrestricted harvests. Populations are now located primarily in the southern portions of the United States extending into Mexico. They are considered euryhaline because they can adapt to varying salinities, ranging from freshwater lakes and swamps to brackish marshes, estuaries, and bays along the Gulf of Mexico.

For nearly a half century, alligator gar were considered "trash fish", or a "nuisance species" detrimental to sport fisheries, and were targeted for elimination by state and federal authorities in the United States. The 1980s brought a better understanding of the ecological balance necessary to sustain an ecosystem, and an awareness that the alligator gar is an important element of the ecosystems they inhabit was eventually understood. Over time, alligator gar were afforded some protection by state and federal resource agencies. They are also protected under the Lacey Act, which makes transporting certain species of fish in interstate commerce illegal when in violation of state law or regulation. Several state and federal resource agencies are monitoring populations in the wild, and have initiated outreach programs to educate the public. Alligator gar are being cultured in ponds, pools, raceways, and tanks by federal hatcheries for mitigation stocking, by universities for research purposes, and in Mexico for consumption.

Anatomy

Alligator gar are the largest species in the gar family, and among the largest freshwater fishes found in North America. Mature alligator gar commonly measure 6 ft in length, and weigh over 100 lb (45 kg). However, anecdotal reports suggest they can grow up to 10 ft (3 m) in length, and weigh as much as 350 lb (159 kg). The largest alligator gar officially recorded was inadvertently caught in the net of fisherman Kenny Williams of Vicksburg, Mississippi, while he was fishing the oxbow lakes of the Mississippi River on February 14, 2011. Williams was pulling up his net on Lake Chotard, expecting to find buffalo fish, but instead discovered a large alligator gar tangled in his net. The gar was 8 ft long, weighed 327 lb, and its girth was 47 in. According to wildlife officials, the fish was estimated to be between 50 and 70 years old; one report estimated the gar's age to be at least 95. Williams donated it to the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science in Jackson, where it will remain on display.

All gars have torpedo-shaped bodies, but some distinguishing characteristics of adult alligator gar include their large size; heavy bodies; broad heads; short, broad snouts; large, sharp teeth; and a double row of teeth on their upper jaws. They are usually brown or olive colored, fading to a lighter gray or yellow ventral surface. The dorsal and anal fins are positioned toward the back of their bodies, and their caudal fins are abbreviate heterocercal, or nonsymmetrical.

Physiology
Alligator gar have gills, but unlike other species of fish, with few exceptions, they also have a highly vascularized swim bladder lung that supplements gill respiration. The bladder not only provides buoyancy, but also enables them to breathe in air. This capability allows alligator gar to inhabit stagnant and/or insufficiently aerated bodies of water that are poorly oxygenated or hypoxic, in which most other fishes would die of suffocation due to a lack of dissolved oxygen within the water. The swim bladder is connected to their fore gut by a small pneumatic duct, which allows them to breathe or gulp air when they break the water's surface, an action seen quite frequently on lakes in the Southern United States during the hot summer.

The scales of alligator gar are not like the scales of other fishes, which have flexible elasmoid scales; gar bodies are protected by inflexible and articulated ganoid scales that are rhomboidal-shaped, often with serrated edges, and composed of a tough inner layer of bone and hard outer layer of ganoin, which is essentially homologous to tooth enamel, making them nearly impenetrable.

Taxonomy and evolution
Lacépède first described the alligator gar in 1803. The original name was Lepisosteus spatula, but was later changed by E.O. Wiley in 1976 to Atractosteus spatula to recognize two distinct taxa of gars. Synonyms of Atractosteus spatula include: Lesisosteus [sic] ferox (Rafinesque 1820), and Lepisosteus spatula (Lacepede 1803). Fossils from the order Lepisosteiformes have been collected in Europe from the Cretaceous to Oligocene periods; in Africa and India from the Cretaceous; and in North America from the Cretaceous to recent times. The Lepisosteidae are the only extant family of gars with seven species, all located in North and Central America. The fossil record traces the existence of gars such as the Alligator gar back over 100 million years ago to the Early Cretaceous period. Despite being a highly evolved species, alligator gar are often referred to as "primitive fishes" or "living fossils", because they have retained a few morphological characteristics of their earliest ancestors, with seemingly few to no apparent changes, such as: a spiral valve intestine, which is also common to the digestive system of sharks; an abbreviate heterocercal tail; and a swim bladder lung for breathing in both air and water.

Feeding behavior
Alligator gar are relatively passive, seemingly sluggish solitary fish, but voracious ambush predators. They are opportunistic night predators and are primarily piscivores, but gar will also ambush and eat water fowl, turtles, and small mammals that may be floating on the surface. Their method of ambush is to float a few feet below the surface, and wait for unsuspecting prey to swim within reach. The gar will then lunge forward, and with a sweeping motion, grab their prey, impaling it on their double rows of sharp teeth.

Diet studies have shown alligator gar to be opportunistic piscivores, and even scavengers depending on the availability of their preferred food source. They occasionally ingest sport fish, but the majority of stomach content studies suggest they feed predominately on forage fishes, such as gizzard shad, as well as invertebrates and water fowl. However, brackish water populations of alligator gar are known to feed heavily on blue crabs, in addition to fish such as the hardhead catfish (Ariopsis felis). Diet studies have also revealed fishing tackle and boat-engine parts in their stomachs.

Spawning
As with most ancestral species, alligator gar are long-lived, and sexually late maturing. Most females do not reach sexual maturity until after their first decade of life, while males reach sexual maturity in half that time. The conditions must be precise for a successful spawning to occur. Preparation for spawning begins in the spring with the extended photoperiod and rising water temperatures, but flooding is also necessary to trigger the event. When rivers rise and spread over the floodplain, they create oxbow lakes and sloughs, and inundate terrestrial vegetation, which in turn provides protection and a nutrient-rich habitat for larval fish and fry. Once the water temperature has reached 68 to 82 F, and all the other criteria are met, gar move into the grassy, weed-laden shallows to spawn.

Actual spawning occurs when males gather around gravid females, and begin writhing, twisting, bumping into, and slithering over the tops of females, an activity which triggers the release of eggs. Males release clouds of milt to fertilize the eggs as they are released into the water column. The sticky eggs then attach to submerged vegetation, and development begins. Only a few days are needed for the eggs to hatch into larval fish, and another 10 days or so for the larval fish to detach from the vegetation, and start moving about as young fry. Egg production is variable, and believed to be dependent on the size of the female. A common formula used for predicting the number of eggs a female can produce is 4.1 eggs/gram of body weight, which gives an average of about 150,000 eggs per spawn. The eggs of alligator gar are bright red and poisonous to humans if ingested.

Natural range
Alligator gar inhabit a wide variety of aquatic habitats, but most are found in the Southern United States in reservoirs and lakes, in the backwaters of lowland rivers, and in the brackish waters of estuaries, bayous, and bays. Gars occur southward along the Gulf Coast of Texas, into Tamaulipas and northern Veracruz, Mexico; however, records from Nicaragua and Costa Rica are considered "suspect and refuted". They have occasionally been seen in the Gulf of Mexico. In Texas and Louisiana, large gars are commonly seen breaking the surface in reservoirs, bayous, and brackish marshes. They are found throughout the lower Mississippi River Valley and Gulf Coast states of the Southern United States and Mexico as far south as Veracruz, and encompassing the following states in the US: Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Florida, and Georgia. Reports suggest alligator gar were once numerous throughout much of their northern range, but valid sightings today are rare, and may occur once every few years. Records of historical distribution indicate alligator gar once inhabited regions as far north as central Kansas, Nebraska, Ohio, Iowa, and west-central Illinois, where they are now listed as extirpated. The most northerly verified catch was in Meredosia, Illinois, in 1922. In 2016, there were efforts to reintroduce alligator gar between Tennessee and Illinois, as part of an effort to control invasive Asian carp.

Outside natural range
Alligator gar is an invasive species in Mainland China, where it can be purchased as an exotic pet fish. Due to its large size and armored scales, it has few natural predators even within its natural range, and its poisonous eggs may pose a passive threat to other fish. The fish has been sighted in eight provinces, and authorities have worked to remove it.

In November 2008, a broadhead gar, genus Atractosteus, measuring 5.2 to 6.4 ft was caught in the Caspian Sea north of Esenguly, Turkmenistan, by two officials of Turkmenistan Fishery Protection.

On September 4, 2009, a 3 ft alligator gar was found in Tak Wah Park in Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong. Over the next two days, at least 16 other alligator gar, the largest measuring 4.9 ft, were found in ponds within public parks in Hong Kong. Nearby residents reported the alligator gar had been released into the ponds by aquarium hobbyists, and had lived there for several years. However, after a complaint made by a citizen who falsely identified alligator gar as crocodiles, the use of terms like "horrible man-eating fish" had begun appearing in the headlines of some major local newspapers. Officials with Leisure and Cultural Services in Tak Wah Park removed all the alligator gar from the ponds because they were concerned the large, carnivorous fish might harm children. Not unusually, the large, sharp teeth and outward appearance of alligator gar can precipitate unreasonable fear in those unfamiliar with the species. Sensationalized reports have contributed to the misconception of predatory attacks by alligator gar on humans, though none of the reports have been confirmed.

On January 21, 2011, an alligator gar measuring 4 ft was caught in a canal in Pasir Ris, Singapore, by two recreational fishermen. The fish was taken to a nearby pond, where the owner confirmed it was an alligator gar rather than an arapaima, as the men had initially thought.

Anecdotal reports have been made of alligator gar captured in various parts of India, but are believed to be the result of incidental releases by aquarium hobbyists and the like. In August 2015, an alligator gar was found entangled in cloth inside a well in Dadar, where it had been living for quite some time. It was rescued by animal activists and returned to the well unharmed. In June 2016, a 3.5-ft alligator gar was caught from Subhash Sarovar Lake in Kolkata. Other incidents over the years have been random, ranging from captures in coastal waters during environmental assessments to captures in private ponds.

On June 27, 2020, an alligator gar measuring 112 cm (3 ft 8in) was reported dead on the shore of Gonyeli Baraji reservoir, North Cyprus. Specialists from Cyprus Wildlife Research Institute collected the fish, and explained its species to be alligator gar (Atractosteus spatula). It is suspected that the fish had been released recently, and could not cope with the environment and died; however, it could be that the fish was resident there for years. A necropsy will be applied to find out more.

Similarly, on May 12, 2023, an alligator gar measuring less than 2 feet was caught during a deweeding process in Dal Lake of Kashmir near the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC), sparking concerns about potential effects on the ecosystem.

Early history
Native Americans in the South and Caribbean peoples used the alligator gar's ganoid scales for arrow heads, breastplates, and as shielding to cover plows. Early settlers tanned the skins to make a strong, durable leather to cover their wooden plows, make purses, and craft various other items. Gar oil was also used by the people of Arkansas as a repellent for buffalo gnats.

For nearly half a century, alligator gar were considered "trash fish", or "nuisance species" by state and federal authorities who targeted them for elimination to protect gamefish populations, and to prevent alleged attacks on humans, a claim that remains unsubstantiated with the exception of occasional injuries sustained from captured alligator gar thrashing around on the decks of boats. Fishermen participated in the slaughter of thousands of alligator gar believing they were providing a great service. In 1992, PBS affiliate KUHT channel 8 became the presenting station for a public-outreach program that documented the life history cycle of alligator gar titled The Alligator Gar: Predator or Prey?. It was the first documentary ever produced and televised nationally about alligator gar at a time when it was still being referred to as a trash fish. The half-hour program ran for three years as part of an educational series titled "Exotic and Unusual Fishes", produced by Earthwave Society. It first aired in primetime during the 1992 July sweeps, and drew a 2.8 rating/4 share, making it the number-one rated program of the evening for several PBS affiliates. A decade passed before any significant action was taken to protect and preserve the remaining populations of alligator gar in the United States. Among the first to enact restoration and management practices was the Missouri Department of Conservation in partnership with Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky, Illinois, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana.

Sport fish

The long-time public perception of alligator gar as trash fish or a nuisance species has changed, with increasing national and international attention on the species as a sport fish, which some have attributed to features on popular television shows. Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana allow regulated sport fishing of alligator gar. Texas has one of the best remaining fisheries for alligator gar, and in concert with its efforts to maintain a viable fishery, imposed a one-per-day bag limit on them in 2009. The Texas state record, and world record for the largest alligator gar caught on rod and reel, is 279 lb, taken by Bill Valverde on January 1, 1951, on the Rio Grande in Texas. Alligator gar are also quite popular among bowfishers because of their large size, trophy potential, and fighting ability. The Texas state bowfishing record was set in 2001 by Marty McClellan with a 290 lb alligator gar from the Trinity River. The all-tackle record was a 302 lb alligator gar caught on a trotline in 1953 by T.C. Pierce Jr. In 1991, fishing guide Kirk Kirkland anecdotally reported catching an alligator gar measuring 9 ft on rod and line from the Trinity River.

Commercialization and aquaculture

Declining populations of alligator gar throughout their historic range have resulted in the need to monitor wild populations and regulate commercial harvests. Alligator gar have a high yield of white-meat fillets and a small percentage of waste relative to body weight. Fried gar balls, grilled filets, and fillets boiled in water with crab boil are popular dishes in the southern United States. There is also a small cottage industry that designs and sells jewelry made from the ganoid scales of alligator gar; some tan the hides to produce leather for making lamp shades, purses and a host of other novelty items. Historically, the price of wild gar meat sold commercially to wholesale distributors has fluctuated between $1.00/lb up to $2.50/lb. Retail prices in supermarkets and specialty stores have ranged from $3.00 to $3.50/lb.

Atractosteus gars, including alligator gar, tropical gars, and Cuban gars, are considered good candidates for aquaculture, particularly in developing regions, where their rapid growth, disease resistance, easy adaptation to artificial feeds as juveniles, and ability to tolerate low water quality are essential. Their ability to breathe in both air and water eliminates the need for costly aeration systems and other technology commonly used in aquaculture. Despite being considered "trash" or "rough" fish in most of North America, in regions of Central America and the southern United States they have become a popular food fish. Maintaining wild populations of gars has grown in importance to maintaining sustainable aquaculture for "local food production, the aquarium trade, and conservation of biodiversity".

Aquaria
Despite the large size alligator gar can attain, they are kept as aquarium fish, though many fish labeled as "alligator gar" in the aquarium trade are actually smaller species. Alligator gar require a very large aquarium or pond, and ample resources for them to thrive in captivity. They are also a popular fish for public aquaria and zoos. In many areas, keeping alligator gar as pets is illegal, but they occasionally show up in fish stores. Alligator gar are highly prized and sought after for private aquaria, particularly in Japan. According to some reports, large alligator gar could fetch as much as US$40,000 in what some consider the "Japanese black market". In June 2011, three men from Florida and Louisiana were indicted on charges of illegally removing wild alligator gar from the Trinity River in Texas, and attempting to ship them to Japan for private collectors. The indictments resulted from an undercover sting operation by special agents with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The charges included violations of three separate provisions of the Lacey Act, specifically conspiracy to submit a false label for fish transported in interstate commerce, conspiracy to transport fish in interstate commerce in violation of state law or regulation, and conspiracy to transport and sell fish in interstate commerce in violation of state law or regulation. Two of the conspirators entered guilty pleas to one count, and the government dropped the other two charges against them. A third conspirator went to trial on all three counts, was acquitted on one count, and found guilty on two. The district court sentenced him to serve 9 months in prison followed by one year of supervised release. The case was appealed, and on April 15, 2014, the appellate court affirmed the judgment of the district court.

title: Alligator gar


text: User talk:70.240.192.151

title: User talk:70.240.192.151