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G.I. Joe: Sigma 6

G.I. Joe: Sigma 6 is a line of military-themed action figures and toys produced by Hasbro, re-imagining the characters of the 1980s toyline, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero.

The Sigma 6 toy line served several purposes for Hasbro. First, it allowed them to depart from the classic 3 ¾-inch format of the A Real American Hero series of the 1980s; most Sigma 6 action figures stand at approximately 8 in and have more articulation. Second, the new series offered them the chance to streamline the story and characters, stripping away old continuity and "rebooting" the franchise with younger versions of the cast, rendered in the anime style.

The line proved to be polarizing with G.I. Joe fans and ultimately unsuccessful at retail. Sigma 6 was cancelled after two years leaving many showcased sets and characters unproduced. In 2007 Hasbro went back to the classic 3¾”- 4” scale for the 25th anniversary line and beyond.

History
In 2005, G.I. Joe returned to television with "Sigma 6", the code name for a new group of G.I. Joe heroes with highly specialized capabilities, which they use to protect the world from the Cobra Commander and his evil forces. Sigma 6 featured many of the most popular and well-known G.I. Joe characters, such as Duke, Snake Eyes, Heavy Duty, Scarlett and Tunnel Rat, as well as a new hero, Long Range. The action figures made the jump to a larger scale (approximately 8 inch), replacing both 3 ¾ inch action figures and 12 in action figures in retail stores.

The premise is that it is now the 21st century, and G.I. Joe is still fighting to prevent Cobra taking over the world. An ambush in the Arctic, and the subsequent escape of Cobra Commander from prison, lead the Joes to believe something bigger is going on. After a major attack by Cobra on the G.I. Joe Team's headquarters, the Joes are forced to retaliate. This time, they are equipped with Sigma suits. Designed by Hi-Tech, these special body suits protect the Joes from Cobra's laser blasts and, in addition, enhance their abilities. The Joes are now code named Sigma 6.

Commando scale
In 2005, Hasbro released a line of related toys. Although similar in concept to the earlier G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, the Sigma 6 action figures were 8" in height rather than the smaller 3¾" scale figures of the A Real American Hero line.

The first wave consisted of Duke, Heavy Duty, Kamakura, Snake Eyes, Spirit Iron-Knife, and Tunnel Rat. A "Sea Ops" version of Duke was also released in 2005. Cobra figures included a Ninja B.A.T. and a Storm Shadow figure. A "Ninja Showdown" battle pack contained alternate versions of Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow.

In 2006, new figures for G.I. Joe were Firefly, Hi-Tech, Long Range and Lt. Stone. Cobra figures included versions of Cobra Commander, Destro, a Sky B.A.T., and Zartan. All of the 2005 figures were re-released with new molds and accessories, including four different versions of Snake Eyes, and two different versions of Storm Shadow. In addition, a "Battlefield General" version of Cobra Commander, and a "Desert Gear" version of Long Range were released in 2006.

2007 saw the largest release of Sigma 6 figures, before the line was discontinued. For G.I. Joe, new figures of Flint, Grand Slam, Gung-Ho, Leatherneck, Recondo, Shipwreck, Shockwave, Lt. Torpedo, and Wet Suit were produced. New characters for the G.I. Joe Team included "Desert Wolf" (Ranger), "Inferno" (Firefighting Specialist), "Lockdown" (S.W.A.T.), and "Sgt. Boulder" (Mountain Scout).

In addition, new versions of Duke, Hi-Tech, Kamakura, Long Range and Snake Eyes were released in 2007, along with a Toys "R" Us exclusive "Land Sea Air" box set, which included Sigma 6 versions of Backblast, Barrel Roll and Deep Six. Cobra figures in 2007, included new versions of Cobra Commander, Destro, Storm Shadow and Zartan, as well as figures of Firefly, Iron Grenadiers, Cobra Red Ninja, Dark Ninja Master, and Red Banshee.

File card
The new figures also saw a significant change of the file cards. The names, the security number, and the birthplace information have been removed. The new format consisted of:
 * a picture of the character
 * code name
 * function
 * status
 * personal history, and
 * equipment portfolio, which is a description of the weapons the character carries.

Mission scale
To complement the 8 in line of G.I. Joe: Sigma 6 action figures and vehicles, Hasbro introduced a line of 2 ½ inch scale Mission Sets action figures. Each set of action figures is packaged as a "mission in a box", and includes a Mission Manual.

R.O.C.C.
The Rolling Operations Command Center first appeared as an online exclusive from Hasbro in 2005, and came packaged with the Long Range action figure. Although it is technically part of the G.I. Joe: Sigma 6 animated series, the toy's packaging is heavily reminiscent of the A Real American Hero toyline.

Unlike previous command center-type vehicles (the Mobile Command Center and the General, being the other two), the R.O.C.C. is smaller but is far more mobile and maneuverable and, while not as heavily armed, packs more features. The ROCC resembles more of an extra-large freighter truck with trailer in tow. According to the ROCC's profile, it features cutting edge holographic technology, which can disguise the ROCC as a trailer truck or even a large camper, thus allowing for surprise attacks. The ROCC has a hidden launcher for eight missiles on the cab. The cab section can separate from the trailer for reconnaissance or assault purposes. The cab can fit six Joe figures in seated positions, with a seventh standing on a platform near the missile launcher. The trailer features a radar antenna and a gunner's station that can be moved to the front or back. The trailer opens to form a command center. The top lifts to reveal an elevator and mini-jet as well as an "escape tube". In the center is a command station with four chairs (only one can rotate) and computer consoles. The repair bay features two ramps and a movable claw.

Featured heavily in the G.I. Joe: Sigma 6 cartoon, the ROCC served as the Joe team's base during most of the show's first season. The size of the animated ROCC seemed to fluctuate throughout the season. It was able to drive down a one lane road and fit through openings fit for a truck. However, the animated ROCC was capable of housing the entire Sigma Six team, gear and vehicles such as Snake Eyes' Ninja Bike and the R.H.I.N.O. (Rapid Heli-Integrated Neutralizing Offense), which itself is a large vehicle.

Dragonhawk
The Dragonhawk is a fictional attack copter vehicle used by the G.I. Joe forces in the series G.I. Joe: Sigma 6. This vehicle arrived just in time to provide Scarlett, Duke and Snake Eyes when they were having some difficulty with Cobra troops (Zartan and the Dreadnoks). It was revealed to belong to British Joe operative Lt. Stone, a friend of Duke's. Along with the copter, he provided the team with the Sea Titan ship to be a self-sustained base for operations.

The Dragonhawk has twin turbines which provide VTOL (Vertical Take Off and Landing), forward thrust, and in a quick pinch, reverse thrust. In addition to combat support, it also functions as a drop ship, which provides transportation for some of the smaller vehicles in the Sigma 6 fictional world, like the V.A.M.P., the Night Ranger Quad, the Ninja Hovercycle, the Barracuda Jet Boat, and the Dune Runner. It also has a troop transport for the team.

The Dragonhawk's offensive capabilities include three missile launchers above each landing skid, twin 60 mm cannons, and a Gatling gun located just below and in front of the cockpit. Defensive capabilities include rotating each turbine to face opposite directions to activate an energy shield that repels both lasers and missiles..

Animated series
The toyline was accompanied by an American-Japanese animated series by the same name. The show's 26 episodes were produced by the American company 4Kids Productions and animated by the Japanese studio Gonzo, which aired on Fox, G4, and YTV, and a 6-issue comic series published by Devil's Due Productions.

The series is also available for streaming online on Tubi and YouTube (via the G.I. Joe channel)

Reception
The series did not particularly succeed in this regard: the series did not finish airing its twenty-six episodes in the United States (although it did complete its run on YTV in Canada as late as June 2007), and the next re-invention of the G.I. Joe property returned to the 3 ¾-inch size, concentrating solely on a 25th anniversary revisitation of the Real American Hero line that was targeted almost entirely at adult collectors.

Overview
Essentially, G.I. Joe: Sigma 6 is a continuation of the two direct-to-video G.I. Joe CGI movies, G.I. Joe: Spy Troops and G.I. Joe: Valor vs. Venom, both films produced by Reel FX Studios. Several references are made to events from Valor vs. Venom, such as Cobra Commander being captured and in prison, Overkill recovering from his injuries, and General Hawk suffering a change in his DNA. Snake Eyes continues to have Kamakura and Jinx as his apprentices. Despite these connections, there are changes that bring to question how much of a continuation Sigma 6 is from A Real American Hero.

Just as he was in the first season of the Sunbow G.I. Joe series, Duke is clearly designated as the G.I. Joe commander. He is also recast as a much younger man, someone who appears to have just come to his 30s than a man going to his 40s. Scarlett, who has always been a major character, had her position in the team upgraded to second in command after Duke. Like Duke, she has been aged younger for the series though their youth may be attributed to the fact that the artwork is done in an anime style. She is however still the team's counterintelligence specialist. Tunnel Rat's appearance and personality varied greatly from his appearance in A Real American Hero series. Here, he is a bug-eating, unorthodox infiltration and demolitions expert. Heavy Duty seems to have retained his personality from Spy Troops and Valor vs. Venom, serving as the team's weapons expert. Added to the team is a tracker, Spirit Iron-Knife, and his falcon Billy, who retains his strong and shamanist personality, as well as the team sniper and transportation specialist Long Range. Hi-Tech serves as the team's technician and mechanic. Jinx, Kamakura and Snake Eyes function as the team's ninja unit. Snake Eyes has remained the silent deadly ninja commando with Jinx and Kamakura as his students. Hawk was last seen in a healthy state at the end of Valor vs. Venom but his appearance in Sigma 6 indicates otherwise. He is seen in a hospital where Duke visited him.

At the start of Season 2, Lt. Stone (an apparent old friend of Duke's) arrives and joins the team under orders of Hawk and provides them with a new seafaring base, the Sea Titan, as well as his personal attack copter, the Dragonhawk, which will also be used as a drop ship for the team's vehicles that can be carried by the Dragonhawk, like the Ninja Hovercycle, the Night Ranger Quad and the V.A.M.P. Along with Stone is the soldier Firefly (who betrays the team and captures all but Duke and Hi-Tech in season 2 episode 7 "Revelations").

The changes are not limited to the Joe Team. Cobra Commander had his appearance greatly overhauled and, likewise, his personality. No longer comical, he is now a more deadly adversary, closer to his standard portrayal in the comics, however he has retained his cartoon counterpart's love of grandiose schemes. Destro is now more clearly aligned with Cobra and together with the Commander and the Baroness, they truly form the Cobra Triumvirate. Meanwhile, Overkill is upgraded from a lowly lab assistant to a scheming cybernetic chief scientist who is stuck inside a giant glass tube. Zartan remains Cobra's master of disguise, however his shape shifting and stealth abilities are due to his suit rather than skill and genetic enhancements as in A Real American Hero. The Dreadnoks are now Torch, Buzzer and a new character called Machete (who is loosely based on Ripper). Storm Shadow serves as Cobra's ninja, however seems more inclined to work with Cobra B.A.T.s, leading the Ninja B.A.T.s into battle. This differs from his original portrayal in A Real American Hero as he has always had more faith in a well trained human as opposed to machines. Though the series is supposed to continue from Valor vs. Venom, in episode 2 "Escape", Cobra Commander says to Overkill that all his troops should be welcoming him, implying that Overkill was the only absent Cobra member. That claim ignores the presence of characters such as Doctor Mindbender or Slice in Valor vs. Venom.

Episode formula
Sigma 6 also has a recurring man vs. machine theme. Cobra's forces are often seen to be primarily composed of the Battle Android Troopers or B.A.T.s, while the members of the Cobra Triumvirate all possess some form of cybernetic enhancement or enhanced armored suits, with normal troopers wearing full armored uniforms. On the other hand, G.I. Joe also uses technology such as mobile battle suits utilized by the ninjas.

Season 1

 * 1) Cobra Strike (1) - Cobra hits the G.I. Joe team on two fronts: the North Pole and in the Amazon. The Joes fight off hordes of new-style B.A.T.s and deploy some new hardware of their own.
 * 2) Escape (2) - After hacking into the Sigma 6 computer and infecting it with a virus, Destro sends Zartan and the Dreadnoks on a rescue mission to free their leader Cobra Commander. Meanwhile, Duke visits General Hawk in the hospital, and Hawk's son Scott Abernathy draws some unwanted attention from Overkill after hacking into Cobra's computer in an attempt to perfect an A.I. system he's been working on.
 * 3) Capture (3) - With Cobra Commander back in charge of Cobra Command, he launches a full-scale assault on G.I. Joe Headquarters. Meanwhile, Scott Abernathy and Spud are pursued by Overkill's B.A.T. creation Overlord Vector.
 * 4) Reveal (4) - While fighting Storm Shadow, Snake Eyes tries to save Scott Abernathy and Spud. Following the destruction of G.I. Joe Headquarters, the other Joes try to stop Cobra's new plan called Cobra Coast.
 * 5) Sigma (5) - Duke, Scott Abernathy, and the other Joes race the clock as they have 30 minutes to disarm and destroy a plasma cannon before Cobra Command scores victory.
 * 6) Race - Baroness races against the Joes to secure a stone of power.
 * 7) Jungle - It seems that there are mysterious natural stones that have amazing technological powers that both Cobra and GI Joe are on the hunt for. When Zartan finds a Power Stone, it's up to Snake Eyes and Spirit to defeat Zartan and claim the Power Stone.
 * 8) Vacation - The Joes take a vacation in Las Vegas where they end up stumbling onto a plot by Destro to use a casino as a front for developing a super-laser for Cobra Command.
 * 9) Polar - Duke and the Joes head to Antarctica to infiltrate a Cobra Fortress. As Duke climbs perilous ice mountains to break into the fortress, the rest of the Joe team are fighting their way through legions of Cobra B.A.T.s with the Sigma Six Ice Saber vehicles.
 * 10) Honor - When a Power Stone is discovered on Mount Arashikage, Snake Eyes competes with Storm Shadow to get to it. Meanwhile, Jinx and Kamakura fight the Dreadnoks.
 * 11) Space - When Scott Abernathy and his friends are visiting Cape Douglas rocket base, Cobra Command takes over the base and plans to launch a massive rocket into space to wreak havoc on the Earth.
 * 12) Zeus Pt. 1 - Utilizing the Power Stones, Cobra Command creates the Zeus, a giant robot of unstoppable power. To help power the Zeus, Storm Shadow kidnaps Spud.
 * 13) Zeus Pt. 2 - The Joes have to come together and use their combined technology to rescue Spud and destroy Zeus before it destroys the city.

Season 2

 * 1) Hidden (1) - Cobra Commander sends Zartan and the Dreadnoks to steal a plasma weapon from London. Sigma 6 are joined in the fight by their new allies Lt. Stone and Firefly.
 * 2) Invasion (2) - When a computer virus planted by a traitor in Sigma 6 shuts down Sigma 6's new base called the Sea Titan, Cobra Command takes the opportunity to attack in full force. The traitor also plants a chip in the Dragonhawk as part of Cobra Command's plot.
 * 3) Search - Following the attack on the Sea Titan, Sigma 6 plans to sneak into a Cobra base in order to find out what they are up to and to find the Dragonhawk. When Lt. Stone's position is compromised and Sigma 6's position is betrayed, a risky choice is made that involves launching a missile at the Cobra base even if it destroys everyone and everything in it.
 * 4) Showdown - Cobra Command plans a heist to steal a nanotechnology sample from the Central Museum and Sigma 6 moves in to stop it...but waiting for them is Destro, who uses this opportunity as a chance to test his new "Brain Ripper" mind control device! Hi-Tech is the only member of Sigma 6 left standing...can he and his latest gadgets stop Destro and his insidious Mantis Mech all on his own?
 * 5) Challenge - Tunnel Rat loses a bet and must train to become a ninja. He joins Kamakura, Snake Eyes, and Jinx on a trip to Central America, but Storm Shadow and Baroness are waiting...
 * 6) Trap - Snake Eyes falls into a trap in wintery Romania and Duke, Scarlett and Heavy Duty come in to rescue him. However, they end up trapped themselves by Destro and the heat is on. Will Snake Eyes and his new wolf friend be able to save them in time?
 * 7) Revelations (1) - The traitor in Sigma 6 is revealed as its members are being captured one-by-one. Duke must use the experimental plasma armor created by Hi-Tech to go to Cobra's base and rescue them.
 * 8) Duel (2) - After fighting through an army of B.A.T.s, Duke must fight through the high-ranking B.A.T.s before his fight with Cobra Commander. Meanwhile, Lt. Stone frees himself and Scarlett in order to free the other Sigma 6 members and duel Firefly.
 * 9) Awards - In this clip episode, Duke holds an award show at the Sea Titan to commemorate the various moments in Sigma 6 history.
 * 10) Balance - When Overkill gets hold of a top-secret biochip, he's able to integrate his synthetic biology with the power of the machine and build a powerful body to battle Sigma Six. Then he tries to steal the remaining chips and turn the world into an electronic extension of himself, and the unlikely pair of Hi-Tech and Spirit is sent to stop him.
 * 11) Giant (1) - Zartan and the Dreadnoks work on a power core where some of its liquids ends up enlarging some insects to giant size.
 * 12) Ice (2) - With the construction of two Terrordromes at the North Pole and the South Pole, Cobra Commander uses a weather-controlling machine in order to hold the world for ransom after Baroness and Storm Shadow freeze the world leaders. When it comes to the Terrordrome at the South Pole, Snake Eyes fights Firefly while Jinx, Kamakura, and Tunnel Rat destroy the weather-controlling machine there.
 * 13) Assault (3) - Following the destruction of the Terrordrome at the South Pole, the scattered members of Sigma 6 must make a rescue operation at the North Pole to free Snake Eyes and stop Cobra.

G.I. Joe

 * General Hawk (voiced by Tony Salerno ) - Leader and adviser to the G.I. Joe Team.
 * Duke (voiced by Andrew Paull in 2005,  Greg Abbey in 2006–2007   ) - Field Commander of the G.I. Joe Team.
 * Snake Eyes (voiced by Jason Griffith in early flashbacks ) - A silent ninja commando.
 * Jinx (voiced by Lisa Ortiz in 2005, Liza Jacqueline in 2006–2007 ) - Snake Eyes' female apprentice and ninja-in-training.
 * Kamakura (voiced by Michael Sinterniklaas in 2005, Marc Thompson in 2006–2007 ) - Snake Eyes' male apprentice and ninja-in-training.
 * Scarlett (voiced by Amy Birnbaum in 2005,  Veronica Taylor in 2006–2007   ) - Counter intelligence specialist, helicopter pilot and Second in Command to Duke.
 * Tunnel Rat (voiced by Michael Sinterniklaas in 2005, Sebastian Arcelus in 2006–2007 ) - Infiltration and demolitions specialist, and ninja-in-training.
 * Long Range (voiced by Scottie Ray ) - Driver of the R.O.C.C. (the Joe team's Mobile Command), transportation specialist and the team sniper. In the Spanish dubbed versions of Sigma 6, he is called Zondo.
 * Heavy Duty (voiced by F.B. Owens ) - In charge of artillery.
 * Hi-Tech (voiced by Eric Stuart  ) - Electronics expert, hacker, Communications expert and inventor.
 * H.O.U.N.D. - Short for Hybrid Operations and Utility Networking Device, H.O.U.N.D. is Hi-Tech's support robot that is introduced in episode 17.
 * Spirit Iron-Knife (voiced by Darren Dunstan ) - Expert tracker and shaman.
 * Billy the Falcon - Spirit's pet falcon.
 * Lt. Stone (voiced by Dan Green ) - Pilot of the Dragonhawk Heavy Armored Drop Ship, covert-ops specialist, and the former commander of Firefly. His eyepatch actually conceals a special eyepiece that can scan and duplicate the clothing of anyone.

Cobra

 * Cobra Commander (voiced by Marc Thompson ) - Cobra leader.
 * Destro (voiced by Marc Thompson ) - Cobra's weapon maker and inventor.
 * Baroness (voiced by Bella Hudson in 2005,  Kayzie Rogers in 2006–2007   ) - Intelligence officer.
 * Storm Shadow (voiced by Tom Wayland in 2005, Ted Lewis in 2006–2007 ) - A ninja who was captured and brainwashed by Cobra where he acts as Cobra Commander's bodyguard. He refers to Snake Eyes as his "brother".
 * Overkill (voiced by Madeleine Blaustein ) - A robotic scientist planning to rule Cobra himself with an army of B.A.T.s. He was first seen recuperating in a rejuvenation tank. Near the end of Season Two, Overkill was finally able to create himself a body and is removed from his healing tank.
 * Firefly (voiced by Sean Schemmel ) - Sabotage, demolitions and electronic warfare expert, and spy. He was a former soldier that worked under Lt. Stone.
 * Dreadnoks - A biker gang that is associated with Cobra.
 * Zartan (voiced by Marc Thompson ) - Master of disguise and leader of the Dreadnoks. His costume contains holographic generators that help him assume the form of anyone.
 * Buzzer (voiced by Wayne Grayson ) - Chainsaw-wielding member of the Dreadnoks.
 * Torch (voiced by David Brimmer / Ted Lewis ) - Flamethrower-wielding Dreadnok.
 * Machete (voiced by David Brimmer in 2005, Eric Stuart in 2006–2007 ) - A shotgun w/bayonet-toting member of the Dreadnok that is exclusive to the TV series. He is loosely based on Ripper.
 * Cobra Troopers (Various Voices) - Basic Cobra infantry troopers who serve as communications experts, computer specialists, security, and soldiers. Dressed in white armor and a black jumpsuit. They are generally depicted as unintelligent and slightly cowardly.
 * B.A.T. - Standard Cobra Battle Android Trooper which is a basic exoskeleton with two laser cannons in each hand. They come in different models.
 * Ninja B.A.T. - A ninja-type B.A.T.
 * Aero-B.A.T. - These B.A.T.s had wings.
 * Cobra Mantis - A B.A.T. unit driven by Destro in episode 17.
 * Overlord Vector - A B.A.T. with a snake torso.
 * Overlord Virus - A ninja-type B.A.T. that was sent to Japan as backup for Storm Shadow, the Dreadnoks, and the Ninja B.A.T.s. Under the influence of power stone, it is almost invincible where it can repair itself.
 * Overlord Vortex - A B.A.T. with a single red eye, two laser-firing arm cannons, and tank-like wheels for feet. Its metal hide is very hard to penetrate.
 * Zeus - A Mega-B.A.T. created by Destro to destroy Megalo City. Zeus's AI is run by the captured Spud.

Others

 * Scott Abernathy (voiced by Matthew Labyorteaux in 2005, Pete Capella in 2006-2007) - General Hawk's son and honorary member of Sigma 6.
 * Spud (voiced by Anthony Salerno ) - Scott's robot dog who was created in Hackfield Science Academy using Overkill's venom. Unlike Overkill's creations, it can quickly adapt in combat.

Comics
G.I. Joe: Sigma 6 was a six-issue mini-series written for a younger audience, based on the toyline and animated TV series of the same name. While the series was out of continuity with the main comic universe, the characters are largely the same: Hawk is the commanding officer, Duke is the field leader, and there is a connection between the ninjas Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow.

title: G.I. Joe: Sigma 6


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Stephen Tong

Stephen Tong (, born in 22 March 1940) is a Chinese Indonesian Reformed pastor, evangelist, teacher, and musician. He heads the Reformed Evangelical Church of Indonesia, which houses the megachurch Messiah Cathedral, and is the largest Christian Church building in Southeast Asia. He has preached in countries around the world, and guest lectured at theological seminaries and schools.

Early life
Tong was born in 1940 in Xiamen, China, from Tong Pai Hu, a businessman whose family was highly regarded by the Qing government, and Tan Tjien Nio (Indonesian: Dorcas Tanjowati). He is the sixth of nine children, only one of whom was a girl. his father died when Stephen was 3; his family wealth had eroded during the years of Japanese imperialism. At that time, Tong's mother fostered their brothers and sister alone.

In 1949, he and his mother and siblings migrated to Surabaya, Indonesia, to find a better place of living during the Chinese Communist Revolution. He completed primary education at Min Guang Primary School and he graduated from Chung Hwa High School (中華高中學) in 1958. Though he had not graduated yet, he had been teaching as either assistant or formal teacher from 1957 till 1960 at Zhong Guo Nui Xue School and Yi Xing Night School.

When Tong was 15 years old, he had strong beliefs in communism, which he called "Karl Marx's dialectical materialism". He ascribed to Charles Darwin's theory of evolution, and had a deep hatred towards Christianity, which he regarded as "the foolish religion which came from the devilish West and has illogical teachings". However, he respected that his mother had a devoted spiritual life: "When I was small, the first words I'd hear in the morning were those of my mother while she prayed. She prayed for each of us children by name, and asked God to guide us.".

In 1957, his mother asked him to attend a Christian Youth Conference that was conducted by the Southeast Asia Bible Seminary (SEABS) (Madrasah Alkitab Asia Tenggara, now Seminari Alkitab Asia Tenggara, SAAT) in Malang in 1957. On 9 January, the last day of the conference, when Andrew Gih gave a revival sermon, Tong became a Christian. He began to share the Gospel, and taught children in Christian schools. In 1960, he enrolled in SEABS, and later graduated with a Bachelor of Theology in 1964. He then joined SEABS's faculty, and taught theology and philosophy classes from 1964 to 1988.

Ministry
While he was a teacher at South East Asia Bible Seminary, Tong served as an evangelist at THKTKH (Min Nan: Tiong Hoa Kie Tok Kauw Hwee [中华基督教会]); (Gereja Kristus Tionghua, now GKT (Gereja Kristus Tuhan)), transliterated "Church of Christ The Lord", and travelled weekly between Malang and Surabaya.

Around that time, he had tried leading some Gospel Rallies in various cities in Indonesia. Subsequently, starting in 1969, he received invitations to lead Gospel Rallies across Europe, America, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, and many more. It is intended mostly for Chinese and Indonesian speakers. In 1974, he began conducting seminars in Surabaya to provide truthful doctrinal understanding for churches in Indonesia.

In 1978, along with Jahja Ling, he established Stephen Tong Evangelistic Ministries International (STEMI). One of its goals is to equip people for full-time ministry. He preaches at cities across Southeast Asia.

In 1982, he received his ordination as pastor. He served at GKT (Gereja Kristus Tuhan, "Church of Christ The Lord"), then ministered in GKA (Gereja Kristen Abdiel, "Servant Christian Church"). He has conducted services in Mandarin and Indonesian, but some of his speaking engagements have been in Fujian and English.

Since then, he has guest lectured in Theology and delivered sermons in various prominent universities at the China Graduate School of Theology (Hong Kong), China Evangelical Seminary (Taiwan), Trinity Theological College (Singapore), Regent College (Canada), and universities in the United States, including: Westminster Theological Seminary, Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Yale, University of California Berkeley, University of Maryland, Columbia University, Cornell University, etc.

Since the GRII has found in 1989, his services have extended to many major cities in Indonesia, including Surabaya, Medan, Malang, Bandung, especially during the Christmas and Easter seasons. To maintain contact with the cities outside Jakarta, he established STEMI branch offices in each of the areas. He added offices in the United States and the European Union.

From 2000 until 2019, he travels weekly to around 5 countries (Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Taiwan) to serve for approximately 6000 audiences. In 2009, Ric Cannada, Chancellor of Reformed Theological Seminary, noted in his school's newsletter that Tong's weekly preaching schedule included "two Sunday services in Jakarta; every Sunday evening at two services in a church in Singapore; every Monday evening at a church in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; every Tuesday night at a church in Hong Kong; and every Wednesday night at a church in Taipei, Taiwan."

Reformed Evangelical Movement
Tong observed that many churches have been influenced by worldly philosophy, and ones that were loyal to the genuine teaching of the Bible were rare. In 1984, he started the Reformed Evangelical Movement with the purpose of restoring the understanding of theology based on God's revelation in Scripture and igniting people with zeal for evangelism. The movement is "aimed at meeting the challenge of the Charismatic movement as well as liberalism." He conducted theological seminars such as the Christian Faith Development Seminar (Seminar Pembinaan Iman Kristen, SPIK), to introduce Reformed theology to the people in Jakarta. His first seminar, "Faith and Religion", was attended by about 1,200 people. He would later adapt the seminars into books and multimedia, which he publishes in-house. The SPIK seminars have become the source material for the Indonesian Reformed Evangelical Institution (Lembaga Reformed Injili Indonesia, LRII), a seminary which Tong co-founded with pastors Caleb Tong and Yakub Susabda in 1986.

In 1986, Tong started the Evangelical Reformed Theological School Surabaya (Sekolah Teologi Reformed Injili, STRI) for laymen in Surabaya. In 1987, he started a similar theological school in Jakarta, and in 1990, he started one in Malang. The goal is to encourage Christian congregations from all denominations to study Reformed theology.

Reformed Evangelical Church of Indonesia
Stephen Tong founded the Reformed Evangelical Church of Indonesia in 1989 to establish a church based on Reformed theology and congregations that are committed to evangelism. He is currently the Head of The Consistory Board, and has handed over the Head of Synod position to his peer, Rev. Antonius Un. Although the church subscribes to the Reformed confessions, it also has its own specific confessions of faith. In 2004, GRII had congregations in five Indonesian cities and has expanded to branch churches around the world in Asia, Australia, Germany, and North America.

Tong personally designed the Messiah Cathedral (Katedral Mesias), whose proposal took 15 years to approve. Opening ceremonies took place on 18–20 September 2008, including a classical music concert and a dedication service. The building has 600000 sqft of space, and two auditoriums that seat up to 8,000 people. The building is also home to the Reformed Millennium Center of Indonesia (RMCI), which holds some of Tong's other projects and organizations.

Other institutions
Tong's (Lembaga Reformed Injili Indonesia, LRII) seminary has since been named Reformed Seminary Indonesia (Sekolah Tinggi Teologi Reformed Indonesia, STTRI). Yakub Susabda serves as its president and a teacher. The seminary offers an undergraduate degree in Theology, and master's degrees in Christian ministry, divinity, theology, and counseling.

In 1996, he founded the Reformed Institute for Christianity and the 21st Century in Washington DC. Its purpose is "to equip Christians for global evangelization in the 21st Century by training them in the areas of reformed theology, apologetics, evangelism, and the critical study of Eastern and Western cultures". It was renamed to the Reformed Institute of North America (RINA) in 2007, with locations throughout the United States and Canada.

In 1996, he also established the Reformed Institute Jakarta (Institut Reformed Jakarta). The school is headed by GRII pastor Benyamin Intan, and offers undergraduate degrees in Theology and Ecclesiastical Music, and master's degrees in Divinity, Evangelism, and Christian studies. Its Reformed Ecclesiastical Faculty of Music was established in 2002; its goal is "to return all the glory to God through music at its best." In 2008, the institute, now named International Reformed Evangelical Seminary (Sekolah Tinggi Teologi Reformed Injili Internasional, STTRII) moved to the Reformed Millennial Center (RMCI) in Jakarta. It has signed MoU with Westminster Theological Seminary (2011), Theologische Universiteit Kampen (2014), and Theologische Universiteit Apeldoorn (2017).

In 2000, Tong attended the inaugural meeting of the World Reformed Fellowship, whose purpose is to formalize the Reformed Confession of Faith in the 21st Century. In 2006, they created the statement of faith and appointed members for their Commission of Theology. Tong joined Reformed theologians Gerald Bray, A. T. B. McGowan, Peter Jones, and Samuel Logan as members.

In 2006, Tong and Intan co-founded the think tank group, Reformed Center for Religion and Society (Pusat Pengkajian Reformed bagi Agama dan Masyarakat, RCRS); its purpose is to promote the cultural mandate.

In 2008, Tong founded Sekolah Kristen Calvin (Calvin Christian School). Tong also founded Calvin Institute of Technology in 2018.

Theology and style
According to his profile on STEMI, he "emphasizes on the importance of the Bible as the sole word of God and actively encourages evangelism", and believes that churches should follow the cultural mandate. His preaching style is influenced by Calvinist preachers George Whitfield and Charles Spurgeon.

Music and Arts
Tong has composed music in Indonesian, Mandarin, and English. He occasionally conducts choirs and orchestras, and gives church talks about the appreciation of sacred music. He founded the Jakarta Oratorio Society in 1986, a choir that specializes in worship music.

During the development of the Messiah Cathedral, he contributed to the design of the Reformed Millennium Center of Indonesia (RMCI) and helped design some of other church buildings in Indonesia. In 2009, he opened the Aula Simfonia Jakarta concert hall in the RMCI; it holds 1,200 seats. He served as the music director for the Jakarta Simfonia Orchestra, along with artistic consultant Jahja Ling and Billy Kristanto. In 2011, he opened the Galeria Sophilia in the RMCI to display some of his and church members antiques for education.

Personal life
Tong married Sulfie Lalujawati. They live in Jakarta, Indonesia. They have one son and three daughters. Their son David Tong was an MRII evangelist in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, and has been serving at GRII Karawaci, Tangerang since 6 January 2019 until 1 January 2023. Currently David serves as the Rector of Calvin Institute of Technology. Their daughter Eunice works as the music director for Aula Simfonia Jakarta. Their youngest daughter Rebecca is a conductor and music director for Aula Simfonia Jakarta.

In addition to enjoying classical music from the Baroque period, Tong enjoys collecting watches and antiques.

Honors and awards
In 1985, Tong was awarded an honorary Doctor of Leadership in Christian Evangelism (DLCE) degree from the La Madrid International Academy of Leadership in Manila, Philippines

In 1992, pastor Philip Teng called him the "Billy Graham of the East" for his large-scale ministries in Southeast Asia.

In 2007, STEMI published the book God's Fiery Challenge for Our Time: Festschrift in Honor of Stephen Tong, the Founder and the Master Planner of Reformed Evangelical Movement: 50 Year Preaching the Word of God to regard him as "the True Evangelist of this Age" (ISBN 978-9791620314).

In May 2008, he received an honorary Doctor of Divinity (DD) degree from the Westminster Theological Seminary in Glenside, Pennsylvania.

In 2011, Westminster Theological Seminary created an endowment for the Stephen Tong Chair of Reformed Theology. The professorship was given to Jeffry K. Jue, an associate professor in church history.

Discography
Tong has written songs for his worship services and STEMI gospel rallies. The songs are listed with the year and location when they were first performed:

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

title: Stephen Tong


text: Category:Sports venues in London

title: Category:Sports venues in London


text:
Night of the Big Heat

Night of the Big Heat is a science fiction novel written in 1959 by John Lymington. It tells the story of an unnamed British island that is experiencing a bizarre and stifling heatwave.

Plot summary
The main characters are a former novelist named Richard Callum and his wife Frankie, who own a pub called the White Lion. Richard has hired a secretary to help out on his new book, Patricia Wells, who turns out to have an obsession for Callum. A visiting scientist named Harsen reveals, ultimately, that the reason for the extreme heat is that an alien race of spiders are "beaming in" scouts from their home planet via a radio wave ray, which generates intense amounts of heat as a side effect.

The spiders themselves are carnivorous and eat humans, and give off bodily heat intense enough to burn alive any person who gets too close to them. Together with Harsen, Patricia, and science fiction author Vernon Stone, the Callums try to make it to the island's radio station to call for help so that they can thwart the invasion.

Screen adaptations
A television adaptation was broadcast by ITV in the Play of the Week series on 14 June 1960, scripted by Giles Cooper, and directed by Cyril Coke. It starred Lee Montague as Richard Callum, Sally Bazely as Frankie Callum, Melissa Stribling as Patricia Wells, Karel Štěpánek as Doctor Harsen, and Bernard Archard as Sir James Murray. Bernard Cribbins also featured in a small role. Made by Associated Rediffusion, it no longer exists.

The novel was later adapted into a 1967 film, Night of the Big Heat (also known as Island of the Burning Damned) by Planet Film Productions, starring Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Patrick Allen, Sarah Lawson, Jane Merrow, and Kenneth Cope. It was directed by Terence Fisher.

title: Night of the Big Heat


text:
User talk:Husnock/Archive 3

Third Archive of User talk:Husnock

Xiong
Have you already told Xiong how you felt. You could inform him of the recent promotion of Dalek and the peer review on TARDIS. Mgm|(talk) 22:05, May 30, 2005 (UTC)
 * I have indeed left a message for him. Not a very nice person.  Thank you for your kind visit here expressing support. -Husnock 22:08, 30 May 2005 (UTC)

Is this legal?
I found a post on the Starfleet FAC page: Support on the condition that it does not appear on the Main Page —thames 19:53, 1 Jun 2005 (UTC). Every article that was featured was placed on the front page, so why would someone want to put this on the page? Zscout370 (Sound Off) 17:17, 2 Jun 2005 (UTC)
 * That is legal but its really just a comment. They are supporting it but "hoping" it doesn't show up on the main page.  The top admins deceide what goes up there, when, and why.  There are a few that have been marked for no front page visability due to sensativity of the article and the liklihood to draw vandals and negative attacks against Wikipedia.  -Husnock 17:35, 2 Jun 2005 (UTC)
 * I thought one of the main requirements of an FA is to not be about a controversial topic. Plus, every article that is featured on the front page has been blanked and attacked by vandals. Look at the Order of Bath. There is nothing much you can do with the article, but it got blanked a bunch for being featured. The same with my article, Hero of Belarus. Once it is featured, there will be vandals. I hope my laptop works when it is featured, so I can revert the vandals and also see my page in all of its glory. Thanks for helping it become a FA, thats one more title/medal/order topic that is featured. Also, I should be done with the officer template soon, just need to finish a few more ranks. And, if you still want to look at Ribbon bar, be my guest. Zscout370 (Sound Off) 17:46, 2 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Image:AFGCamRib.jpg listed for deletion
An image or media file that you uploaded or altered, Image:AFGCamRib.jpg, has been listed at. Please look there to see why this is (you may have to search for the title of the image to find its entry), if you are interested in its not being deleted. Thank you. —MetsBot 19:39, 9 December 2006 (UTC) I am doing this, since there is already a ribbon like this we all can use: Image:AFGCamRib.png. Zscout370 (Sound Off) 19:51, 3 Jun 2005 (UTC)

User comments
Please leave comments to a user on the user's talk page, not on the user's page, and sign them as well. Thanks! Kelly Martin 23:42, Jun 3, 2005 (UTC)
 * Guy was a vandal and I just hit the wrong button. Hey you're not realted to Kellie Martin are you?  I have such a crush on her. -Husnock 23:44, 3 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Starfleet ranks and insignia
Do I need to fix any more images for the article or is that all for now? Zscout370 (Sound Off) 00:34, 4 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Power House
from Talk:Nickelodeon_%28TV_channel%29

Guys (and girls), I'm writing about a vauge memory I have of a show that wa son Nickelodeon which I believe was called "Power House". It was about a group of teenagers that live din some kind of community center and would solve crimes and/or mysteries. I believe it starred Georg Stanford Brown. Trouble is, I can find no reference of this show anywhere. its not even listed on the Internet Movie Database. Does anyone remember this program? I beleive it was on in the mid 1980s. The teenage girls in it were pretty hot, which ios probably why I remember it so well! ;-) Any info on this show? Thanks -Husnock 06:16, 10 May 2005 (UTC)
 * I know this answer is a little late but anyway, I have no idea what the show you're talking about is but if you post your question on the IMDb board "I Need To Know" you might have more luck. People are usually pretty helpful on these matters there. -- Lochaber 08:52, 9 Jun 2005 (UTC)
 * Powerhouse, PBS IMHO, TV.com is much better than IMDB when it comes to searching for TV shows.  --Gadget850 13:38, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

Image source template
You recently blanked the Image source template. This meant that all over wikipedia requests for images to be sourced suddenly went blank. Please take care not to blank templates as it can affect many pages. I'm guessing that you wanted the template removed from this page. As a courtesy I have removed it for you. There is a procedure for deletion of templates "templates for deletion", if you feel this template should be deleted. Thank you again for your contributions Zeimusu | (Talk page) 14:59, 9 Jun 2005 (UTC)
 * The template was "hardwired" into my user page. When I deleted the entry on my user page, it apparently also deleted the template.  For this reason, I try to avoid putting templates on talk pages as they can get blanked quite by accident. -Husnock 15:25, 9 Jun 2005 (UTC)
 * I see what is going on. I'm starting a discussion of this problem at Village pump (technical) Zeimusu | (Talk page)

Problems
Check here: Votes_for_deletion/Awards_and_decorations_of_the_United_States_military. Zscout370 (Sound Off) 19:02, 9 Jun 2005 (UTC)
 * Glad that is done, though it reminds me that I have to rename and reupload the ribbons and supposed to draw other ribbons. Damn, I am taking a part in many pages and getting torn a new one at WP:IFD. Zscout370 (Sound Off) 02:54, 12 Jun 2005 (UTC)
 * Such language from an Eagle Scout! Just kidding :-) -Husnock 03:12, 12 Jun 2005 (UTC)
 * I've said worse. Let's see, as for the images, I will be placing a bunch at IFD, mainly from the US Awards category and from the Flag images category. The ones I am tossing into the bin are orphans that are not used. I can speedy them, if you have no problems with the deletions. Zscout370 (Sound Off) 03:19, 12 Jun 2005 (UTC)
 * If they are not connected to any articles, then I say delete away! -Husnock 06:37, 12 Jun 2005 (UTC)
 * If that is the case, I will speedy delete most of them, unless you want to. Zscout370 (Sound Off) 19:20, 23 Jun 2005 (UTC)

re: very old VfDs
I just rolled back your comment on the VfD/Old page about the unclosed VfD discussion. The purpose of that section of the page is for individual discussions which are unclosed even though everything else that had been submitted in that day's VfD log has been closed. This allows the VfD log page to be archived even though there is a single hold-out. Without this option, we'd still have to keep 18 May on the list below and every closing admin would have to scan the entire list to find just that one open discussion (and again realize why he or she was unwilling or unable to close that particular discussion).

The discussion you mentioned is part of the set for 30 May. While we are badly backlogged on VfD/Old, there are many discussions still open for that day. Please be patient. Or even better, please review the Deletion process and help close some of them out. If you're an admin, we can use all the help we can get. If you're not yet an admin, you could still help by closing some of the unambiguous "keep" decisions. Thanks. Rossami (talk) 16:53, 13 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Help!
I'm Xadaga user from the catalan Wikipedia. Although I've seen you speak Spanish I'll try to write in English; I hope you understand me! because my English is not very good. I'm writing the catalan version of Amon Göth's article (and Oskar Schindler's, too). In the English version I've seen some Göth's imatges taken from the National Archives and Records Administration, and I've seen that you were who uploaded them to the Wikipedia. I have tried to find them for a long time in the NARA, but it has been impossible, I have failed!. So I ask you, please: If you don'y care, I'll be grateful if you answer me here (in you discussion) or in mine. Thanks for all! I hope your answer.
 * Can tou tell me the path to arrive them?
 * Do you know if the NARA archives are in the public domain in other countries, out of USA?
 * Finally, where did you find Ralph Fiennes' foto which is in the public domain on the internet?

lots of edits, not an admin
Hi - I made a list of users who've been around long enough to have made lots of edits but aren't admins. If you're at all interested in becoming an admin, can you please add an '*' immediately before your name in this list? I've suggested folks nominating someone might want to puruse this list, although there is certainly no guarantee anyone will ever look at it. Thanks. -- Rick Block (talk) 18:43, Jun 16, 2005 (UTC)

idw templates
It is just a procedual thing I need to do, but if you do not wish to see the templates, just let me know. What you can do is place WP:IFD on your watch list and see everything that I am doing there. Zscout370 (Sound Off) 19:27, 23 Jun 2005 (UTC)

New Award
Hello Husnock. I have created a user award, called the ODM Article Award. The award can be seen at Barnstar_and_award_proposals. Now, how does this relate to you? Well, your the first awardee. I imagine other users will be award this, but we need to first coordinate award articles. I will try to do that today. Other than that, have fun with it. Also, if you choose, I have ribbon bars for this and other Wikipedia awards. Zscout370 (Sound Off) 28 June 2005 18:59 (UTC)

 * Thanks for the award. If it passes and becomes an offical on the Barnstar Page then I'll post it up front on the user page. -Husnock 29 June 2005 17:27 (UTC)
 * You can go ahead and paste it on your user page, Barnstars are unofficial awards anyways. Zscout370 (Sound Off) 29 June 2005 18:52 (UTC)
 * I added to the WP:BAP a request to make this award official. Zscout370 (Sound Off) 30 June 2005 00:15 (UTC)

ODM Portal
Ok, here is the start of the portal: User:Zscout370/ODM Portal. I need to set the whole thing up before I officially introduce it to Wikipedia. Zscout370 (Sound Off) 29 June 2005 02:09 (UTC)
 * Ive never gotten involved in portals or Wiki projects. I'll sit back and watch for awhile but will certainly help contribute.  With the next expansion of the awards articles to include pics of all full size medals thats keeping me rather busy.  Eventually, the project will expand into Civilian decorations of the United States.  Also I plan one day to start graphics charts for Awards and decorations of Nazi Germany.  When its all done, maybe I can even transfer the material into a hardcopy format and woof out a book or something since this is a lot of valuable information I'm posting on ths site.  Thats in the very far future, though. -Husnock 29 June 2005 17:27 (UTC)
 * I also intend on drawing ribbons, but most of my tools are boxed up, along with my computer. I will try to contribute to the Iron Cross article with some pictures and ribbon, since I have found very good sources about the Iron Cross. Zscout370 (Sound Off) 29 June 2005 18:54 (UTC)

The Citadel
This message regards users: 207.144.53.83 and Harbin (I have a feeling that they are the same individual). I'm sorry to bother you, but I have been facing quite a problem that is very immature. I am currently trying to improve The Citadel (Military College of South Carolina) site, with several sources (books, The Citadel Library site, and other sites that I have linked). However its unfortunate that some VMI people need to live up to the immature attitude of "school rivalry". I'm not sure how old these young men are, but as a graduate of 58, I feel that their words are inappropriate. They have constantly edited my linked information (deleted) so it looks sub-par to the VMI. Please understand that I am not playing this game of "which school is better" (because they are both fine institutions), but merely posting information from my hard sources and own experience. However in return the two VMI gentlemen have been constantly changing their information to match up the The Citadel's. Later one of them left a quite rude remark on the Discussion page on The Citadel. For instance: the recent occurance was when they were upset that The Citadel had more grads who became generals and flag officers (Citadel: 342 and VMI: 266). They continued to delete it. After I apologized for not linking my source (a book on The Citadel as well as the alumni website), they began to change their own website so it stated "VMI has produced more General and Flag Officers than any other state military college in the United States". Please be in mind that I am far too old and tired to argue back to these young gentlemen and alter my own site with misinformation to prove some unworthy point. However I STRONGLY believe that wikipedia (albeit filled with user-edited articles) should be based on factual information with sources. The VMI site has not followed to these rules. I have repeatedly asked these men to leave the site alone and that all edits were allowed as long as they improved the article, unfortunately this wasn't the case. They have also changed back information that other users (such as Rillian) and couple of others including yours. I'm sorry that this message is so long. It is just that I am new to this wikipedia way of communicating and didn't exactly know where to go to. Is there anything you can do about this situtation? Thanks for your time, John P.S. I used to be in the navy as well (ret LTC) you should be (and look quite proud) in that uniform. Thanks for supporting this country.
 * I'll take a look at the Citadel and start watching the article. If there are edit vandals or reverters there they will be dealt with by not only me but more experianced admins.  Thanks for the kind note! -Husnock 2 July 2005 01:24 (UTC)

Third Starfleet Rank FAC
The article has been improved drasticaly, I think this is a good enough reason to reopen the FA status of this article. To be fair I am notifying all parties involved with the article on old candidacy. If I forgot one of you, its not intentional. Thats all for now --Cool Cat My Talk 1 July 2005 00:15 (UTC)
 * There was WAY too much anti-FA sentiment and it has only been a few weeks. Far too soon to try for an FA again.  I am actually against it. -Husnock 1 July 2005 14:50 (UTC)
 * At least we are not dealing with the cruft people. Zscout370 (Sound Off) 1 July 2005 19:52 (UTC)
 * Also, CoolCat and Husnock, can you do some source searching? I found a few, but I will lose net access until Tuesday. TIA. Zscout370 (Sound Off) 2 July 2005 03:09 (UTC)

Wikistress
I see you're rather peeved at Wikipedia. Hope you'll feel better. Redwolf24 9 July 2005 11:19 (UTC)
 * Thanks! I'm actually more stressed over a subject FAR more complicated than Wikipedia...women! -Husnock
 * Join the club. Zscout370 (Sound Off) 21:13, 9 July 2005 (UTC)
 * Check out what just happened at Talk:Reichsführer-SS for a stressful situation! -Husnock 21:15, 9 July 2005 (UTC)
 * Yooden broke the 3RR, FYI. You and the other user are on two reverts, each. Zscout370 (Sound Off) 21:18, 9 July 2005 (UTC)

Disruptive user
I asked them to vote, and I hope they will. It looks like the proposal is going south, but thats only 2 people. Happy editing and keep in touch. Howabout1 Talk to me! 23:01, July 10, 2005 (UTC)
 * How does one close a proposal that has failed? A change of the tag at the top? -Husnock 23:06, 10 July 2005 (UTC)
 * I suggest keep it going, probably link the proposed idea from several pages. Zscout370 (Sound Off) 23:09, 10 July 2005 (UTC)

 * What pages? Howabout1 Talk to me! 23:12, July 10, 2005 (UTC)
 * WP:VIP, WP:RFC, your own user pages. Zscout370 (Sound Off) 23:17, 10 July 2005 (UTC)
 * I'll do that. Howabout1 Talk to me! 23:42, July 10, 2005 (UTC)
 * Try the talk pages, since if you put it in the main spaces, it could be reverted. Zscout370 (Sound Off) 23:47, 10 July 2005 (UTC)
 * I only did RfC, as what we are suggesting is not vandalism. Howabout1 Talk to me! 00:49, July 11, 2005 (UTC)
 * Husnock, since you mentioned it as simply a definition, why don't you put that as a suggestion. The opposition seems not to like my committee idea, but they might like just a definition. Howabout1 Talk to me! 20:11, July 11, 2005 (UTC)

I know, I was laughing about that myself, I almost tols him/her that, but I dont think he would have taken it well. Oh, to clear it up, it actually wasn't Grace Note who vandalised it. I was thinking of putting up some notice for a one week timer on the vote and then closing the proposal. Howabout1 Talk to me! 04:20, July 12, 2005 (UTC)
 * Closing it in a week would be a good idea as people arent seeming to go for it. About the vandal...I am suspicious.  This Grace person is posting under various anon IP addresses and there is a comment from the same user that vandalized the proposal page on that users talk page (which was never removed).  Cant prove nothing but...hmmmm. -Husnock 04:21, 12 July 2005 (UTC)

I've put him/her on wikettiquette alerts. I'm also thinking about RfC. Did you see his reply on my talk?Howabout1 Talk to me! 04:29, July 12, 2005 (UTC)

 * I did indeed see the person's reply. They have made themselves look pretty bad.  I, myself, responded to the user's rude comments on the proposal page.  RFC might be overkill at thsi point, but certianly if the attacks continue. -Husnock 04:32, 12 July 2005 (UTC)
 * Ok. Howabout1 Talk to me! 04:35, July 12, 2005 (UTC)
 * I added a note wikettiquette as well. The User seems to be going full speed ahead into a rant. -Husnock 04:57, 12 July 2005 (UTC)

Vandalism
Dude, you're very free with the accusations of vandalism. You should take care. We have a policy against personal attacks. You're lucky that I am very much more thick-skinned than you are and it bounces off me, but if you keep doing it, you're going to run into someone who is hurt by it. Take it easy and happy editing, okay? -- User:Grace Note 11 July 2005
 * Your comments on the proposal page spoke for themselves. As far as you being the vandal that is certianly not proven, as you have pointed out.  I would recommend not posting under anon IP addresses as this can lead to such things.  Sorry if you were offended, lets all move on. -Husnock 04:35, 12 July 2005 (UTC)
 * I would recommend not being so free with the accusations. I'm a user in good faith, with more than a thousand edits with my user name, who just doesn't happen to be logged in. If I say I'm not the vandal, then I suggest you are being rather uncivil with your continued insistence that I might be. I suggest further that you don't take this approach with anons either. They are equally part of the community. Furthermore, if you are going to propose policies, particularly ones that are intended to increase bureaucracy and fuel divisions in Wikipedia, which this is sure to do, you must expect criticism. I put mine in the form of a joke. Trust me, you'd have liked the indepth critique even less. BTW, please reply to my messages on my talk page. It's incredibly rude to reply on your own page, especially to someone who isn't logged in and can't watch your page. Cheers now, try to be happy and put an end to your disruption of my editing. -- User:Grace Note
 * Whatever. I responded to your messages where you left them also for the other user to see to whom you were speaking.  Enough of this, I'm going to go get a sandwitch. -Husnock 05:03, 12 July 2005 (UTC)

Star Trek Opinions
Hi Husnock, I just wanted to thank you for setting me straight on the Captain Kirk posting I made and you corrected, it was never my intent to put up anything unfactual or grossly opinionated. Your words are appreciated! Peace and long life! your trek pal, Cathy - Cathytreks
 * You're welcome! You had some good points about Rick Berman and there is actually a section in his article about his attitudes and changes to Star Trek in contrast to the views of Gene Roddenberry. I think your comments would have a place there if they were slightly rewritten. -Husnock 19:57, 13 July 2005 (UTC)

Regular Army
Thanks for that new article; I had thought about writing one myself because there are so many references to the confusing rank systems in the American Civil War articles. BTW, I lowercased the ranks listed because Wikipedia's style guide says that position names like this are uppercased only when used as a title (Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant, but "Sherman was promoted to major general"). That's the style I have used for hundreds of ACW articles; if the more recent military articles differ greatly, change them back. Hal Jespersen 14:47, 15 July 2005 (UTC)
 * Thanks for the comments! Appreciate the compliment. In my work with U.S. military records, ranks are always with the first letter uppercase (I work with military service records.  So, the proper way, as I see it, would be uppercase.  No probably, I will change it back. -Husnock 15:19, 15 July 2005 (UTC)

Ribbon bar
First, here is your new ribbon bar Image:Order Adolph Nassau ribbon bar.png. Second, I need to look up some Soviet heroes/marshals and see what ribbon bars they have. But to let you know, the Soviets did not use stars to denote multiple awards, they wore mulitiple of the same ribbon bar (see my user page for an example of how it would look like). Also, the reason I said Brehznev had many false awards since many awards he got he did not deserve, and were later revoked, such as the Order of Victory and the Virtuti Militari. Zscout370 (Sound Off) 08:06, 17 July 2005 (UTC)
 * I drew one Soviet ribbon bar, and I might get a graphic for Zhukov's ribbons as soon as I can, I just need a list of what Zhukov has. Zscout370 (Sound Off) 21:03, 18 July 2005 (UTC)

My RfA
I have nominated myself for adminship. Please vote here. Howabout1 Talk to me! 02:27, July 20, 2005 (UTC)
 * Thanks. You wouldn't try to be an admin? I thought about nominating you. Howabout1 Talk to me! 02:57, July 20, 2005 (UTC)
 * I was offered once and ran away screaming. Plus, I am in the U.S. Navy Reserves and could deploy for 12-14 months.  If that happened, I wouldn't have access to Wikipedia for over a year. -Husnock 02:59, 20 July 2005 (UTC)

SNIyer1 & SNIyer12
Just let me know when & where.--JimWae 06:21, 2005 July 20 (UTC)
 * Open for business at Requests for comment/SNIyer1 -Husnock 06:23, 20 July 2005 (UTC)

 * I have yet to run into him personally, but I'll watch the page. Howabout1 Talk to me! 14:08, July 20, 2005 (UTC)

New warrant officer rank.
I am renaming the image and moving it to commons. Just to let you know. --Cool Cat My Talk 17:39, 20 July 2005 (UTC)
 * What image? -Husnock 17:50, 20 July 2005 (UTC)

Yodacows
Hey, I blocked this guy again, for 48 hours this time. I reverted your edits just now as your edit broke the interwiki links which used other alphabets. Cheers, Talrias (t | e | c) 18:25, 27 July 2005 (UTC)

Space program of the United States
Hi, I nominated you article Space program of the United States for the wikipedia improvement drive. Please support the nomination. This is an important article and it's silly that there's not a more complete article on it. Jacoplane 20:08, 28 July 2005 (UTC)
 * Thats actually not my article. There was a problem that a user copied the text over from an older article to the user page.  The older article was then deleted and the user had a private article on thier user page which only they were editing and accessing.  Once that was discovered, the entire text was copied back over into the original title and restored as a proper article again.  I actually didnt write a single word of it! -Husnock 20:11, 28 July 2005 (UTC)
 * Ok, cool. thanks anyway. Jacoplane 20:17, 28 July 2005 (UTC)

Lance Corporal etymology
Fair enough. I've put references on the Talk page. — Franey 10:54, 29 July 2005 (UTC)
 * Your definition is quite obviously the better etablished. I placed it first in the article with the older Middle Ages reference as a followup. -Husnock 14:09, 29 July 2005 (UTC)

Moving articles
Please don't move articles using copy and paste. This is harmful, as it doesn't preserve history of the article. You can use the move tab instead, or, if it's not possible, request the article to be moved to at Requested moves. Naive cynic 05:51, 30 July 2005 (UTC)
 * The situation with Marshal of Poland is a mess. Whoever wrote the first article put the entire article under List of Polish Field Marshals.  The article contains full info about the rank and it makes no sense to have an article so detailed under an article titled as a "list".  Also, the article that is now under Marshal of Poland contains additional information than the old list article.  The move feature doesnt work and the page has been listed under Requested Moves. -Husnock 09:54, 30 July 2005 (UTC)

Fleet Admiral (Russia)
See Talk:Fleet Admiral (Russia). DmitryKo 10:31, 31 July 2005 (UTC)
 * VFD? Without a word of discussion?  Thats your right, but I hope you give people a chance to respond in the future.  I think Russia has a five star naval rank which may be bestowed during a time of war.  The issue should be clarified before simply deleting the article. -Husnock 16:06, 31 July 2005 (UTC)
 * According to the article I have cited in the VFD, the highest rank is Admiral of the Fleet (five star ranking). Fleet Admiral of the RF, if it did exist, would be a six star rank like Marshal of the RF. If the article was changed, I am sure DmitryKo would vote to keep it. The shoulder boards for the Admiral of the Fleet rank is the star, centered, minus the Russian eagle. However, the shoulder boards you are showing were used from 1992 until some year . Zscout370 (Sound Off) 03:40, 1 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Correction, Admiral of the Fleet is a four-star rank, which is equal to our admiral in the US Navy. The shoulder boards only have four small stars, instead of one large star. Zscout370 (Sound Off) 03:45, 1 August 2005 (UTC)

The discussion can be performed in process. I see no problem here.

The one-star Fleet Admiral isnignia existed until 1997; the star was bigger that that of the lower officers but still not as big as the insignia supposed for a Fleet Admiral of the RF. The same applies to General of the Army - the star was an intermediate between lower ranking Generals and a Marshal.

The problem with modern Russian General ranks is that they include some pre-WWII German ranks with some strange omissions, so they can not be directly compared with NATO OF-x grades or US-centric "X-star General" designations. For example, there's no Commodore or Brigadier-grade ranks, so many Captains 1st rank and Colonels are in fact acting Rear Admirals (LH) and Brigadier Generals. Another strange thing is that there's no full General equivalent - a Lieutenant General as in Western armies is followed by a Colonel General as in Germarn army with no intermediate rank in between! That makes a one-star Russian Major General to be equivalent to a 2-star Major General in Western countries, two-star Russian Lieutenant General to be equivalent to a 3-star Lieutenant General in Western Countries, 3-star Polkovnik General equivalent to 4-star full General and finally a 4-star General of the Army equivalent to a 5-star General of the Army and Field Marshal! Most Warsaw Pact countries avoided this confusion by introducing/keeping Brigadier Generals either right after WWII or after the dismission of the Pact, so that they ranks are now NATO-compatible in a sence.

PS. Let's stick to Talk:Fleet Admiral (Russia) - there's already too many places to discuss this one issue! --DmitryKo 12:11, 1 August 2005 (UTC)

 * I'm sorry, but I'm tired of this. Just give me a Russian source, or accept that the Army made an error. --DmitryKo 10:01, 4 August 2005 (UTC)
 * I see nothing wrong with simply mentioning that there are U.S. sources for the rank which contradict the Russian ones. Removing all reference to U.S. sources and saying "F them", as you did here is not in line with Wikipedia compromise and civility -Husnock 12:46, 4 August 2005 (UTC)
 * I'm sorry for this one, my apologies. I should have said that "US sources are unconfirmed and purely speculative". --DmitryKo 22:06, 6 August 2005 (UTC)
 * You've pretty much won the argument. There is no such rank in Russia.  I will devote myself to finding more about why the U.S. military thinks there is.  Best of luck with the page move.  I'm away for 2 weeks on military duty.  See you upon return. -Husnock 22:17, 6 August 2005 (UTC)
 * OK, best luck with the excersizes! I'm sorry if I was unnecessarily rude. --DmitryKo 22:46, 6 August 2005 (UTC)

General_of_the_Air_Force
That has been nominated for deletion at Votes_for_deletion/General_of_the_Air_Force. Zscout370 (Sound Off) 02:58, 4 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Thats a bad faith nomination if I ever saw one. Are we allowed to revert this kind of nonsense? -Husnock 03:05, 4 August 2005 (UTC)
 * We can ask for a speedy keep. I doubt it was even listed properly in the VFD logs. Zscout370 (Sound Off) 03:07, 4 August 2005 (UTC)

Consolation
Well, since I notice you are having a tough time with ranks on here, I will show you one that we could write on. This photo, http://president.gov.by/ii/gallery/parad/13.jpg, is of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. He is one of the few leaders in the former USSR to don a uniform (I have seen him in cammies too). I do not know what his rank is called official, but I can describe his shoulder boards: gold pattern, with red trim, with the Belarusian coat of arms in the center. If you want to start on it, I welcome you to use my Sandbox at User:Zscout370/Sandbox to start it. I can help you finish it, if needed. Zscout370 (Sound Off) 05:56, 4 August 2005 (UTC)
 * This is the field uniform, with an upclose look of the shoulder boards: http://president.gov.by/ii/gallery/shit04/9.jpg Zscout370 (Sound Off) 06:07, 4 August 2005 (UTC)

Admiral
Don't lecture me, and don't be ridiculous. Neither page has any history whatsoever. Proteus (Talk) 18:07, 5 August 2005 (UTC)
 * If you want to copy and paste, against Wiki regs, go ahead. Take a look at Requested moves and Civility while you're at it. -Husnock 18:12, 5 August 2005 (UTC)
 * If you want people to be civil to you, you should stop talking to Admins as if they're new users who don't know how Wikipedia works. Proteus (Talk) 19:43, 6 August 2005 (UTC)
 * How did I do that? I simply said we shuld use the move page feature.  And am I supposed to bow before an admin?  I've been offered the job three times and turned it down.  This hs nothing to do with you being an admin.  its about calling articles ridiculous, nonsense, and then getting nasty when one suggests a course of action on a page move.  Do what you wish with Admiral.  This will still be reported. -Husnock 19:49, 6 August 2005 (UTC)

AN/I
Was there a reason you removed my comment from AN/I? -- Essjay ·  Talk 20:09, August 6, 2005 (UTC)
 * Looks like it was a page error. I had to save twice as I got an error message the first time.  Your paragraph was erased by accident by somehow.  It has already been corrected. -Husnock 20:12, 6 August 2005 (UTC)

Glad to hear it's been taken care of already. I've been having those page load problems all day as well. I just wanted to make sure there wasn't something you found objectionable. Thanks! -- Essjay ·  Talk 20:21, August 6, 2005 (UTC)

Korean Ranks Barnstar
I hereby give you the Barnstar of Diligence for work on North Korean military ranks. D. J. Bracey (talk) 22:41, 29 August 2005 (UTC)

Take care, D. J. Bracey (talk) 22:41, 29 August 2005 (UTC)

 * Thank you good, sir! I am honored! -Husnock 01:25, 30 August 2005 (UTC)

Admiral of the Navy
Hi, I deleted the claim that CW Nimitz was considered for 6-star rank. You have restored the information. I don't claim that it is incorrect, however I would like to see a citation because I can't find a reference for that claim anywhere, and it doesn't make much sense on the face of it. Thanks, J.T. Broderick 01:04, 30 August 2005 (UTC)
 * I addressed your concerns on the talk page. It might be tricky to cite.  We can try. -Husnock 01:31, 30 August 2005 (UTC)

Administrator
With 9,000+ edits and such longevity on WIkipedia, I would be more than happy to support you being an administrator. Please say I can nominate you on my talk page Thanks, D. J. Bracey (talk)  15:48, 30 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Let me know too, since I will happily support you. Zscout370 (Sound Off) 19:53, 7 September 2005 (UTC)
 * We can give it a try. Ive turned it down before for fear of prolonged abscenes from Wikipedia.  I guess thats a minor concern.  Lets do it! -Husnock 20:39, 7 September 2005 (UTC)

Public Health Service Achievement Medal
Hi,

I am wondering about how nominations are sent in for the Public Health Service Achievement Medal? - Do you know how I would go about nominating someone for this - Specifically (and dont laugh) since it s a civilian decoration of the USA - I think television writer Agnes Nixon should receive it - she was the first person to ever write in a medical based storyline into a soap opera (on Guiding Light in 1960 - paving the way for shows like General Hospital and The Doctors). Also on All My Children she and her protege [[Wisner Washam wrote in the first HIV positive character to a soap opera in the late 1980's in an attempt to educate viewers about the disease. Dowew 19:25, 30 August 2005 (UTC)

Korean military ranks
Thank you and sorry. I blanked this as I realised I was, in fact, making a mistake and wished the original article and title to remain the same. Dainamo 07:53, 7 September 2005 (UTC)

VMI peer review
You've worked on the VMI article. I have posted the article Virginia Military Institute at Peer review/Virginia Military Institute/archive1 and would appreciate your comments. Rillian 14:16, 7 September 2005 (UTC)

Image deletion
Listed under Images and media for deletion/2005 September 16. Thunderbrand 19:36, 16 September 2005 (UTC)

Reinhard Heydrich Article
Hi, thanks for letting me know about the links in Reinhard Heydrich. I was trying to add a reference to the novel The Man In The High Castle which mentions Heydrich. I'm not sure what happened but it looks like somehow all the foreign characters in the article got converted to ?'s. I see you have reverted - fair enough. I'll try and be more careful in future.--Shimbo 19:59, 16 September 2005 (UTC)
 * I figured it was a mistake as a registered user with good edits wouldnt do something like that on purpose. Sorry that the revert took out your legit edits.  Glad to see them back in. -Husnock 20:41, 16 September 2005 (UTC)

Bronze star
Noticed your edit to Bronze star, thanks for making the page for functional. Just thought I'd let you know the piping generally does not go on disambiguation pages. Manual of Style (disambiguation pages) has more info. --Commander Keane 15:58, 23 September 2005 (UTC)
 * I didnt know that, actually. Thought it might have been simple a keystroke error that the ""'s were taken out.  Feel free to change it back, of course. -Husnock 21:57, 23 September 2005 (UTC)

Corneliusseon
I agree with you that he appears to mean well and wants to provide good information, but I fear he has not entirely grasped the purpose of Wikipedia. For a start, he seems to think that articles are proprietorial and in order to write an article that expresses a different point of view (e.g. United States Marshals Service) he has to create a new article. He also doesn't seem to grasp that government websites are by their very nature POV. -- Necrothesp 10:04, 29 September 2005 (UTC)
 * I also notice that the user is of the opinion that certian articles on this website can be declared "copyrighted", as with Purple Heart. Thats a dangerous idea and needs to be stopped before the User starts putting copyright tags into every article he/she sees.  I've reverted three such insertions so far. -Husnock 17:54, 29 September 2005 (UTC)

Re: Starfleet ranks and insignia
Greetings! I hope you're well. Again, this is a great article; thanks! Earlier, I added categories for each of the ranks, but I noticed that you removed them; I am curious; you mentioned something about it previously being considered, but nixxed.

I request that you reconsider this. Why? Well, a casual or interested visitor may have difficulty finding a precise rank and would have to wade through lengthy -- but informative -- text to find it. The article's length demands more categorisation. Moreover, it would enable easy linkings to this article from other articles.

I hope you take this to heart. Let me know if you've any questions. Again, though, great article, and thanks for your consideration! E Pluribus Anthony 02:50, 2 October 2005 (UTC)

 * The issue of adding a sub-men section for every single officer rank was brought up during several discussions during the Featured Article Candidate debate over the article. A large amount of users found the menu cumersome and hard to follow.  As such, the rank sections were condensed into just sections for officers, enlisted, and others with paragraphs for each rank.  To change it back would probably draw angry shouts from those who worked hard to perfect the TOC during the FAC process.  Also, the way it is now is less bulky and can be followed pretty easily. -Husnock 22:48, 3 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Thanks for the reply; I appreciate it. I proposed (and did! ... argh) adding categories for the flag and officer ranks, not for the others below (e.g., enlisted) since the senior ones are most prominent, though I realise those higher categories are the meat of the article.  It's hard to believe that users found the TOC hard to follow or use (though I don't dispute your contention): breaking it down further actually seems rather useful and enables a user to more easily find information (given the detail and amount of text).  Otherwise, users – particularly those who are unafamiliar with military or Starfleet hierarchies – would have to scroll through reams of text to find a particular rank.

 * A table of contents upfront, with the addition of a TOC flag after the first paragraph or section, though, would enable any user to glance at the table and click to where they have to go. Users also have the option to hide it.

 * Moreover, if there was more categorisation in the article, it would enable easier linking from other articles in Wikipedia (e.g., someone may want to have the link for 'Captain Jean Luc-Picard' go to the section entitled 'Captain' in the article, instead of to the 'real-world' equivalent) or links within that same article (e.g., link from pip rank for Commander would bring a user to the Commander narrative).

 * I realise that you've cited a large amount of users in various forums who didn't like categories or a TOC, but I would definitely not be one of them. :) Thoughts?  Anyhow, thanks again! E Pluribus Anthony 00:20, 4 October 2005 (UTC)

 * You should probably raise your thoughts on the talk page of the article and draw opinions from other users. The article is pretty much in its "end stage" now, the result of over a year of editing, but it can be revamped if people feel the need. -Husnock 01:35, 4 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Thanks for your reply and feedback. It's ironic that an article about ranks was deemed to have too much of one in this regard! :)  I think I might request comments on the Talk page: I believe a TOC – with a true hierarchy – would be appropriate and only enhance an already great article.  Thanks again! E Pluribus Anthony 02:21, 4 October 2005 (UTC)

No need to shout
HUSNOCK, THERE'S NEVER ANY NEED TO SHOUT. -unsign anon user
 * Only when you leave the Caps Lock on by accident! LOL! I think Hitler got the idea of the Youth movement from several nature youth groups like Wandervogel but not the Boy Scouts.  Hitler reportedly hated the Boy Scouts and was quick to outlaw them after the HJ rose to become the leading yourh group of Youth Group of Germany. -Husnock 15:31, 3 October 2005 (UTC)

title: User talk:Husnock/Archive 3


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User:Husnock/Archive 3

Please see Main Archive Page for related articles

title: User:Husnock/Archive 3


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Signal timing

Signal timing is the technique which traffic engineers use to distribute right-of-way at a signalized intersection. The process includes selecting appropriate values for timing, which are implemented in specialized traffic signal controllers. Signal timing involves deciding how much green time the traffic signal provides an intersection by movement or approach (depending on the lane configuration), how long the pedestrian WALK signal should be, whether trains or buses should be prioritized, and numerous other factors.

Basic signal timing operation
In signal timing fundamentals, there are different modes of operation that the signal controller can go through, which controls the signal. Traffic signals may go into two broad groups by their method of operation. They can either be pre-timed or actuated. Pre-timed signals provide each intersection approach a fixed amount of time on a predetermined basis, serving each approach consecutively, and repeating the pattern. In normal operation, no movements are skipped. An actuated traffic signal relies on some mechanism for detecting vehicles as they approach the intersection. Where detection has occurred, green time is provided to that approach. Approaches with no detection are skipped. These two schemes are also referred to as interval-based and phase-based signal timing.

The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) has defined a standard scheme by which each intersection movement may be serviced without allowing conflicting movements to enter the intersection simultaneously. This scheme is commonly referred to as the NEMA Phasing Diagram.

One of the most commonly used methods of detection is induction loops. Other methods include magnetometers, video, infrared, radar and microwave detection. A typical loop detector installation can be up to six feet square or six feet wide by thirty feet long. Other shapes may also be used, including circular and hexagonal loops. These are cut into, or buried below the surface of the roadway. The preferred wire is stranded copper with an insulating cover, which is then loosely surrounded by a protection jacket. Electrically, this is a 'flat' coil in the pavement structure that detects vehicles by changes in the magnetic inductance field of the coil when ferrous metal from a vehicle passes through the field. The electronic sensor in the controller cabinet senses the change in the magnetic field. The output from the sensor electronics is a 'switch' closure. This can be an electro-mechincial relay or solid-state. The 'switch' is normally closed (NC) in the de-engerized state but held open when power is applied to the circuit. This is called 'Fail-Call' so that if there is a failure in the sensor electronics, the output will place a 'Call' to the controller as if a vehicle is present on the loop detector.

Video (both normal and infrared) use a change in contrast of the image detection zone to detect traffic. All detection methods except inductive loop detectors and magnetometers suffer in accuracy as the result of the concept of occlusion. This limits the cameras view in certain instances.

There are different categories of actuated signals. To save money on maintenance, some agencies opt to design an intersection as semi-actuated. Semi-actuated means the intersection has detection on the minor street approaches and major street left turns only. The whole intersection is then programmed to operate a fixed time every cycle, but the controller will service the other movements only when there is a 'call' or demand. An arterial series of signals that are operating in a semi-actuated or fixed mode and importantly operating with the same cycle length can be made to function in a coordinated manner. During signal coordination, most signal systems typically are designed to operate in a semi-actuated mode.

In fixed operation, a controller has a set time to service all movements every cycle. The controller will service all movements whether or not there is vehicle demand. When a detector at an actuated signal breaks, that movement will then have to operate as fixed until the detector is repaired.

There are three general ways for a signal to operate, FREE, COORD, and FLASH operation. In FREE operation, the signal is running based on its own demand and timing parameters based on the information provided by its detectors. It is not operating under any background cycle length. In COORD operation, short for coordination, the signal is running a background cycle length. Non-major street movements are usually still actuated, and the controller will rest on the major street until the background cycle length is fulfilled. The final mode is FLASH operation in which all vehicle signal heads continuously display a flashing red, or the main street shows flashing yellow while others show flashing red. Pedestrian heads are dark.

When the volume of vehicles at an intersection no longer warrants the signal to be active, the signal can switch to FLASH mode. When volume picks up again the signal switches back into either FREE or COORD operation. For example, the daily operation of a signal may involve it being in FLASH mode early in the morning, COORD during the day, FREE in the evening, and back to FLASH late at night. It can also be set to flash until made not too, allowing thee to essentially be converted into beacons if the traffic light is obsoleted enough.

Basic timing functions
There are several basic timing functions that need to be programmed for the traffic controller to operate.

MIN time determines the minimum duration of the green interval for each movement. Left turns, minor streets, major streets, usually have different MIN times. Left turns and minor side street intervals are often in the range from 4 to 10 seconds while major streets often go higher than 15.

Gap, extension, or passage time determines the extendable portion of the green time for a movement. The movement remains in the extendable portion as long as an actuation is present and the passage timer has not expired. If the interval is set as three seconds and there is not vehicle present after that three seconds, the movement will terminate.

MAX time limits of a maximum time of the green interval. If there are no conflicting demands on the intersection, the controller will ignore the MAX and rest in the major street movement.

Yellow Clearance determines the yellow time for the associated movement.

Red Clearance determines the all-red time for the associated movement.

Walk time provides the length of the walk indication.

Flashing Don't Walk is the duration of the flashing pedestrian clearance. This is timed as the length of the crosswalk divided by a speed of 3.5 feet per second, minus the yellow clearance for the adjacent vehicle movement.

Cycle Length controls the time from one major street yellow to the next major street yellow for purposes of coordination. It is often set by the master controller for the particular plan used. This is also used if the signal has no detectors attached.

Offset controls the timing of the start of the major street green and/or the end of the major street green, to keep the signal in coordination with other signals in the overall timing plan. This timing can be set by the master controller for the particular plan used.

Coordination
Coordination (the more correct term is progression) refers to the timing of the signals so that a "platoon" of cars traveling on a street arrives at a succession of green lights and proceeds through multiple intersections without stopping. A well coordinated signal system can enhance traffic flow, reduce delay and minimize pollution. However, it is not always possible to retain progression throughout a network of signals. It is also difficult to maintain signal progression on a two-way street. An early traffic engineer Henry Barnes, who served as Commissioner of Traffic in many cities including Baltimore, Maryland and New York City, developed coordinated traffic signal timings, so that large amounts of traffic could be accommodated on major traffic arterials. Traffic signal timing is a very complex topic. For example timing a 'WALK' signal for a wide pedestrian crossing and slower pedestrians (for example the elderly) could result in very long waits for vehicles, and thus increases the likelihood of cars running the light, which could potentially cause accidents. Therefore, optimizing the safety of intersections involves multiple factors like street width, lane width, number of intersecting streets, availability of electricity for a signal, number of cars per unit of time and even/uneven nature of flow, number and type of pedestrians, and many other factors.

Traffic signals can be programmed to have different signal timing plans, depending on the time of day. Some signal control systems adapt signal timings depending on measured traffic conditions.

Research
Standardizing signal timing procedures, standards, and best practices has been completed in the form of the Signal Timing Manual, sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration. The Signal Timing Manual is a tabletop resource compiled by Kittelson & Associates, Inc., the Texas Transportation Institute, the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), and the University of Maryland.

In March 2020, the ITE adopted Beaverton, Oregon engineering consultant Mats Järlström's recommendations for yellow light timing. Järlström had begun investigating the matter after his wife received a ticket from a red light camera in 2013. After he published his findings, the state of Oregon fined him for practicing engineering without a license. Järlström, who has a degree in electrical engineering, filed suit in the federal District Court alleging violation of his First Amendment rights. The court agreed with him, ruling that the state could not restrict the use of the word "engineer".

title: Signal timing


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Talk:Open shop

The legal status of the open shop
I'd like to see how the principle of exclusivity applies in an open shop. In a union shop, it is clear that the union is the bargaining agent -- but does a union have any significant or special rights in an open shop?

Intro is unclear
"An open shop is, in contrast to a closed shop, one in which all employees must be members of a union to be employed, and a union shop, in which an employee must pay dues or their equivalent to the union, but may not be fired if he or she fails to maintain membership in good standing in the union for any reason other than failure to pay such dues." To me this reads that an open shop is one in which all must be members of a union. This sentence is unclear to me. Before I "boldly" reword this, I'd appreciate some input from others. :) MCalamari 04:08, 8 September 2006 (UTC)

Assessment
This article cannot be classed as "high" on the Importance scale. That assessment is not justified by the article at all. In fact, in many countries, this concept does not even exist; in others (such as where compulsory unionism exists) it is not an issue. - Tim1965 (talk) 13:47, 5 September 2009 (UTC)

title: Talk:Open shop