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The Coming

The Coming is the debut studio album by the American rapper and record producer Busta Rhymes. It was released on March 26, 1996, by Flipmode Entertainment and Elektra Records. The album contains contributions by the Def Squad members Redman, Keith Murray, and Jamal; as well as Q-Tip, Zhané, Leaders of the New School, and several Flipmode Squad members. It was produced by DJ Scratch, Easy Mo Bee, and the Ummah, among others. It serves as Rhymes's first solo album after the breakup of Leaders of the New School two years prior, and his first full-length project after numerous guest appearances on other songs with artists such as A Tribe Called Quest, the Notorious B.I.G., Heavy D and the Boyz, and Mary J. Blige.

The album reached number six on the Billboard 200 chart. Although, according to the Recording Industry Association of America, The Coming was certified platinum on January 13, 1999, Rhymes has stated that the album went platinum within the same year of its release. The lead single, "Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check" reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1996, and earned Rhymes his first nomination for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 39th Grammy Awards.

In commemoration of its 25th anniversary, a super deluxe edition of The Coming featuring remixes, instrumentals and acapellas was released to all streaming platforms on April 16, 2021, by Rhino.

Background and recording
The Coming serves as Busta Rhymes's first solo album after the break up of his former group Leaders of the New School. As his group had just broken up and he had his first son, he needed a source of income to provide a secure life for his son. He then got offered an Elektra Records solo deal by Dante Ross and Chris Lighty but was hesitant about accepting the deal due to his concerns regarding if he would be able to captivate listeners for the length of an entire album by himself. To get more comfortable with recording without his former group Leaders of the New School, he then appeared on numerous other artists' records. He did so to experiment with and find his own sound. His guest appearances at the time included A Tribe Called Quest's "Oh My God" and Craig Mack's "Flava in Ya Ear (Remix)", among others. Rhymes contributed hugely to the ongoing trend of guest appearances in hip hop.

The initial recording sessions began in late 1994 in Los Angeles, where Rhymes was shooting for the movie Higher Learning, directed by John Singleton. When shooting ended, he also flew to Atlanta where he worked with record producer Dallas Austin in his new recording studio D.A.R.P. (Dallas Austin Recording Projects). Rhymes was worried about his responsibility and the future of his family, unsure whether he was capable of making a debut that would serve as the foundation of his solo career. Back in New York City, he moved between three recording studios, The Music Palace, Chung King Studios and Soundtrack Studios, to record music. After he sourced beats, he would write solely in the studio, afraid to lose lines or ideas for flows. Everything, including arrangements, concepts, choruses and verses, was written down on paper. Most of the time, he worked alone in the studio, with no one to hype him up before or after he got in the booth.

Up until this point, Rhymes had problems with recording a full album on his own and sought help from his frequent collaborator, the rapper Q-Tip. Rhymes was mentored by Q-Tip, who gave him advice, motivated him and played a role in choosing the direction for the album. With his help and after several months of frustration, he finally came up with the idea that would become the skit after "It's a Party". In 1995, Q-Tip also introduced Rhymes to the then-unknown record producer J Dilla, who was known as Jay Dee at the time and had his biggest credits on the hip hop group the Pharcyde's second studio album Labcabincalifornia. Dilla went on to produce two tracks on the album, "Still Shining" and "Keep It Movin'", as well as numerous other tracks by Rhymes in the following years.

Rhymes recorded a track for the album called "The Ugliest" with the rapper the Notorious B.I.G. over a beat by Dilla. The rappers Method Man and Nas were also set to appear on the track which because of scheduling conflict did not come about. Because of subliminal disses about 2Pac by Biggie, the song was ultimately not included on the album. Biggie's verse would later be reused on "Dangerous MC's", a posse cut on the posthumously released 1999 album Born Again, also featuring Rhymes, Mark Curry and Snoop Dogg, while the song itself was released in a new form on Rhymes' 2003 mixtape "Surrender".

Rhymes dedicated the album to the memory of his first and late son, Tahiem Jr, and friends Ratto, Big Joe and Love.

Concept and title
Describing the concept of the album's title, Busta Rhymes said, "The Coming, I just felt, was such a general yet specific statement that the level of meaning is so powerful... The coming of what? When is it coming? How is it coming? Where is it coming from? Why is it coming?"

Cover art
The cover art of The Coming was shot by Dean Karr. It displays a framed image of Rhymes with his mouth stretched wide, screaming. His locks are fanned out wildly behind his head with a white dove perched above him. The cover art is blurred and foggy.

Music and lyrics
As Rhymes was not comfortable with including lyrics about his personal life and struggles, the album was very short on autobiographical or personal topics and lyrics.

The "epic," "extended and extremely busy" intro of The Coming contains two beat change ups and "commentary on wack rappers and the state of the rap game" from Rhymes. Rhymes "dedicates [the last] portion [of the song] to all the 'niggas that keep falling', as a clever ODB vocal snippet plays behind him, emulating the sound of a man screaming as he falls from extremely high heights to his death." The appearances of Flipmode Squad members Lord Have Mercy and Rampage on the track have been described as a "cartoonishly monstrous prologue". The "first real song" on the album, "Do My Thing", features a "funky, heavy-bass beat" by producer DJ Scratch. Rhymes' verses on the track have been described as "ridiculously witty." The track ends with a short skit that "re-iterates how Busta feels about wack rappers," as Rhymes can be heard "whipping" somebody for "talking shit," and copying his lyrics. The skit has been removed from digital versions of the album. The "grimy, nocturnal" instrumental with "heavy drums" of "Everything Remains Raw" was produced by Easy Mo Bee. Many of Rhymes' lyrics on the track track were previously used on his freestyle on Funkmaster Flex's 1995 mixtape The Mix Tape, Volume 1: 60 Minutes of Funk. Both the previous track, "Do My Thing", and "Everything Remains Raw" have been said to "provide no distractions and illuminate how Busta's humor and knowledge can seep through a track while simultaneously highlighting his great rhyming".

Over the "energetic, stripped-down instrumental" of "Abandon Ship" produced by Rhymes, he and his cousin Rampage "showcase their chemistry on the mic with one hyped-up, razor-sharp lyric after another". The song's refrain has been described as "catchy-as-hell." After "Abandon Ship" ends, an excerpt of Galt MacDermot 1969 song "Space", which gets sampled on the following track, can be heard. This interlude "helps to bring the energy down from 'Abandon Ship'". The fifth track and lead single "Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check" features "cleverly-written" lyrics with a "manic delivery" over an "infectious" instrumental by Rhymes and Rashad Smith. Rhymes builds the chorus around a line from the 1980 Sugar Hill Gang song "8th Wonder". For each of the three verses, the last word in each lyric rhymes with one another. The "groovy," "clearly tailor-made for radio airplay" instrumental for R&B crossover "It's a Party" was produced by Easy Mo Bee and features R&B duo Zhané, who "provide some smooth, seductive lyrics [...], while Busta plays the guy who lyrically flirts with them in-between their short verses and chorus". The song is followed by a skit featuring a "quick throw away verse," as most of the verse contains Rhymes ad libbing, and multiple shoutouts to Saddam Hussein. The skit was the first track recorded for the album and has been removed from digital versions of the album.

The "dark jazz textured backdrop" of "Hot Fudge" produced by the Vibe Chemist Backspin finds Rhymes "calming down just enough to sound sinister and slightly scary". The song is followed by a skit about a Jamaican woman getting oral sex, "with no intentions of paying her sexual partner back the one she owes him." The "moody" and "nocturnal" instrumental of "Ill Vibe" was produced by the featured Q-Tip. The chemistry between Rhymes and Q-Tip has been described as similar to that of Method Man and Redman. In the next track, "Flipmode Squad Meets Def Squad", the Def Squad members Jamal, Redman and Keith Murray engage against the Flipmode Squad members Rampage, Lord Have Mercy and Rhymes in a rap battle with no chorus or hook over a backdrop produced by the Vibe Chemist Backspin. The song is Rhymes' "attempt to create another memorable posse record on par with 'Scenario' by A Tribe Called Quest featuring Leaders of the New School (the group Rhymes was a part of), and [...] 'Headbanger' (by the Hit Squad, the group from which the Def Squad emerged)" and serves "as the formal introduction" of Rhymes' Flipmode Squad.

The "spacey, synth-assisted production" of "Still Shining" by producer J Dilla goes right "into a short but sweet acknowledgment of Busta's own lyrical talents as an MC." The chorus interpolates one of Rhymes' lines on the remix of A Tribe Called Quest's "Scenario". In an interlude between "Still Shining" and the following track "Keep It Movin'", Rhymes "verbally scar[es] the shit out of his LONS [Leaders of the New School] peers to get themselves out of their retirement comfort zone to get to the studio." The "bluesy" instrumental of "The Finish Line" was produced by DJ Scratch. The song contains Rhymes rapping about the untrue lifestyle of a man and explains how it "will soon lead to his demise." In the outro, "The End of the World", Rhymes re-uses one of the beats from the intro and uses it to "show gratitude to his supporting fans and offers up a few parting words about using your time wisely." The track is followed by a short skit in which a man can be heard, "who's apparently on his death bed full of regret for not using his time wisely and accomplishing all things he wanted out of life. Then [...] the man slips into death, travels through the 'dark tunnel' [...] [as a] portion of the medieval classic "O Fortuna" plays, while a distorted devilish voice laughs, which suggests that the regretful man went to hell." The outro has been described as "putting a super dark ending on what was mostly a light-hearted listen."

Singles
"Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check" was released as the first official single from The Coming on January 7, 1996. In the United States, the song was released on February 27, 1996, and included a notable remix version featuring Ol' Dirty Bastard. Rhymes' cousin, the Flipmode Squad member Rampage, contributes additional vocals to the standard version and is credited as an official guest artist on some releases of the song. The song reached the top ten in the charts of the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand, as well as charted in Sweden, the Netherlands, Scotland, Germany and Australia.

"It's a Party", featuring the American R&B duo Zhané, was released as the second official single from the album on June 25, 1996.

"Do My Thing" was released as the third and last official single from the album in 1997, outside of the United States. The song was previously issued as a promotional single.

Promotional singles
"Everything Remains Raw" was released as the first promotional single from The Coming on February 27, 1996, as the B-side to the album's lead single "Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check.

"Do My Thing" and "Abandon Ship" featuring Rampage the Last Boy Scout were released together as the second and third promotional singles from the album in 1996. "Do My Thing" would later be released as an official single from the album.

"Ill Vibe" featuring the American rapper Q-Tip was released as the fourth and last promotional single from the album on June 25, 1996, as the B-side to the album's second single "It's a Party" featuring Zhané.

Critical reception
Daryl McIntosh of Albumism wrote that "the heart and soul of the album is found on songs where Busta doesn't have to stand out amongst a large group [...] like "Everything Remains Raw", […] and "Do My Thing". [They] provide no distractions and illuminate how Busta's humor and knowledge can seep through a track while simultaneously highlighting his great rhyming ability." He added that "The Coming did everything you could ask for from a debut album. It lived up to, if not exceeded, the expectations of a young artist who had captured the world's attention as a standout group member and coveted collaborator. It spawned radio hits, club bangers, and underground gems for hardcore listeners. It was boastful, colorful, and had a celebratory feel, all of which helped make hip-hop appear fun again […]. Even a casual observer […] had to take notice of the guy whose voice was deeper and louder than everyone else, an emcee who wasn't afraid to put on a big hat or bright colors to accentuate his colorful personality." He went on to say that "The Coming was one of the best solo rap performances of 1996 and it stands as one of the all-time great debut LPs in hip-hop. Busta's first verse, first single, and first album all stand as testaments to the fact that he is one of hip-hop's elite artists and the perennial main event.

Track listing
Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.

Note

 * On some releases, Rampage the Last Boy Scout is credited as an official guest artist on "Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check".

Samples used

 * "The Coming (Intro)" contains a sample of "Goin' Down", written and performed by Ol' Dirty Bastard.
 * "Everything Remains Raw" and "Abandon Ship" contains samples of "(Don't Want No) Woman", written by Lee Michaels, Bartholomew Smith-Frost, Percy Mayfield, and Ray Charles, as performed by Lee Michaels; and contains samples of "Space", written and performed by Galt MacDermot.
 * "Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check" contains a sample of "Space", written and performed by Galt MacDermot; and an interpolation of "8th Wonder", written by Cheryl Cook, Clifton Chase, Guy O'Brien, Michael Wright, Ronald LaPread, and Sylvia Robinson, as performed by the Sugarhill Gang.
 * "It's a Party" contains samples of "Fun", written by Regi Hargis and performed by Brick; and "Hydra", written by Grover Washington Jr., Brandon Barnes, and Brian McKnight, as performed by Grover Washington, Jr.
 * "Ill Vibe" contains a sample of "Dizzy", written by Tommy Roe and Freddy Weller, as performed by Hugo Montenegro.
 * "Flipmode Squad Meets Def Squad" contains interpolations of "Rated 'R'", written by Reginald Noble and James Brown, as performed by Redman; and "Lick the Balls", written by Eric Sadler, James Boxley III, and Ricky Walters, as performed by Slick Rick.
 * "Still Shining" contains a sample of "Where Is Love", written by Lionel Bart, as performed by Cal Tjader; and an interpolation of "Scenario (Remix)", written by Kamaal Fareed, Bryan Higgins, James Jackson, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Trevor Smith, and Malik Taylor, as performed by A Tribe Called Quest featuring Kid Hood and Leaders of the New School.
 * "Keep It Movin'" contains samples of "Recess", written and performed by Eddie Harris; and "Ecstasy", written and performed by Ohio Players.
 * "The Finish Line'" contains a sample of "Street Scene: Dark Alleys", written and performed by Arif Mardin.
 * "The End of the World (Outro)" contains samples of "Fanfare for the Common Man", written by Aaron Copland; and "O Fortuna", written by Carl Orff.

Performance

 * Busta Rhymes – lead vocals
 * Rampage the Last Boy Scout – guest vocals (tracks 4, 9), additional vocals (tracks 1, 5), skit vocals (track 11)
 * Zhané – guest vocals (track 6)
 * Q-Tip – guest vocals (track 8)
 * Jamal – guest vocals (track 9)
 * Redman – guest vocals (track 9)
 * Keith Murray – guest vocals (track 9)
 * Lord Have Mercy – guest vocals (track 9), additional vocals (track 1)
 * Dinco D – guest vocals (track 11 as part of the Leaders of the New School)
 * Milo – guest vocals (track 11 as part of the Leaders of the New School)
 * Charlie Brown – guest vocals (track 11 as part of the Leaders of the New School)
 * Spliff Star – skit vocals (track 13)
 * Wade Thoren – skit vocals (track 13)

Technical

 * Tom Coyne – mastering
 * Rick St. Hilaire – mixing (tracks 1, 3, 5, 11, 13), recording (tracks 1, 3–5, 9, 11, 13)
 * Busta Rhymes – mixing, arrangement (tracks 2, 4, 7, 9, 11, 12)
 * DJ Scratch – mixing, arrangement (track 2, 12)
 * Easy Mo Bee – mixing, arrangement (tracks 3, 6)
 * Andy Blakelock – mixing (track 4), recording (track 6)
 * The Vibe Chemist Backspin – mixing, recording, arrangement (track 7)
 * Q-Tip – mixing, arrangement (track 8)
 * Jay Dee – mixing, arrangement (track 10)
 * Peter Darmi – mixing (track 10), recording (tracks 2, 8, 10, 12)
 * Mike Scielzi – recording assistance (tracks 2, 4, 6, 10, 12)
 * Vinnie Nicoletti – recording assistance (tracks 3-5, 9, 11)

title: The Coming


text: Category:Italian drinks

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

title: Category:Italian drinks


text:
Talk:Flag of Michigan

Gun
I couldn't find a source for this "representing peace and the ability to defend his rights" (refering to the gun on the shield]]. Please replace if there is a source - I was just afraid it might be OR. Best, MarkBuckles (talk) 07:16, 18 March 2007 (UTC)

Vectorization
Compare the Wikipedia vector version of the flag to some raster versions of the flag found on .gov websites. Many such flags on Wikipedia are just garbled, and lead to some really bad Wikipedia→source→Wikipedia circular sourcing of bad vector versions of flags. HueSurname (talk) 11:08, 30 January 2022 (UTC)
 * I would appreciate if someone with more visual arts skill than me made a clean version by combining the my hastily-vectorized version with the text from the old version. HueSurname (talk) 03:58, 4 March 2022 (UTC)
 * Yeah, that's kinda bad. I'd be willing, though I don't have time right now. -Jason A. Quest (talk) 04:34, 4 March 2022 (UTC)

Video of a physical flag of Michigan. HueSurname (talk) 14:32, 5 March 2022 (UTC)

... new version, reverted version. I honestly don't understand why you'd revert the change. HueSurname (talk) 14:20, 5 March 2022 (UTC)
 * The old version is a cartoonishly traced over-simplification. HueSurname's version suffers from autotrace problems. (Open it in Illustrator or Inkscape and zoom in.) I'm a digital media artist who designs flags as a hobby. Give me some time, and I think I can do better than both. -Jason A. Quest (talk) 15:27, 5 March 2022 (UTC)
 * HueSurname, I reverted your image because it is auto-traced and is heavily distorted. Letters blur into each other and are no longer legible, and formerly sharp lines became lesser defined. I'm sorry, but it was not a good vectorization.  Fry1989 eh? 14:13, 6 March 2022 (UTC)
 * It certainly wasn't perfect but was the previous version actually better? Reverting an improvement just because it's not perfect is detrimental. HueSurname (talk) 07:03, 7 March 2022 (UTC)

Somebody fixed it a few months ago! HueSurname (talk) 07:07, 11 January 2023 (UTC)

title: Talk:Flag of Michigan


text:
Svijany Brewery

Svijany Brewery is a brewery in Svijany in the Czech Republic. Established in 1564, it is one of the oldest Czech breweries.

The brewery produces an extensive range of unpasteurised lagers, mostly light in color and ranging in strength between 3.2% and 6.5% ABV.

In common with the breweries in Náchod and Rohozec, Svijany is owned by the Liberec Investment Fund.

Production
Svijany are available as a 10°-15°, dark and as a special variant.

 * Svijanská Desítka is a deeply fermented 10° pale beer which is 3.8% alcohol by volume (ABV).
 * Svijanský Máz a flagship product, it is an 11° typical pale lager which is 4.8% ABV.
 * Svijanský Fanda is a special 11° lager, it is mixed dark and light beer.
 * Svijanský Rytíř (Knight) is a 12° pale lager which is 5.0% ABV.
 * Svijanská Kněžna (Duchess) is a dark 13° beer which is 5.2% ABV.
 * Svijanský Kvasničák is a 13° unfiltered beer.
 * Svijanský Kníže (Duke) is a 13° pale beer which is 5.5% ABV.
 * Svijanský Baron is a special 15° pale beer which is 6.5% ABV.
 * Svijanský Fitness is a special light beer which is 3.2% ABV.
 * Svijanský Vozka (Driver) is a non-alcoholic beer.
 * Svijanský Weizen is a 12° wheat beer.

History
The brewery started to operate in 1564. In 1565, the village of Svijany with the brewery was acquired by Jaroslav of Wartenberg. Upon Jaroslav's death in 1602, the village and brewery passed to Joachim Andreas von Schlick. As a rebel against Habsburg rule of Bohemia, he was executed in 1621, and Svijany came under control of the Wallenstein family through 1814. In 1820, Svijany passed to control of the Rohan family. They sold the brewery to their tenant, Antonín Kratochvíle, whose family continued to operate it until 1939, at which point they were compelled to sell it back to the Rohan family.

In 1945 the brewery was confiscated and nationalized as part of the state-owned Severočeské pivovary, which was dissolved in 1990, at which point Svijany became part of the state-owned breweries of Vratislavice nad Nisou. Later threatened with closure due to a sales crisis, Svijany was sold to the newly established Pivovar Svijany (Svijany Brewery Ltd.) in 1998. This was converted to a joint-stock company in 1992 and incorporated into Pražské Pivovary (Prague Breweries) in 1997. At that time Pražské Pivovary had come under control of the English brewer Bass company. In 2002, Pražské Pivovary became part of the Belgium-based Interbrew group, changing their name in 2003 from Pražské Pivovary to Pivovary Staropramen. In 2004, Interbrew merged with AmBev to form Inbev. In 2009, the private equity fund CVC Capital Partners bought all of Anheuser–Busch InBev's holdings in Central Europe, renaming the operation StarBev. In 2010, Svijany came under ownership of the Liberec Investment Fund, which bought 55% of the company's shares from StarBev and the remaining 45% from Pivovary Lobkowicz.

In September 2011, the brewery's Svijanská Kněžna (Duchess of Svijany) beer was the winner in the category of special semi-dark and dark beers, in the third annual contest of special and unusual beers at the Znojmo Grape 2011 gastronomic festival. Also in September 2011, Svijany's brewing expert Ladislav Černý and longtime brewery manager František Horák were inducted into the Czech Brewing and Malting Hall of Fame.

title: Svijany Brewery


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Sōji-ji

Sōji-ji (總持寺) is one of two daihonzan (大本山) of the Sōtō school of Zen Buddhism. The other is Eihei-ji temple in Fukui Prefecture. Fodor's calls it "one of the largest and busiest Buddhist institutions in Japan". The temple was founded in 740 as a Shingon Buddhist temple. Keizan, later known as Sōtō's great patriarch Taiso Jōsai Daishi, founded the present temple in 1321, when he renamed it Sōji-ji with the help and patronage of Emperor Go-Daigo. The temple has about twelve buildings in Tsurumi, part of the port city of Yokohama, one designed by the architect Itō Chūta.

History
Giving it the name Morooka-dera (諸岳寺) circa 740, Gyōki (668–749) founded the temple as a Shingon Buddhist temple in Noto, a peninsula on Honshu, Japan's largest island. At that time, the temple was a small chapel within the precincts of a larger Shinto shrine called Morooka Hiko Jinja. By 1296, the temple had grown enough to support a full-time priest and a master ajari named Jōken was assigned there.

The Shrine was relocated 1321 to a new estate and Jōken went with it. Jōken entrusted the former temple to Keizan, who then changed the temple from Shingon to a Sōtō temple named Shogakuzan Sōji-ji (ji means Buddhist temple in Japanese). The first official abbot, Gasan, was installed months later. However, the original Buddhist deity enshrined, Kannon Bodhisattva, was still enshrined in the temple, and for a time esoteric rituals were still carried out for the temple's patrons. Because Keizan had originally previously founded another temple, Yōkōji, a complicated rivalry existed between the two temples, leading to open conflict during the Tokugawa period, with Sōji-ji gradually replacing Yōkōji as the head temple of Keizan and the lineage of Gikai. This ascension of Sōji-ji happened in part due to its efforts to send monks out into the countryside, and over generations these monks would often convert small, village chapels (nominally Tendai or Shingon) into full-time temples, which in turn helped Sōji-ji's network grow.

The temple was totally destroyed by fire in 1898. It was rebuilt over a period of several years and, to bring more Sōtō Zen to eastern Japan, reopened in 1911 in its present location at Tsurumi, Yokohama. Sōji-ji-soin (the "father" temple) was built on the original Noto site for monks in training. It sustained considerable damage in the 2007 Noto earthquake.

Routine
According to a mid-20th century description, the monks' day begins at 3 a.m. in summer and one hour later in winter. First they practice zazen for two hours, then attend a service and sutra reading for 75 minutes. They later eat breakfast (rice gruel, tea and pickles). Then for 90 minutes they clean the buildings and the grounds. At 8 a.m. they study Chinese poetry and the writings of Zenjis like Dōgen and Keizan. At 11 a.m. they go to the Butsuden where they perform services or read sūtras for visitors. They eat rice and vegetables for lunch and then from 1 to 3 p.m. they return to perform services for visitors. They eat rice gruel for dinner at 5 p.m. From 6 to 8 p.m. the head monk teaches them sutra reading, from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. they return to practice zazen, and then go to sleep at 9 p.m.

Abbot
The Abbot is called Zenji (Master of Zen), and oversees 200 monks and novices in residence. Egawa Shinzan Zenji holds the positions of Abbot of Sōji-ji Soin Training Monastery, administrator of Sōji-ji and Soji-ji Soin, and vice rector, resident priest, assistant head priest, and head priest of related organizations.

Temple compound
The core of the temple consists of seven structures forming the so-called Shichidō garan. The sanmon gate, built in 1969, is, according to the temple's pamphlet the largest such structure in Japan. Itō Chūta (1867–1954) designed the Daiso-dō or Hattō, which honors Keizan and other founders, and the Senbutsujo, the hall used as the monks' main training center and to ordain monks. The Sanshōkaku, constructed in 1990 and equipped with computers and other modern amenities, is a visitors' center for practice and workshops for lay persons aimed at fulfilling Keizan Zenji's vow to help all sentient beings. The Butsuden (Buddha Hall) enshrines a statue of Gautama Buddha (Shaka Nyorai). The Shōkurō contains the [[bonshō]] bell, the drum, the cloud gong or umpan, and the wooden drum (moppan), used to signal the monks' daily routine. The Hōkō-dō is used for memorial rites to ancestors of lay persons, for whom the monks perform services.

Among outreach activities, the Sōji Gakuen Academy is a school system where the students study the Buddha's teaching. The academy has a kindergarten, middle school, high school, and university. Sōji also has child care and a hospital.

The Koshakudai holds the monks' living quarters.

School

 * Tsurumi University

Affiliates

 * Komazawa University
 * Tohoku Fukushi University
 * Aichi Gakuin University
 * Tsurumi University
 * Komazawa Women's University
 * Tomakomai Komazawa University
 * Komazawa Junior College
 * Komazawa Senior High School
 * Komazawa Iwamizawa Senior High School
 * Komazawa Tomakomai Senior High School

Branches

 * Sōjiji-soin (総持寺祖院) in Ishikawa Prefecture
 * Hōgen-ji (法源寺), also known as the Sōjiji Hokkaidō Betsuin (総持寺北海道別院), in Matsumae

In the United States

 * Zenshuji Soto Mission

title: Sōji-ji


text:
GCLP

GCLP may refer to:

 * International Civil Aviation Organization-Code for the Gran Canaria Airport
 * Good Clinical Laboratory Practice, a GxP guideline for laboratory samples from clinical studies

title: GCLP


text:
Talk:Rogues en Vogue

Untitled
Well this is one more good album by Running Wild. I am a huge fan of the band but i can't help admitting that i don't expect anything from them right now apart from doing decent heavy metal albums. Those of you who are familiar with the sound of Running Wild this album will take you back to the days of "Blazing Stone" especially songs like "Angel of Mercy" and "Rogues en Vogue" (two of the beast songs in the album). I sould add that you sould look out for the digipack version beause of the two fantastic bonus songs: "Cannonball tongue" and "Libertalia" (some people think that this is the best RW song). Too bad they weren't included in the album...

(From the article page, by User:87.202.27.113).   18:45, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

Nino Rota
It ought to be known that the song The War contains a passage from Nino Rota's score for the movie Waterloo. Custardslice7 (talk) 18:42, 23 November 2013 (UTC)

title: Talk:Rogues en Vogue


text:
User talk:Thesexysluts

Welcome
Welcome!

Hello, and welcome to Wikipedia! Thank you for your contributions. I hope you like the place and decide to stay. Here are a few good links for newcomers: I hope you enjoy editing here and being a Wikipedian! Please sign your name on talk pages using four tildes (~~); this will automatically produce your name and the date. If you have any questions, check out Where to ask a question or ask me on my talk page. Again, welcome! Friday (talk) 18:46, 6 October 2005 (UTC)
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 * Manual of Style

Response to your note regarding deletion of your band's article
Hi. The article was not deleted due to doubt that you are a band. It was deleted due to lack of any claim of notability. In order to be an encyclopedic article your band must have significant claim to fame. In addition, it is inappropriate to add your own band to Wikipedia. This is considered WP:VANITY and WP:SPAM. Please don't take this as any slight against your band. (They don't have an article on my band either...) - Tεx  τ  urε  18:50, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

A word on Wikipedia
If you find that other editors are deleting your work, it's probably because the article wasn't in line with what we expect here. The criteria for speedy deletion may explain. See also what Wikipedia is not. Also, if it helps, you can create and edit your own user page, and generally people won't bother you about what's there. Friday (talk) 18:50, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

Criteria for bands
While not universially accepted, the criteria on the page WP:MUSIC are often used in considering whether an article about a band should be kept or deleted. it also helps if the article has an encyclopedic tone, that is it doesn't sound too much like an ad or a press release. Try reading WP:SPAM.

But if you are a long way from fulfilling the WP:MUSIC criteria then the odds are agaisnt you. It will help if any article is so written as to make it clear why the band is notable or important -- not how good they are, but how well known they already are. Wikipedia is not, in general, a place for unknown or little known groups to gain publicity, it is a place for people to record knowledge about, and other people to learn about, things already reasonably well known.

You could write about your band on your user page User:Thesexysluts and then when you are bettter known the content could be moved into the article space. DES (talk) 19:26, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

band article
Thanks Texture,

Is there any way we can post our band without it seeming like "vanity" or "spam"?

-The Sexy Sluts

 * Not really under currrent guidelines and thinking unless your band grows to the point that an article can be developed independently based on your increased status. However, Wikipedia is a consensus driven community.  If you want to become involved in the decisions made regarding music and band articles check out WikiProject Music.  As mentioned by Friday, you can also include whatever you'd like on your user page. -  Tεx  τ  urε  19:40, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

title: User talk:Thesexysluts


text:
Category:Story stubs

See WP:NOVELS for article coordination.

title: Category:Story stubs


text:
Talk:Seal of Michigan

tuebor
The meaning is probably more in the direction of 'guard, watch' (Pamour (talk) 11:33, 4 October 2013 (UTC)).
 * But that doesn't make any fucking sense... Bumblebritches57 (talk) 00:47, 27 December 2014 (UTC)

Dates...
How does the Great Seal of the State of Michigan get adopted in 1835 when Michigan did not enter the Union until 1837?-Godot13 (talk) 21:21, 30 June 2014 (UTC)
 * See the various articles about Michigan history, in particular, the Toledo War. Short answer is that Michigan adopted a constitution and formed a state government in 1835, but for various reasons the U.S. Congress did not recognize the government as a state in the Union until 1837. older ≠ wiser 14:12, 2 July 2014 (UTC)

Coat of Arms
The blazon of the coat of arms should simply be given. There is no point to a vague description. -- Daniel C. Boyer (talk) 03:04, 8 May 2016 (UTC)

title: Talk:Seal of Michigan


text:
File:Nekromanteia.jpg

Summary
Big Finish Doctor Who 41 cover by Lee Binding.

Fair use in Nekromanteia (Doctor Who audio)
Though this image is subject to copyright, its use is covered by the U.S. fair use laws because:
 * 1) It's a low resolution copy of a CD/album cover.
 * 2) It doesn't limit the copyright owner's rights to sell the CD/album in any way, in fact, it may encourage sales.
 * 3) Because of the low resolution, copies could not be used to make illegal copies of the album artwork on another CD.
 * 4) The image is itself a subject of discussion in the article or used in the infobox thereof.
 * 5) The image on the cover is significant because it was made by a famous artist.

Source

 * 1) Derived from a digital capture (scan/photo) of the album/CD cover (creator of this digital version is irrelevant as the copyright in all equivalent images is still held by the same party). Copyright held by the record company or the artist. Claimed as fair use regardless.

title: File:Nekromanteia.jpg


text:
Talk:Rudolf Signer

Untitled
This is an actual person, who made meaningful contributions to science. --Guthrie 18:48, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

title: Talk:Rudolf Signer


text:
Talk:Honeymoon in Vegas

Flying Elvises...
I know Wikipedia frowns on Trivia sections, but I just wanted to point out that when TNA Wrestling began, they had a trio called "The Flying Elvis Impersonators" which was taken from this movie.

External links modified
Hello fellow Wikipedians,

I have just modified one external link on Honeymoon in Vegas. 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 tag to http://www.playbill.com/news/article/183635-Honeymoon-in-Vegas-Starring-Tony-Danza-Rob-McClure-and-Brynn-OMalley-Ends-Paper-Mill-Run-Oct-27
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20140622012429/http://playbill.com/news/article/192521-Honeymoon-in-Vegas-Will-Arrive-on-Broadway-in-November-Initial-Casting-Announced to http://www.playbill.com/news/article/192521-Honeymoon-in-Vegas-Will-Arrive-on-Broadway-in-November-Initial-Casting-Announced

When you have finished reviewing my changes, you may follow the instructions on the template below to fix any issues with the URLs.

Cheers.— InternetArchiveBot  (Report bug) 17:58, 13 January 2018 (UTC)

title: Talk:Honeymoon in Vegas


text:
Talk:St. Anne School (Seattle, Washington)

Articles for Deletion debate
This article survived an Articles for Deletion debate. The discussion can be found here. -Splash talk 18:49, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

Move
This page has been requested as moved to the School, City, State format to bring it in line with other schools.Gateman1997 23:52, 3 November 2005 (UTC)

 * Comment: I happened to notice that less than two hours ago a discussion thread was started on Wikipedia talk:Schools which proposes to make the format "Official School Name (City, State)" the format of choice. If that is agreed to, this should NOT be moved.  I would suggest holding off on a move until that issue is resolved.
 * Oppose move. The article title is both valid and informative.  No need to change in the absence of an article-class-wide guideline as noted in the preceding unsigned comment. Courtland 05:06, 7 November 2005 (UTC)
 * Delay till vote complete at Wikipedia talk:Schools, and follow whatever is decided there. --rob 07:18, 7 November 2005 (UTC)
 * Oppose. Check Category:High_schools_in_Texas and Category:High_schools_in_Washington "...School, City, State format to bring it in line with other schools." seems to be a very misleading rationale to change a long-standing standard. For years parens have disambiguated everything except cities/towns/neighborhoods. Niteowlneils 20:43, 7 November 2005 (UTC)

Outcome
Request not fulfilled due to lack of consensus. Rob Church Talk 11:09, 8 November 2005 (UTC)


text:
Texas State Highway 2

State Highway 2 (SH 2) was a Texas state highway.

SH 2 was one of the original twenty-five state highways proposed on April 4, 1917, overlaid on top of the Meridian Highway and Gulf Division Highway. From 1919 the routing mostly followed present day Interstate 44 (I-44) from Oklahoma to Wichita Falls, and U.S. Highway 287 (US 287) to Fort Worth. It continued on, routed along present day State Highway 174 and State Highway 6 to Waco. From here, the road divided into two branches, both signed as State Highway 2.

The western branch followed the Meridian Highway from Waco, roughly following I-35 to Temple, State Highway 95 to Taylor, U.S. Highway 79 to Round Rock, and I-35 through Austin and San Antonio, and terminating in Laredo.

The eastern branch followed the Gulf Division Highway from Waco, routed along present day State Highway 6 through Bryan to Hempstead and follows US 290 into Houston. From there the routing follows US 75 into Galveston. On August 21, 1923, the Gulf Division branch became part of State Highway 6 from Waco to Galveston. SH 2 was rerouted north of Bowie to Oklahoma along current US 81, replacing SH 2D, while the old route to Henrietta was renumbered State Highway 50, the sections from Henrietta to Wichita Falls were already part of State Highway 5, and the section north of Wichita Falls became an extension of State Highway 30. SH 2 was rerouted along current I-35W and I-35 through Hillsboro and concurrent with SH 6 to Waco, replacing SH 2A, with the section of the old route from Meridian to Waco being renumbered as part of SH 67, and the section from Cleburne to Meridian was renumbered as SH 89, and the section from Cleburne to Burleson became part of the new SH 2A. On December 17, 1923, SH 2 was rerouted along current I-35W from Temple to Round Rock, replacing SH 2C, while the old route through Taylor was redesignated as SH 2B.

In 1926, US 81 was routed over SH 2 from Oklahoma to Laredo. On March 19, 1928, SH 2 extended south replacing all of SH 12B to Pharr. On March 18, 1929, this extension was changed back to SH 12B. On September 22, 1936, routes called SH 2 Loop through Buda and Kyle were added. On December 22, 1936, routes called SH 2 Bypass through Waco and New Braunfels were added. On December 21, 1938, SH 2 Loop and SH 2 Tap were designated in Ringgold. While the routes were marked concurrently, on September 26, 1939, SH 2 was removed in favor of US 81. The loops, bypasses, and taps became Loop 2 (Waco), Loop 3 (New Braunfels), Loop 4 (Buda), Loop 5 (Kyle), and Loop 19 and Spur 19 (Ringgold).

Spur routes
The route had numerous spurs and alternate routings during its lifetime.

For the initial June 21, 1917 Texas routing proposal, while the main route continued southwest from Cleburne to Meridian, and then southeast to Waco, State Highway 2A ran southeast from Cleburne to Hillsboro, where it met State Highway 6. On April 23, 1918, the routing of SH 2A remained similar, except the split from the main route happened at Burleson, travelling southeast through Alvarado to Hillsboro. On August 21, 1923, the main route of SH 2 had been rerouted over SH 2A section from Burleson to Itasca, while SH 2A was reassigned to the old alignment of SH 2 from Burleson to Cleburne and to the old alignment of SH 2E to Hillsboro. The old route of SH 2 was renumbered as SH 89 (now SH 174) from Cleburne to Meridian and part of SH 67 (now SH 6) from Meridian to Waco. The SH 2A designation was deleted on September 26, 1939, and was replaced by portions of SH 174, SH 171, and SH 291 (now FM 2719).

State Highway 2B was a spur designated on December 18, 1917, in McLennan County running from Riesel northeast to Mart along an already constructed section of what was previously proposed as part of SH 7. On March 20, 1922, SH 2B extended to the Limestone county line. On December 17, 1923, it was cancelled. SH 2B was designated that same day over a former routing of SH 2 from Round Rock east and north to Temple via Taylor. On June 8, 1925, the SH 2B from Riesel to the Limestone county line was restored, but this was redesignated to SH 2C ca. 1927. On April 6, 1932, it was transferred to SH 95 and SH 43 (now US 79).

A more direct route through central Texas between Belton and Round Rock, bypassing Taylor to the west designated as an intercounty highway on January 24, 1918. On July 17, 1918, this was upgraded to a state highway, State Highway 2C, and extended north to Temple. On December 17, 1923, the main route of SH 2 had been rerouted over it. Ca. 1927, a new SH 2C from Riesel to the Limestone county line was designated. The road was redesignated as Texas State Highway 164 on September 17, 1930.

State Highway 2D was a spur route in north Texas designated on December 16, 1918, branching off the main route at Bowie and travelling north through Ringgold and crossing into Oklahoma. On August 21, 1923, the main route of SH 2 had been rerouted over it, with the old route of SH 2 transferred to SH 50 (now US 287), SH 5 (now US 287), and SH 30 (now US 277).

State Highway 2E was a short connector route between Cleburne and Itasca designated on March 22, 1921, connecting the main route and SH 2A. On August 21, 1923, SH 2E was reassigned to SH 2A.

State Highway 2F was a planned spur routing designated in 1921 or 1922 splitting from the main route in Taylor and travelling south to Elgin. On August 21, 1923, the route was cancelled, and on April 21, 1924, the route was restored as SH 95. A new SH 2F was designated on March 18, 1929, from Bowie to Montague. On April 23, 1929, it was extended north to Nocona. On March 19, 1930, SH 2F was renumbered as SH 59.

title: Texas State Highway 2


text:
Economy of West Virginia

The economy of West Virginia nominally would be the 62nd largest economy globally behind Iraq and ahead of Croatia according to 2009 World Bank projections, and the 64th largest behind Iraq and ahead of Libya according to 2009 International Monetary Fund projections. The state has a projected nominal GDP of $63.34 billion in 2009 according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis report of November 2010, and a real GDP of $55.04 billion. The real GDP growth of the state in 2009 of .7% was the 7th best in the country. West Virginia's economy accelerated in 2014 with a growth rate of 5.1%, ranking third among the fastest growing states in the United States alongside Wyoming and just behind North Dakota and Texas. In 2021, the state GDP was $72.48 billion, an increase over $69.71 billion in 2021.

Morgantown was ranked by Forbes as the 10th best small city in the nation to conduct business in 2010, then as 73rd in its 2019 "The Best Small Places For Business And Careers" rankings.

West Virginia's unemployment rate in August 2019 was 4.6%, the lowest since the start of the Great Recession. As a result of the COVID pandemic, West Virginia's unemployment rate had risen to 6.1% in December 2020, which, by November 2022, had improved from pre-pandemic levels, reported at 4.1%.

Overview
The economy of West Virginia nominally would be the 62nd largest economy globally behind Iraq and ahead of Croatia according to 2009 World Bank projections, and the 64th largest behind Iraq and ahead of Libya according to 2009 International Monetary Fund projections. The state has a projected nominal GDP of $63.34 billion in 2009 according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis report of November 2010, and a real GDP of $55.04 billion. The real GDP growth of the state in 2009 of .7% was the 7th best in the country. West Virginia was only one of ten states in 2009 which grew economically.

In 2009, while per capita income growth fell 2.6% nationally, West Virginia's grew at 1.8%. Through the first half of 2010, exports from West Virginia topped $3 billion, growing 39.5% over the same period from the previous year and ahead of the national average by 15.7%.

Personal income growth in West Virginia during 2013 was only 1.5% - the lowest in the nation - and about half the national average of 2.6%. Overall income growth in West Virginia in the last 30 years has been only 13% (about one-third of the national average of 37%). Wages of the impoverished bottom 1% income earners decreased by 3%, compared to the national average for the bottom 1% income earners which increased 19%.

Morgantown was ranked by Forbes as the #10 best small city in the nation to conduct business in 2010. The city is also home to West Virginia University, the 109th best public university according to U.S. News & World Report.

The net corporate income tax rate is 6.5%, while business costs are 13% below the national average.

Appalachian Regional Commission

The Appalachian Regional Commission was formed in 1965 to aide economic development in the Appalachian region, which was lagging far behind the rest of the nation on most economic indicators. The Appalachian region as defined by the Commission includes 420 counties in 13 states, including all 55 counties in West Virginia, the only state whose entire territory is covered by the Appalachian Regional Commission. The Commission gives each county one of five possible economic designations - distressed, at-risk, transitional, competitive, or attainment - with "distressed" counties being the most economically endangered and "attainment" counties being the most economically prosperous. These designations are based primarily on three indicators - three-year average unemployment rate, market income per capita, and poverty rate.

In 2003, West Virginia had a three-year average unemployment rate of 5.7%, compared with 5.5% nationwide. In 2002, West Virginia had a per capita market income of $17,856, compared with $26,420 nationwide. In 2000, West Virginia had a poverty rate of 17.9%, compared to 12.4% nationwide. Fifteen counties in West Virginia were designated "distressed," and sixteen counties were designated "at-risk." No county received the "attainment" designation, and only two - Jefferson and Putnam - were designated "competitive." Nineteen counties were designated "transitional," meaning they lagged behind the national average on one of the three key indicators. McDowell County had West Virginia's highest poverty rating (and the third highest in the entire Appalachian region), with 37.7% of its residents living below the poverty line. Kanawha County had West Virginia's highest per capita income at $25,170, and Monongalia had West Virginia's lowest unemployment rate at 2.7%.

Industries
The largest employers in West Virginia are WVU Medicine; Walmart; CAMC Health; Mountain Health Network; Kroger; Lowe's; Contura Energy; Mon Health; American Consolidated Natural Resources and Mylan Pharmaceuticals.

Research and development and advanced tech
Through 2008, 45,284 West Virginians were employed in advanced technology industries, which made up 5.6% of the economic establishments in the state. Through 2007, roughly 5.11% of the total population or 91,998 citizens of the state aged 25–44 held bachelor's degrees or higher. West Virginia receives annually around $261 million in federal Research and development (R&D) funds, ranking 34th in the nation. Private establishments receiving the most federal R&D contracts in 2009 were Fairmont-based Prologic, Inc., Security Assistance Corporation, Ridgeley-based Alliant Techsystems, Inc., Berkeley Springs-based STS International, and the Fairmont-based West Virginia High Technology Consortium Foundation (HTC). The state is home to federal institutions such as the portions of the National Energy Technology Laboratory and Forestry Science Laboratory in Morgantown, the Leetown Science Center and National Center for Cool and Cold Water Aquaculture in Leetown, National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Green Bank, the Forest Service Timber and Watershed Laboratory in Parsons, the Appalachian Farming Systems Research Center in Beckley, West Virginia District Office of Water Resources in Charleston, and Department of Veterans Affairs R&D units in Clarksburg and Huntington.

West Virginia University is home to research institutions such as the Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute, Robert C. Byrd Cancer Research Laboratory, Center for Identification Technology Research, and the National Research Center for Alternative Fuels, Engines and Emissions.

The Mid-Atlantic Technology, Research and Innovation Center, or MATRIC, is headquartered in South Charleston.

In December 2010, the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission began a $23 million renovation of a research park formerly home to Dow Chemical.

The state has one of the nation's highest concentrations of chemical supply and generic pharmaceutical industries aided by the presence of corporations such as Germany-based BASF and Bayer, DuPont, PPG Industries, Dow Chemical Company, Mylan, founded in White Sulphur Springs, and Texas-based Alcon.

Energy
West Virginia's economy depends heavily on its mineral resources so the declining coal production and low energy prices in recent years have hurt the state's economy. Mining safety and ecological concerns are also major challenges to West Virginia, which still produces the majority of the coal used in the U.S.

West Virginia is considered a national energy hub, leading the nation in net interstate electricity exports and underground coal mine production, while experiencing a growing natural gas industry as a result of the Great Shale Gas Rush. Overall, it produces 15% of the nation's fossil fuel energy. The state's underground natural gas storage represents 6% of the nation's total, and overall it has 5.1 billion cubic feet of natural gas reserves through 2008 estimates.

West Virginia was one of the first states to engage in drilling for oil. Small to medium oil and natural gas fields still exist and are scattered mostly in the Allegheny Plateau and the Cumberland Plateau in an arc throughout the western part of state. The state produces around 180,000 barrels of oil per month, with 23 million barrels of reserves through 2008 estimates.

The state has a growing renewable energy portfolio, anchored by chemical and biodiesel manufacturer AC & S, based in Nitro.

Through 2009 Columbus-based American Electric Power was the fifth largest employer in the state, followed by Consolidation Coal Company at #9, Allegheny Energy Service Corporation #19, Eastern Associated Coal Corporation #31, Columbia Gas Transmission Corporation #40, Hobet Mining, LLC #45, Spartan Mining Company #48, and Elk Run Coal Company, Inc. #50.

Coal
As of 2017, the coal industry accounted for 2% of state employment.

Coal is one of the state's primary natural resources, first discovered in the state in 1742. The industry employs 30,000 West Virginians directly, resulting in $2 billion in wages and a $3.5 billion economic impact.

West Virginia coal exports declined 40% in 2013, representing a decrease of $2.9 billion in export sales.

West Virginia is the largest coal producer east of the Mississippi River, and accounts for 10% of the nation's production. It leads the nation in coal production from underground mines, and has the nation's second largest reserves behind Wyoming.

West Virginia has an annual 13 million barrel coal-to-liquid fuel production capacity.

It has an extensive network of railroads, and much of the coal is transported by rail. The railways were once one of the largest customers for coal to drive the steam locomotives, but these have been replaced by diesel locomotives. Coal is rarely used now for home heating. Most coal today is used by power plants to produce electricity, both in West Virginia, and in other eastern states.

Alternative energy
The state has a growing renewable energy portfolio, anchored by chemical and biodiesel manufacturer AC & S, based in Nitro. The National Research Center for Alternative Fuels, Engines and Emissions is located in Morgantown.

Mountaineer Wind Energy Center located in Preston County and Tucker County was the first wind farm built in the state in 2002. The Beech Ridge Wind Farm is a $300 million, 119 turbine project currently under construction in Greenbrier County. The Mount Storm Wind Farm is located in Grant County and operates 132 turbines.

West Virginia is home to several hydroelectric facilities, including Honeywood Dam on the Potomac River, Cheat Lake Dam in Monogalia County, and Summersville Dam on the Gauley River.

Google has invested in research exploration of the state's geothermal reserves.

Aerospace
Major aerospace employers in the state include Pratt and Whitney located in Bridgeport, Lockheed Martin in Clarksburg, United Technologies in Union, Canada-based Bombardier Aerospace in Bridgeport, Alliant Techsystems, FCX Systems in Morgantown, and FMW Composite Systems and Aurora Flight Sciences of West Virginia in Bridgeport.

Healthcare and education
In 2009, West Virginia University Healthcare alone had an economic impact of $2.2 billion on the state and was the #23 employer. West Virginia United Health System was the #2 employer in 2009, ahead of Charleston Area Medical Center at #3, St. Mary's Hospital #7, Cabell Huntington Hospital, Inc. #12, Wheeling Hospital #14, and Camden-Clark Memorial Hospital #24.

In 2008, public higher education institutions had a $7.9 billion economic impact on the state, creating 40,600 employment positions. Private higher education institutions had a $345 million economic impact on the state in 2004, creating 6,258.

Chemicals and materials
Along the western edges of the state the large rivers of the mid-continent erode a distance into the hills and it is here, in the west, that some dense pockets of heavy industry appear. In the Kanawha River Valley near Charleston and along the southern Ohio River Valley near Huntington chemicals predominate, attracted by a readily available labor force and access by barge carriers. Metallurgy, especially steel, has been predominant in the northern panhandle due to a spill-over effect from the traditional center of the US steel industry in Pittsburgh.

The state is a global chemical hub, cited by the Council of American States in Europe as one of North America's premier destinations, with the presence of DuPont, Germany-based Bayer and Stockmeier Kunststoffe GmbH; a subsidiary of Japan-based Kureha, Ashland Specialty Chemical, Flexsys, and Brazil-based Braskem S.A. West Virginia has 80% community acceptance from the chemical industry nationwide, one of the highest in the nation. The chemicals industry accounts for one-fifth of manufacturing sector jobs and nearly 40% of the manufacturing sector's economic output in West Virginia.

West Virginia is home to steel and metal companies such as Luxembourg-based ArcelorMittal in Weirton, Steel of West Virginia Inc. in Huntington, Russia-based Severstal in Wheeling, Japan-based Nisshin Inc. in Wheeling, Follansbee Steel in Follansbee, Special Metals Corporation in Huntington, and Swanson Industries in Morgantown. In December 2010, Russia-based Mechel announced plans to construct a new $12 million coal processing plant in McDowell County.

It is home to one of the highest concentration of resin producers in the world. General Electric Plastics is located in Washington.

Federal government
The FBI's Criminal Justice Information Services Division is located in Clarksburg, NASA's Independent Verification and Validation Facility in Fairmont, and the U.S. Department of Treasury's Bureau of the Public Debt is located in Parkersburg.

Automotive
Between 1990 and 2004, the state experienced $1 billion in investment in the sector and 1500+ new employment positions. It is home to major automotive operations such as Japan-based Toyota in Buffalo, and others including Diamond Electric in Eleanor since 1996 (in 2014 Diamond moved their North American headquarters to West Virginia), NGK Spark Plugs in Sissonville, and Italy-based Sogefi and Japan-based Okuno International in Prichard.

Manufacturing, printing, retail, and hospitality
West Virginia's largest manufacturing employer is Viatris, followed by Toyota, Northrop Grumman and several other Fortune 500 companies that operate facilities in West Virginia, with Owens & Minor Clorox and Commercial Metals Company breaking ground and expanding into the state during 2022.

In December 2010, Ohio-based Macy's announced plans to construct a 1.3 million square foot, $150 million distribution center in Berkeley County, creating 1,900 jobs. Manufacturing operations also include Homer Laughlin China Company in Newell, Blenko Glass Company in Milton, Champion Industries in Huntington, Gabriel Brothers in Morgantown, MTR Gaming Group is Chester, and PNGI Charles Town Gaming.

Media and telecommunications
Major media entities in the state include Marquee Cinemas, which operates theatres from Connecticut to Florida, West Virginia Media Holdings, West Virginia Radio Corporation in Morgantown, West Virginia MetroNews, and Ogden Newspapers in Wheeling, which operates publications from Hawaii, Florida, Minnesota and to New York.

Terradon Communications Group, located in Poca, is a leader in website design and development, with clients including Whirlpool International. Others include Texas-based Aegis Group.

Tourism
In 2010, tourism generated an economic impact of $4.27 billion and 44,400 employment positions. Major tourist attractions include state's premier skiing destinations such as Snowshoe Mountain, Canaan Valley, Winterplace Ski Resort, Oblebay Resort, Elk River Touring Center, and White Grass Ski Touring Center. Other attractions include the Huntington Museum of Art, the Mountain Quest Institute in Pocahontas County, Avampato Discovery Museum in Charleston, the Oglebay Institute in Wheeling, West Virginia State Wildlife Center in French Creek, Greenbrier Resort, Pete Dye Golf Club, Samuel Taylor Suit Cottage, Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park, Moncove Lake State Park, Camden Park in Huntington, West Virginia Zoo, West Virginia wine, Prickett's Fort State Park, Blackwater Falls State Park, the Mountaineer Race Track & Gaming Resort in Chester, Mardi Gras Casino and Resort near West Virginia, Wheeling Island Racetrack & Gaming Center, Hollywood Casino-Charlestown, the Scottish Heritage Festival in Bridgeport, Italian Heritage Festival, Vandalia Gathering in Charleston, Appalachian String Band Music Festival, West Virginia Coal Festival in Madison, the Johnny Johnson Blues and Jazz Festival, the Music in the Mountains Bluegrass Festival, the Appalachian Festival in Raleigh County, and the BBQ & Bluegrass Festival.

Agriculture and forestry
Farming is practiced throughout West Virginia, but in a form different from large extensive cash-crop agriculture elsewhere in the USA. The modal average farm size is a smallish 154 acres. Family and single-owner operation worked 92.7% of the farms, and an astounding 96.9% were totally or partly owned by the operator. On the other hand, only 50.5% of the state's farmers considered farming to be their primary occupation, with a significant number of hours worked elsewhere each year. The rural poverty rate in West Virginia is 20.4%, five points higher than the urban poverty rate.

This description of farming portrays an independent and self-sufficient base of small land owners, but also a significant amount of rural poverty.

As can be expected in a rugged terrain, raising animals was far more important than growing vegetative crops. Income from animals exceeded income from plants by about 7 to 1, with much of the non-animal income derived from sales of fodder. The chief animals raised were cattle and chickens.

In the ridge and valley area along the eastern border near Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, subsidiary valleys are wide and there are some belts of rich soil which are extensively farmed. In 2002, all of the top five counties by agricultural dollar value were located near the eastern Virginia border.

In traditional frontier agriculture there was much gathering of wild "greens" and other vegetation to supplement the diet. One area where this practice is still significant is the gathering of wild North American ginseng, often for the Asian market. Wild gathered ginseng contributed about $2 million in 2000 to the West Virginia economy, a figure larger than many conventional cultivated vegetable and fruit crops. Other wild greens, such as sour dock, lambs quarters, and wild leek (or "ramps") are also still gathered by many for table use, although today more on the basis of avocation or keeping up traditions than out of necessity.

Forestry-based industries employ 15,600 West Virginians through major corporations such as Atlanta-based Georgia Pacific in Mount Hope, Seattle-based Weyerhauser in Heaters, North Carolina-based Coastal Lumber with several locations throughout the state, Virginia-based American Woodmark in Moorefield, and Pittsburgh-based Babcock Lumber Company with multiple locations throughout the state

Banking
Due to the rural demographics in West Virginia, the state isn't dominated by any major U.S. banks. In fact, the only Big Four bank with any retail banking presence in the state is JP Morgan Chase, and only in the Charleston area. Wesbanco is the largest bank in the state, and the only major bank with a presence throughout the state. City National Bank (West Virginia) also has a significant presence in several areas in West Virginia. Other major banks in the state, but only in certain areas, include Chase, Fifth Third Bank in Charleston and PNC Financial Services in Morgantown.

title: Economy of West Virginia


text: User talk:217.169.121.9

title: User talk:217.169.121.9


text:
Walsh–Healey Public Contracts Act of 1936

The Walsh–Healey Public Contracts Act of 1936 (41 USC §§6501-6511) is a United States labor law, passed as part of the New Deal. It is a law on basic labor rights for U.S. government contracts. It was intended to improve labor standards.

Contents
The Walsh-Healey Act that applies to U.S. government contracts exceeding $15,000 for the manufacturing or furnishing of goods. Walsh-Healey establishes overtime pay for hours worked by contractor employees in excess of 40 hours per week, and sets the minimum wage equal to the prevailing wage as determined by the Secretary of Labor. The law prohibits the employment of youths less than 16 years of age and convicts (only those currently in prison), except under certain conditions. The Act sets standards for the use of convict labor, and job health and safety standards. The Walsh-Healey Act does not apply to commercial items.

Background
The Act was named for its Congressional sponsors, both Massachusetts Democrats, Senator David I. Walsh and Representative Arthur Healey.

The Act was based on Executive Order 6246, issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on August 10, 1933, which required government contractors to comply with codes of fair competition issued under the National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA). This became moot when the Supreme Court struck down the NIRA in Schechter Poultry Corp. v. United States (1935).


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Church of St Mary de Castro, Leicester

St Mary de Castro is an ancient, Grade I listed church in Leicester, England, located within the former bailey of Leicester Castle. Today it acts as a parish church in the Church of England's diocese of Leicester. "St Mary de Castro" is Latin for "St Mary of the Castle"; a name chosen to differentiate from nearby "St Mary de Pratis": "St. Mary of the Meadows".

The building was closed in 2011 to the public after the spire was found to be unsafe but as of April 2015 is open again. The spire has been taken down, and funds are currently insufficient to replace it and repair the tower beneath.

It is believed to have been the first church in the UK to be viewable online using Google Street View, having been photographed in August 2012.

Architectural history
It dates its founding to 1107 after Henry I of England granted the lands and castle to Robert de Beaumont, although the chronicler Henry Knighton implies that an Anglo-Saxon college of St Mary had existed and Robert merely refurbished it. Robert established it within the castle bailey as a college served by a Dean and 12 Canons (that is, a collegiate church) in honour of the Virgin Mary and All Souls and as a chantry chapel for the souls of him, his family and the first three Norman kings. He endowed this and four other churches with £6 of his income and land in or near the city. However, in 1143 these endowments were all transferred by his son Robert le Bossu, 2nd Earl of Leicester, to his own new Augustinian foundation of Leicester Abbey. The collegiate church retained, or had restored to it a dean, six clerks and a chaplain, along with Robert de Beaumont's grant of 20 shillings for lamps. It also retained parish offerings and most of the tithes. The collegiate nature of the church lasted until the college was disbanded in 1548 under the Chantry Act of Edward VI.

The early-12th-century church had no aisles, and various parts of these walls survive. It underwent a major expansion in the 1160, with a north aisle, doorways to north and west, and an extension to the chancel. The two doorways provide striking external Norman zigzag decoration, but it is the Sedilia and Piscina in the Chancel extension that Pevsner describes as "the finest piece of Norman decoration in the county". Thirteenth-century alterations culminated in a major reworking of transepts and south aisle, to create an aisle wider than the nave, providing much more space for local parishioners. Also the huge east window of the south aisle, with ingenious tracery, was created around 1300. The tower was built inside the south aisle, apparently as an afterthought, rising to a quatrefoil frieze, four decorated pinnacles, and the needlelike spire rising from the battlements. The spire was completely rebuilt in 1783, but retained its crockets and three tiers of lucarnes. The interior was worked on by George Gilbert Scott throughout the 1860s.

Spire
The church was closed when the spire was found to be unsafe. The 14th-century octagonal spire, having been rebuilt in 1783, had developed six-metre-long cracks in four of its faces in September 2013. After inspections by structural engineers, it was deemed at risk of collapse. The severe condition of the spire meant it had to be demolished, at an estimated cost of £200,000, in 2014. Over £358,000 has been raised since 2011; however, there are currently insufficient funds to rebuild the spire and repair the tower.

Famous events
It is rumoured that here, around 1366, Geoffrey Chaucer married Philippa (de) Roet (a lady-in-waiting to Edward III's queen, Philippa of Hainault, and a sister of Katherine Swynford who later (c. 1396) became the third wife of Chaucer's friend and patron, John of Gaunt).

The infant king Henry VI was knighted in the church at Whitsuntide 1426 by his uncle, John of Lancaster, Duke of Bedford, the Regent of France (whilst the Parliament of Bats was being held at the Castle). Henry then proceeded to himself dub a further 44 knights on the same occasion, the first of whom was Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York.

William Bickerstaffe, a charitable local schoolmaster and antiquarian, was baptised, buried and held a seven-year curacy at the church.

Organ
The church contains a three manual pipe organ which was originally installed in 1860 by Forster and Andrews. It has been the subject of modifications and restorations in 1880 by Joshua Porritt, and R. J. Winn in 1960. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.

Organists

 * Henry Bramley Ellis organist 1878–1910
 * Benjamin Burrows 1910–?
 * William Snow, father of C. P. Snow 1930 – c. 1950
 * John M. Bence 1962 - 2020
 * Andrew Green 2020 -

title: Church of St Mary de Castro, Leicester


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Bar gate

A bar, post, pole, beam, or boom gate, also known as a boom or a boom barrier, is a beam or bar on a pivot used as a gate. The boom is lowered to block vehicular or pedestrian access through a controlled point or raised to permit such traffic. Typically, the bar has a 90° range of motion with a vertical raised resting position and a horizontal lowered resting position. Bar gates, especially manually operated ones, are often counterweighted to allow easier manual control. Bar gates are frequently paired end to end or closely offset to block traffic in both directions. Some bar gates also have a second arm which hangs 30 to 40 cm below the upper arm when lowered to increase approach visibility. This underbar typically hangs on links, so it lies flat with the main bar as the barrier is raised. Some barriers also feature a pivot roughly half way, where as the barrier is raised, the outermost half remains horizontal, with the barrier resembling an upside-down L (or gamma) when raised.

Automatic bar gates
There are various technologies for an automatic bar gate. One of them is electromechanical, which is widely used due to its reliability. The other technologies are often manufacturer specific. These electromechanical devices come with 24-volt direct-current drive units which can run continuously without generating heat, so electromechanical bar gates can be operated continuously and in an intensive duty cycle.

An automatic bar gate can be operated through:
 * Push button
 * Remote control
 * Radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags / RFID reader
 * Loop detectors
 * Optoelectronic sensors
 * Automatic Number Plate Recognition Systems

Usage
Bar gates are typically found at level crossings, drawbridges, parking facilities, checkpoints and entrances to restricted areas. They are also the usual method for controlling passage through toll booths, and can also be found on some freeway entrance ramps which are automatically controlled to drop to restrict traffic in the event of accident cleanup or road closures without the need to dispatch road workers or law enforcement to use a vehicle to block the way. Some bar gates are automatic and powered; others are manually operated. Manual gates are sometimes hung in the manner of a normal gate (i.e. hinged horizontally). In some places, bar gates are installed across suburban streets as a traffic calming measure, preventing through traffic, while allowing authorised vehicles such as emergency services and buses to take advantage of the shorter and more direct route.

title: Bar gate


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Talk:Four-Calendar Café

Pur - Track # 10 - 1993-11-01 - Four Calendar Cafe
Since this is the free and the open discussion part of that is Wikipedia, I think I shall say that the song Pur is really an incredible song that stands the test of time and is beautifully recorded Bernie 17:29, 26 July 2006 (UTC)

title: Talk:Four-Calendar Café


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George Hall, 1st Viscount Hall

George Henry Hall, 1st Viscount Hall, PC (31 December 1881 – 8 November 1965), was a British Labour Party politician. He served as Secretary of State for the Colonies between 1945 and 1946 and as First Lord of the Admiralty between 1946 and 1951.

Background
Hall was born in Penrhiwceiber, Glamorganshire, son of George Hall, a miner who was from Marshfield, Gloucestershire and his wife Anne (née Guard), a native of Midsomer Norton, Somerset. Hall was the second of six children (four sons and two daughters) born between 1880 and 1889. His parents were among the thousands of people who migrated to the South Wales Valleys from the West Country in the late nineteenth century, following the expansion of the steam coal trade. George Hall snr. died in 1889 and the young George was compelled to leave Penrhiwceiber elementary school at the age of twelve, in order to start work at the Penrhiwceiber colliery. His widowed mother had been left with a large family to support.

Early career
Following an accident at the colliery requiring a prolonged period of recovery, Hall replaced his relative lack of formal education with extensive reading and self-education. This may well have been a factor in his becoming involved in politics. He was elected as a Labour member of the Mountain Ash Urban District Council (the first Labour member for the Penrhiwceiber Ward) in 1908. On his election, when he defeated sitting Liberal member J.P. Davies by 31 votes, the Aberdare Leader described him as "a young man with very sturdy views. He is bent on backing up Labour principles, and with all his life before him looks like shaping into a leader to be dealt with in that party."

Hall later chaired both the Education Committee and the Urban Council itself and he remained a member until 1926. Hall continued to work as a collier until appointed checkweigher in 1911, and then to act as checkweigher Local Agent at the South Wales Miners' Federation until elected to Parliament in 1922.

Political career
Hall was elected Member of Parliament (MP) for Aberdare at the 1922 general election when he gained the seat for Labour, defeating Charles Stanton who on this occasion stood at the election as a National Liberal having held the seat since a 1915 by-election. Stanton had been a militant trade unionist before the war and had won the seat as a pro-war candidate.

Hall represented Aberdare from 1922 to 1946 and served under Ramsay MacDonald as Civil Lord of the Admiralty from 1929 to 1931. During the 1930s, with the Labour Party numbers in the Commons severely depleted after the 1931 General Election, Hall began to speak on a broader range of subjects having previously focused mainly on issues relating to his mining background.

Constituency MP
During his long political career, Hall remained closely tied to his native town and valley and was regarded as an effective and approachable constituency MP. He devoted considerable energy to attract alternative industries to the Aberdare area following the decline of coal mining. It was largely through his efforts that a major new employer, Aberdare Cables, established a factory in the town in 1937 and Hall later became a director of the company. He was instrumental in establishing Royal Ordnance Factories at Robertstown and Rhigos during World War II as well as the new Hirwaun Trading Estate in 1945. These developments, at least to some extent, offset the impact of the closure of coal mines from the 1930s onwards.

Wartime Government and Cabinet Minister
Hall served under Winston Churchill as Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies from 1940 to 1942, as Financial Secretary to the Admiralty from 1942 to 1943, and as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs from 1943 to 1945 and under Clement Attlee as Secretary of State for the Colonies from 1945 to 1946.

He was appointed a Privy Counsellor in 1942, and on retirement from the House of Commons in 1946, he was raised to the peerage as Viscount Hall, of Cynon Valley in the County of Glamorgan, He then served as First Lord of the Admiralty under Attlee from 1946 to 1951 and as Deputy Leader of the House of Lords from 1947 to 1951.

Personal life
He married Margaret Jones from Ynysybwl on 12 October 1910. They had two sons, one who inherited his father's title while the other was killed while serving in the Royal Navy during World War II. She died on 24 July 1941. Towards the end of his life, he married Alice Martha Walker from Brinklow, a member of Leicestershire County Council, in 1964.

He was a member of the Church in Wales and was elected to its Representative Body

Lord Hall died in Leicester in November 1965, aged 83, and was succeeded by his son William.

title: George Hall, 1st Viscount Hall


text: User talk:81.236.230.81

title: User talk:81.236.230.81


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James Cannon Jr.

James Cannon Jr. (November 13, 1864 – September 6, 1944) was an American bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, elected in 1918. He was a prominent leader in the temperance movement in the United States in the 1920s, until derailed by scandal. H. L. Mencken said in 1934: "Six years ago he was the undisputed boss of the United States. Congress was his troop of Boy Scouts, and Presidents trembled whenever his name was mentioned.... But since that time there has been a violent revolution, and his whole world is in collapse."

Birth and family
Cannon was born on November 13, 1864, in Salisbury, Maryland, the son of James and Lydia R. (Pimrose) Cannon. He married Miss Lura Virginia Bennett of Louisa County, Virginia, on August 1, 1888, who was the daughter of William W. Bennett, President of Randolph-Macon College from 1877 to 1886.

Education
Cannon was educated in the schools of Salisbury. He earned his A.B. degree from Randolph–Macon College in 1884. He earned his A.M. from Princeton University in 1889.

The degree of Doctor of Divinity was conferred upon Cannon in 1903 by Randolph-Macon College. Princeton University awarded him an honorary D.D. degree.

Ordained ministry
Cannon was admitted on trial by the Virginia Annual Conference of the M.E. Church, South in 1888. He served the following appointments: Charlotte Circuit (1888–89), Newport News (1889–91) and Farmville (1891–94). He then became the Principal of the Blackstone Female Institute (1894-1911), and of the Blackstone College for Girls (1914-1918). He also served as the editor of the Baltimore-Richmond Christian Advocate, a periodical of his denomination, beginning in 1904. Cannon also was the Secretary of Education of his annual conference for some years.

Temperance Movement
Cannon was the Superintendent of the Virginia State Anti-Saloon League, beginning in 1909, as well as Legislative Superintendent of the Anti-Saloon League of America. His appointment as bishop in 1918 gave him nationwide influence as he worked zealously to achieve national prohibition through the Eighteenth Amendment.

After the death of Anti-Saloon League leader Wayne Wheeler in 1927, Cannon, chairman of the Methodist Board of Temperance and Social Service, emerged as the most powerful leader of the temperance movement in the United States.

Virginia politics
Cannon worked closely with the "Ring," the dominant conservative faction in Virginia politics, headed by Senator Thomas Staples Martin. The Ring dropped its opposition to prohibition and allowed the state to go dry in 1915, Cannon's first great triumph. Senator Carter Glass became his bitter enemy and started finding irregularities in the bishop's finances, discovering that Cannon, while president of Blackstone College (a small private girls' school in Virginia), had purchased a large quantity of flour in 1917 and, taking advantage of wartime shortages, had resold it not long after at a considerable profit shortly after he became bishop in 1918. Glass kept the information secret. Cannon's national activities in the 1920s reduced his visibility and power in Virginia. In 1921, the old Ring dissolved, replaced by the "Byrd Organization" of Harry Flood Byrd, Sr., which controlled the state for decades.

When the 1928 Democratic Convention chose wet leader Alfred E. Smith for president, Cannon was outraged at this "betrayal" of the dry cause, and helped organize the Anti-Smith Democratic movement in the South. Cannon strongly criticized Smith, calling him "the Cocktail President", who lived in the "sneering, ridiculing, nullifying...foreign-populated city of New York." Soon Virginia and upper South states were leaning toward Republican Herbert Hoover and he did carry them. However, the new Virginia machine led by Byrd and Glass supported Smith and decided Cannon had to be destroyed for ruining party unity in the Solid South. Glass sent investigators to look into Cannon's financial dealings. Cannon, who had never been a candidate for political office, assumed Hoover's victory in Virginia made the state ripe for himself, and spread rumors he would challenge Glass for the Senate seat. He supported a coalition of Anti-Smith Democrats and Republicans to win the governorship for Dr. William Moseley Brown of Washington and Lee College.

Personality and character
One biographer described Cannon as an unpleasant and deceitful person. Although he "loved power and prestige, profit and pleasure," Cannon was a distant, dour, and aloof individual. One Anti-saloon League colleague described him as "cold as a snake"; and another, after working closely with Cannon for forty years, reported having never seen him laugh and rarely seen him even smile.

Glass released information that Cannon had been engaged in shady or illegal stock market manipulations. Fellow bishops called for a church investigation. Reports that he had used Methodist church money to support the anti-Smith Democrats in 1928 led to federal investigations. Although Cannon proclaimed his innocence, the disclosure of the wartime hoarding meant that the charges were mounting faster than his friends could deny them. Cannon's preferred candidate was defeated in the contest for the Virginia governorship; meanwhile, Glass kept pushing for more action.

In 1930, the bishops decided to bring Cannon to trial before a church court, which voted to find him not guilty by a vote of 54 to 11. Then the national newspapers published private letters between Cannon and his secretary showing they were having an affair before his first wife died. The bishops reopened the case and the church again voted not to convict its bishop, this time from the adultery charges.

Still, Cannon was not out of legal trouble. In October 1931, a federal grand jury brought criminal charges against Cannon for violating federal election laws, alleging he borrowed $65,000 for the campaign but kept $48,000 for himself. After a complex series of trials and appeals Cannon was found not guilty in 1934, but the revelations had destroyed his reputation. The highly publicized episodes left Cannon's reputation ruined and helped discredit the prohibition movement as immoral, contributing to the repeal of prohibition.

Death and burial
Cannon died September 6, 1944, and is buried at Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia.

title: James Cannon Jr.


text: User talk:84.68.97.16

title: User talk:84.68.97.16


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User:Drahoslav Vavrda

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title: User:Drahoslav Vavrda


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Ana Lucia Cortez

Ana Lucia Cortez is a fictional character on the ABC television series Lost, played by Michelle Rodriguez. Ana Lucia made her first appearance as a guest star in the first season finale, and became part of the main cast for season two. After Oceanic Flight 815 splits in mid-air, the tail section and fuselage crash on opposite sides of a mysterious island. Ana Lucia becomes the leader of the tail section. Flashbacks in her two centric episodes, "Collision" and "Two for the Road", show her life as a police officer before the crash.

Rodriguez provoked controversy after being stopped by the police for driving under the influence midway through the second season's production. This led to speculation that this was the reason for her death in an episode that aired 5 months later. The producers of Lost claimed that Ana Lucia's death was written in from the beginning. Later, in a 2020 podcast, Lindelof confirmed Rodriguez expressed interest in continuing the role beyond her one-season deal, but they revealed they had already planned her death storyline. In 2023, Maureen Ryan reported various allegations of Lindelof and Cuse fostering a toxic work environment. Several sources corroborated claims of Rodriguez being fired due to her December 2005 arrest and the writers' room fostering a racist environment to mock her circumstances. She is shot and killed by Michael Dawson.

Arc
Prior to the crash, Ana Lucia Cortez is an officer in the Los Angeles Police Department who becomes pregnant, but loses the baby after being shot by a suspect at a burglary scene. She spends several months in physical and psychological therapy, and when the suspect is arrested, she refuses to identify him. After his release, she kills him outside a bar. Ana Lucia decides to leave the force and eventually finds work as an airport security guard. She meets Christian Shephard (John Terry) at the airport bar, who asks her to accompany him to Sydney as a bodyguard, however in Sydney the two part ways. Ana Lucia buys a ticket on Oceanic Flight 815 to return to Los Angeles. In a brief flashback in the first season finale, she flirts with Jack Shephard (Matthew Fox) at a bar at the airport, unaware he is Christian's son. The pair arrange to continue their conversation during the flight. During the flight the plane splits in half, with the two parts crashing on different sides of an island; Ana Lucia is one of the tail section survivors.

The story of how the tail section survivors cope during their first forty-eight days on the Island is shown in "The Other 48 Days". After landing in the ocean, Ana Lucia does her best to help everyone in need. That night, some of the survivors are kidnapped by the Others, the mysterious inhabitants of the Island, then a few nights later, nine more are taken. During the second raid, Ana Lucia kills one of the Others and finds a list on him, which has descriptions of the victims. Suspecting fellow survivor Nathan (Josh Randall) as a traitor, she moves everyone inland, digs a pit and throws him in it until he confesses. 4 nights later, Goodwin (Brett Cullen) tricks Nathan and kills him. The small group heads further inland, discovering a bunker known as the Arrow. Ana Lucia and Goodwin trek atop a hill, where she tells Goodwin she has worked out he is the real traitor. After a struggle, she impales him on a broken stick, then returns to the group and tells them they are safe. Fellow tail section survivors Libby (Cynthia Watros) and Cindy (Kimberley Joseph) bring Jin (Daniel Dae Kim) to her after discovering him washed up on shore. He breaks free, so Ana Lucia follows and finds Michael (Harold Perrineau) and Sawyer (Josh Holloway). Jin, Michael and Sawyer are thrown into the pit, and Ana Lucia follows, pretending to have also been captured. Once she believes they are fellow 815 survivors she releases them, and they travel to the camp of the other survivors. When they near the camp, Ana Lucia mistakes Shannon (Maggie Grace) for an Other and fatally shoots her. The on-island events of "Collision" show her guilt after Shannon's death. She has Shannon's lover Sayid (Naveen Andrews) tied up and refuses to let the group move on. After some reasoning from Libby, she reluctantly lets them go. She is invited into a bunker the fuselage survivors found to interrogate a man claiming to be Henry Gale (Michael Emerson), and manages to receive a map to his crashed balloon. She takes Sayid and Charlie (Dominic Monaghan) with her, and eventually discovers the crash site, and the body of the real Henry Gale. In her second centric episode, "Two for the Road", Ana Lucia attempts to speak to Henry again, but she is assaulted by him and nearly killed. Seeking revenge, she seduces Sawyer and steals his gun. She returns to the hatch and attempts to kill Henry, but is unable to bring herself to do it. She confides in Michael, who offers to kill him on her behalf.

But when Ana hands him the gun, he shoots her in the heart, killing her. She is buried next to Libby, who was also killed by Michael. After Ana's death, she makes three further appearances; in a dream to Mr. Eko (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) in "?", as a vision that Hurley (Jorge Garcia) has in "The Lie", and in a flash sideways in "What They Died For".

Personality
Ana Lucia was described by Melanie McFarland of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer as "demanding", "hostile" and a "bully". She called Ana Lucia a "brooding, broken ex-cop" with a "perpetual scowl". McFarland described the character as someone with a "take-charge nature", and an "inability to be reasoned away from her dictatorial decisions". Anna Johns from AOL's TV Squad felt Ana Lucia is "abrasive and lacking common sense or civility". C. K. Sample, also from TV Squad, thought Ana Lucia was "angry", "power mad" and a "total nut job". According to supervising producer Leonard Dick, "Ana Lucia is somebody who does not want to be a victim. She was a victim once and she swore to herself she would never be a victim again". Rodriguez described the character as "very intuitive", adding "I like that the character is pretty much always aware and suspicious". She is "street smart" and has a "speak-her-mind quality".

Development

In February 2005, Lost producers began looking for a Latina woman in her mid-thirties who would be the leader of the tail section, and a romantic interest for Jack. The agent of Michelle Rodriguez (who was 26 at the time) called the producers, informing them Rodriguez was interested in the role, but only for a year. Rodriguez, producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, and Lost creator J. J. Abrams met, and Rodriguez explained she would only be interested in one season because she was a "nomadic spirit", but would like to do one "kickass arc" as she called it. The producers liked her energy, so agreed, with the plan to kill Ana Lucia at the end of the season. Rodriguez felt she had been typecast in tough female roles, so wanted this role to be different. Ana Lucia was planned to start as a tough character, because that is what the audience would expect, then the layers of the character would be gradually peeled back. Rodriguez described Ana Lucia as an "animalistic type creature... tamed by the Island." They reconstructed the character slightly to fit what they liked about Rodriguez, such as making her more "street smart" with a "speak-her-mind quality." Ana Lucia made her first appearance in the penultimate episode of season one, in order to set up her character becoming part of the cast in the next season. All Rodriguez was told about her character was both she and her mother were in the police force. Ana Lucia's style of leadership deliberately contrasts Jack's; Jack is a reluctant leader, whereas Ana Lucia quickly takes charge on her own. In her early appearances, Ana Lucia is shown to be very tough, so the flashbacks in "Collision", where it is revealed she lost her baby, were used to show a softer side to her.

When it came time to kill off Ana Lucia, the character of Libby was killed at the same time to create an emotional impact. This happened amidst rumours that the characters were killed off because both actresses in question had been arrested for DUI while filming on location in Oahu. The producers denied that Ana Lucia was killed off because of Rodriguez's behaviour on set, saying although they had no interaction with her, they had been told she had been professional. Rodriguez felt comfortable on the series, but was happy to leave as she felt this would help her grow personally, and become a woman. She had mixed feelings about leaving Hawaii, where Lost is filmed; her allergies were hard to deal with, but she loved the scenery.

Reception
Melanie McFarland from Seattle Post-Intelligencer described Ana Lucia as "one of the most intensely hated characters on television [in the] fall [of 2005]", due to her being "hostile" and a "bully". She added Ana Lucia murdering Shannon, "the least deserving of sympathy of all the previously known survivors", made fans hate Ana Lucia even more. McFarland found this makes "the creation of her character, and Rodriguez's hire, strokes of brilliant writing and casting on the part of Lost producers J.J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof", and described her as a "hero stewed in pathos". Anna Johns from TV Squad was unhappy at the prospect of Ana Lucia's death, feeling Ana Lucia was important because she was a "love to hate" character, she disrupted the Jack-Kate-Sawyer love triangle, and created conflicts, which make the show interesting. Amy Amatangelo from Zap2it admitted she "enjoyed kind of loathing Ana Lucia". In a later article, she described Ana Lucia's death as "a brilliant move", because "one of their own become one of them". She added "nobody liked the Ana Lucia character anyway", but that did not stop it being "one of [the second] season's most jaw-dropping moments". Alan Stanley Blair from SyFy Portal "cheered when she was shot". Ana Lucia's death was second in IGN's list of the top ten Lost deaths, as she made an "immediate impact on the series" with an "unexpected end". On the second season DVD, supervising producer Leonard Dick says "Michelle brought real strength, a dynamic element, to the role". In 2006, Michelle Rodriguez co-won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series with the cast of Lost. She also won an ALMA Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Television Series.

title: Ana Lucia Cortez


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Neil Carter

Neil Carter or Neal Carter may refer to:

Neil

 * Neil Carter (cricketer) (born 1975), South African cricketer
 * Neil Carter (musician) (born 1958), former rhythm guitarist and keyboardist for the British rock band UFO and guitarist Gary Moore
 * Neil Carter (political scientist), British social scientist at the University of York
 * Neil Carter (The Archers), a character from the British radio soap opera The Archers

Neal

 * Neal Carter (politician), American politician
 * Neal Carter, (1902-1978), Canadian marine biologist

title: Neil Carter