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Articles suggested here must already be Featured Articles. Place new requests at the top of the Requests section. This page is not a vote - do not place comment "support" or "oppose". The final decision rests with Raul654. See User:Raul654/Featured article thoughts.

Date requests

Date requests must be for dates within the next thirty days that have not yet been scheduled. There may be no more than five requests in this section at any time. Members of the community may comment on pending dates requests; those without significant support will be removed. The date is highly relevant to the article when it is a significant date to the subject of the article, especially if it is a significant anniversary of the date (e.g., a 10th, 25th or 50th anniversary), or the article is relevant to a major event or well-known holiday occurring on that date. Suggested dates are not the only factor in scheduling Today's Featured Article; the final decision rests with the Featured Article Director (Raul654). Please confine date requests to this page, and remember that community endorsement on this page does not mean the article will appear on the requested date; it only means it is eligible for consideration.

June 30 - New Jersey Devils, 25th anniversary of the day the team was renamed the New Jersey Devils. Bsroiaadn^Talk 01:53, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Oppose Not a significant enough event for the club. Epbr123 08:54, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

How is the team's name not significant? Support, BTW. --Michael Greiner 14:30, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Not significant enough. Epbr123 14:34, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Support - Considering this is the day the franchise finalized its move from Colorado to become the Devils we know today, I'd say Epbr123 is quite incorrect, the day is quite significant in the history of the franchise, and thus the article. Anthony Hit me up... 01:10, 18 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Support seems good enough to me. Blood Red Sandman ^{(Talk) (Contribs)} 10:59, 18 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
~~Oppose~~. Just doesn't seem like a significant anniversary. I doubt that most supporters of the team would even know it. MLilburne 10:41, 21 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

They have only been hyping the anniversary for the last season. [1] --Michael Greiner 12:59, 21 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Ah well, I stand corrected. MLilburne 13:27, 21 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Strong Support I can't think of a better day to put this on. What exactly would be more significant? Sportskido8 19:14, 21 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Support I'd love to see it on the main page. It would be the first ice hockey team article to ever appear on the main page. However I fear this is all in vain due to fighting in ice hockey being on just 5 days before this date. Buc 14:45, 22 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

July 6 - 2012 Summer Olympics bids, the date that the final Decision was made. Buc 06:54, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Support. I was actually coming here to place this on the list! I think it'd be a great one to put on the main page for that date; it's a great article, and an interesting topic. _└^Jared_┘^┌_t^┐ 15:03, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
support seems the logical date for this article Blood Red Sandman ^{(Talk) (Contribs)} 10:59, 18 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

July 4 - Samuel Adams, Independance Day. Epbr123 08:20, 18 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Support great article for this date. Blood Red Sandman ^{(Talk) (Contribs)} 10:59, 18 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Support. Wonderful choice! _└^Jared_┘^┌_t^┐ 15:13, 20 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Support. -- Phoenix2 ^(holla) 22:15, 20 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Support Absolutely. MLilburne 13:28, 21 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

July 20. Christopher C. Kraft, Jr. for the anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landings. It would be great to recognize the date, and Kraft was one of the key contributors to the success of the Apollo program. If not Kraft, then Glynn Lunney would be suitable too. MLilburne 10:39, 21 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Oppose I think Moon would more suitable for this date. Buc 14:42, 21 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Support Moon. Yes, Moon would be good for this day. Or July 21. Personally, I like that date better because that's the day they actually touched the moon (and, of course, because that's my birthday as well!). _└^Jared_┘^┌_t^┐ 20:18, 21 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Someone would have to make a request for moon first. Epbr123 20:22, 21 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Requests

The Notorious B.I.G.

Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), popularly known as Biggie Smalls (after a gangster in the 1975 film Let's Do It Again), Big Poppa, Frank White (from the film King of New York), and his primary stage name, The Notorious B.I.G. (Business Instead of Game), was an American rapper and hip hop artist. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Biggie grew up during the peak years of the 1980s crack epidemic and started dealing drugs from an early age. When he debuted with the 1994 album Ready to Die, he was a central figure in East Coast hip-hop and increased New York's viability at a time when the genre was mostly dominated by West Coast artists. The following year, Biggie led his childhood friends to chart success through his protégé group, Junior M.A.F.I.A. (more...)

Excellent rapper. Any date is fine, though I recommend March 9th. -- R'son-W (speak to me/breathe) 20:46, 21 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Toraja

The Toraja are an ethnic group indigenous to a mountainous region of South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Torajans are renowned for their elaborate funeral rites, burial sites carved into rocky cliffs, massive peaked-roof traditional houses known as tongkonan, and colorful wood carvings. Toraja funeral rites are important social events, usually attended by hundreds of people and lasting for several days. Before the 20th century, Torajans lived in autonomous villages, where they practised animism and were relatively untouched by the outside world. In the early 1900s, Dutch missionaries first worked to convert Torajan highlanders to Christianity. When the Tana Toraja regency was further opened to the outside world in the 1970s, it became an icon of tourism in Indonesia: it was exploited by tourism developers and studied by anthropologists. By the 1990s, when tourism peaked, Toraja society had evolved significantly, from its agricultural beginnings—in which social life and customs were outgrowths of the Aluk To Dolo—into a largely Christian society. (more...)

Recently featured. It's an article about ethnic group in Indonesia. I believe it's under-represented in the FA pool. Any day would be fine. — Indon (reply) — 09:12, 21 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Olm

The Olm or Proteus (Proteus anguinus) is an amphibian living in subterranean waters of the Dinaric karst from the Soča river basin near Trieste in Italy through southern Slovenia and southwestern Croatia to Herzegovina. It is the only species in the genus Proteus, the only European species of the family Proteidae, and the only European cave-dwelling chordate. It is also called the "humanfish" (translated literally from Slovenian: Človeška ribica and Croatian: Čovječja ribica), Cave Salamander, or White Salamander. This animal is most notable for its adaptations to life in the complete darkness of its underground habitat. Its eyes have atrophied, leaving the Olm blind, while its other senses, particularly those of smell and hearing, have become sharper to compensate. It also has no skin pigmentation. In contrast to other amphibians, the Olm is wholly aquatic, not only breeding but living its entire life underwater. This is possible due to larval characteristics, such as external gills, which they retain as adults.

Another newly promoted article for countering systemic bias on WP... --Yerpo 07:36, 21 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Ion Heliade Rădulescu

Ion Heliade Rădulescu was a Wallachian-born Romanian academic, Romantic and Classicist poet, essayist, memoirist, short story writer, newspaper editor and politician, as well as prolific translator of foreign literature into Romanian and the author of books on linguistics and history. For much of his life, he was a teacher at the Saint Sava College in Bucharest, which he helped reopen. He was a founding member of the Romanian Academy, and the first President thereof. Heliade Rădulescu is considered one of the foremost representatives of Romanian culture from the first half of the 19th century, having first become noted for his association with Gheorghe Lazăr and the latter's support for discontinuing education in Greek. Over the following decades, he had a major contribution in shaping the modern Romanian language, but raised controversy when he came to advocate the massive introduction of Italian neologisms to the Romanian lexis. A Romantic nationalist landowner siding with moderate liberals, he was among the leaders of the 1848 Wallachian revolution, after which he was forced to spend several years in exile. Adopting an original form of conservatism, which emphasized the role of boyars in Romanian history, Heliade Rădulescu was rewarded for supporting the Ottoman Empire, and came to clash with the radical wing of the 1848 generation.(more...)

I hope I got this right - I proposed it here mainly because I have never done it before; the article is newly-promoted. Any time will do. Dahn 09:35, 20 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Verbascum Thapsus

Mullein flowers

Verbascum thapsus, commonly known in English as Common or Great Mullein, is a species of mullein native to Europe, northern Africa and Asia, and introduced in the Americas and Australia.

Common mullein is a hairy biennial plant that can grow up to 2 meters. Its small yellow flowers are densely grouped on the stem, which bolts from a large rosette of leaves. It grows in a wide variety of habitats, but favors well-lit disturbed soils, where it can grow suddenly thanks to its long-lived seeds. Common Mullein is a common weedy plant that spreads by way of its large seed production, but rarely is an aggressively invasive species since its seed require open ground to germinate. This species of mullein is a very minor problem for most agricultural crops since it is not a very competitive plant, being intolerant of shade from other plants and unable to survive tilling. However, it hosts many insects, such as the tarnished plant bug, that can be harmful to other plants. Although individuals are easy to destroy by hand, populations are difficult to eliminate permanently since Common mullein, with its heavy seed production, has seeds that persist in the soil seed bank for many years, and may reappear when the ground is disturbed.

V. thapsus is widely used as an herbal remedy with emollient and astringent properties. It is especially recommended for coughs and related problems, but also used in topical applications against a variety of skin problems. The plant was also used to make dyes and torches.

Out of all featured plants articles, of which there are too few, this is by far the most widespread, and possibly the one (alongside Frog and Common Raven) that is directly familiar to the largest number of people amongst organisms FA. It would be nice if it could be featured during it,s flowering period (june-august in most of its range) Circeus 05:00, 18 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion

Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion is a 1944 triptych painted by the Irish-born artist Francis Bacon. The work is based on the Eumenides, or Furies, of Aeschylus' The Oresteia, and depicts three writhing anthropomorphic creatures set against a flat orange background. The triptych was executed in oil paint and pastel on Sundeala fibre board, and was completed within the space of two weeks. The work summarizes themes explored in Bacon's previous paintings, including his examination of Picasso's biomorphs, and his interpretations of the Crucifixion and the Greek Furies. Bacon did not realize his intention to paint a large crucifixion scene and place the figures at the foot of the cross. (more...)

Any day would be fine. Ceoil 13:55, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

New York City

The City of New York is a city in the southern end of the state of New York, and is the most populous city in the United States. New York is a global economic center, with its business, finance, trading, law, and media organizations influential worldwide. The city is also an important cultural center, with many museums, galleries, and performance venues. Home of the United Nations, the city is a hub for international diplomacy.New York City comprises five boroughs, each of which are coterminous with a county: The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. With over 8.2 million residents within an area of 322 square miles (830 km²), New York City has the highest population density of major cities in the United States. The New York metropolitan area, with a population of 18.8 million, ranks among the largest urban areas in the world. (more...)

Recently given FA status, largest city in the United States, any day would be fine for this to appear on the front page. -- R'son-W (speak to me/breathe) 03:05, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump

An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump is a 1768 oil-on-canvas painting by Joseph Wright of Derby, part of a series of candlelit scenes that Wright painted during the 1760s. The Air Pump departed from previous painting conventions by depicting a scientific subject in the reverential manner formerly reserved for scenes of historical and religious significance. Wright was intimately involved in depicting the Industrial Revolution and the scientific advances of the Enlightenment, but while his paintings were recognized as something out of the ordinary by his contemporaries, his provincial status and choice of subjects meant the style was never widely imitated. The picture has been owned by the National Gallery since 1863 and is still regarded as a masterpiece of British art. (more...)

An excellent article on a work of art. A recent FA promotion, it is front-page worthy IMHO. --Jayron32|talk|contribs 02:10, 16 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Nikki Fernandez and Paulo

Nikki Fernandez and Paulo (surname unknown) are fictional characters on the ABC drama television series Lost, which chronicles the lives of over forty people after their plane crashes on a remote island somewhere in the south Pacific. American actress Kiele Sanchez and Brazilian actor Rodrigo Santoro play the con artist survivors of the crash of Oceanic Flight 815. The couple is introduced early in the third season. The producers of the show were often asked what the rest of the plane-crash survivors were doing because the show only focuses on approximately fifteen of the survivors, and the characters of Nikki and Paulo were created in response. Reaction to the characters was generally negative because of their abrupt introduction onto the show. Lost's show runner Damon Lindelof even acknowledged that the couple is "universally despised" by fans. (more...)

The second featured article ever about a fictional character(s) in a live-action television series, and the first to be requested for the main page. --thedemonhog talk • edits 04:16, 15 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

It may be best to suspend any requests for this to be a main page article at present due to a recent merge, I'm pondering nominating this to be re-evaluated due to a significant quality drop. Matthew 10:20, 16 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

After having a look at the article, I definitely think that the prose isn't up to FA standards. MLilburne 14:08, 22 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

the picture is of Rodrigo Santoro, not Paulo. It would need to be of both of them. I'm not exactly for it, but I'm not against it. Millancad 08:00, 20 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The picture is of Santoro because a picture of Paulo would be under fair use, which is not allowed on the main page. --thedemonhog talk • edits 22:16, 20 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Fin Whale

The Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) is a marine mammal belonging to the suborder of baleen whales. It is the second largest whale and the second largest living animal after the Blue Whale, growing to nearly 27 metres (88 ft) long.^[1] It also holds the record, together with the Blue Whale, for producing the loudest sounds in the animal kingdom. There are at least two distinct subspecies: the Northern Fin Whale of the North Atlantic, and the larger Antarctic Fin Whale of the Southern Ocean. It is found in all the world's major oceans, from polar to tropical waters. It is absent only from waters close to the ice pack at both the north and south poles and relatively small areas of water away from the open ocean. The highest population density occurs in temperate and cool waters. Its food consists of small schooling fish, squid and crustaceans including mysids and krill. Like all other large whales, the Fin Whale was heavily hunted during the twentieth century and is an endangered species. The International Whaling Commission (IWC) has issued a moratorium on commercial hunting of this whale, although Iceland and Japan have announced intentions to resume hunting. Collisions with ships and noise from human activity are also significant threats to the recovery of the species. (more...)

Clayoquot and I spruced up the intro a bit - it's never been on the main page. cheers, Cas Liber | talk | contribs 11:54, 14 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Surtsey

Surtsey (Icelandic: "Surtur's island") is a volcanic island off the southern coast of Iceland. At 63°18′N 20°37′W / 63.30°N 20.62°W it is also the southernmost point of Iceland. It was formed in a volcanic eruption which began 130 metres below sea level, and reached the surface on 14 November 1963. The eruption may have started a few days earlier and lasted until 5 June 1967, when the island reached its maximum size of 2.7 km². Since then, wind and wave erosion has seen the island steadily diminish in size: as of 2002 it is only 1.4 km² in size. The new island was named after the fire god Surtr from Norse mythology, and was intensively studied by volcanologists during its creation and, since the end of the eruption, has been of great interest to botanists and biologists as life has gradually colonised the originally barren island. The eruption that created Surtsey also created a few other small islands along this volcanic chain, such as Jólnir and other unnamed peaks. Most of these eroded away fairly quickly. (more...)

This might be a good choice. Although it's already a featured article, appearance on the main page might lead to a great improvement.--Húsönd 01:23, 14 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Aquaman (TV program)

Aquaman (also known as Mercy Reef) is a television pilot developed by Smallville creators Al Gough and Miles Millar for The WB Television Network, based on the DC Comics character Aquaman. Gough and Miller wrote the pilot, which was directed by Greg Beeman. Justin Hartley starred as Arthur "A.C." Curry, a young man living in a beachside community in the Florida Keys who learns about his powers and destiny as the Prince of Atlantis. The Aquaman pilot was expected to debut in the fall of 2006, but following the merger of the WB and UPN, the resulting CW Network opted not to buy the series. After they passed on the pilot, it was made available online through iTunes in the United States and became the number-one most downloaded television show on iTunes. It received generally favorable reviews and was later released on other online markets, and on Canadian television network YTV. (more...)

Recently listed featured article. Nominating to front page because the article acts as its own "series" article, being that it was never picked up by studios. Find it main page worthy also because, even though it was never picked up, it has still managed to find an audience. BIGNOLE (Contact me) 20:20, 12 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Image:Teach cast.jpg is an image that might be useable for main page. Circeus 14:58, 18 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Yeah. That could work. Bignole 00:31, 20 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Amanita phalloides

Amanita phalloides, commonly known as the death cap, is a deadly poisonous basidiomycete fungus, one of many in the genus Amanita. Widely distributed across Europe, A. phalloides associates with various deciduous and coniferous trees. An adaptable organism, its range is expanding in other countries after it was accidentally introduced alongside oak, chestnut and pine. The large fruiting bodies (i.e. the mushrooms), appearing in summer and autumn, are generally greenish in colour, with a white stipe and gills. Unfortunately, these toxic mushrooms resemble several edible species commonly consumed by humans, increasing the risk of accidental ingestion. A. phalloides has an infamous reputation for being one of the most poisonous of all known toadstools. It has been involved in a majority of human deaths from mushroom poisoning, including several important historical figures such as the Roman Emperor Claudius and Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI. It has been the subject of much research and many biologically active agents have been isolated. The principal toxic constituent is α-amanitin, which damages the liver and kidneys, often fatally. No truly effective antidote is known.(more...)

Nominating the first ever featured article on a fungus...cheers, Cas Liber | talk | contribs 06:24, 12 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Coonskin (film)

Coonskin is a 1975 film written and directed by Ralph Bakshi, about an African American rabbit, fox, and bear who rise to the top of the organized crime racket in Harlem, encountering corrupt law enforcement, con artists and the Mafia. The film, which combines live-action with animation, stars Philip Michael Thomas, Charles Gordone, Barry White and Scatman Crothers, all of whom appear in both live-action and animated sequences. Coonskin utilizes a number of references to various elements from African American culture, ranging from African folk tales to the work of cartoonist George Herriman, and satirizes racist and other stereotypes, as well as the blaxploitation genre, Song of the South, and The Godfather. Originally produced under the titles Harlem Nights and Coonskin No More..., and later re-released under the titles Bustin' Out and Street Fight, Coonskin encountered extreme controversy before its original theatrical release when the Congress of Racial Equality strongly criticized the content as being racist, although none of the group's members had seen the film. When the film was finally released, it was given limited distribution and initially received negative reviews. The film has since been reappraised, with many considering it to be one of Bakshi's finest works. (more...)

Recently listed featured article. Documents an important film in the history of American animation. (Ibaranoff24 02:57, 11 June 2007 (UTC))[reply]

Political history of medieval Karnataka

The political history of medieval Karnataka spans the 4th to the 16th centuries CE, when the empires that evolved in the Karnataka region of India made a lasting impact on subcontinent. The medieval era can be broadly divided into several periods. The earliest native kingdoms and imperialism; the successful domination of the Gangetic plains in northern India and rivalry with the empires of Tamilakam over the Vengi region; and the domination of the southern Deccan and consolidation against Muslim invasion. The origins of the rise of the Karnataka region as an independent power date back to the fourth-century birth of the Kadamba Dynasty of Banavasi, the historical starting point in studying the development of the region as an enduring geopolitical entity and of Kannada as an important regional language.

In the southern regions of Karnataka, the Western Gangas of Talakad were contemporaries of the Kadambas. The Kadambas and Gangas were followed by the imperial dynasties of the Badami Chalukyas, the Rashtrakuta Dynasty, the Western Chalukya Empire, the Hoysala Empire and the Vijayanagara Empire. The Muslim invasion of the Deccan resulted in the breaking away of the feudatory Sultanates, the Bahamani Sultanate of Bidar and the Bijapur Sultanate in the 14th century. The fall of the Vijayanagara Empire in 1565 brought about a slow disintegration of Kannada-speaking regions into minor kingdoms that struggled to maintain autonomy in an age dominated by foreigners until unification and independance in 1947. (More...)

This has just been selected as a FA.Dineshkannambadi 11:57, 6 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Bradley Joseph

Bradley Joseph (born 1965, Willmar, Minnesota) is an American composer, pianist/keyboardist, arranger, and recording artist. Active since 1983, he played in various rock bands throughout the Midwest until Greek composer Yanni hired him sight unseen based on a tape of his own compositions. He was a featured concert keyboardist with Yanni through six major tours and appears in the 1993 multi-platinum album and video, Yanni Live at the Acropolis. He also spent four years as lead keyboardist and co-musical director for Sheena Easton, including a 1995 performance on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Joseph's solo career began in 1994 when he independently released Hear the Masses, featuring many of his Yanni bandmates. This debut album was followed by Rapture, an instrumental album recorded with a 50-piece orchestra and released on the Narada label, reaching NAV's "Airwaves Top 30". He has produced his next eight albums under his own record label, Robbins Island Music. Two of his albums, Christmas Around the World and One Deep Breath, also held positions on NAV’s Top 100 radio chart. His musical style ranges from original solo piano pieces to "full blown" orchestral compositions and arrangements. While busy with his own career, Joseph reunited with Yanni in 2003 for the 60-city Ethnicity tour, during which time he wrote The Journey Continues after sound checks. He was named one of the "Ten Outstanding Young Minnesotans" of 2004.(more...)

Comprehensive biography on an American composer/pianist. Cricket02 20:24, 4 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Search engine optimization

Structure of a typical search results page

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the volume and quality of traffic to a web site from search engines via "natural" ("organic" or "algorithmic") search results. Usually, the earlier a site is presented in the search results, or the higher it "ranks," the more searchers will visit that site. SEO can also target different kinds of search, including image search, local search, and industry-specific vertical search engines.

As a marketing strategy for increasing a site's relevancy, SEO considers how search algorithms work and what people search for. SEO efforts may involve a site's coding, presentation, and structure, as well as fixing problems that could prevent search engine indexing programs from fully spidering a site. Other, more noticeable efforts may include adding unique content to a site, and making sure that the content is easily indexed by search engines and also appeals to human visitors.

(more...)

How about a geeky computer technology article for a change of pace? This one has broad appeal. Jehochman ^Talk 16:53, 1 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

What You Waiting For?

"What You Waiting For?" is a dance-pop song written by Gwen Stefani and Linda Perry for Stefani's 2004 debut solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. The song is the album's opening track, and was released as its first single. "What You Waiting For?" details Stefani's lack of inspiration, fear of producing the album, as well as her reaction to pressures exhorted by her record label. The song is influenced by electro and New Wave music, and introduces Stefani's four back-up dancers, the Harajuku Girls, who became a major theme in the album's production. "What You Waiting For?" was released as the album's lead single; according to Stefani, as an "explanation for doing the record". The single sold well, reaching the top twenty in many countries, and topped the charts in both Argentina and Australia. It was certified gold in the United States, and was nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 47th Grammy Awards. It was well received by music critics, and was frequently cited as a highlight of the album. The song has been remixed several times, and was covered by indie rock band Franz Ferdinand. (more...)

Unless the article has since been de-featured, we haven't had a pop song on the Main Page since 2005. As the album's lead single, the article would also be a nice representation of the Love. Angel. Music. Baby. featured topic, which contains three other featured articles and three good articles. ShadowHalo 08:01, 1 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Not that it's a big deal, but Dixie (song) made it in January 2006, I Want to Hold Your Hand (a FFA) made it in February 2006, This Charming Man (a FFA) made it in March 2006, (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction made it in March 2007, and Smells Like Teen Spirit made it in May 2007. (And, since you posted this, Hollaback Girl made it in June 2007).

This article is very well written and systematic.I totally agree with ShadwoHalo.Deserves to be on main page.User:luxurious.gaurav

Common Raven

The Common Raven (Corvus corax), is a large all-black passerine bird in the crow family. Found across the northern hemisphere, it is the most widely distributed of all corvids. It has coexisted with humans for thousands of years, and in some areas has been so successful that it is considered a pest. Common Ravens are extremely versatile and opportunistic in finding sources of nutrition, feeding on carrion, insects and food waste, in addition to cereal grains, berries, fruit and small animals. Some remarkable feats of problem-solving have been observed in the species, leading to the belief that it is highly intelligent. Over the centuries, it has been the subject of mythology, folklore, art and literature. In many indigenous cultures, including those of Scandinavia, ancient Ireland and Wales, Bhutan and the northwest coast of North America, the Common Raven has been revered as a spiritual figure or god. (more...)

Iconic bird, nice photo, great article, biological one which makes for a nice change...cheers, Cas Liber | talk | contribs 07:03, 1 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Durian

The durian is the edible fruit of trees of the genus Durio belonging to the Malvaceae, a large family which includes hibiscus, okra, cotton, mallows and linden trees. Widely known and revered in Southeast Asia as the "King of Fruits," the fruit is distinctive for its large size, unique odour, and a formidable thorn-covered husk. The hard outer husk is covered with sharp, prickly thorns, while the edible custard-like flesh within emits the strong, distinctive odour, which is regarded as either fragrant or overpowering and offensive which has let to it being banned in some hotels and public transportation. The taste of the flesh has been described as nutty and sweet (more...)

This article describes a widely consumed fruit from Asia that is not well known in the western world. Being on the main page will make it more well known. Ted-m 18:33, 29 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I've removed the pronunciation and the footnote, neither of which go on the Main Page. As is, the article needs a longer blurb. ShadowHalo 08:02, 1 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I've lenghtened the introduction Is this better?--Ted-m 16:38, 5 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

William Goebel

William Goebel (January 4, 1856 – February 3, 1900) was a controversial American politician who served as governor of Kentucky for a few days in 1900 before being assassinated. Goebel remains the only state governor in the United States to be assassinated while in office. A skilled politician, Goebel was well able to broker deals with fellow lawmakers, and equally able and willing to break them if a better deal came along. His tendency to use the state's political machinery to advance his personal agenda earned him the nicknames "Boss Bill", "the Kenton King", "Kenton Czar", "King William I", and "William the Conqueror". Goebel's abrasive personality made him many political enemies, but his championing of populist causes, like railroad regulation, won him many friends. This conflict of opinions came to a head in the Kentucky gubernatorial election of 1900. Goebel, a Democrat, divided his party with self-serving political tactics at a time when Kentucky Republicans were finally gaining strength, having elected the party's first governor four years previously. These dynamics led to a close contest between Goebel and William S. Taylor. In the politically chaotic climate that resulted, Goebel was assassinated. (more...)

Being the only U.S. governor ever assassinated seems extremely noteworthy. His story is definitely an interesting one. Acdixon 14:07, 27 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Gwoyeu Romatzyh

The four tones of 'guo' in characters and GR

Gwoyeu Romatzyh (literally "National Romanization"), abbreviated GR, is a system for writing Chinese in the Latin alphabet. It was developed in the 1920s by a group of linguists led by Y.R. Chao, and is unique in its use of "tonal spelling" to indicate the four tones of Mandarin. Tones are a fundamental part of the Chinese language: using the wrong tone sounds as puzzling as if one said bud in English, meaning "not good" or "the thing one sleeps in". Unlike other systems, which indicate tones with accents or numbers, GR modifies the spelling of the syllable: the four tones of guo, for example, are shown above (the second tone gwo, meaning "nation", occurs in Gwoyeu). Some teachers believe that these distinctive spellings may help foreign students remember the tones.

In 1928 China adopted GR as the nation's official romanization system. Although GR was mainly used in dictionaries, its proponents hoped one day to establish it as a writing system for a reformed Chinese script. But despite support from trained linguists in China and overseas, GR met with public indifference and even hostility due to its complexity. Eventually GR lost ground to Pinyin and other later romanization systems. However, its influence is still evident, as several of the principles introduced by its creators have been used in romanization systems that followed it. (more...)

This article describes an innovative writing system applied to a major world language, Chinese. It was largely devised by Yuen Ren Chao, one of the 20th century's great linguists. The history of Gwoyeu Romatzyh illustrates the practical difficulty of attempting to implement script reform in the face of entrenched social, cultural and political opposition. --NigelG (or Ndsg) | Talk 13:55, 25 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Also, I think it's important to note that this is currently the only featured article that we have at the moment which pertains to Mandarin Chinese or romanization. While GR may not be as widespread as Pinyin, in many ways it is much more historically significant in the concepts that it put forward, as mentioned by Nigel. The ikiroid (talk·desk·Advise me) 16:26, 30 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

3rd Battalion 3rd Marines

3rd Battalion 3rd Marines (3/3) is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps, based out of Kāne'ohe, Hawai'i, and consisting of approximately 800 Marines and Sailors. Known as "America's Battalion", the unit falls under the 3rd Marine Regiment of the 3rd Marine Division. The battalion was formed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina in 1942 and saw action during World War II on both Bougainville and Guam. In 1965, the Marines of 3rd Battalion were sent to Vietnam and participated in Operation Starlite, the first major Marine engagement of that conflict. 3/3 deployed again in 1990 as part of Operation Desert Shield and saw action at the Battle of Khafji and again during the liberation of Kuwait. In 2004, the battalion deployed overseas again in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and in 2006 to Haditha in Iraq. Marines from 3rd Battalion have distinguished themselves in battle and in Marine Corps service — among 3/3 Marines are a Commandant of the Marine Corps, four Medal of Honor recipients, and over twenty Navy Cross winners. The battalion itself has been awarded two Presidential Unit Citations for "gallantry, determination, and esprit de corps in accomplishing its mission under extremely difficult and hazardous conditions" and four Navy Unit Commendations for "outstanding service." (more...)

Recently listed as a featured article.
There have only been three other Featured Articles on actual military units -- all of them warships and none of them on active service.
Any date is fine, though I would prefer sometime in July. Palm_Dogg 22:57, 23 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Islam

Muslims performing salah (prayer)

Islam is a monotheistic religion originating with the teachings of Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure. The word Islam means "submission", or the total surrender of one's self to God. Islam's adherents are known as "Muslims", meaning "one who submits (to God)". There are between 900 million and 1.3 billion Muslims, making Islam the second-largest religion in the world, after Christianity. Muslims believe God revealed the Qur'an to Muhammad, God's final prophet, and regard the Qur'an and the Sunnah (the words and deeds of Muhammad) as the fundamental sources of Islam. Adherents are required to observe the Five Pillars of Islam, five duties that unite Muslims into a community. In addition to the Five Pillars, Islamic law (Sharia) has developed a tradition of rulings that touch on virtually all aspects of life and society. Almost all Muslims belong to one of two major denominations, Sunni and Shi'a Islam; roughly 85% of Muslims are Sunni and 15% are Shi'a. (more...)

Recently listed as a featured article.
Listed as a vital article.
There have been very few Islam related pages featured on the main page.
Any date should be fine. ITAQALLAH 23:22, 22 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]
- I have (a) removed the Arabic text (as that's normally omitted from the Main Page), (b) merged the paragraphs, (c) removed the superfluous Islam includes many religious practices, (d) added a comma in order to note that it's not the second-largest religion after Christianity (and thereby the third-largest), but the second-largest overall, and (e) did a bit of copyediting. I take issue with the importance of the last sentence in the intro; I understand many people get the (incorrect) impression Arabs make up the majority of Muslims, but the sentence just does not fit with the rest of the paragraph. -- tariqabjotu 03:43, 23 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  - yeah.. it appears a little abrupt anyway. removing it should be fine. ITAQALLAH 13:03, 23 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Waisale Serevi

Waisale Serevi at the 2006 London Sevens tournament

Waisale Tikoisolomoni Serevi (born 20 May 1968 in Qarani on the island of Gau, Fiji) is a Fijian rugby union footballer. Although he has played fifteen-a-side rugby all his career, Serevi is most notable for his rugby sevens achievements. He is widely considered the greatest rugby sevens player of all time.

In the 15-man game, he played for Fiji 39 times between 1989 and 2003, and scored 376 points. This included representing Fiji in the 1991, 1999, and 2003 Rugby World Cups. He also played professionally for Mitsubishi, Leicester, Stade Montois, Stade Bordelais and Staines.

His representative sevens career started in 1989 when he played for Fiji at the Hong Kong tournament. With the exception of 2001, 2003 and 2004 he has played at Hong Kong every year since. Serevi has also played in the 1993, 1997, 2001, and 2005 Rugby World Cup Sevens, winning the World Cup with Fiji in 1997 and 2005. He won silver at the Commonwealth Games in 1998 and 2002, and captured bronze in 2006. Serevi has played in the International Rugby Board Sevens Series since its creation in 1999. In 2005 after winning the 2005 Rugby World Cup Sevens Serevi was appointed the Fiji Sevens team's coach. He coached Fiji to the 2005/2006 IRB Sevens Series victory — the first time the series had not been won by New Zealand.

(more...)

Arguably the best player ever in the sevens version of rugby union. Although May 20 is his birthday, it's too late now to use him for that date, IMHO. With the 2006-07 IRB Sevens World Series nearing its final two legs, and the 2007 Rugby World Cup coming up in September, I have some ideas for potential dates...

May 26 and May 27 are the dates for the next tournament in the IRB Sevens, the London Sevens. However, there's an even better weekend...
June 2 and June 3 are the dates for the final tournament in the 2006-07 series, the Edinburgh Sevens. If neither one works out...
September 7 is opening day for the 2007 Rugby World Cup.
September 12 is Fiji's first match in that tournament.

Dale Arnett (talk) 03:15, 19 May 2007 (UTC) NB: I'm not the main author of the article, or even a major author. However, I am a member of the Rugby union WikiPrpject.[reply]

Striking out dates that are beyond the 30-day limit. — Dale Arnett 14:07, 20 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]
- Doesn't need to be done, since such requests don't lie in the 'Date Requests' section. -- Phoenix2 ^{(talk, review)}
  - Removing strikeouts then. — Dale Arnett 21:03, 22 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Tiridates I of Armenia

Statue of Tiridates I of Armenia in the park of the Palace of Versailles

Tiridates I (Armenian: Տրդատ Ա, EA: Trdat I, WA: Drtad I) was king of Armenia beginning in 53 AD and the founder of the Arshakuni Dynasty, the Armenian line of the Arsacid Dynasty. His early reign was marked by a brief interruption towards the end of the year 54 and a much longer one from 58 to 63. In an agreement to resolve the Roman-Parthian conflict in and over Armenia, Tiridates (who was the brother of Vologases I of Parthia) was crowned king of Armenia by the Roman emperor Nero in 66 AD; in the future, the king of Armenia was to be a Parthian prince, but his appointment required approval from the Romans. Even though this made Armenia a client kingdom, various contemporary Roman sources thought that Nero had de facto ceded Armenia to Parthia.

In addition to being a king, Tiridates was also a Zoroastrian priest and was accompanied by other magi with him on his journey to Rome in 66 AD. This is about the same time that the Gospel of Matthew recorded a journey of wise men from the east to the infant Jesus in Bethlehem. This may lay behind the later Christian legend of the Three Magi. In the early 20th century, Franz Cumont speculated that Tiridates was instrumental in the development of Mithraism,which - in Cumont's view - was simply Romanized Zoroastrianism.

(more...)

Arguably Tiridates is quite an obscure historical but interesting character and this article is the best one regarding him available anywhere, the article is also greatly referenced. I would like to see it on the Main Page sometime in October of 2007 as it is the date of his arrival in Rome and re-coronation by Nero. Ευπάτωρ ^Talk!! 17:46, 18 May 2007 (UTC) [reply]

Ben Gurion International Airport

Ben Gurion International Airport is the largest international airport in Israel, located near the town of Lod, 15 kilometers southeast of Tel Aviv. It is operated by the Israel Airports Authority, a government-owned corporation that manages all public airports and border crossings in the State of Israel. The airport, named after the first Prime Minister of Israel, David Ben-Gurion, is the hub of El Al Israel Airlines, Israir Airlines, Arkia Israel Airlines, and Sun D'Or. Today, Terminal 3 is used for international flights and Terminal 1, for domestic flights. The airport has three runways and is jointly used by commercial, private, and military aircraft. The airport is well regarded as one of the most secure airports in the World.(more...)

Interesting and quite important article which has recently been promoted to FA Status.--Flymeoutofhere 13:24, 12 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I have some qualms about the quality of the article (especially regarding the use of that gallery), but I'll bring them up on the talk page of the article. Regardless, one thing I believe should be added to the blurb is something about the airport being one of the most secure in the world. I don't find the part about Tower Air especially important. -- tariqabjotu 14:28, 12 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Mendip Hills

The Mendip Hills (commonly called The Mendips) are a range of limestone hills situated to the south of Bristol and Bath in Somerset, England. Running east to west between Weston-super-Mare and Frome, the Hills overlook the Somerset Levels to the south and the Avon valley to the north. The hills give their name to the local government district of Mendip, which covers most of the area.

The hills are largely carboniferous limestone, which is quarried at several sites. The higher western part of the Hills, have been designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), with an area of Template:Unit area, which gives it the same level of protection as a national park. The Mendip Hills AONB Service and Somerset County Council's outdoor education centre is at the Charterhouse Centre near Blagdon.

The Mendips are home to a wide range of outdoor sports and leisure activities many based on the particular geology of the area. It is recognised as a national centre for caving and cave diving. In addition to climbing and abseiling, the area is popular with hillwalkers and those interested in natural history.(more...)

This article has recently been promoted to FA status and describes a unique area. Any date is fine. — Rod ^talk 12:16, 12 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

"Manos" The Hands of Fate

"Manos" The Hands of Fate, abbreviated Manos, is a 1966 American horror film written, directed and produced by El Paso fertilizer salesman Hal Warren. Warren also starred in the film, alongside El Paso theater actors Tom Neyman and John Reynolds. The film is best known for having been featured in a 1993 episode of the television comedy series Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K), a show based on the premise of mocking B-movies, which gave the film cult status.

The plot of the film revolves primarily around a vacationing family taking a road trip to a hotel. After a long drive in the Texas desert, the family is trapped at a lodge maintained by a polygamous pagan cult and they attempt to escape as the cult's members decide what to do with them.

Produced as a result of a bet, Manos was an independent production by a crew that had little or no background or experience in filmmaking and with a very limited budget at their disposal. Upon its theactrical debut, the film was critically slammed, and remained in obscurity until its Mystery Science Theatre appearance. It has since gained infamy as one of the worst films ever made. (more...)

Article on one of the worst films ever made. Recently granted FA status. Date requested is director Hal Warren's birthday. Lenin and McCarthy | (Complain here) 00:54, 12 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Turkish language

Atatürk introducing the Turkish alphabet

Turkish is a Turkic language and a member of the proposed Altaic language family, which tentatively includes Japanese, Korean, and Mongolian. It is spoken predominantly in Turkey, with smaller communities of speakers in Cyprus, Greece, and Eastern Europe, as well as by several million immigrants in Western Europe. Turkish is the most widely spoken Turkic language, with 65–73 million native speakers worldwide.

The roots of the language can be traced to Central Asia, with the first written records dating back nearly 1,200 years. To the west, the influence of Ottoman Turkish—the immediate precursor of today's Turkish—spread as the Ottoman Empire expanded. In 1928, as one of Atatürk's Reforms in the early years of the new Turkish Republic, the Ottoman script was replaced with a phonetic variant of the Latin alphabet. Concurrently, the newly founded Turkish Language Association initiated a drive to reform the language by removing foreign loanwords in favor of native variants and coinages from Turkic roots.

The distinctive characteristics of Turkish are vowel harmony, extensive agglutination, Subject Object Verb word order, and lack of grammatical gender.

The article is recently promoted. No specific date is requested. Remarkable points: The article is about the largest member of Turkic languages and an important representative of the Altaic languages, one of the major language families of the world. The recent history of the language presents an interesting instance of a language reform. Atilim Gunes Baydin 04:03, 8 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Sorry for placing the request to the end, I didn't see the notice. Atilim Gunes Baydin 18:21, 9 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Bart King

Philadelphian cricketer Bart King

John Barton "Bart" King was an American cricketer, active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. King was one of the Philadelphian cricketers that played from the end of the 19th century until the outbreak of World War I. This period of cricket in the United States was dominated by gentleman players — men of independent wealth who did not need to work. King was an amateur from a middle-class family, who was able to devote time to cricket thanks to a job set up by his teammates. King was a skilled batsman, but proved his worth as a bowler. During his career, he set numerous records in North America and led the first-class bowling averages in England in 1908. He successfully competed against the best cricketers from England and Australia. King was the dominant bowler on his team when it toured England in 1897, 1903, and 1908. He dismissed batsmen with his unique delivery, which he called the "angler," and helped develop the art of swing bowling in the sport. Many of the great bowlers of today still use the strategies and techniques that he developed. Sir Pelham Warner described Bart King as one of the finest bowlers of all time, and Donald Bradman called him "America's greatest cricketing son."(more...)

This was recently promoted to FA after a good deal of work on the part of the cricket wikiproject. King is a unique American individual as most Americans don't even know what cricket is or that we used to be pretty good at it. Originally, the other members of the project had thought 4 July would be appropriate for this American because he is so unique. But being up against Sam Adams and Calvin Coolidge seems a tough match-up. That being said, I was thinking that 17 June would be nice. This was the date that King and his team mates showed they could compete against English talent. He led his team to a victory over Sussex in 1897. Thanks a lot.--Eva ^bd 13:09, 8 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Any day would be fine with me. Whatever fits. :) --Eva ^bd 14:14, 16 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Kate Bush

Kate Bush is an English singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. Her eclectic musical style and idiosyncratic lyrics have made her one of the United Kingdom's most successful and original solo female performers of the past 30 years. BRIT Award-winning and Grammy Award-nominated Bush was signed up by EMI at the age of 16 after being recommended by Pink Floyd's David Gilmour. In 1978 at age 19, she debuted with the surprise hit "Wuthering Heights," topping the UK charts for four weeks and becoming the first woman to have a UK number one with a self-written song. She has since gone on to release eight albums, three of which topped the UK album charts, and have UK top ten hit singles with "Running Up That Hill," "King of the Mountain," "Babooshka," "The Man with the Child in His Eyes," and "Don't Give Up." During her tour of 1979, the only tour of her career, she became the first ever singer to use a wireless headset radio microphone on stage. With her 1980 album Never for Ever, she became the first solo female British singer to top the UK album charts. Her songwriting ability was recognised in 2002 with an Ivor Novello Award for "Outstanding Contribution to British Music." In 2005, she released Aerial, her first album in 12 years. The album was a UK success and earned her BRIT Award nominations for "Best Album" and "Best Solo Female Artist." (more...)

This has recently been promoted to FA and it would be nice to see it on the main page. Epbr123 11:16, 8 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Removed date and place of birth (shouldn't be here as far as I know) and combined the three paragraphs. Chwech | hum-dee-hum-hum 12:23, 2 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Samuel Adams

Samuel Adams (September 16 (OS), 1722–October 2, 1803) was an American leader, politician, writer, and political philosopher, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. Adams was instrumental in garnering the support of the colonies in rebelling against Great Britain, ultimately resulting in the American Revolution, and was also one of the key architects of the principles of American republicanism that shaped American political culture. After being educated at Boston Latin School and Harvard College, Adams initially began life as a businessman, but due to a lack of interest turned to politics, and became a very influential political writer and theorist. Adams established himself as one of the voices of opposition to British control in the colonies, arguing that the colonies should withdraw from Great Britain and form a new government. He called for the colonists to defend their rights and liberties and led town meetings in which he drafted written protests against Parliament's colonial tax measures such as the Stamp Act of 1765. Adams organized protests against the British, including the Boston Tea Party in 1773. He also advocated for the adoption of the Declaration of Independence at the Second Continental Congress. After the American Revolution started in 1775 and the United States declared its independence in 1776, Adams helped write the Massachusetts Constitution with James Bowdoin and his cousin John Adams. Afterwards, Adams helped draft the Articles of Confederation. After the war ended, he ran for the House of Representatives in the 1st United States Congressional election, but was unsuccessful in his bid. He was elected Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts in 1789 and after John Hancock's death in 1793, Adams served as the acting governor, until he was elected governor in January of the following year. (more...)

I see that Calvin Coolidge was also requested to be TFA on July 4, but I would appreciate if any consideration can be given to giving that honor to Samuel Adams. Why in fact, he was one of the people who led the country to declaring its independence on July 4! If it's not possible to go with July 4, I would request July 3, 2007. Nishkid64 (talk) 19:01, 6 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

If 4 July is not available, perhaps 2 July would be a better alternative. That's the date that the Congress actually voted to declare independence, if I'm not mistaken. I think that Adams even looked forward to the days when fireworks would ring out on the second of july.^{[citation needed]}--Eva ^bd 14:54, 9 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Never heard that, but if Samuel Adams is not chosen for July 4, I would be fine with its selection to appear on the Main Page on July 2, 2007. Nishkid64 (talk) 02:28, 11 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Information can be found at Lee Resolution. It even includes the quote from John to Abigail Adams. So we'd reslved to be independent on the 2nd, and actually declared independence on the 4th. Either seems like it would be good for Sam.--Eva ^bd 14:16, 14 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Should have mentioned this earlier, but I talked with Raul (see his user talk page archive if need be) and he said Samuel Adams could be TFA for July 4. Nishkid64 (talk) 22:43, 5 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Barnard's Star

Barnard's Star is a very low-mass star in the constellation Ophiuchus which was discovered by the astronomer E. E. Barnard in 1916. Barnard measured its proper motion to 10.3 arcseconds per year, which remains the largest known proper motion of any star relative to the Sun. Lying at a distance of about 1.8 parsecs or 5.96 light-years, Barnard's Star is the nearest star in the constellation Ophiuchus, the second closest known star system to the Sun, and the fourth closest known individual star after the three components of the Alpha Centauri system.

Barnard's Star is a relatively well-studied astronomical object, and has likely received more attention than any M dwarf star due to its proximity and favourable location for observation near the celestial equator. Research has focused on stellar characteristics, astrometry, and refining the limits of possible planets. It has also been the subject of some controversy. For a decade from the early 1960s onward, an erroneous discovery of a planet or planets in orbit around Barnard's Star was accepted by astronomers. The star is notable as the target for a study on the possibility of rapid, unmanned travel to nearby star systems.

Any day will do though it might be nice soon given the recent planet discovery around a red dwarf.
Interesting history of science story.
Good example of NOT paper on a subject neither obscure nor well-known. Britannica has just 200 wds. Marskell 12:24, 3 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Shahbag

Shahbag (also Shahbaugh, Bengali: শাহবাগ Shabag; IPA: [ˈʃabag]) is a major neighbourhood and a police precinct or Thana in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. It is also a major public transport hub, and serves as a junction between two contrasting sections of the city—Old Dhaka and New Dhaka. Developed in the 17th century during Mughal rule in Bengal, when Old Dhaka was the provincial capital and a centre of the flourishing muslin industry, the neighborhood was originally named Bagh-e-Badshahi (Farsi: Garden of the Master Kings), but later came to be called by the shortened name Shah (Farsi:شاه, king) Bagh (Farsi: باغ, garden). In the mid-19th century, the construction of buildings in and around Shahbag ushered in the development of New Dhaka as a provincial centre of the British Raj and ended a century of decline brought on with the passing of Mughal rule.

Shahbag is home to the nation's leading educational and public institutions, including the University of Dhaka, the oldest and largest public university in Bangladesh, and the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, the largest public university for technological studies in the country. Shahbag hosts many street markets and bazaars, and since the emergence of Bangladesh as an independent country in 1971, the Shahbag area has become a venue for celebrating major festivals, such as the Bengali New Year and Basanta Utsab.

Shahbag's numerous ponds, palaces and gardens have inspired the work of writers, singers, and poets. The Thana area, with Dhaka University at its centre, has seen the debut of some of the major political movements in the nation's history, including the All India Muslim Education Conference in 1905, which in turn spawned the All India Muslim League and led, in 1947, to both the partition of India and the creation of Pakistan; the Language Movement in 1952, which led to the recognition of Bengali as an official language of Pakistan; and the Six point movement in 1966, which led to the nation's independence. It was here, on March 7, 1971, that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman delivered a historic speech calling for the independence of Bangladesh from Pakistan, and here too, later that year, that the Pakistani Army surrendered in the Liberation War of Bangladesh. The area has since become a staging ground for protests by students and other groups. (more...)

Article was recently featured.
Many free-licensed images available.
The parent article, Dhaka, is also a featured article, and a main page FA.

--Ragib 06:16, 1 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

- I like it (even though I've been there multiple times, which makes me biased). ¿SFGi Д nts! ☺ ☻ 01:05, 31 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]
- It's too long. You should shorten it up. -- R'son-W (speak to me/breathe) 03:17, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Francium

Francium is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Fr and atomic number 87. It has the lowest known electronegativity and is the second rarest naturally occurring element. Francium is a highly radioactive alkali metal that decays into astatine, radium, and radon; as an alkali metal, it has one valence electron. Marguerite Perey discovered francium in 1939. Of the elements added to the periodic table, francium was the last to have been discovered in nature before being synthesized. Outside the laboratory, francium is extremely rare, with trace amounts found in uranium and thorium ores. It exists naturally only as the isotopes francium-223 and francium-221. Francium can be synthesized by several methods, but none has yielded a weighable quantity of the element.

Article was recently featured.
It's not often that we produce a featured article about an element, though they are vital to our understanding of the universe.
Article is condensed and non-technical enough that new users would want to read it.
I love turtles. Cryptic C62 · Talk 00:45, 1 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Is there any way to get a better picture, like one of the ore from which it can be extracted? ShadowHalo 11:13, 3 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I think a picture of uranium would be counterproductive. A casual reader would see Francium, look at the picture, and think "Oh, that's what francium looks like." Plus it isn't ever really extracted from ores, as it exists in such small amounts that there would be no point. --Cryptic C62 · Talk 10:32, 4 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Cannibal Holocaust

Cannibal Holocaust (1980) is a controversial exploitation film directed by Ruggero Deodato and is based on a screenplay written by Gianfranco Clerici and Giorgio Stegani. Filmed in the actual Amazon Rainforest, it focuses on a team of four documentarians who head deep into the jungle to make a documentary on the primitive native tribes that live there. After two months and no word from the team, a famous anthropologist is sent on a rescue mission in hopes of finding the team alive. The film stars Robert Kerman as the anthropologist Harold Monroe, Carl Gabriel Yorke as director Alan Yates, Francesca Ciardi as Alan's girlfriend Faye, Perry Pirkanen as the cameraman Jack Anders, and Luca Barbareschi as fellow cameraman Mark Tomaso.

Cannibal Holocaust is one of the best known exploitation films due to the controversy it caused during its release. After premiering in Italy, the film was seized by the local Magistrate and Deodato was arrested for obscenity. He was later accused of making a snuff film based on circulating rumors that the film's actors were slain for the camera. Though Deodato would be cleared of these charges, the film was banned in Italy, the UK, Australia, and several other countries for graphic gore, sexual violence, and for the geniune slayings of six animals featured in the film.^[2] While many nations have revoked the ban, it is still banned to this day in other countries around the world. Despite this notoriety, Cannibal Holocaust is seen by some critics as a social commentary on civilized society.^[3]^[4]

June 19 is the original USA release date, and February 7 is the original Italian premiere release date. Helltopay27 23:06, 30 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

My impression was that though the article did make featured status, it was with the understanding that it would never actually be featured on the mainpage because of its offensive subject matter. --El on ka 05:17, 11 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Of course that was discussed during the featured article process, but by no means was there any decree laid down that said "We'll make it a featured article ONLY if it never is on the main page." Helltopay27 19:31, 12 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I say let's put it on the main page and see what happens. Despite the goriness it's an intriguing film.-BillDeanCarter 21:58, 12 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Per the removal of the poster, should one of there of these two film icons be considered? --Lenin and McCarthy | (Complain here) 03:08, 17 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Blade Runner

File:Blade Runner icon.svg

Blade Runner is an influential 1982 cyberpunk film directed by Ridley Scott and adapted from the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick. The film depicts a dystopian Los Angeles in November 2019 in which genetically manufactured beings called replicants, visually indistinguishable from adult humans, are used for dangerous and degrading work in Earth's "off-world colonies." After replicants became illegal on Earth, specialist police units — blade runners — were trained to hunt down and "retire" (kill) escaped replicants on Earth. The plot focuses on a brutal and cunning group of replicants hiding in Los Angeles and a semi-retired blade runner, Rick Deckard (Ford), who reluctantly agrees to take on one more assignment. Blade Runner initially polarized critics; some were displeased with the pacing, while others enjoyed its thematic complexity. The film performed poorly in North American theaters but achieved success overseas. Despite poor early ticket sales, it has since become a cult classic. Blade Runner has been hailed for its production design, one said to depict a "retrofitted future". The film is credited with prefiguring important concerns of the 21st century, such as globalization and genetic engineering. It remains a leading example of cyberpunk and neo-noir. Blade Runner brought author Philip K. Dick to the attention of Hollywood and several films have since been made from his writings. Ridley Scott regards Blade Runner as his "most complete and personal film." (more...)

This film will reach its 25th anniversary on June 25 of this year. The event will be celebrated with a theatrical re-release and a comprehensive DVD release of the film. It would be nice to have this article featured on that day. The Wookieepedian 06:27, 30 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Comment: This article could use some clean up and shouldn't go on the main page like this. I counted 6 citation needed tags, there are several external links in the main text and overall the layout looks somewhat messy (a lot of red links, long lists in the middle of text, etc.). There is also no free image available, apparently. Sloan21 03:10, 3 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]
There is, I added it. Alientraveller 18:09, 4 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Puerto Ricans in World War II

The participation of Puerto Ricans in World War II as members of the United States armed forces included guarding U.S. military installations in the Caribbean and active combat participation in both the European and Pacific theatres of the war. Puerto Ricans and people of Puerto Rican descent have participated as members of the U.S. armed forces in every conflict in which the United States has been involved since World War I. Puerto Ricans had obtained U.S. citizenship as a result of the 1917 Jones-Shafroth Act and were expected to serve in the military. When a Japanese Imperial Navy carrier fleet launched an unexpected attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Puerto Ricans were required to bear arms in defense of the United States. During World War II, more than 53,000 Puerto Ricans served in the U.S. military. Soldiers from the island, served in either the 65th Infantry Regiment or the Puerto Rican National Guard. Those who resided in the mainland of the United States were assigned to regular units of the military. They were often subject to the racial discrimination that was widespread in the United States at the time. (more...)

Relatively new featured article. Given the recent Ken Burns controversy where Latinos were excluded from his World War II documentary, I'm suggesting that it appears on the main page the same day the documentary is scheduled to air on PBS which, as of the date of this message, is on September 23, 2007. Any earlier date would also be much appreciated, including May 28, 2007. Mtmelendez ^{(Talk|UB|Home)} 02:52, 30 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

2012 Summer Olympics bids

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) accepted nine cities as applicants to bid on hosting the 2012 Summer Olympics. The Committee shortlisted five of them — London, Madrid, Moscow, New York City, and Paris — and London eventually prevailed, becoming the first city to host the Olympic Games three times. The bidding process for the 2012 Olympics was considered one of the most hotly contested in the history of the IOC. Paris was seen as the front-runner for most of the campaign, but last-minute lobbying by London's supporters was one factor that led to the success of its bid.

After a technical evaluation of the nine original bids, the top five were shortlisted on 18 May 2004, becoming official candidates. The remaining applicant cities — Havana, Istanbul, Leipzig and Rio de Janeiro — were eliminated. On July 6, 2005, in a four-round voting of the IOC (gathered at the 117th IOC Session in Singapore), Moscow, New York City, and Madrid were eliminated in the first three rounds. By a margin of four votes over Paris, London won the final round and secured the right to host the 2012 Olympics. (more...)

This recent featured article would look good on the Main Page for July 6, the second anniversary of the 2012 Olympic Games attribution to London. Parutakupiu ^{talk || contribs} 22:56, 29 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I support this request, as well. In addition, might I suggest an alternate image. I like the first one, too, but I'm not sure if it adequately displays the idea of the London Olympics, but then again, I'm not sure if the alternate does either. Here it is:

Might I suggest a small change in the lead? It mentions the dates the early cities got denied but doesn't mention the date of the final vote. Nothing major, but it was a detail I was be looking for when reading through. AllynJ 20:35, 14 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Actually, it's sort of confusing the way it's worded there, but the final vote was in fact on July 6; all of the rounds of voting on the shortlisted cities occur on the same day, so in the first three rounds, yes, those cities were removed, but later in the day came the final vote in which London prevailed. If you would like to reword this, please do. _└^Jared_┘^┌_t^┐ 21:07, 14 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Rashtrakuta Dynasty

The Rashtrakuta Dynasty (Sanskrit: राष्ट्रकूट rāṣṭrakūṭa, Kannada: ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರಕೂಟ) was a royal Indian dynasty ruling large parts of southern, central and northern India between the sixth and the thirteenth centuries. During this period they ruled as several closely related, but individual clans. The earliest known Rashtrakuta inscription is a seventh century copper plate grant that mentions their rule from Manpur in the Malwa region of modern Madhya Pradesh. Other ruling Rashtrakuta clans from the same period mentioned in inscriptions were the kings of Achalapur which is modern Elichpur in Maharashtra and the rulers of Kannauj. Several controversies exist regarding the origin of these early Rashtrakutas, their native home and their language.

The clan that ruled from Elichpur was a subordinate of the Badami Chalukyas and during the rule of Dantidurga, it overthrew Chalukya Kirtivarman II and went on to build an impressive empire with the Gulbarga region in modern Karnataka as its base. This clan came to be known as the Rashtrakutas of Manyakheta. At their peak the Rashtrakutas of Manyakheta ruled a vast empire stretching from the Ganga River and Yamuna River doab in the north to Cape Comorin in the south.

During their rule, Jain mathematicians and scholars contributed important works in Kannada and Sanskrit. Amoghavarsha I was the most famous king of this dynasty and wrote Kavirajamarga, a landmark literary work in the Kannada language. Architecture reached a milestone in the Dravidian style, the finest examples of which are seen in the Kailasanath Temple at Ellora in modern Maharashtra as well as in the Kashivishvanatha temple and the Jain Narayana temple at Pattadakal in modern Karnataka. (More...)

This has just been selected as a FA. Dineshkannambadi 20:23, 29 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Winter service vehicle

A winter service vehicle is a vehicle used for clearing roads and other thoroughfares of ice or snow, which is difficult to cross and reduces the traction of motor vehicles. Winter service vehicles are usually based on dump truck chassis, with adaptations allowing them to carry specially designed snow removal equipment, although many authorities also keep a number of smaller vehicles for use on pavements, footpaths and cycleways.

Road maintenance agencies and contractors in areas with temperate or polar climates often own multiple winter service vehicles in order to keep the road network clear of snow and ice and safe for driving during the winter months. Winter service vehicles are also employed by airports, in order to keep runways and taxiways free of snow and ice, which pose a danger to aircraft taking off and landing and can interfere with communication equipment.

The earliest winter service vehicles were snow rollers, designed to maintain a smooth, even road surface for sleds, although horse-drawn snowploughs and gritting vehicles are recorded in use as early as 1862. The increase in motor car traffic and aviation in the early 20th century lead to the development and popularisation of large motorised winter service vehicles. Today, most cities in areas prone to snow or ice operate fleets of winter service vehicles to keep roads and footpaths safe and clear. (more...)

(June 21) This is the winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere, which is appropriate considering the subject matter. The day is also the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, which is a nice irony! Laïka 15:55, 29 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Martin Brodeur

Martin Pierre Brodeur (IPA: [mɑʁˈtẽ bʁoˈdœʁ]) (born May 6, 1972, in Montreal, Quebec) is a professional ice hockey goaltender who has played his entire National Hockey League career with the New Jersey Devils. In his 13-year tenure, he has led the team to three Stanley Cup championships and has taken them to the playoffs all but once. In addition to holding over thirty Devils franchise records, he is on pace to surpass Patrick Roy's career records for wins, games played and minutes played, as well as Terry Sawchuk's record for career shutouts, and Patrick Roy's record for career playoff shutouts.

Brodeur has been among the NHL's most consistent goaltenders over the past decade, winning at least 35 games each of the last ten seasons as well as being the only goalie in NHL history with six 40-win seasons. He is a two-time Vezina Trophy winner, a four-time Jennings Trophy winner, a nine-time NHL All Star, and one of only two NHL goaltenders to have scored goals in the regular season and the playoffs. In the current 2006-07 NHL season, Brodeur surpassed Sawchuk and Ed Belfour on the all-time wins list and Glenn Hall on the all-time shutouts list to rank 2nd and 3rd in those categories, respectively. He also passed Bernie Parent's record of 47 single-season wins with his 48th win on April 5, 2007.

Brodeur is considered a hybrid style goalie, which differs from the typical butterfly style of his native Quebec. He is best known for his great reflexes, especially with his glove hand, his puck handling, and his strong positional play.(more...)

This article was recently promoted and Brodeur's birthday is coming up on May 6th, which is the requested date. He is also in the spotlight right now as the Devils play in the 2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Sportskido8 09:46, 29 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Commment - it should be noted that if the Devil's lose tonight's game, and the following game on May 5th (against Ottawa - go Sens!! :D), then the Devil's, along with Brodeur, will be knocked out of the playoffs.. i don't know whether this would sway a decision on putting his article on the main page the following day. 131.111.24.187 15:48, 2 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Commment - How about the date the NHL MVP is anounced (whenever that is). Buc 21:51, 5 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Fritz the Cat (film)

Fritz the Cat is a 1972 animated film written and directed by Ralph Bakshi as his feature film debut. Based on the comic books by Robert Crumb, the film was the first animated feature film to receive an X rating in the United States. It focuses on Fritz (voiced by Skip Hinnant), an anthropomorphic feline in the mid-1960s who seduces many female animals in New York City while staying one step ahead of the law. The film is a satire focusing on American college life of the era, race relations, the free love movement, and left- and right-wing politics. Fritz the Cat was the first independent animated film to gross more than $100 million at the box office. Fritz the Cat had a troubled production history and controversial release. Creator Robert Crumb is known to have had disagreements with the filmmakers, claiming in interviews that his first wife signed over the film rights to the characters, and that he did not approve the production. Crumb was also critical of the film's approach to his material. Fritz the Cat was controversial for its rating and content, which viewers at the time found to be offensive. Its success led to a slew of other X-rated animated films, and a sequel, The Nine Lives of Fritz the Cat, was made without Crumb's or Bakshi's involvement. Fritz the Cat was ranked as the 51st greatest animated film of all time by the Online Film Critics Society, and was also featured at number 56 on Channel 4's list of the 100 Greatest Cartoons. (more...)

Recently listed featured article. Documents an important film in the history of American animation. Ibaranoff24 06:35, 29 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Elfin-woods Warbler

The Elfin-woods Warbler (Dendroica angelae), or Reinita de Bosque Enano (Spanish name), is a bird endemic to the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico where it is a local and uncommon species. Discovered in 1968 and described in 1972, it is the most recently described species of New World warbler (Parulidae family). The species name, angelae, is a tribute to Angela Kepler, one of its discoverers. An insectivore, it feeds by gleaning small insects off leaves.

Due to its small populations and restricted habitats, conservation efforts were begun in 1982 to protect this species but, as of 2005, the warbler was still in need of protection. The species is not in immediate danger as the majority of its habitat is protected forest, but introduced species, such as rats and mongooses, habitat reduction, and natural disasters represent potential threats to the population. (more...)

Earth

Earth is the third planet from the Sun and is the largest of the terrestrial planets, in both diameter and mass. Home to the human race, it is the first planet known to have liquid water on the surface and is the only place in the universe known to harbor life. Earth has a magnetic field that, together with a primarily nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere, protects the surface from radiation that is harmful to life. The atmosphere also serves as a shield that causes smaller meteors to burn up before they strike the surface.
The Earth formed around 4.57 billion years ago and its only known natural satellite, the Moon, began orbiting it around 4.53 billion years ago. At present, the Earth orbits the Sun once for every roughly 366.26 times it rotates about its axis (which is equal to 365.26 solar days). The Earth's axis of rotation is tilted at an angle of 23° relative to the Sun, producing seasonal variations on the planet's surface.(more...)

Is it possible for an article to be more notable than this? Buc 08:24, 22 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Comment. This would've made a great entry on April 22. Could we remove the second sentence and merge the first two paragraphs, so it looks like this: Earth is the third planet from the Sun and is the largest of the terrestrial planets, in both diameter and mass. It is the first planet known to have liquid water on the surface and is the only place in the universe known to harbor life... I think listing Earth's other titles and names is redundant for a Main Page entry. - Mtmelendez ^{(Talk|UB|Home)} 12:37, 23 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Done. - Mtmelendez ^{(Talk|UB|Home)} 02:34, 30 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Tom Pryce

Thomas Maldwyn Pryce (June 11, 1949 – March 5, 1977) was a British Formula One racing driver from Wales. He was famous for winning the Brands Hatch Race of Champions in 1975 and for the circumstances surrounding his death. Pryce is also the only Welshman to lead a Formula One Grand Prix: two laps of the 1975 British Grand Prix.

Pryce started his career in Formula One with the small Token team, making his only start for the them at the 1974 Belgian Grand Prix. Shortly after an impressive performance at the Formula Three support race for the 1974 Monaco Grand Prix, Pryce joined the Shadow team and scored his first points in Germany in only his fourth race. Pryce later claimed two podium finishes, his first in Austria in 1975 and the second in Brazil a year later. Pryce was considered by his team as a great wet weather driver. During the practice session for the 1977 South African GP, run in wet conditions, Pryce was faster than everyone, including world champion drivers Niki Lauda and James Hunt. Pryce's third full season at Shadow was cut short by his fatal accident at the 1977 South African Grand Prix, where he collided at high speed with track marshal Jansen Van Vuuren.

In 2007, it was announced that a statue of Pryce would be erected in his home town of Ruthin by the local council to mark the 30th anniversary of the Welshman's death.

Date nothing to do with the driver, but more with me. Yes, I know it's greedy but April 21 is my birthday and it's my 18th birthday as well - so can Wikipedia give me a birthday present? But I don't really mind if it doesn't get on on April 21, as I said before, it is a bit greedy.--Phill ^{talk Edits} 17:36, 5 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Chelsea F.C.

Chelsea Football Club are an English professional football club based in west London. Founded in 1905, they play in the FA Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier in English football. They have had two broad periods of success, one during the 1960s and early 1970s, and the second from the late 1990s to the present day. Chelsea have won three league titles, three FA Cups, three League Cups and two UEFA Cup Winners' Cups. During the 2005-06 season, they became Premier League champions for the second consecutive year.

Chelsea's home is the 42,055 capacity Stamford Bridge football stadium in Fulham, West London, where they have played since their foundation. Despite their name, the club are based just outside the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. In 2003, the club were bought by Russian oil tycoon Roman Abramovich.

The club's traditional kit colours are royal blue shirts and shorts with white socks. Their traditional crest is a ceremonial blue lion holding a staff; a modified version of this was adopted in 2005. Chelsea are one of the best-supported clubs in the UK, with an estimated fanbase of around four million. The club have made a contribution to popular culture, appearing in films and the music charts. (more...)

One of the biggest football (soccer) clubs in the world. The dates are the day they will play in the F.A cup final at the new Wembley Stadium. Buc 17:32, 11 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Boshin War

The Boshin War was a civil war in Japan, fought from 1868 to 1869 between forces of the ruling Tokugawa shogunate and those seeking to return political power to the imperial court. An alliance of southern samurai and court officials, dissatisfied with the Tokugawa foreign policy, secured the cooperation of the young Emperor Meiji, who declared the abolition of the two-hundred-year-old Shogunate. Military movements by imperial forces and partisan violence in Edo led Tokugawa Yoshinobu, the sitting shogun, to launch a campaign to seize the emperor's court at Kyoto. The military tide rapidly turned in favor of the smaller but relatively modernized imperial faction, and after a series of battles culminating in the surrender of Edo, Yoshinobu personally surrendered. The Tokugawa remnant retreated to northern Honshū and later to Hokkaidō, where they established the Ezo republic. Defeat at the Battle of Hakodate broke this last holdout and left imperial rule supreme throughout the whole of Japan, completing the military phase of the Meiji Restoration. Around 120,000 men were mobilized during the conflict, and of these about 3,500 were killed. Over time, the war has been romanticized by Japanese and others who view the Meiji Restoration as a "bloodless revolution," despite the number of casualties. Various dramatizations of the war have been made in Japan, and elements of the conflict were incorporated into the 2003 American film The Last Samurai. (More...)

The article chronicles a critical juncture in Japanese history, and with several important anniversaries coming up (respectively the issuance of the Charter Oath, the surrender of Edo and that of the Ezo Republic, which ended the war), this spring seems a good time for article to appear.Monocrat 22:36, 8 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Comment - Interesting article and worthy of the front page in my opinion, but the lead in seems to be kind of long at this point -- Grandpafootsoldier 22:20, 11 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Trimmed a bit. There might be a little more fat to cut if needed.--Monocrat 16:18, 12 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Comment - How about having making two paragraphs for easier reading? Otherwise good idea, but would support 18th May - 3rd May is Constitution Day and there is a request for Japan having 3rd May. John Smith's 19:51, 15 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Crusaders (rugby)

A Crusaders scrum against the Brumbies in May 2006

The Crusaders (formerly the Canterbury Crusaders) are a professional rugby union team based in Christchurch, New Zealand, which competes in the Super 14 (formerly the Super 12). The franchise represents the Buller, Canterbury, Mid-Canterbury, South Canterbury, Tasman, and West Coast provincial rugby unions. Their main home ground is Jade Stadium.

The franchise was formed in 1996, and won their first Super 12 title in 1998. The Crusaders won the competition again in 1999 and 2000, and then in 2002 after an unbeaten season. They won the last Super 12 in 2005 followed by the inaugural Super 14 in 2006.

The franchise holds the competition record for most points in a game and most tries in a game, both achieved in their 96-19 victory over the New South Wales Waratahs in 2002. They have also scored the most points in one season: 469 in 2002. Two Crusaders' players have been awarded the International Rugby Board Player of the Year: Daniel Carter (2005), and Richie McCaw (2006). (more...)

I request this article be featured before the Super 14's last round on May 5. Reasons for featuring, only one ever Rugby union article has been on the main page (Rugby World Cup on 2006-10-26), also would be the first ever New Zealand sports team to be on main page. Lastly would be the first New Zealand main page article since The Catlins on 2006-05-18. - Forgot to add signiture! posted request on 2007-03-26 - Shudda ^talk 06:20, 1 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Support this suggest for the date put forward. Also acceptable are the day the Crusaders, should, play in a semi-final or, possibly, final.----Hamedog_Talk|^@ 06:46, 1 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Going by current standings they will prob make a semi but there are no guarentees. - Shudda ^talk 06:58, 1 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Last game for the crusaders before the finals is the 4th May. Gnan garra 07:02, 1 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

British anti-invasion preparations of World War II

British anti-invasion preparations of World War II entailed a large scale programme of military and civilian mobilisation in response to a perceived threat of invasion by German armed forces in 1940 and 1941. The army needed to recover from the defeat of the British Expeditionary Force in France and one and half million men were enrolled as part-time soldiers in the Home Guard. The rapid construction of field fortifications transformed much of Britain, especially southern England, into a prepared battlefield. Short of heavy weapons and equipment, the British had to make the best use of whatever was available. (More...)

The British response to the threat of German invasion was a pivotal point in history. If you decide to put it on the main page then please do it on MAY 14, 2007 - the aniversary of the formation of the Local Defence Volunteers (later to be known as the Home Guard). Thanks. Gaius Cornelius 00:17, 29 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Everton F.C.

Everton F.C. are an FA Premier League football club based in Liverpool. Formed in 1878, they were founder members of the football league and they have won the League Championship nine times, the FA Cup five times and the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup once. Everton's most successful period came in the late 1980s, when they acquired several trophies under the management team headed by Howard Kendall with great players such as Graeme Sharp, Gary Stevens and Peter Reid. Their most successful player was Dixie Dean who still holds the record of 60 league goals in one season and is easily Everton's top scorer of all time with 383 goals in 433 matches. In more recent years, the club have battled relegation, found themselves mid-table and even reached the UEFA Champions League qualifiers by finishing 4th. Their last major honour was the FA Cup in 1995 beating Manchester United. They are currently playing their 104th season in the top flight of football which is longer than any other team and and they have only been relegated twice in their history. The team enjoy a large fanbase, regularly attracting more than 35,000 spectators to their home ground, Goodison Park. (More…)

Been featured for some time well kept article with plenty of references. This is the date they won the UEFA Cup Winners Cup their first (and so far only) European success. SenorKristobbal 23:06, 12 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

It would also be great tribute to the recently passed Alan Ball who won his only title at Everton and was a much loved player their and was still active in the club up until his death. SenorKristobbal 09:42, 26 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Nagorno-Karabakh War

File:T-72sinAghdam.jpg

The Nagorno-Karabakh War refers to the armed conflict that took place from February 1988 to May 1994, in the small ethnic enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh in southwestern Azerbaijan, between the predominantly ethnic Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh backed by the Republic of Armenia against the Republic of Azerbaijan. As the war progressed, Armenia and Azerbaijan, both former Soviet Republics, became enveloped in a protracted, undeclared war as the latter attempted to curb a secessionist, irredentist movement in Nagorno-Karabakh. The enclave's parliament had voted in favor of uniting itself with Armenia and a referendum was held with the vast majority of the Karabakh population voting in favor of independence. The demand to unify with Armenia, which proliferated in the late 1980s, began in a relatively peaceful manner; however, in the following months, as the Soviet Union's disintegration neared, it gradually grew into an increasingly violent conflict between the two ethnic groups, resulting in claims of ethnic cleansing by all sides.

The war was the most destructive ethnic conflict in both terms of lives and property that emerged after the Soviet Union collapsed in December 1991. Interethnic fighting between the two broke out shortly after the parliament of Nagorno-Karabakh, an autonomous oblast in Azerbaijan, voted to unify the region with Armenia on February 20 1988. The declaration of seceding from Azerbaijan was the final result of a "long-standing resentment in the Armenian community of Nagorno Karabakh against serious limitations of its cultural and religous freedom by central Soviet and Azerbaijani authorities." (more...)'

Nomination by: I'm hoping the article can appear on May 16, 2007, thus marking the 13th anniversary of the signing of the hitherto precarious cease fire that went into effect in 1994. It passed its FAC only a few weeks ago. The war was the most destructive conflict that emerged after the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 yet many of the reviewers of the article were unaware of it completely and so its appearance on the Main Page I feel would be both educational and perhaps also a reiteration for many of us on the pernicious effects of war. MarshallBagramyan 20:52, 4 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones

Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones is a 2002 science fantasy film directed and co-written by George Lucas. It was the fifth film to be released in the Star Wars saga, and the second in terms of chronology. The film is set ten years after the Battle of Naboo, the galaxy is on the brink of civil war. When an assassination attempt is made on Senator Padmé Amidala, the former Queen of Naboo, nineteen-year-old Jedi apprentice Anakin Skywalker is assigned to protect her, while his mentor Obi-Wan Kenobi is assigned to investigate the assassination attempt. Soon, Anakin, Padmé, and Obi-Wan are drawn into the heart of the Separatist territories, and the beginning of a new threat to the galaxy. Released on May 16, 2002, Attack of the Clones was generally received as an improvement over its predecessor. It was the first motion picture to be shot completely on a high definition digital 24-frame system, and the first Star Wars film to be internationally out-grossed in the year of its original release. (More…)

nomination by The Filmaker 14:39, 29 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Requesting that this article be featured directly behind the Revenge of the Sith article, in other words if Attack of the Clones is featured on August 5 than Revenge of the Sith would be featured on August 6 to present a flow of continuity. :) Also, there could be a presence of featuring on days that coincide with their numbers like Episode II is featured on August 2 and the same going for Episode III.

I could be wrong, but I don't think Raul generally likes featuring articles on related articles close together. For example, while Phil Collins and Genesis (band) were both listed here at almost the exact same time and Phil Collins has been featured, Genesis (band) is still here. Staxringold _talk^contribs 15:33, 29 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

- - Correct. I try to have the FA jump around by genre/topic and by region of the world (if applicable). Featuring two sci-fi movies back to back would run counter to this. Raul654 16:10, 29 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I have put date request may 16th 2007, (unless spiderman the movie gets FA status). --Parker007 17:11, 12 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]

West Indian cricket team in England in 1988

The West Indian cricket team in England in 1988 played 16 first-class cricket matches under the captaincy of Viv Richards. The West Indian cricket team enjoyed tremendous success during the tour while the England cricket team endured a "disastrous summer" of continuous change.

England easily won the initial three-One-day International (ODI) series, retaining the Texaco Trophy and raising expectations for a successful summer against West Indies in the following five-match Test series. However, West Indies comfortably retained the Wisden Trophy, winning the Test series 4-0.

Perhaps as a reference to the Year of the Four Emperors in 69 AD, this West Indian tour has become known in cricketing circles as the summer of four captains as the England cricket team used four different captains in the five-match Test series. (more...)

~~Proposed for 4th August 2008. On this date~~ 20 years ago, the England cricket team entered the Fifth Test match of a chaotic summer with its fourth different captain. The article quotes the usually laconic Wisden, ""The morale and reputation of English cricket has seldom been as severely bruised as it was during the 1988 Cornhill Insurance Test series against West Indies". The article deals with both team's fortunes - the title is a reflection of standard encyclopedic methodology for a cricket series. Dweller 23:24, 25 February 2007 (UTC) [reply]

suggest that a more appropriate date might be 17 May 2007, the date of the start of the First Test on West Indies' forthcoming tour of England. --Dave. 12:46, 1 March 2007 (UTC) [reply]
- ~~Good thinking re date. Amended nom. --Dweller 09:57, 12 March 2007 (UTC)~~[reply]

Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back is a 1980 science fantasy film developed by George Lucas, written by Lawrence Kasdan and Leigh Brackett, and directed by Irvin Kershner. It is the second film released in the Star Wars saga, and the fifth in terms of internal chronology. The film is set three years after the destruction of the Death Star. Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Chewbacca, and Princess Leia are being pursued by Darth Vader and the elite forces of the Galactic Empire. While Han and Leia are chased across space by the Empire, Vader is secretly plotting a trap for Luke that will lead to a vicious confrontation and a shocking revelation. Following a difficult production, The Empire Strikes Back was released on May 21, 1980, and received mixed reviews from critics. Despite this, it earned more than US$538 million worldwide over the original run and several re-releases, making it the highest grossing film of 1980 and becoming the 39th highest grossing film of all time. Its reputation has grown considerably; many consider it to be the best Star Wars film. (More…)

nomination by The Filmaker 14:39, 4 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Request for May 21 the same date as the release of the film. The Filmaker 23:54, 18 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

When George Lucas passes on, however many decades away that may be, Wikipedia will have to have a full week of Star Wars articles; the six episodes ending with George Lucas' article on the Sabbath.-BillDeanCarter 05:56, 19 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

George Lucas and Return of the J are not FA. Buc 06:10, 19 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

There's still time.-BillDeanCarter 07:03, 19 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Paul Collingwood

Paul David Collingwood MBE is an English cricketer. He is vice-captain of Durham County Cricket Club and plays Test and ODI cricket for England.

Collingwood is an all-rounder, combining natural strokeplay with reliable medium-pace bowling. Described as a "natural athlete", he is also a highly skilled fielder and is regarded as one of the finest of his contemporaries.

He made his first class debut in 1995, and went on to debut for England in One-day International cricket in 2001 and in Test cricket in 2003. A series of three consecutive match-winning performances by Collingwood at the end of the 2006–07 Commonwealth Bank Series in Australia brought him plaudits in the British media. His "allround [sic] display of incredible nerve and tenacity" helped to secure the trophy for England. (more...)

Paul Collingwood is an excellent cricketer and a big part of the English cricket team. The requested date is the day of England's first game of the Cricket World Cup, which Collingwood will be a part of. If that date isn't possible, then May 26th, his birthday, will be ok I guess. March 16 will best! Thugchildz 22:32, 4 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

at a later date, otherwise, we will exhaust our supplies in the first fortnight of the tournament. Blnguyen (bananabucket) 02:09, 8 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]
either date, prefer the earlier. The Rambling Man 19:53, 8 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Looks like BOTH dates have now been passed. Is it possible to get this for June 15th, when England plays the West Indies in the 4th Test of the Wisden Trophy at Collingwood's home ground in Durham? Please? --209.90.173.109 08:58, 21 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Houston, Texas

Houston is the largest city in the state of Texas and fourth-largest in the United States. As of the 2005 U.S. Census estimate, it had a population of more than 2 million. The city covers more than 600 square miles (1,600 km²). Houston is the county seat of Harris County and part of the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area, the sixth-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. with a population of more than 5.5 million. Houston was founded on August 30, 1836 by brothers Augustus Chapman Allen and John Kirby Allen on land near the banks of Buffalo Bayou. The city was incorporated on June 5, 1837 and named after General Sam Houston, commander at the Battle of San Jacinto. The burgeoning port and railroad industry, combined with oil discovery in 1901, has induced continual surges in Houston's population. In the 20th century, Houston became the home of the Texas Medical Center, the world's largest concentration of healthcare and research institutions, and NASA's Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. (more...)

Recent featured article. June 5th is the incorporation date of the city. Postoak 21:04, 26 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Slayer

Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. The band rose to fame as a leader of the American thrash metal movement with their 1986 release Reign in Blood, which has been labeled "the heaviest album of all time." Slayer was credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal bands of the 1980s along with Megadeth, Metallica, and Anthrax. The band are known for their distinctive musical traits — involving fast tremolo picking, guitar solos, double bass drumming, and screaming vocals. Lyrical themes and album art, which cover topics such as serial killers, satanism, religion, warfare, and the Holocaust, have generated album bans, delays, lawsuits and strong criticism from religious groups and the public. Since their debut record in 1983, the band has released two live albums, one box set, two DVDs, and nine studio albums, four of which have recieved gold certification. The band has received two Grammy nominations, winning a Grammy in 2007 for the song "Eyes of the Insane", and has headlined music festivals worldwide, including the Download Festival, The Unholy Alliance and Ozzfest. (More...)

I put a request on January 21st but might aswell take a date now. June 6 is "National Slayer day", the vocalists (Tom Araya) birthday, they released an EP the same time last year, and it will go well with the devil/666 stuff. M3tal H3ad 10:35, 26 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

2005 United States Grand Prix

The 2005 United States Grand Prix, otherwise known as Indygate, was a Formula One motor race held on June 19, 2005 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The race was highly controversial because only six out of the normal twenty cars competed; all fourteen of the cars using Michelin tyres retired after the parade lap due to a safety issue with their tyres and the newly resurfaced speedway, leaving only the teams using Bridgestone rubber — Ferrari, Minardi and Jordan — to start.

Following several tyre failures before the race, most spectacularly on Ralf Schumacher's Toyota during Friday practice, Michelin advised its seven customer teams that they could not safely race on the tyres provided for them. The FIA, the sport's governing body, refused to allow a chicane to be installed, maintaining that such rule changes would be grossly unfair to the Bridgestone-shod teams, who had come prepared with properly working tyres. The Michelin teams, unable to come to a compromise with the FIA did not participate in the race on safety grounds.

Of the six competitors, Ferrari's Michael Schumacher was the eventual winner. The result significantly boosted his championship standing, placing him third overall — no driver above him in the table took part in the race. The situation created enormous negative publicity for the sport of Formula One, especially in the United States, a market in which Formula One has struggled to establish itself over the last 20 years.(More...)

June 19th will be the second Anniversary of the event, which will hopefull never happen in Formula One again, June 17th can be used as well because that's when the 2007 US Grand Prix will happen. This artcle was promoted from GA to FA on December 3, 2006 and I decided to put my request in now so it can be on the main page on one of these two dates, an event that hit the headlines for all of the wrong reasons. Kingjamie 16:58, 29 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

IMHO 17th June would be a better date as it coincides with the event and will be mention frequently enough in the race commentary to expect that people will want to know more where as 2 days after the even people arent going to be as interested. Gnan garra 03:31, 11 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I prefer June 17th as well, but I want to give people the choice. Kingjamie 20:13, 17 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie is an American film actress, a former fashion model, and a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Refugee Agency. She is often cited by popular media as one of the world's most beautiful women and her off-screen life is widely reported. She has received three Golden Globe Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and an Academy Award. After appearing as a child alongside her father Jon Voight in the 1982 film Lookin' to Get Out, Jolie's acting career began in earnest a decade later with the low budget production Cyborg 2 and she played her first leading role in a major film in Hackers. She appeared in the critically acclaimed biographical films George Wallace and Gia, and won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the drama Girl, Interrupted. She achieved international fame as a result of her portrayal of videogame heroine Lara Croft in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, and since then has established herself as one of the best known and highest paid actresses in Hollywood. She had her biggest commercial success with the action-comedy Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Divorced from actors Jonny Lee Miller and Billy Bob Thornton, Jolie currently lives with actor Brad Pitt, in a relationship that has attracted worldwide media attention. Jolie and Pitt have three adopted children, Maddox, Pax and Zahara, and a biological child, Shiloh. Jolie has promoted humanitarian causes throughout the world, and is noted for her work with refugees through UNHCR. (more...)

Article has been featured for maybe six months and I think it has been some time that an actor was on the main page. June 20 is World Refugee Day, seems appropriate. EnemyOfTheState 16:26, 21 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Firefly (TV series)

Firefly is an American science fiction cult television series that premiered in the United States and Canada on September 20, 2002. Its naturalistic future setting, modeled after traditional Western movie motifs, presents an atypical science fiction backdrop for the narrative, as well as a fusion of Occidental and Chinese cultures. It was conceived by writer and director Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, under his production tag, Mutant Enemy. Whedon served as executive producer, along with Tim Minear.

Set in the year 2517, Firefly follows the adventures of the renegades of the spaceship Serenity, and explores the vicissitudes of people who fought on the losing side of a civil war, as well as the pioneer culture on the fringes of their star system.

Firefly was originally broadcast on the FOX network but was cancelled after only eleven of the fourteen produced episodes were aired. Despite the series' relatively short life span, it won an Emmy in 2003 for "Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Series", received strong sales when it was released onto DVD, and had impressive fan support campaigns. This strong fan support led to a film based on the series called Serenity. (More...)

This show has developed one of the largest followings for a television show since the original Star Trek, which (as it says above) has led to the production a film. The article, as well as those related to it, have also developed their own Wikiproject. June 23^rd would be the best day to Feature this, as it is the creator Joss Whedon's birthday, and has also become the fans' official day to celebrate the show, film and other things set in the Firefly Universe with Serenity Day. JQF • Talk • Contribs 17:42, 18 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Mozambican War of Independence

A FRELIMO propaganda poster urging the population to resist the Portuguese control.

The Mozambican War of Independence was an armed conflict, between the Mozambique Liberation Front or FRELIMO (Frente de Libertação de Moçambique), and Portugal. The war officially started on September 25, 1964, and ended with a cease fire on September 8, 1974, resulting in a negotiated independence in 1975.

From a military standpoint, the Portuguese regular army held the upper hand during the conflict against the Mozambique guerrilla forces. Despite their disadvantaged position, FRELIMO insurgents were victorious. Mozambique succeeded in achieving independence on June 25, 1975, after a coup d'état in Portugal known as the Carnation Revolution, thus ending 470 years of Portuguese colonial rule in the East African region. The revolution in Portugal was in part fuelled by protests concerning the conduct of Portuguese troops in their treatment of the local Mozambican populace.(more...)

A article that received FA very recently, one of the few FA's for african military history, an article that works against CSB with plenty of images to help make it interesting for the main page, and a topic that had far reaching consequences for the future of both Portugal and Mozambique. SGGH 12:56, 15 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

June 25th (when Mozambique became officially independent I believe) would make sense. Pascal.Tesson 13:54, 16 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]
That is correct :) SGGH 14:44, 16 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Shuttle-Mir Program

Space Shuttle Space Shuttle Atlantis docked to Mir on STS-71, the first Shuttle-Mir docking.

Space Shuttle Space Shuttle Atlantis docked to Mir on STS-71, the first Shuttle-Mir docking.

The Shuttle-Mir Program was a collaborative space program between Russia and the United States, which involved American Space Shuttles visiting the Russian space station Mir, Russian cosmonauts flying on the shuttle and American astronauts engaging in long-duration expeditions aboard Mir.

The program, under the code name 'Phase One', was intended to allow the United States to learn from Russian experience into long-duration spaceflight and to foster a spirit of cooperation between the two nations and their respective space agencies, NASA and RKA, in preparation for further cooperative space ventures, most notably the International Space Station.

Announced in 1993 with the first mission occurring in 1994, the program continued until its scheduled completion in 1998, and consisted of eleven shuttle missions, a joint Soyuz flight and almost 1000 days in space for American astronauts over seven expeditions. (more...)

An article which became featured this morning, and which marks an extremely important milestone in space exploration. One of the few Space Shuttle-related featured articles and one of great importance to the United States and Russia, the docking of Atlantis to Mir on June 29th 1995 marked the first time since the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project in 1975 that an American and Russian spacecraft had docked in orbit. The program is important to us today because the it set the stage for the construction of the International Space Station. A great article with lots of images and a thoroughly interesting subject. Colds7ream 19:14, 21 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The Smashing Pumpkins

The Smashing Pumpkins are an American alternative rock band that formed in Chicago in 1988. While the group has gone through several lineup changes, The Smashing Pumpkins have consisted of Billy Corgan (vocals/guitar), James Iha (guitar/vocals), D'arcy Wretzky (bass/vocals), and Jimmy Chamberlin (drums/percussion) for most of the band's recording career. The Smashing Pumpkins broke into the musical mainstream with their second album, 1993's Siamese Dream. The group built their audience with extensive touring and their follow-up, 1995's double album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, debuted at number one on the Billboard charts. With approximately 18.3 million albums sold in the United States alone as of 2006, The Smashing Pumpkins were one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed bands of the 1990s. However, internal fighting, drug use, and diminishing sales hampered the band in their later years and led to a 2000 break-up. In April 2006, the band officially announced that they were reuniting and recording a new album that will be released on July 7, 2007. (more...)

A recent FA promotion (March 15), it would be very timely for this article to appear on the main page on July 7, 2007, since the band will release their first album in seven years on that date (Zeitgeist). Teemu08 20:14, 15 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Yea, that would be just peachy. :) -- Reaper X 16:30, 17 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Go for it :-) -- UKPhoenix79 10:34, 7 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I can't think of a more appropriate date, so why not?--h i s s p a c e r e s e a r c h 17:26, 9 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I concur -- Aixime 2:20, 9 June 2007

Holden VE Commodore

The Holden VE Commodore is the fourteenth and current model of the Holden Commodore, a full-size car produced by Holden, the Australian subsidiary of General Motors.

Full-scale production commenced on July 13 2006, with the official unveiling being held at a media launch in Melbourne on July 16 2006. The VE is the first Commodore model designed entirely in Australia, with previous generations based on Opel-sourced platforms that had been adapted both mechanically and in size for the local market.

Prior to the release of the VE model, Holden confirmed that they would manufacture two parallel generations of Commodores, until the launch of station wagon and utility body styles. This announcement came not long before Holden announced that engines and transmissions would largely carry-over from the previous VZ model. On January 23 2007, Holden’s VE Commodore became the fifth Commodore model to receive the prestigious Wheels Car of the Year award.

With the design of a new model, Holden kept in mind the needs of export markets with innovative design traits, such as a symmetrical centre console housing a flush-fitting handbrake lever. This allows for easy left-hand drive conversion, with minimal redesign costs. The mainstream VE also forms the basis of the long-wheelbase WM Statesman and Caprice. (more...)

July 16 will mark the 1st anniversary of the public unveiling of the Holden VE Commodore. OSX (talk • contributions) 07:14, 28 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Glynn Lunney

Glynn Lunney in 1974, as manager of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project.

Glynn S. Lunney (born November 27, 1936) is a retired NASA engineer. An employee of NASA since its foundation in 1958, Lunney was a flight director during the Gemini and Apollo programs, and was on duty during historic events such as the Apollo 11 lunar ascent and the pivotal hours of the Apollo 13 crisis. At the end of the Apollo program, he became manager of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, the first collaboration in spaceflight between the United States and the Soviet Union. Later, he served as manager of the Space Shuttle program before leaving NASA in 1985 and becoming a Vice President of the United Space Alliance. Lunney was a pivotal figure in America's manned space program from Project Mercury through the coming of the Space Shuttle. He has received numerous awards for his work, including the National Space Trophy, which he was given by the Rotary Club in 2005. Chris Kraft, NASA's first flight director, described Lunney as "a true hero of the space age," saying that he was "one of the outstanding contributors to the exploration of space of the last four decades." (more...)

July 20th will be the 38th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. If Wikipedia wanted to recognize this anniversary, I would suggest featuring the article on Glynn Lunney, who was a key figure in the Apollo program and was a flight director during the Apollo 11 mission. MLilburne 08:27, 23 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Cape Feare

"Cape Feare" is the second episode of The Simpsons' fifth season, which premiered on the Fox network on October 7, 1993 after being held over from season four. The episode features Sideshow Bob getting released from jail and trying to kill Bart Simpson. The Simpson family enters the "Witness Relocation Program" and is sent to Terror Lake, however Bob follows them there. It is a spoof of the 1962 film Cape Fear as well as its 1991 remake, but alludes to other horror films. The production crew found it difficult to stretch "Cape Feare" in order fulfil the standard length of a half-hour episode, leading to the addition of several memorable scenes. "Cape Feare" was written by Jon Vitti and directed by Rich Moore and was the last episode to be worked on by the original writing staff. Kelsey Grammer guest stars as Sideshow Bob. The episode is generally rated as one of the best of the entire series and the musical score by Alf Clausen received an Emmy Award nomination. (more...)

Cape Feare is one of the most famous episodes of The Simpsons and is generally regarded as being one of the best. There are only 3 episode FAs, and neither of the other 2 has appeared on the main page.

I am also requesting July 27 for this article because it is the day that the Simpsons Movie opens and it would be nice to see a Simpsons-related page on the main page that day. -- Scorpion 17:20, 19 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

~~Oppose~~ for the same reason I oppose the Simpsons article: ~~images are missing source information,~~ and therefore, it should not be a featured article. Helltopay27 22:37, 1 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Actually, only one image was missing source information and this has been fixed now. --Maitch 09:22, 2 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Yeah, the source for "screenshots" is self explanatory. -- Scorpion 15:36, 2 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Comment Probably going to need a free image. How about Kelsey Grammar as we have a free one and he voices Sideshow? Quadzilla99 18:59, 29 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
- I'd go with that, same for Homer's Phobia, using the free use image of John Waters for Homer's Phobia. Gran² 11:21, 12 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Maximus the Confessor

Saint Maximus the Confessor (c. 580 - August 13, 662) was a Christian monk, theologian, and scholar. In his early life, he was a civil servant, and an aide to the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius. However, he gave up this life in the political sphere to enter into the monastic life. After moving to Carthage, Maximus studied several Neo-Platonist writers and became a prominent author. When one of his friends began espousing the Christological position known as Monothelitism, Maximus was drawn into the controversy, in which he supported the Chalcedonian position that Jesus had both a human and a divine will. Maximus is venerated in both Eastern Christianity and Western Christianity. His positions eventually resulted in exile, soon after which he died. However, his theology was vindicated by the Third Council of Constantinople and he was venerated as a saint soon after his death. His feast day is August 13 (or January 21).(more...)

A recently promoted FA, Maximus is a little known saint in the US who is well known to non-Western Christians. A main page feature on his feast day, August 13, would be a nice balance to the mostly western emphasis of religion articles on WP. Pastordavid 21:01, 15 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I have to say that I think the timing of the article on the individuals feast day would probably be looked on favorably by Eastern and Western Christians alike. John Carter 13:58, 23 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Halloween II

Halloween II is a 1981 horror film sequel to the influential Halloween (1978). It is directed by Rick Rosenthal and stars Donald Pleasence as Dr. Sam Loomis, Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode, and stunt performer Dick Warlock as Michael Myers. While other films in the Halloween series follow, this is the last one written by John Carpenter and Debra Hill. The film immediately follows the events of the first film, and centers on Myers's attempts to find and kill Laurie Strode and Loomis's efforts to track and kill Myers. Stylistically, the sequel reproduces certain key elements that made the original Halloween a success but departs significantly from the original by incorporating more graphic violence and gore. It was not as successful as the original, grossing only $25.5 million at the box office in the United States despite its $2.5 million budget. Halloween II was intended to be the last chapter of the Halloween series to revolve around Michael Myers and the Haddonfield setting, but after the lackluster reaction to Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982), Myers returned in Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988). (More…)

Zzzzz 10:27, 26 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

August 31 is US release date for new Halloween remake. 82.3.78.122 20:38, 29 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

All Blacks

The All Blacks are New Zealand's national rugby union team. Rugby union is New Zealand's national sport, with the All Blacks a formidable power in international rugby, possessing a winning record against all nations. The All Blacks compete annually with Australia and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with Australia. They have been Tri-Nations champions seven times in the tournament's eleven-year history, have twice completed a Grand Slam (in 1978 and in 2005), and currently hold the Bledisloe Cup. They are the top ranked team in the world, and the 2006 International Rugby Board (IRB) Team of the Year. Twelve former All Blacks have been inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame. (More...)

Requesting late September or early October 2007 (during the Rugby World Cup). Buc 17:55, 11 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Knights Templar

The Knights Templar were among the most famous of the Christian military orders during the Crusades, created to ensure the safety of the large numbers of European pilgrims who flowed toward Jerusalem after its conquest. Both monks and soldiers, the Templars were officially sanctioned by the church in 1128, and became a favoured charity across Europe. Templar knights played a key part in many battles of the Crusades, and the Order's infrastructure innovated many financial techniques that could be considered the foundation of modern banking. However, after Jerusalem was lost to Saladin and the Crusades began to wind down, European support for the Templars began to falter. Things came to a head on October 13, 1307, when King Philip IV of France caused many Templars in France to be simultaneously arrested, tortured into "confessions" and burned at the stake. In 1312, Pope Clement V, under further pressure from King Philip, forcibly disbanded the entire Order. The sudden disappearance of a major part of the European infrastructure spawned a plethora of speculation and legends, which continue to keep the name "Templar" alive in modern fiction. (more...)

This year, October 13th will be the 700-year anniversary of the famous arrests of the Templars on Friday, October 13, 1307. As of this writing (March 26), ~~the article has not yet achieved FA status~~, but we're heading that way fast, and since other requests have been going in for October (see Royal Oak below), I wanted to make sure we put in the formal request for the date. --El on ka 00:17, 27 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Update: as of today, the article is now officially at FA status. :) --El on ka 14:41, 12 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

HMS Royal Oak (08)

HMS Royal Oak was a Revenge-class battleship of the British Royal Navy, torpedoed by the German submarine U-47 on 14 October 1939. Completed in 1916, Royal Oak first saw action at the Battle of Jutland. In peacetime, she served in the Atlantic, Home and Mediterranean fleets, coming under accidental attack on more than one occasion. The ship became the centre of worldwide attention in 1928 when her senior officers were controversially court-martialled. During a twenty-five year career, attempts to modernise Royal Oak could not address her fundamental lack of speed, and by the start of the Second World War, she was no longer suited to front-line duty.

Royal Oak was anchored at Scapa Flow, Scotland, when she was sunk with the loss of 833 lives. The raid had a considerable effect on wartime morale, making an immediate celebrity of U-47's commander, Günther Prien, and demonstrating to the British that the Germans could bring the naval war to their home waters. Now lying upside down in 30 m of water, the wreck of Royal Oak is a official war grave. (More...)

Recently achieved featured status, a date of 14 October—the anniversary of her sinking—would be ideal. ~~but this seems already taken below. That said, 13 October would also be suitable, being the date that U-47's raid started.~~ I shall be visiting Scapa Flow in May and this will present the opportunity to add some photos to the article before October. — BillC^talk 12:33, 25 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Just as a reminder, I'd like to keep October 13 reserved for Knights Templar, as this year will be the 700-year anniversary of King Philip's famous "Friday the 13th" arrests. Then again, that article isn't at Featured yet. But I'm hoping! :) --El on ka 18:40, 25 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Per his note on my talk page, UberCryxic has very kindly stepped aside and deferred his request for War of the Fifth Coalition for 14 October 2009, which will be the 200th anniversary of the war's end. So I have changed my request to my first choice of 14 October, to free up 13 October for Knights Templar, which if it gains FA status, has a very strong claim to the 13th. — BillC^talk 23:16, 26 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Denis Law

Denis Law (seated, born February 24 1940, in Aberdeen, Scotland) is a retired Scottish football player, who enjoyed a long and successful career as a striker from the 1950s to the 1970s. After four years at Huddersfield Town, Manchester City signed him for a transfer fee of £55,000, setting a new British record. Law spent one year there before Torino bought him for £110,000, this time setting a new record fee for a transfer between an English and an Italian club. Although he played well in Italy, he found it difficult to settle there and signed for Manchester United in 1962, setting another British record transfer fee of £115,000. Law is best known for the eleven years that he spent at Manchester United, where he won the prestigious European Footballer of the Year award and helped his club win the First Division in 1965 and 1967. Law left Manchester United in 1973 and returned to Manchester City for a season, then represented Scotland in the 1974 FIFA World Cup. Law played for Scotland a total of 55 times and jointly holds the Scottish international record goal tally with 30 goals. (More...)

This was promoted months ago, but I've only just got around to listing it on here. Would love to see it on the front page and it's been a while since we had a football article there. CTOAGN (talk) 18:26, 16 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Oppose It will look like Wikipedia is a Fanboy of this football player. --Foundby 08:44, 10 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Struck out comment made by sockpuppet of banned user.--Rmky87 23:41, 30 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Halloween III: Season of the Witch

Halloween III: Season of the Witch is a 1982 horror film and the third in the Halloween series. It is the only Halloween film that does not feature a plot revolving around the character Michael Myers, instead focusing on an investigation into the activities of the mysterious owner of a toy company, in the week approaching Halloween night. Besides wholly abandoning the Michael Myers plotline, Halloween III departs from the slasher film genre which the original Halloween spawned in 1978. The focus on a psychotic killer is replaced by a "mad scientist" theme. Moreover, the frequency of graphic violence and gore is less than that of Halloween II (1981), although scenes that depict the deaths of characters remain intense. Produced on a budget of $2.5 million, Halloween III grossed $14.4 million at the box office in the United States, making it the poorest performing film in the Halloween series at the time. (More…)

hope its ok to add this with the other halloween featured article requests... 82.14.81.85 22:42, 4 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

'October 31, Halloween'[ - this is the only Halloween film which is actually about Halloween. 82.3.78.122 20:38, 29 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Countdown (game show)

Countdown is a British game show presented by Des O'Connor and Carol Vorderman. It was the first programme aired on Channel 4, and over fifty series have been broadcast since its debut on 2 November 1982. With over 4,000 episodes, it is one of the longest-running game shows in the world. The programme was presented by Richard Whiteley for over twenty years, until his death in 2005. His position was taken over by Des Lynam, who retired from the show on December 22 2006 and was replaced by Des O'Connor on January 2 2007. A celebrity guest also features in every programme, and provides a brief interlude before the first advertisement break.

The two contestants in each episode compete in three disciplines: eleven letters rounds, in which the contestants attempt to make the longest word from nine randomly chosen letters; three numbers rounds, in which the contestants must use arithmetic to make a random target number from six other numbers; and the "conundrum", a buzzer round in which the contestants try to be first to solve a nine-letter anagram. During the series heats, the winning contestant returns the next day until he or she has accumulated eight wins. The best contestants are invited back for the series finals, which are decided in knockout format. Contestants of exceptional skill have received national media coverage, and the programme as a whole is widely recognised and parodied within British culture. (More...)

A fairly recent FA about a British television classic. By far the best date for this to be on the front page is 2 November, which (this year) marks the 24th anniversary of the first episode of the show, and indeed Channel 4 as a whole. Quite a landmark, and this would be a nice way to mark it. There are several pictures that could accompany this, and I've chosen what I think is the best of the free licensed ones. - CountdownCrispy ^{( ?} 19:50, 13 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

that blurb needs updating Des Lynam doesn't present it now. SenorKristobbal 00:08, 16 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Montreal screwjob

The Montreal screwjob refers to the real-life double-crossing of the defending WWF Champion Bret Hart by Vince McMahon, the owner of the World Wrestling Federation (now World Wrestling Entertainment) during the main event match of the professional wrestling pay-per-view event Survivor Series held on November 9, 1997 at the Molson Centre in Montreal, Canada. A secretive change of the match's pre-determined finish (known as a "screwjob" in professional wrestling parlance) was devised by McMahon and Hart's match opponent, Shawn Michaels. The plan was executed when match referee Earl Hebner and McMahon called for the match bell to ring as Michaels held Hart in the sharpshooter submission hold even though Hart had not submitted. Michaels was declared the new WWF Champion. Owing to its execution at a high-profile event and Hart's widespread popularity, the controversial ending left Hart and many wrestling fans across the world infuriated. However, its widespread impact led to its adoption in future matches and storylines of the WWF's Attitude Era and the creation of the widely popular character of the evil boss, "Mr. McMahon." Hart cut off all ties with the WWF, while McMahon and Michaels continued to receive angry responses from audiences for many years. However, the relationship between Hart and McMahon healed to a great degree in recent years and Hart was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on April 1, 2006. (more)

One of the first and most important FAs on an important topic related to professional wrestling - would be great and unique for the main page. Rama's arrow 04:10, 3 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

As much as I'm over the moon over this promotion, I think it might be nice if we wait a bit for this article and have it featured on 9 November, the tenth anniversary of the event. -- oakster TALK 23:41, 3 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

"Over the moon" would be an accurate description of how I, too, feel about this article, and November 9 would be absolutely perfect. --Jeffrey O. Gustafson - Shazaam! - <*> 07:14, 26 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Oppose It's a good subject and all, but how did this make FA with such writing as and culminated to? The introduction is confusing and often illiterate, e.g. I can't make sense of this: ...called for the match bell to ring as Michaels held Hart in the latter's trademark submission hold, the sharpshooter even though Hart had not submitted.... And Hart remained ostracized from WWF, when was he ostracized? It's not mentioned. I know it's just the lead and therefore a summary of content dealt with much more deeply in the article itself, but this is confusing enough to put me off reading further. Pinkville 15:39, 8 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]
I've suggested this as it is the 10th anniversary to the day it occured, and it is still talked about today in the wrestling world. Davnel03 17:02, 30 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]
It's already nominated (check farther down). TJ Spyke 21:25, 30 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]
I've merge the two together now. I'd still love to have it featured on this date. -- Oakster Talk 21:28, 30 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The grammar issue brought up isn't actually an issue. That is correct grammar. And culminated to is the past progressive, often called the imperfect, form of the infinitive to culminate. ...called for the match bell to ring as Michaels held Hart in the latter's trademark submission hold, the sharpshooter even though Hart had not submitted... is almost correct grammar. You just aren't used to seeing a sentence of that length without many commas. I only see one which needs to be added, which I will add after I am done typing this. As far as being ostracized by the WWF, that happened immediately after the event. It was assumed that would be obvious. -- The Hyb rid 07:27, 31 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

It appears that the sentence has already been changed. -- The Hyb rid 07:31, 31 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Final Fantasy IV

Final Fantasy IV (ファイナルファンタジーIV, Fainaru Fantajī Foa) is a console role-playing game developed and published by Square Co., Ltd. in 1991. It was first released in North America as Final Fantasy II, although the original name was restored in later releases. The game initially appeared on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and has since been ported with minor differences to the PlayStation, WonderSwan Color, and Game Boy Advance. The player takes the role of Cecil, a Dark Knight from the kingdom of Baron, on his journey to save the world from the evil Golbez. Struggling to prevent Golbez from acquiring powerful Crystals, Cecil learns of his heritage and travels through three realms to battle Golbez's minions. His lover, best friend, and other warriors join him for the adventure. Final Fantasy IV introduced innovations that became staples of the Final Fantasy series and role-playing games in general. Its "Active Time Battle" system was used in five subsequent Final Fantasy games. Its character-driven plot, use of the new technologies (such as Mode 7), and critically acclaimed score by Nobuo Uematsu have prompted critics to consider Final Fantasy IV one of the greatest games of all time.

November 23 is the fifteen year anniversary of this game's US release. --Zeality 17:36, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Angel of Death (song)

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"Angel of Death" is the opening track on the American thrash metal band Slayer's 1986 album Reign in Blood. The lyrics were written by Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman; based on Nazi physician Josef Mengele, who conducted human experiments at the Auschwitz concentration camp during World War II. "Angel of Death" led to the band facing accusations of Nazi sympathizing and racism throughout their career.

Despite the controversy surrounding the song and its contribution to the delay in the release of Reign in Blood, "Angel of Death" is featured on all of Slayer's live albums and DVDs, and has appeared on the soundtracks of several movies. "Angel of Death" was well received by critics, All Music Guide described it as a "classic," while Popmatters called it "one of the most monumental songs in metal history." (more...)

One of the most well-known heavy metal songs ever, no date requested. The picture is under a PD license and is a picture of Josef Mengle. M3tal H3ad 10:11, 27 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell

Sir Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell OM, GCMG, GCVO, KCB (22 February 1857 – 8 January 1941), also known as B-P, was a lieutenant-general in the British Army, writer, and founder of the Scouting Movement.

After having been educated at Charterhouse School, Baden-Powell served in the British Army from 1876 until 1910 in India and Africa. In 1899, during the Second Boer War in South Africa, Baden-Powell successfully defended the city in the Siege of Mafeking. Several of his military books, written for military reconnaissance and scout training in his African years, were also read by boys. Based on those earlier books, he wrote Scouting for Boys, published in 1908 by Pearson, for youth readership. During writing, he tested his ideas through a camping trip on Brownsea Island in 1907, which is now seen as the beginning of Scouting.

After his marriage with Olave St Clair Soames, Baden-Powell, his sister Agnes Baden-Powell and notably his wife actively gave guidance to the Scouting Movement and the Girl Guides Movement. Baden-Powell lived his last years in Nyeri, Kenya, where he died in 1941.

( more...)

Founder of the world's largest youth movement.Rlevse 01:03, 22 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The Quatermass Experiment

The Quatermass Experiment is a British science-fiction serial, broadcast by BBC Television in the summer of 1953, and re-staged by BBC Four in 2005. Set in the near future against the background of a British space programme, it tells the story of the first manned flight into space, overseen by Professor Bernard Quatermass of the British Experimental Rocket Group. When the spaceship that carried the first successful crew returns to Earth, two of the three astronauts are missing, and the third is behaving strangely. It becomes clear that an alien presence entered the ship during its flight, and Quatermass and his associates must prevent the alien from destroying the world.

Originally comprising six half-hour episodes, it was the first science-fiction production to be written especially for an adult television audience, and was the first of four Quatermass productions to be screened on British television between 1953 and 1979. It also inspired much of the television science fiction that followed it, particularly in the United Kingdom, where it was an important influence upon successful series such as Doctor Who.

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No special reason, but it's an article I worked on heavily and am rather proud of, and I don't think we've had a front page featured article on a British pop culture piece for a while. It went through a Featured Article Review earlier this year during which it was much improved, so should hopefully be well up to standard. Angmering 18:19, 20 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Megadeth

Megadeth is an American heavy metal band led by founder, frontman, and songwriter Dave Mustaine. Formed in 1983 following Mustaine's firing from Metallica, the band has since released ten studio albums, three EPs, and two live albums.

As a pioneer of the American thrash metal movement, Megadeth rose to international fame in the 1980s, but were plagued by constant lineup changes, due in part to Mustaine's notorious substance abuse problems. After finding sobriety and securing a stable lineup, Megadeth went on to release a string of platinum and gold albums, including the Grammy nominated, multi-platinum Countdown to Extinction in 1992. Megadeth disbanded in 2002 after Mustaine suffered a severe nerve injury to his left arm, but following extensive physical therapy, Mustaine reformed the band in 2004 and released The System Has Failed, which debuted at #18 on the Billboard Top 200 chart. (more...)

This article has been featured for awhile now, I'd like to see it on the main page. Their new album comes out May 15th, maybe that would be a good date?Doppelganger 19:22, 14 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

New Jersey Devils

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The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Devils have won the Stanley Cup three times, first in the lockout-shortened 1995 season. The club was founded in Kansas City, Missouri in 1974, moved to Denver, Colorado after only two seasons, then settled in New Jersey in 1982. Under current general manager and coach Lou Lamoriello, the Devils have earned a playoff spot in each of the last ten and 17 of the last 19 seasons.

Since their move to New Jersey, the Devils have played their home games at the Continental Airlines Arena. Before the upcoming 2007-2008 season, the team is expected to move to a new arena under construction in the city of Newark. They have rivalries with their trans-Hudson neighbor, the New York Rangers, and with the Philadelphia Flyers, as either the Devils or Flyers have won the Atlantic Division title every season since 1995. (more...)

This article has improved very much over the past few months, and I believe that at this point it is worthy of being on the front page. It is pretty rare for a hockey article to gain featured status, as the Devils are the first NHL team to have that distinguishment. I think it would be good for the community to see another professional team on there, especially from this sport. --Sportskido8 22:24, 27 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Image changed to a free-use one. Oldelpaso 21:26, 20 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Comment Any logical reason for the requested dates? Buc 07:39, 21 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]
- Yes, the 2006-07 NHL season is coming to an end and the Devils are in a fight for the division with only a couple of games left. I suppose early April wouldn't be bad either. Sportskido8 08:07, 23 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Comment. As a Devils fan, I would love to see them on the front page, but I have an issue regarding the summary and the timing. The Newark Arena has a real proper name now: Prudential Center. Might it make more sense to put this at the end of the full season...aka the playoffs. It might make more sense to put a real stable article on the front page and not one that is slated for an update on that very day (if there's a playoff game that day). JHMM13 04:43, 2 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
- I don't think that would necessarily make the article unstable. It's one sentence to add "the Devils won the division and will play the ........ in the first round." I think it's better to put them before the playoffs while they are accomplising something meaningful (i.e. another Atlantic Division title, tenth straight playoff appearance, etc.). Sportskido8 16:21, 2 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Comment Since the season is over (regular season, anyways) I have removed the end of season request. Also I removed the redirect to the Prudential Center and mentioned that Lamoriello is coach. Michael Greiner 04:27, 21 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
- Season's over now. Should another date request be put on this? Sportskido8 20:39, 6 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Comment How about June 30th, the anniversary of the day the team was renamed the New Jersey Devils? Bsroiaadn^Talk 03:21, 5 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
- Proposed as such. Michael Greiner 00:44, 9 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

FairTax

The FairTax (H.R.25/S.25) is a bill in the United States Congress for changing tax laws to replace the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and all federal income taxes (including AMT), payroll taxes (including Social Security and Medicare taxes), corporate taxes, capital gains taxes, gift taxes, and estate taxes with a national retail sales tax, to be levied once at the point of purchase on all new goods and services. The proposal also calls for a monthly tax rebate to households of citizens and legal resident aliens, to "untax" purchases up to the poverty level.

The FairTax has generated a large grassroots tax reform movement in recent years, led by the non-partisan group Americans For Fair Taxation. Increased support was created after talk radio personality Neal Boortz and Georgia Congressman John Linder published The FairTax Book in 2005. While the proposed bill has yet to have a major effect on the tax system, the Fair Tax Act has the highest number of cosponsors among tax reform proposals (attracting 65 in the 110th Congress), gathering much stronger support than popular flat tax legislation. (more...)

New featured article - I thought this would be a perfect one for April 15th (Tax Day in the U.S.) The Senate bill is to be introduced this day as well as FairTax rallies across the country. A common slogan for the FairTax is "April 15th - Make it just another day". Morphh ^(talk) 18:33, 30 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I'm weakly against this, as it could be percieved to not be politically NPOV — it's a bit like saying "Hey! Hate the tax system today? Well, you can help change it!" I mean, tax day isn't a holiday in the same sense as other days, so you have to be extra-delicate. If the article were Income tax in the United States, it wouldn't have a "message" the way showing this one kind of would. (But if there were somehow a proposal to make people pay more taxes, or make the system more convoluted, well, it shouldn't appear on that day either. But I doubt such a bill would ever come forth in Wikipedia's lifetime.) 66.195.211.27 23:33, 7 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Technopark, Kerala

Technopark campus with the Bhavani building

Technopark Kerala is a technology park in Thiruvananthapuram (also called Trivandrum), India dedicated to electronics, software, and other Information Technology (IT) ventures. It is the first and largest industrial park in India.

Launched in 1990, Technopark currently has 3.2 million square feet (310,000 square meters) of built-up space. Technopark is home to over 110 companies, which employ more than 15,000 professionals. They include one CMMI level 5 and PCMM level 5 company, four CMM Level 5, two CMM Level 3 and several ISO 9001 certified companies. Technopark is promoted by the Government of Kerala, with a mandate to promote entrepreneurship and employment in the region. The policy of economic liberalisation initiated by the government of India in 1991 and the rapid growth of the global software industry during the 1990s has substantially contributed to the growth of Technopark. Over 70% of Kerala's IT exports are from Technopark.

(more...)

The article is a recently featured article. The park regained the position of the largest Technology park in India recently. So, I think it is perfect to be displayed on the main page soon -- Rajith Mohan ^{(Talk to me..)} 11:56, 30 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Óengus I of the Picts

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Óengus, son of Fergus (Hypothetical Pictish form: Onuist map Urguist; Old Irish: Óengus mac Fergusso) was king of the Picts from 732 until his death in 761. The amount of information which has survived about Óengus compared with other Pictish kings, the nature and geographical range of his activities and the length of his reign combine to make King Óengus one of the most significant rulers of the insular Dark Ages. His reign can be reconstructed in some detail from a variety of sources. Óengus became the chief king in Pictland following a period of civil war in the late 720s. During his reign, the neighbouring kingdom of Dál Riata was subjugated and the kingdom of Strathclyde was attacked, although with apparently less success. The supreme ruler in Scotland for over two decades, he was also involved in wars in Ireland and England. Kings from Óengus's family dominated Pictland until 839 when a disastrous defeat at the hands of Vikings began a new period of instability, which ended with the coming to power of Cináed mac Ailpín.(more...)

Wonderful article by User:Angusmclellan. Suggest March 30, the commemoration day of St Regulus of St Andrews, the monastery that Óengus probably founded. Not a big deal I guess, but it is a suggestion! Can't think of any other date in the near future. Calgacus (ΚΑΛΓΑΚΟΣ) 01:06, 17 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Archaeopteryx

Archaeopteryx (from Ancient Greek ἀρχαῖος archaios meaning 'ancient' and πτέρυξ pteryx meaning 'feather' or 'wing'; pronounced [ɑː(ɹ)kɪˈɒptəɹɪks]) is the earliest and most primitive known avian to date. It lived in the late Jurassic Period around 155-150 million years ago in what is now southern Germany. In German, Archaeopteryx is known as Urvogel, a German word meaning "protobird" or "first bird". Although the name originated in Germany, it is also used in English-speaking countries.

At the time Archaeopteryx lived, Europe was an archipelago of islands in a shallow warm tropical sea, much closer to the equator than it is now. Archaeopteryx lived during the time of the dinosaurs, yet was set apart from them because of the inclusion of both avian and theropod dinosaur features. Similar in size and shape to a European Magpie, it bore broad, rounded wings and a long tail. Archaeopteryx could grow to about half a metre, or 1.6 feet in length. Its feathers resembled those of modern birds but Archaeopteryx was rather different from any bird known today, in that it had jaws lined with sharp teeth, three 'fingers' ending in curved claws and a long bony tail. These features, which are consistent with theropod dinosaurs, have made the Archaeopteryx a hot topic in the debate on evolution. Indeed, in 1862 the description of the first intact specimen of Archaeopteryx, just two years after Charles Darwin published The Origin of Species, set off a firestorm of debate about evolution and the role of transitional fossils that endures to this day.

The eleven fossils currently classified as Archaeopteryx are the oldest evidence of feathers on the planet and the only ones dated from Jurassic times. Furthermore, their advanced nature and placement suggest their origins must have been even earlier. All remains have been regarded by most as a single species, though this has been debated.(more...)

This article has recently been promoted to FA status. As per usual, I don't really care which date it goes on - any day is fine Raul (or whoever updates this now)... Thanks, Spawn Man 03:03, 1 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Kansas Turnpike

Kansas Turnpike logo used by the KTA.

The Kansas Turnpike is a tolled freeway that lies entirely within the U.S. state of Kansas. It runs in a general southwest-northeast direction from the Oklahoma border south of Wichita via Wichita, Topeka, and Lawrence to Kansas City, Kansas. The Turnpike is owned and maintained by the Kansas Turnpike Authority (KTA), headquartered in Wichita. The Kansas Turnpike was built from 1954 to 1956, predating the Interstate Highway System. The entire roadway has been designated as four different Interstate routes: I-35, I-335, I-470, and I-70. It also carries a piece of U.S. Route 40 in Kansas City. (more...)

This article was recently promoted to FA status, and would become the third out of three USRD FAs. No specific date is requested, although the latest date can be October 20, the day the Turnpike opened. V60 ^{干什么？ · VDemolitions} 19:57, 30 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Comment This article still has referencing problems that should be straightened out before it is considered for the main page. SandyGeorgia (Talk) 20:06, 30 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Freak Out!

Freak Out!, released June 27, 1966 on MGM/Verve Records, is the debut album of The Mothers of Invention, led by Frank Zappa. A sardonic farce about rock music and America, Freak Out! was one of the earliest concept albums. It was also one of the earliest double albums in the history of rock music. The album was produced by Tom Wilson, who had also produced albums by Bob Dylan and The Velvet Underground. Wilson signed The Mothers, formally a bar band called the Soul Giants, to a record deal in the belief that they were a white blues band. The album features vocalist Ray Collins, along with bass player Roy Estrada, drummer Jimmy Carl Black and guitar player Elliot Ingber, who would later join Captain Beefheart's Magic Band under the name Winged Eel Fingerling. The band's original repertoire consisted entirely of cover songs. When Zappa joined the band, he not only changed their name, but also expanded their music to include a wide range of original material. The musical content of Freak Out! ranges from rhythm and blues, doo-wop and standard blues-influenced rock to orchestral arrangements and avant-garde sound collages. Although the album was initially poorly received in the United States, it was a success in Europe, and gained a cult following in America. The album influenced the production of The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. In 1999, it was honored with the Grammy Hall of Fame Award, and in 2003, Rolling Stone ranked it among the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time." In 2006, The MOFO Project/Object, an audio documentary on the making of the album, was released in honor of its 40th anniversary. (more...)

Self nomination. Recently listed featured article. An important album. June 27, the date of the album's release, would be a good date to feature it, although it is not entirely important that the article be featured on that exact date. Ibaranoff24 18:30, 30 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Glacier National Park (US)

Glacier National Park is located in the U.S. state of Montana, bordering the Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Columbia. Glacier National Park contains two mountain ranges, over 130 named lakes, more than 1,000 different species of plants and hundreds of species of animals. This vast pristine ecosystem, spread across 1,584 mi² (4,101 km²), is the centerpiece of what has been referred to as the "Crown of the Continent Ecosystem", a region of protected land encompassing 16,000 mi² (44,000 km²). The famed Going-to-the-Sun Road, a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, traverses through the heart of the park and crosses the Continental Divide, allowing visitors breathtaking views of the rugged Lewis and Livingston mountain ranges, as well as dense forests, alpine tundra, waterfalls and two large lakes. Along with the Going-to-the-Sun Road, five historic hotels and chalets are listed as National Historic Landmarks, and a total of 350 locations are on the National Register of Historic Places. (More...)

Featured article for a while now, recently rechecked for accurate references and some information updates.--MONGO 13:11, 29 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Homer's Phobia

"Homer's Phobia" is the fifteenth episode of The Simpsons' eighth season, which originally aired on the Fox network on February 16, 1997. It was the first episode written by Ron Hauge and was directed by Mike B. Anderson. John Waters (pictured) guest starred, providing the voice of the new character John.

In the episode, Homer disassociates from new family friend John after discovering that John is gay. He worries that John will have a negative influence on his son, Bart. "Homer's Phobia" was the first episode to revolve entirely around homosexual themes, with the title being a pun on the word "homophobia". Originally, due to the controversial subject, the Fox censors found the episode unsuitable for broadcast, but this decision was reversed after a turnover in the Fox staff. It won four awards, including an Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming One Hour or Less) and a GLAAD Media Award for "Outstanding TV - Individual Episode". (More...)

Okay so yes, there are two other The Simpsons related articles already nominated, but that's why I'm putting this here. A very popular episode of the show, which won four awards. Any date, ever, will do. Gran² 20:56, 28 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Comment The lead needs to be reworked per WP:NPOV. If it won an Emmy, it should be mentioned there, but not in the lead sentence. ShadowHalo 16:01, 1 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
- How's that? Any improvement? Gran² 14:11, 2 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  - Yeah, looks good. ShadowHalo 00:16, 5 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Although I prefer the screen shot, no fair use images are allowed on the main page, so I've replaced it with the free use image of John Waters. Gran² 11:26, 12 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Western Chalukya Empire

The Western Chalukya Empire (Kannada:ಪಶ್ಚಿಮ ಚಾಲುಕ್ಯ ಸಾಮ್ರಾಜ್ಯ) ruled most of the western deccan, South India, between the 10th and 12th centuries. This dynasty is sometimes called the Kalyani Chalukya after its regal capital at Kalyani, today's Basavakalyan in Karnataka and alternatively the Later Chalukya from its theoretical relationship to the sixth century Chalukya dynasty of Badami. The dynasty is called Western Chalukyas to differentiate from the contemporaneous Eastern Chalukyas of Vengi, a separate dynasty. In 973, Tailapa II a feudatory of the Rashtrakuta ruling from Bijapur region defeated his overlords and made Manyakheta his capital. The dynasty quickly rose to power and grew into an empire under Somesvara I who moved the capital to Kalyani.

During the rule of the famous Vikramaditya VI the Western Chalukya empire convincingly eclipsed the Cholas and reached its peak with territories spreading over most of the deccan. Vast areas between the Narmada River in the north and Kaveri River in the south came under Chalukya control. The Western Chalukyas developed an architectural style known today as a transitional style, an architectural link between the style of the early Chalukya dynasty and that of the later Hoysala empire. This was an important period in the development of fine arts in Southern India, especially in literature as the Western Chalukya kings encouraged writers in the native language of Kannada and Sanskrit.

(More...)

This article has just been selected as a FA.Dineshkannambadi 01:23, 28 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Hamlet chicken processing plant fire

The Hamlet chicken processing plant fire is an industrial disaster that took place at the Imperial Foods chicken processing plant in Hamlet, North Carolina, USA, on September 3, 1991 after a failure in a faulty modification to a hydraulic line. Twenty-five people were killed and fifty-four injured in the fire as they were trapped behind locked fire doors. Due to a lack of inspectors, the plant had never received a safety inspection in eleven years of operation, and it is thought that a single inspection would have easily prevented the tragedy.

A full federal investigation was launched, which resulted in the owner receiving a 20-year prison sentence, and the company received the highest fines ever handed out in the history of North Carolina. However, the investigation also highlighted failings in the authoritative enforcement of existing regulations, and resulted in a number of worker safety laws being passed. Accusations of racism were leveled at both the fire service and the city of Hamlet in the aftermath of the fire. The latter dispute, concerning a memorial service organized by the city, resulted in two separate, near-identical monuments being erected. The plant was never reopened.

The fire remains the worst work-related disaster ever to strike North Carolina. (more...)

We only have one other FA on a fire disaster - The Great Fire of London. That was (if memory serves me correctly) Main Page years ago. It would be nice to have this almost unique FA up on Main Page, just for a change. Blood Red Sandman ^{(Talk) (Contribs)} 18:57, 22 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Comment I am going to record a spoken version of this article - in the next couple of days, I hope. Hassocks5489 07:48, 2 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
- Completed this evening - ready for uploading in a moment... Hassocks5489 21:37, 2 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

GameFAQs

GameFAQs is a website that hosts FAQs and walkthroughs for video games. It was created in November 1995 by Jeff "CJayC" Veasey and is owned by CNET Networks. The site has a large database of video game information and has been called a site where readers "can get almost any information" regarding game strategies. The systems covered range from the 8-bit Atari platform to the consoles of today. The FAQs, cheat codes, reviews, game saves, and credits are submitted by volunteer gamers, and contributions are reviewed by the site's two editors, Jeff Veasey and Allen "Sailor Bacon" Tyner.

The site hosts a large and active message board community. Every game listed on the site has a board to discuss the game or answer questions about the game. The site also features a daily opinion poll and related contests.

GameFAQs is consistently cited by The Guardian as one of the top gaming sites on the Web, and the site has been positively reviewed by Entertainment Weekly. Additionally, GameFAQs.com is one of the 300 highest-trafficked websites according to Alexa. (more...)

As far as I know, we've never had a website article on the main page and this is the only website article to ever reach featured status. The site is very well-known in the gaming community and quite a few Wikipedians are visitors to the site. A spoken version of the article is currently being worked on and should be up in a couple of weeks. A crop of the home page screenshot will probably be used as the image, but suggestions are welcome if anyone can think of something better (or perhaps a free alternative). Recommendations for lead changes are also definitely welcome. --- RockMFR 20:46, 18 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Well, technically it's not the only website article to reach FA status (Wikipedia managed it as well.) But it's the only current one :) GeeJo ^(t)⁄_(c) • 17:29, 20 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Nick Drake

Nick Drake (June 19, 1948 – November 25, 1974) was an English singer-songwriter and musician best known for his acoustic, autumnal songs. Although he failed to find a wide audience during his lifetime, Drake's work has since grown steadily in stature, to the extent that he is now widely considered one of the most influential singer-songwriters of the last 50 years. Drake signed to Island Records when he was twenty years old, and released his debut album Five Leaves Left in 1969. By 1972 he had recorded a further two albums, although none sold more than five thousand copies during their first release, and his reluctance to perform live or be interviewed contributed to his lack of commercial success. Drake battled with depression and insomnia throughout his life, and the topics were often reflected in his lyrics. Upon completion of his third album, 1972's Pink Moon, he withdrew from both live performance and recording, retreating to his parents' home in rural Warwickshire. On 25 November, 1974, Nick Drake died from an overdose of antidepressants, at the age of 26. (More...)

Any day would be fine. Ceoil 16:04, 17 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Weymouth

Weymouth is a town in Dorset, England, United Kingdom, situated on a sheltered bay at the mouth of the River Wey on the English Channel coast. The town is 8 miles (13 km) south of Dorchester, and 5 miles (8 km) north of the Isle of Portland. Weymouth had a population of 51,760 in 2004, and is part of the borough of Weymouth and Portland.

Weymouth and Portland have a history stretching back to the 12th century, with the area playing a part in the Black Death, the settlement of the Americas, the Georgian Era, and World War II.

Whilst fishing and trading in the port has declined in significance since its peak in earlier centuries, tourism has had a strong presence in the town since the 18th century. Weymouth continues to be a popular tourist resort, and the town's successful economy depends on its harbour and the beaches of Weymouth Bay. Weymouth is a gateway town situated approximately half-way along the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site, a 95-mile (153 km) long stretch of the Dorset and east Devon coast, important for its varied geology and landforms. Weymouth harbour is now home to cross-channel ferries, pleasure boats and private yachts, and nearby Portland Harbour is home to the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy, where the sailing events of the 2012 Olympic Games will be held. (more...)

This article recieved FA status in November 2006, and continued to be improved beyond that level, for example having a spoken version added last month. The article is one of eight Featured Articles about the geography of the UK, and six have already been on the main page, except, coincidentally, Dorset, and the new FA: Herne Bay.. I suppose any date would work! Rossenglish 17:47, 12 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Banksia epica

Banksia epica is a shrub that grows on the south coast of Western Australia. A spreading bush with wedge-shaped serrated leaves and large creamy-yellow flower spikes, it grows up to 3½ metres (11½ ft) high. It is known only from two isolated populations in the remote south east of the state, near the western edge of the Great Australian Bight. Both populations occur amongst coastal heath on cliff-top dunes of siliceous sand. One of the most recently described Banksia species, it was probably seen by Edward John Eyre in 1841, but was not collected until 1973, and was only recognised as a distinct species in 1988. There has been very little research on the species since then, so knowledge of its ecology and cultivation potential is limited. It is placed in Banksia ser. Cyrtostylis, alongside its close relative, the well-known and widely cultivated B. media (Southern Plains Banksia). (more...)

Hesperian 01:01, 6 March 2007 (UTC) (on behalf of WP:BANKSIA)[reply]

Comment. Raul, this and the preceding request are both related to Western Australia, so you might prefer not to schedule them on consecutive days. Hesperian 00:15, 7 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Delhi

Delhi is the second-largest metropolis in India after Mumbai with a population of 13 million. Located in northern India on the banks of the River Yamuna, Delhi has the political status of a federally-administered union territory known as the National Capital Territory of Delhi. Under a Constitutional amendment in 1991, Delhi was given its own legislative assembly with limited powers. The metropolis consists of three coterminous census towns – Delhi, Delhi Cantonment, New Delhi – along with 214 villages.

Capital to several empires in ancient India, Delhi was a major city in the old trade routes from northwest India to the Gangetic Plains. Many ancient monuments, archaeological sites and remains of national importance have been erected in its history. The Mughals built a section of the city (now known as Old City or Old Delhi) that served as the capital of Mughal Empire for a long period. During the British Raj, New Delhi was built as an administrative quarter of the city. New Delhi was declared the capital of India after India gained independence from British rule in 1947. As the seat of the Government of India, New Delhi houses important offices of the federal government, including the Parliament of India. Delhi has grown up to be a cosmopolitan city owing to the immigration of people from across the country. Like many other large cities of the world, Delhi suffers from urbanisation problems such as pollution, traffic congestion and scarcity of resources. The rapid development and urbanisation of New Delhi and surrounding areas coupled with the high average income of the populace has largely eclipsed socio-cultural traits that used to represent Delhi until a few years after Independence.

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A metropolis in India, containing the capital of the country, New Delhi. Dwaipayan (talk) 06:17, 5 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

George Washington Dixon

George Washington Dixon was an American singer, stage actor, and newspaper editor. At age 15, Dixon joined the circus, where he quickly established himself as a singer. In 1829, he began performing "Coal Black Rose" in blackface; this and similar songs would propel him to stardom. He was by all accounts a gifted vocalist, and much of his material was quite challenging. "Zip Coon" became his trademark song. By 1835, Dixon considered journalism to be his primary vocation. His first major paper was Dixon's Daily Review, which he published from Lowell, Massachusetts, in 1835. He followed this in 1836 with Dixon's Saturday Night Express, published in Boston. By this point, he had taken to using his paper to expose what he considered the misdeeds of the upper classes. These stories earned him many enemies, and Dixon was taken to court on several occasions. His most successful paper was the Polyanthos, which he began publishing in 1838 from New York City. Under its masthead, he challenged some of his greatest adversaries, including Thomas S. Hamblin, Reverend Francis L. Hawks, and Madame Restell. After a brief foray into hypnotism, "pedestrianism" (long-distance walking), and other pursuits, he retired to New Orleans, Louisiana. (more...)

I usually don't make main page requests, preferring instead to just let Raul654 do his thing. However, this one was featured back in March of last year and seems to have fallen through the cracks. No particular date requested, just hopefully before March 2008. — Brian (talk) 01:08, 5 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Abbas Kiarostami

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Abbas Kiarostami (born 22 June, 1940, Tehran) is an internationally acclaimed Iranian film director, screenwriter, and film producer. An active filmmaker since 1970, Kiarostami has been involved in over 40 films, including shorts and documentaries. Kiarostami attained critical acclaim for directing the Koker trilogy, A Taste of Cherry, and The Wind Will Carry Us.

Kiarostami has worked extensively as a screenwriter, film editor, art director and producer and has designed credit titles and publicity material. He is also a poet, photographer, painter, illustrator, and graphic designer.

Kiarostami is part of a generation of filmmakers in the Iranian New Wave, a Persian cinema movement that started in the late 1960s and includes pioneering directors Forough Farrokhzad, Sohrab Shahid Saless, Bahram Beizai, and Parviz Kimiavi. The filmmakers share many common techniques including the use of poetic dialog and allegorical storytelling dealing with political and philosophical issues.

Kiarostami has a reputation for using child protagonists; documentary style narrative films; stories that take place in rural villages; and conversations that unfold inside cars utilizing stationary mounted cameras. He is also known for his use of contemporary Iranian poetry in the dialog, titles, and themes of his films.(more...)

nomination by Sangak ^Talk 16:53, 4 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

New Wave filmmaker, Abbas Kiarostami was declared as the best film director of 1990s. His unique cinemtic style attracted many film theorist and philosophers. He is also a main figure behind Micro-Digital Cinema. The Museum of Modern Art and P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center co-organized a festival (March 1-19 2007) of the Kiarostami's work, named "Abbas Kiarostami: Image Maker".

Some quotes about him:
"Film begins with DW Griffith and ends with Abbas Kiarostami." Jean-Luc Godard, French Director (From Alberto Elena Book)^[5]
"Kiarostami represents the highest level of artistry in the cinema." Martin Scorsese, critically acclaimed American film director^[6]

I think readers will enjoy reading this article (recently promoted to FA). Sangak ^Talk 17:15, 4 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Jenna Jameson

Jenna Jameson (born Jenna Marie Massoli on April 9, 1974) is an American pornographic actress and entrepreneur who has been called the world's most famous porn star, and "The Queen of Porn". She started acting in erotic films in 1993 after having worked as a stripper and glamour model. By 1996, she had won the three top newcomer awards from pornographic film industry organizations. She has since won more than 20 adult film awards, and has been inducted into both the X-Rated Critics Organization (XRCO) and Adult Video News (AVN) Halls of Fame. (more...)

Is is possible to expand this description some? ShadowHalo 07:07, 25 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Oh man, how great would it be if the picture had some nudity in it? Best TFA ever! --- RockMFR 03:16, 27 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Hoysala architecture

Hoysala architecture is the distinctive building style developed under the rule of the Hoysala Empire in the region historically known as Karnata, today's Karnataka, India, between the 11th and the 14th centuries. Hoysala influence was at its peak in the 13th century, when it dominated the Southern Deccan Plateau region. Large and small temples built during this era remain as examples of the Hoysala architectural style, including the Chennakesava Temple at Belur, the Hoysaleswara Temple at Halebidu, and the Kesava Temple at Somanathapura. Study of the Hoysala architectural style has revealed a negligible Indo-Aryan influence while the impact of Southern Indian style is more distinct.

The stylistic transfomation of the Karnata temple building tradition reflected religious trends popularized by the Vaishnava and Virashaiva philosophers as well as the growing military prowess of the Hoysala kings who desired to surpass their Western Chalukya overlords in artistic achievement. Temples built prior to Hoysala independence in the mid-12th century reflect significant Western Chalukya influences, while later temples retain some features salient to Chalukyan art but have additional inventive decoration and ornamentation, features unique to Hoysala artisans. About one hundred temples have survived in present-day Karnataka state, mostly in the Malnad (hill) districts, the native home of the Hoysala kings. (More...)

This article has just been selected as a FA.Dineshkannambadi 04:07, 4 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

T-26

Finnish soldiers inspecting an abandoned Soviet T-26 at Raate.

The T-26 was a light tank used by the Soviet Union from the 1930s until World War II. It was based on the British Vickers 6-Ton tank, widely considered one of the most successful designs of the 1930s. The T-26 made-up the majority of the Red Army's armour force until late 1941, and saw a long history in the armed forces of various different nations around the world. For almost a decade the T-26 proved to be one of the best tanks in production, with a total of around 12,000 units produced. Success and failure in the Spanish Civil War, where it served as the most widely used tank by both sides, ultimately played a major role in influencing the Soviet doctrine of tank warfare in the late 1930s; later in its service the T-26's obsolescence contributed to some of the major Soviet defeats during the German invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941. Although the T-26's reputation was marred by its abysmal performance during the Second World War, it was nevertheless the most important tank of the Spanish Civil War and played major roles during the Winter War and the Battle of Khalkhin Gol in 1939. Between its introduction and its retirement, the T-26 saw a great deal of modernization efforts between 1932 and 1941.(more...)

Just passed as a featured article. This would be the second Soviet tank to have a Wikipedia article featured; the first being the T-34. No specific date requested. JonCatalan 18:50, 3 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Comment on date: Any date is fine - this article really has no special date. Would it be possible to get it in March? JonCatalan 23:41, 5 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Roman-Spartan War

The Roman–Spartan War or Laconian War of 195 BC was fought between the Greek city-state of Sparta and a coalition comprised of Rome, the Achean League, Pergamum, Rhodes, and Macedon.

During the Second Macedonian War (200–196 BC), Macedon had given Sparta control over Argos, an important city on the Aegean coast of Peloponnese. Sparta's continued occupation of Argos at the end of war was used as a pretext for Rome and its allies to declare war. The anti-Spartan coalition laid siege to Argos, captured the Spartan naval base at Gythium, and soon invested and besieged Sparta itself. Eventually, negotiations led to peace on Rome's terms, under which Argos and the coastal towns of Laconia were freed from Spartan rule and the Spartans were compelled to pay a war indemnity to Rome over the next eight years. Argos joined the Achaean League, and the Laconian towns were placed under Achaean protection.

As a result of the war, Sparta lost its position as a major power in Greece. All consequent Spartan attempts to recover the losses failed and Nabis, the last sovereign ruler, was eventually murdered. Soon after, Sparta was forcibly made a member of its former rival, the Achaean League, ending several centuries of fierce political independence. (More...)

This article is on a scarcly known part of Greek history and by appearing on the front page it might help give it more coverage. Kyriakos 07:38, 23 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Maybe do it to coincide with the release of 300 (film), since neither Battle of Thermopylae nor Sparta are currently FA. The film is released on 9 March in the US, 30 March in the UK. Samsara (talk • contribs) 18:19, 25 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Effects of Hurricane Isabel in Maryland and Washington, D.C.

The Effects of Hurricane Isabel in Maryland and Washington, D.C. were among the worst from a tropical cyclone in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. Hurricane Isabel formed from a tropical wave on September 6 2003 in the tropical Atlantic Ocean. It moved northwestward, and within an environment of light wind shear and warm waters it steadily strengthened to reach peak winds of 165 mph (265 km/h) on September 11. After fluctuating in intensity for four days, Isabel gradually weakened and made landfall on the Outer Banks of North Carolina with winds of 105 mph (165 km/h) on September 18. It quickly weakened over land and became extratropical over western Pennsylvania the next day. The large circulation produced tropical storm force winds throughout the area, downing many trees and leaving about 1.24 million people without power. The worst of its effects came from its storm surge, which inundated areas along the coast and resulted in severe beach erosion. In Eastern Maryland, hundreds of buildings were damaged or destroyed, primarily in Queen Anne's County from tidal flooding. Thousands of houses were affected in Central Maryland, with severe storm surge flooding reported in Baltimore and Annapolis. Washington, D.C. sustained moderate damage, primarily from the winds. Throughout Maryland and Washington, damage totaled about $820 million (2003 USD, $915 million 2006 USD), with only one direct fatality due to flooding. (More...)

It's featured, it's comprehensive, and shows that Wikipedia is more than just a general knowledge encyclopedia &mdash it is also becoming a leading source for informations on tropical cyclones. Any date would do for main date; the hurricane occurred in September so there's no good dates any time soon. Hurricanehink (talk) 04:29, 23 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]

David I of Scotland

Contemporary portrait of David, found in the Book of Kelso. — Contemporary portrait of David, found in the *Book of Kelso*.

David I or Dabíd mac Maíl Choluim (b. 1083x1085; d. May 24 1153) was a 12th century ruler who was in succession Prince of the Cumbrians (1113-1124) and King of Scots (1124-1153). The youngest son of Máel Coluim mac Donnchada and Margaret, David spent most of his childhood in Scotland, but was exiled to England in 1093. There he became a hanger-on at the court of King Henry I and experienced long exposure to Norman and Anglo-French culture. When David's brother, King Alexander I of Scotland, died in 1124, David chose, with the backing of Henry I, to take the Kingdom of Scotland (Alba) for himself. He was forced to engage in warfare against his rival and nephew, Máel Coluim mac Alaxandair. Subduing the latter took David ten years, and involved the destruction of Óengus, Mormaer of Moray. David's victory allowed him to expand his control over more distant regions theoretically part of his Kingdom. After the death of his former patron Henry I, David supported the claims of Henry's daughter and his own niece, the former Empress-consort, Matilda, to the throne of England; in the process, he came into conflict with King Stephen and was able to expand his power in northern England, despite his defeat at the Battle of the Standard in 1138. The term "Davidian Revolution" is used by many scholars to summarise the changes which took place in the Kingdom of Scotland during his reign. These included his foundation of burghs, implementation of the ideals of Gregorian Reform, foundation of monasteries, Normanisation of the Scottish government, and the introduction of feudalism through immigrant French...(more...)

Not sure about a specific date; May 24, though far into the future, is the date of his death, and the only possible suggestion. He deserves to be on the main page on any day though. ;) -- Calgacus (ΚΑΛΓΑΚΟΣ) 01:56, 23 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Well, I'll formally nominate it for May 24 then, since that is now this month. Deacon of Pndapetzim (Talk) 02:04, 10 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Bill Russell

William Felton "Bill" Russell (born February 12, 1934) is a retired American professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the NBA. A five-time winner of the NBA Most Valuable Player Award and a twelve-time All-Star, the 6'9" Russell was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty that won eleven NBA Championships during Russell's thirteen-year career. Along with Henri Richard of the NHL's Montreal Canadiens, Russell holds the record for the most championships won by an athlete in a North American sports league.

Before his professional career, Russell led the University of San Francisco to two consecutive National Collegiate Athletic Association championships (1955, 1956). He also won a gold medal at the 1956 Summer Olympics as captain of the U.S. national basketball team.

Russell is widely considered one of the best defensive players in NBA history. His shot-blocking and man-to-man coverage were major reasons for the Celtics' success, and he inspired other players to elevate their own defensive play. (more...)

NBA Hall-of-Fame Boston Celtics player Bill Russell is the most successful player in North American professional team sports, winning 11 titles in 13 years. AFAIK, there never has been a NBA player on the Main Page before, due to a lack of WP:NBA FA articles, so this would be a legitimate equest. The FA promotion (Feb 17) just missed February 12, his birthday, so March 12 commemorates the day his jersey was retired by the Celtics franchise.[2] —Onomatopoeia 14:05, 20 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Weak Oppose The article's good but no way that pic makes it's way onto the front page (see Ian Thorpe). There's another pic in the article that could be used. If they're switched around I might support. However, the other pic doesn't show what he looks like at all (the one of him at USF). Needs a better free use infobox pic in my opinion. Aaron Bowen 13:42, 26 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

AC/DC

AC/DC, from left to right: Malcolm Young, Phil Rudd, Angus Young, Cliff Williams and Brian Johnson

AC/DC are an Australian hard rock band formed in Sydney in 1973 by brothers Angus and Malcolm Young. AC/DC are considered pioneers of hard rock, selling more than 150 million albums worldwide. However, they post-date the UK pioneers of hard (blues) rock, such as Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, and Black Sabbath, releasing their first album in the mid-1970s after these were established.

AC/DC underwent several line-up changes before releasing their first album, High Voltage, in 1975. With Phil Rudd in drums, membership remained stable until bassist Cliff Williams replaced Mark Evans in 1977. In 1980, after the release of eleven albums including their highly successful, Highway to Hell, lead singer and co-songwriter Bon Scott died. The group briefly considered disbanding, but soon singer Brian Johnson was selected as Scott's replacement. Later that year, the band released their biggest-selling album, Back in Black.

The band's next album, For Those About to Rock We Salute You, was also highly successful and was their first album to reach #1 in the U.S., however, AC/DC declined in popularity, and poor record sales continued until the release of The Razor's Edge in 1990. Their latest album, Stiff Upper Lip was released in 2000 and was well-received by critics. A new album is expected in 2007. (More...)

The article was promothed to FA less than a month ago. No particular date requested. No-Bullet (Talk • Contribs) 03:16, 15 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Roy of the Rovers

[[Image:NonFreeImageRemoved.svg -->||left|100px|Roy of the Rovers]]

Roy of the Rovers is a British comic strip about the life and exploits of a fictional footballer named Roy Race which has run in various publications since 1954. The strip gave its name to a weekly (and later monthly) comic magazine, published by IPC and Fleetway from 1976 to 1995, in which it was the main feature. The weekly strip ran from 1954 to 1993 and followed Race's playing career until its conclusion with his loss of a foot in a helicopter crash. When the monthly comic was launched later that year, the focus switched to his son, Rocky, a player at the same club. This publication was short-lived, and folded after only 19 issues. The adventures of the Race family were featured one final time in short installments in the monthly Match of the Day football magazine, in which father and son were reunited as manager and player. These strips began in 1997 and continued until the magazine's close in May 2001; they currently represent the latest printed Roy of the Rovers stories. However, in February 2007, it was announced that a group of fans had obtained the rights to reprint classic strips and, eventually, publish new stories in a local football fanzine.

Football-themed stories were a staple of British comics from the 1950s onwards, and Roy of the Rovers was the most popular ever produced, with an estimated one million readers at the height of its popularity in the late 1970s and early 1980s. As such, it holds a unique place in British football folklore, demonstrated most clearly by the stock phrase "real Roy of the Rovers stuff". This is often used by football writers and commentators when describing displays of great skill or results that go against the odds, in reference to the dramatic storylines that became the strip's trademark. (More...)

Became featured around August 2006, but it's an article that not many people tend to pay attention to. A bit more public attention has surrounded the series now, though, following the announcement of a new series and the curious deal struck by fans to obtain the rights, so it might be nice and timely to get it on the front page at some point. Seb Patrick 14:21, 1 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The Boondock Saints

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The Boondock Saints is a 1999 action crime drama film written and directed by Troy Duffy. The film stars Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus as fraternal twins Conner and Murphy, who become vigilantes after killing two members of the Russian Mafia in self-defense. Believing they are on a mission from God, the brothers with friend and former mob errand boy David Della Rocco—who is extensively referred to as the "Funny Man" throughout the film—set out to rid their home city of Boston from the Russian and Italian Mafia. Meanwhile, they are pursued by FBI agent Paul Smecker, played by Willem Dafoe, and are joined at the end of the film by Il Duce, played by Billy Connolly. Duffy wrote the screenplay based on his personal experience of the world around him, including news reports, and seeing a deceased woman being removed from a drug dealer's apartment. The film experienced a limited theatrical release of only five theaters for one week,^[7] and was met with poor critical reviews; however, it proved divisive among viewers, developing a cult following^[8]^[9] and enmity from viewers and critics who have called it a film undeserving of cult status.^[10]^[11] (More...)

Article achieved featured status, on December 20th, 2006. I'd like to request a February 13th date on the main page if possible, mostly because that is my birthday, and would be of personal value to myself. If the 13th of February is not conceivable, any date would be sufficient. KOS | talk 19:13, 31 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Comment, Please take note that the Poster is an unfree image that is subject to US copyright laws. If possible, please try to find a free alternative. Also, the image lacks a source, please add one before it gets deleted. :-p --►ShadowJester07 10:30, 22 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The source is in the file history summary, and the article has fair use rationale, a free replacement would not be possible. KOS | talk 11:42, 22 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Ekk, sorry for that message, I forgot to proof read it. Any way, As I said before, I do not think you are supposed to use those non-free images on the front page. You can however use a picture of one of the actors. --►ShadowJester07 13:49, 22 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Vijayanagara Empire

Yali pillars

The Vijayanagara Empire was a South Indian empire based in the Deccan. Established in 1336 by Harihara I and his brother Bukka Raya I, it lasted until 1646 although its power declined after a major military defeat in 1565 by the Deccan sultanates. The empire is named after its capital city of Vijayanagara, whose impressive ruins surround modern Hampi, now a World Heritage Site in modern Karnataka, India. The writings of medieval European travelers such as Domingo Paes, Fernao Nuniz and Niccolò Da Conti and the literature in local vernaculars provide crucial information about its history. Archaeological excavations at Vijayanagara have revealed the empire's power and wealth.

The empire's legacy includes many monuments spread over South India, the best known being the group at Hampi. The previous temple building traditions in South India came together in the Vijayanagara Architecture style. The mingling of all faiths and vernaculars inspired architectural innovation of Hindu temple construction, first in the Deccan and later in the Dravidian idioms using the local granite. Secular royal structures show the influence of the Northern Deccan Sultanate architecture. Efficient administration and vigorous overseas trade brought new technologies like water management systems for irrigation. The empire's patronage enabled fine arts and literature to reach new heights in the languages of Kannada, Telugu, Tamil and Sanskrit, while Carnatic music evolved into its current form. The Vijayanagara Empire created an epoch in South Indian history that transcended regionalism by promoting Hinduism as a unifying factor. (More...)

This article has just been selected as a FA.Dineshkannambadi 13:53, 31 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

RE:Kindly refer to second request (above) as current request. --WoodElf 05:46, 15 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The duplicate request has been removed in deference to the request from the article's primary author. --Allen3 ^talk 12:42, 30 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The Office

The Office is an Emmy Award-winning American television comedy that debuted on NBC as a midseason replacement on March 24, 2005. It is based off of a BBC show by the same name. The show is about the day-to-day lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of the fictitious Dunder-Mifflin Paper Company. Although fictional and scripted, the show takes the form of a documentary, with the presence of the camera often acknowledged. (More...)

This article was approved as a featured article in April 2006. It seems appropriate to put it up on March 24th. --Hemlock Martinis 02:40, 31 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The article has changed a lot since it was featured: diff. Not easy to tell whether it's deteriorated or gotten better since so many paragraphs have been shuffled around, but thought I'd mention it. — BrianSmithson 13:14, 31 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I think the blurb should really mention it's based on the BBC's original. It's absence would wrangle many British readers. Dmn € Դմն 16:47, 4 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Proteasome

Proteasomes are large protein complexes inside all eukaryotes and archaea, as well as some bacteria. In eukaryotes, they are located in the nucleus and the cytoplasm. The main function of the proteasome is to degrade unneeded or damaged proteins by proteolysis, a chemical reaction that breaks peptide bonds. Enzymes that carry out such reactions are called proteases. Proteasomes are a major mechanism by which cells regulate the concentration of particular proteins and degrade misfolded proteins. Proteins are tagged for degradation by the action of enzymes called ubiquitin ligases, which attach a small protein called ubiquitin to their target. Once a protein is tagged with a single ubiquitin molecule, this is a signal to other ligases to attach additional ubiquitin molecules to produce a polyubiquitin chain which is recognized and bound by the proteasome. The overall system of ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation is known as the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Structurally, the proteasome is a barrel-like complex containing a "core" of four stacked rings around a central pore. Each ring is composed of seven individual proteins. The inner two rings are made of seven β subunits containing the protease active sites, while the outer two rings each contain seven α subunits that block free access to the central pore and bind regulatory particles that recognize polyubiquitin tags and initiate the degradation process. This pathway is essential for many cellular processes, including the cell cycle, the regulation of gene expression, and responses to oxidative stress. The importance of proteolytic degradation inside cells and the role of ubiquitin in proteolytic pathways was acknowledged in the award of the 2004 Nobel Prize in Chemistry to Aaron Ciechanover, Avram Hershko and Irwin Rose. (More...)

Recent FA on a major topic in biochemistry and cell biology; subject of the 2004 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. No specific date. Opabinia regalis 06:27, 23 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

West Bengal

West Bengal is a state in eastern India. With Bangladesh, which lies on its eastern border, the state forms the ethno-linguistic region of Bengal. To its northeast lie the states of Assam and Sikkim and the country Bhutan, and to its southwest, the state of Orissa. To the west it borders the state of Jharkhand and Bihar, and to the northwest, Nepal.

The region that is now West Bengal was a part of a number of empires and kingdoms during the past two millennia. The British East India Company cemented their hold on the region following the Battle of Plassey in 1757 CE, and the city of Kolkata, then Calcutta, served for many years as the capital of British India. A hotbed of the Indian independence movement through the early 20th century, Bengal was divided in 1947 into two separate entities, West Bengal - a state of India, and East Pakistan belonging to the new nation of Pakistan.

Following India's independence in 1947, West Bengal's economic and political theatres were dominated for many decades by intellectual Marxism, Naxalite movements and trade unionism. From late 1990s, economic rejuvenation led to a spurt in the state's economic and industrial growth. An agriculture-dependent state, West Bengal occupies only 2.7% of the India's land area, though it supports over 7.8% of Indian population, and is the most densely populated state in India. West Bengal has been ruled by the CPI(M)-led Left Front for three decades, making it the world's longest-running democratically-elected communist government. Many notable poets, writers, artists and performers are native to West Bengal.

(More...)

Got featured status in November 2006. This state in eastern India has interesting history, politics, culture etc. It has the highest population density among the states in India, and has a democratically elected communist government that had been ruling the state for last three decades - a record! Dwaipayan (talk) 12:52, 22 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Psittacosaurus

Psittacosaurus (IPA pronunciation: /ˌsɪtəkoʊ'sɔɹəs/ or /sɪˌtækoʊ-/, from the Greek for 'parrot lizard') is a genus of psittacosaurid ceratopsian dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous Period of what is now Asia, about 130 to 100 million years ago. It is notable for being the most species-rich dinosaur genus. At least eight extinct species are recognized from fossils found in different regions of China and Mongolia, with possible additional species from Thailand and Russia.

All species of Psittacosaurus were gazelle-sized bipedal herbivores characterized by a high, powerful beak on the upper jaw. At least one species had long, quill-like structures on its tail and lower back, possibly serving a display function. Psittacosaurs were extremely early ceratopsians and, while they developed many novel adaptations of their own, they also shared many anatomical features with later ceratopsians, such as Protoceratops and the elephant-sized Triceratops. (More...)

Psittacosaurus was actually the first Featured Article on a dinosaur genus, but has never appeared on the Main Page. An effort by User:Sheep81 and the rest of the Wikipedia:WikiProject Dinosaurs team, it would be nice to see this well-written and comprehensive article on the front page. No specific date is requested. Firsfron of Ronchester 21:18, 20 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Paulins Kill

The Paulins Kill near Blairstown, in Warren County, New Jersey.

The Paulins Kill (also known as Paulinskill or Paulinskill River) is a 28.6 mile (46 km) long tributary of the Delaware River in northwestern New Jersey in the United States. It is New Jersey's third largest contributor (behind the Musconetcong River and Maurice River) to the Delaware River in terms of long-term median flow—flowing at a rate of 76 cubic feet of water per second (2.15 m³/s).^[12] The Paulins Kill drains an area of 176.85 square miles (458 km²) across portions of two counties (Sussex and Warren) consisting of eleven municipalities. The Paulins Kill, which flows southwest from its source near Newton, New Jersey, is located at the border of the Appalachians and New York-New Jersey Highlands physiographic provinces.

The Paulins Kill was a conduit for the emigration of Palatine Germans who settled in northwestern New Jersey and northeastern Pennsylvania during the colonial period and the American Revolution. Remnants of their settlement are still found in local architecture and cemeteries. The results of these settlements were chiefly agricultural, as evinced by surviving farms and mills, and the area remains largely rural to this day.

Recently promoted to feature article status on 10 January 2007, it is a river with a unique and significant history in terms of its role in colonial American ethnic settlement patterns. No specific date requested, but... my birthday is coming up on 11 February. ;-) ExplorerCDT 09:22, 20 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Pilot (House)

"Pilot" is the first episode of the television series House, which premiered on the FOX network on November 16, 2004. It introduces the characters of Dr. Gregory House (played by Hugh Laurie)—a maverick antisocial doctor—and his team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in New Jersey. The episode features Dr. House's attempts to diagnose a young grade-school teacher after she collapses in class. "Pilot" was directed by series producer Bryan Singer, who directed films such as The Usual Suspects, X-Men and later, Superman Returns; the episode guest-starred Robin Tunney as House's first patient of the series. (More...)

This is an article that I recently brought up to featured status. Good dates could be any date that is the 1st of any month (as it was the 1st episode) or January 30th as that is when House returns to television. The Filmaker 22:39, 17 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Christopher C. Kraft, Jr.

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Christopher Columbus Kraft, Jr. (born February 28, 1924) is a retired NASA engineer and manager. After graduating from Virginia Tech in 1944, Kraft was hired by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), the predecessor organization to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). He worked for over a decade in aeronautical research before being asked in 1958 to join the Space Task Group, a small team entrusted with the responsibility of putting America's first man in space. Assigned to the flight operations division, Kraft became NASA's first flight director. He was on duty during such historic missions as America's first spaceflight, first orbital flight and first spacewalk. More than any other man, Kraft was responsible for shaping the organization and culture of NASA's Mission Control. When Kraft received the National Space Trophy from the Rotary Club in 1999, the organization described him as "a driving force in the U.S. human space flight program from its beginnings to the Space Shuttle era, a man whose accomplishments have become legendary." (More...)

Recently promoted, this article discusses one of the most important figures in America's manned space program, who appeared on the cover of Time Magazine in 1965 but has since become less widely known. MLilburne 18:29, 11 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Indo-Greek Kingdom

The Indo-Greek Kingdom covered various parts of the northwest and northern Indian subcontinent from 180 BCE to around 10 CE, and was ruled by a succession of more than thirty Hellenistic kings, often in conflict with each other. The kingdom was founded when the Greco-Bactrian king Demetrius invaded India in 180 BCE, ultimately creating an entity which seceded from the powerful Greco-Bactrian Kingdom centered in Bactria (today's northern Afghanistan). During the two centuries of their rule, the Indo-Greek kings combined the Greek and Indian languages and symbols, as seen on their coins, and blended ancient Greek, Hindu and Buddhist religious practices, as seen in the archaeological remains of their cities and in the indications of their support of Buddhism. The Indo-Greek kings seem to have achieved a level of cultural syncretism with no equivalent in history, the consequences of which are still felt today, particularly through the diffusion and influence of Greco-Buddhist art. (More...)

An eye-openning historical subject for those who encounter it (usually by chance). The article has now been featured for 1 year. PHG 18:52, 6 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Nightwish

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Nightwish is a Finnish power metal band formed in 1996 in the town of Kitee. Nightwish composes songs that are often classified as either symphonic metal or power metal, and sometimes as variants of the genre called opera metal and epic metal. Nightwish is considered one of the main developers of the symphonic metal genre, which encompasses similar bands such as Epica, After Forever and Visions of Atlantis.

Although the band has been prominent in their home country since the release of their first single ("The Carpenter"), they did not achieve worldwide fame until the release of the album Once (2004). This album led to Nightwish video clips being shown on MTV in the United States and inclusion of their music on U.S. movie soundtracks. Their biggest U.S. hit, "Wish I Had an Angel", made it onto 2 U.S. film soundtracks, as a way to promote their first North American tour. They produced 3 more singles and music videos from this album, and a final one, "Sleeping Sun", from a 2005 "best of" compilation, Highest Hopes, prior to vocalist Tarja Turunen's departure. (More...)

The Nightwish article has been long featured, but never the daily article. Non-American music has received a disproportionately small representation on the front page, and this band is one of the more notable international bands out there. 71.54.98.39 21:16, 29 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Oppose This is advertisment. No actual knowledge value to make humans smarter. --Foundby 08:30, 10 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Struck out comment made by banned user with sockpuppet.--Rmky87 23:44, 30 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I disagree, by that rationale any movie, contemporary musician, or any modern piece of the human experience could be construed as 'advertisement'. *Disclaimer: I am the original suggester of this article for Featured Article of the Day, but I wasn't logged in when I posted it.--Fulorian 00:55, 11 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

It's closer to a FAR then being on the front page. Since the vocalists departure lots of one sentence paragraphs, without references have been added. Merge, remove or expand them, add more references, cleanup the references and it should be ok. M3tal H3ad 02:25, 23 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Oppose - I realize that this really isn't a vote or anything, but this is really not featured quality. Its under-referenced (the sources that are cited are not formatted properly; one of the "sources" is geocities site!), each section consists of 1 sentence-long paragraphs, the prose is far from brilliant, fair-use media is poorly justified. This isn't even a GA. Wickethewok 07:25, 23 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Hoysala Empire

The Hoysala Empire was a prominent South Indian empire that ruled most of the modern day state of Karnataka between the 10th and the 14th centuries. The capital of the empire was initially based at Belur but was later moved to Halebidu.

The Hoysala rulers were originally hill peoples of Malnad Karnataka, an elevated region in the Western Ghats range. In the 12th century, taking advantage of the internecine warfare between the then ruling Western Chalukyas and Kalachuri kingdoms, they annexed areas of present day Karnataka and the fertile areas north of the Kaveri River delta in present day Tamil Nadu. By the 13th century, they governed most of present-day Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and parts of western Andhra Pradesh in Deccan India.

The Hoysala era was an important period in the development of art, architecture, and religion in South India. The empire is remembered today primarily for its temple architecture. Over a hundred surviving temples are scattered across Karnataka, including the well known Chennakesava Temple at Belur, the Hoysaleswara Temple at Halebidu, and the Kesava Temple at Somanathapura. The Hoysala rulers also patronised the fine arts. This patronage encouraged literature to flourish in Kannada and Sanskrit.

(More...)

This article has just been selected as a FADineshkannambadi 16:48, 25 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Celine Dion

Céline Marie Claudette Dion (OC, OQ) (born March 30 1968) is a French Canadian Grammy and Juno award winning pop singer and occasional songwriter. Dion was born to a large, impoverished family in Charlemagne, Quebec. As a teen, she achieved success in francophone Canada after her manager and future husband, René Angélil, mortgaged his home in order to finance her first record. She later gained recognition in parts of Europe and Asia after she won both the 1982 Yamaha World Popular Song Festival and the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest. In 1990 Dion established a foothold in the anglophone music market with Unison, and during the 1990s achieved worldwide fame and success with several English and French records, of which her most successful was "My Heart Will Go On" (1998), the theme to the 1997 film Titanic. In 1999 Dion announced a temporary break from entertainment in order to focus on her husband, who was diagnosed with throat cancer. Following a three-year hiatus, she released A New Day Has Come. By 2004 she had accumulated record sales of 175 million, and was presented with the Chopard Diamond award from the World Music Awards show for becoming the Best-selling Female Artist in the World. As of 2003 Dion has performed nightly in her show A New Day... at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, under a contract that extends through 2007. (More...)

Became a featured article almost a year ago. This is one of the best articles on one of the world's most successful pop singers (along with Mariah Carey, Phil Collins and Kylie Minogue, which have all graced the 'front cover'). Please give the article the chance to appear on the main page. Orane (talk • cont.) 04:28, 20 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

How about scheduling it for March 30th next year when she turns 40? Pascal.Tesson 20:17, 15 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Rus' Khaganate

The Rus' Khaganate was a polity that flourished during a poorly documented period in the history of Eastern Europe (roughly the late 8th and early to mid-9th centuries CE). A predecessor to the Rurik Dynasty and the Kievan Rus', the Rus' Khaganate was a state (or a cluster of city-states) in what is today northern Russia. The region's population at that time was composed of Slavic, Finnic, and Norse peoples, among which the dominant group was the Rus' tribe or tribes. The region was also a center of operations for eastern Scandinavian (Varangian) adventurers, merchants and pirates. According to contemporaneous sources, the population centers of the region, which may have included the proto-towns of Holmgard (Novgorod), Aldeigja (Ladoga), Lyubsha, Alaborg, Sarskoe Gorodishche, and Timerevo, were under the rule of a monarch or monarchs using the Old Turkic title Khagan. The Rus' Khaganate period marked the genesis of a distinct Rus' ethnos, and its successor states would include Kievan Rus' and later states from which modern Russia evolved. (More...)

Relatively new article (about 2 months old); was featured on DYK, recently accorded FA status. Little-known period of Russian history. Briangotts (Talk) (Contrib) 05:07, 17 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon

Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon (がんばれゴエモン～ネオ桃山幕府のおどり～, Ganbare Goemon ~New Dance of the Peach Mountain Shogunate~) is a video game released by Konami for the Nintendo 64 on August 7, 1997 in Japan and April 16, 1998 in North America. It is the fifth entry in the Ganbare Goemon series and the second Goemon game released in North America, following Legend of the Mystical Ninja. Featuring elements of platform and action-adventure games, Mystical Ninja is a hybrid of Super Mario 64 and the Legend of Zelda series. The story follows Goemon as he struggles to prevent the Peach Mountain Shoguns gang from turning Japan into a fine arts theatre. The journey takes Goemon through three cinematic musical features and battles between gigantic robots. Like other Ganbare Goemon games, it is peppered with surrealist humor and anachronisms. Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon sold nearly 200,000 copies worldwide. Reviewers praised its graphics, gameplay, and humorous plot. Critics considered the soundtrack and musical numbers engaging and memorable. Conversely, Mystical Ninja was criticized for localization issues, unintuitive camera control, and dull stretches of travel through Japan. It was followed by Goemon's Great Adventure in 1999 and Goemon Mononoke Sugoroku in 2000. (More...)

An interesting and unusual Nintendo 64 game. Zeality 04:17, 9 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Darjeeling

Image alt-text

Darjeeling is a hill station (a hill town) in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the headquarters of Darjeeling district, situated in the Shiwalik Hills (or Lower Himalaya) at an average elevation of 2,134 m. Once ruled by the Kingdom of Sikkim, the Darjeeling region was converted into a hill station by the British East India Company in the 1800s, and came to be known as the "Queen of the Hills." It remained as a part of the state of West Bengal in independent India. The name Darjeeling is a composition of two Tibetan words – Dorje ("thunderbolt") and ling ("place"). Hence, darjeeling translates as "Land of the Thunderbolt". Darjeeling is famous for its tea industry, which produces blends considered among the world's finest. Once used as a sanitarium for British troops and administrators, the town is now a popular tourist destination. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway connecting the town with the plains was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. Darjeeling is noted for several western-style public schools attracting students from all over India and neighbouring countries. The town was a major centre of Gorkhaland separatism in the 1980s, resulting in a decrease in tourism-related commerce. Darjeeling has continued to grow in the recent years and the region's fragile ecology is threatened by a rising demand for environmental resources stemming from growing tourist traffic and rapid urbanisation. (More...)

A small town in the Himalayas in India, famous for production of tea. The article is FA from August, 2006. No specific date requested.--Dwaipayan (talk) 19:26, 8 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Cretan War

The Cretan War (205 BC–200 BC) was fought by King Philip V of Macedon, the Aetolian League, several Cretan cities (of which Olous and Hierapytna were the most important) and Spartan pirates against the forces of Rhodes and later Attalus I of Pergamum, Byzantium, Cyzicus, Athens and Knossos.

The Macedonians had just concluded the First Macedonian War and Philip, seeing his chance to defeat Rhodes, formed an alliance with Aetolian and Spartan pirates who began raiding Rhodian ships. Philip also formed an alliance with several important Cretan cities, such as Hierapynta and Olous. With the Rhodian fleet and economy suffering from the depredations of the pirates, Philip believed his chance to crush Rhodes was at hand. To help achieve his goal, he formed an alliance with the King of the Seleucid Empire, Antiochus the Great, against Ptolemy V of Egypt (the Seleucid Empire and Egypt were the other two Diadochi states). Philip began attacking the lands of Ptolemy and Rhodes's allies in Thrace and around the Sea of Marmara. (More...)

A fresh FA article which is part of Wikipedia:WikiProject Military history and Wikipedia:WikiProject History of Greece. I fit is possible can it be displayed on the front page on the 24th of December becuase it is the article's 6 month anniversary. Kyriakos 22:10, 25 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Not really sure why the 6-month anniversary of the Wikipedia article is reason enough for an article to be displayed on that particular date. Surely there's is a more appropriate date than that one. Pepsidrinka 17:23, 26 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It's as good as a date as all the dates of all those MP FAs that get selected for no particular date. Rlevse 19:17, 26 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

There are no dates recorded during the war so I think the 6 month anniversairy is better than any random date. Kyriakos 20:26, 26 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You are not obliged to find a meaningful date for the article.--Panarjedde 20:35, 26 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

But would it be possible for it to appear on the front page ont he 24th of December. Kyriakos 21:04, 26 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It is, as it would be possible to appear on the birthday of the first contributor, but what would be the meaning of this request?--Panarjedde 01:50, 27 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It means that the article would appear on the front page on a day which has something to do with the artocle instead of a random date.

The relationship is so small that amounts to nothing. Is that clear enough?--Panarjedde 22:19, 27 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, I do understand. Just don't worry put it on a any free date when possible. :) Kyriakos 07:15, 28 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Chalukya dynasty

Virupaksha temple, Pattadakal, built 740

The Chalukya dynasty (Kannada: ಚಾಲುಕ್ಯರು, IPA: [ʧaːɭukjə]) was an Indian royal dynasty that ruled large parts of southern and central India between the 6th and the 12th centuries. During this period, they ruled as three closely related, but individual dynasties. The earliest dynasty is known as the Badami Chalukyas who ruled from their capital Badami from the middle of the 6th century. The Badami Chalukyas began to assert their independence at the decline of the Kadamba kingdom of Banavasi and rapidly rose to prominence during the reign of Pulakesi II. The other two later dynasties were the Eastern Chalukyas who ruled from Vengi and Western Chalukyas who ruled from Basavakalyan.

The rise of the Chalukyas marks an important milestone in the history of South India and a golden age in the history of Karnataka. This period saw the birth of efficient administration, rise in overseas trade and commerce and the development of new style of architecture called Vesara. Around the 9th century, it also saw the growth of Kannada as a language of literature in the Jaina Puranas, Veerashaiva Vachanas and Brahminical traditions. The 11th century saw the birth of Telugu literature under the patronage of the Eastern Chalukyas. (More...)

This has just been selected as a FA.Dineshkannambadi 20:47, 22 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

James Robert Baker

James Robert Baker (October 18, 1946 - November 5 1997) was an American author of sharply satirical, predominantly gay-themed transgressional fiction. A native Californian, his work is set almost entirely in Southern California. After graduating from UCLA, he began his career as a screenwriter, but slowly became disillusioned and started writing novels, instead. Though he garnered fame for his books Fuel-Injected Dreams and Boy Wonder, after the controversy surrounding publication of his novel, Tim And Pete, he faced increasing difficulty having his work published. This was a contributing factor in his suicide.

Baker's work has achieved cult status in the years since his death, and two additional novels have been posthumously published. First edition copies of his earlier works have become collector's items. In recent years, three of his novels have either been filmed or optioned for the movies.(More...)

An interesting cult writer, an interesting read. Also, the first time an article from the LGBT Studies project has made it to FA Jeffpw 18:06, 22 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

~~I hope the referencing will be corrected before this is chosen for the main page: almost all of the footnotes are incomplete.~~ Sandy (Talk) 21:04, 8 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Mostly cleaned up now - that should not have passed FA. Sandy (Talk) 23:41, 8 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Girl Scouts of the USA

The Girl Scouts of the United States of America (GSUSA) is a youth organization for girls in the United States as well as American girls living abroad. The movement aims to help girls build character and skills for success in the adult world by using the Scout method to develop leadership, values, social conscience, citizenship, and conviction about their potential and self-esteem.

The Girl Scout program sprang from the concerns of the progressive movement in the United States from people who sought to promote the social welfare of young women and as a female counterpart to the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). It was founded by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912 and is based on the Scouting principles developed by Robert Baden-Powell.

Girl Scouts are recognized for their achievements through rank advancement and various special awards. Membership is organized according to age levels with activities appropriate to each age group. A member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS), the GSUSA has a long history of accepting girls from all backgrounds. (More...)

Made FA a few months ago, the article is a compilation on the Girl Scouts of the USA program. Darth griz⁹⁸ 03:31, 21 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Jake Gyllenhaal

Jacob Benjamin "Jake" Gyllenhaal (born December 19 1980) is an American actor. The son of director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi Foner, Gyllenhaal began acting at age eleven, and his short career has seen performances in diverse roles. He has received an Academy Award nomination and won a British Academy of Film and Television Arts Award.

Gyllenhaal's most notable film appearances began with 2001's cult hit Donnie Darko, in which he played a troubled schizophrenic. In the 2004 blockbuster The Day After Tomorrow, he portrayed a student caught in a cataclysmic global cooling event. He played against type as an angry Marine in Jarhead (2005) and, that same year, he won critical acclaim as a gay cowboy in the controversial film Brokeback Mountain.

Gyllenhaal has also taken an activist role in supporting political and social causes. He appeared in Rock the Vote advertising,^[13] campaigned for the Democratic party in the 2004 election, and has promoted environmental causes and the American Civil Liberties Union.

No offline biography exists of Jake Gyllenhaal, and consequently this article is the world's most comprehensive bigraphy of him, drawing together many many sources into one place. Main page would be a good place to show off what Wikipedia can achieve. I also request that this article been put on the main page on December 19th, as that will be Gyllenhaal's 26th birthday, and many Jake fans would be delighted to see it there. Dev920 (check out this proposal) 23:18, 6 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Pierre Rossier

Pierre Joseph Rossier (born 16 July 1829, died between 1883 and 1898) was a pioneering Swiss photographer whose albumen photographs, which include stereographs and cartes-de-visite, comprise portraits, cityscapes and landscapes. He was commissioned by the London firm of Negretti and Zambra to travel to Asia and document the progress of the Anglo-French troops in the Second Opium War and, although he failed to join that military expedition, he remained in Asia for several years, producing the first commercial photographs of China, the Philippines, Japan and Siam (now Thailand). He was the first professional photographer in Japan, where he trained Ueno Hikoma, Maeda Genzō, Horie Kuwajirō, as well as lesser known members of the first generation of Japanese photographers. In Switzerland he established photographic studios in Fribourg and Einsiedeln, and he also produced images elsewhere in the country. Rossier is an important figure in the early history of photography not only because of his own images, but also because of the critical impact of his teaching in the early days of Japanese photography.

Apart from one other text, this is the only comprehensive biography anywhere of Rossier, whose story provides an interesting point of entry into the not broadly-known early history of photography in Asia. Most existing scholarship has yet to update even his full name, so it would be helpful and pleasing to give Main Page prominence to him. The relative scarcity of Wikipedia Main Page and Featured Articles on photographers and Asian history could also be partly addressed by putting Rossier on the Main Page. Pinkville 22:46, 3 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Pixies

The Pixies are an American alternative rock music group formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1986. The group disbanded in 1993 in acrimonious circumstances but reunited in 2004. Black Francis, Joey Santiago, Kim Deal, and Dave Lovering have been the group's continual members. The Pixies found only modest success in their home country, but were significantly more successful in the United Kingdom and elsewhere in Europe, although never achieving mainstream success with their studio albums.

The group is frequently posited as the immediate forebearer of the alternative rock boom of the early 1990s, though they disbanded before reaping any of the benefits this might have brought them. Avowed fan Kurt Cobain's acknowledgement of the debt Nirvana owed to the Pixies, along with similar tributes by other alternative bands, ensured that the Pixies' legacy and influence grew substantially in the years following their demise. (More...)

Any date would be fine. CloudNine 09:50, 24 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee

Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee is a side-scrolling platform video game developed by Oddworld Inhabitants and published by GT Interactive. It was released in 1997 for the PlayStation video game console and Windows OS in North America, Australia and Europe. While the game was criticised for its steep learning curve, it was widely acclaimed for having innovative gameplay, good graphics and engaging cut-scenes, and went on to receive multiple awards. Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee was the first game in the planned five part Oddworld Quintology, which includes Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus and Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee.

The game centers on the titular Abe, a Mudokon slave working at the RuptureFarms meat processing factory on Oddworld. When he discovers that he and his friends face death at the hands of their desperate master, he decides to escape and aid as many enslaved Mudokons as he can along the way. The player assumes the role of Abe, and must escape from the factory before embarking on a perilous quest to restore his once noble people. (More...)

—Abraham Lure 00:13, 9 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I remember playing the demo of this one PS1 over and over when I was 7! memories!

This comment is not helpful and has not been signedBuc 10:32, 21 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Larrys Creek

Larrys Creek is a 22.9 mile (36.8 km) long tributary of the West Branch Susquehanna River in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States. A part of the Chesapeake Bay drainage basin, the watershed drains 89.1 square miles (230.8 km²) in six townships and a borough, flowing south from the dissected Allegheny Plateau to the Ridge-and-valley Appalachians. The Susquehannocks, Lenape and other tribes lived here and the Great Shamokin Path crossed the creek near its mouth, where Larry Burt, the first settler, also lived by 1769. In the 19th century, the creek and its watershed included 53 sawmills, grist mills, leather tanneries, coal and iron mines. No other stream in the country had so many sawmills. A plank road ran along much of the creek for decades, and two "paper railroads" were planned, but never built. As of 2006, the Larrys Creek watershed is 83.1% forest and 15.7% agricultural (in marked contrast to the 19th century's clear-cut land). Nearly 9000 acres (36 km²) of second-growth forest are protected public and private land for hunting and trout fishing. The polluting industries of the 19th century are gone and the creek "has an exceptionally scenic, ultra-highwater, whitewater run" for canoeing. Despite agricultural runoff and some acid mine drainage, water quality is quite good and a water filtration plant supplies over 2500 customers. (More...)

(self-nomination in that I am the principal author). The article has been featured since August 30, 2006. ~~It is only the second river / stream article currently on the featured articles list.~~ It has been over a year since ~~the other,~~ Zambezi, was Today's featured article. No date suggested, just think it would be an interesting article on the Main Page. Thanks, Ruhrfisch 12:49, 23 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I expanded the lead in the article and edited it here to make it (hopefully) more interesting and compelling. Ruhrfisch 16:03, 24 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

White Deer Hole Creek (not nominated on this page) and Paulins Kill (see above) are now also featured river / stream articles, and I would be happy to see any of them as Today's featured article. Thanks, Ruhrfisch 19:35, 26 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I agree it would be nice to see an article about a river on the main page. Dincher 02:15, 22 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Halo: Combat Evolved

Halo: Combat Evolved is a science fiction first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie Studios. The "killer application" of the Xbox gaming system, it was released as a launch title for the platform on November 15, 2001. Selling more than six million copies worldwide since release, the game is second only to its sequel, Halo 2, in sales for the Microsoft console. The game received excellent reviews and numerous "Game of the Year" awards, being hailed as one of the best and most influential first-person shooters of all time. The game's popularity has led to labels such as "Halo clone" and "Halo killer", applied to games either similar to, or anticipated to be better than, Halo. In addition, the game inspired and was used in the Red vs. Blue video series, which is credited as the "first big success" of machinima.

Halo's main character is the Master Chief, a cyborg "super-soldier" clad in battle armor. Players assume the role of the Master Chief and battle aliens on foot and in vehicles as they explore the titular Halo, a ring-shaped space habitat, and attempt to uncover its secrets. (More...)

bibliomaniac15 04:31, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

This would be appropriate for November 7 or January 17. — TKD::Talk 10:55, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Or even January 1, 2007. In case the connection of these dates isn't clear, the protagonist's code name is Spartan-117. — TKD::Talk 11:22, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Actually I think July 7 (07-07-07) might be a good idea. To those who don't know, there are an abundance of sevens in the game series as an easter egg. On second thought having it on that date might be crufty, but I'm just throwing it out there. James086^Talk 12:29, 20 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Halo 2

Halo 2 is a science fiction first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie Studios]. Sequel to the "killer app" Halo: Combat Evolved for Microsoft's Xbox, the game continues the storyline of a war between future humanity and a theocratic alliance of alien species, the Covenant. The player assumes the role of the Master Chief, a SPARTAN-II supersoldier and humanity's most powerful weapon. Assisted by the AI Cortana, the player fights enemies on foot and in vehicles as the war between the two factions draws to a climax. The game features new vehicles, weapons, and gameplay elements not found in Halo; in addition, it was the first Halo game to be Xbox Live-compatible for online play; as of October 30, 2006, more than four billion games of Halo 2 had been played. The game sold has sold more than eight million units, making it the best-selling Xbox game of all time. (more...)

Recently passed FAC... yeah, I think it's interesting, certainly one of the most important video games in recent history. Dåvid Fuchs ^{(talk / frog blast the vent core!)} 22:58, 22 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

USA PATRIOT Act, Title III, Subtitle A

President George W. Bush signing the USA PATRIOT ACT in the White House's East Room on October 26, 2001.

The USA PATRIOT Act is an American law which was signed into law by President George W. Bush on October 26, 2001. The USA PATRIOT Act was passed by the United States Congress in 2001 as a response to the September 11, 2001 attacks. It has ten titles, with the third title ("Title III: International Money Laundering Abatement and Financial Anti-Terrorism Act of 2001") written to prevent, detect, and prosecute international money laundering and the financing of terrorism. Title III is itself divided into three subtitles. The first subtitle, entitled Subtitle A: International Counter Money Laundering and Related Measures is designed to put measures into place that counter international money laundering. It does this by requiring that financial instutitions take several new special measures against money laundering — identification is dealt with particularly; by restricting or prohibiting the use of certain types of bank accounts and through adding further legislation that regulates a financial institution's dealing with foreign concerns. (More...)

Rama's arrow 19:31, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It needs a better lead section, preferably one introducing the specific scope from the very beginning. John Riemann Soong 07:42, 5 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

How did that article get featured in the first place, on the nominate page I count a 6-4 vote; not exactly what I'd call consensus. Jaqu 02:38, 9 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Whoa, this doesn't seem like FA quality to me at all. This is basically a summary of the document and contains no analysis or presentation of the Act's effects, people's reactions, etc. Wickethewok 07:35, 23 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Because that stuff is on the general USA PATRIOT Act page. And if you don't think is FA quality, put it up at WP:FAR. Staxringold _talk^contribs 15:28, 1 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The Wire (TV series)

The Wire is an American television drama set and produced in Baltimore, Maryland. Created by writer/producer and former police reporter David Simon, the series is broadcast by the premium cable network HBO in the United States. The Wire premiered on June 2, 2002, with 50 episodes airing over the course of its first four seasons. HBO has ordered a fifth season, which is planned to be the show's last. The plot of the first season centers on the ongoing struggles between police units and drug-dealing gangs on the west side of the city, and is told from both points of view. Subsequent seasons have focused on other facets of the city.

The Wire has received critical acclaim for its realistic portrayal of urban life and uncommonly deep exploration of sociological themes, and has been called the best show on television by TIME, Entertainment Weekly, The Guardian, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the Chicago Tribune. However, it has failed to draw a large audience. (More...)

Self-nom, work done largely by myself, User:Opark 77 and User:East718. I would like to make an odd request for the date it should be on the front page. I want it to sit until at least a week after the last episode of the upcoming fourth season of the show airs (probably sometime in December). The reasons for this are twofold: (1) I don't want to be accused of promoting the show while new episodes are still being aired, and (2) there should be a full summary of the fourth season's plot and new characters written by that time, rather than just collecting scraps of information on upcoming episodes like we have now. I have not discussed this with Opark 77 or East718, but since they have not yet requested a spot in the front-page queue I am going to make this recommendation myself and see what they think. Andrew Levine 18:42, 31 August 2006

Why not use the header image of the article, Image:NonFreeImageRemoved.svg, rather than a cast shot? The problem with the cast shot is that it shows only the police cast when a large part of The Wire's main story is the duality of the police and Barksdale's, though it's more about institutions as a whole. –– Lid^(Talk) 03:56, 16 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I just used the preview function to see what the header would look like and, in my opinion, it works better than the cast shot in displaying the article. The cast shot is quite plain and doesn't really draw attention, even the cast shot of the streets group is more interesting but that would again make people make assumptions about the content. –– Lid^(Talk) 15:58, 16 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Can you please put a photo to be displayed along with the article on the main page, so it will look better on the main page. Thnx. --Parker007 17:14, 12 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I had a photo before, but someone removed it. Andrew Levine 05:35, 24 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Chrono Cross

Chrono Cross (クロノ・クロス, Kurono Kurosu) is a console role-playing game created by Square Co. (now Square Enix) for the Sony PlayStation. It is the sequel to Chrono Trigger, which was released in 1995 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Unlike its predecessor's "Dream Team", Chrono Cross was developed primarily by scenarist and director Masato Kato and other programmers for Chrono Trigger, including art director Yasuyuki Honne and sound planner Minoru Akao. Composer Yasunori Mitsuda scored Chrono Cross and Nobuteru Yūki designed its characters. The story of Chrono Cross focuses on a teenage boy named Serge and a theme of parallel worlds. Faced with an alternate reality in which he died as a child, Serge endeavors to discover the truth of the two worlds' divergence. Upon its release in Japan in 1999 and in the United States in 2000,^[14] A "Millennium Edition" featuring a calendar, clock, and music sampler disc was also released. Chrono Cross received high ratings and critical acclaim. The game's 1.5 million worldwide sales led to a Greatest Hits re-release and continued life in Japan as part of the Ultimate Hits series.

Any time is fine. November 18 is the upper limit; that's the date of the game's Japanese release. --Zeality 14:15, 22 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Chrono Trigger

Chrono TriggerKurono Torigā (クロノ・トリガー) is a console role-playing game created by Square Co. for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It was released in Japan on March 11, 1995 and in North America on August 22 of the same year. The game's story follows a group of young adventurers who travel throughout history to save the planet. Upon its release, certain aspects of Chrono Trigger were seen as revolutionary — including its multiple endings, plot-related sidequests focused on character development, unique battle system, and detailed graphics. It is still regarded by fans as one of the greatest games of all time, and was rereleased in Japan for the Sony PlayStation during 1999. In 2001, it was released in North America as part of the Final Fantasy Chronicles package which also included Final Fantasy IV. It has never been released in PAL territories.

This was promoted this morning, and just in time for its eleventh anniversary in North America. I'd like to see this featured August 22 if there's a remote chance of that happening. Sir Crazyswordsman 23:55, 13 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Well, now that August is over, I'd like to see it front paged in September. Please, I'm begging you! Sir Crazyswordsman 02:49, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I added that post when I was logged out for some reason, sorry. Sir Crazyswordsman 16:07, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I'd love to support this article, but I'm worried about featuring our FAs with longer plot summaries. Even though I helped elevate this article to FA, I don't know if it should be featured yet because of the long synopsis. That way, we can cover our rear ends. — Deckill er 22:00, 11 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]

History of Michigan State University

The history of Michigan State University (MSU) dates back to 1855, when the Michigan Legislature established the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan. As the first agricultural college in the United States, the school served as a prototype for future Land Grant institutions under the Morrill Act enacted during Abraham Lincoln's presidential administration. The school's first class graduated in 1861 right after the onset of the American Civil War. In 1870, the College became co-educational with home economics for women students. The school admitted its first African American student in 1899. During this period, the school established "Farmers' Institutes" as a means of reaching out to the state's agricultural community and informing the membership of developments in agricultural science; the program gradually became the MSU Extension Services.

After World War II, the college gained admission to the Big Ten Conference, joining the rival University of Michigan, and grew to become one of the largest educational institutions in the United States. During the Vietnam War, the school was a hotbed of anti-war protests. In more recent years, MSU has worked on improving its academic reputation, though a series of student riots in the late 1990s has made this task more difficult. Nevertheless, MSU's current president has stated that a renewed focus on biotechnology research and residential college learning would make the university a new model for America's Land Grant institutions.

Recently promoted to Feature Article status, the article is a production of Wikipedia:WikiProject Michigan. No specific date is requested. Jtmichcock 12:45, 27 March 2006 (UTC)[reply]

^ Cite error: The named reference marinebio was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Video Recordings Act 1984. The Stationery Office Books. 1984. ISBN ISBN 0-10-543984-3. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)
^ Carter, David. "Savage Cinema". Savage Cinema. Retrieved 2006-09-06.
^ Sheldon, Sam. "A savage allegory". The Paly Voice. Retrieved 2007-01-23.
^ [3]
^ [4]
^ - Filmbreak.bu - review of "Overnight" documentary on the filming of "The Boondock Saints" URL accessed 2006-11-28
^ - Detroitbuzz.com - Cult Corner - Boondock Saints URL accessed 2006-12-14
^ Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times, wrote in his review of Overnight that The Boondock Saints has become a "cult favorite on DVD".
Rogerebert.suntimes.com - Roger Ebert review of Overnight
^ - RottenTomatoes.com - Overnight" and "The Boondock Saints URL accessed 2006-11-28
^ - DVDfutue.com - Boondock Saints: Unrated Edition URL accessed 2006-11-28
^ USGS National Water Information System: Web Interface - Real-Time Data for New Jersey: Streamflow no further authorship information given, accessed 30 October 2006.
^ Rock the vote video, Youtube. Retrieved September 29, 2006.
^ "Gamerankings: Chrono Cross". Gamerankings. Retrieved 1 July. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); External link in |work= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)

[marinebio-1] Cite error: The named reference marinebio was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[2] Video Recordings Act 1984. The Stationery Office Books. 1984. ISBN ISBN 0-10-543984-3. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)

[David_Carter-3] Carter, David. "Savage Cinema". Savage Cinema. Retrieved 2006-09-06.

[Paly-4] Sheldon, Sam. "A savage allegory". The Paly Voice. Retrieved 2007-01-23.

[5] [3]

[6] [4]

[FB-7] - Filmbreak.bu - review of "Overnight" documentary on the filming of "The Boondock Saints" URL accessed 2006-11-28

[DB-8] - Detroitbuzz.com - Cult Corner - Boondock Saints URL accessed 2006-12-14

[9] Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times, wrote in his review of Overnight that The Boondock Saints has become a "cult favorite on DVD".
Rogerebert.suntimes.com - Roger Ebert review of Overnight

[RT-10] - RottenTomatoes.com - Overnight" and "The Boondock Saints URL accessed 2006-11-28

[DVDfutue.com-11] - DVDfutue.com - Boondock Saints: Unrated Edition URL accessed 2006-11-28

[12] USGS National Water Information System: Web Interface - Real-Time Data for New Jersey: Streamflow no further authorship information given, accessed 30 October 2006.

[13] Rock the vote video, Youtube. Retrieved September 29, 2006.

[gamerankings-14] "Gamerankings: Chrono Cross". Gamerankings. Retrieved 1 July. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); External link in |work= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)

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@@ Line 209: / Line 209: @@
 [[Image:Pic-bradleyjoseph.jpg|left|100px|caption]]
 </div>
-<div>'''Bradley Joseph''' (born 1965, [[Willmar, Minnesota]]) is an [[United States|American]] [[composer]], [[pianist]]/[[keyboardist]], [[music arranger|arranger]], and [[recording artist]].  Active since 1983, he played in various rock bands throughout the [[Midwestern United States|Midwest]] until [[Greece|Greek]] composer [[Yanni]] hired him sight unseen based on a tape of his own compositions.  He was a featured concert keyboardist with Yanni through six major tours and appears in the 1993 multi-platinum album and video, ''[[Yanni Live at the Acropolis]]''.  He also spent four years as keyboardist and co-[[musical director]] for [[Sheena Easton]].
+<div>'''Bradley Joseph''' (born 1965, [[Willmar, Minnesota]]) is an [[United States|American]] [[composer]], [[pianist]]/[[keyboardist]], [[music arranger|arranger]], and [[recording artist]].  Active since 1983, he played in various rock bands throughout the [[Midwestern United States|Midwest]] until [[Greece|Greek]] composer [[Yanni]] hired him sight unseen based on a tape of his own compositions.  He was a featured concert keyboardist with Yanni through six major tours and appears in the 1993 multi-platinum album and video, ''[[Yanni Live at the Acropolis]]''.  He also spent four years as lead keyboardist and co-[[musical director]] for [[Sheena Easton]], including a 1995 performance on the ''[[Tonight Show with Jay Leno]]''.
 Joseph's solo career began in 1994 when he independently released ''[[Hear the Masses]]'', featuring many of his Yanni bandmates.  This debut album was followed by ''[[Rapture (Bradley Joseph album)|Rapture]]'', an instrumental album recorded with a 50-piece orchestra and released on the [[Narada Productions|Narada]] label, reaching NAV's "Airwaves Top 30".  He has produced his next eight albums under his own record label, Robbins Island Music.  Two of his albums, ''[[Christmas Around the World (Bradley Joseph album)|Christmas Around the World]]'' and  ''[[One Deep Breath]],'' also held positions on NAV’s Top 100 radio chart.  His musical style ranges from original solo piano pieces to "full blown" orchestral compositions and arrangements.  While busy with his own career, Joseph reunited with Yanni in 2003 for the 60-city ''[[Ethnicity (Yanni album)|Ethnicity]]'' tour, during which time he wrote ''[[The Journey Continues]]'' after sound checks.  He was named one of the ''"Ten Outstanding Young Minnesotans"'' of 2004.'''([[Bradley Joseph|more...]])'''</div>
 </div>
-American composer/pianist [[User:Cricket02|Cricket02]] 20:24, 4 June 2007 (UTC)
+Comprehensive biography on an American composer/pianist. [[User:Cricket02|Cricket02]] 20:24, 4 June 2007 (UTC)
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