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2016 year of the reader and peace

2016
 
peace bell

Thank you for your support and wishes, for all you do for TFA, especially scheduling Falstaff for the New Year, a tribute to Verdi's ultimate wisdom and to Viva-Verdi, - thanks with my review, and the peace bell by Yunshui! --Gerda Arendt (talk) 11:18, 31 December 2015 (UTC)

Stella stellar

Precious again, your "writer famous for one novel (her first), Cold Comfort Farm (1932), a delightful parody which mocks the pretensions of the then fashionable 'loam and lovechild' genre of fiction"! - Will try to have a cantata for Easter, for your planning. --Gerda Arendt (talk) 07:43, 5 January 2016 (UTC)

GBS

Happy New Year, Brian! Rather than clog up this page I have sent you an email with some thoughts on a possible modus operandi for our joint expedition to climb Mount Shaw. If, by any chance, the email doesn't arrive, perhaps you'd alert me here or on my talk page. I forgot to mention in the email that as the present refs are a complete pig's breakfast we'll need to clean them up, and though (for sheer ignorance) I have adopted a manual, interface-with-Linear-B, format in my work-in-progress, I'm perfectly happy to attempt templates if you prefer. I daresay I'll have to learn sooner or later. Tim riley talk 13:36, 1 January 2016 (UTC)

And another

If you have some time now that you are mostly free of the Cambodian princeling (or so I hope), could you run your eye over William McKinley presidential campaign, 1896? Very little travel was involved. Many thanks.--Wehwalt (talk) 00:22, 3 January 2016 (UTC)

For certain. I'm delighted to see that the soundfile is there, and the pics look amazing. I will look at it in a day or so; meanwhile, stand by for a burst of Handel. Brianboulton (talk) 13:37, 3 January 2016 (UTC)

Yet another grovelling request for a review!

Hi Brian, I've been working for a spell on Isabella Beeton, who is now at PR for comments and consideration. If you could add me to the end of your review list I'd be much obliged. Cheers – SchroCat (talk) 19:52, 3 January 2016 (UTC)

Great subject for an expansion! I wonder it's not been taken up before, so all credit to you. I'll be along when I've disposed of the prez. Brianboulton (talk) 20:16, 3 January 2016 (UTC)

Oriental Film

  • I'm looking for media articles that aren't US- or Brit-centric. Due to your industry, that largely means Indonesian (13 articles). Indian (4), Japanese (1) or Hong Kong (1) are the others. Most or all, except Oriental Films, have date relations. We've often in the past had 2 US or UK-related media articles in the same month, so would it matter too much if we had two Indonesia-related articles 17 days apart? If you feel strongly, I'll replace it, but personally I think the choice can easily be defended (if anyone raises the issue I'll make it quite clear this was my choice) Brianboulton (talk) 16:54, 4 January 2016 (UTC)
  • I guess if schedule this, then no more Indonesian articles until 20 March (70th anniversary of Amir Hamzah's death), that would work. I had thought of nominating AH for 28 Feb (105th anniversary of his birth) but he can wait another month. — Chris Woodrich (talk) 17:02, 4 January 2016 (UTC)

Invitation to a virtual editathon on Women in Music

Women in Music
 
 
  • 10 to 31 January 2016
  • Please join us in the worldwide virtual edit-a-thon hosted by Women in Red.

--Ipigott (talk) 16:48, 5 January 2016 (UTC)

The Signpost: 06 January 2016

Lieut. Kije - report from rummage at British Library

I've found the original Gramophone review (November 1941, p. 95) which confirms that Koussevitzky's was the first recording. The reviewer, W R Anderson, offered explanatory notes on the piece, and I was enchanted to be told that the second half of Kije's name is from "the Russian expletive 'je' (untranslatable in any English word, but similar in position and meaning to the Latin quidem)." I trust you will include this verbatim in your article: your readers will find it most helpful. I found no recordings issued between Koussevitzky's and Boult's, other than those mentioned in the para on my talk page the other day. Tim riley talk 13:43, 8 January 2016 (UTC)

Albert Ketèlbey

Dear Brian, Many thanks for your recent comments on the Albert Ketèlbey peer review. The article is now at FAC for further comment, should you wish to make any. Many thanks – SchroCat (talk) 17:08, 8 January 2016 (UTC)

TFA 15 Jan: Dead links

Simon (the nominator) is traipsing around Guatemala for the next week or so. I've invited him to work on the summary, so this one may take a while, but I'll keep an eye on it. - Dank (push to talk) 01:33, 13 January 2016 (UTC)

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Kije again

Heaven knows where I found the mentions of the Desormière and Kurtz versions, but here are the details from The Gramophone:

  • Desormière, French National Radio Orchestra, Capitol 7017. Reviewed by Malcolm Macdonald, August 1952, p. 56
  • Kurtz, RPO, Philips ABL 3117. Reviewed by Trevor Harvey, July 1956, p. 45.

I see you mention a New York ballet version in 1942 ("the usual Fokine rubbish", to quote Alan Bennett); there was a London version too in the same year, by the "Russian Ballet" company (run by Jay Pomeroy) in June of the same year, with choreography by Catherine Devillier, formerly prima ballerina of the Théâtre Impérial de Moscou, and conducted by Anatole Fistoulari. See The Times, 10 June 1942, p. 6 and – rather a find – J P Wearing's The London Stage 1940-1949: A Calendar of Productions, Performers, and Personnel. Tim riley talk 13:22, 14 January 2016 (UTC)

Isabella Beeton

Many thanks for your comments at the recent PR for Isabella Beeton. I have dropped the good lady into FAC for comments and thoughts. If you have time for any, I'd be delighted to hear with them. Cheers – SchroCat (talk) 15:05, 16 January 2016 (UTC)

The Signpost: 13 January 2016

Available TFAs analysed by age (14 January 2016)

This table analyses all featured articles that were potential TFAs as at 14 January 2016, by age since promotion. Excluded are a dozen articles which have been red-tagged as needing reparative work, and a few adjustment that have occurred since I compiled the table.

Subject area Total Promoted 2004–2010 Promoted 2011 Promoted 2012 Promoted 2013 Promoted 2014 Promoted 2015
MilHist 223 86 20 23 39 18 37
Biology 154 49 24 16 19 16 30
Sports 121 71 8 8 7 12 15
Media (films, tv etc) 108 46 2 8 15 16 21
Music (all) 89 47 5 10 7 8 12
History and Politics 79 28 6 7 8 8 22
Video gaming 67 35 3 3 11 7 8
Lit & theatre incl Lang 60 14 7 3 10 7 19
Transport 55 26 6 4 7 9 3
Meteorology 50 33 5 1 2 3 6
Geography & Geol 36 27 2 3 1 2 1
Art, arch. & archaeology 33 2 0 0 4 10 17
Royalty and nobility 25 12 3 1 1 3 5
Business & economics (inc. coins) 25 0 6 0 5 6 8
Physics & astronomy 15 1 1 0 3 4 6
Religion etc 12 5 1 2 1 1 2
Law 7 1 0 1 2 0 3
Culture and society (miscellany) 4 1 1 0 0 1 1
Sundries (Health, Ed, Eng, Chem) 5 2 1 0 0 0 2
Totals 1168 486 101 90 143 130 218
Percent 100 41.6 8.6 7.7 12.2 11.1 18.6

This shows that just over 40 percent of all the available FAs are more than 6 years old, although there are considerable variations within particular subject areas. Thus, 75% of the Geography articles predate 2011, as do 66% of the Meteorology and 59% of the Sports articles. Conversely, none of the Business-related articles are older than 2011, as are only 6% of Art and Architecture and 23% of the Literature and Theatre stock. The lack of movement in some of the older stocks is a slight concern, but if the exercise began last year by Sandy & co whereby all the older FAs are checked and brought up to standard is successful, it should be safer to select older FAs for the TFA spot. Brianboulton (talk) 21:27, 16 January 2016 (UTC)

That's a lot of work, Brian, thanks. - Dank (push to talk) 22:06, 16 January 2016 (UTC)

PR request

Hello Brian, a certain old thespian is currently waiting in the wings here for any comments or criticisms. I would be much appreciative for any thoughts offered, if you have the time. Many thanks. CassiantoTalk 00:24, 23 January 2016 (UTC)

Will do. Brianboulton (talk) 21:35, 23 January 2016 (UTC)

TFA reminders

  • 23 March
  • 1 April
  • 28 April

TFA

Now, I'm not so good at reading the entrails of Wikipedia but did you really schedule December 1969 nor'easter for today's featured article back on 7 January? If so that was extraordinarily prescient of you. Or maybe the long-range weather forecasts are much better in the US than here in the UK. Either way, I hope you won't be taken before Arbcom for violating WP:CRYSTALBALL and very best wishes to everyone over there! Thincat (talk) 17:32, 23 January 2016 (UTC)

Yes, indeed I did. My paranormal powers are tremendous, and are available to the world at large (at a suitable fee). Brianboulton (talk) 17:52, 23 January 2016 (UTC)

William McKinley presidential campaign, 1896

I've now started a front porch campaign for its promotion to FA. Though under the circumstances, the front porch will be strictly virtual. I'd be grateful for any comments.--Wehwalt (talk) 11:23, 24 January 2016 (UTC)

I hate to bother you again, but could you possibly do a source review?--Wehwalt (talk) 22:28, 13 February 2016 (UTC)

The Signpost: 20 January 2016

The Signpost: 27 January 2016

TFA nomination for Bristol

Thanks for your comments about the quality of the prose at Wikipedia:Today's featured article/requests/Bristol. The article Bristol has since kindly been copy edited by User:Corinne (and others) on behalf of the GOCE. Do you think this has resolved the issues or are there still outstanding problems? Do you think it is worth renominating at TFA requests or shall I just forget it?— Rod talk 20:29, 28 January 2016 (UTC)

Thanks for letting me know. Give me a short while to remind myself about this – I'm very occupied at the moment. Brianboulton (talk) 21:01, 28 January 2016 (UTC)
  • User:Rodw: I've taken a quick look. On the question of the Bristol diocese, the nature of the former diocese has been clarified, although oddly, no mention is made of the current replacement, founded in the 19th century. Also, in the "20th century" section we have "The University of Bristol was founded in 1909,[63] and its main building opened in 1925.[64] A polytechnic university opened in 1969, giving the city a second institute of higher education which became the University of the West of England in 1992", and in the "Education, science and technology" section we read: "Bristol has two major institutions of higher education: the University of Bristol, a "redbrick" chartered in 1909, and the University of the West of England (formerly Bristol Polytechnic), which received university status in 1992" – which seems unnecessarily repetitive. So maybe another spot of mild attention is advisable, but there's no real reason not to bring it forward again. Brianboulton (talk) 11:19, 3 February 2016 (UTC)

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