Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/2012-10-29/Featured content

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Featured content

On the road again

This edition covers content promoted between 21 and 27 October 2012
Two new road articles were promoted this week

Featured articles

Pierre Monteux
A frog (Australian Green Tree Frog)
The Cathedral Church of St Michael, a grade I listed building in Coventry
An SNCB Class 77, a new featured picture
Fogo island, a new featured picture
Mitra stictica shell, a new featured picture
Saint Francis in the Desert

Thirteen featured articles were promoted this week:

  • Pierre Monteux (nom) by Tim riley, Cg2p0B0u8m, and Brianboulton. Monteux (1875–1964) was a French (later American) conductor who began regularly conducting in 1907, later rising to prominence after directing several world premieres. During his fifty-year career Monteux led numerous orchestras in the US, France, and the UK; also teaching numerous students. Although he disliked recording, he produced numerous records. He preferred German works.
  • "Episode 14" (Twin Peaks) (nom) by Grapple X, Idiotchalk, and TBrandley. "Episode 14" is a 1990 episode of the American mystery television series Twin Peaks. Written by Mark Frost and directed by David Lynch, it follows FBI special agent Dale Cooper's investigation into the murder of a schoolgirl; this episode reveals who the killer, a demon, has possessed. It was well received.
  • Hoodwinked! (nom) by Jpcase. Hoodwinked! is a 2005 American computer-animated film. Inspired in part by the Japanese film Rashomon, it parodies the fairy tale genre by retelling the folktale Little Red Riding Hood as a police investigation. The independently-funded film had a small budget, which influenced the less-realistic animation. The animation was heavily panned upon the film's release, although the film's script and cast were widely praised.
  • "Missing My Baby" (nom) by AJona1992. "Missing My Baby" is a song from American recording artist Selena's third studio album, Entre a Mi Mundo (1992). Composed by her brother, the song was intended to help Selena enter English-language markets. It is a mid-tempo R&B ballad influenced by urban and soul music which describes the singer's love for a boy. The track, though never released as a single, charted in 1995.
  • Francis Marrash (nom) by Bryan P. C. C.. Marrash (1836–1873) was a Syrian writer and poet of the Nahda movement; most of his works dealt with science, history and religion. In his youth he travelled extensively before practicing medicine. While enrolled at a medical school in France he began losing his sight, leading him to write more frequently. Middle Eastern historian Matti Moosa considered Marrash to be the first truly cosmopolitan Arab intellectual and writer of modern times.
  • Frog (nom) by Cwmhiraeth and Thompsma. Frogs are a diverse and largely carnivorous group of amphibians which may date back to 265 million years ago. They are characterised by a stout body, protruding eyes, cleft tongue, limbs folded underneath and the absence of a tail. Frogs are a keystone group in the food web, becoming food to numerous species – including humans. Approximately 4,800 species are known, although some 120 are thought to have become extinct since the 1980s.
  • Interstate 696 (nom) by Imzadi1979. Interstate 696 is an auxiliary Interstate Highway in the US state of Michigan, detouring around the city of Detroit through the city's northern suburbs in Oakland and Macomb counties. Construction on the 28-mile (45 km) long highway began in 1961, taking 28 years to complete owing to various disagreements between municipalities, the City, and the Detroit Zoo over routing.
  • Interstate 80 in Iowa (nom) by Fredddie. Interstate 80, a transcontinental Interstate Highway in the US, traverses across the state of Iowa for 306 miles (492 km). It enters the state at the Missouri River, meets with – and later splits from – I-35, before eventually leaving Iowa over the Mississippi River. Construction of the interstate began in 1958 and took fourteen years. By the 1980s, it had fallen in disrepair, although funds had been allocated for repairs.
  • Folding@home (nom) by Jesse V.. Folding@home is a distributed computing project for disease research that simulates protein folding, computational drug design, and other types of molecular dynamics. The project is powered by the idle processing resources of thousands of volunteered personal computers. It assists with medical research into many diseases. Folding@home is one of the world's fastest computing systems. Since its launch in 2000, it has assisted numerous research papers.
  • Blakeney Point (nom) by Jimfbleak. Blakeney Point is a National Nature Reserve situated on the north coast of Norfolk, England. Its main feature is a 6.4 km (4 mi) spit of shingle and sand dunes, but the reserve also includes salt marshes, tidal mudflats and reclaimed farmland. The area has long been inhabited by humans, while it also serves as a major breeding spot for birds. The point is known for its birdwatching and sailing, although such activities may endanger the birds.
  • Barber coinage (nom) by Wehwalt. The Barber coinage consisted of a dime, quarter, and half dollar designed by US Bureau of the Mint Chief Engraver Charles Barber. Minted between 1892 and 1916, all depicted a head of Liberty, facing right. Meant to replace the Seated Liberty design, the Barber coins received mixed reception among the populace. Most remain relatively easy to find, although the 1894 dime struck at the San Francisco Mint is a great rarity.
  • Halo: Reach (nom) by David Fuchs. Halo: Reach is a 2010 first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox 360 console. It takes place in the year 2552, where humanity is locked in a war with the alien Covenant; players control an elite soldier named Noble Six. Reach serves as a prequel to the Halo series and includes more somber music. The game was a critical and commercial success, garnishing US$200 million within a day of its launch.
  • God of War: Chains of Olympus (nom) by JDC808. God of War: Chains of Olympus is an action-adventure video game developed by Ready at Dawn and SCE Santa Monica Studio released in 2008. The fourth installment in the God of War series and a prequel to the original God of War, it follows the Spartan Kratos as he helps Greek gods. The game was a commercial and critical success, being called the best PlayStation Portable game by GamePro in 2010.

Featured lists

Ten featured lists were promoted this week:

  • Peter Sellers on stage, radio, screen and record (nom) by Schrocat and Cassianto. The British actor and comedian Peter Sellers (1925–1980) performed in many genres of light entertainment between 1948 and his death. He was known internationally for his role as Chief Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther film series.
  • List of SEPTA Regional Rail stations (nom) by Dream out loud. SEPTA Regional Rail, the commuter rail system serving Philadelphia, US, has 13 lines, with 153 active stations divided between seven fare zones. The system was built in the early 20th century.
  • Dick Howser Trophy (nom) by Bloom6132 and Muboshgu. The Dick Howser Trophy is bestowed annually to the US college baseball player of the year. It has been awarded annually since its establishment after Howser's death in 1987. The most recent winner is Mike Zunino.
  • List of films of the Dutch East Indies (nom) by Crisco 1492. A total of 106 feature films are known to have been produced in the Dutch East Indies (modern day Indonesia) between 1926 and the colony's dissolution in 1949, starting with Loetoeng Kasaroeng.
  • Grade I listed buildings in Coventry (nom) by HJ Mitchell. There are 19 Grade I listed buildings in the City of Coventry, dating from between 1043 to the 1950s. Among these is the former prison of Mary, Queen of Scots.
  • One Direction discography (nom) by AdabowtheSecond. British–Irish boy band One Direction has released a studio album, an extended play, seven singles, a video album and seven music videos. Their debut studio album was Up All Night, while another album is due in November.
  • Jessica Mauboy discography (nom) by Oz. Australian R&B recording artist Jessica Mauboy has released three albums, thirteen singles, and sixteen music videos. She made her debut in 2007 with the live album The Journey; her best-received album as of writing is 2010's Get 'Em Girls.
  • List of frequent David Lynch collaborators (nom) by Grapple X. American filmmaker David Keith Lynch has collaborated with several individuals on multiple occasions over the course of his career. The most prolific of Lynch's frequently used actors was Jack Nance.
  • List of 2000s Christian Songs number ones (nom) by Toa Nidhiki05. A total of 44 singles reached the number one position on the Christian Songs chart, compiled by Billboard magazine, between its launch in 2003 and 2009. MercyMe was the most successful group, with seven of their singles topping the chart during the 2000s; Casting Crowns spent the longest time atop the chart.
  • List of Ryder Cup matches (nom) by NapHit. The Ryder Cup is a golf competition contested by teams from Europe and the US. The biannual event takes place alternatively in the US and Europe. The most recent match was won by Europe, although the US team has historically been the most successful.

Featured pictures

Nine featured pictures were promoted this week:

Featured topics

One featured topic was promoted this week:

  • Nebula Award (nom) by PresN, with six articles. The topic covers the Nebula Awards, a set of awards given annually for the best science fiction or fantasy works published in the United States.

Featured portal

One featured portal was promoted this week:

  • Indonesia (nom) by Crisco 1492, with 20 selected articles, 20 selected biographies, 20 sets of did you know hooks, 20 selected pictures, and an in this month section. Indonesia is the fourth most populous country on Earth and the most populous Muslim-majority nation.
The Taj Mahal at sunset