User:AlanE

G’day.

When I was growing up, a frequent reply to a question of mine was: “Look it up”. I was fortunate to have a roomful of the wherewithal for looking “it” up; and half a century later I still have…and do.

I am a history nut, a classical music freak, a lover of American music theatre and an inveterate atlas browser. (A decent historical atlas takes me to pig’s heaven.)

I think it is time I passed on some of this “useless” knowledge (and give the family a break).

So unless I get kicked out for pushing the barrow of historical veracity a little too recklessly over someone’s toes (which has already happened once), or being somewhat sarcastic in a discussion page (I am, after all, a grumpy old man), I will attempt the following:

a) get rid of every history stub I can find and fill in the gaps – starting with medieval Britain and Western Europe because they are a particular interest – starting with 250+ word articles on the people that flavour the Age. Later I will try and come back and expand and link and source everything, but let’s get them onto the table first where they at least exist.

b) correct every historical error I come across….or at least bring it to attention if it is not in my sphere or I am in the middle of something else.

c) assist in supplying Conservapedia with core knowledge of classical music (And if my enthusiasm for the subject becomes a bit obvious you will have to excuse me…or not.)

d) be balanced in my articles – I do not care for tabloidism.

Is there anything more that is required of me here?

alan.carvel@gmail.com

Contributions

Contributions since 5 August. New or substantial additions (100 words or more)

(All are in my own words - I do not copy and paste.)

• English history: Battle of Quiberon Bay - Edward III - Richard II – Henry IV – Henry V – Peasants’ Revolt – The Black Prince – John of Gaunt – Lords appellant – Charters – Froissart – Joust – Longbow – Anne of Bohemia – Stephen Langton – William II – Barons – William Marshall - Arthur of Brittany - plus thumbnail definitions of Anjou, Dauphin, Plantagenet, Angevan (ongoing)

• Discovery of Australia: Cook – Vancouver – Flinders – Bass - Torres – de Quiros – Janz – Hartog - Tasman (ongoing - haven't done the French)

• Age of Exploration: Da Gama – Portugese Exploration in West Africa – Cabral – Trade Winds (Sorry PJR, Trade wind’’) – Dutch East India Co. (ongoing want to at least finish the Portuguese sea empire in Africa/Asia)

• Other History: Mansa Musa – Trireme – Assyrians – Ibn Battuta – Fertile Crescent etc

• Music: Paganini – Borodin – Pachelbel – Tchaikovsky – Felix Mendelssohn - Fannie Mendelssohn – Holst – Cecil Sharp – Butterworth – Chabrier – Fauré – Bizet – Richard Strauss – Leoncavallo – Mascagni – Prokofiev - Gade – Alfven - Suite (very ongoing)

• Other “useful” (or not) additions/ammendments: Full moon - Backyard cricket – Royal Navy – Fire Fighting – Alnwick (?) etc etc.....

• Thumbnails: Cassandra – Clytemnestra – Electra - Orestes – Leda – Ephigineia – Pylades – Roaring Forties etc

• Many dozens of edits fixing grammar, spelling - adding or amending dates – correcting small errors - and sometimes sarcastic exhortations on talk pages.....(hopefully ongoing)

I need more time!

Major contributions during October

Anglo-Saxon kings (+queen, sorry Ethel)(18 articles – about 2800 words)

Ethelred the Unready about 440 words

Ethelwulf, Ethelbald, Ethelbert, Ethelred I Ethelfleda 410

[Edward the Elder]] 250

Athelstan 230

Elfward 60

Edmund I 150

Edred 120

Edwy the Fair 120

Edgar 420

Edward the Martyr 180

Harthacanute 90

Harold Harefoot 70

Edgar the Atheling 130

Edmund Ironside 130

History and places (5 articles - about 640 words)

Runnymede 90

Maid of Norway 110

River Dee 160

Eleanor of Castile 130

Berlin 150

Classical music. (13 articles – about 5000 words)

Rachmaninov 750

Suite (music) 440]]

Glinka 250]]

John Field 100

Henry Purcell 410

Weber 420

Hubert Parry‎ 390

Charles Villiers Stanford‎ 280

Serenade 400

Arpeggione 320

Romantic period (music) 560

E.T.A. Hoffmann 200

Song cycle 400

Misc.(4 articles- about 1290 words)

Europa 190

Prester John 630

Carthage 400

Alans 70

There were at least two more encyclopedic articles that would have been in the list (about 5-600 words I suppose, one of which I will wikify and save onto site when I finish this), but it seems that a little fit of pique by me was met by an over-the-top fit of pique by someone else and, quite frankly, I can't be bothered finishing the others at the moment. I will have to think about it. AlanE 15:38, 1 November 2008 (EDT)

Major November Contributions

For what it's worth, here are the major articles for the month. About 11,000 words in 44 articles and a couple of major additions. I also spent some time on categories and continuing my ongoing "Classical Music Appreciation " course for Joaquín (g'day Joaquín) (Se my talk page for an example). I also nearly decided (twice) to give up in disgust. Most of this month's articles were activating links I had generated with the English kings and music articles.

Hugo Wolf (300)

La Perouse (300)

D'Apres (150)

Bruny d’Entrecasteaux (450)

Philip IV of France (470)

Battle of Bannockburn (120)

Stirling Castle (130)

Simon de Montfort (pére et fil) (540)

Gascony (190)

Maine (France) (140)

Henry VI of England (720)

Margaret of Anjou (200)

William de la Pole (160)

St. Albans (220)

Towton (180)

Wakefield (100)

Barnet (130)

Tewkesbury (190)

Berkeley Castle (120)

Marches (80)

Roger Mortimer (180) 5000

Robert Curthose (260)

Battle of Tinchebrai (110)

New Forest (270)

The Wash (220)

Lewes (160)

Evesham (140)

Harmonica (180)

Opera (1550)

Oratorio (350)

Stabat mater (170)

Cantata (400)

Requiem (300)

Polyphony (100)

Counterpoint (190)

William Byrd (150)

Viol (100)

Jacobean (220)

Tudor (300)

Thomas Tallis (220)

Motet (160)

Vernacular (90)

Inigo Jones (130)

Robert Merrill (170

Major Additions: Hesiod (110) Bayeux Tapestry (100)

December Contributions

I started back in medieval England after a hint of Hungary this month….

Magyars………………… 180 words

Henry IV……………………480

Henry V……………………170

Richard Neville……………170

Ludlow……………………340

Warwick……………………200

then got waylaid by Ed on slavery (about 600) and fixed some bits and pieces (300) before going for a sail:

Barque (220) Brig(240) Brigantine(180) Ship(100) Carvel(170) Nao (170) Carrack(140) Hulk(160) Cog(170) Galleon(310) Galleass(110) Ship of the line(490) Frigate (140) Schooner(420) Galley(290) Xebec(160) Pinnace(180) Clipper(310) Corvette(140) Composite ship(330).

Then, apart from a quick Etude(190), I was swamped by Christmas and its preparations, including meeting airplanes and showing people the beautiful part of the world I live in (and if anyone wants my recipe for turkey (or chicken) stuffing……).

Back to late medieval England……

Richard III………………660

Battle of Bosworth………160

Woodville………………320

Lambert Simnel…………170

Duchy of Lancaster……170

House of York…………170

Wars of the Roses………1350

William Caxton…………330

I wrote a bit more than 11000 words of new information this month…nothing really compared to those who whip off a 20 word “insight” or two, or a couple of “great blocks”. (I played a bit of beach volleyball a decade or four ago and I know how it feels.) Still, what I try and give is good ol' information like they used to have in encyclopedias with pages.

I also added or changed over 100 categories, fixed numerous links and generally kept my room tidy…not leaving a lot of red links lying around.

I wish all Conservapedians a happy and satisfying 2009.

January Contributions

As usual, the following are almost entirely new entries, mostly brought about by the need to put life into red links engendered by my previous articles. It just goes on and on.

Not including Talk Pages, Category changes, minor amendments and the like, I did up to about 12,000 words this month. I was fortunate in that I had saved the word documents in which I compose my articles, so I was able to replace those lost in “The Great Crash” with only a few hours work. My heart goes out to those of you who lost the fruits of their time and efforts during that week.

• Category:English History Catherine Swynford 110 - The Beaufort family 610

• Category: United Kingdom Cities and Towns: Cinque Ports 170 (Romney 140, Hythe 80, Sandwich 160, Dover 410, Winchelsea 170, and Rye 110) plus Folkestone 110.

• Scotland the grave: Lothian 120 – East Lothian (including replacing the ancient parody on 13 East Lothian towns) 590 – Malcolm II 150 – Duncan I 130 Strathclyde 110 – Elgin 140 – Dumbarton 220 - River Clyde 170

• Category: Composers: William Walton 350 – Francis Poulenc 350 – Arnold Schoenberg 260 – Anton Webern 110 – Alban Berg 140 – Arthur Honegger 170 – Darius Milhaud 220 – Michael Tippett 320 – Carlo Gesualdo 160 – Claudio Monteverdi 360 – Gluck 370 – Niccolo Piccinni 150 – John Dowland 180 – Thomas Campion 80 – Thomas Morley 330 – Lully 270 – Scarlatti( A. and D.) 370

• Category: Sacred Music: Te Deum 110 – Gregorian chant 100 – Antiphon 110 – Anthem 230 – Mass 380 – Kyrie eleison 80 – Gloria 150 – Passion (music) 220 – Chorale 200 – Canticle 120 – Magnificat 140

• Category: Musical forms: Overture 470 – Madrigal 520 – Frottola 110 – Lute song 240

• Category: String Instruments: Lute 430