Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/2012-10-22/Featured content
Featured content
Is RfA Kafkaesque?
This edition covers content promoted from 14 to 20 October 2012
Featured articles
Eleven featured articles were promoted this week:
- Lycoperdon perlatum (nom) by Sasata. L. perlatum is a species of puffball fungus in the family Agaricaceae which has an almost cosmopolitan distribution. The medium-sized fungus is off-white with a top covered in short spiny bumps, turning brown as it matures. It can usually be distinguished from other puffballs by differences in surface texture; L. Perlatum is edible when young and its extracts have antimicrobial and antifungal activities.
- Stan Coveleski (nom) by Wizardman. Coveleski (1889–1984) was an American Major League Baseball pitcher who primarily threw the spitball. He pitched in 450 career games, representing four different teams. He began his career in 1908 and, even after the spitball was banned in 1920, continued to use the pitch with league approval. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1969, posting a win–loss record of 215–142, with 224 complete games, 38 shutouts, and a 2.89 earned run average .
- Peter Warlock (nom) by Brianboulton. Philip Arnold Heseltine (1894–1930), best known by his pseudonym Peter Warlock, was an Anglo-Welsh composer and music critic also known for his interest in the occult and often scandalous lifestyle. He began writing as early as 1915 and, after spending time in Ireland, wrote heated critical commentary and composing songs in a distinctive, original style. His most productive period was the 1920s, but by the end of his life Warlock felt that he had lost his inspiration.
- Hiram Wesley Evans (nom) by Mark Arsten and Crisco 1492. Evans (1881–1966) was Imperial Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, an American white supremacist group, from 1922 to 1939. A dentist by trade, Evans joined the Klan in 1920 and had soon usurped William Joseph Simmons. Introducing a series of reforms, he worked to make the Klan a a political juggernaut. The group's membership grew into the millions before declining after a series of leadership struggles.
- Percy Chapman (nom) by Sarastro1. Chapman (1900–1961) was an English cricketer. Regarded as one of the best of his contemporaries during his school and university days, being named one of Wisden's schoolboy Cricketers of the Year in 1919. He captained the England cricket team between 1926 and 1931, winning won his first nine matches before going into a downspiral of alcoholism and poor tactical strategies. By the time of his death Chapman was regarded as an embarrassment to cricket.
- Istanbul (nom) by Tariqabjotu. Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. Its population of 13.5 million is spread 5,343 square kilometers (2,063 sq mi), with parts in Europe and parts in Asia. It is a popular tourist destination, partly because of the city's more than 2,000 years of history, including periods of Roman and Muslim influence.
- Betelgeuse (nom) by Casliber and Sadalsuud. Betelgeuse is the eighth brightest star in the night sky and second brightest in the constellation of Orion. A red supergiant, is one of the largest and most luminous known stars. It is 640 light-years from Earth and only 10 million years old, having evolved quickly owing to its size. The star's name is thought to be derived from Arabic.
- "Gender Bender" (The X-Files) (nom) by Grapple X. "Gender Bender" is the fourteenth episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files. It follows FBI agents Mulder and Scully investigating a series of murders following sexual encounters, ultimately revealed to be perpetrated by Amish-like aliens. The writers found it difficult to write a story that showed sex as scary, and the episode has been met with mixed critical responses.
- Franz Kafka (nom) by PumpkinSky and Gerda Arendt. Kafka (1883–1924) was an influential German-language writer of novels and short stories, regarded by critics as one of the greatest authors of the 20th century. Kafka wrote in his spare time, considering it his calling, but spent much of his time handling insurance. His writings, which he wanted to be destroyed, are filled with alienation, physical and psychological brutality, parent-child conflict, and mystical transformations.
- New Worlds (magazine) (nom) by Mike Christie and Nikkimaria. New Worlds was a British science fiction magazine that began as a fanzine in 1936. Between its first professional publication in 1946 and 1960, the magazine experienced a "Golden Age", first under John Carnell, then under a succession of editors. From the late 1960s until the magazine closed in 1970, New Worlds featured a good deal of experimental and avant-garde material.
- Cyclone Rewa (nom) by Jason Rees. Rewa developed from a tropical disturbance on 28 December 1993 south of Nauru. It blew a path of destruction throughout the southern Pacific, affecting six countries and killing 22 people before dissipating on 23 January 1994. The cyclone reached Category 5 on the Australian scale; the name Rewa is now retired.
Featured lists
Three featured lists were promoted this week:
- List of threatened fauna of Michigan (nom) by Dana boomer. Almost 400 animal species are considered endangered, threatened or of special concern in the US state of Michigan. These species have low or declining numbers in the state.
- Lykke Li discography (nom) by Pancake. The Swedish singer-songwriter Lykke Li has released two studio albums, three extended plays, nine singles, and eight music videos. Li made her debut in 2007 with the EP Little Bit; her biggest success thus far is 2011's Wounded Rhymes.
- List of schools in the Cardenal Caro Province (nom) by Diego Grez. The Chilean province of Cardenal Caro is home to 63 schools, serving 6,681 students. This includes only two semi-private schools; the rest are municipally run.
Featured pictures
One featured picture was promoted this week:
- Eastern Phoebe (nom; related article), created by John Benson and nominated by Tomer T. The Eastern phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) is a small passerine bird from eastern North America. It often nests on human structures, such as bridges and buildings.
Featured portals
One featured portal was promoted this week:
- New England (nom) by Achowat. New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of six states. The new portal includes 27 Selected Articles, 22 Selected Biographies, 20 Selected Pictures, and a DYK section.
Discuss this story
Is WP:RfA Kafkaesque?
Yes. All of the above. Bearian (talk) 13:41, 24 October 2012 (UTC)[reply]
Great job
Great job on this article, Crisco. Its a very good read! TBrandley 20:45, 24 October 2012 (UTC)[reply]