title: Oldsmobile 98

text: Again in 1946 the Custom Cruiser 98 was the top of the Oldsmobile line. Three body styles were offered (a 4-door sedan, a 2-door Club coupe and a 2-door convertible) and all were eight cylinder powered. Technical features included electro hardened pistons, full pressure lubrication and automatic choke with fast idle mode. Standard equipment included front and rear bumper guards, vacuum booster pump, dual sun visors, cigarette lighter and plastic radiator ornament, wraparound bumpers, Deluxe instrument cluster clock, rear armrest, and foam rubber seat cushions. Tire size was by . Available upholstery was either leather, broadcloth, or Bedford cord. 14,364 98s were sold in its first postwar year of production.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: In 1947 the top of the line Custom Cruiser 98 again had three body styles. This was the last year for the 98 1942 prewar body. All 98s had the straight eight engine. Standard 98 equipment included safety glass, spare wheel and tire, dual horns, vacuum booster pump, cigarette lighter, and a solenoid starter system. Upholstery was either custom broadcloth or leather. Standard tire size was by . An electric clock was standard in 1947. A record 37,140 98s were sold in 1947.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: For the first time since 1940 Oldsmobile offered totally different styling during a single model year. The top of the line 1948 Oldsmobile 98 was also included in a marketing campaign for what Oldsmobile called "Futuramic" on all 1949 Oldsmobiles primarily focused on the automatic transmission 1948 Oldsmobile Futuramic introduction. Standard equipment on 98s included a solenoid starter, fender skirts, E-Z-l rearview mirror, and foam rubber seat cushions. The 98s also included front and rear bumper guards, vacuum booster pump, plastic radiator ornament, dual horns, dual sun visors, and cigarette lighter. Deluxe equipment added front and rear floor mats, Deluxe steering wheel, wheel trim rings, rear seat armrests, and hydraulic window, seat and top controls on all convertibles. Upholstery was either broadcloth or leather. The standard tire size was 6.50 x 16. The Custom Cruiser name was retired until 1971 when it was used to denote full-size Oldsmobile station wagons. The new styling was apparently popular with a record 65,235 98s sold, exceeding the number of 90s sold in 1940 for the first time.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: The following year the new styling was joined by a new engine, the now famous Rocket V8. In February 1949, several months into the model year, General Motors introduced three highly styled "hardtop convertible" coupes, the Oldsmobile 98 Holiday, the Cadillac Series 62 Coupe de Ville, and the Buick Roadmaster Riviera, the first hardtop coupes ever produced. The Holiday was exclusive to the 98 series that year. Available in four special Holiday colors, as well as four two-tone combinations, it was priced the same as the convertible, and was similarly equipped, with hydraulically operated windows and seat. Only 3,006 Holidays were sold in its first year compared to 20,049 Club coupes. Total sales reached 93,478 in 1949, setting yet another record.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: The 1950 Oldsmobile 98 repeated its 1948 precedent of previewing some of next years styling cues for the 88. The 98 was restyled after only two years. It was the first totally slab sided Oldsmobile and the first sedan with wraparound rear windows. A 4-door 98 fastback appeared for one year only in 1950 and was called the Town Sedan, selling only 1,778 units. Standard equipment included bumper guards, dual horns, parking lamps, dome light, rubber floor mats, aluminum sill plates, foam rubber seat cushions, chrome interior trim, lined luggage compartment and counterbalanced trunk lid. Deluxe 98 equipment included rear seat armrest, Deluxe electric clock, Deluxe steering wheel and horn button, special door trim and stainless steel wheel trim rings. Upholstery choices spanned nylon fabric, striped broadcloth or leather. Standard tire size was by . In 1950, Oldsmobile stopped naming the 98 series and so from then through 1996, with the exception of 1957 when it was called the Starfire 98, and in 1961 when it was called the Classic 98, it was simply known as the Oldsmobile 98. Sales of the 98 Holiday nearly tripled to 8263, approaching the 11,989 sold of the Club coupe. Given the rapidly growing popularity of the 2-door Holiday hardtop, 1950 was the last year for the pillared Club coupe. Total sales set yet another record of 106,220.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: The 98 topped the Oldsmobile line again for 1951 with Three body styles available. The 4-door sedan and convertible came only with Deluxe equipment, while the Holiday hardtop was available with either Deluxe or Standard trim. The 98 standard equipment included bumper guards, cigarette lighter, dome light, rubber floor mats, stainless steel moldings, lined trunk, illuminated ashtray, foam rubber seat cushions and extra chrome moldings. Deluxe equipment was special rear door ornament, rear center armrests, Deluxe electric clock, Deluxe steering wheel with horn ring and special chrome trim. Upholstery choices were nylon cord, nylon cloth and leather. The pillared Club coupe was no longer offered. With the only choice in a closed 2-door 98 now being the hardtop, Holiday sales nearly doubled to 17,929 units.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: From 1952 the car, which remained as the top of the line Oldsmobile, began to be called Ninety-Eight. This would continue until the demise of the model, with the exception of model years 1957 and 1961. The series shared the higher output 160 HP Rocket V8 with the Super 88s. Standard equipment on the three body styles included bumper guards, gray rubber floor mats front and rear, electric clock, dual horns, aluminum door sill plates, chrome gravel guards, foam rubber seat cushions, turn signals, carpeting front and rear, stainless steel wheel trim rings, windshield washer, and Deluxe steering wheel with horn ring. Upholstery selection was broadcloth or six colors of leather. Standard tire size was by . For the first time power steering was an option. Another new option was the Autronic Eye, an automatic headlight dimmer, which in its initial year was shared only with Cadillac.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: New in 1953, the Fiesta joined the Cadillac Series 62 Eldorado and Buick Roadmaster Skylark as top-of-the-line, limited-production specialty convertibles introduced that year by General Motors to promote its design leadership. It featured a cut-down belt line, a wraparound windshield that was lower than the standard Ninety-Eight's windshield, and special "spinner" hubcaps, which became a trademark on later Oldsmobiles. Virtually every Oldsmobile option was standard except air conditioning, regarded as unnecessary at the time in a convertible.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: Mechanically, the Fiesta had a special version of the Ninety-Eight engine which gained 5 horsepower to 170 through manifold streamlining and compression increased from 8.1:1 to 8.3:1. A four speed Hydramatic automatic transmission and faster rear axle rato were designed to keep the 4459 pound shipping weight Fiesta (336 more than a standard Ninety-Eight convertible) up to Oldsmobile performance standards. At US$5,715 ($ in dollars ) (over $700 ($ in dollars ) more than the Skylark) the Fiesta was nearly twice the US$2963 price ($ in dollars ) of a standard Ninety-Eight convertible, with only 458 units produced to its 7,521.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: Standard equipment for 1953 included bumper guards, electric clock, lined trunk, dual horns, cigarette lighter, chrome moldings, twin interior sun visors, rear seat robe rails, special rear stainless steel trim, chrome window ventiplanes, windshield washer, and Deluxe steering wheel with horn ring. In 1953 a padded safety dash also became standard on the Ninety-Eight. For the first time air conditioning was an option.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: The Fiesta convertible would be gone the next year but its name would be resurrected in 1957 for Oldsmobile station wagons.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: In 1954, Oldsmobiles were redesigned across the line, with a three body style Ninety-Eight series at the top. Convertibles were called the Starfire, after the previous year's Starfire dream car. A slightly higher horsepower Rocket V8 was shared with the Super 88 series. Standard Ninety-Eight equipment included bumper guards, rubber simulated carpets front and rear, electric clock, lined trunk, dual horns, cigarette lighter, aluminum door sill plates, turn signals, chrome rocker panel moldings, deck lid ornament, foam rubber seat cushions, padded dash, parking brake light, courtesy light package, stainless steel wheel discs, windshield washer, and Deluxe steering wheel with horn ring. Upholstery choices were nylon and leather, in a variety of colors. Standard tire size was by . A slightly modified 1954 Holiday Coupe was used as a press car during the final Carrera Panamericana in 1954. Air conditioning was provided by Frigidaire optionally on sedans and hardtops, which consisted of a self-contained unit that was retrofited at the customers request.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: In 1955 the Ninety-Eight again had a longer wheelbase than the 88. Standard equipment included turn signals, bumper guards, stainless steel molfings, dual horns, cigarette lighter, front and rear floor mats, inside rearview mirror, foam rubber seat cushions, stainless steel rocker panel moldings, front seatback robe cord, spun glass hood insulation, rear window ventiplanes, electric clock, stainless steel wheel discs, custom cushion lounge seats front and rear, hand brake light, courtesy light package, padded dash, Deluxe steering wheel with horn ring, and windshield washer. Upholstery choices were covert and pattern cloth, leather and pattern cloth, leather and nylon, and leather and dimple leather. Standard tire size was by . The optional air conditioning unit was moved to the engine bay instead of the trunk. The turning diameter was 43 ft. The Hydramatic automatic transmission gear selector had an S on it, which was used for better performance climbing hills. At mid-year, Olds introduced the new pillarless four-door hardtop body, dubbed the Holiday Sedan, in the Ninety-Eight series. The 4-door Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight Holiday Sedan, along with the 4-door 88 Holiday and the 4-door Buick Century Riviera and 4-door Special Riviera, were the first 4-door hardtops ever produced. Total Ninety-Eight sales for 1955 set a new record of 118,626.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: Again in 1956 the top of the line Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight series had an exclusive wheelbase, longer than the 88. Power came from the 240 horsepower Rocket V8 shared with the Super 88. Standard equipment included armrests, bumper guards, lined trunk, rotary door latches, dual horns, cigarette lighter, turn signals, rubber floor mats, aluminum door sill plates, sun visors, front and rear carpeting, foam rubber seat cushions, courtesy lights, front fender medallions, deck lid "Ninety-Eight " script, back-up light moldings, electric clock, Jetaway Hydramatic Drive, padded dash, power steering, windshield washers and Deluxe steering wheel. Upholstery choices were pattern cloth and leather in a variety of colors and combinations. Standard tire size was by made by either U.S. Royal, Goodrich, or Firestone. The parking brake was now a foot pedal.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: The Oldsmobile line underwent a sweeping reengineering in 1957, with a 3-piece rear window making a reappearance on some models. Once again the 4-door 98s were at the top, this year officially named Starfire 98. Standard equipment included armrests, turn signals, rubber floor mats, sun visors, front fender chrome script, exposed chrome roof bows, side interior courtesy lights, electric windows, special emblems, power steering, power brakes, and Jetaway Hydramatic. Upholstery choices included a variety of cloth, "Morocceen" (vinyl), and leather. Standard tire size was by . The standard engine was now the Rocket V8. A safety recessed steering wheel was added. Front leg room was .


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: A major styling change was seen in 1958. The Ninety-Eight series again had its own exclusive wheelbase of 126.5 inches while sharing the more powerful Rocket V8 with the Super 88. The 1958 models shared a common appearance on the top models for each brand; Cadillac Eldorado Seville, Buick Limited Riviera, Oldsmobile 98, Pontiac Bonneville Catalina, and the Chevrolet Bel-Air Impala; the Starfire nameplate was cancelled. Four body styles were available.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: Standard series equipment included four headlights, oil filter, turn signals, printed circuit instrument cluster, aluminum anodized grille, padded dash, foam rubber padded seat cushions, courtesy lights, parking brake light, special side moldings, chrome rocker panel moldings, Jetaway Hydramatic transmission, power steering and brakes, dual exhaust, electric clock, color accented wheel discs, and chrome wheel frames. Interiors could be ordered in a variety of colored leathers, cloth, and "Morocceen" vinyl. Standard tires were by . Air suspension was added as an option. Also new was a speed warning device, which could be set towards a certain speed and when the limit was reached, a buzzer would sound, alerting the driver of the vehicle to slow down.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: For 1959, the Oldsmobile line-up was completely redesigned. However, unlike other GM makes (such as Chevrolet and Cadillac) Oldsmobile continued to use a full perimeter frame, instead of the GM X-frame. The Ninety-Eight shared its appearance with the Oldsmobile 88. Oldsmobile stayed with its top series format by offering four body styles on an exclusive wheelbase: a four-door sedan, a two-door hardtop, a four-door hardtop and a convertible. For 1959 and 1960 only, the hardtop body styles were dubbed "Holiday SceniCoupe" and "Holiday SportSedan" respectively, while the convertible continued the traditional "Convertible Coupe" moniker. Each body style had a distinctive greenhouse, shared with other 1959 GM cars. The 4-door sedan had six side windows and a sloping roof; the 2-door hardtop had a very large rear window and thin pillars; the 4-door hardtop sported a "floating roof" look, with a large wrap-around rear window. Standard equipment included oil filter, turn signals, air scoop brakes, Safety spectrum speedometer, rocker panel moldings, special emblems, parking brake light, sponge vinyl headliner, deep twist carpeting, electric clock, wheel trim moldings, power steering, power brakes, and Jetaway Hydramatic Drive. Interiors were selected from leather, "Morocceen" vinyl, or cloth in different colors. Standard tire size was . The , the largest first generation Rocket V8, was used from 1959 until 1964.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: For 1960, the Ninety-Eight was completely restyled, while keeping the underlying structure and rooflines of the 1959 models. All four body styles were carried over, and the four-door sedan was renamed "Celebrity Sedan" — a designation used only one year on the Ninety-Eight, but that was continued on 88 sedans up to 1965. Standard equipment included Safety-vee steering wheel, turn signals, air scoop brakes, electric windshield wipers, safety-spectrum speedometer, carpets with rubber inserts, padded dash, courtesy lamps, wheel trim rings, Star-lite headliner, two-speed windshield wipers, chrome roof side moldings, Jetaway Hydramatic transmission, power steering, power brakes, windshield washers, electric clock, and deep twist carpeting. Upholstery was fabric, leather, or "Morocceen" vinyl in a variety of colors. Tire size was . An anti-spin rear axle was optional.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: For 1961, and 1961 only, the Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight was renamed Classic Ninety-Eight ; nevertheless, most factory literature refers to the line as the Ninety-Eight. A fifth body style was added to the four offered since 1955: a 4-door 6-window hardtop, previously exclusive to Cadillac and the Buick Electra. The "Holiday Sedan" name was transferred to it, and the 4-door 4-window hardtop body style was instead called the "Sport Sedan". This was the first time not all Oldsmobile hardtops were called Holidays. The sedan, which like in the two previous two years was a 6-window body style, was now called the "Town Sedan". Another peculiarity of the 1961 models was that, with the exception of the convertible, no 98 body styles shared its roofline with the 88. Overall sales dropped from 59,364 to 43,010, the Ninety-Eight’s low point following the production record set in 1955. Standard equipment included padded dash, Safety spectrum speedometer, floating propeller, air scoop brakes, two-speed windshield wipers, Safety-Vee steering wheel, parking brake lamp, courtesy lamps, oil filter, windshield washer, electric clock, Roto Hydramatic transmission, power steering and power brakes. Upholstery was vinyl, cloth or leather. Standard tire size was 8.50 x 14 inches. With the Rocket now standard equipment on the Oldsmobile 88, a higher compression version was made standard equipment on the 98 and Super 88 with horsepower rising to 325 in 1961 and 330 in 1962. It was dubbed the "Skyrocket" from 1961-63.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: The 1961 through 1964 Oldsmobiles lost their dependable (but expensive to build) Jetaway Hydramatic transmissions. Replacing those four-speed units was a much cheaper to build three-speed unit, the Roto Hydramatic. This transmission had no front fluid coupling at all, and utilized a single "fill-and-dump" coupling to perform double duty as both a fluid coupling in third speed while having a third reaction member, which Olds called an "Accel-O-Rotor," which was actually a small stator, thus giving some limited torque multiplication in first. In theory, the "Accel-O-Rotor" would provide the same multiplication range in first as both the first and second gears of the four speed unit without all the hardware and cost. It was also unique at that time in that second speed was pure mechanical connection from engine to rear end and no fluid coupling involved. The problem with this transmission was that engine speed would race wildly in first, and then hit a "brick wall" of a very steep RPM decline in second, which was equivalent to third gear in the four speed Jetaway Hydramatic. This unit was unpopular and would linger for only these three years, when it was replaced by the Turbo Hydramatic in 1965. Customer complaints caused many dealers and independent transmission shops to wholesale replace the Roto Hydramatic in these cars with older (or contemporary, from a Pontiac Star Chief or Bonneville) HM315 four speed Hydramatic.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: The largest 1962 Oldsmobiles were again the Ninety-Eights. Five body styles were offered including three 4-doors plus an open and a closed 2-door. The Holiday Coupe was renamed the Holiday Sport Coupe, and the Sport Sedan was renamed the Holiday Sport Sedan, so once again, at least temporarily, all hardtops were called Holidays. Ninety-Eights were well appointed with standard equipment including padded dash, guard beam frame, live rubber body cushions, coil springs, foam rubber seats, two-speed windshield wipers, parking brake lights, courtesy lamp package, special moldings, Roto Hydramatic, power brakes, power steering, power windows and power seat. Interiors were leather, vinyl or cloth. Standard tire size was 8.50 x 14 inches.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: Again, in 1963, the top-of-the-line Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight had an exclusive wheelbase. A new body style was the Custom Sports Coupe hardtop. It was the only body style with the 345 horsepower Starfire engine. The 4-door 6-window hardtop was renamed the Luxury Sedan (often condensed to L/S). The convention of naming all hardtops Holidays would not again return until 1965. Standard equipment included die-cast grille, deep pile carpeting, 21-gallon fuel tank, full-flow oil filter, foam seat cushions, foot-operated parking brake, two-speed windshield wipers, special molding package, Deluxe steering wheel, map light, heavy duty air cleaner, courtesy lights, Roto Hydramatic, power brakes, power steering, special rocker panel moldings, self-regulating electric clock, dual rear seat cigarette lighters and special headliner. Interiors were leather, vinyl or cloth. Standard tire size was 8.50 x 14 inches. Ninety-Eights were now made only in Lansing, Linden, Kansas City, Southgate and Wilmington.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: In 1964 the top of the line Ninety-Eight series was offered in six body styles in 2-door, 4-door and convertible configurations. Standard equipment included: Roto Hydramatic; power steering, brakes, windows and seats; windshield washer; special wheel discs; clock; courtesy and map lights and padded dash. Upholstery was a variety of colored cloth, vinyl and leather. Standard tire size was 8.50 x 14 inches. Ninety-Eights were now built only in Lansing.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: The 1965 Ninety-Eight was completely redesigned from the ground up along with other full-sized General Motors cars but retained the larger C-body shared with Cadillac and Buick Electra in contrast with the B-body used in the Oldsmobile 88. The Ninety-Eight featured many of the lines found on 88s but with more squared off styling. The exclusive Ninety-Eight wheelbase had five body styles. The Custom Sport Coupe was gone and the 4-door 6-window body styles were replaced with 4-door 4-window body styles. The Luxury Sedan was no longer a hardtop but featured a more luxurious interior along with more standard amenities than the Town Sedan such as power seats. Most Ninety-Eight Luxury Sedans also had vinyl roofs, which were offered only in black that year. For the first time since 1962 all hardtops were once again called Holidays.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: Standard equipment included automatic transmission, power steering and brakes, power windows, clock, padded dash, foam padded seats, parking brake light, Deluxe steering wheel, special wheel covers, windshield washer and two-speed electric wipers, courtesy and glovebox lamps, and front seat belts. Standard tire size was 8.55 x 14 inches. A new three-speed Turbo-Hydramatic automatic transmission with torque converter replaced the three-speed Roto Hydramatic. Along with the transmission and redesigned platform, the engine was also new for 1965: a Super Rocket V8 that was more powerful and of a more efficient design than the Rocket V8 previously used, yet lighter in weight. The four-barrel "Ultra High Compression" version of this engine rated at was the only engine available in 1965. Ninety-Eights were built only in Lansing.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: Between 1965 and 1975 Oldsmobile commissioned Cotner-Bevington to build professional cars, (ambulances and hearses), using the large Ninety-Eight chassis.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: Some luxury market buyers purchased either the Starfires or the new Toronados in 1966 but the Ninety-Eight remained the full-size top-of-the-line Oldsmobile. Five models, including a trio of 4-doors were available. Standard equipment included: Turbo-Hydramatic transmission; power steering, brakes, windows and seats; special wheel covers; front and rear seat belts; carpeting; windshield washer and two-speed wipers; foam seat cushions; electric clock and special armrests on selected models. Upholstery was cloth, vinyl and leather. Standard tire size was 8.55 x 14 inches. Ninety-Eights were built in Lansing.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: For 1967 there were five Ninety-Eight body styles available. Standard Ninety-Eight trim included: armrests, power brakes, dual cigarette lighters, electric clock, carpeting, lamp package, molding package, seat belts, power seats, power steering, Turbo-Hydramatic and power windows. Upholstery was cloth, vinyl or leather. Standard tire size was 8.85 x 14 inches. Ninety-Eight models were built in Lansing. The split grille appearance, which had been implemented in 1966 on the Cutlass and 88 series models appeared on the 98 series.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: In 1968 Oldsmobile continued to produce five Ninety-Eight body styles. Standard equipment included: dual master cylinder, four way flasher, energy-absorbing steering column, back-up lights, side marker lights, seat belts, cross-flow radiator, rear armrest ashtrays, power brakes, electric clock, special moldings, shoulder belts, Deluxe steering wheel, power steering, carpeted trunk and Turbo-Hydramatic transmission. Upholstery was cloth, vinyl or leather. Standard tire size was 8.85 x 14 inches. Engine displacement was increased to the Rocket V8 with 365 horsepower. Ninety-Eight production was in Lansing.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: The 1969 Ninety-Eight remained the top-of-the-line Oldsmobile. It was the largest Oldsmobile product offered and now had a wheelbase. Six body styles were now available with a hardtop version of the Luxury Sedan added to the lineup. New to the Ninety-Eight series were a recessed padded instrument panel, anti-theft lock within the steering column, rear view mirror map light, mini-buckle seat belts, and deeply padded head restraints. Standard equipment included: power brakes, self-regulating electric clock, full carpeting, courtesy lamps, paint stripes, power seat adjuster, seat belts and shoulder harnasses, power steering, Deluxe steering wheel, power windows, Turbo-Hydramatic transmission, custom sport seat, foam padded front seat, and wheel discs (hub caps). Standard tire size was 8.85 x 14 inches. Upholstery was vinyl, cloth or leather. The Ninety-Eight's standard engine was still the Rocket 455 which required premium leaded gas. All Ninety-Eights were made in Lansing and had the code letter M.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: Some of the available 1969 options were a tilt-telescope steering wheel, instant horn, four season air conditioning with comfortron, tinted glass windshield, 6-way power seat, divided front seat with dual controls, power trunk release (vacuum), power door locks, power front disc brakes, AM-FM stereo radio, rear seat speaker, stereo tape player (8-track), power operated antenna, door edge guards, cruise control, left outside remote control mirror, cornering lamps, anti-spin rear axle, vinyl roof, flo-thru ventilation, and safety sentinel.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: Of the Ninety-Eight series, the 1969s were the only models to have an attached hood extension. After receiving numerous complaints from dealership mechanics about hitting their heads on the extension, Oldsmobile changed the style of the hood in 1970, removing the extension, which resulted in a flat hood design.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: In 1970, the Ninety-Eight continued as Oldsmobile's largest model. Standard equipment included: Turbo-Hydramatic 400 transmission, power steering, power brakes with front discs, power windows, power seats, Deluxe steering wheel, electric clock and full wheel discs. Standard tire size was J78-15. Interiors were vinyl, cloth or leather. All Ninety-Eights were made in Lansing indicated by the codel letter M in the Vehicle Identification Number. The length grew to 225.2 inches.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: Oldsmobile built its biggest full-size car in 1971 although wheelbase was unchanged from 1970. The Ninety-Eights were the roomiest Oldsmobiles ever built thanks to the new GM full-size bodies which, at 64.3" front shoulder room and 63.4" rear shoulder room, set a record for interior width that would not be matched by any car until the full-size GM rear-wheel drive models of the early to mid-1990s. The 1971 through 1976 Ninety-Eight was very similar to the Oldsmobile 88 (which by now was called the "Delta 88") except the Ninety-Eight had a longer passenger compartment owing to its 3" longer wheelbase, and had rear Cadillac-esque tailfins to better differentiate between the two full-size models.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: The standard 455 cubic-inch Rocket V8 was rated at and designed to run on lower octane regular lead, low-lead or unleaded gasoline for the first time this year thanks to a General Motors-mandate that all engines be designed to run on such fuels in preparation for the catalytic converter equipped cars of 1975 and later years that absolutely required unleaded gasoline. Despite this, a few 1975 and 1976 Ninety Eights were released from this catalytic converter requirement in Canada and were given certification along with exemption from requiring unleaded gasoline. V8s were progressively detuned as production wore on in line with tighter emission standards. Trunk mounted louvers for the flow through ventilation system were only found on 1971 models (as in many other GM models of 1971). The louvers were moved to the doorjambs for 1972-1976 models. From 1971 to 1976, Oldsmobile's full-sized Custom Cruiser station wagon shared the wheelbase and 455 cubic-inch V8 with the Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight, and shared its interior and exterior styling, in particular the Ninety-Eight's distinctive front fascia and rear quarter panels complete with fender skirts.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: The number of body styles was reduced to four for 1971. The convertible was gone as were the 4-door sedan body styles. A new body style was the Luxury Coupe. For the first time ever all Oldsmobile Ninety-Eights were now hardtops, and for the first time since 1964 not all hardtops were called Holidays. Standard equipment included armrests, front and rear, power brakes with front discs, electric clock, carpeting, inside hood release, lamp package, power seat, power steering and Turbo-Hydramatic transmission. Standard tire size was J78-15. Interiors were vinyl, cloth and leather. Ninety-Eights were built in both Linden and Lansing.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: Four body styles were offered in the Ninety-Eight series for 1972. Standard equipment included: Deluxe armrests, dual ashtrays, power brakes with front discs, electric clock, carpeting, interior hood release, remote control outside mirror, molding package, interior light package, windshield radio antenna, power seat, power steering, spare tire cover and Turbo-Hydramatic transmission. A midyear version of the 4-door hardtop named the Regency was produced to commemorate Oldsmobile's 75th year as an automaker. For the first time in 17 years the Ninety-Eight set a new sales record of 121,568.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: In 1973 a five body style Ninety-Eight series was at the top end of the Oldsmobile line. The 75th anniversary Regency 4-door hardtop continued, following its successful mid-1972 introduction. Standard equipment included: Deluxe armrests, dual ashtrays, power brakes with front discs, cigarette lighter, carpeting, inside hood release, dome light, molding package, windshield radio antenna, foam sheet cushions, power steering, Deluxe steering wheel, Turbo-Hydramatic transmission and wheel opening covers. Standard tire size was L78-15. Upholstery was vinyl or cloth. The Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight set another record of 138,462 sold.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: The 1974 Ninety-Eight was now Oldsmobile's longest running series dating back to 1941, and was still popular. Five models were offered with the Regency Coupe taking the place of the Luxury Coupe. Standard equipment included: power brakes with front discs, cigarette lighter, electric clock, interior hood release, lamp package, molding package, remote control outside mirror, windshield radio antenna, power steering, Deluxe steering wheel, spare tire cover, power windows, power seat and Turbo-Hydramatic transmission. Standard tire size was J78-15. Upholstery was vinyl, cloth or leather.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: From 1974 to 1975 the Ninety-Eight reached a record length of 232.4 in (5903 mm), when federally mandated bumpers were added both front and rear increasing the overall length of the cars by several inches, while 1976 model year saw minimal length reduction to 232.2 in (5898 mm). It is also worth to note that 1974 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight 4-door hardtop was the longest car with that body style sold that year, since the longer Lincoln Continental, Cadillac Sixty Special and Cadillac Series 75 were basically sedans (and 1974 Lincoln Continental came only with one hardtop body style: the 2-door). The 1974-76 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight (as well as all full-size Oldsmobiles, Buicks and Cadillacs) also were among the first US production cars to offer an air bag option ("Air Cushion Restraint System") beginning in 1974. Very few cars were so equipped. The high cost ($700) plus public uncertainty about the yet-to-be proven safety systems that are now universal in today's automobiles saw quite handily to that.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: The number of Ninety-Eight body styles was reduced in 1975. Four were available consisting of coupes or 4-door hardtops in Luxury or Regency trim. Two door models were no longer hardtops. Standard equipment included: power brakes with front discs, cigarette lighter, electric clock, electronic ignition, hood release, bumper impact strips, lamp package, 455 CID engine, molding package, remote-controlled outside mirror, power seat, power windows, power steering, Deluxe steering wheel, chrome wheel discs and Turbo-Hydramatic transmission. Standard tire size was J78-15. Upholstery was vinyl, cloth or leather.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: In 1976 the Luxury and Regency editions of the full-size Ninety-Eights were offered, in 2-door coupes or 4-door hardtops. 4-doors had an extra window (like an opera window) in the C-pillar. A landau roof option for the coupe gave it a huge-looking opera window. Like the Custom Cruiser, Ninety-Eights had a dual section eggcrate-design grille, with new front end panel, front bumper, and wraparound horizontal parking lamps. Amber marker lenses aligned with the headlamps wrapped around the fender sides. Separate clear cornering lamps had horizontal ribs. Vertical taillamps were decorated with a small emblem in each lens. Tiny back-up lamps stood alongside the license plate, on a panel that also contained small red lenses next to the tail lamps. Standard Ninety-Eight equipment included a 455 CID Rocket V8 with 4-barrel carburetor, Turbo-Hydramatic, vari-ratio power steering, power brakes, power driver's seat, driver's door armrest control console, electronic message center, electric clock, fold-down center armrests, front ashtray, and JR78 x 15 blackwall steel-belted radials. Rear fender skirts and bumper impact strips were also standard. A new 2.41:1 axle ratio became standard to improve fuel economy.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: For the 1972 model year, the Limited Edition Regency was offered to commemorate Oldsmobile's 75th anniversary. Each 1972 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight Regency was registered at Tiffany's and included the specially styled interior with black or covert gold "pillow effect" velour upholstery, and power split bench seat, in place of the power bench seat with a rear clock. Tiffany touches include the Tiffany Gold paint (an exclusive custom metallic color created especially for this car), the clock has also been specially styled by Tiffany's and bears a white Oldsmobile emblem above Tiffany's name on a golden face. Each 1972 Regency owner received a distinctive sterling silver key ring as a gift. If they were lost, the keys could be dropped in a mailbox, and Tiffany's would return them to the owner. A total of 2,650 75th anniversary Ninety-Eight Regency cars were built, all of them four-door hardtops. In 1973 the non-anniversary Regency stayed in the line up slotted just above the LS. The Regency package would remain available on the Ninety Eight through the 1996 model year when it would become a separate model nameplate.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: The 1977 model was redesigned and downsized, like the Delta 88. The new models, at around 4000 pounds curb weight, were over 800 pounds lighter, but headroom and rear seat legroom were increased compared to equivalent 1976 models. The 455 CID engine was replaced by the smaller 403 CID V8, and the Oldsmobile 350 V8 was now the standard engine. The Ninety-Eight set a new sales record of 139,423. A four-door sedan and a two-door hardtop coupe were available.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: A diesel version of the 350 was added in 1978. Beginning in 1979, production of the Ninety-Eight was exclusive to Lansing as Linden Assembly was retooled to build the E-body cars. Base LS models were available as sedans only, and the premium Regency model came as either a coupe or a sedan. A limited production top level Regency LX sedan was also offered for 1979.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: The Ninety-Eight was restyled for 1980, along with the Delta 88. That year, it gained a new 307 cu in (5.0 L) V8 as an option. The 403 was dropped completely. The 1980 models received new exterior sheet metal, without drastically changing the look of the car. To improve aerodynamics and fuel economy the hood was sloped downward, while the trunk area was higher. This also gave all models a heavier, more substantial appearance, while even slightly increasing interior and trunk space. The 1981 model year saw the introduction of Buick's 252 cu in V6 as standard, as well as a new 4-speed THM200-4R automatic transmission; the first standard 4-speed automatic since 1960. The gas 350 engine was dropped that same year, completely replaced by the smaller 307. A redesigned steering wheel and slightly revised instrument panel were also new that year. While the 1981 model used a V6 engine, the model designation stayed as "Oldsmobile 98" instead of being called the "Oldsmobile 96". The traditional naming convention established in the late 1930s used the second number as the number of cylinders.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: The 1983 models received a new grille but were otherwise unchanged. The federal impact standard was rolled back for 1984, prompting GM to make major changes to the bumpers to save weight; predictably, this drastically reduced their effectiveness. An optional 8-track tape player and the 4.1 L V6 were no longer available, though the CB radio was still optional. Production ended in March 1984. These cars were actually sold concurrently with the new front-wheel drive 1985 model. The body style reference in GM Manufacturing became "D" for the carryover RWD models, and the new FWD cars became C-bodies (which had been the designation used hitherto for the RWD cars).


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: The new Regency Brougham model was introduced for 1982 and available for the sedan model only. This car featured plush "Prima" velour seats with embroidered emblems, cut pile carpeting, and electroluminescent opera lamps on the B-pillars. Wire wheel discs were also standard as well as Tungsten halogen headlamps, cornering lamps, full padded vinyl roof, and a tilt steering wheel. Regency became the new 'base' model as the LS was discontinued.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: In 1985, GM downsized the Ninety-Eight again, moving from rear-wheel drive to a new front-wheel drive platform, with sales beginning in April 1984. The revised Ninety-Eight was approximately shorter in length and weighed less than its predecessor, passenger space was nearly equal to 1984 models. 1985 model year sales were 169,432 units, contrasted with the 1984's 76,833 units, an all-time sales record.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: As in previous years, the 1985 Ninety-Eight was available as a 4-door sedan and a 2-door coupe, in either Regency or Regency Brougham trim. Both models featured standard velour seating, with optional leather seating surfaces, marketed as "Sierra Grain" leather. For the first year, the Buick 181 cu in V6 was the standard engine. V8 engines were no longer used with the Ninety-Eight. Optional engines included Buick's 231 and Oldsmobile's 263 cu in Diesel V6. The 3.0 gas V6 and 4.3 Diesel V6 were dropped for 1986.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: Anti-lock brakes became optional for 1986 and a "Grande" package was offered in 1986 and 1987 with composite headlights and specific front end panel (1986 only), and 45/45 leather seats with pigskin inserts and console with a combination lock.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: As the last year for the 2 door coupe, in 1987 all Ninety-Eights received a revised grille with flush composite headlamps. In 1988, a power pull-down trunk lid and an onboard computer with oil life monitor (marketed as the "Driver Information System") became optional. For the 1989 model year, the Ninety-Eight received another grille change and the addition of Twilight Sentinel headlights, optional remote keyless entry, an automatic dimming rearview mirror (which could be turned on and off), and an optional (but rarely ordered) drivers-side airbag.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: By 1990, the engine for the eleventh-generation Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight featured a harmonic balancer and increased horsepower over 1985 models. Also in 1990, a PGA edition package for the Regency Brougham included gold PGA emblems, gold nameplate badging, gold striping, and wire wheels with gold emblems. 1990 would be the last year that the "Regency Brougham" trim level, first introduced in 1982, was offered on a Ninety-Eight.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: GM introduced the performance-oriented Touring Sedan in 1987, based on the Ninety-Eight Regency and featuring leather seats by Lear Siegler with six-way power adjustments and power reclining, power side bolster adjustments, power lumbar and thigh adjustments and power articulating headrests. Equipment also included anti-lock brakes, an onboard computer (1988–1990), FE3 sport suspension, self-closing trunk (1988–1990), genuine burl walnut veneer interior accents, "basket handle" console shifter, and 15-inch (1987 and 1988) or 16-inch (1989 and 1990) alloy wheels.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: The final generation of the Oldsmobile Ninety Eight coincided with its 50th anniversary in 1991 and had added length, rear fender skirts, wide tail, low nose, and split-grille with wraparound headlights. Although wheelbase was unchanged from the previous generation, overall length increased by over 9 inches (229 mm). Most of this extra space was added to the rear of the car, resulting in a larger trunk.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: The final generation Ninety-Eight was available in two main trim levels: the traditional luxury-oriented Regency models and the performance-oriented Touring models. The engine choices included normally aspirated (all years) and supercharged (1992-1995) versions of the 3.8 L V6. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Ninety-Eight, Oldsmobile offered a "50th Anniversary" package in 1991. This limited edition model was available only in black or white and featured cloisonné front fender anniversary emblems, gold nameplate badging, gold striping, and unique gold accent alloy wheels. The interior was trimmed in burl walnut with gold accents.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: In 1992, a new supercharged V6 engine became available on the Touring edition. Also that year, a new entry-level Regency trim model was added. On upper level Regency Elite models, a PGA edition package was offered which included gold PGA emblems, gold nameplate badging, gold striping, and unique gold accent alloy wheels. In 1993, a new value priced Special Edition model was added to the lineup and Ninety-Eight received an improved 3.8 L V6 engine offering better performance and fuel efficiency.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: In 1994, the Touring model was discontinued but many of its features became standard or available on the Regency Elite including the supercharged engine. Additionally, the Ninety Eight added a standard front passenger-side airbag plus new instrument panel, steering wheel, and door panel designs. The exterior received a new cross-hatch grille as well as redesigned head- and side-marker lamps.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: In 1995, Oldsmobile further simplified the Ninety Eight lineup by offering just two levels of Regency Elite (Series I and Series II). Each was offered with a high level of standard equipment and only a short list of extra cost options. Also that year, the standard 3.8 L V6 engine was again reengineered to improve performance and fuel efficiency. For 1996, the Ninety Eight's final year, changes were minimal. The most notable was the removal of the supercharged engine from the option list. That engine, however, remained available on Oldsmobile's performance LSS model.


title: Oldsmobile 98

text: The Ninety Eight ended production on May 31, 1996. It was replaced by the Oldsmobile Aurora as the top level car in Oldsmobile's product line.


title: A Matter of Life and Death (album)

text: A Matter of Life and Death is the fourteenth studio album by English heavy metal band Iron Maiden. It was released on 25 August 2006 in Italy and Finland, and 28 August worldwide, excluding the US, Canada and Japan on 5 September. It is the first album in Iron Maiden's career to enter the US "Billboard" charts in the top 10, achieving significant chart success in many other countries as well.


title: A Matter of Life and Death (album)

text: While not being a concept album, war and religion are recurring themes throughout, as well as in the cover artwork.


title: A Matter of Life and Death (album)

text: The A Matter of Life and Death Tour was the tour in support of the album, during which they played the record in its entirety.


title: A Matter of Life and Death (album)

text: Iron Maiden began writing new songs near the end of 2005, after a break following their hugely successful festival dates in the US and Europe during the Eddie Rips Up the World Tour. After taking time off over Christmas, the songs were completed and the band began recording at Sarm West Studios in London, with their regular producer, Kevin Shirley. The album was recorded from 1 March to 4 May 2006.


title: A Matter of Life and Death (album)

text: To provide a more "live" sound, the album was not mastered. Shirley said, "Spoke to 'Arry (Steve Harris) on Friday, who has decided against mastering the Iron Maiden album ... It means that you will get to hear the new album exactly as it sounded in the studio, no added EQ, compression, analogue widening, etc., and I must say, I am pretty happy with the end result."


title: A Matter of Life and Death (album)

text: Speaking to "Metal Hammer" in September 2006, lead vocalist Bruce Dickinson commented that "Everyone was up for pushing things as far as they'd go, but the record was so easy to make." Dickinson went on to claim that they "finished the record with two months to spare," with Harris adding, "A lot of what you hear are first time takes." Speaking about the record's musical style, Harris states that "It is heavier than we've ever been, but also very progressive. And I don't mean that in the modern sense, but like Dream Theater, more in a 70s way."


title: A Matter of Life and Death (album)

text: This is the band's fourth studio record not to share its name with a song, following "Piece of Mind", "The X Factor" and "Virtual XI". Drummer Nicko McBrain and guitarist Janick Gers claim that the band originally intended to name the album after one of its tracks, with both "The Pilgrim" and "The Legacy" being considered. According to Gers, "sometimes a title will just leap out at you as the obvious choice, but it didn't this time for some reason", so the band decided on "A Matter of Life and Death", which, according to McBrain, was amongst "two or three ideas which we were kicking around". Neither Gers nor McBrain can remember who came up with the title, which they state was thought up by either Harris, Rod Smallwood (the band's manager) or "Drew" (an engineer at Sarm West Studios).


title: A Matter of Life and Death (album)

text: The album cover was created by Tim Bradstreet, an American artist, best known for his work on the "Hellblazer" and "Punisher" comics. A lifelong Iron Maiden fan, who drew much influence from Derek Riggs' artwork for them, Bradstreet described the opportunity as "one of my wildest dreams". He had a tight schedule, receiving for reference the songs to listen to and key art done by Peacock Designs UK, who directed the booklet's artwork. Along with redrawing a few of the original elements – which featured the tank described by Bradstreet as "Korean War era but with a twist" as the gun barrel is patched over from another vehicle – Bradstreet added Eddie as a general leading an army of skeletons. Bradstreet's colourist partner Grant Goleash finished the art, which was then retouched by Peacock. The back cover would originally feature Eddie shot on the back, but then the band opted to instead feature a detail of the tank icon featuring Eddie's head along with crossed guns.


title: A Matter of Life and Death (album)

text: During the 2006 leg of the A Matter of Life and Death Tour, Iron Maiden performed the album in its entirety, which received a mixed response. The band still supports their decision to play the record in full, with McBrain commenting that "I think that this is the best album I've ever made with this band" and that "a lot of people [were] very happy to hear this album in its entirety", while Dickinson says that doing so contributed to the fact that "the fans are attracted to us because we are still an active musical force".


title: A Matter of Life and Death (album)

text: The first single to be released from the album was "The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg", released on 14 August 2006. On 10 August, "Different World" was made available for public streaming on the band's website, as was "Brighter than a Thousand Suns" the following day. "Different World" was the second single, receiving airplay on many rock radio stations. The song also features an animated video, similar to that of "Wildest Dreams".


title: A Matter of Life and Death (album)

text: In addition to the standard CD release, "A Matter of Life and Death" was also released in a limited edition version containing a bonus DVD. The DVD, which has a total runtime of nearly one hour, contains a half-hour documentary, plus videos and photos all shot while the band were making the album. The documentary, entitled "The Making of A Matter of Life and Death", directed by Matthew Amos (director of "" and "Death on the Road" DVD documentaries), features candid video footage shot largely by Kevin Shirley himself during the recording of the album giving a behind-the-scenes look at life in the studio. The bonus DVD also features the full video promo for "The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg", and a special filming of the band recording "Different World" in the studio. The album was also released as a limited edition double picture disc vinyl in gatefold sleeve, and as a digital download.


title: A Matter of Life and Death (album)

text: The album was met with highly positive reviews from music critics. "Metal Hammer" rated it 10 out of 10, stating that "Iron Maiden have utterly surpassed themselves" and that "it makes for a riveting listen." Sputnikmusic also gave it full marks, commenting, ""A Matter of Life and Death" contains everything fans want to hear; be it exciting, Maiden-style story telling; aggressive riffs; impressive solos; or melodic harmonies." BBC Music praised the band for "their uncanny ability to write great lyrics wrapped around guitar orchestration that rock fans crave", concluding, "In this world of hopeless auto-tuned mediocrity here is a British band that consistently crafts fantastic music that surprises reviewers and fans alike." IGN awarded it 8.3 out of 10, praising the album as "the crew's best release since "Piece of Mind"". PopMatters rated it 8 out of 10, deeming it "their most focused record since 1988's Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, one that eschews crowd-pleasing anthems in favour of massive, sprawling compositions." "Classic Rock" gave the album a score of 9 out of 10, stating that "it's not only Maiden's best since the 80s but quite possibly their finest release since 1983's "Piece of Mind"," and awarded it "Album of the Year" at the 2006 "Classic Rock Roll of Honour Awards". The album was voted Best Album in the 2006 Burrn! magazine readers' poll. It also won the 2006 Metal Storm Award for Best Heavy Metal Album.


title: A Matter of Life and Death (album)

text: "Rolling Stone" gave the album 3 stars out of 5, finding the music and lyrics "relevant", although also claiming that "the songs now march where they once galloped", implying that the band is "ageing gracefully". AllMusic were also less positive, rating it 3.5 out of 5 and commenting that it is "a more elaborate and meandering experience than [its predecessor] "Dance of Death", but a rewarding one for fans willing to indulge the group's occasional excess".


title: A Matter of Life and Death (album)

text: On 14 September, Iron Maiden released an update which stated that "in just the first week the new album has shipped over a million copies worldwide and impacted on the charts pretty well everywhere in the world". This was their first album to chart in the top ten in the "Billboard" 200, reportedly selling 56,000 units in its first week. Debuting at No. 4, it was the highest-charting rock album ever in India, until their fifteenth studio album, "The Final Frontier", which debuted at No. 1. "A Matter of Life and Death" also achieved gold status in Finland in its first week, the band's eighth from the country.


title: West Coast Conference

text: The West Coast Conference (WCC) — known as the California Basketball Association from 1952 to 1956 and then as the West Coast Athletic Conference until 1989 — is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with NCAA Division I consisting of ten member schools across the states of California, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.


title: West Coast Conference

text: All of the current members are private, faith-based institutions. Seven members are Catholic Church affiliates, with four of these schools being Jesuit institutions. Pepperdine is an affiliate of the Churches of Christ. Brigham Young University is an affiliate of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The conference's newest member, the University of the Pacific (which rejoined in 2013 after a 42-year absence), is affiliated with the United Methodist Church, although it has been financially independent of the church since 1969.


title: West Coast Conference

text: The league was chartered by five northern California institutions, four from the San Francisco Bay Area (San Francisco, Saint Mary's, Santa Clara, San Jose State) and one, Pacific, from Stockton. It began as the California Basketball Association, playing its first game on January 2, 1953. After two seasons under that name, the conference expanded to include Los Angeles-area schools Loyola (now Loyola Marymount) and Pepperdine in 1955 and became the "West Coast Athletic Conference" in 1956. After more than three decades as the WCAC, the name was shortened in the summer of 1989, dropping the word "Athletic."


title: West Coast Conference

text: During the massive upheaval of conference affiliations in the 1990s, the WCC remained very stable. Before the 2010 realignment that eventually led to Brigham Young joining the conference, the last change of membership was in 1980, when Seattle University left the conference. At the time, only the Ivy League and Pacific-10 Conference (now the Pac-12 Conference) had remained unchanged for a longer period.


title: West Coast Conference

text: The WCC participates at the NCAA Division I level and is considered to be a mid-major athletic conference. The conference sponsors 15 sports but does not include football as one of them. San Diego (Pioneer Football League) and Brigham Young (FBS independent) are the only schools fielding a football team. The rest have all dropped the sport, some as early as the 1940s, before the conference existed (Gonzaga and Portland), and one as late as 2003 (Saint Mary's).


title: West Coast Conference

text: Historically, the WCC's strongest sports have been soccer (nine national champions, including back-to-back women's soccer titles in 2001 and 2002) and tennis (five individual champions and one team champion). The conference has also made its presence felt nationally in men's basketball. San Francisco won two consecutive national titles in the 1950s with all-time great Bill Russell. Although the WCAC's stature declined in the 1960s, San Francisco was reckoned as a "major" basketball power until the early 1980s. Also of note was Loyola Marymount's inspired run to the Elite Eight in 1990 following the death of Hank Gathers during that season's WCC championship tournament.


title: West Coast Conference

text: More recently, Gonzaga's rise to national prominence after being invited to the NCAA Tournament every year since their Cinderella run to the "Elite Eight" in 1999 has helped make the WCC a household name. As San Francisco was from the 1940s to the early 1980s, Gonzaga has gained recognition as a major basketball power, despite the WCC being a mid-major conference. Gonzaga has been to 23 consecutive NCAA tournaments—the longest streak for any school in the Western United States, the third-longest active streak, and the sixth-longest streak in history. They have also been to all but one WCC tournament final since 1995, and have played for the conference title every year since 1998. In 2016–17, the Bulldogs advanced all the way to the national championship game—the deepest run by a WC(A)C team since San Francisco went to three consecutive Final Fours from 1955 to 1957. The Bulldogs reached the title game again in 2021, this time entering the game unbeaten, but again losing, this time to Baylor.


title: West Coast Conference

text: Saint Mary's has also made marks for the conference as the Gaels appeared in the NCAA Tournament in 2005, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2019, and 2021 (making the "Sweet Sixteen" in 2010).


title: West Coast Conference

text: Eventually, with the 2010 realignment opening up new avenues for expansion, the WCC decided to revisit expansion plans. The conference decided that it would only seek out private schools, but would not limit its search to faith-based institutions. Even so, the two additions, Brigham Young University and University of the Pacific are both faith-based institutions, although Pacific has not been financially sponsored by the United Methodist Church since 1969.


title: West Coast Conference

text: On August 31, 2010, BYU announced plans to join the WCC for the 2011–12 season in all sports the conference offers. BYU joined the conference on July 1, 2011. BYU's arrival gave the WCC another school with a rich basketball tradition. The Cougars made the NCAA Tournament six straight times before failing to do so in 2013, and had made 26 NCAA Tournament appearances before joining the conference.


title: West Coast Conference

text: On March 27, 2012, the University of the Pacific (UOP), a charter member of the conference in 1952, accepted an invitation to rejoin the WCC, effective July 1, 2013. The move removed Pacific from the Big West Conference back to the WCC, which Pacific left in 1971 in order to pursue its interests in football that it later abandoned in 1995.


title: West Coast Conference

text: The WCC became the first Division I conference to adopt a conference-wide diversity hiring commitment, announcing the "Russell Rule", based on the NFL's Rooney Rule and named after Basketball Hall of Famer and social activist Bill Russell, a graduate of charter and current conference member San Francisco, on August 2, 2020. In its announcement, the WCC stated:


title: West Coast Conference

text: The WCC announced on July 19, 2022 that it would add men's water polo starting in 2023–24. Full members Loyola Marymount, Pacific, Pepperdine, and Santa Clara will be joined by affiliates Air Force, California Baptist, and San Jose State.


title: West Coast Conference

text: The West Coast Conference sponsors championship competition in six men's and nine women's NCAA sanctioned sports, with the newest addition being softball in 2013–14.


title: West Coast Conference

text: Some of the famous athletes who played collegiately for WCC schools and coaches and executives that attended WCC schools, include:


title: Mongolian gerbil

text: The Mongolian gerbil or Mongolian jird ("Meriones unguiculatus") is a small rodent belonging to the subfamily Gerbillinae. Their body size is typically , with a tail, and body weight , with adult males larger than females. The animal is used in science and kept as a small house pet. Their use in science dates back to the latter half of the 19th century, but they only started to be kept as pets in the English-speaking world after 1954, when they were brought to the United States. However, their use in scientific research has fallen out of favor.


title: Mongolian gerbil

text: Mongolian gerbils inhabit grassland, shrubland and desert, including semidesert and steppes in China, Mongolia, and the Russian Federation.


title: Mongolian gerbil

text: Soil on the steppes is sandy and is covered with grasses, herbs, and shrubs. The steppes have cool, dry winters and hot summers. The temperature can get up to , but the average temperature for most of the year is around .


title: Mongolian gerbil

text: In the wild, these gerbils live in patriarchal groups generally consisting of one parental pair, the most recent litter, and a few older pups, sometimes the dominant female's sister(s) also live with them. Only the dominant females will produce pups, and will mostly mate with the dominant male while in estrus (heat), female gerbils are generally more loyal than male gerbils. One group of gerbils generally ranges over .


title: Mongolian gerbil

text: A group lives in a central burrow with 10–20 exits. Some deeper burrows with only one to three exits in their territory may exist. These deeper burrows are used to escape from predators when they are too far from the central burrow. A group's burrows often interconnect with other groups.


title: Mongolian gerbil

text: The first known mention of gerbils came in 1866, by Father Armand David, who sent "yellow rats" to the French National Museum of Natural History in Paris, from northern China. They were named "Gerbillus unguiculatus" by the scientist Alphonse Milne-Edwards in 1867.


title: Mongolian gerbil

text: There is a popular misconception about the meaning of this scientific name, appearing both in printed works and in websites, due to the genus Meriones sharing the name with Greek warrior Meriones in Homer's "Iliad"; however, translations like "clawed warrior" are incorrect. The genus was named by Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger in 1811, deriving from the Greek word "μηρος" (femur). Combined with 'unguiculate', meaning to have claws or nails in Latin, the name can be loosely translated as 'clawed femur'.


title: Mongolian gerbil

text: Gerbils only became popular pets in the English-speaking world after 1954, when 20 males and 26 females were brought to the United States from eastern Mongolia for scientific testing. Almost all pet gerbils today are descended from them. Gerbils were brought to the United Kingdom in 1964 from the United States.


title: Mongolian gerbil

text: Gerbils have a long history of use in scientific research, although nowadays they are rarely used. For example, in the United Kingdom in 2017, only around 300 Mongolian gerbils were used in experimental procedures, compared to over 2 million mice.


title: Mongolian gerbil

text: Most gerbils used in scientific research are derived from the Tumblebrook Farm strain, which has its origins in 20 pairs of wild-caught Mongolian gerbils sent to Japan in 1935. Eleven of these animals were subsequently sent to Tumblebrook Farm in the USA, with additional animals later sent to Charles River Ltd in Italy in 1996.


title: Mongolian gerbil

text: Gerbils have a wide hearing range, from detection of low frequency foot drumming to higher frequency chirps and therefore may be a more suitable model of human hearing loss than mice and rats, which are high-frequency specialists.


title: Mongolian gerbil

text: Male gerbils can produce ultrasonic sounds with frequencies ranging from approximately 27 to 35 kHz and amplitudes ranging from approximately 0 to 70 dBa. Their larynx is involved in the production of these ultrasonic sounds. Experimentation revealed five findings of interest, which are that adults only emit ultrasonic sounds when stimulated socially, males signal more frequently than females, dominant males are more active in vocalizations than subordinate males, ultrasounds are triggered by conspecific odors, and that d-amphetamine, a central nervous system stimulant, contributes high levels of ultrasounds while chlorpromazine, an antipsychotic medication, lowers the emission rate.


title: Mongolian gerbil

text: 10–20% of gerbils exhibit spontaneous epileptiform seizures, typically in response to a stressor such as handling or cage cleaning. Epilepsy in gerbils has a genetic basis, and seizure-prone and seizure-resistant lines have been bred.


title: Mongolian gerbil

text: Like other desert rodents such as fat sandrats, Mongolian gerbils are susceptible to diet-induced diabetes, although incidence is low. A diabetes-prone line has recently been generated, showing that gerbil diabetes has at least some genetic basis.


title: Mongolian gerbil

text: Laboratory gerbils are derived from a small number of founders, and so genetic diversity was generally assumed to be low. Initial genetic studies based on small numbers of genetic markers appeared to support this, but more recent genome-wide Genotyping-by-Sequencing (GBS) data has shown that genetic diversity is actually quite high. It has been suggested that laboratory gerbils should be considered domesticated, and designated ""M. unguiculatus" forma domestica" to differentiate them from wild animals. A Mongolian gerbil genome sequence was published in 2018 and a genetic map comprising 22 linkage groups (one per chromosome) in 2019.


title: Mongolian gerbil

text: These rodents are widely used as subjects of testing within laboratories for a plethora of different reasons. These rodents are susceptible to carrying diseases and infections some transmitted sexually, much the subject of many experiments within labs. In the wild, Wild Mongolian gerbils breed during the months of February and October. Males do not become sexually mature for about 70–80 days, while the vaginal opening occurs in females about 33–50 days after birth. For other gerbils such as the hairy footed gerbil, sexual maturity has a slightly earlier and longer window of 60-90 days in comparison with a later and shorter window for Mongolian gerbils, 70–84 days. Females reach sexual maturity shortly after this opening occurs. They experience oestrus cycles every 4–6 days. Mongolian gerbils are regarded as monogamous within science. Even with this said, many Mongolian Gerbils have still been found in laboratory tests regarding their sexual reproduction behavior to have shown signs of promiscuity and mating with other females while their monogamous partner is absent in laboratory setting. Gerbils are for the most part selective when it comes to picking a mate for copulation; though their selection process occurs more rapid than other species due to the high amount of gerbil population and shorter life span. An average litter size for the Mongilian Gerbil would be around 4–8 pups, if the litter only contains around 1–2 young then the mother will neglect them and they will die from starvation. Mongolian Gerbils are monogamous and mate with their selected partner for the rest of their time together, when one becomes widowed many gerbils refrain from seeking other mates to reproduce with. Males generally find new mates whereas females may not. When older females lose their mate they almost always give up on seeking reproduction. Their behavior tends to vary when faced with different settings, within the wild finding and selecting a mate is not a problem at all due to the high frequency of mates. Within a laboratory setting many gerbils tend to keep to themselves and refrain from copulation.


title: Mongolian gerbil

text: Gerbils are social animals, and live in groups in the wild. They rely on their sense of smell to identify other members of their clan, so it is important to use what is commonly referred to as the "split tank method" (or splitcaging) when introducing gerbils from separate litters. Gerbils are known to attack and often kill those carrying an unfamiliar scent.


title: Mongolian gerbil

text: A gentle and hardy animal, the Mongolian gerbil has become a popular small house pet. It was first brought from China to Paris in the 19th century, and became a popular house pet there. It was later brought to the United States in 1954 by Dr. Victor Schwentker for use in research. Dr. Schwentker soon recognized their potential as pet animals. Selective breeding for the pet trade has resulted in a wide range of different color and pattern varieties. Gerbils became popular pets in the US around the late 1950s and were imported to the United Kingdom in 1964, where they became popular pets too. They are now found in pet shops throughout the UK and the US.


title: Mongolian gerbil

text: However, due to the threat they pose to indigenous ecosystems and existing agricultural operations, it is illegal to purchase, import, or keep a gerbil as a pet in the U.S. state of California. It is also illegal to import the animal into New Zealand.


title: Mongolian gerbil

text: Mongolian gerbils prefer to live in pairs or groups rather than alone. They are social and gentle, and do not bite readily. As diggers and tunnel-makers they are better suited to a tank with a deep substrate or bedding rather than a hamster cage, since the absorbent substrate is liable to be kicked up and out of a cage quickly.


title: Mongolian gerbil

text: Mongolian gerbils like to chew objects to file their perpetually growing teeth, like all rodents, and need plenty of cardboard items and chew toys; the cardboard will be chewed up in to bedding and mixed with the substrate. Plastic toys and tunnels should be avoided in-case of ingestion. Fresh vegetables should be included in small amounts as an excess may cause diarrhoea. Some vegetables are toxic to gerbils, including potatoes, onions, cabbage; a diet based on multiple seeds, e.g millet and alfalfa pellet mix is sufficient.


title: Mongolian gerbil

text: Water should be provided with a "drip-feed system" to prevent accidental build-up of harmful mould in the tank environment. Care should be taken not to introduce new smells suddenly into the tank, because the tank is considered by the gerbils to be their territory. Gerbils are active and appreciate a running or exercise wheel. Repetitive corner digging can be minimized by providing tunnels while gerbils are in their young, formative months. As with most animals, they appreciate a secure, private area that is dark for sleeping.


title: Mongolian gerbil

text: A common misunderstanding when purchasing a home for pet gerbils is they can live in housing designed for hamsters and mice. This is not correct, as they need to be able to dig tunnel systems. The common plastic items inside of hamster and mouse cages is inappropriate for gerbils due to their ability to gnaw through it very quickly. Plastic can cause serious health issues for all animals if ingested, therefore many owners refrain from having any plastic in the tank and rely entirely on wooden toys. Information from gerbil societies from throughout the globe is conflicting with regards to tank sizing. However, a common minimum given appears to be per gerbil.


title: Mongolian gerbil

text: The several reasons for the popularity of gerbils as household pets include: The animals are typically not aggressive, and they rarely bite unprovoked or without stress. They are small and easy to handle, since they are sociable creatures that enjoy the company of humans and other gerbils. Gerbils also have adapted their kidneys to produce a minimum of waste to conserve body fluids, which makes them very clean with little odor. Gerbils have many different aesthetic coat patterns, such as pied slate, described below.


title: Mongolian gerbil

text: Misalignment of incisors due to injury or malnutrition may result in overgrowth, which can cause injury to the roof of the mouth. Symptoms include a dropped or loss of appetite, drooling, weight loss, or foul breath. The teeth must be clipped by a veterinarian regularly for as long as required.


title: Mongolian gerbil

text: Common injuries are caused by gerbils being dropped or falling, often while inside of a hamster ball, which can cause broken limbs or a fractured spine (for which there is no cure).


title: Mongolian gerbil

text: A common problem for all small rodents is neglect, which can cause the gerbils to not receive adequate food and water, causing serious health concerns, including dehydration, starvation, stomach ulcers, eating of bedding material, and cannibalism.


title: Mongolian gerbil

text: Between 20 and 50% of pet gerbils have the seizure disorder epilepsy. The seizures are thought to be caused by fright, handling, or a new environment. The attacks can be mild to severe, but do not typically appear to have any long-term effects, except for rare cases where death results from very severe seizures. A way to prevent a gerbil from having a seizure is to refrain from blowing in the animal's face (often used to "train" the pet not to bite). This technique is used in a lab environment to induce seizures for medical research.


title: Mongolian gerbil

text: Tumors, both benign and malignant, are fairly common in pet gerbils, and are most common in females over the age of two. Usually, the tumors involve the ovaries, causing an extended abdomen, or the skin, with tumors most often developing around the ears, feet, midabdomen, and base of the tail, appearing as a lump or abscess. The scent gland (positioned on the abdomen) should be checked regularly; a veterinarian can operate on the lump where possible.


title: Mongolian gerbil

text: Gerbils can lose their tails due to improper handling, being attacked by another animal, or getting their tails stuck. The first sign is a loss of fur from the tip of the tail, then, the skinless tail dies off and sloughs, with the stump usually healing without complications.


title: Mongolian gerbil

text: The most common infectious disease in gerbils is Tyzzer's disease, a bacterial disease, which stress can make animals more susceptible to. It produces symptoms such as ruffled fur, lethargy, hunched posture, poor appetite, diarrhoea, and often death. It quickly spreads between gerbils in close contact.


title: Mongolian gerbil

text: A problem with the inner ear can be spotted by a gerbil leaning to one side quite obviously. The fluids in the ears affect balance. However, this does not appear to affect the gerbils too much, which have an attitude of just getting on with things, and getting used to their conditions. Gerbils with "extreme white spotting" colouring are susceptible to deafness; this is thought to be due to the lack of pigmentation in and around the ear.


title: Mongolian gerbil

text: Many color varieties of gerbils are available in pet shops today, generally the result of years of selective breeding.


title: Mongolian gerbil

text: Over 20 different coat colors occur in the Mongolian gerbil, which has been captive-bred the longest.


title: Mongolian gerbil

text: Another species of gerbil has also been recently introduced to the pet industry: the fat-tailed gerbil, or duprasi. They are smaller than the common Mongolian gerbils, and have long, soft coats and short, fat tails, appearing more like a hamster. The variation on the normal duprasi coat is more gray in color, which may be a mutation, or it may be the result of hybrids between the Egyptian and Algerian subspecies of duprasi.


title: Mongolian gerbil

text: White spotting has been reported in not only the Mongolian gerbil, but also the pallid gerbil and possibly Sundervall's Jird.


title: Mongolian gerbil

text: A long-haired mutation, a grey agouti or chinchilla mutation, white spotting, and possibly a dilute mutation have also appeared in Shaw's jirds, and white spotting and a dilute mutation have shown up in bushy-tailed jirds.


title: Counterfeit

text: To counterfeit means to imitate something authentic, with the intent to steal, destroy, or replace the original, for use in illegal transactions, or otherwise to deceive individuals into believing that the fake is of equal or greater value than the real thing. Counterfeit products are fakes or unauthorized replicas of the real product. Counterfeit products are often produced with the intent to take advantage of the superior value of the imitated product. The word "counterfeit" frequently describes both the forgeries of currency and documents as well as the imitations of items such as clothing, handbags, shoes, pharmaceuticals, automobile parts, unapproved aircraft parts (which have caused many accidents), watches, electronics and electronic parts, software, works of art, toys, and movies.


title: Counterfeit

text: Counterfeit products tend to have fake company logos and brands, which results in patent or trademark infringement in the case of goods. They also have a reputation for being lower quality, sometimes not working at all, and sometimes containing toxic substances such as lead. This has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people, due to automobile and aviation accidents, poisoning, or ceasing to take essential compounds (e.g., in the case a person takes non-working medicine).


title: Counterfeit

text: The counterfeiting of money, mostly paper money, is usually attacked aggressively by governments worldwide.


title: Counterfeit

text: Counterfeit money is currency that is produced without the legal sanction of the state or government; this is against the law of all countries. The United States Secret Service, mostly known for its guarding-of-officials task, was initially organized primarily to combat the counterfeiting of U.S. dollars in the wake of the American Civil War. Both sides had printed counterfeit notes in attempts to destabilize the other's economy, an example of economic warfare.


title: Counterfeit

text: Counterfeit government bonds are public debt instruments that are produced without legal sanction, with the intention of "cashing them in" for authentic currency or using them as collateral to secure loans or lines of credit through legitimate channels.


title: Counterfeit

text: Forgery is the process of making or adapting documents with the intention to deceive. It is a form of fraud, and is often a key technique in the execution of identity theft. Uttering and publishing is a term in United States law for the forgery of non-official documents, such as a trucking company's time and weight logs.


title: Counterfeit

text: Questioned document examination is a scientific process for investigating many aspects of various documents, and is often used to examine the provenance and verity of a suspected forgery. Security printing is a printing industry specialty, focused on creating legal documents which are difficult to forge.


title: Counterfeit

text: The spread of counterfeit goods, including consumer goods (commonly called "knock-offs" or "rip-offs") and parts within the manufacturing supply chain, has become global in recent years and the range of goods subject to infringement has increased significantly. Apparel and accessories accounted for over 50 percent of the counterfeit goods seized by U.S Customs and Border Control. According to the study of Counterfeiting Intelligence Bureau (CIB) of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), counterfeit goods make up 5 to 7% of world trade; however, these figures cannot be substantiated due to the secretive nature of the industry.


title: Counterfeit

text: A report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development indicates that up to US$200 Billion of international trade could have been in counterfeit and illegally copied goods in 2005. In November 2009, the OECD updated these estimates, concluding that the share of counterfeit and illegitimate goods in world trade had increased from 1.85% in 2000 to 1.95% in 2007. That represents an increase to US$250 billion worldwide.


title: Counterfeit

text: In a detailed breakdown of the counterfeit goods industry, the total loss faced by countries around the world is $600 billion, with the United States facing the most economic impact.


title: Counterfeit

text: When calculating counterfeit products, current estimates place the global losses at $400 billion. On November 29, 2010, the Department of Homeland Security seized and shut down 82 websites as part of a U.S. crackdown of websites that sell counterfeit goods, and was timed to coincide with "Cyber Monday," the start of the holiday online shopping season.


title: Counterfeit

text: Some see the rise in counterfeiting of goods as being related to globalisation. As more and more companies, in an effort to increase profits, move manufacturing to the cheaper labour markets of the third world, areas with weaker labour laws or environmental regulations, they give the means of production to foreign workers. These new managers of production have little or no loyalty to the original corporation. They see that profits are being made by the global brand for doing little (other than advertising) and see the possibilities of removing the middle men (i.e. the parent corporation) and marketing directly to the consumer. This can result in counterfeit products being virtually indistinguishable from original products, as they are being produced in the same company, and in damage to the parent corporation due to copyright infringement.


title: Counterfeit

text: Certain consumer goods, especially very expensive or desirable brands or those that are easy to reproduce cheaply, have become frequent and common targets of counterfeiting. The counterfeiters either attempt to deceive the consumer into thinking they are purchasing a legitimate item, or convince the consumer that they could deceive others with the imitation. An item which makes no attempt to deceive, such as a copy of a DVD with missing or different cover art or a book without a cover, is often called a "bootleg" or a "pirated copy" instead.


title: Counterfeit

text: Counterfeiting has also been issued to "cash in" on the ever growing record collecting market. One major example is bootleggers have cloned copies of Elvis Presley's early singles for Sun Records since original copies starting changing hands amongst music fans for hundreds (and then, thousands) of dollars. Some who produce these even do so with the wrong material. For example the song "Heartbreak Hotel" which was never released on Sun, as by the time Elvis first heard it, prior to ever recording it, he had moved from Sun to RCA Victor. Rare releases by The Beatles such as their album with the butcher cover, fan-club only released Christmas records and early demonstration discs issued by EMI are also examples of product reproduced by counterfeiters due to their high value to collectors.


title: Counterfeit

text: Many counterfeit goods are produced and manufactured in China, making it the counterfeit capital of the world: the counterfeiting industry accounts for 8% of China's GDP. Counterfeit goods are also made in Russia, North Korea, Taiwan, Bulgaria, and Turkey. Turkey is responsible for 3.3% of word’s counterfeit goods, according to OCDE. Some counterfeits are produced in the same factory that produce the original, authentic product, using inferior materials. A United States Senate Committee on Armed Services report regarding counterfeit electronic parts in the defense supply chain, highlighted in an investigation commenced in March 2011, found that 1800 cases of suspected counterfeit components were in use within over 1 million individual products". A 2012 follow-up report found that counterfeit parts came "overwhelmingly from China".


title: Counterfeit

text: Another trend in counterfeiting, especially seen in consumer electronics, is the manufacture of entirely new products using poor quality materials or, more often, incorporating desirable features not present in a brand's authentic product line and then including prominent and fake brand names and logotypes to profit from brand recognition or brand image. An example would be imitation "Nokia" and "iPhone" cellular phones with features like dual SIM slots or analog TV, which are unavailable in authentic originals, or visually-identical clones of high-end smartphones using inferior components and the Android operating system, often with user interfaces made to resemble the devices they imitate. Another example would be imitation "iPod" MP3 players whose batteries are removable and replaceable, whereas in authentic originals the batteries are permanently installed.


title: Counterfeit

text: In the United States, a federal crackdown on counterfeit imports is driving an increase in domestic output of fake merchandise, according to investigators and industry executives. Raids carried out in New York City resulted in the seizure of an estimated $200 Million in counterfeit apparel, bearing the logos of brands such as "The North Face", "Polo", "Izod Lacoste", "Rocawear", "Seven for all Mankind", and "Fubu". One of the largest seizures was a joint operation in Arizona, Texas and California that seized seventy-seven containers of fake "Nike Air Jordan" shoes and a container of "Abercrombie & Fitch" clothing, valued at $69.5 million. Another current method of attacking counterfeits is at the retail level. Fendi sued the Sam's Club division of Walmart for selling fake "Fendi" bags and leather goods in five states. Sam's Club agreed to pay Fendi a confidential amount to settle the dispute and dismiss the action. In the case "Tiffany v. eBay", Tiffany & Co. sued auction site eBay for allowing the sale of counterfeit items, but lost on all claims.


title: Counterfeit

text: A number of companies involved in the development of anti-counterfeiting and brand protection solutions have come together to form special industry-wide and global organisations dedicated to combating the so-called "brand pirates" such as the International Hologram Manufacturers Association. Other companies and organisations have established web-based communities that provide a framework for crowd-sourced solutions to counterfeiting. One such free community, Collectors Proof, enables manufacturers and users alike to associate unique identification numbers to virtually any item so that each new owner can update its chain of custody. Because quality counterfeit items are often difficult to distinguish from authentic goods, this approach enables potential customers to access an item's current and previous ownersits provenanceprior to purchase.


title: Counterfeit

text: To combat counterfeiting, companies may have the various parts of an item manufactured in independent factories and then limit the supply of certain distinguishing parts to the factory that performs the final assembly to the exact number required for the number of items to be assembled (or as near to that number as is practicable) or may require the factory to account for every part used and to return any unused, faulty or damaged parts. To help distinguish the originals from the counterfeits, the copyright holder may also employ the use of serial numbers or holograms etc., which may be attached to the product in another factory.


title: Counterfeit

text: Counterfeit culture is the thriving markets surrounding fake streetwear. Most commonly, these markets originate out of areas where the inability to buy popular streetwear brands has fueled more sophisticated markets for counterfeit goods. These markets have spawned the emergence of a tribe of widely available copycat brands.


title: Counterfeit

text: In countries like North Korea and Russia where trade sanctions were imposed in the past to prevent the importation of popular brands, demand was stimulated for available counterfeit alternatives. The economic standing of a country or region also contributed to the demand for these products as the average consumer can’t afford luxury prices but will gain the same social impact purchasing a knock-off that’s of almost indistinguishable quality to the original product.


title: Counterfeit

text: Luxury streetwear is out of reach for many people, not just because of international sanctions and low wages, but because exclusivity is built into its business model. Social and cultural forces are driving the unique fashion scene. In particular, social media has a huge influence on over these markets giving people images of things they can’t own and further fueling the desire to obtains certain “hyped” items by any means accessible.


title: Counterfeit

text: Designers have even begun to acknowledge the trend of counterfeit culture by referencing fake or knock-off goods in their designs. This brought counterfeit culture into the realm of mainstream culture and has essentially shifted global acceptance towards becoming more lenient of these products as an appropriate alternative.


title: Counterfeit

text: Anti-counterfeiting technologies are added to products or their packaging to allow consumers or inspectors to check whether a product is authentic. The EUIPO Observatory on Infringements of Intellectual Property Rights has developed an anti-counterfeiting technology guide, to address the lack of information on technology solutions available on the market and help companies improve their protection against counterfeiting. In this guide, the main anti-counterfeiting technologies currently on the market are described, and classified into five main categories:


title: Counterfeit

text: The International Standard Organization has also published standards related to the implementation of anti-counterfeiting solutions, including ISO 12931 and ISO 22381.


title: Frank (film)

text: Frank is a 2014 independent black comedy film directed by Lenny Abrahamson, produced by David Barron, Ed Guiney and Stevie Lee and written by Jon Ronson and Peter Straughan. It stars Michael Fassbender, Domhnall Gleeson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Scoot McNairy, and François Civil.


title: Frank (film)

text: The film premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. It was released theatrically in Ireland and Britain on 9 May 2014 and on DVD and On-Demand on 12 September 2014.


title: Frank (film)

text: While walking along the beach in his hometown, aspiring songwriter Jon Burroughs witnesses a man named Lucas trying to drown himself. As Lucas is taken to the hospital, Jon meets Don, who explains that Lucas was the keyboardist for a band called The Soronprfbs, which Don manages. After mentioning that he plays keyboards, Jon is invited to perform with them that night. The Soronprfbs’ drummer Nana, synthesizer and theremin player Clara, and guitarist Baraque are reluctant to accept Jon, but he is warmly welcomed by lead vocalist Frank, who always wears a papier-mâché mask over his head. Their performance abruptly ends when Clara storms off the stage after being shocked by an electrical fault.


title: Frank (film)

text: Frank invites Jon to become a full-time member of the band. He agrees and accompanies them to Ireland to spend a year in a remote cabin while they work on recording their debut album. One day, Don confesses to Jon that he feels he cannot live up to Frank's prowess. The next day, Don reveals they are being evicted from the cabin, but Jon offers to pay the outstanding rent using his grandfather's inheritance. After completing the album, the band finds what appears to be Frank's corpse hanging from a tree, but discover it is actually Don once they remove the mask. They cremate him, and Clara reveals to Jon that Don was the original keyboardist of the band.


title: Frank (film)

text: Jon reveals that he has been secretly uploading the band's recording sessions on social media, earning them a small fan following and an invitation to perform at South by Southwest. Most of the band is offended by Jon's clandestine promotion of them, but Frank, excited by the prospect of a large audience, agrees to go to the festival. Clara confronts Jon as the latter is soaking in the hot tub, expressing contempt for his growing influence over Frank. The ensuing argument culminates in them having angry sex, and Clara threatens to stab him if the trip to America goes awry.


title: Frank (film)

text: Leading up to the performance, the band begins to argue over creative differences. Clara and Frank disappear shortly before the concert and Jon finds them in an alley, where Clara is helping Frank stave off a mental breakdown. Jon tries to get Frank to go back to the festival with him, prompting Clara to stab him in the leg as promised. After she is arrested, Jon uses the scandal to build publicity for the band. The night before the concert, Nana and Baraque reveal their disdain for Jon's selfish ambitions and quit the band. Jon and Frank go onstage by themselves in spite of Frank's deteriorating mental health. When Jon tries to begin the set with one of his own songs rather than one from the album, Frank has a breakdown and collapses on stage. They move into a cheap motel together, where a frustrated Jon tries to forcibly unmask Frank. Frank tries to escape and is hit by a car, smashing the fake head. He flees before Jon can see his real face.


title: Frank (film)

text: Sometime later, Jon visits a dive bar where Clara, Nana, and Baraque are playing as a trio, and apologizes to them for having taken control of the band. After numerous failed attempts, he finally succeeds in tracking Frank to his hometown of Bluff City, Kansas, where he is living with his parents. Frank is scarred and balding from prolonged use of the mask. Frank’s parents explain that he has suffered from severe mental health issues all his life and began wearing the mask as a teenager after his dad made it for him for an alleged costume party, but that he has always been musically talented. Frank declares he has been unable to make music since the band fell apart. Jon takes Frank to the dive bar where the rest of the band is playing. They quickly realize who he is and join him as he begins to sing. With the original Soronprfbs restored, Jon leaves the bar alone.


title: Frank (film)

text: "Frank" is a fictional story mostly inspired by Frank Sidebottom, the comic persona of Chris Sievey who is thought to have given his backing to the film before his death, but the plot was also inspired by other musicians like Daniel Johnston and Captain Beefheart. Jon Ronson, who co-wrote the film, was part of Sidebottom's band, and the plot began as an adaptation of his writings but later became a fictional take on it. The film shot in County Wicklow, Dublin, and New Mexico in 2013.


title: Frank (film)

text: Stephen Rennicks served as music director, tasked to write songs that were a hybrid of pop and experimental rock music. Rennicks was inspired by musicians he met while in his own 1980s band, the Prunes. He also wrote the score and supervised the recordings of his original songs. The music performed by the band in the film was recorded live by the cast while filming.


title: Frank (film)

text: The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on 17 January 2014. When audiences went to see the film at Sundance, they were all given masks similar to that worn by Frank in the film. The film premiered in Europe at its European premiere in Dublin on 25 April 2014. The film was released in cinemas nationwide in the Republic of Ireland and in the United Kingdom on 9 May 2014.


title: Frank (film)

text: "Frank" received highly positive reviews from critics and has a rating of 92% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 163 reviews with a weighted average score of 7.46/10. The website's critical consensus states, "Funny, clever, and endearingly unusual, "Frank" transcends its quirky trappings with a heartfelt — and surprisingly thought-provoking — story." On review aggregator Metacritic, "Frank" has a score of 75 out of 100 based on 33 critics, signifying "generally favourable reviews".


title: Frank (film)

text: "The Daily Telegraph"s Amber Wilkinson rated the film 4/5, calling it "off-beat and punk-spirited." Peter Bradshaw of "The Guardian" gave it four stars out of five, saying: "Frank works as satire, as memoir, as comedy bromance, but it works mostly because it is just so weird". Mark Kermode of "The Observer" named it one of the top five films of 2014. Kyle Smith of the "New York Post" described it as a "whimsical delight", saying it has a lot of heart, and commenting positively on Gleeson in particular. However, Smith also found it unfortunate that the film came "crashing down in a total bummer of a third act". Criticism for the film was largely based on how the plot developed towards its end.


title: Frank (film)

text: In conjunction with the U.S. release of the film, Michael Fassbender made an appearance as Frank with his band on "The Colbert Report".


title: Ever Night

text: Ever Night () is a 2018 Chinese television series based on the novel "Jiang Ye" by Mao Ni. It stars Chen Feiyu and Song Yiren. The series streamed on Tencent Video beginning October 31, 2018. The second season premiered on January 13, 2020 as "Ever Night: War of Brilliant Splendours", with Dylan Wang replaced Chen Feiyu as the lead star.


title: Ever Night

text: In the ancient world lies a prophecy: Upon the arrival of Yong Ye, the world will be thrown into Chaos.


title: Ever Night

text: The story takes place in the Tang Dynasty. When a family was unjustly massacred by a great general, only a young boy named Ning Que escapes. He manages to survive in the wilds through his wits and by committing murder. One day, he digs a little girl named Sang Sang out of a pile of corpses. Since that day, the two of them are inseparable. Ning Que joins the frontier military and eventually becomes part of the entourage of Princess Li Yu as she travels back to the capital. He manages to discover the hidden school known as the Upper Story, which leads him and Sang Sang to many wondrous adventures.


title: Ever Night

text: When Sang Sang becomes ill with a mysterious illness, Ning Que takes her to a doctor, only to discover that Sang Sang is the reincarnation of Yong Ye (Eternal Night), a mysterious and powerful being that is prophesied to bring chaos. Many hostile forces are gathering around them, and people not who they appeared to be. Is Ning Que the son of the King of Underworld, or the savior of humanity against the Eternal Night? Ning Que would defy the powers of Heaven and Earth to protect his beloved.


title: Ever Night

text: Home of the Dao Cultivists that overpowered the Continent. They strictly follow the law of Hao Tian. Home of Heaven Decree Academy, the arch-nemesis of Fu Zi Academy.