Wildcard (Java)

The wildcard ? in Java is a special actual parameter for the instantiation of generic (parameterized) types. It can be used for the instantiation, not in the definition of a generic unit. Thus, a wildcard is a form of use-site variance annotation (contrast this with the definition-site variance annotations found in C# and Scala). This article summarizes the most important rules for its use.

Covariance for generic types

Unlike arrays (which are covariant in Java), different instantiations of a generic type are not compatible with each other, not even explicitly: With the declaration Generic<Supertype> superGeneric; Generic<Subtype> subGeneric; the compiler would report a conversion error for both castings (Generic<Subtype>)superGeneric and (Generic<Supertype>)subGeneric.

This incompatibility may be softened by the wildcard if ? is used as an actual type parameter: Generic<?> is the abstract supertype for all instantiations of the generic type. It means, no objects of this type may be created, only variables. The usage of such a variable is to refer to instantiations of Generic with any actual type parameter.

List of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero characters (S–Z)

This is an alphabetical List of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero characters whose code names start with the letters S-Z.

Salvo

Salvo is the G.I. Joe Team's Anti-Armor Trooper. His real name is David K. Hasle, and he was born in Arlington, Virginia. Salvo was first released as an action figure in 1990, and again in 2005. Both versions have the T-shirt slogan 'The Right of Might'.

Salvo's primary military specialty is anti-armor trooper. He also specializes in repairing "TOW/Dragon" missiles. Salvo expresses a deep distrust of advanced electronic weaponry. He prefers to use mass quantities of conventional explosives to overwhelm enemy forces.

In the Marvel Comics G.I. Joe series, he first appeared in issue #114. There, he fights as part of a large scale operation against Cobra forces in the fictional country of Benzheen. Steeler, Dusty, Salvo, Rock'N'Roll and Hot Seat get into vehicular based combat against the missile expert Metal-Head He is later part of the Joe team on-site who defends G.I. Joe headquarters in Utah against a Cobra assault.

Wildcard (album)

Terence Trent d'Arby's Wildcard!, or simply referred to as Wildcard, is Terence Trent D'Arby's fifth album. It was released in 2001 on his own independent record label Sananda Records following a six-year absence from the spotlight.

Track listing

All songs written by Terence Trent D'Arby, except where noted.

The Jokers' Edition

In 2002, another version of the album was released as Wild Card - The Jokers' Edition. While the 2001 version had included both Terence Trent D'Arby (his old name) and Sananda Maitreya (the name he had legally adopted in 2001) on the cover, the Jokers' Edition marked the first time the artist solely used the latter. This version of the album became the universally recognised version and provided two singles - "O Divina" and "What Shall I Do?".

Whirlwind

A whirlwind is a weather phenomenon in which a vortex of wind (a vertically oriented rotating column of air) forms due to instabilities and turbulence created by heating and flow (current) gradients. Whirlwinds occur all over the world and in any season.

Types

Whirlwinds are subdivided into two main types, the great (or major) whirlwinds and the lesser (or minor) whirlwinds. The first category includes tornadoes, waterspouts, and landspouts. The range of atmospheric vortices constitute a continuum and are difficult to categorize definitively. Some lesser whirlwinds may sometimes form in a similar manner to greater whirlwinds with related increase in intensity. These intermediate types include the gustnado and the fire whirl. Other lesser whirlwinds include dust devils, as well as steam devils, snow devils, debris devils, leaf devils, and shear eddies such as the mountainado and eddy whirlwinds.

Formation

Major whirlwind

A major whirlwind (such as a tornado) is formed from supercell thunderstorms (the most powerful type of thunderstorm) or other powerful storms. When the storms start to spin, they react with other high altitude winds, causing a funnel to spin. A cloud forms over the funnel, making it visible.

Whirlwind (comics)

Whirlwind is a fictional character, a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

Publication history

The character first appeared in Tales To Astonish #50 (Dec. 1963) and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.

Fictional character biography

Born in Kansas City, Missouri, David Cannon is a mutant that could move at great speeds. After discovering at an early age, he turns to a life of crime. This eventually brings Cannon, using his first alias the Human Top and pursuing his career as a jewel thief, into conflict with Giant-Man and the Wasp on several occasions. Defeated each time, Cannon then redesigns his costume and adopts the alias of "Whirlwind", and adopts the identity of Charles Matthews, chauffeur of Janet van Dyne. Whirlwind joined the supervillain group the second Masters of Evil, and participated in a plot to destroy the Avengers. He joined the third Masters of Evil, and participated in a Vermont battle against the Avengers. With Batroc and Porcupine, he went on a mission for the Red Skull.

Whirlwind (novel)

Whirlwind is a novel by James Clavell, first published in 1986. It forms part of The Asian Saga and is chronologically the last book in the series.

Set in Iran in early 1979, it follows the fortunes of a group of Struans helicopter pilots, Iranian officials and oil men and their families in the turmoil surrounding the fall of the Iranian monarchy and the rise of the Ayatollah Khomeini. Like many of Clavell's novels, it is very long and is composed of many interweaving plot strands involving a large cast of characters, as well as a detailed portrayal of Iranian culture.

The novel is closely inspired by the true struggle of Bristow Helicopters to escape the revolutionary forces and get their employees and equipment out of the unstable, deteriorating situation in the region. Alan Bristow, chairman of Bristow Helicopter commissioned a journalist, Jackie Griffin, who was married to one of his employees to write a report on the events in Iran. Bristow then gave his friend, James Clavell the resulting script to form the basis of the novel. Much of the story mirrors these and other contemporary events. In February 1979, U.S. Ambassador Adolph "Spike" Dubs was murdered in Kabul after Afghan security forces burst in on his kidnappers, the actual event both mentioned and fictionalized into the plot of Whirlwind. Other companies operating in Iran faced similar dilemmas. For example, Ross Perot's Electronic Data Systems similarly became very involved in the rescue of two executives from prison in Tehran, events dramatised in Ken Follett's novel On Wings of Eagles.