Wikipedia:Reference desk/Humanities

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French composers of piano works since 1950

Although I have found, through on-line music stores, two composers who died only recently, both having written piano works, I would like a greater selection from which to choose works written as recently as possible, having a very French flavour. Unless I buy these books I have no way of knowing the difficulty or style of the works.

Alternatively, can you give me some on-line contacts to French music publishing houses or shops which deal with french piano music.

At a later date. I'd like to do the same with piano music from other countries.

Poulenc died after 1950. You can also look at the French composers category for more. Dysprosia 00:04, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

Some favorites of mine are Jean Françaix (1912-1997), Henri Dutilleux (b. 1916), and Alexandre Tansman (1897 - 1986) -- OK, so Tansman was born a Polish Jew, but he lived in France and may as well have been a Frenchman. As Dysprosia suggests, Category:French composers may be helpful, as will List of 20th century classical composers. Mindspillage (spill yours?) 22:58, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

Where can I find schematic of Christian denominational taxonomy?

Where can I find schematic of Christian denominational taxonomy that includes North American denominations? The one in the Christian Denomination article is not detailed enough to satisfy my curiosity. Also, are there detailed ones out there for Islam and Judaism?--RPlunk 02:29, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

This ebook is a good taxonomy of all the Eastern churches, most of which you'll find represented in North American even though they originated elsewhere. I don't know any sources for a broader view. Isomorphic 06:22, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

John F. Kennedy at the 1956 Democratic National Convention

Hello. At the 1956 Democratic Convention, John F. Kennedy attempted to run for vice-president but lost out to Estes Kefauver. I heard his words on radio and I would like to find a transcript. Where can I find an online transcript of everything Kennedy said at the convention? Thank you. --Blue387 04:37, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

• Blue387,

The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library has a reference desk see [1]. You could try contacting them at John Fitzgerald Kennedy Library - Columbia Point - Boston, Massachusetts 02125 Tel: 1-866-JFK-1960 Fax: 617-514-1652. Their e-mail is kennedy.library at nara.gov. Capitalistroadster 04:50, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

Bully case

What should I do if no one in my own country which is Malaysia does want to help me?

I need help. I need a lawyer or advocate to settle down problems i face. My relatives and their friends control my life; every aspect of my life. Their main concern of me is my financial and marriage/friendships/relationships. I have now reached the age of having financial independant, which means working & earning for my own living. This group of people use their own means to cut off my income and make sure I am alone, living in family circle without any friends. They also make sure I cannot obtain any evidence to sue them. They force me to be broke and humiliate us by being seen nakedness in toilet or bathroom.

Besides that, i face discrimination by my community and they reject to talk to me or work with me. Some of them might be under threaten by the above mentioned group of relatives and their friends. Some of them might use all types of excuses to discriminate me.

I seek help from many people, including church leaders, local political leaders, lawyers and etc. They all told lies and they received money as the rewards to bully me.

I don't know how to live on. Can you teach me how to live on without money? What type of help can i get? From where?

The reference desk is primarily a place where we try to answer factual questions, rather than guidance in how to live one's life. Also, the economic situation, culture and legal system of your country are considerably different to my own, and those of the majority of the regular contributors to the Wikipedia reference desk.

That said, if you are indeed old enough to live and work independently, if you can establish yourself with a home and an income that doesn't depend on your family, you can then sort out your other affairs from a position of strength rather than weakness.

But before taking any action, maybe you should talk to somebody who can provide you with some guidance to evaluate your options - somebody who has no connection with your family, and, if coercion by them is an issue, somebody who is not susceptible to such coercion. Somebody who doesn't live in the same location as you, perhaps? Somebody who is a member of a different ethnic community?

I'm sorry if my response is a bit vague. I wish you well in confronting the difficult issues you are clearly facing. Maybe somebody else who knows a bit more about Malaysia may be able to provide some more specific responses in terms of what legal and counselling services may be available to assist somebody in your situation. --Robert Merkel 14:33, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

I think when someone describes how "church leaders, local political leaders, lawyers and etc ...all told lies and they received money as the rewards to bully me", he is describing a problem to which your suggestion is not the answer. I am being opaque here out of lack of details and desire not to aggravate the poor guy's problems, but think about the probabilities... alteripse 15:15, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

Thank you for your suggestions (N0. 153: Bully case) and I have tried to talk to someone from outside my community or different regions. They all are bribed with money and they left me in misery. A lot of people use me to get money. They all turned into multi-millioners overnight. It sounds crazy, but it is real. I know you won't believe me and think that I had the idea of bribery because they can't provide a solution to my problems. It is actually happening, in my surroundings.It is definitely true. That is why I cannot get help anywhere. That is why my problems still unresolved.

May I know is Wikipedia a representative of Commonwealth countries? If not, how can I contact the actual Commonwealth Organization that can provide me legal advice? Is there any legal department in Commonwealth Organization? I know it is a very personal problem, but if a citizen cannot get help from her own country, can she get help from overseas, especially commonwealth countries?

I happen to know a person who lives in Malaysia and reports a problem very similar to yours. His name is Julian Goh & among other places he hangs out at Yahoo Groups TYR, so you can probably locate him there if you interested in comparing notes. His problem is not with family members but former employers, and he also got into a relationship with a woman who is in the family of the nation's leadership, which got the nation's secret police on his case (initially just to investigate anyone dating family members of nation's leaders), which he told me as a warning that they probably reading any e-mail I should send him so I should be careful. I told him that people who get in the habit of not doing illegal immoral unethical stuff or supporting any such behavior should have nothing to fear from whoever reads their e-mail. I not want to suggest he doing any such, but we did have some differences of opinion of what is appropriate based on our different cultural backgrounds. Anyhow, because I have met other people in USA with same kind of problem as Julian and you describe, I do know it happens, but I also suspect that in some cases people can be overly paranoid, ascribing evil explanations to stuff that happened for innocent reasons, or not understanding the context. I think in Julian's case, since he has been to universities in Australia and Taiwan, having seen how other cultures function, he is having trouble understanding how some things are done differently in different nations.

AlMac|^(talk) 20:00, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

I have a suggestion: leave. If all the people who are bothering you live nearby, then going to another city may free you from their influence. It may be necessary to move in secret (without telling them), so they can't find you in your new location, at least not until you have established an independent life. However, you may find that these people were also helping you more than you knew, in which case this would be a valuable lesson and you could then return. StuRat 19:34, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

Derrida's Deconstructionist theory

I'm not sure what your question is, but I would suggest looking at the Jacques Derrida, Deconstruction, and post-structuralism articles for more information. If you have a more specific question please post it again here. Best, Kewp (t) 12:11, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

Coping With

Several years ago, there was a TV series based on the Coping With books. Was it ever released on VHS/DVD (and did it feature Elderado Dingbatti)? smurrayinchester^{(User), (Talk)} 12:14, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

Reservation land policies

I have been using a video called "Homeland" in my classes, a work tracing the experiences of four Pine Ridge families during the course of a three year period. At the beginning of the work Thurman Horse, one of the individuals featured, informs us that, subsequent to the Collier Act, many of the individual holdings had been sold and the those people now had nothing, had moved from the reservation. Later, however, another featured individual--Marian, I believe--explains that Pine Ridge people have difficulty starting businesses because they have little start-up money and they are not allowed to mortgage their individual lands as collateral.

I am puzzled. If people have been allowed to sell their individualized acres, why are they then alternatively not allowed to use them as collateral for loans? Any help you can provide in offering explanations for the differences, I would truly appreciate.

Harvey Klevar Professor of Anthropology Luther College Decorah, Iowa

I sorted out your multiple posting and formatting issues. --Gareth Hughes 12:56, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

Dear professor, you are not doing your employer any favors as I can't really parse all of your grammar. I'm not sure exactly which Pine Ridge you are referring to, but lets assume it is Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. We don't appear to have an article on a Collier Act, and I'm not sure what that is, do you know the year? Some web searching led me to believe Indian Reorganization Act is what you might be referring to. Anyway, it is more likely that instead of not being allowed to mortgage the land, it's more likely it was simply impractical or no one was willing to offer the mortgages. Bare land is hard to mortgage at all, and it usually comes with bad terms like high interest rates, high costs to start the loan, etc. The same thing can happen to a lesser extent with any rural land even with a house or building on it. The type of house matters too. Add on to that that the land is in the reservation and may not carry the same types of legal ownership as other land, so legal differences/difficulties could mean that the standard things that banks and mortgage companies want such as title insurance, etc were not available. It could also have been simple discrimination by banks. So basically I'm offering some plausable speculation. To really find out you may have to do some old fashioned book leather research on the laws in question and business practices of the area and time. - Taxman ^Talk 18:57, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

Won't somebody please think of the children?

Why do some people feel that it is neccesary to 'protect' children (which, apparently, ranges anywhere from a 2 year old to a 17 year old) from perfectly natural things such as sexuality, masturbation and, nudity (you can throw sexual-education in there as well)? I'm particularly looking for reasons outside the religious realm, as those are fairly obvious. So, reworded, my question is: Are there any reasons, outside of the theological, that people use to justify 'protecting' children from the above stated things?

An example of this 'protecting' would be a parent who zealously shields their child from any form of nudity (even the exposure the breasts). To me, this seems ridiculous as a prepubescent child wouldn't care about seeing someone of the opposite sex naked unless their parents made a huge deal of it, and a pubescent child would probably seek out nudity anyway.

Also, is this type of behavior restricted to the United States, or can it be observed elsewhere (such as Europe and Asia)? My many and sincere thanks in advance, --anon

I would substitute moral for theological, as a non-religious right-and-wrong standard can also be responsible for this. I think that's about the extent of justification, however; there's no physical ailment, for instance, directly resulting from seeing a breast. For your second question, yes, this is observable worldwide to varying degrees. — Lomn | Talk / RfC 14:43, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

Are you trying to start a flamewar? :-)

One perspective is that the desire to shield children from these topics is essentially along the same vein as abstinence-only sex education. Essentially, pre-marital sex (and for that matter any sexual activity, including masturbation) is bad, any exposure to anything sexually-related (like breasts) will implant naughty thoughts in their mind, and therefore children should not be exposed to anything vaguely related to sexuality.

Now, that caricature is probably unfair, and there are more subtle versions of it. One might argue, for instance, that contemporary American popular culture's treatment of sex gives teenagers the wrong idea about it (for instance, would you want your teenage son getting his ideas on how to treat women from the more misogynistic end of hip-hop?) and therefore a parent might seek to present a different picture.

As to attitudes about children and sexuality, it certainly varies from country to country, and even within countries. Scandinavia, for instance, is far more relaxed about the fact that teenagers are sexual beings than the United States. Conversely, some Muslim countries all but prohibit men and women from seeing anything of each other's bodies unless they're married.

Hopefully somebody can point you to some better articles that discuss this specifically; the censorship article doesn't really cover the idea of shielding children more than adults. --Robert Merkel 15:00, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

Heh, I can assure you my intent is purely academic in nature. Thank you for your detailed answer. --anon

What strikes me about your question is your mention that the religious and theological reasons are "obvious". They are not at all obvious to me. Might you be confusing religion and theology with social custom? I'm not starting a fight, just quite surprised at your assertion and suggesting you re-examine some of the premises you are considering obvious. alteripse 15:19, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

I do suppose I may have worded that incorrectly. In retrospect, the term "obvious" probably doesnt convey what I wanted to say properly. What I mean is that I am fully aware of arguments for the 'protection' of children that originated for religious reasons, such as certain Christian denomination's views on masturbation ("spilling seed"). I probably used "obvious" because reasons such as those are commonly cited, and, in terms of my question, I am more interested in non-theological justifications of the 'protection' of children. I apologize for any offense I may have inadvertantly caused. --anon

I think this is a fascinating question. Most parents in America, including secular ones, seem to think that there is something horribly wrong with chidren or adolescents seeing nudity. The ongoing debate about indecency in the U.S. revolves only around the best way to prevent young people from seeing indecency without infringing upon the rights of adults. That it is an imperative of government to "protect" children from indecency is considered a given. Now I lived in Europe for a couple of years, and things could not have been more different. There is nudity everywhere -- on daytime TV, on the news, on commercials, on billboards, on newsmagazine covers. No one cares. That certainly doesn't mean that European media is of a higher quality than American media by any means. Maybe there's something to be said for modesty -- I don't know. But it's fascinating to me how cultures superficially so similar could be so drastically different in this area. This would be a great book for someone to research and write. The title could be Nipplephobia.

I'd like to hear from some (non-libertarian) American parents as to whether they feel it's wrong for kids to see nudity, why it is so, and whether they were aware of the fact that many other countries do not share American society's views of "indecency." The nudity taboo is so ingrained into American society that my stepfather wouldn't believe me when I told him that they show nudity on Czech TV during the day. -- Mwalcoff 02:29, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

This last is a good question. You become very aware of your culture's customs in a very different light when you are raising children. There are certain times when I consciously made a decision about an issue like that: sometimes going with convention and occasionally not. One of the dimensions to this type of issue is that social conventions like nudity taboos have a variety of purposes, including acting as a social glue and distinguishing members of the community from outsiders. You don't do your children a favor by not making them aware of the edges of behavior that would trigger surprise and unwanted responses from people around: there is at least some potential social cost to flouting or being ignorant of community social standards. So in my opinion a smart parent picks and chooses which conventions are worth teaching a child to disregard and which are not. Every society has this type of convention, each of which looks kind of pointless to another society. For example, there is a difference between teaching a child that telling racist jokes is stupid and offensive, and teaching them that the nudity/modesty standards of their community are stupid and offensive. People who think there are only a few of this type of convention in each culture are being oblivious: we live in them like fish live in water and no society is free of them. Raising a child to be ignorant of the major taboos of his culture does him no favor, but there is nothing wrong with explaining to him what a taboo is and the difference between not doing something because it is morally wrong versus not doing something because it is illegal versus not doing something because it might create social trouble for you. Is that the kind of answer you wanted? alteripse 01:48, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

• Quote from previous response: "Now I lived in Europe for a couple of years, and things could not have been more different. There is nudity everywhere -- on daytime TV, on the news, on commercials, on billboards, on newsmagazine covers. No one cares." As a UK resident I would say us British seem still to be relatively uptight compared to our European neighbours. In fact some of our night-time TV shows are compilations of mainland European adverts which are notable to us for their unabashed nudity. There is also a definite moral panic about paedophilia here. Two cases I can recall illustrate this, the first being very relevant to the question; One of our newsreaders was investigated when a photo developing shop passed on her photos of her naked bathing child to the authorities; the second when a paediatrician was hounded from their home (slaps forehead). --bodnotbod 01:57, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

This year I've started to watch UK television (previously I have only watched US television) and I've been quite suprised at the 'indecency' that is commonly shown. Some shows I've watched would never have been shown here (in the USA), and probably won't for decades ;) Peoplesunionpro 01:05, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

WTO

How is the World Trade Oranization ran?

Exactly how the Fortune Global 500 want it to be run, seeing the governments of the world take most of their marching orders from them...

Oh, you wanted an answer that wasn't sarcastic? Try our article on the World Trade Organization. --Robert Merkel 15:05, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

6 October

6 October is "Ivy Day", marking the anniversary of the death in 1891 of the Irish parliamentarian Charles Stewart Parnell.

Ivy Day is most notably commemorated in James Joyce's short story " Ivy Day in the Commitee Room", included in the collection 'Dubliners'.

Still today in Dublin - wel, up to last year at least, Joyceans willl be seen about the city sporting a dark green Ivy Leaf on a jacket lapel

Maybe you'd enjoy creating the article about Ivy Day in the Committee Room which is listed under Dubliners but still needs someone knowledgeable to write about it. If you're new to wikipedia, you might want to check out Wikipedia:Your first article and Wikipedia:Tutorial first. Happy Ivy Day.--Kewp (t) 16:37, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

Caesorion

Is there any connection between the name of Julius Caesor and Cleopatra's son's name and the type of birth of the same name? I have tried finding this information on my own thru other websites but I have found nothing - which I suppose suggests that there is no connection, but...

Thank you in advance,

Keith Reaume

Your spelling is letting you down: see Caesarean section. --Gareth Hughes 16:19, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

Of course there is a connection: both the son and the type of birth are named after Julius Caesar. alteripse 23:22, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

Actually, this is a popular misconception (no pun intended). It almost certainly couldn't have been Julius Caesar, because mothers who underwent surgery to remove their babies from their wombs almost always died, however Julius's mother lived for many years after his birth. The term refers to a distant ancestor of Julius Caesar. And Cleopatra's son was Caesarion, whereas the operation is a caesarian section. Cheers JackofOz 00:51, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

Do you think the type of delivery was called that before Julius Caesar or would have been called that since then if not associated with Julius Caesar? alteripse 00:54, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

Check out caesarean section for some further discussion. Cheers JackofOz 02:12, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

I am convinced you are correct and a little embarrassed that I hadnt been skeptical of the folk etymology. Caesarean delivery is more likely to have been derived from caedere (cut),- the past participle of which is something like caesus from which we get incision and scissors. Thanks. So. New answer to Keith: what Jacko said! alteripse 10:33, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

I read an article in the European Stars and Stripes one time about an American columnist who wanted to get his hair cut like George Clooney's in a "Caesar cut". So he went to the German barber and asked for a "Kaiserschnitt", which he found out meant Caesarean section. At least, that's what his column claimed.  :) User:Zoe|^(talk) 05:30, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

Do Hindus have angels?

Do Hindus have angels? I am a Hindu and recently bought the book 'How to talk with your angels' by author Kim-O-Niell. I tried to talk to angels as said in that book. But, I was not able to talk to any angels. What should I do to talk to angels? How can I talk to angels? Please help.

I doubt that you will be able to talk to any angels, but don't fret, Hinduism has an answer. I strongly advise you read A Guide on Angels by Sophy Burnham, which describes in detail the existence of angels in comparative religions, including Hinduism. In Hinduism, there do exist Devas, nine planets called Navagrahas, ancestors, and living gurus to help guide and protect you in your life. In addition to those beneficent forces, there are also apsaras, who are from the lower astral realm. They serve to tempt and denigrate humankind. The apsaras are depicted as seductive beautiful women and the devas are shown as royalty, usually with a handsome appearance. As a polytheistic religion, remember, Hinduism does include spirits who are concerned with various aspects of life, land, and so on, but these are all manifestations of the supreme being Brahman. Be careful though, because many people who claim clairvoyance will say they can see your angels for you; I advise you read more and think more deeply about the subject alone.Screwball23 02:29, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

I am resisting the temptation to tell you that all the rest of us have angels we talk to regularly. So I won't pull your leg and I will assume you aren't pulling ours. Here is a straight answer. There are a whole lot of bestselling popular religion books like this published in the US. The buyers are mostly culturally-but-not-really Christians with average or below average intelligence who feel better reading these books, whose major message is "don't feel bad about yourself, Someone Very Important thinks you are just fine the way you are". If you match up most of them with real Christian doctrine (Eastern, Roman, Lutheran, Reformed, etc) you find the overlap small and very important things are missing. Sort of like the religious equivalent of french fries. So don't worry about it if the books (or the angels) are not talking to you. alteripse 22:56, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

Yes, I'm struggling not to be flip here. But do you not have a religious leader who guides you in your worship who you can approach with such a question? --bodnotbod 02:00, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

Steve Vai

Hi, I was just wondering if anyone knows so much about Steve Vai that they could add some more to the articles of his albums?

I might look at leaving a copy of this comment on the talk page for Steve Vai. Alternatively, if you have knowledge about any of the albums or have access to reliable information about the albums, you may wish to add to the articles yourself. Our Wikipedia:Introduction tells you more about how you can get started. Capitalistroadster 23:51, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

• Watch the movie Crossroads (1986). You'll see Stevie play some mean guitar!

crowdy bay australia

why is Crowdy Bay so called?

• According to http://www.mynrma.com.au/mid_north_coast_cro.asp: "It reputedly gets its name from Captain Cook who dubbed a prominent headland 'Crowded Head' when he saw a crowd of aboriginals standing on it as he passed by in the Endeavour." Canley 00:47, 6 October 2005 (UTC)
• The Macquarie Atlas has no record of a Crowdy Bay but does mention a Crowded Head as above. Capitalistroadster 06:48, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

Letter from Birmingham Jail/Martin Luther King Jr.

Why does king advoate non-violent means of protest?

Three possible reasons, don't you think?

• It seemed to him the ethically right approach to the problem of improving the civil status of Negroes. Those who emphasize his upbringing as a Christian, his training as a preacher, and his admiration of Mahatma Gandhi tend to favor this explanation.
• It seemed to him the most politically effective method to improve the civil status of Negroes. Liberal intellectuals and historians tend to emphasize this reason.
• Subversive communist agitators convinced him to do it for the benefit of the Soviet Union. This was the reason favored by J. Edgar Hoover.

You decide. alteripse 00:52, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

The real answer is "Why not?". Does non-violence need any justification? JackofOz 00:54, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

Also remember it was the early 60s, and the riots at Watts & Detriot, Washington etc. hadn't happened yet. King was showing white Americans through the Freedom Rides, Selma etc., particularly in the north, just how prejudiced, violent and awful Jim Crow could be. Also you don't get invited to the White House if you're a violent social disturber, and King was trying to achieve change through rational & calm methods. Towards the middle 60s there was division in the african-american community about whether to use violent or non-violent means to achieve their aims, but after the assassination of Dr. King the violent impulses got free reign because there was no one left to argue for the other side. Additionally King was trying to achieve improvements for many people, not just african-americans. He was planning a Poor Peoples' March on Washington when he was distracted down to Memphis and killed. JK

What happened in 1945?

The United States spent most of the year without a Vice President. Please do your own homework. — Lomn | Talk / RfC 19:37, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

Also see 1945. Dismas|^(talk) 00:22, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

It might also be worth mentioning that both Germany and Japan surrendered, ending World War 2, after Hitler committed suicide and 2 atomic bombs were dropped on Japan. Also, survivors of Germany's death camps were freed and Soviet control of Eastern Europe started, eventually degenerating into the Cold War. And US President FDR died in office, being replaced by his VP Harry Truman. See 1945 for details. StuRat 19:51, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

What is the etymology of "hoodwinked" (to deceive)?

A dictionary is a great reference for this. Try hoodwink at Wiktionary. — Lomn | Talk / RfC 19:38, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

I've yet to find a dictionary, however, that explains the etymology of hoodwinked. I think I'm pretty clear on the definition already. — Silvaran 23:09, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

To wink is to close ones eyes; a hood covers the head. The verb originally meant "to blindfold", which makes sense from the two parts - a hood that winks (blinds) you. (Blindfold itself was originally something like blind-fall - "to make blind"). It then became used metaphorically - compare to phrases like "pulling the wool over their eyes". Shimgray | talk | 23:28, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

Yep, it's that simple -- OED2 just lists "hood (n.) + wink (v.)" for etymology. — File:Ontario trillium sig.pngmendel ☎ 16:04, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

business non-profit status

What are the benifits to having a non-profit business? And what are the regulations enforced upon businesses to maintain non-profit status?

--Janelle

Generally, non-profits are taxed separately from regular businesses. However, the benefits and regulations vary by country and region, so it's probably best to check with your local Chamber of Commerce or a corporate lawyer for this. — Lomn | Talk / RfC 20:56, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

You also might find some interesting answers in the following articles, mainly on how it is handled in the USA (sorry I not have links to how it is in other nations), and those articles that these ones link to:

• Not-for-profit corporation
• Non-profit organization
• 501(c)
• Also other articles in the categories these are in.

AlMac|^(talk) 20:13, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

Quotation

"Age and treachery will usually overcome youth and enthusiasm." Who originally said it? When? Where, or in what work? Is it an accurate quote?

Try a few Google searches, mix up the quotation marks (like search "age and treachery" "youth and enthusiasm") and see what you get. I don't have time to do more right now, but...

http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:qMdRYf6v1LMJ:listserv.dom.edu/cgi-bin/wa.exe%3FA2%3Dind0201%26L%3Dstumpers-l%26D%3D0%26O%3DD%26P%3D92822+%22Age+and+treachery%22+%22youth+and+enthusiasm.%22+%22said%22&hl=en

has a link to this:

http://techupdate.zdnet.com/techupdate/stories/main/0,14179,2618616-3,00.html

Which says:

"He has a point, and for some reason the famous Mack Rhinelander .sig file pops into my head: ""Old age and guile will always triumph over youth and enthusiasm." Maybe it's a good thing for Helix Code that Updater isn't really what the business plan is all about. "

Hope this helps!

199.111.88.216 12:42, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

Death by crushing

A coworker and I were talking about the Salem witch trials and it reminded me of something that I had heard years ago. The story I heard was of some ruler having a large number of prisoners that he wanted to have executed. So he brought them all into an area and had them lay down. A dance floor was then constructed over them so that the weight of the floor and its occupants was supported by the people being crushed. The dancers were not told of what was below them and the people below the floor were crushed to death. Does this sound familiar to anyone? I don't recall where I heard of this and a few google searches haven't reaped any results. Dismas|^(talk) 00:20, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

I'd think the screams would've tipped them off, or maybe the way the floor kept moving off level! More importantly, that'd have to be a pretty heavy dance floor, keeping in mind that the weight of the dancers would be distributed across all of the prisoners. After all, crushing by elephant used a whole elephant just to crush one person. — File:Ontario trillium sig.pngmendel ☎ 16:01, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

You make good points. I'm still curious where this came from though. Dismas|^(talk) 23:24, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

Well, it reminds me both of Edgar Allen Poe's "Hop-Frog Or the Eight Chained Ourang-Outangs", where an oppressed hunchback conspires to kill a king and his advisors at a party (but no crushing), and of the death of Francesco II of Gattilusia, who “on a journey through Lesbos, while passing the night in one of the lofty towers then common in the Archipelago, ... was stung by a scorpion. Alarmed at his cries, his attendants and nobles climbed up into his room in such numbers that the floor collapsed and he was killed on the spot ... .” (as recounted by William Addams Reitwiesner in The Lesbian Ancestors of Prince Rainier of Monaco, Dr. Otto von Habsburg, Brooke Shields, and the Marquis de Sade. But those are probably unrelated<g>. - Nunh-huh 04:27, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

Wow. I had an elaborately flippant reply prepared... and then I checked. That monograph exists? Dude. I feel so much more cheerful about the world now. Shimgray | talk | 14:31, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

Memes

Is it true that a meme rarely regenerates? If asked, will a meme serve as an answer? Is it true that one can splice syntactical meaning with logical non-meaning? Can someone please explain/make better?

american red cross

Dear Sir/Madam,

I admit, maybe there is a flaw in my research method. Thus far I have been unable to find the answers to the following questions: What is the organizational structure of the American Red Cross? What is the chain of command? How does changes in the organization come about? (ie, who makes the changes? is there a board that vote on a bill? etc.)

Thank you.

julie

Take a look at [2]. The fourth paragraph (starting "Following World War II") gives their organisational structure in brief. There's an email address at the bottom of that page which might provide a good resource for followup questions.-gadfium 04:46, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

Name of a Movie

I'm looking for a movie that I saw when I was very young about a journalist who decided to write about being a Playboy bunny. I can't remember much else about it except that. If you could help me I would really like to know its name. Kitten 9:51pm Oregon

• Probably A Bunny's Tale, a 1985 TV-movie based on Gloria Steinem's experience and starting Kirstie Alley. --Metropolitan90 04:55, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

Thank you sooooo much I've being looking forever adn no one seems to know what I'm talking about:) Thanks agian:)

serenity prayer origins

There have been multiple claims that "Reinhold Niebuhr" popularized but not originated a much older version. Two of the more common original authors were Christoph Oetinger and Franz of Assisi.

If there had been earlier versions of this prayer, should we not be able to find in old texts in libraries in the world that have cited the prayer?

Has anyone claimed with "black on white" certainty, in whatever langauge, a printed source from a book earlier than 1900?

If none exist, then the WikiPedia entry should note this point as further support of the Reinhold Niebuhr claim to fame. Dlwl 04:47, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

Russian society

Why is the country of Russia more European than the rest of Asia? I can understand the western part being more like Europe but even the eastern section of Russian is far different the Mongolia, China, Japan or any other nearby coutries.

• Our Russia article should provide some assistance. Our Demographics of Russia article should be of some assistance as should our History of Russia article. Capitalistroadster 06:56, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

The western part of Russia is not just like Europe, it is in Europe. Valiantis 12:17, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

It is tempting to say the Europeans colonized what is now Russia (and some of that did happen, mainly from the Vikings), but in prehistoric times just the reverse happened, the people in Europe came from what is now Russia. That is why they are called Caucasians, after the Caucasus Mountains on the Southern border of Russia, where this broad ethnic group/gene pool/race apparently originated. StuRat 20:38, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

The "Caucasian" theory is pretty dubious; it comes from 19th century "racial theory" and is more or less based on one anatomist's personal preference for the skulls of people from that region as the exemplars of the "white race". The superficially similar idea that the Caucasus is the origin of the Indo-European languages, however, may be true.--Pharos 02:03, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

• Siberia and the Russian Far East has been extensively settled by ethnic Russians and Ukrainians from the west since the areas came under the control of the Russian Empire in the 19th century, a trend which continued during Soviet times, as in the Virgin Lands campaign.--Pharos 02:03, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

Can one name their child a curse word?

Hi, just a quick question, in the United States, I was wondering if it was legal to name a child a profanity. I would never do such a thing, but I was curious as to if there were any laws in the US that would stop this from occurring. My closest guess it that it be seen as a form of child abuse, perhaps, and the parents might be forced to either change the kids' name or give them up, but I don't know enough about US law to be sure. Okay, thanks for your time!

199.111.88.216 12:36, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

I would agree that someone would lock you up for child abuse or some such thing. I know it's not in the U.S. but in Sweden there was the case of "Albin". His parents named him Brfxxccxxmnpcccclllmmnprxvclmnckssqlbb11116 and insisted that it be pronounced "Albin". Dismas|^(talk) 14:07, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

No laws at all in the US. There are plenty of weird names out there. Some make you think "poor kid." I think the only requirement for a legal name change if you are an adult is that it not be done "with intent to defraud." alteripse 14:37, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

Happens all the time. Friends in Detroit tell me they've personally seen medical records with a girl name pronounced "Ash-oh-lay" spelled Asshole and another name pronounced Shi-thay-uh-d spelled Shithead. Unbelievable, but the parents thought it was just fine. I'm sure you could verify this with birth records which are probably public record. - Taxman ^Talk 16:14, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

• Well, those are classic urban legend -- down to the "friends" who personally have seen them. Snopes has a good discussion of these and other unlikely names (I've always been fond of the lovely name Chlamydia). As far as I know, there aren't any state laws restricting what parents can name their kids, and it's far from anything US Federal law would attempt to control (or at least one would hope.) --jpgordon∇∆∇∆ 22:10, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

Such a law does exist in Quebec. Some people tried to name their kid "Spatule," as in the kitchen utensil, but they were prevented from doing so [3]. -- Mwalcoff 23:57, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

There is a well known story about a little boy who asked his teacher why Mary and Joseph had named their baby after a swear word. Shantavira 13:03, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

My mother, a social worker once told me about a crack addict mother who was high as a kite at the time of her twins birth. She legally named on Chicken of the Sea and the other Master of the Universe. So who knows? Curse words might be no better. [moved from question below]

A child named Shithead is discussed in Freakonomics. Rmhermen 15:51, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

sovereign states

I wonder how come the field of international relations is reserved for 'sovereign states', while excluding minorities or autonomies.. Could any one refer me to treaties/agreements/conventions defining a 'state'? I've found the Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States, but it is (officially) limited to the Americas. Is there any convention in International Law which specifies 'sovereignity' and 'state'?

My understanding of this issue is that the definition of state as outlined in the Montevideo Convention is used as the de facto definition in international relations. -- Rune Welsh | ταλκ | Esperanza 21:29, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

It's one of those things that's hard to say. For example, the Universal Postal Union admits places that aren't states, e.g. Cayman Islands. The United States government traditionally had a test for whether or not to recognize a government. It had to have actual control over its territory, it had to respect international laws, and it had to have had peaceful intent. The U.S. didn't recognize the Soviet Union for some time because it immediately repudiated its international obligations and Communist doctrine was to take over the world. Basically, a state is any body which another country has recognized, e.g. some countries recognize Taiwan, others do not. PedanticallySpeaking 16:11, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

Novelist or Author?

Most writers are described (as in on their disambiguation page) as "Author", example: Melville (Herman). Some are described as "Novelist", example: Conrad (Joseph). What is proper? Which is most accurate and/or honorable? Should Wikipedia consistently denote things like this?

Thanks! --131.183.98.134 13:18, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

According to Author, "The author of a book, story, article or the like, is the person who has written it (or is writing it). This can be short or long, fiction or nonfiction, poetry or prose, technical or literature; in particular it is a profession (doing this for pay)." So an author is a writer, but a novelist is someone who writes novels. Since Herman Melville wrote not only novels, but also short stories and poetry, the writer(s) of the article may have chosen to use author rather than novelist. However, in his article he is referred to as a novelist. Joseph Conrad also wrote novels and short stories, so perhaps he would be more accurately described as an author, rather than only a novelist. Perhaps Wikipedia should be more consistent about this. Be bold and change it yourself!

Frederick Douglass

Try Frederick Douglass --Borbrav 00:09, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

Royal grants of title

Dear Sirs: Please tell me where I can find the actual wording of an English royal grant of title from the 17th Century under Charles I. If such a document is not available, any English royal document will be helpful. Thanks you. Louise M. Gouge

What do you mean by "grant of title" - a grant of a title of nobility, or of title to land? The Avalon Project has a selection of letters patent for land grants. Are you trying to replicate one, or to confirm if a copy of one is accurate? Shimgray | talk | 17:19, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

media history and politics

how did the media change between 1750 and now?

I'm not sure I understand your question. Are you asking how "the media" changed in the sense of "the people who produce news information" or do you mean the question to be about the changes in how news information is conveyed since that time? In either case the changes between the 18th century and now are pretty large, it'd be hard to sum them up. In a nutshell, a lot of this has to do with changes in publishing -- cheap newspapers, increased literacy, changing role of news organizations, changing role of nation/states and the rights of communication, creation of magazines and other essay-length periodicals, etc., which are already a number of BIG changes which happen in the early 19th century without even getting into the innovations of the 20th century like radio, television, and the internet. --Fastfission 16:57, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

You can argue that telegraph was the biggie. All the rest is just refinements... --Robert Merkel 07:52, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

calusa indians

What did the calusa indians eat?what did they drink?

• Our Calusa article is silent on the issue other than referring to mounds of shells which suggests seafood was an important part of their diet. This article [4] on various tribes of Native Americans in Florida states "The Caloosahatchee River ("River of the Calusa") was the main highway of the Calusa into the interior. Its banks teamed with small game and its waters were abundant with fish and shellfish. Calusa canoes could circumvent Lake Okeechobee and travel up the Kissimmee River into other tribal areas." It also seems that they were known as skilled hunters. Capitalistroadster 05:51, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

A title of Apollo

I have recently finished reading the excellent book War Music by Christopher Logue. It is a rewrite basically of the Illiad, and it is one of the most spectacular books I have ever read. I warmly recommend it to anybody, even if you're only slightly interested in Homer or poetry in general. Anyway, in the book he repeatadly calls Apollo The Lord of Light and Mice. The mice part is obviously a reference to the plauge amongst the greek troops. Now, I considered myself fairly knowledgable about classic greek works, in my youth I read both works by Homer aswell as several other great works, but I have never heard Apollo be called by that title. Logue says that his sources are exclusivly the several different translations of the Illiad (he can't even read greek), so is this something that like Alexander Pope used somewhere in his translation or something? Or is this a common title for the Sun-God? Any greek scholars here that can cast light on the subject? gkhan 16:11, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

'Lord of Light' obviously comes from his role as the sun god; 'Lord of Mice' is indeed found in Homer, as Σμινθέως (glossed as 'Mouse-god'). (The same epithet is also found in Pausanius and Strabo.) I can't find any combination of the two names in any classical works; it may be from one English translation or another, but I suspect that it is of the author's invention. —Charles P. (Mirv) 01:53, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

I agree the combined epithet was invented by Logue, but there is a nice summary of the epithet smintheos ("god of the mice") from line 39 of book 1 of the Iliad in Walter Leaf's commentary: Smintheu, lit. ‘Mouse-god’; Apollo was worshipped under this title in the Troad, as at Smyrna as ‘Locust-god,’ Parnopios. Strabo (p. 606) knows of several places named Sminthia, as far as Rhodes. The Sminthian temple near Cape Lekton existed to historical times; and even on late coins of Alexandria Troas Apollo appears with a mouse at his feet. Mr. Lang argues that this indicates the amalgamation of the Greek Apollo with a local mouse-god, originally a tribal totem. The common explanation is that the word is a familiar abbreviation of Sminthophthoros, destroying the field-mice or voles which ravaged the vineyards: hoi gar Krêtes tous muas sminthous kalousin Schol. A (see Frazer's note on Paus.x. 12. 5). Only a few years ago Thessaly was seriously injured by an invasion of these little pests. Others see in the mouse the symbol of plague, which would be especially suitable here. In Herodotos the destruction of the army of Sennacherib is attributed not to a plague but to a host of field-mice which gnawed the Assyrian bow-strings in the night. A somewhat similar story connected with the colonization of the Troad is told by Strabo (p. 604). In 1 Sam. vi. 4 golden mice are offered as a propitiation when visited by a plague (W. Robertson Smith Kinship and Marriage in Early Arabia p. 302, where further evidence is given for a Semitic mouse-god). erepsa seems to indicate the most primitive form of temple -- a mere roof to protect the image of a god standing in a grove; for it was to groves, not to buildings, that sanctity originally belonged. Temples are rarely mentioned in H.; we hear only of those of Apollo and Athene in Troy, and of Athene at Athens. See note on 5.446. charienta seems to be proleptic, for thy pleasure. For the construction of the prayer cf. E 115.

I snipped the above from the Perseus project. For other associations and allusions, the smintheos epithet is also discussed more extensively by Robert Graves in The Greek Myths than in any of the other compendia of Greek mythology I am aware of. alteripse 02:44, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

political science

please in not more than 2 pages, what is the definition and nature of political science?

Ohh, you mean something like this? Please read the top of the page, then you can look at Political science and start from there. gkhan 18:48, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

banker's visors

Why were those old-fashioned visors worn by bankers green?

what is the role of the Popoe in the Ctholic church

The earthly head. See Pope. —Charles P. (Mirv) 19:35, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

The Ctholic church? Do you mean the Church of Cthulhu? -- Arwel 00:08, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

Article and section or Amendment of the Constitution

If a personis indicted for a crime, what are all the rights which he has per the United States Constitution(Not the Miranda warning). What articles or Amendments are these listed under?

The simple solution here is to think - well, Miranda v. Arizona held that people's rights weren't being protected on arrest, so what rights did they hold people had? Our article on that case says:

The Court held that suspects, prior to being interrogated by police, must be informed of their rights under the Fifth and Sixth Amendments to the United States Constitution.

(Note that the "Miranda right" is just to be warned of your rights - it didn't actually create those rights.) Our articles on the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution and Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution may be useful, also note the Fourteenth (which holds that all persons, citizen or noncitizen, are covered by these rights). Shimgray | talk | 19:57, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

I'm neither American nor am I a lawyer, so take this with a grain of salt :P Off the top of my head:

• Fourth amendment guards against unlawful searches (not really a problem if you are already under arrest, but oh well)
• Fifth amendment guards against having to witness against yourself and establishes grand jurys
• Sixth amendment ensures a jury-trial in a criminal case
• Seventh amendment ensures a jury-trail in a civil case
• Eigth amendment guards against torture and excessive bail
• Fourteenth ensures due process and equal protection

I'm sure there are more. Please see our articles on these amendments for the details. Also, I guess technically you could say that the first amendment ensures free speach for prisoners :D gkhan 20:05, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

family name

Who are the best selling authors in human history?

Is there a list available of the authors who have published the most books, in order of the number of books they have published? This seems like a very simple/common thing to wonder about, but I haven't been able to find any information on, for example, author, writer, bestseller, or lists of authors. I am particularly interested in whether the forty million novels published by Terry Pratchett place him in, for example, the top ten or twenty novelists in history, by publication numbers. Thanks. -- Creidieki 23:02, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

1. God
2. Mao Zedong
   -- Миборовский ^U|T|C|E 02:36, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

I hope you don't mean the bible. A bunch of people wrote the bible, the idea of a god was just the inspiration ☢ Kieff | Talk 07:48, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

The Communist Manifesto must be somewhere near the Little Red Book in terms of all-time sales records. That has to put Karl Marx up there at number three. It puts The Beatles claim to be bigger than Jesus into perspective. --Diderot 11:44, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

I would doubt that. Mao's work was required reading for all citizens of the world's most populous country; this was never the case with the Communist Manifesto. (Indeed, you might argue that the behaviour of those who later called themselves Communists suggests they hadn't paid much attention to Marx's message at all...) Valiantis 00:43, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

• Technically, God didn't write the bible. He may have told people what to put in it, but it was the people on earth who actually put pen to paper. See Old Testament and New Testament. - 131.211.210.16 07:50, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

• Some was written directly. Ojw 19:47, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

However, if you are a believer, God did write the Koran (at least by dictation). That's probably sold a few copies. Valiantis 01:15, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

That is not exclusive to the Quran. The Bible has written dialogue or "dictation" from God as well. The Quran did sell about several million, but I cannot locate the exact number. In both books, many are distributed free of charge, making them difficult to calculate as bestsellers.23:38, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

According to her Wikipedia article Danielle Steel has sold 530 million novels. I make no claims as to the veracity of this figure, but it beats Terry Pratchett hands down if the 40 million figure quoted is correct. Valiantis 01:15, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

The appallingly uninventive Catherine Cookson has sold over 100 million according to our article, further knocking Pratchett down. I would strongly assume Stephen King has sold more than Pratchett, As would Tolkien. But I've tried dozens of tweaked searches to find a chart with no success. --bodnotbod 02:28, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

Greek word for excessive pride or ambition

hubris alteripse 01:19, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

Bob Dylan - Nashville Skyline

I know Dylan did all of his recordings "live" - never dubbed anything or laid down separate tracks. On Nashville Skyline at the beginning of the song "To Be Alone with You" he asks if the tape is rolling and then a few seconds later starts singing. Does anyone know if this was "planned" (which doesn't seem like something Dylan would do) or if this is just Dylan genuinely asking if the tape was rolling since this was a "live" take of him playing and singing like usual? Thanks. --Nadsat 00:56, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

Nadsat,

According to our article on Nashville Skyline, the recording of "To Be Alone With You" was very relaxed so I suspect it was unplanned and Dylan just liked the version of the song recorded in the take. The Allmusic.com article on the song states that the song was recorded in an "off-the-cuff atmosphere" see [5] so it seems it was unplanned. Capitalistroadster 06:06, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

Note also things like Bob Dylan's 115th Dream (where he collapses laughing) on Bringing It All Back Home, or various tracks on the Bootleg Series - there's a few starting with conversations, lead-ins, that sort of thing. Shimgray | talk | 11:49, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

Thank you for your responses. I have noticed many of the bootlegs have that sort of relaxed manner to them, but this was the first time I noticed it so blatantly on a released track. Although, perhaps the recording of Rainy Day Women #12 and #35 rivals this one. Thank you for confirming that Dylan never "pre-planned" his recordings - which makes them all the more admirable. --Nadsat 15:16, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

Boxer Rebellion

After I studied the Boxer Rebellion, I am wondering that what are the impacts of this event to China and "the outside world"? Would you please give me the answer as soon as possible and my e-mail address is (deleted to protect user's privacy). Thanks

edited for formatting and to remove user's e-mail address --Metropolitan90 02:05, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

• See Boxer Rebellion for information. --Metropolitan90 02:05, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

Mr Ardennes

On the National Archives WWII photo gallery, number 111, there is the photo of the German soldier sometimes known as "Mr Ardennes". What is his name? What unit did he belong to? When was he born? Was he killed? Thanks.
-- Миборовский ^U|T|C|E 02:08, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

The NARA's image description reads "A Nazi soldier, heavily armed, carries ammunition boxes forward with companion in territory taken by their counter-offensive in this scene from captured German film." Belgium, December 1944. but you probably already knew that. Date and place might give you a lead to figure out his unit... Lupo 08:25, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

The photographer (or cameraman, if it's a still from some movie) appears to have been on Fritz Winter [6], not to be confused with the painter Fritz Winter. However, on the various websites I found this image on there is some confusion on whether this is the photographer's name, the name of the soldier, or just a generic moniker. Lupo 08:51, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

Got some more on him: "This man was in Kampfgruppe Hansen of the 2nd Company, I./SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt 1. His name is Walter Armbrusch, and he possesed the rank of SS-Schütze as an MG-42 gunner. Here he is seen after a successful attack on an Allied reconnaisance convy, with gear obtained from it. The picture is taken during the early days the Battle of the Bulge.". See [7], where there are a few more pictures of him. Maybe you can find more info in the book by Paul Pallud, The Battle of the Bulge, 1986; ISBN 0-90091-340-1, where he even features on the title. Lupo 09:10, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

And then again, maybe he's not Walter Armbrush: [8]... Also, see [9] and [10]. Contact the museum at Poteau... Lupo 09:32, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

HELP ME PLEASE

can someone please tell me what is the physical, metaphysical and spiritual nature of god as well as some of his personality traits, scars, tattoos, defining characteristics and his hair colour? PLEASE ANSWER RIGHT AWAY I NEED THIS FOR MY HOMEWORK FOR TOMORROW

Seriously, we don't do you your homework for you, and there's no way we can provide a short answer to a question that has prompted millions of pages of discussion amongst theologians and philosophers for thousands of years. Try Gadfium's suggestion.--Robert Merkel 06:05, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

So he did, live and learn. --fvw* 06:24, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

Sent to Wikipedia:Unusual requests. --cesarb 23:01, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

Industrial revolution between 1760 and 1830

Hi, i have a question in mind. Does Industrial Revolution leads to Asia being colonized by the West? Thanks shuhui

• Shuhui,

Our Industrial Revolution article states that took place in the late 18th and early 19th century. The chronology of Imperialism in Asia states that the Portuguese conquered Sri Lanka in 1505 and the process was well underway by the time that the Industrial Revolution started. Capitalistroadster 07:58, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

It didn't lead to it, but it did speed up the process by reducing the travel time between Europe & Asia & by increasing the industrial production capacity of Europe, & hence its demand for raw materials & its ability to provide colony countries with manufactured goods to bind them to the west (& in the case of guns & bullets to speed the process of conquest). AllanHainey 12:18, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

Rescind or revoke the Nobel Peace Prize

Has the Nobel Peace Prize ever been revoked, rescinded, stripped from, taken back, or otherwise discredited with respect to a particular recipient? Have there been political controversies after the fact of awarding the Prize? Has it ever been refused, on the part of the recipient?

To quote Richard Feynman:

Then I began to think, "How can I turn this all off? I don't want any of this!" So the first thing was to take the telephone off the hook, because calls were coming one right after the other. I tried to go back to sleep, but found it was impossible.

I went down to the study to think: What am I going to do? Maybe I won't accept the Prize. What would happen then? Maybe that's impossible.

I put the receiver back on the hook and the phone rang right away. It was a guy from Time magazine. I said to him, "Listen, I've got a problem, so I want this off the record. I don't know how to get out of this thing. Is there some way not to accept the Prize?"

He said, "I'm afraid, sir, that there isn't any way you can do it without making more of a fuss than if you leave it alone."

Now, he was talking about Physics not Peace, but the principle applies - it's really very difficult to refuse a Nobel prize without causing a massive amount of fuss. I don't believe anyone has done it. It's been treated as a joke with regards to some recipients - Henry Kissinger was a popular topic of satire, for example - but the prize itself hasn't been discredited nor have they had it revoked; note, though, that in many years it simply hasn't been awarded. In something as "political" as Peace, though, I suspect they quietly sound out the recipient to see if they're likely to do something messy like refuse it. Shimgray | talk | 11:38, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

• Actually, Le Duc Tho refused when he and Kissinger were awarded it. Likewise, Jean-Paul Sartre refused his, though it got kind of messy. --jpgordon∇∆∇∆ 17:47, 7 October 2005 (UTC)
  • Gerhard Domagk and Richard Kuhn were forced to refuse Nobel Prizes by the Nazi Germany, but they accepted it after the war. Tintin 03:11, 9 October 2005 (UTC)
  • Boris Pasternak was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1958, but he declined to accept it, probably under pressure from the Soviet authorities. Tintin 10:25, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

A Nobel Prize can be refused but not taken back. After the outbreak of widespread Palestinian violence in 2001, people (depending on which side they were on) called for the rescinding of Yasser Arafat and Shimon Peres' peace prizes. But the Nobel people said that once you win a prize, it's yours to keep, just like on Wheel of Fortune. -- 70.27.57.22 00:28, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

They took it back from Milli Vanilli. Oh, no wait - I'm thinking of something else. --bodnotbod 02:42, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

SURVEY OF SELECTED SOCIETIES AND CULTURES IN AFRICA SOUTH OF THE SAHARA.

Africans clim to be the pace-setters in development but are still one of the deprived continents in the world.discuss

That's not a question. And which Africans, exactly, "clim" to be the pace-setters in development? – Quadell ^(talk) 11:53, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

Presidential approval ratings

Greetings. According to a Time poll, President Bush's approval rating is now down to 37%, his lowest ever. When was the last time any president had such a low approval rating? I assume Nixon's was lower toward the end, but has there been a case since then? – Quadell ^(talk) 11:51, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

There are "end of term" approval ratings which are recorded as lower, but these are generally statistically freaky - people who lose tend to have people saying they really preferred the other guy &c. So Nixon was 24% when he left, and Carter 34% according to [11] - but you'd get more realistic numbers if you polled people the day before the election, not after. [12] has some polling data for the same week in their second terms, which is more the sort of data we're looking for. Gallup says Truman had the lowest approval ever, 23% in January 1952 - but in January '52, as mentioned above, we'd be looking at an end-of-office poll so it may be exaggerated. [13]. Carter apparently hit a disapproval of 59%, which probably means under 37% approval (these figures never add up due to "undecided") during summer '79, so he's probably the last case - not really the example W. would like to compare himself to, I fear. (Before you cry "but Ford!", people kinda liked Ford, all told. Heck, I like Ford. He didn't screw up much.) Shimgray | talk | 12:32, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

ABC News says George H.W. Bush hit 33 percent during his presidency. That was right before the 1992 election. -- 70.27.57.22 00:22, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

also, do we have a list of US presidents who got the electoral vote without a popular majority, somewhere? I am curious as to how many times this has happened. 17:09, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

never mind, I found it, it happened four times, John Quincy Adams 1824, Samuel J. Tilden 1876, Benjamin Harrison 1888 and George W. Bush 2000.

survey of selected societies and cultures in sub saharan africa.

African claims to be the pace-setters in development but it is still one of the deprived continents in the world.80.255.50.66 13:34, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

What's your question? Dismas|^(talk) 13:49, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

Anything that ends "Discuss" is obviously a homework question! Notinasnaid 14:21, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

Vocal range: Contralto and Sopprano

Hello, I've been looking all over the web for an answer to this question, so I hope you can help me. Recently, I started taking private vocal lessons, and discovered that my usable vocal range spans a little over 3 octaves. From D above tennor C to F above sopprano C. This covers both the Contralto and Sopprano ranges, and I wanted to know if there is a term for that, which I could put down on an application to music school. I've asked my teacher, but she isn't classically trained and doesn't know.

Thank you for your help.

Georgia

• Mezzo-soprano, perhaps? I'm not familiar with the terminology of the field, though, and that seems to be a seperate classification which is not quite one nor the other. Looking at Fach might help, or Vocal ranges.
• Alternately, if you just want your range determined, you could contact a vocal teacher who is classically trained (your teacher may know one) and ask if they'd be willing to let you know the proper terminology for the applications, for a small fee. They'll likely know this stuff better than someone who can't hear you! Shimgray | talk | 15:26, 7 October 2005 (UTC)
• Most women's voices are naturally centred on the range of mezzo-soprano, and most women feel more comfortable singing closer to that range. It is important to note the difference between possible vocal range and the useful one: being able to eac a certain note does not mean that you will necessarily be able to sing it well. A trained voice is able to expand its range, though it often develops quite distinct registers. These are a bit like gears on a bike or car: the voice changes in timbre as it shifts register. It would be useful to sing through your range (ascending and descending) with your teacher and notice where the distinct divisions of register fall. This might give you some idea of your technical proficiency in a certain vocal range. Besides that, simply choose what is most comfortable and which range appeals to you most, noting that there is often more competition between sopranos than there is between other singers. --Gareth Hughes 15:35, 7 October 2005 (UTC)
• I have no idea, but congrats on having such an amazing range. ♥purplefeltangel ^(talk) ♥ ^(contribs) 21:27, 7 October 2005 (UTC)
• I've been doing a lot of editing on vocal range articles in Wikipedia, so I'm delighted to see a question about it. I do love being useful. I agree with Shimgray. The only way to determine your voice type in classical terms is to work with a classical teacher for a few months and have him/her figure it out. Voice classification involves not just range but timbre, tessitura, registration, and so on. Until you've had some time to work out these things with a professional, it's not really sensible to apply a label. And, of course, it depends on what sort of music you tend to sing. Keep at the lessons, and worry about the labels later. 02:52, 8 October 2005 (UTC)
• My son has almost the same range as an "unchanged" voice at 12-years old. The opera company lists him as a "Treble", a woman in the same range a "Mezzo-Soprano".
• It will help your web search if you spell soprano correctly. --Auximines 13:07, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

Autonomy and Foreign Affairs

This is a restatement of a question above the received no replies. We're studying the relationships between sovereign states and autonomous regions or autonomous identity groups. It seems commonly accepted that 'international affairs' is a competency (a responsibility or delegated power) that is 'reserved' for the central government or the sovereign state, meaning then that autonomous regions generally are excluded from international affairs. Of course, there are exceptions. What we would like someone to help with is to point us at a reference that explains or defines or identifies the source of this generally accepted international legal norm. We would like to be able to point to the foundational documents, treaties, or international agreements which indicate how this practice came into effect. Thanks if you can help!

The first particular case I can think of is the US, where the "sovereign states" merged into a single entity and signed away their competency to international relations.

I remember reading some interesting debate on "montevideo minus one" entities a while back - places that fulfil three of the four Montevideo criteria - which is here. (Yes, Montevideo technically only refers to the Americas, but it is considered generally relevant in international affairs anyway - it's not binding, but it's something usually accepted as Making Good Sense). As one of the four criteria is "ability to enter into relations wirh other states", you might find it interesting. Shimgray | talk | 15:37, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

Does having a military establishment create competency in that it's not so important to talk to someone who cannot invade your territory? --Gareth Hughes 15:58, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

During the Middle Ages, and earlier periods, it was common for local leaders to actively involve themselves in international relations. The Treaty of Westphalia is often considered the point where Europe switched to modern nation state based diplomacy. This came about, in part, because the central governments gained a monopoly on violence during this era. - SimonP 19:24, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

Actually, sometimes, subnational governments do get involved in international affairs. The Canadian province of Quebec, which likes to act as if it's an independent country, has its own ministry of international relations and has quasi-embassies all over the world. In the U.S., states are prevented from signing binding international agreements under Article I, Section 10 of the Constitution. Nonetheless, states regularly engage in nonbinding agreements and cooperation with foreign entities. See this article on the role of North American states and provinces in foreign affairs. -- Mwalcoff 01:09, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

Many US states, and even major cities, have trade missions to other nations, states and cities ... check out sister cities for example.

Can a political entity join the United Nations or take grievances there?

Some American Indians complained to the UN that the USA had violated some treaties with them. Very true, but the UN did not recognize the tribes as having standing at the UN. AlMac|^(talk) 02:57, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

There are various non-national entities with accepted observer status at the UN - see United Nations General Assembly observers - but they can't actually join, as this is reserved for sovereign states (and in effect not all of them - Taiwan, whilst generally considered sovereign by the world, won't be able to join as China would be sure to veto it) Shimgray | talk | 19:39, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

I don't know the source for the 'accepted legal norm' that only sovereign states are the only ones able to deal with other sovereign states in international affairs. I don't think that there is a specific legal document which sets it out (apart from impositions imposed by central government on the limits of the authority of their provinces or devolved components. I would suspect one or more of the following as the reason though:

1) No sovereign state is going to deal with a non sovereign state (Eg France makes a treaty with Wales) as it would lead to conflict, & possibly war, with the country (sovereign state) which claims that territory (Eg United Kingdom). Although in the past such things have occurred with countries making deals with governments in exile where the 'sovereign state' is one they are already at war with(eg UK sheltered, recognised & made agreements with French, Polish in exile in WW2 when their countries were no longer sovereign as they'd been occupied by Nazi germany.

2) No sovereign state would want to make deals with a constituent part of another country for fear that country will recognise & make treaties with parts of its own territory (EG the USA wouldn't have made a treaty with Scotland incase the UK made a treaty with Virginia, the CSA, etc).

3) Unless you are intentionally aiming to destabilise another country there would be no point in dealing with non-sovereign states as the sovereign state which claims authority over them wouldn't recognise any agreement (Eg if you made a treaty with Catalonia Spain wouldn't recognise it and would probably get very upset at both of you. Also if Catelonia made such an treaty in its own name it could be considered as an act of secession & could be quickly surpressed).

4) Unless it is making a bid for autonomy/independence no non-sovereign state is going to make a deal on international relations with a sovereign state. If its bid succeeds then it is a sovereign state itself & its agreement before that is forgotten (EG American colonies alliance with France before they won independence), or if they fail the agreement is forgotten & no longer valid (Can't think of any examples of this, though that may prove the point). AllanHainey 15:44, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

A basic principle of most international organizations (UN, African Union, OAS, etc.) is non-intereference by the organization or its members in the internal affairs of another member. making treaties or delas with a sub-national entity would violate that principle. I would expect that national governments developed that principle to protect their own positions against foreign interference. There are some small deviations from the principle: the Government of Quebec (as "Canada-Quebec"), and the French Community of Belgium are members La Francophonie as "participating governments", but these are rare exceptions. Ground Zero | t 21:40, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

One historical case I've just remembered is the British East India Company which was a non-sovereign commercial entity which made binding treaties (though they usually broke them) with a large number of Indian principalities & sovereign states. On a number of occasions even buying & selling some of those states to/from other Indian rulers. AllanHainey 07:11, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

Are patents copyrighted?

Are patent copyrighted? Are the text and images in a patent application copyrighted? Thanks. -- BMIComp (talk, HOWS MY DRIVING) 15:31, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

Unless explicitly stated otherwise I would assume so. They are original work, they are creative, so yes. Shimgray | talk | 15:37, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

• They're patented rather than copyrighted. But the effect is the same. You can't use such material. - Mgm|^(talk) 16:27, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

To clarify: Of course the concepts being patented are copyrighted, but I'm fairly certain the actual documents involved in applying for a patent are public domain, if that's what you were asking. (But IANA patent L.) So you should be able to copy patent documents to your heart's content; just not the concepts. Garrett Albright 17:38, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

Why would the patent documents be public domain? Yes, they're public information in the sense that they're not secret, but I'm not at all sure they're not copyrighted... Shimgray | talk | 17:56, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

The official patents are published by the US Government, and therefore can't be copyrighted, correct? Brian Schlosser42 20:13, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

That's right. When you apply for a patent, the materials are made freely available and public domain (in regards to copyright.) – Quadell ^(talk) 20:30, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

Doesn't automatically follow, though - the USG can't claim copyright on its original work, but it is legally able to hold copyrights originally claimed by others; the GPO is able to publish copyrighted works, for example.

That said, I checked with the USPTO - Patents are published into the public domain as part of the terms of granting the patent to the inventor. As such, they are not subject to copyright restrictions. [14]. Note it may still contain trademark images, so be careful when assuming freely-republishable. [Also, usual picky "well, he didn't say the US..." disclaimer ;-)] Shimgray | talk | 22:26, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

• It also depends on which country. That might apply in the US but not in other countries with different Copyright laws. For example, much material from the US Government is in the public domain but that does not necessarily apply elsewhere. I would check with the relevant patent authority unless you are interested in the US. Capitalistroadster 08:54, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

Psychology

What is the philosophical difference or approach difference between social psychology and clinical psychology? (Is there a web site or a reference that you can recommend with a chart or a simplified explanation showing situations and both the clinical and social psychologists response to that situation or question?)Thank you------Cathy

The professional duties of a clinical psychologist are to her patients. Her most common work is dealing with the mental health problems of individual people. Her success is usually largely dependent on her patients' satisfactions or outcomes.

The duties of a social psychologist are nearly always to her employer, whether it be a university, a commercial business, a government agency, or a large organization that deals with the public. Her most common work is to understand, or devise ways to change, the behavior of groups or categories of people. Her success is largely judged by whether her employer or academic peers find her reports or suggestions worthwhile or useful. She is unlikely to deal individually with people in a therapy capacity.

And here is a value-added freebie: A clinical social worker is a different animal from both of those. Her training is different, but her work more closely resembles that of a a clinical psychologist than a social psycholgist. alteripse 20:17, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

Window types

Is there a such thing as "French" window? What are they? Is there a name for floor-to-ceiling windows? --213.186.190.39 16:54, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

• Yes, a French window (or French door) is a large window that reaches down to the floor and may also be used as a door. Why "French" I'm not sure. I don't know any special name for a floor-to-ceiling window. Maybe "picture window", but that's not necessarily floor-to-ceiling. --Bob Mellish 17:00, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

• French windows ;) Ojw 11:56, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

• An image search might help you, though not all the hits are valid. --bodnotbod 02:56, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

Music

Looking for some information on Music? --Borbrav 03:22, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

Does not compute... Need more parameters. =p __earth 14:20, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

Philosophers who said that a God who intervenes in the world miraculously is not benevolent

I'm currently researching the idea that if God performs miracles in the world he is not considered benevolent. An idea shared by Wiles and Hume that I know of. Especially with infant deity argument.

This obviously links with the problem of evil and epistemic distance.

Arguments for and against from philosophers and perhaps personal opinions would be useful.

Define benevolent, and define miracles?--inks^T 01:17, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

The Judaeo-Christian concept of God. A miracle as an act of God such as creation or direct interevention such as healing a foot.

The major argument for would be that if God does do miracles, then God can do miracles, and if he is benevolent, there is no reason why He can't do a whole lot more miracles. God would then either be arbitary (since it cannot be reasonably argued that people who recieve miracles are more deserving than those who don't), or actually cruel. God would, of course, also be rendered imperfect, because events in the world would be shown to be not part of His plan to such an extent that He needs to dabble and fix things.--Fangz 01:01, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

• I would also suggest you look at our Miracle article which discusses the concept from various points of view. Capitalistroadster 08:59, 9 October 2005 (UTC)
• and theodicy.

Why not take as a supposition God giving man free will is evidence of benevolence. If God intervenes, that free will is taken away and God is not being benevolent.

• Surely that depends on the manner of the intervention? If his intervention is in healing and offering greater wealth then he is increasing freedom and still benevolent. --bodnotbod 03:01, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

I disagree ;-) If God intervenes, God takes away man's free will to choose and experience the consequences of his actions. That is not benevolence: that is a patrician "Let Pa Clean Up Your Mess" attitude I'm sure enlightened beings wouldn't be proud of asserting on those more clumsy.

Pronunciation of the artist Edgar Degas's name

A friend once told me that the correct pronunciation of Degas's name was Degas, with the final "s" being sounded, rather than "Degah". Never have I heard it pronounced thus. What do you think?--Nora Brown 23:24, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

Click the audio link: Webster lots of issues | leave me a message 01:00, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

Funny things over at MWD: the link led me straight to degas (that is gas removal), and only then to Degas. However, as it used its own non-scientific pronunciation key the dictionary is a bit of a nonsense when it comes to pronunciations. However, the tradition of not pronouncing s at the end of a French word is not straighforward. There are many place names and personal names that retain the pronunciation of the final s. Thus, I have a strong suspicion that the final letter of Degas is pronounced. However, most dictionaries say that this letter isn't pronounced. --Gareth Hughes 13:44, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

I've updated the Edgar Degas article with the IPA transcription of the what I believe to be the most appropriate pronunciation. This does not have the -s pronounced. I'll keep looking for sources on this one. --Gareth Hughes 14:58, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

Warfuse

I was at a local war museum the other day, taking pictures for the glory of Wikipedia with my trusty Cyber-shot, when I saw this captured German artillery piece (Image:Capturedgermanartillery.JPG), which I managed to identify as an M96nA, from World War I. On the blue plaque affixed to the front, it says:

GERMAN 77mm GUN
Taken by 33rd Aust Battalion
at WARFUSE 8 Aug 1918

I googled "Warfuse", but could find nothing helpful in English. I scoured around Wikipedia, looking for something relevant about that date, August 8, 1918. That was the day that the Battle of Amiens, which pitted a Canadian/Australian force against the Germans, began. I've placed the image of the gun on the Amiens page, as it seems almost certain that that was when it was captured, but I'm curious: does anyone know anything about this Warfuse place? DO'Иeil 06:59, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

It's a poorly spelled version of Warfusée, a village just outside of Amiens, now part of the municipality of Lamotte-Warfusée, Somme. --Diderot 08:29, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

Ah, alright. I had suspected that "Warfuse" was perhaps a little village near Amiens somewhere, thanks for clearing this up. —DO'Иeil 04:14, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

What came first, Catholicism or Christianity?

--66.74.170.119 10:09, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

They should have appeared at the same time -- Catholic basically means "lack of divisions", and was used by the early christians. The term Christian was coined by observers, rather than by the christians themselves, and would have been used at about the same time. If you're asking about Roman Catholic, then History of the Roman Catholic Church mentions that it started 313AD, when the Roman Empire (specicially, Emperor Constantine) adopted Christianity. Ojw 11:35, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

There are different answers to your question from different perspectives. For example, the present Roman Catholic church claims to be the original and only valid Christian church. Their official doctrinal answer would be that Christianity and Roman Catholicism began together with the spread of the Gospel by the first Apostles. From a non-Roman Catholic historical perspective and a broader definition of Christianity (all the churches who proclaim that Christ is the prinicipal historical connection between humanity and God) then you might argue that Roman Catholicism only came into being by defining itself against other groups who were also Christian. There were many different forms of Christianity in the first 3 centuries AD, some of which survived and many of which did not survive the push for hegemony by the orthodox church in the West. Finally, from a semantic perspective, you might note that no group calls itself catholic (as in universal) until it is not or has not been catholic. alteripse 12:14, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

From memory, Ignatius of Antioch (who died sometime around the beginning of the 2nd century) was the first person to use the term catholic. By it he meant the worldwide church that held fast to a consensus of revealed doctrine (i.e. excluding heretics) and obedience to one's bishop. On the other hand, the Bibile itself tells us, in the Acts of the Apostles 11.26, that the followers of Jesus were first called Christian in Antioch. This suggests that this term is older. --Gareth Hughes 19:25, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

I take your question to mean, which came first, the belief in Jesus as the son of God, or the Roman Catholic Church. If this is what you meant, there were definitely many who believed Jesus was the son of God before the formation of the Roman Catholic Church, which happend a few centuries after the death of Christ. One could even argue that some believed in Christianity prior to the birth of Jesus, in that there were many who believed in a prophecy of His birth. StuRat 20:53, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

stereotype

can you explain more about stereotype?

More than what's in our stereotype article? Dismas|^(talk) 14:39, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

The question was answered back in 2002, by contributors to the stereotype article. Talk about efficiency! It's almost like they predicted your question. Ojw 14:50, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

Baseball

who invented baseball?

See Origins of baseball. —Charles P. (Mirv) 18:37, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

Name of Island

What is the name of the island between South Africa and Australia, where both English and French are spoken? Thank you Pattron

Maybe you're thinking of the Seychelles. --Gareth Hughes 20:24, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

"Suzy and Cecil sell seashells and C-shells by the seashore in the Seychelles."

Or perhaps you're after Mauritius? —DO'Иeil 04:17, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

Well it could also be Réunion, but all these islands are not between South Africa and Australia but further north between Mozambique and Australia. Don't forget about Madagascar which the population speaks French and a local Malagasy language--Jcw69 12:26, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

democritus the mathematician and any link to democracy.

Sir maam I would like to know if there is any link between democritus the ancient greek mathematician that had a delemma with the atomic structure of a cone shape because he could not percieve atomic bonding other than in parralel planes hence instead of being smooth the cone would be stepped.Further to this he also believed that there was a hiarchy and that everything had its place and that there is no God. Hence you can see the relevance of my question is democracy named after him.Because if it is it might explain the reference to the devils number and it being that of a man.Also the reference to wise men and numbers(mathamatics)in the bible.Hence democracy is in oposition to God,as was its namesake.

I doubt if democracy is named after him, more likely both his name and democracy share the same root word. As for his argument on the cylinder, he was right, it is rough at the atomic level, not smooth. Of course, the surfaces of all shapes are relatively rough at the atomic level. StuRat 21:26, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

Democracy stems from the greek words δημος (demos), meaning The people, and κρατειν (kratein), meaning to rule. I.e. it means "The rule of the people". Also, I would personally like to say that I believe that democracy is very much formed in the same spirit as christianity. Democracy preaches that all men and women everywhere are equals, none should have more power than anyone else. This is certainly in the spirit of Christ, no? gkhan 00:07, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

In relation to this, I believe the -crit- part of the name is from the Greek word κριτης (krites) meaning judge. Thus Democritus is "judge of the people". [[Sam Korn]] 14:21, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

That's quite a strange logical path you're winding. You go from "Democritus had a mathematical question which made him think there was no God" (I have no idea if this is true or not), to "If democracy is named after him, then democracy must be in opposition to God". I'm not sure I follow you on that one. --Fastfission 14:51, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

There's no etymological connection, but historically Democritus and the Atomists were just about the only ancient Greek philosophical school to embrace democracy, a system of government strongly opposed by Socrates, Plato and Aristotle.--Pharos 06:07, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

Regarding the last battle scene from the movie Cleopatra

I have two questions which I would appreciate guidance to other sources of information and/or a/some webpage(s) in Wikipedia on the following: (1) Is the Roman general(?) "Ruffio" as called by Marc Antony (played by the late Richard Burton) a true figure in Ancient Roman history or a fictional character in the movie? If "Ruffio" was a real figure in history can you give more information on his life and military history/science especially in relation to the battle described below in (2)? (2) Was the battle between Octavion's and Agrippa's 20 legions (as described in the movie) versus Antony's and Ruffio's 2 legions true [I surmise it took place near what is now Alexandria, Egypt] (in which Antony's and Ruffio's 2 legions desert them and in fact Ruffio is assasinated as depicted in the movie and no actual blood was shed (except Ruffio's)?) If this highly dramtic battle (in the movie) is historically true...can you give the name of this battle, when it occurred, and the military history/science of it (especially how soldiers from both sides were deployed before the fighting began). Thank you very much. Sincerely, a fan of chess and the film "Cleopatra" starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.

The article on the battle of Actium doesn't answer all your questions, but may be of use to you. --Gareth Hughes 03:05, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

Our Cleopatra article says the characters name was Rufio played by Martin Landau. According to Cleopatra: Ruling in the Shadow of Rome by Julian Morgan, Julius Caesar left an ex-slave by that name in charge of the legions in Egypt. A character by that name appeared in Caesar and Cleopatra by George Bernard Shaw. 203.26.16.66 09:29, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

That was me. Capitalistroadster 09:43, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

Most of what we know about Octavian's final defeat of Mark Antony comes from the biography of the latter in Plutarch's Parallel Lives (which may not be entirely reliable). See [15] for the Loeb translation. Note that Rufio does not appear in the ancient accounts, so perhaps his role was invented later (I note that he appears in George Bernard Shaw's 1901 play Caesar and Cleopatra; perhaps Shaw had noted the remark in Suetonius that Julius Caesar had given the command of his legions in Alexandria to the son of his freedman Rufinus). Gdr 16:34, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

Federalism vs Anti-Federalism

I am trying to study on my US History and not being quite up to date on this/ I am 48 years old trying to go to school I have a couple of questions.

1. Is a Federalists the same as or close to a Republican?

2. If your not a Federalist are you a Democrat?

Please if anyone can help me with this and explain it in simple terms then please let me know.

Childofyah 03:08, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

No to both questions. While US politics has consistently split into two opposing parties (sometimes with a significant third party, as well), the issue over which the split occurs has changed over time. The original split was over whether we should have a strong central government and weak states or strong states and a weak central government. The strong central government side eventually won, then the issue moved on to pro- or anti-slavery. After the anti-slavery side won, the split became primarily economic, with Democrats on the side of the poor and Republicans on the side of the rich. A new dynamic seems to be emerging in recent years, with Republicans being on the side of a religious society and Democrats favoring secular values. It's too soon to tell if this is a permanent shift or just a temporary trend, however. StuRat 03:45, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

Democrats on the side of the poor and Republicans on the side of the rich -- Careful! It would be more correct to say that the Dems are/were in favor of higher taxes and more social programs, whereas the Republicans are/were more for tax cutbacks and reduction of social programs -- though it hasn't been quite that simple, either. And the goals of political parties have fluctuated wildly over time, so just as you can't say Anti-Federalists == Democrats, you can't say Democrats ca 1870 == Democrats now; Dems today tend to be in favor of affirmative action programs that give benefits to minorities, yet during most of the civil rights struggle of the last two centuries, they were on the side of white hegemony.

So I guess the simplest terms I could use would be this: If you try to collaborate the political parties of today with the political parties of yesterday, you'll drive yourself bonkers. Garrett Albright 08:24, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

I stand by my statement that Democrats have been primarily on the side of the poor and Republicans on the side of the rich, at least since FDR took office. Using your example, higher taxes supported by Democrats disproportionately affect the wealthy, even if there is a future flat rate tax, and even more so under the current progressive rate. Social programs disproportionately help the poor, at least that is their goal. There are some thoughts that many social programs may actually harm people, in the long run, by encouraging dependency, but that certainly was not the intent of those programs. Republican initiatives, like reducing business and environmental regulation, also disproportionately help business owners, who tend to be wealthier than the average American. StuRat 16:27, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

I like to think of it that Democrats are more like social democrats (prefer some kind of welfare state) while neocons are free markeeters. __earth 05:52, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

Or, stated from the opposite POV, Democrats prefer a social safety net while Republicans believe in economic "survival of the fittest", which they take to mean themselves, the rich. StuRat 14:42, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

Ah, but that's assuming the simplistic fallacy that all Republicans are rich, which is just as clearly incorrect as saying all Democrats are poor. Garrett Albright 17:08, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

Our United States Federalist Party explains the history of the Federalists who were led by John Adams and Alexander Hamilton. They were opposed by the Democratic-Republican Party (United States) led by Thomas Jefferson who were called the Republicans but who who were not modern-day Republicans. Indeed, they evolved into the modern day Democratic Party (United States) at the time of Andrew Jackson. The Republican Party (United States) evolved from the United States Whig Party and their first President was Abraham Lincoln. The above articles contain more information. Capitalistroadster 09:54, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

Law Codification

I would like to bring to your attention that under the section of Napoleonic Codes you have an error. Before this codification, another successful codificatoin was made in Malta under the Knights of St. John. The man who was responsible for this codification was later on also in charge of codifying the Napoleonic Code. If you would like any further information please contact me on <removed e-mail>

• We would be interested in finding out more. It may well have potential for an article or articles. Capitalistroadster 10:16, 9 October 2005 (UTC)
  • Thanks for your suggestion. When you believe an article needs improvement, please feel free to change it. You can edit almost any article on Wikipedia by just following the Edit link at the top of the page. We encourage you to be bold in updating pages, because wikis like ours develop faster when everybody edits. Don't worry too much about making honest mistakes—they're likely to be found and corrected quickly. You can always preview your edits before you publish them or test them out in the sandbox. If you need additional help, check out our getting started page or ask the friendly folks at the Teahouse. Dismas|^(talk) 14:33, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

New Zealand legal

Can you provide information on the penalties for shop lifting, including diversion for a first time offender without previous convictions of any sort? -- Miriam

• If you are in New Zealand, it would be better to contact your local Community Law Office, or Citizens Advice Bureau. [16] and [17] --inks^T 22:00, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

nelson

when nelson was born

Do you mean Horatio Nelson, British Admiral from Battle of Trafalgar? Nelson Mandela, South African Politician? Nelson Muntz, Simpsons Character (!)? There is a more complete list of Nelsons at Nelson. smurrayinchester^{(User), (Talk)} 13:29, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

Egypt

Explain why wood in egypt was so expensive. and tell me were you got the info from so send the link.

This link will tell you how much forest and woodland there is in Egypt. You should then be able to work out the rest of your homework question by yourself. Shantavira 18:25, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

Middle Ages

What were the natural resources of Europe during the Middle Ages?

Jenna

Please do your own homework questions. Although, there was a lot of wood. smurrayinchester^{(User), (Talk)} 20:22, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

Can't you be locked up for suggesting "a lot of wood" to a schoolgirl? Majts 23:56, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

No, but you can for making jokes like that. DJ Clayworth 18:55, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

I Imagine the same as they have now only more. Their was also many wild animals such as bears and Wolfs.

The Jewish Tabernacle

I am doing a special school project on making the Jewish tabernacle. I've looked everywhere on the internet and I'm still confused on the outer design on the tabernacle. It's supposed to be a cheribum (a winged angel) but I've got 2 different pictures with 2 different design neither in the deisgn of a cheribum or anything near it. Would you pleas help me by supplying an accurate design because I don't want to get a bad grade because of a pattern error... The Student

Is that the same as the Temple of David ? StuRat 01:57, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

Are you constructing it according to the instructions in Exodus? No one knows what a cherubim looked like, so you can't flunk unless your teacher is certain he knows and made a big deal out of telling you exactly why he knows. Most modern depictions use a conventional 19th century angel images, a "guy in a robe with wings". Here are google image searches for tabernacle [[18] or cherubim [19]. alteripse 11:41, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

guys, you are confusing tabernacle (the tent) with the Ark of the Covenant (the box with cherubim). Also "Jewish Tabernacle" is a bit of an anachronism. It should more properly be called "Hebrew Tabernacle". 17:05, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

How so? I know the difference and assumed he was referring to the one with detailed specs from exodus, and wanted pictures of cherubim so he could put the ark in the tabernacle. alteripse 17:43, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

Vostok1 patch

I am wondering what the letters are on the side of the ball(space pod) in the patch. I believe it might be CCCp but am not sure. I need to know for a project I am doing. --sarah

Yep, you are correct, CCCP stands for Союз Советских Социалистических Республик which is USSR in Cyrillic Majts 23:23, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

HELP! I need some information on Upton Sinclair.....

Hi! I need to find out what Upton Sinclair's height and weight were when he died. Do you happen to know where I can find this info??? I have searched and searched for this and cannot find it. If you find it, can you email me at [e-mail removed]??? Thanks!!!

numismatist, what does it mean?

Someone who studies and/or collects (for other than value as money) coins and currency. See Numismatics.

Automatic ?drawing?

Can someone give me the name of the museum or a link to it's website in which I can find the Czechoslovakian, or Czech artwork of a cult from the mid to late 20th century where they used a trance like state to draw creatures from other worlds? phew. I know the cult was from Czechoslovakia and they denounced alcohol, tobacco, drugs, and even sex. If anyone could shine any light on this it would be great!! - Joe

Concentration Camp No. 333 in Poland

My father was in subject concentration camp in 1943-44 as an Italian Army officer. In reading his memoirs I find that it was near a town called Beniaminswo or Beniaminsovo or Beniaminowo. His writing is very small and difficult to make out. I am trying to locate that concentration camp geographically by locating the town it was near. If anyone who knows Poland well can shed some light on this, I would appreciate it. george68.220.84.89 01:27, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

• Here is a map showing where Beniaminow is. Stalag 333 was located there. --jpgordon∇∆∇∆ 02:19, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

Note that you need to zoom in one step to see the name of the town. StuRat 02:30, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

Stalag 333 was originally in Ostrow-Komorowo, Poland from 03/1942 to 09/1943 and was then moved to Beniaminow, Poland until it's closure in 01/1944, according to this site:

http://www.pegasus-one.org/pow/Stalag.htm

StuRat 02:36, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

This site has an interesting document, it's a postcard from there, apparently just to notify the family that Danilo Pasotto was a Prisoner of War at that site:

http://www.moosburg.org/info/stalag/post.html (index)

http://www.moosburg.org/info/stalag/bilder/st3331.jpg (front)

http://www.moosburg.org/info/stalag/bilder/st3332.jpg (back)

StuRat 02:49, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

THANK YOU VERY MUCH - YOU HAVE MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE. I MAY EVEN DECIDE TO TRAVEL THERE AND SEE IT FOR MYSELF - THANK YOU AGAIN

You're welcome. However, you may very well find that the site is now a strip mall. Very few such sites have been preserved. StuRat 14:52, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

What is Hartz IV

Hartz IV. David Sneek 12:30, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

Social and Political Background

What does general socail and political back ground mean

What does general social and political Backgrounds.

Is this a homework question? If so, for what grade level or age group? AlMac|^(talk) 20:53, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

Urban Anthropology

Hi

I am looking for information which will help me with an assignment i have to observe a community (Small for a short period of Time) i am looking for help to find good books and website any help apopreciated.

• What level of schooling is this an assignment for? Most of the handbooks on anthropological methodology are for the graduate or postgraduate level and won't make any sense to people who aren't already well-read in the field. Unfortunately, I don't know of any good web resources offhand for this sort of thing at the level you are probably looking for it (sounds like a good candidate for a Wikibook, if someone wants to write one!). --Fastfission 03:21, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

what is the schuman declaration?

We have an article on the Schuman Declaration. Does that help? KeithD (talk) 16:44, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

Sailors and Explorers

Name some explorers of the 15th century?

We're not here to do your homework for you, but you could look at 15th century. Also, remember that the 15th century covers the years 1401-1500, so don't get confused and look at dates of 15xx.-gadfium 20:31, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

• Christopher Columbus for a start. Capitalistroadster 03:49, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

Henry the Navigator John and Sebastian Cabot. Vasco De Gamma

North Korean motto

In the North Korea article, it used to say that the motto is "One is sure to win if one believes in and depends upon the people (translation)." I removed it because I couldn't find the original version, nor verify it. Even the editors in the Korean Wikipedia couldn't find the source nor the original. Can anyone verify this? Thanks. -- pmam21^talk_articles 17:37, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

For what it's worth, that sounds somewhat like someone trying to summarise the concept of juche, which I suspect is where it came from. Shimgray | talk | 23:09, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

turkish

what year did the turkish invade algeria ? :)

,:| ? The Ottoman Empire gained control over Maghreb under Suleiman the Magnificent. --Diderot 20:00, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

I myself am not sure but History of Ottoman Algeria might help. __earth 14:31, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

Lunar Months in the Celtic Calender

In the Celtic lunar calendar each lunar month corresponds to a letter, which in turn corresponds to a tree. How do these designations correspond, (roughly), to our own twelve month year?

Check Celtic calendar. There are a couple of good external links that may help you. ≈ jossi fresco ≈ 19:56, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

[20]

From Dec. 24	Birch
22 Jan -	Rowan
19 Feb -	Ash
19 Mar -	Alder
16 Apr -	Willow
14 May -	Hawthorn
11 Jun -	Oak
9 Jul -	Holly
6 Aug -	Hazel
3 Sep -	Vine
1 Oct -	Ivy
29 Oct -	Reed
26 Nov -	Elder

Can an Arab be a Jew or a Jew be an Arab?

The articles on Arab and Jew explain some of the different definitions. These different definitions mean that no clear and definite answer can be given to the question. However, of particular note are the Mizrahi and Sephardi who are Arabic-speaking Jews. KeithD (talk) 20:50, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

(written before edit conflict) One can be of Arab descent and be a follower of Judaism, sure. I guess if your father is of Arab descent and your mother is Jewish, you'd be an Arabic Jew. You can also be a Jew for Jesus. Or a Arabic Christian. The thing is, Judaism is a religion and the Jews are an ethnic group, whereas Arabs are an ethnic group, but not a religion. Does that make sense? Brian Schlosser42 20:54, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

Both Arabs & Jews (ethnically) are semitic peoples too (semitic race, don't know the right terinology). AllanHainey 07:04, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

It depends very much by what meaning is intended by the words "Arab" and "Jew". Broad social categories of this type entail non-trivial ambiguities, which are to some extent covered in Wikipedia articles. "Arab", taken as a question of national citizenship in a formally or informally Arab state, means that just as there are French Jews and American Jews, there can also be Arab Jews. Although the number of people this defintion can cover has been fairly small since the expulsions and immigrations following 1948, it is non-zero.

"Arab" seen as an ethnicity is more difficult. "French" and "American" are not viewed as ethnic labels by all of the people they apply to, so some Jews and non-Jews do not view being a French Jew as implying being ethnically French, while the notion of anyone being ethnically American is fairly strongly discouraged in modern America. Opinions vary, both among Jews and non-Jews, about the applicability of various ethnic labels to Jews. However, language preference is often used as a surrogate for ethnic identity among Arabs. By this criterion, many Jews would qualify as Arabs, since there is a large Arabic-speaking Jewish population, But it is probable that few Arabic-speaking Jews would choose to identify themselves in this manner, and no doubt many Arabs would reject such an identification as well in the current political climate.

Judaism seen as a religious quality, however, poses an entirely different set of boundary issues. Yes, people who identify themselves as ethically, linguistically or nationally as Arab can convert to Judaism. I do not know how many such people exist but I presume the number to be larger than zero. Also, given the current political conditions, I do not know if such people would identify themselves as Arabs, or if they would prefer to see the adoption of Judaism as a larger change of identity. I expect different people see things in different ways.

Ultimately, I suspect that not too many people would identify themselves as "Arab Jews" and that current conditions would discourage most of those to whom one or more of the above definitions might apply from doing so. But, it is not logically incoherent under any of the usual definitions of "Arab" or "Jew" to be an "Arab Jew". However, it is highly ambiguous in isolation exactly what such an identity might entail. --Diderot 08:04, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

Massachusetts Bay Colony

A bay can be the colour of a horse, a herb, a gulf of water, a region of Somalia or a high official of the Egyptian 19th Dynasty. A colony might mean the settling of new land, but often requires the forceable removable of that land's previous inhabitants (if you do not believe in aliens, try space colonization). Otherwise, lots of animals, insects and assorted organisms live in colonies. Colony also happens to be a cracking good album of Swedish melodic death metal. As for masachusits, I've never heard of it. It may be that I'm spelling it wrongly, but it sounds like an Indian name, perhaps introduced into the English language during the Raj. Enjoy! --Gareth Hughes 23:19, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

the grachus reforms

what were the grachus reforms of rome?--66.213.25.12 22:42, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

See Tiberius Gracchus, and note that there are two c's in the name. --Gareth Hughes 22:57, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

friends of the mansion

What are the steps in the Unites States Election process?

What are the steps in the Unites States Election Process?

The steps are outlined in the articles on U.S. presidential election ad midterm elections. --Gareth Hughes 23:26, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

Then you can hop from them to Elections in the United States. --Gareth Hughes 23:29, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

William Penn and treaties with Indians

I am looking for the text of any treaty with the Indians written by William Penn. Is there the exact wording somewhere? It is said Penn's treaties were the only ones never broken with Native Americans (in his lifetime. Thanks!

Ark of the Covenant

• See Ark of the Covenant. Or, alternatively, Raiders of the Lost Ark. --Fastfission 03:36, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

• Or The Ark (Halo) ;) Ojw 20:58, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

Earthquake of 1822 in Chile

Was there really a gigantic earthquake in Chile, as the 1822 article says? I searched the web, but couldn't find it, apart from copies of that same article and some typos. Common Man 03:38, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

• This article claims [21]:

"As communication between various parts of the world became more common, earthquake observations from throughout the world could be combined. Following an earthquake in Chile in 1822, the author Maria Graham reported systematic changes in the elevation of the Chilean coastline. Observations of coastline changes were confirmed following the 1835 Chilean earthquake by Robert FitzRoy, captain of the H.M.S. Beagle, while Charles Darwin was onshore examining the geology of the Andes." Capitalistroadster 03:59, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

Thank you! Maybe that should be in its own article? Now I The area of 100000 square miles of new land added seems very big, though - I wouldn't feel comfortable putting that in an article without a proper source. Common Man 04:19, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

It would certainly be worthwhile having an article. Although I am not an expert on geology, 100,000 square miles in new land seems a bit excessive to me. Capitalistroadster 05:11, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

• This source states "on November 19, 1822, a three-minute major earthquake and the resulting three consecutive 12-foot tsunamis devastated the port of Valparaiso's main buildings, destroying most of the churches and seven hundred homes." I agree that the 100000 sq miles claim is more than dubious. That's a third of the land area of Chile and that sort of land movement would have surely caused a Megatsunami Majts 05:19, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

• Thanks - I deleted that claim, referring to this discussion. Common Man 05:49, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

Tips on drawing familiar human faces

What sort of tips you guys would give me to draw a human face in a way it resembles a familiar one? What are the major features people usually notice? I've seen people draw a few lines and ta-dah, it's a caricature of you or someone you know. I studied tons of these but couldn't find what sort of aspects they capture. I could think of shape of head, position of eyes, nose and lips, but it's hardly been useful for me.

Anyone experienced in drawing human faces could give me a few hints? I'm sick of sucking at drawing faces and practicing is not really the problem. I just came to that moment I realized I need some formal knowledge on the subject to go to the next level. I looked up for face drawing tutorials but they're too... Well, not specific on this subject, so not very helpful. :/ ☢ Kieff | Talk 05:06, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

As you've already identified, proportion and placement of the facial features is very important in creating a recognisable specific face. There are lots of little cues we use to identify faces, but these are among the most important. If you are new to drawing faces, I would strongly recommend you to use guidelines if you aren't already. All too often new artists think that using guidelines to draw is somehow cheating, or something that 'real artists' don't do. In truth, they're vital for establishing positioning and proportion of features. Any basic drawing tutorial should be able to tell you how to set out guidelines for head and face construction.

Also, on a practical level of finding out where you're going wrong, here's a few ideas:

Get a photograph of your subject, and without studying the photograph, draw their face. Once you're done, compare your drawing to the photograph and try and identify point-by-point where they differ - have you drawn the head too round? the lips too small? etc.

Try tracing over a photograph of your subject loosely to get an idea of shape and proportion for the features. Trace some other subjects too and examine how they differ from each other - what makes each one recognisably unique?

Also learning to draw facial expressions will help in identifying the difference ways in which the same face can vary in appearance.

Caricature exaggerates the defining features of a person, so it can be a very good way to learn to pick out such features.

Most of all though, practice. You'll get there in the end. And don't worry about those 'masterpiece in one stroke' artists - they had to start at the start too. :) Noodhoog 15:00, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

I'm no artist, but I think it's important to distinguish doing a realistic picture of a person's face and doing a caricature. A caricature is not realistic; it exaggerates to provide a direct linkage to recogition. So, you need to be very sure you know which you are aiming for. Now, while they are different, I think it would be possibly instructive to try and do both, maybe side by side for the same original. As you do it, I think you would learn something in each process that teaches you more about the opposite process. If you are struggling to do semi-realistic caricature, maybe it's worth trying to do really wild ones to work on invididual traits. Hope this helps. Notinasnaid 19:10, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

what is a bothey

A misspelling of bothy. KeithD (talk) 10:01, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

Why were Nazis a 'socialist workers party'?

I know the National Socialists were rabidly anti-marxist, anti-communist, anti-bosheiveik, etc. Additionally, I know they were against class warfare and instead all about uniting all classes behind nationalism. So, without getting into the minefield of whether 'nazism' is a type of 'socialism'-- assuming for the moment that it is not, can someone answer this: Why did the Nazi party, which was so anti-marxism, choose a name which, to the modern ear at least, sounds so marxist/communist/socialist? In the name "National Socialist German Workers Party", sure National and German make perfect sense, but where did Socialist Workers come from? To use an analogy, it's almost as if the Ku Klux Klan were to spontaneously name themselves the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Is this confusion merely a product of 'mistranslation' from german to english or from 1920s to 2005? Would a 1920s german citizen, upon hearing the name NSDAP for the very first time, assume it was a marxist party, only later finding out otherwise? Or did words like Socialist and Worker only later become synonmous with marxism. Alternatively, if the party name was indeed confusing to germans, why did the nazis choose such a name for their party? Alecmconroy 11:00, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

The articles on National Socialist German Workers Party and Austrian National Socialism explain the origins of the name and the parties. This paragraph from the article on Nazism probably sums it up best of all:

"It is important to note that the Nazi Party's conception of international economics was very limited. As the National Socialist in the name NSDAP suggests, the party's primary motivation was to incorporate previously international resources into the Reich by force, rather than by trade (compare to the international socialism as practiced by the Soviet Union and the COMECON trade organization). This made international economic theory a supporting factor in the political ideology rather than a core plank of the platform as it is in most modern political parties." KeithD (talk) 11:23, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

The Communist Manifesto discusses and dismisses various forms of socialism, not all of which are purely left-wing. In fact, the Nazi policy of a large, centralised government, and the emphasis on society (the state) above the individual was in many ways quite socialist. Also, remember that the Nazis were not primarily drawn from the traditional ruling class (which was perceived to have failed), and could have been seen as movement of and for the workers in the political atmosphere at the end of the First World War. --Gareth Hughes 12:12, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

Please do excuse me for not replying entirely on-topic, but you may be interested in controversial German historian Götz Aly's new theory: Hitler was perhaps, quite ironically, a socialist. Cf. [22] if you can handle French, or this review of the book &#151; titled Hitlers Volksstaat (Hitler's People's State) &#151; in which the theory is put forward. Grumpy Troll ^(talk) 15:22, 11 October 2005 (UTC).

All this is correct, but the short answer is that Hitler and his henchmen took over a weak party which if I remember correctly he had been sent to spy on for the Wiemar government.

I think you will find it was a rogue unit of the German Army (see Adolf_Hitler#Early_Nazi_Party) operating more or less independently of the Weimar Government (which was at that time the Weimar Coalition of Social Democrats, Liberals and Catholics) which Hitler was working for. The name was only changed to National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP) after Hitler joined. When he joined it was the German Workers' Party (DAP) - so he didn't inherit the name, he was one of the people who changed it to NSDAP.

You might also consider the influence of Oswald Spengler on Nazism, particularly his 1920 book Preußentum und Sozialismus (Prussia and Socialism) which proposed a synthesis of nationalist and socialist ideas. The more 'socialist' of the leading early Nazis (e.g. Ernst Röhm) were largely disposed of in the Night of the Long Knives leaving Hitler able to cosy up to the military, industrialists and haute bourgeoisie. Valiantis 23:11, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

enterprenuership

what is the difference between a job and work?--217.113.72.39 11:45, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

Work can be defined as the integral of dot product of force times infinitesimal translation. However, in the context you intend, "I'm going to work" and "I'm going to my job" are interchangeable. Note that work can also be a verb; "I've got to work at my job" means much the same thing. — Lomn | Talk / RfC 13:13, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

Also, a job generally implies that you are getting paid. Slaves definitely did work but few would agree that they had a "job" and very few people call Volunteer work or work done on their own home a "job". -Drdisque 14:58, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

Health Care and Canada

I'm doing a paper on the canadian health care, privatization-Why or Why not. do you have any articles that would be helpful to understand the issue. I'm answering the question from the point, not to privatize, because of the social/economic ramifications that whould affed the low income canadians who would not be able to affort privite health care costs. thank you Annette [e-mail address removed]

You could start out at Health care in Canada and go from there... Dismas|^(talk) 13:28, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

A comparison with Health care in the United States, which is privatized, might also be beneficial. StuRat 00:01, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

We also have Canadian and American health care systems compared. - SimonP 20:41, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

Presidents of The United States of America

To Whom It May Concern,

Firstly, let me congratulate you on this fantastic service. I only discovered it a couple of weeks ago, and already it is one of my favourite websites! A marvellous resource.

Secondly, my question: In your biography of George Walker Bush, unless I'm misreading it you say that he is the second son of a previous president to take office himself. If I am correct in this interpretation, can you tell me who were the first father and son double act?

Many thanks, keep up the good work.

John Adams and his son John Quincy Adams the second and sixth presidents. Brian Schlosser42 14:03, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

Thank you, Brian!

JAPAN EVOLUTION

looking for info on expansions of imperialistic expansion. During 1894-1910

Meiji Restoration? __earth 14:12, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

A survey of societies and cultures in Africa south of the sahara.

Africa claims to be the pace setter in development but it is still one of the most deprived continents.Discuss.

The top of this page says Do your own homework. Discuss. — Lomn | Talk / RfC 16:02, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

MLB Player Arrest s since 1990

Where can I find a list of all Major League Baseball players who have been arrested since 1990?

John Forbes Nash Jr.

I would like to know the actual residence place and actual age of the famous mathematician.

As the John Forbes Nash article says, he currently holds an appointment in mathematics at Princeton, and so he presumably either lives there or nearby. It also says he was born 13 June 1928. KeithD (talk) 16:32, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

Looking for print from a public domain image in an article

Hello,

I am looking for a high resolution file or print of the image found in this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Godunov_map.jpg

Where can I find this?

Steve SRHookEm 18:26, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

• Your best best is to ask Ghirlandajo, the user who uploaded it, on his talk page. - Mgm|^(talk) 21:58, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

• Actually, when I have asked him, I think he is looking at a different image. I still need help finding this. I tried to mail the Russian State Library (the source?) but the email came back as a bad address.SRHookEm

Spain´s position on drug trafficking

I would like to know more about drug problems in Spain and its political position on this issue. Thank you in advance

---Cornelia Habekost---

The CIA world factbook is always good for that sort of thing, as they take a perverse interest in illegal (to them) drugs.

The Spain page [23] says "key European gateway country and consumer for Latin American cocaine and North African hashish entering the European market; destination and minor transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin; money laundering site for European earnings of Colombian narcotics trafficking organizations". Ojw 20:53, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

That doesn't, of course, mean that the Spanish government approves of any of those activities! -- Arwel 21:44, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

how did people think about religion in the 1850's

(Reply) Which people, where in the world? Notinasnaid 19:04, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

You may want to check Reformation though the period is about 400 years earlier. If this doesn't help, I'm sorry. Like Notinasnaid, needs more info. __earth 05:46, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

• 1850 might be a bit late for the Reformation. As Notinasnaid noted, it would be useful to specify which people you are referring to. Capitalistroadster 05:55, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

why lady of justice is a female

The personification of justice comes from the figure of the Roman goddess Justitia, who, in turn, derives some qualities from her Greek counterpart, Themis. The modern personification is often depicted blindfolded, to suggest that she is impartial (she sees no favouritism), and usually carries a balance in her hand. --Gareth Hughes 19:36, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

how where romans entertained?

Do you mean how were Romans entertained? By going to the movies of course : see Ben Hur and Gladiator. Also see the article on Roman_eating_and_drinking Majts 19:39, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

• Also, Culture of Ancient Rome will keep you busy. However, today, Romans tend to go to a football match, watch television and eat well. --Gareth Hughes 19:43, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

• The short answer is that Romans were entertained with panem et circenses &#151; literally "bread and circuses". Grumpy Troll ^(talk) 19:56, 11 October 2005 (UTC).

• I hear orgies were pretty entertaining. Caligula was a particular indulger. --Ballchef 05:58, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

• And a recent edition of QI revealed that there's no evidence that they watched Christians being fed to lions, which has rather put the dampeners on my campaign to revive the practice. --bodnotbod 03:45, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

What do you have against lions? User:Zoe|^(talk) 02:27, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

romans

Why did the romans build hadrians wall ?

Read Hadrian's Wall. However, the wall wasn't built, as is popularly thought, to keep the Picts out, but to control trade and traffic throughout the region either side of the wall. --Gareth Hughes 19:39, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

User:AlMac asks about Supreme Court of the United States

I became curious what is different about the Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court (who is now John Roberts) vs. the eight Associate Justices.

I assume if they have any internal disputes, the Chief Justice is the chief arbiter. A lot of what I am finding, seems to me to be no big deal, such as

• The Chief Justice is paid a little more and has some extra administrative duties.
• Each Justice has one vote, but the Chief Justice assigns who gets to write up the results of each vote, when the Chief is in the majority.
• quote: Each Justice on the Supreme Court is assigned to at least one of the United States' thirteen judicial circuits. The Chief Justice is usually allotted to the District of Columbia Circuit, the Federal Circuit and the Fourth Circuit; each Associate Justice is allotted to one or two judicial circuits. unquote.
• Serves as the head of several government institutions, both judicial and like the Smithsonian Institution.
• Often administers oath of office for the inauguration of the President, although this can be done by other people.
• When the justices are in conference, and someone knocks on the door, the most junior Associate Judge must answer it.

while some other stuff is extremely important, in my opinion

• Appoints members of the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance (FISA) secret court.
• Presides at the Senate when it tries an impeachment of the President of the United States or the Vice President when Acting President

Do I have a good picture of the differences, and what is special about the Chief Justice? Some of the articles on this seem to be a bit of a stub. AlMac|^(talk) 21:34, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

He's Chief Justice of the United States, not Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Is there anything left out of that article? - Nunh-huh 22:21, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

Just a note--the power of assigning who writes what opinion is not a minor thing. For example, the Chief Justice might intentionally vote on the side he disagrees with, and then assign himself the opinion, so as to avoid a more sweeping precedent. Meelar (talk) 19:49, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

Ireland

I would like to ask you about the tipical dress in Ireland--~~

I hear in Ireland they like to go round naked on frosty winter mornings... Seriously, modern Irish people dress pretty much like other people living in developed countries; any differences are likely to be relatively subtle. --Robert Merkel 00:59, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

They are more likely to wear raincoats than, say, Nevada. DJ Clayworth 18:42, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

music

What is a block chord--Helen harty 02:11, 12 October 2005 (UTC)Helen harty

• See Block chord. --jpgordon∇∆∇∆ 04:15, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

Sociology

Hey there, I'm doing a report for my sister. What are the critisms and weaknesses of marxism and functionalism?

Interesting form of home schooling? Well, as it says at the top of the page, we don't do peoples homework for them. But you might want to start your research at Marxism and Functionalism. Dismas|^(talk) 04:21, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

It says "Do your own homework". Nothing about doing someone elses...--Commander Keane 14:44, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

Who is Esamun

Someone please help, I have been searching for days. I have an Art History assignment due, and one of the questions is: How is Esamun associated with art history, history or archeology. I can't find anything on this guy. Could someone please help me. Who is he, or where do I find information on him. Thank You

I suspect you have the name wrong. Have you actually seen Esamun in print from your teacher? alteripse 05:10, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

This bibliography from the Griffith Institute mentions an Esamun, "Prophet of Montu lord of Thebes, Member of the phyle of the temple of Re-Harakhti"—does that seem right? Has your course covered Egyptian art at all? —Charles P. (Mirv) 05:17, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

or Schliemann, Heinrich? - Nunh-huh 05:27, 12 October 2005 (UTC) (from the Department of Loose Associations Department).

Pronunciation of Monet's famous French village

Have searched dictionaries and been unable to find any indications of the pronunciation of the famous French village where Monet's home and gardens are located. Have heard mostly - Ghee'-ver-nee" - but - Ghi-vair"-nee - seems a likely possibility, as pronunciation for Giverny. What say you? 205.188.116.14 05:23, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

Try zhee-vair-nee, where "zh" is the sound of the "s" in "pleasure". It's a good approximation of the French pronunciation. --Diderot 06:30, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

Do note however, that in the French language, the letter r is pronounced &#151; how could one put it? &#151; more gutturally than in English, so to say (much like in Spanish). (Should you understand IPA, I am sure someone knowledgeable in the subject, such as Angr, will be able to formally indicate how it is pronounced.) Grumpy Troll ^(talk) 10:42, 12 October 2005 (UTC).

I've just added the IPA pronunciation to the Giverny article. I hope the Parisian r is acceptable. --Gareth Hughes 10:48, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

It is if you're Parisian. My dialect is a bit more uvular and trilled - more guttural than the Parisian velar "r". Orrr you coeude prrronounce eet lahke an ol' prêtre frrrome Gaspé... Wikipedia should probably endeavor to show IPA for the more standard dialects where feasible, but the question "How do I pronounce this weird foreign word?" usually implies "How do I pronounce it when I don't know that language and don't want to sound like some hick idiot?" --Diderot 11:51, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

Pronunciation advice appreciated, including preferred dialectical "r's." But the syllabic emphases have been neglected: where are these?

French doesn't have any strong syllabic stress. There are phrasal stress patterns that span more than one word and are determined by syntax, but compared to languages with strict phonological stress, French sounds almost monotone. My dialect - Standard Canadian - is especially monotone even for French. This is one of the reasons why francophones may, even after speaking English for years, have a strong accent that makes them hard to understand, while Germans and Russians who have strong accents and very poor English skills may be easier to follow: those languages use stress much the way English does, while English stress is as unnatural to francophones as phonological tone contours in Chinese are to English speakers.

You can, however, replicate the effect of the French stress pattern by placing the accent on the last syllable. This is not exactly the correct rule in French, but it is a highly unnatural place to put the stress in English - emphasizing that you know it's a foreign word - and it sounds kinda like the most common French stress pattern. You can do this for most French loanwords. --Diderot 08:32, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

Much obliged for your expertise, Diderot..Thanks.

american citizenship quiz

1.What ist the title of the person who is 3rd in line in the succession of the presidents?

2.Who was the only president never elected to the position?

How many terms can a Senator serve?

How long is a Senator's term?

(1) Our Order of succession article states that the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives is third in line.

(2) Gerald Ford.

(3) Our United States Senate article states that Senators can serve until they resign, die or are defeated in while running reelection. Some Senators such as Strom Thurmond have served for a very long time.

(4) Six years.

Capitalistroadster 06:06, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

Well, if this is going to be about citizenship quizzes, here's a few questions I think ought to be answerable from Wikipedia, but I don't think they can be:

1. The United States is currently in a State of Emergency declared by the President, and has been continuously for over 50 years. What executive findings are the source of currently active states of emergency, and which piece of legislation authorises the President to issue those findings? (I only know the answer to the second half of the question.)
2. Native Americans were not automatically considered citizens of the United States until the 1920s, and were previously barred from becoming naturalised Americans through ordinary immigration processes. Was this extension of citizenship the result of a specific act of Congress or an application of the 14th amendment? Does this decision empower the US government to unilaterally reevaluate treaties made with aboriginal nations?
3. The children of US citizens born abroad are usually considered Americans by birth and do not need to be naturalised in order to enjoy a right of abode on US territory. There is one broad class of exception. Under what conditions must the naturally born children of US citizens be naturalised in order to become US citizens?
4. Do the state courts have the power to enforce and interpret international treaties signed by the federal government (which is alone empowered to negotiate with foreign powers)? Treaties which are ratified by the federal Congress have the status of US federal law and are binding on US states in as much as those treaties involve powers assigned to the federal government in the Constitution. However, there is a US state whose constitution and state supreme court have interpreted a particular international treaty as having stricter terms than the federal government's interpretation. Which state and treaty is it? (Hint: it has to do with official languages.)

After years of hearing Americans gripe about how few natural US citizens can pass the citizenship test, I thought I might come up with a few other questions touching on basic issues of authority and status under US law. This ought to be a mite more interesting. I should note for the record that I am not myself a US citizen, although I lived in the US for 17 years and am married to an American. --Diderot 07:46, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

Government entities making donations?

The Town of Velma is a government entity, therefore they cannot donate property and must sell to the highest bidder

The above is the answer to a question asked the Town of Velma. I assume it is in Oklahoma since that is what the Ebay description. I don't believe it cannot donate property to a individual or organization since they the ability to recieve property as a donnation?

I don't mind the word no but being mislead or lied to as being law is grounds for a suit or call to the ACLU? Or?

• For the eBay item in question, see this link. — JIP | Talk 07:35, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

It would not be surprising for a government to work under a policy, or law, requiring them to follow strict procedures when procuring or disposing of property, such as an open and competitive bidding process and the need to deal with the lowest-bidding vendor and highest-bidding buyer. Such laws are usually put into place to prevent cronyism, guard against corruption and generally safeguard the use of taxpayer money. In fact, such laws may be the result of lawsuits or complaints, so I doubt you'll have much success in suing them, but of course only a lawyer could tell you for sure. I'm guessing that perhaps you are representing a charitable organization that feels it would be a worthy recipient of this ambulance as a donation. If so, you might contact a local service organization to see if they would buy it and give it to you. Sharkford 18:29, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

how many muslims are there in the world

(preceding unsigned comment by 202.84.232.75 (talk · contribs) 08:28, 12 October 2005)

Somewhere in the neighborhood of one billion (1,000,000,000). Estimates vary; see Demographics of Islam for the CIA's numbers and Islam#The demographics of Islam today for some others. —Charles P. (Mirv) 08:40, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

Enquiry

Is it all right to say that Indian exist as a nation only after British has created it? shuhui

British India started way back in the 18th century, courtesy of British East India Company __earth 13:03, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

India in its present form existed only from 1947 when Britain left & India, Pakistan & Bangladesh became countries in their own right. Before that there was the British Raj and before that the Mughal Empire were the political powers in the Indian sub-continent. AllanHainey 13:50, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

More correctly, of course, India and Pakistan became countries in their own right in 1947. Bangladesh only came into existence in December 1970 when it broke away from Pakistan. -- Arwel 22:05, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

Don't forget the Chola! So, really, it's hard to say when India started. I would say that modern India started with British India. Is that appropiate? __earth 09:31, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

Pom Pom sock

Two questions here really. First to make sure im talking about the right thing Pom Pom sock is a sock the has a little ball attached to the rear where it would meet your ankle. SO the first question is that what a pom pom sock is. and the second question is what is the little pom pom for?

Yes, and for decoration. — File:Ontario trillium sig.pngmendel ☎ 17:58, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

Decorative though it may be, it keeps the sock from falling into your shoe, which short socks are otherwise prone to do. Sharkford 18:11, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

Earl Warren

I would like to know why Earl Warren was selected to become Chief Justice. What was his background? Who appointed him?

The article about him will answer your last two questions. As for why Eisenhower appointed him, this letter may shed some light. —Charles P. (Mirv) 12:00, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

Warren was the Republican Gov of Cal and before that State AG. In both those posts he had a moderatly conservative record. Ike though that Warren would take his ideology to the bench.

Quakers and Japanese Internment

I would like to know what role Quakers played in the issue of Japanese Internment. How did they oppose this? What specific things did they do during this period to help the situation?

Ratification of the Bretton Woods Agreement Act

What is the date of the US Congress' ratification of the 1945 Bretton Woods Agreement Act ??? It may be 31 July 1945 (or is that the date it came into effect or are both dates the same?)

Location of Fort Balkley

Where was Fort Balkley built? Is it in American or Canadian territory? I can't find any references, and all the articles on Google are the same.

The article on Fort Balkley appears to be either a hoax or fiction without context, so it's no wonder you can't find any references. —Charles P. (Mirv) 13:09, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

There was a Fort Blakely outside of Mobile, Alabama during the U.S. Civil War. Rmhermen 17:23, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

market

what are two companies in an oligopolistic market?

Two sellers? A duopoly, I guess.

I think the poster wants two examples in a given market, but that fairly strongly resembles homework. However, it should be easy to find: Check oligopoly, identify an industry or market, and pick any two major companies. — Lomn | Talk / RfC 15:16, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

Canonical "silent movie" music

I've been trying to find the names of two pieces of music which are associated in my mind with silent movies, and I can't think of any other context in which I've heard them. I'm starting to think that they aren't complete pieces, but rather musical phrases that the accompanist would pick out for a few bars at the appropriate moment. I think they are instantly recognisable if I can only describe them. I can't turn them into notes, but they are

1. Action/chase music. Five fast half beats, pause, repeat half beats, pause. Four full beats, down-up down-up(?). The same four beats, reversed(?).

2. Sinister music. Five slow beats, ascending except for the last; four faster beats descending.

Thanks in advance, Notinasnaid 14:10, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

I think I know the one you mean with #2, for which you'd typically picture someone creeping along on tiptoes . I was taught to play that as part of very basic piano lessons at school many years ago, and the teacher referred to it as "spooks". I've no idea if that's it's correct name, or who it's by though Noodhoog 14:38, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

• I too can hear the second one in my mind, also used a lot in Warner Brothers cartoons if I recall correctly. I'm afraid I can't name it either. --bodnotbod 03:55, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

Did you try this: http://www.musipedia.org/search.0.html ? Common Man 09:28, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

19th century novels

Why do some 19th century novels disguise the name of a certain person or certain place by using only a partial discriptor and then using an underline to complete the name but in other instances use the full name or location. For instance, in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice the region where the militia are from is written as _____shire and Lord John____ is used. At other times the names of towns, areas and people are used in full. 64.80.116.131 15:53, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

It keeps the fiction generic. If an author writes Lincolnshire, someone can become overly obsessive and complain that it didn't really happen there. If an author writes Sherbetshire, that same reader can complain that it doesn't exist at all. It could also be, particularly in the case of names, that a satirical or political point is being made without being overt. The practice is also frequently found in science fiction; an author might describe the first manned Martian landing in 20__ with the story set five years later to prevent premature dating such as 2001: A Space Odyssey. — Lomn | Talk / RfC 16:54, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

It's also a rhetorical technique used to increase the impression of verisimilitude. Some forms of factual writing, for example memoirs or collections of letters, disguised the names of people and places in this way. So writers of fiction adopted the same techniques in order to make their fiction seem more real (after all, a fictional person would seem to need no disguising). Gdr 22:34, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

We answered this question a couple months ago. Don't know if it was the same user or not. PedanticallySpeaking 16:14, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

Proper Title for the Grandson of a King

King X has a son and three daughters. The second daughter is married to a soldier of the capital guard, but their son keeps the King's family name instead of his father's. Would the son of the daughter of the King be a Lord? What military responsibilities, etc. might he have? The eldest, the son of King X, married and had children when said son of daughter of King was in his late teenaged years. Any information you can give me for any Middle Ages/etc. European country would be helpful.

Things like this really aren't very prescriptive, and were less so still in the Middle Ages. People were frequently created Dukes, Barons, etc. at the whim of the monarch, and occasionally had their nobility removed (although this was commonly accompanied by the removal of their head too). Modern royal families have accumulated a big bag of titles which they distribute to their kids (sometimes there's a pattern to it, sometimes not). Descendants of women get a rougher deal in many monarchies: you'll note that Peter Mark Andrew Phillips, the son of the daughter of a monarch, isn't in the royal family and has no title, as he's a female line descendent (but the Queen could, if she wanted make him the Duke of Drumchapel or something if she wanted, just as she could make any other British person). The only limit on the monarch's power to do stuff like this is the same as the limits on any non-totalitarian monarch - in particular, the monarch often has to keep powerful peers on side (and they might get a bit narked if the King elevates some yokel into being a Duke and puts him in charge of the army). Duke of York is one title that keeps getting pulled out of the British royals' big bag'o'titles. It's all politics, really. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 17:34, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

The title of Duke of York is generally reserved for the second son of the monarch. It's interesting how the title keeps coming back into the monarchy, though, isn't it? It will come back again once Andrew dies, unless he spawns a son somewhere down the line. User:Zoe|^(talk) 04:26, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

And I strongly suspect the practices would vary from country to country. You would need to check out each individual country that is a monarchy to get the full answer. JackofOz 02:22, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

Slavery in the US

How could a black slave become a free man and how could he be recognized as such?

Many ways. Here are a few:

• They could buy their freedom. This, of course, assumes that their owners allowed them to earn and keep money. Many did so, either out of sympahy or because they reasoned they would get more work out of a slave working diligently to earn their freedom than one with no hope for the future. Papers would be given to them listing them as free.

• Their owners could set them free to reward them for "years of loyal service". This was frequently done after the death of the owner, and was a term in their wills. Papers would be given to them in this case, too.

• Some slaves were given their freedom for a particular act, such as saving the life of the children of the owner. Papers would be given to them in this case, too.

• They could escape to a place where slavery was illegal. The North did not allow slavery in its states, but did return runaway slaves under the Fugitive slave laws, so wasn't completely safe. Canada did not return runaway slaves, so was the destination of many.

• Some slaves were promised their freedom for joining the Confederate Army.

• During the Civil War, slaves in Confederate-held territories were technically freed as a result of the Emancipation Proclamation and actually freed once those areas were taken by the Union.

• All slaves were freed as a result of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1865. At that point all former slaves were free, so no documents were needed to distinguish between freemen and slaves.

StuRat 17:46, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

Bear in mind that as time went on (before the civil war, obviously), there were more and more restrictions on freeing slaves, as a result of fear of rebellions or other unrest. By the late antebellum period in one colony (I believe South Carolina), freeing a slave required an act of the state legislature. Meelar (talk) 19:04, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

Fall of the Roman Empire and Christianity

Do you know how many Christians were left in Britain after the fall of the Roman Empire?

Some. Since we cannot clearly determine how many people lived in Britian and perhaps even what Britain means at that time, we have little way of knowing. But it is probably non-zero. Rmhermen 17:10, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

Burns, OR circa 1900

I'm currently writing a novel (historical fiction) and have not been able to find a physical description of Burns or Harney City (Oregon) around 1890 to 1900. Where can I find a good description of these historical towns?

Are these still present day towns of Oregon? If so, the town offices may have some historical photographs and such. If not the town's offices then the county offices may have some information and/or photographs. Dismas|^(talk) 20:21, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

• Burns, Oregon is located in Harney County, Oregon in the southeastern part of the state. We don't have an article on Harney City but this genealogy site should provide some assistance [24]. This article in the Oregon Blue Book should provide some assistance. [25]

The Harney County Clerk is located at:

Harney County Oregon Vital Records

Harney County Clerk

450 N Buena Vista Avenue

Burns, OR 97720

Phone: (541) 573-6641

Capitalistroadster 07:23, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

Cockles and mussels, alive alive o

In the 1970s I saw a made-for-TV (I think) movie in which the above line was featured in singsong. I have been able to determine that the line is from an old Irish folk song. I'd like to know what the title of the movie was. I vaguely remember a lighthouse (makes sense) and Robert Reed (of The Brady Bunch); I checked his filmography on IMDb.com, but found nothing definitive.

• The song is called "Molly Malone": [26], which might help your search. Incidently, this is known as "Cockles and mussels, Hawaii Five-O" to every schoolkid who was forced to sing it. --Bob Mellish 21:38, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

• • this Google search gives you all IMDB pages referring to Molly Malone you may find something in that lot. Incidentally, I would imagine the most famous version of the song was by either The Pogues or The Dubliners. --bodnotbod 04:10, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

• Molly Malone is a traditional Irish folk song. Sinéad O'Connor has done a version and I suspect that many Irish musicians have covered this over the years. Capitalistroadster 07:31, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

politics

How does the liberal constitional phase of 1789-1792 compare with the populist/radical phase of 1792-1794?

They both occurred in the 18th century. Please do your own homework. — Lomn | Talk / RfC 21:37, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

• The French Revolution article would be a good place to start. Capitalistroadster 07:32, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

Civil list

I was looking at the civil list article, and was a bit confused. In 1800s Canada, did civil list refer to the "fund" appropriated to pay the salaries? Or was it just a "list" saying where the money went? Thanks. -- pmam21^talk_articles 00:57, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

My understanding is that the civil list was originally simply a list of those on the government payroll. Over time the definition broadened, and the civil list became a general term referring to the entire process of selection and payment of these individuals. - SimonP 20:27, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

US presidential felon

I was reading the article about Leonard Peltier and his run for the 2004 presidency. I know that such a thing would probably never happen, but, how would they go about installing someone who is incarcerated as president? Would he do the job from prison, or is he automatically pardoned?

Furthermore, why can someone who is in prison run for prez, but a prez who commits a crime must be impeached? (I mean a crime they were caught for, not all the crimes committed by past/present presidents that have gone unquestioned). --Ballchef 01:21, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

And one more Q: who are some other criminals that have run for prez (besides dubya) --Ballchef 01:53, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

Impeachment is the process by which a president (or judge) may (not "must") be removed from office. It's not a punishment for committing a crime. - Nunh-huh 04:16, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

When a person has not been convicted of any crime, then it is libel to call them a criminal.

However, in modern politics it is standard to call 100% politicians of political party, other than yours, to be criminals. AlMac|^(talk) 19:09, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

If I recall correctly US Presidents are above the law; the only body they must be responsible to is the Congress. Once they return to being normal citizens, however, they are subject to regular laws. See articles on Andrew Johnson (aquitted) and Richard Nixon (pardoned). JK

• Since Peltier's convictions were in Federal court, if he were elected president, he would presumably arrange for a judge to swear him in on inauguration day, then immediately pardon himself so he could leave prison and go to the White House. Mumia Abu-Jamal considered a presidential campaign on the Peace and Freedom Party ticket in 2004 as well (the party whose ticket Peltier ran on), but he was convicted in state court, not Federal court -- so if Abu-Jamal were elected president, he wouldn't be able to pardon himself. --Metropolitan90 21:51, 13 October 2005 (UTC)
  • But he could get the governor to pardon him right? --Ballchef 03:26, 14 October 2005 (UTC)
• Lyndon LaRouche ran for the Democratic nomination in 1992 while serving fifteen years in prison for mail fraud, conspiracy and tax code violations. He has now run eight times and if he runs again, he will tie the record of Harold Stassen. Capitalistroadster 06:05, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

• Another figure to look at in this regards is Eugene V. Debs, who also ran for president while incarcerated in 1920. --Fastfission 19:00, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

Ohio Congressman James Traficant ran for Congress from his jail cell in 2002. James Michael Curley was elected Mayor of Boston from his cell. And political prisoner Matthew Lyon was re-elected to Congress from jail. The only requirements for federal office are those in the Constitution. Therefore, a felon might not be able to vote for himself or run for state office, but he can run for Congress or the Presidency, as Debs and LaRouche have done. PedanticallySpeaking 16:17, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

Uses God's divine name

Glen Milstead? - Nunh-huh 04:13, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

Perhaps you want the Tetragrammaton? — Lomn | Talk / RfC 12:43, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

World's largest lorry fleet

I would like to find out which company owns the world's largest lorry fleet.

If you check the Wikipedia reference desk archives, somebody has claimed it's Wal-Mart. --Robert Merkel 06:56, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

But I'd still put my money on the United Parcel Service. Garrett Albright 08:01, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

what animal did Vasco Da Gama study in Africa in 1497

That's a tough one. The Vasco Da Gama article doesn't specify, and a google search doesn't turn up much either. Perhaps you could look up books devoted to his voyage in a library, or any work written by Da Gama himself. --Ballchef 12:45, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

In 1497 Da Gama was sailing around the southern tip of Africa. So it could have been some sea creature found in the southern waters of africa (for example the Cape Fur Seal) or some land animal spotted on the shore.--Jcw69 17:01, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

Please see this previously answered question. Superm401 | Talk 19:08, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

Female guerilla fighters

I am working on a piece of creative writing which I hope eventually to turn into a novel. The main premise is that of a young woman who becomes involved with a group of guerilla potential revolutionaries. Obviously there's huge amounts of information on the topic of guerilla warfare, to help with the research this entails, but I'm now looking for something more specific about women involved in guerilla war, both past and present. My personal interest is leaning towards South and Central America, but any information would be useful.

Phoolan Devi was the name that sprung to mind immediately, although she wasn't South American. KeithD (talk) 12:56, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

There are a couple women associated with Fidel Castro and his Cuban revolution, Anita Marquez and a woman just known as Tania. There have been several movies about Castro, they may be the best source of info on the women. StuRat 22:19, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

The Tamil Tigers have a number of all-female units; there's some information about them (from a highly sympathetic perspective) here. They're active in Sri Lanka rather than South or Central America, but you may find them interesting nonetheless. —Charles P. (Mirv) 20:12, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

Where can I find the english Translation of Cyrus' Cylinder?

In October 539 BCE, the Persian king Cyrus took Babylon. In Babylon, he wrote the Cyrus' cylinder[27]. This historical artifact is considered by many to be the first charter of human rights and also the footwork of the UN charter of human rights. In 1971, the UN translated the whole cylinder from Old Persian to all of the languages of the UN. On the internet, I was unable to find the english translation of it. Many websites have only small parts of the English version, but I am looking for the full English translation. If anyone knows where I can find it, I would much appretiate it.

Here it is. David Sneek 16:40, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

Thanks for the link, but I wanted the official translation of by the UN, there are many websites with translations, but most of the are not completely correct.

--Aytakin 15:10, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

2000 Bush Campaign

Durring George W. Bush's First campaign for the presidency, he was asked by a reporter to names the heads of state of three(I think)countrys. I believe he did not attempt to answer the question but I am not sure. I would like to know the details of this incident. When exactly did this occur? Who was the reporter? What news organization did the reporter represent? What was Bush's response? Hope you can help.

Marshall Dawson

You can read the CNN article on this at [28]. Bush was asked to name the leaders of four countries: Chechnya, Taiwan, India and Pakistan. He got "Lee" for Taiwan but didn't name any of the others. - SimonP 20:20, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

Swansea City career of Frank Lampard

Hello! I wanted to know what tournaments Frank Lampard played in for Swansea City when he was at loan there in 1995-96. He played 9 matches in the Premier League for them, but he also played 2 other matches. What matches were these? Thanks a lot. --Aabha 19:58, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

those 9 games were not in the Premiership but in the Football League Second Division. Swansea haven't been in the top devision of English football since 1983. As for extra two games played by Lampard, I can't find any records but it could have been either the League Cup, FA Cup , Football League Trophy or Welsh Cup Majts 04:48, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

New Haven and Hartford Connecticut populations

Both New Haven and Hartford are both cited as Connecticut's second-largest city (behind Bridgeport). How could that be?

Since Wikipedia is edited en masse, errors like this can creep in. I would imagine, though, that the problem can be very quickly fixed by checking the populations listed for New Haven, Connecticut and Hartford, Connecticut. — Lomn | Talk / RfC 21:19, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

In this case, Hartford trailed New Haven by about 1,000 people at the 2000 census. However, Hartford's article now has a 2002 estimate (which New Haven's lacks) that places it at about 1,000 more. I would favor re-listing Hartford as third-largest unless evidence is shown to demonstrate that New Haven has an appreciably lower population growth. Any comment from other users? This venue seems more likely to get pageviews than the relevant talk pages. — Lomn | Talk / RfC 21:25, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

It might be worth checking with the Census Bureau, the relevant municipal authorities of both cities or the Connecticut state department to confirm those figures or even to get 2004 figures. According to this list for 2004 [29] Hartford had a population of 124,848, New Haven had 124,829 and Stamford had 120,886 so you might want to use this. Capitalistroadster 06:21, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

when does 1 note have two notes?

Musical terms - when 1 note has two notes? How does this happen? Thanks! --205.188.116.14 22:05, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

You'll need to be a little more descriptive about what you mean. Are you referring to two notes on a single stem? Is there anything like what you are talking about at musical notation? - Nunh-huh 22:20, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

You might be looking for enharmonic notes, like F-sharp and G-flat. Or maybe you mean multiphonics? Mindspillage (spill yours?) 22:44, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

You might mean a Chord (music)? A chord is several notes to be played at the same time, and they are written atop eachother and connected in notation. --W.marsh 23:39, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

Or do you mean an accidental? This is a note that lasts only a fraction of a second in introducing the main note which is usually a semitone higher or lower. It is written on the stave in miniature. However, this usage of the term accidental seems not to be covered in Wikipedia or Wiktionary, so I could be mistaken. Shantavira 08:32, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

See ornament; in particular the sections on the acciaccatura and appoggiatura. Warofdreams talk 10:09, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

The Crucifixion in Art

On a tour to Eastern Europe we noticed that in Crucifixion art the feet of Jesus sonetimes are depicted with one nail and sometimes with two nails. Our guide thought that the convention in Western Europe was two nails and in Eastern Europe one nail. Is this correct-and if so what is the history of the convention? Thank you in advance-- Llobl@aol.com151.201.220.150

There is a similar mistake that most depictions show nails through the hands of Jesus, while nails through the wrists were actually used for crucifixition. (If you feel that this comment diverges from the crux of the matter, feel free to cross it out.) StuRat 19:29, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

I'm sorry I'm interested in the artistic convention of how the crucifixion is shown on art and how the convention divergedin Eastern and Western Europe--thanks

I don't believe that there is any clear convention in Western art. A nuber of paintings show one nail; see the image in our crucifixion article or this Raffaello painting or this sclupture. Rmhermen 15:32, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

massachusetts

I have a school project on massachusetts. i checked google and wikipedia of course.. But there is no specific founder of the state.. so was it the pilgrims in general or is it possible to be more specific? And why was it founded? is that up to me to make up? they were just searching for land, right?? thanks

You might be interested in our articles on the Massachusetts Bay Company and the Plymouth Company. The idealistic part of your why might be found in City upon a Hill. I think you can get at the economic whys. — Laura Scudder | Talk 02:18, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

I suspect that the reasons were mainly religious see Pilgrims. Capitalistroadster 06:56, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

Machiavelli vs. Divine Right?

Gimme five differences.

Okay, fair enough.

1. Machiavelli ends with a vowel, while Divine Right doesn't
2. Machiavelli has an 'l'.
3. Divine Right is two words.
4. Machiavelli is a person.
5. Machiavelli would support you having others do your homework, while no self-respecting divinity would.

Do your own homework. Superm401 | Talk 03:12, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

Thats awesome. and so true. --Ballchef 03:28, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

• You may wish to look at our Niccolo Machiavelli and Divine Right of Kings articles. Our Divine Right article is not of much use to you as it relates to a DC Comics comic book.Capitalistroadster 06:59, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

how to get your girlfriend to act out her fantasy?

My girlfriend and I have been together for 12 years. I know her fantasy is to be with 2 guys or engage in group sex. I have told her I would be willing to do either, but I don't know how to get her to feel that it is acceptable to do. She is very beautiful and very very good in bed. I know she is totally into it because of how excited she gets when we talk about it or watch movies about it. I'm just not sure how to make it happen. Any advice would be much appreciated.

                       J Murphy 06:41, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

Is this a homework question? Majts 06:46, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

How do you know "she is totally into it because she gets excited" when you talk about it or watch movies about it? Why would you two be talking so frequently or watching movies about it to begin with? Perhaps you are pressuring her and it is just a latent fantasy of hers, or maybe you are making her fantasize.--16:38, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

Have you tried asking? That's always a good first step. Dysprosia 06:48, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

Well done. You've taken the first, and most important step of all: asking complete strangers to help you with the most intimate details of your love life. In the days before the internet, people would have had to go to their local library and ask the librarian if they knew how to get their girlfriend to agree to group sex, which was good news for librarians, but bad news for those people who were trying to quietly read the latest John Grisham book before he finished writing the next one.

As I said, asking complete strangers is the most important step you can take. Under no circumstances discuss it with your girlfriend in an open and honest manner. When it's all over, you want her to feel guilty and uncomfortable about it, just in case the new people are superior lovers to you in either ability or size (or even both), so you have the upper hand. As it's her fantasy, the guilt and discomfort could be overcome in the future, but if you play your cards right, you can manipulate the guilt and discomfort so that everything's on your terms. She might even bake you a cake.

The practical advice would be to tell us complete strangers roughly where you live, so that you can have a couple of local Wikipedians (or a couple of Wikipedians willing to commute) come along and help out, whilst you go and visit your mother for the weekend. You'll want to say something like "I'm going to visit my mother this weekend, dear. By the way, I've got a couple of people coming to help out with your fantasy whilst I'm away. Enjoy. No matter what the Bible says, you remember that God ISN'T watching you at all times." (Whether you believe in God or not doesn't matter. It's a very simple piece of reverse psychology to sow the seeds of guilt). Let us know how you get on.

See also our article on Eppelein von Gailingen. KeithD (talk) 08:12, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

Hmmm. This question, and the response (Which was probably a bit unnecessarily snarky - who hasn't wanted advice on how to deal with their romantic parter sometimes?), suggest to me yet another guideline to the top of the page: "The Reference desk is not an agony aunt." --Robert Merkel 08:34, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

If you've already said you'd be willing then the onus is pretty much on her, unless you fancy surprising her. If she's hesitant about actually taking the step of arranging something/approaching someone you might be best to either suggest that you'll sort it out (wouldn't be too hard to arange another guy if she's good looking, would be harder to arrrange another woman or a couple unless she's involved in picking them up too); or to make it clear that if she really wants to do this then you should both try to arrange something. The big step is finding someone else to join you, could get awkward if you try someone you already know otherwise you could both just try picking someone up in a bar. Alternatively you could try to engineer a situation where it is easier for her to say yes, eg invite an open minded friendly couple over(sound them out beforehand), suggest putting a porno film on, etc & let things develop. Though this might be a bit too over-eager & underhand (could be misinterpreted) - basically you're probably better off talking openly about it & finding out why she's reluctant. AllanHainey 09:13, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

Get her drunk. Proto t c 09:41, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

Sometimes a cigar fantasy is just a cigar fantasy. — File:Ontario trillium sig.pngmendel ☎ 15:50, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

I note our article on group sex currently has only a painting and some crude outline drawings in terms of media. So, I dunno if you own or can borrow a Canon Powershot from anyone, maybe the guy you invite over will have one. Note: lighting these sorts of things can be tricky. --bodnotbod 23:17, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

Does anyone know the name of this cartoon from the 1980s?

For the last few months I've been trying find out information about a cartoon I saw on American television in either 1989 or 1990. I was four years old at the time so I can't remember the name. From what I remember of the storyline it involved a little girl who owned a teddy bear. When she rubbed noses with the bear he became alive. This bear had a sister and it turned out they came from another dimension and their mother was some kind of giant robotic factory. It's possible that it was an animé cartoon but since it was so long ago I can't really remember. It's also possible that this cartoon was show on British television aswell. Help me!

Bits of that sound like Superted. That was about a teddy bear who was rejected at the factory, dumped, and was found by a cosmic alien covered in spots who sprinkled him with magic dust. I'm not sure if that is the correct show. smurrayinchester^{(User), (Talk), (Recent Contrib)} 16:00, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

This cartoon was definately not Super Ted and I think the teddy bear in question was actually a koala

Hmm, the closest thing I'm finding is Adventures of the Little Koala [30] [31] which was either Korean or Japanese, depending on who you ask. However, it featured no human characters. Incidentally, please note that "animé" is French animation and "anime" is Japanese animation. Garrett Albright 17:03, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

Oh wait, I found it! Nozzles [32] should be what you're looking for. Garrett Albright 17:05, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

I think Garrett meant Noozles.--Commander Keane 18:06, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

Wow! I was lookin for the name of that show for ages! ☢ Kieff | Talk 23:27, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

D'oh. Garrett Albright 00:53, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

Thanks for your help. That's the cartoon exactly. Now I can finally rest.

Sociology

In one sentence, explain the basic tenet of positivism.

State one basic similarity between Comte and Durkheim.

Explain why Weber insited on the use of the Vestehen in sociological research?(one sentence)

State one major difference between the interpretivist and the positivist approach to research.

• Okay:

• The glass is half-full rather than half-empty.
• They were both French.
• He didn't. He insisted on verstehen.
• The interpretivist feels he has to explain why it's important to do your own homework, while the positivist will congratulate you for finding a creative way to get other people to do it.

--Diderot 11:04, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

• Our articles on Auguste Comte, Émile Durkheim and Max Weber should be of some assistance. Capitalistroadster 07:48, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

BIOGRAPHY OF PUNKAJ MULLICK

(preceding unsigned comment by 82.178.84.120 (talk · contribs) 19:53, 14 October 2005)

Do you mean Pankaj Mullick? —Charles P. (Mirv) 20:14, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

Rita Hayworth

Educational information of Rita Hayworth. Did Rita Hayworth graduated from High School? What schools did she attended to?

According to this website [33] Rita Hayworth attended Alexander Hamilton High School and Carthay School in Los Angeles. Her father once owned a dance school, so you could probably assume that she spent a fair amount of time there too. --Quasipalm 00:02, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

19th Century British History

Why did women not win the vote in the 19th century?

They did (Timeline of women's suffrage) but only unmarried women in local elections. I'm not sure what Act of paliament allowed this but the Representation of the People Act 1884 says it "sought to enfranchise the morally worthy and industrious." Now don't hate me for Victorian values but housewives were probably not considered industrious and they would obviously vote how their husbands did anyway. MeltBanana 02:15, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

On an interesting, but slightly different note, the suffragette movement—mostly 20th century—is regarded by some as impeding the course of votes for women. Tactics like hunger strikes were enough to demonstrate to some that women could not be trusted to vote. Don't vote: it only encourages them. MeltBanana 02:58, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

what was the climate in california in the 1870's

just need help for a report...i tried google and yahoo..but can't seem to find anything...

If you're speaking in terms of weather, then I doubt it was much different than the way it is now; that is, quite different depending on which part of California you're speaking of, from the roasting Death Valley to the chilly Sierra Nevada mountain range. See California#Climate for more. Garrett Albright 00:51, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

Much of the American Southwest has seen considerable desertification since then (not that there wasn't a desert before, but that it's probably expanded).--Pharos 01:40, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

Movies that haunt me

I'm not sure what my question is, but hopefully it will emerge. When I was about 9 (in about 1960), my Dad took me to see a special series of movies shown over a period of a few weeks. They have haunted me ever since. Every time I see any of them, I am filled with an indescribable sense of nostalgia and melancholy. They were: Hamlet (Olivier version), The Red Shoes, Tom Brown's School Days (1951; John Howard Davies in title role), Great Expectations (David Lean), Oliver Twist (David Lean; also starring John Howard Davies), War and Peace (Audrey Hepburn/Mel Ferrer/Henry Fonda), Ulysses (Kirk Douglas), and possibly The Winslow Boy (Robert Donat). I've tried to find the organisation that presented the series of movies, or any other information, but to no avail. Does this resonate with anybody else out there? Cheers JackofOz 02:39, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

Game: Rabbit-Lion (also known as Angel-Devil?)

I am trying to find information about this group game. (I have already searched through the article game and related categories.) Here is how the game works: It is usually played outdoors (or in an area with lots of space). It requires a bare-minimum of three players, and there is no maximum. First each person picks (without telling anyone) two other people - one who is thier 'Lion' or 'Devil' (the person they have to stay away from) and one who is their 'Rabbit' or 'Angel' (the person who protects them). Then, once everyone has selected a Devil and an Angel, the game starts, and everyone begins moving around, each person trying to keep their Angel in between them and their Devil. Sometimes the game stabilizes quickly (everyone stops moving, everyone is protected) and sometimes it never stabilizes. After everyone stops or everyone is just too tired to keep moving, each person goes around an says who is their Devil and who is their Angel.

Questions: Anyone know if there is already a wikipedia article about this game? If not, what other names is this game called? What category does it fit into on the article game? Thank you, 128.208.191.208 20:27, 11 October 2005 (UTC).

• I would add it under playground game but I haven't heard of it before. --bodnotbod 03:50, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

• How does each person know whose Devil they are (i.e. who to go after), and what happens if your devil "gets" you? Superm401 | Talk 20:42, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

Thank you for the question! The answer is that each person DOES NOT know who to go after-- no one is actually going after anyone-- each person is just trying to STAY AWAY from their Devil. So everyone moves around because, although each person doesn't know who (if anyone) has chosen her/him as their devil, each person DOES KNOW who they are trying to stay away from.

Specifically, each person is actually trying to keep her/his Angel in between her/him and her/his Devil. Example: Person C is the Devil of person A (A has to stay away from C). Person B is person A's Angel. When the game starts, person A moves around to keep person B in between herself/himself and person C. Of course persons B and C are also moving around, worring about their Angels and Devils.

If you don't believe me that it works, try it! It's actually really fun! (Yes, even for grownups...) Just MAKE SURE that each person has chosen a Devil AND an Angel (without telling anyone) before the game starts. After the game is over, people go around and tell everyone who was their Devil and who was their Angel. Djbaniel 23:16, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

Countess?

Who is the Countess of Chester (as in the hospital). I have heard claims that it is Princess Diana, but have found no proof. smurrayinchester^{(User), (Talk)} 10:15, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

The current Countess of Chester is Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall but previously it was indeed Princess Diana. Her full titles were: Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall, Duchess of Rothesay, Countess of Chester and Countess of Carrick. source . The British Royal family do like their titles. As the hospital in Chester was opened by Diana in 1984 link, I'm sure they used her lesser known Countess title as it was connected with the city. Besides there are several other hospitals called Princess of Wales but using the Countess of Chester title made them unique. Majts 10:55, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

Lonnie Coleman (author of the novel Orphan Jim)

Is Lonnie Coleman a white American or a black American? Where shall I get more details on this author? --Arunadevi 14:45, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

He is a black author. But I was not able to find a good site for his biography.

--Aytakin 15:15, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

Supreme Court

In the history of the US Supreme Court, I would like to know how many justices of the supreme Court were never judges before they where nominated and confirmed?

thank you

Thomas Gasior

• According to our page on the Harriet Miers Supreme Court nomination and hearings, "...over thirty-five Supreme Court justices never served as a judge prior to their nomination" which cites this news story. It doesn't give an exact figure, but I suspect "over 35" means "35-40". Shimgray | talk | 15:24, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

Which is the artist of this Portaite Painting?

I visit the specific site http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleanor_of_Arborea, and I have seen the the Portrait painting of Eleonora di Arborea and I whould like to know the artist name and the year of makeing. Thank you in advince, Charris.

I've asked the uploader, Alberia torkenkluvin to answer you here. Superm401 | Talk 20:53, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

Average weight of Irish people

I am looking for information on weight demographics for the people of Ireland.

I haven't found a full breakdown, but according to the Irish Health Promotion Unity, about 12.5% of Irish are obese and 50% are overweight(obese is worse than overweight). In contrast, worldwide only about 5% of adults are obese, according to the World Health Organization. I was unable to find the percentage of people who were obese, but the statistic is probably similar globally. Superm401 | Talk 21:18, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

melanie hampshire

What became of Melanie Hampshire, 1960s fashion model?

Melanie was a contemporary of Jean Shrimpton, Sandra Paul, and Jill Kennington.

Portraits of her by, inter alia, Parkinson, are held in the NPG Photographic Archives in London.

She appeared on the cover of Vogue, and, together with Jill Kennington and others, appeared in the Antonioni film 'Blow Up'.

Fred

Who was the first british primeminister?

See Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. -- Arwel 19:48, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

• Robert Walpole is generally considered to be the first de facto British Prime Minister. The first person to hold the title was Henry Campbell-Bannerman. Capitalistroadster 04:17, 17 October 2005 (UTC)
  • I think the term Prime Minister was first recorded on official documents during the premiership of Benjamin Disraeli, certainly the title was used regularly long before Campbell-Bannerman. AllanHainey 07:21, 17 October 2005 (UTC)
• Our Prime Minister of the United Kingdom article mentions Campbell-Bannerman as the holder of the officer when it was first placed in the order of precedence in 1905. Perhaps, we could put something on the talk page.

Why was Germany defeated in WWII?

i know there are a ton of articles about the latter part of the war, however i am looking for a definite concrete reason or event, or series of events that caused Germany to lose the war.

If you must have one event(which is foolish), it would be D-Day. If you want one reason(equally foolish), they ran out of men. Superm401 | Talk 21:25, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

I'd have said the invasion of Russia rather than D-Day, but the running out of men is spot on. --Diderot 21:33, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

I won't really argue with that. Like I said, limiting it to one is ridiculous. Superm401 | Talk 22:00, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

Germany was defeated because the Allies had more men and enormously greater wealth and industrial capacity. The obvious untrustworthiness of Germany's leaders meant that the Allies had no incentive to seek peace rather than surrender. But certainly the invasion of the Soviet Union was the biggest single factor. Gdr 08:42, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

I'd say that the single biggest factor (If I had to give one) for Germany's defeat would be Hitler himself, specifically in the later stages of the War. His insanity became an increasing burden on his subordinates, who had to appease his frequent rages while still trying to conduct a sane and effective overall German strategy.66.82.9.62 00:56, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

Mostly because of bombings of German factories, train stations, and urban areas. Also because Germany did not have access to oil fields like the U.S. had in Texas, and Saudi oil had not been yet discovered. At the end of the war, Germany had to resort to making synthetic gasoline out of coal. Cutting Germany off of its power and resource supply made its cities extremely vulnerable and effectively ended WWII. Jazz1979 09:37, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

A major contributing factor (error) was the Luftwaffe switching from bombing RAF bases during the Battle of Britain to civillian targets such as London and Coventry for their symbolic value when the RAF was at breaking point (Hitler wanted revenge for the RAF's bombing of Cologne). No air support for the German army and navy meant no military invasion of Great Britain when the British Army was in a mess following the abortion at Dunkirk. This would have been Operation Sealion. If the invasion had taken place, Britain would have been defeated, D-Day would never have happened (as the UK was the assmebly point for the invasion), the Germans would have held off invading Russia for another year or so, and would have eventually needed less personnel guarding the western front - and then would have had another 40 divisions they could have thrown at Russia during the eventual offensive (and they were only 30 miles from Moscow with what they had in 1941). Plus they would have held the massive oil fields in the Causcasus, making (even with Stalin's scorched earth policy) running out of oil and resources less likely. Plus Spain would have probably come into the war, |Franco only held off because he saw Germany was going to lose. I would imagine, even with all this, that eventually Germany would have lost, or some kind of bastardised peace treaty would have ensued and the world would be very different. Thank goodness Hitler decided he wanted to bomb London and not a load of airfields. Proto t c 11:15, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

Dreams

I hear that (for example) eating cheese late in the evening gives you 'bad' dreams. But is there anything in particular which would give you vivid (film-quality) dreams? Ojw 21:15, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

Take a look at lucid dreaming. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk

That doesn't quite match, as it talks about dreams which you recognise as such, while they're happening. I'd describe the meta-knowledge as "on awaking, remembering what happened, and then realising that it was a dream".

The odd attributes being (a) that the visual quality of the dream emulates that of a cinema film, and (b) that the events are so imaginative and surprising that you wouldn't think you could have generated them yourself.

Obviously I know that the actual answer is some combination of bad health, stress, and doing unethical stuff at work, but you never know when there's a folklore explanation if you ask enough people... Ojw 22:33, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

Well, the thing (supposedly) about lucid dreaming is that you can purposefully induce it, and once in it you can control it. I don't know if that means you can affect the quality or just the events. Beyond that (or similar meditative practices), or eating protein late at night and hoping for the best, I think you're into the land of nontrivial psychoactive substances. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 22:42, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

The herb Calea Zacatechichi or 'dream herb' would give vivid dreams. AllanHainey 07:24, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

Whitesnake's Discography (including compilations)

I have searched this site for Whitesnake and it has told me all of thier studio and live albums up until 2001. What I want to know on top of this is what official compilation albums have Whitesnake released before 2001 and have they released anything since 2001, compilations included (for example, I know of a compilation called "The Early Years" released in 2004). Thanks...--86.27.53.56 22:15, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

I'd suggest taking a look at the [34] website. They have a fair amount of info on the topic.

George 02:55, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

the origin of probable cause

If you are talking about the concept in the american legal system, the orgin is from the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution. See also probable cause. gkhan 23:41, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

Jordan

how jordan people use their personal space and what time frame are they in the past, present, future?

Are you referring to the people who live in the country of Jordan? For the first part, I would guess that they use their personal space to store their personal stuff just like most other people. As for the second part, I'm at a loss as to what you mean. They're in the present like everyone else, I would presume. Dismas|^(talk) 05:11, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

O.J. Simpson polls

I am writing a paper for my English 102 class. I need the exact polls on white versus blacks, as to whether each race thought he was guilty or not.

http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/Simpson/polls.html has what you need. —Charles P. (Mirv) 02:25, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

The Web site linked to seems to be offline currently, albeit it is available through the Google cache. Grumpy Troll ^(talk) 07:43, 16 October 2005 (UTC).

And don't forget the Internet archive for any link that seems to have "gone away". -- Jmabel | Talk 06:47, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

1930 Ukraine orphanage

I would greatly appreciate any help that you may be able to provide. My friend, Olga was born in the Ukraine and is a Dachau survivor. She was sent to Dacahu from an orphanage in the Ukraine called either Dnieprodzerzinks or Dmieprodzerzimks, approximately between 1925-1935. Olga is getting up in years and still does not know her real birth date or real last name. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time in this matter. Sincerely, Martha Tiger-Ochs Manassas, Va. USA email; (removed)

There's a city called Dniprodzerzhynsk in Ukraine. It would be rather hard to find people who would speak English and be willing to help you. Perhaps you may want to start with this local charity I found, they have an English page: http://rebirth.dndz.dp.ua/index_eng.htm If you decide to write to them I would suggest hinting that you would contribute to them if they help you. A little contribution by American standards goes a long way there. Ornil 19:43, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

As our Holocaust article points out, the Nazis were meticulous record-keepers. Maybe some of the Holocaust survivor groups could help to track down any information they recorded on your friend, such as the orphanage she was sent from. --Robert Merkel 02:56, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

King of Jerusalem

Who was the king of Jerusalem after Jesus' crucifiction and the Romans left? I believe that would be around 300 AD.

The Romans didn't leave until 614, when Khosrau II kicked them out for 15 years, and then again in 638, when Umar ibn al-Khattab captured the city. Jerusalem#History has the details. —Charles P. (Mirv) 04:37, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

which influences students,education or multi-media?

see false dichotomy - Nunh-huh 04:48, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

which influences students, most education or multi-media?

Most(do your own homework) Superm401 | Talk 07:46, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

From Eats, Shoots and Leaves:

A panda walks into a café. He orders a sandwich, eats it, then draws a gun and proceeds to fire it at the other patrons.

"Why?" asks the confused, surviving waiter amidst the carnage, as the panda makes towards the exit. The panda produces a badly punctuated wildlife manual and tosses it over his shoulder.

"Well, I'm a panda," he says at the door. "Look it up."

The waiter turns to the relevant entry and, sure enough, finds an explanation. "Panda. Large black-and-white bear-like mammal, native to China. Eats, shoots and leaves."

Your joke made me smile, Superm401. Grumpy Troll ^(talk) 08:01, 16 October 2005 (UTC).

What ever became of Graeme Faulkner ...

... who appeared as St Francis of Assisi in Franco Zeffirelli's 1972 film Brother Sun, Sister Moon, one of my fondest movie memories from the 1970s. He made less than a handful of other movies, and seems to have entered oblivion. The "BS,SM" article reveals nothing. JackofOz 04:55, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

"What a difference a day makes"

Which song is the line "What a difference a day makes" from, who sang it, when, and which movie or TV series did the song appear in? — JIP | Talk 10:25, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

I think there are several songs with that line in it, but I assume the one you are reffering to is the one with the following lines:

"What a diff'rence a day made/ Twenty-four little hours/ Brought the sun and the flowers/ Where there used to be rain."

Written by Maria Grever and Stanley Adams. It's a commonly covered song, so I am not sure which version you heard, but the earliest version seems to be recorded way back in 1934 by The Dorsey Brothers Orchestra. Bunch of others have done versions of it too (see [35]). Akamad 11:36, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

• Allmusic.com has several pages on who has recorded versions of this song see [36]. The song is credited to Stanley Adams and María Grever. Perhaps all of these should be added to the requested articles list. Capitalistroadster 04:29, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

Percussion scoring

How is orchestral music for untuned percussion instruments (e.g. drums) scored? I can't see anything about this at the musical notation article. Shantavira 10:43, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

• I found a rather nice pamphlet; perhaps you could distill it into an addition to the notation article. --jpgordon∇∆∇∆ 03:55, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

The Renaissance

Hello, I've read the article on the Renaissance but still feel uncertain of this question,

'Was the Renaissance evolutionary or revolutionary?'

If there are any more articles throughout this site or Any information you may able to provide, I would be greatly appreciative.

Thank you very much,

Neil Faerber

Why would you assume it was one or the other? This makes it sounds like a homework question. Surely there were many elements of both. Shantavira 11:45, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

Well I realize it sounds like a question for homework but I'm 45 years old. I have a couple decades more to hit retirement. I am not asking you to give me answers, just simply articles I may print and read for my reference. Thanks again, Neil.

"Both" is a good answer, but you understand that your question is different from "is a bear a carnivore or an herbivore?", don't you? Think about what terms like Renaissance mean. Some historian trying to see patterns or trends in history instead of seeing it as "one damned thing after another" used the term as a label for several things that happened in the 14th and 15th centuries and seemed to him related. It is an arbitrary label for a collection of events and social changes that were perceived by historians to be related. Some of the primary things were (a) rediscovery of ancient pre-Christian Greek and Latin classics and the invention of the printing press so they could be widely available and studied, (b) advances in science and seeing the world (some observed, like Galileo, Copernicus, Vesalius, and perspective, and some imported from Arabic civilization), (c) increasing wealth, leisure, and social stratification, which are the necessary resources for scholarly and intellectual activities. A major part (d) of the pattern was public expression of disillusionment with the Roman church, which took several forms: secular art and literature instead of religious themes, an attempt to re-examine the roots of Christianity and religion by re-translating the Bible from Greek and Hebrew and then making it available to lay people in their own languages, contempt and criticism for the worldly behavior of the church, and an attempt to reform the church and purge it of corruption (the Reformation and Counter-reformation). So calling the sum of these changes evolutionary or revolutionary is a somewhat arbitrary value judgement since both evolution and revolution are broad vague fuzzy concepts.

Finally, for a more extended treatment than the above paragraph, or our article, you might enjoy Paul Johnson's brief and very readable overview entitled The Renaissance: A Short History. alteripse 16:07, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

Greek: Philos

How is Philos written in Greek? What are the Greek characters? I am trying to asymble "Philomath" in Greek. I have "Math" or Mathema - μάθημα. Yet i am shy on half the equation. Please and thank you.

Philos is φίλος, so philomath is φιλομαθής. --Gareth Hughes 15:42, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

lorries

which company has the worlds largest lorry fleet?

Wal-mart. This question has already been answered above. You are unlikely to get a better answer by repeating the question. The quickest way to get an answer to a question like this is to Google "world's largest trucking fleet" or something similar. Use quotation marks to keep the number of hits down. Rephrase it a few times if you don't get a satisfactory result. Hope this helps. Shantavira 13:13, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

Tantric sex courses

A yoga school in Helsinki offers tantric sex courses, for all people, regardless whether they're single or in a relationship with someone. The school says the actual course itself does not include any sex or nudity - they only talk about what tantra is and practice yoga related to it. The actual tantric sex is "homework", to be done in a private place after the course. Now it's all well and good that they don't discriminate against anyone, but what's the bloody point in going to such a tantric sex course if you're single? To learn to practice tantric masturbation, or something? — JIP | Talk 14:33, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

So, you came here just to bitch about that? :/ ... I think it makes perfect sense. It might give the single person a different approach to sex that might be a blessing for any future partners. It could also help them to overcome certain difficulties they have with the whole thing. ☢ Ҡieff | Talk 15:04, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

Well, there are these places called bars, that serve a liquid called alcohol. People meet there. The alcohol affects visual perception. People end up going home with people. Nelson Ricardo 00:18, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

Average net worth & wealth of USA and the world

When ever we talk of wealth, we talk of GDP and per capita incomes are based on GDPs and net GDPs. But, I am interested in knowing- what is the total wealth of USA in terms of net worth (or you can also say net worth per capita). Recently, I read in a website that the median net worth of US citizens is $80,000. I assume net worth should also count wealth of government assets. If possible, also tell me the total net worth of the world.

The CIA world factbook estimates the total world GDP at $55.5 trillion (by purchasing power parity, note, not exchange rates) for 2004, or about $8,800 per capita. For comparison, the 2004 estimates for the US are $11.75 trillion total, or $40,100 per capita, again by PPP. Note that the figure you had is the median - per-capita values are more commonly given as a straight average. Shimgray | talk | 20:32, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

Of course, that's meaningless in isolation. We would need to know what year's dollars that value is in, and would want to compare to other years with the same inflation adjustment. Furthermore, he asked for "net worth" and specifically said he didn't want GDP. However, I don't think "net worth" really has any economic meaning. Superm401 | Talk 20:55, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

Unless of course you are a fisherman and want to calculate your capital assets. Majts 21:20, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

Aww, come on… that one was corny even by Reference Desk standards. :P Garrett Albright 16:13, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

Ah, so he did; obviously wasn't paying much attention. Pretty much any net worth figure you come up with for the world is meaningless, though - it's not as though you could establish a market price. Shimgray | talk | 21:24, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

Economic data on West Germany 1945-1960

Hello. I am looking for economic and demographic data from West Germany between 1945 and 1960. More specifically, I am interested in data relating to GDP, inflation, unemployment, demographics, migration, government or international aid, state of the economy, and so on (other demographic and economic data is of course welcome, especially Land-specific data for comparison purpose). I have searched the web and especially the web site of the German Federal Statistical Office (Statistisches Bundesamt Deutschland [37]) but was not able to find extensive data for this period. I also sent them an email but received no answer (yet). Can you help for instance by pointing me to web sites, books, or other hints? Thanks. --Edcolins 19:36, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

If you've access to a large library, try seeing if they have old reference books - things like, say, Whitaker's Almanac often give a reasonable amount of economic data for the year of publication. I have a '57 almanac to hand - but, sadly, it's only the "short" version, which doesn't contain foreign data. (I have a long one for '30, and it's perfect - four and a half close-typed pages with most of the basic economic data for that year. I suspect post-war ones will be helpful) Shimgray | talk | 20:27, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

christopher hitchens

What is his email address?

Probably peterk11(a)comcast.net. Source: http://www.hitchensweb.com/. --Edcolins 20:12, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

Probably not. That doesn't appear to be his personal website, and the name on the email address is Peter, not Christopher. A cursory Google search doesn't turn anything up, which suggests he wishes to keep his email address private. You could, perhaps, try contacting the editor of a magazine he writes for, if your reasons for contacting him are related to his articles. KeithD (talk) 08:40, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

George Harrison - The Beatle

Hi, I hope you can help me. I have a friend who has 2 letters from a George Harrison written in 1955. She believes it is from George Harrison, The Beatle. The address then was 24 Waterloo Road, Burnley, Lancashire, England. It says his birthday is Sept. 16 and that he was 15 years old then. She also has a picture, but the picture is of someone older than 15 years old, so may be of some other relative. I really would like an address that we can send a copy of the signature that she has for verification one way or another whether it is his. Thank you for your attention. Carol B

I doubt George Harrison's signature when he was 15 is the same as it was once he became famous. George Harrison also says that his birthday was on Feb. 24, not Sept. 16 and that Beatle George Harrison would've been only 12 years old in 1955, not 15. -Drdisque 21:44, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

As well, our George Harrison article suggests he grew up entirely in Liverpool, not Burnley (which is 55 miles away); indeed, the specific house he grew up in is listed in the article. Sorry to spoil your friend's story, but what you've told us doesn't match with the known facts about the Beatle George Harrison's childhood. --Robert Merkel 22:58, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

When George Harrison was 15, he believed that he had been born shortly after midnight, and that his birthday was 25 February. It was only as an adult that he learned he had been born shortly before midnight, and that his birthday was the 24th. A letter from George at age 15 should be written in 1958 or 1959, and should claim his birthday was 25 February. - Nunh-huh 23:53, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

humanities

Enter humanities in our search window or click on the link. alteripse 00:27, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

Geneva Convention from the U.N.

Who has the authority to amend the Geneva Convention of 1949, or any of them for that matter? The U.N.? or does a nation that signed have the authority to amend the convention all on it's own?

The Geneva Convention is essentially just a treaty; many nations agreed they would be bound by its terms. If a country drafted a replacement treaty, it would only be binding on those who signed it. Of course, this is theoretical, given that almost every signatory has probably violated the Convention. Superm401 | Talk 01:41, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

'The Bride' in Jewish lore

Australian writer Patrick White's book 'Riders in the Chariot' makes passing mention of 'the Bride' when talking about Jewish characters. Vintage publisher 1996 edition pps 121, 233. Possibly more mentions I haven't reached yet! Who is 'the Bride'? Fran, Brisbane

Could you give us the sentence containing that phrase? I don't have a copy of the book. Superm401 | Talk 01:46, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

It wasn't simply another term for the character's wife. Capitalistroadster 04:50, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

The young Jewish man discovers the joys of the flesh and his commitment to his faith falters: 'Thus committed to the flesh, the ceremonies of his parents' house soon became intolerable. The Sabbath, for instance, all though his boyhood a trance of innocent perfection, in which he would not have been surprised to see the Bride herself cross the threshold, was now transformed into a wilderness of hours....' (p.121). The Jewish couple in Australia trying to be Methodists: ...and Shulamith, for all the dreamy validity of her little Cross, would suffer her grandmother ... to call her home down the pot-holed street, announcing that the stars were out, and the Bride had already come'(p.233). Thanks for any info. Fran

In Judaism, the sabbath is sometimes called the Sabbath Bride. So "the Bride" refers to the Sabbath itself. -- Mwalcoff 02:16, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

Korean war orphans in Australia

Would you have any information on 'how many and which year' Korean War orphans came to Australia after the war in 1953?

Who is this "we" you refer to, kemosabe?

What is the context of this phrase? Just saw it twice today, seems like a cultural reference that I'm not aware of. Thank you!--Knyazhna 04:21, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

It's the punchline in any of a variety of jokes about the Lone Ranger and his faithful Indian friend, Tonto. Also seen as "What do you mean, "we", white man?". [38] - Nunh-huh 04:31, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

• (Answered by Nunh-huh before I could finish typing.) It's a reference to the radio and television show The Lone Ranger, although I don't know if the scene being referenced is something that actually appeared on the program or something made up as a joke ("The Lone Ranger" was a part of American culture for decades and so could easily have been the subject of a joke). Here is a version:

Once, when the Lone Ranger and Tonto were loping along in the valley, they looked up and Indians were swarming down on them from every direction. The Lone Ranger became concerned and looked over at Tonto. "What are we going to do?" he asked his trusted Indian sidekick.

"What do you mean 'we', Kemo Sabe?" Tonto replied. [39]

In the context of the show, "kemo sabe" is supposed to mean something like "trusted friend" in some Native American language, although it is unclear which one [40]. The overall reference means something like, "Don't try to drag me into your problems; 'we' don't have a problem, you have a problem." --Metropolitan90 04:38, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

George Wilberfore Kakoma

Dear Sir;

I would like to know the nationality, life and work of George Wilberforce Kakoma, the author who composed the National anthem of Uganda and a graduate of Durham University.

Thank you

Sincerely,

M. So

Have a look at George Wilberforce Kakoma. It's rather brief and doesn't answer all your questions, but it's all we have at the moment. Please expand it if you know more. --fvw* 05:51, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

INDIAN NATIONALISM

Can you please tell me the factors that lead to INDIAN NATIONALISM?? THANK YOU ESHA

You might be interested in the partition of India. — Laura Scudder | Talk 06:40, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

You might also find Hindutva worth reading. —Charles P. (Mirv) 03:21, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

julius caesar

Julius Caesar indeed. Boneyard 09:42, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

Antony Beevor's work - one more person take a look, please!!!

Hi, I'd like to ask for a review of Antony Beevor's work. He is a military historian, and I'd like to have someone well-acquinted with the subject give an estimate of his reliability. In particular, how reliable and how truthful is his information about the mass rape of German women by Soviet soldiers? The question prooved very controversial - the British and the Americans usually buy Beevor's version without a second thought, the Russians dismiss it as Western propaganda, inconsistent with the habbit of officers to shoot soldiers involved in plundering on the spot. So if someone could tell me, if Beevor is accurate in his description..?

              Thank you, 
                           rediska.

One thing you can say about Beevor's work is it always very fully sourced. I have Beevor's Stalingrad and Berlin books beside me, and every controversial claim is referenced to a source. There are more than 1200 sources in Berlin and even more in Stalingrad. So to truly answer the question you need to verify or question these sources reliability which would be a big job, but perfectly feasable. Yet, I am still to see a serious refutation of Beevor's work. Furthermore, his reliability never seems to be questioned of his book about the Spanish Civil War. My personal take on it is that the Eastern front was one of the bloodiest and total wars in history. I cannot begin to imagine the hardships that were endured by both sides of the conflict and the inhumanity that occurred. The Russians had been massacred in their millions with countless atrocities committed against them. So when the Russians gained the upper hand, with several million men marching through Germany seeking revenge, would it not be more difficult to believe that they all behaved in a saintly and discliplined manner? But I'm a Westerner, so I would say that wouldn't I? Majts 11:32, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

Majts, thank you very much. What some Russians claim (including prominent historians) is that his sources are usually not clearly identified. For instance, he doesn't give the names of the women he interviewed, who were, allegedly, raped. He just says "two of the largest hospitals of Berlin registered an X number of rapes" without saying which hospitals those are, without giving their official names (of the hospitals), without contact information. The Russians claim that he doesn't base his work on documents, or at least doesn't demonstrate them. Therefore, they conclude, he is just rusofobic and tries to dishonor the sacrifice of the dead soldiers. How much of this is true?

                            rediska.

P.S. There is nothing wrong with being a Westerner.

To address that one point on p410 of Berlin: The Downfall 1945 Beevor states "estimates from the two main hospitals ranged from 95,000 to 130,000 rape victims" Looking at the notes this is referenced to the source Dr Gerhard Reichling, and Charité and Kaiserin Auguste Victoria, quoted Sander and Johr,pp. 54,59. So he's fulfilled the job of a serious historian by backing up his claim with a source. You can argue whether the source is reliable or not but he has identified the hospitals, i.e the two main ones. Now if you can prove that there were not two main hospitals in Berlin at the time then you can also dispute Beevor's credibility. But that is just one sentence. Looking at the index it shows there are 36 pages that refer to "rape by the Red Army" all provided with references. I am sure there are many inaccuracies in Beevor's work, but it is such a large body of evidence that the overall credibility stands unless proven otherwise. There were about 2.5 million Red Army soldiers around Berlin in 1945, plenty of alcohol and a lust for revenge, would it not be surprising if a relatively small minority did not commit crimes? My own impression from reading Beavor's work left no taste of anti-russian bias. In fact, overall, I gained a huge amount of awe and respect for the Russian spirit and character during the worst imaginable circumstances. Without that strength, Nazi Germany would never have been defeated, for which the West should still owe huge debt of gratitude. But you have to ask who has more of an agenda here, the defenders of Mother Russia's "honour" or Antony Beevor? Apologies for turning this into an essay Majts 06:19, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

I was just making sure. I am inclined to believe Beevor, raping and murdering is what the victorious troops do in conquered territory, in my understanding. As far as agenda goes - there is, in fact, a lot of libel about Russia in Western history books, and it's not just my imagination, so one has to be careful. The defenders of Mother Russia's "honour" also have a big agenda and every reason to lie, of course. Thank you very much Majts, I can now present this information to some of the people I debated with. Just for absolute certainty, could someone else confirm or refute what Majts said..?

                   Thanks a zellion,
                                          rediska

What is the Peabody donation fund V Sir Lindsay Parkinson case of 1985 about?

Development of Judicial precedent

Divine intervention and Free will

If God gave us free will, then that means that we can do anything we like, choose between good and evil, etc. Our will is thus not God's will. (Please correct if I am wrong)

However, it is frequently said that we are to do the Will of God, and that sometimes God or the Holy Spirit intervenes to change people's opinions and let miracles occur, etc. Aside from that, it seems that God has answered our prayers even before we have prayed them by setting the gears into motion several years before we made our petition! I myself have seen this many times, but I still cannot understand how God manages to do these things unless he knew our thoughts beforehand, meaning our thoughts and actions were already written out in a Heavenly Script, and we actually do not have free will.

Do we have free will or not? Are we just actors playing out a script or do we really have minds of our own? How does God know what we are thinking even before we have thought it? Don Diego 12:46, 17 October 2005 (UTC) (P.S. Douglas Hofstadter's last Dialogue in Gödel, Escher, Bach is similar to what I'm saying)

In short, you are asking one of the great Christian theological questions, and the best I can suggest is that you determine an answer that you (1) can believe and (2) are comfortable with. — Lomn | Talk / RfC 13:10, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

Given this topic has been debated amongst theologians, philosophers, and (implicitly, and without the religious overtones) by psychologists since almost the beginning of recorded history, do you really expect the denizens of the reference desk to have the definitive answer?

My two cents is that you are assuming that God, in the Abrahamic religion sense, exists. As an atheist (my personal position is roughly the "weak atheism" version mentioned in the article). I see no evidence that God exists, so whether free will exists or not doesn't present any theological challenges for me. I'm sure there will be theists of various stripes who can give you a different perspective. --Robert Merkel 13:09, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

I once had a similar discussion with a couple of friends. My opinion was, it can be possible the future is set in stone. My logic was that you are free to choose your own future, but whatever you end up doing, it was "written" that you were going to choose that. I hope that makes sense :-) Akamad 13:18, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

You discussed this with a couple of friends? Were they Erasmus and Martin Luther by any chance? (In this book they try to answer the above question, though Luther unfortunately ignores some Wikipedia policies.) David 21:06, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

I heard that Luther got so frustrated with Wikipedia policies that he left to form Wikinfo --Majts 06:29, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

suffolk county legislature

what are the length of terms that the legislatures hold?

Suffolk has a county council (its website is here). However, as you use a long word like legislature, you're probably refering to a US grandiose derivative: Suffolk County, Massachusetts#Law and government tells us that it's an ungovernable wasteland, and Suffolk County, New York#Law and government tells us the names of the legislators. I think each page should give you some links to official websites. If the sites don't tell you, phone them up. --Gareth Hughes 13:54, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

New York's Republican Party

The New York State Republican Party is doing terribly now, and must contend with charges of corruption, unpopular Republican leaders at many levels of the government, and ultra-popular Democrats like Chuck Schumer and Hillary Clinton. They can only win if they change their platforms greatly like Bloomberg has done. Where will they wind up in New York State's next State Senate? What will happen to them? What exactly brought them down to where they are now?14:54, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

inhabitants of Bolivia

What is the name given to inhabitants of Bolivia? 15:49, 17 October 2005 (UTC)15:49, 17 October 2005 (UTC)~~ thank you!

Bolivians. smurrayinchester^{(User), (Talk)} 16:08, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

Aztec Engineers in WWII

I am trying to source info on the job description for an Aztec Engineer in the Canadian Naval forces (or Allied Forces) during WWII. What did this job entail? I believe it was a pre-cursor to radar and was a mode of tracking either submarines, ships or aircraft or perhaps all of the above. Any info would be appreciated.

I suspect you're looking for ASDIC Shimgray | talk | 17:29, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

Name of a current record with "people commentating over farting"?

I'm sure I'm going to ruin my street cred, but I'm asking for the young son of a friend, honestly.

Apparently there's a current song (perhaps only in the UK?) with "people commentating over farting". Does anyone know what it is? Thanks. KeithD (talk) 19:16, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

I don't know what "commentating" means, but I'm gonna bet you want "Farting With A Walkman On" from the Bloodhound Gang's new album, "Hefty Fine". Warning: Explicit Lyrics. (lotsa references to "shit") --Diderot 21:16, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

A commentator is roughly equivalent to the Americanism "sportscaster". Cricket commentary is at a far more relaxed pace than most American sports, though. I bet you don't get an extensive description of the lovely scones and whipped cream Mrs. Edna Brown from the Dunslop Bridge Cricket Club ladies' auxiliary baked for the commentary team, or its equivalent, and by the way Caddick's up, he bowls, and there's no run, and where were we, about these delightful scones, on too many American sports broadcasts... --Robert Merkel 22:48, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

Actually, a lot of Baseball commentators talk about similar things. They usually talk about Sausage and Donuts rather than scones though. One time I heard 2 commentators talk about Sea Gulls for 20 minutes during a San Francisco Giants game. -Drdisque 05:57, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

Thank you, kind Wikipedia folk. Even though I didn't know Bloodhound Gang had a new album out, I should have guessed it would have been them! KeithD (talk) 07:36, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

Oh. Apparently it's not the Bloodhound Gang song after all. Does anyone have any other suggestions? KeithD (talk) 19:21, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

Carlo Santana???

Who is this guy?? Isn't he a guitarist or what???

I have no idea whether Carlo Santana is an excellent, mediocre, or truly appalling guitarist, but Carlos Santana is a very fine one. --Robert Merkel 00:30, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

Hurricanes vs cylocnes

• Hurricanes vs. Cyclones - which would win in a fight? Seriously, check out the links for the definitions of these two phenomena. -- Canley 03:11, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

should judges be elected in U.K?

No. :) --Robert Merkel 00:25, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

'Ender's Shadow' by Orson Scott Card

This question concerns the following passage found in OSC's book Ender's Shadow on pages 209 and 210. I have the paperback book, not sure if it's different from the hardcover. Regardless, it's at the beginning of chapter 12.

'I've told you about those older boys, too. You have the same data I have.'

'Do we have all of it?'

'Do you want all of it?'

'Do we have the data on all the children with scores and evaluations at such a high level?'

'No.'

'Why not?'

'Some of them are disqualified for various reasons.'

'Disqualified by whom?'

'By me.'

'On what grounds?'

'One of them is borderline insane, for instance. We're trying to find some structure in which his abilities will be useful. But he could not possibly bear the weight of complete command.'

'That's one.'

'Another is undergoing surgery to correct a physical defect.'

'Is it a defect that limits his ability to command?'

'It limits his ability to be trained to command.'

'But it's being fixed.'

I know that the boy undergoing surgery is Achilles, that's certain. What I don't know for sure is who Colonel Graff is calling 'borderline insane.'

A few possibilities come to mind: Ostensibly, Crazy Tom is the first choice, because of the moniker. However, I'm leaning toward Bonzo Madrid, commander of Salamander Army. Given his agression towards Ender, and Graff's special attention for Ender, it seems Graff would have become hyper-sensitive to any sort of threat to Ender, and expressed that in his evaluation of Bonzo.

It's a question that's been bothering me for some time, and no one else around here reads the books, so I have no one to discuss it with. Any help you could give would be appreciated.

I would guess at Crazy Tom. The moniker is part of it, though I think it's more the stated notion that he's the oldest child at Battle School who doesn't have an army (not bearing the weight...) but goes on to be one of Ender's subcommanders (some structure in which...). Griff seems to realize, though (and I forget in which book, probably this one) that Bonzo is pretty much worthless and uses him as a test for Ender -- that doesn't seem to mesh with the "some structure" part of the comment. — Lomn | Talk / RfC 13:43, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

Question!

Hello,

I'm doing a project on Pierre Trudeau's quote "Just watch me". I was wondering where he said this, like location wise??

On Parliament Hill. See the CBC's clip of the interview. —Charles P. (Mirv) 01:20, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

Bible translations

In your article "Bible translation", within the table of languages, there is no translation in Serbian language. I believe this was not intentional.

• No, it was certainly not an intential omission. It's just that we are a volunteer-written encyclopedia, and we haven't quite covered everything yet. If you know something about Serbian Bible translations, please add that to the article.--Pharos 06:19, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

Born?

Hi I'm doing a book report on the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe and I need to know when he was born!

pLEASE TELL ME[SORRY CAPITALS]its on thursday.

Thanx, Lauren

See the C.S. Lewis article. He was born November 29, 1898.

Jazz1979 09:42, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

Super Sentai 30th anniversary

A user has asked this question via the Help Desk mailing list about information on our Super Sentai article. I have also placed this question on the article talk page in the hope of finding someone who might know the answer. The user asked:

Couldn't you tell me how official is this info

Armored Helmet Task Force Beetle Five is the 30th Incarnation of Super Sentai and will feature an Insect Ranger Team. The new show starts February 2006 in Japan.

Is it still a rumor, or the 30th sentai will really be insect-based, and what colours are suggested to apply?

Thanks for any assistance you can provide.

Capitalistroadster 10:12, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

Lorry fleets

Could you please find out for me which company owns the largest lorry fleet in the world?

--62.24.112.55 10:24, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

Asked and answered before. Wikipedia:Reference_desk/Humanities#World.27s_largest_lorry_fleet and Wikipedia:Reference_desk/Humanities#lorries. KeithD (talk) 10:34, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

French animal

Bold text Please could somebody proficient in French tell me what type of animal marseile is? I am not sure of the spelling but I think it sounds like that pronounced in English.

Thanks, Steve --10:28, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

I don't know of any animal by that name, nor does my Petit Robert. Do you means Marseille? That's not an animal. --Diderot 15:51, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

There was a monkey in Friends called Marcel. I don't suppose that is the one you are looking for. smurrayinchester^{(User), (Talk)} 16:01, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

Online dating webpages

I checked the number of dating ads on an online dating webpage, searching for men seeking women, and women seeking men, in the city I live in and in the same age bracket. The sex ratio in the ads was approximately 70% men, 30% women. I had expected it to be 99% men, 1% women. Were my expectations completely ludicrous? Outside pornographic webpages, is there any research in the sex ratio of such dating ads? — JIP | Talk 11:29, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

• I wouldn't call your assumption ludricous, just far off-base. When it comes to dating sometimes women are just as willing as men. A lot of people seem to have a fear of remaining alone, which is why dating sites are thriving. Personally, I think finding the right person is something one is perfectly capable of doing on their own without the help of complete strangers. - Mgm|^(talk) 12:38, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

The Grapes of Wrath

I'm reading The Grapes of Wrath... I know, I know, I'm the only American who didn't read this for high school English... :) Anyway, there's a character named "Rose of Sharon". What I'm wondering is why she's called this. Maybe I missed it if it was explained early on in the book. Was her mother's name "Sharon" and there were two girls by the name of Rose who were cousins? Dismas|^(talk) 12:10, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

It's primarily a Biblical reference, a phrase used in Song of Solomon, the book of erotic poetry, to describe the Beloved. — Lomn | Talk / RfC 13:49, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

From chapter 2, verse 1 — if you'd like to read it. The actual flower so described was probably an asphodel or crocus rather than a rose. Also, you might want to check out Book of Revelation chapter 14, verses 18 and 19 for them there grapes. --Gareth Hughes 15:20, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

California's "Baby Bar" exam

What is your question? - Mgm|^(talk) 18:34, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

US-Mexico Border Length

Hello, I was wondering what the length of the border between the United States and Mexico was?

Thanks, J

United States-Mexico border says 3,141 km (1,951 miles). –Hajor 15:15, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

But much of the US-Mexican border runs along the course of the Rio Grande, and as Lewis Fry Richardson and Benoit Mandelbrot noted (the latter in the paper How Long Is the Coast of Britain?) natural features like coastlines, rivers, and watersheds, may not have well-defined lengths: their measured lengths can depend on the lengths of the rulers used to measure them. Gdr 17:17, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

Post Office's "Managed Service Point"

I saw a business which had in its window a barcode from the U.S. Postal Service giving a code number for the "Managed Service Point." What is a Managed Service Point? PedanticallySpeaking 16:05, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

questions

answers. --fvw* 19:05, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

Florida Law

I'm searching to find what the law is on having pets in vehicles in Palm Beach County Florida. Is there any kind of seat belt or back seat only law in place?

Calling the Palm Beach police department would probably be the easiest way to find this out. Dismas|^(talk) 04:02, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

(561)688-3000 is the Palm Beach County Sherrif's Office. In the future, please sign your questions with your name or user name. Thanks. Superm401 | Talk 04:20, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

associate justices

Who were the associate justices in warren e. burgers court? I had trouble finding this.

You'll want the List of Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States; specifically, the section sorted by Chief Justice. — Lomn | Talk / RfC 20:49, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

Major General C. M. Barber (WW II)

I am looking for some biographical information on Major General C. M. Barber (British Second Army) for an article in the German Wikipedia on the Barber-Lyashenko-agreement (de:Barber-Ljaschtschenko-Abkommen) of November 1945 which realigned the border between the English and the Soviet zone in Schleswig-Holstein. Can you help? Thank you --Concord 20:57, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

House Of Representatives Post Office Scandal of 1991

Hello, is there a good summary of the events that made up this scandal? I am looking for names of the people involved, a good idea as to how much money was involved, and who was eventually convicted. Thanx

• This Heritage Foundation summary gives some information see [41]. Our Dan Rostenkowski mentions it but not in any detail. I will create a requested article for House Post Office Scandal. Capitalistroadster 07:47, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

MCI Worldcom

Where did the MCI Worldcom merger go wrong? Besides corrupt leadership, how did the companies perform together? Weren't they doing better together, albeit from a scandal that led to bankrupcy later. Did either have a history of criminal accounting behavior or scandals before the merger? Would it be considered a good merger anyway? On which original company did the blame lie?

That's one giant question -- if someone answers it completely and empirically they should get an MBA on the spot. If you haven't already read it, Bernard Ebbers would be a good article to read about the downfall -- it seems to talk about it more than MCI does. ---Quasipalm 01:45, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

Samba Sector

Hi, does anyone know where exactly the Samba Sector along the Line of Control between India and Pakistan is? --Plastictv 01:42, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

Women in Louisiana Government

Why do women get equal oppotunity to participate in Louisiana government?

See suffrage. Dismas|^(talk) 03:58, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

Actually, the men had a moment of bad judgement. Seriously, please do your own homework. See the top of the page. Superm401 | Talk 04:32, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

australia

1. Which Australian State capital was named after a member of the British Royal Family?

2. Which state capital (Australia) was not named after a person?

3. Name the Austlian pilitical party whose formation is closely linked to the central Queensland town of Barcaldine?

Please read the top of the page where it says that we won't answer homework questions for you. Please see the article on Australia. Dismas|^(talk) 03:56, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

1. Adelaide after Queen Adelaide:
2. Perth after Perth, Scotland:
3. The Australian Labor Party with claims that the first branch meeting was held under the "Tree of Knowledge" in Barcaldine, Queensland. There are also claims that the first meeting was in Balmain, New South Wales. Capitalistroadster 07:56, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

schreck

Did Julius Schreck (July 13, 1898 – May 16, 1936; an early Nazi Party member & first commander of the Schutzstaffel) have any children? Did he have a son named Hans?

how does the punnet square prove tsarevich alexis not to suffer from hemophilia?

I was taken by suprise in reading wikipedia's article on the Tsarevich Alexis Nicolaievich of Russia. In which it was stated that by using the "punnet square" method of tracing recessive phenotypes throughout a family, there was no evidence as to why the tsarevich should have hemophilia. I've read, and I presume understand, wikipedia's articles on both hemophilia and the punnet square. Yet, I'm still confused as to why he couldn't have the disease. The article also says that a more recent diagnosis points to thrombocytopenia. I can only gather that both of these illnesses result in a low platelet count, but can't find much else to distinguish one from the other. Any explanation as to why the tsarevich wouldn't have been born with hemophilia or differences in hemophilia and thrombocytopenia would be greatly appreciated...

Can you give us the exact spelling of the article title so the link isn't red, and I will review the comment to which you allude? Hemophilia and thrombocytopenia are not very similar clinically, and even in the late 1890s were distinguishable clinically and by a CBC. Osler has separate chapters on the two diseases in his 1892 edition of Principles and Practice. Hemophilia does not cause a low platelet count. Furthermore, the Punnett square is a method of sorting population statistics to determine probable method of inheritance of a trait, and is less useful for determining whether an individual in the population might or might not have it. A pedigree of his family with accurate info on who had or did not have the condition would be a far stronger piece of evidence with which to refute a putative X-linked disease. Perhaps JFW could contribute his hematological expertise here. alteripse 05:21, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

As Alteripse points out, what you are reacting to (previously in our article...for how long?) is complete bogosity. There is one active "web pretender enthusiast" who has chosen someone as his candidate for the "surviving" tsarievitch. His candidate died of a splenic malignancy, and he has tried...very inventively, but alas, not very realistically...to claim that Alexi suffered from thrombocytopenia, not hemophilia, in order to enhance the "candidacy" through yet another imaginative leap between marrow disorders and hematologic malignancy (I could look up the details, but as he's simply wrong, I haven't bothered). As Alteripse points out, though thrombocytopenia and platelet disorders both cause bleeding, the similarity stops there. They cause different kinds of bleeding, and the events of Alexi's life are instantly recognizable to anyone familiar with the diseases as a coagulopathy and not a platelet disorder. The "web enthusiast", not recognizing this, plagued the alt.talk.royal list, etc. with this nonsense a few years ago. I suspect he's paid Wikipedia a visit. A few other points: one third of all hemophilia cases are sporadic, occurring with no previous family history. Lack of a family history shouldn't cause one to doubt the diagnosis. And the Punnett square is completely inapplicable to this! The family tree (with affected members) is well-known and demonstrates X-linked inheritance...there may or may not be a copy somewhere on Wikipedia.- Nunh-huh 06:13, 19 October 2005 (UTC) P.S. The family tree is in our hemophilia article (or here: Image:Haemophilia family tree.GIF - Nunh-huh 06:15, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

Ahhh, you supplied the missing piece of information-- the crank with a Mission. alteripse 12:12, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

September 11 bombing

Hello my name is Morgan and i go to Elim Christian College. At the moment i am doing a resesrch assingment on the September 11 bombing. I am wondering if you could send me some information on it to help me achieve my assignment. Thankyou my e-mail address id (email removed) Morgan

As per the instructions at the top of this page, your email has been removed, any replies will posted below your question, like this one. Maybe a good start would be our article September 11, 2001 attacks, which is the first entry using "September 11 bombing" in the search bar to the left. If you want more detailed information, your question may need to be more specific. Good luck! --Commander Keane 07:10, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

Just to check, is this what you wanted, becasue it wasn't a bombing, maybe I'm confused?--Commander Keane 07:13, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

And have a look at World_Trade_Center, and the Sept 11 wiki memorial. If you wanted the 1993 Bombing, there's a link there from the World Trade Center article. - Nunh-huh 07:17, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

Inappropriate places for children to urinate.

What could be causing one of my Preschool children to be urinating outdoors in the playground? This usually occurs if he has already been reprimanded for other incorrect behaviours, usually minor offences.

Forgive me for asking the obvious question, but does he have access to a more appropriate place to relieve himself? That is, are there bathrooms available, and can he use them? (Consider that he may be afraid of being in the bathroom by himself, or conversely, he may be afraid of other children being able to see his private parts.) You say he does it after being reprimanded; do you think he may be possibly doing it as a sign of disrespect, as in "pissing on one's grave" (though it's unsettling to think that he would be aware of that behavior at that age), or maybe doing it to get more attention? Have you talked to his parents about this, and whether he behaves this way at home? Garrett Albright 12:02, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

My first response is that your son must must think he's French because I just got back from a week in Lyon and three different times I saw 2 or 3 year old boys, assisted by their mothers, peeing in public on the ground. So if this isn't a recessive French gene, there are three possibilities. One is that he is suddenly urinating with much greater volume and frequency than a couple of weeks ago and he is having accidents because he can't get to the appropriate place in time. If there is a big increase in urination, take him today to get his blood sugar checked. If you don't think he has French genes, and this is not a manifestation of a sudden increase in urine volume, then this is just a social behavior issue.

Part 6 of your mission as a parent is to civilize the offspring you have presented to us. Don't yell in class, don't throw stones on the playground, don't pee in public, learn to wait in line, sleep at night instead of the daytime, don't break vases, pay your taxes and don't tell evil jokes-- the whole bit. My point is that you should not think of this as any sort of perverse act and the probable answer to the "what could be causing it" part of your question is "a full bladder". It is natural to pee outdoors when your bladder is full. It is unnatural to hold it and donate it to the great white porcelain altar. However, if you don't intend to move to France and his father isn't around, you need to teach him the ways of your tribe. Rule number 31 of the social code says "guys don't urinate in public where other people who are not close guy friends can see them." There are subchapters to the guy code dealing with acceptable degrees of intimacy for such public action. Since we don't see guys doing this in front of other people, we can infer that most people learn this rule fairly easily, so take heart.

Finally, if you think he has precociously mastered the social rule and is doing this as a deliberately transgressive action, you are dealing with a different type of challenge, which is to teach him what ways of showing he is annoyed with an adult or an adult rule are socially acceptable (i.e., he can get away with) and which he cannot. That is part 9 of your mission as a parent and unfortunately we are out of time... alteripse 12:09, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

German Bundeswher

HI i have a question. can a non german citizens join\enlist to the german bundeswher? and if yes how do they do it? please send me the answer to my converstaion page Oraien (I've added a header to the question). - 131.211.51.34 11:11, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

Doubts about the Indo-European Theory?

i have heard that there are some doubts expressed about the Indo-european theory but i have not been able to find anything related with that on wikipedia. Can you please tell me what has alternatively been proposed and where the doubts are based? thank you in advance -- yendome

Have a look at Indo-European languages#History: that section links to some other articles that you may find useful. Note that there have always been disagreements about the details of these theories, but none of these question the general idea of genetically related languages. By that, I mean that no one doubt can bring down the whole edifice. It is most likely that what you have heard is a disagreement about one of the many different theories that make up the study of Indo-European linguistics, rather than a disagreement with the entire field. --Gareth Hughes 13:49, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

(after edit conflict)

On the whole, the existence of the Indo-European family is not being challenged. The arguments in its favour are every bit as convincing as those of evolution. However, some of its implications are being - and always have been - challenged. These attacks tend to fall into one or more of the following categories:

• Debates over the relationship between linguistic genealogy, ethnic and cultural genealogy, and biological heredity.
• Debates over the geographic and ethnic roots of proto-Indo-European.
• Debates related to the effect of language contact on the entire notion of cladistic language family trees.

The first tends to go hand in hand with nationalism and in some cases sheer racism. The second is barely less so. The third strikes me as a reasonable subject of debate, but a difficult matter in light of both the difficulty in talking about language contact in the prehistoric past, and the existence of total wackos who see such racist, ethnocentric, nationalist bull in every discussion of the Indo-European expansion.

Of the not totally nutso things I've seen on the subject, the ones that could be true, and if they were are not automatically grounds for some asinine programme of ethnic cleansing, are all about the potential effect of contact linguistics on the development of prehistoric Indo-European languages. For instance, there were people in Europe before the Indo-Europeans. They spoke something. They probably were not exterminated by the Indo-European advance. Did that something have an effect on the languages spoken in Europe in historical times? If so, is there evidence of this? The same can be said of India and Iran. Take a look at Germanic substrate hypothesis for one example.

But do watch out. This kind of discussion is still charged with a millennium of cruft and bad blood over who lived where before the Völkerwanderung. --Diderot 14:01, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

Presidential Cabinet

What role did James Buchanan play in the Department of state?

Secretary of State. Which is to say, he ran the thing. --Quasipalm 19:10, 19 October 2005 (UTC)