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February 24

Wedding present

I know an older (50+) lady who has been dating a guy on and off for some decades and they are finally getting married. I don't know the guy at all. The lady has what I think of as a middle class condo in AZ though I haven't visited it. By this I mean she probably already has any kitchen appliances that she needs, she's not rich, but not broke either. I'm trying to pick out a suitable small wedding gift. I had been thinking of a Chemex coffee brewer but 1) she likely already has suitable coffee gear, and 2) I have the impression (tell me if I'm wrong) that wedding gifts are supposed to have some kind of permanence, which put the timeless look of the Chemex into my mind, but they can break.

Any other ideas of how to pick something out? Same price range as the Chemex, more or less. Presumably something they could both use. I actually don't know if the guy is moving in with her or what. Is it inappropriate to simply ask her what she would like? Thanks. 2601:644:8581:75B0:0:0:0:2D6 (talk) 00:49, 24 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I think it would be quite appropriate to simply ask her. Blueboar (talk) 01:37, 24 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I agree that simply asking what they would like is appropriate in this situation. A young newly-wed couple starting a new household will need lots of things and if they aren't rich will appreciate somewhat permanent useful items. This couple may be in a state where they'd rather want to get rid of redundant stuff, so I suspect that the degree of permanence of any gifts is less of an issue. If she is located close to Scottsdale you might also consider a Neiman Marcus gift card. ‑‑Lambiam 09:36, 24 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]

My vote is also on gift cards. The poster must not know this couple very well, given they have not been to the lady's apartment and doesn't know her fiancée at all. I don't know about you folks, but my French press hasn't came out of the cabinet in years. Kylemahar902 (talk) 10:37, 24 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Yes. A gift card is money. You can't ever go wrong by giving money. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 16:19, 24 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I for one prefer inexpensive gifts that have a personal touch to more expensive impersonal gifts. ‑‑Lambiam 18:28, 24 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I also think gift cards are the best. Stanleykswong (talk) 17:14, 24 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Does the couple not have a gift registry? Most of the wedding invitations I have received in the last few years included a website listing of items the couple were interested in receiving. Often these were part of the website of a retailer and would remove the items from view as they were purchased by guests. --User:Khajidha (talk) (contributions) 15:08, 24 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]

WHAAOE wedding registry, wish list. 2A00:23A8:4458:1901:78BA:C932:A6BE:9DCA (talk) 17:54, 28 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Failing that, know anything about their taste in art? A one-of-a-kind something is always possible. - Jmabel | Talk 20:13, 4 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Former Australian council statistics

Shire of Hastings

Shire of Mornington

In km² terms, what was the area for the Shire of Hastings and the Shire of Mornington (Victoria) before their abolition? The articles give the same figure for both, 304.6 km², which is preposterous if you look at the maps, but it's unsourced and I don't know where to look. All I'm finding for Hastings is Wikipedia mirrors, and results for Mornington are filled with information for the Shire of Mornington Peninsula and the Shire of Mornington (Queensland). Nyttend (talk) 02:16, 24 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]

The lead section of Shire of Mornington (Victoria) has, "The shire covered an area of 90.65 square kilometres (35.0 sq mi) immediately to the south of Frankston, and existed from 1860 until 1994." This fits well with the relative sizes of the green areas. Both numbers, 90.65 and 304.6, were already present in the oldest revision. It appears that the incorrect figure in the infobox was the result of an oversight after copying the wikitext of the existing article Shire of Hastings as a start for a new article Shire of Mornington (Victoria). ‑‑Lambiam 08:38, 24 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Ugg, I'm sorry, I didn't read the article introductions. I'm surprised that this is even mentioned there; it's not mentioned in the rest of the article, so I didn't expect it to appear in the introduction. Nyttend (talk) 10:52, 24 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]

February 26

James Joyce and The Bohemian Girl

Michael Balfe's 1843 opera The Bohemian Girl has an aria (or air, or ballad, or what you will) variously called "When other lips" or "Then you'll remember me". Somewhere or other, probably on Google Books, I think I've read that that accomplished amateur singer James Joyce rated it very highly indeed in the drawing-room tenor repertoire. I've tried and failed to confirm that, but perhaps someone here can do better? I already know that Joyce made many allusions to its two titles in Finnegans Wake, what I'm looking for is his high praise. --Antiquary (talk) 13:04, 26 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I had no idea that Joyce could sing, so sorry if my own research doesn't actually answer your question.

Versions of "Then you'll remember me"... (score at IMSLP)

Although Joyce is renowned for his literary adventurousness, he probably had a singing style to match all the above examples, and his musical taste seems rooted in Victorian sentimentality of the very worst kind.

It appears that he had a better than average tenor voice. However, it becomes fairly obvious that although he had an exceptional musical memory, a bit like Mozart - Joyce could learn a song by heart in one hearing - he couldn't actually read music for toffee. He refused in a big national competition to sing at sight, although he did have some singing lessons. "How James Joyce Almost Became a Famous Singer". I suspect he realised this shortcoming, and didn't want to be shown up/ridiculed by properly trained musicians.

Joyce became a massive/obsessive fan of the Irish tenor John O'Sullivan (not to be confused with Denis O'Sullivan, d. 1908) when he was rather past his prime. "Music in the Works of James Joyce"; "John O'Sullivan's Biography, Part 1". A Youtube playlist shows why O'Sullivan wasn't hugely famous, although he certainly had a big voice.

From a review of Dubliners: "In contrast to the stasis of her life at home, or at "the Stores" where she is also confined, Frank offers Eveline the possibilities of travel in a variety of modes. He "took her to see The Bohemian Girl," just as he has taken her into the realms of desire, for she is "pleasantly confused"—a Joycean euphemism for "sexually aroused"—by the knowledge that others know they are courting, especially when he sings the song of the "Lass that loves a sailor." {by Charles Dibdin} (James William, 1995)" [1]

To attempt to answer your query - IMHO Balfe's music and Bunn's lyrics embody the very worst that music and poetry have to offer - and I fear that a search for Joyce's "high praise" for lyrics and music that arouse popular sentiment but are detested by critics will only end in disappointment. Maybe I'm just the very worst kind of musical snob. MinorProphet (talk) 01:46, 28 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks for the time and effort you've put into that research. You don't like Balfe, most critics don't like him, on the whole I don't like him either, we're all in agreement there, but the relevant point is that James Joyce certainly did like him. Indeed, The Bohemian Girl was one of his favourite operas, so I see no reason to despair of finding the words of praise I dimly remember reading. --Antiquary (talk) 10:44, 28 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I didn't say I didn't like Balfe: Enya's rendition of "I Dreamt I Dwelt in Marble Halls" from her album Shepherd Moons is possibly one of the most affecting things I have ever heard. I would be very interested to discover what Joyce had to say: I know I there are many more diligent searchers than I on the ref desks, [throws down glove] but I have drawn a blank so far. MinorProphet (talk) 18:18, 28 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]

February 27

Lotec Sirius

There's an insert from once-famed Turbo chewing gum featuring Lotec Sirius (#351). However, that particular series, yellow-red Turbo Super, was produced in 1994-1995, according to this and this (not formally RS, but still), while Lotec Sirius was made only in 2000, per our article. What's the solution for discrepancy? Brandmeister^talk 11:10, 27 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]

It seems that they started work on it in 1995 and finished it in 2000 [2]. Abductive (reasoning) 16:02, 27 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]

February 28

Elon Musk's motives

I don't get it. Why is Musk meddling in the US government? I see suggestions that he's in it for tax and other breaks for his businesses, but how does firing hundreds of thousands of federal workers accomplish that? In fact, his companies, especially Tesla, are losing business and their stocks are going down, he's destroyed his reputation as an innovator/entrepreneur to be admired, and he's become possibly the most hated person in the United States. For what? Has Trump really met his brain-mate? Clarityfiend (talk) 12:13, 28 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]

You may wish to read the top of this page where it says "We don't answer requests for opinions, predictions or debate." MediaKyle (talk) 12:38, 28 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]

That said, a number of news sources have reported that many of the agencies to which he took the axe had launched investigations against some of his businesses in the past, or had plans to regulate them. See here for example: [3], [4], [5]Xuxl (talk) 14:16, 28 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]

That said, "We don't answer requests for opinions, predictions or debate." DOR (ex-HK) (talk) 01:13, 1 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

It's perfectly clear that Musk and Trump have the same motive, which is to remove federal scrutiny of their activities. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 17:15, 28 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Meh… I prefer the one where they are acting on secret orders from their reptilian overlords. Blueboar (talk) 17:28, 28 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]

That would be the same overlord that Putin reports to. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 17:53, 28 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Of course. And Jimbo Wales (although he is a rank higher than Trump). Blueboar (talk) 17:59, 28 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Both can be true. —Tamfang (talk) 20:21, 3 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

There is no question that Trump is motivated to roll back federal scrutiny of his past activities. But why Musk? He hasn't done anything very bad in the past (before becoming the first buddy). Stanleykswong (talk) 18:47, 28 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Google "musk investigations" and you'll see a number of issues that he's working to quash by firing the investigators. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 04:18, 1 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Investigations aside, cuts to the Federal budget are intended to finance the promised tax cuts. [6] Alansplodge (talk) 11:22, 1 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Mean income census

I've been looking through census data all morning and I noticed that it exclusively reports median wage and median income for both individuals and households. I thought it would be interesting to compare mean wage and income to the median wage and income, but I can't find any source for mean, only median. Is there a census data source that I am not finding that reports on mean wage and income? 68.187.174.155 (talk) 17:25, 28 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]

The reason of why census data use median wage and median income for both individuals and households is because the distribution of both individual wage and household income are always positively skewed. Because of income inequality, using median wage is a measure to correct the distortion caused by income inequality. Stanleykswong (talk) 18:06, 28 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]

For example, assume there are 19 people in a fictional country. The wage distribution is “1,2,2,3,3,3,3,4,4,4,5,5,6,7,8,9,15,20,30”. If median is used, the median wage of the country is 4, indicating that the people below and above median are the same. However, the average wage of the country is 7.05, because of income inequality, there are 14 people having below average wage and 5 people having above average wage. If the government uses average wage to make decision, it might lead to the assumption that the people are wealthier than they actually are and thus work out decisions that could disadvantage the poor. Stanleykswong (talk) 18:51, 28 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]

The question is not "Why is median so common?" The question is "Is there a place to view mean wage and income?" 68.187.174.155 (talk) 19:12, 28 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]

For whom? The entire world? Probably not. HiLo48 (talk) 22:25, 28 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Forget it. Already got links to mean income census data from Reddit while, as usual, Wikipedia is more obsessed with finding reasons to avoid answering. 68.187.174.155 (talk) 23:01, 28 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Is Reddit considered a reliable source? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 23:19, 28 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]

No. HiLo48 (talk) 02:03, 1 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Bingo. So "finding reasons to avoid answering" really means demanding valid sourcing, which the complainant doesn't have. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 04:20, 1 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Reddit gave URLs for the Census.gov web pages that contain mean income. Wikipedia gave excuses to not provide URLs to anything. It has nothing to do with reliable resources. It has to do with providing an answer, not excuses for refusing to answer. 68.187.174.155 (talk) 11:59, 1 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

When and where did they tell you that? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 00:02, 2 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

If you do think average wages are important to your research, I think the Bureau of Labor Statistics has all the data you need. For example, the average hourly and weekly earnings of all employees on private nonfarm payrolls by industry sector, seasonally adjusted. Stanleykswong (talk) 09:28, 1 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you. Assuming "average" means "mean," I see that the average hourly wage is roughly lining up with mean wages and mean income from the census website. 68.187.174.155 (talk) 13:35, 1 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Average and mean are basically the same concept, i.e. the sum of all values divided by the total number of values. But there is a slight difference. When the data set consists of the whole population (e.g. census data), it is called “average”. When the data set consists of the sample (e.g. survey data), it is called “mean”. Stanleykswong (talk) 21:46, 1 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

There is no need to rely on census data; just divide gross national income by the number of residents or households. ‑‑Lambiam 06:30, 1 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Should the GNI after taxes be deducted and subsidies added before dividing the mid-year population? Stanleykswong (talk) 09:41, 1 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

That depends on what you want to know. A census question too could be either for income before taxes or for net income. ‑‑Lambiam 09:39, 2 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

When you get to "mean" rather than "median", wages are an odd thing to look at, because above a certain point almost no one gets much of their income from a wage. - Jmabel | Talk 20:17, 4 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

March 1

17th century tables with holes for plates

This 1950s table [7]is a replica of a type of tables from 17th century France. I googled around and there are other old tables with these "holes"[8], so I'm inclined to believe that it's a real historical thing.

Is there are name for these type of "tables with sunken holes"? Were they exclusive to 17th century France? What are the "holes" used for?

I've seen suggestions that they're meant to hold plates, or bread bowls, or even food itself (the holes act as a bowl). But then again regular flat tables hold plates, or bread bowls, or even food itself just fine, so that explanation doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Epideurus (talk) 09:21, 1 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Just an observation: the holes are not evenly spaced. MinorProphet (talk) 12:30, 1 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Perhaps originally used on ships (to prevent bowls of food from sliding around as the ship rocks)? Blueboar (talk) 13:34, 1 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

This is probably not the case. MinorProphet (talk) 18:04, 1 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

This table has a similar design and is described as being used in a French monastery. Stanleykswong (talk) 08:54, 4 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

It might make sense if it was designed for soup bowls to prevent spillage during meals. Stanleykswong (talk) 08:48, 4 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

As noted in the link Stanleykswong posted, these are called refectory tables. I've done a fair bit of googling and I can't find any explanation for the recesses (which don't seem to be that common in these tables). Another possible explanation is that they are to hold candles. --Viennese Waltz 09:11, 4 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Probably not the main intention, but the depressions would encourage close seating positions, preventing sprawl and wasted space in perhaps a confined area (such as a farmhouse kitchen or a refectory). {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 94.8.123.129 (talk) 16:16, 4 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Mr Lee's well-known school at Brighton

According to Crewe, Marquess of (1931). "1: The Primrose Family; Boyhood; Eton". Lord Rosebery. Vol. 1. Toronto: Macmillan Company of Canada. pp. 12–13. Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery was, between going to Bayford House School in Hereford, and going to Eton, sent to "Mr Lee's well-known school at Brighton". The Earl of Hopetoun, in "The Earl of Hopetoun". In the Days of My Youth. London: C. Arthur Pearson, Limited. 1901. p. 276. says "At ten years of age I went to a private school at Brighton kept by a Mr. Lee. I felt the separation from home very much at first, but on the whole I was happy there. At that time Mr. Lee's school, which was attended by a great many sprigs of nobility, was known as the ' House of Lords,' while another school at Brighton, kept by a Mrs. Cooke, and much patronised by the sons of members of Parliament, was dubbed the ' House of Commons.'". Now, I am sure Mr Lee's school is not Brighton College. So, I would like to know more about it, and indeed about Mrs Cooke's establishment. Thank you, DuncanHill (talk) 23:46, 1 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Thomas Legh, 2nd Baron Newton, wrote favorably of his stay in Mr. Lee's school, devoting a couple of paragraphs in his autobiography (p. 4). Clarityfiend (talk) 01:10, 2 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

This will be the boy's school founded at Brighton in 1843 by William Randall Lee. Initially called Connaught House School, it moved to Ashdown House, East Sussex, in 1886 and became Ashdown House School. The school closed, mired in a sexual abuse scandal, in 2020. Pickersgill-Cunliffe (talk) 01:43, 2 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you, that led me to A History of Ashdown House, sadly only about a third of the book appears to have been scanned, but it's the part that covers the early years. DuncanHill (talk) 17:33, 2 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

March 2

Unknown car

Is there a chance in identifying this car from Turbo chewing gum? Reverse image search and ChatGPT were inconclusive for me and original Terra inscription on the insert is too generic. Brandmeister^talk 17:34, 2 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I suspect it's an artistic rendition of a concept, or a one-off prototype or mock-up that was never built as a finished vehicle, but of course I'm only guessing. Do you have an approximate date for the insert's issue? That would at least give a date limit. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 94.8.123.129 (talk) 15:37, 3 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

That series of inserts were produced in 1994-1999. Mercedes-Benz F300 looks similar, but that's not it. Brandmeister^talk 17:07, 3 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

There exists a Vaterra 1100cc which could to be the lead to an enough near match. The picture looked to me real enough and the design relevant, and I guess you might get closer starting from there. Askedonty (talk) 17:13, 3 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I think I figured it out. This appears to be concept art for this one-off vehicle, and was custom made for a radio station. I knew there had to be some story behind this, because every other prototype I seen in the cards had a real-world counterpart, and this seems like the only option. MediaKyle (talk) 17:55, 3 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

On second thought, this might not make sense, because that picture came out in the 70s. Only lead I managed to come up with though. What a mystery! MediaKyle (talk) 17:57, 3 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I also thought first it was near the 70s. Curiously, looking into it further, the search leads through pipe laying operations in "Amancayas Sud", Cochabamba, Bolivia to that swiss engineering company. Their logo looks strikingly similar to that printed on the insert in fact. Askedonty (talk) 18:24, 3 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Having worked in the 'collectibles' industry myself (which involved publishing pictures of cars and railway locomotives), I know that sometimes one scrapes the barrel to find enough subjects to continue a long-running series, and my cars series included at least one (1920s?) 'prototype' model that was exhibited at a car show, but never contained a real engine. (The designer/builder was a bit of a con artist, who disappeared shortly after along with some funds, if I recall correctly.) {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 94.8.123.129 (talk) 21:23, 3 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

The tires are visibly stuck to the ground with some form of putty, and the main body rests on some supports that can be slightly seen in the shadows -- not on the wheels. This looks more like a scale model on a diorama than a full-sized vehicle. --Amble (talk) 17:50, 4 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

March 3

Date of this image of Adolf Hitler?

Commons has this image of Adolf Hitler, one of the last photographs taken of him ever. The image description page contradicts itself by giving two different dates for the photograph: 21 March, 1945 and 20 April, 1945. Which one is it? JIP | Talk 10:35, 3 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

The source article for the picture says it was taken 10 days before his suicide, which would mean the 20 April date is correct. You could try asking the uploader where they got the 21 March from, though they might not be very anxious to respond, given that they were banned from here in January. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 11:23, 3 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

It's from his last "public" appearance, on 20th April 1945, when he congratulated members of the Hitler Youth for their bravery in combat. This took place in the garden of the Reich Chancellery. DuncanHill (talk) 13:40, 3 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

That was his birthday. -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 19:31, 3 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Ten days later, he had a celebratory cookout. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 05:43, 4 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

One door closes, two more open. On that very day, two friends of mine were born. They didn't know each other, and one's now gone upstairs. Little chance of meeting Hitler there, I trust. -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 07:23, 4 March 2025 (UTC) [reply]

March 4

Are there any countries today that are largely under the influence of a single magnate who does not hold a political office?

Countries where a single person is more powerful than the political leaders due to their wealth and control over the country's economy. I assume this would fall under the classification of Banana republic. 166.107.163.31 (talk) 01:00, 4 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Unfortunately that it could happen at any time in Trumpland. Stanleykswong (talk) 08:20, 4 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

The late K.C. Irving and his three sons, who have inherited his business empire, have that reputation in New Brunswick (see the criticism section of his article). Xuxl (talk) 13:52, 4 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Rupert Murdoch and his News Corp empire has been claimed to have an undue influence over the political process in the USA, UK and Australia. Alansplodge (talk) 16:47, 4 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

If you allow people in the high levels of relgious leadership to be magnates, then there are many countries where someone who is not elected is in charge, but there is still an elected official who acts as a puppet. 12.116.29.106 (talk) 17:57, 4 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

There are countries that are very dependent on a foreign country. See the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic and Algeria or some Pacific islands depending on the US or Australia.

--Error (talk) 09:30, 5 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

"Latter-day" Early Modern English works

I'm curious to know of works deliberately written in Early Modern English after the early modern era. There's Hunt's The Late War, the Mormon scriptures (though inconsistently), and Burton's translation of One Thousand and One Nights; are there any other prominent examples? 71.126.57.219 (talk) 22:31, 4 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

The King James Version of the Bible was deliberately translated into English of a somewhat archaic character in order (presumably) to lend it more gravitas. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 94.2.64.108 (talk) 23:57, 4 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

While this point is well-taken, the King James Version was published when Early Modern English was in use (late 15th century to mid to late 17th century). John M Baker (talk) 04:49, 5 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

The Worm Ouroboros ? —Tamfang (talk) 00:12, 5 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

There are Category:Works in the style of the King James Version and List of books in the style of the King James Version. --Error (talk) 09:45, 5 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

In the Mowgli stories of The Jungle Book, Kipling uses "Prayer Book" English when the animals are conversing in the common jungle language: "We be of one blood, thou and I" for example. Needless to say, Walt Disney did not include this in his 1967 animation.

A similar device is used in Shōgun, a 1975 novel by James Clavell. Archaic English is used to denote when the characters are speaking in Latin as a lingua franca, rather than in English or Japanese. Alansplodge (talk) 12:26, 6 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

There's The Night Land, though Hodgson wasn't very good at EME. William Morris's prose romances might be thought to count. Deor (talk) 13:49, 6 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Strada Maria Rosetti 63, Bucharest

I just uploaded this image on Commons; no prior image there of the building. I was trying to gather some basic information about it and quickly ran across two things:

It is listed as the address of Centrul pentru Patrimoniul Cultural ”Sf. Constantin Brancoveanu”, which appears to be the entity within the Romanian Orthodox Church responsible for study and protection of historically important buildings and other cultural assets held by the Church.
Google maps describes it as "Permanently closed," but I can't find anything readily about it being shut or moved. Their sign was still there when I took the picture last October (visible but not really legible in the photo).

Anyone have a clue? Pinging @Neoclassicism Enthusiast as the person I think is most likely to know the story. Jmabel | Talk 23:02, 4 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Might "permanently closed" imply that it was previously open to the public (i.e. a museum), is not now open to the public, but (per the signage) is still in use as an administrative office? {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 94.2.64.108 (talk) 19:21, 5 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I don’t know either unfortunately. Neoclassicism Enthusiast (talk) 17:40, 8 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

The address is mentioned in 1937 and 1938 as the address of Gheorghe Vlădescu-Răcoasa. As of 1990s a law firm, in 2000 it hosted Ernst & Young office, seemingly today it hosts a clinic. --Soman (talk) 22:16, 5 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

@Soman: what's the basis for "seemingly today it hosts a clinic"? I don't see any clinic there on Google Maps. (I do see one in the building immediately to the northeast). Google Maps does list "Comisia de Pictura Bisericeasca" ("Church Commission of Pictures" or "Commission of Church Pictures", it's hard to tell which noun Bisericeasca modifies) which would presumably fit in with the Centrul pentru Patrimoniul Cultural. - Jmabel | Talk 18:49, 8 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

It appears as such on Yandex, it also appears on Google Maps if you google the clinic name. But on their website, the clinic has another address. Maybe it was based there at some point, maybe it was a wrong entry in Yandex. --Soman (talk) 10:31, 9 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

March 5

Travel by mail-coach in 18th-century England

In Chapter VII of Treasure Island young Jim Hawkins makes the journey from his home village to Bristol by mail-coach.

The mail picked us up about dusk at the "Royal George" on the heath. I was wedged in between Redruth and a stout old gentleman, and in spite of the swift motion and the cold night air, I must have dozed a great deal from the very first, and then slept like a log up hill and down dale through stage after stage; for when I was awakened, at last, it was by a punch in the ribs, and I opened my eyes, to find that we were standing still before a large building in a city street, and that the day had already broken a long time. "Where are we?" I asked. "Bristol," said Tom. "Get down."

Can we make a reasonable estimate of distance from this and what is known of the speed of the mail in the mid-18th-century? The journey is made in early March. DuncanHill (talk) 00:47, 5 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Judging from the Postal Museum map, the distance between London and Bristol is approximately 100 miles. The average Stagecoach speed is about 8 miles per hour, which means the distance takes about 12 hours. This therefore agrees with what the text says the stagecoach departed at dusk and arrived at Bristol the next morning.

Source: https://www.postalmuseum.org/collections/mail-coaches/ Stanleykswong (talk) 08:24, 5 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Plus a few hours for the transfer of mail and passengers "stage after stage". Shantavira|^{feed me} 08:59, 5 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Shantavira; the postalmuseum.org article linked above explains:

As the coach travelled through towns or villages where it was not due to stop, the guard would throw out the bags of letters to the Letter Receiver or Postmaster. At the same time, the guard would snatch from him the outgoing bags of mail... The mail coach travelled faster than the stage coach but whereas the stage stopped for meals where convenient for its passengers, the mail coach stopped only where necessary for postal business... The contractors [that operated the mail coaches] organised fresh horses at stages along the route, usually every 10 miles. Alansplodge (talk) 12:15, 6 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

You might know this already, but there's a detailed analysis of the early chapters of Treasure Island here which, taking into account the speed of mail coaches and the topographical features Stevenson mentions, concludes that Jim comes from within a few miles of Lynmouth, Devon. One dissenting voice there claims it was Lydford, also in Devon, but that seems very unconvincing to me. --Antiquary (talk) 10:03, 5 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

In the story, Jim Hawkins' father, Leland Hawkins, owned the Admiral Benbow Inn. When Leland Hawkins died, he left the inn to Jim and his mother. Coincidentally, there is a traditional Cornish pub also called the Admiral Benbow in Penzance. The pub has been serving rum to pirates and smugglers since 1695. Is it possible that Robert Stevenson heard of this pub while visiting the South West and even got some ideas of pirates and smugglers from this visit. Stanleykswong (talk) 20:16, 5 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Joke about Japanese attitudes during World War II

I remember reading a joke about Japanese attitudes about other countries during World War II:

A Swiss is captured by the Japanese. He protests that he is from Switzerland, a neutral country, not an enemy. The Japanese answers that the Swiss are "neutral enemies". The Swiss asks then about Germany and Italy. "They are allied enemies", the Japanese answer.

The joke is that the Japanese consider the rest of countries enemies. I am looking for a version of the joke that is more original/better than my dim recollection. Can you find it? -- Error (talk) 09:28, 5 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Not in the form of a joke, but read this review of Traveller From Tokyo by John Morris. "An acquaintance told Mr Morris that in Japanese eyes the world was divided into enemies, neutral enemies, and friendly enemies. Germany was in the latter category and would have been attacked by Japan were the united Nations defeated in Europe". I have also seen "To the Japanese, Portugal and Russia are neutral enemies, England and America are belligerent enemies, and Germany and her satellites are friendly enemies. They draw very fine distinctions." attributed on internet quote sites to Jerome Cady, but without any source being given. There appears to be a line "quite seriously that the Japanese army put the nations of the world into three classes; enemies, neutral enemies, and friendly enemies" in Chapter 10 of the book Race War by Gerald Horne, but I do not have access to verify and expand. DuncanHill (talk) 10:27, 5 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

After asking at WP:RX I can confirm that Horne was quoting Morris. DuncanHill (talk) 11:52, 5 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Ah, here is the original from John Morris "at the time I left Japan people were saying quite openly that if the Allies lost the European war, which at that time seemed not impossible, Germany would be Japan’s next objective. In fact, I once heard it said quite seriously that the Japanese army put the nations of the world into three classes; enemies, neutral enemies, and friendly enemies, Japan’s Axis partners making up the last class." Morris left Japan after Pearl Harbor, and his book was published in 1943 DuncanHill (talk) 10:34, 5 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

In the earliest form I can find, apparently in the January 1941 number of a magazine called The Owl emanating from Santa Clara University, the joke goes like this:

Two Swiss businessmen, upon being interned in Japan, protested that they were citizens of a neutral nation. The Japanese official smiled ingratiatingly, and said, "Yes, but you are neutral enemies."

"What would you call the British and Americans?" asked the Swiss.

"They are belligerent enemies."

"And the Germans and Italians?"

"They," replied the Japanese statesman, "are friendly enemies."

Ho ho. --Antiquary (talk) 11:19, 5 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

And belatedly the point occurs to me that Americans could hardly have been called belligerents before Pearl Harbor. That dating must be wrong. --Antiquary (talk) 11:28, 5 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

You can find references to Pearl Harbor in that book, it must be later than January 1941! Don't trust Google books. DuncanHill (talk) 11:32, 5 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

It appears to be a bound volume of The Owl containing several numbers with different dates. The difficulty is to date the one containing the joke. By the running head it's certainly January of some year. Further finessing of the snippet views also shows that the joke was attributed to Liu Chieh, a Chinese diplomat accredited to the US during the War. --Antiquary (talk) 11:42, 5 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Apparently January 1942, since it refers to "a small item in the newspapers of January 30",^[9] which is found in newspapers dated January 30, 1942.^[10] ‑‑Lambiam 22:02, 5 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks to everybody. I cannot see the snippet from The Owl from some problem with Google Books, but I am satisfied with your quotation.

--Error (talk) 13:13, 5 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

US constitutional law: why do amendments need enforcement clauses?

Several amendments specify that "Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation". But if amendments are "valid to all intents and purposes, as part of this Constitution" (Art. V), the Constitution is "the supreme law of the land" (Art. VI), the President "shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed" (Art. II, Sec. 3), and Congress has "the power… to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution… all other powers vested by this Constitution in the government of the United States, or in any department or officer thereof" (Art. I, Sec. 8), then shouldn't it go without saying that they have the power to enforce the substance of any new amendment? 71.126.56.24 (talk) 22:50, 5 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

The federal government is one of enumerated powers. If a power isn't listed, the federal government doesn't have it, or at least that's the theory. --Trovatore (talk) 23:25, 5 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Yeah, but the Necessary and Proper Clause, with its apparently open-ended enforcement remit, is itself one of the enumerated powers – which is what has me confused. The only other thing I can figure is that perhaps "the laws" that the President is tasked with executing are, by implication, merely "the laws of the United States which shall be made in pursuance [of this Constitution]" and don't strictly include the Constitution itself as a whole, which could break the syllogism I laid out above (but I don't know if this actually holds water at all). 71.126.56.24 (talk) 23:35, 5 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Our article on the Necessary and Proper Clause says that it empowers the federal government to make laws that are necessary and proper to give force to its other powers. Presumably those are the enumerated ones.

As the article explains, the exact interpretation is somewhat disputed. I prefer a narrow reading, but I admit that part of my motivation is somewhat result-oriented; I want to limit the powers of the federal government (and indeed of all government). Others find a more expansive grant of authority.

In any case, the authors of amendments cannot necessarily know how the courts will come down on the question in the future, so they explicitly write an enumerated grant of power into the amendment itself. --Trovatore (talk) 01:43, 6 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

There are things in the U.S. Constitution other than powers of Congress. For example limitations on that power (like the Ex post facto clause or the First Amendment). The existence of explicit grants of legislative power make clear that those amendments can be enforced by legislation, and aren't just theoretical or judicially enforced limits. While plenty of people have argued for a broad reading of the Necessary and Proper Clause similar to what you present above. Others have suggested it be read more narrowly to only imply to edge cases of the enumerated powers. See generally the discussion at Necessary and Proper Clause. My understanding is that narrower readings were more common from the 1830's to 1860's and from the 1870's to the 1930's, while broader readings were more common from Hamilton and the Federalists in the early republic, during the Civil War and Reconstruction, and since the New Deal. Eluchil404 (talk) 03:53, 6 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

You're talking about amendments 13, 14, 15, and 19, right? I think those are all the ones so structured, but I may be wrong. I was under the mpression that this was to signal to the states "we really mean it, just try us if you don't believe it". The first three listed were the slavery related ones and the last was women's suffrage. The threat of federal action was seen as necessary to overcome ligering resistance. --User:Khajidha (talk) (contributions) 17:20, 6 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Take the Thirteenth. Without the enabling clause, it could be read as meaning only that the law is blind to slavery; no authority exists to forcibly return a slave to an owner, slave sales cannot be litigated, the census takes no note of alleged slave status – but neither is there any Federal authority to prevent or punish enslavement. —Tamfang (talk) 20:14, 8 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

March 6

Scientific reviews about the connection of Atlantis with Mount Ampere

Hello in the article https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1979/10/21/atlantis-gone-but-not-forgotten/79c200c3-7ae3-44a3-b9c2-73ac97fdd1ff/ It is mentioned that the alleged discovery of Atlantis on Mount Ampere caused a response in the journal Nature. But I cannot find the article itself in the journal Nature about the alleged discovery of Atlantis on Mount Ampere. Vyacheslav84 (talk) 16:25, 6 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Some context; Ampère Seamount mentions what looked like cut blocks. Abductive (reasoning) 21:08, 6 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Our article on Atlantis clearly states "Atlantis...is a fictional island." End of discussion. HiLo48 (talk) 22:08, 6 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

The OP has not suggested otherwise; they merely want to know how Nature responded to this particular claim. One can be interested in the history of claims and conjectures about Atlantis (I collect books containing them, and very entertaining they are, too) without thinking for a moment that it actually existed.

(As it happens, I do think it existed, but not when Plato thought, not in the Atlantic, not on an island, and not called Atlantis. The story that Plato utilised was (I believe) very garbled in transmission, and his belated realisation of its true origin may be what caused him to abandon Critias midway and not write the next volume Hermocrates.) {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 94.2.64.108 (talk) 23:22, 6 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Most any myth is likely to be based on, or inspired by, something real. The author so-inspired can then take it and run with it, often so far into the wild blue yonder that it bears little resemblance to its original inspiration piece. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 00:07, 7 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

The linked article appears to require a subscription. :( ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 23:00, 6 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I do not know for certain how Nature responded, but I have seen video of Ampère Seamount - and similar structures - used in Forteana-style "documentary" programs. It's very likely that the response in Nature was to point out that rocks often crack into formations that superficially appear to be man-made structures. See Bimini Road for another prominent example. Matt Deres (talk) 03:09, 7 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

The connection between Atlantis and Mount Ampere is like the connection between Treasure Island and some random island in the Caribbean. Whatever happens on Mount Ampere or on some random island in the Caribbean has nothing to do with the fictional place in a prose or novel, whether it's Atlantis Island or Treasure Island. Stanleykswong (talk) 17:18, 8 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

F. T. Mott, fl. England, 1870s/1880s

I am trying to determine whether F. T. Mott FRGS, who wrote the article The Meaning of 'Science' in 1878 is the same F. T. Mott FRGS who wrote "Corona, the bright side of the universe, studies in optimism" (1888, e.g. [11], [12]). Several modern sources attribute the latter to "Ferdinand T. Mott", although that given name does not appear in the aforesaid scans. The author signs the foreword "F.T.M." from Birstal Hill in Leicestershire.

This site lists the author of that work as "Mott, Ferdinand T." as well as having two entries for "Mott, F. T. (Frederick Thompson), 1825-1908", who co-wrote an 1886 flora of Leicestershire. This poor quality scan of that flora shows the author, on the title page, as "F. T. Mott FRGS", and on page 20 as "Frederick T. Mott, Birstall Hill, Leicester".

There is more at [13], although that may conflate two identities (if there are two), but does include an entry showing "F. T. MOTT, Birstall Hill" as someone interested in natural history.

Are we looking at one author, or two? And if only one, what was their name? Is there any evidence dating from the 19th century of Ferdinand existing? Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 19:02, 6 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Frederick Thompson Mott, FRGS, twice president of the Leicester Literary and Philosophical Society, features prominently in Exchanging Ideas Dispassionately and without Animosity: The Leicester Literary and Philosophical Society 1835–2010. He sounds like a good fellow. Some more about him here. Ferdinand, on the other hand, only appears in ghits for Corona, which is VERY suggestive that he didn't exist and some librarian somewhere made a mistake. DuncanHill (talk) 19:24, 6 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

The Catalogue of the Correspondence of Alfred Russel Wallace has an entry for "Frederick Thompson Mott. Birstal Hill, Leicester, Leicestershire, England. TO Alfred Russel. Wallace. 24 February 1881. • Letter (WCP2056.1946). 3 pp". DuncanHill (talk) 19:40, 6 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

The Literary Yearbook 1908 has Mott, Frederick T., born 1825, of Birstall Hill, author of, amongst others, Corona: The Bright Side of the Universe. I think that should be the death-knell of poor Ferdinand. DuncanHill (talk) 22:43, 6 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

And here he is, in a rather better scan in the 1907 edition of the same. DuncanHill (talk) 22:59, 6 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Leicester Chronicle - Saturday 21 March 1908 "MOTT.—On the 14th inst., at Birstall Hill House, Frederick Thompson Mott, F.R.G.S., aged 83 years. Friends please accept this, the only intimation." DuncanHill (talk) 09:13, 7 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Leicester Daily Post - Tuesday 17 March 1908 THE LATE MR. F. T. MOTT., obituary. DuncanHill (talk) 09:27, 7 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Cheltenham Examiner - Wednesday 25 March 1908 Obituary: Mr F. T. Mott, gives more detail of his life and family.DuncanHill (talk) 09:30, 7 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

No results in British Newspaper Archive for "Ferdinand Mott" or "Ferdinand T. Mott", or "Mott, Ferdinand". DuncanHill (talk) 09:56, 7 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

@DuncanHill: All great stuff; thank you. He is Frederick Thompson Mott (Q21521792), where I have captured some of the above. I fear that Ferdinand, thanks to reprint spammers, will sadly be with us evermore. Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 12:13, 7 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

This section is resolved and can be archived. If you disagree, replace this template with your comment. Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 12:13, 7 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

March 7

seafaring monks

were there any documented instances of pre-columbian mesoamerican societies using iron tools for ceremonial rather than practical purposes, similar to the ritual deposition of bronze in european antiquity? i've been reading about the symbolic use of materials in various ancient cultures and started wondering if iron ever played a role in mesoamerican ritual practices, perhaps in the form of votive offerings or foundation deposits. given the region's complex trade networks and the way certain materials took on spiritual significance, it seems plausible that iron could have been used in a non-utilitarian context, even if its practical applications were limited 173.206.111.217 (talk) 03:11, 7 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

sorry about the title i was thinking of something lese 173.206.111.217 (talk) 03:12, 7 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

If it ever was, it would have rusted away by now. You can alter the title. HiLo48 (talk) 03:27, 7 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

idk how 173.206.111.217 (talk) 03:57, 7 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I have changed the title for you. --Amble (talk) 05:45, 7 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

[Edit Conflict] Click [ edit ] next to the (incorrect) title; this gives you an editing box with all of the posts in this section, and with the title at the top, which you can change. (Don't change the double horizontal lines around it, though; they are what puts it in larger bold letters with the rule across the page.)

(And now Amble has changed it for you, but you'll know how to in future.) {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 94.2.64.108 (talk) 05:49, 7 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

thanks i changed it 173.206.111.217 (talk) 01:17, 8 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Iron ores were used, see Metallurgy in pre-Columbian America#Iron: "Lumps of iron pyrite, magnetite, and other materials were mostly shaped into mirrors, pendants, medallions, and headdress ornaments for decorative and ceremonial effect." I find some mentions, but nothing very solid, of meteoric iron being traded and used in Mesoamerica and farther north. For example, see [14]. --Amble (talk) 05:45, 7 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Trump a Russian asset

I thoroughly checked Alnur Mussayev's posts at https://www.facebook.com/alnurKZ, but I couldn't find the one "subsequent" to the main post about Trump's role as "Krasnov" from February 20 invoked by current coverage. That subsequent post allegedly claims that "today", the pertinent file was removed from the FSB archives, and handed to a confidant of Putin. Can anybody identify that accessory post? Hildeoc (talk) 03:19, 7 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

See this Snopes item. ‑‑Lambiam 19:42, 7 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

@Lambiam: Thanks, but that as well still doesn't seem to link the relevant post by Mussayev mentioning the disappearance of the Krasnov file, does it? Hildeoc (talk) 10:10, 9 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Your use of ' "subsequent" ' between quotes suggests that you are quoting some text referring to a sequence of posts, but I have no idea where this notion of some specific ' "subsequent" post' comes from, and what would distinguish it among the 16 posts by Mussayev after his two posts on February 20. This makes it hard to search for it. ‑‑Lambiam 10:25, 9 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

@Lambiam, cf. here: "In a subsequent comment, Mussayev levied another shocking accusation, where he said: "Today, the personal file of resident 'Krasnov' has been removed from the FSB. It is being privately managed by one of Putin's close associates." Hildeoc (talk) 23:02, 9 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

It was not a dated post but a reply to a comment by Alexandr Issenev on Mussayev's first post of February 20. Issenev wrote:

ФСБ или ПГУ?

Mussayev replied:

Александр Иссенев Сегодня личное дело резидента "Краснов" изъято из ФСБ. Оно в частном порядке ведется одним из приближенных Путина.

‑‑Lambiam 07:26, 10 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

The Economic Times, Times of India and other Indian media claimed that Donald Trump was a Russian spy in 1987, codenamed "Krasnov."^[1]^[2] The same acquisition has appeared in the past, but I believe that not many people would have believed it at the time. However, his recent behavior is somewhat suspicious and fishy, so media brought up the "news" again. Stanleykswong (talk) 16:10, 8 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

^ "Ex-Soviet spy makes sensational KGB claim about Trump after Putin invites US President for meeting". The Economic Times. 2025-02-25. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 2025-03-08.
^ "Was Donald Trump a secret Russian spy in 1987? Ex-KGB officer reveals shocking allegations". The Times of India. 2025-02-24. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2025-03-08.

I suspect that not many people will believe it this time either - but this is not the right venue to attempt to convince them. Blueboar (talk) 16:30, 8 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

March 8

Geo. J. C. Broom, A.I.C.E.

This 1878 work, "Rainfall at Wolverhampton", is signed "Geo. J. C. Broom, A.I.C.E."

What is "A.I.C.E."? Is it Associate of the Institution of Civil Engineers (nowadays known as "AMICE")? (Presumably not Advanced International Certificate of Education, though that article does not mention a start date, and should)
Who was Geo. J. C. Broom? Was he the same George J. C. Broom M.I.C.E., who was Borough Engineer of St. Helens, Lancashire, in 1895?

Any other biographical facts also welcome. Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 18:48, 8 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

A.I.C.E. would almost certainly be "Associate of the Institution of Civil Engineers". It seems that at the time, that acronym was given to junior engineers, while full members would use "M.I.C.E." (Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers). Given the timeline, I'd say it's most probable they are the same person. His full name was George James Cotton Broom, as seen here. MediaKyle (talk) 20:20, 8 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

My experience with the Chartered Insurance Institute was that Associateship could be achieved by passing some difficult exams (I didn't!) and paying a subscription, but Membership was a whole different level. Alansplodge (talk) 21:27, 8 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

And just to make it easy: The page from the 1922 Who's Who in Engineering that references Broom MediaKyle (talk) 20:25, 8 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

In 1883 he was Borough Surveyor at Dudley. At St Helens by 1885. DuncanHill (talk) 00:32, 9 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Died Monday 10th June 1935, aged 80. Former St Helens Official - Death of Mr G. J. C. Broom. He had worked at Wolverhampton, Cardiff, and Dudley, before St Helens. Retired 1914. Did valuable service, secured the mansion and park known as Victoria Park, and the big Taylor Park, and laid out Thatto Heath Park. DuncanHill (talk) 00:45, 9 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

In 1890 he held the postnominal "F.G.S.".^[15] ‑‑Lambiam 10:14, 9 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

In 1901 he donated 28 volumes of the Journal of the Geological Society to St Helens Free Libraries. DuncanHill (talk) 11:20, 9 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks all, data now at George James Cottom Broom (Q133200542) (although some missing as my BNA subscription is awaiting renewal). His name is "Cottom Broom", not "Cotton Broom" (surely a Cotton Broom is a mop)? Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 12:41, 9 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

This section is resolved and can be archived. If you disagree, replace this template with your comment. Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 12:41, 9 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

March 9

Pul-i-Ghomri

Is "Pul-i-Ghomri" a place in Afghanistan? There are a few online sources reporting this place name but I'm struggling to locate it. 95.234.124.101 (talk) 19:33, 9 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Puli Khumri looks like a candidate. --Wrongfilter (talk) 19:55, 9 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

p. 443 seems to suggest that the name 'Puli Khumri' originated from 'Pul-i Ghomri' ('Moon Bridge'). --Soman (talk) 20:06, 9 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I can't access that book but I would have said it's just another transcription of the same name. --Wrongfilter (talk) 20:13, 9 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Pul-i-khomri is correct and, BTW, Ar. ghomri (قمری) is dove and has nothing to do with Ar. ghamar (قمر) meaning moon. Omidinist (talk) 04:38, 10 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Moon and dove in Arabic derive from the same root, and without vowel marks Persian words 'lunar' (قمری) and 'dove' (قمری) are written in the same way. Now the 'o' vowel in the transliteration would point to 'dove' but if the Afghans changed ق into خ they could have changed the vowel sound too. The ref talking about the origin of the name Puli Khumri just says it initially was 'پل قمری' before being Afghanized, I can't say whether the original name would have referred to the moon or dove. --Soman (talk) 10:12, 10 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Identity of this logotype from Chicago

My brother’s widow found this stone work (architectural salvage most likely) in her basement and is wondering what it is. It looks to me like a piece of cornice work but I’m not sure what the CBN (BNC?) logo would be. Perhaps Chicago, Burlington & Northern, although that predecessor railroad (absorbed into the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy in 1899) has a name that isn’t exactly googleable so I’ve had no luck at finding any indication of whether something resembling this was ever used as an identity for that railroad.

It also seems to me that the amount of weathering on the stone seems low for an exterior decoration on a building in Chicago so perhaps I’ve misidentified its origin as being part of a cornice. Any ideas? D A Hosek (talk) 23:51, 9 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

March 10

Mark Carney the non-seated PM

Mark Carney looks likely to be appointed Prime Minister soon, without being an elected politician. Presumably to carry out his Prime Ministerial duties he must speak in Parliament, but as he has no riding, can he then not vote? CMD (talk) 07:07, 10 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

CBC reports:

He doesn’t have a seat in the House of Commons, so there is speculation — and Carney has hinted — that he will call an election soon, before Parliament is scheduled to return on March 24.

For those unfamiliar with the terminology, see electoral district (Canada). 2A00:23A8:4458:1901:78BA:C932:A6BE:9DCA (talk) 11:40, 10 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

This isn't the first time this has happened. Most recently, when Pierre Trudeau retired, John Turner was pulled out of political retirement to become PM (and lost the subsequent election, but gained a seat in Parliament for himself). --142.112.222.162 (talk) 12:21, 10 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

It would be a problem (not being a member of Parliament) if the situation was to last for a while. When this has happened previously, an MP from a safe seat and from the same party has agreed to step down so the Prime Minister can run in a by-election. This happened twice with Mackenzie King (see Electoral history of William Lyon Mackenzie King). But since Parliament is currently not sitting and Carney is widely expected to call for an election in the coming days, it is not likely to be an issue. Xuxl (talk) 13:49, 10 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I expect he'll gain a seat in an election, I'm more asking about what the theoretical issues are in the meantime. To my understanding the calling of an election does not require a vote, so if the Governor-General accepts Carney as PM and then accepts an election, perhaps we'll never know. CMD (talk) 14:00, 10 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Mrs. G. R. Cowen

"Raphides and Plant Crystals", published in 1878, is credited to "Mrs. G. R. Cowen", who appears to have been affiliated to the Nottingham Literary and Philosophical Society. I can find no other mention of her, but wonder if "G. R." are her initials, or those of her husband. If the latter, might he be George Roberts Cowen (and thus she would be Ann, née Guilford)? Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 10:00, 10 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Ann was suffragist, and "Mrs. G. R. Cowen" spoke at Suffrage meetings in Nottingham and Sheffield, per [16]. Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 11:09, 10 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

The idea of a women's suffrage advocate being identified by her husband's name is quite amusing to me. Submitting to the patriarchy while fighting against the patriarchy... --User:Khajidha (talk) (contributions) 12:27, 10 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Nottingham Evening Post - Wednesday 10 January 1894 Death of Mrs G. R. Cowen. Eldest daughter of the late Mr Thomas Guilford of Nottingham. 1883 first and at that time only female member of the Nottingham School Board, reelected 1886 and 1889. Women's Liberal Association, Women's Suffrage Association, Ladies' Sanitary Association. High Pavement Unitarian Congregation. One sister on the School Board, another on the Board of Guardians. No mention of a husband. DuncanHill (talk) 13:06, 10 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Nottingham Evening Post - Saturday 11 May 1907 Obituary Mr G. R. Cowen, Long obit, covers business and public activities, Liberal, twice-married, the second time to "Miss Guildford of Nottingham who died in 1894", she was a member of the Nottingham School Board and an earnest worker in many beneficent causes. There were children of the first marriage, not the second. DuncanHill (talk) 13:20, 10 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Nottingham Evening Post - Friday 12 January 1894 Funeral of the late Mrs Cowen, of Nottingham does mention husband, coffin born by four foremen and four workmen of the Beck Street works. School Board, Liberal Associations, etc, represented. DuncanHill (talk) 13:32, 10 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

We have an article about the High Pavement Chapel. DuncanHill (talk) 13:44, 10 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

A Plea for Cowen Street mentions both Mr and Mrs G. R. DuncanHill (talk) 13:46, 10 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

As to her name (Ann or Mrs G. R.) she seems to have used Ann for electoral purposes, see for example Nottingham Journal - Saturday 04 December 1886 School Board Election - To the Ratepayers of the Borough of Nottingham, thanking those ratepayers for the support they have given to the "Liberal Eight" and the cause of Public Unsectarian Education. DuncanHill (talk) 14:01, 10 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

There is, or was, an Ann Cowen Scholarship, tenable at the High Pavement Higher Elementary Council School. I cannot ascertain if from her estate or her husband's. DuncanHill (talk) 14:06, 10 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

@DuncanHill: Thank you for all these. It must surely be the same woman, but it would be good to have a concrete link. Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 16:34, 10 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

@Pigsonthewing: I know, the Lit & Phil is the one link I haven't been able to find. DuncanHill (talk) 18:52, 10 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Is Hon. Ian Paul L. Dy an alumni from De La Salle?

I read from this article that he apparently graduated from said university, but I cannot find him in any list for notable alumni from De La Salle. My guesses are (1) they forgot to add him, (2) he's not notable enough (?? I mean he is a legislator). (3) or the university of where he graduated from isn't available knowledge on the internet. As far as google searches can go I could not find anymore sources that can give me any information about his alma mater. Aside from other this source I found that states that he graduated from the University of the East instead, but I find it to be highly dubious (considering the site stated his location to be from Visayas, when he's stationed in Quezon). Raenpo (talk) 13:31, 10 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

As one of the top three universities in the Philippines, you can expect that they have a lot of notable alumni. So being a congressman/mayor may not be worth mentioning. Stanleykswong (talk) 16:06, 10 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Lane splitting versus lane filtering

Lane splitting begins with Lane splitting is riding a bicycle or motorcycle between lanes or rows of slow moving or stopped traffic moving in the same direction, with two citations to US Department of Transportation pages that have fallen victim to linkrot. Just a few sentences later, the article says Filtering or filtering forward is to be contrasted with lane splitting. Lane filtering refers to motorcycles moving through traffic that is stopped, such as at a red traffic light, with citations to another linkrotted USDOT page and a European Union document, which my browser can't load.

Here in Australia, "lane filtering" specifically means moving through stopped or very-slow traffic, whilst "lane splitting" means moving through traffic at speed. Is this different from US definitions (kind of a legal version of an ENGVAR situation), or is it just poor work by the editors of this article? Given Google's bias toward sources from the searcher's location, it's hard to find useful US documents. Nyttend (talk) 20:20, 10 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Ruling Irish queens?

Are there any examples of women ruling any of the Irish petty kingdoms prior to the Tudor conquest of Ireland? I am talking about the independent petty Kingdoms in Ireland prior to English conquest. Could women rule in them, and are there historical examples when this happened? Thank you --Aciram (talk) 22:48, 10 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

[1] "Ex-Soviet spy makes sensational KGB claim about Trump after Putin invites US President for meeting". The Economic Times. 2025-02-25. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 2025-03-08.

[2] "Was Donald Trump a secret Russian spy in 1987? Ex-KGB officer reveals shocking allegations". The Times of India. 2025-02-24. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2025-03-08.

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