November 1

The French Encyclopedia

The date is was created and its hisorical impotance.

If you're referring to the famous 18th century work, see our article Encyclopédie. --DannyZ 02:03, 1 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Druids V.S. Columbus

Many say Christopher Columbus Discoverd'America..... I would rather think that The Druids were here first. Christopher Columbus didn't step on this land, he landed in Cuba I think. So, in either case, who was here first, Columbus, or the Druids?

Um. Druids? Where's that idea come from? --jpgordon ∇∆∇∆ 01:37, 1 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

- A version of the Madoc story, perhaps? Shimgray | talk | 01:46, 1 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Nobody with a reasonable grasp of history believes that Columbus discovered America. He never even set foot on what is now called "America". He got as far as the Caribbean. JackofOz 01:51, 1 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Their religious affiliation is actually quite controversial, and it probably wasn't Druidism, but perhaps one of Kennewick Man's ancestors discovered North America. Maybe the Ainu?--Joel 02:04, 1 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

You might be thinking of the Vikings, who made it to what is now the East Coast of Canada and the Northern US. Apparently they didn't think much of it, since they left after a while and didn't bother telling anyone in Europe about it. They likely thought it was just another big island, like Greenland. Columbus is usually given the credit for first letting Europeans know there was something worth exploring, which led rapidly to European colonization of the Americas. StuRat 05:27, 1 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Mixing up druids and vikings is like mixing up monks and astronauts. Although druids and vikings were both sort of northern european, they were separated by more than a thousand years, a completely different culture and civilization, completely different social purposes, mobility, etc... alteripse 11:55, 1 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I agree, but can't think of what other Northern European explorers who landed in the New World, the asker may have meant, if not Vikings. StuRat 17:34, 1 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I wasn't criticizing your answer, because I also guessed that Vikings must have been who the enquirer had in mind, just expressing amazement that anyone could confuse the two. alteripse 01:47, 2 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

We have an article on the subject: see Pre-Columbian_trans-oceanic_contact and particularly Pre-Columbian_trans-oceanic_contact#Legendary_trips or Brendan for the Irish monk who just possibly may have visited America in the 6th century.-gadfium 18:43, 1 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I still cannot believe people actually think that someone other than the existing Native Americans "discovered" America. Come on guys. Its like saying that in 1492 no one existed in North, South or Central America. Either there were people here or there weren't. And on top of this, the school system still teaches that Columbus discovered America. What a farse!! We must stop this arrogance.

Believe it or not, the Constitutuion of the United States was formatted against the Constitution of the Iroquios Nation. Do the research.

smoking twins treated like gods by south east asian village

Can any one tell me the names and country of the 2 brothers, I think they were twins, who were treated like gods in their rural village in South East Asia? They were young brothers who smoked cigars or cigarettes. They had an explosive adult following, who exalted them to god-like status some where in south east Asia. They were in the news well over 5 years ago.

It was Burma, and the kids' names were Johnny and Luther Htoo. Joyous (talk) 02:00, 1 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

- You rock. Thank you! :)

- - You're welcome; I'm tickled that I could help. Joyous (talk) 02:04, 1 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Rosa Parks question.

Who was the standing 'white man' on the Montgomery AL bus, that caused driver J.F. Blake to ask Rosa Parks to give up her bus seat in 1955? That is the one missing piece from the extraordinarily detailed info on Rosa Parks. --68.167.206.213 02:46, 1 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

five phillars of Islam

The date is was created and its hisorical impotance.

You might take a look at our articles on Five Pillars of Islam and History of Islam. Also, this article might be helpful. -- DannyZ 03:15, 1 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

is Absolutism one of these??

a political theory developed in England a theory of papal supremacy absence of any constitutional check on royal power

I don't like any of them, too simplistic. I suppose what you're really after is absolute monarchy, which may or may not be the same as political absolutism. The best asnswer is definitely the last. It did not originate from England, though the term may have, around the time of Thomas Hobbes (a proponent). Doesn't have to do with papal authoity, really. But only in the strictest sense would you say it cannot have a constitution. Historically, most non-absolute monarchies have had no constitution either. Dmcdevit·t 07:27, 1 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Events

I am looking for current events that occurred in my fathers lifetime starting with 1935 through the present in increments of every 10 years (example - price of gas, cost of a stamp, current President, etc.)

Thank you

Have a look at 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s. It won't have prices, but you will find some events. Someone else may have an idea where to look for prices.. Like here? [1] - 04:57, 1 November 2005 (UTC)

also, learn to use google; this is where you should come after you used google, asking about specifics of what you could find. 19:31, 1 November 2005 (UTC)

This page could help http://dmarie.com/timecap/ Xil 18:29, 10 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

What is the Forbidden city

Dates and historical importance??? Please help?

See Forbidden city (don't worry, the article isn't forbidden). StuRat 09:06, 1 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Canada: History

I read your page about Canada, but still have some questions.

1. Since when Canada is called Canada?

1791 the words Upper Canada and Lower Canada were mentioned. 1840 the word Province of Canada was mentioned.

2. What is the meaning of the word Canada?

3. How old is Canada? Since which year we count?

I believe the country gained independence from England in 1867. StuRat 09:03, 1 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you.

It's hard to say exactly as there are contradictory accounts of the origin of the name. It was first officially used in 1791 when Upper and Lower Canada were created, but it's clear that the name had some currency before that.
There are contradictory accounts, but the most widely cited one is that it was a Huron or Haudenosaunee word picked up by Jacques Cartier in the mid 16th century. Apparently, Cartier got to some native village, grabbed the first native he found and asked, in clear, slow, loud French "Comment est-ce que vous appellez ce pays?" while pointing at the village. To which the native, not knowing French and assuming this hairy honky weirdo was a bit on the thick side, answers in clear, slow, loud Huron or Haudenosaunee "Village, you idiot, it's a VIL-LA-GE". Cartier presumed this was the name of the country and that's what he told his bosses in France. Alternately, the story occasionally circulates that it's Abenaki for "Go away, you hoser!", and that Cartier came upon the name in more or less the same manner as described above.
Most Canadians count from 1867, because the modern institutions of the Canadian federal government have some continuity with those established in the British North America Act. When Canada became independent is a harder question to answer. It has enjoyed a codified legal existence as a semi-autonomous entity since 1791; the Union of Canada - the first unitary government to use that name - dates to 1840. The current institutions date to 1867. Canada did not have an independent foreign policy - usually one of the requirements for sovereignty - until 1909. Its status as an independent realm was not really fixed until the Statute of Westminster in 1931. There was no such thing as a Canadian citizen - one of the other requirements for sovereignty - until 1947. And, provinces could still challenge the constitutionality of Canadian laws before the Privy Council in London until the Constitution Act of 1982.

--Diderot 10:42, 1 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I wonder how many North American placenames come from similar misunderstandings. Supposedly Tejas is from the Caddo word for friend. I suppose that westerners had frightened them enough that when some stopped to ask the Caddo what they called themselves they responded with friend. — Laura Scudder | Talk 16:19, 1 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

It's really very hard to say. So few of those first contact stories survive, and so many Native Americans used very prosaic names for places anyway. The two groups I know fairly well gave almost everything a descriptive or, at any rate, boring name. But in other cases, its hard to say if they really used that name or if it was a misunderstanding because even their modern descendants don't know. The languages are lost, or undocumented, or full of names they adopted back from Europeans.

Generally, no matter how dumb they sound, Algonquian names documented after 1750 are probably reliable because by then hundreds of French traders spoke Algonquian languages fluently and didn't make dumb mistakes. But I wonder occasionally about Dene names. "Yukon" for example - "big river" - I can just see some Gwitchin telling an early beaver trader, "Dude, that's a big river!" --Diderot 17:57, 1 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Does Michael Moore run the political activist web site moveon.com?

You mean MoveOn.org? No, he does not, though he and the site certainly have complimentary viewpoints. Garrett Albright 15:11, 1 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Meyer Lansky

As Meyer Lansky was not Italian, what role did he play in organized crime? Did he head a crime family or comparable organization?

Try reading the Meyer Lansky article. His crime business is detailed rather well. Kainaw 18:55, 1 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Normally, I try not to pick on the premises of questions, but... do you really think only Italians are capable of forming criminal gangs? -- Jmabel | Talk 02:55, 7 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Kibbutz Hama'apil

I worked on a kibbutz in Israel from mid-December 1971 to early May 1972. I think the spelling I've given is the correct one. The kibbutz was inland from Hadera, but is not listed in Wikipedia's "List of Kibbutzim", nor is it found in Google or Google Earth. Does anyone know if it still exists? Has it undergone a name change? It was small, only 500 residents, but at the time, was fairly wealthy. Thanks.

There was a Kibbutz named Hama'apil - famous for volleyball in the 70s. Kainaw 20:03, 1 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

It still exists, albeit not as a communistic enterprise. See [2]. -- Mwalcoff 23:47, 1 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The Protestant and Catholic reformations

the Protestant and Catholic reformations. Who were the leaders of the Protestant Reformation? How did their doctrines differ from those of the Catholic Church? Why were they successful? Discuss the responses of the Catholic church. What impact did these events have on non-European societies?

See the articles on the Protestant Reformation and the Counter-Reformation, and do your own homework. —Charles P. (Mirv) 20:12, 1 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

November 2

name Mexico

Who, when, where first name New Spain by the name Mexico ?

As it turns out we have an article on Mexico that answers exactly that, although it was Mexico long before it was anything Spain. — mendel ☎ 00:32, 2 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

You might also be interested in our List of country name etymologies. Thryduulf 00:39, 2 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Help With the Federalist Papers

I am writing a paper, here is an exerpt:

FDR’s frustration that the judiciary was proving a major hindrance to the executive office’s attempts to solve pressing public problems by striking down crucial pieces of New Deal legislation is understandable, but his court packing scheme was preposterous. FDR was making massive changes to national economics in an attempt to remedy The Great Depression. If these changes were in the best interest of the nation is completely irrelevant, because the executive office does not have the authority to make them. A critical component of New Deal legislation involved transferring significant economic power from the legislative to the executive office. Perhaps the most notable example is the National Industrial Recovery Act, which gave the executive office the power to set working hours, wages and codes to ensure “fair competition.” This is clearly a violation of the separation of powers.

Can anyone point me to specific federalist papers that would pertain/defend my argument?

Federalist Paper #51 talks about separation of powers and checks and balances. H e rmione1980 01:05, 2 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

World War Two

Did Communism threaten America's internal security after World War Two?

                       68.232.242.40 01:20, 2 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Yes. Especially after Ethel and Julius Rosenberg gave the Soviet Union the secret of the nuclear bomb. StuRat 01:52, 2 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

They were hardcore communists, but I doubt they had access to nuclear bomb secrets. The circumstances and accuracy of the trial is rather fuzzy. They were executed hastily too, as the result of the growth of HUAC and McCarthyism. Much of the internal security fears (bomb drills under tables and so on) were a great way to frighten people, but didn't really have large reason to be scared. The anti-communist movies, many in the form of sci-fi done at the time also contributed to mass hysteria about the USSR. The focus on science education coupled with the space race was very convincing to many people; Americans feared that the Soviets would create a Moon base and use it as a "death star." No joke. This all contributed to internal security "issues", but many of them unfounded. The growth of American communism could have been put down even if the government condoned it, simply by nationalist individuals with nothing better to do.--Screwball23 ^talk 04:55, 2 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Anti-communism also threatened America's internal security during those years. alteripse 02:02, 2 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Whereas I would simply say, "no". There may have been a real external security threat, especially in the Khrushchev era, which seems to me to be the last time the Soviet Union was something other than a sclerotic empire waiting to die, but there was never a real internal security threat to speak of, and it was largely a trumped-up matter. -- Jmabel | Talk 05:46, 7 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Closed session

What exactly is a closed session? - Ta bu shi da yu 02:44, 2 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

If this is in reference to the U.S. Senate, it's a secret session...non-public deliberations. See [3]. - Nunh-huh 03:14, 2 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Do they/can they/have they had them in Australia? --Ballchef 13:30, 2 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Not that I'm aware of. Some Senate committees meet or are briefed in camera (in a closed session), but I've never heard of the entire Australian Senate doing so. -- Canley 02:45, 3 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Can senators leak information from the session? Do senators hold a security clearance? Are there laws regarding keeping closed-session information closed? Ojw 18:58, 4 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

From the Senate Manual, I gather that all the senators can be told classified information, but if they leak it, they're subject to prosecution. Revealing non-classified information from a closed session appears to be against Senate rules but not illegal. -- Mwalcoff 22:50, 6 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Part of Rule 29, which Rule 21 specifies is cross-applicable, specifies that "Any Senator, officer, or employee of the Senate who shall disclose the secret or confidential business or proceedings of the Senate, including the business and proceedings of the committees, subcommittees, and offices of the Senate, shall be liable, if a Senator, to suffer expulsion from the body; and if an officer or employee, to dismissal from the service of the Senate, and to punishment for contempt." Superm401 | Talk 23:53, 6 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

aleister crowley

i was just wondering if anyone knew what the sigillum sanctum fraternitatis a.a. is. im sure it pertains to aleister crowley because i found it on a symbol in a book about his magick but was unable to find anything about it in the book. i was also wondering if anyone knew what the symbol meant. it can be found at: http://www.tothal.com/galerija/image.asp?id_albuma=2&id_slike=146 thank you. -madir

You're probably looking for an explanation of the symbols? If not, "Sigillum sanctum fraternitatis" is just Latin for "Sign of the Holy Brotherhood" and the "A∴A∴" stand for "ASTRVM ARGETNEVM" or "Silver Star". There are books about it [4] - Nunh-huh 05:57, 2 November 2005 (UTC) As for the symbology, without knowing anything other than looking at it, you have a seven-pointed star, each point corresponding to a ltter in the word "BABYLON", probably as the Mother of Mysteries, and a mandorla (vesica piscis), some crosses and a lot of "7"'s in the center. The specifics of why they are there are probably not discernable without reading Crowley (and possibly not even then<g>). - Nunh-huh 06:11, 2 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The Tree of Life at Disney's Animal Kingdom

Is the Tree of Life at Disney's Animal Kingdom an African baobob tree (Adansonia digitata)?

--Tessa

It's a fourteen story sculpture made of concrete and fiberglass. I think they do say it's modeled in part on a baobab. “It is not a particular species of tree,” said the park’s chief designer, Joe Rohde. “It’s something like a baobab … It’s something like a ficus or a banyan tree with all those twisted roots coming down the side.” - Nunh-huh 05:58, 2 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

gov. arnold schwarzenegger

see Arnold Schwarzenegger, and read the instructions at the top of this page. This is not a search engine, you need to ask specific questions to get a specific answer. Thryduulf 10:42, 2 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

buffalo soldiers

The article doesn't specify, were the original/early "buffalo soldiers" slaves? Were they forced to partake in wars? --Ballchef 13:52, 2 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Look at the dates. The unit was formed in 1865 at the end of the Civil War. The good guys won. No more slaves. Besides, no modern army has had fighting units made up of slaves who were "forced to partake" so to speak. There are several examples of armies recruiting volunteer units made up of slaves, generally by promising them freedom if they won. An example was the British army during the American Revolution. I think the Confederates actually had a few small units made up of slave volunteers but I don't know what inducements they used. The Union army had several large units made up of ex-slaves and colored volunteers who distinguished themselves at Fort Wagner and other battles. alteripse 16:08, 2 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

So does the bob marley song have any basis? the song says: "taken from the homeland... Fighting on arrival/fighting for survival" --Ballchef 02:06, 5 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Marley, a Rastafarian, would view the black population of America as essentially largely still enslaved down to his own time. -- Jmabel | Talk 05:48, 7 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

History Help

Where are some good resources for finding quotes and articles on how the Africans and/or Asians felt when Europeans invaded their region between 1450 to 1750 CE??

I bet Africa would be difficult here; Asia in general should not be, but I don't know my way around the literature. The first obvious question: what Asian languages do you read, or are you going to have to find everything in translation? -- Jmabel | Talk 05:52, 7 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

winning a court case involving a SPEEDING TICKET

How can I win a speeding ticket case. I was given a speeding ticket by the CHP in California and am going to court to fight it. How can I improve my chances of winning?

Find a lawyer experienced in traffic violations. I would start by calling one of those guys who enhances the reputation of his profession by advertising on billboards that he can get you off a DUI charge. He will know the technicalities or the tactics that work in your area. I think if a traffic violation goes to court in most states, you win mainly if the issuing officer doesn't show up. Of course you can always fall back on proving that you weren't going that fast or that his method of timing you was grossly inaccurate, but I am guessing you won't be able to do that. I am also assuming the stakes are higher for you than the cost of a speeding ticket, or it would be far cheaper to pay it than to engage a lawyer. alteripse 16:22, 2 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

It depends. If you were given it by an officer with a radar gun, you may be able to prove he was mistaken. If it was taken by an automatic camera, you have no chance, unless the image shows you going at less than the speed limit. Of course, you could try to find some lawyer who could argue that you have the God -given right, engraved in the constitution by your fore-fathers to speed, but this probably goes against the skills of even the best (or worst, depending on your viewpoint) lawyer. smurrayinchester^{(User), (Talk)} 17:18, 2 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

A few weeks a go there was a case in Australia where a lawyer argued that a speed camera could never guarantee that the car it had captured was speeding (something to do with the technology) and the client got off. If it was a speed camera, then I'll dig up the news story for you.--Commander Keane 18:18, 2 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

You are extremely unlikely to get off if the officer turns up. The court will likely accept the officer's testamony over yours. Spin the wheel if you like, but also be aware that you can sometimes call the court and bargain with them. They will sometimes give you a discount on the fine in return for not turning up (it costs them a lot if you do turn up). Trollderella 20:39, 2 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

In the UK, roads near speed cameras are marked with rows of lines 1 foot apart. These show the distance the car travelled in the time between the camera photos (generally 0.5 to 0.25 of a second). Therefore, from this the speed can be calculated. I don't know if California use the same system, but if they do, your case has no chance. smurrayinchester^{(User), (Talk)} 20:44, 2 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

This case turned on the verification procedures that ensured that the picture taken was actually taken at the time mentioned and that the vehicle was actually travelling at the speed claimed; for one thing, the hash algorithm they used was one that is theoretically vulnerable to attack. However, the main reason that the guy won his case was that the police couldn't organise an expert in the speed camera to explain why the ticket was indeed valid to turn up to the court. My honest opinion based on the limited evidence in the public domain were that the vulnerabilities discussed were highly unlikely to have made any difference, and if the police had have got an expert to turn up the charges would have suceeded. --Robert Merkel 02:43, 3 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Isn't there a case in the UK that is going to the EU Court of Human rights about about speed cameras? IIRC it hinges on all that they show is that the car is travelling that fast, and not who was driving. UK law gives the right not to be forced to give testamony against yourself, so the state cannot prove who was driving the car. Trollderella 21:05, 2 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Whilst I am not a lawyer, I believe the terminology for this defence argument is "playing silly buggers"... ;-) Shimgray | talk | 00:54, 3 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Well, even in the UK, you are presumed innocent, at least in theory, and the state has not proved that you were driving. It's not that silly. Trollderella 16:10, 3 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I think you're referring to a form that police send to the registered owner of a vehicle that was photographed by a speed camera, asking them to supply the name and address of the person driving the vehicle at that time. Some people refused, on the grounds that they couldn't be forced to give evidence against themselves (there's a paragraph about it near the bottom of Speed camera).

According to that article, their argument succeeded when they used it in court, but was thrown out by another court. It's not entirely clear why that second court thought that the Human Rights Act didn't apply.

In the UK, current theory on speed cameras is that

You can demand a calibration certificate for the camera that was valid on the date concerned, and if one isn't available, then the camera can't prove that its estimate of your speed is correct
Certain types of speed measurement equipment are intrinsically unreliable or inaccurate, or have features which leave them open to police interference, or generally can't be proven to be completely infallible.
For example it was demonstrated recently (on UK TV) that handheld laser detectors can give a higher or lower speed if the person using it so desires, by moving the point of measurement across the car. It wouldn't be possible to prove in court whether this technique was used or not, and software that's supposed to detect it happening can be trivially fooled, so data from handheld speed guns is very suspicious.
You can demand the photographs showing the car passing two points 0.5 seconds apart and calculate the speed yourself (then ask for proof that the camera's clock was correct)
You can say that you weren't driving, or that you're not going to say who was driving and
A numberplate identical to your own might have been attached to another car of the same type/colour -- plenty of people have received speeding tickets showing their numberplate attached to someone else's car. (Car cloning)

Of course, neither Wikipedia nor I give legal advice; usual disclaimers apply.

Ojw 19:25, 4 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

We actually have a really silly and probably useless wikibook on this topic. --Fastfission 03:44, 3 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

By the way, in California at least: if it is a speed camera, if you can plausibly argue that it wasn't you doing the speeding at the time (I don't know what kind of evidence they'd have about this), that is, if someone else was driving your car, they can't give you a ticket. Tickets are issued to people, not vehicles. At least, that's what a California lawyer I know once told me. --Fastfission 03:49, 3 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
A good thing to do is to keep asking for date changes so that you annoy the cop and make him not want to show up. Broken S 02:40, 4 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I don't see why they don't make the cameras face the other way. That way, you could get a snap of who was driving as well! :-) smurrayinchester^{(Penny for the Guy?), (The Guy)} 16:39, 4 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Not all states in the US require plates on the front of cars, only the back. — Laura Scudder | Talk 20:55, 4 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Poem

In Marco Bellocchio's movie L'ora di religione (Il sorriso di mia madre) a young woman, played by Chiara Conti, recites a poem. I would like to find it. She says it is translated from the Russian, and every stanza ends with words like "non è basta" ("it is not enough") or "ma tutto questo non basta" ("but all that is not enough"). Any ideas what poem this could be? David Sneek 17:29, 2 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

~~Found it! But now I'd like to find an English translation... David Sneek 17:49, 2 November 2005 (UTC)~~[reply]

Sorry about all this. I had been googling for half an hour before I asked here, but somehow my searches only became effective afterwards... If anyone wants to read it: [5] David

Gang of 500

What is the Gang of 500? (Read about it in The Note.)

Hopefully, this page should be of help. It says that the Gang of 500 is "the 500 people whose decisions matter to the political news and campaign narrative we get from the major media." - Akamad 19:35, 2 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

November 3

What's the title of this movie?

A made-for-TV movie from the 1970s about a morning radio talk show host who takes a call from a despondent teenage girl who threatens suicide (she has pills). He spends most of the movie trying to talk her out of it, but she is on the edge of going through with it. At the end of the show another caller reports that the girl has been found by authorities - can't tell if she's alive or dead - then the station cuts away to a news break over the objections of the host. He leaves the studio thoroughly pissed; I'm not sure if she lives, or if he quits his job. - anon

The best place to get an answer to a question like this is on IMDB's "I need to know" board at http://www.imdb.com/board/bd0000001/threads/ Jooler 02:03, 3 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I remember this movie. Specifically the talk-show host gets the suicidal call, and treats the caller with disdain. After she rings off another caller calls in and says the suicide threat sounds genuine. The host spends the rest of his show calling out to get his listeners to help find her, while persuading his boss to let him stay on the air to finish the job. Unfortunately I remember the plot better than the title. DJ Clayworth 18:11, 3 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

History

Who was the Athenian General who set a trap for Xerxes army and his navy

Check out the Greco-Persian Wars. You might be thinking of the Battle of Salamis. — Laura Scudder | Talk 01:11, 3 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

comment

I couldn't find a place to make a comment so I am writing here: This site is unbelievable. What an incredible job you've all done. Amazing. Just amazing. Greg Sandell Marquette, MI

You too can join in making this site even better, see Wikipedia and Introduction. Akamad 02:37, 3 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

who is the female singer who sings a song about jesus coming to bring Lazarus back to life?

Does anyone know this Christian song? It is a very pretty song by a female singer. It is about Jesus coming to see Lazarus who was sick and dies before Jesus gets there. Part of the lyrics read: "although he was 2 days late he was not late at all..." I would love to find out who the singer is and the title of the song. -- unsigned

Please read the rules at the top. We never email, and advise against posting email adresses here. -- Ec5618 02:27, 3 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The lyrics aren't quite the same, but this sounds a lot like "Four Days Late" by Karen Peck and New River. The last line of the chorus is "And isn't it great, when He's four days late, He's still on time". Full lyrics here... -- Canley 02:40, 3 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

magic trick-crazy man's handcuffs

There is a magic trick I saw with two rubberbands that seem to pass through each other-it is close up magic and someone told me that it is called "crazy Man's handcuffs" can you tellme how it works? I cant find it anywhere

You probably didn't look hard enough. There's at least one page on the internet that explains this trick. Try googling it, or drop by your local magic shop and buy the effect. - 131.211.51.34 08:28, 3 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
- It's up to you but once you know how it is done you'll probably wish you didn't. It takes all the magic out of it. AllanHainey 11:33, 3 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

- It's generally considered very poor form for those who know how magic tricks work to reveal it to those who don't. If you're interested simply out of curiosity, then keep puzzling - as AllanHainey says above the magic's all gone once you know. If on the other hand you're interested in learning it to perform, then you'd be better off asking on a website for magicians. Also, a lot of magic tricks are very heavily copyrighted and protected by their creators. Noodhoog 18:55, 6 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Assorted international politics questions (take II)

I'm reposting the unanswered questions down here.

1. What happened to Cape Verde's plans to introduce the €?
2. What happened to Cape Verde's bid to join the Europe? The last time I heard about it was sometime this spring, when a former Portuguese president launched a campaign for CV's membership in the EU...
3. What's the latest news on Andorra's monetary agreement with the Europe regarding the official introduction of the € and the minting of Andorran euro coins? They've been negotiating for over a year now...
4. After the successful referendum on unification in Kamchatka Oblast and Permyakia, what's the date on which Kamchatka Krai will come into existence? This seems to suggest 1 January 2007, just like the Krasnoyarsk Krai merger, but it's not definite, is it?
5. How strong is the Great Timor movement in West Timor to unite with Timor-Leste?
6. When will Timor-Leste introduce its own currency? I doubt they're planning to use the USD for too long, or are they?

Thanks for any information you might be able to contribute! ナイトスタリオン ✉ 12:30, 3 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Pink = Feminine

The following question has been copied from Talk:Pink:

does anyone know why pink should be regarded as a feminine colour? where does this symbolism originate from? --Cap 01:52, 13 Sep 2004 (UTC)

--TantalumTelluride 14:39, 3 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

My guess is that pink is associated with feminism because it is a common color for flowers, symbols of natural beauty. Then again, there are some less beautiful pink things in nature, such as the tongues of many animals and the rear ends of some primates, etc. This is purely a guess; does anyone have anything else to add? --TantalumTelluride 14:39, 3 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Pink used to be a boy's color - a watered down red (which was a man's color). Girls wore the dainty blue. There are many references to this in the not-so-distant past.

"At one point pink was considered more of a boy's color, (as a watered-down red, which is a fierce color) and blue was more for girls. The associate of pink with bold, dramatic red clearly affected its use for boys. An American newspaper in 1914 advised mothers, "If you like the color note on the little one's garments, use pink for the boy and blue for the girl, if you are a follower of convention." [The Sunday Sentinal, March 29, 1914.]

"There has been a great diversity of opinion on the subject, but the generally accepted rule is pink for the boy and blue for the girl. The reason is that pink being a more decided and stronger color is more suitable for the boy, while blue, which is more delicate and dainty, is prettier for the girl." [Ladies Home Journal, June, 1918]

Pink as a feminine color didn't show up in catalogs until the 50s. I've read opinions that this was influenced by Germany. I don't see how Nazi choices in colors could have any influence on Americans. As for color choices, they are arbitrary. In China, white is for mourning and red is for purity. Wearing a white wedding gown in China then takes on a whole new meaning (perhaps more honest). Kainaw 14:51, 3 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I don't see how you can use the term "Nazi" as synonymous with the term "German". Valiantis 14:01, 4 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I believe that I made it clear I was referring to Germany before 1950, also known as Nazi Germany. Are you trying to rewrite history and erase any mention of Nazi Germany? Kainaw 20:27, 4 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Um... the Nazi party was the governing body of Germany until 1945. a) that means half the decade before 1950 was pretty Nazi-free; b) matters of fashion in clothing tend to be due to the populace, most of whom (history records) weren't Nazis, rather than the government. Using the term "Nazi" for "German" is unduly inflammatory, even if in a geopolitical sense it may have been accurate for that general timeframe, and is generally discouraged. Shimgray | talk | 00:21, 5 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Wouldn't it be a hell of a lot easier if you assumed that I knew what I was talking about? The opinions that I briefly mentioned were that since the Nazi government used blue for men and pink for women during the Holocaust, the tradition carried over into the rest of the world after WWII. As I stated in my original post, I do not agree with that opinion. Kainaw 14:40, 5 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Alternately, before getting very angry that people are complaining about your use of language, you might want to check that you're clear what that language is. You mentioned nothing about the Holocaust initially; a reference to "German choices" immediately segued to "Nazi" without explaining if that was because the holocaust bureaucracy used colour-coded indicators or if it was the hot new style of Spring '37 in Munich. To a user who didn't know what you knew, it did look like you were using the two synonymously; no information was presented to indicate otherwise, and it's (sadly) a very common thing in the English-speaking world.

But more to the point - what was the use of colours during the Holocaust, anyway? I was aware of coloured symbols for specific groups - Nazi concentration camp badges has a pretty exhaustive list - but wasn't aware of any general use of male-female distinction other than segregating them (although, as 99% of photographs are black-and-white...). Given the shortage of cloth and dyes during wartime, dressing people in coloured clothing sounds like something that would have been dropped by the beginning of the forties. Shimgray | talk | 15:09, 5 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

(After edit conflict with Shimgray's last post). You didn't actually state any of that in your original comment which merely said "I've read opinions that this [pink as a feminine color] was influenced by Germany". Do you have a source for the Nazi regime using blue for men and pink for women "during the Holocaust"? In what way did they use it? Is there evidence that this was a novel use, rather than an established use in Germany? I appreciate that you said you don't agree with this opinion, but as you raised it as a possible explanation, I'd be grateful if you could flesh out the point. Valiantis 15:16, 5 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I am in no way an expert on the Holocaust. That is why I've tried to avoid the topic all together. I actually dislike the topic because I had a Jewish history teacher in high school. For "Western History 1500-present", we learned that everything was fine until the beginning of the Holocaust and nothing has happened since. So, I displace my dislike of that teacher to the whole topic of the Holocaust.

What I read is that males were marked with blue and women with pink when entering the camps. Then, they were assigned symbols. Gay men were given a pink triangle (because they were feminine). I disagree with the assumption that this influenced American's taste in clothing colors. I did a quick google to see if I could turn up anything and I found a rather exhaustive thread that begins with the two passages that I copied and pasted into my original post. I wish I found this first so I could just add a link to it. It contains a lot of quotes from others (some conflict with one another). [6] Kainaw 16:37, 5 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks for your response. To summarise what's in the Google Answers page you link to, pink was already associated in Germany with femininity by the 1930s and this is why the Nazi regime made gay men wear pink triangles as they (questionably) associated homosexuality with effeminacy. This page doesn't state anywhere that the Nazi regime itself used pink to denote women and blue to denote men; I think you've (mis)read between the lines. The symbols the Nazis used are delineated in detail in the WP article Shimgray already mentioned. What is particularly bizarre about the quote used in the Google Answers page is that it states in Germany (and other Catholic countries) blue was associated with the Virgin Mary (i.e. feminine), there follows an ellipsis, and then the quote continues with the info about pink being perceived as feminine by the 1930s in Germany. This is of course directly contradictory to the start of the quote; it would appear that the explanation of the shift in Germany was included in the omitted part of the quote. Valiantis 18:47, 5 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Chinese bribes don't wear red to symbolize purity, but to represent vitality and vivaciousness. --Menchi 14:45, 4 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

A fashion professor at the Art Institute of Chicago explained to me that the fashion for pink for little girls clothing and blue for little boy's clothing started in France and was popularized in the US by returning G.I.'s. She also noted that traditionally the Virgin Mary is depicted in religious art wearing blue, a tranquil, gentle, and peaceful color-- another reason that blue was previously considered a girl's color. Crypticfirefly 05:58, 9 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

macedonia during alexander's reign?

On websites you can read all about Alexander III the Greats conquest and such but never does it tell me what life was like during his reign in the places he conquered and in Macedonia. So my question is what was life like in Macedonia and the places Alexander conquered?81.179.231.227 19:50, 3 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Every couple of decades someone publishes a new version of "everyday life in ancient greece". Just check Amazon for the latest. I know greece and macedonia were not the same place, but I doubt that "what life was like during his reign" was much different. Macedonia was even more rural than greece and did not have cities with the size and history of Athens, but for most people, life was much the same regardless of who ruled. alteripse 00:09, 7 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Flemish artist AD. ADRIAENSSENS

Does anybody know this 20 th century Flemish artist and if so, where to find his paintings ? I'm not sure if the name is written correctly...

Interview with the Vampire

I've been reading Interview With The Vampire lately, and I'd be interested if there's a name for the odd literary technique it uses - the entire story is told as direct speech, direct quotes of the titular vampire telling his story to the boy who's listening. e.g The vampire said "I did this, then that, and said 'something else'". It's not a frame story, is it? Sum0 22:22, 3 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I think it is. Unless there's a more specific name fitting the situations of the story. - Mgm|^(talk) 09:02, 4 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

November 4

History

Hey, Does anybody know Where some good resources for finding quotes and articles on how the Africans and/or Asians felt when Europeans invaded their region between 1450 to 1750 CE?? Please help me find this information, i could guess what they thought easily, but I need proof for school.

You won't find much googling for "European invasion of Africa". The powers (England, France, Spain, and Holland) were not interested in invading land. They were colonizing land. The Americas and Australia were invaded (the local people were kicked off their land and replaced by Europeans). Africa and Asia were colonized. The local people were put to work to produce goods for sale in Europe. Of course, I am being very general, but you need to understand the difference between colonizing land and taking over land. As for what they thought, most people were very poor. They went from being worked to death by a local landowner to being worked to death by a foreign landowner. They probably hated it both ways. Kainaw 00:21, 4 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Remember that attitudes probably varied. For example the British East India Company was invited into India by one of the existing rulers. Merchants and others probably welcomed the foreigners who could provide them with new trading oppotunities. Initially there was almost certainly a degree of cooperation with the new arrivals. DJ Clayworth 17:18, 4 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

A thought you might consider re the paper you seem to be confronted with is that there was a local population in Africa and Asia and continued to be one. In N and S America, the existing population was very severly affected by diseases to which no individual had much immunity or inherited resistance. The Old World was, more or less, and increasingly more a single population with respect to disease. The New World was one also, but not for any of the new diseases brought in by those who discovered and colonized or captured as you wish the land. When de Leon came by, the Mound Builders of the lower Missisippi Valley seem to have been still there. They were gone in less than 100 years. The East coast of N America was settled by Europeans against little native oppositon because the natives had largely died off from diseases thought to be not very serious by Europeans. The effect continued across N America. When Seattle was founded, a local chief (Seattle, of course) made a very impressive speech noting that his people had been much more numerous in his youth, but were now reduced almost to nothing. His youth would have been something like 1820-30 and his speech as in the middle 1850's. See Plagues and Peoples by Wm McNeil and Guns Germs and Stell by Jared Diamond. The first is less readable than the second but well worth reading nonetheless.

Guessing about how people thought in historical times might be right, but even for recent history has as remarkably bad track record. Caution and care are Good Things in these matters, as Martha would surely say. ww 23:10, 10 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Did Hitler himself ever kill anyone?

I can't seem to find the answer to this anywhere. I know he obviously killed many, many, MANY people indirectly, but did he ever do it single-handedly? --Impaciente 00:51, 4 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Well, himself, at least, since he commited suicide. --Bob Mellish 01:03, 4 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

He did serve in the front lines during WWI, being wounded and IIRC taking a couple of prisoners. He was a messenger not a combat infantryman, however, and so it's not likely he killed anyone in combat. There are rumours that he killed Geli Raubal (his niece, believed to have committed suicide), but these are probably nothing more than rumours - as you might expect, pretty much anything that can be imagined about Hitler's history has been rumoured to be seedier than it actually was. Other than this (and his own suicide), I don't believe there's much indication he did. Shimgray | talk | 01:14, 4 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Legally, yes. Laws consider the person who orders killings just as guilty, perhaps even more guilty, than those who carry out the orders. So, whether he actually pulled the trigger doesn't much matter. StuRat 02:01, 4 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Actually, under Geman law at the time, his actions were completely legal. However, Impaciente specifically said "single-handedly". No one here is doubting that he was responsible for the deaths of millions, or whether his actions were unethical. I too, however, am interested in learning the answer to the actual question asked(discounting himself). Superm401 | Talk 02:16, 4 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I wasn't talking about laws made by the NAZIs. Obviously those who make the laws may make them so that their actions are legal. I was talking about international laws, such as those used in the Nuremberg trials against the surviving NAZIs. I'm also interested in if he killed anyone personally, but just wanted to point out that it would have been irrelevant, had Hitler ever gone on trial. StuRat 20:42, 4 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

There were really no international laws against it either. The Nuremberg trials weren't really based on any law or treaties that existed before the Holocaust, something that made the convictions controversial. However, I think the Nuremberg trials were mostly just. Superm401 | Talk 02:57, 6 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

During the night of the Long Knives, ordered by Hitler, the Brown Shirts were eliminated, often by murder. Hitler went to the resort where ?? (name escapes), the leader of the Brown Shirts was, and there are reports he was alone with the fellow when a shot was heard. Suicide or murder? It's not been clear. But consider that there are accounts of his behavior immediately after the failed putsch in Bavaria that have him pale and fainting from the sight of blood, his, and the deaths of the leading rank of marchers earlier. See the most recent (2 vol) magesterial biography of Hitler.

Not much chance he personally did in Geli as he was rather far away at the time. But the Party covered everything anyway. ww 23:23, 10 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Text art

What do you call the art that is produced just through the use of text? Theshibboleth 02:18, 4 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Ascii art. I think it's very impressive myself, especially when produced without a special program. Superm401 | Talk 02:20, 4 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

And before ascii art was typewriter art, like these by Paul Smith, which are more impressive still! — mendel ☎ # 23:59, 5 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Australian Government

I was wondering if anyone can tell me how much the Australian Government spends in total per year on schools in Australia ( both private and public).Thanks Ali K

The Australian Government's budget site states that:

"The $1 billion Investing in Our Schools Programme will directly assist schools throughout Australia over the five years to 2008-09. $700 million in new funding will be injected into state and territory schools throughout Australia to help repair, replace or install new items critical to the schools’ overall infrastructure needs. A total of $300 million in new funding will be provided over the same period to Catholic and independent schools through the Block Grant Authorities."

I hope that's what you are looking for. I would also imagine that more money comes in from the state governments. Akamad 10:34, 4 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

For a total figure, you should go through the budget papers, not only for the federal government, but the state governments (if you want that information too) for instance, the Victorian government's budget paper 3 for 2005-6 has figures for the Victorian Department of Education and Training (you can download it from this page). Most funding for government schools comes from the states, rather than the federal government.--Robert Merkel 12:43, 4 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The federal government gives each state a sizeable portion of their budget for education, though. When looking for the total spending you need to ensure you don't count the federal grants twice. The total of the spending from the states should be the most reliable sum, as it incorporates the federal spending. Natgoo 22:03, 4 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Cambodian Civil War: Concequences.

Hi,

we are making a site, and we need te know some information of the Concequences of the Cambodian Civil War. We really need this information for our Site, because else we are are going to fail for this Class... If you have any information, can you please send it to (email removed)? if you don't know what war we mean, the one with Pol Pot, about 1967 to 1975. our site is at the moment not yet really online, because we want to have it finished first. If we are ready, you can visit us at http://www.freewebs.com/theshadowsofwar/ We really want to thank you because we used a lot of information of Wikipedia.

Greetings,

Joris Engbers en Johnny Gabraail

We've got tons of relevant information. See Pol Pot, Cambodia, Democratic Kampuchea and Khmer Rouge among others. Please note that the instructions at the top of this page tell you to check back for answers and that leaving your email here, might give you a lot of spam in return. Spammers harvest this page and mirrors that copy our information. - 131.211.210.15 13:59, 4 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Egyptian weather forecast

Ever since watching the scorchio sketches I always wondered whether countries like Egypt broadcast regular weather forecasts, or whether such things would be completely redundant? Shantavira 10:26, 4 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Indeed they do. See: Egypt], South Africa and Zimbabwe for example. I don't see why they shouldn't anyway. Surprisingly, Africa gets weather other than 'Scorchio'. smurrayinchester^{(Penny for the Guy?), (The Guy)} 13:18, 4 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Indians

How is the Richest Indian

Very comfortable, I'm sure. Nelson Ricardo 11:42, 4 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

And How High is a Chinaman. If you mean WHO is the "richest man in India", Googling the phrase suggests it's Azim Hasham PremjiShantavira 12:38, 4 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

According to Forbes. See Azim Premji. He makes cooking oil and software. smurrayinchester^{(Penny for the Guy?), (The Guy)} 13:01, 4 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Seems like a perfectly standard combination. :-) Akamad 13:26, 4 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

They might also mean "who is the richest Native American ?". StuRat 16:12, 4 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

or it might be somebodies i dea of a joke considering the native americnas in some areas said "how" for hello

I think that it means Who is richest indian it`s very easy to misspell word that has similar letters, specialy if word is three letters long. I`ve heard about man whose name is Lakshmi, I don`t remember surname, but he`s form India and is one of richest men in world, I gues he`s richest man who can be caled indian

Six Degrees to Kevin Bacon

I've just read the article and done a websearch, but does anyone know of any article or interview where Kevin Bacon makes any comment on the game he's given his name to?

He spoofed the game in a commercial, see Kevin Bacon. David Sneek 12:22, 4 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

On an interview I saw on television a long time ago, he stated that at first he was offended. He took it as "who is this Kevin Bacon guy and why does he have any right to be in movies?" Then, he realized that the game works because he has been in so many films. Kainaw 18:47, 4 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

"Bacon says, 'I am the only [actor] with a game! And I have to admit, I dig that.'" [7] The link isn't a full interview, but I found it by a search using "dig" because I remembered reading or hearing a longer piece with that comment from him. JamesMLane 02:52, 5 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

When the November 7 issue of People Magazine asked several celebrities what their tombstones would read, Bacon's reponse was "No Oscars, but at least I have a game named after me." --Moriane 02:39, 8 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Ozzy osborne

Which witch did ozzy osborne sing about in 1980?

Do you mean Aleister Crowley? It was in 1981 (on Blizzard of Ozz and Crowley isn't really a witch. Kainaw 20:43, 4 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Sherman Antitrust and Sherman Silver Purchace Act

Does anyone know if the Sherman Silver Purchase Act was supported by the same person who supported the Sherman Antitrust Act, John Sherman?--ViolinGirl 15:36, 4 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, it was: [8]. And the Sherman tank was named for his brother, General William Tecumseh Sherman. Now I am wondering if Sherman Hemsley and Mr. Peabody "and his boy Sherman" were named after them, too. StuRat 17:21, 4 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks so much! I appreciate your help.--ViolinGirl 18:07, 4 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

You're welcome. StuRat 20:35, 4 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

indian economy

did mixed economy bring about any development & progressin india?how?

Read the top of this page: Do your own homework. Kainaw 20:48, 4 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The socalist polcies subscribed to are now seen as barriers to development

That is probably the majority view. Nonetheless, if you want to look at where they seem to have had some positive effect, at least on things like literacy and mortality, you might look for information on Kerala. I suspect that there are other regions where something similar could be said, this is the one I most know about. -- Jmabel | Talk 06:01, 7 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Indian history

In which ways did the socio_religious reform movements contribute to the rise of nationalism in india?

The text book you have for that class should be of help. Akamad 00:05, 5 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Astrid Lindgren

I am wanting to find out which languages was the book Karlsson on the Roof by Astrid Lindgren translated into? Many thanks, Mona

This site claims it has been translated into 76 languages. If you scroll down to the "Did You Know" section on the page, they go through some of the languages. Akamad 05:17, 5 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

It`s surely translated in latvian. That page say that Mio, my son is called Mio, my Mio in french and polish. How it is caled in orginal language ? Xil 20:39, 10 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

How does Europe generally feel about cosmetic surgery?

How do Europeans generally feel about plastic surgery? Perhaps breast augmentation more specifically. And France More specifically.

Thank you for your answers.

I think I heard on TV recently something about French women have more breast reduction surgery than surgery to increase size. But I'm not sure if that's statistically true. As for Europeans in general... well in the UK it's pretty much accepted as something some people do. Sum0 22:06, 4 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I find it interesting that you phrased the question like this, since cultural and ethical standards are not as homogenous in the

Europe as they are in the

United States... But I suppose you weren't aware of it. ::shrugs:: Anyway, I'd say that it's "generally" not regarded as scandalous, but still noteworthy. It's definitely not common-place, though.

ナイトスタリオン ✉ 23:19, 4 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

As against the culturally homogeneous United States?? Have you ever travelled in the U.S.? Just to stick with one ethnicity, the U.S. produced both Colin Powell and Malcolm X. Does that really sound homogeneous? Or maybe those terribly similar white Protestant leaders William Sloane Coffin and Pat Robertson? Or those terribly similar cities Boston, Massachusetts and Honolulu, Hawaii? Get real. -- Jmabel | Talk 06:21, 7 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, compared with Europe, the US is culturally homogeneous. For a start virtually everyone in the US speaks as first language one of two languages (English and Spanish). Go and look at how many languages are spoken in Europe. Elected officials in Europe (not just candidates) range from the openly racist to the openly Communist. Food, religion, sports, television - compared with the US Europe is extremely diverse in all those areas. And finally there are still some places in Europe (though not many) where you can't find a Macdonalds. Need I say more. DJ Clayworth 18:16, 7 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

politics

Why can't people look up the complete unabridged copy of the Patriot Act as it was voted upon? It is not even recognized on any search engine I have found. RMH From Alaska

The text of the Patroit Act is here (PDF file). -- 70.27.57.22 22:54, 4 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

frwebgate.access.gpo.gov is a table of contents you can't get into. at least w/ my average comp. program. location [70.27.57.22] claims not to exist. or mabye I'm not understanding it. Please help me if I'm wrong.

Try this site. - Akamad 04:55, 5 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I still don't think this is what I am looking for. What I want to see is the patriot act as it was voted on ( the complete unabridged copy ), w/o the editing I so often run into. every citizen should w/ the simplest means be able to read the exact document our represenatives read. in this copy i still see there have been items stricken, but I will continue to read. If you come across a more exact doc. please show. thank you for all the help

I assumed that this was the complete version that was voted on. But if you are unsure, perhaps it is best to write to your representative and ask him/her. Akamad 02:20, 6 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

What makes you think parts have been stricken? Superm401 | Talk 03:01, 6 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

take sec. 104 for example. this reads section 2332e of title 18 of the united states code (50 U.S.C. 1702) is amended... by striking 2332c and inserting 2332a and by striking 'chemical'. this is in the begining if the act and still does not actually tell what the new way is. And if every congressman and senator had to do their homework it would have taken longer than fourty-three days to pass it. especially since it supposedly wasn't even written until 9-12-01 but as I said mabye I'm wrong. And asking my state rep is a good idea.

That doesn't mean the Patriot Act is being modified. It means an existing law is being changed by the Patriot Act. I agree that is a bit complicated. The "secret" to the quick passage was that some (perhaps most or all) senators didn't actually read it in full. They got staff and colleagues to summarize it and passed it on their advice. Superm401 | Talk 19:21, 6 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Unfortunately, that's the way Congress works. In most state legislatures, the bills show the existing statutory language that's being changed. Not in Congress. You have to actually go back to the statutes and compare every section. The Congressional Research Services prepares summaries of each section, and the members may get summaries from their party caucus. But Superm401 is right -- it's highly unlikely that most members read the entire bill before voting on it. They rarely do; members of Congress are very busy people and vote on hundreds of pieces of legislation every year. -- Mwalcoff 22:39, 6 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

How is tha prudent to the american citizens who don't rightly have the time to do all that reaserch? Isn't it supposed to be redily available for any one person who wants to learn it? And not so difficult as the articles, sub-articles, and sub article tabs?

November 5

Da Vinci Sleeping Schedule

It's been claimed by many (most notably on a Seinfeld episode) that Leonardo Da Vinci slept only 15 minutes every few hours. Is there any truth to this legend? if not, any idea the origin of the legend? --Alecmconroy 00:09, 5 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

It's called Polyphasic Sleep.

True-- but is there any evidence Da Vinci slept that way?Alecmconroy 22:11, 6 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

No idea on Leonardo, but Thomas Edison did. -- Jmabel | Talk 06:26, 7 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The 3/5 Compromise

Where did the "3/5" figure come from in the infamous Three-Fifths Compromise? Was it simply a random number or was it calculated from something?

This is the first time I have heard of this, but I suspect it has to do with the following: Notice 3/5 = 0.6 ~ 1/e. Now, where does this number come from? Let's use an example.

Suppose you are on a game show, and there are N rooms, all lined up on a wall. You are told that behind each room is a monetary prize, each of a different value. You can open a door at a time, and every time you open a door, you must decide whether to keep the prize or move on to another door. Assuming you want to find the room with the largest value, what's the best strategy to do this? (By default, you keep the prize in the last door).

First, find the number N/e. Let's call this number X. Open the first X doors, and keep track of the largest value within these doors. Then, keep opening doors until you find the next one with the highest value, and keep that one. Approximately 1/e ~ 60% you will find the largest prize. --HappyCamper 03:03, 5 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I suspect the question is about the U.S. government: that is, the decision at the Constitutional Convention reckoning slaves as three-fifths of a person for the purpose of taxation and representation. The compromise was between Northern states and Southern states and is part of the Constitution. ("Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons.") That said, I have no idea how they came up with it except dickering. - Nunh-huh 03:35, 5 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

According to this account, the three-fifths ratio had been kicking around for a few years, having been proposed as an amendment to the Articles of Confederation. Of course, that merely pushes the question back in time. The ratio was used for apportioning state-by-state taxes (back in those days before a federal income tax), so the compromise may have been based partly on a rough estimate of the economic productivity of a slave as opposed to a free person. JamesMLane 05:08, 5 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Oh, I really doubt that. The North didn't want slaves to be counted at all, while the South wanted them to be fully counted (and were willing to accept the additional tax burden this would cause). The South got the best of this deal -- the 3/5 compromise gave them sufficient power in Congress and the Electoral College that in 12 of the first 16 elections, a Southern slave owner won. --jpgordon ∇∆∇∆ 05:23, 5 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Hmm...silly me. This is after all the humanities subpage of the RD. :-) --HappyCamper 05:01, 6 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The Convention had several problems. The biggest was that the southern states were intent on preventing anything they thought might lead to being pushed around by the rest. By and large the North was a trading and increasingly manufacturing place and becoming urbanized, while the South was rural and agricultural and no one saw any prospect of that changing. Small states (population) were afraid of being overwhelmed by large states, and so on.

Much of this was addressed in a series of compromises. The South wouldn't leave the Convention in a bloc if the others wouldn't... Roger Sherman of Conn was the central broker in most of these. In some sense, he should get credit as the Farther of Constitution, instead he's forgotten. See Cunningham and Cunningham, Miracle in Philadelphia for a readable account of historical research (mostly from the 50s if memory serves).

Where the actual value comes from is something else. perhaps it was a legacy as suggested above? ww 23:42, 10 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

World`s oldest book

What is the oldest book ever written?

This article claims the oldest existing multipage book to be over 2500 years old. Written in the extinct Etruscan language. It is a small manuscript which "contains six bound sheets of 24 carat gold, with illustrations of a horse-rider, a mermaid, a harp and soldiers." - Akamad 04:51, 5 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Note that the claim is using "book" to mean flat sheets of (gold) paper bound on one side. So, it is ignoring scrolls and tablets. I would like to know what the oldest written book/scroll/tablet/etc... is. I know engravings in buildings (like the pyramids) are old, but you can't carry a pyramid around. Kainaw 16:51, 5 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

According to this site [9] the earliest writting is a clay tablet found in Pakinstan, dating back 5500 years.

The Epic of Gilgamesh is in tablet form (take one daily) and is therefore portable, c. 4000 years old, and crucially; worth reading. MeltBanana 23:53, 5 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I've read that the I Ching is possibly 5000 years old (with major changes over the years), but I don't know if that's even halfway accurate. Any clarification? Ashibaka (tock) 06:13, 7 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Heavy Metal in Scandanavia

In searching through WP, I seem to find a disproportionate number of heavy metal bands from Scandanavian countries. Am I wrong about this, or is heavy metal really popular there? If so, why? I read heavy metal music, but it didn't even mention Northern Europe; it mainly focused on the U.S. and England. What gives? Meelar (talk) 07:03, 5 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The Scandinavian metal bands tend to be sub-genre bands, try death metal and black metal. If you feel the heavy metal music page needs to be less focussed on the US and the UK, be bold! Natgoo 12:21, 5 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Ah, just found Scandinavian death metal through death metal. Thanks! As for the fixing, I know very little about heavy metal; wouldn't really feel competent making major changes. Best, Meelar (talk) 16:20, 5 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

melanie hampshire

Whatever became of Melanie Hampshire, 1960s UK fashion model, and contemporary of Jean Shrimpton et al?

Melanie appeared on the cover of Vogue and various other periodicals.

Along with others, she appeared in Antonioni's 'Blow Up'.

La Academia mexican television show

is this show a franchise? e.g. of the Star Academy, Operacion Triunfo or Pop Idol formats? or is it wholly original? seems nobody knows the facts, i guessed Star Academy originally, and added it to the articles, but now see it spawned its own international spin-off shows so does that mean its actually original? Niz 10:58, 5 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Four Fingers

I was recently made to alter one of my projects for the Japanese market because the characters had four fingers which is apparently a no no over there. What do the Japanese have against four fingers? I was thinking it had to do with the dragon claw thing or the yakuza pinky chopping deal.

Also, when cartoons such as the Simpsons or Mickey Mouse are brought to Japan do they get an extra finger?

Yubitsume may indeed be a factor, but it might not be the only one. More likely, whoever is making you do the alteration is wanting to make your work look less foreign, as pretty must all humanoid comic/cartoon characters created in Japan have all five fingers. An extra finger is not added to American cartoon characters. Garrett Albright 12:38, 5 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Four is a bad number in China and Japan because the word for it (sounds like "say") is a homonym with "death". (Chinese and Japanese are unreleated languages, but Japanese borrowed a lot of Chinese words nonetheless, and the superstition came with them.) Table place settings are sold only in sets of five; used-good shops are full of sets of four whose owners quit using them after one piece was broken; and restaurant tables are never pre-set for four, only three, until a party of four arrives (you see this in some Japanese restaurants in North America, too). But of course, cars have four doors and the year has four seasons and they seem to have no problem with that, so the question I'd ask is: did your project actually test poorly with Japanese audiences, or did some self-appointed localization expert grace you with their wisdom? Sharkford 20:07, 5 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I don't know about Chinese, but the Japanese word for "four" is actually pronounced as "shi" (or "yon," but "shi" is the one that sounds like death.) Garrett Albright 03:23, 7 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Quite right. I believe it is in Cantonese that "sei" is the four/death homonym. Thanks for catching that. Sharkford 17:14, 9 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

for more on the four-fingered salute in Japan, see [10]. The most famous four-fingered cartoon character is, of course, Mickey Mouse; no adjustment was made in the number of fingers when he is used in Hong Kong Disneyland [11], so perhaps Japan doesn't mind so much anymore. See also [12] and [13] for a discussion of simulated four finger characters in Japan. - Nunh-huh 04:33, 7 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

i need an email address for the adelphi theatre and theatre royal drury lane bcoz i need a work experience placement for arts management and cant get an adress could you help?

Try searching on www.google.co.uk AllanHainey 09:01, 7 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

If you want anything from the theater department in Adelphi, you should talk to Prof. Nick Petron. He is the big man in the theater dept. You can email him, FRANK AUGUSTYN, MARGARET R LALLY, TREBIEN POLLARD, BRIAN A ROSE, or SEAN R.SULLIVAN, but remember, Petron is the big man. All their email addresses are on the Adelphi website under Faculty and Staff and then clicking Profiles. If you need an internship, you can go to the Center for Career Development too. Have fun!--Screwball23 ^talk 20:58, 8 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I think the poster means the Adelphi Theatre, London since they also mention the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Anyway, if you go to Google and type "adelphi theatre london address" (without the quotes) then the very first link takes you to a page which gives you the address and phone number of the Adelphi. The same procedure will give you the same information for the Theatre Royal, but it's a few links down the page. DJ Clayworth 18:35, 10 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The Four Humours in Relation to Shakespeare's Plays

I know that the four humours were a major piece of Elizabethan Society. I was just wondering if anyone could find quotes or specific instances of the four humour in Shakespeare's plays.

You may not find them all together, but references to the theory abound in Shakespeare's works (see [14] for one exposition). Hamlet's melancholy is probably the best-known instance; you can search for other examples easily enough. —Charles P. (Mirv) 18:21, 5 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Legality of posting song lyrics

(This question was returned from the archive due to an ongoing question)

I was wondering if it is legal to post song lyrics on to a web site without express permission from the copyright owner. I thought that maybe it would be considered fair use under the U.S. Copyright Law. I plan to use it on a wiki that would be a free resource for music. It would be much more complete if lyrics could be posted. If you know this please respond.

Thank you, Shardsofmetal ^{[ Talk | Contribs ]} 17:45, 1 October 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Contemporary song lyrics are almost all copyrighted, and posting without permission is a copyright violation. Extensive quotation would almost certainly not have a fair use defense. -- Jmabel | Talk 19:33, 1 October 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Study the history of lyrics.ch, a Swiss website that was shut down by the Swiss police at the urging of the recording industry for maintaining a lyrics database. See http://www.tbtf.com/archive/1999-01-26.html. User:Zoe|^(talk) 20:09, 1 October 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I know of a website hosted here in the UK that had extensive Bonzo Dog Band lyrics that later had to remove them. I'm certain it didn't actually go to court, but I'm sure the law is there to enforce such requests. At any rate, there are already SO MANY lyrics sites out there, it would be great if you could use wiki technology for something more original. --bodnotbod 00:35, 3 October 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Would it be legal if the page that links to the page displays the record label? Also, the site would be educational, because it would display more than just lyrics. The site isn't intended to be based around lyrics, and it isn't a big deal if we can't display lyrics, however it would be an additional resource the site could provide if it is legal.

Thank You, Shardsofmetal ^{[ Talk | Contribs ]} 03:30, 8 October 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Short answer: reproducing the lyrics of entire songs is probably not fair use in almost any context. If you were doing a sustained criticism or analysis of them, maybe, but even then, maybe not. A huge part of fair use is the amount of the work used — in the case of song lyrics, this means that quoting them in their entirety is likely not fair use. See our page on fair use for more information. Whether you link to the record label means nothing, though being educationcal can help in a fair use claim (but such would only be one part of the larger equation). However if you are quoting them in their entirety, it is still likely not fair use. --Fastfission 02:42, 6 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Just wondering, do most lyrics sites get permission from the record labels to post lyrics, or do they just do it illegally?

Illegally, I believe. Superm401 | Talk 04:32, 6 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

How many songs are involved? If it is only the odd one or two I suggest you contact the publisher explaining what you would like to do and why. If it is educational (and especially if they think they might get some free publicity) they might well give you permission for free or for a modest fee. They are more likely to grant permission if you are not proposing to use the entire lyric. That's how it works in book publishing anyway. Shantavira 12:22, 6 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you everybody for your help. You have all been real helpful. Thanks again, Shardsofmetal ^{[ Talk | Contribs ]} 15:13, 6 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Promoted from the ranks

Having been a big fan of the books as a youngster, I recently read one of Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe novels for the first time in many years, and hugely enjoyed it. It led me to thinking about the real-life examples of British army officers during the Napoleonic Wars who had been promoted from the ranks, something which was by all accounts an extremely rare occurrence, and when it did happen they rarely went very far. I definitely remember Cornwell being interviewed on BBC Radio 2 a few years back and mentioning that he had found one example of such an officer who had, like Sharpe, become a Lieutenant-Colonel by the time of the Battle of Waterloo, but I'd be interested in finding out more about officers who came up from the ranks. I've tried searching online, but obviously it's tricky as a lot of internet searches for this sort of thing simply bring you to Sharpe websites. So basically, can anyone recommend any decent books / webpages that give any coverage to real-life officers who were promoted from the ranks in the British army during this period? Many thanks in advance. Angmering 21:35, 5 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The book Redcoat (Richard Holmes, 2002, not the Cornwell novel of the same name) is a pretty good non-expert book on the army of the 1750-1850 period; there's a couple of interesting passages on "ranker officers" (summary: there were a lot more subalterns and so forth promoted from the ranks than previously thought; in 1756 two regiments alone promoted seven NCOs to officer rank between them), and some short summaries of individual officers given as examples. There's also an excellent long bibliography, and some directly cited references, which should keep you going if you want to drill down further. Shimgray | talk | 22:04, 5 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

November 6

Photographers who have photographed dynamic laser imagery with an analog camera

Over twenty-five years ago from 1979-80 American photographer/artist Carl E. 'Djinn' Lewis with an analog Canon F1 (and no flash) ‘captured’ light illusions, twenty by forty foot jissereau (freeform) laser projections. These images, created by laserist Robert Mueller who played the argon-krypton laser like a piano, were refractions of the particulate matter with each hue changing in all aspects, configuration, hue, saturation, intensity, et al. Is there any one else documented as having done this?

Peter Jackson

I saw an interview with Peter Jackson concerning his new King Kong movie. Jackson has lost a lot of weight. Does anybody know if it's the result of dieting, or has he had surgery? User:Zoe|^(talk) 05:04, 6 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The answer is all there in the Peter Jackson article. Happy reading. Cheers JackofOz 07:57, 6 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Duh. I should have read that first. Thanks, Jack. User:Zoe|^(talk) 07:58, 6 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Felt made of wood

Why is the felt made of wool from the family's animals?

I have no idea what you're asking. Could to rephrase the question? And please read the rules at the top. -- Ec5618 09:17, 6 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

See our article on felt. Felt making predates weaving and knitting as it requires very little equipment. Shantavira 12:29, 6 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Has the UK derogated from article 5 of the ECHR

I know in the past the UK has derogated from article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights as is permissable in times of emergency - for internment during some Northern Ireland stuff. But what I want to know is if we are currently derogated (derogatised? derogatificated?) from article 5 and if the government has publicly considered doing so if we are not currently - for all this 90 days detention without trial business. Thanks. --81.154.236.221 16:48, 6 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I believe we are still opted out from article 5, though the legallity of that opt out is doubtful since 2004 when the Law Lords ruled that the act of detaining foreign nationals without trial was illegal under the act.[15]. I haven't heard a great deal about the ECHR in this debate so presumably the Gov just intends to ignore it until there is a challenge. Not sure whether it would specifically prevent the UK from holding suspects without trial either as in France I believe they can hold them for up to 2 years without charge for terrorism offences. Hopefully it'll be defeated in the Commons (& if not it certainly will be in the Lords) though. AllanHainey 16:15, 7 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Common Japanese names

What is the most common Japanese given name? It may seem obvious but I can't seem to find the answer anywhere.-- XenoNeon 17:16, 6 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Please see article Japanese name. Grumpy Troll ^(talk) 19:55, 6 November 2005 (UTC).[reply]

The article doesn't note Taro Watanabe, the common placeholder name ("Joe Schmo"). Ashibaka (tock) 06:15, 7 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

history of performing arts in miami, florida,1900-1980

seeking knowledge of pro-mozart society and successors to university of miami symphony which ended its perfomances in 1962

147th. US Army Airways Communication Service

Do you have any information on a radio/radar staion operated by the United States Army Airways Communication Service on Mount Alutom on Guam during WWII?

My father supervised 9 men at this station. I have pictures my father took.

Randy Clarke [email removed]

Not much luck finding anything this detailed. Reasonable starting place might be Battle of Guam. Also, consider Google search for "Mount Alutom". Perhpas an article on your father's division needs to be written?—Gaff ^ταλκ 00:38, 7 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

settlers and rennies

Could you please tell me, how to play Rennies and Settlers? It is very important, I would be grateful for an answer )

Found nothing on Renies, but read Settlers of Catan article for board game info. Also, this article The Settlers describes the computer game.—Gaff ^ταλκ 00:22, 7 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Rennies & Settlers are 2 types of indigestion tablets, don't know how you play them though.

History of Blacks in CA

6.5% of Californians are black. I've always wondered-- when and under what circumstances did blacks come to California. I don't think California was ever a slave state, so I don't imagine they were brought by slave trade. Did they accompany the original california settlers? was there a separate later mass migration after the civil war? and in general-- the current figure is 6% of the population-- what would that number have looked like 50,100,and 150 years ago?--Alecmconroy 12:42, 8 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I put a copy of this question down here since it was posted on November 8, all questions should be posted at the bottom of the page, this should happen automatically when you click "ask a new question by clicking here." Akamad 13:01, 8 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

There have been blacks in Los Angeles, California since its founding. --Ancheta Wis 03:29, 10 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

November 7

Humanities: Historic Occupations - Web Weaver

While I was doing genealogical research I discovered a number of people in the eighteenth and ninetheenth centuries have their occupation defined as "Web Weaver".

I am unable to determine what this occupation is, although I assume it something to do with textiles. Searches on Wiki and Google result in definitions which relate either to the Internet or to spiders!

-- Lawrence A Davidson

The original meaning of web is any woven fabric; specifically a whole piece of cloth in process of being woven or after it comes from the loom (OED), so a web weaver is a weaver of whole pieces of cloth (on an industrial scale rather than weaving individual items). Shantavira 10:46, 7 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

ANCIENT AUSTRALIA

What time period did the ancient australian aboriginals populate australia?

The article on Indigenous Australians states that they first arrived 40 000 - 50 000 years ago. Akamad 02:54, 7 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Do note, though, that there's still aboriginals there today, although in much smaller numbers. - 131.211.210.13 13:47, 7 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Today there are approx. 500,000 Indigenous Australians. On arrival, their population would have very very small I would imagine, but by 1788 (european settlement) there was estimated to be anywhere between 300,000 and 1,000,000. --Ballchef 23:50, 7 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

How did muezzins call out the adhan in the past?

In Malaysia I happened to be a trip and I heard the adhan over a loudspeaker in the middle of a plantation in the jungle from a mosque at least 500-1,000 metres away. This sparked my curiosity about how it is done in the past. After all, I understand that in larger cities, it would be need to be heard by all (or most of the population) over a wide area in the middle of a bustling city in Saudi Arabia for example, before any type of electronics (or before Edison invented his phonograph, for that matter) allowed the use of amplification of the voice. The minaret is one thing, but is there a special vocal technique used by muezzins in aiding the carrying of the voice? I mean, I can't envision me calling out even at the top of say a building six-seven storeys high and someone 500 metres away hearing it clearly. -- Natalinasmpf 02:07, 7 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Cities were geographically much smaller in the past. If you go to European cities you will often find landmarks (churches, etc) that used to be in a field on the edge of town and are now in the heart of the city. Not only were populations were much smaller in those days, but also the percentage of the population that lived in cities was much smaller than it is today. Urbanization, vast migrations of people leaving rural areas and moving into the cities, is a relatively modern phenomenon brought about by the industrial revolution. Before, most people were peasants in farms and only a relatively small number of tradespeople lived in cities. The automobile also contributed greatly to urban sprawl, the distances people routinely travel these days would have been completely impractical in earlier times. Most things would be within walking distance. Also, cities were considerably quieter in those days: there was plenty of talking and maybe yelling in marketplaces, but none of the pervasive modern hum of machinery (air conditioners, cars, etc) that drowns out faint faraway sounds. Finally there is undoubtedly a vocal technique to make voices carry farther. Opera singers are trained to sing loud enough not to need a microphone, it would be natural if the call to prayer also involved a certain amount of training and technique. And obviously a larger city could easily have a number of mosques, not just one... in earlier times when attendance at prayers was more or less mandatory for everyone, and architecture wasn't advanced enough to create today's very large buildings, the mosque itself would probably only be large enough to accommodate people from the local neighborhood anyway. -- Curps 05:10, 7 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Rolling Stones Singles

The Wiki shows the Stones single Street Fighting Man being released with the same b-side(No Expectations) and at the same time US & UK. But the singles collection shows Surprise Surprise as the UK b side and released 2 years later July 1970. Anyone know the correct answer

Patricia Cornwell

Hi! I read somewhere that Patricia Cornwell does not sign on her books anymore. Is this true? This article also claims that this is the result of a signing incident at the Scranton Library in Madison, CT. Do you have any facts about this? Thank you very much.

The only evidence I have to the contrary is the signed Patricia Cornwell book on my shelf, signed October 2, 2005. Was this CT incident before or after the 2nd of October?

--Moriane 02:36, 8 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Sailors, 1945

When did the Sailors come home, into NY Harbor, after V Day, 1945? I always see this in movies but can't find data to support names of ships, numbers of sailors, or exact dates of arrivals.

I appreciate your time.

Public reaction to the Apollo 11 moon landing

Can anyone provide any insight to the general public reaction to the Apollo 11 moon landing? Did this consume the mass media for the weeks and months to follow? Was this the kind of event that left an indelible lifelong memory of where you were when it happened? Thanks, Shawn 05:27, 7 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I certainly remember where I was when it happened - sitting in primary school listening to it on the radio. I think it was one of those events where a large proportion of Western people would remember where they were when it happened - like the Sept 11 attacks (which I heard on the radio when I first woke up, and my first thought was it must be a "War of the Worlds"-like play). For Americans, the assassination of Kennedy would be another such event, although I'm not sure whether the rest of the world would have been as involved. Sputnik might possibly have been an earlier one.-gadfium 05:43, 7 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The general public reaction was that nearly all of the US population and many others around the world were glued to their television sets as the landing occurred. Yes it was an indelibly big deal. It was the major media event in the summer of 1969. alteripse 05:53, 7 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Talking to my parents and teachers about that time, it was a huge deal here in Australia as well. One of my schoolteachers told us that he took photos of the television to record the event. I hope we land on Mars some time in my lifetime.--Robert Merkel 06:21, 7 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

We have, many times. If you mean land a person on Mars, that could take a while, as manned missions cost many times more, and contribute less to science, than robotic missions (are those Mars rovers still going ?). If the cost comes down to a reasonable level, it might first be done as a publicity stunt, though. StuRat 19:12, 7 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, the Mars rovers and the orbiters have been amazing (and the rovers are *still* going), and they're relatively cheap. But, considering the limitations of AI and the fact that Mars is many light-minutes away from earth, they have severe limitations. A small team of human geologists, even hampered by Martian conditions, could accomplish so much more than the rovers can. And if you want a publicity stunt, isn't that a much more impressive one than a half-built Skylab replacement, which costs a similar amount to keep going? --Robert Merkel 22:19, 7 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

There's not a great deal of evidence that robotic missions contribute less to science -the debate is whether they're less cost-effective. Orbital work, obviously, is far better done robotically... but a day's work on one site for a rover could be done by a competent human geologist in about fifteen minutes. Shimgray | talk | 22:35, 7 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

New Orleans Mint

Does anybody know if the New Orleans Mint has reopened yet?

It is operated by the LA State Museum. Their phone is 225-342-5414. Kainaw 16:12, 7 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

50s Housewife Drug

I recall learning about some drug that was fairly common among housewives in the '50s. I think it had a color in its name. Something like Black Betties or something. I think they were downers. Am I just making this up? Thanks. --LV ^{(Dark Mark)} 15:44, 7 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

You are probably referring to valium - which was described in a rather nice Rolling Stones song. Kainaw 16:03, 7 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

That might have been what it was, but there was a specific "cute" name, not just the drug name. Any thoughts? --LV ^{(Dark Mark)} 17:01, 7 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The Rolling Stones song talks about "mother's little (yellow) helpers". See the lyrics here.

"A Rolling Stone gathers no moss...unless we're talking about Keith Richards." StuRat 18:39, 7 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The 1950s saw the introduction of the first antipsychotic drugs categorized as "tranquilizers" like Thorazine and Milltown (meprobamate). Tricyclic antidepressants came next. Anxiolytic benzodiazepine agonists like Librium and Valium date only from the late 1960s and early 1970s. Before that, the principal sedatives were barbiturates like Seconal and Nembutal, which had been available for decades. I suspect it is a barbiturate you are thinking of, but don't remember the "street names". The whole idea of "street drugs" and recreational drug taking dates to the late 1960s and represents a different social setting and different interpretations and functions. alteripse 18:29, 7 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

According to the article on Seconal, it was referred to by the names "Reds" and "Dolls". There are no nicknames listed in the article for Nembutal. Shawn File:SFerrier Talk Redirect.png 19:02, 8 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Garibaldi

I am researching the life of my great great uncle Edward Hoare (fondly referred to as Edward the biscuit) who was born in Gloucester and fought with Garibaldi and was awarded a commendation scroll in 1861 for his services. All written in Italian and badly faded. I am very curious to know how this country gentleman from Siddington Gloucestershire joined the artillery and fought in the Italian Wars. Can anyone shed a light on this and perhaps let me know if there were many English soldiers fighting with Garibaldi and how they became involved. Are there any records anywhere of the men who fought? Sadly I feel he fell upon hard time after returning to England and was separated from his wife and children and died in 1885 of epilepsy and D T's in Thavies Inn House in Holborn and is buried in Camberwell Old Cemetery, I am currently attempting to locate his grave but have a funeral card of his burial. Any help would be gratefully appreciated.

Valerie Ryan (nee Hoare) valryan85a(at)aol(dot)com

Religion

Dear Wikipedia I'am a new Muslim I have some question I woulk to ask about the muslim men. I hope you can help me .

Why some Muslim men wear their wedding ring in the right hand and some in the left but in the third finger?

See this article: http://wiki.riteme.site/wiki/Ring_finger#The_wedding_ring 68.166.50.142 21:07, 7 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Probably also a good idea to ask those men themselves. Akamad 00:16, 8 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

King George III's insanity ?

Are the original doctor's notes concerning King George's insanity available for reading by the public? If so, can I acess them on the computer?

According to this article [16] there are written records still in existence in the Royal archives in Windsor in London. I could not find any transcription on the web and suspect you might not get easy access there. A book has been published (Ida Macalpine and Richard Hunter, George III and the Mad Business, 1969) that might be your best bet for finding a transcription or at least excerpts. alteripse 18:15, 7 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Keep in mind that "doctors" at the time bore little resemblence to modern doctors. Most of their diagnoses were just wild guesses and their treatments were no better. StuRat 18:26, 7 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Oh, come now, that's doesn't make them too different from modern doctors, does it? ;-) --Fastfission 00:53, 8 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Do let us know if you still can't see the difference when your health maintenance organization refers you to a barber-surgeon, leech, or doctor of physick. - Nunh-huh 08:04, 8 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Mythology

There is an African mythological creature that looks like a very short man who has such a large penis that he has to carry it around his shoulders. It was in a book I read a long time ago called keffir boy. I can’t remember what the creature is called. Does anyone know? Its is important to know that this book is mainly about a mans life during the apartheid not about mythology. The book only says the word (creatures name) ones and does not talk about what the creature is.

Sounds like a male fertility figurine. Female fertility figurines are shown with huge breasts and butt. StuRat 18:05, 7 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

There is a belief in such a being, called a Popobawa, on the Island of Zanzibar, part of Tanzania, although in this case the short statured, well endowed creature, only has one eye. He is a form of Male Incubus, who sodomises men in their sleep. Not sure if thats what you are referring to, but its a good story. --Dumbo1 16:45, 10 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Totnes History

Did you search? For Totnes perhaps? then look for the word history? Then you will see that we actually know very little about the history of totnes, sorry. perhaps a web search would assist click here!!! --Ballchef 23:32, 7 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Internet advertising

I'd like to find a list of websites which sold the most online advertising in 2004.

President Eisenhower

What were price supports for agriculture and how were they affected in the 1950s?

This appears to be a homework question. But either way, U.S. Farm Policy: The First 200 Years (PDF) might be a good place to start. Akamad 00:44, 8 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Public records on NYC homes

There would like to know more about a certain property in NYC. There must be a history kept with documents of the deed/lease/title info kept about the home. I would like to know exactly where these public records are kept. If possible, I'd like to see them on the internet, if the public records are available online as well. I thank you for any advice/help you can give me in my search. Thank you!--Screwball23 ^talk 23:59, 7 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

If anywhere, it would be at the NYC [Department of Finance]. --jpgordon ∇∆∇∆ 01:13, 8 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The Department of Finance is concerned with city taxation. Deeds are normally filed with the County Clerk and available for public inspection. There are private companies that will do a title search for a fee. I doubt that the stuff is online; there's just too much of it. NYC includes five counties. If the property is in Manhattan, the records would probably be at the County Clerk's office at 60 Centre Street, New York, NY 10007. JamesMLane 10:58, 12 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

November 8

mayoral salary

What is the salary for the mayor of the city of new york? 68.175.18.111GYDA68.175.18.111

In section 4 (in chapter 1) of the New York City Charter (PDF), it states that the "salary of the mayor shall be one hundred and ninety-five thousand dollars a year." Akamad 06:49, 8 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

$195,000 is the official salary, but the current mayor, Mayor Bloomberg, takes $1. There are higher paying jobs in the city government structure: the Schools Chancellor makes $250,000. His foe, the teacher's union president, makes $262,848 plus expenses. - Nunh-huh 22:57, 8 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Is the teacher's union president a City employee? That strikes me as odd. - Bantman 21:24, 18 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

EMIL SINGER

I'm having a tough time finding anything out about the artist Emi Singer...not the singer emil chou. I ahve an etching..in berlin by emil singer. I'm not really smart enuff to keep up with you're smart lingo talk on this web site so any plain california typr language to school me would help. I've seen some of his work auctioned on ebay for 5000 and some for 99.00. why? I might not find my way back hee so please email me at (e-mail removed). thank you tami

You might not want to post your e-mail address on here - you will get flooded with spam. As for finding your way back here, you can always bookmark this page (CTRL+D if you're using Internet Explorer).

To answer your question, I wasn't able to find much on Emil Singer, but a Google search showed me pretty quickly that he was, for instance, born in Austria in 1881. Quite a few art galleries seem to displaying his work. And as to why some of his work is sold for more money - well, it might be a larger work, in better condition, more well known, more beautiful... I can think of any number of reasons.

I hope that was sufficiently plain californian :) — QuantumEleven | (talk) 11:39, 8 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Sofie Rosqvist

Hi! I´m student from Sweden and I have som questions that I wonder if you could help me with. I think it`s difficult to find the right information. About the British parliament: is it considered to be in need of further reform? of what kind?

In what way are private free-paying schools important or influential in British society today?

What is Asches? some kind of cricket team? what is its history and why has it became such huge event in England this particular summer?

It would be very kind of you if you could help me with this. Thanks,sofie

Asches is probably The Ashes, which is an inscrutably-named cricket contest. The rest of your questions don't really have set answers. Some people think Parliament has need of further reform, others think it has had quite enough reforming. Some can't quite see what needed reforming in the first place. Others will chime in.... - Nunh-huh 08:01, 8 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The ashes was such a major event in England because England won it this year, a very rare occurrance. There is disagreement over how important or influential fee paying schools are in Britain (In England they're called public schools but not in Scotland) but it's perhaps significant that most top politicians (famously including Tony Blair) & lots of the higher end of British society/educational & financial attainment send their children there. Curiously though there is a bit of a backlash with some public school pupils (& their parents) claiming that they find it harder to get into the top universities as so much pressure is on them to take state school pupils. On Parliament there are periodic calls for reform, more frequent now due to the decline in voting (less than 50% voted & Labour party got about 30% of the vote of those eligable to vote), such as proportional representation (This is largely opposed by the 2 main parties as the current system suits them fine). There has been some 'reform' (though I always thought reform was a change for the better) with the extension of postal votes & the change to the sitting times of the HoC, cutting Prime Ministers Questions down from 2 nights to 1, removing all but 95 hereditary peers from the House of Lords, etc. Whether it is considered to be in need of more depends on your view of what is a reform & how Parliament & the country should be run; there are a wide variety of views but I would say most agree something needs to be done to increase representation & electoral turnout, though they disagree on what. AllanHainey 08:19, 8 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Capital Account Liberalisation

What is capital account liberalisation

the capital account is the flow of funds, loans, investment, etc. in and out of a country's economy (vice the current account, which measures the flow of goods and services in and out of a country). many countires impose strict controls on investments by foreign entities, outflow of capital, lending by foreigners, etc. liberalization is the relaxation or ending of those controls. see http://wiki.riteme.site/wiki/Capital_account and http://wiki.riteme.site/wiki/Balance_of_payments. see also http://wiki.riteme.site/wiki/Impossible_trinity for why it is necessary, in some cases, to give up trying to control capital flows. Binkymagnus 04:27, 14 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

History of Blacks in California

6.5% of Californians are black. I've always wondered-- when and under what circumstances did blacks come to California. I don't think California was ever a slave state, so I don't imagine they were brought by slave trade. Did they accompany the original california settlers? was there a separate later mass migration after the civil war? and in general-- the current figure is 6% of the population-- what would that number have looked like 50,100,and 150 years ago?--Alecmconroy 12:42, 8 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I moved this question down here, because it was intially posted in the November 6 section. Akamad 12:57, 8 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The U.S. Census Bureau has a chart here (.pdf file) which shows the racial breakdown of the California population from 1850 to 1990. From the 1850 to the 1940 census, the population of California was never as much as 2% black; on a percentage basis, the biggest increase in the black population occurred during the 1940s, with additional increases in the 1950s and 1960s. (Specifically, the percentage of the California population who were black people was 1.0% in 1850, 0.7% in 1900, and 4.4% in 1950.) I don't have information specifically stating why the black population percentage in California increased during that time period, but the significant expansion of job opportunities there (aircraft manufacturing, shipyards, etc.) is likely to have been a factor; see also Great Migration (African American). --Metropolitan90 02:52, 9 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Actually, there was some slavery in the years before statehood, but I don't believe it was more than a few hundred individuals at most (that is, I don't think it's what's responsible for current population levels). But I believe the majority of the African-Americans now in California came as a wing of the Great Migration. The maps on this page seem to indicate that most of the migration to California started in the 1930s but really took off between 1930 and 1960. --Fastfission 02:47, 9 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Note: this map reminds me of an important point, which I had forgotten: most of the African-American movement to California was during World War II as manufacturing jobs opened up in the west. (So I was sort of right above though I forgot why). Many were also assigned there for military work as well. One rather prominent issue in World War II race relations which might be worth highlighting is the Port Chicago Mutiny. --Fastfission 02:50, 9 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Military work will have been significant - effectively all the logistics support for the Pacific (half a war!) was handled through California, specifically the major ports, and the policy of keeping combat units whites-only meant that logistics units were very heavily black. No statistics to hand, but that'll have accounted for a lot of individuals being sent there, and as places to stay after the war went, it wasn't bad. Shimgray | talk | 03:42, 9 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Did Alexander make Northern Indian people look the way they do now?

Beautiful Northern Indian people. Either in Bollywood. Or in Northern Indian society. It has been said that Northern Indian people look different than Southern Indians.

Did Alexander influence this trait by encouraging Mixed Marriages? Is he responsible for the racial purity or impurity of Northern Indian peoples?

Just curious. No offence intended for anyone.

Though it's partly true that the greeks mingled and married locals their population was way too small to significantly affect the population's colours. North Indians are generally from the Aryan race as against the south indians who are dravidian and there is even the disputed Aryan Invasion theory as to how and why the division came about. But it is generally accepted that the fair coloured people (of the north) owe their origins to ppl. from Persia and places from Central Asia. The Dravidians are thought to be the original inhabitants of the subcontinent. Much like Whites and Indians in USA; only that in India it took place 1000s of years before. Hope that answers you. --Idleguy 14:02, 8 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Note that the comment above is about the real aryan ethnic group. That is not the same as the mostly fictional propaganda that Hitler and the white supremists refer to as the "aryan race". StuRat 18:21, 8 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

hitler

what places did he conquer before being conquered himself!

The World War 2 article would be a good place to start. Akamad 14:00, 8 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

SSBN 730 Henry M Jackson

I was trying to research the Submarine Henry M Jackson. I understand it was to be named the Rhode Island before it was named it's current name. But before that it was to be named something else. Can you guide me in the right direction? Thanks

According to our page, the Jackson was to be named Rhode Island when the contract to build her was originally awarded - I'm not sure you can really talk of her going to be named anything before that, but... hmm. I'd advise contacting the US Navy Historical Center; they don't answer reference queries by email, but apparently do so by post -

NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER

Washington Navy Yard

805 Kidder Breese Street SE

Washington Navy Yard, DC 20374-5060

If anyone knows, it would be them, I guess. Shimgray | talk | 15:31, 8 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Ethel and Julius Rosenberg

Why are they executed? while some others who leak the secret of atomic bomb did not get execution. roscoe_x 16:07, 8 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Klaus Fuchs confessed and implicated Harry Gold. Gold confessed and implicated David Greenglass. Greenglass confessed and implcated Ethel and Julius Rosenberg. They didn't confess, didn't implicate anyone, and were executed. Our article about Morton Sobell isn't detailed enough to explain why he wasn't executed. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 17:56, 8 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Richard Rhodes' excellent book Dark sun: the making of the hydrogen bomb discusses these folks at great length. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 18:08, 8 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

It should be noted in the case of Fuchs, whose information was far more useful than anything Greenglass could have given, that his conviction was very mild (14 years, was released after 9) in comparison because he gave his secrets while the USSR was actually an ally with the UK/USA. This distinction was not present in US court rulings, which treated it the same as having given secrets to an enemy power. As for Sobell -- he was given a lower sentence (still 30 years -- nothing short!) because the prosecutor requested it; I don't recall exactly why that was, though. But yeah, as Finlay McWalter said, the death sentence was more about them not confessing than it was anything else — if they had confessed to it, it is virtually assured they would have gotten off with a lighter (non-death) sentence. --Fastfission 02:39, 9 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The US govt code and cypher agency, the NSA, had a long running project, VENONA, devoted to attempting to decrypt intercepted Soviet messages from the WWII period. It began during the War at predecessor agencies. it was a good cypher, the one time pad, and theoretically unbreakable (as proved by Claude Shannon of Bell labs), except that the Soviets made some mistakes in their procedures. A few thousand messages, out of several hundred thousand, were ever actually decrypted in whole or part. Some of them made clear the Julius Rosenberg was an active spy, and his wife was mentioned. None o fthis could be mentioned in public, whether in court or not, but there are claims that the prosecutors made clear to the Judge that there was intercepted evidence of their guilt. If so, it may have contributed to the severity of sentence. Since, if this happened at all, it was pretty legally questionable, there is unlikely to be good evidence for or against it. The Judge's behavior throughout the trial was apparently questionable, at least by more recent standards. Compare the Sacco-Vanzetti trial judge, and the Chicago Seven trial judge. Raises interesting questions, doesn't it.

There was another, known, high level scientific spy at Los Alamos, Theodore Hall, who was never charged and died only recently in Britain. At least one, still unidentified scientist at, or close to Los Alamos was mentioned in the decoded material. ww 00:06, 11 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Clive Dunn British Actor - Dad's Army

Can you tell me if Clive Dunn is still alive.

In which country is he now living, if he is alive.

How old is he?

JT

Yes, he is still alive. [17] Our Clive Dunn page says he was born in January 1920, so he's 85 years old. 'Don't panic, Mr Mannering, sir!' Proto t c 16:57, 8 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

And back in 1992, he was living on the Algarve, in Portugal [18]. He may be still there. Those fuzzy-wuzzies, they don't like it up 'em. --Bob Mellish 17:08, 8 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Playboy short story

In the late 1950s or '60s Playboy Magazine (I'm pretty sure but perhaps Esquire) published a story of a mobster's son who was kidnapped by his father's rivals, deprived of sight and sound and slowly, to keep him alive, dismembered; his survival reaction was to meticulously plan and construct, in his mind, a yacht; in the end, his father "rescued" him.... I'd like title, author and, if possible, availability of the piece.

Jack K

Sorry, but I never actually read any of the articles. StuRat 19:41, 10 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

It reminds me the graphic novel, and recently a movie starring Viggo Mortensen and directed by David Cronenberg, "A History of Violence". Not the same story though, but the main character has a dark background, including a long lost and prisoned by the mob friend. He also dismembered and tortured slowly. But not imagined anything, or so. uguroz71

Expressionist drama, in English?

Can you direct me to any examples of Expressionist drama, other than Strindberg and Georg Keyser? Ideally, I'd like to find an example of Expressionist drama contemporaneous with Strindberg but in English. Just a name, title, and year (if possible) would be wonderful. Many thanks. -Roger Wilco

Have a look through the Wikipedia Expressionism article and see if that helps (it should). Harro5 04:55, 15 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Greetings

name a kind of greeting that requires no words, other than a handshake

Instead of answering, I'll just tip my hat to you, nod my head, salute, slap you five, and move on. StuRat 18:34, 8 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Whatever you do,please don't give me the finger. :-) Dismas|^(talk) 07:14, 9 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I give this thread two thumbs up, and since I'm in Japan, a humble bow as well. See also our Gesture article. Garrett Albright 14:51, 9 November 2005

(UTC)

And don't forget the obvious wave and smile.

alexander hamilton four major reports to washington

who can i find the four major reports issued by hamilton to president washington.

Library of Congress may have them,if not they should know where they are. You might need a bit more detailed description though. AllanHainey 12:38, 9 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

HOW CAN I CONTACT THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS?

Check the contact page on the Library of Congress web site for addresses, phone numbers, etc. --Metropolitan90 02:32, 10 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Public Policy Development in Canada

What is the process for developing public policy in Canada? Is there any difference in how human resource, education, learning, or workforce development policies are developed?

How are workforce development policy decisions are made? Are there any current government policies designed to alter the decision making process?

--cew1011

Does Government of Canada not answer your questions? Garrett Albright 14:47, 9 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

It's worth mentioning that some of these are Federal and some are Provincial responsiblities. DJ Clayworth 15:47, 9 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

November 9

Iubdin of the Faylinn

Dear Wiccans,

Your Wikipedia is an excellent source of knowledge and I thank you making it available to everyone

My question is this...I am trying to do research on Iubdan .He is the historical King of the fairies in Ireland and is know as the King of the Ulster fairies..however..I can only find source which says this and I can find no other source to confirm that this is who Iubdin was....and I am writing a paper on this name so I was wondering if you might know, perhaps, if my inforamtion on Iubdin is historically correct?

You are all quite wonderful for sharing this wealth of knowledge in your Wikipedia with the rest of the world.

I have come to equate Wiccans with bearers of knoweldge and I thank you for gathering so much knowledge in the Wikipedia.

                                               Kitty

Ummm, the 'wiki' in 'Wikipedia' is derived from the Hawaiian word for quick and bears no relationship to Wicca at all. The vast majority of wikipedians are not wiccans (although we do have articles on wiccan subjects). As for your question, I couldn't find any information on Iubdan in wikipedia at the moment. Perhaps you could add an article when you have completed your research? Check the 'Community Portal' pages for guidance as to how this works. Oh and thanks for the complement. Lisiate 02:14, 9 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
- A lot of people are beginning to imagine a Wicca connection. I wonder if that will help or hurt our reputation...it's hard to say. As for the question, I found some "information" on another wiki, Acadine Archive. It's under the GFDL, so we could take it if we wanted to, but I don't think it would fit very well in an encyclopedia. Superm401 | Talk 06:06, 9 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Personally, I find being called a wiccan frankly insulting… Anyway, if we really were, wouldn't we have named the place "Wiccipedia" or something instead? Garrett Albright 14:47, 9 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

LOL! --Dumbo1 16:58, 10 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Jainism

Does anybody know what would happen to a person that follows the practices of Jainism if he or she kills a living thing? Would they be "excommunicated" or would something else happen. RENTASTRAWBERRY ^{FOR LET?} röck 02:18, 9 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

That's a very serious offense for Jains. I believe the punishment is death. ;) Superm401 | Talk 06:07, 9 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Fortunately Superm401 is joking. Jains recognise that it is impossible not to kill some tiny creatures simply by breathing and by walking, and they take great care when doing so. Traditional Jains even wear a face mask and sweep their path as they walk. They atone for any unknown carelessness with daily prayers and ritual. As far as I am aware, punishment has no place in Jainism. Shantavira 08:49, 11 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Diagon Alley and Bedknobs and Broomsticks

Someone on helpdesk-l has claimed that Diagon Alley first appeared in Bedknobs and Broomsticks, and predates Harry Potter. Can anyone verify this? Alphax ^τεχ 02:52, 9 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Shouldn't they be verifying themselves? Anyway, if it is the case, I think we can have a dab note at the top of our current Diagon Alley article as it's the most likely thing people will search for. - Mgm|^(talk) 09:38, 9 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I've never read Bedknobs and Broomsticks, and it's decades since I saw the film. However I would think that if the name Diagon Alley had been used in B&B then we would have heard something about a legal dispute by now. At the very least it would be mentioned on many of the thousands of websites discussing Harry Potter trivia. My memory is that the magical items in B&B were bought in Portobello Road. DJ Clayworth 15:43, 9 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

While I can't find "Diagon Alley" in Bedknobs and Broomsticks, I'm certain that JK Rowlings is not the first person to realize that you can split the word "diagonally" into "diagon" and "ally". Then, with a little "e", you get "Diagon Alley". Kainaw 15:49, 9 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I was struck with the thought that the claim has been misread. It isn't that a location named "Diagon Alley" is in Bedknobs and Broomsticks. It is that a location similar to Diagon Alley is in Bedknobs and Broomsticks. Such a location, Portobello Road Market is in Bedknobs and Broomsticks, but it is not called Diagon Alley. Kainaw 00:52, 10 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I think every magical fantasy book since the dawn of time has had a seedy market-like place where magical items can be bought. DJ Clayworth 18:40, 10 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Transcendentalism and Objectivism

Despite the two being virtually idealogically opposites of each other, I can see some similarities in some of their belief systems.

Some interesting comparisons between transcendentalism and objectivism and/or anarcho-capitalism.

Individualism
Anti-slavery ???
Anti-establishment
- Tax resistance
Utopian
Respect private property - even if transcendentalism tries to minimise property
Original appropriation - Take what you want from nature

What else? I'm not really looking for 101 aspects where the 2 ideologies are opposite of each other, but rather what can be found in both. Thanks.
-- Миборовский ^U|T|C|E 04:18, 9 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Venezuela and Guyana dispute

I cant seem to find any information about this:

All official maps of Venezuela include a large portion of Guyana (or maybe all of it?) labled as a "disputed" region. Essentially, a region that may belong to Venezuela.

Ive never seen this refernced in non-venezuelan maps.

Heres are examples: http://www.chabelatours.com/mapasvenezuela/mapa_politico_venezuela.jpg http://www.comunidadandina.org/img/venezuela.jpg

Does anybody know the history to this? Does anybody else recognise this "disputed area"

Thanks

According to [19], the dispute has its origins back to the colonial period, when England ceded its dominion over the territory and allowed the nation to become independent; however, Spain at the same time claimed dominion over it too. Garrett Albright 14:44, 9 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you for the information.

Does Honduras still claim the territory of Belize, or has that dispute been settled? User:Zoe|^(talk) 03:19, 11 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Billy Walker

Information please about Billy Walker, one-time heavyweight boxer aka The Blond Bomber, inc. current whereabouts/activities.

how to learn playing violin

i'm raghu and i'm 19 yrs old. i want to learn how to play a violin. can wikipedia help me in this regard... can you find free and easy-to-use software for that?

Hi Raghu, in my experience, the feedback of a teacher is essential to learn to play an instrument like the violin well. Wikipedia can't watch you play and tell you what you're doing wrong and how to correct it. The violin is also more difficult than a guitar, for example, because the violinist has to judge the pitch, rather than tuning it beforehand and then taking advantage of the frets.

It also depends on why you wish to learn the violin. You're probably starting a little late if you don't already know an instrument and wish to become a professional musician (unless you've got an exceptional natural talent that just hasn't had the chance to develop yet). You can certainly gain enjoyment out of learning to play at any age, though. But get a teacher if you possibly can, and if you can't you might want to choose an easier instrument (maybe guitar or keyboards).--Robert Merkel 12:57, 9 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

employee rights

Can a UK employer make staff work night shifts when they have been employed to work day shifts?

It would depend on the terms of your employment contract. If your contract specifies day shift then no. I would also suggest that if your employer if trying to get you to work at times not previously agreed you speek to your union's shop steward who'll be able to give you a lot more info & help than us. AllanHainey 12:35, 9 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

regional politics

and your question is? --Goshawk 13:42, 9 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Lee Kuan Yew while Singapore was part of Malaysia

I'm interested in obtaining quotes from Lee concerning the Malaysian avowed policies of dividing the people using communal politics and propagating "Malay rights". His Wikiquote article has a few already, but they've only piqued my curiosity for more. These quotes seem quite succint and brilliant, and I would love to find more. Online sources are preferred, but if the only sources are extant in print alone, that's okay. Johnleemk | Talk 14:00, 9 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Who is this man?

Image:Http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/2176/image17en.jpg It's part of a question and I have no idea who it is. Any help would be appreciated.

He is a Movie Studio head from the forties or fifties. I cant remember his name.

Louis B. Mayer. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 20:18, 9 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

gold standard

On all places I've looked (including Wikipedia) it's said that the gold standard has been given up in 'almost all countries'. As far as my information goes the gold standard has been removed for every physical currency the world knows today. Am I correct or not? If not: which countries still adhere to the gold standard in one form or an other?

Have a read of the very comprehensive Gold standard article. The last line of the introduction states: "Despite having advocates, the gold standard is no longer used in any nation." Harro5 05:00, 15 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Succession Law

Under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975, if a child does not have the mental capacity to make a claim, how does he claim if both his parents have passed away. Can his sister who looks after him make the claim? If so, what is the relevant law that authorises her to do so?

Many thanks.

Please note: this is not legal advice, and I strongly encourage you to contact a solicitor or your local Citizen's Advice Bureau.

(For future reference, it helps if you say what jurisdiction you're talking about - I only realised this was the UK because of the way the name of the Act was phrased). "The Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 contains provisions enabling the courts to order financial provision out of the estate of a deceased person for his or her family and dependants.". Hmm. Note that this only applies in England and Wales - there's a similar rule in Northern Ireland, but not Scotland.

According to Whitaker's Almanack (full 2004 ed'n, pp599, look in your local library) this can only be done within six months of the grant of probate or letters of administration and can be done by:

the spouse, or a former spouse who has not remarried, or someone who has cohabited for two years
a child of the deceased, or someone treated as a child of that family (eg an adoptee)
someone maintained by the deceased

I don't have access to the actual legislation... no, wait a second, I do, my university has a law school and it has databases... hmm. The law merely says that "that person may apply to the court for an order under section 2 of this Act". It doesn't qualify that. I can't find anything in the law discussing peoples representatives... but it seems generally likely, to me, that someone with an appointed guardian would be treated as an infant for such issues, though I don't know the explicit statutory provision for that. Again, contact a legal professional. Shimgray | talk | 18:19, 9 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

What is a medical doctor

A doctor trained in the healing arts. I assume you are claiming that "medical doctor" and "doctor" are the same and that "medical" should be dropped. A doctor of computer science is a doctor, but not a medical doctor. --Kainaw 19:18, 9 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

How about a nutritionist or physical therapist with a PhD ?

They might be asking where the line is drawn. For example, are psychiatrists or veternarians with PhDs considered to be "medical doctors" ? How about nutritionists or physical therapists or chiropractors with PhDs ? StuRat 19:28, 10 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

William Vale maker of silver bear items

Could you please give me any details you can on William Vale and an item I bought off ebay.. I bought a mother of pearl with silver Bear teething ring. Hallmarked Brimingham 1909. (Ebay item #6569618344.) with maker stamped William Vale. Any Details on item And how I can find out who William Vale was in Englands History. Would be greatly apprecated. Marty Bronson, [address removed], Chesapeake, Va. 23322. USA. Email [email removed] Thank you, Marty Bronson

Firstly you could start with the Birmingham Assay Office who should have records of any silversmith whose work they have assayed. If it has been assayed by them there should be a small hallmark of an anchor somewhere on it. Alternatively there a re a number of books which give details on silversmiths in the UK. AllanHainey 08:44, 10 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Renaissance Punishment

We are looking for sources of information about punishment during the Renaissance. Can you direct us? please respond to: [email removed] thank you Sara McKay

Well as you'll see from reading Renaissance, that term is not as specific as you may have been thinking, and you may need to define what you are looking for more specifically. I didn't see much more about punishment specifically in any of the Renaisance times, but some of the individual articles linked to from that main one may have some. Punishment practices are likely to have varied from area to area and over time. The punishment article has some possibly useful background. The practice of being Hanged, drawn and quartered happened in England during the time frames of the English Renaissance. And oh yes, the Spanish Inquisition happened during Renaissance times, and that article led to Auto de fe which has a few more links that may be helpful. That's all I could find about it, but we may have more. - Taxman ^Talk 16:10, 10 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

history of mancala

hello, i'd like to find out more about the middle eastern history of the mancala game. I know that it's history is rich with african tradition, but i'm interested in going farther back than that. Can you give me any book titles or web sites or interesting information that would be useful? thank you [email removed] chanahrivka

I removed your email address to help you avoid getting tons of spam emails. To answer your question, have you looked at our mancala article? There are many links at the bottom of the article that might help you. Joyous (talk) 00:58, 10 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Current world population exceeds total of all previous humanity.

Does the current world population of humans exceed the total of all generations of humanity in recorded history? --Larry

According to Population Reference Bureau, approximately 100 billion people have lived on Earth, compared to the 6.45 billion that live now. Snopes.com claims approximately 60 billion people have lived. Either way, the answer to your question appears to be no. Akamad 05:51, 10 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

This is an interesting fact to those who believe the dead walk the Earth as ghosts. With that many dead people, the planet would be positively clogged with ghosts, especially in cities which have had large populations for thousans of years. StuRat 19:24, 10 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

French Literature

What was the first piece of literature called that was produced by a woman in France, and when did this happen. ---smouse

I'm guessing Marguerite of Navarre (ex vertice capitis anyway). alteripse 00:52, 10 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

List of French language authors has Marie de France from the 12th century but the majority of literature written at that time was in Norman French and she may have been in Normandy, Britain or a little in both. MeltBanana 00:54, 11 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Charlies' war

I recently came across a comic called Charlie’s' war could you tell me something about this comic? I know It takes place in world war one but that is pretty much it. With hopes of a quick answer.

Hjálmar Hinz

I think it was a serial in one of the English comics of the eighties or so. I remember reading it as a child. From what little I remember Charlie was a young soldier in a pals battalion in the trenches. I can't seem to find an article here yet but have a hunt around in British comic and related pages and see what you can find. Lisiate 00:01, 14 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Oh, a bit more of a search ahs revealed that 'Charley's War' (note spelling) originally appeared in Battle Picture Weekly and then the Eagle(comic) in the 1980s. Hope all this helps. Lisiate 00:10, 14 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

politics

What are the prospects for UK's special relationship with USA?

I have a feeling the answer to this question will depend on the results of doing your own homework.

That said, you might want to consider how to refine the question a little - do you mean over the next 18 months, 5 years, 20 years, 100 years? And what aspects of the "special relationship" do you mean? Just the military ones, or other aspects?--Robert Merkel 07:25, 10 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

We have an article on the Special relationship. I presume you've read it. If not there is a search box on the left of this page. DJ Clayworth 18:25, 10 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I think having a "special relationship" is almost inevitable between any two nations with the same language. So, unless American English and British English diverge to an extent where they become different languages, I think it will last, as will relations with Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc. StuRat 19:17, 10 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

First Supreme Court Case

Pure curiousity: What was the title and subject matter of the first case to be decided by the US Supreme Court? Google says it occurred in 1792 (under Chief Justice John Jay), but I have been unable to discover anything else about this historic event. Dragons flight 22:23, 9 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The first decision reached by the court was an injunction in the case of Georgia v. Brailsford (2 U.S. 402). In 1792, the court ruled a Georgia circuit-court marshal could hold on to money that was at issue in the case. The court's second decision, reached in 1793, was to keep the injunction in effect until the next term. Finally, in February 1793, the court made its first judgement on a case: Chisholm v. Georgia. -- Mwalcoff 22:48, 9 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Here's a PDF of the dates of the first 105 years of the Supreme Court; and here's a source for Volume 2 of Supreme Court decisions, which goes back to pre-Constitutional days: http://www.justia.us/us/2/ -- pretty interesting in a history-nerdly way. --jpgordon ∇∆∇∆ 23:00, 9 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

History

Who is Frederick W. Taylor?

Did you mean Frederick Winslow Taylor?--Commander Keane 00:48, 10 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

November 10

Colonial Education

Can you tell me now many students were in a normal colonial school and what subjects they learned? Thanks --Lindsey

Which particular colonials, and in which era? For example, do you mean British colonial India in the Victorian era? And do you mean a school for the children of the colonists, or a school for the children of those colinised against? Notinasnaid 11:09, 10 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Dec. of Ind.

Can you tell me how Great Britain and Europe reacted to the United States Dec. of Ind.?

Thanks---Sylvester

You mean other than refusing to grant independence to the colonies, refusing to recognize them as the United States, and sending their military over to beat the colonists into submission? --Kainaw ^(talk) 01:16, 10 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

actully i kinda knew that but,thanks.I am doing a project and I need some help.... I can't find this info anywhere... But do you know how France and all the other European countries reacted???

The French upper classes and intellectuals reacted with glee and support. Within a few years, the French court was bankrupting the country to help us. alteripse 01:31, 10 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks a bunch.... But what about Spain?.... I know they were neutral for most of the war, but did they like it???

See Barbara Tuchman's book, The First Salute. She gives a nice overview of european reactions. Generally the countries that were not close allies of the English were hesitantly to enthusiastically supportive. Spain was in the "hesitantly supportive" category because of its alliance with Bourbon France and because it was hoping to recover Gibraltar and Minorca from Britain. The Dutch were in the enthusiastic support category and I think gave first diplomatic recognition. alteripse 02:05, 10 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

6 degrees of separation

Is the 6 degrees of separation thing true or not....Just wondering

--Sylvester

See small world phenomenon. --Robert Merkel 03:01, 10 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I remember a couple of years ago a television entertainer tried to prove this rule by tracing a route of social connections to someone chosen at random (who turned out to be a peasant in a remote part of China). He succeeded. This isn't mentioned in the above article and I can't recall any more details. Does this ring a bell with anyone? Shantavira 09:12, 11 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Who was the girl in the 1964 "Daisy" ad?

If anybody knows of a reference for the name of the girl in the 1964 Daisy (television commercial), or for any interviews she may have done, I'd appreciate a pointer. Thanks. --Josh

I believe it was the flower that was the daisy, not the girl. Could be both, though.
-- Миборовский ^U|T|C|E 03:21, 10 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I'm familiar with the ad--I'm asking for the name of the human actress that appeared in the ad, if anybody knows it, or for pointers to any interviews with her. Sorry if that wasn't clear. --Josh

Why not try asking Tony Schwartz here, if he's still alive? (He would be 82 now...) Lupo 09:58, 10 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Calling all serious Bible scholars

Can anyone supply a definition of the Hermeneutical Rule of Notaricon?--69.206.224.168 03:20, 10 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

It is a Kabbalistic method of interpretation involving acrostics: either the letters of a given word in the Biblical text are taken as the first (or last) letters of the words in a new sentence, or else the first (or last) letters of the words in a given sentence are taken as a word. It was also picked up by some Theosophists, apparently. See [20] for an explanation and some examples. —Charles P. (Mirv) 06:21, 10 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Mock Murder Trial

Hi! I have a nice easy question for all those bored third year law students (and anyone else). I'm in Yr 10, and want to dazzle my audience with a brilliant defence in our coming mock murder trial. this is the handout we got with the info of the cas.
Things that have struck me: There doesn't appear to be any body found, none of the statements say anything about where the body was found. An autopsy is also lacking. No statements apart from the ones made by the accomplice say that Peter was even there. Perhaps he is lying and Peter eloped to South America with the stuff they stole. :-) It's also suspicious that the accomplice changes his story more than a month after the event took place. Point to is that he is an old man, and when he fired the shots, he was carrying a torch in the other hand while carrying a heavy shotgun in the other. It doesn't seem likely to me that in such circumstances the accused could accurately fire a shot intending to kill.
Anyway, hope someone is interested and can give me their input on a defence. Thanks! --Fir0002 10:52, 10 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Can you give us a dazzling rebuttal of the proposition that this would be in breach of the Wikipiedia policy stated above, viz Do your own homework? Notinasnaid 11:07, 10 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

That's a total misinterpertation of the rule. Please, be less abrasive. Neutrality^talk 04:52, 17 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The lack of autopsy etc. may well be an artifact of the moot court, and you need to check with the judge beforehand that this is really the case, otherwise the judge may simply stipulate that there's a body and that there was an autopsy. The problem with your old-man-cant-shoot theory is that he fired three times and hit three times, in the dark and with a torch shining in his face, and that at least one target was moving. Cook had a torch, but there's no indication that Brett did (it's easy enough to shoot at a light in a dark room, but Brett seems to have been shot first). All in all that's good shooting, which doesn't seem like the work of a scared old man acting in panic, using a gun that wasn't his. The prosecution is likely to say that he was really "lying in wait", with the torch propped up or lying down. It's probably pretty cold in September, so they'll say the old guy was sitting by the fireplace to keep warm. Your defense probably will center around the "what else was he doing to do" line - he's an old man in an isolated place (there's no-one to help him, and no realistic chance of summoning help). He's upstairs, and has no means of escape (I'm guessing Australia isn't a "stand your ground" jurisdiction, which means he can only use force if escape wasn't practical or safe). You can defeat the "lying in wait" case by pointing out that he had no way of knowing that there was going to be burglary.; You can say the shells were kicked around in the melee, and point out that they're quite bouncy (for a bit of perry masonism, throw the three shells into the air when you're cross-examining the forensic guy - they should bounce around and end up under furniture - "accidentally" kick them when you go to retrieve them - you'll have "shown" that dropped things don't end up where they started. You can attack Cook by reasoning that he has every reason to lie, and is an habitual criminal. To try to prop up the "old man can't shoot" argument (in the face of his excellent marksmanship) you can point out (ideally get the forensic guy to say) that shotguns fire shot in a wide cone, and that's it's pretty difficult NOT to hit someone when firing at fairly close range in a confined space. The "torch in the breakfast room" that Cook thinks he sees can easily be a reflection of his own torch from a window, mirror, cabinet, glassware, or from all that junk that's lying around. In summation you can say (even if the prosecutor doesn't point it out) that the only way this can be murder is if the defendant was lying in wait, and that this is a far-fetched theory for which there is no evidence at all. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 11:34, 10 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

That's sound like v. good avice. Our SOSE teacher is pretty hopeless (we learnt zero in the way of criminal war before this trial) so I'm appreciative of your support. How about hanging the whole murder on the accomplice. It doesn't say anywhere in the material where the body was found so I can make it up (I assume!), also there's nothing that says I can't bring in my own witness - with a carefully prepared story :-) We're in a little school so this is by no means a serious assesment task so I can pretty easily get a bit of flexibility. I could get a witness who says something like that at the local pub the accomplice was boasting about the "job" (note also the material doesn't specify if there was anything stolen - we can say that there was) and the smoooth work he did framing the "old codger" for the murder (note also it doesn't say . It'll work ;-)! --Fir0002 07:13, 11 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Also note the metal ladder. This helps the "bouncy shellcase" theory (more than if the shellcases were falling onto wood or carpet). -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 11:40, 10 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

That's a good point --Fir0002 07:13, 11 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

...and you can get the forensics guy to explain a drunkard's walk, whereby stuff tends to get moved from open spaces to corners and crannies. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 11:50, 10 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

...and the fact that Cook was shot twice and yet could run to a "nearby" (half a mile?) farmhouse shows that neither injury was at all severe. This shows that he was at the edge of both blast cones (he'd have received far worse injuries had he been at the centre). So Wright wasn't really aiming with deadly accuracy at him, just blasting away in his general direction. Oh, and remember that Cook can claim for compensation for a criminal injury if Wright is convicted (i.e. if he was the victim of a crime) but not if Wright is acquitted; that's a great reason for him to lie. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 12:00, 10 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

That fact could help out also in pining Cook as the murderer. Anyway it certainly is a good piece of evidence to back up the self defence claim. I think I'll choose not to remind the prosecution of Cook's claim for compensation! Do you think it would be a good idea to call up Wright as a witness? I think it could be beneficial - especially if we could doctor in some facts - (confirming things were stolen etc. - maybe even add that he is in fact a lunatic ;-) ! Nah). Anyway thanx again for all your help Finlay. --Fir0002 07:13, 11 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

All good points, but I can't seem to get over the fact it was a light that scared him. If he was burgled 6 or 8 times recently, surely he would've know they were burglars with no intent to kill him. I don't see how he needed to defend himself. I think he was defending his possessions and if you want to denfend the accused to the best of your abilities, you'll need to know whether he really said the "shoot the bastards" thing. If he did say it, it may well prove he had the intent to kill them. - 131.211.210.11 08:43, 11 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Austria and the Iron Curtain

My history textbook (In search of history, grade 12, Mulaudzi et al.) has a 1949 map of Europe, which shows the Iron Curtain going through Austria, and Vienna (on the East side of the curtain) divided into Soviet and Western zones, like Berlin. However, the whole of Austria is coloured "not Communist", and I can't find a mention of this division anywhere else. Did the Iron Curtain really go through Austria, and if yes, what was the story? --Taejo | Talk 11:16, 10 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

In the early postwar years, the Russians had troops in Vienna, as did the Western Allies. They never achieved control of the government, and all forces were eventually withdrawn, leaving Austria free to side with the West. By the Yalta agreement, Stalin had conceded dominance in Austria to the West. alteripse 11:21, 10 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Well, well, these "early postwar years" lasted until October 25, 1955! See Austrian State Treaty, and for some pretty good maps of both occupied Austria and Vienna, see Besetztes Nachkriegsösterreich even if you can't read German. Lupo 13:28, 10 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

And for an excellent movie set in that period, see The Third Man. --jpgordon ∇∆∇∆ 18:36, 10 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Do note however, that in Austria itself, the Iron Curtain is never regarded as having gone through Austria, but always along its eastern border. This is really the first time I've ever heard of the Curtain having gone through Austria. ::shrugs::

ナイトスタリオン ✉ 09:47, 11 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

When Churchill made the famous speech in '46, he explicitly mentioned Austria as being on the far side: "From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the Continent. Behind that line lie all the capitals of the ancient states of Central and Eastern Europe. Warsaw, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade, Bucharest and Sofia, all these famous cities and the populations around them lie in what I must call the Soviet sphere" (Iron Curtain Speech) Shimgray | talk | 12:38, 11 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Just shows what you can find if you look properly: there is an extract of the speech (including those three sentences) on the same page as the map. --Taejo | Talk 15:11, 11 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

what is the possible benefits of branding the product for consumer?

what is ths possible benefits of branding the product for the consumer --212.32.112.176 12:44, 10 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

What are the possible benefits in doing your own homework? Thryduulf 13:32, 10 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

And, seeing we're such generous people today, we might suggest you have a look at the article at brand. --Robert Merkel 17:05, 10 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

You make people feel more familiar with product by adding imaginary characteristics to product. Like i.e. your product is "water" you can advertise it as something that only certaint kind of people drink, after a while people who will want to be considered belonging to this certaint kind will start to drink "water" because you have made them to belive that thats what certaint kind drinks, afterwards you can start producing other products i.e. gloves branded "water" and this certaint kind will buy them... Well, that`s very simpified exemple, but you should see what benifits you get - 1. consumer will buy your product ("water") not just any drink, because a). he need it to identify himself as certaint kind or/and b.) he will think about your product as something familliar not yust any product 2. You don`t need to advertise other products (i.e. gloves) branded "water" as much as new product, you just need to tell that now there is new product with that brand and then you can carry on advertising your brand not two or more products: It means that you get loyal consumers who will buy new product just because it has brand that they know and you spend less money advertising only your brand not many diferent products. I sugest you to read some books if you realy are interested or if you can`t get idea from article on brand Xil 22:51, 10 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Dominican Republic peso

In Dominican Republican do they still use Peso?

Yes. see Dominican Republic--Goshawk 14:26, 10 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Political questions

Can anarchism exist in today's economic globalisation without a return to precarity?
Why do free market advocates (neo-liberals) believe a truly free market can improve the state of poor countries when liberalism intrisically impoverish some at the benefit of others?

Thank you, --anon 19:46, 10 November 2005 (UTC).

In response to your second question, the basis of free-market theory is the mutually beneficial exchange. You can find more elaboration at Free trade#Arguments for free trade. JamesMLane 11:08, 12 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Antony and Cleopatra

What's the correct spelling of Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra? All books and study guides, etc. I've seen call it Antony and Cleopatra, but my English teacher insists the correct spelling, and the one Shakespeare used, is Anthony and Cleopatra. Any ideas? --Sum0 19:54, 10 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

In the First Folio it is indeed spelled with an h. —Charles P. (Mirv) 19:59, 10 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Of course, you could point out to your teacher that the First Folio memorializes the spelling of John Heminge and Henry Condell, not Shakespeare :) - Nunh-huh 21:06, 11 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The standards for becoming a teacher are pretty low these days. As long as you know the truth, just put down whatever will get you a good grade. There's no use arguing with someone of lesser intelligence as they will believe their false reasoning is correct. Nelson Ricardo 16:41, 14 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Whatever the historical reasons may be, the fact is that the title has become set in stone through 100% acceptance by the English literary world over a number of centuries. If it happens to contain what some consider to be a mis-spelling, that has long since become irrelevant. It is quite legitimate to debate the spelling of the English version of Marcus Antonius's name, but it is not appropriate to unilaterally change the accepted spelling of the title of a book, play, film, opera, or whatever. JackofOz 00:19, 19 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

1950's Loyalty Oath for Government Employment Including US Army

Where can I get a copy of the Loyalty Oath which listed so-called subversive organizations which had to be signed and attested to that you belonged to none of them in order to obtain Government employment including the armed services. Your help will be appreciated.

Norm Yeszin Akron, OH

~~Hopefully, this is what you're looking for. Akamad 00:18, 11 November 2005 (UTC)~~[reply]

That's just the University of California's loyalty oath, not the same thing at all unfortunately. --Fastfission 00:51, 11 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Ahh yes, thanks for pointing that out. It shall be stricken. Akamad 06:46, 11 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

November 11

Name That Movie!

A few years ago I seen a movie that I don't remember a lot of but I would like to find out what it is. It had a pitbull killing someone or maybe it killed a bunny or puddle. The pitbull at least was biting on a rope and spinning around. I might be confusing it with Saved by the Bell because I lead actress sort of looked like Kelly and the lead actor looked liked Zach. I also remember them riding in a car, someone having a beard, and maybe the movies conclusion happened at a terrible amusement park owned by the villain. I was high at the time so maybe I just had a weird dream but I think it was a movie.

curriculum studies

please tell me how technology influences the curriculum in schools.Thank you.

It makes people post their homework questions on internet forums instead of doing them themselves :) QuantumEleven | (talk) 09:40, 12 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Moving house --- Filipino customs and traditions

What are Filipino customs and traditions about "moving house"? When is the best time to move to a new house --- beginning or end of the week, month, year? What are the things that should be brought first to the new house?

What is the history of goverment of Northern territory Australia?

The Wikipedia article on Northern Territory has a link to A Brief History of the Administration in the Northern Territory. Akamad 06:56, 11 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Apple Computers

I've been researching the history of Apple and among its many innovations and ongoing triumphs, I really can't find the top 5 or top 10 that really innovated the computer industry and put its competitors in the dust. To make things even more interesting, I remember reading about Apple's Netscape, which was considered a better program than the original Microsoft Internet Explorer, but it was defeated by a monopolization of the business. If possible, maybe someone more business-oriented could tell me 5-10 innovations that Apple computers made that were very unique to the computer industry and made history and blew away the competitors.--Screwball23 ^talk 04:46, 11 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I'm not sure what you mean by Apple's Netscape; those are two different companies. Apple made a web browser called Cyberdog that was pretty good, and nowadays makes Safari which I am using right now, but the only company that made a product called Netscape was Netscape. Anyway, some Apple innovations:

The concept of a personal computer that "normal" people would use in their homes, instead of merely being used by businesses and science. The Apple II pretty much created this industry.
Apple didn't invent the graphical user interface for computer operating systems, but they did create the first successful commercial one with the Apple Macintosh. Countless other innovations went hand-in-hand with this.
Practical computer multitasking.
Mac OS X brought UNIX-based operating systems to the desktop.
QuickTime made real-time video on computers a reality.

That's all I can think of off the top of my head, but there are many others. Hope this helps. Garrett Albright 07:26, 11 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

- You sure about "practical computer multitasking"? I seem to recall multitasking was around long before Apple existed. Perhaps I'm not clear on "practical". Also, there were Unix based desktop computers long before OS X. --jpgordon ∇∆∇∆ 08:40, 11 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
- Yes, extremely practical multitasking (and for multiple users at the same time) was in UNIX (and predecessors) long before Apple existed. Also many vendors have been selling desktop UNIX systems for many years, with considerable commercial success (though not in the home sector). I think Apple's strength hasn't been first level innovation, but in bringing technologies to market. Notinasnaid 10:22, 11 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

HyperCard is probably the single most innovative program I've ever seen. A database, a visual programming environment, a multimedia system, an application development platform, and a personal web years before the world-wide variety. Apple's failure to do anything with HyperCard is emblematic of their lack of insight, particularly in the Sculley years. If they'd added web functionality to HyperCard as the web developed there would be no Netscape, no IE, no javascript, and probably no DOM. And programmers everywhere now-a-bed shall think themselves accurs'd they never knew HyperCard. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 11:08, 11 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Well, by "practical," I meant that you could see more than one application at a time. As far as I know, this wasn't possible on purely CLI operating systems, UNIX or otherwise; you could run more than one, but you had to switch between them to see their respective output, or use one as a shell (is that the right terminology?) for another. But please correct me if I'm wrong. As for other companies selling UNIX desktops, you're right, but by "to the desktop" I was including home systems; only hardcore nerds were buying UNIX systems for home use.

Also, to go along with what I said earlier about popularizing the graphical user interface, in doing so they helped give rise to the ubiquitous computer peripheral, the mouse. Could you imagine surfing the web or playing modern computer games without a mouse? Also, without the Macintosh, the desktop publishing explosion in the mid-80s would have been delayed at best. Garrett Albright 18:43, 11 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Both GNU Screen and GNU Emacs can split the screen in multiple regions and run a different program on each one. You can see their respective outputs in real time, without having to switch between them. --cesarb 21:25, 11 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Here's some more… We can't forget Apple's more recent acts. Digital audio players were devices of nerds and techies until Apple's iPod made them cool for the general public. And Apple's iTunes Music Store is by far the most popular online music store to date. Like with the GUI, these are two things that existed well before Apple made one, but came nowhere near to matching the success of Apple's version. Garrett Albright 01:48, 12 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

planting oak trees for use in 500 years at New College Oxford

Is it true that oak trees were planted when the hall was built at New College in Oxford (1379?) so that they could be used for repair when the beams needed replacing in a few hundred years? And if so, were they really used to replace beams when needed in the 19th century? Thanks, Beth

I've heard this story repeatedly, though occasionally for a different college - it strikes me as unlikely, in that in the fourteenth century there was no great shortage of good oak. However, part of the story is eminently plausible - that the College land contained the necessary trees, and that some forester had had his eye on them as good for roofing beams "when we need them". Shimgray | talk | 11:40, 11 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

In a similar line, I heard a radio program recently which suggested that in Spain certain trees had been planted (long ago) to be trained into curves for making the large curved timbers for big ships, because the supply of naturally curved trees was limited. The largest timbers would have taken hundreds of years to grow. Notinasnaid 17:35, 11 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

There is a similar story in the South Carolina lowcountry claiming that the early plantation owners planted oaks for wood and that is the reason there are so many old oak trees. The problem with this story is that many of the "hundred year oaks" are 20-30 years old. The Spanish moss on them makes them spread out very quickly (for an oak) in an effort to out-grow the moss. The end result is a large oak that is actually a very poor source of wood (something about growing fast and getting holes and cracks inside the tree). --Kainaw ^(talk) 23:33, 12 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

On reflection, and rereading what I posted, I think the surprising thing is that we find this surprising. Our ancestors would not have done so, but we have moved into an era of instant gratification. Anyone who plants a tree is thinking many years ahead. Even with commercial softwood forestry, the planters are thinking perhaps 40 years ahead to when the trees are ready to harvest. People planting much commercial hardwood, or large ornamental trees for parks and gardens, know that they will not see the final result in their own lifetime. It is a very small extension from this to plant for far future generations. 500 years ago, I suspect the idea of planting trees for decoration was unknown: they were a crop plant, just like corn, but requiring longer cycles. Trees are the same, but attitudes have changed. Notinasnaid 10:50, 13 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

largest country in asia

I suggest List of countries by area. DJ Clayworth 17:17, 11 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Russia -- Xil - talk 18:56, 11 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

If you mean "the nation which is at least partially in Asia, with the lagest land area", then yes, Russia. Russia is normally considered to be a European country, however, as the majority of the population is of European descent, and part of the country is in Europe. If you want either the largest population, or largest land area of a nation completely in Asia, then that would be China. StuRat 19:01, 11 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

According to Asia, if you are referring geographically, Russia is in Asia. If you are referring politically, it is not. So, will they be politically moving Brazil off the coast of Portugal next? --Kainaw ^(talk) 19:14, 11 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The majority of the land mass of Russia is in Asia, while the majority of the population is in, or very near, Europe. So, this can be a problem for classification. StuRat 19:27, 11 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Dmitru Nabokov

Dmitri Nabokov, Vladimir Nabokov's son and translator, also wrote/writes fiction under an alias. What was/is Dmitri Nabokov's pen name?

Legal question - american marrying a russian

I'm hoping someone with real legal knowledge will reply here, that would be more helpful than even thoughtful but ungrounded opinions.

I am engaged to marry my russian girlfriend. We have lived together for 3 years, none of that time in the USA. It is not a scam, we are truly living together and ready to marry. We have no current plans to live in the USA, and currently live in a European country (Netherlands), we both have residenence permits, I have a contract and work permit, and she is a full time graduate student.

If I understand what I have read on the internet, including on the US Embassy site, but also elsewhere:

1) A fiancee visa (to the USA) is only necessary or relevant if the couple is wanting to relocate together to the USA. It is a type of immigrant visa.

2) If there is no intention to immigrate, and the fiancee wants to visit the USA and then return to where they permanently live, the appropriate visa would be a non-immigrant visitors or tourist visa...for example to go to the USA over the holidays.

3) If a person is in the USA on a tourist/visitors visa legally, and fully intends to leave, and has no plans to live in the USA in the foreseeable future...then there is nothing to keep the couple from applying for a marriage license, at least not in a state that has no residency requirements (Washington State for example), and after the appropriate waiting period (3 days), then being married by an appropriate legal agent. Then leaving the country, man and wife.

Can anyone give me solid information about whether there is a fundamental flaw in the information or reasoning here? (One free wedding invite for the most useful contribution...) Thanks if you can help.

IANAL. (2) of course is correct; except for (1), nobody at Immigration cares that she's your fiancee. You guys want to come as tourists, and leave as tourists, as long as there's no attempt to cheat, you're fine. And (3), nobody cares what nationality your bride is. Just getting married doesn't provide her with any particular immigration status -- there'd still be a ton of paperwork to do to get resident status. The thing to be careful of is appearance of hanky-panky, so don't get loose tongued at the point of entry say you're coming here to get married; that could lead to, at the least, hours of questioning to determine your real intentions. But -- why not just get married elsewhere? --jpgordon ∇∆∇∆ 21:11, 11 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

WWII

Why were the British soldiers who died on the beachs of Normandy or in the main overlord operation not returned home to be buried in their own homeland. ~~ JT

I am going to assume that it is the same reason that Americans are buried at Normandy. There is a special government group, American Battle Monuments Commission Operations, that is in charge of overseas burial grounds for American troops (Normandy is not the only one). There are two types of American graves at Normandy: Those with a body and those acknowledging a person who was never found and assumed killed in action. As to why they are buried at Normandy, it is more of a political issue that anything else. The French that live there have a constant reminder of what Americans did for them. Unlike the Statue of Liberty (which is supposed to remind us of what the French did for America during the revolutionary war), a field of grave markers tends to create a powerful emotional reaction.

It is important to note that not all those buried at Normandy died during the invasion. For example, President Roosevelt's son is buried there and he did not die during the invasion. Also, there are also German cemeteries. I believe it is good that there are cemeteries for all involved. --Kainaw ^(talk) 01:49, 12 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

In many cases the cemeteries are reburials - people were buried essentially as they fell, and later reinterred in the war graves. Note also that this was sixty years ago, and it was generally far less common for bodies to be "brought home", partly for logistical reasons, but also cultural ones - people didn't expect dead soldiers to have their bodies returned. It was the way it was. Political effects are essentially secondary; it's a cemetery, and you have to put them somewhere. Shimgray | talk | 01:55, 12 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Not a reason but significant anyway is the opening lines of The Soldier (poem) by Rupert Brooke which says

If I should die, think only this of me:

That there's some corner of a foreign field

That is for ever England.

Yeah, that's a pretty good indication of the idea. He knew that if he died he'd be buried there; "bringing the bodies home" is a very modern thing, really. For the US, it began a hundred years ago -

As aptly stated by Quartermaster General M. I. Ludington in 1899, the return of Spanish American War dead from Cuba and Puerto Rico for private burial by their relatives, or for reinterment at public cost in a national cemetery, was probably without precedent in world history. [21]

and returning bodies during wartime, as is done now, instead of reinterring them a few years later, began with Korea -

The decision to return the remains of American deceased to the United States during hostilities was arrived at only after the Quartermaster, Far East, completed an intensive study of the problems involved. Never in the history of the United States, or any other nation, has there been a mass evacuation of the remains of men killed in action while hostilities were still in force. [22]

- and I suspect it began for the UK around the same time, since I believe the CWGC stopped filling the war graves in 1947. Would have to research that one further, though. Shimgray | talk | 02:21, 12 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

From http://britains-smallwars.com/Falklands/roh.html

Re: British dead during the Falklands War - Most of the dead were returned to Britain after the war had ended. This was the first time ever that the British Government had returned the remains of service personnel killed over seas. Until the Falklands War all remains of British servicemen killed overseas remained in whatever far off country they had fallen. 23 bodies did remain in the Falklands and are buried at the " Blue Beach" Military Cemetery at San Carlos not far from where 3rd Commando Brigade had its headquarters until the breakout. Jooler 19:57, 12 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The CWGC policy was changed in 1968 following the Borneo Confrontation, when it was deemed too difficult to establish and maintain remote cemeteries. Geoff/Gsl 03:24, 13 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

This is mostly my speculation, but for the couple of hundred year up until WWI British soldiers killed overseas tended to be thousands of miles from home, which given the lack of refrigeration meant there wouldn't really be a lot of point bringing a body back home. For WWI I expect the sheer number of bodies would have defeated any attempt to bring them back to Britain, and for Normandy (and Africa and the Far East in WWI) the amount of shipping available was one of the major limiting factors on the war effort. DJ Clayworth 18:20, 14 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Gospel of John

Who wrote the Gospel of John?

S.V.

Have a look at Gospel of John. The traditional view is that John the Evangelist wrote the gospel. However, a modern moderate approach is that the New Testament Johannine literature was produced by an early Christian community with links with the historical John. --Gareth Hughes 22:18, 11 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

November 12

Musical scales - science behind major/minor sound, or our perception?

Do we hear major scales as sounding 'happy' because there is a scientific reason why a semitone increment between the third and the fourth, and the seventh and the eigth, sounds happier, or have we simply been brought up to 'hear' these as being happy? In other words, if someone who had never been exposed to music before were to hear the major scale, would he/she identify it as being happy in the same way that we do? The question also applies to the minor and other scales. Your help is much appreciated! --HighHopes ^{(T)⋅(+)⋅(C)⋅(E)⋅(P)} 09:37, 12 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I've debated this very question with friends for a long time. I still don't know the answer, and perhaps there isn't one. As someone said to me recently, "I don't know the answer, but I admire your question". JackofOz 00:25, 19 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

who started the concept of a university?

Some would argue that it was Plato but that doesn't really tell the whole story. Have you read the University article? Dismas|^(talk) 14:47, 12 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

under the history of university,it's suggested that buddhism has a role to play on paragraph 4. http://wiki.riteme.site/wiki/University

The famous Nalanda University had been established at India by the 5th century BCE and the Buddha is believed to have visited it. http://wiki.riteme.site/wiki/Nalanda

but,does that prove that buddhism is the first to create the concept of a university?

- two earliest known universities, taxila and nalanda, were known to be buddhist centres of knowledge. --Tachs 12:01, 16 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

who started the concept of Democracy?

Have you read the pages on Democracy and History of democracy? Dismas|^(talk) 14:36, 12 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

yes, i have. thanks for your help.

Wills Law

Is an executor the same thing as a trustee?

Wills Law

Is an executor the same thing as a trustee in English Law?

The short answer is no. While one person may perform the roles of executor and trustee in respect of a deceased's estate, they are separate positions. The function of the executor of an estate is to collect in all the deceased's assets, pay all debts and expenses of the estate and distribute any surplus in accordance with the deceased's will. Many wills contain provision for a trust to be established form a part of the deceased's estate and the trustee(s) will administer that trust in accordance with the will. Often the executor is also named as the trustee hence the possible confusion. However, this is not required and so you may find situations with separate executors and trustees. Moreover, many trusts aren't created by wills at all and yet still have trustees. Lisiate 23:21, 13 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Mississippi Riot

What is the Mississippi Riot that happened during the civil rights act

the obstacle

why is it customary to the guys to pay when they go out with their gf's??

This dates back to a time when a man was expected to be the breadwinner and to be able demonstrate that he could support someone financially. These days, at least in western cultures, it is quite common for partners to share expenses or take it in turns to treat each other. However, it is customary for a boy to treat the girl if the date was at his invitation, especially at first. But if a girl expects her boyfriend to pay out for everything even though she is earning as much as him, it doesn't bode well for the relationship. Shantavira 18:36, 12 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Decendent of Rome

Is there anyone alive to day who can trace their ancestry (reliably) back to one of the Caesars, or more specifically to the family of Augustus? Jooler 19:27, 12 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

There are a number of genealogies in western europe that go back to some of the nobility of the late Roman empire. There may not be anyone able to trace to Augustus because the only people whose lineage was recorded were those who stayed prominent and notable, and few families managed to (1) be prominent and notable, (2) be prolific of offspring, (3) survive all the vicissitudes of being prominent and notable through centuries of dynastic wars, and the succession of overturned empires and kingdoms. Keeping your head down helped survival but made it less likely your offspring would make a publically recorded marriage. alteripse 19:38, 12 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The "record" for a documented descent to a modern person is from Afranius Syagrius, Gallo-Roman Consul, 381. Descents that bridge the gap between ancient and modern are termed "descents from antiquity" or "DFAs", and are all speculative, tending to use prosopography as evidence. There are few people interested in them, as they are so speculative (remember, in addition to the problems enumerated by Alteripse, that even when parentage is documented, the high incidence of non-paternity (a recent study suggested that one in 25 men is unsuspectingly raising a child not his own) multiplied over 40 generations (to get to Charlemagne from modern) and another 50 or more makes any chain of paternity quite uncertain!) Some names of people who do this sort of thing, if you are interested in looking them up: Christian Settipani (« Nos ancêtres de l'antiquité »), Francesco Doria, and Don Stone. Just Google them with "DFA" and you'll see. - Nunh-huh 21:43, 12 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I am amazed-- you named the exact "nobility of the late Roman empire" I had in mind. I found him in the genealogy of an early governor of New Hampshire several decades ago and was amazed that anyone had a "unbroken" pedigree that far back-- he may be the earliest that a lot of English lines go back to. And you are correct about the uncertainty that a son has his father's Y chromosome-- I considered mentioning that, but refrained since genealogical pedigrees and "bloodlines" are based on legal paternity, not chromosomal paternity, no matter how uncomfortable that notion makes us. And I guess that would probably make Afranius Syagrius some sort of "arch-lizard" from David Ickes's perspective.

It's worth noting, in passing, that David Icke is also quite interested in descents from antiquity—though perhaps for reasons other than dispassionate scholarly inquiry. :) —Charles P. (Mirv) 22:44, 12 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

There was a popular book made a long time ago titled something like Pedigrees of Descendents of .... (I forget the whole title). The reason I mention it is because it traced many family trees back to British, French, and Turkish royalty (among many others). That was actually the purpose of the book - to take vague names and link nearly everyone alive in Europe to royalty (gotta get a lot of sales on that idea!). I mention it because the book has been heavily discredited, but is still used by people to claim that they have royalty in their distant past. It claims that I come from Norwegian and Turkish royalty. Woohoo! --Kainaw ^(talk) 16:28, 13 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Because of the destruction and the lack literacy that happened subsequently to the fall of Rome it would difficult to trace a person to antiquity.

questions about life during the renaissance

hello my name is shelley curran. i am a senoir at boonsboro high school. i was assingned a project in english class to create a poaster asvertising the pilgrimage to Canterbury. we started reading The Canterbury Tales. I need information about what kinds of food people ate, what kinds of activities they did etc. if you could help me that would be great. Thanks.

You need to decide which period you want to cover. The Renaissance is usually considered to have begun in the 16th century in Northern Europe, while The Canterbury Tales was written in the 14th century and that places it firmly in the late Middle Ages. I think you will get a lot of information about everyday life from the Tales themselves, and your teachers will look most kindly on things in the poster that reference the book. So I would start there; you may not need anything else. Good luck! Notinasnaid 20:51, 12 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

http://www.godecookery.com/ is a good website for medieval food (overlapping into the Renaissance). And it contains a guide to food in the Canterbury Tales [23]. - Nunh-huh 21:51, 12 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

You might also want to look into what a pilgrimage was at that time period. Usually it involved paying a past "debt" to a saint. If I were sick, for example, I might say "St. So-and-so, if you save me, I'll make a pilgrimage to your shrine". If I got better, I'd be obligated to my previous promise. Canterbury Cathedral was the shrine of Saint Thomas à Becket, so you might want to look into what he did and would be known for. You might even look at his hagiography if you can find it (a list of his miracles). "Got Gout? Pray to St. Thomas, make the pilgrimage to Caterbury, be absolved of your sins!" or something along those lines. --Fastfission 19:20, 15 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

question about literature in the fifth centary

what are some famous and important writings that were written during the fifth centary besides Aeschylus's Oresteia, anything by Sophocles and Herodotus's Histories?

Our article is at 5th century BC, but doesn't give an obvious answer. - Nunh-huh 22:23, 12 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Recently in Missouri, I received a letter from my auto insurance company, State Farm Insurance. The letter informed me that a new feature had been added to my automobile policy; i. e., in the future if I bought an additional vehicle that it would automatically be covered by my policy for a period of 30 days in order to allow me to sell the vehicle it was replacing. In the past, I had always been told that a replacement vehicle was automatically covered only if it was acquired by trading my old vehicle in on the replacement vehicle.

This new feature was to allow the policyholder to sell the vehicle he was replacing on his own should he desire to do so. However, friends (who once sold insurance on a limited basis) said that this feature was always in place and that the company was just appearing to give me a new feature.

Are my friends correct (which I doubt), or is this indeed a new feature?

Comments?

The answer to that is going to entirely depend on the particulars of your insurance contract. The only definitive way to find out is to read the small print on your insurance, before and after. You could also try asking your insurance agent point blank whether your old car would have been covered before. It's unlikely they will tell you an outright and verifiable lie. DJ Clayworth 18:13, 14 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

November 13

Native History

I've been assigned to find "the effects of Jesuit missionaries and fur traders on the Ojibway tribe" and, likely because of the narrowness of the topic, have been unable to find any real answers so far. Hopefully, you might be able to find one for me. Specifically, the assignment is to find what impact the European fur traders and/or Jesuit missionaries had on the Native American Ojibway tribe (e.g. the impacts of disease, religious instruction, loss of language, or loss of land, etc.). If anything comes to mind in relation to this, I'd be very gratified. Thanks, EK

One of the pages linked to from our Ojibwe article seems to have some useful information about the French arming certain tribes, and about the depletions of beaver all of which affected who wound up living where. - Nunh-huh 05:15, 13 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

You might want to read the novel Black Robe by Brian Moore, which is fiction, of course, but certainly gives a good depiction of the Jesuit influence on the First Nations of Canada. User:Zoe|^(talk) 22:21, 13 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I don't have anything in particular, but the Ojibway nation remain pretty organized, you could probably contact them directly and they could aim you at the literature that's out there. -- Jmabel | Talk 06:03, 14 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

An amazing artist but nothing online

Okay so my father has this amazing piece of artwork - I will attempt to desribe it -

It is a picture of a mountain - This picture is one of a kind. The reason is because the artist works with wood - he uses multiple abstract pieces of wood to puzzle together the picture of the mountain. Now I recently spoke to my father and he said that the artist died in the 1960's and only had a few pieces of this type of art. He told me that the artist is Dutch and that his name was Willie Grallie (not sure if the last name is spelled correctly) This is driving me nuts - the picture is so amazing each piece of wood fits perfectly next to each other and they are not "simple" puzzle peices but more abstract and weird shaped - Please if anyone has seen anything like this or knows the type of artwork - I thought that it might be handcrafted inlaid wooden pictures but I simply cannot find anything remotely close to this piece of work, and I cant find anything online relating to the artist.

thank you for your help

Josh

Something like marquetry? - Nunh-huh 08:13, 13 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Well, we have no pictures in that article.... use Google Images for "marquetry". - Nunh-huh 08:15, 13 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Also, Emile Gallé did some marquetry. He was French, but this page shows some of his marquetry sold through Sotheby's Amsterdam. - Nunh-huh 08:18, 13 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Some more nice photos at Inlay.com's gallery and International galleries. Marquetry was very popular in the Soviet republics, and the usual pieces looked much like the ones on the Czech site Nunh-huh linked. Unfortunately this artform has declined in popularity there because it doesn't fit the fashion sensibilities of the modern era. Pity, it really is a magnificent and clever art. --Avijja 04:24, 15 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The Kansas School Board

Since october has passed, I'm assuming that the Kansas School Board has voted on the whole intelligent design issue by now, but I haven't found any news of it. What happened? Did a bunch of FSMists turn up? How did the vote go? Any consequences? - anon 11:28, 13 November 2005 (UTC)

Common sense lost, I'm afraid.[24]-- Ec5618 11:33, 13 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

On the bright side, wouldn't you love to be a biology teacher and have this handed to you as the core of a lesson on what is science and what does it mean to people outside a scientific context? I hope this will occur to most of them. alteripse 12:15, 13 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Re in English Cases

In English cases you often find for example the case stated as: Re Smith with no mention of any other parties in the case.What does Re stand for/mean?

re means "in the matter of". In contrast, R. vs Smith would mean "Regina" (or Rex, the crown) vs. Smith. (source). re is also used in other legal systems, including the US one. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 13:08, 13 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Jackson State University events of May 14, 1970

I use your site for reliable information on events, and cannot find anything related to the events at Jackson State University on May 14, 1970. I have searched by name and date. Have I missed an entry? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.129.80.196 (talk • contribs)

We have an entry on the Jackson State killings. (If you can suggest more helpful keywords to help people find it, or pages it should be linked from, please do, and I'll try to ensure it can be found better. Shimgray | talk | 13:42, 13 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The Calendar

Hello, I'm new to this site, I logged in a few minutes ago and I was wondering whether anybody could give me an answer to any of these questions.

When was the last year there should've been a leap year but there wasn't?
What is the rule for skipping a leap year?
How does the leap year system work in the Hebrew calendar?
If my English birthday is May 17th, when would my Hebrew birthday be?

If I didn't do something correctly, sorry, I'm new. I'll figure it out (Hopefully).

--Tofu!

Leap year and Hebrew calendar should answer your questions. [[Sam Korn]] 15:48, 13 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

some of them, but certainly not all the questions. There's no answer for the last: May 17th can correspond to several dates in the Hebrew calendar: you need to specify a year if you want to convert between the two systems. (And don't forget, it depends on the time of day you were born: Hebrew days start at sunset, Gregorian days at midnight.) As for the 1st question, you probably are asking "When was the last time the Julian calendar had a leap year but the Gregorian calendar didn't?" (Answer: 1900, the last year divisible by 4 and by 100, but not by 400), though the question "when was the last time that the rules prevailing in a place specified that there should be a leap year, but we screwed up and didn't have one", which is more interesting. The worst screw-ups were when the Julian calendar was first introduced in 45 BC. It took a while to get the rules straightened out. More recently, Sweden screwed up when it made an abortive attempt to change gradually from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar by omitting leap years, correctly omitting the one in 1700, but forgetting and having leap years (which they had planned to omit) in 1704 and 1708 - to fix things, they had to stick a February 30th in 1712, and then didn't change calendars until 1753. - Nunh-huh 04:32, 14 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

May 17, 1900 = 18 IYR 5660
May 17, 1910 = 8 IYR 5670
May 17, 1920 = 29 IYR 5680
May 17, 1930 = 19 IYR 5690
May 17, 1940 = 9 IYR 5700
May 17, 1950 = 1 SVN 5710
May 17, 1960 = 20 IYR 5720
May 17, 1970 = 11 IYR 5730
May 17, 1980 = 2 SVN 5740
May 17, 1990 = 22 IYR 5750
May 17, 2000 = 12 IYR 5760
May 17, 2005 = 8 IYR 5765

The Swedish example is notable. However, the general answer to the question "When was the last year there should've been a leap year but there wasn't?" is never. A calendar is an inherently imperfect way of modelling the motion of the earth. There is no "right" calendar, and there is no "wrong" calendar. Some are more accurate in representing reality than others, but none of them is absolutely accurate. If a calendar says a particular year is not a leap year, then according to the rules of that calendar, that year is not a leap year. JackofOz 00:33, 19 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

art

What does "form" mean in art? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.25.103.162 (talk • contribs)

- a work of art comprises of its content and form. Guernica (painting) will tell you that in this famous painting, picasso attempted to portray the guernica bombing (the painting's content) and used cubist (cubism) treatment (it's form)--Tachs 12:11, 16 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

world's coolest cities

Do you know of any reports documenting the world's coolest cities circa 2004/05? Thanks —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.141.241.111 (talk • contribs)

Trying "coldest cities in the world" in Google, I get Coldest Places in the World. --Kainaw ^(talk) 19:30, 13 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Or if you want "coolest" rather than "coldest" then check out some of these sites. --hydnjo talk 19:42, 13 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The worlds Coolest City is Boston.

money

Please let me know how much was 5,ooo pounds (English money) worth in 1865 in American dollars? Thank you! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.12.116.13 (talk • contribs)

About $38,500 at the time, which is about equal to $400,000 in current dollars. Shimgray | talk | 00:17, 14 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

That's cool! Can you find out how much 1865 currency was worth in today's dollars too?--Screwball23 ^talk 03:06, 22 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Don't get too excited. I remember an article in American Heritage that talked about how hard it is to compare the value of money fom different time periods. One example was the transaction by which Tiffany acquired their headquarters, a brownstone in New York. They traded a pearl necklace to the owner for the building. At the time the necklace and the building were each valued at about $1,000,000. At the time of the article (early '90s) the building was worth about $10,000,000, while the necklace would have been worth about $100,000. - Dalbury^(Talk) 03:40, 22 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

November 14

Roman Emperor!

What Roman emperor stated: Make the soldiers rich and don't trouble about the rest! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.28.105.21 (talk • contribs)

According to this site (the service was down last time I checked), the quote is: "Make the soldiers rich and forget about everything else." And it is credited to Septimius Severus. If you want to check out the page, you will have to google: "make the soldiers rich" roman soldiers rich and go to the cached link for the first result. Akamad 22:52, 14 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Theresa Kerry!

What does the family/in-laws of Theresa Kerry, wife of senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, have in common with a Roman innovation? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.28.105.21 (talk • contribs)

Well, vinegar, a key ingredient of Ketchup was developed by several Mediterranean nations, including Rome. Theresa Heinz Kerry's family of course makes Ketchup. Is that what you are asking? smurrayinchester^{(User), (Talk)} 10:37, 14 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

A closer match might be with garum [25], a universally popular sauce used sort of like ketchup. alteripse 19:08, 14 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

A colonus!

Why/how is the work of a colonus linked to the work of a classroom teacher - specifically a Social Studies teacher? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.28.105.21 (talk • contribs) Chris.

A colonus was a type of tenant farmer of the late Roman empire, not quite a serf, not quite a sharecropper, but similar. Is your teacher feeling trapped, underpaid, or overexploited in a big plantation system, or perhaps going for the agriculural metaphor of casting seed in the soil of young minds, and then waiting to see what crops sprout? alteripse 19:02, 14 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Bodies under glass at the Duomo, Milan

I'm searchng for information about the "dead guys under glass" at the Duomo in Milan. My internet search brings up details about the Cathedral (archictecture, history) and the names of some of the saints buried in the church. But there is nothing on why selected individuals were preserved under glass. Any help on why this occured and how the people were chosen would be of interest. Thanks. Lucy-65.95.5.90 00:51, 14 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The Duomo isn't unusual in having dead guys under glass. Lots of churches display the bodies of saints or popes or others in this way. Are you curious about the Duomo only, or about this burial style in general? - Nunh-huh 04:01, 14 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

You might like to look at the article on reliquaries for general information. Valiantis 13:11, 14 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

An author describing someone in ancient Roman times!

In whose writings would you find this passage: "So your husband is coming to this dinner party? I hope he gags on his food!" —Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.28.105.21 (talk • contribs)

Did you search on Google? A search shows that that is one translation of an Ovid poem. (The "gagging" is a bit of an improvisation") [[26]], specifically Amores 1.4 [27] vir tuus est epulas nobis aditurus easdem / ultima cena tuo sit precor illa viro. ("Your husband will be at our supper. May that supper be his last.") - Nunh-huh 03:56, 14 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

humanities

What is the author of Pan American Airlines

There are many contributors to that article as well as most of the articles here. If you click on the history tab of the article you can see the user who contributed to the article. If you're looking for information on how to cite that article as a source for a paper or project, please see the Wikipedia:FAQ for info on how to properly cite the work. Dismas|^(talk) 03:26, 14 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

New York City Park Bathrooms

Perhaps you're looking for a List of New York City parks? George 09:33, 14 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Sorry, I thought I lost this question. I meant to ask a more complex question about NYC Park bathrooms. For as long as I can remember, the parks in the city always were closed after dark. I heard rumors about the reason it is closed at dark now (or requires a park maintenance crew to stay open). As the rumor goes, it is because a woman was in a park late at night and was raped inside a bathroom. She was alledgedly raped by a few men in the public bathroom and was out cold when it happened. When she got up and had to pay for medical bills, she went to the NYC Parks commission and sued them for leaving those hazardous buildings open. She won a few million and now, the Parks Commission cannot leave the bathrooms open late at night. What were the circumstances surroounding the creation of this law? When was it enacted? Did such a lawsuit actually happen? Why are the bathrooms closed late at night?--Screwball23 ^talk 23:59, 14 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Late Colonel Philip Meadows Taylor

Dear Sir/Madam

I am searching for descendants/family-members of Late Colonel Philip Meadows Taylor (1808-1876) -- born at Liverpool on the 25th of September 1808; died at Mentone on the 13th of May 1876.

Online details available at --- http://15.1911encyclopedia.org/T/TA/TAYLOR_PHILIP_MEADOWS.htm or at http://1911encyclopedia.org/index.htm Your help will be gratefully appreciated. Please let me know if you can provide information. Regards Supratik Western Australia

Supratik, the Wikipedia doesn't keep information on people unless they are notable. So unless Colonel Taylor had relatives who were themselves notable enough for a Wikipedia article, we can't really help you. Sorry!--Robert Merkel 11:23, 14 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

St. Louis cemetaries in New Orleans

Does anybody know if the three St. Louis cemetaries in New Orleans survived Katrina?

They didn't do as badly as you might think - they certainly "survived" (weird thought for a cemetery....). See Save Our Cemeteries and click on the Katrina link. - Nunh-huh 04:40, 14 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Liver Birds in Liverpool

How many Liver Bird Stautes are there in Liverpool??? I know there are 2 on the Liver building but I beleive there are more?

Calling any friendly Lawyers

Over in wikisource there is an ongoing discussion about the legality of including the text of UN Security Council resolutions in wikisource. As wikipedia has a wider active readership than wikisource could I ask that any lawyer, especially one with an awareness of copyright issues, takes a look at the discussion [28] (see under Massive Copyvio Problem) and gives some feedback. Thanks, any assistance would be much appreciated. AllanHainey 13:28, 14 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I'm no lawyer. The UN is in some aspects an international legislative body, Therefore, any laws and the procedings that lead thereto must be free of copyright, else it would be essentially a dictatorship. I was surprised to find a copyright notice on its website. The U.S. govt., for example, does not copyright its works. Nelson Ricardo 15:54, 14 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

This is based on a pretty common misconception, I'm afraid - the US government is unusual in waiving all copyrights; this is not done by most governments, and certainly isn't a general rule. Laws are routinely copyrighted in many nations - the text of any statute passed since 1954 in the UK is currently protected by Crown copyright, to name but one example, but anyone is allowed to reproduce it under a copyright waiver (presumably provided certain conditions, such as a standard of accuracy, are met). Retaining copyright is not in the least the same as prohibiting reproduction. I see no reason why the UN should be assumed to waive copyright on specific materials when it claims a general copyright. Shimgray | talk | 20:29, 14 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The Legislative Party System

I'm having difficulties in finding out how the House of Commons (Legislative Party System) works. Like whether there is a difference to the way the electoral party system runs. Thank You!

I'm not sure I understand the question, do you mean are votes in the HoC run on the same rules as general elections (first past the post - most votes wins), if so yes but without a secret ballot. If you mean how the party controls (or tries to) its MPs to get them to vote certain ways look at Whip (politics). If that doesn't answer your question can you please restate it. AllanHainey 15:41, 14 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

An excellent book for understanding how the HoC works is Ivor Jennings' The Queen's Government, a short and sweet paperback (150pp); it is intended to cover the UK, but in effect explains the system in Canada, Australia and NZ as well. It's out of print, but was widely distributed in its time; lots of cheap copies on Abebooks and so on, as well as libraries. I commend it to you.

That said, I don't quite understand what you're asking either... could you explain a little more clearly? Shimgray | talk | 15:27, 14 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Bougainville government offices

Despite a ridiculous amount of time on the internet and having expired every avenue I could imagine, I have been unable to come up with the following information, that should have been simple. Hopefully, someone can help me. I would be grateful to be pointed to an internet resource for contact details, phones, addresses:

Office of the President, Mr. Joseph Kabui Autonomous Bougainville Government

Director (I would like the name of the current director) Bougainville Peace and Restoration Office (which is actually an office in the Papua New Guinea govt.)

Thanks if you can help.

Protocol Analyzer

We're looking for a phrase that means ...

Something like 'out of the frying pan, and into the fire' . But less cliched. The topic is the implementation of peace agreements, which seems an even more difficult problem than the negotiation or peacemaking process itself. The frypan/fire metaphor doesn't quite capture it...because the process of negotiating a peace agreement isn't really a 'bad situation', and the implementation isn't really 'worse'. It's more about difficult, and even more difficult - or if you thought that step one was difficult, then the next step is even harder.

Suggestions!?!

How about "this just isn't my day" or "look on the bright side, at least it isn't... [topic]" or "That's just great", probably not such a big help, but I gave it a go--Hello'from^'SPACE 23:57, 14 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Between a rock and a hard place? More such sayings: http://www.lantanadesignwear.com/quotes_and_sayings.htm --24.42.160.60 00:07, 15 November 2005 (UTC) Olya[reply]

In German, there's vom Regen in die Traufe, which means "from the rain into the eaves", more or less. In English, there's also "from smoke to smothers", IIRC.

ナイトスタリオン ✉ 10:22, 15 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

These are all quite different in their meanings. Frying pan assumes you are trying to escape one situation but end up in a worse one. Rock and a hard place implies you have to chose between two unpleasant alternatives. What you really need is something like the opposite of "back to the drawing board" -- you are leaving the theoretical stage and trying to make it work. But nothing quite comes to mind, at the moment. --Fastfission 19:13, 15 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

"And now for the main event" might work. Or if you wanted to be funny "And now for something completely different". But I'm guessing Monty Python references are not appropriate in peace talks.

Guillaume Dufay's Influence Among the Common People of His Day

Hello! I am searching for information about the impact Dufay's music had on the middle and lower classes of society of the Renaissance period. Was his music available to the common people? Were they involved with its popularity? Was Dufay aware of the common people audience; did he ever write in the vernacular language? If you know anything about the majority of society's accessibility and familiarity with his sacred or secular music, I would appreciate this information greatly! Thank you for your time! 209.218.92.34 17:30, 14 November 2005 (UTC)Jessica Montgomery[reply]

Fairy Tales

I need a list of U.S. Authors of Fairy Tales Stories most fairy tales are Europeam authored. However their many American folklore authors.

Washington Irving Nathanial Hawthorne. Henry Longeworth Edgar Allen Poe Mark Twain

Australian magazine

I remember seeing some press release a few months ago about a magazine premiering in Australia that was similar to the American Maxim magazine, but marketed to a younger-to-mid-teens audience. Anybody know what I'm talking about and what became of it? -Tim Rhymeless (Er...let's shimmy) 20:23, 14 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I think the one you are referring to is "Explode" Magazine, marketed at 12-17 year old males. The first issue caused some controversy because it the magazine apparently encouraged beer drinking and gave out sex tips, amongst other charges. An article about the new magazine can be found here [29] --Roisterer 04:08, 15 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Japan's Greatest Vendettas

The listing for Ōishi Kuranosuke Yoshio calls the tale of the 47 Samurai one of their three most famous vendettas - what are the other two? Daemon8666 21:55, 14 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The 47 Ronin you mention is very popular, a vendetta between Lord Asano and Kira Kozukenosuke Yoshinaka if I remember correctly. The only other one that I remember as being based on a true story is the vendetta between Kudo Suketsune and Sasaki Nobutsuna. Hopefully my memory is worthwhile and you can find at least one other vendetta story. --Kainaw ^(talk) 00:26, 15 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

lawyers

What are the reasons for getting a lawyer?

Have a read of our Wikipedia article on Lawyer. This gives a wide amount of answers on what a lawyer does. Essentially, they assist people in literally every type of problem involving the law, providing advice and representation. Harro5 04:38, 15 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

November 15

Desert cultures

Wouldn't it make more sense for humans whose culture started in desert areas (i.e, Turaegs and Bedouin and Arabs) to be nocturnal? All the animals are, and it would let them escape the desert heat and go about their business at night. But instead their culture has evolved so that they are active during the day, and sleep at night. Why is this? Battle Ape 01:36, 15 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Wandering around in the dark is dangerous and increases the likelihood of your animals getting injured, which be disastrous for the nomads. Carrying enough torches to safely move around would be difficult because of the weight, and dangerous because of the fire hazard. The temperature gets very cold in the desert at night and you want to be in your warm, sealed tent -- for example, the temperature often drops by over 40F in Jerusalem. These concerns also apply to modern people living in houses. Just try to imagine the danger, cost and frustration of trying to pick olives in the dark while balancing on a rickety ladder. Although there are some exceptions when the evenings are warm and the moon is up, it's generally not practical to be nocturnal. --Avijja 02:25, 15 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

But if they'd developed as nocturnal since the early days of mankind, wouldn't they have evolved to combat those problems (night vision, good at retaining warmth etc.)?

They didn't evolve in the desert (& anyway why would they need to as they can survive ok in the desert during the day - no evolutionary pressure) most desert dwellers come from waves of immigrants (eg people forced out of the nicer places) over generations & have only lived in the deserts for the last few thousand years or so. Not long enough for any major evolutionary changes. AllanHainey 14:10, 15 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Relationship of church and state in Western Europe in Middle Ages

I was wondering what the major events were between the Church and State in Western Europe from about 300 CE to about 1300 CE? Also, I was wondering if there were any differences between these conflict in the Byzantine East compared to Western Europe?

Thanks!!

Those are incredibly broad questions. A great deal happened during those years and what's important depends on your viewpoint. You might want to chat with your teacher to make sure you understood the assignment correctly, because this is very difficult. If you really want to know, a good starting place would be to read through the summaries of the 1st millennium and 2nd millennium, and then drill down into events of each century. --Avijja 03:11, 15 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Timeline of Christianity might be the best place to look for a quick overview. - SimonP 05:36, 16 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

We also have an article about separation of church and state in the Middle Ages. Some other useful articles might be Investiture controversy (for the west) and iconoclasm (for the east). There are many many other topics you could look at though...as Avijja said, these are incredibly broad questions. Adam Bishop 03:39, 17 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Hans Island postal code

What is the Canadian postal code for Hans Island? Is there a Danish mailing address for this region?

George Hawrysch

Read the top of this page. Do not put your email addres sin your question.

Hans Island is uninhabited. There is nobody living there to send mail to. Therefore, it is not surprising that it doesn't show up in either the Canada or Danish postal code databases. However, the military who visit there may receive mail. It would use the military's postal code, not the island's. --Kainaw ^(talk) 02:37, 15 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Record Albums

Does anyone know of a reliable internet site that still sells record albums? If yes would you please add a link, and are there any stores that you know of that sell record albums? RENTASTRAWBERRY ^{FOR LET?} röck 04:20, 15 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I don't know any internet sites, but there most likely are stores near you that sell them. But that would depend on where you live. I live in Canberra, Australia, and there certainly are stores around that sell records. Akamad 10:26, 15 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

You could also try ebay. www.ebay.com

industrial revolution

how did the industrial revolution affect kentucky and its economy?

It changed an awful lot, including a behavioural change in its inhabitants to prevent them from doing their own homework. — QuantumEleven | [[User_talk:QuantumEleven|(talk)]] 16:35, 16 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Immigration to the United States in the early 1900s

I want to know where I can find lists of people who immigrated to the United States in the early 1900s, especially from Russia and Lithuania.

Your best bet is to search the Ellis Island passenger records: http://www.ellisisland.org/default.asp . --Fastfission 19:09, 15 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Freedom of information ordinance 2002

(This was posted on the help desk, I've moved it here. Akamad 10:06, 15 November 2005 (UTC))[reply]

I am president of an NGO Namely "Friends of Bhittai Colony".Our jurisdiction is limited to Bhittai Colony, Korangi Crossing, Karachi, which is administered by the Cantonment Board Korangi Creek, PAF Korangi Creek. We sought a clarification regarding Assessment of Taxes by Cantonment Board, under the "Freedom of Information Ordinance 2002. The C.B.K.C. first of all refused flatlyto provide the information. When pressurised the department further they have opted the delaying tactics by varios method as they say that they dont have a copy of the Ordinance. Is it our fault and is this can be delayed due to this reason. Please guide us in this matter.

I don't believe they can, uncless the Board is considered a local government body - I don't know enough about the structure of Pakistan's legal system to say.

The law allows any citizen access to public records held by a public body of the federal government including ministries, departments, boards, councils, courts and tribunals. It does not apply to government owned corporations or provincial governments. The bodies must respond within 21 days. ... Appeals of denials can be made to the Wafaqi Mohtasib (Ombudsman) or for tax-related matters, to the Federal Tax Ombudsman. They have to power to make binding orders. The Mohtasib can fine people who make frivolous requests. Officials that destroy records can be fined and imprisoned for up to two years. ... Government bodies are required to appoint an official to handle requests. ... The rules for implementation have not yet been issued. The Ombudsman ruled in April 2004 that the Ordinance still was in force even in the absence of the regulations. [30]

I would advise contacting the Mohtasib's office for guidance. Shimgray | talk | 13:13, 15 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Artillery galleries in ancient fortress.

Recently the word TON Nº 53 has been found in the artillery´s galleries of the ancient English castle of S.Felipe (Mahón-Minorca-Spain.

Please I would like to know: Wheré is this word coming from? And what is its exactly meaning?

Thank you very much

Name of journalist murdered on film at border crossing

Some years back (it must be 10 to 20 years ago) I saw news footage taken at a border crossing as a group of journalists tried to pass from one country to another. A guard made one of the men lay down on the floor and then quite casually shot him in the back for no apparent reason.

This horrific scene has stuck in my mind but I can't remember when or where the event took place. I've tried searching but the list of murdered journalists that comes back is huge and I haven't found the incident yet.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Kevin Sharm 12:26, 15 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

It sounds like you are talking about the murder of Bill Stewart in Nicaragua. - SimonP 05:31, 16 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Spot on! Many thanks Simon.

please could you tell me this

this is for a quiz which neeeds returning today... hope you can help me...

Q: what yorkshire city was once known as wyke?

Kingston upon Hull. The first google hit for "wyke" is a college in Hull. Shimgray | talk | 13:00, 15 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Who is Mrs Mimms?

When translating a book, I came across the name of "old Mrs Mimms", meaning not a particular person, but a certain type of character or personality. The book is written by a British writer and I guess it's a kind of cultural streotype in British culture. Is there really a stereotype behing this name? Or is Mrs Mimms a character in a play, movie etc.? If yes, how would you characterize such person? Thanks!

I think the term is meant as a generic name for an older, prim & proper woman. According to the OED, "mim" refers to the facial expression of pursing the lips and being silent, or being affectedly prim, proper, and modest. Crypticfirefly 06:14, 16 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Norfolk Slowliness

In an English book the author said that in Norfolk everything happens reather slowly. Why? What is he driving at? What does the afjective "slow" or slowliness in general have to do with Norfolk? Thank you!

Norfolk is 'slow' because it is a mostly rural county with a low population density. Compared to Merseyside, Greater London or Greater Manchester, it could well be slow, but it is probably no slower than Cornwall, Devon or Rutland, other rural counties. Incidently, if everything in Norfolk is slow, I think he is driving at around 25 mph. Smurrayinchester 15:05, 15 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Speedy Gonzales

I remember watching some Speedy Gonzales episodes where Silvester actually caught and humiliated the Mexican mice. This was on the middle 80s, in Mexico. Is there a way that I can confirm that?

British East India Company, Stamp Paper/LetterHeads

Hi...

This is Leonard J. Mills greeting you from INDIA.

I am a collecter of Very Old Stamp Papers and/or LetterHeads (used for writing legal documents)and Envelopes. I have collection of "Queen Victoria" "King George V" and King Edward VII. I also have Envelopes of the same people.

This is to find out, where can I or does any one know about stamp papers/letterHeads like "British East India Company".

I can exchange them with my collections or I can buy them.

Friends, Help me find this...

Till next time... Leonard J. Mills

Why was Stalingrad the decisive battle of world war ii

Their are many different theories about the turn of world war ii for the allies. Assumning the batlle of Stalingrad was the decisive battle or turning point, why was it so?

If you'd at least read our article on Battle of Stalingrad, you might have a head-start on your homework question. It is a quite comprehensive article. --Fastfission 19:22, 15 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

music

Yes, music is a beautiful thing. QuantumEleven | [[User_talk:QuantumEleven|(talk)]] 16:36, 16 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Children in English Law

In English Law, who can represent a child in court if both his/her parents have passed away? What is the relevant piece of law that authorises them to do so? A Guardian adlitum is appointed.

Celtic Mythology

Dragon Symbol - Biting its own tail? Celtic Dragon- is the Dragon realted to Irish Mythology? If so what town or century? Does the Dragon symbolize the meaning of war? What is the signifigance of the Dragon biting its own tail?

The dragon biting its own tail is probably from the mythology of Ouroboros or the Norse variant Jörmungandr.-gadfium 18:21, 15 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

muhigan

This is from TABAR off New Hanover, BismarkArchipeligo. It is regarded as a death mask.Upon the death of a man his family orders the Muhligan maker to make one and he spends a year carving it. Each sign and notch has a meaning. Note the several bird heads looking upward at the top. I was unable to find what the large white spines signify. The large fish inside may symbolize that he was a fisherman, or a great liar, or that he caught some especially large fish on some occasion, or that one got away. The Muhligan is used once as the center of a big "sing sing" or ceremonial dance on the anniversary of the death. It is then placed in the Muhligan house where it deteriorates or is eaten by ants.

So reads the tag on this very strange piece of carving that I accuired some time ago. I asking about any information that you might have on this.

Rod Worthington

Information on Guru Nanak

Hi, I need some information on the Sikh religion, specificly it's founder - GuruNanak. Here are some questions that I would like awnsers to, I hope you can help and thanks if you do:

1.What was the people's reaction / his close family's reaction to his first preaching's of the ways of the sikh religion?

2. What was his message to the people?

Thanks for any help

Ieuan Willox

Have you read Sikhism and Guru Nanak Dev? --Kainaw ^(talk) 20:09, 15 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Sports teams in purple

Does anyone know any relatively major sports teams that play in purple ? One in the UK would be nice, but I doubt you'll have much luck there. -Robmods 19:18, 15 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Fiorentina in italy play in purple, I think. Can't think of a UK team, though I'm sure at least one footy team used to have an away strip with a purple shirt. --Bob Mellish 19:34, 15 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The Minnesota Vikings wear purple. --Kainaw ^(talk) 19:47, 15 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Also, the Frankfurt Galaxy. --Kainaw ^(talk) 19:51, 15 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Fiorentina should do for my purposes, and thanks as always for the lighting quick response. -Robmods 20:13, 15 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The Sacramento Kings. User:Zoe|^(talk) 03:26, 16 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The Minnesota Vikings -Drdisque 05:15, 16 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

amerie's touch album?

how is her latest labum touch platinum?? i don't get it

Indeed, according to the BPI (you'll have to go Statistics then Certified Awards, since I can't seem to make a direct link) the album only recieved Silver status. I have changed the article. Akamad 23:08, 16 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Lasting Legacy

Governor Edmund J. Davis is a what of government?--69.151.218.84 22:12, 15 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

A governor is not a government. Are you asking what party he was with? Radical Republican. Are asking which period he served? Reconstruction. Are you just asking nonsense questions? --Kainaw ^(talk) 23:54, 15 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

You were perhaps thinking of a "head of government", but I don't know enough about Davis or the laws of the state of which he was governor to know whether or not he was in fact the "head of government". JackofOz 00:39, 19 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Headline text

when was the first newspaper in mexico published?

According to this site, the oldest newspaped is El Universal, and according to Wikipedia's article, it was first published in 1916. - Akamad 23:12, 16 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

November 16

King Lear - Shakespeare

I have a question, surrounding Act 4, sc VII, where Cordelia is speaking to her sleeping father. I am unsure of what the line, 'Was this a face to be oppos'd against the warring winds' means? Is it refering to her father's struggle through the storm, or her father's treatment of her? Further I am confused about the phrase ' Mine Enemy's dog' - who this is referring to. My final question relates to the last line of the passage ' This wonder that thy life and wits at once had no concluded all'. Is Cordelia speaking about herself, or her father? I hope you can help me out. THANKS!

what are the 50 largest cities in the US by population?

You should DYOH but if this were my homework I'd Google Population US cities and find the Top 50 Cities in the U.S. by Population and Rank in less time than it took for you to post your question here. ;-) --hydnjo talk 05:06, 16 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Execution of King XVI and Marie Antoinette

Why was the execution of King XVI and Marie Antoinette important? How did it impact the Reign of Terror/French Revelotion in general/world views?

You might want to have a look at [31]. Whenever people riot in the name of freedom in Paris, there is a difference of opinion as to whether the deaths are tragedies, strategies, or miscalculations. - Nunh-huh 04:45, 16 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

You could read Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. If I had to guess why their execution was important, I'd have to say that the fact their death led to the downfall of the Royal Family during the French Revolution is probably important. As is the death of any head of state. - Mgm|^(talk) 12:59, 16 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
Most importantly, you should do your own homework. Ground Zero | [[User talk:Ground Zero|t]] 14:50, 16 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
Finally, you cannot reduce the French Revolution to the Reign of Terror, as you seem to be doing. The importance of their death is that it had been quite a while since a major West European monarch had been executed by his own people (Charles I of England comes to mind) and that may have made apparent the fact that the ancien régime way of government was now outdated and endangered. David.Monniaux 08:44, 22 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Middle Colonies in the 1750s

Please tell me about The Middle Colonies in the 1750s?

The Wikipedia article Middle Colonies is a "must read" for starters. --hydnjo talk 05:10, 16 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

what is geographical data

(question asked by 196.45.144.135 , moved from article namespace)

what is black friday

Black friday refers to a specific Friday when Something Very Bad happened. See our Black Friday article. The term has been used several times in different contexts. Probably the most common usage is with reference to financial markets, especially a Stock market crash. alteripse 12:43, 16 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Black Friday is also used in reference to the day after Thanksgiving in the US, the biggest shopping day of the year. CNN notes the use as being when retailers move from the red (losing money) into the black (being profitable)[32]. I would imagine this is on a full-year term, somewhat like Tax Freedom Day. — Lomn | Talk / RfC 15:31, 16 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Students protests in year 68

Can you name some of the books wich subject is students protest in 68?And the name of the writers too.

Josephus wrote The Jewish War regarding the revolt against the Roman Empire which occured during 68 AD. Did you mean 1968?

May 1968#Further reading might have what you want. —Charles P. (Mirv) 00:46, 17 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Executors and Personal Representatives

Are executors the same thing as personal representatives in Wills law in the UK?

Which country has the most atheists? Vegetarians?

Which countries have the highest rate of atheism? Ditto vegetarianism.

I'm pretty confident India will have the most vegetarians, but no idea about atheism. Just by population, maybe the US? Did you read those articles? - Taxman ^Talk 15:36, 16 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I'd have guessed India for the vegetarians too. Presumably China has the largest number of atheists. KeithD [[User talk:KeithD|Talk]] 17:57, 16 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Chinese have historically believed in more gods than other cultures. Communism was rather anti-religion, but it was not anti-god. If you want to use an improper definition of atheist as "doesn't belief in one god", then the Chinese would be up there. But, if you use the proper definition as "doesn't believe in gods", then I feel most of the population of China wouldn't qualify. --Kainaw ^(talk) 18:23, 16 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

China is always considered the country of the largest atheist population, but remember, atheism is hard to gauge. In China, many people in the villages will adhere to Confucian principles and axioms as their way of life, which has been termed a religion. This is not true, because many of them do not believe in a religious ideology as we would normally classify one. They are, in that way, the land of Atheists. For the longest time, China maintained isolation and great pride in its culture, blocking and isolating itself from the Western nations and their influence. That is why now they may loosely adhere to Buddhism and Confucian beliefs, but usually do not consider themselves religious. They stay vehemently anti-religious for that reason. The most atheist culture would have to be the Soviet Union. In fact, according to atheistempire.com (highly biased), East Germany had 88% atheists in 1991, following the Soviet occupation. I would like to know exactly why Kainaw said what he did, but in my view, Communism was (and is) both anti-religion and anti-God. They replaced religious idols and beliefs with Stalin, and always taught children that God was an illusion devised by the West to preoccupy and deceive the proletariat.--Screwball23 ^talk 18:07, 17 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I felt that I explained my comment well. You are apparently defining an athiest as a person who does not believe in a Jewish, Christian, or Muslim god, commonly called The God. But, that is a very strict definition of atheist. A broader definition would be a person who does not believe in a god of any kind - be it one of many gods (ie: Roman and Greek gods of ancient times) or a single god (ie: Christianity). The Chinese have long believed in many gods: Gods of the mountains, gods of the fields, gods of the good spirit, gods of evil... It is very easy to find people in China who still have a red table in their homes. I found many in Beijing. On it was pictures and urns of ancestors and tributes to the family gods. So, I feel it is difficult to say that most Chinese do not believe in any gods.

As for religion, that plays no part in atheism. It is possible to have an atheist religion - I wrote a report on a Jewish sect that does not believe there is a god. It is an atheist religion. So, claiming someone is atheist because they have no religion is as wrong as claiming they are not atheist because they have religion. --Kainaw ^(talk) 22:05, 21 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I don't mean to argue with you, but I still do disagree. Religion is, fundamentally, "A Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe. Religion most commonly is an institutionalized system of tradition and spiritual praise for a Divine being or beings." Most people would not disagree with that. If a group praises a god or deity, that is a religion. If they are a sect or are traditional observers of let's say, a red table representative of a group of gods and deities, that is most likely a traditional function of their lives, not a religious one. I don't agree with the idea that an atheist religion can exist because if someone observes religious holidays and even participates in an institutional worship, they are performing a traditional rite, which may be connected to a spiritual meaning or may have been connected to one, but they aren't personally in a religion. They may even identify as that religion by "preference or affiliation", but not by faith, and therefore, not in complete connection. The sect may pray and congregate, but they are not a religion as much as a community and a traditional function. You can argue with me; tell me about the sect you studied, and I'll be willing to see why you think "atheist" and "religion" can come together. In so saying, Flying Spaghetti Monsterism is not exactly a religion as much as a culture and a traditional fad among internet-savvy youth.--Screwball23 ^talk 23:10, 21 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I'm almost certain you're right about India: 950 million Hindus. TheMadBaron 22:19, 16 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Founder of Georgetown, Indiana

I am working on my family history and I have come acrossed a name that says he was the founder of Georgetown, Indiana. I have been searching for an answer as to who founded Georgetown and when. I haven't found it yet. I hope you can answer the question for me. Thank you, Pam

There are two Georgetowns: one in Floyd County and one in St. Joseph County. Which do you want? smurrayinchester^{(User), (Talk)} 16:45, 16 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Photography as an art

Could anyone possibly guide me to legitimate links to Black and White/Colour photography as an Art? I am not looking for actual pictures, I need information on why photography can be considered an art and I could use some history of it.

Thank you.

Photography#Photography_as_an_art_form seems to be exactly what you're looking for. --Oldak Quill 17:24, 17 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

November 17

High School Experiment about Nazi Behavior

Does anyone know of the experiment conducted once at a high school to students about the behavior of Nazism? If I recall correctly it was an experiment started by a high school teacher in class in order for the students to understand why the Nazis gained the power they did, and the experiment had to be stopped because within a short period of time the students were acting exactly as the Germans did during the 1930s/40s. I know this is a little vauge, but I'm hoping someone knows what I'm referring to... thanks. Andromeda321 00:14, 17 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

It was called the third wave, and we currently have a (terrible) sub-stub with a link to more info. There was a TV-movie about it (called "The Experiment") I think. --Bob Mellish 00:39, 17 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
- The article you're thinking of The Third Wave. There was later a book written about it called The Wave and then the book was made into a TV movie of the same name. Dismas|^(talk) 00:16, 18 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
You might also be thinking about the teaching methods of Jane Elliott (started in 1968 in Riceville, Iowa) where she divided her class into blue-eyed and brown-eyed, and taught that "blue-eyes are lazy, rude, and stupid", and instituted rules preventing blue-eyes from taking a second helping at lunch or drinking out of the water fountain. By fostering discrimination in her classroom, she sought to demonstrate various things about racism. She has done this in various venues since; she's truly frightening to watch in action. [33] - Nunh-huh 00:49, 17 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I'm pretty sure your thinking of the Stanford prison experiment, except that it wasn't specifically and imitation of Nazism and was at the university level. - SimonP 04:01, 17 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Date of manufacture of Ernest A Tonk upright pianos

I own an Ernest A Tonk upright piano and am trying to sell it. People want to know when it was manufactured, and I have been unable to find a date for this. I know it was manufactured by William Tonk in Chicago and New York. His name is mentioned in an article on your website about "Honky Tonk." I have called locally and searched on the internet and have been unable to come up with the time frame that this piano was manufactured in. There is a number 9974 etched in the wood inside the piano. This is also written on the metal inside the piano: "Improved repeating action Ernest A Tonk piano. Can you help me?

Definition of "first generation"

Does the term "first generation" refer immigrants to a country or to the children of immigrants?

It's usually the children of immigrants, but people do use it somewhat loosely. Its meaning can also depend on what it modifies (e.g. "first generation American"). Since it can be ambiguous, it's best to specify what you mean when you use the term. (For example, is a child who comes to the U.S. with his parents simply an immigrant? is he a first generation American despite not being a citizen at birth? Is he classified differently than his siblings born in America?) Interestingly, terms for Japanese immigrants use a different reckoning: issei = first generation (meaning immigrants), nisei = second generation (= children of immigrants, raised in America), sansei = 3rd generation, yonsei = 4th generation (and nikkei = any Japanese American)). - Nunh-huh 00:40, 17 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Jean-Paul Sartre

I read somewhere that Jean-Paul Sartre wrote something along the lines of "...life (or people) is a strange mix of joy, and violence, jealousy and delicacy, fear and love..." I wish I could find the exact qoute. Can you help?

Are you sure it was by Jean-Paul Sartre, this site lists 128 quotes by him, none of them seem similar. I might be mistaken though since I didn't read each one carefully. - Akamad 05:35, 17 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Tax exemption status

Out of interest, are religious groups able to get tax-exemptions in the U.S.? If so, why? I thought there was meant to be a seperation of church and state. - Ta bu shi da yu 02:20, 17 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Oops, found it myself. See 26 U.S.C. § 501(c)(3) - this states that "Corporations, and any community chest, fund, or foundation, organized and operated exclusively for religious, charitable, scientific, testing for public safety, literary, or educational purposes, or to foster national or international amateur sports competition (but only if no part of its activities involve the provision of athletic facilities or equipment), or for the prevention of cruelty to children or animals, no part of the net earnings of which inures to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual, no substantial part of the activities of which is carrying on propaganda, or otherwise attempting, to influence legislation (except as otherwise provided in subsection (h)), and which does not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements), any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office" are exempt from tax. - Ta bu shi da yu 02:26, 17 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Tax exemption for religious groups is part of separation of church and state. But it's dependant on the religious institutions holding up their end of the bargain by not getting into politics. -- Mwalcoff 07:27, 17 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

As a recent church is learning: [34]. — Laura Scudder ☎ 19:59, 17 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Wow! Seems like a big stick to wield. What happens if they want to speak about the poor, or lack of government aid to this group of people? Would this be counted as "political"? - Ta bu shi da yu 02:25, 18 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The reason for the exemption in the first place is that (in the paraphrase by Daniel Webster of the words of Supreme Court Justice John Marshall) "the power to tax is the power to destroy". The dividing line between religion and politics is usually the actual endorsement of a candidate. If a church wants to influence legislation, it shouldn't expect to be subsidized. - Nunh-huh 04:03, 18 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Japan and Germany during WWII

How did Germany's alliance with Japan during WWII agree with Nazi racial beliefs? Weren't Asians considered a form of "untermenschen" by the Nazis?

Calvin College's German Propaganda Archive has a partial translation of "The Secret of Japan's Strength" by Albrecht Fürst von Urach, a 128-page booklet about Japan published in 1943 by the Nazi Party. Note especially the "Japan's National History" section. [35] Neutrality^talk 05:01, 17 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

It should also be noted that the Nazi policies were extremely Euro-centric -- they were primarily interested in the "health" of Germany and in maintaining their hold on the European continent. It would not have been incompatible with their aims to be allied with the Japanese even if they did think themselves superior to them, because they were on the other side of the world and not interfering with their territorial or racial interests. Remember that one early (not acted upon) plan was not to kill all of the Jews but to just send them out of the country -- a policy of extreme segregation rather than genocide. --Fastfission 18:24, 19 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

what form of government did acient rome have?

See Ancient_Rome#Government ≈ jossi fresco ≈ t • @ 04:15, 17 November 2005 (UTC) 1. Absolute monarchy 2. Republic (with intervening years of military dictatorship) 3. Presidental dictatorship[reply]

Don't forget the Triumvirates, which I would call an oligopoly. StuRat 22:40, 19 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

growth triangle

What is growth triangle? The history, development, regions, maps of growth triangle? -- 04:33, 17 November 2005 (UTC)

Give us a bit more to go on. Are we talking economic growth, population growth, growth of a person's body...? alteripse 12:47, 17 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

painting of the virgin mary

Well. in my house we have a painting of a virgin mary. holdign an infant who i'd assume is her son Jesus, The Christ. It seems quite old and it is signed "Doni" . I've been searching every where to find out who this guy is, and i've found out nothing. i cant find any artist named doni, except for agnolo doni, but there arent any paintings by him:S is this the same guy?

Jesus and the Virgin Mary have been a rather popular topic for artists for centuries. I suspect you'll have to take the painting to a professional art appraiser to find out who the artist is; it's possible that even they may not be able to help you (there are plenty of paintings hanging in art galleries for whom the artist is unknown). . --Robert Merkel 05:47, 18 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I am taking an art history class, and I remember seeing a number of paintings with the Virgin Mary and the Christ child. This specific painting has one of two names that I can recall, "Madonna Enthroned" or "Madonna and Child." There are also sculptures/plaques made of bronze called "Madonna and Child under an Arch" and one made of marble called "Pazzi Madonna" by Donatello. I will ask my professor about your unknown artist. I'm a little curious to know myself. Could you give me a picture of what it looks like or describe it to me?

Law relating to Specific Performance and Injunctions in the USA

Hi...

1)What are the exact details regarding law applicable to contracts entered into between an American and an Indian Company.

2)What laws and procedure would be applicable if the American company seeks 'specific performance' against the Indian company to deliver goods to it. The goods referred to are stocked at a warehouse in the US itself. The title of the goods vests in the Indian party till such time that the goods exit the warehouse whereon the title passes on to the other party (being the American one).

Thanking You,

Sahil Vohra.

Someone may be able to provide some guidance, but in general, this is what attorney's are for. A quick trip to a library or bookstore could yield books on contract law and how it is applied to international transactions. Most law libraries are accessible to the public if you have specific research to do, and will have a reference desk that can at least tell you what area of law to look into and where to find the material. If you're not in the US that may be more difficult which is why it is likely hiring an attorney would be your best bet. Contact the state Bar association for the state where the transaction is occuring and they can direct you to well qualified attorneys in that area of law. But definitely read our contract article and the ones it links to including specific performance. - Taxman ^Talk 13:26, 17 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

who was Mohammed?

Mohammed? -- Ferkelparade π 13:52, 17 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The founder of Islam

Types of Incentives

What are the different types of incentives?

An example of an incentive is the carrot I'm dangling in front of your nose as an incentive for you to ask a slightly clearer and more meaningful question... — QuantumEleven | (talk) 15:36, 17 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Forgotten King of England

I have a vague memory of watching a BBC(?) historical documentary a good few years ago, which included a brief item on a "forgotten" French King of England. I can't remember exactly when they said his reign was, but it was brief (a week or two) and possibly some time between the 1400s and the 1600s when there was a dispute for the crown - the Wars of the Roses perhaps? I've spent most of today doing a good search and can find nothing! 195.134.6.202

Are you referring to Edward V of England. He was King of England and France - but I don't think he was French. His time as king was so short that he was never crowned. --Kainaw ^(talk) 15:53, 17 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Or perhaps King Louis VIII of France. He was reported to have been crowned King of England in May 1216 in London (and thereafter fled back to France). It's not clear that this actually happened, but some have maintained it did. - Nunh-huh 22:50, 17 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

This gets a bit complicated, and the guy was only King by one particularly dubious theory, but...

Mary, Queen of Scots was Catholic.
She was next in line to the English throne after Elizabeth I, her cousin, a Protestant.
However, under Catholic rules, Elizabeth was illegitimate (remember all the fuss with Henry VIII's wives?), and could not succeed to the throne, thus meaning Mary would be considered the true monarch (just prevented from taking up the position by certain administrative problems).
Mary married Francis II of France (who had previously been engaged to Mary I of England!), who was King of France 1559-1560.
So, to certain political factions, Francis II was considered King (or at least consort) of England, by a somewhat torturous route involving one marriage and one ursupation. Very flaky. More to the point, I don't believe anyone actually made a point of this at the time - it was only ever brought up afterwards, since many Jacobites made a point of referring to Mary as Mary II of England.

On a more prosaic note, you might have been misremembering Philip II of Spain, who is not generally listed as an English monarch, but was styled "King of England" when he married Mary I of England, and was treated as such at the time. Shimgray | talk | 01:14, 18 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I vaguely remember seeing a tv programme mentioning this guy, it was presented by Tony Robinson. I don't think the king was any of those noted above, he had an unusal name (that is not one usually associated with kings) & most history books don't mention him. I think it was during the plantagenate time, or around then. AllanHainey 08:41, 18 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

So glad someone else remembers seeing the program - and Francis II sounds highly familiar, and the info from everyone else was well interesting. Thanks guys! Henriksdal 19:48, 18 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I hope you are not thinking of the end scene in the first series of Blackadder. --StanZegel (talk) 16:40, 18 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Stephen of England predated the Plantagenets - he was succeded by Henry II of England, the first Plantagenet - but he's fairly obscure, and Stephen isn't a name usually associated with kings. Might this be him? Shimgray | talk | 23:14, 18 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Agree with AllanHainey that it was one of Tony Robinson's programs, but I seem to remember it as being early (8th-10th C?) rather than plantagenate (of course, that could be totally out) You might try asking (Channel 4 will be able to forward any questions, and his page on C4's website is here) Ojw 18:09, 20 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Miracles showing God as not benevolent

I'm looking for some prominent philosophers/theologians who argue for and against the idea that Miracles show God as not being benevolent. I have covered Hume, Flew Wiles, Lewis, Robinson, Swinburne and Vardy etc.

Personal interpretations would be welcomed.

---DK

Have you looked into commentaries about the Book of Job? For thousands of years, prominent religious thinkers have had to face this painful story, full of miracles and non-benevolence, and explain why God lets bad things happen to good people. From this common text spring a baffling number of radically different interpretations from three major religions and countless sects. The articles for Job (Biblical figure) and Book of Job will give you some starting points. --Avijja 11:26, 18 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Nice answer. Or should I say, "good Job" ? StuRat 22:35, 19 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

POLITICS

WHO IS THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES?

Read the top of this page: do not type in all caps

Also, make some attempt at a search and you will find the article Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. --Kainaw ^(talk) 18:04, 17 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

If your question does not relate to the United States, please include the country in the question. This is an international project and unless you tell us, we can't know where you're from. - Mgm|^(talk) 08:28, 18 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Firing a drug addict

Is it possible to fire some one that has a drug addiction?

Laws vary by country. Where are you? — Laura Scudder ☎ 19:42, 17 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

It's certainly possible to fire someone who is a drug addict, although slightly more tricky to fire them becasue they are a drug addict - as stated, laws vary. --Worm 17:49, 20 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The Oddesey

What person, place, thing, animal, or idea starts with the letter 'u' 'v' 'x' and 'y' in the Oddesey? --68.192.202.102 21:33, 17 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

This looks like a homework question. In which case I'll refer you to the top of the page where it says that we won't do your homework for you. Please see the article on the Odyssey for some clues or read the book. Dismas|^(talk) 00:06, 18 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Closer to a trivia quiz, I would think, than homework! I would think that the question relates to an English (or other) translation of The Odyssey, or that this is some sort of "trick" question, since "u", "v", "x" and "y" are not υ, ν, χ, and γ. - Nunh-huh 04:48, 18 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Upper and Lower Canada

How was the reform movement/rebelions in Lower Canada different than that of Upper Canada ? -Meghan Brophy

Meghan, you should do your own homework. The articles on Upper Canada and Lower Canada will give you a start. Ground Zero | t 15:28, 18 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

November 18

English and Canadian Trade

I just wanted to know, what does England trade with Canada? I am not asking for the amount of money's worth of items. I am asking about the items themselves. You can just give me a list. --Goldenflame 00:32, 18 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Technically, the entities doing the trading would be the United Kingdom and Canada - England is not actually a "nation". Have a look at the Trade section of the Canadian High Commission to the UK website which lists some items of trade [36]. --Canley 04:39, 22 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
Sorry for the unhelpful answer, but every item either of the countries produce. Superm401 | Talk 01:53, 26 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Catacazy Affair

Where can I find the paper written by Reinhard H. Luthin, called the Catacazy Affair? I am trying to locate a paper written by Reinhard Henry Luthin (1905-1962) called the Catacazy Affair. This paper was cited by Allan Nevins (1890-1971) in _Hamilton Fish the Inner History of the Grant Administration_ , volume II, 1957, page 503, (Rev. ed --original edition was published in 1936) which states the following: "The author has profited greatly from a paper on "The Catacazy Affair" by Mr. Reinhard H. Luthin. The State Department archives contain two volumes of briefs and affidavits entitled Claim of Benjamin W. Perkins and Claim of Anna B. Perkins." The paper is also cited by William Swilling Wallace (1922-1976), in his article in Historia, volume 6 no. 1 1956 pages: 49-58, titled: "Looking at Russia through the American Press 1850-1891." His reference states: Cf., R.H. Luthin, The Catacazy Affair (Washington, n.d.). Wallace was head librarian and archivist at New Mexico Highlands University 1959-1972, and president of Horn & Wallace Publishing Company from 1973-1976. The above citations are the only two references I can locate on this paper or article written by Luthin. Thanks for any help you can offer in locating this paper.

Expectations on Gendered Behavior

I am doing a project on a topic from the play "Trifles." The topic has to do with gender roles from 1900-2000. I have a basic outline on how I would like to organize my project but I seem to be having a little trouble on finding sources and information. I keep running across sources that give me an overall view on gender roles but I'm specifically looking for certain gender roles in the different decades from 1900-2000. Is there any information that you could give me on the different gender roles throughtout the different decades from 1900-2000? -KEB

What country & culture? See gender role although it has some major flaws. alteripse

If you are talking about the United States, the most notable anomaly was during WW2, where women were put to work in factories due to lack of available workers for war production. See the Rosie the Riveter article. The biggest permanent change took place in the 60s with the sexual revolution and continued into the 70s. StuRat 21:56, 19 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Amir of Kuwait (Jaber Ahmad Jaber Al Sabah)

Dear ladies and gentlemen

i would like to find out the name of the 6 or 7th son of the Amir of Kuwait ( (Jaber Ahmad Jaber Al Sabah)). Can you help me?

Thank You

Sandra Merkli

The geneaology for him is http://www.4dw.net/royalark/Kuwait/kuwait16.htm He had 21 sons, 18 daughters, 13 wives; his 6th son is Shaikh Bandar bin Jabir Al-Sabah and his 7th son is Shaikh Ahmad bin Jabir Al-Sabah.

What a playa - Akamad 10:52, 18 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Need help finding a song please

Uh, hi there. I was on this flight of Malaysian Airlines a few months ago and since it was a long flight, they provided headphones to listen to some light music to along the way, and on one of their stations they had this simply amazing song that I'm still looking for, it's kind of light jazz, relaxing, sung by a female singer and I believe the main lyric of the song is something like "I live in, I live in New York....I live in, I live in New York" and I might be mistaken if it's "alive in new york" or something. Can anyone give me the name of the song and the artist please? This is one amazing song that I would absolutely love to have in my collection. Thank you for your time! --Aamir.

I'll bet the full program listing of the music channels was in the in-flight magazine, which (on most airlines that I've been on) you're actually welcome to take home with you. If you contact the airline's customer service group, I'll bet they can either look up the info for you (they'll provide the titles of all the music on all the channels they were playing) or maybe even send you a copy of the magazine. Make sure you can tell them exactly when you were travelling, and what the flight number was. Sharkford 17:44, 18 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Finding people with your name

Hi there! Out of curiousity, how can one find details of other people having the exact same FULL name as yours? Would I need to spend any money to do so? If so, how much? And how exactly would I be able make contact with such people and is it legal? Thanks a bunch, --Aamir.

You could start with a google search by putting your name in quotes. For instance if you search for "George Washington" google will only give you results with those two names together, not seperately. Often people's contact information can be found on the web as well. Dismas|^(talk) 18:31, 18 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Of course, such a search will also find George Washington Carver and many George Washingtons with middle names that aren't listed. On the other hand, if you include your full name, you may miss many matches which don't include the middle name or only have a first initial. So, a Google search for exact names doesn't work well. The only exception seems to be assassins, who always seem to have their full name listed, for some reason. Have you ever heard any mention of "Lee Oswald" without the "Harvey" ? StuRat 21:47, 19 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

You could also try a Yahoo! People Search at people.yahoo.com. -- Mwalcoff 01:43, 22 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Countdown to public domain

Is there any website that "counts down" which works will be coming into the public domain soon? I mean something more specific than Project Gutenberg. 150.174.192.155 15:12, 18 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Unless it's specifically put into the public domain by its creator it's unlikely. Written text is copyright for approximately 70 years after the death of the original writer, and even then family can have it extended. The web isn't nearly old enough to have pages counting down to the public domain. - Mgm|^(talk) 19:40, 18 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I think the questioner is asking whether there is a bew site that tracks which paper works are soon to come into the PD. Trollderella 00:17, 19 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The answer is "yes"; it also maintains a database of authors with death dates (which is insanely useful for pd-checking UK works, since they're based on death). But I am damned if I can find it tonight... Shimgray | talk | 00:45, 19 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Got it! Well, sort of. Authors by Year of Death lets you know whose works will be coming into copyright, due to fixed length from date of death, on a year-by-year basis. The same site also offers the US Catalog of Copyright Entries (Renewals), and the New General Catalog of Old Books and Authors. Shimgray | talk | 00:52, 19 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Wombley's clapboard factory.

In The 12 Steps and 12 Traditions, Bill Wilson makes reference to the day a boiler exploded in Wombley's clapboard factory. Any idea where that metaphor may have come from?

This page has a bit of speculation]. Deltabeignet 01:09, 20 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The "Little 12 N 12 Dictionary" has some information regarding the topic:

http://12n12dictionary.com/12n12%20Dictionary%20QRSTUVWXYZ.htm

There was a message posted at:

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/AAHistoryLovers/message/2324

Regarding the "explosion in Wombley's Clapboard Factory," there was an Edgar Wombley, Chemist, in Chittenden County, Vt. before the turn of the century. The Mad River Valley, which housed such early clapboard mills as that of the Ward family first in Duxbury, then in Moretwown, ran through Chittenden county. (Sarasot, Sarasota, FL)

Wombley's Clapboard Factory is discussed on the site http://chipsontheweb.net/ in the PDF at http://chipsontheweb.net/memchips/wombleys_clapboard.pdf

phobia

fear of fun

Well as according to this webpage Cherophobia is the fear of fun. You could be more specific. :) --AdmiralA 17:09, 18 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

And here I thought that was a fear of cherubs, seen swarming about in medieval paintings. Since they don't appear to be wearing diapers, there seems to be good reason to fear those ugly, fat, naked, flying babies. StuRat 21:39, 19 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The Indian National Congress and Muslim League.

Hi, uh, this concerns part of this assignment I have been given relating to the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League (the All-India one) and I'm curious as to who were the exact founding members of the Indian National Congress. I know that A.O. Hume actually brought about the first meeting with approval of Lord Dufferin, but who actually founded this Congress? Second, were there any real "activities" of both parties from their founding dates till 1910? I can't seem to find any events until 1910, not even minor ones, and if there are any such events, how may I find details on them? Thanks a ton, --Aamir.

Who is that crowned man!?

I've come to the crack researchers here after trying to figure out who could solve this riddle that's been bothering me and I'm unable to solve. The image at right is, in respective articles, described as depicting either Conradin or Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor. Hmm... can't be both, as Frederick died a couple years before Conradin was born. Besides, it looks like one character is kingly, and the other is servantly. The Conradin article indicates that the image comes from folio 7r of the Codex Manesse.

This is a slightly high-profile image; in addition to the pages of these two 13th-century high livers, it's on the popular Medieval hunting page and 1268. If anyone knows of a better spot to ask this question, let's go there and ask it again! We should try to fix this promptly.

-Bantman 18:41, 18 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

As the image itself bears the inscription "Kunig Chunrat der Junge" (King Conrad the Young") I'm inclined to believe it's supposed to be Conradin. Lupo 19:50, 18 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I had actually raised an eyebrow over Image:Frederick_II_Hunt.jpg recently, but was too lazy to check it out. good catch. dab (ᛏ) 20:10, 18 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Ah yes, the smart move is, I suppose, to read the caption! Good work. I've removed the image from Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor; should we do something about the image itself? The filename is still erroneous; perhaps we could rename or even delete? - Bantman 21:22, 18 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

delete it, since we have a better quality version. Manesse images should have systematic names, I think, including "Manesse" and the folio. dab (ᛏ) 00:27, 19 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Classical Roman author who wrote about burning of bodies...?

Hi, a long time ago I read a short text of a classical Roman author (whose name I've forgotten) about the burning of corpses. It was quite macabre, I remember. Essentially, it’s an eye witness account of the cremation of a lot of human bodies. I guess the bodies were those of Christians, but I am not sure. It mentions the fact that a human body burns very well. For some unimportant reason am I looking for the original text on the internet but to no avail. I'm interested in the name of the author and other information, and if possible a quotation of or link to the text. Thanks. --Nevs Artsneef 21:26, 18 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

This sounds very familiar, but I can't give you a specific author, sorry. Have you tried searching www.perseus.tufts.edu?

Hope this helps.

--riansnider 08:39, 27 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Johnny Cash Song

I was just curious what album "Spiritual" by Johnny Cash can be found on. No luck at Johnny Cash discography or Spiritual. I gave it a quick check on Google as well. Please contact my talk page if anyone finds it, I'll keep on looking as well. Karmafist 22:28, 18 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Here you go it's off his 1996 album Unchained. - Akamad 22:50, 18 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Breakdancing

(This question was asked on the help desk, I copied it here - Akamad 22:43, 18 November 2005 (UTC)):[reply]

what are the 3 dance styles that have influenced breakdancing?

Have you read the article on breakdancing? Dismas|^(talk) 22:47, 18 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

November 19

Cecil Day-Lewis

Where is the "They went because their open eyes could see no other way" quote by Lewis from? I mean which poem? Trollderella 00:12, 19 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

It's from "The Volunteer": Tell them in England, if they ask, What brought us to these wars, To this plateau beneath the night's Grave manifold of stars - It was not fraud or foolishness, Glory, revenge, or pay: We came because our open eyes Could see no other way. JackofOz 00:42, 20 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you! Trollderella 21:34, 20 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

gw

how is george washington related to the Barbary pirates?

Well, under his administration the practice of paying tribute to the Barbary pirates was begun - arguably continuing a traditional European practice, and temporizing while trying to build an effective naval force and/or an effective coalition with several European powers. Tribute didn't end until Thomas Jefferson was president. - Nunh-huh 02:12, 19 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

What Germanic tribe did my surname originate from?

I consider myself a freak about genealogy and ancestry in all of its forms, but I do not know which tribe it originated from. (I do know this: It originated from one of the German tribes that settled "anciently" in modern day Austria- I just don't know which one)

If it helps, my last name is "Minnich." --Rains 03:32, 19 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

And is Minnich really a German, Germanic surname? I've looked on multiple sites and, recently, ONE site said it was slavic. Please, someone send something my way that says its ultimately, as far as is traceable, German. --Rains 03:32, 19 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Well, my grandfather did research our ancestry, and he said we were ultimately German. =/ Though that one site that said it was Slavic is disturbing me- i'm not racist, but I would be appalled if I wasn't really German.

Now having conveyed my feelings, what you're saying it's a great possibility it is a surname that originated seperately in both German and Slavic families? (In other words; "Was the name spontaneously 'invented' in different places?," as Avijja said.)

I'd also looked up Germanic tribes who had conquered/settled in Austria, and Germans were also spread out all over western, central, and eastern Europe long ago, so that must add to the possibility of my name (and the 13% of my blood being in question by me in this "topic" I created) being Germanic. How? Because it's a German surname, but originated before it had a majority of slavic peoples.

Finally, that site (House of Names) says it was found first in Austria, and it is indeed German. But didn't Germans inhabit Austria "anciently" as well as up till when surnames were introduced? (and of course, Germans make up a 24% minority currently in Austria) I just saw another thing that adds to the much hoped for fact of my surname being of German blood. Someone asked about the suffix ich, and another fellow posted other German names ending in ich, having a k sound. One of those, Heinrich, has an alternate spelling of "Hennerich-" both Minnich and Hennerich have two n's and the same suffix, as he (the one who asked about ich) said.-Rains 16:39, 19 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Someone PLEASE REPLY. . I did edit this whole question, because it was cluttered.

Birth order database

Has anybody ever compiled a database/website of notable people listing their places within the order of their siblings? Eg. Lewis Carroll was the 3rd of 11 children, and the eldest of 4 sons. Such a database would tell me of any other famous person who was 3rd of 11 kids, or the eldest of 4 sons, or both. Any ideas? JackofOz 02:32, 19 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Is the suffix ich...

In German, is the suffix ich of slavic or ofwell German origin --216.145.88.50 17:48, 19 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

From my own experience most people with names ending in that suffix where of Eastern European (east of Germany) descent even when they eventually ended up living in Germany. So I would say Slavic, although I can't back it up with sources for you. - 82.172.14.108 11:26, 19 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

What other names end in ich, which may or may not be of common origin? By the way, I believe you all knew this alredy, but it ends with a "k" sound.--216.145.88.50 17:48, 19 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Erich, Heinrich, and so on are all clearly Germanic names; don't know what exactly you are getting at. BTW, signing your messages would be a good idea...

ナイトスタリオン ✉ 17:19, 19 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I knew a lot of clearly German surnames ended in that suffix, but that one site claims it has Slavic origins.

Well, that dude that was asking about his Minnich name made me wonder if it was really a German suffix, which it, thanks to you, makes it a bit more clear to me that it is (especially since HEINRICH has an alternate spelling of Hennerich- both Minnich and Hennerich have two n's and the same suffix) - thank you. --216.145.88.50 17:48, 19 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

philip dick

What order should I read Philip Dick's novels in?

Any order you want. See the Philip K. Dick page for ideas.

Given the shifting nature of reality in many of his books, it almost certainly makes no difference. In extreme cases it might not matter what order you read the chapters in. ;-) DJ Clayworth 18:37, 21 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

62% of the canadanian women have done this what is it?

(no question in body of text)

Could be any number of things. Can you be a little more specific about the context of this question. - 82.172.14.108 11:27, 19 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Some suggestions:

filled out a stupid survey in Cosmopolitan magazine.
Worn a maple leaf pin on their backpack.
Suffered frostbite.
Drunk Molson.
Participated in a collective national apology for Bryan Adams and especially Everything I Do, I Do It For You. 78% have apologised for Celine Dion.
performed some random sexual practice, which is the usual topic of questions like this.

Now, tongue back out of cheek, how in the heck are we supposed to answer a question like this? You've given us virtually nothing to go on. --Robert Merkel 12:25, 19 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Hmmm, this is interesting. The question is from here, which is a website where people pay to have questions answered. It seems that $15 was offered for an answer to this question (don't ask me why!). So is it possible that people are selling answers from Wikipedia's reference desk on other websites? Ojw 17:49, 20 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Possibly, or as experience tells me, the questioner dropped off their question at several places. - Mgm|^(talk) 08:43, 21 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Educational Background of Robert Plant

I am trying to find the educational background of Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin. I followed the link to his homepage from the Wikipedia article on him, but can find nothing there that is relevant, and cannot find any other information from other searches.

I want to know if he graduated from high school, and if he attended any institutions of higher learning.

Thank you,

Jennifer Embrey

this page mentions that he studied at King Edward VI Grammar School, but doesn't mention any further educational activities. Given that he started playing in bands from 1966, when he was 18, and he was only 21 when Led Zepplin took off, I would consider it unlikely that he has any tertiary qualifications. If you want to check, however, you might try asking on the forums from his homepage; there would likely be somebody who would know on that. According to amazon.com, there are also a number of biographies of Plant, but many of them seem to be out of print; they may take a bit of effort to track down. You could always try contacting his management and asking them. --Robert Merkel 12:40, 19 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Americans in Germany

I am on the search for a document, that shows why and for how long and on which right Americans are still allowed to be in Germany. I am writing for an online magazine and I have problems finding the proof.I looked at german and english websites,nothing can really help,so please write me a link or something...thank you very much!

Americans can be in Germany for almost any reason. I don't think Germany has any law against American visitors, as long as their passport and visa is in order. The time they spend there depends on the visa lasts; they could even live in Germany their whole life if they wanted and had the appropriate documents. smurrayinchester^{(User), (Talk)} 17:43, 19 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

If you're asking about individual Americans visiting Germany, try the German Embassy in Washington's website, http://www.germany-info.org. If, on the other hand, you're asking about US military bases in Germany, I would imagine they are there under NATO agreements. -- AJR | Talk 20:28, 19 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I suspect you are asking why American military bases are allowed in Germany, since asking why Americans are allowed in Germany is just plain silly. They originally were set up as part of a multi-national occupation force, once Nazi Germany was defeated. Once the Cold War began, American forces remained in West Germany as part of NATO forces, to deter a Soviet invasion via East Germany. The force wasn't sufficient to repel the millions of soldiers the Soviets could muster, but served to guarantee that any Soviet invasion would mean war, most likely nuclear war, since Amercans would be attacked and killed as part of any Soviet invasion. This was part of the MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction) doctrine. As insane as it sounds, it apparently worked, as the Soviet Union never invaded West Germany. A similar doctrine in currently used with US troops in South Korea which are insufficient to repel an invasion from North Korea, but sufficient to guarantee war (possibly nuclear) with the US, if they did invade.

After the end of the Cold War, and the subsequent expansion of NATO to the East, Germany no longer was on the "front line" with a potential enemy. Thus, American bases in Germany no longer served their original purpose. One problem with military bases is that they encourage economic dependency, however. That is, there are many communities in Germany dependent on the bases for employment and spending by soldiers. This massive virtual subsidy will be sorely missed when gone, so Germany has been in no hurry to evict Americans. Similarly, American politicians haven't wanted to offend Germany by withdrawing troops. However, as American budgets get tighter and the need for troops at the new front line on the Eastern border of the expanded NATO becomes apparent, I would expect there to be a long term shift in troops eastward, to countries such as Turkey. This might be accelerated, depending on the level of anti-Americanism in Germany. StuRat 21:28, 19 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I always wondered why America put militarily-insignificant numbers of soldiers in harm's way like that. Your theory makes a lot of sense. --Avijja 10:56, 20 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Who was Giovanni Arrighi?

That's an article request

[37] That's a reference. - Nunh-huh 02:45, 20 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Who was Giles Deleuze?

That's an article request

Gilles Deleuze. David Sneek 18:23, 19 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Who was Jrgen Habermas?

That's an article request

Jürgen Habermas. David Sneek 18:22, 19 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Cardinal as State bird.

We are researching the Cardinal as Ohio's state bird, and we are unable to find why it was adopted. We have all the other info. about the Cardinal, and about whan it was adopted. Could you tell me why it was adopted as the Ohio State bird?

I'm not certain about this but it could just be that it is a very common bird in that part of the country. Akamad 23:01, 19 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The cardinal is the most visually appealing common bird in the Midwest. Indiana and some other states adopted it also. alteripse 12:16, 20 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Tenure of US House members

Where can I find a list of current members of the US House of Representatives and their date of election, or the total time of their incumbency?

Please see the articles on United States House of Representatives and List of members of the United States House of Representatives. Dismas|^(talk) 20:43, 19 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Was Charles Albert of Sardinia king of Jerusalem?

Excuse me for my horrible English. Why did Charles Albert of Sardinia when he conceded a constitution write "King of Sardinia, Cipro and Jerusalem"?

The House of Savoy claimed the (long-extinct) Kingdoms of Cyprus and Jerusalem. See Kings of Jerusalem. Adam Bishop 21:23, 19 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

November 20

French Painter: Maurice V

I'm looking for a series of 4 paintings. The artist is Maurice V (as in Maurice the fifth) but this might be an alias. They're prints probably made in the late 1800s. The collection is a cityscape, in the 1800s, and pictures woman in long skirts with umbrellas, as my mother recalls. This is all the information I can give on them, and the only other significant thing is that the artist is french.

Thank You, -Janina

Have a look at our article on Maurice de Vlaminck. JackofOz 00:35, 20 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

religion(im 13 an i need help on my project)

what is italy's main religion...??? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.49.60.57 (talk • contribs)

I'll give you a major clue for this one: see Italy, Demographics of Italy, Religion. But please try to do your own homework. If you did that with this question you would know more about Italy > Demographics of Italy > Religion than any of your friends. :-) --hydnjo talk 02:25, 20 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Hmmm... nominal Catholics, mature Protestants and Jews, and growing Muslims. Aren't adjectives fun! - Nunh-huh 02:43, 20 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

For sure there are mature and growing and as to nominal well there's plenty of them for very sure. --hydnjo talk 02:48, 20 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

How about pastafarianism ? StuRat 18:37, 23 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Roman Catholicism. Neutrality^talk 03:54, 22 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

small talk

I am terrible at small talk because I get amazingly bored by it(people talking about how their jobs are boring and so on). However I have trouble getting to know people because I'm no good at it. My question is if people really enjoy talking about those sorts of things or if both parties "bear through it" because it is a social norm to make small talk before discussing more meaningful things. It always seems like a chore for me to try to make small talk with people.

Most people find small talk more comfortable than silence. Some "small talk" is social lubricant; some may be prefatory to other discussions, but I doubt that anyone finds it so much fun that they seek it out. You might want to reconcile yourself to the fact that it's unavoidable. Or you could plan out something - "Howdy, my piranha just bit off a chunk of leg..." - Nunh-huh 04:18, 20 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

You're not alone, a lot of people are frustrated by this. If you feel uncomfortable starting an interaction one-on-one, an easy trick is to listen in on a group discussion, join it, and slowly build rapport with individuals. Yet as difficult as it may be to believe, many people really do enjoy small talk and aren't faking it. They just like interacting with people, even if no meaningful information is exchanged. It may help to think of small talk as a symbolic way of saying, "You seem interesting, I think it'll be fun to talk to you and get to know you better, so here's some information about me to test the water before I say anything particularly important". When people drone on about things you don't want to talk about, try to steer the conversion to a topic you find interesting. If they insist on talking at you rather than with you, they're probably better off chatting with someone else. You're not doing anyone any favors by pretending to listen or by muttering things you don't care about. Be yourself, talk about what's interesting and matters to you. The people that you'll actually want to meet and talk with will understand and appreciate this. --Avijja 11:28, 20 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I find meeting people generally quite enjoyable, but find mindless small talk boring too. So I cut that to a minimum and key in on things they mention that I may find interesting. Think about things you might find interesting about someone and ask more about those things as they come up. Of course you have to find the things of interest to the both of you. If you insist on discussing comics when the other person has no interest whatsoever in them, the interaction will not be positive. So the interesting thing can be figuring out how to find areas of mutual interest. The other thing I find interesting about small talk is the whole non verbal part of the interaction. Most of initial meeting information exchange is non verbal. People relax and decide if they can trust someone quite quickly. The exchange of information reflects this and if someone believes they can trust you they'll tell you the more interesting things about themselves. Revealing information about yourself (not too much :) can make the other person more comfortable with you. So the whole study of the interaction I do find interesting and when I'm thinking about that I'm not getting bored with the mindless part of it. So those are my tips, discover areas of mutual interest and just think about the interaction as a research/learning experience. So basically find out what is interesting to you, and you'll enjoy the interaction more and be better at it. - Taxman ^Talk 15:19, 21 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

One problem here is that different people find different things interesting. You might think talking about careers is boring, but others don't agree. You need to develop a wide range of interests to be an interesting conversationalist. The alternatives are to always bring the conversation back to the few things you find of interest (which will make others find you boring) or to "fake it" and talk about things you don't understand or care about. For example, I can't stand sports, but if someone brings up a game I might fake something like "Wow, how long has it been since the Nowheresville Overpaid Bastards won the Super Steroid Bowl ?"...hopefully substituting in the correct names, LOL. StuRat 21:21, 21 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Also, I agree that having a series of stock stories and jokes ready to tell will make you seem more interesting. Be sure to avoid retelling the same ones to the same people, though. StuRat 21:43, 21 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Geronimo: speech to chiefs

I have heard Geronimo spoke to several tribal chiefs. He said (words to this effect): There are so few of us, we cannot afford to fight each other. Is this true & can it be documented?

Black/Korean name

As far as I know, "Daekwon" is a Korean name. But I've noticed this name being stereotyped as a "Black" name. How did this come to be?

BTW, I am also interested in how Blacks came to adopt Arabic names("Omar", "Hassan", etc.).

Common African-American names changed after the Civil Rights changes in the 1960s. First names prior to that were little different from the rest of the American population except for a high proportion of presidential last names used as first names, and some distinctive first names derived from nicknames (e.g., Willy as a formal first name rather than William). In the 1960s, the spread of Arabic or Arabic-type names reflected the spread of the Black Muslim movement. Not everyone who used these names were necessarily Muslim and few had Arab ancestry, but it spread as fashions for names typically do. The second source of distinctive African-American names began in the 1970s. I am not sure of the origin but the fashion became near-universal among African-Americans in American cities. For girls, the names were nearly all three syllables, accented on the second, and ending in a: Latoya, Lakesha, Nikita, etc. For boys, there were lots of two syllable names ending in -on or -won, accented on the second syllable. Daekwon is an example of the latter, among many others. As people with these names have become parents, the fashion is changing again. For most of the last century it has been possible to identify many American first names on sight as typically African-American or typically white. A large share of white names are just as trendy and some are quite class-distinctive, but that is a different topic... I believe we have one active editor who does her best to represent African-American culture on wikipedia and aggressively corrects the rest of us when she thinks we got it wrong; you might want to ask her. alteripse 18:31, 20 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Conflict

Which country has the least/none racial disputes/regional conflicts in the world??? What did that particuliar country do the reduce/prevent???

Thank you:)

The most ethnically homogenous country of any size is probably Somalia, so I don't think they have any 'racial' disputes. The fighting in Somalia has been between clans which all claim descent for the same ancestor. Your question is just too open ended to give you a good answer. Almost every country has some kind of dispute with one or more other countries. Being very small and having one or more major powers as neighbors seems to be best way to avoid regional conflicts these days. - Dalbury^(Talk) 18:41, 20 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Being very small, very isolated, and having nothing of value anybody wants, are good guarantees of peace. Some small islands fall into this category. Having a small number of ethnic groups seems to be the worst situation, as in Rwanda (Hutus and Tutsis) and Iraq (Arabs, Persians, and Kurds). Having either just one ethnic group, or so many that no one group is powerful enough to wipe out the rest, seems to lead to more peaceful societies. StuRat 20:09, 21 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

How is money used by panhandlers?

Approximately what percentage of money given to a panhandler in an urban setting would you expect to be used "responsibly" (food, medication, shelter) versus other uses (drugs, alcohol, etc.)? I've heard a lot of people say that they're hesitant to give to beggars because they don't know how they money gets used. Links to any relevant research would be appreciated. -- Creidieki 16:20, 20 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

What makes you think spending money on drugs and alcohol is irresponsible? I sometimes give money to panhandlers on the basis that, if I didn't, I'd only spend it on drugs or alcohol. ;) Trollderella 21:31, 20 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Try this lovely study. It basically concludes that, in Toronto at least, the majority of panhandlers are actually poor and homeless. Enlightening, if a little inconclusive. Deltabeignet 05:43, 21 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you, that's exactly the kind of information I was looking for. -- Creidieki 07:12, 21 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The logical response, if you are concerned about them using your money for something fun, is to give them food or clothes instead. They might be able to sell them and spend the money on something fun, but it probably wouldn't be worth the effort, as used clothes and food don't sell for much on the street. You could also require them to eat the food in front of you, since used, regurgitated food has an even lower street value. StuRat 20:03, 21 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Some fast food places sell gift certificates, and I know people who hand those out instead of money. Just check that the place doesn't kick homeless people out first. — Laura Scudder ☎ 21:21, 21 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Gift certs are better than money, but not as good as actual food, since they can be sold, say at half price, up until when they expire. Perishable food can only be sold until it spoils, and most people wouldn't buy food from a homeless person, unless it is completely sealed. StuRat 18:42, 23 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

World War one Survivors

Your site has a list of survivors from WW1. This seems out of date now. as a recent BBC1 programme said there was only 4 British survivors now. Do you have an upto date list of survivors from all countries?

Regards

Dave Sleight

If you are refering to Surviving_veterans_of_the_First_World_War, the users who maintain it claim it is up to date. If you know of any veterans listed in that article that have died, you can remove them yourself. - Dalbury^(Talk) 18:29, 20 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

As coincidence would have it, sadly, Alfred Anderson died today - last survivor of the Christmas truce. With regards to "only four", it depends how you count it. A lot of journalists, especially in the UK, implicitly mean "survivors of the Western Front", rather than the Navy; there's also the complicating fact that after the war, a lot of survivors emigrated to Australia or Canada, so whilst they were British soldiers who survived, they're now Australians, and so may not turn up on the lists. Shimgray | talk | 20:50, 21 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Origin of Saint Nicholas

Do you have the history of Bishop Saint Nicholas? Was he stoned to death for abusing children?

There is a brief discussion of the possible origins of the Saint Nicholas legends in Santa Claus, but I don't see anything on what you are asking. - Dalbury^(Talk) 18:47, 20 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Unlike Santa Claus, Saint Nicholas was a real person, and we have a good biography on him here. StuRat 19:30, 20 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Saint Nicholas was a Turkish bishop during the late Roman Empire. He was known for his generosity.

He also punched out somebody in a tavern brawl, over an argument about the Aryan heresy. Which I think is the most wonderful bit of triva ever. --

Bob Mellish 18:58, 21 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Man, that would make a great Coca-Cola advertisement, wouldn't it? Jolly old Saint Nick decking some guy in a bar over some musty old piece of church business...Brian Schlosser42 21:17, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

- That's Arian heresy. :) User:Zoe|^(talk) 04:49, 22 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Germans of Scandinavian origin?

I've heard that all Germanic peoples originated in Scandinavia, is this true?

The earliest historical evidence for Germanic languages is in Roman times, when they were already divided into Western, Eastern and Northern (Scandinavian) branches, spread across northern Europe. I don't know of any hard evidence that Scandinavia was the center of Germanic expansion. At a guess, I would think that the Germanic speakers migrated west and north from some point east of present-day Germany, but I have no evidence for that, either. - Dalbury^(Talk) 22:56, 20 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

November 21

Responsible government in Canada -1848

I am looking for when, exactly, Canada recieved responsible government from Britain. That includes when it was decided in Britain and when it arrived in Canada. I also need to know the names of at least some important members in the Family Compact at that time and perhaps any sports events during that year. Thank-you very much, I know it may be asking a lot of you. I appreciate whatever bits of information you find. Sincerely, Dannika 139.142.244.110 04:59, 21 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Dannika, this isn't actually a "research on demand" service. We can guide you in the right direction, though. Start with our History of Canada and Family Compact articles, and follow links to other articles from there. I'm sure that with a little bit of digging, you will find the information that you're looking for. Ground Zero | t 14:42, 21 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
Responsible government also has useful information. You might also like to look at 1848 for the other stuff. DJ Clayworth 18:27, 21 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I have looked; that is why I came here. I'll try again, but I don't expect to find more than before. Thanks anyway, though. -Dannika

Jordan/Trans-Jordan/Palestine

Isn't Jordan (formerly known as Trans-Jordan) 80% of the territory known as Palestine(administered by Ottoman Turks until 1919; administered by British until the land-for-peace partition of 1922). If so, I question the history of the 'west bank':

..."While a Palestinian Arab state failed to materialize, the territory was captured by the neighboring kingdom of Jordan."

If Jordan is 80% of Palestine, then the Arab state did indeed materialize in the form of Jordan in 1922 (a.k.a. Trans-Jordan). It would be reasonable to say: "while a second Palestinian Arab state failed to materialize, the territory was captured by the neighboring kindom of Jordan."

Furthermore, I contest the use of 'Palestinian' to exclusively represent Palestinian Arab. Until 1948 the word 'Palestinian' referred to Jews, not Arabs. Today, if you use the word Palestinian, you might be referring to Jews, Arabs, Christians, or several smaller ethnic populations living in this region.

A "drive-by" complaint like this has no effect. Bring up your points on the Talk pages of the relevant articles and be prepared to negotiate. alteripse 13:42, 21 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Does that 80% figure mean "80% of what was Palestine under the Ottoman Empire is now part of Jordan" or "80% of what is now Jordan was part of Palestine under the Ottoman Empire" ? They aren't the same thing. StuRat 19:58, 21 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The word "Palestine" comes from the early ethnic group, "Phillistines", who fought with the Jews, so were definitely not Jews. They weren't Christians or Muslims, either, as neither religion had yet formed in that period. However, they might have been Arabs, I don't think much is known of their ethnic origins, since they had no written language. StuRat 19:40, 21 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

According to Philistines, they may have been of Indo-European origin, adopting Canaanite culture. They definitely were not Arabs. Most of the peoples of the area spoke Semitic languages, but Arabic was not introduced until after the Islamic conquest of the area. The Philistines also seem to have used an alphabet similar to that of the Phoenicians and the Hebrews. - Dalbury^(Talk) 20:07, 21 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Reigonal conflicts

Why do regional conflicts start? Can anyone please tell me the cause of it and state on example of that particular conflict?

first of your questions is difficult to answer here; eats up quite a lot of space. but checking here [38] will give you a number of examples and answer to the first question --Tachs 11:31, 21 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

How should we measure a women's size?

How should we measure a women's size? For example, if a women's size is 34-23-36, what does it say?

See [39] for instructions on measuring people to determine clothing size. - Dalbury^(Talk) 17:46, 21 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

- I'd also think it says that Sir Mix-a-Lot would be terribly disappointed :) --Robert Merkel 20:13, 21 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Even if she was five foot three. Brian Schlosser42 21:19, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The point of these measurement is that they are in inches and measure the bust, waist and hips respectively. pfctdayelise 14:58, 23 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

tv stations

What staff and equipment does a major television station require?

Fair amounts of both, though if you were starting from scratch very large amounts of the gear they presently do have could be replaced with just networked personal computers and some servers.

Assuming a "major television station" implies one that puts out a local news bulletin, that means that they're going to need a considerable number of news crews. A news crew generally has three people in it - a journalist, cameraman (and camera operators are almost all men; see Frontline, an Australian sitcom, for a hilariously accurate portrayal of what news cameramen are like), and a sound recorder. Many news crews have now dropped the sound recorder, though (that's why you now see interviews in which the journo is holding the microphone - if you see that you know the local station is being a cheapskate). On top of that, you need an edit suite (though that can now be just a computer with the right software) and a number of editors. On top of that, you need a news director, and typically two newsreaders (it's a rare local news that has one newsreader read the entire bulletin). For the live news broadcast, you need a studio, with studio cameras and lighting, camerapeople (though robotic cameras are sometimes used now), and several people in the control booth cuing up the tapes, cutting between cameras, and switching to advertising breaks. Then you need somebody to do the newsreaders' makeup. And so on.

For the rest of the time, you need several tape players or their equivalent to act as a source for pre-recorded material, and several redundant and landline links to take live feeds from the network. This is done with dedicated lines; you're not going to use a VPN for something so time-critical. This can be done with just one person; when I did work experience the cuing up of advertisements and whatnot was done semi-manually; this was partly because the person had to be there watching the output continuously, and so cuing up the ads gave this person something to actually do rather than go barmy just watching the screen. I suspect it's probably automated now.

At the time I was slightly disappointed to discover that the sales department, the bit that convinces businesses to buy advertising on the station, was actually by some margin the largest part of the operation. That's of course if you're a commercial operation.--Robert Merkel 20:32, 21 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Seeking Architect's Name

Dear Wikipedia: I am seeking THE NAME OF THE ARCHITECT who ORIGINALLY designed this building:

The National Council of State Garden Clubs Headquarters

Location: St. Louis, Missouri,

Time Period: 1950s.

Here is more about the building:

(The National Council of State Garden Clubs Headquarters) Located: in a local historic district south of downtown St. Louis, on property adjacent to: The Missouri State Botanical Garden.

The site: The site retains remnants of an original Olmstead plan [Olmstead was a famous park designer]implemented in the late 20th century. Both the site and the building are of considerable significance in the history of urban park development of St. Louis.

The architectural style: the original building is a prototypical 1950s work designed in the International Style by a well-known St. Louis architect.

National Historic Structure: The facility was recently listed as a National Historic Structure.

Thanks if you can help --

Julie Dalia

It's easy to use Google to search for these answers. I just asked google for the exact phrase, "National Council of State Garden Clubs Headquarters", and it returned two hits, the second of which provides the solution you are hunting for. --jpgordon ∇∆∇∆ 17:45, 21 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

legal rights of same-sex couples

To answer the un-asked question, start in Same-sex marriage. There are links from there to related topics. - Dalbury^(Talk) 19:27, 21 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

November 22

Sambia royal bloodline

I am searching for information about the royal bloodline of russian penninsula region Sambia.

I am Polish and my father's side of the family - Samborski - are, we believe, the decendants of royalty of the area. I have so far found one article on Sambia http://wiki.riteme.site/wiki/Sambia but am searching for information on the royal bloodlines.

My father has mentioned the name Hantatarski? I am not sure if this is how it is spelt but this is how he pronounces it. I have not been able to find any information on this name, I have tried many alternative spellings.

I would appreciate any help.

Kind Regards, Karolina Samborska Karolina@unifiedfs.com.au

You can also try searching under 'Samland'. The site at http://www.zum.de/whkmla/military/16cen/samland1525.html would indicate that Samland or Sambia was under the control of the Teutonic order, and then part of the Duchy of Prussia. It would seem that the ancient language of the area was the Old Prussian language, a Baltic language. - Dalbury^(Talk) 01:08, 22 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

U.S. Congress

What is meant by the "Culture of Congress?"

It seems to depend on who is talking about it. Just do a Google search on "culture of congress" (with the quotes). In general though, it looks to me like a complaint that the members of Congress act like it's their private club, ignoring each other's dirty secrets, trading favors, and voting for each other's pork barrel projects. - Dalbury^(Talk) 21:44, 22 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Music- The creation of the world

Would appreciate it if someone could please help with the composer of the above work. I was under the impression the composer was Felix Mendelssohn, but that is not true according to Wikipedia... Many thanks Iris====

Are you thinking of The Creation by Joseph Haydn? DJ Clayworth 18:43, 22 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Or more likely, "La Création du Monde" by Darius Milhaud. JackofOz 08:50, 23 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

What a Wonderful World

Note : this question has already been posted in the french "reference desk" (the Oracle) yesterday, but with no answers for the moment (see here). Thank you if you can help in any way Lilly aka 82.243.164.70. Kuxu 16:03, 22 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Hello ! I have been looking for a few days for the lyrics of this song, by Louis Armstrong... Well i have found the lyrics but not the first part that he said (in some large version it represents more than a minute)... Does someone know what it is said or where I would be able to find it ? ... Iam not a native English speaker and it is difficult for me to understand... Thank you. Lilly aka 82.243.164.70 14:45, 22 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

See here. The lyrics on that page begin with the monologue, as distinct from the more familiar version which has no monologue and begins "I see trees of green, red roses too." --Metropolitan90 01:56, 23 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
- And despite what that and many other web pages say, the song is not by Louis Armstrong, he just did a famous recording of it. The correct writing credit, I believe, is George Weiss - George Douglas - Bob Thiele. -- Jmabel | Talk 05:57, 24 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
  - Interesting. I thought Armstrong had written himself this song. Thank you for the information Jmabel. Kuxu 23:33, 24 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Tree Felling Politicians

Hi, I originally posted this question on the Miscellaneous page but it didn't get a serious answer, also it is more of a humanities question so I'm posting it here. William Ewart Gladstone was famous for felling oak trees as a hobby, some time ago I heard that Donald Rumsfeld also practices this hobby (using a chainsaw) as does another Neo-Con. Does anyone know any other politicians who cut down trees for a leisure activity (not including George Washington who didn't). Thanks. AllanHainey 15:13, 22 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Ronald Reagan liked to swing an axe, although I don't know if he felled the trees, or just cut them into firewood. And while probably not what one would call a 'leisure-time activity', Abraham Lincoln was called the "Rail-Splitter", and I assume those trees he split into rails didn't fall over on their own. - Dalbury^(Talk) 21:30, 22 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
George W. Bush is (in)famous for spending his vacations chopping brush on his Texas ranch. User:Zoe|^(talk) 01:24, 23 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
I just read an essay in Harpers(the topic was a highly biased portrayal of Bush and essentially all Republicans he's ever met as spoiled teenagers) that claimed he once walked smilingly into a forest with an axe(on Earth Day :) ). Superm401 | Talk 01:44, 26 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Little Britain Theme Tune

Is the 'Feem Toon' of Little Britain specially written for the show, or is a piece of old music? smurrayinchester^{(User), (Talk)} 16:07, 22 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

It was written for the show, although it's not one of ickle Dennis Waterman's feem toons. It is by composer David Arnold, who has done a lot of film and TV work. -- AJR | Talk 19:39, 22 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Legalisation of prostitution in India (moved from Talk:Main Page)

Should prostitution legalised in India? —Preceding unsigned comment added by jkk79 (talk • contribs)

There is no factual answer. However, as an ordained interfaith minister, I would say that prostitution should be legalized in India, under strict government regulation. The alternative of unregulated prostitution fueling crime and spreading disease is less attractive. Of course, I have very little understanding of Hindu sexual mores on the topic. Deltabeignet 01:57, 23 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

That is an open question indeed, one that is probably beyond the capabilities of Wikipedia's reference desk to answer. Maybe you could phrase it in a more specific manner so we can help answer more specific points regarding your query? --HappyCamper 02:00, 23 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

November 23

The Earth in space.

What views (if any) are expressed in the Bible regarding the relevant motions of the Earth, the Sun and observable planets?

Ian Clarke

Open in the sense that there may well be several views expressed perhaps. I was hoping that someone among your staff or other contacts would have sufficient knowledge of the Bible's contents to be able to answer the question - not an easy one I realize! I.C. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 203.164.234.59 (talk • contribs)

One of the most important passages in this regard is Joshua 10:12-13, which in the NIV reads:

On the day the LORD gave the Amorites over to Israel,

Joshua said to the LORD in the presence of Israel:

"O sun, stand still over Gibeon,

O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon."

So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped,

till the nation avenged itself on [b] its enemies,

as it is written in the Book of Jashar. The sun stopped

in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day.

For a long time this verse was interpreted as Biblical proof for a geocentric universe, and it was one of the main sources of the religious opposition to heliocentrism. Today, however, even the most literal interpreters of the Bible agree that the sun stopping is simply a vague or metaphorical statement. Other verses such as Ecclesiastes 1:5 (The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises) also imply a somewhat different understanding to the current one, but nowhere in the Bible is there a clear discussion of astronomy. - SimonP 06:32, 23 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Not necessarily a vague or metaphorical statement at all, depending on who you believe. Immanuel Velikovsky certainly had a more literal interpretation.

I know many Christians who consider the stopping of the sun to be a literal event. However they would take it to mean that really the earth stopped rotating (Yes, I am aware of the side-effects this would cause - since the whole thing would have to be a supernatural event, eliminating a few unwanted physical side-effects does not pose much of an additional problem).

There are other places in the Bible where statements are made about the fixidity of the earth, which were also taken to be proof of a geocentric universe in the days when these things were up for debate. As far as I know there are only a few tens of people who hold that view today. DJ Clayworth 17:32, 23 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Holy books are initially interpretted to mean exactly what they say, even when they conflict with science. When the scientific evidence becomes so overwhelmingly strong that religion can no longer convince people to ignore reality, they change their interpretation and say "that passage was never taken literally", since admitting an actual error in their holy book is not an option for them. StuRat 18:58, 23 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

You mentioned "your staff". However, Wikipedia has no staff. All the people who answer questions here are volunteers like you and me. Volunteers are also the only editors to Wikipedia articles. For more info, please see Wikipedia:Welcome, newcomers!. Superm401 | Talk 01:59, 26 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

help

I am trying to find the island of Navarone on google earth ... its a place dorning world war 2 that had two big guns there protecting a island called kheros off the coast of turkey i cant find them i tryed here at wikipedia and nothing .... can you help me please

The Guns of Navarone was a work of fiction. Sorry. Dismas|^(talk) 06:47, 23 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Navarone, in The Guns of Navarone was off the coast of Turkey. --Kainaw ^(talk) 20:32, 23 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Christianity

What does the real bible look like and out of how many books did it exist?

Have you read the Bible article? That would answer your question better than a brief explanation here would, I think. Dismas|^(talk) 07:28, 23 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

English Short Story about student lawyers from the pre-1970s

Does anyone know of a short story where a smart lawyer teaches his blonde "not-so-smart" girlfriend about law. But the girl becomes versed in law and then out grows him and leaves him. Thanks. Mike

There was a film like this, I think it had John Goodman or Bob Hoskins in it & he paid someone to educate his girlfriend, but she got too educated. Sorry I can't remember any more than that. AllanHainey 12:59, 24 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Surgeon John Harris

I am trying to establish the probate value of the property of Surgeon John Harris at the time of his death in 1838. I have seen one figure of £50m at the time, equating to $10 billion in today's terms. I think this is a bit high!!

A search of the ODNB doesn't turn up a bio for him. There 16 other gentlemen named John Harris in the collection, but no surgeon. Considering how comprehensive the ODNB is (50,000 entries), there is no way he could have been that wealthy and not have an entry.

Lotsofissues 11:34, 23 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

This Surgeon John Harris has the dates matching, and he was Australian - remember sterling was used outside the UK proper then. He doesn't show up in the Dictionary of Australian Biography (at least not the version on Gutenberg).

Reading that will, it looks like he owned a lot of land in Cumberland county. I'm going to take a wild guess that this land is now central Sydney and has astronomical land values. However, I strongly doubt it was valued at £50m at the time - the entirety of Alaska, thirty years later, only cost the US around a million pounds, and the Lousiana Purchase thirty years earlier cost them about three million. (These are not adjusted for inflation)

My guess is that the figure of £50m is garbled, and that this is a rough estimate of the value of all the land which he possessed then, assessed at current market values - the $10bn "in today's terms" is someone taking that figure, and multiplying it by something in order to reach a contemporary value. A contemporary value would be a lot more difficult to assess - if you're in Sydney, I'd advise speaking to the local studies people at the central library there, who presumably can direct you to a useful contemporary source.

Incidentally, at a rough calculation, £50m now would get you about fifty acres of typical Sydney urban land. Not massive, but pretty significant. Shimgray | talk | 19:41, 23 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Chief Joseph of the Nez Perçé

Request for information on the life of this (in his time) famous Native American leader -his epic escape -with all his tribe - from their (? Where?) Reservation; their victorious delaying skirmishes with the US cavalry as they made their (500,600 mile?) dash for Canada.; their final battle within a few days' march of the Border; the capture of Chief Joseph, and the ending of his days in a Wild West show.' About 1910 or 1911 I think. Even from these bare outlines I think anyone would agree his is a story worth the telling.

Many thanks in advance to anyone who can help

John Ruddy

See Chief Joseph. --Kainaw ^(talk) 14:02, 23 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

In the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind, what are the notes played by the alien mothership, the worshippers, the xylophone, etc? smurrayinchester^{(User), (Talk)} 14:56, 23 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

G - A - F - F (down an octave) - C prior to arrival; up a minor third when they've landed (that would be Bb - C - Ab - Ab - Eb). --jpgordon ∇∆∇∆ 18:54, 23 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I am looking for watch magazines and can't find them

I know that there are magazines about watches but I can't remember any of the names. There is one in particular, but regardless I can't find any on the search. Can you help me to find a list? Thank you.

-Brendan Lanza

There's a list of seven watch magazines on this page. --Canley 01:16, 24 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Rome at War

Was the Roman Empire, more of less in a constant state of War, or were there significant periods of peace? 23:19, 23 November 2005 (UTC)

See Roman Empire and Pax Romana. Deltabeignet 00:25, 24 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
- Quick note, given that the pages don't likely answer specifically: "state of war" would've meant little to the Romans. They didn't formally notify the Gauls, etc. when "we are at war" became obvious. Given no obvious reason not to be, the Romans were effectively at war with most anyone on their frontier. Marskell 22:59, 25 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

November 24

The End (song)

I've been trying to download the song The End by the Doors on Limewire. The problem is that the only versions they have is the 6:31 version and it cuts out a lot of what internet sites say the complete lyrics are. I just want to make sure that this is infact an edited version and not the real one. RENTASTRAWBERRY ^{FOR LET?} röck 01:22, 24 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The iTunes Music Store has three versions for sale:

6:31 on Greatest Hits - The Doors
11:43 on The Doors: Greatest Hits - The Doors
16:15 (Live) on Bright Midnight -The Doors

The original release on the self-titled album isn't available but the original lyrics are available here. This link is also provided in the WP article that heads this section. --hydnjo talk 03:48, 24 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

On my copy of their self-titled album "The End" is 11:50. —DO'Neil 07:31, 25 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Our article The Doors (album) has it at 11:35 which you may want to correct since you've got the best reference. Oh, and the lyrics at the link above are missing two words. This lyrics link is for the full explicit lyrics. --hydnjo talk 20:45, 25 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

non-profit organization with two functions

A 501(c)3 organization in Texas is structured with one branch providing a community health (one CEO) and the other branch that is a community planning body and an administrative agent for state and federal funds passing through to specialized providers with a separate CEO. Both operate under one name. One board governs both. What is this type of structure called? How should the by-laws set up the governance for both entities? Can the administrative agent activities be identified as an "unrelated business activity" or "secondary line of business"? Signed: Ə–—… —Preceding unsigned comment added by 4.167.26.1 (talk • contribs)

To answer one question: the structure is usually called an umbrella organization. The rest of your questions may need a lawyer. A Texas lawyser at that, given that there are probably state as well as federal matters involved. -- Jmabel | Talk 06:15, 24 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Is it possible this this is a homework question? DJ Clayworth 22:36, 24 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Stuart Davis - Artworks

I am trying to trace images of a painting by Stuart Davis called "Swing City". There is another painting called "Swing Landscape" which is not the same. I would be grateful if anyone can supply information re the "Swing City" painting. --198.54.202.226 14:12, 24 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Punishment Practices

How are the punishment practices from the colonial and revolutionary periods similar to the modern penal system? How have the 17th and 18th century punishment practices influenced modern 20th century penal practices? 172.171.237.138 18:25, 24 November 2005 (UTC)Caramel[reply]

What is the punishment for trying to get other people to do your homework? Notinasnaid 19:10, 24 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

You might do a Search for a relevant topic like criminal justice. AlMac|[[User talk:AlMac|(talk)]] 06:35, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

venetian blinds

which is the country of origin of venetian blinds?

The Venetian blinds article will provide you with a possibility. hydnjo talk 01:47, 25 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

paper factory

where was the first paper making factory started in the muslim world?

I believe it was around 751 in Samarkand. There was a factory in Baghdad in 800. Filiocht | The kettle's on 11:05, 25 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

This site states that "The first paper making factory in the Islamic Empire was built in Baghdad" in 792AD. - Akamad 11:08, 25 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I suppose it depends what you mean by a factory, and if the Muslim world is the same thing as the Islamic Empire. The skill of papermaking was picked up from Chinese prisoners in Samarkand (the site referenced by Akamad confirms this), but it may be that there were small workshops there rather than a "factory". The Baghdad date is probably the most exact answer to the question, but at that time the establishment of a factory would assume the existence of small scale mastery of the required skills in the community. The factory gave the authorities more control and, probably, more revenue. Filiocht | The kettle's on 11:22, 25 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

flag

when was the Saudi Arabian flag adopted?

This site states that the flag was adopted on March 15, 1973. - Akamad 06:37, 25 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

flag hosting

Till which year Indian Chief Ministers could not unfurl national flag on August 15th?

Is this a quiz or a question? hydnjo talk 01:51, 25 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

November 25

About the Statue of Justice in Hong Kong

Dear Sir/Madam,

This is Mable from City University of Hong Kong. Recently, I have done a project research on discrimination against men in Hong Kong. Our group would like to mention the Statue of Justice in our Powerpoint presentation to arouse students' awareness of equality. However, due to our limited knowledge, we don't exactly know the background and history of the statue.

We want to know why Goddess of Themis represent justice and when it is used, why she is blind-folded, what do the things held by her mean (The sword and balance). Our group sincerely want to ask for your advice.

Yours sincerely, Mable

Mable, have a look at the article on Themis, especially the last paragraph, which claims that the statue is more closely related to the Roman goddess Iusticia rather than her Greek equivalent, Themis. As I understand them, her attributes are: [1] She is blindfolded because justice should be impartial, that is, blind to the differences between her petitioners, and responsive only to their arguments; [2] the balance is also an indication that justice should be meted out fairly, by an objective and not a subjective standard, and [3] the sword indicates the penalty that is due to those found guilty, and the authority of the courts. Others may be able to add more, but this may be a start. (As an aside, the notion that mercy and justice are in some sense opposites leads to iconography still used in the UK coronation ceremony, in which the monarch holds (among other regalia) the "sword of justice" and the "sword of mercy" (or "curtana), the latter with a blunt point.) - Nunh-huh 03:08, 25 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Magnets

Please tell me which culture or nation was the first to use magnets and magnetic needles. Please specify what they used it for and when. Please respond soon, by tomorrow hopefully.(November 24, 2005,9:44 P.M.) --Norman Zhu

Apparently magnetic needles were used `as compasses in China in the 4th Century B.C. That may be your answer unless someone comes up with an earlier use. - Nunh-huh 10:02, 25 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Your need for an answer by tomorrow wouldn't have anything to do with homework, would it? You know, the homework that we told you we don't give answers for? Deltabeignet 02:58, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Richard Nixon

Did he come to Australia on September 10th, 1965? And is it true he accidently flipped the bird at Australians, thinking he was giving them the peace sign? - Ta bu shi da yu 07:46, 25 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I think what happened was Australians who were unhappy with Nixon were giving him the two fingered salute, which is basically the peace sign but with the palms facing inwards. This in Australia (which is where I live) pretty much means "up yours". I believe what happened was Nixon interpreted this to mean the peace sign and he gave the salute back the the Aussies. I don't know if it's true or not. - Akamad 10:41, 25 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

This anecdote site states a similar thing. I don't know when the visit happened though. - Akamad 10:45, 25 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

And I can assure you that flipping the bird in 1965 meant exactly what it means today, and he wouldn't have done that by accident or out of ignorance. It occurs to me to ask why Australians in 1965 would have been unhappy with Nixon? He hadn't been the v.p. for several years, the Vietnam war had not started yet, and I don't recall any specific reason for Australians to have been unhappy with Americans in general that year. Was this a completely fabricated story? alteripse 17:16, 25 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The Australian involvement in Vietnam began in April/May 1965. Nixon was in Australia that year; the National Archives of Australia have an image showing the later Prime Minister John McEwen together with Nixon at Mascot, New South Wales in 1965. Whether Nixon arrived on September 10, I do not know. Lupo 20:37, 25 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

So he was clearly there, but was this a state visit? Johnson (other party) was president in 65, and I don't think Nixon had any official US government standing or appt in 1965. Second, I realize that things in vietnam were getting going by 1965, but my memory is that there was little or no public protest in either the US or Australia in 65 because no one could see what was coming. Was that the reason some Australians were "unhappy" with Nixon? alteripse 02:55, 26 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I don't know what was going on in Australia at that time, nor why Nixon would have been so unpopular, either as a person or as a generic representative of the U.S. However, this guy states that in the U.S., "the first sizeable anti-Vietnam War demonstration [occurred] in April 1965, with 25,000 people attending." And the Australian Institute of Criminology states that "[In Australia,] Thousands of students participated in protest demonstrations and marches during the period 1965-72." Of course, that doesn't prove yet that already in 1965 there were any demonstrations against the Australian involvement in the Vietnam War. Maybe the protesters were part of the anti-conscription movement? September 10 seems to be about right, Nixon was on a "business trip" through Taiwan, Hong Kong, Saigon, and Australia according to this site, which states that he was in Taiwan on August 31, 1965. Lupo 14:29, 26 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

It just occurred to me that Ta bu shi da yu himself may be best placed to answer his own questions... Ta bu, how about a visit to your nearest library and checking the newspapers from September 11, 12, and 13th from 1965? If they don't have it, ask the big Sydney newspaper's archives! Nixon's visit should be worth at least a fleeting mention somewhere. Lupo 22:45, 26 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Good idea... I'll certainly do the first weekend I get a chance :-) Ta bu shi da yu 09:48, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

George H.W. Bush famously made that mistake on a visit to Australia. You're not getting them confused?--Robert Merkel 10:41, 27 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

He did? When?! Hilarious! Though nothing that man does can suprise me. - Ta bu shi da yu 09:48, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Did you notice that he wrote George H. W. Bush, the father of the current president George W. Bush? Lupo 09:33, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Christina Rossetti - The Lambs of Grasmere

This poem was written in 1860, the year her intended marriage was broken off, can anyone tell me if there is a link between the writing of this poem and that unfortunate event, Thanks

Not as far as I can see here, but this sort of thing is really a matter of opinion. Shantavira 17:17, 26 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Female Scientists, 17th, 18th, and 19th Century

Please specify who they were and what they did. I also need to know 3 female scientists. One from the 17th century, 18th century, and 19th century. --Norman Zhu

You will find plenty of names to choose from at our list of scientists. Shantavira 17:17, 26 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Digital Millennium Copyright Act

intellectual property?
digitally copying music?
books?
movies?

Or if Wikipedia doesn't have enough information of this, could you please tell me any good websites on the DMCA? Thanks in advance. --69.165.33.225 18:25, 25 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Maybe the Digital Millennium Copyright Act article could be of help to you. See the External Links section for more detailed info. David Sneek 18:56, 25 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

the troubels

(No question asked) The term the troubles is most commonly used in reference to the period of violence in Northern Ireland from the late 1960s until the mid-1990s, see the article I have linked to for more information. And when asking about things here, please include an actual question, and be as specific as possible; it makes it easier for people to give answers. -- AJR | Talk 22:58, 25 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

1930 Radio

I was doing some research and I could not find the answer to my question, which is: "What were some of the most prominant radio broadcasting stations during the 1930's?" I was just wondering if anyone knew a website that would have this information. Thank you. --64.12.116.13 01:05, 26 November 2005 (UTC)Melissa[reply]

I not know answer, I just added sub-head so easy to find the question. I suspect if you Google on history of radio you might find useful info. I mean when was commercial radio invented, and what kind of broadcast range did it have. It may be that the correct answer is NONE.

AlMac|[[User talk:AlMac|(talk)]] 06:40, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

November 26

culture that can only count to two

This one girl is telling me about this culture that can only count to two and doesn't start over and they were in National Geographic but I don't believe her. And I asked her about binary but she said no.

Maybe she was talking about languages that only contain words for “one” and “two”, and use the word “many” for all higher numbers? (So-called "one, two, many languages".) See this link for one example. - Nunh-huh 04:35, 26 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

You are probably referring to the Pirahã who speak the Múra-Pirahã language. Adam Bishop 22:39, 26 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Only two digits? Sounds like a culture composed entirely of computers, I wonder how they account for binary overflow? The Binarians from Star Trek, perhaps? Sorry couldn't resist, I hope someone doesn't scold me with "Wikipedia is not satire" or some other such chatisement... mhunter 04:34, 4 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Voice of the Face at Luna Park Sydney

Could anyone tell me who recorded the 'laugh' of the Face at Luna Park Sydney?

who is the current governor of Arizona?

All states have comprehensive infoboxes on the right of their page. Just take a look at Arizona. Marskell 04:58, 26 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Why is there still royalty?

No offense to those in Great Britain or other countries with a monarchy, but I can't seem to understand why in this day and age there are still kings and queens, or dukes and lords for that matter. It seems that having people sit on a (figurative) throne and run around with titles is a bit peculiar, especially since in some cases they don't seem to hold any real power. --Impaciente 05:06, 26 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

First, Wikipedia is not a blog and your question is rather bloggish ;). However, a quick answer as follows: a move from a monarchy to a republic often involves a great deal of gnashing of teeth and a desire for political stability leads to the conservation of working institutions. Since the English Restoration, Great Britain is the only big-five western European nation that has not experienced revolution. Stability of this sort was one part of its historic success. Marskell 07:01, 26 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Or, put another way, the undesirable part of monarchy is having a monarch with the power to actually rule. One can get rid of the undesirable part by eliminating either the monarch (replacing him with a republic or a democracy) or the monarch's power (replacing him with a constitutional monarchy, in which he is a figurehead). - Nunh-huh 07:54, 26 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Pardon the phrasing. But now that we have gotten past the guillotining of kings and queens (for the most part), wouldn't abolishing the monarchy in say, Britain, be much easier and more civilized? I can see how keeping working institutions might avoid unnecessary bloodshed and upheaval, but would Britons really be lost as to what to do if the monarchy was abolished? I don't know much about how the institution is seen in the country itself, and the help is appreciated. --Impaciente 08:19, 26 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Maybe check: British republican movement Marskell 08:28, 26 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The arguments within the UK certainly don't contend that Britons would be lost but for their monarch. The general arguments against the elimination of a monarchy are the contentions that [1] it's useful to have a separate head of state and head of government one political and one not; that [2] such systems are cheaper, that [3] monarchy attracts tourists, that [4] there's no pressing need for change, that [4] monarchs rule, but don't govern anyway, and [4] it's traditional and comfy and familiar and homey, and [5] why bother with changing a system we're happy with. (These may or may not be true, but certainly are put forth.) And probably some others that people may care to add. - Nunh-huh 08:30, 26 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Those are some pretty convincing reasons. Thanks again. --Impaciente 17:09, 26 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Just for completeness, Great Britain is neither a country, nor a monarchy; it's an island. Your question seems to presuppose that monarchies are inherently inferior to non-monarchies. May I suggest that you write a list of criteria by which you would judge the success of a country (e.g. GDP, median wage, income inequality, democracy, human/civil rights, foreign relations) and then use them to assess various countries with different systems of government. You may wish to consult Monarchy#Current monarchies and List of countries by system of government. I don't know what country you come from, or what your cultural context is, but I encourage you to always question your presuppositions. Also, apart from the fact that it's now, and you're here to see it, why is this day and age different? Cheers, Bovlb 20:09, 26 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

From what I understand, isn't Great Britain a constitutional monarchy? And just to clarify, you are the one presupposing that I assumed monarchies to be inferior. All I questioned is the fact that since they don't seem to do much in a practical sense, their doing away with should be considered, just like doing away with many things that don't serve much purpose. However, now that some helpful individuals made clear the fact that they do serve as some sort of cultural bond and source of stability, I see that there are reasons for them still being around. Since democracy now seems to be the way the world is going, albeit slowly and unsteadily in some parts, I hope you can see how my questioning the fact is understandable. --Impaciente 18:02, 27 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Well, Great Britain is still an island, and not a monarchy, country or state of any kind; perhaps you're thinking of the United Kingdom. My inference was that you seemed to think of monarchs as something that should be abolished by progress, and that progress is a good thing. My point was that there is more to the health of a country than whether it has an official monarch. Cheers, Bovlb 18:58, 27 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

This should probably be taken to a discussion forum, but since we are here, here are some possible reasons why having royalty is still a good idea, comparing (as an example) the British Monarchy with the US presidential system:

It's actually no more expensive to maintain royalty than a president. Security for the US president is enormous compared with that for the Queen, and the Queen doesn't have two private jets and a helicopter.
Royalty are excellent for when the head-of-state role is largely ceremonial. So the Queen gets to greet foreign dignitaries, open art galleries and make visits to foreign countries, leaving the head of government to get on with the business of governing. Of course an elected head-of-state could do the same job, but if they don't make any policy decisions what difference does it make?
It's much more of a conflict to swear allegiance to a president who you didn't vote for and who you may thing is the worst thing that ever happened to your country than it is to an essentially neutral monarch.
Lots more opportunity for tourist-type ceremonies.

DJ Clayworth 15:29, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Point 3 above is a major one. Basically, in the US, the head of state is someone you either supported or didn't. If you voted for the other guy, then you're a lot less likely to support the individual than you would be with a pretty innocuous monarch, who you've never had a reason to dislike - they're not supporting any policies either way, so...

In connection with this, a book I read a while back mentioned the rather sensible argument that someone is more willing to do something when requested by the Crown than when requested by the Country - if the letter on your doorstep asking you to take up a badly-paid civil service position is sent "from" the King, you're more likely to accept than you are if it comes from a somewhat meaningless administrative office. (In practice it's the same thing; in principle it seems different).

Additionally, the role of a monarch in a constitutional monarchy is also as a required advisor - whilst the PM may make all the decisions, he has to meet someone every week or two and explain what those decisions are and why they were made. Even if they don't have any power to stop him, simply making him explain his activities is often a pretty good brake on doing anything too stupid. You can have this in a pure democracy - a "private committee" of the former US presidents still working for the White House would be an interesting concept - but it's a bit of an odd thing to set up from scratch.

The UK has this down to a fine art, incidentally - the Queen has been meeting PMs regularly since 1952, reading every major state document in that period - she actually has more time to do this than the Prime Minister - and, as such, has probably about as good a grasp of what's going on as anyone else, since she's been able to view it from the highest level for decades. The Civil Service will have people with the same length of experience, but they'll have gained a lot of that experience working at a low level, and not seeing the full picture. And being able to say "Yes, it's an interesting problem, and when I discussed it with Sir Winston I remember him saying that..." - well, it's an astonishingly good way to calm down overenthusiastic politicians, especially since all UK politicians develop a Churchill complex eventually :-) Shimgray | talk | 16:23, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Heart Attacks 19th century

Where there significant amount of death due to coronary heart attacks in the nineteenth century? Do we know what percentage of the US population died from this disease? Did physicians know the symptoms? --alz

I checked an American and a French general medical text, both from the end of the 19th century. The American text contained a chapter on "Hygiene" that discussed causes of mortality rates and life expectancy. Infectious diseases and respiratory diseases topped the list of causes of death and heart disease was not considered a major killer. However, in the chapter on heart disease, "cardiac thrombosis" as a cause of sudden death was described, complete with discussion of myocardial damage visible at autopsy. The French text was more vague (though to be fair, it is more of an intern's handbook) and did not discuss anything in detail that I could identify as similar to "heart attack". alteripse 14:07, 26 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Selected Committees

i was just doing a piece of degree work on 'Who controls the PM in the UK political system' and it say told that the Selec Committee and the Standard Committee both control him, but not on a very large scale, therfore i just wanted a bit of help on how they control him?

In the UK Parliament, a select committee is a committee of MPs which oversees the work of a particular government department (for example, the Foreign Affairs Committee, which looks at the work of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.) In addition to the departmental select committees, there is also the Public Accounts Committee, which can look into essentailly anything that the government spends money on, and the Committee on Standards and Privileges, which handles complaints about MPs conduct. Your reference to the "Standard Committee" is probably the CSP, in the sense that the PM is an MP. The PM is also accountable to Parliament, via the weekly Prime Minister's Questions. What I have described is not how the PM is controlled, rather it is some of the ways that his actions are scrutinised. -- AJR | Talk 00:54, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The traditional 'controller' - that is they who hold the PM to account for his actions & the actions of his government - of government (& by extension the head of that government, the PM) is Parliament, though with the increase, over the past 50 years or so, in the power of the party machine & whips, the (growing) feeling that MP's are meant to support the party manifesto & their govenment rather than listening to the arguments & voting independently Parliament isn't fulfilling this job as well as it used to. AllanHainey 13:49, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

James VI of Scotland

What were James VI's policies during his reign of Scotland? 86.135.231.206 14:19, 26 November 2005 (UTC) K[reply]

From above: "If you need help with a specific part or concept of your homework, feel free to ask, but please do not post entire homework questions." This question appears to be of this sort and is much too broad. Check James I of England (he was sixth in Scotland, first in England) and if you have specific concerns or see gaps in the coverage, post a comment. Marskell 15:53, 26 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Oversized Posters, Superman Batman and Robin

I would love to know what these posters are worth, they were printed in 1966, and they are 40 1/2" long and 27" wide, they are not in mint condition, but good condition for they're age. No one has been able 2 give me an idea of they're worth, they are all printed at the bottom, with "G & F posters, NYC official licenees-copyright c National Periodical Publications Inc. 1966" Can anyone one help me?

If they are not official two-sheets - posters printed by the film production company on both sides of the poster for display in movie theaters - then they are not worth much more than what they were worth when printed. Even official film posters are not worth much unless there is some error in the print, such as a "Revenge of the Jedi" poster. Box office gross will increase a poster's value slightly. Signatures moreso. I sold a good-condition two-sheet of Pulp Fiction signed by Bruce Willis, Samuel L Jackson, and John Travolta for just over $300 on EBay. A sold one in mint-condition for $50. It is a matter of supply and demand. Thousands of posters are printed - enough so that every serious collector can have two or three of their favorite film. --Kainaw ^(talk) 19:29, 27 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Black Hills

How did the Black Hills in South Dakota get its name?

From the dark color of the trees which cover them. See for example [40]. —Charles P. (Mirv) 21:52, 26 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

which country first ever made venetian blinds

—Preceding unsigned comment added by 212.138.47.21 (talk • contribs)

Read the Venetian blinds article and you find the answer to this homework question. --hydnjo talk 20:49, 26 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

who unfurls the national flag of india in maharashtra

—Preceding unsigned comment added by 212.138.47.23 (talk • contribs)

flag hosting

do chief ministers in india unfurl flags on august 15 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 212.138.113.16 (talk • contribs)

August 15th is India's Independence Day. Unfurling the national flag is commonplace on Independence Day. --Kainaw ^(talk) 20:53, 26 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

flag

from which year did chief ministers started to unfurl the national flag on aug 15 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 212.138.47.15 (talk • contribs)

The previous question explains the significance of August 15 and the India article explains further as to what year India's independence from the UK was declared. --hydnjo talk 21:35, 26 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Where was alcohol found?

When did alcohol become popular? Where was it found and first used?

Through testing on ancient pottery jars, it has been revealed that beer (or something similar to wine) was produced about 7000 years ago in current day Iran. --Aytakin 03:00, 27 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

See Alcoholic beverage; the Mesopotamians were drinking beer as early as 4000BCE. --jpgordon ∇∆∇∆ 23:48, 26 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
Beer was also popular with ancient Egyptians. - Mgm|^(talk) 09:51, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Medjai?Mejai?Magi?Maji?Madjai??

Are the Medjai real? Or are they just figments of Stephen Somners imagination? Or are they based on a real society/organization/clan? If they are, what are they?

Thanks

John David Fernandez

I presume you are talking about The Mummy movies. See the article about the Magi. --Canley 22:39, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

November 27

Rainbow Bridge National Monument

What is the latitude and Longitude of the Rainbow Bridge National Monument?

See Rainbow Bridge National Monument. (Although I must admit that the answer is hidden: it's in the Google map link, which contains the coordinates 37.077270N 110.964403W, about 37°4'38"N 110°57'52"W.) Lupo 20:31, 27 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

which is the world's biggest election constituency?

By area, possibly Nunavut (electoral district), which covers the exact same area as the Canadian territory of the same name. The article for the territory gives the total area as 2,093,190 km², of which land comprises 1,936,113 km² (92.5%). Thryduulf 07:41, 27 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Depends on your definition. If you want the largest pure popular vote position, probably the directly-elected President of Indonesia is the biggest. Another candidate is the entire United States of America, but the President is not elected directly by popular vote, with the U.S. Electoral College system. Geographically largest is would be the elections for President of Russia. The "world's largest democracy" is India; it, however, has a parliamentary system of government, the President is a figurehead appointed by Parliament and the individual electoral divisions that make up the parliament aren't *that* big. In terms of the largest internal single-member electoral division, by area, I'm afraid Australia has got Canada beaten: it's the Division of Kalgoorlie at 2,295,354 square kilometres. --Robert Merkel 07:57, 27 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The Outer Delhi constituency in India has 3,103,525 voters. That's probably the largest single-member parliamentary district in the world. -- Mwalcoff 02:57, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Single, yes, but the state of California has two Senators representing its 34+ million people. User:Zoe|^(talk) 03:42, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Not to mention they have only 1 governor...Brian Schlosser42 15:47, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

american literature

Is there a book in American literature which glorifies the american dream of success as opposed to those which show its failure? Thanks

Horatio Alger stories Lotsofissues 10:06, 27 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

DOCUMENTARY OF RUSSIA'S INDUSTRY

Texts about Ares.

I am looking for a short prose or any text about Ares, the greek god. I did a lot of search but all I found was text about other things with only a line about ares. I am looking for a text about Ares and more specifically a piece of litature like a book or play. Thank you

While we do have something on Ares, I hesitate to recommend it or even to call it an article. It gets ungrammatical in the second sentence, and I can't figure out what was meant. However, that Wikipedia page has two literature references at the very bottom that might be of help to you. Lupo 20:22, 27 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Part of your challenge is that little was written about Ares in the Greek literature we have. He is mentioned in the Iliad and is a minor God and takes part in a few actions, but after that is pretty much used as a figure of speech (i.e., as the embodiment of war). If you want a synopsis of the mentions in all of the ancient sources, Robert Graves' The Greek Myths is widely available in libraries and bookstores. alteripse 22:25, 27 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks ALOT

Population of Kerkrade, Limburg, Netherlands

What is the population of Kerkrade in Limburg, Netherlands?

49,316, according to our article on Kerkrade. Remember to search first. It's quicker! Shantavira 18:15, 27 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The people on the [Dutch Wikipedia may have access to more recent info. - Mgm|^(talk) 09:54, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Israeli judicial policies

I recently saw a movie set in Israel (Ushpizin) in which part of the plot was that two convicts had been sent home "on leave" and had to return back to jail later (they decided not to at the last minute). What is this practice called? It looks somewhat like the U.S. form of probation but here you don't go back unless you've violated the terms of it in some way. It caught me a little off-guard because it was such a different form of judicial practice, and made me and my companions very curious about whether they have many problems with people just not going back to jail (as in the movie), since that seemed like the natural result. --Fastfission 18:48, 27 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

It's not specific to Israel. Some European countries also know this; I know for sure that Germany and Switzerland have it. The German term is Hafturlaub. It's not quite probation, (German Bewährung), where the convict doesn't go to jail at all unless he violates the terms of the probation. It's not a leave on parole either, which is kind of a probation granted for the rest of a prison sentence after the convict had served some time in prison. The literal translation would be "vacation from arrest"; it's an unsupervised leave from prison of short duration (a few days at most), granted for special occasions if the convict has behaved well and is trusted to return, to allow him to prepare e.g. the life after his release, or attend a funeral of a family member, or similar reasons. Most convicts do actually return to prison on their own; but the few cases where convicts on leave commit new crimes and/or don't return cause considerable controversy. Lupo 20:16, 27 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

It sounds like the best English translation would be "furlough"; you're probably familiar with the controversy around the 1988 U.S. presidential election and Willie Horton. Deltabeignet 02:34, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Australia has periodic detention; a famous if unfortunate case was that of Rene Rivkin, an unwell man whose periodic detention became untenable and who spent most of his sentence under psychiatric care. However, I believe in most cases it's regarded as reasonably successful, if the kind of thing that News Corporation tabloids do occasional beatup stories about.

One thing you have to keep in mind is that the US has probably the harshest, most punitive criminal justice system in the western world (only Japan and that little outpost of totalitarianism Singapore come to mind as harsher). The evidence that it is a cost-effective way of reducing crime is, IIRC, extremely scanty. --Robert Merkel 04:23, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I concur with Deltabeignet that the word would be "furlough". -- Jmabel | Talk 04:54, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Right, furlough it is. And since that link is red, you have a prime chance to improve this encyclopedia :-) See also furlough. Lupo 08:07, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

That's very interesting, thanks. --Fastfission 21:33, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

What is the daily, family life roles in France?

I am doing a project on France and I am looking for information on family life roles of the people. How the family structure is typically in society etc. Can someone help?

It's a modern, secular, Western country with (as we recently found out) a large immigrant population, with people who live in one of the most sophisticated cities on earth, as well as rednecks who like to drive around in hotted-up cars on a Saturday night (a friend of mine was telling me about the youths cruising the main street of Avignon...). So trying to generalise is going to be extremely dangerous. How would you characterise American family life in a way that reflected the stereotypical lifestyles of Greenwich Village, Berkeley, and Salt Lake City? --Robert Merkel 04:15, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Having never been to the US I would have no idea!

Kaizers Orchestra (Maestro)

Hi iam a huge kaizers orchestra fan (there is a page about them on here) how ever they are norwegian and i am not, therefore it is very hard to find things out about them.

anyway i have a couple of questions about them:

in a interview with them it says that 'Maestro' the new album is about Dieter Meyers Institution, where people went after the war when they were mentaly ill, i would like to know if Dieter Meyers is a real institution and if you could give me some infomation on it if it is, also i mentiond a war, however i dont know what war this is??

please please please im beggin you can somebody awnser these questions or give me any other infomation about the people that they mention in the albums, E.G a person called 'Tony' is metioned in the album 'oompa til du dor' in the songs 'Bak Et Halleujah' and 'Rullet' please please can you help me out

thank you so much

Josh

81.102.85.208 20:05, 27 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Religion

Why not quote progressive theologians like John Shelby Spnong, Marcus Borg and Karen Armstrong? Enough riht-wing Falwell and Robertson non-sense, because you elevate their status.

I have no idea to what article or context you refer. I do suspect that Karen Armstrong does not belong in the list. Spong and Borg are professing Christians; I do not think Armstrong is any more. alteripse 22:57, 27 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I suspect you are referring to the political implications of various theologians. You could make it more clear exactly who you are encouraging to quote these theologians or as to what the elevating status is referring to.--Screwball23 ^talk 05:52, 4 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

JOSE ROBLES

I am researching the history of my great grandfather Jose Robles married to Ramonda Lopez and their association if any to Pancho Villa or the revolution. Can you provide me with any information related to their history? Please reply asap. Thank You

Unless your great grandfather is somehow famous for his associated to the revolution, we won't have any information specifically on them.--Robert Merkel 12:05, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

annual tv ratings

i am trying to find a list of the most popular television shows by year. i have been successful up to the year 1999; after this i can only find weekly ratings. any ideas or links to the info i need?

You'll need to specify what country you need them for. If you have the weekly ratings, you could add up all the ratings for the year, although that would take a while. smurrayinchester^{(User), (Talk)} 07:48, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

November 28

1943 gold victory 5 cent coin

What about it?? You must ask a specific question if you want an answer. JackofOz 02:41, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

native american indians bathroom habits

What about them?? You must ask a specific question if you want an answer. JackofOz 02:42, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Of those I know personally, same as anyone else's in town. What an odd (non-)question. -- Jmabel | Talk 04:57, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Jmabel, I hesistate to ask, but ... how do you know? We are talking about "bathroom habits" in the euphemistic sense here, aren't we? as in, what people do when they "go to the bathroom"? JackofOz 05:30, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Surviving Female Veterans of World War I

A Wikipedia user Steve has sent an e-mail to the Wikipedia Help Desk.

There's been a lot of interest recently in the dwindling band of WW1 survivors and I've just looked at your listing for various countries. However it only lists men. Significant numbers of women were involved too, in nursing the many casualties in both the Red Cross and voluntary organisations such as Voluntary Aid Detachments, as well as the many women who worked as munitionettes in the arms factories.

Do you know if anyone has researched whether any of these women are still alive? Although the numbers involved must have been smaller than the number of male combattants, the greater longevity of women makes it at least possible that there are still some survivors. It would be fascinating to hear their stories.

Do you have any information, or can you put me in contact with anyone who may? Woman auxilary soilders were did not exist the way the existed in wwII. Because 85 plus years have past since the war ended, they may all be dead. There are only a few male ww I veterans alive, only in 100's. Their are some still alive because so many men are under arms some just happen to have longevity.

Any help you can give him would be greatly appreciated. Capitalistroadster 05:30, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Diego Velázquez

This is one of the best FAs on Wikipedia. However, there is a bit at the end of the article that concerns me. It says "Ricardo Pecharromán celebrated the quadricentennial of Velázquez's birth in 1999 by recreating a number of Velázquez's works in a postmodern style" with a image of his artwork: Image:RicardoPecharromán SurrenderofBreda.JPG. Can someone please fact check this. My search has turned up little but I think it may be a language/culture barrier thing. Should Ricardo Pecharromán have an article in Wikipedia? --maclean25 07:50, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The Spanish Armada

What is the name of the port from which the Armada sailed on its attack against England?

If you check the article Spanish Armada, you will see that the fleet sailed from Lisbon in Portugal. --Canley 11:56, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

school

how shool came to be established?

dates back to vedic period in india when students used to stay with their teachers for learning. this was the gurukul [[41]] system of schooling (guru=teacher and kul=family).-Tachs 12:59, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

School as a place where children go to learn in a group from a teacher is described in classical Greece and Rome as well. alteripse 13:26, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

If you believe John Taylor Gatto, our schools were based much more on the more structured vedic schools than on Greek institutions. — Laura Scudder ☎ 16:29, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks for the intriguing link-- I never heard of this guy. However, with respect to vedic schools, I suspect "based on" is closer to "derived from" than to "resembled" in meaning and I would want more historical evidence to be convinced western school systems are derived from vedic schools even if they resemble vedic schools more. I also have to say that at first superficial acquaintance from our article on him, I find Gatto's thesis appalling: in the West people fought for centuries to make education public rather than a privilege of the wealthy. He wants to go back to that? alteripse 16:59, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I find his agenda rather appalling, too, but his research in The Underground History of American Education was pretty compelling. He uses writings by the founders of public education in order to get at their motives, and it's not pretty. And he does present some supporting stuff for the vedic schools thesis, but exactly how direct the connection, I can't answer. — Laura Scudder ☎ 15:57, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Reinaldo Arenas book

Could anyone please help me find the meaning of the following words or sentences from Reinaldo Arenas' "Celestino antes del alba" (the numbers in brackets indicate the page where they appear in the Tusquets 2000 edition).

- yucayedra (34-35)

- Foss! (56)

- pití (68;193) - could it be the pitihua (Colaptes pitius) or the Colaptes melanochlorus, carpintero pitío?

- desatizacada (71)

- almojicas bravas (75;121)

- sandoval, mata de (47;100;103;171) - could it be sandiego, the Gomphrena globosa, instead?

- itamorriales (211) - could it be derived from itamo, Euphorbia tithymaloides?

capullo (various) - can it mean the top of a tree?

Thanks.

José Aguilar

--Hi--

Am I Wierd?

-Sylvester

Dear Sylvester... Are u a mugger? and the answer is yes

Dominican Republic Gender Roles

I was hoping to find out some information on male and female roles in the Dominican Republic. OR a good site to go to so that i can find the information. I am asking for help on my history project and i have tried many places looking for the information i don't want someone to do the work for me i just need help.

I assume that in general gender roles in the DR are little different from throughout Latin America: more traditional and less progressive in the rural and less educated parts of society, and a bit closer to European and American gender roles among the more privileged. Do you know that the DR was the location for one interesting phenomenon with a large and controversial influence on educated thinking about the relative roles of biology and culture in gender roles, or is that the whole point of your "history project"? alteripse 17:27, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Signing of the Declaration of Independence

I was told that there was a man who signed the Declaration of Independence to include his address, as he had a common name and wanted to make sure they had the right address if he was arrested or executed. Is this true? And who was it? Why can't I see it on the Declaration of Independence? Thank you!

Perhaps you mean Charles Carroll, who signed it "Charles Carroll of Carrollton". It's in the third column of signatures, a few under John Hancock's. I have no idea if that's why he signed it in that fashion, though. --Fastfission 21:52, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
- Had he simply signed "Charles Carroll", he might have been confused with his father, Charles Carroll of Annapolis, or his son, Charles Carroll of Homewood. His grandfather (simply Charles Carroll) was already dead. - Nunh-huh 00:21, 29 November 2005 (UTC) (And to clarify: this wasn't peculiar, or something made up just for signing the Declaration of Independence. Adding a place name (or toponym) was a common way of distinguishing between men with identical or otherwise similar names.) It wasn't an address as such. - Nunh-huh 00:36, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Life

What is the meaning of life? And why are we on this earth? To die?

Tough question!! Everyone in the world has asked that question from themselves millions of time. This is what I think is the answer. Each person has a different prespective on it. Each person has to think about their own life and figure out what they want from life, and then dedicate their life to that goal and try to be happy and healthy. There is no real answer to your questions, but I would recommend looking into your religion. Of course this is a short answer and the prespective of me only.

--Aytakin 21:49, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

A good way to start thinking about the answer is to really think about the question. What is it supposed to tell you? Why ask it in the first place? What exactly do you mean by "meaning"? Probing the question itself may lead to a better insight (about life, and perhaps yourself) than reading speculations about the answer, of which there are multitudes. (Then again, I am a graduate student, and "probing the question itself" is a common academic way to dodge answering difficult questions!) --Fastfission 21:56, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Fine, I'll be the one to say it. "Well, it's nothing very special. Uh, try and be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try and live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations." George 05:45, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

"And, finally, here are some completely gratuitous pictures of penises..." - Akamad 06:09, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Some would say to enable our DNA to replicate itself. Filiocht | The kettle's on 10:46, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

42 is the answer. Dismas|^(talk) 11:53, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Personal view: life has no meaning in the abstract. Each life has a shifting, provisional meaning that is made through the process of living it. The meaning of your life is the totality of what you do. Filiocht | The kettle's on 11:57, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Love God.

Have you ever considered the fact that the entire purpose of your life may be simply to act as a warning to others?

In my opinion, there is no ultimate meaning to anything. Our consciousness is just an overlay of the events that transpire in relation to our corpus - see Determinism. — flamingspinach | (talk) 02:55, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

November 29

He's Already Dead, Jim...

{{spoiler}} I'm trying to compile a collection of movies in which the common theme is that the main character is already dead, but does not know it yet. Some examples would be: The Sixth Sense, The Others, Dead Man, Jacob's Ladder, Donnie Darko (mostly), and Angel Heart. Can anyone think of any other movies that would fall under this category?

Does Sunset Boulevard (1950 film) qualify? User:Zoe|^(talk) 03:47, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

-Yea, that would count. I was looking more for thriller/horror type mess-with-your-mind movies. But that sounds like a quality film, so I'll have to check it out, too. Thanks

Would "Pirates of the Caribbean" count? Seem to recall Johnny Depp's character was dead but hadn't realised it.

I haven't seen the movie, but if he's dead, how can they be doing a sequel? User:Zoe|^(talk) 03:17, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The movie is awesome, but he wasn't dead. None of the pirates were dead, they were cursed so they couldn't die (they looked like skeletons/zombies when the moonlight was on them). I'd query Donnie Darko. What about Final Destination? The characters should have died, but then 'cheated death', so as far as fate was concerned, they were dead, and kept trying to 'make it official'. I was going to suggest Ghost, but then, Patrick Swayze definitely did know he was dead. Proto t c 10:51, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

DAMN YOU - you ruined Donnie Darko for me.... Lotsofissues 10:30, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Lotsofissues: you should see Donnie Darko anyway. The ending is open to interpretation; I know some people who don't think Donnie EVER died. Mareino 19:33, 5 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Secretary of the Treasury

Where does the Secretary of the Treasury work exactly? More specifically, where is his or her office located?

--72.226.49.214 03:00, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

From the page at their website, which is linked to from our United States Department of Treasury article, the address is:

Department of the Treasury

1500 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Washington, D.C. 20220

User:Zoe|^(talk) 03:49, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

court records sealed

My question is about Scott Ritter in particular, but there is also a general question: what does it mean when court records are sealed for a legal case? Is there any way for the public to find out about the case? Is it against the law for someone, say a government official, to leak to the press information about a legal case for which the records have been sealed? --JWSchmidt 04:08, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

At least in theory the records are actually put into containers and the containers closed with a tamper-proof seal. In practice this might not physically be done for all the data, but the effect (that those in possession of it can't disclose it to anyone) apply nevertheless. It's been sealed by court order, so it would be contempt of court to break the seal. Sealed documents can't be accessed by anyone, including the government, without permission from the court - the court in this regard is sovereign, and only a superior court can overrule the court's refusal to disclose a sealed document. So the only way to find out what the sealed documents say is to petition the court. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 22:21, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks for the information. I read at a website that a judge can either seal all or just parts of the records related to a case. Are the records of such decisions available online? Do you have to physically go to a courthouse to access such records (find out if all or part of the records were sealed)? If after some court records are sealed, can members of the press interview officials (law enforcement, lawyers) and reconstruct a case without actually accessing the sealed court records or are officials associated with the case obligated to keep quiet about such a case? For example, is the press (or Wikipedia) able to publish the names of people involved in a legal case if a judge sealed the records for the case? Is it really possible for a prosecutor and a judge to decide not to finish prosecuting a case on the condition that a defendant "stay out of trouble for six months"? If the defendant meets such a condition, can that case still be counted as being part of the defendant's "criminal record" and possibly influence decisions in future cases involving the defendant or is the original case no longer part of that defendant's "criminal record"? --JWSchmidt 03:36, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

USA Patriot Act, title 2

Title 2, section 223 of the USA PATRIOT Act modified 18 U.S.C. § 2520(a) to state the following:

"Except as provided in section 2511 (2)(a)(ii), any person whose wire, oral, or electronic communication is intercepted, disclosed, or intentionally used in violation of this chapter may in a civil action recover from the person or entity, other than the United States, which engaged in that violation such relief as may be appropriate."

(Section 2520 deals with recovery of civil damages)

The bit here that was ammended was "other than the United States". I'm interested to know what this exactly means. Does this mean that if damages need to be awarded that the United States government is exempt? - Ta bu shi da yu 04:18, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Yes. It's sovereign immunity, and it is generally accorded to the federal government which cannot be sued unless it waives its own immunity. The law was probably amended to make clear that it wasn't to be construed as such a waiver. - Nunh-huh 04:43, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Online "Culture" vs. the Classics

I'm working on an article with the premise that students in today's classrooms are not prepared to deal with classic literature. My assumption is that they spend so much time on the Internet, playing video games, and watching movies that they have become incapable of sitting through the intellectual exercise of reading a book or a poem or a play. What I need, however, is some evidence to back this theory up. Any thoughts and links would be useful

Yes, that's a problem we all encounter sometimes. You reached your conclusion, and now you only need some evidence; have a look at our Iraq and weapons of mass destruction article. This article from the LA Times makes the exact same point about the influence of the internet on reading, btw. David Sneek 13:53, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

World War II questionnaire

I need to contact someone who experienced life during World War II. None of my living relatives, that I know of, at least, lived during that time period or in a country involved in the war. So, I have turned to the internet. I need to ask this person some ten or fifteen short questions about their experiences of life during the war years. Any information which could help me get in touch with someone like this would be highly appreciated. If possible I would like to conduct the questionnaire via email, but if this is not possible, I would be willing to send it via postal mail (I live in the United States). Thanks for your help. — flamingspinach | (talk) 06:17, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Do these people have to be from European countries or can they be local to you in the US? If the latter, there are a few places you will probably find plenty of people of the right age group. You could try your local library, community centre or churches. Perhaps you could arrange to leave copies of your questionnaire in those type of places (ask someone who works there first, of course). Mattley 13:09, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Local would be just fine. These are all good ideas, thanks for the input. I may try to leave the questionnaire at a library, though I don't know how much of an audience that would reach. I'm not a member of any community centre or church, so I wouldn't be able to take advantage of these resources. — flamingspinach | (talk) 02:50, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Your best bet is your local Legion (are they called that in the US?) or Veterans Association. You should be able to find someone who served in the war there. It would, incidentally, be very interesting to get the answers to the same questions from someone who served in the forces and someone who stayed at home, and then from someone who was in a European country too. You could also try asking anyone you know who might be an immigrant since WWII. DJ Clayworth 19:50, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I found a local American Legion Post using Google Local, and will check it out. Thanks for the suggestion. I'm also thinking of dropping by a retirement home that is close to where I live - maybe I can find someone there who would be willing to relate their tales of the war years. — flamingspinach | (talk) 02:50, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Incidentally I was born during WW II so I experienced life then, but was so young I not remember it. You might want to set some minimum age of people who were alive back then, then go visit old folks homes, knowing you want to talk to people who are 70 years old, or whatever. AlMac|[[User talk:AlMac|(talk)]] 06:49, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Problem solved - I was able to find a World War II veteran who served in Europe transporting supplies to the front lines. Got pretty interesting answers to my questionnaire. Thanks for all your help. — flamingspinach | (talk) 16:13, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Awakening

In which sutra was Gautama Buddha said to have meditated under the bodhi tree for forty-nine days after his awakening? ‣ᓛᖁᑐ 10:24, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I think it was The Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra. Filiocht | The kettle's on 10:39, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I was thinking that might be it, but I couldn't find this there. The Lotus Sutra goes much further, saying he meditated for ten small kalpas before enlightenment, preached for 8,000 kalpas, and then meditated for 84,000 kalpas. ‣ᓛᖁ

ᑐ 10:59, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I was pretty sure that The Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra says he meditated for seven times seven days and that he also preached that sutra for 49 years. However, looking here, it would appear that this is actualy from the Commentary. Maybe that is the only source and it's not actually stated explicitly in any sutra? Filiocht | The kettle's on 11:25, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Ah, that's a very recent commentary, though, from Hsuan Hua. At least that confirms the legend is in Ch'an also. ‣ᓛᖁ

ᑐ 13:46, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The story also appears in the Nidanakatha. Filiocht | The kettle's on 09:02, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I see! Thanks. [42] ‣ᓛᖁ

ᑐ 09:32, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

enigma musical project

how many copies had enigma musical project sold?

Were people sheep before Animal Farm?

I read Animal Farm tonight and got to wondering if people who are submissive were referred to as sheep before the book was published.

In the New Testament, Jesus describes his followers as sheep. The expression wolf in sheep's clothing, which assumes that the sheep is docile, dates from the 1400s, the expression lamb to the slaughter is found in the Book of Isaiah. All in all, it's an old simile. Filiocht | The kettle's on 11:33, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The New Testament picture of sheep is a little different from the one today. To call someone a sheep today would imply they are conformist or easily led, possibly not very bright. In the NT it is much more associated with needing protection. DJ Clayworth 19:45, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

It's also worth noting that sheep were noble animals in the Bible. "Lamb to the slaughter" implies bravery, according to some historians (off the top of my head, Prof. John Pilch). Mareino 19:41, 5 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Oil in the Earth's core.

Why is there oil deep in the Earth? Could it be, like in cars, to keep the Earth cool? Could this be a reason why we are also experiencing Global Warming? What purpose does the oil serve deep in the Earth? What will happen when we deplete all the oil? Does the Earth keep producing oil?

For answers to those questions and more tune into next weeks article of Petroleum! Oh, and there is no oil in the Earth's core. Comedy | Comedy 12:19, 29 November 2005

To expand, the oil is in the earth's crust, only a few miles down. The Earth's core is thousands of miles down, and there's only iron there, no oil. The great majority of earth scientists believe oil is made by slow compression and heating of ancient vegitation (from tens or hundreds of millions of years ago) - so yes the earth is still making oil, but at a very slow rate (far slower than people are currently extracting it). Now, there's a very small number of earth scientists who don't believe this "fossil oil" theory, and say that oil is made by bacteria (or other little creatures like bacteria) make oil when they eat the rocks and stuff down in the warmer parts of the earth's crust. This is the abiogenic petroleum origin theory - if it's true (like I say, most scientists in that field don't think it is) then the bacteria are pooping out oil right now, and depleted oilfields will fill up, probably a lot quicker than by the incredibly slow fossil mechanism (but probably still much slower than the current rate of extraction). -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 22:53, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

There's oil 'deep' in the earth because lots of vegetation got covered over by land (eg in a series of big earthquakes) and lowered to 7,500 to 15,000 feet below sea level, the depths at which the pressure is great enough to compress & break them down into their hydrocarbon chains (below 15,000 feet there is greater pressure & gas is created), this takes millions of years.

Petroleum doesn't keep the earth cool. The generally accepted reason why we are expeiencing global warming (accepted by around 99% of scientists) is that we've pumped so much carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere.

Oil in the earths crust serves the purpose of being a store of carbon - it's down there & isn't in the atmosphere increasing the global temperature. However for the past 150 years we've been taking it out & making it serve other purposes - running cars, making plastics, making fertilisers, making detergents & other chemicals, providing heat & electricity, etc. By the way the word 'purpose' seems to give the implication that oil has been put in the earth for some good reason, I'd say that isn't the case & its just a result of the geological features of the planet, though of course your view on this may depend on your religios beliefs.

What will happen when we run out of oil - think of all the things you use it for, now try to do without them. There will be major economic upheaval, wars over the last of the oil, huge numbers will die as agriculture won't be able to provide enough food (sans oil derived fertilisers & tractors), etc. Actually (assuming that climate change doesn't get us first) this will all happen long before we run out of oil - see oil depletion and peak oil for the reasons & a more detailed explanation.

Finally does the earth keep producing oil, yes but it takes millions of years & requires specific geological circumstances, so I wouldn't hold your breath. AllanHainey 08:43, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I think you're thinking of motor oil. Motor oil doesn't keep the car cool so much as it lessens friction. Since the "moving parts" of the earth don't move nearly as fast as a car engine, the crude oil inside the earth doesn't accomplish much of the effect you're thinking of, although it could have a very small effect in preventing or lessening the effect of an earthquake, I suppose. Mareino 19:45, 5 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Jimi Hendrix "Voodoo Chile"

What is the source of the title of the song, "Voodoo Chile?" The lyrics use the words "voodoo child" and track 16 on the album "Electric Ladyland" is called "Voodoo Child." Is there history to the title?

Voodoo Chile and Voodoo Child (Slight Return) are frequently confused. (Stevie Ray Vaughan covered the latter, calling it "Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)". The title looks to come from the lyrics, which are a story in themselves.

Basically, "Voodoo Chile" is a long blues jam that evolved from something written as a Muddy Waters homage/medley; see the external link above for more on that. Track 16, "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" is pretty much psychedelic rock with a dash of blues. It was recorded the day after "Voodoo Chile"; some TV crew was filming them, and Jimi said "OK, let's play this in E" and went into "VC (SR)", which they did three times. (I'm getting this from his best-of compilation liner notes.) So, in short, yes, there is history to the title. Deltabeignet 23:15, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Amerie

i have 2 questions

how did u find out that amerie's latest album is platinum and i have and i don't think she was born in 1978 she was born 1980 beacuse when she first came out she was 22 years old and it was the year 2002. i remember.

Thank you for your suggestion. When you feel an article needs improvement, please feel free to make those changes. Wikipedia is a wiki, so anyone can edit almost any article by simply following the Edit this page link at the top. The Wikipedia community encourages you to be bold in updating pages. Don't worry too much about making honest mistakes — they're likely to be found and corrected quickly. If you're not sure how editing works, check out how to edit a page, or use the sandbox to try out your editing skills. New contributors are always welcome. You don't even need to log in (although there are many reasons why you might want to). Thryduulf 22:32, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Is ethnicity legally defined in the U.S.?

Are categories of ethnicity and race defined by law in the United States? My brother was adopted from Paraguay, and I have several cultural connections with Mexico, but I don't have any ancestry that would traditionally be considered "Hispanic" or "Latino". Could I legally designate myself as Hispanic or Latino on employment applications, college applications, etc.? Or is there something written on my birth certificate or somewhere that's legally binding, or a definition somewhere in the law? I guess my question really is, in legal settings, can you consciously decide what race you are in the United States? -- Creidieki 22:43, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

You can designate yourself Martian if you want in the US if you thought there would be an advantage to it. The only ethnicity that is legally disputable and subject to an organization's review and rejection is a claim of membership in an American Indian tribe (in which case you need lots of documentation and maybe even the right DNA polymorphisms). The category of Hispanic especially is wide open and the government has no tight definition or "official" certifiers. alteripse 23:40, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

According to Wisconsin Statute 560.036, "'Hispanic' means a person of any race whose ancestors originated in Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Central America or South America or whose culture or origin is Spanish." -- Mwalcoff 02:10, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Under that definition, people from Haiti, Suriname, Belize, French Guiana, and Guyana qualify as "Hispanic". The definition seems a tad broad. It also doesn't take into account the Native peoples or people from places like Argentina of Italian heritage or Alberto Fujimori. User:Zoe|^(talk) 03:00, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

It depends what you mean by "defined by law". You won't be put in jail for claiming to be whatever you want to claim yourself to be. However there are "standard categories" used by government agencies for information collection. Some of them vary from state to state by different agencies. The most common ones are the ones used for the U.S. Census. We have an article on them at Race (U.S. Census). While the U.S. government currently does not have any restrictions on racial self-definition that I know of, in the past this was clearly not the case. --Fastfission 02:59, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I had a friend of absolutely no traditional Hispanic descent who happenned to be born while his parents were working and living in Puerto Rico. He marked all his college apps with Hispanic and there was nothing technically wrong with that. I'd say that ethnicity is a very personal and flexible thing (with the exception of American Indian tribes as noted above), so if you can pass the red-face test if it comes up in an interview, you'd be ok. — Laura Scudder ☎ 02:24, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Flag changes

As far as I'm aware, there's currently discussion about the following flag changes:

Fiji – Great Council of Chiefs to discuss change of flag in December
Kosovo – well, not really a change; discussion about adoption of flag (to be used upon independence, most likely)
Mozambique – flag stems from single-party era and has an AK-47 on it
Venezuela – Chávez wants to change number of stars to eight and change the horse in the coat of arms (connected to his plan to refound Venezuela as a Socialist Bolivarian Republic, IIRC?)

My first question would be whether anyone would happen to know any details as to the likelihood of changes.

Secondly, there are a few flags not currently under discussion, which have been under discussion (or should be ;)):

Australia and New Zealand – change proposed more often than just a few times...
Angola – new flag proposed in 2003, still not ratified
Tokelau and Tuvalu – both still use a blue ensign; Tokelau could consider changing from NZ's flag once it becomes an Associated State, if it does, and Tuvalu... mh, don't know.

What's the status and likelihood of these flag changes?

Thanks for any information you can contribute! ナイトスタリオン ✉ 23:16, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Not based on any particularly current knowledge, but if Chavez wants a change, he's very likely to get it. I believe things are pretty quiet on the flag front in Australia at the moment, but a change in the long term seems quite possible. Warofdreams talk 00:30, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
- Confirms what I assumed in both cases. Thanks! ナイトスタリオン ✉ 05:42, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

According to http://www.angola.org, the new Angolan flag will be adopted after the next general election, which should be pretty soon -- the reports I saw referred to them as being expected in late 2005-early 2006. --jpgordon∇∆∇∆ 01:21, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
- Mh, Maximiliano Herrera's Electoral Calendar says August '06, but maybe there's some reason for early elections he and I don't know about...? (Well, as far as on can still talk of "elections" with a president in office since '79... ::cough::) Do the reports say anything like that? ナイトスタリオン ✉ 05:42, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
  - Could be I was looking at older data than you -- oldest reports I saw said just 2005, then some said December 2005, then some said early 2006, so I imagine it's been shoved back a few times. --jpgordon∇∆∇∆ 06:01, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
    - Well, I imagine dos Santos pretty much chooses on his own when he wants to be re"elected"... ;) ナイトスタリオン ✉ 06:51, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Found some info on Fiji myself, for anyone who's interested; reportedly (see Flag of Fiji) the only change they want to make is to include the whole coat of arms, including the motto and the two humans on it. ナイトスタリオン ✉ 11:49, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

November 30

Philosophy

Explain why Carnap needs to make a theory/observation distinction, and explain how he connects the two. Explain both Putnam and Hanson's objections to this distinction.

I believe Carnap would need to make a theory/observation distinction in order for you to do your own homework. --Borbrav 01:05, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Stephen King characteristics

I need to find characteristics of Stephen King (not his books, King himself), but I can't find it due to a page appearing when I search for Stephen King saying that it is unable to search for it at the time, so I am limited to just the Stephen King page and it's links.

Thnx

Like male, American, successful professional writer, resident of Maine, or more like omnivorous, oxygen-breathing, multicellular, vertebrate carbon-based life form? alteripse 02:20, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Try Stephen King again. It seems to be working fine now. --hydnjo talk 04:45, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Amerie Pt. 2

Does anybody know Amerie's vocal profile?

South America Uniting

I am doing a research project on Venezuela, thus I have read from many sources that venezuela, and South America for that matter, wants to unite. Thus they are rejecting FTAA and the US's "Hegemonic" influence in the area. Yet I cannot find any information about how south America wants to unite, by what means or by what agreements do they wish to unite by/under? They allready have LAFTA and LAIA, I do not understand how they could unite other than that without loosing their soverignty. How can they also pay back their national debts (venezuela in particular) and peacefully dislodge the US from its position in the area? Thank you very much for your time in answering this, and please pardon any ignorace on my part. Thank you, Shauna

See our article on the South American Community of Nations, or CSN for short.

ナイトスタリオン ✉ 05:46, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Valkymar

My great grandfather immigrated to the USA in 1900. His paperwork says that he was born in “Valkymar, Russia”. We also have information that he came from Lithuania. We cannot locate any town close to the name of Valkymar. Do you have any idea what city this might be, and which country? Thanks so much

Did you try the Shtetl Seeker? It shows Vilkomir (Wilkomir, Wiłkomierz, Vilkmergė, Ukmergės, Ukmergė) at 55°15' 24°45' in Lithuania, 45.1 miles NNW of Vilnius, as well as other (less likely) possibilities. - Nunh-huh 05:21, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

We might be related! Almost undoubtedly, you're thinking of the town of Ukmerge, Lithuania, known in Yiddish as Vilkomir [43]. My relatives emigrated from the same area around the same time. -- Mwalcoff 02:07, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

System of government changes

Well, similar to the question I posted yesterday evening (evening for me at least ;)), I'd like to know whether you can add any information to the following...

There are currently sixteen Commonwealth Realms (including the United Kingdom). I've read over the last two years that Barbados, Jamaica and Tuvalu are all supposed to hold referenda on becoming a republic – what's the current status of this? And is there discussion in any of the other thirteen Realms? I know about the Australian referendum in 1999, but what's the status now? Canada and New Zealand apparently also occasionally discuss this notion, right?

Then, there's a number of other monarchies which seem likely to change status.

AFAIK, Samoa is now officially a republic, and it's just a de facto constitutional monarchy until the current head of state, one of the two former monarchs, dies, correct?
In Bhutan, the ruler himself is propagating a democratic constitution which would deprive him of most of his special powers; I've read that the referendum on it is supposed to be held this December, but I haven't been able to find anything to confirm that via Google.
With the current power struggle in Nepal, it appears as if the democratic forces could in effect even abolish monarchy altogether, doesn't it? What are the chances of this, as opposed to Nepal simply becoming a constitutional monarchy?
And it seems there's a strong anti-monarchist sentiment in Tonga, but I haven't read anything about concrete actions towards abolishment yet...

And should you happen to know anything about movement to abolish monarchy anywhere else (or reinstate it? ;)), I'm naturally also interested. Thanks in advance, as always! ナイトスタリオン ✉ 07:00, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

In Canada, the concept of a change to republican status is a fringe political position. None of the major political parties support it and there is no large group agitating for it. Any significant political discussion of constitutional changes is in other areas. --Anonymous Canadian, 00:32 UTC, December 1, 2005

Ukraine

I am looking for Gitomir, Volhynia, Ukraine - what is it today? I know there were silver manufacturers there but there is no history on it. what is the modern name or has it just disappeared?

It appears to be the current Zhytomyr Oblast in Ukraine. -- Dalbury^(Talk) 12:11, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Second Wave feminism

User Jerilyn Fisher has asked the help desk

Where did the term, Second Wave, come from as applied to the Late Sixties/Early Seventies Feminist Movement? I know that First Wave and Third Wave are derived from Second Wave, but haven't a clue about derivation of the term.

Thanks! Jerilyn Fisher

Our articles on Feminism and Second-wave feminism mention the term but don't really explain it. I have posted a copy here so you can assist her. Capitalistroadster 10:42, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

If second wave was late 60s feminism, the suffage movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries has been called the first wave. See list of feminists. alteripse 11:10, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I do not think First and Third waves are derived from Second wave; rather Second and Third waves are linear progression on the First. This link [www.feminist.com] has an ASK AMY column, posting the question there may help --Tachs 11:51, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

literary term

Is there a literary term for a plot device used when the author (or characters) directly address the reader? Would this be considered first person narration (since the author uses "I" but otherwise is not a character in the story?

When a character directly addresses the reader, or is otherwise aware that they are a fictional character and not a real person, it is described as breaking the fourth wall. A story can have a narrator who has no role in the story except to be the narrator, but I suppose you can argue that if it is specifically the author addressing the reader, rather than a character written by the author, then it might be a bit different. -- AJR | Talk 20:09, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I took a rhetoric class last year, and the various ways we were taught to refer to that device were direct address, second person, or implied intimacy. It seems to be related to the vocative case, so you might want to look that up. --ParkerHiggins 07:26, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Describe Life after death

"Let us reflect in another way, and we shall see that there is great reason to hope that death is a good, for one of two things: - either death is a state of nothingness and utter unconsciousness, or, as men say, there is a change and migration of the soul from this world to another. Now if you suppose that there is no consciousness, but a sleep like the sleep of him who is undisturbed even by the sight of dreams, death will be an unspeakable gain. For if a person were to select the night in which his sleep was undisturbed even by dreams, and were to compare with this the other days and nights of his life, and then were to tell us how many days and nights he had passed in the course of his life better and more pleasantly than this one, I think that any man, I will not say a private man, but even the great king, will not find many such days or nights, when compared with the others. Now if death is like this, I say that to die is gain; for eternity is then only a single night. But if death is the journey to another place, and there, as men say, all the dead are, what good, O my friends and judges, can be greater than this? If indeed when the pilgrim arrives in the world below, he is delivered from the professors of justice in this world, and finds the true judges who are said to give judgment there, Minos and Rhadamanthus and Aeacus and Triptolemus, and other sons of God who were righteous in their own life, that pilgrimage will be worth making. What would not a man give if he might converse with Orpheus and Musaeus and Hesiod and Homer? Nay, if this be true, let me die again and again. I, too, shall have a wonderful interest in a place where I can converse with Palamedes, and Aias the son of Telamon, and other heroes of old, who have suffered death through an unjust judgment; and there will be no small pleasure, as I think, in comparing my own sufferings with theirs. Above all, I shall be able to continue my search into true and false knowledge; as in this world, so also in that; I shall find out who is wise, and who pretends to be wise, and is not. What would not a man give, O judges, to be able to examine the leader of the great Trojan expedition; or Odysseus or Sisyphus, or numberless others, men and women too! What infinite delight would there be in conversing with them and asking them questions! For in that world they do not put a man to death for this; certainly not. For besides being happier in that world than in this, they will be immortal, if what is said is true."

— Socrates

Life After Death is one of the best rap albums of all time.Mareino 19:51, 5 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Puerto Rican Colleges

What are the colleges/universities in Puerto Rico in the late 1800's and early 1900's?

Mexico

when was mexico settled

18,000 to 8,000 BCE. See History of Mexico. ‣ᓛᖁ

ᑐ 00:46, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]