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August 29

Masoud Barzani in the 1990s

Was Masoud Barzani travelling internationally in 1993? I have a picture of a Kurdish delegation (including Jalal Talabani) meeting with senior US congressmen in May 1993; one of them looks like Barzani, but he has considerably more forehead-covering hair than in this photo. Has his hairline receded since then? I can't find any online pictures of him from that era. 2001:18E8:2:1020:81D0:BA98:6347:210A (talk) 15:08, 29 August 2013 (UTC)

And while you're at it, can you find a picture of Ahmed Chalabi from the same time? The image's handwritten caption mentions a "Chalabi Kurdish Leader", but there's nobody that looks like File:Chalabi.jpg. 2001:18E8:2:1020:81D0:BA98:6347:210A (talk) 15:28, 29 August 2013 (UTC)

Re: Chalabi: Are you willing to consider offline sources? The Los Angeles Times ran a feature on Chalabi on July 19, 1994 [1] which undoubtably has a pic if you can locate a microfilm etc version. Many online archives are text-only for that far back. 184.147.119.141 (talk) 21:04, 29 August 2013 (UTC)

Who decided he/she owned all the swans?

In the article Keeper of the Queen's Swans it says that the Keeper position was instituted in the 13th century. In the article Swan Upping is says that "Traditionally, the Monarch of the United Kingdom retains the right to ownership of all unmarked mute swans in open water, but only exercises ownership on certain stretches of the River Thames and its surrounding tributaries. This dates from the 12th century, during which time swans were a common food source for royalty."

Who was this monarch that decided that all unmarked mute swans in open water belonged to the crown? There were a number of monarchs across the 12th and 13th centuries. And who was it that first created the office of Keeper of the Swans? Clearly these were two different monarchs. Fieari (talk) 19:11, 29 August 2013 (UTC)

Here is a history of Swan Upping, which doesn't say which monarchs, but it does give a date for the Keeper of the Swans - 1378, which puts it in the reign of Richard II. --TammyMoet (talk) 20:24, 29 August 2013 (UTC)

Fantastic! That tells me who created the office of Keeper. Now, again according to the Swan Upping article, the tradition of owning all the swans was going on for at least a century or two before the office was created. So who started that tradition? Fieari (talk) 20:59, 29 August 2013 (UTC)

I keep seeing the date 1186, based on this research which would make Henry II or an earlier king your culprit. 184.147.119.141 (talk) 21:03, 29 August 2013 (UTC)

It may just mean "since time immemorial" which according to our article, started on 6 July 1189. Alansplodge (talk) 21:51, 29 August 2013 (UTC)

This accounts for that scene in "The Tudors" in which Henry VIII sees a couple of swans swimming around and the next thing you know it's being served to him on a platter. Yuch. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 23:27, 29 August 2013 (UTC)

Why yuch? How is that different from eating lambs or pigs or chickens or cows or turkeys or fish or crabs or oysters? -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 00:47, 30 August 2013 (UTC)

I'm not used to eating animals that still have heads and feathers attached. Though now that I think of it, maybe it was that he was eating the gooey cooked part with his bare hands, and sloppily, like an infant would. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 03:27, 30 August 2013 (UTC)

Bugs, you will no doubt be pleased to know that the birds were skinned, then cooked, then dressed in their skins before serving: this is a traditional way of serving game fowl in England. (They must have been really resistant to disease back then!) Of course we don't do it now, Elf and Safety and all that. --TammyMoet (talk) 18:46, 30 August 2013 (UTC)

"Elf"? --Trovatore (talk) 19:37, 30 August 2013 (UTC)

Phonological history of English fricatives and affricates#H-dropping & Th-fronting, approved by the elf and safety themselves innit? [2] Nil Einne (talk) 04:14, 31 August 2013 (UTC)

I eventually figured out she meant "health", but initially I just didn't know what she was talking about. Thought it might be an acronym, --Trovatore (talk) 19:52, 1 September 2013 (UTC)

People who drop their aitches and labialize their interdentals also labialize their laterals, giving "Ewf", not "Elf". μηδείς (talk) 01:04, 2 September 2013 (UTC)

Yes but we Britons don't spell "elf" as "ewf". It was originally a pun on elf and has stuck, meaning an over vigorous or erroneous use of safety rules. Even the Health and Safety Executive, a branch of Her Majesty's Government, uses the "elf" spelling - and they should know. Alansplodge (talk) 13:05, 2 September 2013 (UTC)

Labialisation of laterals does not automatically follow from labialisation of interdentals, though the "ell" does often tend to be slightly deformed. In the UK, the "elf" in "Elf & Pastry" is pronounced just like the mythological being. Dbfirs 06:56, 3 September 2013 (UTC)

More like lobsters in a tank. Yumm. Maybe Bugs is objecting to the fowl taste. Clarityfiend (talk) 00:50, 30 August 2013 (UTC)

We eat Bugs down here. -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 06:22, 30 August 2013 (UTC)

Swans are and have been sacred for long before even the PIE people. Consider Leda and the swan. Consider the Greek cygnus, the Turkic kök ("sky blue/heaven") and Eskimo quγ- are cognates all meaning swan or brightly colored like a swan. μηδείς (talk) 02:10, 30 August 2013 (UTC)

The Latin cygnus. And "cognates". --ColinFine (talk) 16:19, 3 September 2013 (UTC)

They've been eating swans for a long time, too. The aria "Olim lacus colueram" from Carl Orff's Carmina Burana (of "O Fortuna" fame) is about the roasting of a swan, and is sung by a tenor, but in falsetto to imitate the suffering of the bird. The words are of medieval provenance. -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 04:21, 30 August 2013 (UTC)

Ah, yes, that musical work where they get tired of birds and cry out for some Albacore. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 06:15, 30 August 2013 (UTC)

Can you explain that? I have listened to the work a few dozen times, and cannot for the life of me figure out what you are alluding to. μηδείς (talk) 01:47, 1 September 2013 (UTC)

"Oh, for Tuna!" ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 03:05, 1 September 2013 (UTC)

Okay, not lol, but I did smile. Admit I am surprised this has not been used in a Starkist commercial. μηδείς (talk) 03:14, 1 September 2013 (UTC)

See also St John's College, Cambridge#Eating swan.

The Queen also has a monopoly on sturgeon: "A fisherman in Swansea is celebrating after landing a valuable fish which could earn him more than £8,000. The sturgeon is rarely seen in UK waters and is classified as a royal fish, meaning the Queen had to be consulted before it was sold on. Buckingham Palace has said that Mr Davies can keep the fish and it is due to be sold on Thursday."[3]

Also beached whales: "A very ancient statute gave the head of the Crown the right to all the cetaceans stranded around the UK. 'The king had the right to the head and the queen had the right to the tail.' But Mr Deaville is not aware of a monarch ever asking for part of a whale. 'The royal prerogative has transferred to the Receiver of Wreck, within the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, but in practice our project gets first dibs,' he said."[4] Alansplodge (talk) 13:05, 2 September 2013 (UTC)

Date of Kurdistan presidential election (for an RM)

Bit of an unorthodox request here. A user requested renaming Iraqi Kurdistan presidential election, 2015 to reflect a 2013 date. No one has voiced support or objection, but from the source the editor presented, I'm not entirely sure there isn't confusion with the Iraqi Kurdistan legislative election, 2013. Could a diligent searcher, especially one with relevant language skills, look into this? Your reply at the RM would be appreciated. --BDD (talk) 23:53, 29 August 2013 (UTC)

August 30

Dnepropetrovsk maniacs

Do the Dnepropetrovsk maniacs have patronyms? Our article doesn't mention them (small wonder), but as far as I saw, they're also not present in the Russian or Ukrainian Wikipedia articles about the maniacs. Nyttend (talk) 00:03, 30 August 2013 (UTC)

The infobox in the Russian article gives Виктор Игоревич Саенко, Игорь Владимирович Супрунюк, and Александр Александрович Ганжа (Igorevich, Vladimirovich, and Aleksandrovich). ---Sluzzelin talk 00:11, 30 August 2013 (UTC)

I ran searches for Виктор and Игорь, but I somehow failed to look in the infobox. Thanks! Nyttend (talk) 00:31, 30 August 2013 (UTC)

Healthcare and Death in the United States

Here's a hypothetical scenario. Imagine a retired American blue-collar worker - we'll call him Person A - who is a loving husband and doting father. When he retires, he finds out that he contracts an illness, which can be treated by medicine, even though he fears that regular doses of medicine may put a strain on his family's finances. One option may be looking for cheaper alternatives to prescription medicine, but let's assume that in this case the man decides to kill himself, because he feels that he has two choices: (1) take the medicine even though he knows that it may put a strain on his family's finances or (2) kill himself so that there are no medical bill debts to pay by his family when he would be deceased and long gone. So, let's say he chooses Option 2. Question: Can the man legally commit suicide because he knows that he cannot afford to pay for healthcare expenses and fears that his family would wind up heavily in debt and may have to sell the house and live on the streets?

I know this question seems a bit long-winded and convoluted, but it takes a while to explain the scenario and then ask the question based on the specific hypothetical scenario. Sneazy (talk) 01:33, 30 August 2013 (UTC)

This is not a debate forum
The following discussion has been closed. Please do not modify it.
This is not a debate forum. But why shouldn't attempted suicide be a capital crime, Sneazy? Think about it. μηδείς (talk) 01:57, 30 August 2013 (UTC) All I am asking is whether or not killing yourself in this type of situation would be legal or illegal. Sheesh. It's either written into law, or it's not. You are not being helpful. Sneazy (talk) 02:02, 30 August 2013 (UTC) Sneazy, do you understand what states are in the U. S. legal system, and their relevance in the law about killing? μηδείς (talk) 02:19, 30 August 2013 (UTC) How would committing suicide be illegal? Who would they put in jail? Or fine? Dismas|(talk) 02:09, 30 August 2013 (UTC) It has been a while since my high school sociology class. Back then, we did discuss suicide and the law. While people who commit homicide are put in prison, people who commit suicide are put in rehabilitation centers. I don't remember exactly what the law says about it, but I suppose it may be illegal, and the defendant is put into rehabilitation centers. Sneazy (talk) 02:39, 30 August 2013 (UTC) "people who commit suicide are put in rehabilitation centers"? Well, not really... they're put in the ground. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 03:22, 30 August 2013 (UTC) Seriously? Reread me. I said attempted and I did not say "jail" or "fine". The point is subtle, but not that subtle. μηδείς (talk) 02:12, 30 August 2013 (UTC) Medeis, I was not talking to you. Dismas|(talk) 02:31, 30 August 2013 (UTC) Okay. μηδείς (talk) 03:33, 30 August 2013 (UTC)

Assisted suicide, Right to die and Euthanasia in the United States are articles you may want to read, along with Suicide legislation#United States. -- 205.175.124.72 (talk) 02:21, 30 August 2013 (UTC)

Wow. There are articles about this topic. Thanks for the resources. Sneazy (talk) 02:23, 30 August 2013 (UTC)

Whether pro athletes "care"

I read this article a while back and found it fascinating. I wonder if there is any other literature on this phenomenon. While this article brings up this interesting point, I think it's a bit flawed analytically, and, especially, suffers from lack of meaningful evidence (notably the absence of quotes from the players to whom he is attributing this characteristic!). So I would like to read anything else that might fill these gaps or provide additional commentary. Thanks! ÷seresin 08:58, 30 August 2013 (UTC)

does injury really affect your efficiency? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 39.55.73.10 (talk) 16:03, 30 August 2013 (UTC)

Correlation between individual's sex and individual's opposition of LGBT

Have there been studies done on the correlation between a person's sex and the likelihood that he/she will oppose LGBT rights? How come women are more accepting of LGBT individuals than men? 164.107.102.30 (talk) 17:30, 30 August 2013 (UTC)

I don't normally like to ask OPs for references, but what makes you suppose women are more accepting than men? I haven't really seen anything even anecdotally to suggest that to be the case. Mingmingla (talk) 19:46, 30 August 2013 (UTC)

For your information, I read the information on Wikipedia. Next time, I think you should criticize whether or not Wikipedia is reliable. 164.107.102.219 (talk) 21:05, 30 August 2013 (UTC)

Fair enough. I was just saying that it a pretty bold statement to make if true, and I wasn't sure what you were referring to. Sluzzelin below helped, thanks. Mingmingla (talk) 17:49, 31 August 2013 (UTC)

Gregory M. Herek has done research on this topic, for example in '"Gender gaps in public opinion about lesbians and gay men." (Public Opinion Quarterly, 66, 40-66, 2002). From the abstract:

"[...] Overall, heterosexual women were more supportive than men of employment protection and adoption rights for gay people, more willing to extend employee benefits to same-sex couples, and less likely to hold stereotypical beliefs about gay people. Heterosexual men’s negative reactions to gay men were at the root of these gender differences. Of all respondent-by-target combinations, heterosexual men were the least supportive of recognition of same-sex relationships and adoption rights for gay men, most likely to believe that gay men are mentally ill and molest children, and most negative in their affective reactions to gay men. Heterosexual men’s response patterns were affected by item order, suggesting possible gender differences in the cognitive organization of attitudes toward gay men and lesbians. The findings demonstrate the importance of differentiating lesbians from gay men as attitude targets in survey research."

Regarding the part of heterosexual men's response patterns being affected by item order: What happened is that "only" 42% of all heterosexual men who were given the lesbian item first (before being given the gay male item), felt that "sex between women is wrong", while 59% (17 percentage points more) felt this way when the lesbian item was given after the gay male item. ---Sluzzelin talk 20:45, 30 August 2013 (UTC)

Your quote does not really explain the reasoning behind the fact that women are more accepting of gays than men. 164.107.102.219 (talk) 21:07, 30 August 2013 (UTC)

You're right, I was responding to Mingmingla, not to you. Fixed the indentation now. ---Sluzzelin talk 21:09, 30 August 2013 (UTC)

I don't know whether you can access the quoted paper online (pdf-file). Herek doesn't explain the findings, but suggests trying to understand them in terms of different social constructions of homosexuality among heterosexual men and women.

More heterosexual men than women tend to see gay men as "abdicating the advantaged status of being male" in a negative way. Cultural norms of masculinity make heterosexual men feel the need to prove that they aren't gay, for example by distancing themselves from, ridiculing or attacking gay men.

Heterosexual women's attitudes follow different social constructions, both among pro- and opponents of LGBT rights, and their attitudes toward lesbians on the one hand and toward gay men on the other hand differ far less than heterosexual men's attitudes do. Pro LGBT heterosexual women are more likely to see lesbians and gay men as one minority with similar shared concerns (women are also more pro-minority rights in general than men; there are studies here too). Anti-LGBT-rights women are more likely to see lesbians and gay men as one group of sinners. But only few women worry about proving that they are not lesbian, for example, no matter what their attitude toward LGBT rights is.

As mentioned, Herek didn't study the possible reasons for the gender gap, but he refers to Kimmel, Michael S. 1997. "Masculinity as Homophobia: Fear, Shame and Silence in the Construction of Gender Identity.” (In Toward a New Psychology of Gender, ed. Mary M. Gergen and Sara N. Davis, pp. 223–42. New York: Routledge.) and Kite, Mary E., and Kay Deaux. 1987. “Gender Belief Systems: Homosexuality and the Implicit Inversion Theory.” Psychology of Women Quarterly 11:83–96. ---Sluzzelin talk 21:45, 30 August 2013 (UTC)

• Define LGBT rights. Do they include the right of a Lesbian couple to sue a Christian photographer for not filming their wedding? You will find regardless of sex that most Americans are in favor of gay sex being legal between consenting adults and most are against third parties being forced to participate in activities they don't condone. μηδείς (talk) 18:49, 31 August 2013 (UTC)
  • Were they arguing that there's a constitutional right to be photographed? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 01:39, 2 September 2013 (UTC)
    • You'll find in the lead-up to the recent Supreme Court decision, pundits were say it was all about dignity and equal rights. Once it was delivered, the pundit comments were how its all about equal spousal benefits and nondiscrimination by public accommodations, such as these various cases. μηδείς (talk) 19:06, 2 September 2013 (UTC)
      • So instead of being honest (if narrow-minded) about it, they should have lied - like saying they were booked too far in advance, or were getting out of the business, or something like that. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 22:07, 2 September 2013 (UTC)
        • Since we are talking about Christianity here, and Christianity is known to have the narrative about Ananias and Sapphira, I don't think it would be pleasing to God about how much money you owe to God. In addition, "Love God" and "Love your neighbor as yourself" send the message that how you treat God should be reflected in how you treat other people. So, if you lie to your customers, saying that you are all booked when really you are not, that may be tantamount as lying to God that you are too busy in worshiping him, when really you are not. Besides, the news story above is about photographing a lesbian couple in a commitment ceremony, not about solemnizing a same-sex wedding. A commitment ceremony is not equivalent to a formal marriage, so it does not seem to be a violation of the biblical marriage. 164.107.102.38 (talk) 14:24, 3 September 2013 (UTC)

Prince Joseph Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

How did Prince Joseph Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha die?--The Emperor's New Spy (talk) 18:33, 30 August 2013 (UTC)

The newspaper "Wiener Abendpost" (Beilage zur Wiener Zeitung) of Monday evening, 13 August 1888 has a note on p. 2 (rightmost column, bottom), telling that the prince died of pneumonia in the presence of his father. The prince had been a boarding pupil at the Vienna military academy and fell sick with pneumonia last Tuesday. In the issue of 14 August 1888 p. 2 (rightmost column, bottom) there is more on the family and the upcoming burial. --Pp.paul.4 (talk) 20:48, 30 August 2013 (UTC)

The Theresian Military Academy is located not in Vienna but in Wiener Neustadt, some 50km to the South. --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 14:27, 31 August 2013 (UTC)

August 31

Western culture compared to Eastern culture

I'm very familiar with Western culture because I live in it and I'm partly familiar with Eastern culture due to things like Discovery Channel documentaries, imported media, and fictional works set in Asian countries. I'm focused on two specific countries—America and Japan—and the trouble I'm having is trying to verbalize the differences between them. To the extent that I can concisely mark the differences, it seems to me that Japanese society places heavy emphasis on tradition, cultivating interpersonal relationships, and social roles whereas America on the other hand values autonomy, expressive behavior, and not [necessarily] selfishness but rather mutual advancement of interests. I'm sure that there are several scales that can be used to quantify these traits, but I'm having difficulty constructing them and finding the right words to use. Can anyone assist me with this? — Melab±1 ☎ 04:46, 31 August 2013 (UTC)

I recommend that you be careful suggesting that eastern cultures (or any culture, for that matter) DON'T support "mutual advancement of interests". HiLo48 (talk) 05:17, 31 August 2013 (UTC)

What I meant was more like an egoistic type of mutual interests, if that makes any sense. — Melab±1 ☎ 18:34, 31 August 2013 (UTC)

Possibly the difference between two people helping each other with their own goals, vs helping with a group goal (e.g. two businessmen helping each other to get promoted, even if this is not in the best interests of the business as a whole). More like "I scratch your back, you scratch mine", than "We're all in this together". MChesterMC (talk) 09:13, 2 September 2013 (UTC)

Two classic studies are The Anatomy of Dependence and The Chrysanthemum and the Sword, though both were published decades ago, and are somewhat personalistic. (Our article on "The Anatomy of Dependence" seems to omit any mention of Senpai and kohai, which I remember being important concepts in the book...) -- AnonMoos (talk) 07:38, 31 August 2013 (UTC)

Very belated correction -- I was confusing it with Japanese Society (1970 book) by Chie Nakane... AnonMoos (talk) 10:15, 24 October 2013 (UTC)

You can't forget the importance of honor in Japan. If somebody feels that they have dishonored themself there, they might very well commit suicide, whereas in the US many politicians who have thoroughly dishonored themselves, say by sending pictures of their genitals out on their cells phones, not only don't commit suicide, but feel entitled to stay at their job or even get a promotion. StuRat (talk) 08:43, 31 August 2013 (UTC)

inappropriate per BLP and ATTACK
The following discussion has been closed. Please do not modify it.
And we occasionally re-elect those who do much worse things. Dismas|(talk) 08:48, 31 August 2013 (UTC) "Did you hear Marion Barry was re-elected after being filmed smoking crack with a prostitute ? I mean WTF is wrong with voters in Washington DC, that they would actually vote for a man with a girl's name ?" :-) StuRat (talk) 08:51, 31 August 2013 (UTC) We don't need to be opining about the morality of living persons. μηδείς (talk)

"America on the other hand values...not selfishness but rather mutual advancement of interests". Lol wut. Sounds downright communist! Adam Bishop (talk) 11:01, 31 August 2013 (UTC)

I meant it in the sense that it is done out of primarily self-interest. — Melab±1 ☎ 18:34, 31 August 2013 (UTC)

See Personal responsibility and how other cultures value that concept. Ditch ∝ 03:53, 1 September 2013 (UTC)

Eastern cultures seem to be heavier on that since it appears that persons have more burdens and responsibilities (i.e., to family members, rigid social roles). — Melab±1 ☎ 18:14, 2 September 2013 (UTC)

Legal system

In the past week Nidal Hasan was sentenced to death for killing 13 people. Robert Bales was sentenced to life in prison for killing 16 people. Why does one get a death penalty while the other gets prison? Why this contradiction? Pass a Method talk 20:26, 31 August 2013 (UTC)

• See plea bargain. Hasan pled not guilty, Bales pled guilty. I personally find plea bargains despicable, and think they should be outlawed, but there is no contradiction. μηδείς (talk) 20:57, 31 August 2013 (UTC)

News articles and analysis said that Hasan sabotaged his defense and aimed for the death penalty, unlike Bales who cried and said he was sorry. Edison (talk) 02:18, 1 September 2013 (UTC)

• • Ironically, according to followup stories, his non-defense of himself might be sufficient to revoke the execution sentence, or even spawn a new trial. (He won't be conducting his own defense during the appeals process.) ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 03:03, 1 September 2013 (UTC)

Description of regional identity in the US South following the Civil War

Hello. I am working on an article about a Confederate monument in the area I am visiting. It was built in 1907. A lot of similar monuments were built during this time, which the source defines as being between 1870 and the first World War, and describes as such: "(the monuments are)...part of the development of a sense of a Southern regional identity during that period." That is kind of vague, and I was hoping for a better way to phrase this concept of regional identity following the Civil War...or maybe there is a specific term that I could link to? Right now I'm saying " a period of postbellum resurgence in regional identity", but I'm not sure "resurgence" is the right word. Any ideas, tips, etc? Ditch ∝ 23:23, 31 August 2013 (UTC)

See White supremacy and Jim Crow. These articles provide information about Southern regional identity following the end of Reconstruction in the 1870's. There was pride in the Confederacy, up into the 1960's. Edison (talk) 02:04, 1 September 2013 (UTC)

Maybe Lost Cause of the Confederacy? Clarityfiend (talk) 02:13, 1 September 2013 (UTC)

See Southern United States and particularly History of the Southern United States. Edison (talk) 02:16, 1 September 2013 (UTC)

For various manifestations, see Dunning School and Nadir of race relations... AnonMoos (talk) 10:55, 1 September 2013 (UTC)

Also see the List of Civil War Monuments of Kentucky and what it says about the monument-building time period. Nyttend (talk) 03:22, 2 September 2013 (UTC)

September 1

Insanity defense

Is it limited to murder or does it expand to other crimes too? Pass a Method talk 09:20, 1 September 2013 (UTC)

Well, there's road rage which if you were to cause an accident, it may not necessarily kill anyone. Dismas|^(talk) 09:46, 1 September 2013 (UTC)

As with all legal questions, it depends on jurisdiction. According to our article, in the USA, the defence is available "in federal court, and in the state courts of every state except for Idaho, Kansas, Montana, and Utah." It's available to any crime that requires a mens rea in English law. Tevildo (talk) 12:48, 1 September 2013 (UTC)

Price of sarcophagus setup like Tutankhamun's.

I know his is "priceless" and legally not for sale, but has anyone ever tallied what an exact replica would cost today (labour, materials or both)? Either the whole shebang, or any one of the coffins. Doesn't need to be in 2013 dollars. I've Googled a while, and failed, but I know it's a popular general topic, and figure the question must have crossed some author's mind over the years. Any clues? InedibleHulk (talk) 09:36, September 1, 2013 (UTC)

And by "setup", I don't mean the surrounding tomb or pyramid. That's too expensive, even theoretically. Just the box. InedibleHulk (talk) 09:38, September 1, 2013 (UTC)

This is a good question and can be applied to all ancient artifacts. You could model an artifact in CADCAM and calculate cost of components. You could use prototyping software such as AliasStudio, CATIA Shape Design and Styling, NX Shape Studio, solidThinking, Rhinoceros 3D, none of which I have used. But you'd need to do it yourself.
Sleigh (talk) 14:44, 1 September 2013 (UTC)

I don't see myself doing that, but thanks for the info. InedibleHulk (talk) 04:23, September 2, 2013 (UTC)

You've got me wondering how I would make a copy of King Tut's sarcophagus using a 3D printer now... --TammyMoet (talk) 08:42, 2 September 2013 (UTC)

Music

Is there a specific name for when music is written in "C D E F G A B" rather than in standard musical symbols? 82.44.76.14 (talk) 18:27, 1 September 2013 (UTC)

Letter notation. Or maybe you specifically mean ABC notation? ---Sluzzelin talk 18:55, 1 September 2013 (UTC)

Not exactly what you were asking, but you might also be interested in some aspects of Tablature. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 212.95.237.92 (talk) 12:48, 2 September 2013 (UTC)

September 2

Grave candle or lanterns

I stubbed an article on Grave candle. It's a major custom in a number of Christian countries; certainly in Poland, Germany and Scandinavia. I am finding very few sources, so I wonder if the English names I added to the article (grave/death candle/lanterns) are not the most common ones? Any alternative names and sources you can suggest would be helpful. --_{Piotr Konieczny aka Prokonsul Piotrus| reply here} 03:23, 2 September 2013 (UTC)

Might have something to do with candlelight vigil (or memorial). Not exactly an alternate name for the candles themselves, but a See Also, perhaps. InedibleHulk (talk) 04:20, September 2, 2013 (UTC)

Votive_candle springs to mind but their use is not limited to graves but "To "light a candle for someone" indicates one's intention to say a prayer for another person, and the candle symbolizes that prayer."196.214.78.114 (talk) 13:23, 2 September 2013 (UTC)

• This may be of interest to you. It is a Swedish doctoral dissertation in ethnology from 1965 on the subject of placing lights at graves and related recent (20th century) traditions. It's in Swedish, but has a German summary, making it more accessible to international readers. You can probably find it in many libraries outside Sweden, but there are numerous second-hand copies to be found at http://www.antikvariat.net from about 150 SEK. --Hegvald (talk) 12:39, 3 September 2013 (UTC)

Third-party interference in diplomatic immunity

Imagine three countries: A and B are at war with each other, while C is at peace with both. What effect do international treaties on diplomatic immunity have on A's interference with diplomacy between B and C? This is prompted by the Belfast Blitz article, which notes that "the German Legation in Dublin remained open throughout the war". Presumably the UK expelled all German diplomats in September 1939, so it didn't need to worry about protecting any of them anymore. Imagine that a British naval vessel stopped a German ship carrying the German Ambassador between Ireland and France mid-war — what could the British do to the ambassador? Diplomatic immunity doesn't appear to address the issue. the closest thing I can imagine is the Trent Affair, but (1) that was during the American Civil War, 1½ centuries ago; and (2) Trent was a British ship, not one from the Confederacy; and (3) the legal nature of the Confederacy complicates the situation, while nobody will argue that German or Irish diplomats in 1942 were from an illegitimate self-declared country. Nyttend (talk) 03:37, 2 September 2013 (UTC)

Before the German ambassador presented his diplomatic papers to the Irish president he was not an ambassador and the British could intern him as an enemy alien civilian. If the German ambassador had already presented his papers and was returning after visiting Germany then I don't know.
Sleigh (talk) 11:20, 2 September 2013 (UTC)

I don't see a problem here. Diplomatic immunity provides certain protections from a host country's laws. Britain isn't the host country in this scenario, so why couldn't they treat him like any other enemy on an enemy ship? Clarityfiend (talk) 13:24, 2 September 2013 (UTC)

That's what I figured, but on the other hand, I can imagine that it would be highly inconvenient for Ireland if the functions of an embassy in their capital could be impaired by a third party. Accordingly, I wondered if there might be some treaty provision that extends immunity in this case. Perhaps I should have proposed an even more difficult situation: how would the British embassy in Bern have operated during 1941, for example? I can't imagine how the country could have served as an important protecting power if Allied diplomats couldn't reach the country. Nyttend (talk) 14:41, 2 September 2013 (UTC)

They must have managed somehow, since David Kelly was replaced as ambassador from the UK in 1942 by Sir Clifford Norton. Clarityfiend (talk) 00:20, 3 September 2013 (UTC)

The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations was only adopted in 1961, so was not yet in effect during World War II, but it codified existing diplomatic practice. It covers such a situation in article 40.1: "If a diplomatic agent passes through or is in the territory of a third State, which has granted him a passport visa if such visa was necessary, while proceeding to take up or to return to his post, or when returning to his own country, the third State shall accord him inviolability and such other immunities as may be required to ensure his transit or return. The same shall apply in the case of any members of his family enjoying privileges and immunities who are accompanying the diplomatic agent, or travelling separately to join him or to return to their country." [5] In effect, the UK intervening against the person of a German diplomat accredited to a country with which it has relations (Ireland) would be a violation of the convention. The question is whether Germany would have any means to seek redress, since the two countries were already at war. What the UK could have legally done is prevented the diplomat from legally transiting through its territory; any arrest would then have to be conducted outside UK territory, which raises other issues. --Xuxl (talk) 14:06, 3 September 2013 (UTC)

Nothing known about the man who ended WWII?

Posted by mistake in the language desk, transferred from there. --KnightMove (talk) 12:16, 2 September 2013 (UTC) The Japanese surrender in World War II was to a controversial extent influenced by the false testimony of Marcus McDilda, a captured American pilot (the sources disagree on whether a P-51 or a B-29 pilot) who under torture said that the Americans would have 100 atomic bombs ready for action. It seems that absolutely nothing is known about McDilda save for his name and this episode. But how is this possible? There should be some record about his biographical data in military files?! --KnightMove (talk) 10:22, 2 September 2013 (UTC)

What do you mean by "nothing"? There appears to be at least something. Surtsicna (talk) 10:28, 2 September 2013 (UTC)

This might get a better response at the humanities desk. Dismas|^(talk) 10:45, 2 September 2013 (UTC)

Information is available online. I found his full name (Marcus Elmo McDilda) and dates (15 December 1921 - 16 August 1998) without too much difficulty, and the first source in the Google search suggested by Surtsicna has a posting from his son. Whether his actions - and any reporting of them in sources - are sufficient to justify an article to himself might be more debatable. Ghmyrtle (talk) 10:49, 2 September 2013 (UTC)

You're all right. Thank you and sorry. --KnightMove (talk) 12:04, 2 September 2013 (UTC)

Now checking: The posting from his son states that he passed away in 2008, which means this must be a different person? --KnightMove (talk) 12:16, 2 September 2013 (UTC)

You're quite right. My apologies. However, it's an unusual name, and there was a Marcus Elmo McDilda with those dates. There was also a Marcus E. McDilda who was included on the US Navy Muster Rolls on the Hollandia on 20 February 1945, and whose mother's address is given as Dunnellon, Florida - which ties in with the son's posting. That and numerous other records about a Marcus E. McDilda from Florida are accessible through Ancestry.com (subscription required). There are posts on this site where someone else (*Tootsie Plunkette" - obviously mad usernames aren't restricted to us...) has concluded that the McDilda who died in 1998 was the airman concerned and has confirmed his Florida origins from offline sources (aka "books"). It seems unlikely that McDilda's son would have erred about his father's death date, but equally it seems unlikely that there were two people in the same area with identical or nearly identical names who died ten years apart. Ghmyrtle (talk) 14:15, 2 September 2013 (UTC)

There are 78 McDilda's in Find-a-Grave, so it's unusual but not unknown. It would be interesting to find out more about this story, i.e. whether it's true. If you could find his obituary, that could be useful. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 15:52, 2 September 2013 (UTC)

The McDilda claim needs reliable sources for verification. Lots of people have made grandiose claims of how they or their family member did something which had significant effects in a long-ago war. maybe McDilda told a friend, who told a reporter, who published a little feature on it, which was uncritically reprinted by other reporters and book writers. I would be interested to see if any source from the Japanese or US military authorities reported it, and if they did so within a few years of 1945. I have grave doubts about the veracity. Edison (talk) 02:12, 3 September 2013 (UTC)

Our articles involved all take that for a fact. Of the books found by Google supporting the story, the first was released in 1971... while you could be right, nobody seems to question the story up to now, and a hoax is not unanimously and durably established as a fact that easily. Is there an indication that it's not factual? --KnightMove (talk) 10:46, 3 September 2013 (UTC)

Early child welfare charitable institutions

I was intrigued by a friend's comment that in the UK, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (1824) was founded prior to the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (1884) and the first UK child protection laws (1889), suggesting that animal care was an earlier or more advanced arrival in UK social organizations and public awareness.

I got curious and came across bodies like the Thomas Coram Foundation for Children (1739) and the Foundling Hospital (1741). But it's not clear if these are comparable to the RSPCA in terms of "scope when launched" or similar.

How would one compare the emergence of early child and animal welfare institutions, charities and chartered bodies? If one looks at the RSPCA around the time it was founded, and then at child welfare bodies when they were founded (so far as possible), would this claim stand scrutiny? Is it really fair or a "like-with-like" comparison to assert that animal welfare bodies came first? It sounds possible but dubious.

FT2 ^{(Talk | email)} 16:27, 2 September 2013 (UTC)

I'm not sure what the answer to your question is, but early British children's charities seem to either concentrate on looking after abandoned or homeless children, or on educating children from working families (most of the Public schools originally fell into this category; Christ's Hospital (1552) still fulfils this function amongst others). I believe that the first child protection legislation were the Factory Acts, the first of which was introduced in 1802. The 1809 act prevented children under 9 years working in factories and that children aged 9–16 years were limited to 12 hours' work per day. Various Factory Acts thereafter progressively reduced the working day for children and introduced an element of compulsory education. There doesn't seem to have been a specific charity lobbying for these reforms, but there was real public pressure driven by high profile philanthropists, outstandingly Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury of Eros fame.

Some more charities to add to your list are the Waifs and Strays Society (1881) and Dr Barnardo's Homes (1866). People are still quick to point out that the RSPCA is "Royal" whereas the NSPCC is merely "National" - I'm not certain of the reason for this. Alansplodge (talk) 16:55, 2 September 2013 (UTC)

RSPCA was established by Royal Charter, whereas NSPCC started as an unincorporated association and had a constitution. Not sure of its current legal status. --TammyMoet (talk) 19:28, 2 September 2013 (UTC)

The question is, why no Royal Charter for the NSPCC? Official indifference or perhaps they just didn't want one? Alansplodge (talk) 07:18, 3 September 2013 (UTC)

The NSPCC is governed by a Royal Charter and has been since 1895. The question is why its title does not include the word "Royal". According to our article: "It did not change its title to "Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children" or similar, as the name NSPCC was already well established, and to avoid confusion with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), which had already existed for more than fifty years." Ghmyrtle (talk) 07:25, 3 September 2013 (UTC)

Many thanks - that has answered my question perfectly. I'm not sure about the OP's question though ;-) 12:38, 3 September 2013 (UTC)

Ah - sorry about that, I hadn't read far enough down the source I have. *blushes* --TammyMoet (talk) 15:03, 3 September 2013 (UTC)

Richard Martin had proposed a Bill to give protection to domestic animals, it became law in 1822, two years later he founded the RSPCA to see that the act was properly enforced. That doesn't animal welfare was put before child welfare; I doubt that kicking a child to death in public would have gone unpunished in those days, even without the NSPCC. Ssscienccce (talk) 13:53, 3 September 2013 (UTC)

The importance of environmental conservation and animal rights in non-White cultures

So like, I don't mean to be racist or anything, but have you noticed that non-European, non-White peoples do not make as much of a priority for environmental protection and animal welfare as Europeans and their descendants? It seems like animal rights and the environment can be seen as exclusively white preoccupations.

I know that the United States and Western Europe had a poor environmental track record during the early Industrial revolution, but even then there was a strong nature-loving literary movement (Walden Pond and all that), as well as President T. Roosevelt having championed conservation over one hundred years ago. Compare this to the USSR and the current industrializing nations, who don't seem to care how badly they trash the environment.

Furthermore, animal welfare historically and currently never has had a foothold in non-white cultures, has it? One of the strongest state policies that supported animal rights was in Nazi Germany. So, does anyone know more about the seeming nonchalance with which non-whites regard the environment and animals? Am I wrong? I'd like to research this more. Thanks. Herzlicheboy (talk) 17:26, 2 September 2013 (UTC)

See Category:Protected areas by country.—Wavelength (talk) 17:49, 2 September 2013 (UTC)

(ec) Yes, you are very wrong. In general, animal welfare and environmental protection have been luxury concerns. People start caring about it when their basic needs are met. As for "white" respect for nature, you cite some very few exceptions, and you seem to have a weird definition of "white" if you exclude the USSR. For examples of "white" environmentalism, look no further than Buffalo Bill, acid rain or Deepwater Horizon. On the other hand, Only after the last tree has been cut down / Only after the last river has been poisoned / Only after the last fish has been caught / Then will you find that money cannot be eaten is a Cree sentiment. --Stephan Schulz (talk) 18:03, 2 September 2013 (UTC)

See Category:Conservation by country.—Wavelength (talk) 18:34, 2 September 2013 (UTC)

I disagree that environmental protection and animal rights are luxury concerns. There was a strong conservationist movement in the West even during the early part of the industrial revolution, even when the Western modern "needs" were just beginning to have been "met." Furthermore, if you read Charles Dickens's characterization of the industrial landscape of England in the 1830's and 1840's, it is obvious that he was not too pleased with the destruction of the natural environment and landscape. Herzlicheboy (talk) 21:19, 2 September 2013 (UTC)

You might want to think who formed the "strong conservationist movement" in the West. There were rather few miners or sharecroppers among it, and more well-off romantics of the upper middle class or gentry. And I'd like to see a source for "strong". --Stephan Schulz (talk) 21:49, 2 September 2013 (UTC)

The upper middle class and the gentry are those who control society, correct? Herzlicheboy (talk) 21:53, 2 September 2013 (UTC)

Animal welfare a Western concern? You mean the same people who came up with industrial production methods like battery cage for eggs and fur, intensive pig farming and factory farming in general? And as mentioned already, the ex-USSR is "white", and European as well. Ssscienccce (talk) 12:48, 3 September 2013 (UTC)

Life release was practiced by Buddhists long before Greenpeace and Animal Liberation Front existed. Ssscienccce (talk) 12:54, 3 September 2013 (UTC)

Organized crime

There are lots of tropes about organized crime in popular film. But what is the truth?

• Mob debts. In theory, people have huge debts to the mafia and are at risk of being killed if they don't come up with some desperate scheme to repay. In practice, they certainly can intimidate people and try to get money by extortion, and run bookmaking operations. But when their model is to take money by force, does the notion of a fixed debt have any real validity? Especially, if a person were truly in fear for their life over debt, why wouldn't they go to police and bring the whole thing crashing down? (I suppose the smart ones assume local police are thoroughly corrupt, but they could move to a different jurisdiction loyal to different mobsters, try to get other agencies involved, etc.)

• The above particularly applies to movie plots in which mobsters claim that someone has "inherited" a debt from some relation who has had an unfortunate accident. Can these be confirmed as pure fiction?

• Which brings to mind: while there are gang wars, even occasional personal car bombs, does anyone ever go after mafias with genuine terrorist techniques? Clear out the whole crew with truck bombs and chemical weapons, etc.?

• Often mafias are presented as operating openly - there are even video documentaries of mass meetings of certain gangs on days associated with their founding or the Caesar cipher of their name. Are there any sites that present directory information of where they're located, how they work, in obnoxious detail? (I'm thinking a mafia webcam might not be safe but it would certainly be amusing)

• In the movies, people are spotted "wearing a wire" taped to their body. I assume that this is some dutiful Hollywood obfuscation comparable to the "keep them on the line while we trace the call" nonsense. In theory, the "wire" could be as tiny as smart dust. But in practice: is the surveillance equipment they actually use possible to recognize with a thorough search, or is it completely beyond all but the most high-tech scrutiny?

Wnt (talk) 18:31, 2 September 2013 (UTC)

Wnt, I would be more than happy to answer some of your questions, based on some of my reading and some offhand personal knowledge in dealing with the criminal element:

• Mob Debts: Yes, people in real life do become heavily indebted to mobsters, but usually through gambling debts and loan sharking. In those cases, the debtor could be badly beaten, or be forced to cede over any real estate or percentage of business interests he has. In fact, that is the main way the mafia has infiltrated legitimate businesses. And yes, people who are genuinely in fear of mafia retaliation over gambling or loan shark debts sometimes do seek protection from law enforcement.

• Inheritance of debts: Never heard of it. I'm not saying that it doesn't happen, but I cannot think of a single case of it. That would be like a loan shark debtor having a "cosigner" or something, and I don't think I've ever heard of it in real life.

• Terrorist attacks on mobsters: I have never heard of any in real life. Since the gang wars of the 1920's and 1930's, the mafia/mob is seen as the top dogs. The exception to that was Boston, where the Irish gangsters under Whitey Bulger were considered at least co-equal, if not superior (thanks in part to FBI support). However, in fiction, what you described is the plot of the 1980 film "The Long Good Friday," where the IRA placed several bombs in a London East-end mobster's (Bob Hoskins) hangouts.

• Information on meetings, etc: Gangsters haven't operated openly since the mid-twentieth century. The whole essence of the mafia is a "secret society." However, the "legitimate world" has gotten quite a lot of information on the workings and meetings of the mafia through informers and "bugs" (hidden listening devices planted in a mafia hangout). These bugs can be placed by law enforcement illegally (without a court order/warrant) strictly for background information purposes, or legally (through a court order based on probable cause). Placement of these bugs involves the law enforcement agents breaking into the locations at night and hiding these listening devices. Such bugs were instrumental in convicting John Gotti in 1992 and Jerry Angiulo of Boston in the early 1980's. The details of such "bugging" operations can be found in trial transcripts and the memoirs of FBI agents. In addition, what you described as the mass-meetings do sound like Salvatore Maranzano's mass meeting he held at the conclusion of the Castellammarese War in 1931, and the infamous Apalachin Meeting in upstate New York in 1957.

• Wearing a wire: A lot of the talk about wearing a wire comes from mob stories from the 1960's to the 1980's, where informers were actually wearing a "wire," or sometimes even a small tape recorder strapped to their bodies. In modern times, yes, the cops actually do have pretty high-tech hidden cameras with high-definition color video and audio. The cops are pretty secretive about this stuff, but if you have access to any surveillance/spy catalogues of companies that market their products mostly to law enforcement, you can see exactly what kind of equipment they use.

I hope this helps. Disclaimer: I'm not a cop. I can't stand cops. lol. Herzlicheboy (talk) 21:42, 2 September 2013 (UTC)

So, you've had personal knowledge in dealing with the criminal element, and you can't stand cops. I'm beginning to get the picture. You're the world's first criminal encyclopedist who's also a feature film. We should have a category for that. -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 00:23, 3 September 2013 (UTC)

Emma or Ælfgifu

Is this woman Emma of Normandy or Ælfgifu of Northampton? The image description says Ælfgifu but Cnut's article says Emma until recently when I changed it.--The Emperor's New Spy (talk) 22:33, 2 September 2013 (UTC)

If you look around the woman's head it says "ÆLGYFU REGINA", where Regina is Latin for Queen. The text is broken up, but that's how they did it back then. Falastur2 ^Talk 22:44, 2 September 2013 (UTC)

Actually I'm inclined to think it's Emma rather than Ælfgifu. For those not au fait with the intricacies of Anglo-Saxon royalty (which includes me, as I had to look it this up on Wikipedia), apparently Emma was also, rather confusingly, known as Ælfgifu; as the Emma article says: "She was given an English name, Ælfgifu, which was used instead of her Norman name on formal occasions or on charters". I see the caption on the Cnut page for the image reads "Angels crown Cnut as he and Ælfgifu present a large gold cross to Hyde Abbey." and in the Hyde Abbey article, it also says that Emma also donated the (purported) head of Saint Valentine to the abbey, which makes me think that it's Emma rather than Ælfgifu of Northampton. I'll look around for sources. FlowerpotmaN·(t) 23:03, 2 September 2013 (UTC)

(quick update) The image is originally from the The New Minster Liber Vitae of 1031 and this from a blog connected to the British Library goes with Emma of Normandy. FlowerpotmaN·(t) 23:10, 2 September 2013 (UTC)

Another diplomacy question

The news headlines about Diana Nyad's Cuba-to-Florida swim make me wonder: what kind of diplomatic hurdles did she need to clear? Presumably there's some kind of standard way that immigration officials deal with non-traditional methods of border crossing (i.e. by those who want to be legal, not counting illegal immigration), such as her Bahamas-to-Florida swim, but presumably this situation was complicated by the poor state of US-Cuba relations. I'm curious, but more importantly, sources on this question could helpfully improve her article. Nyttend (talk) 23:36, 2 September 2013 (UTC)

This article from three years ago[6] makes some comments about it, and it's probably still true. Compared with where things were a few decades ago, passage to and from Cuba is rather easier now - but it still requires negotiation and permission from both governments. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 01:18, 3 September 2013 (UTC)

This and this refer to crossing by boat from Canada to the US but essentially, when entering the US the captain of the craft must report to US Customs officials. The second link says it just requires a phone call. I would assume that Nyad would officially be listed as a passenger of her support boat even though she didn't spend any time in it. Dismas|^(talk) 01:37, 3 September 2013 (UTC)

Given the publicity, I doubt there's any issue on the US side. The issue would be, how does she get permission to start from a Cuban beach? The answer is there has to be some special negotiation between the two governments. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 03:43, 3 September 2013 (UTC)

I can't see why. She's not Cuban. Cuba wouldn't legally care where she was going when she left. Her departing Cuba on its own has no significance at all to the US government. So no need for "special negotiation". HiLo48 (talk) 08:23, 3 September 2013 (UTC)

Before she could leave Cuba she had to enter Cuba. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 13:18, 3 September 2013 (UTC)

In many countries, you need a valid exit stamp to leave. That could be arranged in advance in the case of such an endeavor (i.e. going to the nearest customs office, having all the team members passports stamped, and then leaving from a beach within a specific time period rather than from a port or airport); failure to comply could result in various problems if the persons ever wanted to re-enter that country legally. And it's not entering Cuba that's a problem for a U.S. citizen; it's returning to the States if you hadn't obtained the proper authorizations from the U.S. government beforehand. See this document from the U.S. State Department [7] --Xuxl (talk) 14:21, 3 September 2013 (UTC)

In the article I found from 3 years ago, the Cuban government had some misgivings about the symbolism of someone swimming away from Cuba. They would have preferred that Nyad swim toward Cuba. I expect when it became obvious how difficult such a swim is, their fears about "copycats" might have diminished. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 14:57, 3 September 2013 (UTC)

September 3

Society Islands

Did the Society Islands use to referred to only the Leeward Islands (Society Islands) while the Windward Islands (Society Islands) were called the Georgian Islands? Please don't cite Wikipedia articles I have read the related ones. Old maps like this one seem to depict the islands as two seperate groups as I have suggested. When and why did Georgrian Islands become called the Society Islands too?--KAVEBEAR (talk) 04:35, 3 September 2013 (UTC)

Earliest British queen consort to have worn a crown

The seal of Matilda

Wo was the earliest known queen consort in the British Isles to have worn a crown (either through historical inventories or depictions, etc.)? -- 04:52, 3 September 2013‎ The Emperor's New Spy

Medieval depictions are unrealiable as the illustrators were never present.
Sleigh (talk) 11:49, 3 September 2013 (UTC)

Sure, but Spy is asking about depictions, right? Matilda of Scotland (Queen of England as wife of Henry I 1100-1118) wears a crown on her seal (shown). I can't find a contemporary image of Matilda of Flanders. The Bayeux tapestry (c. 1070) does not put a crown on Harold's wife Edith. [8] And the image you have above of Canute and Ælfgifu is dated 1031 and shows the queen without a crown. 184.147.119.141 (talk) 17:05, 3 September 2013 (UTC)

P.S. As for known physical crowns, we know of a crown belonging to Edward the Confessor's wife Edith of Wessex (which Oliver Cromwell destroyed) [9]. 184.147.119.141 (talk) 17:16, 3 September 2013 (UTC)

Can plastic surgery substantially alter someone's appearance?

A standard trope in espionage thrillers is for someone to have extensive plastic surgery so that they are no longer recognizable. I had always thought this was just fiction, but our article on Sammy_the_bull notes that he had plastic surgery while in the Witness Protection Program to change his appearance. Is this type of thing common, and does it work (he doesn't really look all that different to me)? Thanks! OldTimeNESter (talk) 12:58, 3 September 2013 (UTC)

Greetings

I have a doubt. In Spain, Cuba, Brazil and other countries, people usually give kisses on other people's cheeks as a way to say hello, but then I've noticed that people form UK or USA usually doesn't do the same, but they just shake hands. Why? Miss Bono ^[zootalk] 14:02, 3 September 2013 (UTC)

It's a cultural thing. Latins (southern European origin) are generally more demonstrative than northern Europeans. And East Asians are even less demonstrative, hence the stereotypical bowing rather than handshaking. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 14:47, 3 September 2013 (UTC)

We have an article Cheek kissing that may be helpful. Kissing has become more widespread as a greeting here in the UK in recent years, particularly among younger people and metropolitan society. However, "to kiss or not to kiss" can still provide a moment of awkwardness in many greeting situations, with people we don't know well; we are a quite a formal bunch here compared to some nations - as Bugs says, it's a cultural thing. I am female and can mentally divide my acquaintance list into people I kiss when I meet them, and people I don't. The latter list is much bigger than the former.

May I ask you a question in return? I believe you're a native Spanish speaker and I was very interested to see how you phrased your question. On the Language desk we've discussed the well-established use of "doubt" as a synonym for "question" by Indian English speakers, but I just wanted to ask whether you're translating the Spanish phrase tengo una duda when you say "I have a doubt". Many thanks! - Karenjc 14:52, 3 September 2013 (UTC)

Hi, Karen and Baseball Bugs, thank you both for your answers. I'm afraid I don't understand your question. Are you asking how do I ask when I have a doubt (I have a question or I have a doubt?) Miss Bono ^[zootalk] 16:34, 3 September 2013 (UTC)

Do Spartacus (TV series) represents the reality?

Hello I watched the the TV series Spartacus and I wonder if it presents really the story of Spartacus. There many sex scenes and violence. Is true that romaines live like that (They like violence, nobles people organize parties with slaves fucking around, Strap-on really exists? ...etc and others many things I forget). Do the expression By Jupiter Cock really exists? I searched the net and I have found nothing. The story between Spartacus and his wife and Crixus and Neveia are really true?. Thanks.

(Please sign your posts by hitting the tilde key four times. Thank you.) For some clues as to the reality of everyday life in the Roman Empire, please see our article Erotic art in Pompeii and Herculaneum. --TammyMoet (talk) 15:00, 3 September 2013 (UTC)

Speaking of Jupiter's bits, Juglans seems to be a rather old name; make of that what you will. SemanticMantis (talk) 15:45, 3 September 2013 (UTC)

Our article on Spartacus (the historical figure) covers what the ancient sources say happened pretty well, with links to translations of those sources in the footnotes. The TV series is obviously going to be fictionalised. The setting and background are hopefully going to be based on historical and archaeological research, but if specific events depicted go beyond what the sources say, that's just dramatic licence. The sources only go into so much detail, and to write a dramatically satisfying screenplay the writer is going to have to invent scenes and dialogue to convey information that's conveyed in a different way in the sources, fill in gaps from his or her imagination, and invent stuff to make the characters and action more interesting. Nicknack009 (talk) 16:17, 3 September 2013 (UTC)

Do schoolchildren in the developed world, 21st century, learn how to write letters or send e-mail or both?

Do schoolchildren in the developed world learn how to write letters or send e-mail or both? Are they taught how to type out or write out a formal/business letter and a casual/friendly letter at a young age, adding a postage stamp, finding a mail box, checking the address to make sure that the mail gets to the right place, looking for typographical errors in the e-mail, etc.? How often would the average schoolchild use electronics to send a message to another person? 164.107.102.38 (talk) 15:15, 3 September 2013 (UTC)

My son is 10 and goes to school in a "developed" country. He's certainly never been taught how to write a letter in the way you describe and somehow I doubt he ever will now. --Viennese Waltz 15:36, 3 September 2013 (UTC)

Fine. Then, can you be a little specific in how he writes the letter? 164.107.102.38 (talk) 15:42, 3 September 2013 (UTC)