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August 9

Is there any mention of a 4 toed creature or god anywhere?

Is there any mention of a large 4 toed creature or humanoid? It may be in the south pacific. It would probably be a religious symbol to a native people perhaps.

Thanks

We have the four-toed hedgehog, the four-toed jerboa, and the four-toed salamander. But none are large or humanoid, and not likely to be encountered in the South Pacific. Could it have been a left foot? --Lambiam^Talk 07:32, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Or a bloke who's had an accident but was luckier than Fred Titmus, who was something of a god in the Middlesex region. --Dweller 11:08, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

You will not find the answers to the puzzles of Lost on Wikipedia. --LarryMac 13:08, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

You saying that Fred Titmus isn't the answer to one of the puzzles of Lost!??! <grins> --Dweller 13:22, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

The symbol is widely spread in Disney characters' hands. This might be something related to arcane things as it gives them 22 knuckles. -- DLL ^{.. T} 16:51, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

• 4-toed dragons in Chinese mythology would be it I think-hotclaws**==(82.138.214.1 17:14, 11 August 2006 (UTC))

Tommy Roe Singer Songwriter

Hello There.

This is the first time I have used the Wikipedia site so I do hope I am taking the right steps here. My name is Marion e-mail address removed

For the past 4 years I have been researching information to add to my Family Tree. My late cousin born Ann Maclagan about 1939 England was once married to singer songwriter Tommy Roe born in Atlanta Georgia in 1942. I believe this was my Cousins 3rd marriage and when the couple divorced my cousin still kept the surname Roe up until she died. I am wondering apart from Tommy Roes present wife can anyone furnish me with details concerning his other marriages. Would there also be any photos I could view of his wives.

Regards Marion Sydney Australia

I've done thorough web searches, and they don't seem to indicate that he was married to anyone else other than Josette Banzet. Mike H. I did "That's hot" first! 08:40, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Unfortunately there isn't a great deal of personal information at Tommy Roe. AllanHainey 14:26, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

CD transfer

hello.....can someone tell me how, or where to look to find info on how to burn music from one cd to a blank cd.........thanks.... e-mail address removed

If this a a way to make me tell the name of a commercial product and indirectly gain publicity for it ... nopes. I won't tell that I use Nero burning because I'm not sure if it's legally on my PC (which I just recently stolen from my banker while he was impoverishing hundreds of endebted poor people). -- DLL ^{.. T} 16:46, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Pianists

Who are generally considered the top ten living classical pianists? Sashafklein 02:12, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

I doubt you would ever get general agreement, but my list would include (no particular order, and I'm sorry but I can't get it down to only ten): Ivo Pogorelich, Alfred Brendel, Leif Ove Andsnes, Peter Donohoe, Mitsuko Uchida, Arcadi Volodos, Martha Argerich, Mikhail Pletnev, Lang Lang, Murray Perahia, Marc-Andre Hamelin, Maurizio Pollini, Stephen Hough, Alexis Weissenberg, John Chen (pianist), and Angela Hewitt (peerless in Bach). JackofOz 02:27, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Nice list, Jack. I would like to add Pierre-Laurent Aimard, who is miraculous in modern repertoire like Messiaen and Ligeti. David Sneek 07:32, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

John Wayne Bobbitt. Did I mishear the question? --Dweller 14:15, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

The late Vladimir Horowitz (weep, sob) is credited with saying "There are 3 kinds of pianists: Jewish pianists, homosexual pianists, and bad pianists". Knowing what I do about poor old Bobbit, I'd be pretty safe in saying he belongs in the third category. JackofOz 14:34, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

AAAAHHHH!!!! How could you leave out Van Cliburn? User:Zoe|(talk) 16:29, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Easy. It's all subjective because the question asked for "top ten", and without further qualification, this can mean anything we choose it to mean. The top ten money earners would be different, as would the top ten in terms of recording quantity, or the top ten in number of live concerts per annum, or the top ten in terms of concerto repertoire. I've never liked Cliburn's style very much. I greatly respect his achievements, but being a kind of Neil Armstrong of the Tchaikovsky Competition doesn't necessarily put him into my personal list of favourites. JackofOz 02:37, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

Sort of a law question

If there is a terribly maintained town road, that never gets repaired fully, but patched at random intervals, and constantly has potholes 3" or more deep scattered throughout the road, would it be fruitful at all to send a bill to the town department for repairs that arose from the car driving over the potholes? The goal wouldn't only be for them to pay for the repairs, but to motivate them to pave the road. I was wondering what sort of laws there were for the towns responsibility to maintain roads. Thanks for any help, and sorry for the rambling, Newnam^(talk) 04:20, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

It really may depend on where you are and what the local laws say. --Lambiam^Talk 07:10, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

I would recommend going to a town council meeting (or whatever the equivalent is in your town) and voicing your concerns. It may sound hopeless, but that's what everyone thinks, so you will probably be one of the few people who are actually heard. At least in my town, they do occasionally get things done. Take it to the top! --198.125.178.207 14:39, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Thanks, a town meeting sounds like a good idea! Newnam^(talk) 18:39, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Cool. Ask the clerk for an agenda - there's probably a part for anyone present to take the floor, or you could also contact the clerk before hand, and they can put you on the agenda. --Bmk 20:07, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Towns are governed state and municipal law if you I would examine your municipal and state laws relating to road payment.

However if it really is a "town road", the town will be responsible for repairing it. Your city (or town) hall will have maps of what entity owns what roads. --18.239.6.57 19:47, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

ARTICLE OF ASSOCIATION

What is article of association?

See articles of association. There is a very handy search box on the left of the screen. Natgoo 06:59, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

In fact, you most likely want to read Articles of Association (law). --Lambiam^Talk 07:06, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

So you can read the same article twice! Natgoo 07:10, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Oops. There is also Articles of Association, which is about something entirely different. --Lambiam^Talk 07:40, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Get down tonight!

In the popular disco song "Get Down Tonight," what is the instrument we hear in the very beginning? It sounds like a harp or a zither, but I can't be certain. It may just be an electric guitar, but I just can't put my finger on it. Please help! Mike H. I did "That's hot" first! 07:53, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Well since it was recorded before the age of computerised music modifications, I'd say it's almost certainly a zither, dulcimer, maybe an electric guitar, but not a harp. It could also be a lute or a mandolin with metal strings. The bent notes are the giveaway.--Anchoress 15:25, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Bounty hunters

Are bounty hunters legal in the UK and if so how do i become one?

They're legal and, it would seem, searching for paradise somewhere outside of the UK. Rather worryingly, they've not been seen since the mid 1990s. See here and Bounty (chocolate bar) --Dweller 11:01, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Giving your question an attempt at a serious answer, I think that they are not. The basic laws that enable bounty hunters to exist in the US don't exist in the UK (basicly you can't kidnap someone just because they owe you money!). I think that's true of most other Western nations too. DJ Clayworth 18:11, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

In the US, the bounty hunter is supposed to be a delegated officer of the court. The bail bondsman issues the bounty to get the person to appear at court, so that they can get the bail money back. I think that's what licenses the nastiness -- the person is already wanted. Geogre 20:54, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Parliament

Hi there, I am a little confused. Do england, wales, scotland and n.ireland all have their own individual parliaments given that they all considerd 'countries within a country'?

Many thanks, Isabel

Hi Isabel - The situation isn't uniform, each nation within the UK has a different setup. The UK as a whole is governed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom in Westminster. Scotland has their own Parliament in Holyrood, and Wales has their own Assembly in Cardiff. These had different powers from each other (Scotland has had the ability to make its own laws since the creation of the new parliament, wheras Wales could only modify those being created at Westminster), but a week or two back, Wales was granted its own law making powers. Northern Ireland has their own Assembly at Stormont, but that is currently suspended, and run from Westminster, due to factional infighting which has stalled the Good Friday Agreement peace process. England has no assembly or Parliament of its own, leading to the West Lothian Question, where Scottish MPs can vote on matters that only affect England.

Hope this answers your question, please check the links for more detailed info, and don't hesitate to ask again if you're still confused :) Mnemeson 11:18, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Hi, Isabel! Only recently has devolution been practiced in the modern politics of the United Kingdom. The Parliament of Northern Ireland is the oldest devolved government, but its successor, the Northern Ireland Assembly, is currently in suspension. The Scottish Parliament has the most power of the devolved assemblies, the other being the National Assembly for Wales. England, the largest country in the union doesn't have its own national assembly, and is ruled directly by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. However, there have been calls for an English Parliament. One plan the goverment did have was to give the regions of England their own assemblies (Regional assemblies in England) — out of this we got the London Assembly — but the move to create an assembly for the North East England was defeated in a referendum, and the plan has been shelved. — Gareth Hughes 11:25, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Also the powers of the various assemblies and parliaments varies, the Scottish Parliament can legislate only on areas which aren't reserved to Westminster like foreign affairs and taxation (apart from the ability to vary the income tax set by Westminster by 3 pence in the pound which was won by referendum). I'm not sure whether there are different reserved areas for the different countries but I'd expect it - traditionally Scotland has retained its own legal, medical & education systems so the Scottish Parliament has gained power over these areas but for N Ire, Wales, etc these areas have been dealt with by Westminster so these areas may be reserved to Westminster. The London Assembley isn't really a parliament, more like the old Greater London Council. AllanHainey 14:43, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Incas

what is the difference between Incas ans Aztecs, are they one and the same, two separate peoples or is axtec used a general term and Incas a specific ruling family? Thank you

No, they are quite distinct. As this is an encyclopedia, you can read all about both amazing groups of people in the articles called inca and aztec. --18.239.6.57 13:32, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Incas lived in the Peruvian highlands; Aztecs dwelt in what is now part of Mexico. That's the main difference. I suppose they had some similarities, but, no, they are different people. - THE GREAT GAVINI {T-C} 14:45, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

maybe I'm an elitist academic asshole, but I am honestly shocked that someone just asked that question...Kızılderili 22:54, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Maybe. Let's be nice. If the poster has by now read the articles, he probably knows more about the subject than you or me. --Bmk 00:39, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

"There are no stupid questions...unless you count those on the entrance exam for the academy of the mentally retarded." :-) StuRat 07:30, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

Try looking up the Mayans and Olmec while you're at it. StuRat 07:25, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

thanks for the help guys!! and the 'poster' is a she not a he, dont assume. sorry EvKnight13 im not as "inteligent" as you ive never studied south american history and was curious, way to stomp out curiosity by having a go at it, wont ask next time.

Simmer down, friend. Here's the thing - there's nothing wrong with asking your question, but you shouldn't have had to ask it. This is an encyclopedia. Looking up Inca and Aztec in this or any other reference work would have set you right. And the word is "intelligent" ;-). Matt Deres 01:10, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

Age

What % of people reach a 100

Depends. -- DLL ^{.. T} 16:13, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Yes, those that reach 100 mostly wear Depends. :-) StuRat 07:20, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

14,000 in France today [1] means 0.023 % [2]. -- DLL ^{.. T} 16:21, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Wouldn't that be the percent of people who are 100 yrs old? Not quite the same as the question. Basically, that percentage is way too low, because you're counting all the people who are still alive! You haven't given them a chance to get to 100 yet. That figure would be correct if someone nuked france and everyone died today. Not something i'm advocating, by the way. --198.125.178.207 16:54, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Assuming you're not referring to scoring 100, and assuming you mean today, you do really need to specify where you're asking about... the World? USA? Mongolia? --Dweller 16:59, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

He says 'people'. So that's the world. I've tried to find some answers, but demographic data don't usually seem to go higher than 'over 80' or 'over 85'. Category:Demographics by country was a bit too much to check all of them out. DirkvdM 18:01, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

We're not talking about life expectancy, but about the proportion of the general population who actually reach 100. That can only be gauged over a longish time span, and it would fluctuate depending on the length of the span, whether the span is a moving average, and above all the place concerned. The Hunza people claim that the majority of their people reach 100 (and some even supposedly get to 160), while there are places in Africa where you'd be considered an old person if you reached 45 and an extremely low percentage of their people ever reach anything like 100.

Funnily enough, our article on the Hunza people was created only 5 days ago - it's a start but it needs a LOT of work. JackofOz 02:27, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

I don't believe it. Do they have any proof ? StuRat 07:22, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

Well, it's all anecdotal really. Given that the Hunza were not known to the West until relatively recently, their record keeping would almost certainly not be of a kind that would satisfy western genealogists or researchers. But if the people of Iwo Jima have a life expectancy way ahead of the general population in their region, I would not be surprised if some Hunza claims for extreme longevity were eventually proven (but I think 160 is an exaggeration). JackofOz 10:23, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

That's nothing - the bible claims Jesus lived for 930 years. DirkvdM 05:59, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

Maybe you are thinking about Methuselah ? Jesus only lived to be about 32. StuRat 07:20, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

Oops, I meant Adam! DirkvdM 08:52, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

• 100% of people 100 years old-hotclaws**==(82.138.214.1 17:18, 11 August 2006 (UTC))

Where is somewhere really remote?

The last question prompted me to wonder... when British people want to say in an exaggerated way that somewhere is exceptionally remote, they might refer to "Timbuktu" or "Outer Mongolia". (There may be others).

What about people elsewhere? I'd guess, for example, that people living in Mongolia might have a different expression... --Dweller 17:01, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Tristan de Cunha? --HappyCamper 17:02, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Nice. What nationality refers to that island? --Dweller 17:04, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Not sure myself - I think I misread your question. I thought you were just looking for remote places on Earth. --HappyCamper 17:10, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Don't forget BFE. I asked a Nigerian doctor what they use since Timbuktu is so close. He said it doesn't translate from Nigerian to English well, but it is a place too far away to walk to. --Kainaw ^(talk) 17:21, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Don't forget one of my favorites! "You should be deported to Yukon..."/ ;) Viva La Vie Boheme

In Australia that would be "beyond the black stump" (ha! Beat you to it, Jack!). In the Netherlands it's 'verweggistan' ('farawayistan').

As for actual places, I wanted to say Amsterdam, but Tristan da Cunha ('Tristan of the cunt'?) is indeed more remote. Then again, both islands have neighbour islands. Easter Island isn't as remote as I thought either and the Pitcairn Islands are plural, so no luck there either. Is there really no really remote single island? Ah, Extreme_points_of_the_world#Remoteness mentions Bouvet Island. There, that's solved. Then again, there's also the South Pole in winter. Or you coiuld take a boat to the eastern Pacific. Depends on how you define 'remote' and 'place'. DirkvdM 18:21, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

I prefer the farthest reaches of space. — [Mac Davis] (talk)

Australia has a few more - "the back of Bourke" and "Woop Woop". I also find "Buttfuck, Nowhere" extraordinarily useful at times, which I think I nicked from Americans. Natgoo 18:30, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

It's actually rather odd (or "ironic"? I'm never sure if I'm using that term correctly,) but with all the references to Australia, since most English speakers live in the northern and western hemispheres, (the north-west "quadrosphere"? Is that a word?) that as an English speaker, the most remote place on earth that comes to mind for me is, in fact, Australia. It's an English speaking country located in the oddest of places for an English speaking country to be located, in the extreme south-east of the planet, pretty much the opposite side of the world for the rest of us. An odd location indeed, but I still love'em. :) Loomis 22:14, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

We've recently had some greatly enlightening discussions about antipodes on the Ref Desk, but this question was about figures of speech, not actual geographical accuracy. In Australia we still use Timbuktu, but also Bullamakanka, Oodnagalarbie, and Buggery ("Go to Buggery" is a moderately less offensive term than "fuck off", but conveys almost precisely the same meaning). JackofOz 02:16, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

Some great answers, thanks. Keep em coming. So far, my favourite is Boolamakanka. Given that it was a whimsical question, I've also enjoyed the discursus on actual remote places. --Dweller 08:44, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

If you want to stay in North America, the northwest and Canada are extremely undeveloped. You could die/get killed there and it would take centuries before they found you. Americans just call it "really far away". We aren't as whimsical as our British neighbors apparently =D--mboverload@ 08:53, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

My family uses the fictional location East Jabib (apparently West Jabib is just too close). Has anyone else ever heard of this ? StuRat 07:12, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

• Didn't the Romans use Ultima Thule?hotclaws**==(82.138.214.1 17:19, 11 August 2006 (UTC))

Here in the Western US, I've heard "timbuktu" as well as the term "out in the boonies". Also, less original, is "in the middle of nowhere." The Jade Knight 00:32, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

Back of beyond? Sam Korn ^(smoddy) 21:46, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

Elizabeth Schwarzkopf's Desert Island Discs

THe story is told that she was interviewed on th BBC program Desert Island Discs and all but one of her picks were her own recordings. What was her exact list of Desert Island Discs?

Skramer0 18:35, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

On the Independent's letters page I find

Schwarzkopf's choice of eight of her own recordings to accompany her to a desert island needs explaining. She maintained that her husband, Walter Legge, had made the choice for her. This is believable, for she had come to rely on him in every aspect of her singing career.

COLIN COOPER

ST LEONARDS, EAST SUSSEX

Sir: John Walsh (5 August) asks what Elisabeth Schwarzkopf's eighth gramophone record was on Desert Island Discs.

According to Desert Island Lists, it was the prelude to Richard Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier, conducted by Herbert von Karajan. Although it is correct to say that she's not actually in that bit of the opera, she comes in pretty soon after it and is centre stage almost until the end. We might speculate why this prelude - in which the orchestra depicts graphically energetic love-making followed by post-coital gentleness - was so special. Her luxuries were sun tan oil and a French cookery book. So there was clearly more to the singer than immediately met the eye.

Mr Walsh had hoped it may have been Sid Vicious or Prodigy. But I would suggest that Der Rosenkavalier, although clearly lacking the immediacy of "Smack My Bitch Up", might prove ultimately more soothing during a long stay on a desert island.

JOHN MACKEONIS

LONDON W6

For anything further, I think we need someone with a copy of Desert Island Lists. Skittle 13:13, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

Ex-presidents of the U.S.

In what year did the U.S. have the most living ex-presidents? I don't mean all gathered together a photo op (as at Nixon's funeral); just out of office and still alive. --Uncle Ed 19:12, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

This is covered in the Trivia section of the President of the United States article. (It is a tie - three periods during which five former Presidents were alive.) Rmhermen 19:21, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Thanks, my timeline wasn't precise enough to figure that out. --Uncle Ed 20:03, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Complete Studio Recordings

The Complete Studio Recordings by Led Zeppelin, how much is it in local (Edmonton, Alberta,) HMV stores? I heard it was something like $150.00.Jk31213 19:24, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Why don't you just search hmv.ca? That would be a lot easier and faster than waiting for someone here to search, and then tell you that it costs $153.99. --ByeByeBaby 20:52, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Yeah, I got that part, pal. I was just wondering does HMV have the price different depending on what location one's at or the same or what?Jk31213 16:41, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

President of Argentina

Hello everyone,

I would like please to know if there are any limitations on a candidate for presidency in Argentina. Is true that he has to be Christian?

Thanks a lot, Tommy

The article President of Argentina has the answers you're looking for, and much more. Until 1994, the president had to be baptized Roman Catholic, but that is no longer true. --User:bmk

Actually, I take it back. The above cited article states that the rest of the requirements are the same as the requirements for the Argentine senate, which is true, but the Argentine Senate article doesn't have the info. I'm adding it now. FYI, Section 55 of the Argentine constitution states that:

"In order to be elected senator the following conditions are required: to have attained to the age of 30 years, to have been six years a citizen of the Nation, to have an annual income of two thousand strong pesos or similar revenues, and to be a native of the province electing him or to have two years of immediate residence therein." --Bmk 19:58, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Fidel Castro's real age

Are rumors that he claim to have born in 1926, but was really born in 1927 true?

Do you mean "rumors", instead of "rooms"? I don't see any evidence that he was born in any year other than 1926, but perhaps someone else could shed brighter light on the subject. (see Fidel Castro)--Bmk 20:00, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

longest serving american general officer

In in U.S. Which current active duty general/ flag officer was commisioned in the military the earliest?

When Castro dies, who are likely contenders for the leadership?

Besides Raul, who is likely to be prime canidate to take over for Castro?

From what I can tell by looking at the article 2006 Cuban transfer of presidential duties Raul is the only candidate named by Castro. Unless Raul dies unexpectedly, or is removed by some insurgency or other-country-caused conflict, Cuba likely gets Raul. You might try looking up who would have taken over Cuba's leadership if Fidel Castro became incapacitated in some way. I am sure they have back up plans. Try the Cuba article and look for relevant links to other articles mentioning the government. I hope that helps. Sifaka ^talk 21:21, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

But they probably aren't going to tell YOU about it. This is the communist party we're talking about - not known for free dissemination of information, especially not about the party. --Bmk 21:33, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Well Fidel was temporarily incapacitated just recently, and Raul was put in charge. But I'm guessing, Sifaka, that either I'm misreading your post, or you inadvertently miscommunicated what you intended to say. Loomis 21:59, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Like Bmk says, it's difficult to tell — even intelligence agencies are reported to have a hard time working out what's going on in Cuba's top circles. However, Felipe Perez Roque (the foreign minister) and Carlos Lage Dávila (who implemented economic reforms in the 1990s which Castro later halted) both seem to be important people, and I've seen their names mentioned once or twice as possible successors to Castro. -- Vardion 01:58, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

Raul is the head of the military, who are reported to be loyal to him, so no one's in nearly as strong a position as he is, and there's no reason he couldn't rule for a few years and/or shake things up from the current order a bit. I'd have great difficulty envisioning anyone other than Raul succeeding Fidel -- coups usually come from either the military or popular rebel groups. That being said, other names I'd think of are Abelardo Colome Ibarra, in charge of domestic intelligence and Julio Casas Regueiro, Raul's second-in-command of the armed forces. Raul is apparently as organized as Fidel is charismatic, so I'm sure he has or will soon have a detailed succession plan. The wild card, of course, is Mr. Pickles. (This is also an interesting article about a Cuban Succession simulation.) --ByeByeBaby 04:08, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

According to the Cuban Constitution Article 94, the First Vice President of the Council of State assumes presidential duties upon the illness or death of the president. At the moment that is Raul Castro. I dont' know how the First Vice President of the Council of State is assigned, but that is probably done by the president. But the succession issue really comes down to that, I suppose. DirkvdM 12:20, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

Aw c'mon Dirk! You're too smart to actually believe that the Cuban Constitution is worth anything more than the paper it's written on! We're talking about a dictatorship here! The closest thing that a dictatorship has to an actual "constitution" is the dictator himself. I think the best way to predict who will succeed Castro is to look at the experiences of other dictatorships concerning succession of power. When a dictator dies, an unpredictable variety of things can happen.

In some cases, where the position is highly contested, things can get really nasty. A big factor is the military. The guy (and I'm not being sexist here, I just can't for the life of me think of any female dictator that ever existed) the top brass in the military infrastructure likes best has a great head start. Next come the paramilitary groups, the most violent rioters etc. It's a pretty chaotic process but ultimately one guy ends up on top, and becomes the next dictator.

In other cases the process can seem actually quite peaceful. Take Egypt or Syria. In both those cases the "dictator-apparent" was made clear to the public by the living dictator. Hafez Assad made it pretty clear that his son Bashar would succed him as dictator, and so he did. Similarly, Nasser made it clear to his people that upon his death he should be succeeded by Sadat, and in turn, when Sadat came to power, he picked Mubarak to be his eventual successor.

In the case of Cuba, Castro seems to have picked his brother Raul. Only time will tell whether the transfer of power will be rather bloodless as in Egypt or Syria, or whether the more violent route will be taken, should someone with a solid base of support contest Raul's succession as dictator. Loomis 21:49, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

I merely gave the official story. That was obviously worth mentioning. Whether the constitution is ignored after the president dies is speculation. Feel free to speculate, but I don't have to. This is after all the reference desk of an encyclopedia. Opinions are welcome, but are secondary to factual info. DirkvdM 06:05, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

Of course, Raul is almost as old as Fidel, so he is planning on dropping dead soon after he takes office. I picture this ending up a lot like the final days of the Soviet Union, where their leaders were dropping dead in quick succession Breznev, Chernenko, Andropov, until they finally picked someone who could manage to move without a walker (Gorbachev). Not being on death's door meant that he wasn't part of the old-guard communists, however, so that was the end of communism in the Soviet Union. I wonder if I can invest in a Havana nightclub once the last commie drops dead ? StuRat 07:42, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

Again, this is one of those sitiations that proves what I've said a few times, that the line between "fact" and "opinion" is quite a bit fuzzier than many would like to believe. Of course the "Constitution of Cuba" exists, and to quote is indeed quoting "fact". But I also believe that to point out the nature of dictatorships, and the "fact" that their "constitutions" are rarely actually ever followed, and are themselves mere pieces of propaganda is pretty "factual" as well. I'm sure that if you looked up "The Constitution of the USSR" or "The Constitution of the People's Republic of China", and in particular, for example, the sections dealing with constitutionally enshrined human rights in either of these documents, no respectable encyclopedia would feel that it's veering to far into the realm of "opinion" in pointing out the "fact" that these documents are in reality largely ignored by their countries' respective regimes. Quoting them in a factual way is fine, but to not include the caveat that they're actually rather irrelevant would actually be factually misleading. Loomis 15:31, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

The Vatican is a dictatorship. That has lasted fairly long and there doesn't seem to be an end to it yet. :) Actually, this comparison is not a as weird as it sounds. The big question is if the inhabitants share the ideology of the state. Cuba has been trying its best to make sure of that in the last half century (in anticipation of your remark - yes this is indoctrination, but that is neither something unique nor relevant here). My impression in Cuba was that they are fairly divided about the government. Supporters aren't just old revolutionaries who knew Cuba under Batista but also a lot of younger ones and of course the families that got 'rich' (as far as that is allowed in Cuba) from tourism. But they are united in their hatred for the US and a common enemy is a very strong unifying force. Main thing is, there won't be an uprising. There is a fair bit of dissent here and there, but no more than in other countries. Although people do have the power for it - they are trained in (guerrilla?) fighting from early childhood. So if they really wanted to revolt, they would have already done so. DirkvdM 09:06, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

An important factor here is that Castro is an educated guy. What's more, he's originally a lawyer (give a lawyer total freedom to speak as long as he wishes and what do you get? :) ). And it is safe to assume that he is an idealist who wants 'the revolution' to work. Given these three things, it is highly unlikely that he will not have meticulously arranged his succession in a way that will actually work. DirkvdM 11:30, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

You are underestimating the "cult of personality". While many Cubans, especially poor, old Cubans, respect Castro for having delivered them from dictators who abused the poor (he is a dictator who abuses the rich), they don't particularly respect his policies, which have kept the island poor and reneged on his promises to bring democracy. So, once the man is gone, they will no longer feel the need to continue with his rather stupid policies. Much as the death of Mao Zedong started China on the process towards capitalism, and ended idiotic policies like the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution, I would expect the same in Cuba. However, I would expect Cuba to become democratic quicker than China (which I still expect to happen eventually) as being a small country surrounded by democracies makes it rather stand out as a repressive country, unlike in China. StuRat 22:49, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

Cuba has done some pretty stupid things too, and stopped doing that (after all, it's a big experiment and one can't do experiments without making mistakes). And they have already started changing, introducing some capitalism within the socialism (in stead of the other way around as in most countries - a different experiment). But people in Cuba are convinced that the economic hardship is largely due to the US embargo. And they are probably right to a large degree, but that is irrelevant here - what counts is what they think. So ironically, the US embargo will have the opposite effect of what it intended to achieve. And I have never understood it. Irrespective of what I think of it, it doesn't make sense. It will always give the Cuban government a great excuse, and they are using it to the full, and successfully. DirkvdM 09:09, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

It may be true that a majority of Cubans now support Castro and hate the US, but that would seem to be due to the fact that a huge chunk of Cuban dissidents somehow defected to Miami (or "Little Havana" which is somewhere near Miami). Cuban defectors are actually given an easier time when seeking assylum in the US, compared to, say, Haitian refugees. While well intended, this policy also seems to be rather stupid on the part of the US, since it allows Castro to rid himself of most dissidents, and have a more solid base of support. Hypothetically, had the population of "Little Havana" never been given assylum in the US and were it forced to turn back and stay in Cuba, it would surely no longer be the case, (if indeed it is now, which I'm not entirely sure,) that Cubans are "united in their hatred for the US". Loomis 12:25, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

I just realized a small, but not fatal flaw in my above argument. Had the current Cuban-Americans been turned away by the US and sent back to Cuba, surely a great degree of resentment towards the US would have resulted, leading them to be not so pro-American as they are today. Yet I doubt much, if any of this resentment would translate into support for Castro. They may resent be turned away by the US, but still hate Castro. The point therefore remains the same. Giving Cuban defectors a special status when it comes to defecting to the US was still a stupid policy, as it only resulted in giving Castro a more solid base of support among his people. Had all those would-be defectors been left stuck in Cuba, Castro may not have even lasted as long as he did, and even if he did, the prospect of a "regime-change" upon his death would be all the more likely. Loomis 13:11, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

Don't overestimate the importance of that community. How many are there? If it's a million, which I strongly doubt, then that would still be less than 10% of all Cubans. AS for the word 'hate', that probably is applicable to the rich industrialists who lost a lot, but that is an even smaller minority. Many Cubans dislike Castro, but that is pretty normal. At the moment in the Netherlands there is also a strong resentment against the government with a large part of the population. But that doesn't mean people will revolt, even if they can't vote the government out, as in Cuba. There's enough 'bread and games' in Cuba to take away the wish to revolt. It's a very hard-and-fast rule that keeps on getting broken by many dictators (such as Batista and the Tsars). But, as I said, Castro isn't stupid. He isn't your average dictator. DirkvdM 09:41, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

Even if the community is that small, it would seem to be a virulently anti-Castro community. Remember, we're not talking about a democracy here, we're not talking about one citizen-one vote. We're talking about a dictorship here. And as I said earlier, when in comes to dictatorships, the louder the angrier and the more determined the citizen, the more power s/he has in influencing his or her government and its choice of leader. The million or so Cuban ex-pats in the US literally risked their lives to leave Cuba for the US, some resorting to floating over on rafts in shark-infested waters. These people, at the very least, would surely be quite the thorn in the side of Castro, had they been forced to remain in Cuba. I'd say you shouldn't underestimate the importance of this community. Loomis 02:40, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

Yes, their importance is much greater than their numbers would indicate, for these reasons:

1) They tend to be wealthier than Cubans. Some were wealthy when they left (to avoid having their assets seized by Castro), and others could only became wealthy once they were in a capitalist society. This wealth translates into power.

2) Many are also cultural icons, like Gloria Estefan.

3) They are in the US, and have a pivotal voting block in Florida, which has Jeb Bush, the President's brother, as it's governor. Also, recall that Florida was the state that decided the 2000 presidential election where George W. Bush first gained office. So, the ex-Cubans have substantial political power in the US, and have been pivotal in keeping the boycott on Cuba all these years. StuRat 09:30, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

LLM programs

Does any one know of any reputable LLM programs that can either taken online or by correispondence?

I am no lawyer but a google of "LLM correspondence course" shows a couple of universities I know about with what appears to be LLM programs. As for reputable, a state university with graduate and undergratuate programs is probably reputable, but I would recommend you find out for yourself because it would no doubt be a commitment in terms of time and money. I recommend asking lawyerly friends or someone in charge of a firm in the area you want to get an LLM in to see if they would accept a correspondence version or have any recommendations. Sifaka ^talk 21:28, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Crest

http://img110.imageshack.us/my.php?image=3er0.jpg

Is this the crest associated with Kenneth Grahame the writer of The Wind In The Willows?

I would tend to doubt it (the blank scroll crossing in front of the shield doesn't look too much like real heraldry). In any case, it's a coat of arms (or an attempt at one), not a "crest". AnonMoos 18:53, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

From Kenneth Grahame there is no indication that he was entitled to a coat of arms or crest. AllanHainey 13:45, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

wiki for opposing viewpoints?

Is there a wiki where users research and write opposing viewpoints for various issues? Wikipedia does a bit of that if you look up specific laws and whatnot but does anyone know about a site specifically dedicated to presenting opposing viewpoints? Sifaka ^talk 21:11, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Yes, there is. And I've been trying to remember what it is. I read it a long time ago, and they had very orderly discussions; basically there was a "claim", then lists of arguments for and against, on many issues. I think it used the same wikimedia software. I'll post if I remember where it is. --Bmk 00:44, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

Was it wikilogic, or something like that? I remember seeing it somewhere, but I can't remember its name. Maybe that will be a blue link. Skittle 13:04, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

Yeah, I thought it was something like that too, but I can't find it. At first I thought it was a sister project to wikipedia, but it wasn't. Still looking... --Bmk 13:24, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

You might be thinking about Wikireason[3]--Pyroclastic 15:11, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

Aha. Thanks pyroclastic - that's exactly what I was remembering, and I think it fits Sifaka's specifications. --Bmk 17:22, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

Movie with a big car crash?

I was in a store's AV department with my boss today, and one of the TVs, as a demo, was showing a really impressive car crash sequence -- but we walked in as the cars started crashing, and the demo went to black after the crashes were done. I'm hoping someone can confirm what movie it's from. Here's what I know:

• The car crash involved mostly/entirely 1980s style police cars; at least some were painted as Louisiana Highway Patrol vehicles.
• The first few crashed together or rolled, and then cars kept piling into them, then flipping and landing on top of the heap. And then they kept coming, approaching the point of parody. By the end, it was just a heap of dozens of cars, with more and more flying on top of the pile (the ones near the end looked like they had been launched from a ballista as much as actually driven off a ramp. The whole sequence was an extended one; probably a couple of minutes.
• Based on the way it was shot and edited, it was from a movie, probably a recent one. The tone seemed to be more silly than hard-boiled; more Blues Brothers than Heat.

We thought it might be The Dukes of Hazzard (film), and it certainly seems to fit, but neither our article, nor IMDB's mentions a big car crash. Can anyone confirm, or suggest an alternate? --ByeByeBaby 21:21, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Blues Brothers 2000? Adam Bishop 21:35, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Definitely got to be that. The original Blues Brothers did a huge number of police car crashes, as well. It wasn't funny in either case. For the 2nd film, they made sure to show a policeman getting out of each crashed car. "Bang! Boom! But no one ever gets hurt, folks!" Blug. Geogre 02:22, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

Oi, what're you calling unfunny? The Blues Brothers is on my list of all-time favourite movies. Maybe you need to watch it 20 times, as I have, to really appreciate the funny bits (which are far too numerous to mention). JackofOz 11:34, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

The funny bits are the verbal humor and the absurd humor -- the script. The unfunny bits are the car chases and car crashes -- the director. The funniest things are pure Belushi and Ackroyd. I was so put off by the vulgarity of "watch cars crash" and nonsense of "watch stoned actors stand around" (Carrie Fisher in the sewer) that I lost the good bits ("How much for your sister?") and the musical numbers that were really good (Cab Calloway, in particular). Geogre 11:49, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

Thanks, guys! I don't remember seeing cops getting out of the cars, but, especially based on the Guiness Record mentioned in the article, it's got to be Blues Brothers 2000. Which makes me feel stupid, since I compared it to the original. (In my defense, from what I've heard, Blues Brothers 2000 was so bad I blocked out it have ever being made -- sort of like the two sequels to the Matrix.) --ByeByeBaby 03:48, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

19th century medal

My wife came across a medal in our house today which neither of us remembers ever seeing before. It is made of bronze, and has a capital "A" on one side, with the years 1870-71. On the other is the motto "L'Union Fait La Force", with a crest of a lion, surmounted by a crown. I have looked up Belgium and also the Franco-Prussian War, but could anybody tell me any more about this medal? And what does the letter "A" stand for?--G N Frykman 22:13, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Does it look like any of these? --Kainaw ^(talk) 23:20, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Found it: Commemorative Medal 1870-1871. --Lambiam^Talk 03:14, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

Phew - well done Lambian (assuming it is correct) --Bmk 04:34, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

Lambiam - what a fantastic result! That is exactly the medal in my wife's possession. Now we have to work out whether it was awarded to any of her Belgian ancestors. Many thanks!--G N Frykman 08:34, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

semetic Nazis

Many key Nazi leaders such as Goebbels and Eichman had very semetic features, is their evidence that they might have had Jewish ansestors?

Don't know - but you'll have more luck looking with the spelling semitic. --Bmk 22:57, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Never mind - my apologies, I guess they're both acceptable spellings.

Not really. JackofOz 01:53, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

Davy Crocket

Did he ever own slaves? What his position on Slavery?

• Not sure if he owned slaves, but a significant part of the noble fight of the defenders of the Alamo against was that Mexico had outlawed slavery; I haven't (yet) found any details of his specific position regarding slavery; his move to Texas seems more prompted by his loathing for Martin van Buren than support of slavery. --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 14:10, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

• Part of the move to grab Texas was the grand southern strategy. Among those who would head the CSA, some had a "manifest destiny" dream of extending all of the Americas in an east-west line and establishing a colonial system of slave-holding states going all the way to South America. Revisionist historians are correct to point this out, but they're wrong to overplay it. Geogre 17:57, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

Congressman whose service goes the farthest back?

What living former member of congress had the earliest congressional service?

Nelson Mandela first served when he helped form the African National Congress Youth League in 1944; the other two who formed it with him, Walter Sisulu and Oliver Tambo are both dead. You don't mean Ahmed Chalabi, the original head of the Iraqi National Congress? I think he's still a member. There's also Narayan Dutt Tiwari, the oldest serving Chief Minister; presumably he has the longest service, although he's still a member of the Indian National Congress. I'm sure this doesn't help, but John Dingell, the Dean of the United States House of Representatives (i.e. the longest-serving member) is still a member of congress; he did win in the same election where Jack Brooks lost; the latter was first elected in 1952. In the future, being specific about where you're talking about (the second note at the top of this page) will save people time. Not everyone here's South African, you know. --ByeByeBaby 04:39, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

In the US, there are Congressmen who've been servicing the nation for decades. :-) StuRat 22:42, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

I would say "servicing their constituents" (note, not serving). User:Zoe|(talk) 01:35, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

police departments

In the U.S. it would seem more efficent basic policing was structured around state police department, why do all American communities even small ones have their own police force?

• They don't, compare a city with 9 million people and a well trained specialized police force that may as well be an army, and then compare it to a small town about 15 or 20 miles outside of said city, with one part time sheriff--172.162.200.99 22:24, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Local police departments allow cities to extort money from out-of-towners (a form of "taxation without representation") using speed traps, etc. State police can only extort money from out-of-state drivers, which is far less lucrative, due to their relatively low numbers. Extorting money from those within your own jurisdiction is ineffective, as people so treated are likely to vote the police chief out of office. StuRat 06:10, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

=D --mboverload@ 08:58, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

You could just avoid breaking the law! (I don't think judicial fines are ever defined as taxation.) The U.S., by the way, has a maze of 17,784 separate law enforcement agencies, some with overlapping jurisdictions. See Policing in the United States for more info. Rmhermen 16:36, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

No, you can't always avoid breaking the law. They can lower the speed limit dramatically, for no reason, and hide the sign behind a truck when you drive by, then remove the truck when you go to look for the sign, later. They can also just lie about you speeding. Since the police and judge are all in on the scam, it's pretty easy to get away with this. The only semi-effective way I've seen of dealing with this is to limit the proportion of a town's income which can be derived from traffic fines. To really end this practice, however, you would need to outright prohibit the conflict of interest inherent in allowing towns from collecting fines. They can still charge fines, but use them to fight AIDS in Africa or some such thing, not to buy the mayor's mistress a new fur coat. StuRat 19:58, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

Just drive the same speed as all the other cars around you. Or maybe a bit slower, if you're really concerned about getting caught. Also, try not to have the wrong skin color or otherwise stand out from the locals. -- noosphere 22:16, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

There is no requirement for them to give out tickets to all offenders, so they will frequently ignore locals who break the absurdly low speed limits and only ticket those with out-of-state licenses. This is all perfectly legal. StuRat 22:58, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

Do you have anything other than anecdotal evidence that shows that out-of-state drivers get speeding tickets at a significantly higher rate than local drivers while driving at the same speed? -- noosphere 16:31, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

No, but here's a news article on attempts to end speed traps in Oklahoma: [4]. StuRat 00:27, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

As for it not be called taxation, that's quite correct. They choose not to call taxes that, preferring any other name, like fines, fees, assessments, surcharges, tariffs, etc. But I call any money the government gets, without a corresponding equal expense, a tax. Credit card companies have a similar scam, where they can charge any effective interest rate they want, so long as they don't call it "interest". Thus, they have an endless array of excessive charges for things which cost them little or nothing. If you add all these together with what they actually call interest each month, then divide by what is owed, you get your true interest rate, which would be illegal if they admitted it was really interest. StuRat 20:07, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

In the UK, there are regional police commands which are basically run by the national department of internal affairs ("Home Office") without much local control (the local governments certainly do not hold the power of the purse strings) -- and the results have not always been happy. It takes away accountability to local elected officials, and police abuses sometimes fester until they blow up into one of the huge policing "Inquiries" which have beome a British political ritual... AnonMoos 18:46, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

foriegn minister of Cuba

During the cuban missle crises who was the foriegn minister of Cuba?

Raúl Roa. He was Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1959 to 1973. --Lambiam^Talk 23:18, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Thanks, I was just curious. Up to now I had always had assumed that fidel was his own foriegn minister, but it was really mr. Roa

August 10

Right to Property

I want to know in detail why Morarji Desai has deleted the Right to property from our constitution. Thank you!Temuzion 03:50, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

I assume you are referring to the 44th constitutional amendment. To start, it was passed by the Sansad, so whatever it was that was done, was not done by Mr. Desai personally. The amendment introduced article 300A, which states: "No person shall be deprived of his property save by authority of law." Not exactly what I'd call "deleting the Right to property". It is still a constitutional right. But you're right in the sense that before it was one of the so-called Fundamental Rights, and the new formulation is rather weak, as far as rights are concerned. It should offer some protection from arbitrary expropriation, but it does not protect you from bad laws. A possible motivation for the change may have been that the Fundamental Right was too absolute and did not strike a balance between individual and communal interests. In most countries there are possibilities for expropriation based on eminent domain laws. --Lambiam^Talk 04:35, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

Also, for future reference, mentioning which country you're from will help people understand your question -- when you mentioned "our constitution", I almost told you to not worry, since my constitution has never had a right to property in it. --ByeByeBaby 04:47, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

Information about 'The Lucy Nation' (band) ??

When I was traveling though the heartland to Hawaii in the summer of 1999, I bought the soundtrack to the second Austin Powers movie, which I liked. In the years since I got the release, I have wondered about a band called The Lucy Nation. They contributed the song 'Alright' to the album. Does anyone here know: (a) anything about them and (b) what happened to the group? From searching USENET, AMG, and Amazon, here's what I have found:

1. The members were/are Anna Nystrom, a Swede; and Andy Cousin (spelled in some sources as 'Andy Cousins'), a Brit.
2. Cousin (or Cousins) was in a group called 'All About Eve'.
3. A debut album, On, was released at the same time as the Austin Powers soundtrack. (Amazon has a lising for it.).

As it stands now, the three things above are all I have been able to find. I have not been able to find any listings in Napster (paid) or iTMS for this group.

After all of the above, I'm stuck. If anyone can help, that would be good! - Thanks, Hoshie | 12:03, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

There's not much to it really. Nystrom and Cousin were the only members and did everything (wrote, performed, mixed, etc.). They released On in 1999. It was just a short-lived side project for Cousin, who was a member of AAE and continued with them after he and Nystrom stopped recording together. Nystrom disappeared, from what I can tell. violet/riga (t) 12:38, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

Skyline (2)

http://img138.imageshack.us/my.php?image=4an6.jpg

Could you tell me which city this skyline is taken from?...I thought Sydney just can`t find the exact pic.

Definitely Seattle, see here for instance. digfarenough (talk) 13:18, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

With the Space Needle front-and-center like that, it can't possibly be anything else. --Serie 22:48, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

Significance of 11th day of the month for terrorism

There was 9/11 in New York, DC, PA. There was 3/11 in Madrid There was 7/11 in London and in India. One could even consider that maybe the airline bombings just "thwarted" by British police were intended for 8/11.

What is the significance of the 11th day of the month?

The London bombings were the 7th, thus somewhat scuppering that link. Madrid was more likely intended as specifically two-and-a-half years after Sept.11, rather than for an arbitrary date. So we end up with one arbitrary, one used because of the first one, and one unknown. The significance looks a little more tenuous... Shimgray | talk | 13:01, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

The head of the London International Centre of Strategic Studies was asked that question on the radio this morning, and said that terrorist organisations were basicly not bothered by dates and anniversaries. DJ Clayworth 15:13, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

For what it's worth, I think that some Islamic fundementalists are interested in dates and anniversaries. Just as an example of that kind of thinking among academics, check out the op-ed in the WSJ from 8/8/06 that mentions how August 22nd might be significant to Iran and that the presidency may have "catastrophic intentions" for that day this year. I thought that perhaps these dates had something tied to a religious calendar or that maybe there was evidence or intentional tying. Obviously, I'm mentioning completely different groups of people with somewhat different goals, but it's worth noting that dates shouldn't be written off as un-meaningful.

I think that WSJ piece [5] mainly illustrates that the author, Bernard Lewis, is a totally insane propagandist. He leafs through the Islamic calendar, picks an interesting day and says this "might well be deemed an appropriate date for the apocalyptic ending of Israel and if necessary of the world". No further evidence is given. David Sneek 18:56, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

• It's all about the individual group. Black September had a thing about anniversaries, but al-Qaeda doesn't seem to care, although they did care about the World Trade Centers (as, apparently, that was something very important to billionaire Osama...I'm still waiting to find out what business deal he had there went wrong). The individual groups and individual cells could proclaim an anniversary, but, generally, they are seeking the best opportunity and timing for their attacks and won't get to choose a particular auspicoius date. Geogre 17:55, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

Considering there are hundreds of terrorist attacks all the time, a 1/31 chance of choosing the 11th would make many interpretations open to question. --mboverload@ 22:25, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

Tell it to the numerologists. The one I wonder about is wether it is a coincidence that in the US style of writing the date of the WTC/Pentagon attack it is equal to the US alarm number. Sounds like they were 'ringing the alarm' for the US. DirkvdM 06:16, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

The London bombings were actually 7 July not 7/11. The theory is that that refers to the phone-pad 707 (for SOS). Jameswilson 23:58, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

And the plane bombings were most likely not planned for the 11th anyway. DirkvdM 08:37, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

9/11 was important, since 911 is the emergency phone no. in USA.nids 22:00, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

This question arose a while back, and I pointed out that in the west, the number eleven signifies a victory that is achieved at the last possible moment, as in the expression "the eleventh hour". Formal hostilities ended in WWI on November 11, 1918 at precisely 11 o'clock (11/11 at 11:00). The allied victory, and the destruction of the (Muslim) Ottoman Empire was also considered a major setback by Muslim fundamentalists in their quest to conquer the world. In the '90s Osama bin Laden himself often refered to "eighty years of humiliation"...obviously refering to the destruction of the Ottoman Empire at the end of WWI. Each year, the US honours its war heroes on Veterans' Day, as does much of the Commonwealth commemorate Remembrance Day on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month (11/11 at 11:00). It should also be pointed out that despite the fact that the 11th of a certain month in the Gregorian calendar is likely to be meaningless to Muslims, this wouldn't be the first instance of Muslims using the calendar of their victims to plan an attack. Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Egypt chose the 10th of Tishrei of the Jewish calendar to launch a surprise attack in 1973. This was chosen because this day is the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, devoted to fasting and praying, and therefore Israel would be in its most vulnerable position. I admit that this entire theory is extremely far-fetched, and I myself doubt that the 11th is of any relevance to the terrorists. All I meant to do is point out the fact that the number eleven has great meaning attached to it in the western world. Loomis 23:40, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

The "eighty years of humiliation" thing is not quite that. The point was that the Allies in WW1 had encouraged the Arabs to rebel against Turkish Ottoman rule (Turkey was allied with Germany) - "Lawrence of Arabia". etc. But in 1918 the Arabs of the Levant werent granted the independence they believed they were due in exchange. Instead, the area was split between the British and French mandates so they ended up being ruled by Christians. In their view they were double-crossed, which is why they alwys go on about British treachery. The post-1918 period also saw the beginning of British intervention in Iraq and the Gulf. Jameswilson 23:44, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

That's an interesting point that I wasn't aware of. However bin Laden, being both a Muslim and an Arab, is clearly more, if not entirely devoted to his religion (Islam) and is barely, if at all devoted to his Arabic nationality. His base of operations up to 9/11 was Afghanistan, a radically Muslim, but not at all Arab country. And now he's apparently somewhere in either Afghanistan or Pakistan (another Muslim, but not Arab country).

That would lead me to believe that he wouldn't at all be opposed to Ottoman (Muslim but not Arab) rule. It would also seem to follow that he'd be rather indifferent to a conflict between two Muslim forces, one Arab, and one Turkish. All that would seem to matter to him would be which of the two were more radically Islamic, and which of the two would be the most conducive to the formation of a fundamentalist Muslim empire.

It would only seem to me that if bin Laden had any grudge against any of the actors in WWI, it would seem to be the Arab "nationalists" who helped to destroy the Ottoman Empire who would be regarded as the most treacherous bunch, for they were the one's most responsible for putting an end to some 1000+ years of Muslim rule. At least that's the way it would appear to me, WWI and the Ottoman Empire aren't quite the subjects for which I have any particular expertise. Loomis 02:11, 17 August 2006 (UTC)

Battle of Seven Oaks with the metis

Hello!

Do you happen to know any of the names of the men who where killed in battle by the metis in the Seven Oaks conflict on June 19th 1816.

Also your help and any comments on a man named William Linklater (originally from Orkney and in the employ of the Hudson Bay Co )would be greatly appreciated.

best regards

Maureen

We have an article on it: Battle of Seven Oaks (1816) but it lists few names. Rmhermen 16:21, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

The lives thus uselessly sacrificed by Semple's unmitigated mismanagement were his own, those of his officers--Doctor White, Secretary Wilkinson, Captain Rodgers and Lieutenant Holte, and the only comparatively wealthy colonist, Mr. Alexander McLean, besides those of three other colonists and fifteen Hudson's Bay servants, whose names are not to be found in any of the histories mentioning the massacre. Only one of the North-West levies, Batoche, was killed, and one, Trottier, wounded. Could not the names of those who perished with him be discovered and graven with that of Governor Semple on the monument which has been erected at Seven Oaks? That neat, but inconspicuous, monument is about a quarter of a mile outside the city limits on the east side of the old "King's Road," between old Fort Garry and the existing Lower Fort Garry--in fact on Main Street North. It is just south of Inkster's Creek, and reads thus:

    SEVEN OAKS.
   Erected in 1891 by
   THE MANITOBA HISTORICAL SOCIETY
   Through the generosity of
   THE COUNTESS OF SELKIRK
   On the site of Seven Oaks,
   where fell
   GOVERNOR ROBERT SEMPLE
   and
   TWENTY OF HIS OFFICERS AND MEN,
   June 19, 1816.

Cowie, Isaac (1993). The Company of Adventurers: A Narrative of Seven Years in the Service of the Hudson's Bay Company during 1867- 1874 on the Great Buffalo Plains. pp. 53–4.EricR 17:34, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

Could i interest you in a Mr Magnus Linklater, Chief Trader at Fort Garry, Kildonan wife and two daughters, from the same work?EricR 18:07, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

mystery of UK in sport participation

Hi,

Could you please let me know why the United Kingdom (UK) participates as separate nations of England or Scotland in some sporting events such as World Cup Soccer/Cricket but participates as UK in some other tournaments such as World Cup Hockey or the Olympics?

Thanking you in advance.

Regards Saikat Ghosh

Probably because there's separate "associations" (sports governing bodies) for football and cricket (Scottish Football Association and the FA, for example). I don't know who governs cricket in England, but Cricket Scotland governs Scottish cricket. Don't forget Northern Ireland and Wales have their own football associations too: the IFA and the Welsh FA. - THE GREAT GAVINI {T|C|#} 16:25, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

Where does that leave Northern Ireland, with just one and a half million people? D othey ever get to participate in anything (of importance)? DirkvdM 06:28, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

In some sports (football) they get their own team, some they're with the UK (Olympics) and some with the Republic of Ireland (rugby union). A nice mish-mash! --iamajpeg 22:25, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

to make matters all the more strange, in the olypics we're not the UK, we're great britain (our 'tag' is GBR) so does northern ireland just not compete?200.179.190.140 15:19, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

No, the team competes as Great Britain and Northern Ireland, abbreviated to GBR. Sam Korn ^(smoddy) 15:26, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

transport and communication

ancient and modren means of transportation and communication

Oooh, ooh! I know this one. "Were less efficient than modern ones?" Geogre 17:52, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

Were the modren ones also less efficient than the modern ones? DirkvdM 06:30, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

Darn, you caught my logical loophole! The modern ones were more efficient than the post-modern ones, that's for sure. Geogre 12:08, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

You might want to check out transportation, Roman roads, communication, etc.--Pyroclastic 19:54, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

• Ancient means of transportation: Walk, run, beasts of burden...

• Modern means of transportation: Motor vehicle...
• Ancient means of communication: Talking, writing...
• Modern means of communication: Fax, telephone, e-mail...

Errr...is that what's being looked for? - THE GREAT GAVINI {T|C|#} 19:56, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

Victor Hugo Quote

I would like to know from which literary work the following quote came and what does it mean:

"He who opens a school door closes a prison."

Could its origin be this, from Les Misérables:

In this world, which is so plainly the antechamber of another, there are no happy men. The true division of humanity is between those who live in light and those who live in darkness. Our aim must be to diminish the number of the latter and increase the number of the former. That is why we demand education and knowledge.[6]

?EricR 21:48, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

It's not (in this form) in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, and also not in Pierre Ripert's Dictionnaire des Citations de la Langue Française. It may be one of those made-up quotations that keep circulating. --Lambiam^Talk 21:53, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

Given the density of attribution on google, I think it's legitimate, but I think it's just something he said, probably not from one of his works. I couldn't find the context, though. --Bmk 03:40, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

Google books gives inconsistent attributions to the french terms in different books, as "la maxime - une école qui ouvre, c'est une prison qui ferme", "paroles de Victor Hugo - Quiconque ouvre une école, ferme une prison.", "le proverbe arabe - Chaque fois qu'on ouvre une école, on ferme une prison" (unless Hugo came from Arabia that night). It is maybe in his book Choses vues ? -- DLL ^{.. T} 16:45, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

Possibly a rephrasing of "Destroy the cave Ignorance, and you destroy the mole Crime." -- Les Miserables (Part III: Marius, Book VII: Patron Minette, Chapter 2: The lowest depth). If it is, it's unclear who the first was to make the paraphrase, though the meaning is close. -- Gavroche42 (talk) 18:31, 14 July 2017 (UTC)

What's that song?

File:Unknown song.JPG

Does anyone know what this song is? It's often played as a dance song, and this melody line is sung by several people. Thanks! Dar-Ape 20:20, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

Is it this? It's from Kernkraft. [[7]]

Edit : oh yes, it's Zombie Nation by Kernkraft 400 (I think it was a hit in 2000).

I am surprised you were still looking when already in possession of that melody. Maybe you will be interested in Musipedia :[8]

I didn't even have to copy what you gave me, just type Up (U) Down (D) and Repeat (R) and compare the results!

Evilbu 20:41, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

it's in f minor though, no? not that it matters there since there are no Gs in the melody. --Alex.dsch 20:48, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

Zombie Nation. My Band plays it ;) Viva La Vie Boheme

It is indeed Zombie Nation; I've checked on iTunes. Thank you very much, especially for the Musipedia website! What a fascinating search engine... Dar-Ape 00:44, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

And by the way, it is not F Minor, it is B flat minor. Viva La Vie Boheme

Killing non-muslims during offensive warfare

BRITISH police have arrested 24 people over a plot to commit "mass murder" by blowing up aircraft flying over the Atlantic to the US, but there are reports up to ten suspects are still on the loose.

The arrests came as tough new security measures brought chaos to airports on both sides of the Atlantic overnight in what US President George W. Bush described as a stark reminder his country was at "war with Islamic fascists".

My question is this: Why is it that in the generic Islamic theology the killing of non-muslims during offensive warfare is morally acceptable? I can understand killing during purely defensive warfare but I have trouble understanding killing during offensive warfare. Ohanian 00:00, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

• The answer to your question is simple:what's 24 backwards? 42, so there you go... 42--152.163.100.72 00:23, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

I have no idea what that response means. However, the terrorists and the clerics that send them on their missions have pretty much ignored the Quran and made up their own religion. Other parts, like this idea that women must be covered from head to toe when in public, were also made up by them. These clerics and leaders should all be arrested. In Muslim countries, I believe they should be executed for blasphemy, because they "subverted Islam". Specifically, many Salafis seem to be among the worst offenders. StuRat 00:34, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

i would just like to correct stuRat here. most of these missions are covered in Islam, like covering for women from head to toe when in public, not in the Quran but in Hadiths. and as generally accepted, Hadiths are integral part of Islam. I could not find anything that terrorist do for which they could not find justification in Quran or Hadith.nids 10:56, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

The Hadiths are an example of exactly what I'm talking about. Mohammed never said that everyone needed to do exactly what he did and reject anything new, this is just how later Muslims misinterpreted Islam. Christians could have done something similar and concluded that everyone should dress like Jesus, and nobody should ever marry, since Jesus didn't, and the only valid professions are carpentry and fishing. Mohammed was perfectly capable of telling people what rules they needed to live by, and did. There is no reason anyone should guess what he "meant to say but didn't". Most of the way Mohammed lived was due to his Arab ethnicity, not Islam. Thus, the Hadiths are used to enforce Arabic values, such as the extreme suppression of women, which predated Islam, on the Muslim world. They therefore are actually spreading pre-Islamic pagan values. StuRat 23:10, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

StuRat, really! 42! DirkvdM 06:37, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

I generally find that people are people first and religious second. Sure, some people are Muslims, and some are Christians, and some are atheists, or whatever, but mainly, they're people, and they generally do the same cruddy, destructive, hateful things that people always do, regardless of the creed that they profess in moments of convenience. That may not seem to answer the question, but it does for me. --Bmk 03:24, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

After writing that, I wanted to moderate it a little - some people get stuck with a pretty raw deal in the world. It's also human nature not to sit down and take a beating from life, so people feel the need to do something, and usually the easiest thing to do is to pull the trigger. --Bmk 03:24, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

Doesnt the qoran contain a passage along the lines of "you may fight you non-believing neighbours until they submit to muslim rule" though this was never intended to be in the physical sense (i.e. Non Violent greater Jihad) though there are disagreement in certain sects about which is the greater jihad, that off the mind body and soul, and with the pen and tongue, though some consider holy war the greater jihad. And some (a minoroty of a minority of a minority) then consider merciless killings of no-believers to be jihad, and then a minority of these believe there is an on-going jihad with the western world. Philc _T^E_C^I 14:17, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

One view I have heard expounded is that terrorist acts are seen as a part of a war to get the US and its Allies to stop imposing their will on the Arabic nations (especially Iraq of course). That would be defined as a defensive war. Not commenting on the correctness of the view, just reporting it. DJ Clayworth 17:17, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

The page has, unsurprisingly, been subject to one shitstorm after another, but you will presently find on Islamic extremist terrorism some relevant Qur'anic verses that deal with the issue of killing non-combatants. Marskell 17:37, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

I dont knw much of the Quran but all I can summarize is that no religion preaches killing of innocent people, or people for that matter.The fanatic leaders are using God-fearing helpless people to do their bidding.This is what Hitler did, only this is worse.As I would like to put it "Violence does not bring Silence!!!"--Xandercage 1987 10:12, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

August 11

Founding documents and happiness

Is the United States Declaration of Independence the only founding document addressing the pursuit of happiness? I'm wondering whether any other country has included happiness in their founding documents, constitution, etc. Thank you for your help! gretchen 66.237.239.140 00:12, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

It wasn't a founding document, but the Constitution of Japan has the phrase in Article 13 ([9]). Note also that the phrase doesn't deal with the right to be happy, only with the right to try to be happy :) Most English-speaking countries use the more specific "Peace, order and good government" instead. Ziggurat 00:22, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

Thirty constitutions adopted by seventeen states from 1776 to 1902 have incorporated the phrase. Eleven other constitutions as well as the Federal Constitution clearly imply individual human rights, including the right to the pursuit of happiness, as a privilege of citizenship.

Friedrich, Carl J. (1959). The Pursuit of Happiness in the Democratic Creed: An Analysis of Political Ethics. p. 2. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)

George Mason, Virginia patriot, legislator, and author of The Virginia Declaration of Rights and of one of the drafts of The Virginia Constitution, is considered by some historians the first to have expressed an inalienable right to the pursuit of happiness in a legislative document. Mason stated, in The Virginia Declaration of Rights:

That all men are by nature equally free and independent, and have certain inherent rights, of which, when they enter into a state of society, they cannot by any compact, deprive or divest their posterity; namely, the enjoyment of life and liberty, with the means of acquiring and possessing property, and pursuing and obtaining happiness and safety.

Ibid. p. 161.EricR 00:33, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

A Mouse In The House!

Or more specifically, in my garage!

Or at least I think it is a mouse- I haven't seen it but there are some droppings evident and some paper has been "nibbled". It doesn't seem to live there but there are a few holes that he can get in through.

What is the most humane way to get rid of it? I am thinking if I left poison it might die somewhere else- Not very humane but at least I wouldn't have to deal with it;-) I don't want to catch it in a traditional mouse trap cos I am sure it (the mouse) would suffer. I guess I could block up the holes but I might miss the one he is using.

What should I do? What is the best way to catch a mouse?Downunda 00:53, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

Check your local hardware stores for non-lethal mousetraps. Several varieties exist, and they actually work pretty well (assuming it's not a rat or anything else). What to do with the mouse next, however... Ziggurat 00:58, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

Get a cat. While certainly lethal if he catches the mouse, most likely the sight of the cat will convince the mouse to live elsewhere. Of course, there is always the possibility that the cat, wanting to prove his value, will leave you a "gift" of a dead, bloody mouse on your pillow. :-) StuRat 01:07, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

Cats can be severely injured by a mouse, and also run the risk of catching diseases. User:Zoe|(talk) 01:40, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

Severely injured by a mouse ? A rat, perhaps, but how badly could a mouse hurt a cat ? Maybe a little nip on the nose ? StuRat 02:08, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

Make any potential food (has anything been nibbled on?) unreachable for them. DirkvdM 06:41, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

Owls are much better predators than cats, especially when it comes to mice. One owl can catch as much as ten cats when put into a barnhouse (I read that somewhere once, I don't remember where though). schyler 14:54, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

Yes, but where do you buy an owl ? And how do you train them to use an "owl pan" ? Also, recall that the object is to scare the mouse off, not to actually kill it. StuRat 17:18, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

My gosh!!! How big is this owl, that can catch up to ten cats? 69.158.118.85 00:11, 18 August 2006 (UTC)

Mouse_trap : the two last types of traps look pretty safe. Check the trap at regular times, then release the poor fellow somewhere far away. Evilbu 18:26, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

Why from Eeylops Owl Emporium of course! Where else? ;) schyler 21:00, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

You certainly wouldn't want to use the mouse trap of Dutch comedian Dorus. Take a small plank, make a slit in the middle, put a razor blade in it and put a bit of cheese on one side. A mouse comes along, sees the cheese, eats it, thinks "Hmmm, maybe there's some at the other side as well", looks across the razor blade (throat resting on it) and says "No, no cheese", shaking its head. DirkvdM 08:48, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

Big ideas

Can you please find me a definition of "big idea"? Thank you

"big idea" = an idea which is large in scope or meaning or importance --Bmk 03:32, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

This should really be asked in the Language section of the RefDesk, but I've never been anal about those kinds of things so I don't mind at all responding here. Bmk gave you the literal definition, which is correct. However I have a feeling you're looking for some more idiomatic definitions. There are two I can think of:

If someone says: "Hey! What's the "big idea!", they're basically saying the equivalent of "Hey! What the hell's going on here!" or "Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing". Basically then, "big idea" can be defined as some sort of surprising and somewhat innaproriate, or at least "unnaproved of by the speaker" behaviour.

In other cases it can be used as basically a sarcastic version of Bmk's literal definition. It's somewhat synonymous with a pipe dream. Basically, if one says "yeah...my idiot cousin has a whole bunch of "big ideas" for the family business", it basically means that the speaker believes that her cousin is an idiot with a whole bunch of ideas that he thinks are brilliant, but she thinks are purely useless. Loomis 23:07, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

mens fashion icons

Who would be considered fashion icons for men in the twentith century? Who would be men who have permanently changed the direction of fashion by what they wear?

• Cary Grant
• Spencer Tracy,
• James Cagney,
• James Bond 007,
• Dwight Eisenhower: and the short jacket,
• David Bowie,
• Sir Elton John,
• Giorgio Armani,
• Michael Jackson,
• Richard Roundtree as "Shaft",
• Billy Dee Williams,
• The Beetles,
• Abby Hoffman and the hippy loo,
• Bill Cosby,
• Harry Bellefonte,
• Mr. Blackwell,
• James Dean,

--Sfleece 01:07, 11 August 2006 (UTC)S.Fleece

Andy Warhol, Don Johnson, Gianni Versace, Hugo Boss ? StuRat 01:10, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

Also, do you want to include females who had an influence on male fashions ? StuRat 01:16, 11 August 2006 (UTC) Thank you, but I am just looking for male icons.--Sfleece 11:55, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

Jawaharlal Nehru. User:Zoe|(talk) 01:42, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

Ozwald Boateng in the UK. --mboverload@ 07:14, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

Kurt Cobain, Hugh Hefner, Elvis Presley (hairstyles anyway), John Travolta, The Monkees, Duran Duran, Snoop Dogg, MC Hammer, Andre Agassi, Pierre Trudeau, Abba, The Captain. Anchoress 07:27, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

Thank you everyone great ideas. Please keep editing or adding ideas.--Sfleece 11:55, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

Would Bob Marley be considered an icon?--Sfleece 11:55, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

John F. Kennedy was very important and killed the Fedora. Don Johnson in Miami Vice did the "sportcoat with t-shirt" thing, and Richard Gere in American Gigolo got every man's woman to start dressing him differently. Geogre 12:03, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

According to snopes.com, Kennedy killing off men's hats is an urban legend. (here)

The answers so far have mixed two degrees of influence. The second part of the question asked which men "permanently changed the direction of fashion". That's setting the bar pretty high, excluding fads with no long term impact. I know as much about fashion as I do about physics, but I'm guessing the Nehru jacket or anything worn by Duran Duran and MC Hammer was a fad and effected no "permanent change", if such a thing is even possible in fashion. --Kevin (complaints?) 14:04, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

Marlon Brando, through his potrayal of Stanley Kowalski in the 1951 film A Streetcar Named Desire is definitely a biggie. In much of the film he was wearing what we would call today a simple T-Shirt. Yet at the time, these "T-Shirts" were no more than underwear. It's true, there was some appearance of men wearing nothing but T-Shirts (and pants, of course!) as early as the '40s, in particular by sailors in the Navy. Still, the film and Brando really turned what was an odd occurence (guys going around in public in their underwear) into a definite, avant-guard fashion statement. And apparently it was no mere fad, as T-Shirts are as popular today as ever. In fact I'm wearing one right now...with no pants! :--) Loomis 22:27, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

Then we have to include Clark Gable, since his shirtless appearance in It Happened One Night almost killed the American undershirt industry single-handed. User:Zoe|(talk) 02:22, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

Jesus in other religions?

I know Jesus is mentioned in the Quran. But is he mentioned in any other religious texts? Curius particularly about Hinduism.

Thanks. Cris

I'm almost certain he's mentioned in the Bible.  :--) JackofOz 03:39, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

I'll point out that our article on him mentions the views of several other religions in relation to him, just in case you didn't notice it. I'm not sure if he would be in any religious texts of those religions, though. With regard to Hinduism... well, the most important Hindu texts are probably the Vedas, and they all pre-date Jesus, so obviously won't mention him (at least, not unless you choose to interpret something in them as predicting him). It's possible that he's mentioned in other Hindu texts somewhere (there are quite a few), but I'm not aware of any such mention. -- Vardion 06:18, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

Religions come in this order: Judaism,Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity and Islam.

Only the last two mention Jesus I guess. That makes sense , at least. Evilbu 12:55, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

The above order is a bit wrong. Hinduism is the oldest religion by age. see here for details.nids 06:11, 16 August 2006 (UTC)

Jadaism mentions Jesus. They mention the Son of God. :)... if that's what you believe. schyler 14:51, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

You may be interested in Yuz Asaf. MeltBanana 15:49, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

Was the mention of "Jadaism" a typo for "Judaism" or a reference to something else? Please don't take this as a cheeky remark, I'm honestly curious. Everyone makes typos. In any case, if it was indeed a reference to Judaism, where in particular does Judaism mention "The son of God"? Loomis 22:12, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

Jainism? --Lambiam^Talk 03:49, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

Daniel 3:25 is the only place in the Tanakh I am aware of that uses the expression "son of God" (as opposed to "sons of God"). The Jade Knight 07:40, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

He's mentioned plenty of times in Baha'i texts. -LambaJan 05:13, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

And to construe any prediction in a Jewish text as a mention of Jesus is backwards. Jews predict a son of god, but they differ from Christians in pricisely that they don't believe that that son of god, that messiah, is Jesus Christ. So to say that Jewish texts mention Jesus is to reclaim them as Christian "Old Testament" texts and not Jewish ones. Sashafklein 05:18, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

The Tanakh (Old Testament for Christians) unquestionably mentions Christ (=Messiah), but there's nothing that specifies Jesus, or that it absolutely must be interpreted to mean Jesus (as any believing Jew could tell you). It gets more complicated, as well. On the same note, the Qur'an mentions Jesus, but not as Christ—Muhammad specifically denied the crucifixion, as well as any divine role for Jesus. The Jade Knight 07:40, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

I am not so sure of that. Muhammad said that Jesus was but a mortal prophet but he also said that "all men born of the bosom of their mother are slapped by Satan except Jesus and his mother." Flamarande 19:11, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

While I do not consider myself a hadith scholar, I've done some limited studies into Muhammad's perception of Jesus, and did not find anything that would suggest that Muhammad thought Jesus was any bit a greater prophet than he (Muhammad) was. The Jade Knight 03:17, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

Jesus is also mentioned in Latter Day Saint scriptures—which includes the Bible, but there are also (extensive) references in the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants; unsurprising for a Christian sect, however. The Jade Knight 03:21, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

Besides, according to Jewish prophecy, the Messiah will be a descendant of King David. As the Gospel of Matthew takes great pains to explain, Mary's husband Joseph was a decendant of King David. Yet apparently, Joseph wasn't Jesus' real father at all, more of a step-father. His real father was God. It would appear then that Jesus was indeed not a descendant of David, and therefore, not the Messiah that Judaism had prophecized. Loomis 23:12, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

The Bible in several places states that Jesus was, in fact, a descendant of David (Romans 1:3; Luke 1:32; etc.) This may be taken as an implication that Mary was also a descendant of David (and according to Dr. Lewis, the Sinaitic Palimpsest confirms the claim that Mary was of the house of David). I have read that it is likely that Joseph and Mary were related, though I do not remember where or what the references were. That is all, naturally, besides the point—those Jews who accepted Jesus as the Messiah became Christians; modern Judaism derives from those who rejected his claims (or never heard them). The Jade Knight 00:26, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

Obscure question involving the defense of gay-bashing in the courts

What's the term used in the American (perhaps otherwhere) legal system to describe a moment when a heterosexual is overcome by fear/hate of a gay person and thus becomes irresponsible for actions immediately afterward? I believe there have been a few noteworthy cases recently...

When a defense lawyer claims that such a thing has occurred, it is called homosexual panic, though most of Wikpedia's content on the subject is at gay panic defense. - Nunh-huh 06:30, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

Hold on, homophobia can be used as a legal excuse for assaulting people? Or am I misreading this? DirkvdM 06:49, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

Oh shit, I thought Law & Order was just making it up. --mboverload@ 07:10, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

It seems lawyers will try anything in a defense case, on the off chance that it just might work. See Twinkie defense and, of course, the Chewbacca Defense. (The popularity of this kind of defensive tactic in the U.S., as the O.J. Simpson trial showed, is that being a victim has achieved a sort of privileged status, so if you can suggest to an impressionable jury that the accused is actually a victim too, maybe they'll let him off easy.) Kevin (complaints?) 07:26, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

These are attempts at showing that the person did not have mens rea -- the criminal intent. They also say that the person did not have a choice and could not have refused the impulse to harm. It is why the insane are not punished the way that the sane are. A sane person chooses to act criminally, but the insane cannot help themselves. This principle goes a long way. For example, there are laws covering hateful speech where one can be excused if the speech was so horrible that you could not help yourself from bashing the other person. The argument, therefore, is that someone is so homophobic and so latently homosexual himself that when the gay person brushed up against him at the crowded concert, his insane fears took over and he had no way to choose not to bash. For the gay panic defense to work, the bashing person has to admit to being a latent homosexual, a sexual abuse victim, and mentally ill. Geogre 12:01, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

A hate crime. I'm sorry, using hate as "temporary insanity" is not sound. ColourBurst 17:12, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

No, well, hate crime laws had to be passes specifically to stifle such defenses. If the person argues that she or he is not a prejudiced, hateful person, that he or she sets out with no intention of a hate crime, but then, through psychological stress, is suddenly flipped out and acts, then it will not be a hate crime but, instead, a crime committed in temporary insanity. I'm not saying that I agree with this tactic, but it is why the tactic works. Hate crimes are for Klansmen, they'd say: the people who have clear criminal intent and clear hate ahead of time, while the gay basher might be overcome by homosexual panic. Geogre 02:33, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

Lawyers who come up with crap like this should be murdered by the victim's family, who can then plea "lawyer panic defense", which says they are latent lawyers, who ate a Twinkie, so couldn't help but kill the lawyer they had brushed up against. StuRat 17:30, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

You missed the most important part of the defence speech; the hour-long detailed talk about how Chewbacca is on the wrong planet, and how the bananas are different there. Then no jury would dare to convict them! —Daniel (‽) 21:03, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

Is shares a Giffen good

A Giffen good is a product for which a rise in price of this product makes people buy even more of the product. Giffen goods may or may not exist in the real world, but there is an economic model that explains how such a thing could exist. Giffen goods are named after Sir Robert Giffen, who was attributed as the author of this idea by Alfred Marshall in his book Principles of Economics.

Are shares a Giffen good? If the price of a share (of a company) rises then more people want to buy the shares. Ohanian 12:17, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

(I have edited your question a little to make it clearer.)--Shantavira 12:44, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

That wouldn't fit the definition of a Giffen good because it is not just the price that is changing, but people's perceptions of the value of that share. I think Veblen good would be a better description of that situation. --129.110.195.26 15:58, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

You've got it the wrong way around. The price goes up because people want it. Basic supply and demand. DirkvdM 08:52, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

As the Giffen good article says, in old England the price of bread went up, so people didn't have enough money for meat, so they bought more bread. Shares are not a staple like bread is. DavidMack 18:23, 16 August 2006 (UTC)

An Artist Named Tsugonham Fonjita

Any information appreciated-I have print of girls head dated 1947

Mike James

Best Google can do, unfortunately... seems to be a relatively minor artist, though I found one mention of a piece that sold for $1,300, bottom righton here. Good luck! Tony Fox (arf!) 16:54, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

Thanks Tony-I have tried all the major search engines

Music identification (again)

Does anyone know what this music is called: ? I'm playing it from memory, so there are probably some differences from the original. Thanks in advance! --BrainInAVat 16:20, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

You probably know a thousand times more about music than me, so this should be no problem for you : [10] Just type U(Up) D (down) and R(repeat), compare the results(listen to them) and choose. Something as long as URDDUR should do it. Evilbu 18:32, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

This is an interesting one - it was originally known as Bach's Viola Concerto in C-minor, but it was discovered that it was in fact written by Henri Casadesus in the style of Bach, so it is sometimes known as the J.C. Bach/Casadesus concerto for Viola in C-minor. Nice playing, by the way. --Bmk 23:12, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

Musipedia is very well designed and helpful. Bookmark it! Does someone know a site giving any help for images ? Also, why don't people on ImageShack tag their pics ? -- DLL ^{.. T} 17:22, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

There's this news about image search : [11] --193.56.241.75 14:03, 16 August 2006 (UTC)

Shortest film

Does anyone know the shortest film to be nominated for the Best Picture Academy Award?

Please read the instructions at the top of the page before posting - then you get to pick your own title! --Bmk 23:12, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

Googling 'Shortest Best Picture nominee' reveals that it is She Done Him Wrong starring Mae West in 1933 at 66 mins.The shortest winner is Marty in 1955 at 91 mins, followed by Annie Hall in 1977 at 93 mins. Lemon martini 15:24, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

Castro : studied in New York and congratulated Roosevelt?(+language)

Hello,

I just watched a documentary about Fidel Castro on Canvas, the second channel by the public broadcasting service in Flanders, Belgium. In fact, those interested and receiving Canvas, can still watch it, they will repeat it all night long (as usual).

They said Castro had travelled, long before he took power, to New York, got influenced by Karl Marx's theories there, and even congratulated president Roosevelt for being re-elected (with a letter). Now if I understand correctly, Roosevelt was re-elected the three times, the last time was in 1944. Castro was at most 18 at that time?! Did he travel to New York at that age?

And then a minor question : at the end of the documentary, he is shown (in military uniform) with a Soviet leader at an airport (presumably Gorbachev), what language were these two men speaking (Russian, English, Spanish?)

Thank you,

Evilbu 19:39, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

Castro's letter to Roosevelt:

In November 1940 he ventured to write a letter in English to Franklin Delano Roosevelt, congratulating the president on his recent reelection to a third term. "I am a boy," he said, "but I think very much.... If you like, give me a ten dollars bill green american in the letter, because I have not seen a ten dollars bill american and I would like to have one of them." In a postscript he suggested that if Roosevelt wanted iron to build his ships, "I will show to you the bigest [sic] minas of iron of the land." They were close by, in Mayarí, he said. The president's short reply, regretting that no money could be sent, was tacked up for every student to read.

Quirk, Robert E. (1995). Fidel Castro. p. 14.

He was studying at the Dolores Jesuit school in Santiago. Castro later traveled to New York for his honeymoon in October 1948 (Ibid., p. 27), again in September 1960 (Ibid., p. 333), and finally in September 2000[12].EricR 20:40, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

Thanks, so he was isn't the USA at the time he wrote that letter?. He has been in USA three times then? You do mean Santiago, Chile? Evilbu 21:31, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

The letter was written while he was in Santiago de Cuba, sorry about that. Castro was on Meet the Press (at least twice?) in 1959. I have no idea as to the total number of trips he made, but there should be news coverage for each post-'59.EricR 22:20, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

Papal succession

Is Benedict XVI the first non-Italian Pope to be elected one after another? User:NoN

Not at all...especially if you consider the Avignon papacy. See List of French popes for example. Adam Bishop 20:54, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

However, he is the first non-Italian pope since 1523 to succeed another non-Italian pope (1523 was the year Pope Adrian VI died). JackofOz 09:57, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

Malcolm Miller Chartres Cathedral, France

Is Malcolm Miller still giving free guided tours of Chartres Cathedral. Thks et Merci

It would seem so. "Malcolm offers tours at noon and 2:45 daily except Sundays . . ." Dar-Ape 17:17, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

Acquiring English accent possible?

I've heard it's possible for people to pick up on other English accents/speaking mannerisms. Is it true? The reason i'm asking is because i'm an American (ethnically British though)and i'm going to attend a little bit of college in Britain hopefully, and I thought it would be awesome if I picked up a little of the UK accent.

I think if you live with native English people for more than two weeks, you'll start picking up the accent and the mannerisms, with no more effort than simply socializing with them. It doesn't work nearly as much if you're with other Americans, though. --Bmk 23:14, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

Agreed. Most people would actually need to make an effort to avoid taking on the native accent. StuRat 23:19, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

The change in accent might be noticible to your family or maybe other Americans, but I recon you'd still just sound 'American' to me. --Username132 (talk) 13:54, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

There is a huge range of distinct accents in the UK though and if you go anywhere sizeable you are likely to be exposed to a fair proportion. You might end up pronouncing certain sounds a little more as they are pronounced in English accents on the whole and less as they are in American accents, but you are unlikely to develop anything that would pass as even a vaguely convincing native accent. The danger with actively trying to sound more English is that it may be seen as patronising at best and piss-taking at worst, so I wouldn't try it except with people you know. Mattley ^(Chattley) 23:34, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

It doesn't work nearly as much if you're with other Americans, though Of course-- it's obvious (sorry if I sound rude-- I have no intention to appear that way) that I couldn't develop a genuine UK accent if it were just me and a few of my American friends talking to each other. As you all said, that it's actually likely that I will pick up on a UK accent, that does sound true to me because I met someone (who was very kind, and fun to hang out with) who was a redneck, and spoke rather... "southernly" (speaking of southern in the United States), and I noticed after just one day of speaking with him at school that I was saying several words in a southern accent already-- I don't know if it's just that my own speech mannerisms are that moldable or what, but it would seem like I would be able to pick up an accent if I went to the UK for a semester or two in college =D. EDIT: I've noticed also, that if I watch more than an hour of BBC at a time, I start speaking with a tiny accent.. So that means if I actually socialize with Britons for longer than an hour (for several months), i'll develop a genuine accent..? --Rainsey

I think that's quite possible. Some people are more adept at that than others and it sounds like you're among the talented. I am also and have done a bit of travelling as well. I can tell you that some aspects come sooner than others and unless you make an effort you will most likely always carry a bit of where you're from with you, though it'll show less and less. My advice is to just be genuine and pick up and use the accent at whatever rate you naturally do. You won't offend anyone unless they're easily offendable. There's no need to work at these things unless you're an actor. -LambaJan 05:24, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

If you go for a few weeks you'll probably pick up something (if you hang out only with English people and especially if they are all from the same area, speaking the same accent), but after returning to the US, you'll probably loose all that in a matter of days. When travelling, my English gradually improves, provided I speak mainly to native English speakers. But when I get to talk to Germans, I start picking up their accent (which is not unlike the Dutch accent in speaking English, just a lot worse) in a matter of minutes. That said, after months of travelling my Dutch worsens and I once met a Dutchman who had been travelling for years and didn't want to speak Dutch because he said he had forgotten how to and sometimes I hear Dutch emigrants struggling for words when they try to speak Dutch. DirkvdM 09:29, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

You have to question what is meant by "developing an accent". Your speech may be modified - that's certainly likely - but if you haven't developed an accent that the English would recognise as one of theirs then in what sense would you have developed an English accent? Yes - it happens to a certain degree that people pick up sounds and speech patters if they go somewhere unusual, but on the other hand it also doesn't happen a lot. I moved to a city which has a strong and distinctive accent eight years ago and while my own regional accent has softened over this time I certainly haven't started talking like a local. Nor have any of my incomer friends, and the UK-based Australians, Americans and Canadians that I know haven't started to sound English either. You also have to take perception into account. If you are dealing with unfamiliar accents, and unless you are a good mimic, which most people are not, you may not get the nuances. Lots of Americans confuse Australian and English accents, and Brits can't generally tell Canadians apart from Americans. Will you sound more English to you? Very likely. Will you sound English to the English? Unlikely. Will you sound like Dick van Dyke in Mary Poppins? Possibly - and you don't want that. Mattley ^(Chattley) 09:46, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

Contrary to popular belief, there is no "British accent" only the Queen speaks like the Queen, and only James Bond speaks like James Bond. Pretty much all other people have a regional accent. This will become most apparent for example if you are intending on going to college in Exeter, and pick up mannersims in Newcastle. After spending time in Britiain, to Brits, you will still seem american, as it is your american maanersims etc. that set you apart, though on your return to America, you may seem more british to them. Philc _T^E_C^I 13:25, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

Don't pick up a Newcastle accent - it's totally unintelligible. DirkvdM 09:16, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

A Newcastle accent is very useful if you want to sound as hard as bloody nails. On the other hand, a Brummie accent is a thing of grotesqueness beyond all imagining. (It is, to be fair, easier to understand than Geordie) --Dweller 15:38, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

Those subaccents are all part of the British accent, just as there are subaccents which are part of the American accent. Although, in the US, there is one majority accent spoken in most of the country, with only small variations, excluding the East Coast and the South. Is there a "majority accent" in Britain, as well ? StuRat 23:38, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

Not really. (The following answer is a generalisation).

• 1/ Upper-class people (5% of the population?) have their own distinct accent which does not vary at all by region (except for Scots).

• 2/ People a bit lower down (10-15%) have a different accent which doesnt vary much (a bit different in the north). This is the accent now used by BBC newsreaders; previously they used the posh accent. When people on here do IPA for British English they use this accent.

• 3/ Lower middle-class and working-class people (75%-80%) have a variety of regional accents. No one region is big enough to predominate in terms of numbers. Each of these accents ranges from barely noticeable (ie almost converging with accent 2) to very strong depending on the person's social class and education.

But its in a state of flux - lots of upper-class people now use accent 2. And urban working-class accents are gaining at the expense of rural ones. Jameswilson 02:45, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

Chicks dig teh accents --mboverload@ 09:20, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

Back in 1995, my family spent a summer in Northern Ireland, and by the end of the summer my father was told that he sounded more like an Irishman than an American. My college roommate last schoolyear had an Irish accent, and his speech influenced mine to a small extent. Nyttend 17:54, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

Squatters

What is the deal with squatters? What laws is there against them in Britain? Is it true that if they legally get into your house then it's theirs??????? I've heard so many different things about it and I finally want to know the truth! - Thanks for the help Joel

In your specific example the question is a definite no. That person certainly doesn't own your house.

Squatters' rights usually only kick in after a great deal of time, many years at least. Plus there's the concept of adverse possession. (I just realized that both of those links are directed to the same page). To answer your question as briefly as possible, squatters' rights are very easily defeated. Let's say some squatter is living in a property of yours. It takes very little to make sure they never acquire ownership. Even if you want to be totally lazy about it, all you have to do is tell the person, even as infrequently as every couple of years, and probably even much less often than that (depending on your jurisdiction): "I allow you to live here for now". By doing that the squatter will never end up owning it. Of course it would be wise to have some sort of proof of it. I suppose another possibilty might be to call up the local police department, tell them of the situation, and tell them that you want to be on record as consciously allowing that person to be there. That's all that's necessary. Loomis 00:48, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

Possession may not matter as much as the right to use something. According to the Dutch squatting article, the Netherlands is one of the few countries where squatting is not explicitly forbidden by law. If a house is left unused for over a year (and there are no clear intentions of plans to start using it) and people move in and can make it clear that they live there then they can't be evicted (basically, all that is needed is a bed, a table and a chair). Which is fair, considering the housing situation in some cities, maybe not so much to give the squatters a place to live, but to stop speculation on houses, which only worsens the problem. You may find that using someone else's property is unfair, but so is holding on to a scarce good just to drive up the price. However, you specifically asked about the UK, so my apologies for this answer. :) DirkvdM 09:42, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

What if I build a hut somewhere in the Netherlands, and no-one questions it for a year - am I allowed to keep my hut there? --130.161.182.91 13:35, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

Thank You :)

August 12

Graditude

I want to say thanks to everyone. I have learned a lot from everyone who participates in this Q&A forum. There is nowhere else like this that I know of. For those who believe in God (for me that is the Father, Son and Holy Ghost) God loves you. For those who do not... God loves you also! Jesus came for all of God's creation. Not just for me and not just for you. Cris Deloach

Thank you, and pax tecum. Geogre 02:29, 12 August 2006 (UTC) (sometimes helpful)

Whatr does pax tecum mean:CAD

"Peace be with you." David Sneek 07:10, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

I must admit, this is one of the best Help Desks I'm aware of—though I still manage to stump a few of the folks here (why is it that I always want to know really obscure stuff?) Anyway, I'm glad you appreciate it, Cris. The Jade Knight 07:32, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

And I love you too, whether you believe in me or not. :) DirkvdM 09:45, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

Writing a Page and Adding a Photo

Hello. I am trying to write a page called "Origin of Light". It is about a book of poetry. To upload the photo of the book, I am a bit confused. Also, there is a warning message there. I'm a little confused. Could you plaese help me to download and publish the photo and to not get the website deleted as I am still writing it and did not mean to save it before finishing it. Thank you, S.—Preceding unsigned comment added by Thatpoet (talk • contribs)

Stephanie, are you writing an article on your own book? Wikipedia:Uploading images and Wikipedia:Picture tutorial may be your friends. --Tagishsimon (talk)

You might also find Wikipedia:Notability and Wikipedia:Vanity guidelines helpful. Your article will probably get deleted if it fails to comply with these policies.--Shantavira 06:41, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

....Looks like you should also read this page about your "publisher".--Shantavira 19:25, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

Strange pic floating around...

Does anyone recognize this dude? Other then he's from Nebraska, I can't tell... 68.39.174.238 10:57, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

where'd you get that picture? looks like a relative..

He most probably is. The question is of whom. DirkvdM 09:17, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

Relative of who? Anyway, I found it on this nonsensical hoax: ZX60.8 and wondered if it could be used in a legitimate articel about the dude. He looks like a politician. 68.39.174.238 09:47, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

No, whom. Don't miscorrect me. :) DirkvdM 09:45, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

He likes cows. And elephant(s). --Dweller 15:32, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

research on levels of processing approach since year 2000

202.159.224.89 13:14, 12 August 2006 (UTC)where do i get research on levels of processing approach since the year 2000?

I assume you looked at Levels of processing. You can use Google scholar, Advanced search with a query like "with the exact phrase [levels of processing]; return articles published between [2000]—[ ]", and see what comes up. If you have access to a research library you can try to use the Social Sciences Citation Index; the librarian can show you how to use it. --Lambiam^Talk 23:49, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

Where can I find a list of Canadian Number 1 hits?

I've searched Wikipedia,Google,Yahoo all over and can't find a list of Canadian Number 1 songs.The best I've found is some local charts,one in particular being CHUM? Is there any sort of equivalent of the Billboard charts/UK Top 40 at all and if so,where is it? Lemon martini 15:30, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

How about this: http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Charts/. Marskell 10:20, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

30 years of Canadian Chart Hits, by week. Scroll down in the individual months' windows, all the weeks of each month are on one page, listed vertically. --Anchoress 19:16, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

Old School in London Fifty years ago

I am looking for my old school that I went to fifty years ago. It was located on Central Hill in Upper Norwood London.

It was an all girls Convent School run by Nuns, at that time and was attached to Catholic Church. The School was called Our Lady's Convent School and there was another school in the same building I think it was call Notre Dame also girls. I do not know if the Church had another name, proberley did.

I am not able to do a search from here in Canada so I was hoping I could get some help from someone in the UK.

Hope you can help.

Regards

Diana Connolly

Is it Our Lady of Fidelity or Virgo Fidelis? Their webpages are here and here. You can change to any of the regional google sites by changing the URL in the address bar after you perform your search - note the only difference between this search and this search is that I've changed google.co.uk to google.ca - make your change in the address bar and press enter. Although in this case it doesn't actually make any difference as the results were very similar - for what did you search? Natgoo 18:18, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

Mysterious Rock Circle

I found this while walking on a path through one of my mother's flower gardens. It is obviously dug and hand placed rocks in a small trench in the form of an almost perfect circle. There is also a small triangle pointing inwards at one point in the circle.

Here are the photographs I just took,

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a260/insenid/rockcircle1.jpg http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a260/insenid/rockcircle2.jpg

Does anyone know what might have caused something so eerie, or if not, what the symbol is?

Does the little triangle point north? Maybe someone made a "rock compass" for the garden? - Nunh-huh 23:11, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

How about a border for a flower garden (now in disrepair) ? StuRat 23:44, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

It looks pretty small, huh? How big is it?--Anchoress 23:51, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

The only person who works on the garden is my mother and she says she did not create it. it is actually in the path between two placed rock walls that denote the path and the garden. The rock circle is about two feet in diameter. A friend said it was probably from a flowerpot. However my mom does no planting at this time of the year, and I have not found any pots that big, and it still doesnt explain the tiny rocks in the trenches, because the rock wall is on the north side and would have prevented washing, and not that many rocks are apparent under the soil.

Eerie? Such a near perfect circle is likely to be man made. What's eerie about humans? Anyway, how long have your parents lived there? It could be a fireplace of previous inhabitants (or their kids). The rocks are rather small, but some rocks splinter when they get hot. Do they have sharp edges and is the ground charred under the surface? DirkvdM 09:24, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

Robert Heinlein/Mormons

I understand that scifi author Robert Heinlein wrote a book that had a mormon/LDS spaceship including a temple. Does anyone know which book this was?

Citizen of the Galaxy mentions a Free Trader spaceship named Joseph Smith. I don't remember if a temple was mentioned, but the ship was huge. The Menace from Earth mentions a Mormon temple in Luna City (not a spaceship). Arthur C. Clarke's The Songs of Distant Earth mentions Mormon "seedships" (colony ships) presumed lost. In all these cases it plays no role in the story line. --Lambiam^Talk 00:17, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

Interesting note: 26% of all Hugo/Nebula-winning books have Latter-day Saint/Utah references. This does not include Hugo-winning movies which include them (such as Starship Troopers or Contact), or books which were nominated but did not win awards. 32% of the books on Amazon.com's "25 Best SF/F Novels of the Century" list have Latter-day Saint characters or references. Of the 27 novels which have won the Locus award for science fiction, 26% have Latter-day Saint characters or references. (all taken from www.adherents.com)[13]. The Jade Knight 03:12, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

Ok, so this is not about morons spaced out on LSD. Sorry, misread that. :) DirkvdM 09:26, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

Larry Niven included a LDS sect in a space colony in his The Mote in God's Eye sequel The Gripping Hand as a plot element. There were a number of spaceships working for/with the temple in question. 205.132.76.4 14:47, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

The Art of The Prehistoric Aegean

The Treasury of Atreus is an excellent example of?

a homework question? 71.112.125.31 23:44, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

an informative article on Wikipedia? --Lambiam^Talk 00:33, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

Does anyone know if Malcolm Miller is still alive?

I imagine that Malcolm Miller does. :-) StuRat 23:41, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

Question to StuRat: Does it follow that you believe in afterlife? Or else, do you have knowledge of his being alive that you do not wish to reveal here? --Lambiam^Talk 00:20, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

Yes, after we die we become one with the Flying Spaghetti Monster. StuRat 04:10, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

In the great pasta-bowl in the sky. Makes me feel like a meatball just thinking about it. The Jade Knight 05:22, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

I get many Google hits, some of which are quite recent and none suggesting abating health. If you want to be sure, I suggest that you send an e-mail enquiry to the Chartres Tourist Office, info@otchartres•fr (after replacing the raised dot by a regular dot). --Lambiam^Talk 00:30, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

August 13

Shebby Singh

do you know anything about Shebby Singh? he was a host to Astro Supersport channel in Malaysia during the world Cup 2006. i heard from people that he was a defender in Malaysian National team before and from his look and accent i can guess that he is an indian ethnic. i would like to know more about his life history or something? --218.111.31.160 14:53, 19 August 2006 (UTC)

Largest city..

What is the largest US city without a mcdonalds? --Geobeedude 01:47, 13 August 2006 (UTC)Geobeedude

First, define "largest" US city. Largest population? Largest land area? Do you include the entire metropolitan area? Compare this list to this page. --Kainaw ^(talk) 03:12, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

According to yahoo answers it is Hogshooter, Oklahoma with a pop of 143. But I know that is not true as my hometown has over 2,000 people and no mcdonalds. I think you would have to go smaller than that list of over 100,000. I know several cities of 20-30,000 and they each have at least 1 if not 2 or 3 mcdonalds. Nowimnthing 18:52, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

Is there REALLY a place called "Hogshooter"??!?! --Dweller 15:26, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

You cannot rely on Yahoo! Answers. Most postings are jokes. --Nelson Ricardo 15:42, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

i could not understand Nowimnthing comment of a largest city with just 143 peoples. otherwise, largest city could be Delhi for about 15 million population and 1500 square kilometers in Area.nids 19:01, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

No, he said in the US.

Ps: If every town in the U.S. with over 143 people has a McDonalds, that's pretty sad. Russian F 19:19, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

When I was in 29 Palms, there was a big city holiday because the town finally got big enough to get a McDonalds. So, I assume there is a minimum town size required for McDonalds to allow a franchise. --Kainaw ^(talk) 21:06, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

• somewhere in Alaska? hotclaws**==(82.138.214.1 15:34, 14 August 2006 (UTC))

釘宮理恵

What does "釘宮理恵" mean? I'm not sure of the original language. Babelfish says if it's traditional Chinese, it's "Nail palace principle □"; whereas if it's Japanese, it's "Rie Kugimiya." Windows Media Player somehow came up with this as a folder name when it was sorting the song Banquet by Bloc Party. On a related note, what does "「りぜるまいん」主題歌～はじめてしましょ！｜ほんきパワーのだっしゅ！" mean? NeonMerlin 04:09, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

This belongs on the Language Ref Desk. StuRat 04:11, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

About your first query, it's most likely referring to Rie Kugimiya. Windows Media Player may be creating that as a folder name due to incorrect information in its CD identification databases. As for your second query, that reads "rizerumain" shudaika - hajimete shimasho! / honki pawa- no dasshu. A Google search for りぜるまいん turned up some results that seemed to be related to otaku culture. See [14] Cheers, Tangotango 04:43, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

ingrown toenail and the military

I was watching a M*A*S*H episode and they were treating people for ingrown toenails and the people were embarrassed and wanted to keep it a secret. Is getting an ingrown toenail against military rules?

No, but it's evidence that they lied about their shoe size in their induction lol. No, just kidding. I don't remember that episode, but I'd guess that it's a pretty 'girly' condition for infantrymen to have to admit to being laid low by. Anchoress 05:07, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

It was Season 4 episode Hey, Doc

I seem to recall that the person treated was British and that foot care was considered very important after their experiences in the World War I trenchs (Trenchfoot). Rmhermen 18:12, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

Wow, he must have been pretty old. Anchoress 21:05, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

The Korean War was about 30 years after WW1, so, if he was about 20 in WW1, he would be about 50 in Korea, not too old for an officer. StuRat 00:19, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

Well, kinda. The end of WWI was 32 years before the beginning of the Korean war, so 50 is about the youngest he could be.Anchoress 00:22, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

• An institutional healthcare priority within the British forces could easily outlive a personal aversion to trenchfoot. --Dystopos 15:33, 18 August 2006 (UTC)

Social Cultural

There are people who live within their own community, build a large family, marry to other residents in their commnunity, does not allow television or newspapers in their homes, everyone works including the children, and only a few people who are leaders of the commnunity can go outside of their commnunity. What do we call these groups of people? I have seen they lived in Alburqueque, New Mexico and La Honda, Zacatecas, Mexico. They are not polygomists and prohibit divorces. The commnunity is caucasians, I think they are German descendants. Thank you for all your responses. Masterhp 05:06, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

North Koreans.

No, joking aside, it really depends on the cultural context. You could call them a slew of things, such as "xenophobic", "endogamous", "controlling", etc. Which people in particular are you thinking about? The Jade Knight 05:25, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

Amish? - Pyro19 05:27, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

That's a good one, too. The Jade Knight 05:28, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

The questioner's description is a close match with the breakaway Mormon community in Bountiful, British Columbia and Hildale, Utah.Anchoress 05:34, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

That came to mind as well (though I wasn't sure about the media ban and child labor). The Jade Knight 05:39, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

Media ban, definitely. As for labour, if you call being forced to quit school at 14 and give birth once a year for the next 25 years child labour, then - yeah. ;-) Anchoress 05:41, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

Additional comment on the section added to the bottom of the original question: That's an Amish community. Anchoress 05:50, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

Hmmm, actually on further investigation they may be Mennonites. Both have communities in the town you mentioned. Anchoress 05:53, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

For further reading, see Anabaptists (Amish, Hutterites, Mennonites), as well as the Church of the Brethren. Here in the Midwestern U.S., German Baptists (sometimes called Dunkards) are often mistaken for the Amish. --Kevin (complaints?) 17:50, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

How about the Hidden Jews of New Mexico? Hm. I thought we would probably have an article on them, but I couldn't find one. User:Zoe|(talk) 22:16, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

Not likely, considering the fact that the Spanish had not reached New Mexico by the year 1492, let alone 200,000 Jews. (Having looked at the link closer, I see that they claim that these Jews converted in Spain, and then came to New Mexico. They offer absolutely nothing to back up their claims of such a phenomenon, and it does not seem to be documented anywhere but on their radio program.) The Jade Knight 00:37, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

That site is by far not the only place where the subject is mentioned, in fact it's just the first one I found when looking it up. I have heard of the Hidden Jews of New Mexico many times, not from that site. User:Zoe|(talk) 00:59, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

I've heard of the Jackalopes of Nevada all over, too, and even seen "photographs". You have to forgive me for being a skeptic. The Jade Knight 05:01, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

Roof Replacement

Masterhp 09:31, 13 August 2006 (UTC)Which energy efficient bricks are available in the market with reasonable prices?

I suggest you go to your local home improvement store. If you live in the US, Home Depot or Lowes will work great. They will definitely have someone there that can answer your question. I don't know of any foreign equivalents of Home Depot or Lowes, so I can't help you there. schyler 12:40, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

In the UK you've got B&Q and in the Netherlands, I think it's 'Gamma'. Can you not find anything via Google? --130.161.182.91 13:36, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

Wikipedia's expertise in not in current products and markets. I am unfamiliar with brick roof systems. If you refer to clay tiles, there are many recyclers of salvaged tile, but they are usually small local or regional outfits. --Dystopos 15:37, 18 August 2006 (UTC)

Spartacus

In the recent Spartacus it talks about the republic,however here it says the republic was founded in around 44bc??also who was the emperor/king?and what was he doing during all this?it doesnt even mention one in the movie??Dagon13 10:17, 13 August 2006 (UTC)Nasir

According to most sources the Roman Republic ended in 44 BC, when Julius Caesar was proclaimed dictator for life. The uprising led by Spartacus took place before that, between 73 BC and 71 BC. So at the time there was no emperor yet. David Sneek 11:28, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

Recent? - Have they remade Spartacus? AllanHainey 11:58, 16 August 2006 (UTC)

Play it like...

I watched an episode of 20/20 or Dateline (I can't really remember) and there was a special on mentally chalenged kids who could play the piano incredibly well (good?). One that stuck out was a UKer who was blind and somewhat retarded. But he remembered every single piece of music he ever played. He was asked to play Beethoven's Fur Elise, and he did so without even thinking. Then the interviewer asked him to play Fur Elise as if [J.S.] Bach had written it. This intrigued me. He played it with a lot more decorative stuff (e.g. gracenotes). What did this mean? schyler 13:11, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

I think he wanted to add some typical baroque ornamentation. David Sneek 13:43, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

Yah, but like Bach. What does that mean? Is there a cetrain kind ofway Bach wrote his pieces that you could hear a piece and say , 'Oh. That piece is by Bach. No doubt.' schyler 14:06, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

There can always be some doubt, as is illustrated by the frequent misattribution of Bist du bei mir and the Eight Short Preludes and Fugues. But someone who uses the ornaments of that time, shows some contrapuntal invention and has some knowledge of Bach's style, would certainly be able to do a convincing imitation. (Here - if it works - is a funny fragment of Peter Ustinov improvising a fake Bach aria.) David Sneek 14:23, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

In the film Amadeus Mozart is also asked to play a piece "in the style of Bach". Yes, most composers have a somewhat recognizable style, and many composers have actually written some piece "in the style of X", where X is a different composer. --Lambiam^Talk 19:38, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

Think of it in terms of modern music instead of classical. Most people could easily hear the difference in style between, say, The Beatles, The Rollings Stones and Led Zeppelin, even if it was only an instrumental part and you never heard the song before. Same thing with writers, painters, actors, operas, and indeed classical music. Listen to a few of Bach's compositions, then listen to a few of Beethovens. I can guarantee you that you would hear a difference in style. Oskar 21:41, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

A number of people have written variations on a theme, where each variation imitates the style of a different composer or is meant to sound as if it were written by that composer. One who comes to mind is Siegfried Ochs (no WP article), who wrote "Humorous Variations" on the German folk song Kommt ein Vogel geflogen, in the styles of about 10 other composers. Victor Borge also had a routine where he played "Happy Birthday" as if written by Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Brahms etc. JackofOz 02:24, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

Tattooing

How does a Tattoo artist practice tattooing? If the artist messes up while drawing on someone's skin, that's obivously a big problem. So how do they practice and make sure they don't make mistakes? Drawing on paper can't be the only practice, as skin is very different to paper, right? Anyone have an answer. --Burbster 13:45, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

• Sure. One option is "practice skin" -- here's an ad for the brand "Almost Skin". --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 15:46, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

Yourself and your friends is probably one of the more popular and yet potentially damaging ways. I have also heard of using the skin of fruits like oranges or the skin of a (dead) pig. Ink drawing can be very helpful as you will learn not to make mistakes (at least not ones you cannot fix.) The skin substitutes help you get a feel for the depth. Nowimnthing 18:15, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

Homeless In The Netherlands? Find Out Next Week!

I live in the Netherlands and my subletting contract expires at the end of this month. I'm trying to find accomodation near Haarlem but its difficult to find places with suitable dates (and prices!). The first time round, I ended up living in Delft on my 30th attempt through kamernet.nl (arranged just under a week before I arrived) so I'm wondering what happens if I fail to get accepted by a new landlord - it must occur - what does the government do with the people who fail to shift from one room to the next in time? Is this what they mean when they warn about stepping out into the world? --Username132 (talk) 13:45, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

A subletting contract? Subletting is not usually allowed in the Netherlands. In general, a Dutch rent contract can only be ended if both parties agree, so maybe you should look into that. David Sneek 13:59, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

According to this source the person that sublets the place can demand that the person that subrents leaves, at the end of the agreed term. (And so can I, but I assume this means they have some way of enforcing this.) --Lambiam^Talk 16:42, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

Not an answer to your questions but hopefully an answer to your problem: try marktplaats.nl and speurders.nl. You'll be suprised about the housing ads at these sites. I hope you've got some other place you can stay at in the meantime, at family or at friends. Good luck!

Are Jews more Intelligent?

Are jews more intelligent than folks following other religion? If yes, why is that such? Help.

Quoting from our article Race and intelligence:

Ashkenazi Jews score significantly higher than other groups (107-115) in the U.S. and Britain, but estimates of the average IQ of Ashkenazim in Israel may be somewhat closer to the European mean.

Anything in this area will be hotly debated, including whether, if true, it is genetic or cultural (like valuing intellectual achievement is part of Jewish tradition), but few will ascribe it to religion. Read the article. --Lambiam^Talk 17:01, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

Personally, I find it very improbable that a whole ethnic group is signifiantly more intelligent than average. The reasons for Ashkenazi Jews scoring that high in the U.S. and the U.K. may be easier explained by just highly educated intellectual elites immigrating those countries instead of a more heterogeneous group. But that's solely my hypothesis. --GTubio 20:57, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

I really have no clue as to the answer to either of those questions. I just thought it might be helpful to bring up the old "nature or nurture" concept. Jews may indeed score higher, but this may be attributed to nothing more than education (nurture). The word "Jew" actually refers to two entirely separate concepts. It can refer to one's nationality (nature) or one's religion (nurture). What would be interesting is if there were studies of those few "Jews" who belong to one category but not the other. For example, a Jew by nurture but not by nature (e.g. a child whose biological parents were not Jewish, but who was adopted at infancy by a religious Jewish mother and father) vs. the opposite, a Jew by nature but not by nurture (e.g. the opposite, a child whose biological parents were Jewish, but whose adoptive parents were not). A study into that would actually be very interesting. Loomis 22:54, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

There was a paper a couple years ago, which the Race and intelligence article is refering to. The hypothesis is that Jews in much of Europe were forbidden from almost all professions except banking, where mathematical ability is very important. This (supposedly) caused such a strong selection effect that over the course of about a millenium the Askenazi became significantly smarter. But there was a tradeoff: the authors linked it to the high occurence of certain heriditary neurological disorders like Tay-Sachs. They compared it to a situation in some African populations where having a single copy of a gene conveys resistance to malaria but having two causes sickle-cell anemia.--Pyroclastic 19:20, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

As Loomis already suggested, you're mixing up religion and ethnicity (except that he used the word 'nationality', which seems a bit odd). I don't know about the ethnic side of this (although the success of Jews in all sorts of intellectual fields is rather suggestive), but there appears to be a relation between religion in general and intelligence, in the sense that intelligent people tend to be less religious: see Religiosity and intelligence. DirkvdM 10:01, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

Regarding the terms: nationality vs. ethnicity, this would seem to be a cultural issue. It would appear that in Europe, the term "nation" would seem to be something of a four-letter word (for plenty of good reasons), demanding the euphemistic term "ethnicity". But here in North America, and especially Canada, having pride in one's nationality is actually seen as positive, and harmless. One big example is that most French Quebecers, both separatist and federalist, freely refer to themselves as "nationalists", and members of the Quebecois "nation". In fact our indigenous groups are refered to as our "First Nations". Nobody here has any qualms about this terminology. The sensibility here in North America is quite different from that Europe, as I don't recall we've started too many world wars in the recent past. However, if you prefer to call, say, the people of Italy or Greece as ethnic groups rather than nations, then, I suppose it would only be consistent to refer to the Jews as an ethnic group as well. However over here, from my perspective, Jews, Italians and Greeks are all national groups. Loomis 02:12, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

But of course. How else are we to take over all forms of mass media (with the possible exception of JewWatch.com) as well as the world banks, at the same time as we slaughter Christian children (to make bread with)? —Daniel (‽) 15:40, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

Jews migrated to the USA as communities, not on individual basis. Nationality is more nurture then nature. A proof of this is the Finno-Ugric language family, which consists out of Mongolian-looking people and Northern European looking people. Jews are mixed. Former European Jews are much whiter then former Arab Jews. A final answer to your question is impossible to make.--Daanschr 18:27, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

Pretty broad generalization there. I know my father's grandfather emigrated as an individual, not as a community; and his cousins emigrated piecemeal over the next 40 years (too bad more of them didn't, all thigns considered.) My not-quite-tongue-in-cheek answer to the original question is, "Yes. We breed for intelligence." --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 20:33, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

There are plenty of dumb Jews (I don't think Yasmine Bleeth is going to cure cancer) and smart Gentiles, but I'd guess Jews might score higher on intelligent tests because they are probably better educated on average. -- Mwalcoff 00:19, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

Of course Jews aren't more intelligent, that would be racist. We're just less stupid. :--) Loomis 22:49, 17 August 2006 (UTC)

BMD

I have a great grand father called Frederick James Dady and i cant remember what i want to know about him! Oh well, what i was wondering about was the birth marriage and death registrations. He was actually born on a day trip out to Cromer, Norfolk, England in 1892 but his parents lived in Stanfield. In the 1901 england and wales census it says he was born in Cromer but in the 1837-1983 birth regestration thingy it says he was registered in erpingham. If you look at a map of norfolk you will see why this appears odd. (If you have trouble finding some of the places stanfield is nearly directly between fakenham and dereham and erpingham is a few miles north of aylesham.) I would like to know any reasons why this has happened? There are no family links (at the time) with the area around erpingham as they were around the swaffham to holt area. I do have some theories: 1) After he was born, unexpectantly, in cromer they might of taken the then main road back home which would have taken them through erpingham and decided to register him there. Did the main road go through erpingham back then? 2) erpingham was the main regester place thingy, althought i doubt this as erpingham is a very small village and there were bigger and closer places which would probably of had regester place thingys. 3) they could have just liked erpingham or it could have been for some random strange reason.

i suppose you have to be very un-interested in practically everything else to bother to answer this question, i am so iv given you the pleasure of trying to answer it. thankyou--William dady 17:52, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

Well, you got me by the balls. I have no idea AdamBiswanger1 03:34, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

Ouch. Erm... I'm going to throw some other thoughts out on this one: perhaps if they used a midwife, the midwife was from Erpingham and filled out the necessary paperwork for them and registered it with whatever officials were there; it's possible that Erpingham was a bigger deal in terms of local and regional government at that time, and a central office of some sort was there (towns appeared, disappeared and varied in size and importance ridiculously easily in earlier days); or perhaps someone buggered up in the main office and got the registration wrong. But I think it'd be challenging to figure any of that out officially, and being on the wrong continent I think I'll leave it for someone else. Tony Fox (arf!) 15:49, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

Looking at the map I don't see why this appears odd. Erpingham is more or less on the way between Cromer and Stanfield, Norfolk. I don't know what would have been a good route in those days, but the A140 wasn't there, and quite possibly there was no road where the A140 runs now. Does the "1837-1983 birth regestration thingy", whatever that is, give a date, and is it the next day? Does it give the name of the person who did the registration and does (s)he have the Dady family name? --Lambiam^Talk 23:09, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

The "1837-1983 birth regestration thingy" is probably FreeBMD. However, the cause of confusion here is that people were not registered in specific villages or towns; they were registered in specific districts. One of the registration districts in Norfolk was Erpingham; details on that are here. Note that Erpingham, the district, contains the parish of Cromer... and there's your answer. Shimgray | talk | 23:16, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

Saturday

Why is Saturday named afer a roman god, if the week is of christian origin? --192.94.73.1 21:01, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

You might as well ask: if the week is of Jewish origin, why are several days named after Germanic Gods? The concept of the week spread from one culture to another ("Various groups of citizens of the Roman Empire adopted the week, especially those who had spent time in the eastern parts of the empire, such as Egypt, where the 7-day week was in use", the week article says), and the names of the days reflect this mixed background. David Sneek 21:12, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

As I understand it the days of the week are named after the sun, moon, and the five planets visible to the naked eye, which are named after Roman gods. In English four of those planet's names were translated into the names of the equivalent Anglo-Saxon gods (Mars>Tiw, Tuesday; Mercury>Woden, Wednesday; Jupiter>Thunor, Thursday; and Venus>Freye, Friday), but the Anglo-Saxons mustn't have had a god equivalent to Saturn, so it stayed Saturn. In French and Spanish the names of the days of the week still derive from the Roman gods' names. --Nicknack009 21:16, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

Your answer is better than mine. David Sneek 21:24, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

This is a little simplistic. First of all, there isn't such a neat explanation for all of them (check out articles Monday, Tuesday, etc. for more details). First of all, Oden/Odin/Wotan is NOT equivalent to Mercury/Hermes (I mean, not at ALL), he is much, much more like Jupiter/Zeus. Actually, he's like this wierd mixture of Jupiter. Mars, with a little bit of Minerva thrown in (his three major roles where god of war, god of wisdom and king of the gods). Thor, while being the god of thunder and a bit of an ass, shares little resemblance to Jupiter. Most notably, he's very stupid (one could argue that Jupiter isn't the sharpest god in the pantheon either, but still, he's not a moron). Tyr is kindof like the god of war, but not really. I mean, Oden is definitly the god to go to, Tyr is more of a glory of battle kindofa guy. Freja, however, is fairly similar to Venus. Also, there are no direct connection between the Aesir and the planets, that's a greek thing. The names of the days of the week has snuck in from a number of places, mostly Nordic mythology obviosly, but there is no conveinient answer like yours (unfortunatly). Oskar 21:36, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

You have two "first of alls." Or are they supposed to be nested first-of-alls? --LarryMac 20:51, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

True enough, although I don't know whether the Anglo-Saxon gods' roles are exactly the same as the Norse ones. Matching up gods from different cultures is a very inexact science. You could say Woden and Jupiter are equivalent because they're both chief of the gods, or Jupiter and Thunor because they're weather/sky gods. There's a passage in Plutarch's On the Cessation of Oracles about "Saturn" being imprisoned under the earth in an island near Britain that makes me think Loki could be considered an equivalent to Saturn, on a similarly flimsy basis. --Nicknack009 21:42, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

Why would you say that the week is of Christian origin? The article you hyperlinked to explains that the seven day week was used far before Christ not only by ancient Jews (who, from a Christian perspective I suppose could be characterized as "proto-Christians"), but by civilizations completely unfamiliar with any Abrahamic religion, such as Babylonians, Hindus, the Chinese and the Japanese, all also before Christ. Loomis 22:29, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

it doesn't matter whether Woden/Odin was "equivalent" to Mercury; it is enough that classical authors (Caesar, Tacitus,...) identified him with Mercury. At the time there could be any question of introducing weekdays for the Christianized Anglo-Saxons (6th century), there could be no question of not following the established interpretatio romana equations Woden=Mercury, Donar=Jove etc. dab (ᛏ) 20:47, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

I've read somewhere or other that Odin is identified with Mercury because both guide the souls of the dead. —Tamfang 06:12, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

foreign ambassador's benefits

What benefits do ambassadors in Canada receive? Thanks very much. --209.135.110.13

Presumably they get a salary from the government they are representing, as well as a pension build-up and paid medical care. They will typically live in a house owned by and paid for by their country. They must attend a good deal of receptions, with free snacks and booze. And they enjoy diplomatic immunity. None of this is specific to Canada. Was there something more specific you had in mind? --Lambiam^Talk 23:17, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

Latin's death

When and why did Latin become a dead language? Reywas92 21:29, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

Well, it's not really dead, you know. It's just "evolved"—into Spanish, French, Italian, etc. All languages change over time, and Latin was no exception. A more detailed answer could get very complicated (such as dealing with the nationalist tendencies that encouraged Romance nations to discard academic Latin for the "vernacular" language). Eventually, local versions of Latin became so different as to be unrecognizable as Latin, and international standards of Acadamia and writing (and particularly ecclesiastical) traditions encouraged the retention of Latin even as the general speakership of "Latin"-speaking countries had their languages evolve in different manners… I recommend you take a look at language change. Also, specifically, take a look at History of Latin. The Jade Knight 21:34, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

Technically Latin is still the official language of the Vatican City. As the Roman empire crumbled the people lost the knowledge to read and write (too a overwhelming extent). Latin was also mixed with the languages of the invading barbarians. And any language which is only spoken and not written evolves much more rapidly and easily splits into many local dialects. As languages weretaught (and standartized on a national scale) in schools and unirversities again they became much more stable but by then they were not Latin anymore. Nevertheless Latin is still the language of the Roman Catholic Church and the Mass (liturgy) was still spoken in Latin until 1970. You should also take a look at romance languages. Flamarande 22:18, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

See History of Latin.
Latin is a language
As dead as dead can be:
It killed the ancient Romans,
And now it's killing me. =P —Keenan Pepper 00:43, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

A dead language is defined as a language with no native speakers, but as Latin flowed directly into romance languages there is no one clear date when this was. An important spear in the back of Latin was when Heraclius made Greek the official language of the Byzantine Empire; the successor to the Roman empire. MeltBanana 03:10, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

It is more accurate to say that the Roman Empire "morphed" into the Byzantine Empire; it was simply the surviving Eastern part of the Empire while the Western part was overrun. --Lambiam^Talk 08:35, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

One images that an individual raised in Vatican City might well have as his primary/native language Ecclesiastical Latin; as it happens, though, the Vatican's birth rate is exceedingly low... :) Joe 06:52, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

Can we point to a date when writers began to distinguish between the vernacular and the written language? —Tamfang 04:19, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

Sometime during the Middle Ages, I would say. My guess would be 10th or 11th centuries, though it may have been earlier. And certainly, there was a distinction between "vulgar" Latin and earlier forms… The Jade Knight 04:59, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

The Strasbourg Oaths show that proto-French was recognized as different from Latin by as early as the 9th century. I'm not sure about the other Romance languages, but I don't think anyone ever considered Italian to be a separate language until much later, 12th or 13th century (but it is much closer to Latin anyway). Adam Bishop 05:23, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

Methinks this is on the wrong desk... -- THE GREAT GAVINI {T|C|#} 08:20, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

Overview of Belgian ambassadors

Hello,

I have been looking for some time, but I cannot find a site giving the names of (current and former)Belgian ambassadors (thus I mean ambassadors who are Belgian and working in a different country than Belgian).

The ironic thing is that I am trying to find out information about someone in my own family who appears to have been ambassador, unfortunately as usual a family's memory fades.

I would have a particular interest in the ambassadors to Sweden, Iran and Romania.

Any help or hints would be appreciated very much. Thanks, Evilbu 22:13, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

This list should do. Mr. Raoul Delcorde is ambassador to Sweden, Mr. Philippe Roland to Romania, and Mr. Jacques Vermeulen to Iran. --Thunderhead 22:28, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

Thanks, while the link is interesting, my problem is even harder : I am talking about ambassadors from 1970-now, not just the current ones. I agree that wasn't clear in my original question, it has been changed now. There seems to be confusion about whether or not he was the ambassador to Romania when Ceaucescu fell from power (which is -sadly- remembered almost exclusively in Belgium because of the dead of one Belgian cameraman). By the way : I am Belgian (but that was probably obvious), so links in Dutch are no problem and in French shouldn't be either (hopefully). Evilbu 22:35, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

Two solutions to find an answer - the first is to try dropping a letter or email to a) the Belgian Foreign Ministry (or equivalent) and b) the Belgian embassy in those countries - they'll certainly have records of past postings to those countries. If you tell them the name of the guy you want, it'll help, and be as specific as possible - was he the ambassador, or embassy staff?

The second solution is to go to a largish library and look for Belgian government handbooks, almanacs, etc, from the right period - these generally list the current ambassador to a given country. I can't suggest any specific series of books, though; I'm not sure what the standard almanac is in Belgium. Shimgray | talk | 14:21, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

what living actor has been in the most films

what living actor/actress has been in the most films to date?

I suspect it would be an extra or stuntman, as they only may need to spend a small amount of time on each movie. StuRat 00:37, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

According to imdb, the most prolific actors are usually voice actors, or actors who have done a lot of voice acting. If we leave off Howard Stern, Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien, the highest living actor is James Ellis. If we leave off voice acting, then it appears to be William Shatner. If you only want to count films, imdb doesn't help. User:Zoe|(talk) 01:08, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

I heard it was Clint Eastwood, watched a TV program --mboverload@ 01:20, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

James Ellis has been in only 55 movies or TV shows. That's chicken feed compared to some actors. But what did you mean by "the highest living actor"? JackofOz 02:14, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

The one highest on imdb's list of prolific actors. It looks like imdb is counting every episode of "Z Cars" for James Ellis. That would skew Shatner, as well, for his series work. User:Zoe|(talk) 02:16, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

Indian film industry has numerous actors and actresses who have acted in more than 200 films. Mohanlal and Jagathy Sreekumar (more than 1000 films) are still very active. Sukumari, a veteran actress, has acted in more than 2000 films and is believed to be the most prolific fim personality--Tachs 09:28, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

if you want to know about an actor as an hero, he is Mithun Chakraborty with about 200 films as a hero in hindi films, and a large no. in other indian languages.nids 23:05, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

• Probally Don Lafontaine, he has done the voice over for 4000 movie trailers?

The question itself needs to be refined.

I don't believe that voiceovers, television episodes, or commercials was what was meant. The questioner probably was not looking for stuntmen, extras, or members of the Indian film industry.

Restricting ourselves to persons whose names might be recognized, say those in line to possibly be nominated for an acting Oscar, go with Christopher Lee with over 250 film credits. B00P 23:05, 18 August 2006 (UTC)

August 14

Who funds "The More You Know" ads on NBC?

I've been trying to figure out who funds those ads. It's not the Ad Council. Does NBC get a grant from the government for these? Who is paying for them?

I don't know, but it's probably actually an act of good will by NBC. That and it's a tax write-off. Maybe they have to give a certain amount of airtime to charitable public causes, as they do in radio. AdamBiswanger1 03:32, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

I assure you nothing that takes airtime is an act of good will. --mboverload@ 10:12, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

I agree... likely not an act of good will but there doesn't seem to be much transparency here. NBC probably gets a sizable tax break or something for these. They show up no where on the charity databases which is odd.

They are funded from the large settlement of the tobacco lawsuit in the US. You can see Truth (advertising) but it doesn't seem to have any information regarding the lawsuit or the settlement... maybe Google... 71.112.125.31 19:08, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

Ahh... see also Tobacco industry and scroll down to the "Industry outlook" section. 71.112.125.31 19:16, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

take a look at http://www.themoreyouknow.com/overview/: "NBC Universal's THE MORE YOU KNOW public service campaign"

sources greek mythology

I would like to write an article about Biblis(mythological human) but don't know where to find a reliable source.

It's actually spelled Byblis, and the article does exist : ) AdamBiswanger1 03:26, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

politics

give clear reference & information about mptc, zptc, in indian context of local self government

In how many words? When is it due? Will this be on the final exam?Loomis 08:42, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

is this related to panchayati raj system of indian local governments??nids 23:01, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

When did Klingons become a big deal

When did large numbers of people star dressing up as the Klingons on Star Trek? When did the "Warriors of Honor" aspects of the Klingons get started-- was it with the start of TNG in '87? or were there earlier appearances of this quality in TOS, movies, or early novels? --Alecmconroy 05:48, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

Presumably they were mentioned or parodied or something on a different programme; otherwise, non-Trekkies wouldn't have heard of them and they wouldn't be so popular. Maybe References to Star Trek would be useful... -- THE GREAT GAVINI {T|C|#} 08:18, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

I would expect it would have been after the start of Star Trek: The Next Generation, yes. In the original series the Klingons were portrayed as untrustworthy and murderous. Only in TNG did they become honorable warriors. Also, they looked a lot better in TNG (at least if you don't mind gluing a chunk of latex onto your forehead). StuRat 08:20, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

Well, the Klingons got their new look and the first hints of new language in the 1979 "Star Trek: The Motion Picture". The language was created for the 1984 film "Search for Spock". And the first Klingon main character was Worf in the 1987 TNG series. But I can't find any good sources for what was going on in the fan culture during those times. Maybe large numbers of people were dressing up like Klingons just after the orginal series-- I know there was no shortage of Vulcans back then. Or maybe the "Warrior Culture" got invented in the novels / fan fiction / culture sometime prior to 1987. --Alecmconroy 11:05, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

The end of season 4 through season 5 of Star Trek: The Next Generation had a great deal of plot involving the Klingons (before that they were a minor recurring thing, excepting the character Worf). This was in 1991, I believe. I would say that this would have had a big impact on their popularity. Before this, there were the Star Trek movies, which have already been mentioned. - Rainwarrior 02:18, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

Discovered Berlioz composition

About ten years ago a Berlioz composition was discovered in a piano bench compartment in Belgium and was performed for the first time in 127 years in the cathedral in Vezelay, France. What was the name of that piece? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Charroux (talk • contribs)

A bit of googling turned up some information (in French, unfortunately) about a piece called Messe solennelle. I'm not sure if it's the same piece you're talking about; it was written in 1824 and performed in 1993, and the first performance was in Bremen, although it was also performed in Vezelay several days later (another French link). --Cadaeib (talk) 15:23, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

John Alford, Landscape painter

I have acquired an oil painting of Saulisbury Cathedral painted by John Alford and dated 1954. Can any one tell me anything about this artist please?

Thank you

David Smith

I'm afraid this gentleman's being quite elusive. This [15] was the best I could come up with on Google, and all it offers is a few auction results that you have to subscribe to get. He's mentioned a few other times as an editor of various books on art, though. I would highly suggest you ring your nearest art dealer or estimator and see if they have any knowledge of him. He seems to be notable, but not terribly well-represented on the 'net. Tony Fox (arf!) 15:45, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

German Empire 1871 (Poland)

Was the town of Kazimierza ever in the German Empire? Kazimierza is located 45KM NE of Krakow. I think that Krakow was under austrian rule at the time but not Kazimierza. If kazimierza was not under the german empire what was it under?

Thank You Leonard Seszycki

From the vague description, sounds like it would have been Russia. Only Silesia, "greater Pomerania", and "greater Prussia" were under German rule after 1815 -- see Image:HistoricSilesiamap.png , Image:Schlesien 1905.png etc... AnonMoos 16:18, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

Yes, it was. But it was not internationally recognized. Germany conquered Poland in 1939 and made nearly the whole of present Poland part of the Great Germanic Empire. The Red Army liberated this village in 1944. Since Krakow is east of Silesia, and Kazimierza as well, then it is clear that this village was not part of the German Empire before 1939. It has been part of Austria though.--Daanschr 18:34, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

A probable chronology of countries owning Kazimierza could be:

• 10th century-1795: Poland
• 1795-1809: Austria
• 1809-1813: Warsaw (France)
• 1815-1832: Poland (Russia)
• 1832-1915: Russia
• 1915-1918: Germany
• 1918-1939: Poland
• 1939-1944: Germany
• 1945-present: Poland

Citation in Edward Mitchel bannister article

Re: Resource Citation in Edward Mitchell Bannister article: Anne Louise Avery published a PhD dissertation called "The Veiled Landscape: Space and Place in E.M. Bannister's work...." 2006... and there is no reference to where it was published (what university, for example) and I would love to find it and read it! Can you help?

Bill Allen <e-mail removed, see Reference desk policies above>

Iran

Which Iranian provinces have the most Arabs that speaks Arabic and that they are Sunni Muslims?

Most Template:Lan-speaking Iranians are found in Khuzestan and along the Persian Gulf coast. The Khuzestan Arabs are Shias. The Arabs in the area stretching from Bushehr to Bandar-e Abbas tend to be Sunnis. Source: AllRefer.com. --Lambiam^Talk 18:25, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

Do these Arabic-speaking Iranians still speak Persian?

You should read the page that Lambiam linked - Khuzestan!! They answer your questions. (go to the "languages" section). --Bmk 04:07, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

Music download

what is music called that has nobody singin/ no vocals, and can you download that type of music if so where can you down load it. dylan arthur

It's called Instrumental music. You can download it anywhere where you download any other music. DJ Clayworth 17:39, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

The questioner may also be asking about MIDI music. Many popular songs are composed in MIDI, which has the capabilty of adding a vocal track, but in practice rarely does so. --Kainaw ^(talk) 18:57, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

The MIDI file format does not have the capability to add a vocal track. There is no recorded sound in a MIDI file, and there is no standard for speech synthesis that could be used to produce vocals from such a file. - Rainwarrior 02:14, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

Well, I could imagine some 'lalala' singing sound, although I don't know of any sound that would sound realistic enough. But add lyrics and it becomes near impossible. Or could a voice synthesiser work here? DirkvdM 07:49, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

Cost of World War II

What would be approximate cost of World War II ? I've heard about 1 trillion dollars, would this be accurate ?

Does not seem like a lot, considering the Iraq-Iran war had about the same cost. Matt714 21:28, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

If we're not adjusting for inflation, they might be the same. Also, depending on what you count as the "costs", you could get some very different values. StuRat 22:08, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

Indeed. How does one measure the cost of a single life that might otherwise not have been lost. Let alone millions. JackofOz 22:52, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

The value is what you really think a human live is worth, perhaps 50cents or so :). Flamarande 23:23, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

I wouldn't pay much for a human live. But a live human, or a human life, well, that's something else again. :--) JackofOz 01:55, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

One could actually quantify this. The cost of a late teenager is the investment put into them (food, education, ...) that hasn't resulted in the expected return (through work). The cost of a pensioner would then be negative (yes, I'm being rude again). But most deaths will have been younger people (soldiers). Any statistics on that? Ironically, after a destructive war, the value of work and therefore of the worker increases because of the need to build society back up again. Another factor is that destruction of the old will bring more of the new, which might be a boost to both the economy and welfare (in the long run). A bit hard to assess, that. DirkvdM 08:31, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

Safe Air Travel

How about this -- treat the airplane just like a movie theater: no outside food/drinks allowed. We need to dispense with the high gadgets and just say you can't bring anything on board except the clothes on your back. All food, drinks and comfort will be provided by the airlines. That the only way to truly make things safe. Or if overhead luggage is allowed, it must be locked down for the entire flight: no access at all.

Here is my idea.

Nudist Airways

All passengers must board the plane completely nude. Furthermore, each passenger must eat a mouthful of pork before they are allowed on board the plane. All passengers are handcuffed during the duration of the flight. All lights in the cabin are turn off and the windows shutters are pulled down.

I guarranty there will be not a single terrorist incident on Nudist Airways. Ohanian 22:43, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

I'm assuming this is satire, but at any rate, what is the question? I really just think people should calm down, anyway, since if the terrorists are determined enough they'll get themselves through... —Keakealani •Poke Me•contribs• 22:49, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

Oh yes, I forgot to ask the question. Would you travel on Nudist Airways if the fares are 10% cheaper than other Airlines?

Ohanian 23:01, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

I would have thought Nudist Airlines would be more in the spirit of "100% off".... - Nunh-huh 23:13, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

"If God had meant for people to fly, they would have been born with wings. And if He meant for them to be nudists, they would have been born buck naked." :-) StuRat 00:27, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

If people had meant God to fly, he would have been an angel. DirkvdM 08:39, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

What's with the pork? No Jews and vegetarians allowed on board? Oh, and you forgot about swallowed weapons, so people would have to take some laxative too, some time in advance - sort of a check out during check in. DirkvdM 08:39, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

Britsh and american accents

In the U.S. many men and woman find British/ Commonwealth accents sexy; do many british/ commonwealth people find American accents sexy?

It's hard to say... there are many different American accents, just as there are many different British regional and Commonwealth accents. I'm presuming what you are talking about is the Received Pronunciation of stock English characters (usually villains or butlers) in films and television, which seems sexy to some because it implies refinement and culture. What you also have to realise though is that the UK and Commonwealth are saturated with American television and films, and are much more "used to" an American accent than would happen the other way around, so I don't think it works quite the same way as a US accent doesn't seem as "unusual" or "different" to what one is used to hearing. --Canley 01:11, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

Jo Swinson

Would Jo Swinson MP be attracted to men with standard American accents, who also have good careers?

You managed to spell her name right! Congratulations. That is so sexy... But lawyer doctors with a standard accent? Can't you develop a gay lisp or something that makes you stand out? That would be really cool. --Lambiam^Talk 07:26, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

lawyer doctor degrees

I hold a JD, would it be exceptable for me to use the title of Doctor?

The lower the law school literacy standards, the more necessary it is to distinguish yourself with a fancy title?

Skrew you!

Sorry to be harsh. It is unusual to see a lawyer unable to compose a single grammatical sentence and you packed a record number of syntax, grammar, and punctuation errors into your question-- not just typos. Second, you are socially "tone-deaf" if you haven't noticed that American lawyers don't habitually refer to themselves as "doctor" even though most hold a JD or equivalent. The combination of the specific question and the way it was expressed evokes such an image of ignorant pomposity that I couldn't help it. Work on your language skills if you want to impress people with your educational achievements, not your degree. 159.14.18.144 15:46, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

Very exceptable, as long as you except the fact that, accept for those in the US, most law schools in common law jurisdictions offer LLBs rather than JDs. You may find that if you visit some of these jurisdictions, many lawyers may take acception to the idea of you calling yourself a Doctor. Loomis 01:44, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

I guess the lesson to be learned here is to make sure your English is correct before mentioning that you hold a JD. The Jade Knight 03:59, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

I've never been one to pick on typos, or the inadvertent misuse of their/they're/their or its/it's. I do these things all the time when typing faster than I can think. I just found this case to be rather acceptional. :-) Loomis 13:01, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

• what's a "JD"? sorry to be thick- hotclaws**==(82.138.214.1 15:05, 15 August 2006 (UTC))

Juris Doctor. --LarryMac 15:17, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

August 15

Fred Phelps

Are their any truth to rumors Phelps was once arrested for homosexual acts?— Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.12.116.72 (talk • contribs)

If there was, everybody would know about it, and in any case it wouldn't be a rumor. See rumor and Fred Phelps#Criminal record.--Shantavira 06:38, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

Republic of Poland Gold bond

Please give me any information about Republic of Poland twenty year six per cent U. S. Dollar Gold Bonds bond issue of 1920 due 1st April 1940.The amount of the bond is 100 dollars through The National City Bank of New York.— Preceding unsigned comment added by Applebees (talk • contribs)

Iranian Jews and Christians

Which provinces of Iran have the most population of Jews alone and Christians alone?— Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.12.149.166 (talk • contribs)

For jews they are concentrated in large cities such as Terhran

Presumably it would be in the big cities where non-Muslims (tourists, etc.) would be as well as the bits which are closest to non-Muslim countries i.e. near the Armenian border. -- THE GREAT GAVINI {T|C|#} 07:19, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

Brazil

Which provinces of Brazil have the population of Spanish-speaking people?— Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.12.149.166 (talk • contribs)

Is the article Portuñol of any help to you?-gadfium 09:22, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

Gay lisp

Is the gay lisp natural or contrived?— Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.12.116.72 (talk • contribs)

It appears to be a cultural affectation. There are precedents; in one British Regiment (I've read somewhere or other) /r/ was pronounced /w/, so an officer named Brabazon was nicknamed "Bwab". A more interesting example perhaps is the pronunciation of diphthongs on Martha's Vineyard.[16] —Tamfang 06:05, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

Without any air of criticism, I suspect it is somehow tied to the general mindset of the gay male, just as one might expect a rough-and-tough sports fan to grunt and speak in loud, declarative sentences. It seems to be a natural consequence of the increased expression and, dare I say femininity? I am by no means homophobic, and this is completely OR, and I'm sure that many of my nay-saying friends would love to refute this, but consider it nonetheless. I cannot, however, explain why the said mindset causes the speech different to be exactly as such-- AdamBiswanger1 15:42, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

George W Bush

Bush is not perfect, yet he seems well meaning; why is their there such viseral personalized hate for Mr. Bush??— Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.12.116.72 (talk • contribs)

'cause

Where do you live? In a bucket? It's not unusual for leaders to be hated, he may even prefer it.

See the article Public perception and assessments of George W. Bush, which lists some of the reasons behind criticism of Mr Bush. --Canley 02:55, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

Read 1984. Of course, if you live in America and you read newspapers, you've read the first few pages already. It must be obvious by now that by declaring "war on terrorism", Bush has condemned our country to an a priori unending state of warfare? How will this war end? When all the terrorists are dead? How can we possibly kill all the terrorists in the world? Bush knows perfectly well that the war on terrorism is immortal, and it is a justification for the continuation of the power structure. It's just such a sinister, deceptive way to mislead a country, and it is slowly, slowly sliding into newspeak (read the book). War is peace! Peace is war! We are at war with Iraq. We have always been at war with the terrorists in Iraq. We never supplied Saddam Hussein with oodles of weapons as an ally only fifteen years ago. The terrorists have always been in Iraq. Did you notice (for instance at the end of the movie WTC) that the war in Iraq has recently become a way of "avenging" the 9/11 attacks? It's total mass amnesia!! Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11!! For got sake people...if you don't use your ability to think, you soon won't be allowed to!! *Shudder* Be afraid. Be very afraid. --Bmk 03:52, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

PS: Sorry for kind of ranting. I guess it was inevitable. Bravo to anyone who has resisted the urge to rant one way or the other - I wasn't strong enough.  :) --Bmk 03:52, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

medical and law degrees

Why is it in the UK and the commonwealth these are offered as undergraduate degrees, where as in the US they are almost always only offered as graduate degrees?— Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.12.116.72 (talk • contribs)

Seth Macfarlan

Which characters voice is his normal voice; Peter Grifin, Stewie Grifin, Brian, or Stan smith? which character does he most personally identify with?— Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.12.116.72 (talk • contribs)

Well none of them are his normal voice, but he sounds more like Brian or Stan Smith. Adam Bishop 06:10, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

New age music

Who is the leading new age artist?— Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.12.116.72 (talk • contribs)

Leading in what sense? Most successful? Most financially successful? Most influential? Most avant-garde? Ziggurat 04:01, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

Earliest? —Tamfang 05:59, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

The most successful is probably Enya, though Enigma could arguably give her a run for her money. However, this is, as has been pointed out, a very subjective question. The Jade Knight 07:14, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

This article may help give an idea of traditionally significant New Age artists and songs: Key_songs_of_the_new_age_scene. The Jade Knight 07:19, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

Who is the greatest currrent world leader

Who is the greatest currrent world leader??— Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.12.116.72 (talk • contribs)

Jimbo Wales AdamBiswanger1 15:08, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

Someone's after a bonus in their pay packet. Oh, wait... Tony Fox (arf!) 15:55, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

Greatest in what sense? Most popular? Least hated? Most successful domestically? Most successful internationally? You'll have to give us a clearer criterion, as the reference desk is not supposed to be a discussion board. Ziggurat 04:04, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

The questioner clearly wants to know which world has the highest amperage and who leads it. —Tamfang 05:59, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

Venus. Answer to both questions. The Jade Knight 07:13, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

World leader? No article, so doesn't exist. Alas the world is not that united yet. Then again - Kofi Annan? DirkvdM 08:48, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

can you identify this song

My friend asked me if i could identify a song and i couldnt hwlp him so i posted it here. First the song is heard on classic rock stations and has lyrics that go something like this "Hey there, don't you know? Hey there, I don't know. something something something take me out." i know thats vauge but thats all my friend gave me.

Franz Ferdinand maybe?

I say don't you know

You say you don't know

I say... take me out

I say you don't show

Don't move time is slow

I say... take me out

See here. Ziggurat 04:07, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

Lost tribes of Israel

Is their any historical evidence of their existence? If so what likely happened to them?— Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.12.116.72 (talk • contribs)

What about reading our article Lost tribes of Israel first, and see if you have any (answerable) questions left? --Lambiam^Talk 06:38, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

for the Indian connection, i would love to tell you that one of the lost ten tribes of israel was traced to the indian state of Mizoram. This connection was verified in 2002, by a series of genealogical tests, by eminent scientists.nids 10:42, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

Holy spirit

Can anyone tell me what is, in Christian terms, the Holy spirit? Though I try to understand the term's meaning, I simply can't... I easily see that the Father is God, the dude in heaven that created the universe; the Son is Jesus, the one claiming to be the son of God and the main figure in Christianism... but what or who is the Holy Spirit? The group of believers or what? Please, help. Thanks in advance.— Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.50.42.102 (talk • contribs)

The Holy Spirit is really just what it sounds like-- a spirit that infuses you with the spirit of God and leads you to faith in Christ. Christians usually like to think of the Holy Spirit as a person, or at least an active force, rather than just some ethereal presence. So, whereas Jesus and the Father are more concrete beings, the Holy Spirit's realm is the human heart and emotional reaction to God. If someone is worshiping fervently or praising God, one might say that she is filled with the Holy Spirit. I hope that helps although I know many of my fellow editors are cringing at the POV language-- (I forgot God was dead) AdamBiswanger1 14:40, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

Try reading Holy spirit, then get back to us if there's anything you don't understand. Isn't it amazing? Wikipedia is not only a reference desk, but also an encyclopedia!! Anchoress 09:47, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

That's pretty ironic-- I think you might want to read it as well 207.8.215.211 15:56, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

When was the first airline ticket created?

My name is Josh and i am 35 years old and i would like to know when the first airline ticket was created for one of my students.

Thank you for your time and effort to help me =)— Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.151.119.66 (talk • contribs)

According to this site, it was on January 1, 1914 in St Petersburg, Florida. --Canley 13:00, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

35 is a nice age isn't it Josh? I wish I was 35 again.--Shantavira 13:11, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

If you would please help, the answer above says 1914 but i have a timeline saying the airline ticket was created in 194__ i need some help please?

thank you for all you do

Then I guess your timeline is wrong. Depending on your definition of airline, it could have been even earlier. See our article on airships.--Shantavira 13:21, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

According to this site [17]the world's first flight ticket booth was built in 1911. Tickets for passenger flights around the area cost about 1 pound. I don't know whether Keith Prowse Ltd qualifies as 'airline' though.Sluzzelin 13:28, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

Geography in France

I've been trying to find the exact date that the first Chair in Geography was added to the Sorbonne. I know it was Napoleon that added it, but I can't find a year (or for that matter the first professor to occupy that chair). Any ideas?

Thanks, Dana140.247.40.134 13:39, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

In 1806, I suspect. In the eighteenth century the Sorbonne was a theology faculty, which closed down after the revolution. Napoleon reopened it in 1806, and created faculties de Lettres et de Sciences. That may very well have included Geography. David Sneek 16:15, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

History

There is a statue outside of the museum where I work that is referred to as "The Sausage King". It is a figure of a man dressed in 18th century waistcoat and breeches with a crown, and around his neck is a ring of sausages and he is holding a scepter in his hand that looks like a large bratwurst of sorts. All searches for sausage king don't give me any answers to who the Sausage King is supposed to be. Any help would be greatly appreciated.64.148.37.243 13:47, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

It would seem highly likely that someone at the museum would know. I would suggest asking them. DJ Clayworth 13:53, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

Semi colon usage

Am I right in thinking that after 'AAV' is an appropriate place to put a semicolon? "There are a few disadvantages to using AAV, mainly the small amount of DNA it can carry and the difficulty in producing it". --Username132 (talk) 14:39, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

I believe the clause after the semi-colon must be able to plausibly stand by itself as a complete unit (independent clause), and as such it could not. But more importantly, I think it sounds better with a comma than with the abruptness of a semicolon. But, if you think you must have some form of punctuation, a regular colon might be best--this indicates that a list is coming AdamBiswanger1 14:55, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

No. Only use a semicolon where you could have also placed a period. The following would be correct: "There are a few disadvantages to using AAV; it can carry a small amount of DNA, and it is difficult to produce." Alternatively you could have used a colon, as the first part of the sentence sets it up: "There are a few disadvantages to using AAV: the small amount of DNA it can carry, and the difficulty in producing it." - Rainwarrior 15:19, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

Springfield Mass

Does anyone know anything about springfield Massachussetts?

I know we have an article about it: Springfield, Massachusetts. David Sneek 16:22, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

Try Springfield, Massachusetts Russian F 16:22, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

reparation

As an African American, do you think their is any chance that I will see a reparations check?