Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2006 August 26

< August 25	Humanities desk archive	August 27 >

Humanities

Science

Mathematics

Computing/IT

Language

Miscellaneous

Archives

The page you are currently viewing is an archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions at one of the pages linked to above.

james bond theme music & lost credit for it

how did it come to pass that antoney newly had his name on the credits for the jb theame music in dr.no but was never heard from again on the subject. I know the other guy intended it for use in a bad indian musical and I heard the origional words to it but he didnt say anything about newly either. What happened? Sounds real jucy to me. 01:06, 26 August 2006 (UTC)

I don't understand the question. Anthony Newley was certainly heard from after he wrote the theme to Goldfinger (but not Dr No): he went on to write lots of other stuff.--Shantavira 15:24, 26 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

yor are right, I was wrong, thanks- Nahmastu

Interpretation of a verse

Hello. I had read the Isha Upanishad and had noticed a strange line that appears to contradict all the rest of Hinduism. Here is the line:

12. All who worship what is not the true cause, enter into blind darkness: those who delight in the true cause, enter, as it were, into greater darkness. Can anyone versed in such things help give an interpretation? At first glance it apears to condemn both the worship of Devas and even Brahman itself. AmateurThinker 01:13, 26 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I think it just says "worship whatever/whoever this book says, or you will enter an unknowable darkness forever, whether it be death, or "hell," or something else — [Mac Davis] (talk)

Actually Hinduism is not a well defined religion. There are no exceptions to Hinduism. Infact many of the sects of hinduism were athiestic. You will find many other sects which are monotheistic. --nids (♂) 04:21, 26 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

They might be using "darkness" to mean two quite different things. There's the familiar usage meaning something empty or even evil, then there's another meaning like "the unknown". (Moving into the unknown might be a good thing, if you are the type of person who enjoys exploring new things.) StuRat 10:27, 26 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you, StuRat. I never thought of darkness being used as a metaphor for the incorpreal abstract. It all seems so simple in hindsight: )AmateurThinker 20:29, 26 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You're quite welcome. This also seems somewhat like the sailing metaphor for enlightenment. First, you depart from shore in a sailboat. The shore represents your old consciousness. Then you sail for a long period on the ocean. This represents the void or "darkness" on the path to enlightenment. You must stay in the ocean long enough to forget everything about your old world. Then you arrive at your destination, which is your new consciousness. StuRat 21:52, 26 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Ahmad Jannati

Preceded by (research needed)	Chair of Guardian Council ?-present	Succeeded by Incumbent

I like to complete this succession box by filling in the before and years field.--Patchouli 03:43, 26 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

no matter what language or heritage in the end the true cause is GOD, you can take it from there.

Are you the ayatollah himself?--04:40, 26 August 2006 (UTC)

Difficult one. I searched some newspaper archives and it seems the Ayatollah already had that position during most of the nineties. Maybe he was the leader from the beginning (it was formed in 1989)? I emailed the Guardian Council and I will let you know if I hear from them. David Sneek 13:56, 26 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I think you mistyped because the Council of Guardian was established 1979-1981.http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5314.htm I don't know the exact date.--01:55, 27 August 2006 (UTC)

Not a typo, a mistake... David Sneek 09:33, 27 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

PROPERTY STAMPS

I HAVE BOOKS THAT HAVE A RED RECTANGLE WITH THREE CROSSES THAT RESEMBLE PLUS SIGNS IN IT, THEY ARE DATED 1909 THRU 1914, I AM TRYING TO FIND OUT INFO ON WHO STAMP MIGHT REPROSENT, CAN ANYONE HELP ME, PLEASE. e-mail here 4.245.53.91 04:01, 26 August 2006 (UTC)LUTHER W. WELCH[reply]

YOU DONT NEED TO SHOUT MR. LUTHER.--nids (♂) 04:23, 26 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I ignore people who shout, so I haven't a clue what your question is. DirkvdM 08:59, 26 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Are you sure Mr. Luther knew that writing in all caps is equivalent to shouting? --Bowlhover 05:09, 27 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Perhaps you could post a picture of it. BenC7 10:35, 26 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It sounds like a stamp denoting that the book is part of a private collection or library. AllanHainey 12:01, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Do you believe in Russell's Teapot?

Do you believe in Russell's teapot?

I do and I will fork king kill anyone who dare makes fun of my teapot or publishes satirical cartoons about it in the newspapers.

Do you object to all representations of teapots? If so, bad news for computer graphics researchers. DJ Clayworth 14:32, 28 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

So my friend. Do you believe in my Russell's teapot? Ohanian 10:00, 26 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I have always believed that the great Bertrand Russell was one of the most enlightened humans to have lived in this world.

I just learned about Russell's teapot. It simply reinforced my former belief. Cranks might quibble, though.--Patchouli 10:24, 26 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The flying spagetti monster serves tea from it to the invisible pink unicorn every third thursday of the month,I know,I've been invited.-hotclaws**==(82.138.214.1 15:08, 26 August 2006 (UTC))[reply]
Oh, are you the dormouse then? I found a picture of that illustrious event. Note how His Noodly Appendages are raised in joy, so much so that He resembles a rabbit! And see what a silly hat good old Bertie (who was also there) is wearing. The writing advertises his paradox. --Lambiam ^Talk 16:35, 26 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Russell is not a reliable source concerning teapots:

[A friend] recalling that he and his wife once had to be out at four o'clock, just when Russell had to have the tea without which he was miserable. The wife therefore prepared everything, 'the tea in the teapot, cup and saucer ready, the kettle filled. Then she wrote out the instructions in chalk on the slate table in the kitchen . . . . When we came back at five o'clock Bertie was miserable and the tea was still unmade.'

Scharfstein, Ben-Ami (1980). The Philosophers: Their Lives and the Nature of Their Thought. p. 367.EricR 17:00, 26 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Could it be that he didn't believe in teapots himself? David Sneek 20:40, 26 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

islamic architecture

i want to know which are the first 3 books written on islamic architecture? when and who wrote them? plz reply.

I am afraid this question has no clear answer. When is a book on Islamic architecture? Does Tezkiretü’l Bünyan by Mimar Sinan qualify? Although an autobiography, a good deal is about architecture that now is called "Islamic". To Sinan, I'm sure, it was just "architecture". It might be possible to find three books that have "Islamic architecture" (possibly in some other language, like Architecture islamique or Islamische Architektur) in their titles. It will be impossible to be sure that these were the first ones. --Lambiam ^Talk 19:18, 26 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

History: Mughal Revenue Collection Systems

Sir/Madam,

What is the difference between a diwan and a zamindaar, who existed in Mughal times?

Shariq Khan202.125.143.65 20:29, 26 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

According to our articles, it seems to have been a matter of rank; a diwan was "the chief revenue officer of a province", while a zamindar was just a tax collector. David Sneek 20:59, 26 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Thx... so, the peaseants farm the land, and the zamindars collect the emergent revenue. then the diwan collects revenue from the zamindaars and takes it to the imperial government. right?

what was the change of system in this when Hastings became overnor General in Bengal? HOw was the land "auction" Plz elucidate. Thx. Shariq--203.81.215.66 15:47, 27 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

information

dear sir i want some information & that is about the clan of jat in india, i visited the page & found lot many clans there but i could not find a clan nammed CHHEENA this is the clan of jat in india where the other clans like CHEEMA etc found. sir i have a request that if it could be possible please arrange some information regarding this clan i would be great ful, i did one thing in the page that i edited & wrote my self the name of clan in the list plz do favour to me arange some information or give me the e-mail of some one who can provide me info plz do reply me my e-mail is e-mail here thanx

                                       sincerely yours
                                               javed

May I suggest that you start by capitalizing "i" first.

Lublin/lubelskie province

Was lublin ever under the German Empire (2nd reich)? Who was under control during the 1800s. Thank You Leonard Szeszycki

According to our entry on Lublin, "In the 17th century, the town suffered a decline due to the Swedish invasion during the Northern Wars. After the Third of the Partitions of Poland in 1795 Lublin was located in Austrian empire, then since 1809 in the Duchy of Warsaw, and then since 1815 in the Congress Poland under Russian rule" --Mnem e son 23:49, 26 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Candidate Line of Sucession

If the Presidential candidate for a major party is shot before the General election in the United States, who becomes the nominee for President? Is it the Vice Presidential candidate?

--Shadarian 01:41, 27 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The rules would likely differ in each state as to whether the party would be able to replace the name on the ballot. If the candidate dies too late for a change, the party would probably agree on a successor (perhaps the VP candidate), and if the ticket wins any states, the electors in those states would cast their vote for the successor candidate. -- Mwalcoff 03:47, 27 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

A superficial search led to this site where viewers/fans analyze The West Wing (TV series). The text points to another site explaining the Democratic Party rules for the 2004 presidential election, stating that the Democratic National Committee would have decided on who was to fill the deceased candidate's vacancy. Didn't find anything corresponding to other parties or election years though. 62.65.129.85 03:49, 27 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I think this would depend on the states more than the party. Witness what happened recently to Tom DeLay. He won his party's nomination in the primary, then dropped out. The court ruled the party couldn't choose someone to replace him on the ballot, so his name stays.

On the presidential level, I think the party would have to do a new convention (if there were time) or leave the ticket as is. Supposing the ticket won, I think the Vice-president-elect would become President-elect, and would have to wait until after inauguration to submit a nominee to Congress. You could also get into how it would affect the Electoral College, since they are the ones who actually vote for President. --Barista | a/k/a マイケル | T/C 04:57, 27 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

As I understand it, senate seats are a different matter from presidential elections because voters choose not candidates but electors. These electors pledge support of a particular candidate but are not legally required to fulfill that pledge. So in the event of a presidential nominee's death (or of any presidential candidate's death once the primaries are underway), the political loose ends are likely to be settled in closed door meetings. You might look into the 1968 presidential election, in which Robert Kennedy was killed. Durova 06:17, 27 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Actually, that, too, is dependent on the states. Some states require an elector to vote for the candidate they pledged for, some do not. User:Zoe|(talk) 20:39, 27 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

A new convention would be very unlikely even if there was time to do so. As User:62.65.129.85 indicated above, the Democratic Party rules provide that the Democratic National Committee can fill vacancies on the national ticket. The Republican Party rules similarly authorize the Republican National Committee to fill vacancies on the national ticket [1]; the RNC is alternatively authorized to reconvene the national convention to fill such vacancies but doing so would likely be far too expensive. I don't know how long these rules have been in place, but even in 1972 when Thomas Eagleton withdrew as the Democratic vice presidential nominee, it was the Democratic National Committee that approved the selection of Sargent Shriver as the replacement nominee. [2] --Metropolitan90 06:26, 27 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

(edit conflict) It would depend on when the death happens. If it happens well before November, the party may be able to replace the name on the ballot in some states. If it happens right before the election, the candidate's slate of electors would have to choose someone else when they meet in the Electoral College (assuming the candidate wins at least one state). This happened in 1872. Horace Greeley, the Democratic candidate, won six states but died right after the election. His electors split their votes among several candidates. Had Greeley won the election, it would have gotten real weird. See United States presidential election, 1872. -- Mwalcoff 06:29, 27 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Both good points. The key concept, I think, is that the electoral college system makes presidential elections a special case in United States law. Durova 06:33, 27 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It's explained here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Electoral_College#Death_or_unsuitability_of_a_candidate There are links to the two actual elections during which this issue was raised, one involving the death of a presidential candidate and one involving the death of a vice presidential candidate.