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Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/October 2005

= September =

What is this voting system called?
See Macau legislative election, 2005. Each person gets 1 vote. Vote of each party is divided by 1, 2, 4, 8 etc. It looks like a highest averages method but is not mentioned in that article. What is it called? Is it biased towards large or small parties? Is it used anywhere else?

Algeria
I disagree, but check the Algeria article to be sure. AlMac|(talk) 01:35, 30 September 2005 (UTC)

Religion in Algeria
I read the "article of the day" about the war in Algeria. I understand that those who fought, and indeed, some who still are fighting the government after the cancellation of the election were and are Muslim. My question is: Are those who are in power Muslim, and therefore less fundamentalist than the guerillas? Do they practice a different form of Islam? Or do those who are in power practice a different religion altogether? Are they Christians?
 * Given that our article on Algeria states that the population is 99% Islamic, it is hghly likely that its leadership is as well. Our article on the President Abdelaziz Bouteflika does not say what religion he is but this article by him based on a speech to the Sorbonne confirms that he is a Muslim see . Our article on the Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia is currently a stub. I have not been able to find any definitive information on his religion in a quick Google search but I would be most surprised if he were not a Muslim. I suspect that the Government is less fundamentalist than the guerillas and our articles would be improved by making that point. Capitalistroadster 09:27, 26 September 2005 (UTC)

PERFUME
WHAT IS THE MOST POPULAR PERFUME IN THE WORLDBold text
 * Measured by what? Units sold? Units Sold per Unit Time on the market? Sales in $? Sales in inflation adjusted $?--inks 02:05, 26 September 2005 (UTC)

 * Most commonly used: Human sweat, which contains pheromones. Western cultures tend to suppress this with deodorants and then add perfume which contains animal pheromones.-gadfium 02:22, 26 September 2005 (UTC)

 * but...sweat isn't a perfume. For some interesting reading, see here. I suspect Chanel No. 5 may be a contender: it was introduced relatively early (1921) and apparently is still selling a bottle every 30 seconds. - Nunh-huh 04:02, 26 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Chanel_No.5 Chanel No. 5 is one of the best known perfumes in the world. The first fragrance from Parisian couturier, Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, it was launched in May 1921. ≈ jossi ≈ 02:20, 2 October 2005 (UTC)

New York City / The Big Apple
Why is "New York City" called "The Big Apple"? Thanks, Michele
 * No one knows for sure. You can read about some guesses in Big Apple. - Nunh-huh 03:32, 26 September 2005 (UTC)

Where is Chartres located?
Chartres. -- 03:01, 26 September 2005 (UTC)

Art as a reflection of life or life as a reflection of art?
HI, I'm trying to write an essay relating to the question "is art a reflection of life or is life a reflection of art?" Is this a common philosophical question, or does it stem from a specific philosopher posing the question? For example, I know that Plato claimed that art is imitation, and Tolstoy also wrote about art's meanings. However, I'm confused about the specific origins of the previously mentioned question. Can anyone help? Thanks, 67.53.3.42 03:12, 26 September 2005 (UTC)Eileen

 * The source you're looking for is probably The Decay of Lying by Oscar Wilde. David Sneek 07:04, 26 September 2005 (UTC)

 * CYRIL. Well, before you read it to me, I should like to ask you a question. What do you mean by saying that life, "poor, probable, uninteresting human life," will try to reproduce the marvels of art? I can quite understand your objection to art being treated as a mirror. You think it would reduce genius to the position of a cracked lookingglass. But you don't mean to say that you seriously believe that Life imitates Art, that Life in fact is the mirror, and Art the reality ?
 * VIVIAN. Certainly I do. Paradox though it may seem--and paradoxes are always dangerous things --it is none the less true that Life imitates art far more than Art imitates life.

George Fosberry, VC
Did you mean George Vincent Fosbery, VC? David Sneek 07:08, 26 September 2005 (UTC)

romance films
what is the history of romance films?

While we have articles on Romantic comedy film and Romantic drama film, both articles still need a lot of work. Our Film article contains a detailed history so you should be able to find some information there. Capitalistroadster 09:37, 26 September 2005 (UTC)

Who has control in a Private Limited Company?

 * Our Limited liability company article contains more information. The short answer is who controls the most shares is normally the person who has control. Capitalistroadster 09:37, 26 September 2005 (UTC)
 * An LLC is an American thing. Private Limited company is (at least) a UK legal entity. I'm not familiar with UK law, but for LLC's the control is delineated in a document called the operating agreement. It can specify who has the control including the possibility of a silent partner that owns most of the company but has little or no say in how the business is run. I'm assuming Limited company's have similar. - Taxman Talk 15:18, 26 September 2005 (UTC)

Wilfred Owen's social & sexual literary environment London 1915-1918
Owen met Harold Monro, became embroiled in the London literary scene and came into contact with the literary circle/clubs/homosexual scene. Owen's reading was eclectic and appears coloured by writers who themselves were homosexual. Any light shed would be gratefully received. Barry Matthews
 * Barry,
 * Barry,

Our article on Wilfred Owen ecplores this in some depth including his relationship with Vidal Sassoon Siegfried Sassoon. It would also be worth checking out the references at the bottom of the Wilfred Owen article for more information. Capitalistroadster 11:50, 26 September 2005 (UTC)

 * I think you meant Siegfried Sassoon there, a slight difference! The first studies on Owen's sexuality were done in 1965, published as Owen agonistes (searching on that might be helpful). In addition, he spent most of 1915-18 in the Army, and '17-18 at Craiglockhart War Hospital and Scarborough, not London.. Shimgray | talk | 12:03, 26 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Oops. Shimgray, thanks for pointing that out. Capitalistroadster 12:41, 26 September 2005 (UTC)
 * I was starting to wonder if Owen was killed in WWI for his rather fetching perm ;) - Astatine 10:28, 1 October 2005 (UTC)

Church Pews
I found an article that talked about church pews not being normal furnishings until after the protestant reformation. My question is -- When did pew makers start putting book racks and communion cup holders on the bak of the pews. I am a Baptist pastor and believe it or not, I had a person ask that question yesterday. Can you help? He wanted to know specifically about the communion cup holders.

 * Standing and kneeling are the traditional postures for Christian worship, and sitting before your Lord was considered to be inappropriate. Pews really only became of fashion when lengthy readings and sermons became part of Christian worship, particularly in Protestant churches. I think the Reformed/Presbyterian tradition also began to introduce seated communion (around the Lord's table). The addition of book racks to pews is quite recent. To require a book rack, there has to be a general practice of giving congregants books. Hymn books, prayer books and Bibles were generally privately owned and brought to church before the 20th century. Also, communion cup holders are only relevent in those churches that adopted the practice of refusing to drink from a common cup, as has always been traditional among Christians. --Gareth Hughes 15:53, 26 September 2005 (UTC)
 * This probably isn't much help, but I was raised in a Southern Baptist church, and we had seats with the attached hymnal racks/communion cup holders. The seats were installed in 1964, not too long ago, but hey, it means that they have had those features for at least 41 years.Brian Schlosser42 16:15, 27 September 2005 (UTC)

Male urinating customs; standing vs sitting
I am in the process of toilet training my son. In doing so I am now aware that many mothers develop elaborate methods of teaching their sons to stand up while urinating; so elaborate in some cases that I've wondered if this is why a boy in the US tends to become toilet trained later than a girl?

In my own life, ALL the males I know sit--standing only to relieve themselves in public bathrooms or outdoors. My interest is simple curiosity. Is this a social custom that varies from country to country? Is there an historical perspective? What do primitive males do? Is one method considered more "culturally advanced" than another? Are American males the only ones taught to stand thus causing the war between men and women regarding the toilet seat? People from other countries tell me that the toilet seat war was something they heard about only when they got to the US. Is sitting vs. standing a social custom that varies from family to family? Are there religious dictates? Is it simply convenience or situational?

My main interest is in America vs. the rest of world, although America vs Western Europe would be a good start if the other is too much to tackle--or as I think about it maybe America itself is the best place to start.

I have done a google search but I wasn't able to find anything on this subject. Thanks

 * I would imagine that for a man to stand is more natural. Toilet seats are a relatively modern invention: if you didn't have one, you would stand. Without a toilet seat, the other option is to crouch, and it's far easier for a man to stand than crouch when urinating. --Gareth Hughes 15:46, 26 September 2005 (UTC)

 * I really like the juxtaposition of this and the previous topic. --jpgordon∇∆∇∆ 17:06, 26 September 2005 (UTC)

 * OMFGLOL. ~GMH talk to me 20:51, 2 October 2005 (UTC)

 * There's no difference between the US and western Europe. Why do you think there's scores of urinals here? I understand that some men put up the toilet seat in order not to soil it. I'm wondering though, why some still manage to hit the edge even with a clear shot at the middle of the bowl. There's French toilets that require crouching, so maybe it's different there. - Mgm|(talk) 21:55, 26 September 2005 (UTC)

 * On my recent trip to China, I saw a number of men's bathroom toilets that were little more than bowls embedded in the ground. Apparently, you really had to crouch to use those.  I wonder if they're cheaper or more expensive than actual full-size toilets... ~GMH talk to me 20:51, 2 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Elaborate rituals? Really? I though all you had to do was take off the diaper let him loose outdoors. I'm not a parent and I don't remember my own toilet training, but I would think that the only thing you really need to train a boy to do is how to aim (something a lot of grown men seem to have a problem doing).  Guettarda 22:08, 26 September 2005 (UTC)

 * Without having done any research, but going on my thirty years on this earth as a male from the UK, I would say A) It is rare for males to sit when urinating, even at home. - - B) regarding "I'm wondering though, why some still manage to hit the edge even with a clear shot at the middle of the bowl", I think it's for the tricky tailing off period at the end of a jimmy-riddle when the last few drops lack the momentum to carry them beyond the seat edge, combined with a reticence to overcome that by standing astride the bowl or placing one hand on the back wall and leaning, body held straight, forward at an angle. - - C) elaborate rituals sound rather barmy to me, if anything I would have thought they're liable to induce some kind of terrible pissing anxiety. I think boys can easily be trained by just standing them in fornt of whatver you want them to go into and encouraging them to let rip, being understanding if they make a mess for the first few hundred times. --bodnotbod 20:26, 2 October 2005 (UTC)

The Age of Silly Putty
I recently purchased an "egg" of old Silly Putty along with the original box and I'm having a very difficult time trying to determine it's age. The egg is dull yellow on one half and grey/green multicolored on the other. The box is pink and white. Text on the box includes "Silly Putty Marketing New Haven 10, Conn." on two sides in small print. "Always put your Silly Putty back in it's egg or it will run slowly away" is printed on another side. And the fourth side reads "A Real Solid Liquid" along with a list of things to do with your Silly Putty.

I have done considerable research and have been unable to locate any information that might help to determine it's age. I have a link to a photograph but I'm not sure if that is permissible at Wikipedia. I will post it if anyone would like to see "The Putty."

I hope this is not an inappropriate question for Wikipedia. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

 * Our Silly Putty article says that multicoloured silly putty was first sold in the 1980's. You could try contacting the manufacturer to see when they started making that colour. Capitalistroadster 01:16, 27 September 2005 (UTC)

 * I think you misinterpreted the questioner. The egg is multi-colored. With an address with "New Haven 10", it's pre-ZIP code, so it's real early Silly Putty. I bet the box is unopened. --jpgordon∇∆∇∆ 01:30, 27 September 2005 (UTC)

Silly putty was marketed in plastic eggs beginning in the late 1950s and zip codes were introduced in 1963. This pins this item to about a 4 year window. alteripse 07:19, 27 September 2005 (UTC)
 * To the questioner: You may post a link to the picture, but do not upload it unless you took the picture yourself. Superm401 | Talk 00:48, 28 September 2005 (UTC)

history fair topic - kids who took a stand
I am looking for good relevant history fair topic possibilities for my 8th grade son. The general subject area is people who took a stand for or against something. I was hoping to find some possibilities and to offer him as he begins his work. And specifically I was hoping to find something relevant to him, like a kid who took a stand in history. Or something about kids -- like child labor laws. Ages ago we watched the movie Newsies and he really liked that. So, even something about how conditions were before the first child labor laws, who the people were who took a stand against those conditions, and what changes were wrought.

Thank you for any help you can give me.
 * The first thing that comes to mind is Ilana Wexler, who was 11 years old when she started her web site Kids for Kerry (apparently; I'm sure she had a little help) to root on John Kerry in the 2004 US presidential election. She even gave a speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. That might be a little politically charged, though, and clearly it had little effect. S.E. Hinton published the classic book The Outsiders when she was 16; is that still a "kid?" Garrett Albright 19:41, 26 September 2005 (UTC)
 * There's Craig Kielburger, who founded Free The Children, an anti-child labour group, when he was 12. He's quite famous in Canada, though we don't have much on him. - SimonP 21:29, 26 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Then there was Samantha Smith, the 1980s peace activist. --Metropolitan90 22:19, 26 September 2005 (UTC)
 * In reference to adults taking a stand against child labor, you might be interested in the movement to stop chimney sweeps from employing children. Most notable amongst those against the practice was perhaps Lord Shaftesbury (I guess that would be Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury) who finally succeeded in puttng a stop to it.  — Laura Scudder | Talk 00:57, 27 September 2005 (UTC)

 * Joan of Arc might be a good example. She was only 12 when she started having her visions and by 17 was leading the French Army. Capitalistroadster 01:22, 27 September 2005 (UTC)

 * On that note, for a slightly literal definition of "took a stand", there's Los Niños Héroes (one of whom was 13, one 14) and Jack Cornwell (16)... Shimgray | talk | 13:06, 27 September 2005 (UTC)

 * Anne Frank Ze miguel 13:06, 3 October 2005 (UTC)

Hanseatic League, Papal decrees, Fish on fast days
Hi all you history buffs; This is a tough one. When I was in college a few millenium ago, I took a History of Religions course. In this course the professor told us that the Hanseatic trade league had persuaded( Bribed) one of the Popes to decree that on fast days meat was not allowed to be eaten and that fish should be put in its place. Fish was one of the main trading products of the league. We all know that fish are definetley part of the christian faith, ever since the loaves and fishes on the mount and Peters Gig as a Fisherman. My question to you is have their been any Papal or Church Bulls or decrees or treaties specifically made with the Hanseatic Trade League concerning fish trade and have their been any decrees by the Church requiring Christians to eat fish on Fast days? I have been trying to find an answer to this question for years and have only found one reference to Papal decree That christians should eat fish on Fridays and it had no specifific details. Thanks gang Dennis Nigrelli GOOD LUCK on this one:)

 * Nope. Pope Nicholas I decreed abstinence on Fridays, way before the Hanseatic League was formed.  See Abstinence at the Catholic Encyclopedia (Go to the section DAYS OF ABSTINENCE), and fish is not considered meat for this purpose in the works of St Thomas Aquinas (Summa, II-II, Q. cvii, art. ult., ad 3 - according to the Catholic Encyclopedia).  I heard your bribery story too, but I'm pretty sure there's no truth to it.  --Diderot 19:25, 26 September 2005 (UTC)

Camp Douglas Union Prison
I am interesting in learning more about the types of illnesses, rates of illnesses, medical care/types of care and deaths from all causes that occured at Camp Douglas Union Prison during the years of the Civil War. Thousands of CSA soldiers died here and I can't seem to find their medical records. Any help?

 * We have an article on Camp Douglas (Chicago) which points out that the camp was rather unsanitary, but doesn't go into too many specifics. Garrett Albright 19:27, 26 September 2005 (UTC)

Russell H. Dorr
Three persons were originally appointed by Britain, France and the United States to the Tripartite Gold Commission, which had the responsiblity of deciding how to return treasure taken by the Nazis back to European victims and reintroduce these monies into circulation. They were Sir Desmond Morton, Jacques Rueff, and by the Americans, Russell H. Dorr. Why, given that the first two were very public persons with documented lives, is there seemingly no biographical information available about Dorr and his life? Given the high profile of the British and French appointments, it would be odd for the Americans to put forward a representative without pedigree.

Seaching online for the names of the original representatives, I have come across exactly one reference noting Dorr's name and that he was originally appointed to the Inter-Allied Reparations Agency (whatever that was).

I think an article about these subjects would be useful, since they affected monetary policy for a couple of generations as the commission apparently wasn't disbanded until decades later.

 * I found a couple of passing references on the web, but we do seem to lack any information on him. We have an article on Morton, but not the Frenchman, and that article doesn't mention the Commission. Something to look into... Shimgray | talk | 20:07, 26 September 2005 (UTC)

Thanks for your comment. Rueff has an entry under the French part of the site. I found it previously using google and the translation comes out surprisingly readable.

Wikipedia
What are the various aspects of Wikipedia and what is available to the user?
 * I suggest you start by reading Welcome, newcomers and About.-gadfium 22:28, 26 September 2005 (UTC)

Ruska Castle, near Cahir Castle in co Tipperary
Can somebody please help me to find any information at all regarding this castle. I have looked and looked and come up with nothing! anything at all would be something!! thank you

 * We don't have an article on "Ruska Castle" and there are no returns from Google see . Are you sure that this is the name of the castle or are there alternatives. Capitalistroadster 01:30, 27 September 2005 (UTC)

mystics religious
(no question — user meditating)
 * Read our wonderful articles on mysticism and category:mystics. --Gareth Hughes 22:31, 26 September 2005 (UTC)

what were 2 changes made to the declaration of independence
Have a look here: Declaration_of_Independence_(United_States) --inks 00:40, 27 September 2005 (UTC)

Mandell Collection of Southern Caliofornia
Hi. I kept noticing that a violins, etc. played by famouse musicians are often loans from "Mandell Collection of Southern California." What is the Mandell Collection of Southern California? Also, who is this Peter Mandell person who collects stuff? How did he become a collector? Thanks.

Amish vs Mennonite
In Canada we have an Amish community. I would like to know the difference between Amish and Mennonite. I know that Mennonite is the main religion and Amish is a branch of it. (I think). If you could explain simply the difference I would appreciate it.
 * See Amish and Mennonite, especially the former. Ornil 02:02, 27 September 2005 (UTC)

 * Short answer: the Amish are a highly visible branch of Anabaptism because of their rather fetishistic beliefs about clothes, farming, electricity, cars and the German language. Mennonites are less visible, but at their most conservative are almost Amish - the Old Order Mennonites, for example, or the "Black bumpers".  However, the bulk of Mennonites are indistinguishable from other evangelical movements and live little differently from other people. --Diderot 07:50, 27 September 2005 (UTC)

 * You are right in that Amish are a branch of the Mennonite tradition. In general Old Order Mennonites are more common in Canada than Amish. DJ Clayworth 17:36, 27 September 2005 (UTC)

 * My Grandpa always preferred to think of himself as a Mennonite, the Amish as non-Mennonite, but both as very much a part of the Anabaptist tradition. The distinction is purely terminological - the Amish and the non-Amish Mennonites clearly belong to something in common - but how it's designated varies. --Diderot 18:58, 27 September 2005 (UTC)

Violence in East Timor aginst Women
Do u have any articles that have to do with violences (rape, abbues etc.) on the women of East Timor 64.136.49.225 02:22, 27 September 2005 (UTC)

 * When, now or during Indonesia's occupation?

 * Our article on the History of East Timor doesn't specifically mention violence against women, and none of the other relevant articles seem to. Feel free to add material if you find something that you think is appropriate for our articles, or start a new one if you have some encyclopedic material that's not suitably covered in an existing article.

 * In general, our coverage of third-world countries is somewhat less comprehensive than I'd like it to be; there's still far too much imprint of the very limited perspective of the CIA World Factbook in our articles.--Robert Merkel 03:59, 27 September 2005 (UTC)

 * The Timor-Leste Scorched Earth article about the violence leading up to the 1999 referendum mentions nothing about violence against women in particular. Our History of East Timor article contains a quote from Noam Chomsky about 2,000 rapes. While I generally take anything from Noam Chomsky with a large grain of salt, it coincides with my memory. This article explains further about the situation on violence against women see . It might be worth copying this inquiry and comments over to the History of East Timor talk page. Capitalistroadster 04:18, 27 September 2005 (UTC)

Foreign head-of-state security
The bodyguards of the US President are the famous Secret Service. But what about other countries? Do the various security details guarding the Australian Prime Minister, German President etc. have any specific name?
 * I'll start it off - in New Zealand they are called the "Diplomatic Protection Squad", although their protection is not limited to the Prime Minister alone.--inks 04:59, 27 September 2005 (UTC)

 * The Australian Protective Service protects the Australian Prime Minister and other VIPs such as the Governor-General as well as sensitive defence areas and foreign diplomats in Australia. Capitalistroadster 05:25, 27 September 2005 (UTC)
 * In Britain, it seems to be the Diplomatic Protection Group.-gadfium 06:30, 27 September 2005 (UTC)
 * No, they guard embassies. The Prime Minister is guarded by 'A Squad' of Special Branch whilst the head of state, The Queen, is guarded by the Royalty Protection Group. This is all, however, underreview and is likely to change in the medium term. Sapient 22:34, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

In Germany, the Bundeskriminalamt (BKA) or "federal police agency" is responsible for these tasks. Within the BKA, a special ops group called "Sicherungsgruppe" / (SG) Protection Unit is organizing the protection of all important politicians in Germany. If a foreign head of state is visiting Germany, the BKA / SG is responsible for their security as well.--nodutschke 14:58, 27 September 2005 (UTC)

 * For France, see the Service de Protection des Hautes Personalités and the Groupe de Sécurité de la Présidence de la République. -- Ze miguel 13:12, 3 October 2005 (UTC)

God
Who is God?

 * I would suggest looking at our God article for starters. Yahweh and Allah are other alternatives. For more choices, see our articles on Deity, Gods and Goddesses for information. Capitalistroadster 05:22, 27 September 2005 (UTC)

Games & Theory
What is "games & theory" anyway? Example of using: "-- I got Games & Theory. -- Games & Theory? That's Military	Intelligence..."

 * Do you mean Game theory? Capitalistroadster 09:43, 27 September 2005 (UTC)
 * The example you gave is from Starship Troopers, set in the future - in which case "Games & Theory" is probably just a new term invented for the setting of the movie - giving the viewers a mental link between present-day Game theory and the Military Intelligence of the movie. -- Chuq 01:17, 28 September 2005 (UTC)

12 hours day 12 hours night
What is the word given to 12 hours daytime 12 hours night.

Equinox is the title and it occurs twice a year on March 21 and September 21. Capitalistroadster 09:41, 27 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Well, around March 21st and September 21st. This year the autumnal equinox was on September 22nd. Brian Schlosser42 16:42, 27 September 2005 (UTC)

who is jose corazon de jesus?
I have answered this question above. He was a significant Filipino poet in the early nineteenth century. Capitalistroadster 09:48, 27 September 2005 (UTC)

how are monsoons a boon to indian economy
Our Monsoon article explains about monsoons. Our Climate of India states that they supply 80% of India's water so they enable crops to grow. Capitalistroadster 10:42, 27 September 2005 (UTC)

Katrina
Why was the name Katrina designated to the very wicked hurricane? Was it because the name belonged to a wicked personality ? If so Who?

 * Our Tropical cyclone (Hurricane redirects there) article states that the names are taken from a list of names. Destructive cyclones have their names retired so Hurricane Katrina will be the last hurricane so named. Our Lists of tropical cyclones article explains the lists used throughout the world. North America was on Year III of the list in 2005 so Katrina was the name on the list of storms prepared by the National Hurricane Center. Capitalistroadster 10:30, 27 September 2005 (UTC)
 * It's Lists of tropical cyclone names - I've made the above link a redirect. Proto t c 11:18, 27 September 2005 (UTC)

I have a hurricane question
I see from the Lists of tropical cyclone names that we're on List III at the moment in the North Atlantic hurrican naming convention (or whatever it's called). And so we had Hurricane Katrina, and then Hurrican Rita a few weeks later. But what happened to Hurricanes Lee, Maria, Nate, Ophelia, and Philippe? Proto t c 11:17, 27 September 2005 (UTC)

 * Never mind, I've just answered my own question. 2005 Atlantic hurricane season. Proto t c 11:20, 27 September 2005 (UTC)

which animal did vasco da gama document while he was around the east african coast?
Human. According to Round Africa to India,

"On the day after we had cast anchor, that is to say on Thursday (November 9), we landed with the captain-major, and made captive one of the natives, who was small of stature like Sancho Mexia. This man had been gathering honey in the sandy waste, for in this country the bees deposit their honey at the foot of the mounds around the bushes. He was taken on board the captain-major's ship, and being placed at table he ate of all we ate. On the following day the captain-major had him well dressed and sent ashore."

"They are of tawny complexion. Some of them have big beards and long hair, whilst others clip their hair short or shave the head, merely allowing a tuft to remain on the crown as a sign that they are Christians. They also wear moustaches. They pierce the ears and wear much gold in them. They go naked down to the waist, covering their lower extremities with very fine cotton stuffs. But it is only the most respectable who do this, for the others manage as best they are able. The women of this country, as a rule, are ugly and of small stature. They wear many jewels of gold round the neck, numerous bracelets on their arms, and rings set with precious stones on their toes. All these people are well-disposed and apparently of mild temper. At first sight they seem covetous and ignorant."

If you are interested in doing your own homework, see Vasco da Gama for more information. Superm401 | Talk 00:41, 28 September 2005 (UTC)

 * So would the answer be a bee or a human? alteripse 00:45, 28 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Damn it. I was looking for an unambiguously sarcastic quote.  I'll go back and get a better one. Superm401 | Talk 00:51, 28 September 2005 (UTC)

President Bush Speech Writers?
Who makes up the team currently writing President Bush's speeches?-

 * According to this blog entry [from Michael Barone, President Bush's current chief speechwriter is Bill McGurn and his deputy chief speechwriter is John McConnell (speechwriter). Michael Gerson was his former Chief Speechwriter until recently. David Frum is his best known former speechwriter. Barone states in relation to a recent speech delivered in New Orleans. "Of course it bears most of all the imprint of Bush himself, who reportedly tells the speechwriters pretty much what he wants to say and actively edits multiple drafts until he gets what he wants." Capitalistroadster 03:40, 28 September 2005 (UTC)

Taniwha
I am trying to find out if a Taniwha has an apple or a baby, and if so, what the Maori word is for a Taniwha's child or baby is. I have read some of the legends of Taniwha, but have been unable to ascertain whether Taniwha's have children or babies. 24.189.42.160 14:30, 27 September 2005 (UTC)

 * Our Taniwha article is silent on the issue. Capitalistroadster 01:42, 28 September 2005 (UTC)

Early American History
How should Columbus' expedition be viewed. As a success or a failure?
 * Depends, he was trying to find India which he failed to miserably. But he did manage to sail across the Atlantic which was certainly successful. Most ships went around the south of Africa as people where afraid to fall of the edge of the earth. - Mgm|(talk) 16:22, 27 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Naw, everybody knew the world was round. They were afraid of bad currents, sea monsters, and just plain getting lost.  --Diderot 16:41, 27 September 2005 (UTC)
 * As I understand it, the prevailing opinion at the time was that the world was indeed round, but large enough that getting to Asia (as Columbus was trying to do) would take too long. Columbus thought the world was small enough to make the trip. As it turned out he was wrong, but lucked out in finding another continent. DJ Clayworth 17:32, 27 September 2005 (UTC)

 * For whom, and by what metre? Columbus died rich, and nuttier than Christmas fruit cake.  So, if you attribute his wealth to his expeditions (which is pretty well documented) it was a stunning success for Columbus.  If you attribute his lunacy to his expeditions, then perhaps not.  Spain was rich - arguably the wealthiest state in Europe - when Columbus set off.  Afterwards, it acquired huge assets in gold and silver that... ruined the value of those minerals and bankrupted the state in extraction costs, opening the door to the Dutch, French and English who stored their wealth in things other than gold.  On the other hand, Spanish is spoken on several continents and Spanish culture is secure and thriving.  So, it might have been one small step backwards for Spain, but a giant leap forward for Spanishkind.  For the rest of Europe... well, they'd probably have made the trip anyway soon enough. But Columbus did bring them wonders like corn, potatoes, tobacco and syphilis - bringing on single crop subsistence which caused overpopulation and poor nutrition for centuries to come; and causing countless cases of drug addiction and heart disease, all while messing up sex for millions of Europeans, ultimately leading to that extinguisher of a good lay, the condom.  So for Europe... still maybe just so-so.  For Native Americans, of course, it was the vector of lethal plagues and epidemics that destroyed their societies and led to their conquest by outsiders.  On the other hand, they have casinos now. --Diderot 16:41, 27 September 2005 (UTC)
 * If we are judging success by self evaluation, then it should be noted that the expansion of Catholic Christendom was far more important to those involved than the spread of the Spanish language and culture. If we are asking whether Columbus' expedition was a success or failure for humanity as a whole, then you should read the Perceptions of Columbus section in Christopher Columbus and see related articles such as destruction of American indigenous peoples. - SimonP 02:01, 28 September 2005 (UTC)
 * And of course, as it says at the top of the page do your own homework. The point of a question like this is to investigate the plusses and minuses of what he did. DJ Clayworth 17:29, 27 September 2005 (UTC)

Samoobrona-Lepper
Who is president of Samoobrona Polska LEpper and is it truth that Samoobrona is now biggest opostion party in Poland

 * Our article on Self-Defense of the Republic of Poland states that it is the third largest party in Poland with a 10.5% vote in 2005. It further states that although it was officially an Opposition party it supported the Government on key votes. Andrzej Lepper will be their Presidential candidate in elections later this year. Capitalistroadster 03:21, 28 September 2005 (UTC)

Molestation Laws
What are some molestation laws in other parts of the world?

 * Which parts of the world and other than what? Each country has its own laws, so unless you are more specific you are unlikely to get a useful answer to such a question. Shantavira 16:58, 28 September 2005 (UTC)

hopefully, it's illegal everywhere, so don't try it. --Ballchef 03:27, 29 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Many countries make it a crime to molest a child even if it is done overseas to prevent sex tourism, too. — ceejayoz ★ 14:30, 2 October 2005 (UTC)

paper

 * Paper what? - Mgm|(talk) 20:24, 27 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Paper or plastic?  - Nunh-huh 02:39, 28 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Scissors. Ojw 18:54, 28 September 2005 (UTC)
 * I was reading that article. It says, "When rival auction houses Christie's and Sotheby's agreed to play rock-paper-scissors to determine the rights to a highly valuable art collection, Maclean's father Nicholas, a Christie's employee, asked her for advice. As later told to reporters, her strategy was summed up thus: "Everybody knows you always start with scissors. Rock is way too obvious, and scissors beats paper."".  Does anyone know that story(if it's even true)? Superm401 | Talk 20:18, 28 September 2005 (UTC)
 * The story is true, both Sotherbys & Christies bid to auction something & the seller couldn't decide between them so made them play stone, paper, scissors. It was in the paper here several months ago so I don't remember any details. AllanHainey 15:16, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

what hemispheres is russia located
(plus the great lakes question)
 * Per the instructions at the top, do your own homework. Feel free to check out Russia or Great Lakes, however.  — Lomn | Talk / RfC 21:47, 27 September 2005 (UTC)
 * At first I thought the answer was obvious, but then I actually had to stop and look at the map and it's not what you might first think of. Ornil 01:44, 28 September 2005 (UTC)

 * All of Russia is in the Northern hemisphere. Most of it is in the Eastern Hemisphere and it is generally not considered to be part of the Western hemisphere as commonly defined as the Americas. However, the island of Big Diomede which is part of Russia is only a few kilometres from Little Diomede in Alaska. If Alaska had remained as a Russian colony rather than being sold to the US in 1867, it would have clear status as being a member of the Western hemisphere as well. Check out our articles on all three hemispheres listed for further clarification. Capitalistroadster 02:06, 28 September 2005 (UTC)

The Duprees
Can anyone make an artical on the doo wop band "The Duprees"? I don't know much about them, but i'm interested

 * I will add The Duprees to our requested article list. For the meantime, I will add a link to the Allmusic.com article see |DUPREES&uid=CAW050509272206&samples=1&sql=11:eihxlfge5cqr~T1. The Allmusic.com articles starts that they had 1 top 10 US hit and three US top 40 hits so they definitely meet WP:music. Capitalistroadster 02:10, 28 September 2005 (UTC)
 * I have created an article on the Duprees. Capitalistroadster 10:15, 28 September 2005 (UTC)

What's the meaning of the word "cahoot"?
I've made some searches but I couldn't find anything! Kieff | Talk 02:25, 28 September 2005 (UTC)

 * Kieff,

According to this definition, the word usually plural is used to define a partnership or league usually formed for shady, unethical or illegal purposes see. The word is slang from the southwestern US. Capitalistroadster 02:31, 28 September 2005 (UTC)

yes, it typically means an unethical or secretive alliance and is usually phrased "in cahoots" for example "the drug dealer was in cahoots with the police in order to maintain his position as the only dealer in town". -Drdisque 02:46, 28 September 2005 (UTC)

 * Ah, I see. Thanks Kieff | Talk 04:06, 28 September 2005 (UTC)

 * Interestingly, the OED lists older usages in the singular: "18.. Chron. Pineville (Bartlett), I wouldn't swar he wasn't in cahoot with the devil.", not showing up as cahoots until the 1860s. The etymology is from the French cahute meaning cabin or cabinet. --Bob Mellish 00:31, 29 September 2005 (UTC)

who was john marshall
John Marshall was a Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court for 34 years and a leading figure of US constitutional law. The other John Marshalls with article include John Marshall (archaeologist) and John Marshall (British captain). Capitalistroadster 03:31, 28 September 2005 (UTC)

Copyright expiration
I own a book that I think has passed into public domain, and might be a good source for the (currently somewhat light) engineering section of Wikipedia. It's Mechanics of Materials by Laurson and Cox, 2nd edition (the Wiley & Sons edition, not the Chapman & Hall Amazon is selling). I went here and looked through the renewals for 74, 75, 76 and 63, 64, 65 (since the copyright dates listed are 1938 and 1947), and couldn't find it under the title or either of the authors' names. Is this enough effort to consider it expired, or should I do more? Secondly, how can I begin the process of digitizing it? Anyone out there with a flatbed scanner and lots of free time? The USPS book rate is pretty cheap. Thanks in advance, Joel 03:50, 28 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Just a comment regarding scanning/digitizing - there have been several extensive discussions on Slashdot about the best way to scan a book, and what format to do it in. I think that for small projects, the concensus was that it was far faster, cheaper, and better to take the book to a Kinko's or similar, and have them do it. Scan as PDF, OCR the text and insert into file to make it searchable. Their machines can scan double sided much faster and with higher quality than human operators, especially those with a home scanner.--inks 04:01, 28 September 2005 (UTC)
 * I also considered temporarily undoing the binding and running it through a sheet-feeding scanner. It seems that putting a book back together is relatively straightforward if you know how to sew and can handle paste, but maybe I'm underestimating it...at any rate, the book wouldn't lose any sentimental value in the process.  But letting a machine handle the whole book sounds nice; would it be around the same cost as a photocopy, or more?  Would I have to pay for a CD, or would they email/upload the data for me?  I looked online, but they didn't mention any such service.--Joel 19:28, 30 September 2005 (UTC)

 * I would check with the relevant copyright body and get an explicit ruling of whether or not the copyright has expired before I did anything. I would also suggest posting a copy of this to Copyright issues so that users with a greater understanding of or interest in copyright law can give you some advice. Capitalistroadster 04:20, 28 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Joel, It would also be worthwhile posting a copy to Copyrights. Capitalistroadster 04:26, 28 September 2005 (UTC)

Listed & quoted companies
Could someone please explain the differernce between a company that is listed on a stock exchange and one that is quoted.

Regards.

--81.199.96.130 There is no difference, the 2 terms mean the same thing, if a stock is quoted it means its price is quoted on a stock exchange (which it is listed on). AllanHainey 15:21, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

Goodellas
What happend to a real person upon which is based Robert De Niros charachter in the movie Goodfellas,is he out of the jail is he even alive(if yes,he is probably over 80?? Thanks

 * He died in prison in 1996 at the age of 64; if he were alive today, he'd be only 74. For more, see Jimmy Conway. Chuck 18:37, 28 September 2005 (UTC)

GWB and the popular vote
IS it truthy that president Bush jr. got less vocies then Albert Gore back in 2000 and is that means that he cheated the election? Also,is Governer Jeb Bush next republican nominee for the president of the United States?

 * As our article on the U.S. presidential election, 2000 explains in great detail, Bush got less votes than Gore on a nationwide popular vote, so in that sense he did get fewer votes than Gore. However, Presidential elections in the United States are not decided on the nationwide popular vote tally.  Instead, they are decided by who gets the most votes in the U.S. Electoral College.  To greatly simplify, whomever gets the most votes in each state gets their nominees as the electoral college voters for that state.  The number of people in the electoral college from each state is decided by the number of people in that state, but it is not truly proportional, so small states have more electoral "power" per voter than large states (notably including California and New York, both of which Gore carried).  In terms of state by state results, the result in Florida turned out to be the crucial one in deciding the election; it is a large state and the result was very finely balanced.  The original count by the Florida electoral authorities had George Bush ahead by an infinitesimally small amount (a few dozen votes in a state of 25-odd million people).  It is possible that recounts may have produced a different result, as you can read about on the presidential election page.  However, in the end the recounts were stopped by the U.S. Supreme court in Bush v. Gore, an exceptionally controversial decision.  So, ultimately, as far as the US legal system is concerned Bush got more votes in Florida, and thus in the electoral college, which is what mattered in the end.

 * As to who the Republican candidate will be in the next presidential election, you can have a look at a summary of the speculation at U.S. presidential election, 2008. A supplementary page, Talk:U.S._presidential_election, 2008/Lists_of_potential_candidates notes that Jeb Bush has stated that he does not intend to run.  However, it is a long time between now and when serious campaigning starts.  Jeb wouldn't be the first politician to change his mind on such a topic.--Robert Merkel 11:30, 28 September 2005 (UTC)

French modern painters
Hello! I would like to know some famous french modern painters lived in 1800th. I desperately need the information for my schoolwork so I would be extremely pleased if you sent me the information as soon as possible.

 * Please don't post your email on this page, as spammers monitor it to collect email addresses. As to your question, have you had a look at our article on French art? --Robert Merkel 11:30, 28 September 2005 (UTC)

British society during the Napoleonic Wars
What role did George III play during the Napoleonic War?
 * Our article on George III has a pretty sizeable section on the subject George III. - Mgm|(talk) 16:37, 28 September 2005 (UTC)

Was Ed Sullivan born in 1901 or 1902?
Wikipedia has it as September 28, 1902 but a lot of reputable other sources say 1901. Which one is it?

 * You must be looking at an old version of the page--the current version says 1901. The page's history shows that it has said 1901 since August 24. However, for future reference, questions about a specific article are better handled on the talk page for that article, rather than here at the reference desk. Chuck 21:29, 28 September 2005 (UTC)

 * Looking at it in more detail, there are a lot of reputable sources that say 1901, and a lot that say 1902; it's far from clear. I'll take it to Talk:Ed Sullivan. Chuck 21:41, 28 September 2005 (UTC)

Old Man of the Mountain and Daniel Webster
I am a research assistant for a professor at my college who is writing a paper on anamorphic faces in landscapes. In her article she uses the quote by Daniel Webster which is also used in the Wikipedia article on the Old Man of the Mountain. The quote is, "Men hang out their signs indicative of their respective trades: shoe makers hang out a gigantic shoe; jewelers a monster watch, and the dentist hangs out a gold tooth; but up in the mountains of New Hampshire, God Almighty has hung out a sign to show that there He makes men." I need to find out where in Webster's writings or speeches this quote came from for a footnote for the article, and I haven't quite been able to do it yet. I was hoping someone here might know.

Thanks a lot,
 * Since the Old Man is no more does that mean that God has gotten out of the man-making business? Or has He simply withdrawn the logo pending the outcome of future market research?Brian Schlosser42 19:49, 4 October 2005 (UTC)

horse track racing
what are the positive things about horsetrack racing?

 * When you skip studying for a university examination, go to the Melbourne Cup, back the winner, celebrate with champagne, take the exam the next day and still ace it :)

 * Seriously, it can be a fun recreational activity. At the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival, Melbourne's young and single population converges for afternoons of dressing up, drinking (sometimes to excess), checking out the representatives of the opposite gender, and incidentally cheering on a horse or two.  --Robert Merkel 23:37, 28 September 2005 (UTC)

The main public benefits are a safe and fair recreational outlet (fair through the use of Parimutuel betting and a great amount of tax revenue for the local governance -Drdisque 07:06, 29 September 2005 (UTC)

Are Cossacks Khazars?
are Cossacks Khazars?

Sent from Answers

History of Cossacks

Early Cossacks history:

The name is derived from the Turkic word quzzaq, "adventurer", "freeman". The term is first mentioned in a Ruthenian document dated 1395.

Cossacks should not be confused with the Kazakhs (Kazakh is spelled Qazaq (Казак) in the native language).

"Cossacks" (Kozacy) was also the name given to a kind of light cavalry in Poland-Lithuania regardless of ethnicity.

Cossacks came to existence in the territories of today's Ukraine around 13th century, as a result of early medieval migrations of peoples in Europe.

Byzantine writers of the 10th century first mentioned the Cossacks and described them as a separate people who lived on the river Don. In 1261 these people living in the area between the rivers Dniester and the Volga were described for the first time in Russian chronicles.

In all historical records of that period the Cossacks society was described as lose federation of independent communities, often merging into larger units of a military character, entirely separate and mostly independent from any other local countries (like Poland, Russia or Tatars).

In the 16th century these Cossack societies created two relatively independent territorial organisations:

Zaporizhia (Zaporozhie), on the lower bends of the river Dnieper, between Russia, Poland and the Tartars of the Crimea, with the center, Zaporizhian Sich; Don Cossack State, on the river Don, separating the then weak Russian State from the Mongol and Tartar tribes, vassals of Ottoman Empire.

Khazars:

The Khazars were a semi-nomadic Turkic people from Central Asia, many of whom converted to Judaism. The name 'Khazar' seems to be tied to a Turkic verb meaning "wandering". In the 7th century AD they founded an independent Khaganate in the Northern Caucasus along the Caspian Sea, where over time Judaism became the state religion. At their height, they and their tributaries controlled much of what is today southern Russia, western Kazakhstan, eastern Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and the Crimea.

The Khazars were important allies of the Byzantine Empire, and were a major regional power at their height. They fought a series of successful wars against the Arab Caliphates, probably preventing an Arab invasion of Eastern Europe. By the end of the tenth century, their power was broken by the Kievan Rus, and the Khazars largely disappeared from history. The possible Khazar contribution to the bloodline of modern Ashkenazi Jews is politically sensitive and has been the subject of much discussion, but most geneticists now believe that it is not substantial.

The first significant appearance of the Khazars in history is their aid to the campaign of the Byzantine emperor Heraclius against the Sassanid Persians. The Khazar ruler Ziebel (sometimes identified as Tong Yabghu Khagan of the West Turks) aided the Byzantines in overrunning Georgia. A marriage was even contemplated between Ziebel's son and Heraclius' daughter, but never took place.

(Many cultures still call the Caspian Sea "Khazar Sea"; e.g. "Hazar Denizi" in Turkish, "Bahr ul-Khazar" in Arabic)

 * What does "Sent from Answers" mean? Is the above text copyrighted from somewhere?  User:Zoe|(talk) 05:31, 1 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Answers.com is a Wikipedia mirror that Google provides links to on searches. — ceejayoz ★ 14:28, 2 October 2005 (UTC)

"Thematic Elements" in MPAA rating system
In the description of film contents that accompany the letter ratings put out by the MPAA film rating system used in the United States, they often caution against "thematic elements". What are thematic elements exactly, and why would children be bothered by them?--199.89.64.179 18:46, 28 September 2005 (UTC)
 * They usually refer to heavy subjects (like, for example, explicit sexual acts) that young children should not be subjected to according to film censors (http://www.cd.gov.ab.ca/albertafilmratings/terms/index.asp may be of help in the kind of subjects I'm referring to). - Mgm|(talk) 19:44, 28 September 2005 (UTC)
 * At least one columnist has speculated that, due to the generally bad quality of current movies, viewers should be warned if a movie attempts to convey any distinct theme whatsoever. :) That said, the above is correct -- it's just an obscure way for Hollywood to say "this would cause someone to start a protest if we were honest about it." — Lomn | Talk / RfC 20:22, 28 September 2005 (UTC)

 * I think 'thematic elements' are used when the film is about something disturbing, even if there is no actual depiction of sex, violence or language. So a film whose major theme was a man hunting down someone in revenge for the rape of his wife might get a high rating even if neither the rape nor the killing were shown. DJ Clayworth 20:41, 29 September 2005 (UTC)

 * I was going to suggest The Elephant Man (movie) as a film that isn't explicit but, due to the themes of abuse, disfigurement and suicide (albeit joined with those of altruism, kindness and humanity) would be given a rating preventing children from viewing it. However, I see the DVD is given a PG (under 15s can see it if accompanied by an adult) on the DVD release here in the UK. --bodnotbod 22:09, 2 October 2005 (UTC)

eudemonism
What is Fidel Castros references(if any)about Che Gevara after his death and also is Raul Castro really a prime minister of Cuba? The first question I do not understand. The second quesion the answer is no. Cuba does not have a prime minister. Like the U.S. it has only a president, the current president of Cuba is Fidel Castro. Raul Castro is Fidels brother, the specific offices he holds is vice president, and minister of defense. Raul is also on the politburo of the Cuban communist party. For serval years after the revolution Cuba had both a president and Prime minister. The presidentcy was only cerrimonial. Prime minister during those years was Fidel Castro, who held the real power.

Inheritance
this is in pennsylvania

My boyfriend's mother died in 2002 in The Philadelphia Protestant Home via hospice. He is the older brother at 55 years old. His younger brother is 52 and a lawyer for the federal government in D.C. According to the younger brother, my boyfriend has $300,000 in stocks in the inheritance in a trust or portfolio of some type. The younger brother is executor of the will. She had no land but plenty of money and he has received $70,000 in bonds so far. He has asked the younger brother at least 3 times over the past 18 months about the money and he said that the brother never responds. We are beginning to wonder if he invested it and lost it or if he just plans on keeping it. My boyfriend says he has never seen the will and gets the same blank response when he asks about it. We live in Philadelphia and are wondring what the laws are on how much time he has to give John his share or if he is legally obligated to give him anything at all. The brother also stated that the mother told him if John wanted the money for anything that he would have to decide for John to see if the reason was worth giving him the money or not. He has no living relatives on his mother's side except the brother. Can we legally go into the records here in Pa. without the fee of a lawyer or find out some way to actually see what the contents of the inheritance is? -- 21:32, 28 September 2005 (UTC)Patricia Thompson
 * email removed per common sense

 * Wikipedia is not a lawyer, which is what you should be pursuing here. It seems to me that the relevant costs are justified if you're looking at gaining $200,000+ as a result of this action.  Also, posting your email publicly invites additional spam and scam email, so I've hidden it for you. — Lomn | Talk / RfC 02:28, 29 September 2005 (UTC)

 * This is not legal advice and you should consult an attorney, as Lomn says it is probably worth it--especially from a financial aspect, but better would be to be very clear with the brother that he wants the details and to know what is going on first. Avoiding involving attorneys beyond simply asking general advice would be best to avoid hard feelings. Generally beneficiaries have a legal right to see the documents governing any assets that they are the beneficiary for, unless the document says otherwise. That would be the first step after simply asking for the document--put in writing a letter requesting all documents pertaining to the inheritance. As for the timing, if it is a trust, the documents can specify almost anything including he never gets the money except in hardship etc etc. Also if it is a trust it does not have to be filed anywhere. Now all this is based on MI practices, so it could vary for PA, another reason to ask an attorney there. There's probably nothing bad going on, just the brother is busy and doesn't want to think your bf is only interested in the money, but if he is trustee, he does have duties to the beneficiary. We have lots of articles on this to get a general understanding of the issues which could allow you to ask an attorney the right questions and thus save time and money. For $200-300 for an hour's time of an attorney, one hour could get you all the answers you need if you know what to ask. See our article Trust (property), and as many articles it links to as you need, including fiduciary, beneficiary, and trustee. In case it is a will instead, read Will (law) and then you could go to the jurisdiction where the will was probated (or whatever the process is called in PA) and get the records and documents. That was long, hope it helped. - Taxman Talk 18:08, 29 September 2005 (UTC)

Cuban-American relations during World War II
What was the relationship like between Cuba and the United States during World War II?
 * Cuba was allied with the United States during World War II. For more information, see Allies of World War II.  Bart133 (t) 23:43, 28 September 2005 (UTC)

who won ww2
tell me straight. Who did the most in defeating germany in ww2, russia or the u.s?
 * Impossible to say with certainty. Would the allies have prevailed without the heroic resistance of the Russians when the Germans invaded, which sapped German morale and resources? (and does that count towards "defeating Germany" or "defending Russia"?) Do you have a simple measure, like "number of Germans killed" to decide this?--inks 23:56, 28 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Since you ask, I'll say Russia (or, rather, Soviet Union). By just about any measure you can think of. US, however, probably did the most in defeating Japan. Ornil 00:03, 29 September 2005 (UTC)
 * And you really shouldn't forget the Brits either. Ornil 00:10, 29 September 2005 (UTC)
 * inks is on the right track -- Germany kept 75-80% of its troops on the Eastern Front even after D-Day. By December 1944, Eisenhower had about 60 divisions on the Western Front, while the Soviets had around 500 on the Eastern (granted, I have no idea the direct comparison of combat power, particularly once you add in US/UK air power).  However, with all that said, imagine that Germany conquers Britain, bottling the US in the Americas and preventing Western aid from reaching Russia -- Russia would almost certainly have fallen.  Stalin is generally described as being desperate for the western allies to open ground fronts, even the comparatively minor ones in north Africa and Italy.  "More" is simply too simple a term to encompass the solution.  As for the Pacific Theater, similar numbers can be applied: 90% of the Japanese army was in China for the entire war (though, granted, army size isn't relevant to fleet battles). — Lomn | Talk / RfC 02:04, 29 September 2005 (UTC)

 * Oh, and, yeah, Germany wasn't the only enemy power in World War II, and their defeat didn't actually end it. --Fastfission 15:33, 29 September 2005 (UTC)

Can one hold multiple U.S. federal offices at once?
Not that any of these scenarios are desirable, but is it legally possible in American law for a person to be both the Vice President and a Supreme Court Justice? How about serve in both the Senate and the House of Representatives at the same time? Are there any historical examples of this happening?
 * From Article I, Section 6 of the U.S. Constitution (available at Wikisource):
 * No Senator or Representative shall, during the Time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil Office... and no Person holding any Office under the United States, shall be a Member of either House during his Continuance in Office.
 * As positions in Congress, the Supreme Court, and the Executive branch are all referred to as "offices" within the Constitution, this would seem to rule out both examples you propose (as well as, for instance, John Roberts retaining his lower court judgeship while on the Supreme Court if confirmed, and so on, and so forth). — Lomn | Talk / RfC 01:58, 29 September 2005 (UTC)

Lord Lauderdale Letters
Hello I found a book dated 1794 with "Lord Lauderdale Letters" on the spine in my mothers basement. The inside page says "Letters to the Peers of Scotland by the Earl of Lauderdale" London: Printed for G.G. and J. Robinson, Paternoster-Row.

The book has numerous errors in spelling on every page of the book. Could you please assist us in getting in touch with the Earl of Lauderdale family or the printers of the book. My mother seems to think it is valuable and we are not sure how to go about finding this information.

Any assistance would be much appreciated Alex Finzi (Canada)--65.94.59.54 00:57, 29 September 2005 (UTC)

 * At a quick guess, the publisher won't exist any more; they don't show up in the British Library catalogue after 1800 or so. I have no idea why you would want to contact Lauderdale, but the current Earl is Patrick Francis Maitland, 17th Earl of Lauderdale; if you write to him c/o the House of Lords they'll likely pass it on. The author would have been James Maitland, 8th Earl of Lauderdale, a political troublemaker of the Regency period - he seemed to spend a good bit of time bickering with Edmund Burke, for what that's worth. Borderers, eh?
 * You'd do better with the following address for the Earl:
 * The Rt Hon The Earl of Lauderdale
 * 10 Ovington Square
 * London SW3 1LH
 * or
 * The Rt Hon The Earl of Lauderdale
 * 12 St Vincent Street
 * Edinburgh, Scotland
 * though I agree with those who don't see having the book as a reason for contact. (On a side note, what seems like mispellings today might have been perfectly passable at the time of publication). - Nunh-huh 07:25, 29 September 2005 (UTC)
 * (The following is not a valuation of your book, or an offer to buy - ) The book is not, it seems, worth that much in the market; Abebooks.com list a copy for £60, and another for £100 . This is, of course, very dependent on condition - a tattered copy might only go for maybe ten, twenty dollars - and these are retail prices, so not what you'd get if you sold it to a dealer. I'm afraid your mother is going to be disappointed if she expected great riches, but there does seem to be some value in it. (The market for any given old book is a lot smaller than people tend to think, unless there's something remarkable about it). My advice would be to hang onto it; two-hundred-year old books are always a nice thing to have on the shelf.
 * As for the spelling errors, hmm, 1790s... there were still some strange practices around then that hadn't quite solidified yet. Could just be a variant spelling, or possibly the long s, which always ſerves to confuſe the modern reader... Shimgray | talk | 02:06, 29 September 2005 (UTC)

Jules Verne
Is it true that Jules Vernes never mentions Capitans Nemo nationality in the book?

 * What book? --Ballchef 03:50, 29 September 2005 (UTC)
 * 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea presumably. Our Captain Nemo article discusses it in some depth. It states: "In the initial draft of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea Nemo was a Polish noble vengeful because of the murder of his family during the Russian repression of the Polish insurrection of 1863-1864. Verne's editor Pierre-Jules Hetzel feared a book ban in the Russian market and offending a French ally, the Russian Empire. He made Verne obscure Nemo's motivation in the first book. It's in the sequel (Mysterious Island), where Nemo presents himself as prince Dakkar, the Hindu son of an Indian rajah and nephew of Tippoo Sahib, having a deep hatred of the British conquest of India. After the Sepoy mutiny, he devotes himself to scientific research and develops an advanced electric submarine, the Nautilus." Capitalistroadster 05:17, 29 September 2005 (UTC)

Immigration before and after September 11, 2001
Did the number of legal immigrants admitted to the United States increase or decrease from 2001 to 2002? Wiwaxia 04:35, 29 September 2005 (UTC)
 * According to the 2002 Yearbook of Immigration Statistics, the number of immigrants to the United States at the end of 2002 (1,063,732) was almost exactly the same as the number in 2001 (1,064,318). Canley 00:33, 3 October 2005 (UTC)

a bike was first known as a hobby-horse

 * Yes, according to Hobby horse (disambiguation),
 * The 'hobby horse' was one the earliest two wheeled vehicles made by Johnson in England [1818]. It was uncomfortable and contained no pedals or brakes.
 * See also dandy horse.-gadfium 06:04, 29 September 2005 (UTC)

Russia
I'd like to know out of curiosity, what the hell were the russians doing before ruruik capyured novgorod in 864? when did they emerge as an ethnic group etc......

 * Our History of Russia article should provide some assistance. Capitalistroadster 07:42, 29 September 2005 (UTC)

Serbian Leader Vojislav Šešelj
Is president os Serbian Radical Party Vojislav Seselj currently in Heague and was he a witness on Milosevic trial?

 * Our article on the Serbian Radical Party says he is in the Hague as does our article on Vojislav Šešelj. Capitalistroadster 07:45, 29 September 2005 (UTC)

Highest Ranking Nazi after World War II
Since Hitler,Himler,Gering,Gobels all commited sucides,who was the higher ranking Nazi that did not commited sucied?

 * Well, in a sense Karl Donitz was the highest-ranking Nazi who didn't commit suicide, as he was nominally in charge of the German government at the time of the final surrender. However, Donitz was never actually a member of the Nazi Party, so perhaps you might not count him.  Before Hitler named him as his successor (and committed suicide), he was commander of the German Navy. --Robert Merkel 07:30, 29 September 2005 (UTC)

 * Karl Dönitz formerly a Grand Admiral of the German Fleet was appointed President by Hitler after his death and according to that article served in that position for 20 days although he was never a member of the Nazi Party. Hermann Göring only committed suicide a few hours before he was due to be hung and was the highest ranked German at the Nuremberg Trials. Rudolf Hess was Deputy Leader of the Nazi Party when he flew to the UK in 1941 to negotiate peace but Hitler immediately removed him from that post. Joachim von Ribbentrop, the Foreign Minister was hung so he was probably the most senior figure at the end of the war not to commit suicide. Our article on Martin Bormann shows that he committed suicide when facing capture and his body was found in 1972 in Berlin and confirmed by DNA tests. Capitalistroadster 07:42, 29 September 2005 (UTC)

 * In summary, your options are von Ribbentrop or Hess as highest ranking Nazi depending on the timing of when the rank was held or highest ranking German as Dönitz. Capitalistroadster 07:44, 29 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Wouldn't it be accurate to say that after the war, the possible ranks were:

AlMac|(talk) 01:44, 30 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Prisoner awaiting trial.
 * Prisoner awaiting execution.
 * Prisoner sentenced to life imprisonment.
 * Former Nazi on the run.

Why the apostrophe in 'pataphysics?
We don't even have an explanation in the article, but we do have a somewhat request for it on the talk page. Well, I googled about it but all I could find (several, several times) is "the apostrophe is there to avoid a simple pun" (no mention to it). A few results later someone mentioned the pun is "patte physics", what doesn't make any sense to me and doesn't strike me as extraordinary.

But I could find bits saying it's there because of the subject. Maybe it's just a play saying "you can never know the pun" or "it lookes like there's a letter missing, but we can never know". But I can't be sure...

I'd be glad to have this explained and furthermore added to the article. ☢ Kieff | Talk 06:16, 29 September 2005 (UTC)

Apostrophes indicate omitted letters. Just look at the French article on pataphysique. Jarry contracted a Greek phrase cited in the article to make the neologism. alteripse 11:18, 29 September 2005 (UTC)

 * Didn't help. I can't read french or greek, and the translators returned nonsene. ☢ Kieff | Talk 02:20, 30 September 2005 (UTC)

history
fermin jaudenes autobiography

Your article also said that Hess commited suicied in the 80,but thank you a lot on all the info

So I guess it is Ribentrop then

Who won the *hundred years war*???
It doesn't make sense to say that anyone won it really. It was a long series of more or less related skirmishes between England and France whose history went back long before the period we call the Hundred Years' War. The first conflicts began with Edward III of England laying claim to the throne of France, but he and his successors never came to rule it, so the French might say they won. On the other hand, the 'fighting' mostly took the form of English armies plundering and laying waste to France, (there was very little fighting in England; just a few coastal raids really) and it's certain the French suffered more and the English gained more (materially) out of it, so England might have a claim to be the victor too.

For much of the time, big chunks of France were under English control. But by the end, the map looked pretty much like it had at the beginning, and the french king was in a much stronger position politically in his own kingdom than he had been at the beginning. You'll have to decide for yourself whether you think there was a winner :-)

We do have an article: Hundred Years' War. Hope that helps ~ Veledan • Talk + new 11:59, 29 September 2005 (UTC)

The aim of the English monarchy was to back up a claim to the French throne by defeating the French monarchy. It failed in this aim so this was undoubtedly a defeat for "England". Quotes because talking of nation states is perhaps anachronistic.

In fact, had the English king succeeded, it is likely he would have moved his court to Paris (France had 4 times the population of England) and it would have been "England" that would have lost its independence. English kings of this era styled themselves "King of France, England and Ireland" (note the order). In which case I would probably be writing this in French. And we'd have decent food.... Exile 15:23, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

do the illuminate really exist

 * See our article Illuminati and judge for yourself. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 10:36, 29 September 2005 (UTC)

US FLAG for MILITARY
Why is the United States flag displayed backwards on military uniforms, the president's helicopter, etc?

 * If memory serves, the idea is that it always look like it is being carried forwards. When flying, the staff is on the starred side - so if you're walking forward carrying a flagpole, then anyone looking at the flag from your right will see it "backwards", with the stars to their right. If displayed correctly, then from one side it would look as though it were retreating... There's a brief discussion of this on Talk:United States Army. Shimgray | talk | 14:33, 29 September 2005 (UTC)

South American shoreline
How long (in miles) is the South American shoreline?

 * South America has a total area of 17,818,508 km² (6,879,762 sq. mi.). If South America were a circle, bear with me, then it would have a circumference of 14,964 km (5,778 mi.). Of course, you could be talking about the southern USA... --Gareth Hughes 16:45, 29 September 2005 (UTC)

 * I went to the CIA World Factbook and looked up the coastline for South American countries and territories. For the purposes of this question, I am treating Panama as not being part of South America; however, note that the line between North and South America is drawn at different points by different authorities, and some of them consider all or part of Panama to be part of South America.  For more on that question, see Countries on two continents. Also note that this includes islands: both nations or territories comprising islands only, as well as islands within each country.
 * Argentina: 4989 km
 * Bolivia: 0 km (landlocked)
 * Brazil: 7491 km
 * Chile: 6435 km
 * Columbia: 3208 km
 * Ecuador: 2237 km
 * Falkland Islands: 1288 km
 * French Guiana: 378 km
 * Guyana: 459 km
 * Paraguay: 0 km (landlocked)
 * Peru: 2414 km
 * Suriname: 386 km
 * Trinidad and Tobago: 362 km
 * Uruguay: 660km
 * Venezuela: 2800 km
 * Total: 33107 km
 * Chuck 18:17, 30 September 2005 (UTC)

lyrics of C'est la vie

 * A Google search turns up loads of lyrics for songs by that name. Who sang the version you're looking for? - Mgm|(talk) 16:17, 29 September 2005 (UTC)

Mona Island (Tain)
From: Jason S Livanos, MD, PhD To: Wiki Subject: History of the Caribbean

I don’t have time to write and to correct for you. However, you have my permission to borrow from what I have already written. There is a “hidden” place: http://www.tagnet.org/literatureevangelism/Land%20Claim.htm I wish you well. Maybe this will be helpful.

PS Where is the "send" button?

Malta
Was Malta ever at war by it self,without allies? Also,is there independent movement on Gozo island?

 * Several times, before British rule. See History of Malta. DJ Clayworth 20:06, 29 September 2005 (UTC)

How to use a gun?
How do you use a firearm e.g. a hand gun etc.?

 * If you live in a country where it is legal to do so (I don't), seek out a local shooting club where you can get lessons in how to do this. Firing a gun is easy, hitting things is harder, and more important than both is knowing how to do it without killing yourself or anyone else (accidentally). Notinasnaid 17:03, 29 September 2005 (UTC)

 * As the above said, the best way to learn is to find a chapter of an organization that provides firearms training in your area and join up. Try the phone book or inquiring at firearms shops. Trying to learn how to use one by yourself isn't advised; indeed, depending on your area, you may be required to take a training course before you will be able to own a gun legally. Also, see our article on gun safety. Garrett Albright 19:01, 29 September 2005 (UTC)

English-only debate
Could you please tell me what mayor and when vetoed a city proposition stating that whoever lives in this city must speak,write and read in English. Thanks alot

 * I'm not sure exactly about that case, but a good place to start might be our article on English-only movement. --best, kevin · · · Kzollman | Talk ·· · 17:02, 29 September 2005 (UTC)

 * You may also need to specify which city you're talking about, or at least which country. — Lomn | Talk / RfC 18:19, 29 September 2005 (UTC)

 * I'd think that its pretty obvious that their talking about england--82.44.216.80 15:29, 1 October 2005 (UTC)
 * I doubt that they're talking about England. I may be wrong, but all the "English Only" movements I've ever heard of are here in the (semi)xenophobic US of A. Or do Britons make the same fuss?Brian Schlosser42 20:25, 4 October 2005 (UTC)

 * I seriously doubt he is referring to a British Mayor (who cannot veto city council decisions anyway) as there isn't really a big 'english only movement in the UK (although there may be some individuals calling for it in certain mulit-ethnic cities. AllanHainey 07:19, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

What is Democratic Republic

 * A democratic republic is a country exhibiting both democratic and republican tendancies in government, such as the United States. The phrase is also sometimes used in the official name of countries generally agreed to exhibit neither tendancy, such as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. — Lomn | Talk / RfC 18:17, 29 September 2005 (UTC)

The Archbishop of Canterbury
I need to know who was Archbishop of Canterbury during the years 1487-1488. Could you possibly tell me the dates he was in office also?

 * This information can be found through our page on the Archbishop of Canterbury - as there have been so many, the list is linked from there and is at List of Archbishops of Canterbury. Looks like John Morton (he of Morton's Fork), apb. from 1486 to 1500 (For future reference, we have lists for most of the major bishoprics in the UK). Shimgray | talk | 19:02, 29 September 2005 (UTC)

Where did the name Helene derive from
I'm thinking, the Iliad? --Diderot 19:34, 29 September 2005 (UTC)

I would imagine so, ultimately, but the spread of the name in European countries is probably due to the influence of Saint Helen. User:Zoe|(talk) 05:41, 1 October 2005 (UTC)

Ana
What is link of book Ana Karenina with Serbia
 * This looks like a good reason to read the book and do your own homework, but you could also investigate our Anna Karenina article. — Lomn | Talk / RfC 20:05, 29 September 2005 (UTC)

Female Basketball Players
Why do Female Basketball players get less money then male Basketball players?
 * Avoiding any discussion of gender bias, which could exist, the WNBA doesn't have anywhere near the cash inflow of the NBA, so there's no way that payrolls can be at the same level. — Lomn | Talk / RfC 20:03, 29 September 2005 (UTC)

 * And the reason that they have less money coming in is that fewer people watch the WNBA than the NBA, both at the stadiums and more importantly on television. This is true of virtually all women's sports.  --Robert Merkel 22:32, 29 September 2005 (UTC)

 * But why do less people watch womens sports than mens? I would have thought they get paid less because they are less publicised by those who can do so. --Ballchef 02:47, 30 September 2005 (UTC)

 * Publicity and tradition probably has a fair bit to do with it, but there's also the fact that the majority of sports fans are men and thus probably find it easier to identify with male players.  There's also the issue that, in most sports, the standard of men's players and teams is considerably superior and more spectacular to watch.  Women's basketball, for instance, completely lacks the most spectacular visual element of men's basketball - the dunk.  --Robert Merkel 22:06, 1 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Almost completely lacks it. Lisa Leslie has dunked the ball. JamesMLane 05:55, 7 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Keep in mind the WNBA has only existed since 1996 (compare 1946 for NBA) —jiy (talk) 16:57, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

james madison
How did james madison help frame the bill of Rights?
 * Per the instructions atop the page, do your own homework. However, our articles on James Madison and the United States Bill of Rights may provide assistance. — Lomn | Talk / RfC 20:10, 29 September 2005 (UTC)

Macedonia
Answer: Macedonia! --best, kevin · · · Kzollman | Talk ·· · 21:18, 29 September 2005 (UTC)

U S history - quotation
Who made the following statement? "Dependence induces a spiritual and moral disintegration fundamentally destructive to the national fiber. To dole our relief in this way is to administer a narcotic, a subtle destroyer of the human spirit."
 * It was FDR - there is no mention of it on Wikiquotes, but a Google search gives the answer.--inks 00:56, 30 September 2005 (UTC)

procedures and practices used for obtaining suitable employees
Human resources planning:defination,processes and limiting factors Systematic approach to recruitment: recruitment policy and procedure,job analysis and description,personnel specification.--````
 * Please note the top of the page: "Do your own homework - if you need help with a specific part or concept of your homework, feel free to ask, but please do not post entire homework questions and expect us to give you the answers." — ceejayoz ★ 14:24, 2 October 2005 (UTC)

What is ob-art?
For you art folks. What exactly IS ob-art? --200.85.218.184 22:49, 29 September 2005 (UTC)Carmen
 * Do you possibly mean op art? I haven't heard of ob art. --Metropolitan90 05:21, 30 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Is it short for observational art? Of course, I don't know what that would entail. Proto t c 10:04, 30 September 2005 (UTC)

History Websites
Can anybody suggest some well put togeather authoratative history websites? I'm bored and looking for something good (preferably non-profit) to read. Ideally early american history. Thanks!
 * Is there anything wrong with the History articles here on Wikipedia? Granted they're not all written by people who have PhDs, but most articles are referenced and have external links. The history portal is a good place to start.--inks 00:50, 30 September 2005 (UTC)
 * There's a site edited by Bamber Gascoigne that got a fair bit of press attention when it first started at History World. I would also recommend looking at Category:Museums and looking for the larger institutions - most of the articles in those would have a link to the official museum site, which ought to be a cut above any random history site, usually having a series of focused exhibits. --bodnotbod 23:16, 2 October 2005 (UTC)

Maintaining US citizenship
Does a US citizen living in another country need to return to the US to maintain their citizenship. If so how often

 * Our United States citizen outlines what would be needed in order to lose citizenship. It states: "Various court decisions have ruled that citizenship is a constitutional right and cannot be deprived without due process. However, a U.S. citizen may lose citizenship for a variety of reasons which include:

 * Service in a foreign armed forces
 * Employment with a foreign government of which the person is  a citizen
 * Renunciation of citizenship to a U.S. diplomatic officer
 * Renunciation of citizenship within United States to the proper authority (this only applies 'in time of war')
 * Naturalization as a citizen of a foreign state

It is also important that the person in question has the intention during the majority of these cases of relinquishing U.S. citizenship and also that the person has another nationality to assume (a person cannot become stateless for renunciation purposes). If a dual national is required to perform military service for a foreign military, and does so without the intention of losing U.S. citizenship, this does not constitute a breach of citizenship. There are also special provisions for persons who are deemed to be avoiding U.S. taxation (which is, in theory, applicable up to ten years after the official loss of citizenship), which can result in loss of right to entry into the United States. While in practice there is little to stop a foreign citizen who has performed a said act from entering the U.S., the U.S. State Department "requires" that a Certificate of Loss of Citizenship be obtained at a U.S. embassy or consulate (though this is generally treated as a grey area, judged on a case by case basis)." Capitalistroadster 02:06, 30 September 2005 (UTC)

 * For natural-born citizens, I think it's really quite a definite No; for those who have been naturalized, I hear that court cases have ruled that departing the US even immediately after citizenship is granted is not sufficient to lose it. Now, a very important point is that immigration authorities have argued otherwise, so it could mean a long expensive trip to a high court to find out what the ruling would be today. Immigration and citizenship law is disappointingly tangled, with instances of administrative instructions conflicting with legal findings, legislated changes never being implemented in policy, immigration authorities discounting documentation issued by diplomatic branches, and frontline agents acting inconsistently and with wide lattitude. I read all this in the newsgroup misc.immigration.usa, which like most newsgroups has occasional credible facts among its postings. I recommend you search its archives at groups.google.com. Sharkford 15:11, 30 September 2005 (UTC)

Help me write a punchline
Here's the lead-in.. "What's the difference between a philosopher and a historian?" Response is preferably along the lines of a bad pun. So far all I can come up with is "One reads dead white males, the other reads dead men's mail," which is not very good for a number of obvious reasons. Sharpen your funny bones, I need some help! --Fastfission 01:32, 30 September 2005 (UTC)
 * "One has a bad haircut, and drives a cheap car. The other has a bad haircut, and drives a cheap car."
 * "One thinks about why things happen. The other thinks about why things happened, and where they can get a sandwich"

Um, I'm not very good at this. Proto t c 10:02, 30 September 2005 (UTC)

 * The first one is actually pretty funny, but I'm not sure it'll work best for my purposes! --Fastfission 15:27, 30 September 2005 (UTC)

 * No one ever said "La filosofía me absolverá". -- Jmabel | Talk 20:26, 30 September 2005 (UTC)

 * How about "When they can't find work, the historian blames society, and the philisopher just sits in a corner and cries" Yeah, I know I suck at this :P I was going for a "takes it philiosophically" thing, but it didn't work out. May I ask what this is for? Cheers,

gkhan 11:38, 1 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Historians might end up studying the kings of burgundy whilst all philosophers end up working at burger king--82.44.216.80 15:39, 1 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Now THAT one was funny - thanks for making me laugh on a Sunday morning!--nodutschke 09:48, 2 October 2005 (UTC)

 * No problem. Might want to fix it up a bit though--82.44.216.80 12:09, 2 October 2005 (UTC)

 * "The latter works on the kings of Burgundy while the former works at Burger King." I hope that's better. ~GMH talk to me 20:40, 2 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Using the terms latter and former in a punchline make it sound too pompous. bodnotbod 23:25, 2 October 2005 (UTC) -- (founder of Category:Wikipedians interested in comedy).

 * "One writes about the kings of Burgundy, and the other is writes during his breaks at Burger King." -- Jmabel | Talk 06:13, 3 October 2005 (UTC)

WHERE DOES FREEDOM OF SPEECH COME FROM?
Opinion? ☢ Kieff | Talk 06:27, 30 September 2005 (UTC)

 * As an idea, the Western tradition usually traces the current notion of a right-based "freedom of speech" to at least The Enlightenment, though the idea that people should be free to criticize and speak their mind likely goes back far earlier than that. --Fastfission 15:33, 30 September 2005 (UTC)
 * In the USA there is something about this in the Bill of Rights of the US Constitution. AlMac|(talk) 04:27, 3 October 2005 (UTC)

Whats the difference between Left-wing and Right-wing politican parties?
Whats the difference between the two? Does one do things by the book and the other take a more original approch or something? Thanks in advance :)
 * See left- and right-wing politics. - Mgm|(talk) 07:40, 30 September 2005 (UTC)

how long has germany been a country?

never mind found it

Freedom of expression
This is Naoc,I just went through an orientation where we learnt about the different types of speech but we where told to describe the different types the different types of speech which the supreme court identified and what are the rules regarding constitutional protection of each type of speech?. I can be replied through

 * The article Freedom of expression is an excellent resource. Note that freedom of expression is dealt differenty in each country. ≈ jossi ≈ 02:13, 1 October 2005 (UTC)

 * If (as I assume, from the mention of constitutional protection and supreme court) your question relates to America, there are several forms of speech that have been characterized as being either more protected or less protected (or completely unprotected) under the first amendment. Some of these for you to consider are: political speech (more protected); obscenity (unprotected); commercial speech (less protected); slanderous or libellous speech; seditious speech; speech which incites violence. - Nunh-huh 21:47, 2 October 2005 (UTC)

world war 2
this isn't a questionas such, but anyone who has any possible arguments id like to hear it. i just think the overwhelming contribution to germanys defeat was russia, and that the west had almost nothing to do with this. the western front was just a post war move to prevent stalin from taking all of western europe; by now the russians, the west and germany's high staff knew the war had shifted and russia, whod been fighting alone for years could crush the nazis by themselves. If anyone has prrof to the contary, lets hear it.

Your own words bely your argument: western front was not "post-war". Other people already gave this a much more complete answer in the last day or two here at one of the ref desks. alteripse 10:30, 30 September 2005 (UTC)

 * The question is of course, unprovable. We can all talk endlessly about What If scenarios. What if the West didn't help out with the Lend lease scheme, when Russia was so close to defeat in the early days? What if the Japanese were not distracted by the Pacific War, and were able to menace the USSR's east? What if the British weren't supplying the Russians with intel from intercepted communications? What if Rommel was at Stalingrad instead of Africa? History is dominated by small events with big consequences. Did the Russians do the majority of the fighting? Yes. Did they shed the most blood? Yes. But you underestimate how unstable WWII was, how close to victory the Nazis got.--Fangz 01:15, 2 October 2005 (UTC)

James bond - game from film
There was a James Bond film (I think starring Timothy Dalton) where he sat down and played a computer game (against a villian, of course) utilising a heads-up screen and some other stuff. It may have also been a kind of game where, if you lost, you would be caused physical harm by the game. I don't know which film this was from but does anyone have any info on what the game was and how it was played? thanks, Ballchef 07:57, 30 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Wasn't that in The Living Daylights? The villain explained things briefly in the film, but I don't think he ever mentioned the game's name. - Mgm|(talk) 09:52, 30 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Actually it was Sean Connery in Never Say Never Again. I think the game was called something like Domination, but I can't remember for sure (perhaps you could ask on the NSNA talk page). As I recall, there was a world map, and the computer would randomly choose a country. Then that country's map would be divided into sections that lit up, and the two players would fire at those sections. The first to hit a section would win that section. Each player also had missiles which they could launch directly at the other player, and shields to block these missiles. The joysticks held by each player would give out electric shocks, and the level of pain would increase the more a player was beaten by their opponent. KeithD (talk) 22:48, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

indian history
please provide me with the anwer for this question:--

all events in indian history from the year 1858 as points and not paragraphs. --61.11.125.50 11:40, 30 September 2005 (UTC)
 * I might suggest doing your own homework - you could start from History of India and work from there -- Ferkelparade π 12:55, 30 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Including births and deaths? Heh. You're gonna have to be more specific than "all events". — ceejayoz ★  14:22, 2 October 2005 (UTC)

vat
what is the impact of VAT on business
 * VAT. - Mgm|(talk) 11:44, 30 September 2005 (UTC)

culture

 * Umm...are you looking for culture? -- Ferkelparade π 12:53, 30 September 2005 (UTC)

Why did the immigrants came to Singapore in the earlies
when was the date of the last commonwealth games?

 * The 2002 Commonwealth Games were held in Manchester between 25 July and 4 August 2002, and I got soaked watching some hockey matches at Belle Vue when a thunderstorm brewed up! -- Arwel 18:34, 30 September 2005 (UTC)

What do liars LOOK like?
Yesterday I went to a job fair after dropping my adult daughter off at college to attend her two classes and I had 2&1/2 hrs to attend a job fair abd get back to pick her up. I was short on time--it was a large job fair--200 employers.

Upon arriving I was in a line where everyone was asked if s/he was repistered with the "Workforce" office. Apparently it was required for all job fair attendees.

Some people in line said s//he was registered with the state Workforce office and their word was taken for it and they were allowed to enter the job fair.

Others, myelf included were looked at skeptically and told to go to the area with attendants sitting behind computers (about 4) and instucted to tell them our Soc Sec Number and they would look it up in their system and verify our registration.

I was/am registered and I told the lady that asked me that I was and she still required me to go and verify that with the attendant. It took time I couldn't afford to waste.

What I want to know is what makes someone LOOK like a liar and others not look like a liar? I have had probs in my life with persons disbelieving me when I was telling the truth and I wonder if it is because certain people just LOOK like liars and maybe I'm one of those. My current state of unemployment and my very registration with the Workforce office is also because my ex-employer didn't believe me and took the word of a lying B over mine.

This probably cost me a lot of money when I once had an idea for a business (before anyone else was doing it) and in looking for an extra job to finance it I was asked why I wanted to work there and told my perspective boss(es) that I wanted to start a business making "X's" and they were Japanese and started laughing. I asked why and they said it was because I was lying. I took it to mean at the time that it was just that stupid of an idea that they couldn't believe me--so I gave up on the idea. Then a few years later, everywhere I look in stores there are "X's"!!! A couple of decades later I find out that the Japanese consider lying to be funny--ridiculously, ludicrously so. (Well, it IS pretty stupid--gotta give them that.) But those stupid short-sighted men cost me a LOT of money!!!

This must stop--I am not a liar but have been repeatedly subject to having someone's word--that IS a LIAR--over my word and having to deal with those consequences.

And if I LOOK like a liar then maybe there's something I could do to LOOK less like one?

208.188.16.137 19:01, 30 September 2005 (UTC)

I don't think your question is a silly one. People use all sorts of cues when evaluating a statement by someone else as true or false. The problem is that this process is largely unconscious and free of feedback improvement (in other words, there is often no opportunity to have the validity of our judgment unequivocally confirmed, and little negative consequence if we are wrong). Just like some people can flunk lie detectors when giving their birthdate, it is highly probable that some people can display the visual or voice cues that lead others to disbelieve them even when they are truthful. So I agree that your concern is plausible. You need (1) to find what cues in appearance and voice are commonly used, and then (2) to determine which ones you might be unintentionally displaying, and (3) to try to change those behaviors. Since it is hard to go find a good con man and ask for an apprenticeship, you might try the academic approach. There is an extensive research literature on lying in the psychology journals and they have a specialized journal indexing database for their literature. I would try asking a librarian at a local college library for help accessing the database, and searching for articles on lying. I promise there are published articles on how people judge whether someone is lying, but I can't promise the other two steps will be easy. Good luck. alteripse 19:37, 30 September 2005 (UTC)

PS. I just ran a google search on lying cues and turned up lots of relevant hits like this:. You might start with what you can find online. alteripse 19:42, 30 September 2005 (UTC)

 * I haven't looked at those links so perhaps they cover this. But I've heard a few times that people who are lying but consider themselves adept at covering it up over-compensate for the usual "can't look someone in the eye" cue by holding someone's eye-contact too steadily (perhaps, additionally, to guage whether the person they're speaking to looks as if they believe them or not).

 * I suffer froma related and quite different problem in that I am rightly regarded as an honest person, but since I am rather neurotic and negative I tend to think (if I don't check myself) that people are labelling me as untrustworthy and I tend to overcompensate by not lying when perhaps a lie might be better for all concerned ;o) At any rate, your cues are obviously subconscious, so I wish you well with your goal as it will be quite an effort to overcome your subconscious. --bodnotbod 23:58, 2 October 2005 (UTC)

Who were the Sex Pisotls?
See our fine article on Sex Pistols. DJ Clayworth 20:24, 30 September 2005 (UTC)

On Hobbit Puns
The article on Irregular Webcomic! says this:

One of the characters is a hobbit, and therefore there are hobbit puns, though no closer together than 100 strips.

Then, what is exactly a hobbit pun? --Kakurady 22:33, 30 September 2005 (UTC)
 * A hobbit pun would be a pun, or word play, about a hobbit. — Lomn | Talk / RfC 23:46, 30 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Any Examples? --Ballchef 15:09, 1 October 2005 (UTC)
 * "Son, have you done your homework yet? No? Then hob to it!" Gah, I've got nothing....... gkhan 09:33, 2 October 2005 (UTC)

 * ,, and this set of 4: , , , . Now excuse me while I go clean my brain. — mendel ☎ 21:19, 2 October 2005 (UTC)

= October =

addressing dignitaries
How should one address a Consulate General from Mexico?

 * If you are talking about a person who heads a consulate general, then he or she is called a consul general, or, more casually, simply a consul. Consuls do not generally have a special form of address. One would write Señor(a) N_ M_, Mexican Consul General. --Gareth Hughes 17:35, 1 October 2005 (UTC)

Toilet seat hygene
Does sitting on a toilet seat typically have any possible health/germ dangers? If so, how do public toilets and private (used by 1-5 people regularily) compare in this regard? And if so, what are the concerns (mostly just harmless germs, or STD's, or what?)? (Assuming that the seat appears to be fairly clean) --Peoplesunionpro 02:00, 1 October 2005 (UTC)

Unless you have open cuts on your thighs, I don't think you need to worry. Also, according to a recent study there are something like 10x the amount of germs on a frequently used keyboard than toilet seat. Battle Ape 09:34, 1 October 2005 (UTC)

 * What Battle Ape said. Bacteria/viruses generally do not penetrate unbroken skin. Infection occurs when the patient brings a contaminated part in touch with eyes, nose, or mouth (eg chews on a fingernail after touching the toilet seat with it). Furthermore, a dry toilet seat is not a fun place for a bacterium to be. No cells to live in, no moisture to keep it alive, no nutrients even if it were alive. As long as you wash your hands, there is nothing to worry about (although that other guy, the one that posted on some other reference desk about maybe stepping in human feces with an open cut on his foot, that's something to worry about)--inks 10:44, 1 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Hovering over a toilet seat is the most prestigious way to use a public restroom. lots of issues  | leave me a message 16:39, 1 October 2005 (UTC)

 * When you mention STDs being a concern it's hard to guage whether you personally are concerned or are just referring to beliefs out in the wild. But I'd like to assure you (or the wild) that you will not catch an STD from a toilet seat. --bodnotbod 00:06, 3 October 2005 (UTC)

 * ...and perhaps another way of looking at is is this: most public places that you go where you might be expected to spend any time have a public toilet. If there were any significant risks involved in using one you can bet they would erect appropriate signage to warn you of them. So, let's say there really were a danger of catching an infection through normal seated use of a convenience, we would find the universal availability of disposable shields to be placed on the seat to be flushed after use. On the other hand, we seem to learn at quite a young age that thoroughly licking our hands after going for a poop isn't pleasurable (and if that made you go ugh! that's sort of my point) so a sign suggesting you don't is not thought necessary (much like doors do not require a sign saying "do not slam on your fingers".

 * I seem to remember a study that showed, though, that very young children are not instinctively repulsed by faeces - it's something they learn. Which is, um, interesting. If you follow these things. --bodnotbod 00:13, 3 October 2005 (UTC)

Top-selling music albums
What is the best-selling techno album of all-time? Specifically, I would like to know the top-selling house album of all-time. I cannot find any charts divided by genre. Thanks!
 * Well, there's a strange claim to the title here. --bodnotbod 00:21, 3 October 2005 (UTC)

how many people is tribunal for war crimes in former Yugoslavia in Heague still looking for?

 * An incomplete list is at International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. My understanding is that they don't openly announce the names of people they've indicted but haven't captured (in general) - the reason being they hope that the indictee will travel openly, perhaps internationally, making them easy to capture.  For others, such as Radovan Karadžić, it's so obvious that they'd indict him that they didn't bother to keep it a secret. -- Finlay McWalter |  Talk 15:31, 1 October 2005 (UTC)

Capitalization of Vincent van Gogh's name
What is the correct capitalization of this name? Vincent van Gogh? Vincent Van Gogh?

And when just the last name, is it Van Gogh? or van Gogh?

I see it both ways for both full and last names.

04:49, 1 October 2005 (UTC)~

 * Capitalization of Dutch names as "Van" is likely to be a modern phenomenon. Ther correct capitalization is van, with lowercase v as in Vincent van Gogh ≈ jossi ≈ 05:49, 1 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Any rule about consistent capitalization is likely to be a modern phenomenon! - Nunh-huh 06:43, 1 October 2005 (UTC)
 * However, the "van" would always be capitalized at the beginning of a sentence -- "Van Gogh lived in the Netherlands." User:Zoe|(talk) 06:35, 1 October 2005 (UTC)
 * In Dutch the "van" is not capitalized in the full name, and always capitalized when using just the last name. David Sneek 07:47, 1 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Only capitalized at the start of a sentence. "van" is not commonly capitalized in Dutch names. It's more of a foreign thing. - Mgm|(talk) 08:29, 1 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Random article from the front page of today's Volkskrant: "Liberale Kamerleden vrezen een prestigestrijd volgende week tussen fractievoorzitter Van Aartsen – tegenstander van de heffing..." David Sneek 11:39, 1 October 2005 (UTC) p.s.: See also: "Het voorvoegsel van een achternaam wordt in Nederland met een hoofdletter geschreven als er geen voornaam of voorletters aan de achternaam voorafgaan."

 * Oh yes, translated that would mean it has a capital letter if there's no first name or initials in front of their last name. - Mgm|(talk) 14:06, 1 October 2005 (UTC)

Number of Republicans in U.S. House of Representatives after 2002 and 2004 elections
See U.S. House election, 2004 and U.S. House election, 2002. Thryduulf 12:07, 1 October 2005 (UTC)

white water rafting
when was white water rafting developed; by who? and what is the history of white water rafting?

202.67.65.165 07:14, 1 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Try Whitewater rafting and whitewater. Incidentally, these articles need some merging and unmerging...

Congres International d'Architecture Moderne Conference 1946
I am researching this event to support a bid for grant aid to Bridgwater Arts Centre. Locally it is referred to as the M.A.R.S conference although I can't establish what that stood for. Walter Gropius and Le Corbusier attended. Was it significent and much reported at the time? The conference was held in the 1930s theatre at the rear of the Georgian part of the Arts Centre (18th Century Castle Street being an important part of the Conservation Area) all of which is now Grade 1 listed. I can't help wondering what the assembled respected international architects made of the grotesque Concrete Castle House (1851) that lies behind the Arts Centre in Queen Street. Any reports or anecdotes gratefully received.

History Portugal
Afonso I 1240
 * see Afonso I of Portugal, although he was long dead by 1240. In that year the Portuguese monarch was Sancho II. Our History of Portugal article doesn't refer to anything hapening specifically in 1240, but several things of note did happen in the 1240s. Thryduulf 12:46, 2 October 2005 (UTC)

russians in 007
Is there a high proportion of James Bond Villains or general bad-guys that were russian? If so, why? --Ballchef 15:13, 1 October 2005 (UTC)

I take it that you are young enough to have missed the Cold War and your history class never got past 1945? For a more sophisticated version of British concerns about the Russian threat in the 1960s see Anthony Burgess' Clockwork Orange. alteripse 16:46, 1 October 2005 (UTC)

 * No, I didn't attend the cold war, but I know what it is, and I see what you mean. But I don't understand the Clockwork Orange reference, the article doesn't mention russian influence or threats or british foreign policy, can you expand, is there more to Burgess' story than I saw. (BTW I only saw the film, not the book sorry) --Ballchef 08:18, 2 October 2005 (UTC)

 * One thing I remember abou A Clockwork Orange is the new slang language in use. Do you know where it came from? If you do, you are most of the way there. Notinasnaid 08:22, 2 October 2005 (UTC)

 * I claim no expertise in this area, but I would suggest it is a big leap from knowing that Burgess used Russian as the basis for Nadsat to claiming that this is a reflection of British concerns about the Russian threat. There is certainly nothing in the articles on A Clockwork Orange or Nadsat that suggests Burgess used Russian for reasons in any way connected with the Cold War. The articles suggest that Burgess wanted to create a new teen argot (presumably as using real teen slang would date the book and create associations the writer wanted to avoid). I'd suggest he used Russian as a basis because he was a polyglot and wanted i) to show off; ii) to use a language that relatively little known. If you have sourced info that suggests that the use of Russian was partly to do with the Cold War, then you might like to add it to the relevant articles.  (Having grown up in Britain in the latter part of the Cold War, my main concern was the possibility of mutually assured destruction rather than a Russian takeover, by the way). Valiantis 13:50, 2 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Anyway, aside from the Burgess question... yes, it had to do with the Cold War. In many movies, especially ones who deal with espionage and the like, the enemies are often embodiments of whatever the "current threat" is. So at various times the Russians, the Chinese, the East Germans, and -- as in one of the more recent James Bond films -- the North Koreans have shown up as the scary bad guys. Though in a post-Cold War era you're also likely to see things like "terrorists" of different sorts playing a main role. Films often have a strong reflection of the context in which they were created, the concerns and fears of the day, etc. --Fastfission 14:15, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

What clothes do you wear in Malawi, Africa?

 * Well, some clarification would help. Do you want to know what's worn locally (presumably rural, the cities are fairly European in this regard)?  The distinguishing piece of clothing is a woman's large square of cloth (my Chichewa is rusty, so I've forgotten the proper name) that's adaptable as a skirt, ground cloth, baby carrier, and several other purposes.
 * Alternately, do you want to know about what a traveller should wear? This depends a good bit on the season (wet or dry, with dry corresponding roughly with local winter) and on your concern for meeting cultural sensitivities.  — Lomn | Talk / RfC 18:20, 1 October 2005 (UTC)

If you look at last month's National Geographic special issue on Africa, you would conclude that the universal item of clothing worn by nearly everyone is now the T shirt. However, IANAA. alteripse 21:01, 1 October 2005 (UTC)

 * There are few situations where a lightweight long sleeve shirt, and long pants / skirt as appropriate will not be comforable and culturally appropriate for a visitor. In general, pack these whereever you go and you won't go far wrong.

What are some major differences between the Athenian democracy and todays democracy?
See Some Major Differences Between the Athenian Democracy and Today's Democracy, or read Athenian democracy and draw your own conclusions. David Sneek 17:28, 1 October 2005 (UTC)

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

Thank you, Shardsofmetal [ Talk 17:45, 1 October 2005 (UTC)

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

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

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

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

Thank You, Shardsofmetal [ Talk 03:30, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

HISTORY OF WYANDOT INDIANS
We just discovered that ancestors are Wyandot/Cherokee Indians...Any information about that will be most helpful.. Thank you
 * Wyandot. Cherokee. -- Jmabel | Talk 19:35, 1 October 2005 (UTC)`

civilization of man
full reference of civilization of man

 * I know of a brilliant answer to this question, but alas this margin is insufficient to contain it.--Fangz 01:08, 2 October 2005 (UTC)

See Civilization and Civilizations_in_human_history ≈ jossi ≈ 02:23, 2 October 2005 (UTC)

Life of John Field
Which John Field are you interested in?--inks 00:16, 2 October 2005 (UTC)

end of the cold war
What about the cold war?--inks 00:15, 2 October 2005 (UTC)

 * It is generally considered to have ended the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, leaving only one superpower (the USA). Some people set the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 as its death knell. Most historians see the reforms of Mikhail Gorbachev as being central to its eventual end, though some people like to give Ronald Reagan's reinvigorated arms race a lot of credit (I tend to see things with the former, myself). Anyway, it turns out we have an entire article on the End of the Cold War (1962-1991) -- hope that helps! --Fastfission 20:09, 4 October 2005 (UTC)

 * I have read lots of interesting stuff, but this was some years ago so I am sorry I cannot cite my sources.

AlMac|(talk) 19:46, 7 October 2005 (UTC)
 * At the time, the Pope hailed from Poland, so he was well familiar with the goings on of the communist regimes.
 * The Catholic Church was under much criticism for not doing more to help defy the Nazis during WW II.
 * The Vatican had a pretty good intelligence service, as good as several nations.
 * The Pope authorized covert operations to undermine communist rule, such as to provide support for Solidarity the union movement in Poland that did so much to topple communism there.
 * Intelligence services of the communist nations knew about the Vatican's secret aid to Solidarity, but not how that fit into the larger undeclared war of the Vatican against communism, but because of what they did figure out, that is how come the Bulgarians were given the assignment to assassinate the Pope, a mission that failed.

Donal Trump
I'm a Navarre Beach Fl resident,There been some talk that Donal Trump brought land on the beach,would you know anything about this?

 * I don't know about that, but I believe you mean Donald Trump. StuRat 19:09, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

what is feminist view of aging

 * Um, it happens? According to our article on Feminism, it deals mostly with moral and social issues, as a philosophy or ideology. It would be kinda silly to have an opinion on a biological fact.--Fangz 01:06, 2 October 2005 (UTC)

 * The feminist view on aging would probably look at how men become "distinguished" while women become "undesirable" or something like that. But I don't know for sure. --Fastfission 02:06, 2 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Both Germaine Greer and Betty Friedan have written books on the aging process in women. You might want to have a look at their articles. Capitalistroadster 01:07, 4 October 2005 (UTC)

URGENT(need question answered within a day) about Taiwan
Okay, to be specific, I'm doing a project on a country's conflicts, and I was assigned to Taiwan. I need as much info I can use about anothing about Taiwan, but specifically on the Taiwan problem. I'll have to do a report on it in front of the class, and be capable of answering any questions about it afterwards. It has to last at least 5 minutes.

I understand it, but only a really simplified verson of it. I understand--

- that there is a problem of whether Taiwan should stay a province under the People's Republic of China or whether Taiwan can become it's own Republic.

- that Taiwan was owned by Japan until they lost World War II.

- Taiwan legally became it's own Republic on 1912 under the government of the ROC, which is the government predecessor or the PRC.

I apologize in advance for the silly request I am about to ask you. So here it is.

I'm under a lot of pressure right now, so I can't concentrate, which means most of the contents after the first two sections make no sense to me. Can you tell me the rest of the info about the Taiwan problem in a summarized, simplified version? I need info such as the treaties and what war/conflict they came from that invloves this, and what the different political views are.

Thank you so much in advance.

 * You want Political status of Taiwan. You might also take a peek at Taiwan and Republic of China. - Nunh-huh 03:55, 2 October 2005 (UTC)

It is already way past your deadline never the less want to let you know that you are way off on many points. You should go to this link to get better educated about the Taiwan position and history http://www.fapa.org/generalinfo/Taiwan%27s_history.htm

mahatma gandhi details
Mahatma Gandhi details! David Sneek 07:24, 2 October 2005 (UTC)

Articles of Incorporation
I recently setup a nonstock corporation for myself. I was about to setup a Sub Chapter S so if I needed to write off any of the businesses losses I could do so through my personal tax returns. When I mentioned to my Accountant I setup a nonstock corporation he was very concerned to the point I knew I had seriously made a wrong move by not setting up a stock corporation. Unfortunately, my Accountant left me hanging until next week to discuss this matter and actually I didn't tell him for certain that I had setup the business as a nonstock corporation. I told him I'd check the paperwork. If I did setup incorrectly can it be amended (quickly)? And will it effect my FEIN # I already received? I appreciate the help from a knowledgeable paralegal or attorney in Coporate Law. Hopefully, I'm not back peddling. If so, I just need to know how to change my gears quick and get moving in the right direction. Again thank you!! (MOM)

psychiatry+algophobia
Psychiatry+Algophobia. Thryduulf 12:49, 2 October 2005 (UTC)

what is the private sector

 * from our Private sector article:
 * The private sector of a nation's economy consists of those entities which are not controlled by the state - i.e., a variety of entities such as private firms and companies, corporations, private banks, non-governmental organizations.
 * Thryduulf 13:54, 2 October 2005 (UTC)

Free fonts?
Where can I find a selection of public domain fonts? Dunc|☺ 13:23, 2 October 2005 (UTC)
 * The external links section on the Typeface article (Font redirects there) lists at least a couple of sites that woudl be a good starting point. Thryduulf 13:53, 2 October 2005 (UTC)

Google "free fonts". alteripse 22:41, 2 October 2005 (UTC)
 * As it happens, I think "free fonts" might be one of those searches that Google doesn't respond to very well. I've found quite a few freebies via Font Leech, the guy that runs it doesn't update much now saying he's exhausted the world's supply of free fonts, but there's an extensive archive of freebies there. --bodnotbod 00:47, 3 October 2005 (UTC)

 * The fonts which are famous for being Free are Bitstream Vera and another one whose name escapes me Gentium . FreeFont has some, and DaFont. Not all of them are Public domain though. Ojw 22:09, 3 October 2005 (UTC)

Automatons Throughout History
I am writing a paper on Automatons throughout history beginning with the ancient world through the 20th century. I know that in Ancient Egypt, the faithful would kneel in the temple of Anubis or Amon Ra and await a sign. The effigies would come to life, and respond with a head nod or a few words. The faithful did not suspect that temple attendants were manipulating the statues behind the scenes.

In 280 B.C.E., King Ptolemy exhibited a statue of a man that would rise from its seat and pour milk into a goblet without spilling a drop.

In A.D. 50, The Roman Emperor Claudius presented a spectacle on Lake Fucinus in which a silver triton was made to rise from the water and sound a trumpet.

These were all found in a book called "Special Effects: An Oral History," by Pascal Pinteau.

What I am really looking for are more detailed examples as well as references. Any help with this or suggestions pointing me in the right direction are greatly appreciated.

 * Can we assume you've done a Google search and checked Amazon (links are to sepcific results)? This book on a Turk chess playing automaton. Jeremy Dyson, co-writer of  The League of Gentlemen (comedy) has a story about an automaton in his fiction anthology Never Trust A Rabbit that I remember being quite good. ooh, here's a good piece about a mechanical duck. Then there'#s the book Living Dolls by Gaby Wood --bodnotbod 01:00, 3 October 2005 (UTC)

What are the Top Companies that advertise in Greater Hartford, CT
What are the top 500 companies in the Greater Hartford Metro Market, in terms of advertising dollars spent on local media advertising campaigns, on i.e. broadcast radio, television and newspaper in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005?
 * That's the type of data that's not very important to many people, but is pretty important to those that care. That makes it fairly unlikely that you'll find a free published source for it, though it is possible. Try contacting one of the local ad agencies or the Hartford Chamber of commerce or the development authority or equivalent. Any of them may be able to tell you were you could find that kind of information. Or maybe there is a local business or trade group or magazine that might have either published on that or might also know where to find it. - Taxman Talk 12:30, 4 October 2005 (UTC)

Agatha Christie - The Rats
In 1962, Dame Agatha Christie had her one-act play "The Rats" presented at the Duchess Theatre in London's West End. It was part of an evening of her one-act works entitled the "Rule of Three" and also featured the one-act plays "The Patient" and "Afternoon at the Seaside". I was wondering if anyone has any articles/reviews from 1962 relating to the first production of "The Rats". If anyone has the Christie's notes on "The Rats" I would be more than happy. Thank you - information on the subject is extremely difficult to come by.
 * Should be easy enough to research in any decent library, but not on the Web. -- Jmabel | Talk 06:31, 3 October 2005 (UTC)

?Italian? sculptor
Is anyone familiar with the sculptor 'Mentucci' ? Probably nineteenth century.

Freestylers Push Up clip
In the music video clip of the single Push Up (from their album Raw as Fuck) - does anyone know the name of the woman in the clip? -- Anon. 23:12, 2 October 2005 (UTC)

Who was Joseph Medlicott Scriven?
What is the historical order for cooperative farming near flood-plains of great rivers, slash and burn techniques, and irrigation-based state farming?

Oprah Winfrey and corporations
How did Oprah, being an African American woman, rise to power in the corporation world, which is predominately a "white man's world"?

 * I suspect you'll get the most detailed view by reading her autobiography and other biographies about her. Although I expect she'll spout some bilge about it being God's will whilst other biographers will probably put it down to her being of her time or an instinctive connection with her audience or other hard-to-replicate/hard-to-measure factors. --bodnotbod 01:17, 3 October 2005 (UTC)

American Advertising Slogans
I am looking for the products in the United States advertising market that have the following slogans:

1. Grab the Gusto. 2. Experience the Good Life.

These might be old slogans. I need the company or organization name.

For example - "Be All That You Can Be" is the slogan for U.S. Army.

 * Schlitz Beer, "Grab for all the gusto you can get" (used between 1963 and 1967). I suspect the Good Life is also beer, but it's used so commonly in advertisements (e.g. Sears) it's hard to find the one you're thinking of. - Nunh-huh 03:20, 3 October 2005 (UTC)

history
what kind of animal did vasco da gama first document in december 1497?
 * Have you read the Vasco da Gama article? Thryduulf 08:12, 3 October 2005 (UTC)

We just did this question! Within the last week. alteripse 21:03, 3 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Which probably means a) that some teachers set the same homework over and over and b) the people doing it don't read the articles. DJ Clayworth 17:34, 4 October 2005 (UTC)

the rolling stones- sticky fingers
how many sold?
 * According to the Recording Industry Association of America, over 3 million copies of Sticky Fingers had been sold by the year 2000.--Kewp (t) 13:50, 3 October 2005 (UTC)

settlement in Syria (Lebanon?)
Please if anybody knows a settlement in Syria (probably modern Lebanon) named Qaron, or Karon, or Qaroun, somewhere near the city of Zahlah (Zahle). At least there was such a place in the 19th c. Jerusalim Patriarch Gerasimus Yared is supposed to die there, poisoned.

Moat sold comics
What is the best selling comics of all times? I mean the name and the volume of the book, not the general topc. (i.e. mickey mouse no:321 in year 1956)
 * It is hard to determine this due to varying sales practices and sales reporting in different eras and different countries. Reportedly the record in recent years in the USA is held by X-Men volume 2, no. 1 (in 1991) with 7 million to 8 million in sales (counting all variant covers).  However, reportedly, in the 1950s, Walt Disney's Comics and Stories regularly sold 5 million copies every issue, so the American best seller might be from that era.  And in Japan, Weekly Shonen Jump used to sell 6 million copies a week (according to the Wikipedia article), and I've seen claims of sales of up to 10 million for that title.  So I don't know the exact answer, but you can eliminate from consideration any single comic issue that claims a sale of less than 7 million. --Metropolitan90 04:10, 4 October 2005 (UTC) (edited) 04:15, 4 October 2005 (UTC)

Emily DaVinci
Is Emily DaVinci (the bad girl) related to Leonardo DaVinci?
 * Porn stars often don't use their real name, so she probably chose that name herself, making any relation highly unlikely. - Mgm|(talk) 16:27, 3 October 2005 (UTC)

The surname "da Vinci" just means someone from the town of Vinci, in Italy, so even if the name were her real name, it only would mean that she was descended from somebody who lived in the same town as Leonardo. Her stage name is Davinci, anyway, but as Mgm said, it's probably not her real name. User:Zoe|(talk) 03:40, 4 October 2005 (UTC)

vatican city
please show pictures of Pantheon,Forum, vatican museum,of pope

 * There are wonderful pictures in our articles on Pantheon, Rome, Roman Forum, Vatican City, Vatican Museums and Pope. I cannot understand why you have missed them. --Gareth Hughes 18:41, 3 October 2005 (UTC)

Winston Churchill
What was the term popularized by Winston Churchill for the imginary boundary dividing Europe between the capitalist West and Communist East?

 * From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the Continent. Behind that line lie all the capitals of the ancient states of Central and Eastern Europe. Shimgray | talk | 19:41, 3 October 2005 (UTC)

 * PS: dyoh. --jpgordon∇∆∇∆ 21:04, 3 October 2005 (UTC)

 * I really should have mentioned that the answer was a third of the way into the Churchill article... Shimgray | talk | 21:08, 3 October 2005 (UTC)

Coco the Gorilla
Hello,

I noticed you do not have a page for this animal.

That's all,

Laura

 * Koko the Gorilla - Nunh-huh 20:36, 3 October 2005 (UTC) Don't you think you should have put your signature before the answer? alteripse 21:02, 3 October 2005 (UTC)
 * I would never be negative in front of a gorilla! - Nunh-huh 01:22, 4 October 2005 (UTC)
 * What do you call a gorilla with a machine gun? Sir.  I kill me.  Redirect created. Proto t c 09:08, 4 October 2005 (UTC)
 * But... are you available for weddings and bar mitzvahs? - Nunh-huh 02:47, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

Potato Famine (Ireland) and "Shipwash"
While working on a family tree for a school project, I learned that my grandmother's great grandparents were named "Shipwash". She (my grandmother) was told that her great grandfather earned his name by cleaning the ship in exchange for passage to the States during the potato famine.

I've been unable to find anything on Google or Yahoo that will confirm or refute this. Any suggestions--69.250.131.109 21:14, 3 October 2005 (UTC)

"TRIVIA INVENTOR"
And your question would be .....???????????????? JackofOz 00:40, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

 * The term comes from a trivium, a three-way intersection common in the roads around ancient Rome, where less important news was posted (important news was read aloud in public squares throughout the Empire). So, in a sense, you could say the ancient Romans invented trivia, although certainly unimportant facts have existed as long as there was language, perhaps even before. StuRat 19:16, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

JS Bach
what Bach organ composition begins with notes AAA BB?

M.L.K.song, "children of the dream" Author?

Baseball's Shot Heard 'Round the World
I am curious to know who coined this phrase. It doesn't appear in the commentaries. I posted the question in the talk page of the article, but it got no response. Tintin 22:59, 3 October 2005 (UTC)

Politics in Germany
What role if any, does the military play in the politics of germany??

 * See Germany. The Budeswehr does not play an important role in German politics. The major issues are military service and the military budget (which is seen by many as too small). --Gareth Hughes 23:27, 3 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Also, Bundeswehr and conscription in Germany are useful articles. --Gareth Hughes 23:33, 3 October 2005 (UTC)

what is the definition of religion?

religion overall
what is the overall definition of 'religion'?

 * Our Religion article has a definition. Capitalistroadster 06:14, 4 October 2005 (UTC)

1920 Presidential Election
Hi,

Question: How many women voted in the 1920 Presidential Election?

Question: How many women were eligible to vote that year?

Thank you!

Trova

 * Trova,

It is probably not possible to estimate exactly how many women voted given the secret ballot. However our U.S. presidential election, 1920 shows that 26,765,180 people voted in that election as compared to the U.S. presidential election, 1916 where 18,536,585 voted. Most of these additional votes were probably women and Warren Harding, the Republican nominee seems to have picked up a large percentage of that vote.

As to determining how many women were eligible to vote, the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution states "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation."

You might have to look at individual population statistics for each state to look at voting rights in that state to determine the possible population of potential voters. Capitalistroadster 01:56, 4 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Even if every woman were eligible, they almost assuredly did not vote in comparison to their numbers. There were many women of the era who did not believe that women should vote, and sat out the election.  User:Zoe|(talk) 03:46, 4 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Also note that some states had allowed women to vote before 1920, so not all women voters that year were new to presidential voting. See  for a map showing which states had previously allowed women to vote. --Metropolitan90 03:58, 4 October 2005 (UTC)

 * When calculating the # of women eligible to vote, remember that black women were often excluded, which might throw off your numbers, esp. in the southern states with large black populations. Meelar (talk) 05:57, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

National Forest land in Pheonix Arizona
How much land is National Forest land in Pheonix Arizona?
 * No land in Phoenix, Arizona is part of any National Forest. The Phoenix Mountains Preserve, including South Mountain Park, are municipal parks.  The Tonto National Forest does share a border with the Phoenix metropolitan area.--Allen3 talk 12:31, 4 October 2005 (UTC)

When did the war of passchendaele end?
I assume you mean battle of Passchendaele? Nov 1917. alteripse 01:35, 4 October 2005 (UTC)

 * For future reference, when you have a word like that go to the box marked search on the left of this page and type the word in. It will take you to an article which tells you exactly what you are looking for. DJ Clayworth 17:27, 4 October 2005 (UTC)

Executive Summaries for Congress
This past summer I found a website which posts the executive summaries on hot issues given to members of Congress. Unfortunately, I've forgotten what the site is. Could anyone help me out?

 * The GAO = General Accountability Organization}} which recently changed its name from [[General Accounting Office (redirect ???) & I think I got the names right. Anyhow this organization investigates various aspects of government and larger America on behalf of Congress, and after each election, they make a report to the elected congresscritters about the most serious problems that did not get fixed by prior elected (some of which go back for decades).  You can sign up for a daily list of what stuff they have found out at http://www.gao.gov Most every report comes in PDF format with a single page summary ... you can view (or print) the summary, or the tons of pages details.
 * Inspector Generals of the various government agencies also probably provide similar info to Congress.

AlMac|(talk) 04:09, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

 * You might be looking for the Congressional Research Service. See . Best, Meelar (talk) 05:53, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

artist biography
Hi, I am interested in finding biographical information about an artist. The name is N. Albertis. I own two pieces of this artist works. one is a water color on paper. It is signed in ink. After the signature is the word Roma. The size of the piece is 21 1/2"W x 5 1/2" H. the second piece is also a water color. It appears to have charcoal highlights. The size of this piece is 7 3/4" W x 10 3/4" H. This piece is signed twice in both charcoal and ink. Thank you in advance for your assistance.

 * I can think of three meanings for the word Roma, one is the Italian for Rome, meaing it is a painting of Rome or was made in Rome or the artist comes from Rome. Roma is also a name for the ethnic group also known as Gypsies, so it might mean the painting is of them, as well. A third meaning is a type of small, elongated tomato. StuRat 19:20, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

John Marshall and Roger B. Taney
what are some key differences between them. and some significant court decisions.

 * Our John Marshall and Roger B. Taney articles should be a good start. Capitalistroadster 03:35, 4 October 2005 (UTC)

History
what kind of animal did Vasco Da Gama first document in december 1497?
 * This has been answered at least once in the past few days - see further up this page. The short is answer is: Do your own homework by reading the Vasco da Gama article. Thryduulf 07:53, 4 October 2005 (UTC)

lorry fleets
Hi? I'm trying to find out which company owns the largest lorry fleet in the world
 * Wal-Mart. Or maybe Coca-Cola. --jpgordon∇∆∇∆ 20:41, 4 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Personally, I'd guess United Parcel Service. Garrett Albright 17:37, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

Official English translation for 신민당
What is the official English translation for 신민당 (an old political party). THank you!
 * I'm sorry but I don't recognise what language that is, so I can't help directly.
 * We don't have an article on 신민당, however if you know what country the political party is from then you could go the article about that country. That article should have a section on politics, it is possible that this section will be a summary of a fuller article that will be linked in the style Main article Politics in xyz.
 * The main article should give a list of prominent political parties, which is the place most likely to give you your answer. Thryduulf 07:49, 4 October 2005 (UTC)

 * It's probably a better idea to put this on the language reference desk. - 131.211.210.14 12:45, 4 October 2005 (UTC)
 * I think that's Korean, if that helps anyone. Adam Bishop 16:56, 4 October 2005 (UTC)

 * I think that's the New Democratic Party (NDP), a splinter party from the Korean Democratic Party. Yun Po Sun was the only President affiliated with it. Or I could be totally wrong and that could be a Korean transliteration of the Canadian NDP! --jpgordon∇∆∇∆ 20:22, 4 October 2005 (UTC)

ANCIENT GUJARAT INDIA
IT IS PREDICTED THAT THE VAST COASTLINE OF GUJARAT ON ARABIAN SEA IS OPENED TO GEOLOGICAL AND GEAGRAPHICAL CHANGES DUE TO SEVERAL REASONS. CAN I HAVE DETAILS ABOUT ANY RESEARCH GOING ON ON SUBCONTINENT INDIA AND GUJARAT IN PARTICULAR. RANJAN MUNSHI

 * SORRY, YOU HAVE TO SHOUT A LITTLE LOUDER BEFORE YOU CAN HAVE ANY DETAILS. — J I P | Talk 07:09, 4 October 2005 (UTC)

 * I have removed user's email as it is an invitation for spammers, phishers and other nasties to send him stuff. I would also suggest the questioner not use all capitals as that is considered to be the equivalent of shouting. Our Gujarat article has a detailed section on geography but doesn't mention anything about this. Nor does our Arabian Sea article. This article about a serious earthquake in 2001 that killed nearly 20000 people may be of interest. Capitalistroadster 07:28, 4 October 2005 (UTC)
 * We westerners are familiar with the work of Holland in recovering useful land from the sea of their coastline, by building dikes then punping the water out, much like New Orleans has been doing in the current hurricane season. Anyhow China was doing this long before Holland (the Netherlands) and other nations of Asia also doing it, I not have a list.  There's probably a name for the activity and a Wiki article on it.
 * This reminds me of a joke, that I hope is Ok to share here ... bin Laden and Bill Clinton met a genie who told them he could grant them one wish each (I first heard this joke before 9/11). bin Laden says he wants a wall around Afghanistan that is impenetrable, and nothing can get over the wall.  The genie says "wish granted."  Then Bill Clinton asks that the inside be filled with water.

AlMac|(talk) 04:19, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

Brazil Plane Gas
On my return flight from Rio de Janeiro, the flight attendant stated that the cabin needed to be sprayed by a special gas, authorized by the World Health Organisation. I was wondering if anyone knew what this gas was for?
 * At a guess, it's to kill disease-bearing mosquitos. I know that flights into South Africa from malaria-affected countries get the same spraying to preserve South Africa's malaria-free status.  However, I'm not familiar enough with Brazil (or know what your destination was) to speculate on which disease is pertinent here. — Lomn | Talk / RfC 16:12, 4 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Probably dengue fever. Rio has been reporting some increasing number of cases. ☢ Kieff | Talk 19:18, 4 October 2005 (UTC)

Feudalism
what is feudalism?

 * See Feudalism. Shimgray | talk | 15:59, 4 October 2005 (UTC)

what is the meaning of 'charity begins at home'?
what is the meaning of 'charity begins at home'?

 * This saying suggests that one should do good to those around you before doing good to those afar off. It can suggest that it is wrong to give support to the needy of a far off country when there are still many need in one's own country. The phrase can be used in either the sense of being good to those close by, or the sense that one should support domestic charity before overseas aid. It is likely that the first sense is the oldest, and the latter is the invention of xenophobes. --Gareth Hughes 17:21, 4 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Of course, it's often also used in an ironic sense: "I could send this money to the Red Cross, but I'm going to buy some chocolates with it instead; after all, charity begins at home." I'd even say this is the most common use of the phrase, but perhaps I just hang about with a bad crowd.... --Camembert 13:46, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

Western Culture
I want to know a little about American Culture (Iam in Asia). What I want to know is- 1)Will children in USA seperate from their parents and live in a seperate house after they attain some specific age? Or, Do they live in the same house forever like we do? 2)If yes, does this happen in rich families also?

The answer is that all of the above happen. The mainstream "norm" is that children leave home when they graduate from high school and college and get their first full time job, or get married. This is the idea for both rich and poor, but especially for middle and upper classes. However I am calling that a "norm" in the same way that I might say that a typical family is a married mother and father and a couple of children: in reality a huge proportion of families differ from this "ideal". So every living arrangement you can imagine happens commonly in the US. Admitting that, I would still say that in US society it is more expected that children move away in their 20s than in Asian societies. alteripse 17:03, 4 October 2005 (UTC)
 * alteripse is correct. In fact, in many cases, a child returning to live with his or her parents (particularly after attending a university) is viewed as a failure of the child particularly and the family generally.  — Lomn | Talk / RfC 18:00, 4 October 2005 (UTC)
 * That is apparrently changing, more so in Europe but to some extent in North America, especially in areas where housing costs are high. Children, even graduates with good jobs, are choosing to live with their parents for a while basicly to save on housing costs. Essentially it speeds up the process of being able to afford their own house, avoiding the stage of having to live in a crummy apartment while paying off their student loans. Still a minority of course. DJ Clayworth 21:28, 4 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Actually, I think I read recently that kids returning home after college are now a majority in the U.S. Most of them think they're in the minority because the culture still says you're supposed to be independent immediately.  Regardless, most aren't going to stay at home more than a couple years.  So it's still vastly different from an Asian model where at 40 you still live in the same house as when you were 10. Isomorphic 06:29, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

"How is the judiciary committee appointed?"

 * Whose committee? If in the context of those in the United States Congress, they're generally elected by congressional motion, though membership is really more of a political reward based on past actions.  — Lomn | Talk / RfC 19:38, 4 October 2005 (UTC)

 * The Judiciary Committee article is a disabiguation which directs to the House and the Senate Committee. If you are after the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary which holds hearings on nominees for US Supreme Court and other federal judicial appointments, that's the link to follow. Capitalistroadster 04:35, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

what is a pagan

 * Have you read our article at pagan? — Lomn | Talk / RfC 19:39, 4 October 2005 (UTC)

Colonization
How can i get pictures of how Europe colonized Africa?

 * For a broad overview (including the Romans, etc.) see colonization of Africa; for the period you probably have in mind, start with Scramble for Africa and go from there: the links, images, references, and such should have lots of the information you want. History of Africa and Africa have some useful information also. —Charles P. (Mirv) 21:24, 4 October 2005 (UTC)

If by picture you mean map, go to your library and ask for a "historical atlas". They all have maps showing the steps over the last 3000 years of how africa was invaded and/or colonized by one external culture or country after another. alteripse 15:24, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

Political Conjuncture
What does the term conjuncture mean in the context of politics?

Desert Island Literature
No, I'm not talking about your favourite books... but books actually about surviving on a desert island - can anyone think of any good ones besides Lord of the Flies and Robinson Crusoe? I'd prefer pacific islands, some degree of difficulty to the survival and preferably stories of individuals. Actually, I'd be interested if anyone knows of any real life stories of survival along these lines - the Desert island article alludes to them vaguely but provides no links or examples :( thanks in advance. -81.154.236.221 00:14, 5 October 2005 (UTC)
 * I'd strongly recommend Tom Neale's book An Island to Oneself.-gadfium 02:28, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

 * thanks!! --81.154.236.221 23:44, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

 * There is the novel Swiss Family Robinson by Swiss pastor Johann David Wyss and edited by his son Johann Rudolf Wyss. It was originally published in 1812 and was written about a Swiss family shipwrecked en route to Australia. Pastor Wyss wrote the book to "teach his four sons about family values, good husbandry, the uses of the natural world and self-reliance." Lost in Space was known as the Space Family Robinson in its honour. Capitalistroadster 04:43, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

 * thank you! --81.154.236.221 23:44, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

 * One of my favorite books growing up was Hatchet (novel) by Gary Paulsen. Though it does not take place on a literal desert island, it has many of the same elements with respect to having to learn to survive in the wild by one's self. Garrett Albright 17:30, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

 * heh, I've read Hatchet (novel) and some (if not all) of Paulsen's other survival books. Great fun, especially since the protaganist isn't trained in survival but shows the right sort of reasoning to solve his problems. --81.154.236.221 23:32, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Lucy Irvine wrote a book about her time on (previously uninhabited) Tuin Island in the Torres Strait in the early 1980s, Castaway . Interesting and very enjoyable. Natgoo 11:19, 8 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Another, kind of similar book is Our Year in the Wilderness by Michael and Susan Cusack - they were in The Kimberley region of Western Australia, but were no less remote than if they were stranded on an island. Natgoo 11:51, 8 October 2005 (UTC)
 * How about Island of the Blue Dolphins? User:Zoe|(talk) 05:21, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

French composers of piano works since 1950
Although I have found, through on-line music stores, two composers who died only recently, both having written piano works, I would like a greater selection from which to choose works written as recently as possible, having a very French flavour. Unless I buy these books I have no way of knowing the difficulty or style of the works.

Alternatively, can you give me some on-line contacts to French music publishing houses or shops which deal with french piano music.

At a later date. I'd like to do the same with piano music from other countries.

 * Poulenc died after 1950. You can also look at the French composers category for more. Dysprosia 00:04, 12 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Some favorites of mine are Jean Françaix (1912-1997), Henri Dutilleux (b. 1916), and Alexandre Tansman (1897 - 1986) -- OK, so Tansman was born a Polish Jew, but he lived in France and may as well have been a Frenchman. As Dysprosia suggests, Category:French composers may be helpful, as will List of 20th century classical composers. Mindspillage (spill yours?) 22:58, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

Where can I find schematic of Christian denominational taxonomy?
Where can I find schematic of Christian denominational taxonomy that includes North American denominations? The one in the Christian Denomination article is not detailed enough to satisfy my curiosity. Also, are there detailed ones out there for Islam and Judaism?--RPlunk 02:29, 5 October 2005 (UTC)
 * This ebook is a good taxonomy of all the Eastern churches, most of which you'll find represented in North American even though they originated elsewhere. I don't know any sources for a broader view. Isomorphic 06:22, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

John F. Kennedy at the 1956 Democratic National Convention
Hello. At the 1956 Democratic Convention, John F. Kennedy attempted to run for vice-president but lost out to Estes Kefauver. I heard his words on radio and I would like to find a transcript. Where can I find an online transcript of everything Kennedy said at the convention? Thank you. --Blue387 04:37, 5 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Blue387,

The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library has a reference desk see. You could try contacting them at John Fitzgerald Kennedy Library - Columbia Point - Boston, Massachusetts 02125 Tel: 1-866-JFK-1960    Fax: 617-514-1652. Their e-mail is kennedy.library at nara.gov. Capitalistroadster 04:50, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

Bully case
What should I do if no one in my own country which is Malaysia does want to help me?

I need help. I need a lawyer or advocate to settle down problems i face. My relatives and their friends control my life; every aspect of my life. Their main concern of me is my financial and marriage/friendships/relationships. I have now reached the age of having financial independant, which means working & earning for my own living. This group of people use their own means to cut off my income and make sure I am alone, living in family circle without any friends. They also make sure I cannot obtain any evidence to sue them. They force me to be broke and humiliate us by being seen nakedness in toilet or bathroom.

Besides that, i face discrimination by my community and they reject to talk to me or work with me. Some of them might be under threaten by the above mentioned group of relatives and their friends. Some of them might use all types of excuses to discriminate me.

I seek help from many people, including church leaders, local political leaders, lawyers and etc. They all told lies and they received money as the rewards to bully me.

I don't know how to live on. Can you teach me how to live on without money? What type of help can i get? From where?

 * The reference desk is primarily a place where we try to answer factual questions, rather than guidance in how to live one's life. Also, the economic situation, culture and legal system of your country are considerably different to my own, and those of the majority of the regular contributors to the Wikipedia reference desk.

 * That said, if you are indeed old enough to live and work independently, if you can establish yourself with a home and an income that doesn't depend on your family, you can then sort out your other affairs from a position of strength rather than weakness.

 * But before taking any action, maybe you should talk to somebody who can provide you with some guidance to evaluate your options - somebody who has no connection with your family, and, if coercion by them is an issue, somebody who is not susceptible to such coercion. Somebody who doesn't live in the same location as you, perhaps?  Somebody who is a member of a different ethnic community?

 * I'm sorry if my response is a bit vague. I wish you well in confronting the difficult issues you are clearly facing.  Maybe somebody else who knows a bit more about Malaysia may be able to provide some more specific responses in terms of what legal and counselling services may be available to assist somebody in your situation.  --Robert Merkel 14:33, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

I think when someone describes how "church leaders, local political leaders, lawyers and etc ...all told lies and they received money as the rewards to bully me", he is describing a problem to which your suggestion is not the answer. I am being opaque here out of lack of details and desire not to aggravate the poor guy's problems, but think about the probabilities... alteripse 15:15, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

Thank you for your suggestions (N0. 153: Bully case) and I have tried to talk to someone from outside my community or different regions. They all are bribed with money and they left me in misery. A lot of people use me to get money. They all turned into multi-millioners overnight. It sounds crazy, but it is real. I know you won't believe me and think that I had the idea of bribery because they can't provide a solution to my problems. It is actually happening, in my surroundings.It is definitely true. That is why I cannot get help anywhere. That is why my problems still unresolved.

May I know is Wikipedia a representative of Commonwealth countries? If not, how can I contact the actual Commonwealth Organization that can provide me legal advice? Is there any legal department in Commonwealth Organization? I know it is a very personal problem, but if a citizen cannot get help from her own country, can she get help from overseas, especially commonwealth countries?

 * I happen to know a person who lives in Malaysia and reports a problem very similar to yours. His name is Julian Goh & among other places he hangs out at Yahoo Groups TYR, so you can probably locate him there if you interested in comparing notes.  His problem is not with family members but former employers, and he also got into a relationship with a woman who is in the family of the nation's leadership, which got the nation's secret police on his case (initially just to investigate anyone dating family members of nation's leaders), which he told me as a warning that they probably reading any e-mail I should send him so I should be careful.  I told him that people who get in the habit of not doing illegal immoral unethical stuff or supporting any such behavior should have nothing to fear from whoever reads their e-mail.  I not want to suggest he doing any such, but we did have some differences of opinion of what is appropriate based on our different cultural backgrounds.  Anyhow, because I have met other people in USA with same kind of problem as Julian and you describe, I do know it happens, but I also suspect that in some cases people can be overly paranoid, ascribing evil explanations to stuff that happened for innocent reasons, or not understanding the context.  I think in Julian's case, since he has been to universities in Australia and Taiwan, having seen how other cultures function, he is having trouble understanding how some things are done differently in different nations.

AlMac|(talk) 20:00, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

 * I have a suggestion: leave. If all the people who are bothering you live nearby, then going to another city may free you from their influence.  It may be necessary to move in secret (without telling them), so they can't find you in your new location, at least not until you have established an independent life.  However, you may find that these people were also helping you more than you knew, in which case this would be a valuable lesson and you could then return. StuRat 19:34, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

Derrida's Deconstructionist theory
I'm not sure what your question is, but I would suggest looking at the Jacques Derrida, Deconstruction, and post-structuralism articles for more information. If you have a more specific question please post it again here. Best, Kewp (t) 12:11, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

Coping With
Several years ago, there was a TV series based on the Coping With books. Was it ever released on VHS/DVD (and did it feature Elderado Dingbatti)? <font style="color:#00BB55"> smurray <font style="color:#00AA77"> in <font style =""color:#00EE55"> chester (User), (Talk) 12:14, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

 * I've done a thorough search of the 'net to see if I could answer this, and it appears that the answer is "No". Sorry. The programme appears to have been a Central Indepedent Television production for Channel 4 in the UK.  Channel 4's website states: Channel 4 videos and DVD's commercially available can be purchased at the Channel 4 Shop. If the video or DVD you want is not available through the Channel 4 shop, the programme has not been released through Channel 4 Video or any other distributor.  As we are sure you can appreciate, we receive hundreds of calls and emails requesting copies of programmes that were not released commercially, therefore, Channel 4’s policy is that we do not send out one-off copies.  The series in question not being listed there (or on Amazon) then it's fair to say it has never been released.  You might try eBay to see if you can get an off-air VHS recording, although this may not or may not be a legal action in your country. Redvers ★ Hello ★ Doings 19:18, 21 October 2005 (UTC)

Reservation land policies
I have been using a video called "Homeland" in my classes, a work tracing the experiences of four Pine Ridge families during the course of a three year period. At the beginning of the work Thurman Horse, one of the individuals featured, informs us that, subsequent to the Collier Act, many of the individual holdings had been sold and the those people now had nothing, had moved from the reservation. Later, however, another featured individual--Marian, I believe--explains that Pine Ridge people have difficulty starting businesses because they have little start-up money and they are not allowed to mortgage their individual lands as collateral.

I am puzzled. If people have been allowed to sell their individualized acres, why are they then alternatively not allowed to use them as collateral for loans? Any help you can provide in offering explanations for the differences, I would truly appreciate.

Harvey Klevar Professor of Anthropology Luther College Decorah, Iowa

 * I sorted out your multiple posting and formatting issues. --Gareth Hughes 12:56, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Dear professor, you are not doing your employer any favors as I can't really parse all of your grammar. I'm not sure exactly which Pine Ridge you are referring to, but lets assume it is Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. We don't appear to have an article on a Collier Act, and I'm not sure what that is, do you know the year? Some web searching led me to believe Indian Reorganization Act is what you might be referring to. Anyway, it is more likely that instead of not being allowed to mortgage the land, it's more likely it was simply impractical or no one was willing to offer the mortgages. Bare land is hard to mortgage at all, and it usually comes with bad terms like high interest rates, high costs to start the loan, etc. The same thing can happen to a lesser extent with any rural land even with a house or building on it. The type of house matters too. Add on to that that the land is in the reservation and may not carry the same types of legal ownership as other land, so legal differences/difficulties could mean that the standard things that banks and mortgage companies want such as title insurance, etc were not available. It could also have been simple discrimination by banks. So basically I'm offering some plausable speculation. To really find out you may have to do some old fashioned book leather research on the laws in question and business practices of the area and time. - Taxman Talk 18:57, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

Won't somebody please think of the children?
Why do some people feel that it is neccesary to 'protect' children (which, apparently, ranges anywhere from a 2 year old to a 17 year old) from perfectly natural things such as sexuality, masturbation and, nudity (you can throw sexual-education in there as well)? I'm particularly looking for reasons outside the religious realm, as those are fairly obvious. So, reworded, my question is: Are there any reasons, outside of the theological, that people use to justify 'protecting' children from the above stated things?

An example of this 'protecting' would be a parent who zealously shields their child from any form of nudity (even the exposure the breasts). To me, this seems ridiculous as a prepubescent child wouldn't care about seeing someone of the opposite sex naked unless their parents made a huge deal of it, and a pubescent child would probably seek out nudity anyway.

Also, is this type of behavior restricted to the United States, or can it be observed elsewhere (such as Europe and Asia)? My many and sincere thanks in advance, --anon

 * I would substitute moral for theological, as a non-religious right-and-wrong standard can also be responsible for this. I think that's about the extent of justification, however; there's no physical ailment, for instance, directly resulting from seeing a breast.  For your second question, yes, this is observable worldwide to varying degrees.  — Lomn | Talk / RfC 14:43, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Are you trying to start a flamewar? :-)

 * One perspective is that the desire to shield children from these topics is essentially along the same vein as abstinence-only sex education. Essentially, pre-marital sex (and for that matter any sexual activity, including masturbation) is bad, any exposure to anything sexually-related (like breasts) will implant naughty thoughts in their mind, and therefore children should not be exposed to anything vaguely related to sexuality.

 * Now, that caricature is probably unfair, and there are more subtle versions of it. One might argue, for instance, that contemporary American popular culture's treatment of sex gives teenagers the wrong idea about it (for instance, would you want your teenage son getting his ideas on how to treat women from the more misogynistic end of hip-hop?) and therefore a parent might seek to present a different picture.

 * As to attitudes about children and sexuality, it certainly varies from country to country, and even within countries. Scandinavia, for instance, is far more relaxed about the fact that teenagers are sexual beings than the United States.  Conversely, some Muslim countries all but prohibit men and women from seeing anything of each other's bodies unless they're married.

 * Hopefully somebody can point you to some better articles that discuss this specifically; the censorship article doesn't really cover the idea of shielding children more than adults. --Robert Merkel 15:00, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Heh, I can assure you my intent is purely academic in nature. Thank you for your detailed answer. --anon

What strikes me about your question is your mention that the religious and theological reasons are "obvious". They are not at all obvious to me. Might you be confusing religion and theology with social custom? I'm not starting a fight, just quite surprised at your assertion and suggesting you re-examine some of the premises you are considering obvious. alteripse 15:19, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

 * I do suppose I may have worded that incorrectly. In retrospect, the term "obvious" probably doesnt convey what I wanted to say properly. What I mean is that I am fully aware of arguments for the 'protection' of children that originated for religious reasons, such as certain Christian denomination's views on masturbation ("spilling seed"). I probably used "obvious" because reasons such as those are commonly cited, and, in terms of my question, I am more interested in non-theological justifications of the 'protection' of children. I apologize for any offense I may have inadvertantly caused. --anon

 * I think this is a fascinating question. Most parents in America, including secular ones, seem to think that there is something horribly wrong with chidren or adolescents seeing nudity. The ongoing debate about indecency in the U.S. revolves only around the best way to prevent young people from seeing indecency without infringing upon the rights of adults. That it is an imperative of government to "protect" children from indecency is considered a given. Now I lived in Europe for a couple of years, and things could not have been more different. There is nudity everywhere -- on daytime TV, on the news, on commercials, on billboards, on newsmagazine covers. No one cares. That certainly doesn't mean that European media is of a higher quality than American media by any means. Maybe there's something to be said for modesty -- I don't know. But it's fascinating to me how cultures superficially so similar could be so drastically different in this area. This would be a great book for someone to research and write. The title could be Nipplephobia.

 * I'd like to hear from some (non-libertarian) American parents as to whether they feel it's wrong for kids to see nudity, why it is so, and whether they were aware of the fact that many other countries do not share American society's views of "indecency." The nudity taboo is so ingrained into American society that my stepfather wouldn't believe me when I told him that they show nudity on Czech TV during the day. -- Mwalcoff 02:29, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

This last is a good question. You become very aware of your culture's customs in a very different light when you are raising children. There are certain times when I consciously made a decision about an issue like that: sometimes going with convention and occasionally not. One of the dimensions to this type of issue is that social conventions like nudity taboos have a variety of purposes, including acting as a social glue and distinguishing members of the community from outsiders. You don't do your children a favor by not making them aware of the edges of behavior that would trigger surprise and unwanted responses from people around: there is at least some potential social cost to flouting or being ignorant of community social standards. So in my opinion a smart parent picks and chooses which conventions are worth teaching a child to disregard and which are not. Every society has this type of convention, each of which looks kind of pointless to another society. For example, there is a difference between teaching a child that telling racist jokes is stupid and offensive, and teaching them that the nudity/modesty standards of their community are stupid and offensive. People who think there are only a few of this type of convention in each culture are being oblivious: we live in them like fish live in water and no society is free of them. Raising a child to be ignorant of the major taboos of his culture does him no favor, but there is nothing wrong with explaining to him what a taboo is and the difference between not doing something because it is morally wrong versus not doing something because it is illegal versus not doing something because it might create social trouble for you. Is that the kind of answer you wanted? alteripse 01:48, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Quote from previous response: "Now I lived in Europe for a couple of years, and things could not have been more different. There is nudity everywhere -- on daytime TV, on the news, on commercials, on billboards, on newsmagazine covers. No one cares." As a UK resident I would say us British seem still to be relatively uptight compared to our European neighbours. In fact some of our night-time TV shows are compilations of mainland European adverts which are notable to us for their unabashed nudity. There is also a definite moral panic about paedophilia here. Two cases I can recall illustrate this, the first being very relevant to the question; One of our newsreaders was investigated when a photo developing shop passed on her photos of her naked bathing child to the authorities; the second when a paediatrician was hounded from their home (slaps forehead). --bodnotbod 01:57, 13 October 2005 (UTC)
 * IIRC, Brass Eye presented an interesting take on the way that the media has a way of blowing such things right out of proportion. The biggest campaign against the programme was that of the Daily Mail, the very publication which usually contributes most to such panic situations. (13:12, 21 October 2005 (UTC))

 * This year I've started to watch UK television (previously I have only watched US television) and I've been quite suprised at the 'indecency' that is commonly shown. Some shows I've watched would never have been shown here (in the USA), and probably won't for decades ;) Peoplesunionpro 01:05, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

Regarding broadcast standards in the US, these are governed by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission), which seems to go for the easiest to enforce standards. Whether a nipple is showing is an easy thing to determine. Whether the portrayal of sexual activity will have a negative effect on children is much harder to determine, so they don't typically try to limit that. For example, the show Girlfriends features black women having multiple sexual partners outside of marriage and a typical conversation might have them comparing the penis sizes of their various men. This is on at 4 PM in my area (Detroit), so can be considered the new "after-school special". It would be easy to make the case that black teenage girls viewing such programs will think it is normal for them to engage in the unprotected sex shown on that show, and will then suffer the consequences of venereal diseases and pregnancy. This teenage pregnancy will tend to lead to a new generation born into poverty with little hope for the future. However, the FCC does not challenge that program, as they are careful not to show any nipples. As a consequence of buearocratic laziness, many current and future lives may well be ruined. StuRat 19:04, 22 October 2005 (UTC)

Regarding religious standards; remember that the major religions were formed thousands of years ago, before medicine and birth control, so any sex outside of marriage would almost inevitably lead to a fatal disease or pregnancy. Pregnancy outside of marriage might also be a death sentence then, as there was no social safety net to feed and house unwed mothers. Bearing all this in mind, it was of critical importance to prevent sex outside of marriage. This, I believe, is why such elaborate measures were taken as keeping women hidden from view at all times. Religion has only recently caught up with society regarding the ban on slavery (and with science on the Earth revolving around the Sun), so I wouldn't expect them to catch up regarding sex anytime soon. StuRat 19:16, 22 October 2005 (UTC)

WTO
How is the World Trade Oranization ran?

 * Exactly how the Fortune Global 500 want it to be run, seeing the governments of the world take most of their marching orders from them...

 * Oh, you wanted an answer that wasn't sarcastic? Try our article on the World Trade Organization. --Robert Merkel 15:05, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

6 October
6 October is "Ivy Day", marking the anniversary of the death in 1891 of the Irish parliamentarian Charles Stewart Parnell.

Ivy Day is most notably commemorated in James Joyce's short story " Ivy Day in the Commitee Room", included in the collection 'Dubliners'.

Still today in Dublin - wel, up to last year at least, Joyceans willl be seen about the city sporting a dark green Ivy Leaf on a jacket lapel

 * Maybe you'd enjoy creating the article about Ivy Day in the Committee Room which is listed under Dubliners but still needs someone knowledgeable to write about it. If you're new to wikipedia, you might want to check out Your first article and Tutorial first.  Happy Ivy Day.--Kewp (t) 16:37, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

Caesorion
Is there any connection between the name of Julius Caesor and Cleopatra's son's name and the type of birth of the same name? I have tried finding this information on my own thru other websites but I have found nothing - which I suppose suggests that there is no connection, but...

Thank you in advance,

Keith Reaume

 * Your spelling is letting you down: see Caesarean section. --Gareth Hughes 16:19, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

Of course there is a connection: both the son and the type of birth are named after Julius Caesar. alteripse 23:22, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Actually, this is a popular misconception (no pun intended). It almost certainly couldn't have been Julius Caesar, because mothers who underwent surgery to remove their babies from their wombs almost always died, however Julius's mother lived for many years after his birth.  The term refers to a distant ancestor of Julius Caesar.  And Cleopatra's son was Caesarion, whereas the operation is a caesarian section.  Cheers JackofOz 00:51, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

Do you think the type of delivery was called that before Julius Caesar or would have been called that since then if not associated with Julius Caesar? alteripse 00:54, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Check out caesarean section for some further discussion. Cheers JackofOz 02:12, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

I am convinced you are correct and a little embarrassed that I hadnt been skeptical of the folk etymology. Caesarean delivery is more likely to have been derived from caedere (cut),- the past participle of which is something like caesus from which we get incision and scissors. Thanks. So. New answer to Keith: what Jacko said! alteripse 10:33, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

I read an article in the European Stars and Stripes one time about an American columnist who wanted to get his hair cut like George Clooney's in a "Caesar cut". So he went to the German barber and asked for a "Kaiserschnitt", which he found out meant Caesarean section. At least, that's what his column claimed. :) User:Zoe|(talk) 05:30, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

Do Hindus have angels?
Do Hindus have angels? I am a Hindu and recently bought the book 'How to talk with your angels' by author Kim-O-Niell. I tried to talk to angels as said in that book. But, I was not able to talk to any angels. What should I do to talk to angels? How can I talk to angels? Please help.

I doubt that you will be able to talk to any angels, but don't fret, Hinduism has an answer. I strongly advise you read A Guide on Angels by Sophy Burnham, which describes in detail the existence of angels in comparative religions, including Hinduism. In Hinduism, there do exist Devas, nine planets called Navagrahas, ancestors, and living gurus to help guide and protect you in your life. In addition to those beneficent forces, there are also apsaras, who are from the lower astral realm. They serve to tempt and denigrate humankind. The apsaras are depicted as seductive beautiful women and the devas are shown as royalty, usually with a handsome appearance. As a polytheistic religion, remember, Hinduism does include spirits who are concerned with various aspects of life, land, and so on, but these are all manifestations of the supreme being Brahman. Be careful though, because many people who claim clairvoyance will say they can see your angels for you; I advise you read more and think more deeply about the subject alone.Screwball23 02:29, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

I am resisting the temptation to tell you that all the rest of us have angels we talk to regularly. So I won't pull your leg and I will assume you aren't pulling ours. Here is a straight answer. There are a whole lot of bestselling popular religion books like this published in the US. The buyers are mostly culturally-but-not-really Christians with average or below average intelligence who feel better reading these books, whose major message is "don't feel bad about yourself, Someone Very Important thinks you are just fine the way you are". If you match up most of them with real Christian doctrine (Eastern, Roman, Lutheran, Reformed, etc) you find the overlap small and very important things are missing. Sort of like the religious equivalent of french fries. So don't worry about it if the books (or the angels) are not talking to you. alteripse 22:56, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Yes, I'm struggling not to be flip here. But do you not have a religious leader who guides you in your worship who you can approach with such a question? --bodnotbod 02:00, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

Steve Vai
Hi, I was just wondering if anyone knows so much about Steve Vai that they could add some more to the articles of his albums?

 * I might look at leaving a copy of this comment on the talk page for Steve Vai. Alternatively, if you have knowledge about any of the albums or have access to reliable information about the albums, you may wish to add to the articles yourself. Our Introduction tells you more about how you can get started. Capitalistroadster 23:51, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Watch the movie Crossroads (1986). You'll see Stevie play some mean guitar!

crowdy bay australia
why is Crowdy Bay so called?
 * According to http://www.mynrma.com.au/mid_north_coast_cro.asp: "It reputedly gets its name from Captain Cook who dubbed a prominent headland 'Crowded Head' when he saw a crowd of aboriginals standing on it as he passed by in the Endeavour." Canley 00:47, 6 October 2005 (UTC)
 * The Macquarie Atlas has no record of a Crowdy Bay but does mention a Crowded Head as above. Capitalistroadster 06:48, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

Letter from Birmingham Jail/Martin Luther King Jr.
Why does king advoate non-violent means of protest?

Three possible reasons, don't you think?
 * It seemed to him the ethically right approach to the problem of improving the civil status of Negroes. Those who emphasize his upbringing as a Christian, his training as a preacher, and his admiration of Mahatma Gandhi tend to favor this explanation.
 * It seemed to him the most politically effective method to improve the civil status of Negroes. Liberal intellectuals and historians tend to emphasize this reason.
 * Subversive communist agitators convinced him to do it for the benefit of the Soviet Union. This was the reason favored by J. Edgar Hoover.

You decide. alteripse 00:52, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

The real answer is "Why not?". Does non-violence need any justification? JackofOz 00:54, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

Also remember it was the early 60s, and the riots at Watts & Detriot, Washington etc. hadn't happened yet. King was showing white Americans through the Freedom Rides, Selma etc., particularly in the north, just how prejudiced, violent and awful Jim Crow could be. Also you don't get invited to the White House if you're a violent social disturber, and King was trying to achieve change through rational & calm methods. Towards the middle 60s there was division in the african-american community about whether to use violent or non-violent means to achieve their aims, but after the assassination of Dr. King the violent impulses got free reign because there was no one left to argue for the other side. Additionally King was trying to achieve improvements for many people, not just african-americans. He was planning a Poor Peoples' March on Washington when he was distracted down to Memphis and killed. JK

What happened in 1945?

 * The United States spent most of the year without a Vice President. Please do your own homework. — Lomn | Talk / RfC 19:37, 5 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Also see 1945. Dismas|(talk) 00:22, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

 * It might also be worth mentioning that both Germany and Japan surrendered, ending World War 2, after Hitler committed suicide and 2 atomic bombs were dropped on Japan. Also, survivors of Germany's death camps were freed and Soviet control of Eastern Europe started, eventually degenerating into the Cold War.  And US President FDR died in office, being replaced by his VP Harry Truman.  See 1945 for details. StuRat 19:51, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

What is the etymology of "hoodwinked" (to deceive)?

 * A dictionary is a great reference for this. Try hoodwink at Wiktionary. — Lomn | Talk / RfC 19:38, 5 October 2005 (UTC)
 * I've yet to find a dictionary, however, that explains the etymology of hoodwinked. I think I'm pretty clear on the definition already. — Silvaran 23:09, 5 October 2005 (UTC)
 * To wink is to close ones eyes; a hood covers the head. The verb originally meant "to blindfold", which makes sense from the two parts - a hood that winks (blinds) you. (Blindfold itself was originally something like blind-fall - "to make blind"). It then became used metaphorically - compare to phrases like "pulling the wool over their eyes". Shimgray | talk | 23:28, 5 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Yep, it's that simple -- OED2 just lists "hood (n.) + wink (v.)" for etymology. — mendel ☎ 16:04, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

business non-profit status
What are the benifits to having a non-profit business? And what are the regulations enforced upon businesses to maintain non-profit status?

--Janelle
 * Generally, non-profits are taxed separately from regular businesses. However, the benefits and regulations vary by country and region, so it's probably best to check with your local Chamber of Commerce or a corporate lawyer for this. — Lomn | Talk / RfC 20:56, 5 October 2005 (UTC)

You also might find some interesting answers in the following articles, mainly on how it is handled in the USA (sorry I not have links to how it is in other nations), and those articles that these ones link to: AlMac|(talk) 20:13, 7 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Not-for-profit corporation
 * Non-profit organization
 * 501(c)
 * Also other articles in the categories these are in.

Quotation
"Age and treachery will usually overcome youth and enthusiasm." Who originally said it? When? Where, or in what work? Is it an accurate quote?

Try a few Google searches, mix up the quotation marks (like search "age and treachery" "youth and enthusiasm") and see what you get. I don't have time to do more right now, but...

http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:qMdRYf6v1LMJ:listserv.dom.edu/cgi-bin/wa.exe%3FA2%3Dind0201%26L%3Dstumpers-l%26D%3D0%26O%3DD%26P%3D92822+%22Age+and+treachery%22+%22youth+and+enthusiasm.%22+%22said%22&hl=en

has a link to this:

http://techupdate.zdnet.com/techupdate/stories/main/0,14179,2618616-3,00.html

Which says:

"He has a point, and for some reason the famous Mack Rhinelander .sig file pops into my head: ""Old age and guile will always triumph over youth and enthusiasm." Maybe it's a good thing for Helix Code that Updater isn't really what the business plan is all about. "

Hope this helps!

199.111.88.216 12:42, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

Death by crushing
A coworker and I were talking about the Salem witch trials and it reminded me of something that I had heard years ago. The story I heard was of some ruler having a large number of prisoners that he wanted to have executed. So he brought them all into an area and had them lay down. A dance floor was then constructed over them so that the weight of the floor and its occupants was supported by the people being crushed. The dancers were not told of what was below them and the people below the floor were crushed to death. Does this sound familiar to anyone? I don't recall where I heard of this and a few google searches haven't reaped any results. Dismas|(talk) 00:20, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

 * I'd think the screams would've tipped them off, or maybe the way the floor kept moving off level! More importantly, that'd have to be a pretty heavy dance floor, keeping in mind that the weight of the dancers would be distributed across all of the prisoners. After all, crushing by elephant used a whole elephant just to crush one person. — mendel ☎ 16:01, 6 October 2005 (UTC)
 * You make good points. I'm still curious where this came from though.  Dismas|(talk) 23:24, 6 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Well, it reminds me both of Edgar Allen Poe's "Hop-Frog Or the Eight Chained Ourang-Outangs", where an oppressed hunchback conspires to kill a king and his advisors at a party (but no crushing), and of the death of Francesco II of Gattilusia, who “on a journey through Lesbos, while passing the night in one of the lofty towers then common in the Archipelago, ... was stung by a scorpion. Alarmed at his cries, his attendants and nobles climbed up into his room in such numbers that the floor collapsed and he was killed on the spot ... .” (as recounted by William Addams Reitwiesner in The Lesbian Ancestors of Prince Rainier of Monaco, Dr. Otto von Habsburg, Brooke Shields, and the Marquis de Sade. But those are probably unrelated<g>. - Nunh-huh 04:27, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Wow. I had an elaborately flippant reply prepared... and then I checked. That monograph exists? Dude. I feel so much more cheerful about the world now. Shimgray | talk | 14:31, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

Memes
Is it true that a meme rarely regenerates? If asked, will a meme serve as an answer? Is it true that one can splice syntactical meaning with logical non-meaning? Can someone please explain/make better?

 * How gnomic. And, unfortunately, how very very far from my limits of intelligence.  However, if you read the comprehensive article on memes here on the Wikipedia, plus follow the excellent links to further resources provided at the foot of the page, you're bound to find out more.  Possibly.  Redvers ★ Hello ★ Doings 19:25, 21 October 2005 (UTC)

american red cross
Dear Sir/Madam,

I admit, maybe there is a flaw in my research method. Thus far I have been unable to find the answers to the following questions: What is the organizational structure of the American Red Cross? What is the chain of command? How does changes in the organization come about? (ie, who makes the changes? is there a board that vote on a bill? etc.)

Thank you.

julie

 * Take a look at . The fourth paragraph (starting "Following World War II") gives their organisational structure in brief. There's an email address at the bottom of that page which might provide a good resource for followup questions.-gadfium 04:46, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

Name of a Movie
I'm looking for a movie that I saw when I was very young about a journalist who decided to write about being a Playboy bunny. I can't remember much else about it except that. If you could help me I would really like to know its name. Kitten 9:51pm Oregon
 * Probably A Bunny's Tale, a 1985 TV-movie based on Gloria Steinem's experience and starting Kirstie Alley. --Metropolitan90 04:55, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

Thank you sooooo much I've being looking forever adn no one seems to know what I'm talking about:) Thanks agian:)

serenity prayer origins
There have been multiple claims that "Reinhold Niebuhr" popularized but not originated a much older version. Two of the more common original authors were Christoph Oetinger and Franz of Assisi.

If there had been earlier versions of this prayer, should we not be able to find in old texts in libraries in the world that have cited the prayer?

Has anyone claimed with "black on white" certainty, in whatever langauge, a printed source from a book earlier than 1900?

If none exist, then the WikiPedia entry should note this point as further support of the Reinhold Niebuhr claim to fame. Dlwl 04:47, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

Russian society
Why is the country of Russia more European than the rest of Asia? I can understand the western part being more like Europe but even the eastern section of Russian is far different the Mongolia, China, Japan or any other nearby coutries.

 * Our Russia article should provide some assistance. Our Demographics of Russia article should be of some assistance as should our History of Russia article. Capitalistroadster 06:56, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

 * The western part of Russia is not just like Europe, it is in Europe. Valiantis 12:17, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

 * It is tempting to say the Europeans colonized what is now Russia (and some of that did happen, mainly from the Vikings), but in prehistoric times just the reverse happened, the people in Europe came from what is now Russia. That is why they are called Caucasians, after the Caucasus Mountains  on the Southern border of Russia, where this broad ethnic group/gene pool/race apparently originated. StuRat 20:38, 8 October 2005 (UTC)
 * The "Caucasian" theory is pretty dubious; it comes from 19th century "racial theory" and is more or less based on one anatomist's personal preference for the skulls of people from that region as the exemplars of the "white race". The superficially similar idea that the Caucasus is the origin of the Indo-European languages, however, may be true.--Pharos 02:03, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Siberia and the Russian Far East has been extensively settled by ethnic Russians and Ukrainians from the west since the areas came under the control of the Russian Empire in the 19th century, a trend which continued during Soviet times, as in the Virgin Lands campaign.--Pharos 02:03, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

Can one name their child a curse word?
Hi, just a quick question, in the United States, I was wondering if it was legal to name a child a profanity. I would never do such a thing, but I was curious as to if there were any laws in the US that would stop this from occurring. My closest guess it that it be seen as a form of child abuse, perhaps, and the parents might be forced to either change the kids' name or give them up, but I don't know enough about US law to be sure. Okay, thanks for your time!

199.111.88.216 12:36, 6 October 2005 (UTC)
 * I would agree that someone would lock you up for child abuse or some such thing. I know it's not in the U.S. but in Sweden there was the case of "Albin".  His parents named him Brfxxccxxmnpcccclllmmnprxvclmnckssqlbb11116 and insisted that it be pronounced "Albin".  Dismas|(talk) 14:07, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

No laws at all in the US. There are plenty of weird names out there. Some make you think "poor kid." I think the only requirement for a legal name change if you are an adult is that it not be done "with intent to defraud." alteripse 14:37, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

Happens all the time. Friends in Detroit tell me they've personally seen medical records with a girl name pronounced "Ash-oh-lay" spelled Asshole and another name pronounced Shi-thay-uh-d spelled Shithead. Unbelievable, but the parents thought it was just fine. I'm sure you could verify this with birth records which are probably public record. - Taxman Talk 16:14, 6 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Well, those are classic urban legend -- down to the "friends" who personally have seen them. Snopes has a good discussion of these and other unlikely names (I've always been fond of the lovely name Chlamydia). As far as I know, there aren't any state laws restricting what parents can name their kids, and it's far from anything US Federal law would attempt to control (or at least one would hope.) --jpgordon∇∆∇∆ 22:10, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Such a law does exist in Quebec. Some people tried to name their kid "Spatule," as in the kitchen utensil, but they were prevented from doing so . -- Mwalcoff 23:57, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

 * There is a well known story about a little boy who asked his teacher why Mary and Joseph had named their baby after a swear word. Shantavira 13:03, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

My mother, a social worker once told me about a crack addict mother who was high as a kite at the time of her twins birth. She legally named on Chicken of the Sea and the other Master of the Universe. So who knows? Curse words might be no better. [moved from question below]
 * A child named Shithead is discussed in Freakonomics. Rmhermen 15:51, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

sovereign states
I wonder how come the field of international relations is reserved for 'sovereign states', while excluding minorities or autonomies.. Could any one refer me to treaties/agreements/conventions defining a 'state'? I've found the Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States, but it is (officially) limited to the Americas. Is there any convention in International Law which specifies 'sovereignity' and 'state'?

 * My understanding of this issue is that the definition of state as outlined in the Montevideo Convention is used as the de facto definition in international relations. -- Rune Welsh | ταλκ | <font color="#339900">Esperanza 21:29, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

It's one of those things that's hard to say. For example, the Universal Postal Union admits places that aren't states, e.g. Cayman Islands. The United States government traditionally had a test for whether or not to recognize a government. It had to have actual control over its territory, it had to respect international laws, and it had to have had peaceful intent. The U.S. didn't recognize the Soviet Union for some time because it immediately repudiated its international obligations and Communist doctrine was to take over the world. Basically, a state is any body which another country has recognized, e.g. some countries recognize Taiwan, others do not. PedanticallySpeaking 16:11, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

Novelist or Author?
Most writers are described (as in on their disambiguation page) as "Author", example: Melville (Herman). Some are described as "Novelist", example: Conrad (Joseph). What is proper? Which is most accurate and/or honorable? Should Wikipedia consistently denote things like this?

Thanks! --131.183.98.134 13:18, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

 * According to Author, "The author of a book, story, article or the like, is the person who has written it (or is writing it). This can be short or long, fiction or nonfiction, poetry or prose, technical or literature; in particular it is a profession (doing this for pay)." So an author is a writer, but a novelist is someone who writes novels.  Since Herman Melville wrote not only novels, but also short stories and poetry, the writer(s) of the article may have chosen to use author rather than novelist.  However, in his article he is referred to as a novelist.  Joseph Conrad also wrote novels and short stories, so perhaps he would be more accurately described as an author, rather than only a novelist.  Perhaps Wikipedia should be more consistent about this.  Be bold and change it yourself!

Frederick Douglass
Try Frederick Douglass --Borbrav 00:09, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

Royal grants of title
Dear Sirs: Please tell me where I can find the actual wording of an English royal grant of title from the 17th Century under Charles I. If such a document is not available, any English royal document will be helpful. Thanks you. Louise M. Gouge

 * What do you mean by "grant of title" - a grant of a title of nobility, or of title to land? The Avalon Project has a selection of letters patent for land grants. Are you trying to replicate one, or to confirm if a copy of one is accurate? Shimgray | talk | 17:19, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

media history and politics
how did the media change between 1750 and now?

 * I'm not sure I understand your question. Are you asking how "the media" changed in the sense of "the people who produce news information" or do you mean the question to be about the changes in how news information is conveyed since that time? In either case the changes between the 18th century and now are pretty large, it'd be hard to sum them up. In a nutshell, a lot of this has to do with changes in publishing -- cheap newspapers, increased literacy, changing role of news organizations, changing role of nation/states and the rights of communication, creation of magazines and other essay-length periodicals, etc., which are already a number of BIG changes which happen in the early 19th century without even getting into the innovations of the 20th century like radio, television, and the internet. --Fastfission 16:57, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

 * You can argue that telegraph was the biggie. All the rest is just refinements...  --Robert Merkel 07:52, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

calusa indians
What did the calusa indians eat?what did they drink?

 * Our Calusa article is silent on the issue other than referring to mounds of shells which suggests seafood was an important part of their diet. This article on various tribes of Native Americans in Florida states "The Caloosahatchee River ("River of the Calusa") was the main highway of the Calusa into the interior. Its banks teamed with small game and its waters were abundant with fish and shellfish. Calusa canoes could circumvent Lake Okeechobee and travel up the Kissimmee River into other tribal areas." It also seems that they were known as skilled hunters. Capitalistroadster 05:51, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

A title of Apollo
I have recently finished reading the excellent book War Music by Christopher Logue. It is a rewrite basically of the Illiad, and it is one of the most spectacular books I have ever read. I warmly recommend it to anybody, even if you're only slightly interested in Homer or poetry in general. Anyway, in the book he repeatadly calls Apollo The Lord of Light and Mice. The mice part is obviously a reference to the plauge amongst the greek troops. Now, I considered myself fairly knowledgable about classic greek works, in my youth I read both works by Homer aswell as several other great works, but I have never heard Apollo be called by that title. Logue says that his sources are exclusivly the several different translations of the Illiad (he can't even read greek), so is this something that like Alexander Pope used somewhere in his translation or something? Or is this a common title for the Sun-God? Any greek scholars here that can cast light on the subject? gkhan 16:11, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

 * 'Lord of Light' obviously comes from his role as the sun god; 'Lord of Mice' is indeed found in Homer, as Σμινθέως (glossed as 'Mouse-god'). (The same epithet is also found in Pausanius and Strabo.) I can't find any combination of the two names in any classical works; it may be from one English translation or another, but I suspect that it is of the author's invention. —Charles P. (Mirv) 01:53, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

I agree the combined epithet was invented by Logue, but there is a nice summary of the epithet smintheos ("god of the mice") from line 39 of book 1 of the Iliad in Walter Leaf's commentary: Smintheu, lit. ‘Mouse-god’; Apollo was worshipped under this title in the Troad, as at Smyrna as ‘Locust-god,’ Parnopios. Strabo (p. 606) knows of several places named Sminthia, as far as Rhodes. The Sminthian temple near Cape Lekton existed to historical times; and even on late coins of Alexandria Troas Apollo appears with a mouse at his feet. Mr. Lang argues that this indicates the amalgamation of the Greek Apollo with a local mouse-god, originally a tribal totem. The common explanation is that the word is a familiar abbreviation of Sminthophthoros, destroying the field-mice or voles which ravaged the vineyards: hoi gar Krêtes tous muas sminthous kalousin Schol. A (see Frazer's note on Paus.x. 12. 5). Only a few years ago Thessaly was seriously injured by an invasion of these little pests. Others see in the mouse the symbol of plague, which would be especially suitable here. In Herodotos the destruction of the army of Sennacherib is attributed not to a plague but to a host of field-mice which gnawed the Assyrian bow-strings in the night. A somewhat similar story connected with the colonization of the Troad is told by Strabo (p. 604). In 1 Sam. vi. 4 golden mice are offered as a propitiation when visited by a plague (W. Robertson Smith Kinship and Marriage in Early Arabia p. 302, where further evidence is given for a Semitic mouse-god). erepsa seems to indicate the most primitive form of temple -- a mere roof to protect the image of a god standing in a grove; for it was to groves, not to buildings, that sanctity originally belonged. Temples are rarely mentioned in H.; we hear only of those of Apollo and Athene in Troy, and of Athene at Athens. See note on 5.446. charienta seems to be proleptic, for thy pleasure. For the construction of the prayer cf. E 115.

I snipped the above from the Perseus project. For other associations and allusions, the smintheos epithet is also discussed more extensively by Robert Graves in The Greek Myths than in any of the other compendia of Greek mythology I am aware of. alteripse 02:44, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

political science
please in not more than 2 pages, what is the definition and nature of political science?

 * Ohh, you mean something like this? Please read the top of the page, then you can look at Political science and start from there. gkhan 18:48, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

banker's visors
Why were those old-fashioned visors worn by bankers green?

what is the role of the Popoe in the Ctholic church
The earthly head. See Pope. —Charles P. (Mirv) 19:35, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

The Ctholic church? Do you mean the Church of Cthulhu? -- Arwel 00:08, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

Article and section or Amendment of the Constitution
If a personis indicted for a crime, what are all the rights which he has per the United States Constitution(Not the Miranda warning). What articles or Amendments are these listed under?

 * The simple solution here is to think - well, Miranda v. Arizona held that people's rights weren't being protected on arrest, so what rights did they hold people had? Our article on that case says:
 * The Court held that suspects, prior to being interrogated by police, must be informed of their rights under the Fifth and Sixth Amendments to the United States Constitution.
 * (Note that the "Miranda right" is just to be warned of your rights - it didn't actually create those rights.) Our articles on the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution and Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution may be useful, also note the Fourteenth (which holds that all persons, citizen or noncitizen, are covered by these rights). Shimgray | talk | 19:57, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

I'm neither American nor am I a lawyer, so take this with a grain of salt :P Off the top of my head: I'm sure there are more. Please see our articles on these amendments for the details. Also, I guess technically you could say that the first amendment ensures free speach for prisoners :D gkhan 20:05, 6 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Fourth amendment guards against unlawful searches (not really a problem if you are already under arrest, but oh well)
 * Fifth amendment guards against having to witness against yourself and establishes grand jurys
 * Sixth amendment ensures a jury-trial in a criminal case
 * Seventh amendment ensures a jury-trail in a civil case
 * Eigth amendment guards against torture and excessive bail
 * Fourteenth ensures due process and equal protection

Who are the best selling authors in human history?
Is there a list available of the authors who have published the most books, in order of the number of books they have published? This seems like a very simple/common thing to wonder about, but I haven't been able to find any information on, for example, author, writer, bestseller, or lists of authors. I am particularly interested in whether the forty million novels published by Terry Pratchett place him in, for example, the top ten or twenty novelists in history, by publication numbers. Thanks. -- Creidieki 23:02, 6 October 2005 (UTC)
 * God
 * Mao Zedong -- <font color="#FF0000">Миборовский U 02:36, 7 October 2005 (UTC)
 * I hope you don't mean the bible. A bunch of people wrote the bible, the idea of a god was just the inspiration ☢ Kieff | Talk 07:48, 7 October 2005 (UTC)
 * The Communist Manifesto must be somewhere near the Little Red Book in terms of all-time sales records. That has to put Karl Marx up there at number three. It puts The Beatles claim to be bigger than Jesus into perspective. --Diderot 11:44, 7 October 2005 (UTC)
 * I would doubt that. Mao's work was required reading for all citizens of the world's most populous country; this was never the case with the Communist Manifesto. (Indeed, you might argue that the behaviour of those who later called themselves Communists suggests they hadn't paid much attention to Marx's message at all...) Valiantis 00:43, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Technically, God didn't write the bible. He may have told people what to put in it, but it was the people on earth who actually put pen to paper. See Old Testament and New Testament. - 131.211.210.16 07:50, 7 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Some was written directly. Ojw 19:47, 7 October 2005 (UTC)
 * However, if you are a believer, God did write the Koran (at least by dictation). That's probably sold a few copies. Valiantis 01:15, 8 October 2005 (UTC)
 * That is not exclusive to the Quran. The Bible has written dialogue or "dictation" from God as well. The Quran did sell about several million, but I cannot locate the exact number. In both books, many are distributed free of charge, making them difficult to calculate as bestsellers.23:38, 16 October 2005 (UTC)
 * According to her Wikipedia article Danielle Steel has sold 530 million novels. I make no claims as to the veracity of this figure, but it beats Terry Pratchett hands down if the 40 million figure quoted is correct. Valiantis 01:15, 8 October 2005 (UTC)
 * The appallingly uninventive Catherine Cookson has sold over 100 million according to our article, further knocking Pratchett down. I would strongly assume Stephen King has sold more than Pratchett, As would Tolkien. But I've tried dozens of tweaked searches to find a chart with no success. --bodnotbod 02:28, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

Greek word for excessive pride or ambition
hubris alteripse 01:19, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

Bob Dylan - Nashville Skyline
I know Dylan did all of his recordings "live" - never dubbed anything or laid down separate tracks. On Nashville Skyline at the beginning of the song "To Be Alone with You" he asks if the tape is rolling and then a few seconds later starts singing. Does anyone know if this was "planned" (which doesn't seem like something Dylan would do) or if this is just Dylan genuinely asking if the tape was rolling since this was a "live" take of him playing and singing like usual? Thanks. --Nadsat 00:56, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

Nadsat,

According to our article on Nashville Skyline, the recording of "To Be Alone With You" was very relaxed so I suspect it was unplanned and Dylan just liked the version of the song recorded in the take. The Allmusic.com article on the song states that the song was recorded in an "off-the-cuff atmosphere" see so it seems it was unplanned. Capitalistroadster 06:06, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Note also things like Bob Dylan's 115th Dream (where he collapses laughing) on Bringing It All Back Home, or various tracks on the Bootleg Series - there's a few starting with conversations, lead-ins, that sort of thing. Shimgray | talk | 11:49, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

Thank you for your responses. I have noticed many of the bootlegs have that sort of relaxed manner to them, but this was the first time I noticed it so blatantly on a released track. Although, perhaps the recording of Rainy Day Women #12 and #35 rivals this one. Thank you for confirming that Dylan never "pre-planned" his recordings - which makes them all the more admirable. --Nadsat 15:16, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

Boxer Rebellion
After I studied the Boxer Rebellion, I am wondering that what are the impacts of this event to China and "the outside world"? Would you please give me the answer as soon as possible and my e-mail address is (deleted to protect user's privacy). Thanks
 * edited for formatting and to remove user's e-mail address --Metropolitan90 02:05, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

 * See Boxer Rebellion for information. --Metropolitan90 02:05, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

Mr Ardennes
On the National Archives WWII photo gallery, number 111, there is the photo of the German soldier sometimes known as "Mr Ardennes". What is his name? What unit did he belong to? When was he born? Was he killed? Thanks. -- <font color="#FF0000">Миборовский U 02:08, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

 * The NARA's image description reads "A Nazi soldier, heavily armed, carries ammunition boxes forward with companion in territory taken by their counter-offensive in this scene from captured German film." Belgium, December 1944. but you probably already knew that. Date and place might give you a lead to figure out his unit... Lupo 08:25, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

 * The photographer (or cameraman, if it's a still from some movie) appears to have been on Fritz Winter, not to be confused with the painter Fritz Winter. However, on the various websites I found this image on there is some confusion on whether this is the photographer's name, the name of the soldier, or just a generic moniker. Lupo 08:51, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Got some more on him: "This man was in Kampfgruppe Hansen of the 2nd Company, I./SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt 1. His name is Walter Armbrusch, and he possesed the rank of SS-Schütze as an MG-42 gunner. Here he is seen after a successful attack on an Allied reconnaisance convy, with gear obtained from it. The picture is taken during the early days the Battle of the Bulge.". See, where there are a few more pictures of him. Maybe you can find more info in the book by Paul Pallud, The Battle of the Bulge, 1986; ISBN 0-90091-340-1, where he even features on the title. Lupo 09:10, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

 * And then again, maybe he's not Walter Armbrush: ... Also, see and . Contact the museum at Poteau... Lupo 09:32, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

HELP ME PLEASE
can someone please tell me what is the physical, metaphysical and spiritual nature of god as well as some of his personality traits, scars, tattoos, defining characteristics and his hair colour? PLEASE ANSWER RIGHT AWAY I NEED THIS FOR MY HOMEWORK FOR TOMORROW

 * Seriously, we don't do you your homework for you, and there's no way we can provide a short answer to a question that has prompted millions of pages of discussion amongst theologians and philosophers for thousands of years. Try Gadfium's suggestion.--Robert Merkel 06:05, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

 * So he did, live and learn. --fvw<SMALL> * </SMALL> 06:24, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

Sent to Unusual requests. --cesarb 23:01, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

Industrial revolution between 1760 and 1830
Hi, i have a question in mind. Does Industrial Revolution leads to Asia being colonized by the West? Thanks shuhui

 * Shuhui,

Our Industrial Revolution article states that took place in the late 18th and early 19th century. The chronology of Imperialism in Asia states that the Portuguese conquered Sri Lanka in 1505 and the process was well underway by the time that the Industrial Revolution started. Capitalistroadster 07:58, 7 October 2005 (UTC)
 * It didn't lead to it, but it did speed up the process by reducing the travel time between Europe & Asia & by increasing the industrial production capacity of Europe, & hence its demand for raw materials & its ability to provide colony countries with manufactured goods to bind them to the west (& in the case of guns & bullets to speed the process of conquest). AllanHainey 12:18, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

Rescind or revoke the Nobel Peace Prize
Has the Nobel Peace Prize ever been revoked, rescinded, stripped from, taken back, or otherwise discredited with respect to a particular recipient? Have there been political controversies after the fact of awarding the Prize? Has it ever been refused, on the part of the recipient?

 * To quote Richard Feynman:
 * Then I began to think, "How can I turn this all off? I don't want any of this!" So the first thing was to take the telephone off the hook, because calls were coming one right after the other. I tried to go back to sleep, but found it was impossible.
 * I went down to the study to think: What am I going to do? Maybe I won't accept the Prize. What would happen then? Maybe that's impossible.
 * I put the receiver back on the hook and the phone rang right away. It was a guy from Time magazine. I said to him, "Listen, I've got a problem, so I want this off the record. I don't know how to get out of this thing. Is there some way not to accept the Prize?"
 * He said, "I'm afraid, sir, that there isn't any way you can do it without making more of a fuss than if you leave it alone."
 * Now, he was talking about Physics not Peace, but the principle applies - it's really very difficult to refuse a Nobel prize without causing a massive amount of fuss. I don't believe anyone has done it. It's been treated as a joke with regards to some recipients - Henry Kissinger was a popular topic of satire, for example - but the prize itself hasn't been discredited nor have they had it revoked; note, though, that in many years it simply hasn't been awarded. In something as "political" as Peace, though, I suspect they quietly sound out the recipient to see if they're likely to do something messy like refuse it. Shimgray | talk | 11:38, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

A Nobel Prize can be refused but not taken back. After the outbreak of widespread Palestinian violence in 2001, people (depending on which side they were on) called for the rescinding of Yasser Arafat and Shimon Peres' peace prizes. But the Nobel people said that once you win a prize, it's yours to keep, just like on Wheel of Fortune. -- 70.27.57.22 00:28, 8 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Actually, Le Duc Tho refused when he and Kissinger were awarded it. Likewise, Jean-Paul Sartre refused his, though it got kind of messy. --jpgordon∇∆∇∆ 17:47, 7 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Gerhard Domagk and Richard Kuhn were forced to refuse Nobel Prizes by the Nazi Germany, but they accepted it after the war. Tintin 03:11, 9 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Boris Pasternak was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1958, but he declined to accept it, probably under pressure from the Soviet authorities. Tintin 10:25, 9 October 2005 (UTC)
 * They took it back from Milli Vanilli. Oh, no wait - I'm thinking of something else. --bodnotbod 02:42, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

SURVEY OF SELECTED SOCIETIES AND CULTURES IN AFRICA SOUTH OF THE SAHARA.
Africans clim to be the pace-setters in development but are still one of the deprived continents in the world.discuss

 * That's not a question. And which Africans, exactly, "clim" to be the pace-setters in development? – Quadell (talk) 11:53, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

Presidential approval ratings
Greetings. According to a Time poll, President Bush's approval rating is now down to 37%, his lowest ever. When was the last time any president had such a low approval rating? I assume Nixon's was lower toward the end, but has there been a case since then? – Quadell (talk) 11:51, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

 * There are "end of term" approval ratings which are recorded as lower, but these are generally statistically freaky - people who lose tend to have people saying they really preferred the other guy &c. So Nixon was 24% when he left, and Carter 34% according to - but you'd get more realistic numbers if you polled people the day before the election, not after.  has some polling data for the same week in their second terms, which is more the sort of data we're looking for. Gallup says Truman had the lowest approval ever, 23% in January 1952 - but in January '52, as mentioned above, we'd be looking at an end-of-office poll so it may be exaggerated. . Carter apparently hit a disapproval of 59%, which probably means under 37% approval (these figures never add up due to "undecided") during summer '79, so he's probably the last case - not really the example W. would like to compare himself to, I fear. (Before you cry "but Ford!", people kinda liked Ford, all told. Heck, I like Ford. He didn't screw up much.) Shimgray | talk | 12:32, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

ABC News says George H.W. Bush hit 33 percent during his presidency. That was right before the 1992 election. -- 70.27.57.22 00:22, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

also, do we have a list of US presidents who got the electoral vote without a popular majority, somewhere? I am curious as to how many times this has happened. 17:09, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

 * never mind, I found it, it happened four times, John Quincy Adams  1824, Samuel J. Tilden  1876,  Benjamin Harrison  1888 and George W. Bush 2000.

survey of selected societies and cultures in sub saharan africa.
African claims to be the pace-setters in development but it is still one of the deprived continents in the world.80.255.50.66 13:34, 7 October 2005 (UTC)
 * What's your question? Dismas|(talk) 13:49, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Anything that ends "Discuss" is obviously a homework question! Notinasnaid 14:21, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

Vocal range: Contralto and Sopprano
Hello, I've been looking all over the web for an answer to this question, so I hope you can help me. Recently, I started taking private vocal lessons, and discovered that my usable vocal range spans a little over 3 octaves. From D above tennor C to F above sopprano C. This covers both the Contralto and Sopprano ranges, and I wanted to know if there is a term for that, which I could put down on an application to music school. I've asked my teacher, but she isn't classically trained and doesn't know.

Thank you for your help.

Georgia

 * Mezzo-soprano, perhaps? I'm not familiar with the terminology of the field, though, and that seems to be a seperate classification which is not quite one nor the other. Looking at Fach might help, or Vocal ranges.
 * Alternately, if you just want your range determined, you could contact a vocal teacher who is classically trained (your teacher may know one) and ask if they'd be willing to let you know the proper terminology for the applications, for a small fee. They'll likely know this stuff better than someone who can't hear you! Shimgray | talk | 15:26, 7 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Most women's voices are naturally centred on the range of mezzo-soprano, and most women feel more comfortable singing closer to that range. It is important to note the difference between possible vocal range and the useful one: being able to eac a certain note does not mean that you will necessarily be able to sing it well. A trained voice is able to expand its range, though it often develops quite distinct registers. These are a bit like gears on a bike or car: the voice changes in timbre as it shifts register. It would be useful to sing through your range (ascending and descending) with your teacher and notice where the distinct divisions of register fall. This might give you some idea of your technical proficiency in a certain vocal range. Besides that, simply choose what is most comfortable and which range appeals to you most, noting that there is often more competition between sopranos than there is between other singers. --Gareth Hughes 15:35, 7 October 2005 (UTC)
 * I have no idea, but congrats on having such an amazing range. <font style="color:#5A3696;">♥<font style="color:#5A3696;">purplefeltangel (<font style="color:#5A3696;">talk ) ♥ (<font style="color:#5A3696;">contribs ) 21:27, 7 October 2005 (UTC)
 * I've been doing a lot of editing on vocal range articles in Wikipedia, so I'm delighted to see a question about it. I do love being useful. I agree with Shimgray. The only way to determine your voice type in classical terms is to work with a classical teacher for a few months and have him/her figure it out. Voice classification involves not just range but timbre, tessitura, registration, and so on. Until you've had some time to work out these things with a professional, it's not really sensible to apply a label. And, of course, it depends on what sort of music you tend to sing. Keep at the lessons, and worry about the labels later. 02:52, 8 October 2005 (UTC)
 * My son has almost the same range as an "unchanged" voice at 12-years old. The opera company lists him as a "Treble", a woman in the same range a "Mezzo-Soprano".
 * It will help your web search if you spell soprano correctly. --Auximines 13:07, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

Autonomy and Foreign Affairs
This is a restatement of a question above the received no replies. We're studying the relationships between sovereign states and autonomous regions or autonomous identity groups. It seems commonly accepted that 'international affairs' is a competency (a responsibility or delegated power) that is 'reserved' for the central government or the sovereign state, meaning then that autonomous regions generally are excluded from international affairs. Of course, there are exceptions. What we would like someone to help with is to point us at a reference that explains or defines or identifies the source of this generally accepted international legal norm. We would like to be able to point to the foundational documents, treaties, or international agreements which indicate how this practice came into effect. Thanks if you can help!

 * The first particular case I can think of is the US, where the "sovereign states" merged into a single entity and signed away their competency to international relations.
 * I remember reading some interesting debate on "montevideo minus one" entities a while back - places that fulfil three of the four Montevideo criteria - which is here. (Yes, Montevideo technically only refers to the Americas, but it is considered generally relevant in international affairs anyway - it's not binding, but it's something usually accepted as Making Good Sense). As one of the four criteria is "ability to enter into relations wirh other states", you might find it interesting. Shimgray | talk | 15:37, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Does having a military establishment create competency in that it's not so important to talk to someone who cannot invade your territory? --Gareth Hughes 15:58, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

 * During the Middle Ages, and earlier periods, it was common for local leaders to actively involve themselves in international relations. The Treaty of Westphalia is often considered the point where Europe switched to modern nation state based diplomacy. This came about, in part, because the central governments gained a monopoly on violence during this era. - SimonP 19:24, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

Actually, sometimes, subnational governments do get involved in international affairs. The Canadian province of Quebec, which likes to act as if it's an independent country, has its own ministry of international relations and has quasi-embassies all over the world. In the U.S., states are prevented from signing binding international agreements under Article I, Section 10 of the Constitution. Nonetheless, states regularly engage in nonbinding agreements and cooperation with foreign entities. See this article on the role of North American states and provinces in foreign affairs. -- Mwalcoff 01:09, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Many US states, and even major cities, have trade missions to other nations, states and cities ... check out sister cities for example.
 * Can a political entity join the United Nations or take grievances there?
 * Some American Indians complained to the UN that the USA had violated some treaties with them. Very true, but the UN did not recognize the tribes as having standing at the UN. AlMac|(talk) 02:57, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

 * There are various non-national entities with accepted observer status at the UN - see United Nations General Assembly observers - but they can't actually join, as this is reserved for sovereign states (and in effect not all of them - Taiwan, whilst generally considered sovereign by the world, won't be able to join as China would be sure to veto it) Shimgray | talk | 19:39, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

 * I don't know the source for the 'accepted legal norm' that only sovereign states are the only ones able to deal with other sovereign states in international affairs. I don't think that there is a specific legal document which sets it out (apart from impositions imposed by central government on the limits of the authority of their provinces or devolved components. I would suspect one or more of the following as the reason though:

1) No sovereign state is going to deal with a non sovereign state (Eg France makes a treaty with Wales) as it would lead to conflict, & possibly war, with the country (sovereign state) which claims that territory (Eg United Kingdom). Although in the past such things have occurred with countries making deals with governments in exile where the 'sovereign state' is one they are already at war with(eg UK sheltered, recognised & made agreements with French, Polish in exile in WW2 when their countries were no longer sovereign as they'd been occupied by Nazi germany.

2) No sovereign state would want to make deals with a constituent part of another country for fear that country will recognise & make treaties with parts of its own territory (EG the USA wouldn't have made a treaty with Scotland incase the UK made a treaty with Virginia, the CSA, etc).

3) Unless you are intentionally aiming to destabilise another country there would be no point in dealing with non-sovereign states as the sovereign state which claims authority over them wouldn't recognise any agreement (Eg if you made a treaty with Catalonia Spain wouldn't recognise it and would probably get very upset at both of you. Also if Catelonia made such an treaty in its own name it could be considered as an act of secession & could be quickly surpressed).

4) Unless it is making a bid for autonomy/independence no non-sovereign state is going to make a deal on international relations with a sovereign state. If its bid succeeds then it is a sovereign state itself & its agreement before that is forgotten (EG American colonies alliance with France before they won independence), or if they fail the agreement is forgotten & no longer valid (Can't think of any examples of this, though that may prove the point). AllanHainey 15:44, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

A basic principle of most international organizations (UN, African Union, OAS, etc.) is non-intereference by the organization or its members in the internal affairs of another member. making treaties or delas with a sub-national entity would violate that principle. I would expect that national governments developed that principle to protect their own positions against foreign interference. There are some small deviations from the principle: the Government of Quebec (as "Canada-Quebec"), and the French Community of Belgium are members La Francophonie as "participating governments", but these are rare exceptions. Ground Zero | t 21:40, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

 * One historical case I've just remembered is the British East India Company which was a non-sovereign commercial entity which made binding treaties (though they usually broke them) with a large number of Indian principalities & sovereign states. On a number of occasions even buying & selling some of those states to/from other Indian rulers. AllanHainey 07:11, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

Are patents copyrighted?
Are patent copyrighted? Are the text and images in a patent application copyrighted? Thanks. -- BMIComp (talk, HOWS MY DRIVING) 15:31, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Unless explicitly stated otherwise I would assume so. They are original work, they are creative, so yes. Shimgray | talk | 15:37, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

 * They're patented rather than copyrighted. But the effect is the same. You can't use such material. - Mgm|(talk) 16:27, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

 * To clarify: Of course the concepts being patented are copyrighted, but I'm fairly certain the actual documents involved in applying for a patent are public domain, if that's what you were asking. (But IANA patent L.) So you should be able to copy patent documents to your heart's content; just not the concepts. Garrett Albright 17:38, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Why would the patent documents be public domain? Yes, they're public information in the sense that they're not secret, but I'm not at all sure they're not copyrighted... Shimgray | talk | 17:56, 7 October 2005 (UTC)
 * The official patents are published by the US Government, and therefore can't be copyrighted, correct? Brian Schlosser42 20:13, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

 * That's right. When you apply for a patent, the materials are made freely available and public domain (in regards to copyright.) – Quadell (talk) 20:30, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Doesn't automatically follow, though - the USG can't claim copyright on its original work, but it is legally able to hold copyrights originally claimed by others; the GPO is able to publish copyrighted works, for example.
 * That said, I checked with the USPTO - Patents are published into the public domain as part of the terms of granting the patent to the inventor. As such, they are not subject to copyright restrictions. . Note it may still contain trademark images, so be careful when assuming freely-republishable. [Also, usual picky "well, he didn't say the US..." disclaimer ;-)] Shimgray | talk | 22:26, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

 * It also depends on which country. That might apply in the US but not in other countries with different Copyright laws. For example, much material from the US Government is in the public domain but that does not necessarily apply elsewhere. I would check with the relevant patent authority unless you are interested in the US. Capitalistroadster 08:54, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

Psychology
What is the philosophical difference or approach difference between social psychology and clinical psychology? (Is there a web site or a reference that you can recommend with a chart or a simplified explanation showing situations and both the clinical and social psychologists response to that situation or question?)Thank you--Cathy

The professional duties of a clinical psychologist are to her patients. Her most common work is dealing with the mental health problems of individual people. Her success is usually largely dependent on her patients' satisfactions or outcomes.

The duties of a social psychologist are nearly always to her employer, whether it be a university, a commercial business, a government agency, or a large organization that deals with the public. Her most common work is to understand, or devise ways to change, the behavior of groups or categories of people. Her success is largely judged by whether her employer or academic peers find her reports or suggestions worthwhile or useful. She is unlikely to deal individually with people in a therapy capacity.

And here is a value-added freebie: A clinical social worker is a different animal from both of those. Her training is different, but her work more closely resembles that of a a clinical psychologist than a social psycholgist. alteripse 20:17, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

Window types
Is there a such thing as "French" window? What are they? Is there a name for floor-to-ceiling windows? --213.186.190.39 16:54, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Yes, a French window (or French door) is a large window that reaches down to the floor and may also be used as a door. Why "French" I'm not sure. I don't know any special name for a floor-to-ceiling window. Maybe "picture window", but that's not necessarily floor-to-ceiling. --Bob Mellish 17:00, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

 * French windows ;) Ojw 11:56, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

 * An image search might help you, though not all the hits are valid. --bodnotbod 02:56, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

Music
Looking for some information on Music? --Borbrav 03:22, 8 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Does not compute... Need more parameters. =p __earth 14:20, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

Philosophers who said that a God who intervenes in the world miraculously is not benevolent
I'm currently researching the idea that if God performs miracles in the world he is not considered benevolent. An idea shared by Wiles and Hume that I know of. Especially with infant deity argument.

This obviously links with the problem of evil and epistemic distance.

Arguments for and against from philosophers and perhaps personal opinions would be useful.
 * Define benevolent, and define miracles?--inksT 01:17, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

 * The Judaeo-Christian concept of God. A miracle as an act of God such as creation or direct interevention such as healing a foot.

 * The major argument for would be that if God does do miracles, then God can do miracles, and if he is benevolent, there is no reason why He can't do a whole lot more miracles. God would then either be arbitary (since it cannot be reasonably argued that people who recieve miracles are more deserving than those who don't), or actually cruel. God would, of course, also be rendered imperfect, because events in the world would be shown to be not part of His plan to such an extent that He needs to dabble and fix things.--Fangz 01:01, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

 * I would also suggest you look at our Miracle article which discusses the concept from various points of view. Capitalistroadster 08:59, 9 October 2005 (UTC)
 * and theodicy.

Why not take as a supposition God giving man free will is evidence of benevolence. If God intervenes, that free will is taken away and God is not being benevolent.

 * Surely that depends on the manner of the intervention? If his intervention is in healing and offering greater wealth then he is increasing freedom and still benevolent. --bodnotbod 03:01, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

I disagree ;-) If God intervenes, God takes away man's free will to choose and experience the consequences of his actions.  That is not benevolence:  that is a patrician "Let Pa Clean Up Your Mess" attitude I'm sure enlightened beings wouldn't be proud of asserting on those more clumsy.

Pronunciation of the artist Edgar Degas's name
A friend once told me that the correct pronunciation of Degas's name was Degas, with the final "s" being sounded, rather than "Degah". Never have I heard it pronounced thus. What do you think?--Nora Brown 23:24, 7 October 2005 (UTC)

Click the audio link: Webster lots of issues  | leave me a message 01:00, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Funny things over at MWD: the link led me straight to degas (that is gas removal), and only then to Degas. However, as it used its own non-scientific pronunciation key the dictionary is a bit of a nonsense when it comes to pronunciations. However, the tradition of not pronouncing s at the end of a French word is not straighforward. There are many place names and personal names that retain the pronunciation of the final s. Thus, I have a strong suspicion that the final letter of Degas is pronounced. However, most dictionaries say that this letter isn't pronounced. --Gareth Hughes 13:44, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

 * I've updated the Edgar Degas article with the IPA transcription of the what I believe to be the most appropriate pronunciation. This does not have the -s pronounced. I'll keep looking for sources on this one. --Gareth Hughes 14:58, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

I'm pretty sure that Gareth's transcription as is correct. However it does seem quite common for English-speaking people even in TV broadcasts and so on to pronounce it as as if it were spelt "Dégas". --rossb 06:28, 22 October 2005 (UTC)

Warfuse
I was at a local war museum the other day, taking pictures for the glory of Wikipedia with my trusty Cyber-shot, when I saw this captured German artillery piece (Image:Capturedgermanartillery.JPG), which I managed to identify as an M96nA, from World War I. On the blue plaque affixed to the front, it says: GERMAN 77mm GUN Taken by 33rd Aust Battalion at WARFUSE 8 Aug 1918 I googled "Warfuse", but could find nothing helpful in English. I scoured around Wikipedia, looking for something relevant about that date, August 8, 1918. That was the day that the Battle of Amiens, which pitted a Canadian/Australian force against the Germans, began. I've placed the image of the gun on the Amiens page, as it seems almost certain that that was when it was captured, but I'm curious: does anyone know anything about this Warfuse place? DO'Иeil 06:59, 8 October 2005 (UTC)
 * It's a poorly spelled version of Warfusée, a village just outside of Amiens, now part of the municipality of Lamotte-Warfusée, Somme. --Diderot 08:29, 8 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Ah, alright. I had suspected that "Warfuse" was perhaps a little village near Amiens somewhere, thanks for clearing this up. —DO'Иeil 04:14, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

What came first, Catholicism or Christianity?
--66.74.170.119 10:09, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

 * They should have appeared at the same time -- Catholic basically means "lack of divisions", and was used by the early christians. The term Christian was coined by observers, rather than by the christians themselves, and would have been used at about the same time. If you're asking about Roman Catholic, then History of the Roman Catholic Church mentions that it started 313AD, when  the Roman Empire (specicially, Emperor Constantine) adopted Christianity. Ojw 11:35, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

There are different answers to your question from different perspectives. For example, the present Roman Catholic church claims to be the original and only valid Christian church. Their official doctrinal answer would be that Christianity and Roman Catholicism began together with the spread of the Gospel by the first Apostles. From a non-Roman Catholic historical perspective and a broader definition of Christianity (all the churches who proclaim that Christ is the prinicipal historical connection between humanity and God) then you might argue that Roman Catholicism only came into being by defining itself against other groups who were also Christian. There were many different forms of Christianity in the first 3 centuries AD, some of which survived and many of which did not survive the push for hegemony by the orthodox church in the West. Finally, from a semantic perspective, you might note that no group calls itself catholic (as in universal) until it is not or has not been catholic. alteripse 12:14, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

 * From memory, Ignatius of Antioch (who died sometime around the beginning of the 2nd century) was the first person to use the term catholic. By it he meant the worldwide church that held fast to a consensus of revealed doctrine (i.e. excluding heretics) and obedience to one's bishop. On the other hand, the Bibile itself tells us, in the Acts of the Apostles 11.26, that the followers of Jesus were first called Christian in Antioch. This suggests that this term is older. --Gareth Hughes 19:25, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

 * I take your question to mean, which came first, the belief in Jesus as the son of God, or the Roman Catholic Church. If this is what you meant, there were definitely many who believed Jesus was the son of God before the formation of the Roman Catholic Church, which happend a few centuries after the death of Christ.  One could even argue that some believed in Christianity prior to the birth of Jesus, in that there were many who believed in a prophecy of His birth. StuRat 20:53, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

stereotype
can you explain more about stereotype?
 * More than what's in our stereotype article? Dismas|(talk) 14:39, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

 * The question was answered back in 2002, by contributors to the stereotype article. Talk about efficiency! It's almost like they predicted your question. Ojw 14:50, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

Baseball
who invented baseball?

See Origins of baseball. —Charles P. (Mirv) 18:37, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

Name of Island
What is the name of the island between South Africa and Australia, where both English and French are spoken? Thank you Pattron

 * Maybe you're thinking of the Seychelles. --Gareth Hughes 20:24, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

 * "Suzy and Cecil sell seashells and C-shells by the seashore in the Seychelles."

 * Or perhaps you're after Mauritius? —DO'Иeil 04:17, 9 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Well it could also be Réunion, but all these islands are not between South Africa and Australia but further north between Mozambique and Australia. Don't forget about Madagascar which the population speaks French and a local Malagasy language--Jcw69 12:26, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

democritus the mathematician and any link to democracy.
Sir maam I would like to know if there is any link between democritus the ancient greek mathematician that had a delemma with the atomic structure of a cone shape because he could not percieve atomic bonding other than in parralel planes hence instead of being smooth the cone would be stepped.Further to this he also believed that there was a hiarchy and that everything had its place and that there is no God. Hence you can see the relevance of my question is democracy named after him.Because if it is it might explain the reference to the devils number and it being that of a man.Also the reference to wise men and numbers(mathamatics)in the bible.Hence democracy is in oposition to God,as was its namesake.

 * I doubt if democracy is named after him, more likely both his name and democracy share the same root word. As for his argument on the cylinder, he was right, it is rough at the atomic level, not smooth.  Of course, the surfaces of all shapes are relatively rough at the atomic level. StuRat 21:26, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Democracy stems from the greek words δημος (demos), meaning The people, and κρατειν (kratein), meaning to rule. I.e. it means "The rule of the people". Also, I would personally like to say that I believe that democracy is very much formed in the same spirit as christianity. Democracy preaches that all men and women everywhere are equals, none should have more power than anyone else. This is certainly in the spirit of Christ, no? gkhan 00:07, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

 * In relation to this, I believe the -crit- part of the name is from the Greek word κριτης (krites) meaning judge. Thus Democritus is "judge of the people".   [[Sam Korn ]] 14:21, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

 * That's quite a strange logical path you're winding. You go from "Democritus had a mathematical question which made him think there was no God" (I have no idea if this is true or not), to "If democracy is named after him, then democracy must be in opposition to God". I'm not sure I follow you on that one. --Fastfission 14:51, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

 * There's no etymological connection, but historically Democritus and the Atomists were just about the only ancient Greek philosophical school to embrace democracy, a system of government strongly opposed by Socrates, Plato and Aristotle.--Pharos 06:07, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

Regarding the last battle scene from the movie Cleopatra
I have two questions which I would appreciate guidance to other sources of information and/or a/some webpage(s) in Wikipedia on the following: (1) Is the Roman general(?) "Ruffio" as called by Marc Antony (played by the late Richard Burton) a true figure in Ancient Roman history or a fictional character in the movie? If "Ruffio" was a real figure in history can you give more information on his life and military history/science especially in relation to the battle described below in (2)? (2) Was the battle between Octavion's and Agrippa's 20 legions (as described in the movie) versus Antony's and Ruffio's 2 legions true [I surmise it took place near what is now Alexandria, Egypt] (in which Antony's and Ruffio's 2 legions desert them and in fact Ruffio is assasinated as depicted in the movie and no actual blood was shed (except Ruffio's)?) If this highly dramtic battle (in the movie) is historically true...can you give the name of this battle, when it occurred, and the military history/science of it (especially how soldiers from both sides were deployed before the fighting began). Thank you very much. Sincerely, a fan of chess and the film "Cleopatra" starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.

 * The article on the battle of Actium doesn't answer all your questions, but may be of use to you. --Gareth Hughes 03:05, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Our Cleopatra article says the characters name was Rufio played by Martin Landau. According to Cleopatra: Ruling in the Shadow of Rome by Julian Morgan, Julius Caesar left an ex-slave by that name in charge of the legions in Egypt. A character by that name appeared in Caesar and Cleopatra by George Bernard Shaw. 203.26.16.66 09:29, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

That was me. Capitalistroadster 09:43, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

Most of what we know about Octavian's final defeat of Mark Antony comes from the biography of the latter in Plutarch's Parallel Lives (which may not be entirely reliable). See for the Loeb translation. Note that Rufio does not appear in the ancient accounts, so perhaps his role was invented later (I note that he appears in George Bernard Shaw's 1901 play Caesar and Cleopatra; perhaps Shaw had noted the remark in Suetonius that Julius Caesar had given the command of his legions in Alexandria to the son of his freedman Rufinus). Gdr 16:34, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

Federalism vs Anti-Federalism
I am trying to study on my US History and not being quite up to date on this/ I am 48 years old trying to go to school I have a couple of questions.

1. Is a Federalists the same as or close to a Republican?

2. If your not a Federalist are you a Democrat?

Please if anyone can help me with this and explain it in simple terms then please let me know.

Childofyah 03:08, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

 * No to both questions. While US politics has consistently split into two opposing parties (sometimes with a significant third party, as well), the issue over which the split occurs has changed over time.  The original split was over whether we should have a strong central government and weak states or strong states and a weak central government.  The strong central government side eventually won, then the issue moved on to pro- or anti-slavery.  After the anti-slavery side won, the split became primarily economic, with Democrats on the side of the poor and Republicans on the side of the rich.  A new dynamic seems to be emerging in recent years, with Republicans being on the side of a religious society and Democrats favoring secular values.  It's too soon to tell if this is a permanent shift or just a temporary trend, however. StuRat 03:45, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Democrats on the side of the poor and Republicans on the side of the rich -- Careful! It would be more correct to say that the Dems are/were in favor of higher taxes and more social programs, whereas the Republicans are/were more for tax cutbacks and reduction of social programs -- though it hasn't been quite that simple, either. And the goals of political parties have fluctuated wildly over time, so just as you can't say Anti-Federalists == Democrats, you can't say Democrats ca 1870 == Democrats now; Dems today tend to be in favor of affirmative action programs that give benefits to minorities, yet during most of the civil rights struggle of the last two centuries, they were on the side of white hegemony.

 * So I guess the simplest terms I could use would be this: If you try to collaborate the political parties of today with the political parties of yesterday, you'll drive yourself bonkers. Garrett Albright 08:24, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

 * I stand by my statement that Democrats have been primarily on the side of the poor and Republicans on the side of the rich, at least since FDR took office. Using your example, higher taxes supported by Democrats disproportionately affect the wealthy, even if there is a future flat rate tax, and even more so under the current progressive rate.  Social programs disproportionately help the poor, at least that is their goal.  There are some thoughts that many social programs may actually harm people, in the long run, by encouraging dependency, but that certainly was not the intent of those programs. Republican initiatives, like reducing business and environmental regulation, also disproportionately help business owners, who tend to be wealthier than the average American. StuRat 16:27, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

 * I like to think of it that Democrats are more like social democrats (prefer some kind of welfare state) while neocons are free markeeters. __earth 05:52, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Or, stated from the opposite POV, Democrats prefer a social safety net while Republicans believe in economic "survival of the fittest", which they take to mean themselves, the rich. StuRat 14:42, 14 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Ah, but that's assuming the simplistic fallacy that all Republicans are rich, which is just as clearly incorrect as saying all Democrats are poor. Garrett Albright 17:08, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Our United States Federalist Party explains the history of the Federalists who were led by John Adams and Alexander Hamilton. They were opposed by the Democratic-Republican Party (United States) led by Thomas Jefferson who were called the Republicans but who who were not modern-day Republicans. Indeed, they evolved into the modern day Democratic Party (United States) at the time of Andrew Jackson. The Republican Party (United States) evolved from the United States Whig Party and their first President was Abraham Lincoln. The above articles contain more information. Capitalistroadster 09:54, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

Law Codification
I would like to bring to your attention that under the section of Napoleonic Codes you have an error. Before this codification, another successful codificatoin was made in Malta under the Knights of St. John. The man who was responsible for this codification was later on also in charge of codifying the Napoleonic Code. If you would like any further information please contact me on <removed e-mail>

 * We would be interested in finding out more. It may well have potential for an article or articles. Capitalistroadster 10:16, 9 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Thank you for your suggestion. When you feel an article needs improvement, please feel free to make those changes. Wikipedia is a wiki, so anyone can edit almost any article by simply following the  link at the top. The Wikipedia community encourages you to be bold in updating pages. Don't worry too much about making honest mistakes — they're likely to be found and corrected quickly. If you're not sure how editing works, check out how to edit a page, or use the sandbox to try out your editing skills.  New contributors are always welcome. You don't even need to log in (although there are many reasons why you might want to). Dismas|(talk) 14:33, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

New Zealand legal
Can you provide information on the penalties for shop lifting, including diversion for a first time offender without previous convictions of any sort? -- Miriam
 * If you are in New Zealand, it would be better to contact your local Community Law Office, or Citizens Advice Bureau. and  --inksT 22:00, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

nelson
when nelson was born

Do you mean Horatio Nelson, British Admiral from Battle of Trafalgar? Nelson Mandela, South African Politician? Nelson Muntz, Simpsons Character (!)? There is a more complete list of Nelsons at Nelson. <font style="color:#00BB55"> smurray <font style="color:#00AA77"> in <font style =""color:#00EE55"> chester (User), (Talk) 13:29, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

Egypt
Explain why wood in egypt was so expensive. and tell me were you got the info from so send the link.

 * This link will tell you how much forest and woodland there is in Egypt. You should then be able to work out the rest of your homework question by yourself. Shantavira 18:25, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

Middle Ages
What were the natural resources of Europe during the Middle Ages?

Jenna

Please do your own homework questions. Although, there was a lot of wood. <font style="color:#00BB55"> smurray <font style="color:#00AA77"> in <font style =""color:#00EE55"> chester (User), (Talk) 20:22, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Can't you be locked up for suggesting "a lot of wood" to a schoolgirl? Majts 23:56, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

 * No, but you can for making jokes like that. DJ Clayworth 18:55, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

I Imagine the same as they have now only more. Their was also many wild animals such as bears and Wolfs.

The Jewish Tabernacle
I am doing a special school project on making the Jewish tabernacle. I've looked everywhere on the internet and I'm still confused on the outer design on the tabernacle. It's supposed to be a cheribum (a winged angel) but I've got 2 different pictures with 2 different design neither in the deisgn of a cheribum or anything near it. Would you pleas help me by supplying an accurate design because I don't want to get a bad grade because of a pattern error... The Student

 * Is that the same as the Temple of David ? StuRat 01:57, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

Are you constructing it according to the instructions in Exodus? No one knows what a cherubim looked like, so you can't flunk unless your teacher is certain he knows and made a big deal out of telling you exactly why he knows. Most modern depictions use a conventional 19th century angel images, a "guy in a robe with wings". Here are google image searches for tabernacle [ or cherubim . [[User:Alteripse|alteripse]] 11:41, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

guys, you are confusing tabernacle (the tent) with the Ark of the Covenant (the box with cherubim). Also "Jewish Tabernacle" is a bit of an anachronism. It should more properly be called "Hebrew Tabernacle". 17:05, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

How so? I know the difference and assumed he was referring to the one with detailed specs from exodus, and wanted pictures of cherubim so he could put the ark in the tabernacle. alteripse 17:43, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

Vostok1 patch
I am wondering what the letters are on the side of the ball(space pod) in the patch. I believe it might be CCCp but am not sure. I need to know for a project I am doing. --sarah

 * Yep, you are correct, CCCP stands for Союз Советских Социалистических Республик which is USSR in Cyrillic Majts 23:23, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

HELP! I need some information on Upton Sinclair.....
Hi! I need to find out what Upton Sinclair's height and weight were when he died. Do you happen to know where I can find this info??? I have searched and searched for this and cannot find it. If you find it, can you email me at [e-mail removed]??? Thanks!!!

numismatist, what does it mean?
Someone who studies and/or collects (for other than value as money) coins and currency. See Numismatics.

Automatic ?drawing?
Can someone give me the name of the museum or a link to it's website in which I can find the Czechoslovakian, or Czech artwork of a cult from the mid to late 20th century where they used a trance like state to draw creatures from other worlds? phew. I know the cult was from Czechoslovakia and they denounced alcohol, tobacco, drugs, and even sex. If anyone could shine any light on this it would be great!! - Joe

Concentration Camp No. 333 in Poland
My father was in subject concentration camp in 1943-44 as an Italian Army officer. In reading his memoirs I find that it was near a town called Beniaminswo or Beniaminsovo or Beniaminowo. His writing is very small and difficult to make out. I am trying to locate that concentration camp geographically by locating the town it was near. If anyone who knows Poland well can shed some light on this, I would appreciate it. george68.220.84.89 01:27, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Here is a map showing where Beniaminow is. Stalag 333 was located there. --jpgordon∇∆∇∆ 02:19, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Note that you need to zoom in one step to see the name of the town. StuRat 02:30, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Stalag 333 was originally in Ostrow-Komorowo, Poland from 03/1942 to 09/1943 and was then moved to Beniaminow, Poland until it's closure in 01/1944, according to this site:

 * http://www.pegasus-one.org/pow/Stalag.htm

 * StuRat 02:36, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

 * This site has an interesting document, it's a postcard from there, apparently just to notify the family that Danilo Pasotto was a Prisoner of War at that site:

 * http://www.moosburg.org/info/stalag/post.html (index)

 * http://www.moosburg.org/info/stalag/bilder/st3331.jpg (front)

 * http://www.moosburg.org/info/stalag/bilder/st3332.jpg (back)

 * StuRat 02:49, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

THANK YOU VERY MUCH - YOU HAVE MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE. I MAY EVEN DECIDE TO TRAVEL THERE AND SEE IT FOR MYSELF - THANK YOU AGAIN

 * You're welcome. However, you may very well find that the site is now a strip mall.  Very few such sites have been preserved. StuRat 14:52, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

What is Hartz IV
Hartz IV. David Sneek 12:30, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

Social and Political Background
What does general socail and political back ground mean

What does general social and political Backgrounds.

 * Is this a homework question? If so, for what grade level or age group? AlMac|(talk) 20:53, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

Urban Anthropology
Hi

I am looking for information which will help me with an assignment i have to observe a community (Small for a short period of Time) i am looking for help to find good books and website any help apopreciated.

 * What level of schooling is this an assignment for? Most of the handbooks on anthropological methodology are for the graduate or postgraduate level and won't make any sense to people who aren't already well-read in the field. Unfortunately, I don't know of any good web resources offhand for this sort of thing at the level you are probably looking for it (sounds like a good candidate for a Wikibook, if someone wants to write one!). --Fastfission 03:21, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

what is the schuman declaration?
We have an article on the Schuman Declaration. Does that help? KeithD (talk) 16:44, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

Sailors and Explorers
Name some explorers of the 15th century?
 * We're not here to do your homework for you, but you could look at 15th century. Also, remember that the 15th century covers the years 1401-1500, so don't get confused and look at dates of 15xx.-gadfium 20:31, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

Henry the Navigator John and Sebastian Cabot. Vasco De Gamma
 * Christopher Columbus for a start. Capitalistroadster 03:49, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

North Korean motto
In the North Korea article, it used to say that the motto is "One is sure to win if one believes in and depends upon the people (translation)." I removed it because I couldn't find the original version, nor verify it. Even the editors in the Korean Wikipedia couldn't find the source nor the original. Can anyone verify this? Thanks. -- WB 17:37, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

 * For what it's worth, that sounds somewhat like someone trying to summarise the concept of juche, which I suspect is where it came from. Shimgray | talk | 23:09, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

turkish
what year did the turkish invade algeria ? :)

 * ,:| ? The Ottoman Empire gained control over Maghreb under Suleiman the Magnificent. --Diderot 20:00, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

I myself am not sure but History of Ottoman Algeria might help. __earth 14:31, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

Lunar Months in the Celtic Calender
In the Celtic lunar calendar each lunar month corresponds to a letter, which in turn corresponds to a tree. How do these designations correspond, (roughly), to our own twelve month year?

 * Check Celtic calendar. There are a couple of good external links that may help you. ≈ jossi fresco ≈ 19:56, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

Can an Arab be a Jew or a Jew be an Arab?
The articles on Arab and Jew explain some of the different definitions. These different definitions mean that no clear and definite answer can be given to the question. However, of particular note are the Mizrahi and Sephardi who are Arabic-speaking Jews. KeithD (talk) 20:50, 10 October 2005 (UTC)
 * (written before edit conflict) One can be of Arab descent and be a follower of Judaism, sure. I guess if your father is of Arab descent and your mother is Jewish, you'd be an Arabic Jew. You can also be a Jew for Jesus. Or a Arabic Christian. The thing is, Judaism is a religion and the Jews are an ethnic group, whereas Arabs are an ethnic group, but not a religion. Does that make sense? Brian Schlosser42 20:54, 10 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Both Arabs & Jews (ethnically) are semitic peoples too (semitic race, don't know the right terinology). AllanHainey 07:04, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

 * It depends very much by what meaning is intended by the words "Arab" and "Jew". Broad social categories of this type entail non-trivial ambiguities, which are to some extent covered in Wikipedia articles.  "Arab", taken as a question of national citizenship in a formally or informally Arab state, means that just as there are French Jews and American Jews, there can also be Arab Jews.  Although the number of people this defintion can cover has been fairly small since the expulsions and immigrations following 1948, it is non-zero.

 * "Arab" seen as an ethnicity is more difficult. "French" and "American" are not viewed as ethnic labels by all of the people they apply to, so some Jews and non-Jews do not view being a French Jew as implying being ethnically French, while the notion of anyone being ethnically American is fairly strongly discouraged in modern America.  Opinions vary, both among Jews and non-Jews, about the applicability of various ethnic labels to Jews.  However, language preference is often used as a surrogate for ethnic identity among Arabs.  By this criterion, many Jews would qualify as Arabs, since there is a large Arabic-speaking Jewish population,  But it is probable that few Arabic-speaking Jews would choose to identify themselves in this manner, and no doubt many Arabs would reject such an identification as well in the current political climate.

 * Judaism seen as a religious quality, however, poses an entirely different set of boundary issues. Yes, people who identify themselves as ethically, linguistically or nationally as Arab can convert to Judaism.  I do not know how many such people exist but I presume the number to be larger than zero.  Also, given the current political conditions, I do not know if such people would identify themselves as Arabs, or if they would prefer to see the adoption of Judaism as a larger change of identity.  I expect different people see things in different ways.

 * Ultimately, I suspect that not too many people would identify themselves as "Arab Jews" and that current conditions would discourage most of those to whom one or more of the above definitions might apply from doing so. But, it is not logically incoherent under any of the usual definitions of "Arab" or "Jew" to be an "Arab Jew".  However, it is highly ambiguous in isolation exactly what such an identity might entail. --Diderot 08:04, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

Massachusetts Bay Colony
A bay can be the colour of a horse, a herb, a gulf of water, a region of Somalia or a high official of the Egyptian 19th Dynasty. A colony might mean the settling of new land, but often requires the forceable removable of that land's previous inhabitants (if you do not believe in aliens, try space colonization). Otherwise, lots of animals, insects and assorted organisms live in colonies. Colony also happens to be a cracking good album of Swedish melodic death metal. As for masachusits, I've never heard of it. It may be that I'm spelling it wrongly, but it sounds like an Indian name, perhaps introduced into the English language during the Raj. Enjoy! --Gareth Hughes 23:19, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

the grachus reforms
what were the grachus reforms of rome?--66.213.25.12 22:42, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

 * See Tiberius Gracchus, and note that there are two c ' s in the name. --Gareth Hughes 22:57, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

What are the steps in the Unites States Election process?
What are the steps in the Unites States Election Process?

 * The steps are outlined in the articles on U.S. presidential election ad midterm elections. --Gareth Hughes 23:26, 10 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Then you can hop from them to Elections in the United States. --Gareth Hughes 23:29, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

William Penn and treaties with Indians
I am looking for the text of any treaty with the Indians written by William Penn. Is there the exact wording somewhere? It is said Penn's treaties were the only ones never broken with Native Americans (in his lifetime. Thanks!

Ark of the Covenant

 * See Ark of the Covenant. Or, alternatively, Raiders of the Lost Ark. --Fastfission 03:36, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Or The Ark (Halo) ;) Ojw 20:58, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

Earthquake of 1822 in Chile
Was there really a gigantic earthquake in Chile, as the 1822 article says? I searched the web, but couldn't find it, apart from copies of that same article and some typos. Common Man 03:38, 11 October 2005 (UTC)
 * This article claims :

"As communication between various parts of the world became more common, earthquake observations from throughout the world could be combined. Following an earthquake in Chile in 1822, the author Maria Graham reported systematic changes in the elevation of the Chilean coastline. Observations of coastline changes were confirmed following the 1835 Chilean earthquake by Robert FitzRoy, captain of the H.M.S. Beagle, while Charles Darwin was onshore examining the geology of the Andes." Capitalistroadster 03:59, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

Thank you! Maybe that should be in its own article? Now I The area of 100000 square miles of new land added seems very big, though - I wouldn't feel comfortable putting that in an article without a proper source. Common Man 04:19, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

It would certainly be worthwhile having an article. Although I am not an expert on geology, 100,000 square miles in new land seems a bit excessive to me. Capitalistroadster 05:11, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

 * This source states "on November 19, 1822, a three-minute major earthquake and the resulting three consecutive 12-foot tsunamis devastated the port of Valparaiso's main buildings, destroying most of the churches and seven hundred homes." I agree that the 100000 sq miles claim is more than dubious. That's a third of the land area of Chile and that sort of land movement would have surely caused a Megatsunami Majts 05:19, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Thanks - I deleted that claim, referring to this discussion. Common Man 05:49, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

Tips on drawing familiar human faces
What sort of tips you guys would give me to draw a human face in a way it resembles a familiar one? What are the major features people usually notice? I've seen people draw a few lines and ta-dah, it's a caricature of you or someone you know. I studied tons of these but couldn't find what sort of aspects they capture. I could think of shape of head, position of eyes, nose and lips, but it's hardly been useful for me.

Anyone experienced in drawing human faces could give me a few hints? I'm sick of sucking at drawing faces and practicing is not really the problem. I just came to that moment I realized I need some formal knowledge on the subject to go to the next level. I looked up for face drawing tutorials but they're too... Well, not specific on this subject, so not very helpful. :/ ☢ Kieff | Talk 05:06, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

 * As you've already identified, proportion and placement of the facial features is very important in creating a recognisable specific face. There are lots of little cues we use to identify faces, but these are among the most important. If you are new to drawing faces, I would strongly recommend you to use guidelines if you aren't already. All too often new artists think that using guidelines to draw is somehow cheating, or something that 'real artists' don't do. In truth, they're vital for establishing positioning and proportion of features. Any basic drawing tutorial should be able to tell you how to set out guidelines for head and face construction.

 * Also, on a practical level of finding out where you're going wrong, here's a few ideas:
 * Get a photograph of your subject, and without studying the photograph, draw their face. Once you're done, compare your drawing to the photograph and try and identify point-by-point where they differ - have you drawn the head too round? the lips too small? etc.
 * Try tracing over a photograph of your subject loosely to get an idea of shape and proportion for the features. Trace some other subjects too and examine how they differ from each other - what makes each one recognisably unique?
 * Also learning to draw facial expressions will help in identifying the difference ways in which the same face can vary in appearance.
 * Caricature exaggerates the defining features of a person, so it can be a very good way to learn to pick out such features.
 * Most of all though, practice. You'll get there in the end. And don't worry about those 'masterpiece in one stroke' artists - they had to start at the start too. :) Noodhoog 15:00, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

 * I'm no artist, but I think it's important to distinguish doing a realistic picture of a person's face and doing a caricature. A caricature is not realistic; it exaggerates to provide a direct linkage to recogition. So, you need to be very sure you know which you are aiming for.  Now, while they are different, I think it would be possibly instructive to try and do both, maybe side by side for the same original. As you do it, I think you would learn something in each process that teaches you more about the opposite process. If you are struggling to do semi-realistic caricature, maybe it's worth trying to do really wild ones to work on invididual traits. Hope this helps. Notinasnaid 19:10, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

what is a bothey
A misspelling of bothy. KeithD (talk) 10:01, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

Why were Nazis a 'socialist workers party'?
I know the National Socialists were rabidly anti-marxist, anti-communist, anti-bosheiveik, etc. Additionally, I know they were against class warfare and instead all about uniting all classes behind nationalism. So, without getting into the minefield of whether 'nazism' is a type of 'socialism'-- assuming for the moment that it is not, can someone answer this: Why did the Nazi party, which was so anti-marxism, choose a name which, to the modern ear at least, sounds so marxist/communist/socialist? In the name "National Socialist German Workers Party", sure National and German make perfect sense, but where did Socialist Workers come from? To use an analogy, it's almost as if the Ku Klux Klan were to spontaneously name themselves the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Is this confusion merely a product of 'mistranslation' from german to english or from 1920s to 2005? Would a 1920s german citizen, upon hearing the name NSDAP for the very first time, assume it was a marxist party, only later finding out otherwise? Or did words like Socialist and Worker only later become synonmous with marxism. Alternatively, if the party name was indeed confusing to germans, why did the nazis choose such a name for their party? Alecmconroy 11:00, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

 * The articles on National Socialist German Workers Party and Austrian National Socialism explain the origins of the name and the parties. This paragraph from the article on Nazism probably sums it up best of all:

 * "It is important to note that the Nazi Party's conception of international economics was very limited. As the National Socialist in the name NSDAP suggests, the party's primary motivation was to incorporate previously international resources into the Reich by force, rather than by trade (compare to the international socialism as practiced by the Soviet Union and the COMECON trade organization). This made international economic theory a supporting factor in the political ideology rather than a core plank of the platform as it is in most modern political parties." KeithD (talk) 11:23, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

 * The Communist Manifesto discusses and dismisses various forms of socialism, not all of which are purely left-wing. In fact, the Nazi policy of a large, centralised government, and the emphasis on society (the state) above the individual was in many ways quite socialist. Also, remember that the Nazis were not primarily drawn from the traditional ruling class (which was perceived to have failed), and could have been seen as movement of and for the workers in the political atmosphere at the end of the First World War. --Gareth Hughes 12:12, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Please do excuse me for not replying entirely on-topic, but you may be interested in controversial German historian Götz Aly's new theory: Hitler was perhaps, quite ironically, a socialist. Cf. if you can handle French, or this review of the book — titled Hitlers Volksstaat (Hitler's People's State) — in which the theory is put forward. Grumpy Troll (talk) 15:22, 11 October 2005 (UTC).

All this is correct, but the short answer is that Hitler and his henchmen took over a weak party which if I remember correctly he had been sent to spy on for the Wiemar government.

 * I think you will find it was a rogue unit of the German Army (see Adolf_Hitler) operating more or less independently of the Weimar Government (which was at that time the Weimar Coalition of Social Democrats, Liberals and Catholics) which Hitler was working for. The name was only changed to National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP) after Hitler joined. When he joined it was the German Workers' Party (DAP) - so he didn't inherit the name, he was one of the people who changed it to NSDAP.

 * You might also consider the influence of Oswald Spengler on Nazism, particularly his 1920 book Preußentum und Sozialismus (Prussia and Socialism) which proposed a synthesis of nationalist and socialist ideas. The more 'socialist' of the leading early Nazis (e.g. Ernst Röhm) were largely disposed of in the Night of the Long Knives leaving Hitler able to cosy up to the military, industrialists and haute bourgeoisie. Valiantis 23:11, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

enterprenuership
what is the difference between a job and work?--217.113.72.39 11:45, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Work can be defined as the integral of dot product of force times infinitesimal translation. However, in the context you intend, "I'm going to work" and "I'm going to my job" are interchangeable.  Note that work can also be a verb; "I've got to work at my job" means much the same thing. — Lomn | Talk / RfC 13:13, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

Also, a job generally implies that you are getting paid. Slaves definitely did work but few would agree that they had a "job" and very few people call Volunteer work or work done on their own home a "job". -Drdisque 14:58, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

Health Care and Canada
I'm doing a paper on the canadian health care, privatization-Why or Why not. do you have any articles that would be helpful to understand the issue. I'm answering the question from the point, not to privatize, because of the social/economic ramifications that whould affed the low income canadians who would not be able to affort privite health care costs. thank you Annette [e-mail address removed]
 * You could start out at Health care in Canada and go from there... Dismas|(talk) 13:28, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

 * A comparison with Health care in the United States, which is privatized, might also be beneficial. StuRat 00:01, 12 October 2005 (UTC)
 * We also have Canadian and American health care systems compared. - SimonP 20:41, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

Presidents of The United States of America
To Whom It May Concern,

Firstly, let me congratulate you on this fantastic service. I only discovered it a couple of weeks ago, and already it is one of my favourite websites! A marvellous resource.

Secondly, my question: In your biography of George Walker Bush, unless I'm misreading it you say that he is the second son of a previous president to take office himself. If I am correct in this interpretation, can you tell me who were the first father and son double act?

Many thanks, keep up the good work.
 * John Adams and his son John Quincy Adams the second and sixth presidents. Brian Schlosser42 14:03, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

Thank you, Brian!

JAPAN EVOLUTION
looking for info on expansions of imperialistic expansion. During 1894-1910

 * Meiji Restoration? __earth 14:12, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

A survey of societies and cultures in Africa south of the sahara.
Africa claims to be the pace setter in development but it is still one of the most deprived continents.Discuss.
 * The top of this page says Do your own homework. Discuss.  — Lomn | Talk / RfC 16:02, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

MLB Player Arrest s since 1990
Where can I find a list of all Major League Baseball players who have been arrested since 1990?

John Forbes Nash Jr.
I would like to know the actual residence place and actual age of the famous mathematician.

 * As the John Forbes Nash article says, he currently holds an appointment in mathematics at Princeton, and so he presumably either lives there or nearby. It also says he was born 13 June 1928. KeithD (talk) 16:32, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

Looking for print from a public domain image in an article
Hello,

I am looking for a high resolution file or print of the image found in this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Godunov_map.jpg

Where can I find this?

Steve SRHookEm 18:26, 11 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Your best best is to ask Ghirlandajo, the user who uploaded it, on his talk page. - Mgm|(talk) 21:58, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Actually, when I have asked him, I think he is looking at a different image. I still need help finding this. I tried to mail the Russian State Library (the source?) but the email came back as a bad address.SRHookEm

Spain´s position on drug trafficking
I would like to know more about drug problems in Spain and its political position on this issue. Thank you in advance

---Cornelia Habekost---

 * The CIA world factbook is always good for that sort of thing, as they take a perverse interest in illegal (to them) drugs.

 * The Spain page says "key European gateway country and consumer for Latin American cocaine and North African hashish entering the European market; destination and minor transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin; money laundering site for European earnings of Colombian narcotics trafficking organizations". Ojw 20:53, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

 * That doesn't, of course, mean that the Spanish government approves of any of those activities! -- Arwel 21:44, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

how did people think about religion in the 1850's

 * (Reply) Which people, where in the world? Notinasnaid 19:04, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

You may want to check Reformation though the period is about 400 years earlier. If this doesn't help, I'm sorry. Like Notinasnaid, needs more info. __earth 05:46, 12 October 2005 (UTC)
 * 1850 might be a bit late for the Reformation. As Notinasnaid noted, it would be useful to specify which people you are referring to. Capitalistroadster 05:55, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

why lady of justice is a female
The personification of justice comes from the figure of the Roman goddess Justitia, who, in turn, derives some qualities from her Greek counterpart, Themis. The modern personification is often depicted blindfolded, to suggest that she is impartial (she sees no favouritism), and usually carries a balance in her hand. --Gareth Hughes 19:36, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

how where romans entertained?
Do you mean how were Romans entertained? By going to the movies of course : see Ben Hur and Gladiator. Also see the article on Roman_eating_and_drinking Majts 19:39, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Also, Culture of Ancient Rome will keep you busy. However, today, Romans tend to go to a football match, watch television and eat well. --Gareth Hughes 19:43, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

 * The short answer is that Romans were entertained with panem et circenses — literally "bread and circuses". Grumpy Troll (talk) 19:56, 11 October 2005 (UTC).

 * I hear orgies were pretty entertaining. Caligula was a particular indulger. --Ballchef 05:58, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

 * And a recent edition of QI revealed that there's no evidence that they watched Christians being fed to lions, which has rather put the dampeners on my campaign to revive the practice. --bodnotbod 03:45, 13 October 2005 (UTC)
 * What do you have against lions? User:Zoe|(talk) 02:27, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

romans
Why did the romans build hadrians wall ?

 * Read Hadrian's Wall. However, the wall wasn't built, as is popularly thought, to keep the Picts out, but to control trade and traffic throughout the region either side of the wall. --Gareth Hughes 19:39, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

User:AlMac asks about Supreme Court of the United States
I became curious what is different about the Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court (who is now John Roberts) vs. the eight Associate Justices.

I assume if they have any internal disputes, the Chief Justice is the chief arbiter. A lot of what I am finding, seems to me to be no big deal, such as

 * The Chief Justice is paid a little more and has some extra administrative duties.
 * Each Justice has one vote, but the Chief Justice assigns who gets to write up the results of each vote, when the Chief is in the majority.
 * quote: Each Justice on the Supreme Court is assigned to at least one of the United States' thirteen judicial circuits. The Chief Justice is usually allotted to the District of Columbia Circuit, the Federal Circuit and the Fourth Circuit; each Associate Justice is allotted to one or two judicial circuits. unquote.
 * Serves as the head of several government institutions, both judicial and like the Smithsonian Institution.
 * Often administers oath of office for the inauguration of the President, although this can be done by other people.
 * When the justices are in conference, and someone knocks on the door, the most junior Associate Judge must answer it.

while some other stuff is extremely important, in my opinion
 * Appoints members of the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance (FISA) secret court.
 * Presides at the Senate when it tries an impeachment of the President of the United States or the Vice President when Acting President

Do I have a good picture of the differences, and what is special about the Chief Justice? Some of the articles on this seem to be a bit of a stub. AlMac|(talk) 21:34, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

He's Chief Justice of the United States, not Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Is there anything left out of that article? - Nunh-huh 22:21, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Just a note--the power of assigning who writes what opinion is not a minor thing. For example, the Chief Justice might intentionally vote on the side he disagrees with, and then assign himself the opinion, so as to avoid a more sweeping precedent. Meelar (talk) 19:49, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

 * The Chief Justice isn't the "arbiter" in any meaningful sense. It's basically one Justice, one vote.  If there's a vacancy on the Court or a Justice recuses himself for some reason, so that only eight Justices participate in the decision, then a 4-4 tie results in the affirmance of the decision appealed from, so the Chief can't even break ties.  Add to the list of minor perks: At one point (probably still true but I'm not sure), when the Justices first conference a case, the Chief Justice speaks first, thus having the best opportunity to frame the discussion.  Also, as Meelar stated, the Chief Justice doesn't automatically write the opinion when s/he's in the majority, but assigns the writing of it.  A major limit on the importance of this power is that any Justice can write a concurring opinion, and can decline to join in the "official" opinion written by the Chief Justice's assignee. JamesMLane 07:10, 22 October 2005 (UTC)

Ireland
I would like to ask you about the tipical dress in Ireland--

 * I hear in Ireland they like to go round naked on frosty winter mornings... Seriously, modern Irish people dress pretty much like other people living in developed countries; any differences are likely to be relatively subtle.  --Robert Merkel 00:59, 12 October 2005 (UTC)
 * They are more likely to wear raincoats than, say, Nevada. DJ Clayworth 18:42, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

music
What is a block chord--Helen harty 02:11, 12 October 2005 (UTC)Helen harty
 * See Block chord. --jpgordon∇∆∇∆ 04:15, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

Sociology
Hey there, I'm doing a report for my sister. What are the critisms and weaknesses of marxism and functionalism?
 * Interesting form of home schooling? Well, as it says at the top of the page, we don't do peoples homework for them.  But you might want to start your research at Marxism and Functionalism.  Dismas|(talk) 04:21, 12 October 2005 (UTC)
 * It says "Do your own homework". Nothing about doing someone elses...--Commander Keane 14:44, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

Who is Esamun
Someone please help, I have been searching for days. I have an Art History assignment due, and one of the questions is: How is Esamun associated with art history, history or archeology. I can't find anything on this guy. Could someone please help me. Who is he, or where do I find information on him. Thank You

I suspect you have the name wrong. Have you actually seen Esamun in print from your teacher? alteripse 05:10, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

 * This bibliography from the Griffith Institute mentions an Esamun, "Prophet of Montu lord of Thebes, Member of the phyle of the temple of Re-Harakhti"—does that seem right? Has your course covered Egyptian art at all? —Charles P. (Mirv) 05:17, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

 * or Schliemann, Heinrich? - Nunh-huh 05:27, 12 October 2005 (UTC) (from the Department of Loose Associations Department).

Pronunciation of Monet's famous French village
Have searched dictionaries and been unable to find any indications of the pronunciation of the famous French village where Monet's home and gardens are located. Have heard mostly - Ghee'-ver-nee" - but - Ghi-vair"-nee - seems a likely possibility, as pronunciation for Giverny. What say you? 205.188.116.14 05:23, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Try zhee-vair-nee, where "zh" is the sound of the "s" in "pleasure". It's a good approximation of the French pronunciation.  --Diderot 06:30, 12 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Do note however, that in the French language, the letter r is pronounced — how could one put it? — more gutturally than in English, so to say (much like in Spanish). (Should you understand IPA, I am sure someone knowledgeable in the subject, such as Angr, will be able to formally indicate how it is pronounced.) Grumpy Troll (talk) 10:42, 12 October 2005 (UTC).
 * I've just added the IPA pronunciation to the Giverny article. I hope the Parisian r is acceptable. --Gareth Hughes 10:48, 12 October 2005 (UTC)
 * It is if you're Parisian. My dialect is a bit more uvular and trilled - more guttural than the Parisian velar "r".  Orrr you coeude prrronounce eet lahke an ol' prêtre frrrome Gaspé...  Wikipedia should probably endeavor to show IPA for the more standard dialects where feasible, but the question "How do I pronounce this weird foreign word?" usually implies "How do I pronounce it when I don't know that language and don't want to sound like some hick idiot?" --Diderot 11:51, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

Pronunciation advice appreciated, including preferred dialectical "r's." But the syllabic emphases have been neglected: where are these?
 * French doesn't have any strong syllabic stress. There are phrasal stress patterns that span more than one word and are determined by syntax, but compared to languages with strict phonological stress, French sounds almost monotone. My dialect - Standard Canadian - is especially monotone even for French.  This is one of the reasons why francophones may, even after speaking English for years, have a strong accent that makes them hard to understand, while Germans and Russians who have strong accents and very poor English skills may be easier to follow: those languages use stress much the way English does, while English stress is as unnatural to francophones as phonological tone contours in Chinese are to English speakers.

 * You can, however, replicate the effect of the French stress pattern by placing the accent on the last syllable. This is not exactly the correct rule in French, but it is a highly unnatural place to put the stress in English - emphasizing that you know it's a foreign word - and it sounds kinda like the most common French stress pattern.  You can do this for most French loanwords.  --Diderot 08:32, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

Much obliged for your expertise, Diderot..Thanks.

american citizenship quiz
1.What ist the title of the person who is 3rd in line in the succession of the presidents?

2.Who was the only president never elected to the position?

How many terms can a Senator serve?

How long is a Senator's term?

(1) Our Order of succession article states that the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives is third in line.

(2) Gerald Ford.

(3) Our United States Senate article states that Senators can serve until they resign, die or are defeated in while running reelection. Some Senators such as Strom Thurmond have served for a very long time.

(4) Six years.

Capitalistroadster 06:06, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Well, if this is going to be about citizenship quizzes, here's a few questions I think ought to be answerable from Wikipedia, but I don't think they can be:

 * The United States is currently in a State of Emergency declared by the President, and has been continuously for over 50 years. What executive findings are the source of currently active states of emergency, and which piece of legislation authorises the President to issue those findings?  (I only know the answer to the second half of the question.)
 * Native Americans were not automatically considered citizens of the United States until the 1920s, and were previously barred from becoming naturalised Americans through ordinary immigration processes. Was this extension of citizenship the result of a specific act of Congress or an application of the 14th amendment?  Does this decision empower the US government to unilaterally reevaluate treaties made with aboriginal nations?
 * The children of US citizens born abroad are usually considered Americans by birth and do not need to be naturalised in order to enjoy a right of abode on US territory. There is one broad class of exception.  Under what conditions must the naturally born children of US citizens be naturalised in order to become US citizens?
 * Do the state courts have the power to enforce and interpret international treaties signed by the federal government (which is alone empowered to negotiate with foreign powers)? Treaties which are ratified by the federal Congress have the status of US federal law and are binding on US states in as much as those treaties involve powers assigned to the federal government in the Constitution.  However, there is a US state whose constitution and state supreme court have interpreted a particular international treaty as having stricter terms than the federal government's interpretation.  Which state and treaty is it?  (Hint: it has to do with official languages.)

 * After years of hearing Americans gripe about how few natural US citizens can pass the citizenship test, I thought I might come up with a few other questions touching on basic issues of authority and status under US law. This ought to be a mite more interesting.  I should note for the record that I am not myself a US citizen, although I lived in the US for 17 years and am married to an American.  --Diderot 07:46, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

Government entities making donations?
The Town of Velma is a government entity, therefore they cannot donate property and must sell to the highest bidder

The above is the answer to a question asked the Town of Velma. I assume it is in Oklahoma since that is what the Ebay description. I don't believe it cannot donate property to a individual or organization since they the ability to recieve property as a donnation?

I don't mind the word no but being mislead or lied to as being law is grounds for a suit or call to the ACLU? Or?
 * For the eBay item in question, see this link. — J I P | Talk 07:35, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

 * It would not be surprising for a government to work under a policy, or law, requiring them to follow strict procedures when procuring or disposing of property, such as an open and competitive bidding process and the need to deal with the lowest-bidding vendor and highest-bidding buyer. Such laws are usually put into place to prevent cronyism, guard against corruption and generally safeguard the use of taxpayer money. In fact, such laws may be the result of lawsuits or complaints, so I doubt you'll have much success in suing them, but of course only a lawyer could tell you for sure. I'm guessing that perhaps you are representing a charitable organization that feels it would be a worthy recipient of this ambulance as a donation. If so, you might contact a local service organization to see if they would buy it and give it to you. Sharkford 18:29, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

how many muslims are there in the world
— Preceding unsigned comment added by 202.84.232.75 (talk • contribs) 08:28, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Somewhere in the neighborhood of one billion (1,000,000,000). Estimates vary; see Demographics of Islam for the CIA's numbers and Islam for some others. —Charles P. (Mirv) 08:40, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

Enquiry
Is it all right to say that Indian exist as a nation only after British has created it? shuhui
 * British India started way back in the 18th century, courtesy of British East India Company __earth 13:03, 12 October 2005 (UTC)
 * India in its present form existed only from 1947 when Britain left & India, Pakistan & Bangladesh became countries in their own right. Before that there was the British Raj and before that the Mughal Empire were the political powers in the Indian sub-continent. AllanHainey 13:50, 12 October 2005 (UTC)
 * More correctly, of course, India and Pakistan became countries in their own right in 1947. Bangladesh only came into existence in December 1970 when it broke away from Pakistan. -- Arwel 22:05, 12 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Don't forget the Chola! So, really, it's hard to say when India started. I would say that modern India started with British India. Is that appropiate? __earth 09:31, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

Pom Pom sock
Two questions here really. First to make sure im talking about the right thing Pom Pom sock is a sock the has a little ball attached to the rear where it would meet your ankle. SO the first question is that what a pom pom sock is. and the second question is what is the little pom pom for?

 * Yes, and for decoration. — mendel ☎ 17:58, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Decorative though it may be, it keeps the sock from falling into your shoe, which short socks are otherwise prone to do. Sharkford 18:11, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

Earl Warren
I would like to know why Earl Warren was selected to become Chief Justice. What was his background? Who appointed him?

 * The article about him will answer your last two questions. As for why Eisenhower appointed him, this letter may shed some light. —Charles P. (Mirv) 12:00, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

Warren was the Republican Gov of Cal and before that State AG. In both those posts he had a moderatly conservative record. Ike though that Warren would take his ideology to the bench.

Quakers and Japanese Internment
I would like to know what role Quakers played in the issue of Japanese Internment. How did they oppose this? What specific things did they do during this period to help the situation?

Ratification of the Bretton Woods Agreement Act
What is the date of the US Congress' ratification of the 1945 Bretton Woods Agreement Act ??? It may be 31 July 1945 (or is that the date it came into effect or are both dates the same?)

Location of Fort Balkley
Where was Fort Balkley built? Is it in American or Canadian territory? I can't find any references, and all the articles on Google are the same.

 * The article on Fort Balkley appears to be either a hoax or fiction without context, so it's no wonder you can't find any references. —Charles P. (Mirv) 13:09, 12 October 2005 (UTC)
 * There was a Fort Blakely outside of Mobile, Alabama during the U.S. Civil War. Rmhermen 17:23, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

market
what are two companies in an oligopolistic market?

 * Two sellers? A duopoly, I guess.
 * I think the poster wants two examples in a given market, but that fairly strongly resembles homework. However, it should be easy to find:  Check oligopoly, identify an industry or market, and pick any two major companies.  — Lomn | Talk / RfC 15:16, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

Canonical "silent movie" music
I've been trying to find the names of two pieces of music which are associated in my mind with silent movies, and I can't think of any other context in which I've heard them. I'm starting to think that they aren't complete pieces, but rather musical phrases that the accompanist would pick out for a few bars at the appropriate moment. I think they are instantly recognisable if I can only describe them. I can't turn them into notes, but they are

1. Action/chase music. Five fast half beats, pause, repeat half beats, pause. Four full beats, down-up down-up(?). The same four beats, reversed(?).

2. Sinister music. Five slow beats, ascending except for the last; four faster beats descending.

Thanks in advance, Notinasnaid 14:10, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

 * I think I know the one you mean with #2, for which you'd typically picture someone creeping along on tiptoes . I was taught to play that as part of very basic piano lessons at school many years ago, and the teacher referred to it as "spooks". I've no idea if that's it's correct name, or who it's by though Noodhoog 14:38, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

 * I too can hear the second one in my mind, also used a lot in Warner Brothers cartoons if I recall correctly. I'm afraid I can't name it either. --bodnotbod 03:55, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Did you try this: http://www.musipedia.org/search.0.html ? Common Man 09:28, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

19th century novels
Why do some 19th century novels disguise the name of a certain person or certain place by using only a partial discriptor and then using an underline to complete the name but in other instances use the full name or location. For instance, in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice the region where the militia are from is written as _____shire and Lord John____ is used. At other times the names of towns, areas and people are used in full. 64.80.116.131 15:53, 12 October 2005 (UTC)
 * It keeps the fiction generic. If an author writes Lincolnshire, someone can become overly obsessive and complain that it didn't really happen there.  If an author writes Sherbetshire, that same reader can complain that it doesn't exist at all.  It could also be, particularly in the case of names, that a satirical or political point is being made without being overt.  The practice is also frequently found in science fiction; an author might describe the first manned Martian landing in 20__ with the story set five years later to prevent premature dating such as 2001: A Space Odyssey. — Lomn | Talk / RfC 16:54, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

It's also a rhetorical technique used to increase the impression of verisimilitude. Some forms of factual writing, for example memoirs or collections of letters, disguised the names of people and places in this way. So writers of fiction adopted the same techniques in order to make their fiction seem more real (after all, a fictional person would seem to need no disguising). Gdr 22:34, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

 * We answered this question a couple months ago. Don't know if it was the same user or not.  PedanticallySpeaking 16:14, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

Proper Title for the Grandson of a King
King X has a son and three daughters. The second daughter is married to a soldier of the capital guard, but their son keeps the King's family name instead of his father's. Would the son of the daughter of the King be a Lord? What military responsibilities, etc. might he have? The eldest, the son of King X, married and had children when said son of daughter of King was in his late teenaged years. Any information you can give me for any Middle Ages/etc. European country would be helpful.

 * Things like this really aren't very prescriptive, and were less so still in the Middle Ages. People were frequently created Dukes, Barons, etc. at the whim of the monarch, and occasionally had their nobility removed (although this was commonly accompanied by the removal of their head too).  Modern royal families have accumulated a big bag of titles which they distribute to their kids (sometimes there's a pattern to it, sometimes not). Descendants of women get a rougher deal in many monarchies: you'll note that Peter Mark Andrew Phillips, the son of the daughter of a monarch, isn't in the royal family and has no title, as he's a female line descendent (but the Queen could, if she wanted make him the Duke of Drumchapel or something if she wanted, just as she could make any other British person).  The only limit on the monarch's power to do stuff like this is the same as the limits on any non-totalitarian monarch - in particular, the monarch often has to keep powerful peers on side (and they might get a bit narked if the King elevates some yokel into being a Duke and puts him in charge of the army). Duke of York is one title that keeps getting pulled out of the British royals' big bag'o'titles.  It's all politics, really. -- Finlay McWalter |  Talk 17:34, 12 October 2005 (UTC)
 * The title of Duke of York is generally reserved for the second son of the monarch. It's interesting how the title keeps coming back into the monarchy, though, isn't it?  It will come back again once Andrew dies, unless he spawns a son somewhere down the line.  User:Zoe|(talk) 04:26, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

 * And I strongly suspect the practices would vary from country to country. You would need to check out each individual country that is a monarchy to get the full answer.  JackofOz 02:22, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

Slavery in the US
How could a black slave become a free man and how could he be recognized as such?

 * Many ways. Here are a few:

 * They could buy their freedom. This, of course, assumes that their owners allowed them to earn and keep money.  Many did so, either out of sympahy or because they reasoned they would get more work out of a slave working diligently to earn their freedom than one with no hope for the future. Papers would be given to them listing them as free.

 * Their owners could set them free to reward them for "years of loyal service". This was frequently done after the death of the owner, and was a term in their wills.  Papers would be given to them in this case, too.

 * Some slaves were given their freedom for a particular act, such as saving the life of the children of the owner. Papers would be given to them in this case, too.

 * They could escape to a place where slavery was illegal. The North did not allow slavery in its states, but did return runaway slaves under the Fugitive slave laws, so wasn't completely safe.  Canada did not return runaway slaves, so was the destination of many.

 * Some slaves were promised their freedom for joining the Confederate Army.

 * During the Civil War, slaves in Confederate-held territories were technically freed as a result of the Emancipation Proclamation and actually freed once those areas were taken by the Union.

 * All slaves were freed as a result of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1865. At that point all former slaves were free, so no documents were needed to distinguish between freemen and slaves.

StuRat 17:46, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Bear in mind that as time went on (before the civil war, obviously), there were more and more restrictions on freeing slaves, as a result of fear of rebellions or other unrest. By the late antebellum period in one colony (I believe South Carolina), freeing a slave required an act of the state legislature. Meelar (talk) 19:04, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

Fall of the Roman Empire and Christianity
Do you know how many Christians were left in Britain after the fall of the Roman Empire?
 * Some. Since we cannot clearly determine how many people lived in Britian and perhaps even what Britain means at that time, we have little way of knowing. But it is probably non-zero. Rmhermen 17:10, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

Burns, OR circa 1900
I'm currently writing a novel (historical fiction) and have not been able to find a physical description of Burns or Harney City (Oregon) around 1890 to 1900. Where can I find a good description of these historical towns?
 * Are these still present day towns of Oregon? If so, the town offices may have some historical photographs and such.  If not the town's offices then the county offices may have some information and/or photographs.  Dismas|(talk) 20:21, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Burns, Oregon is located in Harney County, Oregon in the southeastern part of the state. We don't have an article on Harney City but this genealogy site should provide some assistance . This article in the Oregon Blue Book should provide some assistance.

The Harney County Clerk is located at:

 * Harney County Oregon Vital Records
 * Harney County Clerk
 * 450 N Buena Vista Avenue
 * Burns, OR 97720
 * Phone: (541) 573-6641

Capitalistroadster 07:23, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

Cockles and mussels, alive alive o
In the 1970s I saw a made-for-TV (I think) movie in which the above line was featured in singsong. I have been able to determine that the line is from an old Irish folk song. I'd like to know what the title of the movie was. I vaguely remember a lighthouse (makes sense) and Robert Reed (of The Brady Bunch); I checked his filmography on IMDb.com, but found nothing definitive.
 * The song is called "Molly Malone":, which might help your search. Incidently, this is known as "Cockles and mussels, Hawaii Five-O" to every schoolkid who was forced to sing it. --Bob Mellish 21:38, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

 * this Google search gives you all IMDB pages referring to Molly Malone you may find something in that lot. Incidentally, I would imagine the most famous version of the song was by either The Pogues or The Dubliners. --bodnotbod 04:10, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Molly Malone is a traditional Irish folk song. Sinéad O'Connor has done a version and I suspect that many Irish musicians have covered this over the years. Capitalistroadster 07:31, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

politics
How does the liberal constitional phase of 1789-1792 compare with the populist/radical phase of 1792-1794?
 * They both occurred in the 18th century. Please do your own homework. — Lomn | Talk / RfC 21:37, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

 * The French Revolution article would be a good place to start. Capitalistroadster 07:32, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

Civil list
I was looking at the civil list article, and was a bit confused. In 1800s Canada, did civil list refer to the "fund" appropriated to pay the salaries? Or was it just a "list" saying where the money went? Thanks. -- WB 00:57, 13 October 2005 (UTC)
 * My understanding is that the civil list was originally simply a list of those on the government payroll. Over time the definition broadened, and the civil list became a general term referring to the entire process of selection and payment of these individuals. - SimonP 20:27, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

US presidential felon
I was reading the article about Leonard Peltier and his run for the 2004 presidency. I know that such a thing would probably never happen, but, how would they go about installing someone who is incarcerated as president? Would he do the job from prison, or is he automatically pardoned?
 * Furthermore, why can someone who is in prison run for prez, but a prez who commits a crime must be impeached? (I mean a crime they were caught for, not all the crimes committed by past/present presidents that have gone unquestioned). --Ballchef 01:21, 13 October 2005 (UTC)
 * And one more Q: who are some other criminals that have run for prez (besides dubya) --Ballchef 01:53, 13 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Impeachment is the process by which a president (or judge) may (not "must") be removed from office. It's not a punishment for committing a crime. - Nunh-huh 04:16, 13 October 2005 (UTC)
 * When a person has not been convicted of any crime, then it is libel to call them a criminal.
 * However, in modern politics it is standard to call 100% politicians of political party, other than yours, to be criminals. AlMac|(talk) 19:09, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

If I recall correctly US Presidents are above the law; the only body they must be responsible to is the Congress. Once they return to being normal citizens, however, they are subject to regular laws. See articles on Andrew Johnson (aquitted) and Richard Nixon (pardoned). JK
 * Since Peltier's convictions were in Federal court, if he were elected president, he would presumably arrange for a judge to swear him in on inauguration day, then immediately pardon himself so he could leave prison and go to the White House. Mumia Abu-Jamal considered a presidential campaign on the Peace and Freedom Party ticket in 2004 as well (the party whose ticket Peltier ran on), but he was convicted in state court, not Federal court -- so if Abu-Jamal were elected president, he wouldn't be able to pardon himself. --Metropolitan90 21:51, 13 October 2005 (UTC)
 * But he could get the governor to pardon him right? --Ballchef 03:26, 14 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Lyndon LaRouche ran for the Democratic nomination in 1992 while serving fifteen years in prison for mail fraud, conspiracy and tax code violations. He has now run eight times and if he runs again, he will tie the record of Harold Stassen. Capitalistroadster 06:05, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Another figure to look at in this regards is Eugene V. Debs, who also ran for president while incarcerated in 1920. --Fastfission 19:00, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

Ohio Congressman James Traficant ran for Congress from his jail cell in 2002. James Michael Curley was elected Mayor of Boston from his cell. And political prisoner Matthew Lyon was re-elected to Congress from jail. The only requirements for federal office are those in the Constitution. Therefore, a felon might not be able to vote for himself or run for state office, but he can run for Congress or the Presidency, as Debs and LaRouche have done. PedanticallySpeaking 16:17, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

Uses God's divine name

 * Glen Milstead? - Nunh-huh 04:13, 13 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Perhaps you want the Tetragrammaton? — Lomn | Talk / RfC 12:43, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

World's largest lorry fleet
I would like to find out which company owns the world's largest lorry fleet.

 * If you check the Wikipedia reference desk archives, somebody has claimed it's Wal-Mart. --Robert Merkel 06:56, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

 * But I'd still put my money on the United Parcel Service. Garrett Albright 08:01, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

what animal did Vasco Da Gama study in Africa in 1497
That's a tough one. The Vasco Da Gama article doesn't specify, and a google search doesn't turn up much either. Perhaps you could look up books devoted to his voyage in a library, or any work written by Da Gama himself. --Ballchef 12:45, 13 October 2005 (UTC)
 * In 1497 Da Gama was sailing around the southern tip of Africa. So it could have been some sea creature found in the southern waters of africa (for example the Cape Fur Seal) or some land animal spotted on the shore.--Jcw69 17:01, 13 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Please see this previously answered question. Superm401 | Talk 19:08, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

Female guerilla fighters
I am working on a piece of creative writing which I hope eventually to turn into a novel. The main premise is that of a young woman who becomes involved with a group of guerilla potential revolutionaries. Obviously there's huge amounts of information on the topic of guerilla warfare, to help with the research this entails, but I'm now looking for something more specific about women involved in guerilla war, both past and present. My personal interest is leaning towards South and Central America, but any information would be useful.

 * Phoolan Devi was the name that sprung to mind immediately, although she wasn't South American. KeithD (talk) 12:56, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

 * There are a couple women associated with Fidel Castro and his Cuban revolution, Anita Marquez and a woman just known as Tania. There have been several movies about Castro, they may be the best source of info on the women. StuRat 22:19, 13 October 2005 (UTC)
 * The Tamil Tigers have a number of all-female units; there's some information about them (from a highly sympathetic perspective) here. They're active in Sri Lanka rather than South or Central America, but you may find them interesting nonetheless. —Charles P. (Mirv) 20:12, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

Where can I find the english Translation of Cyrus' Cylinder?
In October 539 BCE, the Persian king Cyrus took Babylon. In Babylon, he wrote the Cyrus' cylinder. This historical artifact is considered by many to be the first charter of human rights and also the footwork of the UN charter of human rights. In 1971, the UN translated the whole cylinder from Old Persian to all of the languages of the UN. On the internet, I was unable to find the english translation of it. Many websites have only small parts of the English version, but I am looking for the full English translation. If anyone knows where I can find it, I would much appretiate it.
 * Here it is. David Sneek 16:40, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Thanks for the link, but I wanted the official translation of by the UN, there are many websites with translations, but most of the are not completely correct.

--Aytakin 15:10, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

2000 Bush Campaign
Durring George W. Bush's First campaign for the presidency, he was asked by a reporter to names the heads of state of three(I think)countrys. I believe he did not attempt to answer the question but I am not sure. I would like to know the details of this incident. When exactly did this occur? Who was the reporter? What news organization did the reporter represent? What was Bush's response? Hope you can help.

Marshall Dawson
 * You can read the CNN article on this at . Bush was asked to name the leaders of four countries: Chechnya, Taiwan, India and Pakistan. He got "Lee" for Taiwan but didn't name any of the others. - SimonP 20:20, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

Swansea City career of Frank Lampard
Hello! I wanted to know what tournaments Frank Lampard played in for Swansea City when he was at loan there in 1995-96. He played 9 matches in the Premier League for them, but he also played 2 other matches. What matches were these? Thanks a lot. --Aabha 19:58, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

 * those 9 games were not in the Premiership but in the Football League Second Division. Swansea haven't been in the top devision of English football since 1983. As for extra two games played by Lampard, I can't find any records but it could have been either the League Cup, FA Cup, Football League Trophy or Welsh Cup Majts 04:48, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

New Haven and Hartford Connecticut populations
Both New Haven and Hartford are both cited as Connecticut's second-largest city (behind Bridgeport). How could that be?
 * Since Wikipedia is edited en masse, errors like this can creep in. I would imagine, though, that the problem can be very quickly fixed by checking the populations listed for New Haven, Connecticut and Hartford, Connecticut. — Lomn | Talk / RfC 21:19, 13 October 2005 (UTC)
 * In this case, Hartford trailed New Haven by about 1,000 people at the 2000 census. However, Hartford's article now has a 2002 estimate (which New Haven's lacks) that places it at about 1,000 more.  I would favor re-listing Hartford as third-largest unless evidence is shown to demonstrate that New Haven has an appreciably lower population growth.  Any comment from other users?  This venue seems more likely to get pageviews than the relevant talk pages.  — Lomn | Talk / RfC 21:25, 13 October 2005 (UTC)
 * It might be worth checking with the Census Bureau, the relevant municipal authorities of both cities or the Connecticut state department to confirm those figures or even to get 2004 figures. According to this list for 2004 Hartford had a population of 124,848, New Haven had 124,829 and Stamford had 120,886 so you might want to use this.  Capitalistroadster 06:21, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

when does 1 note have two notes?
Musical terms - when 1 note has two notes? How does this happen? Thanks! --205.188.116.14 22:05, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

 * You'll need to be a little more descriptive about what you mean. Are you referring to two notes on a single stem? Is there anything like what you are talking about at musical notation? - Nunh-huh 22:20, 13 October 2005 (UTC)
 * You might be looking for enharmonic notes, like F-sharp and G-flat. Or maybe you mean multiphonics? Mindspillage (spill yours?) 22:44, 13 October 2005 (UTC)
 * You might mean a Chord (music)? A chord is several notes to be played at the same time, and they are written atop eachother and connected in notation.  --W.marsh 23:39, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Or do you mean an accidental? This is a note that lasts only a fraction of a second in introducing the main note which is usually a semitone higher or lower. It is written on the stave in miniature. However, this usage of the term accidental seems not to be covered in Wikipedia or Wiktionary, so I could be mistaken. Shantavira 08:32, 14 October 2005 (UTC)
 * See ornament; in particular the sections on the acciaccatura and appoggiatura. Warofdreams talk 10:09, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

The Crucifixion in Art
On a tour to Eastern Europe we noticed that in Crucifixion art the feet of Jesus sonetimes are depicted with one nail and sometimes with two nails. Our guide thought that the convention in Western Europe was two nails and in Eastern Europe one nail. Is this correct-and if so what is the history of the convention? Thank you in advance-- (e-mail removed)151.201.220.150

 * There is a similar mistake that most depictions show nails through the hands of Jesus, while nails through the wrists were actually used for crucifixition. (If you feel that this comment diverges from the crux of the matter, feel free to cross it out.) StuRat 19:29, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

I'm sorry I'm interested in the artistic convention of how the crucifixion is shown on art and how the convention divergedin Eastern and Western Europe--thanks
 * I don't believe that there is any clear convention in Western art. A nuber of paintings show one nail; see the image in our crucifixion article or this Raffaello painting or this sclupture. Rmhermen 15:32, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

massachusetts
I have a school project on massachusetts. i checked google and wikipedia of course.. But there is no specific founder of the state.. so was it the pilgrims in general or is it possible to be more specific? And why was it founded? is that up to me to make up? they were just searching for land, right?? thanks

 * You might be interested in our articles on the Massachusetts Bay Company and the Plymouth Company. The idealistic part of your why might be found in City upon a Hill.  I think you can get at the economic whys.  — Laura Scudder | Talk 02:18, 14 October 2005 (UTC)
 * I suspect that the reasons were mainly religious see Pilgrims. Capitalistroadster 06:56, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

Machiavelli vs. Divine Right?
Gimme five differences.

 * Okay, fair enough.

 * 1) Machiavelli ends with a vowel, while Divine Right doesn't
 * 2) Machiavelli has an 'l'.
 * 3) Divine Right is two words.
 * 4) Machiavelli is a person.
 * 5) Machiavelli would support you having others do your homework, while no self-respecting divinity would.

 * Do your own homework. Superm401 | Talk 03:12, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Thats awesome. and so true. --Ballchef 03:28, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

 * You may wish to look at our Niccolo Machiavelli and Divine Right of Kings articles. Our Divine Right article is not of much use to you as it relates to a DC Comics comic book.Capitalistroadster 06:59, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

how to get your girlfriend to act out her fantasy?
My girlfriend and I have been together for 12 years. I know her fantasy is to be with 2 guys or engage in group sex. I have told her I would be willing to do either, but I don't know how to get her to feel that it is acceptable to do. She is very beautiful and very very good in bed. I know she is totally into it because of how excited she gets when we talk about it or watch movies about it. I'm just not sure how to make it happen. Any advice would be much appreciated. J Murphy 06:41, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Is this a homework question? Majts 06:46, 14 October 2005 (UTC)
 * How do you know "she is totally into it because she gets excited" when you talk about it or watch movies about it? Why would you two be talking so frequently or watching movies about it to begin with? Perhaps you are pressuring her and it is just a latent fantasy of hers, or maybe you are making her fantasize.--16:38, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Have you tried asking? That's always a good first step. Dysprosia 06:48, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Well done. You've taken the first, and most important step of all: asking complete strangers to help you with the most intimate details of your love life. In the days before the internet, people would have had to go to their local library and ask the librarian if they knew how to get their girlfriend to agree to group sex, which was good news for librarians, but bad news for those people who were trying to quietly read the latest John Grisham book before he finished writing the next one.

 * As I said, asking complete strangers is the most important step you can take. Under no circumstances discuss it with your girlfriend in an open and honest manner. When it's all over, you want her to feel guilty and uncomfortable about it, just in case the new people are superior lovers to you in either ability or size (or even both), so you have the upper hand. As it's her fantasy, the guilt and discomfort could be overcome in the future, but if you play your cards right, you can manipulate the guilt and discomfort so that everything's on your terms. She might even bake you a cake.

 * The practical advice would be to tell us complete strangers roughly where you live, so that you can have a couple of local Wikipedians (or a couple of Wikipedians willing to commute) come along and help out, whilst you go and visit your mother for the weekend. You'll want to say something like "I'm going to visit my mother this weekend, dear. By the way, I've got a couple of people coming to help out with your fantasy whilst I'm away. Enjoy. No matter what the Bible says, you remember that God ISN'T watching you at all times." (Whether you believe in God or not doesn't matter. It's a very simple piece of reverse psychology to sow the seeds of guilt). Let us know how you get on.

 * See also our article on Eppelein von Gailingen. KeithD (talk) 08:12, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Hmmm. This question, and the response (Which was probably a bit unnecessarily snarky - who hasn't wanted advice on how to deal with their romantic parter sometimes?), suggest to me yet another guideline to the top of the page: "The Reference desk is not an agony aunt." --Robert Merkel 08:34, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

 * If you've already said you'd be willing then the onus is pretty much on her, unless you fancy surprising her. If she's hesitant about actually taking the step of arranging something/approaching someone you might be best to either suggest that you'll sort it out (wouldn't be too hard to arange another guy if she's good looking, would be harder to arrrange another woman or a couple unless she's involved in picking them up too); or to make it clear that if she really wants to do this then you should both try to arrange something. The big step is finding someone else to join you, could get awkward if you try someone you already know otherwise you could both just try picking someone up in a bar. Alternatively you could try to engineer a situation where it is easier for her to say yes, eg invite an open minded friendly couple over(sound them out beforehand), suggest putting a porno film on, etc & let things develop. Though this might be a bit too over-eager & underhand (could be misinterpreted) - basically you're probably better off talking openly about it & finding out why she's reluctant. AllanHainey 09:13, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Get her drunk. Proto t c 09:41, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Sometimes a cigar fantasy is just a cigar fantasy. — mendel ☎ 15:50, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

 * I note our article on group sex currently has only a painting and some crude outline drawings in terms of media. So, I dunno if you own or can borrow a Canon Powershot from anyone, maybe the guy you invite over will have one. Note: lighting these sorts of things can be tricky. --bodnotbod 23:17, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

Does anyone know the name of this cartoon from the 1980s?
For the last few months I've been trying find out information about a cartoon I saw on American television in either 1989 or 1990. I was four years old at the time so I can't remember the name. From what I remember of the storyline it involved a little girl who owned a teddy bear. When she rubbed noses with the bear he became alive. This bear had a sister and it turned out they came from another dimension and their mother was some kind of giant robotic factory. It's possible that it was an animé cartoon but since it was so long ago I can't really remember. It's also possible that this cartoon was show on British television aswell. Help me!

 * Bits of that sound like Superted. That was about a teddy bear who was rejected at the factory, dumped, and was found by a cosmic alien covered in spots who sprinkled him with magic dust. I'm not sure if that is the correct show. <font style="color:#00BB55"> smurray <font style="color:#00AA77"> in <font style =""color:#00EE55"> chester (User), (Talk), (Recent Contrib) 16:00, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

This cartoon was definately not Super Ted and I think the teddy bear in question was actually a koala
 * Hmm, the closest thing I'm finding is Adventures of the Little Koala  which was either Korean or Japanese, depending on who you ask. However, it featured no human characters. Incidentally, please note that "animé" is French animation and "anime" is Japanese animation. Garrett Albright 17:03, 14 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Oh wait, I found it! Nozzles should be what you're looking for. Garrett Albright 17:05, 14 October 2005 (UTC)
 * I think Garrett meant Noozles.--Commander Keane 18:06, 14 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Wow! I was lookin for the name of that show for ages! ☢ Kieff | Talk 23:27, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

 * D'oh. Garrett Albright 00:53, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

Thanks for your help. That's the cartoon exactly. Now I can finally rest.

Sociology
In one sentence, explain the basic tenet of positivism.

State one basic similarity between Comte and Durkheim.

Explain why Weber insited on the use of the Vestehen in sociological research?(one sentence)

State one major difference between the interpretivist and the positivist approach to research.

 * Okay:
 * The glass is half-full rather than half-empty.
 * They were both French.
 * He didn't. He insisted on verstehen.
 * The interpretivist feels he has to explain why it's important to do your own homework, while the positivist will congratulate you for finding a creative way to get other people to do it.
 * --Diderot 11:04, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Our articles on Auguste Comte, Émile Durkheim and Max Weber should be of some assistance. Capitalistroadster 07:48, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

BIOGRAPHY OF PUNKAJ MULLICK
— Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.178.84.120 (talk • contribs) 19:53, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

Do you mean Pankaj Mullick? —Charles P. (Mirv) 20:14, 14 October 2005 (UTC)

Rita Hayworth
Educational information of Rita Hayworth. Did Rita Hayworth graduated from High School? What schools did she attended to?

 * According to this website Rita Hayworth attended Alexander Hamilton High School and Carthay School in Los Angeles.  Her father once owned a dance school, so you could probably assume that she spent a fair amount of time there too.  --Quasipalm 00:02, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

19th Century British History
Why did women not win the vote in the 19th century?

 * They did (Timeline of women's suffrage) but only unmarried women in local elections. I'm not sure what Act of paliament allowed this but the Representation of the People Act 1884 says it "sought to enfranchise the morally worthy and industrious." Now don't hate me for Victorian values but housewives were probably not considered industrious and they would obviously vote how their husbands did anyway.  MeltBanana  02:15, 15 October 2005 (UTC)
 * On an interesting, but slightly different note, the suffragette movement—mostly 20th century—is regarded by some as impeding the course of votes for women. Tactics like hunger strikes were enough to demonstrate to some that women could not be trusted to vote. Don't vote: it only encourages them.  MeltBanana  02:58, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

what was the climate in california in the 1870's
just need help for a report...i tried google and yahoo..but can't seem to find anything...
 * If you're speaking in terms of weather, then I doubt it was much different than the way it is now; that is, quite different depending on which part of California you're speaking of, from the roasting Death Valley to the chilly Sierra Nevada mountain range. See California for more. Garrett Albright 00:51, 15 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Much of the American Southwest has seen considerable desertification since then (not that there wasn't a desert before, but that it's probably expanded).--Pharos 01:40, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

Movies that haunt me
I'm not sure what my question is, but hopefully it will emerge. When I was about 9 (in about 1960), my Dad took me to see a special series of movies shown over a period of a few weeks. They have haunted me ever since. Every time I see any of them, I am filled with an indescribable sense of nostalgia and melancholy. They were: Hamlet (Olivier version), The Red Shoes, Tom Brown's School Days (1951; John Howard Davies in title role), Great Expectations (David Lean), Oliver Twist (David Lean; also starring John Howard Davies), War and Peace (Audrey Hepburn/Mel Ferrer/Henry Fonda), Ulysses (Kirk Douglas), and possibly The Winslow Boy (Robert Donat). I've tried to find the organisation that presented the series of movies, or any other information, but to no avail. Does this resonate with anybody else out there? Cheers JackofOz 02:39, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

Game: Rabbit-Lion (also known as Angel-Devil?)
I am trying to find information about this group game. (I have already searched through the article game and related categories.) Here is how the game works: It is usually played outdoors (or in an area with lots of space). It requires a bare-minimum of three players, and there is no maximum. First each person picks (without telling anyone) two other people - one who is thier 'Lion' or 'Devil' (the person they have to stay away from) and one who is their 'Rabbit' or 'Angel' (the person who protects them). Then, once everyone has selected a Devil and an Angel, the game starts, and everyone begins moving around, each person trying to keep their Angel in between them and their Devil. Sometimes the game stabilizes quickly (everyone stops moving, everyone is protected) and sometimes it never stabilizes. After everyone stops or everyone is just too tired to keep moving, each person goes around an says who is their Devil and who is their Angel.

Questions: Anyone know if there is already a wikipedia article about this game? If not, what other names is this game called? What category does it fit into on the article game? Thank you, 128.208.191.208 20:27, 11 October 2005 (UTC).

 * I would add it under playground game but I haven't heard of it before. --bodnotbod 03:50, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

 * How does each person know whose Devil they are (i.e. who to go after), and what happens if your devil "gets" you? Superm401 | Talk 20:42, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Thank you for the question! The answer is that each person DOES NOT know who to go after-- no one is actually going after anyone-- each person is just trying to STAY AWAY from their Devil. So everyone moves around because, although each person doesn't know who (if anyone) has chosen her/him as their devil, each person DOES KNOW who they are trying to stay away from.

 * Specifically, each person is actually trying to keep her/his Angel in between her/him and her/his Devil. Example: Person C is the Devil of person A (A has to stay away from C). Person B is person A's Angel. When the game starts, person A moves around to keep person B in between herself/himself and person C. Of course persons B and C are also moving around, worring about their Angels and Devils.

 * If you don't believe me that it works, try it! It's actually really fun! (Yes, even for grownups...) Just MAKE SURE that each person has chosen a Devil AND an Angel (without telling anyone) before the game starts. After the game is over, people go around and tell everyone who was their Devil and who was their Angel. Djbaniel 23:16, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

Countess?
Who is the Countess of Chester (as in the hospital). I have heard claims that it is Princess Diana, but have found no proof. <font style="color:#00BB55"> smurray <font style="color:#00AA77"> in <font style =""color:#00EE55"> chester (User), (Talk) 10:15, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

The current Countess of Chester is Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall but previously it was indeed Princess Diana. Her full titles were: Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall, Duchess of Rothesay, Countess of Chester and Countess of Carrick. source. The British Royal family do like their titles. As the hospital in Chester was opened by Diana in 1984 link, I'm sure they used her lesser known Countess title as it was connected with the city. Besides there are several other hospitals called Princess of Wales but using the Countess of Chester title made them unique. Majts 10:55, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

Lonnie Coleman (author of the novel Orphan Jim)
Is Lonnie Coleman a white American or a black American? Where shall I get more details on this author? --Arunadevi 14:45, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

 * He is a black author. But I was not able to find a good site for his biography.

--Aytakin 15:15, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

Supreme Court
In the history of the US Supreme Court, I would like to know how many justices of the supreme Court were never judges before they where nominated and confirmed?
 * thank you
 * Thomas Gasior

 * According to our page on the Harriet Miers Supreme Court nomination and hearings, "...over thirty-five Supreme Court justices never served as a judge prior to their nomination" which cites this news story. It doesn't give an exact figure, but I suspect "over 35" means "35-40". Shimgray | talk | 15:24, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

Which is the artist of this Portaite Painting?
I visit the specific site http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleanor_of_Arborea, and I have seen the Portrait painting of Eleonora di Arborea and I whould like to know the artist name and the year of makeing. Thank you in advince, Charris.
 * I've asked the uploader, Alberia torkenkluvin to answer you here. Superm401 | Talk 20:53, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

Average weight of Irish people
I am looking for information on weight demographics for the people of Ireland.
 * I haven't found a full breakdown, but according to the Irish Health Promotion Unity, about 12.5% of Irish are obese and 50% are overweight(obese is worse than overweight). In contrast, worldwide only about 5% of adults are obese, according to the World Health Organization.  I was unable to find the percentage of people who were obese, but the statistic is probably similar globally. Superm401 | Talk 21:18, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

melanie hampshire
What became of Melanie Hampshire, 1960s fashion model?

Melanie was a contemporary of Jean Shrimpton, Sandra Paul, and Jill Kennington.

Portraits of her by, inter alia, Parkinson, are held in the NPG Photographic Archives in London.

She appeared on the cover of Vogue, and, together with Jill Kennington and others, appeared in the Antonioni film 'Blow Up'.

Fred

Who was the first british primeminister?
See Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. -- Arwel 19:48, 15 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Robert Walpole is generally considered to be the first de facto British Prime Minister. The first person to hold the title was Henry Campbell-Bannerman. Capitalistroadster 04:17, 17 October 2005 (UTC)
 * I think the term Prime Minister was first recorded on official documents during the premiership of Benjamin Disraeli, certainly the title was used regularly long before Campbell-Bannerman. AllanHainey 07:21, 17 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Our Prime Minister of the United Kingdom article mentions Campbell-Bannerman as the holder of the officer when it was first placed in the order of precedence in 1905. Perhaps, we could put something on the talk page.

Why was Germany defeated in WWII?
i know there are a ton of articles about the latter part of the war, however i am looking for a definite concrete reason or event, or series of events that caused Germany to lose the war.
 * If you must have one event(which is foolish), it would be D-Day. If you want one reason(equally foolish), they ran out of men. Superm401 | Talk 21:25, 15 October 2005 (UTC)
 * I'd have said the invasion of Russia rather than D-Day, but the running out of men is spot on. --Diderot 21:33, 15 October 2005 (UTC)
 * I won't really argue with that. Like I said, limiting it to one is ridiculous. Superm401 | Talk 22:00, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

Germany was defeated because the Allies had more men and enormously greater wealth and industrial capacity. The obvious untrustworthiness of Germany's leaders meant that the Allies had no incentive to seek peace rather than surrender. But certainly the invasion of the Soviet Union was the biggest single factor. Gdr 08:42, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

 * I'd say that the single biggest factor (If I had to give one) for Germany's defeat would be Hitler himself, specifically in the later stages of the War. His insanity became an increasing burden on his subordinates, who had to appease his frequent rages while still trying to conduct a sane and effective overall German strategy.66.82.9.62 00:56, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

Mostly because of bombings of German factories, train stations, and urban areas. Also because Germany did not have access to oil fields like the U.S. had in Texas, and Saudi oil had not been yet discovered. At the end of the war, Germany had to resort to making synthetic gasoline out of coal. Cutting Germany off of its power and resource supply made its cities extremely vulnerable and effectively ended WWII. Jazz1979 09:37, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

 * A major contributing factor (error) was the Luftwaffe switching from bombing RAF bases during the Battle of Britain to civillian targets such as London and Coventry for their symbolic value when the RAF was at breaking point (Hitler wanted revenge for the RAF's bombing of Cologne). No air support for the German army and navy meant no military invasion of Great Britain when the British Army was in a mess following the abortion at Dunkirk.  This would have been Operation Sealion.  If the invasion had taken place, Britain would have been defeated, D-Day would never have happened (as the UK was the assmebly point for the invasion), the Germans would have held off invading Russia for another year or so, and would have eventually needed less personnel guarding the western front - and then would have had another 40 divisions they could have thrown at Russia during the eventual offensive (and they were only 30 miles from Moscow with what they had in 1941).  Plus they would have held the massive oil fields in the Causcasus, making (even with Stalin's scorched earth policy) running out of oil and resources less likely.  Plus Spain would have probably come into the war, |Franco only held off because he saw Germany was going to lose.  I would imagine, even with all this, that eventually Germany would have lost, or some kind of bastardised peace treaty would have ensued and the world would be very different.  Thank goodness Hitler decided he wanted to bomb London and not a load of airfields. Proto t c 11:15, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

Dreams
I hear that (for example) eating cheese late in the evening gives you 'bad' dreams. But is there anything in particular which would give you vivid (film-quality) dreams? Ojw 21:15, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Take a look at lucid dreaming. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk

 * That doesn't quite match, as it talks about dreams which you recognise as such, while they're happening. I'd describe the meta-knowledge as "on awaking, remembering what happened, and then realising that it was a dream".

 * The odd attributes being (a) that the visual quality of the dream emulates that of a cinema film, and (b) that the events are so imaginative and surprising that you wouldn't think you could have generated them yourself.

 * Obviously I know that the actual answer is some combination of bad health, stress, and doing unethical stuff at work, but you never know when there's a folklore explanation if you ask enough people... Ojw 22:33, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Well, the thing (supposedly) about lucid dreaming is that you can purposefully induce it, and once in it you can control it. I don't know if that means you can affect the quality or just the events. Beyond that (or similar meditative practices), or eating protein late at night and hoping for the best, I think you're into the land of nontrivial psychoactive substances. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 22:42, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

The herb Calea Zacatechichi or 'dream herb' would give vivid dreams. AllanHainey 07:24, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

Whitesnake's Discography (including compilations)
I have searched this site for Whitesnake and it has told me all of thier studio and live albums up until 2001. What I want to know on top of this is what official compilation albums have Whitesnake released before 2001 and have they released anything since 2001, compilations included (for example, I know of a compilation called "The Early Years" released in 2004). Thanks...--86.27.53.56 22:15, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

 * I'd suggest taking a look at the website. They have a fair amount of info on the topic.
 * George 02:55, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

the origin of probable cause

 * If you are talking about the concept in the american legal system, the orgin is from the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution. See also probable cause. gkhan 23:41, 15 October 2005 (UTC)

Like most legal ideas it develop over the centuries by jurists. A basic common law principal is fairness. It seems fair the police not act in arbitrary manner.

Jordan
how jordan people use their personal space and what time frame are they in the past, present, future?
 * Are you referring to the people who live in the country of Jordan? For the first part, I would guess that they use their personal space to store their personal stuff just like most other people.  As for the second part, I'm at a loss as to what you mean.  They're in the present like everyone else, I would presume. Dismas|(talk) 05:11, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

O.J. Simpson polls
I am writing a paper for my English 102 class. I need the exact polls on white versus blacks, as to whether each race thought he was guilty or not.

 * http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/Simpson/polls.html has what you need. —Charles P. (Mirv) 02:25, 16 October 2005 (UTC)
 * The Web site linked to seems to be offline currently, albeit it is available through the Google cache. Grumpy Troll (talk) 07:43, 16 October 2005 (UTC).

And don't forget the Internet archive for any link that seems to have "gone away". -- Jmabel | Talk 06:47, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

1930 Ukraine orphanage
I would greatly appreciate any help that you may be able to provide. My friend, Olga was born in the Ukraine and is a Dachau survivor. She was sent to Dacahu from an orphanage in the Ukraine called either Dnieprodzerzinks or Dmieprodzerzimks, approximately between 1925-1935. Olga is getting up in years and still does not know her real birth date or real last name. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time in this matter. Sincerely, Martha Tiger-Ochs Manassas, Va. USA email; (removed)
 * There's a city called Dniprodzerzhynsk in Ukraine. It would be rather hard to find people who would speak English and be willing to help you. Perhaps you may want to start with this local charity I found, they have an English page: http://rebirth.dndz.dp.ua/index_eng.htm If you decide to write to them I would suggest hinting that you would contribute to them if they help you. A little contribution by American standards goes a long way there. Ornil 19:43, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

 * As our Holocaust article points out, the Nazis were meticulous record-keepers. Maybe some of the Holocaust survivor groups could help to track down any information they recorded on your friend, such as the orphanage she was sent from. --Robert Merkel 02:56, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

King of Jerusalem
Who was the king of Jerusalem after Jesus' crucifiction and the Romans left? I believe that would be around 300 AD.
 * The Romans didn't leave until 614, when Khosrau II kicked them out for 15 years, and then again in 638, when Umar ibn al-Khattab captured the city. Jerusalem has the details. —Charles P. (Mirv) 04:37, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

which influences students,education or multi-media?
see false dichotomy - Nunh-huh 04:48, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

which influences students, most education or multi-media?

 * Most(do your own homework) Superm401 | Talk 07:46, 16 October 2005 (UTC)
 * From Eats, Shoots and Leaves:

 * A panda walks into a café. He orders a sandwich, eats it, then draws a gun and proceeds to fire it at the other patrons.

 * "Why?" asks the confused, surviving waiter amidst the carnage, as the panda makes towards the exit. The panda produces a badly punctuated wildlife manual and tosses it over his shoulder.

 * "Well, I'm a panda," he says at the door. "Look it up."

 * The waiter turns to the relevant entry and, sure enough, finds an explanation. "Panda. Large black-and-white bear-like mammal, native to China. Eats, shoots and leaves."

 * Your joke made me smile, Superm401. Grumpy Troll (talk) 08:01, 16 October 2005 (UTC).

What ever became of Graeme Faulkner ...
... who appeared as St Francis of Assisi in Franco Zeffirelli's 1972 film Brother Sun, Sister Moon, one of my fondest movie memories from the 1970s. He made less than a handful of other movies, and seems to have entered oblivion. The "BS,SM" article reveals nothing. JackofOz 04:55, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

"What a difference a day makes"
Which song is the line "What a difference a day makes" from, who sang it, when, and which movie or TV series did the song appear in? — J I P | Talk 10:25, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

 * I think there are several songs with that line in it, but I assume the one you are reffering to is the one with the following lines:

 * "What a diff'rence a day made/ Twenty-four little hours/ Brought the sun and the flowers/ Where there used to be rain."

 * Written by Maria Grever and Stanley Adams. It's a commonly covered song, so I am not sure which version you heard, but the earliest version seems to be recorded way back in 1934 by The Dorsey Brothers Orchestra. Bunch of others have done versions of it too (see ). Akamad 11:36, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Allmusic.com has several pages on who has recorded versions of this song see . The song is credited to Stanley Adams and María Grever. Perhaps all of these should be added to the requested articles list. Capitalistroadster 04:29, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

Percussion scoring
How is orchestral music for untuned percussion instruments (e.g. drums) scored? I can't see anything about this at the musical notation article. Shantavira 10:43, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

 * I found a rather nice pamphlet; perhaps you could distill it into an addition to the notation article. --jpgordon∇∆∇∆ 03:55, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

The Renaissance
Hello, I've read the article on the Renaissance but still feel uncertain of this question,

'Was the Renaissance evolutionary or revolutionary?'

If there are any more articles throughout this site or Any information you may able to provide, I would be greatly appreciative.

Thank you very much,

Neil Faerber

 * Why would you assume it was one or the other? This makes it sounds like a homework question. Surely there were many elements of both. Shantavira 11:45, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

Well I realize it sounds like a question for homework but I'm 45 years old. I have a couple decades more to hit retirement. I am not asking you to give me answers, just simply articles I may print and read for my reference. Thanks again, Neil.

"Both" is a good answer, but you understand that your question is different from "is a bear a carnivore or an herbivore?", don't you? Think about what terms like Renaissance mean. Some historian trying to see patterns or trends in history instead of seeing it as "one damned thing after another" used the term as a label for several things that happened in the 14th and 15th centuries and seemed to him related. It is an arbitrary label for a collection of events and social changes that were perceived by historians to be related. Some of the primary things were (a) rediscovery of ancient pre-Christian Greek and Latin classics and the invention of the printing press so they could be widely available and studied, (b) advances in science and seeing the world (some observed, like Galileo, Copernicus, Vesalius, and perspective, and some imported from Arabic civilization), (c) increasing wealth, leisure, and social stratification, which are the necessary resources for scholarly and intellectual activities. A major part (d) of the pattern was public expression of disillusionment with the Roman church, which took several forms: secular art and literature instead of religious themes, an attempt to re-examine the roots of Christianity and religion by re-translating the Bible from Greek and Hebrew and then making it available to lay people in their own languages, contempt and criticism for the worldly behavior of the church, and an attempt to reform the church and purge it of corruption (the Reformation and Counter-reformation). So calling the sum of these changes evolutionary or revolutionary is a somewhat arbitrary value judgement since both evolution and revolution are broad vague fuzzy concepts.

Finally, for a more extended treatment than the above paragraph, or our article, you might enjoy Paul Johnson's brief and very readable overview entitled The Renaissance: A Short History. alteripse 16:07, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

Greek: Philos
How is Philos written in Greek? What are the Greek characters? I am trying to asymble "Philomath" in Greek. I have "Math" or Mathema - μάθημα. Yet i am shy on half the equation. Please and thank you.

 * Philos is φίλος, so philomath is φιλομαθής. --Gareth Hughes 15:42, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

lorries
which company has the worlds largest lorry fleet?

 * Wal-mart. This question has already been answered above. You are unlikely to get a better answer by repeating the question. The quickest way to get an answer to a question like this is to Google "world's largest trucking fleet" or something similar. Use quotation marks to keep the number of hits down. Rephrase it a few times if you don't get a satisfactory result. Hope this helps. Shantavira 13:13, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

Tantric sex courses
A yoga school in Helsinki offers tantric sex courses, for all people, regardless whether they're single or in a relationship with someone. The school says the actual course itself does not include any sex or nudity - they only talk about what tantra is and practice yoga related to it. The actual tantric sex is "homework", to be done in a private place after the course. Now it's all well and good that they don't discriminate against anyone, but what's the bloody point in going to such a tantric sex course if you're single? To learn to practice tantric masturbation, or something? — J I P | Talk 14:33, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

 * So, you came here just to bitch about that? :/ ... I think it makes perfect sense. It might give the single person a different approach to sex that might be a blessing for any future partners. It could also help them to overcome certain difficulties they have with the whole thing. ☢ Ҡieff | Talk 15:04, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Well, there are these places called bars, that serve a liquid called alcohol. People meet there.  The alcohol affects visual perception.  People end up going home with people.  Nelson Ricardo 00:18, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

Average net worth & wealth of USA and the world
When ever we talk of wealth, we talk of GDP and per capita incomes are based on GDPs and net GDPs. But, I am interested in knowing- what is the total wealth of USA in terms of net worth (or you can also say net worth per capita). Recently, I read in a website that the median net worth of US citizens is $80,000. I assume net worth should also count wealth of government assets. If possible, also tell me the total net worth of the world.

 * The CIA world factbook estimates the total world GDP at $55.5 trillion (by purchasing power parity, note, not exchange rates) for 2004, or about $8,800 per capita. For comparison, the 2004 estimates for the US are $11.75 trillion total, or $40,100 per capita, again by PPP. Note that the figure you had is the median - per-capita values are more commonly given as a straight average. Shimgray | talk | 20:32, 16 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Of course, that's meaningless in isolation. We would need to know what year's dollars that value is in, and would want to compare to other years with the same inflation adjustment.  Furthermore, he asked for "net worth" and specifically said he didn't want GDP.  However, I don't think "net worth" really has any economic meaning. Superm401 | Talk 20:55, 16 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Unless of course you are a fisherman and want to calculate your capital assets. Majts 21:20, 16 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Aww, come on… that one was corny even by Reference Desk standards. :P Garrett Albright 16:13, 17 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Ah, so he did; obviously wasn't paying much attention. Pretty much any net worth figure you come up with for the world is meaningless, though - it's not as though you could establish a market price. Shimgray | talk | 21:24, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

Economic data on West Germany 1945-1960
Hello. I am looking for economic and demographic data from West Germany between 1945 and 1960. More specifically, I am interested in data relating to GDP, inflation, unemployment, demographics, migration, government or international aid, state of the economy, and so on (other demographic and economic data is of course welcome, especially Land-specific data for comparison purpose). I have searched the web and especially the web site of the German Federal Statistical Office (Statistisches Bundesamt Deutschland ) but was not able to find extensive data for this period. I also sent them an email but received no answer (yet). Can you help for instance by pointing me to web sites, books, or other hints? Thanks. --Edcolins 19:36, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

 * If you've access to a large library, try seeing if they have old reference books - things like, say, Whitaker's Almanac often give a reasonable amount of economic data for the year of publication. I have a '57 almanac to hand - but, sadly, it's only the "short" version, which doesn't contain foreign data. (I have a long one for '30, and it's perfect - four and a half close-typed pages with most of the basic economic data for that year. I suspect post-war ones will be helpful) Shimgray | talk | 20:27, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

christopher hitchens
What is his email address?

 * Probably peterk11(a)comcast.net. Source: http://www.hitchensweb.com/. --Edcolins 20:12, 16 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Probably not. That doesn't appear to be his personal website, and the name on the email address is Peter, not Christopher. A cursory Google search doesn't turn anything up, which suggests he wishes to keep his email address private. You could, perhaps, try contacting the editor of a magazine he writes for, if your reasons for contacting him are related to his articles. KeithD (talk) 08:40, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

George Harrison - The Beatle
Hi, I hope you can help me. I have a friend who has 2 letters from a George Harrison written in 1955. She believes it is from George Harrison, The Beatle. The address then was 24 Waterloo Road, Burnley, Lancashire, England. It says his birthday is Sept. 16 and that he was 15 years old then. She also has a picture, but the picture is of someone older than 15 years old, so may be of some other relative. I really would like an address that we can send a copy of the signature that she has for verification one way or another whether it is his. Thank you for your attention. Carol B

I doubt George Harrison's signature when he was 15 is the same as it was once he became famous. George Harrison also says that his birthday was on Feb. 24, not Sept. 16 and that Beatle George Harrison would've been only 12 years old in 1955, not 15. -Drdisque 21:44, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

 * As well, our George Harrison article suggests he grew up entirely in Liverpool, not Burnley (which is 55 miles away); indeed, the specific house he grew up in is listed in the article. Sorry to spoil your friend's story, but what you've told us doesn't match with the known facts about the Beatle George Harrison's childhood. --Robert Merkel 22:58, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

 * When George Harrison was 15, he believed that he had been born shortly after midnight, and that his birthday was 25 February. It was only as an adult that he learned he had been born shortly before midnight, and that his birthday was the 24th. A letter from George at age 15 should be written in 1958 or 1959, and should claim his birthday was 25 February. - Nunh-huh 23:53, 16 October 2005 (UTC)

humanities
Enter humanities in our search window or click on the link. alteripse 00:27, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

Geneva Convention from the U.N.
Who has the authority to amend the Geneva Convention of 1949, or any of them for that matter? The U.N.? or does a nation that signed have the authority to amend the convention all on it's own?
 * The Geneva Convention is essentially just a treaty; many nations agreed they would be bound by its terms. If a country drafted a replacement treaty, it would only be binding on those who signed it.  Of course, this is theoretical, given that almost every signatory has probably violated the Convention. Superm401 | Talk 01:41, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

'The Bride' in Jewish lore
Australian writer Patrick White's book 'Riders in the Chariot' makes passing mention of 'the Bride' when talking about Jewish characters. Vintage publisher 1996 edition pps 121, 233. Possibly more mentions I haven't reached yet! Who is 'the Bride'? Fran, Brisbane
 * Could you give us the sentence containing that phrase? I don't have a copy of the book. Superm401 | Talk 01:46, 17 October 2005 (UTC)
 * It wasn't simply another term for the character's wife. Capitalistroadster 04:50, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

The young Jewish man discovers the joys of the flesh and his commitment to his faith falters: 'Thus committed to the flesh, the ceremonies of his parents' house soon became intolerable. The Sabbath, for instance, all though his boyhood a trance of innocent perfection, in which he would not have been surprised to see the Bride herself cross the threshold, was now transformed into a wilderness of hours....' (p.121). The Jewish couple in Australia trying to be Methodists: ...and Shulamith, for all the dreamy validity of her little Cross, would suffer her grandmother ... to call her home down the pot-holed street, announcing that the stars were out, and the Bride had already come'(p.233). Thanks for any info. Fran

 * In Judaism, the sabbath is sometimes called the Sabbath Bride. So "the Bride" refers to the Sabbath itself. -- Mwalcoff 02:16, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

Korean war orphans in Australia
Would you have any information on 'how many and which year' Korean War orphans came to Australia after the war in 1953?

 * I was surprised to discover that yes, we do have some information on this, but probably not as comprehensive as what you're looking for. See International adoption of South Korean children. --Robert Merkel 01:35, 21 October 2005 (UTC)

Who is this "we" you refer to, kemosabe?
What is the context of this phrase? Just saw it twice today, seems like a cultural reference that I'm not aware of. Thank you!--Knyazhna 04:21, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

 * It's the punchline in any of a variety of jokes about the Lone Ranger and his faithful Indian friend, Tonto. Also seen as "What do you mean, "we", white man?".  - Nunh-huh 04:31, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

 * (Answered by Nunh-huh before I could finish typing.) It's a reference to the radio and television show The Lone Ranger, although I don't know if the scene being referenced is something that actually appeared on the program or something made up as a joke ("The Lone Ranger" was a part of American culture for decades and so could easily have been the subject of a joke). Here is a version:
 * Once, when the Lone Ranger and Tonto were loping along in the valley, they looked up and Indians were swarming down on them from every direction. The Lone Ranger became concerned and looked over at Tonto. "What are we going to do?" he asked his trusted Indian sidekick.
 * "What do you mean 'we', Kemo Sabe?" Tonto replied.

In the context of the show, "kemo sabe" is supposed to mean something like "trusted friend" in some Native American language, although it is unclear which one. The overall reference means something like, "Don't try to drag me into your problems; 'we' don't have a problem, you have a problem." --Metropolitan90 04:38, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

George Wilberfore Kakoma
Dear Sir;

I would like to know the nationality, life and work of George Wilberforce Kakoma, the author who composed the National anthem of Uganda and a graduate of Durham University.

Thank you

Sincerely,

M. So

 * Have a look at George Wilberforce Kakoma. It's rather brief and doesn't answer all your questions, but it's all we have at the moment. Please expand it if you know more. --fvw<SMALL> * </SMALL> 05:51, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

INDIAN NATIONALISM
Can you please tell me the factors that lead to INDIAN NATIONALISM?? THANK YOU ESHA

 * You might be interested in the partition of India. — Laura Scudder | Talk 06:40, 17 October 2005 (UTC)
 * You might also find Hindutva worth reading. —Charles P. (Mirv) 03:21, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

julius caesar
Julius Caesar indeed. Boneyard 09:42, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

Antony Beevor's work - one more person take a look, please!!!
Hi, I'd like to ask for a review of Antony Beevor's work. He is a military historian, and I'd like to have someone well-acquinted with the subject give an estimate of his reliability. In particular, how reliable and how truthful is his information about the mass rape of German women by Soviet soldiers? The question prooved very controversial - the British and the Americans usually buy Beevor's version without a second thought, the Russians dismiss it as Western propaganda, inconsistent with the habbit of officers to shoot soldiers involved in plundering on the spot. So if someone could tell me, if Beevor is accurate in his description..? Thank you, rediska.

One thing you can say about Beevor's work is it always very fully sourced. I have Beevor's Stalingrad and Berlin books beside me, and every controversial claim is referenced to a source. There are more than 1200 sources in Berlin and even more in Stalingrad. So to truly answer the question you need to verify or question these sources reliability which would be a big job, but perfectly feasable. Yet, I am still to see a serious refutation of Beevor's work. Furthermore, his reliability never seems to be questioned of his book about the Spanish Civil War. My personal take on it is that the Eastern front was one of the bloodiest and total wars in history. I cannot begin to imagine the hardships that were endured by both sides of the conflict and the inhumanity that occurred. The Russians had been massacred in their millions with countless atrocities committed against them. So when the Russians gained the upper hand, with several million men marching through Germany seeking revenge, would it not be more difficult to believe that they all behaved in a saintly and discliplined manner? But I'm a Westerner, so I would say that wouldn't I? Majts 11:32, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

Majts, thank you very much. What some Russians claim (including prominent historians) is that his sources are usually not clearly identified. For instance, he doesn't give the names of the women he interviewed, who were, allegedly, raped. He just says "two of the largest hospitals of Berlin registered an X number of rapes" without saying which hospitals those are, without giving their official names (of the hospitals), without contact information. The Russians claim that he doesn't base his work on documents, or at least doesn't demonstrate them. Therefore, they conclude, he is just rusofobic and tries to dishonor the sacrifice of the dead soldiers. How much of this is true? rediska. P.S. There is nothing wrong with being a Westerner.

 * To address that one point on p410 of Berlin: The Downfall 1945 Beevor states "estimates from the two main hospitals ranged from 95,000 to 130,000 rape victims" Looking at the notes this is referenced to the source Dr Gerhard Reichling, and Charité and Kaiserin Auguste Victoria, quoted Sander and Johr,pp. 54,59. So he's fulfilled the job of a serious historian by backing up his claim with a source. You can argue whether the source is reliable or not but he has identified the hospitals, i.e the two main ones. Now if you can prove that there were not two main hospitals in Berlin at the time then you can also dispute Beevor's credibility. But that is just one sentence. Looking at the index it shows there are 36 pages that refer to "rape by the Red Army" all provided with references. I am sure there are many inaccuracies in Beevor's work, but it is such a large body of evidence that the overall credibility stands unless proven otherwise. There were about 2.5 million Red Army soldiers around Berlin in 1945, plenty of alcohol and a lust for revenge, would it not be surprising if a relatively small minority did not commit crimes? My own impression from reading Beavor's work left no taste of anti-russian bias. In fact, overall, I gained a huge amount of awe and respect for the Russian spirit and character during the worst imaginable circumstances. Without that strength, Nazi Germany would never have been defeated, for which the West should still owe huge debt of gratitude. But you have to ask who has more of an agenda here, the defenders of Mother Russia's "honour" or Antony Beevor?  Apologies for turning this into an essay Majts 06:19, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

I was just making sure. I am inclined to believe Beevor, raping and murdering is what the victorious troops do in conquered territory, in my understanding. As far as agenda goes - there is, in fact, a lot of libel about Russia in Western history books, and it's not just my imagination, so one has to be careful. The defenders of Mother Russia's "honour" also have a big agenda and every reason to lie, of course. Thank you very much Majts, I can now present this information to some of the people I debated with. Just for absolute certainty, could someone else confirm or refute what Majts said..? Thanks a zellion, rediska

 * While I don't have Beevor's book, I know that Sander and Johr's documentary film and book, based on sources and scores of interviews (full title, 2nd edition: Helke Sander; Barbara Johr (Editors): BeFreier und Befreite: Krieg, Vergewaltigungen, Kinder. Frankfurt am Main : Fischer-Taschenbuch-Verlag 2005 ISBN 3-596-16305-6) has become the standard on this issue, see also: Norman M. Naimark. The Russians in Germany: A History of the Soviet Zone of Occupation, 1945-1949. Cambridge, Mass. and London: Harvard University Press, 1995. xv + 586 pp. Bibliographical references and index. $39.00 (cloth), ISBN 0-674-78405-7 and its review here: . Concord 20:28, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

Divine intervention and Free will
If God gave us free will, then that means that we can do anything we like, choose between good and evil, etc. Our will is thus not God's will. (Please correct if I am wrong)

However, it is frequently said that we are to do the Will of God, and that sometimes God or the Holy Spirit intervenes to change people's opinions and let miracles occur, etc. Aside from that, it seems that God has answered our prayers even before we have prayed them by setting the gears into motion several years before we made our petition! I myself have seen this many times, but I still cannot understand how God manages to do these things unless he knew our thoughts beforehand, meaning our thoughts and actions were already written out in a Heavenly Script, and we actually do not have free will.

Do we have free will or not? Are we just actors playing out a script or do we really have minds of our own? How does God know what we are thinking even before we have thought it? Don Diego 12:46, 17 October 2005 (UTC) (P.S. Douglas Hofstadter's last Dialogue in Gödel, Escher, Bach is similar to what I'm saying)
 * In short, you are asking one of the great Christian theological questions, and the best I can suggest is that you determine an answer that you (1) can believe and (2) are comfortable with. — Lomn | Talk / RfC 13:10, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Given this topic has been debated amongst theologians, philosophers, and (implicitly, and without the religious overtones) by psychologists since almost the beginning of recorded history, do you really expect the denizens of the reference desk to have the definitive answer?

 * My two cents is that you are assuming that God, in the Abrahamic religion sense, exists. As an atheist (my personal position is roughly the "weak atheism" version mentioned in the article).  I see no evidence that God exists, so whether free will exists or not doesn't present any theological challenges for me.  I'm sure there will be theists of various stripes who can give you a different perspective.  --Robert Merkel 13:09, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

 * I once had a similar discussion with a couple of friends. My opinion was, it can be possible the future is set in stone. My logic was that you are free to choose your own future, but whatever you end up doing, it was "written" that you were going to choose that. I hope that makes sense :-) Akamad 13:18, 17 October 2005 (UTC)
 * You discussed this with a couple of friends? Were they Erasmus and Martin Luther by any chance? (In this book they try to answer the above question, though Luther unfortunately ignores some Wikipedia policies.) David 21:06, 17 October 2005 (UTC)
 * I heard that Luther got so frustrated with Wikipedia policies that he left to form Wikinfo --Majts 06:29, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

I don’t want to pretend that I have the answer, but I do have an answer: In some Christian opinions, God exists out side of time. God does not experience time like we do. It is just one more force that he has created in our universe. Therefore God would know your choices before, during and after you make them. According to some interpretations of Quantum theory- all matter has the ability to choose options out side the regulated "Rules". Hope I have helped in even a small way.

suffolk county legislature
what are the length of terms that the legislatures hold?

 * Suffolk has a county council (its website is here). However, as you use a long word like legislature, you're probably refering to a US grandiose derivative: Suffolk County, Massachusetts tells us that it's an ungovernable wasteland, and Suffolk County, New York tells us the names of the legislators. I think each page should give you some links to official websites. If the sites don't tell you, phone them up. --Gareth Hughes 13:54, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

New York's Republican Party
The New York State Republican Party is doing terribly now, and must contend with charges of corruption, unpopular Republican leaders at many levels of the government, and ultra-popular Democrats like Chuck Schumer and Hillary Clinton. They can only win if they change their platforms greatly like Bloomberg has done. Where will they wind up in New York State's next State Senate? What will happen to them? What exactly brought them down to where they are now?14:54, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

 * In 1993, when Rudy Giuliani was running for mayor, I attended a breakfast at which he was asked something along the lines of why so many New Yorkers were alienated from the Republican Party. His answer was something along the lines of "because of some of the ill-advised positions taken by the Republican Party at the national level".  New York is a fairly liberal state, and the Republican Party's lurch to the right in recent years has hurt it in New York.  (Currently, in trying to unseat Bloomberg, the Democrats are of course attacking him over specific issues, but are also trying to tie him to Bush as much as possible.  This is difficult since Bloomberg, a lifelong Democrat before he ran for mayor, has generally taken care not to be photographed with Bush, and doesn't do much public cheerleading for him.)  As for the State Senate, the Republican majority was eroded by two seats in 2004, with only 18 votes separating them from losing a third.  My prediction for 2006: additional Democratic gains, narrowing the Republican edge further, but Republicans retaining control of the chamber. JamesMLane 07:28, 22 October 2005 (UTC)

inhabitants of Bolivia
What is the name given to inhabitants of Bolivia? 15:49, 17 October 2005 (UTC)15:49, 17 October 2005 (UTC) thank you!

Bolivians. <font style="color:#00BB55"> smurray <font style="color:#00AA77"> in <font style =""color:#00EE55"> chester (User), (Talk) 16:08, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

Aztec Engineers in WWII
I am trying to source info on the job description for an Aztec Engineer in the Canadian Naval forces (or Allied Forces) during WWII. What did this job entail? I believe it was a pre-cursor to radar and was a mode of tracking either submarines, ships or aircraft or perhaps all of the above. Any info would be appreciated.

 * I suspect you're looking for ASDIC Shimgray | talk | 17:29, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

Name of a current record with "people commentating over farting"?
I'm sure I'm going to ruin my street cred, but I'm asking for the young son of a friend, honestly.

Apparently there's a current song (perhaps only in the UK?) with "people commentating over farting". Does anyone know what it is? Thanks. KeithD (talk) 19:16, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

 * I don't know what "commentating" means, but I'm gonna bet you want "Farting With A Walkman On" from the Bloodhound Gang's new album, "Hefty Fine". Warning: Explicit Lyrics.  (lotsa references to "shit") --Diderot 21:16, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

 * A commentator is roughly equivalent to the Americanism "sportscaster". Cricket commentary is at a far more relaxed pace than most American sports, though.  I bet you don't get an extensive description of the lovely scones and whipped cream Mrs. Edna Brown from the Dunslop Bridge Cricket Club ladies' auxiliary baked for the commentary team, or its equivalent, and by the way Caddick's up, he bowls, and there's no run, and where were we, about these delightful scones, on too many American sports broadcasts... --Robert Merkel 22:48, 17 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Actually, a lot of Baseball commentators talk about similar things. They usually talk about Sausage and Donuts rather than scones though. One time I heard 2 commentators talk about Sea Gulls for 20 minutes during a San Francisco Giants game. -Drdisque 05:57, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Thank you, kind Wikipedia folk. Even though I didn't know Bloodhound Gang had a new album out, I should have guessed it would have been them! KeithD (talk) 07:36, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Oh. Apparently it's not the Bloodhound Gang song after all. Does anyone have any other suggestions? KeithD (talk) 19:21, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

= October 18 =

Carlo Santana???
Who is this guy?? Isn't he a guitarist or what???

 * I have no idea whether Carlo Santana is an excellent, mediocre, or truly appalling guitarist, but Carlos Santana is a very fine one. --Robert Merkel 00:30, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

Hurricanes vs cylocnes

 * Hurricanes vs. Cyclones - which would win in a fight? Seriously, check out the links for the definitions of these two phenomena. -- Canley 03:11, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

should judges be elected in U.K?

 * No. :) --Robert Merkel 00:25, 19 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Yes NPOV MeltBanana  22:47, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

'Ender's Shadow' by Orson Scott Card
This question concerns the following passage found in OSC's book Ender's Shadow on pages 209 and 210. I have the paperback book, not sure if it's different from the hardcover. Regardless, it's at the beginning of chapter 12.

'I've told you about those older boys, too. You have the same data I have.'

'Do we have all of it?'

'Do you want all of it?'

'Do we have the data on all the children with scores and evaluations at such a high level?'

'No.'

'Why not?'

'Some of them are disqualified for various reasons.'

'Disqualified by whom?'

'By me.'

'On what grounds?'

'One of them is borderline insane, for instance. We're trying to find some structure in which his abilities will be useful. But he could not possibly bear the weight of complete command.'

'That's one.'

'Another is undergoing surgery to correct a physical defect.'

'Is it a defect that limits his ability to command?'

'It limits his ability to be trained to command.'

'But it's being fixed.'

I know that the boy undergoing surgery is Achilles, that's certain. What I don't know for sure is who Colonel Graff is calling 'borderline insane.'

A few possibilities come to mind: Ostensibly, Crazy Tom is the first choice, because of the moniker. However, I'm leaning toward Bonzo Madrid, commander of Salamander Army. Given his agression towards Ender, and Graff's special attention for Ender, it seems Graff would have become hyper-sensitive to any sort of threat to Ender, and expressed that in his evaluation of Bonzo.

It's a question that's been bothering me for some time, and no one else around here reads the books, so I have no one to discuss it with. Any help you could give would be appreciated.
 * I would guess at Crazy Tom. The moniker is part of it, though I think it's more the stated notion that he's the oldest child at Battle School who doesn't have an army (not bearing the weight...) but goes on to be one of Ender's subcommanders (some structure in which...).  Griff seems to realize, though (and I forget in which book, probably this one) that Bonzo is pretty much worthless and uses him as a test for Ender -- that doesn't seem to mesh with the "some structure" part of the comment.  — Lomn | Talk / RfC 13:43, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

Question!
Hello,
 * I'm doing a project on Pierre Trudeau's quote "Just watch me". I was wondering where he said this, like location wise??

 * On Parliament Hill. See the CBC's clip of the interview. —Charles P. (Mirv) 01:20, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

Bible translations
In your article "Bible translation", within the table of languages, there is no translation in Serbian language. I believe this was not intentional.

 * No, it was certainly not an intential omission. It's just that we are a volunteer-written encyclopedia, and we haven't quite covered everything yet.  If you know something about Serbian Bible translations, please add that to the article.--Pharos 06:19, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

Born?
Hi I'm doing a book report on the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe and I need to know when he was born!

pLEASE TELL ME[SORRY CAPITALS]its on thursday.

Thanx, Lauren

See the C.S. Lewis article. He was born November 29, 1898.

Jazz1979 09:42, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

Super Sentai 30th anniversary
A user has asked this question via the Help Desk mailing list about information on our Super Sentai article. I have also placed this question on the article talk page in the hope of finding someone who might know the answer. The user asked:

Couldn't you tell me how official is this info Armored Helmet Task Force Beetle Five is the 30th Incarnation of Super Sentai and will feature an Insect Ranger Team. The new show starts February 2006 in Japan. Is it still a rumor, or the 30th sentai will really be insect-based, and what colours are suggested to apply?

Thanks for any assistance you can provide.

Capitalistroadster 10:12, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

Lorry fleets
Could you please find out for me which company owns the largest lorry fleet in the world?

--62.24.112.55 10:24, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Asked and answered before. Reference_desk/Humanities and Reference_desk/Humanities. KeithD (talk) 10:34, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

French animal
Bold text Please could somebody proficient in French tell me what type of animal marseile is? I am not sure of the spelling but I think it sounds like that pronounced in English.

Thanks, Steve --10:28, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

 * I don't know of any animal by that name, nor does my Petit Robert. Do you means Marseille? That's not an animal.  --Diderot 15:51, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

 * There was a monkey in Friends called Marcel. I don't suppose that is the one you are looking for. <font style="color:#00BB55"> smurray <font style="color:#00AA77"> in <font style =""color:#00EE55"> chester (User), (Talk) 16:01, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

Online dating webpages
I checked the number of dating ads on an online dating webpage, searching for men seeking women, and women seeking men, in the city I live in and in the same age bracket. The sex ratio in the ads was approximately 70% men, 30% women. I had expected it to be 99% men, 1% women. Were my expectations completely ludicrous? Outside pornographic webpages, is there any research in the sex ratio of such dating ads? — J I P | Talk 11:29, 18 October 2005 (UTC)
 * I wouldn't call your assumption ludricous, just far off-base. When it comes to dating sometimes women are just as willing as men. A lot of people seem to have a fear of remaining alone, which is why dating sites are thriving. Personally, I think finding the right person is something one is perfectly capable of doing on their own without the help of complete strangers. - Mgm|(talk) 12:38, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

The Grapes of Wrath
I'm reading The Grapes of Wrath... I know, I know, I'm the only American who didn't read this for high school English... :) Anyway, there's a character named "Rose of Sharon".  What I'm wondering is why she's called this.  Maybe I missed it if it was explained early on in the book.  Was her mother's name "Sharon" and there were two girls by the name of Rose who were cousins?  Dismas|(talk) 12:10, 18 October 2005 (UTC)
 * It's primarily a Biblical reference, a phrase used in Song of Solomon, the book of erotic poetry, to describe the Beloved. — Lomn | Talk / RfC 13:49, 18 October 2005 (UTC)
 * From chapter 2, verse 1 — if you'd like to read it. The actual flower so described was probably an asphodel or crocus rather than a rose. Also, you might want to check out Book of Revelation chapter 14, verses 18 and 19 for them there grapes. --Gareth Hughes 15:20, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

California's "Baby Bar" exam
What is your question? - Mgm|(talk) 18:34, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

US-Mexico Border Length
Hello, I was wondering what the length of the border between the United States and Mexico was?

Thanks, J
 * United States-Mexico border says 3,141 km (1,951 miles). –Hajor 15:15, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

But much of the US-Mexican border runs along the course of the Rio Grande, and as Lewis Fry Richardson and Benoit Mandelbrot noted (the latter in the paper How Long Is the Coast of Britain?) natural features like coastlines, rivers, and watersheds, may not have well-defined lengths: their measured lengths can depend on the lengths of the rulers used to measure them. Gdr 17:17, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

borders on rivers are measured by the length of an imaginary line in the middle of the river. Therefore, things like docks, boat slips, and tributaries do not affect the length of the border. -Drdisque 22:03, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

 * The US-Mexico border lies along the deepest channel, not the middle of the river. However, in either case the border is still fractal-like, so the length is still not well-defined. (Though there might be well-defined sections where the river is canalized.) Gdr 13:18, 21 October 2005 (UTC)

Post Office's "Managed Service Point"
I saw a business which had in its window a barcode from the U.S. Postal Service giving a code number for the "Managed Service Point." What is a Managed Service Point? PedanticallySpeaking 16:05, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

 * This link explains what an MSP is: . -- Canley 03:05, 21 October 2005 (UTC)

questions
answers. --fvw<SMALL> * </SMALL> 19:05, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

and bears, oh my! --AndyJones 00:36, 29 October 2005 (UTC)

Florida Law
I'm searching to find what the law is on having pets in vehicles in Palm Beach County Florida. Is there any kind of seat belt or back seat only law in place?
 * Calling the Palm Beach police department would probably be the easiest way to find this out. Dismas|(talk) 04:02, 19 October 2005 (UTC)
 * (561)688-3000 is the Palm Beach County Sherrif's Office. In the future, please sign your questions with your name or user name.  Thanks. Superm401 | Talk 04:20, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

associate justices
Who were the associate justices in warren e. burgers court? I had trouble finding this.
 * You'll want the List of Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States; specifically, the section sorted by Chief Justice. — Lomn | Talk / RfC 20:49, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

Major General C. M. Barber (WW II)
I am looking for some biographical information on Major General C. M. Barber (British Second Army) for an article in the German Wikipedia on the Barber-Lyashenko-agreement (de:Barber-Ljaschtschenko-Abkommen) of November 1945 which realigned the border between the English and the Soviet zone in Schleswig-Holstein. Can you help? Thank you --Concord 20:57, 18 October 2005 (UTC)

House Of Representatives Post Office Scandal of 1991
Hello, is there a good summary of the events that made up this scandal? I am looking for names of the people involved, a good idea as to how much money was involved, and who was eventually convicted. Thanx

 * This Heritage Foundation summary gives some information see . Our Dan Rostenkowski mentions it but not in any detail. I will create a requested article for House Post Office Scandal. Capitalistroadster 07:47, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

= October 19th =

MCI Worldcom
Where did the MCI Worldcom merger go wrong? Besides corrupt leadership, how did the companies perform together? Weren't they doing better together, albeit from a scandal that led to bankrupcy later. Did either have a history of criminal accounting behavior or scandals before the merger? Would it be considered a good merger anyway? On which original company did the blame lie?

 * That's one giant question -- if someone answers it completely and empirically they should get an MBA on the spot. If you haven't already read it, Bernard Ebbers would be a good article to read about the downfall -- it seems to talk about it more than MCI does.  ---Quasipalm 01:45, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

 * There was an episode of Frontline that delved into this - frontline: the wall street fix --RevWaldo 15:52, 23 October 2005 (UTC)

Samba Sector
Hi, does anyone know where exactly the Samba Sector along the Line of Control between India and Pakistan is? --Plastictv 01:42, 19 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Its probably a geographic military division. <font color="#0082B8">=Nichalp <font color="#0082B8">«Talk»=  07:59, 1 November 2005 (UTC)

Women in Louisiana Government
Why do women get equal oppotunity to participate in Louisiana government?
 * See suffrage. Dismas|(talk) 03:58, 19 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Actually, the men had a moment of bad judgement. Seriously, please do your own homework.  See the top of the page. Superm401 | Talk 04:32, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

australia
1. Which Australian State capital was named after a member of the British Royal Family?

2. Which state capital (Australia) was not named after a person?

3. Name the Austlian pilitical party whose formation is closely linked to the central Queensland town of Barcaldine?
 * Please read the top of the page where it says that we won't answer homework questions for you. Please see the article on Australia.  Dismas|(talk) 03:56, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

 * 1) Adelaide after Queen Adelaide:
 * 2) Perth after Perth, Scotland:
 * 3) The Australian Labor Party with claims that the first branch meeting was held under the "Tree of Knowledge" in Barcaldine, Queensland. There are also claims that the first meeting was in Balmain, New South Wales. Capitalistroadster 07:56, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

 * There's few things more damaging to a child than two parents setting vastly different boundaries ;o) --bodnotbod 12:41, 27 October 2005 (UTC)

schreck
Did Julius Schreck (July 13, 1898 – May 16, 1936; an early Nazi Party member & first commander of the Schutzstaffel) have any children? Did he have a son named Hans?

how does the punnet square prove tsarevich alexis not to suffer from hemophilia?
I was taken by suprise in reading wikipedia's article on the Tsarevich Alexis Nicolaievich of Russia. In which it was stated that by using the "punnet square" method of tracing recessive phenotypes throughout a family, there was no evidence as to why the tsarevich should have hemophilia. I've read, and I presume understand, wikipedia's articles on both hemophilia and the punnet square. Yet, I'm still confused as to why he couldn't have the disease. The article also says that a more recent diagnosis points to thrombocytopenia. I can only gather that both of these illnesses result in a low platelet count, but can't find much else to distinguish one from the other. Any explanation as to why the tsarevich wouldn't have been born with hemophilia or differences in hemophilia and thrombocytopenia would be greatly appreciated...

Can you give us the exact spelling of the article title so the link isn't red, and I will review the comment to which you allude? Hemophilia and thrombocytopenia are not very similar clinically, and even in the late 1890s were distinguishable clinically and by a CBC. Osler has separate chapters on the two diseases in his 1892 edition of Principles and Practice. Hemophilia does not cause a low platelet count. Furthermore, the Punnett square is a method of sorting population statistics to determine probable method of inheritance of a trait, and is less useful for determining whether an individual in the population might or might not have it. A pedigree of his family with accurate info on who had or did not have the condition would be a far stronger piece of evidence with which to refute a putative X-linked disease. Perhaps JFW could contribute his hematological expertise here. alteripse 05:21, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

 * As Alteripse points out, what you are reacting to (previously in our article...for how long?) is complete bogosity. There is one active "web pretender enthusiast" who has chosen someone as his candidate for the "surviving" tsarievitch. His candidate died of a splenic malignancy, and he has tried...very inventively, but alas, not very realistically...to claim that Alexi suffered from thrombocytopenia, not hemophilia, in order to enhance the "candidacy" through yet another imaginative leap between marrow disorders and hematologic malignancy (I could look up the details, but as he's simply wrong, I haven't bothered). As Alteripse points out, though thrombocytopenia and platelet disorders both cause bleeding, the similarity stops there. They cause different kinds of bleeding, and the events of Alexi's life are instantly recognizable to anyone familiar with the diseases as a coagulopathy and not a platelet disorder. The "web enthusiast", not recognizing this, plagued the alt.talk.royal list, etc. with this nonsense a few years ago. I suspect he's paid Wikipedia a visit. A few other points: one third of all hemophilia cases are sporadic, occurring with no previous family history. Lack of a family history shouldn't cause one to doubt the diagnosis. And the Punnett square is completely inapplicable to this! The family tree (with affected members) is well-known and demonstrates X-linked inheritance...there may or may not be a copy somewhere on Wikipedia.- Nunh-huh 06:13, 19 October 2005 (UTC) P.S. The family tree is in our hemophilia article (or here: Image:Haemophilia family tree.GIF - Nunh-huh 06:15, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Ahhh, you supplied the missing piece of information-- the crank with a Mission. alteripse 12:12, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

September 11 bombing
Hello my name is Morgan and i go to Elim Christian College. At the moment i am doing a resesrch assingment on the September 11 bombing. I am wondering if you could send me some information on it to help me achieve my assignment. Thankyou my e-mail address id  (email removed) Morgan
 * As per the instructions at the top of this page, your email has been removed, any replies will posted below your question, like this one. Maybe a good start would be our article September 11, 2001 attacks, which is the first entry using "September 11 bombing" in the search bar to the left. If you want more detailed information, your question may need to be more specific. Good luck! --Commander Keane 07:10, 19 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Just to check, is this what you wanted, becasue it wasn't a bombing, maybe I'm confused?--Commander Keane 07:13, 19 October 2005 (UTC)
 * And have a look at World_Trade_Center, and the Sept 11 wiki memorial. If you wanted the 1993 Bombing, there's a link there from the World Trade Center article. - Nunh-huh 07:17, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

Inappropriate places for children to urinate.
What could be causing one of my Preschool children to be urinating outdoors in the playground? This usually occurs if he has already been reprimanded for other incorrect behaviours, usually minor offences.
 * Forgive me for asking the obvious question, but does he have access to a more appropriate place to relieve himself? That is, are there bathrooms available, and can he use them? (Consider that he may be afraid of being in the bathroom by himself, or conversely, he may be afraid of other children being able to see his private parts.) You say he does it after being reprimanded; do you think he may be possibly doing it as a sign of disrespect, as in "pissing on one's grave" (though it's unsettling to think that he would be aware of that behavior at that age), or maybe doing it to get more attention? Have you talked to his parents about this, and whether he behaves this way at home? Garrett Albright 12:02, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

My first response is that your son must must think he's French because I just got back from a week in Lyon and three different times I saw 2 or 3 year old boys, assisted by their mothers, peeing in public on the ground. So if this isn't a recessive French gene, there are three possibilities. One is that he is suddenly urinating with much greater volume and frequency than a couple of weeks ago and he is having accidents because he can't get to the appropriate place in time. If there is a big increase in urination, take him today to get his blood sugar checked. If you don't think he has French genes, and this is not a manifestation of a sudden increase in urine volume, then this is just a social behavior issue.

Part 6 of your mission as a parent is to civilize the offspring you have presented to us. Don't yell in class, don't throw stones on the playground, don't pee in public, learn to wait in line, sleep at night instead of the daytime, don't break vases, pay your taxes and don't tell evil jokes-- the whole bit. My point is that you should not think of this as any sort of perverse act and the probable answer to the "what could be causing it" part of your question is "a full bladder". It is natural to pee outdoors when your bladder is full. It is unnatural to hold it and donate it to the great white porcelain altar. However, if you don't intend to move to France and his father isn't around, you need to teach him the ways of your tribe. Rule number 31 of the social code says "guys don't urinate in public where other people who are not close guy friends can see them." There are subchapters to the guy code dealing with acceptable degrees of intimacy for such public action. Since we don't see guys doing this in front of other people, we can infer that most people learn this rule fairly easily, so take heart.

Finally, if you think he has precociously mastered the social rule and is doing this as a deliberately transgressive action, you are dealing with a different type of challenge, which is to teach him what ways of showing he is annoyed with an adult or an adult rule are socially acceptable (i.e., he can get away with) and which he cannot. That is part 9 of your mission as a parent and unfortunately we are out of time... alteripse 12:09, 19 October 2005 (UTC)
 * For the record, I hardly ever see anybody urinating in public in France except for bums. The last time I saw such things happen was in Edinburgh, with Scots apparently full of beer. David.Monniaux 22:46, 20 October 2005 (UTC)

I think if his peers show him that its not acceptable than it will be much more effective than you trying to show him. Sigmund Freud would probably call this something like a "urine expulsive" stage as he theorized that many children who do not want to be toilet trained would take a poo as often as possible to "rebel" and eventually grew up to be messy people. Of course, freud lact much in the way of empirical evidence to support his theory. -Drdisque 21:59, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

 * His "pee-rs"?!? Muahahaha! - Nunh-huh 23:10, 20 October 2005 (UTC)

German Bundeswher
HI i have a question. can a non german citizens join\enlist to the german bundeswher? and if yes how do they do it? please send me the answer to my converstaion page Oraien (I've added a header to the question). - 131.211.51.34 11:11, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

 * You might want to be careful as for some countries enlistment in a foreign military can strip you of your citizenship, so you should check your local laws. According to this, Nach Angaben der Berliner "tageszeitung" dienten Ende 2001 Männer und Frauen aus 87 Nationen bei der Bundeswehr, which translates roughly as according to the Berlin daily, men and women from 87 nations served in the military at the end of 2001.  So they clearly take foreign nationals.  As to how you would actually enlist, you could try contacting someone through http://www.bundeswehr.de. — Laura Scudder | Talk 16:15, 28 October 2005 (UTC)

 * To join the German Bundeswehr, you have to have German citizenship. The reference above about people from 87 countries serving in the Bundeswehr just refers to the ethical background of these people, not their current citizenship (which is German). Hope I could help,--nodutschke 11:21, 29 October 2005 (UTC)

Doubts about the Indo-European Theory?
i have heard that there are some doubts expressed about the Indo-european theory but i have not been able to find anything related with that on wikipedia. Can you please tell me what has alternatively been proposed and where the doubts are based? thank you in advance -- yendome

 * Have a look at Indo-European languages: that section links to some other articles that you may find useful. Note that there have always been disagreements about the details of these theories, but none of these question the general idea of genetically related languages. By that, I mean that no one doubt can bring down the whole edifice. It is most likely that what you have heard is a disagreement about one of the many different theories that make up the study of Indo-European linguistics, rather than a disagreement with the entire field. --Gareth Hughes 13:49, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

 * (after edit conflict)
 * On the whole, the existence of the Indo-European family is not being challenged. The arguments in its favour are every bit as convincing as those of evolution.  However, some of its implications are being - and always have been - challenged.  These attacks tend to fall into one or more of the following categories:
 * Debates over the relationship between linguistic genealogy, ethnic and cultural genealogy, and biological heredity.
 * Debates over the geographic and ethnic roots of proto-Indo-European.
 * Debates related to the effect of language contact on the entire notion of cladistic language family trees.

 * The first tends to go hand in hand with nationalism and in some cases sheer racism. The second is barely less so.  The third strikes me as a reasonable subject of debate, but a difficult matter in light of both the difficulty in talking about language contact in the prehistoric past, and the existence of total wackos who see such racist, ethnocentric, nationalist bull in every discussion of the Indo-European expansion.

 * Of the not totally nutso things I've seen on the subject, the ones that could be true, and if they were are not automatically grounds for some asinine programme of ethnic cleansing, are all about the potential effect of contact linguistics on the development of prehistoric Indo-European languages. For instance, there were people in Europe before the Indo-Europeans.  They spoke something.  They probably were not exterminated by the Indo-European advance. Did that something have an effect on the languages spoken in Europe in historical times?  If so, is there evidence of this?  The same can be said of India and Iran.  Take a look at Germanic substrate hypothesis for one example.

 * But do watch out. This kind of discussion is still charged with a millennium of cruft and bad blood over who lived where before the Völkerwanderung. --Diderot 14:01, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

Presidential Cabinet
What role did James Buchanan play in the Department of state?

 * Secretary of State. Which is to say, he ran the thing.  --Quasipalm 19:10, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

coconut grove fire
I was interested in not only the fire itself but also history on when the building was built and what type of construction type was used i.e. platform, balloon, wood or ordinary construction, etc.
 * Our article on the Cocoanut Grove fire doesn't have all that info but might have some other info of interest. If you have information that would improve the article, by all means, you're welcome to update it.  Dismas|(talk) 21:42, 19 October 2005 (UTC)

Ok
this is not a normal enquiry!

I am writing from England and in 1991 I first met Sandra Kruger who lived at 18 Talbot Street, PO Box 11779, Brakpan North X 1, 1545. I am desperately trying to find her again, as we said we would not lose contact...but as life goes, we all go our separate ways.

I do not expect you to help me find her, but it would be great if you could point me in the right direction, or give me the website i need to try and trace her.

This lady looked after me so well, and i know she would be so happy to hear from me.

With thanks

Jan Molloy

 * (You shouldn't post your address here, to protect yourself from spam and crazies.) Is this Brakpan in South Africa? How thoroughly have you searched, both on-line and in Real LifeTM? Googling for <sandra-kruger gauteng> yields a promisng handful of hits. –Hajor 00:01, 20 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Yes Brakpan is in South Africa. I have phoned Telkom (the local telephone company) and they have no numbers of any Krugers living in Talbot Street, Brakpan. Best thing is for you is to contact the "YOU" magazine because they have a "Desperately seeking" column. You can contact them at seekingATyouDOTcoDOTza I also see that they have a website You Magazine --Jcw69 07:04, 20 October 2005 (UTC)

Toyko
Good morning, my son is currently doing a school project on Toyko.One of the questions, we are having a problem with is.List problems of living in Toyko.I gave him a couple of examples such as,overcrowded population,pollution and high cost of living.I am sure their would be many more,can you help.I appreciate your assistance. Thank You Glenn Charters

 * The subway system is really complicated. Seriously, it looks like you hit up on the major points there, though really it's no worse than big cities in the west such as Los Angeles. I assume you have already perused our Tokyo article? (Note the spelling, please.) Garrett Albright 14:23, 20 October 2005 (UTC)

How about Japans lack of raw materials? Thats why they invaded Manchuria, and thats why their economy has become so production orientated. For example, Japan imports iron ore from australia and smelts it into steel which it exports throughout the world.

Mike
 * Yes, but that isn't unique to Tokyo… Garrett Albright 15:42, 21 October 2005 (UTC)

= October 20 =

Life expectancy in Somolia
What is the life expectancy and literacy rate of Somolia
 * According to the CIA World Factbook the life expectancy is: total population: 48.09 years, male: 46.36 years, female: 49.87 years (2005 est.). And literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write, total population: 37.8%, male: 49.7%, female: 25.8% (2001 est.) Dismas|(talk) 01:53, 20 October 2005 (UTC)

What impact did using trees to build ships have on Colonial Jamestown?

 * They didn't have to use geese. Please do your own homework. — Lomn | Talk / RfC 13:59, 20 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Our Jamestown, Virginia article doesn't answer the question but does have some links to pursue. This article may be of some assistance as well. Capitalistroadster 07:33, 22 October 2005 (UTC)

Charles Dickens' works as published in magazine installments
I would like information on which of Dickens' books were published in installments in U.S. magazines,the names of those magazines, and the years of publication. Thank you very much.

 * I suggest you start by reading the Charles Dickens article, and then reading the articles and external websites linked from there. Thryduulf 12:47, 20 October 2005 (UTC)

Defence studies
what is operational art?

Art lover

Operational art. please open you eyes and try to search for it yourself. it took me all of two seconds to get this link, and I didn't even have to leave wikipedia. give us a break. --Ballchef 08:02, 20 October 2005 (UTC)
 * But on the other hand, chill a little... Trollderella 01:44, 28 October 2005 (UTC)

Effects of Consciousness on matter
What are the leading ideas on the effect of Human consciousness on matter? Along the lines of Dr. Emoto's studies on the ice crystal formations when exposed to written words, music and Human language. What books or articles can I read to find out more?
 * I know nothing of this, but I assume the vibrations caused by the sound of words and music could affect crystal formations. I doubt and "Conscienceness" is involved. Nelson Ricardo 02:05, 24 October 2005 (UTC)
 * I presume the questioner really meant consciousness. There is of course the possibility that consciousness is defined by matter i.e the particular chemical and electrical state within our brains. If this was the case, then you could I suppose, theorize that human consciousness effects matter and vice versa but as usual with these questions, you would very quickly dissapear up your own philosophical asshole. --Majts 19:51, 26 October 2005 (UTC)

 * You might want to look at our article on Masaru Emoto. His work is not accepted by mainstream science. There is no scientific evidence that "consciousness" has anything to do with his ice crystals. There is no accepted scientific theory by which the writing of words onto bottles of water would produce differences in the way they freeze in accordance to the semantic meaning of the word. But anyway, you don't have to take my word on it. Read Emoto's claims, read his critics, decide for yourself; it doesn't matter much to me what you believe. Our article contains links to both pro- and anti-Emoto websites, they are probably a good source of departure. --Fastfission 05:21, 27 October 2005 (UTC)

Order of the Dragon
I am doing research on my family background. It appears that background includes the Order of the Dragon. I have read the information on the Order in your Encyclopedia and would like additional historical information. I have tried contacting some of the modern day groups that claim to be part of the Order, but they do not reply and what information they have on their web page seems to include a lot of fantasy. Can you point me to some good non-fiction historical references.

Thanks,

Andrew Sarkany

A rose is a rose -original source
Probably the most mis-quoted piece of poetry of all time.

The full correct quote is:
 * "Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose, is a rose".

It starts with the word "rose", not with the word "a". The word "rose" appears 5 times.

It's from "Sacred Emily" (1913) by Gertrude Stein. Cheers JackofOz 16:08, 20 October 2005 (UTC)

Quiet Riot
Who is the blonde guy? I looked on every Quiet Riot site i could think of, it shows the names but i cant click on his picture to see what his name is.

 * Do you mean Kelli Garni, the bass player? Randy Rhoads was also blonde at times. Natgoo 18:05, 20 October 2005 (UTC)

Yes, i figured out that Kelli Garni was the person i was talking about, it was after i sent this. I remember looking at a picture of him with a bass, and didnt think about checking on the band member's list to see what the name of the bassist was. I have been looking and searching and it was driving me crazy, just to find out all i had to do was look at the band member's names and their instruments. Thank you very much!

Jungian psychology
There is a search bar to the left, at the top of the page. If you typed there exactly what you did here, and hit enter, you would have found this. Natgoo 18:10, 20 October 2005 (UTC)

Looking for the title of a song
Hello every one. I've been hearing a song on the radio this year (and maybe last year)and I am willing to know who sings it (I'm living in France, for those who wonder). the singer is a lady and she sings in english. The song starts with a few sentences that are talked (not sung) and that end with something that sounds like "... and even though you got a man, he'll still be turning you on". The chorus is something like "ohohohoho he's turning you on ohohohoho he's turning you on". I've been looking on Google but the lyrics I have quoted above probably contain a few mistakes so it didn't work. The rythm of the music and the voice of the singer really makes me think about the singer Kelis but i've been looking on her page and she didn't release any single whose title has the word "turn" or "turning", so i'm not sure whether it's her or not. Thank you for all the answers and sorry for the possible mistakes in this message.
 * I have found the answer: the singers are the twin sisters "Nina Sky" and the song is "Turnin' me on".

= October 21 =

1981 Springbok tour
Howdy

I am studying the 1981 Springbok Tour of NZ for my NCEA level 1 history. I am stumpted on my last focusing question, which is "What were the differing responses to the tour overseas?". Basically what did other countries think of us at the time. I need items of evidence so websites, books etc would be very helpful.

Cheers Mike --210.55.101.192

 * Mike,

My recollection as an Australian was that it caused problems in the Commonwealth of Nations especially amongst African nations. African nations had previously boycotted the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal in protest against New Zealand participating in protest at an All Black tour of New Zealand. Our 1981 Springbok tour contains further information. This link contains a number of references including books. Depending on where you are in New Zealand, the Auckland public library and the University of Canterbury both have useful resources. Capitalistroadster 07:49, 22 October 2005 (UTC)

gorian lock
in the film  THE STUDENT PRINCE    a reference is made to the _-gorian lock---

what is the gorian lock?

g. veritas

 * Gordian Knot. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 00:01, 21 October 2005 (UTC)

1969 TV Special Info
In late November Thanksgiving weekend 1969 RKO produced a television special hosted by F. Lee Bailey entitled: Paul McCartney The Complete Story Told For The First And Last Time. Any information you have on this or how to aquire such information (transcript, audio, video etc...) would be appreciated.

Thank you Anthony Susso (e-mail removed)

Political parties in Ireland
Tell me how do the major parties of Ireland fall within the left right spectume?

 * See Political parties in the Republic of Ireland. David Sneek 07:54, 21 October 2005 (UTC)

Future world leaders
Who is likely to be the next: President of the U.S. Prime minister of UK preimer of Isreal supreme leader of Iran President of Cuba President of France
 * The next election for the President of the U.S. won't be until 2008. Therefore, it's really hard to tell who even the major candidates will be.  You might look at U.S. presidential election, 2008 for an idea of who may run though.  Dismas|(talk) 04:08, 21 October 2005 (UTC)

 * The next election for President of France is scheduled for 2007, see French presidential election, 2007. Note that an election can be held sooner, if the sitting president (Jacques Chirac) dies or resigns. David.Monniaux 07:43, 21 October 2005 (UTC)

 * The next Prime Minister of the UK is likely to be Gordon Brown, when Tony Blair steps down. Despite widespread displeasure with the Labour Party, the main opposition seem to be unable to mount a serious challenge. This may all change, of course, as even a week is a long time in politics. KeithD (talk) 09:34, 21 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Raul Castro has been mentioned as a possible successor to his brother Fidel Castro as President of Cuba. Capitalistroadster 07:53, 22 October 2005 (UTC)

Religon and Ethnicity of prime minister of UK
Has their ever been a non Anglican Prime minister of Great Britan, and if so who? Which prime ministers have been non Englishmen? ie welsh Scotish, Irish, or other?

 * Lloyd George, for one Guettarda 04:21, 21 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Lloyd George's family were Baptists; I'm not sure whether he continued to practice that as an adult. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 22:37, 21 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Tony Blair is Scottish. Our article on him (see the Early and private life section) says that although he is officially anglican he has very strong ties with the Roman Catholic church - "It is widely believed on all sides that he will be received into the Roman Catholic Church once he leaves office.". Thryduulf 09:32, 21 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Disraeli was of Jewish decent and is often, proudly, cited by Britons to show how multi-cultural we are and have been for a long time. He was actually baptised into the Anglican tradition, possibly by parents who wanted him to go further than the anti-Semitic times would have allowed.  Nevertheless, some evidence (possibly disputed) remains that he felt himself to be Jewish and kept to some Jewish traditions. Redvers ★ Hello ★ Doings 20:09, 21 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Ramsay Macdonald was Scottish, and originally presbyterian althought I don't know whether he continued to follow this religion in later life. --rossb 22:06, 21 October 2005 (UTC)
 * The Duke of Wellington was born in Ireland, although ethnically (whatever the heck that means) and culturally he was English. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 22:37, 21 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Andrew Bonar Law was born in Canada, although ethnically he was Scots/Ulster Scots. Also a presbyterian, I believe. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 22:41, 21 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Henry Campbell-Bannerman was Scottish, as was Arthur Balfour. I doubt either was an anglican. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 22:54, 21 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Neville Chamberlain was a Unitarian. This would arguably make him the most heterodox Prime Minister. Valiantis 16:03, 22 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery was also Scottish, don't know whether he was an Anglican though, doubt it though. AllanHainey 08:42, 24 October 2005 (UTC)

Gone with the Wind rumor
Okay, A bit of trivia I learned a few years ago pointed out that there is a theater in the south (I think Atlanta but I'm not sure) that shows Gone with the Wind Twice a day every day. I haven't been able to verify this. Can anybody help? KeeganB
 * According to Film Facts by Patrick Robertson, Gone with the Wind was shown twice a day, every day of the year, at Screen 6 of the CNN Centre 6 in Atlanta. However, I can't confirm that this theater still exists. --Metropolitan90 04:56, 21 October 2005 (UTC)

I work in the CNN center and can confirm that there is no longer a movie theater located there. There possibly was when it was a theme mall. -Drdisque 23:10, 21 October 2005 (UTC)

The numer of seats in the national Assembly
How many seasts are in the national assembly in France? and how many seats does each political parties hold?
 * A search could have answered this for you. French National Assembly  Dismas|(talk) 05:25, 21 October 2005 (UTC)

what is an appurtenant structure
From Title 258: Minimum Standards for Floodplain Management Programs:

002.01 Appurtenant structure. "Appurtenant structure" shall mean a structure on the same parcel of property as the principal structure, the use of which is incidental to the use of the principal structure.

A Google search yields more. Maybe we should have an article on this. Common Man 15:49, 21 October 2005 (UTC)

Buddhist funeral etiquette
Is it in poor tatse to send a living plant to a Bhuddist family in mourning?? Would it be better to send cut flowers?

 * As a Buddhist, I certainly don't consider it bad taste, but then again that could just be me. Akamad 08:22, 21 October 2005 (UTC)

 * I thought Buddhism rejected all judgmental attitudes, so considering something to be "in poor taste" would not be a Buddhist view but one held by non-Buddhists. Am I on the wrong track? JackofOz 03:09, 22 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Probably best to send cut flowers if that is more usual in their country and culture, irrespective of their religious views. They might not know quite what to do with a living plant unless you intend it to be planted on the grave. Among western Buddhists, there is no established format for Buddhist funerals, but we Buddhists do use flowers as symbols of impermanence, so they are certainly appropriate in this circumstance. Shantavira 15:49, 22 October 2005 (UTC)

social work
Is social work a profession ?

If your job is a social worker, then yes. But if you mean doing the work as a volunteer, then no. <font style="color:#00BB55"> smurray <font style="color:#00AA77"> in <font style =""color:#00EE55"> chester (User), (Talk) 09:27, 21 October 2005 (UTC)

 * The first five words of our social work article say "Social Work is a profession..." KeithD (talk) 09:30, 21 October 2005 (UTC)

 * You can get a bachelors degree is Social Work these days, which indicates it's a profession.--Commander Keane 00:20, 22 October 2005 (UTC)

UK hoax calls legislation
I think I am right in saying that during the firefighters' stikes a couple of years ago, the British government enacted much stronger legislation against hoax callers. I haven't been able to find what the name of this legislation was, and therefore a copy of it. Did it exist or am I misremembering something? What was it called? Thryduulf 09:37, 21 October 2005 (UTC)

 * I don't think there was a name, unless you mean 'Operation Fresco' (why must operations have such strange codenames?). You may find UK Firefighter strike 2002 a good place to try. <font style="color:#00BB55"> smurray <font style="color:#00AA77"> in <font style =""color:#00EE55"> chester (User), (Talk) 14:26, 21 October 2005 (UTC)

Can't speak to the specific point, but all British laws will have an official title which fully describes it, something like "An act for the better supression of outlawries", and also a short title of a few words and the year of its passage, e.g. Calendar (New Style) Act 1752. PedanticallySpeaking 14:50, 21 October 2005 (UTC)

 * I would try [HMSO]They have copies on-line of all legislation passed since the 1980, it can be a bit tricky to find specific pieces though. AllanHainey 08:37, 24 October 2005 (UTC)

Why did the Battle of the Somme in 1916 fail?

 * Because the allies didn't do their own homework.
 * Wikipedia's Battle of the Somme (1916) article did not exist in 1916 (it was started at 15:56 on 7 July 2002), but luckily for you it is now one of our featured articles. Thryduulf 10:28, 21 October 2005 (UTC)

Chopin's nocturnes
Where's the article about Chopin's nocturnes? I need specifically information on this (I dont know by name):

Sib Sol dot Fa Sol Fa dot Mib Sib Sol Do...

Sorry, don't know how to typewrite in Lylypond. --User:Mdob | Talk 10:06, 21 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Based on the pattern on Sol ... Fa Sol Fa ... Sol, it might be Nocturne No.2 in E flat, Op.9/2. But that's just a hunch.  JackofOz 03:13, 22 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Thanks, Jack! --User:Mdob | Talk 22:36, 28 October 2005 (UTC)

skellig
why did David Almond call his book "Skellig"? jonny

 * See Skellig. Gdr 17:54, 21 October 2005 (UTC)

Question about event on birthdate
I was born on 6 December 1987. Several websites, including, claimed that "three satanist Missouri teenagers bludgeoned a conrad to death for fun" on that date. However, doing a search for "three satanist Missouri teenagers" or similar phrases does not give much information. There seems to be a little more information about the case at, but I'm not sure how correct that is. My questions are: (a) is the information correct, and (b) where can I find more information relating to the case? Graham/pianoman87 talk 13:18, 21 October 2005 (UTC)

 * I queried a database of the entire run of the NY Times for a combination of words such as murder, Missouri, Satan, etc. and find nothing relative to this. Perhaps the sites you cite are pranking you.  The page on how to work on our day-in-history pages cautions that several site on the web that have this information are full of errors.  PedanticallySpeaking 14:57, 21 October 2005 (UTC)

who is the artist or artists
I heard the remix to the song "Just my imagination" and I just wanted to know who the artists were that sang the remix version. It was a female and a male. the words were even changed from girl to boy.--147.31.4.44 15:33, 21 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Did you mean "Just my Imagination" or "Just my Imagination (Running Away with me)" by Barrett Strong see . Allmusic.com has got an extensive list of who has recorded versions of both songs see links above. Capitalistroadster 09:00, 22 October 2005 (UTC)

Age of Mary, Mother of Jesus, and Joseph, step-father of Jesus?
In my world religions class my professor stated that some Christian scholars believe that Mary, mother of Jesus, was a very young girl likely around age 13 and Joseph was a very old man likely around the age of 90 when they were married. Where does this come from and how accurate is it?

 * This story appears in the Gospel of James and the History of Joseph the Carpenter, two infancy gospels thought to have been written in the 2nd century, so the story is at least that old. As to their accuracy, these two books failed to enter the Biblical canon, so the early churches did not consider them wholly reliable. Among the problems with the "Joseph was an old man" version of events is that it posits that Joseph and Mary never had sex; to this end it needs to suppose that James was the son of Joseph by a previous marriage and not the brother of Jesus. This looks rather like an invention intended to support the theory of the Perpetual Virginity of Mary, which was a belief at the time of the composition of these apocrypha. Gdr 18:10, 21 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Actually, the Perpetual Virginity of Mary is still a belief in 2005 for millions of people. - Nunh-huh 04:37, 22 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Jesus had many siblings, including one named James. If Joseph was 90, he could hardly father children.  JackofOz 03:16, 22 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Further, Joseph is usually depicted as a youngish adult, certainly older than Mary, but nowhere near 90. Also, in those days, 90 would have been considered an extremely advanced age, certainly something worthy of note, but it rates no mention.  I think this is someone's fertile imagination at work.  JackofOz 03:18, 22 October 2005 (UTC)

 * You're right about it being worthy of note. Your other arguments are a bit wrong; there's no age limit to male fertility (though, as Sportin' Life sang, "What good is livin'/when no gal will give in/to no man what's 900 years"). The depiction of Joseph is simply immaterial; there are no contemporary portraits of anyone involved in the story, as far as I know. Me, I think the whole idea of a virgin giving birth is someone's fertile imagination at work, but there you have it. --jpgordon∇∆∇∆ 03:55, 22 October 2005 (UTC)
 * There is absolutely no reliable evidence of either Mary or Joseph's age. We do know that in the culture of the time women were married off as soon as they hit puberty. It would thus have been unusual for Mary not to have been quite young, by modern standards, when she wed. In that era a woman who was not married by age fifteen was considered to have something wrong with her. Women also had considerably shorter life expectancies than men, with most dying before the age of twenty. It was thus common for older widowers to marry much younger women. Thus the dates your professor mentioned are plausible, even if they are not backed by reliable evidence. - SimonP 21:17, 23 October 2005 (UTC)

= October 22 =

Love Boat: The Next Generation
Anybody remember this Saturday Night Live skit? It aired in 1993. Patrick Stewart was the guest host and reprised his Captain Picard character as Captain Steubing. I'd love to at least see the script for the skit if not a video or DVD.

 * Here you go:

 * http://snltranscripts.jt.org/93/93llove.phtml

 * StuRat 22:44, 22 October 2005 (UTC)

Summer Vacations
I am trying to find out more about the effects of summer vacations on students in developed countries with differences in the lengths of the vacations. (Such as between the United States and European countries. (The Summer vacation page seems not to be neutral in that is seems to focus on the American Public Education system as opposed to others, and incomplete in that is lacking critisisms about how much the kids "lose" over these extended breaks.) An ideal answer for my question would be a list of countries with different lengths of summer vacations all subject to the same, standardized, test, with the average scores listed for each. (Or similar.) However, I do not think that I'd be able to find such a convenient answer. Does anyone know how much kids do or do not 'lose' during summer vacations? --Demonesque 23:10, 21 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Your testing data will be difficult if not impossible to find as I've never heard of students taking the same (or a test rated as of the same difficulty) before and after break. Also test scores across cultures would not be comparable. -Drdisque 16:15, 22 October 2005 (UTC)

Hence why I said that I'd be unlikely to find such a convenient set of data. I'm interested in finding out general data on how much children lose during summer vacations/breaks. There are plenty sets of data that exist, because some arguments are that children of different races and socioeconomic standing lose more or less than others. --Demonesque 21:14, 22 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Referring to the use of the word "lose", do you mean how much do they forget or how much learning opportunity is lost ? As for what is forgotten, I would say anything that is forgotten over the summer would be forgotten 3 months after it was learned, in any event.  The lost learning opportunity would be expected to be proportional to the time spent on vacation (instead of learning).  That is, a student who spends 75% as much time in the classroom could reasonably be expected to learn 75% as much.  This should hold true until you reach a level of fatigue in the students that makes additional learning difficult.  The Japanese may actually hit this level.  StuRat 22:27, 22 October 2005 (UTC)

longest serving member of the UK parliment
What current members of the British parlament where elected before 1974?
 * Alan Williams for one; he was elected in 1964 and is currently the longest-serving member of the House of Commons (Father of the House). I don't have a list that would identify the others. --Metropolitan90 05:50, 22 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Dennis Skinner elected 1970 --Majts 08:36, 22 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Gwyneth Dunwoody was elected for Crewe in 1974, and for Crewe and Nantwich since 1983. Between 1966 and 1970 she was MP for Exeter. -- Arwel 13:18, 23 October 2005 (UTC)

Adolf Hitler's military rank
Many dictators such as Saddam Hussien and Kim Jong ILL gave themselves military ranks. During his dictatorship was Hitler considered a civilan or military man?

Capitalistroadster 09:10, 22 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Adolf Hitler gave the orders for the armed forces to carry out under the socalled Fuhrerprinzip. Our article notes: "A nickname for Hitler used by German soldiers was Gröfaz, a derogatory acronym for Größter Feldherr aller Zeiten ("Greatest War Lord of all Time"), a title initially publicized by Nazi propaganda to refer to Hitler during the early war years." This BBC article gives further information.

 * I also heard that he earned the rank of corporal in WW1, and that some referred to him by the derogatory term "the little corporal". StuRat 22:15, 22 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Actually, Napoleon was the one first called "the little corporal".--Pharos 03:18, 23 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Yes, Napolean was also called that. StuRat 00:57, 29 October 2005 (UTC)

 * I think the answer is "both". By virtue of his role as head of government, he was the effective chief of the armed forces, and his generals took their orders directly from him.  Exactly the same role that Bush, Blair, Howard etc play. But to the general populace he was a civilian by virtue of the fact that was not a serving member of the armed forces (his role as chief of the armed forces notwithstanding), but technically a "government administrator" I suppose.  JackofOz 12:25, 23 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Hitler also regularly overruled his brilliant Generals and Admirals, which frequently led to disaster and may have been a primary cause of Germany's defeat. StuRat 00:45, 29 October 2005 (UTC)

Umer Sheikh Mirza
Can anyone let me know more about Umer Sheikh Mirza, the father of Babar -- the first Moghul emperor.

 * Our article on Babur has some information. Gdr 10:46, 22 October 2005 (UTC)

Book
How or where can i find a free book on the internet about the history of Argentinean football legend Diego Armando Maradona?
 * Isn't Diego Maradona enough? KeithD (talk) 10:28, 22 October 2005 (UTC)

Open XML and GPL
Why is Microsoft Office Open XML format is incompatible with GNU GPL? (which statements, in Open XML and GPL licenses, are in conflict with each other?) Thanks in advance. --anon
 * No real reason. Microsoft just doesn't like to use open standards, perferring to create its own. Thanks to its wide user base, it can do this without losing sleep. -- Ec5618 19:25, 22 October 2005 (UTC)

 * I think the question was more technical-legal than that. The GPL does not allow additional restrictions to be placed on a GPL-licensed work, and the Office OpenXML license apparently requires the work to be distributed for no charge. That's just from a quick search; I should add that while the Free Software Foundation doesn't list the OpenXML license on their list of GPL-incompatible licenses, their compliance lab is very good at replying in a timely manner to questions about GPL compliance and compatibility. You'll get your best answer directly from them (but be sure to provide them with a link to the text of the MS Open XML license; I couldn't find one in a quick search that wasn't packaged as a Microsoft installer file). — mendel ☎ 05:23, 23 October 2005 (UTC)

Creole Culture including women
I have to do a project on Creole Culture. So far I have gotten a lot of information but none of what I got answers my real question. Most of my project is related to The Awakening by Kate Chopin, I have read this book and now I need to find out how women who were not creole but got married into the creole society were treated. How they did not always fit ect. Can you help me?

Thanks so much Corine

FDR and New Deal Legislation
Help please! I am writing a paper for my political science class regarding FDR and the New Deal legislation. The class is based off of and uses the federalist papers as a text book. I need help understanding how the events that transcribed reflect on the separation of powers, particularly as they are explicated in the federalist papers (fed paper 23 look especially relevant?) and the constitution. I would also like help understanding the political origins of the fight between FDR and the supreme court that culminated in the "Court Packing Scheme." Were the executive and judicial branches on a collision course before the FDR administration? Does the result point to a constitutional defect? I would be greatly appreciative for any input you all have on this topic. I have done a large amount of reading on this topic. Seeing as I have a good twenty pages to write I am certainly not looking for anyone to write my paper for me, but some answers to these questions and a push in the right direction would be invaluable. Thanks in advance for your time and effort! -SQ

Reading a bio of FDR would be helpful to you. Inheriting a depressed economy from capitalist leaders who had fired on their own veterans, FDR was forced to step into finance and public works to kickstart the flow of money. He created two bodies, the PWA and the WPA, which the supreme court thought were probably unconstitutional due to the scope of their activites as they handed out great sums of money and major construction contracts, but sat back and waited around for someone to bring a case to them. After things started to improve and the economic emergency ebbed a bit, events threatened to bring such a case about. FDR responded by trying to expand the number of supreme court judges (the number has actually gone up and down several times) and put his own Democratic nominess on to create a positive outcome for his alphabet agencies. In 1940 the people told him what they thought with their votes, barely reelecting him for an unprecedented third term and forcing him to rely on the young Lyndon Johnson who doled out oil money from Texas to favored candidates. This gives you the flavor but obviously you must do more reading for detail. JK

= October 23 =

Guilhermina Suggia
As I am writing about Guilhermina Suggia, the famous Portuguese cellist who lived for several years in London, I'd be very grateful if you could tell me about her relationships there, in the first world war, with the members of the Bloomsbury Group. I know she has been invited by the Omega Circle, to play in a recital in favour of the refugee artists and musicians. I'd like to know how she came to an acquaintance with the members of the Bloomsbury Group and the artists of the Omega Circle, and if there is any exchange of letters between them, and if so, where can I find them. Thank you very much for your interest.

With my best regards,

Isabel Millet

 * Well, she had an affair with painter Augustus John... There are some details of where her papers are located at this web page, which also has some details of her London stay, though it doesn't seem to address your questions directly. - Nunh-huh 01:22, 23 October 2005 (UTC)

Paganini work
Can anyone help me out? I heard a tune the other day on the radio, and it was one of exquisite beauty and very haunting, but I didn't catch the name, and only heard that it was composed by Paganini. I've been trying in vain to locate it, perhaps someone would know what it is? I can only remember the middle part: (Middle C = C4; H under C4 is H3)

16 16 16  16 8   8   16 16  16 16  8   8  16  16  16  16  4   4    4rit Ab5 Gb5 F5 Ab5 Gb5   Gb5 F5 Eb5 Gb5 F5     B5  Gb5 Eb5 Db5 C5tr Cb5 -  -  B4  -      A4  -  -   Ab4 -  Gb4 Gb4 -   -   F4  Eb4  Db4 D4 D4 -   -  Eb4 -   C4 C4  -  -   Db4 -                 (Ab3)-

and so forth. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks. - jim

 * I tried it out on the piano but can't say I recognised it. What was the instrumentation?  Have you tried Themefinder, Musipedia or similar websites that cater for these queries?  I went to Themefinder myself but it didn't give me a Paganini work that was close enough.  Can you contact the station and ask them about the piece?  Let us know how you fare, I for one am now very curious.  Cheers JackofOz 12:15, 23 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Was it for violin? Most likely, it's Paganini's Caprice No. 4 in c minor for solo violin, if I read the music right. It's the only piece I know that contains that passage, and Paganini's use of diminished chords (in place of minor) does give a haunting character to the piece. Don Diego 16:48, 23 October 2005 (UTC)

Saddam's Parents and grand parents.
What ever happend to Saddam Hussiens step father, one who was abusive to him? Does anyone have information on Saddams Stepfather bio father mother, or grandparents? the article on Saddam has very, little information.

 * I'm assuming you refer to Ibraham al-Hassan. I have no information on his fate, or his ancestry. - Nunh-huh 00:31, 24 October 2005 (UTC)

Recent Mergers
I would like to know a large merger that happened in the last 6 months. I mean a really big merger between two well-known companies. If it made news in the NY Times or a large newsource, that would be good. The reason is simple: there aren't any. I can think of plenty of large car company hybrids, but no large mergers between banks, auto companies, anything these days. Name one and I'd be happy to read it.
 * Please don't post the same question on more than one page of the Reference desk. The question is probably more on-topic here, but there's a couple of answers already at the Science Reference desk, so I suggest anyone else wanting to answer do so there.-gadfium 04:07, 23 October 2005 (UTC)
 * How about Boots & Alliance-UniChem (£7bn merger) or NTL & Telewest (£6bn). Admittedly these are UK based companies but you didn't specify. AllanHainey 08:32, 24 October 2005 (UTC)

Deuce Bigalow, European Gigolo
In the movie, I remember a really interesting European song that I have heard over again, but I really can't identify the name. It was a part when the gigolos were having a Man-whore competition and there was a certain music that was playing when Assopoulis was dancing. I really forgot the name of the song. If anyone knows the english name, it would be great to know.--<font color="0000EE">S <font color="3232CD">c <font color="4169E1">r <font color="1C86EE">e <font color="00B2EE">w <font color="FF0000">b <font color="FF6600">a <font color="FFFF00">ll 2 <font color="9400D3">3 03:16, 23 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Actually, I did research the movie. Apparently, it didn't do great at the box office and I can't find a soundtrack or anything of that sort. I hope that helps.--<font color="0000EE">S <font color="3232CD">c <font color="4169E1">r <font color="1C86EE">e <font color="00B2EE">w <font color="FF0000">b <font color="FF6600">a <font color="FFFF00">ll 2 <font color="9400D3">3 03:18, 23 October 2005 (UTC)

 * I don't know, but perhaps you can narrow it down. The tracks listed for the movie include "Catch My Disease" by Ben Lee, "I Said Never Again (But Here We Are)" by Rachel Stevens, "Dirty Little Secret" by the All American Rejects, "Nights in White Satin" by the Moody Blues, "Here Comes Your Man" by The Pixies, "Every Rose Has Its Thorn", and "Numanuma". Is it one of those? - Nunh-huh 03:34, 23 October 2005 (UTC)

 * The Numa Numa song can be found at Dragostea din Tei. Very addictive.  (By the way, screwball, you sig is very annoying when viewed in edit mode.)  Nelson Ricardo 01:54, 24 October 2005 (UTC)

Address
I want to know where in London Sultan Ali Keshtand is Living. i want to send me the Phone or Email address or any kind of address.

really i appreciated.

Poohar

 * er, I'm not sure WP is a address directory. __earth 04:17, 23 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Some people don't want that information to be public, so he's probably not in the London phone directory, but you could try looking him up here. Shantavira 10:59, 23 October 2005 (UTC)

Commercial Jingle
Anyone seen the commercial on TV featuring a sort of pop/punk version of 'Pure Imagination" from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory? I've seen it a few times, and as far as I can remember, it's for a certain computer company. My best guess is that it's by Me First and the Gimme Gimme's, but I can't seem to find evidence of that anywhere. Sound familiar to anyone? --66.82.9.57 03:37, 23 October 2005 (UTC)
 * To my surprise, there is actually an article about this song at Pure Imagination. The commercial is for MasterCard, but according to the article MasterCard won't release the artist's name and says the recording is not available commercially.  The article does link to the MasterCard site which includes the commercial. --Metropolitan90 05:34, 23 October 2005 (UTC)

Life in Iraq between the Gulf War and the 2003 invasion
Can anyone name any good, thorough, preferably objective sources describing day-to-day life in Iraq during this time? Particularly any showing differences between regions, classes, sects, etc. Sources created before the 2003 invasion would be of particular interest.

Also, any good sources focusing on the Shiite and Kurdish uprisings during the Gulf War, and their aftermath. --RevWaldo 05:12, 23 October 2005 (UTC)

The Age Tapes
The Melbourne Age newspaper publishes an article about phone taps after which they were referred to as The Age Tapes,Iwould like to know as much as possible about this as possible

 * Is that even more than as much as possible?

 * Do a Google search for "the age tapes"! I'll write an article about it (The Age tapes) if I find the time, sounds quite interesting. -- Canley 01:55, 24 October 2005 (UTC)
 * They were of Australian High Court Judge Lionel Murphy and led to charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice in relationship to conversations with a magistrate. The Australian Federal Police made the tapes as I recall. This ABC transcript gives further background see . Capitalistroadster 02:14, 24 October 2005 (UTC)

fortaleza
i´ve been told that Ceara is called something with wind or sunshine in it´s name. Is this so?

 * Ceará is called the sunshine state (Google Ceara sunshine). Fortaleza is sometimes called the sunshine city. TheMadBaron 17:15, 3 November 2005 (UTC)

Reverse stockholm syndrome
Is there a term for Stockholm Syndrome in reverse - ie, the captor developing a love for his victim ? Tintin 12:12, 23 October 2005 (UTC)

Slavery in Kenya
How many slaves were taken from Kenya, during the slave trade?

There was no Kenya at the time of the slave trade. Can you define your geographical terms? User:Zoe|(talk) 20:43, 23 October 2005 (UTC)
 * The area that is today Kenya, specifically Mombasa, was the centre of the East African slave trade. There are no good numbers, but roughly 5000 people per year were exported from about 900 AD to 1800. Over time this adds to some 5 million people moving, mainly to the Middle East and India. On an annual basis, however, these numbers were still a fraction of total population growth, so there wasn't much of a demographic effect on the region. - SimonP 20:57, 23 October 2005 (UTC)
 * There weren't too many African slaves in India. See Siddi, the african community in India. <font color="#0082B8">=Nichalp <font color="#0082B8">«Talk»=  08:03, 1 November 2005 (UTC)

philip larkin
(no question)
 * What about Philip Larkin? - Mgm|(talk) 13:41, 23 October 2005 (UTC)

Suzy Creamcheese
Who is Suzy Creamcheese? What is the history of this expression? What type of person would you call a "Suzy Creamcheese?" Thanks Joan Polcari
 * The article on Suzy Creamcheese may answer your first two questions to your satisfaction. Dismas|(talk) 15:19, 23 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Frank Zappa, 1974: "Suzy Creamcheese was a girl named Jeanne Vassoir. And she is the voice that's on the Freak Out album. The myth of Suzy Creamcheese, the letter on the album, I wrote myself. There never really was a Suzy Creamcheese. It was just a figment of my imagination until people started identifying with it heavily. It got to weird proportions in Europe, so that in 1967, when we did our first tour of Europe, people were asking if Suzy Creamcheese was along with us. So I procured the services of another girl named Pamela Zarubica, who was hired to be the Suzy Creamcheese of the European tour. And then she maintained the reputation of being Suzy Creamcheese after 1967. The first one went someplace, we don't know where. She's back in town now; I saw her." David Sneek 15:22, 23 October 2005 (UTC)

Alternative term for the Balkan States
Apparantly, there was an alternative name for the Balkan States, comprising two words. N--R E--T. I have searched and cannot find it. Can anyone please help? Regards Jan

 * The Near East? Shantavira 18:12, 23 October 2005 (UTC)

History of graphic design.
Wikipedia has it all, including Graphic Design, in it check the Early_history section. --Aytakin 21:33, 23 October 2005 (UTC)

The Graphic Design article has excellent information on that. --Borbrav 21:34, 23 October 2005 (UTC)

Play synopsis
Can anyone tell me what the play Walker, London, by J. M. Barrie, is about or point me to a link that can? H e rmione1980 20:22, 23 October 2005 (UTC)

music

 * 1) which two instruments would most likely have played the basso continuo in the baroque era?
 * 2) what is the gradual swelling of the volume of music?
 * 3) the baroque era witnessed the appearance of the?
 * 4) why was vivaldi known as the red priest?
 * 5) during bach's lifetime he held the position of?
 * 6) did vivaldi live in venice?
 * 7) did vivaldi teach music at a girl's school?
 * 8) what is the name of handel's most famous oratorio that is frequently performed today?
 * 9) what composer responded to the reforms of the council of trent in an exemplary fashion?
 * 10) who was the greatest and most prolific italian composer of concertos?
 * 11) what are the approximate dates of the baroque period?
 * 12) what is the approximate dates of the renaissance era?
 * 13) the harpsichord is different from the piano because?
 * 14) music in minor tonality is often perceived as sounding?
 * 15) what is the name of bach's forty-eight preludes and fugues?
 * 16) how did music progress from the medieval to the renaissance to the baroque to the classical periods?
 * 17) describe what happens at an opera, both the music and also with what happens on stage?
 * 18) describe why the arts are a necessity, not a luxury? --4.227.114.24 21:10, 23 October 2005 (UTC)

Wow. So many questions, so little of your homework being done by us. Sorry.

Yes. Read the top of the page: Do your own homework. --Borbrav 21:30, 23 October 2005 (UTC)

 * A little effort will direct you to your answers. Now rush off or you'll be in trouble tomorrow morning. Don Diego(Talk) 22:01, 23 October 2005 (UTC)

 * I know we are not meant to do homework for poor souls, but it's probably due by now and I'd like a response to Q18.--Commander Keane 00:56, 24 October 2005 (UTC)
 * It's not so much a question as an indoctrination, but pertinent essays touching on the subject can be found by googling "necessity subsidy art" and suchlike. (E.g. "Throughout the world, arts and culture are central to the human experience. In the United States, arts and culture play an essential role in our democracy. They serve as a manifestation of the liberty that lies at the heart of our civil and pluralistic society. They reinforce the spirit of free inquiry and action that animates and strengthens the practice of America's political life.") If our questioner had attended class, the best possible answer would be to spit back whatever the teacher had opined upon the subject...but any essay emphasizing the holistic human spirit yearning for expression and searching for meaning through the arts will no doubt be judged adequate. - Nunh-huh 01:22, 24 October 2005 (UTC)

= October 24 =

GDP GNP
In the following list, which items should and should not be counted in GDP? note that SHOULD does not mean ARE

consumption, Employment Insurance benefits, Canadian Exports, The sale of a second hand car, Payment of babysitting services by a parent to a child.

For each item explain why they should be included or not.
 * Please see the instructions at the top of this page regarding your homework and getting others to do it for you. Dismas|(talk) 00:18, 24 October 2005 (UTC)

Question re: Origins & Location of Statue of Ephesian Artemis
I am researching Artemis Ephesia, the aspect of Artemis worshipped at the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus. I have seen photos of a statue on Wikipedia (and other places) portraying the Goddess as ringed with nodules (bull testicles?) and flanked by animals. One source seems to say that the statue is in the Vatican Museum, but other sources say that the British Museum holds most of the antiquities from the excavation of the site in the late 1800s. I am confused!

I would like to find out:

Where was that statue discovered, and is there any indication of how old it is or who created it?

Where does that statue currently reside?

Are there any suggested sources for further research on this statue, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus or pre-Olympian Artemis?

Thank you!

-A.H. ---00:05, 24 October 2005 (UTC)

how did the name "Dutch" for people from Netherlands start
Dear Sir,

I'm trying to find the answer to the question why are people from The Netherlands / Holland called Dutch and why is the language called Dutch. I hope you are able to get me the answer to this question. Thank you.

Best regards, Tony Made

 * Netherlands covers this quite well. MeltBanana  01:28, 24 October 2005 (UTC)

the curious incident of the dog in the night time
what is the Theme, the Plot, and the Tone of the book "the curious incident of the dog in the night time"?

 * See . And read the book. - Nunh-huh 02:37, 24 October 2005 (UTC)

Very entertaining book. Your teacher did you a favor by assigning it. We are going to do you a favor by encouraging you to read it. Then come back and we'll be happy to talk to you about it. alteripse 03:24, 24 October 2005 (UTC)

 * After you have read it, you might also want to look at our article on autism before writing your little assignment. --Fastfission 05:29, 27 October 2005 (UTC)

Jean Harlowesque
I came across the name Jean Harlowesque in a book I'm translating. I know that he's a couturier, but could you give me some details. Thank you
 * It's a pun on Jean Harlow - basically, the character is (by name) "like Jean Harlow". You could either use the same pun in your translation, or find a pun on a fitting actor/actress that is better known in your target language. -- Ferkelparade π 08:02, 24 October 2005 (UTC)

Ten Lost Tribes
Here's the link of the article and section I was reading from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_Ten_Tribes#LDS_and_Some_Others

I was reading your article on the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel and there is a small section about the LDS Church. It says that the LDS Church believes that a remnant of the ten lost tribes inhabited the Americas. The information there is partly right. The LDS Church (I'm a member) believe that they were from the tribe of Judah (except for Lehi and his family, Lehi later finds out his geneaology and that he is a descendant of Joseph). They were a small group of people who fled from Jerusalem before it's destruction at about 600 BC. They wandered around in the Middle East for several years and then set sail to the Americas. Here's a link of the Book of Mormon online. http://scriptures.lds.org/bm/contents

It describes this in the whole section of First Nephi if you want to use it as a reference.

Thank you, Heather Hansen
 * Thank you for your suggestion. When you feel an article needs improvement, please feel free to make those changes. Wikipedia is a wiki, so anyone can edit almost any article by simply following the  link at the top. The Wikipedia community encourages you to be bold in updating pages. Don't worry too much about making honest mistakes — they're likely to be found and corrected quickly. If you're not sure how editing works, check out how to edit a page, or use the sandbox to try out your editing skills.  New contributors are always welcome. You don't even need to log in (although there are many reasons why you might want to). Dismas|(talk) 10:12, 24 October 2005 (UTC)

Constitution of the C.S.A.
Does anyone know what happenened to the Constitution of the Confederate States of America when they lost the Civil War (I mean the actual physical document), Is this in a museum somewhere or was it destroyed? AllanHainey 08:55, 24 October 2005 (UTC)

 * The Provisional Confederate States Constitution is in the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond, Virginia. The Confederate States Constitution proper is in the Library of the University of Georgia. Gdr 10:34, 24 October 2005 (UTC)

EFX
I know there exists a musical EFX, starring Michael Crawford. Could you possibly tell me if it still runs and whether it is based on any contemporary story or novel? What is the plot?

 * EFX started at the MGM Grand Las Vegas in 1995. Michael Crawford left the production in 1996 due to an injury, and was replaced by David Cassidy, Tommy Tune and singer Rick Springfield. The production closed at the end of 2002. Apparently there wasn't much of a storyline or plot! -- Canley 00:04, 25 October 2005 (UTC)

Government and Elections
How are leaders elected in other countries?

 * Difficult to say, without knowing where exactly you are. But, as a starting point, you could check out the list of Elections by country and List of politics by country articles, depending on which countries you're interested in. –Hajor 13:03, 24 October 2005 (UTC)

Charlesmagne
Was Charlesmagne cannonized ever? He should, don't you thik so?

 * Have you read the article on Charlemagne?

Practical application of The Common Law
How is The Common Law as a source of law in the British Legal sysytem practically used or applied by judges? If possible give some examples contrasting with application of statutory law

 * While this sure feels like a homework question, you might want to check out the common law article. Which country are you looking for examples from? -- Lord Vold e  mort  <sup style="color:#3D9140;">(Dark Mark)  15:51, 24 October 2005 (UTC)

internet
who invented the internet
 * See History of the Internet. TheMadBaron 17:55, 24 October 2005 (UTC)
 * It was Al Gore I tells ya! --Ballchef 09:41, 25 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Hah! I was just waiting to see who would say it :D ☢ Ҡieff⌇↯ 23:25, 25 October 2005 (UTC)
 * No, no, no. You've all got it wrong.  It was Philip Emeagwali.  That, and the supercomputer, and CFD for petroleum, and a bunch of other things... ;)--Robert Merkel 08:32, 26 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Or if you're not worried about the minor detail of actually making something that worked maybe it was Vannevar Bush. DJ Clayworth 18:56, 31 October 2005 (UTC)
 * I don't know who invented the internet, but Jimbo Wales made it practical. --TantalumTelluride 00:25, 4 November 2005 (UTC)

Ed Murrow-McCarthy interview
For several years, on occasion I have searched the internet for a transcript of the famous Edward R. Murrow - McCarthy interview to no avail. Is it available and if so, where can I find it please? I have googled it etc. Thank you for your attention to this. Ernie S

 * Do you mean the March 9, 1954 special edition of Edward R. Murrow's See It Now show: A Report on Senator Joseph R. McCarthy (which is not an interview, but excerpts from McCarthy's speeches and other of his statements, intertwined with Murrow's commentary), or McCarthy's rebuttal on the same show two weeks later? Lupo 09:26, 25 October 2005 (UTC)

Soldiers and "anti-erotic pills"
I'm reading the diaries of Galeazzo Ciano and at one point in them he relates a story of how German soldiers at the time made use of "anti-erotic pills" to combat their normal sexual desires. This just being a more economic or practical or safe alternative to allowing soldiers to find and use brothels every so often. Is this right? Did such a thing exist, then or ever? Or does such a thing still exist? To be clear, I'm curious about the use of such pills by soldiers in general, at any point in history, not necessarily just their use by German soldiers during WWII -- if that's even true. --Clngre 19:52, 24 October 2005 (UTC)

 * There's a long-running rumour that the British Army put bromine in their Tea, to produce a similar effect. No idea if it's true, or if it even works. --Bob Mellish 19:59, 24 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Also, there was a very common rumour that saltpeter (Potassium nitrate) was added to food at male-institutions. There is a mention of it used that way at that article. -- Lord Vold e  mort  <sup style="color:#3D9140;">(Dark Mark)  20:18, 24 October 2005 (UTC)

The life of the composer Siegfried Merath
I would like to know about the life of Siegfried Merath. I am playing one of his pieces "Tanz-Typen" for my grade 3. I am interested in knowing more about his life and role in music. Also how successful he was with his music. Thank you for your help --88.107.84.231 20:10, 24 October 2005 (UTC)

 * We don't have an article on him and a Google search for "Siegfried Merath" doesn't come up with much see . He's not listed on Allmusic.com so he appears to be fairly obscure. Capitalistroadster 05:09, 25 October 2005 (UTC)

 * German composer, conductor and arranger, known for his radio arrangements. Born 1923, possibly on October 7 (the source giving that day gave 1928 as the year, but that may well be a typo, all other sources agree on 1923 ). Wrote the music for a German movie entitled Ein Mädchen aus zweiter Hand (filmed 1974, premiered on January 16, 1976 ). He is mentioned on p. 295 of Schneider, K.: Lexikon Programmmusik, Bd. 1: Stoffe und Motive, Bärenreiter-Verlag 1999, ISBN 3-761-81431-3. Maybe the people at Schott Music can tell you more. Lupo 09:11, 25 October 2005 (UTC)

Two questions: China and Israel
I have heard many times that China has once asked "What is more important to you: Taiwan or your west coast?" Is this true? It seems very unlikely that such an open threat would be made. (Then again, it seems equally unlikely that someone would have taken off their shoe and shouted "WE WILL CRUSH YOU.") If this is true, who said it?

Additionally, I have heard that the largest act of espionage by any country on the United States was by Isreal. This also seems like it might not be factual, or is at least exaggerated. Can anyone confirm this? Thanks. --<font style="background: #E8F3FF" face="Trebuchet MS" color=#0088BB> Demonesque  talk 20:19, 24 October 2005 (UTC)
 * For the latter, "largest" will always be subjective. However, I'd think it would be difficult to trump Soviet espionage targeting atomic weapon technology.  That said, Israel has engaged in espionage against the United States, though specific incidents escape me at the moment.  — Lomn | Talk / RfC 21:38, 24 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Jonathan Pollard and Larry Franklin. There are rumours of others, but those are the two that have pled guilty.  --Diderot 21:51, 24 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Regarding the shoe question, you are thinking of two separate instances from the life of Nikita Khrushchev. See We will bury you. -- Mwalcoff 23:24, 24 October 2005 (UTC)

 * As for the original question... Well, who is 'China'? It's a big country, and there are radicals and moderates within the political system. A variety of more extreme militarists have in the past threatened nuclear war, but of course, that isn't the official line. --Fangz 02:51, 25 October 2005 (UTC)

Shakespeare, Coriolanus, Corioles
(no question) From the top of this page:
 * Be specific - explain your question in detail if necessary, addressing exactly what you'd like answered. For information that changes from country to country (or from state to state), such as legal, fiscal or institutional matters, please specify the jurisdiction you're interested in.
 * Include both a title and a question - the title (top box) should specify the topic of your question. The complete details should be in the bottom box. Questions not following this format may be deleted. - Mgm|(talk) 20:50, 24 October 2005 (UTC)

You may be wondering about Shakespeare's play Coriolanus, and its relation to the legendary Roman leader, Coriolanus. Feel free to ask any more specific questions you may have about it. - Nunh-huh 04:02, 25 October 2005 (UTC)

English Civil War
How did the English Civil War impact and influence the development of democracy? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 204.108.96.10 (talk • contribs) from the Los Angeles Unified School District

 * See English Civil War. Apparently, it "effectively set England and Scotland on course to become a parliamentary democracy". –Hajor 21:35, 24 October 2005 (UTC)

 * The triumph of Oliver Cromwell was highly influential in the development of democracy because he insisted that everyone had to do their own homework. --Bob Mellish 21:38, 24 October 2005 (UTC)

 * He was serious about it too. Poor old Charles I of England got beheaded because he didn't do his homework. :>)Capitalistroadster 05:19, 25 October 2005 (UTC)

= October 25 =

Assassin online game?
Does such a web site exist? Assassin is a multi-player game popular on college campuses in which each player attempts to "assassinate" another player while trying to avoid being assassinated by another player. No player knows whose target they are, and each player knows only the identity of their current target. When a player is "killed" (by water gun or other non-lethal weapon) their target becomes the new target of the person that assassinated them. I've never played it, always wanted to. The Internet seems like the perfect forum to hold such a game in a safe, friendly confine (I have Runescape-like environment in mind).
 * I've only come across online records of real life games, but if you like Assassin, you may also be interested in playing Mafia (game) which has a similar (yet slightly different premise) and is already played online in multiple places. - 131.211.210.17 07:56, 25 October 2005 (UTC)

 * It sounds like a deadly version of Kelly Pool. (And, yes, I am shocked to find that kelly pool is one of those shameful red links, I must get onto that.) --Ballchef 11:05, 30 October 2005 (UTC)

The Huns and How they dressed
What was the Huns apparel like around the time they attacked the East Goths?

Thank You, anon
 * Sign your question - type  at its end.

I actually tried to check a couple of books to find pictures but came up dry. It depends on your purpose: illustration of book or magazine article, movie costumes, military miniatures, etc. For most purposes you could probably go with the generic trousers, boots, tunics of central asian horsemen all the way back to the scythians and you probably would not be criticized. The Huns were nomadic pastoralists from regions with harsh winters so more likely to make use of sheepskins and wool than other textiles and cloths. They had had extensive trading and diplomatic contact with the Empire by the time of their major conflict with the East Goths. The core of their army was cavalry archers. You might be able to find out if they had stirrups, which was a major military innovation that increased cavalry power and off the top of my head I can't remember if they did. Is that what you had in mind? alteripse 16:54, 25 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Ammianus Marcellinus gives some description of their clothing in the late 4th century: he says it included a dark linen tunic, a coat of ratskins, a helmet or cap, goatskin trousers (or possibly chaps), and ill-fitting shoes. René Grousset's The Empire of the Steppes (ISBN 0813506271) and E.A. Thompson's The Huns (ISBN 0631214437) may be helpful; I don't have my copy of the latter handy but I remember that it included significant material on Hun burial sites, which would be the best source of information about their clothing. —Charles P. (Mirv) 02:26, 30 October 2005 (UTC)

How many states have the death penalty?
How many states of the world? How many states of a particular nation?
 * Death penalty, use_of_death_penalty_worldwide and capital punishment in the United States should help. - Nunh-huh 01:47, 25 October 2005 (UTC)

 * As much as it may surprise you, not all nations have states. — J I P | Talk 11:55, 26 October 2005 (UTC)
 * They may have prefectures, counties, areas, districts, or many other things, but they all amount to pretty much the same thing, effectively if not legislatively, which is a way of dividing a country up into manageable administrative chunks. I've also removed the newbie-biting from this question. Proto t c 12:28, 26 October 2005 (UTC)

Political freedom in Egypt
Is Egypt a democracy or dictatorship.
 * جمهوريّة مصرالعربيّة From Egypt
 * Ǧumhuriyat Misr al-ˁArabiyah
 * Arab Republic of Egypt
 * Search first - it's quicker. Search Wikipedia using the searchbox. A web search could help too. Common questions about Wikipedia itself, such as how to cite Wikipedia and who owns Wikipedia, are answered in FAQ.
 * Sign your question - type  at its end.
 * Egypt has been a republic since 1953, with regular democratic Presidential elections. There are accusations of vote fraud and fake ballots etc., but hey, that happens in the US as well.
 * They hold Presidential elections but so far only the last one (2005) has been allowed to be contested by people other than the President. AllanHainey 07:43, 25 October 2005 (UTC)

 * A Western-style representative democracy is more than just elections. You need an active press free to criticise those in power, the ability of political parties to organise reasonably free of government interference (I throw in that caveat because political parties like the National Democratic Party of Germany (NPD) have faced attempts to ban them, and most people consider modern Germany a democracy), fairly conducted elections.  I'd also argue that democracies where one party holds a supermajority or a very stable majority (such as South Africa, where the African National Congress has a supermajority, or Japan, where the LDP has been in the majority since WWII) are at best not particularly healthy democracies.  These things form a continuum, but from what I've read in the Western press about Egypt on the criteria I've outlined it's a lot less democratic than Indonesia or Turkey (to pick two majority Islamic countries regarded as amongst the most democratic such states).  --Robert Merkel 11:57, 25 October 2005 (UTC)
 * I won't argue there's no doubt that the LDP is in charge in Japan and that that's probably not going to change any time soon, but I don't think it's fair to call it an unhealthy democracy just because of that. If the people wanted to kick them out of power, nothing stopped them from doing so earlier this year. One thing the LDP isn't is a stodgy, immobile force unwilling to stir the waters with new ideas; Koizumi's plan to privatize Japan Post stirred things up both outside his own party and within, whereas all other parties (besides the LDP-allied New Komeito Party) stood firmly against privatization. In the end, the LDP, through being more willing to change than their opponents, secured more seats in the lower house and gained an even firmer grip on the government as a whole. Nothing unhealthy about that. That being said, the manner in which the LDP chided and ostracized dissidents within the party was rather one-party-ish. Garrett Albright 17:07, 25 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Freedom House gives Egypt a "6" in Political Rights, the second-lowest Freedom House score. Freedom House says, "Egyptians cannot change their government democratically" due to the control the NDP exerts over Egyptian society. In its 2003 country reports, Polity IV also gave Egypt poor ratings, saying, "For all practical purposes Egypt remains a one-party state in which executive recruitment is conducted internally within the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP)." -- Mwalcoff 22:47, 25 October 2005 (UTC)

The Beatles song "Let it Be"
Every time I hear this song it drives me crazy, because I'm positive I heard it in the ending credits, or at least towards the end, of some famous movie. Is there anyway I can find a listing of what movie/TV show soundtracks it's been in?

 * Allmusic.com has a list of most the people who have recorded "Let It Be" see . I notice that Nick Cave performed a version on the I am Sam soundtrack. Could that be it? Capitalistroadster 05:40, 25 October 2005 (UTC)
 * I am Sam was the movie that first popped to mind when I read the question. The whole soundtrack, if I'm not mistaken, is cover versions of Beatles songs. Dismas|(talk) 07:34, 25 October 2005 (UTC)

Pokémon creator ?
I have found a conflict of information about who created Pokémon, but I have found no reference to the president of Creatures, Inc. (now Pokémon, Inc.), Tsunekazu Ishihara. I could not find any place to request an article. All paths lead only to requested articles which is not the same thing. There also was no catagory or sub-category for Pokémon under video games. Also, in the Pokémon group of articles there is no mention of Creatures/Pokémon, Inc even though Media Factory is mentioned.

Rod Lockwood

 * Hi Rod -- You might try posting this to the Pokémon talk page, where it will be definitely seen by people who know a lot about that topic in particular and be able to help you out. --Fastfission 04:09, 26 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Do not list your e-mail address - questions aren't normally answered by e-mail. Be aware that the content on Wikipedia is extensively copied to many websites; making your e-mail address public here may make it very public throughout the Internet.
 * Edit your question for more discussion - click the [edit] link on right side of its header line. Please do not start multiple sections about the same topic.
 * Sign your question - type  at its end. -- Ec5618 07:32, 25 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Um, his question looks pretty straightforward to me. No need to get snippy. --Fastfission 04:09, 26 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Rod, your question has been posted on the talk page. Capitalistroadster 07:19, 26 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Thanks, I will check there. Rod --216.144.215.136 23:35, 27 October 2005 (UTC)

Earliest rhymes in world literature
When and where was the first rhyming poetry written? KeeganB

 * Our Poetry article speaks highly of the Ancient Greeks. However, rhyme didn't form part of poetry until the High Middle Ages after the influence of the Arabs. Capitalistroadster 05:45, 25 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Poetry isn't just a written phenomenon. How can anyone possibly know when rhyme was first used in oral poetry?  For all we know it could go back 70,000 years.--Pharos 07:56, 25 October 2005 (UTC)
 * You might want to be clear if you mean end rhyme (i.e. where the end of a line rhymes with the end of another). I would hazard a guess that all poetry has always made use of rhyme in the sense of "a repetition of identical or similar sounds in two or more different words" (by which definition, for example, alliteration is a form of rhyme, assonance is a form of rhyme, consonance is a form of rhyme etc.). Valiantis 23:28, 28 October 2005 (UTC)

The word Job
What's the etymology of the word 'job'? (As in labour, employment...) Is it anything to do with the Biblical Job, or is it just a co-incidence?--Fangz 02:47, 25 October 2005 (UTC)
 * I would think not considering they're pronounced differently. The first being similar to "jaab" and the second more like "jOb".  Dismas|(talk) 04:11, 25 October 2005 (UTC)
 * I'd say the Biblical Job sounds more like "jobe". Not sure if this is the same as "jOb".--Commander Keane 04:28, 25 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Six of one, half dozen of the other it seems. When I wrote out "jOb" I capitalized the "O" to indicate the long vowel that both of us seem to be thinking of but just representing it differently. Dismas|(talk) 07:31, 25 October 2005 (UTC)

 * According to the Oxford English Dictionary, no one knows where job comes from. It might be related to an earlier use of the word job, meaning a cart-load. That definition in turn comes from a use of the word to mean "a lump." No one knows where that word job came from, though. -- Mwalcoff 00:01, 27 October 2005 (UTC)

Is the name "Job" Hebrew? What's the form of the name in Hebrew texts? User:Zoe|(talk) 02:34, 27 October 2005 (UTC)

 * The name Job comes from the Hebrew original Ivov. According to Rabbi Robert Layman, the meaning of the name Iyov is not known, but some say it means "enemy." -- Mwalcoff 21:23, 27 October 2005 (UTC)

Sandahurst
Does Sandahurst offer a Bachelors degree the way the West Point offers such.

 * no. It's only one years worth of military training. See Sandhurst Military Academy, Military Academy - Nunh-huh 03:31, 25 October 2005 (UTC)

 * It may be worth noting the Joint Services Command and Staff College, which if memory serves offers "real" postgraduate qualifications in collaboration with UCL or KCL. No BA, though. Shimgray | talk | 13:51, 25 October 2005 (UTC)

 * You might also look at Defence Academy which if memory serves will accept civilian students as well as military and trains for graduate and undergraduate degrees. DJ Clayworth 18:50, 31 October 2005 (UTC)

Politics
The Priorities Of Politics & the philosophy of Collindism. Robert Corfe. ISBN 0 948571 07 1 What is Collindism? --81.76.32.148 04:02, 25 October 2005 (UTC)

Philosphy
Explain the views of William Clifford and William James on whether it is permissable to decide an option on nonrational grounds.

 * Do your own homework - if you need help with a specific part or concept of your homework, feel free to ask, but please do not post entire homework questions and expect us to give you the answers. -- Ec5618 07:32, 25 October 2005 (UTC)

Capitalistroadster 05:52, 25 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Our William Clifford and William James articles should be of some assistance. If not the references could be.

Foreign Minister
What is the diffrence between external affairs minister and a foreign minister? Is it one and the same post?
 * What country has these positions? as I would say that if different countries only have 1 then they're probably just different terminology for the same thing. However if the country you're thinking of has both then 'external affairs minister' might have something to do with autonomous or semi-autonomous regions. AllanHainey 07:49, 25 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Until about a decade ago Canada had a minister of external affairs rather than a foreign minister because much of their dealings were with Britain and other members of the Commonwealth of Nations. These countries were considered not to be "foreign" since we were all part of the same empire. Today this view no longer means much and about a decade ago the Department of External Affairs was renamed the Department of Foreign Affairs. - SimonP 00:29, 26 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Australia had a Minister for External Affairs until the late '60s, when the name was changed to Minister for Foreign Affairs. These days it varies between that name and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade.  That's the official title, but the incumbent is more often referred to unofficially as the Foreign Minister.  For all practical purposes, the Foreign Minister we know today performs the same role as the Minister for External Affairs used to.  Cheers JackofOz 07:30, 26 October 2005 (UTC)

Designated Survivor Determination
I am interested in how the designated survivor is determined. Is this determined by one person, a body of people, and what qualifications does this person have to have to be the designated survivor? I thank you in advance for taking the time to research this question for me.

Sincerely,

--69.140.253.205 11:52, 25 October 2005 (UTC)

 * See Designated survivor. Always use the Search button before asking questions here - it saves time. Don Diego(Talk) 19:48, 25 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Don, the article says nothing about the original question of how a selection is made. Please check your own answers before you dismiss someone else's question as a waste of time. — Lomn | Talk / RfC

 * As noted, our article doesn't say. I would expect, however, that the President asks someone, or draws a name from a hat, or nominates the loser of the college football bowl game pool, or some other suitably informal method of selection.  As for qualifications, that much is in the article: the Presidential survivor is a Cabinet member in the United States presidential line of succession (for example, Homeland Security is a Cabinet post not in the line); the House and Senate survivors are members of their respective bodies.  — Lomn | Talk / RfC 14:16, 26 October 2005 (UTC)

Uncle of the house
Who is the current "uncle of the house" for the british parliment? That is who is the member with second longest record of continuous service?

 * I've never heard that term before & I don't believe it is a properly recognised 'official' designation. The term was used by Tony Benn in 1992 "We were elected in the same year ; you are the Father of the House and I was then the baby of the House. I must now be the uncle of the House, and it is in that capacity that I want to speak" but I suspect it was just a witty comment by him rather than a reference to an actual position. I can't find any other reference to 'uncle of the house' than that. As to who is the next in line to be father of the house I'm not sure but on Talk:Father of the House there is a list from 2004 & it looks like it is Peter Tapsell if he is still an MP otherwise Kevin McNamara.

 * I'm also sure that Tony Benn was referring to an unofficial position. Specifically he and Edward Heath were first elected at the same time. However the Father of the House is the longest continuous serving MP, and Tony's service was briefly interrupted twice - once when he inherited his title and once when his constituency was abolished in a boundary change and he refused an offer of a safe seat to contest one of the marginals that were created from his old one. Effectively he would probably have been the father of the house but for some unusual circumstances. DJ Clayworth 18:29, 26 October 2005 (UTC)

Significance of the fall of Constantinople
Hiya, I'm having trouble with an assignment I was set at college recently. I am not expecting the answer I would just like some help on how to go about answering the question and where I could find resources as I have noticed a really big lack of these on this topic. The question I have been set is:How significant is the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Empire and Western Europe to the years of 1520? Any help at all that you could give me will be gratefully recieved. Thank you for your time. Hannah.

 * Hi, Hannah! I think I remember reading something useful about the sociological impact of the fall of Constantinople in the orientalism article. Have a look at Byzantine Empire and Ottoman Empire too. I see what else I can find for you. Enjoy your assignment! --Gareth Hughes 15:17, 25 October 2005 (UTC)

 * You would probably also be interested in our rather comprehensive article on the Fall of Constantinople itself.--Pharos 11:51, 26 October 2005 (UTC)

Spoken word number song Classical vocals?
I´m trying for some time now to find a spoken word kind of music, I only know that the music is a woman vocal song who spells the numbers counting up. I don´t know if that woman is a classical or a pop singer or even if she is a singer at all. I´ve been trying to find this music in many music web pages but i´ve been unsuccessfully. If someone could help me I would be gratefull.Thanks. Contact if need: [removed]

 * I think you're thinking of Einstein on the Beach by the avant garde composer Philip Glass. --Clngre 12:18, 26 October 2005 (UTC)

Draft in the US
I have my own opinion, but I'd like to have your input. What do you think about the possibility of a draft in the next few years? And how would the government go about instituting one in today's society? In other words, what would the procedure be, as well as the probable repercussions of the implementation of a draft in the post-WWII, post-Vietnam era. -EDIT- Sorry, forgot to include the "in the US" part.--66.82.9.37 18:12, 25 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Your guess is as good as anyone's regarding whether. It's probably politically wise to institute a draft at the start of a war, when its still popular - I think a draft for Iraqistan would be very unpopular, the public having gotten Iraq fatigue by now.  As to how, the Selective Service System exists, so it's mostly a turnkey operation to active it. But modern western armies hate conscripts -  they prefer modest numbers of highly trained people working efficiently together, with a proper knowledge of weapons and tactics. -- Finlay McWalter |  Talk 18:25, 25 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Note that in the current political climate there is no support for reinstating the draft. Americans would need to feel there is an immediate threat against them AT HOME, which can only be countered by a draft, to change their minds.  Threats abroad and theoretical long term threats in the US are not sufficient to convince voters of the need for a draft. The Bush Administration has never even suggested a draft, since the obvious response from the voters would be would be "If we need a draft to stay in Iraq, then get out of Iraq". StuRat 18:28, 27 October 2005 (UTC)

Unfortunately, those of us of a certain age know exactly how a draft would be imposed in the next few years, because that is exactly what happened the last time an administration launched an unpopular war by lying to the American public about the need for it. Here are the steps:
 * 1) Convince the public that a war is necessary. Lie about weapons of mass destruction or an attack on a navy boat or how if we don't fight the communists/terrorists in Asia we will have to do it here. Too many people simply do not believe that a president will lie to us or that all the administration advisors couldn't be so wrong.
 * 2) The president should prepare the way by selecting advisors who are "with the program" and will only tell him optimistic things. He should ignore those with pessimistic news and encourage them to go elsewhere. Undermine their credibility. This worked as well in the late 60s as it does now.
 * 3) Accuse anyone who disagrees with your policy of either supporting or sympathizing with the communists/terrorists. Attack their patriotism and accuse them of "not supporting our troops." No politician can afford to be accused of not supporting our troops.
 * 4) Keep telling people victory is "almost there" and we need to "stay the course".
 * 5) Make sure your economic policies favor your rich supporters and make the military look like a good job prospect for lower class young men.
 * 6) As more of them get killed, and it looks more and more like a pointless "poor man's war" with the profit going to Dow Chemical or Halliburton, opposition in the population will begin to rise and fewer men will voluntarily join the army.
 * 7) Manpower needs will continue to climb while the supply of available volunteers begin to shrink. More and more people will point out how unfair it is that only sons of poor folks are over there.
 * 8) Now you have prepared the ground for a draft. Let the liberals in congress propose it as only the only fair way to meet military manpower needs, and convince people that there is no alternative to more soldiers, but that the war is "almost over" and we need to "stay the course" and finish it.
 * 9) To win over any reluctant congressmen who might actually have draft-age sons that they don't want to see drafted, make sure that they understand that political connections can be used to keep rich men's sons safely in the Texas National Guard or something equivalent, so they don't have to fear for their own children.
 * 10) Now you have all the ingredients for a draft: support for the war by Republican faithful and corporations that are making money, advocacy of a draft as the only fair solution by liberal congressmen who are afraid not to support the war, and neutralization of possible opposition for personal reasons by making a safety escape for their own families.
 * 11) When congress passes a new Selective Service Act it will involve some sort of lottery to make it fair. The one in 1969 followed exactly this path. In a long evening all of us in the college dorm listened on the radio as someone from the selective service bureau pulled one birthdate after another out of a big lottery ball, 365 times. The lower the number assigned to your birthdate, the more certain you would be drafted.

So which step do you think we are up to? Tell us again why you don't think a draft is possible. alteripse 23:15, 25 October 2005 (UTC) I'd like to know which navy boat attack you're talking about. If you're talking about the USS Cole, that seems like a pretty expansive and all-encompassing lie by the bush administration, considering all the media coverage and physical evidence. But I could be mistaken.

The navy boat was I believe called the Maddox, supposedly attacked in the Gulf of Tonkin, although there is now plenty of evidence that our government sent the boat into the gulf in order to provoke an attack and the evidence for an attack was much flimsier than presented to congress. The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution gave the last idiot warmonger from Texas the authority to commit ground troops to a pointless asian war. Those who are ignorant of history are condemned to repeat it. alteripse 23:52, 25 October 2005 (UTC)

 * WP:ISNOT a Soapbox or a Crystal Ball -Drdisque 01:53, 26 October 2005 (UTC)

 * This is also not an article, it's a series of signed comments. All opinions are clearly attributed, just like on talk pages.  We don't censor on talk pages.  — Laura Scudder | Talk 14:54, 27 October 2005 (UTC)

 * The U.S. doesn't currently have a comprehensive draft, but we also don't have a purely volunteer army; some of the soldiers (including some in Iraq) have been involuntarily kept in the service beyond their contractual enlistment periods (see Stop-loss policy). As for a larger draft, I consider it unlikely, for political reasons.  Republicans who face tough races in 2006 will probably be pressuring Bush to withdraw some troops from Iraq. JamesMLane 01:55, 5 November 2005 (UTC)

= October 26 =

Politics and Religious Non/profit organizations
Are there laws, rules and regulations that prevent religious non profit orgnaizations from influencing state elections?
 * Sign your question - type  at its end.
 * Dear anonymous smart-alec: please sign your comments. — Lomn | Talk / RfC
 * Precise laws will vary by location (what state/country?), but generally, non-profits, religious or not, are under similar restrictions at a local and national level. — Lomn | Talk / RfC 13:51, 26 October 2005 (UTC)

Line from a play
I am trying to find the name of a play and it's author. The play contains the line of dialogue, "deception, deception, deception". Can anyone tell me the answer or tell me where I might find the answer? Thank you! 69.136.8.244

 * A Google search ("deception, deception, deception" quotation) yielded this: "Deception, deception, deception, quoth Tennesse Williams' Amanda." Wikipedia's Tennesse Williams article mentions an Amanda Wingfield in The Glass Menagerie. TheMadBaron 13:57, 26 October 2005 (UTC)

Zerubbabel's Temple Wall
After Cyrus II allowed the Israelites to return to Jerusalem they rebuilt the wall in approximately 52 days. I would like to know what the dimensions of this wall were, ie height, width, length. I know it was probably built on top of the Solomon wall, if so, what were those dimensions.

Mic Houghton

Quote
Question: Did Maimonides say "It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven," or is it a quote from the Bible?68.2.242.191 06:13, 26 October 2005 (UTC)

 * The quote is from the Gospel of Luke 18:25. It just took a sinple google search to find the exact reference.  I don't think Maimonides would ever have said something like this; he was a successful and wealthy man himself as a great doctor and the leader of the Egyptian Jewish community.--Pharos 11:47, 26 October 2005 (UTC)

 * There are varying interpretations of that verse, too. One theory has to do with one of the entrances to Jerusalem, a very narrow one, being called "the eye of the needle"; it was indeed hard to get a camel through this gate, so it was proverbial. Another theory is that the camel in question is a camel hair, a thread. These make a bit of sense, since there's no particular teaching that I can think of (in Judaism or Christianity) barring wealthy people outright from heaven (except perhaps among the more radical sects; see The Name of the Rose for a fictional example); rather, it's particularly hard for a rich man, because wealth makes corruption easy. Or something like that. --jpgordon∇∆∇∆ 18:27, 26 October 2005 (UTC)

 * I subscribe to the narrow entrance theory. Such a narrow entrance was used in walled cities/fortresses for military reasons.  That is, it would be difficult to mount a military assault through such a small opening.  In addition to a small but permanent opening, a larger opening )which could be opened or closed as needed) was also often present.  City gates or drawbridges over moats served such a purpose.  They would only be opened when a large group known to be friendly to the city needed to enter or leave.  According the Iliad, recorded by Homer, the Trojan Horse was used to conceal soldiers who stormed out and threw open the city gates.  StuRat 18:47, 27 October 2005 (UTC)

 * I also have some thoughts on a rich man finding it difficult to get into heaven:

 * In Biblical times, the rich used many slaves to run their house and cultivate their lands. To me, this would exclude them from heaven (althought the Bible has no Commandment against slavery, as the authors were mostly slaveholders).  In modern times, however, employing workers and automation doesn't necessarily exclude one from heaven, IMO.  However, going from poor to rich does typically require a few questionable activities of suspect morality, however.  It would seem to be a paradox that a parent who makes billions by ruthlessly crushing the competition, buyng out authorites to look the other way, hiring thugs to break up unions, etc., can have children who then give away much of that money to charity.  It seems the parents are doomed to hell, but the children guaranteed heaven, all owing to the same money, the only difference being where in the cycle each person lived. StuRat 18:56, 27 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Poverty seems to offer more of an incentive to theft, and hence poor people are more likely to break the "Thou shalt not steal" Commandment. StuRat 18:59, 27 October 2005 (UTC)

tax system
What is a worldwide tax system? I would like to have a general view of that tax system. - anon
 * A worldwide tax system would require a recognized sovereign international authority, of which there are none. However, many forms of taxation are in common use.  — Lomn | Talk / RfC 13:49, 26 October 2005 (UTC)

Estate question
What does it mean for a trust fund to have to go to probate?

 * I'm not an attorney, but I'll offer some general information anyway, so take that for what it is worth. If you want a real answer, consult an actual attorney. A trust would generally not have to go to probate, because property in a trust typically passes to the beneficiaries outside of the probate process. If property in a trust is actually probated, it likely means the trust is defective in some way or another. Also reasonably likely is that the terms the issue was described to you in are incorrect, and the trust is not being actually probated, but simply administered as trusts should while the rest of the (probate) assets are handled by the probate process. So to get a real answer you'd have to provide more details and talk to an attorney. In the meantime, read the probate article if you haven't already and the trust (property) article. - Taxman Talk 15:27, 26 October 2005 (UTC)

melanie hampshire
What became of Melanie Hampshire, 1960s UK fashion model?

Contemporary of Jean Shrimpton, Sandra Paul, Jill Kennington et al

Portraits by Parkinson etc kept in NPG Photographic Archive in London.

Appeared, with Jill Kennington and others, in Antonioni's 'Blow Up'

Birth name Sandra Waters.

Savage Garden Song
Is the name of the Savage Garden song 'Truly Madly Deeply' or 'Truly, Madly, Deeply' (with or without the commas. I've been having a petty debate with my friend and I would preferably like the Australian official name.  --AMorris  (talk)  ●  (contribs)  11:01, 26 October 2005 (UTC)

 * The official Sony website writes it as "Truly Madly Deeply" . Akamad 11:32, 26 October 2005 (UTC)

history
Hi,

I have an unopend can of beer called convention 1974 brewed by courage and its for Ettamogah Pub its a silver can and has a picture of pub with a car on top and can is actually signed by Ken Maynard Cartoonist.

Is it collectable and what is the history please,
 * Many Thanks Bernie  United Kingdom.

 * The Ettamogah Pub was a series in the Australasian Post by Ken Maynard (cartoonist) and was supposedly a typical Australian country pub. Our article says that there have been several built in Australia with the most famous being outside Albury-Wodonga. I don't know what its value would be as a collectable but a local dealer could tell youCapitalistroadster 05:55, 27 October 2005 (UTC)

Catcher in the Rye
Where did J.D.Salinger get the title of 'The Catcher in the Rye' from?

What was its significance to the book?

Thanks
 * The source of the title would be evident if you have read the freakin' book, which you apparently have not. SparkNotes may help save your butt if you've got an essay due on it tomorrow or something, but you really should read it -- it's an interesting (I'll stop just short of "good") story. Garrett Albright 14:53, 26 October 2005 (UTC)

Does a Taniwha have a baby?
Does anyone know if a Taniwha (Mythical monster from the Mauri) has a baby? And if so, what is the word for it? Can't find any information on the web. Thanks. 14:58, 26 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Based on our article on taniwha, there are probably thousands of local taniwha (they sound much like water nymphs aside from the relationship to heroes). It seems reasonable that you could find one that has a baby.  — Laura Scudder | Talk 21:22, 27 October 2005 (UTC)

degree proposal
Hi i have to conduct a research proposal on attractiveness, but i am having trouble finding quotes on what men percieve as attractive in women, can you help with this please

heather

 * Men don't usually talk about that. Maybe the Sexual attraction and Physical attraction articles are helpful. David Sneek 17:05, 26 October 2005 (UTC)
 * You could just list body parts (eyes, breasts, legs) and other criteria (intelligence, senese of humour), and have the respondents assign a numerical value to the items they value. Then you've got non-parametric data to run stats on.--inksT 20:12, 26 October 2005 (UTC)

I just googled for [psychology of physical attractiveness http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=psychology+of+physical+attractiveness&btnG=Search] and got lots of relevant hits. Lots of research out there in this area. These should give you a start. alteripse 00:52, 27 October 2005 (UTC)

Composer Francis Poulenc
Dear Wikipedia:

I'm surprised by the name of French composer Francis Poulenc. As a true Frenchman, why was he not named "Francois"? Does anybody know why the anglicized version of his name was used?

Many thanks,

Laura in California

 * Francis is also a French name, though perhaps not as popular as François. See for example Francis Ponge, Francis Picabia, Francis Perrin, Francis Garnier. David Sneek 16:56, 26 October 2005 (UTC)

Members of 1952 and 1956 U.S. Olympic Pole Vault Teams
Appologies but I'm having some difficulty using your system. This is my second try.

Can you tell me (1) who were the male members of the 1952 and 1956 U.S. Olympic Teams who were pole vaulters and (2) how they placed in their Olympic pole vault events? Bob L --207.200.116.11 17:11, 26 October 2005 (UTC)

 * In 1952 Robert Richards won the gold medal and Donald Robert Laz won silver (I don't know if a third US athlete participated that year). We do not seem to have an article on athletics at the 1956 Olympics, but Vaulting Vicar Richards won again. David Sneek 17:23, 26 October 2005 (UTC)

Crab Cakes
What are the origins and history of crab cakes?

 * They first appeared in the early 19th century. See here. - Nunh-huh 18:18, 26 October 2005 (UTC)

Author: Richard Barnum
I bought a book, Tum Tum the Elephant by Richard Barnum. Is Richard a relative to P.T. Barnum. I can't find the answer?

aviation
what was the first airline ?
 * Did you read our article on airlines? It traces the early development of the industry.  Since commercial air service did not originate as passenger air service, precise answers are hard to come by.  Additionally, definitions may become flexible.  An individual operating a charter service of one airplane might easily be comparable to an early incarnation of a modern airline with only two regular routes, so dates on charters and early passenger flights may be of interest to you.  — Lomn | Talk / RfC 21:08, 26 October 2005 (UTC)

Artist Who Painted Jesus Christ as The Sacred Heart
Does anyone know the artist who painted the image of Jesus Christ as The Sacred Heart which appears at Image:Heart2.jpg? Your help would be appreciated.

This question is unanswered as of Nov. 7, 05'. Does anyone know the name of the artist? When this picture was painted? Thank you.

Us Military Draft if it becomes a issue do you deport US citizens who relocate to your country and seek your citizenship
I'm a cancer pt with 2 sons who are of military age. Would you deport them to go to war if that becomes affective again? Also will I be able to recieve my Social Security Disability when I do move to your country?

The answer to your first question should be about the same as happened 35 years ago when we did this before: few if any draft dodgers were forcibly repatriated to the US if they arrived with a valid passport. The major destination was Canada, but Sweden was notably hospitable, as were many other countries. As to your second question, I do not think there is any reason that your SS disability would be cut off if you moved out of the US, especially if you continued to have it sent to a bank account or mailing address here. Both of those opinions are of course opinions and IANAL. alteripse 00:59, 27 October 2005 (UTC)

 * I would look more closely at the question of whether Disability Allowance would still be paid if you stayed abroad for long. I would expect that after some time you would be considered a resident of the foreign country and no longer eligible for US assistance. DJ Clayworth 17:38, 27 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Note that in the current political climate there is no support for reinstating the draft. Americans would need to feel there is an immediate threat against them AT HOME, which can only be countered by a draft, to change there minds.  Threats abroad and theoretical long term threats in the US are not sufficient to convince voters of the need for a draft. The Bush Administration has never even suggested a draft, since the obvious response from the voters would be would be "If we need a draft to stay in Iraq, then get out of Iraq". StuRat 18:28, 27 October 2005 (UTC)

I respect your opinion but politely disagree, pointing out that people pointed out exactly the same lack of perceived home threat in 1969. I explained exactly what the process and parallels were and one of our editors removed my explanation on grounds that it expressed an opinion. So watch out Sturat, or user:lomn will censor your opinion also, or maybe he just censors opinions that don't match his political views. alteripse 01:50, 28 October 2005 (UTC)

chinas population
how long has china had the biggest population in the world, and who had the biggest before them?

China became the world's most populous country in the 13th Century, From Lands and Peoples of the Non-Western World When China had a population of around 60 million.I am guessing the most populous country before China could of being either the Byzantine Empire or the Holy Roman Empire. The Ottoman Empire came a little after. There is nothing known for certain, that is why only estimates can be made. --Mexaguil 10:27, 27 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Another likely candidate is one of the Indian syndicates such as the Delhi Sultanate. Capitalistroadster 02:06, 28 October 2005 (UTC)

What is a mutual fund?
See the article titled mutual fund. --Metropolitan90 02:57, 27 October 2005 (UTC)

Do you know the song
I remember an excellent song from school, our drama teacher made us do some choreography to. The lyrics were " as nights faded, faded by the sun. Ten thousand men stand high on the hill" Does anyone know what this song could be. --jt

 * Apparently The Warrior by one Ipi 'Ntombi. Lupo 12:01, 28 October 2005 (UTC)

Agatha Christie's "The Rats"
Hi,

I am staging "The Rats" by Agatha Christie and have been attempting to research the play for some time now, but can only find very limited information about the play.

I was wondering if there is anyone who could give me some websites/books where I can go to find information about the play. I am especially interested in finding out if Agatha Christie had any personal notes concerning the play.

Thank you all!

Cornelius.

It was one of three one-act plays produced in 1962 and published in 1963 as Rule of Three. . You probably know that. I don't see any obvious website with helpful notes on its dramaturgy. - Nunh-huh 01:45, 27 October 2005 (UTC)

Resources on Freedom of Speech
Hello, my name is Lauryn Ernster and I am a high shool student in Bothell, Washington. I was just wondering if anyone had any information regarding Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Expression? This would very useful for my project.

Thank You

 * Hi Lauryn. You might want to look at our articles on Freedom of speech, and, more specifically, Freedom of speech in the United States. Other related topics are freedom of religion, freedom of press, and freedom of assembly. Hope those help you out! --Fastfission 03:30, 27 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Don't forget Freedom of information... Shimgray | talk | 13:01, 28 October 2005 (UTC)

Answer to a riddle
If all the world were paper, And all the sea were ink, If all the trees Were bread and cheese, What should we have to drink?

Sincerly Chris Adamson

 * This is not a riddle, but a song in the form of a rhetorical question, q.v. Shantavira 13:51, 27 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Exactly. Apparently this is the complete thing:

If all the world were paper, And all the sea were inke; And all the trees were bread and cheese, What should we do for drinke?

If all the world were sand 'o, Oh, then what should we lack 'o; If as they say there were no clay, How should we make tobacco?

If all our vessels ran 'a, If none but had a crack 'a; If Spanish apes eat all the grapes, What should we do for sack 'a?

If fryers had no bald pates, Nor nuns had no dark cloysters, If all the seas were beans and peas, What would we do for oysters?

If there had been no projects, Nor none that did great wrongs; If fidlers shall turn players all, What should we do for songs?

If all things were eternal, And nothing their end bringing; If this should be, then, how should we Here make an end of singing? ☢ Ҡieff⌇↯ 13:55, 27 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Okay, it's not a riddle, but a song in the form of a rhetorical question, but I'm gonna answer it anyway. All the sea is ink. So distill the ink. Keep the water thus produced. Drink it. Or just drink rivers. There. TheMadBaron 19:16, 30 October 2005 (UTC)

Does anyone recognise this verse/poem
Does anyone know the author or any information of a verse that begins with the line "tonight I leaned across ten thousand miles and kissed you" "While darkness clothed me in protective field" --jt

 * Don't know about the poem, but the opening line was used in 1943 in an advertisement campaign by The Gruen Watch Co.: |{ffffffff-ffff-ffff-ffff-ffffffffffff}&qsPageNo=1&fdid=&Area=Search&TotalCount=1&CurrentPos=1&WinID={1cf8aad5-46be-4b03-af84-2094cea25654}. Lupo 09:16, 28 October 2005 (UTC)

Sadako and the thousand paper cranes
What is the phonetic pronunciation for Sadako Sasaki?

 * If you want to, you can check out Japanese phonology and Japanese pitch accent; however, Sadako Sasaki is relatively easy to pronounce. Each word is three syllables of equal length: /sa/ /da/ /ko/ /sa/ /sa/ /ki/. If you have any experience with Spanish, the vowels are very similar.  If not, /a/ is described as being between cap and cop (closer to the latter, in my opinion... like if you were to go to the doctor and say "ahhh" but hold it for only one beat), the vowel /o/ is similar to old, and /i/ is like feet.  The consonants in this example are no different from those in English.  Also, due to Japanese naming conventions, it would be more correct to refer to her as Sasaki Sadako.  I'm not sure about the pitch accent of the names, if there is any.  No one in the village where I live has either name (neither one of these is a word in their own right).  However, 80% of Japanese words don't have a pitch accent, so I wouldn't worry about it.  Something else that may be of interest (although it is sad): the first character in Sadako (sada - 禎) is associated with happiness or good omens, and the second character (ko - 子) means child. -Parallel or Together? 07:15, 28 October 2005 (UTC)

Functional Areas Of Microsoft
I am In desperate need to know the functional areas and activities of each area of Microsoft as a business. than you
 * You know, this is pretty well explained on the article for Microsoft, in the area "Product divisions". --Canley 23:54, 27 October 2005 (UTC)

Canada Labour Code
Is this code about the 1966 Canada Labour Code or the 2000 Canada Labour Code?

Peaceful Regional Independence
A student posed this question for me:

Have there been instances when a country has allowed full secession to a region without there being a military conflict?

I'm not sure whether the formation of the CIS would qualify.

Emden 22:19, 27 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Independence of Norway is the first one I can think of off the top of my head, though for slightly more fluid definitions of "region" consider that most post-WWII decolonisations were not directly due to the War and tended not to involve any significant levels of conflict. Shimgray | talk | 22:24, 27 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Velvet Revolution. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 22:35, 27 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Gran Colombia, Central American Republic, United Arab Republic, Panama. User:Zoe|(talk) 00:16, 28 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Had the 1995 Quebec referendum succeeded it probably would have been another such instance—I don't think the government of Canada had any plans for military action. —Charles P. (Mirv) 00:53, 28 October 2005 (UTC)

What about the Baltic countries in 1989? alteripse 01:52, 28 October 2005 (UTC)

 * I don't think Velvet Revolution counts -- perhaps Finlay's thinking of the division of Czechoslovakia? --jpgordon∇∆∇∆ 04:03, 28 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Velvet Divorce, then. But I don't think you can count that; that wasn't secession, that was a split right down the middle. They even split the name. ;) [[Image:Flag of Austria.svg|15px]] ナイトスタリオン ✉ 12:38, 28 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Republic of Ireland separating from United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. AllanHainey 07:55, 28 October 2005 (UTC)

 * ...when they separated following the Anglo-Irish War? Not that peaceable... Shimgray | talk | 09:18, 28 October 2005 (UTC)
 * My mistake, I thought the violence had been put on hold during the Great War & not resumed. AllanHainey 09:59, 28 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Yeah, it's not desperately well known. Even if it stopped with the Easter Rising, though, I think it was definitely supported by violence. Shimgray | talk | 12:59, 28 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Iceland? Depends whether you consider it a region or a colony. It differs from most colonies in that there wasn't a pre-existing human population. Notinasnaid 10:52, 28 October 2005 (UTC)

 * There's been a continuous population there for over a thousand years - are you sure? Shimgray | talk | 12:59, 28 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Even though the parent country lost contact for a few hundred years, I think that the people living there would largely be considered as the descendents of the original colonists, the vikings who discovered it, and there was nobody there before that. So far as I can see. And then in 1944 it declared itself a republic, and it seems to have stuck. Arguably there was conflict involved, as Denmark was occupied by Germany at the time. Notinasnaid 14:26, 28 October 2005 (UTC)
 * While they were descendents, they would no longer be considered Danes -- Icelandic is a separate language from Danish. Ground Zero | t 14:33, 28 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Macedonia, if I am not mistaken, left Yugoslavia while the Serbs weren't looking, so they weer spared the violence that befell Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Slovenia also left peacefully, I think. Ground Zero | t 14:33, 28 October 2005 (UTC)
 * For 🇸🇮, see Ten Day War. In 🇲🇰, the war came about a decade after independence: Macedonian NLA. [[Image:Flag of Austria.svg|15px]] ナイトスタリオン ✉ 14:48, 28 October 2005 (UTC)
 * If you allow overseas colonies then many British colonies gained independence with very little violence, before and after. DJ Clayworth 20:41, 31 October 2005 (UTC)

= October 28 =

West Wing
Which is the West Wing episode where Toby addresses a room full of globalization protestors? He gets them to agree to no TV, and then sits reading a newspaper for a long time. It's driving me crazy... Trollderella 02:52, 28 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Got it - it's 'Somebody's going to emergency' in Season two. Trollderella 03:15, 28 October 2005 (UTC)

Dalcrose of Hove (ENGLAND)
I am trying to find out the history of a company called Dalcrose. I have an old Christmas item that on the box, says "Dalcrose of Hove (ENGLAND)" on it.

So, I would like to find out the history of the company and if it is still in existence.

The Christmas item that I have, is a box of 10 scented finger tip towels, and 3 cakes of guest soap. On the front of the box, it says "The holly boy", and has a picture of a boy made of holly. Inside the box are the fingertip towels, the soap, a piece of cardboard type material with the words "holly boy" and "Dalcrose", and "made in England" on it. There is another sheet that tells the story of the "Holly Boy".

There is a number on the front of the box: A602, right above where it lists the "10 scented finger tip towels made in Great Britain" and "3 cakes of guest soap".

I'm sure this must be quite old and possibly a collectible item.

Each bar of soap is green and says merry christmas and holly boy on it.

the towels all have a picture of the holly boy, "fingertip towel", "merry christmas", "seasons greetings", and "made in England" on it.

And every place it says the holly boy, it has a name underneath it in very small print....I think it says "Tracy Marr" - maybe the name of the artist who created the design for the holly boy.

I'd appreciate any information you can find out for me about this company, their history, existence or not, the products they produced, and specifically if they produced anything like I described.

Thank you very much!

Patty

The only reference I can find on Google in the UK to Dalcrose dealing with any kind of toiletries is 1 mention in an encyclopedia of perfume. You might be able to track it down from this. I doubt if the company is currently trading, though you might be able to find out from a business diectory of Sussex or Brighton and Hove City Council. As to whether it is worth anything personally I doubt it, but I'm not an expert, it just sounds like a type of Christmas soap set, the type numerous companies sell every christmas. I don't think there is a big collectible market for them. AllanHainey 08:06, 28 October 2005 (UTC)

religion
i recently watched a drama television program which (in part) was about a women in the hospital that needed an operation. her father refused until they could get a shaman. their religion believed that if you got sick, that one of your souls was lost and therefore the soul must be found (by the shaman), or you would die during surgery. they called themselves the mung people or mong people. i'm not really sure of the spelling. it was said to be a very old religion where the young never offend the forefathers and always obey.

i am curious about this religion and looked on the web and found something on a religious person named mung but nothing about his religion seemed to fit. could you tell me what religion this is??

thank you for your time

cheryl

 * Maybe you mean the Hmong people.--Pharos 03:25, 28 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Yes, I watched that show (Grey's Anatomy), and the people were Hmong. User:Zoe|(talk) 00:52, 29 October 2005 (UTC)

Animal House
What type of motorcycle is D-Day riding when he goes to the Delta rush party? Thanks! Trollderella 05:30, 28 October 2005 (UTC)

Per Capita military casualties before and after March 20, 2003
I understand that the "benchmark" number of 2,002 casualties has been reached in Iraq. I would like some perspective on this number. For example, my friend tells me that in the first Gulf War military casualties was actually less than if there were no war on (as members of the military would be drinking and driving, etc.).

I would like to know the per Capita casualties of members of the US military in Iraq and on peacetime duty in the US. The Iraq numbers would obviously have to come from Iraq; 2,002 casualties divided by the number of troops in Iraq since March 20, 2003 (per year, preferably). I mainly don't know where to obtain the peacetime numbers. If anyone has a source I'll be happy to do the math; I just want to know 1) the number of US military deaths among those on peacetime duty, 2) the number of US personnel on peacetime military duty, and 3) the time period used (prederably longer than a year, but may be any time from 1990 on and still be relatively valid).

Thanks for any help.

 * As the number of troops employed in Iraq, or any given theatre is regularly changing, as troops are transferred out & new groups of troops arrive (frequently different numbers) I think it would be hard to come up with a figure just by dividing casualties by troops employed. As to where to get the figures I think your best bet would be a freedom of information request to the USA military.
 * By the way you refer to 2,002 'casualties', actually there have been 2,002 deaths. I think there have been over 14,000 woundings (a large number seriously) among US military personnel (obviously there have also been casualites among UK troops & other nationalities employed there).
 * I've just thought too that your figures on US casualties will be understated as you are only seeking info on official military casulaties, which doesn't include the large number of PMC's working under contract to the USA (EG they were guarding Paul Bremer & other USA dignitaries) which still have a large presence in the country, some doing just the same job as US military personnel, but are not counted in the official figures - or casualty lists. AllanHainey 08:21, 28 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Also by peacetime duty do you mean within the USA, or in the numerous US bases abroad - as some of the countries you have bases in wouldn't necessarily agree with you about whether they are at peace. AllanHainey 08:24, 28 October 2005 (UTC)

 * I can't help you with the peacetime deaths thing, but here's some perspective with regards to the death total. If we say that the US was in the Vietnam War for about eleven years from 1964 to 1975, and that the total number of US deaths, as the article points out, was 58,226, then that's about 5300 dead a year. We have been in Iraq for two and a half years now, and aren't even near half that. POV: I think this makes those who likes to compare the "quagmire" in Iraq with the Vietnam War look quite out of touch with history. (Oops, forgot to sign back when I originally posted this: Garrett Albright 19:01, 29 October 2005 (UTC) )

 * That's not really accurate. Casualty rates in Vietnam steadily increased as the war went on. It was 1966, two years into the conflict, before that war passed the 2000 American deaths mark. - SimonP 00:51, 29 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Yes, but in the case of the Vietnam War, they really were just "military advisors" at the beginning, and very few of them. If it had started with 100,000 plus soldiers leading a major invasion, there would have been far more casualties early on in Vietnam. StuRat 22:23, 30 October 2005 (UTC)

tax
what are the effects of taxation

 * This is an incredibly broad question. Check out tax, specifically tax on wikipedia for a start, and there is bound to be tons of information about the economics of taxation (I assume this is what you primarily mean) on other sites.  If this is for some kind of paper, the RD isn't meant to be a place that will write it for you.  And, assuming this is for a paper, narrow your topic.  Economic effects?  Social effects?  Effects on what groups?  It would be hard to write a detailed paper on the general "effects of taxation."  -Parallel or Together? 08:55, 28 October 2005 (UTC)

MOney
who invented the 1st curancy
 * See money and currency ☢ Ҡieff⌇↯ 13:32, 28 October 2005 (UTC)

Extant text
What is an extant text? I see this in Jesus, but no explanation for what this might be... - Ta bu shi da yu 15:44, 28 October 2005 (UTC)

 * "extant" is still in existence; not extinct or destroyed or lost - so an extant text is a text which we still have, in this context documents still in existence (or, at least, of which we have reliable copies). Shimgray | talk | 16:38, 28 October 2005 (UTC)

 * As opposed to a hypothetical or reconstructed text like the Q source. alteripse 00:32, 29 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Cheers folks :-) Ta bu shi da yu 06:48, 31 October 2005 (UTC)

Lieutenant Gouverneur in Quebec
When will you update the lieutenant gouverneur in Quebec who is now Michelle Jean. Thank you Louise

Louise, I started to do so just now, (using the spelling Michaëlle Jean), but I believe she is the Governor General, not Lieutenant Governor of Quebec. You are always welcome to make any changes you need to when you spot an error like that: just edit the page yourself - you don't need to wait for permission, or for someone else to do it<g>! - Nunh-huh 20:05, 28 October 2005 (UTC) Yes, she is the Governor-General of Canada, which includes Quebec. The Lieutenant-Governor of Quebec is a different person: Lise Thibault. Ground Zero | t 15:24, 31 October 2005 (UTC)

Humanities
where the first urban civilizations appeared?

 * This is difficult to answer because urban is vague. I can mean "a city" or it can mean "a heavily populated area" or it can mean "a city-based society".  Regardless, Mesopotamia is often referred to as the "cradle of civilization" (the origin of the city-structure we recognize today). Kainaw 20:09, 28 October 2005 (UTC)

 * The Nile River in Africa and parts of ancient China are also in the running for the first "urban area". StuRat 23:01, 28 October 2005 (UTC)

Assorted international politics question
As those few of you who've seen my user subpages know, I take a healthy interest in a number of topics of international politics. I haven't been able to find much information on a few of these lately, however, so I thought I might as well post them here and see what you can tell me about them – I suppose some information might be more readily available if one lived in the country or region in question. Either way:

Answered 3. There were plans to hold a referendum on the € in 🇩🇰 in 2004, then again in 2005, now... what happened? Still planned for sometime in the close future? 5. Is 🇮🇪 likely to introduce identity cards now that the UK has decided to do so, since they've got the Common Travel Area and all? 6. Does this make it more likely that the two countries will join the Schengen treaty? 7. Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy voted to become separate collectivités d'outre-mer in 2003 – when will this be implemented? 8. When will the Îles Éparses be transferred to the 🇹🇫's administration? 10. What's the status of independence movements in the 🇫🇴 and 🇬🇱? 12. As far as I know, Nevis still wants to become independent from 🇰🇳; however, there hasn't been a second referendum yet, and they've been talking about it since about three or four years ago. Any clue what the latest news are? 15. Is there any actual development on the idea that the 🇹🇨 could join 🇨🇦, or is this proposal dead?

Open

— Questions re-posted further down.

Thanks for any information you might be able to contribute. ナイトスタリオン ✉ 18:52, 28 October 2005 (UTC)

 * 5. No, because Britons won't be required to carry their ID cards (at least, that's the plan now), so travel through Britain by Irish citizens won't be any more difficult than it is now. And "we should do it because Britain did it" generally isn't a winning argument in Ireland.
 * 6. No, because Britain still won't trust Schengen countries to manage their borders to its satisfaction.
 * -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 23:16, 28 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Thanks. Two down. ;) [[Image:Flag of Austria.svg|15px]] ナイトスタリオン ✉ 23:27, 28 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Hm, on a second thought, I'm fairly sure there's no requirement to carry identity in Austria currently, and we're part of the Schengen region, so... mh. And there was a mention of such a requirement being part of the British plan as recently as this spring in some Austrian newspaper... [[Image:Flag of Austria.svg|15px]] ナイトスタリオン ✉ 07:45, 31 October 2005 (UTC)

 * 8. According to their Web site, they have been since January 3, 2005.
 * --Chl 23:49, 28 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Close, but not quite what I was looking for: They are currently being administered from the TAAF, and had been administered by Réunion before that. What I'm looking for is whether they'll effectively be incorporated; as you can see at our pages on French overseas departments and territories, they're currently still a separate entity. [[Image:Flag of Austria.svg|15px]] ナイトスタリオン ✉ 08:51, 29 October 2005 (UTC)
 * As recently as March 1, 2005, the Éparses are cited as separated from the TAAF (see decree). As far as I know, the government plans to merge them into the TAAF, and the first step is to have them administered by the TAAF prefect. David.Monniaux 19:06, 30 October 2005 (UTC)

 * 7. Answered this one myself; fr:Saint-Martin (île) says end of 05, start of 06. [[Image:Flag of Austria.svg|15px]] ナイトスタリオン ✉ 10:25, 29 October 2005 (UTC)

 * 3. The Danish people have already voted no to the euro once (three times if you count the referendums where the euro wasn't the only issue). Most of the politicians are in favour of the euro, so they might mention once in a while to have another referendum. It was considered to be a part of the referendum on the constitution, but that idea was also dropped. The referendum on the constitution was dropped entirely when France and the Netherlands voted no. The polls also indicated a no from Denmark on the constitution. Right now there is no talk about any new referendums.

 * 10. I don't think it is going anywhere. Both Faroe Islands and Greenland are tiny countries going by their population (about 50,000 people each) and are financially dependent on Denmark. Both wants more independence, but can't actually achieve it without financial stability. They are both self-governing. --Maitch 21:25, 29 October 2005 (UTC)

 * 15. I read something about this recently; it formed the basis for some distracting media stories every now and then in the '80s but to my knowledge hasn't come up in years. It seems to have been an idea popularized by a small number (one?) of Canadian entrenpreneur(s) who were trying to do some business in T&C. I'm unclear how high the idea got in the (presumably very small) T&C government; Canadian politicans have certainly produced sound bites about it but I don't think it was ever proposed, or considered, at any formal level. Sharkford 09:14, 30 October 2005 (UTC)

 * 1. It is the first time that I heard of suppressing the CFP francs, but, apparently, some people suggest it could come as early as 2007. Many local people apparently support the move.  I don't know any more about this. David.Monniaux 19:12, 30 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Thanks! Knew about half of those facts already, but about half of it was new, too. Question 12 was answerred at the Caribbean notice board. Thanks again! (Seven questions still up, or at least half-way.) [[Image:Flag of Austria.svg|15px]] ナイトスタリオン ✉ 07:41, 31 October 2005 (UTC)

"I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you."
That phrase is often used humourously when talking about spies, top secret stuff, etc. I assume that it's originally from some film or book. Anyone know which one, and/or whether it was used seriously? --Bob Mellish 19:06, 28 October 2005 (UTC)

 * We could tell you where this phrase comes from, but then we'd have to... StuRat 00:35, 29 October 2005 (UTC)

 * It was used in Dr. No as "We could tell you, but then we'd have to kill you." It was a joke, not about killing him, but about the Bond cliche in which the bad guys always tell Bond everything before they leave him to die in some dumb scenario that is easy to escape from. Kainaw 20:04, 28 October 2005 (UTC)

 * That sounds likely. I'm suprised I didn't remember the line from Dr. No myself. Thanks. --Bob Mellish 19:12, 29 October 2005 (UTC)

According to Google Print Search, "We could tell you, but then we'd have to kill you" also appears in Mary Kate & Ashley Graduation Summer #1: We Can't Wait" on page 47, but gives no mention of Dr. No. I assume this is simply because Dr. No isn't in their database. --Think Fast 01:43, 30 October 2005 (UTC)

Name of Rap Artist/Song
In the article Dissing, I added a comment to help page about an early use of "diss" in a rap song. While I remember the lyrics, I do not want to add it to the article without a reference to either the artist or the song - both of which I've forgotten.

The song came out in the late 80's and was on MTV by 1992. It was about a guy who goes to Del Mar, CA to visit a "club called E" (the E-Club in Del Mar). He meets a woman, but he is "dissed a miss". If this sounds familiar in any way to anyone, I'd like to find the name of the artist/song so I can use it as a reference in the article. Kainaw 20:00, 28 October 2005 (UTC)

Human infrared sense?
I am studying the 19 human senses, one of which is infrared. I am having trouble finding how humans have a sense to detect infrared. Any help on links would be appreciated. All the info I have found has to do with certain types of vipers.

Give some consideration to this: the reason you're not finding that info may be because it doesn't exist. Those who talk about 19 senses (sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell, balance, vestibular, pain, eidetic imagery, temperature, magnetic, ultraviolet, infrared, ionic, vomeronasal, proximal, electrical, geogravimetric, barometric) don't seem to be very rigorous in the evidence they require to label something a sense (in fact, they mostly seem to be interested in "holistic education"). One could easily list more than 5 senses if one wanted, but they ought to be senses that humans actually have. Many of those that are in the list of 19 are questionable at best. - Nunh-huh 22:37, 28 October 2005 (UTC)

 * In that infrared is the same as "heat", we can certainly sense it, although we require much higher levels and sense it in much less detail than a creature with infrared vision. For example, we could feel which side of our bodies was nearest to a campfire if within a few feet of it. StuRat 22:56, 28 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Infrared is not synonymous with heat, and if we're sensing the heat, the name of the sense involved would be "heat", not "infrared". And if we're already counting "temperature" as one of the "19" senses, that would be counting it twice. (And if you're multiplying senses, why is "temperature" one rather than two, since we have two different types of receptors for it, which we characterize as "heat receptors" and "cold receptors"?) If your teacher is [1] basing her teaching method on the premise that appealing to your "19 senses" is better than getting the facts straight, or [2] teaching you that there are exactly nineteen senses, what you need most is another teacher. - Nunh-huh 00:28, 29 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Well, part of the infrared range is felt as heat. I do agree that many of those 19 senses are redundant or silly, though. StuRat 00:33, 29 October 2005 (UTC)

 * According to the sense article, humans have nine senses -- the five classical ones plus heat, pain, balance, and body awareness, while at least two more are found in animals. Actually, I don't even understand what most of the others that make up the "19 senses" are supposed to be; links would be appreciated. --Metropolitan90 05:52, 29 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Well, Googling for "19 senses" or "nineteen senses" turns up a lot of sites, none of which is useful as anything but study of how such an absurd list propagates. One example is here. Most of them are geared toward "education" rather than sense physiology. Our sense article quite properly points out that the enumeration of senses is somewhat arbitrary. If you've come away from it with the idea that "humans have nine senses" is correct, maybe it needs some attention (it does throw in a few unexplained Montessori mentions, without explaining that she was an educator and not in any sense a student of the senses....actually the article probably could profit from a thorough going over). That you don't understand the list of 19 is a good sign, as it's nonsense! - Nunh-huh 08:20, 29 October 2005 (UTC)

=October 29=

strange painting of a woman in snow
When I was very young I saw a framed picture that at the time was slightly disturbing to me. I saw it at a pizza chain called Mazzio's. It was an image of a sleeping woman buried in snow. The snow was covered with flowers and this was all below a small tree. Any ideas about the title/artist? KeeganB

Tchaikovsky's favourite painting "Melancholy" / German chess movie
On page 188 of John Warrack's 1973 book "Tchaikovsky" (ISBN 024102403) is a picture of a painting depicting the full moon half hidden by clouds, shining over a body of water, with some trees in the foreground. The caption reads "Tchaikovsky's favourite painting, Melancholy, still hangs in his bedroom at Klin", but gives no further information.

Some time between the late 1970s and mid 1980s I saw a German film in which the painting appears in one scene. The script made a reference to Tchaikovsky, but there was no other information about the painting. I've forgotten the name of the film and I've had no luck tracking it down. It was a sort of psychological thriller about chess players, as I recall.

Does anybody know the painter of Melancholy and/or the name of the movie? JackofOz 04:39, 29 October 2005 (UTC)

 * I wonder if the movie could be Dangerous Moves (1984). This is actually French/Swiss, not German; the title in French is La diagonale du fou. --Anonymous, 05:40 UTC, November 3, 2005

 * I don't think so. I'm pretty sure it was German.  And probably it was prior to about 1982.  But thanks.  JackofOz 06:16, 4 November 2005 (UTC)

I don't know the painting in question, but it sounds rather like the paintings of Caspar David Friedrich. --rossb 09:28, 4 November 2005 (UTC)

Angkor Wat temple. Who was the former chief of buddism monks ?
hello,

I am wondering if somedy can tell me how works the structure of the buddism monks living in the Angkor wat temple. Who can tell me who is the actual chief. and also who was the former chief and when he died ?

Thanks a lot --15:50, 29 October 2005 (UTC)

All I was able to find is that the abbot of the monastery next to Angkor Wat was called Leung Choun and aged 65 in 2001.

Confucius quote
"brainyquote.com" claims that
 * Never give a sword to a man who can't dance.

is a saying by Confucius. Assume that I doubt the quote's authenticity. They give no reference whatsoever. Can you help me find out whether the quote is genuine? Baad 16:34, 29 October 2005 (UTC)
 * It sounds like something from a Kung Fu movie. Google finds a lot of sites that attribute it to Confucius, but also several that claim it's an ancient Celtic proverb. One of those gives A Crowded Heart by Nicholas Papandreou as its source. David Sneek 16:57, 29 October 2005 (UTC)

Confucius say: "The truly wise man nevers plays leapfrog with the unicorn." StuRat 17:10, 29 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Keep in mind that most comments that begin with "Confucius says..." were in no way said or condoned by Confucius. His likeness was used by the Chinese government to justify their social engineering long after the death of Confucius.  In fact, a person had to pass a "Confucius Test" to get into politics, proving you memorized much of the "Confucius says..." propoganda.  For us westerners, it is similar to any argument that begins with "The founding fathers meant..." Kainaw 20:14, 29 October 2005 (UTC)
 * yes, but in this case it is doubtful whether the quote has anything to do with China at all. I would like to check the Papandreou book, but I don't think I'll buy it just to look for that phrase. I think it is likely at this point that the quote was not even intended to be Chinese, and was somehow misattributed on the Internet 81.63.58.220 08:44, 30 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Although my country is located west of China, it does not have "founding fathers". — J I P | Talk 13:57, 30 October 2005 (UTC)

Logan Reed
I'm an English journalist writing an article on the porn industry. I found an article on the gay porn star Logan Reed on Wikipedia but it had been deleted. I've asked at the Help Desk if I'll be able to access the article or at least find out who wrote it. Can anybody give me any current information about Mr. Reed (or Mr. Hicks as a piece of the deleted article tantalisingly indicates), other than the off-colour info that's all-too-easy to find on the internet?

Anon.

 * The full text of the deleted article was: "Logan Reed, was born as Larry Hicks. He now lives in West Hollywood, California and quietly enjoys his friends and boyfriend of many years. Larry is well liked and healthy after giving up his career in adult film sometime before 2004." Dunno if this helps but I'm happy to watch all of his films "to look for clues". David | Talk 19:08, 29 October 2005 (UTC)

Location of Wertzlur, Prussia
I am researching the landing of a French Balloon which landed at Wertzlur in Prussia on December 15 1870. I have been unable to find this name on a map or any reference on the internet. I believe it is or was near Nassau which was originally in Prussia (now Germany). Please can you help with location.

 * It was the Ville de Paris. I don't believe that it landed.  I believe it crashed (one of two terrible crashes).  There are many references to the prisoners of the Wurtzlur crash. ie: A French description of the balloon invasion A painting of the Ville de Paris for sale (use babelfish if you don't read French for the first one)
 * Did you type "Wertzlur" into Google? You will get many hits.  Try Ville de Paris and you will get more. Kainaw 20:57, 29 October 2005 (UTC)

Lawyers Hiring Other Lawyers
Why is it that when almost every time a lawyer get accused of something, he hires another lawyer to defend him? Many corporate executives, politicians, and others follow this method.

Recently, for instance, Scooter Libby who has been accused of perjury and other things is not defending himself? There are numerous other examples of such lawyers? Can someone explain the specific advantage conferred on a person by such an action?

--John

 * I'm venturing a guess that it allows a certain level of professional detachment from the case. Plus, lawyers are not equally competent in all areas of the law. I don't think a tax attorney would take on his own criminal defense, for example. However, I'm not an attorney, so you might want to wait for one to speak up on the matter. Impaciente 19:57, 29 October 2005 (UTC)

 * When a surgeon gets sick, he (usually) goes to another doctor; when an eye surgeon breaks his leg, he is certainly less likely to try and sort it himself. There are lawyers and lawyers; generally speaking, you'll want to hire someone who specialises in what you've been charged with - it's unlikely that any given lawyer will be a specialist in the specific field of the case.
 * Also, note that you mention "corporate executives, politicians" - these people may have trained as lawyers, worked as lawyers, but there's a good chance they haven't done anything requiring those skills other than updating their wills in the last ten years, or longer. By hiring someone else they can be confident that the person defending them is both in good practice and aware of recent developments in the field... and you get two brains working on it, not one very distracted one! Shimgray | talk | 12:14, 30 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Well, a surgeon can't very well, for example, remove his own appendix, can he? — J I P | Talk 12:22, 30 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Okay, bad example :-) (Mind you, there's always all those 101 Tales of Medical Heroism for Boys books which tell a different story... "Stranded in the howling wastes of the Yukon, I amputated my leg using only a nearby wolverine and crawled two hundred miles to the nearest trading post"). Think of "engineers", say, which is just as broad a term as "lawyers" - your average structural engineer would be a bit lost trying to do aerospace work, or vice versa. Shimgray | talk | 13:11, 30 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Shimgray, can you give us the ISBN for what sounds like a great book? alteripse 18:45, 30 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Ever hear the quote "A lawyer who represents himself has a fool for a client"? Nelson Ricardo 08:36, 31 October 2005 (UTC)
 * The version I heard was, "A man who represents himself in court has a jackass for a lawyer and a fool for a client." The reasons of detachment and specialized expertise are valid.  Another consideration is that a lawyer, although obviously not a completely disinterested person, is at least not the person directly involved, and so may have more credibility with a jury.  "He didn't do it" has more weight than "I didn't do it."  There are instances in which representing yourself is an advantage, but you're right that, for anything serious, a lawyer will usually prefer to be represented by someone else. JamesMLane 02:26, 5 November 2005 (UTC)

Teleenciclopedia
Does anyone know what is the musical theme from the "Teleenciclopedia" TV documentary? All I know is that is a classical piece. Tavilis 22:56, 29 October 2005 (UTC)

=October 30=

Definition of "redesignate"?
Section 201 of the USA PATRIOT Act says the following:

 * SEC. 201. AUTHORITY TO INTERCEPT WIRE, ORAL, AND ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS RELATING TO TERRORISM.

 * Section 2516(1) of title 18, United States Code, is amended--

 * (1) by redesignating paragraph (p), as so redesignated by section 434(2) of the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-132; 110 Stat. 1274), as paragraph (r); and

 * (2) by inserting after paragraph (p), as so redesignated by section 201(3) of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (division C of Public Law 104-208; 110 Stat. 3009-565), the following new paragraph:

 * `(q) any criminal violation of section 229 (relating to chemical weapons); or sections 2332, 2332a, 2332b, 2332d, 2339A, or 2339B of this title (relating to terrorism); or'.

What does "resignate" mean? - Ta bu shi da yu 07:23, 30 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Redesignate means renamed, so paragraph (p) was renamed paragraph (r), by inserting a new paragraph before it. It looks complicated because a paragraph (p) has already been renamed earlier by amendments to this Act.-gadfium 08:42, 30 October 2005 (UTC)

 * The "redesignating" here is just being used in order to tell you where exactly in the original law the new paragraph will go. --Fastfission 14:40, 30 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Thanks to both gadfium and FactFisssion! I have updated USA PATRIOT Act, Title_II. - Ta bu shi da yu 00:58, 5 November 2005 (UTC)

Musical greetings card
How to make a musical greeting card in papaer and not through e- greetings or so.

 * If you want a card that actually plays music, you'll have to buy one in a store that sells novelty greetings cards, as the electronics involved would be beyond the large majority of people. If you want to print a musical score on a greetings card (either hand or computer generated), please post again saying so.-gadfium 08:42, 30 October 2005 (UTC)

 * The electronics need not be especially hard, if you know which end of a soldering iron is which. Try an M66T-214, a battery and 8 ohm loudspeaker. Notinasnaid 09:58, 30 October 2005 (UTC)

One option is to buy such a card, and cut out the part that plays music, and install it in your handmade card. That way it will be more personal, but will still be musical. StuRat 22:10, 30 October 2005 (UTC)

book
I want to buy a book entitled " I am Diego" an autobiography of Diego Maradona. Where can i find this book?

 * This Web site has excerpts from the book (perhaps the whole book?). The site also has a link to Diego Maradona's official Web site, where you could probably buy the book. —Wayward <sup style="color:#6BA800;">Talk 08:54, 30 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Also check out this Amazon page. It has many titles by, and about, him, but some are in Spanish and I don't see that particular title, in English:

 * http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-form/102-9890646-1209744

 * StuRat 16:42, 30 October 2005 (UTC)

 * If that doesn't work, go to www.amazon.com and search for Diego Maradona. StuRat 16:53, 30 October 2005 (UTC)

Media
Do the media act as agents that reproduce social inequalities or are they the "glue" that binds society together?
 * Please do your own homework. — J I P | Talk 12:20, 30 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Note that those two things are not mutually exclusive. That is, the media could do both, or neither. StuRat 16:33, 30 October 2005 (UTC)

Hajj
I was just wondering, being a non-muslim how do participating in Hajj affect the life of a believer? Also, is a true pilgrimage a journey within? Thanks for any feedback.

 * The Hajj of Malcolm X had a huge influence on his life. After seeing Muslims of all races and shades praying at Mecca, he moderated his views toward those of racial unity and was influenced to take up a more traditional form of faith, moving further away from the Nation of Islam, which he increasingly viewed as illegitimate. I'm not sure of your nationality, but if you are American, you and every other American should read The Autobiography of Malcolm X. For other Muslisms, the experience is probably a bit less revolutionary, but it's still definitely an event that they plan for all of their lives. Have you given our Hajj article a perusal yet? Garrett Albright 16:24, 30 October 2005 (UTC)

Church of England
Who is the current Supreme governor of the Church of England?

According to the following article Prince Charles has been the holder of that title since 1994.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/10/30/nchas30.xml&sSheet=/portal/2005/10/30/ixportaltop.html

Your article suggests that his mother currently holds that title. I was under the same impression and was surprised by the article. Could someone there ascertain which is correct?

Steven L. Chapman

 * The Queen holds the post. Read the article again: He said in 1994 that when he became Supreme Governor of the Church of England, he would rather be "defender of faiths" than "defender of the faith".  The "that" is the key word saying that this preference would be held on becoming Supreme Governor.  I don't think I have explained this very well, but you probably get the idea...  [[Sam Korn ]] 16:18, 30 October 2005 (UTC)

 * I think the writer of the Telegraph piece could have worded it better, for example saying He said in 1994 that when he becomes Supreme Governor... i.e. using the future tense. If only it were wiki and we could fix it... :-) -- AJR | Talk 20:14, 30 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Yes, the reigning monarch is the SG, who is bound by law to be a member of the Anglican faith and uphold its teachings. She is also specifically prohibited from being a Roman Catholic or marrying one.  Curiously, and increasingly unacceptably, she is advised about the appoinment of Anglican Bishops by the Prime Minister, and always accepts his advice.  But the PM is not bound to either be an Anglican, or not be a Catholic.  The PM can be a Jew, a Muslim, a Buddhist, a Hindu, a Catholic, an atheist, a Satanist, or anything else, and still gets to to tell the Queen, the Supreme Governor of the C of E, who will be the bishops of her church.  Who says the English aren't a fun people?

 * Incidentally, the monarch is not bound to be a member of the Anglican faith specifically - he or she is bound to be a Protestant, generally speaking, but one that is at least willing to be in communion with the CoE. One major reason behind this is that the Established Church in Scotland is the Church of Scotland, which is Presbyterian and not Episcopalian - should the monarch originate from Scotland, chances are high they would not (originally) be an Anglican. Shimgray | talk | 11:54, 31 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Yes, you're right. And that makes the anomaly even more crazy.  The Supreme Governor of the Anglican Church does not necessarily have to be an Anglican, but cannot be a Catholic.  It's almost the "Non-Catholic" Church rather than the Anglican Church. JackofOz 00:49, 1 November 2005 (UTC)
 * Well, I do think the Anglicans themselves are supposed to be Anglican. :-) Dmcdevit·t 00:58, 1 November 2005 (UTC)

 * Being concerned over that sort of detail is very High Church, really... ;-) Shimgray | talk | 01:07, 1 November 2005 (UTC)

The Articles of Confederation
Why was the Continental Congress so cautious in drafting the Articles of Confederation?

 * Having just fought a war of independence from one oppressive authority (England), they were worried about setting up another one (a strong central government), so opted for a very weak government, instead. After that system failed, they scrapped the Articles of Confederation and drafted the Constitution. StuRat 18:39, 30 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Keep in mind that the ex-colonies were separate entities with their own perrogatives. It would have been hard to get them to voluntarily relinquish a lot of powers. It was only with the difficulties of governing under the AoC that enough states were convinced to support a stronger central government. -- Mwalcoff 02:24, 31 October 2005 (UTC)

Who makes graffiti?
All these people, for one. 68.230.25.52 21:30, 30 October 2005 (UTC)
 * But for the overwhelming majority -- the usual creeps who scrawl incomprehensible glyphs on your property without permission -- see vandalism and scent marking. --jpgordon∇∆∇∆ 20:28, 31 October 2005 (UTC)

=October 31=

World series Champions
when was the last time the Chicago white sox won the world series?
 * Four days ago. See 2005 World Series.  Before that, they hadn't won since the 1917 World Series. --Metropolitan90 03:06, 31 October 2005 (UTC)

Malaysia and women and children
I'm doing a project with SMUNA on Malaysia, but I can't find anything on their views of women and children anywhere or what their basic rights are. Could you please help me? -- Holly

 * Hi Holly, you could try a Google search for "women's rights malaysia", I got lots of links. Do the same for "children's rights". Also, for information on the rights of children, you should check out the UNICEF website. --Canley 05:32, 31 October 2005 (UTC)

androcentrism
Hi,

i'm writing an essay and was a bit confused with wikipedia's definition of androcentrism as being specifically male centred. I was wondering if androcentrism could also be applied on women? Meaning can a women be androcentric about a society seeing it as female/male centred???

Debbie

A view in which the women and women's perspective is predominant would be called gynecentric. Transliterated greek root for man is andro- and for woman is gyne-. alteripse 00:40, 31 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Or gynecocentric. —Wayward <sup style="color:#6BA800;">Talk 01:42, 31 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Gynocentric is probably better. David Sneek 09:37, 31 October 2005 (UTC)
 * Hmm, Chambers lists it as either as gynaeco- or gyneco- (US). Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged lists  gynecocentric. And, finally, dictionary.com lists gynocentric. —Wayward <sup style="color:#6BA800;">Talk 10:10, 31 October 2005 (UTC)
 * The stem in Ancient Greek is γυναικ-, so gyn(a)ecocentric is better. [[Image:Flag of Austria.svg|15px]] ナイトスタリオン ✉ 12:21, 31 October 2005 (UTC)

 * yes, gynaecocentrism is correct (from virtual *gunaikokentrikos) -- attested are compounds like gunaikotrphos ("fed by a woman"), gunaikonomos "ruled by women", gunaikopathes "suffering of women (tr.?)", gunaikokratia "rule of women" etc.; only gunaikomanes "crazy for women" is also attested as gunomanes . Of course there is nothing to stop women from being androcentric, or men from being gynaecocentric. 83.77.216.101 18:38, 31 October 2005 (UTC)

The U.S. Supreme Court
Who argues cases on behalf of The U.S. Supreme Court in front of the U.S. Supreme Court?

 * I don't think the court itself is considered a legal entity that can sue and be sued. I assume that if, say, a clerk sued for discrimation, the Administrative Office of the US Courts or the Justice Department would represent the defendant. -- Mwalcoff 02:21, 31 October 2005 (UTC)

 * If the question is "who argues on behalf of the U.S. government", the answer is the United States Solicitor General, currently Paul Clement. Meelar (talk) 05:56, 31 October 2005 (UTC)

salt deposits in west virginia
You must ASK A QUESTION. What is it about the salt deposits in WV that you want to know? We are not mind readers. JackofOz 05:59, 31 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Some of us are mind readers. For example I see you are thinking about...YUK ! NEVER MIND ! StuRat 23:10, 31 October 2005 (UTC)

Copyrights about Manga and Anime....
Hi, I want to create a website about MANGA and ANIME, and after reading the pages on this website, I have the following questions came to my mind. Please answer as detailed as possible.

1) If I provide online download for scanlated MANGAs or MANGA scans not published in the US, even if I encourage them to buy the hard copy, would I violate the US copyright laws?

2) If I post anime pictures, manga pictures (such as covers and some scans, but not scans of the whole volumes), anime wallpapers/avatars/screensavers/winampskins, and provide anime music, soundtracks and lyrics on my website, would I also violate the US copyright laws? (I saw a lot of them on other websites, please tell me as precisely as possible!)

3) Even if I'm doing these things in order to promote the manga and anime I like, still this be illegal?

4) If I don't provide the downloads of the above stuff, instead, I inform them of other methods that they can download the above stuff, would that still be illegal?

5) If you answer yes to all the questions above, in cases that I do the above things, how is it likely that I would get charged? What are the procedures/steps that they'll do the charge?

6) One last question. Since I personally also download scanlated manga and fansubbed anime online, am I also violating the copyright laws, or only the people who are doing the scanlations and fansubs violating the laws? In other words, copyright laws restrict the provider's actions (the scanlators, translators, fansub providers) or the receiver's actions (me and other people who DOWNLOAD and SHARE them)

In Need of Your Answers DESPERATELY!

Erwen

 * 1: No, you are not violating US laws. This is quite a common practice, actually.

 * 2: It varies. For most of the artwork stuff, it would fall under the umbrella of "fair use." However, for providing entire songs (as opposed to perhaps song clips), and possibly for providing lyrics, you're providing an "entire" product, and that would be piracy.

 * 3: Yes, the "reason" does not change legality or lack thereof.

 * 4: No, not strictly illegal, but that would still be immoral.

 * 6: If the material you are downloading is licensed in the US, then you are violating copyright laws (as are the suppliers of the material). However, if you're an ethical fansub fan who only sticks to unlicensed materials, you should be okay.

 * Of course, all of the above are general "rules" applying to copyrights and not only regulated to anime and manga. Garrett Albright 16:47, 31 October 2005 (UTC)

 * I'm not sure I think your answer to #1 is correct. There are international copyright laws; just because something is not copyrighted in the U.S. does not mean it is necessarily free to pirate it here. Anyway, as to how you would get charged, see our article on the DMCA which is how most things relating to copyrights and the internet play out in the U.S. --Fastfission 03:54, 3 November 2005 (UTC)

Dinali
Explain the Hindu festival of Dinali.
 * Perhaps you might prefer Divali? --Gareth Hughes 13:21, 31 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Either that or the festival involves oversized SUVs. StuRat 23:06, 31 October 2005 (UTC)

auftragstactiks
what exactly auftragtactiks mean?

 * See Auftragstaktik, or, if you can't read German, look at Mission-type tactics. --Gareth Hughes 13:44, 31 October 2005 (UTC)

The Consumption of Human Breast Milk
Why don't we [non-infant humans] drink human milk? We have the means to screen for transmittable diseases, and leaving aside the ethical and physical constraints of obtaining large quantites of human breast milk as well, is there really anything stopping us, scientifically speaking? I'm actually surprised this isn't commonplace. Really, it seems more natural to me than consuming other animal's milk (which was not intended for humans). Or am I just missing something?

Also, are there any cultures, past or present, that have used human milk, either for consumption [by adults] or for some other means (such as a ritual)? Thank you in advance, --67.184.203.227 13:20, 31 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Well, "leaving aside the ethical and physical constraints" there is absolutely no reason why not: the reasons are ethical and physical. Widespread consumption of human breastmilk would make women's bodies an economic commodity in yet another exploitative way. Anyway, the babies would be jealous. --Gareth Hughes 13:31, 31 October 2005 (UTC)
 * As far as the "cultures" go, there are the lactophiliacs, those who are sexually attracted to a lactating woman. They desire to either drink from a woman's breast, watch a woman drink from her own breast, or simply just watch a woman lactate into a glass or let it spill out onto her own breast.  Dismas|(talk) 14:00, 31 October 2005 (UTC)

I guess because it would be inefficient - you would basically turn the mother into an animal...not to mention that it takes nutrients from the body which has to be consumed anyway - you might as well consume the food directly...if you like the taste however, I guess it could be turned into an industry.... -- Natalinasmpf 15:23, 31 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Efficiency is the key. Cow/Goat milk commonly consumed is produced by an animal that uses cheap weeds for nutrition.  A human's diet is much more expensive and the human produces far less milk.  Worse, milk/cheese is a common component of the human's diet.  The humans providing milk will likely consume most of what they produce.
 * The true argument here is very common from vegetarians: It is unnatural for a human to consume milk of another animal. This is a classic example of a faulty argument.  It assumes that there is something unnatural for a human to consume and then places milk of non-human animals in that category.  In order to place such an argument, you must first completely define what is natural and unnatural for a human to consume. Kainaw 16:10, 31 October 2005 (UTC)
 * So then: do vegetarian women breast feed their children? Garrett Albright 16:39, 31 October 2005 (UTC)
 * From what I've read: vegeterians don't consume slaughtered living beings. Perhaps you're referring to vegans? <font color="#0082B8">=Nichalp <font color="#0082B8">«Talk»=  07:55, 1 November 2005 (UTC)

I believe an elderly J D Rockefellar hired a "wet nurse" to breast feed him. I'm not entirely sure of his motives. StuRat 23:05, 31 October 2005 (UTC)

common law marriages
Are common law marriages recognized in the state of Maryland?

 * See Common-law marriage. Looks like the answer is "no". --jpgordon∇∆∇∆ 20:21, 31 October 2005 (UTC)

pre civil war government agencies dealing with slaves, negroes, blacks
Were there any organizations prior to the Civil War created by any branch of the US federal government to deal with in any manner issues relating specifically to "blacks" slaves or free? If so what were their names and function? --68.33.167.172 17:48, 31 October 2005 (UTC)

 * The Fugitive Slave Bill of 1850 made any federal marshal or other official who did not arrest an alleged runaway slave liable to a fine of $1,000. This did not create the federal marshals, but it created a new duty for them. Kainaw 20:23, 31 October 2005 (UTC)

Pagan Saints
Pontius Pilate is revered as a saint in the Coptic Orthodox Church. I am wondering if there are any other pagans (gentiles who never received Christian baptism) who are considered saints in some Christian church. 83.77.216.101 17:57, 31 October 2005 (UTC)

 * In Eastern Christianity a number of non-Christians are celebrated in the calendar. They are known as dikaioi in Greek, meaning righteous. Almost all dikaioi are people from the Old Testament. --Gareth Hughes 12:47, 1 November 2005 (UTC)

Gross national product
I need to know the United States gross national Product and i need to know the yearly revenue and the umemployment rate for these two companies

1: Apple Corporation 2: Exxon Mobile

THANK YOU

--67.132.147.194 20:20, 31 October 2005 (UTC)

 * For gross national product, see Gross national product. There is a nice chart on that page showing not only the United States, but many other countries.
 * For yearly revenue, go to the company pages: Apple Computer and Exxon. They also have nice charts with the information you want.
 * I am not putting the numbers here because I am bothered that you didn't go to the pages yourself. Kainaw 20:29, 31 October 2005 (UTC)

Weimar Germany
After the Second World War Germany was a mess. The Government was polarized. There were right-wing and left-wing politics. I don't understand which category the social democrats fall under? What side were the ex-soldiers on? Left-wing politicians were the communists. Were only the Nazis on the right-wing side?

 * See Social Democratic Party of Germany to see where they stand (they seem to be left end of politics). I don't think it could be possible to put ex-soldiers in any one category, I imagine some would lean left, others would lean right. It's also a push to say that left-wing politicians were communists, some probably were, others not. Akamad 22:36, 31 October 2005 (UTC)

Your opening line says "After the Second World War...", but the Weimar Republic was after the First World War. After the 2nd, Germany was split into East Germany (controlled by the Soviet Union) and a free West Germany. StuRat 22:59, 31 October 2005 (UTC)

 * After the SDP was a left wing party, but fairly moderate left wing party. Besides the Nazi there were other parties of the right. including the Nationalists, and Catholic Centre. There were also large quaters, essessally in the officer corp who were monarchists. Monarcharists are generally considered conservatives. At first parties of the right though Hitler was a parsite; eventually they tried to cooperate with him; and eventually accepting his rule. During the early part of his reign many traditional conservatives, such as Von Papon and Von Neuruth served in high positions. They were later puished out. Though through out the Nazi period Hitler was careful to give powerfull former conservatives senicure positions.

Thank you for the helpful answers. I am finally starting to see through the mess... I apologise for my silly mistake. I am aware of the fact that the Weimar Republic was 1918 - 1933, which is after the First World War. Thanks, Emanuelle

how old is the earth?
(no question under the header)
 * Our earth article states: Scientific evidence indicates that the planet formed around 4.57 billion (4.57×109) years ago, and shortly thereafter (4.533 billion years ago) acquired its single natural satellite, the Moon. - Mgm|(talk) 22:14, 31 October 2005 (UTC)

Diwali
I'm wondering if anyone can tell me how to pronounce Diwali in English? There seem to be several transliterations in the article, none of which are very helpful to me (or consistent?). Especially since I'm not sure how I'm supposed to pronounce the letters "ā" and "ī" (as Hindi does not use a Latin script, the diacritics confuse me). Thank you. 134.10.44.224 23:27, 31 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Diwali: "Di-waa-lee" "a" as in father. The "w" is often pronounced and spelled as a "v" (both are correct). <font color="#0082B8">=Nichalp  <font color="#0082B8">«Talk»=  07:25, 1 November 2005 (UTC)