Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2008 August 18

= August 18 =

geography
What is the name of the country that is located in the eastern meditterenean, and known for it's dark cliffs mountains? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 195.229.235.41 (talk) 12:45, 18 August 2008 (UTC)
 * Montenegro? The name itself means "Black Mountain". Fribbler (talk) 12:50, 18 August 2008 (UTC)
 * Yeah, but the Adriatic Sea isn't the eastern Mediterranean. --jpgordon&#8711;&#8710;&#8711;&#8710; 15:32, 22 August 2008 (UTC)
 * The Adriatic is part of the eastern Med, by most people's reckoning. Why do you say it isn't? Algebraist 15:50, 22 August 2008 (UTC)
 * Is it? Interesting. Looks to me like it's close to exactly in the middle, but OK. I can't think of any other such country myself. --jpgordon&#8711;&#8710;&#8711;&#8710; 15:55, 22 August 2008 (UTC)
 * I'd say people take Italy as the divider between east and west.  Fribbler (talk) 15:58, 22 August 2008 (UTC)

Ulster Plantation
I'm looking for some painting, etching or other work from the visual arts showing scenes from the times of the Ulster Plantation. Google images didn't help much. Would you know where I could continue my research, are there any illustrated books on history which I could refer to? -- 84.160.11.127 (talk) 14:47, 18 August 2008 (UTC)


 * This BBC history site has some illustrations. Gandalf61 (talk) 15:15, 18 August 2008 (UTC)
 * I hadn't found these sites on bbc.co.uk yet, thanks. -- 84.160.11.127 (talk) 15:26, 18 August 2008 (UTC)
 * Just remember not to read anything on that site. :-) From an Irish perspective, their history of the plantation is very offensive. The idea that Irish people benefited from having their houses burnt and their land stolen, will take a while to catch on here. Fribbler (talk) 22:21, 18 August 2008 (UTC)
 * I believe that the BBC-site explains this in an adequate and fair fashion. Flamarande (talk) 01:57, 19 August 2008 (UTC)
 * I am aware of the problematics of the different perspectives, which is a fertile ground for discussion in English lessons (in Germany). That's what I wanted the paintings, illustrations etc. for - even (or even more) if they were biased. (I'd still be happy if someone knew some other sources.) -- 84.160.16.164 (talk) 08:50, 19 August 2008 (UTC)

Can Musharraf be judged and receive a death sentence?
If he's judged, could he receive a death sentence? 190.49.107.235 (talk) 18:12, 18 August 2008 (UTC).


 * According to Use of death penalty worldwide, Pakistan does practice capital punishment. If Musharraf is convicted of a capital crime in Pakistan, he could receive a death sentence.  According to this article, Nawaz Sharif has called for Musharraf to be tried for treason, which, according to the article, is a capital crime subject to the death penalty.  However, the same article suggests that Musharraf will instead go into exile, presumably in a country where he will not face prosecution.  Marco polo (talk) 20:12, 18 August 2008 (UTC)


 * (Note that it is not unheard of for former heads of state to be executed for capital crimes in Pakistan.) --98.217.8.46 (talk) 03:15, 19 August 2008 (UTC)


 * If this is you, General Musharraf, I'm afraid we can't offer legal advice. Good luck! --Sean 14:25, 19 August 2008 (UTC)

Ancient government systems
Of the ancient civilizations, which one had the most complicated system of officials? I know only a little about the Chinese, and it seems to me that theirs would be the most sophisticated, I think this is because there are many to manage and because also that the system was allowed for a long time to simply sit and extend itself. Anyhow, back to the original question, who had the most sophisticated system of officials? (Mayors, provincial governors, small clerks, advisors in courts). Especially those with titles that weren't just used for once but passed on from previous titleholders? 99.226.24.150 (talk) 22:12, 18 August 2008 (UTC)


 * The feudal system could get extremely complicated with lots of levels in the hierarchy and even cases of two people being eachother's superiors in two different places. --Tango (talk) 22:19, 18 August 2008 (UTC)
 * I'm not quite sure as of what you are asking. Is it the most bureaucratic system in history you're after? Fribbler (talk) 22:22, 18 August 2008 (UTC)
 * That'd be some contest. — OtherDave (talk) 22:43, 18 August 2008 (UTC)


 * You might like to read Early Irish law where you have a very complicated system in quite a small society. Dmcq (talk) 00:29, 19 August 2008 (UTC)

Yes, I meant bureacratic and complicated in organization. 99.226.24.150 (talk) 20:40, 20 August 2008 (UTC)

How easy is it to get a job in the EU outside the UK and Ireland if you only speak English?
I would imagine it is not easy; however I would be interested if any of you could give me a guide as to how long and how much you would have to become proficient in, say, Italian, to work in Milan, or German, to work in Berlin. Some Polish and other Eastern European workers in the UK don't have English that is that good, and wanted to know what the prospects for working at a middle range job in Europe would be like, such as an office clerk.--Quadrilateral Tertiary (talk) 23:03, 18 August 2008 (UTC)
 * Some pointers for you:
 * To my knowledge (which is limited to some areas), most jobs with the EU (as in, working for the commission etc.) require proficiency in a working language (English or French) and a second official EU language.
 * You'd be able to work in Northern/Western Europe (Scandinavia, Netherlands, to some extent Germany) with knowing just English. You wouldn't qualify for low-key service jobs, but if you have higher education in some field, your chances are pretty good at finding a job where English is the working language.
 * Outside of there, especially France and Italy, the opportunities to use English are more limited and you'd have to know the local language.
 * User:Krator (t c) 23:26, 18 August 2008 (UTC)


 * Local offices of multi-national corporations often use English as the primary language for doing business whatever country they're in, so you might be able to get work in one of them. It might be easiest to get a job with such a company in the UK and then request a transfer after 18 months or so (you can ask in the interview if they would consider such at transfer) - they might even pay for language lessons to help you live in the country (while you would work in English, you still need to buy groceries in the local language!). --Tango (talk) 23:54, 18 August 2008 (UTC)


 * OK, thanks. It was just a hypothetical question really and I wanted to gather some opinions. I am not particularly interested in the idea of working in Scandinavia though.--Quadrilateral Tertiary (talk) 00:42, 19 August 2008 (UTC)


 * Possibly easier in a former British Colony, like Malta or Cyprus. The French require by law that companies use the French language internally, and have fined companies for publishing internal documents only in English! 78.148.71.233 (talk) 09:04, 19 August 2008 (UTC)
 * That kind of law may well be unique to France - the French are very sensitive about their language, more so than any other nationality I know. --Tango (talk) 17:33, 19 August 2008 (UTC)


 * Brussells is a pretty good place for English speakers. Because of the French/Flemish language division, people tend to use English as a neutral compromise. And most of the barmen seem to be Germans who speak English better than they speak French or Flemish. Last time I was there the only person I needed to speak French to was an Algerian (in an Irish bar. We agreed that Thierry Henry, quand le match est important, ne joue jamais bien). --Nicknack009 (talk) 22:46, 19 August 2008 (UTC)

And there is the Isle of Man and Channel Islands. They aren't in the UK.78.144.170.213 (talk) 10:31, 22 August 2008 (UTC)
 * However nor are they in the EU.SaundersW (talk) 07:56, 24 August 2008 (UTC)

Biblical Prophecies
How accurate are the Biblical prophecies? Are there any prophecies that have noot been fulfilled? 67.150.171.108 (talk) 23:45, 18 August 2008 (UTC)


 * Prophecies in the Bible are usually very vague, especially about when they're going to take place, so it's impossible to say one has failed to be fulfilled. Various interpretations of biblical prophecies have failed to be fulfilled - all the ones saying the world is going to end at some date that has been and gone, for example! Finding prophecies that have been fulfilled is usually an excerise in finding convoluted ways in which the prophecy could be interpretted to refer to a given real life event - the most obvious issue is that such prophecies are only "correctly" interpretted after the event has taken place. I don't know of any interpretations that were made in advance that actually came true other than things vague enough to be dismissed as coincidence. --Tango (talk) 23:54, 18 August 2008 (UTC)
 * Most of Revelations is waiting to be fulfilled (assuming you count it as prophecy). I can't say I'm looking forward to it. I'm in the 'Jesus is coming. Quick, look busy!' state of things at the moment. A few to many unresolved differences. Steewi (talk) 01:13, 19 August 2008 (UTC)
 * Prophesies that don't get fulfilled are quickly forgotten: selection bias and hindsight bias operate in this area. Biblical "prophecies" tend to have been written after the fact: see Postdiction. Statements interpreted as "prophecies" tend to be taken out of context: see "Star Prophecy". Endless play here for self-delusion, if you're inclined to it.--Wetman (talk) 03:00, 19 August 2008 (UTC)
 * Perspective is also an issue. Jews and Christians differ in opinion about whether or not the prophesy about the coming of the Messiah was fulfilled. -LambaJan (talk) 18:59, 19 August 2008 (UTC)


 * I don't hold any brief for the Christian perspective, but isn't the Jewish perspective a little hamstrung by their philosophy that anyone who claims to be the Messiah, or is seen to be so claiming, is automatically eliminated as a possibility? --  JackofOz (talk) 00:34, 20 August 2008 (UTC)