Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2008 June 2

= June 2 =

contracts
how old do you have to be to sign a contract in california?? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.14.124.175 (talk) 00:21, 2 June 2008 (UTC)
 * If this random website is to be believed, the age at which one can enter into a contract without parental consent is 18 throughout the United States. Algebraist 00:27, 2 June 2008 (UTC)
 * Wikipedia agrees (for most states - there are some exceptions). See Age of majority and scroll down to the US (this is assuming that the age of majority is the same as the age at which one can sign a contract - the article mentions it but doesn't include a reference). Zain Ebrahim (talk) 01:15, 2 June 2008 (UTC)


 * Emancipation of minors might also interest you. --Lisa4edit (talk) 18:43, 2 June 2008 (UTC)

evictions
Can the owners of our 6-unit apartments shut off our water while in the beginning of the eviction process?--Lisalisa1977 (talk) 00:25, 2 June 2008 (UTC)lisalisa1977
 * Where?Edison (talk) 01:07, 2 June 2008 (UTC)


 * Assuming the United States, rental codes vary from state to state. Usually there is a "Renter's Rights" group that you can check with on such things. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 01:16, 2 June 2008 (UTC)


 * Most U.S. jurisdictions require that landlords meet the housing code for occupied residential properties, and the housing code generally specifies clean, running water. So, in most jurisdictions, the landlord would be violating the housing code by shutting off the water before an eviction is ordered by a court and carried out by constables. As the previous poster suggested, you should contact a tenants' advocacy group in your jurisdiction, who can advise you on your options.  Marco polo (talk) 01:53, 2 June 2008 (UTC)

Remember wikipedia can't be a trusted source of legal advice, you might want a solicitor. SGGH speak! 14:41, 2 June 2008 (UTC)

Who invented the presumption of innocence?
The article on presumption of innocence does not talk about the origins of the concept. What king, judge, legislature, constitutional convention, or other authority was the first one to declare that anyone has a right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty? Or if that's not known, what is the earliest known legal system to have operated on that basis?

--Anonymous, edited 08:11 UTC, June 2, 2008.


 * Jeralyn Merritt tries to trace The History of the Presumption of Innocence here. ---Sluzzelin talk  09:28, 2 June 2008 (UTC)

Enlightenment Painting
I'm looking for an Enlightenment painting that has a young noble boy dressed aristocratically, learning farming techniques from a peasant. --Gary123 (talk) 15:28, 2 June 2008 (UTC)

Surnames
What are the common surnames in Iran among the Shi'a Muslims, What are the common names in Bangladesh among the Muslim population, what are the common names in Pakistan and What are the common names in Afghanistan? Is there any website about these thing I ask about? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.64.129.52 (talk) 15:30, 2 June 2008 (UTC)

Vienna Convention on Diplomatic immunity
How many countries have ratify it and signed it? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.64.129.52 (talk) 15:45, 2 June 2008 (UTC)
 * I found a list (linking to Google cache to avoid password requirement). Algebraist 16:30, 2 June 2008 (UTC)

Jefferson corpus
How would one go about obtaining a corpus containing all the recorded words of Thomas Jefferson as text file suitable for Markov analysis (thus, his words only without introductions other and crap that litters books of his writings)? I would have liked to think someone'd have already created such a file, but a cursory search was not availing. Sometimes I despair of the internet. 153.1.47.242 (talk) 15:48, 2 June 2008 (UTC)


 * The nineteen volumes of The Writings of Thomas Jefferson are available in electronic format: . Internet Archive seems to list them all available in plain text, tho you would need to strip out those parts you did not want.&mdash;eric 17:17, 2 June 2008 (UTC)

basis for naming of historical ethnic groups
When historians refer to ethnic groups from ancient times, such as the Assyrians and the Akkadians, what is the basis for this classification? What do you need to call yourself an Akkadian, for example? Does it depend on language, culture, or both? Thanks in advance, 203.221.126.29 (talk) 18:11, 2 June 2008 (UTC)
 * They usually use the terminolgy of historians of the time. i.e. the Greeks refer to the Celts as the Keltoi, but it is no assertion of ethnic similarity other that the greeks thought them to be the same. See Barbarians and Celts. Fribbler (talk) 00:00, 4 June 2008 (UTC)

Iskhvakus / Ikshvaku - same or different?
Hi,

While reading the article on Skanda I came across these lines : The deity was venerated also by the "Iskhvakus", an Andhra dynasty

The article on Rama speaks of "Ikshvaku" dynasty. Rama was the prince of the Suryavamsha (Sun Dynasty) House of Ikshvaku

Iskhvakus / Ikshvaku - Are these two words with different spelling actually referring to the same clan or dynasty?

Writesprincesswiki (talk) 19:14, 2 June 2008 (UTC)


 * Hi Writesprincess, they seem to be the same. The first as plural and the second singular. Of the dynasty, describes its members (Ikshvakus) which also belong to what is the Andhra Kingdom/tribe. The House of Ikshvaku would be the collective, and singular, afaik. (illustration: ...was venerated by Texans, an American state. X was leader of Texas. Clunky, but does that make sense?) Julia Rossi (talk) 11:35, 4 June 2008 (UTC)


 * Her examples are spelled differently though. Since we have a bunch of Ikshvaku articles I would assume "Iskhvaku" is a typo, easy to make since those consonants never appear together in English. Adam Bishop (talk) 11:59, 4 June 2008 (UTC)

Graven Image
In the 10 Commandments, does the term graven image really include photographs? If so, how come so many Christians take photos? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.119.61.7 (talk) 20:47, 2 June 2008 (UTC)
 * Only if you were to worship the phtograph as an idol. :-) Fribbler (talk) 20:49, 2 June 2008 (UTC)


 * Exodus 20:4? Some understand "graven image" to mean a carved idol or representation of a god used as an object of worship particularly in the context of the world the Hebrews moved through and its influences. Peoples around them used objects: trees, stones, sculptures and images which weren't only worshipped as representations (afaik) but as the god itself. It was important for them to distinguish themselves against this background as a select group dedicated to a rather abstract power. Others take it to mean any twoD or 3D representation. The key seems to be "idol" as something that might replace or distract from the Hebrew god. Julia Rossi (talk) 00:24, 3 June 2008 (UTC)


 * I've wondered the same about Muslims not being suppossed to create pictures, yet they all seem to watch tv and have illustrated newspapers and magazines etc, even the most devout/fanatical. 80.0.108.118 (talk) 00:28, 3 June 2008 (UTC)


 * (econ) I forgot your Christian snappers: it looks like the more abstract statement in Ex 20:3 applies, "Do not have any other gods before me", so rationally imo, a Christian as such (who is not defecting to the Antichristian Church of Photographic Worship) can snap away. Julia Rossi (talk) 00:32, 3 June 2008 (UTC)


 * About Muslims, for background there's the Islam article: in the Qur'an, "No vision can grasp Him, but His grasp is over all vision. He is above all comprehension, yet is acquainted with all things" (Qur'an 6:103). Here the emphasis is on the overarching oneness of God rather than banning images or physical likeness representations of god – one of the possible mis-representations of the indefinable. This article in the Wall Street Journal discusses Islam not forbidding images as such, and that different groups activate Islamic traditions differently.. Christianity had its anti-images activations as well in Protestantism, the Reformation and Puritanism afaik, mostly in reaction to interpretations of Catholic practice and aligning themselves with a strictly direct reading of the bible. Hope this helps, Julia Rossi (talk) 00:46, 4 June 2008 (UTC)

Naked Nazi
I saw a life-size statue out back of Buda Castle that I could swear I've seen depictions of, but I can't put my finger on it. It was a blackened bronze, I guess, of a naked man bareback on a smallish horse. The horse was in a crouch, as if about to spring. The man had on nothing but a helmet very much like the one worn by the Germans in WWII. He was blowing a post horn, one of the bugle-shaped kind, not a round one. --Milkbreath (talk) 21:33, 2 June 2008 (UTC)
 * I only thought of naked riders on already rearing horses. Is it one snapshot before this? I found it and links to other pictures at de:Budapester Reiter, which has no article on en.wikipedia. Leonardo did sketch a lot of rearing horses, with and without nude riders wearing helmets. Perhaps it is a modern interpretation (Wehrmacht helmet)? ---Sluzzelin talk  10:46, 3 June 2008 (UTC)


 * The horse's posture was something like that (I described that badly), as was the rider's. The overall impression was not so bulgingly mythological, though, more realistic-heroic, if you know what I mean, but not quite state-approved, either. It looks like one was after the other, but which, who can say? --Milkbreath (talk) 11:01, 3 June 2008 (UTC)


 * The only two statues of a listed for Buda castle that come close are these (3rd from the bottom) and .  None of them is naked.  There are however tombs from the Turkish era listed for outside of the castle.  So maybe you saw a Turkish grave marker. --76.111.32.200 (talk) 20:58, 3 June 2008 (UTC)

OK, I found it online: here. The plaque in the ground in front of it has the name of the sculptor (Petri Lajos) and the date (1935). I've been able to get some of the words. "Erdélyi" is "Transylvanian". Székely is a Hungarian enclave in Transylvania. "Huszárok" is hussar. The range of dates has me buffaloed, and what's up with the helmet and the nudity, not to mention the horn? Is it a mythological reference? --Milkbreath (talk) 01:24, 7 June 2008 (UTC)

Catcher in the Rye
Where is Holden Caulfield meant to be writing the book from ?? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 80.5.206.57 (talk) 20:55, 2 June 2008 (UTC)
 * Moved from language desk -Elmer Clark (talk) 21:41, 2 June 2008 (UTC)
 * It's never made clear. I've heard people suggest that he's writing it from a mental hospital, but I don't feel that there's a whole lot to support that. -Elmer Clark (talk) 21:43, 2 June 2008 (UTC)

Supply and Demand
My name is Bob,

I read the supply and demand page, but I'm still wondering, how would a business owner, for example, calculate how much to charge for say, a dozen bananas?

If you would like to contact me

—Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.113.19.14 (talk) 21:56, 2 June 2008 (UTC) Sorry, Bob, I removed your email as per the Desk guidelines. See above. 200.49.224.88 (talk) 22:28, 2 June 2008 (UTC)


 * You don't have to calculate anything - whether as seller nor as buyer. Just push the price until nobody buy it or try to bargain until nobody sells to you. 217.168.1.158 (talk) 23:40, 2 June 2008 (UTC)


 * Are you producer, distributor or retailer? You will find retail pricing in the the last one and check out Production, costs, and pricing, cheers Julia Rossi (talk) 00:11, 3 June 2008 (UTC)

There ought to be a diagram somewhere that has price along the x axis, and profit along the Y axis. Since lower prices mean (in theory, and with some exceptions) more sales but less profit per item sold, and higher prices less sales but greater profit per item, then there is an optimum price that gives the most profit overall. Profit = (number of items sold (price - unit cost)) - overheads.

In practical terms, you'd probably look at the price other grocers were selling bananas at and either sell at the same price, or perhaps slightly less in an attempt to get more sales. Or a higher price for a better quality product. 80.0.108.118 (talk) 00:24, 3 June 2008 (UTC)


 * The picture isn't quite as simple. You could even have 3 or 4 different prices.  The "executive bananas" - hand selected for quality, size and appearance; the exclusive bananas not everyone can afford.  The "quality bananas" - the ones you know and love.  The "family bananas" - buying in bulk won't make you go broke.  The "great bargain bananas" - lowest price around.  The funny thing is that they could all be the same bananas, as long as your customers think they are different. Product differentiation Why wouldn't you sell them all at the same price? You might not find enough people who're willing to pay the higher price, but some will.  By convincing the buyers there's a difference you can sell to each group at the maximum price they are willing to shovel out. 76.111.32.200 (talk) 20:02, 3 June 2008 (UTC)


 * I'm with the multi-pricing and competitive comparison mostly. It also depends on your market and demand, and we could be talking niche market here – will you sell bananas in an up-market district where people are willing and expect to pay more (and would have to given your increased overheads in that location) or in a more general location where price scaling applies? Some people believe the price should be the same for everyone, so perceived product differential is important. And if you sell bananas next to a discount chain supermarket, it's important there, too. Julia Rossi (talk) 00:14, 4 June 2008 (UTC)
 * See Price discrimination for more. Zain Ebrahim (talk) 00:43, 4 June 2008 (UTC)


 * Bob, in Economics, the Supply and demand model is an economic model which is primarily used to explain economic theories and other economic phenomena. For example, it would help an economist predict the impact of a rent ceiling or an agricultural subsidy.


 * In business, a retailer (or a guy who sells bananas) would price his offering based on some pricing strategy such as Cost-plus pricing. Zain Ebrahim (talk) 00:43, 4 June 2008 (UTC)