Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/August 2005

charles stross' father
i am looking for information about a man named ricki stross. he was is cairo in 1937. he fell in love with a girl of 19 called vera faithfull. ricki stross was czechoslovakian. he was working for his fathers company in cairo. he went back to czechoslovakia and sent vera a photo of himself in a soldier's uniform. vera faithfull (now mcnair), is my mother. she is 88 now and remembers her first love very vividly and with great affection. she says: we both knew there was a war coming, and we would be on different sides. if charles stross's father was called ricki, there might be some connection. josie thomas.


 * Are you asking about the author Charles Stross? I have absolutely no idea, though I'd guess it's pretty unlikely statistically speaking...
 * Our page at Charles Stross links to his website, which has a contact email form, which would seem to be the best way to ask. (If you meant someone else, then who? If it's someone we should have an article on, it'd be helpful to know so we can create one) Shimgray 15:24, 21 August 2005 (UTC)

Books on history of toasters?
Can anyone recomend a book on the history of toasters?


 * I suspect if you follow the external links at toaster you may find some sources for their sites. If not, get in touch with the webmasters. --bodnotbod 19:57, August 25, 2005 (UTC)

Guy who carried Jesus' cross in the Bible?
What was the name of the character that carried Jesus' cross in the Bible story?
 * According to Matthew, Mark, and Luke, it was a man from Cyrene named Simon. According to John, he carried it himself. --jpgordon&#8711;&#8710;&#8711;&#8710; 16:32, 25 August 2005 (UTC)

Supreme Court resignations
If the President or Vice President of the U.S. resigns, he sends a letter to the Secretary of State as required by Title 3 of the U.S. Code. I know it is customary that Supreme Court justices write the President when they choose to leave the court, but what, if anything, does the law say about how justices resign? How do judges of the lower courts resign? PedanticallySpeaking July 8, 2005 19:59 (UTC)


 * Really? I thought there was no formal law or policy about where anyone should write to resign, even the president. I heard once that Nixon thought it best to resign to the Attorney General, though I might be wrong. Flcelloguy | A note? | Desk 8 July 2005 20:20 (UTC)


 * Title 3, Section 20 of the U.S. Code reads: "The only evidence of a refusal to accept, or of a resignation of the office of President or Vice President, shall be an instrument in writing, declaring the same, and subscribed by the person refusing to accept or resigning, as the case may be, and delivered into the office of the Secretary of State." .  When Nixon resigned, his letter was addressed to Henry Kissinger and presented while Nixon was 30,000 feet over Illinois on his way back to San Clemente.  Read his letter here.  PedanticallySpeaking July 8, 2005 20:23 (UTC)


 * This Title and Section of the Code reads that if there is a contested resignation, then the officeholder can offer his proof of denial only to the Secretary of State. An actual letter of resignation can be submitted to anyone in some position of authority. By submitting his letter directly to the Secretary, RMN eliminated any potential contest to the resignation - thus, irrevocable . hydnjo talk 23:00, 20 August 2005 (UTC)


 * RMN's letter of resignation:http://www.watergate.info/nixon/resignation-letter.shtml hydnjo talk 23:07, 20 August 2005 (UTC)

Spanish Heroines
I am searching for a woman whos' name was Francesca, guardi del Castell-Fort. Was told that she has a portrait in either the Museo of Armas in Madrid, Spain or Museo del Ejercito in Madrid, Spain. Can you help me?


 * You might do better in the Spanish Wikipedia. In Spanish your question would be "Busco a una mujer quien se llamaba Francesca, guardi del Castell-Fort. He oído que tiene un retrato de ella o en el Museo de Armas en Madrid o el Museo del Ejercito, también en Madrid. &iquest;Pueden Vds. ayudarme?" Also, you may be interested to know that "guardi del Castell-Fort" sounds almost certainly Catalan rather than Spanish, so you might want to try the Catalan Wikipedia as well. -- Jmabel | Talk 22:16, August 21, 2005 (UTC)

Japanese subway sleeping hats?
A friend of mine has indicated that the Japanese wear a hat with a veil on subways that cover your face so you can sleep on the subway without the embarassment of drool, etc. What is the name of this hat? (It may be a Chindōgu... I don't know.) --AllyUnion (talk) 21:12, 20 August 2005 (UTC)


 * I believe it is Chindōgu, though the specific name for this piece of Chindōgu I don't know. I might ask my Japanese housemate, if I remember. Dunc|&#9786; 21:24, 20 August 2005 (UTC)


 * Oh, btw, Photograph Dunc|&#9786; 21:25, 20 August 2005 (UTC)


 * The hat shown in the citation above seems designed to keep the wearer from slumping forward and to announce the wearer's destination so that they be awakened at the appropriate station. It seems to offer no veil to drooling, mouth-agape, lip-movement or other potentially embarassing sleep conditions. Thus, it is truly Chindōgu, an "invention" of little practical utility. hydnjo talk 23:35, 20 August 2005 (UTC)


 * Actually, according to my friend, this product is widely used, and is very useful apparently. It's kind of like a short veil that covers your face which is a hat. --AllyUnion (talk) 06:28, 21 August 2005 (UTC)


 * The photgraph above is not quite what you're looking for, try this, where it's just called a "subway sleeper's screen." 132.175.9.1 17:17, 22 August 2005 (UTC)


 * That site ^ is a hoot. Lots of funny chindōgu. :-) hydnjo talk 19:53, 22 August 2005 (UTC)

My violin is 22 inches long. What size is it -1/2, 3/4?
Just want to know what I have. I have an Allan V-15 small violin measuring 22" from its bottom to the very top. I want to know if this a a 1/2 size or 3/4. Thanks


 * I believe it is 3/4 size. I have a 7/8 and two full size, and they are both slightly larger.  Here is a size chart:    Hope that helps!  Antandrus  (talk) 19:53, 21 August 2005 (UTC)


 * Are you concerned that the violin may not be the correct size for you? A quick check I do with students is to tell them to try and grab the scroll of the violin while it is on their shoulder. Can you reach it comfortably? If not, it might be a bit too big. --HappyCamper 22:10, 21 August 2005 (UTC)

first broadcast of shoot out on TV
According to Lee_Harvey_Oswald, Jack Ruby shooting Lee Harvey Oswald (in 1963) was the first time in TV history that a homicide was captured and shown publicly live. But General Nguyen Ngoc Loan executing a Viet Cong prisoner in Saigon (in 1968) says the broadcast of the execution gained notoriety as the first broadcast of a death on television. Is there any truth in the latter statement or the anon user just made that up ? Jay 22:01, 21 August 2005 (UTC)


 * Oswald didn't die instantly; his shooting was televised, but not his death. -- Jmabel | Talk 22:30, August 21, 2005 (UTC)


 * I was under the impression that he died instantly. Any idea what time he died ? Article gives the time of the attack as 11.21 AM. Jay 16:55, 23 August 2005 (UTC)


 * I would also question whether the TV footage of General_Nguyen_Ngoc_Loan was broadcast live. DJ Clayworth 17:03, 22 August 2005 (UTC)


 * The user that inserted that stuff seems a genuine chap, I've been looking at his contributions. That's not to say he can't just be plain wrong though ;o) --bodnotbod 21:03, August 22, 2005 (UTC)

just war / just price
Hi, I would like to know of what is the meaning of just war and just price? Is it closer to a "fair" or a "righteous"? roscoe_x 13:49, 22 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Well the meanings are pretty clear from the articles, perhaps if you could re-phrase the question, or add some context, we could help. Trollderella 15:12, 22 August 2005 (UTC)

I think I've found the answer from a dictionary. Thanks for your response. Cause I only knew "just" (meaning) when it is used in "just now". roscoe_x 21:18, 22 August 2005 (UTC)
 * you want this link then -- "just" is from yewes- "ritually pure" :) dab (&#5839;) 21:32, 22 August 2005 (UTC)


 * and, in this sense, has the same etymology as "justice". -- Jmabel | Talk 06:16, August 24, 2005 (UTC)

Ok, I got it. Thanks for all the responses. roscoe_x 14:23, 24 August 2005 (UTC)

pronuciation
where is the guide to pronunciating words like

/tʃe/ or /ʃeɪ/


 * At International Phonetic Alphabet, or (more concisely but less complete) International Phonetic Alphabet for English, or (even more concisely and even less complete) IPA chart for English. &mdash;Cryptic (talk) 16:38, 22 August 2005 (UTC)

Pronunciation of Old English Personal names beginning with 'C'
I am in the process of researching my surname 'Kidd', but have no linguistic qualifications.

Bishop Cedd established a church at Lastingham (654), Yorkshire, and was a pupil, under Aidan, at Lindisfarne. Although of a 'missionary Roman Christian' upbringing, he and his younger brother Chad (as well as Cuthbert) were much influenced by 'ascetic Celtic Christianity'. The ministry of Bishops Cedd and Chad was widespread (including Northumbria,Mercia,East Anglia,Essex)- in fact, at times, Cedd involved all his brothers, Cynebil, Caelin and Chad, at St Mary's,Lastingham.

Placenames : Kedington is in Suffolk (20 miles from Soham,Cambs - a hive of ancient Kidds; all early American Kidds are thought to descend from a Thomas Kidd of Soham) Keddington is in Lincolnshire. I understand these may derive from 'tun'=farmstead of ingas='the people of' 'Cydda/Cedd'.

Surname Variants : Kyd/Kid/Kydd/Kidd - In the Borders area there are Kide/ Keid/ Kede/ Keed(e)/Kead(e)/ Ked(d); these were probably all subject to a later scots dialect. Other names mentioned in "The Sunames of Scotland" by George F.Black are Kiddie/Keddie/Kiddy/Ceddy and Aidan,Cuthbert,Colman (saints names).

I understand the letter 'K' was rarely used in Old English. And that the Celtic 'K' may easily have replaced the Anglo-Saxon 'C', considering that the aboriginal population were predominatly Briton and not of Anglo-Saxon stock.

Another pointer is that the Anglo-Saxons used alliteration in naming children of the same family, therefore it is likely that Cedd,Cynebil,Caelin and Chad sounded similar. Does King translate from the Old English 'Cyng'? Did the 'Ch' of Chad have a hard 'K' sound? Would all have these brothers' names been pronounced with a hard 'K'?

Specifically, am I correct in assuming Cedd is translatable as Kedd/Kydd/Kidd, if not in immediate Saxon times, over the passage of time? My feeling is that Bishop Cedd converted families of Britons during his missionary work and that such families/communities may have adopted a 'baptismal surname'. Villages like Keddington were such communities, and people with surnames such as Cuthbert and Aidan may have had similar origins. I have recently had my Y-DNA analysed and the haplotype matches against individuals of Border Reiver surnames Beattie, Burns and Dixon, suggesting that my direct paternal genetic roots are indeed the Borders area. --Derek44 16:05, 22 August 2005 (UTC)


 * C was pronounced like K, except in some cases where it was more like our "ch"...the combination "ceo" was pronounced "ch", I think. I don't know if combination "ch" actually occurred in Old English so "Chad" may not have been a possible word. Adam Bishop 20:21, 28 August 2005 (UTC)


 * Thank you, Adam - I appreciate your response. Cedd's younger brother, Chad, who was Bishop of Mercia, is spelt Ceadda in Bede's 'Ecclesiastical History of the English People', as written in Latin, and is dominantly central beneath a statue above the entrance to Lichfield Cathedral, being spelt Ceadd. Cedd is also sometimes spelt Cedde, Ceddi and Cedda in Latin. All later translations of Ceadda seem to be written as Chad. It looks like I would be correct in pronouncing Cedd as Kedd, and changes of dialect (especially Scottish or 'Geordie') could easily evolve into Ked/Kid/Kyd and Kedd/Kidd/Kydd, as written by indigenous Celtic Britons - Cedd, an Anglo-Saxon trained at Lindisfarne, preached the Celtic form of Christianity to local communities. Both brothers became Saints under the Roman doctrine, established soon after Cedd died.--Derek44 00:56, 30 August 2005 (UTC)

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03470c.htm http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03475a.htm


 * Further to my previous postings,I have discovered that Anglo-Saxon 'Ch' was pronounced as a hard 'K' sound (viz. Greek Chi).Kidderminster,Shropshire, was known as Chideminstre in the Domesday Book, and Cristus=Christ.
 * Kiddington, Oxfordshire Domesday name: Chidintone
 * Kidlington, Oxfordshire Domesday name: Chedelintone
 * Kedleston, Derbyshire Domesday name: Chetelestune
 * Kettlewell, Yorkshire Domesday name: Chetelewelle
 * Many placenames were established during Cedd's mission and these began Cedde/Cede, pronounced with the hard 'K' sound. These places developed because the farmsteads became exempt from secular duties (eg taxation). After younger brother, Ceadd, superseded Cedd at Lastingham, following his death from plague (664 AD),these placenames took on the 'tch' pronunciation of 'Cea' to retain 'church' status during Chad's office - hence placenames starting 'Ce-' sounded as 'tch':
 * Cheddington, Buckinghamshire Domesday name: Cetedone
 * Cheddleton, Staffordshire Domesday name: Celtetone
 * Chawton, Hampshire Domesday name: Celtone
 * Chadlington, Oxfordshire Domesday name: Cedelintone
 * Chedworth, Gloucestershire Domesday name: Cedeorde
 * Chaddesley Corbett, Worcestershire Domesday name: Cedeslai
 * Chard, Somerset Domesday name: Cerdre
 * Cheddon Fitzpaine, Somerset Domesday name: Cedre
 * Cheadle, Cheshire Domesday name: Cedde
 * Cheadle, Staffordshire Domesday name: Cedla
 * Chaddleworth, Berkshire Domesday name: Cedeledorde
 * Chadshunt, Warwickshire Domesday name: Cedeleshunte
 * Hence, the Normans wrote down the literal name 'Ce-' but pronounced them as 'Ch-', in contrast to the 'K' pronunciation of written Anglo-Saxon 'Ch'. The farmstead Cedde was 'Chadified' and the Normans later called it Cheadle, whereas the placename Ceddemynstre retained its pronunciation, becoming Chideminstre>Kidderminster because it was an official monastic site. Only few original Anglo-Saxon words beginning 'Ce-' retained the original 'unchadified' hard 'K' sound eg cene=keen, Cent=Kent.

In conclusion, Cedd was originally pronounced Kedd, and was written as such by Q-Celtic Britons baptised into Celtic Christianity, but Anglo-Saxons would have later written the name as Chedd. It's not by accident that the earliest recorded Kidd was Gilchrist Kide, who had lands (1180) on the River Nethan, Clydesdale (Chide>Kide).Derek44

Rules for Translation
I am trying to translate some of the articles in the English version to the Bahasa Melayu language. As the contents of the articles are therefore not original, what are the applicable rules involved and how do I credit the original source? I have been searching for the Wikipedia Guidelines on this matter but have been unable to find it. PM Poon 17:12, 22 August 2005 (UTC)
 * If you were translating the articles into English, I would suggest giving a link to the Wikipedia article which you have translated and also linking to any references used by that article (noting their language). The Bahasa Melayu Wikipedia may have their own guidelines on this, if not, you may like to propose some there. Warofdreams 17:25, 22 August 2005 (UTC)


 * It would also be a good idea to make note of of the original language on the translated article's talk page. BTW, I translated part of a German article a while back and I think some sources were deleted because they weren't in English. To me, that seems to break some rules. Shouldn't citing the original sources be more important than language considerations? - Mgm|(talk) 18:09, August 22, 2005 (UTC)
 * Deleting sources never adds any value, but I think it is reasonable to encourage having at least some references in the language the article is translated to. - Taxman Talk 18:46, August 22, 2005 (UTC)

Oil
It says petroleum Iraq is the lowest and Saudi Arabia is the highest so why is it that Iraqi oil is more important? --Newsreporter 19:20, 22 August 2005 (UTC)
 * On the list on the petroleum page, Iraq is the lowest because it has been producing far under its capacity for a long time, first as a result of the sanctions, later because of the war. Iraqi oil itself is not more important of course, but now that global supply (84,12 million barrels per day) has been exceeded by demand (84,38 million), the possibility to produce more makes Iraq of strategic importance. David Sneek 19:47, 22 August 2005 (UTC)

Thanks anything else? --Newsreporter 19:48, 22 August 2005 (UTC) What is oil in america right now? The price for a barrel? --Newsreporter 20:00, 22 August 2005 (UTC)


 * Oil prices are heavily based on supply, demand, and uncertainty. Demand has gone through the roof due to the explosion of China development of their economy.  Uncertainty is also very high due to many elements


 * Iraq war
 * Venezuala economy
 * various scientific evidence that the world may be running out of petroleum
 * Consequently the price of oil is going to get much higher before we see any relief. AlMac|(talk) 20:20, 22 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Oil is currently about US$60, though. Superm401 | Talk 00:57, August 24, 2005 (UTC)
 * To clarify--see peak oil for an explanation, but the theory isn't that we're running out of oil, but rather that it will get harder and harder to produce. Meelar (talk) 20:22, August 22, 2005 (UTC)

Catholic orders (?)
I am trying to find out what the letters S.S. mean following the name of scholars such as Raymond E Brown. I know SJ refers to the Society of Jesus and I figure S.S. indicates a similar order of the Church, but was not able to locate it in the list in found in the encyclopedia. thanks william
 * Our Catholic Order article states that it stands for the Society of Saint-Sulpice (also known as The Sulpician Fathers)--CVaneg 22:56, 22 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Our Raymond E. Brown confirms this. --CVaneg 23:02, 22 August 2005 (UTC)


 * That should probably be included in SS (disambiguation). - 131.211.210.12 07:59, 23 August 2005 (UTC)
 * done --Tagishsimon (talk)

Led Zeppelin
I've been listening to some Led Zeppelin songs, and have noticed that most of them have 5 parts. Singing - Robert Plant, Guitar - Jimmy Page, Bass and Piano - John Paul Jones, Drums - John Bonham, but there is another guitar too. The only explanation that I can think of is that Robert Plant plays the guitar too, but I didn't think that he did this. If you don't believe me go to the song Stairway to Heaven during the solo. There are four musical parts, but then Robert Plant isn't singing. Can someone please explain this. It has really started to bug me. Thanks. Rentastrawberry 20:02, August 23, 2005 (UTC)


 * My guess would be that these are just overdubs of Jimmy Page. Obviously if you're hearing this on something that was recorded live, it might not be the case. &brvbar; Reisio 22:53, 2005 August 23 (UTC)

How many priests are there in the US
How many clergymen are there from all Christian denominations are there in the population of the United States? Either the number or a % of the population would be okay - census data? An idea of the number of lay clergy would also be useful. Dunc|&#9786; 11:51, 24 August 2005 (UTC)


 * A quick search didn't get any results for me, and if no one else answers you could try to "Contact the HHES Information area at 301-763-3242 or visit ask.census.gov for further information on Industry and Occupation Data." You could also try to extrapolate some estimates from: 31 421 diocesan priests and 14 709 religious priests, and the The National Council of Churches' stats. &mdash; Jeandré, 2005-08-24t22:15z
 * It will definitely be helpful to somehow define what you mean by "clergy" and "priests". Are you counting Episcopal priests (some of whom are "clergywomen")? Different church bodies have very different structures and standards for clergy&mdash;do you mean to count people who have been ordained? If so, do you include Episcopal deacons (who are ordained but are not yet considered priests)? And Lutheran deaconesses and diaconal ministers are rostered, but not ordained... -Aranel (" Sarah ") 23:22, 24 August 2005 (UTC)


 * In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as I understand it they have a very strong tradition of lay ministry and relatively small numbers of "professional" priests. --Robert Merkel 03:00, 25 August 2005 (UTC)


 * I am a member of the LDS Church, and we actually have *no* paid clergy. I have heard (unverified) rumors that the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve receive what some critics of the Church call a "salary," but (a) most of the members are already retired and receive a pension or Social Security or both, (b) several, if not most, were quite well-off financially, and wouldn't need further income from the Church, and (c) even if A and B did not apply, a reasonable stipend for living expenses does not seem out of the question to me, given the amount of time they dedicate to ecclesiastical efforts. I know this was a bit off-topic, but I wanted to clarify and reinforce.  Thanks. Kingsfold (talk) 13:42, 13 November 2009 (UTC)

Syrian Rite
What is/was the Syrian Rite and is there a specific Syrian Rite different from the West Syrian Rite and the East Syrian Rite? I have an assignment for Catholic studies and my teacher said they were different but there is no information on the net, even on the Catholic Encyclopedia. --Anthonymorris 10:52, 20 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Have a look at this article -- Syriac Christianity -- and also Syriac Orthodox Church. If these articles and the ones they link to don't answer your question, drop a note here. Jwrosenzweig 11:57, 20 August 2005 (UTC)

dolphin and an anchor seal
I am trying to figure out what the saying is that is around the dolphin and an anchor seal. If you could help me i would appreciate it!

Thanks Jessica.


 * You mean "Festina lente" ("Hurry slowly")? "...the anchor symbolizes delay in considering and the dolphin speed in finishing." (Erasmus) David Sneek 06:32, 21 August 2005 (UTC)

Fire logos in the US
why do fire depts have logos like this?--216.228.164.6 00:41, 23 August 2005 (UTC) PS: I mean the general shape, not the star of life.
 * Here's what the FDNY says: --jpgordon&#8711;&#8710;&#8711;&#8710; 04:26, 23 August 2005 (UTC)
 * We just discussed this earlier this month. See this link Dismas 04:44, 23 August 2005 (UTC)

Where do people get those high resolution pictures of classical paintings?
Say I want a poster of the Mona Lisa. Since it's in the public domain, I should just be able to print one off at Kinko's. But where do I find high resolution pictures like ? Wikimedia commons is full of them. --Jbaber 01:32, August 23, 2005 (UTC)


 * If you look at the image's page (Image:Georges_Seurat_004.jpg), it should tell you where it's from. &brvbar; Reisio 01:42, 2005 August 23 (UTC)


 * Sorry, I have to edit your reply to make the image offline. -- Toytoy 01:56, August 23, 2005 (UTC)
 * Addle-minded :) &brvbar; Reisio 01:59, 2005 August 23 (UTC)


 * Sometimes they are simply not available -- denial of access (no camera, etc.) is in part how museums and archives maintain control over things for which they cannot fall back on intellectual property law. --Fastfission 14:50, 23 August 2005 (UTC)


 * There are a lot of different paintings | here. --Think Fast 23:09, August 23, 2005 (UTC)

VS Naipaul's Mr Stone and the Knight's Companion
What is the main character's occupation in V.S. Naipaul's Mr Stone and the Knight's Companion?
 * He's a librarian. David Sneek 05:25, 23 August 2005 (UTC)

Song from Prozac Nation trailer?
I need to know the names of the songs from the Prozac Nation trailer. Specifically, the song that is playing during Ricci's "I call this the crack house where I come to score..." speech.


 * I think you can see the trailer here:

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/prozac_nation/trailers.php


 * Cheers
 * --Scapegoat pariah 06:10, 23 August 2005 (UTC)


 * You can also try this and this. -- Sundar \talk \contribs 06:20, August 23, 2005 (UTC)

More links to the trailer doesn't really help me, I have a copy of the trailer at work on a promo disc (work at a video store). Thanks anyway, though. The promo disc plays over and over again, and I hear this song every 15 minutes. It started growing on me. I don't suppose bumping this question would help all that much, since this isn't a forum.

I've e-mailed the company that sent us the disc, still no reply. :( --Scapegoat pariah 04:39, 24 August 2005 (UTC)


 * Assuming the song used in the trailer features in the film the IMDB's soundtrack listing might help. Or couldn't you rent the film (which may feature a longer segment of the song than the trailer), show it to some friends and see if they recognise the artist? --bodnotbod 18:55, August 24, 2005 (UTC)


 * I listened to a sample of every song listed on imdb.com's soundtrack listing page last night, it wasn't one of them. I am really starting to believe that I may never find out what song this is. --Scapegoat pariah 05:49, 25 August 2005 (UTC)

double base
who made the double base first


 * Our article doesn't say. I think your bests bet is http://www.doublebassguide.com/ from the external links of that article and drop the creator a line. He seems to have the sources to find out. - 131.211.210.12 08:04, 23 August 2005 (UTC)

Patriot Act
Does any article of the Patriot Act require citizens that win sweetstakes to purchase insurance to cover the shipping of any amount of a monetary insturment?
 * I suspect that someone is trying to defaud you. Be wary of sending money or revealing any personal information to someone who contacts you out of the blue.  You can read the full text of the USA PATRIOT Act here. Bovlb 04:48:51, 2005-08-24 (UTC)


 * No, until it actually gets into your posession, the company who organized the sweepstakes are responsible for the money. Don't ever send money to receive more money. As Bovlb said, it's probably a scam. Could someone link to the discussion we had earlier this month about that? - 131.211.210.10 07:28, 24 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Take a look at Advance fee fraud, I think this is what is happening to you! Trollderella 15:44, 24 August 2005 (UTC)

Origin of cricket ball design
I have been a keen cricketer and cricket fan for a number of years and have enjoyed the current debate regarding 'reverse swing'in the ashes series. The phenomena of swing and reverse swing, and others such as seam movement off the pitch are well explained.

However, one question that seems unanswered to me is this:

"Is the design of a cricket ball deliberately intended to be exploited by bowlers? In other words was it given a prominent seam and manufactured from a material that can be shined, with the express intention of aiding bowlers?  Or is its design simply a historial accident that has been gradually understood and exploited by bowlers and fielders looking to gain an advantage?"

Any suggestions hugely appreciated.

James Christopher
 * My understanding is that it is a historical accident. We have an article on the cricket ball, but this doesn't seem to go into the history of it. Thryduulf 15:21, 24 August 2005 (UTC)


 * If you fail to get an answer here, you could try visiting the Guardian talk boards. There's a lot of cricketing types who hang around there (though, I'm not one of them).  Try the Notes and Queries threads (linked to on the left) or the sports folder (linked to on the right). --bodnotbod 19:21, August 24, 2005 (UTC)


 * I think it's time we mounted the which is more challenging from the batsman's perspective, cricket or baseball question. I remember reading a treatment of this in New Scientist upon a time, which said baseball was more difficult. Never agreed. Time for a recount. And was the baseball also historical accident? --Tagishsimon (talk)
 * I can't imagine that a sport which allows the use of steroids could be more challenging for the batsman. --Ballchef


 * As far as reverse swing goes, the Times of India mentions that Sarfaraz Nawaz invented the reverse swing. I too feel that swing was invented by an experimenting cricketer. =Nichalp «Talk»=  07:23, August 25, 2005 (UTC)


 * Swing, seam or spin bowling are experimental successes of bowlers during the course of development of cricket. "Experiments" such as application of vaseline (infamous vaseline series of Lever : England vs. India), using cola caps to roughen up one side of the ball and lifting seams to aid spin and seam bowling are all bowler innovations. JA

Smiling
I have a question about smiling. How common is it if your natural smile doesn't expose any teeth? When I smile naturally or for photos or anything like that, I can never expose my teeth. I can expose my teeth if I'm specifically thinking about it, but it looks like a very fake smile. Not that I'm interested in changing my smile, but I'm just curious about this phenomenon. Sx755 20:12, 24 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Don't know but it may be interesting to also compare the percentage of women who show their teeth to men who do. I've noticed most men won't show their teeth unless asked.  Dismas 20:54, 24 August 2005 (UTC)

I am male and show my teeth in my regular smile but not in any fake or phot smile. I would say that, if it is different between the sexes, then it probably relates to man and woman intially differing roles in early Neanderthal "society". Adam Fox

The Church of Santa Croce
I am a history teacher in Philadelphia and a student of Jewish history. I was wondering if someone could tell me why there is a star of David on the top of the Church of Santa Croce?

Jonathan Turk ssteachergw AT verizon DOT net


 * If you mean the one on the Basilica di Santa Croce di Firenze, then I don't know, but you can see an illustration here. Bovlb 05:12:47, 2005-08-25 (UTC)


 * It's because the hexagram (shape of Star of David) was not really considered a Jewish symbol, and especially not an exclusively Jewish symbol, until relatively recently. There is very likely absolutely no Jewish connection to the church window.--Pharos 10:12, 25 August 2005 (UTC)


 * it was designed between 1853 and 1863 by a Jewish architect from Ancona, Niccolo Matas [1798 – 1872]. "Matas had wanted to be buried with his peers but because he was Jewish, he was buried under the porch and not within the walls. Another interesting note is that the large Star of David which dominates the top of the facade is in recognition of the Jewish community's support for the construction of the building". See: http://star-of-david.blogspot.com/2006/04/star-of-david-on-church.html

Why Was President Jackson Really Impeaced?
I have been reading a People's History of the United States and remembered reading about it, but when it came up in conversation, for the life of me I couldn't remember what the congressional motive was. Thanks a ton! 86.43.66.207 09:01, 25 August 2005 (UTC)
 * You are talking about President Andrew Jackson right? I don't have a clue. Our article says nothing about him ever going through an impeachement procedure of any kind. - 131.211.210.14 09:12, 25 August 2005 (UTC)
 * You're probably thinking of President Andrew Johnson -- FP  09:19, August 25, 2005 (UTC)

I believe Jackson was censured, but had it expunged; then again, that may have just been Aaron Sorkin making The West Wing more entertaining. -- Essjay ·  Talk 08:26, August 27, 2005 (UTC)

Sheffield Milk Jug
I need to find some info about a silver plate milk jug marked on the bottom =="Sheffield Plate with a crown, crossed keys, and the number 29.


 * Well, it was made in Sheffield from Sheffield steel and silver plate. The mark to which you refer is the hallmark See here, but googling around I tihnk you might have to have a look at a book. Dunc|&#9786; 20:18, 21 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Correction: it's Sheffield plate. --jpgordon&#8711;&#8710;&#8711;&#8710; 20:19, 21 August 2005 (UTC)

Race date
I need to know the date of the 1958 Indy 500 race
 * According to, May 30. -- Rick Block (talk) 03:22, August 24, 2005 (UTC)

Düül
According to various accounts, Düül (as in the rock group name Amon Düül) is variously a Turkish mythical figure, or a Turkish word for "moon". I can't find any evidence for this, nor any cites about what "Düül" actually means. According to various online dictionaries, the Turkish words for "moon" are "ay" or "uydu". Can anyone offer any enlightenment, preferably with a cite? -- Karada 07:50, 24 August 2005 (UTC)


 * Never heard of the word "Düül" but moon is definitely "ay". Jared Preston 10:45, August 24, 2005 (UTC)

cemetery of Bagneux (France)
Can you tell me what's the best way to find the index of persons who are buried on the cemetery of Bagneux?
 * Some are named in the Cimetière de Bagneux article. See also this page. David Sneek 08:39, 24 August 2005 (UTC)

where did glass wasp catchers originate from in europe, how long ago?
My 9 year old son is researching to origins of the small glass wasp catchers used in gardens. To date we have found they came from europe and were blown glass. A vague reference as far back as 1792 states that a dutch masters oil painting shows one in the back drop.

Can you generate any further information on this item? The company I work for sells them to garden centers and very little is known about the item. Any assistance would be appreciated by from my son and I.

Regards,

John Foy


 * All I can find is this picture of an old-fashioned piège à guêpes à poser. David Sneek 16:38, 24 August 2005 (UTC)

Frank Willis - Etchings
I have 3 etchings by Frank Willis, done early 1900s. Wellingborough, Reading or Terrington area. Does anyone have any information on him?

Thanks,

Mark Fysh. Pretoria, South Africa--196.2.124.250 20:04, 24 August 2005 (UTC)


 * Apparently not, our Frank Willis article currently points somewhere else. Trollderella 21:28, 24 August 2005 (UTC)

Necromanteion of Ephyra
In the province of Epirus, in western Greece, there is an oracle (Necromanteion of Ephyra(?)). I've been there as a tourist and I have collected some material about it none of which question that it is the oracle mentioned in Odyssey. However, just today I heard that in a book by a Finnish professor, Paavo Castrén, it is briefly mentioned and only thought to be a heavily fortified house. I would welcome any additional information about the historicity of the Oracle. -EnSamulili 14:08, 25 August 2005 (UTC)

Vincent Persichetti article
I have a question about the article on the American composer Vincent Persichetti. In the article it mentions that, among Persichetti's students is the jazz pianist-composer Thelonious Monk. I haven't been able to find mention of this tantalizing bit of information anywhere else -- not in any Monk or Persichetti biographies. If possible, can someone please tell me who wrote the Persichetti article, so that I can try to track down the veracity of this contention? Thank you so much.

Steven Bodner Williams College


 * That bit of info has been there since the earliest version, written by User:Hyacinth. You can ask him where it came from here. - Nunh-huh 22:33, 24 August 2005 (UTC)


 * I believe at that point I only could have read it in Twentieth Century Harmony. Hyacinth 20:34, 27 August 2005 (UTC)

Regiomontanus & Maximilian
In your article on Regiomontanus, it says:

"In 1457 he graduated with a degree of "magister artium" (Master of Arts) and held lectures in optics and ancient literature. That same year he built an astrolabe for Maximilian I, the Holy Roman Emperor..."

This would be somewhat difficult in that Maximilian was only born in 1459...

GLB


 * You may have been looking at the article when it was in a vandalized state. I'm looking at it now and apparently he was born in 1436. - Mgm|(talk) 07:52, August 25, 2005 (UTC)
 * Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor was born 1459, not Regiomontanus! Lupo 13:52, August 25, 2005 (UTC)
 * The current article was clearly impossible. Well-spotted, GLB. This page notes that Regiomontanus made an astrolabe for King Matthias of Hungary; I suspect the similiarity of the names Matthias/Maximilian led to the confusion. Ithink I've fixed it now. - Nunh-huh 02:53, 26 August 2005 (UTC)

Crow Tribal Indians of Montana
What type of foods do Crow people eat???? Do they eat the same foods we eat or how do they prepare their main dishes??????? --annon
 * It depends what your culture is anon, but I doubt it. Food is one of the most important defining attributes of a culture.  No two cultures have exactly the same cuisine. Superm401 | Talk 03:12, August 26, 2005 (UTC)

Who is the author and title of this book?
I remember reading a science fiction novel many years ago that referenced a "new" race of humans that were developed from "normal" human genes, but altered for various qualities. As a result of this "tampering" the birth rate of the "new" humans was very low. To alleviate this problem, a special scheme of "breeding" was created which was called "braiding". As I recall the family consisted of "inner" and "outer" siblings. The inner siblings were brother and sister and each inner sibling chose one outer sibling to mate with. Can anyone tell me who the author is and the name of the novel? I would like to re-read this book, if only I could find it.

--anon

This is The Family Trade by Charles Stross. There is a recently published sequel, and more books in the sereies are expected. This kind of question is often usefully asked on the usenet group rec.arts.sf.written. DES (talk) 05:12, 23 August 2005 (UTC)


 * But Family Trade is fairly new - his site says first published December 2004, which fits my memory - and the questioner remembered it from a few years back...
 * It did have the braiding thing, but it wasn't a new race per se, nor do I remember the inner-outer sibling thing. It's a similar book, but I don't think it's the one being looked for. (I second "ask RASFW", though) Shimgray 22:56, 24 August 2005 (UTC)

Pope & citizenship
Do you know if the Pope is still considered a citizen of his native country (i.e. German for the current one). How about cardinals? Are they citizens of their respective countries, the Vatican, or both? Ornil 16:27, 20 August 2005 (UTC)


 * Presumably it depends on whether his native country allows renunciation of citizenship - if they don't, he has to maintain such citizenship. I believe Cardinals retain their own citizenship - Vatican citizenship is pretty rare.
 * There's nothing saying a head of state can't also have foreign citizenship, though it is understandably unusual - consider Alberto Fujimori, who was both a Peruvian and Japanese citizen whilst he was President of Peru. (Elizabeth II would be a rather unusual example, as well, come to think of it, or the heads of state of Andorra who are by definition foreigners) Shimgray 16:34, 20 August 2005 (UTC)
 * It is a moot point as to whether Fujimori was a Japanese citizen while he was President of Peru, as Japan does not allow dual nationality. It is not clear whether Elizabeth II has any citizenship&mdash;she does not possess a passport&mdash;although she fulfills the criteria of the British Nationality Act 1971. Physchim62 22:33, 21 August 2005 (UTC)


 * My understanding, though IANAL, is that she is treated as a British citizen for the purposes of a lot of law - we have various laws relating to dealing with the Crown in a personal capacity. Whether or not she's actually a citizen of the UK, or if she's a citizen of (say) Canada as well, is an interesting question - but I'd argue she's definitely a de facto UK citizen. There's also the Sophia Naturalization Act 1705, to throw a spanner in the works. This would mean that a wide number of European monarchs descended from Electress Sophia, and born before 1949, would probably be considered British citizens by the law here; Harald V of Norway, for example.
 * As for Fujimori, hmm. I really have no idea there. The article does imply he retained citizenship rather than re-acquiring it, though - perhaps Japan uses the legal fiction of pretending the other citizenship doesn't exist, so the person only ever has one, even though the other country may disagree? I vaguely recall something like this being done by some nations. Shimgray 23:22, 21 August 2005 (UTC)


 * Interesting you should mention this. Canada's governor general-designate, Michaëlle Jean, is a dual citizen of Canada and France. (She was born in Haiti.) This fact, along with Jean's friendship with Quebec separatists, has generated a lot of controversy in Canadaland. Mwalcoff 01:20, 21 August 2005 (UTC)

This debate is getting into some fascinating byways, but they are not really addressing the original question. I am confident that Cardinals retain the citizenship of their home countries. Why? Because the thing that distinguishes the Pope from the other Cardinals, in this context, is that because of his election to the Papacy he both de facto and de jure becomes Head of State of the State of the Vatican City, an independent nation recognised by most other countries. Cardinals are simply the Pope's advisers, they have undergone no process of being formally subject to the "citizenship laws" (whatever they might be) of the Vatican City State, whereas the Pope has. I suppose there have been cases where a particular cardinal has acquired Vatican citizenship for one reason or another (other than by being elected pope), but as a general proposition this does not happen. Interesting that the Vatican's head of state, the pope, is elected by the cardinals, none of whom is himself a citizen of that nation. Is this a unique circumstance?


 * One of the two Co-Princes of Andorra is the President of France, elected by the population of France, which may count - his Spanish counterpart is a Catholic bishop, though, so presumably he's appointed not elected. If you consider the Sovereign Military Order of Malta to be a nation (which can be argued either way), then its head of state would be elected by (a very small number of) non-citizens - my understanding is that they only issue about three "citizenships", to their most senior members, in order not to cause legal tensions. Otherwise, I can't think of any de jure cases (as opposed to de facto situations where a foreign nation effectively imposes its choice of head-of-state). Shimgray 01:36, 22 August 2005 (UTC)

As to whether the Pope retains his native citizenship, it would probably depend on the laws of the country concerned. Am I right in assuming that Italian-born popes do not lose their Italian citizenship? In modern times we've only had 2 non-Italian cases to consider, Poland and Germany. The last non-Italian Pope prior to JP2 reigned at a time when the modern concept of citizenship didn't even exist, so that means there are really only 2 cases altogether. Cheers JackofOz 00:33, 22 August 2005 (UTC)


 * A further thought on the Australian context. My understanding is that Australian law does not, generally, prevent an Australian from holding citizenship of another country.  Many Australians have dual citizenship.  However, in particular contexts, citizens of other countries are not eligible to hold certain Australian offices.  For example, a citizen of another country, even if they have dual Australian citizenship, is ineligible to be elected to Federal Parliament, and we've had a few well-known cases where a member of parliament was expelled for this reason, eg. the One Nation senator Heather Hill, who was an Australian but had also been a British subject.  She renounced her British citizenship before her term as senator commenced, but at the date of her election she had not yet done so.  Under the law, it's not the date of commencement of the term of the parliamentary term, but the date of election that is relevant.


 * In the highly contrived (and therefore extremely unlikely) scenario that (a) an Australian cardinal such as George Pell was elected pope, and (b) he acquired Vatican citizenship by virtue of being the head of state of that nation (whether or not he lost his Australian citizenship), and (c) he wanted to stand for election to the Australian Federal Parliament, he would be ineligible. He would have to abdicate as Pope first.


 * Which raises a further interesting question, that of whether a Pope who abdicates retains his Vatican citizenship given he is no longer the head of state of the Vatican, or whether he returns to his native citizenship. What about a pope who was from a country that was inimical to Catholic interests, and deemed him to have renounced his original citizenship upon acquiring Vatican citizenship?  What if that Pope abdicated and his original country refused to reinstate his original citizenship?  Would he then be stateless?  JackofOz 02:13, 22 August 2005 (UTC)

Re Elizabeth, I am pretty sure that she is not a UK citizen, because the concept of citizen in the UK is set in contrast to the monarch. She cannot be both the monarch and a citizen. Trollderella 15:32, 22 August 2005 (UTC)


 * As to legal citizenship status, I cannot answer, but anyone associated with the Roman Curia who travels on behalf of the Vatican is issued a Vatican (dipolmatic) passport, and uses that passport for diplomatic purposes. My assumption would be that they also maintain a non-diplomatic passport (most likely from thier home country?) in case they want to run off to Aruba for the weekend. ; - ) -- Essjay ·  Talk 08:22, August 27, 2005 (UTC)

Amnesty International
Amnesty International sites GINETTA SAGAN as the founder and your information list Peter Benenson as the founder. Which is correct?


 * We are. Amnesty International themselves state it was Peter Benenson. Ginetta Sagan founded the West Coast chapter of Amnesty International USA in 1971 and then 75 other local chapters of AI USA. Lupo 06:24, August 26, 2005 (UTC)

Does Libel apply to products or just people?
If an ad airs on TV and makes a factual argument that a competitive brand, mentioned by name, does not live up to its claims, is that a legally prosecutable offense or just bad form?

Thank you.

Tom


 * You don't mention in what country; in the U.S., factuality is a sufficient defense against any libel suit, in the UK it is not, I don't know about anywhere else. I'm not sure whether a company can sue for libel; I know that several states have recently and controversially passed laws that would allow an entire industry (e.g. the beef industry) to sue for something like libel, and that at least one case has occurred; does anyone know more on this? -- Jmabel | Talk 06:00, August 26, 2005 (UTC)


 * There are other laws involved too. I'm thinking especially of trademark law, which also varies by country, but can restrict your ability to mention any product by name in some situations. Notinasnaid 09:23, 26 August 2005 (UTC)


 * A company can sue for libel - see, for instance, the McLibel case. Warofdreams 12:06, 26 August 2005 (UTC)


 * A company can be defamed, but so can a product, at least in the United States. An advertisement criticizing a competitor's product would raise various concerns about trade defamation; a summary is here.  Such an advertisement would almost never be "a legally prosecutable offense" in the sense of a criminal violation that a public prosecutor would pursue.  The danger for the party making the claims would be the possible civil liability. JamesMLane 07:30, 29 August 2005 (UTC)

And libel is something that is written. If it is spoken, it is slander. Ground Zero | t 18:33, 26 August 2005 (UTC)


 * Note that this isn't quite so clear-cut - in a lot of jurisdictions, a television broadcast or a radio program fall under libel, not slander, on the grounds that it is published rather than localised and ephemeral. Shimgray 20:05, 26 August 2005 (UTC)


 * And a lot of countries (including the US) have false advertising laws. Though in some cases they can be pretty flimsy (almost any "natural" product can claim whatever they want because they are specifically not regulated by the FDA, who would normally be the primary regulatory organization about medical claims). --Fastfission 16:54, 27 August 2005 (UTC)

Johann Holzer
''Moved from Johann Holzer. Bovlb 06:21:02, 2005-08-26 (UTC)''

According to the WiKipedia, the Johann Holzer wrote the "Kettenlied" (K623a), which was thought by Mozart. but is he the Johann Holzer, who wrote "Abschied eines Seefahrers", "Der Kaiser" etc. (see net: "The Lied and art song texts page" Komposer: Holzer, Johann), is still a question. The Holzer in "The Lied and..." has s very viennese classical style of music as the time of Mozart. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 218.165.113.66 (talk • contribs) 2005-08-25 22:29:54 PDT

Illegal to use your family name
I have heard that there is a country in Europe whose government forbid the use of family names, i just wondered where it was


 * Turkey passed a law requiring people to take surnames about seventy-eighty years back (and in the distant past so did a few other countries), but this is the only related thing I can think of. Shimgray 13:09, 26 August 2005 (UTC)


 * I suppose that the telephone is broken again... People in Iceland don't typically have family names, though. (Icelandic name) -EnSamulili 15:06, 26 August 2005 (UTC)


 * According to Nordic Adventure Travel, the "Personal Names Act" requires that foreign nationals shall adopt an Icelandic first name when they acquire Icelandic nationality and their descendants shall abide by the rule on patronymics. Loganberry (Talk) 22:44, 26 August 2005 (UTC)


 * As far as I know, it is sufficient to use Icelandic spelling of your first name, it isn't necessary to choose a completely new name. I've heard of someone called Brian who had to change the spelling to Brajan (or possibly Braian) when he moved to Iceland. Brajan is pronounced approximately as Brian in Icelandic. 130.238.5.5 11:24, 28 August 2005 (UTC)

How do I obtain info on adopting a native american child?? :)
I am trying to seek information on how to adopt a native american child. I am part native american and I would find nothing better in the world than to adopt a child of the same culture. I am told that we are Rappaho Indian. Any idea on where I should go to seek a child of the same origin?

Thanks, Melissa Of VA 

That would be Arapaho. But if you don't even know what tribe you're from, how would you be able to relate to the culture of a child of that tribe? Your culture is what you were raised in, not what your ancestry is. Zoe 21:48, August 26, 2005 (UTC)
 * Woah, hold on. This is a pretty complex question, and I think relates to the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978. It does define tribal membership by bloodline, but gives tribes wide latitude to interpret the precise meaning, including, as far as I can see, defining membership in other ways, however, there are basically over 400 different ways of doing this depending on the tribe. Basically it gives tribes a say in any decision about fostering or adoption of children who would be eligible for tribal membership. Get a lawyer familiar with native american adoption issues, and contact the tribe in question. NICWA would be a good place to start, this contains some good information, and the US Dept of Health and Human Services has some good info. Trollderella 22:12, 26 August 2005 (UTC)

Indians at the Boston Tea Party
I would like to know why participants of the Boston Tea Party wore Indian costumes.

Signed,

Ginger Hitzke

As a disguise. George Hewes published his recollection of events: ""It was now evening, and I immediately dressed myself in the costume of an Indian, equipped with a small hatchet, which I and my associates denominated the tomahawk, with which, and a club, after having painted my face and hands with coal dust in the shop of a blacksmith, I repaired to Griffin's wharf, where the ships lay that contained the tea. When I first appeared in the street after being thus disguised, I fell in with many who were dressed, equipped and painted as I was, and who fell in with me and marched in order to the place of our destination."

They were committing an illegal act, for which they would be punished if recognized. The French and Indian War had ended only ten years previously, so the British were accustomed to viewing Indians as enemies. Thus the choice of disguise. - Nunh-huh 02:15, 27 August 2005 (UTC)

German Artist
I'm looking for background/information on a German artist by the name of Karl Theodor Bohme (or Boehme) - 1866-1939. His son, Michael Bohme, is also and artist. I'd like to learn more about Karl and his works. THANX!
 * Born in Hamburg, studied in Karlsruhe, died in Munich. He was a marine painter. Here is a very short biography in German. David Sneek 11:25, 27 August 2005 (UTC)

history question i could use your help please!
i have been trying to find a web site to the question i have or the answer or where to find the answer to this question the question im asking is this.( How were most lakes in texas forward?) please help me out any way you can thanks very much jessica paul,tx


 * Is that "forward" or formed"? I would imagine most lakes in Texas were formed by damming rivers. -- Jmabel | Talk 06:01, August 27, 2005 (UTC)

Is there really a US tax break for foreign-owned small businesses.
A rumor I heard repeatedly in Detroit Michigan is that there is some sort of tax advantage that explains why all the party stores and gas stations are owned and operated by foreigners. This seems extremely unlikely to me and I am wondering if it is true or if someone can explain the source of such confusion.


 * I can't tell you the source of the rumor&mdash;other than "probably xenophobia and ignorance"&mdash;but I am confident that it is not true. -- Jmabel | Talk 06:03, August 27, 2005 (UTC)


 * The family that runs my neighborhood gas station "looks like a foreigner" but is an American citizen. hydnjo talk 18:51, 27 August 2005 (UTC)


 * I don't have specific information to say that there is not a preference like that (the IRS code and regs are very long so it is hard to say there is no preference out of 40,000 lines). But in general the code screws non citizens over semi intentionally in a few relatively small ways, so I would have to concur with Jmabel. I think the selection bias of immigrants is that in general they are more risk takers and are thus more likely to accept the risk of starting a business for the potential reward of a better life. I also agree with Jmabel on the reason for the rumor. - Taxman Talk 18:00, August 29, 2005 (UTC)

Filming location
Does anybody know the name of the plantation house where the movie The Skeleton Key was filmed? At first I thought it was Oak Alley Plantation when I saw the movie, but then I realized that Kate Hudson's character was driving under the trees, and Oak Alley's trees shade a walkway. Zoe 05:46, August 27, 2005 (UTC)
 * According to the IMDb it was filmed in New Orleans, LA and at the Universal studios, so it's perhaps not a real plantation. David Sneek 14:52, 27 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Yeah, I know, I was hoping that imdb would give more detail than that. There's one shot where the camera pulls away and you get a bird's eye view showing the house surrounded by woods.  Unless that's a CGI shot, it has to be a real house somewhere.  Zoe 19:59, August 27, 2005 (UTC)

I've found the answer to my question, after much digging through the nonsense at the imdb message boards. The house is Felicity Plantation -- http://www.nola.com/living/t-p/index.ssf?/base/living-0/1123311524162390.xml http://kittyfoot.freeservers.com/Felicit2.jpg.

Zoe 20:33, August 27, 2005 (UTC)

brain injuries

 * Avoid them. David Sneek 11:27, 27 August 2005 (UTC)

Recent convening of the Sanhedrin
In Wikipedia's article on the "Hebrew Calendar", it is mentioned toward the end of the article that a certain resolution about the calendar could be made if the 'Sanhedrin' were to reconvene, but it was not likely to ever happen or happen anytime soon. However, I've learned that they reconvened last October in 2004 for the first time in over nineteen hundred years. How can this be confirmed and the article be revised to reflect this recent history? TC.
 * Perhaps this might be a starting point. --jpgordon&#8711;&#8710;&#8711;&#8710; 17:16, 28 August 2005 (UTC)

Question for Canadians
There's a song called Song for Canada, by the Chad Mitchell Trio. Among other things (full lyrics here) it mentions a river: Just one great river always flowing to the sea One single river rolling in eternity Two nations in the land that lies along its shore But just one river rolling free. Not being Canadian, it took me a while to figure out (from the rest of the lyrics) that the two nations must be English and French Canada, but I wonder if the river is metaphorical or is a specific river that would be immediately obvious to most Canadians. I can't find an obvious candidate on the map, especially if it has to flow to the sea, and not to one of Great Lakes. Ornil 22:01, 27 August 2005 (UTC)


 * Presumably the Saint Lawrence River, which goes from Lake Ontario to the Atlantic; the two nations can then either be the US and Canada, or French and English Canada. Shimgray 22:09, 27 August 2005 (UTC)

Language of the King James Version of the Bible
Who originally termed the King James Version as the "noblest monument of English prose"?


 * Google says either Robert Lowth or John Livingston Lowes. On further examination, The noblest monument of English prose was the title of an essay by John Livingston Lowes; I don't know if he coined the phrase or if he reused it from Lowth. Shimgray 22:36, 27 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Digging further, I suspect Lowth first used the phrase and then Lowes reused it for his title. If you're able to find a copy of the latter, this would confirm it. Shimgray 22:39, 27 August 2005 (UTC)

Giovanni Bottesini
where was Giovanni Bottesini born?


 * try this link http://www.billbentgen.com/bass/players/bottesini.htm : JA

hi i'm doing a assignment on Giovanni Bottesini and i was wondering how he died because your atical does not say. --Anon


 * See . --Menchi 02:53, 29 August 2005 (UTC)

WW1- Nations existing
I just want to know how many legitimate world nations were in existence in 1914??? (I found one source that said 32--is that correct, or were there more, or less??? Just the number (#)
 * No, that is how many belligerents were in the war (and the number varies slightly depending on how many of the British dominions you count). Dmcdevit·t 19:19, August 28, 2005 (UTC)

McClaren Act
Our Dario Fo article says he was denied a US visa under the McClaren Act, but we don't have an article of that name. Do we have it under some other name or spelling? All I can find with Google is mirrors of that article and the PBS story from which that factiod presumably came. A tyop, perhaps? -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 18:28, August 28, 2005 (UTC)


 * Our article on the McCarran-Walter Act lists Fo as one of the people excluded under its provisions. I'll make the change in the Fo article.  JamesMLane 07:57, 29 August 2005 (UTC)

Goethe prize
Who were all the awardees of the Goethe prize


 * This Wikipedia link, Goethe Prize, provides a list of the awardees of the Goethe Prize. hydnjo talk 01:42, 29 August 2005 (UTC)

President Nixon's letter of resignation
When Richard Nixon resigned as president, the letter of resignation was addressed to Henry Kissinger, the secretary of state. Why was Kissinger the adressee of the letter and not the president pro tem of the US Senate and/or the speaker of the US House? In many US states, the secretary of state is responsible for the certification and enrollment of official executive actions, but this role is not customary to the US Secretary of State. Can anyone shed some light on this? EdwinHJ | Talk 19:52, 20 August 2005 (UTC)


 * Not without starting an edit war here. ;-) hydnjo talk 20:42, 20 August 2005 (UTC)


 * I seem to remember that the President can resign to a whole lot of different people (maybe it has to be someone who's part of the line which the president's powers fall to if he's killed/incapacitated/etc.?). Good question. &brvbar; Reisio 21:01, 2005 August 20 (UTC)
 * I know this question was asked and answered here, but I can't find the question. Superm401 | Talk 21:27, August 20, 2005 (UTC)
 * I don't think it is in th earchive, whic definitely annoys me. I found it on User:PedanticallySpeaking's personal archive.  I think some parts have been removed by him, though. Superm401 | Talk 21:38, August 20, 2005 (UTC)


 * RMN's letter of resignation:http://www.watergate.info/nixon/resignation-letter.shtml hydnjo talk 23:10, 20 August 2005 (UTC)


 * The letter states " I hereby resign the Office of President of the United States" Shouldn't it be "I hereby resign FROM the Office of President of the United States"? JA


 * Er, no, I wouldn't have thought so. What's wrong with what he wrote? &mdash; Trilobite (Talk) 12:14, 21 August 2005 (UTC)


 * Nixon is correct in his usage. He is using the word office with the meaning "A position of authority, duty, or trust given to a person, as in a government or corporation:" not "the place where your desk is." Here's a dictionary definition. --bodnotbod 18:08, August 22, 2005 (UTC)


 * By definition, it is correct. By usage, one does not resign a position, one resigns from a position; one does not resign a duty, one resigns from a duty. an instance is John Ashcroft's resignation where he writes "Therefore, I humbly state my desire to resign from the office of United States Attorney General" http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6446686 - JA


 * I think most people would say "resign a position" is an acceptable way of saying "resign from a position" but I'd be interested to hear what others think. I'm fairly sure I've heard both used with some regularity. (in fact resign my position v resign from my position tends to go against you). --bodnotbod 18:42, August 24, 2005 (UTC)


 * it appears that both the forms are acceptable, at least in practice. still, i would also invite further discussion. JA


 * In answer to the original question, there's a specific law stating that resignation of the President must be sent to the Secretary of State. 3 U.S.C. Section 20 provides, "The only evidence of a refusal to accept, or of a resignation of the office of President or Vice President, shall be an instrument in writing, declaring the same, and subscribed by the person refusing to accept or resigning, as the case may be, and delivered into the office of the Secretary of State."  --Metropolitan90 03:14, September 2, 2005 (UTC)

French Monarchy
I am doing a french project on the French monarchy, the last King was Louis XVI and after that France had ministers and Presidents, so what has happened to the royal family?


 * Either executed with the guillotine or fled. See Louis XVI. - Mgm|(talk) 17:07, August 28, 2005 (UTC)


 * False. The last king was Louis-Philippe, King of the French. One problem is that Louis-Philippe climbed on the throne while he was a heir to the Dukes of Orleans &mdash; but he was not the legitimate heir in the normal inheritance order. During the French Third Republic, there were a number of people willing to reinstate monarchies, however they were divided between the Orleanists and the "legitimists". Henri, Comte de Paris, Duc de France, an Orleanist, is the best known current pretender (however, the family has lost its riches and few people care about possible royal heirs, apart from gossip magazines fascinated by nobility titles).
 * What MacGyverMagic alludes to was the French Revolution, where the king and his family were suspected of high treason and executed (the king was suspected of conspiring with Prussia to organize an invasion of France &mdash; see Brunswick Manifesto). David.Monniaux 07:22, 29 August 2005 (UTC)

Invention of glass blowing?
How was glass blowing invented, by whom, and when? Glass says it was invented in the "first century BC, somewhere at the eastern end of the mediterranean"; does anyone know more? JesseW 22:51, 28 August 2005 (UTC)


 * At first I would've guessed Egypt since they were a glassblowing center at that time, but then I found this: Around 200 BC, Syrian craftsmen in the area between Sidon and Babylon made a breakthrough with the discovery of the glassblowing pipe, which was confirmed here (which is a bit sketchy as they cite something from Pliny at a bit more than a century before he was born). This contradicts the above date &mdash; which I also found elsewhere without a location  &mdash; but they could perhaps be reconciled.  Perhaps the later date reflects the spreading of the technique rather than initial discovery?  My History of Ancient and Medieval Science simply says Pliny first describes glass blowing, so he might be the source of the later date, while archeology has perhaps revealed an earlier one.  Maybe I'll dig in the literature a bit to find out where the dates are coming from.  &mdash; Laura Scudder | Talk 07:40, 29 August 2005 (UTC)

seven chief devils
i understand mephistopheles (mephisto) is one of a group of seven chief devils. basically would like to know who were the other six. thanks in advance c.m.


 * There's no generally recognized list of seven chief devils. Any that you see was simply assembled by someone for one reason or another, ususally in imitation of hierarchies of angels, but none have ever "caught on" in the way that lists of seven deadly sins or seven archangels have (and even those are inconsistent). Some names that you will see on such lists of seven princes of hell might be: Mephistopheles, Lucifuge Rofocale, Baal, Beelzebub, Belial, Leviathan, Astaroth. So should anyone encounter such a list, it is important to determine who made it, and when. (Wikipedia needs, probably, to be a bit more careful about sourcing such demonology info...a list made up for some comic book or modern grimoire has considerably less "gravitas" than a list made up for a nosology of demons in the twelfth century.) - Nunh-huh 03:09, 29 August 2005 (UTC)

how does the federalist system of the government work?
--anon
 * Basically, power is shared between the federal government and local governments. See federalism and federalism (United States). Garrett Albright 03:29, 29 August 2005 (UTC)

how many different government units does each idividual live under in the united states?
--anon
 * Generally, they live under the federal, state, and county governments. If they live in a city, then they would be governed by the city government as well. Garrett Albright 03:29, 29 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Many small urban areas are not called a city, but are rather a town, village, township, or some such terminology. AlMac|(talk) 04:08, 29 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Sometimes there are other quasi-governmental units, such as school districts, which have more authority over the kids than the adults, who just have to pay the taxes. AlMac|(talk) 04:03, 29 August 2005 (UTC)
 * And the worst: neighborhood associations. --jpgordon&#8711;&#8710;&#8711;&#8710; 17:37, 29 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Come to think of it, would things like NATO and the UN count as "government units?" There are some crimes which are against "international law" and such, right? Garrett Albright 16:45, 30 August 2005 (UTC)
 * You need to provide a definition of "governmental units" for us to provide a more accurate answer. Where I live there are also sewer districts and water districts that are cover a group of cities. My school district also controls the local community college, but in many areas those are separate organizations which may have different boundaries. There is also an Air Quality Management District that covers all or parts of four counties. For nearby areas there is also the California Coastal Commission. Blank Verse  &empty;  18:00, 30 August 2005 (UTC)

If we're talking about general-purpose governments, the number can range from two to five. Parts of Hawaii and Alaska are under direct jurisdiction of the state government. On the other hand, people in some states can live in a county, city and township at the same time. Then again, there are some areas outside of any state and administered directly by the federal government, such as Wake Island. Mwalcoff 21:54, 31 August 2005 (UTC)

conscription image
There are errors in the image Image:Conscription Map.png. There's no conscription in Indonesia. And there's a conscription in Malaysia, but the image shows that there's a conscription in West Malaysia but not in East Malaysia. Could any one help fix the image. roscoe_x 08:39, 29 August 2005 (UTC)

fritz machlup(an economist)
fritz machlup(an economist) worked in two main areas: industrial organization, with particular emphasis on the production and distribution of knowledge, and international monetary economics.so i need detail.


 * Please take a look at Fritz Machlup, hope that helps. Alf 10:05, 29 August 2005 (UTC)

Sir Matthew Begbie
Please would you correct the spelling on Sir Matthew Baillie Begbie, on your website his name appears as Matthew Maillie Begbie by mistake.

Thank you,

Graham Thompson


 * Fixed in List of cemeteries. In future, you can make these changes yourself; this is a Wiki.  If you do want to report problems here, it is helpful to cite the page where you saw the problem. Bovlb 20:09:32, 2005-08-29 (UTC)

About the Zimbabwean

 * Likely from Zimbabwe? --Fastfission 16:20, 30 August 2005 (UTC)

Fairytale of Snowdrop
Hi, i'll be short and sweet about my question. My aunt has a candle of the castle in Bavaria. We have been searching about it's price today, and as we have searched, we found history about "Lola the mistress". I'm not really sure how to go about finding more about "Snowdrop"{ Lola } and "the candle" aswell, The history all of this has behind it has been vary amusing and therefore I was just wondering if you all would be interested in finding out the info or leting others know about a link they could follow if you could be so kind as to list something, anything i would be very greatfull.

sinserly, Dorothy


 * Well, Lola must be Lola Montez, right? Does that help any? Adam Bishop 05:31, 30 August 2005 (UTC)


 * Dorothy - there's a couple of books about Lola Montez on the market (although all I can think of is one of the Flashman novels, which doesn't help much); if you can get hold of one, you'll discover it's even more bizzarely amusing than you thought! Quite the character, indeed. Shimgray 14:55, 30 August 2005 (UTC)


 * The movie Lola Montès by Max Ophüls is a masterpiece, btw. David Sneek 10:25, 31 August 2005 (UTC)

Source material
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niddah

This article quotes "Conservative View" and lsits Roth, Kraemer, etc. for their opinions, plus an anonymous opinion. I can't find any soruce for these opinions anywhere - can you help? I want to fnd Roth's opinion and the others and thier explanation. The article opened the door, but frailed to give reference. Thank you.

Eli
 * The article was started by an anonymous editor, but User:Jfdwolff seems to have contributed a lot you can try asking him for help on his talk page (click the last link). - Mgm|(talk) 12:38, August 30, 2005 (UTC)

My Scavenger Hunt..i need your help
Hi, I hope you can help me solve my problem. Here is clue #1 In my early days there were fears that I would contribute to the moral decay of society. Clue #2 I had my beginnings in the 18th Century.Do you know what this could be??

Thanks in advance for your time.




 * Have a look over Timeline of invention, there are quite a few of those that qualify, people weren't picky with their choice of what to claim caused moral decay back then. --fvw *  14:42, August 30, 2005 (UTC)

Last Clue One of Queen Victoria of England`s favourites.

try Dance: the waltz, it fits the clues and was initialy considered scandalous.

ernst lindemann captain of the Bismark
were was he born? which town in Germany??? chris


 * Our article at Ernst Lindemann doesn't say, but the one on the German wikipedia (de:Ernst Lindemann (Offizier)) says he was born in Altenkirchen - at least, I don't speak German, but it looks like that's what it says. Shimgray 16:02, 30 August 2005 (UTC)


 * I'm not German, but I've read and heard enough German to be sure Shimgray was indeed correct.- Mgm|(talk) 21:26, August 30, 2005 (UTC)
 * I tried putting it through Babelfish, but it decided to translate "Altenkirchen" as well, and I thought "he was born in the old man's church" probably wouldn't help. Shimgray 13:25, 31 August 2005 (UTC)

Origin of the song The Candy Man Can
What is the origin of this song? I've seen it in several places (movies, tv shows, several albums). I tracked down the lyrics but I couldn't find anything about who originally wrote the song and who was the original performer. Information about how it got popularized would be useful as well. Thanks - Anon 200.233.215.107 16:14, 30 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Well, "The Candy Man" was certainly featured in the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory movie. If you rented that and then watched the credits, it probably has a credit on there with the original copyright. Our page on the movie says that it was "performed by Aubrey Woods (A pop version by Sammy Davis, Jr. reached #1 of the Billboard Hot 100 in 1972)". The score of the movie was composed by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley, and the two hold a joint copyright on (# RE-780-554) on the words and music to something called "The candy man", registered on November 13, 1970, according to the U.S. copyright office. Hope that helps. --Fastfission 16:35, 30 August 2005 (UTC)

Generation name???
Hi, My question is..we had the Baby Boomers and Generation X. What is the new generation of kids called now?? What's after Generation X?

Robin C.


 * Generation Y, naturally :) -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 18:34, August 30, 2005 (UTC)

I believe the current generation is actually called the MTV generation!

Athens 2004 medal ceremony fanfare music
Please does anyone know what the haunting music was which was played at each medal ceremony at the Athens 2004 Olympics? Can I buy it on CD or download it? We went to the games and the mucic was lovely. Thank you Nigel Freeman-Powell (UK)

I can give you the place to buy the soundtrack here http://www.hmv.com.au/product/rockpop.asp?sku=933850&affiliate=919

I don't think this is what you are looking for but I hope it helps


 * I didn't get watch that much of the 2004 Olympics (due to a pesky hurricane named Charley), but I do know that "TV" music song played on NBC is from one of John Williams's multiple Olympic songs (see the article for more information). I hope this helps! Flcelloguy | A note? | Desk 20:16, 31 August 2005 (UTC)

Scavenger Hun
Hi, I hope you can help me solve my problem. Here is clue #1 In my early days there were fears that I would contribute to the moral decay of society. Clue #2 I had my beginnings in the 18th Century.Do you know what this could be??

'''Last Clue is that it was one of Queen Victoria's favorites..

My guess is that it's Nitrous Oxide.'''

Anyone wanna confirm??


 * Would a scavenger Hun be a camp follower of Atilla? -- Jmabel | Talk 06:32, September 1, 2005 (UTC)

Community Property Law
Hi, How would property (a house specifically) that was inherited by one spouse, become the community property of the marriage. If it is sold for profit, would it then? Can you tell me in what instances it would become part of the community property of a married couple? (I live in Calif. and I have been married for almost 4 years.)

Thanks! -Anonymous
 * Well we have community property, but it isn't terribly detailed yet. I cannot give and am not giving legal advice, and to get a specific answer in a specific situation you need to talk to a California attorney. Especially since community property laws are not uniform even among the 9 US states that have some form of them. I can't imagine why anyone ever thought such a thing was a good idea, since in practice it means you have to keep track of community vs separate property, especially if you ever move to a non community property state. But in general, according to my textbook, property inherited or gifted to an individual spouse retains separate property characterization. Selling the house just turns it into another form of property, so in and of itself wouldn't change the community property status, but concievably your spouse paying the taxes on the gain could. Overall, in an issue or dispute, the presumption is that all property of a married couple is community property unless it can be proven to not be, so accurate records are important. Also, the use of the property and the conduct of the parties towards the property may be considered more important than the initial source of the property. In other words, if a couple acts for all intents and purposes like property is both of theirs, the courts will probably treat it as community property even if it was obtained separately and accurate records are kept. So that is one way separate property can become community property. Also in a CP state, you can purposefully elect to make separate property into community property, a process called transmutation. All that was pulled from my textbook and is only general information. It notes that the details can vary, especially in the case of divorce or creditors, so like I said you need to talk to a California attorney. Did I mention I'm not giving advice and disclaim any and all liability, etc, etc, till the cows come home? :) - Taxman Talk 20:03, August 31, 2005 (UTC)

When was the term Newfie first used and by whom?
The Americans have been accused of creating the term Newfie because the nickname "The Newfie Bullet" was coined by one of the soldiers. However, it seems in your article that the term was in use around 1854 during the Dominion of Newfoundland government and used by Canadians. Am I miss reading your article? Are there any articles publishing using the term before the Americans took over Argentia in 1941? An Argentia Decendent


 * I'm just going to the library, so I'll check the OED for you. Hopefully it'll have an earliest-recorded citation. Back in an hour or two. Shimgray 14:08, 30 August 2005 (UTC)


 * According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the first recorded use of "Newfie"/"Newfier" is in American Thesaurus of Slang(?), 1942 - it may have been about before this, but not in print. Interestingly, for the first ten or fifteen years, it seems to have been used equally to refer to the people and the province - there's quotes about "sailing off Newfie" and the like. Hope that helps; I've updated the article. Shimgray 14:58, 30 August 2005 (UTC)


 * I'll check my Dictionary of Canadianisms on Historical Principles when I get home today. I doubt it'd contain an earlier cite than the OED but stranger things have happened. &mdash; mendel &#9742; 15:42, August 31, 2005 (UTC)


 * If you do find an earlier one, do let them know ;-) Shimgray 20:57, 1 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Of course, I promptly forgot about this until now, but for completeness: first Canadian citation for the "Newfoundland" sense listed is 1945, and first for a resident thereof is 1958 (and then in scare quotes). &mdash; mendel &#9742; 04:41, September 4, 2005 (UTC)

dates
I am looking for specific information that perhaps I'm not searching correctly on.

Question 1. What was the earliest date recorded that Humans were on this earth.

question 2.

What date did civilization arise in Mesopotama

Question 3:

What is the date of the oldest pyramid built in Egypt. When was it built and what is the oldest pyramid and date the last one was built.

da
 * I'm not sure about the first two questions, but if my reference books are of any use, I might be able to help with #3 within 48 hours. - Mgm|(talk) 21:29, August 30, 2005 (UTC)
 * For #3, the first pyramid is usually cited as Pyramid of Djoser, built some time around 2600 BC by Imhotep. But that was just a step pyramid meaning it was many mastabas stacked on top of each other. There were many other kinds of pyramids, but the most recognizable ones (like at Giza) were built about a hundred years late. Dmcdevit·t 21:47, August 30, 2005 (UTC)
 * Q1: Assuming you mean homo sapiens not earlier forms of homo, c. 70,000 - 130,000 years ago depending on whose fossils you like best
 * Q2: c. 5000 BC, see Ubaid period adamsan 18:45, 3 September 2005 (UTC)

Worzel Gummidge song
What are the complete lyrics to the Worzel Gummidge song? I know it began with "You put a Wor after 'W' and a Wor after 'O', a Wor after 'R' and away you go..." - but that's all I can remember. Jooler 00:50, 31 August 2005 (UTC)


 * Listen to the theme song here, maybe that helps. Lupo 07:13, August 31, 2005 (UTC)


 * That doesn';t help. I know the tune! - I don't remember all the words. Jooler 09:19, 4 September 2005 (UTC)

I have no reason to trust this post to a newsgroup, but it's all I've got:

Till mother Nature ends, I'll be Worzel, To 'me friends, And just like John and Sue, you must Speak my language too. Not yakkety if you please, you must speak in Worzelese. ........ You put a Wor after W, and a Wor after O, a Wor after R, and it's away we go. You put a Wor after Z, a Wor after E, a Wor after L, A zel after Wor, and you're left.....With me!


 * From half way down this thread, --bodnotbod 16:09, September 5, 2005 (UTC)

1990 Grammy Awards Best New Artist Nominees
I am wanting to ask for help in finding who the nominees for Best new artist were in 1990. That's the year that Milli Vanilli had their Grammy for this category taken away.
 * According to the other nominees were Neneh Cherry, Indigo Girls, Soul II Soul and Tone Loc. Thryduulf 09:35, 31 August 2005 (UTC)

Saints
HI. Does a saint have to be Christian? Can people from, for example buddhism, be a saint?


 * Often the term saint is used for holy men and women of any religion: Muslim saints, Buddhist saints and so forth. However, strictly speaking, the term belongs to Christian churches. The Roman Catholic Church has a very clear process of canonization (confering sainthood). Other churches have saints, but have no clear process of assigning people as such: they usually become saints after centuries of popular tradition as such. Some churches reject the notion of sainthood entirely, or use the term to refer to all believers. Thus, official status is dependent on certain church authorities and is always used of a Christian person, but loosely the term might refer to anyone considered holy in any religion. See saint for more information. Gareth Hughes 12:15, 31 August 2005 (UTC)


 * The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches that in the New Testament, the term "saint" referred to a disciple or follower of Christ-- a member of the congregation. This is why the Church is named as such.  As such, then, there are more than 13 Million "saints" worldwide.  (Which has inspired a joke about Utah being home to the Jazz (NBA) and New Orleans being home to the Saints (NFL), and how perhaps they should trade.  ^_^ ) Kingsfold (talk) 18:25, 13 November 2009 (UTC)

Soldier's Medal
I would like to know how many Soldier's Medals have been issued since the end of World War II.

I would like the same number regarding Congressional Medals of Honor.

I am writing an article on the Soldier's Medal (which I hold) and I think they are not awarded frequently. The two figures I ask for here may prove or disprove that notion.

Thank you peter t macy


 * The CMH has been awarded several times since WWII, but a lot of those were "upgrades" - medals which were retroactively awarded, mostly for WWII service. 379 have been awarded for wartime service since the end of WWII, and possibly a couple more in minor conflicts but I don't have statistics on that.
 * It's a lot harder to find figures for the Soldier's Medal, but this .doc file may help; it shows 236 Medals of Honor since WWII versus 6,095 Soldier's Medals. These figures are for the Army only, but the USAF and USN probably issue medals proportionally - so, at a guess, about 9,500 Soldier's Medals give or take a thousand?
 * You may find it useful to study that file anyway, to get an idea of the relative numbers awarded compared to other decorations. Shimgray 13:23, 31 August 2005 (UTC)

Florins
I am looking to find out what the value of an item costing 100 florins in 1788,(what a florin was worth then in £'s) and what the value of 100 florins in 1788 would be equal to today. thank you mark
 * Are you referring to English coin Florin or Double Leopard or perhaps the Dutch Guilder? - 82.172.23.66 22:13, 31 August 2005 (UTC)
 * Very much doubt he'd be refering to either of the English Florins, as the first only existed in the fourteenth century and the latter only came into existence in the nineteenth. So almost certainly the Dutch coin
 * says 100 fl. ~ £9, and via that'd be about eight hundred pounds today give or take a hundred - historical purchasing power estimates are notoriously inaccurate. Shimgray 22:25, 31 August 2005 (UTC)