Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/September 2005

G8 presidency order
'Bold text Italic text --85.189.88.209 (talk) 09:49, 27 January 2008 (UTC)--85.189.88.209 (talk) 09:49, 27 January 2008 (UTC)' The G8 article states that the presidency is alternated between each member country yearly in the order which they joined (France, United States of America, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Italy, Canada, Russia). However, according to the article, Russia is president next year in 2006, between the United Kingdom and Germany (out of order) and when Russia should be president after Canada, in 2011, they seem to skip Russia and France becomes president. Anyone know the reasons why they aren't going in order? --Colonel Cow 12:28, 21 August 2005 (UTC)


 * Dear Colonel,

When the current "G8" was formed, it was not the G8, but the so called G7+1. At the time of the G7's creation, Russia was not considered a stable world economic and militry power. As the other memebers of the G7 all joined at about the same time, there is not irregularity in the host's order until 1996. Upon the behest of President Bill Clinton, Russia was invited to a seperate P8 after the G8 meeting in 1991. It then hosted a "Special summit on nuclear security" in 1996. This does not change the order of hostings, as it was a special summit, and France hosted the actual G7 in 1996. From 1998 onward, Russia entered in the slot between the United Kingdom and Germany, as an offical G8 summit member. This is why they had to wait until the next complete cycle in order to host. Rather than have Russia take priority over France, the cycle was completed and Russia basicly tacked onto the end. So Russia will host in 2006, and again for the 2014 G8 summit. I hope I answered your question. If you have any other questions about, or for me, you can post them on my user page, or email me at Dariusthegreat88 at gmail dot com. --Darisuthegreat88/Dariusthegreat88 15:37, 3 September 2005 (EST)

name of sculptor with the initials H> L> M>
List of sculptors does not seem to have a candidate. MeltBanana 23:46, 1 September 2005 (UTC)

typo correction needed
the name for saudi royal family member khalid bin sultan bin abdulaziz al-saud is mis-typed. see the page below:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khalid_bin_Sultan

his name is "khalid," not "khakid."
 * Thank you for your suggestion! When you feel an article needs changing, please feel free to make whatever changes you feel are needed.  Wikipedia is a wiki, so anyone can edit any article by simply following the  link. You don't even need to log in!  (Although there are some reasons why you might like to...) The Wikipedia community encourages you to be bold.  Don't worry too much about making honest mistakes&mdash;they're likely to be found and corrected quickly.  If you're not sure how editing works, check out how to edit a page, or try out the sandbox to try out your editing skills.  New contributors are always welcome.. Thryduulf 20:44, 31 August 2005 (UTC)

Countries without an extradition treaty with the USA
I am trying to find a list of the countires that currently do not have an extradition treaty with the US. I understand there to be at least 50. Can someone help me?


 * First tell us what you did. David Sneek 17:01, 1 September 2005 (UTC) (p.s.: )


 * Countries which think that they don't have an extradition treaty with the US? It's officially kidnap when the CIA arrests you abroad, not that that stops anybody.  Ojw 23:12, 2 September 2005 (UTC)

At the risk of sounding (whatever)...from the looks of it, our anonymous poster may not be very Wiki-savvy--therefore let's not forget the obvious of recommending that s/he check Extradition. ~ Dpr 07:09, 5 September 2005 (UTC)

Contract for benefit of a third party

 * 1) .I want to know of differant kinds of pre-incorporated contracts and the differance detween them.
 * 2) .Please tell me of the potencial liability that a company would face if it fails to incorporate,a contract for the benefit of the third party.
 * 3) .How differant is commercal law from country to country,is it only the case studdies that are differant.
 * 4) .Why is it so important to begging answearing your question by stating the genral law first.
 * Could you please rephrase the question. I don't understand the begging part. hydnjo talk 23:31, 2 September 2005 (UTC)


 * This looks like homework for an intro law class, so why not look in your textbook, or at your class notes? - Taxman Talk 17:23, September 3, 2005 (UTC)

Shareholder responsibility, highjacking corporations, and asking difficult questions...
I was having a conversation with a lawyer friend of mine a while back. She was telling me about a group of concerned citizens associated with an egalitarian & environmentalist NGO who decided one day to go and buy a lot of shares in Unilever or Altria or some corporation like that, just so they could turn up to the shareholders' meeting and ask the board 'difficult questions'. No doubt questions like 'why are you polluting such-and-such a river / why are you exploiting these labourors / etc'.

So my question is this: Is there a buzzword describing this? I thought I remembered my lawyer friend calling it something specific, but all I could think of is 'shareholder responsibility', which isn't really correct... it's more like 'a hostile exploitation of the corporation's quasi-democratic organisation used to pervert the course of their activities'. Is there a buzzword for that?? --81.154.236.221 23:49, 1 September 2005 (UTC)


 * I suddenly remembered the word 'Entryism'... I guess that's a good approximation, there might be something more specific though.


 * I would use the term "shareholder activism," but it sounds like you're looking for a term with more hostile connotations. --Metropolitan90 03:22, September 2, 2005 (UTC)


 * I've never heard "entryism" used in this context. The people who ask such questions and who sponsor shareholder resolutions about corporate practices wouldn't consider it "hostile" or an attempt to "pervert" the organization.  They usually call it "shareholder activism" seeking to enforce "corporate responsibility" or "corporate accountability".  The people polluting the river and exploiting the laborers refer to it as "kooks at the annual meeting". JamesMLane 05:27, 3 September 2005 (UTC)

The French Revolution
I'm writing a conspiracy theory story for my English project. I plan my story to be about the involvement of the Illuminati in the Bastille/French Revolution. Basically, it will be something like Dan Brown 's "The Da Vinci Code"  novel.

Can I have information about :

a) The geography of the Bastille building and its surroundings during the revolution period.

b) The weaponry used in that period . (So that I can plan an action sequence in my novel)

c) The level of scientific progress achieved in that period . In particular, I would like to know whether they already used electricity at that time , their communication devises available and their common methods of transportation.

d) The activities of the Illuminati and the churches in France at that time.

e) The customs of the French people in that period . In particular, I would like to know what ordinary citizens wear as clothing , what their typical meals are , what are their typical jobs and also their typical habits in day-to-day life during that period.

f) The situation in America at that time . Also, what did the French know about Americans/Europeans/Asians at that time ?

Thank you very much for your help ! James Chan.


 * Have you checked out our French Revolution article? You can probably find most of the information you're looking for there, and on the articles it links to. Also, note that using spaces before punctuation like that is not proper. Garrett Albright 07:04, 2 September 2005 (UTC)

john f kennedy speeches
In which speech did JFK say and was it in regard to sending troops to Vietnam? "Those who make peaceful revolution impossible, make violent revolution inevitable." John F. Kennedy (1917 - 1963), In a speech at the White House, 1962

Thanks


 * According to our friends at Wikiquote it is from a speech to Latin American diplomats at the White House (12 March 1962). David Sneek 07:38, 2 September 2005 (UTC)

Veils in weddings
In a traditional (western) wedding, which is more common: that the father of the bride leads the bride down the aisle with her veil down, and then lifts it up for the groom, or he leads her down with the veil back, and then puts it over her face for the groom (who then lifts it up to kiss the bride)? Or some other variation? &mdash; Asbestos | Talk   (RFC)  08:19, 2 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Well, if both my sisters had traditional Western weddings, the veil is down when she starts up the aisle with her father and it stays down until it's time for the groom to kiss the bride, at which time the bride lifts it. --Angr/undefined 10:22, 2 September 2005 (UTC)


 * There are a few variations of this. Angr's version is perhaps the more traditional in that the bride remains veiled until she is married to the groom. More often, she is unveiled at the moment she meets the groom (pardon the sexism: showing the goods), but is veiled upon entering the church. However, there is always a lot of faff around weddings, and I've seen brides enter the church unveiled, see te groom and pull the veil down (maybe he's just too ugly!). Sometimes the bride's father will lift the veil, and perhaps kiss his daughter before presenting her to be married. Otherwise, the groom lifts the veil. Because looking good is more important than symbolism these days, a bridesmaid sometimes lifts the veil to make sure that it's done right. Gareth Hughes 11:20, 2 September 2005 (UTC)

Nikola Tesla
Good morning, afternoon or evening,

When I typed in Google search engine "Nikola Tesla" one of the pages I was refered to was Wikipedia, saying: Nikola Tesla was a Proud Croat! (I got the biggest kick out of the capital P) Well, where to begin? Do I really want to begin? Nikola Tesla was a Serb or a serb. He may have been proud or Proud. But he was not a Croat nor a croat. America is sometimes, if not often, spelled america.
 * Thank you for your suggestion! When you feel an article needs improvement, please feel free to make those changes. Wikipedia is a wiki, so anyone can edit almost any article by simply following the  link at the top. You don't even need to log in (although there are many reasons why you might want to).  The Wikipedia community encourages you to be bold in updating pages. Don't worry too much about making honest mistakes — they're likely to be found and corrected quickly. If you're not sure how editing works, check out how to edit a page, or use the sandbox to try out your editing skills.  New contributors are always welcome. --Angr/undefined 11:19, 2 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Good lord, telling someone to just jump in to that mess can't be a good idea. Adam Bishop 03:42, 3 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Yeah, that gave me a good laugh. You want to send someone unfamiliar with Wikipedia into one of the longest running, most violent disagreements in Wikipedia history? To the asker, basically Tesla's ethnic group/nationality is highly contested, so what you saw may have been a short term result of that dispute. Some Wikipedia articles change quickly. If you would like to discuss the issue, click on the "discussion" tab above the article, then edit the page and leave a response at the bottom. However, you may be more interested in some of our less hotly contested areas instead. - Taxman Talk 17:11, September 3, 2005 (UTC)

Who designed the Rolling Stones Lips & Tongue logo?
Greetings:

I'm looking to clear up a discrepency re: the Rolling Stones Lips & Tongue logo. I'm writing an article about rock band logo design, and it is widely reported that Andy Warhol indeed designed the Rolling Stones iconic "Lips & Tongue" logo. He supposedly did the design when the Stones contract w/ Decca records expired and when they founded their own label -- the imaginatively titled Rolling Stones Records. This all happened during the recording of Sticky Fingers. The logo was originally intended to be the record label's logo... but was later co-opted as the band's.

I've found differing reports stating the Andy Warhol DID design the logo, and that he DIDN't design the logo. I actually called the Warhol museum in Pittsburgh to clarify, by the curator who knows the answer is on vacation for sometime.

Any help? Please?

Thanks so much.

Matthew Newton 


 * Accoridng to The Rolling Stones, it was designed by John Pasch. Zoe 20:32, September 2, 2005 (UTC)


 * The notes to Sticky Fingers credits Warhol only with "Cover Concept/Photography". It says nothing about the lips and tongue (which debuted in the same album sleeve). --Fastfission 23:07, 2 September 2005 (UTC)

New Orleans City Planning History
How were portions of New Orleans built below sea level? Did these areas sink? Did they drain and/or excavate after building levees? Are below-sea-level-portions of the city built on drained parts of The Mississippi River or Lake Pontchartrain?

Any information would be much appreciated.

Thank you,

Neil Higgins


 * I don't know if any areas were drained to be built upon or were built originally below sea level. I do know that there has been a recent sinking problem.  To try to combat mosquito-borne illnesses, the city likes to pump it's drainage ditches dry. (In fact we had a recent Reference desk question on the design of the city's apparently quite expensive drainage pumping system.)  This makes the soil drier and more compressible, which leads to buildings sinking. &mdash; Laura Scudder | Talk 22:49, 2 September 2005 (UTC)


 * New Orleans has a pretty good discussion. The town was originally built on the high ground (a crescent of land adjacent the Mississippi). The rest of the area was swampy. In the early 20th century, pumping started. As a result of the pumping, subsidence occurred; so the already low land has been sinking for the last hundred years. So, basically, we can blame A. Baldwin Wood. --jpgordon&#8711;&#8710;&#8711;&#8710; 21:41, 3 September 2005 (UTC)

Older Musicians
I would like to know why Older Musicians that have played there entire lives always get ignored. I've play pro all my life making peanuts and contiualy turned down by the industry. It's all about the youngsters. No shows or chances for dedicated players to strive for. Older equils experience, The country industry atleast gives all artist there shot regardless of age. Talent is what should count but it dosen't. There are a lot of great players out there like myself that don't much apreciate being treated as old. All those yougsters will soon be in the same boat before they no it. The industry may not make mega millions from older players but there still should be a place for us. But still might but even so, Mega thousand can still be made and there are alot of us our hear that buy Classic Rock & Roll because most of us don't like todays music. New Classic style Rock & Roll could still do well if we were to be given the chance. A classic T.V. compition or something that gives all Musicians an equil change at being part of the Music world that we all love. I dought you or any others out there would apreciate being pushed aside for nothing but the young. The biggest problem is the promotors that do pay to play, by exploting the tons a Kid bands that will play for free. The promotors takes all the money. It's a racket. I book all my own gigs and do better for me and My Band Chalice then any of them have been able to do, And thats sad cause we still make peanuts. All i'm saying is that it would be very nice for someone out there with some power and insite to look outside the box and find way to for all Musicians. Especialy the ones that stay out there playing year after year. Hard working Musicians that could use the help for it's own industry. Thanks for listening. Peace. John Bone Davis


 * You might be looking for our article on youth culture. Best of luck to you. Meelar (talk) 21:04, September 2, 2005 (UTC)


 * To go back to the original question, ie "I would like to know why Older Musicians that have played there entire lives always get ignored" I don't think that's true if you consider those that had success young and have managed to sustain a career Johnny Cash, Cliff Richard, Frank Sinatra all seemed to gain audiences that grew with them.


 * It's probably true to say that it's very, very hard for an older musician to attract a young audience, because there's a lot of sex and rebellion bound up with a Western teenagers love of music. However, I don't see why you could not have success building an audience amongst your own age group.


 * Although you're earning "peanuts" it's pretty astonishing for someone to be able to support themselves at all doing what they love. Can you not take solace in that? If I could make the money of a bottom rung office clerk through writing, I'd at least sometimes praise the fact I wasn't the office clerk. --bodnotbod 16:39, September 5, 2005 (UTC)

Christopher "Chris" Wilson and Good Charlotte
The Christopher "Chris" Wilson article says he's a current member of the band, the Good Charlotte article says he's a former member. Which is it? Zoe 20:04, September 2, 2005 (UTC)


 * According to the band's website, the members' names are Billy, Paul, Joel and Benji (seriously, Benji). I've updated Wilson's article to reflect this. Meelar (talk) 21:40, September 2, 2005 (UTC)

Homeland Security Director
What was the name of the person that was either a nomimee or near nominee for this position prior to Michael Chertoff's nomination? I think he was a friend of Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. hydnjo talk 23:09, 2 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Bernard Kerik. He was indeed nominated, but withdrew his acceptance of the nomination a week later.  It became a Cabinet agency while Tom Ridge was heading it, so the position for which Bush nominated Kerik was United States Secretary of Homeland Security. JamesMLane 05:36, 3 September 2005 (UTC)

EDSAC Computer Game Creator
Where can I obtain a picture of A.S. Douglas. I have searched a long time. The year is 1952.

A bit of history may be needed:
 * 1) EDSAC was a computer built at Cambridge in 1949.
 * 2) A.S. Douglas wrote Tac-Tac-Toe for it as part of his PhD disseration on Human-Computer interaction.
 * 3) a Simulation can be found at [| Noughts and Crosses]
 * 4) Depending on how desperate you are, You could contact Cambridge Univeristy, and start poking around there.  Artoftransformation 23:39, 29 October 2005 (UTC)

Cesare Borgia as inspiration for images of Jesus in art
What is the source of the suggestion that "some pictures of Jesus Christ produced around Borgia's lifetime were based on Cesare Borgia, and that this in turn has influenced images of Jesus produced since that time."? (from Wikipedia article on Ceare Borgia) --Cathstuart


 * That line was added anonymously, in a much stronger form, by User:66.193.254.66 in this edit. That user hasn't been around for a while so it's not very likely that we will find out what his or her source was, but a quick google search suggests it was a heavy metal song. (To be fair, I also found this). David Sneek 08:47, 3 September 2005 (UTC)

Circuit benches
With respect to courts what does a " circuit bench" mean? eg. ABC High Court has a bench in XYZ and a circuit bench in LMN? =Nichalp  «Talk»=  05:45, September 3, 2005 (UTC)
 * Does circuit court answer your question? Garrett Albright 17:24, 3 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Not to the extent one might expect (in that it doesn't actually say why it's called a circuit). Luckily we have High Court of Justice of England and Wales to the rescue, wherein it explains that the first level of courts of appeal in England would circulate through a district (at different parts of the year) and would sit on appeals that had built up over the year.  The reason for its circulation (not in that article, but in the dim vaults of my memory) was that travel was so difficult (roads being dangerous and never resurfaced since the romans left) that it was easier to move a few court officials around the country that to move lots of lawyers, documents, and witnesses. English circuit courts continue this practice to this day, whereas their cousins in the US legal system remain ensconced in one place; this is the reason, incidentally, why English judges are lean and lithe and muscular, whereas US circuit court judges are flabby puffing jabbas :) -- Finlay McWalter |  Talk 21:49, September 3, 2005 (UTC)
 * Yeah, that would make sense. I'd guessed it would be a temporary court, but wanted to make sure for my article: High Courts of India. =Nichalp   «Talk»=  07:44, September 4, 2005 (UTC)

Persons on bail (law)
What rights does a person released on bail have? Can such a person stand for Public Office Elections while on bail? Under British Common Law? Thanks Dickson


 * My Big Book O' Election Law is two hundred miles away, but it's an interesting question. Someone on bail is bound over to appear in court and not to hot-foot it to Paraguay, but they are otherwise presumed innocent by the law. I believe they would be allowed to stand for election, though depending on the nature of the offence they would potentially have to abandon their candidacy or, if elected by then, resign from office if convicted.
 * Note that conviction doesn't automatically make them unfit to run in the election or hold office, but some offences - certainly things like breach of the electoral regulations - bar the person from running for office for a short time. For most crimes, this is not the case; as such, it'd seem odd to let them run after being convicted, but not before. Hope that makes sense. Shimgray 16:52, 3 September 2005 (UTC)


 * I can't think of any reason why being on bail &mdash; or even in prison awaiting trial &mdash; would limit ones right to stand for office. Conviction, as Shimgray points out, is sometimes a factor. -- 08:41, September 4, 2005 (UTC)

Your Unsubstantiated Claims about Genesis being a "Myth"
Greetings: I was reading your yellow journalism {yellow journalism n.     Journalism that exploits, distorts, or exaggerates the news to create sensations and attract readers.]}on Genesis. I was intrigued by your unsubstantiated opinion {unsubstantiated adj : unsupported by nother evidence [syn: uncorroborated]}: “Genesis is both creation myth and a traditional history of the Israelites. “(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genesis_%28Old_Testament%29) I would be so very happy to see your scientific research (observations and reproducible experimentation) which “backs” this unsubstantiated claim that Genesis is a “myth.”

myth  n. 1. 1.A traditional, typically ancient story dealing with supernatural beings, ancestors, or heroes that serves as a fundamental type in the worldview of a people, as by explaining aspects of the natural world or delineating the psychology, customs, or ideals of society: the myth of Eros and Psyche; a creation myth. 2. Such stories considered as a group: the realm of myth. 2. A popular belief or story that has become associated with a person, institution, or occurrence, especially one considered to illustrate a cultural ideal: a star whose fame turned her into a myth; the pioneer myth of suburbia. 3. A fiction or half-truth, especially one that forms part of an ideology. 4.A fictitious story, person, or thing: “German artillery superiority on the                     Western Front was a myth” (Leon Wolff).

For your convenience I have attached the definition of the scientific method in case your biased propaganda {biased n. 1. A preference or an inclination, especially one that inhibits impartial judgment./propaganda  n. The systematic propagation of a doctrine or cause or of information reflecting the views and interests of those advocating such a doctrine or cause.} doesn't include the definition.

scientific method n.    The principles and empirical processes of discovery and demonstration considered characteristic of or necessary for scientific investigation, generally involving the observation of phenomena, the formulation of a hypothesis concerning the phenomena, experimentation to demonstrate the truth or falseness of the hypothesis, and a conclusion that validates or modifies the hypothesis.


 * See Creation myth. Senses 1, 2 and 3 of your definition above are apposite whatever your opinions about the interpretation of Genesis. --Ngb?!? 13:56, 3 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Condescend. v. 1. Communicatin in a manner implying your audience is less intelligent than you. 2. A poor way to attempt to get a point across. Wikipedia. n. A free online encyclopedia in which the articles are written by anyone and everyone on the internet, and which you may edit too if you feel so grossly wronged -- just make sure you're NPOV and, of course, truthful. Garrett Albright 17:30, 3 September 2005 (UTC)

Thank you for proving my point that your Wikipedia is nothing but a propaganda factory. . . . where truth can be "edited" at the discretion of any propagandist. . . not dictated by facts. . . btw. . . .how can you be condescending to a propagandist?


 * Sorry for my ignorance but what method of proof did you use? Contradiction, contra-positive, induction? Which inference rules did you use to draw that conclusion from the arguments? --R.Koot 21:21, 3 September 2005 (UTC)


 * I have never seen any religious book with specific and precise facts. No measurements and accurate timelines.  See Lord Kelvin's quote


 * "I often say that when you can measure what you are speaking about, and express it in numbers, you know something about it; but when you cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge is of a meagre and unsatisfactory kind; it may be the beginning of knowledge, but you have scarcely, in your thoughts, advanced to the stage of Science, whatever the matter may be." --anon

yes, you've found us out, Wikipedia is a yellow journalism materialist blog, and will surely be punished by the LORD for its impertinence. You are too good for wasting your time with this crappy website and should visit more godly sites, like http://www.landoverbaptist.org/ dab (&#5839;) 07:30, 5 September 2005 (UTC)

You may be interested to become a member of the FES (ie, if you are not one already). As the table on the right shows, it is based on the same thing that you are arguing for. Tintin 10:47, 5 September 2005 (UTC)

I would like to apologize for our yellow journalism, please, good sir, give us your substantiated evidence of the story of Genesis which shows that it is not a myth, and we will get it in there right away. --Ballchef 13:51, 5 September 2005 (UTC)
 * the substantiation of the story of Genesis is, of course, the story of Genesis, you silly boy. It's right there on my shelf, printed black on white in Early Modern English. Now is that a substantial reference or what!!? :p dab (&#5839;) 20:29, 6 September 2005 (UTC)

Agnosticism - R Lee E (talk, contribs) 22:27, September 5, 2005 (UTC)

You know, I suppose everyone thinks it's obvious, but reading the original complaint I'm not sure exactly what it's trying to say. Here are four statements:
 * 1. Genesis is a myth.
 * 2. Genesis is a religious belief.
 * 3. Genesis is a true fact.
 * 4. Genesis is false.

Clearly the original poster disagrees with 1. But which of the remaining three is the original poster arguing for? Steve Summit (talk) 01:00, 11 September 2005 (UTC)

If you still have problems with this page please winge here.

Kievskaya Rus'...Czerwona/Krasnaya, Czarna/Chornaya, Biala/Belaya?
--205.188.116.14 14:18, 3 September 2005 (UTC)Greegings:

Rus' had 3 colors. Is the significance/meaning of these from Viking lore, or was it a specific development of Oleg and Olga?

Near Kiev...Czerwona/Krasnaya/Red Rus'. Near Grodno...Czarna/Chyornaya/Black Rus'. E. Belarus...Biala/Belaya/White Rus'.

What is/was the significance or "original" intentional meaning of Black, White, and Red, in this "specific" context?

Thank You, Dziekuje, Spasibo!

Tomasz Ryszardowicz Rajtar Tanya, Baba Jaga of Kawashaway


 * According to the Black Ruthenia article, before the 17th century the names White and Black Russia were not used or "applied to wildly different territories", while the Red Ruthenia article says that name has been recorded since the Middle Ages. So I doubt there is a consistent color symbolism at work here. David Sneek 17:25, 3 September 2005 (UTC)

Joseph Cornell
Was Joseph Cornell an emotionlist, imitationalist, or formalist?


 * He made art by putting junk in boxes. You tell us. - Nunh-huh 02:31, 4 September 2005 (UTC)

Cruiser Act
Were the 20 ships authorized by congress by the Cruiser Act ever built? If so, what are their names? --Neutralitytalk 00:00, September 4, 2005 (UTC)


 * The seven New Orleans class cruisers and two Portland class cruisers were laid down in 1929 and the early 30s. I don't know if these were the allocated ships, though USS Portland (CA-33) was "authorised on February 13 1929" which strongly suggests it was. The single carrier would probably have been the USS Ranger (CV-4), laid down '31. Note that the London Naval Conference was in 1930, and the great crash was later in 1929. I would guess this might explain the delays in laying many of the ships down - and in 1934 a new naval construction bill was passed, presumably superceding existing plans for the other ten and providing for things like the Brooklyn class. Shimgray 13:05, 4 September 2005 (UTC)

Head of State
Who was the Governor General or Head of State in Jamaica and Canada in the year 1925?


 * see Rulers.org. Canada's Governor General was Julian Hedworth George Byng, Baron Byng of Vimy                (b. 1862 - d. 1935). Jamaica had three Governors during 1925 (not Governors General),  successively Sir Samuel Herbert Wilson  (b. 1873 - d. 1950), Sir Herbert Bryan (acting), and A.S. Jeef (acting). - Nunh-huh 02:29, 4 September 2005 (UTC)


 * And Canada's de jure head of state in 1925 was King George V. &mdash; mendel &#9742; 05:28, September 4, 2005 (UTC)
 * As was Jamaica's. Zoe 21:59, September 4, 2005 (UTC)
 * Jamaica good point there. &mdash; mendel &#9742; 16:44, September 6, 2005 (UTC)

Hammer and Sickle
Who invented the Hammer and sickle symbol, and was it used by any groups before the bolsheviks? Is it of Russian origin? After a google search I found many people asking this same question, but no answers (except for one guy who had a vague memory of being told it was created in 1922). The bellman 06:15, 2005 September 4 (UTC)
 * Our article dates it at least to 1917, but it doesn't cite. Flags of the World gives the same date, says it became the Soviet flag in 1923. -- Jmabel | Talk 08:52, September 4, 2005 (UTC)
 * I don't have my translation dictionary with me (and babelfish is of no use for some reason), but the Russian version of the article has something about how a proliteriat groups in Western Europe started using the hammer as their symbol in the 19th century and that the sickle was added in 1917? I'll have to get my dictionary to see if it really says that, but if anyone else can read Russian that might be worth looking into. --Fastfission 21:21, 10 September 2005 (UTC)

Unfair Business Practices
I have an online business. I deal with about 25 manufactuers. But I have two (although the are associated) seems to be practicing unfair price fixing and more.

They both: 1. Are setting prices and not allowing fair market trade. I am not allowed to price below their selling point. They are controlling the price of their products as me as a vendor and a competitor. They are even going so far as tell me that I can't offer free shippings or offer a free gift in leau of free shipping because it competes with them. 2. Asking me to sign an angreement to such as above.

Individually: 1. Not allowing me to advertise the product, even though I am the vendor and they the supplier. They also sell the product and don't want me advertsing the product on the internet as they don't want the competition.

Individually: 1. One misreapresented themselves as the wholesaler of all the products on their site, when in fact they only wholesaled one product. Emailed me their wholesale list and when I posted the products on my website with their descriptions and I set my own prices, threatened me with a lawsuit, again trying to make me conform to their prices or requiring me to remove their products from my site. They never informed me of their terms and conditions and certainly not their price setting practices.

I live in Illinois. Please advise.


 * While there may well be Wikipedians able to answer this in detail, I would note Wikipedia's legal disclaimer ('nothing on Wikipedia.org or of any project of Wikimedia Foundation Inc., should be construed as an attempt to offer or render a legal opinion'), and suggest that the Federal Trade Commission might be a better place to make enquiries? --Ngb?!? 19:09, 4 September 2005 (UTC)


 * What you describe may very well be illegal, but you would need an attorney well versed in trade law to help you decide. Even then, it may not be worth initiating legal action because the repercussions may be worse than the current situation. There are probably people you can contact at the FTC that handle things like that though. Try their website to email or look for their phone number to call them. - Taxman Talk 15:17, September 6, 2005 (UTC)

Trade Theories
What Economic theories would best explain the trade potential between a large developing country and its underdeveloped neighbour?
 * If I have time I can do some research later but just to brainstorm ideas (some or all of which you may have already thought of)...the underdeveloped neighbor can tap a market in the LDC, almost like a cottage industry to supply that market...the LDC can tap a huge market for consumer goods that the neighbor probably lacks (TVs, electronics, plastics)...just a start. I'll try to get back to this later if you still need. Thanks --Dpr 06:59, 5 September 2005 (UTC)


 * You're probably looking for the theory of comparative advantage. Also, mercantilism was somewhat analagous to this, although not entirely. HTH. Meelar (talk) 07:00, September 5, 2005 (UTC)
 * You might also want to read up on dependency theory. - SimonP 21:40, September 5, 2005 (UTC)

Dellis
Does anyone have any information on a group of people called the dellis? I was planning on writing an article on them, but I can't find any info on them. All I know is that they were a Turkish army unit in the 1700s that wore eagle feathers on their armor and were considered insane because they fought so daringly. Thanks. Rentastrawberry 22:58, September 4, 2005 (UTC)


 * No luck finding anything about them via google, though I have found some links to the Polish Hussars who also wore eagle feathers:, , (also see Hussars).  Only one gives a passing mention of the dellis:  (see the section 'Wings'). --Zeborah 03:26, 5 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Searching on "dellis" and "ottoman" finds me various miniatures pages, which seem to date them to circa the Rennaisance period. It might be worth poking around wargaming books dealing with this period, and seeing if there's anything helpful there.
 * "Delis" and "ottoman" finds quite a bit too, and this suggests they were light cavalry used as scouts, recruited from converts in the Balkans (so some sources call them "Serbs")... but then some other sources use the term for Kurdish tribesmen. I would assume the former is what you're after. Shimgray 12:34, 5 September 2005 (UTC)

Minors and Weapons
Is it legal for minors to carry non-concealed weapons in the United states? -- anon
 * Well, they can get hunting permits, but I don't know what the laws are concerning carrying pistols or other weapons not for the purpose of hunting. Zoe 23:31, September 4, 2005 (UTC)
 * This is almost certainly the sort of law that will be different from state to state, so there's probably no single answer to the question anyway. --Angr/undefined 06:29, 5 September 2005 (UTC)

Where can I buy flags?
Hi there. Your website has a page about the flag of the Isle of Lewis and also one for the Isle of North Uist (both in the western isles of Scotland). I was hoping you could tell me where i can buy these flags.

please email me at      thanks

Peter

The phone number for the Highlands of Scotland Tourist Board is 0845 2255121. Call them - they may be able to point you in the direction of someone who can help (perhaps a gift shop in Lewis / North Uist). Proto t c 11:58, 5 September 2005 (UTC)


 * If you can't find someone who stocks a particular flag, many manufacturers will make them to order. For example, House of Flags will sew/print anything they don't have ready-made . Ojw 18:45, 6 September 2005 (UTC)

World War II
(no question)


 * Yeah, it was something, wasn't it? Our World War II article would be a good place to start. Garrett Albright 14:25, 5 September 2005 (UTC)

Medals
Highest medal issue to a policeman 1875 in the rain of Queen Victoria
 * I think you may mean the "reign" of Queen Victoria. - Mgm|(talk) 17:42, September 5, 2005 (UTC)

Which country is/was this medal awarded in? And do you want to know details of the medal or the recipient? --Ballchef 06:06, 7 September 2005 (UTC)

US politics: The Second Term Surprise
I'm British, still resident there, and just watched the BBC News on TV. Covering Hurricane Katrina the correspondent said the hurricane is Bush's "second term surprise". The implication being that presidents have tended to get an event in the second term that is given this label.

Now, I'm sure it's just a nice journalistic conceit (as when looking for a face in clouds, it will not be long before you find one, so similarly it would be more surprising if something unexpected did not occur during a president's second term) but I thought it might be interesting to know what others have been in any case.

However, two logical Google searches didn't seem to tell me much.

So... is the phrase something that American wikipedians recognise? What other second term surprises have there been? --bodnotbod 18:39, September 5, 2005 (UTC)


 * The term is new to me too, but if I had to guess, Clinton's would have been his impeachment, Reagan the Iran-Contra affair maybe, Richard Nixon would be Watergate, and for Eisenhower, I have no idea. Garrett Albright 19:44, 5 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Perhaps the launch of Sputnik in 1957? I think that's the first year of Eisenhower's second term.  &mdash; Laura Scudder | Talk 19:50, 5 September 2005 (UTC)


 * I follow U.S. politics pretty closely, and am an American, and I've never heard this one. Meelar (talk) 02:17, September 6, 2005 (UTC)


 * The implication may have been that this is Bush's second term surprise, as opposed to Bush's first term surprise. Which, as I type this, was four years ago, almost to the exact hour.. -- Chuq 13:29, 11 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Thanks all. Not enough to justify an article it seems. --bodnotbod 21:14, September 11, 2005 (UTC)

I think
 * the BBC is to the political left of President Bush
 * a lot of modern journalishm has POV remarks
 * this is a common POV remark

For most informed people, 9/11 in Bush's first term was not a surprise, but a shock. Similarly, the damage to the Gulf of Mexico was not a surprise, but a shock. Some time in the next 10 years or so, terrorists will probably set off WMD in some major western city, which will not be a surprise, but a shock. Not a surprise, because we all know it is coming. A shock, because we can't predict that the disaster will be this storm, or that attack, which calendar date etc.

Many politicians do not get the news as rapidly as the people ... some are too busy to be glued to the TV, so the TV watchers can be disappointed in their leaders first reactions to the media questions. AlMac|(talk) 08:34, 13 September 2005 (UTC)


 * My suspicion is that very few people (or even right-wing publications) would go so far as to accuse the BBC of political bias for using the word "surprise". --bodnotbod 02:48, 15 September 2005 (UTC)

1983 giro d' Italia
In 1983 I was a young cook in Gorizia, Italy. During the last "tappa" of the Giro d' italia cycling competition, somebody from the Visentini team, then second, tryied to bribe me and another cook in order to serve a laxative to Giuseppe Saronni. I turned the person to the authorities and prevented a scandal. Since then I have moved to the States and now have a child of my own. All my newspaper clippings went missing after the move and I don' t have anything to show to my daughter. Sadly she is learning how to win at school and in sport competitons by cheating and I would like to show her how the cheater is the real loser. If you can help me it would be deeply appreciated. Sincerely, Alessandro Bozzato P.S. it happened in Gorizia (Italy) in 1983 (66th giro d' Italia) at the Hotel ACI and Visentini was 2nd behind Beppe Saronni. The cheater was the owner (I believe) of the factory that supplied the weels for Visentini's bike. (Note that the athlete was unaware of the scheme)


 * Most online archives of news articles don't run back that far. You might have some success writing someone like the BBC or a cycling magazine.  &mdash; Laura Scudder | Talk 19:14, 5 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Or perhaps writing to the people who organise the competition? They probably keep records of press coverage... though I suppose they might have decided to tactfully forget about this incident. Shimgray 23:34, 5 September 2005 (UTC)

American Civil War
1. What was the major cause of the civil war? Just before the civil war, what was the major attributes of the slaves in the South (Did they make more money? Were they able to see their family more? Did they move to more families in a shorter period of time? Or was there a lot of resistance?) —Preceding unsigned comment added by ? (talk • contribs) 5 Sept 2005

Sounds like you are trying to get someone to do your homework but, on your first question, the major cause, at some level, was regional difference. Most obviously, the South had a highly agricultural economy based on slave plantations, and the north had increasingly developed a more industrialized economy based on free labor (although some slave states, notably Maryland, never joined the confederacy). These basic differences also played out in other ways, such as different views on tariffs. And, on top of that, the constitution really was a bit ambiguous about whether states could secede. The war was precipitated by Lincoln's victory in the presidential election. While Lincoln himself was not clearly abolitionist, his party largely was, and the South anticipated that the Republican victory meant an attack on their entire way of life.

As for your second question, about the slaves, I honestly don't understand what you are asking. Did who make more money than what? etc. -- Jmabel | Talk 03:40, September 6, 2005 (UTC)

Most people on both sides considered the major attribute of a slave to be "unfree". The purpose of having slaves was for them to make money for the owner; it was uncommon for slaves to be paid. Resistance by whom? Resistance by slaves happens to be a debated issue, with the politically correct view being that there was much resistance (broadly interpreted), but acts of violent or effective public resistance by slaves to the system were rare. alteripse 01:26, 11 September 2005 (UTC)

World War 1 and 2
1. What was the major reason the US entered into World War I and II? (was it to establish world power? economical reasons? border safety?) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 209.6.182.90 (talk • contribs) 14:04, 5 September 2005

World War II : because they were kind of...bombed... &mdash; Il&gamma;&alpha;&eta;&epsilon;&rho;   (T&alpha;l&kappa;)  20:33, 5 September 2005 (UTC)


 * WWI: because if France and Great Britain would be defeated, they wouldn't be able to pay their war debts to the US. (For a different take, see this.) David Sneek 18:52, 6 September 2005 (UTC)


 * This is a question whose answer depends on one's worldview. Rather than give my opinion, I suggest you read further and make your own conclusions. Trite answer, yes, but, oh well. --Tothebarricades 06:44, September 7, 2005 (UTC)


 * So that they could use "Well, we saved your ass" as a handwave response to any criticism. &mdash; J I P | Talk 11:28, 7 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Damn right! Our current government may be mainly knaves and fools, but they are our knaves and fools, thank you. alteripse 01:30, 11 September 2005 (UTC)

colonies and native americans
1. What was the native americans in the northern plains during the 18th century mostly associate with (hunters/gatherers?, permanent villages? or one with nature?) 2 what as the primary purpose of the mass bay colony?


 * Looks like someone has Social Studies homework. Why don't you read World War I, World War II, Native Americans, Massachusetts Bay Colony, Slavery in the United States, or even consult your textbook?  All of the above will have the answers to your questions.  &mdash; Laura Scudder | Talk 19:19, 5 September 2005 (UTC)


 * For the first question see Plains Indians, answer hunters, and ask the teacher what the hell "one with nature" might be other than a racist mapping of modern concepts back onto an idealized "noble savage". For the second, see Massachusetts Bay Colony and ask your teacher how on earth you might be able to divine which of the many purposes underlying its foundation is the "primary" one. Or better yet, don't ask (you don't want to be penalized for raising difficult questions) but show them this answer. Questions like these are one reason kids hate history: they imply there is a single "correct" answer and in this oversimplification deny much that is interesting about history... - Nunh-huh 05:20, 6 September 2005 (UTC)

Uhunh to Nunh-huh (I've been wanting to say that): he is right. Get this book, ( ISBN 0684818868 ) and you will find your history course much more interesting. alteripse 01:36, 11 September 2005 (UTC)

Legal term: prolly missing article
Is there an article for state's witness King's evidence, turning state's evidence, ratting or grassing that I am missing somewhere or is this a good chance for a new article that will prolly be written before I end this sentence...? MeltBanana 20:28, 5 September 2005 (UTC)


 * We do have Supergrass phenomenon. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 20:42, September 5, 2005 (UTC)


 * And we also have plea bargain. But probably the more general concept deserves, and lacks, an article. -- Jmabel | Talk 03:43, September 6, 2005 (UTC)


 * State's witness is probably covered in Witness. Turning state's evidence is in my view more of a term and wouldn't be more than a dictionary definition, so it's unlikely it'll have its own article. Try to think in bigger terms and look through other law articles which you think should cover the points you're looking for. - Mgm|(talk) 12:00, September 6, 2005 (UTC)


 * I also found Informant which probably covers it best, witness certainly does not mention it. I would have thought there was adequate scope for an article on such a subject; when and where it can be use what effects it has etc.  MeltBanana  15:11, 6 September 2005 (UTC)

Louis Phillipe 1, King of the French, ca. 1835
Dear Prof,

In a scrapbook maintained by my Great, Great, Great Great Grandfather James Morris Whiton, a business man from Boston who was in England and ParisFrance during the 1830s, is a draft of a letter to the King.

" Sire! The undersigned Citizens of the U.S. now in Paris participating in the common joy which is felt at the escape of your majesty from the murderous attempt which has lately been made upon your life--beg leave to offer to your Magesty & to your family, as well as to the French Nation, their sincere congratulations--and in doing this they cannot withhold their expression of their abhorrance of the depravity in which that attempt originated or of their cordial sympathy with the friends & relatives of those who unhappily fell victims to it.

They beg leave at the same time to express their....."

There is no reference in Wikepedia to this event, which I think must have been an attempted assassination in which Louis escaped harm but others were less fortunate.

If I knew when this event occured I would know more exactly when James Whiton was in Paris.

Nearby to the page on which this draft is pasted are a MEURICE'S HOTEL reckoning for December 26-31, 1834; and a bill from a COUTURIERRE EN ROBES, Melle Pierron at Rue de Michadiere ( undated ) and a formal invitation to dine at M & M Welles on July 30, 1835.

I hope you can more exactly pinpoint the date of this Letter to the King and tell me about the attempt on his life.

With thanks,

John Whiton Hutchinson


 * We have an article on Giuseppe Marco Fieschi, who was apparently "the chief conspirator in the attempt on the life of Louis Philippe in July 1835"; this attack on July 28 killed eighteen, but only grazed the king. There were apparently a few others, but I think this is the one you're after. We can't pinpoint the date, of course - but presumably within a week or two of that date. Shimgray 23:32, 5 September 2005 (UTC)

The Supreme Court
My question is "who decides whether or not the Supreme Court will hear or decide your case". Is that the Chief Justice's position?

Dick Grace dickgrace@aol.com


 * At the beginning of each term, the Justices look at each case that's been appealed to them, and they meet and discuss them. If four justices agree to hear a case, it's placed on the docket. Unfortunately, this isn't mentioned in our article, AFAICT. Best wishes, Meelar (talk) 02:13, September 6, 2005 (UTC) Meelar (talk) 02:13, September 6, 2005 (UTC)


 * Wow, yeah, assuming you mean the SCOTUS, our article says almost next to nothing about that issue. The only thing I know about it is the Solicitor General decides what cases the government will try to get the SC to hear. My understanding is that means they have a fair amount of influence on what is heard. Looking through the rules of the court pdf I couldn't find anything to expand on or clarify what Meelar wrote above. Everything just says "if the court grants the writ..." etc, without specifying the procedure for it. - Taxman Talk 15:04, September 6, 2005 (UTC)


 * Thanks for catching my latent America-centrism. Best wishes, Meelar (talk) 18:01, September 10, 2005 (UTC)

About ten thousand cases are appealed to SCOTUS each year. Under the Certiorari Act, passed in the 1920's at the behest of Chief Justice Taft, the Court enjoys large discretion in what cases it hears. Besides its original jurisdiction--e.g. lawsuits between states over the boundaries--there are almost no cases that the Court is obligated to review. (I believe the McConnell v. FEC campaign finance case was one Congress mandated it hear.) Eight of the nine justices--Stevens is the exception--pool the cases and have their clerks review and write memos on why the Court should hear a case. The best reason the Court has to hear a case is where the Courts of Appeal have come to different rulings on the same topic in different circuits and to promote uniformity, the Supreme Court has to step in. But any case that gets four votes to hear it is on the docket. At the beginning of the term, the justices meet and vote on which cases to hear out of the thousands that built up during the summer. As the term progresses, they will issue more decisions on what it will hear. The Court notes what cases it will hear in a printed order list distributed like its opinions and will be printed in the United States Reports. I hope this helps. 66.213.119.98 17:56, 6 September 2005 (UTC) (aka User:PedanticallySpeaking)

According to "The Brethren", the justices must have 4 votes to hear a case for it to be heard.

Alexander the Great
Where was Alexander the Great born in? Some sources say he's Greek, other Macedonian. After reading Foreign relations of the Republic of Macedonia, I learn that the Macedonia region is a part of Greece too! So was ATG Macedonian-Macedonian or Greek-Macedonian as per today's boundaries? =Nichalp  «Talk»=  06:10, September 6, 2005 (UTC)


 * Alexander was born in Edessa, the capital of Macedon. He and the ruling classes were Greek speaking and very much immersed in Greek culture. However, Macedonians were not always seen as proper Greeks by the peoples of the city-states to the south &mdash; they were viewed as being somewhat barbaric. Also, Macedon had conquered much land to the north of its original homeland. These Illyrian territories also diminished the view of Macedon's Greekness. Therefore, scholarship is generally divided over the absolute Greekness of Macedon. Perhaps the best way to look at it is that Alexander was a Greek on the fringes of Greek culture ruling a upstart new kingdom that included many non-Greeks. Gareth Hughes 11:42, 6 September 2005 (UTC)


 * So its right to say he was of Macedonian ethnicity of Greek citizenship? =Nichalp   «Talk»=  15:07, September 6, 2005 (UTC)


 * I wouldn't say that either statement was right. Alexander was culturally Greek and King of Macedon. To make a statement much beyond this is a matter of modern politics, and pretty pointless. Gareth Hughes 15:21, 6 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Ok thanks for the answer. =Nichalp   «Talk»=  18:09, September 6, 2005 (UTC)


 * The question of Macedonia's "greekness" is a controversial issue, then and now. So the distinction is not purely factual, calling him either Greek or Macedonian would probably be considered correct, usually. --Tothebarricades 06:41, September 7, 2005 (UTC)

Maurice Halbwachs
I would like to know how to pronounce the French Sociologist name, 'Halbwachs' Should I pronounce 'Halbwachs' in French way, so [h] sound is mute, also [s] is mute, and what about the [b] sound in his name?

Could you let me know what is the right way to pronounce his name with the pronunciation symbols?

Thank you.


 * Maurice Halbwachs has a German family name. The usual German pronunciation of which would be . The difficulty comes when the name is used by French speakers. Some French speakers with German names retain the German pronunciation, but many do not. It is likely that the initial h would be dropped, but the s retained. Thus, a French speaker might make the name, and his full name would be . The notation I have used can found at the International Phonetic Alphabet article. Gareth Hughes 12:05, 6 September 2005 (UTC)

Original Composer of Canyon.mid
Does anyone remember canyon.mid that shipped with Windows 3.1 up until Windows 95 or 98? Curious as to who the original composer was. I always thought it was Tangerine Dream since it has that cheesy style they turned towards in the 80's and I know their Canyon Dreams album was made in the late 80s or early 90s, but I've since heard Canyon Dreams and now I know that canyon.mid has nothing to do with TD. So who exactly composed this piece of nostalgic stinky cheese that shipped with Windows before it stopped shipping in WinXP? --I am not good at running 08:00, 6 September 2005 (UTC)


 * I don't know, but I stumbled across this page about the guy who wrote REGGAE.MID and JAZZ.MID which I thought was pretty funny. --Fastfission 21:26, 10 September 2005 (UTC)


 * If you have a MIDI sequencer, you can see the following text contained in the file: "Canyon Music &copy; 1991 Passport Designs, Inc. Produced By The Music Data Company". --Bavi H 08:14, 11 September 2005 (UTC)

what is the true date of birth of Edvin Hevonkoski
The date of birth of Edvin Hevonkoski, the Finnish sculptor, doesn't match the date I've found in an online biography (now linked to the article). Does anyone know a good / definitive source for this? Please reply to the article talk page (also). Azikala 13:27, 6 September 2005 (UTC)

BOONE INFORMATION
In your page of information about Daniel Boone, just above "Noted Activities", there is this reference. "On December 31, 1747, Israel Boone married Mary S Wharton who was not herself a Quaker.....and so on.

I need to ask you if you can be very specific about the source of that information. From the work of other researchers, the date of the marriage and Israel's wife's non-Quaker affiliation are accurate. However, no one has ever discovered the name of Israel's wife ( who would be my 5th ggm)

I am trying to coroborate the authenticity of any theoretical name or to uncover the true identity of the unknown wife. I have a 5th cousin who is a direct female to female to female descendant and her mtDNA will be exactly the same as the unknown wife.

Can you authenticate your reference to Mary S Wharton?

Thanks very much.

Power D Custer Jr Okemos, MI


 * You might be best advised to ask on Talk:Daniel Boone, where it'll be seen by people working on that article. This section was added by an anonymous user on Feb.10th this year ; that writer added a lot of text on genealogy to various pages, but didn't seem to give many sources. I have no idea where he got it from. If it is debatable, it's probably best we remove it. Shimgray 17:03, 6 September 2005 (UTC)


 * In other words, sorry. But go Chieftains! - Taxman Talk 17:22, September 7, 2005 (UTC)

Einstein's niece
I.Q. (film) is a movie revolving around Albert Einstein's niece Elizabeth Boyd. Is she fictional ? Einstein's only sibling Maja, didn't have children, so is the neice from one of his cousins ? Jay 18:29, 30 August 2005 (UTC)


 * Jay, I believe she's totally fictional. At least, I have seen no references to any niece of Albert Einstein... On, and actually, the name of the character is Catherine Boyd, instead of Elizabeth. At least, this is what I read on IMDB.com. Milena 19:36, September 6, 2005 (UTC)

Kingman Brewster quotation
There's a wonderful quotation from Brewster, once Yale's president, that appears on his tombstone. It's about assuming the best and not the worst in people, but I'm at a loss for specific words to try to search for it on Google. If someone has a copy of Simpson's Contemporary Quotations, I believe it is in there. Any help? 66.213.119.98 17:50, 6 September 2005 (UTC)


 * You could try browsing our sister project Wikiquote. &mdash; Laura Scudder | Talk 18:11, 6 September 2005 (UTC)


 * How good is your vision? - Nunh-huh 01:40, 7 September 2005 (UTC)

What was the name for philosophy before the Greeks?
Was their an even older name for 'philosophy' before the Greeks? Are there any examples of cultures older than the Greeks who used a word to describe what today we would refer to as philosophy?

--anon


 * I don't think there was anything like philosophy in the west prior to the Ancient Greeks. Our page on Philosophy credits the Pre-Socratic philosophers with the invention of philosophy in the western world. It seems as though Eastern philosophy was invented around the same time as the Pre-Socratics. --best, kevin · · · Kzollman | Talk · · · 00:44, September 7, 2005 (UTC)


 * I don't think Eastern philosophy can be said to have been invented at any particular time, though it certainly reached its peak around 500BCE. The Sanskrit word Dharma, which means 'truth', is probably their equivalent to the western concept of philosophy, so you might like to look at that article. Shantavira 09:34, 7 September 2005 (UTC)

Origin of Italy as a Name
When did Italy become first known as Italy or Italia? The HBO series "Rome" uses the name Italy.
 * See Italy. --jpgordon&#8711;&#8710;&#8711;&#8710; 03:39, 7 September 2005 (UTC)

How do people in your community particpate in their local government?
How do people in your community particpate in their local government?


 * Which community are you enquiring about? If you want to know how to involve yourself perhaps you could visit a council meeting or get in touch with your local political representative --Ballchef 06:11, 7 September 2005 (UTC)


 * I'll give you a response, although I'm not exactly sure what you are after. In my community, Subiaco, Western Australia, people vote in uncompulsory elections for their local government representatives and attend council meetings, or other meetings to discuss changes like new road planning. Your question is dependent on which country's local government you are taking about. --Commander Keane 12:40, September 7, 2005 (UTC)


 * Perhaps he means the Wikipedia community? In which case it's a somewhat ad-hoc mixture of consensus-based democracy, benevolent dictatorship, and we also have a judiciary (see Arbitration). HTH. Meelar (talk) 17:40, September 10, 2005 (UTC)

Anti-Fascist Circle
I'm looking for more information on the Anti-Fascist or Anti-Nationalist Circle. You have a brief description of it in an article of the band Strike Anywhere. What I am looking for is, a bit more of a in-depth meaning, and the origin of this symbol.

The symbol can be described as three arrows on a downward/right angle inside an enclosed circle.

thanks much,

--jamie.


 * You might do better to ask at Talk:Strike Anywhere. Or look through the history of Strike Anywhere, see who added the comment, and ask them. -- Jmabel | Talk 05:09, September 10, 2005 (UTC)

Baz Luhrmann
Does anyone besides for myself consider Baz Luhrmann an Auteur film director? Is it necesary for a film director to have a much larger repertoire to be considered Auteur? --Scapegoat pariah 09:14, 7 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Well, he certainly falls within the remit of the theory as Truffaut originally stated it. --Ngb?!? 11:22, 7 September 2005 (UTC)

Legal System in New Orleans
What impact will Hurricane Katrina have on the legal system and statutes of limitations? Also, is there any law that governs loss of records by an attorney located in the hurricane area that would allow a suit to be filed for damages resulting from that loss of a client's records?


 * Regarding your second question, I don't think so. In order to sue someone, that person has to have done something wrong (whether by commission or omission).  As you've not said exactly what your predicament is, so let's say your legal papers were in your lawyer's office, that you were sueing some third party, and that your papers (including original documents) were destroyed by the flood.  Now, I don't think you're claiming your lawyer deliberately destroyed your documents, or caused the flood himself.  So that leaves omission (i.e. negligence). That comes in if the lawyer has some kind of duty toward you.  A duty can arise for several reasons, but by far the commonest is that you hired him; if you haven't hired him yet, then it's very possible he has no duty to you, or a very limited one.  But lets suppose you have hired (retained) him.  This means he has a duty to look after your papers. It's a duty to take reasonable care of them, and he's breached that duty if he's cared for them in an unreasonable manner.  Reasonable pretty much means "what a normal person would do, when acting with due dilligence".  It would be unreasonable if he kept your papers in a plastic bag inside a toilet cistern, or pinned to his car antenna. Presumably the papers were in a locked filing cabinet in his New Orleans office.  So to show he breached his duty of care (which you need to do in order to sue him) you need to show that storing your papers in that way wasn't reasonable. He'll argue that hundreds of other lawyers and other businesses kept similar records in a similar manner (including, it's likely, the court and the judge in his private practice).  It's reasonable to expect bad hurricanes in Louisiana (but really the hurricane is very unlikely to have done the damage), but it's not reasonable to expect catastrophic floods (clearly almost no-one expected a catastrophic flood). So assuming your lawyer kept your paperwork in his office in a sensible container then I think he acted reasonably, discharged his duty to a sufficient degree, and so you won't prevail if you try to sue him claiming otherwise.


 * There is the matter of insurance. He'll have buildings and contents insurance, and you may be able to claim against that.  Now, normal contents insurance only covers you for the actual value of stuff (either their resale value or their replacement value), and don't cover for "speculative value".  A few bits of paper have a retail value of only a dollar; any monies you might hope to have gained from your lawsuit were speculative, so ordinary contents insurance won't cover you for that. I don't know what kind of insurances lawyers carry, but it's hard to imagine any insurer brave enough to cover such speculative values (the opportunities for massive insurance fraud would be huge). -- Finlay McWalter |  Talk 19:36, September 7, 2005 (UTC)


 * Regarding your first question, I saw on the TV news (I not know how reliable this is), that both Federal Congress and State Legislature passing emergency bills (new laws) so that people arrested in the midst of the crisis, can stay locked up longer than usual, in places other than what would be normal if there was no crisis (such as the Greyhound bus terminal, and a prison in another county), have their cases heard elsewhere in the state than the jurisdiction where their crimes allegedly occurred.
 * Given that 80% of the city was under water, including police stations, court houses, medical examiner offices, district attorney offices, etc. all kinds of evidence needed for use in future trials may have got damaged. This will make it more difficult to convict the guilty, and also more difficult for the innocent to have access to evidence that would prove them innocent (it got destroyed).  Witnesses have also been scattered all over the place. AlMac|(talk) 08:46, 13 September 2005 (UTC)

Is our National Guard Missing?
Where is our National Guard? The news reports say that we have over 300,000 Guard troops serving in the USA. News reports say that 18,000 to 20,000 troops are in and around New Orleans. Yet, these guards do not appear in news casts in any large numbers. One station had to show training footage when discussing the Guard helping in Louisianna. Are we being lied to about our troop strength?

For months now, the Armed Services have stated that recruitment is been down by ten percent. If it is only down by this small number, why is the military offering as much as $20,000 per recruit for specialty jobs? Is it possible that the reason we could not air lift food and supplies to New Orleans is because we do not have the skilled people to load and fly the helicopters?

Secretary of Defence, MacNamara, lied about the number of Viet Cong killed in Viet Nam. He wanted to give the American people the impression that we were winning the war. Is it possible that "Rummy" is falsifying our actual troop strength to make it look like we have enough personnel to wage wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and still protect the American people at home? Is the all volunteer Armed Services a failure in time of war? Will we need to implement the draft in order to have adquate troop strength? How can we find out the truth of the actual readiness of the American Armed Services? ````
 * I would expect the National Guard to be busy with retrieving corpses, which is something the news probably is trying to avoid showing as it's particularly gruesome to watch. Don't immediately assume you're being lied to just because you can't see it on the news. - Mgm|(talk) 20:23, September 7, 2005 (UTC)

It also depends by what "news" you are watching. I generally wouldn't trust TV news for anything. I would highly doubt that it would be possible to falsify military strength numbers without somebody noticing. As far as the 20,000 bonus is concerned, it's a drop in the bucket compared to training expenses and the money spent on the soldier over their three year contract. It's simply a chunk of cash to entice young kids without a ton of money to sign up. I believe the military has been offering large signing bonuses for a long time now.


 * Well, for one thing, there are a lot of national guardsmen in Iraq and Afghanistan right now. Here's a recent news article on the question of National Guardsmen and the hurricane. Unless they're all lying to you... --Fastfission 21:06, 10 September 2005 (UTC)

Clipart copyright
Does anyone know what the copyright status of Microsoft Office clipart images is? Would it cause any problems if anyone used one on a book cover? - Mgm|(talk) 18:23, September 7, 2005 (UTC)


 * A google for "microsoft clip art copyright" yields the following article (at http://www.webmasterworld.com/forum36/1801.htm, although the direct URL may not work) which says "Important note with respect to use of clip art: Certain clip art contained in microsoft products should not be commercially redistributed nor used for commercial purposes.". -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 18:34, September 7, 2005 (UTC)`


 * I suspected as much, but does anyone know how to trace the copyright status of a particular clipart image? - Mgm|(talk) 20:21, September 7, 2005 (UTC)


 * The answer is that you probably can't, because Microsoft Office doesn't usually provide lots of copyright details. You could try e-mailing someone at Microsoft -- but good luck. Is the image one which would be difficult to replace with something similar but free? If you want to try e-mailing it to me I'd be happy to take a look at it and see if I could come up with anything acceptable. --Fastfission 02:45, 14 September 2005 (UTC)

Divorce
Whats the deal with divorcing parents? Can anyone of any age divorce their parents? How about in the UK? --Wonderfool t(c) 22:00, 7 September 2005 (UTC)
 * I don't know about the UK, but in the US, I think what people call divorcing one's parents is really just the minor emancipating. I'm pretty sure It's only called divorce by popular association to that term. I don't think children have any other option to separate from their parents than emancipating. I suppose they could sue for different custody though. The emancipation article is pretty short though. - Taxman Talk 17:50, September 8, 2005 (UTC)
 * I'd also guess that the poster is referring not to divorce but to emancipation of minors. Our short article does litte more than define the term, unfortunately. Details would probably come from a child-welfare authority or family law clinic in your area. I'd bet it's very very rare in reality, despite showing up in popular entertainment every so often. Today, children would be much more likely to be put into a foster home or some other monitored care, depending on what crisis brought their plight to the authorities' attention, than simply emancipated. Sharkford 17:53, 8 September 2005 (UTC)


 * A different guess: The poster may have heard of a psychotherapy method that uses the concept of "divorcing one's parents". It seeks to eliminate negative effects of aspects of one's upbringing.  It's variously referred to as the Fischer-Hoffman Process or the Quadrinity Process (there may be some subtle distinction between those two, which our eventual article should explain).  There's a 1976 book by Robert Hoffman titled Getting Divorced from Mother & Dad: The Discoveries of the Fischer-Hoffman Process (ISBN 0525113282).  I assume that it doesn't involve any change in the parties' legal relationship. JamesMLane 08:29, 12 September 2005 (UTC)

Tennyson
Please tell me in which poem of Tennyson's the phrase "Nature red of tooth and claw" appears. Thank you. Rosemary Molloy paem@comcast.net


 * The piece is In Memoriam, and the text can be found at http://charon.sfsu.edu/tennyson/inmemoriam.html. The line you remember is in section 56. Gareth Hughes 22:36, 7 September 2005 (UTC)

If congress wanted to reduce the number of justices, who would have to leave?

 * I would assume that they'd take the lowest seniority judges first. &mdash; Il&gamma;&alpha;&eta;&epsilon;&rho;   (T&alpha;l&kappa;)  03:58, 8 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Congress can't force Supreme Court justices off the court by reducing the number of seats; they have life tenure (during "good behavior"). The only way Congress could shrink the Supreme Court is by attrition (providing that seats on the Court will not be filled when they become vacant); this actually happened in the 1860s, when the Court was reduced from 10 seats to 8 (later increased again to 9).  See Judicial Circuits Act. --Metropolitan90 06:28, September 8, 2005 (UTC)
 * Oh...so basically at the moment we'd just not fill those two vacant spots. &mdash; Il&gamma;&alpha;&eta;&epsilon;&rho;   (T&alpha;l&kappa;)  02:04, 9 September 2005 (UTC)


 * The "good behavior" clause means that a federal judge (including a Justice of the Supreme Court) can be removed from office through the process of impeachment and conviction. This has happened several times, though never to a member of the Supreme Court.  See Impeachment in the United States for the roster of persons impeached, some of whom were convicted and some not.  Trumping up charges against a Justice when the real goal was to reduce the size of the Supreme Court would be a clear abuse of the impeachment process for political purposes, which hasn't happened anytime this century. JamesMLane 08:38, 12 September 2005 (UTC)

who is the pope
Taking a look at Pope, "The current pope is Benedict XVI (born Joseph Ratzinger)". --Commander Keane 03:07, September 8, 2005 (UTC)

Nominating a US Supreme Court Chief Justice
I thought that the chief justice was the one with the highest seniority in the court...not whoever was nominated to the position. &mdash; Il&gamma;&alpha;&eta;&epsilon;&rho;   (T&alpha;l&kappa;)  03:58, 8 September 2005 (UTC)
 * No, that's not the case. Of the last three Chief Justices, Earl Warren had never even been a judge before he was appointed to the Supreme Court, and Warren Burger was not on the Supreme Court at the time he was appointed Chief Justice.  While William Rehnquist had been on the Court 14 years before becoming Chief Justice, he wasn't the longest-serving justice at the time he became Chief Justice in 1986. William Brennan, Byron White, Thurgood Marshall, and Harry Blackmun had all joined the court before Rehnquist did, and Lewis Powell had taken his seat on the court the same day that Rehnquist did, so Rehnquist was effectively tied for 5th in seniority when he was appointed Chief Justice.  (Maybe he was 6th; I don't know how Powell and Rehnquist differentiated their seniority before Rehnquist became Chief Justice.) --Metropolitan90 06:21, September 8, 2005 (UTC)
 * It's been quite rare for a sitting Associate Justice to be made Chief Justice. In fact, it's only happened three times, Edward Douglass White (elevated 1910) being the first, and then Harlan Fiske Stone in 1941 and then Rehnquist in '86. --jpgordon&#8711;&#8710;&#8711;&#8710; 14:46, 8 September 2005 (UTC)

I know that there is no requirement that a US Supreme Court Justice be a lawyer, but has there ever been a justice who was not a lawyer? Zoe 21:26, September 8, 2005 (UTC)
 * No, every one has been a lawyer. --Metropolitan90 01:45, September 9, 2005 (UTC)

a copy of the poem "O Ama Cong Dios"
You probably mean Con Dios? Via Google's cache I found:

O Ama con Dios O gran Dios mi Padre tolongan aco quered ayudarme amponin aco sedme favorable nang mayari ito porque esto se acabe at icao ang ang purihin y a vos os alaben.

82.210.117.215 08:35, 10 September 2005 (UTC)

Essai sur les données immédiates de la conscience
( 419.fcd@usss.treas.gov )

Sirs: I find it STRIKING! that an essay on Henri Bergson's "Essai sur les données immédiates de la conscience (Time and Free Will), 1889 is MISSING. Shocking. Flabberghasted. For me, this is none less then the second most influential work on philosophy in the western world. This essay essentially changed my life dramatically from the moment I read an arguibly poor translation. ( I have heard it had a similar effect on William James ). SO: What to do? 1) Learn the structure and flavor of expounding and refrencing philoposiphal thought on wikipedia. 2) Find out from 'Bibliothèque nationale de France' Who made the difinitive translation for both cross refrencing, and footnoting. 3) Practice both the wikipedia system merhanics, and writing along the guide lines. 4) submit a porposal for the article 5) recieve feedback on clairfications and corrections. 6) Include these in the update of the article.

One MUST consider that not only was this essay one of the most influential, but also one of the most controversial before the first world war, it caused riots in Paris.
 * There's nothing wrong with discussing an important essay, but please remember that primary source material belongs at WikiSource and that Wikipedia is an encyclopedia which discusses the topic, and not publish the material itself. - Mgm|(talk) 08:23, September 8, 2005 (UTC)


 * Yeah, I'd say you've pretty much got it, except Wikipedia article's aren't essays, they are a collection of facts about a topic. So you'd need to cite prominent scholar's opinions of the work, not your own. Then for 4, why not just create the article instead, and then let others help you edit it to conform to Wikipedia's style and formatting conventions. You may want to see Welcome and the core policies to get started. - Taxman Talk 17:38, September 8, 2005 (UTC)
 * Of course Wikisource already has the full text of Bergson's essay (in French). David Sneek 18:24, 8 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Also, one quick note: Since posting my email address, I have been inundated by FourOneNineScammers Advance Fee Fraud...so I made a nice pot of honey for them, and they bit! Artoftransformation 00:04, 30 October 2005 (UTC)

Ben Jonson quote on horses
Hi

I need to correctly cite the source of a quote:

"Ask me for poetry in motion, and I will show you the horse".

I understand this is by Ben Jonson, but can't find the source. Could anyone confirm this is indeed by him, please?

Thank you

Dea at The Competitive Edge


 * You could try searching our sister project Wikiquote. Thryduulf 15:16, 9 September 2005 (UTC)

Kansas City not St. Louis
I was looking at Wikipedia's State, Capital, & Largest City section and it has St. Louis listed as Missouri's largest city. I believe, according to the 2000 census and 2005 projections, that Kansas City is both larger in population and square milage.

Could someone check on this and make the correction?

Thank You.

Brad Coppula

You appear to be right. Our articles for both cities indicate that Kansas City has the larger population, both in 2000 and now. You can make the change yourself, though. Which article were you referring to? Zoe 21:33, September 8, 2005 (UTC)

First US Navy jet aircraft
I've looked at this website's entries for the first US Navy jet aircraft. Both the F-1 Phantom and F-3 Fury are listed as the first. Looking at the entries and the US Navy Historical Center the correct answer is the F-1 Phantom is the first jet of the US Navy. It's dates for contract, first flight, first carrier deck landing and acceptance for operational use and assignment to a squadron all preceded that of the F-3 Fury. The Phantom had a short service life and was retired prior to the acceptance of the F-3 Fury and was replaced by the F-2 Banshee. The F-1 Phantom and it's sister the F-2 Banshee have stright wings and the F-3 Fury has sweept wings which were influenced by the Mersershmitt 262 Swallow enginers thre Operation Paperclip. -Nathan Ard

Babylonian-Assyrian Water Gods
Hi there. I have ben attempting to do some research on the Babylonian-Assyrian Water Gods...Cannot find satisfactory answers to my questions...Specifically, during the time of "Adad", "Nanshe", and "Nusku"...who would have been a formidable God of the waters (rain, ocean, sea, rivers)...We have all heard about Neptune - (Poseidon)...but am particularily interest in the Gods of water who would be associated with ADAD. HELP!!!!!

Many thanks!

Martine Gibbons """" email:


 * You could browse Category:Sumerian deities and Category:Akkadian deities (both of which Adad is listed in) until you found one comparable to Neptune. It might be Enki you're looking for.  &mdash; Laura Scudder | Talk 19:56, 8 September 2005 (UTC)

Great Gatsby in German?
Does anyone know of a place online where one can find the complete text of the Great Gatsby in German? I would think that there must be some kind of repository for free classics like there is in English for the german-speaking population. Thanks in advance. Refrence: http://www.online-literature.com/fitzgerald/greatgatsby/
 * I would guess that is still copyrighted, and unlike to be on line, at least legally. -- Jmabel | Talk 06:40, September 9, 2005 (UTC)
 * "July 9th, 2002 - We have just been informed that this book is still in copyright ...."
 * There are a lot of F Scott Fizgerald's online: http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/book/search?author=fitzgerald+f+scott&amode=start

Governments Imposed by Conquering Powers
Are there any examples of governments imposed by conquering powers or imperialism that have been fairly successful?
 * It depends of course on how you define "successful", but, yes, I think there are quite a few examples of this. The Kádár government for example, installed by the Soviet Union in Hungary, was stable and in control. David Sneek 20:52, 8 September 2005 (UTC)

The government imposed on the Confederate States of America by the United States government seems to be pretty successful. Zoe 21:36, September 8, 2005 (UTC)

Nearly every government in the world was established completely or largely as a result of conquest and/or imperialistic expansion: Canada, US, Mexico, and on south; Ireland, UK, France, and on through most of Europe; Morocco, Algeria, etc through most of Africa; Turkey, India, etc into Asia; Australia and Japan certainly. It's harder to think of exceptions than examples. Maybe Iceland, if there were no permanent settlements of Inuits there before the Norse. alteripse 14:13, 10 September 2005 (UTC)


 * The French govt. in Algeria was a failure, and so was the British-installed govt. in Iraq (overthrown in 1953; see History of Iraq). Generally, it depends on what you mean by "failure"--over the long run, every government is a failure, in the sense that none of them will endure forever. Meelar (talk) 17:30, September 10, 2005 (UTC)


 * You are certainly correct that all governments ultimately fail and are replaced, so no government can be said to be successful if your criterion is "enduring forever". When an election or a revolution occurs you can say it is a "new government" but it is still likely to preserve substantial structures, functions, and/or people from the previous government. You cite Algeria and Iraq as failures, but the very existences of the countries of Algeria and Iraq are direct products of imperialism. Offer some other examples that were not largely the result of either conquest or imperialism. alteripse 18:03, 10 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Germany, Italy, and Japan today seem healthy (all 3 defeated in WW II) although all WW II combatants had a rough ride in the early post war and particularly Germany during the Cold War.
 * Territories conquered by Romans dindn't have trouble until the Romans left. European powers did an equally poor job (as the Romans) in preparing their colonies for independence, because there was no such plan for independence until events overtook the colonists. AlMac|(talk) 08:59, 13 September 2005 (UTC)

the thirteen colonies
which colonies adopted a theocracy as thie political organization?
 * At what date? Several New England colonies began as theocracies; none were theocracies by the time of the Revolution. -- Jmabel | Talk 06:44, September 9, 2005 (UTC)

continential divide
i need informatrion on the C.D please


 * Look at continental divide, Continental Divide and Continental Divide (movie). Gareth Hughes 23:31, 8 September 2005 (UTC)

Experience needed to be a B-29 Pilot in World War II
As we know, the B-29 were used exclusivly in the Pacific. My question is what were the requirements to be a pilot of that plane, specifically was prior combat B-17/24 exprience necessary? I know that Paul Tibbets flew in Europe, while the pilot of the Memphsis Belle, also flew over Japan. In other words was it a 'must' to qualify, or was it just a bonus.


 * You can find some info on B-29 (follow the links on the External links section. &asymp; jossi &asymp; 22:07, 21 September 2005 (UTC)


 * No nothing there. Checked.

Picture of a Solider
Hi, I need a picture of a United States Air Force Officer that would be serving around Rome (if that makes a difference) during World War II. The reason I ask is that I have to make a 'movie trailer' for the book Catch-22 and I'm making a flash movie, for which I need a reference picture. &mdash; Il&gamma;&alpha;&eta;&epsilon;&rho;   (T&alpha;l&kappa;)  00:26, 9 September 2005 (UTC)
 * How about this one? David Sneek 07:50, 9 September 2005 (UTC)
 * It'd be nice if I could get his whole body so I can draw out the uniform. &mdash; Il&gamma;&alpha;&eta;&epsilon;&rho;   (T&alpha;l&kappa;)  20:26, 10 September 2005 (UTC)


 * You can seach the wikimedia commons &asymp; jossi &asymp; 22:10, 21 September 2005 (UTC)

John Dean about John Dean
http://writ.news.findlaw.com/dean/20050909.html


 * There are exceptions, however: When I read the 'Wikipedia' entry for myself, for example, I found it falsely states that in 1995, I admitted that my book Blind Ambition was ghost-written. Not only did I never make such an admission, but the book was not, in fact, ghost-written. Obviously, I could make a submission to Wikipedia to correct this misinformation, but so far, I've held off, for I am more curious to see if the open sourcing is self-correcting, than I am concerned about the error. Maybe my entry will next read that my last five books, and my columns, were ghost-written as well. 'For now, I'll just watch and wait, for seeing if this error is corrected, will help me judge the reliability of research with open source tools'.

Did he let ghost-write his books? -- 84.176.195.148 09:29, 9 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Since there's beeen no response to this yet, I added some bolding in the hope that someone would notice it. --bodnotbod 03:27, 19 September 2005 (UTC)

The concept of civilized poor people
The concept of civilized poor people

The New Orleans human tragedy makes me put some questions. Many poor people stayed in town. It was said they had no money or cars to go away. But one element was never discussed: the behaviour of – what I would like to name – the civilized poor people.

I found as follow: - civilized poor people have lost reflexes of bushmen and nomads; - they live in very little units, they have lost their clan with a chief and a counsel of the oldest, telling them what to do next; - civilized poor people learned already the rules of social Darwinism; - and they are told that it is their own fault to be poor; - civilized poor people living in an organized city with some richness (of others) have learned that it is normal that administrations have not much care for them; - they are just lost people without structure: no own inner structures how to manage the world, and no social structures around them, adapted to the new situation, to be safe with (as happened in New Orleans); - civilized poor people never go to places not prepared for them, they never leave a known place for an unknown place. They behave like these animals you find at night on the road running in the lights of your car, not able to run to the side of the road, into the dark

My statement: the richest level of this humanity find a PROFIT with this civilised poor people, giving them humans easy to be manipulated.

My questions: 1) What is YOUR definition of ‘civilized poor people’? Please add your view? 2) how do we can help poor people to develop themselves enough inner structure for the ability of self decision in a crisis? In addition: 3) how can we force the preparation good crisis managements worldwide? In all cities showing natural dangers? 4) In other words, how to stop the misuse of poor people? Thanks, Heidi


 * Please see No original research and What Wikipedia is not. In summary, this is an encyclopedia, not a discussion forum or place for publication of op-ed pieces, polemical essays or sociological research.  That is, Wikipedia is a "secondary source" of information that compiles and summarizes information originating in other "primary sources" (scientific journals, books, newspapers, etc).  The issues you raise may be worthy topics of discussion, but they are not topics for Wikipedia articles. -- Curps 15:29, 9 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Why on earth would this only apply to poor people? Strip away all of the wealth and social structure of any typical person who has been raised in a typical large city and you'll find the same thing happens. --Fastfission 21:10, 10 September 2005 (UTC)

Where is Livonia, Michigan, USA?
I couldn't find any information on Livonia, Michigan in the Wikifiles. Could this entry be added?
 * We already have an article on Livonia, Michigan. Perhaps you misspelled your search query? Thryduulf 15:11, 9 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Yeah, the article is not much, but if you're wondering, it's considered a nice place to live, and I just added that to the article. It's the 8th largest city in Michigan actually. - Taxman Talk 00:18, September 10, 2005 (UTC)

"Cædmon" etymology from proto-Welsh
If anyone has a clue about this, see Talk:Cædmon regarding an undefined ("private use area") Unicode character. Also asking at Reference desk/Language. -- Curps 15:23, 9 September 2005 (UTC)


 * User:Angr has supplied a solution, see Talk:Cædmon -- Curps 07:01, 10 September 2005 (UTC)

Modernism
no question
 * DId you try readiing our article on Modernism? Bovlb 05:42:01, 2005-09-10 (UTC)

U.S. Purchase of Alaska
Your information states that Alaska was purchased in 1867 for $7.2 mil, and that in 2002 dollars, this would be worth $86.7 mil. Do you know what the value would be in 2005 dollars, or how I could calculate this? Thank you Stephen B.


 * Three years of inflation at about three and a half percent is about a 11% increase, so call it about $96m. However... that figure was probably originally calculated using the consumer price index, which whilst useful for calculating small things (like how people's salaries compare) is fairly meaningless for calculating major national expenditures like, say, buying Alaska. has a decent discussion on this.
 * Using the link above gives you various alternative methods to calculate the cost, which place it anywhere between three-quarters of a billion dollars and ten billion. I suspect "fraction of GDP" is the most reasonable method - it cost x% of the economy to buy Alaska then, how much is x% of the economy today? - but I'm not an economist. Ninety-odd million, however, is a fairly meaningless figure in this context. Shimgray 13:27, 10 September 2005 (UTC)


 * What Shimgray is thinking of is called the GDP deflator; see that article for a full discussion of this. Meelar (talk) 21:57, September 10, 2005 (UTC)


 * Nah, it's not the GDP deflator - that gives around eighty million. The difference between the GDP deflator and CPI is real, but it's not greatly significiant on this scale. Try playing around with the calculator at that link and you'll get an idea of the order(s) of magnitude involved... Shimgray 22:08, 10 September 2005 (UTC)

Help on Assignment
I am taking a course to get my bachelors in criminal justice. I need a certain answer to a question i cannot find anything about. The patriot act and what it allows law enfocement to do. Please help me. Crystal--CSSDWilson@netzero.com

Try the article: USA PATRIOT Act You're welcome. alteripse 17:03, 10 September 2005 (UTC)

On Tax cuts and benefits
Below is an excerpt fromyour page re: tax cuts.

I am wondering would you have any additional information on: A) Implications of Economies of scale versus taxation policy.

B) Any updated inofrmation in regard to the impact of GW Bush's recent     tax cuts?  i.e are they working? or are they much like Reagan's

C) Tax cuts and no reducedspending seems a budgetary nightmare? Any info to support that contention?

THANK YOU FOR A GRAND SITE. IT IS THE BEST, PERIOD!!!

don drdregan@aol.com

However, real (inflation-corrected) tax revenues dropped from 1981 to 1983 and did not surpass their 1981 level until 1985 (as shown in Table 1.3 in the Historical Tables of the 2006 U.S Budget). [1] Even this recovery was arguably helped by the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982, the Social Security Amendments of 1983, and the Deficit Reduction Act of 1984, all of which were estimated to have a positive effect on revenues. [2] In addition, the federal deficit grew from 2.6% of GDP in 1981 to 6.0% of GDP in 1983. It began shrinking steadily after 1992, becoming a surplus in 1998. However, this was after tax bills in 1990 and 1993 which raised the top marginal tax rate. [3] Despite all of this apparent evidence to the contrary, there are some who credit the Reagan tax cuts with the eventual surpluses of the 1990s [4] Democratic Governor Bill Richardson in recent years has advocated tax cuts to spur job growth.

Monarch in Prussia
In the Frederic section and in Kingdom of Prussia, the title of at least Frederick I of Prussia was King in Prussia, not King of Prussia. Anything I don't know?

Lee S. Svoboda 18:01, 10 September 2005 (UTC)
 * de:Friedrich I., König in Preußen says he was not allowed to call himself King of Prussia and had to use King in Prussia instead. The reason given there is that Ostpreußen, which he controlled, was neither part of the German Empire nor the Kingdom of Poland. (I don't really understand it) -83.129.26.142 23:17, 10 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Actually, the explanation in the English Wikipedia is better than the German one. Svoboda, try the third paragraph...
 * Friedrich wished to become a king instead of a mere elector-prince. However, no kingdoms could exist in the Holy Roman Empire (with the notable exception of Bohemia). Friedrich convinced the archduke of Austria (and Holy Roman Emperor) to allow him to become king of Prussia in exchange for an alliance against France. The argument was that Prussia had never belonged to the "Holy Roman Empire of German Nation" and therefore there was nothing stopping the elector-prince of Brandenburg also being King of Prussia (the Emperor himself was also King of Hungary, outside of the Empire). To indicate that Friedrich's royalty was limited to Prussia and did not reduce the rights of the Emperor in Friedrich's German territories, he had to call himself "king in Prussia".
 * &mdash; [[Image:Flag of Austria.svg|15px]] ナイトスタリオン ㇳ–ㇰ &mdash; 23:47, 10 September 2005 (UTC)
 * You are right, the de. Artikel needs to be fixed. It even says Deutsches Reich which did not existed at this time. -83.129.26.142 00:14, 11 September 2005 (UTC)

British naval history
What is the "Acts of War"? I think it's a document regarding conduct of officers during times of war.

Thank you, k1of7


 * You may be thinking of the Articles of War, which are essentially the same as modern "rules of engagement" - they're the standard regulations applied in times of war. Shimgray 19:07, 10 September 2005 (UTC)

Past U.S. congressmen
I'm doing some work which involves a past U.S. congressmen &mdash; a Mr. Charles B. Smith (wonderfully generic name), who in 1917 was Chairman of the House Committee on Patents. That's all I really have on him. Any idea where I can find his party affiliation and what state he was from? --Fastfission 21:00, 10 September 2005 (UTC)


 * The Congressional Biographical Dictionary is great in these instances; here's the entry for Smith. Looks like he was a Democrat from New York, almost certainly upstate judging from his biography. Best wishes, Meelar (talk) 21:54, September 10, 2005 (UTC)


 * Awesome -- that's the sort of resource I was looking for. Very helpful. --Fastfission 22:14, 10 September 2005 (UTC)

definition of Acrostic poetry.
What is the definition/description of an Acrostic poem...I've been told that the title of the poem isn't the same as the one spelled out by the first letter of each line, which is the actual title and I've been told the title is written both as the main title and the encrypted one. Thankyou anyone who can help me with this. whtlgtng2491@yahoo.com
 * Well, I am not an expert on this, but I think the word or phrase that is spelled out need not be the same as the title, and in fact may have nothing to do with the title. So you shouldn't even refer to it as the (encrypted) title. So, I think what is meant by the title of an acrostic poem is the same as of any other poem: that line in all caps or title case in the center before the beginning of the poem:) Now, I suppose if there is no title provided by the author, a poem maybe referred to by the message spelled out by the first letters of each line. Ornil 04:51, 12 September 2005 (UTC)

knowing how to fly a flag
how do non-government places--car dealerships and other business for example-- know that it's time to fly a flag at half mast, and for how long? Some of the rules are kind of obvious, but some are a little more obscure, or maybe the business owner just hasn't been paying attention to the news. Yet, when when something happens (as the death of Chief Rehnquist last week), all the flags seem to instanteously be flown appropriately....

Just something I noticed this week.

Thanks! --Lis


 * The President issued two proclamations earlier this week, stating that flags were to fly at half-mast. whitehouse.gov will have the announcements somewhere... At a guess, though, I would suggest "keep an eye on the nearest government building and follow their lead". Shimgray 23:51, 11 September 2005 (UTC)

property dispute
my father gave me 5 acres of land 20 years ago, he said to where me and my son would always have a place to stay, i have since put a mobile home here and have built on to my house...i have invested alot of money in what is suppose to be my home...I was told from the beginning it was my home and every time they get mad at me they start telling me I have to leave, that they are gonna see what they can do to have me removed..the way i understood it was that once a person lived somewhere after so many years and under the assumption that it was their home, that it is their home...Does he have the right to make me leave my home?

You need a lawyer, who will ask you whether you have anything in writing. If not, your common law rights may be pretty minimal despite the "improvement" on the property. Good luck. alteripse 03:46, 12 September 2005 (UTC)
 * I am not a lawyer, and Wikipedia is not a good place for legal advice, but it sounds to me as if you're referring to estoppel. I second the advice to get a lawyer.  In some places, you can get initial legal advice for free.  Bovlb 05:03:17, 2005-09-12 (UTC)


 * You may be talking about adverse possession. There are some situations in which a claim of adverse possession would be accepted in some U.S. states but rejected in others, so, even if you're in the United States, your question can't be authoritatively answered except by someone knowledgeable in your state's law. JamesMLane 09:09, 12 September 2005 (UTC)

George C Scott as a Producer
Did Mr Scott produce only films, or did he also produce for the stage? I know he acted in both. Trying to disambiguate the use of the word Producer in his article. -- 01:38, September 12, 2005 (UTC)
 * The Internet Broadway Database shows Scott as director and actor, and one listing as "staged by", but no production credits. --jpgordon&#8711;&#8710;&#8711;&#8710; 22:24, 13 September 2005 (UTC)

Where can I find the history of Jackson, Alabama for the early 1900's?
Jackson, Alabama is not very large, but it has a library:. You could start by talking to the librarian. According to this site it has a local history and genealogy collection. The second source would be files of the local newspaper, the South Alabamian. Period papers might be held by the library or the current local newspaper. alteripse 05:10, 12 September 2005 (UTC)

upright grand pianos
What is the difference in the construction of a grand piano and an upright grand piano?
 * Differences in construction are discussed in the article on pianos. --Allen3 talk 12:17, 22 September 2005 (UTC)

Members of Parliment residing in or near Perth, W.A.
Please provide a list of all members of Parliment who reside in or near Perth, W.A. Thank you, signed, Ned Wolf


 * Do you mean Federal MP's or State MP's? For the Federal variety, you could try aph.gov.au/whoswho. For the State type, try going to parliament.wa.gov.au and folowing the links to members. If your are more specific we can help you further. --Commander Keane 15:27, September 12, 2005 (UTC)

US citizenship of individual states?
I have given up all hope of where to find this, and it being Monday morning my brain is about to melt anyway.

I'm currently writing something which, in passing, mentions a court case in Delaware which ruled that a law stating it only applied to citizens of the state was unconstitutional. What I'm trying to find out is - what exactly does state citizenship mean? It seems to be defined fluidly - if someone live in Denver all their life they're obviously not a citizen of Illinois, but would they be considered one immediately on moving to IL? After residing there a fixed number of years? After doing [some specific bit of paperwork] there? Does it matter if they're an unaccompanied minor?

I understand this may vary between states; what's the general case, if any? Many thanks. Shimgray 10:51, 12 September 2005 (UTC)

There are no state citizenship papers. One is a resident, rather than a citizen, of a state. Generally when a state law wants to specify a resident for a benefit such as welfare or in-state tuition, or how soon you must get your driver license, or when you are eligible to run for state office, or where you must live to hold state office, each individual law will specify the "residency requirement" for that statutory purpose. alteripse 11:05, 12 September 2005 (UTC)


 * If there is no state citizenship, you guys really ought to fix the constitution, 'cause it thinks you have it... (14th Amendment: "citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside"; also Article IV, "The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States") ;-). That said, my reading is currently suggesting that to most intents and purposes, resident=citizen... hmm hmm. Shimgray 11:22, 12 September 2005 (UTC)

Agreed, in this context the words are pretty interchangeable. If you asked most Americans to complete the following sentence: I am a citizen of ____ and resident of ____, I suspect over 90% of us would put United States in the first blank and a particular state in the second blank. Numbers might have been a bit reversed back about 150 years ago, at least in certain parts of the country. alteripse 12:41, 12 September 2005 (UTC)

Resident does not mean the same thing as citizen since many residents (e.g., recent immigrants) are not citizens. I can't speak for the US, but in Canada, one is a Canadian citizen, but in order to qualify for certian benefits in a province, such as health care and voting, one has to be a Canadian citizen who has been resident in the province for a period of time, usually 3 - 6 months. So if I move from Ontario to Quebec, I cannot vote or obtain public health care in Quebec until I've lived there for a short while, even though I am a Canadian citizen. It may well be the same in the US. Ground Zero | t 17:35, 12 September 2005 (UTC)


 * A bit off-topic I know, but the last section interested me: if you do move from one province/territory to another, and you fall ill shortly afterwards, then where do you get your healthcare from? Loganberry (Talk) 14:58, 13 September 2005 (UTC)
 * If you need immediate care, it will be provided in the province you now reside, but will be paid for by the province you are officially a resident of. For elective procedures you either have to return your original province, or wait until you meet the residency requirements of the new one. - SimonP 18:25, 13 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Sorry, I was unclear - in most legal circumstances, "citizen of the US resident in $state = citizen of $state"; I'm aware foreign nationals skew things significantly. Unfortunately, as the context is universities, there's enough foreign nationals kicking around to screw things up... ah, well. I settled for saying it was ill-defined, but screwed over resident aliens regardless. Shimgray 18:17, 12 September 2005 (UTC)

Indemnity Payments
Good morning. Could you please tell me, what are the possible reasons a company would want an indemnity payment repaid?

Thank you for your help.

Shari D.


 * You may have to be more specific about what you want, because "indemnity payment" could apply in a number of contexts. The most common is in insurance, so I will answer with an example based on that. If say you insure property from two insurers each for the full amount and they both pay you for the loss, one or both of them will try to get you to repay the payment because you have recieved twice the amount that would indemnify you for the loss. Or if you get a larger payment from a single insurer than it is determined the loss is for, the extra amount may have to be repaid. If that doesn't help check out our Indemnification and Indemnity articles which are a bit overlapping. - Taxman Talk 15:23, 17 September 2005 (UTC)

circa 1930's St.Louis Cardinals farm teams
Can you provide a list of the farm teams; A, AA, & AAA, that The St. Louis Cardinals had in the 1930's. I specifically would like rosters, but would be happy to be given a further source to contact for that info. Ultimately looking for info on Joseph Stanley Conaway/pitcher; known either by Joe or Stan, born 1910, listing Moville or Kingsley, Iowa his home. Thanks for any info.

kaiser wilhelm II
I am looking for the article or quote from the Kaiser where he planned to walk through the Eastern gate in Jerusalem. Also what prevented this from occuring? Thank you.


 * According to this site, referring to the Jaffa Gate or Bab el Khalil: "In 1898 the German Kaiser, Wilhelm II, could not get his entourage of horses, wagons and decorated coaches through the gate. As with most gates, a sharp left turn was required. This turn was a way to slow intruders in case of an enemy attack that might have broken through the fortified doors. So the wall of the city next to the gate was broken open. The German Kaiser's convoy was then able to enter the city directly. Tradition suggests that the removed stones of the wall were reused to build a German Lutheran church close to the holy sepulcher." Other sites also say the wall next to the gate was torn down and a moat filled in 1898 by Sultan Abdul Hamid, so that Kaiser Wilhelm II could ride into the city in his carriage. This at least gives you a time frame for looking for the quotation. - Nunh-huh 01:30, 14 September 2005 (UTC)

Presidential Pardons
[Ha]s any president [ever] terminated [the] life sentence of a criminal? (orignal question by 67.68.51.237 at Ask a question; modified slightly for clarity. Superm401 | Talk 03:21, September 13, 2005 (UTC))
 * Yes. Harry S Truman in 1952 commuted the death penalty of Oscar Collazo, who attempted to assassinate Truman in 1950. Also, Andrew Johnson commuted the life sentence of Samuel Mudd. There might be others -- in particular, the participants in the Whiskey Rebellion, pardoned by George Washington; the leaders were convicted of treason, which generally has rather extreme penalties, but I haven't found the details of their sentences. --jpgordon&#8711;&#8710;&#8711;&#8710; 22:17, 13 September 2005 (UTC)

information on a book
Hello, I am trying to find any information on a book titled "For Honor and Life" By William Westall. It was published in 1894 by Harper & Brothers it is a Novel I can find his other books I have searched all the archives and no one knows anything about this book. Any information will be very helpful. I am a book dealer and I am trying to find out the value to this book Thank you Virginia Dennett Old Country Books Landaff, NH    03585 oldcountrybooks@adelphia.net (formatted for clarity - Mgm|(talk) 08:09, 13 September 2005 (UTC))
 * Her Two Millions
 * A Fair Crusader
 * A Phantom City
 * and Birch Dene


 * I know nothing about the value of books, but there is a copy of it in the Harvard library system. It was 260 pages long and published in New York, if that is of any help. That seems to be the only other info the database record has that you don't already have. --Fastfission 19:55, 13 September 2005 (UTC)


 * You should also look for this as "For Honour and Life". --jpgordon&#8711;&#8710;&#8711;&#8710; 22:33, 13 September 2005 (UTC)


 * OK, I'll bite. Why search for an obscure American novel title under a Brit spelling? alteripse 23:47, 13 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Because it was also published as Westall, William: For honour and life : a tale of the terror; London : Osgood, McIlvaine & Co., 1894? And William Westall was a Brit? Lupo 11:54, 14 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Yes, the book being by a British author and originally published in Britain would be a good reason. Proto t c 10:38, 15 September 2005 (UTC)

A city in Lithuania called Plunjan
I am looking for information about a city in Lithuania called Plunjan. It is very possible that the name has changed but I know it was called by this name in the early 20th century. Thankyou David


 * The closest I can think of is Plungė, which seems to have been called "Płungian" in Yiddish (transliterated) or Pługiniany in Polish. It may also have been called "Plumjan", based on .  In Hebrew (if I've entered it correctly): פלונגיאן


 * -- Curps 06:14, 13 September 2005 (UTC)

The Sex Pistols song "Bodies"
Can some one plz create an article on the song "Bodies" by Sex Pistols...thank--Matt
 * I have added the song to requested articles (here). Perhaps you could try asking about at it WikiProject Songs. Have you seen the album article Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols, maybe you could ask on the talk page there too? --Commander Keane 09:52, 13 September 2005 (UTC)

Parliament of Pokok Sena
I badly need some information about this constituency. i had called several offices which related, until finally i get tired. This is for my assignment. Information that i need is, population(specifically for this constituency), infrastucture, some information about eligible voter like the races and its percentage, election result, any anything related. I had called 4 different offices. Their answer: we're busy. Mine: tired... Whilke my due date: this monday!!!


 * A good starting point would be determine what country this is in. Go to the Wikipedia article for that country and see if there is an article on its subdivisions (states, oprovices, counties, etc.) There may be quite a bit of information there already. You may also check the websites of newspapers and TV or radio stations in the area. they may have the most up-to-date information. Ground Zero | t 18:37, 13 September 2005 (UTC)

Feeling of guilt
Is feeling of guilt culture-specific? Or are there some fundamental ones that occur to every human being that commits a crime "moral error"? -- Sundar \talk \contribs 08:50, 13 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Well, I know nothing of the anthropology of guilt, but two things which come to mind:
 * 1. A "crime" need not induce guilt -- a crime is a just a law imposed by society, not necessarily related to ethical or moral questions. Guilt usually relates to some perceived ethical or moral error, not a legal one. I feel no guilt when I don't think I've done something "wrong", even if my government thinks it is "wrong" (for whatever reason). The man who steals to feed his family likely feels no guilt, though he commits a crime.
 * 2. In his Descent of Man, Charles Darwin argued that even lower mammals seemed to exhibit symptoms of what we'd call "guilt". Of course, zoologists would caution us not to ascribe human emotions to animals without compelling reason, but it's hard for me to say that my dog doesn't exhibit exactly what I'd consider "guilt" in a human (or child) when I get home and find she's gotten into the trash can. He wrote extensively on guilt in animals and people, as he saw it as a fundamental link to the mental processes connected with ethics and morality, which he saw as universally present (even if the exact ethics and morals were not universally agreed upon). Just some food for thought.
 * Perhaps somebody else has a concrete answer. I would speculate that feelings of "good" and "bad" are present throughout the human species and probably throughout other species of mammals (though again, we all likely disagree on what exactly is good and bad), and with these might come what we call "guilt", but I'm just speculating wildly. --Fastfission 19:15, 13 September 2005 (UTC)


 * I was wrong in using the word crime to mean a "moral error". Waiting for others' examples of fundamental notions of "good" and "bad" if any. -- Sundar \talk \contribs 06:29, 14 September 2005 (UTC)

current events
First, congratulations. It´s a very good job. I think it should be important that you put in your informations, current events from music artists day by day, like birth, death and other things. Specially from artists around the world music. Thank you. César from Brazil.
 * I've sent them an email pointing them to the Music portal. - Mgm|(talk) 18:40, 13 September 2005 (UTC)

Another legislative question
How would I find out when a given bill was signed into law by the President? That is, I have the Senate version of a bill (say, S.2342) and a House version of a bill (H.R. 9543), both of which are passed in their respective chambers. In the end, I get a Public Law, which says something like, "October 6, 1932 [S. 2342] -- [Public, No. 78]. Chap. 82 -- An Act Authorizing the doing such-and such. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That at the discretion of so-and-so he may do such-and-such. Approve, October 6, 1932." Does that meant that it was signed by the President on October 6, 1932, or that it was finalized by both branches of Congress at that point (or by their little committee that works out differences between the bills)? Especially since the Senate version of the bill (the latter of the two to pass) in this instance seems to have passed it about month earlier. Thoughts? My memory of Government and Economics class from high school has not prepared me to feel confident in my answer on this, though I suspect the October date is when it was signed by the President (it wouldn't become a Public Law until then, right?). --Fastfission 19:22, 13 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Just a thought - wouldn't it be simplest to find a recent piece of legislation, then look for (say) White House as to when it was signed into law, and compare the dates? Shimgray 19:54, 13 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Hey, good idea! I'll give that a shot. --Fastfission 19:58, 13 September 2005 (UTC)


 * That did the trick. Good suggestion. Yes, when it is listed as "public law", that's the date of when it was signed into law by the president. --Fastfission 02:22, 14 September 2005 (UTC)

Brothers Grimm religion
My 9 year old is doing a report on the Brothers Grimm and one of the questions is what religion were they. I have searched extensively and cannot find this information. Can you please tell me what Religion the Brothers Grimm were. Paula C.


 * You'd guess from the region and time they lived it would be Lutheran, and that seems to be the case. See this page for a discussion of their religious background (about halfway down); their father was a pastor of a "Reformed Lutheran" church. - Nunh-huh 01:12, 14 September 2005 (UTC)

Nice quick citation, but let's pick some nits. Notice what the question was: what was their religion? Their religion was Christianity. Reformed Lutheranism was a forced amalgamation of the Evangelische church (the Lutherans) and the Reformed church because Frederick or some one in charge early in the 19th century got tired of the government supporting two parallel protestant denominations and forced their consolidation. So it became uncommon in Germany by the mid-19th century for people to consider themselves purely Lutheran or purely Reformed as was still customary in the US. In fact, the Missouri Synod of he Lutheran Church was started by German immigrants who fled to avoid this consolidation. And the reason Nunh-hunh emphasized the importance of the region, is a reference to the formula that ended the Thirty Years' War: cuius regio eius religio. Which actually recognizes that denomination was sometimes referred to as religio back then, so it was a pretty good answer after all. alteripse 02:46, 14 September 2005 (UTC)


 * And yours is rather more informative...though I think a bit advanced for a nine-year-old - Nunh-huh 03:23, 14 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Besides, cuius regio eius religio was used already in the Peace of Augsburg, which ended the religious wars in the Holy Roman Empire in 1555, long before the Thirty Years' War had even begun&mdash;the underlying principle is older, however, and has seen precedents elsewhere, such as in the Reformation in Switzerland. But now we've really strayed far... Lupo 11:47, 14 September 2005 (UTC)

Taxes
I recently received a one-time payment of $1600 for a job I did (this is in the U.S.,mind you). The people paying me it withheld 24% of it for taxes, about $300 federal and $80 state. This seems excessive to me -- did I screw up in my withholding form? Or is this a reasonable amount? (I don't earn very much per year, mind you, I'm a poor graduate student) Or has it just been that long since I received a normal paycheck that I've forgotten how deep the federal taxes gouge? --Fastfission 02:30, 14 September 2005 (UTC)

It sounds about normal to me. I hear it's worse in Europe.. alteripse 02:32, 14 September 2005 (UTC)
 * I know this wasn't a question, but I thought I'd respond anyway. Our article on tax rates around the world concentrates on income tax levels without documenting threshholds, which seems a rather sterile comparison to me.  More interesting, I feel, is to compare the overall tax burden as a fraction of GDP.  This table indicates that the US is among the lowest in the First World, alongside Mexico, Japan and Korea, at about 25%.  Europe is higher, on the whole, peaking at 50% for Sweden.  The unweighted average for Europe is 39%.  This much bears out what you have heard (assuming, arguendo, that higher taxes are bad), but there are a couple of reasons why the U.S. taxation figure may be artificially low: (1) I can't tell for certain, but I suspect this data is only for national taxation, and may therefore not include local taxes.  I know that U.S. local income tax is low, but property tax is high in some places, and state sales tax is common.  (2) the U.S. has a budget deficit of about 3% of GDP which is rare in the first world. Bovlb 05:30, 14 September 2005 (UTC)

Bear in mind though, that in most European countries, health insurance is more or less included in taxes, not paid for separately, so you're not comparing apples to apples
 * Agreed, which is why I drew attention to the assumption that higher taxes are bad. By the way, U.S. public spending on healthcare is about double U.K. public healthcare spending as a fraction of GDP.  Bovlb 15:01, 14 September 2005 (UTC)

I think a key point here is to remember that taxes withheld are only an approximation of the taxes that you have to pay. The employer may not know what your income is expected to be for the year, especially since it was a one-off job. When you file your tax return for the eyar, the amount of tax that you have to pay for the year will be calculated, and then the amount that you have already paid through withholdings will be deducted. The difference will be the amount that you have to pay, or more likely in this case, the amount that will be refunded to you. In other words, the employer may have deducted tax at a much higher rate than you will actually pay, and you will get a refund. And then you will send me a commission of 30% of that amount for giving you this advice. ;-) Ground Zero | t 15:22, 14 September 2005 (UTC)

Withholdings are based on that payment being assumed to be the pay you would get for every pay period. $1,600 a pay period (26 pays a year is most common but depends on that company's practice) would put you somewhere into the 25% bracket, so given exemptions and so forth, that withholding is about right. You can check the IRS publication 15 (known as circular E) if you want the gory details. You could have trimmed down the withholding amount by filing a W4 with a high number of exemptions on it. Now that it's been done, you have to wait till you file your tax return to get any excess back. - Taxman Talk 20:21, 16 September 2005 (UTC)

US newspapers
I know it's tricky to label specific newspapers Republican or Democrat, but what are the thee largest metropolitan and the three largest local newspapers with resp. a Republican and a Democrat 'leaning'? I'm asking this for a comparative research on political journalism in the US, the UK, Germany and the Netherlands. As I will be in Washington from 9-15 October, I would like to speak to a number of political journalists from both press and TV (from CBS, NBC, CBS, FOX and PBS). If anyone could help me in any way - names, contacts - I would be very grateful. Thanking you in advance, Kees Br.

Prof.dr. Kees Brants, Amsterdam School of Communications Research, University of Amsterdam, Kloveniersburgwal 48, 1012 CX Amsterdam, The Netherlands,


 * Please, don't post your email address on this page unless you fancy getting spammed. A list of the largest newspapers in the US can be found here: The top three are USA Today (a nation-wide paper), the Wall Street Journal (likewise), and the New York Times (which is specific to New York but is easy to find in bookstores all across the nation). Our articles on the Journal and the Times touch on their respective political leanings, but I don't know how the USA Today leans. Garrett Albright 11:34, 14 September 2005 (UTC)

The Wall Street Journal is the most conservative of the list and frequently publishes editorials supportive of the administration. Problems with corporations and financial institutions are always viewed as individual anomalies in a basically good business system that needs no new restrictions or oversight or regulation of corporate actions. The New York Times is not radical but intellectually mildly liberal in its editorial stance. USA Today is sort of a new phenomenon in that it seems to strive for inoffensive blandness and only safe controversies. It has the same flavor as the news summaries on your internet provider: much more interested in not offending than in advocating anything. The San Francisco Chronicle, LA Times, and Phildelphia Inquirer tend to be somewhat liberal/democratic in editorial perspective. Perhaps that sometimes true of the Washington Post, but maybe it is more variable. These are my opinions of course. alteripse 17:34, 14 September 2005 (UTC)
 * If you can get a hold of an edition of the Media Guide published by Polyconomics, such sa [ISBN 0-938083-00-2] before the publication was bought out by Forbes then you can see a directory of major US and Canadian periodicals and TV news by type of content (domestic politics, economics, foreign policy, etc.) and how they rank relative to each other on the political spectrum. AlMac|(talk) 07:08, 15 September 2005 (UTC)

In the movie "Alive" did any of the survivors commit any crimes under Canadian law?
I'm not sure I understand the thrust of your question; the survivors of the Andes flight disaster were Uruguayans whose plane crashed near the border of Chile and Argentina. The only connection to "Alive" is that the movie was filmed there. Keep in mind, however, that there is a necessity defense in common law, and Canada is a common-law country. --Metropolitan90 02:07, 15 September 2005 (UTC)

Anime Tear or Droplet
I'm looking for a description of a common Anime/Manga convention. When a character is embarassed or shocked, sometimes a "tear" shape will appear next to their head (similar in placement to a speech bubble). What is the correct name for this symbology? Where did it originate? --DropDeadGorgias (talk) 14:40, 14 September 2005 (UTC)


 * I'm not sure of the Japanese term, but in the English-speaking fandom it is referred to as a "sweatdrop." It most often symbolizes frustration or disappointment; haven't seen it so much for embarrassment… Can't help you with the origin. Garrett Albright 04:09, 16 September 2005 (UTC)

merging of churches, term or label
When churches split over doctrine and become two separate organizations with doctrinal differences it is referred to as a schism. I don't think there is a comparable single term when two formerly distinct church organizations merge: merger, union, unification all may be used but they don't have the distinctive emotional flavor of the word schism. Sometimes the resulting new organization after the merger is termed a synod.

Lots of individual churches in a denomination combine due to changing demographics. The Roman Catholic Church in the US is combining many parishes in cities. Merging of 2 same denomination churches often occurs in towns in which the church attendance is dwindling. I am guessing this latter is not what you are asking about. alteripse 17:48, 14 September 2005 (UTC)


 * There are different words that are used for this kind of thing. Communion is one, and covenant is another. The divided churches could be said to have moved into communion with one another, to be in communion or to have intercommunion. Covenanting might be the first step towards reunification: areas of mutuality are covenanted. The etymology of synod is interesting: it is, literally, a meeting of the ways. However, the word is generally used to refer to regional church councils, or the body governed by such. Gareth Hughes 22:33, 14 September 2005 (UTC)
 * In Canada the process by which several of the largest Protestant Churches merged to create the United Church was simply called "church union." You might also want to see ecumenism. - SimonP 17:58, 16 September 2005 (UTC)

FLAG MEANING/SYMBOLISM/HISTORY
Thank you in advance for helping me with this information... I love this site and have just recently been referred to it by another company. My question that I could not find an answer to is:

What type of flag would display skull and crossbones with blood dripping from the crossbones?

The flag in question that I viewed recently was approx. 1-2 foot length and width...hanging outside a home. I am not being judgmental just concerned...the single woman in her mid-40's that just recently purchased the home works for hospice and takes care of terminally ill children as a hospice nurse. The flag is white, the skull is also white with the black being inside the hollow of the skull eyes. Below are the black crossbones with what looks to be red blood dripping from them.

Again, thank you for being able to help me identify this flag, it's meaning and symbolism.

A. Taylor


 * This flag sounds particularly unpleasant. I cannot find any reference to it on Flags of the World, so it may not have widespread use. You could ask the woman what it means. If she has the conviction to fly the thing, then she probably wouldn't mind explaining it. However, be prepared to be shocked at the answer: it sounds like (as the Jolly Roger) this is a flag that is meant to shock. Gareth Hughes 23:31, 14 September 2005 (UTC)

How about some context? What city? What ethnic group? The flag is obviously meant as a public signal, so go ask her, (but run if she comes to the door with a parrot and an eye-patch...) alteripse 00:53, 15 September 2005 (UTC)

what is the netherlands national .........
The netherlands is the only country in europe who has a national item that is connected with the country. Missouri has the bird kansas is the state of farming and so on. What is the national symbol for the netherlands

The coat of arms of the Netherlands is the official symbol and is pretty traditionally heraldic. The universally recognized symbols are windmills, wooden shoes, and tulips, all of which are "connected" with the country. Maybe one of our many Dutch contributors can tell us if any of these are more "official" than the others. I have to say that I just noticed that our Netherlands article is truly excellent, an exemplar for country articles with great maps. alteripse 02:25, 15 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Windmills, wooden shoes, and tulips are mostly what tourists associate with the Netherlands. If you want to know what is considered a national symbol, I would say the lion in the Dutch coat of arms which is prominently displayed in some football (soccer) matches and a lot of other stuff where royalty is involved. Also the color Orange because it's related to William of Orange. - Mgm|(talk) 07:33, 15 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Yes, but the lion is traditionally heraldic, not "connected with the country" and orange is pretty abstract. Don't the Dutch themselves ever use windmills, wooden shoes, or tulips as national symbols? alteripse 12:08, 15 September 2005 (UTC)
 * as someone from the netherlands i would say the lion is pretty much a national item. beyond that there is little used by dutch people i think. something that might be used in certain circles is the marijuana leave of course :) Boneyard 10:23, 16 September 2005 (UTC)

Was Beethoven black?
I just received one of those urban legend things in email claiming that Beethoven was black. A search on Google shows that there is much discussion of this topic, though the general result is, nobody really knows, but he doesn't look it. However, the email went on to say that Adolf Hitler removed Beethoven's baptism record from the church where it was recorded because he didn't want the great German (he was Dutch, but let's not quibble) composer to be tainted under the German racial purity laws. Anybody have anything to prove or disprove the Hitler point? I note that none of this is mentioned in our Beethoven article. User:Zoe|(talk) 23:59, 14 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Beethoven Dutch ???  I don't think so.  He may have had Dutch ancestry, but he was as German (in the sense that we nowadays understand that notion) as anybody else born in Bonn in 1770.  If Beethoven was Dutch, then Martin Van Buren was a Dutch President of the USA.  I don't think so. JackofOz 07:05, 20 September 2005 (UTC)

Think this through. The concept of "black" is of this century. Even the concept of race as we know it developed during and after Beethoven's lifetime. What do you think a baptismal record in an 18th century European church would have contained that proved otherwise? It sure didn't have a box marked Race. What does it mean now to claim he was "black"? If even one parent had been African it would have been remarked on by someone and there would be pretty obvious signs in the the way he was depicted by contemporaries. If a grandparent or greatgrandparent had been African it might not have been apparent in his features but then he would have been 75 or 87% European, so why call him "black" unless you are pushing a racist agenda of some sort? alteripse 00:49, 15 September 2005 (UTC)
 * I think it's an attempt at trying to claim him as "one of our own", along the lines of the African-American nationalists who keep trying to prove that pure-Macedonian Cleopatra was somehow black because she was queen of an African nation. User:Zoe|(talk) 05:05, 15 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Exactly my point about a racist agenda. How much blood does it take to make someone "black"? Your choices are (1) let's resurrect the discredited miscegenation laws of the southern US or So Afr; (2) being "black" (as opposed to Negro or colored) is a self-chosen identity which he proudly chose; (3) the term "black" is now obsolete, having been replaced by African-American; (4) his music was good therefore he had to have been black, since only blacks can make good music because of their natural rhythm. Which choice do you think the promulgators of this racist nonsense would prefer? More importantly, what do you think a rap "Freude, freude..." would have sounded like? alteripse 11:57, 15 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Beethoven was a rather dark-complexioned chap, it seems; some of his contemporaries remarked upon this, and it's likely the story originated from someone encountering a reference to one of these comments and jumping to a pretty impressive conclusion. The basic problem is, it's quite implausible that no-one would have mentioned it; they were a directly-spoken lot back then, and the idea that no-one would have mentioned his race is pushing it. Indeed, Beethoven wrote a sonata for his friend George Bridgetower (who was half-West Indian), jokingly titling it "Sonata per uno mulaticco lunattico" (Sonata for a mulatto lunatic)...
 * As to the Hitler point, hmm. It's the sort of detail that attatches itself to urban legends; it's impossible to disprove, because the record probably isn't there any more (what with a few wars having rolled through), and if it is the average person would have no idea how to find it. And then the absence of a record becomes "proof" of the theory - and we all know Hitler was cranky enough to have ordered it. The problem is, the Beethoven-was-black theory seems to date back to an American historian, who published a book claiming a wide variety of historical figures were black. I'm not entirely sure which of his books this was published in, so it could have been anywhere from 1931 to 1946 - but it strikes me as a bit unlikely that Hitler would have read and supported the (relatively obscure) books of a black American journalist, and even less likely he'd not have just ignored it. Shimgray 02:37, 15 September 2005 (UTC)

how did the 1966 dodge dart get built?
Have you looked at our Dodge Dart article?-gadfium 06:39, 15 September 2005 (UTC)

A Nation United
Which news station used the headline "A nation united" or "A country united" in its coverage of the September 11 attacks? Wiwaxia 03:17, 15 September 2005 (UTC)


 * According to our article on Slogans and terms derived from the September 11, 2001 attack, it was ABC. Lupo 09:59, 15 September 2005 (UTC)

Audie Murphy
My 8th grade class did some research on Audie Murphy and then watched the movie, "To Hell and Back". A student of mine had two questions that I have not been able to answer and they are: 1. What happened to his siblings? Did he raise them when he got back from the war?

2. What happened to all his medals upon his death?

Thank you for your help.

Babs Huebner

Clark Middle School

huebnerb@usd204.k12.ks.us


 * Our article on Audie Murphy explains what happened to the three youngest siblings, though oddly it's under the "Movie career" heading. I can't find what happened to his medals; this implies they're not on display, which in turn suggests the family has them somewhere. Shimgray 14:06, 15 September 2005 (UTC)


 * According to a 1950 New York Times article, Murphy gave his medal of honor to his nephew and intended to give distinguished service cross to the daughter of his fallen buddy. He also wished to give his 22 other medals to children.  lots of issues  | leave me a message 08:44, 16 September 2005 (UTC)

Woman warrior riding a polar bear
What is the name of the vodka with the woman warrior riding a polar bear?
 * Funnily enough, the first Google hit for "riding a polar bear" +vodka is for an old Wikipedia page, which says that it's not a vodka, but Rumple Mintz schnapps. User:Zoe|(talk) 19:35, 15 September 2005 (UTC)

Atakapa Indians
My questions is it seems that they where cannibals, but did they have some kind of main diet, where they hunter gather? also did they migrated with the heards or just stay in one area? Also there dewelling did they live in hunts are teepees? Thank you. Larry

There have been no known human societies for which human flesh was the "main diet" and it is difficult to conceive of a stable social structure based on consumption of human flesh as the main calorie or protein source because of the costs of obtaining or maintaining a supply. Here is a quickly accessible source for the belief that the Atakapa practiced some form of cannibalism. Evidence for what the anthropologists call ritual cannibalism has been found in a variety of societies on most of the continents. The last surviving, well-documented ritual cannibalism was practiced by the Fore people of New Guinea until the 1960s. alteripse 03:46, 16 September 2005 (UTC)

free trade zones and quick response strategy
Could you please tell me how Quick Response Strategy can work within a free zone?


 * Perhaps Just in Time might interest you. AlMac|(talk) 19:02, 15 September 2005 (UTC)

Huricane Katrina Relief
Everywhere I look there are people collecting money for Huricane Katrina releif. I have to assume that due to public hysteria (and generosity) there is an abundance of funds for the reconstruction efforts. Is this accurate? Do organizations like the Red Cross have adequate, or more than adequate, funding to deal with the sitiuation?


 * Watch out for an abundance of e-looters. For every legitimate charity like the Red Cross and Salvation Army there are hundreds, if not thousands, of scam artists trying to siphon off the generous contributions, to go to con games with zero intention of helping the victims.


 * Check www.give.org to make sure the organization you want to contribute to is a legitimate charity.
 * Transcribe the web site url, instead of using a link in some connection whose veracity you are not absolutedly certain about, because of Phishing.
 * Another problem is that many people are too poor to have proper comprehensive insurance, so they might not get funds for what an insurance company might say was caused by something else. Also many government relief programs demand excessive paperwork.  Plus some government relief is based on citizenship and residency requirements.  When people abandoned their homes to rush to safety, they may not have brought with them the appropriate documentation to prove identity and eligibility for aid, and that documentation now wiped out in their destroyed homes. AlMac|(talk) 19:10, 15 September 2005 (UTC)

United Way during World War II
I would asppreciate if you can give me informaqtion as to the role, if any, the United Way of America had during and after Second World War in helping refugees from that War,

Thanks,

Dr. Bernardo Benes 8877 Collins Ave. Apt. 808, Surfside,Fl.33154 305-785-7028

Here's the web site of United Way http://national.unitedway.org/ourwork/index.cfm I suspect that whatever work they did decades before the Internet was invented would not be written up any place on the Internet. AlMac|(talk) 03:47, 16 September 2005 (UTC)

Citizens arrest powers
Where did sideburns originate?


 * Wow, that question has nothing to do with the title. See citizen's arrest and sideburns. Garrett Albright 04:00, 16 September 2005 (UTC)

can someone check a legal citation?
We need help checking a deposition allegedly made on September 12, 1995 in Maureen K. Dean and John W. Dean v. St. Martin's Press et al in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, Case No. 92 1807 (HHG), as cited in the John Dean article. See the article's talk page, and also the John Dean_about John Dean question above. Steve Summit (talk) 02:04, 11 September 2005 (UTC)

What can you say about St. Francis xavier and St. Ignatius of Loyola medal?
What can you say about St. Francis xavier and St. Ignatius of Loyola medal? I want know all information about this medals. Where are it? How much are it?

Islam
Islam's country of origin Answer: Islam orginiated on the Arabian Peninsular, in what is now Saudi Arabia. Contrary to popular belief, Islam was not founded by Muhamad. Muhamad was merely the messenger of God and conveyed his revelations to the people.

how do we get oil

 * For the most part, it is sucked up from underground reservoirs using large pumps. See Petroleum for more. Garrett Albright 03:59, 16 September 2005 (UTC)

Bodies of water
Can you point me in the right direction to find out what two bodies of water cover many of the southern states?

I'm confused. I looked up the southern states. It's supposed to be eleven. I found 13. Can you help me?

Stephanie


 * I'm assuming you're talking about the U.S. here; that said, here goes. First of all, check out U.S. Southern states; that might help. As far as the number listed, there's no standard breakdown of the U.S. into regions; different people put different states into different categories. As far as the bodies of water, I'm not sure what you mean. None of the Southern states (nor any of the other states) are underwater. If you mean "adjacent to", Gulf of Mexico and Mississippi River might be what you're looking for. Or I could be totally off base here. Is this helpful? Meelar (talk) 04:31, 16 September 2005 (UTC)

Birth Control in the Catholic religion
I have recently become aware that the IUD is a form of abortion in the Catholic church and I would like to know how does the church feel about other forms of birth control, is there scriptures or something in the Bible that say we are to not use birth control of any form or is that strictly enforced by Catholics only. My husband and I are having a hard time figuring this one out, he wants me use rhythm method and I say No way will I risk getting pregnant again. Can someone give me some insight on this? Thank you very Much. S. Burris

Answer: The Catholic church takes a fairly strong possition against artifical birth control. However natural methods are allowed. Natural methods include not only the rhythm method but also withdrawal. These methods used together would clearly reduce the risk of pregnancy.

However, to answer the rest of your question, nothing in scripture explicitly forbids birth control- that is a primarily catholic teaching. Many people think that the catholic church has way too many articles of dogma which have no scriptural basis. alteripse 03:22, 16 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Well, it's primarily a Catholic teaching now, but it was previously the teaching of churches more closely associated with "sola scriptura". The Catholic/Protestant split on the issue is 20th century - about the 1930s. Martin Luther, for example, used Genesis 38 (the Onan story) to condemn the withdrawal method of birth control. (Really, if one wants to proclaim nearly any dogma, one can usually find some sort of "Scriptural" basis...and if one wants to explicate any particularly uncomfortable bit of Scripture away, that too is easy enough to do.) The old joke, of course, was "what do you call a woman who uses the rhythm method of birth control?" with the correct answer being "Mother". The method has apparently improved since then, but note that no one who tells you to use it will pay for the rearing of any children if it fails....  - Nunh-huh 05:41, 16 September 2005 (UTC)

Monty Python sang a song about this called Every Sperm Is Sacred: ''Let the heathen spill theirs, ''On the dusty ground, ''God shall make them pay for Each sperm that can't be found.

Full lyrics here. More helpfully, perhaps, is that we have an article on the Rhythm method. --bodnotbod 22:45, 23 September 2005 (UTC)

Rebuilding Katrina affected areas - historical perspective
President Bush stated in his speech tonight that New Orleans (and other affect areas I assume) will be the biggest rebuilding project the world has ever seen. I was wondering if New Orleans is restored to at least its previous size or better (at least the same or more homes & businesses as pre-Katrina), and if indeed the land mass is improved to make New Orleans a safer city against hurricanes, will this be anything close to being the largest rebuilding project in terms of:

the Number of People resettled back into the city;

the amount of money spent to completely rebuild affected areas as compared to other civil works projects;

the land area recovered to pre-hurricane conditions.

Thanks for contributing.

--70.156.54.175 02:04, 16 September 2005 (UTC)Darryl S.


 * You might be interested in the Galveston Hurricane of 1900. Apparently there was about $760 million (1994 dollars) in property damage .  Afterwards they built a seawall (cost about $100 million today ) and raised the seaside of the island, surviving buildings and all, several meters (and rotating the cathedral while they were at it).  I'm not sure what estimates are for Katrina, but without counting the dredging and lifting operation we're already talking about a significant amount of money to rebuild, especially for the size of the city.  &mdash; Laura Scudder | Talk 06:10, 16 September 2005 (UTC)
 * I doubt the rebuilding of New Orleans will be the largest such project in history. Tokyo, Berlin, Stalingrad, and a number of other cities were all considerably larger than NO, and almost obliterated during WWII. In terms of total land area, and the number of people affected the projects to rebuild these cities would have been considerably larger. The Great Kanto earthquake would also have required a larger rebuilding effort. Unadjusted for inflation the rebuilding of NO will almost certainly be the most expensive in history. - SimonP 17:42, 16 September 2005 (UTC)

reason behind burning witches
Usually there was a reason behind each test put to witches during periods of repression within the churches, I was wondering where burning came from.

bree
 * Well, it's old. The Catholic Encyclopedia says, Under the Empire, in the third century, the punishment of burning alive was enacted by the State against witches who compassed another person's death through their enchantments. --jpgordon&#8711;&#8710;&#8711;&#8710; 04:56, 16 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Are you sure it's a test? Burning at the stake was the means of execution for heresy throughout the Middle Ages, and a convicted witch was undoubtedly a heretic, but at that point she would have already have failed whatever test of witchiness was in vogue. &mdash; mendel &#9742; 15:39, 16 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Witches were burnt at the stake for the crime of heresy. The idea behind the burning comes from the belief that on judgement day the dead would rise and be judged. Burning meant that there was no body and with no body they couldnt be judged so they would be damned forever.--82.44.216.80 18:56, 16 September 2005 (UTC)

Boxer Rebellion
How did the Boxer Rebellion influence our relations with China?
 * Our article on the Boxer Rebellion might help you. If you need more specific help, come back here and ask a more specific question, including who "our" refers to. We won't actually do your homework for you, but if you want to run some ideas past us, we can probably help.-gadfium 04:35, 16 September 2005 (UTC)

1919 document
What Document was signed in 1919 relating to thje GREAT war


 * The most significant was the Treaty of Versailles. Shimgray 13:42, 16 September 2005 (UTC)

Scottish regiments in Cape of Good Hope, cira 1850
Do you know which regiments were stationed here at this time? Thank you. Jane


 * gives a list of all regiments in that timeframe, and can link through to deployments of each battalion of each... hmm. the 74th, c.1851-3, the 73rd c.1846-56 (both in the Birkenhead wreck), the 90th 1846-7, the 91st to 1848 and their reserve bn. through 1850. Note that these may just have been in South Africa generally, or "at the Cape Colony", not literally stationed at the cape - that'd need more research, probably in unit histories. I haven't checked cavalry, only foot regiments. If I knew what you wanted it for, I might be able to be more precise... Shimgray 17:16, 16 September 2005 (UTC)

Thanks Shimgray. I am researching an ancestor: William Reid b. 1818 in Scotland had a son born on Cape of Good Hope around 1852. In 1861 census Wiliam Reid senior is noted as a Chelsea Pensioner, living in Manchester with his wife Mary b. 1822 in Ireland, son William b. Cape of Good Hope 1852 and a second son George b. 1856 in Ireland. I thought if I could identify the regiment, I might find where in Scotland he came from. I have checked with war records, but no record of a birth to a military man around this time. William Senior's occupation was later stated as a shoemaker, so could he have been a servant to the battalion, rather than an actual soldier?


 * Being a Chelsea pensioner suggests he was an actual soldier; I don't know if tradesmen were eligible for pensions then. Hmm. The only one of the listed regiments that fits is the 2nd/91st, Cape through 1850s then disbanded England 1855; if he left then he could have been back in Ireland for '56. That would be a twenty-year stretch up, if he joined at eighteen, or possibly a bit earlier if he joined younger. (The full contemporary title, if it helps, was "91st (Argyllshire Highlanders) Regiment of Foot"; they're now part of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, if you want to go chasing their records)
 * However, note that it's not guaranteed he would have joined a "local" regiment - county recruiting was strong, but he could well have signed up when somewhere else, or found himself in another regiment through chance. I've not checked the other foot regiments, but glanced through the cavalry ones - the 12th Lancers also just about fit the bill. Where was your chap in 1861? Shimgray 01:06, 17 September 2005 (UTC)

I know the info about being a chelsea pensioner suggests he was a soldier and this is contradicted by the fact that the son's birth isn't recorded as a military birth....perhaps he was illegtimate? To answer your q. the family was living in Hulme, Manchester in 1861. Obviously I can't be sure that the wife of William Reid snr, is also the mother of the two sons, tho the fact that she was born in Ireland and the youngest son was too, suggests that she is, at least, the mother of the youngest one.


 * It's also possible the first son was actually someone else's kid - remarriage of widows was pretty common around then in the Army, I believe - but I don't know what the records system for military births then was like so can't comment on that. Incidentally, I ran across a reference to the Birkenhead disaster talking about "all ten regiments", and a list of those involved is at HMS Birkenhead (1845), which gives you all the units at the Cape in 1852. It's most likely, I suspect, that he was in the 91st. Your best bet to confirm this would be pension records, discharge records, or muster records at the National Archives in Kew - a long process, but there you go... Shimgray 17:40, 17 September 2005 (UTC)

Hello, thanks for your continued interest. Someone has offered to do a search when they next visit Kew and I have contacted the Chelsea Pensioners diret to see if I can get hold of milary records. Your suggestion about the elest son being adopted is a good one - I only requested a copy of a birth certificate from the GRO, perhaps a request for a marriage certifcate would be more fruitful.

trade agreement between australia and unite states of walgreens

 * That's not a question. Please read the instructions at the top of this page. - 131.211.210.10 11:08, 16 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Australia and United States are nations
 * Walgreens is a corporation
 * Agreements between nations and corporations are not called trade agreements, but something to do with the type of agreement, such as a nation or part of a nation agreeing to have tax abatement for some number of years in exchange for the business location. AlMac|(talk) 17:53, 16 September 2005 (UTC)

famous literary husbands and wives
I have a "short" list of famous writing couples: Hammett and Hellmann; Nichols and May. Any other suggestions? How about names of any lesser famous women writers who may have inspired/ghost written for their more famous husbands? Someone suggested Zelda Fitzgerald and F. Scott, but I can find only an argument for inspiring F. Scott Fitzgerald.
 * Mary Shelley and Lord Byron should certainly be at or near the top of the couples list. &mdash; Lomn | Talk / RfC 15:35, 16 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Shouldn't that be Mary Shelley and Percy Bysshe Shelley? - SimonP 17:22, 16 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Michael Frayn and Claire Tomalin? I guess she's not as famous as he is, but she did win the Whitbread Prize. Nicola79 16:01, 16 September 2005 (UTC)


 * see "Frank and Doris Hursley"


 * Look at Tabitha King and Janet Asimov. I believe their husbands have written a bit as well.-gadfium 19:35, 16 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Elizabeth Barrett Browning & Robert Browning, Jon Halliday & Jung Chang, Heloise (student of Abelard) & Pierre Abélard, George Henry Lewes & George Eliot although the last two were un-married (gasp).  MeltBanana  21:46, 16 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes. --bodnotbod 23:07, 23 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Michael Dorris and Louise Erdrich; also, if you're not confining your inquiry to fiction, John Stuart Mill and Harriet Taylor Mill. I don't think you could hope to compile a list of all the spouses who've provided inspiration or editorial assistance (as opposed to independent authorship under their own names). JamesMLane 23:21, 24 September 2005 (UTC)

Articles of Merton
Can anyone advise on the exact description. I understand that the Articles of Merton where prior to the Magna Carta and were a form of conditions laid down by the Barons, the Articles being signed at Merton, south of London. anon


 * The Statute of Merton was 1235/6 (20 Hen. 3); this postdates the original signing of Magna Carta, but officially, Magna Carta is only from the 1290s, which is when it was last made law -
 * Signed only twenty years after the Magna Carta, the Statute of Merton was the first item in the Statutes of the Realm and the basis of common law in England for centuries, only finally being repealed in 1948. In effect, it was an assertion of the barons' rights against those of the King.
 * This strongly sounds like what you're after. has a brief summary of the contents, at least the parts which survived until the nineteenth century. Incidentally, you may also be interested to read about the Statute of Marlborough, the oldest English law still in force. Shimgray 13:41, 16 September 2005 (UTC)

how are monsoons a boon to indian economy?
how are monsoons a boon to indian economy?

Agriculture is 20% of India's GDP (or simply 20% of Indian economy) compared to 1% for USA's economy. If monsoon does not occur, then agriculture's growth would be 0% and total economy would suffer by 1-3%. Now can you get it? Do you want more explanation?
 * You'll probably find the answer in your textbook. Garrett Albright 14:24, 16 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Garrett, please don't bite the newbies. One of the reasons they are a boon is because they provide a lot of work for the construction industry. There are many more reasons. Proto t c 14:38, 16 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Be careful not to fall for the broken window fallacy. - SimonP 17:13, 16 September 2005 (UTC)


 * I don't bite newbies, but I sure don't molly-coddle them either. This is blatantly a homework question. Garrett Albright 14:02, 17 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Agreed, and I don't think your response was even rude, it was factual. Maybe it could have been made slightly more polite, by prepending it with something like "The reference desk is not generally for answering homework questions, so you'll...". We are clearly seeing a rash of homework questions now that school is back up and Wikipedia's prominence is even greater than last year at this time. For regular RD user's I think the best policy is to remind them we don't answer homework, and then go back and answer the question a few days or a week later. If they haven't even bothered to check their book, they've probably waited till the last minute, so answering in a few days gets the answer out there, but doesn't inhibit learning. - Taxman Talk 15:09, 17 September 2005 (UTC)

uuhh?
aahh. Proto t c 14:38, 16 September 2005 (UTC)


 * oooh! Garrett Albright 13:54, 17 September 2005 (UTC)


 * I disagree. aahh was superceded in the late 18th century and oooh! has never really been taken seriously by scholars. I think the best answer to give us parp!, but I admit I haven't found any sources to cite. --bodnotbod 23:12, 23 September 2005 (UTC)

Truman Capote - name pronunciation
How do you pronounce: Capote? Is the "e" silent? I had been introduced to him as "Cah-poht" but someone recently told me it was "Cah-poht-ee." Which is the correct pronunciation?


 * The OED says it's Cah-poht-ee (well, the equivalent in IPA symbols that I can't type), and that's certainly what I've always heard. Nicola79 15:52, 16 September 2005 (UTC)

for what specific purpose were the mengele twins murdered?
If you are asking about the fiction movie Boys from Brazil, the Nazi plot was to reincarnate Hitler by replicating his life, assassinating anyone who discovered the plot, and destroying any evidence that might lead to plot exposure. Murder is an inappropriate word to describe individual victims of an ideology that practices genocide on a global scale. AlMac|(talk) 18:12, 16 September 2005 (UTC)

I suspect that the question refers to Mengele's infamous twin studies. Joseph Mengele had a perverse fascination with twins, and his "investigations", which were so poorly planned that they produced no useful information, and were marked by arbitrariness and unnecessary cruelty. "His work was mostly random trial and error, without hypotheses. Among his obsessions was trying to change eye color to blue. These attempts would often result in pain, infection, or blindness among the subjects. Convinced that the inmates at Auschwitz were less than human, Mengele kept his subjects naked so that he could measure and observe them more easily. He would inject, bleed, dismember, irradiate, or transfuse his twins, expose them to diseases, or perform unconventional surgical procedures on them without anesthesia. Mengele often killed one or both twins, dissected the bodies, and sent the results to Verschuer. Mengele's experiments involved over 1,500 pairs of twins. Only about 200 of these twins survived." 

Mengele looked upon the twins as lab animals rather than humans. His justification for killing some of them was the information that he imagined would be gained through their autopsies. It also disposed of those who could testify to his application of vivisection to humans.

I disagree with the opinion before mine. "Murder" is a perfectly appropriate word, and applies perfectly well to those victimized by Mengele in these "experiments". - Nunh-huh 00:02, 17 September 2005 (UTC)

I agree. See also Otmar von Verschuer (Mengele's advisor) for more gristly twin stories.--Fastfission 16:47, 18 September 2005 (UTC)

Joe Cocker - With a Little Help From My Friends
Which is the best or most popular version of the Joe Cocker track "With a Little Help From My Friends" to download from the iTunes Music Store?


 * Best is a subjective term. I'm not familiar with the iTunes store, but do they not add a sales ranking to each track so that you can compare the number of downloads? --bodnotbod 23:17, 23 September 2005 (UTC)

Mortgage types in US
I am trying to get some research on the various types of mortgage loans in the US. For example, how many US homeowners have: _ FHA loans _ VA Loans _COnventionals loans _Home Equity loans _second mortgage

If anyone can help or forward me to information I would galdly appreciate it.Thanks Lance McCown
 * HUD's website would be your place to go. here is a report they did of mortgages from 2001-2003 and includes those statistics. If that doesn't cover exactly what you need, their site would still likely have it. - Taxman Talk 20:27, 16 September 2005 (UTC)

world trade center
hi my name is ansar i need to know why the twin towers were so important before they got blown up my email is just email me thanks


 * If this is not your e-mail address, and it gets spammed by millions of unwanted e-mails, you can be sure that people here will help the FBI and Secret Service and Interpol and etc. track you down so that you can become aquainted with the inside of a prison.
 * If this really is your e-mail address, and you get millions of e-mails from criminals and con artists, then that is what happens when you place your e-mail address in a public location where it will be seen by millions of people.
 * Have you even seen pictures of the World Trade Center before they were destroyed by the terrorists? These were huge skyscrapers were tens of thousands of people from all over the world worked at the center of the Global economy.  They were not blown up.  First, a truck bomb was used with cyonide wrapped around the explosives to try to maximize the dead, but the bomb design was flawed ... the cyonide was all burned up, so then they flew hijacked planes into the towers, because that is the way to bring down that kind of structure, and the buildings collapsed.
 * If you want to know why the buildings were so important to the terrorists, they were perceived as being a national icon, for the same reason that other terrorists have tried to destroy the Eiffel Tower, Taj Mahal, Houses of Parliament, etc. AlMac|(talk) 18:20, 16 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Almac, why did you suggest ansar will go to prison for giving a false email? don't the FBI/SS/Interpol have better things to do? --Ballchef 14:37, 24 September 2005 (UTC)
 * How about reading World Trade Center? - Mgm|(talk) 20:07, 16 September 2005 (UTC)

List of songs with the word "dance" in their title
Probably best way to get an answer to this is to go to All Music Guide and do a song search on "dance". You'll find there's well over a thousand. I apologise for their absolutely appalling site design. --bodnotbod 23:29, 23 September 2005 (UTC)

History of nail cutting
How did people, prior to the invention of nail clippers in 1896, trim their nails?


 * Nail scissors, which I even remember my mother using on me as a child in the late 1970s. Or they filed them down. &mdash; mendel &#9742; 19:41, 16 September 2005 (UTC)
 * I still use scissors, aren't they common in North America? -83.129.29.188 21:45, 16 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Teeth work very nicely. Nelson Ricardo 19:27, 18 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Also, perhaps in societies with harsher conditions you would tend to wear them down or break them through manual labour...? --bodnotbod 23:32, 23 September 2005 (UTC)

who has the biggest dick?
See Human penis size.-gadfium 22:47, 16 September 2005 (UTC)
 * It would be more appropriate to see Blue whale penis size. Seriously, the penis article says that the largest mammal, the blue whale, has the largest penis. --anon.
 * John Holmes is probably a good place to set a benchmark for human willies. If you're asking who has the biggest dick here at Wikipedia, well there's a few hundred thousand contributors, so I imagine there must be someone with rather an extraordinary one lurking beneath his laptop as he writes about an obscure insect species somewhere, but we tend to be a generally retiring breed. --bodnotbod 23:41, 23 September 2005 (UTC)

Greek philosophers beginning with the letter H...
I am searching a proverb, and the name is on the tip of my tongue, as we say in Portugal LOL. I want the latin version please also - I know it refers to " to express what is commonly said is a hard thing to do.." Best Regards. José


 * List of philosophers, contains people like Hicetas, Hippocrates, and even Homer (assuming you mean ancient Greek) Ojw 10:53, 18 September 2005 (UTC)

european comunity

 * See European Community -83.129.29.188 01:21, 17 September 2005 (UTC) That is the predecsor organization the European Union.

Song source?
When I was young, mother would sing: "Little man you're crying. I know why you're blue, someone stole your kiddy car away.  Time to to to sleep now; little man you've had a busy day.  Johnny won your marbles; tell you what we'll do, daddy'll get you new ones right away.  Better go to sleep now, little man you've had a busy day.  You've been playing soldiers, the battle has been won, the enemy is out of sight; so come along now soldier, put away your gun, war is over for tonight.  Time to go to sleep now; time your day was through.  Can't you hear your bugler softly say: 'Better go to sleep now.  Little man you've had a busy day.'"   I suppose the title would be "Little Man, You've Had a Busy Day." I would love to see who wrote the words and music, and when it was written. I think it would have been in the '30's or '40's. By the way, she wasn't singing it to me, but to my baby brother, who was born in 1938.

Thanks for any help you can give. Ora Irby, sweetie3@hidden.net. Dallas, TX


 * I ran a Google search for "Little man you're crying" and very quickly found several references that indicate authorship of Sid Wayne - Sigler - Hoffman and a recording date of 1934. Also, as a rule, you shouldn't place your email address on a public forum; I've obscured it for you. &mdash; Lomn | Talk / RfC 00:35, 17 September 2005 (UTC)

Who was Alice Walker? and Eudora Welty?
Alice Walker, Eudora Welty - Nunh-huh 07:12, 17 September 2005 (UTC)

Meie Mees
I would like some information on the Estonian band The Meie Mees. I can't seem to find any info on it.

person
who was born at 415 monroe street,hoboken,new jersey in dec 12th 1915? trevor wilson u.k.


 * Frank Sinatra -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 14:35, 17 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Frank Sinatra? Ojw 19:35, 17 September 2005 (UTC)

Cha Cha
How have the cha-cha developed throughout the years?


 * An additional "cha" was added (making the dance the "cha-cha-cha") in 1954 by Walter Dumbrovski, of Cleveland, Ohio. - Nunh-huh 01:04, 18 September 2005 (UTC) (I jest)....

Who makes the laws of a state?
Bold textWho makes the laws of a state?

Who makes the laws of a state?


 * In the USA, each of the states has a legislative body which enacts laws, that the Governor of the state may sign, or veto. Then the legislative body has the opportunity to overrule the veto, if they can get enough votes ... they need a whole lot more than the simple majority needed to pass a law in the first place.  Same deal for making modifications to existing laws.
 * Thus each of the 50 states follows a system that parallels the Federal Congress where their laws need to be signed by the President who also can veto them.
 * There are some conditions where the President can do stuff without waiting on Congress approval.
 * There are also laws passed by the legislative bodies of local communities and cities.
 * Many laws get taken to the courts to see if they are unconstitutional.
 * In some states of the USA, such as in California the voters can have on the ballot of elections a proposed law.

AlMac|(talk) 21:31, 17 September 2005 (UTC)
 * In some states, the Governor has the power of a line-item veto, which allows him/her to delete portions of a bill, but not the whole thing. The President does not have this authority.  Congress tried to pass a law allowing this, but the Supreme Court ruled that that would require a Constitutional amendment.  User:Zoe|(talk) 22:40, 17 September 2005 (UTC)

The Legislature. -83.129.19.18 22:38, 17 September 2005 (UTC)

Drama
how do I get the articles on the drama known as La Mujer de Lorenzo? - (unsigned)

I don't think we have any. Since it's a Spanish language television soap opera, I've searched for it in the Spanish language Wikipedia, but I don't think they have any articles on it either. - Nunh-huh 01:10, 18 September 2005 (UTC)

Appreciative Inquiry with aboriginals
Do you know of any applications of the organization change approach called Appreciative Inquiry to aboriginal organizations/communities in North America?

Are you sure you have your info right? An Aboriginal is an indigenous Australian, whilst a native inhabitant of north america is a native american. I wouldn't expect there to be many aboriginal communities in the states. --Ballchef 14:42, 24 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Well, if you'd read the Aboriginal article you linked to, you would know that those people referred to as Aboriginal people are the indigenous people of Australia, whereas those referred to as aboriginal people are the indigenous people of anywhere. To assist with the question, google throws up lots of responses to 'appreciative inquiry native american'. Natgoo 20:54, 24 September 2005 (UTC)
 * You learn something new everyday. --Ballchef 10:58, 25 September 2005 (UTC)

theatre arts
What is the theatre arts symbol?


 * The Theatre Arts Pope hasn't let us know officially, but the masks of comedy and tragedy shown together are a fairly customary icon. (Where would one find this information in Wikipedia?) - Nunh-huh 01:01, 18 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Under Drama. Apparently they are the Muses Thalia and Melpomene. Bovlb 04:34, 18 September 2005 (UTC)
 * I think drama's got that wrong (but kudos to you for actually finding it!). I suspect the masks came first, were associated with comedy and tragedy, and yet later were associated - to whatever extent they are - with the respective muses of those arts. - Nunh-huh 05:03, 18 September 2005 (UTC)

What is the impact of changes in tax policy on GDP?

 * 1) I not know the whole answer, but you might take a look at the theory of marginal tax rates such that an increase in taxes can be a disincentive to working harder. AlMac|(talk) 02:31, 18 September 2005 (UTC)
 * 2) Another area to review is deficit spending where tax cuts to excess can lead to the government borrowing money that needs to be repaid by later taxpayers, and that national debt has consequences. AlMac|(talk) 02:31, 18 September 2005 (UTC)

What are the 5 richest countries and 5 poorest countries in the world?

 * It depends on how you define "richest" and "poorest", but these three articles might be a good starting point for you: List of countries by Human Development Index, List of countries by GDP (PPP) per capita and List of countries by GDP (nominal) per capita.-gadfium 02:23, 18 September 2005 (UTC)

There are diffarent parameters to which determine the rich,poor aspects.It can be in terms of percapita,human index etc.check out this site for interesting stats. ==www.nationmaster.com==

atlantis and the cirle of the giants in isreal
Is there a connection between the stone cicle of the giants in Israel and the continent of Alantis?


 * No, there isn't. Atlantis was a fictional island in a story told by Plato, not an actual continent. Our article on Atlantis ought to make this more clear. - Nunh-huh 01:15, 18 September 2005 (UTC)

Canadian federal political parties
name of all four major canadian federal political parties and the name of their leaders ad put the parties in order from most political (left) to mainstream (right) and briefly explain why you placed each party where you did? Qubec Bloc, New Democratic party, Liberal party Conservative party. QB is the most left wing party. QB's basic purpose is to through legal means make Qubec an independent country. It is left wing because it supports socalistic economic measure, all private health care is legal in Qubec. On the social end this party is pro gay marriage and proabortion. It also advocates a leftwing foreign policy, and generally being the most antiAmerican Party. In addition this party tends to be more antimonarchist however they are moving away from this. The NDP is next in left wing, its positions on social, foreingn affairs, and economic issues mirror QB. However the NDP supports Canadian unity,and Canadian traditions such as the monarchy. The Liberal party is next on the left right compase. This party is mixture very leftwing people and fairly conservative people. Because its divided nature on areas as vast as missle defense, and abortion it doctrines are less clear than the other parties. However the liberal party definatily is to right of the two former parties, it campanigns on having a good relation with united states and also supports limited freemarket reforms in the National health insurance plane. However it is clearly left of center; national health insurance, and gay marriage are products of the forementioned party. Generally speaking it could be classified as a left of center status quo party. The conservative party is the most right leaning party. It is center right party similar to U.S. Republican party. It tends to support a strong national defense, anti gay marriage, generally anti abortion. It is also seen as the most proAmerican party.


 * Look at List of political parties in Canada.-gadfium 02:26, 18 September 2005 (UTC)
 * What you have written is mostly correct, though it is the Bloc Quebecois (BQ), not the Quebec Bloc. I was also quite surprised to read that the Bloc is moving away from its antimonarchism and that the NDP supports the monarchy. You should also note that the BQ also has a right-wing faction, represented by Lucien Bouchard, though the left is certainly more prominent. Also while some Conservative supporters are anti-abortion, the party itself does not advocate any restrictions on abortion rights. A good source for more information would be the issues section of the 2004 Canadian election article. - SimonP 16:37, 18 September 2005 (UTC)

Canadian Economy
canada has a very successful economy over the last several years. explain what characteristics of our "capitalist" approch and what part of our "socialist" approch has helped accomplish this in your opinion?
 * Economy of Canada does not have much on this subject, but Canadian and American economies compared and Early 2000s recession do have useful some information. - SimonP 16:14, 18 September 2005 (UTC)

New Spain
Was Idaho or Southern Idaho part of New Spain before becoming part of the United States? If yes, when?
 * Spain may have made a claim to part of what is now Idaho, but according to the New Spain article, the northern boundary of New Spain was undefined until the Adams-Onís Treaty of 1819, which established the 42nd parallel as the border. (The 42nd parallel is now the southern border of Idaho.) So Idaho definitely wasn't part of New Spain after 1819.  Even before that, the territory was claimed by both the United States and the United Kingdom, which had agreed to allow joint settlement of the Oregon Country (including Idaho) between themselves in the Anglo-American Convention of 1818. --Metropolitan90 05:05, 18 September 2005 (UTC)

religion
Is jewish a race or a religion?

It is neither, it is a cultural and ethnic group; a race suggest common anscestory and relatedness. While genetic evidence shows that many Jews can them selves to a common ancestor such is not unviversal, since there was much intermarriage and conversion into the Jewish people. Also race is generally seen as involuntary. However a person can electivly become a Jew through conversion. By contrast a person cannot decside to become black. Jewish is not best defined as a religion. Though Jewishness is in addition cultural a religion not all Jews people are defined jews practice the Jewish religion. A large minority of Jews are areligious or even athiest. A smaller number are messianic Jews who combind the christian with Jewish law and culture. Jewish could be classified as a cutural or ethinic group. At its most inclusive level Jewish could be though of as an ethinic or cultural group. Such is because Jewish people observe a common culture, traditions and language(Hebrew).


 * Yes. See Jew. - Nunh-huh 02:14, 18 September 2005 (UTC)

Judaism is a relgion

American Presidential Regulations
Can the American President be a woman?


 * Not without the help of a surgeon. - Nunh-huh 03:11, 18 September 2005 (UTC)


 * (There is, of course, no impediment to a woman becoming an American President...) George Bush, however, will likel live and die a man. - Nunh-huh 03:13, 18 September 2005 (UTC)

To be president need only be a native born American age 35 or older. At present time no woman has been presiden, however their have been woman presidental canidates. EG Elizabeth Dole.


 * Just to clarify things through the sarcasm here (hey, I do it too, so no begrudgings to Nunh-huh), the requirements to become the prez state nothing about gender. See President of the United States. Garrett Albright 03:51, 18 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Actually, if the constitution is taken (over?)literally, it does specify a male president. According to Article II, section 1, "The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America. He shall hold his Office during the Term of four Years, and, together with the Vice President, chosen for the same Term, be elected, as follows".  That's not my interpretation, though, especially given the gratuitious use of Person rather than Man later.("No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States. ") Superm401 | Talk 00:37, 21 September 2005 (UTC)


 * The use of "he" would never be taken as a restriction on the sex of the president. We're here to inform, not misinform. - Nunh-huh 00:43, 21 September 2005 (UTC)

"Never"? Women did not get the vote in the us until the 19th amendment in 1920. Obviously the masculine language of the constitution was taken seriously.
 * I agree. Most of the constitution's drafters probably presumed that a woman president wasn't even worth worrying about. Superm401 | Talk 20:25, 22 September 2005 (UTC)


 * But to reclarify, the American president can be a woman. If it were otherwise, someone ought really to have told Hillary by now. --bodnotbod 23:52, 23 September 2005 (UTC)

Crown Prince of Nepal, 1950-1951
When the young Gyanendra of Nepal became king for two months, 1950 through 1951, who would have been the second in line to the throne? Probally his closest biological relative not in exile.

bestseller's lists
What adult fiction title was on the bestsellers' lists for the longest time during the year 2000?

--anon
 * Lot's of countries have bestseller lists and sometimes different chains of bookstores have their own lists too. Which bestseller list do you want to know about? - Mgm|(talk) 07:25, 18 September 2005 (UTC)

Emperor Hadrian
In the article about Trajan it indicates that he was Roman and not of Italian descent, but in the related article of Hadrian it is not clear if he was Romanor Italian. I am just interested in that both men were born in the same city in Spain. Thank You

According to the Oxford Classical Dictionary and Michael Grant: Trajan was born in 53 at Italica in province of Baetica (originally Hispania Ulterior). Roman father M Ulpius Traianus, and Spanish mother. Paternal family originated in Tuder in Umbria in Italy. Hadrian was probably born in 76 at the same place. Father was P Aelius Hadrianus Afer, mother Domitia Paulian of Gades. Paternal family lived in Baetica also but originally came from Picenum in north east Italy. I think at least the paternal lineage for both was Roman/Italian. alteripse 12:06, 18 September 2005 (UTC)

Both emperors were born in Italica, Trajan of spanish, nor Italian, descent: the Turdetanian Tra(h)ii, see http://www.celtiberia.net/verimg.asp?id=1472 : Italica, signinum mosaic c. 100-60 B.C. with a M. Trahius, pr(aetor), probably of the Italica as colonia latina. I had proposed he is Trajan's third or fourth paternal grand-father, cf. Alicia M. CANTO, Las raíces béticas de Trajano. Los Traii de Itálica y otras novedades sobre su familia, Sevilla, 2003 (see journals.cambridge.org/production/action/cjoGetFulltext?fulltextid=434412)

About Hadrian's birth in Italica, not in Rome as only the HA (and contradictory) states: - Alicia M. CANTO, Itálica, sedes natalis de Adriano. 31 textos históricos y argumentos para una secular polémica, Athenaeum vol. 92.2, 2004, pp. 367-408 (http://dobc.unipv.it/dipscant/athenaeum/athenaeum.html http://dobc.unipv.it/dipscant/athenaeum/indici/2004.html)

About a true "spanish" dinasty, the "ulpio-aelia", 98-192 A.D.: - Alicia M. CANTO, «Saeculum Aelium, saeculum Hispanum: Promoción y poder de los hispanos en Roma», en: Hispania. El Legado de Roma. En el año de Trajano, Madrid-Zaragoza, Ministerio de Cultura, 1998, págs. 209-224; more recently: Alicia M. CANTO, «La dinastía Ulpio-Aelia (96-192 d.C.): ni tan 'Buenos', ni tan 'Adoptivos' ni tan 'Antoninos'», Gerión 21.1, 2003, pp. 263-305 (http://www.ucm.es/BUCM/revistas/ghi/02130181/articulos/GERI0303120305A.PDF)

Middle Eastern men and women's hair
Why is it that religious Middle Eastern men, both Jews and Muslims, seem to feel that women's hair should be hidden, either under a head scarf (Muslim) or a wig (married Jewish Orthodox women)? Why is hair so important that it must be covered? It is done for modesty. Muslim and Orthodox Jewish women are araid if they show their hair they will appear sexually provocative.
 * It's not neccesarily related to their hair. See the Islamic concept Hijab for more information. - Mgm|(talk) 07:30, 18 September 2005 (UTC)

This was once a prominent feature of European Christian culture, too (for instance the wimple, or the bonnets that were reintroduced by the protestant reformation), and still influences dress in more traditional areas (i.e. the classic widow's garb includes a black shawl and/or veil). The idea that modesty involves covering the head is not unique to the Middle East. &mdash; Laura Scudder | Talk 08:27, 25 September 2005 (UTC)

forms of french government in 1818
i was wondering if some one could describe the forms of government in France in 1818? --Kim
 * Try France in the nineteenth century as a starting point. Enochlau 07:14, 18 September 2005 (UTC)
 * At that time, which was a few years after Napoleon was removed, the country reverted back to its traditional monarchy. However unlike the prerevolution times the king was checked by a paliment. The government of 1818 France could therfore be called a constitutional or limited monarchy.
 * This is exact. However, this constitutional monarchy wasn't comparable to the constitutional monarchies existing in Europe today &mdash; considerable power was still vested in the king and aristocracy. Perhaps it compares with the United Kingdom at the time?
 * Furthermore, immediately after 1815 there were "witch hunts" in which revolutionaries were removed from positions of responsibility, and sometimes prosecuted. Apart from that, the regime began as relatively liberal, but after Charles X succeeded his brother, it became increasingly authoritarian, which ultimately brought its downfall. David.Monniaux 12:49, 19 September 2005 (UTC)

Isabel Allende

 * See Isabel Allende. Enochlau 07:14, 18 September 2005 (UTC)

Tell me about the history of Chile

 * See History of Chile. Enochlau 07:15, 18 September 2005 (UTC)

management
What is the modern management theory, who were it's theorists?
 * Perhaps try management, which discusses developments of ideas in management over the last couple of centuries. Enochlau 08:51, 18 September 2005 (UTC)

Ancient writings on tree barks in India
I've read before that there are ancient writings on tree barks in South India. These writings were written thousands of years ago and can foretell the future of all our lives in this world. I can't seem to find any articles on it from the web. Please help. Thanks.


 * I was planning to add an article on this in wikipedia myself, so I can help. If you want articles from it on the web you will have to search for "palm leaf" or "palm leaf manuscript". In tamil it is called "olai" for the leaf. It was the medium for writing and could be called as indian paper where thirukural etc. were written. I'll be putting up an article in wikipedia pretty soon, so you could check back at wikipedia in a few days time... Idleguy 09:23, 18 September 2005 (UTC)

qin shi huang
See Qin Shi Huang. Enochlau 08:52, 18 September 2005 (UTC)

cross border terrorism
what is cross border terrorism? what are the reasons for cross border terrorism? what are the solutions for cross border terrorism? what is the impact of cross border terrorism on the growth of a country?
 * Woa, that's a lot of questions to answer... Still an example of cross border terrorism would be in kashmir where pakistan supports islamic fighters to gain independence from India. Solutions are to shun the nation as a terrorist nation and many other ways. Impact depends on the size of the country and its current economic state. this is as i said a question with a very huge scope and I can only answer half the questions without tiring myself. :) Idleguy 09:44, 18 September 2005 (UTC)

World heritage sites
I am doing an assignment on an Australian world heritage site and i cant find who is responsible for protecting each of the sites. Im not sure if it is either the UNESCO, the Australian government or another body. --Stephanie morris 09:32, 18 September 2005 (UTC)

The country possessing the world heritage site is responsible for protecting it. There is no other enforcement except world opinion. Remember when the Taliban dynamited those ancient Buddhist cliff statues? Lots of complaints, no actions. alteripse 11:50, 18 September 2005 (UTC)

what is meant by quasi movement
Need more context here. Movement as in political movement, orchestral movement, body movement, bowel movement...? Quasi is equivalent to American vernacular "sort of" in most contexts. alteripse 16:59, 18 September 2005 (UTC)

Which country liberated Romania in 1945?
According to the article on Romania, they liberated themselves in 1944 and then gave control to the Soviet Union in 1946; then they liberated themselves again in 1989. alteripse 12:46, 18 September 2005 (UTC)

culture of kerela
can u tell me about the matriarchal culture of kerala and what is the status of old people in kerala?
 * Ask at Kerala, or Portal:Kerala. =Nichalp   «Talk»=  11:24, 23 September 2005 (UTC)

miro
Juan Miro? Who juanna know? alteripse 12:46, 18 September 2005 (UTC)

Jesus Christ
Why do Christians need Jesus Christ to be God?

What a question! If I understand you correctly, you are already convinced that (1) Jesus is not God, (2) believing Jesus to be God is a patently false aspect of the Christian religion, (3) believing so satisfies some inexplicable "need" of Christians that makes no sense to you, and perhaps even (4) Christianity might be a much better (or at least more sensible) religion if Christians would just let that one go. And you want me to explain the "need" part of this because you are already sure about the other parts....

My answer: There are some questions which are formulated in a way that ensures the questioner will not be enlightened no matter what answer he gets. alteripse 16:26, 18 September 2005 (UTC)


 * I'm not sure if need is the right word. Christians see Jesus as the mediator between fallen humanity and our good and just God. To reconcile us, Jesus is both human and divine. See christology for the extensive history of our belief. Gareth Hughes 16:23, 18 September 2005 (UTC)


 * But Gareth is giving you a damn good answer. alteripse 16:27, 18 September 2005 (UTC)

percentage of religions in usa.
percentage of christians,muslims,buddhists and hindus in usa


 * Check out our article on Religion in the United States for some numbers. Garrett Albright 18:49, 18 September 2005 (UTC)m

The overwelming majority of American perhaps 80% are christans. Muslims make up perhaps 3 or 4% maybe smaller Bubists and hindus perhaps have 1 million adherents each in the U.S.
 * There's also some number of Athiests, Agnostics, and I do not remember the name for people who believe in some holy book, such as the Bible but not in the institution of some church. AlMac|(talk) 20:50, 18 September 2005 (UTC)

Pronunciation of Phryne
How is the name of the Greek Courtesan Phryne pronounced

Thank you

Ron Tripp



In English you can get away with something like "Proonie," but there is some debate over the degree to which phi is pronounced as an aspirant or fricative (e.g., Froonie). See Vox Graeca by Sidney Allen (Cambridge, 1987 3rd ed) for an authoritative discussion. alteripse 16:57, 18 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Proonie is fine if you want to reconstruct ancient Greek pronunciation. Modern pronunciation is /fri.ni/, and an old-grammar-school pronunciation (the best choice if you're reading a classical name in an English language context) would be /frɪ.ne/. Gareth Hughes 17:26, 18 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Four choices! No wonder he had to ask. I admit that the most classically correct sounds the most barbaric in spoken English. alteripse 17:35, 18 September 2005 (UTC)

F Major chords
hello what are the chords of f major including 1 4 5?

Signed politely cameron coulter


 * Your question is not very clear, Cameron, but I'll suggest what might be the answer you are looking for. The F-major triad is f-a-c. The IV chord is B&#x266d; major, which is b&#x266d;-d-f, and the V chord is C major, which is c-e-g. Gareth Hughes 17:16, 18 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Did you mean the F major chord containing the 1st, 4th and 5th notes? F, B&#x266d; and C makes F suspended 4nd, also called Fsus4 and Fsus. WP 23:58, 25 September 2005 (UTC)

about molds
please interpret the meaning of mold in to my life... Every place i live i see to it that everything is new and clean but after a few months here comes the mold and will scattered all over my place which made me and my family sick. This molds started last 1996 after i divorced with my husband, then all the problems came at the same time my father died after a few months my mother died, i lost my business, i lost my house. please help me i need an answer if this molds has something to do with my life thank you, kathleen


 * Mold is a formation of fungi and is common to places which get damp and are not kept well ventilated or clean. My guess is that the difficulties in your life probably resulted in you and others not being able to spend as much time cleaning as you probably would otherwise. I find that my living space gets pretty messy whenever things are going poorly for me, but that's just because I'm less motivated to clean it up. Anyway, whether or not the formation of mold does correlate in some way with your life's activities, it is also possible that you simply notice it more, and are clearly interpretting it as a form of leitmotif. You may want to examine your cleaning habits; mold is very easy to get rid of if you keep at it with disinfectant (i.e. Lysol) and keep the space regularly aired out (to prevent too much moisture accumulating). --Fastfission 19:13, 18 September 2005 (UTC)


 * You might like to buy a dehumidifier; they are not particularly expensive, and are very useful in reducing the humidity of the air. Your local electrical store will be able to help you. Proto t c 09:02, 19 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Stachybotrys and Aspergillus fumigatus have been said to cause illness in homes. --ViolentGreen 02:19, 21 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Mold is caused by the spoorification of fungi. Fungi spread by the action of cold damp air currents. Remove any of these: Heat your house, dehumidify and use anti-enzyomatic cleaners, should stop the spread. Tri-sodium phosphate TSP can be used to clean surfaces, and or any cleaning products containing Alkor™, like almost all disinfectant products, and floor disinfectants. check the label. Sickness is caused when the amount of fungi are significantly higher, then the surrounding area. This is the science. --User:Artoftransformation


 * What has meaning in your life? How is it that you see a spot on the wall, and give it meaning? You have had some of the most stressful things happen in anyone life, and you are searching for meaning, in the past. If I look at the stars in the night sky, I see three things: First, the incredible opportunity available from space flight, then second, the ultimate frustration that it takes to escape gravity, and live successfully, and third, the recognition that I almost cannot do anything worth doing, alone. I must continually monitor why I am saying to myself to see what I see the stars mean. The stars dont mean anything, I attach meaning.


 * When I see an empty stub in a Wikipedia, I see it as either an incredible opportunity to contribute, or an opportunity to contribute to others, or the lack of caring of the community in that subject.

Wikipedia is a community of people dedicated to collect and orginize knowledge. Find a community to empower you. Most importantly, Viktor Franz, the founder of a subset of Psychology, called LogoTherapy wrote a book called 'Man's search for meaning." --User:Artoftransformation

RAIL TRANSPORT
WHAT IS THE "BEECHING AXE"?


 * See Beeching Axe. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 17:36, 18 September 2005 (UTC)

The San Juan Islands 3000 years ago
How did people live in the San Juan Island?

The Salish people are thought to have lived there for around 11,000 years.

They lived as most primitive coastal peoples did, fishing and so forth.

http://www.sanjuanislandsdirectory.com/history.htm

teen views in 1950
how can I find teen views of american presidents in the 1950's 68.23.103.201 18:18, 18 September 2005 (UTC) anon


 * What are you asking about? Pictures of American presidents as teenagers? Which presidents? You might try looking at biographies of any presidents you are interested in, they usually contain pictures of them in their youth. --Fastfission 18:50, 18 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Or do you mean something like "What did American teenagers in the 1950s think about Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower?" I'm not sure how you could get accurate research about that, but maybe someone else will have a suggestion. --Metropolitan90 07:26, 19 September 2005 (UTC)
 * And if you are looking for what Fastfission referred to, the only presidents you could consider are Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, as they were the only U.S. presidents so far to have been teenagers during the 1950s -- and only for the last few months of 1959, as they were both born in 1946. --Metropolitan90 07:31, 19 September 2005 (UTC)

political issues
hey, I need to write paper on the political issues in America. Could you list me the political issues that are currently occuring? and if possible, list me the sites that are related to political issues in America

List political issues. (I hope you don't mind me adding to your list, whoever made this)
 * Well, there was a hurricane. That's the hottest policical issue at the moment. You could do worse than buy a newspaper (one of the larger format ones). Notinasnaid 20:10, 18 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Until the hurricane, perhaps the biggest political issue on the TV news was how the police investigation was progressing on some blond woman who disappeared some place. If you watch TV News in America you would not know that statistically, relative to population figures, more blacks go missing than whites, more men than women, and there is an epidemic of missing children. AlMac|(talk) 20:53, 18 September 2005 (UTC)
 * The war Iraq
 * The war on terror.
 * poverty (espessally in light of the hurricane)
 * Abortion
 * Privitization of social security
 * education
 * drugs
 * healthcare
 * Unemployment rate
 * economy
 * Stem Cell research
 * Fire depratment
 * Police
 * Goverment funding/budget
 * Libray system
 * Militray funding
 * Military drafting
 * Gay/lesbian marriage
 * Missle Defense/The star Wars missle system (Bush reproposed that one.

If you just type these into google or wikipedia, your gona get a lot of info. Tobyk777 02:43, 19 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Also go to the home web sites of political parties and politicians ... generally they run for re-election on what they think are hot button issues. AlMac|(talk) 06:52, 19 September 2005 (UTC)

The United States Senate is likely going to approve President Bush's appointment of John Roberts as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. He's been in the news a lot. His approval affects pretty much any issue that could potentially come before the Supreme Court in the next 30 to 40 years. --Maxamegalon2000 13:33, 23 September 2005 (UTC)


 * We have the article Social issues in the United States but it looks extremely lacklustre at the moment. --bodnotbod 00:11, 24 September 2005 (UTC)


 * As for sites related to political issues, you can read our articles about Democratic Underground (progressive) and Free Republic (conservative) to get an idea of what those sites are like; if they'd fill your needs, the links are in the articles. JamesMLane 00:26, 25 September 2005 (UTC)

Prostitution loophole by claiming to manufacture pornography?
It seems that while making pornography is legal in a lot of countries, legal prostitution is much rarer. Could a prostitute bypass prostitution laws by offering to make a pornographic film (albeit without any editing etc.) with any John, who then pays for the recording on video/DVD? Is it not necessary because enforcement of prostitution laws are lax? Are there usually stringent requirements for making pornography that would be more hassle than trying to avoid prosecution for prostitution? &mdash; Jeandré, 2005-09-18t20:59z


 * No, video taping in itself does not legally exuse prostitution. For the senario to create a loophole he must intend to market the footage. ''unsigned comment by


 * Also, prostitution enforcement in the US is relatively lax. Superm401 | Talk 22:03, 23 September 2005 (UTC)

spanish baseball players
Do you know of any baseball players that are from Spain. This is for a report in my spanish class? I have not been able to find any info?? Thanks, Corey Smith
 * See List of players from Spain in Major League Baseball. I don't know how comprehensive that might be.-gadfium 00:24, 19 September 2005 (UTC)
 * The information on that page comes from Baseball Reference, and all of the players born in Spain in U.S. major league baseball history according to Baseball Reference are listed on the Wikipedia page. --Metropolitan90 00:34, 19 September 2005 (UTC)

governor's veto power
How long does the Governor have to veto or line item veto legislation once it has passed the house and senate? I'm particularly interested on AB1184, outlawing mandatory overtime for nurses inthe state of California.
 * I think you could get a very authoritative answer by making a quick phone call to Govenor Schwarzenegger's office. One of the interns will surely be able to answer that question. Here, I'll even give you the number: 916-445-2841 :) --inks 23:33, 18 September 2005 (UTC)
 * It's covered in Article 4 of the California Constitution (scroll down to section 10, subsection b). It's pretty complex, but looks like it's 30 days for most bills. You might also want to take a look at section 8, subsection c of the same article for the details on when a statute goes into effect. Chuck 21:32, 20 September 2005 (UTC)

U.S Economic Sanctions on Indonesia
Has the U.S. ever had economic sanctions on Indonesia? If so, when and why? I am planning a trip there and I want to know the situation. It would suck to get put on the No-Fly list, especially when my connecting flight is in L.A. Crisco 1492 14:50, 26 September 2005 (UTC)
 * There is currently (or has recently been) a US-imposed sanction against Indonesia against importing US-made spare parts for military planes in Indonesia's air force. In addition, numerous city councils in the US have passed resolutions sanctioning Indonesia. None of this is likely to put Indonesia on the No-Fly list anytime in the near future, and the country is considered a US ally. Your best bet if you're worried about this sort of thing is to check the travel warnings from the US State Department: http://www.state.gov/ - there is a heightened terrorism alert at the moment. Canley 23:43, 26 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Thank you for the speedy reply, the answer is very reassuring. Crisco 1492 13:19, 27 September 2005 (UTC)

government- federalism
In terms of population, what are the largest and smallest federal nations? India U.S Russia (Russia calls it self federal though this is debated) Brazil Tobyk777 02:39, 19 September 2005 (UTC)
 * I'm not sure exactly what you are asking. Here is what I think you want:
 * The following is a list of countries in the world in order of population (Largest first)
 * China
 * India
 * US
 * Indonesia
 * Russia
 * The following is a list by smallest:
 * Vatican city
 * Monaco


 * List of countries by population could be worth a look. --Commander Keane 05:18, 19 September 2005 (UTC)
 * I assume the questioner wants to know which are the largest and smallest countries which are federations by population. In that case, India appears to be the largest, because it is the second-most populous country and considered a federation, while China is larger but not considered a federation.  The smallest federation by population may be the Federated States of Micronesia with a population under 150,000. --Metropolitan90 07:22, 19 September 2005 (UTC)

The Chancilor of Germany
Who is likely to become the Chancilor of Germany Schroder or Merkel?
 * We have no way of telling this since the elections have not happened yet. You will see once the election is over.  Tobyk777 02:33, 19 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Elections are over, but we still can't tell. -83.129.6.207 03:09, 19 September 2005 (UTC)

U.S. Supreme Court portraits
How often are U.S. Supreme Court portraits taken? Thanks, Rebecca

Value of gold
I asm trying to figure out the current value of an ounce of gold. I searched the net, and tried many finance sites. Many had graphs and junk, but a lot of them were for wired stuff, like gold companies, or they didn't specify what incriemtn of gold the value was for. I tried the page here titled Gold and looked at the value section. It has some interesting stuff, but didn't tell me the vaule of gold, here and now at this present date. Tobyk777 02:32, 19 September 2005 (UTC)
 * It may be that the sites you were looking at say not "gold" but "xau". There are many currency conversion sites, but I use xe.com. Select xau from the left column (near the bottom of the drop-down list) and the currency of your choice from the right one. It says 1.00 XAU Gold Ounces = 459.700 USD United States Dollars at this point.-gadfium 02:45, 19 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Thanks Tobyk777 04:15, 19 September 2005 (UTC)

Kitco.com is also a great site for current prices and historical charts for most precious metals.

U.S. Constitution
What was the main question facing the founding fathers while writing the constatution?


 * Have a look at United States Constitution. If you still have questions let us know. - Nunh-huh 03:32, 19 September 2005 (UTC)

Answer: how balance state soverignty intrests with the need for a effective central government.

Marshall Law in Rome?
Watching the HBO series ROME reference was made to Marshall Law being imposed.I can not find the history of the term Marshall Law but find it hard to believe it was used during the Roman Empire.Do you know?


 * I don't know (but would bet that the term has a Roman origin: Cicero obtained a senatus consultum de re publica defendenda, or declaration of martial law, and the term is clearly derived from the Roman god of war (Mars). Spelling could be why you're not finding much &mdash; try martial law - Nunh-huh 06:32, 19 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Maybe the reason you "can not find the history of the term Marshall Law", is that you're using the wrong spelling. It's MARTIAL law.  Have another search now.  JackofOz 06:50, 20 September 2005 (UTC)

Yes, I think it's pretty unlikely that Marshall Law was declared in Rome.

Robert E. Lee
Do you have a question about this military leader of the US Confederacy? AlMac|(talk) 06:54, 19 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Arr, we most certainly be havin' an article on the lad at Robert E. Lee. Garrett Albright 12:22, 19 September 2005 (UTC)

Japan's culture
What are the influences of Korea and China on Japan's culture?
 * They have been myriad throughout the ages, matey… Did ye have a specific time period in mind? For example, in the 4th century AD, the Japanese adopted the Chinese writing system (see Japanese writing system), while in the past half-decade, Korean music and soap operas have found mass appeal in Japan (see Korean wave). Arrr. Garrett Albright 12:20, 19 September 2005 (UTC)

what is ying and yang?


See Yin and yang. Proto t c 09:05, 19 September 2005 (UTC)

lord franks,(falklands enquiry)uk
where was lord franks born,and who were his parents?there appears to be no biog on this fairly famous law lord.


 * Oliver Shewell Franks was born in 1905. He was British Ambassador to the United States of America (as Sir Oliver Fanks) in the late 1940s, and was Provost of Worcester College, Oxford at some point. He received a life peerage as Baron Franks of Headington. He was not a law lord. He chaired numerous committees and inquiries, such that Franks Report/Inquiry nearly always has to be disambiguated. I hope that helps. Gareth Hughes 10:25, 19 September 2005 (UTC)


 * He was also the first Chancellor of the University of East Anglia, as I recall from the time of my studies there nearly 30 years ago... -- Arwel 01:11, 22 September 2005 (UTC)

SURNAME: MAKHUTO
PLEASE RESEARCH FOR ME THE ORIGIN OF THE SURNAME MAKHUTO PREVIOUSLY MMAKHUTO THE MEANING OF THE SURNAME THE ROOTS OF THE SURNAME

REGARDS THABO MAKHUTO

tmmakhuto@dla.gov.za

What are Aristotle's Seven Stories?
I was once told, that Aristotle or another philosopher, categorized all stories into 7 different categories.

Could you please tell me what they are?


 * I'm afraid I don't know about Aristotle, but I was browsing a book in the bookstore today which also categorised stories into seven classes. It's called The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories by Christopher Booker (ISBN 0826452094). His seven categories are "overcoming the monster", "rags to riches", "the quest", "voyage and return", "comedy", "tragedy", and "rebirth". -- Middenface 16:41, 19 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Yeah, I don't know either for sure, but there's also the very common description of all plots as being either "man versus man", "man versus nature", "man versus society", "man versus himself", and sometimes "man versus man's work". I don't know who came up with that, though. And it doesn't add up to seven. --Fastfission 22:09, 19 September 2005 (UTC)

privity and sanctity of contract

 * Do you have a question for us? Notinasnaid 11:07, 19 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Privity and Contract. Enochlau 12:53, 19 September 2005 (UTC)

book of psalms
which psalm is thought to be the oldest psalm and which one is thoutht to be the most recent as far as the period of time.


 * It is very difficult to say for certain which is the earliest and which is the latest psalm. I would encourage you to read our article on the Psalms. At the earliest period, some psalms existed as either individual pieces or part of small collections used in public worship. In time these were gathered into slightly larger collections, which are attested by the titles of the psalms and other features. Five of these early collections can be suggested: the Korahite collection (Pss 42-49), the Asaph collection (Pss 78-83), the Enthronement collection (Pss 96-99), the Hallelujah collection (Pss 111-118) and the Songs of Ascent (Pss 120-134). After the Exile, more psalms were added into larger collections. Probably the last psalms to be added were the beginning and ending psalms of the collection as it has come down to us (Pss 1, 2 and 150), which form a frame around the whole. THe little benedictions tagged onto the end of the last psalm of each of the five books, into which the collection is divided, probably date from the same period. Gareth Hughes 15:54, 19 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Thinking about this again, it's possible to see an old Canaanite background in Ps 29 and perhaps an Egyptian one in Ps 104. Gareth Hughes 21:33, 19 September 2005 (UTC)

Where did the term "egg money" come from
I'm trying to find how the term "egg money" came about for a school project dealing with egg scales.


 * According to this website, before World War II, most eggs were produced by small flocks that scratched their way around the barnyard. The farmer's wife usually supervised the operation. The money received from the sale of the eggs was considered hers. Shantavira 17:05, 19 September 2005 (UTC)

Steppenwolf reference to "Sophia's Journey From Memel to Saxony"
Hi, I am searching for a book, one that may not exist, called Sophia's Journey From Memel to Saxony," which Harry Haller is said to be reading in Steppenwolf. Ever heard of it other that in Steppenwolf?

---anon.

Nope but it may be worth asking on the German wikipedia. User:Andycjp:Andycjp 24th September 2005


 * That would be Sophiens Reise von Memel nach Sachsen, by Johann Timotheus Hermes (1738-1821), published 1778. The New York Public Library has a copy. It was apparently rather popular. - Nunh-huh 11:07, 24 September 2005 (UTC)

scottish film producer who was the first to use the term documentary

 * John Grierson, probably. -- Middenface 16:32, 19 September 2005 (UTC)

Art with bag.
Which artists have explored bag,as an art medium, or as an idea for art? What are their works?


 * Bags as in Graphic design like Plastic shopping bags, or as in Fashion design like Handbags? Ojw 11:37, 22 September 2005 (UTC)

Grotesque as an Art form
I need a good reference (pictorial) book written in any language on Grotesques in wall decorations. Any help would be deeply appreciated. Thanks, Isabel


 * The word "Gargoyle" shares a root with the word "Gargle"; they come from "gargouille", an old French word for "Throat". A true gargoyle is a waterspout. An unusual carved creature that does not serve that purpose is properly called a "Grotesque". See Gargoyle  and also Grotesque. In Medieval Illuminated manuscripts terminology, drolleries, half-human thumbnails drawn in the margins, are also called "grotesques"., so you can check also the article Illuminated manuscript  &asymp; jossi &asymp; 05:43, 1 October 2005 (UTC)

William Shakespeare
I am trying to locate the origin of the phrase "The law is an ass"! Said,I believe by Mr. Micauber (?) in a W.S. Play named ????. I would appreciate any help. Peter.


 * It was a Charles Dickens novel, Oliver Twist, which you can see the full text for at http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/730. The relevant quote (which comes near the end of the book), with a little bit of context, is:
 * 'It was all Mrs. Bumble. She _would_ do it,' urged Mr. Bumble; first looking round to ascertain that his partner had left the room.


 * 'That is no excuse,' replied Mr. Brownlow. 'You were present on the occasion of the destruction of these trinkets, and indeed are the more guilty of the two, in the eye of the law; for the law supposes that your wife acts under your direction.'


 * 'If the law supposes that,' said Mr. Bumble, squeezing his hat emphatically in both hands, 'the law is a ass--a idiot. If that's the eye of the law, the law is a bachelor; and the worst I wish the law is, that his eye may be opened by experience--by experience.'
 * -gadfium 23:16, 19 September 2005 (UTC)

Canada
Has there been a riot in canada?
 * Yes, plenty, from the Winnipeg General Strike of 1919, to small riots in Montreal following the Montreal Canadiens winning (or losing!) the Stanley Cup, to the escalation of protests surrounding the Quebec City G8 conference a few years ago, and hundreds of others throughout Canada's history. And before you ask, I don't think the rioters apologized while they rioted. &mdash; mendel &#9742; 17:54, 19 September 2005 (UTC)

The Army's LOGCAP
I'm in an adversarial blog with conservatives over the unfairness & corruption shown by the Bush Adm. when they gave Halliburton no bid contracts in Iraq & now, in New Orleans. I've read this all over my information sources, like Public Citizen, for instance. But the conservatives say that's not true. They say the Army created "LOGCAP", meaning "Logistics Civil Augmentation Program" back in 1992, in which they have a bid process for contracts that may need to be done quickly, so they will already have a company ready to go when urgency would leave no time for a regular bid process. They say Halliburton won the bid in 1992, lost in 1997, & won again in 2001. They say that even though Halliburton lost the bid for this LOGCAP in 1997, Clinton still hired Halliburton to help in the Balkans, & that Al Gore had nothing but good things to say about Halliburton back then. I can't find anything abut "LOGCAP" anywhere, can you help? anonymous````


 * The first news stories I saw about Halliburton getting repair contracts certainly referenced a pre-bidding process, though not by that name. The cited page has now vanished... hmm... a cache. Shimgray 18:32, 19 September 2005 (UTC)

Constitutional Amendments
It is my understanding that onlt two ways exist to make an amendment law. After reading the Constitution I am confused as what these two ways are. Another question, is it true that the 18th Amendment is the only one to use the special ratifying committtees? If so how did that avoid much criticism? Thanks
 * Congratulations on being able to read the whole document. It is a wonderful thing.  Most people just read individual sections. This link might be a good start point for you.
 * Although the United States Constitution has included several ways that it can be amended, in actual practice it usually gets done one way.

AlMac|(talk) 18:13, 19 September 2005 (UTC)
 * 1) One way is for the various states of the USA to pass approval of the thing ... there is some # of states needed.  There was controversy over eqaul gender rights one where various lobby groups traveled the nation to get it passed there, then after they had moved on to another state, some approval was recinded.  The controversy was whether recinding has any effect.
 * 2) There are various rules about simple majority for simple laws, and 2/3 for other things in Congress.
 * 3) Do you know about Constitutional Convention?  This is where the whole thing can get re-written.
 * 4) Also the Supreme Court might have something to say about an amendment being unconstituional relative to the prior document's rules.


 * Well wait. There are only two ways to amend the Constitution, as the questioner said. 2/3 of both houses of Congress pass an amendment, and then 3/4 of the states ratify; or there's a consitutional convention, and 3/4 of the states ratify. The Supreme Court can not, by force of sheer logic, declare a properly passed constutional amendment unconstitutional. --jpgordon&#8711;&#8710;&#8711;&#8710; 05:10, 20 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Note that there has never been a convention held to propose constitutional amendments; all the amendments have been proposed by Congress. Congress, when it proposes the amendments, specifies whether the amendment is to be ratified by the state legislatures or by conventions in the states, but it has always designated ratification by the state legislatures except in the case of the 21st Amendment. --Metropolitan90 05:32, 21 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Isn't a balanced budget amendment just one state's vote short of requiring that a constitutional convention be started? But once the convention is called, there doesn't seem to be any rule which requires that only the amendment it was called for be passed by the convention.  User:Zoe|(talk) 05:49, 21 September 2005 (UTC)

international relations
Does order exist in the international relations

international relations
Does order exist in the international relations
 * You might like to read about international law. AlMac|(talk) 18:22, 19 September 2005 (UTC)

Constitutional Government
What is the difference between a government with a constitution and a constitutional government?


 * One of the differences is in whether the constitution is worth the paper it is written on. You may recall before the regime change in Iraq that there was a constitution there, but the reality was that Saddam was the dictator and he could do anything he pleased to the other occupants of the nation. AlMac|(talk) 23:20, 19 September 2005 (UTC)

President
I would like to know who are the president on the paper bills


 * You could search under currency since you didn't specify a country, but I'll assume you mean present United States dollar:
 * $1: George Washington
 * $2: Thomas Jefferson
 * $5: Abraham Lincoln
 * $20: Andrew Jackson
 * $50: Ulysses S. Grant
 * The $10 and $100 (Alexander Hamilton and Benjamin Franklin, respectively) do not have Presidents for the portraits. &mdash; Lomn | Talk / RfC 18:55, 19 September 2005 (UTC)


 * List of motifs on banknotes gives you several countries, if the US is not what you're looking for. 85.165.240.24 09:05, 20 September 2005 (UTC)

There are also larger bills still in circulation, but no longer printed:


 * $500 William McKinley, 25th President
 * $1000 Grover Cleveland, 22nd President
 * $5000 James Madison, 4th President
 * $10000 Woodrow Wilson, 28th President ( Wilson? )
 * $100000 Salmon P. Chase ( Wilson?), Chief Justice of the United States and U.S. Treasury Secretary

These are all still legal tender, but the Treasury is gradually destroying them and replacing them with smaller bills. Now, the big question is, why is Salmon P. Chase on the $10000 bill?

From Wikipedia:

"The first U.S. federal currency was printed in 1862, during Chase's tenure as Secretary of the Treasury, thus it was his responsibility to design the notes. In an effort to further his political career, his own face appeared on a variety of U.S. paper currency. Most recently, in order to honor the man who introduced the modern system of banknotes, it was on the $10,000 bill, printed from 1928 to 1946. This bill is no longer in circulation."

King Charles of Spain
How successful was Charles as the king of Spain? Everything I've read on him, his mishandling of Castile, Finance,his problems with Francis the Ottomans the pope, the extent of his territories etc all seem to point to the conclusion that he wan't successful. I can't find any counter arguments, apart from things like the peace of cambrai, treaty of Madrid etc. Do you have any other suggestions?
 * I assume you're referring to Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor. Check out the article, it's pretty balanced. 85.165.240.24 09:10, 20 September 2005 (UTC)

audio production
What does the audio production term "hard pan effect with drone" mean? 131.156.79.53 19:13, 19 September 2005 (UTC)mary


 * It's really not my field, but I think a pan is when the sound is made to cross from the left speaker to the right or vice versa, thereby giving the impression of something moving, (eg if you pan the sound of a motor engine it will sound as if the motor is moving from where the first speaker is placed to the next). A hard pan may then refer to this effect being done very swiftly, so that the sound switches from one speaker to the other rapidly. I assume the drone is a sound added to this effect for some reason, possibly to increase the illusion of something moving. But please note, I am really only going on a distant memory of something I read and a little calculated guesswork. --bodnotbod 00:47, 24 September 2005 (UTC)


 * The definition of pan at this audio glossary suggests I'm along the right lines. --bodnotbod 01:02, 24 September 2005 (UTC)

audio production
What is the meaning of the audio production term, "stager" 131.156.79.53 19:23, 19 September 2005 (UTC)mary


 * Using Google's define feature brings up stager = stage manager: someone who supervises the physical aspects in the production of a show and who is in charge of the stage when the show is being performed. So, I guess with audio production it means either just that OR possibly - because of the context you're implying - the person in charge of the sound aspects of (for example) a stage production. --bodnotbod 01:00, 24 September 2005 (UTC)

which citites in california were the state's capitol?

 * Per California, Sacramento is the primary capital. Initially, the capital was sited in San Jose, Vallejo, and Benicia.  San Francisco also served as a temporary capital while Sacramento was flooded.  &mdash; Lomn | Talk / RfC 21:43, 19 September 2005 (UTC)


 * And Monterey, California, & Loreto, Baja California Sur prior to partition/annexation/statehood. –Hajor 22:38, 19 September 2005 (UTC)

music
what are the words to the song, Indiana Waltz?


 * No answer, but the work in question seems to be Marcailhou, G. Indiana waltz. -- Louisville : Peters, Webb & Co., Main St. ; Cincinnati, W.C. Peters & Sons ; St.Louis, Balmer & Weber. 5 p. of music ; 33 cm. Pl. no.: 693-5. Medium: Piano. Subject: Waltzes. A librarian may be able to obtain a copy for you via fax or interlibrary loan. There's a complete copy at the University of Louisville. There was also a CD released in the UK of "Gatien Marcailhou: Indiana & 15 Other Waltzes". - Nunh-huh 02:56, 20 September 2005 (UTC)

Articles of Confederation
Who wrote the Articles of Confederation and what was an outcome of this event? Please let me know as soon as possible and your time and feedback is deeply appreciated. Thank you soooooooo much.


 * This is a textbook case of do your own homework, but Articles of Confederation should have all the pertinent info. &mdash; Lomn | Talk / RfC 21:47, 19 September 2005 (UTC)

definition of a dork

 * Was that line supposed to be under its own title or did you mean to suggest that the Articles of Confederation are the definition of a dork, or contain such therein? Gareth Hughes 22:10, 19 September 2005 (UTC)


 * There's a range of suggestions here. --bodnotbod 01:05, 24 September 2005 (UTC)

US Presidents 20th Century
Mckinlly, Roosevelt, Taft, Wilson, Harding, Coolidge, Hoover, Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush.
 * Clinton was in the 20th century too. --Fastfission 01:16, 20 September 2005 (UTC)
 * And for the first 19 days and 12 hours of the 21st as well. Remember this in a hundred years when someone asks for a list of the 21st Century Presidents...Brian Schlosser42 21:31, 26 September 2005 (UTC)

Rolf Walders/August Kuhn
Hello,

I am trying to do some research on an actor in Europe, mostly in Germany and Austria. His real name was August Kühn and his stage name was Rolf Walders. He was born on 2/26/1888 and passed away on 7/17/1950. (He died on my birthday 7/17, and was born on 2/26 - the day I was almost killed in Viet Nam in 1969) He married his last wife approximately in 1940. He was an actor, comedian, singer, and played almost every instrument. He performed mostly in Berlin and in the area around his hometown of Vienna, Austria. At times he even travelled and performed in Northern Africa. He died on stage in Bad Reichenhall while he was performing.

He performed from approximately 1904 until his death and had his own troupe of vaudevilians. He was forced to perform for the Nazis four months out of every year from 1938-1943, but because of his making fun of Hitler in some of his performances, he was put on "Hitler's Hitlist." Hitler never found him because he did not hide out in his hometown of Vienna or other places where he was well knownü. He hid out right under Hitler's nose just a few miles from Hitler's vacation spot of Berchtesgaden, in Bad Reichenhall.

I visited Vienna and Berlin, but was not able to find out much about him. I still have a few of his writings, but very little.

Thanks for any help you can give me on this.

Gus Reichel (Son of Rolf/August) agreichel@hotmail.com

World History
What Mediterranean city became the capital of Western Christianity?

Could you be referring to Rome, Italy, where the Vatican CityVatican is located, now the home of The Pope? AlMac|(talk) 03:42, 20 September 2005 (UTC)

politics
What are the elements of a public policy review or cycle?

popes

 * And the question is? --hydnjo talk 04:07, 20 September 2005 (UTC)

The Pope can be found here. My dream pope can be found [| here] --Ballchef 12:17, 21 September 2005 (UTC)

origin of Ridley Scott's first name?
In the United States, where I live, I see 'Ridley' typically as a last name among people of English descent, but never have I seen it used as a first name, even among people who don't know about the Metroid series's character Ridley (who was probably named after Ridley Scott anyways; see comment in Alien (film)). Does anyone know why/how film director Ridley Scott was given such an unusual name? ~GMH ''talk to me 03:34, 20 September 2005 (UTC)

subcultures
how do you know when a subculture can be characterized as being independent of oppositional, and what are their characteristics?


 * From Subculture &asymp; jossi &asymp; 02:21, 1 October 2005 (UTC)


 * As understood in sociology, anthropology and cultural studies, a subculture is a set of people with a distinct set of behaviour and beliefs that differentiate them from a larger culture of which they are a part. The subculture may be distinctive because of the age of its members, or by their race, ethnicity, class and/or gender, and the qualities that determine a subculture as distinct may be aesthetic, religious, political, sexual or a combination of these factors. Subcultures are often defined via their opposition to the values of the larger culture to which they belong, although this definition is not universally agreed on by theorists.


 * According to key theorists of subculture such as Dick Hebdige, members of a subculture will often signal their membership through a distinctive and symbolic use of style. Therefore, the study of subculture often consists of the study of the symbolism attached to clothing, music and other visible affectations by members of the subculture, and also the ways in which these same symbols are interpreted by members of the dominant culture. If the subculture is characterized by a systematic opposition to the dominant culture, then it may be described as a counterculture.

Queen Elizabeth the second a descendant of the prophet Mohammed?
I've read that Queen Elizabeth is a descendant of Mohammed via an ancestor Isabelle of Aragon. If this is so who were the ancestors between Isabelle and Mohammed? - Dee

Dee - that descent has certainly been claimed, but it relies on a very questionable identification of the mother of Sancha, wife of Roderigo Gonzalez de Lara and daughter of Alfonso VI of Castile. Alfonso had at least 5 wives, 2 mistresses, and one fiancée. Zaida would be a gateway ancestor between European and Arab royalty. The question is whether Alfonso VI of Castile had two wives, or a wife and a mistress, or one woman who was successively wife and mistress, named Isabella, and which was mother of his daughter Sancha. Zaida, baptized as Isabella, was the mother of Sancho, illegitimate son of King Alfonso, born during his marriage to Bertha. Sancha and Elvira, however, are reported as legitimate daughters of Alfonso, borne by his wife Queen Isabella (by the same source that names Zaida - it names his wives and their children including Isabella having Elvira and Sancha, and it then names his mistresses and their children, including Zaida/Isabella having Sancho, without giving any indication that the two were the same woman). It is only if Queen Isabella was identical to Zaida/Isabella that these Infantas are full siblings of Sancho, and that Sancha could possibly form a link between Mohammed and QEII. For other postulated lines - all with difficulties - trying to bridge the two, you may want to have a look at this. QEII is certainly a descendant of Alfonso VI of Castile, but it's not certain she descends from any of his wives/consorts/mistresses named Isabella. - Nunh-huh 06:22, 20 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Regardless of that particular link, it is virtually certain that the Queen is related to Mohammed. However, mathematical analysis shows that all Europeans and Middle Easterners are almost certainly descended from him. Or from almost any other famous, ancient, and not childless person. Rmhermen 18:48, 29 September 2005 (UTC)
 * I'm assuming that you are postulating that each person has two parents and therefore with each generation one goes backwards, the number of ancestors increases by a power of 2. Hence eventually, one has as many ancestors as there were people on the planet at that point in history, hence everyone is descended from numerous famous people of antiquity. I further assume you are being humorous in implying that this simplistic mathematical analysis has any basis in reality. Valiantis 03:05, 30 September 2005 (UTC)

Vietnam
How did Ngo Dinh DIem seize power in S. Vietnam and how did he keep this control untill Nove. 1963??  thanks...Girlygirl721@yahoo.com
 * Have you looked at our Ngo Dinh Diem article?-gadfium 05:30, 20 September 2005 (UTC)

He was the leader of non communist nationalist faction. He thus opposed the French and the Communists. This made him the ideal leader of South Vietnam. He thus was put in place by non communists vietnamese nationalists, (with the help of the U.S.). He kept power by controlling the police and useing repressive methods.

tutoring elementary school students, lesson plans
no question
 * Not directly what you want, but have you looked at Wikijunior? Bovlb 06:13, 20 September 2005 (UTC)

what is fema?
FEMA is Acronym for USA's Federal Emergency Management Agency. Recent examples of its work at Hurricane Katrina and Talk:Hurricane Katrina. AlMac|(talk) 06:28, 20 September 2005 (UTC)

Who is FEMA?
See FEMA. Bovlb 06:08, 20 September 2005 (UTC) FEMA is a U.S. goverment agency. Its basic job is to coordinate other agency during times of a disaster, espessally a natural disaster.

tutoring elementary school students, lesson plans
Please pick ONE of the four Reference Desks (not all four), and then state your question clearly. AlMac|(talk) 06:30, 20 September 2005 (UTC)

Apostle Peter
What is the name of the Apostle Peter's wife?


 * No one knows. She is not named in the Bible. Some give her the name of Concordia, or Perpetua, but on no particular basis. - Nunh-huh 06:35, 20 September 2005 (UTC)
 * One has to wonder how a Hebrew woman would have a Latin name. User:Zoe|(talk) 05:55, 21 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Same as Peter? Peter was called Kephas, that mean "rock", Petras in Latin > Peter. &asymp; jossi &asymp; 02:19, 1 October 2005 (UTC)

Realism within Modernism
What did realism mean within Modernsim? What was Realism about? How did photo realism contribute to modernism?
 * I would suggest you check our articles on realism and modernism. &mdash; Lomn | Talk / RfC 12:57, 20 September 2005 (UTC)

Cross-Country racing
Where did Cross-Country racing begin?

who was napoleon
check the napoleon article. Boneyard 11:28, 20 September 2005 (UTC) Napoleon was the the leader of France in the late 1700's and 1800's. He succeed in conquering many other Western European countries, reducing said countries to little more than Frech Colonies.

Health Services
I would be very grateful if someone could tell me which nations have a state-run health service, similar to the NAtional Health Service in the United Kingdom.
 * An exhaustive list is difficult to provide, as such systems are common and frequently "mixed" systems with elements of state and private control. Publicly funded medicine should provide a good start, however.  &mdash; Lomn | Talk / RfC 12:59, 20 September 2005 (UTC)

Immigration law
What was the first immigration Statute ever passed as law?

Thank you


 * In the US, it was the Naturalization Act of 1790:


 * That any alien, being a free white person, who shall have resided within the limits and under the jurisdiction of the United States for the term of two years, may be admitted to become a citizen thereof, on application to any common law court of record, in any one of the States wherein he shall have resided for the term of one year at least, and making proof to the satisfaction of such court, that he is a person of good character, and taking the oath or affirmation prescribed by law, to support the Constitution of the United States, which oath or affirmation such court shall administer; and the clerk of such court shall record such application, and the proceedings thereon; and thereupon such person shall be considered as a citizen of the United States. And the children of such persons so naturalized, dwelling within the United States, being under the age of twenty-one years at the time of such naturalization, shall also be considered as citizens of the United States. And the children of citizens of the United States, that may be born beyond sea, or out of the limits of the United States, shall be considered as natural born citizens: Provided, that the right of citizenship shall not descend to persons whose fathers have never been resident in the United States...


 * This act was signifcantly modifed by the Naturalization Act of 1795, but otherwise US immigration law remained based primarily on the 1795 act (and later the 14th amendment) until the Chinese Exclusion laws of 1882 and later.


 * For other countries, I don't know if there is an older act. Before the French and American revolutions, there was little conception of state citizenship in the modern sense and little ability or need to patrol borders.  --Diderot 15:29, 20 September 2005 (UTC)


 * In the UK, the first law dealing with naturalisation was the Sophia Naturalization Act of 1705, which declared an arbitrary set of foreigners to be naturalised as British citizens, but I don't know when the first immigration law was. Shimgray 22:16, 21 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Note that the act establishing the Bank of Scotland in 1695 made all foreign-born Proprietors (i.e. shareholders) in the bank naturalised Scotsmen. -- Arwel 01:35, 22 September 2005 (UTC)

Jimmie Dean
Who invinted the modern soccer ball and viagra?

7-oxo-3-propyl-1H-pyrazolo[4,3-d]pyrimidin-5-yl) phenylsulfonyl]-4-methylpiperazine citrate - was patented (and therefore invented) by Pfizer, a pharmaceutical company. The first modern soccer ball, using the truncated icosahedron shape, was the Telstar, introduced by Adidas in the Mexico World Cup in 1970. Proto t c 15:03, 20 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Viagra is a trade name, and the drug - correctly known as Sildenafil, and formally called 1-[4-ethoxy-3-(6,7-dihydro-1-methyl-
 * I'd object to the "and therefore invented part as a general rule, though it applies in this case" Superm401 | Talk 22:29, 23 September 2005 (UTC)
 * See here for more about the inventors of Viagra. Chuck 21:40, 20 September 2005 (UTC)

Residents of Montross
We live in a house located at 2983 Zacata Road in Westmoreland County, Montross Virginia. We have a graveyard in the back of the house with four headstones.
 * BCM, 1898 - 1899
 * Augusta Johnson
 * Grace Viola, 1940 - 1954
 * Margret Johnson

My father who is terminally ill lives with us. He has seen these people in his room. I would like to get the history of these people to know who I am dealing with.

Suggestions AlMac|(talk) 18:22, 20 September 2005 (UTC)
 * 1) As your father is able, try to do a video tape, digital camera, audio tape, whatever, interview so he can share whatever history he remembers that might be useful to you.
 * 2) Visit local and regional newspaper archives ... there probably existed a newspaper obituary of when these people died, and those obits may now be searcheable on microfilm.  Get reprints of the obits, then go searching for what there is on the names of the family members mentioned.
 * 3) Ask the Reference Desk of your local public library if there is a Historical Society in your community.  It may have more records to help you.
 * 4) The land that the gravestones are on, will have some government records who owned it, like who owned it at the time of the burials.  This may be additional clues to who those people were.

Everything Old is New Again
I'm wondering where the phrase "Everything Old is New Again" originated.

Niki


 * Well, it was the title of an ER episode, and of a radio show in New York. But it was originally the title of a song by Peter Allen, recorded in the mid 1970s, and can be found on his third album, Continental American. It was covered by the Barenaked Ladies. Proto t c 15:13, 20 September 2005 (UTC)


 * 2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." David Sneek 20:34, 20 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Well, that doesn't use the phrase, or anything similar, but the sentiment is the same ... I guess. Praise Jebus. Proto t c 09:00, 21 September 2005 (UTC)

who is an adult?

 * Legally and physically, I am, though mentally I often feel like an out-of-place child. Check out our article on adult for more. Garrett Albright 15:11, 20 September 2005 (UTC)

Kohanim
Good Morning. Im Solomon cohen from Mexico city And this is an akward question but i hope you could help me out. I need to know if when a Kohen (jewish priest)wants to get married i know he has certain restrictons which are:he cant marry a divorcee or a non jewish or a woman with premarital relashionships.but i heard that on this last point there are some Orthodox Rabbis that allow this type of marriege.By any chance would you know the names of such Rabbis at least one of them?

I hope you can answer this.Thank you so much. And have a wonderfull day.

This from Kohen &asymp; jossi &asymp; 02:16, 1 October 2005 (UTC)


 * Historic and present-day Orthodox Judaism view'
 * Such marriages are regulated by a number of special restrictions in addition to the general laws covering all Israelites. The Torah prohibits a Kohen from marrying women of certain specified categories: A divorcee, a "defiled" woman, or a "harlot". It ordains that any Kohen who makes such a marriage loses his priestly status [Lev. 21:6–7]. The Talmudic understanding of the word "harlot" also encompasses the meaning "proselyte" (or "convert"). According to the Talmud the act of marriage, although prohibited, was effective if a Kohen married in disregard of the prohibitions. Any children born of the union are legitimate.


 * Since the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, there have been no more sacrificial services, but the sanctified status of the Kohanim remains in force.


 * Reform view
 * Reform Judaism sees ritual halakha as no longer having any legal status, and this allows such marriages. Orthodox Judaism accepts that these laws are still normative, and thus usually forbids such marriages.


 * Conservative Judaism view
 * Conservative Judaism holds that, in general, Jewish law is still binding, but that these particular restrictions are no longer applicable. Thus the movement teaches that a Kohen may marry a convert or divorcee. Their reasoning is that:


 * The Temple in Jerusalem is no longer extant; Kohanim are no longer needed to perform Temple services.
 * According to many codes of Jewish law, the priestly status of most Kohanim is doubtful, at best. Rabbi Isaac ben Sheshet (14th century) differentiates between authentic Kohanim of ancient times, and those who carry the title today.  He rules that today's Kohanim, lacking documentary evidence of clear right to the priestly title, owes any privileges and obligations not simply to halakha (law) but rather to the force of minhag (custom).  [Sefer Bar Sheshet, responsum 94, Lemberg, 1805].
 * Rabbi Solomon Luria (16th century) rules that because of the frequent persecutions and expulsions of Jews throughout history, Kohanim lost track of their genealogy. The Magen Avraham also rules this way, and Rabbi Jacob Emden ruled similarly.
 * The intermarriage crisis in American Judaism is an extreme situation, and the movement feels it must support the decision of two Jews to marry.


 * See also the entry on the Jewish view of marriage

Area of a country.
Which is the largest country in the world in area? what is its area in sqr. kms? Russia
 * See List of countries by area. - Mgm|(talk) 17:01, 20 September 2005 (UTC)

Mandatory Minimum sentences
how have mandatory minimum sentences affected the united states of america? They require crimminals convicted to serve a certain limit of time for a crime. These limits are set by statue, ie the Legislature. They thus take away judges broad sentencing powers.

Mussolini
What is the story behind Mussolini's death? Thelb4! | Talk to me 17:33, 20 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Story is, he was caught fleeing the Allied advance, disguised as a common soldier, by Communist partisans, who decided to execute him along with a dozen or so other Fascist leaders; they were shot to death on April 29, 1945, and their bodies were hung by their feet at an Esso station in Milan. Here's a not-bad writeup. --jpgordon&#8711;&#8710;&#8711;&#8710; 18:08, 20 September 2005 (UTC)

What is the basic definition of postmodernism?

 * Our articles on Postmodern and Postmodernism should provide insight. You'll want to check both to determine the most appropriate context.  &mdash; Lomn | Talk / RfC 20:14, 20 September 2005 (UTC)

Antwerp (Belgium) : blockade of the river Schelde
Hello, The Schelde river was closed during several centuries by the Dutch (from 1585 to 1800) and from 1830 to 1860. There is no specific article about this.

revolutionary war
Who was the British military leader in the American revolutionary war? - Aidan McCarthy,age 7


 * For the first part of the war, General Howe. He was replaced on 8 May 1778 by General Henry Clinton. Cornwallis, under Clinton's command, is often named as the General that "lost" America. - Nunh-huh 00:30, 21 September 2005 (UTC) Of course the Generals had to answer to high british Officals, in cluding the Commander in Chief of the British Army, lord Jeffery Amherst (I belive) including secretary of State

Thank you for responding.

Democrat
How do I find out if Texas has a good form of democratic government?


 * Ask someone from Texas, particularly someone whose party lost in the last election. AlMac|(talk) 00:36, 21 September 2005 (UTC)

Texas like anyother states is a democracy. It does differ in that the Executive is very decentralized, the Govenor is little more than a figure head.


 * In short, the answer to the original question is no. Texas has a democratically elected chief executive, who has no real power, and where the qualifications for office are roughly those of Zaphod Beeblebrox, while power actually resides in a parliamentary body elected from fairly jury-rigged districts with no shortage of patronage and machine politics.  This makes Texas significantly less democratic than, say, Iran, where elections sometimes still produce unexpected outcomes that are unwanted by the powers that be.  --Diderot 08:06, 21 September 2005 (UTC)

Pacific Ocean island
What is the biggest island in pacific ocan?

I think New Guinea is. --ViolentGreen 02:22, 21 September 2005 (UTC) New Guinea is the second largest island in the world after Greenland so that is correct although much of it adjoins the Torres Strait linking the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Capitalistroadster 07:50, 21 September 2005 (UTC)
 * And that, of course, assumes Australia is not an island. Proto t c 10:30, 21 September 2005 (UTC)

king solomon
I was wondering if you had any information about Solomon's knot. It is a religious symbol which i believe is derived from celtic knots. i would like some info into meaning and depictions of solomon's knot.
 * Solomon's knot dates back to biblical times where King Solomon had to make a difficult decision. If one is actually derived from the other, I'd say the Celtic knot came later, but chances are they're not related. - Mgm|(talk) 04:53, 21 September 2005 (UTC)

fundamental principles of accountancy and book keeping?
hi! i would like to have one complete informstion on fundamental concepts of accountancy. all about debits and credits

You might start by looking at the basics of Accounting of which Double-entry book-keeping is a a starting point of the record keeping. Nowadays much of this is done on computer. Basically, any business activity needs to be accounted for, typically done by placing the amounts of money into a General Journal, in which there are two equal and opposite entries, called debits (the pluses) and credits (the minuses).
 * Here's a link to [PCAOB http://www.unbeatenpathintl.com/pcaob/source/1.html] accounting standards that apply to businesses in the USA.

AlMac|(talk) 01:48, 21 September 2005 (UTC)

Christianity
What makes the Church of Chris different from other Christian churches. Also what Creeds do they chose to ignore that are importnat to most Christian churches?
 * I wonder which Chris they worship, too. :) Ornil 04:00, 21 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Why, Dana Carvey's character from the Pat skits on Saturday Night Live, of course.
 * See Church of Christ. --Miborovsky [[Image:Namechop.jpg|20px]] 06:08, 21 September 2005 (UTC)

the palace of Versailles
where are the gardens ,alleys ,roads setteled from the palace ? --anon


 * Look here, about half-way down the page for the gardens. See this pdf file for the roads. You can probably find other such maps by using Google and searching for Versailles map or Versailles plan. - Nunh-huh 03:16, 21 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Our Palace of Versailles article is worth looking at as well. Capitalistroadster 08:12, 21 September 2005 (UTC)

Meaning of Life
What is the meaning of life? -- NGerda 03:17, 21 September 2005 (UTC)

I think it's 42. ~GMH ''talk to me 03:57, 21 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Yes, consult Douglas Adams and Monty Python and enlightenment will come. - Taxman Talk 17:03, 21 September 2005 (UTC)
 * That would be the British answer, right? I wonder what Americans think of it, if we think anything at all about the meaning of life. :D -- NGerda 06:05, 22 September 2005 (UTC)
 * I think the canonical US answer would be Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. However, if there is a specific meaning of life, I doubt it varies from one country to another. - Astatine 09:59, 1 October 2005 (UTC)


 * In Canada that would be hockey. DJ Clayworth 17:44, 27 September 2005 (UTC)

Moral Panic
What moral panics are in motion in Australia this year?


 * Probably something to do with losing The Ashes? Proto t c 12:41, 21 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Far too many. Due in no small part to the media hounds here (especially Fairfax newspapers, Seven Network and Nine Network) and our conservative right wing government (who ironically name themselves the Liberal Party of Australia). Some panics created this year include the ludicrous banning of same sex marriage, the banning of an adult video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, and other issues arising in the areas of public health and corruption within businesses and governments.
 * A serious moral issue in Aust. at the moment is the controversy being caused by a scholar Andrew Fraser who claims that sudanese immigrants to Sydney are responsible for increased crime and other problems in their local areas, and that the White Australia Policy should be reviewed and perhaps reinstated.
 * For more, see ethics, controversy or try some news sites (though perhaps steer clear of "news" sources which conjure up their own moral panics). Moral panic also has a comprehensive list and features examples of panics around the world throughout history.
 * Something that we should panic about though, due to their questionable morals and motives, is hillsong church --Ballchef 12:56, 21 September 2005 (UTC)
 * The Liberal Democratic Party (Japan) is a right-wing party as well, and recently won a big election victory by promising to privatize the postal system and other services. Garrett Albright 19:34, 21 September 2005 (UTC)


 * What has that got to do with the price of fish in China? --Ballchef 14:30, 24 September 2005 (UTC)
 * I'd imagine it'd affect the going rate of various seafoods in Chinese markets very little, but I was pointing to another example of a party with "Liberal" in its name actually leaning more right than most of its contemporaries. Garrett Albright 19:25, 26 September 2005 (UTC)


 * I imagine they'll try to push through some radical changes of economic policy, which might include tarriffs and such. I suspect China would be a natural trading partner when it comes to dry fish, although I realize Japanese fisheries do pretty well on their own...still, I expect futures traders in the commodities markets over there actually are keeping an eye on that situation.  Wait, shouldn't each new question get its own section?--Joel 04:00, 28 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Sounds like bad news. Liberal should be a good thing. --Ballchef 10:02, 1 October 2005 (UTC)

A.L.S.
Who are some notable people who have died of A.L.S (Lou Gehrig's Disease)?


 * Amyotrophic_lateral_sclerosis - Nunh-huh 05:22, 21 September 2005 (UTC)

Vasco Da Gama
What animal did Vasco Da Gama discover on December 1497?
 * The animal must have be either in the Indian Ocean or some land animal on the Southern African Coast because that where he was at that time, sailing up the east coast of southern africa see: 15th century in South Africa--Jcw69 06:31, 21 September 2005 (UTC)

History question
How were the nazi's revolutionary?
 * DYOH. But your article on Nazi Germany may help. Garrett Albright 19:20, 21 September 2005 (UTC)

elizabethen era
information about the cultural life at the elizabethen era

The Victory that never was

 * See Pyrrhus? (His name is the origin of the term pyrrhic victory.)  Other than that, I have absolutely no clue as to what you're talking about.  (Also, by the way, you can just edit one heading instead of creating a new one, in case you misspell it, if that's what happened.) ~GMH ''talk to me 07:32, 21 September 2005 (UTC)

Author of The Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit
There is just one question about the author J.R.R. Tolkien's books that I need to know:

Does the three volume of Lord of the Rings books can refer as trilogy?
 * People often do, but if I remember correctly Tolkien and his family never liked it. No idea what the reasoning behind it was. - Mgm|(talk) 10:26, 21 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Perhaps because the three titles each contained two "books", thus really being a hexalogy --Ballchef 12:34, 21 September 2005 (UTC)


 * I'm not quite sure whether I recall this correctly, but it was either connected to the fact that the LotR consists of six books, not three, or the fact that he originally wanted to publish all six books as a single volume. &mdash; [[Image:Flag of Austria.svg|15px]] ナイトスタリオン ㇳ–ㇰ &mdash; 12:36, 21 September 2005 (UTC)


 * That's right - Tolkien did indeed want to publish it as a single volume, and releasing it in 3 parts (each consisting of two 'books' in one volume) was enforced upon him by the publishers, who didn't believe a 1200 page fantasy novel would sell well. The foppish dolts. Proto t c 12:40, 21 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Dolts? It's called Business mate. I'm pretty sure Lord of the Rings made Allen & Unwin and Ace Books a bundle. I don't disagree with the foppish though. --Ballchef 15:27, 24 September 2005 (UTC)

National Wealth
Is there an accepted measure of national wealth as opposed to national income?
 * You may be looking for one of the following terms:
 * Gross National Product
 * Gross Domestic Product
 * National Debt
 * I'm no political economist, so I probably couldn't tell you...sorry... ~GMH ''talk to me 22:43, 22 September 2005 (UTC)

Who was Don Quixote's partner

 * He was Sancho Panza. If you had read the article on Don Quixote, you would have found the answer all by yourself. Gareth Hughes 11:38, 21 September 2005 (UTC)
 * His true love was Dulcinea, if that's what you meant. Gareth Hughes 11:41, 21 September 2005 (UTC)

Latest technologies
Dear Sir/Mdm,

Please give me the list of Latest Technologies used in Industries.

Thank You!
 * There's really no good answer for this, as the number of technologies presently used in industry is effectively uncountable. Even "old" technologies are generally undergoing refinement which could qualify as "latest", so you're really not going to get any sort of useful answer unless you can give some context as to what you want.  If you just want reading material, though, check out articles in Category:Technology &mdash; Lomn | Talk / RfC 13:29, 21 September 2005 (UTC)

History
What is Tai' P'ing? It is suppose to be a chinese coin, but I need to know what does it mean and why it is important to that culture. - Anon
 * My first instinct was that it's a homophone for typing, and that someone's been pulling you leg; digging a little deeper, we find:
 * The Taiping Rebellion, which also gives a little insight into the etymology of the phrase, and
 * Tai Ping Shan, the traditional name for Victoria Peak in Hong Kong.
 * Astatine 10:15, 1 October 2005 (UTC)

Independence
What was the primary motive for independence?
 * Whose? My motive for independence was to stay up late watching television.  If you're referring to those dastardly North American colonies, check American Revolution. &mdash; Lomn | Talk / RfC 17:10, 21 September 2005 (UTC)

American Presidents
Do you know the campaign slogen for these presidents:George Washington, John Adams, Franklin Pierce, Woodrow Wilson, William Jefferson Blythe Clinton?


 * I doubt there were such things as campaign slogans in Washington's time. Ornil 16:45, 21 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Check List of political slogans and Category:U.S. presidential elections. As above, I doubt you'll find anything for Washington: he wasn't strongly politically affiliated and was elected virtually by acclamation.  &mdash; Lomn | Talk / RfC 17:20, 21 September 2005 (UTC)

mountains
which mountains were called "the strong mountains" in the early 1800's?

History - WW1
What major effects did world war 1 have on germany?
 * See do your own homework atop this page, but check out our articles on World War I and the aftermath of World War I for starters. &mdash; Lomn | Talk / RfC 18:48, 21 September 2005 (UTC)

columbian exchange
How did the Renaissiance lead to the Columbian Exchange?
 * There is some infomration on this in Northern Renaissance and Age of Discovery. - SimonP 21:30, 21 September 2005 (UTC)

San Pietro of Vincoli
At San Pietro in Rome, there is the statue of "Moses" and the "Chains of St Peter". At the entrance to the church, on the left side, there is, what appears to be, a tombstone or monument to Clement VII. (I think the number is correct). The monument shows a skeleton with wings and a cycle. The feathers of the wings are dirty and crumbled and one wing appears to be broken. Does this send the message that this pope was not held in high regard and this is a way to "punish" his image for eternity? I would very much appreciate an explantion of this as none of the internet sites dealing with Clement or San Peitro mention this.

Thank you so very much.

Voting against WWI & II
There was a reprsentative, I believe who voted against both wars. What was her name and what state did she represent? Also, had she been a member of Congress, during the years between the wars?

Cairenn Day


 * Jeannette Rankin was her name, and that article will answer your questions and more. Garrett Albright 19:18, 21 September 2005 (UTC)

NYC 2015
given nyc current geograghy plus population growth patterns what do you think the city will be like in 20 years?


 * Given how the War on Terrorism is progressing with respect to the primary targets of their WMD, and the rise in sea level due to global warming, I expect that there will be no city there 10 years from now. Recent events with Atlantic Hurricanes are showing what all US coastal cities may soon have to face. New Orleans under water now, Galveston this weekend, most US coastal cities in 5 years, not 10. AlMac|(talk) 21:53, 21 September 2005 (UTC)

What is the Schleffen Plan?

 * Perhaps you mean the Schlieffen Plan? &mdash; Lomn | Talk / RfC 21:13, 21 September 2005 (UTC)

politics
How has national government s power grown?


 * Based on phrasing, I'm guessing this is a great case of do your own homework. Regardless, you'd have to be more specific anyway&mdash;what national government?  The power of Italy's national government has grown by consolidating feudal city-states.  &mdash; Lomn | Talk / RfC 22:39, 21 September 2005 (UTC)


 * We also have fine articles on nation-state, sovereignty and legitimacy (political science). Gareth Hughes 00:01, 22 September 2005 (UTC)

diversity words Can you define them??
diversity words Can you define them?? Any help would be appreciated
 * Waham
 * Xong
 * Yerbero
 * Jenn
 * Abnemme
 * giac
 * practika,
 * razianeh,
 * tabi'at

What language are they used in? In what context did you find these words? AlMac|(talk) 00:24, 22 September 2005 (UTC) These words are for a cultural /diversity class I am taking at Brock U. Canada - 4th yr Nursing.CK
 * Google on Waham
 * Xong is some place in Vietnam
 * looks like Yerbero is some kind of Spanish music


 * Not being familiar with any of these words, I went looking on Google to see if there were any more clues. I am just grasping at straws here ... hopefully someone else here will be able to help you more than me.

As I browse through these resources, I not seeing any of the words on your list. AlMac|(talk) 04:19, 24 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Alternative Medicine includes herbs, dietary manipulations, acupuncture, acupressure, spiritual practices, some of whom many have names on your list.
 * Nursing Ethics
 * Teacher Talk for teaching a variety of racial, cultural, linguistic, and economic backgrounds, plus those with a variety of disabilities. The link has statistics on the demographics of these different sub-groups.
 * Publications
 * Journal of Cultural Diverity

Civil war
Why was Robert E. Lee chosen to be the commander of the Confederate army?

Aidan McCarthy,age 7
 * A place to start is the article here on Robert E. Lee. I think it was partly because he was one of the best qualified commanders available to the Southern states. At the beginning of the American Civil War he was one of several commanders, but on both sides, civilian leadership was much swayed by which commanders appeared to be doing the best job. AlMac|(talk) 00:33, 22 September 2005 (UTC)

Earth
How was the earth formed? Aidan McCarthy,age 7


 * Basically, there was originally a lot of junk drifting around the sun. This slowly clumped together into a few big lumps, through gravitational effects - once you have a single large lump, it tends to "snowball" and attract more pieces faster from around it. One of these would become Earth. After a certain size - about 700km across, I think - gravity is powerful enough to pull the lump into the shape of a sphere, which is what we have today. Additionally, a process known as planetary differentiation comes into play, which is the way that heavy things (like iron) all stay in the centre of the planet - so the Earth has an iron core - and light things, like silicon and aluminium, tend to stay near the surface. The heat of radioactive decay, and of more material hitting the planey all the time, meant that it was mostly melted and hot; after a while, the outside cooled, giving the crust we live on.
 * The asteroid belt is what an "unformed" planet would look like, although there isn't enough material there to make anything the size of Earth.
 * Does this make sense? Shimgray 23:26, 21 September 2005 (UTC)

Thank you for responding. I understand now about how the earth was formed. Are you planning to be a librarian? I live in Massachusetts, USA. I love reading!!!!!!!!


 * You might be interested in reading more about the solar system at b:Wikijunior Solar System, a book being written for ages 8-11. &mdash; Laura Scudder | Talk 16:26, 22 September 2005 (UTC)

Love Reading

 * To Aidan McCarthy,age 7, you might want to ask your parents and teachers to help you get in contact with people in different professions to see which make sense if you want one with an opportunity to do lots of reading, to combine something you love with your career.
 * I think that a person who is a librarian, or who works in a book store, might get tired of just organizing large numbers of books, and no time to read what is in the collection. There's other kinds of jobs in which part of the job is you have to read stuff, all kinds of stuff.  Consider an editor for example.  Other people write stuff ... authors, journalists ... and the job of the editor is to read what they did, and approve the best to be published, and make suggestions to improve that which is not quite up to publishing standards.  Now there will be a lot of crud, lousy writing, that an editor has to put up with.  No job is a bed of roses.
 * I am now over age 60 but fondly remember when I was your age, and spent many Saturday mornings reading books at my local library, then when I had read all they had that I liked, I checked the city bus schedules vs. where other libraries located, and I went exploring, to find collections that had books I had not yet read. AlMac|(talk) 18:37, 22 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Don't be in a hurry to choose a profession. You, unlike me, have plenty of time. Superm401 | Talk 22:33, 23 September 2005 (UTC)

LAWRENCE KOHLBERG THEORY
ARE THERE ANY CASE STUDIES THAT HE MAY STUDIED OF A MORAL DILEMMA.


 * We have some article that contain lowercase letters (I know they can be small and awkward to read): Lawrence Kohlberg, ethical dilemma, moral reasoning and Kohlberg's stages of moral development. Enjoy! Gareth Hughes 23:53, 21 September 2005 (UTC)

Gustav Mahler and Yiddish
Would the composer Gustav Mahler have spoken Yiddish?
 * According to, the answer appears to be yes. --Metropolitan90 01:11, 22 September 2005 (UTC)
 * That is consistent with our article on Gustav Mahler which states that he was born into a Jewish family in Bohemia and converted to Catholicism in the late 1890s due to rising antisemitism in Vienna. Capitalistroadster 01:22, 22 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Keep in mind that the Jews of the Czech lands had been speaking Czech and German for hundreds of years. By the 20th century, about the only people still speaking Yiddish in the area were people who had moved from Eastern Europe. Mwalcoff 19:53, 27 September 2005 (UTC)

New Zealand Flag
Why does the New Zealand flag have red stars instead of white stars?
 * To complement the color of the Union Jack. None of this "Red is symbolic for glory" nonsense :) See --inks 02:23, 22 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Our Flag of New Zealand article states that red is a favoured colour by the Maori although many Maori would prefer a new flag without the Union Jack featuring in the design. As well, if it had white stars instead of red, it would look exactly look very similar to the Flag of Australia. Capitalistroadster 05:49, 22 September 2005 (UTC)
 * It wouldn't look exaclty like the flag of Australia, since the Austrlaian flag has two extra stars. --Commander Keane 08:48, 22 September 2005 (UTC)
 * I forgot about the Commonwealth Star on the Australian flag. I wonder what the other one is in the Southern Cross. Capitalistroadster 10:23, 22 September 2005 (UTC)
 * The fifth smaller star on the Southern Cross on the Aussie flag is part of the constellation. I guess us Aussies have better eyesight. --Ballchef 15:36, 24 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Actually it's not part of the official constellation, but the fifth star (Epsilon Crucis) is one of seven stars not part of the constellation, but still bearing the second name Crucis. Beats me why we chose that one. --Ballchef 11:08, 25 September 2005 (UTC)

Government funding for women starting small businesses
Where do I find information on Government funding programs which encourage women to start small businesses?


 * Knowing which Government you mean would be a tremendous advantage. For a start, we would need to know which country you are talking about. Then we would need to know whether you were talking about the national government, a state or provincial government or your local municipal government as all levels of Government may have programs to achieve such a purpose. Capitalistroadster 06:08, 22 September 2005 (UTC)
 * If someone doesn't state a country in this sort of context there is a 99% chance they are American. CalJW 05:33, 27 September 2005 (UTC)
 * I would try the Small Business Administration then presuming the person asking the question is an American. I would also ask for advice from your local Chamber of commerce or Better Business Bureau for advice on assistance available from the relevant Government bodies. Capitalistroadster 05:41, 27 September 2005 (UTC)

News on the bombing in Madrid Spain
Are you referring to the 11 March 2004 Madrid train bombings or some other incident? I checked the Madrid article and saw no reference to other bombings. I expect there were some during The Spanish Civil War. AlMac|(talk) 07:12, 22 September 2005 (UTC)

history
I am doing some research on monumental architecture on China and Greece and i had read some where that this had also provides defense from outside attack and an obstacle to internal rebellion, and now i can not find it. Can you help me to find this information


 * The Great Wall of China was built for such purposes. However, there is nothing in our Architecture of Ancient Greece that suggests that this is true for that culture. Capitalistroadster 06:05, 22 September 2005 (UTC)

american literature
I need to find a search engine- for looking up authers and books writien in the 1800's- 1900's...for an american lit. assignment. If i can get some answers or some good searching links it would really help me- Im doing some independent studies homework- and without some good links its difficult to find information for my answers. If some one can help that would be great thanks Emily
 * If you visit your local library, they'll probably have such information available with a lot less searching. - Mgm|(talk) 09:49, 22 September 2005 (UTC)
 * I'd also seek clarification from your teacher. Depending on your library, you might have access through your membership to online reference guides. Galenet's Literature Resource Centre would contain valuable information and your school or local public library membership may allow to access it. Our literature of the United States article is quite extensive and you can start exploring authors by clicking on links. It would also be useful to have names of particular authors or periods to provide more information. Capitalistroadster 10:36, 22 September 2005 (UTC)

Nanterre, France Roman name
Hello, I really need to know the Roman name (still used in 5 A.D.) for Nanterre, suburb of Paris. Differenet sourses read it in various ways, like: Nemetodurum, or Nimetodorum, or Nometodurum, and the like. It was mentioned in the Life of St.Genovefa of Paris written in Latin. If you should know the latin form of the name please let me know/ Thanks a lot!


 * According to Orbis Latinus (Graesse 1909), it was Namptodurum, Nannetodurum, Nemetodurum, Neptodurum or Nemptodurum. The 1911 Britannica lists "Nemptodurum or Nemetodurum".  The French national tourism office claims it was Nemetodurum, meaning sacred grove. The city of Nanterre website claims it comes from the old Gaulish Nemeto-Dor, latinised as Nemetodurum then Nemptodoro.


 * I'd say, on the balance of web documents, that it was probably Nemetodurum at the time.  --Diderot 10:15, 22 September 2005 (UTC)

Mashrek
I am looking for a good definition of the "Mashrek" region.

Regards

Ulrich Bunjes ulrich.bunjes@coe.int

You might wish to start with our Mashreq article which seems to be the more common spelling of Mashrek. It states "The Mashriq or Mashreq (Arabic: مشرق) is the region of Arabic-speaking countries to the east of Egypt. It is derived from the Arabic root sh-r-q (شرق) relating to the east or the sunrise, and essentially means "east"." You might wish to check our articles on the Middle East, the Levant or Arabia as well as on individual states. Hope this helps you Ulrich.

Capitalistroadster 10:47, 22 September 2005 (UTC)

Arts
no question

See Art for a discussion, Arts for a list, or Category:Arts for another list. Ojw 11:29, 22 September 2005 (UTC)

All about Charcoal Rendering
no question
 * We don't seem to have much information on drawing with charcoal in general, but we do refer briefly to parsemage and sumi-e. My wife, an artist, tells me that charcoal is often used in gesture drawing, where the model poses for a short period of time, from a few seconds to several minutes. Bovlb 14:46, 22 September 2005 (UTC)

Brazilian Footballers
DearSir/Madam I am currently studying an MSc in the Sociology of Sport and Exercise at Chester University. At present I am conducting research into Brazilian football, exploring aspects such as national identity, commercialisation and the overall global myth that Brazil conveys and upholds on the footballing world, and how we percieve that there is something special in the way that Brazilians play football. However, to aid me in my studies significantly, I would be most grateful if you could provide me with some raw data. The data which I am looking for are the numbers of Brazilians that play professionally out side of their native homeland. For instance, how many Brazilians play football in the English Premiership, Spanish La Liga, Italian Serie A and also the dutch and French leagues, and have these numbers increased since 2000? According to Vickery (2005) 900 players left Brazil in 2004 but where did these players go? How is this figure compared to 2003, 2002, 2001 and 2000 for example? I would be most grateful if you could aid me in my studies, or if you can point me in the direction where I can gain access to such data. Many Thanks, Ben Bescoby benbescoby@hotmail.com


 * Ben, our Brazilian Football Confederation contains a link to that organisation although it is in Portuguese. They would probably be able to help you. Capitalistroadster 11:08, 22 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Ben, I am afraid you may also have to actually do your own research. Get hold of squad lists for each of the teams in each of the leagues, for each of the seasons in question, and count the Brazilians.  You will be able to find all this on the internet.  If you need to find which teams were in each of the leagues every season, find league tables.  This should not be beyond someone studying for their masters, even if it is in sports science.  You can make some nice pretty coloured graphs, and see if you can spot trends in the destinations of Brazillian footballers over the past five years.  Failing that, try Fifa.com and ask there. Proto t c 13:36, 26 September 2005 (UTC)

what is the significance of the himalayan mountain range?
Among other things, it includes the highest peaks in the world. See our article on the Himalaya. Warofdreams talk 10:45, 22 September 2005 (UTC)

Significance for what? Like all great mountain ranges, it is a climatic barrier; it is the habitat of a wide variety of unique flora and fauna; historically/economically, it was a trade barrier between Central Asia and India; its remoteness and inaccessability led to the development of a very unique indigenous culture, and for the same reason it also had some influence on the formation of Asian religions; it provides the setting for lots of works of literature and movies; and it provides great vistas and climbing facilities for tourists, which also affects the economy of the area. These are just some random things I could think of off the top of my head, a more specific question might yield a more specific answer. As Warofdreams said, it might be a good idea to have a look at the Himalaya article and work from there -- Ferkelparade &pi; 10:58, 22 September 2005 (UTC)

Leonardo da Vinci
How old was Leonardo da Vinci when he died--anon


 * According to the dates in our Leonardo da Vinci article, he was 67. Capitalistroadster 11:12, 22 September 2005 (UTC)

What do Americans eat for Breakfast, lunch and dinner?
What do Americans eat for Breakfast, lunch and dinner? I am in India and I dont know much about eating habits in USA and Europe. Do Americans eat bread or burgers three times a day? Tell me in detail if you can. Here, I eat 'roti' all three times a day.
 * Eating habits vary tremendously across the U.S. To answer your specifics, bread is common at any meal, though not always present.  Hamburgers, though a trademark food of the U.S., are not a staple food; that is, most people do not eat them daily.
 * As for some sample meals, I had a pop-tart for breakfast this morning. I'm planning on having schnitzel and green beans at the office cafeteria for lunch today.  For dinner I'll probably reheat some leftover chicken and broccoli with rice.  None of these are "typical" or "traditional" American foods, but the average meal usually isn't for most Americans.
 * For a sample traditional meal, here's what might be served in my part of the States (the South)
 * Breakfast might include some combination of eggs, pancakes, bacon, sausage, grits, and/or toast with jam or honey.
 * Midday and evening meals vary in importance. Lunch is usually a light midday meal, supper is usually a light evening meal, and dinner often refers to a larger meal replacing either lunch or supper.  These names are not, however, formalized and regional interpretations will vary.  Anyway, moving on...
 * Lunch is frequently a sandwich (say, ham, lettuce, and tomato) plus potato chips.
 * Dinner could be fried chicken, mashed potatoes, fried okra, and a sweet potato casserole.
 * As noted, none of this is fixed across the country (or even within a city) or across any particular length of time. Much of Europe will tend to be similar in variety, though specific foods will vary.  &mdash; Lomn | Talk / RfC 15:21, 22 September 2005 (UTC)

Note that the traditional breakfast takes a bit more time than most Americans spend. For comparison with "traditional" menus, here's what my housemates and I in Colorado might eat in a day: I believe the last hamburger I ate was about six weeks ago, and it was homemade, the best kind. Poor students are more likely to eat ramen everyday than hamburgers, as there is a huge price difference, so hamburgers are by no means a staple food in the states. &mdash; Laura Scudder | Talk 16:16, 22 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Breakfast - Cereal and orange juice most every day. On a special weekend there might be pancakes and bacon with maple syrup.
 * Lunch - Like everyone at our work we go out for lunch, so although the traditional American lunch is some sort of sandwich, a normal day can find us having either a sub sandwich, pizza, or more often Thai, Chinese, or Indian food.
 * Dinner - A sampling of recent dinners we cooked included such traditional meals as meatloaf and mashed potatoes, or barbeque chicken and corn on the cob, along with such imports as chicken curry with basmati rice and naan. Common desserts are cake and ice cream.
 * Lomn and Laura have covered some examples very well, though as noted, his traditional examples are traditional for the Southern US, which has a distinct eating style. Since the variety from person to person is so great, I'm not sure too many more general examples can be made, but here are a few overall observations. American food is much less spicy than the food you are used to. Not only less (or for probably most people none) chilis, but less seasoning in general. After getting used to Indian and other ethnic food, American food is fairly bland in comparison. Most American cooks have a selection of various seasonings but often they are used only once in a while, not like Indian preparations where a variety of spices are used with almost every meal. I agree most working people eat a very quick breakfast if at all that might be cold cereal with milk, toast and jam or jelly, or possibly hot oatmeal. Other than that if they don't eat at a restaraunt, Americans eat a huge amount of packaged and processed food. Either out of cans or in another prepared and pre-wrapped form for convenience. I recently heard a stat that only about 25% of American meals are home cooked. I found that a little hard to believe, but with city dwellers, more single people, and the vast number and variety of restaraunts, I suppose that's possible. I would have thought it was more like 50%, but I do know people that never cook at home. - Taxman Talk 16:45, 22 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Not all Indian food is spicy. Gujarati food is on the sweeter side. =Nichalp   «Talk»=  11:19, 23 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Seriously? A Gujarati friend's mother cooks the spiciest Indian food I've ever had, even when she tries to tone it down. That's my only experience with Gujarati food specifically though, so you're right, I'm sure it's not all spicy. In any case, all Indian food I've had is certainly more seasoned than American even if it's not spicy as in chilis. - Taxman Talk 16:52, 23 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Yeah, sampled it a few times. And from what I've tasted of Bengali food, its more on the bland side. (I prefer not to talk about the bland experience :) )


 * In the Southern US, you might find grits on the plate at breakfast. User:Zoe|(talk) 22:59, 24 September 2005 (UTC)

Are the co-founders of Google- namely Larry & Sergey married?
Are the co-founders of Google- namely Larry & Sergey married? Or, in the past, have they had any marriage? Are they in love with anyone?
 * See our Sergey Brin and Lawrence E. Page artciles. Thryduulf 16:38, 22 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Their articles don't answer the question, however. Why do you ask, anyway? Hoping to get yourself hitched to a billionaire? Garrett Albright 12:36, 23 September 2005 (UTC)
 * They could only be married in Belgium, Canada, Netherland, Spain, or Massachusetts. Elsewhere, they would have to settle for a domestic partnership. - Nunh-huh 18:21, 23 September 2005 (UTC)

multiple political party nominations
how many states allow candidates to be endorsed by multiple political parites, like a candidate appears on the ballot under the Democratic, Republican and Independent parties?

The main example is in New York which has a system of electoral fusion allowing a candidate to be a nominee of multiple parties. It has a Conservative Party of New York and a Liberal Party of New York which can nominate candidates as well as other parties. Quite often, the Liberal Party of New York will support the Democrat candidate and the Conservative Party the Republican candidate. However, the Liberal Party has supported Liberal Republicans such as Rudolph Giuliani in his bid to become mayor of New York City.

These parties have also nominated their own candidates when disillusioned with the choice of the major party. In 1970, James L. Buckley was elected as a Senator for New York in the US Senate as a Conservative Party candidate and lost his re-election as a Republican. New York is the only state that I am aware of that allows ths system. Capitalistroadster 15:28, 22 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Update: In New York, the parties' ballot lines are determined by the gubernatorial elections. A party that receives at least 50,000 votes for its nominee has an automatic ballot line for the ensuing four years.  In the 2002 gubernatorial election, the Liberal Party fell below the 50,000-vote threshold and lost its ballot line.  Before that, its chief accomplishment was splitting the liberal vote in 1980, so that the conservative Al D'Amato won the U.S. Senate seat with a minority of the vote. JamesMLane 00:57, 25 September 2005 (UTC)

Oklahoma City Bombing
Would you be able to find out how the one rescuer died at this event?


 * Oklahoma City Bombing -- This page suggests that it was Michael Loudenslager, and that he was killed after the bombing, yet listed as one of its victims. Not sure on the reliability of that source though. Ojw 16:41, 22 September 2005 (UTC)

how old must you be to vote in germany
Depends what you want to vote for. For example, if you want to vote for a member of the Bundestag, then the Voting age article mentions a minimum age of 16 or 18, depending where you are (and minimum age of 18 for the candidates themselves). If you want to vote for something like Votes for deletion, there's no age limit. Ojw 18:44, 22 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Well, that is not entirely correct: To vote in federal or local electionsin Germany, you have to be 18 years old on the day of the election. To be a candidate, you usually have to be 18 years old as well, with a view exceptions (for exmple, our president has to be at least 40 years old).
 * There is, however, an ongoing discussion about changing the voting age to 16. --nodutschke 12:03, 23 September 2005 (UTC)

French Revolution
During the French Revolution, it is known that aristocrats fled to other countries. Is there a register of names that might have fled to the Colonies e.g. Pondicherry? Also, is there any record of name changes to hide identities?
 * If I'm not mistaken the French had a larger territory in India. Pondicherry was reduced to its present size much later. =Nichalp   «Talk»=  11:15, 23 September 2005 (UTC)

River
name the long river that marks the boarder between Texas and Mexico?
 * Why not just take an atlas and look it up? - Mgm|(talk) 20:12, 22 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Or do it without getting up: The name can be found in the article on Texas. --Diderot 20:17, 22 September 2005 (UTC)

Both of you, be nice. This is the reference desk. The name of the river is the Rio Grande. -- Essjay ·  Talk 21:21, 22 September 2005 (UTC)

Turtle Bay before United Nations
What was the nyc area like before the United Nations built there? How has it improved or "not"improved since its start in 1947?
 * See Turtle Bay, Manhattan. --jpgordon&#8711;&#8710;&#8711;&#8710; 20:57, 22 September 2005 (UTC)

Where can I find information on Judaism?

 * See Judaism. --jpgordon&#8711;&#8710;&#8711;&#8710; 20:56, 22 September 2005 (UTC)

jews
where did the jewish culture start, and where has it spread to around the world?
 * See Jews. --jpgordon&#8711;&#8710;&#8711;&#8710; 20:55, 22 September 2005 (UTC)

my favorite author
I was handed this site by a friend when I told him I would really like to know if my favorite author was still living. She hasn't put out a new book since 1998. I cannot find her on your site so here I am writing. Is horror/mystery writer Clare Mcnally still alive? And if so, how do I contact her and beg for a new book. I would really appriciate it if this could be answered. Also I would love to know where to get her out of print books. Can you help? Sincirely- Alexis savatagerules@excite.com


 * Alexis,

Contemporary Authors Online published by Galenet appears to indicate that she is still alive. Her contact details are according to that article are:

Agent: c/o Author Mail, Tor Books, Tom Doherty Associates, Inc., 175 Fifth Ave., 14th Floor, New York, NY 10010.

By the way, we don't have an article on Clare McNally. We would welcome you writing an article on her if you would like too. Please look at Introduction for more information as to how you can become an editor. I will add the name of Clare McNally to the list of requested articles at Requested Articles.

DNC (Democratic National Committee)
Does anyone know who the treasurer of the DNC was at the time of the 1969 convention? I believe he was a senior exec at Paramount Pictures. Anyone know?

Thanks!

PHG
 * Patrick O'Connor. Here's a story about one of his more recent enterprises. --jpgordon&#8711;&#8710;&#8711;&#8710; 22:41, 22 September 2005 (UTC)

history
Did Thomas Jefferson play the piano?--Carmen
 * He might have played it casually, but his wife Martha was the serious fortepianist in the house. Jefferson, however, was an accomplished violinist, usually practicing three hours a day (though I don't know if he kept this up through his presidency; he certainly did during the Revolution.) Between them they had a substantial music collection; Corelli was said to be his favorite. --jpgordon&#8711;&#8710;&#8711;&#8710; 22:18, 22 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Note that jpgordan has been scrupulously correct in pointing out that the instrument was a fortepiano and not a pianoforte, or what we'd call a piano these days. For more on the Jeffersons and music, see here - Nunh-huh 06:13, 23 September 2005 (UTC)

Jeweler -Watchmakers in Birkenhead
I'm trying to find the history on an antique clock.It has a jewelers label inside with the name of E.T.Allen 239 Bourough Road,Birkenhead.Is there any place I can find information about this?Thank You for any help you can give.Norman Mayberry U.S.A.


 * It doesn't look like the shop is still there, and I couldn't find a 239 on that road. You can see a map of the area at Multimap (zoom out to get a reference on the wider geography). Gareth Hughes 23:53, 22 September 2005 (UTC)

Thanks Gareth,Guess I should have said shop would have been there sometime in the mid to late 1800's

What are the Pacific Islands officially comprised of?
See Pacific Islands for a list of all the islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term probably means different things in different places. For example, in New Zealand, "Pacific islands" means predominantly Tonga, Samoa, Cook Islands, and Fiji; ie places which have significant immigration to New Zealand. In the US, I suspect Midway and Guam would come to mind more readily (I'm not sure if Americans think of Hawaii as Pacific Islands). In France, the term might mean New Caledonia, Tahiti and Vanuatu.-gadfium 03:20, 23 September 2005 (UTC)
 * In France, îles du Pacifique means Pacific islands in general, not specifically the French islands (which are often lumped together as TOM or territoires d'Outre-Mer). By the way, Vanuatu is not French, you probably mean Wallis and Futuna. David.Monniaux 19:28, 23 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Our Vanuatu article states that it was an Anglo-French condiminoum known as the New Hebrides between 1906 and 1980  smeaning that France and the UK shared responsibility for its administration during that period. Capitalistroadster 06:58, 26 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Yes, but few people in France would realize that "Vanuatu" and the Nouvelles-Hébrides were the same. David.Monniaux 09:09, 26 September 2005 (UTC)

when was the music funk born
See Funk.-gadfium 03:20, 23 September 2005 (UTC)

the Reformation
See Protestant Reformation.-gadfium 03:20, 23 September 2005 (UTC)

population
what is the population of hillsboro, oregon as of 2005?
 * Since regional statistics aren't updated regularly, it's probably best to contact the Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce; that's the sort of stuff they'd know to woo new businesses into the area. &mdash; Lomn | Talk / RfC 05:01, 23 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Though I'd add that you should take population figures from small-town authorities with a grain of salt or two; I've heard it claimed that if you took the township populations claimed by local councils in Australia literally, the resulting Australian population would be 27 million (the actual population is around 20 million). Whether this is true or not, there is a tendancy for development bodies to present estimates at the larger end of the plausibility scale rather than the smaller. --Robert Merkel 12:23, 25 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Our Hillsboro, Oregon article claims that the population has grown to 79,304 according to city records and street signs. It doesn't state when this figure dates from. Capitalistroadster 07:02, 26 September 2005 (UTC)

isadora
duncan? -- Jmabel | Talk 06:08, 23 September 2005 (UTC)

Changing Name Numbers
My birth Number is 6

My most first name corresponds with my birth number My midddle name corresponds with my birth number However, my last name does not

I can change my name in 2 ways. Change one letter in my last name so the whole name correponds with the birth number, or I can change one letter in my first name, which then the whole name corresponds with my birth number.

In this case, my first name is a perfect match.

Which is the best way to do this?

Current Name - Carlita Dias Weerasinha

Option 1 Calita Dias Weerasinha

Option 2 Carlita Dias Weersinha

Thank you
 * Don't the numbers only relate to the real name your parents gave you? Artificially changing your name would perhaps make the numbers fit better, but I'd consider that to be cheating the system it uses in the first place. Also, depending on where you live changing your name officially may be a very long process or impossible if you can't provide them with a reason that is seen as requiring a name change. Personally, I wouldn't bother trying and be happy with the fact it already fits the way it does. - Mgm|(talk) 08:13, 23 September 2005 (UTC)
 * You want to change your name to conform to some sort of superstition? Nelson Ricardo 18:46, 25 September 2005 (UTC)

Good day!

 * Добрый день, 欢迎 and ᐙᒋᔦ! --Diderot 07:28, 23 September 2005 (UTC)

Nelson,

Thanks for the input on the name numbers, I am studying an ancient form of Numerology, and was using my name as an example. Cheers.

W. B. Yeats' Poem
Is W.B.Yeats' works (poem) included 'the lake Isle. of Innisfree'?


 * If the question is whether The Lake of Innisfree is Yeats' work, the answer is yes. See here Tintin 11:41, 23 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Also visit our wonderful articles on William Butler Yeats and The Countess Kathleen and Various Legends and Lyrics (the collection which contains the poem). --Gareth Hughes 11:57, 23 September 2005 (UTC)

FEMA and 9/11
Exactly when did FEMA "set up shop" in NYC re: 9/11? Thanks, Jenn

John J. Rambo
Does anyone here knows what the "J" in John J. Rambo stands for?--nodutschke 11:55, 23 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Julian. Proto t c 13:28, 26 September 2005 (UTC)

question about law
A state legislature enacts a statue that prohibits the marketing of products through unsolicited telephone calls. Despite this new statue, the president of International marketing, Inc. (IMI), orders IMI telemarketers to place unsolicited calls. Paul, an IMI employee, is arrested for making a call. What is Paul’s best defense against a conviction under this statue? law question.

i think his best defense is duress. seeing that he was ordered to make the cal, knowing that there was /is a law prohibiting these type of telephone calls. he can claim that in fear of loosing his job he felt pressured into making the call, because loosing his job could put him in an finincial downfall
 * I am not a lawyer, but I would agree. If he wanted to keep his job, he would've done it. It's the company that should be punished. Of course, it's unlikely he'll be able to keep his job if he gets his employer a lawsuit against them... - 131.211.210.12 12:53, 23 September 2005 (UTC)


 * That sounds like a pretty weak defense. He could have resigned.  It's not like near-minimum wage jobs like marketing are that hard to come by.  A better bet would be freedom of speech. Superm401 | Talk 22:38, 23 September 2005 (UTC)

Unfortunately for most people In the example, it depends on how the law is written, some stuff that used to be a civil matter is now a criminal matter. Corporate executives can now go to jail for what it can be shown they authorized, whether or not they realized it was a crime. If you going to do business in some geography, you need to know the rules for doing business in that geography. AlMac|(talk) 04:27, 24 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Ignorance of the law is no excuse ... if you caught in violation, you can be prosecuted. It does not matter that someone told you to do something that you did not know was wrong.  In fact there are people who are innocent patsies ... you give a ride to someone who needs one, and you could be in big trouble if that person turns out to be a fugitive, or just did an armed robbery.
 * There are new laws being added all the time, and some in other states and nations can be pointed at you ... what we do on the Internet is seen in many jurisdictions, where it might be perceived as being illegal.

Eusebius
How do I get a copy of Eusebius' "Church History" (ca 300 CE)


 * The best version, to my mind is the Loeb version (or use ISBN 0674991699). For this and other versions see Bookfinder.com. The Loeb has a critical Greek text alongside a decent translation. --Gareth Hughes 13:34, 23 September 2005 (UTC)

Venice
What is the modern sculpture (fountain?) in Giardini Pubblici in Venice?


 * Are you thinking about the Venice Biennale? --Gareth Hughes 23:40, 23 September 2005 (UTC)

Sex with people below age of consent: clarification
If the age of consent for having sex is 16, then, is there no way possible to have sex with people aged below 16? Is it not possible even if the child or their parents give permission? Does that mean that people below 16 can never dream of having sex until they are 16 even if they wish?


 * Most societies regard sexual intercourse as an adult activity that should not be undertaken by children. Most societies also expect sex to be consensual: consented to by both parties. If a party does not consent to the intercourse, it is usually considered rape. Most societies legislate that legal minors are unable to give their consent, and thus sex with them is statutory rape, even if personal consent is given. The age of consent differs from place to place, and most societies are more understanding if the parties are of a similar age. Gareth Hughes 15:07, 23 September 2005 (UTC)
 * In some places, if the parents gave consent, they would be in jail, because definition of rape includes anyone who contributed to the act. By law a person below the age of consent cannot give consent, and the parents cannot give it either.  Now the minimum age for getting married also fluctuates in the law.  Consider some place where the minimum age for consent is 18 and then two people age 16 get married.  Does marriage change the rules for them?  In the USA right now there is big controversy over gay people getting married.  Some states recognize the marriage, some do not.  AlMac|(talk) 04:31, 24 September 2005 (UTC)

In some jurisdictions, it is legal for an adult to have sex with a minor, if there are only a couple of years difference in age -- for example, a 19-year-old and a 17-year-old, but again, it depends on the jurisdiction. User:Zoe|(talk) 23:06, 24 September 2005 (UTC)

As others have said, it depends on the exact laws of the specific place in question. Here in the United Kingdom, the age of consent is 16 (17 in Northern Ireland), unless a "relationship of trust" exists (eg teacher/pupil) in which case it's 18. It is never legal in the UK for someone under 16 to have sex - though of course it is common for it to happen, and if the participants are close to legal age and the relationship is fully consenting then prosecutions are very rare.

We actually have an article on age of consent around the world. Note that Victoria, Australia (where I live) makes explicit what eseems to be the de facto practice in most Western countries: if the parties involved are approximately the same age, it's OK; the law only takes an interest where one party is sufficiently older than the other. --Robert Merkel


 * Is there a lower limit even in those circumstances, though? I'm not certain, but I have a feeling that Canada (normal age of consent 14) has a similar outlook on things where both parties are over 12 and within two years of each other, but below the age of 12 that doesn't apply and a case of, say, a nine-year-old and a seven-year-old having sex would not be left alone by the authorities. I tried to look this up on www.ageofconsent.com, but that now seems to have disappeared, and the last version listed on archive.org paints a confused picture, to say the least! Loganberry (Talk) 02:42, 26 September 2005 (UTC)


 * In Victoria at least, it applies down to age 10; below that age you can't be charged with a crime anyway. Hypothetically, say two consenting 11-year-olds were doing something inappropriate - isn't that a matter for their parents/guardians to deal with rather than the criminal law?  You're right that there are potentially child welfare implications, but that's another area of law entirely.  --Robert Merkel 00:19, 27 September 2005 (UTC)


 * And in some jurisdictions, age-of-consent laws don't apply to married couples, and marriage is legal at young ages with parental consent. The case in point is a US couple who were married in Kansas after the young woman became pregnant at (as I recall) 14 by a mid-twenties boyfriend. Of course the pregnancy was the result of activity prior to the marriage and the father is being prosecuted. A further note on some of the above comments: be very wary of the word "consent" in this context, since the fundamental legal principal is that minors cannot give legal consent. Heck, that's why the issue is called "age of consent". Thus, there is no such legal thing as "two consenting 11-year-olds" (which is not to differ with RM's point about how the issue is best handled). And of course non-consensual sex is illegal no matter the age of the victim, so really "consent" is not a helpful part of the discussion. Sharkford 17:20, 27 September 2005 (UTC)

who wrote this artical
who wrote the auguste piccarde artical
 * People who worked on an article are mentioned in its edit history. You can see it by going to the Auguste Piccard article (assuming that's who you're talking about) and click the history tab at the top of the page. If you need to cite the article as a reference, see Citing Wikipedia. - Mgm|(talk) 15:47, 23 September 2005 (UTC)

Affdavits
Who can swear affidavits abroad


 * It depends on the country, but if you want to know who can swear affidavits abroad so that US courts accept them, I think you're looking for Apostille. --Diderot 16:28, 23 September 2005 (UTC)

can you find "the hammer of witches" in english and who wrote


 * Why yes, yes I can. And so can you, by putting the words "the hammer of witches" into Google.  --Diderot 17:26, 23 September 2005 (UTC)


 * I think Diderot is suggesting that the answer might be found at .com/2c9np this site. Ojw 17:55, 23 September 2005 (UTC)

U.S. Sanctions
Has the United States ever imposed a trade sanctions on Indonesia? If so, when and why? I have had no luck finding it in the Indonesia article. I also haven't had any luck in Google. Crisco 1492 17:46, 23 September 2005 (UTC)


 * This Forbes article states that the US imposed arms sanctions on Indonesia 1991 over human rights in East Timor and that sanctions were tightened in 1999 following violence leading up to the independence referendums there. Our East Timor article appears to be incorrect in this regard. The US recently lifted bans on training Indonesian forces but not arms supply. Capitalistroadster 07:15, 26 September 2005 (UTC)

llamas
What is the record time that a llama has ever gone?

What is the record time that a llama has ever gone?

What is the record time that a llama has ever gone?
 * Are you asking about the oldest age reached by a llama? According to llamalove, the normal life expectancy is 15-25 years. I haven't been able to find any suggestions on the oldest llama known.-gadfium 21:28, 23 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Unless he means their land speed. What's the fastest time a llama's ever been clocked at over 100m? Proto t c 13:17, 26 September 2005 (UTC)

genghis khan
See Genghis Khan.-gadfium 21:50, 23 September 2005 (UTC)

Civil court Answers to Municipal Code Violation
Where can I find the procedures for how to Answer a Municipal code violation in civil court? I have a court date, but I have not received a Civil Complaint from the municipality. I have only received a ticket or pink slip at my door. Thank You, Marti Edwards
 * It might help if we know which municipality you are in.-gadfium 21:50, 23 September 2005 (UTC)


 * It might be a good idea to see a lawyer depending on how serious the violation is. Capitalistroadster 07:18, 26 September 2005 (UTC)

identifying a song
this song has lyrics such as "all i can say is that my life is pretty plain" and "all i can do is to pour some tea for two" it came out in the early 90s and the lead singer died of a drug overdose
 * The song appears to be No Rain, by Blind Melon. See the lyrics. Superm401 | Talk 01:22, 24 September 2005 (UTC)


 * The song is indeed "No Rain" by Blind Melon. Shannon Hoon the lead singer died of a drug overdose in 1995 ending the band's career. Capitalistroadster 07:22, 26 September 2005 (UTC)

Philosophy of Dance
I am looking for some articles on Dance and Philosophy and how the two relate to eachother. Dancing to fulfill my philosophical questions will help me understand my own ideas. To do this and begin on a tract I would like to find some articles of past research. If you have the time, or know how, could you locate on wikipedia any related facts on this subject. Dancing to interpret inner ideas. My name is Evan thank you whatever happens.


 * You might find the chapter "Dance as a Metaphor for Thought" in Alain Badiou's Handbook of Inaesthetics interesting. David Sneek 08:51, 24 September 2005 (UTC)

"who is Jose Corazon de Jesus?"
We do not seem to have an article on Jose Corazon de Jesus. However, this website indicates that he was a notable Filipino poet see. I will add him to the requested articles. Capitalistroadster 07:33, 26 September 2005 (UTC)

eastern asian race
Just a curious question, i have noticed that the asian race ("mongoloids") tends to have physical body features like a flat face, snub nose, epicanthic fold (slanted eyes) rounded head, short stature and usually not a lot of facial or body hair, plus asians don't seem to get bald as much or as quickly as caucasians when they age (Some of these features are mentioned in the article on mongoloid). Not to be discriminatory or anything, but a lot of these features are commonly described as child-like or young-looking compared to caucasoids. In fact, I myself am an eastern asian student in canada and i find that a lot of Westerners underestimate my age. Indeed, this is true of many asians i know as well. The traits like flat face, rounded foreheads, no facial hair is linked to being a trait of youth. I know of the term in biology called neoteny and pedomorphosis which means when an organism retains child-like traits unto adulthood. So could one race of humans (east asians) be really more neotenous (child-like or young-looking) in physical appearance? and why would this be the case? Does anthropology or biology have an answer?
 * Well, wait a sec. What you are describing is perceptions. Certainly, for "caucasians", rounded foreheads, flat face, etc. invokes youthfulness. But does it for peoples who tend to have those features as adults? --jpgordon&#8711;&#8710;&#8711;&#8710; 02:55, 24 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Is it a question of perceptions? From what I've seen, both tbe average baby of any race has a more rounded forehead and flat face than the average adult. Superm401 | Talk 17:17, 24 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Some people have argued paedomorphosis/neoteny in the case of "East Asians". As a whole humans appear to be paedomorphic in comparison to our closest relatives (chimps), so it makes sense if that has gone further in some groups than in others.  Guettarda 22:21, 26 September 2005 (UTC)

Who is Cherokee Author Jerry Ellis?
Dear Sir or Lady:

This is a great service your offer and I use it often. May I make a suggestion? Under Famous Cherokee, it seems appropritate that you might add the name Jerry Ellis. Born in Fort Payne, Alabama, site where Sequoyah invented the Cherokee alphabet, he, of Cherokee and British descent, was the first person in modern history to walk the 900 mile route of the Cherokee Trail of Tears in 1989. His book about that journey, Walking the Trail, One Man's Journey Along the Cherokee Trail of Tears (Delacorte Press, 1991) was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and has been in print 14 years. Ellis has lectured aounrd the world about this book and this Ocotber is speaking in Harare, Africa at an international teachers conference. Forty nations are represented. For further info, please contact me at tanager AT tds.net. (His book, of course, is listed with reviews on Amazon.com.)


 * Thank you for your suggestion! When you feel an article needs improvement, please feel free to make those changes. Wikipedia is a wiki, so anyone can edit almost any article by simply following the  link at the top. You don't even need to log in (although there are many reasons why you might want to).  The Wikipedia community encourages you to be bold in updating pages. Don't worry too much about making honest mistakes — they're likely to be found and corrected quickly. If you're not sure how editing works, check out how to edit a page, or use the sandbox to try out your editing skills.  New contributors are always welcome. --jpgordon&#8711;&#8710;&#8711;&#8710; 21:19, 24 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Thanks for the suggestion. I will add him to our requested articles page in the writers section. As well as writing a book nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, Galenet's Contemporary Authors Online 2005 states that he has won a couple of playwriting awards in 1984 and 1989. Capitalistroadster 07:41, 26 September 2005 (UTC)
 * I'd like to suggest that whenever it is claimed that a book was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize that it be verified by going to www.Pulitzer.org because Walking the Trail, One Man's Journey Along the Cherokee Trail of Tears written by Jerry Ellis was not nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. www.Pulizer.org lists winners and nominees of the Pulitzer Prize and the book is not listed among the nominees. User: JHummer

Martial Art Nerve Pincher
What is the name of the the martial arts that pinchs nerves or whatever and can kill people?


 * The Vulcan death grip? Shiatsu??  Coach seating on the Airbus A320??? --Diderot 18:42, 24 September 2005 (UTC)

The common japanese name for "pressure point fighting" is kyusho or kyusho jitsu' -Drdisque 01:32, 25 September 2005 (UTC)

Hedge funds and oil these days
Why do hedge funds affect oil prices?
 * Because they buy and sell oil futures. Superm401 | Talk 17:13, 24 September 2005 (UTC)

how many cups o coffee do you drink in 30 days?

 * None, I don't drink coffee. - Mgm|(talk) 16:28, 24 September 2005 (UTC)

I'm sure the recommended or maximum safe amound of cups of Coffee can be found on the article for Coffee or Caffeine. If not, someone will get to it. --Ballchef 11:23, 25 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Max safe dose is a tough one. LD-50 for caffeine is easily exceedable by someone who drinks plenty of coffee - I'm fairly sure that in a 24-hour period I've consumed enough caffiene to kill my grandmother, say, with no ill effects beyond a nasty headache. In addition, "cups" is ill-defined; most heavy coffee drinkers consume it by the mug, significantly larger volume than the normal coffeecup. That said, I probably drink something on the order of 80-140 mugs of coffee over a month, though it varies quite a bit by how heavily I'm working. Shimgray 12:29, 25 September 2005 (UTC)


 * My coffee pot claims that my mug holds four cups. That would set my minimum consumption at 120 cups per month.  Add to that 2-4 double espresso drinks per week, and a few cups of coffee a week from the pot in the department office...I'd be in the 150 cup per month range (makes me a lightweight).  When I am working I switch to tea.  On top of the coffee and the espresso, that can add up to a lot of coffee in a day.  Guettarda 22:17, 26 September 2005 (UTC)

Search for a particular poem in Spanish
When I was originally learning Spanish many years ago, I was shown a Spanish poem, which I am trying to identify. All I remember of it are the first few lines. I have tried everything to locate the poem on the web, without success. As far as I can remember, the first few lines were: De aquel amor guardo siempre, como reliquia sagrada, una rosa y un suspiro, un recuerdo y una lagrima. Misterios de mi ternura, guardo lo que nadie guarda....... Can you help me? Many thanks. Tom Garnier

Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2005
I've just updated the page to show the winner who just won the Dutch final a few minutes ago. However, before the scores were announced, a few clips were shown with winners from other countries and it appears Latvia has also selected their finalist while the article doesn't show it. Unfortunately, my Latvian language knowledge sucks. Can someone tell me who won the final of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in Latvia and what the name of their song was (both in Latvian and translated into English)? - Mgm|(talk) 19:01, 24 September 2005 (UTC)
 * The song was Es esmu maza, jauka meitene, but I couldn't tell you what the translation is. --Diderot 19:09, 24 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Got it now: I am a little, lovely girl --Diderot 19:11, 24 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Thank you! - Mgm|(talk) 19:20, 24 September 2005 (UTC)
 * No problem. You're quite welcome.  --Diderot 19:26, 24 September 2005 (UTC)

how do you pronounce Wriothesley?
Hi

My history tutor used to pronounce it: Riseley (long 'i') with maybe just a hint of 'th' before the 's'.

Cheers.

See Reference desk/Language. Proto t c 13:14, 26 September 2005 (UTC)

Australian Census question - what are "O's"?
From the last sentence of the Woolloomooloo, New South Wales artcile: "The area was ahead in the 2001 Australian census of Indooroopilly in Queensland as the suburb with the highest density of O's." The article neither defines nor provides a link to a definition of what "O's" are in this question. Thryduulf 20:06, 24 September 2005 (UTC)
 * I believe the author was having a little fun with the name of the community. By "O's" he means the O|letter "o".  --Diderot 20:19, 24 September 2005 (UTC)

spanish theatre in and around 1934
I have been asked to research the state of spanish theatre (1934) I have been using wikipedia to find information about the poet/playwrite Federico García Lorca, his life, the play 'Yerma' and the subject above. I have been able to find lots of useful information, including information about 19th century spain, but nothing specifically about spanish theatre. I know that others who have used general search engines have also found it difficult. Any information - or vague ideas! - anyone has on this subject would be extremely helpful. (asap!) Thanks, --213.122.62.160 20:15, 24 September 2005 (UTC)E.Jackson


 * Our Spanish literature article has links to a number of topics. Perhaps some of those might be useful. Capitalistroadster 07:55, 26 September 2005 (UTC)


 * A good web search strategy might also consider "Spanish Second Republic" + theatre, but I'd suggest that this is a subject where you would do far better at a good libarary with the assitance of a librarian than on the web. Question: do you read Spanish? I suspect that there is far more to be found in Spanish than in English. -- Jmabel | Talk 19:49, 30 September 2005 (UTC)

Hello
To whome it may concern.... I am interested in getting information on migration and setteling of Sudhans in Kashmir. I did have some info on your this very knowlegeable website, but still i would really appreciate if I get more info. about Sudhan tribe in Azad kashmir, like how they came to the reigon and how they settled in there??? Thank you. Sincerely. saghar@msn.com

Federal Reserve Board
I agree completely. See Federal Reserve Board. Superm401 | Talk 08:14, 25 September 2005 (UTC)

4th October, 1582
Why 4th October,1582 is followed directly by October 15 in Italy, Poland, Portugal and Spain?


 * See Gregorian Calendar. - Nunh-huh 06:13, 25 September 2005 (UTC)

geography/dewpoint

 * Have you read dewpoint? - Mgm|(talk) 07:44, 25 September 2005 (UTC)

Where do I find updated statistics?

 * Depends. What kind of statistics are you looking for? - Mgm|(talk) 07:45, 25 September 2005 (UTC)

Constantine the Great data about Jewish Religion
I've had a hard time verifying this: As part of Constantine's Christianizing the world, he made the following capital offenses for all Christians:

1. Circumcision 2. Converting to Judaism 3. Talmud Torah

This is either true or false. Every time I read "Judaism became weak" well I say "Duh". Are the actual decrees (all of them) of Constantine documented any place? How about the archives of the Holy See?

I wish I could see hard evidence of the above three. I can't find now where I read all this.
 * Well, let's see. It's a little bit muddy, because there were a lot of forged documents floating around. This paper, The Persecution of the Jews in the Roman Empire (300-428) has some good pointers to primary sources. Let us know what you find! --jpgordon&#8711;&#8710;&#8711;&#8710; 20:34, 25 September 2005 (UTC)

What song is this?
What song contains the lyrics "Love me, Love me. Say that you love me. Fool me, fool me, go on and fool me. Love me, love me, pretend that you love me. Need me, need me, just say that you need me". I hope that isnt a copy vio but after google searches and other search engines i cant find the name of the song or the artist. It only appears on peoples blogs. Job E  6   15:47, 25 September 2005 (UTC)

THE CARDIGANS--LOVEFOOL
 * It is the song "Lovefool" by The Cardigans from their 1996 album First Band on the Moon. It also appeared on the soundtrack to the Baz Luhrmann 1996 film Romeo and Juliet (1996 movie). Capitalistroadster 08:52, 26 September 2005 (UTC)

sociology
what is the relationship between sociology and science?
 * Easy, sociology is a science. Our article on sociology says the following:
 * Sociology is a social science on the study of the social lives of people, groups, and societies, sometimes defined as the study of social interactions. It is a relatively new academic discipline that evolved in the early 19th century. - Mgm|(talk) 16:00, 25 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Less simply, theories such as those of Thomas Kuhn would argue that, to some extent, the path of science must be understood in sociological terms. -- Jmabel | Talk 20:01, 30 September 2005 (UTC)

What is logical truth?

 * See truth and logic. - Mgm|(talk) 19:51, 25 September 2005 (UTC)

False Information a felony??
Is giving false information to a police officer regarding a hit and run accident a felony? Say you lied and said you were the driver when in fact you were not, and admitted the truth, and received a citation to appear in court. Would that be considered a felony? If so, what would the punishment be for the state of NM?
 * You should really contact a lawyer (I am not one). But based on this, I'd say the hit and run is a misdemeanor, and logically abetting a crime can't be a worse crime. But, please, check with a lawyer. Ornil 20:10, 25 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Actually, I think conspiracy to commit a misdemeanor is a felony. Superm401 | Talk 21:17, 25 September 2005 (UTC)
 * That would make some sort of sense, I suppose, but it doesn't sound like it's a conspiracy in his case? Ornil 22:29, 25 September 2005 (UTC)
 * No it's not conspiracy; conspiracy requires more than one person and is concluded when there is agreement between the parties to commit some crime. It obviously depends on jurisdiction, but if you were to look it up yourself, contempt of court might be relevant? Enochlau 23:51, 25 September 2005 (UTC)
 * Many places have passed various laws criminalizing when people deliberately mislead some police investigation. If we are to believe the TV and movie stories about police ... they are allowed to tell all kinds of lies in their investigations to try to trick suspects, but if any suspect tells anything wrong, they are in deep trouble.  Witnesses cannot be believed if they are caught in any lies.
 * If you follow US political scandals, what usually happens is quite trivial, and the people involved do the normal human reaction of lying to cover up minor indiscretions, because they figure this will increase the chances they won't get caught, then are sent to jail when they are caught in the lies. The minor indiscretion goes unpunished.
 * A lot of people might be a lot better off if they just gave the info required (name address etc.) and lawyer up for clarification of what they are obligated to reveal. AlMac|(talk) 01:34, 30 September 2005 (UTC)


 * If you lied in court, under oath, that would be perjury, which can be a felony. --Fastfission 15:37, 30 September 2005 (UTC)

Definition of the term "Technical Climax" of a story
I have just read the Maltese Falcon. In a book report, I need to give the information of what the "technical climax" of the story is. Please assist me with an explanation of the meaning of techinical climax.

Thank You!
 * Why didn't you ask your teacher when you had a chance? Superm401 | Talk 20:09, 25 September 2005 (UTC)


 * The technical climax is the point in the story when the major conflict is resolved. There may be more than one technical climax. There are also dramatic climaxes, which are what our article climax (narrative) deals with. Take a look at this analysis of the Odyssey (second post down, by "Thompson"), for an example of what I suspect your teacher wants.-gadfium 22:27, 25 September 2005 (UTC)

Writing a bibliography
I have a question, i am using some of your research and im trying to quote something and i have to use the authors name, and i dont know who the author(s) of this site is, so if you could please tell me how i would write this on a bibliography in MLA format..or just tell me the authors name. Thanks :)
 * Citing Wikipedia. Ornil 19:55, 25 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Yes, Ornil gave the right link. Articles don't have a single author. How you should handle it is explained at the link. - Mgm|(talk) 19:56, 25 September 2005 (UTC)

what is the cold war and bipolarism?
See our aritcles on the Cold War and Bipolarity. WP 23:28, 25 September 2005 (UTC)