Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2018 August 9

= August 9 =

Karl Marx's Assets
How much did Karl Marx have in assets when he died?

https://www.quora.com/unanswered/How-much-did-Karl-Marx-have-in-assets-when-he-died

--Tenkasi Subramanian (talk)


 * £250 according to the Daily Telegraph, citing probate records. --Antiquary (talk) 16:21, 9 August 2018 (UTC)

Indian University System: Academic council vs Executive Council
In many Indian Universities where there are three major hierarchical administrative bodies, Senate  (sometimes known as Court) is on top as the supreme body and the executive council (Syndicate in some institutions) comes second to the Senate and the academic body called Academic Council comes below both Senate and Syndicate. At the same time, the Academic Council consists of the whole of the Syndicate in it, that is, all the members on the Syndicate are also members of the Academic Council. This sounds a bit illogical because, by the very constitution, the Academic Council seems to be superior to the executive council. (Apart from the members on the Syndicate it has representatives of the supreme body, Senate, Chief Executive Officer, Vice-Chancellor etc.) Yet, Syndicate is arranged to be a higher body than the Academic Council. Is such a system in which a broad council which includes the whole of the executive body within it is controlled/ directed by the same smaller executive body, seen anywhere else? Any example in any democratic institution or government? Thanks in advance for any light thrown on this. ---Sajith
 * The same sort of organization happens in the constitution of many Baptist churches in the U.S. Under standard Baptist church governance, the church is governed by direct democracy, all decisions are made only by a vote of the whole church membership (often called the "Church Conference"); the highest level of governance of the church is this body.  Other smaller bodies, such as the Diaconate, have considerable power in proposing or approving policy which will later be voted on by the church body, but constitutionally the Diaconate does not have ultimate power; only the Church in Conference has the power to approve church business.  This is also similar to corporate governance.  The ultimate power lies with the shareholders of a corporation, who have the power to appoint an executive board, which directs the corporation.  The executive board is a smaller group, and wields explicit power to direct the company, but the board is still subservient to the shareholders themselves.   -- Jayron 32 18:09, 9 August 2018 (UTC)

Human poses
Within the context of drawing or photographing human models, does there exist a set nomenclature for different "standard" positions? Obviously there are uncountable different ways people can position themselves, even forgetting props, but are there perhaps broad categories? Quick example: if you position yourself with your back to the ground and support yourself by your hands and feet, that's called the crab or the bridge, depending on how your arms are swung. If you had to lump pictures of people into groups and name them, you could obviously do those two groups - has there been an attempt at making a (semi-)comprehensive list? We have a category for human positions, but it's horribly mismatched (apparently "eating" and "urinating" are human positions). I was thinking that, if there's nothing in art or dance, then maybe there's something from psychology or sociology? Matt Deres (talk) 19:54, 9 August 2018 (UTC)
 * There's certainly some - Contrapposto is one I know. There may be more in Category:Human positions. &rsaquo; Mortee  talk 21:57, 9 August 2018 (UTC)
 * D'oh sorry, I see you already mentioned the category. I haven't gone through all of it to see what kind of comprehensive list could be put together. &rsaquo; Mortee  talk 21:58, 9 August 2018 (UTC)
 * This suggests "composite" (as in Egyptian figures), Adlocutio, "pudica" (preserving female modesty), Figura serpentinata, "Odalisque" (nude and reclining). Perhaps books like The Complete Book of Poses for Artists include more terminology? I didn't spot any more specific terms in this Quora answer. &rsaquo; Mortee  talk 22:10, 9 August 2018 (UTC)

Can anyone name any characters from tv shows that have low self esteem?
Animated characters don't count. 50.68.252.153 (talk) 23:01, 9 August 2018 (UTC)


 * Al Bundy. Robert Barone.-- Jayron 32 00:17, 10 August 2018 (UTC)


 * Lonely, in Callan. DuncanHill (talk) 00:37, 10 August 2018 (UTC)


 * Toby Flenderson, from The Office. Matt Deres (talk) 01:00, 10 August 2018 (UTC)


 * I can't think of any TV shows that have low self-esteem. Some have characters that seem to, though. If you're excluding guys like Peter Parker, what about Monk and his OCD? I could also make a case for Jack in Will and Grace. How about George Costanza? And some of Michael Palin's characters on Monty Python, such as "Arthur Putey". ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 01:47, 10 August 2018 (UTC)


 * Some of Bob Hartley's patients on the The Bob Newhart Show fit the criteria. MarnetteD&#124;Talk 02:50, 10 August 2018 (UTC)
 * Only some of them? ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 03:36, 10 August 2018 (UTC)
 * HeeHee :-) MarnetteD&#124;Talk 04:15, 10 August 2018 (UTC)
 * Emile Peterson and, if I recall correctly, Ed Herd would qualify, but Mrs. Bakerman was just dotty and I wouldn't characterize Elliot Carlin that way (unless he was overcompensating). Clarityfiend (talk) 23:12, 10 August 2018 (UTC)
 * If you google "tv characters with low self esteem" you'll find quite a few examples. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 03:36, 10 August 2018 (UTC)


 * Marvin the Paranoid Android. HiLo48 (talk) 04:41, 10 August 2018 (UTC)
 * It seems to me Marvin esteems himself quite highly. It's everything else in the universe, including but not limited to the universe itself and the possibility of happiness in it, that he gives a low rating. --Trovatore (talk) 07:19, 10 August 2018 (UTC)
 * I think it's more that he knows he has the greatest brain in the universe, but is frustrated that he cannot demonstrate it publicly. But I won't argue too strongly. HiLo48 (talk) 08:01, 10 August 2018 (UTC)
 * George Roper in Man About the House and George and Mildred. 95.149.37.51 (talk) 10:31, 10 August 2018 (UTC)
 * When you make a group of guys for a British TV show, you have to have one guy with low self esteem. You can go back a ways to The Young Ones in the 80s and there is a loudmouth, a nervous guy, a cynic guy, and a low self esteem guy. Fast forward to The Inbetweeners in the 10s and there is a loudmouth, a nervous guy, a cynic guy, and a low self esteem guy. Strangely the low self esteem guy in both shows was named Neil. 209.149.113.5 (talk) 14:25, 10 August 2018 (UTC)
 * Neil is an inherently funny name in Britain. It was put forward as a serious reason why Neil Kinnock was unelectable as Prime Minister. When it gets as far as Nigel (an even funnier name) though, some sort of compensatory Napoleon complex seems to kick in. Andy Dingley (talk) 18:22, 14 August 2018 (UTC)

Would Radar O'Reilly from M*A*S*H count? HiLo48 (talk) 23:23, 10 August 2018 (UTC)
 * No, Radar was modest, but considered himself as doing pretty well for everything an Idaho farmboy could want for. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Andy Dingley (talk • contribs) 18:22, 14 August 2018 (UTC)
 * Iowa. --jpgordon&#x1d122;&#x1d106; &#x1D110;&#x1d107; 14:33, 15 August 2018 (UTC)


 * A better candidate for low self-esteem would be Frank Burns. If he didn't have it, he should have. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 22:56, 15 August 2018 (UTC)