Wikipedia:Reference desk/Humanities
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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. — Ilγαηερ (Tαlκ) 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. — Ilγαηερ (Tαlκ) 20:26, 10 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)
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 Wikipedia:No original research and Wikipedia: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 Wikipedia: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
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. [1] 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#Monarch 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".
- — File:Austria flag large.png ナイトスタリオン ㇳ–ㇰ — 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 — 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)
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)
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. --Rpyle731talk 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∇∆∇∆ 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: [2]. 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?
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)
- 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)
- 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.
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 Wikipedia: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∇∆∇∆ 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
- Her Two Millions
- A Fair Crusader
- A Phantom City
- and Birch Dene
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))
- 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∇∆∇∆ 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 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 Wikipedia: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. <email removed>
- 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<g> - 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—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)
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: [5] 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)
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)
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)
how did the 1966 dodge dart originate?
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)
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)
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
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)
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?
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)
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
Citizens arrest powers
Where did sideburns originate?
Islam
Islam's country of origin Answer: Islam orginiated on the Arabian Peninsular, in what is now Saudi Arabia. It was founded by a local merchant named Muhammed, who combined his prophecies with local traditions.
how do we get oil
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
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 go the rythm 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 rythm method but also withdrawl. These methods used to gether 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)
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.
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