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January 1

Armenia Orphan Drug Act?

(the first WP:RD question of 2006!)

Does Armenia have an Orphan Drug Act and if it does is it focues on production or accessibility? Thank you.

69.210.240.234 00:00, 1 January 2006 (UTC)Gulrana[reply]

Baudelaire translations

Is there any sort of consensus on the best, or a few good, translation(s) of Baudelaire, more specifically Les Fleurs du Mal? Or at least of which are to be avoided? --Tothebarricades 04:52, 1 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Consumers Protection

What is the liability to a manufacture if it's product injures a consumer.

Depending on what jurisdiction you are asking about that could vary from a lot to not much. But see product liability for more info. - Taxman Talk 18:31, 1 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

based on common law. based on common law.

Population With a University Degree in Japan

How many people (in percents) in Japan have a university degree?

I beleive its around 57%.
What are your sources?
According to the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation, in 2004, 34% of 25-64 year olds in Japan have either a "either a college or university education." - Akamad 21:26, 1 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I would trust the 34%. Even though College degrees are becoming common world wide 57 % is still high. However it is possible 57% have some kind of post secondary education.

how many taoists are there

i would like an authentic reference on the number of adherents of Taoism ( as recent as possible ) , and the areas around the world it is mostly spread . if there is no exact number due to political reasons or reasons related to the nature of taoism , i would like a reference that states this fact ,

thank you for your help Hhnnrr 14:26, 1 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

i'm afraid i'm not able to view the site , thanks for the help .. but i still need sources , help please .Hhnnrr 23:57, 1 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

From the afore linked site "Membership: 2.7 million; % of World: <1%." Cited references: "Membership Data from the World Almanac and Book of Facts, 2004, Page 612. Derived from the "Encyclopedia Britannica Book of the Year, 2003.; Percentage Based on the UN projected world population of 6.301 billion for mid-2003." WAvegetarian (talk) (email) (contribs) 01:36, 2 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

thank you

Mephistopheles

I would like to know the sources for the article in Wikipedia for the Mephistopheles article, specifically the "extra-biblical sources" and "17th century manuscripts".

U S Prez

who was the first U S president?

See President of the Continental Congress#The myth of the "First President of the United States". Gdr 19:56, 1 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
While Gdr is correct in linking that particular section of the article, going by how Americans define the president currently, the first of the U.S. Presidents was George Washington. Dismas|(talk) 20:15, 1 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Madonna's Like A Prayer Album and the Pop 100

Does anyone know what singles blocked "Express Yourself" and "Cherish" from #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and does it count to have #1 on the Pop 100 what I mean is like if I have 5 #1's and I my single hits #8 on the hot 100 and #1 on the Pop 100 is it counted as a #1

US C19 trader with plains natives

  • It depends who is doing the counting and for what purpose. If you were a music chart buff who liked keeping statistics on which artist has the most #1 hits on the Hot 100, you would ignore any Pop 100 #1's which failed to reach the peak position on the Hot 100. On the other hand, if you were a record company trying to put together a compilation of #1 hits for almost any artist less popular than The Beatles or Elvis Presley, you would count a #1 hit on any chart you could find for that purpose. Seriously, though, I would consider the Pop 100 a lesser chart than the Hot 100, so if I were compiling a list of an artist's #1 hits, only Hot 100 #1's would be counted unless there was good reason to use a different chart instead. As to your first question about the Madonna hits, perhaps someone here has access to a library with Billboard magazine on microfilm, and can look up the charts between June and November 1989 (when those singles were in the Top 40), or the book Billboard Hot 100 Charts: The Eighties (ISBN 0898200792). --Metropolitan90 00:32, 2 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Jesus,messiah,savior,but not God

I really need to know if there is a religion that believes as I do that Jesus was the only begotten son of God.That he was a savior to mankind,but that there is only one God and Jesus was not Him.I am desperately searching for a church family that I can join in fellowship.One that I would feel comfortable with,believing as I do.

I think you are thinking of Arianism. Modern proponents of this theory include Unitarians and Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as Christadelphians, the Latter Day Saint movement and Islam. However, these groups generally do not recognise Jesus as saviour. [[Sam Korn]] 21:41, 1 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
See Nontrinitarianism for a discussion of Christian groups that disbelieve in the Trinity. Your views seem closest to Binitarianism, but you might consider Unitarian Universalism. Gdr 21:50, 1 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

i think Islam is what your looking for ..

I feel the same you need to read about Islam hopefully it will help you

  • Yep, Islam is definitely your best bet if you feel that sharing the same opinion about the exact nature of Christ is more important than whether you're ok with killing women to preserve "family honor" or think homosexuality or converting religion deserve death. alteripse 17:49, 2 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

And if u don't find any, just believe it yourself and be happy :) --Cosmic girl 15:53, 2 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Jesus proclaimed to not only be the Son of God, but God himself. Is it possible to believe some of what He said, but not all of it? If He says He's God, but you believe that He is not God, do you believe that you are worshipping a nutcase? Anybody that proclaims to be God, and I don't believe them, I consider them insane, especially not deserving of worship. Be wary of trying to fit God inside your own little "box". God cannot be anything that you want Him to be. He is what He is, take it or leave it.

January 2

Version of "The Legend of Xanadu" festuring Tommy Reilly on harmonica

Can you please help me locate details, such as the orchestra that recorded this track in the late 60's

This is the list of versions of that song that came up on allmusic.com. The first version was in 1968, released on the album If No One Sang by Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mich & Tich. But there appears to be no mention of Tommy Reilly. Perhaps he is in one of the other versions of the song. - Akamad 10:22, 2 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

financial structure - usa

In researching the stock market I need to understand the organization of the stock market . RElation bbetween a stock or bnd and the market or exchange in which it is traded . IE. most technology stocks are listed on the Nasdaq. Index funds relate to the S&Pand mutual funds. What I'm looking for is a hierachical chart or flowchart showing the relation of the various market entities to each other.

US Constitution

What is the only crime defined in the US Constitution? Is it murder, treason, corruption of blood, or tax evasion? Thanks!!

Will I get the credit when you take the test?<g>. You'll find your answer in Article III, section 3: [1]: it's not murder or tax evasion, and "corruption of blood" is not a crime, but a power held by Parliament which was reckoned so corrupting and unfair that it was specificallly prohibited to Congress. - Nunh-huh 01:12, 2 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
As it says at the top of this page, "Do your own homework." WAvegetarian (talk) (email) (contribs) 01:28, 2 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Do Seventh Day Adventists celebrate Christmas and other main stream holidays?


unicorn

what do the unicorns signify on the Scottish Royal coat of arms? Kerr--Dockerr 04:05, 2 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom says that the unicorn represents Scotland itself - which is the reason it's usually portrayed as being chained. The reason for the choice of a unicorn was simply that it was seen as a fairly dangerous animal. GeeJo (t) (c) • 04:44, 2 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

If you want more depth in the symbology or meaning, try looking up heraldry somewhere. -Del

GERMAN P.O.W, during w.w.2

how many german p.o.w. taken alive by the russian army during W.W. 2?

This is not recorded reliably. The number is likely in the hundreds of thousands, but much lower as a percentage of the German army in Russia compared to the western front. On the western front, killing of those who surrendered was uncommon, while on the Russian front it occurred all too often, so many units on both sides fought to the death or disintegrated rather than surrendering. alteripse 15:00, 2 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Ludicrous duel?

The Introduction to Early Reviews of English Poets, by John Louis Haney (1904) says "Lockhart, who was the recipient of the worst abuse, demanded of Scott an apology or a hostile meeting. The outcome of the controversy was a duel on February 16th between Scott and Lockhart's intimate friend, Jonathan Henry Christie. Scott was mortally wounded, and died within a fortnight; the verdict of wilful murder brought against Christie and his second at the inquest resulted in their trial and acquittal at the old Bailey two months later. It would have been well for the London Magazine and for literature in general if that unfortunate duel could have been prevented or at least diverted into such a ludicrous affair as the meeting between Jeffrey and Tom Moore in 1806."

My question is, what type of ludicrous affair was the the meeting between Jeffrey and Tom Moore?--Prosfilaes 08:54, 2 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The people in question were Thomas Moore and Francis Jeffrey, whose article contains a short summary of the event - apparently, they faced each other in a duel which was called off because one duelist's pistol was found to contain no bullet -- Ferkelparade π 09:05, 2 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Tom Moore redirected to Thomas J. Moore, and I've been bit by similar lousy redirects before. Thanks for the information.--Prosfilaes 09:47, 2 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Francis Jeffrey was a critic who attacked both Moore's Epistles, Odes and other Poems, and the author himself as "the most licentious of modern versifiers". Their duel evaporated when they met (they became lifelong friends), before it was initiated, and before the guns had been loaded. That the pistols were thus unloaded when examined led some to call Jeffrey and Moore cowards. Moore challenged Lord Byron for subsequently saying Jeffrey and Moore had used "leadless pistols" and that the duel was prevented by the interference of the Magistracy (rather than the good sense of its participants) yet when the two likewise met they likewise became close friends: Moore in fact becoming Byrons biographer. Ref: Jeffery W. Vail. The Literary Relationship of Lord Byron and Thomas Moore. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2001, [3] - Nunh-huh 09:10, 2 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Napoleon's defeat in Russia

Hey- I was wondering how the geography of the Russian empire worked against Napoleon's Grand Army? 71.9.0.234 11:19, 2 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Far away from France? Big country? Muddy marshes? Cold? Start reading at Napoleon I of France, and then continue at Napoleon's Invasion of Russia. Although these don't detail the geographic aspects of that military campaign, the references listed might give you some leads. Lupo 12:28, 2 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The biggest enemy, however, was typhus. --jpgordon∇∆∇∆ 17:26, 2 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Size of comic books

Have read many of your articles on comics but want to find out the exact dimension of comic books over time as heard this has changed. Ie what size where the comic books in the platinum, golden, silver, bronze and current ages.

You could try going to a comic book store and asking if you can measure copies of comics. Or maybe ask a collector. -Del

Yin yang

Where can I find a yin yang symbol which is surrounded by a pentagram and the 5 symbols Ku, Fu, Ka, Sui, and Chi.

  • If my (basic) Japanese does not defeat me, I'd say that you'd be talking about the Five Elements. Check there as a start. It doesn't have a picture, but it may direct you to a site which does. If all else fails, go to Wikimedia Commons and type Five Elements in the search box. --JB Adder | Talk 07:05, 4 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Demark's Economy

Who are the factory owners in Denmark?

This is one of the last questions on my assignment on the Danish culture, and I've searched everywhere for it, and can't seem to find it. Please help, your help will be greatly appreciated. Kirsten

The people who own factories of course! Sorry, but this is a very vague question, and very difficult to answer without any context or explanation of what detail you need. Did you want a list of names of factory owners? A demographic breakdown? Maybe the previous question(s) will make it clearer. --Canley 22:16, 2 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Presidents

How come you say Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman, but not Ronald W. Reagan? MartinHagberg 16:40, 2 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

  • Same reason we say "Bill Clinton" rather than, say, "William J. Clinton" and "Jimmy Carter" rather than "James E. Carter" -- it's how the subject in question is or was best known. Now, are you asking why they are best known with or without their middle initials? --jpgordon∇∆∇∆ 17:25, 2 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
  • Just as a small side note, Truman's full name is, in fact, Harry S Truman; there is no dot after the S, because there is no name which it represents. I think it comes about because both his grandfather wanted his name, but would've been insulted if the other's was included. (A little factoid from Reader's Digest Book of Facts) --JB Adder | Talk 07:12, 4 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Population in Denmark

Sorry, it's me again. I have another question about Denmark.

What are the largest groups-age, race, religion, language, ethnic group? Who is in the minority?

If you could help me that would be great. Charts of some kind would be preferable to show me the difference between the five different topics. Thank you so much for your help!

The CIA World Factbook should be of assistance. Grumpy Troll (talk) 17:12, 2 January 2006 (UTC).[reply]
See above under "Search first" and "Do your own homework". This is not something difficult to find. Try typing "Denmark" into the search box. But my offhand guess is that the largest group is teenage blacks devoted to Shinto and who speak Uzbek natively. --BluePlatypus 17:16, 2 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Quality of Life in Denmark

Hey this is Heather. I thought it was kinda weird that someone else is doing a report on Denmark too! Well, maybe this question will help me and that girl somewhere out there. Well, here it is.

Rate the average person's health and happiness. (Medical care, life expectancy, security, opportunity.)

Remember, this question has to do with the Danish culture. Thanx a bunch! from Heather

It is also somewhat strange that the other person doing a report on Denmark and yourself are using the same Internet connection, if not the same computer. Grumpy Troll (talk) 17:17, 2 January 2006 (UTC).[reply]
Have you heard of the Human Development Index? Denmark is a solid 14th; rather lower than its Scandinavian neighbours (Norway is helped by its oil wealth) but still ahead of countries like the United Kingdom, for instance. --Robert Merkel 22:28, 2 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

How Can Architecture Fit In Careers of International Careers

Basically,some people are interested in more than one career,like me.For example,I want to major in International Business,but then yet want to major in architecture.I'm fascinated by big and tall buildings and their structures.And i'm also interested in International Business.Now my question is "Can their be a such thing as an International Architect or Urban Planner?"Can the two mix?You know go around and talk business into building your ideas of reality.I've always wondered that,so now i'm trying to find out.


Andre' Ward

  1. "Architecture (classical Greek: αρχή, 'start', τέχνη, 'craftsmanship') is the art and science of designing buildings and structures. A wider definition would include within its scope the design of the total built environment, from the macrolevel of town planning, urban design, and landscape architecture to the microlevel of creating furniture. Architectural design usually must address both feasibility and cost for the builder, and function and aesthetics for the user."
  2. It's a given (for many) that Globalization or international trade is here to stay.
  3. So I would say the answer is yes. Halcatalyst 04:05, 3 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

VanGogh

What type of mental condition did VanGogh have?

Depression. See Vincent van Gogh. alteripse 18:54, 2 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Missing Karls of Sweden

There was a king Charles VII of Sweden but apparently no Charles VI. Why not?

List of Swedish monarchs says:

There are lists of Swedish pagan monarchs with dates far older than these. These records contain the early kings, of the House of Yngling, and give an explanation to the numbering of the monarchs, particularly the names Erik and Karl (Eric and Charles)

This is correct for "Erik" but not for "Karl"; the lists of Semi-legendary kings of Sweden and Mythological kings of Sweden include no Karls. So why do the Karls start at VII? An anonymous note on Talk:Charles VII of Sweden suggests that Charles IX of Sweden deliberately inflated his regnal number:

This king [i.e. Carl VII] was Carl I Sweartgarson (Sw: Karl Sverkersson), not Charles VII. Carl II Canuteson numbered himself correctly in the 15th century, but Carl IX (1604-1611) began a new numbering series wanting to use a higher (false) number

Is this right? Can someone provide a reference? Gdr 19:38, 2 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

  • The answer is that Charles VII (Sverkersson) was the first historical king named "Karl" according to tradition. The other 6 were inventions of Johannes Magnus (not Charles IX) according to Nordisk Familjebok (1955 edition). They aren't included in the mythological and semi-legendary kings since those either existed or had at least been invented early enough to not be disprovable. The fact that Johannes Magnus is responsible for the numbering scheme is mentioned on the Swedish version of the list. Consider merging that into the english version. --BluePlatypus 00:26, 3 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you. Gdr 17:13, 3 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Coin question

i have in my procession a coin in a sliver color.inscription on it reads.georgivs v.d g.britt:omn:rex f.d.ind:imp with a mans head .on back it's has one florin in the 1920's.also on the back it's looks like a big cross.four crowns on top of each cross.there is also some sort of swords pointing on each corner.inside the cross there are three lions top and bottom.the other two has some kind of lion standing up with sword. and the other one seemlike harp or a sailing ship.you can e-mail me back at derek.hesbaldwin@nf.sympatico.ca or by phone at 1-709-596-6738. p.s.please reply back a.s.a.p. 

                        thank you 
                        derek
File:76-834.jpg
George V silver florin
Does it look like the coin on the right? If so, it's a George V silver florin. The legend stands for GEORGIUS V DEI GRATIA BRITANNIARUM OMNIUM REX FIDEI DEFENSOR INDIAE IMPERATOR; that is, "George V, by the grace of God, king of all the Britons, defender of the faith, Emperor of India". The four components of the cross are the quarters of the Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom: three lions passant guardant for England; one lion rampant for Scotland; and a harp for Ireland. Gdr 21:15, 2 January 2006 (UTC) P.S. What was your question?[reply]

Declaration of Independence

One of the signers of the American Declaration of Independence regretted during the war having signed it, and wanted his name removed from it. Does anyone know what this guy's name was? All I could find was someone who wrote a letter in 1808 saying he regretted signing the declaration, but who changed his mind during the revolutionary war?

January 3

Theme of death

Hello, I was wondering if anyone knew of a painter who dealt mainly with the the theme of death, or to be even more specific, the fear of death? Thanks Deyyaz 02:23, 3 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Probably not what you are looking for, but arguably this is the theme of all vanitas. Notinasnaid 16:39, 3 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

VALUE OF ESTATE OF SURGEON JOHN HARRIS

John Harris, a Surgeon's Mate on the Second Fleet to arrive in Australia in 1790, died in 1838. I have seen estimates of his wealth at time of death, as high as (current value) $50 billion. I canot believe such a high figure. Can you please tell me what the probate value was for John Harris at the time of his death?

Michael

This question has been asked & answered before, I can't remember the details but most folk reckoned the $50 bn figure was derived from taking the current value of all the land he owned. AllanHainey 14:54, 5 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Who Are "Lily and Isabelle"?

I just brought home two female kitten (sisters), and I'm looking for names of famous sisters or famous women duos of history and/or literature to use as their names (i.e. not Paris and Nicki). :) I found a similar dilemna posted on a message board that I can only read (meaning I can't posted my question) and someone suggested "Lily and Isabelle." I've done some searches and I can't find a last name or a context. I'm wondering if someone at Wikipedia might have any insights (or names suggestions). Thanks so much! --128.125.222.124 09:14, 3 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Well, if you like "Lily", the cats named in the Alice in Wonderland books are Dinah (the mother), Lily, (the white kitten), and Kitty (the black kitten) - Nunh-huh 11:36, 3 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

pension

Pl. inform the origin of word pensin and which country first introduced the pension scheme and in whcih year?

If you mean a pension scheme a la Social Security or other such things, then I think Germany under Otto von Bismarck in 1889, basically co-opting a platform of the Socialists.
MSTCrow 12:14, 3 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
MSTCrow is correct as to governmental programs. See Social security#Social insurance. As to private pensions, our article on Pension is deplorably weak on the history of the concept. JamesMLane 08:08, 5 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Jewish terminology

I asked this question elsewhere some time ago but it got no responses. So I thought I'd put it out to a wider audience.

As a gentile, I often wonder about this. Is it OK to say a Jewish person was "born as a Jew"? A person with Jewish blood/ethnicity would usually be described as "Jewish". A "Jew" would be somebody who adheres to the Jewish religion (which can include people with non-Jewish blood). If I have this right, a new-born baby might be Jewish, but "born as a Jew" sounds as wrong to me as "born as a Buddhist", or "born as a Christian". Religion is not an inheritable trait. Am I right? JackofOz 11:51, 3 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Being Jewish is an inherited trait, and devolves from the maternal line. Therefore, any Jew who was born of a Jewish mother is "born a Jew."
MSTCrow 12:12, 3 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks. I realise this could get very complex, but I've never understood how this works. As you say, a person (call him/her Baby A) born of a Jewish mother is a Jew. That's fine, because the baby shares the mother's Jewish DNA. It's an inherited trait. Now take Baby B, who is born to a Jewish father but a non-Jewish mother. As I understand it, Baby B is not considered a Jew, even though he/she has just as much Jewish DNA as Baby A. How come Jewishness is an inherited trait if the mother is Jewish, but not an inherited trait if only the father is Jewish? I can't really see how cultural protocols can override genetic facts. JackofOz 12:32, 3 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
It's not so much a cultural protocal as it is practicality. You always know who the mother is; Judaism being passed down through the mother was instituted only in the early Middle Ages when rapes and pogroms became common, and often a Jewish woman would have a a baby without knowing the father, or the father's religion. To prevent losing Jews, the maternal descent was instituted. Before that, it was a tribal religion, in fact more of a tribe (ethnicity) rather than religion. From a spiritual point of view, the mother is rewarded for carrying the baby and caring for it by having the right to pass on the religion. As Judaism is a home-based religion, it makes more sense for the mother (who back then was in charge of the home) to pass the religion. As well, it prevents a Jew from judging a fellow Jew on the basis of theiur observance; born a Jew, as full a Jew as any other. Remember, you can also convert, which makes you as full a Jew as any Jew born of Jewish parents. Unlike wizards, we do not believe in "pure-bloods". Hope this answers your question. Sputnikcccp 13:13, 3 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Always more questions, unfortunately. So, Baby A above is born a Jew, and remains a Jew even if he/she is never observant. But Baby B, not born a Jew, might nevertheless have been brought up practising the religion of his father from a very early age, but in order to become a Jew himself he would have to "convert" at some stage. Is that how it works? If so, convert from what? JackofOz 13:22, 3 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I know it sounds silly, but you have it right. Baby A can be the least observant Jew, but s/he are considered a full Jew, no less a Jew as the most observant Jew; even if Baby B practises Judaism, if s/he wishes to be considered a Jew (i.e. for a Jewish wedding or funeral) s/he would have to convert to Judaism with a rabbi. They would be converting to Judaism, not from anything really, but in theory thy would be converting from the religion of the mother. Thanks for the questions! Sputnikcccp 22:42, 3 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

To clarify, there's obviously no such thing as "Jewish DNA" any more than there is American DNA or Catholic DNA. Jewish identity is inherited but not genetic. Rabbis speak of having a Jewish soul. People can of course convert to Judaism and some believe that Jewish converts were also born with a Jewish soul -- it just took a while for them to realize it. --דוד ♣ D Monack 21:07, 4 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Rock band timeline?

Heya! Sorry this is a bit of a dappy question. A couple of months ago, I printed off a kind of graph timeline showing important bands and when they were around - it looked like a bar chart but sideways. Now, I can't find it anywhere, despite spending most of yesterday trying to find it - I've tried searching popular music etc. but it only comes up with written timelines which are very detailed and in years, whereas I found a simple diagram of important bands. I was wondering if anyone knew how I can access it or what page its on, or if its actually been deleted. Thanks!

Theology

Isn't theology trying to study rationaly the irrational?---Cosmic girl 14:11, 3 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I suppose one could say that. May I ask what your point is? I suppose it's a nice tagline, but little more. -- Ec5618 14:14, 3 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

what I meant was that, what is the point of theorizing so much about God and saying that he is unknowable at the same time! those people don't make sense to me, if god is irrational and unfathomable, then we should just leave the subject alone and investigate through the scientific method what can be investigated like the physical world, because if we theorize and theorize about spiritual matters and defend this or that point of view rationaly we are just confussing ourselves. I say this, because I was reading the article about saint anselm, and I think he came up with this whole theory about why Jesus came here and died and it made sense rationally, but then...what he says makes so much sense to me, but still I don't see why all that had to happen in the first place, since for example, us humans, never asked to be created,so there shouldn't be no 'sin'. It's confussing, but I hope I made it somewhat clear. haha.--Cosmic girl 14:24, 3 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks for actually waiting for an answer; many people horribly misuse this desk.
If we assume the existance of a god (say, the christian god), for argument's sake, then he told humanity how to live, by producing/co-authoring the bible. Doesn't it make sense then to study that text, to try to figure out what is meant by the text? Considering that the bible contains many things that do not seem to make sense at first glance, detailed study of the bible seems necessary.
Religion isn't rational per se, but if one assumes it is rooted in fact (an irrational belief, to be sure), one must rationally consider the implications of that. It may be irrational to believe in the existance of a deity without having been presented with proof, but to people who have accepted that irrational belief, but it is entirely rational to study that deity, through whatever means.
And I hope that made sense to you. -- Ec5618 14:47, 3 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]


thank you :) --Cosmic girl 17:02, 3 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

  • Theology differs from secular Religious Studies in that there is an assumption of faith in God, though the student of religion may also be religious, and the theologian, for that matter, may question his faith. Take a look at the article, and you'll see that there are all sorts of ways of doing theology. One is called apophatic or Negative theology, which seeks to understand what God is not.
Somewhat responsive to your question is this poem from Wikisource. Note in particular the last verse, often censored when the poem is included in anthologies. JamesMLane 08:20, 5 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Arabic influence on Dante

I have heard that Dante's "Divine Comedy" have interesting parallells to various arabic texts, where could i find reliable facts on this subject?

VIETNAM 'S CORRUPTION

Please tell me about the corruption of Vietnam country and how to rate it ?

See the relevant chapter in Transparency International's Global Corruption Report 2005. According to TI's Corruption Perceptions Index for 2004, Vietnam rated 2.6 out of 10, making it the 102nd most perceived corrupt of the 146 countries surveyed. Gdr 17:20, 3 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Lermontov's quote "Finita la comedia!" From where?

Out of curiosity I'd like to know from where Michail Lermontov has borrowed the quote "Finita la comedia!" (or if he's the one that made it up) in his book "A hero of our time". A web search only told me it's a common quote, mainly on russian sites. Any help is greatly appreciated.--83.252.190.238 16:21, 3 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Sounds quite similar to the famous last line of Pagliacci, "La commedia è finita." Not sure though. --George 18:53, 3 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
True, that is another use of a similar phrase. I should add that Lermontov's novel was completed in 1839. As of now I'm thinking it's a phrase used at some time to announce the end of an actual comedy (as opposed to the irony of the statement in both "A hero of our time" and "Pagliacci") or perhaps the last words of Dante's "Divine Comedy". Anyone else know the origin of this phrase? --83.252.190.238 21:32, 3 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
"The play is over, applaud" is apparently a way to end Roman comedies, and was supposedly Augustus' last words (and also Beethoven's). Maybe it's related to that. Adam Bishop 22:21, 3 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
It's definitely not the Divine Comedy, which ends with "the Love that moves the sun and the other stars" ("l’amor che move il sole e l’altre stelle"). - Nunh-huh 02:30, 4 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Lady Clementine Churchill

How did Lady 'Clementine' pronounce her name? Was it, as in the fruit? or as in 'tyne'? Thank you. 86.133.52.2 17:20, 3 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I have no idea, but I can tell you that in general terms the "long i" (IPA [ai])pronunciation in these types of names was the more common older pronunciation. AnonMoos

uncomfortable work enviorment

I've been working at a law firm for 7 monthss, now and 2 days before Christmas my boss fired my mom which was my supervisor. Since then I have been feeling uncomfortable at my workplace ex. One of the partners at the law firm demand that I do what ever he ask of me whether it has to do with work or not. I feel this is unfair because he is asking me to do personal favors for him, and he feels I am obligated to do whatever he ask of me while I'm on their clock.Another situation that made me uncomfortable is when I asked for my christmas that the secretaries before me recieved I was told that the company is having finacial troubles and they just gave my mother her bonus for the year and that they can not give us both a bonus. Are there any laws against this?

  • Probably there are no laws against this sort of thing. If the partner or anyone else asks you to do something illegal, unethical, or immoral, you can and should refuse. You can also quit and find work elsewhere. Halcatalyst 18:13, 3 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

What would be The Better career

With my interest in International Business, and architecture,what would be the better career?Which one would make the most money?You see,i'm interested in both,so if i go in either one,people will know thats its not just because of the money.Its kind of hard to choose between the two though,for me.I wonder if i can merge the two together...........which one is more popular based on peoples' view?These are a couple of things i need to know in order to pick either one.If i'm missing out on any additional information,please let me know when answering the question.Thank you for your time.

Andre' Ward

Is 'International Business' a particular career? Do you mean working for IBM, and if so, in what capacity? Notinasnaid 20:07, 3 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I mean like working for companies that have businesses overseas.Yeah International Business can be considered a particular career.It depends though what you would do while in that business.Some people i've read about were in businesses like that,and then,some way started their own businesses or became intrapreneurs.With being an architect,you can build stuff and possibly start your own business.

Andre' Ward

  • Andre' my man, you need to go to a good university that offers both IB and architecture. (If you're an American, virtually every school with "State" in the name qualifies, so you'll have no shortage of options, but I recommend Carnegie Mellon if you can get in). As someone who has friends in both fields, I can tell you that you can make six figures in either field by the time you turn 30 if you go to a good school, get good grades, an exhibit the kind of social skills that big companies need in their most skilled employees. And yes, you can do both; Santiago Calatrava is a pretty good role model. --Mareino 21:37, 3 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Would civil engineering be a good way to get started?Because you see,I'm here in South Carolina,and i'm thinking about majoring in civil engineering at theUniversity of South Carolina since they don't have any architecture majors for right now.I know i read some things on certain architects,and some articles said that they started off with civil engineering and worked their way up.Some also majored in some art courses,just to keep that in mind.But overall,i just basically want to know if civil engineering would be a good beginning.

Andre' Ward

  • Yes, I'd say so. Since you're interested in the business end, I'd say art is not a good choice as an undergraduate major, but engineering is definitely good preparation.
  • Civil engineering is the oldest of the engineering disciplines, since something like it was used by the Egyptians, the Romans, and even ancient Britons (e.g., Avebury, which is like Stonehenge but older). Architecture is also obviously very old. Halcatalyst 04:32, 4 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
If it comes down to your choice is between Civil Engineering (CE) and architecture you should consider your personal interests:
  • Do you like drawing and art? CE has no drawing or art, whereas Architecture has lots.
  • Do you do well at maths? You need to do the harder maths courses at school to do CE (gererally), whereas architects don't know what maths is (generally).
  • An engineering course is hard work, make sure you are really interested in the subjects (I can talk about this if you like) before you decide to do a four year degree. Architecture (at least at my uni) is not as hard.--Commander Keane 22:04, 4 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I'm writing this from my desk at KPF so I think I can offer you some sound advice. These day's Architecture and International Business are essentially the same thing. Every large firm and many small firms do work around the world, especially with all the building happening in China and Southeast Asia. If you're interested in both I would consider enrolling in Architecture and taking some business classes. Firms always need people to act as Managing Architects who take care of the business end of things.

You don't sound like a design wonk, but I still wouldn't recommend Civil Engineering. If you want to make buildings do Architecture, if you want to make bridges do Civ-E. Both degrees are rigorous and difficult, but they prepair you for different things.

Finally you should consider that almost all accredited architecture schools in the U.S. are five year programs. You come away with a professional degree, but if you don't want to put in the extra year don't do it. The path to an architecture degree is paved with those who burned out along the way :) My school (PSU) enrolls about one hundred architecture under-grads each year and graduates fifty to sixty. Half of those who leave do so during or after their first year, many for business.

That said, I'm glad I chose architecture every day I walk into work. Jasongetsdown 22:50, 4 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Race in USA

What is the racial breakdown in the USA per the census.

See Racial demographics of the United States for a complete answer. --Kainaw (talk) 19:29, 3 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

women in britain

what did women in britain after the romans left do when they had their periods

It's really hard to know, as there aren't many (if any) records of women's daily lives. This page (from the Museum of Menstruation) posits that women in Europe simply bled into their clothes, but it describes a time period a lot more recent than what you're specifying. I'd speculate that they used moss, absorbent barks, soft absorbent leathers, or they may have just let it flow. Natgoo 21:55, 3 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I can't help but wondering what they did differently before the Romans left, or is this a subtle allusion to the TamPax Romana? alteripse 00:43, 4 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Who invaded Spain in the eigth century AD?

I think it would be Moore appropriate to list the 2nd question separately with it's own title. StuRat 21:44, 3 January 2006 (UTC) Okay. Natgoo 21:55, 3 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
That was a hint :-) StuRat 21:56, 3 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

"Oh no! I'm so sorry, it's the Moops, the correct answer is the Moops." Adam Bishop 06:34, 4 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

progress

hi :) , to which economical system do we owe our high cuality life these days? (see what 'Bucky Fuller' sayes about the billions of billionares) I guess we owe it to capitalism, but I want more opinions, and also, to which belief system, I think it is rationalism,and/or pragmatism, but again, I'd like to know more points of view. --Cosmic girl 21:47, 3 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I think pure capitalism is almost as bad as pure socialism. Those countries which have been most successful are somewhere in-between, with ths US being perhaps the furthest toward pure capitalism and European and Asian democracies being closer to pure socialism. The US still has a progressive income tax rate and social programs such as unemployment insurance, a government retirement plan (Social Security), and public assistance funds, so it's not pure capitalism. However, it lacks the socialised medicine of most other western nations. Countries which are closer to pure capitalism than the US, such as many in Africa, tend to do poorly, due to constant conflict and revolution driven by the starving and unemployed poor. I don't think much argument is needed to show that pure socialism/communism is a failure. The fact that the Soviet Union collapsed and China has adopted capitalism is evidence enough. I would also say cultures which accept science also do much better than those stuck in the distant superstitions of the past. It's hard to build a communications satellite when you insist that the Earth is flat. StuRat 21:56, 3 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
  • (It does no good to take cheap shots at peoples' beliefs in your answer by using pejorative terminology. Instead of being so judgemental, try opening your mind and accept people who might believe differently than you. That will surely make for a better society.)
I generally second the above. Though I think it hardly fair to blame capitalism for the problems of post-colonial Africa - to put it mildly, there are major issues.
But yes, a certain moderate sort of capitalism - specifically, some sort of mixed economy - has certainly given us our current, fabulously well-off socities. This should come as no surprise: It is mathematically provable that a free market will lead to several desirable outcomes which are not guaranteed in a command economy. Of course it also has its disadvantages, and this is why modern economies are more or less mixed.
As for your question about rationalism or pragmatism - I'm not sure what you're asking. Please do clarify. --George 22:24, 3 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
  • I'd argue that the most important refinements of capitalism are government regulation over competition and the distinction between public goods and private goods. If private companies had to build all of the streets and schools, we never would have developed the low-transaction cost trade network or the large middle class. --Mareino 22:32, 3 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

ok, we are clear that comunism and socialism aren't ok, because they ( to me) aren't rational since they go totally against human nature...but how come there are still people that have so much faith in those systems that should by now be ignored or laughed at. and other thing, I think free trade is good, and I live in a 2nd world country, but I don't understand why is there so much enphasis on fair trade in the 1st world by some activists when I think the WTO is doing a good job by sponsoring free trade...since free trade has given my country a cuality of life that it wouldn't have had if the world haden't implemented a free trade policy. but I don't have something clear, which country or countries have the most radical capitalism? just to compare.thanx :D --Cosmic girl 22:42, 3 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

  • It's spelled quality.
  • I would say there are very few people who have faith in pure socialism. Most people who argue for socialism are in fact arguing for a mixed economy slightly more tilted toward socialism and less toward capitalism than at present.
  • By "living in a 2nd world country", do you mean a former communist nation ?
  • One problem with just "free trade" is that it neglects the advantages of first world nations, such as being able to afford to subsidize industry, which allow them to beat third world nations in trade, once trade barriers are eliminated. Thus, third world nations try to link the elimination of goverment subsidies for industry with trade negotiations.
  • Another problem with "free trade" is that first world nations have expensive requirements on companies for environmental protection and employee retirement programs, which may not exist in other nations, thus giving the first world nations a competitive disadvantage. Therefore, first world nations typically want to "level the playing field" by imposing similar requirements on nations with which they compete.

StuRat 23:15, 3 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

thank you for correcting me, english isn't my 1st language... by a 2nd world country I mean...a 2nd world country haha...it's Perú. maybe free trade isn't fair with 3rd world nations, but I still think it's the wisest way to go, it may sound cruel, but sometimes we have to let reason control emotions in matters like this. I also think that a somewhat mixed economy works best, but only recently, since pure capitalism was really productive in its first stages.--Cosmic girl 23:27, 3 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Just an observation. The third world countries have been the more willing to free trade than many first world countries, who:
  • are unwilling to cut their farm subsidies (to protect their farmers).
  • are unwilling to open up to sectors like business process outsourcing (to protect their workforce).
  • etc.

I see stuff on supermarket shelves which say in largest available font "Proudly made in the USA." Such things don't happen in the third world countries. deeptrivia (talk) 23:58, 3 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I also see stuff in store shelves marked "Made in USA", but when we unwrap packaging at home, we found it was really "made in China". This is a case where the retailer thinks "Made in USA" sells, and not care if it is true or not. User:AlMac|(talk) 09:28, 5 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

no they don't happen, but I think we should start thinking as world citizens and not as envious nationalists.I want the progress of the world, and if my country wants to succeed, it has to make efforts, because I wouldn't want to ask for charity of the 1st world, it's stupid, everything we achieve has to be earned.--Cosmic girl 23:31, 4 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I believe truly free trade would eventually result in an even distribution of wealth and incomes throughout the world. This might sound good, but it means a radical loss of wealth and income in the first world nations to accompany a radical rise in wealth and income in the third world nations. It's hard to imagine that the first world nations would agree to this. StuRat 23:38, 4 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]


(Moved answer to next question down below. StuRat 23:38, 4 January 2006 (UTC))[reply]

huh?, I think u have the wrong question here...hehe --Cosmic girl 23:33, 4 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]


Dont mean to be pedantic, but ...

There is no sense in stating something such as: "pure socialism is a failure"

first, there is no clear agenda related to socialism. Just as an example, anarquist groups that i had contact with would call themselves "libertarian socialists" and their ideas are extreamely opposit to the marxist-leninism and, therefore, to the events of the USSR and CHINA. They would want a local and participative revolution, either of a radical democracy ( as in people making the law and enforecing it, whithout autorities ) or through the strait and foward desolution of the state, while a marxist sees the revolution as a part of and historical process ( careful, it`s gonna hurt ... ) in which the economical relations set the other relations in a society. Therefore, before political, social or any other kind of change, there had to be a change in the way of producing goods. before people getting to the power, the means of production would have to be set in a way that would produce this social structure.


The need of "wise leaders" to guide the peoples revolution is also highly disputed amosgt socialists, and, however, both the chinese and the soviet societies where based in such a concept in a very rigid way.

Just to be sure socialism DOES NOT MEAN soviet-style planned economy

That said, and back to the core of the question

( as i understand, the reason of our quality of life this days, and , on a broader perpective, the way we organize our society )

our quality of life has increased mainly in captalist countries. Fact. And, in my opinion , this was due to two main causes

1st ) in fear of socialist revolutions ( mainly ) governments created structures to give to the people some of what they needed ( why not due to good will ? well, then why didn't they do it before the socialist "ghost". And why are they undoing it ?*)


2nd ) there was need to create market for goods. If you wanna sell, and always sell more, there has to be someone to buy.

This second part is the part where one that beliaves in captalism says ( and, btw, i don`t ) : see, it is great ! works "automatically". Well, not quite ...

the creation of markets does not mean that there is a need to give people what they need ... After all, there can be military expenses, amongst others, to buy your goods. And even when the market in sough on the people, it might not go to where thay need. There is more investiment been made in "male erection pils" then on the cure ( erratication ) of some diseases that have been curable for the past 50 years

dont mean to get this commet boorinnly big, so, i'll just say that , in Cuba ( and god forbid me defending Castro ) the death of children that where just born ( dont know the name in english, but that will do ) is the same as in a very whealthy captalist country: the USA

  • as to "undoyng it", Yes, we are. Everywhere, reforms seek to make employment cheaper, by reducing the amount of rights of workers ( hours of work, retirement ... )

some contries in asia ( was it south corea ? ) are cutting back on medication proveded to its citizens ( AIDS medication, if i got it right ) ( sorry, learned about this back in ealy 2005, in the World Social Forum, and could not google it ) europe itself is trying to allow conpanies from less regulated contries to use their work regulamentaions in other contries of the EU

that said, good night

The term is "infant mortality", and just because Cuba equals the US in one measure of progress doesn't mean it equals it in all, or even most, measures of progress. StuRat 09:43, 5 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Sure deal.

Cuba most surely is not capable of producing computers, and their riches are minimun. They still work sugar and cigars, and have enduring economical difficulties. Those difficlulties are , though in some measure helped by the US embargo, mainly due to economical problems genereted in the island itself, and in it's dependent relashionship to the former USSR. Also, most of it's resourses where ( in lack of a batter word ) given to it by the former ussr

that said,

i still find it pretty amazing, that, in such a poor contry, they have managed to have such a good public health ( and education, btw ) i dont know exacly what you mean by "measures of progress", but, in my beliave, the only things that really count as progress are: education ( and other ways of a person to grow, such as arts ),health and freedom ( of speech, to come and go ... ) and the rest, especially revenue and tech, are nothing but means to those higher ends. Though minimun result where a chieved on the latter, the two previous ones show an impressive record

though some would say that a "really socialist" society could grow in economy further than a captalist one, i sincerely think it can't. I just don't know exactly how important that would be ...

i realise know that, iun my prior post, I just said what socialism wasn't, but not what it is, so i quote from the article socialism

"Socialism is an ideology with the core belief that society should exist in which popular collectives control the means of power, and therefore the means of production."

and i just have to say that most pro-capitalism text i had the opportunity of loking upon ( those that would argue in favor of capitalism as a system, not those who , inside a capitalist context, produce "capitalist compliant" ideas in other areas of knowledge ) just talk about the way in whith people can, by their choices of buying or not certain products, enchance their quality, and suppor the production and development of products they need. As in an "indirect control of means of production". So is the main advantage of captalism just a feeble form of socialism ?

well, know that i've made some positive statments, i probably should be more vulnerable to answers ... i just hope so !

Cold Light

haha... ok, I didn't understand much of what u guys said... but anyway, it's obvious that cuba is not doing ok, so why cling to socialism? I really don't get it, it has been showed over and over that capitalism increases the overall wealth of humanity so why not just be a thankful capitalist? why is there still that desire to be a rebel? I mean even the poor do better than the rich did some time ago...so I'm sorry for what I'm gonna say, but I think people should quit bitching about capitalism because it has done a good job, and I am just a silly south american 20 year old female so what do I know?, but economists think this way too, so don't believe me, believe them. --Cosmic girl 16:25, 5 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Denmark Stuff

There's a general rule against doing people's homework for them (we're worried about cheating and plagarism), so don't expect anyone else to answer these questions. Check out these links, and once you've gotten almost all of your assignment written down in your own words, feel free to come back with more specific questions if you're still curious.
--Mareino 00:09, 4 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

(The following was moved from the above question to here. StuRat 23:39, 4 January 2006 (UTC))[reply]

As others have said, do your own homework, but here's a cryptic hint for question 5: Tasmanian real estate agents...--Robert Merkel 00:18, 4 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Heh heh, "Tasmanian real estate agents"!. see below for comment about homework and some links. I really can't believe a teacher has assigned you such vague and badly-worded questions! Some more articles that might help you do your own research: Education in Denmark, Demographics of Denmark and Religion in Denmark. --Canley 00:24, 4 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

January 4

The Embargo Act

Was the embargo act of 1807 actually constitutional?

  • A basic principle of the Constitution is that Congress enacts laws (article I). The famous case Marbury v. Madison (1803) set the precedent that the Supreme Court has the power of judicial review and can declare laws unconstitutional.
  • Simply because the Supreme Court does not rule an act of legislation unconstitutional does not make it so. One must remember that sovereignty lies with the people, not the courts; for instance, slavery was never constitutional, even if the courts ruled otherwise for a time. MSTCrow 13:41, 4 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
  • The question, as I understood it, was whether the act was seen as consitutional at that time rather than whether it would be considered constitutional now. I believe it was.
  • It's true in principle, of course, that sovereignty lies with the people, not the courts. However, the Constitution is the supreme law of the land, and it's settled law that, short of constitutional amendments, the Supreme Court has the final word on what is "constitutional."
  • Slavery was implicitly recognized because it wasn't possible to rip it out. The three-fifths clause was designed to limit the number of Representatives in the US House that the slave-holding States would have, thereby implicitly recognizing that slavery was unconstitutional, and allowing it to be enforced as such in the future, by placing legslative majority in non-slave holding states. I don't know how anyone can say that "it's settled law" that the Supreme Court has the final word on what is constitutional or not. That goes against our entire history of law, and the Supreme Court itself is not monolithic on holding such extensive and far-reaching powers. The only place such nonsense exists are government textbooks, which aren't known for being accurate anyways.
MSTCrow 01:23, 5 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

What is the opposite of the word intaglio (the antonym)?

Thank you for any help. Gina

The antonym of a carving? It doesn't have a logical opposite. --Kainaw (talk) 02:16, 4 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Nouns don't generally have opposites. But for what it's worth, the opposite of "an engraved thing" is "an unengraved thing". - Nunh-huh 02:18, 4 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

How about relief? Dalembert 02:21, 4 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Cameo is an antonym. Halcatalyst 03:37, 4 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Poetry:

Who wrote the poem containing the following passages: I loved you and perhaps I love you still The flame perhaps is not extinguished It burns so quitely within my soul No longer should you feel distressed by it .... ?

These lines?:

"I loved you; and perhaps I love you still,
The flame, perhaps, is not extinguished; yet
It burns so quietly within my soul,
No longer should you feel distressed by it.
Silently and hopelessly I loved you,
At times too jealous and at times too shy.
God grant you find another who will love you
As tenderly and truthfully as I. "

Thanks!

Shoplifting

What are the effects of shoplifting on the community?

plz and thnk u

  • Increases the cost of items to everybody else, as businesses must raise prices to cover losses.
  • Increases in mistrust in the community, with security guards needed for all businesses.

StuRat 03:19, 4 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Tasmanian Real Estate Agents

What does Tasmanian Real Estate Agents mean?


I dont know if you are from Australia, but it is more than likely the name of a group of people who sell Real Estate in Tasmania--Ali K 06:12, 4 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
People who buy and sell land and houses and business facilities in Tasmania, I would imagine. StuRat 06:14, 4 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
is referring to a cryptic hint I gave her for an earlier question. Herein lies a lesson in how to use Google. Go to the website http://www.google.com and type the words "Denmark" and "Tasmania" into the search box, and click the search button. It will become abundantly clear what I'm referring to; a specific real estate agent from Tasmania who holds a prominent place in the minds of the Danish people. --Robert Merkel 06:16, 4 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
There's a good reason as to why that is the case (it's in the article, but I'll explain it here anyhow): Crown Princess Mary of Denmark worked as a Tamanian real estate agent, prior to her meetup with, and subsequent marraige to, Crown Prince Frederick. --JB Adder | Talk 07:21, 4 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Well, no, actually. She was never a real estate agent personally, as in having a licence to conduct such a business. She was employed by a real estate firm, as a sales director. And it was in Sydney, not Tasmania. JackofOz 08:08, 4 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Question about myself?

What dating system was around back when christian monks preserved written history of my existance through the dark ages? Was it this BCE crap? No, I didn't think so--Xenaphon 05:54, 4 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

No, but it wasn't BC either, and they knew how to spell your name correctly. Adam Bishop 06:32, 4 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

See section 2 of Anno Domini. Gdr 11:14, 4 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I wonder if it's mentioning Wikipedia:Three revert rule in connection with Xenophon. Notinasnaid 12:19, 4 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

huh? can someone explain this question to me please? --Cosmic girl 03:42, 5 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

To answer Cosmic Girl (or try to), there was this Greek philosopher. Two people have joined Wiki, using that person's name as their account names, one of them misspelled. Plus the two of them have not been having a harmonious relationship. At the time of the REAL Greek philosopher, assuming one or more of these accounits is not claiming to be reincarnation of the REAL guy, there must have been some kind of Calendar system. Then over the centuries, new kinds of systems were developed, such as the Mayan calendar. Was it them, or the Aztecs that had a Y2K type of end-of-universe time when their Gods would play havoc with their civilization? Most of the West today is on the Julian calendar which is named after some Pope in the middle ages, where AD means after Christ (the D for latin for him that I not remember the spelling for), and BC means before Christ. Meanwhile the Chinese, and some other folks are on some other calendar system (I know about some of this because you can set on some computer systems to compenstate for which system you doing business with). So I understand the question, I just not know the answer. User:AlMac|(talk) 09:39, 5 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
In the words of Mrs. Broslofsky, "What what what?" Most of the West uses the Gregorian calendar, not the Julian calendar, and the Julian calendar is named after Julius Caesar, not a medieval pope. If the question is what dates did monks use for Xenophon (c. 427-355 BC) before the notation of "BC" was invented, they'd likely have used ab urbe condita, Alexandrian era, or Anno Diocletiani dates. The "D" in anno domini dates stands for "domini" or lord, not the Latin for "Christ". 355 BC is roughly 399 AUC. - Nunh-huh 09:53, 5 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
So I understand the question, I just not know the answer, and there's obviously a lot of stuff I think I know but don't really. User:AlMac|(talk) 09:57, 5 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Japanese art

Is anyone familiar with 'azuma'? Japanese anime? Thanks!

What I meant was...can someone explain/define what 'azuma' is? Thanks.

Are you looking for Kiyohiko Azuma, manga artist? Or maybe Hiroki Azuma, a critic who has written about anime? (See Azuma for other, less likely, possibilities.) Gdr 16:03, 4 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

britain armour

what was armour and swords like in britain after the romans left? was it like roman armor or pict armor or saramatian armor? and what were the swords like?

flags

I'm doing a report on the meanings and what different flags of the world symbolize. What do these flags symbolize? I just need websites, and I can take it from there. Sarah

1. India 2.Japan 3. Denmark 4. Italy

Your help would be greatly appreciated!

We have articles on all of these which explain them in great detail. See Flag of India, Flag of Japan, and so on. —Keenan Pepper 17:54, 4 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

best selling male solo artist

who is the best selling male solo artist

In terms of records sold worldwide, I believe it is Elvis Presley. - Akamad 19:42, 4 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Our article on Elvis Presley says that he "[h]as sold over one billion records worldwide - the first to do so - and is the best selling record artist in history." Our article on Michael Jackson notes his departure from the Jackson 5 and states that "[h]e has since become the biggest selling solo artist of all-time, with worldwide sales of over 300 million.[4],[5],[6]" My first thought was that Jackson must have sold more records because the population was so much larger during his peak years, but, against that, he seems to have had longer breaks between albums than Elvis did. Because of Jackson's early work with his brothers, it's conceivable that both our articles are wrong -- that Elvis is the best-selling solo artist but that Jackson has sold more records than anyone else (if you count all the Jackson 5 records). Ah, but in that case, could Paul McCartney aggregate Beatles plus Wings plus solo records? I don't know. Even All Music Guide equivocates, saying that Elvis's extraordinary sales figures "may make him the single highest-selling performer in history." [7] Thanks loads, you wussies. It would be nice if we could get all this cleared up by Elvis's birthday this coming Sunday. JamesMLane 09:02, 5 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I sincerely doubt that the Jackson 5 sold over 700 million records (which is what Michael Jackson would need in addition to his 300 million sales in order to even equal Elvis's tally). MJ does have the biggest selling album of all time. Proto t c 15:01, 5 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Hitler's invasions

What kept hitler from invading Switzerland or Sweden?

See Switzerland during the World Wars (also Operation Tannenbaum) and Sweden during World War II. (Other European nations which remained neutral throughout WW2 were the Republic of Ireland, Spain, Liechtenstein, and Portugal.) Gdr 18:54, 4 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Haha, people just ask this now because it's the example question. Come to think of it, I seem to remember a lot of people asking about the capital of South Africa before I changed it... =P —Keenan Pepper 19:06, 4 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
  • Having some nuetral areas was helpful to the NAZIs, for example, by allowing for simple prisoner exchanges with the Allies. Later on, they provided a possible escape route for NAZIs wanting to avoid trials and punishment. StuRat 23:20, 4 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Ku Klux Klan - burning cross

Why do the Ku Klux Klan burn crosses? The article just says it comes from some movie, but it doesn't seem to say what it stands for. It comes across sort of like burning a flag, but somehow anti-chistianity (or what should I call that) doesn't seem to fit in with the Klan. DirkvdM 18:36, 4 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The movie, The Birth of a Nation, is based on the book The Clansman. The book is the first historical mention of KKK cross burning. However, the writer, Thomas Dixon, admitted that he took liberty with the cross burning. It wasn't from the KKK. It was from the Scottish history (particularly one of Dixon's favorite poems "The Lady of the Lake"). D. W. Griffith knew that a burning cross would look great in his movie. So, he kept it. The KKK liked it and adopted the practice. --Kainaw (talk) 20:13, 4 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Annexation Laws in South Carolina

I wonder why are the annexation laws so strict in South Carolina.I mean why?It slows down the expansion and growth of some cities.But now today,some cities of SC are still growing regardless.They complain about urban sprawl,well i'm like maybe if the annexation laws weren't so strict maybe they could possibly capture and stop urban sprawl.Will these annexation laws change in the future?Because i think its ridiculous.I mean its an alright state and everything and its highly recognized in the country,but still though these laws has gots to go.Its either that or pick another General Assembly or another team of the state government instead.Thats the way i see it.

Andre' Ward

The laws are strict to protect the poor. Look at James Island outside of Charleston as an example. They have tried multiple times to annex themselves as their own city. The catch is that they only want to annex the rich parts of James Island and leave the poor parts for the city of Charleston. The annexation laws require James Island to annex it all or take none of it. If it wasn't for such laws, all the poor parts of SC would be annexed as one city and all the rich parts would be another. --Kainaw (talk) 20:17, 4 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I should have mentioned why this is a problem. The reason for annexing only rich neighborhoods is to avoid paying taxes to support the poor. Take a peek at the census and you can see that in South Carolina it is very much a racial issue as well. The poor neighborhoods are predominately black. The rich ones are predominately white. So, selective annexation is also a tool to keep black children out of white schools. Also of note: The James Island case that I mentioned has been back and forth through the courts. They have been instructed to annex all of James Island or none of it. They continue to try and find ways to be selective. Similarly, Daniel Island is currently in a predominately black county. It is a new hot-spot for rich whites to move to. So, they are fighting to be reannexed to the neighboring predominately white county. Again, a rich/poor and black/white issue. --Kainaw (talk) 01:11, 5 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Of course, rich people are still free to move away to avoid being asked to support the poor people around them. This has happened in my home town of Detroit, which is now into a serious budget crisis as a result of the rich moving to the suburbs. StuRat 09:55, 5 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Twelfth Night

Hi, in the play Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare, act 2 scene 5, when Malvolio was reading the letter he said '"M.O.A.I." doth sway my life' what does MOAI stand for? Thanks

Gosh I hope that's not a homework question, which we don't answer (see above). But there are places that might be able to help. Have you tried SparkNotes? --George 21:15, 4 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
You mean he wasn't talking about the Moai? Joking aside, M.O.A.I. is believed to have been an inside joke. Some people (ie: Leimberg) claim to know what it means, but others refute their claims. --Kainaw (talk) 21:27, 4 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Catholicism

which theologians have influenced current catholic thought? I mean, in which theology is current catholiscism based? and also christianism. thnx.--Cosmic girl 23:46, 4 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I believe Catholicism was mostly invented around the time the Roman Empire switched to Christianity, starting with Constantine in 312 AD. Many of the self-serving doctrines, like the infallibility of the Pope, the right to torture and murder anyone who disagreed with the Pope, and the selling of indulgences, came about subsequently. I believe this is a manifestation of the saying "Power corrupts, but absolute power corrupts absolutely". I will leave it to others to list the specific people who invented these policies. StuRat 00:27, 5 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Pope Boniface VIII, in his Bull Unam Sanctum (1302), spelled out the doctrine of the necessity of the Church for salvation and with it the necessity of submission to the Roman Pontiff. StuRat 00:29, 5 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
For the Catholic question, you will most definently want to read our article on Doctors of the Church. The biggest name, however, is certainly Thomas Aquinas.
I'm not clear on your other question - I don't know what "Christianism" is. If you mean non-Catholic Christianity, there are many such theologians. You could do worse than to start with Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Huldrych Zwingli. And here are some select articles on more recent and influential movments in Christian theology: Karl Barth, Liberation theology, Historical Jesus, Fundamentalist Christianity. --George 00:31, 5 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

How can Ratzinger speak of rationality when religion is inherently irational? I mean, miracles aren't rational, the trinity isn't rational,stuff like that isn't rational,dogma isn't rational since we are creative creatures, so why does he have a theology of the 'rational'? how come?--Cosmic girl 15:39, 5 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Lebanese unload

When I wrote the stub Lebanese unload I thought this would be notable. I could think of one incident where firing guns into the air as a sign of celebration was very prominent (in Albania). Does anyone have historical context and other recent examples of this ritual? JFW | T@lk 23:57, 4 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I believe there was at least one incident where wedding guests in Iraq were bombed by US planes as a result of this practice, which the planes took as hostile enemy fire. Also, you might want to mention that the bullets come back down at almost the initial velocity, and have killed civilians when they do so. This practice is therefore illegal in most cities. StuRat 00:10, 5 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Every New Year's Eve, the police in Los Angeles warn people not to shoot their guns in the air at midnight. People don't seem to understand that their bullets have to come down somewhere. Usually through the roof of somebody else's house. User:Zoe|(talk) 16:46, 5 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

January 5

List of crazy Laws and government policies

Just wanting to compile a list of what the title basicly states that have been passed throughout history, eg. Cambodia, Pol Pots policy of genecide of those who wore glasses etc. (7121989 01:30, 5 January 2006 (UTC))[reply]

  • "Crazy" is sort of a matter of opinion. You and I might agree that Pol Pot's policies were nuts, and so might The Vast Majority of Humanity, but that doesn't make it so. That said, you'll have to do your own homework if you want to cover all of history. But do have a look at Pol Pot and The Killing Fields. Halcatalyst 04:06, 5 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Greek and Hebrew

Is there a place where I can learn greek letters pretty well? Hebrew as well (and prehaps actually learn the latter language)

The former because we're reading the Odyssey and it would be nice to understand some of the footnotes, and the latter because I have a Jewish background. 

—Ilyanep (Talk) 02:49, 5 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
If you just want the letters of the alphabets, see Greek alphabet and Hebrew alphabet. Actually learning the languages is a bit out of the scope of Wikipedia, but you should be able to find some basic language guides and phrase books on Wikibooks for Hebrew and Greek. --Canley 03:39, 5 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The Violation of Jasmine Lynn

Please list the actresses in the movie The Violation of Jasmine Lynn by uniform number. In particular, I want to know who #00 and #69 are.

No. Do your own, um, homework. Proto t c 12:26, 5 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
No. I wanted to know who #69 is: she's really cute. (Jasmine Lynn wears #70, I know that much...)

Was Jesus real?

See historicity of Jesus, and perhaps you should think about what you mean by the question. Did you mean "was there a religious leader in Judea who went by the name Jesus about 2000 years ago", or did you mean "was the son of God born in Bethlehem about 2000 years ago, and did he (amongst other alleged miracles) walk on water, turn water into wine, and die on the cross only to be resurrected a couple of days later?". Many non-Christians would answer "maybe" to the first question and "no" to the second.--Robert Merkel 06:35, 5 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yeah, even atheists and critics of Christianity often, if not usually, believe that Jesus existed, but was only a man. Friedrich Nietzsche, for instance, not only admits the historicity of Jesus but shows a good deal of admiration for the man - despite extreme disdain of the religion that followed him. --Tothebarricades 06:43, 5 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I believe C.S. Lewis wrote many proofs that Jesus was the Son of God. I read his book Miracles some time ago, and was convinced myself. Personally, I believe that there is nothing to lose if one believes in the existence of God, Jesus, miracles, etc. - indeed, there is something to be gained. Igor the Lion(Roar!) 11:06, 5 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
If anybody's interested, this argument in favour of believing in God is basically Pascal's Wager. --Robert Merkel 12:32, 5 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Lewis'most famous argument in favor of the divinity of Jesus is actually his trilemma -George 14:21, 5 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Bethlehem ? Did you not mean Narnia ?
Pascal's Wafer ? (try searching Wader) --Harvestman 13:36, 5 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Etymology of the French word roman

What is the etymology of this word? Online Latin dictionaries are no good, and I'm curious as to whether it derives from Latin or has anything to do with our word "Roman" or what. --Tothebarricades 06:45, 5 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I suggest you move your question over to Wikipedia:Reference desk/Language, where one could hope the language mavens hang out. JamesMLane 08:35, 5 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yes it is a cognate of the english word "roman", both originating with the Latin word "romanus" (= english "roman"). From "romanus" you have in Latin "romanicus" (of Roman origin/style), which turned into old french "romanz" (to write in vernacular language, "roman style" as opposed to a non-latin tounge). From this you have the english "romance", originally meaning "written in french", but eventually shifting towards today's meaning "a love story". And in French you also got "roman" = a novel. The word "roman" in that sense has been borrowed into German and most Germanic languages. Note the english word "novel" is from Italian "novella" or French "nouvelle" meant "new", (from "new story"), but in those languages it means "a short story", as does the english "novella". So you have to watch out: "a novel" isn't "eine novelle" or "une nouvelle" but rather "ein roman"/"un roman". --BluePlatypus 16:26, 5 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

string length?

how long is a piece of string? and where does this question originate?

thanks to all Angus more- gordie

You could try taking all the angels that fit on the head of a pin, laying them end-to-end, and then measuring them. Ba-dum, chhh! But this does sound like an intentionally unanswerable question, such as a koan (the sound of one hand clapping, tree falling in a forest with no one around, etc.). Contemplate the unknowable... TheSPY 15:50, 5 January 2006 (UTC)TheSPY[reply]

Bucky Fuller

Hi, does any of u guys know what was Buckminster Fuller? ( an atheist, agnostic, theist?) I've already read the article but I can't find anything that gives me that information.--Cosmic girl 16:34, 5 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

HISTORY

CAN YOU TELL ME HOW EVENTS WERE RECORDED OR DOCUMENTED, FOR EXAMPLE AS THROUGH THE AGES FROM THE CAVEMAN DRAWINGS TILL DVD'S AND COMPUTER. 201.238.65.126 16:49, 5 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I believe we (humanity) have recorded history through whatever means we possesed at the time. for example through cave paintings and then through written word after we developed language, but also, it's not only what the people before us recorded willingly, it is also what we find with sciences like archeology, those things are records too, but they weren't made purposefully to be a record, they where only part of the daily life of those people, hope this helps. :) --Cosmic girl 17:00, 5 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

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