Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2006 August 9

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Is there any mention of a 4 toed creature or god anywhere?

Is there any mention of a large 4 toed creature or humanoid? It may be in the south pacific. It would probably be a religious symbol to a native people perhaps.

Thanks

We have the four-toed hedgehog, the four-toed jerboa, and the four-toed salamander. But none are large or humanoid, and not likely to be encountered in the South Pacific. Could it have been a left foot? --Lambiam^Talk 07:32, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Or a bloke who's had an accident but was luckier than Fred Titmus, who was something of a god in the Middlesex region. --Dweller 11:08, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

You will not find the answers to the puzzles of Lost on Wikipedia. --LarryMac 13:08, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

You saying that Fred Titmus isn't the answer to one of the puzzles of Lost!??! <grins> --Dweller 13:22, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

The symbol is widely spread in Disney characters' hands. This might be something related to arcane things as it gives them 22 knuckles. -- DLL ^{.. T} 16:51, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

• 4-toed dragons in Chinese mythology would be it I think-hotclaws**==(82.138.214.1 17:14, 11 August 2006 (UTC))

Tommy Roe Singer Songwriter

Hello There.

This is the first time I have used the Wikipedia site so I do hope I am taking the right steps here. My name is Marion e-mail address removed

For the past 4 years I have been researching information to add to my Family Tree. My late cousin born Ann Maclagan about 1939 England was once married to singer songwriter Tommy Roe born in Atlanta Georgia in 1942. I believe this was my Cousins 3rd marriage and when the couple divorced my cousin still kept the surname Roe up until she died. I am wondering apart from Tommy Roes present wife can anyone furnish me with details concerning his other marriages. Would there also be any photos I could view of his wives.

Regards Marion Sydney Australia

I've done thorough web searches, and they don't seem to indicate that he was married to anyone else other than Josette Banzet. Mike H. I did "That's hot" first! 08:40, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Unfortunately there isn't a great deal of personal information at Tommy Roe. AllanHainey 14:26, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

CD transfer

hello.....can someone tell me how, or where to look to find info on how to burn music from one cd to a blank cd.........thanks.... e-mail address removed

If this a a way to make me tell the name of a commercial product and indirectly gain publicity for it ... nopes. I won't tell that I use Nero burning because I'm not sure if it's legally on my PC (which I just recently stolen from my banker while he was impoverishing hundreds of endebted poor people). -- DLL ^{.. T} 16:46, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Pianists

Who are generally considered the top ten living classical pianists? Sashafklein 02:12, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

I doubt you would ever get general agreement, but my list would include (no particular order, and I'm sorry but I can't get it down to only ten): Ivo Pogorelich, Alfred Brendel, Leif Ove Andsnes, Peter Donohoe, Mitsuko Uchida, Arcadi Volodos, Martha Argerich, Mikhail Pletnev, Lang Lang, Murray Perahia, Marc-Andre Hamelin, Maurizio Pollini, Stephen Hough, Alexis Weissenberg, John Chen (pianist), and Angela Hewitt (peerless in Bach). JackofOz 02:27, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Nice list, Jack. I would like to add Pierre-Laurent Aimard, who is miraculous in modern repertoire like Messiaen and Ligeti. David Sneek 07:32, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

John Wayne Bobbitt. Did I mishear the question? --Dweller 14:15, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

The late Vladimir Horowitz (weep, sob) is credited with saying "There are 3 kinds of pianists: Jewish pianists, homosexual pianists, and bad pianists". Knowing what I do about poor old Bobbit, I'd be pretty safe in saying he belongs in the third category. JackofOz 14:34, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

AAAAHHHH!!!! How could you leave out Van Cliburn? User:Zoe|(talk) 16:29, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Easy. It's all subjective because the question asked for "top ten", and without further qualification, this can mean anything we choose it to mean. The top ten money earners would be different, as would the top ten in terms of recording quantity, or the top ten in number of live concerts per annum, or the top ten in terms of concerto repertoire. I've never liked Cliburn's style very much. I greatly respect his achievements, but being a kind of Neil Armstrong of the Tchaikovsky Competition doesn't necessarily put him into my personal list of favourites. JackofOz 02:37, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

Sort of a law question

If there is a terribly maintained town road, that never gets repaired fully, but patched at random intervals, and constantly has potholes 3" or more deep scattered throughout the road, would it be fruitful at all to send a bill to the town department for repairs that arose from the car driving over the potholes? The goal wouldn't only be for them to pay for the repairs, but to motivate them to pave the road. I was wondering what sort of laws there were for the towns responsibility to maintain roads. Thanks for any help, and sorry for the rambling, Newnam^(talk) 04:20, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

It really may depend on where you are and what the local laws say. --Lambiam^Talk 07:10, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

I would recommend going to a town council meeting (or whatever the equivalent is in your town) and voicing your concerns. It may sound hopeless, but that's what everyone thinks, so you will probably be one of the few people who are actually heard. At least in my town, they do occasionally get things done. Take it to the top! --198.125.178.207 14:39, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Thanks, a town meeting sounds like a good idea! Newnam^(talk) 18:39, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Cool. Ask the clerk for an agenda - there's probably a part for anyone present to take the floor, or you could also contact the clerk before hand, and they can put you on the agenda. --Bmk 20:07, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Towns are governed state and municipal law if you I would examine your municipal and state laws relating to road payment.

However if it really is a "town road", the town will be responsible for repairing it. Your city (or town) hall will have maps of what entity owns what roads. --18.239.6.57 19:47, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

ARTICLE OF ASSOCIATION

What is article of association?

See articles of association. There is a very handy search box on the left of the screen. Natgoo 06:59, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

In fact, you most likely want to read Articles of Association (law). --Lambiam^Talk 07:06, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

So you can read the same article twice! Natgoo 07:10, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Oops. There is also Articles of Association, which is about something entirely different. --Lambiam^Talk 07:40, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Get down tonight!

In the popular disco song "Get Down Tonight," what is the instrument we hear in the very beginning? It sounds like a harp or a zither, but I can't be certain. It may just be an electric guitar, but I just can't put my finger on it. Please help! Mike H. I did "That's hot" first! 07:53, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Well since it was recorded before the age of computerised music modifications, I'd say it's almost certainly a zither, dulcimer, maybe an electric guitar, but not a harp. It could also be a lute or a mandolin with metal strings. The bent notes are the giveaway.--Anchoress 15:25, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Bounty hunters

Are bounty hunters legal in the UK and if so how do i become one?

They're legal and, it would seem, searching for paradise somewhere outside of the UK. Rather worryingly, they've not been seen since the mid 1990s. See here and Bounty (chocolate bar) --Dweller 11:01, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Giving your question an attempt at a serious answer, I think that they are not. The basic laws that enable bounty hunters to exist in the US don't exist in the UK (basicly you can't kidnap someone just because they owe you money!). I think that's true of most other Western nations too. DJ Clayworth 18:11, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

In the US, the bounty hunter is supposed to be a delegated officer of the court. The bail bondsman issues the bounty to get the person to appear at court, so that they can get the bail money back. I think that's what licenses the nastiness -- the person is already wanted. Geogre 20:54, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Parliament

Hi there, I am a little confused. Do england, wales, scotland and n.ireland all have their own individual parliaments given that they all considerd 'countries within a country'?

Many thanks, Isabel

Hi Isabel - The situation isn't uniform, each nation within the UK has a different setup. The UK as a whole is governed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom in Westminster. Scotland has their own Parliament in Holyrood, and Wales has their own Assembly in Cardiff. These had different powers from each other (Scotland has had the ability to make its own laws since the creation of the new parliament, wheras Wales could only modify those being created at Westminster), but a week or two back, Wales was granted its own law making powers. Northern Ireland has their own Assembly at Stormont, but that is currently suspended, and run from Westminster, due to factional infighting which has stalled the Good Friday Agreement peace process. England has no assembly or Parliament of its own, leading to the West Lothian Question, where Scottish MPs can vote on matters that only affect England.

Hope this answers your question, please check the links for more detailed info, and don't hesitate to ask again if you're still confused :) Mnemeson 11:18, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Hi, Isabel! Only recently has devolution been practiced in the modern politics of the United Kingdom. The Parliament of Northern Ireland is the oldest devolved government, but its successor, the Northern Ireland Assembly, is currently in suspension. The Scottish Parliament has the most power of the devolved assemblies, the other being the National Assembly for Wales. England, the largest country in the union doesn't have its own national assembly, and is ruled directly by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. However, there have been calls for an English Parliament. One plan the goverment did have was to give the regions of England their own assemblies (Regional assemblies in England) — out of this we got the London Assembly — but the move to create an assembly for the North East England was defeated in a referendum, and the plan has been shelved. — Gareth Hughes 11:25, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Also the powers of the various assemblies and parliaments varies, the Scottish Parliament can legislate only on areas which aren't reserved to Westminster like foreign affairs and taxation (apart from the ability to vary the income tax set by Westminster by 3 pence in the pound which was won by referendum). I'm not sure whether there are different reserved areas for the different countries but I'd expect it - traditionally Scotland has retained its own legal, medical & education systems so the Scottish Parliament has gained power over these areas but for N Ire, Wales, etc these areas have been dealt with by Westminster so these areas may be reserved to Westminster. The London Assembley isn't really a parliament, more like the old Greater London Council. AllanHainey 14:43, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Incas

what is the difference between Incas ans Aztecs, are they one and the same, two separate peoples or is axtec used a general term and Incas a specific ruling family? Thank you

No, they are quite distinct. As this is an encyclopedia, you can read all about both amazing groups of people in the articles called inca and aztec. --18.239.6.57 13:32, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Incas lived in the Peruvian highlands; Aztecs dwelt in what is now part of Mexico. That's the main difference. I suppose they had some similarities, but, no, they are different people. - THE GREAT GAVINI {T-C} 14:45, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

maybe I'm an elitist academic asshole, but I am honestly shocked that someone just asked that question...Kızılderili 22:54, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Maybe. Let's be nice. If the poster has by now read the articles, he probably knows more about the subject than you or me. --Bmk 00:39, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

"There are no stupid questions...unless you count those on the entrance exam for the academy of the mentally retarded." :-) StuRat 07:30, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

Try looking up the Mayans and Olmec while you're at it. StuRat 07:25, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

thanks for the help guys!! and the 'poster' is a she not a he, dont assume. sorry EvKnight13 im not as "inteligent" as you ive never studied south american history and was curious, way to stomp out curiosity by having a go at it, wont ask next time.

Simmer down, friend. Here's the thing - there's nothing wrong with asking your question, but you shouldn't have had to ask it. This is an encyclopedia. Looking up Inca and Aztec in this or any other reference work would have set you right. And the word is "intelligent" ;-). Matt Deres 01:10, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

Age

What % of people reach a 100

Depends. -- DLL ^{.. T} 16:13, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Yes, those that reach 100 mostly wear Depends. :-) StuRat 07:20, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

14,000 in France today [1] means 0.023 % [2]. -- DLL ^{.. T} 16:21, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Wouldn't that be the percent of people who are 100 yrs old? Not quite the same as the question. Basically, that percentage is way too low, because you're counting all the people who are still alive! You haven't given them a chance to get to 100 yet. That figure would be correct if someone nuked france and everyone died today. Not something i'm advocating, by the way. --198.125.178.207 16:54, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Assuming you're not referring to scoring 100, and assuming you mean today, you do really need to specify where you're asking about... the World? USA? Mongolia? --Dweller 16:59, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

He says 'people'. So that's the world. I've tried to find some answers, but demographic data don't usually seem to go higher than 'over 80' or 'over 85'. Category:Demographics by country was a bit too much to check all of them out. DirkvdM 18:01, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

We're not talking about life expectancy, but about the proportion of the general population who actually reach 100. That can only be gauged over a longish time span, and it would fluctuate depending on the length of the span, whether the span is a moving average, and above all the place concerned. The Hunza people claim that the majority of their people reach 100 (and some even supposedly get to 160), while there are places in Africa where you'd be considered an old person if you reached 45 and an extremely low percentage of their people ever reach anything like 100.

Funnily enough, our article on the Hunza people was created only 5 days ago - it's a start but it needs a LOT of work. JackofOz 02:27, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

I don't believe it. Do they have any proof ? StuRat 07:22, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

Well, it's all anecdotal really. Given that the Hunza were not known to the West until relatively recently, their record keeping would almost certainly not be of a kind that would satisfy western genealogists or researchers. But if the people of Iwo Jima have a life expectancy way ahead of the general population in their region, I would not be surprised if some Hunza claims for extreme longevity were eventually proven (but I think 160 is an exaggeration). JackofOz 10:23, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

That's nothing - the bible claims Jesus lived for 930 years. DirkvdM 05:59, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

Maybe you are thinking about Methuselah ? Jesus only lived to be about 32. StuRat 07:20, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

Oops, I meant Adam! DirkvdM 08:52, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

• 100% of people 100 years old-hotclaws**==(82.138.214.1 17:18, 11 August 2006 (UTC))

Where is somewhere really remote?

The last question prompted me to wonder... when British people want to say in an exaggerated way that somewhere is exceptionally remote, they might refer to "Timbuktu" or "Outer Mongolia". (There may be others).

What about people elsewhere? I'd guess, for example, that people living in Mongolia might have a different expression... --Dweller 17:01, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Tristan de Cunha? --HappyCamper 17:02, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Nice. What nationality refers to that island? --Dweller 17:04, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Not sure myself - I think I misread your question. I thought you were just looking for remote places on Earth. --HappyCamper 17:10, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Don't forget BFE. I asked a Nigerian doctor what they use since Timbuktu is so close. He said it doesn't translate from Nigerian to English well, but it is a place too far away to walk to. --Kainaw ^(talk) 17:21, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Don't forget one of my favorites! "You should be deported to Yukon..."/ ;) Viva La Vie Boheme

In Australia that would be "beyond the black stump" (ha! Beat you to it, Jack!). In the Netherlands it's 'verweggistan' ('farawayistan').

As for actual places, I wanted to say Amsterdam, but Tristan da Cunha ('Tristan of the cunt'?) is indeed more remote. Then again, both islands have neighbour islands. Easter Island isn't as remote as I thought either and the Pitcairn Islands are plural, so no luck there either. Is there really no really remote single island? Ah, Extreme_points_of_the_world#Remoteness mentions Bouvet Island. There, that's solved. Then again, there's also the South Pole in winter. Or you coiuld take a boat to the eastern Pacific. Depends on how you define 'remote' and 'place'. DirkvdM 18:21, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

I prefer the farthest reaches of space. — [Mac Davis] (talk)

Australia has a few more - "the back of Bourke" and "Woop Woop". I also find "Buttfuck, Nowhere" extraordinarily useful at times, which I think I nicked from Americans. Natgoo 18:30, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

It's actually rather odd (or "ironic"? I'm never sure if I'm using that term correctly,) but with all the references to Australia, since most English speakers live in the northern and western hemispheres, (the north-west "quadrosphere"? Is that a word?) that as an English speaker, the most remote place on earth that comes to mind for me is, in fact, Australia. It's an English speaking country located in the oddest of places for an English speaking country to be located, in the extreme south-east of the planet, pretty much the opposite side of the world for the rest of us. An odd location indeed, but I still love'em. :) Loomis 22:14, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

We've recently had some greatly enlightening discussions about antipodes on the Ref Desk, but this question was about figures of speech, not actual geographical accuracy. In Australia we still use Timbuktu, but also Bullamakanka, Oodnagalarbie, and Buggery ("Go to Buggery" is a moderately less offensive term than "fuck off", but conveys almost precisely the same meaning). JackofOz 02:16, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

Some great answers, thanks. Keep em coming. So far, my favourite is Boolamakanka. Given that it was a whimsical question, I've also enjoyed the discursus on actual remote places. --Dweller 08:44, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

If you want to stay in North America, the northwest and Canada are extremely undeveloped. You could die/get killed there and it would take centuries before they found you. Americans just call it "really far away". We aren't as whimsical as our British neighbors apparently =D--mboverload@ 08:53, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

My family uses the fictional location East Jabib (apparently West Jabib is just too close). Has anyone else ever heard of this ? StuRat 07:12, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

• Didn't the Romans use Ultima Thule?hotclaws**==(82.138.214.1 17:19, 11 August 2006 (UTC))

Here in the Western US, I've heard "timbuktu" as well as the term "out in the boonies". Also, less original, is "in the middle of nowhere." The Jade Knight 00:32, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

Back of beyond? Sam Korn ^(smoddy) 21:46, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

Elizabeth Schwarzkopf's Desert Island Discs

THe story is told that she was interviewed on th BBC program Desert Island Discs and all but one of her picks were her own recordings. What was her exact list of Desert Island Discs?

Skramer0 18:35, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

On the Independent's letters page I find

Schwarzkopf's choice of eight of her own recordings to accompany her to a desert island needs explaining. She maintained that her husband, Walter Legge, had made the choice for her. This is believable, for she had come to rely on him in every aspect of her singing career.

COLIN COOPER

ST LEONARDS, EAST SUSSEX

Sir: John Walsh (5 August) asks what Elisabeth Schwarzkopf's eighth gramophone record was on Desert Island Discs.

According to Desert Island Lists, it was the prelude to Richard Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier, conducted by Herbert von Karajan. Although it is correct to say that she's not actually in that bit of the opera, she comes in pretty soon after it and is centre stage almost until the end. We might speculate why this prelude - in which the orchestra depicts graphically energetic love-making followed by post-coital gentleness - was so special. Her luxuries were sun tan oil and a French cookery book. So there was clearly more to the singer than immediately met the eye.

Mr Walsh had hoped it may have been Sid Vicious or Prodigy. But I would suggest that Der Rosenkavalier, although clearly lacking the immediacy of "Smack My Bitch Up", might prove ultimately more soothing during a long stay on a desert island.

JOHN MACKEONIS

LONDON W6

For anything further, I think we need someone with a copy of Desert Island Lists. Skittle 13:13, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

Ex-presidents of the U.S.

In what year did the U.S. have the most living ex-presidents? I don't mean all gathered together a photo op (as at Nixon's funeral); just out of office and still alive. --Uncle Ed 19:12, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

This is covered in the Trivia section of the President of the United States article. (It is a tie - three periods during which five former Presidents were alive.) Rmhermen 19:21, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Thanks, my timeline wasn't precise enough to figure that out. --Uncle Ed 20:03, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Complete Studio Recordings

The Complete Studio Recordings by Led Zeppelin, how much is it in local (Edmonton, Alberta,) HMV stores? I heard it was something like $150.00.Jk31213 19:24, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Why don't you just search hmv.ca? That would be a lot easier and faster than waiting for someone here to search, and then tell you that it costs $153.99. --ByeByeBaby 20:52, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Yeah, I got that part, pal. I was just wondering does HMV have the price different depending on what location one's at or the same or what?Jk31213 16:41, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

President of Argentina

Hello everyone,

I would like please to know if there are any limitations on a candidate for presidency in Argentina. Is true that he has to be Christian?

Thanks a lot, Tommy

The article President of Argentina has the answers you're looking for, and much more. Until 1994, the president had to be baptized Roman Catholic, but that is no longer true. --User:bmk

Actually, I take it back. The above cited article states that the rest of the requirements are the same as the requirements for the Argentine senate, which is true, but the Argentine Senate article doesn't have the info. I'm adding it now. FYI, Section 55 of the Argentine constitution states that:

"In order to be elected senator the following conditions are required: to have attained to the age of 30 years, to have been six years a citizen of the Nation, to have an annual income of two thousand strong pesos or similar revenues, and to be a native of the province electing him or to have two years of immediate residence therein." --Bmk 19:58, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Fidel Castro's real age

Are rumors that he claim to have born in 1926, but was really born in 1927 true?

Do you mean "rumors", instead of "rooms"? I don't see any evidence that he was born in any year other than 1926, but perhaps someone else could shed brighter light on the subject. (see Fidel Castro)--Bmk 20:00, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

longest serving american general officer

In in U.S. Which current active duty general/ flag officer was commisioned in the military the earliest?

When Castro dies, who are likely contenders for the leadership?

Besides Raul, who is likely to be prime canidate to take over for Castro?

From what I can tell by looking at the article 2006 Cuban transfer of presidential duties Raul is the only candidate named by Castro. Unless Raul dies unexpectedly, or is removed by some insurgency or other-country-caused conflict, Cuba likely gets Raul. You might try looking up who would have taken over Cuba's leadership if Fidel Castro became incapacitated in some way. I am sure they have back up plans. Try the Cuba article and look for relevant links to other articles mentioning the government. I hope that helps. Sifaka ^talk 21:21, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

But they probably aren't going to tell YOU about it. This is the communist party we're talking about - not known for free dissemination of information, especially not about the party. --Bmk 21:33, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Well Fidel was temporarily incapacitated just recently, and Raul was put in charge. But I'm guessing, Sifaka, that either I'm misreading your post, or you inadvertently miscommunicated what you intended to say. Loomis 21:59, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Like Bmk says, it's difficult to tell — even intelligence agencies are reported to have a hard time working out what's going on in Cuba's top circles. However, Felipe Perez Roque (the foreign minister) and Carlos Lage Dávila (who implemented economic reforms in the 1990s which Castro later halted) both seem to be important people, and I've seen their names mentioned once or twice as possible successors to Castro. -- Vardion 01:58, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

Raul is the head of the military, who are reported to be loyal to him, so no one's in nearly as strong a position as he is, and there's no reason he couldn't rule for a few years and/or shake things up from the current order a bit. I'd have great difficulty envisioning anyone other than Raul succeeding Fidel -- coups usually come from either the military or popular rebel groups. That being said, other names I'd think of are Abelardo Colome Ibarra, in charge of domestic intelligence and Julio Casas Regueiro, Raul's second-in-command of the armed forces. Raul is apparently as organized as Fidel is charismatic, so I'm sure he has or will soon have a detailed succession plan. The wild card, of course, is Mr. Pickles. (This is also an interesting article about a Cuban Succession simulation.) --ByeByeBaby 04:08, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

According to the Cuban Constitution Article 94, the First Vice President of the Council of State assumes presidential duties upon the illness or death of the president. At the moment that is Raul Castro. I dont' know how the First Vice President of the Council of State is assigned, but that is probably done by the president. But the succession issue really comes down to that, I suppose. DirkvdM 12:20, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

Aw c'mon Dirk! You're too smart to actually believe that the Cuban Constitution is worth anything more than the paper it's written on! We're talking about a dictatorship here! The closest thing that a dictatorship has to an actual "constitution" is the dictator himself. I think the best way to predict who will succeed Castro is to look at the experiences of other dictatorships concerning succession of power. When a dictator dies, an unpredictable variety of things can happen.

In some cases, where the position is highly contested, things can get really nasty. A big factor is the military. The guy (and I'm not being sexist here, I just can't for the life of me think of any female dictator that ever existed) the top brass in the military infrastructure likes best has a great head start. Next come the paramilitary groups, the most violent rioters etc. It's a pretty chaotic process but ultimately one guy ends up on top, and becomes the next dictator.

In other cases the process can seem actually quite peaceful. Take Egypt or Syria. In both those cases the "dictator-apparent" was made clear to the public by the living dictator. Hafez Assad made it pretty clear that his son Bashar would succed him as dictator, and so he did. Similarly, Nasser made it clear to his people that upon his death he should be succeeded by Sadat, and in turn, when Sadat came to power, he picked Mubarak to be his eventual successor.

In the case of Cuba, Castro seems to have picked his brother Raul. Only time will tell whether the transfer of power will be rather bloodless as in Egypt or Syria, or whether the more violent route will be taken, should someone with a solid base of support contest Raul's succession as dictator. Loomis 21:49, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

I merely gave the official story. That was obviously worth mentioning. Whether the constitution is ignored after the president dies is speculation. Feel free to speculate, but I don't have to. This is after all the reference desk of an encyclopedia. Opinions are welcome, but are secondary to factual info. DirkvdM 06:05, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

Of course, Raul is almost as old as Fidel, so he is planning on dropping dead soon after he takes office. I picture this ending up a lot like the final days of the Soviet Union, where their leaders were dropping dead in quick succession Breznev, Chernenko, Andropov, until they finally picked someone who could manage to move without a walker (Gorbachev). Not being on death's door meant that he wasn't part of the old-guard communists, however, so that was the end of communism in the Soviet Union. I wonder if I can invest in a Havana nightclub once the last commie drops dead ? StuRat 07:42, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

Again, this is one of those sitiations that proves what I've said a few times, that the line between "fact" and "opinion" is quite a bit fuzzier than many would like to believe. Of course the "Constitution of Cuba" exists, and to quote is indeed quoting "fact". But I also believe that to point out the nature of dictatorships, and the "fact" that their "constitutions" are rarely actually ever followed, and are themselves mere pieces of propaganda is pretty "factual" as well. I'm sure that if you looked up "The Constitution of the USSR" or "The Constitution of the People's Republic of China", and in particular, for example, the sections dealing with constitutionally enshrined human rights in either of these documents, no respectable encyclopedia would feel that it's veering to far into the realm of "opinion" in pointing out the "fact" that these documents are in reality largely ignored by their countries' respective regimes. Quoting them in a factual way is fine, but to not include the caveat that they're actually rather irrelevant would actually be factually misleading. Loomis 15:31, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

The Vatican is a dictatorship. That has lasted fairly long and there doesn't seem to be an end to it yet. :) Actually, this comparison is not a as weird as it sounds. The big question is if the inhabitants share the ideology of the state. Cuba has been trying its best to make sure of that in the last half century (in anticipation of your remark - yes this is indoctrination, but that is neither something unique nor relevant here). My impression in Cuba was that they are fairly divided about the government. Supporters aren't just old revolutionaries who knew Cuba under Batista but also a lot of younger ones and of course the families that got 'rich' (as far as that is allowed in Cuba) from tourism. But they are united in their hatred for the US and a common enemy is a very strong unifying force. Main thing is, there won't be an uprising. There is a fair bit of dissent here and there, but no more than in other countries. Although people do have the power for it - they are trained in (guerrilla?) fighting from early childhood. So if they really wanted to revolt, they would have already done so. DirkvdM 09:06, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

An important factor here is that Castro is an educated guy. What's more, he's originally a lawyer (give a lawyer total freedom to speak as long as he wishes and what do you get? :) ). And it is safe to assume that he is an idealist who wants 'the revolution' to work. Given these three things, it is highly unlikely that he will not have meticulously arranged his succession in a way that will actually work. DirkvdM 11:30, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

You are underestimating the "cult of personality". While many Cubans, especially poor, old Cubans, respect Castro for having delivered them from dictators who abused the poor (he is a dictator who abuses the rich), they don't particularly respect his policies, which have kept the island poor and reneged on his promises to bring democracy. So, once the man is gone, they will no longer feel the need to continue with his rather stupid policies. Much as the death of Mao Zedong started China on the process towards capitalism, and ended idiotic policies like the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution, I would expect the same in Cuba. However, I would expect Cuba to become democratic quicker than China (which I still expect to happen eventually) as being a small country surrounded by democracies makes it rather stand out as a repressive country, unlike in China. StuRat 22:49, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

Cuba has done some pretty stupid things too, and stopped doing that (after all, it's a big experiment and one can't do experiments without making mistakes). And they have already started changing, introducing some capitalism within the socialism (in stead of the other way around as in most countries - a different experiment). But people in Cuba are convinced that the economic hardship is largely due to the US embargo. And they are probably right to a large degree, but that is irrelevant here - what counts is what they think. So ironically, the US embargo will have the opposite effect of what it intended to achieve. And I have never understood it. Irrespective of what I think of it, it doesn't make sense. It will always give the Cuban government a great excuse, and they are using it to the full, and successfully. DirkvdM 09:09, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

It may be true that a majority of Cubans now support Castro and hate the US, but that would seem to be due to the fact that a huge chunk of Cuban dissidents somehow defected to Miami (or "Little Havana" which is somewhere near Miami). Cuban defectors are actually given an easier time when seeking assylum in the US, compared to, say, Haitian refugees. While well intended, this policy also seems to be rather stupid on the part of the US, since it allows Castro to rid himself of most dissidents, and have a more solid base of support. Hypothetically, had the population of "Little Havana" never been given assylum in the US and were it forced to turn back and stay in Cuba, it would surely no longer be the case, (if indeed it is now, which I'm not entirely sure,) that Cubans are "united in their hatred for the US". Loomis 12:25, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

I just realized a small, but not fatal flaw in my above argument. Had the current Cuban-Americans been turned away by the US and sent back to Cuba, surely a great degree of resentment towards the US would have resulted, leading them to be not so pro-American as they are today. Yet I doubt much, if any of this resentment would translate into support for Castro. They may resent be turned away by the US, but still hate Castro. The point therefore remains the same. Giving Cuban defectors a special status when it comes to defecting to the US was still a stupid policy, as it only resulted in giving Castro a more solid base of support among his people. Had all those would-be defectors been left stuck in Cuba, Castro may not have even lasted as long as he did, and even if he did, the prospect of a "regime-change" upon his death would be all the more likely. Loomis 13:11, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

Don't overestimate the importance of that community. How many are there? If it's a million, which I strongly doubt, then that would still be less than 10% of all Cubans. AS for the word 'hate', that probably is applicable to the rich industrialists who lost a lot, but that is an even smaller minority. Many Cubans dislike Castro, but that is pretty normal. At the moment in the Netherlands there is also a strong resentment against the government with a large part of the population. But that doesn't mean people will revolt, even if they can't vote the government out, as in Cuba. There's enough 'bread and games' in Cuba to take away the wish to revolt. It's a very hard-and-fast rule that keeps on getting broken by many dictators (such as Batista and the Tsars). But, as I said, Castro isn't stupid. He isn't your average dictator. DirkvdM 09:41, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

Even if the community is that small, it would seem to be a virulently anti-Castro community. Remember, we're not talking about a democracy here, we're not talking about one citizen-one vote. We're talking about a dictorship here. And as I said earlier, when in comes to dictatorships, the louder the angrier and the more determined the citizen, the more power s/he has in influencing his or her government and its choice of leader. The million or so Cuban ex-pats in the US literally risked their lives to leave Cuba for the US, some resorting to floating over on rafts in shark-infested waters. These people, at the very least, would surely be quite the thorn in the side of Castro, had they been forced to remain in Cuba. I'd say you shouldn't underestimate the importance of this community. Loomis 02:40, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

Yes, their importance is much greater than their numbers would indicate, for these reasons:

1) They tend to be wealthier than Cubans. Some were wealthy when they left (to avoid having their assets seized by Castro), and others could only became wealthy once they were in a capitalist society. This wealth translates into power.

2) Many are also cultural icons, like Gloria Estefan.

3) They are in the US, and have a pivotal voting block in Florida, which has Jeb Bush, the President's brother, as it's governor. Also, recall that Florida was the state that decided the 2000 presidential election where George W. Bush first gained office. So, the ex-Cubans have substantial political power in the US, and have been pivotal in keeping the boycott on Cuba all these years. StuRat 09:30, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

LLM programs

Does any one know of any reputable LLM programs that can either taken online or by correispondence?

I am no lawyer but a google of "LLM correspondence course" shows a couple of universities I know about with what appears to be LLM programs. As for reputable, a state university with graduate and undergratuate programs is probably reputable, but I would recommend you find out for yourself because it would no doubt be a commitment in terms of time and money. I recommend asking lawyerly friends or someone in charge of a firm in the area you want to get an LLM in to see if they would accept a correspondence version or have any recommendations. Sifaka ^talk 21:28, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Crest

http://img110.imageshack.us/my.php?image=3er0.jpg

Is this the crest associated with Kenneth Grahame the writer of The Wind In The Willows?

I would tend to doubt it (the blank scroll crossing in front of the shield doesn't look too much like real heraldry). In any case, it's a coat of arms (or an attempt at one), not a "crest". AnonMoos 18:53, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

From Kenneth Grahame there is no indication that he was entitled to a coat of arms or crest. AllanHainey 13:45, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

wiki for opposing viewpoints?

Is there a wiki where users research and write opposing viewpoints for various issues? Wikipedia does a bit of that if you look up specific laws and whatnot but does anyone know about a site specifically dedicated to presenting opposing viewpoints? Sifaka ^talk 21:11, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Yes, there is. And I've been trying to remember what it is. I read it a long time ago, and they had very orderly discussions; basically there was a "claim", then lists of arguments for and against, on many issues. I think it used the same wikimedia software. I'll post if I remember where it is. --Bmk 00:44, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

Was it wikilogic, or something like that? I remember seeing it somewhere, but I can't remember its name. Maybe that will be a blue link. Skittle 13:04, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

Yeah, I thought it was something like that too, but I can't find it. At first I thought it was a sister project to wikipedia, but it wasn't. Still looking... --Bmk 13:24, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

You might be thinking about Wikireason[3]--Pyroclastic 15:11, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

Aha. Thanks pyroclastic - that's exactly what I was remembering, and I think it fits Sifaka's specifications. --Bmk 17:22, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

Movie with a big car crash?

I was in a store's AV department with my boss today, and one of the TVs, as a demo, was showing a really impressive car crash sequence -- but we walked in as the cars started crashing, and the demo went to black after the crashes were done. I'm hoping someone can confirm what movie it's from. Here's what I know:

• The car crash involved mostly/entirely 1980s style police cars; at least some were painted as Louisiana Highway Patrol vehicles.
• The first few crashed together or rolled, and then cars kept piling into them, then flipping and landing on top of the heap. And then they kept coming, approaching the point of parody. By the end, it was just a heap of dozens of cars, with more and more flying on top of the pile (the ones near the end looked like they had been launched from a ballista as much as actually driven off a ramp. The whole sequence was an extended one; probably a couple of minutes.
• Based on the way it was shot and edited, it was from a movie, probably a recent one. The tone seemed to be more silly than hard-boiled; more Blues Brothers than Heat.

We thought it might be The Dukes of Hazzard (film), and it certainly seems to fit, but neither our article, nor IMDB's mentions a big car crash. Can anyone confirm, or suggest an alternate? --ByeByeBaby 21:21, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Blues Brothers 2000? Adam Bishop 21:35, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Definitely got to be that. The original Blues Brothers did a huge number of police car crashes, as well. It wasn't funny in either case. For the 2nd film, they made sure to show a policeman getting out of each crashed car. "Bang! Boom! But no one ever gets hurt, folks!" Blug. Geogre 02:22, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

Oi, what're you calling unfunny? The Blues Brothers is on my list of all-time favourite movies. Maybe you need to watch it 20 times, as I have, to really appreciate the funny bits (which are far too numerous to mention). JackofOz 11:34, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

The funny bits are the verbal humor and the absurd humor -- the script. The unfunny bits are the car chases and car crashes -- the director. The funniest things are pure Belushi and Ackroyd. I was so put off by the vulgarity of "watch cars crash" and nonsense of "watch stoned actors stand around" (Carrie Fisher in the sewer) that I lost the good bits ("How much for your sister?") and the musical numbers that were really good (Cab Calloway, in particular). Geogre 11:49, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

Thanks, guys! I don't remember seeing cops getting out of the cars, but, especially based on the Guiness Record mentioned in the article, it's got to be Blues Brothers 2000. Which makes me feel stupid, since I compared it to the original. (In my defense, from what I've heard, Blues Brothers 2000 was so bad I blocked out it have ever being made -- sort of like the two sequels to the Matrix.) --ByeByeBaby 03:48, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

19th century medal

My wife came across a medal in our house today which neither of us remembers ever seeing before. It is made of bronze, and has a capital "A" on one side, with the years 1870-71. On the other is the motto "L'Union Fait La Force", with a crest of a lion, surmounted by a crown. I have looked up Belgium and also the Franco-Prussian War, but could anybody tell me any more about this medal? And what does the letter "A" stand for?--G N Frykman 22:13, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Does it look like any of these? --Kainaw ^(talk) 23:20, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Found it: Commemorative Medal 1870-1871. --Lambiam^Talk 03:14, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

Phew - well done Lambian (assuming it is correct) --Bmk 04:34, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

Lambiam - what a fantastic result! That is exactly the medal in my wife's possession. Now we have to work out whether it was awarded to any of her Belgian ancestors. Many thanks!--G N Frykman 08:34, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

semetic Nazis

Many key Nazi leaders such as Goebbels and Eichman had very semetic features, is their evidence that they might have had Jewish ansestors?

Don't know - but you'll have more luck looking with the spelling semitic. --Bmk 22:57, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Never mind - my apologies, I guess they're both acceptable spellings.

Not really. JackofOz 01:53, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

Davy Crocket

Did he ever own slaves? What his position on Slavery?

• Not sure if he owned slaves, but a significant part of the noble fight of the defenders of the Alamo against was that Mexico had outlawed slavery; I haven't (yet) found any details of his specific position regarding slavery; his move to Texas seems more prompted by his loathing for Martin van Buren than support of slavery. --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 14:10, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

• Part of the move to grab Texas was the grand southern strategy. Among those who would head the CSA, some had a "manifest destiny" dream of extending all of the Americas in an east-west line and establishing a colonial system of slave-holding states going all the way to South America. Revisionist historians are correct to point this out, but they're wrong to overplay it. Geogre 17:57, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

Congressman whose service goes the farthest back?

What living former member of congress had the earliest congressional service?

Nelson Mandela first served when he helped form the African National Congress Youth League in 1944; the other two who formed it with him, Walter Sisulu and Oliver Tambo are both dead. You don't mean Ahmed Chalabi, the original head of the Iraqi National Congress? I think he's still a member. There's also Narayan Dutt Tiwari, the oldest serving Chief Minister; presumably he has the longest service, although he's still a member of the Indian National Congress. I'm sure this doesn't help, but John Dingell, the Dean of the United States House of Representatives (i.e. the longest-serving member) is still a member of congress; he did win in the same election where Jack Brooks lost; the latter was first elected in 1952. In the future, being specific about where you're talking about (the second note at the top of this page) will save people time. Not everyone here's South African, you know. --ByeByeBaby 04:39, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

In the US, there are Congressmen who've been servicing the nation for decades. :-) StuRat 22:42, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

I would say "servicing their constituents" (note, not serving). User:Zoe|(talk) 01:35, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

police departments

In the U.S. it would seem more efficent basic policing was structured around state police department, why do all American communities even small ones have their own police force?

• They don't, compare a city with 9 million people and a well trained specialized police force that may as well be an army, and then compare it to a small town about 15 or 20 miles outside of said city, with one part time sheriff--172.162.200.99 22:24, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Local police departments allow cities to extort money from out-of-towners (a form of "taxation without representation") using speed traps, etc. State police can only extort money from out-of-state drivers, which is far less lucrative, due to their relatively low numbers. Extorting money from those within your own jurisdiction is ineffective, as people so treated are likely to vote the police chief out of office. StuRat 06:10, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

=D --mboverload@ 08:58, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

You could just avoid breaking the law! (I don't think judicial fines are ever defined as taxation.) The U.S., by the way, has a maze of 17,784 separate law enforcement agencies, some with overlapping jurisdictions. See Policing in the United States for more info. Rmhermen 16:36, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

No, you can't always avoid breaking the law. They can lower the speed limit dramatically, for no reason, and hide the sign behind a truck when you drive by, then remove the truck when you go to look for the sign, later. They can also just lie about you speeding. Since the police and judge are all in on the scam, it's pretty easy to get away with this. The only semi-effective way I've seen of dealing with this is to limit the proportion of a town's income which can be derived from traffic fines. To really end this practice, however, you would need to outright prohibit the conflict of interest inherent in allowing towns from collecting fines. They can still charge fines, but use them to fight AIDS in Africa or some such thing, not to buy the mayor's mistress a new fur coat. StuRat 19:58, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

Just drive the same speed as all the other cars around you. Or maybe a bit slower, if you're really concerned about getting caught. Also, try not to have the wrong skin color or otherwise stand out from the locals. -- noosphere 22:16, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

There is no requirement for them to give out tickets to all offenders, so they will frequently ignore locals who break the absurdly low speed limits and only ticket those with out-of-state licenses. This is all perfectly legal. StuRat 22:58, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

Do you have anything other than anecdotal evidence that shows that out-of-state drivers get speeding tickets at a significantly higher rate than local drivers while driving at the same speed? -- noosphere 16:31, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

No, but here's a news article on attempts to end speed traps in Oklahoma: [4]. StuRat 00:27, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

As for it not be called taxation, that's quite correct. They choose not to call taxes that, preferring any other name, like fines, fees, assessments, surcharges, tariffs, etc. But I call any money the government gets, without a corresponding equal expense, a tax. Credit card companies have a similar scam, where they can charge any effective interest rate they want, so long as they don't call it "interest". Thus, they have an endless array of excessive charges for things which cost them little or nothing. If you add all these together with what they actually call interest each month, then divide by what is owed, you get your true interest rate, which would be illegal if they admitted it was really interest. StuRat 20:07, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

In the UK, there are regional police commands which are basically run by the national department of internal affairs ("Home Office") without much local control (the local governments certainly do not hold the power of the purse strings) -- and the results have not always been happy. It takes away accountability to local elected officials, and police abuses sometimes fester until they blow up into one of the huge policing "Inquiries" which have beome a British political ritual... AnonMoos 18:46, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

foriegn minister of Cuba

During the cuban missle crises who was the foriegn minister of Cuba?

Raúl Roa. He was Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1959 to 1973. --Lambiam^Talk 23:18, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Thanks, I was just curious. Up to now I had always had assumed that fidel was his own foriegn minister, but it was really mr. Roa