Humanities desk
< July 23	<< Jun \| July \| Aug >>	July 25 >

Welcome to the Wikipedia Humanities Reference Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is an archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages.

July 24

Global Electricity Statistics

I posted this question here because it involves statistical data collected around the world, which most closely fits cultural and demographic natures.

I have heard from multiple sources that about 75% of the worlds population is without electricity. I believe this statement to be relatively close, but i am uncertain, and there seems to be no mention of this in wiki's "Electricity" article.

Can anyone supply me with statistical data/sources on this issue? Thank you!

172.129.238.63 00:41, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

You have it backwards -- 75% of the world's population does have electricity. [1] -- Mwalcoff 01:48, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

philosophy and time

I'm writing a paper on the nature of time in physics (among other things) but I also want to add background stuff about the philosophy of time. I've read our article Philosophy of space and time, but it doesn't cover things according to the individual philosophers (at least not many of them). I'm also reading Time by Philip Turetzky, but it doesn't cover every major philosopher or tradition, perhaps because those who are omitted in fact had nothing to say on the matter. Can anyone tell me did David Hume have anything to say about time, even if just to agree with Locke or Berkeley? Also, are there any major philosophers who definitely did not make any comments regarding time? Thanks, 203.221.126.205 01:44, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I cannot recall what Hume says about time; but the one thinker who would seem to fit in with what you are looking for is Henri Bergson. I would refer you in particular to The Creative Mind: an Introduction to Metaphysics and Time and Free Will: an Essay on the Immediate Data of Consciousness. Also the work of Martin Heidegger may have some passing relevance, particularly Being and Time Be warned, though; that latter has a tendency to blow out all the intellectual fuses of less tenacious souls! Perhaps you wish to remain strictly within the Anglo-Saxon empirical tradition? Clio the Muse 02:00, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I recommend, also, Leofranc Heofford Stephens's A Very Brief Introduction to Time. He does a pretty good job of a survey of the philosophical view. Bergsonian time is fascinating, not least because it seemed to square with relativity, but most people dismiss him (not me, though). The problem of time as a philosophical topos is that it is simply overwhelming. Most philosophers who approach it, other than perhaps Bergson and Paul Ricoeur, cannot stay on it or reason very far with it. Radical skepticism and empiricism seem to be the poles that the philosophers swing between. Geogre 03:34, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Augustine also is known for his quote on defining time. Alternately, you may wish to look at philosophy of physics. The Rhymesmith 03:39, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The discovery of deep time is largely of interest to geologists and paleontologists. It discovery and the unfolding history of its understanding were the theme of Time's Arrow, Time's Cycle by Stephen Jay Gould who discusses Thomas Burnet, James Hutton, and Charles Lyell. --Wetman 06:53, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

There's the Critique of pure reason and Zeno's paradox. A.Z. 23:28, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Augustine's Confessions has a chapter or so on the nature of time. --Lambiam 07:48, 25 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I know the focus of your paper is in the realm of physics but for additional context i would urge you to go beyond the western philosophical traditon and take a look at the conceptions of time in other cultures which can be radically different from that of the Judeo Christian. I havent got round to writing that article yet !! but happy to talk to you on my talk page. My research is in South Pacific notions of time and space, for instance the Maori perception of time is 180 degrees different from that of the European, their word for the past also means "in front", the future is "behind". There is also a lot written down here on how the European conception of time was another tool of colonisation etc, the linear "stream of time" supplanting the cyclic, static etc the notion of progress, working towards an end was used to overthrow happiness in the "now" and respect for the past . In terms of physics you probably know Paul Davies. A reasonable collection of writings on cultural concepts of time, as it relates to architecture anyway, is Anytime, Ed Cynthia C Davidson, MIT Press, although it is quite limited to the western. Mhicaoidh 13:12, 25 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I would like to recommend three books and one article, LePoidevin "Travels in Four Dimensions (Oxford: OUP, 2003)" and the second chapter of Ted Siders Fourdimensionalism and, finally, Craig Bourne A Future for Presentism (Oxford: Oxford University Press, December 2006). Also I can recommend Dean Zimmermans article [2] These are all current work in the philosophy of time that deal more with the issues/arguments/ideas then with who and when thought what. Eyeopeners for me are issues like: Presentism, The Growing Block View and Eternalism. RickardV 15:39, 25 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

An excellent entry from the "time is an illusion" camp is Julian Barbour's The End of Time: The Next Revolution in Our Understanding of the Universe. Gandalf61 16:08, 25 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks to everyone for the interesting answers, and especially to Mhicaoidh for his kind offer. Unfortunately, I was only looking for information for a kind of introductory paragraph, since the (intended) journal wants articles to be as accessible as possible. I won't have room for more than a couple of points. Still, I expect I can squeeze in that point about Maoris, because it shows the fundamentally paradoxical nature of time (we use before and aft terminology as if it's commonsense, but this is just a construct to save ourselves from confusion). I remember it from a previous discussion, but hadn't thought then of the potential to include it. I might also mention Julian Barbour's book, because it was all over the bookstores, and I think was also read by physicists. The idea of getting rid of time altogether is in fact very mainstream, and is exactly what my paper intends to debunk.

This has been really helpful, and that part (well, paragraph, but an important one) of the paper is taking shape. An interesting link for others following the thread is Time#Time_as_.22unreal.22. This was the thing that finally cleared up my confusion about how Barbour's theory fits in with J. M. E. McTaggart's and other stuff. 203.221.127.57 20:53, 25 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Which ammendment to the Constitution gives Americans freedom of religion, freedom of the press and the right to assemble?

(The question is assumed to reside within the header) —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 02:59, 24 July 2007 (talk • contribs) 75.17.15.133.

the very first one Marcocruz87

See United States Bill of Rights. BTW, I've taken the liberty of lowercasing the text of your question in the header. 152.16.188.107 03:54, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

local radio

Does anybody know how I can set up a radio station? I really just want to play my oldies and music. Wasn't the FCC saying something about this a couple of years ago? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Odell38 (talk • contribs) 03:48, 24 July 2007 (UTC)

Your question has been answered on the Misc desk. Please do not double post.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 08:22, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

African Hunters

I think they're African, but I may be mistaken. I'm interested in the group of peoples who track animals for food, and when they reach a point where they lose the trail, they enter the mind of the animal to determine the way that they would have gone. Do we have an article on this practice? Capuchin 06:58, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Can you be more specific? What you have described would seem to be global in hunting peoples. Some guys go off hunting. They lose the trail. They think "Oh bum. Now what would I do if I were that animal?"--Shantavira|^{feed me} 07:32, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Haha, okay. I saw it on a documentary. They had a good success rate using this technique, one guy from the group would wander around and act like the animal. It showed a phenomenal understanding of animal behaviour. Capuchin 08:07, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

You might be thinking of the documentary film The Great Dance, a Hunter's Story which shows persistence hunting by a group of Khoisan men (Khwe). "When you track an animal - you must become the animal. Tracking is like dancing, because your body is happy - you can feel it in the dance and then you know that the hunting will be good. When you are doing these things you are talking with God." (!Nqate Xqamxebe 1998). Karoha is the bow hunter and most persistent running man in the film. ---Sluzzelin talk 08:14, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Ah, or you might have seen them in David Attenborough's BBC docu The Life of Mammals, epiode 10, titled Food for Thought. ---Sluzzelin talk 12:27, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

OOhh thank you, persistence hunting certainly rings a bell. Capuchin 12:31, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Yes I believe this is it. I'm sad that none of the sources cover the "getting into the mind of the animal" bit when they lose the trail. Thank you for your help. Capuchin 12:43, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

For what it's worth, and as Shantavira pointed out, identifying with the prey isn't unique to the Kalahari Bushmen. Perhaps some of the external links under tracking (hunting) have some more information. You're likely to find studies in anthropological journals. There is a lot of literature on various forms of animal spiritualism worldwide (shamanism, totems, e.g.) and on hunting dance rituals which can include emulating the prey. ---Sluzzelin talk 05:37, 25 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Subquestion

By reading this interesting question and its even more interesting answers, I've come up with another one. I've always thought that those four-legged herbivores in the sabanas would outrun a human both in top speed and in endurance, in a way that the human doesn't have the slightest possibility of success of actually catching its prey. But now this article seems to challenge, at least, the second of my assumptions. Does this mean that a trained human can have more endurance than, say, an antelope? Or does it mean that the human has a significant advantage at running under extreme heat conditions? Or maybe the human can run at a constant pace, saving more energy, than the threatened antelope that would run in a less efficient way? Thanks. --Taraborn 19:08, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Two relevant studies seem to be Persistence Hunting by Modern Hunter-Gatherers by Louis Liebenberg (Current Anthropology, volume 47 (2006), pages 1017–1026) and The Energetic Paradox of Human Running and Hominid Evolution by David R. Carrier (Current Anthropology, 1984 Vol. 25 (4):483-495.) According to Public Anthropology's summary, "Carrier credits the distinctive thermoregulatory system of hominids, their ability to alter the pattern of breathing while running, their potential to adjust diet to improve physical performance, and their complex glandular structure as assets which allowed them to overcome their energetic disadvantage compared to other cursorial mammals." ---Sluzzelin talk 05:37, 25 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The basic idea appears to be that prey animal evolution has maximized ability to sprint to escape sudden attacks and ambushes. However, a series of sprints is much less energy efficient than simply jogging the same distance, for which humans appear to have evolved a comparative optimization. This obviously is much easier to do if you're in a savanna environment, where the upright posture of humans allows them to spot, from a long way off, the targeted animal stopped and trying to recover from its sprint. - Banyan Tree 08:18, 25 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

WW2 "no bomb" uni-town pact?

In the biographical part of his book Black Holes and Baby Universes and Other Essays, Stephen Hawking says his parents moved to Oxford in part because it was not bombed during World War 2, a fact he attributes to an understanding between the UK and Nazi Germany such that Germany would not bomb Oxford and Cambridge if Britain did not bomb Heidelberg and Göttingen. But none of the articles for these cities, nor The Blitz, mention any such agreement. The closest is the Heidelberg article, which says (but doesn't source) "Heidelberg escaped bombing in the Second World War because the US Army wanted to use Heidelberg as a garrison after the war.", and our Baedeker Blitz article mentions minor attacks on Cambridge. What, if anything, is the truth in this claim? -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 12:04, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I'm puzzled by this, Finlay. Did they move to Oxford to escape bombing, or did they move after the war because the city had not been damaged by the effects of bombing? Was the alleged understanding between Britain and Germany publicised at the time, or did it only emerge after the war? Just imagine the outrage that would have been caused if Oxford and Cambridge were exempt from the threat of bombing, but other historic towns and cities were not, including the ancient university town of St. Andrews in Scotland. I am very suspicious about that Heidelberg claim, and will remain so until I see it sourced. Heidelberg was not bombed because it had no strategic value. If it had the British would have had plenty of time to attack it well before the Americans entered the war in late 1941. The Baedeker raids were really quite arbitrary, determined by the Luftwaffe high command on the basis of those places that had at least three stars in the Baedeker Guide. Also, I do not believe that the Wikipedia list on the places attacked is comprehensive; I have a feeling, for instance, the seaside town of Bournemouth was also attacked in 1942. Anyway, you might find some more details in Three Star Blitz: Baedeker Raids and the Start of Total War by Charles Whiting. Clio the Muse 23:41, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Given Oxford's (then) significant industrial sector, I would find it hard to believe that the Germans would have deliberately avoided bombing it. DuncanHill 00:01, 25 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Don Graham mentions a WWII bomb shelter in Oxford, noting that "tradition has it that Hitler exempted Oxford from bombing during the war, but the Trout Inn was ready just in case".[3] --Ghirla^-трёп- 19:14, 26 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Hawking doesn't go into much detail, only saying "I was born in Oxford [in 1942] ... Oxford was a good place to be born during WW2. The germans had an agreement that they would not bomb oxford and cambridge in return for the British not bombing Heidelberg and Gottingen. It's a pity that this civilised sort of arrangement couldn't have been extended to more cities." Frankly if I were of the Arthur Harris mindset I'd have bombed every university I could flat as a dutch pancake - all those clever people inventing cunning plots and clever devices to win the war - that's much more strategic than another ball-bearing factory. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 00:07, 25 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

A great many historic German university towns were destroyed. Hawking's statement is unconvincing; it's also trite and banal. The 'civilized sort of arrangement' would have been to avoid war in the first place. I certainly would not accept his point about Oxford without further evidence. Clio the Muse 00:42, 25 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I’m no expert on WW2 history, but wasn’t night bombing during that war rather hit and miss. That was the point of all the blackouts wasn’t it? Too confuse anomy plains about the exact location of a city? In that case it would have been hard to insure that no bomb would fall on a specific city. Also, didn’t Germany call on its people to embrace “total war” at one point? (I don’t know the German term.) Making deals with the enemy would seem rather counter to this philosophy wouldn’t it? --S.dedalus 01:16, 25 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Wollt ihr den Totalen Krieg? This is Goebbels' 1943 Sportpalast speech in Berlin. "Now, people rise up and let the storm break loose." Clio the Muse 02:34, 25 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Finlay, I think the prof has bought an urban myth. Retarius | Talk 02:44, 25 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Well they may have let the storm break lose, but having sowed the wind, they then had to reap the whirlwind! Cyta 07:36, 25 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

If World War II had been that sophisticated, neither Dresden nor Coventry would have been bombed. Corvus cornix 17:38, 25 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Hawkins is obviously not a very good historian. Hang on, didn't he write A brief History of Time? We'd better check it for more of this dang OR. --Dweller 20:13, 25 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Cropper, William H. (2001) Great Physicists: The Life and Times of Leading Physicists from Galileo to Hawking, p. 452, from Oxford University Press makes the same claim:

It was wartime when Stephen, the Hawkings’ first child, came into the world, and his mother, Isobel, had chosen an Oxford hospital for the delivery because the university town was safe from German bombing. (The German Luftwaffe agreed to spare Oxford and Cambridge if the Royal Air Force would do the same for Heidelberg and Gottingen.)

—eric 20:41, 25 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

He is, of course, only recycling Hawking's own claim. Clio the Muse 22:28, 25 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Another example of this kind of "scholarship": "The warring governments, in a rare display of equanimity, had agreed that if Germany refrained from bombing Oxford or Cambridge, the Royal Air Force would guarantee peaceful skies over Heidelberg and Gottingen. In fact, it has been said that Hitler had earmarked Oxford as the prospective capital of world government when his imagined global conquest had been accomplished and that he wanted to preserve its architectural splendor". - Quoted from Stephen Hawking: A Life in Science, by John R. Gribbin and Michael J. White (2002). --Ghirla^-трёп- 19:13, 26 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I have found through google various anecdotal claims about Oxford not being targeted, either through a pact with Hitler, or because Hitler wanted to make it his capital of a conquered England - but nothing that comes anywhere close to a reliable source (and one or two at least are on very distasteful revisionist sites of the Hitler was inoccent, the British started the war type...eeuggh). I have also found a site which says that the Morris Radiators site was a Luftwaffe target, as it made the cooling systems used in Spitfires [4] DuncanHill 22:46, 25 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Painting a sky on the ceiling

How would I go about doing this please, as a Trompe-l'œil effect on a ceiling. I recall that somewhere in Las Vegas there is a similar effect on a roof, which has the illumination altered during the day. I think sky painters were in the past also employed by theaters and film studios. Thanks. 80.0.124.214 12:53, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The Las Vegas casino with the sky on the ceiling is the The Venetian - I don't think it is painted in the casino itself. It is in the shops attached to the side of it with the little Venice-style stream running through it. The ceiling is blue with wisps of white. Hidden blue and red lights adjust the hue of the ceiling throughout the day. -- Kainaw^(what?) 12:58, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The picture labelled "The Grande Canal Shoppes" (can't they spell?) does I think show the painted sky. Clearly, you would paint the ceiling all-blue first, and then add the clouds, and perhaps sunset effects also. I'm wondering how the white clouds would be done - perhaps by using something other than a brush. 80.0.118.211 15:00, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

You might want to look at the article on Faux finishing and go from there. This site has instructions on doing a faux finish with clouds, as does this article at the Sherwin-Williams site. You'll probably want to practice on some other surface, such as cardboard, before committing to doing the ceiling. --Elkman ^(Elkspeak) 15:41, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Vietnamese Generals in French Army

I know this is a tough one, but who was the first Vietnamese General to serve in the French army?

Thanks!! --Cacofonie 14:05, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

This much I can tell you, Cacofonie: the Vietnamese National Army was founded in 1950 under the auspices of the French. It was commanded by Nguyen Van Hinh who, I suppose, has as much right as any to be considered as the first general officer fighting alongside the French when they were still the colonial power. His first loyalty, though, was to the Emperor Bao Dai. I do not believe there were any Vietnamese general officers in the French forces as such. Clio the Muse 23:23, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

There was a chinese story...

Something about an inventor who made a set of wings, and flew to the king/emperor and told him that all mankind would be gifted with flight. The king had him killed, because he said if their enemies had wings, the walls would not hold them back.

I cannot for the life of me remember who the characters in the story were, specific phrases, or anything. So, does anyone know what the story is called/the author/etc? Much help appreciated ! 162.40.200.32 14:57, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Are you sure it was Chinese? Sounds like a version of the story of Icarus to me. Although you're right, I seem to vaguely recall another story... СПУТНИК^{CCC P} 15:39, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

If it is an old story, it must not be common. I have four volumes of old Chinese stories and poems. Nothing like that is in any of them. Also, it could be a story about China - such as the story of the inventor of Chess going to China and showing the game to the Emperor (which is a British story about China, not a Chinese story). -- Kainaw^(what?) 16:04, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Google for 'chinese inventor wings emperor great wall china' found [5] Nil Einne 17:49, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

As I suspected, it is a Ray Bradbury short story, "The Flying Machine", not a true Chinese story. -- Kainaw^(what?) 17:52, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

BTW, I suspect the story is still copyrighted in the US, and potentially in Russia as well so the link may very well be a copyvio. Nil Einne 17:57, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Hevenu Shalom Aleichem and the Catholic Church

During our recent visit to Equador we heard Church bells playing "hevenu shalom aleichem" a tune we know as an Israeli/Jewish tune about peace. Our guide sang the Catholic Church's Equadorian version which was the exact same lyrics and tune as the Hebrew one we know. Aside from being delighted we began to wonder about the relationship between these songs.

How can we best search for the origin of Hevenu Shalom Aleichem and it's Spanish equivilant (the tune and lyrics)? We have forgotten the Spanish lyrics which stymies our search.

Thank you 208.120.146.237 15:31, 24 July 2007 (UTC) Simon and Tehilah Eisenstadt-Feil[reply]

real estate boom

inspite of rise in prices of real estate in chennai, people who need money are not willing to sell their property for money.why? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 203.112.149.32 (talk • contribs)

Why should they sell their property? I've heard that a kidney can fetch a nice price - why doesn't everyone sell those? Everyone has their own opinion on what they are willing to part with. -- Kainaw^(what?) 16:06, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The real estate boom probably acts a disincentive to sell properties since people see it as a good investment and may even be willing to borrow to keep their investment Nil Einne 17:18, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

It is a world-wide phenonmenon, not limited to Chennai. For most people, the only property they own is the house they live in (with or without farm land attached). If they sell that in boom times, where do they live? You just have to put the money right back into the same high market. It is the rare family who can sell high, and move either to an area where property is cheaper, or to a rental place and wait for the market to go down again, which is not something you can count on in real estate. The ones who benefit from a rising or strong property market are those who are down-sizing (though the smaller place is, relatively speaking, still at a boom price for its size), those who are leaving the area, and those for whom property is not their living space but merely an investment. The latter tend to sell out of high markets and buy into lower ones where they predict an upward trend. That's a simplistic view, but reasonably accurate. Bielle 18:28, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Who signed for North and South Dakota?

The Wikipedia article about the order of admittance of the various states says that North and South Dakota became states on the same day in November, 1889, upon the signature of President Cleveland. But the President at that time was Benjamin Harrison. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 66.213.33.2 (talk) 16:52, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I don't know, but it would be nice if you could sign your comments (see Wikipedia:Sign) Nil Einne 17:34, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The President when the bill was passed was Grover Cleveland, but it's an easily made mistake. Prior to the 20th Amendment, Presidential terms began on March 4 (see Inauguration Day and similar articles). The bill was passed on February 22, 1889 according to the North Dakota article, so Cleveland would have been in office for his first term for approximately ten more days. –Pakman044 17:43, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

A follow-up is that Harrison signed the proclamations on November 2, 1889 (he was definitely sworn in by then!), but the actual order of the Dakotas is unknown since he the names were obscured (see South Dakota#History). –Pakman044 19:45, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

DC demographics

I know very little about US demographics but was a bit surprised to find out in reference to an earlier question that the U.S. District of Columbia is nearly 60% black. Why is this? Do they make up such a large percentage of the bureaucrats and other public servents who I presume make up most of the people who work there? I'm not surprised that the percentage of public servents who are black is higher then the general US demographics but 60% seems awfully high to me. Or do a greater percentage of the people who work there who are right live outside the DC, perhaps because of generally better economic circumstances? A combination of these? Something I'm missing? Nil Einne 17:34, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

It's an unsusual demographic, but most of the people who are in power in Washington work there, but don't live there, which seriously skews the makeup of the area. –Pakman044 17:47, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Not really unusual at all. Blacks are concentrated in certain urban areas in the U.S. The U.S. as a whole: 12% black, New York City 28%, Chicago 31%, Kansas City 31%, Atlanta 59%, Detroit 82%. Rmhermen 17:58, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

But the people in power (presuming you mean the politicians and their top advisors and stuff) would only make up a tiny percentage of the people who work there anyway I presume (according to Washington, D.C. the population is 600k) Nil Einne 18:01, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Actually, 410,000 commute into the District every workday, increasing the population by 72%. It's the largest commuter destination in the U.S. after New York City, and I assume the largest compared to the host population. Anyone with a family and means tends to run away from the horrific educational system for the suburbs of Virginia and Maryland. (This also tends to be why D.C. scores highly on "young, fun and single" surveys by magazines interested in such things.) The whites and other non-blacks are concentrated in the northwest quadrant of the city, and around Capitol Hill, while northeast and southeast are almost entirely black, with some notable exceptions like the affluent enclave clustered around Eastern Market Metro station and some encroaching gentrification on some northern Metro stops. (There is no southwest.) - Banyan Tree 07:58, 25 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

It's an largely artifact of how the political boundaries are drawn; there's nothing particular about the demographic distribution of the whole area. DC is the old dense urban core at the centre of the Washington Metropolitan Area. With White flight in the '70s many whites moved out of the central city and into surrounding suburbs, just as they did in many other US cities. It's really pretty arbitrary which cities encompass a huge area (including all their suburbs) in the same political unit, and which don't. DC is 68 square miles, San Francisco is even smaller at 47. But Philadelphia is 142 square miles, Detroit 143, Chicago 234, and Dallas a whopping 385. So the big difference between DC and say Chicago isn't some major difference in population distribution, but simply that much of the suburbs of Chicago is counted as "Chicago", while much of the suburbs of DC aren't counted as "DC", but as parts of Maryland and Virginia. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 18:42, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Not sure how that addresses the question. In fact I don't understand it. Chicago hasn't annexed any neighboring towns since the late 19th century, half a century or more before white flight and some of those former towns like Pullman and Roseland (97.8% black!) are the most black areas of Chicago. Even the southern "inner ring cities" like Phoenix, Harvey, Dolton all have very high percentages of black citizens. ..."much of the suburbs of Chicago is counted as "Chicago"... is simply wrong. It may be counted as Chicagoland but is not counted as the City of Chicago. Rmhermen

I also must disagree. The far north, south and west sides of Chicago have significant populations of African Americans. Moreover, they do not resemble the suburbs in terms of population density or other factors (Take Rogers Park, for example, on the border of Evanston.)

Perhaps Finlay is thinking of New York City, where Staten Island and parts of Queens and the northern part of the Bronx could be said to resemble a suburb, at least physically, with their detached houses and lawns, look a bit like the suburbs, especially when compared to the City. ObiterDicta ( pleadings • errata • appeals ) 20:05, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Let's look at metro areas. 26% of the people in the Washington metropolitan area in 2000 were black. In the New York area, it was 24.6%; Philadelphia, 20.1%; Chicago, 18.9%; Boston, 7%; L.A., 9.8%; Atlanta, 28.9%; Birmingham, Ala., 30.1%. So while the Washington area, being close to the South, has a somewhat larger black population than most big cities, the real reason DC itself is 60% black is because many of the Washington area's black neighborhoods are in the District. -- Mwalcoff 22:42, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Nazi Press

Have any of you guys ever read any of the main Nazi newspapers, published before and during the Third Reich? I would be interested to know what some of the more unusual themes were, and how propaganda was used and developed. Thanks in anticipation. Captainhardy 17:47, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, I skimmed through years' worth of Volkischer Beobachter, though only up to 1933, and Der Angriff for the period from about 1927 to 1935. I have also looked at Der Sturmer, though a few editions of this was about as much as I could stomach.

The diet presented in Beobachter is fairly consistent: lots of stuff on the Versailles 'Diktat', the failings of the Weimar Republic, and the twin dangers of Judaism and Communism. Lots of reports, too, on Hitler speeches and rallies, and very comprehensive electoral coverage, especially from 1929 onwards, when the NSDAP began to make breakthroughs in local and state elections, before the dramatic surge in the Reichstag election of September 1930. Many of the early reports on the inside pages are unintentionally amusing. The biggest danger faced was from the those left in charge of local funds running off with the loot! Street battles with the Communists are also reported with great regularity. Also in the early days there is very little commercial advertising, just small stuff. This changed in 1930, when full page adverts from Shell, Standard Oil and the like begin to appear. Der Angriff shared the same basic themes as Beobachter, though Goebbels' speciality was acute forms of personal abuse, most often directed against Dr Bernhard Weiss, the Jewish Police President of Berlin, regularly lampooned as 'Isador'. Besides Jews, Gypsies were also a target, with reports on their alleged cruelty to animals. I also remember one bizarre report about a clergyman beaten up at a Goebbles' rally, only to apply for Nazi Party membership a few days later! Stürmer has one theme, and one theme only, and it is difficult to believe that normal people could read this stuff and remain normal, and that Medieval nonsense like the blood libel was still being peddled in the twentieth century. Clio the Muse 00:30, 25 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Sadly, as made clear by the recent Richard Littlejohn documentary for Britain's Channel 4, the blood libel is still alive and well in certain unsavoury sections of the Arab media, along with Arabic translations of Mein Kampf and The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. --Dweller 12:58, 25 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

It's also alive in unsavoury sections of the English speaking world, along with English translations of Mein Kampf and The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. And the thought of Richard Littlejohn lecturing anyone on hate-crime is pretty repugnant to me. DuncanHill 13:11, 25 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

As is a lot of racist crap about other races Nil Einne 12:59, 26 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Thomas More

Is there any more data on Sir Thomas More campaign against English protestants? Judithspencer 18:01, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

This, Judith, is one aspect of his career that tends to escape popular attention, because it is not at all in accordance with the saintly 'Man for all Seasons.'

In religious and intellectual terms More was highly orthodox. The primary message of Utopia, for example, is the need for order and discipline, not liberty. The society described is totalitarian, about as far removed from present day ideals of freedom as it is possible to get. This is a world where attempts to discuss public policy outwith officially allowed forums are punishable by death.

So More placed great value on the attainment of harmony and on a strict hierarchy of order. All challenges to uniformity and hierarchy were perceived as dangers; and in practical terms the greatest danger, as he saw it, was the challenge that heretics posed to the established faith. The most important thing of all for More was to maintain the unity of Christendom. The Lutheran Reformation, with all of the prospects of fragmentation and discord, was for him a feared and fearful thing.

His own personal counter-attack began in the manner that one would expect from a writer. He assisted Henry VIII with the production of the Defence of the Seven Sacraments, a polemical response to Martin Luther's On the Babylonian Captivity of the Church. When Luther replied with Contre Henricum Regem Anglie, with all of the venom and vulgarity of which he was capable, More was given the task of firing off a counter-broadside, which he did in Responsio ad Lutherum. Just as violent and as vulgar as Luther, this book deepenend More's commitment to the forms of order and discipline outlined in Utopia. Heresy was a disease, a threat to the peace and unity of both church and society.

More was more than a writer: he was a lawyer, a politicial and one of the King's chief coucillors, so he was able to give his hatred of heresy some practical direction. His early actions included aiding Cardinal Wolsey in preventing Lutheran books being imported into England. He also assisted in the production of a Star Chamber edict against heretical preaching. Further literary polemics appeared under his name; but his greatest opportunity came in October 1529, when he was appointed Lord Chancellor of England. The task before him was simple enough "Now seeing that the king's gracious purpose in this point, I reckon that being his unworthy chancellor, it appertaineth...to help as much as in me is, that his people, abandoning the contagion of all such pestilent writing, may be far from infection."

Heresy was a cancer, and could only be stopped by burning, of books and of people. In June 1530 it was decreed that offenders were to be brought before the King's Council, rather than being examined by their bishops, the practice hitherto. Actions taken by the Council got ever more severe. In 1531, one Richard Bayfield, a book peddlar, was burned at Smithfield. Further burnings followed. In The Confutation of Tyndale's Answer, yet another polemic, More took particular delight in the execution Sir Thomas Hitton, describing him as "the devil's stinking martyr". The extraordinary persecution only came to a (temporary) stop when More resigned as Lord Chancellor in May 1532. It was the end of Utopia. Clio the Muse 02:10, 25 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I copied certain details from Clio's reply to Thomas More. --Ghirla^-трёп- 20:54, 26 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

More's actions led directly to his being canonized as an R.C. saint, one might add. --Wetman 09:59, 29 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

What is a dabouke?

What is a "dabouke"? In the album notes for the band Spoon, this instrument is listed as being played by band member Brad Shenfeld, but I have not been able to find any information online about the nature of this instrument. All webpages simply reference the bands discography. Any information, including how to pronounce it would be appreciated. Thank you.

216.143.34.194 18:01, 24 July 2007 (UTC) <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:Lupin/navpop.css&action=raw&ctype=text/css&dontcountme=s">R. Henderson[reply]

If you search google for 打棒 (dabou), you get various instruments where you strike two items together, such as triangles. And the "dabou" listed on this site appear to be two wooden sticks. --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 19:53, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

From the picture, the dabouke appears to be a percussion instrument usually referred to as Claves in English speaking countries. --S.dedalus 01:07, 25 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Collateral Trading

Hi All,

I would like to know more about collateral trading and how it works within finance, specifically in relation to hedge Funds. How Collateral Trading desks within Prime Brokerages trade. The more detailed your answer the best it would be.

Many thanks —Preceding unsigned comment added by Muredius (talk • contribs)

I'm not sure what you mean by "collateral trading", but take a look at our articles on asset-backed securities and collateralized debt obligations and let us know if you have any questions. Marco polo 14:14, 25 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

alcoholics's

An alocoholic's life expectancyis shortend by how many years?72.192.157.100 20:18, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

It really depends on the quantity of alcohol consumed and the effects of alcohol on the body. Because of the various effects and how each may impact an individual, it is difficult to place a specific number of years. I am also required to tell you that Wikipedia does not give medical advice, and that it is always best to consult a doctor. HYENASTE 02:23, 25 July 2007 (UTC)

BUILDING A REFERENCE BIBLIOGRAPHY ON WORLD CULTURES

Dear Sir/Madam,

Firstly I wish to congratulate you all who work for this innovative and revolutionary cultural tool called Wikipedia.

I need to do a BROAD RESEARCH (no matter how long it takes) on WORLD CULTURES, ancient and current ones, with the purpose of writing a book (in Portuguese and Esperanto) on World Cultures, with a particular approach that I believe to be IMPORTANT to mankind as a whole.

I would appreciate your help in this matter.

Yours truly,

Mr. Mario FONSECA Brasilia - DF

My e-mail: [EMAIL REMOVED] My phone #: [CONTACT REMOVED] —Preceding unsigned comment added by 164.41.124.246 (talk • contribs)

You haven't actually asked a question, and we do not do homework. What we do do is answer specific questions.

Have a nice day,

The Rhymesmith 21:12, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Mr Fonseca, your contact details have been removed to help protect you from spam and hoax calls/emails. Answers to questions are answered here, rather than through email. If you could be a bit more specific in what you need, it would help editors to help you - are there particular aspects of world cultures that you need information on? Are you looking for a broad overview, or for specific details? The more information you can give - the more you are likely to get! By the way, it's good to always sign your question/comments here, you can do this by typing ~~~~ at the end of your message. I've left a Welcome pack at your talk page - this has useful hints on using Wikipedia. DuncanHill 21:19, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The word "culture" can mean varied things. Do you mean "societies"? Surely, if you're going to write a book on the subject, you'd find it very easy to construct such a list... maybe that's why we're finding it very hard to help you. Can you be more specific? If your English is weak, feel free to post in Portuguese and one of our linguists will translate. --Dweller 12:54, 25 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

CFA Exams discontinued in India

This is quite an amazing story. With the recent High court decision to discontinue holding CFA Exams in India, the extent of competition & Stress on the educational forefront will significantly reduce it is definitely a great respite as the turnout consequently undermines the value of the degree..

Is there something you wish done with this information?

The Rhymesmith 21:13, 24 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Excuse my ignorance, but I have no idea what CFA Exams are in this context – presumably not those of the article with the title CFA Exam. --Lambiam 07:30, 25 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Actually it appears it is [6] Nil Einne 12:54, 26 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]