Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2010 September 6

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September 6

Alone on a quest narrative

Hi, I'm looking for references of stories from classical and modern literature where the hero undergoes a lonely journey, going ever deeper in enemy territory. I guess it is a classic narrative but I can't think of any off the top of my head. The protagonist travels alone and face various difficulties before confronting the main opponent at the end. Any suggestions? Thank you. 190.244.191.109 (talk) 00:53, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

See: Monomyth. --Mr.98 (talk) 01:10, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets seems to fit the profile. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 12:10, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

Lord of the Ring, the bits where Sam isn't there, or when Frodo is eaten by the spider and Sam continues alone. Also you could think of Sam and Frodo as one entity and it fits your requirements. Quadrupedaldiprotodont (talk) 14:14, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

I don't know if this fits your needs, but most First and Third person shooter video games, like Tomb Raider and Half Life fit this description. Rojomoke (talk) 14:43, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

Rather than having us just naming things, have you tried playing around with TVTropes? It basically does what you can — allows you to identify common tropes and shows a length list of all sorts of media that follow it. It has a page on the Monomyth, which is exactly what you are describing. Click around a bit and you'll find a ton of links there. We could literally be here for weeks describing literature and movies and games that fit the structure, because it's basically the most common myth structure in all of recorded human history. --Mr.98 (talk) 22:29, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

ACT/SAT

OK, I'm taking the ACT and SAT later this year. After doing some practice tests with the Reading sections of both I have got all the concepts tested. I get the majority of the problem right, but there are usually a few where I eliminate all but two answers, which are usually the most ambiguous of all the questions, one of which is correct, and my main loss of points results from my picking the wrong one. In a situation like this (broad unfotunately because this occurs in a variety of contexts) how can I reduce these mistakes? I realize that practice is an answer but I'm already doing that, so are there any others? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.230.209.53 (talk) 01:23, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

ACT and SAT questions are generally structured to have two answers that are fairly obviously wrong if you have a basic grasp on the material, and two answers that are hard to distinguish between unless you have a strong grasp on the material. If you only have a basic grasp, then you will maximize your score by (quite literally) flipping a coin. trying to pick randomly using your head is problematic - humans don't randomize well (they are always influenced by some factor or another, and that may very well work against you). best bet of course is to make a list of the questions you get wrong, and do some focused studying to improve your grasp on those topics.

this will not work on the LSATs, GREs, MCATs, or other high level exams. sorry, but for those test reasoning skills more than knowledge, and that's a very different ball of wax. --Ludwigs2 01:38, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

Even the SAT and ACT are, to some extent, Aptitude tests (that's pretty surprising that we don't have an article on that topic). They claim they're not, and the SAT certainly doesn't correlate with IQ as much as it used to, but at some point some people are going to be able to do better than others no matter how much preparation is put in. Not everyone is capable of pulling a 36 on the ACT, no matter how much tutoring they get and practice tests they've taken. Buddy431 (talk) 02:31, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

Also, I'm sure you know this, but the SAT penalizes ¼ point for each incorrect answer, so if you aren't really leaning at least moderately towards one of the two answers it would be probably best to leave that question blank (they do not penalize for unanswered questions). On the ACT this isn't a problem, as there is no penalty for incorrect answers. Ks0stm ^(T•C•G) 01:51, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

That's ridiculous. If you can narrow a question down to at most three answers, then it's statistically favorable to guess. If you randomly choose between two answers, you have a 50% chance of getting 1 pt (and a 50% chance of loosing a quarter point), for an expected score of 0.375, well above the zero you're going to get if you leave it blank. Buddy431 (talk) 02:25, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

Fair point...I've always been rather conservative when taking tests, and the result was usually less ¼ point deductions (at least on the PSAT; I've never taken the SAT itself) compared to friends who were more liberal with their guesses, and it actually made the difference to where I ended up with the higher score...purely OR, but that was my experience with it. Ks0stm ^(T•C•G) 04:04, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

as I mentioned before, though, you ned to keep in mind that guessing is far, far from random. I remember seeing something in Scientific American (I think) ages ago: a guessing game which someone had constructed (using psychological research) so that the average player would score very very low, even though every question was a simple binary guess. (wish I had a reference for that, but I'm too darned lazy to thumb through 20-40 years of SA to find it). you can be pretty sure that the SAT people have detailed statistics on what kinds of wrong answers appeal to people. --Ludwigs2 04:44, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

Prostitution

Which countries have really legalized prostitution ? I mean where it goes like smooth, guilt-free business, and authorities really do not interfere ?  Jon Ascton  (talk) 01:32, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

Wikipedia's article on Prostitution and the law has a list of them: Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal, Lebanon, Austria, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Netherlands, Switzerland, Turkey, Mexico, Panama, United States (Nevada), Australia (in most eastern states), New Zealand, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela. -FisherQueen (talk · contribs) 01:59, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

Or better yet, Prostitution by country, where is looks like pretty much every nation has their own article on the subject. Buddy431 (talk) 02:09, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

Please reread the question - the word "really" stressed...

I'm not sure what answer you're looking for. I'm in the US, and I've never heard that the authorities prevent the brothels in Nevada from their business, or their clients from patronizing them. If they did, they could certainly be held accountable through the court. -FisherQueen (talk · contribs) 02:19, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

It is really nice to know that. But what about moralists, ain't there any lobbies protesting ?

I googled "Nevada brothel protests" and didn't turn up anything very significant-sounding. I think if you're just looking to hire a prostitute, you should be able to go to a legal brothel in Nevada and not experience any legal difficulties. You might get a better answer by looking up brothel web sites and contacting the managers directly to ask how likely it is that you'll encounter protesters or unfriendly police. -FisherQueen (talk · contribs) 02:33, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

I'm afraid you are getting too personal. I am talking about the politics of the legal prostitution. My question is about the fact that self appointed moralists (in India the right-wing) are fiercely opposed to legalization of prostitution. What I'd like to know is how active the church etc. are in west in getting things back to what-they-think-is-normal.  Jon Ascton  (talk) 09:31, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

In New Zealand, the leaders of most of the major denominations (Baptists, Methodists, Salvation Army, Anglicans, and Roman Catholics— I certainly wouldn't call all of them "right wing") wrote an open letter to Parliament opposing the bill which legalised prostitution when it was being considered. But I don't know whether they have an official position on the matter now after the country has had seven years' experience of this law. (I should mention that the fact that some people protest against a particular legal phenomenon doesn't mean that the phenomenon is "not really legalised".) Marnanel (talk) 13:36, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

I doubt that any place where "the authorities don't interfere" will have a "smooth" prostitution business; prostitution, and indeed any business, has a tendency to become shady and corrupt if it is not tightly regulated. I would say that the places where prostitution acts the most as business like any other: Switzerland and The Netherlands, for example, are where it is very tightly regulated. Workers are required to pass health checks, for example, and revenues are taxed. Buddy431 (talk) 02:21, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

Here in New Zealand it is "smooth" if you mean that the authorities don't harass them at all (though the community may protest should you put your brothel by a school); however, as Buddy says, the business is rather shady still and workers' health and wellbeing is neglected a bit. sonia♫ 09:52, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

Thanks, Sonia. I am very pleased and relieved to hear that.  Jon Ascton  (talk) 10:53, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

Haha, You might want to clarify which part of Sonia's statement you're relieved to hear about. APL (talk) 20:45, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

Family of William of Gellone

What was the name of the family of William of Gellone? It seems many Frankish noble family had names ie. the Agilolfings, the Bosonids and the Etichonids. So what was William's family's name, it seem they should have one since they were quite powerful controlling much of southern France and being married to the relatives of the Carolingians.--Queen Elizabeth II's Little Spy (talk) 02:24, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

Actually, most families, even noble ones, didn't have surnames. The three you mention were all taken from an illustrious ancestor (Agilulf, Boso the Elder and Adalrich Eticho), and used to identify their descendants or their houses. I'm not even sure if that was done contemporaneously or if it was applied by historians at a later date. Lacking that, they would have been known by nickname ("Court nez" == Shortnose) or by the house they already belonged to (d'Orange). I don't know where "Fierabrace" comes from. Rojomoke (talk) 07:17, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

See Family name#History: "The practice of using family names spread through the Eastern Roman Empire and gradually into Western Europe although it was not until the modern era that family names came to be explicitly inherited in the way that they are today." Ghmyrtle (talk) 09:55, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

The Wikipedia article on the Bosonids commences with the statement "The Bosonids were a dynasty that have been named in modern times by their descent from Boso the Elder."--Wetman (talk) 06:39, 7 September 2010 (UTC)

Winston Churchill - had to earn a living?

Did he have to earn a living, or did he work as a soldier, journalist and later as a politician by choice? I understand that although he was born in Blenheim Palace he did not live there in later life. 92.15.7.161 (talk) 10:55, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

The second paragraph of his military career section of the Wikipedia article seems to imply that he was not entirely financially independent as a young man and took up war correspondence as a means of supplementing his income. So I would suspect that this would imply that if there was a lot of family money, he didn't have unrestricted access to it. It doesn't seem like being a layabout was an option. But one doesn't get into either military, journalism, or politics for the money, really. --Mr.98 (talk) 12:24, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

Yes, Churchill did have to earn a living. His grandfather was a Duke but his father was a younger son, and also died young in 1895. Churchill inherited almost nothing but he bumped up his income from being in the Army by writing for the Morning Post. When out of office in the 1920s and especially in the 1930s he was largely dependent on earnings from journalism; by no means were all his published works on political topics. It seems hard to think of Winston Churchill as a hack journalist but in the early 1930s that would not have been totally inaccurate as a description. Sam Blacketer (talk) 13:24, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

Winston was born at Blenheim by accident; his mother was just visiting the wealthy in-laws when she went into labour (it was on the Antiques Roadshow last night so it must be true). Alansplodge (talk) 16:09, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

Churchill was a very prolific writer and made a lot of his money from journalism, but he also wrote a number of best-selling history books. His history of The World Crisis (World War I) was a major income source, and he also wrote his biographical series on the Duke of Marlborough during the thirties. Also his A History of the English-Speaking Peoples, but that didn't come out until the 1950s. And his history of World War II was a huge bestseller. In short he made his living by writing. Looie496 (talk) 19:10, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

According to the recent biography (excellent book) by Roy Jenkins, Churchill lived most of his first 30 or 40 years barely making enough income to support his tremendous spending habits. When he was first assigned to the India corps, in addition to his officer's salary, he received an allowance from his mother (who was living off Lord Randolph Churchill's estate) to cover these costs, and only later did his war journalism and war books start to contribute significantly to his income. Later in life he made loads of money on speech-giving tours. I wish I could remember some of the quotes from that book (and I don't have it handy) but - suffice it to say - he always lived large and spent every dime he made. You asked about where he lived, for example; the construction and operation of Chartwell - his primary non-government residence - nearly bankrupted him. I got the impression that, as a young man, he craved fame and the glory of a big life - perhaps one that eclipsed his father. In my opinion, fighting and writing in the colonies then running for office was just a means to that end.NByz (talk) 19:43, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

I expect he spent every shilling he made, not every dime. Googlemeister (talk) 15:12, 7 September 2010 (UTC)

"Every penny" is the usual idiom in these parts, if you're being VERY picky! Alansplodge (talk) 17:27, 8 September 2010 (UTC)

Homemade pomander

How far back (centuries) is the tradition of making pomanders from studded oranges or studded apples with cloves?

From the relevant Wikipedia articles:

Pomander: "A pomander....is a ball made of perfumes, such as ambergris..., musk, or civet......Pomanders came from the Arab world to Europe and was first mentioned in literatute in the mid-thirteenth century. They were used in the late Middle Ages through the 17th century."

Use of the word 'orange': "The first appearance in English dates from the 14th century."

Cloves: "...found their way west to the Middle East and Europe well before the first century AD. Archeologists found cloves within a ceramic vessel in Syria along with evidence dating the find to within a few years of 1721 BC."

But the pomander article also says: "A modern form of pomander is made by studding an orange or other fruit with whole dried cloves..."

So according to the article, less than a century. 92.15.19.57 (talk) 18:54, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

This book (on p.60) suggests that the tradition goes back to "the Middle Ages", as an olfactory prophylactic device at times of plague. Ghmyrtle (talk) 20:52, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

This http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=vkWJXKt7lbIC&pg=PA299&dq=pomander+orange+history&hl=en&ei=8H2FTIXFGJGUjAf-_sCeBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CEYQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=pomander%20orange%20history&f=false says that the orange pomander was invented by Cardinal Wolsey. Searching for 'orange pomander history' in Google Books produces many results. 92.28.248.94 (talk) 23:48, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

Nice lead, Thanks. This would put the idea back about 500 years or so if we are talking of Thomas Wolsey.--Doug Coldwell ^talk 11:23, 7 September 2010 (UTC)

Re Wolsey, this site quotes Cavendish's Life of Wolsey as follows: "He being thereof then advertised, came out of his privy chamber, about eight of the clocke … holding in his hande an orange, whereof the meate or substance within was taken out, and filled up againe with the parte of a spunge, wherein was vinegar and other confections againste the pestilent aires; the which he most commonly held to his nose when he came along any presse, or else that he was pestered with any suiters." That does not sound quite the same as the modern version. This suggests that "the use of clove-studded fruit, dusted with ground spice mixes, as pomanders, were introduced by the Arabs." Ghmyrtle (talk) 12:27, 7 September 2010 (UTC)

Yes, I see that pertaining to the Arabs - however it doesn't seem to give a time period. The book of potpourri by Penny Black indicates on page 72 a time period of the sixteenth century, which would put it in Wolsey's time. Further down on that page in the book I obtained from the library today it says: Citrus fruits, studded with cloves and rolled in spices, are described in literature of the sixteenth century. It looks like perhaps this tradition goes back some 500 years according to literature references.--Doug Coldwell ^talk 21:31, 7 September 2010 (UTC)

Biblical quote

According to Johnson (1893) p. 25, a sermon was held on 17 June 1816 at Ely Cathedral preached by Henry Bate Dudley from the text (I Tim. i. 9). Rather than assume, would someone please confirm ...

1. ... if this would have been from the authorized King James Version?
2. ... if this is Book 1 Timothy i 9 the correct way to reference this text?
3. ... what the reliable source is to this text?

--Senra (Talk) 15:42, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

1. Yes, almost certainly - the first significant revision of the King James Version, the Revised Version, was not published until the 1880s.
2. Yes, I Tim. i. 9 is short for the 9th verse of the first chapter of Paul's 1st letter to Timothy (there are two letters from Paul to Timothy in the New Testament).
3. There are lots of on-line texts of the KJV - picking one at random, the verse referenced reads "Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers ...". The list continues in verse 10. Gandalf61 (talk) 15:58, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

Q1 Yes, the KJV was the only version allowed in the Church of England until the advent of the Revised Version in 1885 and then the New English Bible in 1961. The 1885 revisions were rather minor IIRC.

Q2 I have often seen the chapter numbers in lower case Roman numerals, perhaps to avoid confusion with the verse number. However a look at Google shows that most modern sources use Arabic numerals throughout.

Q2 This[1] shows the verse in context although whether this is a "reliable source" or not, I'm not sure. Alansplodge (talk) 16:02, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

•  Done Much appreciated both of you and, incidentally, thank you Gandalf61 for your support here :) --Senra (Talk) 16:07, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

Correlation between Oil Prices and Bond Yield.

Is there any relationship between Bond Yield and Oil prices? If yes, how does one affect the other? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Nikhilthemacho (talk • contribs) 17:10, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

Bonds are a very wide category. Corporate bonds within the oil and gas sector may indeed show a correlation with oil prices, since the health of those companies may directly correlate. Did you have a specific sector or type of bond in mind? Antandrus (talk) 17:30, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

Yes, corporate bonds is the category I am considering. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Nikhilthemacho (talk • contribs) 18:11, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

Sounds like a homework question. But maybe a more pertinent question is what currency is your oil denominated in and what currency are your bonds paying in. Shadowjams (talk) 06:00, 7 September 2010 (UTC)

Finding "modest" feminine attire

For a girl or a woman who wants to dress "modestly" for the classroom or the workplace, what are some good sources of garments (blouses, skirts, and dresses) whose upper extremities are not too low, whose lower extremities are not too high, whose material is not too diaphanous, and whose fit is not too tight? I am interested in all countries and all regions, so please answer for any place for which you are able to do so?.
—Wavelength (talk) 17:21, 6 September 2010 (UTC)
[I am correcting my punctuation, by changing a question mark to a full stop (period).—Wavelength (talk) 17:56, 6 September 2010 (UTC)]

Wikipedia can't substitute for your local business directory. This is a Reference Desk.--Wetman (talk) 17:27, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

She is asking us to refer her to a place. That's certainly a reference question. Aaronite (talk) 05:24, 7 September 2010 (UTC)

If you're trying to find something that would cover the bases for all possible countries and regions, the Burqa might be your best bet. I can't think of anything more modest than that. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 17:32, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

Modesty standards vary quite widely among countries and cultures, so it isn't possible to answer the question without more information about where you are. In the United States, I often buy my clothing from Lands' End, which has a wide range of clothing which is cut modestly enough to be quite appropriate for my own culture, but I don't know whether that meets your modesty standards or not, because I don't know very much about your modesty standards. -FisherQueen (talk · contribs) 17:34, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

It depends on whether he's looking for one outfit per culture, or one outfit that will work everywhere (which is why I suggested the burqa). ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 17:40, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

Isn't that illegal in France now though, Bugs? Wikiscient (talk) 17:43, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

So is bathing, I've heard. So, what do the French consider to be "modest" attire? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 17:52, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

I don't understand the question, but t-shirt and jogging bottoms are casual and comfortable, and good for all situations. 82.44.55.25 (talk) 17:43, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

I guessed that she was looking for clothing for herself- her userpage says she's a native English speaker, so I made an educated guess that the modesty standards prevalent in the US, Britain, and Australia were the most likely. But I don't know, for example, whether she considers a skirt 'too short' when it shows the ankles, or when it shows the knees, or whether a blouse is 'too low' when it shows the neck. In my own culture, modest clothing would not show the tops of the breasts or the thighs and knees, but showing clavicle and calf would still be modest- but I know that there are cultures and subcultures that have different standards of modesty. It would also help to know the purpose of the information: whether this is someone looking for work clothes, or putting together a web directory of businesses. -FisherQueen (talk · contribs) 17:45, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

I am not looking for a universal answer to fit all places, and my expression "please answer for any place for which you are able to do so" allows for variation of standards and sources among countries and regions. Also, I wish to add the criterion "not too casual", so the answer "t-shirt and jogging bottoms" is not satisfactory. Some businesses require a more "professional" appearance. After I posted my question, I found the website http://www.modestclothes.com/, which seems to be a very good directory of sources. Thank you, all answerers, for your interest.
—Wavelength (talk) 18:25, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

In the UK, I'd say perhaps Marks and Spencer. - Jarry1250 ^{[Humorous? Discuss.]} 20:03, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

One problem with Marks and Spencer is that often their tops are quite low cut so that some cleavage shows, or even your bra. If it is an M&S blouse, you need to check where the top button on a blouse is as for many of their styles it is too low, depending on your shape. I used to buy a lot of my workwear from there but now tend to get blouses from LandsEnd because of this problem.

[I am revising the heading of this section, by removing the question mark. [2] I hope to be more careful in the future.
—Wavelength (talk) 23:03, 7 September 2010 (UTC)]

Look for stores that cater to religious Jews or Muslims. (Google jewish clothing, or muslim clothing.) Ariel. (talk) 03:24, 8 September 2010 (UTC)

How about a Salwar kameez, the modest alternative in many UK schools that have a uniform or clothing guidelines? Astronaut (talk) 10:51, 8 September 2010 (UTC)

What a waste of the privelidge of being female. If I was a woman, I'd dress like a tart. 92.28.242.240 (talk) 12:14, 8 September 2010 (UTC)

Quite apart from professionalism and controlling the view people have of you, I experience harrassment and threatening behaviour fairly often, even when dressed modestly. I can't speak for others, but I personally have little desire to increase the harrassment I experience for little gain: when with a group of friends, partying, the tradeoff is often worth it. Most other times, it isn't. You could always dress like a gigolo every day, or a rent-boy. 86.164.78.91 (talk) 17:37, 8 September 2010 (UTC)

I had lots of serious and frequent harassment when I was a youth, despite being modestly and smartly dressed, so it is not just for women. Besides, what would have been considered tart-wear not so long ago is just everyday High Street fashion now. Leggings, hot pants, or kinky boots, for example. 92.15.20.52 (talk) 19:33, 8 September 2010 (UTC)

According to the article you linked, you'd dress like a pastry dish?

To original question: What is "too"? My skirts tend to come up to just above my knees (with stockings), my blouses form-fitting (not skin-tight) but not showing cleavage. Would that be immodest by your standards? sonia♫ 12:28, 8 September 2010 (UTC)

I posted my original question on behalf of all females who have experienced difficulty in finding garments that conform to one dress code or another. I am aware that there is some variation among standards set by different organizations and different institutions, so I deliberately worded my question to accommodate those different standards. I appreciate any information which helps with any part of the range of possibilities.
—Wavelength (talk) 19:38, 8 September 2010 (UTC)

Ah, okay. Here in NZ it's not that difficult to find such clothing; just about every department store will stock decent (although sometimes plain) modest blouses and long pants. Skirts that are suitable are a little harder to find, especially since there are so many cuts of skirts that suit different figures. The thing I've observed here is that some stores go through a "season" of selling skirts then just revert to one or two that are either street-fashion miniskirts or just plain weird. That said, I live on a musician's budget, so a lot of my clothing is from second-hand shops. I find that if you know where to look these can give your dress style a lot more originality and personality. sonia♫ 21:43, 8 September 2010 (UTC)

Take professional women in public life. They usually dress in Suit style outfit. If you have thought this long and hard about it, then a more formal attire is required. MacOfJesus (talk) 00:04, 9 September 2010 (UTC)

Maj.Gen.Ashmore

Hello, I have spoken to Wikipedia help desk, I was told maybe you can help me. I am researching a Maj. Gen. Ashmore, I have found an article on him on Wilipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Ashmore_(British_Army_officer). I trying to find information on him before he he went to the "Royal military academy Wolwich" his early years, for example who were his parents etc. his social background, edication. I hope you can help.

Thanks Astonboy —Preceding unsigned comment added by Astonboy3 (talk • contribs) 17:31, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

This is from the ODNB, a standard British reference work - "born on 20 February 1872 at 18 Radnor Place, Paddington, London, the son of Fitzroy Paley Ashmore, a barrister, and his wife, Marian Bailey. He was educated at Eton College and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich". I hope this is of some help. DuncanHill (talk) 18:05, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

Class hint: toff.--Wetman (talk) 06:07, 7 September 2010 (UTC)

No, not a toff, not with a lawyer father. Middle-to-upper middle class. DuncanHill (talk) 09:08, 7 September 2010 (UTC)

Mmmm... educated at Eaton is always going to get you to the toff-ish end of the spectrum, at least to those of us in the lower orders ;-) Alansplodge (talk) 17:20, 8 September 2010 (UTC)

Dunno about Eaton, but there's an awful lot of "trade" at Eton. DuncanHill (talk) 01:23, 10 September 2010 (UTC)

Pregnancy Frog Test

I heard on some Chinese television show that ancient Chinese believed that if a frog smells the urine of a woman if she is pregnant it'll croak if she isn't it won't. Is this true?--CHANLONG (talk) 19:29, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

Wikipedia's article on Pregnancy test indicates that frogs were used in pregnancy testing, but not in this way- if I understand the description correctly, a frog injected with urine from a pregnant woman would produce eggs within 24 hours. I googled a bit, and couldn't find references to an ancient Chinese frog test involving the death of the frog, but that doesn't mean some Chinese folk-culture scholar won't be along in a moment with that. -FisherQueen (talk · contribs) 19:34, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

I don't think "croak" refers to dying here. 80.123.210.172 (talk) 20:00, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

Ha ha! I missed that entirely. My mistake, I think. -FisherQueen (talk · contribs) 20:42, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

Rabbits were used in this way; you would inject a woman's urine into a Rabbit's ovaries, and if then examine them under a microscope some time later; if the ovaries showed certain signs, then there were pregancy hormones in her urine, and she was pregnant. The practice showed up in an episode of M*A*S*H and in the Aerosmith song "Sweet Emotion", the line being "You can't catch me cuz the rabbit done died". See Rabbit test. --Jayron32 04:44, 7 September 2010 (UTC)

With hypodermic needles and microscopes these Chinese weren't so ancient.--Wetman (talk) 06:05, 7 September 2010 (UTC)

Sociology

I'm just finishing up my sociology homework (I know, I'm working on procrastinating less ;) and there is a question at the end that goes something like 'In some television series and films, the directors will have an attractive female major character wear glasses at least part of the time. This usually will be rarely referenced and will not affect the plot." It mentions a few examples, most of which I just skimmed but I noticed Allison Cameron from House as one of them, because I sometimes watch that show. THen it asks what the purpose is and if I can think of any other examples. I realize that in sociology there is more than one "right" interpretation but there is also something the authors are looking for. I have something along the lines of "The glasses create a perceived 'flaw' in an otherwise unattainable character. They thus allow female audiences to better relate to a character who is far more pretty than themselves, effectively increasing female viewership while not reducing the character's 'sex appeal' (and the male viewership with it), as might a more pronounced flaw." For examples I put Penelope Cruz in Sahara and Tina Fey (well..., practically anywhere). By my class's standards this is probably already full points, but my 2 questions are, is there anything I'm missing or any other reasons, and what are some more examples? I don't really watch that much TV so that's all I could think of. 76.229.163.32 (talk) 20:12, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

Please do your own homework.

Welcome to Wikipedia. Your question appears to be a homework question. I apologize if this is a misinterpretation, but it is our aim here not to do people's homework for them, but to merely aid them in doing it themselves. Letting someone else do your homework does not help you learn nearly as much as doing it yourself. Please attempt to solve the problem or answer the question yourself first. If you need help with a specific part of your homework, feel free to tell us where you are stuck and ask for help. If you need help grasping the concept of a problem, by all means let us know. Quadrupedaldiprotodont (talk) 20:38, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

Although I can't be of help in answering the question, I don't think a "do your own homework" stock answer is appropriate. The questioner has shown that he or she has thought through the question and gone as far as he or she can with the answer, and is satisfied that their existing work would score full marks. That's normally the point at which we'll pick up and add useful pointers. FWIW, glasses are also sometimes used to make people look more studious, intelligent or authoritative than they otherwise would; not sure if this is ever their purpose on the stupid box. --Tagishsimon (talk) 21:46, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

There might be some stuff on tvtropes.org, such as this or this or, indeed, the main glasses trope list. --Tagishsimon (talk) 22:10, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

There is an antique stereotype that women who wear glasses are "bookish", i.e. intellectual more than sensuous. This newer approach might be a way of bridging that gap. But the question seems pretty complicated. If I were doing that essay, I would start by googling ["men don't make passes at girls who wear glasses"] and see where that goes. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 22:56, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

Glasses are a classic sign for "intelligent, bookish, smart." Put on a lady they emphasize her cerebral side. I don't think they are meant to create a "flaw" unless you have already determined that cerebral is not your thing. The obvious stereotype is "pretty women aren't smart," which the glasses are meant to subvert. I find the analysis you've offered up to be pretty unconvincing — a real leap. Tina Fey is a good example of someone who much is made of because she subverts the "pretty women aren't smart" trope in real life as well. (As TV Tropes discusses.) See also, Beautiful All Along.--Mr.98 (talk) 01:14, 7 September 2010 (UTC)

Purchase Ensure at PX?

To US Navy

I do not know wether this is a proper method to send it or not. Anyway, I am trying to find out whether I can shop at PX in the US Navy or not. Also, I am elibible for the social security benefit as of December, 2010; however, I do not know how much the Yen I can get due to the unfavorable recent excange rate. Consequently, I would like to know whether I can utilize PX facility or if I can get a part time job there or not since I am US citizen.

Thank you very much for your prompt response to the above matter.

Best regards, —Preceding unsigned comment added by Roykohama (talk • contribs) 22:49, 6 September 2010 (UTC)

Wikipedia has nothing to do with the US Navy, and I doubt that anybody here is going to know what you are talking about; sorry. Looie496 (talk) 02:10, 7 September 2010 (UTC)

The article Base exchange, of which the PX is one type, doesn't fully answer the question; but buying at these stores seems to be restricted to military people and their families, and also civilian, government employees that might be operating the stores. The best bet is to contact the Navy directly and find out what the rules are. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 05:49, 7 September 2010 (UTC)

It would surprise me if you could spend Yen at a US naval base, even one in Japan, especially if you are not yourself in the US military, or a dependent of someone who is. Googlemeister (talk) 15:07, 7 September 2010 (UTC)

Ensure is certainly available at most PXes. It is a staple of the modern American sailor. It is also recommended nutrition for detainees who are subject to "dietary manipulation" enhanced interrogation techniques [3] - because it provides enough calories to survive, but in a very unsatisfying way. I find it ironic that Ensure is used as part of a torture-method, because as I understand it, Ensure is also the staple voluntary dietary supplement of American sailors (and geriatrics). Some base exchanges are open to the public, but offer higher prices than they do for servicemen. Nimur (talk) 00:55, 9 September 2010 (UTC)