Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2006 July 18
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Military School
[edit]What is the oldest military school/academy in the country?
Thanks!!!
- Which country? JackofOz 00:39, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
- In the United States, it's almost certainly the US Military Academy at West Point, although The Citadel makes claims for being as ancient. Geogre 02:23, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
- He is probably referring to the U.S. --Proficient 03:45, 20 July 2006 (UTC)
Hitler
[edit]Your article on Adolf Hitler (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolf_Hitler) reads, "Hitler was a great man who did a great deed in exterminating jews". This is not only offensive, but incorrect. This article is noted as not being changeable by new users.
I believe the best change would be to remove this sentence altogether.
- It was vandalism, and has been removed. Thanks for being vigilant. JackofOz 01:14, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
1870s Danish clothing
[edit]Can someone tell me what the typical attire worn by a rural Danish man in the 1870s-1880s was? I believe this was after leather breeches were out of style, but I could be wrong.
- Danish people perhaps? --Proficient 03:46, 20 July 2006 (UTC)
- Thanks. While I found some interesting material there, and while it lead to other interesting material (and on and on), there was nothing on clothing. --Lynne Jorgensen 23:38, 20 July 2006 (UTC)
Liberal-Libertarian
[edit]Is there a particular political party that is home to people who consider themselves liberal-libertarians?
- You mean liberal and libertarian? In what country?--Anchoress 05:10, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
- The Liberal Party or the Libertarian Party - AllanHainey 09:51, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
- You might try the Independence party started by Jesse Ventura as an offshoot of the Reform Party (when it skewed to the right.) They consider themselves "Socially Inclusive and Fiscally Responsible" Their platform is pro-choice, pro-gay rights, pro-medical marijuana, pro-gun rights and fiscally moderate. If that is what you mean by liberal-libertarians. Nowimnthing 13:24, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
- The Liberal Party or the Libertarian Party - AllanHainey 09:51, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
- Or maybe D'66. Please don't double post, so I won't have to double-answer. :) DirkvdM 18:58, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
sheetmusic from the movie "legends of the Fall"
[edit]I am after the piano sheet music to the song played on the piano from the movie "legends of the Fall" starring Brad Pitt & Anthony Hopkins. The song is played by the woman & sung by the youngest son. ≈Mandi
- You can find an arrangement of "Twilight and Mist" at [ http://www.boardmanmusic.com/Ludlows.htm Boardman Music]. ~CivilizeMe
The original Addams Family show
[edit]I know that the Addams Family's first run was 1964-1966, but what year did the syndicated reruns begin? Thank you!
The origin or history of the phrase "Punchers Chance".
[edit]I would like to know the origin and any history of the phrase "punchers chance" or "a punchers chance". I know it is given to designate the underdog from the favorite in a contest. I believe it was first used in boxing, however, this term has become more mainstream and broadly applied in todays use of this phrase. I look forward to reading what you have discovered. Thanks in advance!
- To start off with, the phrase is not to designate the underdog. You wouldn't say that someone is a "puncher's chance". Rather, it describes a low-but-not-too-low chance of success. This is often a term applied to the odds of an underdog's victory; however, a cursory Google search suggests that it's equally likely to find the phrase <underdog> doesn't have a puncher's chance, so being an underdog isn't synonymous with having a puncher's chance.
- As for origins, it's the notion that an unskilled boxer (derogitorialy termed a puncher) could, should he get lucky, deck a skilled fighter by landing a hard blow before his opponent's skill can assert itself. However, I'm also not sure how "mainstream" this has become. The above Google search also indicates that the phrase is almost exclusively in use in fighting circles (boxing and the UFC seem to be the most common). — Lomn | Talk 13:00, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
- Or "punter's chance", which gets even more google hits than "puncher's chance"? In that phrase a punter is a bettor against slim odds. alteripse 13:40, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
Postmodernism equals Neoconservatism
[edit]I am looking for information to either strongly support, or conclusively discredit the arguement that American Neoconservatism comes from Postmodernist political thought. Thanks. (This comment was left unsigned by Dhammond).
- A quick browse over the Wikipedia article on Neoconservativism, and especially the origins of Neoconservatism, does not reveal any names that I recognize as also associated with post-modernism. But I think it would be helpful for you to define (either loosely or strictly) what you mean by "post-modernism", and also "comes from". I don't mean to be pedantic, it is just that in political discussions such as these there can often be a failure of consistent usage of words by both sides. Do you mean are there elements of post-modernist thought in neoconservatism? Or that post-modernists were important in the early establishment of neoconservative thought? What? It would also be helpful if you would define post-modernism because that word is tossed around (especially in the political realm) without any regard to what it is meant to refer to.--droptone 19:39, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
VD and doorknobs
[edit]This question has bugged me for years:
What's up with VD and doorknobs? Something about getting VD from humping the doorknob, and how do you hump a doorknob? What the hell is going on here? =( --68.122.2.65 08:20, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
- It must have been quite a few years. VD is pretty much universally called STD these days. As to your question, I've never tried that particular form of human endeavour, so cannot answer your question. But my colleagues here are all pretty kinky, so I'm sure they'll know. JackofOz 10:10, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
- Don't know about doorknobs. I have heard people talk about catching STD from toilet seats, though, which would be a little less athletic but no more likely. --Richardrj 11:11, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
- It's one of those silly myths. Generally, STD viruses (with perhaps an exception or two) require moisture as well as heat, and they don't survive very well outside of the body. Further, they're diffuse on any surface. Unless the "doorknob" is your nickname for a male partner's genitals, it ain't gonna happen. Geogre 11:35, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
- Viruses dont recquire anything to 'survive' as they cannot die. The only thing they cant survuve are conditions that would actually cause their structure to deteriorate. Philc TECI 12:04, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
- Sorry. You're right. Bacterial STD's would die that way. Viral STD's would have needed some serious bodily fluid to get onto the doorknob, generally blood, and then they'd need to go inside the body to get to blood. I.e. you can catch a rhinovirus from a doorknob, but probably not even Herpes Simplex I, much less II or HPV or the others. Geogre 12:28, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
- No, Geogre was right the first time. The relevant states are not alive or dead but infective or non-infective. STD viruses do not survive well on dry surfaces and the fomite transmissibility is so low it has not been demonstrated in the ordinary envirnoment. alteripse 13:45, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
- Sorry. You're right. Bacterial STD's would die that way. Viral STD's would have needed some serious bodily fluid to get onto the doorknob, generally blood, and then they'd need to go inside the body to get to blood. I.e. you can catch a rhinovirus from a doorknob, but probably not even Herpes Simplex I, much less II or HPV or the others. Geogre 12:28, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
- Viruses dont recquire anything to 'survive' as they cannot die. The only thing they cant survuve are conditions that would actually cause their structure to deteriorate. Philc TECI 12:04, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
But what about getting it from doorknobs? Where did that come in? --mboverload@ 21:02, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
- I suspect that 'getting it from a doorknob' is a cover story. In years past when not as much was publicly known about the transmissibility of STD's one's reputation could be harmed if it became known one had a so-called 'social disease' as a result of sexual intercourse. So to protect one's reputation, one told a little white lie and said "Oh, I must have gotten it from a doorknob..." Presumably someone with an STD had had contact with said doorknob just prior to the innocent victim touching it.
To quote Pat Paulsen, when he spoke frankly about S-E-X, it is possible to catch a venereal disease from a doorknob. It all depends on what you DO with the doorknob, particularly if the doorknob is still moist from someone else doing it. Thousands of men returned from World War I infected with venereal diseases they had never heard of and certainly never expected to catch. There were no cures in those days and it led to the ends of a lot of marriages. Frank discussion of sex was unheard of. So if a man wanted to explain how he had contracted a terrible disease that would eventually kill him and why he could not touch his wife sexually ever again in their lives, that they would never have children--or if they did, the children would probably be born infected, malformed, blind, and retarded--a story about a doorknob or a toilet seat would probably satisfy her curiosity. --Gabbyhayes 04:19, 26 July 2006 (UTC)
monograph on michaelangelo
[edit]hello,
can someone tell me how i can find a monograph on michaelangelo.
- There are some listed at Michelangelo#Further reading...or you could go to your local library and look up Michelangelo in the catalogue. Adam Bishop 15:19, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
- If it's one on the web, try Google Scholar. Geogre 16:25, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
European film where a boy sits on the roof of a church
[edit]I'm trying to think of a film I saw, probably in the early 1990s, where a young boy climbs up a very large building, I think a church, and sits on the roof. Probably the film was either French or Italian, but it might have been from some other European country. --Mathew5000 15:28, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
- Never mind, I found it myself by searching Google on the keywords movie|film boy "church roof" climb. The film is Le Grand chemin (The Grand Highway). But just out of curiosity, do post here if you would have remembered the film based on my description of that scene. --Mathew5000 15:45, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
- How old was the boy in Fiddler on the Roof? User:AlMac|(talk) 05:31, 21 July 2006 (UTC)
Brian Peppers
[edit]why was the article about Brian Peppers removed?
- Basically, because of libel concerns. I may not be remembering this exactly right but I think Brian Peppers contacted Wikipedia, alleging false information in the article about him, and, long story short, it was deleted by Jimbo Wales because of those concerns. Mangojuicetalk 16:00, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
- I think it was as much in view of notability questions (as qualified, regrettably, by human dignity concerns) as in view of prospective legal liability. The article, FWICT, contained no libellous information but was thought improperly to focus on Peppers (cf., on the Peppers meme), such that, inasmuch as he was avolitionally a quasi-public figure and inasmuch as his notability came only from his being mocked for his appearance (how that's an encyclopedic concern is altogether beyond me), the value of our having an article apropos of Peppers/the Peppers meme was outweighed by the value of our preserving his privacy (once more, that seems rather an unencyclopedic concern). Joe 16:11, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
- The subject is currently under discussion at, I believe, WP:AN/I. I'd wish a pox on the house of those involved, myself, but I haven't been involved in the slightest. Geogre 16:23, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
- Yeah, it wasn't a libel problem (there was no libelous information), it was a human dignity issue (article is based on an internet meme whose entire point derived from making fun of the disfigured). The deletion log (which only admins can see) has a comment from Jimbo when he deleted it on 21 Feb 2006 which says: "We can live without this until 21 February 2007, and if anyone still cares by then, we can discuss it". Which seems pretty sensible to me (basically saying "wait a year, see if anybody really needs this article or not at that point"). --Fastfission 17:45, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
- The article prior to deletion can be read here. --Richardrj 21:59, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
- I am not sure. Perhaps notibility. --Proficient 03:50, 20 July 2006 (UTC)
Continuation of blood line in British royal house.
[edit]Hello,
all the time I hear names of Kings, Queens, and Houses in the United Kingdom. My questions are
1) who was the last king or queen to be a direct descendant of William the Conqueror?
2) which King or Queen is the earliest ancestor of the current Queen of the United Kingdom?
I tried just going through all Wikipedia pages, hopping on to the next king or queen but I got confused
Thanks, Evilbu 16:09, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
- See Direct descent from William I to Elizabeth II. --Mathew5000 16:19, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
- For question two, it depends on how reliable a genealogy you want. There are existing ones which trace here back to Adam (or to Odin), and other, slightly more likely including Roman emperors and Muhammed. Descent through Charlemagne's to Arnold of Metz, died 639, is fairly well established (although recent mathematical analysis suggests everyone in Europe is decended from him) Rmhermen 17:33, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
- Let's be reasonable and assume the questioner is asking for the earliest ancestor of Queen Elizabeth II to be a BRITISH monarch. The furthest I can go back without getting a massive headache would be Edward III who ascended to the throne in 1327, who was the great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, grandfather of Queen Elizabeth II. Edward III was indeed a direct descendant of William the Conqueror, though exactly how I'm not sure. Therefore the last King or Queen to be a direct descendant of Willian the Conqueror, is, surprisingly, Queen Elizabeth II. Yes, apparently they're actually related, despite the extremely confusing and geographically mind-numbing route (with important stops in Germany and France) through Europe they took. Loomis 22:08, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
- Edward III was the 13x great grandson of Egbert of Wessex (reigned 802-839), through Henry I's first wife, Matilda, granddaughter of Edward Atheling. According to legend, Egbert was the 9x great grandson of Cerdic of the West Saxons (d. 534 AD). Beyond that it gets a bit hazy, but according to legend you can go back 24 more generations to Sceaf, a Norse tribal leader in about 60 BC. QEII is also descended from Alpin, king of Scotland (d. 834), Rhodri Mawr of Wales (reigned 844-878) and Brian Boru of Ireland (reigned 1002-1014). Grutness...wha? 03:04, 19 July 2006 (UTC)
- ...and from Mohammed (571-632). JackofOz 05:09, 19 July 2006 (UTC)
- No, probably not from Mohammed. - Nunh-huh 10:01, 19 July 2006 (UTC)
- Curious. Google hasn't produced anything concrete. Lots of general claims that most people in Europe are descended from Mohammed, but that doesn't help much. I'm certain that the last time the queen visited a Muslim country, such a claim was made and it seemed to raise nobody's eyebrows at the time. I must look into this further. JackofOz 23:40, 19 July 2006 (UTC)
- Yes, the claim is frequently made, but it's pretty much bogus. The supposed line of descent relies on some very questionable assertions. The issue is the identity of several of the sexual partners of King Alfonso VI of Castile and Leon. There is considerable controversy over the identity of Zaida, baptised Isabella, as she would be a gateway ancestor between European and Arab royalty. The question is whether Alfonso had two wives named Isabella, or a wife and a mistress each named Isabella, or one woman who was successively wife and mistress, named Isabella. Zaida, baptized as Isabella, was the mother of Sancho, illegitimate son of King Alfonso, born during his marriage to Bertha. Sancha and Elvira, however, are reported as legitimate daughters of Alfonso, born by his wife Queen Isabella (by the same source that names Zaida - it names his wives and their children including Isabella having Elvira and Sancha, and it then names his mistresses and their children, including Zaida/Isabella having Sancho, without giving any indication that the two were the same woman). It is only if Queen Isabella was identical to Zaida/Isabella that these Infantas are full siblings of Sancho, and that there is any possibility of a descent from Mohammed. (The line also arguably has some completely fictional individuals in it, both upstream and downstream from Zaida.) So the reason this "factoid" keeps getting publicity is because of the mild frisson produced by the idea that the queen and Mohammad are related rather than by any actual evidence that it is true. - Nunh-huh 03:58, 20 July 2006 (UTC)
- If he's interested in the topic, I'd recommend to Jack volume 2 of Burke's royal families of the world, published in 1977, which covers Africa and the Middle East (volume 1 covers Europe and Latin America, while volume 3 was supposed to cover Asia and the Pacific, but was never published). There's a section in the back which details some genealogical links between the royal lineages of the Middle East and the nobility of Europe, although I think it focuses on showing how current Arab monarchs can trace their descent from European ones (as well as from Mohammed), rather than vice versa. Thylacoleo 01:43, 20 July 2006 (UTC)
- Yes indeed, I will do that. I consulted volume 1 back in the early 80s about Russian genealogy, and I was aware of volume 2, but always wondered why the rest of the world's royal families weren't covered. Thanks for the info, Thylacoleo and Nunh-huh. JackofOz 04:14, 20 July 2006 (UTC)
- Curious. Google hasn't produced anything concrete. Lots of general claims that most people in Europe are descended from Mohammed, but that doesn't help much. I'm certain that the last time the queen visited a Muslim country, such a claim was made and it seemed to raise nobody's eyebrows at the time. I must look into this further. JackofOz 23:40, 19 July 2006 (UTC)
Yes I was always asking about King or Queens of England. That is quite impressive, if William the Conqueror is an ancestor of the current queen. Evilbu 23:55, 19 July 2006 (UTC)
I suggest all interested parties should check Descent from antiquity and follow the links provided to soc.genealogy.medieval, where those interested in Mohammedan descents should read messages by Francisco Antonio Doria. Cheers, Ghirla -трёп- 13:29, 26 July 2006 (UTC)
Floor plan of the US Capitol?
[edit]Ugh. I'm trying to write some fiction. For which scenes are set in the US Capitol Building.
Does anybody know where one might find an online copy of the place's interior floor plan, or a map of the interior or something? --Penta 17:01, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
- Off of the United States Capitol article are links to the main US Capitol page, which has a description of the building. --Kainaw (talk) 17:39, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
- Yes, but not a map. See, I need to know where places are in relation to other places, entrances, etc. --Penta 19:47, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
- Try the link to the map of the grounds. It doesn't show the insides of the buildings, but you can click on each one and get info about them. --Kainaw (talk) 20:42, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
- It's on the last page of this quite large PDF file. You'll have to zoom in to 300% to see the individual room numbers. -- Mwalcoff 02:06, 19 July 2006 (UTC)
- Get the info while you can, because it is being made confidential out of fear of terrorists using the data. All sorts of stuff used to be freely available, now they want to know who wants to know and how come they want to know, and whatever your answer, they not believe you. User:AlMac|(talk) 05:29, 21 July 2006 (UTC)
- Weird. I just went there and the page is still available. Do you have a link to Congress' vote to make it confidential so we can know how long it will be available? --Kainaw (talk) 13:03, 26 July 2006 (UTC)
Youngest Presidential nominee from a major party?
[edit]From the major parties, whether or not he *won* the election, who was the youngest nominee to be US President, and how old were they?
Additionally, why was the minimum age for US President set at 35? --Penta 17:11, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
- The page United States presidential election a list of elections. I don't feel like clicking the names and calculating the age of each candidate, but there aren't that many if you want to do it. --Kainaw (talk) 17:43, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
William Jennings Bryan in 1896. He was 36.
How do you use the redirect function?
[edit]Hello. I am brand new to Wikipedia. I created an article for Civil War Times Illustrated, a history magazine. How do you use the redirect function to direct people who search for "Civil War Times" or "Civil War Times Magazine" to my article for "Civil War Times Illustrated." As it stands if you type "Civil War Times" into the search engine the magazine "Civil War Times Illustrated" is nowhere to be found.
Thank you verch much for your time
--Hitm1 17:25, 18 July 2006 (UTC)hitm1
- Edit the page you want to redirect from. Enter #REDIRECT [[Page You Want To Redirect To]] --Kainaw (talk) 17:27, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
- Technically questions relating to the functing of Wikipedia belong at the Wikipedia:Help desk. There is more detail on redirects at Help:Redirect (most Wikipedia functions have help pages named in this fashion). --Fastfission 17:41, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
scientology...
[edit]What is this? Is it a cult? Why is it called religion? Mary
- Check out our extensive article(s) on the subject at Scientology. Generally the line between "non-mainstream religion" and "cult" is very thin (see our article on cult for more on this). Whether or not it is a "cult" or not, it is certainly strange in my book. (Would you like a stress test? Oh, what a surprise, you are stressed! And the only cure is Scientology...) --Fastfission 17:43, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
- They told me I was a robot. So I told them to go fuck themselves. DirkvdM 19:00, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
- It is a cult, but if you say it in public they'll sue you. --mboverload@ 21:00, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
- LMAO, Dirk!!! I honestly haven't laughed so loud in a long time! Good one! I like it! Loomis 21:14, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
- Making it fit the definition of a cult is easier than making it fit the definition of a religion. Religions usually have worship involved in them. One reason that some people call Buddhism more philosophy than religion is that, by itself, it has little worship or doctrine on the afterlife. Scientology seems to be a militant and irrational self-help group. Geogre 11:45, 19 July 2006 (UTC)
Ethnic Name
[edit]--What is a name given to mixed persons of the Italian and Polish decent? --68.66.174.68 17:56, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
- A Polish-Italian? Or, perhaps, an Italo-Pole? Loomis 21:09, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
::Oy!! (or Oy vey in your case). That's a bit unfair, Loomis. Sounds like you're injecting your own stuff into what is a perfectly innocent and reasonable question. Better to remove your second response entirely than leave it there and tell them to ignore it. JackofOz 23:33, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
Done, Jack. I'll respect your judgement on this one, as it's usually clearer than mine. Loomis 00:54, 19 July 2006 (UTC)
- Well that's just great. Now I have to go to the history to see what the second response was. Thanks a lot Loomis. --Kainaw (talk) 13:02, 28 July 2006 (UTC)
VCR problem
[edit]Yes, the VCR is close to being obsolete, but I have over 200 tapes and still enjoy them. My VCR is giving me a problem which I hope someone can solve for me. When some tapes play, there are horizontal lines on the picture, then the picture twitches or jerks. At that time there is a high squeak sound. The sound seems to be electronic, not mechanical. This problem appears to be a massive tracking problem, doesn't it? Well, the automatic tracking can't control it, and I tried great amounts of manual tracking, to no avail. In fact, the manual tracking seemed to make it worse. The problem happens on some tapes and not on others. The age of the tape seems not to be a factor. The "jerk" doesn't happen always at the same place on the problem tapes. That is, if I rewind the tape a bit after a "jerk", the tape often plays fine right through the former "jerk" area. My tapes, recorded since 1979, have come from at least six different VCR's. Could this be an incompatability problem? How about static electricity? Or moisture? This problem is very annoying, because I can't watch these tapes in peace. Your suggestions will be most appreciated. 66.213.33.2 18:00, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
- Have you had your VCR cleaned? Not to get too technical, but the tracking just moves the reader head back and forth on the tape as it flies by. Auto-tracking tries to find the most optimal signal. None of that matters if the rollers are dirty and sticky. The tape will jerk around and throw the tracking completely off. What worse, it may cause the tape to ride to high or too low on the rollers. When the edge of the tape hits the top/bottom of the rollers, it makes a whistle (sounds like when you put a reed of grass between your thumbs and blow on it). In the three terrible years that I did VCR repairs for Sony, I fixed about 90% of all VCR problems by just cleaning the rollers. Also note that VCR tapes are not permanent storage. The tape gets sticky over time, causing it to stick to the rollers, and the magnetic image on the tape bleeds - causing the colors to look funny. --Kainaw (talk) 18:10, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
Sounds like a good idea. Where do I go to get the VCR cleaned?
- Colours don't look funny. Every colour has its own value. You're not discriminating against certain colours, are you? :)
- As to the question, if you have that many tapes you might consider buying some spare players. Decent ones are not too expensive these days. I've heard that Philips and Panasonic players are good at playing all sorts of tapes. I've got over 500 tapes, so I've made sure I've got enough players to last me for the rest of my life. Same for record players (I've got over 4000 lp's). That said, it still makes sense to try to repair the old one. I think I've seen cleaning tapes, but you could also open the machine and clean the head and stuff with cotton buds dipped in alcohol. DirkvdM 19:10, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
- Don't use cotton swabs. Use a
shammychamois (normally used for drying a car without getting streaks). If you get a strand of cotton in the heads, you'll mess up the VCR. Also, clean the rollers - that is a common place for problems. If you don't want to do it yourself, take it into a TV/VCR repair shop. However, it will cost just as much to clean it as it will to buy a new one. So, there's not reason not to try and clean it yourself. If you break it, just buy a new one. --Kainaw (talk) 20:39, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
- Don't use cotton swabs. Use a
Artist Barry Oretsky
[edit]Hello,
I am trying to find out about a famous canadian Artist - Barry Oretsky
He's a member of the Royal Academy of Art and very well known in canada.
Thanks!
removed email
Government Defense Agencies and tv
[edit]My question is are there any government agencies similar to the CTU on fox's 24, and are there agents who perform tasks/missions similar to those that the main character Jack Baur performs? If so, which agencies, and which positions inside these agencies perform these missions? Also, how do they go about selecting such agents? Thank you,--Nezmith1869 18:16, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
- In the U.S. it would probably be the Coordinator for Counterterrorism at the State Department. The CIA, MI6 and the Mossad probably all inspire the stories. Nowimnthing 18:38, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
Education
[edit]why do we need a national education system in nz and why is it free, compulsary and secular?
You seem to have three questions:
1) Why is it free? Well, I would imagine that's because NZ is a civilized country that believes that ALL its citizens have the basic right to basic education, regardless of financial means.
2) Why is it compulsory? How old are you? lol. Seriously, it's compulsory because a well educated public is a prerequisite for a civilized society.
3) Why is it secular? How else would you have it be? Do you think it would be preferable for one religion to have a monopoly on how the young people of New Zealand are educated? Loomis 23:27, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
- I have a vague recollection that the mantra "free, compulsary and secular" was a slogan for the political party who instituted the Education system back in the 19th century perhaps the Liberals? Lisiate 04:05, 25 July 2006 (UTC)
Celebrity
[edit]I am wondering what is the difference between a rogue celebrity and a citizen celebrity--70.101.41.184 22:35, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
- I've never heard of a "rogue celebrity," but I assume it refers to figures such as D. B. Cooper and Bonnie and Clyde and The Wild Bunch and Jesse James and Pretty Boy Floyd: people who become popular figures for their illicit actions. Geogre 17:30, 19 July 2006 (UTC)
- Rogue = notorious. Citizen = common man rising to fame. --Proficient 03:54, 20 July 2006 (UTC)
Military College
[edit]I posted this question a few days ago. I was vague. I apologize. So Ill repost.
In America, what is the oldest private military school?
Thanks!!!
- In the United States, The Citadel and Virginia Military Institute make those claims. The claims are a little tortorous, because the schools evolved from small colleges and, in some cases, secondary schools. Geogre 12:23, 19 July 2006 (UTC)