Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2006 September 13

< September 12	<< Aug | Sep | Oct >>	September 14 >

Humanities Science Mathematics Computing/IT Language Miscellaneous 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 at one of the pages linked to above.

September 13

Francois de la Brioskee

Who is this Francois de la Brioskee who is quoted at the end of the She Bop Video? Is this name a wordplay? I don't get it. --192.94.73.30 00:32, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

It's a silly-sounding made-up name from the U.S. television show The Honeymooners (no connection with, er, bopping, it seems). --Cam 02:00, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

Ah, here it is, the episode was The Man from Space. Our article spells it "Pierre Francois de la Briosche". --Cam 02:05, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

Thank you, Cam! --192.94.73.30 13:39, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

I don't know if it was the original intention, but Briosche makes me think of Brioche. Skittle 11:11, 14 September 2006 (UTC)

Well... "imortal words"? I think it's an allusion to François de la Rochefoucauld. RaffDS

Reconstruction Act of 1865

what are the seven (7) laws associated with the Reconstruction Act of1867

Do your own homework. Durova 01:50, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

See "Be specific" at the head of this page: "For information that changes from country to country (or from state to state), such as legal, fiscal or institutional matters, please specify the jurisdiction you're interested in." ColinFine 18:36, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

Can't you Google "United States Reconstruction". Any basic American history text will deal with Reconstruction legislation. ≈75Janice-≈

Help for 1 homework Question

Ok, List the reasons for England's entry for the race for the colonies in the New World. It would be very useful if you answer this for me.

                                                         Thank you,
                                                         Aznboy93 02:08, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

This couldn't be homework! Check your textbook man. — [Mac Davis] (talk) (Desk|Help me improve)

• 1. You gotta be in it to win it. --Dweller 06:50, 13 September 2006 (UTC)
• They wanted the gold cup and the 3,ooo groat prize that went with it(hotclaws**== 17:40, 13 September 2006 (UTC))
  • Why would they want 3000 goats? Oh, wait, there weren't any women in Jamestown for a while, were there? User:Zoe|(talk) 02:30, 14 September 2006 (UTC)

Rules on Human Births in Antarctica

I know that 3 or 4 human babies have been born in Antarctica, but I understand there is a Rule prohibiting this. I'm searching for the actual Rule. It may come from the International Antarctic Treaty, but I can't find it. It may just be specific to the Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition (ANARE). Can you find the rule for me please? 60.225.12.254 02:12, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

If there is a rule, it's probably something along the lines of not giving them an Antarctican "citizenship", thus complicating land claims and such. I hardly think they're going to establish a rule that states you "can't have babies or sex in Antarctica", unless there's a semi-formal policy among the researchers and visitors not to bring along pregnant passengers.  freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ  05:53, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

Thanks, but it's not a question about having sex in Antarctica - of course that's a favourite passtime on most scientific bases! Its a question about a woman giving birth there. I gather most western countries anyway, will send a woman home if she gets pregnant while working on a scientific base. (In fact they now send the bloke home too, so that it's not just her career that's interrupted). It's not to do with citizenship, but to do with the dangers involved. I'm still looking for the rule that says this. I think it's Australian.

I don't see how any such rule could be policed. We hear all the time about women giving birth who weren't even aware they were pregnant. It might not suit the administrative convenience of certain organisations to have births occurring down there where there may be little in the way of medical resources to deal with such an event, so I could see why they might have a policy of strongly discouraging heavily pregnant women from being there, in the interests of the women and their babies. But to discriminate in the way you seem to be suggesting would probably be illegal under Australian law, certainly in Australian Antarctic Territory. JackofOz 09:24, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

Humanities

What distinguised the huumanites from other modes of human inquiry and expression —Preceding unsigned comment added by 65.2.95.188 (talk • contribs)

How much homework you do. (Read the rules at the top!)  freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ  05:56, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

I didn't know there was more than one humanity. DirkvdM 07:11, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

I'm interested in people's guesses at what subject and at what level that homework question was posed. Personally, I can't get my head round it... it's so woolly. How on earth can you begin to answer such a massive (and, dare I say it, inherently stupid) question without writing several thousand pages? --Dweller 13:10, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

I concurr. Humanities is probably the best answer we have. — [Mac Davis] (talk) (Desk|Help me improve)

I'm gonna guess it was a first year psychology course with a suitly nutty professor.  freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ  06:46, 15 September 2006 (UTC)

Poem by Emily Dickinson

I am looking for a poem by E.Dickinson with the words, hold fast to your parents for without them... Can you help me with the title? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.79.251.94 (talk • contribs)

A Google search returns no hits. Perhaps no such poem exists? --Richardrj ^{talk email} 07:59, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

Look for "Hold fast to your dreams" and you get a poem (Langston Hughes?) which has been worn out in graduation speeches. Maybe someone heard "hold fast to your dreams" in a graduation speech and the speaker also said "Hold fast to your parents." Dickenson also may have used "Hold fast to your dreams" in a poem. Edison 15:07, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

It doesn't sound like something Dickinson would say. Her mother was distant and her father authoritative. In a letter, she did write "Hold fast to your Home, for the Darling's stealthy momentum makes each moment - Fear" (http://www.emilydickinson.it/l0511-0540.html, search in the page for "hold"), but she's referring to her sister (who was sick, and to whom she was very close) and not to her parents. zafiroblue05 | Talk 23:05, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

Child Abduction and Emtional abuse

I was researching laws on child abduction and emtional abuse because of some private issues, I was unsure about the extent on certain laws and I see that a child can, by law, be abducted by their own parent in the United States, yet I'm curious if there are certain loop-holes, perhaps an if and or but thrown in somewhere. If a mother or wife is being abused emtional by her husband and the child's father, would it still be considered abduction if she were to take the child and run to safety? In that case wouldn't she be looking out for the well being of not only herself, but her child as well. Even if the father has not harmed the child is he not still considered a threat to the child? Please get back to me right away if you can help me at all, and if you can't help me could you possibly point me in the direction of finding help? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Cole18 (talk • contribs) .

First, I am obviously obliged to make sure you understand that we do not give legal or medical advice here at the Reference Desk, and if any of the problems you have described are not only "private" but "personal", you need to contact a lawyer to discuss your rights and determine how seriously your domestic abuse case (of which emotional abuse is a factor) should and/or will be treated. You, or anyone else that may be having such problems should be very careful about how you proceed in order to avoid very nasty legal problems in the near and far future.

That being said, in many states/provinces/counties in the west, removing a child from the household is only considered "child abduction" and punishible by law after a certain amount of time, typically one week to one month, though police attempts at recovery may happen long before that (typically within 48 hours) if the status, whereabouts, and condition of the child are unknown.  freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ  05:35, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

The wife should remove herself and the child from immediate danger and then contact the police and/or a women's shelter. Emotional abuse is no different than physical. Both are highly trained in just this kind of situation. Nowimnthing 19:47, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

I strongly suggest calling the U.S. national domestic abuse hotline (which should be in any telephone book). While I don't know any details about this particular case and am not a lawyer, most jurisdictions do have a criminal offense called "failure to protect" by which a parent (usually the mother) can be prosecuted if a child in her care is assaulted by someone else and she fails to take action. Many abused women do flee and take their children to shelters, but you would need to speak to experts about making that sort of arrangement. Durova 22:30, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

Do not act on any piece of advice here except get a lawyer. You are weighing your risk and your child's risk of emotional harm against your risk of becoming a kidnapper and interfering with a parent's right of access to his child. Both are seriously damaging to the child. We cannot help you decide which is the greater risk and how to avoid it with the least risk. Do not trust your own sense of justice on this-- every day parents do horrible things to each other, to themselves, and to their children because they have lost every sense except that of their own unjust suffering. You need objective counsel now. alteripse 23:09, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

I'm sorry but I have to disagree slightly. The above paragraph is all true, except that I'd advise going to the police first, rather than a lawyer. You can always see a lawyer later. First, lawyers aren't available 24/7 like the police are. Second, they cost money and you don't want to worry about that now. Third, they specialize in various fields and you never know if you're getting the proper specialist. Fourth, they can make mistakes and lead you in the wrong direction. If you contact the police first, you'll be sure to be on record as having taken the proper steps. Should the police advise you wrongly, you've got a much better excuse later on if you're accused of child abduction. In any case, the police are meant to be the "front line responders" in situtations like this. Not lawyers. They only come in to play later when any possible dangerous emergency situation has been averted. Go to the police, file a report, and ask for their advice. Loomis 17:31, 17 September 2006 (UTC)

No, Loomis. She/he specifically said emotional, not physical abuse. The police are not meant to be the "front line resource" for complaints about emotional abuse and at best will just tell the questioner to consult a lawyer. alteripse 21:57, 17 September 2006 (UTC)

Ok, this seems like a very serious situation and I don't want to get into any intellectual debate about it. Emotional abuse is indeed considered a cause for government action. If they're doing their job, the police will direct you immediately to the "Department of Child and Family Services" or whatever it's called in your jurisdiction. Emotional abuse is a serious matter, and the law takes it seriously as well. It's not a mere private issue that the police will dismissively tell you "not our business...go get a lawyer". Of course, if you're wealthy and have the means and the access to a top lawyer, by all means, contact him/her as well. Unfortunately many lawyers, especially the cheap ones, can be morons (trust me!) and protection from even emotional abuse is not simply a "luxury", meant only for the wealthy, but is meant to be accessible to all (even in the US!) Good luck. Loomis 22:28, 19 September 2006 (UTC)

legal question?

what is it claled when you're in court and you're a prosecution lwayer and you can't say things like what is the accused's past criminal record, unless i is brogut up by the defense and then you can say stuff? Has it got a fancy latin or french name?

• I think that falls under the "irrelevant" objection, but I imagine there is a better legal name for the principle than that. --Fastfission 20:48, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

• • The specific rule you're thinking of deals with character evidence, and in American law most jurisdictions allow a defendant to "place her character in issue" - she can bring it up to prove that she is a "good" person, but if she brings it up (under certain circumstances) the prosecution can rebut using character evidence (but the prosecution couldn't have brought up, for example, prior criminality unless the defendant brings it up first). Lawyers refer to this as "opening the door." Lamont A Cranston 21:15, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

Poem by Housman

Decades ago I read an hilarious poem by A E Housman. It was in a kind of mock heroic style, imitating the pompous grandeur of Aeschylus, and in fact specifically borrowing some of A's phrases (including the phrase from the Agamemnon about 'mud's sister dust'). I can't remember what it was called, and I don't have enough information about it for Google to help. (If I had the title I could probably find it on Google.) Does anyone know the poem I have in mind? I would like to read it again. Maid Marion 14:31, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

Is this what you mean? (First google result for: housman mud sister dust). --Cam 14:42, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

Brilliant, thank you very much. I'm obviously not much good with Google - 'mud's sister dust' came up with nothing useful at all.Maid Marion 14:49, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

Iambic tetrameter in a math textbook

I'm hunting for something my father remembers seeing once: a math textbook whose text (inadvertently) included four lines of iambic tetrameter, rhymed ABBA--the meter of Tennyson's "In Memoriam." My father can picture the page in his mind, and remembers it as being about lines, but we can't otherwise track it down. Anyone ever heard of this? Thanks!

--70.17.127.254 14:55, 13 September 2006 (UTC) Anne-Marie

Yes, I have heard of this, but where I read about it I can't think. (Perhaps in one of Ian Stewart's books?) It was a nineteenth or early twentieth century book, I think. ColinFine 18:45, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

And so no force, however great

Can stretch a cord, however fine

Into a horizontal line

Which shall be absolutely straight. - Nunh-huh 11:05, 14 September 2006 (UTC)

Actually, our found poetry article gives the source, and probably a slightly better version (my memory substituted a "so" for a "hence". - Nunh-huh 16:05, 14 September 2006 (UTC)

Templars and the Black Madonna

Is there a connection between the Black Madonna and the Templars. Especially one with the maltese cross displayed on it?

Did you look up the article on the Black Madonna? It refers to a book by Ean Begg, The Cult of the Black Virgin (1985), exploring this theory. According to the same article, other writers dismiss the connection. Of course you might want to check out the various articles listed on the Templars disambiguation page and also on St. Bernard of Clairvaux and find out what links from there. ---Sluzzelin 05:26, 18 September 2006 (UTC)

Site

http://img181.imageshack.us/my.php?image=28auq6.jpg

Can someone please tell what this site is? I`m rather confuzzled looks like somethin I couldn`t have not have heard of.

I'm thinking about Versailles. See the canal and three roads in the bottom. -- DLL ^{.. T} 18:45, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

Yep, it matches up with Versailles on Google maps. Hyenaste ^(tell) 18:56, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

Mormonism and the New Testament

Does the Mormon faith formally acknowledge the New Testament in any way, or is The Book of Mormon their "version"?

Fourth paragraph of Book of Mormon begins: "Along with the Bible, which is also held by Latter Day Saints to be the Word of God". Does that answer your question? ColinFine 20:28, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

History: Cherokee

What did cherokee live as and why did the united states government force them to sell their property

Have you read our article on the Cherokee? — Lomn | Talk 20:47, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

See the history of the Cherokee in that article: the Cherokee had fine farms, many lived in fine brick homes, and the whites wanted the property, so there was ethnic cleansing and the Cherokee were forced to go out west on the "Trail of Tears." Not the proudest moment of the Land of the Free. Edison 20:51, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

This is more fully covered in the article Trail of Tears, by the way. —Kevin 15:13, 14 September 2006 (UTC)

Iambic quadrapeds

What form of poetic meter has the funniest-sounding name? What produces the oddest-sounding poetry? --Serie 21:08, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

• Spondee is a funny word, I think. --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 21:50, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

Lambic quadraped? Is that a fancy way of referring to a sheep? --Kurt Shaped Box 22:09, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

Molossus sounds odd and unpoetic to me. Elegiac couplets sound odd when written in English. But maybe another possible answer to your question is E. E. Cummings.---Sluzzelin 22:13, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

Iambic pentameter, you mean? You might want to check out some old James Thurber cartoons that illustrate trochee and spondee as mythical animals. Durova 22:23, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

US House/ # of people represented by each member?

How many people does each member represent? Currently? In 1929 (the last time members were added)? and when the Constitution was ratified? Also, have there been any movements to increase the number of members?

Thanks Cairenn Day

Currently: ca. 690'000 citizens per Representative. In 1929: ca. 282'000 citizens per Representative. The number of members was temporarily increased to 437 in 1959 (reflecting Alaska and Hawaii's admission to the Union) but returned back to 435 in 1963. It should be mentioned that the citizens of Washington D.C. (over half a million people) have no voting Representative in the House. See United_States_House_of_Representatives and History_of_the_United_States_House_of_Representatives. ---Sluzzelin 23:05, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

Also note that each state has at least one Representative, so even if their population is less than 690,000, they'll have one Rep, so that Rep represents fewer people than the average. User:Zoe|(talk) 02:34, 14 September 2006 (UTC)

Opponents to ratification raised the issue that, while the Constitution gives a maximum number of Representatives, there's nothing to stop Congress from giving each State only one. In response to that, the second clause of the proposed Bill of Rights said, if I remember right, that there should be one Representative for every thirty thousand, until their number reaches 100; thereafter, one for every forty thousand, until their number reaches 150; thereafter, one for every fifty thousand, until their number reaches 200. This clause was never ratified, and by its own terms it became meaningless when the population (as adjusted, see Art.I §2 ¶3) reached ten million, in the census of 1830 or 1840. — The first clause, by the way, became the 27th Amendment, and the other clauses became the familiar Bill of Rights. —Tamfang 03:48, 14 September 2006 (UTC)

Afterthought: a linear extrapolation gives us now one Rep per quarter million, approaching 1200 in all. —Tamfang 03:54, 14 September 2006 (UTC)

Also note that the Supreme Court ruled in Wesberry v. Sanders that the U.S. Constitution requires equally sized congressional districts within states. -- Mwalcoff 00:16, 15 September 2006 (UTC)

Grachen Switzerland

i've been looking for the history of this town (Grachen Switzerland) and come up with nothing.could you please help me.thank you jim p.s. my kids love to use your site for school work. thanks again

See sites linking from Grächen. Settlements in the area probably date back to neolithic times, it certainly was hunting grounds for early Bronze Age alpine people . Around 750 (CE), Alemans started to settle in the upper (German speaking) Valais. The first documented mentioning of Grächen ("de Grangis") dates back to 1295. Grächen developed into a community of farmers, always in bondage and paying tribute to various feudal lords, until they finally reached their independence as a community (from the Bishop of Sion) in the 19th century. Thomas Platter, a famous citizen of 16th century Grächen, published his autobiography describing a life from humble beginnings as a goatherd to a fulfilled existence as Schlossherr, master of herbal lore, publisher and school director. His son Felix Platter became a famous medical doctor and anatomist. In the 20th century Grächen changed from a farming community to a tourist destination (In 1937, 7000 visitors spent the night there, today, ca. 500 000 visitors do). I got all this information from Grächen's own history site (There's much more there, but it's in German).---Sluzzelin 23:30, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

I've taken the liberty of putting all this good research into the article. Sandstein 14:04, 16 September 2006 (UTC)

Its not OUR site its everyone's site! | AndonicO 16:16, 21 September 2006 (UTC)

william smoot conviction in federal court 1870s

William Smoot, of Owen County, Kentucky was convicted of violations of the Enforcement Acts folloinw the Civil War. He was later pardoned by Presidnt Grant. I have a ccpy of that pardon. Where to I go to find a transcript of the trial, and any other information on the case? The Historical Society in Kentucky has nothing because it was a federal case. Any suggestions for getting this information. The web site for historic information for Henry County, Kentucky contains factual information of the depradations committed by Smoot, his brother and gang. Any help would be appreciated from this 81 year old.

Interesting question. I can't find anything online right now, but I may be able to at work tomorrow, where I have Westlaw. Unfortunately, a transcript may be very hard to come up with. You may want to poke around in the articles on history of Kentucky. Lamont A Cranston 23:40, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

Some Kentucky counties have trial transcripts of the 1870s in the courthouse in a vault of country papers such as land deeds. Other counties have turned such documents over to a county historical society. Some counties hasve a local history collection at the library in the county seat. I have seen such transcripts, perhaps not word for word, but a written longhand summary of what went on, like the minutes of a meeting. In many cases, such papers were stolen, burned when the courthouse burned, lost in a flood, or just not filed or indexed so as to be found. Soetimes there are volunteers in a county historical society who will research such a question, and are familiar with all the holdings. Some counties are not so blessed. Most such papers have not been scanned and are only available locally on microfilm, not on the internet. Edison 17:55, 14 September 2006 (UTC)

lean-tu shaped house?

I remember seeing a strangly shaped house somewhere along my travels. It was shaped sort of like half a boat, sticking up from the ground. The two slanted sides were covered in shingles. I'm looking for maybe a picture of a similar house and, even better, a name of the style.

Are you thinking of Renzo Piano's Science Center NEMO in Amsterdam? (My first thought was the house the Peggottys lived in.)---Sluzzelin 00:17, 14 September 2006 (UTC)

The hut seen here is called a lean-to or an adirondack. Lamont A Cranston 00:25, 14 September 2006 (UTC)

Here it's called half an old boat :) . Rentwa 06:25, 14 September 2006 (UTC)

A wonderful example of recycling! :) DirkvdM 08:38, 14 September 2006 (UTC)

Do you remember where along your travels you were when you saw it? It might help the rest of us to narrow things down a bit. On the other hand, you may one of the lucky "if it's Tuesday, we must be in Belgium" few who get to travel so much they can barely keep track. Loomis 18:24, 14 September 2006 (UTC)