Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2008 March 4

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[edit] March 4

[edit] FARC and uranium

I´ve just read on cnn: "Naranjo said other evidence in the computers suggests FARC purchased 50 kilograms of uranium this month."[1] What would FARC be doing with uranium?? Thanks for info, --AlexSuricata (talk) 00:05, 4 March 2008 (UTC)

Well, you can pretty much rule out making an atomic bomb. Aside from not having the infrastructure needed to enrich uranium (at least, I've never heard of anyone alleging that FARC had enrichment plants or production reactors), 50kg of uranium oxide is not enough for a single bomb (it ends up being only a few hundred grams of enriched material assuming 100% efficiency; I don't know how much plutonium you'd get out of putting that into a heavy water reactor but I'm pretty sure you'd need more uranium than that unless you REALLY knew what you were doing). (Unless they mean 50kg of HEU, but that wouldn't be a casually mentioned thing, as that is about the amount you'd need for a working fission bomb. If they don't specify it as HEU, assume it is LEU.)
Uranium would not be a good material for a dirty bomb either—you'd want a much more radioactive element for that. Uranium is not very radioactive, and as such it would be a lousy dirty-bomb material. You'd be better off stealing a medical X-ray machine or something like that.
Personally I'm suspicious of this aspect of the story, without more details. I don't see any real nuclear terrorism implications in 50kg of LEU. I see a lot of hype and hope for misunderstanding. What they wanted it for, I don't know, but it's not enough LEU to be used for any nuclear implications. You can, of course, use uranium for other military applications; see depleted uranium, for example. But that's not a news story. --98.217.18.109 (talk) 00:54, 4 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Africans: how many kinds are there?

how many categories are there in the african race —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.167.184.38 (talk) 00:20, 4 March 2008 (UTC)

  • You'll have to be more clear about what it is that you want to know. --M@rēino 00:28, 4 March 2008 (UTC)
I guess the OP wants to no about subclassifications of race in Africa (perhaps sub-Saharan Africa). Steewi (talk) 01:51, 4 March 2008 (UTC)

There is no 'African race' any more than there is a European or an American race. Clio the Muse (talk) 02:41, 4 March 2008 (UTC)

If you are thinking of ethnic groups in Africa there are a great many. See List of African ethnic groups for a start. For some larger-sized "categories" of Africans take a look at Bantu, a very large and diverse group that includes smaller (but still large) groups like Swahili people. For a non-Bantu group there are the Khoisan people. These are just a few starting places to learn about the diversity of Africans. I can't recall ever hearing the Bantu and Khoisan people referred to as different races, but it wouldn't surprise me, even if it is a poor word choice. Pfly (talk) 09:02, 4 March 2008 (UTC)
Perhaps the OP is referring to the traditional division of "distinct" races in Africa, e.g. Caucasian North Africans, black sub-Saharan Africans, pygmies, Bushmen, and any other that I've left out. Not an expert in the field. --PalaceGuard008 (Talk) 09:04, 4 March 2008 (UTC)
  • I agree with the above comments about the inadequate and misleading nature of racial categorization. The OP may want to look at Negroid, however, for some information about scientific attempts to define the predominant "race" of Africa. --M@rēino 15:03, 4 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] What does this quote mean

"To be great is to be misunderstood" - Ralph Waldo Emerson. I'm not able to understand it. Thanks! —Preceding unsigned comment added by Legolas52 (talk • contribs) 00:31, 4 March 2008 (UTC)

  • You can't understand it because Ralph Waldo Emerson is great. --M@rēino 00:32, 4 March 2008 (UTC)
To be great is to be misunderstood = All great men will be misunderstood = Great men have great ideas, that the non-great will not be able to comprehend. - Nunh-huh 00:36, 4 March 2008 (UTC)
If this was deliberate, Legolas, I enjoyed the self-depracation. If not, it may be even more funny. --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 21:58, 4 March 2008 (UTC)
Is it possible to run this in reverse? I'm frequently misunderstood; is there some way I can turn this into greatness? --Carnildo (talk) 23:51, 5 March 2008 (UTC)
Maybe this failure on the part of others to understand you suggests you already are great; so great, in fact, that you yourself don't yet understand it. If you fail to understand this, consider what Samuel Beckett said: "To be an artist is to fail as no others dare fail". So, even if it turns out that you're not great, you could still be an artist, and that counts for a hell of a lot. -- JackofOz (talk) 23:27, 6 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] A list of Catholic converts to Evangelicalism or Protestantism?

Where can I find I can't find anything on the net but there are plenty of statistics on Protestants who convert to Catholicism.

Thank you!

XXXXXXX@XXXXX.com —Preceding unsigned comment added by Amkmyr (talk • contribs) 02:12, 4 March 2008 (UTC)

The problem with that is... there's only one "Catholicism," so it's probably easier to get statistics on that than Catholicism to any one of a vast number of groups, organizations and sects under the heading of "Protestant." I really wouldn't know where to begin. ◄Zahakiel► 02:42, 4 March 2008 (UTC)

Hi! I deleted your email address (part of Wikipedia's policy to protect you from spam). Anyway, here are a couple ideas:

  1. Check out this list of people who converted to catholicism at NNDB. You'll have to cross-check it yourself to see who's protestant.
  2. I haven't read it, but I've heard that the article From Wheaton to Rome does a good job of explaining why some Evangelicals convert to Catholicism.
  3. I'll also hand you the names of the two highest-profile converts of the past decade: Senator Sam Brownback and the Right Honorable Tony Blair.

--M@rēino 15:12, 4 March 2008 (UTC)

    • I should point out that my answer comes from reading the body of your question, where you ask for information but not statistics on "Protestants who convert to Catholicism". In the title ("A list of Catholic converts to Evangelicalism or Protestantism?"), you ask the reverse question, and the information I provided would not be of use to you. --M@rēino 19:58, 4 March 2008 (UTC)
      • Yes, the user is pointing out that such information can be found (i.e., protestant to Catholic), but "can't find anything on the net" regarding the reverse. The title is sort of tied in to the question. ◄Zahakiel► 20:02, 4 March 2008 (UTC)
        • Oh, I freely acknowledge that my interpretation is an unlikely one. I just thought it made more sense to spell out why I posted what I did than to delete my post. --M@rēino 20:10, 4 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Quote from van Gogh letter

In Vincent van Gogh’s letter to Theo from Isleworth on October 31, 1876[2] he says he is reminded of this quote: “Once at the evening of my life, tired from care and strife, I'll bring Thee praise more loud and fair, for each day given to me here.” Where does this quote come from? (Unfortunately I don’t have an annotated collection of his letters.) Thanks, --S.dedalus (talk) 02:28, 4 March 2008 (UTC)

It's from gezang 390:
Eens aan den avond van mijn leven,
breng ik van zorg en strijden moe
voor elken dag mij hier gegeven
U hooger, reiner loflied toe.
The gezangen (hymns) are a collection of religious songs performed in Dutch reformed churches. As sons of a minister, Vincent and Theo probably knew a lot of these texts by heart. David Šenek (talk) 10:01, 4 March 2008 (UTC)
Interesting, thank you. --S.dedalus (talk) 01:45, 5 March 2008 (UTC)
It is curious that the translator, who apparently wanted to translate rhyming verse to rhyming verse, did not choose to use the perfect rhyme clear – here instead of the half rhyme fair – here.  --Lambiam 02:26, 5 March 2008 (UTC)
The translator was Johanna van Gogh-Bonger. Go figure. --S.dedalus (talk) 08:25, 5 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Origin of the Australian word "pohm"?

I would like to know where the word pohm originated from and why? If it means Prisoners Of Her Majesty, who sent them to Australia —Preceding unsigned comment added by 125.27.30.92 (talk) 02:31, 4 March 2008 (UTC)

We cover this alleged meaning at False etymology#Acronyms in the examples, section, and in Alternative words for British#Pommy. --Tagishsimon (talk) 02:37, 4 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Red Cross Societies

It's understood that the Red Cross Society of Eritrea and the Tuvalu Red Cross Society are invited as observers to the IFRC's General Assembly. Both Societies are still pending recognition and admission. Will they ever be officially recognized and admitted?72.229.136.18 (talk) 03:16, 4 March 2008 (UTC)

What I meant to ask was what's their status right now?72.229.136.18 (talk) 20:09, 4 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Burgermeisters in Latvia

Hi I am looking for a burgermeister by the name of Wilhelm Frederich Schwede who lived in Latvia approximately between 1850 - 1900. I have not been able to find this information and was wondering if you could help.

Thank you!

Anne Schwede from Australia… —Preceding unsigned comment added by 144.138.31.248 (talk) 06:20, 4 March 2008 (UTC)

In [3] it says: "An Edward Schwede was born around 1860 in Riga Latvia - he came to Australia sometime prior to 1889 and married Annie May Louisa Wright in Brisbane in 1890. She is sometimes known by any of her first three names. His parents were Frederick and Louise Schwede." There is a hotmal contact of a source who may be able to help with your query.
In [4] it says: "...Frederick Schwede married to Louise or Dora. Frederick's occupation was a farmer. His son, Edward Schwede, was born in Riga Latvia about 1856-1860. Edward migrated to Queensland, Australia about 1883." On the same site: "...Barbara Schwede who married Cornelius O'Leary in 1878 in Wellingrove NSW. They had 9 children in the Glen Innes area. She died in 1890 at Glen Innes. Her parents were shown on the marriage certificate as Joseph and Louisa."
Both e-mail addresses of the querents are in .au, so you probably know these people and the references, anyway.
Also consider contacting the Latvian reference desk. There is an entry an a Juris Svede in Toronto, but it being a non-IE language I can not even guess the meaning. --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 11:21, 4 March 2008 (UTC)
Sorry, I mixed up Latvian and Estonian, but I still don´t understand it. --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 12:30, 4 March 2008 (UTC)
Where does one find the Latvian reference desk?  --Lambiam 20:11, 4 March 2008 (UTC)
Good question, but I can´t answer it. I simply looked up the main page of the Latvian Wikipedia, http://lv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sākumlapa. As I could not understand / guess most words I typed the surname "Schwede" (in a few spellings) into the query box.
There are a few icons on the main page, one - or more - of which could go to a reference desk.
I had hoped that a Latvian speaking Wikipedian would stumble across this question and may give some further assistance to Anne. --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 21:43, 4 March 2008 (UTC)
Their Juris Švēde is our George Swede. Švēde/Swede is apparently not his birthname.  --Lambiam 02:16, 5 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Drumbeats

I'm keen to look up what common drumbeats (swing, 8-beat) look like when expressed in regular musical notation. Our article at Percussion notation is very basic on the subject. Is there anywhere on the internet that has this? Or, if I bought a "drumming for beginners"-type book, would it be there? (As you can tell, I'm no percussionist.) AndyJones (talk) 08:19, 4 March 2008 (UTC)

Here are some simple examples of beats notated for the drum set. Note that swing rhythms don't always use the triplet (or triole} notation, the way it's done in that example; often, the ride cymbal's "ching ching-uh ching ching-uh" is notated as simple eighth notes and the swung notes are implied (making it easier to read). ---Sluzzelin talk 09:07, 4 March 2008 (UTC)
For a slightly more complex example, here is a transrciption of Vinnie Colaiuta's Slink. ---Sluzzelin talk 09:19, 4 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Iconoclasts from Iran in Holy Land in 614

I've just returned from a trip to Israel 3-4-08. Our guide told us that Iranian iconoclasts destroyed Christian churches save the church in Bethlehem, in 614. This happened before the Moslem move into the Holy Land. Can anyone give me more information on these Iranian iconoclasts? Mikesvd (talk) 17:51, 4 March 2008 (UTC) mikesvd

Quite a lot going on in that period, by the looks of Hadith of the prediction in Sura al-Rum#Timeline of relevant events. The perps would be the Sassanid_Empire of Persia --Tagishsimon (talk) 18:00, 4 March 2008 (UTC)
It's kind of odd to describe them as "Iranian iconoclasts". The Holy Land, and Mesopotamia in general, was a battleground for the Sassanids and the Roman/Byzantine Empire. In 614 it was Khosrau II against Heraclius, and Khosrau captured Jerusalem, destroyed some churches, and took the relic of the True Cross. I don't think this is related to the iconoclasm movement in the Byzantine Empire (which happened later), it's just that Khosrau was Heraclius' arch-enemy, and this was a good way to stick it to him; if Heraclius had taken the most important symbol of the Zoroastrian faith, it would have been similar. Heraclius did pretty much overrun the Sassanid Empire in the following decades anyway. (Interestingly, at least to me, in the 12th century, this event was sometimes considered the starting point for the crusades, as the destruction of the Sassanids allowed the Arabs to expand and conquer the Holy Land themselves.) Adam Bishop (talk) 19:34, 4 March 2008 (UTC)
Not iconoclasts, conquerors making a point. Jerusalem had resisted them, so when they finnaly took it, they massacrd much of the population and destroyed the churches. Standard procedure. The Jewish population also collaborated with the Persians, getting revenge on the Christians, who had mistreated the Jews, imposing taxes, enforced conversions, that sort of thing. The Persians were seen by the Jews as saviors. The sage Shimon Bar-Yochai stated. "If you have seen a Persian horse tethered in the land- expect to see the feet of the Messiah." AllenHansen (talk) 21:39, 4 March 2008 (UTC)
I'm not sure of the relevance of the comments about the Jews, (unless you're suggesting it was Jews who smashed up churches) and you include anachronism - the events of 614 post-date the death of Shimon bar Yochai by about 400 years. --Dweller (talk) 16:07, 5 March 2008 (UTC)

Actually, I think there might just be something more here. The Persian campaign against Christianity could not by any measure be described as 'iconoclasm', because that refers to very specific phenomenon. However, Khosrau's Zoroastrian priests had been urging action against their Christian enemies, which gave his campaign a particular motive and direction, well beyond that of casual destruction or simple frightfulness. There is a theory-which I am sure Adam must be aware of-that Heraclius' counter-attack against the Persians casts him in the role of the first crusader. You will find this thesis in First Crusader: Byzantium's Holy Wars by Geoffrey Regan. Clio the Muse (talk) 00:40, 6 March 2008 (UTC)

Indeed! Adam Bishop (talk) 05:09, 6 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] U.S. Congressional term limits

From Talk:Term limit —Random832 20:30, 4 March 2008 (UTC)

{{helpme}} For research, I need to find arguments for and against U.S. Congressional term limits. Would someone please help me out on this one? But please, don't post it here; click here to post it. Please and thank you! BlueCaper (talk) 20:25, 4 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Atatürk's Societal Impact

Was Atatürk's impact on society primarily accomplished through public speaking or writing? User:Vikramkr (signed for Vikramkr by ៛ Bielle (talk) 22:53, 4 March 2008 (UTC))

Well, first and foremost, the impact he had on society was a direct consequence of the authority he had built up as a soldier, particularly in the Turkish War of Independence. He was both a speaker and a writer, but in a country like Turkey, still at that time with high levels of illiteracy, the ghazi was most effective in the personal appearances he made around the country, coming not to deliver grand set-piece speeches in the style of Hitler and Mussolini, but in an altogether less demonstrative way as an educator. You might enjoy Andrew Mango's Atatürk, Vikramkr. I certainly did. Clio the Muse (talk) 00:29, 5 March 2008 (UTC)
Without his authority, his charisma, and his ways of reaching people, Atatürk would not have had the impact he had. It must be said, though, that once he was in power, the impact Atatürk had was also mediated by the power of the state, in the form of what is known as Atatürk's Reforms, which were laid down in laws, laws that were enforced by force if necessary. As President of the young Republic, but also as the founder and leader of the Republican People's Party, then the only political party in Turkey (see Single-Party Period of Republic of Turkey), he was in control of the state apparatus, which he used quite effectively to realize his reforms. And, finally, his reforms had the revolutionary impact they had also because they were chosen with apparently great political insight in what was needed, what was possible, and what would be effective. See also Kemalism for the ideology that may be considered Atatürk's legacy.  --Lambiam 02:04, 5 March 2008 (UTC)
Shouldn't it be social impact? AllenHansen (talk) 00:42, 6 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] my question about israel and palestine

i asked a questino about israel and palestine a few days ago but now i can't find it here, can someone point it out for me? thank you.

It's been archived. You can find it here. Gwinva (talk) 23:27, 4 March 2008 (UTC)