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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. | ||||||||
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Why is it that the media doesn't seem to have the backbone to call a spade a spade when it comes to leaders of foreign dictatorships?
For example, Zimbabwe is clearly a dictatorship. It's "leader", Robert Mugabe has no democratic mandate and is nothing more than a miserable, racist, Dictator (with a capital "D"!)
Why are the media, as well as the rest of us, so humble and accommodating, that we all refer to Mugabe as "The President of Zimbabwe"? He's no "President" by any democratic sense of the word. He's nothing more than the petty, cruel, self-proclaimed leader of Zimbabwe. He's a Dictator, and to refer to him as a "President" is an insult to all democratically elected Presidents around the world.
I realize that the US President, (with a capital "P"!) George W. Bush, is not very popular around the world. Fair enough. Yet he was democraticaly elected by at least a plurality (if not a majority) of US citizens. Like him or hate him, he's the democratically elected "President" of the US, and as such, in accordance with the United States Constitution, will cede power to his successor, at the latest, at precisely noon EST, on January 20, 2009.
There are many democratically elected "Presidents" and "Prime Ministers" around the world that I'm not particular fond of. For example, for me, Jacques Chirac, the President of France, is an ass. Yet he was democraticaly elected and as such I respect his legitimacy. He is the valid, legitimate, democratically elected President of France, and should be respected as such.
On the other hand you have a clown like "President" Bashar-al-Assad of Syria. What is this nonsense? He's no "President"! He's merely the "president-for-life" Dictator son of another "president-for-life" Dictator - "president" Hafez-al-Assad.
When will the media and the rest of us develop the gonads to call it as it is. When refering to clowns like Assad or Mugabe, when will we all just start calling them as they are: "Dictator Mugabe" of Zimbabwe, and "Dictator Assad" of Syria? Loomis 00:48, 19 July 2006 (UTC)
I'm fully aware of the difference between a President and a Prime Minister. No need to condescend. I know what a "President" is. If it's a matter of "journalistic convention and style", then "journalistic convention and style" should change. The role of the media is to present the public with as precise as possible a picture of what's going on in the world. Unfortunately, not all members of the public are as clearly informed about the difference between a "democratically elected" President, and a mere dictator-president. Therefore, to say that, for example: "Today, President Chirac of France met with President Assad of Syria", is not only innacurate, (and extremely insulting to Chirac, a legitimate President), but much more importantly, irresponsible journalism, and worst of all, misleading to readers. These two individuals may both indeed claim to be "presidents" of their respective countries, but to omit the fundamental difference between what it means to be "President" in these two countries is the ultimate in media misrepresentation. My question was not rhetorical. I am sincerely interested in why the media insists on calling these despicable people "Presidents" or "Prime Ministers" when indeed they are no more than Dictators. Why is this sort of distinction considered "so sensitive" that it can only be adressed in the editorial and op-ed pages?
It's not a "soap box" thing, rather, quite the opposite. If the difference was obvious, I'd have no problem. Yet I often hear colleagues, educated colleagues I should add, yet not educated in the social sciences, speaking of (in alphabetical order) "Presidents Assad, Bush, Chirac and Mugabe". Is it not the ultimate responsibility of the press to not mislead the public? Isn't it the responsibility of the press to clarify, rather than to cloud, the REAL state of affairs in the world?
Interestingly, Jack referred to the fact that Hitler was referred, at least up to a certain point, even by my personal all time hero, as "His Excellency, Herr Hitler, Fuhrer of Germany". Could a newspaper of today responsibly refer to Hitler as "His Excellency"? If it did, and I requested an explanation here at the RefDesk for why they referred to such an evil man in such an honorific way, would that be a "rhetorical question that I then use to go go on a little rant about"? No! I would sincerely want an explanation as to why the media would carry itself about in such an awfully misleading and irresponsible fashion to its readers.
I therefore repeat my question in a far simpler, far more NPOV form: Why does the media choose to make no recognizable distinction whatsoever between those world leaders that are democratically elected and those that are not? Loomis 03:15, 19 July 2006 (UTC)
Thanks for the informed responses, guys. However we now seem to have a problem on our hands. Wikipedia is supposed to be entirely NPOV, right? Why is it then that all you have to do is punch in the word Dictatorships in the little box and you'll get a list of countries, a list, by the way that includes Zimbabwe, but seems to exclude Syria, Bhutan and Tongo (albeit, admittedly, the list appears to be attributed, but even that is not entirely clear...in any case, they chose to present that list and no other). If Wikipedia, the King of NPOV finds it appropriate to make such distinctions, why is it that the media, with far less NPOV pretense (eg. The New York Times is clearly a left-leaning newspaper, while Fox News is clearly right-leaning, despite any protests by either of these organizations) is seemingliy held to a higher standard? Either the wiki article on dictatorships should be edited to be more NPOV, or one must admit that the whole idea of full "NPOV" is an unnattainable fantasy.
In any case, thanks to all for your input. Loomis 12:16, 20 July 2006 (UTC)
in the movie, "a room with a view", was the field in which the "truth beauty" scene occurs orginally filled with lots of red poppies? (this is no longer true in the DVD). Thanks!
Hi, recently (I think on Dutch) television there was a short documentary about three Palestinians, who made rap music in Arab. One guy, probably the lead, did most of the talking(his English was quite good). He said that it had been like four years since he had seen the beach/had the chance to see it, and then they went to the beach (I am deducing it was Gaza). The beach was full of Palestinian flags, everywhere you looked you saw one. The interviewer spoke English without a Dutch accent, so maybe the documentary was bought by the Dutch network. So what beach could this have been. Is there an area in Gaza that has recently changed, so that people now rejoice in putting those flags everywhere? Evilbu 02:37, 19 July 2006 (UTC)
Of course I probably have a totally wrong of the daily life of the average Palestinian, but how large can those settlements be? All those years, couldn't he simply have gone a little further? Evilbu 11:26, 19 July 2006 (UTC)
I tried to find definition or meaning for the term ‘Holistic Living’ as we plan to organize a Symposium on ‘Holistic Living’. I could not find clear meaning or definition in Wockipedia, Google or Yahoo. However, www.vyasa.org try to give the idea that Yoga is Science of Holistic Living. Understanding the Yogic way of life. I try to define Holistic Living’ as follows:
OR
Prof. B. C. Harinath
Director
JB Tropical Disease Research Centre &
Coordinator, Arogyadham
Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences
Sevagram (Wardha) – 442 102
Web: www.jbytdrc.org, www.mindandbodyhealth.org
Has a serious dramatic film ever been made on the subject of pirates? It seems like every film concerning pirates has been a comedy or a tongue-in-cheek adventure. The subject matter seems like it would lend itself to a serious film, but I can't think of one. Bhumiya ( said/ done) 05:37, 19 July 2006 (UTC)
can you please help with a this definition thanks
For our school project, we are researching influential australians...i have some ideas in mind but i was wondering if you would know someone really good for the project... thankyou very much
this sentence isnt quite clear that you have written about queen charlotte who is said to have black ancestry and is an ancestor of queen elizabeth. it says although it is not the case that the british royal family is of mixed heritage then it mentions queen charlotte as being mixed. which is it. just because british royal family live in uk doesn't mean they dont have lineage from somewhere else. could you clarify and what is today's consensus on this topic. does the royal family awcknowledge that it is mixed race. thank you very much
The one-drop theory arises curious cases. Although it is not the case, since the British Royal Family lives in the United Kingdom rather, for the despair of a White supremassist British-Israelist, all the British Royal Family would be of African ascenstry, because of Margarida de Castro e Souza, a Portuguese of mixed origins, who was anscestor of Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the great-great-great-great grandmother of the current Queen of the United Kingdom, Queen Elizabeth II, known at her time for having a "moorish looking".
Do you think maybe it's time to teach people to get over these silly and ignorant ways of thinking about ancestry? How far back do you think you have to go before you too have an african ancestor? Likely less than 2 or 3000 years no matter where your more recent ancestors came from or how pale your skin is. See [1]. alteripse 12:38, 19 July 2006 (UTC)
If you go back far enough, everyone has African ancestry. Grutness... wha? 06:59, 20 July 2006 (UTC)
In our college quiz a question was asked ,
Which country does not have any movie theaters.
Options: a)Iraq b)Sri-Lanka c)Bhutan
My guess would be Vatican City. -- Mathew5000 10:59, 19 July 2006 (UTC)
The new rulers of Mogadishu appear to be installing a Taliban-like rule in their part of Somalia. Reports say they have banned movies. They don't control the whole country, though. -- Mwalcoff 22:56, 19 July 2006 (UTC)
Bhutan, I guess. I think it is rather under-developed, by western standards. It is also the only capital city (Thimphu) not to have traffic lights. There is very little western influence there - if films were a western invention.-- martianlostinspace 15:07, 20 July 2006 (UTC)
Which international diplomatic efforts (such as from the UN, USA or EU) are being made to bring about democracy in Saudi Arabia, or which particular high-ranking politicians are addressing this issue? I have read the wikipage Saudi Arabia but I can´t find any facts. ==Joel==
First, why would anyone expect the UN to be so pro-democratic? After all, the vast majority of its component states are undemocratic. As for its Security Council, only three of its five permanent members are true democracies, and when added together with its non-permanent members, is usually composed of a majority of non-democratic states as well.
As for the US, look what shit it got into in the eyes of the international community when it actually dared to oust Iraq's brutal dictator and TRY, TRY it's best to turn the country into a democracy! Not only was this action seen by the international community as "against international law", but as it turns out, the Iraqi people, perplexing as it may be to westerners, don't seem to have much interest in being democratic after all. No wonder the US is now thinking twice about even bothering to take diplomatic steps to bring democracy to Saudi Arabia, a country of people who would would only resent such an effort.
Finally, the EU doesn't even have the backbone to stand up for what's right in the first place. It's too busy dealing with it's own internal foibles to have the moral authority to actually be taken seriously with regards to the spread of democracy. Loomis 23:35, 21 July 2006 (UTC)
Ahhh, the Peace of the Taliban. Pax Talibanus. Things sure are peaceful when opening your mouth and expressing what you feel will get you killed. Or, as a woman, so much as showing your face. But oh, how peaceful it was, what with the football-stadiums-turned-execution-parks. Oh how I how the people of Afghanistan wax nostalgic for that good old Pax Talibanus. Loomis 11:57, 24 July 2006 (UTC)
What are the 11 specific different types of marriage that the Celts recognized. Is there a description of each?×
Pertaining to Catholicism, who was the last Jewish Pope?
– When I was visiting Loch Ness in June, a friend asked me to throw a small rock or stone into the lake and made a wish for him while I was on the cruise. I did it as he asked me to do. He told me there was a story for that and asked me to find the answer and he said only the elderly poeple know the story.
I still can't get the answer so far as I was a visitor from another country.
Your answering to my question will be greatly appreacited.
Thank you
Looking forward to hearing from you soon
Since children are expected to take on the characteristics of their parents, where do you think the characteristics of life came from? I have found a life formula that points to the characteristics of life being tied to the characteristics of electromagnetic radiation (light). Light is one force, made up of two parts.
The characteristics of the electrical part of light are negative and positive, and those of its magnetic part are attraction and repulsion. Life experiences them as: No, Yes, I like you(love) and I don't like you (hate)and that is the bases of the mental/emotional nature of life. The characteristics of light also seem connected to math: negative to subtraction, positive to addition, attraction to multiplication and repulsion to division.
With life following the laws of energy, just like everything else, through light, the universe has one soul, and is full of life. I have a symbolic/math code for this at http://inthemath.com that shows this. Do you think that light can be the bases for the soul, and if not, what would make a better fit? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Lightprize ( talk • contribs)
Why are you mad? I asked a question, and how could you have seen it, I have not been here with light characteristics before. And when I asked the question before you were at a lost for words. Judging by the insults instead of any logical answer, you are still at a lost for words. I am trying to bait you alright, I am trying to get you to answer. YOu can't can you? [lightprize 190706]
That was allot. You look like you are on the soap box. 1)By magic I guess you are saying you know of nothing compareable, otherwise you would have said that instead of magic.
2) Science still sees 4 forces. The electroweak force has not been written in concrete, an that may turn out to be wrong. that has happened before.
3)I said nothing about the words, I said the characteristics. Whatever we call the characteristics, they would mean the same thing. 4) I am talking about what we have all seen. Some characteristics are clearly visible. Males have made an art of war and physical activity or sports. And the attraction of females is clear to advertising. The humanities deal with characteristics and the orgins, doesn't it? Why does this idea make you so mad? What are you, an athiest? [Lightprize 190706] Oh, I read that you are still mad at the number code. I didn't mention it here. I have moved on, why can't you?
You talk about simpler theories, What is simpler, and as inclusive than what I said about light? [Lightprize 190706]
Now you see? If you had something to say, you would have said it. {Lightprize 200706]
My husband is a Capt at sea. He has recently taken a post on a vessel named Miss Venus. This boat has a history of mechanical problems and failures. I was wondering if anyone could tell me if there were any conflicts between Venus(Aphrodite) and Neptune(Poseidon)? Any help would be appreciated as all I can seem to find are references to lineage and a few stating that she is a protector of sailors.
Thanks in advance :)
71.51.53.31 19:18, 19 July 2006 (UTC) aka..Cheryl O.
Thank You both very much :)
71.51.53.31
02:54, 21 July 2006 (UTC)
Is road cycling gaining or declining in popularity? In America, I suspect it has dropped since the retirement of Lance Armstrong, but in general, what is the state of Cycling in America, the UK, and the rest of Europe? AdamBiswanger1 19:58, 19 July 2006 (UTC)
In the UK a lot of people are putting a lot of effort into providing cycle routes of various kinds, so interest in Cycling is rising.
Its a great pleasure to cycle at will in the summer through the dense network of rural roads in for example East Anglia. You can make a holiday out of it by staying in YHAs or bed and breakfast. You could for example, cycle between the various castles in the region although you would need detailed Ordnance survey maps and a compass.
There are many articles about cycling in the UK, but I've noticed that they are unreachable by following links from Cycling. See Cycle transport in the United Kingdom, National Cycle Network' Sustrans, Cycleways in England (does not load for me).
There are many cycling websites in the UK. You should be able to reach many of them through the link pages of the sites linked from the articles. -- 62.253.44.92 12:22, 25 July 2006 (UTC)
i'm trying to find information on the history of marriage, such as, is it true the best man carried a sword in case the girl's family came to steal her back? or that a girl can be stolen and married without her consent? or why women change their last names-because the man more or less owns them? i'm looking for some sort of log of marriage throughout the centuries. thanks, bri
Bride kidnapping is still common, even today, in some countries. StuRat 18:22, 20 July 2006 (UTC)
Judaism is matrilineal, yet the wife traditionally adopts the husband's name. A pretty fair balance, I'd say. Loomis 00:17, 21 July 2006 (UTC)
Is Hudson, New York a gay resort town? -- Beland 20:49, 19 July 2006 (UTC)
On the list of groups referred to as cults, a debate is ongoing whether the phrase "cult of Mary" is a "reference to a group as a cult." The issue resolves around how the use of the word "cult" in regard to a practice/devotion applies to a group of practitioners. Please share your opinion at Talk:List of groups referred to as cults#Disputed. We have been unable to get a response from postings at RfC. Gimmetrow 21:56, 19 July 2006 (UTC)
I recently bought this book at a yard sale and from looking at your page on it i had a question. I was curious about the original print of this book. I had seen a picture on Wikipedia of the first page of the book with the publisher and date on it. Mine was very similar. Mine appears to be an original, only it was published in New York instead of London. It was published by D. Appleton and Company in 1871. I have had a very hard time finding any useful information on the printing I have. If you could provide me with any information I would greatly appreciate it.
Amanda
If people from Poland are called Poles, why aren't people from Holland called Holes? -- Миборовский 23:17, 19 July 2006 (UTC)
Actually in Dutch, the language they speak in Holland (which is not a country), they are 'Hollanders', while the people from Poland are 'Polen'.
But why are inhabitans or Russia Russians, while in China they are Chinese? And it gets crazy now : apparently inhabitants of the USA are Americans?? Evilbu 02:04, 20 July 2006 (UTC)
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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. | ||||||||
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Why is it that the media doesn't seem to have the backbone to call a spade a spade when it comes to leaders of foreign dictatorships?
For example, Zimbabwe is clearly a dictatorship. It's "leader", Robert Mugabe has no democratic mandate and is nothing more than a miserable, racist, Dictator (with a capital "D"!)
Why are the media, as well as the rest of us, so humble and accommodating, that we all refer to Mugabe as "The President of Zimbabwe"? He's no "President" by any democratic sense of the word. He's nothing more than the petty, cruel, self-proclaimed leader of Zimbabwe. He's a Dictator, and to refer to him as a "President" is an insult to all democratically elected Presidents around the world.
I realize that the US President, (with a capital "P"!) George W. Bush, is not very popular around the world. Fair enough. Yet he was democraticaly elected by at least a plurality (if not a majority) of US citizens. Like him or hate him, he's the democratically elected "President" of the US, and as such, in accordance with the United States Constitution, will cede power to his successor, at the latest, at precisely noon EST, on January 20, 2009.
There are many democratically elected "Presidents" and "Prime Ministers" around the world that I'm not particular fond of. For example, for me, Jacques Chirac, the President of France, is an ass. Yet he was democraticaly elected and as such I respect his legitimacy. He is the valid, legitimate, democratically elected President of France, and should be respected as such.
On the other hand you have a clown like "President" Bashar-al-Assad of Syria. What is this nonsense? He's no "President"! He's merely the "president-for-life" Dictator son of another "president-for-life" Dictator - "president" Hafez-al-Assad.
When will the media and the rest of us develop the gonads to call it as it is. When refering to clowns like Assad or Mugabe, when will we all just start calling them as they are: "Dictator Mugabe" of Zimbabwe, and "Dictator Assad" of Syria? Loomis 00:48, 19 July 2006 (UTC)
I'm fully aware of the difference between a President and a Prime Minister. No need to condescend. I know what a "President" is. If it's a matter of "journalistic convention and style", then "journalistic convention and style" should change. The role of the media is to present the public with as precise as possible a picture of what's going on in the world. Unfortunately, not all members of the public are as clearly informed about the difference between a "democratically elected" President, and a mere dictator-president. Therefore, to say that, for example: "Today, President Chirac of France met with President Assad of Syria", is not only innacurate, (and extremely insulting to Chirac, a legitimate President), but much more importantly, irresponsible journalism, and worst of all, misleading to readers. These two individuals may both indeed claim to be "presidents" of their respective countries, but to omit the fundamental difference between what it means to be "President" in these two countries is the ultimate in media misrepresentation. My question was not rhetorical. I am sincerely interested in why the media insists on calling these despicable people "Presidents" or "Prime Ministers" when indeed they are no more than Dictators. Why is this sort of distinction considered "so sensitive" that it can only be adressed in the editorial and op-ed pages?
It's not a "soap box" thing, rather, quite the opposite. If the difference was obvious, I'd have no problem. Yet I often hear colleagues, educated colleagues I should add, yet not educated in the social sciences, speaking of (in alphabetical order) "Presidents Assad, Bush, Chirac and Mugabe". Is it not the ultimate responsibility of the press to not mislead the public? Isn't it the responsibility of the press to clarify, rather than to cloud, the REAL state of affairs in the world?
Interestingly, Jack referred to the fact that Hitler was referred, at least up to a certain point, even by my personal all time hero, as "His Excellency, Herr Hitler, Fuhrer of Germany". Could a newspaper of today responsibly refer to Hitler as "His Excellency"? If it did, and I requested an explanation here at the RefDesk for why they referred to such an evil man in such an honorific way, would that be a "rhetorical question that I then use to go go on a little rant about"? No! I would sincerely want an explanation as to why the media would carry itself about in such an awfully misleading and irresponsible fashion to its readers.
I therefore repeat my question in a far simpler, far more NPOV form: Why does the media choose to make no recognizable distinction whatsoever between those world leaders that are democratically elected and those that are not? Loomis 03:15, 19 July 2006 (UTC)
Thanks for the informed responses, guys. However we now seem to have a problem on our hands. Wikipedia is supposed to be entirely NPOV, right? Why is it then that all you have to do is punch in the word Dictatorships in the little box and you'll get a list of countries, a list, by the way that includes Zimbabwe, but seems to exclude Syria, Bhutan and Tongo (albeit, admittedly, the list appears to be attributed, but even that is not entirely clear...in any case, they chose to present that list and no other). If Wikipedia, the King of NPOV finds it appropriate to make such distinctions, why is it that the media, with far less NPOV pretense (eg. The New York Times is clearly a left-leaning newspaper, while Fox News is clearly right-leaning, despite any protests by either of these organizations) is seemingliy held to a higher standard? Either the wiki article on dictatorships should be edited to be more NPOV, or one must admit that the whole idea of full "NPOV" is an unnattainable fantasy.
In any case, thanks to all for your input. Loomis 12:16, 20 July 2006 (UTC)
in the movie, "a room with a view", was the field in which the "truth beauty" scene occurs orginally filled with lots of red poppies? (this is no longer true in the DVD). Thanks!
Hi, recently (I think on Dutch) television there was a short documentary about three Palestinians, who made rap music in Arab. One guy, probably the lead, did most of the talking(his English was quite good). He said that it had been like four years since he had seen the beach/had the chance to see it, and then they went to the beach (I am deducing it was Gaza). The beach was full of Palestinian flags, everywhere you looked you saw one. The interviewer spoke English without a Dutch accent, so maybe the documentary was bought by the Dutch network. So what beach could this have been. Is there an area in Gaza that has recently changed, so that people now rejoice in putting those flags everywhere? Evilbu 02:37, 19 July 2006 (UTC)
Of course I probably have a totally wrong of the daily life of the average Palestinian, but how large can those settlements be? All those years, couldn't he simply have gone a little further? Evilbu 11:26, 19 July 2006 (UTC)
I tried to find definition or meaning for the term ‘Holistic Living’ as we plan to organize a Symposium on ‘Holistic Living’. I could not find clear meaning or definition in Wockipedia, Google or Yahoo. However, www.vyasa.org try to give the idea that Yoga is Science of Holistic Living. Understanding the Yogic way of life. I try to define Holistic Living’ as follows:
OR
Prof. B. C. Harinath
Director
JB Tropical Disease Research Centre &
Coordinator, Arogyadham
Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences
Sevagram (Wardha) – 442 102
Web: www.jbytdrc.org, www.mindandbodyhealth.org
Has a serious dramatic film ever been made on the subject of pirates? It seems like every film concerning pirates has been a comedy or a tongue-in-cheek adventure. The subject matter seems like it would lend itself to a serious film, but I can't think of one. Bhumiya ( said/ done) 05:37, 19 July 2006 (UTC)
can you please help with a this definition thanks
For our school project, we are researching influential australians...i have some ideas in mind but i was wondering if you would know someone really good for the project... thankyou very much
this sentence isnt quite clear that you have written about queen charlotte who is said to have black ancestry and is an ancestor of queen elizabeth. it says although it is not the case that the british royal family is of mixed heritage then it mentions queen charlotte as being mixed. which is it. just because british royal family live in uk doesn't mean they dont have lineage from somewhere else. could you clarify and what is today's consensus on this topic. does the royal family awcknowledge that it is mixed race. thank you very much
The one-drop theory arises curious cases. Although it is not the case, since the British Royal Family lives in the United Kingdom rather, for the despair of a White supremassist British-Israelist, all the British Royal Family would be of African ascenstry, because of Margarida de Castro e Souza, a Portuguese of mixed origins, who was anscestor of Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the great-great-great-great grandmother of the current Queen of the United Kingdom, Queen Elizabeth II, known at her time for having a "moorish looking".
Do you think maybe it's time to teach people to get over these silly and ignorant ways of thinking about ancestry? How far back do you think you have to go before you too have an african ancestor? Likely less than 2 or 3000 years no matter where your more recent ancestors came from or how pale your skin is. See [1]. alteripse 12:38, 19 July 2006 (UTC)
If you go back far enough, everyone has African ancestry. Grutness... wha? 06:59, 20 July 2006 (UTC)
In our college quiz a question was asked ,
Which country does not have any movie theaters.
Options: a)Iraq b)Sri-Lanka c)Bhutan
My guess would be Vatican City. -- Mathew5000 10:59, 19 July 2006 (UTC)
The new rulers of Mogadishu appear to be installing a Taliban-like rule in their part of Somalia. Reports say they have banned movies. They don't control the whole country, though. -- Mwalcoff 22:56, 19 July 2006 (UTC)
Bhutan, I guess. I think it is rather under-developed, by western standards. It is also the only capital city (Thimphu) not to have traffic lights. There is very little western influence there - if films were a western invention.-- martianlostinspace 15:07, 20 July 2006 (UTC)
Which international diplomatic efforts (such as from the UN, USA or EU) are being made to bring about democracy in Saudi Arabia, or which particular high-ranking politicians are addressing this issue? I have read the wikipage Saudi Arabia but I can´t find any facts. ==Joel==
First, why would anyone expect the UN to be so pro-democratic? After all, the vast majority of its component states are undemocratic. As for its Security Council, only three of its five permanent members are true democracies, and when added together with its non-permanent members, is usually composed of a majority of non-democratic states as well.
As for the US, look what shit it got into in the eyes of the international community when it actually dared to oust Iraq's brutal dictator and TRY, TRY it's best to turn the country into a democracy! Not only was this action seen by the international community as "against international law", but as it turns out, the Iraqi people, perplexing as it may be to westerners, don't seem to have much interest in being democratic after all. No wonder the US is now thinking twice about even bothering to take diplomatic steps to bring democracy to Saudi Arabia, a country of people who would would only resent such an effort.
Finally, the EU doesn't even have the backbone to stand up for what's right in the first place. It's too busy dealing with it's own internal foibles to have the moral authority to actually be taken seriously with regards to the spread of democracy. Loomis 23:35, 21 July 2006 (UTC)
Ahhh, the Peace of the Taliban. Pax Talibanus. Things sure are peaceful when opening your mouth and expressing what you feel will get you killed. Or, as a woman, so much as showing your face. But oh, how peaceful it was, what with the football-stadiums-turned-execution-parks. Oh how I how the people of Afghanistan wax nostalgic for that good old Pax Talibanus. Loomis 11:57, 24 July 2006 (UTC)
What are the 11 specific different types of marriage that the Celts recognized. Is there a description of each?×
Pertaining to Catholicism, who was the last Jewish Pope?
– When I was visiting Loch Ness in June, a friend asked me to throw a small rock or stone into the lake and made a wish for him while I was on the cruise. I did it as he asked me to do. He told me there was a story for that and asked me to find the answer and he said only the elderly poeple know the story.
I still can't get the answer so far as I was a visitor from another country.
Your answering to my question will be greatly appreacited.
Thank you
Looking forward to hearing from you soon
Since children are expected to take on the characteristics of their parents, where do you think the characteristics of life came from? I have found a life formula that points to the characteristics of life being tied to the characteristics of electromagnetic radiation (light). Light is one force, made up of two parts.
The characteristics of the electrical part of light are negative and positive, and those of its magnetic part are attraction and repulsion. Life experiences them as: No, Yes, I like you(love) and I don't like you (hate)and that is the bases of the mental/emotional nature of life. The characteristics of light also seem connected to math: negative to subtraction, positive to addition, attraction to multiplication and repulsion to division.
With life following the laws of energy, just like everything else, through light, the universe has one soul, and is full of life. I have a symbolic/math code for this at http://inthemath.com that shows this. Do you think that light can be the bases for the soul, and if not, what would make a better fit? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Lightprize ( talk • contribs)
Why are you mad? I asked a question, and how could you have seen it, I have not been here with light characteristics before. And when I asked the question before you were at a lost for words. Judging by the insults instead of any logical answer, you are still at a lost for words. I am trying to bait you alright, I am trying to get you to answer. YOu can't can you? [lightprize 190706]
That was allot. You look like you are on the soap box. 1)By magic I guess you are saying you know of nothing compareable, otherwise you would have said that instead of magic.
2) Science still sees 4 forces. The electroweak force has not been written in concrete, an that may turn out to be wrong. that has happened before.
3)I said nothing about the words, I said the characteristics. Whatever we call the characteristics, they would mean the same thing. 4) I am talking about what we have all seen. Some characteristics are clearly visible. Males have made an art of war and physical activity or sports. And the attraction of females is clear to advertising. The humanities deal with characteristics and the orgins, doesn't it? Why does this idea make you so mad? What are you, an athiest? [Lightprize 190706] Oh, I read that you are still mad at the number code. I didn't mention it here. I have moved on, why can't you?
You talk about simpler theories, What is simpler, and as inclusive than what I said about light? [Lightprize 190706]
Now you see? If you had something to say, you would have said it. {Lightprize 200706]
My husband is a Capt at sea. He has recently taken a post on a vessel named Miss Venus. This boat has a history of mechanical problems and failures. I was wondering if anyone could tell me if there were any conflicts between Venus(Aphrodite) and Neptune(Poseidon)? Any help would be appreciated as all I can seem to find are references to lineage and a few stating that she is a protector of sailors.
Thanks in advance :)
71.51.53.31 19:18, 19 July 2006 (UTC) aka..Cheryl O.
Thank You both very much :)
71.51.53.31
02:54, 21 July 2006 (UTC)
Is road cycling gaining or declining in popularity? In America, I suspect it has dropped since the retirement of Lance Armstrong, but in general, what is the state of Cycling in America, the UK, and the rest of Europe? AdamBiswanger1 19:58, 19 July 2006 (UTC)
In the UK a lot of people are putting a lot of effort into providing cycle routes of various kinds, so interest in Cycling is rising.
Its a great pleasure to cycle at will in the summer through the dense network of rural roads in for example East Anglia. You can make a holiday out of it by staying in YHAs or bed and breakfast. You could for example, cycle between the various castles in the region although you would need detailed Ordnance survey maps and a compass.
There are many articles about cycling in the UK, but I've noticed that they are unreachable by following links from Cycling. See Cycle transport in the United Kingdom, National Cycle Network' Sustrans, Cycleways in England (does not load for me).
There are many cycling websites in the UK. You should be able to reach many of them through the link pages of the sites linked from the articles. -- 62.253.44.92 12:22, 25 July 2006 (UTC)
i'm trying to find information on the history of marriage, such as, is it true the best man carried a sword in case the girl's family came to steal her back? or that a girl can be stolen and married without her consent? or why women change their last names-because the man more or less owns them? i'm looking for some sort of log of marriage throughout the centuries. thanks, bri
Bride kidnapping is still common, even today, in some countries. StuRat 18:22, 20 July 2006 (UTC)
Judaism is matrilineal, yet the wife traditionally adopts the husband's name. A pretty fair balance, I'd say. Loomis 00:17, 21 July 2006 (UTC)
Is Hudson, New York a gay resort town? -- Beland 20:49, 19 July 2006 (UTC)
On the list of groups referred to as cults, a debate is ongoing whether the phrase "cult of Mary" is a "reference to a group as a cult." The issue resolves around how the use of the word "cult" in regard to a practice/devotion applies to a group of practitioners. Please share your opinion at Talk:List of groups referred to as cults#Disputed. We have been unable to get a response from postings at RfC. Gimmetrow 21:56, 19 July 2006 (UTC)
I recently bought this book at a yard sale and from looking at your page on it i had a question. I was curious about the original print of this book. I had seen a picture on Wikipedia of the first page of the book with the publisher and date on it. Mine was very similar. Mine appears to be an original, only it was published in New York instead of London. It was published by D. Appleton and Company in 1871. I have had a very hard time finding any useful information on the printing I have. If you could provide me with any information I would greatly appreciate it.
Amanda
If people from Poland are called Poles, why aren't people from Holland called Holes? -- Миборовский 23:17, 19 July 2006 (UTC)
Actually in Dutch, the language they speak in Holland (which is not a country), they are 'Hollanders', while the people from Poland are 'Polen'.
But why are inhabitans or Russia Russians, while in China they are Chinese? And it gets crazy now : apparently inhabitants of the USA are Americans?? Evilbu 02:04, 20 July 2006 (UTC)