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May 30

Italy

Is this image Margherita of Savoy and this her son Victor Emmanuel III of Italy? Also who is the photographer on the bottom?--KAVEBEAR (talk) 04:21, 30 May 2015 (UTC)

Yes, that's Margherita of Savoy . I haven't found an identical photo of Victor Emmanuel III, but this one File:Vittorio Emanuele III con l'uniforme della Nunziatella.jpg looks like it's from the same session. The studio named at the bottom is it:Fratelli D'Alessandri. --Amble (talk) 06:54, 30 May 2015 (UTC)

May 31

What has Wat got in his hand? (17th Century portraiture)

Walter Ralegh and his Son

What has Wat Ralegh (son of Walter Ralegh), got in his right hand in this picture? DuncanHill (talk) 01:14, 31 May 2015 (UTC)

His ding-a-ling? --Jayron32 01:36, 31 May 2015 (UTC)
It don't look like any ding-a-ling I've ever seen. DuncanHill (talk) 01:47, 31 May 2015 (UTC)
Looks like a glove to me—and, assuming that the same portrait is being described, to the Devonshire Association for the Advancement of Science, Literature, and Art. - Nunh-huh 02:28, 31 May 2015 (UTC)
I think it's the same picture (can only see snippets of the book). DuncanHill (talk) 02:36, 31 May 2015 (UTC)
Ah, yes it is the same picture - the book says "in the possession of Sir J. F. Lennard" and the National Portrait Gallery page about the picture says it was given by the Lennard family. DuncanHill (talk) 02:40, 31 May 2015 (UTC)
They're also both dated 1602, so glove it is. - Nunh-huh 02:43, 31 May 2015 (UTC)
  • The thing is, if it is a glove, is it one of his father's? The colour matches his father's jacket, not Wat's. Would their perhaps have been some symbolism to a son carrying his father's gloves? DuncanHill (talk) 02:53, 31 May 2015 (UTC)
It doesn't seem like a terribly allegorical painting to me, so I wouldn't look for any deeper meaning. I know YMMD. The glove is closer in color to WR père, but it doesn't really match the outfit of père or fils. I'd sooner ponder the question of 'who has the other glove?' - Nunh-huh 03:16, 31 May 2015 (UTC)
He might be holding a pair of gloves, but who knows? Alansplodge (talk) 08:49, 31 May 2015 (UTC)
It's a primitive early baseball glove. Who's on first base, and Wat's on second. Clarityfiend (talk) 10:19, 31 May 2015 (UTC)
  • Wat (born 1593) looks here like a 9 years old alright, and a pretty frail one too. Does anyone know what happened to him? He must have died young, as it was his younger brother, Carew, who inherited his father's titles. Contact Basemetal here 17:52, 31 May 2015 (UTC)
According to this source Wat lived until 1618, when he was killed in an engagement with the Spanish in the Guianas with his father (which engagement proved to also be the cause of his father's execution). Dwpaul 18:00, 31 May 2015 (UTC)
  • My immediate thought on seeing the picture is that it reminds me of a strap with a "blind" spur. This would be consistent with Walter Raleigh being a knight (he was knighted in 1585, I think) and his son therefore being his esquire (the boy who carries his armour and his spurs - the right to bear spurs was of particular significance in Devon). This would be consistent with the formal nature of the portrait. Unfortunately, I'm not an expert, so this is simply an observation as a "fresh pair of eyes". RomanSpa (talk) 16:36, 1 June 2015 (UTC)

fictional scarecrow

I remember that when I was seven years old, there was a book about a scarecrow who had friends, especially with a human girl and they go to different places around the world like India. Does anybody remember that story or that particular character? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.29.35.69 (talk) 03:03, 31 May 2015 (UTC)

'Go to different places around the world like India'? India doesn't travel to other countries, or do you mean he travelled to countries similar to India? KägeTorä - () (もしもし!) 16:37, 2 June 2015 (UTC)
Sounds very much like the Oz series of books, although they don't actually go to India (but may have gone to a place that resembles it, in the fictional land of Oz). You're probably familiar with The Wizard of Oz, but there are many other books in that series. Depending on the book, the girl could be Dorothy or perhaps Princess Ozma.
Here's an example of some of the Oz characters in an "India-like" place (actually Arab, but probably close enough for a 7 year old): . StuRat (talk) 03:23, 31 May 2015 (UTC)
See Category:Fictional scarecrows.—Wavelength (talk) 03:54, 31 May 2015 (UTC)
My search turned up this series of educational books for young readers (which fits with you being seven years old) featuring Trek the scarecrow and his journeys around the world - one of which is to India. Here is a PDF copy of Trek Learns to Fly that might spark your memory. MarnetteD|Talk 03:56, 31 May 2015 (UTC)
Worzel Gummidge. 81.141.215.133 (talk) 10:22, 1 June 2015 (UTC)

Yes....there we go. Trek the Scarecrow. Thank you. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.31.17.135 (talk) 16:11, 3 June 2015 (UTC)

June 1

St. Paul's Church, California street, near Fillmore

What is the current official name of "St. Paul's Church, California street, near Fillmore" listed here and here? Do we have an article for it?--KAVEBEAR (talk) 20:04, 1 June 2015 (UTC)

There is a St. Paul's Catholic Church in SF currently, , but checking it's address, it is nowhere near Fillmore, which is several miles further north. Maybe it moved? --Jayron32 20:28, 1 June 2015 (UTC)
I think it was Episcopalian. --KAVEBEAR (talk) 21:19, 1 June 2015 (UTC)
I think I worked it out. I believe (but cannot prove yet) based on the California Street/Fillmore address that this is know the Grace Cathedral, San Francisco. The St. Pauls name is not mentioned in our article, but it's a church, whose address is on California Street, is Episcopalian, and near the Fillmore neighborhood. I can't find any information that it was called anything except Grace Chapel/Church/Cathedral. But it's a church in the right locale and denomination. There are currently no other churches in San Francisco known as St. Paul's anything except the above noted Catholic church. There is a St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Oakland: , but that's not Fillmore either. There may have been yet another church on California Street in Fillmore, actually named St. Pauls of a different denomination, but I can't find any modern decendant of it. Maybe one of these leads will help. --Jayron32 01:55, 2 June 2015 (UTC)
Nobody who knows San Francisco would describe Grace Cathedral's location as "near Fillmore". Fillmore is in the neighborhood known as the Western Addition, whereas Grace Cathedral is nearly a mile to the east, on Nob Hill where it meets Downtown San Francisco. It is not the same neighborhood at all. The Western Addition is a neighborhood that attracted a lot of African American migrants in the mid-20th century. When it was first developed, however, in the late 1800s, it had a white, middle-class population that might have supported an Episcopalian church. The congregation had probably dispersed by the 1950s. The Western Addition was labeled a "slum" in the 1960s and subjected to a lot of demolition and redevelopment. It is very likely that the Episcopalian church mentioned in your sources no longer exists. Marco polo (talk) 14:50, 2 June 2015 (UTC)
This old directory says it was on the south side of California St. near Steiner, which would place it in the block between Fillmore and Steiner, maybe where the Mollie Stone's Grand Central Market is now? --Cam (talk) 12:58, 3 June 2015 (UTC)
I confirmed that block with this article on the church from the Call. It mentions Maxwell Reilly. --Cam (talk) 13:11, 3 June 2015 (UTC)

"Phantom saints" and demons

I found this Language Log comment which mentions that some names of demons originated from misreadings of the Bible, and some names of saints from accidental repetition by scribes copying lists. Are there any known examples of such erroneous names? 75.4.17.61 (talk) 22:21, 1 June 2015 (UTC)

I may be mistaken, but I believe that several saints mentioned in the Golden Legend of the 13th century were later debunked and removed from the Roman Catholic roles of Saints. Saint Christopher may be among those who religious scholars consider to be fanciful creations and not likely real historical personages. There may be others from that same work as well. --Jayron32 01:49, 2 June 2015 (UTC)
I think they may have had "Lillith" in mind, which appears in a list of animals in Isaiah 34:14, but is nonetheless thought of as a female demon. - Nunh-huh 02:11, 2 June 2015 (UTC)
Ah yes, I recall that her name might simply mean "owl." 75.4.17.61 (talk) 03:37, 2 June 2015 (UTC)
Another mistaken saint is Saint Veronica, a name originally applied to an image of Jesus on a piece of cloth, believed to be a miraculous imprint of his face, a vera icon (true image). " By degrees, popular imagination mistook this word for the name of a person and attached thereto several legends which vary according to the country" according to the Catholic Encyclopedia. Alansplodge (talk) 11:46, 2 June 2015 (UTC)
The eleven thousand virgin companions of St Ursula are generally thought to have their origins in a scribal error. AlexTiefling (talk) 21:23, 2 June 2015 (UTC)
It's still happening. Not a saint or a demon, but a few years ago Irish police were on the lookout for a Polish man called Prawo Jazdy who had an enormous number of driving offences to his name, but kept giving different addresses so they couldn't track him down. Turned out, prawo jazdy is Polish for "driving licence".
And apparently, a Dutch tour guide in the Louvre was overheard directing tourists' attention to busts of the Roman emperor Inconnus. In fact, a selection of busts labelled inconnus - French for "unknown". --Nicknack009 (talk) 21:49, 2 June 2015 (UTC)
Have you heard the one about the foreign exchange student in the US whose favorite brand of milk was "Missing"? Contact Basemetal here 22:10, 2 June 2015 (UTC)
Reminds me of the story about Ronly Bonly Jones (bottom of this page). 75.4.17.61 (talk) 22:32, 2 June 2015 (UTC)
There is the fictitious Saint Xynoris, product of a mistranslation by Baronius, though supposedly fixed in his lifetime: . הסרפד (call me Hasirpad) 00:50, 4 June 2015 (UTC)

June 2

On shadow cabinets

The shadow cabinet is formed from members of the Opposition-so what happens in the event that the government wins such a crushing election victory that are insufficient MPs to actually form a shadow cabinet?Do those few who are left double up roles-or does the government just continue without any shadow cabinet at all? Lemon martini (talk) 10:27, 2 June 2015 (UTC)

If they are few and far between, the remaining members of the opposition party assume a number of different portfolios each; minor portfolios may not have an assigned critic. Below a certain number of members, however, it becomes preposterous to call it a "cabinet", as you couldn't form a cabinet with four or five members only. It's a more useful expression when, as you state, there is a significant number of opposition MPs and some have more responsibilities than others. --Xuxl (talk) 11:17, 2 June 2015 (UTC)
Has that ever happened ever? In Westminster system countries, 2-3 parties are favored by the way the system is set up, so you get the possibility of a single party which controls the majority of the legislature, but I don't know that it has ever happened where the government has controlled such a huge majority of seats as to render the opposition irrelevant. In other parliamentary systems, true majority governments are rare; most governments form via negotiated coalitions; the parties in the government coalition rarely control such a huge majority in the legislature as to render the other parties inconsequential either. Also of note, even in Westminster system countries, cabinet positions are not required to be held by MPs. In the UK, for example, the current Minister of State of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Joyce Anelay, Baroness Anelay of St John's, is not an elected member of Commons. --Jayron32 14:08, 2 June 2015 (UTC)
It has happened in British Columbia. With only 2 sitting members opposed to the government, there was no official opposition. Mingmingla (talk) 15:47, 2 June 2015 (UTC)
B.C. isn't the only Canadian province to have had that sort of result. Here's one from Alberta. --174.88.135.200 (talk) 22:15, 2 June 2015 (UTC)
OP, re "... or does the government just continue without any shadow cabinet at all?": the government doesn't need any organised opposition in order to function. Governments have traditionally treated oppositions with ill-disguised contempt, except when it's not in their political interests to do so. The legislature, on the other hand, could easily become a rubber stamp/joke, unless the government continued to treat it with respect. -- Jack of Oz 21:09, 2 June 2015 (UTC)

Earliest known real (i.e. not legendary) people?

Has anyone ever seen a list of (say) the 100 (or 500 or 1000) earliest known humans for whom we have enough historical data to make it likely that they were real people, not legendary characters? For example, probably among the earliest, the following three pre-dynastic Egyptian kings King Narmer, King Scorpion, King Ka, or (among the earliest non-kingly characters) Imhotep, Hesy-Ra, Merit-Ptah. I don't mean to start a discussion regarding the possible actual contents of such a list (these were just examples) and of course they do not necessarily start in Egypt (I could have just as well picked my examples in Sumer). I'm simply asking whether such a list exists and/or is feasible. Incidentally I don't think we have such a list at WP (despite the famous claim), but this is not the place for suggesting the creation of a WP article. Contact Basemetal here 16:08, 2 June 2015 (UTC)

AFAIK, the earliest humans for which we have names are the Sumerian King List, the earliest objects to be inscribed with the lists are themselves 4000 years old. Many of the early names on the list have not been documented by other methods, but some have, the oldest of which is Enmebaragesi, who probably lived 4500-4600 years ago. I'm not aware of any other person for whom we can confirm their name or actions as individuals from much earlier than that. --Jayron32 17:39, 2 June 2015 (UTC)
According to our own articles King Narmer dates from between 5000 and 5400 years ago (see also Narmer Palette). Contact Basemetal here 17:46, 2 June 2015 (UTC)
Maybe the Egyptologists aren't talking to the Sumerologists; the History of Sumer notes Enmebaragesi as the first archeologically attested ruler. --Jayron32 17:59, 2 June 2015 (UTC)
Or the other way round. Assyriologists got a headstart, public relations-wise ("History Begins at Sumer" and all that) but that's no reason not to pick up the phone Contact Basemetal here 18:47, 2 June 2015 (UTC)
According to another article, Iry-Hor pre-dates Narmer and "is the earliest ruler of Egypt known by name and possibly the earliest historical person known by name." Ghmyrtle (talk) 19:01, 2 June 2015 (UTC)
Yes (I was adding precisely this when I got an edit conflict with Ghmyrtle) possibly great-grandfather to king Narmer, so even earlier. There was some controversy as to his historicity but that seems to have been resolved. You can read all about it in the article. At least you've got to admit Sumerian names don't exactly roll off the tongue. Contact Basemetal here 19:09, 2 June 2015 (UTC)
We had this question in 2008 (and that discussion links to one from 2006 - and I'm sure it has been discussed between 2008 and now but I can't find it). There are some more suggestions there (but ignore mine, Otzi the Iceman is not historically attested obviously...I guess I just like saying "Otzi"). Adam Bishop (talk) 00:48, 3 June 2015 (UTC)
Note that, technically, my question was about the existence of a list of such people. It's Jayron who turned it into a question about the first one. Clearly, as the first item on any such list, that guy would be a start. But I was naively hoping for a list of a 100 (or 500? or 1000?) of them. Another reasonable (?) way to limit the scope of such a list would be to make it a "Chronological list of historical figures from before 2000 BC" (for example). After that such a list could become rather unwieldy. Contact Basemetal here 01:19, 3 June 2015 (UTC)
Note that the earliest names are often ascribed a mix of possibly real and supernatural attributes. For example, Enmebaragesi, listed above, was described as living 900 years. So, who is real and who isn't is very difficult to determine. Even multiple sources isn't definitive, since some may just have copied the others. So, I'd think your list would need to have a confidence level listed for each name. The list of Japanese emperors is one example, where the latest ones clearly are real, and the earliest are clearly fictionalized (although possible based on real people), but where the line is drawn is open to debate. StuRat (talk) 03:02, 3 June 2015 (UTC)
I am abit dubious about the tendancy to declare legendary or barely-attested characters to be "not real" on the grounds that people have ascribed supernatural or implausible attributes to them. There are people alive today who have supernatural or implausible attributes ascribed to them - sometimes jokingly, sometimes due to fraud, and sometimes due to honest mistakes. (And to my mind, a great many legends do look like the ancient equivilent of Chuck Norris facts, e.g. Roland (who apparently probably was a real person) destroying a part of a cliff while trying to break his sword). Iapetus (talk) 09:57, 3 June 2015 (UTC)
Euhemerism can be applied to actual people, or people who never existed. It's distinguishing the two that's the hard part :) - Nunh-huh 11:15, 3 June 2015 (UTC)

Mother's surname

If you're British and 15 years old, but dislike your father's surname and prefer to use your mother's surname, would that surname be allowed/issued by the HM Passport Office? 84.13.60.245 (talk) 18:09, 2 June 2015 (UTC)

You should really ask HMPO, contact details are here. Please note that it is the parent who would apply. I would imagine that the only name a child could have on a passport is either that from the full birth certificate, a deed of change of name or a statutory declaration as the parent will have to submit evidence of the child's true identity on application. Nanonic (talk) 18:35, 2 June 2015 (UTC)
We cannot offer legal advice, but according to this website, you must first legally change your name before you can use your new name on a passport, and you must be over 18 to legally change your name on your own. For people under 18 this website discusses the procedures for a legal name change. If you have any further questions, you will need to consult with an attorney. Marco polo (talk) 18:39, 2 June 2015 (UTC)
Whilst we can't offer legal advise, I'd like to point out that deed-polls are not required under Scots law; you just have to write to all interested parties and inform them of your new name, and cease to use your old one. Also in Scotland the Age of Majority, where you can make such decisions for yourself, is 16 not 18, as in England and Wales. LongHairedFop (talk) 20:52, 2 June 2015 (UTC)
Here gives the documents required to effect a change of name at the passport office. As well as a deed poll, a statutory declaration (signed by an appropriate person, e.g. a notary) or an affidavit can be used. This PDF (linked from the above) says that a statutory declaration is acceptable for change of name, but not for new applications. The example affidavit given is for the case of marriage, but I'm not sure whether that is intentionally limiting or not. MChesterMC (talk) 08:26, 3 June 2015 (UTC)

This article is evil. You need to fix or delete it.

Not a ref desk question, please address at the article's talk page, see also WP:RFC and WP:AFD
The following discussion has been closed. Please do not modify it.

This article is evil. This is why I would never donate to Misplaced Pages: http://en.wikipedia.org/The_Zionist_Occupation_Government_conspiracy_theory

Zionism is not Judaism. That is where the discussion needs to start. So, Zionism is not a religion and being against it or believing its multiracial cabal controls other governments is NOT ANTISEMITIC.

You need to quit letting these evil Zionists control your website My natural father was Jewish but I know what Zionism is, a cabal that seeks world dominance. And in case you didn't hear:

“The technotronic era involves the gradual appearance of a more controlled society. Such a society would be dominated by an elite, unrestrained by traditional values. Soon it will be possible to assert almost continuous surveillance over every citizen and maintain up-to-date complete files containing even the most personal information about the citizen. These files will be subject to instantaneous retrieval by the authorities. ”

— Zbigniew Brzezinski-1970, Between Two Ages: America's Role in the Technetronic Era

“In the technotronic society the trend would seem to be towards the aggregation of the individual support of millions of uncoordinated citizens, easily within the reach of magnetic and attractive personalities exploiting the latest communications techniques to manipulate emotions and control reason.”

— Zbigniew Brzezinski-1970 , Between Two Ages: America's Role in the Technetronic Era
— Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.180.167.242 (talk) 21:29, 2 June 2015 (UTC)
Obviously a case of WP:DONTLIKE. Just go. --TL22 (talk) 23:55, 2 June 2015 (UTC)
Ooh ooh yay we don't seem to have an evil Zionist cabal in our Misplaced Pages:List_of_cabals. Can we add them?

And possibly the stretch-the-length-of-the-page-to-breaking-point cabal-nominating our user friend above to be their first member of course. And whilst we're at it,can we have a List of evil articles too?Lemon martini (talk) 23:44, 2 June 2015 (UTC)

The Misplaced Pages article in no way endorses this "theory", it just mentions that it exists. There are many other disproven theories in Misplaced Pages articles. StuRat (talk) 02:50, 3 June 2015 (UTC)

US old-people's prison

In the UK, the number of elderly people in prison is apparently more than it used to be; this article says "cold-case" DNA evidence is partially responsible. Obviously housing elderly prisoners imposes different challenges than the young-to-middle-aged people who form the majority of the prison population. This says that a wing in HM Prison Wymott houses many of these "old lags". Does the US Federal prison system similarly have facility designated for, or becoming the norm for, housing elderly prisoners? 146.90.127.87 (talk) 22:25, 2 June 2015 (UTC)

I haven't heard of any, but we do have minimum security prisons, which might be appropriate, considering grandpa probably won't get very far with his walker, if he tries to "run". :-) Here "life imprisonment without the possibility of parole" sentences lead to the elderly in prison. StuRat (talk) 02:42, 3 June 2015 (UTC)
They just announced that a murderer had been sentenced to life without parole, plus 23-47 years. I am curious what the mechanics of that will be. μηδείς (talk) 21:36, 3 June 2015 (UTC)
Regardless of accommodation, or administration, some of those are explored in the Ross–Littlewood paradox --Askedonty (talk) 21:52, 3 June 2015 (UTC)
For commentary on this, see page 48 onwards of this 2012 report from Human Rights Watch. Nanonic (talk) 21:56, 3 June 2015 (UTC)

June 3

Will beastiality become socially acceptable one day

Per Misplaced Pages Reference Desk rules, questions that ask for speculation or opinion are not appropriate --Jayron32 01:16, 3 June 2015 (UTC)
The following discussion has been closed. Please do not modify it.

Do you think that one day beastiality will become socially acceptable, just like with homosexuality?— Preceding unsigned comment added by 199.7.159.47 (talk) 00:03, 3 June 2015 (UTC)

Fee fie foe fum. I smell the blood of a troll...ium. —Nelson Ricardo (talk) 00:27, 3 June 2015 (UTC)

Well, I don't see why not, since homosexuality used to be illegal until the 1960s. Nowadays, homosexuality is considered alright. So why couldn't the same happen with beastiality? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 199.7.159.47 (talk) 00:59, 3 June 2015 (UTC)

Where specifically are pterodactyls mentioned in the Bible?

Question as topic. The thread I started about cryptids on the science desk reminded me about this.

As far as I remember, that the Bible refers to something that could possibly be pterodacyls started some sort of minor 'movement' to locate living specimens in Africa. I think that the logic is something like 'they are clearly mentioned in the Bible, so they could have been alive back then - and there have been reports of pterosaurs in remote parts of Africa over the years, so maybe there is something to it...'. It's not specifically a religious thing, they just use the Bible as a potential lead, more than anything else. Who started this, anyway? I think that some group was raising money to send an expedition somewhere or other to look for pterodactyls. --Kurt Shaped Box (talk) 00:23, 3 June 2015 (UTC)

If the expedition you were thinking of was this it's a hoax made up by a satire site. I don't know if there's ever been a similar actual expedition, but attempts have been made to track down an alleged living pterosaur in New Guinea (the Ropen). 75.4.17.61 (talk) 00:46, 3 June 2015 (UTC)
That may have been it. Can't remember now, but it looks sorta familiar. Thanks. --Kurt Shaped Box (talk) 02:34, 3 June 2015 (UTC)
Where specifically are pterodactyls mentioned in the Bible? Nowhere (and no, I can't cite a source for that - for the same reason that I can't cite a source for Bill Gates not being mentioned in the Rigveda) Though sadly, Googling 'pterodactyls in the bible' reveals that people have made the claim (see e.g. ) As to who started it, creationists have been arguing against extinction more or less ever since the fossil record began to unearth creatures no longer apparently in existence - since this would appear to contradict the Biblical version of the Flood, and Noah saving the animals. AndyTheGrump (talk) 00:35, 3 June 2015 (UTC)
Fiery flying serpent? 184.147.134.128 (talk) 00:39, 3 June 2015 (UTC)
Well yes, if you ignore the fact that a pterodacyl resembles a serpent in the same way that an umbrella resembles an alarm clock... AndyTheGrump (talk) 00:42, 3 June 2015 (UTC)
I've looked everywhere I could, to be true I'm completely unable to find the icon for marking it 'Liked', in Fiery flying serpent--Askedonty (talk) 08:51, 3 June 2015 (UTC)
There are other animals that I'd compare pterodactyls to before I thought of 'serpent', to be honest. Anyway, I found this - pterodactyls in the Torah (maybe). --Kurt Shaped Box (talk) 02:34, 3 June 2015 (UTC)
Interesting post, but I doubt the validity of its facts-- I'm pretty sure that all bats, not just the vampire ones, are quadrupedal. The verse is usually interpreted as referring to insects anyway. Then there's that "legs above the feet" thing; I really don't know what's going on there. 75.4.17.61 (talk) 03:07, 3 June 2015 (UTC)
Checking further, the 'plesiosaur' in question supposedly being sought was the 'Ropen', a supposed cryptid for which I'm glad to say we no longer have an article (AfD discussion ). Feel free to Google it if you have spare brain cells you no longer require... AndyTheGrump (talk) 00:46, 3 June 2015 (UTC)
Drat, I should have checked the Ropen wikilink before posting it. 75.4.17.61 (talk) 01:27, 3 June 2015 (UTC)

Wikilibel

What does the law say about naming the alleged rapist in cases like the Mattress Performance (Carry That Weight)? The name is already public information obtaining from an official record. Besides that, in the notes, anyone can read the name of the alleged perpetrator. The name is also all over the mainstream media, so, there is little novelty value here. He's is even giving interviews defending his point of view.--Llaanngg (talk) 17:37, 3 June 2015 (UTC)

This question would be better asked at the Biographies of living persons noticeboard, where this particular case has already been discussed. Dwpaul 17:39, 3 June 2015 (UTC)
The question is what the law says, not what wikipolicy says. Nyttend (talk) 19:06, 3 June 2015 (UTC)
In which case, why entitle the thread 'Wikilibel'? I think the OP needs to clarify what exactly is being asked - and in particular, if this is a question about libel laws, clarify which jurisdiction the question relates to. AndyTheGrump (talk) 19:11, 3 June 2015 (UTC)
Sorry for the wiki part. I only want the libel law in the US, UK. So, if everybody knows something and has access to public records corroborating it, or any other reliable source, does it become fair ground to talk about it? --Llaanngg (talk) 21:13, 3 June 2015 (UTC)
If the name of an individual is repeated "all over the mainstream media", it would seem a safe bet that doing so isn't libellous. As regards to 'talking about it', that would clearly depend on what was being said - defamation (which includes libel) generally consists of making false statements about a person, rather than merely naming them - though the latter may well be contempt of court in some circumstances and jurisdictions. I suggest that you read United States defamation law and English defamation law (Scottish law is slightly different) if you want further information - and look at the sources cited by the articles if you need to know more. AndyTheGrump (talk) 21:27, 3 June 2015 (UTC)
We can give you examples of cases and their results (for example, "in Doe v. Bloggs, the court found that Doe had libelled Bloggs by saying that he was a bloodthirsty lying crook"), but interpreting those results and extrapolating them to other situations is something we can't do here, because it would functionally amount to giving legal advice. Nyttend (talk) 22:27, 3 June 2015 (UTC)
Per Nyttend, we cannot tell you how any particular law applies to any particular case. There are people who are allowed to do that; they are called lawyers. If you need to find the answer to your question, seek an answer from them. We cannot provide you with any answer which may lead you to believe that a particular course of action is or is not allowed under the law, for if we are wrong, you could get yourself into deep shit. --Jayron32 00:22, 4 June 2015 (UTC)
You may find the article United States defamation law of interest. A key statement there is that the laws vary from state to state. ←Baseball Bugs carrots01:56, 4 June 2015 (UTC)

English-Scottish peace, 1641

A peace-offering to God a sermon preached to the honourable House of Commons assembled in Parliament at their publique thanksgiving, September 7, 1641 : for the peace concluded between England and Scotland

What's the peace in question? Had the two kingdoms been at war immediately up to this point? The second of the Bishops' Wars had been over for a year by this point, it looks like they were allies against the Irish Rebellion of 1641, and the Wars of the Three Kingdoms wouldn't break out yet for a few years. Nyttend (talk) 19:08, 3 June 2015 (UTC)

The second Bishops' War had ended with a ceasefire but not with a final resolution. According to this source, that resolution came with the Treaty of London in August 1641. According to this source, the treaty was signed August 10, less than a month before the sermon cited in your source. Marco polo (talk) 19:32, 3 June 2015 (UTC)

Careers in emergency services and mental health support

What are the similarities and differences between a career in emergency services and a support group/crisis helpline? 194.66.246.29 (talk) 00:11, 4 June 2015 (UTC)

Misplaced Pages has articles titled emergency services and mental health provider. While those specific articles are short, each contains blue links which will lead you to further articles. You're allowed to read any articles at Misplaced Pages you wish, and arrive at answers to your question. --Jayron32 00:19, 4 June 2015 (UTC)

God, the Devil, Good and Evil

God and the Devil are not opposites? God is good. The Devil is evil. God symbolizes and represents good. The Devil symbolizes and represents evil. Aren't God and the Devil opposites just as and in the same way as good and evil are opposites?

Gyotu (talk) 03:34, 4 June 2015 (UTC)

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