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August 30

Jeremiah Evarts Chamberlain

I’m trying to find what novel by Jeremiah Evarts Chamberlain is mentioned here?KAVEBEAR (talk) 08:47, 30 August 2018 (UTC)

There is not a lot on the web about him. It seems he went by the name "J. Evarts Chamberlain" or sometimes just "Evarts Chamberlain", and there's some interference in the research from two other people with similar names, Jeremiah Evarts was a notable missionary for whom your guy was named, and there's also a "John Evarts Chamberlain" that appears to be a different person. Other than your book, I only find This newspaper discussing his memorial service in a short blurb, This yearbook mentions on page 10 that he attended Williston Northampton School in 1846, and there's not much else I am finding. --Jayron32 10:44, 30 August 2018 (UTC)

John Evarts was his nephew. Here is what I found on him. It is still not much and doesn’t answer the question about the novel he wrote. Can anyone help find concrete sources of his service in th Civil War. This said he served in the 7th Wisconsin Volunteer while this States he served in Captain Edmond’s Volunteer Company (whatever that is). While the book I linked above States he was served on a Mississippi steamboat. So context wise, Chamberlain seems to be a Union military chaplain who served in a Wisconsin or Michigan regiment or both and saw action at the Battle of Shiloh. He attended Harvard Law and lived in St. Joseph, Michigan after the war until returning to Honolulu in 1873. Can anyone with a better research knowledge of the Civil War find any more information him? KAVEBEAR (talk) 16:54, 30 August 2018 (UTC)

What does Captain Edmond’s Volunteer Company mean? Which regiment is that? KAVEBEAR (talk) 01:42, 4 September 2018 (UTC)

Kitchener's three salaries

In Asquith by Roy Jenkins, we read of Kitchener that "his special status, as Sir Philip Magnus has informed us, was symbolised not only by his sitting on the right hand of the Prime Minister in Cabinet, but also by his drawing three salaries". One salary would of course be that of Secretary of State for War, but what were the other two? DuncanHill (talk) 10:37, 30 August 2018 (UTC)

He was still earning his Field Marshal's crust, and he had a "special allowance" of £1140 a year. Source: [1]. --Antiquary (talk) 12:47, 30 August 2018 (UTC)

Thank you. Do we know what a Field Marshal got in those days? And, for that matter, a Secretary of State for War? I see our article Philip Magnus is not about the author, who is at Philip Magnus-Allcroft. I'll have a go through the incoming links to sort them out. DuncanHill (talk) 13:15, 30 August 2018 (UTC)

So he only had to sit in one place but had three salaries? I was robbed, I once had three different jobs with three desks on different floors of a building - but they only gave me one salary ;-) Dmcq (talk) 17:02, 30 August 2018 (UTC)

This referenced article says: "In the British Army of 1914, the commander in chief was paid at an inclusive rate (excepting field and travelling pay) of £4,500 per year. A general received £800 per year".

I had thought that not being an active officer, Kitchener might be on half-pay or a pension, but it appears that " field marshals never retire, and this is a way of rewarding them for the great services which they have rendered to the country in order to reach that exalted rank". Hansard 1956 Alansplodge (talk) 17:18, 30 August 2018 (UTC)

That google books link does not display the text for me. The link to Hansard is here, and talks of field marshals being on half pay in 1956. We still don't know what a field marshal in the First World War would have been paid, or whether Kitchener got full- or half-pay for it, nor do we know what he got as secretary of state. DuncanHill (talk) 10:46, 31 August 2018 (UTC)

OK, I found this in Hansard from March 1916, Arthur Lynch and William Cowan asked about Kitchener's salary, David Lloyd George, as Minister of Munitions answered "On the outbreak of War, Lord Kitchener was in receipt of £6,140 a year, which was the salary drawn by the British Agent and Consul-General in Egypt while on leave. On his acceptance of the post of Secretary of State for War this salary was continued." DuncanHill (talk) 10:50, 31 August 2018 (UTC)

According to this a Secretary of State at the time would have received £5,000. This, with the "special allowance" of £1,140 would make the £6,140 that Lloyd George referred to. We still don't know what his military salary was. DuncanHill (talk) 16:43, 2 September 2018 (UTC)

Prayer as Cultural universal?

I was expecting to find prayers included in the long list of cultural universals. However, apparently it's either implicit in things like "attempts to control weather" or "Death rituals, mourning" or it's simply not really a universal. Has some anthropologist an opinion on this? --Doroletho (talk) 17:32, 30 August 2018 (UTC)

As far as I know, you would only need one significant cultural group that doesn't pray to make it not a universal. I believe that Australian Aboriginal religion and mythology does not include prayer. --Jayron32 17:42, 30 August 2018 (UTC)

I think Meditation is the real "cultural universal" in that sense since also rituals and dances, from Tea ceremony over Sufi Dance up to aboriginal Songlines, are forms of meditation and prayer is actually just another variation of meditation common to the Abrahamic religions civilizations. --Kharon (talk) 11:42, 31 August 2018 (UTC)

I think "prayer" is subsumed under myth and ritual. "I asked the gods to make my crops grow, and they did, so they must have heard my request." Prayer as a distinct "thing" is a bit Abrahamic religion-centric; many religions (as noted by Kharon) involve ritualistic dancing, trances, etc., which are intended to commune with gods/spirits/etc., but it's hard to point to a specific element of these and say "that's prayer". (Cultural universal could do with some work. That whole big list appears to be pulled from a single book, and it's unclear whether the items are intended to be an exhaustive list or examples of each category.) --47.146.63.87 (talk) 07:31, 1 September 2018 (UTC)

August 31

Kitchener - "he is not a great man, he is a great poster"

@Asmrulz The question assumes common knowledge of this 1914 Lord Kitchener Wants You poster.

Margot Asquith is quoted in our article Lord Kitchener Wants You as saying "He is not a great man, he is a great poster", and is in the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations as saying "Kitchener is a great poster". ODQ cites her More Memories, 1933. Our article cites Brushes and Bayonets: Cartoons, Sketches and Paintings of World War I by Lucinda Gosling. Do we have an earlier citation for her using this (or a form of this) saying? I ask because in researching K's salaries, I came across a comment in Hansard by Arthur Markham in May 1916 where he says "Lord Kitchener, we all know, is a great poster, and has been very successful as a poster, but what happened with regard to recruiting?" DuncanHill (talk) 11:45, 31 August 2018 (UTC)

Excellent! According to Nigel Rees's Cassell Companion to Quotations Margot Asquith, in her More Memories, actually attributes the remark to her daughter Elizabeth. In 1924 Christopher Addison wrote that "someone" had once told Lloyd George that "Lord Kitchener might or might not be a great General, but he was certainly a great Poster." But I think you've practically got back to the horse's mouth. --Antiquary (talk) 16:53, 31 August 2018 (UTC)

That reminds me that Lloyd George did quote it in his War Memoirs - he ascribes "Not a great man, but a great poster" to a "lady with a pernicious gift for stinging epigrams", which would be as good a description of Margot as any other. So - everyone thinks Margot said it, Margot says her daughter said it, but Markham seems to have got there first. DuncanHill (talk) 17:15, 31 August 2018 (UTC)

Quite possibly, though I am worried by that "we all know". Does that suggest that it was a joke already doing the rounds? --Antiquary (talk) 18:58, 31 August 2018 (UTC)

Yes, that struck me too. Margot seems to say that her husband quoted Elizabeth when she (Margot) warned him of K's possible unsuitability for the role of War Secretary, but as his appointment preceded the poster this seems unlikely. I did go back to search Hansard for earlier uses, and there do not appear to be any. Addison's book came out in 1924, LlG's War Memoirs between 1933 and 1936 (the character sketch of K is in an early section), and Lady Asquith's More Memories in 1933. It would be out of character for Margot to deny originating a line like that if it really was her own. I don't think it beyond her to claim it as her daughter's even if it was a common quip at the time. Anyone got the ability to search old numbers of Punch or John Bull and the like? DuncanHill (talk) 19:28, 31 August 2018 (UTC)

How could he be a great poster, the Internet wasn't even invented yet Asmrulz (talk) 22:25, 31 August 2018 (UTC)

Publicly announcing deaths several days after the death occurs in East Asia

In Japan, it appears to be the common place, if not the norm for deaths of public figures (at least in entertainment) to be announced several days after the death occurred, usually after wakes and funerals have already taken place. There are exceptions to this in Japan (some deaths are announced immediately), but these are exceptions. I was wondering: is this also the case in China and Korea? And what are the reasons for this kind of practice in Japan then? Narutolovehinata5 ^tccsdnew 13:38, 31 August 2018 (UTC)

Is this valid method of procurement in any government agency in utility sector

Under Indian law, is it allowable for a department (or department head) to bypass the a formal open "request for tender" process, by instead calling limited tender among arbitrary selected vendors. Specifically, does this (or is this likely to) violate vigilance rules of central vigilance commission or state vigilance commission, for a state-owned company for generating thermal power?

The company has a official public notice published in its website stating that material and services will be procured through e-tender and interested parties must acquire Digital Signature Certificates from authorized agencies for participating in the e-tendering process and in the said notice there is no mention of value range or type of items or services for which e-tendering is exempted and other methods are to be followed.It is also mentioned in the notice that for any unforeseen eventualities interested parties may follow notice in organization website

However, in one of this company's power plants,information technology related goods , services and works procurement is not handled through the open e-tendering process, but instead tender is only available to vendors arbitrarily selected by an official.

Is the "limited tendering" policy described above valid? If not, is it a form of corruption? Could this be evidence of a kickback scheme or other systematic corruption?Wrogh456 (talk) 15:27, 31 August 2018 (UTC)

Your apparent IP 103.24.110.233 geolocates to India. No one here is qualified to answer the legal questions you're raising. If you're concerned, you should consult an attorney there in India. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 15:45, 31 August 2018 (UTC)

This is nothing to do with legal advice. This is a request for information concerning rules for government procurement. E-tendering is normally only for high value contracts, i.e. those above a certain financial limit. You say that there are no value ranges specified, but that doesn't mean they don't exist. It would be silly for a government agency to require e-tendering for paperclips or pencils, for example. You can ask the agency for their detailed procurement rules, but they might not give them to you. You could also write to the agency's auditors and see if they're interested. --Viennese Waltz 16:08, 31 August 2018 (UTC)

Asking whether something is illegal is a request for legal advice. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 18:20, 31 August 2018 (UTC)

Not at all. He's not proposing to do it himself, therefore it's not a request for advice. --Viennese Waltz 20:36, 31 August 2018 (UTC)

He's making an accusation of illegal activity. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 22:17, 31 August 2018 (UTC)

No he's not. He's asking whether existing rules mean that particular activity, carried out by a company he carefully hasn't identified and cannot therefore be accusing, is legal or not.

I agree that no-one on this Desk is likely to be able to answer the question. Given its nature, I doubt (though IANAL) that an attorney would be a suitable authority to consult, since this is not a matter of a personal tort. More likely there will be an appropriate Ombudsman or, this being India, a Lokpal or a Lokayukta, to which the question should be addressed and who would be responsible for investigating such matters. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 90.212.15.178 (talk) 08:23, 1 September 2018 (UTC)

"It would be silly for a government agency to require e-tendering for paperclips or pencils, for example. " I work for a community college in North Carolina and we DO use e-tendering to purchase such things.--Khajidha (talk) 17:23, 1 September 2018 (UTC)

Pisan title to Sardinia

Did the doges of the Republic of Pisa ever adopt a title in reference to Sardinia, which they ruled for some time? For example, the doges of Venice called themselves dukes of Dalmatia. And did the Genoese use a title in reference to Corsica? Surtsicna (talk) 18:59, 31 August 2018 (UTC)

Apparently no - Sardinia was never ruled as a single territory and the Pisans don't seem to have considered an integral part of the Republic. It was already split between the four giudici and the Pisans just installed their own citizens in those positions, rather than creating a new title/office. Eventually the giudicates were conquered by (or sold to) the Aragonese who established the Kingdom of Sardinia as an integral part of the Crown of Aragon. Adam Bishop (talk) 00:19, 1 September 2018 (UTC)

Greek Orthodoxy on Sardinia

When did Sardinia become Roman Catholic? And when did its native rulers, the judges, become Roman Catholic? The New Cambridge Medieval History says that Pope Gregory VII (r. 1073–85) "was anxious to bring the island into line with the institutions and customs of western Christianity, challenging the strong local tradition of Greek Orthodoxy". It seems it was not yet Catholic during the pontificate of Gregory VII, despite having become independent from the Byzantine Empire 200 years earlier. Surtsicna (talk) 19:23, 31 August 2018 (UTC)

Unfortunately, I don't know the answer to this question. That said, though, you can try getting the answer to this question at historum.com if you won't be able to get an answer here. This also applies to your other question here. Futurist110 (talk) 22:31, 31 August 2018 (UTC)

The Byzantines were probably already gone by the time the Arabs started raiding the island in the 8th century, so the local tradition of Orthodoxy was probably not that strong. Like you said, there's about 200-300 years where apparently there just wasn't really much of a church on Sardinia. After the schism in 1054, there definitely couldn't be any further Byzantine influence, if there had been any before that. As you mentioned, it was brought into line with western Christian customs under Gregory VII, who sent papal legates, sent the Benedictines and other monastic orders to found monasteries, built new churches, etc. I wouldn't really say it "became" Roman Catholic or converted though, since there's not much practical difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism in the 11th century. From Gregory's point of view, they were just restoring/reaffirming Christianity, not converting the Sardinians from one religion to another. A helpful starting place for all this is Michelle Hobart, "Merchants, monks, and medieval Sardinian architecture", chapter 4 of Studies in the Archaeology of the Medieval Mediterranean (p. 109-112 specifically). Adam Bishop (talk) 00:38, 1 September 2018 (UTC)

Mark Levin and Alex Jones

Do Mark Levin and Alex Jones say nice things about each other? Are they friends? ThanksRich (talk) 23:44, 31 August 2018 (UTC)

September 1

How potent of a force was republicanism in Europe before WWI?

How potent of a force was republicanism in Europe before World War I?

I know that France, Switzerland, and--starting from 1910--Portugal were republics. However, what about the European countries that were still monarchies before World War I? Were there large-scale republican movements in any of these countries? Or was it almost universally believed in these countries that their monarchies should be maintained (with or without reducing the powers of these monarchs)?

Any thoughts on this?

I know that republicanism really caught on in Europe after the World Wars, but I'm wondering if this trend would have still occurred if it wasn't for the World Wars. Futurist110 (talk) 03:09, 1 September 2018 (UTC)

Britain had a republic in the mid-17th century (per Republicanism in the United Kingdom); and, Spain had its First Spanish Republic in 1873–1874. 2606:A000:1126:4CA:0:98F2:CFF6:1782 (talk) 05:37, 1 September 2018 (UTC)

I knew about Britain (Oliver Cromwell and all that) but forgot about Spain. Futurist110 (talk) 20:37, 1 September 2018 (UTC)

see Dutch Republic. Blueboar (talk) 10:46, 1 September 2018 (UTC)

The Dutch Republic however, had little to do with republicanism, at least initially; the Dutch opted for a republic simply because there was no suitable candidate to become monarch. After driving out the Spanish, the Dutch provinces offered the kingship of the Netherlands to both Elizabeth I of England and Henry III of France, but both declined. - Lindert (talk) 17:12, 1 September 2018 (UTC)

The Dutch Republic also had a hereditary stadtholder--something which makes it much different from republics such as the United States of America. Futurist110 (talk) 20:37, 1 September 2018 (UTC)

There's also the Republic of Letters. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 90.212.15.178 (talk) 08:36, 1 September 2018 (UTC)

I never heard of this topic before. Thus, thanks for sharing this! Futurist110 (talk) 20:37, 1 September 2018 (UTC)

In which case (as, although it's straying from the concept of Republicanism, there is a Republic of Letters connection) you might also be interested in The Invisible College. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 90.212.15.178 (talk) 21:07, 2 September 2018 (UTC)

Constitutional monarchy may be a relevant article. --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 17:55, 1 September 2018 (UTC)

Yes, of course. Futurist110 (talk) 20:37, 1 September 2018 (UTC)

Three bits for you: (1) the Dutch opted for a republic simply because there was no suitable candidate to become monarch Same with France: there was a dispute in 1871 over who should become king, and the only way it was resolved was by settling on a pretender who ended up refusing the throne under the terms that it was offered, so they re-compromised on nobody. See French Third Republic#Parliamentary monarchy. (2) Bits of Germany were a republic. All the states of pre-1866 Germany survived until the end of the imperial period (aside from a few that fought Prussia in 1866 and got annexed as a result), including the republican free cities of Lübeck, Hamburg, and Bremen. (3) Another fully sovereign republic in 1914: San Marino. As far as I can tell, the only other part of Europe with no monarch at the time was Albania, and that's because there was chaos. Albania during World War I was a failed state, a mix of anarchy in some regions and foreign occupation in the rest. Nyttend (talk) 22:10, 1 September 2018 (UTC)

See also Republicanism in the United Kingdom. Alansplodge (talk) 18:13, 2 September 2018 (UTC)

The Romans were extremely passionate about republicanism for about 5 centuries, really, very passionate, until awfully suddenly, (about 5 years later) they weren't. --Dweller (talk) Become old fashioned! 22:42, 2 September 2018 (UTC) (Warning: gross simplification). --Dweller (talk) Become old fashioned! 22:44, 2 September 2018 (UTC)

Russian Republic 1917 borders

I'm going through Russia Goes to the Polls: The Election to the All-Russian Constituent Assembly, 1917, working on the Russian Constituent Assembly election, 1917 and wanted to check a bit on the administrative borders at the time. Overall, the electoral district seems to match the subdivisions of the Russian Empire (such as File:Subdivisions of the Russian Empire in 1897 (governorate level, uyezd level and localities).svg). Where there any significantly transfers of territories between governorates during 1917? --Soman (talk) 05:59, 1 September 2018 (UTC)

I know that Kholm Governorate was created in 1912, but I don't think that any guberniyas (governorates) were created in Russia after 1912. Futurist110 (talk) 21:14, 1 September 2018 (UTC)

Altay (from southern part of Tomsk) and Bukey (from eastern part of Astrakhan) governorates were created in 1917. The former is present in the Election Regulations, the latter is probably implicitely mentioned as part of Astrakhan governorate with nomadic population. There were other changes sinc 1897. Шурбур (talk) 08:18, 2 September 2018 (UTC)

Many thanks. We find a Caspian or Pricaspian electoral district in 1917, "September 23, the Oblast Election Commission set up 52 electoral precincts: Maloderbetovsky ulus 10 precincts, Manychsky ulus 10, Yandyko-Mochaznyi ulus 7, Ikitsokhuro-Kharakhusovksy 12, 9 precincts in the uluses of Bagaotsokhuro-Khoshoutovsky and Erketenevsky and 4 precinct in the Kuma aimak of the Terek oblast (which initially had not been planned to be part of the Caspian Electoral District)". Would this be the same as the Bukey? (@@Шурбур:) --Soman (talk) 11:26, 2 September 2018 (UTC)

No, those were Kalmyk uluses, in the south-western part of Astrakhan governorate. Bukey (Bukeyevskaya) governorate included the lands of the Bukey Horde, populated by nomad Kazakhs, to the east from the Volga. See the map (in blue): File:Zapadnye_gubernii_Rossii_1917.png. Шурбур (talk) 12:50, 2 September 2018 (UTC)

In that case, would Bukeyevskaya gov have corresponded to the electoral district named "Horde (Ryn Peski area)"? --Soman (talk) 19:15, 4 September 2018 (UTC)

It seems so, in the Regulations Orda (Ordynskiy) district is defined as part of Astrakhan governorate populated by nomad Kazakhs of the Inner (=Bukey) Horde. According to the Brokhaus, Ryn Sands was synonymous to the name of the Bukey Horde for the locals. Шурбур (talk) 07:23, 5 September 2018 (UTC)

Cabin crew announcements

Why are there so many variations on cabin crew announcements? For example even within the same airline for departure announcements I’ve heard everything from “cabin crew boarding complete”, “cabin attendants doors for departure and cross check” “cabin crew doors to automatic and cross check” to “cabin attendants door armed” etc. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 90.206.70.170 (talk) 12:34, 1 September 2018 (UTC)

Because there is no mandated standard. Nanonic (talk) 21:08, 1 September 2018 (UTC)

Next time you fly, you could ask them. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 21:13, 1 September 2018 (UTC)

There would be different cabin crew actions required on different models of planes. HiLo48 (talk) 23:03, 1 September 2018 (UTC)

It would be an interesting question to ask. As in, do they have a script memorized, or are they kind of "winging" it. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 01:43, 2 September 2018 (UTC)

The "Boarding complete" announcement does not mean the same thing as the "Arm doors and cross-check" announcement. The former indicates that the last expected passenger has entered the aircraft and the cabin crew can start to shut the overhead bins and settle passengers down (and it also means that passengers can leap toward better seats although the last passengers to board may still be working their way down the aisle). The latter instructs the cabin crew to set the doors so that opening them will inflate the life rafts, and to check that this has been done on the other side. Hayttom (talk) 06:21, 2 September 2018 (UTC)

Related question: as a frequent flyer, I've noticed slight changes in the timing of some announcements. For example, on landing the announcement "cabin crew, doors to manual and cross-check" used to be done at the same time or just after the engines were switched off and the plane reached a complete standstill. Now it is done just before the aircraft comes to a halt. Any idea why this change was made? --Viennese Waltz 07:03, 3 September 2018 (UTC)

The last time I flew anywhere, back in December 1974 when it looked to be safe to return to the U K (if I'd known about the IRA bombing campaign that year I might not have come back) the only announcements ever made were "fasten/unfasten seat belts" (at take off/landing or when encountering turbulence), or information such as "we are crossing the equator", disembarkation information at refuelling stops and weather information for an approaching destination. There might also be announcements about the completion of landing cards. When were all these modern announcements introduced? For those who have been following the saga of announcements on London buses Special:Permalink/837698934#Bugged they are now trialling a simple "this bus is ready to depart" after the doors are closed. 86.133.58.87 (talk) 13:38, 3 September 2018 (UTC)

September 2

Proposed national capital transfers that were never carried out

I know about the successful transfer of national capitals--for instance, Kazakhstan's decision to move its capital from Almaty to Astana. However, what proposals have there been to move national capitals that were never actually carried out? Futurist110 (talk) 02:34, 2 September 2018 (UTC)

Do you want to include rejected candidate cities when one was finally chosen? Hayttom (talk) 06:23, 2 September 2018 (UTC)

Yes, I do. Futurist110 (talk) 06:45, 2 September 2018 (UTC)

Dalgety in Australia was chosen as the site for the new nation's capital in 1903, two years after the nation was created. It currently has a population of 205, and doesn't ever seem to have had much more. For details of how it missed out, see Canberra#Decisions to start and locate a capital. HiLo48 (talk) 07:22, 2 September 2018 (UTC)

Frankfurt was originally going to be the first capital of West Germany in 1949. They even built a parliament building there. Roh Moo-hyun, President of South Korea, proposed to move the national capital to South Chungcheong Province, but that attempt seems to have stalled. Still in Korea, in the 7th century king Sinmun of Silla failed to move his country's capital to Daegu. --Antiquary (talk) 09:24, 2 September 2018 (UTC)

Viedma, Karakorum, virtually empty Ngerulmud, Ciudad Libertad in Venezuela, to name a few. I guess every country had such proposals. Шурбур (talk) 09:31, 2 September 2018 (UTC)

There were a number of other candidates for the US capital, in addition to NY and Philadelphia, (the temporary capitals). There was some sentiment for moving the capital after it was burned by the British in the War of 1812 but it didn't go anywhere. Plainly.--Wehwalt (talk) 10:08, 2 September 2018 (UTC)

There were several suggestions for a capital of Canada, and Ottawa was chosen as it was in between the centres of power in English (Toronto, Kingston) and French (Montreal, Quebec) Canada. Apparently it was also chosen because it would be more difficult for Americans to invade as it was further from the border. I don't think we have an article about the various different capitals prior to Confederation, but there's a lot about this in History of Ottawa. Adam Bishop (talk) 12:38, 2 September 2018 (UTC)

Ottawa was also chosen for being exactly on the river that forms the border of Quebec and Ontario (except near Montreal, the far north and New York). I think a canal was built so they could move from Ottawa to Toronto without being right on the border (The Welland Canal of course has to be built if Canadians want to sail to Lake Erie in their own country but it also has the advantage of not being in a river shared with America. Maybe they even built a canal between Lake Erie and Huron? In the end everything done after 1815 was a waste of money but no one could be sure of that till much later. Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 17:15, 3 September 2018 (UTC)

Huron and Ontario you mean? There is a series of canals there, yeah - the Trent-Severn Waterway. Adam Bishop (talk) 18:58, 3 September 2018 (UTC)

Right, Huron. As an aside I envy the 6 million Torontonians for being so close to a coast of high naturalness (NE Lake Huron). Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 22:19, 3 September 2018 (UTC)

We are kind of in limbo. https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/parliament-sets-up-feasibility-study-to-look-into-move-to-pretoria-20180523 196.213.35.147 (talk) 08:05, 3 September 2018 (UTC)

• While not a national capital, the attempted move of Alaska's capital may be of interest. In 1974, the voters of Alaska voted to move the capital from Juneau to a new location, with the specific location to be selected in a later election. In 1976, the voters chose Willow over two other sites as the new capital. However, in 1978, the voters voted not to issue bonds to fund moving the capital, and in 1982 they voted against spending the $2.8 billion needed to relocate the state capital. The failure of the latter vote also meant that the plan to move the capital was repealed. [2] --Metropolitan90 (talk) 08:27, 3 September 2018 (UTC)

Some communist leaders of Poland touted Łódź as the new national capital just after World War II. After two failed uprisings (in 1943 and 1944) Warsaw was completely destroyed and depopulated. Łódź, on the other hand, had been pre-war Poland's second largest city and survived the war relatively unscathed. It was centrally located within Poland's new post-war borders, it had a largely left-leaning worker population (in contrast to Kraków, the ancient capital, with its conservative bourgeoisie) and lots of apartments vacated, for different reasons, by Jews and Germans. Eventually, the plan didn't work out. People started moving back to Warsaw and rebuilding it brick by brick, and Stalin himself told Polish communists that they should rebuild the city and keep the capital there. — Kpalion^(talk) 10:14, 3 September 2018 (UTC)

I haven't read it, but you may find this book interesting: Vadim Rossman, Capital Cities: Varieties and Patterns of Development and Relocation. — Kpalion^(talk) 10:21, 3 September 2018 (UTC)

...which also mentions that after the fall of communism in Poland, the idea to move the capital back to Kraków was floated, as "some leaders of new Poland saw Warsaw as a conduit of Russian domination and communist influence"; however, it never got anywhere. (There was a song written against this idea, called Nie przenoście nam stolicy do Krakowa "Don't move the capital to Kraków".) Also from the book: in the 1920s Kazys Pakštas supported moving the Lithuanian capital to Klaipėda (then Lithuania's only port and second-largest city), bringing it in line with the other Baltics whose capitals were port cities and strengthening Lithuanian's position in the Baltic Sea; this was connected to the Baltoscandia idea that he did development on. (When talking about this we have to bear in mind that Kaunas was then the temporary capital while Vilnius was then Polish Wilno, and Klaipėda was joined to Lithuania after the Klaipėda Revolt of 1923 but still had a German majority). That also did not happen. Double sharp (talk) 03:18, 5 September 2018 (UTC)

This has periodically been an issue in Liberia. His article doesn't mention it, but President William R. Tolbert (the last before revolution and civil war destroyed the economy and reduced the country to least-developed-nation status) for a time was hoping to move the capital to Bensonville, his native city. Apparently the capital-location issue came up again rather recently — this 2014 story from the Liberian Observer notes that there was talk of moving the capital to a tiny place in Nimba County (we have no article on this place, Zekepa), but the project seems to have died along with its proponent, Willis Knuckles (although the article doesn't mention the incident that removed Knuckles from political influence). Nyttend (talk) 00:01, 6 September 2018 (UTC) PS, per the comment from Wehwalt — for one example, see Metropolis, Illinois#History. Due to the failure of the proposal, the town is not known as the home of the President of the United States, but it is known as the home of Superman (see story), which attracts some tourists. Nyttend (talk) 00:06, 6 September 2018 (UTC)

Differences between Lutheranism and Anglicanism

What are the main differences between Lutheranism and Anglicanism? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.177.207.202 (talk) 19:28, 2 September 2018 (UTC)

You could start by reading and comparing the "Doctrine" sections of Lutheranism and Anglicanism. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 22:36, 2 September 2018 (UTC)

See also this Quora reply which seems to be on the money and has a list of references. Alansplodge (talk) 12:19, 3 September 2018 (UTC)

What happened to Baldwin's statue?

In our article on his home, Astley Hall, we read "There is a monument to Stanley Baldwin just below Astley Hall, directly on the Stourport to Worcester road. After his death, a national appeal failed to raise sufficient money for this memorial. Winston Churchill personally made up the shortfall and attended the dedication. The monument originally consisted of an inscribed base topped with a statue; the statue has since disappeared." I would like to know who was the sculptor, is there a picture of the statue, when did it disappear, and do we know why or how? Thank you, DuncanHill (talk) 20:54, 2 September 2018 (UTC)

I wonder if the people currently campaigning for a statue in his memory have any answers for you? https://stanleybaldwincampaign.webs.com/contact-us --TammyMoet (talk) 18:28, 3 September 2018 (UTC)

September 3

Historical information on the Orient Express

I'm looking for information on the Orient Express, specifically in the early 20th century just prior to WWI. (Yes, I have played The Last Express.) I'm specifically looking for an exact timetable of the Express and the stops it would make in 1914, which is surprisingly hard to find - I would have thought the railheads would be all over that. Any pointers? Dr-ziego (talk) 13:42, 3 September 2018 (UTC)

You want a Thomas Cook's Continental Timetable or a Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide for the relevant dates. There have been re-prints of the latter which you may be able to find on well-known websales sites. DuncanHill (talk) 16:46, 3 September 2018 (UTC)

Civil War records

• https://archive.org/details/massachusettssol21931mass

Is there a comparable source listing all the Civil War combatants from Wisconsin and Michigan such as the linked sourced above about Massachusetts in book form?KAVEBEAR (talk) 15:08, 3 September 2018 (UTC)

National Museum of Brazil fire

What were the most significant and iconic artificats lost in the National Museum of Brazil fire? 107.193.163.81 (talk) 15:16, 3 September 2018 (UTC)

Some are mentioned here:

• Daniel Victor (September 3, 2018). "What Artifacts Were in the National Museum of Brazil?". New York Times.

Presumably too soon to determined what was "destroyed" (meteorites should do fine, for example). 2606:A000:1126:4CA:0:98F2:CFF6:1782 (talk) 15:43, 3 September 2018 (UTC)

Luxury in communism

In communism what happened to all luxury articles that already existed before the revolution? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 37.252.181.83 (talk) 21:36, 3 September 2018 (UTC)

I wonder. All the yachts and diamonds and mansions, what did they do with them? Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 22:20, 3 September 2018 (UTC)

Imperial palaces became museums, some summer palaces became health resorts for a few citizens. A new class, the nomenklatura, sprouted after each communist revolution. The nomenklatura had special privileges, but even for these, imported consumer goods were difficult to obtain. And they couldn't bequeath obtained privileged to their children, just use them while they were alive.--Doroletho (talk) 00:45, 4 September 2018 (UTC)

Crown Jewels of Russia, Regalia of the Russian tsars and Diamond Fund talk a little bit about what happened in Russia - basically they were stored away, sometimes in museums. At one point the Soviets tried to sell them all, but international appraisers informed them that priceless historical artifacts, they'd never sell for their actual value. Adam Bishop (talk) 13:41, 4 September 2018 (UTC)

It may get sold/monetarized, conserved and shown off in Exhibitions, converted to public property or simply destroyed as offensive item/object. There is no general plan in revolutions - every revolution is different. Some seem quite vicious, like for example the Cultural Revolution of 1966-1976 in China, some seem rather peaceful like for example the Bolivarian Revolution from 1999 - today. Of course there is allot of dispute among historians and politicians about such historical changes so it may be very difficult to find objective documentations about them. Worse even, some states have declared it a capital crime to own, distribute, cite or just ask(!) about versions of (their) history beside the official one. --Kharon (talk)

We have the article on Soviet sale of Hermitage paintings, but actually the Bolsheviks sold much more than paintings (furniture, libraries and fine china from imperial palaces being particularly in demand). --Ghirla^-трёп- 18:43, 5 September 2018 (UTC)

September 4

What are free ports good for?

Besides being useful for criminal activities, why would developed nations, under the rule of law, not only tolerate, but enable them?--Doroletho (talk) 00:35, 4 September 2018 (UTC)

The idea is that low taxation stimulates economic activity. --Viennese Waltz 07:22, 4 September 2018 (UTC)

I'm pretty sure that this applies 100% to Free economic zones proper, like Gibraltar or Ceuta. That is, region that are far away from the main economic hubs and need a helping hand to stay afloat. But what about London Docklands or Free_economic_zone#Germany Hamburg in Germany. Does the government have any special interest in developing these? These regions are close to very active markets. --Doroletho (talk) 12:18, 4 September 2018 (UTC)

In the case of the Docklands, as the article you linked to says:

"Between 1960 and 1980, all of London's docks were closed, leaving around eight square miles (21 km²) of derelict land in East London. Unemployment was high, and poverty and other social problems were rife."

It then explains that the docklands were made a special economic zone between 1982 and 1998 to encourage growth, which it certainly achieved very visibly, for anyone who has seen the docklands before 1982 (although please note the article also mentions controversies). --Lgriot (talk) 15:02, 4 September 2018 (UTC)

Simply because ships that transport goods around the world often do not only travel from port A to port B. Especially modern container ships like the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller (ship) may collect and/or deliver containers in multiple locations at their shippinglines start and end (see sample route here).

If the ports where "tax zones", the captain would have to declare and pay taxes for his whole cargo multiple times, no matter he never intended to deliver containers 4504-18000 to the first port he visits at the end of his tour but only containers 1-4503. So the ports need to be free zones because else both the Shipping lines and the local tax authorities would have to handle 3-4 times the bureaucracy they handle with a free port, beside some special problems with cargo that may be legal in London but illegal in Rotterdam. --Kharon (talk) 22:43, 4 September 2018 (UTC)

I've never heard of a captain of a modern container ship having to pay import duties on the cargo carried on his ship. That generally is the responsibility of the person / company that receives the goods.DOR (HK) (talk) 15:57, 5 September 2018 (UTC)

Kharon's contribution is, let's put it politely, bollocks. Obviously, container ships or recipient of containers don't pay import duties when the containers are in transit and remain in the ship. In the same way, a cargo plane making a stop somewhere won't pay import taxes on its cargo.

Not all ports are free ports. Many important ports are not free ports, like Hamburg. Quite in contrary, most ports are not free ports, but have provisions for goods that won't be imported (yet). That is, there are customs bonded warehouses, where different tax regimes can be applied, depending on the the type, origin and destination of the products.

Free ports, as pointed above, have an important positive impact on a region, because different activities can be developed in them, that would not be possible if you applied import taxes on all products. Imagine you want to buy 100s of paintings (for speculating on a rising price), and you want to re-sell them internationally after a while. You can buy them and place them in a warehouse in a free port until you decide to sell them. Or, a company could receive spare parts for repairing ships. The spare part wouldn't be taxed after been fitted in any ship.

The idea is to receive goods tax-free, process them and export them using a more convenient tax regime. Indeed, it's a misnomer to talk about free ports. It's not just a a port, but a whole region with some industrial capabilities that's free. 87.220.80.204 (talk) 17:14, 5 September 2018 (UTC)

Beranger

Anyone can help me find the full name of Beranger [3] (M is for Monsieur) from the List of diplomats of France to Hawaii? KAVEBEAR (talk) 02:05, 4 September 2018 (UTC)

The full name would have been "Charles Béranger" https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/album_comique_cle86f7da.pdf. The poor boy has been treated like in the advertisement for a Jules Verne novel. No indication about the position C.B. would have assumed in Hawaii however. --Askedonty (talk) 10:44, 4 September 2018 (UTC)

• Or is it Paul Bérenger?

[4] [5] [6] Шурбур (talk) 11:15, 4 September 2018 (UTC)

I think you are absolutely correct https://archive.org/stream/annuairediploma05trgoog/annuairediploma05trgoog_djvu.txt --Askedonty (talk) 11:39, 4 September 2018 (UTC)

I thinks it’s Paul. What is the accepted spelling Béranger or Bérenger? KAVEBEAR (talk) 16:17, 4 September 2018 (UTC)

It's Bérenger, for Paul, Béranger, where Charles is concerned. But Шурбур's links are undisputable, the one you are looking for is Paul Bérenger. In the Annuaire Diplomatique for 1870 I came upon - thanks to those links - they both are listed ( p40-41), Paul in Stettin like in Шурбур's third link, Charles, in Berlin like in the gouv.fr link illustrated above. I do not see any confusion left. Шурбур's first link is very beautiful. --Askedonty (talk) 16:44, 4 September 2018 (UTC)

PS There is other data in the same directory regarding Hawaii p42 and p69 which I wouln't know how to order in article so I'm leaving it here. Interestingly in it features a brigadier Béranger [7] member of the government of Spain. The name of this Spanish Navy official and that of a famous of French song-writer with the same spelling of name (Pierre-Jean de Béranger) would explain the 'A' spelling in your original source. They wouldn't have wanted risking being secretly accused of disseminating ignorant typos to the preeminently silent majority. --Askedonty (talk) 15:46, 5 September 2018 (UTC)

Definition of term

In terms of Germany military during the World War II, what would x was the 2 Ic of y mean. I've found it in several document, and in part, i've see on on a article on WP where the Ic part meant Military Intelligence, although I thought it meant operations or intelligence operations. On here, [8]], Ic means General Staff Officer of a higher department (from Division to upwards), Intelligence Officer (Enemy), Security, so it could be military intelligence officer, but what would the two mean. Any ideas. It is from the Funkabwehr article. Thanks scope_creep (talk) 19:32, 4 September 2018 (UTC)

The 'a', 'b', 'c' appear to be ranks, grades or classes within 'I' (Intelligence). 2606:A000:1126:4CA:0:98F2:CFF6:1782 (talk) 20:01, 4 September 2018 (UTC)

"2 Ic" would be "2nd in Command". DuncanHill (talk) 20:05, 4 September 2018 (UTC)

Why would the "I" be capitalized? 2606:A000:1126:4CA:0:98F2:CFF6:1782 (talk) 20:42, 4 September 2018 (UTC)

Some British sources have 2IC [9] although I couldn't find an example of 2Ic - perhaps it was written by a non-native speaker? Alansplodge (talk) 08:46, 5 September 2018 (UTC)

Or a typo. DuncanHill (talk) 15:17, 5 September 2018 (UTC)

There is and never was a rank "Ic" in german military history, far as i know, so i assume it is a translation to english(?) military terms. Its likely assumed as self-declaring by the author(s) of the articles you found it in but obviously its not. You should therefor post your question on the discussion page of these articles and recommend to add the german term in some way like for example "SU".(english "Staff-Sergeant" german "StabsUnteroffizier"). In my opinion foreign military ranks should not be used simply translated without reference or hint of origin. --Kharon (talk) 23:14, 4 September 2018 (UTC)

September 5

Why was Duff Norwich?

Why did Duff Cooper choose the title Viscount Norwich? DuncanHill (talk) 01:45, 5 September 2018 (UTC)

All I can find is the joke he made. Is it possible he chose the title because of the joke? --Dweller (talk) Become old fashioned! 08:55, 5 September 2018 (UTC)

"A little Norwich is a dangerous thing". According to Diana Cooper: The Biography of Lady Diana Cooper by Philip Ziegler, it was entirely based on that joke. Discarded suggestions included Unicorn, Sansterre, St Fermin and Erewhon. Alansplodge (talk) 13:52, 5 September 2018 (UTC)

So it's that joke. And there was me wondering if he'd based his title on this. --Antiquary (talk) 14:41, 5 September 2018 (UTC)

I thought of that too. I dimly remember a comedy sketch (maybe Peter Cook and Dudley Moore), about a well spoken gent dictating a telegram which he wanted to be signed NORWICH, the gag being that he was actually the Bishop of Norwich. Alansplodge (talk) 18:42, 5 September 2018 (UTC)

I also vaguely remeber a sketch - in which he was actually the Bishop of Korwich (to make a point about the correct spelling of Knickers). Wymspen (talk) 11:15, 6 September 2018 (UTC)

Not quite, it was their former BtF collaborator Alan Bennett, and his character only speculates what the Bishop of Norwich means when he uses that signature. I wonder whether the existence of the acronym explains, at least in part, Viscountess Norwich's refusal to use that title. --Antiquary (talk) 20:17, 5 September 2018 (UTC)

Thanks Antiquary, it was even more "dimly" than I thought :-) Alansplodge (talk) 11:46, 6 September 2018 (UTC)

BTW, the whole monologue can be read in The Very Best of The Secret Policeman's Ball. Alansplodge (talk) 15:02, 6 September 2018 (UTC)

(edit conflict)That was code used in letters home from service people of the day to their loved ones. There were many more which I have forgotten. Someone asked me if I knew what these codes meant, and that one I guessed aright. 86.133.58.87 (talk) 18:50, 5 September 2018 (UTC)

See World War II postal acronyms for more. --Antiquary (talk) 20:17, 5 September 2018 (UTC)

I think the gent would have signed himself Norvic [10]. See also this gem from [11]:

I heard a (probably apocryphal) story about a bishop and his wife signing into a hotel. The bishop wrote (picking arbitrary names for the telling) "John Barchester and Mrs Joan Smith". The clerk saw what had been written, and said: "I'm sorry sir, we are not that sort of hotel".

— Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.133.58.87 (talk) 19:07, 5 September 2018‎

If he was John Barchester his wife would be Mrs John Smith. Mrs Joan Smith would be the widow of Mr Smith. DuncanHill (talk) 20:23, 5 September 2018 (UTC)

According to this source, is Mirza Ghulam Ahmad specifically referred to as a mujaddid?

Does the following citation: "Rippin, Andrew. Muslims: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices. p. 282." specifically refer to Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as a "mujaddid"?

Here's that page:

• Rippin, Andrew; Associate Professor of Religious Studies (2014). Muslims: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices. Routledge. p. 282. ISBN 9781134274376.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

No mention of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad or mujaddid on that page; but he is listed in the index for two pages not available in the Google preview. 107.15.157.44 (talk) 03:10, 5 September 2018 (UTC) ... @Batreeq: P.s: you can add after the citation: {{not in source|date=September 2018}}.

Gold, frankensense and mhyrr

If Yeshua received these gifts, why was he in poverty? What happened to these valuable gifts? 76.71.156.186 (talk) 03:28, 5 September 2018 (UTC)

There are some theories in Biblical Magi. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 04:04, 5 September 2018 (UTC)

Well, as the Spartans might say: If. Iapetus (talk) 08:40, 5 September 2018 (UTC)

• Note that the Bible doesn’t say how much of each item the magi gave. Blueboar (talk) 10:42, 5 September 2018 (UTC)

Poverty is not eliminated by a one-time infusion of cash. --Jayron32 12:04, 5 September 2018 (UTC)

It depends how much and how stupid the receiver is doesn't it? The personality that plays state lotteries a lot and is willing to have their name broadcast so hundreds can beg them for money just happen to be the kind that often takes the lump sum and goes broke no matter how many millions they have. Even the largest gold bar (12.4 kilos) is only 23 years of the US poverty line for a family of 3 (more if you get interest) so the OPs assumption that the amounts usually depicted in Magi art was enough to take 3 out of poverty for 35 years seems possibly false. Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 17:38, 5 September 2018 (UTC)

It's not clear that he lived in poverty anyway. He came from what we would qualify today a middle class household, as his father was a skilled tradesman. Obviously, the Flight into Egypt would have been disruptive to the family's finances, but that was a short episode. --Xuxl (talk) 12:54, 5 September 2018 (UTC)

Also, they were headed to Bethlehem in order to be taxed. It's hard to be taxed successfully if you don't already have some assets. They didn't stay in the stable because they couldn't afford to stay at the inn, it's just that there was "no room at the inn", so they improvised. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 00:28, 6 September 2018 (UTC)

The Greek apographesthai is translated in the KJV as "to be taxed" but is more literally "to be written down", which in modern translations is usually given as "to be registered" or "to be enrolled" (context). While to most likely purpose of such an exercise would have been for the purpose of taxation, that it was done for "all the world" (oikoumenēn) implies that wealth would not necessarily have been taken into account. Shock Brigade Harvester Boris (talk) 04:13, 6 September 2018 (UTC)

Is there a serious, non in-universe reference for "they were headed to Bethlehem in order to be taxed"? I'd always read that that was a adjunct to make the global narrative fit better with prior prophecies but with no historical evidence. 2A01:E34:EF5E:4640:C93B:24F4:374D:22CC (talk) 10:51, 6 September 2018 (UTC)

You may find Census of Quirinius useful. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 10:59, 6 September 2018 (UTC)

That seems to be very much an-in universe reference and from the article itself "There are major difficulties in accepting Luke's account: the census in fact took place in 6 CE, ten years after Herod's death in 4 BCE; there was no single census of the entire empire under Augustus; no Roman census required people to travel from their own homes to those of distant ancestors; and the census of Judea would not have affected Joseph and his family, living in Galilee." 2A01:E34:EF5E:4640:C93B:24F4:374D:22CC (talk) 11:15, 6 September 2018 (UTC)

Sounds like you've got it all figured out. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 11:18, 6 September 2018 (UTC)

If Jesus/Yeshua followed Asceticism as a lifestyle, he may have simply renounced his material possessions by choice.: "Natural asceticism involves a lifestyle which reduces material aspects of life to the utmost simplicity and to a minimum. This may include minimal, simple clothing, sleeping on a floor or in caves, and eating a simple minimal amount of food. Natural asceticism, state Wimbush and Valantasis, does not include maiming the body or harsher austerities that make the body suffer." Dimadick (talk) 14:10, 5 September 2018 (UTC)

The Lynching of Black Maguire

In The Way Ahead, one of the characters recites the dramatic monologue The Lynching of Black Maguire. Was this written for the film or was it an existing piece? DuncanHill (talk) 14:25, 5 September 2018 (UTC)

Google can only find it in the film script, so it looks as though it was made up. Only the first two lines are recited: "It was hot that summer in Kicking Horse / And the earth was parched and dry". Google can't find that either. I imagine that most actual music hall monologues would still have been in copyright in the 1940s. Alansplodge (talk) 17:42, 5 September 2018 (UTC)

Those lines are reminiscent of the work of Robert W. Service, though I suppose that aspect of his style was not entirely unique. --Trovatore (talk) 17:55, 5 September 2018 (UTC)

(ec)Thanks, there are a few bits more in the film and in the script you linked, "And the town was full of the frontier force... Though nobody seemed to know why", "Men looked with their eyes, nor was there a sound, For looks were as hard as knives", and the ending "As the sun went down, all there could see, Against the glowing ball of fire, hanging from the highest tree, The body of Black Maguire". I suspect it was written for the film but it sounds a ripping yarn. DuncanHill (talk) 17:57, 5 September 2018 (UTC)

Out of interest, there really is a place called Kicking Horse Pass on the Alberta/British Columbia border. Alansplodge (talk) 18:50, 5 September 2018 (UTC)

Where in Somerset was the Isleworth Mona Lisa found?

Our article on the Isleworth Mona Lisa says it "had been hanging for over a century in a manor house in Somerset", and our article on Hugh Blaker says he found it "in the home of a Somerset nobleman in whose family it had been for nearly 100 years". I would be interested to know which house and which family, thank you. DuncanHill (talk) 14:42, 5 September 2018 (UTC)

This says it was Montacute House. --Jayron32 15:24, 5 September 2018 (UTC)

Magical Realism

Who are some of the major authors of magical realism? Goldfinch155 (talk) 18:41, 5 September 2018 (UTC)

FFS. Magic realism --Viennese Waltz 18:43, 5 September 2018 (UTC)

This link Magic realism#Major authors and works will save a little scrolling. Gabriel García Márquez is a particular favorite of mine. MarnetteD|Talk 19:56, 5 September 2018 (UTC)

Category:Magic realism writers would also have some good places to start. --Jayron32 20:21, 5 September 2018 (UTC)

Selling something easily

I've heard the term for this concept, but I can't remember it. Imagine that you have a commodity: what do we call its capability to be converted rapidly into currency? For example, "It's easy to ____ a small number of casino chips; just go to the casino and redeem them for cash", or "Given the city's recent history, it's quite difficult to _____ a house in much of Detroit; the property will likely remain on the market for a long time." I thought maybe "liquidate", i.e. one converts property into liquid assets, but Market liquidity is talking about the effect of a sale on prices, rather than whether it's possible to sell it in the first place. Capitalization Covering The Concept Of Writing With 52 Glyphs, Not 26, I checked Capitalization (disambiguation), but again it didn't seem to cover conversion of assets into cash. If the term I'm imagining exists, it covers everything from casino chips to small change (the bank is generally happy to convert small change into paper money) to real property to bitcoin, whether "selling" or "exchanging" or "redeeming". Context — I'd like to say that it's difficult to _____ a certain kind of asset, so someone who's rich on paper may not be as rich as he thinks he is. Nyttend (talk) 23:42, 5 September 2018 (UTC)

In your first example, I would say "cash in", where "cash" is used as a verbe. But for the second one it would be "sell", though it could also be "cash in on". ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 00:25, 6 September 2018 (UTC)

Sounds as asset liquidity, which does not exist as an article, but maybe should. In a balance sheet, assets are ordered from high to low asset liquidity, so, it's not something binary. Gold is more liquid than stock, which is more liquid than vehicles, which are more liquid than real estate. Based on how long the asset will need to be liquidated (that is, be converted into cash, the more liquid asset), you can say it's a liquid asset or an illiquid asset. Doroletho (talk) 01:08, 6 September 2018 (UTC)

Yeah, the standard adjective is "liquidity". A "liquid asset" can be sold readily. Additionally, things like casino chips are often referred to as "cash equivalents", as they can be readily converted to cash at a known value. So your sentence would be, it's difficult to liquidate a certain kind of asset. --47.146.63.87 (talk) 03:54, 6 September 2018 (UTC)

Perhaps "monetize"? (apologies to the zed folk)--Wehwalt (talk) 12:11, 6 September 2018 (UTC)

Market liquidity seems to cover the concept? --Jayron32 15:12, 6 September 2018 (UTC)

A good approximation would be.. 'supply llama'. "It's easy to ____ a small number of X". Supply llama refers to "loot" in online gaming, with "loot" meaning disposable resource. More conventional would be a shortcut like "to convert" but I think it's bad practice to easily consider liquidation, and that's why you do not find a proper term except like "cash in". --Askedonty (talk) 20:43, 6 September 2018 (UTC)

September 6

Young Adult Fiction

What is the first book to be categorized as Young Adult Fiction?206.188.44.157 (talk) 22:07, 6 September 2018 (UTC)