Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2011 July 14

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July 14

hinduism /thantric symbolisms of Lord Siva

What is the thantric significance of the symbolism having 3 leafs and a nose like structure ( GOLAKA) appearing in Lord Siva temples throughout Kerala.

ANCHERY DHILEEP VARMA KOCHI — Preceding unsigned comment added by 122.172.134.252 (talk) 05:45, 14 July 2011 (UTC)

I am a bit confused as to what feature you are looking for. If you are refering to Goloka symbolism, the Wikipedia article is a bit sparse, but does seem to indicate some symbolism regarding the lotus, perhaps that is the three-leaved structure you are seeing? Since you reference Shiva as well, the Wikipedia article Shiva, under the section titled "Atributes" indicates that he is frequently shown with a Trishula, which has three points that could be described as leaves. The Trishula article discusses some of the symbolism of it. --Jayron32 05:57, 14 July 2011 (UTC)

The real reason Annie Whitenmeyer home was closed

I am trying to find the public information as to the real reason the home was closed in I believe was the early 60's . I know the the real reason, I am just wondering if the truth was ever published. thank you. Rick Smith resident name ( Ricky Tanner) I can be contacted at email address redacted — Preceding unsigned comment added by 50.82.66.79 (talk) 13:17, 14 July 2011 (UTC)

For reference, I assume that the OP is referring to the Annie Wittenmyer Home, which was closed in 1975. Orange Suede Sofa (talk) 16:01, 14 July 2011 (UTC)

Cuban healthcare

How does Cuba have such good healthcare even though it's so poor? --134.10.113.198 (talk) 19:42, 14 July 2011 (UTC)

Let me ask you a question first. Cuba has good healthcare?!? --Jayron32 19:45, 14 July 2011 (UTC)

We have an article on Healthcare in Cuba (which, for a poor country, is generally considered pretty good, at least in Latin America). WikiDao ☯ 19:53, 14 July 2011 (UTC)

When Cuba was supported by the former USSR, they built extensive medical school, training, and hospital facilities as part of their outreach to the Latin American countries, so they ended up with far more capacity than would have ordinarily been built for a country of their size. When Soviet money dried up, the large number of trained teaching physicians have generally been able to maintain what would ordinarily be seen as an excess medical capacity. 99.24.223.58 (talk) 20:44, 14 July 2011 (UTC)

"For years in Cuba, jobs as varied as farm workers and doctors only had a difference in their wages of the equivalent of a few US dollars a month. The average monthly wage in Cuba is around $20 (£10) leaving many Cubans struggling to make ends meet." [1]. (And note that farmers could presumably get free food, so that may make them effectively better off than the doctors.) I also understand that service people, like waiters, who gets tips from tourists, earn far more than many doctors. StuRat (talk) 23:57, 15 July 2011 (UTC)

Going back even further, it can be educational to look at the lives of Alberto Granado and "Che" Guevara, particularly the part told in The Motorcycle Diaries. There's a book and a film. They were both students in medical fields, who followed and applied their interests in their travels and later in Cuba. HiLo48 (talk) 21:37, 14 July 2011 (UTC)

To explain it in a different way, let's start by comparing with a capitalist nation. There, resources are allocated according to ability to pay. So, a poor capitalist nation would have minimal medical care, as few could afford it. However, in a nation like Cuba, the dictator can simply declare medical care to be a priority and it becomes so. There is still the issue of how to pay for it, though. In Cuba's case, the doctors are paid virtual starvation wages, so that explains it. StuRat (talk) 07:51, 15 July 2011 (UTC)

What makes you think Cuban doctors are paid virtual starvation wages? Don't they have merit pay? I suspect the main difference might be that Cuban pays its specialties according to demand, while in the U.S. we pay according to average earning ability based on expected cases. Do you think the U.S. could ever offer residents general practitioner positions with more pay than a brain or heart surgeon? We need to reward all the professions in a manner consistent with their demand, so it's an administrative detail as to whether we actually do, I hope. 99.24.223.58 (talk) 21:55, 15 July 2011 (UTC)

Yes, and while Cuba has always had a strong ratio of doctors to population, I imagine it won't have been so well resourced with modern equipment and medicines. HiLo48 (talk) 09:40, 15 July 2011 (UTC)

While our article points out serious problems with the way the Cuban government treats its medical professionals, the country does have good enough care to have a lower infant mortality rate than the United States, and about the same overall life expectancy rate. Insert coughing and extremely unsubtle promotion of the dread specter of socialized medicine :-) ☯.ZenSwashbuckler.☠ 18:15, 15 July 2011 (UTC)

Please don't say such bad things about Medicare, it may be popular with voters. 99.24.223.58 (talk) 21:50, 15 July 2011 (UTC)

Two contradictory articles

Bastille#Storming says that "over 120 of the guards of the Bastille were murdered" after the surrender, while the main article--Storming_of_the_Bastille--says most guards left safely. Imagine Reason (talk) 22:55, 14 July 2011 (UTC)

Perhaps there were 243 guards. 188.222.102.201 (talk) 23:02, 14 July 2011 (UTC)

1) The word "murdered" is a loaded word, and probably shouldn't be used in this particular context, unless there were formal trials under the due process of law, and there are convictions involved. I doubt it in this case, so a more neutral word ("died", or "were killed") may be more appropriate. 2) Forget what the Wikipedia articles say. What does the source material say? That is, those statements need references. I haven't looked at the articles yet, but in general you should always check the sources when there is a disagreement. --Jayron32 00:11, 15 July 2011 (UTC)

An IP changed "some of the guards" to "over 120 of the guards" in [2]. I have reverted it. PrimeHunter (talk) 00:23, 15 July 2011 (UTC)

Apparently there were about 30 Swiss guards and 80 or 85 Invalides, so some of those guys would have had to have done double duty! Clarityfiend (talk) 00:30, 15 July 2011 (UTC)

Why am I suddenly imagining the following scene at the fall of the Bastille (with due credit to Monty Python):

• Commander of the Bastille Guard: Mes Amis! You shall not have been murdered in vain!
• Guard: Uh, we-we're not quite dead, sir.
• Commander: Well, you shall not have been mortally wounded in vain!
• Guard: Uh, I-I think uh, we could pull through, sir.
• Commander: Oh, I see.
• Guard: Actually, I think we are all right to come with you.
• Commander: No, no, mes amis! Stay here! I will send help as soon as I have accomplished a daring and heroic escape in my own particular... (sigh)
• Guard: Idiom, sir?
• Commander: Idiom!
• Guard: No, we feel fine, actually, sir.
• Commander: Farewell, mes amis! (rushes off)
• Guard: We'll-uh, We'll just stay here, then, shall we, sir? Yeah. Blueboar (talk) 01:18, 15 July 2011 (UTC)