The Straight Dope 12/15/2006

The Straight Dope -- By Cecil Adams
http://www.straightdope.com

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THE STRAIGHT DOPE 12/15/2006

Dear Cecil:

A friendly London cab driver who knew a lot about American history told
me Indians never scalped their slain enemies until the white man showed
up and taught them. Can you cast some light on this claim?--Taylor
Waller, UK

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Cecil replies:

Call it a case of parallel development, Taylor. Scalping -- that is, the
excision of the scalp and (usually) attached hair of one's (usually)
dead enemies for display, exchange, or (if the victim wasn't dead)
torture -- is one of those classic concepts for which no single group can
take all the credit. Native Americans didn't get the idea from
Europeans, but the arrivistes encouraged them to bring it to what was
arguably its fullest flowering.

The Seneca leader Cornplanter was perhaps the first to suggest Europeans
imported scalping, in 1820, but the idea didn't become prominent till
the 1960s and '70s. By then contrary evidence was mounting, but let's
concede an important point: scalping has a long history in the Old
World. Herodotus recorded scalping by ancient Scythians in central Asia,
and archaeologists have since unearthed skulls with likely scalping
marks at Scythian sites. Evidence indicates Europeans were scalping from
the Stone Age till as late as 1036 in England.

Still, Europeans didn't introduce scalping to America. 

For more, see:
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/061215.html

STAFF REPORT

Dear Straight Dope:

If the land on which a foreign embassy sits is considered the property
of the country it represents, how does that land become property of
another country? Let's pretend another country, say, Macaronia, has an
embassy in New York City. If they wish to move their embassy to Chicago
or Los Angeles, what is the legal process that must be followed in order
for the private land in the U.S. to become Macaronian? Who pays for it?
And what about the property they left behind in the Big Apple?--Ken D.,
Iowa  

SDSTAFF Gfactor replies:  

There's a problem with your initial premise, Ken. It's wrong. While some
have claimed an embassy is the territory of the country it represents,
that theory has been rejected. For example, Barry Carter and his
coauthors, in their textbook on international law, say, "Contrary to
popular belief, however, diplomatic mission and consular post properties
are not extensions of the sending state's territory. Both in fact and in
law, diplomatic premises are within the territory of the receiving state."

What causes the confusion is the general rule that diplomatic missions
are inviolable. That means the receiving state's police can't enter an
embassy without the sending state's consent. It doesn't mean the
receiving state's laws don't apply there. For example, embassies must
comply with local building and fire codes. While those codes can't be
enforced directly, the receiving state is authorized to "withhold
benefits" from sending states that do not comply with local laws. 
 
Several U.S. court cases address the embassy-as-foreign-territory
theory. . .

For more, see: 
http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/membassy.htm

STRAIGHT DOPE CLASSIC - 07/27/1990

Dear Cecil: 

I know this is going to sound crazy, but my Slinky (that's the Original
Slinky Walking Spring Toy) has the power to turn on, turn off, and
change channels on our TV set! Shortly after receiving the Slinky as a
birthday gift, I was watching TV and absentmindedly tumbling the Slinky
back and forth in my hands. The TV went off, then came back on a minute
or two later. At first I figured our TV was on the blink. But when the
TV switched itself on the next time I played with the Slinky the truth
dawned. Since then, all our friends and visitors have experienced
firsthand the power of Slinky. We can turn the TV off and on and change
channels. My brother was even able to adjust the volume. There is no
physical contact between the Slinky and the TV. It works best from a
chair about six feet from the set. Can you explain this? --Karen
Schrage, Chicago

Cecil replies:  

It's questions like this that give me the strength to go on. To be sure, 
I had heard of such things before. But most of the letters were along the
lines of the following: "How come when you hold a chopstick in your
teeth and pluck it, the TV screen shimmies? Nothing else shimmies."
Clearly a case of heavy-metal poisoning, although whether from
cadmium or Aerosmith is hard to say.
  
Karen's letter, however, was refreshingly rational. We called to check
one vital detail: did the set have an ordinary remote control? Karen
didn't know, but the set was pretty old (it had come with the
apartment), and it might have had one once.  

That was all we needed to know. 

For more, see:
http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_270.html

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