QUES: As for the Italians, we know that Paesiello, who was a famous intriguer against his musical rivals, was a devoted husband whose wife was an invalid and who died soon after her death. Cherubini married Mademoiselle Cecile Turette, when he was thirty-five, and the marriage was not a success. He left a son and two daughters. Spontini, one of whose best operas was based on the life of that much mis-married enthusiast for divorce, John Milton, took to wife a member of the Erard family. In the outer world Spontini was famous for his despotism, his jealousy, his bad temper, and his excessive vanity. None of these qualities as a rule add much to home comfort, and yet, it is said that he lived happily with his wife. We may feel sure that some of the bad light thrown on his character is due purely to the jealousy of rivals, when we consider his domestic content, his ardent interest in the welfare of Mozart's widow and children, and the great efforts he made to secure subscriptions for the widow's biography of Mozart.
Do you have any questions?
MY QUESTION: Who left a son and two daughters?

QUES: Taliban and American aid. After the September 11 attacks, it was necessary for conservatives to somehow explain away the fact that the US government gave 245 million dollars to the new evildoers du jour. Never mind the fact that authors such as Robert Scheer warned of aiding the Taliban as early as in May 2001. Never mind that they did so not out of some humanitarian motivation, but because of the Taliban's violent enforcement of the ban on opium poppies. Never mind that in a regime that is controlled by warlords, it does not matter who is authorized to distribute the aid -- the ruling regional warlords will seize control of it and use it to their own advantage. Never mind that this very argument has been used by hawks in opposition to sending humanitarian aid to Iraq's Saddam Hussein. Never mind that the Taliban continued selling opium in spite of the deal. Never mind that this is all documented on Michael Moore's website about the film. Gun homicides. Statistics are Moore's weakest point, and it is surprising that his critics don't dwell on them longer. That's because they know all too well that Moore is correct: The United States have a far greater homicide rate (both gun- and non-gun) than most other first world countries. His main mistake is that he does not use population corrected data, his second mistake is that he does not cite his sources (and, as you correctly point out, he probably uses different reporting methods for the different countries). A good comparison of international homicide rates can be found on the relatively neutral guncite.com website.
Do you have any questions?
MY QUESTION: What was the $245 Million in aid to the Taliban intended to be used for?

QUES: While this process moved along, diplomacy continued its rounds. Direct pressure on the Taliban had proved unsuccessful. As one NSC staff note put it, "Under the Taliban, Afghanistan is not so much a state sponsor of terrorism as it is a state sponsored by terrorists." In early 2000, the United States began a high-level effort to persuade Pakistan to use its influence over the Taliban. In January 2000, Assistant Secretary of State Karl Inderfurth and the State Department's counterterrorism coordinator, Michael Sheehan, met with General Musharraf in Islamabad, dangling before him the possibility of a presidential visit in March as a reward for Pakistani cooperation. Such a visit was coveted by Musharraf, partly as a sign of his government's legitimacy. He told the two envoys that he would meet with Mullah Omar and press him on Bin Laden. They left, however, reporting to Washington that Pakistan was unlikely in fact to do anything," given what it sees as the benefits of Taliban control of Afghanistan." President Clinton was scheduled to travel to India. The State Department felt that he should not visit India without also visiting Pakistan. The Secret Service and the CIA, however, warned in the strongest terms that visiting Pakistan would risk the President's life. Counterterrorism officials also argued that Pakistan had not done enough to merit a presidential visit. But President Clinton insisted on including Pakistan in the itinerary for his trip to South Asia. His one-day stopover on March 25, 2000, was the first time a U.S. president had been there since 1969. At his meeting with Musharraf and others, President Clinton concentrated on tensions between Pakistan and India and the dangers of nuclear proliferation, but also discussed Bin Laden. President Clinton told us that when he pulled Musharraf aside for a brief, one-on-one meeting, he pleaded with the general for help regarding Bin Laden." I offered him the moon when I went to see him, in terms of better relations with the United States, if he'd help us get Bin Laden and deal with another issue or two." The U.S. effort continued.
Do you have any questions?
MY QUESTION: Following his meeting with US Assistant Secretary of State and US State Department's counterterrorism coordinator, who did Musharraf intend to meet to discuss Bin Laden?

QUES: The series starts in Baghdad at an undetermined time . The Sultan Shahryar has gone mad after accidentally killing his wife during a failed coup d' tat , Which she had planned with Shahryar's brother Schahzenan . In his madness , Shahryar believes that all women now want to kill him , but the law states that the Sultan must be married again or the throne will be passed to his brother . Shahryar therefore orders Grand Vizier Ja'Far ( ( ( Jim Carter to bring him a harem girl to marry and then have executed the next day . In order to prevent this , the Grand Vizier's clever daughter , Scheherazade , decides to marry the Sultan herself . Scheherazade has a plan to prevent her execution and at the same time cure the Sultan of his madness . With the help of some tutoring from a bazaar storyteller , Scheherazade tells the Sultan a story every night , stopping at dawn with a cliffhanger and refusing to continue until dusk . Shahryar must therefore let Scheherazade live for another day in order to hear the rest of the story . Cunningly , Scheherazade has hidden a moral within every story , to bring the Sultan out of his madness . Meanwhile , Schahzenan hears about the Sultan's madness and that he is unable to execute Scheherazade . Perceiving this as weakness , Schahzenan leads his army to Baghdad in an attempt to take the throne by force . However , by the time Schahzenan's army reaches the city , Scheherazade's plan has worked . As a result of her stories , Shahryar has overcome his madness and has fallen in love with Scheherazade .
Do you have any questions?
MY QUESTION:
How does Scheherazade's plan work to keep her alive and cure the sultan?