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1 December 2005

Hassocks' Camp

A Canadian reader sent the following message to the Help Desk mailing list.

I have a photo (postcard) with the printed date of 1911 and also imprinted with "Hassock's Camp". I believe it was in Sussex, England but would like more details if possible. Some of the men in the photo are in army uniform. One of the men is my grandfather who was age 22 that summer.

I advised her that it may be related to the town of Hassocks near Brighton. However, if you are able to provide more information, it would be greatly appreciated. Capitalistroadster 00:31, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Social Studies

how are coral reefs formed?

Look at Coral reef -- Dalbury^(Talk) 02:34, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Soda Can

Why is the standard Soda/Beer can 12 fluid ounces?

No special reason; that's just what it happens to be now, but these things often change over time. You may remember that the next larger size (in the US) of soft drinks was a 16 fl.oz. bottle until it changed to 20 fl.oz. in the 1990s. A company will change the size of their product whenever they think they can make more money that way. They might introduce a 20-ounce bottle at the old 16-ounce price, then when everyone has gotten used to drinking 25% more, raise the price a few cents (most of the price is for the container and handling, not the drink) and come out ahead. That's the way it seems to have gone with soft drinks in recent decades -- with many other products they prefer to keep reducing the size while leaving the price the same.

As to why competing companies will often settle on a single standard size, like the 12-ounce can, that's because the can makers and the vending machine makers can give them a better price if they do that.

--Anonymous, 06:00 UTC, December 1, 2005

Depends on which fluid ounce you mean. Apparently it has been redefined to coincide with 30 ml. That's for 1 fluid ounce, not 12. Is there a mistake in the article? By the way, in Europe it's also 30 ml. Maybe the one is inspired by the other. 30 ml is also the standard beer bottle volume in Europe, and, what's more, all bottles are the same shape, so bottles can be used interchangeably between companies (or how do you say that?). I suppose cans have just followed that. DirkvdM 08:09, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

It's been a wee while since I bought a can of fizzy juice but they were always 330ml in the UK, as far as I know they still are. AllanHainey 13:22, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The fluid ounce (at least in the US) has not been redefined, though 30 ml is a close approximation. My 12 fl oz can of Coke is 355 ml, for 29.6 ml / fl oz. Similarly, a handy 20 fl oz bottle lists 591 ml, for 29.6 ml / fl oz again. — Lomn | Talk / RfC 14:50, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I based the fluid ounce thing on the article - point three says 1 fluid ounce is exactly 30 ml. Bottles used to be 330 ml in the Netherlands too, but I thought all of Europe had changed to the standard bottles. Is only the UK an exception? DirkvdM 09:55, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

In the UK, soft drink cans are 330ml and bottles are 500ml almost without exception. You sometimes get very small cans (150ml?) for pick'n'mix selections, but the ones in the fridges are almost invariably 330ml.

Soft drink cans are 33cl in Sweden too, and if I remember correctly, Germany aswell. 50cl cans are reserved for beer in Sweden, though. TERdON 22:55, 6 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

A UK pint is 20 floz, but a UK floz is 28.41ml, smaller than a US one, so that makes 20 UK floz = 568ml not 591ml. Since we have 20, not 16, floz to a pint, this 568ml measure is what is still called a pint for glass milk bottles and also for beer/cider in pubs. Cans of beer/cider are usually 330ml, 440ml or 500ml. Loganberry (Talk) 13:35, 5 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Boxing, non title bout.

As a kid,I was told that my uncle Eddy Trujillo beat Henry Armstrong in a non title bout, it happened in the thirtys,also,Eddy Trujillos picture was on the cover of ring magazine that same year. All I know is that it happend in the thritys.s Please find out if this infromation was recorded in ring magazine history.Thank you very much for your time and efforts, it is appreciated. T J Trujillo from Seattle

This website has a profile of Henry Armstrong which lists that he fought Eddy (spelt Eddie on the site) Trujillo on August 30, 1932 in Los Angeles, and that Trujillo won in four rounds. --Canley 06:42, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I need to find information on "Responsible Government arrives in Nova Scotia" and im not very good at using keywords to come up with good searches. Help!? Thanks a lot

You might want to read our articles on Nova Scotia and Responsible government, and a Google search for +"responsible government" +"nova scotia" will produce many relevant hits. Among the very first ones are a timeline, a speech by Joseph Howe, and "How our government works" ("our" meaning Canadian here). Now that wasn't difficult, was it? If you are looking for more specific information, you'd have to tell us what exactly you want to know for us to be able to help you. Lupo 07:46, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

bansod communty in maharashtra

i belong to north india. my sister is getting marrried in bansod communty in maharashtra.but we do not know much about it.only thing we know is that they call themseles maharashtrian thakur.we r also also thakur but we call ourself rajput which they dnt. it would be very kind of u to give details of it. thanks a lot best regards sanya guleria

You might start with the Maharashtra article, especially the demographics section, although that does not convey much about the people. You might also try the external links and references at the bottom. Alas, Wikipedia has an article on Rajput, but not on Thakur (or Thakore - you might also try that term for a Google search). I'm curious. I don't know much (if anything) about marriages in those parts of India. I'd say that the guy she's marrying matters most. Or is there something in particular you need to know about Maharashtran culture beforehand? Or, inspired by the Rajput article, is it a caste thing? DirkvdM 08:25, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Richard Rahls Mother

Does she have a name? From the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind

Of course she does. Everyone has a name. Whether it's published or whether Goodkind even knows himself is not known to me. - Mgm|^(talk) 09:43, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Indian cricket

Respected sir,

I want to know the detail facts about indian cricket History specifically about BCCI's inception

and by whom the indian cricket is governed, i,e. by central government or by any other private body? and BCCI is governed by Indian government or by any private body?

And Indian team represents Country or any othet board or Private body?

Please put some light on these Issues.

If You can mail me at (email removed)

Regards and Thanks.

Vinay M Bakale

You might find what you're looking for in the cricket in India article. I've removed your e-mail address to prevent spam. –Mysid 10:26, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Jewish Biblical Jubilee Year

When is the next Jewish Biblical Jubilee Year.

Mike Poindexter Centerville, TX

If I recall correctly, they happen every 50 years, but because we have no idea what year the first occured (if it did at all) on our current calendar, your question is impossible to answer. Sorry. Superm401 | Talk 15:34, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

According to this site [1], the Jewish year 5765, which ended in October, might have been a Jubilee year. If that's truee, the next one will be in 5815, or 2054-55. But no one knows for sure. -- Mwalcoff 23:57, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

‘12M’ symbol on personal-care products

I have seen a symbol on several personal-care products (from Kingfisher, Palmolive, The Body Shop, etc.) that looks like a small cylindrical container posed sideways, with the cap ajar. On the main body of the container, it is written ‘12M’. Does anyone know what this means? – Kaihsu 13:09, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Ah, finally found the answer: ‘The PAO [period after opening] symbol, an open cosmetic cream jar, looks as follows: [...] The lifespan is designated in months (M) and appears as follows: for example: [12M] or [24M]. The number of months (M) indicated may appear either inside or outside the symbol of the open cosmetic cream jar.’ [2] I did do some research before asking the question, but now finally found the answer! – Kaihsu 13:12, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Lost item

Can anyone tell me where I put my house keys? - Ta bu shi da yu 14:15, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Right there.

ナイトスタリオン ✉ 14:18, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Or perhaps here?. Thryduulf 14:35, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Try the pockets of the trousers you wore last time you went out. Also check your laundry basket in case they fell out of said pockets when you put your trousers there.-gadfium 21:49, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Does your cat have a favorite hiding place? - Nunh-huh 23:04, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

They're in the last place you'd think of looking for them. So all you have to do is identify where the last place you would look is, and look there. Perfectly simple. -- AJR | Talk 02:35, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Remember, the best search engine known to man is a woman. Ask your mom or your wife (whichever is applicable). alteripse 03:12, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I did ask my girlfriend! She told me it was in the last place I put it. Go figure. - Ta bu shi da yu 06:37, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

So AJR was correct, she does know where they are. :) = Mgm|^(talk) 09:42, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

When I lose my keys, I look for the nearest magnet. It sucks living nextdoor to an electromagnet shop. I can't wear a belt, jewellery, or invite my multiple-times-pierced metalhead friends over anymore, and have to use plastic knives to carve the turkey. --Expurgator 13:40, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

List all the countries of the world

List of countries. Thryduulf 14:37, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Help with Russian wikipedia and Donetsk, Ukraine hospitals

I am in need of finding the phone numbers for each significant hospital in Donetsk, Ukraine. However, I don't speak Russian. I've been attempting to use babelfish.altavista.com to stumble through websites in Russian, but the most promising site (www.health.gov.ua) could not be translated by babelfish. I'm running out of options on how to proceed. I thought I might place a question on this at the reference desk of the Russian wikipedia, but I don't have the knowledge to know what page that is. So I need answers to:

What is the URL for the reference desk page for miscellaneous questions like this page?
Does anyone here know enough Russian to work their way through www.health.gov.ua to see if it can provide a list of significant hospitals in Donetsk (and would you do so please)?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. A close friend of our family is reported to be in a hospital in Donetsk, but we lack any other information at this point. We are trying to find out what has happened to her. Thanks in advance, --Durin 15:23, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The best place for this sort of question would be Wikipedia:Reference desk/Language; there's generally someone there who can help you translate the page. smurrayinchester^{(User), (Ho Ho Ho!)} 16:01, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

You might want to call your Embassy in the Ukraine. They may be able and willing to render assistance. - Nunh-huh 00:50, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

First, the language of Ukraine is Ukrainian. People there might get upset if you think they speak Russian (although I guess many of them would speak that as well).

You do not want to go to the Russian Wikipedia accidentally! DO YOU REALIZE WHAT RUSSIAN WIKIS CAN DO TO A PERSON?! If not, ask yourself why the KGB doesn’t want you to know. When you go to the Russian Wikipedia Main Page next, look closely. Notice the radical layout differences. Notice all the question marks in the window title, signifying your browser’s inability to understand the wiki. Notice all the Bs, Ds and 0s in the URL. It adds up to only one logical conclusion. You see, in America, anyone can edit Wikipedia, so in Russia, Wikipedia edits you!

As to getting the number, one possibility would be to just call your long-distance telephone operator and ask if you can get directory assistance for Donetsk, Ukraine, then explain what you want. You might end up reaching a human who lives there and knows the major hospitals, and speaks English. If you can get through to any one hospital in the city, perhaps the person you speak to there will be able to give you the phone numbers of some others.

As to the www.health.gov.ua web site, Europeans often use a British flag symbol to indicate English language, and this site does that: you're supposed to click on the little flag for English. However, the English version of the site may not have everything there is on it. I don't see a list of hospitals on their English pages (and I don't speak Ukrainian either), but they do have numbers for the Ministry of Public Health, so maybe someone there could help you. I may as well copy them out:

[Phone] +380 (44) 253-52-71; 253-61-65
[Fax] +380 (44) 253-69-75
[Address] 7 Hrushevsky st., 01021, Kyiv - 21, Ukraine
[Email] (Email removed)

I'm guessing they don't work on weekends, so if you're trying that route, you'll want to call before Friday afternoon eastern European time.

Hope one of these things helps.

--Anonymous, 03:42 UTC, December 2, 2005

Frome the above comment: First, the language of Ukraine is Ukrainian. People there might get upset if you think they speak Russian (although I guess many of them would speak that as well).

This is actually funny. In Donetsk they will get upset if you speak Ukrainian. So don't, speak Russian. In Eastern Ukraine, especially Donetsk, Ukrainian is only used by government officials and sometimes not even by them. --Ornil 19:55, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

What you want is this list: http://www.partner.dn.ua/catalog/11/83/ --Ornil 19:55, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Scientific style guides?

How do I format a sentific research paper?

See the article Academic publishing. There are some links and tips at the bottom. --Canley 05:39, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

what is the distance between israel and the us

That would depend on what cities you're measuring between. The distance according to this site between Washington D.C. and Jerusalem is 5903 miles or 9497 km. Dismas|^(talk) 19:25, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

name of israel prime minister

This info is clearly stated in the article for Israel. Dismas|^(talk) 19:00, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

what is a calligram

The article on calligrams explains this quite well. Dismas|^(talk) 19:52, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Is Wikipedia a publicly traded company? If so, what is It's symbol?

No, Wikipedia is a charity, run by volunteers. See our Wikipedia article for details. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 21:41, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Thank goodness it is not - else rich shareholders, not the users, would control the content, and subvert Wikipedia. -- Natalinasmpf 21:42, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Quite. Subverting Wikipedia is our job :) -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 21:45, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Wikipedia would be a poor investment anyway. It makes no profit, can be used for free and all income is from voluntary donations. Not to mention the fact that its value changes almost constantly as information is added, changed and vandalised. You certainly wouldn't get good returns! smurrayinchester^{(User), (Ho Ho Ho!)} 12:50, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Most importantly, revenue (besides voluntary donations) could never be made. If they ever started charging or placed ads, people would instantly fork, thanks to the GFDL. Superm401 | Talk 22:28, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Walking

What is the recommended number of steps per day to stay fit. (or get there)?

10,000 Nelson Ricardo 04:58, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

If that's the steps on a stairway that should certainly keep you fit :) . But seriously, how on Earth can you quantify 'staying fit' (what ever that means) in the number of steps (whatever that means)? Walking doens't seem like an efficient way to stay fit. Unless you mean walking in stead of taking a car - that would eliminate the need for doing sports, and would therefore be more efficient. But still it's a bit of a silly question. Depends on the kind of steps you take - putting your back into everyday things seems like the best way to stay fit. DirkvdM 10:00, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Only a medical doctor can tell you the recommended number of steps per day to stay fit, becuase it's particular to your health and lifestyle. The recommended number of steps per day to get there depends on where you're going. I recommend Florida. It's lovely this time of year. Mareino 20:23, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The 10,000 steps thing is from some public campaign to get people to do some minimum level of exercise. I guess they figured it as some baseline number, that if you did 10,000 steps in some form or another during a day, then at least you would avoid the most common negative effects of lack of exercise. To get or stay fit, would likely require either more, or a certain amount of exercise at greater intensity, and measuring only by number of steps would likely miss a lot of factors important in being fit, such as strength, cardiovascular capacity, etc. In any case it varies depending on one's fitness level at the start and it's always recommended to see a doctor to determine if there are underlying problems that make a fitness program unsafe. - Taxman ^Talk 15:23, 5 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Submarines

When a U.S. Submarine wants to go to 100feet. IS that 100 feet from the bottom, middle, or top of the sub?

If my Tom Clancy has taught me anything, I would assume that it was from the bottom for a dive and top for an ascent. It would measure absolute difference. User:Articuno1

I would assume it's the lowest point. Note that it's possible to have extreme circumstances where measuring from different parts of the boat can have odd effects - when the Russian submarine K-141 Kursk sank a few years ago, she was lying at a depth of 108 metres - but had she been stood on end, she'd have towered forty metres out of the water... Shimgray | talk | 15:22, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

what does vocals mean?

Context would be helpful, but in a list of credits (on, say, a recording) it's probably equivalent to "singing". - Nunh-huh 23:02, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

December 2

Bibliography

Can you tell me the Bibliography on taste buds?

Do you mean who wrote the article taste buds? You might want to see Citing Wikipedia, but a list of the specific authors of that article can be found by clicking History at the top of the page. IMO, the major authors of the article are Tristanb and 67.66.33.81. jnothman ^talk 00:48, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

If you mean the sources used by the authors, a (possibly incomplete) list is at the bottom of the page. If you want to know how to cite the article in your bibliography, try clicking "cite this article" on the left navigation bar when you're on the page. Superm401 | Talk 22:32, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Asian politician who disappeared in Sydney early 1960s

In the early-mid 1960s, there was a minor crisis when an Asian politician (? head of government) who was visiting Australia vanished for some days. He eventually turned up and said something about needing some time off from stressful duties, but the only way he could achieve this would be to disappear for a while. This happened while he was staying in Sydney. Who was the politician, what country was he from, when did this happen, and what happened afterwards? JackofOz 02:08, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

This is probably not that helpful but I seem to recall an English politician do something very similar in the 1960s. A Conservative (whose name I forget) who was considered by some to be leadership material who disappeared one day and thought to have died until he was found in Sydney some time later, saying something very similar to what you have the Asian politician saying. He then tried to return to politics but his behaviour seemed to work against him. I don't know if this rings any bells and if so, perhaps an English wikipedian can help further. --Roisterer 03:28, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks, that sounds a bit like John Stonehouse who faked his death by drowning while surfing in Miami, Florida in 1974, then later turned up in Australia. The guy I'm after was definitely South-East Asian, possibly from Singapore or Malaysia, and a senior political figure in his country, possibly even Prime Minister. He was on some official trip to Australia, conducted his business, then just vanished before he was due to return. He was missing for three or four days, less than a week, then finally turned up and fessed up. This would have been around 1965, very roughly (I'm relying on my ever diminishing memory here). It was a major story at the time. JackofOz 13:54, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Hmmm. The Australian politics guru on Wikipedia is User:Adam Carr. He might be able to help if you ask him really nicely. I must say that, while the Stonehouse story is familiar, a similar Asian leader's jaunt doesn't ring a bell. Failing that, you could try posing the question at the Monday message board at John Quiggin's website; the contributors there are a bit more, well, senior. --Robert Merkel 04:03, 6 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Reverse page numbering. World first?

I have recently helped an author publish his book ('Z' by Jonar Nader) and because of the story we decided to make the page numbers run in reverse (ie. from 400 down to 1). I would like to know if this is a 'world first'. If the question cannot be answered here could someone please put me in the right direction to find the answer. 220.236.180.49 04:00, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

It's a novel idea, but I think it has already been done by Chuck Palahniuk (author of Fight Club) in his book Survivor. --Canley 05:34, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Punch strength

Is there any way to measure the strength or force of a person's punch? It would be interesting to know how certain boxers match up in this area, and finding out the current world record.

Surely this would be a rather simple thing to do, by just putting an accelerometer on a punching bag. I would be really surprised if such a device didn't already exist, though I've never heard of one.--Pharos 07:00, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]
- Haven't you seen Rocky IV? Drago punches just such a machine to measure the force. Not sure if it has a specific name, or if it is common or not. - Taxman ^Talk 15:04, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

how to reopen an closed vindow?

Use the handle that is generally attached to the window frame (unless you're in prison and the window is barred, in which case you'll probably have to ask a prison guard to open the window for you). Ferkelparade π 08:24, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

...Or if you mean the browser window kind it depends on the browser. In Opera you can just use Edit -> Undo (or Ctrl + Z) open pages pages you have closed in the current session (or retrieve it from the closed window "trashcan"). You can also use the Tools -> History menu to see a list of recently visisted sites. In most other browses you are limited to using the history approach. Internet Explorer have a "log" button on it's main toolbar, wichs opens it's history. In Mozilla Firefox you use the Go menu and pick "History" for the same functionality. --Sherool (talk) 09:52, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Hard using Wikipedia as a user?

I do not totaly see how I find all the different thing on Wikipedia. Like mail system.

why do the screen got to change when I logg on. I think that is very irritating. and much harder to use.

Do please mail the answear to me. Or I will never find it =)

I'm not really sure what you're asking. - Mgm|^(talk) 09:49, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]
If the screen layout changes significantly for you when you log in, then you may have a skin other than the default selected in your preferences. The default skin in "monobook", and everyone who is not logged in gets this. It's less likely, but also possible, that you have customised your monobook.js in the past and then forgotten about it.-gadfium 18:19, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

There's no mail system on Wikipedia. 216.43.124.150 19:50, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, there is. See Special:Emailuser/Superm401. Equivalent links are found on the left navigation bar when you're on other users' talk pages(or just replace Superm401 with their user name in the URL of the above link) Superm401 | Talk 22:35, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Another Wikipedia user question...-

How to make my own profile? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Brandt (talk • contribs)

In your case go to User:Brandt. If you use the default skin there is a little menu in the upper right corner of every page, your username should be up there, along with links to your talk page, your preferences, watchlist, contribution list and a log out button, so click on your username and you will open your userpage. Once there just write away. Avoid copyrighted images on your userpage, but other than that (nearly) anyting goes there. --Sherool (talk) 09:40, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

confederate flags

Can someone give me a description of the colours of the following: Battle Flag

white------white

blue-------navy blue

red--------????????

Rebel Flag

white------white

blue-------???????

red--------???????

any help would be greatly appreciated

thank you, cookie 18 — Preceding unsigned comment added by [[User:.|.]] ([[User talk:.#top|talk]] • [[Special:Contributions/.|contribs]]) 70.48.113.21 (Mgm|^(talk) reformatted above question)

We have an article on the Flags of the Confederate States of America, although this doesn't actually answer your question perhaps one of the external links will be able to help you. Thryduulf 12:31, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Amazing question?

What is the greatest question ever asked in wp:rd? --Expurgator 13:42, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Perhaps this one? –Mysid 14:29, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Or, perhaps the one just asked by Mysid? --hydnjo talk 20:16, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I have a lot of respect for Garrett Albright, and he's claimed the banana peel one as the best. However, if you ask me it comes down the the answers. In that case, this marsupial philosphical answer is best in my opinion.--Commander Keane 11:14, 3 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

What is the PMS equivalent of Honolulu Blue?

I can tell you two things. One, it's the color that the Detroit Lions wear. Two, this link will give you the color that Benjamin Moore sells as their Honolulu Blue paint. I don't have any imaging programs on this computer, but you can download the picture of the paint swatch and figure it out yourself, I'm guessing. Mareino 20:31, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Which would be #96D1E7, like this. Ojw 12:57, 4 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

My copy of Photoshop gives the closest PMS color swatch as PANTONE 636 CV. --Canley 02:10, 5 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Pink Floyd

How did the name Pink Floyd come about? Who thought of it? What does it mean?

Nelson

See our fine Pink Floyd article, it's explained in the history section -- Ferkelparade π 16:30, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Internet Book Sources

How do I find web sites that search for a specific book from mutiple internet book stores?

Try Google's search thingy, Froogle. 216.43.124.150 19:52, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Try http://www.abebooks.com/ User:Zoe|^(talk) 04:08, 3 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Rare Smoking Disease

I have smoked for 30 years and have tried to quit many times with no success. Twelve or thirteen years ago my hands started falling asleep. A Neurologist had a test ran that I was told was very painfull. A needle was put into the wrist to measure to oxygen content. I felt no pain nor the needle. I was told at that time that I had a very rare disease that was caused by smoking and was irreversable and would only progress.Four years ago my feet now go partially numb and my legs are in constant pain. My G.P. states this is imaginary pain and there is no reason for my feet to go numb. What is this disease called? Who do I go to to have this pain stopped? All over the counter pain relievers do nothing for the pain.

Thank you for your help

Still Smoking in California

I checked Google and found these two:

The second one sounds more like your description. (I'm not a doctor, though.) 216.43.124.150 19:57, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Dude, get a new G.P. If your G.P. is right and it's imaginary, he/she should at least have referred you to a psychiatrist. If your G.P. is wrong, that's one hell of a misdiagnosis.Mareino 20:35, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

It isn't quite that simple. Doctors rarely say or believe, "you are imagining your pain." What they may say that is often interpreted that way is, "I can't find a treatable cause and by every measure I have checked your body seems to be in working order" but this is often an unsatisfactory answer and is interpreted by many patients as "you must be imagining or making this up." It is one of the most frustrating types of problems in patient care from the doctor's end of it and it is even worse from the patient's end of it. You might be right that it's time for referral for new ideas or more pain expertise, but that is not what psychiatrists do. The best next step might be a specialist in peripheral vascular diseases if the pain is arising from that, but if she has already tried that, then most big cities and most big medical centers (at least in North America) have "pain clinics" and "pain specialists" who address that specific problem. alteripse 13:10, 3 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

- Somehow I suspect that you were told to stop smoking. If you indeed have thromboangiitis obliterans (Buerger's disease) the only treatment is to stop smoking. There is no substitute, and you need to consult someone who will help you with stopping smoking by any means necessary (nicotine patchs are probably not the best way for Buerger's patients). Nearly half the patients with Buerger's disease who continue smoking require at least one amputation within 8 years. - Nunh-huh 14:42, 3 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Albumin

Name four fish or seafood low in albumin and four high in albumin.

It's going to be tough finding out "albumin" specifically. Here's a source [3] for protein content of various fishes (there's not much variation). It wouldn't be too wrong to say that the highter the protein is, the highter you'd expect the albumin to be. But "low in albumin" and "high in albumin" sounds rather subjective. Maybe others have better sources of information., or look in your text to see how it defines "high" and "low". - Nunh-huh 14:48, 3 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Kevin Mitchel

Kevin Mitchel - Age 12; the youngest prisoner in California history (Incarcerated 2003)

I came across the name Kevin Mitchel in an artical about Stanley "Tookie" Williams. He was listed as the youngest inmate in San Quentin at the age of 12. I can not find any other information about him. Why he was there at such a young age or anything. This may sound kinda lame but I would really like to know what a 12 year old could do to be put in one of Californias roughest prisons. Could anyone asist me?

Felisha

If this is indeed true, I would expect it was for murder. The US legal system is thougher on minors than most European courts, but I doubt he'd put in such a prison for a mere theft or robbery. - Mgm|^(talk) 22:19, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]
One really has to wonder if it is true; most of the places you will find this factoid are mirrors of Wikipedia. - Nunh-huh 14:52, 3 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

There's an interesting article from Human Rights Watch on the subject "Life without Parole for Child Offenders in the United States" which might answer your question.

Personally, I was quite surprised at some of the things happening in the US legal systems mentioned in that report, particularly how easy it is to be charged with murder without actually killing anyone (e.g. one child who drove his brother away from a murder scene, was charged with murder, and imprisoned for life) Ojw 12:49, 4 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Demons

I am interested to know if there is a demon named DAMIAN? If so what is his significance?

Answers are not emailed. As for Damian, he's bottlenose dolphin significant for being the subject of many homework questions. (kidding, but do your own homework) Superm401 | Talk 22:41, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

December 3

Music in Nissan Murano Commercial.

Can anyone identify the music in the Nissan Murano Commercial? The one with the birds(animation). Thanks

There is a Nissan Murano Commercial available to download at this site. I can't seem to get the visual to work, but is that the one you are talking about? The sound does work for me, but, unfortunately I don't know the song/music. - Akamad 07:12, 3 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I couldn't get the visual to work either, but that is the song!! I looked all over but i still can't find a name for it.

Have you tried sending an email to the contact address listed at the referenced website? -- Rick Block (talk) 17:36, 3 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Good idea!

First person shooter games

I am trying to learn how to play first person shooter games "properly". May I request a spontaneous list of simple tips beginners like me can use? Thanks very much!! --HappyCamper 03:42, 3 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

My advice is to memorise the keys for the game. For example, which number on the keyboard corresponds to which gun, because it's pretty bad when you have to cycle through the weapons trying to find the one you want while you are getting shot. - Akamad 06:54, 3 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

No matter how tempting it is, don't run a long distance to hide while being shot at. Life can drain fast while you are heading for the hiding place, and often you die before you get there. Also, grenade-type weapons work well. smurrayinchester^{(User), (Ho Ho Ho!)} 21:51, 3 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Get familar with everyones weapons and skills/abilities. This way you will always know what you can do and what you opponent can do. Also, learn to do the one thing the other guy(s) never expect, like running through a minefield. Used cautiously, this can give you an element of suprise. I remeber catching a pair of snipers off guard during an online round of Renegade when I went through a tiberium field (something no one does because it damage's ones health). TomStar81 04:01, 5 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Do I need to buy a super duper computer with all the neat upgrades and stuff to play well? Also, this mouse thing. I found out the other day that there's "acceleration" and there's "no acceleration". Which one is better? (Not that I ever noticed, but a friend noticed that I tend to overshoot and not aim properly because I'm apparently overcompensating). Thanks again! --HappyCamper 01:27, 6 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I have never heard of the acceleration thing on the mouse so I don't know about that, but it seems to be a personal preference kind of thing. Another handy hint is to learn about the maps, you don't want to get lost in a map whilst playing capture the flag for example. - Akamad 07:37, 6 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Anarchist cookbook limited editon

HEy. The anachist cookbook has been banned, but a limited/special edition has been released. Where can I download the book for free?????

Aside: What are ararchists eating these days?--Commander Keane 11:00, 3 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Spiders? Or wasn't that a deliberate typo? DirkvdM 09:26, 4 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Name for piece of wood?

Hello, I am trying to find the name for the piece of wood that a gavel hits. Like that in a court room. I have asked a number of people but they are unable to give me an answer. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. Geoff

It's a block or a sound block. alteripse 12:28, 3 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

If you want proof, check here [4] --Tachs 11:25, 4 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

purpose of this page?

is this reference desk supposed to be a free competitor to google answers? why does it exist? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Zzzzz (talk • contribs)

It is serveral things at once.

It is a place where readers can point out things they had hoped to find on Wikipedia, but were unable to. We can then try to fix those ommissions.
It is also a place where editors can directly help people, which supposedly gives one a warm feeling.
And here, editors can (have allowed themselves to) relax a little.
Finally, its where really uninventive vandals and illiterate people come to mess things up. In fact, hardly anyone bothers ot read the rules. -- Ec5618 16:40, 3 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I think of it as being like Straight Dope, only run by the Teeming Millions. =P —Keenan Pepper 19:14, 3 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

You could also ask this question the other way around. Note that, judging by the oldest archive, this reference desk started in November 2001 and Google Answers strarted in March 2002. But other than that, this is of general importance for the value of open source. Have any of you guys 'been over to Gary's'? :) Does the paid-for variety give better results? DirkvdM 09:42, 4 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Google Answers isn't the only site that provides a service like this, and I doubt they were the first to offer it too. - Mgm|^(talk) 09:56, 5 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

the circumstances of one of Augusto Pinochet's photos

File:Pinochetjunta.jpg

Sunglasses!

I came across this a while back, and I was wondering what Pinochet was trying to portray here. It was certainly different other photos, and well, the pose is...interesting. Was this a candid shot, or purposely posed this way? I mean, for someone who would rely on propaganda, assuming such a pose could be counter-productive to assuming power. -- Natalinasmpf 18:37, 3 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

"Counterproductive for assuming power!" I love that. All the proscecutor at his trial has to do is show this picture and keep his mouth shut. It says it all. alteripse 14:03, 4 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]
It's certainly a great photo. I see you've already asked a similar question on the discussion page. Presumably Pinochet's intention is to display his determination and power. As for being counter-productive, it's important to note that the photo was taken soon after Pinochet and the other generals overthrew an elected government - they weren't trying to be popular. Lisiate 22:46, 5 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Interstate Miles in Indianapolis

I need to know how many miles of interstate there are in Indianapolis total?

If you can't find an answer straight away, first thing to determine is all the interstates that are located within, or pass through, Indianapolis. Then use something like Mapquest or Google Maps to determine the length of the bit between the city limits. --Robert Merkel 03:57, 6 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Home Conswtruction in Italy

What type of construction is the basic home built witrh in Italy--192.85.50.2 20:51, 3 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Xbox 360

Is it possible to pre-program and redord TV shows (like a DVD recorder with hard drive) to the Xbox 360 hard drive using only the Xbox 360 Premium (not Windows Media Center ect)? 83.252.72.10 22:33, 3 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

No. the Xbox 360 cannont act as a DVR. (Digital Video recorder, a.k.a. Tivo.) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xbox_360#Hardware_specifications

December 4

Inferior/Normal/Complementary Goods

Hi. Please help me understand why companies, economically speaking, should focus on inferior, normal, and complementary goods. Thank you for your help. --66.191.179.243 04:43, 4 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Please see normal good, complementary good, and inferior good. Superm401 | Talk 09:54, 4 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Changing sound...

When we fill a water bottle (or any small and a tall container) when the water level rises,the sound of the falling water changes. Can someone tell me why?

Jayant,17 years, India.

The bottle works like a flute, in some respects. The tone is determined by the length of the bottle, which will contain half a wavelength of the sound. As the bottle fills, it is effectively less deep, so that the maximum wavelength decreases, which causes the pitch to become higher.

The exact dynamics are a little complicated, I'm afraid. -- Ec5618 10:28, 4 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Chatting on wikipedia

Dont you think it would be better if we had a place to chat with one of the guys (or all of them) who answer the questions on this page?? like instead of waiting for a long time.. we could get the answers to some easy questions quickly..we could chat with the other users too... its just a thought...

Jayant,17 years, India

No, this is a part of the Wikipedia project. Thus, it will stay in the wiki format. However, you'll find we answer most questions pretty quickly. If you just want to chat with Wikipedia users, though, try the IRC channel. Superm401 | Talk 10:15, 4 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Also, getting the answer right may take some time. I've never chatted (in this sense), but I can imagine that it creates some (mild) pressure to come up with an answer faster, which might result in less accurate or badly formulated answers. DirkvdM 10:08, 5 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Hamster names

I'm getting a hamster on Tuesday, but I can't think of any names. I'll probably get a male Syrian. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks. Kid Apathy 12:02, 4 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Cat Toy. Dismas|^(talk) 12:49, 4 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

But I don't have a cat. Kid Apathy 12:56, 4 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Perhaps our List of Syrians will give you some inspiration? Thryduulf 15:38, 4 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Nah, I've decided on Toffee, or possibly Fudge. Or Caramel if it's a girl. I'll decide when I get it. Thanks though. Kid Apathy 15:55, 4 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Or Hobbes, after my recently deceased Mongolian gerbil...he in turn was named after Hobbes the tiger from Calvin and Hobbes, who in turn was named after the philosopher Thomas Hobbes (my gerbil's full name was Thomas Descartes Hobbes). Or Calvin, after his earlier-deceased friend. Just an idea, but go with Toffee or Fudge if you want. But whatever you do, not Cat Toy, a bad omen. Yeltensic42.618 22:29, 5 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Actually, I called him Finnegan. Kid Apathy 10:41, 6 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

god

is god real- unsigned

No. Kid Apathy 12:16, 4 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

It depends on what you mean by god, real, and is. This is not a smartass answer. The answer will change according to your definition of each of those slippery words. If the answer were as simple as "no" you would not continue to get so many differences of opinion over the last several thousand years. alteripse 14:00, 4 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Who was it that said shorter words are always trickier than long words? Like, everyone can agree what a "rhododendron" is but no one can agree what "God" is. Anyway I can't believe no one's linked to the Existence of God article yet, it's surprisingly good considering the controversial subject. —Keenan Pepper 15:56, 4 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

This probably has to do with Zipf's law and word complexity. Terms for common ideas are likely to have few syllables and long lifespans, and appear in a wide variety of contexts. ‣ᓛᖁ♀ᑐ 16:15, 4 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I've come to the conclusion that god or God is real for those—and only those—who wish to believe. –Mysid 12:03, 5 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

No, god is a signed real. We need to provide for possible negative deities too. — JIP | Talk 13:31, 5 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Atheist-existentialist counterargument

How does the atheist-existentialist argument disprove the possibility of a perfect sentient being? ‣ᓛᖁ♀ᑐ 16:35, 4 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

By assuming a set of mutually incompatible meanings for the components of the phrase "perfect sentient being". alteripse 12:40, 5 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Artistic counter-counterargument

"God is a concept by which we measure our pain." ('God', John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band) Mareino 19:05, 5 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Don the Beachcomber

Recently, while cleaning out my father's house attic, I ran across a menu for "Don the Beachcomber" restaurant located at 101 East Walton Place, Chicago, Illinois (copyright 1941). It is in good condition and perfectly readable. Is there any organization or person interested in this menu? I would rather it find a good home than add to our ever increasing landfills. Does it have any value? Does anybody know what is currently located at 101 East Walton Place, Chicago, Illinois?

Why dont you try ebay? There are currently two of these menus up for sale [[5]] one of which is from 1941 (I'm assuming its not yours) but they dont seem to going for much at the moment though --Goshawk 16:55, 4 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

It looks like it's an upscale shopping mall and office building. Using A9's mapping website: [6]

The Chicago Historical Society [7] might like it, if they don't have one already. I'm not sure how much (if anything) they would pay you for it, though.--Pharos 00:32, 7 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Preferential emoticons

Why is there a preference to use a particular direction of smiley faces on the internet? For example, I see :-) instead of (-: more often. Why is that? Also, is there software to translate these into meaningful sounds for visually impaired who use the internet? --HappyCamper 16:49, 4 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Probably this is somewhat due to the orientation of "D". :-D expresses amusement, but D-: looks like an expression of horror. ‣ᓛᖁ♀ᑐ 17:32, 4 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I don't know about anyone else, but since most things are left-right, up-down, having the smileys with the ":-)" orientation makes them easier to read.--Commander Keane 19:04, 4 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

That's interesting. I never thought about the chirality of the letters themselves. --HappyCamper 22:53, 4 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Perhaps because the first smiley happened to be turned 90° counterclockwise. –Mysid 12:07, 5 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Lightsaber information

Greetings Wikipedia,

Hi my name is Mark Himes. I was recently researching about lightsaber information and now I have questions for you. These questions came upon me after reading your page. Hopefully you can answer these questions. I came up with these questions from my curiosity on this subject and the reading that you provided me with. Please be specific as you can, Thanks!!! You can E-mail me back at (email removed).

Questions:

1. Does the recharge socket on a lightsaber last almost forever?

2. Does the recharge socket charge the power cell in a lightsaber when the lightsaber is deactivated?

3. Why do some lightsabers sound different than others? Is it because of the focusing crystals? (What I mean here is when a lightsaber is turned on, off, etc)

4. WARNING!- THIS QUESTION IS DIFFICULT! How come Darth Mauls lightsaber in Episode I was still on after Obi-Wan Kenobi sliced it in half? Did it loose any power? Was it losing power after it was sliced? PLEASE BE SPECIFIC!

I removed the email address, if someone wishes to email this user, it's available in this edit. - Akamad 19:26, 4 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

...which nullifies the effect of removing his email address. –Mysid 12:01, 5 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

DIN re. car stereo

What does DIN mean when trying to buy a car radio/CD player to make sure it fits your car correctly? Is it the depth the radio goes into the dashboard? Or is it the height that is visible when the unit is installed? Or what?

It's the height. I don't know what DIN actually stands for but a single DIN is the shorter one while a double DIN is about twice as tall. You can find out what fits your auto at http://www.crutchfield.com Dismas|^(talk) 22:16, 4 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

DIN stands for Deutsches Institut für Normung - the German Institute for Standardisation. Thryduulf 00:30, 5 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

SWOT or Dashboard Templates

When reporting or communicating to management a company's sales accounts and the "health" of the client, we were asked to fill out a SWOT (strength, weakness, opportunity and threat) or Dashboard analysis for each. I was told the data you collect gets put into a "standard" template. I have found more than enough information around the type of information to collect - but can't find a sample template or layout anywhere. I just want to be able to view one to get a complete picture of this process.

Anyone that may be able to help - thank you in advance for taking the time to respond. 65.7.130.198 19:51, 4 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Mens Pant Sizes

Why are Mens Pant sizes in Even numbers except size 29?

We do have an article on Metric clothes sizes (which redirects to EN 13402), but I think you are asking about some non-metric standard. You still might find some interest in that article.-gadfium 22:55, 4 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I think the question refers to american clothing sizes, approximately the inseam length of men's pants in inches. I'm not sure its true though because I have purchased pants in a 31 length. alteripse 00:34, 5 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

After a certain point, supply and demand makes it unreasonable to have, say, pants in a waist size or length of 36, 37, and 38 inches. Also, at these larger sizes, a difference of 1 inch is less than 3% of the total size. So as the sizes increase, they are only found at even numbers. Additionally, most manufacturers have the capacity to accept special orders (for a price!). ESkog | ^Talk 01:36, 5 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

As Alteripse wrote, in America pant sizes refer to waist and inseam (leg length) in inches. It's harder to find the odd numbers, but plenty of places carry them, as a trip to an upscale shopping mall will reveal.Mareino 19:16, 5 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

How to use the V-Mem for psone

I can't figure out how to use my V-Mem for the psone. I got into it once and tried to switch the memory cards around, but now they don't show up at all... I never got the instructions with it, mine came second hand and I can't contact the person... Can anyone help me?

5 December 2005

Spanish speaking country wants to become Rhodes Scholarships member

We have an article on the Rhodes Scholarships, but it doesn't appear to contain anything about Spanish speaking countries. If you know something that ought to be in the article, then please add it - click the edit this page link at the top of the page. Remember though to cite your sources. Thryduulf 00:27, 5 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Currently none of the countries whose citizens are eligible for the Rhodes Scholarship are Spanish-speaking countries. However, the trustees of the Rhodes Trust can add countries to the list on a temporary or permanent basis, and have done so from time to time. For example, there were European Community Rhodes Scholarships in the mid-1990s, for which students from Spain were eligible. If you want to provide the Rhodes Trust with the funds to offer Rhodes Scholarships to a particular country, see the Rhodes Trust web site for contact information. --Metropolitan90 09:57, 5 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Audio problem with .mpg file.

Hello, I have a .mpg video file, but when I try to play it, there is no sound, I checked the properties in Windows Media Player, there was a video codec, but no audio codec, is there anyway I can find what codec I need to hear the sound?

You could try another media player. VLC media player works well for me, and its free.--Commander Keane 01:51, 5 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The K-Lite Codec pack comes with a program called "GSpot" which will tell you the codec required for a given video file.... but once you have the K-Lite codecs, you probably won't need it. TheMadBaron 14:26, 5 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Mirage os

On my graphing calculator I dowloaded games onto my Mirage os and sometimes when i select a game tp play and click enter it shows a blank screen then goes back to the menu I was just on, how can I fix this problem so I can play the games? Also I accedintally hide 2 of my games and dont know how I can put them back on my Mirageos so that I can play them how could I fix this problem?

It may help if you gave us more information. What specific model of calculator are you using? What version of Mirage OS? What games are involved?

Without knowing these, I would say that one probable fix would be to wipe all of it off your calculator and reinstall Mirage, then whatever games you want. ESkog | ^Talk 04:25, 5 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

She/he is probably using a Texas Instruments Ti-83 Plus graphing calculator. Mirage OS is an add-on shell. Unfortunately I don't know the answer to his question. --AMorris (talk)●(contribs) 11:50, 7 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Adult Swim Question

Does anyone know the name of the song usually played on Adult Swim they show their weekday/weekend lineup?

It doesn't look like it's listed in their MP3 section[8]. I'd try emailing them; you know they love getting emails.Mareino 19:25, 5 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Are you talking about the song that's playing when it says, "All times and music Eastern"? If so, please tell me if you find out what it is, I'm interested. —Keenan Pepper 00:17, 6 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Coincidentally, this was recently asked and answered at AskMetafilter. I won't try to summarize here because I can't do any better than the linked thread did. Chuck 02:52, 6 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Yes!! This is the song! Thanks a bunch! I have been trying to find the name of that song for what seemed like forever!

Status of Cape Fear River

Brittney, a Wikipedia reader, has sent an e-mail to the Help Desk mailing list as follows.

Do you know if the Cape Fear River is a mature,rejuvinated,old, or youthful river?

I would be grateful for any assistance you could give her. Capitalistroadster 05:17, 5 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

It depends on which stretch of river she is interested in. Near its source it will be a youthful river, gradually becomming mature and then old near its mouth. It the gradient significantly increases part way through its course it might become a rejuvinated river. Our River article explains this very well in the topography section. Thryduulf 11:44, 5 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Japanese Translation for a Gundam Fanmech

http://www009.upp.so-net.ne.jp/kanesys/images/galgal_p.jpg

This is a picture of an original Gundam design from Kaneko Tsukasa, the same person who designed the popular Gundam Thrones fan mech. I was wondering if someone could briefly translate explain the text it that picture, especially the pits relaing to weapons, the L.O.W. System, and the strange silver box in the lower left corner. Even a botched attempt would be better than anything I could come up with, as I know nothing of Japanese. Thank you.

Do you happen to know what universe (ie Universal Century, After Colony, Cosmic Era) that this gundam resides in? TomStar81 10:30, 6 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

What the hell is this?

File:Ugly Brute Brazil Woodcarving.jpg

and what article could it go in?--Ewok Slayer --(U | T | C) 06:01, 5 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Internet sock puppet? Armoured sock puppets, the next generation.--Commander Keane 09:24, 5 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

That's called a "carranca" (literally, "ugly face"). It's a type of wooden sculpture typical from the central Brazil region. It could probably be used in the Culture of Brazil article ☢ Ҡieff⌇↯ 13:23, 5 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

single family homes in America

I need to know how many single family homes were in America between 1950 to 2005.

By America do you mean the continent (aka Americas) or the USA? (I suppose you don't mean any of the other meanings.) DirkvdM 10:18, 5 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

[www.census.gov] should have what you need online & free. Mareino 19:27, 5 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Old Questions

What happens to all the old questions asked? Are they filed somewhere or if they are not answered within a week are they deleted? Thanks

Old questions can be found in the Wikipedia:Reference desk archive. Dismas|^(talk) 11:43, 5 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Airport terminal size

I am trying to find the ranking (in size), largest to smallest (1-10) of the Terminal size (not by passengers,or cargo, or land mass etc.) of the United States airports. I have looked everywhere, and gotten everything but the size of the largest TERMINAL. Thanks for your help.

R McCarver

By largest I'm guessing you mean by area (it's good to deifne that precisely for a ranking like this). I have no idea of a top ten, but I'll throw a couple of big ones your way:

Denver terminal complex - 420 300 m2 terminal complex - reported 1998 (journal, I'll get the the full ref. if you like)
Kansai is meant to be big, can't find an area though, just that it's 1.6 km long

If you have "gotten everything", share the info you do have, it might make it easier for us to get a solution.--Commander Keane 16:50, 5 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Nuclear Weapons

The most powerful nuclear weapon ever detonated was, I believe a 50 megaton thermo-nuclear device detonated by the Soviet Union. What was the device's designation, and does wikipedia have an article on it?

Prodego^talk 17:32, 5 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

It was Tsar Bomba. –Mysid 17:48, 5 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

What is the average speed of New Haven Line trains over the Northeast Corridor?

What is the average speed of New Haven Line trains over the Northeast Corridor? (209.137.173.69)

Go to the MTA website's schedule page and calculate it yourself. Mareino 23:28, 5 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

December 6

Sitcoms

Is there a set list of Sitcom ideas somewhere? It seems like a lot of different shows have the same situations and issues.

You might be interested in perusing the TV Tropes Wiki, which deals with this sort of thing. Chuck 02:36, 6 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

This doesn't tell me anything...I mean i see many sitcoms that use a lot of the same Story lines. Are they going off of a list or something.

No, I don't believe there's a single list. But all writers are influenced to some extent by what they've seen before, and may be borrowing--either consciously or unconsciously--from similar plotlines from other shows. The site I linked to above catalogs some common themes in TV (although it's not restricted exclusively to sitcoms), but I'm not aware of any evidence that there's some master list all sitcom writers are using. Chuck 06:03, 6 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

what is healthy?

I was wondering if it was healthier to excersise before eating? Or is it healthier to eat then excersise?

Thank you

Digesting food costs energy, so when you exercise after eating your body has a problem. That's the 'scientific' approach. You could also listen to your body. How does it feel to exercise on a full stomach? What is your body telling you? DirkvdM 11:03, 6 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Dirk's right. You need to give your body to digest food before excersizing. That said, you need energy to excersize, so you need the energy content of the food you eat. So I would say, excersize after eating, but leave some time for digestion. - Mgm|^(talk) 11:28, 6 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

This same logic applies to swimming after eating. The digestive tract requires energy, but the body needs to keep itself warm and active as well. The digestive system doesn't get what it needs, and you get pain. -- Ec5618 22:39, 6 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

obi-wan kenobi

could somesome please tell me why he is also called ben? i remember in the 1970's movies hearing the name once. is this a name he was born with then changed when he went to the temple to train as a jedi? could someone let me know i would greatly appreciate it..thank you...cheryl

If you don't get an answer here, you might also try posting it at the talk page for the article on Obi-Wan Kenobi, where people who contributed to that article are more likely to see your question. Chuck 02:47, 6 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

After the Great Jedi Purge, only a few Jedi remained. The only two that are of particular note in the films were Yoda and Obi-Wan. Yoda went to the Dagobah system to hide out. Obi-Wan went to Tatooine. The reason why Obi-Wan went to Tatooine was to watch over Luke Skywalker since he was Darth Vader's son. Luke and his sister Leia were put into hiding so that they might grow up and overthrow Vader and the emperor. Or so was the hope of Yoda and Obi-Wan. To be able to blend in with the people on Tatooine, Obi-Wan took the name "Ben Kenobi". There's more to the story of course since it's a total of 6 films but that's the basics. Dismas|^(talk) 03:36, 6 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I've always thought there should be a new entry in the 100 Things I'd do if I Became and Evil Overlord for this - "If I have a son I can't find who might be a danger to me, try looking on my home planet, for someone who shares my last name. And if I find someone who shares the last name of my arch-nemesis there too, take appropriate action." DJ Clayworth 18:48, 6 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

For all Vader knew though, the kids were dead. And his home world was a speck in the back woods of the galaxy so why search there? Also, Tatooine most likely didn't have any sort of phone book or census so how would Vader have known that there was a "Kenobi" on that world? Thinking about this too much, I am. Dismas|^(talk) 23:13, 6 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Folding a handkerchief for the coat pocket

I am looking for the correct technique for folding a white handkerchief for the coat pocket of my tuxedo. I prefer the more classic looks but I have had trouble in the past with getting the handkerchief to fit properly and to stay in place. Anyone have recommendations?

From searching Google for "handkerchief fold", see http://www.ehow.com/how_18037_fold-handkerchief.html. Seems like this really should be in wikipedia's handkerchief article. -- Rick Block (talk) 04:09, 6 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

cash budget

How does a cash budget differ from a budget

In what context? ESkog | ^Talk 04:40, 6 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

A cash budget is an economic budget and a budget is, um.. Another kind of budget? (ie. food budget etc - thinking out loud here) --Yardan

Asian characters on Wikipedia articles

In many places where I presume there should be Asian characters, my Mozilla Firefox instead displays a long string of ????????. What do I need to download/change in order to see these? ESkog | ^Talk 05:13, 6 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

You need to download and install a font that allows for viewing of such characters. - Mgm|^(talk) 11:29, 6 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]
And depending on the language, you may need to Enable complex text support. Besides Indic languages, you need that for Thai, Arabic, and I suppose Hebrew. That article also has links to getting the fonts. - Taxman ^Talk 14:23, 6 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Website

I am trying to make a website for my school. A place to host study guides, notes, etc.. However, I need to find out how to make usernames and passwords. I need to find software like most websites use, software that says "Hello <username>" at the top of every page. Im not advanced enough to make the software myself, but im sure there are many open source projects like this. I just dont knw where to find them. Please help. Any help would be nice. Thank you.

Rex

PhpNuke is a great content management system. Resources: http://php.resourceindex.com/ & http://www.hotscripts.com/PHP/ - What you basicly need is a content management system. Their pretty easy to setup with a little knowledge of html/php/mySQL & FTP clients. --Yardan \ Talk

my cherokee heritage

where can i go and search the rolls for my ancesters

Quick hint: Google for cherokee heritage. You should find something there. --Yardan 09:45, 6 December 2005 (UTC) \ Talk[reply]

What are GPA Scores?

(modified this a bit to seperate from the above question Brian Schlosser42 18:24, 6 December 2005 (UTC)) How are they taken and what do they show? Max possible achievable score?etc... Please,details needed. Thanx in advance.[reply]

In my experience in American schools, both secondary and post secondary, the Grade Point Average scale is: A-4, B-3, C-2, D-1 and F-0. Add up the totals for your grades, divide by the number of classes taken, and voila, your GPA. Of course, there are also higher points given in some schools for AP and ID classes, so your GPA could exceed 4.0. Brian Schlosser42 18:24, 6 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Ettiquette question

Is it a breach of ettiquette to fart out loud when you're standing at the urinal in the men's room? I say no, that's the perfect place to fart. My wife says yes.

I'd say it depends on where you are. At a football stadium or a stock car race, I'm sure it would be fine. At a fancy hotel or restaraunt, not so much. Of course, there's no authority that decides such matters, so it comes down to would you offend anyone in the situation. - Taxman ^Talk 20:53, 6 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

It wouldn't bother me unless the farter and I were at adjacent urinals. In that case I would think it was kind of rude/nasty. ike9898 22:38, 6 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

GPA Scores

I'd like to know what GPA Scores are and when they are taken. What do they show? How are they calculated? What is the max achievable score and what is the average score in the US? Please,details needed. Thanx in advance.

16:12, 6 December 2005 (UTC)16:12, 6 December 2005 (UTC)Hasanclk

A confused guy.

In the United States, grades in classes are given on a range including A (the best), B, C, D, and F (failing). A student's GPA is a numerical measure of these grades. An A is worth 4, B = 3, C = 2, D = 1, F = 0, and all grades are averaged in the simplest schemes, making the maximum possible score a 4.0. Many colleges weight these averages based upon the number of credit hours a class was worth. Often in high schools, some advanced classes are "weighted" courses where it is possible to achieve greater than a 4.0. This can be done in two very common ways: 1) increase the value of an A to 5 (and other letter grades are usually adjusted accordingly) or 2) add a raw value, like 0.1, to the final calculated GPA. I am unsure what the average score is in the United States, but grade inflation is a constant problem. ESkog | ^Talk 17:39, 6 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Do the letters stand for Average, Bland, Crap, Dismal and Failure? Or is there a reason why E has been omitted? — JIP | Talk 18:05, 6 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

See also Grade (education)#United States, Canada, England and Wales, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand —Keenan Pepper 18:22, 6 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The Grade (education) wikilink above claims that "E" is omitted because:

an F can be turned into an E by drawing a small line at the bottom of the letter
E traditionally stood for Excellent

I thought it was due to the piecewise nature of the grading. For example, while B>60%, C>50%, D>40%, F can vary from 0-40%. The alphabetical jump representing this difference. Could this be right, or am I deluded.--Commander Keane 22:17, 6 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Actually, the typical scheme in the U.S. is 90-100%=A, 80-89=B, 70-79=C, 60-69=D and 0-59=F. In Canada, for some reason, you only need 80 for an A, 70 for a B and so on.

If you get 85% of the answers correct on all of your math assignments, you would theoretically get a B. In practice, some assignments (such as a final exam) are worth more than others. In an English class, the teacher might give you a numerical score on all of your essays and average them together at the end of the semseter for a final grade.

In some schools, the letter grades are subdivided into pluses and minuses. A score of 87-89 might be a B+ and worth 3.33 points, while a score of 80-83 might be a B- and be worth 2.67 points.

Compiling a national average GPA would be meaningless, since an A in one school might be easier to get than an A in another. That's why schools use SAT scores and class rank in addition to GPA.

Now if only I could understand the British education system! -- Mwalcoff 00:25, 7 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Just for completeness, we should mention that GPA means "Grade Point Average". - Nunh-huh 04:07, 7 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

My only query is why you skip the E on the grading scale. The other stuff was interesting though. In Australian universities (the ones I know of at least), my one uses High Distiction, Distiction, Credit, Pass, Fail instead of A,B,C,D,F. Another uses GPA, but with 1 being the best and 7 the worst. I say bring on ISO.--Commander Keane 05:28, 7 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Looking for two letter country abbreviations

I am looking for the two letter country abbreviations for:

The Canary Islands
Madeira
Dubai
Scotland
Wales

I've looked every where, but can find nothing.

Thank you for your help in advance.

Look at ISO3166. IC is reserved for Canary Islands, but not assigned. I believe Scotland and Wales are part of UK. There do not appear to be listings for the other two.--agr 18:19, 6 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Madeira is an autonomous region of Portugal (PT), and Dubai is in the United Arab Emirates (AE). Natgoo 22:35, 6 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

This website may be of some interest.--Commander Keane 23:48, 6 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

As noted, Scotland and Wales are part of the UK and do not have their own ISO 3166 codes. It should be noted that the ISO 3166 code for the UK is GB, not UK. This is the only case where a country's 2-letter Internet top-level domain name is different from its ISO 3166 code; in Internet domains, the UK is UK. --Anonymous, 02:50 UTC, December 7, 2005

Lampard & Redknap

I read that southampton's manager Harry Redknap is uncle of Chelsea's midfilder Frank Lampard. Is Redknap the brother of Lampard's father or Lamapard's mother?

No, Harry and Frank Snr married two sisters (well, one each, I mean) Jameswilson 03:12, 7 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

satin

How is satin constructed?

The Satin article has a basic description, did you want more specific information?--Commander Keane 21:57, 6 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The Sims 2 Nightlife Grilled Cheese Aspiration

For the Grilled Cheese Aspiration in The Sims 2: Nightlife, what is the second Lifetime Want (after "eat 200 grilled cheese sandwiches" has been satisfied)? Also, does anyone know what inspired the GCA's creation?

The Sims is a very random game. However, in earlier expansions, I have found Sims seem to cook too much Grilled Cheese, and I'd imagine that it grew as a joke out of that, like the gnome and llama references. Reading the article though, it sounds like the best aspiration of all! smurrayinchester^{(User), (Ho Ho Ho!)} 16:39, 7 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

balance???????????????????????

can you balance a egg on your foot?? Maoririder 20:54, 6 December 2005 (UTC) not a trick question.[reply]

I just tried it and I could do it easily. —Keenan Pepper 21:55, 6 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

While it's very easy the balance the egg on its side, it is more difficult (ie still possible, but it fell off my foot and cracked) to balance it on its end. --Commander Keane 22:04, 6 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

What kind of egg? A chicken's egg, a ducks egg or an ostrich egg? CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 22:28, 6 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Wow, you people actualy tried it? That's some dedication for an RD question. Broken S 03:24, 7 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

We should start a club of all the "hard core" RD researchers. We won't rest until your questions are answered! We'll even balance eggs on our feet! =P —Keenan Pepper 05:09, 7 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

You're on BJAODN now. ^_^

‣ᓛᖁ♀ᑐ 05:31, 7 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

OK. Using large chickens eggs. It seemed easier with a hard boiled egg than a raw one but that could be just down to the fact that you worry less about dropping it. It's easier with bare feet than with shoes on and almost impossible with winter boots. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 05:44, 7 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

SNES RF output doesn't shown on TV

I recently bought an SNES console from eBay, PAL version, with a British power supply, with four games. I replaced the British power supply with a Finnish one I had bought earlier. When I hook the console up to my TV, it powers up, but no matter which frequency I choose on my TV, no picture shows up. The best I can manage is an entirely black picture, which changes to static if I turn the SNES off or unplug the RF cable. Do I have a too old TV or have I bought a faulty SNES? How can I tell? And why is it that a normal NES has RCA output (the double cables with separate audio and video output) but an SNES doesn't? — JIP | Talk 20:55, 6 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

prisoners educational oppertunities

Help I am doing an essay on educational opportunities for incarcerated individuals and I can not find the actuall budget for Iowas prisons! Every page I go to will not open up. Any idea what the budget is for Iowa-or its budget for education? Thanks --Amy

Cyclones in Africa

What African Country was by a tropical cyclone in 1999? Thanks

This site [9] reports of several affected countries Botswana, Madagascar, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique --Tachs 07:45, 7 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Unknown manga or anime

A while ago i barrowed some movie's and i was hoping someone could help me tracking them down i will give as much information possible so here goes:

i thought but am not sure that the title was 'the legend of the 4 dragon kings' its a story about 4 brothers in the story as the time passes they r getting powers to do things impossible for normal humans at first they do not know why nor how but in time they begin to realise that the are a sort of reincarnation of dragons but some people in the {i think} army have realized the same and whant to use the power for own purpose {as always}. the youngest brother is not in control of his power and it happens that he explodes from time to time sadly this is about all i know about these series i have seen about 16 episodes on 4 video's so if the one reading this can help me please send me an email on [email protected]

thanks for reading and way thanks if u know how it is called and where to find info about it or where to purchase it

greeting from holland Bas/Neoxtao

7 December 2005

Tower in Niagara Falls

Reader Connie has contacted the Wikipedia Help Desk with a question about the date that a tower built next to the bridge in Niagara Falls was built. She thinks that it is on the American side in Niagara Falls, New York and that it was used in a Marilyn Monroe movie.

I will advise her that the appearance in a Marilyn Monroe movie could help date it. However, I would be grateful for any assistance you can give her. Capitalistroadster 00:07, 7 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

This would be the Prospect Point Observation Tower, which opened in 1961 after 2½ years construction according to this web site. Prospect Point itself was a rock formation in the same area that collapsed in 1954, according to Pierre Berton's book about Niagara; presumably the tower was built to replace it as a viewpoint.

The tower could not, therefore, have appeared in Niagara (1953 movie). The location near the falls where Marilyn Monroe did appear in the movie was a viewpoint near the base of the falls on the Canadian side. According to this web page, this was built in 1951 (or starting in 1951, anyway) as an addition to the Scenic Tunnels, an attraction that allows people to view the falls from behind and was eventually (in 1994 according to this page) renamed "Journey Behind the Falls".

The tower in "Niagara" is the Rainbow Bridge Bell tower. It was built around 1941, from what I've seen. It is on the Canadian side, part of the Customs complex at that end of the bridge. http://www.niagarafrontier.com/bridges.html#b12]Brian Schlosser42 15:45, 7 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

--Anonymous, 02:20 UTC, December 7, 2005

Awful puns

Why are there so many awful puns in contemporary Australian telejournalism? (Maybe foreign TV news shows as well, I don't know). i.e, just last night Sandra Sully introduces a story about a new eye treatment that might let people do away with eyeglasses, and throws in a bunch of phrases like "left in the dark". And then that ice bar opening in Sydney, "the coolest bar in town..." I mean, I havent' given that many examples because I can't remember them, but there are lots. It's riddled with them. Jesus, WHY? This isn't journalism, it's gimmickry!

I entirely agree. And it's not just TV. The worst offenders are the magazines in the weekend papers. No matter how serious the subject matter may be, the title of the article is virtually always some pun or other. How crass! But worse, how predictable! JackofOz 01:08, 7 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I don't have a source to cite or anything but at a guess, I would say that it's to give people the feeling that they're being entertained therefore they would want to tune in again to the same station. Also, if the newscasters put forth a bit of humor then people may grow to like them even though they don't actually personally know them. And if you like someone, you're more likely to want to hear the news from them. It's basically brand loyalty. But like I said, I'm no expert. Dismas|^(talk) 01:40, 7 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

My theory: Once one has devised a pun (which must be one of bad, awful, or "oh god, that's so painful I must now kill you" - there is no such thing as a good pun) the punner feels an irresistable urge to share the pun. This is because the punner has already experienced the pain of the pun (and it must cause pain, since it belongs in one of the catgeories I mentioned above) and the punner therefore feels a need to share their pain with others. (N.B.: this is a theory I have just made up, and may bear little or no relation to reality...) -- AJR | Talk 02:35, 7 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

It's probably because you're watching Channel Ten and Sandra Sully. If you want better journalism, switch to ABC or SBS. Dysprosia 02:47, 7 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I was about to say: It is advertised as the Ten Entertainment Network. jnothman ^talk 02:55, 7 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Pretty much all news organizations everywhere do this to some degree. It shows how "clever" they are, I guess. (Some are horrible, others worthy of admiration. The New York Post's "Headless Body Found in Topless Bar" comes to mind... ) - Nunh-huh 04:00, 7 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

If you really don't like them doing it but you still want to watch that channel then get everybody you know to phone/email the station every time they do it. I can put up with the puns it's the fact that in North America every scandal is refered to as "something-gate" see Watergate. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 06:03, 7 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

We acutally have an article on this - List of scandals with "-gate" suffix. Thryduulf 12:44, 7 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

It's not just in North America, in the UK they append gate to 'scandals' too, very annoying & utterly nonsensical. The bad puns aren't too much of a problem here though. AllanHainey 08:26, 7 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

belguim a part of france

is belguim a part of france.

No, see Belgium. Although French is one of Belgium's official languages. Dismas|^(talk) 00:39, 7 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

religious works influcenced by secular works

has there ever been a religious work that has been influenced by a secular work.

Well, yes. But you must have something specific in mind? What do you mean by "a religious work" and "a secular work"? The differences are not always so clear. (Is Leonard Bernstein's Mass a religious work? Are "folk masses" celebrated in the Catholic Church religious works? Both are clearly influenced by secular music.) We can probably help more if you specify what you're looking for. - Nunh-huh 04:05, 7 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Any one of thousands of hymns that use popular tunes for the music? (Including the currently seasonally-appropriate "What Child is This" which uses the tune from Greensleeves.) As Nuhn-huh mentions, you need to narrow this question down. Crypticfirefly 06:06, 7 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Queen of England

I am trying to find out why the Queen of England has two birthdays? I thought it was due to the weather? many thanks===

Well, first off, there is no Queen of England<g>. The person you're thinking of is Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Her actual birthday 21 April probably can be accepted without further explanation. The monarch's actual birthday and the "official" birthday - the day it is celebrated - were identical until King Edward VII, born 9 November, decided that he'd like to celebrate in the summer instead. The "official" birthday is simply a matter of scheduling and can change from year to year. When Elizabeth II first came to the throne, her "official" birthday was the second Thursday of June. After seven years of this, it was switched to Saturday as a matter of convenience. It's now the 1st Saturday of June. It's in the summer at least partially to encourage tourism. She also has other birthdays in other realms... Canada is 18 May, Western Australia 28 September, the rest of Australia 8 June, New Zealand the first Monday in June. (Some of these may have changed, and she probably has other "birthdays" elsewhere.) The "second" birthday is just a designated national holiday. - Nunh-huh 03:58, 7 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

In Canada it's the Monday preceding the 25 May and it's called Victoria Day except in Quebec where it's called fête des patriotes (Commemoration of the Lower Canada Rebellion). From Holidays in Canada. Also see Queen's Birthday. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 05:57, 7 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Standard

I have noticed on the bottom of a cd drive there are a number of markings. One is the CE standard marking, another is the CSA Standard mark. There is a third, which I have seen on a number of devices. It looks like a backward R joined to a U or L. I could not find what it is. Any ideas? Oliverdl 05:01, 7 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Check here Underwriters Laboratories Inc. Marks (3/4 way down) and the home page is [www.ul.com/ UL]. It's the mark they use in Canada and the US. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 05:50, 7 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Weight Loss

I have lost 100 Pounds in 4 months (on purpose). Is that normal?

I'm not a doctor, and the Wikipedia doesn't give medical advice. If you are concerned about your health and your weight loss program, consult your doctor.

That said, your weight loss sounds *very* fast, to be honest, though it obviously depends on how overweight you were in the first place (if you've lost 100 pounds, you must have had quite a lot to lose). See dieting for some of the issues relating to weight loss, specifically yo-yo dieting and the risks of very low calorie diets and fasting). Also, have you determined what your ideal weight is? Being too underweight can be as bad for your health as being overweight. --Robert Merkel 07:25, 7 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Of course it's not normal. Whether it is good for you or bad for you depends on a lot more info than you provide, as I am sure you realize. Am I being too suspicious in thinking this the come-on line for either trolling or spamming? alteripse 10:33, 7 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

BUSINESS

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT AND A HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT?

Both are the same, I suppose, the latter being recently coined. As opposed, Labor and Industrial Releations has a different function --Tachs 10:15, 7 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Hartstein Upper Silesia

David, a Wikipedia reader, has sent the following question to the Wikipedia help desk.

"Hi, I am inquiring about a place called Hartstein in Upper Silesia. can you point me in the right direction?"

The only thing I could come up with was this ancestry.com page see [10] Any assistance you could give would be gratefully appreciated.

Capitalistroadster 10:01, 7 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

what is the meaning of "quality of mercy is not strained"? 61.2.70.77 13:11, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

Try The Merchant of Venice and Answers.com. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 13:41, 7 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I remember getting a detention in school (very many years ago), where I was given that very phrase - 'What is the meaning of "quality of mercy is not strained"?' as an essay title.

Hats

Why did people stop wearing hats? I spotted a book ther other day that suggests it's got something to do with JFK. Or was it something to do with people growing their hair longer? Jooler 14:06, 7 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I seriously doubt its got anything to do with JFK - what reason did the book give?

If you look in old photos of the 30's or even 40's in the UK almost everyone (men at least) wore a hat. In the 50's I think it was a lot less prevalent & since then or the 60's less & less people have worn hats. Nowadays it seems most men don't (or at least don't all wear a hat as a matter of course everytime they go out). I would assume it was just changing tastes & fashions though I can't say for sure. AllanHainey 15:52, 7 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I seem to recall something similar in one of the Imponderables books but I thought it was talking about one of the Kings of the UK. In other words fashion. People copy their "betters". CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 16:26, 7 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Well, the JFK story is discussed over at snopes: http://www.snopes.com/history/american/jfkhat.htm --jpgordon ∇∆∇∆ 17:37, 7 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Car Windows

Why exactly does my cars windows frost up on cold mornings, but not others?

I assume you mean not on your house windows. It's because they are too warm. See Frost and Dew Point. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 16:34, 7 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

By others...I meant other days...not other windows. Some days my Cars windows frost up and some days they don't

When the temperature is above freezing dew will form but below freezing frost will form. At cooler temperatures the amount of water vapour required to saturate the air is less. See Dew point and relative humidity. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 17:15, 7 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Ansestry

What is the root meaning of the name Rainbolt? --4.255.3.123 16:10, 7 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

World War 1

When did World War 1 start?

A little bit after Gavrilo Princip assassinated Crown Prince Ferdinand. Have a look at the World War I article. — JIP | Talk 16:57, 7 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

What are Kilkenny cats?

Try A word a day, World Wide Words and Nursery Rhymes. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 16:30, 7 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Politics-related questions

I don't understand the differences between a democracy and a republic, other than the latter not being under the reign of a king. Please can someone explain?
I have read the article on conservatism, but don't really see where a conservative stands in today's world. For example, could someone tell me in which way the United Kingdom's Conservative Party's policy is conservative?

Thank you,

--anon, 16:49, 7 December 2005 (UTC).

Database Administrator Controls

I am looking for help on DBA Controls. How do you watch or control what the DBA is doing?