Wikipedia:Reference desk/Miscellaneous

Deprecated HTML tags

I have been doing HTML for a while now (like 5 years) so imagine my surprise when I find the <font> tag is deprecated. What replaces it (I guess 'div')? How do Div tags work? Are there any other deprecated tags I should know about? — Ilγαηερ (Tαlκ) 22:25, 3 Sep 2004 (UTC)

I believe that the <font> tag was deprecated in favor of well formed Cascading_Style_Sheets which allow for better encapsulation and consistency in style.Cvaneg 22:31, 3 Sep 2004 (UTC)

FONT is generally replaced by DIV or SPAN, the latter probably being more commonly used because it's an inline element (i.e. not a block element like DIV or P). Many elements can now use the STYLE attribute, in which you can place CSS rules to style the element's contents. For example, <div style="font-weight: bold; font-family: Verdana">Hello there!</div> will render "Hello there!" in boldface Verdana. Some other deprecated tags include APPLET, CENTER, S, STRIKE, and U. --Diberri | Talk 22:41, Sep 3, 2004 (UTC)

This page from the W3C lists some other deprecated tags in HTML 4.0. --Diberri | Talk 22:43, Sep 3, 2004 (UTC)

Well, font isn't really replaced by div or span or any other tag. In HTML4/CSS, tags whose only purpose is to affect the appearance of the page are all deprecated (font, underline, strikeout). Bold and italic technically aren't deprecated, but htmltidy will harass you for using them anyway (as well it should). Instead, this information is supposed to go into a style parameter, or better yet into a stylesheet. What remains in the HTML is supposed to be only semantic markup, with the appearance stuff devolved entirely to the stylesheet. Done properly this can have fantastic results - check the W3c's homepage on a modern browser, and then on a text-only browser. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 23:04, 3 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Similarly, see the CSS Zen Garden for a demonstration of the power of CSS. My favorite CSS theme on the site is [http://www.csszengarden.com/?cssfile=/022/022.css&page=10

"Viridity."]  Quite frankly, the <font> tag is embarassingly inferior to using CSS styles on inline elements.  I think the only reason the font tag is so prevalent around here is because Wikipedians can't currently use the canonical inline tag, <span>, so remember to make your voice heard in the span tag poll.  --[[User:Ardonik|Ardonik(talk)]] 23:43, Sep 3, 2004 (UTC)

Right: div and span aren't replacements, per se, but they are commonly used as replacements in practice. --Diberri | Talk 23:46, Sep 3, 2004 (UTC)

Oh shoot, now I have to learn CSS and XHTML in favor of HTML ... which I've been using since I was like 8 (I'm now 13). — Ilγαηερ (Tαlκ) 04:44, 4 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Don't worry, it's not that difficult. Of course, the transition to XHTML may be harder if you weren't like me (I've always favoured writing tags in lower-case). CSS rocks, but even writing a simple sidebar can become complicated if you're not sure about what you're doing. Johnleemk | Talk 07:45, 4 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Finlay: In Mozilla, if you go to View->Use Style->None , you get the effect as if it were in a text-only browser . I suppose this is done through the "magic" of CSS. — Ilγαηερ (Tαlκ) 04:45, 4 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Wait...if I want to do something like This what non-block element can I use to color it? <div> and both start new lines, so it would be like

This

. — Ilγαηερ (Tαlκ) 14:43, 4 Sep 2004 (UTC)

<span>, like this. Marnanel 15:15, 4 Sep 2004 (UTC)

As you can see, span is currently unsupported in Wikipedia. Unless there's a structural reason for altering the appearance of the text (the text is emphasized, represents a code snippet, etc.), it's considered bad form to use presentational markup; span might encourage using it for that. -- Wapcaplet 15:54, 4 Sep 2004 (UTC)

I was thinking generally for webpages, because I use the <font> tag a lot in my webpage. — Ilγαηερ (Tαlκ) 21:24, 4 Sep 2004 (UTC)

If you want to do something like this, you should use span. The best way (especially if you want to the this more than once) would be to define a class in your stylesheet. It would look something like this: .highlight {color:#FF0000; font-family: times} and then when you put it around your text it would look like this. This seems like a lot more work, until you realize that you only have to put it in your stylesheet once and then you can use it as many times as you like on as many pages as you like! CSS, once you have learned it, is a great time-saver; you can remodel your entire site by changing just one file. --[[User:Aranel|Aranel ("Sarah")]] 21:31, 4 Sep 2004 (UTC)

On the SAT II, are Math Level IC and Math Level IIC mutually exclusive?

Well, are they? The College Board's website is rather ambiguous about this, although the Harvard and MIT sites seem to imply that if you take one, you can't take the other. Johnleemk | Talk 13:41, 4 Sep 2004 (UTC)

I would imagine that the college board will let you take as many tests as you are willing to pay for. However, for admissions purposes I highly doubt that you could use scores from both test as Math IC looks like it's a sub-set of Math IIC. Don't take my uninformed opinion, though, your best course of action would be to call each university's admissions office (Harvard: 617-495-1551 MIT:617-253-4791) and speak to an official. It may very well be the case that one university allows you to use both scores, while another does not, or it may be that you can only use one, but both tests are equally weighted, so why not take the easy one.Cvaneg 14:06, 4 Sep 2004 (UTC)</nowiki>

Based on the way other such tests work, I would say that the IIC version is basically a more advanced version of the same test. It covers a broader range of topics. If you read the descriptions (IC and IIC), the major difference is that the second test assumes a year of precalculus and/or trigonometry. I would imagine that the only point in taking both tests would be that if you do poorly on II, you might do much better on I. (Can you choose which scores to send after you have the results?) I don't think I would risk sending both scores if I were applying to universities like MIT and Harvard. I'm almost certain that would not be a good call - better to take, say, Chemistry or Physics, which are also mathematically-based. It seems to me that a student looking to improve his/her chances should probably not submit scores for both of the math tests, but of course that's just my opinion. --[[User:Aranel|Aranel ("Sarah")]] 19:45, 4 Sep 2004 (UTC)

You can choose which tests to send after you get the results. For example, I took writing twice and chose to have only the second (higher) score sent to colleges. This doesn't work for the regular SAT, though, which is why you should be prepared before taking it - most colleges only want you to take the SAT a maximum of 3 times. Then again, most students don't want to take the SAT at all, so usually it works out. Salasks 21:24, Sep 4, 2004 (UTC)

Dorothy Parker quotation

Dorothy Parker once wrote:

This is not a book to be tossed aside lightly. It should be thrown with great force

Can anyone tell me about which book she was writing? -- Graham ☺ | Talk 21:35, 4 Sep 2004 (UTC)

According to 4 usenet postings that I was able to find, A. A. Milne's The House at Pooh Corner. Google groups search: "Dorothy Parker" pooh "not a book to be tossed aside" Of course, this is usenet — take with a grain of salt. • Benc • 22:31, 4 Sep 2004 (UTC)

I first found the answer by looking through newsgroups, but there's plenty of web sources, too. About 64 of them for a Google web search on "Dorothy Parker" pooh "not a book to be tossed aside". It's probably a safe bet to assume Parker was talking about Pooh. The book review was in the The New Yorker, by the way. • Benc • 22:55, 4 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Many thanks. I wonder why she didn't like it? -- Graham ☺ | Talk 03:49, 5 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Apparently it was too cutesy for her. According to a variety of sources, the word "hummy" was the breaking point, where, as is oft quoted, "Tonstant Weader fwowed up." Mindspillage 04:39, 5 Sep 2004 (UTC)

...not...to be tossed aside lightly... (etc.) I've been known to have that feeling about some passages in Nietzsche, but never about A. A. Milne. -- Jmabel 07:07, Sep 5, 2004 (UTC)

I thought that "Tonstant Weader fwowed up" was her line about Pooh. RickK 06:21, Sep 6, 2004 (UTC)

SPELLING OF A NAME

HOW DO YOU SPELL (MALONE) IN ARABIC? THANKS

United Kindom driving regulations

I would like to know where can I find United Kindom driving regulations.

I looking expecially for the meaning of the yellow lines paint along the sine of the street to indicate no parking rules AnyFile

The Highway Code has the lot. adamsan 20:36, 5 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Specifically, this page. Trilobite (Talk) 16:23, 9 Sep 2004 (UTC)

You could also look at the underlying law on the matter - the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2002, the sections on road markings are 25 to 32, and section 6 has all the images of the various permitted markings. The printed version is a lot easier to read and work through, but sadly not free.--Pikelet 17:11, 12 Sep 2004 (UTC)

'Star' Forts?

Late design forts or castles seem to often be in the form of stars, and I was wondering why this is so? I seem to recall this possibly originally being a French design having something to do with gunpowder and cannons, but I forget precisely why it was done. What are the advatages of star shaped fortification design? And does it have an original architect? --Senca 01:57, 6 Sep 2004 (UTC)

IIRC, it was to make it more difficult for projectiles to impact the walls at right angles. I am also quite sure I read this in an article here that I can't find now (but someone else probably can)...--inks 02:45, 6 Sep 2004 (UTC)

I thought that might have something to do with it. Hm... thanks. --Senca 03:21, 6 Sep 2004 (UTC)

You can bring a lot of fire to bear on anyone trying to scale the walls. -- Jmabel 06:07, Sep 6, 2004 (UTC)

Slightly off-topic, but last year in school, we had to plot a star fort onto something like 1/2 cm graphing paper. But I'd guess such difficulties are merely incidental. Rhymeless 06:54, 6 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Sébastien le Prestre de Vauban was the Frenchman who invented those forts.Gravelines has a particulary fine example, Google for 'Vauban defences' for more info. adamsan 08:04, 6 Sep 2004 (UTC)

One should also mention the article on sieges, a Wikipedia Featured Article, which explains all this very nicely. Simon A. 17:15, 6 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Very useful info. Thank you all. --Senca 20:59, 6 Sep 2004 (UTC)

What this dude says?

http://www.duke-nukem.hpg.com.br/voice.ogg

The first part is from a song from the game "Command & Conquer" The second is from Cowboy Bebop (the song "American Money")

In both songs there's that guy saying "reaching out" something (I guess). I couldn't understand what he's saying, and since both things are unrelated I suppose this is a famous quote.

So, can anyone tell me what he's saying? And if you know where that's from, I'd be glad to know also.

Thanks — Kieff | Talk 07:25, Sep 6, 2004 (UTC)

Undownloadable for me. [[User:Anárion|File:Anarion.png]] 22:13, 6 Sep 2004 (UTC)

It sounds like "reaching out into other worlds" to me, but looking on Google, all I can find is references to songs that sample the same line. Cvaneg 04:22, 7 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Well, it is that, I guess, but I'm only finding references to Cowboy Bebop... Hmm... Damn — Kieff | Talk 10:10, Sep 7, 2004 (UTC)

I hear "reaching out into other worlds", "satellite control" and "deep thrust telescopic probe". A little googling on the last phrase [1] would suggest that it comes from Lost in Space [2], which sounds plausible. - 13:03, 7 Sep 2004 (UTC) Lee (talk)

Anywhere decolonized that didn't want to be?

A question that arose lately in an argument...

Has there ever been anywhere that was decolonized that didn't want to be decolonized, during the 20th Century? I'm familiar with Rhodesia, but I was wondering if there was anywhere else? --Penta 15:18, 6 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Perhaps some of the Portuguese colonies that were abruptly granted independence in 1975. The Spanish Sahara and parts of New Guinea among them, and East Timor, maybe. I don't really know the details. Michael Hardy 21:35, 6 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Former Dutch colony West Papua, annexed by force by the culturally and religiously different Indonesia in 1961. Instead of a gradual road to decolonisation in 1970 the nation has now been occupied by great force for over thirty years.

Similarily Atjeh and the Moluccas, promised independance by the Netherlands but forcibly annexed by Indonesia in 1949. [[User:Anárion|File:Anarion.png]] 22:10, 6 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Anguilla wanted to remain a seperate British dependency when it was incorporated into St Kitts & Nevis (with the intention that it would evenutally become part of an independent St Kitts)due to the attitude of the St Kitts and Nevis politicians. The book Under an English Heaven by Donald E Westlake hunorously recounts the events. --Roisterer 22:33, 6 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Hong Kong. DJ Clayworth 14:14, 8 Sep 2004 (UTC)

In Rhodesia, everyone involved wanted the country decolonised. Ian Smith issued the Universal Declaration of Independence, and when the country returned to black majority rule in 1980 as Zimbabwe, there were huge celebrations.

In regards to the Portuguese colonies, to say that they didn't want to be decolonised would be to totally ignore the PAIGC, FRELIMO and the MPLA and the long and hard battles they fought for independence. The only country I can think of that was unwillingly torn away from mother Britain, or anywhere, was Hong Kong. [[User:DO'Neil|DO'Иeil]] 21:15, Sep 13, 2004 (UTC)

Hong Kong? Do tell! The story line that one got over here in the willingly-former North American colonies was one of universal jubilation at the return to China. Seemed pretty dumb to me at the time, to prefer oppression by one's fellow Chinese-speakers to progressive liberalisation [courtesy spelling] under the ex-Empire; but who can account for the minds of non-Anglo-Saxons? I take it, then, that the jubilation was not unanimous; am I surprised that the media didn't get the story right? BTW, wasn't there some problem with Greenland's not wanting to be so independent as Denmark wanted it to be? Dandrake 00:01, Sep 14, 2004 (UTC)

Can UK dependencies appeal to the ECHR?

Yet another attempt at settling an argument.

Can UK dependencies such as Gibraltar appeal things to the ECHR?

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office says yes: most overseas territories, including Gibraltar, have accepted the European Convention on Human Rights, and can therefore send cases to the Court. Pitcairn Island (pop. 47) is the sole exception. (See [3] for details.) Of the territories not listed there, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands and the Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus are covered by the UK's ratification of ECHR ([4]).

The crown dependencies (Isle of Man, Guernsey, Jersey) have all been under ECHR since 1953, and all have recently passed legislation comparable to the UK's Human Rights Act 1998 to allow human rights cases to be tried in domestic courts as well as in Strasbourg.

That leaves the British Indian Ocean Territory and British Antarctic Territory. I doubt anybody knows what the status of these places is, given that Antarctic territorial claims are suspended (and BAT overlaps other national claims) and BIOT is under de facto American military rule. --AlexG 11:21, 9 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Azrael

You describe Azrael, in this encyclopedia, as follows; "Azrael is a personification of death appearing in the Biblical Book of Tobit and in the Qur'an. He is depicted as an angel under the command of God. In Islam, he is an archangel." This seems to be a direct quote from Webster Dictionary. I have read every book of Tobit that I can find and followed many references of this subject to many sites and have not found a single reference to Azrael being the Angel of Death. Where did you find this information?

You could try Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (14th ed. 1989), which describes him as "the Mohammedan angel of death". --Heron 20:02, 6 Sep 2004 (UTC)

"Britain" v. "England" v. "United Kingdom" or "UK"

I was editing the page for the America's Cup, and I noticed that the list of challengers and defenders included references to Britain, which were linked to United Kingdom, and other references to England. I am not sure if there is something different about the different syndicates in terms of their country affiliation, but I was wondering if there is somewhere on Wikipedia that explains when to use each name and why. Thanks --nroose Talk 07:04, 7 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Physically, United Kingdom comprises of the island of Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales), and the northern part of Ireland (Northern Ireland). Politically.. well I'll leave that to an expert! -- Chuq 08:10, 7 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Just to reinforce what Chuq says, if you remember that the full official name of the UK is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and that Great Britain is the main island carrying England, Scotland and Wales, then it's not difficult to get a handle on the relationships - Adrian Pingstone 09:25, 7 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Yes, we should be careful about which one we use, they are not the same thing. Many people want to treat 'Great Britain' as the same as the UK, it is not. 213.206.33.82 12:47, 7 Sep 2004 (UTC)

'British' is used to mean "of or pertaining to the United Kingdom" just like someone from the United States is called an American. In citizenship terms someone is 'British' if they are from the UK. This keeps getting asked - maybe it should be an FAQ somewhere? DJ Clayworth 19:07, 7 Sep 2004 (UTC)

I think perhaps the immediate question of the America's Cup page should be dealt with, rather than the general usage of UK, England etc.., this has been discussed to death elsewhere. Some of the entrants on that page are labelled Scottish, some English and others British. I'm not entirely clear myself what should be done in this case as clearly reballing those entries currently labelled Scottish to British is bound to offend. I'd like to know the original source of this data. Mintguy (T) 21:51, 7 Sep 2004 (UTC)

I don't know the original source of the data, but there is similar data at http://espn.go.com/oly/ac2003/s/2003/0301/1516772.html. I guess they could have gotten it from Wikipedia. nroose Talk 08:32, 8 Sep 2004 (UTC)

C++ for graphics, audio and games

I really need to get on programming (specially C++), for graphics, audio and well, games... I started with C++ a while back but I never went too far on it.

Now I wanna try again, but I need a good and complete compiler and some references on the subject. Anyone can provide me some information about that? I've been looking for but this kind of things are better asnwered by a experienced person than by google.

Thanks — Kieff | Talk 10:07, Sep 7, 2004 (UTC)

The obvious answer for a compiler is gcc, which can be downloaded for free. If you use Linux, get it through your distribution's package management system. If you use Windows, download Cygwin. An alternative for Windows would be Microsoft Visual Studio, but you have to pay for that. Stroustrup's "The C++ Programming Language" is a must-own, but it's not a tutorial or a beginner's guide. There are a ton of "learning C++" types of books, and you'll want one of those too. Also, don't hop into the graphics and audio stuff too soon. You need to learn the language first before you start on the tough stuff. Rhobite 12:47, Sep 7, 2004 (UTC)

As of the release of the .NET Framework SDK, you can download the Microsoft C++ compiler for free, but not the IDE. This does allow you to compile normal (non .NET) applications. Microsoft have also packaged up a free download that only provides the C++ compiler as well -- the Visual C++ Toolkit. The Platform SDK is also available for free to download, though it is rather large. Mark Hurd 19:05, 10 Sep 2004 (UTC)

When I was in the same situation you were in, the first thing I looked for was a free compiler, and DJGPP is what I found. It's a free port of gcc for DOS (if you're interested in making DOS games.) If you take that route, download RHIDE, the docs, gdb, and the Allegro gaming library. (Of course, experimenter that I am, I downloaded Allegro and then never used it, preferring instead to write my own graphics programming routines.)

Alternately, you can do Windows programming with MinGW, MSys, the Dev-C++ environment, and the SDL gaming library. Note that SDL is a complete solution, handling audio, input, and graphics. Alternately, you could combine Cygwin with SDL. Or Allegro. Or DirectX. Or OpenGL. Or whatever.

The combinations are endless. The answer depends on your needs, your environment, and whether using cross-platform or open-source tools is important to you. Ask specific questions and you'll get specific answers (hopefully.) --Ardonik.talk() 04:16, Sep 8, 2004 (UTC)

WMA to MIDI file for phones

Is there any free software or easy instructions on how to convert WMA files to MIDI files or similar so that I can transfer them to my phone. Apologies if this sounds a bit dim but I honestly have no idea.Scraggy4 19:02, 7 Sep 2004 (UTC)

WMA is a sampled sound format, MIDI files consist of sequences of events such as notes. Converting from a WMA file representing music recorded from real musical instruments to a MIDI file requires transcription. This is non-trivial, and is usually done by a skilled human not a computer. Automatic transcription is considered to be a hard problem by AI researchers, one that in the general case is considered to be at least as hard as speech recognition if not harder. -- Tim Starling 06:09, Sep 8, 2004 (UTC)

Agreed. You'd be better off listening to the tune and sequencing it yourself, note-by-note; that's the way most high-quality MIDI songs are created. (If you're really interested in this option and you're running some form of Linux, I highly recommend Rosegarden.) --Ardonik.talk() 20:39, Sep 8, 2004 (UTC)

partitioning my hard disk

Seeking an opinion here. I have a 40 GB hard disk partitioned into four. My disk is almost full (of junk) and I plan to format it. My processor is slow and the boot up crawls when my hard disk has lots of files. Here's what I plan to do.

I will install XP to D:\> drive. This will be a FAT partition. I will also install all the programs that I have such as image viewers, browser plugins, audio players, etc. In short, 90% of my software. Now I turn to C:\> drive and install XP again. However this time I will convert the partition to NTFS. I also install critical system files such as firewalls, utility & office suites and anti-virus to this partition. D:\> is my programs partition and C:\> my working.

Now will the above setup work to speed up my system? My hypothesis is based that when windows boots into now default C:\> , the minimal files on this partition means that booting should be smooth and the system won't crawl. Now the programs on D will run as they will use D:\>'s system files. Also if I install Red Hat 9 (dual boot) in F:\>, will I be able to view the files on NTFS C:\>? [[User:Nichalp|¶ ɳȉčḩåḽṗ | ✉]] 20:57, Sep 7, 2004 (UTC)

1. Linux supports reading from NTFS partitions, but write-support is extremely experimental (IE, don't do it if you value the data on the drive).
2. FAT32 craps out over (IIRC) ~20gigs. So if D > ~20 gigs, then you won't be able to format it as Fat32.
3. Once you finish installing the 2nd installation of Windows, every time you boot you'll be prompted as to which partition you want to boot.
4. If you boot C, then the programs on D will NOT find the registry on D - they'll look at the registry on C - which should be emtpy. So anything that requires activiation won't work, and all the settings will disappear as well. →Raul654 21:06, Sep 7, 2004 (UTC)

   About NTFS partitions and Linux: You can see them, even copy from them, but I believe you have to be root to write to them from Linux (which as Raul said, is not the best idea). — Ilγαηερ (Tαlκ) 20:16, 8 Sep 2004 (UTC)

The multiple win boot can be resolved by editing the boot.ini file, reducing the timeout to 5 seconds thereof. I had experimented with this above setting once,(using XP+ Me ) and most programs worked for me. But yes, critical programs won't work if they make extensive use of the registry. PS. Currently I can write to my windows fat file system without logging as root. (I have mandrake 8). What's your view on the speed? [[User:Nichalp|¶ ɳȉčḩåḽṗ | ✉]] 20:34, Sep 8, 2004 (UTC)

I haven't tried FAT, but I have tried writing to NTFS on Mandrake 10.0, and it was locked, so I had to logon as root to edit anything. Currently, I'm trying to set up Debian on my PC. What do you mean by 'The speed' ? — Ilγαηερ (Tαlκ) 20:40, 8 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Speed refers to the settings I plan to carry out regarding partitioning mentioned above. [[User:Nichalp|¶ ɳȉčḩåḽṗ | ✉]] 18:54, Sep 9, 2004 (UTC)

If you are after speed, and want to stick with Windows, switch to 2000. IMO faster, more stable and no real loss of function. Moooo! 01:30, 8 Sep 2004 (UTC)

I kinda like XP now, thanks [[User:Nichalp|¶ ɳȉčḩåḽṗ | ✉]]

No, your scheme will have no appreciable effect on performance. The number of files on the boot partition doesn't affect the speed of Windows. I recommend adding more RAM, purchasing a faster hard drive, or defragmenting your drive. Rhobite 01:48, Sep 8, 2004 (UTC)

who's the sponsoring institution?

if you're asking about this encyclopedia, the Wikimedia Foundation. Gentgeen 01:45, 8 Sep 2004 (UTC)

methods of virus prevention

ObAaron: penicillin --Phil | Talk 10:10, Sep 8, 2004 (UTC)

• ...vaccination? --Ardonik.talk() 20:31, Sep 8, 2004 (UTC)

Symantec? Cvaneg 00:41, 9 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Condoms, abstinence, not sharing needles, protective needle caps? Alteripse 00:46, 9 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Oxford University Scarf Colours

Does anyone know where I can find a list of the Oxford University college scarf colours, similar to this, I'm trying to make the Oxbridge scarf colours article a little more even handed, but it's proving difficult. -- Prisonblues

• I found most of what I wanted here. Scarf colours page is pretty complete now, but still looking for a few other college such as All Souls and Greyfriars -- Prisonblues 12:49, 8 Sep 2004 (UTC)

QUEEN ELIZABETH OF ROMANIA.

Hello my name is Crocus Rokersosski - whilst staying at a Hotel {the Marine } in Llandudno Wales UK I was intrigued by a letter from Queen Elizabeth of Romania which is framed in the reception area. The Queen stayed at the Hotel for a period of about 2 years in the 1890's..... it speaks of the great help given by the people of Llandudno in her difficult times... so I decided to find out more about her... despite getting several books from the Library on Romanian history I am unable to find reference to the lady... also there seems to have been several Queens of that name in Romania history... I know there was a revolution in the late 1800's but can again find no mention of any King or Queen being sent into Exile..... help on this subject would be most welcome.... my E mail address is [email protected] thanks....

Actually she only stayed for five weeks, but she was quite taken with the place, and Llandudno was taken with her -- they named a couple of streets after her (Queens' Road, and Carmen Sylva Road). Elizabeth of Romania (1843-1916) was something of a polymath -- also known as Carmen Sylva, she was a noted author, playwright, poet, painter, musician, and scientist. She was the wife of Carol I of Romania. I've stayed at the Marine Hotel too, and seen that letter. Llandudno seems to be quite a favourite place for royals to go, the exiled Queen Rambai Barni of Thailand lived at the Imperial Hotel until 1940. -- Arwel 12:54, 8 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Interstellar cloud and nebula

Is there a difference between interstellar cloud and nebula? What is their relationship? Or are they actually synonymous? Thanks for answer! --Lorenzarius 15:00, 8 Sep 2004 (UTC)

• I always thought any sufficiently large cloud of dust and gas in which stars were born was called a nebula I suppose if the cloud is too small for that, you'd call it an "interstellar cloud" instead, but I always thought the terms were essentially synonymous. --Ardonik.talk() 20:29, Sep 8, 2004 (UTC)
• There is a historical distinction. Nebula or 'cloud' was used to describe every non-stellar astronomical object which looked like a smudge in the sky (and so most of the Messier catalogue.) Thanks largely to Edwin Hubble showing that a fair number of these had significant redshifts and were infact galaxies, Nebula became a more restricted term to describe gas clouds. -- Solipsist 23:04, 10 Sep 2004 (UTC)

when was this website established?

when was this website established?

10 January 2001. For details, see History of Wikipedia. [[User:Anárion|File:Anarion.png]] 20:20, 8 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Meredith Monroe's Birth Date

Does anyone know the year Dawson's Creek actress Meredith Monroe was born? The Internet Movie Database says 1970, TV Tome says 1976. Would anyone having an answer please reply to my talk page? PedanticallySpeaking 18:43, Sep 8, 2004 (UTC)

Who Was First?

Did pedro de Quexoia come to present-day North Carolina in 1520? If he did why Giovanni da Verrazano and his crew are said to be the first Europeans to come to present-day North Carolina in 1524, if Pedro de Quexoia came in 1520?

ARGH (Linux Woes)

I cannot get X-Window-Server to Start on my Debian Linux 3.0r2 for the life of me. It seems to me that it's not recognizing the video card (an ATI Radeon 9600SE). The Xfree86 Version is 4.0.1 and It won't recognize my net card (D-Link DWL-520) so I can't get it from the net. And it also for some reason doesn't put my Win-NTFS partitions in the /mnt folder. Is there any way for me to get the older version of X to recognize my card, or do I have to wait until mid-September for them the release Debian 3.1 with Xfree86 4.2 or 4.3? It does however recognize my 128MB USB mass storage device. In the end, should I wait until Debian 3.1, get Xfree onto my USB device and install the new version? And will installing and compiling Kernel 2.6 (I have 2.4-22 I think) help? Am I making any sense? — Ilγαηερ (Tαlκ) 20:13, 8 Sep 2004 (UTC)

• Puzzling questions :-) If you haven't already, I would suggest heading over to LinuxQuestions and asking there. It's where I always go when I need Linux help - lots of friendly knowledgeable people who can probably help you. -- Wapcaplet 20:43, 8 Sep 2004 (UTC)

  Thanks, I'll try that. — Ilγαηερ (Tαlκ) 21:29, 8 Sep 2004 (UTC)

  Post on LQ. That's basically a copy of this. — Ilγαηερ (Tαlκ) 21:38, 8 Sep 2004 (UTC)

• I can't offer expert help, but if it's any comfort I had precisely the same problem when I tried to install Debian a few years ago - not a good choice as a first-try Linux distro, but I didn't know any better. The company which makes my graphics card - an old archaic S3 Savage in a Gateway notebook - has changed its name and doesn't support my driver any more. I finally settled on Mandrake 10.0, which recognized all my hardware, and at the moment I can't be bothered to try Debian again. Maybe sometime. Ðåñηÿßôý | Talk 02:39, 9 Sep 2004 (UTC)

  It isn't really my first try (I've played around with Mandrake 9.2, Mandrake 10, and Fedora 1 -- which all worked). I think it's because Debian has an old XFree server (4.1) and doesn't have the right drivers for my ATI card. I don't know how to get generic on though as I'm terrible with the UNIX command prompt. — Ilγαηερ (Tαlκ) 03:09, 9 Sep 2004 (UTC)

What the?

What is this? Since I can't read chineese, and I have no chineese font installed, and it's on the Chineese main page, what is it? — Ilγαηερ (Tαlκ) 20:44, 8 Sep 2004 (UTC)

It appears to be an ugly looking hot dog. -- user:zanimum

Going to the pic, then to the article, then to english: Small intestine in large intestine. Some horrid pig intestine snack apparently. [[User:Anárion|File:Anarion.png]] 21:26, 8 Sep 2004 (UTC)

`Here`s the translation... The Taibei west gate 町 trades large intestine package of small intestine More □pieces... don`t you wish they served those at baseball games!

Yuck. — Ilγαηερ (Tαlκ) 21:32, 8 Sep 2004 (UTC)

So not that different from any other sausage which traditionally are skinned using intestine. The main distinction seems to be that these are packed with rice and a restricted subset of offal (small intestine), whereas western sausages are packed with rusk, or dried bread crumbs and unknown sources of mechanically reclaimed meat (you probably don't want to ask). -- Solipsist 10:27, 10 Sep 2004 (UTC)

an image processing question

Media:Polyphemus moth cut out.jpg was created as a revision of Media:Polyphemus moth.jpg by replacing the background with a solid color. Is there software that can make this type of alteration to an image easy to do? - [[User:Bevo|Bevo]] 21:58, 8 Sep 2004 (UTC)

I would think that Photoshop would be your best bet. Cvaneg 22:10, 8 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Or the free editor the GIMP — there is a Windows port. [[User:Anárion|File:Anarion.png]] 22:15, 8 Sep 2004 (UTC)

One Windows port of the GIMP (the one I use and recommend) is available here. • Benc • 22:22, 8 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Eleanor Plantagenet

Quote from your page:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_de_Montfort%2C_6th_Earl_of_Leicester

Meanwhile in 1238 he secretly married Eleanor Plantagenet, sister of King Henry III of England. Eleanor had previously been married to William Marshal, 5th Earl of Pembroke the link to Eleanor Plantagenet states that:

Eleanor of Lancaster (c. 1311 - 11 January 1372) was born in Arundel, West Sussex, England.

She was the daughter of Maud Chaworth and Henry Plantagenet, 3rd Earl of Leicester.

Her first husband was John Beaumont, 2nd Baron Beaumont, with whom she had two children:

Henry Beaumont, 3rd Baron Beaumont (b. 1340.) Joan Beaumont Her second marriage occurred February 5, 1345 at Ditton Church, Stoke Poges, Buckingham. She married Richard Fitzalan, 10th Earl of Arundel, with whom she had five children:

John Fitzalan of Arundel, Lord Maltravers (b. bef. 1349) Richard Fitzalan, 11th Earl of Arundel (b. 1346) Joan Fitzalan (b. before 1351) Alice Fitzalan of Arundel (b. 1352) Thomas Arundel, Archbishop of York (b. 1353) She is buried at Lewes Priory in Lewes, Sussex, England.

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleanor_Plantagenet" clearly something has gone wrong with the links :please advise when correct

It's not that something has gone wrong, there are just two (or perhaps even more) people by that name, and we only have an article for one of them. If you know anything about the other, you are welcome to add it! Adam Bishop 02:42, 9 Sep 2004 (UTC)

There's now a disambiguation page at Eleanor Plantagenet (not a particularly accurate name for either of these two women) pointing to separate articles, Eleanor of England and Eleanor of Lancaster. The vexed question of choosing which one of many alternatives to use to refer to medieval women is confounding, and the best we can do is list the names that have been used for them and do our best to keep them straight. -- Nunh-huh 23:01, 10 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Concert

What was the largest concert ever, by attendence? [[User:Meelar|Meelar (talk)]] 03:18, 2004 Sep 9 (UTC)

Well, Guinness has a category Largest Free Rock Concert Attendance which pegs the number at 3.5 million, of course, I suppose that there could be larger non-free rock concerts or free non-rock concerts, but 3.5 million seems to be a pretty big number to match, although I'm not really sure how that number was arrived at. Incidentally, I found the first reference, through AskMen.com which coincidentally had a Top 10 concerts by attendance list. Cvaneg 06:58, 9 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Vespucci Again

Now I have a question about Amerigo Vespucci name. Was the name Amerigo around before Amerigo Vespucci was born? I mean was the name said and spelled the same before he was born?

Not exactly an answer, but Amerigo was named after an earlier St. Amerigo. Amerigo is the Latinized form of the Teutonic name Amalric/Emeric/Emmerich, so St. Amerigo is probably St. Emeric (in Hungarian St. Imre: the son of St. Stephen King of Hungary), who was killed in A.D. 1031. [[User:Anárion|File:Anarion.png]] 07:44, 9 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Incidentally, 'Amalric/Emeric/Emmerich' has the same root as the English 'Henry'; Hence, the big double continent in the Western hemisphere could be considered to be named Henry. Just useless trivia to ponder... Radagast 22:13, Sep 9, 2004 (UTC)

The literal translation of "America" is feminine: welcome to the United States of Henrietta! -- FirstPrinciples12:01, Sep 10, 2004 (UTC)

Finding A Star- HELP

Hello everyone,

Just wondering if anyone would be able to help me. I have just named a star after my girlfriend and would love to be able to actually show her the star. Does anyone have any ideas on how I can go about this? We live in London and none of the observatories nearby have a service to see specific stars. Any help would be greatly appreciated. My e-mail address is [email protected] Many thanks again.

Posted at the village pump by an anon¹ and moved here by Trilobite (Talk) 16:17, 9 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Damian.....I hate to be the one to rain on your parade, but every "name a star after someone" service I know of is a complete scam. So, you can certainly show your star to your girlfriend, but know that her name has not been associated with that star in any meaningful way. Most such services assert that the star will be registered with the name through the "copyright office" or some such entity -- what they mean is that a book full of starnames is registered as havign been printed with said office. The name is never used by anyone -- scientists, casual observers, other star charts. Furthermore, most of these outfits are so fly-by-night that their star charts are often badly incorrect -- I recall reading of one instance where a fleck of dust had gotten onto the star chart being photocopied, and the company sold someone the rights to name that "star". So, it is very possible your star doesn't exist. I don't know who can help you find your star, but I would personally suggest you contact the company, do your best to get your money back, and in the meantime purchase a bouquet of roses for your young lady. Poetry is also nice -- the advantage to either one is that it is truly hers in a meaningful way. As for writing her name in the stars, I'm afraid the only way of doing so in a permanent and meaningful way is to pursue postgraduate studies in astronomy. Good luck, and once again, sorry to have to bring you down. Jwrosenzweig 19:38, 9 Sep 2004 (UTC) (I'll email him too.)

The IAU have a page on this. Marnanel 20:05, 9 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Alternatively, you could just buy a telescope and look through the night sky till you find a star that you like. Designate that star as the one that you named after your girlfriend. Your claim will be as valid as anyone else's, and frankly, no one will know the difference. This also gives you the added benefit of being able to pick a star like Polaris that stays in your hemisphere year round, rather than one that only shows up in certain seasons. Cvaneg 22:59, 9 Sep 2004 (UTC)

I hope you didn't part with much money! Ah well, it's the thought that counts. Trilobite (Talk) 03:09, 10 Sep 2004 (UTC)

As mentioned above, this sort of naming doesn't mean much, but it you still want to find the star, a good starting point would be its coordinates. Rather than degrees North and East, as used on the Earth, the main coordinate system for astronomical objects uses Right ascension and Declination (or RA & Dec). If you know those for the star in question, then you can it lookup an online sky survey:- for example at http://stdatu.stsci.edu/cgi-bin/dss_form

Enter the coordinates, ignore the other boxes and hit 'Retrieve Image' - the star should be at the centre of the image.

It can get a little more complicated; you really need to know the 'epoch' for the coordinates (generally either J2000 or the older B1950). You might also need to choose the photographic survey you want to use (some of them don't cover the whole sky). At the STSCI site, a good choice is to use the POSS2/UKSTU survey which is a combination of the second Palomar Observatory Sky Survey of the northern hemisphere, and the UK Schmidt Telescope survey of the southern hemisphere.

Once you have an image of your star field, you can then find someone with a telescope on an equatorial mount, point it at the same coordinates and see the star for real. After doing all this, there is a good chance that you still won't be sure that you have found the right star. In which case, just pick any star near the centre of the image - your girlfriend probably won't know any better. -- Solipsist 08:14, 10 Sep 2004 (UTC)

This question wasn't posted by an anon; his e-mail address is [email protected]! Pretty clear if you ask me... --Gelu Ignisque

¹ Indeed. I wrote that instinctively because the contributor was an IP adress and not a registered user. — Trilobite (Talk) 23:59, 10 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Leader of the Free World

Does anyone know the origin of the phrase "Leader of the Free World"? I see from the President of the United States and Free world entries that it's a cold war term, but I was wondering who first coined it. Also, what do non-Americans think when this term is used to describe the US President (either current or previous)? Cvaneg 17:51, 9 Sep 2004 (UTC)

It was certainly in common use by the time of Lyndon Johnson, who on at least one occasion used the phrase to refer to himself (in refusing to answer a reporter's question that he found trivial). -- Jmabel 18:22, Sep 9, 2004 (UTC)

And, to answer your other question, we think the phrase sucks big-time. But we enjoy seeing your empire-in-decline condition :) --Tagishsimon

Your unilateral unamericanism will not be tolerated! You don't want to end up like him, do you? Stop asking questions! --Ardonik.talk() 23:56, Sep 9, 2004 (UTC)

(Interested readers are invited to browse the other images in the Propaganda Remix Project.) --Ardonik.talk() 23:58, Sep 9, 2004 (UTC)

Misery loves company, eh? (Normally I'd wait for some Irishman to say that, but they seem to be unaccountably quiet.) Schadenfreude, however, is not always a sensible response. Does anyone happen to recall the process of decline of German imperial ambitions? It is regarded by some as not pretty. Some of us (the ones who always regarded "Leader of the Free World"—don't forget the caps—as ludicrous) are trying to prevent a similar process, but since we are all stupid and malicious and illiterate Americans, we shall probably fail. Hope you enjoy the fallout. BTW, the LBJ quote was "Isn't that a chickenshit question to ask the Leader of the Free World?" If only Bill Clinton had had the sense to take that line and stick to it. Dandrake 00:23, Sep 14, 2004 (UTC)

I understand that non-Americans would consider it a slight to their nation's leader(s), but is the term truly accurate? It appears that El Presidente, with control over an enormously powerful military and vast economic resources, is in fact the most powerful man in the world. Right? Ðåñηÿßôý | Talk 03:38, 10 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Being a leader is more than just being the strongest and richest kid on the playground. Leadership implies some level of respect or at least fear from others. If power was the only criteria we used, then we could refer to the president as "Leader of the Planet Earth", and if you think people didn't like the first title . . . . Cvaneg 07:27, 10 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Everyone knows that the most powerful man in the universe is Alan Greenspan. Gentgeen 07:33, 10 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Oh, I think most non-Americans have got used to America's self-centred grandiosity (like, for instance, naming a domestic sports tournament the World Series). And anyway, the U.S. President clearly does have a legitimate claim as the world's foremost leader, whether we foreigners like it or not. -- FirstPrinciples 12:41, Sep 10, 2004 (UTC)

On the question of the World Series... Considering that baseball was played almost nowhere else when the first World Series was played between Boston and Pittsburg in 1903 (Boston won), the term wasn't inappropriate at the time. All the world (or that part of it that cared) was involved. As for more recent times, when baseball has come to be appreciated in other parts of the world, well... What should happen in my view is that the folks who own the ball clubs in the American Major Leagues should come to see that others should be involved, and the others (surely not as compromised by a long history of astonishing short sightedness and dumbth) come to agree. Then it might actually be a real world series. For the moment the historical usage is firmly glued on.

How on the other hand to cope with rampant American self centered delusions of grandiosity? The point above about leadership is important but probably too subtle to come into actual use, and in any case no politician anywhere is likely to agree that anyone else is the leader. The problem is not particular to America, however it may appear in recent years; in post Roman Republic times it was even worse as the Emperor was thought divine (or treated that way -- I've often wondered with what degree of tongue in cheek was it accepted), the leaders of Britain were quite publicly self-satisfied for most of the period between Waterloo and WWI, Soviet leaders seem often to have taken their 'leading role' in the world's move to communisim rather seriously, Persian Emperors seem to have a serious case of it, ... and so on. But, it's rather over the top, even for me, a US citizen. Perhaps the most anyone can do is regard it as one of those oddities of the US, like hot dogs (what do canids have to do with sausages?) or odd spelling (humor, color, and so on?), and even odder accents. ww 16:48, 10 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Humor, program, leveler, liter. In most cases, the British spelling seem to prefer the presence of the spurious, silent letters of the French tradition. I consider the American spellings to be streamlined and optimized. And burgle (v.) and transport (n.) are just funny-looking. I can't defend American unilateralism, but I like the way we spell! --Ardonik.talk() 15:35, Sep 11, 2004 (UTC)

(Main article: American and British English differences) --Ardonik.talk() 18:06, Sep 11, 2004 (UTC)

• As someone who has always enjoyed writing it is the pitfalls, intricacies and downright counterintuitiveness of English that gives me most pleasure. If everything were simplified the literacy rate in Britain would shoot up (ie more people would be competing with me) and I wouldn't be able to laugh haughtily (notice the ridiculous presence of the gh there) at lesser mortals. Join my Keep English Difficult! campaign --[[User:Bodnotbod|bodnotbod » .....TALKQuietly)]] 15:44, Sep 13, 2004 (UTC)

What is the lightest bicycle frame material?

Sheldon knows: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/frame-materials.html

Well, he does not say much about carbon. He says that it is not mature. I think that is not really true anymore. I think you will find that in today's bicycle industry, the lightest racing bikes are carbon. Carbon tends to be stiff and expensive. There are now several bikes that combine carbon with steel, titanium, or aluminum for better feel and handling. nroose Talk 02:45, 11 Sep 2004 (UTC)

crime rate

Does anybody know which industrialized nation in the west has the lowest crime rate in the western hemisphere? I want to guess maybe Sweden or Norway but does anybody the answer?

Well, technically, Sweden and Norway are in the eastern hemisphere...not that that helps :) Adam Bishop 02:19, 10 Sep 2004 (UTC)

One thing you'll want to consider is that different countries have different standards of law. So, even if you get an answer to the question, the information may not actually mean anything if you don't examine other variables that tell you how law enforcement and compliance figure into the equation as well. Cvaneg 18:42, 10 Sep 2004 (UTC)

English to Hebrew?

9-8-04 Does anyone here know how I can find out what t/ names Lance and Lacie look like in t/ Hebrew language? Thanks alot! jen

Do you want a transcription into the Hebrew alphabet, or the Hebrew variants of these names? [[User:Anárion|АПА́ДІОП]] 08:18, 10 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Nikola Tesla's personal life

Our article on Nikola Tesla doesn't seem to mention anything about his personal life. Seems more like he was completely involved by his work.

Was he married or anything? — Kieff | Talk 03:38, Sep 10, 2004 (UTC)

He never married. But you are right, we could use a little more on the personal side of his bio. -- Solipsist 10:11, 10 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Never married, no children, concensus of his biographers seems to be that he was celibate and totally dedicated to his work. He wrote an idosyncratic autobiography which you can see here Gandalf61 10:24, Sep 10, 2004 (UTC)

Were he alive today, his behavior in most of his later life would result in some pychological involvment, perhaps even committment. He was a very peculiar fellow, but enormously capable in some respects. Would the psychologists/psychiatrists, if they were to have become involved, have treated him so as to 'normalize' him? And would such an effort have interferred with his inventivness? Any psycholgists/psychiatrists familar with hiw work and achievments care to comment? ww 16:53, 10 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Lottery elections

Is there any country/state/city/corporation/buiseness, etc. that elects its leader through a lottery system? --elpenmaster

Venice used to use a very complicated series of lotteries and elections to choose the Doge. This was supposed to reduce the influence of factions on the election result. See Doges of Venice for the full glory:

Thirty members of the Great Council, chosen by lot, were reduced by lot to nine; the nine chose forty and the forty were reduced by lot to twelve, who chose twenty-five. The twenty-five were reduced by lot to nine and the nine elected forty-five. Then the forty-five were once more reduced by lot to eleven, and the eleven finally chose the forty-one who actually elected the doge.

There was also a Council of Ten (membership 17) which held the real power, chosen in a similar but more straightforward way. --AlexG 13:56, 10 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Ancient Greece also used a lottery system to choose some officials. [5]Cvaneg 16:22, 10 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Certain American villages do this as well, lacking interest in what may at times be seen as meaningless positions (such as mayor of a village with a population less than 50). Rhymeless 04:25, 11 Sep 2004 (UTC)

1973 Ford Mustang Convertible

Can you tell me what the very last VEN number is. What site I can go to inorder to find it. Been looking at this car to buy. They told me it was the very last one every made. Just tring to find out if that is true or not. Thank You Tona kAY

Get in touch with Ford? — Trilobite (Talk) 23:54, 10 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Alternatively you could try contacting an enthusiasts' club. They tend to know this kind of thing, partly becuase they're trainspotters by nature and partly because this kind of information is important to help their members avoid being defrauded. --Robert Merkel 07:08, 13 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Referenceing this wed site

Hello,

I would like to use a map of Pasco County in Florida that I found within this website and would like to know how to correctly cite it. Which would include authurship, date published, title, publishing company, and their location.

Thanks for the help. Please reply at [email protected]

Emily

I'll cover this one. →Raul654 19:17, Sep 10, 2004 (UTC)

Guitar Question

If you have a chord, and you move all strings down one fret, you get the flat below it chord. Now, what if that chord has open strings (say Em), how would you move it down (to Ebm in this case) — Ilγαηερ (Tαlκ) 22:31, 10 Sep 2004 (UTC)

• Tune your guitar down a half-step? :-) Check out Chordfind.com - has a neat little interface to see what some different chords look like. -- Wapcaplet 22:44, 10 Sep 2004 (UTC)

• You can't, at least not in any simple, systematic manner. This is part of why picking a particular fingering of a chord on a guitar is a bit of an art. -- Jmabel 22:47, Sep 10, 2004 (UTC)

  See, I've only been learning guitar for about 3 months (but I played T, Sax for 3 years before that so I can read music) so I'm still not that good — Ilγαηερ (Tαlκ) 22:51, 10 Sep 2004 (UTC)

• In this particular case, I would recommend playing the note on the next string down, and then transposing the rest of your fingers down if necessary. I never played guitar, but back when I played a violin, my teacher never wanted me to play on open strings anyway. It sucks at first, but it will eventually improve your fingering. Cvaneg 22:55, 10 Sep 2004 (UTC)

• If you want to play an open chord in different positions on the neck, you can learn to play the bar chord version -- you lay your index finger over all six strings at the same position; the other fingers take up positions relative to the bar that, in the open string version, they would take relative to the nut. To play Eb minor, you could use the "E" shape bar chord with the bar placed at the 11th fret -- there's a risk it wouldn't sound so good there, though. Alternatively, you could move your fingers down one fret from the open chord version, and mute the strings that were open strings when you played open E (the two E strings and the B string); again, this probably wouldn't sound that great. — Matt 23:47, 12 Sep 2004 (UTC)

King Gillette and William Gillette

My question is are the two men in some way related. Both are contemporaries. As you probably know the first is the safety razor inventor and the latter was an actor and portrayor of Sherlock Holmes.

If no-one here can enlighten you, perhaps you might want to ask the question on the message board of the Gillette Historical Society Mintguy (T)

what did the victorians use the ice prick for?

Assuming you mean an ice pick, breaking up blocks of ice. The same as modern folk. [[User:Anárion|Ана́рыён]] 20:21, 11 Sep 2004 (UTC)

• As Victorian-era folk lacked things such as refrigeration, one would buy a large block of ice. Thus the need for an icebox, and thereby an icepick. Rhymeless 22:51, 12 Sep 2004 (UTC)

• It seemed to be a handy tool for frontal lobotomies as well (not kidding).Alteripse 22:56, 12 Sep 2004 (UTC)
  • Post-Victorian, however. Dandrake 00:25, Sep 14, 2004 (UTC)

Deletion woes!

I have created a user page in wikipedia but now would like to have my user page deleted or removed as I have another wikipedia userpage as well.But I do not understand how to delete the user page itself. Please tell me how I can do so.

If you select all text and then hit delete, would that do it? PedanticallySpeaking 13:38, Sep 11, 2004 (UTC)

Or redirect it to your new page using #REDIRECT[[User:New_Username]] ed g2s • talk 20:19, 11 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Best as a redirect, that way old friends can catch up with you. If you don't want to be caught, you can log in as the old user and use the speedy delete tag {{del}} and an admin will delete it. Dunc_Harris|☺ 21:50, 11 Sep 2004 (UTC)

ovum

why are ovum oval in shape?

"Ovum" is Latin for egg, and "oval" means ovum-shaped. So Ovums are oval because oval describes the shape of eggs. There are several reasons eggs are oval in shape, one of them is that an oval shape provides excellent structural integrity all over. See also Why are Eggs Oval?. [[User:Anárion|Ана́рыён]] 20:25, 11 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Ova is the plural of ovum. The structural advantage of the ovoid shape is important if laid in a shell, but human and most animal ova are round and soft, especially if they get fertilized within mother's body. The ova contain the haploid DNA of a gamete, but they also are much larger than sperm because they contain stored nutrients and mitochondria for the pre-implantation stages of zygote development. A spherical or nearly spherical ovoid is one of the most efficient shapes for bulk storage. Sperm are swimming packages of DNA and contribute basically just the DNA, so their function determines form as well. Alteripse 20:45, 11 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Because it really, really hurts to lay a cube? - Nunh-huh 21:39, 11 Sep 2004 (UTC)

• Is that why cubes get laid even less often than squares? Alteripse 21:51, 11 Sep 2004 (UTC)

artifacts of the Seneca tribe

Wikipedia does have some information about the Seneca tribe and other related groups. See Category:Seneca tribe, Category:Native American, etc. If you have a more specific question, it might be answered at http://www.senecaindians.com/default.htm --AlexG 20:50, 11 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Wikipedia Time Capsule

I am currently preparing a time capsule, proposed to be buried together with a building foundation. Is there any way for me to retrieve a copy of the Wikipedia that can be rolled into a few DVDs? Any versions that you would recommend? Please, oh, please, don't make me download anything "exabyty".

http://download.wikimedia.org/ archives being here: http://download.wikimedia.org/archives/ -- Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason 15:30, 2004 Sep 12 (UTC)

How long do you anticipate the capsule being burried? What do you think the likelihood of DVD readers being common by that time are? Take a look at BBC Domesday Project and Digital obsolescence. Intrigue 19:00, 13 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Origin of the phrase "sit Indian-style"

Does the phrase "to sit Indian-style" (i.e. "cross-legged" or "tailor-fashion") originally come from a reference to Native Americans, or people from India? --64.81.243.120 20:37, 12 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Early European accounts of "aboriginal" Americans described this, since chairs were European and Asian and to the Europeans, seeing large numbers of people sitting on the ground like that was distinctively not "old-world". Alteripse 23:03, 12 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Research Instrument Destroying the Research Object

Moved from the Village Pump by Ilyanep

--213.216.223.13 16:30, 12 Sep 2004 (UTC)[email protected] I' ve heard about a paradox that if we study very small of difficult particulars of "things", they are so delicate that the instrument meant to study them destroy them. Where can I find more information on this issue?

Yours, cordially Yrjö Mikkonen, Oulu, Finland [email protected]

Perhaps Uncertainty principle - stating that the act of measuring changes the condition of the thing being measured? -- Netoholic @ 16:49, 12 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Yes, Uncertainty principle is sometimes described in such form. Andris 23:31, Sep 12, 2004 (UTC)

The title of two old cartoons

There's some old cartoon I remember watching that had some old woman with a baloon. The ballon was full of gadgets and it made a funny sound, and I think it left a trail of smoke puffs behind where it passed...

The other cartoon is one anime (I think) featuring two moles. They used sun glasses, if I'm remembering correctly...

Anyone knows the name of those? — Kieff | Talk 01:49, Sep 13, 2004 (UTC)

Morocco Mole maybe Rmhermen 02:29, Sep 13, 2004 (UTC)

Some guy at IMDb said the same thing... No, it's not Morocco — Kieff | Talk 03:10, Sep 13, 2004 (UTC)

Blue Lady

1. What are the origins and background of the legends described in http://www.miaminewtimes.com/issues/1997-06-05/feature.html, particularly regarding the children's Blue Lady?
2. How are the legends about Bloody Mary, La Llorona, the Blue Lady, and the Yorùbá goddess Yemaja related?
3. What is the background for the children's religion; that is, which cultures' mythologies and beliefs most closely match theirs?

I appreciate the irony in my asking about this. =P --[[User:Eequor|ηυωρ]] 02:01, 13 Sep 2004 (UTC)

thermal homeostasis

how do mammals maintain thermal homeostasis? Would you consider this a handicap?

Checked our article on homeostasis already? And yes, I think it's a handicap. It's such a waste of energy. — Kieff | Talk 03:13, Sep 13, 2004 (UTC)

Mammals maintain thermal homeostasis by all the things you would expect a cold person to do - skeletal muscle contractions (shivering), curling up (to reduce skin area and thus reduce heat loss), constriction of skin blood vessels (which lowers skin temperature which in turn reduces heat loss), Goose bumps (which trap heat near the body), etc.

Is thermal homeostasis a handicap? Well, it's a necessity of being warm blooded. So is being warm blooded a handicap? It has some benefits and one big drawback -- it takes a *LOT* of energy. On the other hand, it also allows animals to exist in cold or unpredictable climates, and it allows a much higher metabolic rate than cold blooded creatures have. →Raul654 03:15, Sep 13, 2004 (UTC)

I recommend the articles on homeostasis and thermoregulation. If there is specific information you feel is missing from there feel free to come back and ask. As for your second question I'm not quite sure what you mean. Do you consider it a handicap? And in what ways? I would suggest that it's of great advantage to mammals to be able to maintain a constant internal environment as it allows them to exploit niches in the environment cold-blooded animals (i.e. those whose internal temperature simply reflects what the weather's doing) wouldn't be able to. You couldn't have a reptilian polar bear for instance. Another advantage of thermal homeostasis is that it's much easier for enzymes to work efficiently in particular narrow ranges of temperature. Human body temperature, for example, is always maintained as close as possible to 37°C because this is the optimal temperature for the body's enzymes, i.e. the temperature at which they can process chemicals the fastest. Of course, being warm-blooded does have its disadvantages, notably that a lot of energy is required to keep the temperature up and so for a mammal there is plenty of eating to be done. Despite this though, warm-bloodedness has been very successful evolutionarily, giving rise to all the many species of mammals and birds that make the world what it is today. Interestingly, birds tend to have a body temperature a few degrees higher than that of mammals. This allows them to carry out chemical reations as part of their metabolism at faster rates than we do. The hotter you want to be the more energy you need to get there, but birds can afford to be hotter because of the superior insulating properties of feathers. — Trilobite (Talk) 03:21, 13 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Didn't we do this one last month? [6] Didn't your teacher like our answers? One more thing: these days, there are hundreds of research scientists looking for ways to make thermal homeostasis less efficient-- fame and fortune await. Arguably, those most efficient are at greatest risk of obesity, other things being equal. See if your teacher likes this one. Alteripse 01:04, 14 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Best Military commanders ever

I've started a list of who I think are the great commanders (both generals and admirals) of all time at User:Raul654/sandbox. I'm curious to see what others have to say on the subject - feel free to add your own lists to my sandbox. →Raul654 07:15, Sep 13, 2004 (UTC)

Health status of Inuits (was: where can I find answers to this that are truthful please?)

1. current health status of inuits
2. social and cultural factors that impact on contemporary health status;
3. historical factors that impact on contemporary health status;
4. current approaches to effective health care provision by governments and indigenous health organisations; and
5. principles of effective health care provision ie what are the success factors recognised by governments and indigenous health organisations.

First some notes, remember the Wikipedia:General disclaimer for info on here. However, if you feel any information is innaccurate, please correct it or make a note on the page's talk page.

I would look at Health Canada they have a report there. Dunc_Harris|☺ 11:03, 13 Sep 2004 (UTC)

For general background, especially on social/cultural/historical factors and general context, you would likely find some of Farley Mowat's books of great interest. Sharkford 15:20, 2004 Sep 13 (UTC)

...also possibly some of William Vollmann's books. -- Jmabel 18:37, Sep 13, 2004 (UTC)

Copycat

What is a Copycat? --Patricknoddy 20:17, 13 Sep 2004 (UTC)User:Patricknoddy --Patricknoddy 20:17, 13 Sep 2004 (UTC)User talk:Patricknoddy 16:17 September 13, 2004 (EDT)

• A schoolyard insult referring to anyone who mimics another person. Or is there another meaning that you had in mind? --Ardonik.talk() 20:39, Sep 13, 2004 (UTC)
• A schoolyard insult referring to anyone who mimics another person. Or is there another meaning that you had in mind? Dunc_Harris|☺ 21:13, 13 Sep 2004 (UTC)
  • Copycat. --Ardonik.talk() 21:49, Sep 13, 2004 (UTC)
  • Copycat. - 22:04, 13 Sep 2004 (UTC) Lee (talk)

Hasidic Jewish sideburns

I am writing a piece about Hasidic Judaism, and was wondering, is there a more formal term for the long sideburns Hasidic Jews wear than "curly sideburns"?

Also, do that hat, beard and coat carry any special names? [[User:DO'Neil|DO'Иeil]] 21:05, Sep 13, 2004 (UTC)

I think the sideburns are called "payess", but I don't know about the rest. --Diberri | Talk 23:00, Sep 13, 2004 (UTC)

Westphalia

When was the Prussian province Westphalia named? --anon

The earliest records of the name Westphalia date from the year 800, when it referred to a region between the Weser River and the Rhine. During the Middle Ages an additional region along the banks of the Weser River called Engern became part of Westphalia as well. Westphalia has been populated throughout the Common Era.

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Porta Westfalica (Latin, literally "gate to Westphalia") is a recent name coined during the 19th century. Porta Westfalica is a gorge through which the Weser flows.

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North Rhine-Westphalia is the modern German federal state containing Westphalia and northern Rhineland. Its borders were defined by Great Britain following World War II, in 1946. In 1947 the state Lippe was merged with North Rhine-Westphalia. --[[User:Eequor|ηυωρ]] 02:39, 14 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Pepsin

The pepsin article says pepsin "is permanently inactivated above pH 6".

1. What does this mean?
   1. Is the enzyme irreversibly chemically altered by changing pH levels?
2. Why does it only function in an acidic environment?
3. Is there a specific temperature range necessary for its activity?
4. Is pepsin recycled by pepsin?

--[[User:Eequor|ηυωρ]] 02:03, 14 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Not sure about question one but I read that sentence as meaning it is irreversibly altered. The acid thing might have something to do with disulphide bonds between the amino acids but I Am Not A Biochemist. Chemical structure of the enzyme anyway. The underlying reason for this acidity is to do with the stomach being able to kill bacteria and other foreign organisms, so of course its own enzymes have to be able to survive these harsh conditions. The temperature range will be centred around 37°C: any colder and the reaction carried out by the enzyme will progress more slowly (though it will still work), too much hotter and the pepsin molecules will become denatured, i.e. the active site where the reaction actually takes place will become twisted out of shape due to the disruption of bonds elsewhere in the protein. — Trilobite (Talk) 05:45, 14 Sep 2004 (UTC)