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July 11

Chronological order on internet...

Writing an article about a persons life or career normally starts with date of birth and then the pinpoints follows in a cronological order. In traditional books/encyclopedias that is more or less the rule. Using that principle on Wikipedia means that the oldest stuff is on top and fresh stuff is far down under... On internet it is normally the other way around - the latest news is on top and older stuff "stored" further down. I like the internet order and I assume internet users are getting more and more used to that "new" way of making "time-descriptions". So, I simply want to update the article about this particular person with the latest stuff on top and the birth information etc at the bottom. Do you think that is a good or bad idea? If I get the feeling that the first alternative is the concensus opinion I will simply rearrange what is already written and update new facts and information on top and hope that others wont think I am vandalizing...If you/consensus think its a bad idea, I will wait (sooner or later the inverted cronological order will win in appreciation anyway I believe...).--Openmind

You're more or less suggesting that a biography should be like a blog (or a résumé) which, while not right or wrong, isn't likely to become a standard at WP in the near future. For that matter, I rather doubt blog-chronology will supplant the usual first-to-last order of biographies at any point. And of course, WP uses the "newest comes last" model anyway :) — Lomn | Talk 00:24, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

For substantial biographical articles, it is appropriate to have one or two summary paragraphs at the very top of the article. These paragraphs serve to introduce the person and their major accomplishments; they should briefly explain why we have an article about a given individual. More detail then follows in chronological order in the sections which follow. To take an example, our article on John Glenn is probably just about right. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 03:03, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Reverse chronological order might work for a list. But if it gets more like proze it'll become a mess. Also, going to the end of a list is actually easier on an Internet page than in a book - just hit the 'end' button. DirkvdM 07:20, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It's also worth noting that any article with three(?) or more sections will also have an automatically-generated table of contents at the top that lets you jump to the desired section immediately. It's yet another way we're different from paper. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 15:55, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The automatically generated table is indeed quite useful. --Proficient 22:47, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Concealed carry

In the US, if you don't have a concealed carry permit, does that mean you have to carry your gun in the open? Do you need another permit for that? thanks WP 00:48, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

IANAL, and IANAAmerican, but don't gun laws vary greatly from state to state? --Robert Merkel 00:57, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Indeed, as well as between jurisdictions within states. User:Zoe|^(talk) 02:26, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

All that said, if you don't have a concealed carry permit (and you're in a jurisdiction that issues them), yes, you'd have to keep the gun in the open. Things like "stashed under a car seat" can also violate the "concealed" bit. As for basic ownership permits, applications, fees, and whatnot -- that will vary too drastically for a good general answer. — Lomn | Talk 04:11, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Um... I think that if you don't have a permit to carry a concealed weapon, you probably have to keep it at home, unless you're a cop or something or are transporting it unloaded somewhere. -- Mwalcoff 04:50, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Not really. In 11 US states you can freely carry a visible weapon, and in others it is available with an open carry license, in others forbidden. See article for a map. Notinasnaid 19:05, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I remember reading in the novel Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson about some people who liked having guns, but the state they were in didn't allow concealed carry, so they always carried large rifles in plain view, like in an old western, just because it was legal for them to do so. --WhiteDragon 20:17, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Lip synch?

Is Shakira lip-synching here? (I think so, but the football remix of Hips Don't Lie has so many random vocal sounds that it seems it would nearly impossible to lip-synch to.) zafiroblue05 | Talk 01:04, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Dunno, but as I understand it that particular song's chorus has Shakira's voice so heavily processed by Auto-Tune you'd be hard-pressed to tell the difference. --Robert Merkel 04:26, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

STAMPS OF THE U.K

Queen Elizabeth's Coronation was on June 3rd 1953, yet her postage stamps were first issued in 1952 I would like to know what day in 1952 they were issued. Thank you

The penny halfpenny and twopence halfpenny definitives were the only two QEII stamps issued by the UK in 1952, issued on December 5th 1952. Grutness...wha? 01:48, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

ballistics gel

Is ballistic gelatin edible?--Anakata 02:52, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I can't say that I know this for a fact, since I don't, but if it is indeed made of pork gelatin powder and water (and nothing but pork gelatin power and water), I don't see why it wouldn't be perfectly edible. (Well, unless you're keeping kosher.) Still, I can't imagine it being a particularly interesting meal. -- Captain Disdain 04:13, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

To avoid mould growing in the gel, sometimes propionic acid acid is added. Depending on the concentration that could be dangerous. Also, I don't think that the pigs the gelatin is made of are checked for diseases, so if they are ill, eating it could be a bad idea. Besides, anyone who watches Myth Busters knows the stuff smells. You'd have a really bad breath if you did eat it. - Mgm|^(talk) 10:58, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks. I probably won't try that soon!--Anakata 13:04, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Why wouldn't the pigs be checked for disease? I mean, isn't pork gelatin a perfectly normal and common food ingredient? Am I missing something obvious here -- are they using some kind of a different, more industrial and less picky process for the pork gelatin that they use for ballistics gels than foodstuff gelatins, or...? -- Captain Disdain 05:58, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

the life cycle of an resort

resort life cycle

This isn't a search engine. If you have a question, please type it out so that we can understand it. --Fastfission 04:25, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Did you not type the complete question? --Proficient 22:50, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Designed, built, used, demolished. Next non-question? Grutness...wha? 04:20, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Physics exist thus. Well, you asked! DirkvdM 19:03, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

2 homers 2 stolen bases same game

Has anybody hit 2 homers and stolen 2 bases in the same game?

The best place to ask this is likely at Jayson Stark's Useless Information Department at ESPN.com. — Lomn | Talk 04:15, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, but in MLB, I am not sure. --Proficient 22:50, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Barry Bonds likely did this sometime in his career, given how good he was at both of these skills.--69.171.123.148 03:03, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Sunni and Shia

Of the violence by the "insurgents" in Iraq, is it mostly committed by the Sunni or the Shia? Or are both sides in the "civil war" equal in their killings? (You hear about so much violence in the news, but you never really get the broader perspective of who is doing what and who wants what.) zafiroblue05 | Talk 04:47, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Have you read the article Iraqi insurgency? DJ Clayworth 17:44, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Don't forget that apart from Iraqi sunni and shia muslims, there are also Al Qaeda insurgents from Saudi-Arabia, Egypt, Jordan (like Zarqawi)... in Iraq. Al Qaeda is sunni (they have even targeted shia muslims) : just a few weeks before his death, Zarqawi seemed intent on war with the shia muslims. What I was wondering myself : you often hear of brutal suicide bomb attacks on simple civilians, sometimes a bunch of kids just playing in the street. Which of these groups target civilians (of their own religion?). Is that mostly an Al Qaeda thing? Evilbu 11:55, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Online Gaming

Hi am new to online gaming.My question is simple one.I intend to play a sci-fi, say Anarchy online.So how do i start? what are the requirements(i have a system that plays POP-TTT easily. i need info about te kind of connection, etc..)? And where should i register? ...Phoenix.

Try the official site. -- Run! 11:49, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Warhammer calendar

Hi, in the Warhammer Fantasy setting, which calendar do the High Elves use? Is it the same as the Imperial Calendar? Would "c. -4000" imply IC? If it doesn't, what would it mean? --Kjoonlee 08:28, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

How can I prepare mango sauce?

--213.207.212.229 08:52, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Go to www.google.com. Type in mango sauce recipe. Hit "Search". Weregerbil 09:57, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Don't literally hit it. Move your mouse until the cursor is above the 'search' box and press the left mouse button. Wikipedia accepts no responsibility for damage to computing equipment caused by people taking it too literally. —Daniel (‽) 10:59, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

What kind of trauma is your mango sauce about to experience that you feel the need to prepare it for? DJ Clayworth 17:41, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

All things considered, being eaten can be a pretty traumatic experience. —Ilmari Karonen (talk) 01:27, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Are you speaking from personal experience, or just guessing? -- AJR | Talk 01:35, 12 July 2006 (UTC) (P.S. I was just about to make that same joke, but when I hit edit you had beaten me to it. Great minds think alike, eh?)[reply]

I'd say use a very ripe mango, peel it, then spoon the mango flesh off of the pit, as opposed to cutting it off, to avoid including fibers attached to the pit. If you do cut it off, you will need to use a widely spaced strainer to remove the fibers or pick them out. Use a blender to liquefy the flesh. I don't see any need to add sugar, as a ripe mango is quite sweet already, but suggest brown sugar if you do. May be served hot or cold. StuRat 01:41, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You might add that to the chutney article. Or is that not what this is? DirkvdM 19:06, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I think of a chutney as being more like a relish than a sauce. That is, it contains larger chunks. In the case of mango chutney, they seem to use unripe mangoes, as well. StuRat 00:06, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Yeah, I agree. I use a ripeish mango and mash it with a potato masher or ricer.--Anchoress 00:25, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Urinal Design

Many male urinals have a image of a fly printed on it. Normally it is printed at a place slightly above & off centered to the place where males discharge their urine.I would like to know what is the the purpose of it.

Best Regards, Rajeeva

As opposed to female urinals ? StuRat 01:34, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The Japanese used to make female urinals. They were cone-shaped and set into the floor. Bhumiya (said/done) 15:34, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Many men will aim at the fly when pissing. "Fly-in-urinal research found that etchings reduce spillage by 80%." [1] David Sneek 09:45, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I now appreciate good urinal design. In the new office building, we have these god-awful waterless urinals that were designed by a pee-brain! You always have to step around the puddles. They are testing some new ones with a better design, and a 'kill the bee' picture at the back. --Zeizmic 11:54, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

This question was asked in the Totally Official Summer Doldrums Competition in 2005. See [2]. Hope this helps.—msh210℠ 19:22, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

That is pretty disgusting. --Proficient 22:52, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Newspapers

What is the actual name of the board that is put outside newsagents' shops showing the headlines of the daily newspapers?

I don't think it has an actual name. It's just a board. --Richardrj 12:10, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I've seen them called "A-boards", though the term is not in my dictionary, but it does seem to be appropriate. I've also seen them called sandwich boards, but that seems not to be correct.--Shantavira 12:40, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I used to work in a newsagents'. If I remember correctly we called them A-boards or A-frames. But it was a long time ago. Phileas 05:36, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

A-boards because of the shape.hotclaws**==(81.134.99.206 08:48, 12 July 2006 (UTC))[reply]

Can someone recommend some nice instrumental rock?

Especially some with emphasis on the guitars.

When you say 'nice', I presume you mean not too heavy. I'm with you on that. One recent band you could investigate is Tortoise. They are the original post-rock band, with guitars, loping percussion and a jazzy feel. Have a look here for some more ideas. And one other fun website is this one. You type in the name of a band you like and it comes up with a bunch of similar ones, floating prettily on the screen. --Richardrj 12:21, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You might like Godspeed You! Black Emperor. Their tracks are long, long (20 minutes plus) instrumentals that are mostly quite chilled out. Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven and F Sharp a Sharp ∞ are ideal places to start. --Howard Train 19:58, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Or you could try Ghosts and Vodka (specifically the album 'Addicts & Drunks'), members of Joan of Arc if memory serves. The band Karate is aslo known (in the New England area I guess) for their jazzy instrumental work, though detractors often toss around adjectives like 'over-worked' and 'mastrabatory' when the style of the lead guitarist, Geoff Farina, is mentioned.72.200.191.145 22:42, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It's only a single track, but one I like is "Kids from Philly" by George Thorogood and the Delaware Destroyers. It's from their second album in 1980. — Michael J 23:36, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

How about "Classical Gas"? User:Zoe|^(talk) 02:12, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I Advance Masked by Andy Summers and Robert Fripp has been on my playlist a lot lately... Grutness...wha? 04:23, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Mogwai are the best guitar-based instrumental rock band out there, in my opinion. Especially their first album, Mogwai Young Team Phileas 05:38, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Any Malmsteen Album, especially rising force.Anton 15:36, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Nice? What about the Nice then? :) And the follow-up Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Not all instrumental, but quite a fair bit. Actually, there are way too many examples because 'rock' is such a general term. Pink Floyd has some wonderful pieces too. The best style to check fro instrumental rock would probably be symphonic rock. DirkvdM 19:33, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Joe Satriani -LambaJan 01:10, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It's a little more like a "Sweet Philly" variation of Motown/funk, but I love "TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)" by MFSB and The Three Degrees. It only features short singing parts twice in the entire five-minute song. Mike H. I did "That's hot" first! 01:17, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Walk, Don't Run by the Ventures is an all-time classic; No Matter What Shape (Your Stomach's In) by the T-Bones is also pretty good. Clarityfiend 17:00, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Inefficent goverment

Our goverment seems to be inefficent, i.e. goverment subsidized farming, housing, foolish spending (FEMA, Boston's Big Dig), over-regulation of business, tarriffs, welfare, and a tax code that overtaxes income, while undertaxing wealth--making it harder to become wealthy, but easier to stay wealthy....There are (many) people that contribute nothing to society, and instead of letting them starve or go homeless, our goverment takes resources away from the contributors and redistributes it to these worthless people.

My question is, someday, there will be a nation that is much more efficent, would it be able to quickly surpass the US (and all other ineffecent nations) quickly? A nation that refused to support its non-contributing citizens (the lazy, the mentally-challanged, the perminately infirmed, etc), would clearly be more efficent in its use of resorces, and should therefore have a huge advantage over other nations. Mayor Westfall 12:31, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

So the plan is to let Internet trolls starve? Sounds good to me. Please stop wasting our time. --Robert Merkel 12:35, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Go screw yourself, Robert Merkel. Mayor Westfall 13:42, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Ooooh, you are never going to get a Wiki-date with that attitude... or maybe you will.. --Zeizmic 13:50, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

No, really, Westfall. We're sick to death of your stupidity and of our time being wasted by you. Is there any possibility at all that you would either a) wise up or b) go away. Quite why you want to put your very many inadequacies and your limited intellect and paucity of understanding on display as you do is way beyond me. Please understand that you are repeatedly committing the most grevious sin: you are boring, so very very boring. Please find some other site to troll; who knows, there's probably a K9-15 site somewhere that wouold think you're ahead of the pack. --Tagishsimon (talk)

Who's "we"? Are you the Official Spokesperson for the Reference Desk now? And to answer your quesiton no, but there's always the possibility that I'll be killed by a drunk driver or eaten by wolves. But, I wouldn't hold your breath.

Thank you for condesendingly insulting my intellectually capibilites. Although I am certainly lack the knowledge & understanding I would like, I am a member of Mensa, and therefore feel you personal attack is...inaccurate.

And I must respectfully disagree with your subjective opinion on morality that being boring is the most grevious sin. Of all the apparent evils mankind has committed, you think being boring is the most worst act a person can commit? Regardless of how boring you think my question is, it is valid. If it is not, why don't you refute my claim that certain actions that may seem heartless, would make our society more efficent, rather than by throwing ad hominem attacks around?Mayor Westfall 14:46, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

As long as we're all being silly... Mensa? Seriously? Why? I've always seen it as a club for people who want to pay money to tell people that they are smart. 128.197.81.223 15:15, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

(Oh, I meant that as an honest question as I've never met anyone who bothered to join Mensa, but I imagine it may come across as me being an ass like the above people.)128.197.81.223 15:28, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It seems most Internet trolls are self-proclaimed Mensa members with poor spelling. It's an unexpected correlation. ("Inefficent" in this question and "Chineese" in another.) —Bradley 19:01, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Getting back to the original poster's question (though it's only barely that) "My question is, someday, there will be a nation that is much more efficent, would it be able to quickly surpass the US (and all other ineffecent nations) quickly?" - As you seem to be able to see the future with enough accuracy to assert that "there will be a nation that is much more efficent" you should be able to answer your own question. Were any of us, without your oracular powers, to answer all we'd be doing would be speculating on a hypothetical question riddled with questionable & arguable assumptions.

On a seperate point I don't think your assumptions are accurate. You seem, from the tone of your comments, to think that those citizens which don't contribute to society (in what way isn't made clear) are all homeless, lazy, mentally-challenged or infirm and are being paid for by those who contribute (which I take to be taxpayers). In effect those at the lower end of the social spectrum subsidised by those at the top. Actually I believe it is the case in the U.S.A. that taxes currently favour the 'rich' rather than the 'poor' (defined as something like top 10% & bottom 10% I think) with the rich being subsidised by the poor. That is the top 10% are gaining more than they pay due to exemptions, company tax rules, rebates, etc. This is ignoring those who don't pay any taxes because their investments are held in Lichtenstein or somewhere similar. Frankly you could refuse to support these people but it wouldn't make much of a difference. AllanHainey 15:49, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I find it blissfully ironic that the sentense which tells us how clever he is goes "Although I am certainly lack the knowledge & understanding I would like,...". In response to your question about why Mensa, I can confirm that it's basically a way to pay for a)bragging rights b)the chance to meet people who will not laugh at you for being obsessed with your IQ. That said, I have an IQ of 161 and am in Mensa (once my form arrives at their office). —Daniel (‽) 15:55, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

In response to your actual question I would like to say that you strike me as incredibly cold-hearted and much too lacking in humanity. Please don't become ruler of the world. —Daniel (‽) 15:57, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

When people tried this before, the US (and other countries) beat the countries that tried it. See WW2. So no, this 'more efficient' country would most likely not overtake the US (or whatever country was ahead at the time). For one thing, people would be unlikely to take business risks if there was no safety net, otherwise useful citizens can be lost to the system if there is nothing to catch them when things go wrong, etc. And that's without the moral issues. (By the way, it's taking every ounce of resistance I have to avoid creating a redirect at Official Spokesperson for the Reference Desk to User:Tagishsimon) Skittle 18:51, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Redirect away, old chap. --Tagishsimon (talk)

That might be the best option, assuming that the goal you choose for society is making it more efficient. However, that isn't a safe assumption. As well as discouraging risk, a policy like that would hurt foreign relations, which would have negative effects on the domestic economy. You also have to consider what belief systems would have to be in place before policies like that could implemented. Most collectivist societies respect the elderly too much to just throw the infirm out on their asses. And in an individualistic society, it's nice to have a safety net in case you are unlucky, get hurt, or just suddenly become lazy. Crazywolf 21:49, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Perhaps. But the Earth's territory has already been divided into nations, generally. So it is unlikely that a new nation with extreme efficiency will generate suddenly. An efficient nation would more likely grow slowly, but surely. In fact, many would say the United States is heading that direction (in getting more and more efficient.) This is debatable. --Proficient 22:56, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

In terms of efficiency, Japan and China probably have it one-up on the US in some cases. But I think you are missing the point - a nation may be extremely efficient, but that does not necessarily mean that it respects the value of a human life. The goal of a nation is not to be "the most efficient". There are a lot of important things that could be sacrificed for efficiency (marriage, family, friends, warmth towards others, kindness), but what kind of world would that be? We are people, not machines. BenC7 02:27, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Maybe a lot of inefficient, handicapped people use their considerable knowledge on here helping useful members of society like you? hotclaws**==(81.134.99.206 08:54, 12 July 2006 (UTC))[reply]

I dunno, this sounds like an actual question to me, doesn't seem very 'trollish'. Why don't you people actually help people instead of calling people trolls. I appluad the people who actually answered the question asker rather than calling him trolls.And I've always wondered why the government helped those kinds of people anyways. Wizrdwarts (T|C|E) 18:46, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Who do you think write Wikipedia? The more time people have on their hands, the more they can spend writing. So a large portion of Wikipedia must be written by unemployed people. Also, where does our wealth come from? Put differently, would someone from a rich country earn as much if they would have grown up in a poor country? Nowhere near. The wealth we live in was produced (or stolen) by our ancestors. Not by us. So who decides how this wealth is to be distributed? If everyone has equal rights (that's a constitutional thing) then it should be distributed evenly. Anyone who works now contributes just a tiny part of the wealth and should thus get just a tiny bit more. What we have is not justice but a practicalsolution to the fact that a just distribution would stop people from working. Which makes a lot of sense. Alas it gives some people some wrong ideas. Thirdly, a dynamic society needs a dynamic work force, where people are easily fired and hired, and thus always have a group of people literally 'between jobs'. Most of the unemployed are next years work force. Don't cut off the hand that feeds you. By the way, I'm also a Mensa member, but that is neither here nor there. DirkvdM 06:17, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

To the anon who said "I've always seen it as a club for people who want to pay money to tell people that they are smart". That may be true of some members, but in my case (I failed the test, by the way), my desire to join was in order to become associated with people of like minds with whom I could create friendships, have stimulating intellectual discussions, and promote harmony. I would think that most persons of such lofty intellect would have a similar attitude. I certainly would never gratuitously flaunt my membership in the way that Dirk here has just done.(Lol) But then, that's speaking as an outsider. Maybe if I had achieved the Parnassus of Mensaship, I would be different. But I doubt it. (However I can still decline "mensa": mensa, mensa, mensam, mensae, mensae, mensa; mensae, mensae, mensas, mensarum, mensas, mensas. I think. Vale.) :--) JackofOz 06:34, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

In stead, you flaunt your not having been accepted as a member. I haven't reached that level of modesty yet (nor do I think I ever will). :) If this makes you feel better, I don't even know what 'decline' means in this context, so you're ahead of me there. And as for the reason I joined, that was the travel sig (special interrest group), similar to servas, of which I am also a member, but it works way too complicated, so I never used it. Servas is a great alternative to meet people from all over the world. It's sort of like travelling without leaving home. I recommend it. DirkvdM 17:51, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Decline: see declension. Mensa is a Latin word, and the ending changes depending on the case. It's typically the first noun that students are taught. Why, I don't know. JackofOz 21:20, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Isn't the joke that that particular 'Mensa' means 'table', unlike the word 'Mensa' for the society which is some form of 'mind'? Where 'mentes' is the genitive plural. Probably 'mens', but I can't remember what bit of that would be 'mensa'. Skittle 13:11, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Yep, mens means mind, but mensa is not a form of that word. Still, it's not hard to see what the founders of Mensa were getting at. JackofOz 23:39, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Is "goverment" a more efficient form of government? Getting rid of a useless, freeloading letter must do wonders. (I'm a charter member of Densa, by the way. I'd be proud of it, if I knew what it meant.) Clarityfiend 16:49, 17 July 2006 (UTC) See: Libertarian | Common Law | Mises | Rothbard 71.48.62.251 04:30, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

My new account is not being recognized!!

Hi there, I have just signed up with a new hotmail account (email redacted to prevent spam) and I get a message saying this user is not recognized. Since I am trying to set up something important for my business, can you please tell me why it is not being recognized??

Thank you

Perch Creek Press

Um, do you mean that your Wikipedia account is not working? If so, the best place to ask this question is the help desk.

Secondly, don't put your email address on Wikipedia pages. You'll get deluged with spam. Questions are answered here, not by email.

Thirdly, and this is just a matter of opinion, you shouldn't ever use Hotmail for something important connected with your business. It's too buggy and insecure. --Richardrj 15:06, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

[I only noticed point 1 above when I typed this out] I think he means that his Hotmail account is not working. Firstly, I emphasize that you should not put your email adress here, because within 30 seconds it will be on someone's email list and people will be paying money to buy it. Secondly, if this is so important for your business I strongly suggest that you don't use Hotmail. It's badly organised, lacks storage capacity and people won't want to spend money on whatever it is that you're doing if they see you have a free email adress service. Get a personalised address (with your company's name on it) or use GMail (the coolness factor of GMail counteracts the freeness). Thirdly, you could try waiting a day or two (perhaps the server hasn't updated), see if there's a confirmation email you have to reply to to active the account, check to see that you've typed the address and password correctly, or just sign up to a new address. Don't put the new one on the internet. —Daniel (‽) 15:47, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Unless you're planning on violating WP:SPAM, I don't see how a Wikipedia account can be important to your business. - Mgm|^(talk) 05:03, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Ha, you guys have protected a potential spammer from getting spammed. :) DirkvdM 06:25, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

least expensive

Because this question involves accounting (mathematics) and business (humanities) I have decided to ask it here. Which would be the least expensive means of transferring oil from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico by Supertanker:

navigation around Cape Horn, or
offloading and on loading via cross country pipeline from the West side of Panama to the East side of Panama?

...IMHO (Talk) 14:50, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Why doesn't the supertanker with the oil in it go through the Panama Canal? This would seem to be easier, and presumably cheaper, than option 2. By the way is there even a cross-country pipeline in Panama? If there is and the 2 options above are the only ones there are then I would say pumping it over Panama is still likely to be cheaper than sailing round the horn. AllanHainey 15:26, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

A problem is that the Panama Canal was made long ago, before the current supertankers existed. It is already too small for some of the largest ships, as I recall, but an effort is underway to create a larger canal. It is probably true, however, that a cross-country pipeline would be cheaper than sailing all the way around Cape Horn. 128.197.81.223 15:50, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

FYI, panamax is the relevant term for vessels with the capability to traverse the Panama Canal. Along the lines of the original question, as I understand it, current economic considerations dictate that oil simply isn't moved (in meaningful quantity) between the Atlantic and Pacific. For instance, despite being a net oil importer (primarily on the Atlantic coast), the United States exports Alaskan oil in the Pacific region because of relative costs. While a Panama pipeline would almost certainly reduce transoceanic shipping costs, it might still not be an incentive to implement such shipments. — Lomn | Talk 16:26, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Or option 3, transferring the oil into a group of panamax tankers, which could presumably just sail up and down the canal if this is a common requirement, or just one tanker with oil holding facilities at each end. This would require much lower investment than a pipeline, but might have higher running costs (perhaps $100,000 per tanker??) Notinasnaid 18:33, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

That would also be far more risky from an oil spill standpoint -- close-quarters maneuvering is where most stuff goes wrong. — Lomn | Talk 03:45, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Spills in areas of coastline not equipped to handle them or to perform recovery operations coupled with far greater distances with much greater risk of bad weather, mechanical failure, operator and navigational errors, encounters with other shipping, etc. would seem to increase the risk and cost of an oil spill rather than lower it. ...IMHO (Talk) 18:31, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I'm sorry, I don't grasp your point -- How has the pipeline, with an additional point of loading and unloading, removed any coastal approaches? The ultimate beginning and end of the transit remain unchanged. — Lomn | Talk 19:40, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Driving in America

According to driving licence, different US states have different ages for driving. So, if I were a 15 year old South Carolinan with a driving licence, could I drive in New Jersey, where the minimun age for driving is 17-18? Also, should the hypothetical 15 year old South Carolinan move to - for example - the UK, with a minimum age of 17, could they drive? smurrayinchester^{(User), (Talk)} 15:43, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I believe that they are not allowed to drive, but I am not certain. Jon513 15:46, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I remember my teacher talking about this and I remember him saying that they usually let this go... but I'm not sure. One of my relatives got pulled over for not having headlights (for some reason that I can't remember that that state does) but he only got a warning.

I think it just depends on the state's rules... in order to answer that question, you would have to tell us what state you're talking about.

There is national law and then there is state law that handle things like marriage, traffic laws, divorce, and so on.

In the UK, anyone can drive a car on private land. Anyone aged 17 or over can drive a car on the public highway, provided they have a licence or are accompanied by someone with a licence and attach L plates to the vehicle. Finally, only someone with a licence can drive on the motorway. --Howard Train 20:04, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

As with many laws, I expect it varies by state both in law and in active enforcement. This site shows that it is illegal to drive in New York under age 16 even if you have a valid license from another. Illinois allows other states' learner's permits and claims "Most states reciprocally recognize the Illinois instruction permit." Rmhermen 20:29, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Does the fair faith and credit clause not require states to recognise the licenses of other states? Crazywolf 21:21, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

No, any more that the clause requires states to recognize the medical licenses or other professional licensure from other states. Full Faith and Credit Clause might or might not be of interest (not valid in Delaware, New Mexico, or Alaska.) --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 14:04, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

How do I....

How do I create an artical?

What article are you trying to create? XM 17:57, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

See Wikipedia:Your first article. BTW, you can sign your comments by adding four tildes (~~~~) to the end of your comments. Emmett5 22:10, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I believe you mean an article.

Of course. We've got an article on 'article'. :) DirkvdM 06:27, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Number of Stores nationally that sell liquor

How many stores, liquor, convenience, gas stations, mass merchants, sell liquor, not just beer, but liquor?? I am interested in finding the total number that sell alcohol for consumption off-premise.

Globally? In Lichtenstein? Could you be more specific? Skittle 18:34, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Nationally, United States.

The US Economic Census collects this sort of data. I found your answer in about 30 seconds by drilling down through the tables. From the 2002 economic census, go to "reports by state", select "United States", find "retail trade" and hit "more data", then "food and beverage stores". The NAICS code for Beer, wine, & liquor stores is 4453, and in 2002 there were

28,957 establishments

$28,246,426,000 in sales

133,035 paid employees.

Looks ok off the top of my head, but you can get more details. But note that this is not all stores that sell alcohol! In many states groceries and other stores may do so. bikeable (talk) 16:25, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

An Average Question

This may sound odd but what can be the average amount of belts that a girl of woman in general may own?--Biggie 18:16, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Perhaps two? This is extreme speculation. --Proficient 22:59, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Is she my sister? If so, only God knows! If it's not my sister, I'd say it could be anywhere between zero and a hundred. I doubt you'll find any sort of statistics anywhere for such a specific item. Dismas|^(talk) 00:35, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

My wife owns three, my daughter two. That's the best I can do.

And it rhymes. DirkvdM 06:28, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

That's a good question. I would try to call up the lobbying wing of the belt industry ... but I have a feeling that3 the belt industry doesn't have a lobbying wing. --M @r ē ino 15:12, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

spicing food

Some people put salt, herbs, spices, and seasonings into food in quantities that allow someone eating the food to recognize the seasoning included. For example, some people put salt into soup to the extent that someone can actually taste the salt. Others frown upon this, thinking that the seasoning should just bring out the flavor of whatever food is being made. (An obvious exception would be something like onion soup.) Of course, one can't argue over what tastes good: it's a matter of personal preference. But I wonder two things:

What do most of you prefer? (Straw poll.)

What do experts (chefs, I guess) think on the matter?

—msh210℠ 19:13, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

When I was young, I'd always add so much salt that it gave food a clear salty taste. Since then, I've backed off a lot on the old NCl, using it in a more "proper" manner. While I'm no expert, I expect that if you're going to go to fair lengths to make a good tasting food item, you want to taste the food itself and not the salt. Salt is definitely important (try eating rice, potatoes, pasta, etc. without any salt), but I think it should be used in a manner to turn up the volume on flavor without adding its own flavor. For other spices, I think it depends on the dish. Curries obviously depend on a large amount of spices to the point where they are the prominent flavor, whereas a nice hamburger is better off with just a few grinds of pepper for a nice background flavor (in my opinion). 128.197.81.223 19:47, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I prefer little to no salt. I think most chefs would add enough salt to suit their needs, but no more. They definitely would not want to overpower their dish, nor make it underflavored. Through experience, chefs tend to develop their own style in garnishing meals. --Proficient 23:01, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The point of adding seasonings, herbs and spices to food is not to directly make them taste of the ingredients. Soup, for instance is a chemical mixture of lots of different substances, and is designed to stimulate as many of the senses as possible: visually, texturally, flavourwise and oderous. Humans are capable of sensing roughly five distinct flavours - acidity, bitterness, sweetness, salinity and umami. Salts, vegetable acids, fats and sugars excite the palate by keying into tastebuds on the tongue. Herbs and other flavourings are added to produce an interesting aroma, as almost 90% of what we perceive to be our sense of taste is actually retro-nasal in nature. The overall point is to introduce as many harmoneous but contrasting elements as possible, so as to produce an interesting and enjoyable flavour. No elements should jar, but should work together, and this is something which comes through practice and patience. --russ 22:56, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You can influence the taste in useful ways with things like salt without making the taste notably salty. That is because each taste bud has taste receptors for more than one of the 5 tastes, but only a single neuron to transmit information to the brain. So the brain recieves really confusing information from your taste buds, and has to decode it based on the frenquency of the firings of all the different taste buds, not just whether the sweet receptors or the salty receptors are firing. So adding salt or sugar can influence how your brain interprets the effects of a sour taste, but there is a threshold below which you can't notice a difference, even subconsciously, since the concentration of spices has to be large enough to have a chemical effect on a large number of the taste receptor cells. So if you are diluting your spices to homeopathic levels, you aren't going to affect the taste. But if you add too much of one flavor, you are likely to actually decrease the sensation of some of the other flavors. Crazywolf 23:51, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

it should be noted that some foodstuffs excite the palate by deliberately keying into a desire to be stimulated, as is the case with salted nuts, or ice cream. Similarly one's perception of taste is personal, so if you are dehydrated salty flavoured foods may be perceived as unpalatable --russ 00:00, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks for your responses, folks (and I'll continue monitoring this page for further responses).—msh210℠ 18:06, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I remember once I was watching Iron Chef and they were competing to see who would make the best dishes with rock-crabs. Everyone was like 'ooohh Bobby Flay is using too many spices! He's going to lose! You wont even be able to taste the crab!' Bobby ended up winning. He said he tried a taste of the crab and it wasn't as aromatic and flavorful as he was hoping it would be so he made up the difference by adding more herbs and spices than he normally would. Cooking really is an art more than anything. I think if you choose tastefully then people won't mind if it conforms to this or that philosophy of cooking. One thing about salt and pepper, though, is that those particular seasonings are commonly on the serving table, so if you're unsure about where 'just right' is, then it's generally best to err on the side of less. -LambaJan 21:52, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Downloading Streaming Videos

OK, so I'm trying to find a good free program to download that will download streaming videos... I've tried a few and they all don't work or don't work right. So any suggestion would be great! Thanks!

What kind of streaming videos? Have you tried youtube or google video? TastyCakes 21:42, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You can use google to find plenty of videos (the actual search engine as well as google video.). --Proficient 22:59, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I think the question-asker is wanting a program that will allow him/her to save streaming videos onto his/her computer. (I don't know of any personally - leastways not a free one.) BenC7 02:32, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

UnPlug is a Firefox extension which lets you save video and audio which is embedded on a webpage. (I used to look in the source code and search for file format extensions). I works great most of the time, but sometimes the site has done a bit more to protect their videos (youtube and good video for example) and unplug won't work. Jon513 15:36, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Now stop me if I'm wrong, but if he saves it to his computer it's no longer a streaming video. No? In any case, most videos that stream through Windows Media Player can be saved just by clicking file, save as, and a lot of google videos let you download the movie. TastyCakes 15:43, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

No, it's no longer streaming once it is downloaded, but I don't see how that's really an issue here. Many streaming video formats will not allow you to download them (often if you click "save" you are really just saving a link to the streaming video, not the actual video content itself). --Fastfission 20:11, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

NetTransport 2 is a good application for this, also Keepvid.com does this as well.--69.171.123.148 03:07, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I could be wrong, but doesn' fire fox have an extension which allows the user to download streaming video from websites? 71.48.62.251 04:33, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Also, you might try mencoder, which is part of the mplayer project. I think they support windows. Kyle Cronan 06:41, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Mattress sizes

What's the difference between a regular king or queen mattress versus a split king or queen mattress? And what's the advantage if any? Thanks, Bill

Google gave me this page, which gives dimensions and even shows your a little pictures of the relative sizes. The split mattresses are easier to move through tight spaces and around corners—at least in my experience. —Bradley 23:08, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

old stock

I am trying to determine whether stock my parents purchased in the 1950s is of any value today. The stock was Mollusca Oil Ltd., and was purchased through the stock brokerage firm of Francis I. DuPont & Co., the latter being located in Los Angeles, CA. I have searched the internet for both companies, but with no result. I would like to know if either of the two companies was purchased by another company which I could contact to determine whether the stock has any current value. Thank you for any help you may be able to provide.

Allen Abersman

Hmmm. Do you have any other information, for instance what exchange the stock was listed on? --Robert Merkel 16:08, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

this news article refers to a firm which specialises in investigating, for a fee, precisely this kind of question. --Robert Merkel 16:14, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Probably your best bet is either paying a professional finance person to track down the history of the company or to do a bit of research at the stock exchange. You should be able to find at least the years trading in that stock started and ended & probably whether there was any takeover/merger too. If not it gives you some dates so you can check old newspapers which may have some info. AllanHainey 07:36, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Creature Inhabiting Blackpool Tower

I've recently heard rumours of a goblin like creature that supposedly inhabits Blackpool Tower. I was wondering if anyone had any details of this creature or even just the name of it? Cheez talk 22:38, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Hmm... Robert Smith's from Blackpool. Could it be...? Grutness...wha? 04:27, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Utilizing old photographs in marketing and advertising

I have a 30 year old photograph that I wish to use in an advertising piece for my business. It was given to the owner of our business as a gift. The photographer at the time was just starting a business. The photo was not copyrighted, marked with instructions or limitations, nor was the photographer's name and address affixed to the photo, or any document attached to the photo. It is a great photo however, and we would like to utilize it. My question surrounds guidelines for doing so. Can we use it given that we have ownership of the photo, or should we not even though we can't find the photographer. Thanks for any suggestions!

As far as I know, you probably can't use the photo legally, although, depending on local laws, a good lawyer just might be able to argue otherwise, or at least make an attempt. The real question presumably is, do you want to take the risk that the photographer finds out and sues you? The answer to that will depend one several factors, not all of them legal. For the legal issues, I suggest asking a lawyer. —Ilmari Karonen (talk) 01:24, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

As with all legal questions, we hesitate to give you an uninformed opinion without knowing your location. In general, in the US, anybody could sue you for anything, but in other countries, such as Canada, they would have to demonstrate damage. --Zeizmic 12:10, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

These days you often see disclaimers on books and websites saying something like "we have not intentionally infringed any copyright, if you find that we are using something to which you own the copyright please let us know." Maybe you could try putting in something like that. --Richardrj 12:59, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

If it was an unpublished photo in the U.S. then it has an automatic copyright of life-of-the-author plus 70 years. Unless you have any good reason to suspect that it was given with the express agreement that it could be used in advertising then you shouldn't assume copyright is not an issue. Saying that you are not intentionally infringing a copyright doesn't really help you much, legally. Of course, it is up to you as to whether you think it is a real legal threat or not: if nobody out there knows to sue you, then you won't get sued. --Fastfission 20:09, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

He didn't say he was from the US. Which also probably greatly reduces the risk of getting sued. DirkvdM 06:37, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

GIF Resize

Can someone resize this picture for me to something under 200xsomething? I can't find any programs that will, so could someone also give me a link to a free GIF resizer? Wizrdwarts (T|C|E) 23:47, 11 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You should probably specify that it's a moving picture. StuRat 00:42, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Try gifsicle. The command gifsicle -O2 --resize 200x_ -o zidaneff6vy_200px.gif zidaneff6vy.gif will produce this. —Ilmari Karonen (talk) 01:18, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

That is pure genius! -Benbread 17:31, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The miracles of the command line. It's so powerful that it's crazy I haven't yet taken the time to fully master it. DirkvdM 06:40, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

July 12

Date format

Does anyone know why the US chose to use the middle-endian date format, rather than the little or big- endian format that is used elsewhere? Bob.appleyard 01:57, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I would think it mimics the way people speak. In the US, you would say "let's meet on July tenth". So, that becomes 7-10, or 7-10-2006, if the year is appended. StuRat 02:44, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Do you say "July 4th" or "the 4th of July"? JackofOz 02:51, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

In the case of "the 4th of July", we say it that way, although that's a somewhat archaic format, since it's become associated with Independence Day. We would be far more likely to say "July 10th" than "the 10th of July", however. It's similar to how you say "Thou shalt not kill", even though it's archaic, that phrase is just traditional. StuRat 02:57, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

So would a USAn be likely to say, for example, "we can meet on July 2nd, July 3rd, 4th of July, July 5th or July 6th"? JIP | Talk 06:21, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Saying "the 4th of July" specifies the holiday (like "Christmas"), while "July 4th" specifies the date (like "December 25th"). It's so ingrained as a synonym for "Independence Day", that I witnessed this odd converation at work:

Guy from India: "What do Americans celebrate on July 4th" ?

American: "The 4th of July !"

StuRat 02:24, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Well, sure, in the same way one might say, "We can meet on December 23rd, December 24th, Christmas, or December 26th." In the case of July 4, it would generally be the 4th of July. --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 13:56, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

So the Independence Day is the only day whose date can be said in the form "nth of Month"? If I were to mention, for example, "5th of July", to an American, would he/she think I was weird? JIP | Talk 10:43, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Well, they would think it rather formal, yes. It might be considered normal in some contexts, like a wedding invitation, though. StuRat 13:33, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Is it only people from the US who say the date month first? I've noticed that some non-Americans (even British people) will, when saying or writing the date (spelling out the month), use the month/day/year format then when using numbers only write it day/month/year. So you get one person who will say and write July 12th, 2006 and then write 12/07/06. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 14:08, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Sometimes a person prefers it one way. --Proficient 15:31, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Sometimes its purely for convenience. For example, it's less of a tongue-twister to say "November the twelfth" (my birthday) than "the twelfth of November". But "The Twelfth of Never" - now, that's something else again. JackofOz 23:51, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I suppose that stems from the time when science hadn't yet taken off and people didn't think systematically enough to link the day/month order to the position of the yearnumber. Maybe the question should be reversed to "why does the rest of the world use a more logical order?", to which the answer might be the French Revolution brought that about. But that's just a guess. DirkvdM 06:47, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

"It was the third of June, another sleepy dusty delta day ..." User:Zoe|^(talk) 02:13, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Framegrabbing

I've been wanting to framegrab (copy an image of a single frame) from DVDs for a while now and still cannot get anything to work. I have Windows Media Player version 10.00.00.4036 and PowerDVD 5.3 (it does not have a little camera next to the play button). Is there a way to get frames from any of these two programs while playing a DVD? If not is there a safe, reliable, but free program I could get to do this? --WillMak050389 02:05, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I'd suggest VLC media player. --Robert Merkel 02:36, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I also recommend VLC media player. Jon513 15:11, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Not me! Ha! Frequently, video players don't render to system memory, but instead render to memory on the video card, so when you try to do a screen shot you just get a black box. Sometimes you can get around that by going into the options of your video program and changing how it renders (if it gives you the option, maybe try rendering in the earliest version of DirectX it supports). Or, of course, you could just use VLC Player... but I do recommend Media Player Classic, myself. It's a nice program. 128.197.81.223 15:30, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Or turn hardware acceleration off. That will make screengrabs work with WMP. Wizrdwarts (T|C|E) 18:43, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I thirdly recommend VLC. --Proficient 15:32, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I also recommend VCL, if not for framegrabbing but for general playing, has a built in DVD decoder which is good because neither Realplayer nor WMP worked for playing DVDs for me. -Benbread 17:27, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

VLC plays anything. Seriously. When you get it, you're like, wtf, why does every other player on the face of the earth suck so much? =D (cept for media player classic) --mboverload @ 07:49, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Holyshittrue --Abnerian 11:52, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Best study method for content-heavy courses?

Hi,

I was wondering, does anyone know of a good way to study content-heavy courses? What I mean by 'content-heavy' is that they require you to memorize a lot of information and specific details and test you in a variety of ways. Although any help would be great, methods that would work for studying Classical Music History would be even better.

For example, I need to memorize facts such as:

- characteristics of composers' musical style

- Detailed questions on compositions (i.e.: name two librettists for this music; which city does Act I take place)

- Recognize excerpts and identify the piece's title, composer, genre, form, tempo indication, which instruments play in them etc

A method I know that's effective at memorizing huge amounts of information is mnemonics, but they don't help much when it's not about dumping huge amounts of information out at once, like for specific questions (i.e.: "When did this opera premiere - 1815, 1853, or 1883?)

Would anyone be able to me help out by suggesting some effective methods that will help me memorize and recall these facts?

Any help would be greatly appreciated, Alex Ng 03:24, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

LOL that's really, really funny. Cuz I'm a musician, and when I saw your question I thought, 'gee, I have to come answer this one', and it's funny that you're in music school too. Most people don't realise how bloody much work music school is!

Anyways, the first piece of advice I have to give you is to not get behind. Do a study plan and study every day. Have weekly goals and make sure you meet them. For many of my music courses (history and theory) I did flash cards, with a question or a piece of info on one side and the answers on the back. Like, I'd write 'Phrygian mode' on one side and the mode, info about the mode, etc on the back. Also, for music history I find that - even if you won't be doing listening tests - it helps to actually listen to the music while you're studying it. It may be a no-brainer to you, but lots of people don't do it. Also, form a study group and meet regularly. I had a study group with two other people and we were 1-2-3 in all our classes. We met to study after every class we had together, and it was a perfect time to go over the lesson, cement it, etc. In music, there's no substitute for rote. Also, speaking the info aloud helps, not just studying silently.

Hope that helps; if I think of anything else I'll add it.--Anchoress 03:30, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I read your question more carefully and here's a supplemental answer, including my experience: in my Jazz History class, every week we were given 20 new songs to listen to and study, along with info about them, and every week we had a quiz. The quizzes were a combo of listening tests (song recognition) and written info, and there were about 10 pieces of info we needed to know on each song, everything from basics like dates and personnel, to style and form analysis, to weird trivia like what city the composer wrote the song in, or if it was in some screwy key like C#. We had 16 25-question quizzes during the course.

I found it useful for the date info to a) contextualise it v/v the personnel involved, like where it occurred in the arc of the career of the performer or composer; b) contextualise it with historical info in the rest of the world (like wars and significant events, personal dates in my family, etc). This may not be useful to you if you aren't a history buff tho (I am); c) ask the same question different ways in different contexts (as in, on different cue cards related to different things, to help you turn the info into a big network rather than a bunch of disparate facts); d) as I said, speaking aloud is very useful, but I found not if I was saying the wrong thing. Here's what worked for me: I put the questions on one side of the cue card. I asked myself one, and if I didn't know the answer, I looked, not just at the answer to that question, but I read all the info on the card. Then I asked myself the question again and answered it aloud. The next time I came across the question, if I was pretty sure I was right I'd answer it aloud, then check. After a while, I could look a the cue card (like for Duke Ellington's Harlem years or something) and list off *all* the info on the card at once.--Anchoress 03:48, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I would suggest trying to relate them together and to yourself. Make note of which order they were released in, and which works of which composers influenced which works of which other composer. This allows you to use deep level processing and use some of the information as retrieval cues for the information you are looking for. Also, it's important that you distribute your practice out over a wide range of time, when studying for something difficult. Both of these tips have proved useful to me, and are backed up by scientific research. You can find these tips and other at places like http://www.web-us.com/memory/improving_memory.htm which you can find by searching for the level of processing effect on memory. Crazywolf 03:54, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

See Amphetamine. I kid, I kid.. But seriously look into it TastyCakes 15:40, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Hmmm... except according to recent studies, Sleep helps the brain remember facts better.--Anchoress 02:20, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks for the replies! I'll definitely force myself to stay on task and on time. The idea of linking everything together into a big picture seems very interesting, I'll try it out! Thanks again (and no drugs for me, thanks) Alex Ng 18:00, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

1950 Census Missouri

I need to find the 1950 census for St.Clair, Missouri

This site has a lot of census-like information for Missouri. schyler 03:32, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Due to privacy concerns, no federal censuses are available after 1930. The 1940 census will be available in 2012. User:Zoe|^(talk) 02:01, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Not exactly correct. What is protected for privacy are individual census tallies, which detail the residents of each specific address. But the total population numbers are available within a few months after each census is taken.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau website, the 1950 population of St. Clair, Missouri was 1,779. (Unless you mean St. Clair County, which is in a whole different part of the state, nowhere near the town of St. Clair. The 1950 population of St. Clair County was 10,482. — Michael J 17:47, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Picture of Bill Randle and Elvis Presley in the Pied Piper Of Cleveland

Hello, I was researching and saw your article on the Pied Piper of Cleveland and Saw the Picture of Elvis Presley, Bill Randle and Bill Black, I would like to know where that picture came from ?? and who could i talk to about that particular piece of film footage, The picture states that it is a clip from the Oct 20, 1955 performance. I am researching that Show for a Personal Project and would appreciate any help, names or email addresses you could direct to me

Thanks,

Sandy Tomlinson

The image was uploaded by User:Ted Wilkes, you can ask him on his talk page. David Sneek 11:10, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Pantheism,Natural Order,"Magic", and the Origin of the World

This time, I'm going to ask you about those questions in the "right" way, without using the term "supernatural".

In science, we know that everything in the universe has what we call natural order.That is, everything in the natural,physical, and material world is governed by certain laws,rules, and principles,etc, and they function in and follow a natural order and pattern according to those laws.One of those important principles in natural order is causality, which states that every effect,event, and existence much have a cause.Christians believe that God can do things that defy those laws of science, for example, raise someone from the dead.Most atheists and humanists believe in a philosophy called naturalism or materialism, which states that everything that happens or exists in the entire universe, both in the present,past,and future, acts according to the laws of science,the natural order, and causality.

But what about pantheists?Do they (generally) believe that Nature and everything in it always acts according to those laws,rules, and patterns? Do they believe that sometimes, for some reasons or not, some things that exist disobey natural order,physical laws, and/or causality to some degree?If so, then when,in what conditions, and for what causes do they believe this would happen? Do they (generally) believe some violations of the laws of science and/or some divine, "magical" properties of Nature are neccessary to at least partly explain the origin,causes, and existence of the universe,the earth,life, and people? If not, then do they believe that they either came into existence completely by natural and materialistic causes or that they are at least enough to explain their origins?

60.241.125.149 11:07, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

No, I don't think they believe that those principles can be violated. Baruch Spinoza, perhaps the most famous pantheist, wrote:

"Others think that God is a free cause, because he can, as they think, bring it about, that those things which we have said follow from his nature--that is, which are in his power, should not come to pass, or should not be produced by him. But this is the same as if they said, that God could bring it about, that it should not follow from the nature of a triangle, that its three interior angles should not be equal to two right angles; or that from a given cause no effect should follow, which is absurd."

David Sneek 11:22, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You said they don't believe those principles can be violated.Just like atheists?Then, panthiests aren't really different from materialistic atheists (in their beliefs about natural order,"magic", and the origin of the world)?If so, what's the real difference between pantheism and materialistic atheism?

In science, we know that everything in the universe has what we call natural order.That is, everything in the natural,physical, and material world is governed by certain laws,rules, and principles,etc, and they function in and follow a natural order and pattern according to those laws...But what about pantheists?

Pantheists do exactly the same thing. Everything that exists follow the laws of Nature - the ones that human science is aware of, the ones which have not yet been discovered, and the ones which are of a form which are incomprehensible to us.

Do they (generally) believe that Nature and everything in it always acts according to those laws,rules, and patterns?

Yes. That's exactly like asking "Do Christians believe that everything operates because of and according to the will of God?"

Do they (generally) believe some violations of the laws of science and/or some divine, "magical" properties of Nature are neccessary to at least partly explain the origin,causes, and existence of the universe,the earth,life, and people?

Of course not. How could anything defy the laws of Nature? How could Nature itself defy the laws of Nature?

If not, then do they believe that they either came into existence completely by natural and materialistic causes or that they are at least enough to explain their origins?

Natural = divine. everything came into existence through natural, divine causes. Those causes follow the laws of nature, as explained above.

You said they don't believe those principles can be violated.Just like atheists?Then, panthiests aren't really different from materialistic atheists

That's as faulty a conclusion as saying that if you believe that people shouldn't be bought and sold as slaves you aren't really any different from a communist. Just because atheists (who believe there is no divine) and pantheists (who believe everything is divine) share one small point of agreement does not mean they are the same thing.

Grutness...wha? 07:46, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I think the fact that pantheism has inflections in a number of religions shows that it doesn't really have any absolute standard (eg. Christianity = Bible, Islam = Koran). It seems to be just a matter of "I think...". So it is possibly difficult to answer specific questions when there is no absolute standard from which to obtain the answers. BenC7 01:26, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You're saying that pantheists believe that science,natural order, and scientific theories such as the Big Bang and evolution are enough to explain the world's existence.So, are you saying that what pantheists believe about why Nature is God and what actually makes Nature God has nothing to do with science,natural order,the supernatural,"magic", and whether supernatural/magical phenomena exist or not,etc?

Try looking at some of the answers further up the page. Try defining "enough", too. Let me turn your question back round another way: Do you beieve the component parts of a body are "enough" to make a human? Or do you believe there is some scientific explanation which we haven't yet found which can expain human existence. Or do you believe something "supernatural and magic" like God is the explanation for the difference between a bunch of chemicals and a human? Grutness...wha? 02:59, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Ferry service to Madagascar

I would like to know if there is/are ferry (boat) services to Madagascar from either South Africa or Mozambique or even elsewhere in mainland Africa.

Thank you,

Peter Kip Botswana

Using Google would have gotten you an answer much more quickly, and in this case, that answer is "no". --LarryMac 14:34, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You can rent a boat. --Proficient 15:34, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

no, you would have to organize something, it is not like the english channell, madagascar is very far away from the coast of africa.Anton 16:02, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Fart Smells

Why do farts seem to smell worse when 'let off' in a bath?

I don't believe that that is true. Jon513 15:06, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Perhaps you're around soaps and scented candles, causing bad smells to seem worse in comparison.

Maybe because when you fart in the air the fart immediately begins to disburse in the atmosphere, so it's diluted by the time it gets to your nose. In the bath, the fart stays 'pure' until it hits the air, and in fact it's probably compacted a bit by water pressure, making it more of a 'bomb'.--Anchoress 15:40, 12 July 2006 (UTC) ADDED: Also, there may be less of an air current in the bathroom.--Anchoress 15:42, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I believe this is original research, with no available citations. :) --Zeizmic 17:26, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

This is too subjective. --Proficient 22:32, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I've noticed water farts smell different, but not stronger. I suspect some reaction takes place with something in the water. I say we need to fund a billion dollar study on this. :-) StuRat 23:50, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Then it could get an Ig Nobel Prize. --Halcatalyst 00:48, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks for all your comments, much appreciated.

July 13

Automatic Downloads

I recently had "Malicious Software Removal Tool Update Stub" try to load itself on my computer. Before I allow it, can someone tell me what it is, and what it will do?66.167.119.162 14:45, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Do NOT allow it. See here. --LarryMac 14:54, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Or maybe not. Some pages seem to indicate that it's a valid part of Microsoft's "Malicious Software Removal Tool." I prefer AdAware and Spybot myself. --LarryMac 15:00, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The real thing will only download itself via Windows Update. If it's trying to load itself from anywhere else, it's a fake. --Serie 23:15, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I would like to know the original colors of the Oliver #11 horse drawn ploes.

That's nice. Perhaps some background information would be useful, like... what the hell is a ploe? --Howard Train 05:16, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

and what was it made from? If it was made of wood and steel, my money would be on it being somewhat brown and silver. Painting one's ploe was never particularly fashionable in the days when they were horse drawn. Did you read our article on the ploe?--Shantavira 08:12, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Residential Sewage Treatment Plants

I would like to know if there are any regulations as to how close a treatment plant can be built near a residential home plus how much can be funneled though a pipe through two residential homes and into the river behind the homes.

We live in a unique area by the river and we are being threatened with this new development. I feel the plant would devalue the existing homes with the odor that comes from these plants. The builder wants to build 497 homes on the acreage above us that would drain down to the sewage treatment plant and we live at the bottom of that hill acreage. Sometimes the river floods our homes and we do not know where the sewage drainage would go during this type of situation. I need some information about these questions. Thank you, Carol L. Sweeney

It may be best to contact your local authorities for details of the consent the new plant is planning. Don't forget that this desk is staffed by volunteers who may not have legal expertise or, in fact, any professional knowledge of your situation. The local authority may also be able to help point you in the direction of any relevant legislation.

EVOCATIVEINTRIGUE TALKTOME | EMAILME | IMPROVEME 18:35, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

If an environmental study is required for the new development, I'd take a close look at that. Also, start a grass roots movement in the community affected and get them to go to council meetings to voice their concerns. StuRat 23:44, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Which country you're in would be an essential bit of info here. DirkvdM 06:51, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I suggest you talk with the developers. They can probably put you in contact with one of their engineers, in addition to the advice above. They know what a grassroots campain can do to their plans and would probably be happy to address your concerns about it if they're not dicks. Just make sure you're not hostile about it. Just say that you have some things they may not know about the area, and wondered what their solution to it was. Don't be hostile. NIMBY --mboverload @ 07:45, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I'm pretty skeptical of this approach. I would bet it would be like Iran agreeing to talks on nuclear weapons, it's just a tactic to delay action until they test their first nuke. Likewise, the developers would likely waste your time until they got approval from the city council, then would ignore your calls after that. StuRat 23:30, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Car Sales

I am wondering what the most you can sell a car in the state of Massachusetts is without being subject to a sales tax or stating your sale in some manner to the state. Thanks!!!

I live in Michigan, but here there is sales tax on any amount, unless the sale is to a relative. You also must record all sales when you get a change of title. I suspect the rules are similar in Mass. StuRat 23:40, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

national crime squad badge/emblem

Please can you tell me what sort of flower is on the emblem for the national crime squad and why this particular flower was used? Many thanks

--87.114.10.67 20:36, 12 July 2006 (UTC)steve[reply]

What national crime squad? There are lots of nations. (However, thank you for signing your name and not listing your email address.) —Daniel (‽) 20:53, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

thanks for replying the england & wales national crime squad

The above reply was misplaced, just moving here where it belongs. 128.197.81.223 22:08, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Oh, but as long as I'm in here, this: [3] seems to be the flower-bearing image in question. This was the biggest picture I could find quickly. 128.197.81.223 22:10, 12 July 2006 (UTC)*[reply]

Appears to be the Tudor rose but I don't know why,apart from the fact it signalled the end of the War of the Roses.hotclaws**==(82.138.214.1 08:54, 13 July 2006 (UTC))[reply]

26 = L T C S

At school we did a sheet for the end of the year which had lots of puzzles such as "100 = P in a P" => "100 pennies in a pound" or "3 = B M (S H T R)" => "3 blind mice (see how they run)". Our class got all of them but one "26 = L T C S". Some were rather obscure, and a few were out of date (records of running and heights of buildings). Can any of the super-genii here at RD duty help me out, lest it bug me the whole summer holiday? —Daniel (‽) 20:52, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

26 letters that can spell? It's certainly a tough one. Ziggurat 00:55, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Neither 26 nor 26 will be of much help so far as I can see. Sounds like some lateral thinking is called for - stretch your brains with these everyone:

10 G B H O A W 10 green bottles hanging on a wall --Richardrj 07:33, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]
W I 64 When I'm 64 --Richardrj 07:33, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]
1.21 G (apologies in advance for this one) -- GREAT SCOTT! Adam Bishop 15:17, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]
4 Q A C (and this one):For Queen and country Grutness...wha? 07:58, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]
4 W D: 4-wheel drive JackofOz 07:30, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]
1000 M I A K: 1000 metres in a kilometre JackofOz 07:30, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]
W D 40: that's this stuff, right? --Richardrj 07:41, 13 July 2006 (UTC). Amazing, we even have an article on that. JackofOz 13:32, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]
1952 Q E A T T: 1952 Queen Elizabeth ascended the throne JackofOz 07:30, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]
133 P S S F
P L I 1999:(tonight we're gonna) party like it's 1999. Grutness...wha? 07:51, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Answers later, if nobody figures them out. --Howard Train 07:13, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Wow - halfway there and we're only an hour and a half in!

How about these:

1492 C S T O B 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue--Richardrj 08:07, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]
12 D O J 12 disciples of Jesus --Richardrj 08:23, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]
#### #### #### #### M C C N
1605 G T & P Gunpowder treason & plot --Richardrj 08:25, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]
2.17645 × 10-8 P M I A K: (something to do with Plank mass) SWAdair 08:21, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

2.17645 x 10^-8 Planck masses in a kilogram, I think ... Proto::type 16:00, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

--Howard Train 07:59, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

1.8 * 10^12 FpF=SoL? --Tagishsimon (talk)

Something about the speed of light. Proto::type 16:00, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

furlongs per fortnight, I believe. –RHolton ≡– 05:36, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

What about my question‽ You people, getting distracted over your own silly little games! Help, please! The best I could come up with was 26 Long Time County Supporters, but that doesn't really make sense. —Daniel (‽) 19:03, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

We're thinking, Daniel. Not getting distracted, honest. --Tagishsimon (talk)

No-one figured out my credit card number then, or the planned space shuttle flights. For my part, 26 = L T C S has me frickin' stumped. Daniel, could it be a reference to somethine in your local area or school? --Howard Train 01:39, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Me too, HT. I keep thinking of 26 weeks = half a year (sort of), but that seems to go nowhere fast. This obviously isn't it, but how about 26 = Letters, They're Capital or Small. JackofOz 03:57, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Was it a computer science class? With 26 women? 26=Ladies Taking Computer Science? The problem is, no one seems able to think of much associated with the number 26. Of course there are 26 letters in the English alphabet, and I also thought about 52 weeks in a year divided by 2 gives 26. Anyone else have any 26 ideas? –RHolton ≡– 05:36, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

None of the others was to with anything local. I doubt that this was also. It was a maths lesson, but the sheet was nothing to do with maths (other than being numbers). One of them (the last) was self-referencing: 75 = Q in T Q => 75 Questions in This Quiz. I'd put them up, but I can't remember them all and I don't have the patience. —Daniel (‽) 14:33, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

[unindenting] 26 = Like Two Card Suits?--Anchoress 04:49, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Hallelujah! 26 = Lowest Test Cricket Score! Check this:[4] Bloody obscure for a school quiz if you ask me. Anonymous Bob 23:24, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Music in Master and Commander

What is the name of the violin music that is played in the movie Master and Commander when the doctor is visiting the Galapagos Islands? --Jamesino 21:23, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

try a search for master and commander soundtrack. Jon513 22:18, 12 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Automatic Downloads

LarryMac: Thank you for looking, but I think you see what I mean.

code???!!!!!!!

hi... is there any code for myspace so that when you place a video on your profile page the video will play automatically; viewers don't have to press play button? if so.. what is it?/ where/ what website can i copy from?

Thanx! Hot F.L.I.P.

You really think people reading your MySpace page wanna have this video blasting at them, regardless of whether or not they have any interest in seeing it? I can tell you that I, at least, absolutely hate MySpace because of stuff like that, and I think it's a fair bet most of your friends would prefer not to see this video every time they view your page. -Elmer Clark 04:25, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

well, that was a bit harsh... but thanks for your bias, i guess.. but before you slap this on my face, you havent heard my reason as to why i wanted the video to automatically play when my page is visited... "it's because i cant find the song on myspace music page so instead of having a music playing on my page, i placed a video in there (of that music).. thats why i want it to play automatically! so other than that... the only thing that i really wanted to know is the code to do that (does anyone know it or not?!)... and seeing this argument just made my mood(pardon my french) shittier than it already is!!!! Hot F.L.I.P.

Why is this so important? If people really want to see it then they'll click "Play." It's not brain surgery. Battle Ape 14:24, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Albert Einstein's Connection with Greenville, SC.

I came across information that Albert Einstein had a son that lived in Greenville,SC. He is also said to have spoken at Furman University, and establishment rather close to Greenville. Is there a reason he's not listed as a signifigant person in the Greenville,SC page? And if not, i would appreciate someone adding it as I am not confident in my ability.

http://frontieregulator.blogspot.com/2005/06/history-of-greenville-county-sc-part_21.html

http://www.metrobeat.net/gbase/Expedite/Content?oid=oid%3A1061

These two reliable sources state that Einstein visited Greenville,SC because his son, Hans Albert Einstein, resided here for a portion of his life. ——————————————— Russell Quarles

While we appreciate the time you took to check this, saying "X visited a city" isn't really cause to consider that person a notable associate of the city. Consider that a standard like that would make every presidential candidate associated with nearly every state capital as part of the campaign trail. Then consider, on the other hand, the associations of the people already listed: taking the first three names as an arbitrary sampling, we find "born in Greenville", "born in Greenville", and "born in a rural county immediately adjacent to Greenville." — Lomn | Talk 03:56, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Q: financial indecies

were can i find the list of companies that part of major indecies like NASDAQ 100, S&P 500, other world markets. that can be downloaded to Excel with their relative weight in the index.

The same place you might find ?s and ~s. Google is your friend!

After the World Cup

Does anyone know what happens to all the official World cup adverts that were in the host cities during the world cup? There were banners and flags everywhere and they must go somewhere.

That's a great idea . . . I'll go downtown today and try to pick some up, and let you know how I fare. -- Markus, Frankfurt, Germany

Probably thrown away. --Proficient 16:51, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

After the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, those sort of banners were auctioned off a few months later, together with lots of other memorabilia. -- Arwel (talk) 19:20, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Vandalizing Wikipedia

 If...
 
 Art is good.
 -Graffiti is art
 -Graffiti is vandalism
 -Vandalizing Wikipedia is graffiti
 -Vandalizing Wikipedia is art
 Then...Vandalizing Wikipedia is good!
 
 My questions:
 -What do you call this type of sequence of facts that leads up to a fun conclusion?
 -Is it true that "Vandalizing Wikipedia is good"?
 --Chachacha333 11:07, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I believe that is refered to as affirming the consequent. --Sherool (talk) 11:16, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Mostly, it's just logic based on ridiculous premises and fallacious logic. Firstly, you can't gather that because graffiti and vandalizing Wikipedia are both vandalism, they are both art. Secondly, the premise that all art is good and all graffiti is art are shaky at best. And vandalizing Wikipedia is pointless. Crazywolf 11:21, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

OkayChachacha333 11:23, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Agreed, I would say "some" graffiti is art, but not all, or even most. StuRat 13:46, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It's a (faulty) syllogism. If graffiti is art, and graffiti is vandalism, then art is vandalism. If people who make vandalism are criminals, and people who make art are artists, then artists are criminals (using previous conclusion). If criminals should be put in prison, then artists should be put in prison. —Daniel (‽) 19:10, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

There is so much false logic, it's ridiculous. --Proficient 21:00, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I remember this type of logic being called "chop logic". GAMES Magazine used to have a sample of it every once in a while. --Joelmills 21:42, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

On the mafia (game) boards I frequent, that's called Crap Logic^TM. - Mgm|^(talk) 23:06, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I want flags

I want to download all of the world flags at once, in one (free) download. Is there any way that I can download all of the flags that Wikipedia uses (the .svg file ones) all at once? I'd like it to be in a (rather) small download (a couple of megabytes maybe). I want them because I like flags and I wanna find some interesting ones so that I can get ideas for creating my own flags when I create my own country.--Chachacha333 11:17, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Grutness might be able to help out here. JackofOz 12:12, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Fuff. Just because I'm a vexillologist doesn't mean I know how to download flags in bulk! Grutness...wha? 03:34, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You can probably find it using google, but perhaps a couple flags might be variegated in different areas. --Proficient 21:01, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I found a load of flags on Smilies Unlimitedhotclaws**==(82.138.214.1 08:46, 14 July 2006 (UTC))[reply]

I'd give you a link (290 flags / 1.43meg) on your user page, but you seem not to have one! --Seejyb 19:52, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Most (all?) country-related wikipedia pages have a national flag image on them. We have a list of countries that could serve as a jumping-off point. Roffle, I just realised that if I'd said this yesterday, you could have 'em all by now. Sorry about that. --Howard Train 05:03, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Hey Seejyb, I have a userpage, give me that link!--Chachacha333 04:24, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Tampon Usage

I would like to use tampons, but really don't know much about how to insert them. Is there a certain way to put them in. Is sitting on the toilet the best way, or crouching down over the toilet the best way. I've tried them before and just couldn't seem to get them to work. Are they easy to remove? I don't want to leave them in too long and have toxic shock syndrome

1) Make sure that you are female.

2) Follow the instructions on the box.

Also, there are applicator and non-applicator types, depending if having a stinky finger bothers you. :-)

StuRat 13:38, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

That last bit was unnecessary and possibly offensive, StuRat. --Richardrj 13:56, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Don't you just love the guy? :) DirkvdM 18:04, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

inappropriate question

i agree, i also question the validity of this question as questionable in its integrity and would sugggest that the writer seek out a gynecologist if she has questions with regard to her menses.

Yes, there are instructions on the box. Follow them for best results.

It's odd, you know, there have been all manner of sexual and anatomical questions from (presumably) young males and I don't recall anyone ever saying "inappropriate question" or such a tendency to take offence on behalf of others. Do I detect a slightly embarrassed "boys only" atmosphere here, or "systemic patriarchal bias" to use a fancier term? To the original questioner, the first few times, you need to be really relaxed and not in any kind of hurry. Try taking a long bath first, and use a hand mirror. Some people, on the other hand, just never come to accept them. If that doesn't help, take advice from your friends, or try and find a forum not full of embarrassed males. Notinasnaid 17:25, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I can proudly proclaim I didn't find this question the least bit inappropriate. Having said that, I never find anything inappropriate. But then I'm a dirty Dutchman (who was rather looking forward to intimate details).

On a more serious note, it is indeed almost all guys here, which is rather unfair to any woman-questions. Then again, I wonder if there are any women reading those all male questions with red cheeks (in the face, I mean). Cosmic Girl, do you have anything to say on this? DirkvdM 18:04, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Seeing the lack of helpful information, I asked my girlfriend what advice she had, and I hope her knowledge proves useful.

The best way to insert them depends on the person. Try standing and putting one foot on the edge of the sink or putting the tampon in while sitting on the toilet. If you have problems inserting it, you might try different angles of insertion. They're fairly easy to remove, especially if they aren't dry. It might irritate you a little if they are dry, but not too badly. You should remove them after 8 hours or when they start to leak. TSS isn't all that common, and people I know have accidently left tampons in for weeks or months without any serious problems. But it's best to be safe in situations like this. Crazywolf 23:33, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Am I wrong about there being instructions on the box (the tampon box, that is) ? StuRat 00:39, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

LOL. Yeah, why didn't God anticipate this? DirkvdM 07:08, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

OK completely *appropriate* question, although I agree that it's not necessarily the best place to get a good answer (as is evidenced by most of the replies).

1. First, StuRat, your stinky finger comment was *completely* inappropriate, and actually really really disgraceful. The last thing a young girl needs is to feel ashamed or stigmatised about touching her own genitalia, or afraid that it's gross.

Sorry, but it is gross. At least gross enough that washing your hands afterwards is necessary. StuRat 03:05, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Sorry, but it is NOT gross. First, most vaginas don't stink. Second, those that do are usually because of the chemical imbalance caused by semen, and someone who hasn't even used a tampon probably isn't sexually active yet. Third, young girls are already sensitive and embarrassed enough about their bodies without people making rude, un-called-for comments like yours. And you screwed up my numbering, BTW. But you're right about the hand-washing, which I assure you the vast majority of women do.--Anchoress 04:01, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

That autonumbering doesn't work very well, a blank line can throw it off, so I rarely use it. And if she thinks her finger is stinky, she's more likely to wash it, which is a good thing. StuRat

Come on, admit it, we're the ones who stink. We just pass it on. For free. Maybe we're natural communists after all. DirkvdM 07:08, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

2. Second, StuRat, no, there aren't any instructions on the box, they're in the box.

It makes no difference, the instructions are there in either case, so she should read them. StuRat 03:05, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

3. Third, DirkvdM I don't think you're much better than StuRat. If you want 'intimate details' about a young girl's first experience with tampons, I suggest you read the 'True Confessions' pages of Penthouse.

What prompted this vicious attack ? I'm sure what DirkvdM said was meant as a joke, as was what I said. Don't take everything so seriously. StuRat 03:05, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It's not funny to make jokes like that. Do you know that some girls start menstruating at 8 or 9 years old? Some girls start using tampons at 11 or 12? It is ABSOLUTELY not OK to be making jokes about 'intimate details' when discussing a clinical gynocological issue with someone who could be as young as 11 or 12.--Anchoress 04:01, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Why? A couple I know made a point of not holding back when talking to their children (both girls) including 'dirty jokes' (to a level). As a result they now get compliments by their teachers about their vocabulary. Also, they needed to learn that certain things that were said back home could not be said everywhere, but that is the sort of lesson one always needs to learn. Net result is that they are a lot wiser than their schoolmates. DirkvdM 07:08, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Well guess what... you're not her parent. And inappropriately and unnecessarily sexualising a conversation about health to an adolescent or younger is NOT helping her make her way in the world, it's just plain INAPPROPRIATE.--Anchoress 07:34, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

DirkvdM, that wasn't just a dirty joke. That was a point blank insult towards the OP's body. You guys may not think this, but you also haven't been in the OP's position. Modern society already teaches women that their bodies are wrong, and the stinky finger comment compounds that. And StuRat, given that women wash their hands way better than men do, I'd look at some other people's hand-washing habits first. --ColourBurst 22:09, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The alledged stink is not the result of (lack of) hand washing. You seem to have missed the point. And which modern society are you talking about? In the Netherlands that might have been true until a few decennia ago and to this day in our version of the Bible Belt, but not elsewhere, as far as I'm aware.

You're the ones making a big deal out of this. It started off with an innocent joke. Now the girl is presented with all this discussion over her back. Now she may not dare to come back here again. Another woman lost to Wikipedia. DirkvdM 06:57, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

DirkvdM 06:57, 15 July 2006 (UTC) [unindenting] DirkkvdM, it's the oldest trick in the book for boorish, immature chauvanists to pass off inappropriate sexual comments as 'an innocent joke' and to try to make it the woman's fault for not taking it with good humour. Is that what you are? If not, now's the time to prove it.--Anchoress 07:08, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It's also one of the oldest tricks for feminists to blame everything bad on men. I particularly liked how you implied that if any woman has a smelly vagina, it must be a man's fault. StuRat 16:05, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Again, you believe that a vagina, even when it's clean, smells bad. That's a subjective call there ("bad" is your opinion and not a fact), and isn't very useful for the OP. That has nothing to do with blame. --ColourBurst 16:34, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Sturat, first, I'm not blaming anything on anybody. I'm not finding fault. It's a scientific fact that malodours in the vagina are due mainly to exposure of the vagina to semen, either due to the decomposing semen, the change in PH (the vagina is acidic and semen is alkaline) causing microbe blooms that the normally acidic vagina protects itself against, or because of sexually transmitted bacterial infections like PID or HPV. The fact remains that, in this discussion, I stood up as a woman, not as a feminist, to protest against inappropriate and insulting comments made by some posters towards another. Call me a feminazi, call me any other names you want, misread my comments, or whatever else you want, but it doesn't change the fact that inappropriate, unhelpful and unneccessary comments were made towards the OP.--Anchoress 02:41, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

And I don't suppose odors are ever caused by decomposing menstrual blood, infection, etc. ? Nope, can't be, it must always be a man's fault. StuRat 00:49, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

4. Fourth, CrazyWolf's and Notinasnaid's answers were thoughtful, appropriate and helpful. To their words I would add that you should make sure it's the smallest size of tampon, that you wait until your flow is heavy, that if you are still dry or tight you consider lubricating the applicator, that if it doesn't work give it a few months and try again, and that to protect against TSS (Toxic Shock Syndrome) you always choose the smallest tampon appropriate for your flow, never use a tampon when you're not menstruating, and you change them often. And a last piece of advice; start NOW to ignore the dumbasses who can't answer a simple question without insulting you or bringing up their own sexuality. You'll be doing yourself a BIG favour.--Anchoress 01:00, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

My last piece of advice, always have a sense of humor about life, or you will end up full of hatred, and be unpleasant to be around, as well. StuRat 03:14, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Hear, hear! DirkvdM 07:08, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

To StuRat and DirkvdM: we allow a bit of fun on the reference desk when people ask stupid questions, but please think twice before making fun of someone asking a serious question about a potentially sensitive issue.-gadfium 08:51, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Where were we making fun of her? We were just having some fun and then it got turned into something it wasn't. Of course we should be the wiser ones and stop this pointless discussion. I now notice that StuRat has already done that. ... StuRat? ... Hey, StuRat ... Ok, I'll be off too then. DirkvdM 07:06, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Don't listen to them. Whatever way works for you. My ex used to sit on the toilet and do it, and I would advise using an applicator. They're usually very easy to take out. --Abnerian 12:04, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I'm going to interject something here. Don't assume it was a young girl writing in. Often times questions like this will be posed like this as the writer obtains sexual satisfaction in the response. I've had patients actually write in to magazines and newspaper advise columns for such thrills. for such response for their own personal pleasure.

Zeenat Aman

I am a great fan of the erstwhile leading lady of Hindi Films, Zeenat Aman.I would like to correspond with her or atleast speak to her. How can I get her postal address/ phone number?Ihave tried the net and film magazines but no luck. Can anyone help me out? sumal 13:09, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Famous people tend to keep those kinds of detail private, precisely because they don't want to speak to or correspond with fans. You'll be very lucky to find the information you are looking for. Your only chance is to find out who her manager or agent is, and write nicely to her c/o them. --Richardrj 13:59, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

If you go to http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0023868/contact and click on "Click here for a free trial!", you might get her contact information (although more likely her agent's contact information), I don't know if you are required to continue with the "free trial" after the trial period is up, though. User:Zoe|^(talk) 01:49, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

name that tune

Could someone please tell me who sang "it's got to be me?" Does anyone know the words? thanking you in advance.

Perhaps the song that you are after is I've gotta be me. It has been performed by a number of people, a well known version was by Sammy Davis, Jr. Lyrics can be found here.--Melburnian 13:53, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

thank-you for your help

why is there such a stigma against homeschooling in america?

the libs are always complaing that there isn't enough money going to public schools, wouldn't reducing the number of students actually be a BETTER thing then?--Crbbydemds 14:21, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

the standard of education provided by parents is often not up to the standard of most schools. therefore the education recieved is inferior to that of publically schooled people. Also, home schooled pupils often get given miss leading information due to a parents views on a subject, where as in a classroom, they may hear the teachers views, but will also hear the views of the other ppupils and will get different views from different teachers.193.115.175.247 15:01, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Looking over at Science, why do I suspect somebody has changed names? --Zeizmic 15:09, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Part of the reason for having schools in the first place is so that children are exposed to ideas which their parents dont like! So they can make their own mind up later on as individuals and not necessarily follow their parents' beliefs {however sincerely held). Jameswilson 23:09, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Homeschooling is often identified with cults and ultra-fundimentalist beliefs, many times for good reason. Kids need to be exposed to things their parents don't like. --mboverload @ 07:32, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Also,home schooling hampers socialisation with their peers. hotclaws**==(82.138.214.1 08:49, 14 July 2006 (UTC))[reply]

Hotclaws, are there any stats on that? Cuz I'd actually heard the opposite.--Anchoress 11:10, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

How could the opposite be true? Surely children in school will have more contact with their peers than a child at home. In school, children are together for a larg part of each day, while home schooled children cannot spend that time with other (schoolgoing) children. -- Ec5618 11:15, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Spending time with your peers is not synonymous with socialisation, particularly when most of the time you spend with them is either completely structured (classroom time spent at a desk listening to one adult speak or working alone), or completely unstructured (essentially unsupervised play time). Most homeschooled kids spend significant, one-on-one or small group time with - gasp! - not only a bunch of kids their own age, but kids of all ages and a wider variety of adults too. This is not every homeschooled child, mind you, but the majority of them. Apparently - gasp! - children develop better socialisation skills interacting with - and modelling - adults than interacting with their peers.--Anchoress 21:16, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Why not just look it up and stop guessing? This study suggests that homeschooled children have better socialization skills than other children. The results were significant, and there are other studies that are mentioned that I am too lazy to look up. --Crazywolf 19:39, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

formatted to remove yelling -- Ec5618 21:57, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Do you know if they (and other studies have) controlled for economic variables and the like? I'd imagine that the children that are home-schooled are predisposed to being at the higher portions of economic ladder? I'd also imagine that given this the children would have more structured environment to learn proper socialization skills, e.g. they may be in the Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts, attend summer camp, and the like.--droptone 09:13, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Not a convincing reference, but then I do not believe that simple end-result analysis would be worthwhile without looking at the circumstances of the different environments, and which kids are "better suited" to each kind of teaching. The answers are not yet available, it seems. The stigma (presumably referring to an opinion that home-schooling per se is inferior or bad) does seem to be more of a social perception than a scientific fact, so the why would have to be answered by interviewing those who hold the opinion, rather than by looking at scientific studies involving the kids themselves. Something like: "A study comparing persons' opinions of home schooling with established facts, and posssible reasons for the discrepancies."? That is really what the questioner asked, but I find no answers. In my own social experience, the success of the education often seems to depend much on what input the parents have; in some cases one finds oneself wishing that the children could get away from their parents' oppressive presence and mingle with some peers, in others one senses that the peer interactions or teachers at a public school have damaged a sensitive young soul, with the parents being unavailable or incapable of rectifying the problem. --Seejyb 22:42, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

When I was in school, "socialization" meant getting one's head stuffed in the toilet. --Serie 23:28, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

There's also considerable scepticism that parents, and particularly the type of parents who homeschool their children, have the skills to effectively teach their children material that they may not understand particularly well themselves. Even avoiding controversies about biology for a moment, very few parents would have the ability to teach mathematics, English, history, and the visual arts (to take a subset of what you might like a student to learn about) to a high school standard.

An Australian teacher who writes a blog wrote a post a little while ago explaining his big concerns about a major change to the education system he will teach in; children from the ages of 13 to 15, who currently have different teachers for each subject, are to be moved into one class with the one teacher providing most lessons. Unfortunately, very few of the teachers are sufficiently trained to teach the entire curriculum to a satisfactory standard; for instance, many of the English teachers are inferior mathematicians to many more gifted 15-year-olds. Compare this with homeschoolers who may have no formal training whatsoever. --Robert Merkel 23:07, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Many homeschoolers use prepared curricula or teacher-approved course outlines so teaching is not entirely dependant upon parental ability. Rmhermen 01:15, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

But having material created for you does not help TEACH the material. I remember many teachers in high school that surely knew the material, for example one had a masters in mathematics, but still weren't the best teachers. It takes different skills to be able to teach someone the material than just personal understanding (and this assumes the parent actually grasps what is being taught). Sure it is possible to teach a child based on material prepared by someone else, but that does not mean it is the best option or even a relatively good one.--droptone 09:17, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Following the original poster's reasoning, having no public school students at all would be the BEST thing. Well, at least it would help with the budget deficit... Clarityfiend 16:24, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

What is the name of this cryptid?

I remember reading an article (I think it was a stub) about a bizarre European cryptid. I can't remember much about it, except that it had a two-word name, was headless, and was very violent. It might also have been made of metal or something. It was very strange. I think it may have been from Finnish or Swedish folklore. Does this seem familiar to anyone? Bhumiya (said/done) 15:29, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The only headless one I can find is the Irish dullahan. Did you look through the list of Cryptids?--Shantavira 16:55, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, I've gone through it, but it isn't there. I'm afraid the article may have been deleted. It contained an image, I recall. But it certainly wasn't Irish. It was a bizarre creature, containing fire or something, and I know it was partially metal, with claws or blades on its arms. It was a recent thing, more of an urban legend than a piece of folklore. It's driving me crazy, though. Bhumiya (said/done) 17:12, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Aha! It's the Clutchbone. We used to have an article on it, but it must have been deleted. It shows up here, though. Bhumiya (said/done) 17:23, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Interesting, and a neat name. Apparently it was deleted because it was unverifiable, as cryptids tend to be. Perhaps you should recreate the article with some references.--Shantavira 06:30, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

That might be difficult. I can find next to nothing about it on Google. Bhumiya (said/done) 06:06, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

What are the bendable stick figure toys made out of?

I went to a conference and we received a toy everyone is calling a 'bendable'. It’s a small 3-4 inch stick figure that can be bent over and over again in any position but never breaks and the feet and hands have magnets in them. I found a company that produces something similar called 'bendables', (www.hogwildtoys.com).

I’m trying to figure out what they are made of, is it rubber, plastic, metal with a coating? I sent hogwild toys a note but never heard from them. I would love to find who manufactures this material and what it’s composed of.

Any ideas? Thanks!

try http://www.hogwildtoys.com/contact.html companies are sometimes very happy to help. Jon513 15:45, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

"The Benders are durable plastic coated wire characters that have magnets in their hands and feet." [5] Wendy Bender watches over all my London based wikipediaing, from her place atop the hole punch that sits on my monitor. But what gauge of wire & how many strands is another question entirely. I have not the heart to dissect her. --Tagishsimon (talk)

Note that pipe cleaners have rather similar characteristics. StuRat 20:22, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I've pulled similar things apart before. It's usually just two thin pieces of (maybe aluminum?) wire, spaced a milimeter or two apart. This allows the limb to bend in one direction, but not so easily in the other, thus simulating a knee/elbow joint. However, these things may just contain a single thick wire, since they are meant to bend in all directions. Bhumiya (said/done) 03:24, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

epoch o civilization

If one looks at history it is clear to see that on great civilization lasts forever as can be seen in the lost cities in south east asia, as well as south and central america. The Romans i am sure though thier culture and civilization would last forever, as did the egyptians. Now, some civilizations left monuments behind that would last for milenia. An example of this is the pyramids. Now noting this and how much knowlege can be lost though such a drop in a society, i propose we in the technilogical age leave something behind, not only to say: We were here. But also to try and preserve some of the knowlege we have gained. So, my question is how would you propose we save all our knowlege such as electricity, spirituallity ect ect ect. and have it last millenia. or just comment on my observation. I propose: thousands of stone tablets inscribed with various knowlege and buried along with a rosetta stone type artifact beneath a new pyramid build some where other than egypt. what is your sujestion? sorry for such a long question 193.115.175.247 15:45, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

That's a great idea. I think you should start digging now, before the apocalypse hits us. We are clever enough now to make big artificial diamond tablets, rather than stone, which would last longer. Proto::type 15:56, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

beautiful idea! diamond would last longer but are fragile and crumble easily and who would pay for it? come on people this is for ALL of us.193.115.175.247 16:17, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

lol - we're building it right now - it's called WIKIPEDIA!!! Cool, huh? Of course, if the apocalypse hits, there's no guarantee that the wikipedia servers will survive, so we have to keep making CD versions of wikipedia. Perhaps we should launch a few hundred into stable near-earth orbits! That would be cool. We'd have to launch some radiation-shielded intel chips into orbit too, and maybe a few copies of windows XP, because there's no guaranteeing the next civilization will have compatible logic systems. --Bmk 17:15, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

If we want to impress those future archaeologists, we sure shouldn't let it run on msWindows. It'll probably crash. What impression would that leave? And since Wikipedia is a great example of worldwide human cooperation we should use an OS that was built the same way: Linux. Anyway, it would have to be a complete system that somehow starts itself when uncovered because we can't know what kind of knowledge those people will have. (Or if they will be people, for that matter.) But a computer system is way too volatile. Stones (or diamonds) would make it way too big. Books will do. But not on modern paper. Old paper is much more durable (though I can't remember why). But that doesn't last too long either. Plastic might be a good choice.

As for the rosetta stone. That helped because it had the same text in different languages, one of which was known, so that's how the other languages could be deciphered. But we don't know what languages the discoverers might understand. Maybe we should make a translation into esperanto or some other logical language. Or just do the whole thing in esperanto and forget about the other languages. This is an intriguing thought. How does one make sure that some other, unknown, civilisation understands what you're trying to say? Was this solved in some way with the Voyager Golden Record? DirkvdM 18:31, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Good luck with the product activation on Windows XP after civilisation has fallen.-gadfium 05:45, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I think a likely scenario is a nuclear war or pandemic that kills off almost the entire population. This would bring about the need to preserve all human knowledge until the population recovered enough to use it. I would think they would still speak a language close enough to modern languages that they could understand us. Preserving the knowledge where it could be accessed, but not destroyed, would be tricky. Perhaps a small nuclear reactor in a mine with the data could send power and info to terminals displaying the info on the surface. That way, if the terminals were destroyed, the data would still be safe until some future generation dug it up. StuRat 20:18, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Yeah! The Time Machine thingie! --Zeizmic 21:23, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Cool, the Morlocks can operate the reactor. StuRat 00:42, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Serious answer =D: They have recently made a material 10x stronger than diamond that's apparently pretty cheep. Wrap it in hundreds of layers of whatever kevlar we have at the time, and put a few layers of ultra-reflective foil around it. Don't ask me how you'd "encode" it onto the tablets, or allow alien civilizations tgo read it, but the ONLY place to reccoverably store something that you want to last forever is in in multiple orbits of multiple planets. Uranus would probably be a good pick, the solar system will continue to exist even after the sun has collapsed (in the beginning expanding, engulfing Earth and making Mars even a crappier place to live in the process). --mboverload @ 07:29, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Wow, we were only talking about bridging a "dark age" gap a few hundred or thousand years long, not billions of years, until the Sun dies. And we were talking about future humans reading the info, not aliens. StuRat 23:40, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Anything left on Earth is vulnerable. If you TRUELY want to preserve something, put put it in space. --mboverload @ 00:24, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

They are, they have are launching a satelite into space that will return in 50000 years, you can post messages to the future via the satelite, here [6], but they dont have time travel, I posted my co-ordinates and told them to pick me up a few days ago, no response so far, :-P Philc _T^E_C^I 00:19, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

KEO? Philc _T^E_C^I 00:19, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

ok, so marble tablets placed under a pyramid build in the Americas. But who would fund it? how would one go about organizing something like this?193.115.175.247 16:02, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

starter motor

i purchased a replacment starter motor for my motorcycle and found it was turning the wrong way, how do i change the direction of thr motor

thank you in antisipation dave tucker

Would it not be best to return it for the correct motor? CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 16:04, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Are you sure you haven't simply connected the electric supply the wrong way? DJ Clayworth 16:29, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It's best to contact the manufacturer and not risk injury or a broken mechanism. --Proficient 04:00, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Plug the battery in the other way round. Dear me... Philc _T^E_C^I 00:20, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Orchid Classification using foliage

Despite the plethora of data on orchids, I'm still having difficulty "typing" a couple of my orchid plants. Unfortunately, virtually all the visual references to orchids focus on the flowers, often to the exclusion of the stems and leaves. The thing that seems to distinguish these two plants is more in the basic plant and less in the flower. Can anyone point me to a source?--67.188.185.59 16:11, 13 July 2006 (UTC)--67.188.185.59 16:11, 13 July 2006 (UTC) Thanks[reply]

Royal Horticultural Society? They have a website. hotclaws**==(82.138.214.1 08:53, 14 July 2006 (UTC))[reply]

Adding an article rather than editting one

Hello,

I am a campaign manager for a man running for municipal office in Toronto, Ontario. One of our opponents (Adam Vaughan) has a listing in Wikipedia and we want one too. I know that you can edit an entry, but can you add a new one? My candidate's name is Desmond Cole (www.desmondcole.to). I can be reached at [email removed per instructions at top of page].

Thank you, Geordie.

Hello Geordie - to add new articles to Wikipedia, one must have an account. It doesn't cost anything and takes almost no time to sign up. Bear in mind that articles need to portray a Neutral Point Of View. --LarryMac 17:51, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

(after edit conflict) Yep, there are a couple ways to add new entries. Easiest is to simply sign up for an account here (free) and then follow the instructions at Help:Starting a new page to create the new page. The second way is to go and post the new page request on the articles for creation page, where we'll review it, and if it's suitable will create the page for you. However, before attempting either of these you have to keep in mind that in order for the page to be created (or kept, if you create it yourself) you have to meet certain criteria of the encyclopedia. The page has to assert the notability of the person, and has to be written from a neutral point of view. Wikipedia is a forum for learning, not a political soapbox to use as a campaign tool. --Maelwys 17:53, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

(after three edit conflicts)In order to add an article you would first need to create an account. This can be done by clicking the "Log in/Create an account" link at the top right of the page. After that, see Help:Starting a new page. Although, please don't think of Wikipedia as an advertising medium. We endeavour to stay neutral. You may want to read over the neutrality policy as well as WP:VAIN which talks about writing yourself or someone you are closely associated with. Dismas|^(talk) 17:55, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Finally, keep in mind that if your candidate is not notable (see WP:N), there's a good chance that it'll be deleted. Please use independently verified sources to write the article. Oh, looks like it's being considered right now. --ColourBurst 23:54, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Also keep in mind that you will no have no control over the article once it is created. It is quite possible that imformation harmful to your campaign can end up in the article. If it is verifiable and significant you should not remove it (and if you do, others will reinsert it). Jon513 18:57, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I live in Toronto and shall follow this with interest. An entry in the Wiki is a 2 edged sword, especially with politicians. --Zeizmic 19:40, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Yes! I found a cited controversy for Vaughan! Mel Lastman hates him! He now meets the criterion for notability. I wonder about this other guy. --Zeizmic 20:27, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Before you create the article, I would recommend you read the proposed policy Wikipedia:Candidates and elections and the sample articles linked to on that page. -- Mwalcoff 23:10, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Looking for very very repetitive Japanese Power Rangers-like show

Before Power Rangers became quite big, I used to watch a show (as a kid of course!) on French tv (TFI) : they would broadcast a lot of dubbed Japanese stuff. Of course I didn't understand much as I didn't know French at that time.

There was this japanese show (the actors looked Asian, and considering the Japanese genre it's safe to say it is Japanese) that was located near a rocky beach, and every episode a monster would pop up. Three teenagers (I think one was a girl) would always change in superheroes in red, black and yellow costumes. In the end, they would always (and I mean always!!) jointly aim a huge cannon at the monster and fire, however when the monster was nearly dead, he would always get a boost from his boss or something, making him grown into a giant as well. Then the heroes would always summon some robots/vehicles and with that they would crush the monster.

This may sound like Power Rangers, but it wasn't, and I am quite sure it isn't one of those Japanese shows the Power Rangers creators took footage from either. I do think that at some point in the series, they met two other guys (who also owned their own robots/vehicles) and they sticked around (I think all the robots could merge together).

So does anyone have an idea what this was? Thanks Evilbu 18:02, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I'll keep my eye out for it, and if I see it, I will reply with the name of the program. Google seems to suggest that there is a Japanese Power Ranger version. --Proficient 21:15, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It's going to be tough, because there an inordinate amount of sentai shows (Power Rangers isn't Japanese; it's a remake from Saban and Levy, now part of Disney.). Also as unfortunately, what you quoted is practically the sentai formula and many shows of that category fit your description. Could you give us more information? Or you can just use JapanHero, it has a pretty comprehensive list. The only distinctive thing I noticed is that you mention only three protagonists instead of five (the formula is five). The only sentai show that matches that description is Sun Vulcan. --ColourBurst 23:46, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Do you mean G Force (anime)? HERE is a picture. They originally had 3 members, although the crew grew over time.--Anchoress 00:36, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I doubt it. From Evilbu's description it's not an anime, which rules Gatchaman right out. --ColourBurst 02:19, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I will give more information (this time I will really get into detail). As I said most actions took place near a rocky beach. In the beginning there were three heroes. About the cannon : they would stand next to each other, and then the cannon would actually appear( being teleported) between them. First it was transparent and then ! it was there and they were holding it together. About the vehicles : I think the three heroes had a separate vehicle, and those three could merge. However, I am not sure, it could also be that they one big vehicle in common. However, in some later episodes, two other heroes would appear (I don't remember them having a true own colour), both male, and they definitely both had their own vehicle. I think those two new ones could fuse together, and that it was also possible to merge all of the heroes' vehicles as well. Those two heroes sticked around then. I remember when they were introduced one of them did something, and when he came out of his vehicle, the other new guy for some reason slapped him?? And now I am really going crazy : there is an episode where a lady joins them, and she didn't look asian, she looked European. I asked another guy, and he said he had seen that too, and he claimed it was actually Dorothée, the host from French television show Club Dorothée( which was the immensely long show in which all Japanese stuff on French television like DBZ was cramped together) making a cameo. I always found that weird, probably that show wasn't even made at the time of the French broadcast, and even still, a French host making a cameo in a Japanese action show for kids, I don't think so.

O, and as I said, very very repetitive. Really Power Rangers seemed full of variation compared to this (in Power Rangers, they would sometimes fight the putties unmorphed, they would sometimes beat the monster withot the monster growing, they wouldn't always use that Sword coming from heaven) Does this help? Evilbu 02:16, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Do keep in mind that Power Rangers was a conglomerate of edited super sentai shows and therefore would mix them around; this is probably what accounts for the "variety". The shapes of the vehicles would be very useful (were they animals like lions or falcons or were they airplanes or bullet trains?) Choujuu Sentai Liveman also had three protagonists in the beginning and two males that came later on, but they used a cannon to make the monster big; but I think this is the one, because Dorothée does indeed makes a cameo in this series. So yeah, that's my answer for you. --ColourBurst 02:31, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Here is the Liveman cannon. --ColourBurst 02:35, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Dorothée did act in episode 30, surprising as it sounds. [7] shows her as "guest star" (and not as "Doctor Dorothée"). I'm guessing that because Asahi had a TV deal with TF1 at the time, she was brought in specifically for her club. --ColourBurst 03:09, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Unless Dorothée has appeared in other series, I think it is safe to say it is that. [[8]] is a link to that same site, containing more pictures. I seem to have been wrong about the colors of the three original heroes though. Can you make out which ones were the two vehicles of the two nex guys, because as I remember they were not animal robots, just vehicles. Isn't Wikipedia great. For like 11 years, more than half my life, I have been wondering whether or not that really was Dorothée. How bizarre! She just spoke French then as it was only intended for a French dub broadcast in France anyway? But wasn't that particular episode one of those in which the the transition from three to five heroes was being made, so that would make the episode relevant to the Japanese public as well wouldn't it? I didn't know any other Wikipedians were familiar with the Club Dorothée phenomenon:). Evilbu 12:17, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Unpassed UN Security Council Resolutions

Where can I find the list of UN Security Council Resolutions that didn't pass. I know there's a lot of them that have been vetoed. CG 19:34, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Here [9] is a list of resolutions that have been vetoed by the US. In my quick search I couldn't find a list of all vetoed resolutions. Digfarenough 19:52, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Adrenaline

Hi, i would like to know if, and how, someone can raise the level of adrenaline(epinephrine) in their body, by some kind of drug or medicine?--Captain ginyu 20:37, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Well, you can inject yourself with it, which is actually done to treat anaphylactic shock. Or you could just exercise or get someone to startle you. —Keenan Pepper 20:50, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Go on a rollercoaster. No better source of adrenaline (apart from injection, but a lot safer). - Mgm|^(talk) 23:01, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Amphetmines mirror many of the effects of epinephrine through sympathetic nervous system activation, but for a much longer period of time. They also have other effects, however. Crazywolf 23:13, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

They can release their own adrenaline through various means. --Proficient 04:00, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Using Rifles at School

At my school, children from the age of 13 (year 9) in the CCF are trained in the use of rifles. We do not get to use any automatic weapons, and we are only allowed in the prone position (lying down). However, it strikes me that allowing children to use weaponry, even when in a controlled environment, is stupidly dangerous (not that I'm complaining...) What are the relevant laws (UK)? How can they do this? —Daniel (‽) 20:47, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The main relevant law is the Firearms Act 1968, but there are a bunch of others - Firearms (Amendment) Act 1994, Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997, and a number of statutory instruments such as Statutory Instrument 1997 No. 1535 (C.60). There are also firearms provisions in various Criminal Justice & Public Order Acts, such as that in 1994, the Criminal Justice Act 2003, &c. I can't find an online copy of the 68 act, but know it has sections such as 22(2) which makes it an offence for a "Person under 14 having firearm in his possession, without lawful authority - (Group I)". Most of the age related sections deal with possession, or "having with him" a firearm or air-gun. All of which points to the law not legislating absolutely against the use of weapons by minors, except perhaps by stipulations made in the firearms certificate under which the weapon is held. And that certificate may well forbid its use by minors. And if so, I'd be reasonably sure that the licence under which the military possesses weapons does not restrict their use by cadets, irrespective of age. But as you'll see, there's a fair amount of speculation in this answer. The Metropolitan Police have a page on firearms & age. Who knew a person under 14 could hold a shotgun certificate? Scary. --Tagishsimon (talk)

Stupidly dangerous? Given two children who may at some later point come into contact with a firearm which may or may not be loaded, which one will be more dangerous? The one who has received training on the proper way to handle, treat, and unload a firearm, or the one who has never been trained whatsoever and has no idea what to do?

The trained one, I suppose. But how would such a situation arise? Pretty unlikely scenario. DirkvdM 07:34, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I once saw a documentary showing Armenian kids in Nagorno Karabach, assembling weapons in class (each day!) to prepare for an Azeri return. I was quite shocked , and this is a war zone. So I think the idea is really weird, is your school unique in the western world concerning that matter?Evilbu 02:04, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Two countries that spring to mind are Cuba and Israel (and Palestine if you count rocks as weapons). Cubans are trained at (guerrilla?) warfare from early childhood (always ready for war). And I believe something similar happens in Israel (always at war). But a separate school in a contry at peace is indeed weird. DirkvdM 07:34, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

While not familiar with this particular situation cited by Dbmag9 my understanding is it isn't the school giving rifle lessons but the Cadets operating through the school as a useful distribution channel. I'd expect that either this training goes on after school hours just using the school as a base, or that the training is carried out by Cadet instructors during a timetabled lesson available only to Cadet members. I doubt very much if the rifle training would be open to the whole school.

On the issue of whether this is "stupidly dangerous" I'd agree with the implied comments of the anonymous poster above that it is better to know how to handle potentially lethal tools/weapons safely than not to. I take the view that those with an attraction or interest in guns (which could be generalised as most teenaged boys at some time or another) are benefited by getting an instruction in how these weapons actually work, the respect you should show when handling them, and the best ways to handle, transport, store and use them in safety. In addition to the obvious benefits above it also tends to remove the mysticism and attraction which leads youngsters to illicitly seek out guns (often replacing it with an interest in shooting as a sport). Nowadays through TV everyone knows how to fire a gun and with a little experimentation can discover how to reload or remove cartridges, with the growth in easy availability of firearms (particularly handguns) in the U.K. I'd say it is better that the kids at your school are taught a more mature approach to and understanding of firearms rather than trusting them to behave responsibly if they are ever faced with (or seek out) access to a gun.AllanHainey 11:03, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

At my school at least, the CCF operates after school using the school as a base. We are taught things such as weapon handling, cleaning and dismantling at the school, but only fire the weapon (or indeed go anywhere near ammunition) at a proper MOD owned establishment (such as a TA barrack or an RAF base). After firing you have to put down the number of shots you have fired and how many you have been exposed and sign it (I think this is more for the exposure to lead than anything else though). After this, you have to take an oath that basically states that you have no rounds on your person (be they empty or not). However, before we can be taught anything about how to use a weapon, the teacher has to pass a certain test and even then can only teach us up to a point. --80.229.152.246 16:35, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You might be interested in our article at Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps. User:Zoe|^(talk) 02:23, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

AllanHainey, you say "it is better to know how to handle potentially lethal tools/weapons safely than not to". That is ludicrous. It's so ludicrous I can't say why. You explain this to me. How can that be a good thing? You say they should know "the best ways to handle, transport, store and use them in safety". How is this useful knowledge if they will (hopefully and most probably) never get into contact with them? Or do they where you're from? Do guns lie around there? I've never seen a gun in muy life and I don't think anyone I know ever has (except for those who have been in the army or the underground in WWII).

Them having some interrest in guns at some point is a stupid excuse. They'll probably wonder about heroin too at some point, so let's let them have a shot at that too. DirkvdM 07:08, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

A lot of kids a fascinated with the mysterious and unknown, thinking that (say) firing a gun will be a life-changing thrill. Letting them fire actual guns will take some of the mystery out of it. Anyway who says that we hope no kid will ever get in contact with a gun? Some will go into the miltary, some may take up target shooting. Unlike heroin, guns can used in a perfectly safe way if you know what you are doing. DJ Clayworth 18:49, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The CCF (Combined Cadet Force) is a part of the school, and everyone in year 9 has to go through it - after that it's optional. It is run after school ends, but it is not done by a seperate establishment. We are allowed to fire the weaker rifles (I don't know what they're called) in the school's range, but as someone said above we have to make an oath before and after (that we haven't taken any rounds etc.). —Daniel (‽) 14:24, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I was in the CCF as school and learned to fire a rifle at around age 13. It's not dangerous at all, if properly superpvised by trained adults. This is born out by the statistics of gun accidents in CCF corps, which is staggeringly low. I certainly never heard of one, then or later. One editor clearly pointed out that there is no absolute law against the user of firearms by children subject to appropriate controls. In addition children in the CCF are technically part of the Armed Forces (look it up - they are!) and as such are exempt from a number of regulations that would apply if they were not. In my experience CCF corps almost never do anything that would be illegal if they were not part of the military, but I doubt there would ever be an actual legal problem. DJ Clayworth 18:43, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

rape + incest

why do people always give the condition of "rape and incest" when talking about abortion? Is the "incest" in this case a subset of rape? I assume they're not referring to consentual-incest... -Steve

Certainly they don't always seriatim use the two terms. They are different. If they are talking about rape and incest when pertaining to abortion, they probably mean that a woman was raped by a relative and someone wants an abortion. --Proficient 21:19, 13 July 2006 (UTC)][reply]

I'd imagine the reason they seperate those two actions is that they are different in the types of nonconsensual sex that occurred. Incest, by which they mean (or I take them to mean), sexual relations between two people inside the same family with one of the members being above the age of consent and the other below it. This is different from rape in that it is generally assumed in rape that the non-consensual nature of the sex comes from the forcefulness of one of the participants whereas incest (narrowly defined above) is nonconsensual only because we have created an age of consent. So the each of the participants in the incestual relationship may claim that the relationship is consensual, but legally it would be categorized as nonconsensual.--droptone 08:16, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Some of the probably are talking about consensual incest too, incest (and more specifically inbreeding) can do nasty things to the genes of the poor child. Plus, the cultural view of incest is highly negative and the stigma would follow the kid forever. Emmett5 21:34, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

To be more scientific, incest or inbreeding don't create bad genes, but the offspring of such matings are more likely to have a pair of such genes by receiving one from each parent. In the case of recessive genetic disorders, two copies are needed for the gene to be expressed. StuRat 23:13, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Another possibly negative effect is the magnification of traits. For example, if both parents have one normal ear size gene and one (rare) huge ear size gene and thus have large, but not huge, ears, their offspring have a 1 in 4 chance of having two huge ear genes and thus having huge ears. When you multiply this by all the genes a person has, they are more likely to have some "extreme" characteristics than the offspring of unrelated pairings. Of course, some of these extreme traits might be good, like extremely high intelligence. StuRat 23:13, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It's strange to single out incest as a special case in which an abortion is acceptable, as though other conditions are less genetically damaging. If it occurs as part of a rape, why not simply count it as rape? If it is somehow consensual, then to terminate the fetus is essentially a form of eugenics, and scarcely different from aborting a fetus with Down syndrome. It seems to be a blatant case of wisdom of repugnance. The birth defects associated with inbreeding are not necessarily worse than those associated with any other genetic disorder, yet because they have come about at the result of a distasteful practice, they acquire a repulsive tinge. Bhumiya (said/done) 06:30, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

When people talk about incest in this context, they generally mean an older man (father, uncle, older brother) with a young girl (12, 13, 14) - in short, what is ultimately child molestation. So, yes, it's a subset of rape - statutory rape, to be precise, of a particularly abhorrent variety. They are generally *not* referring to two related adults; the necessity for an abortion in these cases implies the molestation. So I don't think it really has much to do with birth defects. zafiroblue05 | Talk 01:10, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Hey, take it where you can get it is my motto =D --mboverload @ 07:22, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I'll warn your sister to watch out. :-) StuRat 23:43, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Something else to consider in the "incest" context -- many states require underage girls to get both parents' permission before having an abortion. Well, if a girl's raped, maybe most parents would agree to an abortion, but what if the father of the fetus is also the father of the girl? The girl and the government both have a strong interest in discouraging incest as a socially distasteful practice, and their interest trumps the father's interest in getting away with a felony. --M @r ē ino 15:19, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Purpose of Yahoo!IM spam?

In the past few days I've received several chats that all go the same way (obviously a bott, although I didn't figure it out at first). The message says something like:

Hi! I saw your profile and liked what I saw! I'm looking for friends to chat with. Wanna see my profile? It's www.whateverqc.com/mypics

Oops! Sorry, I typed wrong, take out the extra letters.

Then when I reply, they always say the same thing:

Wow, thanks! Well, some friends are here, bye, ttyl.

I'm somewhat paraphrasing. Obviously they're spam and after the first two times I figured it out and am just reporting them, but what's the point? The website, in its original (supposedly mis-typed) format is a dead end, and so is the amended version without the extra letters (which btw are always different). Anybody know what's going on?--Anchoress 22:56, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It sounds like they are trying to get around SPAM filters that look for their web address. They want you to correct it and go to their site, possibly just so they can tell which email addresses have suckers willing to do that type of stuff. StuRat 23:04, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

That's what I thought too, except that none of the web addresses actually worked. And I don't know how they could get email addresses from Yahoo!Messenger IDs.--Anchoress 23:22, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

As I was going to St Ives, I met a man with seven wives...

This is a question on polygamy. If someone from a country from a country where polygamy is legal moved to a country where it was not accepted, what would be the status of the wives? Would they all be wives? Would none of them be wives? Would only the first be a wife? In Britain, polygamy is illegal, but we do acknowledge that in other countries, particularly middle eastern ones, many men claim many women as wives and accept this as unusual but accepted. We would never question a ruler's (who was entertained by the Queen) right to take more than one wife; but is it legal in that respect, or is it just put up with?--russ 23:23, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Depends on the country. My understanding is in the U.S., only one wife at at time. Israel is like that, with an exception for Yeminite Jews who move there. They're kinda "grandfathered". But after they arrive, they can't take any other wives. (This information subject to correction by those who REALLY know what they're talking about) Bunthorne 05:50, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I agree with Bunthorne, and to distinguish it further, and I think in many countries the plural marriages would simply not be recognised by the governments. I think there are three elements v/v Western countries anyway: 1) the social/cultural aspects of the immigrant families; 2) the legal aspects of the immigrant families; and 3) the issue of what is allowed after immigration. As to 1) I think it's 'don't ask, don't tell' in many places; if a man gets off a plane with his family of 4 women and 12 children, nobody from the government is there checking marriage certificates (depending on their immigration status, see 2). As to 2) however, he wouldn't be able to sponsor all four of them as spouses, he wouldn't be able to claim support from them if he divorced them, he wouldn't be able to claim spousal health insurance, file joint tax returns, etc, with more than one, and I think if the family came under the scrutiny of the courts for any reason (child welfare issues, divorce, etc), they would probably have to legally dissolve any extra unions, or perhaps they are just not recognised by the courts. As to 3) again it's don't ask don't tell. It's illegal in most Western nations to have more than one legal spouse, but there is no law against polyamory, and some cultures that endorse plural marriages just marry 'spiritually' and don't bother with legal marriages. As to separation, I am fairly sure that in Canada if a woman in a plural marriage with other women and one man left the situation, her spouse would be legally required to provide monetary support for any children they had, and I'm pretty sure she could sue for spousal support, even if they were not legally married and he was engaged in relationships with other women. But my take on most cultures that support plural marriage is that they're pretty tight and traditional, family breakup isn't too common.--Anchoress 06:04, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

This is actually an easy question. Just because you are married to 7 women in one country doesn't mean your status is carried to every country in the world. Therefore, it wouldn't mean anything to Great Britain or the U.S. Take into consideration that this isn't an "International" marriage, but local. User:NealIRC 10:53, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Too Hot to Handle

I have noticed that some Wikipedia pages have been withdrawn from editing due to vandalism, such as that on George Bush. Are there any subjects WP regards too difficult to allow people to edit, purely on the grounds that the edits may be difficult or sensitive? Clearly I understand that vandalism is one thing, but freedom of speech, backed up by citations and evidence is another (this does NOT directly relate to any one article but is a serious question) --russ 23:30, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Free speech doesn't apply to private websites (see WP:NOT#Wikipedia is not an experiment in anarchy), even ones created by volunteers. Note that George W. Bush is not completely blocked from being edited, just blocked from being edited by very new users. This is done because the page sees a lot of vandalism, which primarily comes from new editors, but even new users can propose changes on the talk page, so it's not completely restricted. Ziggurat 23:37, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Not that I know of; we protect pages from vandalism, but that's about it. Of course, those subjects that we might regard as "too difficult" are the ones that generally get vandalized the most. Regarding free speech: There is no free speech on Wikipedia. The goal here is to create an encyclopedia; if your idea of "free speech" disrupts creating an encyclopedia, you won't be allowed to do it. --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 23:38, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you for your insightful comments. It is good to hear that the exchange of knowledge is really impartial. We seem to have beaten the Orwellian view of current times --russ 00:07, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, Wikipedia is doubleplus good. StuRat 00:47, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

But Big Brother is still with us. Unfortunately. JackofOz 00:58, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

That would have been funnier if Big Brother linked to Jimbo's bio o:172.161.80.227 06:39, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

That wasn't meant to be funny. It's not funny. It's the end of civilization as we know it. JackofOz 00:49, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

sale of car

dear sirs IAM trying to find a site that i can post my 64 hillman conv super minx if you could help it would be very much help to me as i am new to this computer thing

Thank you Chris Sabatell--72.70.204.24 23:37, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Removed duplicate request. Note the comment at the top of the page: "Do not list your e-mail address. Questions aren't normally answered by e-mail. Be aware that the content on Wikipedia is extensively copied to many websites; making your e-mail address public here may make it very public throughout the Internet." Ziggurat 23:43, 13 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You could sell your car on eBay: http://www.ebay.com --Canley 00:28, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Ziggurat, I'm not convinced people even read that notice, or any of the notices on the top of the page. --ColourBurst 03:13, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I don't think they do either, but maybe they read the bottom comment when they're adding the next one :)

Still, hope springs eternal...

Ziggurat 03:49, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I think Ebay might charge a percentage of commission, but I am not entirely sure if that applies to motor vehicles. --Proficient 04:01, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

July 14

Necro Porn

What do necrophiliacs use as porn? Would it be people having sex with dead people, or dead people themselves? My friend suggested snuff films...

Seriously, I actually want to know. I'm not a necrophiliac, the question is just kind of burrowing into my brain, and giving me a headache.

172.128.104.172 01:47, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

There are websites dedicated to images of scantily clad women pretending to be dead (ISTR that one of the best-known has a name like "Necrobabes"). Grutness...wha? 03:36, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Some use their imagination. --Proficient 03:55, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Most likely the pictures of people having sex with corpses. Since necrophiliacs are turned on by sexual acts conducted with dead people, they wouldn't get as much of a thrill out of just a picture of a corpse. Liken it to (for a heterosexual man) seeing a picture of an attractive woman as opposed to a porno video, if that helps at all. Interesting question. --Evan Carlstrom 06:41, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Autopsy photos;crime scene photos;seriously ,that's what they use and of course specialist porn sites. hotclaws(82.138.214.1 08:59, 14 July 2006 (UTC))[reply]

Handkerchief on head

What is the purpose of wearing a knotted handkerchief on one's head, as in this photo? I've seen this practice before. For example, the Gumbies. Is the handkerchief moistened? Bhumiya (said/done) 03:06, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It was largely done as protection while sunbathing. Often moistened, but mainly as a shade to keep the sun off the top of the head (yes, it's possible to get sunstroke even in the UK). It's rarely done these days and seen more as a stereotypical cliche than something you're likely to see. Grutness...wha? 03:42, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It's used to screen the sun. --Proficient 04:02, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Oh, would it have been used by bald men? Bhumiya (said/done) 06:08, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It comes from the industrial age when workers first started having holidays but couldn't afford special clothing.Look at the photos,they wore ordinary clothes.A cloth cap would be too hot so a knotted hankie was a good idea.Later it became a comic cliche. hotclaws**== ,a Lancashire lass.(82.138.214.1 09:03, 14 July 2006 (UTC))[reply]

Military service/boot camp question

Hello –

I have a question regarding Marine military service. I’m a soon-to-be graduate of a 4-year college (majoring in accounting/finance), and I’m strongly considering joining the Marine Corp. I have heard that college graduates entering military service cannot go through boot camp; instead college grads must go through Officer Candidate School (OCS). I’d seek the council of a Marine recruiter; however I’m not ready to make any decisions yet and I do not want to face a barrage of questions. I’ve Googled this topic, but have not found any good answers. My question: I want to go through a traditional boot camp, then on to OCS, is this possible?

Thanks in advance! --Rangermike 04:16, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Talk to your recuriter, he will point you out everything. Good carrer choice. :) User:Zscout370 ^{(Return Fire)} 04:27, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

According to my dad, who was in the USAF and later the army, you would likely be cycled through boot camp, but the exercises you get put through would differ from the grunts since your collage graduation paperwork is considered an automatic officership invite. Bear in mind that just because you get put through officer school does not mean that you will end up with a desk job, you may get thrown out into combat. I think the only exception to boot camp is if you are a certified non combatant, like a preacher or a con-she-entious objector. TomStar81 05:23, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

"Con-she-entious objector"? Oh, how enlightened. Bhumiya (said/done) 07:25, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

A conciencious objector wouldn't join the army, do you mean a woman? I thought that they could serve as combattants in the U.S.A. military. AllanHainey 11:20, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Women are not allowed in front line ground combat by the U.S. However in a war with no front lines... Rmhermen 13:50, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I meant conciencious objector, but I could not spell it right. Yes, these people do not go to war, but they do on occassion fill other positions in the the armed services. My relatives know of a handful of people who were classified as consciencious objectors during WWII and Korea who served as medics on hospital ships and did army archieving and typed government reports and just generally helped out without going into combat. Admitedly, that was then and this is now, but the principle I am sure remains the same. TomStar81 19:17, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Only if you have conscription, which we don't. Rmhermen 01:03, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Free-for-all

A while back, someone created a space here for anybody to say whatever they like, a free-for-all where there was no topic and no rules except a limit of 200 words per person. It's Friday, and I'm in an exceptionally good mood, so I'm going to suggest we have another one. Any takers? JackofOz 05:51, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I'd start, but right now I can't think of anything much to say. (Damn, there go my first 13 words. Make that 20. Make that ......) JackofOz 05:51, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Is 13 a word? DirkvdM 07:46, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I'm pretty sure that is the intended purpose of neither Wikipedia in general nor the Reference Desk in particular. Take it to your blog or your myspace or whatever the hell else. Adam Bishop 07:17, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Your myspace? Is that a space that can't decide on it's owner? Or is it owned by everyone? Communist space? Or like the Moon? That was declared non-divisible between countries and it's in space. DirkvdM 07:46, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I think it's a typo that was supposed to be a threat. He meant "take it to your blog or you're my space." That seems like a rather strange threat, though. What does it mean to make someone your space? Crazywolf 08:00, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Well, you could space someone. Weregerbil 09:16, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Yeah, sorry, I assumed everyone would be familiar with MySpace...surely I would not make such a grievous typo :) Adam Bishop 11:50, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Can I use this space to advertise my band? :p...Alright, is it ok if i cleverly disguise it? Oh, well...*walks away whistling* Jayant,17 Years, India • contribs 08:09, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I think "your myspace" refers to Myspace. AllanHainey 11:22, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Preposterous, bunkum, fiddle-faddle. --Sam Blanning^(talk) 11:30, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The important thing to note is that no matter how good a mood Jack might be in, Tagishsimon is currently holding the title of Official Spokesperson for the Reference Desk. --LarryMac 13:42, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Indeed, and in that red-linked capacity I'd like to harumph somewhat about all this frivolity. If this was a library I would for sure be saying shhhhh. --Tagishsimon (talk)

Free-for-alls seem interesting. And the concept would seem to fit in it being miscellaneous. What I would like to say is this: You should read the Intel Core 2 article. :D --Proficient 17:07, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Where has all the love gone? (I must have it all myself.) Apart from that commentary, the above are really outstanding, excellent, superb contributions to this free-for-all. Keep up the standard, folks. JackofOz 03:18, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Women on Wikipedia - or lack of them

Inspired by a question above about a typical female subject that was only answered by guys (after asking their girlfriends), I wonder why Wikipedia is an almost all-male affair. Of course it could be that it coincidentally started off as such and thus 'scared off' women somehow (that's putting it a bit too strong). Another possibility is that writing an encyclopedia is a systematic thing and women aren't really into that. Any better ideas? DirkvdM 07:20, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It plays into many guy's ideals of leaving a lasting impact on the intellectual or physical state of the world. I see fewer women with that ideal. Probably something to do with the differences between male and female role models. Crazywolf 07:28, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Actually, there are a huge number of women on WP, plus quite a number of people who prefer to hide their identity - but it is true that there seem to be fewer women on the reference desks. As to "differences between the male and female role models", I'm afraid I'd regard that as hooey - even if there is something about the "role model" theory, it assumes that people only edit here to make a lasting impression. it would be equally plausible that people come here because they love teaching and passing information on to others, something which might be considered a far more gender-neutral activity. Grutness...wha? 08:56, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Yeah, that does seem like a more plausible explanation for why people respond at the reference desk, though I was thinking of other parts of wikipedia, that don't have the same direct teaching aspect. It does seem strange that there aren't more women who answer questions here, though. --Crazywolf 09:41, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

May I bitchslap Crazywolf and leave a permanent impact on the world? hotclaws**==(82.138.214.1 09:08, 14 July 2006 (UTC))[reply]

Women have better social skills, and so tend to spend their free time in contact with real people. (Either that or they're in the kitchen where they belong). Henry ^Flower 10:24, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

How would they use those social skills in the kitchen then? The world isn't fair. DirkvdM 07:30, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I've seen an approximately reasonable amount of each. --Proficient 17:11, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

What on Earth is "approximately reasonable"? DirkvdM 07:30, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

One wonders on what evidence the conclusion was reached about the male/female ratio on Wikipedia. I know of a couple where the wife contributes regularly and the husband does not contribute at all. Further, I question the evidence of the "typical female subject" above, which was demonstrably not answered only by men. The question was initially answered properly by Crazywolf whose gender is unknown. It is possible that Crazywolf is a man, it is possible that Crazywolf is a woman who does not use tampons but who asked another woman about it, and it is also possible that Crazywolf is a woman who is taking some pains to conceal her gender. ColourBurst's gender is also unknown. But more to the point, a good bit of information was added by Anchoress, who states on her user page that she is a woman. Crypticfirefly 04:27, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Oops, didn't check her. My mistake.

"Knowing a couple" is a rather small statistical basis. DirkvdM 07:30, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

So is looking at the gender of the people who answer one particular question. What other evidence is there that Wikipedia is "an almost all-male affair"? I'm just interested to know, because rightly or wrongly that's not the impression I've had. Crypticfirefly 13:33, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I was really thinking of the ref desk. My mistake. But I do get the impression that overall on Wikipedia, most editors are male. At least the ones I have checked. But then I haven\t done that systematically. I checked them for some reason and that might have had some link with them being male. DirkvdM 07:26, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The observation, if true, would fit in with John Gray's idea (Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus) that men are action figures, looking for solutions and answers, while women are more prepared to listen and accept (or something like that). But then, I do not agree with most of Gray's writings. --Seejyb 20:42, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Ahem. User:Zoe|^(talk) 02:29, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I think it's also that there are some editors who feel the need to contribute to most questions on the RD regardless of whether they a) have something worthwhile to say or b) understand the question. This turns some questions into pissing matches, and it puts people off - even if you have something worthwhile to contribute no-one is going to look at it bcause there's a full screen of tangential rot to get through before they'll even see your response. From my observation, male editors are far more likely to engage in this sort of territorial pissing, which means they take up more space on the RD. Natgoo 11:48, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I'd say the questioner, and some others, has just been confused because the women editing here do not use fuzzy pink fonts and write "I am a woman" on their user pages, or indeed choose names which are not obviously feminine. Add to this the tendency I have noticed of men on the internet to assume they are speaking to men, especially if science or engineering is involved, and you have a skewed perception. Skittle 12:41, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Its not the amount of edits, but the amount of editors. And in that respect there are still many more men. DirkvdM 07:26, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I'm quite certain that of those editors I've encountered who profess a particular sex, the vast majority have been men. Now 'editors I've encountered' may not be a scientific sample, and it could be that women have a particular tendency to keep quiet about their sex, but that doesn't seem very likely (and this is the Reference desk, not a scientific paper, so there's nothing wrong with anecdotal evidence).

Another possible reason, by the way, is that the Wikipedia way of resolving disputes rewards persistent aggression, a quality which is disproportionately found in people with testicles. Henry ^Flower 12:59, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I wouldn't be so sure that it is unlikely that women have a greater tendency to avoid mentioning their sex. Another piece of anecdotal evidence: a guy I know plays a lot of Everquest (a MMPORPG) and plays both "male" and "female" characters. He reports that he is treated very differently when he is perceived as a woman. His suggestions are not taken as seriously, information he has is less likely to be believed, and he is generally treated as if he is less competent and less experienced than he really is. Now, it may be that he isn't as convincing playing a female character and the different treatment is due to other folks picking up on some subtle "wrongness" about his characters. But if this is an indication that when presenting information men are treated more favorably than women, than it would not be at all surprising to find out that women have a reason to hide or even out-and-out misrepresent their gender, while men do not. Crypticfirefly 13:49, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

As a further point, I don't doubt that originally most participants were men because at one time, more men than women used the Internet. But my understanding is that is becoming less and less true. See this demographic report. Crypticfirefly 13:59, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Unscientific sample: I looked through the edit history of a random article, and found seven professed males to one agnostic. Henry ^Flower 17:52, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I tried the same, with a random article (about a city, good neutral choice) and found that few state their sex. The only clue I found was "This user wishes he or she had a girlfriend". Suggestive, but as the sentence itself points out, not conclusive. :) DirkvdM 07:26, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Category:Female Wikipedians

[Unindenting] If someone states their sex I relate to them as such, but I never, ever, ever assume anyone's sex, even if they state it. In most online situations I either outright lie about my sex or provide only ambiguous gender information.--Anchoress 04:42, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I have seen a disproportionately large percentage of females here on Wikipedia, say, when compared to most other sites. We may even be 50%. --Abnerian 10:27, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Automatic Downloads

Thanks,Serie, but even if it's real, which it seems to be, WHAT DOES IT DO?... ANYONE?...

Windows Genuine Advantage It checks to see if you stole Windows or not. That's it. --mboverload @ 10:53, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

There's a lot of talk at the moment about it failing to do this. It thinks some people's copies of Windows are stolen, and freezes them out, when in fact they were bought perfectly legally. --Richardrj 13:36, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

..and you can can't get any more updates until you finally accept the stupid thing. --Zeizmic 15:10, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

There is a lot of controversy about it right now. --Proficient 17:08, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Ah, malware detection programs sometimes cause more worries than peace of mind! (Similar to the confusion caused by topics not being continued at the original question?) But referring to the original question 3/4 of the way up this desk page: AFAIK, MRTSTUB.EXE is downloaded and run by Windows Update, and updates the MRT.EXE (the Malicious software Removal Tool) file which is normally in /windows/system, by means of patch (bits of update) code, as opposed to downloading the whole new version. This saves download time. When done, it should remove itself. If it is still on your machine (in one of those "$55672ugsrgffg7t$" kind of folders in the /windows directory) you can delete it safely - show system and hidden files has to be on for you to see this. Microsoft warns that the MRT is not designed to be a replacement for a normal antivirus program. It does not prevent infection nor does it stop malware from being installed on an ongoing basis. It simply checks the present status of your machine for specific viruses/trojans. If it finds them, it removes them, saving you a lot of hassle trying to fix a problem by yourself. After running, it removes itself from active duty, until next month's update. The Microsoft equivalent of Adaware is Windows Defender, quite different from MRT, and in my personal opinion there is no better anti-spyware for windows. The only possible "malware-related" function is that anonymous feedback is sent to Microsoft servers if an infection is found, and Microsoft guarantees that it contains no personally identifiable information. Nowhere have I seen that MRTSTUB.EXE interacts with, relies on, or in any other way have anything to do with Genuine Advantage. --Seejyb 18:51, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks everyone. I'm still new at this stuff, so I'll probably be back with more ?'s. (At least I figured out how to continue at the original Question!)66.167.117.99 19:47, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

where?

In the first half of the 16th century, records indicate that countless ships laden with gold, silver and other treasures washed ashore here.

Legendary tales of coins still buried in the sand bring treasure hunters to the site, and dreamers still search the offshore waters for hidden riches.

Another one, how many of these questions do you have?

I'd suggest Florida or one of the Carribean islands as they were on the route from Spanish America & there have been a lot of shipwrecks in that area over the centuries. AllanHainey 14:13, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Not forgetting that in the Old World, there are countless shipwrecks dotted around the British, French and Spanish coastlines, and their respective waters. Andrew (My talk) 21:53, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Chewetel Ejiofor

I want to add the pronunciation of Chewetel Ejiofor's name to his article. He is a good actor and I want to talk about him to friends but I didn't know how to pronounce his name until I Googled some other articles. I think Wikipedia should include this. Could someone help me with how to do this minor edit? I've looked at the edit discussion and the sandbox, but I still don't understand how to do this.

Take a look at International Phonetic Alphabet. This is how pronunciations should be written in Wikipedia. --Schzmo 15:00, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Why are Wasps?

Do you mean 'why are there wasps'? If so, good question. Maybe the little bastards are proof of the existence of God. Nothing so useless could have evolved. Whoever created them must have been having a laugh. --Richardrj 13:33, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

WASP stands for White Anglo Saxon Protestant. It usual refers to the very wealthy in New England or New York that have old money. The fathers are usually bankers or businesspeople, the wives stay at home, caring for the million dollar house, and the children to boarding school or at Ivies.

Note, the question originally read 'why are wasps'. The poster above changed 'why' to 'what'. --Richardrj 15:30, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I've restored the original question. --LarryMac 15:40, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Elaborate on your question. --Proficient 17:12, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

If you want the insect, take a look at the wasp article. Andrew (My talk) 23:00, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Why shoot wasps?; Why eat wasps?; Why kill wasps?; Why breed wasps?; Why discuss wasps????? So please explain what is so grammatically wrong with, Why are Wasps? Is ARE not a verb?

If you don't know English that well tell us and we will help you out. Your question makes 0 sense. --mboverload @ 00:23, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I disagree. The 'why x wasps does make the point well. Why are wasps works in much the same way as I think therefore I am, from which we could get why am I which is not 1,000,000 miles from why are wasps. And the answer, presumably, is because they evolved that way. --Tagishsimon (talk)

Dear Richardr j, please read the foregoing comment by Tagishsimon, who has kindly and correctly explained that "Why are Wasps" as originally posted is good English usage. Had I wished to ask "What are Wasps" I should have done so. But my question is valid and needs no amendment, not even with your help Mboverload. My question makes perfect sense and in future, if you want to make a critical comment about someone's use of their mother tongue (I am English), please do so - but only as a rider to offering a definitive reason as to why your opinion might be correct, which in this case, it isn't.

oilblock

HI.PLEASE WHAT IS AN OILBLOCK.WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN IT AND OILFIELD AND OR OILWELL.— Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.199.52.58 (talk)

Please don't shout, and please give some context. If you are referring to this article, it appears to be shorthand for an oil blockade, but it isn't very good English IMHO.--Shantavira 14:39, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Caps key get stuck? --martianlostinspace 10:04, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Married... with Children 80s or 90s

Is Married... with Children an 80s show or a 90s show?

Both. It stated in 1987 and ran for 10 years. (Married... with Children). SLUMGUM yap stalk 14:55, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

If one was forced to classify it as either an "80s or 90s" show, I would choose 90s since it predominantly ran during that period. --Proficient 17:13, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

hispanic names

Is there a list of all hispanic-named elected officials in all states?

Probably not. You mean all the way down to the local level? --Banana04131 18:40, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

For South American states that would be a huge list. And it would be pretty pointless too. DirkvdM 07:33, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Question

Yes or No? ADAM THE ATOM T E C 16:14, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Maybe. --Howard Train 16:36, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I don't know/Can you repeat the question.--inks ^T 21:08, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Yeah, Definately Maybe. -Benbread 16:38, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Answer unclear; ask again later. Tony Fox (speak) 16:44, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Perhaps. --Proficient 17:14, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Mu. —Keenan Pepper 18:44, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

No, it's a question. I'd say yes. MeltBanana 22:03, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

No, unless you were talking about 42. - Mgm|^(talk) 22:41, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Dunno. Andrew (My talk) 22:57, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

No and yes respectively. smurrayinchester^{(User), (Talk)} 23:02, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Yes. Unless you really mean "Yes XOR No." --George 02:19, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

In which case it could still be 'yes'. DirkvdM 07:37, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

As the wind blowing over fields of wheat. Grutness...wha? 03:02, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Please search first. Did you read yes and no? ;-) --Shantavira 07:56, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

That is the question-hotclaws**==(81.134.77.56 09:23, 15 July 2006 (UTC))[reply]

Strong oppose. Do not compromise the integrity of pages. --Optichan 14:43, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Is this BJAODN worthy? 69.40.246.45 01:30, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Is it worthy or is it not? --Captain ginyu 13:05, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

That is the question....Jayant,17 Years, India • contribs 15:31, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

So is it, Yes or no? Philc _T^E_C^I 23:53, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I am Error. --Optichan 17:57, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I prefer no or yes, personally, than yes or no. --martianlostinspace 10:00, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Baseball Trivia

We are in a trivia game. What player hit 19 Home Runs from the same pitcher?; and who was the pitcher? Thanks Joe

If one was a property developer and they are redesigning an old house, would it be a good idea to invest in a alarm system or would one not increase the value of the property significantly? - thanks Joel

Alarm systems are pretty much positive all the time. People will buy security. --Proficient 18:52, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I wonder. "Look, the house has an expensive alarm system. This must be a pretty bad neighbourhood." DJ Clayworth 18:56, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Yellow flags in American Football

I am interested in finding the date and circumstance as to when the "yellow" color flag replaced the red flag in American Football. Can you help me?.............Respectfully submitted...............Victor Gonzalez........San Antonio,Texas 78259

Commies? Seriously, perhaps because yellow contrasts with the field better than red? Brian Schlosser42 17:33, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Childless marriages, Speyed bitches and Geldings

The childless marriage, when not so by choice, is frequently described as "sad", or something similar, and the problem has lead to the recent development of a highly specialised field of study and therapy. But I recently overheard at the vet, of an animal being fetched by the owner after surgery: "Shame, now she can never have puppies of her own." I can understand saying "shame it's probably sore", but "not having puppies of your own"? Is that a reason to feel sympathy? Has anyone ever observed or written about animals experiencing something similar, "a loss in their life", from the removal of their ability to bear young? Can one say that a speyed bitch somehow has a "less full" life than a breeding one, and that this may have an emotional or behavioural impact? Is there any reason to believe that the neutering of an animal can be "cruel" - that is, apart from the temporary anxiety and pain associated with separation and the operation? --Seejyb 20:20, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It's really subjective and all about opinion. One could feel sorry for another being because they are not of the same religion or irreligious. It depends on their values and what they deem as a proper course of life. I don't really think it's "sad" that said dog could not have puppies of its own. If somehow the dog expressed that it would indeed like puppies, then I suppose it would be sad because it is not able to. --Proficient 20:32, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I had a cat which carried rolled up socks around and treated them as kittens after being spayed. I'd have to say, that was pretty sad. StuRat 23:47, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Now...That's just depressing...Poor kitty. I hope you got it a kitten. --Abnerian 10:23, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It's common for people to attribute feelings to things that cannot have feelings, such as events, abstract concepts and inanimate objects. People have feelings, and probably animals do too. But marriages don't. Even saying "it is sad that their marriage is childless" is projecting an individual's personal experience of sadness onto a nameless "it". Maybe it's not even that. Maybe the speaker does not feel sad personally, but assumes the childless couple must be sad because they have no kids. Why don't we ask them how they feel? JackofOz 00:46, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Halo: Custom Edition

2 questions:

1) Where can I get Halo CE? IS it downloadable, or do I have to go out and buy it?

2) WIll Halo CE work without Halo PC, or is it just an "expansion pack" of sorts?

I tried the article on it, but it wasn't very clear. Wizrdwarts (T|C|E) 22:10, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You can download a demo version then pay for it, I believe. --Proficient 01:28, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

2) It's not an expansion pack. Killfest2 14:00, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

News

Are there any websites where I can find old TV news footage, specifically from the 70's and 80's? 69.40.243.220 22:37, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

http://www.archive.org/ might be a good place to start, especially if you're looking for old newsreels from the 30's-60's, I'm not sure about the 70's-80's. --Schzmo 23:30, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It would be a lot more difficult for Archive.org to have newsreels from the 1970s onwards due to copyright. I would imagine most newsreels made in the 1930s and 40s will be in the public domain, however, as the copyright for these films would most probably have expired. BBC News Online (http://news.bbc.co.uk/) may have some footage for the period you're looking for, though obviously it will only be from BBC news bulletins. Andrew (My talk) 22:08, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Cheat code files for Gameshark 2 (Build 1437)

Howdy all,

We're trying to get the pen drive cheat files from gameshark.com to work, and the directions on the site are vauge, at best. Does anyone know how to get the cheat disc to recognize the downloaded file? - ScottM 23:26, 14 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

July 15

naked singer

Were there any singer of any type of music who used to sing naked in his/her music video?

Do you mean completely starkers? Red Hot Chili Peppers are known to wear strategically-placed socks. User:Zoe|^(talk) 02:32, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I found a hybrid of this question and the next at Hair (musical). StuRat 03:02, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

All of them? Geez, there have been several. Try, for example, Thank U by Alanis Morissette. Ziggurat 04:29, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Rammstein (German metal band) are known to have done this live, but I doubt in a music video.--Mark ^{(Talk | Email)} 21:36, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The Bravery performed naked at glastonbury. Philc _T^E_C^I 23:50, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Possibly Har Mar Superstar - AllanHainey 08:01, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

hairstyles

Which hairstyles are meant for only girls and which one meant for only boys?

It depends where you live. Each culture has some hairstyles that are considered apropriate for men, some that are considered appropriate for women, and some that no one ever even thinks of getting. In the US, traditionally shorter hairstyles are considered masculine and longer hairstyles are considered feminine, though this is obviously much less true than it used to be. You might be interested in picking up a book on the history of hair. --George 02:17, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Generally short styles are for men and women wear their hair long. Hairstyles.--Proficient 04:09, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You really can't go wrong with a mullet, whether you are a Man or a Woman.

Surely you mean that you can't go right with a mullet? Back to the actual question, I would say that for long-haired men, anything more elaborate than a ponytil is very uncommon. -- AJR | Talk 18:50, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

A ponytail is more elaborate than a ponytil, and they're not that uncommon. :--) JackofOz 00:31, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I think a single braid is also common on men with very long hair. Crypticfirefly 03:33, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Military Testing Village

Can anyone tell me or give me links regarding this subject. these were villages and houses completely furnished and with mannequins in them and used for nuclear testing. I am wanting photos or info about them

Such testing was carried out in Nevada in the 1950's. Pictures can be found here and a video can be found here.--Melburnian 06:31, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

What's this movie!

When I was younger they had horror movies on Sunday after noon and I wonder if you could help me with two of them. The first one is something like this young girl has to go search for her father and she goes on this bus and then out side the window on this trip she sees like werewolves and things and thinks one is her father. She gets off the bus and the next thing I remember is she encounters this woman in a castle and then the last hing i remember is she is in this barn with this young guy and at the end it seems at some point she turned into a vampire because she bites him. What is this movie?

Second is only a bit of info. It's black and white..it starts off with a shot of a nuclear blast. At some point a woman stumbles into a town thats deserted and hears a church bell ringing and when she rushes to see who it is its a skeleton on the end of the rope that is making it ring. At some point she has a baby and when trying to feed the baby it turns out its dead? What is this movie?

It has been driving me crazy for years.

I love when people ask these kind of questions. It's cool to remember really old movies, find out what they're called, then rent or get to see them again after so long. New perspectives are incredible. I don't know the answer to either of your descriptions of movies, yet I am sure someone else does. (And they'll answer in due time.) Perhaps it will also be easier if you gave a time range of when these movies were seen/released. Good luck! --Proficient 05:07, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Hopefully you'll be able to get your answer here, but if not, I'd suggest posting something on the IMDb bulletin boards, or a bulletin board devoted to horror movies or old movies. There must be lots of them around.--Anchoress 05:12, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

By far the best place to ask this question is the I Need To Know Board on IMDB - you will probably get the answer in a few minutes. I've used it many times myself and it's amazing what the Guys there can work out from the barest minimum of information. Jooler 07:07, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Could it be The Company of Wolves? User:Zoe|^(talk) 20:55, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Doesn't sond like the same film but Paura nella città dei morti viventi AKA "A zombie hung on the bell rope" sounds like a cool film with a woman puking up her own guts. MeltBanana 00:36, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

power electronics converter

The design of inverter in application in industry

SYNTAX ERROR Search failed, see instructions at top of page. KWH 04:41, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

In the news: Report of Alan Colmes' death

How can Alan Colmes be dead when he is still on Fox news tonight? Was this a joke?--70.241.201.189 06:40, 15 July 2006 (UTC)--70.241.201.189 06:40, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Probably a hoax. User:Zscout370 ^{(Return Fire)} 06:45, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Damn it. I read it as Ann Coulter's death. *puts away the cookies* =D --mboverload @ 06:48, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

That's not possible, only people with souls can die. :-) StuRat 15:32, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It was a hoax? --Proficient 18:05, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

No, I read it on the Internet so it must be true...

Fox News is always pre-recorded about a week in advance. You'll keep seeing him on the show for a few more days. Other stations use this technique too - especially over the Christmas holidays (all of January's news is pre-recorded in early December). Grutness...wha? 00:33, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Then how did they report the boxing day tsunami's? or where they planned?... Philc _T^E_C^I 23:48, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Methinks I should have added a smiley? Grutness...wha? 09:12, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Me feels gullible. Philc _T^E_C^I 23:01, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

back pain

Well it's not realy a back pain,but more of of lower shoulder blade pain. I've had treatment by doctors,muscula sketal practioners,accupunture ect, but to no avail,still have this 8 out of 10 pain just at bottom edge of left shoulder blade. This occures at any time, sometimes with movement,under the shower when hot water runs onto my back,even when I'm relaxed in bed. Pain only last a very short time[about the time it takes you to read the last sentence]and returns a number of times then goes away to return maybe five hours later. It seems as though someone has a voodoo doll in my image and they push a knife into my back[about an inch below the skin] twist it then pull it out again,causing this intense pain. I am hoping somebody out in the world of cyber space has had this experience,and maybe help me solve my problem.

Although I'm not a doctor, it sounds like maybe some sort of muscle or other internal strain/damage, considering how you mention about it being sporadic. Hmmmmm. I get the same sort of pain you described in my neck, except it was said to be a reccuring pinched nerve by my specialist. Hmmmmm. Is there any movement (like twisting your upper body left/right, maybe the movement of your left arm in a certain way) that triggers it, even if the movement pattern is really general? Try to monitor your actions and see what you were doing in the upper half of your body just before these pains hit, otherwise there isn't really all that much we can do. Killfest2 13:58, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Go back to the doctor. --Proficient 18:06, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

A muscle tear could heal and leave an adhesion or tendonitis but go back to the doctor and demand he does his job and find out what it is.hotclaws**==(81.134.77.56 09:03, 16 July 2006 (UTC))[reply]

A Jazz question: Who wrote this song?

I am trying to find out the name of the person who wrote the song "Never let me go" The only thing I know is that he possibly committed suicide. I have included the lyrics as there are a few songs with this title. Thanks Jenn.

Just let me love you tonight, Forget about tomorrow. Please darlin' you hold me tight, and never let me go

Dry your eyes, No more tears, no more sorrows. Cling to me with all of your mind, never never never let me go.

A million times or more We said we'd never ever part. But lately I find, you're a stranger in my heart. Give me the right, in summer or in springtime to tell the world that you'll always be mine. Never never let me go

I think the artist is Luther Vandross, from the album "Never Let Me Go" (1993). Are you looking for the artist or the person who actually wrote the song? Killfest2 13:54, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Luther Vandross died in 2003, but of natural causes (a stroke) as opposed to suicide. However, I do not know who actually wrote this song. Andrew (My talk) 22:02, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The guy who actually wrote the song.. Thanks J

Joseph C Scott, according to these search results. Natgoo 10:13, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Banks: Capital requirements: Risk weight of first mortgages on single family homes

The following is currently posted on Wickipedia.

Basel I

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia .... (snip) ....

"Basel I, that is, the 1988 Basel Accord, primarily focused on credit risk. Assets of banks were classified and grouped in five categories according to credit risk, carrying risk weights of zero (for example home country sovereign debt), ten, twenty, fifty, and up to one hundred percent (in this category has, as an example, most corporate debt). Banks with international presence are required to hold capital equal to 8 % of the risk-weighted assets.

Since 1988, this framework has been progressively introduced in member countries of G-10, currently comprising 13 countries, namely, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the United States of America." ............................. end of quote from Wickipedia -------------

Background on question which follows:

I am trying to determine The average capital requirement for a theoretical bank in the United States which only lends money on first mortgages of single family homes, secured by a deed of trust on the property, where each loan is 50% of the appraised value of the home. In order to know the capital requirement, I think I have to know the "risk weight" of such loans.

Question 1: What is the "risk weight" (as defined in "Basel 1" above) of loans as described in the previous "background".

Question 2: What is a ballpark estimate for the average capital requirement for banks in the United States who primarily lend money on first mortgages as described above.

Martirc 13:38, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You are way beyond us! All I know is the average American has 9 credit cards, and if the value of his house tanks, he (she) is in big sheesh. --Zeizmic 01:59, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Emigrating from Australia to the US?

How easy would be to emigrate from Australia to the US? What sort of tests would I have to undertake, and what costs? What would the greatest adjustment be? What do you do for a job in that situation?

Just considering the job aspect, if you have some high level skills, you can try to get a job over the Internet, using Monster.com or other job sites. Many companies will even help with the immigration process, for valuable employees. On the other hand, if you are only qualified to flip burgers, you will have to wait until you get to the US to apply in person. StuRat 16:10, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The greatest adjustment would probably be the language, which in this case is just accents and expressions. I suppose the seasons and day and night being reversed would take some getting used too, as well. But clothing, religion, culture, etc., are all quite similar. StuRat

A niece of mine married a guy form the US and she has lived there for over a year now, with a job. Still, she has no certainty she can stay. I think this is the 'green card' thing is sometimes hear of in films. If you want to emigrate you probably want to stay there. :) And that isn't easy. Don't just read the official story. Look for actual experiences people have had. There must be some internet sites dealing with that. DirkvdM 07:34, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It isn't that hard. An average of 940,000 people immigrate to the U.S. each year while 604,280 immigrants became naturalized citizens of the U.S. last year.[10] But just to work in the U.S. legally only requires a Green card or a Employment Authorization Document [11] or another kind of work visa. See also the Contemporary immigration section of Immigration_to_the_United_States and the Naturalization section of United States nationality law Rmhermen 18:50, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

In a strange coincidence, 94,000 people immigrated to the Netherlands in 2005 (0.6% of total population) while 940,000 immigrated to the U.S. (0.3% of its population). Rmhermen 19:01, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

And how many of those 94,000 just came for the legal marijuana ? StuRat 01:04, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Numerologically speaking, perhaps. JackofOz 00:29, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Ehm, that's not quite numerology. I wonder what those figures are now, because we've got a real bitch for a miniter of integration (disintegration would be a better word), Rita Verdonk, who has tried her best to give immigrants a hard time. She has even commissioned a film that is meant to put the Netherlands in a bad light, to scare off immigrants. This has to be pretty unique. DirkvdM 18:02, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

And here I thought you were employed to scare off would be immigrants to the Netherlands (or is that the Nether Regions ?) via Wikipedia. :-) StuRat 01:04, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Well, 94,000 and 940,000 are not what I'd call a coincidence either. A factor of 10 is no more "strange" than any other factor (in fact, it's incredibly common in a metric world). The only commonality is the digits, hence the numerological comment. :-) JackofOz 23:20, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Gardening questions

I have a garden in south-east england, UK. (For the benefit of people outside europe, it is Zone 8, but since I'm near the moderating effects of the sea it could be Zone 9 locally).

1) Yesterday I saw something which I at first thought was a rose bush, but it did not have any thorns. It was covered with white four-petaled flowers, with a heavy scent. The leaves (using the descriptions from the article Leaf ) were ovate in shape, serrate in margin, and had veins branching off alternately from a central vein. It was about 4 or 5 feet high. Anyone able to identify what it was please?

2) Recently I have often seen a vetch or pea-like plant, which had many small spikes or groups of pinkish-red flowers. The many colourful blooms are very noticable. It is in bloom now. Where the flowers were finished it had thin pea-like pods. Any ideas what it is please?

3) The book An Illustrated Guide To Perennials by Marshall Craigmyle, gives about 30 features of about 1680 different plants arranged alphabetically. It would be great to have all this information in a computer database and be able to search for those particular combinations of features you wanted. Does anyone know of such a database?

4) I only like perennial or self-seeding flowers, as I havnt got the time or inclination to fuss with much gardening. I have a small west-facing front garden. It has a low wall at the front, and consists of lawn with flower beds currently on two sides, although I might extend these to three, four, or even perhaps do away with the lawn altogether. Would anyone like to recommend some suitable perennial or self-seeding flowers for the flower beds please?

I'd like lots of colourful flowers (who wouldnt?). I do not like cliched flowers like roses or daffodils, do not like dwarf plants, nor do I like 1970's-style creeping confiers. A cottage style garden would be good, I understand these are in fashion currently. Ideally I'd like flowers that grow all by themselves and dont need weeding, and have long lasting colourful flowers etc, but this combination may be an impossible dream.

I'd love to stun my neighbours by having a front garden completely full of flowers!

5) I grew some tomato plants from seed for the first time ever this year. I planted three of the plants in a three-hole grow bag, and put another five in large pots filled with general purpose compost next to them. The grow-bag tomato plants are big and green; the potted plants have been growing OK but are noticibly smaller and yellower. There may be slightly less compost per plant in the pots, and I may have planted out the pot plants a few days later. Does anyone know why theres the difference please? Even after I started to fertilise them, the difference remains. How big should the pot be per tomato plant?

6) Anyone like to recommend a free UK gardening forum that could answer questions like those above?

Thanks very much for any and all replies.

Royal Horticultural Society or the BBC have good gardening websites ,and a great program called "Gardeners Question Time "on BBC4 which is archived on the internet;also there will probably be a local gardening society,try the Library for that. hotclaws**==(81.134.77.56 09:08, 16 July 2006 (UTC))[reply]

Bob Roll

On Tour de France commercials in the United States, Bob Roll mentions the word "maganga". What is a maganga?

According to Websters' Dictionary Online, it is a word from the native langauge of the Ngoni people, which translates into English as "stone". Killfest2 01:27, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

How many dogs are there?

Does anybody know how many dogs there are? (In total, roughly.)

In France? In the world? In my pants? Domesticated, or including wild dogs? This is the sort of question where I doubt someone will have gone to the trouble to find an answer...a classical Fermi_problem--inks ^T 23:21, 15 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Well, I believe there are about six million dogs in Britain, so thats astart. Jameswilson 00:16, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

This question is hard to answer, obviously. Even an estimate is probably horridly wrong. --Proficient 00:28, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

This book claims to answer that question in the product detail without, of course, giving the answer.--Fuhghettaboutit 00:46, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Dogs are everywhere where there are people. And from my travelling experience I'd say usually around 1 dog for every 10 people. So about half a billion, I'd say. Roughly (which is what you asked for). Britain is a bad example to extrapolate from. Brits are notorious dog-lovers, aren't they? (In a non-sexual sense, I mean.) DirkvdM 07:38, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Google gives a range of guesstimates, 160-720 million (one says 65M but they may be misquoting dogs in the USA only). A tenuous majority favours the estimate 400 million. Half a billion indeed seems to be in the ballpark. Weregerbil 14:52, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The canine population of the U.S. for 1992 was estimated by the Pet Food Institute at 52.3 million, at least 1 dog as pet in 37.9% households. NealIRC 10:46, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

July 16

Transactional Focus

Does anyone know about the school subject known as Transactional Focus? It seems to be a type of English language arts course. --JD

I've never heard of this, but for what it's worth here's a syllabus for such a course. Crypticfirefly 14:13, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Hey that's it! Thank you. --JD

Weird abundance of Israeli/Hebrew commercials on MTV Europe

Hello,

until a few years ago, I still received MTV Europe on cable in Belgium. Now it is MTV from the Netherlands.

In those last years, commercial interruptions were full off advertizements in a quite different language. From the way it sounded and especially the alphabet, I deduce that it was Hebrew.

OK, fair enough, once in a while there was a commercial for a Belgian product in Dutch as well (although never that frequent). But sometimes an international (for instance : the movie Tomb Raider) was advertized in Hebrew. I simply don't get the logic behind that, why wouldn't you do that in English, that way you could advertize the same product but for all of Europe and Israel.

So does anyone remember that, and can anyone understand what the logic behind this was?

Evilbu 01:31, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Satellite broadcasters can be strange. I remember about 10 years ago I sometimes watched a satellite music channel in my local pub (in the UK) which often had adverts in German. -- Arwel (talk) 12:21, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Apocalypse level

A while ago, I remember seeing a website that gave a measurement of how close the world is to the Apocalypse, or something like that. I think the website was run by conservative Christians, and it wasn't in jest. The measurement was displayed on a meter or a dial, or some such metaphor. Does this ring any bells? With the events of the past week or so, I want to see how close they think we are. Heh. ;-) zafiroblue05 | Talk 01:42, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You're not thinking of the Doomsday Clock? —Keenan Pepper 02:16, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Well, that's certainly the general idea, but I am pretty nearly sure that what I'm thinking of was specifically religious — Armageddon and all that — and updated more often, with a more numeric measurement (maybe even a progress bar or something like that)... But thanks for the link, that is pretty interesting in and of itself... zafiroblue05 | Talk 02:21, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

A google search of rapture clock christian returns a number of interesting results, some serious and some satires. I didn't check anything below the first one, but it looks to me like entry number 2 ('Rapture Ready') is a good bet.--Anchoress 04:57, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks! After a few clicks this is what I was looking for. Looks like they won't update it until next week... zafiroblue05 | Talk 06:11, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I wonder why they're so obsessed with it. There's really nothing to worry about: "Forget what you've heard from the doom-and-gloom crowd -- the Apocalypse foretold in the Holy Bible won't really be so bad, a leading theologian says. (...) 'For those of us who lived through the horrors of World War II, with D-Day and the dropping of the atomic bomb, Armageddon will seem about as big a deal as the invasion of Grenada.'" David Sneek 07:18, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Tagalog Babel

Is there a babel box for users who speak tagalog? --JDitto

Yes, see Wikipedia:Babel#tl_-_Tagalog_.28Tagalog.29.-gadfium 04:23, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

A doubt on firearms

What is the difference between Ordinary gun and a Magnum. What exactly does magnum mean. Thanks for ans. --Aki 27 03:35, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

According to wikt:magnum,

A gun calibre larger than, or derived from, a smaller similar cartrige.

The original meaning comes from a super-sized bottle of champagne (containing 1.5 l of beverage and equivalent to two ordinary bottles of champagne).-gadfium 04:29, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Better Male Orgasm

Which one of these would make a orgasm better for my man..

) Go a week with absolutely no pleasure
) For 1 week: everyday i would pleasure him but never allow him to reach orgasm

Which one of these would give the better orgasm? Why?

2, but it wouldn't work, as he'd masturbate if you insisted on teasing him. zafiroblue05 | Talk 06:12, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Try it one way for one week, and the other way for the other week. Then ask him which was better. If you're really worried about the post above mine, see Erotic sexual denial#Long_term_denial-gadfium 06:22, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The latter is guarenteed to give him blue balls and he probably won't be very happy with you. Raul654 06:24, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

1 definitely works, but withholding sex from him just to give him a better orgasm doesn't really make sense. You should read up on BSDM but I think all you're asking is how to please your man better. Ask him. --mboverload @ 06:51, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

An attempt at 2 would piss any guy off. But then, how can you not allow him to have orgasms? Either way, the orgasm might be more intense, but that's not necessarily better. More than that, he'd come sooner. And I'm not sure if that is what you want. (Better orgasm for whom?) However, if you plan to have kids, it does increase the active sperm count. So there is one thing it could be good for. (Better orgasm for womb.) DirkvdM 07:47, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Both of those would be more frustrating than pleasurable. My recommendation would be to perform oral sex or have sex rather slowly, so it takes longer for him to orgasm (the longer it takes, the better it usually is in the end).

Both would just piss most guys off. --Abnerian 10:19, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Safe parts of Manhattan

I'm visiting Manhattan and planning on staying out late every night, taking the subway back to my hotel and probably walking a half-dozen blocks alone. What are the subway stations/lines to avoid because of crime? What are the areas of Manhattan to avoid because of crime? Is there a good map of crime/sqkm that I can look at?

Thanks, -Don

Anything is safe except the Template:NYCS J. Pacific Coast Highway ^{(blah • lol, internet)} 06:58, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Manhattan is a relatively safe city. Certainly not the crime city of the 1980s.Maybe avoid Spanish Harlem (the only part of manhattan I've felt unsafe walking in) . Hotels and tourist advice bureaux may exaggerate the dangers of public transport for tourists. I was given a serious warning by a concierge at a top hotel in LA not to use the LA subway at all for fear of my life, but whenever I used (including at night), it appeared to be full of poor, but honest hardworking people on their way to and from work and some ordinary schoolkids (ny subway can be much more scary) plus there seemed to be cop patrol on almost every train.... though no tourists Bwithh 10:32, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Don't go north of 125th Street at night. You should probably also avoid Hell's Kitchen and Spanish Harlem at night. Other than that, Manhattan is ridiculously safe. It's one of the lowest crime levels per capita in the nation, and personally I've never had a problem in Manhattan or known anyone who has. --M @r ē ino 15:29, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

so I kind of booked a place around 112th street...~20 blocks into Spanish Harlem...I guess I'll be taking a taxi home at night to drop me off right at my door? -Don

looking for a club/bar to drink/dance manhattan

What areas of Manhattan are known for their nightlife catering to white-suburban-style 21-30 years old club or bar with drinking/dancing? I don't want to walk into some gangsta club or blue collar bar by accident. Thanks. DOn

You may get some awesome answers here, but I'd also suggest trying some bulletin boards that are frequented by Manhattanites; the NY section of e-gullet.org, the NY section of Craigslist.org, maybe look for a 'dine out manhattan' or 'manhattan nite life' bulletin board or something connected to one of the popular tourism books sites, like lonely planet or fodor's etc., or see if there's a general bulletin board for Manhattanites; there is one for my home town.--Anchoress 05:18, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Chelsea, Manhattan, Greenwich Village, and SoHo form a huge contiguous party zone on weekends in the summer. Oh, and bring a nice pair of shoes -- a lot of clubs won't let in people wearing tennis shoes (it's a crude but somewhat effective way of keeping out riff-raff). --M @r ē ino 15:33, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The Land of Aluminium or Titanium

I have two questions to ask you:

1.Which countries and American states are major producers (either total,area-equivalent, or population-equivalent) of aluminium and/or titanium ores?

2.Which countries and American states have very good, major industries (either total or population-equivalent) of manufacturing aluminium,alumina, and/or titanium?

60.241.116.24 05:39, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The Aluminium article has a convenient link. --ColourBurst 05:46, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

In the US they don't have any Aluminium. They call it Aluminum. :) DirkvdM 07:50, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Bauxite has an excellent chart of which nations mine the most raw aluminum. --M @r ē ino 15:35, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

A riddle I can't quite solve..

This riddle has been bugging my brains for a little while. It seems like it should be obvious, but I can't think of anything.

I never was, but I am always to be, 
No one has seen me and never will 
And yet I am the confidence of all 
To live and breathe on this terrestrial ball

Any ideas anyone? --Howard Train 07:25, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Death? Though I'm not sure what to make of 'confidence'. If that means 'certainty', it fits. DirkvdM 07:53, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The future?--Anchoress 08:16, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Tomorrow.--Rallette 09:36, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, a quick Google says it's tomorrow.--Shantavira 09:41, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks all, 'specially Shantavira. Brain rests. Sleep comes. --Howard Train 11:02, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

And it makes more sense if the To in the last line is fixed to Who. alteripse 14:22, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Mix

r the 'mixed' (i mean ppl. with parents from different races) more intelligent than the 'pure' as some ppl say?

I can't see any reason for that, nor do i know what a "ppl" is... Benbread 11:29, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Pimple? User:Zoe|^(talk) 21:14, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Try heterosis. —Blotwell 22:12, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

While heterosis may exist, I'm sure that race/genes and intelligence are pretty unconnected. What you know and how intelligent you are is mostly the result of your learning ability and your upbringing/environment. If I look at the IQ scores of people in my family, I see no causal connection between the IQ of parents and their children. - Mgm|^(talk) 17:07, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It's not true. My Dad's Scottish and me Mum's English and I'm as thick as two short planks. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 01:38, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

If you're "mixed" then, clearly not. --Abnerian 10:14, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Audrey Tautou

Does Ms. Tautou speak English now or what? I remember her English was really rough during Dirty Pretty Things, but I haven't seen the Da Vinci Code.

According to this BBC article:

But the hardest part of making Dirty Pretty Things for the actress was the language barrier. She did not speak a word of English and had to work intensely with a coach.

"It was terribly difficult just to speak English at all but then I also had to speak with a Turkish accent. It came as a huge challenge to even get to the point when I could speak a sentence with any sort of fluidity," Tautou says.

I would imagine she still would use a dialogue coach for films like The Da Vinci Code. --Canley 00:03, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

U.S. elections

How many current/former U.S. governors and congress members are Buddhist or Muslim? -- Toytoy 14:44, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It seems there has never been a Muslim member of Congress. [12] Probably no governors either. --Cam 18:04, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Is Jerry Brown a Buddhist? I know he had some kind of association with Buddhism, but it may have been just a flirtation. Wikipedia categorizes him as a Catholic. Bhumiya (said/done) 01:05, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Haircolour

Were there any singers who used to have purple, blue, pink, and green hair as a part of fashion or for their music videos?

Pink (singer) would be the most obvious answer.

A lot of punk bands did, or did you mean individual singers?--Shantavira 16:53, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

McFly wrote a song about a girl with Five Colours in Her Hair. I don't know if she's in their video but.--martianlostinspace 10:09, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Todd Rundgren had multicolored hair back in the 1970's. --LarryMac 12:35, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

How about George Clinton (funk musician)?

pastry/bakery

Hi there, I would like to know the difference between Pastry and Bakery. Are they the same of different?

Well pastry is any of a number of different, usually sweet doughs or food made from the dough. A bakery, is a place where pastries are baked allong with bread, usually made from a dough that is not as sweet as pastry.MeltBanana 17:18, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

music

Which music are considered as "black music", while which music are considered as "white music"?

Off the top of my head - black: gospel music, rap music, jazz, hiphop music, the blues. white: heavy metal, techno/electronica, classical, opera, new age music, rock n roll Bwithh 16:10, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I don't think that music can be easily sorted in black and white. Music (as well as many areas of culture) often borrow and copy from other cultures (and sub-cultures). Jon513 19:09, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Traditionally, Rock & Roll was considered to be a fusion of Black music (Rhythm and Blues, Gospel, Jazz) and White music (Country and Western, can't think of any more right now...). Our article about it has more. We also have an article about black music which may be of help, but no corresponding article for white music.

Interestingly, Dvorak was probably the first person to predict the fusion of "Black music" and "White music", around the turn of the last century. I can't find the source for that, but I disctinctly remember reading it somewhere. --Howard Train 20:43, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

According to the Grammy Awards, gospel music is divided into "contemporary gospel" and "traditional gospel". Contemporary is black. Traditional is white, country and western. User:Zoe|^(talk) 21:15, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

There's a long running debate at Talk:Beethoven about whether or not he was black. If this turns out to be true, then "Alle Menschen werden Brüder" (in the Ode to Joy) takes on a new and deeper meaning. JackofOz 00:22, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I felt silly checking that, but you're actually serious. Funny, a hint of as white guy having some distant black ancestor, and suddenly they're black. If black genes were so dominant that would be food for black supremacists. DirkvdM 18:23, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I'm shocked that you ever doubted me, Dirk. I'm deeply hurt. I have to rethink our friendship. :-) JackofOz 19:37, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I do love the standard of proof in the Beethoven-was-black thing. "Contemporaries say he [drumroll] looked swarthy!" It's remarkable how completely blind Central Europe apparently was to any kind of prejudice back then, that no-one ever sat down and wrote something a little stronger about it... Shimgray | talk | 11:11, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Rap music is White. Eminem. Classical is Black. Andre Watts --GangofOne 03:33, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Fargo

In the movie "Fargo" what does William H. Macy's charachter need the money for? In the diner when hes hiring the two "hitmen" he begins to mention some sort of issue/problem. Also, whats the deal with the "lot" hes trying to get his fathe-in-law to loan him the money for? Are the two connected? Im assuming I missed it.

Thanks!!!

Such questions are probably much better asked at www.imdb.com then here, but you do have to register there. From what I remember isn't he after money for dental work to impress barman. MeltBanana 17:12, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You could check the script] at the IMSDB to see if it is mentioned in dialog anywhere. Digfarenough 17:37, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Jerry (Macy) borrowed a lot of money from the dealer's credit corporation for nonexistent cars. That's the guy who keeps calling him at work for documentation, whose "patience is at an end," and Jerry says he'll "fax 'em on over" to him. My understanding is that Jerry needs the money to pay back that debt.--Cam 18:12, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

And IIRC, he horrowed the money because his business was going badly. Which would make sense, Jerry being Jerry. :) Henry ^Flower 19:08, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

X I Initials

I am looking for a famous person with the first name starting with the letter X and the last name starting with the letter I. they can be dead or alive or even a fictional character. Please e mail me a reponse if you can find someone with these initials. Thank you. (email address and duplicate question removed)

Does Xerxes I count? You might want to look at List of people by name: X Digfarenough 20:02, 16 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Francis Xavier Irwin is a Catholic bishop in Boston, but he doesn't go by his middle name. Irene Xavier is a women's rights activist in Malaysia -- same initials, but backwards. -- Mwalcoff 00:32, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

We have an article on one X. J. Kennedy, which is the closest I can provide. Unless you want to cheat and say Pope Pius XI or some other ordinal. --Howard Train 16:02, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Think there's a Catholic saint called "Xavier" hotclaws**==(82.138.214.1 07:55, 18 July 2006 (UTC))([reply]

July 17

Trying to find an old book

I am trying to find the title and author of a book. I only remember small parts... It is probably in the science genre. It was probably published between 1950 and 1960 as it describes transporters (in theory) with out reference to Star Trek. I also remember a picture in the book in which a man is sitting on a recliner reading a book, while a tiger a prowling in the jungle- interleaved in the same picture.

While I realize this request is vague, I would appreciate any help anyone could give.

If no one can help- where can I continue to search?

Thanks for your help

If no one here winds up helping you, you can try rec.arts.books on Usenet. Good luck.—msh210℠ 07:32, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Just a wild guess here but how about The Stars My Destination, which was largely about teleportation and was also published as Tiger! Tiger!. DJ Clayworth 19:09, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

-Thanks for your help so far... The Stars My Destination does sound like a good book to read...but it is not the one I am looking for. Thanks for the the suggestion though! Sounds interesting.

I don't know how to utilize usenet- But I'll give it a try. Anyone else have any ideas?

You don't need to use Usenet these days - you can access newsgroups through Google Groups instead. --Richardrj 11:14, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Question about Vic Mackey's Sunglasses from The Shield

I have looked everywhere and have not been able to come up with an answer. What brand and specific make are the sunglasses that Vic Mackey wears in the series The Shield? Thanks for your help.

JLee2911

Friday night lights TV Show theme

What is the name of the song playing for the commercials of Friday night lights show? Thanks --(Aytakin) | Talk 06:18, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I know the band is called Fort Minor, but I do not know what the song is called. User:Zscout370 ^{(Return Fire)} 09:35, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

According to [13] it is indeed Fort Minor and the song is called "Remember the Name." GassyGuy 09:41, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Azalah Grid, Templars & Shamir

I have scoured the Web for information about the Azalah Grid - apparently complemetary to something called (I believe) the Icarus Grid - and only found a couple of referemces to it in some discussion thread (http://listserv.freestate.net/pipermail/shamir/2003-April/000103.html

and a couple of broken links.

All I have managed to gather is that Cyprus is at the centre of this grid, which interests me enormously due to the island's connections with Atlantis, Mary Magdalene, the Holy Goddess Well in Bellapais (Cyprus), and the Templars.

Could anyone possibly enlighten me? Limited resources are so frustrating!

Thanks very much.

Tigerboxer.

ohmygod, I just looked that up. Here's a link [14] You can link up any arbitrary thing with those arbitrary grids, including volcanos and earthquakes, and Bermuda triangles. Have fun, and enjoy reading novels about the massive conspiracies that hide all this from the people. --Zeizmic 14:13, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Geomagnetic/Magnetic North Pole

Has anyone reached both the Geomagnetic and the Magnetic North Pole within 12 months of each other?? (already aware of Hempleman Adams Expeds).

Call Centres

I would like information on how to go about setting up an inbound call centre. I have read many articles on it - but none of them gives a step by step guideline as to what to do. Does anybody have this information or can point me in the right direction? Thanks in advance Estelle

I would suggest contacting your local telephone companies. They probably have brochures about how to go about this, and will be happy to advise you on the whole process, especially if they think they might get the installation contract.--Shantavira 14:13, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

KPA's and KPI's

Does anyone have a draft copy of the KPA's and KPI's (Key Performance Areas and Key Performance Indicators) for a Customer Service agent in an inbound call centre. I have found many references to it - but no complete list of KPA's and KPI's. Any assistance will be much appreciated Estelle

Isn't that very much dependent on your employer? Are there generic KPIs for an entire industry? Which country do you live in? JackofOz 10:12, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Yes - the employer plays a role - but there should be some generics. I.e. Frienliness, prompt answering of phone etc. I live in South Africa.

When you say "there should be some generics", do you know that is the way the system works in SA, or are you expressing your personal opinion of how you think it should work?

I have found generics on www.arau.gov but they had nothing on Customer Service. It can be relevant to any country - as one can adapt it for your own use. I just need a framework to start from - any suggestions? Estelle 13:36 17 July 2006 Appologies for not signing correctly --Estelle 11:50, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Since the call centre business is so mundane (low barrier to entry) and so cut-throat competitive, I doubt that you'll find anything free that's any good. It's somewhat like finding the instructions on how to run a successful fast-food joint. (Remember the movie where the rip-off guy had the full set of McDonald's manuals?) --Zeizmic 12:00, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Can you not work them out from first principles? Such things as:

Utilisation of Agent
Average Handling Time per Agent
First Call Resolution Rate per Agent
Idle Time per Agent
Turnover Rate of Agents
Timekeeping of Agent

--Tagishsimon (talk)

whistle-blowing

Internationally, corporations are increasingly encouraging whistle-blowing to improve corporate governance and boost performance. Discuss its effectiveness with particular reference to the banking & finance sector, both locally(singapore) and overseas.

When is your essay due? Notinasnaid 15:50, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I'd rather not. Too much homework of my own. --Howard Train 15:56, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I'm in Singapore? Why doesn't anybody tell me these things? --LarryMac 15:58, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Actually, I can give an example of whistle blowing. Suppose that, hypothetically, we were able to identify your question as coming from a student in Ngee Ann Polytechnic. Now suppose we were able to further forward information to the head of department that could allow the person who asked this question to be asked. That would be whistle blowing. What would the effect be? Perhaps this student would be discipled, and the effect on the others would be to encourage them to do their own homework. The effectiveness of the education might be improved by helping students in the School of Business & Accountancy to understand that there are consequences to their actions, especially important in careers like banking and finance where high standards of ethics are expected. Notinasnaid 16:05, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Ask a referree. DirkvdM 18:29, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

There was indeed a lot of corporate whistle-blowing at the World Cup in Germany. - Mgm|^(talk) 23:25, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I head-butt you for the bad joke!hotclaws**==(82.138.214.1 07:58, 18 July 2006 (UTC))[reply]

Question about YouTube

What I want to do is post a tribute to a wrestler on YouTube (I haven't made it yet.) Now, my question is is it illegal to post videos from WWE.com there? What about pictures? I ask because I've seen many video involving tributes deleted, but absolutely no picture-involving tributes. Thanks.

You have to own the copyrights of whatever you post. If you photograph wrestlers yourself there may be no problems, provided you avoid trademarks. Notinasnaid 16:06, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

From our very own article, many WWE videos have been removed, but can be searched under a strange term. My suggestion is that if you did not take the photos yourself, then it would not be a good idea to post the triubte, since if you see many of them being taken down, then that should mean something. User:Zscout370 ^{(Return Fire)} 19:41, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

[Insert reference to Cheese Souffle here.] --Mark ^{(Talk | Email)} 17:03, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

redirection

I added redirection pages for coast-watcher and coast-watchers to Coastwatchers, but now I see that there are more variations, e.g. coast watchers. Do I need to create additional pages for each one, or is there some other way of handling this? Clarityfiend 16:03, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, my understanding is you need to creat redirects for each one Baron Von Westfall 16:09, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Terrible spyware infestation

Lately I've had at least ten or twelve different popups appearing at random times on my computer. All kinds of stuff, ranging from amaena to partypoker to adultfriendfinder etc. Pretty basic spyware problem.

And yet my anti-spyware software isn't doing anything. I have both AdAware AND Spybot Search and Destroy running, yet neither of them are picking up ANY of these dozen-or-so different pieces of spyware. I figured it might be because they're new, so I updated my definitons. Still nothing. So I thought I'd wait a month or so for the respective anti-spyware software to update their definitions (putting me where I am now). STILL nothing. It's as though BOTH my spyware programs have just stopped working. What else can I do? Battle Ape 16:10, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It seems like you did everything you can. It may be so bad that you will have to reinstall. After you do (or even before), use Firefox as it has almost no security flaws and will ensure that things like this won't happen again. If you are not using any proprietary programs, and just use standard word processing, Internet browsing etc, consider switching to Linux. Linux is extremely stable compared to windows. Popup ads of the kind you are describing are unheard of on Linux. I would recommend Kubuntu, but there are many other fine distrubutions. If you are not ready to switch operating systems consider a dual-boot. Jon513 16:27, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You might consider downloading Windows Defender [15] from Microsoft. Its rather good, and is regularly updated (i've had 2 updates in the same day once). It might just be the definitions of the other two are out of date. CaptainVindaloo ^{t c e} 16:54, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

This may be a stupid question, but do you have the free version of AdAware? If so, are you manually running scans every so often? Only the pro version does it for you automatically. I used AdAware and did not have any problems. Also, I agree with Jon513. I recently switched to Firefox and no longer need to run AdAware. (Now if they could just fix the Firefox bug that cuts off long Wikipedia articles after I edit them...) Clarityfiend 17:24, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

In the same vain, did you keep the anti-spyware software up-to-date before running your scans? - Mgm|^(talk) 23:22, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

clarityfiend, I think that bug was discussed her before. I have never experienced it myself, but from what I understand it is not in the most recent version of firefox (1.5.0.4). Upgrading will probally fix it. Jon513 17:58, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks. That update seemed to do the trick. Clarityfiend 00:52, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I take that back. 1.5.0.4 truncated a long article (Arthur Conan Doyle is safe from my depredations for the moment). Curses. Foiled again (twirl moustache). The consensus seems to be that you need to uninstall the Google toolbar. It's listed as bug 5643. Clarityfiend 02:52, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Look into HijackThis. (It will fix just about anything, but you need to be an expert.) zafiroblue05 | Talk 12:26, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

A friend of mine had a similar problem, and her spyware programs weren't fixing it because it was a trojan. Her antivirus (AVG) didn't work either, she had to install something new.--Anchoress 03:43, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Cannelton Statuary Co.

I am trying to find any information on the Cannelton Statuary Co. Like years of operation, what they made is there any people living that worked there. Like I said any info. All I know is that it was located in Cannelton, IN.

BILL

Housing Bubble

I am concerned about a the US housing bubble. What are some prudent steps I can take to preserve capital? Would investing in stocks be wise if home prices are expected to fall? Also, is there a good indicator I can look to to tell me when home prices have bottomed? I would like to purchase my first house if/when the housing bubble pops and results in widespread selling & deep discounts in homes. Where can I find important statistics like the average home price as a percentage of annual income, etc. Baron Von Westfall 16:17, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I have been involved with investing in the UK housing market for many years, and I know very little about the US market (except its more volatile than the UK, and it is even more regional) but my advice may still be applicable to both markets, particularly since nobody else has offered any.

What are some prudent steps I can take to preserve capital? The book by JP Calverley, Bubbles and how to survive them, 2004, ISBN 1857883489 which discusses UK and US housing bubbles, describes how in the UK at least it would be in theory possible to make a large Spread Bet which would protect against a fall in house prices. I cannot recall if this is possible in the US.

Would investing in stocks be wise if home prices are expected to fall? I do not think an investment in stocks would be a good idea - in the UK the two markets are positively correlated, I expect it is the same in the US. They are both affected by changes in interest rates.

Also, is there a good indicator I can look to to tell me when home prices have bottomed? I would make a graph of the year on year percentage house price rises or falls for each month. You need to get good quality reliable and regularly published statistics - sorry I dont know where you'd get these in the US. (Do not mix statistics from different sources - stick to the same series!!) I would get the statistics from at least a year back or more to be able to plot the line in the past, not just the present. If there is more than one series available, you could plot them both on the same graph (or you could plot their average - techinically speaking a geometric average would be best). Hopefully they will make quite a smooth curving line (at least they do in the UK) and when you see the direction of this line become horizontal and then starting to change direction (from down to up or vice versa) this tells you the market is changing direction. The UK market bottomed by this measure in the autumn of 2005.

If your line is not a slowly changing curve then you could get try getting statistics from a larger area to smooth out random fluctuations, or you could plot moving averages, or use exponential smoothing.

There are many other indicators you could invent - for example how long houses take to sell. I do not know which of them would be best - try monitoring several. There are no standardised ones that everyone relies upon. There are no indicators which say "If the indicator is above X, then buy" (although some people may try this with the price/income ratio which I disagree with).

If you are numerate you could try doing quantitave forecasts. Unfortunately the Wikipedia article on Forecasting is rubbish. The articles on Time Series are too advanced. I suggest getting instead an introductory book on forecasting. There was one published since the 70s or 80's by 'Makridikas' (I'm sure I've spelt that wrong) that has been through many editions - it might have been called "Introduction To Forecasting" - cannot remember. I suggest trying that to start with. If you manage to get hold of a series of statistics going back decades you could try using ARIMA, which is the best forecasting method. There are two or three free downloadable software programs that will calculate ARIMA automatically. Unfortunately I dont know of any free programs that use the simpler methods. Quantitative forecasting can require a lot of skill, study, and knowledge to produce non-misleading results - be careful.

I would like to purchase my first house if/when the housing bubble pops and results in widespread selling & deep discounts in homes. If you has tried this strategy in the UK you never would have bought anything over the past 10 or 20 years or so since prices fell a little in the early 90's, and they have risen several times since then. You could find yourself left behind. However, as I said, I think the US is more volatile. In the UK there is a shortage of building land, so supply has not been keeping up with demand. Over that time there were respectable economists emphatically predicting a collapse in the UK market in the near future because of their naive faith in the price/income ratio, but in actual fact prices kept increasing. (It may be like predicting a fall in the stock market - people said it would happen many years earlier than it actually did).

Where can I find important statistics like the average home price as a percentage of annual income, etc. I do not know for the US. I do not approve of this statistic for at least the UK as here mortage payments are variable. See my comments added to the discussion page of the Housing bubble article. I did not agree with Calverleys book - people like him so often seize on the price/income ratio because in the UK at least it is so sensational, yet they are being too simplistic and what they really should have is a multivariate model that takes into account things like interest rates, unemplyment and so on, yet this requires far too much PhD-level skill for journalists or writers to do. I suggest using a statistic of monthly_mortgage_cost / take_home_income if you can.

In the UK there are frequently sensational headlines in the press foretelling doom or the reverse - I'd take all of these with a pinch of salt. All journalists know nothing about the statistical technicalities of the market and usually write uninformed speculation as if it was fact and also make a lot of stupid mistakes.

I'm very interested in this subject so if you want to discuss this more I will be happy to.

Longest Beach

Can you please tell me what is the longest public beach on the east coast of the United States. I have a bet on this; I say Revere Beach in Massachusetts, my friend says Jones Beach in New York.

Please advise; we may both be wrong!

Thanks so much!

See Geography of the United Kingdom#Coastline, a major determining factor is the shape of the beach, not what you would think of as "longest". Jon513 18:02, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

He's after the USA, not the UK. --Richardrj 11:16, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

My point is that a beach can be very long if it is measure with very small units. A beach that is bumpy at the end can be much longer than a straight beach. This is a major issue for measuring the coast of UK as it is infinitly long. Jon513 00:05, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Arguably, the Outer Banks of North Carolina could be considered a very, very long public beach in the sense that the majority of the seafront is protected as the Cape Hatteras and Cape Lookout National Seashores. The beaches are public in the sense that anyone can access them. Of course, if you mean public beach in the sense of a locally/municpally owned recreational beach, I have no clue. Brian Schlosser42 18:06, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Unless there's a longer barrier island somewhere, the Outer Banks wins. It's hard to beat a sandbar a hundred miles long. --Serie 23:16, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

just wondering did anyone look at Beach#How beaches are formed and the Long Beach, Washington articles? There is some more information here. Can't tell if it's public or not. On the other hand what about beches in Alaska? CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 18:37, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Using hide/show in articles?

Is it OK to use the hide/show feature in articles? I have seen it used on project and user pages. It could be very useful. Hopefully, the example below will work!

Pillboxes... blah, blah, blah...

Typres of Hardened Field Defences. Select show to expand.

Other stuf... blah, blah, blah...

Thanks in advance. Gaius Cornelius 18:13, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Whats the point of hiding relavent information? Philc _T^E_C^I 18:18, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Simply, that in an article there may be technical details that some readers may wish to ignore. With hide/show you can read as a general article and only look at the details if you wish. this article of mine being a case in point. Gaius Cornelius 18:22, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

But they can ignore them even if they can see them, the section headers do enough to explain whats in the following text. It just hides it from people who dont notice the drop down boxes. Philc _T^E_C^I 19:18, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I'd strongly recommend leaving it out of articles. It's cumbersome and particularly useless to people without Javascript enabled. Try using a sidebar for the technical stuff; those can be scrolled past without interrupting the rest of the article. — Lomn | Talk 19:44, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Reference

What is the cliche/phrase:

1)[something]

2)???

3)Profit!!!

a reference to? I have no idea how to look this up. Mo-Al 18:20, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It's from an episode of South Park, featuring Underpants Gnomes. --LarryMac 18:46, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

For the future, things like this that are common across the internet care called memes, and articles like Internet phenomenon, 4chan, and Something Awful are good places to start.--droptone 22:52, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Article Naming

With regards to naming an article, if a country and a subdivision of another country share the same name, which should be placed in the article namespace according to wiki policy. Philc _T^E_C^I 19:29, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

What, like Georgia? Disambiguate unless one is significantly more relevant than another (say, Brazil vs Brazil County, Oregon). — Lomn | Talk 19:42, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

But what defines more relevant, as an english speaking encyclopedia, is the meaning of relevance not subject to POV, for example if a state of the UAE shared its name with a large english speaking country in northern america, which would get the namespace then, the obscure UAE subdivision, or the country. Philc _T^E_C^I 22:59, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

That's an entirely pointless example - on almost any plausible way of determining relevance, an obscure state of a small country is less significant than the entirety of a large country. Shimgray | talk | 23:01, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Exactly, you through your own POV decided that one state was obscure, and that a small country is less significant than a large one. Dirkvdm's point sums up my thoughts perfectly. The one of the higher order should occupy the namespace because of that reason, because thats the only way you can seperate the two into a hierarchy that doesnt depend on POV. Philc _T^E_C^I 20:08, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Ah - in your statement of the question you called it an "obscure... subdivision" ;-)

My point was that regardless of any metric we choose, the large English-speaking American country will win out. Do we do it on size? Large country. On "order", per Dirk? Country beats region. On familiarity to our readership? Country. On likelihood of our readership needing an article? Country. POV doesn't come into this example, because we've defined the example so that under any concievable neutral and abstract prioritisation, the same one loses. Shimgray | talk | 09:07, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I would use Lomn's suggestion. - Mgm|^(talk) 23:20, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Ah, but who determines the relevance? Relevant to whom? If it is a country vs a subdivision of a country, I'd say the country should get the namespace. Take, for example, Washington . The state is an entity of higher order, so it gets the namespace. The same is even done with New York, even though the city is much better known. Few people who know of the city know it's also a state. Only recently did I realise that this is what the lyrics 'New York, New York' are about. That the same is not done with Georgia is US-centric, I suppose. Can anyone think of more examples, so we can come up with a systematic approach? DirkvdM 15:37, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Victoria (in Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, Seychelles, etc) is a good example. Perhaps List of misleading place names could give a few more...I'd agree that Georgia should point to the country over the subdivision. Grutness...wha? 02:05, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I've put up a question at Wikipedia_talk:Naming_conventions_(places)#Political_subdivision_prevalence because the discussion should be held in a broader perspective. See what that results in. DirkvdM 18:14, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

DJs, scratch DJs, and records

Why do DJs use turntables and records nowadays to play music? Wouldn't digital equipment be smaller, faster, and take up WAY less space?

How do 'scratch DJs' scratch their records like they do without tearing the record all up, especially the threads which hold the needle on the record?

And finally, a sort of rediculous question, does anyone remember that scene from Shaun of the Dead where the two main characers used records to dispatch a zombie? If one could fashion a device (using compressed air or the like) to shoot records out at high speeds, could it really cut the head off of a zombie?

Thanks, 68.52.187.248 20:33, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Just on the second part - get any object moving fast enough and it will decapitate a zombie :)--inks ^T 21:23, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Right, it's definitely possible to cut off the head of a zombie this way. Not so much because records are very sharp or a record launching device would be able to shoot at a very high speed, but because zombie bodies seem to be quite fragile. The poor creatures lose arms, legs and heads all the time - this is of course one of the main attractions of zombie movies, where most of our knowledge of the undead comes from. While vampires and many other monsters are virtually indestructible, zombies can often be smashed to pulp with a baseball bat or blown to pieces with a single shot. Their strength is in their numbers, individuals are expendable. So with a decent record shooter you should be safe in case of a zombie attack, provided there are enough records around. David Sneek 21:31, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Some DJ's do use digital equipment. Some use a combination of digital and "old-school." I might be pushing this analogy a bit, but you may as well ask why all artists don't use computers and graphics pads nowadays. My only DJ-ing has been of the radio station variety, but there is still something to be said for the hands-on method. Additionally, dropping the needle at the right place is a very visual activity, and I'd imagine that the whole performance DJ experience is a lot more right-brain than left.

I don't really understand what you mean about "the threads which hold the needle on the turntable." Generally a turntable platter can be disengaged from the drive motor so that it can freely rotate in the "wrong" direction. The stylus sits at the end of a well-balanced tone-arm, and DJ equipment is made to withstand some amount of this wrong-way rotation. The vinyl records do indeed suffer some wear and tear, but that's why DJ's have lots and lots of records.

Finally, I didn't see that movie, but I'd say that zombies probably have weak necks, what with the decomposing and all. --LarryMac 21:34, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Oddly, the hole seems to suffer even more. A much-scratched record (that is nevertheless still used) need a piece of paper in the hole to keep the record from wobbling. DirkvdM 18:11, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

APA

How would I site an article for a paper from your encyclopedia in APA format?

Firstly, please don't double post. Secondly, there's a link on the left hand side (under search) called "Cite this article" this contains all sorts of ways to cite wikipedia articls including APA format. Benbread 21:33, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Third, you cite articles, you don't site them. ;) - Mgm|^(talk) 23:17, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Jackson, Wi

The article about Jackson, Wisconsin says John May Currently lives in Jackson. Who is John May?

There's no clue from the article. The info was added by an unregistered user on 21 June 2006. I've removed it, not least since there are no obvious John May candidates in Wikipedia, nor does Google throw up an obvious candidate. Thanks for bringing the issue to our attention. --Tagishsimon (talk)

Tour de France

What is the name for the cook/nutritionist at the Tour de France bike race? Is it a team of cooks?

I know next to nothing about the Tour, but I think I heard on television that each team has their own cook. - Mgm|^(talk) 23:16, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Statistics on male viewers for typically female-interest shows

Would anyone know how much of a male-viewing audience The View (talk show) has? If not, where could I find out ASAP? Thank you. Rocketta

Opium Pipes

Is there any manufacturer of traditional opium pipes? Is there any source to order them? Thanks --helohe (talk) 23:00, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I tried typing "opium pipe" and "wholesale" into Google and came up with Quyen Thanh Souvenirs in Vietnam. Perhaps it is of help, though it is unclear whether they are actually manufacturers of these items. Crypticfirefly 03:00, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Explosive Devices

I would like someone to teach me how to make a fertilizer bomb and how they work. Or any kind of bomb for that matter. I'd like to be able to make it out of things i could find at wal-mart. Thanks — Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.193.144.143 (talk)

How about a water bomb? JMiall 23:30, 17 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You should ask this guy, he seems to have experience with water that bombs. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 01:19, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Your IP indicates that you are from the US. The Anarchist Cookbook is legally available there. Jon513 01:45, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Can we nominate him for the Darwin Awards before he blows himself up, or do we have to wait? Adam Bishop 01:56, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Don't they sell black powder and plumbing pipes at Wal-Mart? Why get fancy with fertilizer, you are well on your way to a nice pipe bomb. Seriously, you could hurt yourself or others with this stuff so keep it theoretical. Crypticfirefly 03:18, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You know the NSA is reading all of this, right? --Bmk 04:11, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Is this even a legitimate question? --Proficient 04:36, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The Poor Man's James Bond is also easily found in the U.S. Dismas|^(talk) 04:41, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Learn to type with fewer fingers as well! -hotclaws**==(82.138.214.1 08:03, 18 July 2006 (UTC))[reply]

Acetone Peroxide is quite easely done and can quite easy blast away your fingers.(dont drop it) helohe (talk) 12:38, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Can't you also get guns at wallmart? Or is that just another story to make the US look stupid? DirkvdM 18:14, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I'm sure some Wallmarts are licensed gun dealers. --Serie 23:18, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You can get ammunition at wallmart. I'm not shure if they also sell guns. helohe (talk) 01:10, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Sure they do, just look in their catalog. Rmhermen 02:17, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Oh dear, so it is true. Well, that solves it then. In the land of 'war on terrorism' you can buy your bombs at a supermarket. DirkvdM 07:20, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Although Wal-Mart sells some groceries, it isn't a supermarket, or at least not in the American English way the term is used. It is primarily a discount department store. Most of the store is taken up with things like clothing, cooking utensils, tools, toys, camping equipment (including hunting gear such as guns), hardware, yard goods for sewing, knitting wool and other craft supplies, cosmetics, linens, holiday decorations, electronics, record albums, lawn furniture, office supplies . . . you get the picture. Private gun ownership is legal in the U.S., it shouldn't be a surprise that there are stores there that sell them. Crypticfirefly 03:49, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Well, a department store then, but you get the point. I hope. You are aware that that is preposterous, aren't you? Why don't they sell heroin as well? DirkvdM 06:25, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

This question is obviously guerilla advertizing from the Waltons. Check out the rest of the questioner's contribs. --GangofOne 03:09, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Were it not for the creepy manner in which you asked, I would show you. --Abnerian 10:08, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Sega Genesis video game

Dear whomever can answer my question, When I was around 8 or 9, I would play this game on Sega Genesis from our subscription to the "Sega Channel" (a program in which every month, tons of games are offered to be played as a demo). There was this one game that was a bit like "Art Alive", yet you only had to place things and choose their colors and compose your own environme by choosing a background, and the life and add music and props. You could even compose your own music by moving boxes with pictures on them and drag them to the central box and choose what character plays what instrument. Please tell me what game this is, it's been bugging me for ages.

Sincerely, Kyle Smith

I don't know the answer, but you could start by looking at List of Sega Genesis games, and maybe the archives of Sega Channel's webpage ([16]). Could you give us an approximate date so we could refine the search? Ziggurat 03:20, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Beginning of Augusta GA Riverwalk

Can you tell me the name of the advertising agency that originally handled the marketing and public relations for the Augusta GA Riverwalk promotions; and the names of the people at the agency who did their creative work at that time? I met some folks from there, but have forgotten their names. Thanks.

Making links

I'm trying to add one of those internal links, like going to octopus and in blue letters there is a link, but it has the name of the section its leading to. I need to make this in order to tell people about one of the less seen residents of Cape Town. Thanks in advance.

Help:Link and Help:URL should help out.--droptone 02:38, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Beirut

Beer Pong. Also known as Beirut. How come?

I suggest you read the article on Beer pong. Dismas|^(talk) 04:38, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Nixon's famous "V"

1. what's the meaning of . Does it mean he has confidence that he's innocent or something? Confident in the democratic way even after such a scandal?

2. Did he do it just once on August 9th when he resigned or was it a trademark move?

Thanks.

See V sign - I believe it usually means 'victory', but the article suggests it can also represent defiance, which fits closer with the image you've offered. Ziggurat 03:15, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Per Richard Nixon#Popular culture, it was a trademark move. -- Rick Block (talk) 04:24, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Tricking bank into thinking I have direct deposit

I have a "free" Chase checking account as long as my summer job keeps up the direct deposit...

my question: would it work to use something like ingdirect.com or treasurydirect.gov that use ACH transfers to fool my bank into thinking that I'm still getting direct deposit? Then I wouldn't have to pay the $6/month fee..

Can anyone who works at a bank let me know how they verify whether or not you have direct deposit?

Yeah, punk - I work at a bank, and I'm CALLING THE FEDS. LOL, j/k - but seriously, why would you ask bank employees how to defraud themselves? --Bmk 04:03, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

it's not fraud if they define direct deposit as having a treasury direct or an ingdirect account...

Change your bank. Don't you guys have free bank accounts in the States? Hmm, I just looked at current account (banking) and checking account and it seems perhaps not.--Shantavira 12:53, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Of course there are free accounts in the States. I have three of them at different banks. As far as the original question, why not just ask the bank what qualifies as a direct deposit? Going in the with attitude of "tricking" the bank is probably not going to help, though. --LarryMac 13:07, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I called them and it turns out I don't have an account that was listed on the website...I have some special account or something that doesn't do that monthly charge shit. problem solved...thanks for the suggestions

Liberal-Libertarian

Is there a particular political party that is home to people who consider themselves liberal-libertarians?

Anywhere in the world or a particular country? I'm not sure if I understand the term correctly (there doesn't seem to be an article on it), but D'66 might fit the bill. DirkvdM 18:21, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Antlion

Do antlions have eyes? If so where are they?

A quick googling for antlion eyes reveals "antlions have small eyes" (compared to dragonflies' eyes). Or do you mean the other kind of antlions? Nasty things... Weregerbil 08:58, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I assume he means the larvae (it is obvious where the eyes are on the adults). They are just above the pinchers (see this picture or even this wonderful sculpture). Sometimes they are pretty hard to see though: check out how tiny they are in this picture. --Fastfission 17:56, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Yes. --Proficient 08:55, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Longest winning streak against a different opponent every time

This has been bugging me for a while. What is the longest winning streak in world sporting history (individual or team), involving a contest that is fought annually (eg. Wimbledon), where the repeat winner fought a different opponent each time? The contest as a whole might involve many players/teams, but the final must involve only 2 (eg. the Tour de France is out). Our article is little more than a stub at the moment. JackofOz 06:06, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

~~Per List_of_Wimbledon_Gentlemen's_Singles_champions, Pete Sampras won the Wimbledon men's singles against a different opponent four years running, from 1997 to 2000. There's a start.~~ --Richardrj 07:53, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Per List_of_US_Open_Men's_Singles_champions, Richard Sears won the first seven years of the US Open men's singles, each time against a different opponent. --Richardrj 07:59, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Rosenborg B.K. football team won every Norwegian Premier League for 13 years, holding the title from 1992 - 2005, meaning they have only failed to win the competition twice. Philc _T^E_C^I 12:08, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

How about the America's Cup?USA retained it from 1851-1983.132 years is pretty good going in any sport 88.106.237.170 12:11, 18 July 2006 (UTC)Lemon[reply]

Neither of the above suggestions help, since the questioner specified that the winning streak should be against a different opponent each time. -Richardrj 13:52, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

According to The Guinness book of records Harry Greb was unbeaten in 178 consecutive bouts although "at the time, the rendering of an official decision at the end of a fight was prohibited". Ray Ewry was one of the most succesful olympians. Camarero (an 'orse) won 56 consecutive races between 1953-55. Futabayama Sadaji won 69 consecutive sumo bouts. I haven't found a decent single person year on year record but that is probably the nature of a winning streak; they are not annual. MeltBanana 15:33, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Oh but they can be. Federer has now won Wimbledon 4 years in a row. That constitutes a winning streak, doesn't it? The Olympics don't qualify for my question, since they're not contested annually. Same for the America's Cup, the Commonwealth Games, and various World Cups. The Superbowl would be OK though. The Tour de France is annual, but the final is not between only 2 cyclists but a whole mess of them. Boxing is not an annual event either. JackofOz 23:42, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

My guess is UCLA basketball, 1967-73. Seven straight championships, no repeat runners-up. (See NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship. -- Mwalcoff 02:36, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

OK. So we have Richard Sears and the UCLA basketball team both with a 7-year winning streak with no repeat runners-up. Can anyone top that? JackofOz 03:49, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

In Heather McKay's 16 wins in the British Open Squash Championships, I can count 11 different runners-up in her last 11 years (1967 to 1977) Tintin (talk) 14:12, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Now we're getting somewhere. JackofOz 23:48, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

hello? I need some answers

Several of these pages say my IP address is blocked. {I am on AOL). I have not logged on to Wikipedia in nearly a year, and not on the date listed on one of the pages. What does this mean and who can I ask about it? I am confused about your help page and I swear I didn't do anything to anyone's articles! Sincerely, Martha Clouse <email removed>

AOL cycles IP addresses at a rapid pace; consequently, AOL users editing anonymously commonly see warning messages and blocks intended for other people. If you create an account, the spurious warnings should go away. — Lomn | Talk 12:50, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Create an account as mentioned above. --Proficient 08:57, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

US County latitude longitude

Hello! We are seaching for a list fo US Counties and their min/max latitude/longitudes (Lat/Lon's). We have a straight list of Counties, but need to append minimum lat/lon's and maximum lat/lon's toward locality (city,town...) and Zip verifications. Do you have a straight list of these lat/lon's? Thanks.

Brett Favre

I was wondering if anyone know the drug that Brett Favre was addicted to a few years ago?

I don't have a definitive reference, but the consensus around the web seems to be Vicodin. --LarryMac 14:43, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Some drug, to be blunt. --Proficient 08:57, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Suggestion

Can we please add another section to the reference desk that covers economics, financial and legal issues? Baron Von Westfall 14:52, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The volume of posts doesn't seem to justify a separate page for economics and financial issues, and Wikipedia does not offer legal advice. Notinasnaid 15:07, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I see someone's managed to get promoted. Hope you didn't pay too much for it. AllanHainey 15:34, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

One day, I shall be a Viscount Baron Von Westfall 19:12, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It says at the top of the page we dont help with financial medical or legal issues. So unless there are enough economics questions to justify it.... Philc _T^E_C^I 20:03, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Why can't we help with them? Wikipedia could have a forum for legal/financial advice just as many other sites do--there's even a guy that gives marginal legal advice over the radio. Bill Handel for instance. In any case, it would be a place were people could ask questions they need answers for on those specific issues. Baron Von Westfall 20:18, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I don't understand these taboos we have. Really, does it open Wikipedia up to any reasonable lawsuit if they get some legal advice off of the reference desk? What if they read about a legal matter in an article—same difference as far as I can tell. I'm sure people read the medical articles and decide for themselves whether the sores covering their bodies are something they should go to the doctor about—it seems to expose Wikipedia to the same level of responsibility. If you're too dumb to judge free advice for it worth for yourself, then that's too bad for you. Let the rest of us have a discussion. —Bradley 20:35, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

We cannot offer legal advice and medical advice since most of us are not legally licensed to perform such duties. It is illegal to do so, since we will be violating the "unauthorized practice of medicine" and "unauthorized practice of law." Of course, if someone asks to where they can find out about immigration information, we can point them out, we cannot fill the forms for them or tell them what court to see. We are not qualifiied to make that judgement and it is best to leave it to the people who are licensed to perform those duties. User:Zscout370 ^{(Return Fire)} 20:45, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Not to mention that this isn't a discussion forum. --LarryMac 20:59, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

At times, I'd disagree with your statement. --Proficient 08:58, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

OK, it's not supposed to be a discussion forum. :-) --LarryMac 15:15, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Bill Handel is a lawyer. Who will recruit lawyers for Wikipedia? Who will check their credentials and prevent other people from answering? Is any of this the least bit relevant to a project whose sole purpose is to make an encyclopedia? I propose closing down these desks, because they take time away from people who might have been editing articles. Notinasnaid 10:04, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

What is the greatest number of countries you can visit in an hour/day?

Helping my friends plan their holidays-flying from Gibraltar to Rome,we've worked out they could without much effort do five or six countries within a morning! Start in Morocco-ferry to Gibraltar,over in Spain,back to Gib,fly to Rome,over into Vatican and then out to San Marino.

Any more suggestions for the most number of countries you could fit in in a day?You have to set foot in the country,not just fly over it.

I doubt you'll get an accurate answer to this, but I'd assume it'd be somewhere in Europe: you could easily do Luxembourg, Belgium, France and Germany in a day, as well as the UK. Obviously, it also depends on the mode of transport you use- perhaps you could buy a Concorde, there seem to be a few spare these days. Maybe Eastern Europe would be better...perhaps you could ask at the humanities reference desk?

EVOCATIVEINTRIGUE TALKTOME | EMAILME | IMPROVEME 18:02, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

From Poland via the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzogovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, and Macedonia to Greece could be done in a day, I think. (here is a map, but without Montenegro, which became independent last month.) David Sneek 18:03, 18 July 2006 (UTC) (And it would take only a minor detour to go to Bulgaria and Romania.)[reply]

There are two reasons to think Europe. One, of course, is that there are many small countries. The other is that the infrastructure allows you to travel fast. Sweden - Denmark (there's a bridge there now) - Germany - Netherlands - Belgium - Luxemburg - France - Switzerland - Austria - Italy might be doable in a day (if the Alps don't get in the way too much) and if you're really fast you might even go to Slovenia and the rest of former Yugoslavia. But another option is somewhere where you don't need any infrastructure, at sea. If you've got a really fast boat, that is. The Baltic sea is surrounded by many countries. What about Sweden - Finland - Russia - Estonia - Latvia - Lithuania - Poland - Germany - Denmark? That would take less than a day, I suppose, so you might still make it around Denmark and reach the Netherlands, Belgium, France and England. But you might even do several of the first in one hour (as you also asked). You could also go island-hopping in the Caribbean, but alas most of those islands belong to European countries and are therefore not separate countries. You'd just be alternating between Britain and France. DirkvdM 18:43, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Erm... most of "Britain's islands" have been independent for many years. But island hopping is likely to take more time than going by road. Grutness...wha? 02:15, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

This is what I have done with my family:

going from Malmö(Sweden) to Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium (we left at maybe 8 am and arrived at 10 pm at our front door in Belgium). We didn't really push ourselves to do this.If you are tough, you might make it to Luxemburg or France after that as well, and thus reach six or even seven!

This is what we did in high school :

leaving quite early (six in the morning) in Belgium, going through Luxemburg, France, Germany, Switzerland and finally Italy. We arrived in Milan quite late. I don't think it is quite possible to make it to Rome after that and still visit the Vatican.

You might be able to get to Monaco, though, to add to the country tally! Grutness...wha? 02:15, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

A few hints : Switzerland is not in the European Union so when doing that last trip you have to leave and then again enter the European Union, it could take some time.

In Rome they don't allow busses into the city, well they do, but it costs a fortune for just an hour.

Evilbu 22:54, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

For a three day trip you could possibly manage Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, France, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, Slovenia, Italy, Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Serbia, Hungary, Rumania, Czech Republic, Poland, and Slovakia. You wouldn't be doing much other than driving, though, and you'd literally be cutting across the edge of some of those countries. Grutness...wha? 02:15, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

If you have a fast boat (or, of course, a plane), you could hit a bunch of Caribbean island statelets in a day. Don't know what customs would be like, though. -- Mwalcoff 02:34, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Hey, don't steal my answers. :) DirkvdM 07:23, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

That's pretty cool to visit many countries in a short period of time, but sometimes it's just best to enjoy the countries natural settings without rushing through them, do you know what I mean? The objective is not to travel the fastest, but enjoy the country. Albeit, this might not be the answer tou were looking for, yet the abovementioned suggestions to your question will probably suffice. --Proficient 09:00, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

This is armchair travelling, so this is all academic. And if we can not have academic discussions here, then where? DirkvdM 18:23, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Ice-cream Vans

Where I live, if you make too much noise, or disturb the area too much you can get punished. However, there are evil things which drive around creating great deals of noise with impunity. They also play a horrible tune. How so? Why don't they get their well-deserved comeupance? Can I impose it upon them?

Thanks. —Daniel (‽) 18:11, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Go and check with whatever organisation runs the town where you live and see if there are any rules that apply.
Consider how many times an ice cream van comes through your neighbourhood on an everage day. If it's less than five, consider if you are perhaps overreacting.
Chill, man. Go out and buy one of those evil ice creams. They are quite tasty. DJ Clayworth 18:15, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

This is a very BJAODN question Baron Von Westfall 19:11, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Danny, you look too young to be an old fuddy-duddy. --Nelson Ricardo 02:05, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The evil things are paying taxes to the controllers which is tied to the enforcement agency. So they don't get their comeupance because the enforcers are getting a kickback from the crime, essentially. If you include the government in the crime, any crime may be committed, as the news shows. As for guerrilla warfare, perhaps you could involve the copyright holders of the horrid tune they play to insist it be shutdown due to copyright infringement. That's a rediculous use of the law, but the law is getting rather ridiculous lately. You could also make it clear to the police that the evil things have an exaggerated interest in underage children, and that you fear pedophilia, and if anything happens, you will sue the police and the government and all politicians in power will lose all future elections for connection to pedophilea. --GangofOne 02:57, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

There used to be an ice-cream truck that would come around my house, yet now the truck does not come at all. That is strange; I assume they weren't getting adequate business and there

I'd be wary of wishing bad things on ice-cream vans. You're in the U.K. so you might remember the Glasgow Ice Cream Wars, which would be a good thing as we don't have an article on them. AllanHainey 11:11, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I am from the Uk too and I also hate the noise from Ice cream vans. I used to live in a cul-de-sac and the horrible things would go and park in the same place near me all the time. Another thing I hated, when I was a student in London, was people running their car or van motors while they sat in them beneath my room. the worst noise I ever had was this very very loud alarm that went off non-stop 24 hours all the time over a long bank-holiday weekend - it was almost too loud to allow me to sleep. --62.253.48.106 13:29, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Where I grew up in the U.S., there were no ice-creak trucks. Apparently, a kid got hurt by one once, and the city banned them. If you think about it, a moving motor vehicle that plays music to attract small children is probably a bit of a liability risk. -- Mwalcoff 22:36, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

One of the most surreal things I've ever seen was a convoy of three ice-cream vans, with music playing, travelling down a country road at 11 o'clock on a winter's night. I've never worked out why. Grutness...wha? 07:43, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The ice cream van in my area drives around at night-time playing the theme from Third Man. It's kind of creepy. Great tune, but not very fitting somehow.

How is a person's nationality stated on Wiki

I want to know how nationality is stated on Wiki. In Dominic Monaghan's article it states he was born in Berlin, Germany. As I understand it that makes his nationality German, but the article syas he is an English actor. I thought to be English he would have to be born in England or have taken English nationality.

Can someone let me know the right was to site a person's nationality??

Thanks --NeilEvans 18:33, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It's generally a case-by-case basis, and may be subjective. For instance, several babies are born annually at US military facilities overseas (such as Ramstein Air Base in Germany) and yet they are, from birth, US citizens and will likely self-identify as American rather than German.

Anyway, all that to say: in Monaghan's case, were either of his parents English? Did he move to England at a young age? Is he a British citizen/subject/appropriate word? There are plenty of things to consider beyond simple place-of-birth. — Lomn | Talk 19:20, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Yeah it says on his bio that he was born and raised in Berlin and the family moved to England when he was 12. The family may have aquired citizenship, but that's different than nationality. I guess he identifies himself as British as he spent the majority of his life in England. It doesn't really matter I just wondered what the precedent was for citing a person's nationality.

--NeilEvans 19:44, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

As Lomn said, it's mostly fairly clear cut, but not always. Usually we write whatever they describe themselves as. In less clear cases write more detail than just a simple statement of nationality. In Dominic's case, given his name and history, I would expect that he was probably a British citizen from birth (that's perfectly possible if one or more parent is British). He may have been a German citizen at one time; it's also possible that he may have been eligible for German citizenship but never taken it up. Being born somewhere doesn't always mean you are a citizen of that country, or that you are still a citizen.

For our purposes citizenship and nationality are almost always identical. And British Citizen is the appropriate word, Lomn. DJ Clayworth 20:19, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

(Incidentally this site says he is German, but I don't know where they get their information from). DJ Clayworth 20:21, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

If you read further down that page, you get: "Dominic Monaghan is the younger of two boys. Dominic Monaghan's schoolteacher father and nurse mother spoke English at home and, when Monaghan was 12 years old, moved the family back to their native Manchester." so it looks like he is British from birth. Rmhermen 20:27, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Germany does not give citizenship to everyone born in the country: unless one of your parents is German, you have to apply for naturalisation. Henry ^Flower 13:47, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Tracer Fire

What is tracer fire? thanks Joel

As I understand it, it is rounds of phosphorous intersperced with ordinary rounds, e.g. in a machine gun. The phosphorous rounds ignite and give out light, allownig the trajectory of the fusillade to be seen. Something like that. The article Tracer ammunition is probably your friend. --Tagishsimon (talk)

July 18

Maps

How do you create the green country maps with yellow location dots on them? Xtrememachineuk 20:34, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Hi! Try asking this question at the help desk, who are more suited to answering questions about how to use Wikipedia. EVOCATIVEINTRIGUE TALKTOME | EMAILME | IMPROVEME 22:21, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Or you could cheat by finding such a page, clicking on "edit", and studying the appropriate code, which will be in curly brackets.--Shantavira 08:20, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Or see Wikipedia:Coordinate-referenced map templates.--Shantavira 08:56, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

What do you mean? --Proficient 03:03, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

dress

Is there any website where I can buy a African dress, whether from Somalia or west Africa?

Try e-Bay--Anchoress 02:20, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Ebay will work, as mentioned above. Google will also help. --Proficient 03:03, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Hezbollah Rockets

Where Could I find info on the kethusha (probably spelt wrong) used by Hezbollah on Northern Israel? Ken 21:43, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Here: Katyusha --Tagishsimon (talk)

Also see Qassam rocket for info on cruder rockets coming from the Gaza Strip. zafiroblue05 | Talk 01:59, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Vicksburg

Hello, I am working on an "online hunt" and I cannot find this answer anywhere: The number of states (count a state only once), that sent troops to Vicksburg for the decisive Civil War battle. ". If someone could help that would be great!! Thanks! --Zach 21:48, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

'Sounds like someone wants you to learn about the Battle of Champion Hill. Try searching on the words "Champion Hill," Vicksburg, "decisive battle," states, troops. You'll still get a lot of hits, but the first page or two of hits should have the information you're looking for. SWAdair 04:05, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You might also check the external links found at Battle of Vicksburg. SWAdair 04:10, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

What makes Vicksburg the decisive battle of the American Civil War? The Battle of Gettysburg would get my vote. User:Zoe|^(talk) 02:42, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I agree. The way the question is phrased, though, is ambiguous about the word "decisive" -- Champion Hill was decisive for the Vicksburg campaign, but it wasn't necessarily the most decisive battle of the war. SWAdair 03:42, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Genealogy research - Frederick Rogerson

Good day, I am looking for anything on the above person who was born in Forbes, in 1893. He married a Lillian Weeks from Young in 1932.

According to Frederick's father William John Rogerson's Obituary in the Forbes Advocate of 18 June 1943, Frederick Rogerson was with the R.A.A.F. at the time.

I am from South Africa and it is my Husband's family that I am researching

Your kind help and assistance of any sort will be gratefully appreciated

Regards J.D Rogerson

Forbes, Young. What countries? --GangofOne 02:40, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Forbes, New South Wales, I assume, from the RAAF reference. And so Young, New South Wales. --Tagishsimon (talk)

I anticipate the best we can do is point you at our Genealogy article and the links therefrom. We're not actually very good on what we term non notable persons. Good luck with your search. --Tagishsimon (talk)

Recording a DdoS attack.

Hello, I've recently been packeted by a user on IRC who had my IP (via a botnet). I've been disconnected from the Internet for over an hour. Is there any way I can record the incident? Should I let the FBI know? I don't know his ISP or IP or anything because he was using a vhost. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 23:42, July 18, 2006 (talk • contribs)

I suggest you phone your own ISP first. They can probably look at your incoming traffic. _SeahenNeon Merlin 05:30, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The FBI probably doesn't care that much. You might want to install a firewall. --Fastfission 16:29, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I think the idea with a DDOS is that it can overwhelm the firewall, necessitating some filtering of traffic before it reaches the victim. This is where an ISP could probably help. They might also be able to trace the traffic and provide some info to help local law enforcement. _SeahenNeon Merlin 23:58, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Open-source book classification?

The Dewey Decimal System appears to have become a commercial product that is jealously guarded when you get past the units digit. The same seems to apply to Library of Congress Classification, despite that works of the US government are normally in the public domain. Has there been any move to create a completely open-source system for the subject classification of non-fiction books? If so, are there any open-source metadata-bases that use it? _SeahenNeon Merlin 05:26, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I thought isbn classified all books, so what is the use of another system? It's an ISO system and I'm still not sure what to think of ISO. It certainly isn't Open Source, but it's not entirely private either, in the sense of owned by one company. I would strongly support an Open Source version, so I'm looking forward to other answers. DirkvdM 07:36, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

ISBN serves to identify books, but not to classify them. Well, it identifies the publisher. A typical use of a classification system is to file books in a library according to category (taking guesswork away from the librarian, who doesn't have time to read them all). The real question surely is not whether the Dewey system is proprietary, but whether it is broken? I think keeping very tight control over a classification system is highly desirable, myself, to avoid every author who thinks they are writing on a unique subject from creating a new subcategory. Also, professional librarians are trained in the existing systems. Notinasnaid 07:43, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Actually an ISBN doesn't only identify the publisher, it also identifies whether the book is hardcover or paperback, it's number of pages and its edition (all the stuff that's listed in Books in Print in the United States). If any of those characteristics change, you need a new ISBN to identify the resulting new version of the book. - Mgm|^(talk) 10:09, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The ISBN allows you to look those up, but it doesn't represent it - the only thing you can tell by looking at an ISBN, without looking it up somehow, is the publisher and country of publication (which means you can also make a guess at language). Shimgray | talk | 21:02, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

An ISBN is essentially a semi-random number; ISBN 1884718132, ISBN 0198181507, ISBN 1584560363, ISBN 187304030X, ISBN 1873040407, and ISBN 1873040326 are all the same book - the only reason the last three are similar is because they're from the same publisher. It's of no use at all as a classification system, since it bears no relationship to the content of the book.

The reason Dewey is an expensive proprietary system is because it's essentially a software license; you're paying for updates to the product as time passes (and believe me, it can need it - I work with a two-editions old version, and you'd be surprised at the fundamental problems that poses). There's no "open source" version I'm aware of - conceptually one could be developed easily enough, since there's no shortage of home-rolled classification systems out there, but maintaining it would be a real headache, and I doubt it would ever reach a standard as opposed to an internally-used quirk. Shimgray | talk | 08:40, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Why do people still use this system? I've just read the Melvil Dewey article and the guy was a Nazi! --81.79.204.130 09:58, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I agree. We should suppress the ideas and discard the inventions of anyone whose morals later become unfashionable. Isn't it shocking that people take children to see the Jungle Book? And Pope Gregory XIII might have been implicated with the Massacre of Hugeonots; we can't afford to take any chances, that Gregorian Calendar has to go. Notinasnaid 10:25, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The Gregorian Calendar went for me about 2.5 years ago; I've been in a twilight world of wikipedia ever since. --Tagishsimon (talk)

It doesn't need to become a standard as far as I'm concerned. Wikibooks and Wikisource could use it in addition to Dewey and/or LOC. (I think Wikibooks' bookshelf system works fine on the Web, but Wikibooks' needs differ from those of a paper library in that a single copy of the same book can be on more than one shelf.) The use I'm thinking of is actually a large private library (around 50 feet/13 meters of occupied shelf space), where each book should be related to not only the ones to its left and right, but also the ones above and below it. In response to Shimgray, an open-source project doesn't have to be wiki; and even if it is, Wikipedia has done a decent job of eliminating unencyclopedic content, so why couldn't the classification system do the same? _SeahenNeon Merlin 15:03, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I don't understand where "open-source has to be wiki" comes into it. I do, however, work with cataloguing and classification for a living - believe me, maintaining a system like this would be a complete headache. Indeed, maintaining any classification system would be a headache, one without a single centralised controller substantially more so, hence the predictions of dozens of home-rolled forms. The inclusion or exclusion of content is simply the beginning; the entire point of classification is to organise it, and believe me that's a lot tougher conceptually than it looks.

If you're only wanting this for dealing with electronic materials, you'd be best off working with some kind of faceted system, I guess. Using LOC or DDC in the first place, even were they free, simply wouldn't be the most appropriate tool; it's linear and hierarchical, which is a constraint you don't need. Shimgray | talk | 16:55, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

An open-source project can have a centralized controller. From what I've read, Linus Torvalds fills that role. And to a lesser extent, so does Jimbo Wales. What I'm looking for is something I can use for the books at my house, and ideally something that public and school libraries can use as well, with print materials. _SeahenNeon Merlin 00:07, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Are you striving towards Benevolent Dictator For Life here? --Sam Pointon 00:12, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I just mean that my dad and I will probably end up building our own classification system anyway, and I think it would be good if we weren't the only ones working on it and the only ones benefiting from it. Neon Merlin 05:24, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

As for Rudyard Kipling, I can't agree. Little Black Sambo is considered extremely offensive now; why is The Jungle Book different? It doesn't have to do with his politics; it has to do with the content, which hasn't changed. --ColourBurst 17:53, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Meaning of the konkani family name Karvy

hi, I would want to know the mening of the konkani family name Karvy, they are the natives of bhatkel in karnataka, I want to know to which cast they exactly belong to according to the hindu and what are their customs.

Please help me in answering the above as this is urgent.

Thanks, Kavitha.

Kevlar, Ceramic, and Titanium plates in Body Armor

There is much hubub about now about which one of these three are the best, if I needed full body armor with protection from rifle bullets, which should be used?

A. Are these synopsis correct?

Kevlar is strong and light, but usually will not stop rifle bullets or bullets of a large caliber handgun.

Ceramic plates are much better, but will usually only absorb one direct hit from a bullet or projectile. They are also heavier.

Scales or 'sheets' of titanium plate will absorb multiple hits, but are rather bulky and heavy.

B. I am aware of vests designed to protect the neck, chest, back, and ribs of the body, but how about body armor for the thighs, shins, forearms, and etc? Is this available? Who manufactures it? If so, how much protection do these provide in terms of bullet caliber?

C. What are some examples of companies who manufacture body armor? Are all manufacturers basically the same, or do the quality of protection differ from place to place?

Thanks. 68.52.187.248 07:32, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Have you read the relevant articles, especially body armour? They are fairly comprehensive and include links to several manufacturers.--Shantavira 09:14, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The Pidgeon

My friend was telling me to read this book, it is called the pidgeon, and all he told me it was about was, a pidgeon. can any one tell me more about it or who wrote it?

I can't find any books spelled pidgeon, though there is a band by that name. There are however a series of children's books by Mo Willems about "The Pigeon". Check out http://www.amazon.com/ - you can search for Pigeon there and might find other books (Amazon gives 1000+ hits on the word). Notinasnaid 09:49, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks anyway it was a guy called suskind, got it ordered it will read cheers dudes

SOLUTION TO POV WHEN IT COMES TO IMAGES

hey i just read the wikipedia list of controvesial topics.and i thought that one way to solve the problem at least when they are images involved would be to add to pov images at every article about a controvesial topic.

I'm sorry, but I don't get it. I've never seen a POV image (only the way it's used can be seen as POV), but really, tagging an image as controversial won't do anything to lift that status. You do know Wikipedia is not censored for the protection of minors or anyone else, right? - Mgm|^(talk) 10:11, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]
- I don;t understand the poster's solution either. But I recall that there was a long term POV war over Image:Milius.gif on John Milius - seems to have been solved by having the image deleted. It was Milius with an AK47, being a ging-ho NRA supporter. Just thought I;d share what appeared to be a POV image with you. --Tagishsimon (talk)
  - There was a picture I deleted for being POV a few days ago; it showed a dog, wearing a US flag scarf taking a dump on a photo of bin Laden. While the image was a copyright violation, it showed a POV that Wikipedia should not contain. User:Zscout370 ^{(Return Fire)} 07:52, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

There is a pov template, if that's what you mean? It's a sign you can add at the top of an article. See here: Template:POV. Sometimes you see it on something like weather Gibralter is British, or not - especially if it is controvertial. --martianlostinspace 14:59, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Storage for LPs

Hey gang. I may possibly be able to come into possession of a collection of ≈10,000 LPs. I've never had many LPs before, so I'm curious if any big time collectors can give me some advice. I have a couple of specific questions:

1. How much will 10000 LPs weigh? 2. How much shelf space will they take up? 3. Are there affordable shelving units available (in the US) for storage?

If the cost of storing them is prohibitive, I may not take them, or at leat, take them and try to sell them off.

Any help will, as always, be appreciated! Brian Schlosser42 13:23, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

A cubic foot of albums (well, around 13" cubed) weighs about as much as I could carry when I was younger. Carrying two boxes would have been out of the question. This would probably hold 50-100 albums, depending on the kind of sleeve. So that's around 100-200 feet of shelf space, big deep shelves; in a house with 7'8 ceilings that would be be around 14-28 feet of wall. So this is a huge collection. Also bear in mind that album sleeves don't like damp, and excessive heat can ruin albums (being tightly packed is an advantage). This sounds like a very special collection and may well have some considerable value, and very rare items along with generic lps that are virtually worthless (probably a few cents); it might even be known in collecting circles. Don't take the first offer. If this is to be an inheritance, it would be as well to discuss this while the owner still lives, as they will have the contacts. Notinasnaid 17:13, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

In case you don't know from inches or feet, I just measured 100 lp's and they took up 50 cm. I once figured out that lp's consume about as much wall space as cd's (in jewel boxes) because they are about 2,5 times as high but also about 2,5 times as narrow. They just protrude more into the room. So for 10.000 lp's you'd need 50 m of shelf space. I've got my lp's on 6 shelves from floor to ceiling, so that would then cover about 8 m of wall. That's not counting any separating planks, which you need to keep them upright. But I don't use planks for that. I made two cupboards with holes through the planks at 10-15 cm distance and threaded rope through them (two rows - one a few cm from the front and another just behind the centre of the lp). Another solution I've used is aluminium rods - looks prettier, but is more expensive, more work and you have to think it through (you can't bend those rods the way you can rope).

Also consider that you probably won't need to have them all on display at the same time. In the late nineties I bought so many records that I decided to only play the first sides. Only after a few years did I start to play the other side - quite interresting revelations on some occasions. Remember that 10.000 lp's means over 6000 hours of music. If you play 6 hours of music per day that's three years. And then you've heard them all just once. So you could just put one or two thousand on display and put the rest in boxes (which takes up much less space) until you feel like 'rotating'.

Also think about the future. A player may last about 10 years. How much longer will you last? (Or your kids who inherit the lp's.) And will you (or they) still be able to buy players then? If you buy these lp's, buy a collection of players too. A bunch of second hand ones shouldn't cost too much, compared to the price of the lp's.

I have to ask. What's the asking price? (And which country are you from?) DirkvdM 18:55, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Great advice, gang. As always! This is not a definite yet, and my spouse is griping about the expense of moving them and the fact that they'll take up so much space. But as I see it, how often do you get a chance like that? The LPs belong to a friends father, who is moving and has no room. If I don't take them, or he doesn't find someone else, he's going to throw them out (!). Of course, chances are that SOMEONE in the NYC metro area will take them if he looks hard enough, but hey, I've got first dibs. Dirk, I'm in Kentucky, USA and the albums are in New York, so it'd probably be prohibitive for you to take them off my hands...--Brian Schlosser42 13:30, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Aaarghhh! He's throwing them out? How can someone build up such a collection, and therefore be a music lover (right?) and them throw them out? Has he bought cd-versions of them all? I wonder what it would cost to ship a bunch of lp's. I do occasionally come across second hand US imports at fair prices, so it may not be prohibitive. What does shipping a big crate cost? By sea I suppose that goes by volume, not weight. DirkvdM 06:30, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

All results from Wimbledon

Does anyone know any sites which provide the results of all the matches played at a particular Wimbledon tournament ? I found this link which covers 1978-2000 (see this example) but I am looking for results from a tournament from the early 1920s. Tintin (talk) 13:57, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/about/museum/index.html -Didn't have time to search it thoroughly but someone at the club will have the info you need-hotclaws**==(81.134.116.29 07:56, 20 July 2006 (UTC))[reply]

Thank you, but while that page contains some interesting article, it does not contain results of matches other than the finals. Or do you suggest that, I email them ? ~

biology

how to increase our memory power...is their any physical methods....

Learning a different language increases your memory. I forgot where I heard that, though.Russian F 16:23, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Obviously you haven't learned enough languages then :) Ziggurat 21:25, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

mails

how to know the password in tahoo mail ..since i have forgetten the details i have given..is their any way ,..... i have an important photo ...please help ...

That sentence was incoherent. Please try again as if this is something you would submit to school. —Mets501 (talk) 14:12, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

There is a link in Yahoo Mail which says "Forget your ID or password?". If you can't use this to get your password, then you are out of luck. --Fastfission 16:24, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Title for a school magazine

Would you please suggest some interesting titles for a school magazine covering interesting events for a year and a half. Something trendy. Thankyou........--125.23.61.210 14:25, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

18 m0nthZ roxxorz-hotclaws**==(81.134.116.29 07:58, 20 July 2006 (UTC))[reply]

My high schools' magazine was Called: Noir de Blank or Black on white. I went to Kimberly Boys' High school South Africa. Best school in the world!

Psalm 129

The following joke got circulated around our office today:

“

A priest offered a Nun a lift. She got in and crossed her legs, forcing her gown to reveal a leg. The priest nearly had an accident. After controlling the car, he stealthily slid his hand up her leg. The nun said, "Father, remember Psalm 129?" The priest removed his hand. But, changing gears, he let his hand slide up her leg again . The nun once again said, "Father, remember Psalm 129?" The priest apologised "Sorry sister but the flesh is weak." Arriving at the convent, the nun went on her way. On his arrival at the church, the priest rushed to look up Psalm 129. It said, "Go forth and seek, further up, you will find glory."

”

Funny stuff, but I looked up Psalm 129 and sadly it doesn't say anything of the sort. Does the passage have any basis in the Bible or is it just a complete fabrication? --Sam Blanning^(talk) 15:12, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

A search at Bible Gateway in the KJV and NIV shows no such verse. A Google query give over 600 results, but they mostly appear to be copies of the joke. So, I conclude that this verse is totally spurious, not wholely unlike the oft quoted Ezekial 25:17.--Brian Schlosser42 16:18, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I doubt that it is a dirrect quote. But it may be based loosely on a verse like Quentin Tarantino quoting ofEzekiel 25:17. I could not find any verse that it could be based on. Jon513 18:52, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Which number doesn't fit in this sequence: 8, 13, 19, 26, 42? I'll give the answer tomorrow. DirkvdM 19:00, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Any particular reason this is nesting into this section? Anyway, the answer is obviously 42, as 42 is always its own series, etc, etc. — Lomn | Talk 19:14, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Lomn is correct about 42 being the odd one out (and I love that reasoning). The number after 26 should have been 34. 8+5=13; 13+6=19; 19+7=26; 26+8=34. SWAdair 03:11, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Nah, it's menu 19, because that's with noodles. All the others are with rice. :) Lomn, the relevance here is that the original question was a hint that the answer would not be of the kind you'd expect. I tried to make a series that didn't have a pattern, but spaced the numbers too evenly, leading to SWAdair's answer. Silly me. And why did I include the answer to everything (and therefore also to this)? Maybe that was something freudian. Anyway, I hope I haven't made myself too unpopular this time. DirkvdM 06:09, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I see patterns pretty quickly. I will never be able to forget the phone number for Domino's that delivered to my barracks when I was in the army. It was 864-1725. 8 (skip 7) 6 (skip 5) 4 makes the first three digits 864. The first number skipped was 7. The seventh prime is 17. The next number skipped was 5. The fifth square is 25. Put it all together and you get 864-1725. Have I mentioned that I love numbers? :) SWAdair 07:53, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I actually saw the pattern as well, and decided to justify my pick in a less-spoilerish way. However, in full disclosure, I still screwed up the math and decided "the next term should be 32, because that's 26+8". Err, oops? — Lomn | Talk 14:17, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

13 as it is a prime.

Damn! DirkvdM 06:31, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Video Games

What was the domestic gross of the first Matrix game? Brittany

see Enter the Matrix. If that does not have an answer to you questions go the links in the article. Jon513 18:32, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Changing keyboard shortcuts

On Windows XP, can I or can I not change the way keyboard shortcuts are handled? This means: I have downloaded and fallen in love with a file manager which is different from the standard one, is there a way to set WIN+E to open this new file manager? I know that there are programs that do that, but I would like to do it "in windows". Cthulhu.mythos 15:14, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I am not sure, but my guess is no. see here (support.microsoft.com). Jon513 18:39, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I remember reading about a program. I think it was called WinKey. Look it up and see if it's any good. --Optichan 21:22, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

try autohotkey, here: http://www.autohotkey.com/ it's very complicated though.

Wikipedia policy on strong language

Please forgive me if this is addressed in the FAQ section, but I cannot find it. What is the wikipedia policy regarding strong language in articles? For example, when editing the Bono (U2) page, I included a reference to his "fuck the revolution" speech. This was changed by another user to "---- the revolution". I believe that strong language should be justifiable in the interests of accuracy. Where does wikipedia stand on this issue?

Thankyou,

Macphisto12

Please see Wikipedia:Profanity. -- Rick Block (talk) 15:51, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Fun Fact: A quick search shows 8500 instances of the word "fuck" in this encyclopedia. Just thought everyone would like to know...--Brian Schlosser42 16:10, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

If that includes the ref desk (plus the archives) I'm not surprised. DirkvdM 19:02, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Wikipedia is not censored for the protection of minors (or something like that red link) --Nelson Ricardo 17:53, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

This question doesn't belong here, and would be better on Wikipedia:Help desk. DJ Clayworth 17:54, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Wikipedia is NOT censored. If the speech was called "fuck the revolution", then that's what it should be called in the article. - Mgm|^(talk) 14:07, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Question about Geography

Question: When you have a chance, would you send me the Atlantic ocean shore length (miles or kilometers) for: Brazil? and for The United States? Thanks in advance, Nicole

"The measured lengths of coastlines and other natural geographic borders are dependent on the scale of measurement" - from How Long Is the Coast of Britain? Statistical Self-Similarity and Fractional Dimension Richard Taylor 17:03, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

On Brazil's east coast, the Atlantic coastline extends 7,367 kilometers see Geography of Brazil. Jon513 17:06, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

coastline of US is 19,924 km see Geography of the United States. Jon513 17:49, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

This is probably not a popular remark, but reading a little introduction on fractals, I read that questions like" how long is the beach" are quite hard to answer : the closer one looks, the more irregular the coast appears, the longer the edge of the country becomes. One of course ignores this, and roughly gives a number, but who decides how rough? Why not leave all of Florida out? Evilbu 18:21, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

That's basically the answer Richard already gave. And I wanted to give. But I got beaten to it - twice. However it is not really any harder to answer than the question how long something is. When you give the lenght of something, yo implicitly give the precision. You could say it's 230 m, or 232, or 232.4, or 232,38, etc. With the coastline you just have to specify the precision more explicitly. For example by stating the length of the measuring stick. Of course this assumes the coastline is well defined. But if there's a wide flood area, where is the coast? Do you measure it high or low tide? And what to do with estuaries and rivers? If your measuring stick is just a few metre long, then how far do you go upriver? Until it is only a few metres wide and can 'cross the gap'? DirkvdM 19:05, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck! There, 8504. --Abnerian 09:41, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Temper, temper. Is there something you want to get off your chest, Abnerian? JackofOz 09:56, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

No, his swearing is just misplaced. It was intended for one thread up. DirkvdM 13:06, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Policy on links (Style or Formatting)

I am probably asking a silly question but what is Wikipedia’s policy on linking.

Should every word be linked?
After the first occurrence of the word should subsequent ones be linked?

Is there a limit to the above question… like if a word is in two different sections or if it is found at the beginning of the page and then at the bottom.

I am concerned because I am beginning to see some pages written in “link-blue”. Also links are included on common-place-nothing-to-do-with-the-subject words. Or the same word linked 5 words after the first.

I’ve already looked all over the WP:WP pages, in the tutorial and elsewhere. External is discussed extensively Wikipedia:External links. I remember seeing it discussed somewhere but I cant find the page.

Help, Please.

--SvenGodo 18:30, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

see Wikipedia:Only make links that are relevant to the context. Jon513 18:35, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Repeat linking, in my opinion, calls for good judgement. There's no reason to link a word every time it appears, but a technical term could easily be linked both in the article summary and farther down in the relevant section(s). — Lomn | Talk 18:50, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

A good rule of thumb for repeated linking of the same word or phrase in an article is to link to it approximately once every screen of text. Of course, a 'screen' of text varies greatly depending on your resolution of your monitor, but as a guideline I think it's pretty good - that way, on average, a reader will find a link to the word in question without much scrolling. Also see Wikipedia:Manual of Style (links) for some more tips. — QuantumEleven 10:01, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

diving

How many dives in each categories are there?

Perhaps clarifying your question would elicit the answer you're looking for? EVOCATIVEINTRIGUE TALKTOME | EMAILME | IMPROVEME 20:20, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I'll hazard a guess at what you mean: 3m springboard, 10m platform, 3m springboard synchronized, 10m platform synchronized. BenC7 03:02, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I mean like how many types of dives like forward dive, for example, are there?

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

How many did Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan sang in Urdu in the following components of Qawwali:

a)Hamd

b)Naat

c)Manqabat

d)Marsiya

e)Ghazal

Is this a homework question or in a quiz? User:AlMac|^(talk) 16:16, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

When is a person considered a diabetic

A fellow employee just got his result from a blood test and his sugar level was over 160. When I had a level this high, I use to say that I had high sugar level and denied that I was a diabetic but a nurse told me I was a diabetic.

My question is: What sugar level would a person have to have to be considered a diabetic and if it went below that level would he be still considered a diabetic? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Defein (talk • contribs) .

You may want to try asking this at the science desk- the volunteers may know more about your question's topic there. EVOCATIVEINTRIGUE TALKTOME | EMAILME | IMPROVEME 20:18, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You should probably check our article on diabetes, but as I understand it, diabetes isn't a condition of a high/low blood sugar level but rather an inability to regulate the level properly. In short, you seem to have the cause and effect reversed. — Lomn | Talk 20:53, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

No Lomn, diabetes is persistent high glucose, period. Repeated fasting levels above 125 mg/dl confirm diabetes, as does a 2 hour glucose tolerance test level above 200, or repeated random levels above 200, or a single level above 200 with evidence of recurrence or persistence (such as symptoms of hyperglycemia). See the diabetes mellitus article for details. alteripse 00:55, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I think Lomn point was that merely having a high blood sugar level didn't necessarily confirm diabeties, without knowing the situation at the time of testing. If I pig out on a sugary dessert, than I've got a high blood sugar level for a little while, but I don't have diabeties, I was just hungry. If I haven't eaten in a while and STILL have that high sugar level, than that could be an indication (as you said, fasting levels). But since the original poster didn't say anything about fasting times, there was no way of knowing if that was a one-time spike, or a long-term problem. --Maelwys 11:30, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

There's also a condition were people have consistent low sugar levels, right? Isn't that a form of diabetes too? - Mgm|^(talk) 14:04, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Maelwys has explained my thought process more clearly. Yes, what I was trying to point out what that the original question seemed to imply that, test-to-test, a person would be diabetic or not (if it went below that level would he be still considered a diabetic), which I understand to be plainly untrue. Give a diabetic his insulin and his tests will fall below the relevant thresholds, but he's still a diabetic. Some of the confusion may also be over what constitutes a "test" -- after living with a diabetic for several years, I'm used to seeing him test himself several times a day (where the result varies wildly), though these aren't the controlled tests for diagnostic purposes. — Lomn | Talk 14:14, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Longest/shortest odds winner?

Any ideas for the longest or shortest odds winner in a major sporting event? So far I'm going with Ben Curtis(500-1 winner of the 2003 Open) and several winners at evens but there must be more... 88.106.177.130 20:21, 19 July 2006 (UTC)Lemon[reply]

I'm reminded of this amusing (or cautionary) tale. In a cricket match between South Africa and Australia back in March, South Africa was trailing 4-434. Bookmakers were offering odds of $1.01: a dollar for every hundred dollars wagered. A couple of Australians each took them up on it to the tune of $20,000. South Africa came back to win 438-434. Ouch. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 21:45, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Your terminology is a little off beam here. South Africa weren't 'trailing' 4-434, that was Australia's score at the end of their innings - 434 runs scored, four wickets lost. (The idea of one side being in the lead, and the other trailing, doesn't really apply in cricket.) Nor would you say that SA won 438-434. Rather, SA reached their target of 434 with one wicket remaining. Hence, they won the game by one wicket. --Richardrj 10:07, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Do people really bet on golf? Anyway, I bet you'd have won quite a bit of money had you bet on the 1969 New York Mets to win the World Series before the season. The Mets were a 7-year-old expansion team that had never finished higher than ninth out of 10 teams in the National League. I don't know if they took those kind of bets back then, though. -- Mwalcoff 22:50, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

This doesn't really count, but the combined Sydney Swans (AFL) and Wests Tigers (NRL) premiership-double was 1000-1 midway through 2005, and they both won their respective comps. Another would be the Canterbury Bulldogs to collect the wooden spoon in 2003... they won (I think) 16 matches in a row and then had all their points deducted as the result of the salary cap breach. Bookies paid out on both Bulldogs and South Sydney (who would have finished with the spoon). – AlbinoMonkey ^(Talk) 07:33, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Not quite the answer to your question, but if it was possible to go back in time to bet on a sports event (without doing so actually changing the outcome), I'd go back and bet on the centenary test match between Australia and England in 1977. Australia won by an identical margin (25 runs) to their victory in the first ever test in 1877. The odds on the same margin occurring must have been immense (mind you, in 1977 betting on a margin wasn't generally possible). Grutness...wha? 07:56, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I wonder if the odds were indeed immense, Grutness. They were independent events, so the odds of winning by any particular margin in 1977 were probably about the same as winning by the same margin in 1877. I think. JackofOz 09:53, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I think he means that the odds of the same winning margin occurring in the 1877 and 1977 matches are immense. --Richardrj 12:56, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

If you were placing a bet before the 1877 match on that match and the centenary test both ending in the same (unspecified) margin, you'd have got very long odds. And if you could have bet on who the winners would be, and what the exact margin would be, this would have got you astronomical odds. But placing a bet before the 1977 centenary test that Australia would win again, and the margin would again be 25, would have got you much shorter odds. Still a very brave prediction, though. JackofOz 00:24, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Sound file for "CNN's The Situation Room" intro

Hi, I am looking for the raw sound file of the CNN The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer. Who is the composer of that (rather dramatic) intro? -- 84.176.247.19 23:25, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

gmail

I need a gmail account. could somebody please send an invite to: b a l l f i n d @ h o t m a i l . c o m ? thanks

As a rule of thumb you should NEVER post ur email in a forum, because spambots will pick it up in half a second. If u allow me I'll separate the letters so this doesn't happen.

--SvenGodo 03:01, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Googling "free gmail invite" should give you several websites that can help. Ziggurat 03:14, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Or you could take the initiative and email me to get one. Remember, that the instructions tell you to check back for answers. I doubt multiple people will send you an invite if there's a chance you already got one from someone else. - Mgm|^(talk) 14:01, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Sent you an invite incase you still need one.

IT related

What is the difference between system failure and system disaster?≈±←→

This question belongs on the Computing Reference Desk! David Sneek 18:14, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

A failure is something easily recoverable from, such as a hard disk going bad, being replaced, then restore from last backup.
A disaster is something more severe, like bad weather hits so the company has to use another computer a geography distance away. User:AlMac|^(talk) 16:19, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Numeric keypads

On a telephone keypad the 1-2-3 row is on top. On both a calculator and keyboard the 1-2-3 row is at the bottom. Why the discrepancy?

I hate it when people answer questions with guesses, but I'll make one. Calculators and keyboards undoubtedly imitate adding machines, which is why they're all the same. Why they have the numbers like that is probably to facilitate touch typing. Why phones are different is probably because, since we read from left to right and from top to bottom, it would be too confusing to have them the opposite way.--Anchoress 03:20, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Early keypad phones could not process extremely quick number inputs, and since many people (like accountants and such) were already familiar with the typewriter and/or calculator keypads that go 7-8-9 on top, the phone makers made it 1-2-3 on top to throw them off and force them to press the buttons slower. -- Миборовский 05:48, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Is that true? It sounds like an urban legend. Here's what Straight Dope says.--Anchoress 05:55, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I saw this on tv recently. Calculator layout came from adding machines and phones originally had dials. So when they tried to figure out a way to lay out buttons for phones they put the 1 on top and the 0 on the bottom, just as it used to be with a dial. The 3-3-3 layout was to save space on the phone and make it squarish for ease of use. - Mgm|^(talk) 13:59, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Funerals

Is it bad taste to bring a camera to a friend's funeral and take pictures? I am going to one next week; my friend was a close coworker. I have met his family, but I don't know them well.

Yes.--Anchoress 03:20, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I'm sorry for your loss. There was a Yahoo Answers question on this. Personally, I'd say that it's bad taste for the funeral (the sound and the flash would be as bad as taking a cellphone, and some people don't look their best while mourning and can get touchy about being 'captured for posterity'), but okay for the reception as long as you ask carefully. Ziggurat 03:22, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I'd agree with Ziggurat. The funeral and burial are sad and when flipping through a photo album, people generally don't want to remember that kind of thing. The "wake" or reception is 50/50, but you should ask the subject of your photograph before taking one. – AlbinoMonkey ^(Talk) 03:26, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Probably a cultural thing. I've got photos of my grandparents' funerals, albeit all outdoor photos. The location makes quite a difference, I suppose. DirkvdM 06:19, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Oh, I should add that my grandfather was quite well known, so his funeral was a bit of a local event. DirkvdM 06:22, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It's bad taste if you take several pictures. But if you are discreet, I am sure you might even pass unnoticable. --Proficient 12:00, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Personally, I'd no more take a camera to a funeral service than I would bring a video game or a book. To me it seems unspeakably rude and ill mannered. However, I agree that it is a cultural thing. At my fathers funeral (1996), his sister-in-law brought a camera to take pictures and we had to ask her to put it away. It seems to be more prevalent, at least in my area (Northern Kentucky, US), among people with 'country' backgrounds. The old 19th century tradition of the casket photo (which was frequently the only photo taken of people in those days) lives on amongst some...--Brian Schlosser42 13:47, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

That would also solve the problem of getting the person to remain still for the long exposure times they used to need! ike9898 15:23, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It certainly depends on the culture. I will certainly take a casket picture of my grandfather when he goes because he took them at every funeral he ever attended. (and yes, he has a country background from near Northern Kentucky. But I wouldn't even think about it with the other side of my family. But if you mean pictures of the other mourners I would find that strange. I don't think I have ever seen that except for formal pictures - it may be one of the rare times an entire family comes together. Rmhermen 16:41, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I've seen pictures taken at a wake, but that was after people had been there quite a well and the mood was more relaxed. If it were a tragic death the wake would probably never get to this point, but sometimes when an old grandparent dies, the wake eventually becomes like a family get-together. ike9898 17:03, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Depends on where your friend's family is from. To be on the safe side, I'd say no, you shouldn't bring a camera. You're most likely going to be considered an outsider, since you don't know your friend's family well. --ColourBurst 17:42, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I think it sounds terrible. My family is notorious for funeral gaffes and faux-pas but thankfully nobody has yet turned up with a camera. Jameswilson 22:51, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I think Dirk might have a point (amazing! Lol). The public has an interest in the funerals of public figures, and they're often not just photographed but televised (hopefully with the family's permission).
Private funerals are a different affair, though. Respect for the grieving family would require obtaining their permission. If they have no objections, fine. They might even ask somebody to make sure photos are taken, so that there's a visual record for anybody who is so inclined. And particularly if the funeral is not a traditionally mournful sombre event but a more up-beat celebration of the departed's life and achievements. Some take the view that, in amongst the tears, it's perfectly appropriate at a funeral to smile and laugh about the good times, and sing happy songs. Photos of that would be great for later memories.
It's not a question of family later being forced to look at distressing photos in an album. If they are distressing, they have the choice to not have them there, or not to permit them being taken in the first place.
And actually, it's not even a question of "bad taste". That is a very subjective matter, which no ref desk in the world could give you a categorical answer on. It's all about respect, in my view. JackofOz 00:14, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Suppose future archeologists use our photographs as indicators of our society. After all, photos of every tiniest aspect of life are taken by the millions now that, once you have the camera, taking a photo costs nothing. They will probably wonder what horrible things we did to our dead that we didn't dare take pictures of it. :)

I don't get why so many people find the notion so appalling. Photographing the dead seems a bit macabre (if you're so inclined), but for the rest ... Come to think of it, I once took photos of a funeral in Cuba. Then again, that was from a distance and I was really photographing the cemetery. DirkvdM 06:42, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

July 20

Blood donation questionaire

On this questionaire about donating blood plasma in America, all questions seem normal except the last three (at the very bottom). How is having been in parts of Europe since 1980 significant when donating blood plasma? Hyenaste ^(tell) 03:38, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Mad Cow Disease. Incubation periods for prion diseases can be years or decades, meaning that anyone potentially exposed to Mad Cow Disease back in the 1980's could still be a carrier today and not know it. Plasma donation could transmit the disease. SWAdair 04:05, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Ah, good to be safe. But what is the reason that only the UK, France, and military bases are listed on that particular questionaire. Looking at the BSE article, it seems that being in Spain or Portugal or Ireland would also be a concern. And why only a three month limit for in the UK, but a full 5 years for France? It seems the people at the clinic should cover all bases. Hyenaste ^(tell) 05:00, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I assume it is due to the ratio of reported cases. A higher percentage of the population in the UK is likely to be infected, so spending even a little time there could potentially expose a person. Elsewhere the percentage of population infected is smaller, so a person could spend longer in those regions without a significant likelihood of being exposed. The only way I can make sense of not listing Ireland separately is that maybe they are including Ireland in the UK (I know, I know). SWAdair 07:09, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Mad Cow (actually vCJD) isn't transmitted person-to-person so it doesn't matter how many people in a country have it. What matters is how many cattle may have it and how many may have gotten into the food system. Rmhermen 16:35, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

A lot of blood donor organisations seem to disagree with that. In Canada you certainly are/were prohibited from donating blood if you spent time in the UK, unless you were vegetarian. DJ Clayworth 17:07, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

How about if you are a cannibal who only eats vegetarians ? :-) StuRat 02:20, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

WAvegetarian runs for the hills. —WAvegetarian•(talk) 06:24, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

MICROBIOLOGY

CAN ANYONE SAY WHEN POLYPEPTIDES IS SAID TO BE PEPTONES....AND WHEN IT IS CALLED PROTEINS

Peptide says that "Proteins are polypeptide molecules. The distinction is that peptides are short and proteins are long." SWAdair 08:11, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Zero gee combat.

Has a system been developed? Have any troops been trained in it? What is known about it, or is it relegated to the fantasy realm? Have any special munitions been developed for it?

Excuse the unusual question, but just imagine the logistics of it... --Abnerian 09:42, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Gee, I wouldn't know. :) DirkvdM 13:08, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The Soviets once fitted an aircraft cannon to one of their space stations and shot down a test satelite. I have no idea as to what kind of modifications would have to be made to fire it in a vacuum. --Kurt Shaped Box 13:15, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

A very interesting, but fictional, description of weightless combat is prominent in the novel Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. In it, card speculates on how tactics in a zero G environment would be different, for example, the concept of "up" losses meaning. ike9898 13:25, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

After edit conflict:

Well, zero gravity (or zero g) would mean it goes in a straight line and a vacuum would mean it doesn't lose velocity. Of course, near a space station in orbit there is neither. It's close enough to a vacuum, but a bullet would still be attracted by the Earth (for which reason 'weightlessness' would be a better word). Inside the station it feels like zero gravity because the gravity is counteracted by the rotation around the Earth. One thing one has to take into consideration is that the spacestation would be propelled in the opposite direction. If the speed of a bullet is 500 m/s and it weighs 20 grammes then the spacestation gets an impulse of 10 kg*m/s. If it fires 100 bullets in one direction and weighs 1000 kg, then it will get a speed of 1 m/s or 3,6 km/h. And there's no stopping it in a 'vacuum', so it will start leaving orbit, either into space or towards Earth. Unless it starts firing (something) in the other direction. Just a consideration. DirkvdM 13:32, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The Salyut 3 test do not seem to be well verified. Does anyone have a clear source for that information. Rmhermen 16:32, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I would expect warfare in space to take place at extreme distances, since nobody can "sneak up on you" in space, as there is nothing to hide behind. Therefore, the primary concerns would be speed (so you can wipe out your enemies before they wipe you out) and accuracy (so you can actually hit them at extreme distances). Laser and high speed particle weapons may be better suited to this than traditional ballistic weapons, which are too slow and too inaccurate, at those distances. Also, lasers would avoid the recoil and therefore make any further aiming easier. Lasers aren't a viable weapon on Earth due to dissipation in the atmosphere. Note that if bullets were used in space, rifling (spiral cuts in the gun barrel) would be less important. This is because the lack of atmosphere means there is no need to spin the bullet to limit the deflection due to air resistance. StuRat 02:14, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Actually rifling might still be important if you were trying to hit targets at the very long ranges because there is some miniscule "atmosphere". And for lasers not being weapons on Earth, see Boeing YAL-1, Evolutionary Air and Space Global Laser Engagement, High Energy Liquid Laser Area Defense System, Tactical High Energy Laser, Advanced tactical laser, supposedly Starfire Optical Range and (banning some types) the Protocol on Blinding Laser Weapons. Rmhermen 04:36, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I thought Reagan's Star Wars version was a load of bull because the amount of energy needed to do any damage was prohibitive. And the targeting was also a problem I seem to remember (though that may have been because it was remotely controlled). DirkvdM 06:50, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Ship-to-ship combat with lasers would be a very brief affair as things stand at the moment. The first one to face the right direction, get off a successful shot and hole the hull of the other ship would be victorious in very short order (get the computer to lock on to and track the enemy, then fire the laser beam from a rotating turret?). Of course, if/when laser combat in space becomes a viable proposition, I'd expect the design of spacecraft to adapt to reflect this - e.g. metre-thick armour plating, separtately-pressurized compartments, mirror-like coatings on the hull, pressurized chemicals within the hull that instantly form an airtight seal if the hull is breached, etc. --Kurt Shaped Box 11:01, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Great answers, guys, I really appreciate it. But more along the lines of what I meant, what about infantry? What if we needed to take a space shuttle or space station? Is there a specific form of hand to hand combat and/or small arms specifically developed for this? --Abnerian 11:45, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I'd recommend the use of swords and tazers. Firing a pistol inside a pressurized craft is a *very* bad idea... :) --Kurt Shaped Box 11:49, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

dna

hello, i would like to know if a dna can be done on a pregnant woman or does it happen after birth.this isnt a joke my ex partner has been told i however believe it is done after could u please email back (email redacted to prevent spam) thankyou very much.

You don't seem to be specifying to whom this will be done for clearly. Ask your doctor about testing the pregnant woman's DNA. Certainly both the woman and child have DNA. Your friend seems to be discombobulated. --Proficient 12:03, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Discombobulated! (= upset, confused) I have to remember that word. A good one to leave people flabbergasted (another word I love). As to the question, how does on 'do dna'? I suppose the questioneer means some test that involves dna, though I haven't a clue what. DirkvdM 13:15, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Presumably a paternity test. --Richardrj 13:21, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Because a maternity test would be a bit pointless. :) Can't much more than that be tested with a dna sample? DirkvdM 13:34, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

"Mother's baby. Father's ? Maybe." StuRat 02:00, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

There is such a thing as a surrogate mother. I suppose if a woman claimed a fetus was biologically hers and another claimed it was hers and that the first woman was just a surrogate, a DNA test would be in order. StuRat 02:00, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Amniocentesis carries a small but significant health risk. I don't think a doctor would perform such a procedure just for the benefit of a paternity test –it probably makes most sense to wait till after birth. But you should really be asking your doctor, not us fools on Wikipedia.--Pharos 15:33, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

biology

The cells in your body are continuously disassembled and reassembled.which one of the following kinds of body cells last the longest-that is turns over the least often? neurons or liver cells or skin cells or intestinal cells?

Neurons. I don't think that they even regenerate at all. --Kurt Shaped Box 13:16, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Good. Then those seagull obsession neurons of yours should still be dead after your last electroshock therapy. :-) StuRat 01:53, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The brain cells you need to do your own homework? DirkvdM 13:36, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

realtors - use the same one for buying and selling?

For the first time, I am going to be selling my house and buying another. Is it typical in the US to have the same realtor selling your current house and helping you buy your new one? Would their be an advantage to getting two separate people? ike9898 13:19, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

In my experience, yes, your real estate agent typically sells your house and helps you buy a new one. I can't think of any advantage to having two different agents, but maybe I'm not real estate savvy enough...--Brian Schlosser42 13:38, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Don't know if it's different in the US, but in the UK you don't choose the estate agent who handles your purchase. You have to deal with the agent through whom the vendor is selling the house.--Richardrj 13:53, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

When buying a house in the US, typical the buy and the seller each have separate realtors, sort of one to look out for the interests of each party. ike9898 15:19, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

However you typically don't pay the realtor who is helping you buy. Instead they take a cut of the commission to the seller's agent. I'll leave you to work out what effect that might have on the agent doing your buying for you. DJ Clayworth 17:04, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

What DJ Clayworth is saying is, unless the agent is a Buyer brokerage in which case they are specifically under contract to help the buyer, the agent is working for the seller not the buyer. Even in the case where there are two agents, "yours" (assuming you're buying) and "theirs", they are both typically working for the seller (yours basically under subcontract to the seller's agent) - i.e. "your" agent is typically representing the seller, not you. In this (typical) arrangement, if you tell "your" agent something like "let's offer X, but we're willing to go as high as Y", "your" agent is generally obligated to tell this to the seller. -- Rick Block (talk) 01:39, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

New computing reference desk

Well the title says it all really. This is to announce that there is a new section of the reference desk devoted to software, hardware and computer science at Wikipedia:Reference desk/Computer so that those of you who want to can add it to their watchlists. if you want to comment on the wisdom/stupidity of the move please don't do it here do it here Theresa Knott | Taste the Korn 15:31, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Orange advert actor

Who is the blond haired actor who appears in those hilarious Orange film trailers alongside Spacey; he also appeared in Little Britain at one point as the inspector at Anne's hospital. smurrayinchester^{(User), (Talk)} 19:29, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Steve Furst? MeltBanana 22:46, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

That's him. Thanks! smurrayinchester^{(User), (Talk)} 06:44, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

MATAHARI

hello i just finished reading the article about matahari and i noticed the disambig section what i wanted to know was.is the indonesian supermarket named after matahari the spy.

The article on the supermarket has the answer to your question. --HughCharlesParker (talk - contribs) 22:27, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Or was the Sun named after the spy? DirkvdM 06:57, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Drifting/Rambling

This might be a bit too abstract for anyone to possibly have an answer to, but I was writing a short story about a drifter -- and have often wondered about this -- What would be the best method for a rambler/drifter/otherwise homeless person to bathe/shower? It would be easy and cheap for one to get electricity, shelter, food, brush their teeth, go to the bathroom, but where the hell would they shower? The only thing I can think of is hotel pools. Any ideas? Thanks --Demonesque 20:36, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Not to put too fine a point on it, but one of the stereotypical traits of ramblers/drifters/otherwise homeless people is that thay are not known for their cleanliness. Is it necessary for the purposes of plot that your character be clean? If so, many truck stops (in the US at least) have pay showers, as well as many parks with camping facilities.--Brian Schlosser42 21:11, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you so much for your answer. It is necessary, by the way, because he believes that as long as you don't look homeless it is easier to be homeless. =D --Demonesque 21:17, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Maybe it's due to the nature of the few places I've lived, but I've never been too far from a lake, river, or stream. Plus there are all sorts of objects that collect a fair amount of water whenever it rains. I'm sure one could also find a hose attached to a house in many suburban areas. If it extremely north or south areas, melting snow is always a possibility. There's the old "trucker's shower" which requires only a sink and perhaps a washcloth. For a creative bum, the possibilities are endless! Digfarenough 21:27, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Well, I'm not entirely sure that bathing in fast, cold rivers/streams or insect infested lakes would be entirely pleasant, that's why I didn't mention them. And one would run into problems using someone's backyard hose or stagnant standing water to bathe. Although, if it was important enough and one lacked money, those would probably be the only options -- that's why I came up with the hotel pool idea. --Just walk right into the pool and don't look out of place and who is going to question you? The chlorine will be a good disinfectant and if you snag some of those little bottles of shampoo you can clean your hair. However, you'd have to make sure you were alone if you were going to wash your hair or you might draw attention to yourself. :D --Demonesque 21:35, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I don't know if it's the case everywhere, but in my town there are outdoor showers by our public beaches for people to wash the salt water off. It's just cold water, but it's free. Also, there are showers with warm water in a lot of the public washrooms near beaches. Open seasonally, but if your story took place in a warm area, that might mean open all the time. Also, I think places like the YMCA and missions allow clients to bathe.--Anchoress 00:23, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Also note that campsites and truck stops have showers where you pay a few quarters to get them to run. Even a bum could probably manage that with a bit of begging. StuRat 01:46, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

There's also the possibility of cleaning onself in the sink in public restrooms. I was going to suggest gas stations, but they lock their restrooms now. Maybe in a shopping mall? User:Zoe|^(talk) 02:26, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I can't believe no-one has mentioned the Salvation Army yet. And of course there are government-run places where homeless can get food and shelter, albeit for only up to three days in the Netherlands, meaning they have to keep on the move. Well, they wouldn't be drifters otherwise, now would they? DirkvdM 07:02, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Oh, and shampoo isn't necessary. I haven't used shampoo for over 10 years. Since then, I have (almost) stopped losing hair. When you're used to shampoo, your body adapts by producing extra 'body grease' (there must be a beeter word for this), so you need shampoo to remove that. Etc. Bassically, the stuff is addictive. DirkvdM 07:05, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Westfield High School, Jefferson County AL School System,

I am trying to locate information about Westfield High School classes 1952 -57. This was a black high school located on Tin Mill Road between Westfield, AL and Dolomite, AL. The school was operational from 1931 - 1971 when it was closed as the Jefferson County Board was unable to successfully integrate its student body as mandated by a court order.

Classmates.com appears to have an entry:

High School

This entry has 317 entries, with the first entry graduating in 1939 and only 10 listed after 1971 (those might be mistakes). 97 members are listed for the years 1952-1957. So, I think it's the right school. Unfortunately, you can only contact people via that site if you pay money. But, you can browse a list of classmates for free to see who is registered at the site. If you do choose to contact some people on the list, I'm sure they have all sorts of info on the school. StuRat 01:39, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Heart Attack

I am researching a novel in which a person with a weak heart, due to a serious heart attack in the past, is stalked by an assassin who injects a chemical into his bloodstream that would cause him to have another heart attack, killing him.

After reading the heart attack article, I have discovered that Antiplatelet drugs such as aspirin or Glyceryl trinitrate are used to treat heart attacks.

Then, in the platelet article, I discovered there are chemicals that (sometimes massively)stimulate the production of platelets such as Thrombin or Convulxin.

So, if a person with a weak heart was injected with platelet stimulating drugs, would it cause them to have a heart attack? Is that logic correct?

--69.138.61.168 22:24, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I believe caffeine can be injected to cause a heart attack. The KGB used the tip of an umbrella to kill a Bulgarian diplomat, in London, using a caffeine laced micro-ball. Does anyone have a link for this ? StuRat 01:15, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

If I remember correctly, in that case, the KGB used some type of slow-acting bacterial agent to kill a radical, non-Russian radio host. Let me see if I can find something. 69.138.61.168 03:03, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I found it. Appearantly they used Ricin, a potent protein biosynthesis inhibiter, which was put into the tip of an umbrella. 69.138.61.168 03:07, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KGB#Other_notable_KGB_operations

I believe an overdose of digitalis will do it-hotclaws**==(82.138.214.1 07:11, 21 July 2006 (UTC))[reply]

Projects/Tenders that can be bidded worldwide

Does Wikipedia carry any particular zone where we can view all availale tenders/business oppportunities in various domains like Project Management/Training/IT. I am specifically looking for information on tenders appearing in newspapers of middle east and africa etc at one place instead of going to each country/company and viewing specific links most of them not updated etc.

No. That would be wishful thinking. --Tagishsimon (talk)

It

What is it?

It is "a third-person neutral pronoun in the English language", or Information Technology, or any number of things. Killfest2 ^{(Critique my new user page design please)} 05:13, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

antique balalaika

marty west
355 co rd 124
bremen, al 35033
to whom it may concern, After going on your web-site, I found the balalaika that we own at Balalaika.jpg(15KB,MIME type: image/ jpeg).I was asking if you could tell us how much it is worth.

Thank-you for your time, Marty and Vialinda West

Fixed up the posting - don't use spaces at the beginning of lines.

Are you saying this balalaika is yours? Or do you own one just like it? DirkvdM 07:11, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

"Management for Beginners"

Hello, I would like to have a information / presentation on "Management for Beginners", for recently passed graduates.

Thank you. Wajih

Erm - this is an encyclopedia, not a university or a bookstore. I suggest you slide over to Wikibooks, they may have something. — QuantumEleven 11:35, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

venice canal

Do big ships pass through the canal in venice? South Africa 198.54.202.100 06:56, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The canal? The place is full of them. I don't suppose you mean a venice in SA, because that doesn't seem to exist. DirkvdM 07:24, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Presumably he means the canals. I don't imagine many big ships pass through them. --Richardrj 12:07, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

They could mean the Canal Grande; the biggest canal. From the looks of it, the biggest ships on it are middling sized vaporetti (waterbus-ferry boats). The canal is rather twisty and has some low bridges, and is only fairly shallow (gondoliers can reach the bottom with just a longish pole). smurrayinchester^{(User), (Talk)} 13:47, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Gondoliers do not touch the bottom of the canals - they row their boats in an unusual fashion. There are only three bridges on the Grand Canal and there are no bridges to Lido or Giudecca so larger ships could pass that way, I suppose. But large freighter or cruise ship don't travel the canals. Rmhermen 14:41, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Looks like the average depth of the Grand Canal is about 5 m and the height of the bridges only 6 or 7 m above the water. Rmhermen 14:51, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

When was the first RPG Play-by-post (PBP)?

I just checked Wikipedia for D&D RPG play-by-post games since I was curious to see how far back they go. The article says it started in the mid to late 80's when BBS's became popular.

I started a D&D play-by-post (PBP) on a TRS-80 Color computer (the earliest model with 4K) hosted on Color80 BBS in Milwaukee in 1983 DMing B5 "Horror on the Hill" as the first PBP in the area code (4 1 4). Big success. Next thing you know I see other play-by-posts starting up on other BBS's. I was just a teen at the time so I never thought anything of it. And now it seems mine predates the Wikipedia reference.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_text-based_role-playing_game

Unfortunately, the timeline shows nothing about PBP's...

http://internetgames.about.com/od/gamingnews/a/timeline.htm

...though the possibility of an earlier one certainly exists.

Just curious. Does anyone know of a play-by-post that predates mine (1983)? I'd like to know when they started to see if mine was one of the first.

Brian Miller

Rules for Wikipedia says only post stuff here that's verifiable on Internet or published books, etc. which means a lot of true things cannot go in Wikipedia, because they not published there. RPG (the games, as opposed to RPG the programming language) postdated D+D by several years (e.g. I played an RPG game called Western Gunfight several years before Chainmail evolved into D+D). Games postdated games on computer. Many more games became defunct than were ever written up in any literature after the mediums of play evolved. In the USA, "Play by Mail" was the popular terminology, not "Play by Post" which sounds British to me. User:AlMac|^(talk) 16:34, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

music question.

What's the sourest note? 82.131.187.228 07:29, 21 July 2006 (UTC).[reply]

Well I guess that it depends on the context. If you are playing a piece in the key of Eb, then when there is an accidental for a B natural it may sound somewhat wrong. Unless you play something in that key and it is just the same the next bar except one semitone up each note. Its just how we hear music. It just depends. schyler 13:28, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

A single note could be 'sour' when it's badly played (especially by a violinist) or played on a bad instrument. Other than that, there are intervals - a note may sound bad together with another note. One reason might be the instrument is out of tune. If it isn't, it could be a dissonant. Most people would say a minor second (one half-note difference) is the worst, although I've heard that a diminished fifth (6 half notes) is (theoretically?) even worse. Then comes the major second, I suppose. That said, you could play, say, jazz, without an occasional 'sour' note. Even in classical music (not before the 19th century) it is not uncommon to play dissonants to build up a tension, so that that can be released with the next note or interval. And it's a cultural thing. The intervals in bulgarian music will hurt ears that are only used to western music. And different cultures use different scales. Even within western music there has been a development of the scales. The modern equally tempered scale may have sounded wrong to Bach (although especially he would have loved the mathematical background behind it). Enough variations on 'sour' for you? :) DirkvdM 14:17, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

topic suggestion

Can someone suggest me a topic related to electronics. i have to take a seminar in college. it must be related to electrical or electronics. it can also combine electronics with astronomy, military, marine technology, biology, geography, or anything at all but it must be related to electronics. and please suggest something which is new and vvery interesting. i will be very grateful to u. please if u know u can also tell me where to find manuals in it. please someone help me thank u

How about electronic music? Loads of interesting history there, as our article demonstrates. --Richardrj 12:05, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The McDonald's (MacDonald's) from th Isle of Skye, Scotland

Has anybody done any research on the Donald & Effie MacDonald,(original spelling) or McDonald (latest Spelling) Family? earliest data I have is they Emigrated to Australia on the 13th September 1852 on board the ship "Allison" arriving in Melbourne Australia on the 20th December 1852. The Motto of the Clan is – Per Mare Per Terrass "By Land By Sea". Thanks in Anticipation. Norman_1–—≈≈≈≈

We are not a geneology site. Chances anyone here can assist - beyond recommending links from the geneology article - is somewhere between remote and unlikely. We do have a rather nice Clan Donald article, which may console. --Tagishsimon (talk)

Modernist houses of worship

I've heard of quite a few modernist Christian churches, such as Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral and the Crystal Cathedral, but never for example a Crystal Synagogue or a Crystal Mosque. Living in the UK, all the mosques and mandirs I've seen are very traditional. Do such buildings exist for other religions, and if not, why not? smurrayinchester^{(User), (Talk)} 12:57, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Modernist mosques certainly exist- Google turns up references to several, though not many pictures. There's a small picture of one in Turkey at http://www.wowturkey.com/tr22/k_kemal_bereket_kinali4.jpg . For a modernist synagogue, see http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/missouri/stlouis/temple/mendelsohn.html .Henry ^Flower 13:36, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Unfortunately, the mosque image doesn't work. smurrayinchester^{(User), (Talk)} 13:41, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It works for me. What exactly happens with you? Henry ^Flower 13:43, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I get

Not Found
The requested URL /[F,L] was not found on this server.
Additionally, a 404 Not Found error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request.

smurrayinchester^{(User), (Talk)} 13:48, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

That's odd. I've (temporarily) uploaded it to my flickr account at http://www.flickr.com/photos/60091005@N00/194723616/ . Henry ^Flower 13:56, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Well there are lots images of different types on commons. I don't know much about architectural classifications but Faisal Mosque might be modernist, Glasgow Central Mosque I suppose is pomo and commons:Category:Mosques in Norway has neo-classical and plain ugly. Modernist might be the most polite name for commons:Image:Synagoge (Dresden) Straßenfront.JPG and im not sure what youd call commons:Image:Livornp-Sinagoga.JPG MeltBanana 15:43, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

fast food place?

In this place (each year) residents consume millions of a somewhat unusual type of fast food, and in fact, you can by one for yourself on just about any street.

One of its most famous native sons went on to become one of the highest paid entertainers in all of the Americas.

Anybody know where this is?

Anybody?

Friday Night in San Francisco

In the year 1981 a guitar trio performed to a small crowd of people. In my humble opinion one of the best, if not the best, live guitar performance ever. The trio was composed of Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin (Considered by many the fastest acoustic-guitarist at the time) and my personal favorite Paco de Lucia (A flamenco prodigy).

I own the audio CD and I have heard that there is a video of this around somewhere but i have search for it and never been able to find it.

Does such a video even exists? Feel free to comment your opinions about the trio or each of the artists if you want.

Thanks in advance, Raul Dominican Republic

You're better off posting a question like this on a McLaughlin fan forum. --Richardrj 15:15, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]