Search first. It's quicker, because you can find the answer in our online encyclopedia instead of waiting for a volunteer to respond. Search Wikipedia using the searchbox. A web search could help too. Common questions about Wikipedia itself, such as how to cite Wikipedia and who owns Wikipedia, are answered in Wikipedia:FAQ.
Sign your question. Type ~~~~ at its end.
Be specific. Explain your question in detail if necessary, addressing exactly what you'd like answered. For information that changes from country to country (or from state to state), such as legal, fiscal or institutional matters, please specify the jurisdiction you're interested in.
Include both a title and a question. The title (top box) should specify the topic of your question. The complete details should be in the bottom box.
Do your own homework. If you need help with a specific part or concept of your homework, feel free to ask, but please don't post entire homework questions and expect us to give you the answers.
Be patient. Questions are answered by other users, and a user who can answer may not be reading the page immediately. A complete answer to your question may be developed over a period of up to seven days.
Do not include 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.
Edit your question for more discussion. Click the [edit] link on right side of its header line. Please do not start multiple sections about the same topic.
Archived questions If you cannot find your question on the reference desks, please see the Archives.
Unanswered questions If you find that your question has been archived before being answered, you may copy your question from the Archives into a new section on the reference desk.
Do not request medical or legal advice. Ask a doctor or lawyer instead.
I would expect that any series around as long as this one, and as successful, would continue forever, or at least until a series of miserable failures. I would think it would take a world government to eliminate the need for state espionage, and even then there would still be a need to infiltrate criminal organizations (like the Mafia). Also, even if the need for espionage was completely eliminated, people may still retain a historical interest in it afterwards. StuRat00:53, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Something that often kills a (tv) series is when one of the main actors quits (or dies or whatever). James Bond is, however, regularly someone else. People have grown to accept that, so that's one major obstruction out of the way. Dr Who is unique in that it is a tv series that has the same advantage. It actually even has a 'decent' explanation for the phenomenon. Something that could kill the Bond movies would be if someone decided to make a bunch of crap Bond ripoffs in such a way that people can no longer distinguish betweeen those and the 'real thing'. Or does someone have the rights to Bond movies? Sounds unlikely.
Strange you should mention that... there were lots of legal difficulties surrounding Kevin McClory, who essentially co-wrote Thunderball (the novel) with Ian Fleming (it was originally written as a film then adapted into a novel then adapted back again for each film). The legal difficulties involved when it all went pear-shaped were resolved by giving McClory the rights to remake Thunderball (the film) ten years after the official film; he did so, and made Never Say Never Again, which is frankly dire. Since the two companies responsible (EON and Orion Films) have since both been bought by MGM, the whole shebang is now owned and distributed by one company, so it's all locked up. Of course, the Alex Rider series has the potential to overtake Bond... Tyrhinis10:48, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Funny, btw, the actress playing Moneypenny and others also changed without an explanation, but not so for Q. He was the only constant factor in the series, so when John Cleese started playing him, he was presented as a replacement. Luckily, his name was obviously a pseudonym, so that could be kept the same. DirkvdM07:00, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I believe that Q was actually based on a real British inventor who designed all sorts of neat tools for spies in the World War 2 era (I don't know his name). One device I found particularly amusing was a rectally-inserted, single-shot zip gun..."now how do I get the guard to stare at my anus while I fire it ?" :-) StuRat10:05, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
i have a baseball with 28 signatures.some of the autographs include...Pete Rose,Johnny Bench,Ken Griffey,Ray Knight,Dave Tomlin,Fred Norman.can anyone tell me what year these players played together and where i could get an estimate on what if anything this ball is worth?216.234.126.18402:06, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Well, Rose never played for the Red Sox, so I don't know why you would think it's from the Sox. Rose, Bench, and Griffey played together with the Cincinnati Reds from '73 to '78, and Tomlin was with them in '73 and '78, so that narrows it down to those two years. All the others played with the Reds for both of those years, so by process of elimination, it had to be either '73 or '78 but without more names, we can't narrow it down anymore. Dismas|(talk)04:40, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The original poster gave me a few more names on my talk page. So I don't have to repeat myself, and in case anyone is wondering but too lazy to go looking on talk pages :-) Here's the text of my reply:
All I did was go to the articles for each of the players that you mentioned starting with Pete Rose since I knew he only played for a small number of teams. Then I just saw that each of the other players were also on the Reds during a similar time period. Just process of elimination. And now that you gave me another list, I went to the first name on that list, Doug Bair. His article says that he was on the Reds in '78 and he made his major league debut in '76. Therefore, the ball could not be from '73. It must be from '78. You could double check with the rest of the names on your list to see if they were all on the Reds during '78 but I'm fairly certain I've narrowed it down correctly. As for the worth of the ball... I'd start going to baseball card shops in your area and asking how much they'd give for it as well as how much they think it's worth. Without having seen it, I can't say whether they would give you much for it. It may just be a printed ball that the players never actually saw. Some company may have printed up thousands of them and handed them out to the first 100, 500, 1000 spectators at some game. Or someone may have worked really hard to get all the players to sign it. Either way, best wishes
After having posted that, I thought of something else. If the signatures are fairly clear, your chances of having the actual signatures on that ball, I would think, would go down. See if you follow my reasoning... If a company is going to print up a bunch of balls then they probably sit the entire team down and have them sign a blank sheet of paper. Take that paper, photograph the signature, send the photos to their printers, then print up the balls. If someone went to the Reds' stadium before one or more of the games to try and get all the signatures on that one ball then they were probably in a crowd with several other fans trying to get the players to sign things (baseball cards, balls, hats, shirts, etc.). The players would probably just scribble their names on the items since they had so many fans waiting and only a limited amount of time before the game to sign stuff. Therefore, the signatures would be more illegible. Just a thought, but either way I'd still get it looked at by a collector.Dismas|(talk)09:47, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Obscure sport needed to be identified
One man stands with what looks like an enormous long golf club. The handle of the club is in his hand (obviously) whilst the head of the club rests on some sort of track. On the track, directly in front of the hitter is the ball - In an equivalent position to where a golf ball would be when taking a swing.
The hitter swings the club along the track and whacks the ball as hard as he can, and it flies for miles. I'm also FAIRLY sure there's a man out miles away trying to catch the ball.
[1] - Artist's Impression, if you can call it that
I've seen it but don't know the name... Sorry. I do like the illustration though. Gets the point across which a lot of art these days doesn't do. :-) Dismas|(talk) 05:08, 10 September 2006 UTC
I recently noticed that the flag of the European Union is very similar to the flag of the U.S. state of Indiana. Is the design of the former based (at least partially) on the latter? Thanks in advance.
13 stars in the outer loop for the original 13 colonies, 5 inside them for the next five states, and one large star above the torch for Indiana. 100100104:57, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I'd agree with that. With so many flags in the world, there are bound to be coincidences sometimes. The arrangement of stars in a circle on a blue background certainly isn't unique to either the EU or Indiana — the Cook Islands have a notable example of a similar design, although with white stars instead of gold. The flags of Myanmar, Cape Verde, and the US state of Georgia also contain similar patterns, as did the early Betsy Ross flag of the United States. The Caquetá Department in Colombia and Rhode Island in the US both use a circle-of-gold-stars pattern without the blue background. The EU and Indiana flags certainly have similarities, but not more than can be explained by simple coincidence, I think. -- Vardion06:41, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Are citizens required to uphold the law (ie report crimes, attempt to prevent crimes, etc?) in the UK?
As long as preventing said crime doesn't put their life in danger, I think they are. But they might not be required to if the criminal involved is a loved one. I'm not sure. = Mgm|(talk)08:09, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
No, they're permitted to uphold the law, to a very basic degree, using rights that derive largely from common law. The only circumstance under which they're obligated is (as far as I'm aware) Section 19 of the Terrorism Act 2000 which makes it an offense to know that another person is planning a terrorist act and fail to tell the police. The relatives of the two British men who went to Israel to be suicide bombers where charged under this this section [2], but I think all were acquitted (it's very difficult to prove what someone knew). -- Finlay McWalter | Talk11:57, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Not really - here is an interesting paper looking at how the duty to report changed after the introduction of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, and comparing the situation in the UK with that of France. It is really only professionals becoming aware of crime through their work who have an obligation to report, unless the crime is treason, terrorism, or a road or traffic offence. According to this paper, only social workers have a legal obligation to report suspected child abuse, but most people working with children or vulnerable adults (such as people with disabilities and mental health issues) will be required to report suspected abuse through their code of conduct. It seems as though UK law relies on a moral obligation to report rather than a necessarily legal obligation. Natgoo08:58, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
What the anon is describing are called Good Samaritan laws. Unfortunately, the name can refer to two totally different kids of laws. The good kind of good samirtan law says that any person attempting to render assistance to someone in distress is not legally liable -- e.g, you cannot sue someone trying to rescue you, even if they harm you. The second (bad) kind of good samaritan law says that you are guilty of a criminal act if you fail to render aid. This is the kind of law that was made famous on Seinfeld's last episode. Raul65401:37, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
2 questions
Hi, Wikipedia. I have 2 questions:
1) Where, online, can I find an English-German dictionary? (With pronunciations and all that)
2) Where, online, can I find a scale for a tenor trombone? (With note names, postition names, ect.)
What kind of scale? Chromatic? At trombone there is a picture of slide posistions and the notes played in its partial. this link, which is from my old band, takes you to where you can download a pdf file of the major scales and the chromatic scale for trombone and euphonium. Happy playing! schyler23:32, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I am looking for any information on where manicures started, how they got started. What kind of products were used when performing a manicure. Tools that were used. What was used when polishing a color on their fingers. I would appreciate any help you can lend me. Thank you Penny--64.50.228.3617:00, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Thank you for the help, but I have already been out to this area. It gives you one sentence of history - which does not help me for a 10 page thesis. I am looking for help to find books that might have more history to them.
Nothing on TV. My meat-based friends are all out of town. My cyber-friends never seem to be online on Sunday evenings. My dad doesn't want to go for a curry with me. No money. I don't drink. I don't smoke any more. I don't take drugs. I look at my music and DVD collection and I can't think of anything I want to watch/listen to. Just a boring Sunday night for me. Any suggestions for stuff that I can do? --Kurt Shaped Box17:08, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
See acedia and get off your butt. Write an article, read a book and learn something, ask your dad what he would like to do with you, or go interact with someone or some gull you dont know well. You have something that most of the world envies: youth, health, safety, food and shelter. Calculate how many breaths you have left. This is meant in a friendly way. Young people should never, ever complain of boredom. alteripse17:16, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Click on "random page". There's loads of weird stuff out there that needs a good cleanup. Especially all those commmercial links. Or if you're not going to church with Jasbutal you could always try meditation. --Shantavira18:40, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
If you have time left, you can always contribute to Wikipedia. Otherwise, expand your horizons. Reading a book is a good idea. Just take something from the shelf and see how far you get. I wonder what your father wants to do, perhaps you can do the same. - Mgm|(talk)19:42, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
He never mentioned anything about obtaining "free porn" legally... How much time you're willing to spend on it is another question, though... =S 惑乱 分からん23:27, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Never mind what I said about FOX. Usually, the sunday night lineup is pretty good, but I forgot that it's football season. Stupid football. Russian F23:48, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Why not download some game demos and give them a go? That should keep you entertained until the shops open. Then, if you've fallen in love with any of the games, buy 'em. Howard Train23:55, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
When I'm bored and TV isn't an option I find the best thing is a walk or a bike ride. There's a big park downtown about 30 minutes away by train from here, and if I have a free Sunday I often like to just head out there in the afternoon, spend about an hour walking around staring at all the loonies practicing their comedy skits and didgeridoos, and then make my way into the city and walk around some of the busy shopping streets there pretending to have some kind of purpose. I'm the kind of guy that can walk or ride a bike for 12 hours straight without complaining though, so I guess something like that's not for everyone. Another thing I like to do is just head down to the library and save money on air conditioning by using theirs while put my nose in a book for a couple of hours. If there was a University library nearby that I could go to I'd rather hang out there, but as long as I have a little stack of unread English books I can get comfortable. freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 03:16, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Update: I started looking through my box of VHS tapes and I found a copy of The Exorcist that I'd taped off TV a few years ago. I watched that, whilst eating a tinned pie, then went to bed early. :) I was in one of those 'irritable' moods where I don't seem to be able to concentrate on reading a book or writing anything particularly coherent (jacking in the cigarettes hasn't helped my mood). My dad was at his house filling in a long application form (he just lost his job) and all my real life buddies were already out and I had no money to join them. Just one of those dull nights that we all get from time to time... --Kurt Shaped Box14:01, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I'm going to a late night Catholic mass today and I'm gonna take communion. Are there accounts of people experiencing the holy ghost, or God in general terms, with their communion (especially their first one)? Jasbutal18:12, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
If you are not going with intent to offend, talk to the priest about your intention before the service. The Roman church is quite explicit in most places about the purpose of the eucharist and who is eligible to partake. Most Christian denominations have an explicit theology around the eucharist and the degree to which other Christians are welcome varies by denomination. You will be quite welcome at the service and if God's grace is extended to you, you will be moved to seek catechism from the priest. Anything else is simply mocking someone else's religion and will strike most people as a betrayal of the hospitality with which you were invited. alteripse20:06, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Unless you are Catholic (or belong to one of the very few "approved" denominations), you are not allowed to take communion in a Catholic church. You will not experience anything besides odd bread. --Nelson Ricardo22:44, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Most congregations would be flattered and welcoming if you sat quietly in the back. You may find the customs confusing: the congregation probably kneels at certain points in the service. If you're interested in learning about Catholicism you might ask about less formal youth group meetings. Durova00:01, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
To answer your question - no, not really. God isn't primarily concerned about getting people to "feel" him. God is interested in people having faith; responding to him and obeying him whether they "feel" his presence or not. Relying on "experiences" makes for an unsustainable, fanatical Christianity. BenC702:36, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
then from whence does this faith come from, Ben? I assume you're not one to denigrate Christianity by trying to "prove" that Christ existed and did this 'n that? Jasbutal04:09, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The Bible says, "Faith comes by hearing, hearing by the word of God" (Rom. 10:17). Faith comes from hearing and reading the word of God. BenC710:14, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
In Eucharist you will see that some Christian denominations (Roman Catholics for instance) believe that the bread and wine actually become Christ's flesh and blood through transubstantiation when the priest says the words of institution. It still appears to be bread and wine, but these are the accident while the substance has changed. Lutherans believe the body and blood are in and with the bread and wine, a very slight difference but no less miraculous. The worshippers may indeed feel that they are blessed and strengthned by the Eucharist. Other denominations see it as merely a symbolic remembrance of the Last Supper, like a historic reenactment. Some Christian churches (Roman Catholic, Missouri Synod Lutheran for instance) have closed communion, and one must have special approval to get communion. Some others have open communion, perhaps open to all who share their belief that the body and blood of Jesus are present in the Eucharist or to all who receive communion in their home church. First Communion in Roman Catholic churches follows a period of instruction and preparation. The requirements vary greatly in different denominations. It is best to speak to the minister or Priest if you are in doubt about receiving Eucharist. I have never heard of any minister who was not delighted by the opportunity to talk to you about possibly joining them in worship. Most churches would be happy to provide a member who can sit by you and assist you in following the service. Edison05:28, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
However, if you are not familiar with the congregation or the priest himself, i would recommend dressing relatively soberly. Wearing a 'let the fucking begin' t-shirt could offend. Rockpocket20:34, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
While you can wear whatever you like, you probably should wear something similar to what you'd wear to work in an office, merely out of respect for the other people who will be there.
Continually doing the minimum that you can get away with, and not taking others' sensibilities into account, is probably not the way to go. B00P09:12, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
200 lbs woman
How does a 200 lbs woman look like without her clothes on, especially bikini?
It depends on 1) how tall she is, 2) what kind of muscle tone she has, and 3) her body type. If she's 6-foot-2 and muscular, she might look average, if larger in all dimensions. If she's 5-feet with no muscle tone, she'll probably have fat on her hips, abdomen, thighs, legs, and arms. I have a very good female friend who's a little over 200 pounds, but she's tall, athletic, has a large frame, and a large bustline. She looks like a very curvy woman with good muscle tone, and she has almost no cellulite. 65.96.181.14021:08, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Try looking up the WNBA player profiles and the biographies of professional beach volleyball players. They tend to be tall, sometimes 200 pounds or near that. Also Google "large sized models" - these are beautiful women who earn their living posing for fashion catalogs for larger sized clothes. Durova23:53, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I was raised thinking metric, still finding imperial confusing. Anyway my sister is about 186 cm/80 kg (About 6'1"/175 lbs I guess), she doesn't look fat, so I guess it's not too strange if tall and muscular women could reach that weight without particularly much body fat. 惑乱 分からん01:23, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
On OMNI. 2, most of the 2006 Soccer World Cup matches were commented in Chinese. Why couldn't comment games that deal with Iran in Farsi, Japan's in Japanese, South Korea in Korean, and Tunisia and Saudi Arabia in Arabic?
Which World Cup are you talking about? Soccer? Anyway, to try to anser the question, I'd guess the Chinese is a larger market group. The answer is probably money. 惑乱 分からん19:45, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
My guess is that they'd have to translate it and they don't have the resources on hand to do so (whereas with language programming you don't have to do this, because the programs are usually in another language.) Also, I'm not sure which OMNI segment Iran and SA are supposed to fall under. ColourBurst14:49, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Miles per gallon
What automobile, available in the USA, will go farthest on one gallon of gasoline?
For consumer pickup trucks, there doesn't seem to be any worse than that. The Dodge 1500 SLT got 11 mpg overall (called the worst) from Consumer Reports in Jan 2006 but officially it gets 14 city/19 highway. Rmhermen02:15, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I believe Smarts are designed to be fuel-efficient. A modified version is available in the US. You'll be driving cheaply and can still say yo drive a Mercedes. (Well, a car by the sister company.) DirkvdM07:05, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Oh, and the car I was really thinking of is the SmILE, a car designed by Greenpeace to demonstrate how fuel efficient cars could be if car manufacturers wanted them to. See http://archive.greenpeace.org/climate/industry/reports/smile.html. It has a fuel consumption of 29 km/l or 78 m/g. One drawback. It is not for sale. :) However, if this is the best Greenpeace can do, then the Honda Insight is pretty impressive. DirkvdM11:31, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I edited the List of Stoner Rock Bands by adding Dave Matthews. Afterwards I realized that there was a note on the page saying address the talk page if changing this list because this is only a list of artists with wikipedia's pages but DMB does have there own page. Im confused.
What? Anyway, if you added Dave Matthews band, and they have their own Wikipedia article, I fail to see that you have done anything wrong, on the contrary, you have added an entry to the list. 惑乱 分からん21:24, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Not sure if this is what you're asking, but you make a link to another wikipedia article by enclosing the article title in square brakets. For example: [[Dave Matthews]] results in Dave Matthews. If what you put in square brackets does not have an article, it will show up as a red link (or, if you've changed your preferences, as a link with a question mark after it). As you can see, Dave Matthews does have an article, as does Dave Matthews Band.–RHolton≡– 12:38, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
What you did is probably not what they're worried about. I would assume they just want to avoid people adding themselves/non-notable local bands to the list. Wouldn't hurt to mention it on the talk page anyway though. -Elmer Clark02:14, 14 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
list of websites
looking for a list of websites like this one http://www.stewielive.com/ where you type in a command to "control" someone. There's also the burger king chicken one but I forgot the site. I enjoy messing around onthese, is there a list of them? Jasbutal21:06, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
You might like www.killfrog.com. It's a lot of fun.
I might have misunderstood something, but can't you (theoretically ;)) construct a theory on the basis of just assuming that's the way anything should work (for example)? 惑乱 分からん23:58, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
What are the guidelines for starting an article on a radio station? I mean, like, can I just start it or do I have to get it approved?
Look at an article on another radio station. Base your article on that. If you are a user on Wikipedia, you can just start any old article. You just have to make sure there isn't already an article on the subject. And that it's appropriate. Russian F22:34, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Even better, look at several, and see how they are structured and what they cover. If you are lucky, they will all have the same, helpful, structure, which you can adopt. If you are unlucky they will all be arranged differently (or have no structure at all), and you will need to devise your own structure. Then you could go back and edit the other ones to match your excellent arrangement. ColinFine23:42, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I think it was called "Pappy's Paint". Some old guy went around his puppet forest and taught kids how to draw and paint. Could anyone try to help me find some sources? -MF14
I used to love that show when I was younger, it I remember correctly it was on around noon. [[User:Bookworm8[Bookworm8]]
castling on opposite sides in chess
I've noticed in chess, when players castle on opposite sides, there is some kind of a paradox about the impact of defensive pieces in front of the king. Most writers (eg. Keres and Kotov in The Art of the Middle Game), say that these pieces present targets for the enemy pawn storm. But I have seen many games, especially Sicilians where white castles long, in which one player (usu. white in the Sicilian) uses the defensive pieces and a pawn thrust to actually blockade the pawn storm. Are these blockading possibilities merely special exceptions, or is there a good general rule behind them? The Mad Echidna23:08, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Do you mean castling queenside instead of castling kingside? Castling queenside is somewhat less common, partly because more pieces need to be developed before the move can take place. In casual games it may be less frequent because, as with the en passant rule, some players are not aware that this move is legal. I believe there are more opening lines that castle kingside. From my own playing level (very good casual player, get creamed in rated tournaments) I tend to castle on whatever side of the board offers better defensive possibilities: if my kingside pawns are already in play then I tend to castle queenside. I'll also castle queenside if it offers the potential to place the queenside rook in control of an important file. In terms of chess theory this may hinge on the wisdom of developing the queen early in the game: that's a very aggressive (and often reckless) style of play that happens less often at higher levels than among novices. Durova23:35, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
This is a deep subject, in itself. The way that someone Expert and above would look at it is different than less experienced players. What I teach beginner to intermediate players is that 1)Castling is very important in protecting the king. 2) Control the center (directly and indirectly) 3)develop knights and bishops quickly, 4)Castle.
If you get in a position with another player of roughly equal strength/rating, and you castle on the same side (queen or king) then you both have to hold back your protective pawns on that side, and develop some kind of attack in the middle/center, or on the other flank (opposite to castled side.) Now, if you are in a game where you cross castle (opposite sides) then both opponents will throw their opposite side pawns at their opponents castled side (the pawn storm you speak of). And, whomever is fastest, often/usually wins. SO, unless you can look far enough ahead to be pretty sure that YOU will have the advantage in such a situation, it is just better to make sure that you castle on the same side as your opponent. Playing a beginning player, he will sit, not knowing what to do, as your pawn storm progresses. Playing an intermediate player or higher, and they will storm their pawns at your king, in return. One the pawn storm race is started it is an unpredictable mess.
The purpose of an opening like the Sicilian is that it is an asymmetric opening, rather than a symmetrical opening. This can (sometimes) give Black a better opportunity than a balanced symmetric opening (where white has the slight advantage of having moved first). I don't feel that (IMO) there are proportionally more opposite castling games with the Sicilian, versus, say, a symmetric opening like the Ruy Lopez.
A strategy of throwing your pawns forward to block an oncoming pawn storm (in an opposite side castle position) is one of many. One of the characteristics of this position, is, as you point out, that decveloped pieces in the path of the pawn storm attack can be targets for the pawn on the way. Generally speaking though, this leaves a middle game where your king is exposed, and your opponents king is well protected. This is almost always a loss for the player with the exposed king. The exception to this kind of situation would be where you want/need an active king in the center, and the open king can get there faster than the protected one. (This would be say, if queens had been exchanged, as well as many major pieces - endgame, or late middle game).
Atom19:13, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Detailed information on horse guardian road fatality by truck nassau ny 1970's
I am doing research on deaths of roadway guards for horse trailers by trucks and cars . I am interested in the details (legal, medical and otherwise) and outcomes for the queens/nassau, new york area in the early 1970's. Where would i go to get this information and not just general statistics?
Have you gotten in touch with the mounted division of the NYPD? Or the Belmont racetrack? Or horse farms/riding schools in Nassau County? Durova01:59, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
September 11
Steve Irwin
I was reading the article on Steve Irwin. I was wondering what religion he was, if he did believe anything. I know that it was his own personal business and probably no one will really know other than his own family. Thanks for any information. Van00:23, 11 September 2006 (UTC)
There has been no mention of Irwin's religious beliefs in any of the voluminous coverage of his death here in Australia. If he was a member of any organised religion, he and his family have kept very quiet about it. --Robert Merkel02:53, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Australians generally do not talk to strangers about their religion (or lack of). When I said "strangers", I do not just mean non-Australians. Strangers include other Australians as well.
On the subject of religion in Australia, do you know there are about 400,000 chinese in Australia in 1996 but only 3815 "Chinese Traditional Religion" which consists of Taoism (2,981); Ancestor Veneration (653); Confucianism (578); Chinese Religions not further defined (257). So either the chinese in Australia are completely non-religious or they are all die hard christians.
202.168.50.4023:34, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Statistics for China which being a communist country from 1949 to ???? is officially non-religious. However lately there was a relax in political policy to allow religious observations by its citizens. 202.168.50.4000:08, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Back to the steve irwin question...there is a rumor that apparently his wife was a christian and that sometime before his death he himself made a commitment but thats only a rumor as far as i know
Apparently, Terri is indeed a churchgoing Christian, but Steve wasn't and the rumours that he converted shortly before his death appear to be false [3]. --Robert Merkel22:47, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
baseball field question
This is just a question that was brought up to me and now im trying to get an answer for it, Should the fences on any baseball diamond in the nation or world whether its major league or even just t-ball be tight to the ground on the bottom so nobody can get a foot caught under the bottom pipe support and the ground and get a broken ankle or foot. What is the correct answer or specifications or rules to this question?
This seems to me to be nothing to do with baseball, but rather to do with the local regulations on safety and excessive precautionary measures. ColinFine12:55, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Major League Baseball makes no specification as to the construction of fences (see Rule 1.04). However, there is a rule concerning how far the fences are; however, said rule has leeway rather than a single fixed value. — Lomn | Talk13:57, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Why do all my cactuses die?
All of my potted houseplant cactuses die the same way: they get soft and dark green and they fall over and go flat. Their base sort of dies first. Why do they die? I don't water them much, only like once a month (and only like 2tbsp). These particular cactuses died after they were repotted:
File:Thedeadcactusses.JPG
The one in the bottom right has died, the one in the bottom left has started dying in it's base.(I realize that it's supposed to be 'cacti', but I prefer 'cactuses')
Could be a number of things. Temperature? Sunlight? Repotting procedure? You could try leaving them in the thing you get them in from the nursery and see if they still die. You could also try leaving them outside to see if that makes any difference. BenC702:40, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I've heard they do best in very sandy soil; from the picture your soil looks kind of loamy. Don't know if that's important enough to mean the difference between life and death, though. --Allen04:59, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Cactuses is quite acceptable for the plural of cactus[4]. Cacti is another word for it, which takes the original Latin form. In English though, both are fine. - Rainwarrior02:29, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I only water my cactus about three times a year (when I notice it getting smaller, I put some water in the saucer under the pot). It may be that the soil is too damp from overwatering - because they only look like small cacti, they probably need little water, which they may already be able to get from the damp soil. I think the soil should be dry - mine is. You might also have humid air where the cacti are. So they get too damp and the roots and base start rotting. I think I remember hearing on a BBC radio gardening programme that the most common mistake people make with cacti is overwatering them. Also, you should not water them in winter. Perhaps the soil stays damp enough that you should'nt water them.
catholics
if you don't know already, I went to a Catholic mass to see what it was like, to try and learn some things about Christianity, and to meet the cute ,clean, Catholic girls (is it so wron g to only want to date prima materia ???)
1. what's with the cross on the staff that they kept moving around the Church, in and out, aisle to aisle? I'm familiar with the cross, but why were they walking around with it at what seemed randome times?
2. what's the point of singing stuff?
3. greater than 75% of the mass was singing ! wtf, the priest only talked for like 5 min on the Bible. why so much singing !?
4. one of the reasons I came was to take the eucharist, because that's the whole point of why Christianity is a living religion, because the sacrifice of Jesus actually happens every day and every week. It's not just confined to 2000 years ago .
can i just go protestant and take it there!? They'll give the supper to anyoone.
5. I f catholics barely even talk about or read the Bible in Chruch how do they learn about ti? just reading it on their own? Do they have bible studies like the protestants?
6. if I go to an orthodox church, will all the shit be in Greek? fuck that.
7. What's with the red light on the staff they carried around with the cross sometimes?
8. do any churches do Gregorian chant? That' sthe only signing I want to do, forget these egocentric hymns and egocentric songs like "AMazing Grace"
9. The priest talked about the "Culture of Death" (something the pope talked about on youth day or somethign) is this a common Catholic perception of the current American/Western culture?
10. he said that a personal intimacy with the God and Jesus was possible. I thought catholics were famous for saying that the only way the comman man can communicate or "get to" God/jesus was by proxy through the Priest!? ??
I'm pretty sure Orthodox churches hold services in whatever language is most convenient for the parishoners. Catholics definitely have Bible study just like Protestants. Not all Protestant churches have the Eucharist, and of those that do, they have different requirements for who can receive it. At some, anyone can receive it; in the Episcopal Church, you have to be baptised in the name of the Trinity but you don't have to be Episcopal. (Like the Catholics, of course, they don't actually check.) I don't know the answers to a lot of your questions. I'm curious to know about that red light on the staff; I went to a Catholic church as a kid and I don't remember that. Maybe it was a safer alternative to carrying a burning candle on a staff? You might be interested in reading Mass (Catholic Church). --Allen04:57, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
1. and 8. The cross is just a symbol. The movements were probably not random. (I can only remember it moving when the priest comes in or leaves?) 2. Singing is a large part of how the church members participate in the mass. Gregorian chant is used (see that article which describes chants like the Alleluia, Agnus Dei and Kyrie) perhaps you didn't recognize it or perhaps as a college service, a very modern liturgy was used? In some churches, the priest, cantor and choir seems to do almost all the actual singing (although the parishioners are encouraged to sing as well.) 3. Catholics are known for short sermons although there has been increased focus since Vatican II. Protestant sermons are generally much longer. (In Catholicsm the central point of the Mass is the Eucharist, with the singing secondary and the sermon least important. In Protestant church, generally the sermon is most important - although in some, and more recently, it is the singing that is most important in the average service. The Lord's Supper is not part of every service but is central when it is.) 4. Protestants would emphatically disagree with this statement and even the Catholics interpretation is more subtle (Eucharist (Catholic Church)#Transubstantiation) 5. Catholics are perceived to study the Bible less than Protestants but home Bible reading, Bible studies and church classes outside of Mass do occur. 7. Another symbol (Jesus as the light to the world.) 10. Catholics believe in a personal relationship with God (such as prayer). The priest has certain roles to fulfill (such as absolution and consecration of the Eucharist) So perhaps communicate - no; get to God, yes. Rmhermen05:45, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
appreciate the response, Rmhermen. The wiki article tells us a lot about transubstantiation but not why it's done. In regards to that, I was doing some googling just after I asked this, and check this out: "In the Eucharist, we don't merely "remember" the death and resurrection of Christ, like we remember some historic event. Rather, the Eucharist is a living memorial that makes Christ's sacrifice present anew in every parish community which offers it at the hands of a bishop or priest."
appreciate the response, Rmhermen. The wiki article tells us a lot about transubstantiation but not why it's done. In regards to that, I was doing some googling just after I asked this, and check this out: "In the Eucharist, we don't merely "remember" the death and resurrection of Christ, like we remember some historic event. Rather, the Eucharist is a living memorial that makes Christ's sacrifice present anew in every parish community which offers it at the hands of a bishop or priest."
The "Why is it done" is simplest and applies to any Christian church: because Jesus said "This do in rembrance of me." (Luke 29:19) Our Eucharist article gives: "Eucharist is therefore understood to be not simply a representation of Christ's presence, or a remembrance of his Passion and Death, but an actual participation in the Sacrifice of Christ, the manifestation, in the present, of an event that occurred once for all in time. The Eucharist makes present that one sacrifice, not a different sacrifice." You can see how this differs from "the sacrifice of Jesus actually happens every day and every week." Rmhermen06:12, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
so you're saying an element of the eucharist is that we sacrifice ourselves during it, just as Christ sacrificed himself to the Father? Is this the meaning of Galatians 2:20?
also, I honestly don't understand how "the manifestation, in the present, of an event that occurred once for all in time." is different than "the sacrifice of Jesus actually happens every day and every week."!?? Jasbutal06:23, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
From a non-Catholic:
1. Sometimes they Process. It is a symbol of salvation through faith in Christ. see http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12448a.htm for Catholic info
2. Psalm 150: Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!
Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;
Praise Him with the lute and harp!
Praise Him with the timbrel and dance;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!
Praise Him with loud cymbals;
Praise Him with crashing cymbals!
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord!
3. See 2.
4. You raise good points.
5. Catholics have traditionally not been really big on weekly Bible study compared to some Protestant denominations, but traditionally they had a great deal of Christian education in the catechism before first communion and learned a great deal of doctrine as developed by church theologians.
6. Some people have indeed heard a fair amount of Greek in Orthodox services.
7. A long burning light may be the Sanctuary Light, a sign that Christ is present in the tabernacle or church.
8. Gregorian chant are in Latin, which I thought went out of Catholic church liturgy after the Second Vatican Council, but the Gregorian Chant article says it is still fine for Catholic worship. There might be choirs in some Catholic, Lutheran, or Episcopal (Anglican) churches which do Gregorian chants on occasion.
9. Culture of death: perhaps he was echoing the Catholic Church's opposition to abortion or capital puinishment.
10. The more "evangelical" protestant churches speak of "accepting Jesus as your personal savior" and being "born again" to receive salvation. I expect Catholics who are devout feel they too have a close relation to Jesus.
You are asking good questions. I strongly encourage you to "church shop," something many college students do as part of their exploration of life. Perhaps the Holy Spirit will lead you to a particular church. Edison06:08, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Gregorian chant is a musical style. It isn't all in Latin - and many Catholic churches still use at least some Latin. The Kyrie for instance is Greek. Vernacular (local language) translations are used primarily. Rmhermen06:19, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Hmmmm, my first impression, by reading that, is that you should change your definition of dating material. It'd seem you're heading for disappointments... =S 惑乱 分からん07:06, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Having gone to a Catholic grade school for eight years, I don't see any issue with wanting to check out the women. Those starched white shirts and plaid skirts that the female students wore were... nice! Yeah, nice. :-) Dismas|(talk)09:32, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Would it be sacrilegous to talk about Mary's assumed connections with Roman soldiers? I just think it's silly to choose a girlfriend on such a matter as intact virginity, and, as a personal opinion, I would guess that girls who think it's important to keep their virginity until marriage in a Western society must be one of the most neurotic and hysterical persons you can find... (Maybe I shouldn't start this...)惑乱 分からん14:38, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
well, sorrz if this sounds harsh but I could find a word or two for girls AND bozs who have had a sexual )and I mean real sex..) partner or two or three before the age of 21. Hell, before the age of 30! Weäre not rabitts, people, weäre human and we can show a little dang respect for something that is so universallz important. ßßJASBUTAL
You go to church as a part of your relationship with God, to connect with others who also have a relationship with God, and to learn more about God. It is not about checking out girls. If you are going there for that reason, you're going for entirely the wrong reason. If you want to learn about God, start by reading the New Testament. BenC710:11, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I am wondering about your paedophilic adiction to virgin Catholic schoolgirls right now. — [Mac Davis] (talk) (Desk|Help me improve)
As immature as I might consider an attraction for virginity to be, I must admit it doesn't in itself necessitate pedophilia (which, strictly speaking, is an attraction to children not yet reached the age of puberty, not to be mixed up with ephebophilia, attraction to adolescents who haven't yet reached full adulthood). 惑乱 分からん00:53, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
davis ..>! ?? ooooooooooooooh....I get it.....davis is jealous now that's he got some competitioN ! did you not catch that I'm a college student goign to a college church with college girls? Jasbutal03:45, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
BTW, if you wanted answers to the 'how do Catholics get to know the Bible' question: having been brought up Catholic (do not ask my current beliefs) I found I knew a lot of it better than Protestant friends. This was because, as well as the 3 readings from the Bible every week (Old Testament, New Testament, Gospel) and the responsorial psalm every week, there were the antiphons and Gospel acclamation, meaning I tended to know verses. Because the cycle of readings repeats every three years, by the time you're a teenager you're recognising and remembering bits word-for-word. The Homily (like a sermon) is varying lengths depending on the person giving it (not always a priest), and often looks at how the different passages from the Bible read that week link together, and how they relate to the present day. Skittle11:16, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
In your page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_design#Video.2Fcomputer_game_design_process under the title Video/computer game design process you say "Game design begins with a concept: some are original inspirations, while others are client-mandated, often as part of a broader marketing campaign." But what is "client-mandated"???
Thanks
Client-mandated means that your client (a movie company, a fast-food chain that wants to use a video game for marketing purposes, or whatever) has some definite requirements of what they want the finished game to look like, and your job as a game designer is not so much to come up with clever ideas of how the game could work but rather to bring the client's ideas (which may or may not be good) to life. Say you're designing a video game as a tie-in to some movie franchise (like designing the latest Star Wars game). In such a case, the movie studio will have a very definite idea of their target audience and of the image they want to project, so they will give you a pretty definite list of what can and can't be done in a video game. On the one hand, it will be pretty much impossible to just design the game you want to design - on the other hand, you can profit immensely from established brand recognition, and you won't have to worry too much about marketing your game. -- Ferkelparadeπ10:00, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The Peoples' Democratic Partiy of Nigeria
Please i would like to know the contents of the PDP of Nigeria
— Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.206.136.83 (talk)
Hello Sarah. If you do not have any luck calling the grocery stores in your area. Try health food stores for similar cereal beverage products. If you still have no luck, contact me at gaspdesign AT earthlink DOT net and I will purchase a jar for your mom and send it to you. Coffee flavor or original?--JosephWisdom20:18, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Joseph, I strongly advice you to remove that email or you'll get endless spam. I've made it less obvious to a bot, but it's still going to end up all over the internet. Skittle10:45, 14 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks. I still want to believe the world is filled with good people. I need people to remind me of what I have know for years... and that is that when I was young I used to say that the world was like a bushel of apples. There are a few bad apples in the bunch. Over the years I have seen this change to that there are just a few good apples left. Thanks for watching out for me. --JosephWisdom20:16, 15 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Question about job position - service coordinator / executive assistant
I want to know that who is senior - a service coordinator or an executive assistant?
What are their job profiles?
You need to ask the company concerned. All these words have a range of meanings, and in this context sometimes no meaning at all. A 'service coordinator' might be a fairly senior person who is responsible for organising a company's entire after-sales service. On the other hand, it might be a junior person who tracks what is going on in one 'service' (whatever that might mean in the industry concerned). An 'assistant' is usually quite low-status; but an 'assistant director', for example, may be almost at the top of the hierarchy. It is impossible to tell the answer to your question without knowing the company concerned. ColinFine23:39, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Commercial break in Pro Football Game
Can anyone shed some light as to why there is a commercial break after a kick-off in a NFL game? Is there any reason why after the kick-off(takes about 30 seconds or so), a commercial break occurs? This doesn't happen in college football games.
Money. The networks trust that anybody who sat through the commercials prior to kickoff will likewise sit through a round of commercials prior to the next play. — Lomn | Talk18:21, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
What do you call the jerseys if not "watch[ing] ads... every minute"? It took me years to realize that Brits weren't actually rooting for "Carlsberg." — Lomn | Talk21:36, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The NFL's TV contract says there are supposed to be five commercial breaks per quarter. Generally, these are taken after punts and scores. They can also put in some ads during injury timeouts and replay challenges. However, if there have yet to be enough stoppages of play, they can add extra ads after the kickoff. If you go to a game, you'll see a guy on the sidelines with bright orange elbow-length gloves. His job is to inform the refs with hand signals whether there will be commercials at a given stoppage of play. The ridiculous number of ads during NFL games is one reason I think college football makes a better sport. -- Mwalcoff22:53, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Because the leagues make a tremendous portion of their money from TV deals, the games are paused while the networks show commercials.— Lomn | Talk14:50, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
In all fairness those jerseys dont interfere with the game the way the ad breaks do, but point taken, all pro sports are riddled with advertisements. PhilcTECI19:35, 16 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I had a good laugh once, when I watched some series on tv in the US. There was this introductory scene, then the tune, and then ... a commercial break! Before the story had even properly started! I never bothered to watch US tv after that. When a US guy was over at my place and we watched a US series on public tv and there wasn't a commecial break where one was obviously intended by the makers he was highly surprised. He couldn't imagine tv without commercial breaks. Judging by the fact that, for example, 24 (tv series) episodes last only 45 minutes in stead of one hour, I conclude that 1/4 of tv time in the US is wasted on commercials. Or are there other stations as well? Does the US have public stations? And are they watched? DirkvdM06:48, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yes, the US has the Public Broadcasting Service, which is quite good. Unfortunately, they do buy commercial programs from the UK, at times, then they have to find something to fill in for the missing time. They tend to use ads for themselves as filler. The commercial channels seem to have figured out that they lose viewers if they show commercials before the show starts. The latest method is to have one show end, and the next begin, with no commercials, credits, or even title sequences in between. They still have plenty of ads, but now they wait until they figure you are "hooked" on the new program before they run them. StuRat07:00, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
You're right, Dirk -- about 1/4 of TV time in the U.S. is taken up by advertising. To Americans, this is the only logical way to do it. Generally, governments in the U.S. only get involved in providing a service if it's of public benefit and the private sector can't or won't do it. The government subsidizes educational and cultural programming on PBS because the private sector won't do it, or at least won't provide it without commercials. Americans would find it ridiculous for the government to be involved in showing something that is nothing but entertainment, like 24. We do have subscription channels like HBO that do not show third-party commercials. We don't have anything like the TV licenses that they have in Europe. I find it crazy that British people have to pay £131.50 for the BBC if they want to watch any television station, even if they hate the BBC. The U.S. government's subsidies for public broadcasting come out of the general budget but amount to less than $5 per household. Different strokes, I guess. -- Mwalcoff23:18, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
It happens at the start of each half in (soccer) World Cup matches too, Dirk. Thats why the ref and players are to be seen hanging around till the ref gets a signal to blow for the kick-off. Jameswilson22:51, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
That's fairly different - there is a half time break anyway, so of course they are going to show ads at that time. They don't stop DURING the half though. Although, I did watch them on SBS (Australian government funded broadcaster) which generally only shows ads between shows, so Aussies may be luckier in that regard. In cricket they show one ad (30 seconds) after each over (while the bowlers/fielders change ends), and Australian rules football's coverage (in Australia only, obviously) is (currently) divided between two channels - one of them shows uninterrupted quarters, and the other shows ads after each goal - a source of many complaints! -- Chuq02:43, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The teams and leagues have to make their money one way or the other. When you watch hockey on Czech TV, there are no commercials during periods, but you can't see the puck because of all the ads on the ice and the players' uniforms. In the U.S., the only ads on players' uniforms are the logos of the clothing manufacturers. There are also no ads on the playing surface, although the NHL, NBA and MLB now have ads around the playing surface. I don't like all the interruptions for commercials any more than anyone else, but I don't know what the alternatives would be, other than defiling uniforms and fields with ads or showing the games on pay-per-view. -- Mwalcoff
Mwalcoff (4 posts back), having no commercials is not the same as having the government handling the programming. In the Netherlands, there is competition between broadcasters. They get allotted time depending on their popularity. This used to be measured in a rather stupid leftover from the verzuiling (pillarisation), based on the sales of their programme magazines. That has changed now, but I'm not sure how.
About the use of commercials (any kind anywhere), they're the pits for the free market system. The way that is supposed to work is that people 'vote' for good products by buying them (dollar voting). So their choice is supposed to be based on the quality of the product, not how much money the company can waste on commercials. And has to becuase else they couldn't compete. This not only eats at the basis of the free market system, it is also a threshold for new companies that can't afford big commercial campaigns and thus holds back innovation and hampers competition. DirkvdM05:07, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
They are funded by the government (and therefore the people), but that doesn't mean the government bothers with the details. It does give rough guidelines (how much of what sort of thing should be shown where and when), but could even decide not to bother about those. Just allot time to the stations based on their popularity. Of course, who gets prime time on which of the three stations and weekends and such needs to be sorted out, but the principle is quite workable. DirkvdM07:22, 14 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I'm afraid this could be better explained somewhere. The article "Television networks in the Netherlands" simply lists three public and seven private networks, without any mention of networks coming and going based on viewership levels. It also says that even the public networks run some commercials. -- Mwalcoff00:01, 15 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
That's what I do all the time (I never watch tv direct), but sports fans will want to see matches live, so they're stuck. What's worse, though, is that game time gets lost through commercials (right?). Glad I'm not a sprts fan in the US. :) DirkvdM07:22, 14 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
what school of thought is it called when one desires to have his/her virginity "lost" by another virgin ? ßJASBUTAL
AssumptionsÖ
ß )I mean virgin in the traditional sense....ya weirdos)
ß n ot talking about marriage here
ß I am talkiong about love in the casual but not immature sense
ß i am not talking about myzself...itäs just a freind iäm worried about
ß sorry but mz kezboard is all fucked up
Actually, I guess that in muslim countries, the female virginity is considered much more important than male one. Tradition of bleeding the bed sheets and all that... 惑乱 分からん23:52, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
It seems you accidentally installed a German keyboard layout. Are you using XP with a "DE" sign close to the lower right corner? Then, click on it and change it to "EN". 惑乱 分からん23:52, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Could you give me some details about your friend, and the relationship he's in. Nothing personal, just stuff like his age, his girlfriend's age, how long they've been together, their views toward each other etc. Might help us understand the issue better... 惑乱 分からん00:58, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
"he" doesn't have a girlfriend at the moment, I was just wondering what his school of thought would be classified as. He's just a tad bit disappointed when the girls taht he dates have already been there done that. He believes it's important (not a stipulation, but still important...), in order to be intimate with someone, to not have a lot of baggage and expectations from past relationships and sex leads to this. Jasbutal03:49, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Hello,
I am looking for the documentry "Flame of Persia" (1971) which was the 2500 year anniversary of fthe Persian Empire. Does anyone know where I can get it? For more info on the film : [5]
I've been for 2 years in the gym and already have a decent form. However, I'm somewhat stuck at this point... Can anyone recommend me some kind of powerlifting routines or something useful for my purposes? Thanks.
What kind of body shape do you have now, and what kind of body shape are you striving for? What kind of training are you practicing, how often do you do it, and what kind of diet do you follow? 惑乱 分からん23:53, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
This might be a good time to stop lifting, why don't you... find another hobby? Maintain your look of course, but maybe you can learn a new skill or help somebody? — [Mac Davis] (talk) (Desk|Help me improve)
Take a bike to work in stead of a car, take the stairs in stead of the lift, that sort of thing. Build up muscles that are actually useful and do it without spending time or money on it (actualy saving some). Clever, eh? Of course, if you want to look puffed up and ridiculous, use the stuff at the gym. DirkvdM07:00, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Well, those exercises may be useful for a cripple granny, but not for strong youth like me... The money I spend in weightlifting is minimal (close to 0€)... Maybe we could try the "usefulness" of my muscles against yours in a fight, can't we? :P... Agreed that bodybuilders look ugly because they look strange, but just with using the stuff at the gym (without using drugs) is pretty hard to get that shape. Hope this helps.
This is the kind of question you should be asking a trainer at the gym, that's what they are there for. Describe what you've been doing up to this point, what you would like to achieve, how much of a time committment you're willing to make and so on. The trainer should then be able to work out a set of exercises with you. It's much safer and better doing it like this, as you'll be focussing your efforts and there is much less risk of injury through improper exercises. — QuantumEleven07:30, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
If you want to become tough you need to get tough on yourself. The fiction writer Terry Pratchett describes a "religion" that believes "the only way to get the soul to heaven is to put the body through hell". I base my routines on this, and build muscular and cardio-vascular strength by going for long (2 hour plus) mountain runs with full pack and gear. I am talking about rough terrain which gains big altitude and there are no real paths. Burns you up, but boy do you get strong !!! (Can anyone recommend any good sites about "exertion headache"? --196.208.61.88 18:55, 15 September 2006 (UTC)JohnSmith--196.208.61.8818:55, 15 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Thank you very much to all.
Clipping Mask vs Normal Layer mask
In Adobe Photoshop CS, what is the main difference between a clipping mask and a normal layer mask? In what situations would you use which one? Jamesino22:18, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
A clipping path is a vector-based path, you would use it where you want a straight line, a precise mathematical curve or a hard edge to the object. A layer mask is pixel based and can use transparency, so you would use it for soft "faded" edges like a photo montage, or for fine detail like hair. --Canley03:42, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
How many people in World trade center on 9/11?
Hello. How many people, were in the world trade center, when they were hit by the planes in 2001? I heard in a film as many as 6000. Yet I read that 2000+ people died there.
Thank you very much, Catherine Fowler
See September 11, 2001 attacks#Fatalities. Total 2,973 confirmed deaths stemming from all four hijackings, of which ~2,600 were people in the World Trade Center towers. Just under 2,000 of those were at or above the areas where the aircraft hit; the other 600 were presumably killed when the towers collapsed, and included about 400 rescue workers. Shimgray | talk | 23:20, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The number who were in the Towers waas much higher as most of them successfully evacuated: "On any given day, some 50,000 people worked in the towers with another 200,000 passing through as visitors." World Trade Center. Rmhermen00:00, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
This is a good time to whip out one of my favorite graphs[7]! I remember that week on the news they were saying 12,000 deaths. Eventually it went down to nine, six, and four thousand, and I guess it is 3000. — [Mac Davis] (talk) (Desk|Help me improve)
Mac, that graph is not a good example to quote becasue of the different dates. More info comes out later, and I would say the lter estimates are probably more accurate.--Light current01:57, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Not only that, but (unlike the WTC attacks) the situation with Chernobyle is a lot more confusing. If someone at the WTC was crushed, or killed by falling debris, or incinerated, it's fairly obvious that they were ultimately killed by the terrorists. On the other hand, if someone lived 5 miles from Chernobyle, and a decade later they got cancer and died - is that a Chernobyle-related death? Raul65405:29, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Which gives a total number of 17,500 in the two towers when they were hit and shows that only 15% of the people in the Towers died. I never realized that so many escaped from above the impact zone in the South Tower. I had remembered something vague in the "dozens" area. In a related note, USA Today estimated that about 200 jumped or fell out of the towers to their deaths. Rmhermen14:47, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
That's how many people were above the impact level when the first plane hit. Most of the nearly 2,000 survivors on the top of the south tower had probably begun to leave after the first attack. I forgot to add that another 54 people, not including emergency responders, were at unknown locations in the building when they died. Thirty of them were known to have been below the impact zones, but it's unknown which tower they were in. 421 emergency responders; 18 people who were outside or in other buildings; and 17 people whose whereabouts at time of impact are not known died. As horrific as 9/11 was, it could have been much worse. Had the attack happened in the middle of the day, had the first tower not stood for as long as it did after the attacks or had many people in the south tower not have begun to leave after the first attack, many more people would have died. On the other hand, had the first plane's impact not blocked all three stairwells in the north tower, the death toll might have been far lower. -- Mwalcoff23:06, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I didn't catch what you meant. I think you understood what it was implying. It doesn't incorporate the IAEA, WHO, and some of the Soviet studies, but they are all less than 60 deaths, and around 20 due to acute exposure. The bar graph for estimated cancer cases and deaths looks about the same. — [Mac Davis] (talk) (Desk|Help me improve)
2004 Idian Ocean tsunami (answer as soon as possible please!!!)
When did the tsunami end? I can't find in the article.
I'm a new coin collector and I was wondering if I should just stick with regular coins, or if colored coins also appreciate in value the same way regular coins do. For example the 2006 Silver Eagle coin comes as the regular coin, hologramed, and colored. Thanks
Is there supposed to be an answer? There's a joke where the punchline is that this riddle has no answer, except in the joke it's usually three legs on the way up.--Rallette08:31, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
A man? He'll have two legs while he's young but once he gets to be "over the hill" he may have a walker or some such thing which can be counted as an extra two legs? Dismas|(talk)09:00, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Haha, nice one, although perhaps the woman has to walk down the hill quite slowly to give the legs a chance to grow out... ;) 惑乱 分からん10:04, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
This will be weird, but if a woman has different colored eyebrows than her hair, could that be an indication of fake color hair? (That is, assuming she does not color her eyebrows too). Example: if someone has blonde hair but brown eyebrows.
AskMen and similar Web sites do not have this information.
In my experience, no. I have blond hair on the top of my head and brown hair everywhere else, with one exception. I'll leave the location of this second blond patch to everybody's imagination, I think. Howard Train09:17, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Because that question is grammatically wrong. There's no such thing as 'Youre hair', but other than that it's a good suggestion. - Mgm|(talk)12:32, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Would that not possibly be offensive? Anyway, this makes me think of an old Reiser joke.
An unsightly man dressed only in a couple of old underwear shouts at different girls passing by:
-Hello, fake blonde! -Hello, fake blonde!
(Person passing by...) -You'll never find a girlfriend that way.
(Man in underwear contemplating for himself...)
-I know that...
-...but the chances are practically zero anyway.
At least this way, If I'm lucky, a girl could show off her pussy to prove me wrong.
No, the "is that your natural color?" is the safest one. I have a relatively unusual color of hair (it is a mix of a few colors at once) and get asked that all the time, and I always take it as a compliment. I would never take the others as a compliment—the first one would make me wonder if I was being accused of having graying hair, the second just sounds like you couldn't believe that it was natural. I'm a guy, but I doubt it would be much different for a woman. (For the record, my eyebrows are not the same color as the rest of my hair. I don't know why, but that's just the way it always as been. I've never dyed my hair.) --Fastfission12:45, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Sorry, mixed up "pair" and "couple", either it's because I'm ESL, or because I wasn't thinking. Anyway, Reiser works mostly in a deliberately dirty style similar to old Robert Crumb and British Viz comics. 惑乱 分からん13:12, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Oh, I see now. Funny how we use "pair" for single garments like trousers, but never "couple", even though both words relate to the number 2. JackofOz13:19, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Certain ethnic groups never have natural blonde hair, like blacks and Orientals, for example. Others only rarely have natural blonde hair, like the Italians and Spanish. Of course, the most obvious clue to a dye job is different color roots. Unless the woman is meticulous, her roots will eventually show. StuRat13:03, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
(after edit conflict) Dyed hair is usually the same shade all over. If you look closely, natural hair tends to have all sorts of subtle variations. And of course you can see the colour of the roots only a few days after dyeing.--Shantavira13:04, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Heh, I had a bad dyejob about six weeks ago. It was supposed to be bright red all over but after a couple of weeks, it turned ginger on top. Now I have people commenting on my 'natural' ginger locks (for some reason, my beard looks the same shade next to it, even though it actually isn't)... ;) --Kurt Shaped Box14:07, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
A good color job with highlights can be very hard to detect even after several weeks. Basically if someone with light skin and mousy brown hair is willing to spend $100 a month, you'll never know it. Durova14:34, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I used to have my hair dyed platinum blonde for a lot less than a hundred a month, and everyone thought it was natural, even with my roots showing. Because it matched my complexion so well, people just didn't notice the roots. I would have been very offended if anyone asked me if it was my real colour; to me it is a very personal question, like asking my weight or what kind of underwear I wear. IMO if a person is close enough me to warrant that piece of private info, I'll tell them myself or they'll figure it out just by hanging around with me. If they don't know me that well, then they don't need, and certainly don't deserve, to know. Anchoress16:37, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
About 5 years ago I overheard a lady who had long, movie star quality blond hair say to her friend "My husband just doesn't think hair can be worth $300 a month." Yeah, a bottle of hydrogen peroxide is about 99 cents on sale at Walgreen, and Q-tips for touch up of the roots are about 2 cents apiece.Edison17:36, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Just because some people pay $300 for a colour job doesn't mean a good salon treatment has to cost that. I went to a supercuts type place that happened to have a brilliant colourist. That doesn't mean it was comparable to doing it myself with an overdose of Sun-In. Anchoress18:55, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The Concise Oxford says that "blond" can refer to hair, or complexion, or a person (esp. a man), and "blonde" can refer to a woman, or a woman's hair. JackofOz06:56, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
For the record, naturally coloured head hair (in men an women) can be different in colour from body hair (including eye brows). Quite why this is is not known, but there is a strong correlation, for example, between being heterozygous for a loss-of-function allele of MC1R and having reddish body hair only. While those homozygous for the same allele are more likely to have have reddish body hair and red head hair. Rockpocket06:21, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I used to do research in the field of human hair colour and, during worshops and meeting with the public and the like, i would get red-haired parents asking me to explain the genetics of it all. Often they would point to their teenage or pre-teen daughters standing next to them and ask, "what will it mean for them when they got one red-haried gene from me and none from my spouse". On informing them, their daughters would inevitably turn as red as i predicted their pubic hair would be. Rockpocket07:18, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
My Preferences
After logging on to Wikipedia, why can't I change my preferences?
I had this problem with some preferences. When I used a different browser (Mozilla) it did work. I believe it had to do with having Java (script? applets?) enabled. DirkvdM05:17, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Surfing
What is the meaning of gnarly and when was it introduced in the sport?
Thank you !
Is this from one of those DVD games with quiz questions? Because it's kind of pointless just writing the question out ad verbatim when we can't hear the 'currently playing theme song'. Karma Llama17:04, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Hi, is there any fuss free uk mp3 download sites that you can use in a one off way. i.e. pay for one track only and not have to join? I used TESCO the other day and it was great but not to many rare jazz tracks that I'm after.
Failing this how about other sites abroad (im worried about using my visa card for overseas transactions as the bank charge a quid a pop).
how about scrap the costs all together and download limewire from www.limeire.com.... free application that provides free music software pictures and videos.... but be carefull especially with software that you download from there..... they may contain virus's and other spyware that can potentialy arm your computer pulo13:45, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
what's the best way to do it, when you load the image? can it be done after the image is loaded?
i'm adding art from the manga eyeshield 21, i'm using images from chapters not yet released in america...
how to do i mark it up so it doesn't get deleted.
There are instructions when you upload images. However, the first and foremost rule is that the upload must be legally permissible, and from the description provided, I really don't expect it will be. Do you have the permission of the copyright holder? — Lomn | Talk20:01, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
You can also add a copyright tag after the upload (in above example, add {{fair use}}. You can also change it, but you're not supposed to change it to something more restrictive, unless you made a legal mistake. DirkvdM05:23, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
There are two different types of minifigs. The image I uploaded is of the old pre-1978 type, and I didn't find any prior images on Wiki depicting them. Anyway, I just wondered how I should label the image. 惑乱 分からん17:16, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
That reminds me. I used to photogrpah a lot of lego for my former employer (the RCX and stuff, though, not figures). I suppose my emplyer has the rights to those photos. Or can I upload them as my own? DirkvdM07:35, 14 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Lungs
Hey could you tell me how many bronchi there are in each lung? thanks
our article on bronchus has the information you need. Unfortunately, I can't tell from your question exactly what number you want (what we should be counting). However, I suspect the answer to this "homework question" is _2_. I'll leave chastizing you up to the regulars here; I'm too knew at the desks to do it. Fastfinge
why is that usa has so much money or financialresources as compared to any other nation where ot can afford to pump in so much money or global presence.... what is the source of money?
If you read carefully in Economy of the United States, you will also see that the United States has a subtantial current account deficit. If you look at the list of countries by current account balance, you will see that the United States has by far the largest current account deficit in the world. The current account deficit is about 7% of the size of the entire U.S. economy. What this means is that the United States consumes about 7% more than it produces. In effect, the rest of the world lends that 7% back to the United States to cover the difference. So, part of the to answer your question is that the United States is able to maintain its global presence because nations with current account surpluses, such as China, Japan, and Saudi Arabia, continue to accept growing U.S. debts. In the event that the creditors of the United States were to stop lending it money, or if they were to sell their U.S. debt, for example for political reasons, there would probably be a global financial crisis, and the "financial resources" of the United States would be greatly reduced. Marco polo19:59, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Of course, wrecking the US economy would also destroy their economies, by denying them their current lucrative export market. StuRat05:00, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
True, though if the US economy were in recession, say, dramatically shrinking that lucrative export market, and/or China had a financial crisis of its own (not hard to imagine), and the US then went to war against, say, Iran, with which China has made deals for access to oil, one could imagine China dumping that US debt to impede the US. On the other hand, a financial crisis that wrecked the present precarious prosperity of the US could happen even without action by one of the creditor nations. A flight by private investors would suffice. This could happen if the US Federal Reserve was perceived to be ignoring inflation. Such a scenario is not far fetched. But my point was that while the past prosperity of the US rested on a combination of territorial expansion, rich resources, military and technological superiority, and business acumen, its present prosperity rests to a large extent on the kindness (or transient self-interest) of strangers. Marco polo14:40, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Self interest, yes, kindness no. Much of the world would just love to destroy the US if they could do so without suffering the consequences. StuRat09:11, 15 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Also note that WW2 played a major role, leaving the US as the sole industrial country without heavy infrastructure damage from bombing, etc. This put the US in the economic lead. StuRat05:00, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Being a capitalist country is hardly an explanation. Most capitalist countries in the world are poor. (The reason being that most countries in the world are capitalist and most countries in the world are poor.) If you look at rich and poor countries in the world and their history, the strongest correlation is that the rich ones were rich to start with (and vice versa). Money makes money. The US started off rich, with money from Europe. And Europe got rich at least in part by stealing from their colonies. So the US is rich through stealing and borrowing. :) (Can someone think of a way to add 'begging' to this?) DirkvdM05:31, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
But Spain was far richer than the American colonies at one point, now it's much poorer, so what happened to all their wealth ? StuRat13:34, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The Spanish wealth was in the form of gold and silver mines, which eventually ran out. Further, importing all that gold and silver into Europe reduced the value of those metals, and to top it all off, the Spanish government spent all that money on wars rather than infrastructure. --Serie23:13, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Spain has never had a wonderful economy - in the 1500s, it was able to mask that with bullion imported from the new world, but instead of investing it for the future, Spanish rulers used it to pay for the present - buying off nobles, taking risks (e.g. the Spanish armada - very expensive, absolutely no return on investment), interest on their extensive loans, fighting. In the end, they ran out of money flowing in, and because they'd squandered it when it was coming in they had little to fall back on where they were. Hence began a downward spiral which it was in for centuries, and has only just really clawed its way out of (before the recent expansion, it was one of the poorest countries in the EU). --Mnemeson21:25, 14 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Mnemeson already mentioned the expansion of the EU. Portugal, Greece and especially Ireland have profited from this too. Having good trading relations with rich countries is an excellent way to escape poverty. Having a completely open economy between the countries works miracles. This is why everyone wants to trade with the US, of which the US in turn profits again, reinforcing nation's desires to trade with them, etc, in an upward spiral. This can also work (in reverse) on company scale. The US decided to not trade with any company that trades with Cuba, so only those who can do without dealings with US companies will trade with CUba. Needless to say, those are very thin on the ground. DirkvdM07:20, 15 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yes I meant per capita. The richest parts of Spain are in fact slightly above the EU average now. I dont know precisely when Spain overtook its ex-colonies again. I have an old book from the 1930's which gives the income per capita back then. The top ten were
USA 113 gold pounds (LOL),
Canada £91
New Zealand £74
Australia £72
Argentina £66
UK £56
Netherlands £56
Switzerland £53
Norway £48
Sweden £40
Spain was down among the dead men on £15, lower than Egypt and Rumania. You'd be pretty sick if your family had emigrated from Spain to Argentina back then. Jameswilson00:02, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I'm very interested in the data you have just provided. Could you upload the full list into Wikipedia or a related project? Could you give the name of the source, please? On the other hand, what other people have said about Spanish economy not being especially wonderful at any point in history is right, since in typical literature from the 1600s such as Lazarillo de Tormes one of the main themes is the comparison between the immense power of the Spanish crown at the time and the difficulties the general population was facing to survive. Moreover, Spain was at its worst between 1898-1936, when it was just an underdeveloped country and was going to face a devastating civil war that further reduced industrial production at the end of the war to a 33% of the level it had in 1936. The level of 1936 could not be recovered until as late as 1953, due to several factors. Fortunately for us, Spain nowadays is a rich country, though its population (about 45 million estimate versus close to 60 million for Italy, France and the UK) and per capita GDP (about a 90% of the four biggest European economies) makes it still be a step behind.
It still puzzles me how Argentina's GDP per capita has become so low since then. Furthermore, just where are France, Germany, Italy and the Soviet Union? I've read in a textbook that before WWII the USSR became the third biggest economy in the world, only after the US and Germany. --GTubio06:42, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I'll add a few other factors that haven't been mentioned yet: the United States is a large country and mostly monolingual, which makes it relatively easy to streamline matters such as long distance transportation, resource and pollution management, and interstate commerce. The country also has only two international borders, which allows it to focus attention on international issues in more distant parts of the world. Roughly between 1765 and 1865 this part of the world underwent a radical shift from separate colonial loyalties and indigenous tribalism to a powerful federal government. Most proto-colonial acquisitions either graduated to equal status (Alaska) or gained independence (the Philippines).
Other editors may dispute this opinion, but I would say no other region has banded together in a similar manner: the European Union is taking steps in that direction, but there and elsewhere the constituent political units have insisted on greater autonomy. In most of those cases IMHO that hampers the region's political and economic power. From my own perspective as a North American who has traveled overseas, a United States of Europe and a United States of Africa, etc. would be the smartest thing those regions could do. I'm no avocate of colonialism, but it does seem that regional political unity has significant benefits. Durova17:39, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
cerebellum
I am 60 years old, I just had a new Cat scan done , I had a stroke in 1973 and my last Cat scan was done in 1973 but now my doctor says my cerebellum is getting smaller, I have been having balance problems and have been falling down alot lately
and I cannot understand all the words in your articles and would
just like to know in simple terms what is happening to me,I have been seizure free since 1980 but now my lip and tongue are going numb about everyday like they did just before I had a seizure years ago. I am on phenobarbitol and Dilantin.
Probably best to see the doctor first. If its a problem in your jaw etc, he may refer you to a 15 Maxillofacial_Surgeon. Or you could do it the other way round: get the dentist to check your jaw etc, then he may advise going to the doctor. Hope this helps.--Light current 22:10, 12 September 2006 (UTC)
You need to talk to your neurologist and ask him to explain things until you can understand them, and you need to tell him about your mouth numbness and be sure that it is not a sign that you are about to have a stroke. Strokes in the area of the cerebellum can cause it to shrink, and this can cause balance problems. But only your doctor can tell you if this is what is happening to you. - Nunh-huh06:27, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
By my calcs, you were around 27 when you had your stroke. That's quite unusual and indicates that you have some underlying medical problem which may now be contributing to your current prob. Consult a doctor and be sure to tell him all about your medical history. StuRat12:57, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Squier Affinity Strat guitar questions
Just got a sweet Squier Affinity Strat for only $70, slightly used. My two questions are:
1. The action is a bit high. Anybody know how to lower the strings? Do I have to remove the strings in order to change how high they are?
2. What exactly is "Affinity"?
Thanks!
NIRVANA276419:46, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
If yours is like mine the bridge elements can be moved up and down on little screw-threaded feet. You certainly need to take the strings off first. But then mine is way over a decade old, so yours may be very different. Caveat: some guitars, particularly cheap ones like a Squier, don't have the bridge, body, and neck all lined up terribly well, and lowering the action may cause the strings to buzz against the frets. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk21:33, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I don't know much about eectric guitars, but I believe this problem could also be caused by the neck being 'bent', which could be resolved by adjusting the neckscrew (or what is that called?). DirkvdM06:22, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yes, you need to take the strings off. If the bridge can't be moved, or if lowering it causes the strings to buzz, then lowering the action might still be possible, but the frets would probably have to be removed, and replaced.... don't do this - it's a job for a specialist. Take it to a small guitar shop and befriend the proprietor.... TheMadBaron09:26, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I believe the proper term for this process is "dressing the frets" (which comprises "stoning" them down and then "recrowning" them so they have a nice finish, although some places just call the whole process "stoning"). You're quite right to say that this shouldn't be done by someone who doesn't know what they're doing, at least on any guitar that's worth keeping. That said, my first guitar was a pretty crummy Palmer accoustic, which had an action like a Yugoslavian cheesegrater. After a while I filed the bridge element down and scraped down the resulting buzzy frets with the blunt edge of a stanley knife. With a capo on the 2nd fret it now plays quite nicely. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk09:38, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
With a Strat-type bridge, it should be possible to lower the action without removing the strings. The guitar will go horribly out of tune after you lower the action, but that's easily fixed :) Leaving the strings on allows you to directly check the action and see if you've lowered it too far (you will probably need to replace the strings after this because the movement of the bridge will abuse the strings pretty badly and they will probably break very soon after, but if you adjust the bridge right before you were going to change strings anyway, that's not a problem). If the strings start to buzz, you can usually adjust the truss rod a bit forwards so that the neck is bent slightly forwards (carefully, the operative words here are "a bit" and "slightly" - and you *will* need to remove the strings for that). As a rule of thumb, the neck should be perfectly straight without strings; the tension of the strings will cause it to bend slightly forward, and you should be able to set a comfortably low action (although I've also owned a couple guitars over the years that were impossible to adjust to anything near comfortable).
As for the second part of the original question, Affinity is the cheapest line currently produced by Squier, entirely produced in China and using rather cheap wood and hardware. However, I've been pleasantly surprised by their quality - I got an Affinity Tele a couple of months ago as a backup guitar, it doesn't compare to my original Fender, but it's definitely the best guitar I've ever seen in that price range (just above €100) -- Ferkelparadeπ10:03, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
70s circular educational aid
Does anyone else remember a "system" from the 1970's in North America you could buy for your children to help teach about various school subjects (vocabulary, math, science, history, etc.)? It had a unique gimmick in that it was in the form of a roughly circular plastic apparatus about 10" (25cm) in diameter, brown or burgandy in colour that you could slide giant (thick paper) disks into and it would show a question in one window and the answer in another. You would then rotate the disk for another question. I also seem to recall you could buy expansion packs for it. I'm also guessing it was sold mail order or by direct sales. I would love to pick one up for nostalgic reasons, it made learning fun (until I discovered the Apple ][, which made Zork fun).
192.41.148.22019:47, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
cyanide poisoning
I read your article on cyanide poisoning, and Leonard Lake wasn't included in the article. I think he should be. Thank-you for your attention. dale
I heard somewhere that Martha Stewarts mag built a house and is now giving it away. I was wondering if anyone had any more info or where I could get a sign up for that. Thanks!! --Zach21:26, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
here or a link from the top right here, entitled Martha Stewarts Ultimate KB home giveway. I can't believe you made me go there. --Tagishsimon(talk)
Haha, sorry. I forewarded this to the person who was too shy to ask it here. I swear some people are too scared to ask questions. Thanks!!!! --Zach23:22, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
If someone was to cut your brakes or drain your braking fluids from a typical family sedan, like in the movies, is it still possible to stop with your handbrakes? Jamesino00:25, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
In a manual-transmission car, you can. Downshift to the lowest gear to use engine braking to slow the car down, then once you're going as slow as possible, slowly apply the parking brake to bring the car to a stop. For an automatic transmission, it might not work: since you can't force first gear, you won't be going as slow when you apply the parking brake. --67.185.172.15804:01, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Most automatics I've used do have a "2", which limits the gears to first and second, and a "1", which limits the gear to first. These are normally used on hills, but can be used for emergency braking, too. StuRat04:52, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Suppose the car doesn't have that. What would happen if you put it in reverse? You'd screw up the gear, but would the car stop and how sudden would it be? DirkvdM06:25, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
In the case of a manual (before we come to an automatic) you'd have great difficulty getting it into reverse - as the teeth of the opposing gears touched (travelling quickly in opposite directions) they'd smash together, forcing the two apart. With enough yanking on the gearstick you might be able to keep them together, in which case they'd smash big chunks of one another, a violent process that would certainly consume lots of the car's kinetic energy. But I'd be surprised if you could pull the stick hard enough to keep that process going for more than an instant, and you'd have to steer with the other hand and hope the gear selector mechanism (which is surely much weaker than the hefty gears themselves) wouldn't break first. Worse, in a front-wheel-drive car, there's a good chance the car would spin around. As to an automatic, I don't know if it would even let you put the transmission into reverse: the servos that move the years are unlikely to have enough power to keep them together in this circumstance, and the little computer than runs them is unlikely to try (for fear of ruining gearboxes in less urgent circumstances). -- Finlay McWalter | Talk12:35, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I've had my brakes go out on me before; I was able to coast into a parking lot at somewhat of an upward angle which slowed me to the point that I felt comfortable putting on the emergency/parking brake, which stopped me. I think if you tried to put on the parking brake at any speed you'd risk causing the car to spin in some awful way, though I don't know that for sure. --Fastfission22:37, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Er---what about turning the ignition off thus allowing the engine to act as a brake (which requires that the transmission remains fully engaged)? After which there might just be sufficient brake fluid in the master brake cylinder to serve at least one of the disc/drum brakes. And yes, the hand/parking brake should be used to supplement the foregoing survival techniques, as should scuffing the tyres along a nearby kerbside, or scraping the side of the car against a wall or adjacent fence.
Ok, Ok, I know I know. I should have emphasised that when turning off the ignition, I did not mean that you should also lock the steering. Clearly, if you lock the steering, you will have no control of the car. So just turn off the ignition without also locking the steering. Ok? Good.
Selecting a doctor
The normal advice for how to select a doctor after you move to a new town is to ask friends, family, and co-workers for advice. In my case, however, I don't have any friends I know well enough to know their views on medicine, the only coworker whose view I know sees homeopathy as the cure for all life's ills, and my uncle has never heard of the germ theory of disease. How should I go about selecting a doctor, short of throwing darts at a phone book? --67.185.172.15803:28, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
You appear to be in the U.S. See if there's a doctor-referral service in your phone book. Failing that, you can try your health-insurance company to see who is on your plan. If you're on an HMO, there may not be that many options. -- Mwalcoff04:07, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I'd test them out. If you don't like how one treats you, find another, until you find one that's at least "good enough". StuRat04:48, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
You could walk up to any healthy-looking really old people you see, and ask them who their doctor is.... only you might have to repeat the question a few times, and you might have to shout, and they might not remember.... TheMadBaron09:38, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
What are the differences or similarities of the Tabon man, Negritoes, Indonesians, & Malays in terms of 1) ancestors 2) physical features 3) way of living 4) descendants? Thank you.
Indeed Indonesia has loads of different people in it (the Papuas being the most obvious odd ones out). See Demographics of Indonesia#Ethnic groups. The country is a leftover from colonial days - that which the Dutch conquered and was thus lumped together was kept that way, which is pretty stupid and still causes a lot of tension in the country. Basically, it has changed from a Dutch colony to a Javanese colony and many of the rest are trying to break free from that, such as the Moluccans and the North Sumatrans. And a few years back the Dayak started chopping off heads again, of the Madurese taking their land away from them as a result of transmigrasi. DirkvdM07:52, 14 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
arab palastine
Some one was recently telling me that the palastinians were the underdogs of the middle east and were viewed so by the rest of the arab world until 1945 and the establishment of Israel. Is this true? how were they viewed before the israel palestine conflict began, and what country existed in this area before the establishment of Israel?
Thanks
This is probably a major reason the Israelis got away with taking their land from them. The Palestinians are poor and the rich Arabs couldn't be bothered with helping them. Had there been oil in Palestine, Israel would never have been. (?) DirkvdM07:55, 14 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
It probably had more to do with the sparse population of palestine during the initial settling. Palestinians were simply outnumbered ridiculously, until the later arab reimmigration began. Before the israelis palestine was too sparsely populated to support a real government, when ottoman control ceased it became a sort of treaty zone administered jointly by european countries. --DarkfredTalk to me21:51, 14 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I don't think the original statement is accurate. The concept of "Palestinians" as an independent ethnic group is largely a creation of the 60s and 70s. In the 40s, it was the Jews vs. the "Arabs," and the Jews were considered the underdogs. In the 70s, people started talking about the Arabs of Palestine as a separate ethnic group, and all of a sudden, the Palestinians were the underdogs and the Israelis became the big bullies in some people's minds. -- Mwalcoff00:09, 15 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
the color of Noob Saibot is black or is the color of the shadow??
Ok, the shadow in mortal kombat is black (0, 0, 0), but this is the reason of why i am asking this. If for example they changed the color of the shadow to green, the character color would remain black or change to green, to him remain hidden??
I don't understand you completely, but as far as I know, basically any color could be made transparent, if you just program it beforehand. 惑乱 分からん14:20, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
In MKII, both fighters have no shadows when you face Noob Saibot in Goro's Lair. His shadow does appear in the other games. Changing the color of just the shadow, if programmed correctly, shouldn't change anything else. --jh5168100:40, 14 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I will remake my question: The noob saibor has a costume (or he is) that has a color that make he able to hide on the shadows, or his costume (or he) is just black (0, 0, 0 RGB) and he is able to hide in the shadow in mortal combat just because the color of the shadow in mortal kombat is coincidently black (0, 0, 0, in RGB)??
I have trouble understanding exactly what you are asking, but on a computer screen, (of course) things using the same RGB color blend in with each other. 惑乱 分からん13:38, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Look at this image (http://www.snibbe.com/scott/body_image/shadow_bag/images/shadow_bag_47_640.jpg) the clothes of the woman is black and not of the color of the shadow, if the clothe of the woman was a full cloth and was of the color of the shadow, the woman would be able to hide in the shadow, since the shadow is black (0,0,0) in mortal kombat even a character that is just black and not a shadow person could hide in shadow.
Another way to explain, if they changed the shadow color in on a new 2d mortal kombat game to doen'st appear so (0,0,0) black, the would change the noob saibot color to make him of the color the shadow and making him able to hide in the shadows again, or he would remain black and now not possible to hide in shadows??
Keep in mind that the most famous people editing Wikipedia may not actually have identified themselves. Instead, they might be editing anonymously or using a pseudonym — fame brings attention that they may not want. A famous film star would be bombarded with irrelevant comments from fans, and can you imagine how many times Dick Cheney's user page would get vandalised? I suspect that both the famous person and Wikipedia are better off if the person can just edit quietly without their presence becoming a focus of attention for those with no interest in Wikipedia's actual goals. (Just my opinion, of course). -- Vardion01:27, 15 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
This isn't really a famous Wikipedian, but Stephen Colbert did use it, but not exactly in a way popular here, but he was here, nonetheless.
I am looking for a suitable machine which can read the radiation dosage from the film badge or TLD this machine can read the X-ray Gamma ray and neutron from the film badge or TLD which used by the workers
kindly advice me with a suitable machine to do the above analysis if available in your company and if not please direct me to the suitable suppliers to such a machines
regards
Hussam Shabban
General Manager
Doha Laboratory
Doha- Qatar
Tel ##censored##
A very complex field. There are lots of vendors that do this. At my work, they have a huge infrastructure to do this. You don't usually get any vendor advice (advertisement) here. --Zeizmic14:10, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Love knows no measures. People's expressions of love may vary with factors as - their own personal experience of life, of you ; your own self-love ; &c. -- DLL .. T19:36, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
If your family provides you with food, shelter and basic needs and is always in your business... it is usually a sure sign that they love you very much. If you live in the United States, you may find that a majority of families have difficulty showing affection and/or emotion. My advice? Print this question out and give it to them or place it where you know they will see it. They will see the importance of it to you and either be alarmed that you even have to ask... or possibly laugh it off because they do not know how to convey their love to you or each other. Even in families where there is neglect and abuse... there is almost always love. Try to focus on how much you love them. That is much easier to control. Another thought... When you have children of your own, remember how you feel now and make sure to let them know often with both verbal indications "I love you." and actions... spending time with them... listening to them. --JosephWisdom20:33, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I am seeking the date when the Wellesley Unit arrived in France in WWI, and any additional information which may be had on it.
Lanayre Liggera
If you are referring to Eric George Wellesley, of the 8th (Service) Battalion, this site: [9] suggests the battalion arrived in France on the 26th of August, 1915. - Akamad15:23, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Probably the person asking the question means U.S. states. Personal property taxes are taxes on property other than real estate. Typically, these taxes apply to tangible assets such as cars, other vehicles, boats, and planes. Our property tax article doesn't list or give a count of the states that impose this kind of tax. I did a quick bit of web research and couldn't find a comprehensive list or count. However, my research suggested that a majority of U.S. states, but not all, levy some form of personal property tax. In some states, there is no state personal property tax, but individual counties or municipalities may impose one. Marco polo19:40, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Are you thinking about things like the percentage-of-market-value component of the auto registration fee in California? Because I don't think that's a personal property tax, strictly speaking. Of course it's intended to be such a tax, in effect. But you're not liable for the tax just because you own the vehicle; you're liable for it only if you want to be able to operate or park the vehicle on a public highway. --Trovatore23:40, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Comics meta
Could someone define comics meta for me? I'm on a school computer, so all things blog are blocked, and evidently that's where atll the good definitions are. 64.198.112.21015:30, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Unanswerable question. The tangent modulus varies along the stress-strain curve. And aluminum has an awful lot of alloys. --Zeizmic19:40, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Home based businesses that really work and think tanks
I have spent countless dollars over the years investing in "Get Rich Quick", Motivational and Self development courses. With so many scams and con artists on the internet... and with so many people needing to work at home due to illness, disease and other reasons... (or just having the desire to be self employed from home) I am desirous to know if there is a place on Wickipedia that sifts through all the garbage and scams to provide real knowledge to people who desire to work from home via computer, telephone, etc.
I myself have a great deal of knowledge I would like to share. I worked for many years trying to develop a center of communication for people to brainstorm, test and report on various businesses conducted online or at home. It was my goal to provide people with a place to go for honest information with honest reporting about success probabilities and the true earnings that could be realized from various and diverse businesses conducted from home using a computer, a phone and business/investment programs that really work.
It would be a great way to help provide income and knowledge to people wanting or needing to work from home without going broke on all the scams and money grabbers out in the world.
The same question would apply to investments that are safe and brainstorming think tank areas to help solve the world's problems as it relates to human needs (health, nutrition, safe water, protection from the elements and war.)
Global warming, overcoming intolerance worldwide, protecting our future generations.
Any ideas on how one would go about developing/creating a site much like Wikipedia... only geared towards providing answers and a forum for these types and other questions addressing the needs of the world and individuals? I would very much like to shift my projects to a more public forum which would consist of research, brain storming, think tanks, humanitarian aid projects, answers to questions that would help people regarding employment, investments, home ownership, preparing for disasters, best sources for purchasing food and necessities for storage, goals and gauges for financial contributions to worthy projects (x amount of dollars and hours are needed to construct a well for drinking water in Zubofoe. You may contibute financially by 'clicking' here'. You may arrange to volunteer by going to this site. And so it would be with as many problems as the world would choose to take on.) as well as visual puzzle style models of projects showing what has been done... what is left to do, etc.
I have spent years trying to find the right method of delivery for this project. I would very much appreciate and invite like minded people to participate in this grand undertaking. I believe the internet is the best vehicle for this much needed project. Please email me at <email addr removed> with the word "PROJECT" --JosephWisdom20:56, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
There is no hope of sorting good from bad on this. The only good 'get rich quick scheme' is selling your scam to other people. This is, unfortunately, fundamental economics: low barriers to entry ('Anybody can do it!) mean that everybody is going to do it, and the value goes right out the window. I mean, if you really had a great 'stay at home' 'no skills needed' 'tons of money' job, would you tell anybody? (btw, have I got the formula for success! Send money!) --Zeizmic22:13, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
My opinion is that such schemes are all a waste of money. You sound as if you are ready to write a book about it. You could also have an online newsletter with a free forum. The problems would be - a) would the advertising on your site pay enough to make it worthwhile, and b) how would you get your site known?
I do not have all the answers as it relates to getting this online and getting people involved. But I spent thousands of dollars and over 40 years working on this. As far as being worthwhile... anything I can contribute and anyway I can do it is worth it to me to share an abundance of knowledge and information I have gathered over the years.--JosephWisdom20:23, 15 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Possibilities for real home based businesses could perhaps be bookkeeping, accountancy, or proofreading. If you mean business where you are based at home but are able to drive around the area then you could try Man with a van - where you advertise in local newspapers, yellow pages, and local stores as someone willing to move things like furniture and other things from place to place. Van would probably translate as small truck in American english. Also being a landlord - buying houses to rent out to people. I suggest reading as many books as you can about letting houses rather than paying for any courses. Plus being a freelance something - freelance wedding photographer for example. Then there are the trades - plumber, carpet fitter, tiler, gardener, odd jobs man, and so on. These things usually require training and there is no guarentee they will be worthwhile. 62.253.52.9519:12, 14 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
JosephWisdom, good news: there is a great means to do this, in the wikipedia style. Wikia, run by the same people who started Wikipedia and by the same software, has a method where a community can start a wikia-style project, which can be developed by the community. Right now, they are at 1500 communities and are growing fast. Your project does have to be registered and accepted, but if your proposal rings true, it shoudl do well. LeyteWolfer20:23, 14 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
From an academic perspective I'd be very interested to know if you found any "get rich quick" schemes that work, or are they all rubbish? Are there any types of GRQ scheme that work better than others? I keep a large file of junkmail about GRQ schemes that I have been sent over the years. From a theorectical point of view (market efficiency and all that) I would not expect any to be any good. Thanks.
Twenty-five years ago I attending a seminar by Robert Allen called "Nothing Down". I bought the book with same title at the end of the seminar and bought a house the following week with no credit and no cash. While these deals are increasingly difficult to find, I am still able to do it. The best way to make money in real estate from my own personal experience is to save your money until you have about $10,000 or more. Put an ad in the paper that says; "I buy ugly houses!" You will usually be able to buy a house in a low income neighborhood for cash that would normally sell through a realtor for about $50,000. This still works. If you then sell the house on a rent option to someone with no credit or bad credit, you can make a good sum of money. This takes discipline. But it still works and has far greater return than an investment portfolio.--JosephWisdom07:54, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Wheat and chaff
Is it the Ref desk's opinion that if students were to be able to attend the same lecture twice, they might gain a greater understanding of the subject matter? (I know I would have). Or is the current practice intended to separate the wheat from the chaff?--Light current20:02, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
That "or" makes the whole statement terribly loaded. Anyway, it's fairly clear that repeating information improves understanding/recall/some other appropriate phrase. However, the "current practice" is more likely a question of balance: if only one lecture is sufficient (or provides an adequate framework for further study), then twice as much material can be covered per amount of time. — Lomn | Talk20:46, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I also agree - I've often taught things I know little about. That proverb is not true. And at one very bad college I went to, the lecturers knew very little about what they had to teach.
In my opinion - it would probably not increase your understanding. You would probably be better off spending the time studying or asking someone about the things that you don't understand. BenC710:04, 14 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Perhaps the brain needs time to digest part of the lecture, then after a suitable time (weeks or months?) attend again. I was not able to attend lectures more than once: if you didnt get it the first time it was hardluck.--Light current16:50, 14 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
If student were able to attend the same lecture twice, I expect nearly all of them wouldnt bother. If they were compelled, they would resent it. If you gave a transcript or a tape, they would either not read or listen to it or get friends to get a copy in place of attending a lecture themselves. One way perhaps might be to get them to submit a summary of what they heard - make clear to them it is a summary and not an essay - but that would be open to copying from other students.
Giving the same lecture twice to the same class is almost certainly a waste of everybody's time. Much better value would be to take decent notes and then go over them and make sure you understand the concepts. If you find you don't ask your classmates or look it up in a textbook. Everything you are told in a lecture can also always be found in a textbook on the subject - at least for technical subjects and at undergraduate level. DJ Clayworth21:09, 14 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Maybe that was the problem with some of my lectures: the lecturer didnt know how to put it over! I find now tho (years afterwards) that my notes seem a lot easier to understand than when I wrote them (but without any extra study of them) Does this mean I am now more intelligent or what? 8-? --Light current22:01, 14 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Not necessarily true Clayworth. Some of the stuff I was learning at undergraduate level could only be found elsewhere in corporate handbooks, which they tightly controlled. Or were guesses at values by the lecturer, and found nowhere! Skittle15:30, 16 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I'm looking for something with Hezbollah's logo on it, or "VIVA HEZBOLLAH!" or something like that. Anyone know of a good website that sells decent quality shirts? No, I don't want to start a debate about my politics, thank you.
There's gotta be some stores in Lebanon that has them. If you have relatives living there, you can ask them to find the stores phone number for you and you can order a few via telephone. Jamesino23:48, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Feeding google with 'hezbollah' and 't-shirt' yielded 643'000 hits. The first hit is a site selling t-shirts. Seeing how easy this was and noting your comment on not wanting to start a debate on 'your' politics (which implies that you're conscious of the offense some people might take at seeing links to Hezbollah fan-article sites posted at the reference desk), I find it difficult to assume good faith. Please google it yourself. ---Sluzzelin23:49, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
This was the second Google hit for "hezbollah t shirts". There's both pro/anti Hezbollah and pro/anti Israel stuff there, so everyone who cares can probably find something to piss someone else off in the street with... --Kurt Shaped Box23:57, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
You would probably not assume a vampire-like person to kill someone, unless you're one of these people that believe role playing gamers are suicidical satanists. It yould affect the type of people willing to date you, though... 惑乱 分からん06:14, 14 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
There are plenty places where you can have something imprinted on a t-short, like photos and such. robably text would be even simpler. Or take a marker and be creative. :) DirkvdM08:02, 14 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Wouldn't those be ┴ shorts then? Maybe you meant to make the typo in a serif'd font, so they'd be T-shorts, and the middle part would function as a sort of third-leg, or possibly a space for some "other" appendage. freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 14:47, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Leaving aside your reasons for wanting to buy a T-shirt advertising a terrorist organization, you should realize that wearing such a shirt in public is likely to get you assaulted or thrown out of school, work, etc. Considering it's equivalent to wearing a shirt that says "Kill Jews !", you can see why some people might take that a bit personally. StuRat10:16, 14 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yeah, and in Cuba there are loads of people wearing t-shirts with the flag of arch-enemy USA. And they get away with it! It's quite sickening. :) DirkvdM19:03, 16 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Adrenalin is made by the body for the exact purpose of performing better physically (well, for a while anyway). Just get worked up about something (such as the prospect of the race) and you'll get a natural andrenalin shot. If you get worked up about things all the time without following it up with physical exertion youll get stress and that can also give you a heart attack. DirkvdM08:08, 14 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Do you mean just running it, or running an intensive filter? Just running might be a little slower, but the filter should be the same speed on the same processor and graphics card. --Canley07:08, 14 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
people percentages
find micellaneous percentages on peoples preferences in art, design, eating, and day to day living
I'm guessing he's worded it about as well as he was told it. I can well imagine a teacher telling a class "go find miscellaneous statistics expressed as percentages, such as people's preferences in art, design, eating, day to day living, anything!".
Therefore, restating the question according to my imagination (!) it would read, "Where can I find stats expressed as percentages about everyday life, such as people's preferences in art and design, or the types of food they eat, etc?" --Dweller11:23, 14 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
have you tried <a href="www.statcan.ca/start.html">statistics Canada?</a> Fastfinge
Highlander
who wrote the highlander movies, especially the first one, and was it the same person that came up with the quickening and any other info you wish to provide, thanks.
I have read all the appropriate links, but they do not answer my question, it only says who scripted it, i want to kno who came up with the original idea. thanks
I think there is a limitation that they work poorly at slow speeds (say, under 10). So, rather than have them give incorrect info, they just don't show any speeds below that. StuRat10:10, 14 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I think it's more that people so rarely drive at those speeds that it becomes useless to even have those speeds marked. Though that doesn't explain why they go so high when most speed laws don't allow you to drive that fast, but then that probably has a lot to do with marketing. Because who wants to drive a Porsche whose speedometer only goes to 100 mph? Dismas|(talk)10:17, 14 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
star wars
i was once told that there where 9 books in all that g lucus made 456 then 123 so is there any mention of 789 "alicia
I think it would be more appropriate to say that the person misinformed the person asking the question. There is no evidence that he lied, only that the statement only nine books exist is not truth. LeyteWolfer19:24, 14 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
And it probably was not even deliberate misinformation. The rumour about there being 9 books and Lucas planning to eventually film all of them goes back to at least the mid-80s (that's when I first heard it). Supposedly, Lucas himself even said something to that effect in an interview sometime in the 80s, but I've never managed to track down that interview. Anyway, over the years, Lucas has said lots of things about his future plans for the Stwar Wars movies, and he's obviously changed his mind several times - so there's any number of rumours about this or that planned Star Wars movie, and even though at least some of these rumours can be traced back to something Lucas said at one time or another, all we can do is wait and hope any future Star Wars movies will not suck too bad -- Ferkelparadeπ09:27, 15 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I've posed several questions at the reference desk over the past year. I don't remember when I posed each one, so it would be cumbersome for me to find them chronologically. Is there a way to search for my questions using keywords?
My suggestion, assuming you're registered (I don't know, since you didn't sign your question), is to go to 'my contributions' and scan through that, especially in the time frame you believe you posted. LeyteWolfer19:30, 14 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Ah, july 20. Somehow I ended up with july 19 and of course there was no Mine disaster survival question on that page --Froth20:33, 14 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Is sleep actually necessary for human life? What would happen if you just decided to stop sleeping, and forced yourself (with drugs or iron strength of will) to simply not sleep?
The article on Sleep deprivation suggests there have been no reported deaths due to lack of sleep in healthy humans (except in accidents) (anyone want to prove it wrong?). But does say that rats certainly will die if deprived of sleep in around 28 days. Though, the real question is do you have the ability to need sleep even with the aid of drugs? I have trouble staying awake after 1 day of sleep deprivation. Benbread20:20, 14 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I've already read that article and IIRC, it said that people have stayed awake for weeks (?) in experiments without falling asleep. If you can stay awake for a week I would think you could stay awake indefinately. --Froth20:36, 14 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
From what I have read on the subject 3 weeks seems to be the limit. After this point people start experiencing organ failures and a general breakdown of mental functions. I do not have a freference since it has been some time since I read this, but I remember reading that one such test was canceled because of a death. --DarkfredTalk to me20:56, 14 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Sleep is very badly understood among scientists, doctors and psychologists alike, but there are strong indications that it's essential for human health and well-being. 惑乱 分からん21:14, 14 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
My brother had a seizure a couple of years ago. He was playing videogames, but he stayed up for several days doig so. After getting better, the doctor ran some tests (like a strobe light in front of him etc.) to determine if he had epilepsy. The doctor said he didn't and the "official" cause of the seizure was sleep deprivation. schyler01:24, 15 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Some Buddhists try to avoid sleep, although I'm not sure on the exact details, and I wouldn't try it without the proper instruction. In the Vimalakirti Sutra one of the Buddha's followers mentions walking to overcome sleepiness. Rentwa17:02, 15 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Hair gel: Cationic polymers are a main functional component of hair gel. The positive charges in polymer cause it to stretch out, making the gel more viscous. This is because the stretched-out polymer takes up more space than a coiled polymer and thus resists the flow of solvent molecules around it. The positive charges also bind the gel to the negatively charged amino acids on the surface of the keratin molecules in the hair. More complicated polymer formulas exist, e.g. a copolymer of vinylpyrrolidone, methacrylamide, and N-vinylimidazole. --Froth20:38, 14 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I think a more precise answer would be ionic polymers. I suppose they could be produced through cationic polymerization. Conceptually speaking, the gel is made of polymers which have positive and negative charges at different branches and ends. Makes for very interesting chemistry. --HappyCamper01:30, 15 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
If you've got many good friends, you should be able to obtain it much cheaper than regular hair gel. I doubt it really is solid enough, though... 惑乱 分からん23:09, 15 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Although I'm not an expert on the series, the names sound like Florida geography. California's offshore islands are known as the "channel islands" and are not coral reefs. Florida's keys are coral reefs. Conceivably, though, the location might be somewhere else such as the Bahamas. If I remember correctly, key or cay was the Carib word for island. Durova02:33, 15 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Am I an Australian Citizen
Hi,
My Parents were both British Citizens and emigrated in 1970 to Australia. I was born in Australia in 1973. My parents then returned in 1974 to England. Am I an Australian Citizen by birth? Would that mean I have dual nationality? Could I return to Australia as a citizen?
Kind Regards
It would appear the answers are yes, yes and quite possibly. This article says:
Between 26 January 1949 and 19 August 1986 any person born in Australia acquired Australian citizenship by birth automatically. The only exceptions concerned children born to diplomats.
Prior to 4 April 2002, it was still possible for Australians in some circumstances to hold dual citizenship, including... those born in Australia who automatically acquired another citizenship at birth. Holding a foreign passport did not in itself cause loss of Australian citizenship.
However, i presume you are currently a British subject. Therefore, the above notwithstanding, this section may also apply. You should speak to a lawyer or the Australian immigration dept. Rockpocket07:23, 15 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
A cousin of mine in the same position (parents emigrated to Australia, he was born there, they came back when he was four) has just settled in Australia with no bureaucratic problems whatsoever, and despite having a criminal record in the UK. Jameswilson23:42, 15 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
In many games of Whose Line USA people say to Ryan "What you talkin' bout Willis?" and he always laughs like it is directed to him. Can someone tell me why this quote gets to Ryan and where it is from?
I wish to make a statutory declaration or an affadavit. Will I need a qualified person (commissioner for oaths) for this? If so, is there anything better than a sworn declaration that I can do?
Yes, generally it is better to have written documents verified and/or signed by qualified persons.
It definitely does, and it also depends on where the affidavit is going to be filed. Check with the court or organization you're filing it with; they may require that you have your affidavit sworn in front of a notary public and not a commissioner for oaths. For instance, if you're in Canada and the affidavit has to be filed in a different province than the one you swore it in, you may need to swear it in front of a notary public and not a commissioner for oaths. There is a difference (notaries are federally registered, commissioners are not).
Virtually all courts have precedent forms that show you what the format of your affidavit or statutory declaration has to look like. Follow these to the letter. In some jurisdictions (the Northwest Territories of Canada comes to mind), having one word in the preamble or closing (the jurat) wrong or having the spacing incorrect may cause the court to refuse to file it! I once had an affidavit rejected because the jurat said "SWORN BEFROE ME" instead of "SWORN BEFORE ME". --Charlene.fic21:32, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
A New SciFi Book (series)
It has been a dream of mine ever since I statrted to write a science fiction series about two years ago, that it would be most entertaining to publish. Unfortunately, I am having trouble getting a publisher. If anyone has any suggestions, please contact mwe on my talk page. Also, perchance there would be a way for me to create ap age with my first book on it, perhaps even statrt a wikiproject where I can collaborate with other wikipedians to make this book a good one. Xel Pos'tare 17:20, 15 September 2006 (UTC)CaptainXel
Why not give the first book away for free by publishing online at your home page ? Then, once the audience is hooked, you can charge them for the sequels. StuRat17:41, 15 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Not specifically for books, but this strategy has been used for other products successfully, such as software and music. StuRat01:34, 16 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
That's what worries me: prior publication of part of a manuscript creates a serious obstacle to landing a book deal. I studied writing in graduate school and every instructor and guide on the subject I've ever had recommends the opposite of what you posted: at the very least format the manuscript into an acrobat file and publish commercially as an e-book (after all other options have failed). Yet this poster hasn't even stated that the manuscript is finished: he or she might not understand the different standards for nonfiction and fiction queries. Rather than suggest such a radical and dangerous step, I've posted some mainstream suggestions to the user's talk page as requested: science fiction is one of the easier fiction markets to break into, particularly because its leading magazines have a longstanding policy of introducing unknown authors. Durova05:47, 16 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
First, there are lots and lots of resources for prospective authors on the 'net. Specifically, there are hundreds of support groups on places like yahoo groups and google groups, where authors can get together and help each other via mailing lists. I belong to some such lists and they are very very helpful. Often they are populated by successful authors, and they are totally genre-specific. Second, you should stop trying to get a publisher and get an agent. Pulp romance novels are the only types of novels where publishers accept unsolicited manuscripts, otherwise you need to do everything through your agent. Go to the library or to a bookstore and get yourself a book or three on the topic of getting your first novel published. Third, it's always easier to get a novel published after you've had a few short stories published. Write a few and submit them to sci-fi magazines and anthologies. Anchoress01:39, 16 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
As a footnote, I think this is a mainly american thing, I don't remember ever having seen a phone number like this is Europe (I think that in Japan and China, though, there are mnemonics being used where numbers are pronounced similarly to words with different meanings...) 惑乱 分からん22:57, 15 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
It's extremely popular in Japan, mainly because it's so easy to make sense of the numbers like that. I've actually been thinking of making an article on it, but I need a source to link to first. One good example is NOVA Inc.'s phone number, which can sound like "take a lot into your ears", which is a pretty good phone number for an English school. My phone number can sound like "Circularly circular, I haven't lost it" or "You've gone, but I have no regrets" depending on how you pronounce the numbers. freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 14:12, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Note that Japanese generally has two words for the basic numbers, one borrowed from Chinese and one native (which sometimes have different forms in counters) similar to how English has one/mono/solo two/bi/duo etc, which, by mixing forms, facilitates the ability to create catchy mnemonics. 惑乱 分からん09:30, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Before telephone numbers were standardized as numbers (in the U.S. at least) they could have letters or numbers as components. One notable example is the fictional phone number that also served as title to an Elizabeth Taylor film Butterfield 8. Telephones continued to be printed with letter codes on the keypad after this practice ended, so some firms that actually had digital numbers would publish the mnemonic form in advertising. A different mnemonic that doesn't get used is keypad tones - a friend of mine has a home telephone number whose sound is the first seven notes of Yankee Doodle, but I won't give the area code for obvious reasons. ;) Durova00:08, 16 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I don't think that's quite right. They always had both numbers and letters on them. In the US, there is a 3 digit area code (although once you needed to call the operator to have them connect you to long distance), then a 2 digit exchange code, then a 5 digit phone number. The area code was only used for long distance calls, originally. The exchange was the first 2 letters of the town, typically, or, if more exchanges were needed, they would "invent" a town and use the first 2 letters from it. In the Butterfield 8 example, the exchange would have been BU or 28, and the 5 digit phone number would have started with 8. Here's an old phone with both the numbers and letters shown: [10]. StuRat01:27, 16 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
In the UK, we used to use letters both for (three-letter) exchanges within big cities and for (two-letter plus one digit) long-distance dialling codes: see UK telephone numbering plan#history. I remember being told that it was when international dialling became possible that we abandoned using letters, though the article doesn't confirm this. Foreigners did funny things like putting letter 'O' on number '6' instead of on '0' where it belonged.
Today I keep being surprised by people who don't know that you can usually read two letters from an area code and so often guess at the location of a phne number. ColinFine09:51, 16 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
These have really only become popular in Australia in the last 5-10 years. Many ads for companies that use these types of numbers don't just say "dial 1300 COMPANY" - it will usually show both the letter and number version (if a TV or printed ad) or say "dial 1300 COMPANY - that's 1300 266 726" (if a TV or radio ad). The 1800-REVERSE ad spells it out in detail and says "dial 1800, then the numbers that spell "REVERSE" on the telephone keypad" for the slow ones... -- Chuq10:04, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Ah, but there's nothing new under the sun, is there. When I was a kid, in the '50s, Sydney (and probably other places) had 6-character phone numbers consisting of 2 letters followed by 4 numbers. My grandmother's number was XL-3320. Later it became 95-3320, and later still had a further 2 digits added and some existing digits changed. JackofOz08:42, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Fisherman with Chapped Lips
I once heard a joke about a grumpy Eskimo Fisherman with chapped lips, who vented his discomfort on his "vife" (wife). However I forget the punch-line. Can anyone put me out of my misery? JohnSmith.
Toilet paper
I have always wondered why the toilet paper you find in public toilets, on the large (about 12" diameter) rolls, is perforated into sheets about a foot long. This seems a bit wasteful if one uses one sheet per wipe. Domestic loo roll sheets are more like 6 inches long.
I notice that the distance between perforations remains the same regardless of how far through the roll you are...
I think most people use more than one 6" sheet per wipe to avoid penetration of the paper by the fingers ending in a smelly (and sticky) hand. If you can wipe yours on one small sheet, all I can say is youve got a very small asshole! Also why should the perforations distance change as yuo come to the end of the roll??--Light current20:28, 15 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
More likely English sheet-shit. (Btw, there's an old bilingual pun in Swedish, "I buy pink sheet." sounds like the equivalent of "oo-poo pee shit", alt. "He buys pink sheet", "Heeh-poop pee shit".) 惑乱 分からん13:24, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
It appears that in North America the standard sheet size is 4.5 X 4.5 in (Toilet Paper World). I suspect that the larger rolls are cut that way to save on paper. When the airport here was built the toilet paper holders had a special knob on them. As you tried to get the paper the knob would catch and only allow you to get two sheets before splitting on the perforations. Within a couple of weeks they were all broken off so that people could get more than two sheets at a time. Now if the bigger rolls were cut at 4.5 in people would take several sheets but may view one longer sheet as enough. On the other hand this could just be a lot of crap. CambridgeBayWeather(Talk)23:29, 15 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yea, of all things to be cheap about, restricting the amount of TP is pretty stupid. I think everyone denied an adequate amount of TP should break into the house of the guy who invented that device, and wipe themselves on his clothes, drapes, bed sheets, blankets, pillows, etc. :-) StuRat00:54, 16 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I remember seeing some documentary about the British army where they were showing the new recruits how (via creative folding) to get four wipes out of a single sheet of toilet paper. IIRC, in their training, they were only allowed to use two sheets per bowel movement... --Kurt Shaped Box01:06, 16 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
OK. Take one piece of paper. Fold into four. Wipe once. Remove from ass and fold other way. Wipe again.. Hang on I dont think it can be done!--Light current01:10, 16 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
No hang on: take one sheet of paper unfolded and wipe once. Fold into 2 and wipe again. Fold into four .. wipe a third time. shit... still dont work!--Light current01:13, 16 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Hmmm (after edit conflict). Wipe ass once using whole sheet. Fold in half, shit inwards. Wipe using clean side. Fold in half, shit inwards. Wipe using clean side. Turn over carefully and use other side. That'd work, if you made sure your fingers were in the right place. I think. --Kurt Shaped Box01:16, 16 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
You guys are so anal! It turns out we've all been doing it wrong, we should use a goose. See Toilet paper#History. To StuRat above, the amount of toilet paper is a concern to the companies that have to supply it. I checked with the janitor and got a five minute tirade on the vast quanties of TP used here. I never knew that the Cambridge Bay Airport was totaly responsible for de-foresting over half of Brazil. Also a quick survey of the others (5 people + me) indicates a) 100% of people surveyed required more than two sheets of TP and b) 5 out of 6 people think I am either a "fucking idiot" or "really weird". CambridgeBayWeather(Talk)01:33, 16 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Ask the janitor if he's ever had one of those horrible, greasy, half-broken-off-by-the-anus bowel movements that need about 2/3 of a roll of TP to clean up? If not, please ask him what he's been doing that the rest of the world hasn't... ;) --Kurt Shaped Box01:51, 16 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Well look. If the sergeant was showing them how to use only one piece for 4 wipes, there'd be no point if you were going to get any on your hands at any point. Right?
So heres how you do it (and this is Original Research!):
Take the piece of paper and fold into 3. Perform one wipe with the open ended third. Fold dirty bit over.You now have 2 clean sides. Perform 2nd wipe and fold dirty bit over the other way.. You now have 2 clean sides again. Perform 3rd wipe and now fold the dirty bit in lengthways. You now have a small piece with two clean sides that you use the finish the job. 4 wipes from one piece! 8-))--Light current01:55, 16 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
In their quest to save pennies on TP, I wonder how many soldiers have died:
From disease spread by the feces on their hands as a result.
Because they give away their position to the enemy by smelling like feces.
Because they are constantly scratching their itchy butts when they should be standing watch.
A boy scout troopmaster once instructed me on how to use only one sheet of paper... the method went like this: Fold one square into quarters. Take the one corner that's at the center of the original sheet (unfold it for a sec to see, now refold it), and tear that corner off. Stick the torn-off part behind your ear. Now, extend your index finger, and put the sheet over your index finger, using the hole you tore in the center of the sheet. Next, use your index finger, and, well, you know. Once done with that, wipe your finger on the grass, finishing up by using the sheet to get the last of it off your finger. Throw the sheet away. Oh, what's that litte dab of paper behind your ear for? You need to clean under your fingernail... 192.168.1.1 8:47 16 September (PST)
Ok, you're in the army, you've got this sponge in your pack, you use it and nw you have two choices : 1) you put it back in your pack. 2) your pack is full of sponges. Now translate that to a public toilet.
Btw, I haven't just heard of leaves, moss and grass. 've had to resort to the like on my travels several times. Toilet paper is one of the greatest luxuries of the western world. DirkvdM20:16, 16 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I've done leaf before while camping. It's alright as long as your fecal matter isn't very runny, as the leaf doesn't tend to get very good traction. Conveniently, though, my diet while camping usually results in relatively solid fecal matter. I never really minded not having toilet paper, it was finding a comfortable place to crouch (that hadn't already been used 100 times) that was always the problem for me. freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 14:04, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Not sure this is what you're looking for, but ABB (Asea Brown Boveri) is a large corporation. Before the merger the Swiss part was called BBC Brown Boveri (nothing to do with Auntie). But I don't know who Brown and Boveri were.---Sluzzelin22:56, 15 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Which soft drinks, out of the major North American Brands (coke, pepsi, sprite 7up, mountain dew, dr pepper, ginger ale,e tc...) is the most "fizzy"? Jamesino00:30, 16 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I would think that would vary more by type of packaging and age than by brand. Newly packaged soft drinks in cans should be the most fizzy, with years old products in plastic bottles being completely flat. StuRat00:44, 16 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I'm having trouble loading that link. As for me, I always felt that certain brands of root beer were significantly more "fizzy" than other pop drinks, I assume to give it more of the characteristic "root beer head". freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 13:53, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Cricket signatures
ĨI have a miniature Kookaburra cricket bat signed by various Australian cricketers headed by the names Paul Parker and Wayne Clarke. I was wondering if anyone could tell me which year these two played together and which match this might refer to. Unfortunately I cannot decypher all of the names and would like further information if possible.
Many thanks to whoever!! A. Gillilan (email removed)
I can start you off by saying they both have wikipedia articles - Paul Parker (cricketer) and Wayne Clark; but neither played Tests or ODI's at the same time. Possibly a tour match in the late 70s or 80s where England or Australia played one of the state/county teams from the other country. I haven't been able to find any where both players played - but this is a full list of series where you might be able to find it. – AlbinoMonkey(Talk)01:11, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Hmm, this could be a tricky one. Paul Parker never toured Australia with an official England team, and neither did Wayne Clark ever tour England with an official Australia team. I'm sure Clark played some league cricket in England (probably in Lancashire) - but he would have been unlikely to encounter Parker, who was a pro with Sussex and wouldn't have played league cricket. I *think* Parker played some grade cricket in Australia, which Clark would also have done (in Australia, even test players occasionally play grade cricket). So a grade game in Perth (Clark's home city) is a possibility, or - perhaps more likely - some kind of charity game or benefit game in which both played. Few detailed records are kept of those sorts of games, since they are purely for fund raising purposes and often not played very seriously. It is not unusual for mementos such as miniature bats to be auctioned or raffled at games of this kind so it's entirely plausible, but it could be tricky to pin it down.AndyofKent00:59, 23 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Brisket
I can not find brisket where I live. Are you aware of any other cut of beef that would produce the same results.
Leanne Chalmers
Ask your butcher. From what I recall brisket is a fairly cheap cut so there's probably plenty of cuts that would provide equivalent or better results. --Robert Merkel01:15, 16 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Now that depends on where you live. Since corned beef is traditionally made out of brisket, it can be difficult to find and not that cheap. It's actually more expensive here (Alberta) than sirloin tip. --Charlene.fic21:39, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Indeed. I am not an expert in anything that matters in the grand scheme of things and any advice given by the aforementioned party should not be taken in any way seriously. --Kurt Shaped Box01:55, 16 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Perhaps you arn't using enough caffeine! Normally caffeine in beverages has little effect on me but 3 no-dose tablets and I will shake for 7 hours. (warning 3 no dose is eqivalent to 6 cups of coffee and according to the label quite dangerous) --DarkfredTalk to me19:00, 16 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Almost forgot. I know nothing about anything whatsoever at any time. Any advice given is as-is and not subject to any liability, except in Wisconsin. Clarityfiend19:02, 16 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I think you're asking the wrong question, David A. It assumes that caffeine could effect you, but we know that's not possible because you're already alive and, therefore, in effect. Now, if your parents had had coffee just before you were conceived, and it was the coffee that made them horny, it might be possible to say that coffee effected you. But if they were going to have sex anyway, then no credit could be attributed to the coffee. (I think I'll go and have a coffee now and see whether it affects my obviously diseased state of mind). JackofOz05:02, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Serious answer: Caffeine is subject to many of the restrictions that alcohol is, primarily body weight and metabolism type. Are you perhaps strong under the table as well? For me, caffeine doesn't seem to do much unless I'm actually trying to sleep, which it then prevents me from doing for hours, no matter how tired I am. One must assume that different people experience caffeine in slighly different ways, and I'm going to bet that you just have the type of body that doesn't succumb to caffeine's effects very easily. freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 13:42, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Japan Automotive Trade Barriers
I have looked under the Japan-US relations area which states that barriers have dropped in the late 80's and 90's.
I would like to know the current trade barriers in Japan for North American vehicles. Any Tarriffs? Import Volume Restrictions? Import % restictions? Investment restrictions? (ie Could GM build a 100% owned plant in Japan?)
I can't find any specific information, but as far as I know, most of the existing trade barriers are imposed by the US on Japanese exports, i.e. the priority of the USians is to protect their domestic automobile industry. Similar barriers my still exist in Japan towards American exports, but while fairly popular recently, non-Japanese cars still don't compete very much with cheap, reliable Japanese cars, at least not in the low- and mid-range price sector. freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 13:30, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
my baby has just eaten the desiccant silica gel from out of a pair of trainers, i was wondering if it could harm him, he's 9 months old.Please e-mailme on e-mail address removed | J Ditalk12:29, 16 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
In Belgium we have an anti-poison-center. You can call them (I think 24/7) for immediate (professional)advice. (something drinking something else can help). Does such a service exist in your country?Evilbu14:26, 16 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Reminds me of a story I once heard. A woman calls the poison control center frantic because her son just ate an ant. ("I think that ant is eating away at him from the inside!"). After the person on the phone got her to calm down, he explained that there is nothing to worry about and while you shouldn't make a habbit of eating ants, it is perfectly digestable. "Oh good", the woman said, "but I made him drink a little ant poison just to be safe". Jon51310:55, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I'm trying to remember the name of a specific episode of this 1990s television show.
It centered around a boy and a girl (one of them was new to the neighbourhood), I think the girl or her mother was deaf. One of them tries to help the other because they think they're dead only to find out they're dead themselves... I know it's not much. Can anyone help out? - Mgm|(talk)14:04, 16 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yes, but with all the ghost episodes it had, I don't feel much for checking all of them manually and possibly overlooking the one I'm looking for, that's why I'm asking if someone knows it. - Mgm|(talk)18:49, 16 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Looking at Are You Afraid of the Dark? (TV series), episode 3 was about a mute girl and a ghost, episode 50 was about a deaf girl and boy. Could either be the one you are looking for? On a tangent, that show was awesome. As I scrolled through the list I recognised many episodes even though I was younger than 7 through the original run. Hyenaste(tell)23:32, 16 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I know for a fact that I've seen every single episode of that show, yet I cannot remember the plot of even one episode, or any of the characters names. Hell, I can't remember anything from when I was 7 years old : (. freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 13:21, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I'm positive it's not episode 50, but a mention of 3 online triggered my mind about it. Perhaps I'll have to look into that one... Yes. It was a great show... - Mgm|(talk)21:21, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
tell me about the controvercies because of pepsi in india
hey, my ip address is coming up dfferent today tham it has been since i've been using wikipedia. how is that even possible?
I had stuff on my ip address talk page before i got an account, and i wanted to see it so i made an edit and went to history to click on my ip as the source and get to the page, but it says it doesn;t exist, and then i found the actual ip page i was looking for and it was the ip address my computer had recently, but now it says its diferent, its weird.
Sometimes your ISP changes IP addresses when, for instance, you log in and out again. If you remember any edits you have made on any articles or discussion pages (and when) you should be able to find your IP again relatively easy, and then click your way back to your talk page. Otherwise, we would recommend you creating a username to prevent stuff like this from happening in the future and easier Wikipedia communication. 惑乱 分からん16:12, 16 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Aaahh, I didn't notice you had a username already, sorry. In the future, please sign your posts on discussion pages with four tildes ( ~~~~ ). 惑乱 分からん16:14, 16 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Sure, no problem. Thanks, and does this mean that sites may consider my computer a different one than they would have considered it a while ago? Temp
Sites often monitor incomming IP traffic for satistical reasons, but rarely to custimize the page for you, since, as we said above, it can often change. Some pages may change languages based on where they think your IP is comming from, but that wouldn't affect you (since both IP are from the same ISP). Jon51310:50, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Is there any sort of answer to 'what came first the chicken or the egg'
I thought it would be the egg because you cant morph into something else, unless your michael jackson, and can only pass on the evolved DNA through your offspring.
Answering the spirit of the age old question which tacitly regards chicken eggs, the answer is the egg. At some point in the evolution of the chicken there was a times when some prior species was an "almost chicken;" a species that through gradual evolutionary change had become closer and closer to what we call a chicken. At some point that almost chicken was impregnated by an almost rooster and through an evolutionary change mechanism such as mutation, the zygote that was formed had a genetic makeup different enough from its parents that it was a chicken. That first chicken was hatched via an egg.--Fuhghettaboutit18:10, 16 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Just out of curiosity: Couldn't the same point be made in favor of the chicken? The proto-hen you desribed laid an egg, so shouldn't we call it a 'proto-hen egg' rather than a chicken egg? What hatched from this egg was a chicken, but are eggs named for who laid them or who hatched from them? So which did come first?---Sluzzelin02:42, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
You can't exactly apply limit theory to the evolution model- that protochicken might be less different from "today's average chicken" than one modern chicken to another... --Froth23:21, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Errr ... yes, so it all comes down to whether you put your faith in the Bible (which doesn't mention chickens until you get to Matt 23:37, but mentions eggs at Deut 22:6) or in Wikipedia.--Shantavira19:04, 16 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
And who came first, Matt or Dude? (That could very easily be misinterpreted, but then if it couldn't I wouldn't have bothered to say it, so if you look at it that way it wouldn't be a misinterpretation and now I'm stuck ... ) DirkvdM19:50, 16 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The bird that laid the first egg that would become a chicken, was not a chicken.(similar but different) See mutation
The prize is currently 10 million Swedish kronor, not surprising since most of the awards (except the Peace Prize) are given by Swedish institutions. Clarityfiend18:57, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
It seems to be a type of paradoxical-dichotomy-question (I think) where you can word a question so that it infers one of two alternatives must be the case, but each is evidently wrong, like 'free will vs determinism'. Rentwa20:14, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Or moral relativism vs moral absolutism. But that's not the case here. Like Freshofftheufo says, if the question doesn't specify which egg or chicken then it can be any egg or chicken. Including a non-chicken egg (or vice versa, but that's irrelevant here), and eggs existed before chickens did, so problem solved. DirkvdM06:11, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
"other airplanes were discovered at Boston’s Logan Airport with box cutters taped under their seats, a possible indicator that other flights were intended as part of the hijackers’ plans that went unused only because they were grounded following the attacks on the World Trade Center."
obviously not, less than 1% of wikipedia is referenced (citation required). In fact, try going to a major article that has guardians and putting in references. Try it, reference edit-wars are fun. 68.20.23.14015:30, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
This is indicated in the article as Woods's claims, but it's totally unsourced. I've added an {{unsourced}} tag to the section, but it seems rather large for the article on the actor's entire life. User:Zoe|(talk)03:31, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Billet wheels
Hello, First I would like to thank you for creating this informative site. Great job!
A friend of mine is looking for tech support on how to create custom billet wheels for motorcycles. You have nothing about forming billet wheels. You have direction on spoke motorcycle wheels/spoke bike wheels but nothing on where to find direction on how to create/cut/form/forge solid billet wheels from scratch. We would like to know of anything regarding the creation of billet wheels for custom motorcycles (tools and machinery needed, techiques, facts and figures) not where to buy them as there are plenty listed all over the world.
My friend does have a CNC Machine however has never cut a Billet wheel and is simply looking for information on the how and where to aquire such.
Thanks so much we appreciate any and all information regarding the custom creation of Billet Wheels.
Live superbly!
You're going to need a CNC machine, and an operator able to program it, for starters. Note that typical CNC machines hold the part still, and move the cutting tool around to cut the shape of the part. I've been told that at least one famous custom chopper builder has had his own CNC machine built that is able to rotate the part while the cutter is held still, in order to better shape a circular part. Good luck! --192.168.1.1 16:02, 16 September 2006 (PST)
It should be noted that Wikipedia is not a how-to guide, so any information about how to create things in articles is coincidental, perhaps even detrimental. Carry on. --Maxamegalon200001:36, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The one I found through google is called Wikihow, and seems to have all the basics covered, but I'd much prefer a site built with the principles of wikifoundation, if you know what I mean. Haha, it seems to have gone "down" all of a sudden. Maybe too many people (primarily me) were trying to search for articles. freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 13:34, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Not sure, I sprayed it with shoe protectors so the smell of the shoe is already masked. There are no marking indicating whether or not they're leather and the sales people did not know. Jamesino21:39, 16 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Is there some type of test or even chemical tests that I can perform on them to determine whether or not they're constructed of leather? Jamesino23:26, 16 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
One simple test involves grabbing the material near the seam and tugging it firmly (don't go over the top though). If it stretches and feels elastic, it's most likely pleather. If it doesn't stretch (or tears) it's probably leather, but you can't ever be too sure.---Sluzzelin23:41, 16 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
In the US there would be a symbol, which looks like a stretched cowskin, and says GENUINE LEATHER inside. If it lacks this symbol, it's not real leather. StuRat00:20, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
No actually, I wasnt going to say 'do they sound/taste like leather'! I was going to say that if you look at the pics on a very high mag you can see the rough edges of the material. This certainly looks like leather to me. Also, I see they are made in China. I dont think China has the technology to stoop to our standards of crap yet. 8-)--Light current00:52, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Why isn't the true WWII history, in the pacific, taught in Japanese schools?
First of all, is this claim 'true' the way you phrased it? Secondly, how do you define 'true' in the context of WWII history? Most nations struggle with NPOV when it comes to their own history taught at schools. Perhaps the article on historical revisionism has some more information and links that might interest you.---Sluzzelin00:46, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The study of truth belongs to philosophy and religion. History confines itself to written records that are often incomplete, contradictory, or open to interpretation. The best historians are quite humble about these limitations. Books about history that assert claims of absolute truth are generally written by second-rate scholars who shortchange any opinion that conflicts with their own. Durova01:19, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
While the truth in some ancient wars may be obscured by history, such as the Trojan war, this is not true of WW2. This event is recent enough that there is a great deal of direct evidence, including living witnesses. So, if people say the Holocaust did not occur, there was no massacre of civilians in Manchuria, or there was no Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, these are not mere matters of opinion, but things which can easily be disproven. StuRat10:58, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Even some of these things can be made problematic if one is willing to go down that rabbit hole. Of course all of the three examples you chose are highly politicized historical incidences as well, so it is really not worth even trying to discuss them, but if you picked something more mundane but equally large in scope, you can often find many, many ways in which any given event can be interpretted, spun, or even essentially denied. Even the facts of something as recent as WWII are not necessarily straightforward (and I say this as someone who does research into WWII and Cold War history at the professional level). --Fastfission14:06, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
There could possibly be different interpretations of some events (like the Japanese might say they were "forced" to attack Pearl Harbor because the US was cutting off their trade), but the factual portion (that a large-scale aerial bombardment on Pearl Harbor by Japanese Imperial forces occurred on December 7, 1941), really can't be denied, due to overwhelming evidence (film, eyewitnesses on both sides, sunken ships, etc.). The US doesn't deny dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and Japan shouldn't deny what they did, either. StuRat04:13, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Here's a question that I'll enjoy answering. It's not so much that what they're being taught isn't true but that they aren't really being taught at all. To understand why there's so much controversy about the way WWII textbooks have been made in the past, and continue to be made in Japan it really takes a deep understanding of a typical Japanese mind, which I will attempt to explain with examples in as little space as possible. I think it goes without saying that you should first get all of your information from the properly sourced articles on the subject (such as Japanese textbook controversy) that have already been created for us to browse through in Wikipedia, but I will try to attempt a more general, neutral while at the same time critical, perspective.
It appears that there is a considerable amount of awareness of the textbook problem, even amongst the Japanese authorities themselves, and there have been recent attempts to handle South Korean and Chinese sentiments by creating more neutral textbooks, but, at least for me, it doesn't seem like they've really got their finger on the correct problem.
I would like to outline a series of events that unfolded a few weeks ago on the popular (though rather controversial) satirical political debate show Prime Minister Ōta, a show where a popular comedian Mr. Hikari Ota (called the Japanese John Stewart by NYT) takes the stage by imagining (or having imagined for him) what he calls "manifestos" that would in some way improve Japan, or "bring peace to the nation", as the show boasts. It is presented in a comical way; one of the manifestos in the past was "force husbands who don't help with the cleaning to pay more tax", but they also often touch on very important issues, and I must say it is really fascinating.
You can imagine I had my eyes glued to the screen when I heard that the manifesto to be debated for the day was going to be to "create history textbooks in cooperation with other major east Asian countries". Ota is widely considered to extremely intelligent and leftish democratic, though it's possible he may be slightly socialist. It's difficult to tell because he often argues for the sake of a good argument, even when he doesn't necessarily believe in what he's arguing for. Regardless, the manifesto he proposed that day was on a very current and touchy subject, and the debating that day was harsh (red faces, spitting, name calling, standing up and pointing!).
As is normal with Ota's manifestos, the arrangement of seats at the beginning showed that most of the debators (many of them politicians) initially disagreed with Ota's proposal. By the end of the discussion, the participants voting against the proposal were pretty clearly divided into 3 different camps (and, not unusually, were fighting amongst themselves too):
1) Those who believed that it was a great idea, and wished it were possible, but didn't believe it would ever be possible, usually stating the "irrationality of" and "lack of constructive communications with" their Asian neighbours as the reason.
2) Those who believed that the issue was so far in the past that it had become an issue impossible to fix, unless given another equally long span of time to settle down.
And perhaps most shocking of all, 3) those who believed that the issue was far in the past and that it should be ignored because bringing once again such evil things to the light will only serve to undermine the delicate peace that has been achieved through 50 years of delicately planned democratics and wishy-washy dialog, as well as possibly "tainting" the current population of youngsters that had been lucky enough to have grown up in a peaceful and peace-loving society.
Granted, most of the political types were part of group 1, and those in group 3 were generally of the not-so-intellectual "TV personality" type, but it was still incredibly shocking for me to hear real people saying these things, actually believing them to be true. There were also other participants who didn't really believe it was much of a problem, or didn't really know enough about the problem to make any statements, but they weren't very active in the debate so their votes shouldn't have really counted for much.
On the other hand, a lot can be understood about the Japanese position when you see the way Chinese response looks living on the Japanese islands. With all the propaganda, fake democratics and demonstrations, and blatant censorship that filters through the communists into the Japanese media, it is really difficult to take anything the PRC goverment says seriously. South Korean protests seem to spark a little more constructive thought, but they are (unfortunately?) rare and disorganized, and often limited to small fishing communities: Japan is very popular in young urban Korea, and the reverse is just as true.
Now all of that is pretty much saying it "as it is", but the following is nothing more than a personal opinion, so don't take it as any more than that. I believe this problem of history is related to the lack of an ability for Japan to separate itself from its historical self. Japan is known for its rich, long culture, and they have a lot of pride for their zen, samurai way, haiku, etc. In the US, the scars of slavery still exist and threaten to flame up every now and then, but I believe the secret to the healing of those wounds is the fact that urban Americans nowadays freely and willingly admit to the horrible crimes that were commited, and have even idolized many icons of the struggle to end racism. An African-American will certainly have a different perspective than I do, but I'm only comparing the US to Japan here, which is by comparison a heaven-on-Earth for non-Japanese. The only real "icon" of racial rights I know of in Japan is some white guy named Debito Arudo, and though extremely obscure, most of the people that know his name seem to think he is little more than a foreign annoyance, whether they themselves are Japanese or not. It seems to me that many Japanese people think the crimes comitted in WWII and around that time were the fault of a few crazy Japanese generals, who are all dead now and never really represented the Japanese populous, which is true in a way, of any population and its commanders really. That doesn't really work well for the victims on the other side of the water, though, so as much as Japan may be considered Americanized today, it really seems to me that they've got a long way to go when it comes to being a nation boasting modern, responsible philosophy in the international sense. freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 12:33, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
That's a very good write-up of the issues here. Even in the US people get mad when one "continually harps upon" the history of slavery, the treatment of the American Indians, the internment of the Japanese during WWII, the support of dictators during the Cold War, and now such unpleasantries as extraordinary rendition, the possibility of Bush having illegally stole the 2000 election, and things of that nature. It is often not so much a matter of arguing against a historical event having happened (though this does indeed occur) as arguing that it isn't worth discussing (or isn't representative, or isn't patriotic, etc.). History is very powerful stuff — for many it is what defines their individual and collective identity, and it is what gives an example of where they have been, how they got there, and where they are going. Even when people agree it can be for extremely dubious political reasons — most people in the US will acknowledge very openly the worst of the excesses committed in the name of racism, though by sticking primarily to the extreme examples they make the entire historical incident seem like the product of a few backwards Southerners rather than a pervasive form of social organization that reached through at every level and at every place in American society for 150 years. When you see things as the former it is easy to celebrate how far you have come; when you see things as the latter you start to wonder if things have just gotten more pervasive to the point where systems of blunt coercion are no longer needed to keep people "in their place". These are just examples of interpretations; I don't necessarily go to either extreme myself. --Fastfission14:06, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The way history gets taught in elementary and secondary schools has very little to do with the way historical studies are conducted at the university level. So far as I am aware, this seems to be true throughout the world. Conceptions of what young people ought to think about their country and society tend to take priority over stimulating actual inquiry. Durova16:39, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
File:Slayers.jpgTwo Japanese officers, Toshiaki Mukai and Tsuyoshi Noda competing to see who could kill (with a sword) one hundred people first. The bold headline reads, "'Incredible Record' (in the Contest to) Cut Down 100 People—Mukai 106 – 105 Noda—Both 2nd Lieutenants Go Into Extra Innings"
I don't buy the "just following orders" logic which explains genocide as the fault of just a few leaders, or maybe even just one. Following orders should never be accepted as an excuse, unless the person can show they would be killed if they refused those orders, and otherwise would have refused them. There is ample evidence to the contrary in WW2 Japan, however, as in the contest between soldiers to see who could behead the most Chinese civilians in a set time period with their swords. StuRat04:31, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
There is a practical reason for Japan to now accept responsibility for their actions in WW2, the time appears to have come for Japan to rearm, possibly including nuclear weapons, to defend itself from North Korea and/or China. However, the US and other nations will be uncomfortable with this until there is evidence that Japan can face it's past and thus move beyond it. StuRat04:31, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Your facts are a little bit off. In the last few years, the US has been calling for Japan to make modifications to Article 9 of the Japanese constitution (the part that forbids them to take arms) that would allow Japan to assist UN members in collective international military efforts on the UN Security Council. The government is rather divided on the issue, but the Japanese populous is still quite against it, often insisting that Article 9 is the secret to Japanese peace and is now a part of their culture. SK and China would certainly feel uncomfortable about letting something like that happen, which is primarily why they keep trying to prevent the UN from letting Japan become a member of the security council.
I don't think it really matters if one can be excused for "just following orders" or not, it is impossible to punish an entire nation for such widespread war-crimes, and I already breifly detailed above how I believe Japan should go about healing the long hardened wounds of Asia. Though it's obviously not non-existant, maybe not even by a long shot, I don't believe the issue here is denial at all. Most of the denial was done by the Emperor decades ago, and others tried to use secret documents supposedly written by the Emperor before he died as proof that Japan never really wanted to go to war in the first place. On the other hand, even now I occasionally see WW2 programming with titles such as "Why did we go to war?", and "Why was this done?" instead of "What we did in the war", and "Why did we do it?", though I can hardly think of any countries that would deliberately title their documentaries in that way.
I still don't believe that the main issue here is denial, there is no equivalent cult of Neo-Nazis denying the holocost in Japan. The main issue will always be that Japan avoids confronting the issue entirely, avoids situations in where the issue would come up as a problem, and China uses this fact to their advantage, attempting to fuel patriotic passions and increase their image while Japan turns a back side to them. Interesting article there, by the way, and I'm glad to see that it was correctly translated. freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 11:18, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Which of my facts are a little bit off ? The new situation is North Korea having nuclear weapons and soon being able to reach the US West Cost with them. Once this happens, US threats to respond (if North Korea attacks Japan) will no longer be credible. Thus, Japan needs to be fully self-sufficient militarily. However, this makes the rest of Asia quite uncomfortable until Japan atones for their sins during WW2 ("If they don't say they're sorry for WW2, does this mean they will do it all again ?"). StuRat12:02, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
And couldn't the system be abused by people adding unimportant remarks instead of really answering the questions in a useful manner? 惑乱 分からん01:54, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yes the system could be abused by fly by night editors, but points would be awarded by other editors: a bit like the Eurovision song contest. ie mediocre replies/remarks wouldnd get many points! So if I particularly liked your answer, I would give you a point (maybe 2), but I couldnt subtract points if I didnt like it.--Light current01:58, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Absolutely! In this case we need to make an exception to the rules! 8-) I would say mentioning that particular creature (or the shortened form-- without the 'sea') should instantly attract a score of -20 points (at least) --Light current02:08, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I think lightcurrent suggested this only because he knows he will win :). In seriousness though I would personally prefer a reputation system to some sort of points award. But that has been shot down many times in the past. --DarkfredTalk to me16:24, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The article on South Mountain Park states that it is only the second largest in NA, so I assume that a larger one must exist in Canada. It's quite difficult to filter through all the US google results without explicitly stating what country you're looking for. [Correction] It seems that SMP may be the largest city park in NA, even though the article doesn't state it as such. freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 11:25, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The article on SMP goes on to say that Franklin Mountains State Park in El Paso is larger, but isn't a city park because it's owned by the state. I don't think that this distinction is meaningful in most of the world, and so probably wasn't what was meant by the original poster. Marnanel12:36, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
What is a park and what is a city park? The Amsterdamse Bos is 9 km2. 'Bos' means 'forest', but the northern part is clearly park-like, with lawns and neat roads. The southern half is a bit wilder, so should that be substracted? It is still maintained, though. The 'neatly maintained' northern half is about as big as New York's Central Park (probably the most famous city park). But Central Park is smack in the middle of the city and the Amsterdamse Bos is not really in Amsterdam, but at its edge. But it still falls within the city boundaries, so does it count?
South Mountain Park makes a distinction between city park, urban park and municipal park, but doesn't say what the difference between them is.
Here's another extreme example: Amsterdam is the city with the largest tree-density in the Netherlands. Almost all canals are lined with trees. So is it one big park? It covers 166 km2, so that's the biggest one so far. :) DirkvdM06:42, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yeah, but you're not supposed to walk on that grass and in my opinion that means it's not much of a park.
On a more serious note, there ins't more grass in Amsterdam than in just about any big city anywhere. I't just that you don't get jailed for smoking it, so that's a rather popular pastime among young travellers, who alas consequently don't remember anything of their visit. In this case the t-shirts (such as "they say I visited Amsterdam") are all too often true. DirkvdM17:37, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
GED preperation
need help with exactly whats on a GED test, so that I can study!
This probably means the General Equivalency Degree test. It confers a U.S. high school diploma for people who don't complete formal classwork but learn adequate skills through self-study. Here are some free sample tests (the site will try to sell you study materials too - this link is not an endorsement of their products)[16] And another link which is nonprofit but requires registration[17] - tests vary so it's a good idea to do a Google search for your state's version. Many states have public service websites devoted to their particular tests, although as a practical matter it's probably useful to get a separate study guide from a library or bookstore. Best wishes, Durova06:06, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Anchoress refers to the Centre Counter Defence or Scandinavian Defence, but I think the most open (and therefore mobile) defences are those beginning with e4 e5. Black has much less control over the opening than White does; if White opens with d4, then most variations result in a fairly closed position. Disclaimer: the last time I played chess, the Benko Gambit was fashionable.-gadfium06:15, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Mobile? That refers to moving about, or the possibility to do so. The motion of the pieces is restricted by the pawns. So an opening that kills off as many of those as fast as possible would be a good one. So assuming white opens with E4, D5 seems like a good one, as Anchoress suggested. But if white then does E5 you have to be careful not to let things get locked up instead. Then again, my chess prowess a bit rusty. DirkvdM06:55, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
help
== i need help
== can you send me refercing (bibliography) information plz i need it striaght away plz plz plz plz plz plz for www.wikipedia.com
Hi. If I understand what you are asking, please go to the article you want citation information for and click on "Cite this article" from the bottom of the toolbox links on the left hand side of the screen.--Fuhghettaboutit06:44, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Wrist Watch keeps losing Time
My wife Susan has for a number of years an issue with her wrist watch losing time.
We have sent numerous watches back to the manufacturers to check for defects however they are unable to find any fault with the watch.
For no apparent reason during the course of a day the watch will fall back in time approx 45 minutes per day.
Are you to advise if this issue is in any way linked to body
biorhythm.
I take it this is a quartz watch? I always found clockwork watches more reliable myself, and they can be cleaned more easily, although these days cleaning either type of watch is not always economical, and clockwork ones are becoming difficult to find. It sounds as though the watch is actually stopping for a while then starting again. I had this trouble with all my quartz watches, until I changed over to a radio-controlled (quartz) watch. Since then I have never looked back. They only cost a little more than a regular watch and are always spot on.--Shantavira09:02, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
By the way, I figured it might have something to do with static electricity, but I never found out for sure. I don't think biorythms have much credence. Besides, everyone has identical biorythms!--Shantavira11:56, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
If she and her watch were beamed up to an alien spaceship each night and flown far away and back at very near the speed of light, exactly the effect you have described would be observed. Not saying that is the explanation, but it's worth considering. Edison21:48, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
1st week, have her wear the watch as per normal. At the end of every 24 hour period note the time loss and reset the watch.
2nd week, have her carry the watch but not wear it. At the end of every 24 hour period note the time loss and reset the watch.
3rd week, have the watch left sitting in your home undisturbed. At the end of every 24 hour period note the time loss and reset the watch.
4th week, you wear the watch. At the end of every 24 hour period note the time loss and reset the watch.
If in all four weeks the watch loses time then there is a problem with the watch. If the watch loses time only in the first two weeks then it would appear that the movements of your wife are causing the watch to lose time. If the watch only loses time in the first week then I would suggest you try a lapel, fob or pocket watch. CambridgeBayWeather(Talk)00:35, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
hello,
Im abner valiente from phillipines,
i just want to make inquiry about the name of Sir Mick Paul a registrar of the british high court.
You know friend, there are three of us here who was promised a job in london by the Solid rock international agency whose secretary is Rose anneth Kohl. She said that our documents was being lodge in the british high court whose registrar she said is sir mick paul. I just want to know if all of this is true.That Sir Mick Paul is really the registrar of that court. We have paid already around $300 for prospective job in london. Good if its really true.
thanks and more power.
truly yours,
Sorry, but I think you've been scammed. Not only have I not heard of this person, but it sounds to me suspiciously like a combo of names of musicians Mick Jagger ("Sir Mick") and Paul McCartney. In the future, I would encourage you to check these things out before you hand over money, not after. StuRat10:01, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Here are some suggestions to avoid being scammed in the future:
Get identification papers from anyone you talk with, such as a driver's license. If they refuse to show you such info, they probably aren't who they claim to be. Of course, if they do have ID, it could be fake or they could be using their real name for the scam.
Do Google searches on the alleged name of the company and the names of anyone they give you. If you find nothing (like I did for this scam), they probably don't exist. If you do find matches, read them to look for complaints from former "clients".
Ask for names and phone numbers of other clients. They might have some "shills" who will swear they are a legitimate company (in exchange for money), but large numbers of "clients" would be difficult to bribe.
If you have a police/government agency ("bunko squad") or something akin to the Better Business Bureau, check out the business there.
They should give you a receipt for any money and a signed contract. Did you get those ?
good evening mam/sir
I am studying in IX standard. My ambition is to become a cardiologist & then to get IAS. What should i do toget my goal from now?– minu.
If you want to ask questions, it helps if you use terms that Wikipedians in general will understand. IAS is a disambiguation page with eighteen different expansions, and Google gives me such varied meanings as 'Institute of Alcohol Studies', 'Immigration Advisory Service' and 'International Association of Sedimentologists'. It might also help to indicate what country you are in (Wikipedians are all over the world). ColinFine18:42, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I doubt it; for a start, its an area of open ocean 350 miles off the coast of Africa, and also, the Prime Meridian is just an arbitrary line based on the location of a small London borough. smurrayinchester(User), (Talk)15:15, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
(observatory not borough...)
Well the line of 0°N has a name. and the line of 0°E has a name (albeit labelled "english invention" in wikipedia). and the line of 180°E has a name. and the point of 90°N has a name. and the point of 90°S has a name. It seems a bit strange that the point at 0°N 0°E doesn't...
Even if some of those places have physical meanings rather than arbitrary ones, it seems like the sort of place that cartographers would come-up with something more snappy than "the point where the equator and the greenwich meridian meet" to refer to the origin of their coordinate system. Ojw16:03, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I don't know whether there's a special name for the spot, but sailors who have crossed it are known as shellbacks of the order of The Royal Diamond. Durova17:45, 17 September 2006 (UTC) (shellback, order of the Golden Dragon)[reply]
The Prime Meridian was the North-South line at the Greenwich Observatory selected by George Biddell Airy, a meticulous 19th century astronomer, in 1851. In 1884 an international conference selected that exact line as the Prime Meridian, but France obstained from the voting and used a meridian in Paris as their reference. EuropeanTime throughout Europe was electrically coordinated in the late 19th and the 20th century ny noting when stars passed the index line of a telescope at that observatory set on an axis along that Prime Meridian. A similar telescope at the observatory had previously been a small distance away from the meridian selected by Airy. When GPS was set up the French allegedly did not want the worldwide navigation system to be so British as to observe the tradition of Airy's Prime Meridian, so via some mathematical conjuring, a reason was found to move the Prime Meridian 102.5 metres to the east of the line marked at Greenwich, causing great puzzlement when persones with GPS sensors compare them to the Airy Prime Meridian.Edison17:12, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I think the fact that it's in the ocean explains why it doesn't have a name. If it happened to be on land, there would be a name, a plaque, an obelisk, and probably even a MacDonalds there to support the thriving tourist trade. But things like that don't usually happen in the middle of the Atlantic. JackofOz23:51, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
If it had been on land, a logical name would have been ground zero. That would have been a more logical meaning for the term than 'where an explosion took place'. What idiot came up with that meaning? DirkvdM07:04, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
That comes from nuclear warfare planning. "Ground zero" is used to designate the point on the ground, directly under a nuclear explosion ("or zero miles away"). StuRat09:11, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yes, I know that (checked the article). But "zero miles/cm/cubits away" from what? the term most logically means the centre of something. Anything. It could also be used to refer to the the epicentre of an earthquake, to mention just one thing. Why limit it to explosions? DirkvdM17:47, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
With your experience, Dirk, it should be illogical to expect the English language to operate logically. What are you getting all uppity about? There are more important battles to fight. JackofOz20:55, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Oh dear, am I getting uppity about something? Well, it's pretty trivial, isn't it? I can hardly think of a better reason to get uppity about something. :) DirkvdM05:59, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The equator is arbitrary too. Why define the equator as parallel to the solar plane instead of perpendicular? Or diagonal? Or curvy-ways? --Froth23:26, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
It's got nothing to do with the solar plane. Read equator. And it's not arbitrary either. You could say the Moon is arbitrary because why not define it as the Gulf of Mexico? Saying that does not make it arbitrary. Did you eat too much sugar? --LambiamTalk01:53, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
If you read the article True north, you'll discover that it is defined in terms of the position of the North pole. The position of the North pole is determined by the Earth's axis of rotation. "Geographic north" is just another term for "true north". It is only accidental that there is a star, Polaris, roughly in the direction of true north. It's actually pretty close, less than 1° off, so why do you make a deal of the distinction? But let us pretend for a moment that it served to define true north. Then why should Polaris, a star some 431 light years away from Earth, have chosen to position itself in a direction perpendicular to the solar plane? Or is the Earth compelled to move in a plane perpendicular to the Sol–Polaris axis, and what strange force mediates this? In fact, that plane (known as the plane of the ecliptic) makes an angle of about 23° with the equatorial plane, which is perpendicular to the axis through the poles. --LambiamTalk23:25, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Programming help needed
I'm trying to write a program on my TI 83 + SE for a Snake game (where the snake grows and the game ends if the snake hits the border or itself). Can anyone help? This is what I've got so far:
:Full
:AxesOff
:ZDecimal
:ClrDraw
:Line(4.6,3,-4.6,3)
:Line(4.6,3,4.6,-3
:Line(-4.6,3,-4.6,-3)
:Line(-4.6,-3,4.6,-3)
:randInt(-46,46)/10==>X
:randInt(-30,30)/10==>Y
:0==>S
:26==>K
:26==>L
:Lbl ST
:Pt-On(X,Y)
:S+1==>S
:While K=(24 or 25 or 26 or 34)
:getKey==>K
:End
:If K=26:X+.1==>x
:If K=34:Y-.1==>Y
:If K=24:X-.1==>x
:If K=25:Y+.1==>Y
:If pxl-Test((32-10Y),(10X+48))=1
:Then
:Disp "GAME OVER",S
:Pause
:prgmALLPREFD
:End
:Goto ST
What you'll need to do is this: have two lists containing the x and y coordinates (in pixels, that's the only way you're going to be able to do it), say L1 and L2. You should also have two variables that gives direction, say A and B, for instance. A is how much the x coordinate of the head of the snake changes, and B is for how much the y-coordinate of the head changes. Hence, they can be -1, 0 or +1. For instance, if you are going to the right, A=1 B=0, and if you are going upwards, A=0 B=-1. Now, when the snake moves, you are going to have to erase the last pixel in the snake (stored in the two lists) and make draw the new head. You'll also need to remove the last element of your lists, and add a new first element. This will be very innefficient if you have the head always at 1, and very wasteful of memory if the head is always at the tail of the list. What you'll need to do is this: have a pointer to an element of the list that is the head of the snake. When the snake moves, increase that pointer, and add the new value (which is the previous coord. of the head + the change, ie A and B) at the pointer. This will remove the last pixel of the snake (ie it's tail) from the list, and add a new value as head. Make sure you erase the pixel from the screen first though. Ohh, and yeah, if the pointer goes beyond the length of the list, set it to 1. In the main loop, have a variable capture what key is being pressed and modify A and B accordingly.
That's the easy part. Next we have to do collision detection. The only way to do that with any speed on a TI-83+ is to simply look at the screen. There is a command (i don't remember what it's called) that can check if a pixel is lit. If the pixel you are about to run into is already lit, that means that you will collide. It's cheap and dirty, but it'll work. Hmm, maybe that part wasn't so hard after all :P
This is a fairly simple project, but if you are very inexperienced as a programmer, you might find it difficult. How much have you programmed before? How comfortable are you with loops and lists and such? Oskar18:04, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I haven't programmed much. I have no idea how to do this list thing you're talking about though... I think the problem is with the "While" loop.
That "collision detection" thing is "pxl-Test(" option. To get to it: 2nd-PRGM-→7.
I won't do it all for you, but I'll write the pseudo-code:
Clear screen
lX = (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16) #This is the initial list of x-coordinates for the snake, where he starts
lY = (10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10) #This is the initial list of y-coordinates for the snake. Along with the x-coords this should be a horizontal line
loop on i from 1 to length(lX)
draw pixel lX(i), lY(i) #draw the initial snake
7 -> P #list pointer (it currently points to the next element of the list, ie 1 (when it comes to the end, it cycles back to 1).
0 -> K #the pressed key, initialized to 0
1 -> A #How the snake will move
0 -> B #these settings give makes him move to the right
while K is not equal to exit-key
getKey -> K
#These ifs decide what direction the snake will move.
if K == left-key
-1 -> A
0 -> B
if K == right-key
-1 -> A
0 -> B
if K == up-key
0 -> A
-1 -> B
if K == down-key
0 -> A
1 -> B
#Calculating new coordinate
lX(P) + A -> X
lY(P) + B -> Y
#X and Y will now point to the next pixel that the snake will go to.
#Collision detection
if PixelIsLit(X, Y)
Disp "Your snake DIED!!!"
Stop
#Now we increase the pointer of the list, and cycle it back to 1 if need be
P + 1 -> P
if(P > highest element of lX)
1 -> P
#Erase the tail of the snake
TurnOffPixel lX(P), lY(P)
#Set new head in the list
X -> lX(P)
Y -> lY(P)
#Paint the head
TurnPixelOn X,Y
End Loop
This should make for a decent snake game. You're going to have to write the code yourself (I haven't touched my TI-83+ in years), but If you have any questions about the algorithmic nature of the game, feel free to ask. Oskar19:17, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
If it's already answered, there isn't any point in moving it now. Just be careful to post to the correct Ref Desk from now on. StuRat17:50, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Spore (videogame) video
I want to watch the Spore video, but I use dialup internet, the video is over 300 MB, and I can't find it in a compressed format. Could somebody link me to a compressed file of it, or else download it and compress it for me? Thank you so very much. --216.164.192.18415:48, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I don't think many people are willing to do this kind of work for you. Use a download manager, such as GetRight that lets you save your downloading progress, or try to find some friend with a faster connection and a CD burner. 惑乱 分からん15:57, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
He's referring to the 300MB GDC '05 video which has a lot of d/l places. It's a MPEG anyway so it's pretty compressed. You can find both the full version and the gameplay only versions on google video...getting links...gameplay onlyfull, found on SporeWiki. Good luck! Chris M.18:38, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Native Americans
hello,
i am a student trying to find out info on the california culture group and wikipedia doesn't have it can you help me??
Whats the point of responding if you're going to be so obtuse and unhelpful, when did the ref desk become a service provided to those only with flawless english grammatical knowledge. PhilcTECI19:17, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
In the possibly poorly founded hope that you won't do it again. Hipocracy doesnt devalue the point, but further highlights the problem. PhilcTECI20:06, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yes, Dr. Suess books were made to show that you could make a book using only simple words and still have it be interesting, unlike the Dick and Jane books. StuRat03:39, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Aren't these books often remembered for their cheeziness? As a footnote, I recently read my father's and uncle's Norwegian Early Readers from the 60's. Horrible, conservative, judgemental stuff. 惑乱 分からん23:06, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
BTW, while we're dumping on the blandly moronic Dick and Jane books, has anyone noticed if the actual reading abilities of 1st- and 2nd-graders has gone up with whatever they're using now? B00P10:30, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The Dick & Jane books may very well have taught basic reading skills. The problem is that they also made kids think reading was boring, which may have contributed to them becoming nonreaders later on. StuRat11:55, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Pittsburgh Steelers sports trivia
Hello, I am trying to find the answer to this question...
Who signed Pittsburgh's Steelers first million-dollar contract to play football?
Thanks for your help.
54/40 or fight
From whence comes the quotation "54/40 or fight"?
— Preceding unsigned comment added by 63.110.125.27 (talk)
The Polk administration called for the Canadian border in Oregon Country to be at 54 degrees, 40 minutes north latitude. Next time, don't be lazy and look it up yourself!Sturgeonman20:30, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
drink driving law
Is it against the law to sleep in your car in the back seat with your car keys placed underneath the passenger seat after having consumed a large amount of alcohol? Is this classed as drink driving? COuld you be arrested by a policeman if he saw someone doing this?
I think in UK you could be prosecuted as you are in control of the vehicle. If someone else had hold of your keys either inside or out side the car, you may be ok.--Light current22:28, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Just thought of a way round this one: Say there are 2 of you, each with his own car, then you swap keys (or cars) and sleep it off 8-)
If you're sleeping you'll be there for some time. If you parked your car on the road, you might be fined for obstructing the road. If you're on a parking space you don't count as a traffic participant, so you couldn't get a trafic fine, I'd say. According to Dutch law as I understand it, that is. DirkvdM07:10, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
And now for a silly answer: "COuld you be arrested by a policeman if he saw someone doing this?" Only if you were that 'someone'. Unless there's some other policeman (they never come alone, you know). DirkvdM07:12, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Height and weight of Andorra and San Marino populations
Dear Ladies and Gentlement,
I am interested in the average heights and weights of the populations of Andorra and San Marino. Thank You.
Tom Samaras
Is it possible on average to make a decent living with eBay?
Yes, I know eBay employees can, but what about people selling things through eBay?
I've just had some junk mail which says that withing three months it is possible to make £1000 a month through spending one or two hours on your computer, by selling surplus possessions, things bought at car boot sales and so on. Is this true please?
Don't listen to that. people who make money off eBay do it through a corporation, and the corporation usually 'goes bankrupt' and the person is left with very little money and the corp laughs all the way to the bank. And although this may sound harsh, it might be a good idea to get a real job instead, for both financial reasons (you could end up with serious debt) and legal reasons (eBay could sue). Sorry. ~ Porphyric Hemophiliac§23:11, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yes, in a few areas it is possible to run a decent business. In the US for instance tool importing is quite lucrative with 500% markups in some areas. Chinese and Taiwanese tools are often duplicates of US brands, and are sold locally for 1/10th of the cost. Import 1000 or so and you are in business. Assume a 1:4 or more loss for returns and warrantee work though. Choose an unsaturated tool, too. --DarkfredTalk to me23:18, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
It's very possible to make a decent living - in the UK for examples many (small) businesses have closed their bricks and mortor premises to concentrate on their ebay store. --Charlesknight23:20, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yes, it's possible, but you won't live like a king just by cleaning out your attic. As with any other business, you have to study the market and arrange a supply line. Not every product sells equally well on eBay. Then create a niche strategy and budget time for creating ads and auctions and for packaging the goods. Durova23:40, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I've heard of people that made money buying up goods with their auction title misspelled (e.g. amethysts) and reselling them with the words spelt correctly. As less people search for misspellings, such goods received less bids and sold for less than 'market value'. Arbitrage, basically. Of course, if this still works (I don't sell things on Ebay much so for all I know they have a built-in spellchecker now), since I've seen it on the news I'm sure other people will now be doing it and it won't turn a profit anymore. To make real money from Ebay, you probably need to have an actual business of the sort Charlesknight mentioned. --Sam Blanning(talk)01:22, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I know a couple of people who are making a decent living selling stuff on e-Bay, but it's not the kind of career you just trip over. One is fairly expert at recognising good deals in junk stores (not necessarily 'the big one' as far as antiques, but stuff like single pieces of china that people would pay big time for as a replacement for the one piece missing from a 144-piece set, etc), and the other puts a lot of time into buying at bankruptcy sales; odd lots of perfumes, factory seconds, electronic equipment etc. And he has a warehouse where he stores it all. A field that is good to get into v/v e-Bay is pop market stuff like trading cards, figurines, signed celebrity photos, etc. But you either have to know about them or be willing to become an expert. Personally I don't think it'd be worth it. There are lots of things I could make money off if I wanted to become an expert in them, but it sounds too much like ... work? :-) Anchoress01:29, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I have a friend who's been making at least a living wage off of selling things on eBay for several months. However, he's not doing the "find good deals, either in person or on eBay, then sell them on eBay for a profit" thing. He's selling items for other people on comission. So that's a possibility. Chuck21:25, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Several organizations donate money (usually about 2 or 3 cents) for every soda pop top turned in. These fundraisers are rarer, now, but if the operation is legit, you could really do some good by turning in hundreds or even thousands of tops. ~ Porphyric Hemophiliac§23:11, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
this doesn't get to the bottom of the question.....why pop tabs? Does Coke give money for every pop tab? Is the incentive that for every pop bought, and proved to be purchased with a tab, a large soda corporations will donate to charity? Or is it that pop tabs are just a form of currency because they're not "easily" available, they're not "easily" counterfeited, they're easily transported, etc. Can the question be answered with a simple, "they're a commodity, like gold" ? Jasbutal03:36, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Not so odd, rather simple actually. There's no paint or ink or anything on the tabs, so they're relatively pure in composition, and since they're wrapped pretty tight, there's little wasted space for air. freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 09:33, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I recently started going commando, but I can't figure out how to zip up without getting my dick caught. Could somebody help me with this, or will I have to go back to wearing underpants? Thanks.
--216.164.249.16923:27, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
OK if you must persue this disgusting habit 8-), I've an idea: before you zip up with your right hand, say, you take your left hand, put it round your back between your legs and firmly grasp the offending member. Pull as hard as you can towards the back and hold it there by squeezing your legs together. You can now do up your zip. In this way you only have to worry about trapping your balls/pubic hair! Simple 8-) --Light current00:06, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Can someone give me a quick summary and comparison of the various new Intel Processors: Pentium, Pentium Extreme, Xeon, Core, Core 2, Itanium, Itanium 2?
Thanks Jamesino23:29, 17 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
That seems a little too ocmplex and "computer-ish". Can anyone just run over the quick points and pros and cons? For example: Xeon is used for server, its faster than etc...... Thanks Jamesino22:16, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Pentium was intel's old home processor line. Some of the pentium series had exteme editions with some extra feature like higher clock speed, larger cache, or faster bus. Xeons and Itaniums are the server line, with xeons being on low end server racks and itaniums being the insane upper end server line. core duo was intel's first foray into the dual core home market and was upgraded a little with core 2 duo this summer. core 2 has twice the cache at the higher end models, and has considerably less power consumption. Also you might hear people refer to Conroe or Merom, these are the desktop and laptop lines of core 2 duos, respectively. --Froth05:59, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Hmmm. I think it's pretty difficult to quantify. I meditate regularly, and let me say this: First, I don't think any quantity of meditation can do away entirely with the need for sleep. Second, I don't sleep less for meditating. Third, I sleep better and I can do without sleep much more easily (for a period of time at least). And fourth, when I'm tired, a 20 minute meditation is as good as sleep if I need to keep going. As in, if it's 11:00pm and I need to keep working, a 20 minute meditation can refresh me enough to feel like I've just woken up from a long sleep. Anchoress00:19, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Meditation reduces stress which can cause exhaustion. There are 2 types of sleep REM sleep and deep sleep, see the article. Neither of these functions can be replaced by meditation. While some gurus advocate replacing part of your sleep with meditation, and meditation can increase your alertness, this is not a replacement for sleep so much as a replacement for caffeine. If you are sick or injured it can actually be detrimental, as most cell rebuilding happens during slow-wave sleep. And as far as I have heard 4-5 hours is still the absolute minimum of sleep you can function on for long periods with meditation. --DarkfredTalk to me00:27, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I have problems getting to sleep, so I tried meditation, but found that actually woke me up even more. But I doubt if meditation could replace sleep. I once heard a guy complain that he was very tired because he had been meditating all night. Then again, I don't think he had the right mindset to meditate properly (bit of a Neil character, worrying too much). DirkvdM07:26, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Me? Read my post again, then think and see if you can come up with a decent reply. If not, don't worry too much about it. I wouldn't want to be the cause of you losing sleep. DirkvdM17:53, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
If you want to meditate before you sleep, you should refrain as much as possible from taking deep breaths, as this will obviously increase the oxygen levels in your body and make you feel more awake. I also meditate sometimes before sleeping, especially when my head is spinning, but the idea is to lower your heart rate as much as possible, which involves slowing down your breathing, and taking rather shollow breaths. freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 09:28, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The kind of meditation that wakes me up is pure, mind-emptying meditation. When I want to relax enough to sleep, I do a 'relax sections of the body' mind/body exercise. I start with my toes and I'm usually asleep by my knees. Anchoress20:15, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I disagree... with Gavin. In all hypnosis texts, the instruction is to f e e l your breathing and to breathe deeper... and deeper...., whilst you fall... deeper.... and deeper.... into a trance. Are you getting sleepy yet?--Light current02:03, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
they have never found their souls , so they disgrace their bodies for money. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.225.165.130 (talk) 20:49, September 17, 2006 (UTC)
Good to know that Christianity even has something to say about Goatse. Anyway, I don't think anyone can really guess about tubgirl - probably for attention. The goatse man on the other hand reputedly took pride in stretching his anus as far as possible. As to why he would do such a thing, I point you to what George Mallory said when he was asked "Why climb Everest?" for the thousandth time: "Because it's there". --Sam Blanning(talk)00:52, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Herning is a city in Jutland and also my friend surname, I wonder if this is coincedence or is there a historical connection,where did the name come from?
Well, I remember it! The ladies were sitting on the backs of armchairs, legs apart, their private parts obscured by the heads of the men sitting in the armchairs. It was a late-night show called EX Osaka, part of a series called EX Terebi (EX Television). I found the following article in the Japanese wikipedia: [[19]]. Auximines08:58, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I'm still right. EX TV is a cable exclusive (cable isn't very common in Tokyo) channel that specializes in idol titty games and variety porno. If you'll actually read the article, it mentions that the name is supposed to reference S(EX) TV. freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 06:57, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Possible indictment of former Sony vp James Jackson on slavery charges
James J. Jackson, former vice president of legal affairs, was found liable for damages in a civil trial brought by his former housekeeper Nena Ruiz. The jury found him and his wife had held the housekeeper against her will - essentially in slavery. Have there been any criminal charges filed against either Mr Jackson or his wife? There has been speculation that a grand jury was meeting to consider indictments on slavery charges. Is there any truth to this?
There were very few legit websites which I could find that discussed this. This one seems legit, but it's two years old. I couldn't find a legit publication that discussed criminal charges. User:Zoe|(talk)23:33, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I can't find any confirmation that he was a Sony VP, or even at the level you'd call "executive". I wonder, is this the same James J. Jackson who formed Greenberg & Jackson in LA with Martin J. Greenburg (Marty Greenberg), of scientology fame. --LambiamTalk22:47, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Altitude of Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
I was referred to you by Wikipedia Information Team.
What is the altitude (elevation) of Ubud, Bali, Indonesia?
Thanks for any help.
Would be helpful, if you find it, for the answer to be emailed to me.
I like this girl, but have no clue how to tell her, nor do I know if she likes me. Can anyone help?
Why dont you tell her you like her and offer to walk her home or something. Do NOT ask her if she likes you as this may put her off. Anyway how does she know yet? If she likes you, youll know it!--Light current02:31, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
It's me again. She could have the same problem as me. Not know how to tell me in this instance.
Well someones gotta make the first move. Second thoughts-- dont tell her you like her straight out. Just get talking to her. She'll sense that you like her by what you say/do. OK? go to it!.--Light current02:45, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Light current makes a lot of good points. Why do you think there are so many jokes about how hard it is to understand members of the opposite sex? Because people usually have very little of a clue when it comes to relationships. But we eventually figure out the important bits, marry, have kids, etc etc. Dismas|(talk)03:55, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Basically, you won't like relationships even more if you never get to experience one, even if nothing really happens. Most girls don't mind being told that they are liked, and if they do, well then you're probably aiming for the wrong girls, but you shouldn't worry about that. freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 09:15, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
First of all you should compliment her and flatter her. Depends on the situation, but if you're for example students in a group tutorial you could tell her afterwards how great her answers or presentation was. Or if she's wearing a some new clothes you could tell her briefly that you like them. eg if shes got a new bag you could say something like "Nice bag" or "like your bag". And you could also do her small favours. Only then, when she begins to think that your nice, should you tell her you like her.
Has any female replied to this thread? While none of the above is absolutely wrong, you're better off finding some common interest and beginning with that. Chat about something you both enjoy, do something together (study for a class, after-school activity), and then once you're both having a good time and maybe laughing over a good joke say something like, "I really like you. Let's go out to the movies." Durova14:01, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Supposedly in today's youth culture, a guy is considered way too aggressive if he just goes up to a girl and asks her out. It is supposed to be more customary to do it via intermediaries. Your friend asks her friend if she might want to, maybe hang out with you sometime. Or your friend arranges with her friend, via textmessages and cellphone calls, for the communal herd to migrate together to the mall. Edison17:20, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
It's always been awkward and aggressive to just corner a girl without warning and ask for a date. Not likely to charm unless she's already won over. 72.199.30.3118:33, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yeah. You mustnt frighten her off by being too forthright. (mind you, some girls may like that-- but you cant tell) THats why I say best to start with common interests. The intermediary thing I think is a waste of time. --Light current01:04, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Make sure the raw signature checkbox is ticked, then write your code in the signature box, under My preferences > User profile. Here, for your reference, is the code that gives you my sig:
I think it's a visual thing so that the people in the cheap seats can see that he's breaking the bread. If you're one of the first people in line for the eucharist, you get one of the pieces broken off of the larger one. The rest of the congregation just get the little ones.
Hold overs from the old days. That's the way my mother was taught. That women should have a white lace bonnet or something of that ilk over her head. Though she didn't do this in her later years, just as a kid.
I was also an altar boy, and about the first question: Did he take the second sip after everyone else drank? In my parish, the priest never drank any more than one sip until after everyone else drank, and then it was his duty to finish off the chalice. There was no real reason for it (that I know of), simply that if someone's going to finish it off, it only seems natural that the head of the ceremony would do it. freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 09:09, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I was under the impression that the priest finished off the chalice at the end because he wasn't allowed to (or at least didn't want to) tip the unfinished wine down the sink, given that the belief is that it has been turned into the blood of christ, and it would be rather sacriligous to throw it out. --jjron14:58, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
While the extra is drunk at the end of the Mass, after cleanup the crumbs and the water used to wash out the remaining wine are disposed of in the sacrarium, a special sink with a drain that runs directly into the ground (not into the sewer). This can be seen as a "burial", an appropriately reverent way to dispose of the consecrated remains. Rmhermen20:22, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
If the Priest or minister of a liturgical church such as Catholic, Episcopal or Lutheran, does not drink the leftover communion wine,( and germ-laden backwash if a common chalice has been drunk from by hundreds of people), any leftover wine must be poured in a piscina, which is a sink with a pipe going into the ground, not into the sewers. This is because they believe that when the words of institution are spoken, "This is my blood" that the blood of Christ is present in the chalice. Other denominations may see it as a symbolic comemoration, and it is still mere wine, or in some denominations mere grape juice.Edison20:41, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
A friend of mine went on an anti-fascist rant today about how his cell phone provider made him turn in his phone for a new one with enabled "GPRS". He claimed that every new cell phone has a GPS (which is called "GPRS") system in it and that they can all be tracked, but that the regular consumer does not have access to the GPS system, (he didn't specify who did have access, but presumably the police and the cell phone providers).
So....after reading GPRS I know he's full of shit (he was probably pulling my leg), but is there any truth whatsoever to this? I can't see this guy getting these paranoid ideas from nowhere.. Jasbutal04:34, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
You can buy a cell phone without a contract, where you just buy cards to recharge it periodically. That way, they can trace the phone, but have no idea who owns the phone, so this doesn't do "Big Brother" much good. StuRat05:31, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Overheard on a train: "... yeah, I really liked that phone - it was a pay-as-you-go-you Nokia, you know - and they came to me and said, they said "do you want a contract phone?" and I said "no" of course, they can track those with satellites so obviously not ..." Duly turned round and raised eyebrows at speaker but he didn't notice. Oh well. Tyrhinis22:56, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
What opening does not cramp black's game, does not demolish black's pawn structure like the sveshnikov sicilian and give black lots of mobility against whites e4?
I take it you're the same person who asked a similar question yesterday. If I understand you correctly, you are asking for a bit much. To begin with, Black has three routes to go when he initiates the defense: 1) slug it out, 2) set up a fortress, and 3) counter-attack. I shall try to keep it simple without distorting things too badly. Do realize that these are merely generalisations.
1) Slug it out by going toe-to-toe with White for the center with 1 ... e5. For what you want, you might try the Exchange Lopez with a trade of Queens on move 8. You won't be able to castle, but your pieces will get out easily and your pawn structure will be okay. You will, however, need alternate plans if White doesn't go for "the Spanish Torture."
2) Just what you don't want. No French for you.
3) No Sicilian, eh? Then try the Alekhine's (e4 Nf6).
Now for the bad news. There's no magic opening. You're not going to win the game in the opening - unless White makes some really bad moves, and what credit is that to you? - the opening just leads into the middle game.
The Exchange Lopez and Alekhine's offer more freedom than average for Black. The price is that they're riskier than average. Good luck. B00P10:19, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
One way to make a game interesting is to study some obscure opening. That is often the only way to beat a much better player. Especially if you get to play them in a game of speed chess. DirkvdM17:58, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
ian has a riddle
okay who has an answer to this riddle -without me you cry openly
I've heard it's very difficult to cry without eyelids. You have to constantly put drips in your eyes to keep them moist, so you can't tell whether the person is actually crying, or if they've just put a few too many drops in their eyes. freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 09:04, 18 September 2006 (UTC) -- Although, you don't technically need tears to cry, so I guess it still makes sense. freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 09:05, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Can anyone help identify the unit from which the soldier shown right comes? He's clearly a medic, I'm almost certain he's US Army, and his comments on Talk:Hands of Victory suggest he was in Baghdad in July 2006. He's not logged in since then (so there's no point in asking him) but maybe someone can help me clarify the caption on that article. Thanks. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk13:57, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
There's a rather crude looking red cross on a white background followed by what appears to be a red C on his arm, with a leather "shield" underneath. Could this mean a medic in "Company C" ? The partially obscured letters "MY" are also shown on his chest, which I take to be the end of the word "ARMY". StuRat17:43, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
hey people!
i am doing a US history project (for school) and i am haveing some difficulty picking a topic. i am very interested in:
1. japan
2. music
3. french fashions
the problem being some ristrictions
1. has to ask a "why" or "how" question
2. can't involve corporate history (history on companies)
3. i can't do anyting with celeb. history
4. finally, i can't have anything that books can't directaly answer ie: who shot John Kennedy?
In addition, a related topic would be something related to the massive takeoff of jazz in Japan during the 30s and 40s, and how it started the whole "traditionalist vs. modernist" problem in Japanese society. Wooty18:18, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
This is a gated community, where you buy your lot and and you are allowed to build your home, have acess to the community pool, tennis court, you pay HOA DUES, I'm also referred to as a
USUFRUCTUARY, the Gated Community is also located in City of Playas de Rosarito,B.C. Mexico.
My question is what is , what is a Grant Deed in the form of a Public Deed ? Sincerely thanking you in advance, I have researched the information requested to no avail.
Mexican real estate law is incredibly complicated. I suggest you retain a Mexican attorney and have that person investigate the offering thoroughly before you invest. If (as I suspect) you are a U.S. citizen, there have to be special legal mechanisms in place because foreign nationals don't actually own land in Mexico the same sense as people own land in the States. Although the worst case scenario is rather rare, entire residential developments have been evicted after a court ruled that another party actually had a superior claim to ownership. By posting here you're basically asking a bunch of nonexperts who have no stake in the outcome whether you should invest what is probably your life savings. Free advice is worth what you pay for it. Durova18:51, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Life
I was listening to a man talking to me about veganism etc. He said that eating meat and other corpses can attract some kind of low spiritual force, so you will be born in the next life as an animal, most likely. Because, as we eat it, the suffering and everything the animals went trough, just so they could end up as a meal on our dinner table, somehow all that comes into us, and attracts bad karma. I believe I didn't quote exactly what he said, but this is the point mostly... It had an impact on me, and I was wondering, if you ever heard of that, and perhaps you can point me to some reading about that? I read a lot about veganism etc., but never have I read anything like that...--Captain ginyu18:52, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Are you sure you believe in karma? Consider Jesus. He was the most righteous, perfect, infallible man who ever lived. At the very least most people would concede that he was a "good man". Yet at the age of just 33 he was put to a horrible death on a cross after being mocked, whipped and spat upon. Karma? Doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me in that context. BenC710:23, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Well no offense, but the thing you said doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me either. If you are Christian, than you believe in God, and that Jesus was the Son of God. If that is so, Jesus knew what will hapen to him, and He resurrected back to heaven afterwards, everything as God, should I say, planned. If not, and if He was just an ordinary man, than maybe it was a punishment because of the things he did in his past lives.--Captain ginyu12:38, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Or stay a child, forever. So much easier in many ways... (Sometimes I wonder how many of these questions are asked for serious...) 惑乱 分からん19:31, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
When I was just a little girl
I asked my mother what will I be
Will I be pretty, will I be rich
Here's what she said to me
*Que sera, sera
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours to see
Que sera, sera
What will be, will be
I actually think we've managed better than (possibly expected) outcomes, such as "Blahblah profession X, that's where the money is." etc. 惑乱 分からん13:47, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Travel Question
Hey, I'm trying to go from New Haven, CT to Cambridge MA, and then back again, using public transportation. Does anybody happen to know the cheapest way to do this? Also, you could probably substitute "Cambridge" with "Boston," since it's easy to get from Boston to Cambridge with the subway. Thanks! --JianLi20:07, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I am one of four guys living in a cozy aparment. No matter how hard I barely try the apartement is always a mess. Part of the problem is no one does any work because they don't want to be the guy who cleans everything. I read Game theory but it didn't help. Do you have any suggestions to keep it clean? 217.132.101.13220:36, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Stop barely trying, for starters. Instead, try trying a little harder. Then, get agreement from the guys that they will all be equally and jointly responsible for the state of the place, and regularly review progress. That way, no one person does any more of the work than anybody else, and they can't complain they're being hard done by. Of course, not all of them will have the same idea of what's an acceptable standard of tidiness or cleanliness, as you have. That might bear some discussion to begin with. JackofOz20:46, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
"how hard I barely try"? ;) Anyway you should probably have a meeting, all four of you, and make a rotating schedule where each one of you cleans up everything every fourth week, or so. At least, that's my idea. (Edit conflict, and some other guy already said basically the same thing, Well, wahtever...) 惑乱 分からん20:52, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
There are several options:
Bite the bullet and do the cleaning yourself.
Hire a maid service.
Move in with other people (this is sometimes called marriage).
Get your own place.
There's no real magic answer here: adult slobs are generally uncurable. A baseline method, if you don't have at least this much already, is to start a kitty where everyone chips in a small amount of money toward basic supplies. ($5-$10 each month, or the equivalent in your local currency). Possibly try a housecleaning party with pizza and sodas or beer. Durova20:58, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I spent many years living with several different sets of housemates. I recommend that you get your own place as soon as you can afford it. Until then, the approach that worked best for me was to call a house meeting to talk about housecleaning. At the meeting, divide the housecleaning tasks into four fairly equal groups (e.g. bathroom, kitchen, vacuuming, taking trash out; or, you could divide big jobs like the bathroom and kitchen into subsets and couple those with either vacuuming or trash). Then list all of the tasks that need to be done for each job (clean toilet bowl, wipe rims, mop floor, etc.). Then agree how often each task needs to happen. You may need to compromise. Then create a rotating schedule. If you decide each job needs to happen once a week, it would look like this: Week 1: Person A does Job W, Person B does Job X, Person C does Job Y, and Person D does Job Z; Week 2: Person A does Job X, Person B does Job Y, Person C does Job Z, Person D does Job W; etc. Schedule a meeting at the end of the (four-week?) cycle to assess the system and see if changes are needed. You can agree that every one will clean at the same time (e.g. Saturday morning) while you play music you all like on the sound system, or whatever else will make the business more pleasant. Marco polo18:11, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I have a less structured alternative, which worked in my alter-ego's shared house. You need an ally. Get one of your homies to help you clean half of the aparment/apartement (make sure it's the easier half!) and then the two of you can pressurise the other two to do their share. Even if this fails you have half of the aparment/apartement cleaned. The only other thing was emptying the bins, which was one person's responsibility each week. sʟυмɢυм • т • c 20:58, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
child tax credit in the UK
I'm trying to find a stat for the proportion of eligible families in the UK that are claiming child tax credit. All I seem to be able to find is a raw figure of 6 million families who are claiming. Can anyone help? --Dweller21:44, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yes, they have had problems with fraudulent claims, lol. But can anyone help me find a reputable (and serious!) percentage? I'm really hitting a brick wall here. --Dweller08:59, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Hmm, judging by Lords Hansard text, nobody knew in 2004 and they were supposed to be researching it. It might be worth asking your MP, if you have the time. Unless your MP has some other job, like leader of the opposition or something, you can get surprisingly thorough results. Questions asked and such like. Skittle12:56, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The Urban Dictionary lists several conflicting definitions, all of which are sexual and obscene. You didn't hear this from me, but one remedy is to get all your friends together and corner him after school and beat him up. ;) Durova21:58, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
*sigh* The things is reveal about myself in the service of others.... here goes.... a rusty trombone is when an individual is "on his or her knees behind a male and performs anilingus while reaching up beneath the testicles or around the body to manually masturbate the standing partner, mimicking the motions of a trombone player."
I presume you do not carry out the aforementioned act on your mother (infact, its highly unlikely your mother has a penis, which makes one wonder whether the kid even knows what the term means him or her self) and this is meant as an insult. Thus you could always rise above it, or alternatively lower yourself to the level of the accuser and respond by telling him or her that their mother is partial to a Cleveland steamer. Rockpocket04:13, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
If you want an educational film on what this and other terms like it means, I can recommend The Aristocrats. They have a section with Andy Dick explaining obscure, obscene terms, including this one. Oskar05:19, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I didn't want to post this here, but Allexperts.com couldn't help.
Got a 2004 Volkswagen Cabriolet that has a problem with its convertible cover. Part of the rear window has separated from the rest of the cover at the seam so that water seeps into the backseat. What's the best method to fix the problem? I've got a hunch that good epoxy would work if there were a way to clamp things while it dries... Suggestions welcome. Durova22:04, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I'm pretty sure bath sealant won't hold up under the types of stresses a convertible car cover experiences. Taking the darn thing to the dealer... Durova16:45, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Football question: What is the difference between insurance touchdown and 'regular' touchdown?
An "insurance" touchdown is one more touchdown scored by the team in the lead, so that the team which is trailing now have to score twice in order to tie the game. User:Zoe|(talk)23:37, 18 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
September 19
Q-ray Bracelet
How do Q-Ray bracelets work? What does it mean to be ionized? Does it actually does something scientifically proven to your body or does it simply cause you to believe in yourself? Jamesino00:55, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Ok, the amount the following question could vary almost makes in invalid, but here it is: I'm paying about 1000 bucks a month rent right now for an apartment. I'm planning on buying a house worth 120,000, with a loan. Would the interest / mortgage be cheaper than paying rent? I'm just trying to get a rough estimate... thanks a bunch! Mike 71.56.107.2000:57, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
There are lots of loan caculators on the web. Assuming you pay 10% down and get a 30 year loan at 6.0%, the principal and interest would be about $650 a month. Besides having the cash for the down payment, you'll also have to pay taxes and insurance (every month). If the house costs twice as much (and you still put 10% down), the principal and interest would simply double as well. -- Rick Block (talk) 01:35, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
There's also the value of the property to look at. When you pay rent, that money simply disappears to the landlord's pocket. With a house, your money will be put towards paying for your house which, since land prices normally always go up from one year to the next, will likely appreciate in value. Therefore, what you're paying 120k for now (and the next 20-30 years) will be worth more money then than it is now. Dismas|(talk)01:43, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
That depends on where you live. Where I recently moved out of cost $750/month for a two bedroom shack of a house. My current kitchen and bathroom are approximately the same square footage as that house. Dismas|(talk)08:53, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
A fair bit of the answer depends on where you live. In Southern California $1000 a month won't even get a two bedroom apartment. A $120,000 house is unheard-of (triple that and you might get a cheap condo) and an astonishing number of people have fallen for interest-only home loans. That means they'll never pay off the mortgage unless they overpay the minimum, which very few people can afford to do, and they're risking their life savings on rising market values. In the short run some people have walked away with tidy profits. If interest rates go up (which is happening) and if housing prices drop (which is also happening), a lot of those people stand to lose their life savings because they'll no longer be able to afford the minimum payment on an adjustable rate mortgage. Doesn't this sound insane? Durova16:42, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
If you can get a house for $120K where you are, and you are paying $1,000 for an apartment, the house may be the better deal. As someone calculated above, you will spend about $650-700 a month for the mortgage, including interest. Depending on the condition of the house, you probably need to budget another $200-250 a month for maintenance and insurance. (Some years you will spend very little on maintenance, other years you will spend thousands.) The big question is property tax. What will the property tax be on this house? If it is much more than $2,500 a year, then the apartment might still be the better deal. Otherwise, even if your monthly payment and expenses are slightly higher, your tax deduction will make up for it. The other question is whether you plan to stay in the same place for at least 10 years. One reason that this is important is that there are costs associated with buying and moving into a house. Often they are more than 5% of the price of the house (commission, "points," inspections, moving costs, etc.) Another is that for the first 5 years or so, most of your mortgage payments go to interest. You need to stay put for 10 years or so to begin to build significant equity. Otherwise, you are giving your money to the bank, which is no better than giving your money to the landlord in rent. A final consideration is the prospects for property value increase. If you can get a house for $120K and you are not in a severely economically depressed area, chances are that that house will rise in value. (If you lived in a region, as I do, where tiny, run-down houses in crime-ridden neighborhoods go for a bubble-inflated $350K, you could not count on property values rising much in 10 years.) Marco polo18:27, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
When you are working this out, don't forget to add in all the other costs of owning a house. You will need to pay property taxes; you will need to do major pieces of work on it occasionally (like replacing roofs or driveways); you will need to replace appliances. You will need to redecorate occasionally. It all adds up. DJ Clayworth15:56, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Also remember utilities. If you're in an apartment, your rent probably covers heating and/or air conditioning, water, sewer, etc., etc. In a house you're going to have to pay all that on top of your mortgage and taxes, and usually utilities are far more expensive in a house (especially a detached house) than in an apartment. Ask for the last year's heating and electricity bills if you can. In my small house I easily pay $200 a month for utilities. --Charlene.fic22:34, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Information on Robin Lee Graham
I am trying to verify the information in the article on "Robin Lee Graham" which reports that "Dove sank in hurricane Marilyn in 1995."
I think the users who have edited this article are:
Bpaul1 3
Anonymous 3
Scott Sanchez 3
BrownHairedGirl 1
Mmtux 1
Johantheghost 1
D6 1
Youremyjuliet 1
How can I contact them to see if one of them entered this information and can provide any additional information or confirmation?
You could either leave a question on the talk page for the article itself (the "discussion") tab at the top of the article) or leave a message on each user's talk page. Dismas|(talk)01:39, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Looking through the article's history, this particular sentence was added by this edit from user:Bpaul1. You can ask this user about this edit on his/her talk page, i.e. at user talk:Bpaul1. This user has not made any edits since April 28, 2006, so I suspect is unlikely to respond, so in this case your best bet is probably the article's talk page. -- Rick Block (talk) 01:47, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
"54/40 or fight". was a rallying cry for a border dispute. I think with Canada but I'm not sure. Can anyone enlighten me on this? Thanks
— Preceding unsigned comment added by 63.110.125.27 (talk)
You can easily do that yourself, type in "12 cm in inches" into google and you'll get a response. See: [24]. That's the by far easiest way to convert anything into something else (whether it'd be lenght, weight, currency, calories, ...) Oskar05:23, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
A few years ago a financial adviser sold me some policies and one of them was for shares Arriva,
& to be honest it has only just came to light, not only can i find a policy but I cant remember which broker he worked for,
Please can you advise me as to wether or not Arivva will have my details on their system or can you forward another form of contact for Arriva.
Your early response will be much appreciated
Contact details
Keith Webb
(email address and telephone numbers redacted)
I sometimes wonder, do the people who leave their contact details here ever check back on this page? Or, do they give up on us if we don't email or phone them? --Richardrjtalk email07:41, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
So.. you think you have some shares in Arriva. You do not have the share certificate. You do not know from whom you bought the shares. So far so good!
You should be able to get a list of shareholders from the Company. That will tell you if you have got shares. It may tell you how many as well. Now if you need to sell them, I think you will need a certificate. If this is lost you may be able to get another from the company. However it is possible that these shares are held in a nominee portfolio on your belhalf by the stockbrokers, in which case it would be really helpful if you could remember whick stockbrockers sold you the shares. You cant have dealt with that many ..can you?
I'm just amazed none of them ask us to "drop by my house and let me know, ring the upstairs doorbell and give me a few minutes, as I probably have my pants off". :-) StuRat13:29, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
If you go on google earth (i dont know if its on google maps or not) and look at Junction 7 of the M11 in the U.K. in a very close view and you look at the bit where the northern bit of the A414 joins the roundabout you will notice somethin very wierd.
What is it??? Also there is what appears to be another one if you follow the A414 north for a few miles till you get to the outskirts of Harlow wheres the roundabout. Then look at the two sets of houses immediately north east of the roundabout.
Not realy i cant find the co-ordinates on google earth but if you can find London, and then the M25 (London ringroad)(put on view roads and its very obvious), then the M11 is the blue line that goes from north east London to Cambridge. Its the first junction outside of the M25. Or if your still lost just search for Harlow, UK on google earth and if you zoom out a bit it will be obvious.--William dady09:36, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I found what you're talking about by looking for Harlow, England, UK on Google maps. Then followed A414 down to M11. I see a large streak-like object at the first point that you mentioned. Is that what you're talking about when you say "somethin very wierd"? Dismas|(talk)09:38, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I think I found them too. The second one is near to where it says Southern Way between two rows of houses, right? Could be anything. Looks like a reflection from something shiny to me. Why do you think they are weird? They're just objects. Cars or something. --Richardrjtalk email09:48, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Haven't the Concordes been retired ? Are they just going to leave them at the airport until they find a museum that will take them ? Or maybe they could sell them to a rich collector. StuRat09:57, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Well, that's an old picture, like they all are on Google Earth. It would have been taken when they were still in service. As for where they are now, the article you linked to just says they have been grounded. I imagine they are in a hangar somewhere. Sad. --Richardrjtalk email10:03, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I just read the article. It does say one is still at Heathrow, but, since they have all lost their air worthiness certificates, they can't be flown. That means they have to leave it at Heathrow permanently or cut it up to remove it. Sad indeed. StuRat10:09, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
It seems bizarre, to say the least, that BA still owns them, says it won't ever use them again but refused to sell them to Richard Branson who was prepared to use them. --Richardrjtalk email10:14, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yes, and considering how heavily subsidized they were by the British gov, and what a symbol of British pride they are, I think the UK gov should "nationalize" them (take them) and sell them to Branson. It would be better for just about everyone (except BA) if they were to join the Virgin Atlantic fleet. StuRat11:19, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Is this the odd streak? Here is another a bit west of the first one. They are pretty common especially in cities (tin roofs I think). I'm guessing they are imaging artifacts: sunlight reflecting from some bright surface right towards the camera in the satellite. The too-bright light overloads the CCD cell in the camera momentarily, and the movement of the satellite turns it into a north-south streak. I'm just guessing though... Weregerbil11:27, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
there is a video on the net that is unbelievable. Unfortunately I don't have the URL anymore.
This is what happens :
- a group of singing Japanese man gets on stage one after another (about eleven of them), they are wearing a bra and shorts with a swan neck and head on them
- one of them is a leader, he is first in line and has a microphone
- they spread all over the stage singing something with the word PEACE in it quite often
- they start moving their hips up and down, causing the swan head to go up and down (causing hilarity among female audience members)
- they hold the swan head with their hands and shake it
- they sing something like "wo-o-wo peace peace"
- music stops, they make a nice formation and hold the swan head as if they were urinating, the leader extends one arm slowly
- music resumes, they turn around and untie their bra, then turn towards the audience and act silly about it (holding their arms in front of their chest)
- the leader turns around again and removes the swan from his shorts, revealing a pink heart at the back of his shorts (female audience screams)
- they applaud each other and the leader says something like "TBS" and it also appears on screen
- all the men leave the stage, except the leader, who puts the swan back on and stays on stage, sitting next to two ladies in a police uniform
So does anyone have any idea what kind of show this was? Is this a band of comedians or something? It's totally incomprehensible!
Thanks!
Evilbu09:58, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Is this it? Most of your questions are answered in the comments, if it is. It's certainly odd. (I googled peace swan japanese and it was the first result, btw). Natgoo17:36, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Masahiro Nakai, I think this guy is the leader. Thanks, I guess Google really is my friend. But... I still don't get WHY?? Btw : his Wikipedia description in the SMAP article looks nice too :"Masahiro Nakai (中居 正広) is the "leader" of the group and has hosted numerous television programs through out the years. He is a notorious bachelor and trickster. He is known for his bad singing. He frequently wears a hat and has long hair, although his look changes frequently." Evilbu18:17, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
All of SMAP act stupid on TV, it's the basis of their career. In fact, that's the way most Japanese celebrities act. Compared to American celebs, Japanese are incredibly well humored and know how to laugh when they're being made fun of, and don't even hesitate to make fun of themselves, whereas Johnny Depp is a complete bore. Nakai may technically be SMAPs leader, but they're basically all equal in fame, money, popularity, stupid bachelorism, and singing ability (actually, Nakai is quite a bit worse, and, because he's a Japanese celeb, has no problem making fun of that fact ad nauseum on TV!). freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 05:21, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I seem to live my life in permanent anxiety, which only disapears when i am alone or with very close friends, could this be a medical condition? how can i over come this? please help as i feel like i am going to cry, which is not to good for a macho type man at work.
I'm sorry but we don't dispense medical advice here other than to recommend seeing a professional, which in this case is what I feel you should do. I don't like groups of people either though I've never felt I was going to cry because of the environment I was in. Again, I would suggest seeking professional help. Dismas|(talk)10:35, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Aaar! Since today is International Talk like a Pirate Day, you could impress your friends, and shed some anxiety. Shiver me timbers! --Zeizmic13:02, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I "know" someone who, weirdly enough, became an actress. You think it would make her more nervous, but playing another character actually made her feel comfortable. Perhaps you are similar, try joining a local theatre group. She eventually got rid of her anxiety simply by conquering it. Before you try pills or something, try conquering your fears by confronting them together with a close friend. Go to a party where you know few people and get to know new people. If that doesn't work, I would agree with the others. Go see a doctor. There's medication that can help. - Mgm|(talk)21:50, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Your anxiety could absolutely be a medical condition, and there are techniques of psychotherapy which could help you as well as medicines. Edison05:08, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Sanctuary
In the song "Sanctuary" by Utada Hikiri, she sings in a different language at the beginning of the song and after the line "My heart's a battleground"
What language is this?
Does anyone know what she's saying?
Thanks in advance,
I am looking for information on an old radio for insurance purposes.
It was manufactured by Dominion Electrohome Industries Ltd.for
Robert Simpson company Ltd.It was around the late 1800's or early
1900's. The name of the radio is
Serenader A.C. operated receiver,85 Watts
model # SL-4726. This company that manufactured the radio was in
Kitchener Ontario. I would appreciate any help I can get,mainly an
estimated value.Thank You for your help.
An AC operated radio would probably date not earlier than the late 1920's. You might check Ebay.com for completed sales and with luck find what a similar radio sold or recently. There are also guide books in the library to collectable radios. Edison05:16, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I'm looking for a website that can compare exchange rates on different websites and tell me which one offers the best exchange rate. I'm specifically interested in sites in the UK and comparison between GBP and other major currencies.Mahanchian16:08, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Just google "Exchange rates", there are several sites out there. Btw, what do you mean by "best exchange rate", the most correct or the one which would yield the highest sum? =S 惑乱 分からん16:53, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The stripes are distinct from other road paint schemas. Ease of identification is the primary reason for choice, not some arcane symbolism. — Lomn17:26, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The deal is that they are cheap as chips; all you need is white paint and maybe a couple of Belisha beacons, and they allow pedestrians to cross (in theory) safely, without the traffic disruption and construction work that traffic lights would require. smurrayinchester(User), (Talk)20:51, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
This page gives some sample costs for various crossings, putting the zebra at £6000 with a controlled crossing (pelican, puffin, toucan) at £30,000, and this parliamentary reply gives similar figures (£7500 for a zebra). But that seems to be a very low estimate when the cost of actual schemes is assessed. This page shows the prices of actual schemes (where crossing constructions are combined with other stuff), which is way over those numbers, and this page estimates the cost of a new zebra at £30,000. Other numbers include £14,000, £10,000 (which explains some of the additional cost), £12,000. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk21:13, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Alice Solomon University of applied sciences in social work
can you give me an email address at which I can contact this school with some questions re. their programs and accreditation? if at all possible I would prefer to communicate with them in English. thank you.
Once the Mint has a strip of the proper metal with discs of the correct size punched out, it takes a small fraction of a second to stamp in with the dies and make it into a cent. The U.S. Mint does not make pennies. That is a British coin. Edison05:19, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Are you saying that the Brits make all the United States pennies in my jar at home? Or that the U.S. does not have a coin that is referred to as the penny? Dismas|(talk)08:45, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Hehe, african words. Ehrm, sorry. I have never heard of that guy, but yes, there are apparently such languages. The Khoisan languages seem to be examples of that (mabye the only ones, I have no idea). —Bromskloss20:52, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
yea I also heard that all Africans speak the same African click language. All 1 billion people and all the thousands of different ethnic groups, all the same exact African language. amazing how they make that work! Jasbutal04:48, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
On a slight tangent, there's also a band called !!!, pronounced "click-click-click" or "chk-chk-chk", inspired by seeing The Gods Must Be Crazy, since a ǃ (pipe with subscript dot), the symbol for the Postalveolar click, looks very similar to an exclamation point. smurrayinchester(User), (Talk)20:49, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
On another tangent, I believe Khoisan is the language with the highest number of different sounds - 140+ compared with 30-something in English. Jameswilson23:31, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Actually, it's pretty vague. According to the article, fifteen people have gone over intentionally, five have definitely survived, and no mention is made of the other ten. --Serie18:35, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Hmmm, if they don't read the article on the topic of their question how can we expect them to read a FAQ. This is an encyclopedia, and oddly enough we still get people who don't look up the first word in their question. And, as much of the response here is taunting of stupid questions and other reference desk workers, wouldn't a FAQ just be rubbing it in? :) --DarkfredTalk to me21:52, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
It might not be a bad idea, but I fear that a) it will be impossible to force people to read it, and it is really much easier just to direct them to the answer/tell them the answer, b) the FAQ will become gigantic. freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 01:22, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
OK How bout this; If a question has been asked more than once the question plus answer goes on the FAQ page. If you remember the question appearing before, then its easy to refer some one to the FAQ page rather than try to remember which particular archive it is stored in. Just a suggestion! 8-)--Light current01:56, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Personally i don't think our answers are high enough quality to enshrine, and it is a lot of work to maintain. Mostly I just post links to the relevent information anyway. I would put the threshhold at like 5 asks for the same question, then someone has to organize the answers into an enshrinable form. --DarkfredTalk to me04:48, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
enshrinable?? what are you kidding me? articles here are about as sacred as sex is to the average teenager. This is wikipedia it's always changing, this ain't the Vatican pre-1960 Jasbutal04:57, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I don't think you realize the scope of this thing. Don't you realize that the question you asked has actually been asked a number of times before (here is a small FAQ that has been already made for the language desk), and thus by your logic, should itself be in the FAQ? freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 05:15, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Id be surprised if it hadnt been suggested before. But I cant find it coz there aint a FAQ page!! 8-)
I have come up with this suggestion too, some time back, as have many others, so if democracy makes any sense this should be a good idea. :)
What happens now when a question has been asked before is that (maybe) someone gives a link to that thread. When they do so, they could at the same time move that link to the faq page, accompanied by a link to the question at hand, because that might get some answers too. Once that is done, people can start cleaning it up, making it more article-like, thus giving a better answer. Of course, if there is a need for such a thing, then maybe there should be an article about it. But let's first see how this develops. I've made a start: Wikipedia:Reference desk/faq.
A problem is that a link to a thread that is not yet archived needs maintenance - it needs to be changed once the thread gets archived. Or it could be given a format as if it were already archived. Or both could be placed and the invalid one removed once the thread is archived.
I am looking for a list of the top ten public high schools with the largest numbers of students in the US. Any information you can give me would be very helpful. Thank you!
Does anyone know of a link to a good audio or video collection of famous television, movie, history, etc. quotes and clips? Thanks for your help! Reywas9222:18, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
You could also go to famous people's websites. For example, search for Martin Luther King Jr., JFK, FDR, etc. Or you could search for "Famous Quotes." That'll probably get you something, although the legitamacy of the quotes is questionable. --AstoVidatu23:35, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I'm looking for something broader than Anissa Jones. I want a large collection of many famous things, such as an audio file with many quotes from movies or the sort, like with "May the Force be with you," "To infinty and beyond," and Indiana Jones' "Snakes. I hate snakes." Or a collection of clips of movie music, all in one place. Thanks! Reywas9219:24, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Lactic Acid
Does lactic acid cause muscle pain? I'm having trouble understanding the article lactic acid!
No this is a common misconception. Lactic acid exists in exercising muscles but is not the cause of the soreness as was thought earlier in the century. Soreness is caused by physical strain between the muscles fibers affecting nerves. And later the healing of said strain. --DarkfredTalk to me22:47, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
check out Lactic Acid, but basically it is a necessary chemical for your body to process sugar without oxygen. So when you work anerobically your body needs as much lactic acid as it can make. Without it you would simply fall to the ground after a short burst of intense exercise, unable to produce enough energy to feed your muscles. --DarkfredTalk to me22:54, 19 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The muscles are microscopically torn, I don't believe the cells themselves are cut(not sure), just broken apart. Why this feels like a burn is simply the type of nerve in the muscle, heat and pressure sensitive. --DarkfredTalk to me01:36, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Lactic acid cannot be formed in the body, since lactate doesn't ionize naturally. I think you mean lactate. Lactate is naturally generated by metabolism and activity, and the body requires a constant supply of oxygen to break down lactate.. it's a cycle that keeps lactate levels low. The amazing thing about it is that if there's not enough oxygen to break down the lactate (ie you're excercising and short of breath), the lactate can actually take the place of oxygen in cellular respiration, in what's called anerobic respiration. At least, that's what I remember of my high school biology classes :D --Froth15:08, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Do not use a condom. Sex is meant for the creation of new life, anything less degrades the sacred ritual. Do not have sex with more than one person in your life (choose wisely!), then you will never be at risk for any diseases, you will create loving children, and you will have an emotional bond, as close as two earthly mortals can ever get to God's love. This has been a public service announcement from: Jasbutal04:44, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Please remember that the reference desk is not for religious indoctrination. We answer questions (even malformed ones, like this), we don't act as a moral compass. Rockpocket07:46, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
you answer the question your way, I'll answer it mine.
Why does the human mind make such an effort to keep itself in consciouness, when it can very well survive in the subconscious level? Jamesino00:41, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
They only survive because of conscious people tending to their survival needs. If we were all unconscious, we wouldn't last too long as a species. As for being subconscious, well, that state is subjective. Those on a higher plane of consciousness (or those who indulge occasionally) might well say the rest of us are existing in our subconcious. Who is to say they are wrong? Rockpocket07:43, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Sadly, females who are in a vegetative state have been impregnated by rapacious caretakers in institutions. No data on males similarly abused, except "Garp."Edison05:24, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Basically us homo sapiens succeeded at infesting the entire planet because we're smarter than everything else. We've got tiny teeth, useless "claws," we're five times weaker in muscle strength than our nearest relatives the chimpanzee and bonabo. About all we've got going for us is opposable thumbs, language, and brain power. Durova01:53, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Which is logically incorrect by the way. Descartes should have come up with "I think" because it doesn't necessarily follow that "I am". --Froth05:49, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Would spitting rum into one's eyes make them go blind? It seems to be a voudoun tradition in their rituals... but how dangerous is something like that? 71.56.107.2001:45, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Check out the article on saliva. Based on saliva's composition, spitting in someone elses eyes will probably not have long term affects. HOWEVER, as noted in the spitting article, diseases can be transimtted through saliva. To sum it up, let your friends spit in your eyes at your own risk. --AstoVidatu01:55, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
My name is Indigita Manapatelshiri I do live in a local village in the city of Bandgararlon in the state of Kerala. and my peoople have suffered from a case of what I believe to be a bacterium which is water-derived .The state of Kerala and the bureaucratic systems in Delhi are not cooperating us at all, I wish to purchase Life Straws for my community how might you advise such a purchase from the interface corporations? Please do email me the solution. <e-mail removed>
Many thanks and may god-bless you and the communities in which you live.
I also suggest you tell everyone to boil water before they drink it, and preferably before they bathe in it, too. This will kill any bacteria in the water. StuRat09:03, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
this is quite impossible. We don't live in a land where electricity reaches everywhere on a grid and other sources of fuel are cheap and abundant.
Excuse my possible ignorance. But how can you possibly be using the internet if you do not have electricity? I fail to understand how you can possibly have enough power to power a computer and access the internet if you don't have any power to boil water? Yaksha13:57, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I don't understand, you must have some way to cook food, even if it's just a pot over an open fire. So, fill the pot with water and bring it to a boil. I can see why it might be too expensive to boil bathing water this way, but I would think you could afford to boil drinking water, at least. StuRat01:58, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
What a world we live in when the world's largest democracy can provide local village access to the internet but not to clean drinking water.
I like one idea I saw, it's a well with a hand pump, powered by a kid's merry-go-round, which pumps water into a water tower. The kids, just by playing, guaranteee the water tower is always full. StuRat01:52, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I'm not sure I'd like that idea if I was the kid.. that would make it considerably harder to turn the merry-go-round --Froth05:20, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
sir, what does a democracy have to do with any of this? Democracies are not infallible.
Democracies have very much to do with it- America pioneered the internet and internationalized it, and remains the authority on standards and protocol. Yet america can't provide drinking water. He was saying that democracies ARE fallible. --Froth05:23, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Of course they are. Any social system is fallible. But what does pioneering the Internet have to do with that? That transports information, not water. And what makes you think 'america' internationalised the Internet? If you mean 'popularise', that was mainly a result of the world wide web, which came from Europe. DirkvdM07:27, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The point is to point out the vast gulf between america and wherever this guy is posting from. more than 2/3 of americans have personal computers while this fellow is trying to find some clean water. And by internationalize, I mean the work that american universities did to develop and popularize usenet and other early internet architectures, which demonstrated the usefulness and practicality of the internet --Froth16:05, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Funny use of the word 'internationalise'. Anyway, the point was that India provides it's people with internet access but not clean water. To which I'd like to comment that one (second hand) computer connected to the internet (meaning a telephone line) for one village can cost just a fraction of what it would cost to constantly provide proper drinking water. DirkvdM06:23, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
About blaming democracy, that is actually something that is supposed to promote solidarity and hence equality. But it only works to some extent (the US, for example, has a very limited democracy and hence a lot of inequality). I am more inclined to think that a central problem here is overpopulation, something India especially has a lot of. I suppose the lack of fuel to boil the water is a result of there not being any firewood left. Am I right? (StuRat, fuel isn't as plentiful a resource as USians might think.) Filtering could indeed be a good solution, but you'd need to identify the source of the disease first before you spend too much money on it. And one big communal filtering installation (instead of loads of tiny ones like those lifestraws) might be cheaper per person in the long run. Although half a eurocent per litre sounds affordable and is at least a faster solution. But you need to think about the future too. I suggest you start reading at water purification. Finding affordable solutions might be difficult, though, because most effort is put in things that bring in money and providing cheap solutions for the third world is not the most profitable of things. So don't think so much in terms of products you can buy but more in terms of solutions in the form of ideas you can realise yourself with what you have at hand. What about catching water in the rainy season and preserving it? Just a thought. If you don't have money you need to use wit. DirkvdM07:27, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Dirk, you are mistaken when you say the US has a "very limited democarcy" and if you think economic equality is a universal goal of democracy. That's a stated goal of communism, but not in reality a goal even there. India does have a high degree of inequality, with some rich states known for their high education levels and other poor states with high rates of illiteracy. Even in Kerala, some coastal tourist areas are likely much better off economically than some non-tourist areas. While economic inequality may be considered to be a cause of such water contamination issues, it isn't a good idea to wait for economic equality (which may never come), assuming that will bring with it a safe water supply. A more immediate solution is needed. StuRat11:00, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I spoke of 'promoting equality', not 'achieving total equality'. The former is certainly a goal of democracy afaic. However, the total wealth of a nation or state is of course also important, although I think more financial equality will also help there if that means that people are healthier and thus more productive - which is quite relevant here. But I suppose you pointed that out too. DirkvdM06:23, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I still think water can be boiled economically, especially if done on a communal scale. If you compare the amount of fuel used to boil water with that needed to bake bread or cook meat, for example, it should be less to boil the same weight of water, because it doesn't need to be boiled for long, while bread does need to be baked for a long time or meat cooked for a long time. StuRat10:27, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Boiling water might actually solve the problem permanently, too. If this is the typical case, where people get infected from the water supply, and the bacteria from the people reinfects the water supply, then you only need to break the cycle. If everyone in the area only drinks boiled water for a period, they will then stop reinfecting the water supply, which will then eventually clear of bacteria. Other actions should also be taken, such as preventing people from bathing in the water supply (this can be especially difficult to enforce on kids) and making sure that sewers, cesspools, and outhouses are located far enough from the water supply to prevent contamination. This can be a particular problem during periods of flooding. Adding a disinfection chemical, like chlorine, to the water supply is also an option to break the cycle, but that may not be available or affordable in your area. This advice applies mainly to wells and springs. If your water comes from a river, unfortunately, the contamination likely comes from others upstream from you, so you have less control. What type of water supply do you have ? StuRat10:46, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
""The worlds largest democracy means India not the US. He was criticising the government of India not the US. They are providing internet access in every village. He was saying they should provide fresh water first. Jameswilson23:42, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Um, just a general suggestion - can the regulars on this desk please be a little bit more careful how they reply to people from different cultural backgrounds. Humor does not travel well through cultural differences and language difficulties. --Robert Merkel05:16, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
One other thing with water filtration; there are very low-cost, low-tech filtration systems that can be constructed locally (the construction of which might even be a profitable business for the community). See, for instance, the clay pot filter, or the Filtron [31]. --Robert Merkel06:01, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Most attended exposition (related to electronics/games/Sci-Fi/whatnot)
I'm not entirely sure what you are looking for. For games there's E3 (even though next year it's going to be significantly smaller) and the Tokyo Game Show (going on right now), for electronics there's CES, and for Sci-Fi there is any number of big conventions. If you could perhaps clarify what it is you were looking for, I could help you more Oskar05:57, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Somebody once said "Don't argue with idiots, they'll bring you down to their level and beat you with experience". It's pointless task to try and convince someone that doesn't want to be convinced. It doesn't matter how good your arguments get, they'll never change their mind. The best thing you can do is make sure that you're not such a person; accept arguments on their merits, not on personal prejudice. Sorry, but that's all the help I can give you (well, that and pool-cues). Maybe if you described the specific predicament you are in, you might get a better response. Oskar06:13, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Also 'arguing with an idiot is like wrestling a pig - the pig likes it and you get dirty'. Also a recently asked question on suffering fools (I paraphrase) 'You suffer fools gladly because you are wise.' Rentwa14:01, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I would say you need to present evidence proving your case. Some evidence can't be denied (like video showing cops beating people), while other evidence is iffy at best ("I once saw..."). StuRat06:55, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Seriously though, you won't even begin to deal with the person until you stop judging them as an idiot, or as stupid. Start by trying to understand where they are coming from, respect that, then go on from there. JackofOz09:12, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
THe proper thing to do (not saying I always do it) is to state your case clearly and simply with evidence. Then leave it. No piont in arguing furthe if the other person doesnt wantr to listen. We ve had a few of these people on WP> It may turn out tho', that in the discourse, he turns out to be right and you turn out to be the fool! Hence, dont call the other one, even when youre sure he is. THis sounds like Wikiquette!--Light current15:41, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I'll assume good faith and suppose that this questioner is very young. Nobody likes to be called stupid or to be talked down to. The quickest way to create a gang of enemies who devote themselves to making your life miserable is when people start whispering that you think you're better than them. People are very shrewd at picking up on that sort of hint even if you aren't sending out a deliberate message. This puts people who genuinely are brilliant in a delicate position. Rent the film Amadeus: it's a drama about how that dynamic tore Mozart's life apart. If you really are exceptional - if you score in the top percentile on all the standardized tests and you earn As in school without much effort - remember that's only one part of life. Other people have feelings that are just as important as yours. Look for something to value in each person. Sometimes it's better to walk away and let someone else's mistake stand uncorrected. People will come to you with questions if they respect you. Durova16:11, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The questioner is an undergrad in college ... As a student of philosophy (though my major is actually computer science) I'm constantly blown away by the saddening ignorance of my fellow students. I admit it's hard to argue with people because faults in their logic or weakness of their arguments are so apparent to me that I guess I come across as that guy who thinks he's perfect.. I don't mind being wrong myself (and I often am) but I can't stand people spreading incorrect information or philosophy and I must speak up! --Froth20:55, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I've tried many things, but the fact remains that nobody likes to be wrong, to be told they are wrong, or to be thought of as inferior. That means that you can't tell them they're wrong, act like they're wrong, or attempt to teach them or correct their ways. Observe how they respond to your sparks of wisdom and apply the same response to their stupid speeches and you should make them feel more comfortable by giving the impression of some sort of equal level. In general, this creates conversations like:
Idiot: Yeah mean, Pluto's gone. I bet all those psychics are rolling in their graves!
Probably not. The idea behind a spoiler is that it reduces lift (and the similar "reverse wing" actual creates downforce), to better hold the rear wheels down on the ground. This would be advantageous on a rear wheel drive car at high acceleration and speed, like, say, a formula one car, to keep the drive wheels from slipping. However, if your car is front wheel drive, and/or you don't typically drive it at 200 mph, then the spoiler is "just for looks", and may even increase drag and thus cost you mileage. They also add weight, but not typically enough to have a noticeable effect on fuel economy. StuRat06:39, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
It also adds to the rear profile of your car, which can visually improve the balance, or make it look like a dinky car with a big wing on the end. The "spoiler" you're probably going to get with your Corolla (if you're getting it from the dealer) is nothing more than an ugly asthetic blob of plastic stuck on the trunk, which is not only visually unappealing, but it's so pathetically small that it will only serve to make people who really know about cars to snicker at you. I vote don't do it!. freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 07:03, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Perhaps increased traction on the rear wheels are a good thing even with front wheel drive. On television, I have seen people speeding away from the police and having to switch lanes to get past traffic. Sometimes they don't handle the car smoothly enough, or are simply forced to turn too sharply and so their rear end swings out and makes them crash. You might also want to finish braking, if you need to, before you turn your steering wheel since braking transfers wheight to your front wheels and makes it easier for your rear wheels to loose their grip. But then again, I hope you won't be driving like this anyway, at least not in traffic. —Bromskloss10:10, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I'm not sure that small spoilers on cars are intended to provide extra downforce. Those on open-wheel racers certainly are, but my understanding is that the little spoilers on road cars are intended to force the airflow to separate from the car body at the back, rather than have it try to follow the body shape down, thus reducing the drag. No idea if it works though. The effect on a Corolla is almost certainly tiny. DJ Clayworth15:45, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Can't take it back now! Besides if everyone went on points, all your 1-point groaners would accumulate to the point that any browser that trys to load your talk page would crash :) --frothTC05:21, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
It is meaningful to ask to what extent the caffeine in the coffee in your coffee jar is subject to degradation. Since the caffeine survived the coffee roasting, it apparently has high thermal stability. It also seems to have very low sensitivity to light. I did not find information about possible oxidation when the coffee is kept dry. The reason coffee is vacuum-packed seems to be to prevent oxidation of the fat molecules (which would cause rancidity). You should keep the container closed to counter the evaporation of volatile compounds contributing to the flavour. Both are about the taste, not the caffeine. --LambiamTalk12:57, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
WOW O_O' Just out of curiosity, would that much caffeine kill you if you wet it a little or something and ate it all in one day? --Froth04:59, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
How much? It's hard to judge the size of the heap. But if you keep on eating pure caffeine that will probably kill you before the day is through. Whether something is a poison depends a lot on how much and in what concentration it comes. Chewing coca leafs may not be too healthy, but the chewing process is too arduous to let you consume too much cocaine. Purify the cocaine and the story changes. Also, weed in the Netherlands is now cultivated into something so potent that some claim it's now a harddrug. It's not the substance that counts, it's the concentration it comes in. Hence the alternative terms 'hard use' and 'soft use'. Another example is beer. In the middle ages it was a life saver because it contained distilled water plus preservatives. Sailors drank it all the time. But it contained only a tiny bit of alcohol. Spirits are a completely differrent story. Concentrate caffeine enough and you've got a hard drug. Or rather something that makes hard use too easy. DirkvdM07:37, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I don't believe that there are any good studies on the toxicity of caffeine in humans. But the toxicity of caffeine for rats has been well-tested. The Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory at Oxford reports that oral consumption of 192mg of caffeine per kilogram of rat weight killed half the rats tested. (ORL-RAT LD50 = 192mg/kg). 65.203.61.5621:38, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Bloody hell, just 1/5 of a gram. I was even more right than I thought. :) How does that translate to humans? Is that linear? Assuming rats weigh 300 grams, the lethal dose for humans would then be about 200 times bigger, so 40 grams. That should give it hard drug status. DirkvdM06:31, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
the practice
i wnted to know whether in the program the practice bobby n laura flyn boyle actually have an affair n in which episode.give me a link
There is an old lady who designs china, dinnerware, or both. She's about 80 or 90 years old and her style is similar to Villeroy and Boch; clean, round lines with (I think) no designs. I have been looking on the internet for her name but I cannot find it. She was once featured on the Sunday Morning show on CBS; they couldn't help me either.Maggie4mae12:52, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
You can always try to get new interests. Try looking for articles that haven't been written at WP:RA and WP:AFC and see if any of them sound interesting or work like Violetriga and write articles about unusual subjects. - Mgm|(talk)22:06, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I worked on Wikinews, and found it to be too contentious, even for me. In particular, the anti-government anarchists seemed too powerful. Think of the character Hyde on That Seventies Show..."It's all a government conspiracy, man, they've got a car that runs on water, dude, but they're keeping it secret so the big oil companies can make more profit". StuRat06:45, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I've found numerous citations, including on wikipedia, saying that Jim Beatty broke three track and field world records in 1962. However, I can only find official times to back up that claim for two events -- the indoor mile and the outdoor two mile. What other event record did he break, and what was his time? Is there some site that lists the progression of world records with every successive change that goes back that far? Thanks!
Title of music during House M.D. episode Informed Consent
I was not terribly sure where to post it so I placed it here. I was wondering whether anyone knew the name of the classical music playing while Erza (the main patient) is testing his rats in the beginning. If this is the wrong place to ask, please tell me where to place it. Delta20:56, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I checked the forums on Televison Without Pity, which includes a House music forum ("From the Stones to Rickie Lee Jones: Music in House"), and your question had already been asked and answered; users heyjudes and bluepencil agreed: "It's Bach -- prelude to Suite for solo cello #1 in G major, probably best known among TV-watchers because Yo-Yo Ma performed it during a White House Christmas party on The West Wing ("Noel," 12/20/2000)." --ByeByeBaby13:45, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I believe its voltswagon that has been running commercials for a car that has been "pretuned by german engineers". I am curious to know if anyone out there knows the name of the hot blond chick in the commercials. 129.108.25.6721:00, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I love the term "reluctance". I picture a rather whiny electron saying "Oh man, I don't wanna go all the way down that long wire, against that huge magnetic field. Do you have any idea how hard that is ? I'm not being paid enough for this, I quit !" StuRat06:39, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
In 1971, Willie Mays hit 18 home runs for the San Francisco Giants. How many of these were hit on Saturday? On Sunday?
Bakuten Shoot:Beyblade Daichi
What exactly is this story about?I've seen it in the beyblade manga before but i dont really understand it.Can someone please write an article on this or atleast tell me what it is?Please and thank you very much
How come do east asians look similar?
It sounds stupid, but every time I assume that a person is Japanese/Chinese/Korean/Vietnamese, they turn out to be NOT what I assumed. For example, I've met people before who I thought were Chinese but turned out to be Japanese or Vietnamese. Can someone explain? The velociraptor23:50, 20 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
But, generally, people are better at distinguishing between people they are more familiar with. So, I would assume you don't see Asians as often as other races ("gene pools" for the sticklers here). StuRat01:05, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Actually, I'm Filipino myself. I thought I could assume them, becuase Chinese have more slanted eyes, while Japanese and Korean are a bit leveled. 4.246.42.2304:47, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Well, Filipinos may have more variety than other Asians, due to interbreeding during periods of colonization by Spain, the US, and (briefly) by Japan. I believe there are also substantial immigrant populations there, as well. StuRat06:36, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Please note that there is a big difference in "ethnicity" and "nationality". There are very significant Chinese populations all over south-east Asia, so the "Indonesian" or "Vietnamese" person you thought was Chinese might indeed be ethnically CHinese but not nationally. Make sure to ask the question specifically. -JAS
September 21
CIMA GBA game
Can anyone help me? I am stuck on the puzzle in the room where Ark sneezes in weakling forest. Can you tell me the weights of the monsters/switch-thingies. Thnx, Max *Max*00:01, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Can anyone explain why this happened?? When driving up and down a highway with alot of small hills me and my guy friends both experienced a weird feeling in the pubic area.. It is really hard to explain but maybe someone will know what i mean.
If you were riding a bike, I'd say probably a matter of insufficient blood supply to some body parts because of pinched vessels. But driving? In a car with suspension? --LambiamTalk01:32, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
We still remember when we were watching the 'Wild Octopus' ride, somebody yelling out: "Oh, my sack!!". We all laughed till it hurt! --Zeizmic 12:35, 21
September 2006 (UTC)
If your talking about a double decker bus, you sweep all the crap from the upper deck down the stairs to the lower deck, then proceed as if it was a single decker! Simple! 8-)--Light current02:33, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yuck! Try draining the tank and taking out all the parts (you might want to replace them or just clean them out if you're feeling up to the task) then remove the tank and hose it out. Just a guess --Froth04:48, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
If it's types 1-3 on the Bristol Stool Scale, fish out the offending pieces (with gloves, please!) into the "lower deck" and flush a few times (perhaps adding bleach to the tank). Types 4 and 5, I'd recommend using some sort of a net or strainer; you may want to buy a cheap one for this one-time use, or you could use a few plastic bags to scoop the pieces up (water and all) and dump them in the bowl, then flush (with bleach). The Good Lord help you if you have a type 6 or 7 upper decker; rest assured that the person who did the deed will suffer karmically for this. You might be able to make some headway with a 6 or 7 by flushing repeatedly, adding chlorine bleach each time. --ByeByeBaby13:37, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
whoa, I rarely get a 4, I need to work on my gastrointestinatl. -JAS
01:38, 21 September 2006 (UTC)68.55.108.252So I'm doing a little research on terrorist websites and their legality. I'm trying to find out more information about a specific case study as an example. All I know about this case is that an American helped set up a website for a terrorist and was convicted for aiding a terrorist. If anyone knows anymore about this case or has some suggestions as to where I could get more information, I'd really appreciate it.
This is actually really helpful, but it's not what I'm looking for. I think I remember this case having something to do with the Patriot Act and providing support to terrorists.
~Jess
No, how about you discuss the role forecasting and capacity management play in the future of an organization. Right after you've finished your homework. JackofOz07:09, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Now now, he does deserve some pointers at least (assuming good faith that he's not trying to get a full answer!). Here's a tip: game and even software developers design their software counting on Moore's law; that is, they assume that by the time their product is released people will have good enough computers to run their software. --۶٢٥۴ﻄTC19:22, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The manner in which a question is asked usually has a lot to do with the response it elicits. In this case, it wasn't even a question, but a command. That didn't seem terribly courteous to me (which is a courteous way of saying it seemed somewhat discourteous). Would the questioner walk up to a real live reference librarian and start off with "Discuss the role ....."? Certainly not. Not even a person with a limited command of English would do that. Why should we tolerate any less respect? JackofOz21:15, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Because we (or at least I) provide this service for the sake of indescriminately making information available to the world... and I don't refuse to answer just because the questioner didn't pretty up his question. --frothTC22:30, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
That is your prerogative, my friend. It's not about "prettying up" the question. It's more about not wanting the Ref Desk to be the world's doormat. We say at the top: Please do not post entire homework questions and expect us to give you the answers. This person apparently posted an entire homework question, and did so discourteously into the bargain. We do the Ref Desk a disservice by warning users not to expect an answer to entire homework questions, but then giving them an answer anyway. (I have made similar comments recently - see here). I'm not against providing pointers, particularly where the person is ESL, but there is a Universal Law that discourtesy has its consequences. If they don't even know enough English to know how to say "Please", or "Can you help me", they certainly wouldn't understand an answer to a question about forecasting and capacity management. From their question, I assume this person is studying at tertiary level, hence they are an adult and we should treat them accordingly. JackofOz00:54, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I didn't give them an answer, I evaluated what he needed to know and what I knew, and gave him some of the specialized knowledge that a non-IT-specialist might not know. Nowhere in the cycle do I think "hmm he sure isn't being very courteous, I'm not going to tell him anything!" I certainly recognized a homework question, but didn't assume cheating- I'm partial to giving pointers on homework rather than macroing out "no homework sorry" - which is really saying "rephrase your question so it's not so obviously a homework question, and wrap it in plenty of courtesy", since asking for homework pointers and posting homework expecting pointers are fundamentally identical --frothTC05:31, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
site
who knows a site on which i can actually view for free music videos over the net.like yahoo music or you tube and is quite fast coz for you tube you have to wait for a music video to download as you watch.yahoo is fast n nyce but the videos arent the best of qualities
Why does Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion run at 17 FPS? (My system meets the requirements)
You need a new, powerful machine to run that. We got a new high-rate AMD and a 7900 card that takes 2.5 slots, must weigh a good pound, and looks like something from 'Lost in Space', with all the cooling pipes. --Zeizmic12:42, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I agree with Zeizmic, but would recommend a Falcon Northwest Computer. Some of these are capable of over 2 gigs of memory and have 3 hard drives, each of about 120 GB. Not to mention that they are liquid cooled and have a high-end graphics card, similar to the 7800. All this pleasure for about 3750-4500 bucks. Xel Pos'tare 17:26, 21 September 2006 (UTC)User:CaptainXel
The video card seems fast enough, you may need more memory, this is the cheapest upgrade which will increase speed. Also a slow harddisk or dvd player will slow you down more than CPU speed in some cases. In my own case Oblivion was unplayable without 1gb of main processor memory. But it only costs $50 so i upgraded to 2gb. --DarkfredTalk to me18:42, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I have 1GB MEMORY and a 2.8 GHZ Dualcore Processor. I don't have the latest driver.
2.8ghz? That's rather high for a dual core- It must be a core 2 duo. But intel doesn't make a 2.8ghz model, it goes from around 2.7 at the high end to 3.0 for the insane $1000 extreme edition conroe. Annnyway, you shouldn't have any problems unless you have a really abysmal 3d card. Tune your game settings- change the resolution to 1024x768, use low or medium quality textures, turn off fancy lighting and shadows and water effects. --frothTC03:54, 23 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
(after edit conflict)I'm going to guess that you are using a version Windows XP. There is a setting in the Taskbar properties to "Group similar buttons". If this is turned on, and you have three Windows Explorer windows open, in the taskbar you will see just one button, with a 3 in front of it. Similarly, if you had two instances of Firefox running, you would see a single Firefox taskbar button, with a 2. [32]This page talks about the Taskbar menu, and the information about grouping buttons is in the section "Remaining Taskbar properties."
Hallo! I am a seminarian doing theology in Nairobi-kenya a western country in Africa. During my pastoral activities I meat a lady who was involved in an accident and is completely paralysed. In our talks I told her about the foundation of Jean Vanier. The was very interested in knowing more about it and begging a help for university stadies in order to be enabled to give even some private tuitions and therefore survive. Please, if there is anyhow to help her, we will be gratifull for that. Thank you so much! All the best. And my God bless.
Is aid to the developing countries from developed countries doing more harm than good?
This could be argued both ways really. A government may say that they are helping progress a third world technology, but really regular people (like us) will argue that we are infringing on their culture. Either way, there is no way of knowing for sure. Xel Pos'tare 17:23, 21 September 2006 (UTC)User:CaptainXel
I would say it depends entirely on how it's spent. If you just give it to the government, they may use it to buy more weapons to oppress the people. If spent for something worthwhile, on the other hand, like a new well, it does have the potential to improve the lives of people. StuRat17:28, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I'm really glad the US stopped giving money to Zambia. The dictator there is absolutely dispicable. GAH!! Also, a lot of the time non-monetary aid is not well spent. i.e. giving blankets instead of DDT in Africa and the condensed milk to Asia fiasco. — X[Mac Davis] (SUPERDESK|Help me improve)18:44, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
It's a good question but it's not like you can simply say yes or no... It's obviously not working as well as it should. Where exactly does it go wrong? Rebels? Corrupt or indifferent leaders? I once saw pictures in a Belgian newspaper of fairly new army vehicles that Belgium had donated to the Congolese army (a few years ago) : it had gone to waste, local women were using car doors to make their laundry on it..... (Well, you could actually argue whether or not aid to the military there is really a big help, considering ALL parties do things like rape etc...)Evilbu21:01, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I would assume all the authorities in such a country to be incompetent and/or corrupt (I assume this for the developed world, too), so giving money to them is counter-productive. Instead, direct spending on projects likely to improve the lives of the poor is needed, like improving the water supply, sewage systems, etc. StuRat04:42, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
It's a mixed bag. Disaster relief certainly has humanitarian merits although the occasional Malthusian complains that this leads to greater problems in the long run. I'd prefer to couple disaster relief with voluntary family planning assistance. When it comes to development aid to governments, the arguments also cut both ways: a no-strings-attached handout runs the risk of being misused while external restrictions sometimes prevent the money from being used optimally. A good deal seems to depend on the educational and business expertise of the population: by the end of the cold war East Germany had become the most prosperous of the Soviet Bloc countries even though the Soviets dismantled most of its infrastructure and resources after World War II as war reparations and the country received no external aid - the country had to depend on its human assets in order to rebuild. Durova19:03, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I need to make this character
Some of the characters in my new signature are considered breaking characters (like the space functions for western character encoding) so I need to use a special character to mark them as non-breaking. this is that character.. but I have no idea how to make it. Is there some kind of application that I can enter that code and it copies the character to the clipboard? That would be ideal. Or maybe some other method.. thanks --۶٢٥۴ﻄTC17:43, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I think I figured it out.. in the windows character map you can go to the character by its number code.. and apparently my 5-letter name is like 9 character spaces long and when you move through it the cursor jumps all around, so I just pasted it into notepad (which doesn't parse the unicode, and leaves it as little rectangles) and then put the glue character in between each rectangle, then pasted it back into wikipedia. Whew! --۶٢٥۴ﻄTC19:18, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Civil service groups
Where can I get a list of Civil Service Groups in Tulsa, OK? I have tried the internet but I am having no luck. Do you know of a certain website I should go to?
I'm about to get a full mortgage on a 150,000 house I'm buying. I'll be able to pay this off in its entirity in about 3 months... is that acceptable to do with a mortgage, or are you expected to make payments on it for a while? Thanks!
If there is no early payment fee, this is fine, check your loan agreement or call your loan officer and ask. in fact you should save around 250,000 in interest by paying it off this way. However if you have that kind of cash make sure all your other higher interest debts are paid of before putting it into the mortgage. --DarkfredTalk to me18:38, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
there's usually no point in paying off a house that fast and very few people do. Hopefully, your house will increase in value at a faster rate than the loan so instead of paying it off you can just put your money into another investment. -JAS
say I have $10,000. Say a house costs $100,000. Say the house-property-value increases at a rate of 8% per year. Say I take out a loan of $100,000. Say the loan increases at a rate of 7% per year. Every year I'm making 1% on the difference. I can put my $10,000, and the $90,000 disposable income I'm going to earn into other investments, giving me perhaps 10-15%. There's absolutely no reason to pay it off under these not unreasonable conditions. Jasbutal04:43, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Two reasons: 1) If you pay it off immediately you're making 8% per year on the difference (8-0). 2) You're not living off that money, it just means more property tax. No extra cash in your wallet whatsoever (unless you sell your property).
please tell me if this belongs in Humanities instead.
A friend of mine went to Qatar to work as an intern for a European dredging company. There were several female students in his group, and they didn't wear a veil at all. He said they didn't enforce the veil on foreign women. But what about muslim women from more secular countries? How would they ever be able to see the difference between an unveiled woman in Qatar,from Syria or Jordan, and a local woman not wearing the veil??
Evilbu20:56, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
What is the value of all the money, land, property, natural resources, etc. on Earth? And I don't mean the value of all the raw material on Earth (ex. Don't tell me the value of the Earth's core). Thanks.
Tuvwxyz21:01, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I think what he is asking is that if you add up the cost for everything there is to sell on the earth, what would it be. As for the answer, I have no idea. Oskar22:06, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Just to be perdantic, I'm goin to say its value is 0, as as an asset, it has no output, nor does it make any financial gain, so how can it be worth anything. PhilcTECI22:11, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Considering monetary value isn't a subjective value, there isn't a really definite answer to this question. Take this into consideration; if everyone today was to put their house on the market for sale the value of houses would plunge. Likewise, if a CEO of a huge company sold all his shares in the company the value would plunge as well. Given this fact, you could try to sum up the monetary value of all the currency in circulation, all land that has been purchased(or has been given some value by people), and all raw goods(based on scientic estimation and its current market value). Would that value mean anything? It's not as if there is a universal economy where Earth's value can be compared to the rest of the economies of the universe. Some day that might be the case, but right now we can't do that.
of course it would mean something. It's a gague to see the state of the world's economies, wealth and distribution. For example, it would be very interesting to see a world map of this. The Western nations would shine like a beacon of wealth compared to the rest of the world. -JAS
Ok, as just a quick question, do you mean, what is the sum of all values of everything accessable on the earth, or what is the value of the earth as an asset, or what price would you get should you sell everything on the earth (assuming the arrival of an extra terrestrial prospective buyer) PhilcTECI22:52, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I'm pretty sure I'm thinking of everything being sold (including currency) and without markets being effected by everything being sold. Sorry I don't know much about economics. --Tuvwxyz23:01, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
It's certainly enough that if you owned it all, you would be "set up for life" -- not only would you have necessities, but basically anything you would ever want as well. But that's a rather vague answer.. you might ask "if the world was shared, how many people could it sustain." Consider that it already supports more than 6 and a half billion people. Even disregarding such obvious considerations as how can it be worth anything if nobody else can buy it, it's such a staggering value that it really holds no practical meaning whatsoever --frothTC23:24, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I checked for completed sales on EBay, but there were none. Seriously, I believe a defensable answer could be arrived at, but the assumptions would need to be clear. In a given governmental unit, the private property has an assessed value, both for the land and the improvements, which is a certain fraction of market value, based on recent sales. Land owned by the government has a value which could be derived from comparable property sold privately. There are mineral rights in some areas, in addition to these: owning the land does not always give you ownership of the oil beneath it. Deserts and Great Lakes would be harder to derive a sale price for, because there would be few comps. Then we get to the oceans and the antarctic, again with no comps. So you might wish to value the personal property, intellectual property, land, improvements, mineral rights, value of all nations, private citizens, and businesses (inventory, goodwill, patents, receivables). Do you factor in the national debt of a nation?I would suspect that economists have done such calcs. Edison23:31, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The biggest problem with your question is that the amount of money money in the world in both value and literal amount is always increasing. Back when the gold standard was in affect, there would have been a set limit because it was representative money. However, once the United States and then the rest of the world switched onto fiat money, the amount of money has begun to, in affect, grow with the development of resources and the like. --AstoVidatu02:03, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
um.....are you trying to tell me that if a gold standard was in effect in the USA, the country could not increase it's wealth because the gold supply was not increasing? It's works the other way around, even back then. the default is fiat, not godl. sorry. Jasbutal04:37, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The GDP gives the produced economic value over a certain period. Two flaws here. One is that it only expresses economically valued production, not black markets, volunteer work, bartering and such (see Gross domestic product#Criticisms and limitations), which together probably represent more than the economic production (a big one is the work of housewives, which is not usually expressed economically). The other flaw is that it is about production (per year or so), not accumulated goods. A house that was built last year doesn't show up on the GDP, but it's still there and worth quite a bit. And here too, not everything is valued economically (international waters, for example), but that was mentioned before. DirkvdM08:44, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
If you are on the gold standard your money is redeemable for gold (or other precious metals, depending on the system). My point was that if the gold standard is followed there is only a limited amount of gold, and thus only a limited amount of money. Either that, or more money is printed than can be redeemed (which is what happened to the United States) and then you are in a quandry. That's why most countries moved off the gold standard in the first place. Now the only thing that gives the money value is people's faith in the government. If not for that, it would just be a useless piece of paper. --AstoVidatu21:55, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Another approach is to figure a minimum replacement value. If we sold it , we would need a place to live. The value of the earth would be at least equal to the cost of creating a livable habitat like the Biosphere 2, a domed habitat intended to furnish all environmental needs for a 2 year period for 8 people, at a cost of $30 million per person. It was a bit inadequate to its purpose, but that figure would give a minimum for the Earth's entire population of about $200,000,000,000,000,000 or $200 quadrillion. There might be some economy of scale building such structures for 6.5 billion people. In practice, if advanced alien space creatures arrived, I suspect our leaders would sell us out for the equivalent of $24 worth of trinkets like the Native Americans sold Manhattan in 1626, if the aliens could deliver advanced weapons which could utterly destroy all their enemies, real or imagined, foreign and domestic. Another approach: Per The Straight Dope, http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_156.html the total value of all land in the U.S. in 1975 was $1.3 trillion. The U.S.A. has 9.2 million sq miles, and the world has 149 million sq miles, per the CIA Fact Book at http://www.photius.com/wfb1999/rankings/total_land_area_0.html Thus if the US land is of comparable value to that of the world, the world land was worth ($1.3 *10^9)*149/(9.3)=$20.8 trillion in 1975, which with inflation per http://www.westegg.com/inflation/ would be a 2005 world land value of $77.9 trillion. That does not get you the people. Using the 1861 value of a U.S. slave of about $800, and adjusting for inflation, each person would be worth $16,400 for 6.5 billion = 106,600,000,000,000 or $107 trillion. Land and people go for about $185 trillion. Still need to add in intellectual property, fishing rights, undersea mineral rights, value of personal and business property and something for goodwill. Of course many of the people in the world have little or no personal or business property, and even less good will.Edison22:10, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Whistling
How do you do that whistling where you stick 1-2 fingers in your mouth and blow hard and a really loud, whistle-like sound comes out? Jamesino21:10, 21 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
please don't answer if you have nothing to say. THanks. -Jasbutal
Are you saying you know of such an article and just wish us to locate it for you, or are you just hoping such an article exists ? In the latter case, somehow I doubt that it does exist. StuRat04:36, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I hope it exists, if it does I would like somebody to post me a link. If it does not, I can do without Light-current's pleasantries. Jasbutal04:38, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
sorry, I didn't realize this was the computing desk and that everyone was stuck in the realm of scientific fundamentalist mumbo-jumb. clarity, I also didn't realize you were a Vulcan, here, please indulge yourself in some Laplace transforms. I think you'll find the time-domain <-> frequency domain interchange table quite fulfilling to your soul. Jasbutal05:06, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
If you want a serious answer, here's one: In both, some object is placed in storage under the surface of the ground. In both, that object decays. The burying of kings was ceremonious. The burying of nuclear waste is not. That's pretty much as far as I can stretch it. And I couldn't help throwing in that pun, honest ;D --frothTC06:13, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I would say burying nuclear waste is more like burying excrement. Both are waste products and we want both gone, and never want to have to think about them again. When we bury people, on the other hand, we frequently want to "visit" them, and create some type on memorial on the surface for that purpose. StuRat06:30, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
please no original research, this is wikipedia. If there exists such an article, and you know the source of it, please reference, if not, then post your wild theories on your personal site. Thanks. Jasbutal07:21, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Here's a report in the Guardian brushing the subject, but it's not a 'criticism of modern man'. Jasbutal, your comments qualifying editors' suggestions might scare off other people from trying to answer your question.---Sluzzelin09:42, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Two recommended places to go if you want to talk about this. One is to think about the creation of the Chernobylsarcophagus — a very explicit linking of modern nuclear burial with ancient burial. The other place to look at is the debate surrounding the ability to make long-term (i.e. thousands of years) waste disposal sites that won't be opened up by some man of the future who doesn't understand what radiation is. I don't recall the exact places this was talked about but I believe there was a big, speculative study funded which discussed ways of making things which would psychologically appeal to humans of the future, knowing that when people of the past put up curses and skeletons and thing of that nature over their burial sites it only encouraged later people to think there were riches there. There is, I think, some discussion of this in Joseph Masco's Nuclear Borderlands, which recently came out. As for concerted criticism/analysis of these tendencies — I don't know of much, though that doesn't necessarily say anything; these are just things I've been aware of. --Fastfission15:34, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Archeologists have found burials which were very much like the burial of nuclear waste. The deceased was buried thousands of years ago, face down, under a thick layer of rocks, with ceremonial objects believed to be intended to keep him or her from coming back. Think Dracula in modern times.Edison21:32, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
As I understand it, the usual way is to form a parabolic arc in the air with as many balls as you can handle. As each comes down, one hand catches it, passes it to the other hand, and that hand launches it. It's possible to juggle far more balls this way than by using each hand to independently juggle. StuRat04:32, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
This is completely unrelated to my micronation question; I do not endorse slavery. Question: Where can I buy slaves, and how much do they cost? --216.164.199.3300:35, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
In the 1400s, the Africans paid one pound sterling for a young male, then sold it to the Europeans for 3 1/2 pounds sterling, or the equivalent of 11 muskets, 31 gallons of whiskey, or 93 pounds of wrought iron. bibliomaniac1500:40, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
As there was no transatlantic slave trade in the 1400s, almost no european ships had even ventured as far as Senegal, and the overwhelming majority of the African slave trade was conducted by the Arabs as they had for centuries before and after, where did you get this information and why should we believe it? alteripse00:46, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Sorry, it's late 1700s. Also, right before the American Civil War, prime young males were about $600-$800, while women were usually 2/3 of the price. Skilled workers, and pretty, young girls could fetch more, because they could make more things, or they could be sold into brothels, respectively. To convert this to a current price, young males costed about 50 ounces of gold, or $21,400. So to answer your question, if you were going to buy a slave at that price, I would suggest that you buy a new car with that money, or something worth it instead of something unethical.
"Although for some purposes slaves are declared by statute to be real estate, they are nevertheless intrinsically personal, and therefore are to be considered as included in every statute or contract in relation to chattels which does not, in terms, exclude them. They are liable, as chattels, to the payment of debts. They may be attached as chattels, and they have invariably been treated as chattels, in both Virginia and Kentucky, so far as the rights and duties of administrators are concerned.” (Wheeler’s Law of Slavery, pp. 37-8.) And yet Kentucky is one of the only two States in which the statutes have declared slaves to be real estate, a tenure which, if adhered to, would attach the slave to the soil, and prevent the separation of families. The practice, as sanctioned by custom and the courts, is in this case found to be less favorable to the slaves than the words of the statute, in their plain import. The people have been worse than their statutes, and the judges have conformed to the people." from Author: Goodell, William, "The American Slave Code in Theory and Practice: Its Distinctive Features Shown by Its Statutes, Judicial Decisions, and Illustrative Facts." New York: American and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society, 1853. viewed at http://www.dinsdoc.com/goodell-1-1-4.htm The same book says " “From the generality of this remark, the State of Louisiana must be excepted.” “The slaves are declared to be real estate, to be ranked among immovable property. When, therefore, the owner of slaves is, as I presume is most commonly the case, possessed of land, the slave cannot be separated from it by process of law." If slaves were real estate, they would be part of the farm, and families could not be separated and sold. In this they would be like medieval peasants, so it might be a better deal than being personal property. Edison13:00, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Perhaps today in developing nations you can find them for cheap or hire someone to steal one for you, not that I am suggesting this, I am just pointing it out. --Proficient06:25, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
There are always "wage slaves" like the countless zombies who trudge off every day to an office or factory to attempt to do the impossible for the undeserving under the direction of the incompetent, unable to quit because they have a mortgage, college loans, and a family to feed. Edison21:28, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Our article shoild give you enough clues. Find patch of land, assert your wish to be recognised as a nation, optionally issue stamps, passports, whistle a national anthem, design a flag, &c. --Tagishsimon(talk)
The BBC had a series called something like "how do I start my own country". I didn't watch it, though, so can't help there. DirkvdM08:50, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I had the old version of the anime A-Z and my husband had to reformat the hard drive, and I can't seem to find the web site that had ALL the anime shows and movies (Japanese and Adult Swim, American versions). It gave how many episodes, movies, etc.Is it on another website? Because I think It was your site. If you have changed it, then I can't find what I want, because you new site is very incomplete to the old on that I used. Thank you for any help you can give, Cindy Hudson P.S. I had a very hard time just trying to find even this contact page.
Some of the links, such as the Online encyclopedias, from Anime#See_also might help you. And I think you may be confusing us with some other site, since our site grows everyday and never gets smaller; and we have not got a new site, we are still much as we were when we set out a few years ago. Good luck --Tagishsimon(talk)
You definately are confusing us with some other site. Wikipedia has never hosted anime (which is illegal) and I'll personally vouch that this is the very same site as ever --frothTC06:20, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Not sure about the "illegal" comment, since it would appear that this user is not looking for copies of every single anime in existance (which would take a pretty big hard drive, I'd imagine...) but rather a simple index of them (judging by the "it had number of episodes..." comment). To answer the user, our Anime article has a section on online encylopedias, one of which might contain the information that you're looking for. --Maelwys17:39, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
a friend of mine told me there were two types of people on the floor, "locals" who buy and sell for their own accounts, and "brokers" who buy and sell for other people's accounts. He also told me that anyone can become a "local" as long as they lease out a space and have a $50,000 account. Haven't been able to find any google info on this. Please help? Jasbutal05:12, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I remember i once saw an epizode of an manga but I forgot the name off it, I hope someone can recognise it.
It was about a dark master wizard that was locked away in a boys body but then unlocked in order to save a city that was under attack, (atleast thats what the epizode i saw was about).
Joneleth06:06, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I note in the article on the "Mary Celeste" that the cargo is specified as having been methanol. Most accounts, however, claim it to have been ethanol, or imply it to have been ethanol. The difference is a crucial one in terms of reconstructing what happened to that vessel and her company. Can you possibly enlighten me as to the source of the information about the cargo? The methanol claim is not referenced (perhaps it ought to be, given the ambiguity).
Thank you and best wishes
Barend Vlaardingerbroek, Ph.D.
According to the edit history, that comment was based on a Channel 5 documentary the editor had seen. You have already asked this question on the article talk page, but if you wish to ask the editor directly you can do so at User talk:Jmcc150. --Shantavira08:40, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
In the UK, it is illegal to keep a wild bird as a pet, although there are licences that allow rescue centres and zoos to keep wild animals under certain conditions. However, gulls need lots of space and they would not be suitable for confinement.--Shantavira11:22, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
That's why I asked about captive bred gulls. As far as I know, it's legal to own native UK birds if they're aviary bred. How much space would a gull need, as a matter of interest (it's not like I'd keep it caged in my bedroom)? --84.67.79.14618:51, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Are There Degrees In Interior Design And Are There Degrees In Landscape Architecture?
Does anyone know of any reasons why people vandalise articles? Particularly paying attention to adding material pertaining to penises? My preferred explanation is that they are somewhat under endowed and have no friends. What do other people think?OEYoung17:16, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply] P.S. How do you report the ip addresses of vandals to wikipedia?
I don't think they're necessarily lonely ogres. A lot of the vandalism sources from IP addresses belonging to schools. I can easily picture a group of high school boys huddled around their computers, enjoying this pastime together. Often the vandal acts involve adding names of (presumably) real people. E.g.: "The octopus's intelligence is comparable to Darren's" "Jeff Sancho is by far much more smarter than Rousseau." I believe it's basically infantile male behavior, nothing more and nothing less.---Sluzzelin13:32, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I suspect it's because it's funny to see obviously incorrect content in an encyclopedia, and know you put it there and hundreds of people will read it. I confess that I once changed the picture at Ken Blackwell to a photo of some arab lawyer and nobody noticed it for a while. Sorry! --frothTC16:45, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I also once dabbled in vandalism and got instantly slapped on the wrist. You have to admit that the article title was just asking for it. Basically, I just wanted to see what would happen (I marked my edit rather clearly) and I suppose that will be the reason for a lot of vandals. Yes, we're a sorry bunch. DirkvdM18:13, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I suppose frustration or hate may be a reason. If someone, perhaps, does not like the policy of a certain politician, they may vandalise the page on that person in a misguided and usually futile effort to get ather people to see things their way. Russian F03:25, 23 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Odd aircraft
I live in the approach path for the Winnipeg International Airport. A couple of months back, I was in my back yard I and saw a plane pass over-head. The plane looked like a typical medium sized prop-driven dealy. The odd thing was that it had a cable going from the nose, to the wing tips, and back to the tail. This cable had some circular objects going along it, if I recall correctly. Does anyone know what this was? -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 16:05, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
It was most likely a standard geophysics plane. These are used to map mineral deposits, by either passively recording fields (electric - magnetic), or sending out pulses. --Zeizmic16:17, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Neat. The closest image I could find through Google Image was [35], which is pretty close to what I recall, though I remember the loop things on the cable being largish circles, parallel with the ground. Still, seems to fit. Thanks :) -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 20:09, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Now was that so hard? Anyway, don't bother to buy one, just switch around the keys on your old keyboard. That's what a lot of the sellers I see on ebay and froogle seem to be doing. --frothTC16:47, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I'd imagine it's under start>control panel>keyboard. I have a laptop so many of the options are unavailable (since obviously the keyboard isn't intended to change in any way) --frothTC19:40, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
VLC is reputed for playing just about everything (out-of-the-box, no codecs need downloading), including DVDs, as well as Windows Media, Quicktime, and other files that are normally somewhat fickle. It also supports various different OSs. Excellent software. -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 17:54, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
It's impossible to do today, but back in the day, there was an american legal theory that stated that lecturing or otherwise exporting cryptographic algorithms were punishble as exporting arms design illegally (or something). Anyway, it was ridiculous and they failed, now AES and RSA are available all over the world. Those two algorithms will cover pretty much any cryptographic situation you're gonna find (along with a few decent hashing algorithms). Oskar22:01, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
There are still restrictions in force, and if you plan to export cryptographic software (or offer cryptographic consulting) to Iran or North Korea, consult a legal expert first. --LambiamTalk23:45, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
hay or straw
I was wondering what is better in the winter hay or straw?I have a husky(dog)that lives out side in a 100 sq.ft kennel and has a house he sleeps in,my question is my pet better off in the 0 to -40 weather to have hay or straw?
Definately hay. Straw is very sharp and unless you want to make him a big mattress or something, it definately would not be comfortable for him to sleep in it. Also are you sure he'll be OK in -40 degree weather (I assume you mean fahrenheit, though now that I think about it, coincidentally 40 degrees F is the same as 40 degrees C) even with bedding? That's pretty darn cold. --frothTC19:38, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I'm not sure that there is a big difference between the insulating capacities of hay and straw. (I assume that you are looking for insulation and that you don't plan to feed your dog hay or straw.) Straw is basically the stalks of hay, or hay without the seeds. I agree that your best option would be hay. I am thinking that the weight of your dog would be more likely to crush or compact the straw, whereas the seed content of hay would help to preserve the little pockets of air that help to insulate. It would probably help to caulk the doghouse to eliminate drafts. If it snows where you live, by all means do not shovel snow away from the doghouse, except to clear a path to the entrance, because the snow will also help to insulate the doghouse. I agree that you should make sure that huskies can survive sleeping at -40 degrees. I have no doubt that they can work at that temperature, but can they generate enough internal heat while resting at that temperature to avoid hypothermia? Marco polo19:47, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I was so worried about your dog that I looked into this some more. Huskies just might be able to survive outdoors in those temperatures, but I suggest that you ask a vet. Here are some more suggestions. If possible, make sure that the opening to the doghouse faces away from the prevailing wind where you are. If the wind generally blows out of the east or northeast, face the doghouse opening southwest. If the wind generally blows from the west or northwest, face the doghouse opening southeast. (I am thinking that in a place with cold winters, a southerly wind would bring warmer air and would be less of a problem for your dog.) You should situate the doghouse if possible in a place sheltered from the wind but exposed to the sun, such as it may be. Finally, and I think this is important: If you use straw and/or hay, be sure to change it regularly. The straw or hay will lose its insulating capacity and even make your dog colder by evaporation if it gets wet. Your dog will get it wet every time he or she brings in snow on his or her paws. The water may freeze back into ice when the dog leaves the doghouse, and melt back into water when the dog reenters, but it won't evaporate easily in below-freezing weather. Marco polo20:06, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I'm going to come out and say it: If it gets to 40 below, please don't leave your dog outside. It's dangerous.. and will certainly cause great distress to your dog --frothTC20:37, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I happen to have a husky and though she loves to play outside in those temperatures, I wouldn't leave her out in it overnight. Unless that is, if I were a dog sledder or something and knew exactly what I was doing. Though considering that you're asking strangers on the 'net who are unlikely to be experts themselves, I'm guessing you're not prepared to say that you know exactly what you're doing either, no offense. Dismas|(talk)21:36, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
It's listed on Amazon so I guess anyone can order it. You should be able to order any book that has an ISBN. (Books published privately need not have an ISBN.) --Shantavira18:34, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
No particular reason for it not to be legal. However, as the article says, it warns that lay people should not use it for diagnosing disorders. That's definately a fear, especially considering the number of television shows and whatnot that have created mistrust in some towards medical professionals. -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 20:13, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
In the United States at least, the first amendment guarantees its legality. That doesn't mean it's necessarily easy to understand or that there isn't a danger of misuse. 72.199.25.9200:16, 23 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
If you are in the US, try your local hospital library. Many community hospitals, especially the larger ones, have medical libraries in which anyone can consult a wide variety of expensive medical books. Don't be embarrassed to ask for the DSMIV book, all kinds of people ask for things like that all the time. If she isnt real busy, the librarian may even help you look up what you want to check. alteripse03:46, 23 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Tennis balls
Okay - this is an odd one, but bear with me. My boss is an avid tennis player, and one of the things we want to get him are personalized tennis balls. I know not so much about the sport, so what are the various high-end tennis balls on the market in the US? Many thanks! – ClockworkSoul19:43, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Sorry - I should have been more clear... I can customize them easily, but I want to first purchase some very nice tennis balls to have customized. – ClockworkSoul21:06, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I think those really big tennis balls the size of basketballs are hilarious. Get him one of those, or see if there are some autographed ones on eBay. You always see the professionals signing them after the matches. --Maxamegalon200021:11, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I'd imagine Wilson ones are pretty good. If you want professional level balls, you can always search for tennis photos on the internet and zoom in on the balls and see which brand they are using. In addition, I'm sure if you walk into a professional tennis shop the sales staff can help you choose a high-quality ball. Jamesino23:43, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
While on holiday in Ibiza I saw what I think was a satellite but appeared to flash alternately red and green.Can anyone confirm if there are satellites that flash in this way.
Regards Mick
I would hazard to guess that he saw the green position light on the starboard wingtip, and he saw the rotating red beacon; when the red beacon was facing in his direction it overpowered the green position light, hence, he saw alternating red-green-red lights. Someone asked a similar question months ago, and Wikipedia does not have very thorough coverage of aircraft navigation and position lights, else I'd refer to the relevant section. --192.168.1.1 7:56 22 September 2006 (PST)
realtime tracking of trains in US?
Is it possible to track rail transport in realtime? I see it's possible to track flights in the air, but I need information on train locations in realtime.
Reason:
I'm designing a bicycle that will ride on train tracks in the US. I hope to make a cross-country trip using the rail system, but that will be impossible unless I can find a way to track trains--otherwise I'll get run over in a hurry.
thanks,
--Tim
Trains can be tracked in near real time, but such information is very proprietary and not easily accessed by the general public. However, if you can read the block signals, you can at least know what is ahead of you. A yellow indication means there's a train approaching, and it is two blocks ahead of you. A red indication means there is a train in the block immediately ahead of yours. Unfortunately, there are no indicators for what is behind you, and so you risk being overtaken by a train coming up from behind. 192.168.1.1 8:01 22 September 2006 (PST)
Photoshopper= slang for one who uses Adobe Photoshop. "Photoshop" does not refer to the buying, shopping and purchasing of photographical equipments. Jamesino23:50, 22 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
You really think so? I'm fairly certain that Adobe doesn't allow anyone to edit bills, I really don't think they would allow such a patch. No, for all your counterfeiting needs, you'll have to use the GIMP. (if anyone doesn't know what I'm talking about, photoshop refuses to process any sort of images of paper currency. They analyze a pattern of dots (it has a name, but I can't remember what) that's present in one form or another on virtually all currency and shuts the program down if you try to open it). Oskar03:18, 23 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Are you talking about the light that a tiny gnome turns on every time you open it? (I'm gonna find that gnome!) Yeah, you're right mine doesn't have one either. Maybe it's because of the ice that tends to form on the freezer walls would block it out all of the time, so the freezer people just don't bother. I have no idea though. Oskar03:13, 23 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I'm guessing that either the low temps would damage the light or that heat from the light might thaw the food. Here's an external light design that might work, by attaching a swing arm lamp to the freezer door:
Flag of the European Union
Flag of Indiana
![[1]](http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/chrisrobertson/isthisarealgame.JPG){kind=link}
![[7]](http://www.crichton-official.com/speeches/complexity/complexity_files/image005.jpg){kind=link}
![[10]](http://www.undergroundnews.com/album/albums/Ghost/Antique_Phone.jpg){kind=link}
![[18]](http://www.howtotutor.com/eclec2.gif){kind=link}
![[27]](http://www.frugalsworld.com/columns/Bunker.jpg){kind=link}
![[35]](http://www.fugroairborne.com.au/services/electromag/geotem/casa1.jpg){kind=link}