:Generally, it's not good practice to cite sources you haven't read. Cite the book you have read. If there's some quotation in the book you've read, from a source you haven't, and you absolutely cannot get your hands on that original source, there are recommended ways to cite such things: see your style guide for recommendations. --[[User:Robert Merkel|Robert Merkel]] 01:40, 5 September 2006 (UTC)
:Generally, it's not good practice to cite sources you haven't read. Cite the book you have read. If there's some quotation in the book you've read, from a source you haven't, and you absolutely cannot get your hands on that original source, there are recommended ways to cite such things: see your style guide for recommendations. --[[User:Robert Merkel|Robert Merkel]] 01:40, 5 September 2006 (UTC)
== maths thicko needs help!! ==
Can anyone please tell me how to work out the number of combinations a set of figures have? For example, How many three letter combinations there are in the English Alphabet, or How many different 6 number lines there are for 49 lottery balls? Also, could I please be really cheeky and ask for the answer to be given in a simple to read way, I have real problems with 'jargonese@' !! Thank you so much for your time. Natalie
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.
The reference desk is not a soapbox. Please avoid debating about politics, religion, or other sensitive issues.
August 29
loch sheldrake, sullivan county, new york how deep?
i am a scuba diver used to live in sullivan county, ny.......i have never dived in loch sheldrake, ny and im curious how deep is this mysterious lake? thank you..signed r van loan
If this is where it is, from up here it somehow doesn't look very deep. --LambiamTalk 00:29, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
No idea, I'm just amazed that you have a Loch in America, I thought there weren't any outside Scotland. AllanHainey 12:46, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I propose deleting the above 7 questions apparaently serving no purpose other than implied criticism of some user names. Objections?--Light current 00:35, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
None appear to be Wikipedia user names. --LambiamTalk 00:40, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
OK. Maybe not. What does the question mean?--Light current 00:48, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Curiosity? A budding sociologist, perhaps? Black Carrot 04:57, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yes or IQ test? Actually, the questioner must be given full marks if it is as the most intelligent thing to do is to ask here! 8-)--Light current 14:23, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Stripper clothing
I find these do the job nicely for stripping -- Rockpocket 05:44, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
what types of clothing do strippers wear to strip?
Stuff that comes off easy!--Light current 00:36, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
dressmakers come into the clubs and sell g-strings etc. to the staff on the spot. hobgoblin
So they get their G-strings fresh out of the box ? :-) StuRat 05:03, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I dont think theyd be quite fresh at that time do you?--Light current 14:24, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Which spot is that? THe night spot?--Light current 04:14, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Why, the G-spot, of course. :-) StuRat 05:08, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Why didnt I think of that one? 8-)--Light current 14:25, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Pasties are always a treat, especially when slathered with butter. :-) StuRat 04:17, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yummy. No butter, just eat em warm. (yeah I thought that wasnt a word!-- deduct 1 point)--Light current 04:24, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
My ex-girlfriends who worked as strippers used to get their clothes from the local mall most of the time. They were normally bikinis or short dresses. Though it depends on the stripper. If they were more into leather and such, that might be harder to find. Dismas|(talk) 06:16, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yeah but they must have had to modify em for easy and dramatic? removal!--Light current 14:27, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Very good! :D Rentwa 00:48, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
THe other answer is 2. Theres the 2 piece swimsuit and the island called Bikini--Light current 01:01, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
There are many types of bikini. Our bikini article describes many of them. An easy way to get a good survey of them is to browse the online store of a swimsuit manufacturer (i.e. Victoria's Secret). --Fastfission 01:43, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
"an easy way to get a good survey" i've never heard it called that before. MeltBanana 01:50, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I have a bikini on my Jeep right now. It keeps the sun off but tends to sag and drip when it rains. Dismas|(talk) 06:13, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
How big is your bikini?--Light current 16:51, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Is "Jeep" a euphemism for something else? sʟυмɢυм • т • c 00:07, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
highways in Europe
When I went to Google Earth, I notice that on Portugal, there are highways on the map saying "A8", "A15" and "N45". Are these the names of the highway in Europe?
It depends on the country of course. Our article on Portugal has nothing, while Transport in Portugal only gives the total length of all Portugal's main roads.
In many countries, N signifies a national road, A and B indicate main roads and secondary roads respectively, while some other letter ("M" in the UK and "A" in France indicates highways. Some countries (eg Ireland) use N for highways. --Howard Train 03:01, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Don't we have an article on this? The most general thing I could find was International E-road network, but that is about the E-numbering. DirkvdM 07:01, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The "A" designations mean auto-estrada (expressway or motorway). Many of these are also part of an IP (itinerário principal/main route) or IC (itinerário complementar/complementary route). Some of these roads may also have "E" designations, which are European routes. By the way, I created stubs for A8 and A15 not too long ago. http://www.aeatlantico.pt/index.asp has info. on Portuguese about these two highways. --Nelson Ricardo 02:25, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
"N" roads (formerly "EN") mean estrada nacional, national road, and are typically not modern expressways. --Nelson Ricardo 02:27, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
My house
Is there a website I can look on that will give me the history of my house? It's a fairly old house and I was just wondering if it has some history to it. It located in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England. thanks for the help
Go to the local museum to start with and talk to them there--Light current 01:59, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I agree with Light Current, but you could try Googling the first line or two of your address just in case. You might also bear in mind that most older houses in England started out with names rather than numbers. Also check out http://www.old-maps.co.uk --Shantavira 08:38, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Don't forget the Web has only been around for 15 years or so; it's unlikely that the history of your house is on a website unless you put it there. Try this BBC site for a guide to researching the history via old records. Best of luck! Tonywalton | Talk 08:50, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
My suggestion would be to ask your solicitor to obtain a copy of your title deeds from the Land Registry. You should already have seen these when the conveyancing was being done on your behalf by him/her at the time you purchased or mortgaged the property, but it may be that in the latter case, s/he has simply bypassed you and lodged the documents back with them once the deeds were modified and completed. I think you will be amazed with the information contained therein. My pal in Scotland makes an extremely good living researching old title deeds on behalf of solicitors acting for buying/selling clients, and as he has a good command of Latin and also Old Scots, his services are very much in demand. Good Luck.
I fear the last responder may be taking the Wikipedia advice to "be bold" a tad bit too literally. :-) StuRat 10:48, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I was searching for the word "cabron" a american spanish swear word to find out exactly what it means. Instead I was routed to the "Carbon" page, which has nothing to do with it.
I apologize but I'm not quite as familiar with the innards of Wikipedia to fix this, although I am a user for some time now.
Thanks for the effort on this project
Alex Hartov
e-mail redacted
Yeah looks like a wrong redirect. Ill remove it--Light current 01:05, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
What you did was blank it. We don't want blank articles lying around. I've proposed it for deletion; see WP:PROD. --Trovatore 01:12, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
By the way, Alex, Wikipedia is not the right place to look for dictionary definitions. See WP:NOT. An entry on the Spanish word would go well in Wiktionary, say at wikt:cabrón. --Trovatore 01:26, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yes I removed the redirect, (as it happens leaving a blank page). I thought this page might hsave been populated by Mr Hartov. Anyway It should go in Wiktionary.
--Light current 01:57, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I'm not so sure it was a bad redirect: Are most people who type "cabron" into English Wikipedia looking for "carbon" or a Spanish swear word ? StuRat 04:12, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
My guess would be the latter. --Trovatore 04:30, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
If the word has a meaning in another language which is well-known, it shouldn't be a redirect. Usually we don't do redirects for typos (common mispellings, sometimes, but not typos). --Fastfission 15:13, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The only reason I would type it in would be if I was looking for the Red Hot Chili Peppers song. -- Chuq 07:53, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yeah thats why I thought it had been done. But hey, gringo its a FR8****G (Spanish) swearword innit?--Light current 04:21, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
If there is to be no Wikipedia article on it, then couldn't it redirect to Wiktionary? Is that possible at all? DirkvdM 07:05, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
We're an English encyclopedia. It makes far more sense to redirect to something that could easily be misspelled than to redirect to something else. Besides, I don't recommend linking to other projects as it hinders the page being used for something else. If you want a dictionary definition, go to Wiktionary. Even better, if we keep it empty, the automated box that appears will suggest searching in multiple other projects. - Mgm|(talk) 08:20, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
"cabron" means "goat" (technically male goat; a female is "cabra"). Colloquially it can be used affectionately ("how you doing, you old goat") or as an insult ("get out of my lane you stupid goat"). The difference is all in the delivery, so don't use it with a stranger who might misinterpret what you mean. Worse, I think in some latin american countries it mean cuckold. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 14:54, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
os crucis
I have a book which mentions the "os crucis" as being the same as "kreuzbein", which is apparently also "os sacrum"??
Why does this contemporary book call is os crucis? Jasbutal 04:41, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Assuming you mean the bone in the pelvis, apparently it is the kreuzbein or os sacrum. "Os crucis" is a literal translation of "kreuzbein", while "os sacrum" is not, so I guess that is why they call it that. Adam Bishop 06:19, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
ordering checks online
is it safe to order checks online from a third party that is not my bank? (i.e. is it safe to reveal all my personal info. and my routing/bank # to these check printing companies) Jasbutal 05:05, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
If it's an authorized website and such; use good judgement and if in doubt don't. --Proficient 05:13, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Why on earth would you order checks (or cheques) from anyone other than your bank? I would only do this if your bank had specifically told you that it was OK to order checks from this company. Otherwise don't touch it with a bargepole. Your pretty checks will be useless if your account has been emptied. DJ Clayworth 16:00, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
(At least in the US) the bank is perpetrating a fiction if it pretends its cheques are magically more "authorised" or "secure" than are those printed by others (a fiction from which it profits, as bank cheques are generally more expensive than those printed by a cheque printing company). In reality a cheque is just a piece of paper with your name written on it and some banking numbers (generally printed with MICR, but at least in theory handwritten would do, if you could presuade someone to actually take the cheque). All that you (or anyone) needs to have to make more cheques is an existing cheque (the cheque printing companies generally want payment by cheque, and they use the payment cheque to obtain the details and as basic verification that the account exists). There's no additional danger from Jasbutal ordering his cheques this way; anyone who has received a cheque from him could use the same information to manufacture a new cheque. As long as the sequence numbers don't take a huge jump (or repeat) the bank will honour the cheque just as it would one they've printed themselves. Now you'll be wondering "so what's all that security printing on the cheque for then?", and honestly I recon it's for decoration. With the passage of Check 21 Act every major corporation digitises your cheque and shreds it; having had to trace a cheque problem (caused by the bank's incompitence) the quality of these digital captures is pretty poor (you certainly can't see the security printing at all; I could barely read my own writing). Personal experience shows that banks will happily pay cheques into the wrong account (despite the payee account being written on the back), deposit unsigned cheques, cheques with amounts that differ in the numbers field and the written part, or will just deposit a different amount than the payer wrote. These are all elementary mistakes made by innocent cheque writers, and should all have been caught by even the most elementary checking procedure - if they don't catch these they're not going to catch even basic forgeries and reworked cheques, never mind Frank Abignale. I have a nice Sesame Street chequebook (I pay taxes using the Oscar the Grouch cheques) and the only ones who ever rob me are the bank. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 16:54, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Nothing I said above was in any way related to the security of the cheques themselves, it was to do with the unbelievable high risk involved in giving your bank account details to anyone you are not completely sure about. DJ Clayworth 17:28, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
You don't give them any more bank details than you give anyone to whom you send a cheque. Indeed, many of the online printers will happily not put your address on it, an idiotic practice still common to many US banks' own cheques. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 18:52, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
When I opened an account in the US, I found very strange the idea that I had to order checks from a third party. In the UK, AFAIK all banks supply their customers with cheques as required. ColinFine 20:44, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Date System
I just bought a book that is, according to its inside cover, copyrighted 2007. Am I missing something here? Black Carrot 05:15, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Could it be pending, and anticipated in 2007 ? StuRat 05:55, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
It sounds like the publisher messed up. They changed their publication schedule for that book but forgot to alter the date inside. Theoretically, someone could now reprint their material, give it a 2006 date, and claim prior copyright. But otherwise the date is irrelevant: stuff is automatically copyrighted as soon as it first appears.--Shantavira 07:44, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
This is very rare, and is indeed probably a mistake. The opposite used to happen sometimes with pornography. By putting a publication date many years in the past, the publisher hoped to convince anyone planning to prosecute them that it all happened so long ago you'd never find the relevant people. Notinasnaid 08:37, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Or one could argue that the actors were seriously underage. :) DirkvdM 06:33, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Crediting a fictional printer in Amsterdam or Paris was also common, though not so much for porn as for political/religious texts. Shimgray | talk | 14:40, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I asked a friend, and he claimed a lot of things (cars were an example) are dated a year off, for no other reason than that that's the way it's done. Any thoughts? Black Carrot 03:56, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I believe this was also the case for one or more of the year-numbered msWindows versions. DirkvdM 06:33, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Maybe the book was from a foreign country that's in a timezone a few months ahead of most of the earth? – b_jonas 13:47, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
assignment help
I need help answering the following question,
Which approache is more relevant to the development process of developing countries
-the IMF or World Bank approaches to the strutural Adjustment Programme.
The more relevant approach is the one that enables you to do your own homework. --Richardrjtalk email 10:03, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Pointing them in the right direction is not doing their homework for them. You should probably start at World Bank and IMF, from there you can go on to Structural adjustment. Always check the see also and external links, they can give you a lot more info. Nowimnthing 13:31, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
CRT televisions.
I have a 58cm LG pure-flat CRT. I'm looking at upgrading to an 80cm Magnavox curved CRT for $500. Wise or foolish? What are the disadvantages of Magnavox, and of a curved screen? Will this TV be better or worse than my LG one?
Are you sure you want a CRT at all ? Plasma and LCD screens are rapidly coming down to a competitive price with CRTs, and are much better in many respects. StuRat 13:08, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
yeah, for the $500 price range you could get a 20"-30" widescreen HDTV like this one [1]. The benefit of curved screen used to be that you could see the screen from a wider angle than flat screens, but that has changed with technology and there should be little difference now. Now the advantage is with flat as they offer a more film-like experience. Nowimnthing 13:25, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Don't you have that the wrong way around? When viewed from an angle, a curved screen distorts the 'other end' more. DirkvdM 06:40, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Note: this is $500 AUD, which is around $300 USD. I'm looking more into large screens than HD ones, 480p/576p is enough for me; and 4:3 is actually preferable as I watch older TV shows and video games. It's just in my bedroom, so I'll be close to directly in line with it at all times. What do you mean by "a more film-like" experience, though?
DirkvdM, I suppose it would be better top say that curved screens distort less at an angle than older LCDs as they tended to get darker as you increase the angle until they are completely black.
$300 US will still get you a small LCD, though if you are looking for size, I would go with a flat CRT like this or one of the Sony Wegas. 6:9 or 4:3 is up to you. If you think about a movie theater, the screen is flat and the films are widescreen, so any tv that tries to more closely replicate that is going to be more film-like. Since you are looking at something just for a bedroom, I'm assuming occasional viewing and game playing, you may look at super-large used rear projection tvs. Their quality isn't great but having video game characters almost a foot (30 cm) tall is a unique experience. Nowimnthing 17:53, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Can anyone identify the artist of this song?
The song name, both in its filename and the track name that shows up in Winamp, is 'Neapolitan'. It has no attached artist or album name, and a Google search for 'neapolitan' was totally useless because of the number of other neapolitan things out there. Wikipedia appears to have no article about the song, so it's either non-notable or was mislabelled.
I'm not very good at describing music, but most of the lyrics are sung clearly and the singer is clearly male. There's not a lot of accompanying music, but it picks up in the chorus.
A portion of the lyrics are as follows:
When the waitress walked by
She must have caught his eye
And at that moment, he was mine
A little sleight of hand, and I had poisoned his bowl of Neapolitan
What else can I say man [chuckle]
Enjoy your ice cream
Murder is such an ugly word [But/I'll] use another if you so prefer
Me, I like to call it art
Art is its own reward
Just ask buttwad
Years of livin' in the shadow of the bat
But we'll come back to that
Right now let's roll this little [memo/pebble] out to the big boss
Next time you think I'm goin' soft
Send some punk to knock me off
Here's a reminder, you fuckin' hind-grinder
With a cherry on top
Is this enough? I'd rather not transcribe everything now (particularly the apparently-nonsensical chorus), but I will if I need to.
Beat me to it :P Benbread 13:12, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
lubrication 2004 Hyundai XG350L
Furk11 13:42, 29 August 2006 (UTC)What does the Hyundai service manual say on how to lubricate a 2004 XG350L Hyundai?eg.Where are the grease fittings located?what else should be checked routinely?etc.Furk11[reply]
Wouldn't you be better off asking your local Hyundai service centre? rather than random persons on the internet? :-P Jayant,17 Years, India • contribs 14:52, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
It should specify what to do in the manual in perhaps another section. --Proficient 01:28, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The Queen of United Kindom
Is it possible under British law, that the Queen could commit an offence such as theft, murder etc and be tried for the crime?--Light current 15:40, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
We answered this very recently. Please look at the archives. DJ Clayworth 15:56, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Any idea approximiately wher in the archives?--Light current 17:23, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
It's on the humanities desk, still on the current page. Not a huge amount of helpful stuff there though. DJ Clayworth 17:31, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I ve been suffering from what I think is trapped wind (abdominal) on my recent wikiholiday, where I ve been doing a bit of walking. I only seem to get this quite inconvenent condition when I do walk. I can only walk a bit then I have to find a public convenience again (or sit down to let the pressure subside). I did mention this to the doc once when I was on some medication that didnt agree. Any ideas as to what it could be, how to prevent it. Please do not suggest flying a kite! 8-)
--Light current 16:39, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Is that how you got your username? J/K. Russian F 16:48, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
You mean current as in flow of gas? No--Light current 16:53, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Sounds as though you picked up a local bug, and these are sometimes difficult to avoid. Even a simple change of diet can have this effect. Try drinking bottled water rather than from the tap, make sure all you food is cooked thoroughly, and avoid takeaways.--Shantavira 17:49, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Well it didnt fell like a bug. I dont know whether large quantities of alcoholic beverage gas anything to do with it tho!--Light current 18:24, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
If you're female, this might be an ovarian cyst (which can resemble gastric pain). I suggest you see a doctor (I'm no doctor). Durova 19:15, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I wasnt female when I checked this morning!--Light current 19:44, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Does this only happen when you go walking (and so might be associated with other things you do then, like drinking), or when you walk any distance generally? Because you mention drink, and that can do weird things to some people's insides. Gas or constipation etc. Skittle 20:26, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yes. When on holiday I usually drink large quantities in the evening. I also eat more than at home. I then go walking a few miles and this gas thing (its not diarrhoea) almost cripples me until I get rid of it. But half an hour after getting rid (so to speak) its the same thing again!--Light current 20:30, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Mythbusters TV show investigated various supposed causes of flatulence. Swallowing air for whatever reason or consuming carbonated beverages can produce gas, as can consumption of cruciform vegetables or beans. If y
Ginger can help-hotclaws**==(82.138.214.1 21:21, 4 September 2006 (UTC))[reply]
european university applications
I'm an American looking to get a Ph.D. in engineering in europe. what standardized tests (if any) do they require on applications (norway specifically). Jasbutal 16:43, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I should imagine you have to speak the language- do you?--Light current 20:51, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Toilet Paper in Muslim Countries
Serious question - do mainly Muslim countries manufacture their own toilet paper, or do they import it? If the latter, where from predominantly? Thanks.—Preceding unsigned comment added by 195.93.21.101 (talk • contribs)
Toilet paper is not difficult to manufacture locally, but there are lots of different Muslim countries, each with their own resources. However, many Muslims do not use toilet paper. See the article.--Shantavira 17:40, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Then what exactly do they use?Evilbu 21:29, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
their (right I think) hand and water. --Charlesknight 21:33, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Surely the left (evil) hand.?--Light current 21:34, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I been Rollin' Stoned and Beatled till I'm blind
I been Ayn Randed, nearly branded
A Communist 'cause I'm left-handed
That's the hand ya use—well, never mind
A Simple Desultory Philippic, or how I was Robert Macnamara'd into submission, Simon and Garfunkel
I've never thought that wiping his ass was the use he was talking about. DJ Clayworth 14:58, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
you are right, me being sinister - I should have known! --Charlesknight 21:46, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Indonesia is the biggest predominantly Muslim country and they've got toilet paper. Also, they have plenty trees (not for long if they keep it up, though), so the means to manufacture it, plus the size for a sufficiently large market. So I'd be surprised if they didn't manufacture most. Many other predominantly Muslim countries are located in deserts and may not have enough trees (or am I exaggerating now?). That said, water isn't abundant in deserts either, so I'm a bit puzzled. I thought they traditionally used sand (ouch!), which the toilet paper article also mentions, but not specifically for Muslims/desert people. DirkvdM 06:59, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
"Why is there a watering can in the bathroom?" "Well Muslims don't use toilet paper..." I didn't question any further, but I had a "he doesn't know how to use the three seashells!" moment. Adam Bishop 15:08, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Apparently the ancient Roman soldiers used a sponge on a short stick (or is it s**t stick- not sure). THe sponge was then rinsed in running water. Actually I thing this is a good idea-- saves paper!--Light current 16:30, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
It can also give you relief after an extra hot curry, or salsa!--Light current 20:53, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Need website that is possibly infringing on someone's copyrights.
As part of my assignment, I need a website that is possibly infringing on someone's copyright. Provide the URL of the site. I have to state why I believe the website might be in violation of copyright law. Thanks!
There's a warning in bold on the top of this page that reads "Do your own homework." Pesapluvo 17:42, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I did not ask for anyone to do my homework, I simply asked for assistance in finding a website that may be infringing copyright law.
Why not look for sites in Eastern Europe that host very cheap MP3's or sites with lyrics to modern songs. CambridgeBayWeather(Talk) 18:14, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Search flickr for the name of a famous person (an actress or model) and you'll find lots of copyright problems. Similarly search youtube for the names of a famous TV show (e.g "Desperate housewives") and you'll find plenty of unauthorised clips. Or (for extra credit) discuss the many copyright problems at WP:COPY. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 18:14, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yeah, YouTube is the way to go. - Mgm|(talk) 18:24, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Any site that posts song lyrics and isn't a record company or the band itself. User:Zoe|(talk) 01:52, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Seriously? Song lyrics? --iamajpeg 03:41, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Well they profit by "selling" (through ads) other peoples writing.. --Froth 03:57, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Hi, I have downloaded and installed the Adobe Photoshop CS2 30 free trial from www.adobe.com and the 30 days has been used up. Is there someway that I can uninstall photoshop and re-download and install it to use it again for 30 days? I have tried this, but photoshop must have installed some files in my computer that tells it that I have used the 30 days trial already. What do I have to delete in order to re-use the trial? Thanks Jamesino 17:46, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
If it were that easy, Adobe would be out of business. Notinasnaid 17:51, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
You could just go for a free program like Gimp. As far as I can tell it can do all the stuff Photoshop can... - Mgm|(talk) 18:23, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
And GIMP also runs on both msWindows and Linux, which Photoshop doesn't. However, it seems to lack the many keyboard shortcuts that I love so much about Photoshop. DirkvdM 07:08, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Back in 1999, Nokia offered a 30-day free trial version of their WAP gateway. I found the trial period could be extended indefinitely by simply turning back the system clock. JIP | Talk 19:13, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
How do you turn back the system clock on a Windows XP? Jamesino 15:38, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Settings-->ControlPanel-->Date&Time--Light current 16:38, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
A lot of people just "acquire" it illegally. --01:49, 31 August 2006 (UTC)
That's the easiest way. If you can find the PARADOX keygen (as part of a torrent or http cs2 download) you can activate your copy and not have to reinstall. Also many programs use HKLM\SOFTWARE\Licenses in the windows registry to store that kind of info, and many "quick n dirty" fixes for expired evaluations have at least something to do with that area of the registry, but for that you'll probably have to reinstall. Anyway, adobe probably has its own system. --Froth 04:00, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
UK Accounting terms
24.218.44.24 17:53, 29 August 2006 (UTC)What does the term "Annual fee turnover" mean? What would be the US equivalent term? Thank you. °[reply]
I'm going to take a stab at this - from the context I've seen it used, (as in: "firm has an annual fee turnover of 30 million pounds"), I'm going to guess it's similar to profit, or possibly revenue more likely, but I can't be entirely certain. That term appears to change regularly depending on what you look at. Tony Fox(arf!) 21:03, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
You're right, it's the same thing as revenue. --Richardrjtalk email 05:42, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Architecture
What individual during the middle ages designed and built a formidable church with using any plans?
--69.117.81.26 18:12, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The way you phrased that question leads me to believe that this is a homework question or similar. Most emphatically, do your own homework!!! With love, Hyenaste(tell) 18:18, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Looks more like a pub quiz question to me. Homework is not normally a puzzle like this. Don't know, though. --Tagishsimon(talk)
Well I looked and the closest thing I could find was this, the only example of a church built without plans (or suggested there are no plans). Hyenaste(tell) 19:43, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Most of them did it with using plans. Tonywalton | Talk 19:11, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
What makes you think that? (Sorry, misread what you'd written). Most mediaeval architects drew detailed plans, although these have rarely survived. Warofdreamstalk 00:38, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The original question was "with using any plans". Tonywalton | Talk 10:28, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
'Design' and 'without any plans' seem to contradict each other. In shipbuilding no plans were used for a long time because simply stating the type of ship and its size were enough for the shipbuilders to go by. I can imagine (don't know) that for the details the same was true in building churches, but the overall plan had to be more specific because it was less of a routine job and churches differed more. Although some Scottish (I believe) church was taken as the basic plan for many churches. Or was that monasteries? Sorry, vague memories. DirkvdM 07:23, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Shouting & damaged hearing
Why do so many people (esp young ones) shout at high volumes when conversing when they are only a few feet apart. Have they all got damaged hearing or are my ears now super sensitive? --Light current 20:12, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Increasingly many young people suffer from noise-induced hearing loss, not only from rock-music concerts and discothèques, but also from iPods. See Hearing impairment. The proclivity to using a loud conversational tone is culture-dependent, but particularly prominent in the United States. While auditory sensitivity in the sense of acuity of hearing declines with age, there is a little-understood tendency for the psychological sensitivity to increase: older people complain more about noise, possibly because it actually bothers them more. While several people have raised this as a hypothesis, as far as I'm aware the cause of the diminished tolerance has never been investigated. --LambiamTalk 21:54, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
THEY ARE SO WITTY, INTERESTING AND INTELLIGENT THEY THINK THAT EVERYONE SHOULD BENEFIT FROM THEIR OPINIONS. MeltBanana 00:37, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Pardon? I cant quite hear you!--Light current 02:21, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
They're so used to talking on their cell phones that they don't know how to hold conversations at normal decibels. User:Zoe|(talk) 01:54, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Some people actually dont need the phone!--Light current 02:18, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Strangely enough, I agree with all of the above replies (esp #1). I actually find loud conversation etc painful altho' i play in a band and listen to other band (admittedly somtimes with earplugs)--Light current 02:15, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
OK since we have consensus on this, How about a limit on the noise people can make in public places (cf smoking in public)--Light current 02:51, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Lambiam is right about there being a cultural factor about conversational volume. Western culture - (I use the term deliberately, as I doubt that the problem is particular to the USA; it is certainly the case in Australia and, from Light current's question, in the UK as well) - seems to be changing from one where conversations were kept private between the people involved in the conversation, to one where they are nowadays generally regarded as public. Well, that's how they're perceived by the hapless bystanders, office co-workers, or the captive audience on public transport, who have no choice but hear whatever the talkers are talking about. Once, you would only have heard what other people were talking about if they particularly wanted you to hear them, or if they didn't know you were eavesdropping; now, people generally seem to neither know nor care who overhears them - and the more the better, apparently. In an office, people applied the Golden Rule by keeping their conversations to a minimum volume, out of respect for their co-workers who were trying to concentrate on something else. The same rules applied in public transport or in restaurants. Despite endlessly chanting the "what goes around comes around" mantra, which is the same concept packaged slightly differently, people seem to have little or no regard for the Golden Rule any more. But apart from that, I don't understand what has happened to the "embarrassment factor" (for want of a better term) that should apply when you're talking about private and personal matters. One factor leading to overly loud speaking is the design of mobile (cell) phones - the mouthpiece is not as close to the mouth as it was on the traditional handset, so even though people know that the technology can pick up their voice regardless of the distance, they are at a psychological disadvantage so they feel the need to shout rather than just speak at a normal volume. The people who are bothered most by these phenomena are those who cannot switch off one sound in amongst various sounds. In fact, most people cannot do this very well, if at all. Those who, like myself, grapple with "recruitment" (we don't have an article on this, strangely), have to allow for this and keep their criticisms of conversational loudness in perspective. But even allowing for recruitment, tinnitus, and a significant high frequency hearing loss, I can still sometimes quite clearly hear people conversing 200 yards away from me. That cannot be put down to anything other than shouting. So, back to square one and Light current's question. Why do they shout? Clearly, their level of self-awareness is extremely low. While the world has become a lot more aware of itself, individuals have become so enmeshed in world-awareness that they have ceased to be aware of how unaware they are that they are unaware. JackofOz 03:22, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Absolutely well said (in a quiet voice) I like it!--Light current 03:37, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I don't remember having noticed this elsewhere, so maybe it's a Dutch thing, but right wing ('neoconservative') people here have a tendency to speak in very loud voices. One of my sisters has moved to such circles through her husband and picked that up, so now when I talk to her on the telephone I keep it some distance away from my ear to avoid hearing damage (well, pain, actually). DirkvdM 07:31, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
A similar recent trend is to play music using a mobile phone on public transport without any headphones! So the recent of the travellers are subjected to tinny rubbish at high volume!
I really do think tho that todays young people have actually got significant hearing loss due to loud discos rock concerts and esp walkmans or iPods
Also most older people have hearing loss thro a life time of exposure to loud (>80dB) noises. Its time some laws were brought in otherwise well all be deaf.--Light current 16:35, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Never mind rock concerts, unless we're talking about people who visit them very regularly (few times per week) and stand right in front of the speakers. And rocj concerts aren't quite a recent phenomenon. And why rock concerts? Musicians in sympnony orchestras are known to often loose hearing. For other people, headphones are indeed a major cause for deafness because it is too tempting to set them too loud (why is that, by the way?). They've been around for quite some time too, but wearing them almost all the time is a more recent phenomenon, I believe. DirkvdM 07:30, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Wikicharts?
I came across a YTMND that had a "Wikichart" on it. This was the list of the top searches on Wikipedia.
Where can I find this "Wikichart" and how?
Wikicharts seem to be a part of Wikistats, which shows statistics for Wikipedia. See Image:WikiCharts1.png and Image:WikiCharts2.png. bibliomaniac15 21:32, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
You may be thinking of [2].-gadfium 21:44, 29 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
August 30
drought??
I haven't seen any changes in prices of cotton products or other agricultural products. Was there even a drought?? what gives. hey bush, I need some cash too, I was hit hard financially when my parents kicked my lazy ass otu the back door .
I don't know, but a hailstorm ruined this year's basil crop! [3]Adam Bishop 15:05, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Straight line
Who made the first straight line? And how did they make it?--Coasttocoast 01:17, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
do you honestly expect a straight answer for this question? This is worse than light current's question what people call cars in the US. Jasbutal 01:33, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Hey, do you mind! That was a serious question of mine. And it brought some very intelligent and informative answers!--Light current 02:05, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
To provide a sensible answer to this, I would say that someone got a piece of string and fixed it at one point, then stretched it taut. That woud be straight. No kidding!--Light current 02:09, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
With a razor blade I think. ;-) --hydnjotalk 19:01, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Our article on straightedges may be useful - although it doesn't say who developed the techniques. Warofdreamstalk 02:45, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The oldest surviving man-made straight lines are probably irrigation ditches extending to the nearest river. While filled in with sediment long ago, the trenches can still be found, with a bit of excavation. StuRat 03:33, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yeah but how did they make em straight?--Light current 03:42, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Light travels in a straight line, so it is quite handy to use for this purpose. I mean you can see when something is straight and when it's not. I think to get a better answer you need to ask a clearer question. For example, do you mean how did the Romans build straight roads?--Shantavira 07:15, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Egyptians had straight stones and pyramid edges before the Roman Empire started. - Mgm|(talk) 07:39, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Do you mean "who drew the first straight line and what tool did they use for it"? Drawing probably predates rock paintings by a fair bit (in sand or such) and drawing a straight line without a ruler isn't that difficult. What do you mean by a straight line? No line is ever perfectly straight (except for light maybe unless you look at it at a quantum scale). But this reminds me of questions I used to ask myself like "how do you make a straight ruler if you don't yet have anything that is straight?". I suppose that's a matter of getting ever closer to perfection.
As to how to make a straight ditch - put two people at the two ends, let someone with poles move from one to the other, getting directions from the others how to keep in line with them. Or just use a long rope between the two points, pull it taut and go 'dzingggg', leaving a mark on the ground. DirkvdM 07:43, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
They do say that the first straight line, the first wheel, the first shoe, the first board game, and the first alloy, were all invented by a guy called Ug. We really should have an article about him.--Shantavira 08:51, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Note that the first VERTICAL straight line might well have been created using a plumb-bob. StuRat 10:43, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
So it wasnt Ug after all in that case, it was Bob?--Light current 11:50, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
No, actually, it was Ug. He drew a line across the floor to separate his side of the cave with Bob's. freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 16:26, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
How do you actually know all this. Have you been back in time in your UFO?--Light current 18:24, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
If we couldn't identify it, how could we fly it? Ha! DirkvdM 07:32, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Japanese Curry Secrets
Does anyone know any secrets (cooking process, ingredient) to making a Japanese curry from scratch (without boxed roux)?
Googling this gives plenty of hits, like this one, which also links you to a recipe for the curry roux. --LambiamTalk 02:48, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
It's not indicated in that recipe, but I find that a lot of the sweeter/not-so-spicy curry here (including school lunches and most omuretto rice stores) includes crushed pineapple. freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 16:24, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Most curries include ingredients which are relatively difficult to use. Professionals usually blend the spice mix by taste, as age and water content differences cause batches to come out wildy dissimmilar when mixed by volume. Find a roux mix you like and order it online. Or you can purchase a concentrated indian curry paste and adapt it to japanese style by using pineapple juice, honey, starch and a little soy sauce. --DarkfredTalk to me 16:43, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Publish Poor Customer Service
Under the Wikipedia Customer Service article there's a website here which seems to be the only one I can find where I ( as a consumer of all my daily worldly goods and services ) can rate / complain / publish poor customer service perceptions and evidence that I come across. I am irritated with Toshiba for what I perceive at their poor after sales customer service for the laptop PC that I bought, but after looking in Wikipedia and a lot of Googleing (is that the word?) I cannot find what I hoped should already be out there.
The rate-them.org site seems to be only for local services (restaurants, dry-cleaners, etc...) in the USA. I am looking for a global site that references global brand names. Companies such as Toshiba, and for that matter, Ford, HSBC, Carrefour, Dell etc.., these guys sell themselves all over the world on their global brand image for their products. There's nothing localised about it, so I hoped that there should be a website where I can post what I want to post so as to get the anger out of me. Of course, I could complain directly to the big company Toshiba, but such a website as I am looking for would make more of a change in the right direction than me receiving a stock letter reply from some overworked and underpaid Toshiba customer services employee.
Where are these websites that I seek, and how to find them ?
I understand that, if there are none of these out there, the reason may be cited of "legal reasons" (i.e. fears of litigation by the big companies against "trouble makers letterbox" websites). But blogs don't seem to suffer from such litigation problems (at least not as yet). And bittorrent websites, which are of dubious legality in many jurisdictions, seem to exist without to much fear of such litigation - be they hosted in western-world-litigation-non-friendly countries such as Romania or Russia. Such websites could also be structured in their data entry forms to force evidence as to the alleged complaints, so as to prevent spam and frivilous postings.
The point being is that there are no death-knell reasons that I can see why such websites as I seek do not exist ?
Any help out there please ? Someone savvy take on this project if there isn't anything in existance, and I will gladly donate a bit of cash to help get the ball rolling.
Thanks to all who ponder this posting. I feel better already..... Anon.
Hmm, I wonder if a Wiki project could be used, say "WikiConsumer" ? Logging individual complaints would be easy, but gathering statistics (like average customer rating) in a reliable way (so it can't be falsified by the company) would be trickier. Perhaps a format more like RateMyTeachers.com would be in order. StuRat 10:39, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
What I've done is find a blog dedicated to the product that scores high with Google, and then I've put in an anonymous comment. For example, iRobot Scooba only comes with a very stinky cleaning solution. I found a very good substitute. --Zeizmic 15:36, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
OK. Which particular ERP or Erp did you have in mind?--Shantavira 08:23, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Is it possible?
Which countries accepting asylum, if we apply from another country? I mean, without entering that territory can i file an asylum in any country?
You'll need to contact an embassy or consulate of the country to which you wish to apply for asylum. They should have procedures in place for such a request. --Canley 07:13, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Mr.Canley... Are you sure that they will take me as refugee if i go an Australian Embassy in my country?
No, Canley can't be sure because he doesn't know which country you are from and on the basis of what reason you're trying to get asylum. - Mgm|(talk) 07:36, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Mr.MacGyverMagic.. I born in India and I live here..But Nowadays here its a bad situation for me to live here. thats why i want to go any country that i can live safely..and i have only 24 year old.
You will need to convince the Australian government that you are persecuted for political opinions or religious beliefs in your country. Is your case documented? Australia may not be as bad as Japan, but it is not known for receiving refugees with open arms. Also, if you are presently not in the country where you are persecuted, most countries that honour the right of asylum require that you first apply in other countries that you have visited since leaving your own country. In any case, the consulate or embassy should be able to tell you what the rules are. I'd try the consulate first.--LambiamTalk 07:48, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
This sounds like a very serious inquiry. I suggest consulting an attorney if you can: if not, then contact the consulate for Australia or whatever other country you seek: embassies deal with government relations, consulates handle individual matters. If you're free to post the details on Wikipedia you might get more specific advice, but that might not be safe (depending on your situation) and it looks like you need expert advice. Durova 16:26, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I have no idea whether the Australian government would admit you as a refugee, I was merely letting you know that the Australian High Commission in New Delhi (http://www.ausgovindia.com/) will have procedures in place for you to apply for a humanitarian visa. For more information on Australia's Refugee and Humanitarian program, see http://www.immi.gov.au/refugee/index.htm --Canley 06:26, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Kappa Alpha Psi, was originally founded as Kappa Alpha Nu, and changed by resoultion at the 4th Grand Chapter meeting do to a Racial Slur. there nare many interpretations to what it REALLY means -eternal scroller St. John's University 1983
Am Trying To Find Out About A Particular Organization. I Am Trying To Find Out About An Organization Named Phi Nu Pi. I Also Would Like To Know Its Relationship To Another Organization Named Kappa Alpha Psi And Whether Or Not Phi Nu Pi Still Exist To This Day. If You Could Help Me Or Tell Me Where I Can Find More Information About This Organization Please Let Me Know. Thank You!
Doesn't Capitalising The First Letter Of Every Word Make For Very Slow Typing? DirkvdM 07:52, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I founD severaL referenceS linkingG kappA alphA psI tO phI nU pI, buT nonE particularlY cleaR. onE pagE listS thE founderS oF kappA alphA psI undeR thE headinG: "thE founderS oF phI nU pI": [4]. --LambiamTalk 08:24, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I HopE ThaT HelpS YoU. (NoW ThiS IS GettinG RatheR SillY...) Peter O. (Talk) 17:40, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Maybe he/she is German and worked on the mistaken assumption that every word in the question was a noun. (Well, it's possible, what with modern-day teaching standards ...) JackofOz 07:42, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Phi Nu Pi - that's what Kappa Alpha Psi founders were called until somewhere down in the kappas changed their name
Photos of Norwegian rural furniture
Maybe the Nordenfjelske Museum in Bergen would be the place ?Bold text
Do you mean Trondheim? It is probably the place, but for what? --LambiamTalk 08:36, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
A Google image search gives some relevant hits: [5]. --N·Bluetalk 19:26, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
If I were a bank, and I operated one of those voice-mail-hell, get your account balance thingies, I would never, ever, allow Voip connections. --Zeizmic 15:33, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
River Willow
I have been told by a Native American that river willow can be used to make peace pipe stems. I cannot seem to find a picture of river willow or a location. Can you tell me where it can be found growing in New York State, or even a place where it can be purchased? Thank you.
24.39.110.27 12:31, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Perhaps your acquaintance means Salix eriocephala michx, the Missouri River Willow. You can find a detailed description, including distribution range and illustrations, at The USDA Plant Profile . Pictures are available at The Wisconsin Botanical Information Systemdpotter 14:42, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The flag of France pre 1789
What was it like? Obviously the tricolour came with the revolution, what was there before it? Henning 13:38, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Dude. Like, seriously. Thanks. Henning 14:06, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Copyright question
If someone copies articles or parts of articles from a source like Time or The Boston Globe and then posts that material on a personal website without express permission of the source, can a link to that personal website page count as a reference source for a Wikipedia article? Are there copyright issues involved? Flinders 14:27, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
no, because there is no way to know that the site is reprenting the newspaper accuratly. However the newspaper can be cited even if the article is not posted online. Jon513 14:32, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
You have two questions there—one is about Wikipedia's citation policy, another is about copyrights. On the copyright issue—no, there is no copyright issue for you to link to someone else's page, even if the page may be a copyright violation (it is their copyright violation, not yours). (There are some circumstances in which linking to someone else's copyright violation could implicate you—i.e. the Grokster scenario—but in the cases of articles, probably not.) On the citation issue—it depends. If the site looks reliable and there is no reason to doubt it, it could serve as a proxy for the source itself, though ideally one would want to check it against the original. How much one would want to trust another site depends on the issue at hand, of course — for anything really controversial I'd want to be very careful, but in many cases that level of suspicion is unnecessary. --Fastfission 14:52, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I usually like to use university and gov't sources. Newspaper articles tend to disappear. However, if somebody has made a big effort, such as archiving articles about Katrina, or Boston's Big Dig, then that web site could be cited in the External Links section. --Zeizmic 15:01, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
WP:C says at Linking to copyrighted works: "Linking to copyrighted works is usually not a problem, as long as you have made a reasonable effort to determine that the page in question is not violating someone else's copyright. If it is, please do not link to the page. Knowingly and intentionally directing others to a site that violates copyright has been considered a form of contributory infringement in the United States". ColinFine 23:36, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Just a reminder that a reference for Wikipedia does not have to be linkable. It's fine to use a print resource—but please do verify that the reference is accurate. –RHolton≡– 12:19, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
How do I find material from specifications mentioned on drawings?
THE DRAWINGS ARE OF AUTOMOBILE - FASTENERS, SINTERED PARTS ETC
I have recently come accross drawings, presumably in German. The material specifications are as - 1.0718K; 1.0401 etc. How can I find equivalent material available in India. You can contact me on (email address redacted)
It would help if you said what the drawings were of.--Light current 16:17, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The weirdest numbers I've come across in drawings is for the type of steel, and the type of cross-section for steel beams. Every country has their own standards for these things, and these tend to come in big thick books that you can't get on the Internet. Have fun. --Zeizmic 16:28, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Name of that Song
There's this song sang a few years ago by an african american singer, it's a Pop song and is frequently featured on the Family Channel. The lyrics goes something like this:
A little bit of Mickey's all I need,
A little bit of monica's all i need,
A little bit of (name) is all I need,
etc...
That's roughly how the lyrics goes. I tried searching for it on lyrics engines, but I am unable to find the name of this song. It's an upbeat and lively song. Does anyone know the name of this song? Jamesino 15:40, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks alot =) Jamesino 22:57, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Poll for non-US citizens
For the sake of a discussion elsewhere, If you're not from the US, without looking it up, do you know what 'area51' is? (And if you do, don't tell - yet). DirkvdM 17:11, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I do! (well I think I do , but that could just be a US government conspiricy to delude the public)--Light current 17:12, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Actually you should call this a survey, as polls are not allowed ON THIS PAGE--Light current 17:13, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Huh? Now, why would that be? —Bromskloss 19:23, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I do, but I am from Canada, which may not be significantly non-US for you. Adam Bishop 17:20, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I do. Please don't kill me. I'm just an inoffensive (usually) Canadian. Now here's a question for you: Have you heard of 'Area 51-A'? Anchoress 01:43, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
"Cracktown, Cracktown is the stop" ;-) I see no reason why Area 51 would not be well-known outside the US... – AlbinoMonkey(Talk) 04:31, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Just a guess, but I bet the number of people who said Yes would go down significantly if you referred to it as Groom Lake rather than Area 51. Dismas|(talk) 05:03, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I'm an Australian and I know of Groom Lake, though only by references in The X-Files.
I know about both Groom Lake and Area 51 and have seen satelite pictures of the area. Evern so Im not much into the *censored*, just a part of general education. Oh, and a teacher at my highschool liked those stuff, he used to spend entire class talking that or some other stuff ^-^ -Shinhan 05:56, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Hmmm, am I the only one who never heard of it? But let's wait until this has been around the clock (and around the world). DirkvdM 07:38, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yes, I heard of it and I'm from the Netherlands (just like you if I remember correctly). It depends on the kind of stuff you are interested in and if you're not interested in you-know-what (I'm not telling since Dirk asked) you're not going to know about it. - 131.211.210.11 07:40, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Well, a day has passed and I seem to be the odd one out (unless those who didn't know didn't answer, as Bromskloss suggested). It's a military test area where 'ufo's are reported. I heard of the phenomenon, but 'area 51' didn't ring a bell. It was about a featured picture candidate on Wikimedia Commons - a map that is suppsed to be special becuase it show that area. So I now have one less argument. DirkvdM 06:53, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Did anyone realize that the first few responses sound as if everyones getting married?? :-P. Jayant,17 Years, India • contribs 03:30, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yes, but as Kurt said we're not supposed to talk about it. DirkvdM 06:32, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Jonas Roberts, "Eames-era" 1950s stoneware designer
I am looking for any information on Jonas Roberts. Here is a response from an online seller who had some of his pieces: "I believe Jonas Roberts was one of those 'Eames era' designers back in the 1950s whose work was done by a company akin to Mikasa of Japan. The stoneware line the company produced was called "cerastone" -- stoneware with a finished ceramic-like glaze." I'm not looking for Jonas Roberts items to buy--a quick search usually turns up plenty on ebay and other places--but any other information (biographical, critical, etc.) would be very welcome. Thank you for your efforts!
Jonas Roberts was born in Lvov and emmigrated to New York City. He was trained as a lawyer and graduated from St Johns University. He came from a very artistic family and was self trained. After World War II he supported his family in giftware sales eventually opening a store in New Jersey. He did indeed have a connection with the Mikasa "clan" they were personal friends and business associates. He operated his business out of the Bush Terminal in Brooklyn New York. He specialized in gift sets his signature item was a "snack" or TV set, that was a cup for soup or coffee place off center on a plate for a sandwich or cake. He was also known for his mugs. He did not maintain an official showrrom rather he sold from major trades shows such as those in Atlantic City and Chicago. His wares were carried in the giftware departments of most major department stores. His most famous and successful pattern was DOMINO which he made in snack sets as well as other novelty pieces. I am intersted in acquiring his pieces, I already have a number of them (I am his nephew).
He was truly a rennaisance man, he called himself a citizen of the world. Many people knew him better for his ice dancing, at one time he owned and operated a private rink in Manhattan. He skated well into his eighties at the Rockefeller Rink in Manhattan during the winter months and in Sun Valley Idaho during the summer months. Leo Roberts died in January 2000.
≈≈≈≈≈≈
I'm interested in finding more information about Jonas Roberts, but he's a hard man to find out about online. Any suggestions for other references would be greatly appreciated! The information above is great, but it only provides a few clues about him and I would like to know a lot more. And who is Leo Roberts? Did he use that name? Please add suggestions here, if you can (11 March 2022)
No country uses it as "their culture", but the article you referenced includes many mentions of countries where it is prominent. --Kiltman67 04:03, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
panandata vs. pananandata
The title for the subject "pananandata" is misspelled "panandata", how can it be corrected?
I've moved the article to the correct title. --Canley 22:08, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Architectural Terms
We have been asked by a client to create an ahombria arch. 1st I'm not sure if that is the correct spelling, and 2nd we'd like to get a history preferably with picture or resource.
Thank you, Denise
Perhaps they mean the Alhambra? There are several images in the article. Some are typical Roman arches, others are somewhat more distinctive. . Durova 20:48, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Actually, given that it's really in Arabic, I'd say there are many acceptably correct transliterations. — Lomn | Talk 21:51, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
In my family there is a card game which we all love to play, but unfortunately none of us can remember its proper name or proper rules. I have tried looking it up on Google, but the closest I can find is "Spades", but that's not too related. I was hoping that if I explained the rules of the game someone would perhaps recognise it and link to the official rules. Anyway, here goes...
The game can be played with anywhere from two to five players, if you want to play it to its fullest extent, and is played with a standard pack of 52 playing cards, minus the jokers. There are nine rounds, and in the first each player is dealt ten cards (and thus five players being the maximum amount if all rounds are to be played), in the second, nine, in the third, eight, and so on. The remaining cards are not used, but top card is turned over to find out which suit is trumps. Starting from the dealer's left, each player takes it in turn to bid how many tricks he or she will win or take. However, the total amount of tricks proposed to be taken by all the players cannot equal the amount of cards dealt to each player. So, for example, if four people are playing, eight cards are dealt, and the bidding has gone 1, 3, 3, the fourth player cannot bid one. Each player receives a point for each trick he or she makes, and if they make as many tricks as they bid, they receive an added bonus of ten points. In each round, players are to follow the suit lead if possible, and the highest card played wins the trick. If a trump is played the highest trump wins.
... so those are the basic rules of the game, aside from basic card-game rules like what trumps are etc. I hope this is enough information to work with. Thanks in advance, --Zooba 22:14, 30 August 2006 (UTC).[reply]
I don't know which one you're talking about specifically, but I'd bet that it's one of the ones listed here. Ziggurat 22:19, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks for the link. It appears that the game we play is actually called "Oh Hell!". --Zooba 22:27, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
THis is not meant to be offensive to any one. But is it possible for people to become admins and then do nothing. If so, do they then get desysopped?--Light current 22:24, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yes, and no. Many (perhaps most) admins are inactive. — Lomn | Talk 22:32, 30 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Which is considered to be a more prestigious job title in most business arenas: Assistant or Associate?
128.208.109.136 00:00, 31 August 2006 (UTC)jack[reply]
Just looking at the words, "assistant" has a connotation of subservience, while "associate" sounds more equal. Hyenaste(tell) 00:07, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I agree, in academia an associate is usually more senior than an assistant. Rockpocket 01:10, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Assistant is frowned upon as a euphemism for secretary. Some people assume that a female who has that term anywhere in her job title performs secretarial work, no matter what her actual job is. Durova 14:59, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Overweight
Why are most Americans overweight?
They eat too much (fatty) food?--Light current 00:24, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
...And do too little physical activity. However, be aware that "overweight" is a subjective term and "most" are not obese:
From 1980 to 2002 in the USA, obesity prevalence has doubled in adults and overweight prevalence has has tripled in children and adolescents. From 2003-2004, "children and adolescents aged 2 to 19 years, 17.1% were overweight...and 32.2% of adults aged 20 years or older were obese."
This article [6] explains more. Rockpocket 01:09, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Here's my little theory again. Because the beauty ideal in the US is too thin, normal people think they're fat and then give in to that and think "well, if I'm fat I might as well be FAT". And consequently become it. This is an example of a more general theory, that one extreme evokes the other (action - reaction). Like England is known for its high society and its hooligans (same for The Hague). If one (extreme) group gains some dominance then many people will think "I'm not part of that group, so I must be part of the opposite group" and hey pronto, the other extreme emerges. DirkvdM 07:47, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
OK, but why did they wait till they got fat and only then decided to get thin again? Why not just not get fat in the first place? JackofOz 07:52, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
That's my point - because of the ideal they think they are already fat when in fact they're not. DirkvdM 07:01, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I suspect the reason is that food prices, as a percentage of income, are lower in the US than anywhere else. For example, someone making minimum wage probably still earns enough to buy 20 pounds of bananas for every hour worked. StuRat 10:41, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Cripes, my BMI is 15.9, I'm supposed to have almost starved by now. JIP | Talk 13:07, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yes you really should eat more by all accounts. Or perhaps youre growing very fast. You dont say your age and Im not sure if this BMI thin applies to people under 18. If you turn sideways in front of the mirror and you disappear, then you know youre not eating enough!--Light current 15:56, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I certainly hope I'm not growing any more, I'm almost 30. I like to eat, of course, but I don't have the skill or patience to cook at home. JIP | Talk 18:50, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
OK Well Im not trying to be offensive or any thing, but have you considered getting your thyroid checked at the doctors? Its a simple blood test.--Light current 18:53, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
No one's mentioned yet that many Americans hardly ever walk anywhere. This is not necessarily due to personal choice but because a lot of places in America are so spread out that walking is impractical. -- Mwalcoff 23:50, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yeah, I notced that in Phoenix, where I decided to buy a car because it was too far to walk back. And I'm a walker! The very fact that I decided to buy a car also had to do with that. I learned that lesson in Australia - if you don't have a car you don't get anywhere. That has to do with the lack of public transport, but that in turn has to do with everything being so spread out. DirkvdM 07:01, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
August 31
What is a warezgroup?
What is a warezgroup? Please respond on my talk page: 100110100, thanks!68.148.165.213 00:37, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Looks too new for WP. Tried Googling?--Light current 01:48, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
warez have been around for a long time -and are exploding in popularity, much to the behest of private warez groups- but it's hardly TOO old for wp --Froth 03:38, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
By "too old" I was merely implying that had the warez seen been as big as it was 5 or 10 years ago, the article count for "warez" related stuff would be much larger than it is. In a sense, "warez" are bigger now than they ever were before, but software piracy is no longer really called that (hence the guy didn't know what it meant) probably due to the fact that it's so much easier nowadays to pirate software. freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 14:03, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
More accessable perhaps, but hardly easier. Back in the day, it was easy as melting a snowball in a furnace to copy a game, but it was a titanic challenge to distribute software .. the public internet was so slow that it was actually faster (and cheaper) to mail physical media than it was to download. A lot of the p2p and dcc and that kind of stuff was originally developed to facilitate reasonable transfer time. Nowadays services like rapidshare make it possible to download files at 4000kbps on a standard cable modem setup (at least mine anyway, and mine is capped) and the real challenge is breaking the software copy protection included in the games. Granted, some games like Oblivion are rediculously easy to crack, requiring at most a few dozen byte CD key and an easily-available "no-cd" executable, but others that include for example the infamous Starforce copy protection (which goes to indesputably absurd lengths to secure its software against pirates) are almost impossible to crack and require weeks or months of concentrated effort by an entire team of skilled pirates. Other games like MMOs or Counter-Strike Source (on non cracked servers) are impossible to crack, or in the case of Counter-Strike, don't stay cracked for long. --Froth 23:00, 5 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
spectator sport
What is the biggest spectator sport in the world?
Biggest in what sense? --Kiltman67 03:58, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Welcome to the Wikipedia Reference Desk. Your question appears to be a homework question. I apologize if this is a misinterpretation, but it is our aim here not to do people's homework for them, but to merely aid them in doing it themselves. Letting someone else do your homework does not help you learn nearly as much as doing it yourself. Please attempt to solve the problem or answer the question yourself first. If you need help with a specific part of your homework, feel free to tell us where you are stuck and ask for help. If you need help grasping the concept of a problem, by all means let us know.--Light current 04:15, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
where would i look i've been working on this for days
Wow, the Bundesliga and FA cup alone are almost as 'big' as American Football as a whole. Considering the population of the USA is 5 resp 4 times as big as those of Germany and the UK, that's quite impressive. I wonder if the list is complete enough to add up the figures to give an impression of worldwide attendances per sport. So you could do that and then add a table (while you're at it). But first ask at the talk page. DirkvdM 08:07, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
What is the talk page? I looked at the discussion page and didn't know if that was it. Somewhere in advertising they know this but where? Thank you!
Ah yes, that is a bit confusing. Talk page indeed means discussion page. I don't know what you mean by the advertising thing. DirkvdM 07:05, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Welcome to the Wikipedia Reference Desk. Your question appears to be a homework question. I apologize if this is a misinterpretation, but it is our aim here not to do people's homework for them, but to merely aid them in doing it themselves. Letting someone else do your homework does not help you learn nearly as much as doing it yourself. Please attempt to solve the problem or answer the question yourself first. If you need help with a specific part of your homework, feel free to tell us where you are stuck and ask for help. If you need help grasping the concept of a problem, by all means let us know.--Light current 04:16, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Pokey (game)
There is a game I have played that was locally called "Pokey". I couldn't find an article on Wikipedia about it, so I thought maybe I had the wrong name. The game involves two people holding hands like an arm wrestle, but with the index finger extended, and standing instead of sitting. To win, you must poke the other person, but you are not allowed to touch them except with your one hand. Can anybody tell me the game's name if it is not pokey, and show me a wikipedia article if there is one? Thank you.
--216.164.200.120 04:16, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I used to play a game called "pokey" with a woman friend of mine, but it was played entirely differently, as I recall. StuRat 10:34, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
So you didnt need to extend your index finger in your version?--Light current 12:19, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Get a LiFE, people. As for your question, there are many "locally played games" that exist, including pat-a-cake, rock, paper, scissors and arm wrestling that have articles. Maybe this is your chance to make your own! See the article on hand games for details. --JDitto 00:39, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Most children fathered
Who is the man who fathered the most children and how many children did they father? I searched on google but I found nothing. I would be very grateful if you could help.
--216.164.200.120 04:38, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Genghis Khan is probably well up in the ranks. See Descent from Genghis Khan. I don't know if anyone has an estimated number of children he sired, and it's just as possible that it was one or more of his sons, anyway.
I would count sperm donors if it is verifiable that a child was actually produced of the man's semen.
--216.164.200.120 05:25, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I wouldn't. The questioner specifically said 'fathered', not conceived. Fathered implied he brought the child up too. - 131.211.210.11 07:37, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yea but it's not your question, pal.
The greatest number I have found is from Ismail Ibn Sharif, but it doesn't give a precise number and I have no way of knowing if there are other men who have fathered more children.
--216.164.200.120 05:30, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Nothing stated about the number of children, but according to the KJV (1 Kings 11:3)
, Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines. Most of those were probably political marriages, but if he fathered only one child by each... we're talking a lot of children. SWAdair 07:18, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
If it's only about fathering and not concieveiving, then what about father Theresa? DirkvdM 08:12, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
In 2000, I toured northern Romania and was introduced to a card popular with the locals. It seemed similar to Euchre, but with several modifications. It was played using only 10-J-Q-K-A cards, and the locals called it "Cross". Is anybody familiar with this game? Could you point me toward an english resource that summarizes the rules of play? Thank you! 68.183.218.232 04:43, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Divorce put on "Reserve"
What exactly does it mean when your divorce decree is put "on reserve"?
Hiya, recently in the news they were saying that some scientists have been able to observe a sun die 40 000 light years away, for the first time, and it was watched over 4 days, can any one tell me where i can see a video of this.
At that distance I suspect all you would see is a bright dot that slowly fades over 4 days. Not exactly my idea of a fun video to watch. Does anyone have a video of paint drying ? StuRat 10:30, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I got one of those. wanna borrow?--Light current 11:13, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Actually, Stu, you'd see a great deal more than "just fades" if it's a supernova. Consider that the supernova that created the Crab Nebula was most likely visible during daylight hours at its peak. Anyway, to answer the original question, here's a story about the supernova, including an animation. Hit Google News and search "supernova" and you'll find plenty more references. — Lomn | Talk 13:09, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
That one is 440 million light years away, and at that distance, all you see is a slightly brighter (and bluer) dot, as shown in the pics. The artist illustrations may be cool, but they didn't need any actual event to draw that, now did they ? The reason the Crab Nebula looks interesting is that it's much closer (6,300 light years) and much older (as viewed from Earth). Thus, it's had almost 1000 years to form the current nebula. If we wait 1000 years and then move to within 6,300 light years of this new supernova, then it will look interesting, too. Until then, it's just a boring dot. StuRat 13:24, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
It's a difference between an actual supernova and the remains of an old one. The old one looks interresting but can only be seen from relatively nearby. The actual supernova is just a distant explosion. If it were as nearby as the interresting looking old ones we might be in a spot of trouble. This, however, rarely happens. Supernovas are rather rare occurrances. But over the last 15 or so billion years some have occurred relatively near to us, so we still get to see some remainders. Come to think of it, it must have taken a bit of a leap of the mind to see the connection between the two. DirkvdM 07:13, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The Crab Nebula blew up near us in 1054 AD. It was bright enough to see easily with the naked eye, but didn't cause any serious problems on Earth. StuRat 12:15, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I'm waiting for the director's cut. Howard Train 18:47, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
MISPAH
I saw the letters M.I.S.P.A.H. on a tombstone and believe they stand for something (maybe a quotation) but have had no success when I put the letters into the search bit of Wikipedia.
I'll hazard a guess: "Mission Impossible: Stoned Pedestrian Avoiding Highway". :-) StuRat 13:16, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Perhaps the death was due to a mishap, but the mason couldnt spell (likr me)--Light current 13:46, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Sounds jewish to me. DirkvdM 07:15, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Try Mizpah, particularly the section entitled "Emotion": Mizpah is an emotional bond between people who are separated (either physically or by death). Mizpah jewellery is worn to signify this bond and the word "mizpah" can often be found on headstones in cemeteries and on other memorials.Tonywalton | Talk 11:05, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Fat people
As they use more oxygen, produce more CO2, burden the health service, and make life difficult for others, should they pay more taxes?--Light current 11:52, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I've never heard of taxes on health and my life is not made more difficult in the slightest by overweight or obese people. (Let's keep it neutral, okay?) There's also a difference by people who choose to live unhealthily and those who have a genetic disposition to be heavy. Making the first pay more taxes is unfair because it gives the government something they don't deserve and making the other pay more taxes is simply discrimination. - Mgm|(talk) 12:04, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Ive not heard of the 'genetic' disposition. I thought it was overeating!--Light current 12:12, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I seem to recall the spoof science show Look Around You mentioning 'on the spot fines for obesity'. Hammer Raccoon 12:34, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
There are many forms of taxation like taxes on cigarretes, alcohol, petrol, all designed to minimise consumption and maximise revenue. Are these taxes discriminating to smokers, drinkers and drivers? Higher taxes on fatteneing (and/or unhealthy) foods have been considered here. --Light current 12:44, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
classic british socialism. Jeremy Bentham is dead, people. I've seen his stuffed body and his wax head. The new world order is not utilitarianism, it's free-will. Jasbutal 12:49, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Do you realise that was nearly a little poem?--Light current 13:31, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Isn't it enough that they pay more for food, and may have difficulty sitting comfortably in airplane seats? Then there's the fact that obesity links to numerous life-threatening health problems and they may be paying for it with their life at 37. I think they're paying enough already. freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 13:04, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Exactly. Punitive taxation methods could encourage them not to get like that, saving their lives and our money!--Light current 13:27, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Airplanes are an interesting case. It costs a certain amount in fuel for every pound they deliver to the destination, so it would be logical to charge, at least in part, by the weight of the passengers. So far, the only cases where this has actually been done is when someone is so obese that they clearly require two seats (with the armrest removed). StuRat 13:13, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yeah, thats known as a flight case and if theyre paying for 2 seats well ok. --Light current 13:33, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
As far as i see it it'd be a much better approach to promote healthy living instead of taxing those who are already in the situation. For example, why not have governments introduce highly subsidised gym memberships or equipment for everyone to use, make healthy foods cheaper, or reward those who are a healthy weight? I'd sure go for some "I'm a healthy weight so give me some free money" benefits. Benbread 13:49, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yes I think a carrot and stick approach could work.....8-|--Light current 13:53, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Carrots for the healthy and sticks for the unhealthy? That doesn't sound very tasty to me... Benbread 14:00, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Light current - I am curious - how do you justify penalising people on the basis of their weight when a proposal to penalise people for other inherited characteristics such as intelligence, height, skin colour or sexuality would be (quite rightly) considered grossly insulting ? Gandalf61 15:25, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
THier weight is (generally) something they can do something about and therfore can be commented upon. Not so with height, color, sexuality, race. Not sure about intelligence-- I think that can be improved. People are penalised for smoking, drinking, driving via taxation. Im asking if the same idea should be applied to obese people to improve everyones lives.--Light current 15:31, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Clearly you know little or nothing about the subject. Yet you still feel the urge to comment on it at length and in the most crass and insensitive way. I can only conclude that you are just trolling. Gandalf61 16:12, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
THat is a very bad word to use here. You know that. And you conclude wrongly. I am asking for peoples opinions on this subject in which I have had an increasing interest with the growing amount of obesity in the western world. Anyway mostly other people are doing the commenting- Im just asking questions 8-)--Light current 16:16, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The operative word is "generally". While healthy living can affect your weight positively, it's proven weight has genetic factors. For example, how your body processes food depends on your metabolism. I'm pretty sure our articles on obesity and other related subjects reflect this. - Mgm|(talk) 16:15, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yeah. If youve got a low metabolism, you dont need to eat so much!--Light current 16:25, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
THank you all for your replies. THe answer seems to be that it would be an unpopular idea to preferentially tax the fat people. If more discussion is needed I suggest continuing on talk:obesity--Light current 16:35, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Light, is there any reason why you capitalize TH ? StuRat 02:20, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yeah. I cant get my finger off the shift key quick enough! Sorry if its annoying. Fell free to correct it if I dont see it first.--Light current 02:31, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Ok, after I saw 4 instances, I thought you were doing it intentionally, for some reason. StuRat 05:09, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
His skinny finger got stuck between the keys. DirkvdM 07:39, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The argument that some people are fat because of some genetic malfunction has been used a lot here. But how many of those people are there? By far most fat people have no such problem, so we could just make an exception for those who do. Simple. And about other genetic stuff like intelligence, there is most definitely discrimination there. People with a higher education get higher pay. Here, we're talking about really big differences (up to a factor 1000 or thereabouts), not just one more tax (a few percent at most). And to which extent we let the free market do its thing is a political choice. For example, the US is at one extreme here, and Cuba at another. There, street cleaners get a better pay than doctors because they do a dirty job. (Not surprisingly, streets in Cuba are very clean, but that's a differrnt issue :) ). DirkvdM 07:39, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Many people may think that Bill Gates is rich because he's smart, but a lot of the time it seems that ruthfullness is a much more useful trait. Many people considered to be the "smartest in the world" are scientests that work for research grants. freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 14:10, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I wasn't talking about extremes but about everyday life. On average, more intelligent people will have a higher income. And I only mentioned intelligence as an example of discrimination based on genetic differnces. From the [[iq] article: "In a sample of U.S. siblings, Rowe et al. (1997) report that the inequality in education and income was predominantly due to genes, with shared environmental factors playing a subordinate role." And about halfway down that article there is a table that shows that the vast majority of those who live in poverty have an iq below average. So if we discriminate so heavily against that enormous group of people who aren't particularly bright, then why bother about a bit of a setback for those few who have a digestive problem? Or so the reasoning goes. Of course, I'd rather turn that around. DirkvdM 18:14, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Don't get me wrong, I was the one asking a while ago why we let stupid people vote. I don't think I'm talking about extremes though, unless you consider the word "rich" to be extreme. Anyway, the reasoning there is obviously that discrimination against stupid people is an unintentional social side-effect (though even I don't like the sound of that), though applying tax to fat people would be direct and intentional. Probably. freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 09:17, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Richess is extreme when we are talking about Bill Gates. From a liberal point of view you're right that richess is a mere side effect of doing nothing, but one could also arue that it's the government's tas to decide to do nothing and it could also set society up in such a way that richess depends more on effort than intelligence. DirkvdM 03:57, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I remember a question asking if it was legal to have an "ugliness" tax, and somone brought up obesity. It was mentioned that in nations like the UK, where are healthcare is paid for by the government, obese people should pay extra since they might be delving into taxpayer money a bit more heavily. VivaLaVieBoheme!
I'm not worried, just curious. I just opened up a package of Roquefort, BBD November, 2006. It looks and smells fine (as fine as bleu cheese ever does), but it has a couple of small brown streaks, similar to the 'veins' of bacteria. Being adventurous, I tasted one and it was very sweet. I went ahead and used the cheese (homemade roquefort dressing) and it made the dressing so sweet I had to use a lot of extra vinegar to counter it. I'm eating it and I'm really not worried that it's going to make me sick (will update everyone if it does), but I wondered about the sweetness. Could it be from the base that the bacillus lived in? Maybe a couple of the veins of bacteria died, never eating the sugar (malt, probably). Anyone experinece this? Have any ideas? Anchoress 12:35, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Ah, I detect a little bit of the Quebecois here! Did you know that there are 26 types of cheese in the category 'blue cheeses'? --Zeizmic 13:06, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Huh? I didn't understand anything in your reply. Anchoress 13:32, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
LOL that was very funny. I detect a bit of the Sucrose here! Anchoress 14:19, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
And perhaps a bit of taking the mick? (not sure on whose part!) ++Lar: t/c 16:03, 31 August 2006 (UTC) (who doesn't eat bleu cheese except on Buffalo wings)[reply]
Wow. I learnt a lot about buffalo wings by reading that link. Interesting stuff. Anchoress 07:56, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I wonder if something has changed that bit of the cheese into something like Geitost. Tonywalton | Talk 11:12, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Hmmm, I don't know but that link was interesting. Anyways I'm still here, no ill effects. Anchoress 03:21, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Is there a term for this phenomonon?
The television ad for HeadOn seems to be an example of an ad that "works" by being annoying. (If you have not had the pleasure of experiencing the HeadOn commercial, count your blessings. If you want to punish yourself, YouTube has it.) The commercial does seem to have worked, in that the product has received a great deal of attention, especially for a spot that is so short and lacking in production cost. Is there a term for this sort of ad? Also, I'm certain that there are other examples, but I can't think of any at the moment—which perhaps is an indication of the lack of endurance of these sorts of ad campaigns. Any thoughts on that? –RHolton≡– 13:11, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Irritating commercials used to be far more common in the United States around 30 years ago, when the main method of testing whether an advertisement had worked was to perform telephone surveys to see whether people remembered a TV spot. These surveys made no distinction among the reasons people remembered the commercial: any reaction from This looks great and I want it to This insults my intelligence and I pledge never to buy it was considered equally desirable over Huh? This style of advertising faded after some independent polls around 1980 rated Americans' most hated commercials (tops was a deodorant called Tickle, whose spot was mostly women laughing and was widely despised as idiotic). The Tickle campaign was dropped immediately and shortly afterward American ad agencies copied a European trend of making the commercials themselves more entertaining. None of this quite answers your question: Wikipedia has no article on Tickle deodorant and the advertising article doesn't cover the topic, but I hope this answer points in the right direction. Back issues of Ad Age probably address it. Durova 14:53, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
In the UK, Cillit Bang and especially esure are currently well known for deliberately naff adverts. Sheila's Wheels deserve an honourable mention as well, although their ads are so much fun they are genuinely popular with certain strange people. --Howard Train 16:28, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The HeadOn commercial is the most irritating one presently on TV for me. A recording of a female is played repeatedly: "HeadOn! apply directly to the forehead! HeadOn! apply directly to the forehead! HeadOn! apply directly to the forehead!" In a Pavlovian response my finger hits the off button or mute button. Thus the TV station should charge extra, since they lose viewership. They sell another remedy for hemorrhoids called FreedHem. I have thought about calling them up and suggesting the commercial for that should say "FreedHem! Stick it up you a$$!FreedHem! Stick it up you a$$!FreedHem! Stick it up you a$$!" but now I won't have to. Edison 18:21, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I completely agree that TV advertisers should charge based on the annoyance factor of ads. Highly entertaining ads, on the other hand, might get a discount, be shown for free, or, in extreme cases, the TV stations could even pay the advertiser for ads which actually draw viewers. Such a practice would benefit both the TV stations and the general public. StuRat 02:14, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
You must be psychic! The HeadOn commercial has been listed as the worst commercial of the year (and it's only August). That article has several jokes like "Chair! Apply directly to the ass!" Hyenaste(tell) 23:25, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Weight Average
There sure are a lot of overweight/obesity questions around lately, so here's another. Lets assume that this "crisis" escalates and suddenly the majority of people are over BMI 30, would this result in a very strange new average weight that would result in the once obese people becoming "normal" weight and the once normal weight people becoming labled as "underweight"? I can see this happening, and it sounds to me that it'd turn into people saying "Well, i used to be obese but now i'm perfectly average! Time to eat more snacks." Benbread 13:56, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
However, average in such a case is not healthy! Compare the situation of manfs resizing clothes so that people dont feel fat by having to ask for size 66--Light current 13:59, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
No. If that was to happen, they would simply call the majority of people overweight instead of adjusting the definition of overweight. - Mgm|(talk) 16:17, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
"Overweight" in this context doesn't mean "heavier than average", it means something along the lines of "heavy enough to cause signficant long term health problems". Someone 5 feet 6 (1.67m) tall weighing 23 stone (332lb/146kg) is heavy enough to probably have signficant long term health problems, hence overweight, whether or not they're somewhere where that's the average weight. Tonywalton | Talk 13:26, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Anal Orgasms
Can men achieve anal orgasms? If so, how? Thank you. --64.230.87.7 15:14, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
A man can achieve orgasm through the stimulation of his prostate gland, which is accessible through the rectum. I don't know if anal intercourse would provide sufficient and appropriate stimulation. Anchoress 15:17, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Anal orgasm. With half a million Google hits I guess there must be such a thing. Maybe you should consult a some gay men before experimenting.--Shantavira 17:44, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Im not convinced of the statement above that orgasm can be produced by prostate stimulation alone. I am however fairly certain that it can induce ejaculation, which is not the same thing. THis is apparently a well used technique for obtaining semen samples and prostate drainage. --Light current 21:03, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Just curious - where does that ejaculation occur exactly and what is being ejaculated (I don't want to visualise this). DirkvdM 07:44, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Ok, that's a relief (it usually is :) ). DirkvdM 18:17, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Very unpleasent feeling while sporting...
Hello, I have a problem,
When I am running or doing some exercise with much strenght (like running as fast as I can) for 1 minute or more, I get the feeling im going to Puke and I need to rest a while and If after running I immidialy stop and lay down to rest it gets much more intense... I mean I didnt have the problem some years ago ! I have it past 2 Years... A friend said that it may be from my Heart cause it doent recieve
enought Oxygen (Im 15 Years old) cause my heart is only still growing... But is there any way I can lesser the Symptoms? Cause it is more irritating then the other pain in the lower body from running cause then u can just say to ureself "keep running" but because of this I really cant run anymore even if my life would depend cause then I think (atleast i have the feeling) I would vommit...
Thanks for any reply --Marekso 15:20, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
We have a standard reply that you should see your doctor on things like this. Like one girl (same age) that we know, you could have a tiny touch of Aortic insufficiency, which is hereditary. She is still very athletic, but gets these types of spells when low on hydrating salts, etc. --Zeizmic 15:35, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Ohh... thanks for the reply.
Then the next time i'll visit a Doctor i'll tell him about this... --Marekso 18:13, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Silly question...
This is one of those stupid questions which sometimes just bug you, but you still wouldn't dare ask until you've had a number of martinis in you. Here goes: can you be sarcastic when speaking in sign language? I mean, is there like a special sign for it? Like a :), but in sign language? Or do you like, sign "bigger", or differently in any way? Oskar 15:29, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
More of a guess than an answer, but perhaps with facial expression? Not knowing any sign language I can't say for sure, though. — QuantumEleven 15:35, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Or maybe, like most of the sarcasm I encounter, people don't flag it up; only common sense and knowing the person tells you they are being sarcastic. Or when they start laughing. Skittle 19:46, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
You might sign it while rolling your eyes or grinning, or perhaps signing "bigger" like you said. Even if you don't sign, you could imagine what it would be like. If you're angry you would sign "harder" than if you were not. Hyenaste(tell) 23:19, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
From my experience studying sign language, it's all in the face. It can sometimes look goofy to people that don't understand sign language, but most manual communicators rely much more on exaggerated facial expression than in other languages. Things like pulling the head back while rolling eyes, slanty eye, smirking, and of course, the "angry face" are really common, even with rather formal interpretations like the news. freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 14:21, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
First, there are no stupid questions.
Yes, you can be sarcastic when signing, and yes, it is in your face.
Almost all of the emotion and tone in sign language is conveyed by facial expression. -asianpear
Supermarket coupons
I wonder why some manufacturer coupons include instructions to supermarkets not to double the discount. In some cases I suppose the manufacturer wants consumers to get accustomed to paying something close to full retail value, but a different motivation has to operate in this particular insstance: the product (a brand of smoked sausages) runs frequent newspaper coupons for larger discounts and allows doubling for those other coupons. So why would the manufacturer want to prevent a grocery store from footing the cost of a smaller discount? (International Wikipedians, this issue may be rather U.S.-centric). Durova 15:47, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I believe those are typically store coupons, not manufacturer coupons. StuRat 02:02, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
This one was marked manufacturer coupon. Durova 14:31, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I see. Is it possible some manufacturers have agreements with certain retailers saying the manufacturer will pay double (or triple) the face value, unless explicit prohibited on the coupon ? StuRat 01:44, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
WW 1
I do not wish to sound stupid but i have read a book on the causes of WW1 and still dont get it. The assasination of the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the cause if WW1, but why, maybe that is not phrased to well, umm, why did the death of one man cause the whole world to be plunged into war? Why was he put in power in the first place if no one liked him, was he elected? or was there no other royalty? and if he was Austrian why did this effect Germany and england? ect ect ect. Could some one please explain this to me as if i were a 5 year old. Thank you very much.
Franz Ferdinand was basically an excuse for everyone to act on their various treaties and so on, by coming to the "defense" of their allies, people were able to get what they wanted.. Germany wanted land back from France, France wanted land back from Germany, Russia wanted ports, Italy wanted land,the UK wanted, something.. and so really, just an excuse to escalate the conflict--VectorPotential71.247.243.173 15:54, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Thank you, but could some one ellaborate on this? If a county wants to go to war, they go to war, this was before the UN so...Napolian wanted war, he went and found it.
This was way post-Napoleon, so there were some international bodies in place to stop this sort of thing, most of them broke down. Beisdes, they didn't want to just go to war, they wanted to make sure they, whoever the "they" is, had at least half of Eurasia on their side, to make sure they didn't lose anything else. This was after a century of bitter warfare, and territorial disputes, and don't even get me started on over seas colonies--VectorPotential71.247.243.173 16:07, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Basically what had happened was that the major countries of Europe had entered alliance treaties with each other so that if any one power went to war, several others would get dragged along and expand the conflict. At the risk of oversimplification, the ultimate cause might be traced to German military expansion and clumsy foreign policy. Durova 16:53, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Good point Durova. I'd say it was German insecurity - surrounded by potential enemies, Germany had little choice for survival. It's worth considering that she was only fully unified in 1871 or thereabouts, and a young nation while all the causes of war were being laid down. The armistice in 1918 did nothing to solve this, leaving Germany once again vulnerable, humiliated, surrounded by powerful rivals and with an urgent need to secure her defence. Three of those apply to Israel today, which is why the Middle East is in such trouble to this day. --Howard Train 18:23, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Well, Israel isn't quite powerless, is it? Hell, they even have nuclear weapons. DirkvdM 08:27, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
To call Germany fully unified in 1871 is an application of hindsight. German speakers in Austria-Hungary did not necessarily conceive of themselves as having a separate national identity from German speakers elsewhere in the way they do today. Throughout most of the century, starting with Napoleon's abolition of the Holy Roman Empire, there had been a trend toward consolidating German-speaking territories under a single government. It would have taken a crystal ball in 1880 or 1912 to suppose that this trend (in any lasting sense) had ended. I doubt that Germany's national survival was threatened: the country had never been stronger. What it lacked was any talented successor to Otto von Bismarck. Durova 19:13, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Since the Napoleonic Wars, Britain had been the world's leading superpower and the leading power of Europe. Germany had grown strong economically and was looking for a chance to challenge Britain for the role of top dog. Austria-Hungary's power, on the other hand, was increasingly in question as its various nationalities pushed for more independence. Serbian nationalism (which led to the assassination) was an example of the nationalism that posed a danger to the very existence of Austria-Hungary. So Austria-Hungary felt it had to act forcefully against Serbia that would serve as an example to Slavic nationalists within its borders. Germany saw an opportunity not only to come to the aid of its alliance partner and fellow German speakers in Austria-Hungary but also to make some territorial gains at the expense of Russia, which would enhance its power within Europe. However, France and Britain both had an interest in stopping Germany expansion. The French, in particular, were angry and resentful at having lost Alsace and Lorraine in the Franco-Prussian War and wanted to win those provinces back from Germany. Britain wanted to remain top dog in Europe.
As you probably know, the details are these: France had formed an alliance with Russia and Britain to try to encircle its enemy, Germany. So when Russia moved to try to protect its informal ally, Serbia, from Austrian attack, Germany, in support of Austria, declared war on France. To avoid France's border defenses, Germany attacked neutral Belgium with the aim of attacking France from the north. Because Britain had an agreement to defend Belgium from attack and an alliance with France and Russia, this brought Britain into the war as well. Thus, all the major European powers were drawn into the conflict, mainly to try to stop German aggression. Marco polo 17:50, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
After edit conflicts
The superb article on Causes_of_World_War_I covers all this in great depth. After Franz Ferdinand was killed in Sarajevo, the Austro-Hungarian government delivered the July Ultimatum to the government of Serbia. One of their demands was that Serbia allow Austria-Hungary to take proceedings against conspirators on Serbian soil, in effect giving up part of their sovereignty. Serbia refused and Austria-Hungary declared war.
This is where the matrix of alliances, treaties and ententes come into play. The only reason Serbia felt able to refuse the demands was because they could count on Russian support in the event of war. With Russia mobilising its forces to attack Austria-Hungary, Germany felt threatened and did the same.
Russia and France having pledged to support each other if either one was attacked, Germany thus risked being surrounded. So they activated the Schlieffen Plan, which called for a pre-emptive invasion of France through Belgium and Luxembourg (going the long way round because they needed the space in order the encircle the French army - the objective was not to conquer France, rather to neuter her armed forces and allow more troops to be committed fighting Russia). Britain declared war on Germany in order to protect Belgium. All the alliances that were supposed to prevent war in fact dragged every major power (except Italy, which refused to honour the treaty on the grounds that Austria-Hungary was an aggressor) into the twentieth century in the most horrible way imaginable.
Turned out that Blackadder was right about the plan to avoid war by being part of an invincible superbloc: "It was bollocks." None of the Great Powers was prepared to let another win more territory in Europe for fear of upsetting the balance of power. They pledged to defend smaller nations in return for influence in their regions, and never realised how ineffective the deterrent was. Deterrence would have to wait for nuclear weapons that can destroy a country in minutes to become a viable strategy.
Note that it was called a world war, but that's rather Eurocentric. It's not like "the whole world was plunged into war", as you put it. The map in the article shows that most of the world was involved, but that was largely just in name because the European colonies were still intact. In most parts of the world there was no fighting at all.
The most important thing about history is that one can learn from it. Like Howard said, superblocs are a bad thing. We were lucky to survive the cold war. If the USSR hadn't been willing to accept humiliation in the Cuban missile crisis, all hell might have broken loose. I wonder if the EU might constitute a new threat in this sense. Then again, one can not generalise too much. It's not that alliances are necessarily bad. But predicting what they will lead to is almost impossible. The only way out that I see is a worldwide alliance (the UN). Countries should only form a block when they thus form a majority and are therefore sure to win (one of the teachings of Confucius, I believe). For that you need a general consensus and that is as close as we can get to objective justice, which is a nice bonus. The downside is that in most cases no action will be taken because there is no consensus. Or is that a downside? DirkvdM 08:27, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
sci-fi movies
why some sci-fi movies have a nude scene though sci-fi books doesn't contain them? Can you give list of movies that have nude scene? (P.S.: try your best to find many as you can. Thanks)—Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.12.149.71 (talk • contribs)
Becuase they want people to see the movie, but they don't want to actually take the effort to adapt the book, thus, nudity. Also, most novels don't have pictures, so a "nude scene" wouldn't be very gratifying(edit conflict)--VectorPotential71.247.243.173 15:57, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
fanservice might shed some light on this, but I'd say it's because it might get more box office? ++Lar: t/c 15:55, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
This sounds like a presumption. Do you have actual examples? =- Mgm|(talk) 16:27, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Starship Troopers (movie) threw in a gratuitous shower scene, as I recall. And while "nude" may be a bit of a stretch for many examples, the more generic "titillating" is not. How does the monster in Star Wars 2 rip the bulk of Natalie Portman's shirt off without (1) killing her or (2) exposing her breasts? (yeah, yeah, not a book adaptation -- but it's the same thing) — Lomn | Talk 21:57, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
You must remember that Starship Troopers was all about gener equality, as well as the main plot :) Iolakana•T 17:31, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I think sci-fi movies generally aim at a wider (average teen-20s male) audience than most sci-fi novels do (teen-old, slightly geekier), thus the content of the production will be different. freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 14:24, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
My guess is that MOST Hollywood films tend to target as many young males as possible. Action flicks are one way of getting them. Sex is another. Even if there is no actual sex, a scantily clad woman is usually considered incentive enough. This is not just Sci-Fi, either. I have never been more disappointed with a film adaptation than when I saw Phantom of the Opera in it's latest adaptation. The lead female role spent half of the time in lace hosery and silk robes. Even in the snow. POTO would other wise hold little appeal to the average teen or early-20s male, though, so they threw that in. -Russia Moore 02:07, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Virus
When some idiot puts a virus onto the internet, does his computer not get affected too? or where do these things come from? and why how would man A benefit from man B's computer no longer working?
Computer virus may give you some good information on this. As I understand it, a lot of the creators just get a laugh out of it. Tony Fox(arf!) 16:02, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Sometimes, I imagine it's an act of sheer boredom, and they probably also use a junk computer, that they can afford to reformat. Of course man A might benefit when man B, C, D, E.... X, Y, and Z's computers all start sending financial information to man A. But that's more of a spyware thing(Edit conflict, again, Miscellaneous seems to cause those a lot)--VectorPotential71.247.243.173 16:04, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
It is really a fun thing to do for the hacker. I'm sure we all know the feeling of doing something mischievous and getting away with it. I like to learn how to do a lot of things, but of course never do them. Just knowing I can do it is good enough for me. It's just mean if you actually do it. Kind of like nuclear weapons. :P Maybe it has something to do with power? "I have nukes and you don't!" You don't have to use them to prove it to yourself that you have the upperhand. — [Mac Davis] (talk) (Desk|Help me improve)
Most virusses only get activated when you click an email attachment or take some other specified action. Since the creator knows what activates the virus, he simply doesn't do it. Also, a lot of viruses are made to clog up email servers which doesn't neccesarily affect the virus creator. And finally, if someone can create a virus, they are probably able to write a fix code for themselves too. =-Mgm|(talk) 16:30, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Unless you're a script kiddie, like most "virus writers." Then you're screwed.
I'm not aware of any app that generates viruses.. if one existed, its output would surely be blocked by antivirii .. and be useless --Froth 03:27, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
There are virus-builder toolkits out there. You specify the pieces you want (email propagation, IRC command channel, remote shell, etc), and it'll produce a made-to-order virus, ready to be distributed. --Serie 20:26, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Ready to be blocked you mean. I would imagine that such "toolkits" would be easy targets for virus labs; they could just match to every element available in the toolkit and it would be useless --Froth 23:01, 5 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Fear
Which governments have ruled through fear, the Nazi's did, i suppose, but any other. or to put it another way which governments/forms of governments have in the past ruled thier people with an iron fist and cruelty and been despised by thier people? Not as in Zimbabwe were they dont like him but he does not go out of his way to kill his own people in evil y'know'whatimean?
Well, that antichrist that is the ruler of Zimbabwe doesn't do anything at all to help the country as far as I know. The country is a hellhole. Mongol empire. Then there's god. He rules with an iron fist. I don't think we are have a revolution anytimes soon. — [Mac Davis] (talk) (Desk|Help me improve)
I would suggest that throwing farmers off their land (resulting in a huge cut in food production) and then refusing outside food aid is going out of your way to kill your own people. DJ Clayworth 17:54, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The examples given so far are explicit, however, fear can been much more subtle. (weasel word) Some (/weasel word) say the current US administration rules through fear. It doesn't take an expert political analyst to realise that ratcheting up the "terrorists are out to get us" rhetoric during an election campaign tends to overshadow domestic issues like the economy, health and education. Its psychologically challenging for an electorate to vote out a leader when, as they are told, "we are at war" Rockpocket 05:13, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
logging out
what percentage of people log out of websites, for instance when i leave work, i will not log out oof wiki, ill just close Internet Explorer, switch off and go
As a college student who uses public computers a lot, I can tell you people almost never bother to log out of facebook, or yahoo for that matter. It always boggles my mind why you'd leave that kind of information sitting around--VectorPotential71.247.243.173 16:16, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I don't know why either. If I'm on a public computer I run through proxies and store no cookies or history while I'm there and log out before I leave. Actually I met User:Ccool2ax after I told him on his talk page that he didn't sign off. In an hour he came back, sitting behind me, and logged into wikipedia. — [Mac Davis] (talk) (Desk|Help me improve)
I wonder how many users log out of WP on their home computer (I don't). Guess anyone? --hydnjotalk 22:17, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Less than one percent probably --Froth 03:37, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I always do so that no evil Wikipedians can take over my computer!--Light current 04:15, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Not logging out of Wikipeida is no big deal. Anyone can access it (that's the point), so the only problem is that other people could start doing stuff in your name. What is the chance of that happening (especially on a home computer) and how bad would it be? Not logging out of webmail i an internet shop is something completely different. People can do really stupid things. Recently, I sat oposite a social security guy who, when he logged into his account, turned the screen away from me so I couldn't see his password. I, however, made the mistake of not focusing on his keyboard. I wonder what I could have done with that password ... :) DirkvdM 08:45, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Modern Slavery
In the article on slavery, there is mention of slaves that can be purchased in this era, but it doesn't provide where they can be purchased. What countries allow slavery, and what countries don't allow it but have covert slavery anyway?
--216.164.200.224 16:47, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Have you tried looking on ebay? you can find just about anything there--71.247.243.173 16:54, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I read that part of the article, and now I see that it says no country legalizes slavery, but the only countries it says slavery exists in covertly are Sudan, Mali, and Thailand. That doesn't seem like a complete list to me.
--216.164.200.224 17:02, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
It probably isn't a complete list. To some extent slavery exists probably everywhere. There have certainly been people in the US held prisoner against their will and forced to work (usually in the sex trade). DJ Clayworth 17:56, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
In Turkey, the police appear to be complicit in the sex slavery trade. StuRat 23:43, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Haven't you seen that episode of walker texas ranger when the mexican town pays all their money to send their young people to america, only to have them forced to work on a farm? Or was that macgyver.. anyone else remember? --Froth 03:40, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
What about reality? In Africa (and probably elsewhere) kids are sent to the big city to make money for the family, ofen under deplorable circumstances. This is a form of economic slavery. In name they have a choice, but in reality they don't. For the village to survive they have to send out money makers, so there's a lot of social pressure on those who could do that. DirkvdM 08:51, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
If you count everyone who is forced to work to survive, then 90% of the world is enslaved. StuRat 10:20, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
You said it. Give me enough time and I'll make a commie out of you yet. :) DirkvdM 18:21, 1 September 2006 (UTC) (btw, you don't need to tell me that's not how you meant it)[reply]
In light of your revelation that you haven't worked for 15 years and quit the job the government found for you, your attitude that "all work is slavery" makes a lot more sense. :-) StuRat 05:22, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Font
Hey I know this has probably been answered somewhere already but how do you change the font in your sig?--Captain DLucks 17:04, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Just go to your preferences, and make your signature like the following:
<font face="font style">name</font>
where "font style" could be "Matisse ITC", "Times New Roman", etc. and name is your name.
How do I make it in italics? --Captain DLucks 17:33, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
that's easier... surround whatever you want in italics with two single quotes. ++Lar: t/c 17:47, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Also, you need to tick the box called 'Raw signature'. --Richardrjtalk email 18:59, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
And just to be clear that's two pairs of single quotes; "quotequote"stuff"quotequote". Tonywalton | Talk 11:18, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Then don't forget to make every letter of you name a different color, and include an icon, or several, so as to make the signature take up an entire page whenever some hapless victim tries to edit that section. :-) StuRat 23:37, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yeah, and don't forget to make your signature a really bright solid color like mine, so you can see your posts while browsing RD at 12 pages a second! freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 14:31, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
You'll get wrong if you include an icon. This says Images of any kind should not be used in signatures. (And gives the real guidelines, though I do prefer yours). Tonywalton | Talk 09:31, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Faulty political beliefs common in the U.S.
Why do people favor libertarianism over statism? Libertarianism ultimately leads to downfall of a society due either to the incapacity of the society to handle environmental problems, to being conquered by another society which uses statism, or other such causes. Also, why do people still support the concept of human rights, even though it doesn't make much sense for the society as a whole? Thanks --Life 17:22, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Actually, that page declares that "Wikipedia articles" may not have bias. This question has bias, but it is not an article. So, as my question is reasonable, I would like an answer. --Life 17:41, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
OK, then, from the top of the Ref Desk: The Reference Desk is not a soapbox. — Lomn | Talk 21:52, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
We really need a template to that effect, similar to the one that reminds people that we're not here to do people's homework--VectorPotential71.247.243.173 11:41, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Any answer that involves "preference" as in "why do people prefer X over Y" is also going to have bias in it, which will come from the person answering it. So are you looking for a defense of certain preferences? I think that's what Notinasnaid is getting at, that's not our function here. For me to answer the question would require that I refute your faulty premises and so forth to demonstrate that the beliefs are in fact not faulty, and WP is not a place for political advocacy. Hope that helps. ++Lar: t/c 17:46, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
You should read Plato's Republic - I think you'd really enjoy it. Towards the end Socrates describes the different types of government (Monarchy, Oligarchy etc), how each type metamorphoses into the other, and the predominant mindset of the citizens of each type. A brilliantly perceptive book even 2500 years after it was written.
You'd also probably enjoy The Prince by Machiavelli, which describes how different states with different leadership philosophies can overthrow each other. Although they may make you as cynical and cranky as me. :) Rentwa 00:14, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Well for one satanism isn't exactly conducive to a peaceful society either --Froth 04:25, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Life already seems to have made his/her mind up about the matter. I don't see how answering would help. = Mgm|(talk) 07:56, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Well, they seem to be asking for the rationalization for the opposing opinion, not trying to make up their mind. Zocky | picture popups 14:30, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Libertarianism is based on the concept that individual rights come first, and the group rights are based on individual rights. That people should have Liberty as an ideal. One should be able to do what one wishes, as long as it does not harm anyone else. That government should interefere with individual liberty as little as is possible or necessary.
The other end of the spectrum would be like communism in China, where what is best for society, and for everyone as a whole is more important than individual rights. The good of the many superceeds the good of the one. Government should be strong, in order to continually monitor and decide what is in the best interests of the whole, and minimize the interference of the by-nature selfish needs and desires of the individuals. If an individual must suffer, or sacrifice, that's unfortunate, but for the better life for everyone.
Personally, I think neither is correct. But, I would lean more toward individual liberty rather than group think. But, that's just my view. Strangely, in the U.S., republicans have been fighting for generations against the "evil of communism". And once communism was "deafeated" with the downfall of the U.S.S.R. Now we see a strong move to the right, and the kind of fascist government developing (erosion of individual liberties, rationalization of human rights violations, for the betterment and safety of us all) that they have been fighting against for so long. Atom 17:01, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
ive used this reference desk a few times for those little questions that nowhere else seems to have the answer to, and it seems to work GREAT! My question is though, is there a place in wikipedia where i can create polls or ask for advice or assistance? I am just starting out this little web community project and i would like to find a way to get advice and opinions for free, or be able to contact people willing to be part of either the community itself or the development of it. (actual coding for the site etc) I dont have a ton of money, but i think my idea is good to be honest. If there isnt already an area like this in wiki, there should be in my opinion. :) Anyway, if anyone has any valuable places for me to go, please comment. Thanks.
~P.S. If anyone out there would actually like to help, my website is here: ChillSpot2003"DOT"brinkster"DOT"net
Also i state more about my idea here: chillspot2003"DOT"brinkster"DOT"net/about"DOT"htm
Nice banner. As for the advice, wikipedia's really not the place. maybe a developer's forum? --Froth 03:25, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
teenyboppers
How can I tell which girl is a teenybopper or not?
Have you read the article? If so, then it would be someone who you feel conforms to that description. It's subjective. It's not like they're marked with the number of the beast or anything. Again, it's your call. Dismas|(talk) 21:29, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Well they are marked. See cooties. --Froth 03:20, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Your best bet is to use the process of elimination. First you can scratch out all the girls with white faces, black eyes, tattoos and face piercings, then the ones that dress like Bob Marley, Chaplin, or Waldo, and just keep on cutting down the list. freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 14:35, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Where do TV channels store sensitive tapes?
I just got off watching another documentary, where innocent people had their faces blurred, and names were beeped. Obviously there has to be an original tape, perhaps BBC or other companies are told to keep them so the police may use them for their work. Anyway, without knowing much about the archive system for TV channels, would anyone else know if such sensitive tapes are stored in special places? Hehehehe, I should sooo expect someone to wonder why I am asking this. Thanks!
If the Rocko's Modern Life episode Wacky Delly (Wikipedia has everything!) can be taken as fact, the reels are stored in a dark, probably humidity and temperature controlled, likely fireproof room. It would appear by MeltBanana's link that such storage rooms are kept near shooting, and don't have locks, or have very easily passed ones. Hyenaste(tell) 23:07, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I work at a local television news station in the USA. If you are referring to tapes with sensitive content, the originals are usually kept in a locked cabinet in the possession of a high management person (the news director or the station manager, usually). Sometimes if there are pending legal issues, a corporate attorney will take custody of them. (By the way, it is our station's policy that no one outside the station gets access to any of our tapes without a court order.) If you are referring to how tapes are kept for physical preservation, they are typically kept in a locked, air-conditioned storage room. We don't have a vault or anything like that. (I imagine some large network facilities might have some very valuable footage that they keep in more secure facilities, but the usual news operation doesn't do that.) We are in the process of converting all of our videotape over to XD-Picture Card discs. — Michael J 23:30, 31 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
It's always fascinating discovering how others get off. Some people like porn, others watch documentaries. :--) JackofOz 01:24, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Then theres the people who sit in front of a computer all day leaving comments on wikipedia...i dont know whats more sad, watching documentaries to broaden your mind or mocking people on wikipedia 24/7. :D Im in ur house 01:40, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Then there are those who not only don't get such well-natured humour, but self-righteously mislabel it as something negative. Just in case you missed it, re-read the first 7 words of the question. Go in peace, I forgive you. :--) JackofOz 03:04, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yeah Jack, I get it now. That one was very well concealed! Well I really didnt read the original question. 2 points--Light current 03:22, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The people who sit here 'all day leaving comments' as you put it are actually WP editors who have volunteered to man these reference desks to try to answer peoples questions. Once in a while we cant resist a little joke,-- to keep ourselves from becoming too sad, but we hope it's not held against us. 8-)--Light current 03:34, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Or in some cases, all the time. Like -cough- you. >_> I love yeh man. --Froth 03:45, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yeah but Im trying to cut down -- I keep laughing at my own jokes too much! 8-|--Light current 03:48, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
They are good... I was particularly tickled by "not many atoll" :p --Froth 04:07, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I cant claim full credit for that one, as I modified an earlier StuRat pun (I think it was his)--Light current 04:22, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks, please leave the royalties on my talk page. :-) StuRat 04:48, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Police work, you say. I'm not sure it hold in all countries but I in Sweden, I'm not sure the police are allowed to ask journalists for sources. Oh well, doesn't answer your question. —Bromskloss 08:48, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks for all the answers! High ranking person keeping the tapes does make good sense. :) Henning 10:12, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I consult on technology and workflow for the media and entertainment industry, primarily in the USA. Quite a bit of my work involves call-letter television stations. Firstly, I should note that most call-letter television stations do not produce documentaries - most produce 7-15 hours of content a week - usually in the form of the local news. Do you know for sure that the show you saw was produced by your local TV station? If so, I'm sorry to report that there is no standard for how stations handle their video assets. Some larger stations digitize them and store them in a digital asset library. (something akin to a ADIC Scalar or Sony Petasite, freqently managed by archive asset managers like Front Porch, Blue Order or Avalon). Other stations may maintain a library of physical tapes, cataloged and managed by an archivist or librarian. And unfortunately, many stations do not do a good job of managing their video assets: tapes may be left in the desk of the show's producer, or on a bookshelf in an edit bay. If your local TV station is making documentaries, it's likely that they are large enough to have one of the more formal archive solutions. dpotter 15:06, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
September 1
Can anyone help me name this song?
I only know the melody of this song. It is a rap/pop collaboration by at least 2 singers, both males i think. It is a few years old circa 2000-2004. The chorus is a "whiny" sounding voice, while the verses are sung by a soft rapper with voice resembling to Mario Winan and Diddy's. There might be the word "heart" in the lyrics. A melody of the song can be found at: http://media.putfile.com/Can-you-name-this-song Thanks a lot. Jamesino 00:17, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I dunno, it's not performed by two men, and it doesn't sound exactly as you demonstrated, but could it be 911? —Bromskloss 08:50, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I think it's tickling something in the depths of my memory by someone like Boyz II Men. There might be an "Everything you do... blah blah" in the melody? Jeez you've got it stuck in my head now. freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 16:35, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yeah, i was thinking along the lines of something like that, sounds like a "love" song with lots of expression in the chorus. Jamesino 17:00, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
robert vaughn
How tall was Robert Vaughn when he made the Man from U.N.C.L.E. TV series?
Hey, how come bs01 wiki has been suspended? THAT was, like, the coolest site (next to wikipedia)! Oh well, back to the high shool wiki. --JDitto 01:05, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Probably because it sucked --Froth 03:43, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
That wiki is totally unrelated to Wikipedia. It looks like their hosting service took them down for some reason. If I had to guess, I'd guess copyright concerns, but I can't be sure. I never visited the site. - Mgm|(talk) 07:53, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
"You like masculine/feminine faces" survey.
I recall an online survey a couple of years ago that showed a number of faces, and the person taking it was to select which they found most attractive. At the end, it would tell you how many of the faces were masculine and how many were feminine, and tell you which type you selected most often. Does anyone know where this survey is currently located?
The BBC did a series called Secrets of the Sexes (link to series). Along with it went a Sex ID test in six parts. The fifth part was similar. You were given almost identical pairs of photos in which one had been manipulated, and you had to pick the one you preferred. The two versions were apparently more masculine and and more feminine (but the differences were tiny). (link to Sex ID test here) Telsa(talk) 08:42, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
programming in other languages
How do foreigners do it? I was just looking at this page and the perl is (of course) in english! --Froth 03:17, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Learning to program necessitates learning a new language (the programming lanaguage). Mixing that with another language (like English) isn't going to affect the learning curve too badly. Programmers acquire unfamiliar symbols into their programming vocabulary all the time, it's part of the trade. - Rainwarrior 04:53, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
A much bigger problem might be if there were no manual in any language they speak. DirkvdM 08:55, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I learned BASIC programming language before I learned the English language. I particularly remember discovering that "if" was the same as IF, only that the "then" following it wasn't mandatory. JIP | Talk 09:03, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
That's awesome. You should have just continued talking in BASIC anyways! freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 16:31, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
IF everyone would understand that THEN that would be cool ELSE you'd be screwed. DirkvdM 18:24, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Hello, Wikipedia. This is a dumb question, but bear with me. How do I make a tuna sandwich? Do I just empty a can onto a slice of bread, or what? Partisan 5 03:48, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I mix the flaked tuna with mayo and some chopped dill pickle. –RHolton≡– 04:02, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Okay, I have a can of Chicken of the Sea some bread, and a little mayo. What can I do with that? Partisan 5 04:04, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Tuna is gross, you shouldn't eat it --Froth 04:05, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
No. First you open the can and tip the contents onto a plate. Then you dig out all the nasty bits of skin etc and proceed to chop the flesh into small pieces with a knife. At this point you may add some mayo (salad cream) or olive oil or something (not too much). Mix up well with a fork. Now get 2 slices of bread and spread them one one side with butter or margrine. Then, spread the tuna mayo mix onto one of the slices (on the butter side).Place the other slice butter side down on top and press down firmly with your palm. THen get the knife and cut the sandwich into 4 pieces. Put on plate. Sandwich is now ready to eat!--Light current 04:06, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
o_O I don't see any nasty bits of skin. And the tuna is already in small pieces. And I feel like an idiot asking wikipedia Referance dest for a sandwich recape. Partisan 5 04:11, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Just put the tuna on the bread. either mix the mayo in with the tuna or spread the mayo on the bread. —EdGl 04:16, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
If no skin and tuna in small pieces, you got it made already!--Light current 04:18, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks. My life now has meaning. Partisan 5 04:19, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
No. Your belly now has tuna, thats all (well maybe some bread as well)--Light current 04:37, 1 September 2006 (UTC)![reply]
You will need to drain the tuna before mixing with mayo, I press the lid down into the can and tilt to drain it. If you have a cat, they love the juice. If the tuna is packed in oil, they will spend the rest of the day trying to lick it off their whiskers, always fun to watch ! StuRat 04:43, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Schucks, I forgot that bit. Partisans probably got a very wet sandwich!--Light current 04:45, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Slumgonia is gonna declare war against Light Currencia over this matter. You want baps not slices of bread, and even if you did use slices, cutting into more than two is 51% evil. And using butter or margarine in a sandwich is racist against rational people. Anyone sensible would want a bit of sweetcorn and finely diced onion in the mayo mix, but that's just Slumgum's recommendation. ;o) sʟυмɢυм • т • c 00:14, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Onion :OK. Sweetcorn: I no likee too much! Baps are ok as long as they are wholemeal! I like margerine and mayo!--Light current 00:18, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I like chopped celery, poppy seeds, a slice of melted cheese, and a slice of tomato with my tuna fish sandwich. BTW, what are baps ? StuRat 01:38, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
White flour hamburger buns ? That link just redirects to:
"Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Sanstha, or BAPS,
is a spin-off from the Original Swaminarayan sect."
I don't want my tuna fish on that, thank you very much. :-) StuRat 10:14, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The first 10 years of a century
The 10 years from 10-19, are called the teens, 20-29 the twenties, and so on, regardless of what century you are in. However, what are the first 10 years, from 0-9 called. The auts, the zeros, the new century??? Is there a specific term, like the teens, twenties, for these first 10 years?
I only call 13-19 "teens". When we start calling 10, 11, and 12 by the names "o-teen, one-teen, and two-teen", then I will include them as teens. StuRat 12:09, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
the dictionary says we can call them o-teen. change your ways sturat Jasbutal 20:02, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I don't believe 10 year olds are normally called teenagers, they are called preteens, or "tweens". StuRat 23:50, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Leaping off the previous question, when did people start thinking of time as separated in decades? The phrase "1960s," for example, carries a lot of meaning behind it, not just in terms of years but in terms of society and culture. We can think of the 50s, the 30s, the Roaring Twenties - but how far back does this go? Since we don't have a universal name for this decade, I have to assume that either 1900-1909 didn't have a well-determined name, or that name has utterly fallen out of favor. Did people call the period from 1870 to 1879 the "70s"? What about 1810-1819, the 1810s? What about the 1670s? The 1230s? and so on... How far back does the concept of decades, of separating social and cultural periods into approximate 10-year stretches more or less aligned with numerical decades, exist? zafiroblue05 | Talk 06:12, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
A guy called Ug found ten fingers on his hands and we have counted in tens ever since. Let's hear it for Ug!--Shantavira 06:28, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Thats funny, I have only 8 . But I have 2 thumbs also! 8-)--Light current 16:16, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Interesting question. List of decades claims that the practice of referring to decades as historical entities became popular in the 20th Century and that it might not last far into the 21st Century. But a superficial search yielded no further references. (Luckily it was Ug and not Captain Caveman who first noticed the number of his fingers. Otherwise we'd be using octades.) ---Sluzzelin 07:17, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
So, judging by the imperial system, did Brits use to have 12 fingers? DirkvdM 08:58, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
See duodecimal for explanation. 12 can be divided by 1,2,3,4,6 and 12 without remainders, while 10 can only be divided by 1,2,5 and 10 - so explaining the twelve inches in a foot. Interestingly enough, English numbers go up to twelve before going into the -teens, instead of adding -teen (i.e. -ten) to all numbers between 10 and 20. (Dutch as well!) -- theGREATGavini 14:13, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
In French, they go all the way to 16 before adding the equivalent of "ten" to a number's name. — Michael J 13:27, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I suspect they must have had a different number every time they counted! Sometimes 12, sometimes 3, sometimes 8 etc.-gadfium 09:01, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Ten toes plus ten fingers, giving twenty shillings in the £1. I wonder where the guinea (21 shillings) came from … Tonywalton | Talk 11:55, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Zafiroblue's question would be an interesting dissertation topic (and may already have been one). My guess is that practice of naming and assigning characters to decades began in the 1920s and was applied retrospectively as far back as the 1890s (the "gay nineties"). Wikipedia actually has articles on decades. If you check out 1890s, you will find out that it was not called "the gay nineties" until the 1920s. The alternative name for the 1890s, "the mauve decade", was also coined in the 1920s, when Thomas Beer published a book by that title. The practice of characterizing decades suggests the existence of a "public" that would be interested in looking back on trends in fashion and popular culture. It seems to me that the only way for such a practice to gain acceptance would be through popular media such as magazines or broadcasting media. The first popular magazines appeared in the late 1800s, but they tended to focus more on literature and high culture than on popular culture per se. My hunch is that this interest in popular culture was a product of the jazz decade, or the roaring twenties. But this is just a hunch and would require more research.
Of course before the first decade of the 1900s (I think usually called "the aughts" at the time), people such as historians did refer to decades (the 1880s, for example, or the 1790s). I have not come across any evidence, though, that earlier decades were associated as much with styles of fashion or expression. Marco polo 14:11, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
After reading Zafiroblue's question again, I realize that he is interested in the practice of referring to decades at all, even without popular culture associations. According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the word decade first entered English in the form decad around 1600, but its original meaning was just "a group of ten". This could be a group of ten of anything, not necessarily years. The first clear citation in the OED of the word decad used in its current sense dates to 1837. (By the current sense, I mean"a period of ten years beginning a multiple of ten years after the beginning of the century".) The spelling decade became normal later in the 1800s. Marco polo 16:03, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I searched what is supposed to be an every word index of the New York Times. The first appearance of "gay nineties" in the New York Times was in reference to an amateur circus where people rode in conveyances of the past: "Southampton sees amateur circus," July 19, 1926, p.8. Other entries referred to "a forty-niner wagon," "an 1830 costume," "joy riders of 1840." Thus other period references were to a specific year, not a decade. There did not appear to be today's notion that the 1960's were the same from beginning to end: fashion, music, politics. The first appearance of the other form "Gay 90's" was in an ad Sept 5 1927, p 2, for the centennial of a clothing company, Arnold, Constable. Other eras in ads from the series were referred to by the specific year, i.e. 1827, 1837 rather than by named decades. The first appearance of "roaring twenties" in the NYT was May 14, 1935. p. 1 in an article on monetary policy. Secretary Morgenthau said "We felt rich on that paper during the roaring Twenties. Now we know better." Perhaps by 2015 we will learn what this decade was we are living in now. Edison 18:00, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Impressed! ---Sluzzelin 08:17, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The use of "the sixties" creates a false impression of uniformity. Personal memory says that there was a period from our involvement in Vietnam, say 1966 until the exit of Nixon from office in 1974 which constitutes a more uniform epoch than the period from 1/1/1960 (Ike was president) thru 12/31/1969 (men had landed on the moon, and the country were in the midst of war, protest, political awareness, drug culture). Saturday Night Live circa 1976 did a spoof of a TV record ad from the future (30 years later?) looking back at the music of those fabulous whacky 70's, ascribing to the decades a nostalgic glow no one felt. Edison 20:47, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Sites that recycle old RD pages
While googling I noticed that there are any number of web pages that just consist of old Wikipedia reference desk pages. This is just one of countless examples. Why do they do it? --Richardrjtalk email 11:41, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Many advertising pages seem to just list lots of random words hoping some hapless victim will find their page with a search engine, and increase their page count. At least if they have old Ref Pages, it's possible that the person doing the search might actually find the answer to their question. So, it's a slight improvement over just randomly listing words. To put it another way, copying Wikipedia is a cheap way to get some actual content for their web site. StuRat 12:00, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Is anyone allowed to do that?--Light current 14:55, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I don't think anyone has gotten in trouble for doing it yet, though apparently the foundation is kind of pissed about it because they steal bandwidth everytime they update their mirrors. freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 16:15, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yes they are allowed to do that, so long as they abide by the GFDL, a minimum inconvenience in this instance. --Tagishsimon(talk)
articles
Is it at all possible to have two articles by the same name? If it is, how does one go about starting the second one?
Thirteen Figure Skater
This isn't the place to ask questions about Wikipedia... The help desk is a better place to do so. ColourBurst 14:48, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
8 queens can be placed on a chess board such that the power of no queen falls under the power of other 7. If we number the column of the chess board from 1 to 8 and the row from a to h so that the bottom left most corner is numbered a1, can anybody help me in naming the squares where 8 queens can be placed as said above?
I'm not into the chess speak. What do "power" and "falling under" mean? —Bromskloss 16:07, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
A queen in chess can move to any of the squares diagonal to it on the board. Thus a square diagonally upleft, downleft, upright, or downright of a queen piece could be considered to fall within or fall under the "power" of the queen. I'm not even sure if that's chess terminology or anything either. +
Queens can also move and capture horizontally or vertically, so the row and column containing a queen, as well as the diagonals from the queen, are all "under it's power". StuRat 22:54, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I think the original question asker wants to know how to figure out the possible locations that the queens can be set in so that none of them fall under another's power, but I choose to interpret the question as "What name should I call the position where all of the queens do not fall under each other's power?" I nominate the name octoqueen draw. freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 16:14, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
This sounds like a math homework question. Durova 16:22, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
It's the rows (ranks) that are numbered and the columns (files) that are letters, like Excel. Placing the queens as if they were knights will work. Anchoress 16:28, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The 8 queens problem is a fairly well known comp sci problem that is often used to teach iterative refinement (assuming mastery of certain data structure concepts needed to model the board like arrays of arrays) or iterative searching. The basic algorithm involves solving by columns. Clearly all 8 queens have to be in different columns, so start by placing the first queen in A1, then try to place the next, iterating from B1 to B8. If you suceed, work on C, and so on, till you fail (by running off the top). At that point back up one column and bump that queen up a row (or to the next successful placement location). This search can produce all possible solutions in fairly quick time, far faster than brute force eval of random placement. The hard part (for a budding comp sci major) is actually programming it, this explanation is usually given in the problem setup. ++Lar: t/c 16:29, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
'Name' the squares, you say? I name them 'Sarah', 'Melissa', 'Hariett', 'Lucy', 'Scott', 'Tom', 'Richard' and 'Harry'. As for where, they are, haven't a clue, sorry :). —Daniel(‽) 17:16, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
No, the squares should be named 'Elizabeth', 'Mary', 'Beatrix', etc. Or possibly 'Freddie', 'Elton', 'Liberace', and 'Oscar'. Anchoress 06:28, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Does using the air conditioning in your car adversly affect fuel economy to any significant (say > 5%) extent?--Light current 16:13, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
So if my car engine is 80kW (it is), then the A/C could be using more than 3kW?--Light current 16:37, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Appears to be a complex subject: New Scientist and Straightdope may be your friends. A study in the straightdope article quotes a premium of 12% for aircon in a golf GTI. --Tagishsimon(talk)
As a sidenote, the TV show Mythbusters tested whether turning on the A/C or just rolling down the window was better for fuel economy. If I remember correctly, it depends on the vehicle's speed. Clarityfiend 17:29, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Did they aslo compare it with putting a wet towel in your neck, to name but something? I've never needed aircon in a car (for various reasons), but I keep on being surprised at how much cost and effort people are willing to go through to avoid having to think about simple solution. 12% of the car's fuel consumption is horrible, considering how much fuel cars guzzle. Is that normal for airconditioning or is it just that cars are difficult to cool down? What about leaving the window spray (or what is that called?) on? Of course, you'd need to refill it way too often and it wouldn't be the most efficient way to apply the principle, but if ac is that costly, an alternative that simply evaporates water might be something to think about. DirkvdM 18:47, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Using evaporative cooling might be a good idea, but would leave water spots where the water had evaporated. Using wiper fluid would be horrid, it would cost more than A/C, pollute the air, and leave blue, crusty dye all over the car. Distilled water would reduce the water spots, but dust from the air would still be captured by the water spots. I suppose people could just learn to live with the water spots, ugly as they are. StuRat 22:48, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Cars are these metal boxes with essentially no insulation, a large heat generator up front, and are generally painted in light-absorbing colors. They heat up faster than almost anything else out there, so it's not surprising that they take a lot of energy to cool. 12% seems a bit high, though: I don't think my car loses more than about 5% when driving at highway speeds - less than I'd lose by opening a window. --Serie 20:44, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
High performance sports cars frequently either lack A/C altogether or disconnect the A/C under full acceleration, so apparently the drag on the engine is significant. StuRat 22:43, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Commercial use?
Dera Sir/Maddam,
I run a part time buisiness producing DVDs for the Rail Enthusiast www.uktrainwatchers.com my publisher who are Pegasus Entertainment then produce glass master copies for commercial distribution to the general pulic.
My question is: can i use paragraphs in the selected Wikipedia pages verbaly to use in my production of DVDs which enhance the publics knowledge of the train watching experience.
Thank you
Mr Clive Turner
<email address removed>
Hello, Mr Turner. My understanding is that you may use reproduce the content verbally, but still follow the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. See also Reusers' rights and obligations. Simply, "Wikipedia content can be copied, modified, and redistributed so long as the new version grants the same freedoms to others and acknowledges the authors of the Wikipedia article used (a direct link back to the article satisfies our author credit requirement)." Whether your commercial publisher would accept these conditions is another matter, of course. Rockpocket 17:33, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
INdeed. The section 7. AGGREGATION WITH INDEPENDENT WORKS might give them some comfort. --Tagishsimon(talk)
recreational sex + christianity
why do monks take an oath of celibacy? Why are priests celibate? I thought Catholics and other Christians too believe sex with a spouse is an integral part of...something or other...what was it important for again!?? sex as a symbol of religion or somethign? Jasbutal 18:25, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Take a look at Celibacy for some answers. If I remember correctly the early Christian church advocated celibacy for all people. This was due to the fact that they thought they were living in the last days. CambridgeBayWeather(Talk) 18:35, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Well they would have if that idea would have caught on. :) DirkvdM 18:50, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
An important reason for celibacy being imposed upon the early church is[citation needed] to stop church property being inherited by the children of clergymen and therefore the church loosing wealth. Also, if asked to write an essay on the causes of the reformation just write "The reformation happened so that horny priests (and a king) could get laid." you are bound to get an A. MeltBanana 19:49, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
whoa whao! I forgot to add, preferably no comments from people who grew up in Christian households and had it shoved down their throats and tried to be rebellious about it in their teens ("dude, Jesus loves me? That's so gay") so they grew apart from the Church and are now biased and cynical about every aspect of it. THanks! Jasbutal 20:00, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
That is hardly fair, such people may offer all kinds of info to help answer your question. I admit to being biased and cynical but not about religion any more then any other subject, as neither religion nor irreligion has never been imposed on me. MeltBanana 23:30, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
There aren't very many Shakers left around because of that celibacy thing. User:Zoe|(talk) 23:41, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
There are many christians throughout the world, and they cover a broad range od ideology. It would not really be easy to generalize and characterize how all christians see things, or feel. Hundreds of different sects, at least 17 major sects with more than a million members. There are many christians that participate in recreational sex. There are almost no christians that are celibate after their first sexual interaction. The more conservative branches feel that sex outside of marriage is unethical, or sinful. The very conservative branhces feel that having sex, other than the limited interaction necessary to have children is sinful (oral sex, touching of body parts, all sinful). There are some christians that feel that god gave sex as a gift, and as long as the sex is responsible and consensual, it is not sinful. Most christians, particularly protestants, would say that sex and your sexuality is between you and god, and not anyone elses business. If a generalization were to be made that applied, generally, to most christians, it would be that they think that sex is healthy and normal as part of a long-term relationship, usually involving marriage. Atom 15:01, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
As for the more direct answer to your question, as mentioned by someone else, the catholic church's stand on priests marrying and celibacy is by church policy, and more about church politics than what god wants. The church feels that monks and nuns should devote themselves, and their service, and all of their energy and being to the church. Self gratification, sexual gratification with others (that can lead to children, and responsibilities) takes energy that could be spent on the church. Atom 15:01, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
hmm. strange. I'd heard that recreational sex could bring people closer to God? Jasbutal 03:35, 5 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
1. How great a percentage of users acting solely as vandals would overwhelm the reverters and render Wikipedia a churning hodgepodge of vandalism, false information, and pranks? Or in the alternate, what is the minimum number of vandals operating simultaneously, 24 hours a day, that would overrun wikipedia and overwhelm the "recent changes" patrollers? 5,000? 10,000? 50,000?
Does anyone have any ideas?
2. Furthermore, how does anyone know that the old adage "one troll drives away five good contributors" is actually true? Does anyone have any verfication of this statistic?
3. Also, if trolls have more lasting damage on wikipedia, how many "vandals" does one "troll" equal in their detrimental effects on Wikipedia?
4. Do Vandals and Trolls work in tandem? In groups? What if they were part of an organisation?
1.there are anti-vandalism bots. Perhaps 1 bot could revert the effects of 5000 vandals in 10 min?? Jasbutal 19:34, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
In a world where anything can be changed by anyone and nothing is permanent, it is completely up to the absolute ratio of vandals to good contributors. Each side may employ bots for temporary advantage, but as long as there is a higher percentage of good contributors to vandals then it should work. Compare this with RL where one terrorist can inflict massive damage that cannot be fixed. Here we can turn back time very easily and anyone can do it. I guess this is a bit like a democracy, if 60% of a country's population wants to vote for Bugs Bunny for president just to screw up the government I guess they could, but in reality people do like to be constructive members of society most of the time. Nowimnthing 20:16, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
but how would the bots know what is vandalism?Wiki Mirabeau 23:31, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Well if the United States page suddenly goes blank then it's probably vandalism and the bot will revert. They can also look for the addition of certain words being inserted into articles. CambridgeBayWeather(Talk) 00:01, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Brain Age Sudoku
I just got the DS game Brain Age, and I have been trying to complete every sudoku puzzles. Does anything get unlocked for completing all of them? -- TheGreatLlama(speak to the Llama!) 19:11, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
How do "fog" and "overcast and cloudy" conditions cancel a missile defense test? Are detection systems dependent on weather? Are missile launches dependent on weather? why? Jasbutal 19:41, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The complete trajectory needs to be filmed by ground based cameras.--Light current 20:35, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Radar performance (at some wavelengths) may be degraded by bad weather; perhaps they don't want to test in bad weather (difficulty with radar, risk of lightning strikes on equipment, unpredictable winds, etc.) until they've validated the system in clear weather. The testers are probably keen to see the test themselves — video recordings can be used to check missile-based telemetry and ground-based tracking; video can aid in identifying problems and failure modes; and video is a handy marketing tool if the test actually works. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 20:38, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
That said, the effectiveness of missile defence is questioned by many observers; in their view, none of the tests have been realistic simulations of what would actually be required to intercept an actual hostile missile, making the "operational" deployment of the missiles largely a symbolic gesture. --Robert Merkel 00:22, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I disagree. I have heard reports of highly accurate interceptions esp using Seawolf missiles--Light current 00:31, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Except that Sea Wolf (missile) seems to suggest that they're used to intercept Anti-ship missiles, which are in no way similar to ICBMs. So essentially, that's totally unrelated to SDI, or any SDI like anti-ICBM systems.--VectorPotential71.247.243.173 11:53, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Plain old sandals
Can anyone give a website where I can buy plain and old sandals that are still worn today by women? Thanks.
Try Ebay.com Search for "Sandals" in the category "Women's shoes." 41,429 listings, believe it or not. Buut the only ones with "old" in the description were by "Old Navy." Perhaps you have a favorite brand to narrow things down. Edison 21:07, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
"Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, they will be a mile away, and without shoes, which will make it much more difficult for them to beat the crap out of you." :-) StuRat 22:34, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Why don't you try looking for geta or zori? They're old, rather plain (and cheap!), and women (in Japan) still wear them. freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 16:34, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Actresses
How many actresses appear nude in their movies? not porn movies
Are you including porn movies? 'Cause that would change the number by a lot. --Mnemeson 20:40, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Too few??? Give me a number of how many actresses there are total and I will find a percentage for you. It won't be based on anything real, but then neither will your number. Nowimnthing 20:43, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
truly, too few. Jasbutal 21:00, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Has nobody seen About Schmidt?? I'd say "too few" may be a dangerous answer! X-( Dismas|(talk) 23:10, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I figured it out! 42%! :) schyler 01:47, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Is there anybody here who goes to Richwoods High School in Peoria, Illinois? If you do, I am trying to find people to collaborate with to make the article bigger, right now it only includes some E.C. activities. If you are willing to help, you don't have to leave your real names, just your usernames so I can talk to you about it. Please leave them on this page. I would really appreciate it. EAT EM UP, EAT EM UP! (excerpt from the Richwoods fight song)- Proud Knight
You might want to try Classmates.com, as you're more likely to find current and former students there. I'd be careful about giving them your credit card number, however, as they make it damn near impossible to drop your subscription, once they have it. StuRat 22:28, 1 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I wish to acquire bad-ass potentcy
I'm writing this in an overairconditioned office in Silicon Valley. The pay is great but this cushy internship isn't the vocation of idealized manhood--I worry about that a lot now. So I'd like to compensate for my insecurity by finding a job for next summer that is exotic, adventurous and manly. Wikipedians, what is the easiest way for a California boy to head on down under and become a jackaroo?
Jokes apart, being a sailor can be quite "manly". I'd have a lot of respect on that front for someone who worked on deep-sea trawlers, say. Sailing ships are pretty cool too - handing a topgallant in a gale is something to be proud of - but not something you're likely to fall into as a job with no experience. PeteVerdon 00:25, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
See the Australian government's visa rules. Note that if your government was a tad less anal about its own visa rules, you could probably get a working holiday visa. But, the way I read it, you can't, so you'll have to get in through one of the other categories, such as employer sponsorship.
By the way, do you realise that as a jackeroo, there may not be eligible women within several hundred miles of your post. But, as compensation, there is always the Bachelor and Spinster Balls...--Robert Merkel 00:17, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
You need to find somebody who wants to employ you as a jackeroo. A google search for "jackeroo employment turns up a number of relevant links. Be aware that as well as potentially lonely, it can be physically demanding, difficult, and sometimes dangerous work, and you'll probably need some training beforehand, particularly if you've got no rural background. --Robert Merkel 06:05, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
..and the sheep! You could call them baaaad asses! 8-))--Light current 00:20, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
A friend of mine takes a few months every few years to follow the trade of his fathers in Alaska. The fishing boats often stay out for weeks in sub-zero weather, and the cook is always one of the crew, so you wouldn't expect any pizza or okonomiyaki. It's pretty hard physical work (fishing), and you don't get much time to sleep, but you get into a (zombie-like) rhythm and you forget what you're doing after a while. The best part is when you get back you get a fat envelope filled with about 30 grand (an average figure, apparently). I consider that pretty adventurous and "manly". freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 11:13, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I love xkcd. To Lotsofissues: I suggest the best way is to go to Alaska (I suggest Kodiak, Alaska) yourself and check job listings, approach boats, etc. There's not going to be a "Fish in Alaska and Become Bad-Ass" Tour Agency, or an online recruitment page, because, well, they don't do that kind of thing up there. freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 07:29, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Fresh: What's a bad-ass fishing job that won't be disturbingly dangerous like Artic crabbing? lots of issues | leave me a message 22:00, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
shrimping in rock pools-hotclaws**==(82.138.214.1 21:05, 7 September 2006 (UTC))[reply]
September 2
Judicial Bypass
I read that if you are under 18 and want an abortion in Minnesota, you need parental notifcation, or a judicial bypass. The things I read seemed to say that you have to not only not want your parents involved and be capable of making the decision on your own, but that you have to prove that your parents should not be a part of this process at all (i.e., they are abusive sexually or emotionally)
Would you be able to get a judicial bypass if you just didn't want your parents to know, or do you have to have the problems?
I'm not a lawyer, but I would guess that the intent of the law is to prevent just that, keeping an abortion a secret because you just don't want your parents to know. --Maxamegalon2000 05:20, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I'm not a lawyer either. MN statute 144.343 is what applies, read it and make your own interpretation. [8] It seems to say that notification of both parents at least 48 hours in advance it required. But, it also says "Any minor may give effective consent for medical, mental and other health services to determine the presence of or to treat pregnancy and conditions associated therewith, venereal disease, alcohol and other drug abuse, and the consent of no other person is required." So, notification of parents is required, their consent is not. Here is another resource on that [9]
My guess is that the only way to proceed without parental notification, or parental consent would be to be emancipated by a court as an adult. The court would probably not be likely to do that easily unless you were over the age of 16, and then they would want to involve your parents in that process to determine how that could be in your best interests.
They are changing the law so that it will be a crime for any adult to assist someone under the age of 18 in getting an abortion in another state, (Wisconsin, Iowa, North and South Dakota for example) But, Wisconsin requires parental consent, not just notification. Iowa requires parental consent of one parent (but a grandparent may substitute). South Dakota requires parental notification, and North Dakota requires consent of both parents. Parental notification and parental consent were stopped by the court in Illinois. I'm not recommending anything, and certainly not recommending that you look to not involve your parents in such an important thing in your life. You have the right to stay in Minnesota, and do what you think is best. In MN your parents both need to be notified, but only your consent is required. This is a good law, because involving your parents, as difficult as it may be, it what is in your best interests in the long term.
A good resource for information to help you dedide what is best for you is [10].
How about 'The broken little toe'? 8-)--Light current 02:32, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Not counting movies filmed using dolls or animated characters, it's hard to have a cast with fewer than one -- see Give 'em Hell, Harry!. SWAdair 03:57, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Apparently we've already reached one, but I can't resist mentioning Hell in the Pacific which is one hell of a movie.--Rallette 06:39, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Can't you have a documentary without any characters ? Perhaps March of the Penguins might qualify, if you don't count the narrator or the penguins as "characters". StuRat 10:05, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Persona is a major film with a small cast. If I recall correctly, there are only four people, two of which are on for less than a minute (Nurse Alma, Elisabet Vogler, the Husband and the Doctor).
Persona is a great movie, I could also mention Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, including only five characters (with a bar owner or something only present for about a minute). 惑乱 分からん 10:19, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Actually you are all wrong. The film with the smallest visual cast was Derek Jarmans 'Blue'--Light current 14:55, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I'd say the color blue has a certain amount of character to it. freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 16:30, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yes it has the character of being blue! Not much else 8-)--Light current 16:53, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I didn't specify "visual". Your bloated candidate has 4, count 'em, 4 cast members. Looks like Hairy Cambodian Swimmer From Hell takes the prize. Clarityfiend 00:07, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Consumption of bananas
I have a question about eating bananas. I feel retarded asking this, but I honestly don't know the answer. Are you supposed to eat the bottom end of a banana(the end attached to the peel after you open it from the stem)?
Well. My personal experience with bananas is that there is only one thing to worry about concerning the bottom end of a banana, namely a little something that projects from the peel part and sometimes breaks off and is eaten with the flesh. Especially if the banana is not quite ripe. I don't know what it is and what it contains, but it leaves an unpleasant hairy feeling in my mouth. Other than that, bon appetit.--Rallette 06:33, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yea, there's an unpleasant little spike at the bottom. StuRat 10:02, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I dont eat the bit at the bottom, so I dont get that hairy feeling. 8-) (You could probably eat the skin as well, but dont take my word for it)
As long as the banana hasn't been heavily treated with fertilizers, the entire thing (peel and all) is good to eat. Since you must suspect that many/most fruits are treated, don't eat the peel, but as long as you don't mind the fact that it's a little bit harder than the rest of the flesh, go ahead and eat the spike. I bet there's a culture somewhere in the world that considers it the most healthy part. freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 16:27, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yeah they're called monkeys. They eat this bit first, I seem to remember. 8-)--Light current 16:56, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
On a weird note, I was eating a banana today, and I realized that it didn't have a spike on either end, and neither did any of the other bananas in the bunch. I can only assume that the Japanese were sufficiently disgusted at the sight of the little brown bit that they had it genetically removed. freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 15:38, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Pregnancy Tests
What happens when a man uses a pregnancy test (uses his urine)?--Life 04:36, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
They should read negative, assuming untampered with urine, although it might depend on the specific test kit used. See [11] (PDF) for a test done with male urine to which various amounts of hCG had been added.-gadfium 05:23, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
If its positive I d get worried.--Light current 15:08, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Either that or a temporal paradox swallows the universe. —Tamfang 17:28, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
MMORPG item spawns
Why, when a piece of loot is going to spawn on the ground in an MMORPG, does it always do so at a fixed point? Wouldn't it require less suspension of disbelief -- and be less likely to encourage camping -- if the spawn could happen anywhere (at random) within a defined area that was too big for one PC to control? NeonMerlin 04:52, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Depending on the engine, I could think of a few reasons (though not every game can be so easily excused).
Lazy collision detection. Without good collision detection you can end up with a lot of objects in walls/water at stuff like that, which is much less believable.
Difficulty of predicting "realistic placements". Even if collision detection works great, objects popping into existance in corners, under tables, etc. may look awkward. That would necessitate manually drawing out the possible drop points, which shouldn't be that hard, but it adds a lot of work.
Item balance. It's a lot easier to control what items appear how frequently and at what time during the game if you just attatch them to a script.
If you're talking about games like Quake3, it's done on purpose. The whole "rocket launcher spot" and "health boost ledge" aspect of the game has become a major strategy point, and while campers might tick you off, just realize that they're sitting ducks and you can figure out a way to beat them. freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 06:42, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Also, if you play the game with the same map several times, you could get quite an advantage over your opponent. Now, who wants to play with Quake 3 with me on the map I created. :-P Jayant,17 Years, India • contribs 16:39, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I'm talking about RPGs, not FPSes. And the range could be only seven or eight tiles across in each dimension, as long as it wasn't possible for a single person or a very small team to camp it. (A tile, for my purposes, is the amount of space one typical PC can occupy.) NeonMerlin 19:04, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Clapping to the rhythm
What's with the way that crowds always eventually start clapping faster than the beat of the song that they're all clapping to? It really irritates my ears, and I would assume that half of the people who can't clap to the beat should end up clapping slower, thus cancelling out the annoying beat-mismatch effect! freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 06:48, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
It could have something to with the antici.................................pation. :-) SWAdair 07:14, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Crowd psychology might offer some more insights. (btw, bad music ensembles tend to rush tempi too.) ---Sluzzelin 08:11, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yes, that's true too. That's why a lot of rock bands have their drummer on a metronome. Are you attempting at a plural of tempo? freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 08:34, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Most audiences are not musical and have very little sense of time (tempo)--Light current 15:10, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Speeding up while clapping due to group dynamics is common, however it can also have to do with the fact that sound travels relatively slowly, so in big stadiums it's difficult to clap 'in time' with the concert since it's going to reach different parts of the audience at different times. People in the nosebleed seats clapping with the floor crowd will be clapping in time with the music but will seem ahead of the beat to their neighbours. Anchoress 15:40, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yes, that sounds completely logical. No matter where you are, chances are you will closer to the music (a speaker) than to the average location of the crowd, so that could cause some drift in rhythm. But still, if inability to sync the two sounds was the problem, I don't think the overall sound would alternate between fully synced sequences, and progressively drifting sequences. Also, a large portion of the clapping you could hear would be coming from the audience in your immediate vicinity, who wouldn't clapping with any noticable difference in timing. freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 16:23, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
At a performance at a summercamp for musically talented children, I noticed the parents clapping with perfect adherence to the rhythm. So I conjecture that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Musically talented children tend to come from musically talented parents, or perhaps parents who have sung in a chorus, played in a band, or marched in step tend to send their musically capable children to such a camp. Others may be unable to synchronize their internal clock with an external beat, and thus must march to a different celestial drummer. In such a tempo-challenged crowd of people as the average audience, there may be a stampede effect such that each clapper wishes to keep up with the fastest, and are more influenced by their neighbor than by the musician on stage. Edison 20:53, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
For it to work everyone needs to clap in visual sync with the person on the stage leading the clapping.--Light current 20:58, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I also see a link with the accelerated clapping in a football stadium, starting with a slow clap and gradually building up the speed. This causes a sense of excitement (and fittingly ends with shouting, but that's not relevant here). People clap to music when they are excited about it, so to speed up would be fitting. DirkvdM 04:20, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Warehouse Management
Determine and discuss 5 objectives of material handling in a warehouse.
Don't drop it, don't break it, don't cut it, don't crush it, don't ask someone else to do your homework. SWAdair 07:25, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yeah... and above all, dont eat it!--Light current 15:11, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
At least disguise it. --Proficient 07:13, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Warehouse Layout and Design
In your understanding, a good warehouse should have a good layout and design "state of the art". Why is a good layout and design so important?
A good warehouse design is essential so that important items can be located and retrieved, such as answers to student's homework questions. StuRat 07:28, 2 September 2006 (UTC) StuRat 07:27, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The premise is bull. Whether the design should be state of the art depends on the target clientele. When my grandfather built a new warehouse (the Glaspaleis) that was very much state of the art, he had to keep the old shop open for those who didn't dare enter such a modern building (farmers mostly - among his best customers). DirkvdM 04:23, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
currency difference
i would like to know how much one US dollar is worth in Suriname, South America
(Note-I DON'T plan on trying this). Is it possible to pin someone to a wall (material can be altered to make the answer yes) using a nail gun (shooting them in several strategic location) in such a way that the person is completely incapable of freeing themselves.Cuban Cigar 12:17, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
If the nail gun is fired from close enough range, I see no reason why not.--Light current 15:14, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Sure, all you need to do is put a some good close range shots into their shirt to hold the body up and then hit them in the forehead. 9.9 Seriously though, it should be possible with loose enough clothing and subject participation to relatively safely pin a living subject to a wooden wall with a nailgun.—WAvegetarian•(talk) 15:21, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
If the nail gun is A) set so that it will not simply fire the nails all the way through the person's flesh and thus just make a hole instead of holding them pinned, B) loaded with nails long enough to hold the person's skin/limbs/etc while still going far enough into the wall to secure them. Also, the person must prefer to be pinned rather than tear even more flesh getting themself off the wall.
Light current, in order for modern nail guns to even fire, the tip of the gun must be depressed by the material that you're putting the nail into. They aren't like typical (bullet firing) guns in that you can simply aim at something and pull a trigger. Dismas|(talk) 15:23, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks for that info!--Light current 15:25, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Dismas, are you talking from experience (or even, dare I say, prison)? —Daniel(‽) 18:37, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Luckily, I've never nailed myself (insert dirty joke here). I have used nail guns in the past though. Dismas|(talk) 09:35, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I would look for nails with a large head, so the person can't just jerk the flesh loose. In crucifixion, the Romans used disks of olivewood for that purpose. Common nails, in general, would work better than finishing nails. Long drywall screws with washers might be effective, though more painful. Don't try this at home. In high schools, people have been duct taped to doors or flagpoles, with much less injury. Edison 20:57, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Okay okay okay, two points, one directly above and one further up. First, most strips of nails for the guns (both compressed air and propane) have about half a head, as they stack closer together that way, that is, angled so that the half hooks to the back of the nail above it, but the nail can still lie flat against the nail below. That is, the half a head would still be possible...painful, but possible...to rip yourself out of. Second, though not as germane to the conversation, it's not too difficult to mod the modern nailgun beyond its physical limitations (thus maing it automatic, rather than pressure sensitive). Just some filing and some of the old jamming of foreign objects. I'm a bad speller. Love--24.250.33.247 23:37, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Ok so long nails with big heads. Cuban Cigar 06:08, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Have you tired a place like RadioShack? They always seem to have electronic/RC stuff in the background, failing that, the Sharper Image seems like a good place to look--71.247.243.173 13:37, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
What is the best unarmed defence against dogs attempting to bite you?--Light current 15:15, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The neighbour's kid. BAP IT ON THE NOSE. 81.93.102.35 15:16, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
You mean bap the dog on the nose or the kid?--Light current 15:20, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Pick up the kid and use it as a club to bap the dog's nose. I hope that's clear. —[oops, wrong number of tildes the first time] Tamfang 18:22, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Remove yourself from their immediate area. Dismas|(talk) 15:18, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
If you're unable to run, or can't run faster than the dog, then I guess the best way would be to sacrifice an arm or a leg, like you see stunt men do in all those stupid action movies. I would suggest a leg, because it's probably pretty easy to puncture an artery in your wrist, especially if you're skinny. freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 16:12, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Dogs will always out run humans. I was wondering if ther was a martial arts solution?--Light current 16:21, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
You could carry a stick around with you. A biiiiig, hefty one would suit just fine. And always take care that there are no humans in the immediate vicinity when you swing the stick. You can hit the dog where ever you like. I'd suggest you to watch some videos of some home-runs. :-P Jayant,17 Years, India • contribs 16:24, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Say I left my stick at home?--Light current 16:27, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Disturbing image warning. "If you have got a [bicycle] pump or stick, hold it at both ends and offer it to the dog horizontally. Often the dog will bite the stick/pump and hang on. Immediately lift the dog up and offer a very solid kick to the genitals. Follow up by breaking the dog's ribs and crushing it's head with a rock." Courtesy of Richard Ballantine who devotes several pages of his classic Richard's Bicycle Book to this problem (pp.170-173). He suggests numerous defences including climbing a tree, pepper spray, and a water pistol loaded with an ammonia-water solution, but if defence fails you need to attack by ramming your bicycle pump or your fist down its throat, or, if it's a small variety, "picking it up by the hind legs and dashing its brains out".--Shantavira 16:30, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
You could try to scare if off, I suppose, making some scary faces or shouting like a drunkard might just do the trick!. Practise in front of the neighbours kids. :-P. Jayant,17 Years, India • contribs 16:36, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I left my bike pump at home as well. Surely there is an unarmed method if incapacitating a dog?--Light current 17:05, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Mail carriers where I live carry mace / pepper spray. Legality varies with jurisdiction, and different countries have different rules. There are varieties specifically marketed for use against dogs, i.e. they don't injure the animal. A quick google shows you can buy these online. Antandrus (talk) 17:10, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
(ok, I am not gonna talk crap now, I promise) Well, the most logical method I can think of is to wait for the dog to make a jump for you and maybe sidestep it or punch hard enough to hurt it. If its making a grab for your legs, I'd suggest you kick as hard as you can! ;-D Jayant,17 Years, India • contribs 17:15, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I found this advice by a dog trainer, including psychological warfare, evasive tactics and also physical combat tips. He admits he's a pro and thus less afraid of dogs and better at 'reading' them. So he also has specific advice for laypeople. ---Sluzzelin 17:17, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
(edit conflic)
I was thinking more like: a sharp poke in the eyes followed by a hefty swipe in the nose, then when the dog is wondering what happened, you tackle it to the ground and stand on its neck...etc etc. At this point you have the advantage and can do much more damage before running away. Would that work? Or how about a strangle hold?--Light current 17:19, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Viscous dogs can be very hard to catch, they keep slipping from your grasp. No, erm, wait... JIP | Talk 17:40, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I know its a sticky problem--Light current 17:42, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Some practices utility companies teach their workers: When you enter a backyard and you don't know if there is a dog there, never close the gate behind you, so you can get out quicker. Be very wary, and watch for signs of a dog when you enter property: is thre a water bowl, doghouse, chain, wear patterns in the grass, dog toys? The dog may be sleeping and suddenly appear. Always ask the owner to confine the dog, even if the swear it would never bite anyone. "Company rules, ma'am." Always carry something you can interpose between the dog's teeth and your flesh: a backpack, toolpouch, briefcase, clipboard. When the dog shows up and is aggressive, try to make a friend. Sound like you are delighted to find the dog there. Dogs may be stupid and think you mean it when you say "GOOD boy! Who's a good dog? Where's your ball?" (Make sure he doesn't think you are referring to YOUR balls). "Want to go for a ride?" An aggressive dog may decide you are a friend. Psychology is crucial, and many people have the nack of making friends with a strange dog, who doesn't rellay know if you are a guest or a burgler. Do not stare down a strange dog. It is not always a good idea to turn your back and run, because then a cowardly dog will not be afraid to chase you and bite your leg or butt. Backing away while speaking soothingly and keeping a barrier between you and the dog is a pretty good practice. Getting the owner to come and get their dog is a good idea. Multiple dogs are far more dangerous than single dogs. If you can climb something they can't that is an option, as is vaulting a fence. Pepper spray may discourage a dog unless his bloodlust is up, in which case it may just make a tasty sauce to go with your throat. Attacking a dog which has merely growled and barked is not a good idea. The owner might shoot you, and if you injure a dog you are subject to arrest. Edison 21:14, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
First, I'd try talking to it in a friendly way while you back off. If that fails, then try raising your arms to the side to make yourself look bigger and shout at it as loudly as possible. StuRat 00:19, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
If it comes down to a fight, and you are completely unarmed, I'd suggest kicking it. You can manage more force with a kick, and a dog is at the right height to get the kick directly in the face. Also, assuming you are wearing shoes, they will offer some protection, if the dog takes a bite at your foot. StuRat 00:13, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Alternatively, if you have a set of keys, use them as a weapon, trying to puncture it's eyes. Eye injuries are quite painful, so may persuade it to retreat. Also, if you succeed in blinding it in both eyes, that will give you a considerable advantage. StuRat 00:16, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yeah thats what I thought. Blind the b****. --Light current 00:22, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
"The owner might shoot you"? Are we messing with police dogs now? And whacko policemen?
Anyway, different dogs can react very differently. One technique I once heard for the kind of dog that bites and holds on no matter what (such as nasty critters like pitbulls) is to wrap a coat or something around your arm, offer that (it will go for the first limb it encouters) and start turning around your axis. Move towards a tree or lamppost and break the dog's back against it. Nasty business. DirkvdM 04:47, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
You seem to have forgotten that in the US, whacko policemen aren't the only ones who own guns. In Soviet Russia, the guns own whacko policemen! freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 11:02, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Do those ultrasonic devices work? After yet another dog attack the other day I'm thinking of investing, even though they look quite expensive for what they are. -- Q4 15:10, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Try a cattle prod instead, that will convince the average dog to leave you alone. StuRat 06:58, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Do dogs have carotid arteries? If so, compressing them for a few seconds by strangling would soon lead the dog to pass out, hopefully releasing its grip.
--Light current 18:59, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
You might have trouble getting your fingers near the dogs neck, unless being severed and swallowed counts. :-) StuRat 06:58, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I'll assume that you're not trapped in a tiny hut with vicious dogs outside. bibliomaniac15 19:47, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Wikipuppies:Reference Dogs
What is the best unarmed defence against Wpians attempting to blind, pepper, kick or kill you? —Preceding unsigned comment added by GoodOldPal (talk • contribs)
I have an odd request, but I hope someone here can help! I've seen a picture (I can't find it now, typically!) and I'm trying to work out where it's from. It looks like it's done in the style of a textbook page, with a black blocky female figure (much in the style of the female figures on public toilets) underneath which is XX. To the far left of it is a similar style figure of an alien or robot, with, I think, ZZ underneath it. In between is an unusual looking figure that may be intended to be an interspecies hybrid, underneath which is written XX then under that, OO. Any ideas? Snorgle 18:11, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Never heard of it. All I can think of is try google images and search for key terms that might hit the image your thinking of it, the website its hosted on, and possibly info about it.--Mitaphanetalk 20:21, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
(transcluded from my Userspace - Mgm|(talk) 14:36, 3 September 2006 (UTC))
Every once in a while I like to go mad with cooking and make something my family doesn't normally cook. We usually have veg, meat, potato dishes and we also eat a lot of Italian and Eastern dishes. I just made onion bahjis which went down pretty well, but now I'm looking for inspiration for my next outburst. What cuisines should I consider and what are the particularly tasty dishes in those cuisines. I just want a few guidelines to dish names and ingredients. I'll google (or visit the wikicookbook) for recipes myself. Any help is appreciated. --Mgm|(talk) 18:40, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Most tapas is pretty easy to cook. I find tortilla de patatas very easy to make (if you're patient): served with a simple green salad and balsamic vinagrette it's great. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 18:45, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
You're right that does sound tasty. Any other suggestions? - Mgm|(talk) 19:56, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Cajun is pretty easy to do well: gumbo, jambalaya, dirty rice... If you're in the States I'd suggest the Zatarain's mixes to start although I usually add extra vegetables: always okra for the gumbo, frozen if your local store doesn't sell the vegetable fresh. Works well with chicken, sausage, or shrimp (or if you're like my cousins in Louisiana, just dig up some crawfish from the backyard). Durova 20:37, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Try our Cuisine article. Maybe you can make pierogies; they are really good.—EdGl 03:48, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
North African and Middle Eastern cuisines are both rich in tasty dishes, and pretty easy to make (if you're already eating Eastern dishes you may have all the requisite spices). Very healthy too. I was also pleasantly surprised to find how delicate and tasty German food can be, contrary to the stereotype. Some things can be a bit of work, though. Anchoress 11:09, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks for the ideas. Keep 'm coming. - Mgm|(talk) 14:36, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
cassoulets(sp?) which are kind of bean stews are pretty nice-hotclaws**==(82.138.214.1 21:20, 7 September 2006 (UTC))[reply]
Pattern Solver
If I recall correctly, I think I once visited a website that allows you to input the first numbers of a pattern and it gives you the rest. What website was that? Thanks if you can help me. I've been trying to search through google but cannot find the website. --Proficient 20:06, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Actually, google sets isn't really meant for patterns, only filling out hypothetical sets. I'll just walk away slowly now. freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 15:27, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Trapped wind 2
Sorry, I've tried twice to append this reply to the Trapped Wind section above, but I waited 20 minutes each time while nothing happened and then just got an error page. So here's the reply:
You may be, or are becoming, lactose intolerant like me. When I drink milk it takes some hours to have similar symptoms. You be consuming more milk in food than at home. Or you could be becoming dairy intolerant, etc.
You may have been trying to edit a transcluded or archived page. I think that may be disallowed. --Light current 20:43, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
No I think I was consuming more beer than at home 8-)--Light current 20:54, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Gay People
How many gay people does it take for them to be able to stand in a circle and all simultaneously have anal sex with each other?--216.164.193.108 20:41, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Im assuming you mean all males here. Maybe you could do it with 3. I havent tried--Light current 20:44, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
If you dropped the circle requiremnet, maybe two could do it --- but ive not seen it yet!--Light current 20:46, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
360°/φ(max). The sexual preference is irrelevant to the question. ---Sluzzelin 20:54, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
What is φ? Also, the sexual preference is not irrelevant, only redundant.--216.164.193.108 21:05, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Probably one, if sufficiently endowed.
Depends how youre defining sex President Clinton ! Not that Im saying he's gay- far from it--Light current 21:21, 2 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Do you understand how anal sex works? Two isn't even conceivable, unless you have some sort of portal. Three only really makes sense if you're pretty flaccid, because all 3 guys would be pointing downwards. Since sex usually requires you to be aroused, I'm going to put the minimum at 4, though I'm leaning towards a sweaty 5. Just in case anyone's wondering by now, I'm comfortable enough with my sexuality to imagine 5 throbbing naked guys in strange formations without cringing or giggling. freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 10:46, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Penetrative sex isn't the only kind of sex. Rimming is sex, too. That would only require 2, or 3 with comfort. JackofOz 11:44, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
In colloquial speech, "sex" refers to sexual intercourse, which is the common term for coitus, which necessitates arousal. If we're talking legally though, I'll take your rimming and up you (anal) masturbation, which only requires one gay person who is capable of standing in a circle to fulfill the question requirements. Now sexual preference is irrelevant. freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 14:55, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
We need a Government research study to gather data on this. And it may vary by culture (average weight of participants). Atom 14:40, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
No original research. But there's nothing stopping you doing private research to while the time away. JackofOz 13:19, 5 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I heard that it was theoretically possible for two single males to engage in simultaneous penetration (if their penises were erected downwards, and they lay in a position similar to the one illustrated at tribadism, I guess) but that it required too much energy and concentration to be enjoyable... =S 惑乱 分からん 22:47, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Disney/Dimension Films
Since October 1, 2005 Harvey and Bob Weinstein left the Walt Disney Company to make their own independant company taking Dmension films with them. Disney still has rights to join in for sequels to Scary Movie, etc.. but does Disney still own the rights to the rest of Dimension Film's Movies (Sin City, Brothers Grimm...)?
Best game ever?
What do you guys think is the best PS2 or Xbox game ever? I think i will have to side with GTA: San Andreas but Time Splitters comes a close second.
"Best" is a highly subjective adjective. You have to define a criteria by what is meant by "best" to even start to answer that question. There is the article Computer and video games that have been considered the greatest ever that notes games that have been considered greatest by user polls, critic polls, magazine lists, and sales number. A few 6th generation(the generation that includes the PS2 & XBox) console games mentioned in the article include Resident Evil 4, the modern GTA games, Halo, Metal Gear Solid 3, Metroid Prime, Zelda: Windwaker.
As far as my personal decision of best game ever, (taking into account personal preferences, sales, and critical acclaim) that would be Tetris. Not exactly a PS2/XBox game, but a very good one at that. --Mitaphanetalk 01:36, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I've had the most fun with Guitar Hero and Resident Evil 4, but I found Shadow of the Colossus (and its sister game Ico) to be very moving, which is a rare experience in videogames. I'd rank Shadow of the Colossus as my personal favourite this gen. Pesapluvo 06:30, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I agree. SotC and Ico are great games, very deep. Partisan 5 23:56, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
September 3
bluejay
i have a bluejay that my father in-law has raised since falling out of the nest seven years ago.he sings many songs(like the andy giffith theme song)zip-a-de-do-da and so on.he also calls the children by their first name.recently he started losing his tail feathers and is now trying to look straight up and falling over.he is not singing or calling for the kids and is acting quite odd.he falls to the bottom of his cage and seems to scoot almost in a circle,not using his legs.any advise would be very much appreciated.i know keeping a wild bird in a cage is not ideal,but this bird has never lived in the wild and would not survive on his own.please help.thank you.Jwskygrl 00:28, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
It's not in our article but this indicates that most only live to the age of 7. On the other hand you could take it to a vet. CambridgeBayWeather(Talk) 02:21, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yep, I think the jay's days are numbered. It would be best to prepare the kids. StuRat 04:55, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
...."he sings many songs(like the andy giffith theme song)zip-a-de-do-da and so on.he also calls the children by their first name.recently he started losing his tail feathers and is now trying to look straight up and falling over.he is not singing or calling for the kids and is acting quite odd.he falls to the bottom of his cage and seems to scoot almost in a circle,not using his legs"...first we need to establish that this is refering to the jay's behaviour and not father-in-law's :) assuming that is the case perhaps a trip to the vet is in order? Lemon martini 08:12, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
It is very sad when a pet gets old and dies, but it is part of life. You can treasure the good times you had with the bluejay, and be glad you were there for him and vice versa. Vets do not all treat "wild" animals, so you might have to make a few phone calls. It is possible that medicine or diet changes might help, but possibly the clock is running out on this fine bird. Edison 05:22, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Possible homework
What transpires in a stock buyout, when a privide firm buys out a firm on the stock market ?
Looks like homework! Look at link to start.--Light current 01:11, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
can't follow your scandals without a scorecard
Somehow I never did hear what depended on what the meaning of "is" is. —Tamfang 06:36, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Maube Copulation is more helpful. In his interrogation before the grand jury, Clinton was asked: "Whether or not Mr. Bennett knew of your relationship with Ms. Lewinsky, the statement that there is 'no sex of any kind, manner shape or form with President Clinton' was an utterly false statement. Is that correct?". That question elicited the famous answer. Don't ask me to explain it; it doesn't make much sense to me. I suspect it may depend on what the meaning of "meaning" is. --LambiamTalk 11:41, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
From what I understand, the answer to the question supposedly depends on whether "is" means "currently is" or "is now or ever has been". Here's a way to think about it: How, if at all, would the question be different if the word "is" were replaced by the word "was"? Personally, I think the level of ambiguity possible makes the question poorly phrased. --Maxamegalon2000 21:39, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I see. It would be helpful is the questions posed were a little less cryptic. Rockpocket 21:43, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Brown US-route sign?
I was recently in Twin Falls, Idaho, and noticed that at one point along the road that was part of US-30, there was a sign pointing the way to what showed the US-30 sign, only written white on a brown background, instead of the usual black on white US-route signs (like Image:US 30.svg). I don't think I've ever seen a brown US-XX sign before, and was wondering what it meant. -Goldom‽‽‽⁂ 07:00, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I've seen them in national parks before. A quick google search turned up a couple promising results: [12] and [13] The second one says that brown is used for "scenic routes" in the state of Idaho. Dismas|(talk) 09:23, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
That would have been my guess (since brown road signs are used for parks, etc), but I couldn't find anything on it. Thanks for the links. -Goldom‽‽‽⁂ 17:35, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
You may wish to check out the Federal manual governing sign colors and specifications: MUTCD (Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices). Check out chapter 2H, Recreational and Cultural Interest signs. 192.168.1.1 20:08 4 September 2006 (UTC)
recipe for flavoured vodka
I have a glut of raspberries, & want to make raspberry vodka. Does anything else go in besides the berries/spirit?
Smootster 09:43, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Try this. Or drink the vodka and send me the raspberries. Tonywalton | Talk 10:43, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
This recipe is not a liqueur. Personally I'd leave out the vanilla bean and star anise pods. And this recipe is really simple. Something you can also do is leave the (whole) raspberries in, and eat them after you finish the drink. --LambiamTalk 11:15, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Chain
Is there a chain that exists that has gaps wide enough for an average sword to slip through?Cuban Cigar 11:17, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I assume you mean Chainmail, or Chainmail armor, in which case, certianly the answer would be yes. Though I'm not sure what an "average" sword would be considered these days--VectorPotential71.247.243.173 11:59, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
And if you're just talking chains, I think there are probably some for ships' anchors, and other similar uses, that would be big enough to allow a sword through. At least a fencing sword. Skittle 14:34, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
A dead baby? wouldn't a live un go through just easily if not more easily? please don't feel the need to experiment for my benefit, I am only mildly interested. MeltBanana 16:03, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I actually ment a chain, not a chain mail armour. So it would easily fit through an anchor chain? Hmm
Age of consent
Based on this someone odd post at ANi, I've been prompted to ask, what is the youngest age of consent you can think of? and in what country is it?--VectorPotential71.247.243.173 11:57, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I imagine there are several countries where it's not defined. For example, some probably say all sex outside of marriage is illegal, so there's no need to set an age limit. As for the age of consent for marriage, there are several countries where young children are allowed to marry. StuRat 12:08, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
After looking on the "Age of consent" article here on good old Wikipedia, I believe that Yemen is the country with the youngest age of consent at 9 years old! But the catch is you have to be married, so if not counting Yemen, Iran, Japan, Spain, South Korea, Nigeria and Burkina Faso also have a very low age of consent at just 13. Jozz
Well, the context of your question is with regard to a seven year old editor, and their potential contributions. In this case, the age of consent isn't really a factor. The age of consent would be the age were legally a person could have consentual sexual interaction with someone else, and it would not be treated as a violation of law in the jurisdiction in which that happened. This brings up several issues. First, there are some laws in the U.S. that limit that kind of interaction by U.S. citizens to (I think) age 16, when they are in other legal jurisdictions. (That is it might be legal, in say, Spain, by age, but an U.S. citizen would still be guilty of a crime (in the U.S.) even though under a different jurisdiction.) Secondly, though is that the legal age of consent (for sex) has nothing to do with other factors. The legal age to smoke, to drink, to leave school, to sign a binding legal contract, to marry, or to join the military may be different in different jurisdictions.
How is the participants age pertinent to Wikipedia? That's really the question. Of course this may differ depending on jurisdiction. The english lanuage wikipedia limits this some (U.S., Canada, U.K, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and a few other places). In the U.S. unless a teenager has been emancipated by a court action, they might not be legally responsible for their actions under the age of 18. (loosely called 'the age of majority'. And even so, that is age 21 in some places.) Below that age, there are a variety of potential theoretical situations, but all of them have to do with whether the person who contributes can be held responsible for their actions. Wikipedia could ignore all of this, and allow participation at any age, and apply the same rules for blocking and banning that apply to anyone else. Or, we would set an arbitrary age limit, such as the highest 'age of majority' represented by the representaive english speaking counties, etc.
What if a teenager, over the age of consent, and her boyfriend, also over the age of consent, take pictures of themselves in some erotic, or possibly pornographic photo, and upload it to Wikipedia Commons for inclusion in some sexuality article? In the U.S. their sexual interaction would be legal, but their photo would be legally considered to be "Child Pornography", and they, as well as Wikipedia could potentially be held liable. This might not be the case in the U.K.
A 7 or 8 year old participant might upload copyrighted images over and over. (but this could be handled using the standard process of an adult doing that, by warning, blocking and banning if necessary.)
For the game Civilization 3 for the PC do you need the first and second Civilization games to play it? Thanks Jozz
NO. It works all by itself, without the previous versions. Atom 12:38, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
No, it's stand-alone. Enjoy! –RHolton≡– 12:40, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Okey thanks alot guys.
Shop opening times in small French villages
My mother is about to travel to France. What are the opening times for the shops in the small village of Visan and the little larger Vaison-la-Romaine? - 87.209.70.231 14:30, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Rain Man 1988
hey if anyone cud help id be very greatfull i am wrighting a film review on the rain man for coll and have lost my notes =[ theres only one thing i want to know and thats what the name of charlie babbits company was. thanks
[http://www.script-o-rama.com/movie_scripts/r/rain-man-script-transcript-hoffman.html Babbitt Collectibles] dpotter 02:57, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I'm hoping you're writing a review rather than wrighting it... - 87.209.70.231 19:50, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
If a wheelwright makes wheels, and a cartwright makes carts, it only stands to reason that a reviewwright writes reviews, right ? (and perhaps a wrongwright rights wrongs ?) StuRat 21:56, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Guitar Scales
Can anybody here explain guitar scales to me? I have a book on them and all it does is explain the theory and everyhting(which I understand) and as for fingering and practice it gives me a fingering for C,G,D,A,F,Bflat,and Eflat saying that these are moveable(which they are cuz there arent any open strings)and says that these give you seven starting points for major scales and that a good practice pattern is to do each scale from each position. It calls these in-position major scales. I just don't understand it.
By your description above you do seem to understand it. What is the specific problem?--Light current 19:01, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
It sounds like it's saying that you can play any of the scales starting from any of the hand positions, as long as you're on the right fret. Possibly you might play G major starting from C major hand position, but starting on a G, not a C. Skittle 20:55, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Ive just been watching a re ren of this John le Carre story on TV. but missed the first episode,. Can anyone briefly out line what happened in it? Was is all to do with Ricky Tarr in Russia?--Light current 19:49, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Hmmmm this smells like homework to me, best not answer it. User:jozzismint
Ahh. I see. Thank you. I can now watch the remainder without wondering if I missed something important.BTW I see the page has got wrong capitalisation. This needs fixing. Yes?--Light current 20:35, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Also, I assume Ricky Tarr's character first appears in episode 2. Is that right?--Light current 20:40, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
According to my sources, he comes in at the very end of episode 1, but mostly features in episode 2. Skittle 17:34, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Scanning the synopsis given earlier, I see this is mentioned. Carry on... Skittle 17:38, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Ahh just watched episode 5 again. V. good. 8-)--Light current 22:21, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Theme music
Bloody announcer came on at the end and talked all over Nunc Dimittis. Rentwa 19:24, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yes I know terrible! Any way thanks for saying what its called. Who wrote it an where can I get hold of it please! Its got some gorgeous key changes it appears.--Light current 21:00, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
It's a modern tune I think. I think it sounds best with alto and organ, not you and electric bass (I'll have to say sorry again, he he!) Err, anyway, modern tune (although a lot of early music has similar 'other worldly' sound and mad key changes, so you can't be certain), this website says Geoffrey Burgon, and the bbc website slash radio has forums which are often good places to find out about theme tunes. I used to attend a Church service with psalms and King James Bible. Rentwa 21:23, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I agree it would be difficult to reproduce the feeling with any other instruments than boy soprano and organ. Maybe castrato and organ would be ok. (or is this a contradiction in terms?)--Light current 22:58, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Or possibly clarinet/sop sax and organ! Actually a cup muted trumpet with organ may be ok too.--Light current 00:35, 5 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
No, I don't think any Jazz playing of it would be ok (although you can't tell till you hear). I think it needs the precision and lack of ostentatious interpretation of a church type treatment. Or maybe piano variations, if played carefully and quietly.
Is it boy sorano btw? I thought it was 'alto'. Or is that the name for a baritone's falsetto voice? Rentwa 09:31, 5 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Hanging a gate.
How do we hang a gate who's height is shorter than the length? We built a gate that we are having trouble with dragging.152.163.100.199 20:57, 3 September 2006 (UTC)Reneemarie Preston[reply]
You need a diagonal piece going from the top hinge to the bottom part of the gates extremity in order to support the weight. Like a five bar gate. You dont say if your gate is wood or iron.--Light current 21:32, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Not true. Bottom hinge to top corner on the diagonal. You want compression not tension.
Wouldn't that make it sag more?Edison 05:29, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I'd say you need to put the gate on a low, flat cart (the type they have in gardening stores), or perhaps two, if the gate is quite long. Then you need to have some flat ground to roll the cart upon, you could lay down sheets of plywood for that. I suggest you pull the carts, instead of pushing them, for greater stability. StuRat 21:46, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
StuRat I fear you may be misunderstanding the question!. User:152.163.100.199 has hung the gate already, and its dragging on the floor at the end because its not benn designed/built quite right. 8-|
I think you got it wrong, as I take "How do we hang a gate" to mean "How do we hang a gate" and not "How do we properly construct a gate". I may be wrong, though. StuRat 06:48, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Well, maybe clarification from the questioner is needed!--Light current 21:05, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
A piece of steel cable and a turnbuckle to take up tension might correct the dragging, from the top hinge to the diametrically opposite corner. Make it strong enough it can support the tension. Edison 05:29, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
RESIDENT COUNSELLOR
1) COULD ANYBODY TELL ME WHO IS RESIDENT COUNSELLOR?
2) Also - he's in her pottery class at the Y. What does Y mean?
Founding editor - does it mean chief editor?
What do we mean, if we say romp about a novel?
I'll give this one a try. "Resident counsellor" could mean a lot of things depending on the context, but maybe it is some sort of psychiatrist {or maybe attorney) who works at the business or school in question and sees patients/clients exclusively from the institution. "The Y" is short for the YMCA, an organization that often hosts classes like how to make pottery. A founding editor was likely chief editor at some point, but they might not work for the publication anymore. Someone who calls a novel a "romp" is likely praising the novel as lighthearted and fun to read. Your questions aren't really related to another; is there some sort of context that these all came up in? --Maxamegalon2000 22:45, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yes, thank you. I think mostly I've got it. I have come across them in a book by Adrienne Brodeur that I happen to be translating at the moment )
Regarding the first item, yes, there was something like - he was her resident counsellor at college )
In that context, the counsellor could also be the person who advises the student on what classes to take, what to major in, and things like that. It could also be, I suppose, a resident assistant. --Maxamegalon2000 23:29, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
My university had two different types of counseling, both usually done by advanced students (third or fourth year undergraduates or graduate students). A residence counselor or residence advisor received free lodging in return for managing part of a dormitory. This included enforcing rules (yes, you have to get out of bed and leave the building when the fire alarm goes off at four in the morning) and dispensing general advice about life away from home (don't go overboard decorating your dorm room, you'll have to haul all that stuff away at the end of the spring term). An academic counselor had far less intensive duties that ranged from choosing a major to wisdom about specific professors (sure, contemporary literature has a great reading list, but Professor Killyourgpa gave out only three As last year to a class of over 100 students). Durova 00:32, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
American Colleges
I am an american high school student, and I was wondering about double-majoring in college. How common is it, and does it have to be two related fields, or can it be two completely different fields? Also, can you still have a "minor" if you double major? Finally, is it possible to triple-major, or is that just insane? Thanks guys! --Life 22:34, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yes you can add a minor. Yes, it's common. It can be in any two fields you want. Triple majoring is unusual, but no you won't be judged as insane. lots of issues | leave me a message 22:51, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Thank you very much! --Life 22:54, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I'm triple-majoring in Criminology & Law Studies, History, and Sociology, and quadruple-minoring in Philosophy, Theology, Ethics and Justice & Peace at Marquette University, and I'm probably rather insane. The year after I enrolled, the university changed its policies so that only two classes per degree could overlap, and there's no way I'd be able to do what I'm doing if I had to abide by that rule. If the universities you're looking at have a rule like that, it might not matter how closely related the majors are. Most of the people I know say that they are double-majoring, and most people who double-major don't seem to be worried about minors. It really depends what you want to do after college; different careers will look differently at different majors. If you're still in high school, it might be a bit too early to be looking at multiple majors; perhaps you should just focus on what colleges offer the major you're most interested. A lot of freshman start undecided; I did. --Maxamegalon2000 22:57, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
This is my opinion only. Most employers value depth over breadth, in general. So, if employment is your higher priority, showing strength and depth in your chosen field could be better. The exception is if you want to enter a field where there is a niche in two combined areas. In my case I tried for one foot in engineering, and one foot in business management, as companies are forever trying to find strong engineering people with good business sense and management skills. Another area might be medicine and engineering, or engineering and biology(genetics). Getting triple majors and miscellaneous minors just looks distracting to most employers. They think you may lack focus.
If you plan for research and teaching, rather than the work world, well, I think that other that certain niche areas, again depth is more important than breadth (especially since you will want a Ph.D to succeed in those areas, which requires depth.) Niche areas might be, for instance combining electrical engineering and computer science (which has become its own areas -- computer engineering). Or, again, getting an M.D, and supplementing it with a Ph.D in engineering or biology (bioengineering, genetic engineering).
At any rate, with your experience level (still in HS) focus on one thing first, master it, and then choose a secondary area to master. It will take you at least six years to master the first one. Atom 15:56, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The 2 Kidnapped Israeli Soldiers
Is it true THAT THE THE TWO ISRAELI SOLDIERS WERE CAPTURED IN LEBANON ???
Whatever you do, don't rely on sites like www.whatreallyhappened.com, but rather the sources it cites like Forbes and such. The website's name alone (okay, and it's subtitle) should be a hint they're trying to promote their opinion instead of the facts, althought facts may come out of it. Try sources that don't alledge government conspiracies. - Mgm|(talk) 22:58, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Read the article on What Really Happened creator Michael Rivero. He's a conspiracy freak who blames everything on "the Zionists." -- Mwalcoff 23:16, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I expect it is true they were captured. Kidnapping is for kids (or were they kids ?) and is used to convey a sympathetic POV. -- DLL .. T 20:25, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Pinch pot & twist
I would be very grateful if somebody could answer two more questions, although they are also not related to each other.
1) What is a pinch pot? Of course, I know what a usual pot it?
2) and about alcoholic drinks, what do we mean by saying with a twist?
We actually have an article on pinch pot. And the Wiktionary lists as one of the definitions of twist: "a sliver of lemon peel added to a cocktail, etc." I'm not particularly familiar with alcohol, though, so there might be more to it than that. --Maxamegalon2000 23:33, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I've always understood 'a twist' in the drinks sense to be a marketing way of saying 'a bit'. So a drink with a twist of lime might have a squeeze of lime added. However, there is also that usage of a sliver of peel. Hmmm, go by context I say. Skittle 20:51, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
No, a twist of lemon or lime is most definitely a sliver of peel. Usually, a squeeze of juice is added, but that's not the twist. User:Zoe|(talk) 22:51, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
A not so funny question: ha ha, he he
I noticed a lot of people tend to use the words he he in their posts. I assume this means they are chuckling. Is this any different from what is implied by 'ha ha'--Light current 23:25, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
hehe sounds more evilish. Jamesino 23:27, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
To me, hee hee sounds a little more restrained than ha ha, which in turn is less enthusiastic than haw haw. Then of course there's the ever-popular bwahahahaha, my personal favorite. Or were you asking about heh heh? Clarityfiend 05:20, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
For some reason, I find the above post very funny, but I dont know how to respond properly yet other than to say 'bbwahahahaha' (LOL)--Light current 23:05, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
It is also important to differentiate between "heh heh" and "Hee hee." Which sound is it that you are asking for? "Hee hee" is an innocent, high-pitched quick little laugh, "heh" is a deeper-pitched expression of enjoyment. If used twice, it means something devilish. From the culture that I live in. — [Mac Davis] (talk) (Desk|Help me improve)
To me, "heh" indicates disinterest, "heh heh" indicates a chuckle, "bwahahaha" sounds evil and "hee hee" sounds facetious.
Ho ho ho... is Santa the Pimp's groupies :) Lemon martini 08:15, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Always wondered what Santa did the rest of the year. No wonder he was so jolly. Bwahahahaha. Clarityfiend 19:59, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yeah but The Ha, ha could be interpreted as being said sarcastically. Ie I see the joke but its not funny.-(or would that be Har, har? 8-)--Light current 14:28, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Also is bwahahaha same as LOL?--Light current 14:30, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
No, bwahahaha is used to bring out the hearty evil person laugh, LOL could sound like anything, though most MSN conversations I've had lately have it substituted for something much closer to a "heh...". If people are really laughing they'll type something a little more emphatic, like "WTFOMG HAHAHAH!!!11". freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 15:19, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
When I do it, its because to me haha sounds more like your laughing at someone in a bit of a cynical manner, a bit mean really, whereas hehe, is more like a laugh/giggle sort of thing... a bit more freindly.. PhilcTECI 20:20, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Ah!... I mean Oh!
I find "Hehehe" somewhat lesser enthusiastic than "Hahaha". The latter comes from actual laughter, the other might as well just be a closed smile with "HmHmHm"-sounds. BWUAHAHAHA is of course as unrestrained as can be. Heehee is more high pitched. In Norwegian, "Hihihih" is a form of "Heeheehee", but whenever I say "Hihi" to anyone English, they just think I'm greeting them. It's also interesting to note those who write "Ha! Ha! Ha!" and "He he he", as opposed to "Hehehe". 81.93.102.39 21:43, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Do we need a WP guideline on this?--Light current 22:54, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
"Tee-hee" would seem sneaky and mischievious. Edison 05:33, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
G36 Vs. M4/M16
Which of the 2 guns is overall, generally better- the Heckler&Koch G36 or the M4/M16? Jamesino 23:26, 3 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Define better. There are lots of criteria on which you might evaluate a weapon. Important ones often ignored by armchair warriors are cost and availability. --Robert Merkel 04:06, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
That said, given that the G36 was designed more than 30 years after the M16, it would be disappointing if it did not exceed the performance of the M16 in at least some aspects. --Robert Merkel 04:08, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I've fired expert with both weapons. They both use the same ammo, have the same clip capacity, and firing rate (M16 might fire slightly more). I like the M16 better, especially the carbine version, as it is lighter weight. I don't know from personal experience, but the M16 has a reputation for jamming easily when it gets muddy. I don't know if the G36 is any better, but my guess is that it might be. Atom 15:47, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Better, as in like, relliability, accuracy, ease of use, comfort, recoil and other chracteristics pertaining to firearms. Jamesino 18:13, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
September 4
I Need Help Classifying My Political Views
I can't figure out what word (libertarian, right-wing, etc.) decribes my political views. Could you help me please? Also I don't know what political party (U.S.) I would most agree with. Here are some of my views:
-I believe in government-controlled industries and a government-controlled economy.
-I strongly oppose the hippie movement(except I agree with environmentalism)
-I am against freedom of religion
-I am generally in favor of freedom of speech, but compared to most americans I am "against" it
-I believe human rights in general should be "suggestions"
-I am against democracy, though I am not in favor of dictatorships nor totalitarian regimes
-I am against equality
I realize that the things I have listed may seem "harsh," but that is because I can't really think of many examples, so I thought of the ones I've argued recently(which are bound to be "harsher" than most). I think of my beliefs as what provides maximum benefit to the state, and I think of most Americans' beliefs as what provides maximum freedom for the individual. What word describes me, and what party is similar? Thank you! --Life 02:42, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Communist. Try Communist Party USA. You might have issues with the equality thing, but in all Communist states thus far, some people are more equal than others. --Mnemeson 02:50, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I don't see any significant differences from Nazism, though I don't know the Nazi position on the environment. --Maxamegalon2000 03:01, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Sounds a bit Nazi, but then again a bit socialist. So Communist with Nazi over/undertones?--Light current 03:18, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Reminds me a bit of what Margaret Thatcher said about society, only in reverse: "There is no such thing as society. There are individuals, and there are families, that is all". (or something like that). JackofOz 03:33, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Umm, Light Current, Nazi is short for National Socialists, so I wouldnt be surprised if they were a bit socialist. PhilcTECI 20:53, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I thought this might happen (suggestions of Nazism). Forget the list of stuff, those are just fun things to argue. My core belief is to provide the maximum benefit to the state as opposed to the maximum freedom for the individual. All of my political beliefs are derived from this. What would you suggest I am? --Life 03:29, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
If your core belief is the state over the individual, then you're a hard core Socialist. The core distinction between Socialism and Communism is the state - I have a friend who fled the USSR who informs me that the reason it was the USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) was that 'they were living in Socialism as they built Communism, at which point the state would wither and die'. Try Socialist Party USA, but I think they might be too liberal for you. --Mnemeson 03:34, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I'm quite sure the SPUSA is not waiting for members who are against democracy and equality. --LambiamTalk 03:44, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I wonder how User:Life defines "benefit to the state". In states that do not have a democratic political system, it tends to get redefined as "benefit to the ruling class". --LambiamTalk 03:44, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Thank you very much Mnemeson, you have helped me a great deal. I do think Socialist Party USA is too liberal(in the U.S. sense) for me, but I guess I am a socialist. Hurrah! --Life 03:43, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
In response to Lambiam's comment, I don't mean just the ruling class, I mean basically all citizens. However, the redefinition is something I have not considered. (And by the way, I am in favor of something similar to democracy, just not outright democracy(For example, I like the idea of a consensus; however I realize that it is not feasible. I think that "majority rules", however, is bad. Once, when looking through Wikipedia about forms of government, I became attracted to Technocracy (bureaucratic), and I think that's the best thing I've found. Sort of oligarchy, but sort of democracy.)). --Life 03:52, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Can you elaborate on these two points?
-I am against democracy, though I am not in favor of dictatorships nor totalitarian regimes
Who is entitled to citizenship?
-I am against equality
What divides?
I think User:Life is a bit confused ATM. Best not press him! 8-)--Light current 04:16, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
What hippies? Aren't they extinct, or at least on the endangered species list? Clarityfiend 05:27, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
May I suggest www.politicalcompass.org, which, through policy related questions, will plot your position on the 'political compass.' Autopilots 05:43, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
CHECK YOUR USERPAGE
In response to clarityfiend, forget the list. Those were just things that I find fun to argue because of their shock value, or things I've argued recently. Many of them people are viewing as incredibly exaggerated from what I intended.
Ok, I'll elaborate those two points(many of you seem to make bad assumptions about them anyway). First, equality. I am against dividing based on race(that's just a bad idea). However, I am against complete gender-equality(meaning that I acknowledge that women and men are in fact different). I am also against the notion that "all men are created equal", when, obviously, some people are born with defects. For example, I feel that mental retards should not receive education, and should instead do manual labor. I also feel that if someone is born completely incapable of work that they should not be a citizen. I feel that those people with ability should be valued more highly in the society than those without.
As to democracy, this was only there to say that I am against "western democracies" where people spend lots of money running propaganda through the populace and whoever spends the most wins. And, specifically in the U.S., that two parties with almost exactly the same ideals are the only parties with power. I made a comment above saying I liked the idea of Technocracy (bureaucratic).
By the way, whoever said check your userpage is insane. I said I am against dictatorship and totalitarian gov't, yet they accuse me of favoring that.
Actually forget everything I said, because now I am starting to view myself badly, because I went "on tilt". My belief is that the maximum benefit to the state should be the goal of everything. That is my core belief, from which all others are derived. I believe that the majority of you believe in the libertarian ideology, which I am against. There. --Life 16:38, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Why don't you try reading either of the books I suggested in answer to another question? They would help give some structure to your ideas which seem to be all over the place at the moment. What you're describing is most similar to Communism, classical Marxist-leninist views (I mean of course what the states actually strive for, rather than the things they say they want).
The main problem for you or anyone else trying to classify your views is that you say here that your fundamental ideal is the good of the state, but you don't seem to be clear what you mean by the state. If, as you seem to suggest, the state is identical to the people, then you're a Utilitarian (or maybe a Eudaemonist?), although that philosophy led to some rather odd policies and is too woolly to have much concrete meaning - it can be used a basis for diametrically opposite ideologies quite easily.
Btw, I'm opposed to democracy and in favour of some kind of elitist state (maybe morlocks and eloi? :) ), so please don't include me in your little tantrum! :) Rentwa 19:17, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I used to teach 'mental retards' btw. More worthwhile than 'normal' people I think. It's normal people who should be put to work. Exceptional people should be educated (they benefit most) and 'retards' as you call them deserve the best we can give them as their lives are hard enough to start with. I take back what I said about reading. You need to do a bit of feeling. Why don't you see if you can get a job working with 'retards'? After you get over your initial shock at they way they may look or act you might find it interesting to be with people who aren't clever enough to have suspicious, scheming, greedy, arrogant thoughts in their heads, people who just want to be your friend and tell you about stuff and ask you about stuff. It might even help you with your current difficulties :) . Rentwa 20:42, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
To be perfectly honest, you just sound like an ordinary Republican, with a slight personality disorder. Either that, or you're a test to see how partisan individuals respond to a person spouting nazi-like rhetoric. In which case it worked perfectly, with Republicans calling you a Communist, Democrats calling you a Nazi, and the British, comparing you to Margaret Thatcher. Always happy to play guinea pig for some random person on the internet--VectorPotential71.247.243.173 20:51, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Sounds like Kid Hitler to me. PhilcTECI 20:56, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
orthobionic body person
Please, do you now what is
He didn't pass his exams and will have to TA again.
"He" is apparently a student at a college or university. "He did not pass his exams" means: he failed for his tests. "To TA" means: to be a teaching assistant. The noun "TA" is used as a verb here.
Without context I can only guess at the meaning of "orthobionic body". It might refer to the presence of prosthetics. There is a German prosthetics company Otto Bock that has copyrighted the word "Orthobionic". --LambiamTalk 04:14, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Copyright is usually only given on creative works, and I can't see much creativity in a word. Are you sure it's not trademarked? = Mgm|(talk) 04:53, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I agree with going the extra mile in deciphering the indecipherable, but this one has gone beyond the limit. IMO, such "questions" should just be deleted outright. If they can't come to the party just one little bit, they have no right to expect any response at all. I appreciate this person has a limited command of English, but I would expect a better worded question from a visitor from outer space. JackofOz 05:20, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
This hapless user entered the questions three times. Perhaps this was the best they could do. --LambiamTalk 07:13, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Well its not as if were over busy right now!. In busier times, I would agree with Jack--Light current 20:54, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Budderghur
In the South Mahratta Campaign of 1844-45 a officer by the name of Percy Scudmore Cunningham was present at the taking of the heights in front of & occupation of Budderghur - I would like to know where Budderghur was and what it's new name is.
Judjing by the red links, so would we! Tried Googling?--Light current 03:25, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I got one Google hit for one "Percy Scudamore Cunningham" being listed in the East-India Register, May 1850, as an officer of the Palamcottah Light Infantry, commissioned to the rank of lieutenant on 3 June 1845. Palamcottah (Palayamkottai) is in Tamil Nadu. We have an article on the Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817-1818), which is said to be "a final and decisive conflict between the United Kingdom and the Maratha empire in India" – which leaves me guessing what the South Mahratta Campaign of 1844–1845 was about. Based on maps (India1760 1905.jpg, India map en.svg), there appears to be no overlap between Tamil Nadu and Mahratta. One would guess that Budderghur was in the south of Mahratta, which however had a very large extent, covering more than half of present India. --LambiamTalk 04:50, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
That seems a bit too far up north for a Southern Mahratta campaign. --LambiamTalk 09:30, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Aerial combat
What would be the likely result of a C-130 Hercules being attacked by an F/A-18 Hornet? It's for a story I'm writing. The Hercules has a valuable cargo, so the Hornet only wants to force it down to the ground, not completely destroy it. Battle Ape 05:17, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Not a military expert by any stretch of the imagination, but it seems to me the only way would be to v-e-r-y carefully disable a couple of the engines with the gatling gun. I haven't a clue as to how destructive a gatling is, but I'm guessing air-to-air missiles would probably cause too much damage. Either that or open the canopy, stick a revolving red light on the front and pull it over for speeding. Clarityfiend 05:37, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
"Aw, hell, there's a traffic cop behind us." "At 30,000 feet?!" "Must have a hell of a ticket quota." Tony Fox(arf!) 06:07, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
A missle will certainly destroy the Hercules; the 20mm gatling could be used to take out the engines, but it could just as well ignite a fuel line and blow up the aircraft, or it could hit the pilot. The safest way to force it to the ground would be to fly up from behind and ram the wing. Raul654 05:42, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
This is the "safest" way??? Could a Hornet fly slow enough to station itself just ahead of and above the Hercules, then gradually lose altitude? Clarityfiend 05:52, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Mabye they could just talk to them, and if they won't comply, start placing bullet where (I assume) they won't do much harm (such as wingtips and stabilizers) to prove you're serious. If the Hercules is armed, there might be more difficulties. I wouldn't recommend ramming or any other body contact. In my imagination, chances are that the Hercules might perform an unexpected manouver and actually crash the Hornet! —85.225.228.114 07:18, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yes, the Hornet could slow to the same speed as the Herc. As far as ramming it... The Hornet pilot would have to be insane, IMO. Hercs probably have thicker skin than Hornets since the Hercules has a greater probability of flying lower to the ground in hostile territory. Therefore it has to be able to withstand small arms fire as well as that from high powered rifles without breaking up from just a few rounds. For a Hornet to be safer from other gattling gun fire, it would have to be up-armored so much that it would start affecting its flight capabilities. So, in conclusion, my vote is for gattling fire to the engines. There's a chance of more destruction to the Herc than is desired but it seems the best way with the limits of the original question. Dismas|(talk) 07:44, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I think you are looking at it the wrong way. The C130 has a stall speed at like 100 knots, depending on the weight of the valuable cargo you talked about, maybe 120 knots. Its top speed is around 300 knots, and since it is a prop plane, any maneuvering to go from onew to the other is going to take time. The hornet is a fighter that could fly circles around the C130, and out maneuver it any way. But it couldn't fly slow (under 150 knots) to pace the C130 flying slowly.
I think any attempt to stop the C130 risks destroying it. So, the main battle is internal, between the people involved, and not between the two aircraft. The only hope the C130 would have is if it used side mounted guns, such as a 40mm, or 105mm howitzer. Which could theorectically blow away a hornet. But, the limited field of the side mounted guns (30 degrees or so, below and to one side would make it hard to catach a hornet, and the hornet pilot would surely see and know about side mounted guns. Another option that might surprise a hornet pilot flying above and slightly behind might be if the c130 opened the loading dock door and used a shoulder mounted RPG or something like that. Or maybe some attempt at a roll to one side to put the guns in range, certainly avoidable by the hornet pilot.
Otherwise, the motivation of the Hornet would be to get the C130 to land without destroying the cargo, and so if the cargo were really that valuable, it could not afford anything other than warning fire without risking the cargo. Any attempt at minor damage would jeopardize their mission. The C130 crew would have to value their lives more than the cargo before they would comply and land it rather than risk being shot down.
I think there are enough interesting variables there to make for a variety of plot lines, depending on who you want to win.
Atom 15:36, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
There used to be an RPG that simulated air combat. Rentwa 18:55, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yes, although there's probably and RPG that simulates RPGs. Rentwa 21:06, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
House names in the USA
I do several online gift exchanges where I'm the only Brit amongst lots of Americans.
Every time I get lots of emails telling me I haven't put my house number in-and I notice every American address I receive has one.
My house doesn't have a number,just a name-this always seems to come as rather a surprise to the Americans.So is it just a British thing or do you Yanks have house names too?
Lemon martini 08:50, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
No, except maybe some rich people's homes, like Monticello. An apartment complex or subdivision has a name, but that's for the entire complex, not an individual unit. So, what's your house's name, anyway ? StuRat 09:17, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Not all British houses have names. In the U.S., "The White House" is a house name. It nevertheless has a house number: 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW. Likewise, Monticello is 931 Thomas Jefferson Pkwy. So yes, they have some names, but still numbers as well. --LambiamTalk 09:25, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Houses have numbers for a couple reasons, A) so that we can find the house on a map and B) so that when you call the police/fire/ambulance/pizza place/etc. they can easily find your house. They simply go to the road that you live on then go to that number. Also, because of 9-1-1, the houses are supposed to be numbered according to where they are on the road. For instance, 1900 Green Mountain Rd. would be 1.9 miles from the "start" of that particular road, 1800 would be 1.8 miles and so on. So if the pizza guy knows you live at 1900, they can go to the beginning of the road and then look at their odometer to measure off 1.9 miles and even if your house doesn't have the number on it or your mailbox is unmarked as well, they still know where the hungry people are. Dismas|(talk) 09:52, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
In the UK the postcode alone will find your house to within several metres, the address is relatively redundant completely due to this, but makes it easier for the postman. PhilcTECI 21:18, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
In the US, the 9-digit Zip code serves the same purpose, although we tend to use only the 5-digit Zip code which corresponds to a particular post office. User:Zoe|(talk) 22:55, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
My house is Holly Cottage.The next one down is Woodlands,then it's Spindles and Monte Rosa.None of the houses anywhere on our road has numbers and that's not unusual,particularly in villages and rural areas.Often you have to drive along looking for the name.It can get very confusing-we have near us a Holly House and Holly Lodge too... Lemon martini 10:51, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I have found out that houses do indeed have names, not numbers, in the UK. But I've not heard of such a thing anywhere else. Maybe it really is just a British thing. JIP | Talk 11:20, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
By the way, who comes up with these names for the houses? The owners? If it's the owners, does the name change when new owners move in? Or are they like boats and it's considered unlucky to change the names? Dismas|(talk) 12:23, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Owners make up names, and can choose to change them. But if the house ever had a number, then the number never goes away; often it will have a name too. But my house has no number, and there is no mechanism by which we could get one. Indeed, the road it is on has no name either. (This is not a large community). In the UK, a post code identifies, on average, 14 properties so it isn't as big a deal for the postman as you might think. Notinasnaid
Trivia: Many houses in the north of Scotland have neither a name nor a number; letters are addressed simply to a named person in that locality. House numbers in the UK do occasionally change, for example if there is infill or if a street is extended at the lower end, although I know of one case in which a new house at the lower end was numbered zero.--Shantavira 14:59, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yeah I think that's cool. A lot of my relatives in Scotland live in places like that. I want to be known simply as "Gavin of Scots Peak" or something like that. In Tokyo, small residential streets aren't named and the houses aren't numbered. Most addresses consist of a three number sector code (kind of like the ones in Star Trek and a house name, but since it's often difficult even with that, maps are used a lot. freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 15:14, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
In some places in America, you can address letters simply to "Joe Schmo, Rural Route 2" and then the city and ZIP code. With the introduction of 911 emergency service, a lot of houses that didn't have official numbers now do, although the actual numbering system differs among communities (see house numbering). Some office buildings and institutions, like Rockefeller Center and the Pentagon, are addresses in themselves (although the Pentagon, according to our article, apparently does have a street number.) I have seen some wealthy people put "names" of their houses on their mailboxes, but to use it in one's address would seem quite pretentious. -- Mwalcoff 15:57, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Its worth remembering that many rural British houses will have existed long before the global postal service as we know it was functioning. Thus numbering would be somewhat redundant when you could just send your letter to John Smith at Hill House, Cobb-on-the-Wheyy and the the local postie would know exactly who it was for. Numbers are only essential when the population density of a deliversy area surpasses a certain level. Since the US is a much younger country, its not surprising they took advantage of a universal numbering system for houses. They also used a grid system when building their urban areas, often incorporating numbers and letters in a logical manner. Thus its often possible to pinpoint the geographic location of a house simply from an address. Try that in the UK!
The more recent tradition of naming newer houses is a somewhat middle class tradition in the UK. Consider the reputedly common name that many Scots give their retirement property: "Dun roamin". Hilarious. Rockpocket 18:09, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The use of house numbers has not always been universal in the U.S. In some areas, it was only introduced recently, after the introduction of 911 service. There's an old story: A post office got a letter addressed as follows:
Wood
John
Massachusetts
The letter was delivered. Extra-credit points for whoever can tell me where the letter was delivered to. -- Mwalcoff 22:35, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
John Underwood, Andover Massachusetts. But I cheated, I've seen it before. :) User:Zoe|(talk) 22:58, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
But you do need to distinguish the case where people name a house which has a number - and will not usually use it in the address - from the case where the house has no number and its name is the only way of designating it. ColinFine 21:15, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
There are also some houses which have numbers, but have also had names since they were built and are known to the post office by their names. This can happen to an extent that the name will get a letter to the door, but the number won't. It's all very confusing. Skittle 21:18, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Request for radio transscript
I enjoy Longwave 252 every Sunday from Ireland 9am to 10am can I have a transscript of the articles and music from Sunday 3 September 2006
Angus McAulay
(ssh... do you want to get spammed?)
Maybe Rte Radio 1's website can help you out here. (Apparently that's what you're listening to when tuning into 252 Longwave). ---Sluzzelin 12:07, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Who knows how to work a Canon XL2?
I have borrowed an XL2, but I have no idea how to use it.
I'm looking to get the Depth of Field effect...where a certain object is in focus, and everything inside or outside of that distance creeps towards a blur. How do I achieve this? Eg. I have a subject...say...10 metres in front of the camera....how do I get it so that the subject 10 metres away is in focus, but everything else is not?
The things that you have control over are: How fast the film is, how well lit the subject it, how close you are to the subject, what things are in the frame of the picture (the subject, and other things), what aperature you use, what the shutter speed is, the focus you give to the picture (what things are within focus, versus out of focus), and the focal length of the lens you are using.
Depth of field is created primarily by your choice of aperature, the length of the lens, and how far you are from the subject. Large lens openings (f/2) are more sensitive to the depth of field (narrower band), and smaller aperature (f/22) will give a long/broad/wide depth of field zone. The lens you use will limit which aperature options you have. Obviously if you use a small aperature, you have to make sure that your lighting and film will work with that. Aldo the farther away from the camera, the more depth of field you can get. If you want your subject up close and things in the distance blurred, then get up close to it, and use a larger aperature.
It's been a long time since I used an analog camera, so I hope this helps, and I haven't made it more confusing. I learned from experimenting. Atom 14:28, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
A small Depth of Field means that the effect you want to achieve is strong. So this means: the larger the aperture, the stronger the effect. Use a large aperture, but with a correspondingly fast shutter speed or not-so-sensitive film so that you don't get overexposure. See also Depth of field#Aperture effects. --LambiamTalk 15:57, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Downloading videos - is there a trick to do it on this site?
The Junior Eurovision Songcontest is starting again and the Belgians have a massive site this year with a lot of videos. I tried recording today's pre-selection episode, but thanks to the US Open it didn't start on time and my recorder didn't record the right bit. Now, I did see videos for those shows are up on the site and I want to download them for save keeping until I'm sure they bring them out on DVD or something, but Internet Explorer isn't cooperating and Firefox doesn't recognize the plugin (and all my downloader tools don't recognize it either). Is there a way to download these? It would save me a lot of homicidal feelings toward whoever finds it neccesary to not follow the tv schedule. Any help is appreciated. (I use a Windows 98 system, please only suggestions that work for that) - Mgm|(talk) 17:23, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
What's the link to their website? Bearing in mind that there's a good chance the videos are only meant to be streamed, and not downloaded. --Mnemeson 19:10, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Cartoon Geezer? (Looney Tunes?)
I could swear I remember there being a skinny, stooped, toothless old man (with a beard, maybe?) in some of the Looney Tunes cartoons, but after combing Wikipedia and performing a half-dozen Google searches, I can't seem to find a trace of him online. Am I hallucinating? Is he from some other cartoon world? -- Avocado 17:38, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
All I could think of was the 2000 Year Old Man TV cartoon series. (Check this picture for memory comparison). Unless you're thinking of clean-shaven Mr. Magoo... ---Sluzzelin 19:22, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Nope, not Mr. Magoo. And definitely not the 2000 year old man (gee, I'd forgotten about him!) --Avocado 23:57, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
No but I think Ive seen him in Mr Magoo. Did he have a walking stick and white beard?--Light current 20:56, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
um.... I don't remember. He might have. But if he had a beard, it was short. -- Avocado 23:58, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Could he have been Scottish? I have some vague recollection of an old grumpy Scottish-dressed male cartoon character. --21:50, 4 September 2006 (UTC)
Possibly... that sounds vaguely familiar, but I'm not certain.... -- Avocado 23:57, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I know exactly the character you're talking about, but I cannot remember any of the cartoons he was in. User:Zoe|(talk) 22:59, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
What is the name of this file cabinet part/accessory?
In many file cabinets each drawer has a repositionable steel wire piece for keeping the files in the drawer together and upright (when the drawer is not full). It is shaped like this
__
/ \
.------/ \------.
| |
Is there a name for this part? If so, what's it called?
I think it might be called file divider or more specifically wire file divider. ---Sluzzelin 18:43, 4 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
New Slogan
Instead Of Wikipedia the free encyclopedia. How bout Wikipedia ending Ignorance as we know it?
Email me at (email addr removed) if you like it.
If we knew it, we wouldnt be ignorant, would we?--Light current 00:42, 5 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Ignorance is bliss. Russian F 01:25, 5 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
September 5
ECP/Condoms
So Emergency Contraception is effective if you take it up to five days after you have unprotected sex; if you take it, and then four days later you fuck up again, is it still good, or do you need to take it again?
Also, can a guy not being circumcised have an effect on the likelihood of a condom to tear? It seems like this happens to us a disproportionate number of times, and we've checked and double checked that we're doing everything right.
Dear anonymous, see Wikipedia:Medical disclaimer. Basically, the advice you will get here is worth precisely what you paid for it. On a matter of this consequence, I'd speak to a professional.
That said, you can read the Plan B website. Note the following from the FAQ:
You should not have unprotected sex after taking Plan B®, because Plan B® will not protect you from getting pregnant.
Also, if you read the material on that website, the elimination half-life, you'll find that the drug would be mostly excreted out of the woman's system after 4 days.
So, a woman would almost certainly not be protected four days after taking Plan B.
As to your other problem, I do suppose you're using a water-based lubricant? If you're using something else, that may be causing the condom to break. Beyond that, consult your doctor; if you're continually having problems with condom breakage maybe it's time to consider some other method of contraception. --Robert Merkel 01:06, 5 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
stealing references
I'm doing a ton of research, writing one of those papers where each sentence has a unique footnote-reference. So, naturally, I'm reading other papers and books where each sentence has a footnote.
Is it standard procedure to just steal their references and use them as my own, even if I haven't actually looked them up ? Jasbutal 01:30, 5 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
You could probably just refer to that one book. Russian F 01:34, 5 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Generally, it's not good practice to cite sources you haven't read. Cite the book you have read. If there's some quotation in the book you've read, from a source you haven't, and you absolutely cannot get your hands on that original source, there are recommended ways to cite such things: see your style guide for recommendations. --Robert Merkel 01:40, 5 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
maths thicko needs help!!
Can anyone please tell me how to work out the number of combinations a set of figures have? For example, How many three letter combinations there are in the English Alphabet, or How many different 6 number lines there are for 49 lottery balls? Also, could I please be really cheeky and ask for the answer to be given in a simple to read way, I have real problems with 'jargonese@' !! Thank you so much for your time. Natalie
Please do your own homework.
