Wikipedia:Reference desk/Miscellaneous

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December 30

Southwest Airlines

Does anyone happen to know what amenities or extras are offered on the 737 flights. Website does not really elaborate.--Biggie 00:12, 30 December 2006 (UTC)

It likely depends on the length of the flight, with meals only on longer flights. I would call the airline and ask for details on your specific flight. StuRat 01:07, 30 December 2006 (UTC)

Southwest specializes in flights with many stopovers or plane changes, so you won't be getting any meals on board. The most you'll get is a drink and some peanuts. --Carnildo 01:50, 30 December 2006 (UTC)

I took a cross country flight with them this year and i tihnk all I got was a cup of tea and some salty peanuts. Night flights would get a pillow, there's some kinda radio if you want to buy their headphones... ST47Talk 02:15, 30 December 2006 (UTC)

With all due respect to ST47, must've been some other airline. Southwest doesn't have radios, earphones or any other entertainment (other than some lame (but I like them) jokes from the crew)).

Also, they don't have any 'red-eye' flights, if that's what you mean by night.

Until recently, flights over 2-1/2 hours got a snack pack, with some decidedly unhealthy snacks in them. They still might do that, but I didn't get any on one of my recent x/c flights. You can always ask for more peanuts or pretzels. They have never had anything that could be called a meal, but they allow (nay, encourage) you to bring some food along.

And just for the record, I love SWA. Bunthorne 05:47, 30 December 2006 (UTC)

Thanks for the info although im considering delta as well.--Biggie 07:29, 30 December 2006 (UTC)

A non-Spanish speaking American Indian from Mexico being Hispanic

Would an American Indian from Mexico who doesn't speak Spanish be considered a Hispanic? Heegoop, 29 December 2006 (UTC)

Strictly, no. As Hispanic actually refers to something that is "a derivation from Spain, its people and culture". However the term is used more loosely in the US to refer to anyone from Hispanic America (irrespective of their ethnic origin), so if you wish to use this definition of the word then, perhaps yes. However, if the individual him or herself is not a Hispanophone then it might be pushing it to include them, even in the most loose definition. Rockpocket 03:35, 30 December 2006 (UTC)

Not by Hispanic people. -THB 20:41, 30 December 2006 (UTC)

Even in US terms, I think that the more appropriate category would be Native American/American Indian. Marco polo 03:08, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

Music Conservatories in Europe

I'm looking for non-biased information and discussion about music conservatories. Particularly, I would like to enter into a conservatory that has many international students (and educates students in the country's language). I am looking at the Vienna University of Music and Performing Arts, the Preperatory course at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, the Conservatory Amsterdam, etc. but I can't find blogs or information on them in English outside of the schools' own websites. Any suggestions?

Cat Breeding 101

I would like to know at what age a kitten's sperm becomes viable? The reason I am asking is because I would like to breed my two kittens (not papered), but I don't want them to reproduce until they are at least one year old each.

The male is a Manx/tabby cross. The female is a Himalayan/??? cross. The male is about two to three weeks younger than the female, presently about 14 weeks and 16 weeks respectively. They are constantly together. I am hoping that when the female goes into her first heat the male will either not respond or if he does that his sperm will not yet be viable.

Male cats typically become fertile somewhere between 4 months-1 year old (and usually between 6-8 months [1]). If you keep them together, the chances of your female becoming pregnant before she is 1yr old is pretty high. Rockpocket 08:32, 30 December 2006 (UTC)

I'm wondering if the "incest taboo" will kick in, with them thinking of themselves as siblings, since they have been together since kittenhood. Do cats behave this way ? StuRat 15:35, 30 December 2006 (UTC)

I dont think the incest taboo kicks in unless they grow up with the same parents. Joneleth 16:27, 30 December 2006 (UTC)

Rhinoceros

I would like to know if Rhinoceroses have a herd mentality similar to those of sheeps. Please make it ASAP. Thank you Sam —The preceding [[Wikipedia:Sign your posts on talk pages comment was added by --59.180.95.2 10:07, 30 December 2006 (UTC)59.180.95.2 (talk) 10:01, 30 December 2006 (UTC).

Our article, rhinoceros, says "a group of rhinoceros is called a "crash"", which suggests they often move in groups. However, this page suggests "As solitary creatures, both male and female rhinos establish territories.". I do not know how reliable either of those sources are. The African Wildlife Foundation suggests it depends which species you pick, saying "The black rhino is usually solitary. The white rhino tends to be much more gregarious." where 'gregarious' means roughly 'friendly/outgoing'. So it generally looks like they don't have a herd mentality similar to sheep, but some species may spend more time with other rhinos than others. Skittle 14:31, 30 December 2006 (UTC)

I'd think the meaning of gregarious here is the original, literal one: "living in flocks or herds", from Latin grex, gregis, ""flock"" or "herd".  --Lambiam^Talk 14:41, 30 December 2006 (UTC)

No, Rhinoceroses do not have a herd mentality like sheep. The adult males are invariably single. The females are occasionally found in small groups (2-4), together with calves, but they wander off on their own (with the youngster) apparently as they feel like - no "follow the leader" phenomenon. One does not see large families, like elephants or hippopotami. But then, maybe we are looking at the result of decades of slaughter, maybe a hundred years ago they used to occur in large families or herds - I'll have to retract my initial response than, and say we do not find them like that "these days". Unfortunately I would not have access to older books before next year. --Seejyb 01:37, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

I attempted to edit a page, but after clicking on "save" I did not see my changes in the page.

I attempted to edit a page, but after clicking on "save" I did not see my changes in the page. I am registered, and I was logged in when I tried to save the page with my addition. What did I do wrong?

Thanks.

The911Show 12:59, 30 December 2006 (UTC)

Your history does not mention any changes made, I advice to try again. Alternatively it could be that you tried to edit a locked down article which only established users can edit. Joneleth 13:12, 30 December 2006 (UTC)

Also when you try to save while another edit has been made you will be redirected to the edit page again and have to merge your changes by hand. Aetherfukz 13:53, 30 December 2006 (UTC)

Sometimes you get a cached, earlier version. See Wikipedia:Bypass your cache for a way around. You can further click the tab [my contributions] at the top of each page to see whether you edit went through; this has always shown me the actual situation.  --Lambiam^Talk 15:31, 30 December 2006 (UTC)

Sometimes, even after the edit goes through and I clear my cache, I still get the older version of the page. I know this isn't just a problem with my cache because sometimes the following happens: I come upon vandalism on a page. I attempt to edit the page, but when I get to the edit menu, the vandalism is gone. You could argue that the vandalism was removed between when I loaded the page and when I pressed edit (and sometimes this is true), but the edit history shows that the last edit was actually a few hours before I loaded the page. --JianLi 20:30, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

Sometimes when I type something it appears, but is deleted again a little while later.172.189.77.244 20:54, 4 January 2006 (UTC)

My little puzzle

Tell me what this means and where it is inscribed:

"insensé que vous êtes pourquoi vous promettez vous de vivre longtemps, vous qui ne pouvez compter sur un seul jour."

V-Man737 13:22, 30 December 2006 (UTC)

Should be the Catacombs of Paris, but as I speak not a word french, I have to resort using babelfish: Foolish that you are why you promise to live yourselves a long time, you who cannot count over only one day. I'd say it would roughly mean something akin to Live every day as if it would be your last day. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Aetherfukz (talk • contribs) 14:05, 30 December 2006 (UTC).

It can be found inscribed somewhere in the Catacombs of Paris and translates roughly as "demented you are why do you promise you will live long, you who cannot count on one day." Keria 14:07, 30 December 2006 (UTC)

And it is a translation of the original Latin Ha stulte, quid cogitas te diu victurum, cum nullum diem habeas securum?, from The Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis.  --Lambiam^Talk 15:04, 30 December 2006 (UTC)

Here is a translation of the original, as literal as possible: "Hah fool, what do you think you shall live a long time, when you have no day for certain?" —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Lambiam (talk • contribs) 15:19, 30 December 2006 (UTC).

yellow 1st down stripe

I would like to know how the yellow stripe is done on tv broadcasts for football games. That stripe being the first down mark displayed on the screen for viewers.

    gary

—The preceding unsigned comment was added by Braggsaltydawg (talk • contribs) 15:01, 30 December 2006 (UTC).

( http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/first-down-line.htm) is probably what you want. ny156uk 15:08, 30 December 2006 (UTC)

• It's called "1st & Ten", and Wikipedia has an article about it at 1st & Ten (graphics system). Dave6 10:08, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

Columbia Ice Company, Pittsburgh, PA

Looking for information on the Columbia Ice Company, Pittsburgh, PA. Owned and operated by Jeremiah McKinley around 1920.

Siamese behavior, part deux

A while back, I asked about my sister's cat sleeping with his head up against the corner of something here, and I finially got a picture to clarify - here. So again I ask; is there any reason behind this, or is he just a strange cat? Thank you! 71.220.127.97 18:22, 30 December 2006 (UTC)

They probably find it more comforting to be close to something, eg as though they are back with their mum. However, all cats are inscrutable. I've seen them adopt some very strange sleeping positions.--Shantavira 18:32, 30 December 2006 (UTC)

Cats do that for the same reason you lean your head against the window when sleeping on a train or use a pillow in bed. -THB 20:47, 30 December 2006 (UTC)

pawn shops

Can I please get a list of pawn shops in Orlando, Fl?

Here you go. The Wikipedia Google Queen 18:27, 30 December 2006 (UTC)

Magnet

Hello, I'm looking for an aluminum magnet. Can anyone find one and tell me where to get them? Thanks. - Xoshe 22:00, 30 December 2006 (UTC)

Well you're going to have to start by finding some Unobtanium, 'cause that's what an aluminum magnet is made from. Good luck! 192.168.1.1 2:30pm, 30 December 2006 (PST)

Aluminium is not ferromagnetic, so it can't hold a magnetic field. See paramagnetism for further info. Still, alnico alloys make good magnets, and they contain the element. — Kieff 01:10, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

It does work nicely in electromagnets, though. And it's a component of alnico.

Atlant 14:49, 2 January 2006 (UTC)

HagermanBot (talk · contribs)

How exactly does HagermanBot tell the difference between an unsigned comment, and an alternative signature, such as when people just paste the time, date, and their name, as you frequently see here on the RD? Also, how long does it take HagermanBot to find an unsigned comment

Did you read User:HagermanBot#Conditions?

Odd that HagermanBot has yet to pick up on this conversation, and sign us

Hmm, maybe HagermanBot backs off if it realizes we're talking about it. Actually, I think it could be to do with the template in the heading. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Shantavira (talk • contribs) 10:52, 31 December 2006 (UTC).

OK. That seems to be because I left a blank line before my comment, unlike this test. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Shantavira (talk • contribs) 11:06, 31 December 2006 (UTC).

I give up.--Shantavira 11:15, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

I'll take a crack at one of the conditions... "The edit must either create a new heading or exist as an indent under an existing heading."

Hm. And this really belongs at WP:HD. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Froth (talk • contribs) 01:38, 4 January 2006 (UTC).

December 31

Making dates into links

On 31st December 2006 Mmoneypenny wondered why people keep making dates into links. Is this helpful to Wikipedia? The work of a malevolent bot? Perhaps I am missing some subtletly, some unwritten rule which says every date must be linked? I await gratification. With thanks Mmoneypenny 00:43, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

Okay, have found "build the web" and the other link to dates in the manual of style. But is this really a way of building the web?Mmoneypenny 00:57, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

Yes it is. It interconnects Wikipedia pages related to a certain date. Also, if we didn't link to date pages they would probably be close to orphans, given the fact very little articles would link to them otherwise. In turn, the date pages wouldn't have a whole lot of info. — Kieff 01:03, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

The purpose if linking dates is not to "build the web". Instead its to allow specialist formatting. WP:MOSDATE explains, "If a date includes both a month and a day, then the date should almost always be linked to allow readers' date preferences to work, displaying the reader's chosen format. The day and the month should be linked together, and the year should be linked separately if present." Rockpocket 01:58, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

big ben chimes

on mid night on new years eve does the first or last chime mark the 12 midnight

A Striking clock begins to chime on the hour, making the first one the hour's most accurate mark.Wolfgangus 01:26, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

First chime of the big bell, that is, not the preliminary ding-dong-ding-dongs. --Anonymous, December 31, still 2006, 02:27 (UTC).

If you want to be truly pedantic, the big bell is Big Ben (i.e., "Big Ben" is the name of the bell, not the clock or the tower). The tower it's in is actually St. Stephen's Tower (although everyone calls it Big Ben), and the clock itself, AFAIK, doesn't actually have an official name. Grutness...wha? 09:34, 1 January 2006 (UTC)

I always thought Big Ben lived in Pittsburgh... V-Man737 20:38, 2 January 2006 (UTC)

In films it is usually the last chime, but I expect this is just to add suspense, as they only have twelve chimes of the bell to do whatever it is.

Hot Dogs

Why are hot dogs (also called frankfurters) always curved?

Are they?  --Lambiam^Talk 06:22, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

Hebrew National hot dogs are more or less perfectly straight. I don't think that has anything to do with them being kosher, but you never know... —Keenan Pepper 06:34, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

From Hot Dog History:

In 1852, the butcher's guild in Frankfurt introduced a spiced and smoked sausage which was packed in a thin casing and they called it a "frankfurter" after their hometown. The sausage had a slightly curved shape supposedly due to the coaxing of a butcher who had a popular dachshund.

Does that help? — Kieff 09:01, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

If you mean "why do they curve when cooked", this happens because uneven heating causes uneven shrinkage. The side that gets the most heat will be the shortest. StuRat 15:39, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

Hot dogs are not always curved. If yours a so consistently, they are not being cooked properly. --Nelson Ricardo 18:26, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

I've never had a curved one - always straight - you didn't mean bratwurst perhaps?87.102.14.212 18:24, 1 January 2006 (UTC)

I'm not positive on this, but whether a sausage is curved or straight may have something to do with if it is made with natural casings (curvy) or artificial casing (more likely straight). -- 21:24, 1 January 2006 (UTC)

Premonitory dreams at a school

Does anyone know anything about a premonitory dream that saved the lives of hundreds of children in an, I believe, English school disaster in the sixties or seventies? Uh, sorry that sounds so crazy. I remember reading something about it. Thank you. 66.65.50.46 03:02, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

You may be referring to the death of 144 people at the Pantglas Junior School in Aberfan, Wales in 1966. There were reports of precognition, however they were not reported until after the event and thus, sadly, never saved the life of anyone. Here is an article about it with sources [2] Rockpocket 03:10, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

endless night

when was the novel endless night, by Agatha Christie, set(in what time period)? """"

According to Allreaders, the time period is somewhere in the 1930's to 1950's. SWAdair | Talk 03:50, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

On the other hand, The Agatha Christie Companion by Dennis Sanders and Len Lovallo (1984, ISBN 0-517-47925-7) says the book "deals with the swinging youth of London, as did Christie's two previous novels". In other words, they say it was set in the present day (which was the 1960s: the date of publication was 1967). I've read it myself, but didn't like it and hardly remember it, so I can't comment from my own knowledge. --Anonymous, December 31, still 2006, 05:45 (UTC).

Well, the book deals with swinging youth but has very little to do with London. I can't think of anything in the novel indicating the setting wasn't contemporary to the time of writing (1967) - the modernist architecture could place it any time from the 20s on but the ease/ frequency of international air travel tell me it was definitely later than the 40s. Natgoo 12:42, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

bankrupcy

My friends husband passed away not leaving a will. He owned a small newspaper that the attorney turned control over to my friend on a temporary basis until it is settled in surrogate court. In the meantime the business is going bankrupt, who is responsible for any of the debt for the business, my friend or his estate? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 67.142.130.31 (talk) 13:16, 31 December 2006 (UTC).

This is a legal question for an unknown state or country, so we really can't help you, other than to point to the article on probate. --Zeizmic 13:46, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

According to WHOIS, the above poster is from City: Germantown, MD, 20876, US. OF course this could just be where their ISP is based--71.247.246.54 21:42, 1 January 2006 (UTC)

It depends in part on how the business was incorporated, and in what way the business was 'turned over' to the friend. Anchoress 21:45, 1 January 2006 (UTC)

Clock face positions

I would like to know what it is called when people give positions of objects relative to something else, I don't know if it is themselves, using the numbers on a clockface. An example is in 24 day 2 when Nina spots for Jack and says things like, "Your eleven o'clock, 90 meters" etc. Also is there an article about it? Algebra man 15:52, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

This is an example of relative direction, but using clock face directions. I haven't found an article about it. I'd think it would be in Category:Orientation. -- Rick Block (talk) 18:00, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

Interestingly, the term "your six", as in, "I'm your six", has come to mean being somebody's backup, just like "I've got your back", from air battles when one plane flies directly behind another one to protect the one in front from attacks from behind. User:Zoe|(talk) 19:47, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

I don't think that it has a specific name, once somebody explains it to you its very hard to forget. If you wear a watch look at it, all will become clear; 9 o'clock is your exact left and 3 you exact right and so on, this creates very accurate directions for somebody when you are telling them the direction in which they should look, you say "[your] ten o'clock" so that they know what you mean and where to look as quickly as possible. Using your own ten o'clock when talking to somebody will only create confusion.AMX 18:09, 2 January 2006 (UTC)

It's called the "clock method" or "clock face method" and it is frequently used to tell blind people where their food is on a plate. -THB 23:24, 2 January 2006 (UTC)

Is it? how do you explain the concept of a clock and the location of the numbers to somebody who has never seen one before? Braile?AMX 17:54, 3 January 2006 (UTC)

What, no one answered this? You give them a clock where the hands and numbers are uncovered (and where the markings can be felt). --Anon, January 5, 18:38 (UTC).

note in colloquial usage 'on your six' simply means right behind you, it can also mean, in dogfighting an enemy plane directly behind you in optimal position to use its cannons. I'm not sure exactly what you're asking, but to give directions in clock-face, simple put 12:00 directly in front of the subject in question, 3:00 to their right, 6:00 to their rear and 9:00 to their left. Thus 11:00 would be left-foreward (a 30* angle left from center) and so on. Hope that helps Wintermut3 05:26, 6 January 2006 (UTC)

Old Family Videos to DVD

I was recently cleaning out the basement when I came along some old family videos. I'd really like to burn them onto a DVD, but I'm not sure how. I know there's probably a way to get the videos (on VHS) onto my computer, and from there I know I could burn them onto a DVD. But, I don't know what kind of equipment I would need to do that. Besides getting them on the computer, are there alternatives to getting them onto a DVD? If anyone could point me in the right direction or help me with what sort of equipment I would need I would appreciate it. Thanks for the help. --71.117.40.40 18:56, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

To do it on a computer, you would need a DVD Burner, and either a Capture Card (which pulls both audio and video at once) or a graphics card with a video-in port, and a sound card with a line-in port. You would plug your VCR in to the computer, and and use one of several programs that can then capture it, and convert it to MPEG-2 to burn to DVD, (The capture card may even come with bundled software to do so). Video Help is an excellent resource to help if you decide to go this route. If you would like an easier all-in-one solution, you could buy a set-top DVD recorder, you would just plug the output of a VCR (if possible, to improve video quality, try to use Composite(RCA) or even better, S-Video, instead of Coaxial) into the input of the recorder, and go to town, but the recorders can be expensive, to the point where it may be cheaper to just find a company in the area that offers the service. Cyraan 19:25, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

Some modern camcorders can turn external video signals into digital video. And I disagree that modern DVD burners are expensive, but the nuisance factor of getting it all done may still convince you to use a commercial service. On a Macintosh, iDVD makes it all pretty easy, though.

Atlant 14:55, 2 January 2006 (UTC)

Sorry, should have been more clear, I meant the set-top recorders can be expensive, DVD burners for PCs are indeed very cheap nowadays. Cyraan 17:39, 2 January 2006 (UTC)

Do Black US males actually talk like this?

I just saw Boyz n the Hood - I had never seen it before. Though I am British and found much of the spoken script difficult to follow, it was an easy enough storyline to follow, indeed very powerful. But my question is (and I know the film was made about 15 years or so ago), do Black males in LA or anywhere else in the States actually talk like the characters did in the film? Do they call each other, Bitch, Whore and Nigger - the last of these being actually used by a Black Patrolman more than once? Do they actually say, "What's up?" and "Who dis?" when answering the telephone. And as an aside, how can it be possible (as portrayed) for anyone to get hold of an AK47 and enough ammunition to make LA look like an everyday scene in Iraq? I have travelled reasonably frequently to the USA - East and West, as a tourist, but have never personally seen or heard anything like the behaviour or insulting, threatening and self-deprecating language used in the film. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 81.145.242.119 (talk) 19:23, 31 December 2006 (UTC).

Bitch, Nigger, and Nigga discuss those words usages (whore doesn't). Perhaps you have never seen this video of a bank robbery with automatic weapons. It is possible, does occur, but Hollywood is generally prone to "dramatic" exaggeration. Rmhermen 19:37, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

Some do, perhaps even the majority in the US. --Proficient 19:34, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

Indeed, there are people who talk like that all the time, though I wouldn't say its the majority, at least around here, though maybe in some other places. I actually have black friends who abhor what the BET age has done to their peers. As for getting an AK-47/lots of ammo, while its of course possible to obtain one illegally, its definitely not as easy as just stopping by the local Gun Shop, you may be able to get a semi-automatic replica there with the right permits (California has fairly strict controls though, so I cant say for sure). There have, however, been cases of resourceful criminals wreaking havoc with them. Cyraan 19:47, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

Swap out whore, insert Ho, and check out the recent Snoop Dogg single Vato, in which Nigger is repeated eight times in the chorus.Wolfgangus 19:50, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

Regarding the LA African-American's represented in the film, I would suggest it is pretty realistic. Sociolects can be remarkably complex (see here for an example) and that one draws from many sources, including African American Vernacular English. Its also presuasive, consider the ubiquity of the word nigga (as opposed to nigger) in US culture these days. (Incidently, an extremely middle class African American friend of mine from LA always greets me with a "Whats up!", actually its usually "What up!", and he will often add an ironic "nigga" for good measure) I don't know where you are from in the UK, but expect you have been exposed to Geordies or Glaswegians speaking in in equally complex liguistic dialects. It would be incorrect to assume that all black males from LA speak like that of course (just as all white male Glaswegians do not speak like Rab C. Nesbitt), but some certainly do. I couldn't comment on the source of weaponry, but news reports like this would seem to suggest there are AK47s in the less touristy parts of southern California. Rockpocket 19:56, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

Furthermore, the language isn't limited to African Americans or urbanites. The Wigger is one example.Wolfgangus 20:05, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

By the way, the story featured in Rmhermen's video reference is from the North Hollywood shootout. Frightening stuff, and hardly the norm.Wolfgangus 20:16, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

You can't generalize about all black males in the United States. However, I think that the speech style you describe is common in some urban areas. This speech style would occur mainly in the urban districts where African Americans are concentrated and are the dominant ethnic group. These are not usually the neighborhoods that foreign tourists frequent. Also, many individuals who use this speech style with peers probably shift to a different, more standard speech style when they are interacting with non-peers, such as white employers or foreign tourists. (See Code-switching.) Re the previous comment, there are young white men who use this speech style, but, except for the few who grew up in an African American environment, I think that it is usually an affected attempt to be "cool". As for AK-47s, there are no doubt individuals in the US who have them, but they are not widely distributed. I'm not sure that black males are any more likely to possess such weapons than white males. Marco polo 20:20, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

True AK-47 are somewhat rare in the U.S. (as ownership of fully automatic weapons is highly restricted) Civilian "cousins" of the AK-47 are more common and can function in an almost automatic fashion with simple modifications. Other automatic weapons like the Mac-10 are also somewhat common. Rmhermen 20:28, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

Bear in mind Boyz in the Hood is a 15-year-old movie. People don't fly Concordes anymore, but there's plenty of footage around suggesting they do. The World Trade Center doesn't exist any more, but there's plenty of footage suggesting it does. Vranak 23:31, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

Also bear in mind that this film portrays one of the most troubled areas of the nation's second largest city. Writer/director John Singleton grew up in South Los Angeles and wrote the script to this film as his thesis project for the film program at the University of Southern California (which is located at the edge of this district), so it's reasonable to conclude that the dialog is authentic regarding certain members of some very specific neighborhoods. It's no more representative of African-American speech in general than to suppose that everyone in the UK speaks the same English as the queen. When I've heard the cruder parts of that dialect it was mostly from children in late childhood/early adolescence - I was an outsider so adults may have cleaned up their speech in front of me. I wouldn't recommend that experiment to the unwary: to paraphrase Humphrey Bogart from Casablanca There are certain sections of Los Angeles, Major, that I wouldn't advise you to try to invade. Some of the organized criminals in this neighborhood do own illegal assault rifles and occasionally use them. Durova^Charge! 09:07, 1 January 2006 (UTC)

Some do. Probably not a majority. -THB 23:21, 2 January 2006 (UTC)

Half Life 2 Impulse 76

While playing through Half-Life 2, I tried to use hte impulse 76 command as I used it in the first one. This command should spawn an enemy soldier at the player's crosshairs. Indeed, when entered, the words "You must now restart to use Grunt-o-matic" appeared. However, when I reloaded the map and entered "impulse 76" again, the console told me that "Attempted to create unknown entity type NPC_human_grunt!" in red letters....and nothing happened. Has anyone managed to get it to work? 68.160.1.125 19:26, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

Make sure you have the right command, if I recall the 'spawn' command is now used in Half-Life 2, but Http://www.gamefaqs.com should have a list of console commands if you search for 'half-life 2' Wintermut3 05:27, 6 January 2006 (UTC)

What do OP and OG stand for?

See header, I've seen such terms used across Wikimedia project discussions, and don't know what they mean. For an example of usage, see the ref desk talk page. 86.135.55.231 21:28, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

OP is "original poster". I don't know what OG means, except "Original Gangster". I have also used OQ on the ref desk, for "Original Questioner". User:Zoe|(talk) 21:33, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

I understand your confusion. As Zoe said OP means Original Poster, which as far as I can see has been used more during the last two months than in the last two years. As for OG, I'm still with Zoe. Can you provide a link or two so that we could perhaps figure it out? If we can't then we could go back to the Original User to find out what OG means. --hydnjo talk 23:30, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

In England OG stands for Old Girl (of a school). OK this is no help, but it may be interestingpetitmichel86.216.251.99 15:10, 1 January 2006 (UTC)

Postage stamps

In 'The Office,' the UK version, Ricky Gervais says that postage stamps are legal tender - I don't know if he meant generally or just in England. Is this true? Algebra man 22:53, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

Look up Legal tender, and you'll see it isn't true. --Zeizmic 23:08, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

This is an old issue in the US also. In the 1950s and earlier, when amounts of money less than a dollar actually bought something, before checking accounts and metered postage were universal and long before credit cards and Fedex, advertisments in magazines, comics, and sometimes newspapers for small items would sometimes say something like, "Send 50 cents in coins or stamps". Everyone used stamps and so everyone needed them, and occasionally small mail order items could be paid for with stamps. Not in stores though, so not technically "legal tender". alteripse 23:25, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

I've seen shareware developers ask for "stamps" rather than cash payment. However, this was in the 90's, and I know not whether they were asking to build up their stamp collection or the reasons above. --Wooty Woot? contribs 23:54, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

Sounds like a form of bartering to me. V-Man737 20:52, 2 January 2006 (UTC)

January 1

mexican communitites

I am doing a cultural diversity project in class and I was just wondering if someone could help me. My part of the project is to state where Mexican Americans live in Columbus, Ohio. I guess that means if there is a large population on east, west, north, etc. Thanks for your time.

One quick way is to look in the phone book for Mexican restaurants. Chances are, where you find most of the restaurants you will also find a concentration of Mexicans. Please note: Taco Bell neither qualifies as Mexican nor as a restaurant. StuRat 02:17, 1 January 2007 (UTC)

Are you asking what would be meant by: "state where Mexican Americans live in Columbus, Ohio"? Indeed, one would expect them to live almost everywhere, but not everywhere in the same concentrations. If you knew the concentrations in various areas, you could make a color-coded map. Next to the culinary approach you can retrieve the data of the 2000 census from the U.S. Census Bureau's "American FactFinder". Unfortunately, it only has a category "Hispanic or Latino", which is not the same as "Mexican American".  --Lambiam^Talk 02:21, 1 January 2007 (UTC)

Wouldn't the simplest method be to ask a Mexican in Columbus, Ohio? -THB 23:18, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

Cost of 9/11 Attack

I would like to know the approximate monatary cost to the US caused by the attacks of 9/11. This should include the direct cost to NEW YORK CITY as well as the loss of thousands of jobs and their income, the loss to airlines, ports, added security measures and I could go on and on. Thanks.75.108.158.9 01:54, 1 January 2007 (UTC)Fred Adkins

Total cost is very complicated. For example, if fewer people took airline flights after 9-11 that probably also means more people took trains, buses, etc., so shouldn't the increased sales there be taken into account ? Also, do you include the cost of the Afghan War, which was a direct consequence of 9-11 ? StuRat 02:24, 1 January 2007 (UTC)

You often read in the newspapers that something cost so-and-so much to the economy, but if you think about it it does not mean much. In this case, even people who just staid home did not spend the money on transportation, so unless it is still in their pockets, they spent it on something else, like food or clothes. In all cases the US did not lose it. In the end it is really only the direct cost to the community that counts: time and money spent on (for example) rebuilding the WTC that could have been spent on other things.  --Lambiam^Talk 02:42, 1 January 2007 (UTC)

Yes - and it wasn't only the US economy that was affected. Speaking as a regular overseas traveller, I experience the consequential delays and increased security procedures in every worldwide airport I pass through, so the additional costs must have been, and continue to be, enormous. Though as Lambiam correctly points out, those costs have merely been diverted from other resources, always met in every case of course, by the end-users - you and I.

I think even indirect things can be considered costs — lost wages, for example, are not physically lost, but that does not mean that they have no meaning. --24.147.86.187 15:44, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

No-one claims they have no meaning, only that it is difficult or impossible to integrate them in a coherent and meaningful notion of total cost. Suppose Mr. Jones of Stillwater, Oklahoma, wanted the world-famous Quark quartet from Seattle to play at a function on September 2, 2001. Because no air traffic was possible, he had to hire the Quirk quintet from Tulsa instead. He paid them $1000 dollars. Can you say now that Mr. Jones had a cost of $1000 dollars, because he had to pay the Quirk quintet (which he would otherwise not have done), while the Quark quartet also had a cost of $1000 dollars because they lost the fee (which they would have received otherwise): a total cost of $2000? But Mr. Jones also saved $1000 dollars, because he did not have to pay the Quark quartet (which he would otherwise have done), while the Quirk quintet also had an extra income of $1000 dollars for performing (which they would not have got otherwise).  --Lambiam^Talk 18:14, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

nude vampire

Can you do a movie about a girl who becomes a vampire and she is naked with only cape?

Sure. Knock yourself out. Battle Ape 08:10, 1 January 2007 (UTC)

No, sorry. I don't do movies and neither does Wikipedia. --Nelson Ricardo 08:42, 1 January 2007 (UTC)

Try taking a filming class to make your own. --Proficient 18:06, 1 January 2007 (UTC)

But try not to plagiarise Lifeforce.

Atlant 14:59, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

Can Wikipedia sue me for copyright infringement

lets say i was to copy material on wikipedia word for word.Could wikipedia sue me for copyright infringement. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Clancy60 (talk • contribs) 04:05, 1 January 2007 (UTC).

All articles on wikipedia can be copied and reused under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. Cyraan 04:23, 1 January 2007 (UTC)

Also alluded to in your Wikipedia Bill of Rights:

1. you have the right to fork (plagiarise shamelessly)
2. you have the right to leave

Vranak 05:11, 1 January 2007 (UTC)

It's still possible to plagiarize GNU licensed material by failing to credit the original source. Durova^Charge! 08:29, 1 January 2007 (UTC)

Perhaps -- but what exactly are the consequences of being caught plagiarising? Being expelled from your college or university association, I suppose. Whoop de doo. Vranak 08:36, 1 January 2007 (UTC)

Well, there's always legal action by the Wikimedia Foundation, 'though I'm not suggesting it will, and to my knowledge never has, been taken. I guess if ethics don't get in your way there is nothing but the shame of being found out.—WAvegetarian•(talk) 10:05, 1 January 2007 (UTC)

As I understand it, neither Wikipedia nor the Wikimedia Foundation could sue you for copyright violation, because neither is the copyright holder. Copyright is still retained by the author(s) of the material, or to whomever the author(s) assigned copyright to. It is important to note that by contributing to Wikipedia you are not assigning copyright! By releasing your contribution under the GFDL (or any free license, I believe) you are not assigning or surrendering copyright. While Wikipedia/Wikimedia may not be able to sue you for copyright infringement, the original author(s) could, since they retain their copyrights. Of course, the Wikimedia Foundation could assist in pursuing a significant copyright violation, and would probably be highly motivated to do so.–RHolton≡– 14:06, 1 January 2007 (UTC)

RHolton's answer is the only one which is really on topic here. The issue is that the copyrights are still owned by the contributors, so any infringement suits would have to come from them. The WMF does not hold the copyrights. And yes you can easily infringe upon the copyrights of Wikipedia contributors — the GDFL is a copyright license, and if you don't follow the terms of the license you are liable to be infringing. --24.147.86.187 15:42, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

Magic and Supernatural

Sometimes, we hear, read, or talk about the term magic, usually in stories, novels, and films, to describe some kind of power and ability. But at other times, we hear, read, or talk about the term supernatural. For example, we hear and religious believers claim that the power and abilities of God (and/or the Gods, angels, demons, spirits, or ghosts, etc) are supernatural, but not magical.

I don't understand. What is the difference, I mean the real difference, between "magic" and "supernatural". Is there really any difference, at all, between the two things and terms? And does the claim by religious believers that the power and abilities of God (or those other things) are supernatural, but not magical, really make belief in God (or those other things) more scientific, more logical, more likely to be true, less superstitious, and more credible, etc?The Anonymous One 05:41, 1 January 2007 (UTC)

I think the only difference is that "magical" holds a more hokey, childish sound to it, where "supernatural" just seems more technical. I would argue that anything that is supposedly above the natural should be considered "magic", but that's just my opinion. Simple case of euphemism-overload. --Wooty Woot? contribs 06:59, 1 January 2007 (UTC)

Magic is generally associated with the occult, spells etc. Supernatural (beyond-the-natural) is a broader term. BenC7 11:44, 1 January 2007 (UTC)

I suppose that someone should say: "Hair-splitting semantics is best handled over at the Language reference desk" --Zeizmic 13:54, 1 January 2007 (UTC)

Since people don't agree about whether either of these exist, it is unlikely that there would be universal agreement about whether they were the same thing or not! For some people they are both contrafactual nonsense; for some 'magic' is real but natural, so not 'supernatural'; for some they are more or less synonymous; for some they are both real, but different; and so on. --ColinFine 18:40, 1 January 2007 (UTC)

"Magic" often refers to a trick, that is, nothing supernatural at all, it only appears to be so. The sawing a woman in half trick, for example, has the woman fold up into one half of the box with a pair of fake legs hanging out the other end. Once you know this, there is clearly nothing supernatural going on, but only the appearance of such. Religions may get quite upset if you call their "miracles" magic, as this implies that they are just tricks. One particularly amusing story in Judeo-Christian mythology is how Moses supposedly created a bigger snake by a "miracle" which ate the smaller snake produced by one of the Pharaoh’s priests, presumably by "magic". This pretty clearly shows how anything unexplained by other religions is called a magic trick, while the same thing produced by your own is called a supernatural miracle. StuRat 18:42, 1 January 2007 (UTC)

Supernatural means you are postulating that the phenomena cannot be explained within the natural world. Magic is not necessarily supernatural, even if we don't mean conjuring. Paracelsus, for example, believed in magic, but he thought it was a natural property of the world and could be studied as any natural phenomena. Similarly Newton's original postulation of an invisible force called "Gravity" was originally accused of being "occult", supernatural, though it was not "magical". The boundaries between the definitions have shifted considerably over time, is all I am saying. If it was thought that ghosts were actually part of the natural world, they would by definition not be supernatural, in the same sense that these mysterious entities called "quarks" that scientists now believe in are considered part of the natural world, despite the fact that you can't see or experience them directly. ;-) --24.147.86.187 02:55, 3 January 2007 (UTC)

Programming help request

I have recently obtained a TI 89 Titanium calculator and am wondering: is there is any logic to the numbering of the keys (for the getkey() command)? Please post your reply on my user page. Alphabetagamma 06:25, 1 January 2007 (UTC) By the way... In the 1985 Boise, Idaho, mayoral election, there were four write-in votes for Mr. Potato Head.

Nobody will want to post on your user page. We get wiki-points for witty answers! Once in a while I go over to the Computer ref. desk, and they deal with this sort of thing. --Zeizmic 13:56, 1 January 2007 (UTC)

Alright. Alphabetagamma 22:27, 1 January 2007 (UTC)

Odds are, the reslut of getkey() has something to do with the (electrical) geometry of the keyboard. The keys are arranged in a scan matrix of rows and columns (which may not follow the exact physical arrangement of rows and columns) and getkey-like functions typically return a value (a scancode) based on the row-and-column.

Atlant 15:03, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

Can you give me a good name for this?

Clucking when poured from

Image is of a bottle usually filled up with Aquavit or Danish Snaps. The Danish call it a Klukkeflaske, but haven`t got as far as to write about it yet. Article in Norw.Wiki is titled Klunkeflaske, both names referring to the sounds one gets out from pouring. But we are at a complete loss to what it may be named in English or other languages. I visit my homepage here at times, but prefer answers directly to my discussionpage in Norway. And all of you:Happy new Year!--Bjørn som tegner 11:40, 1 January 2007 (UTC)

The name I encounter most is cluck-cluck bottle (for example here), and most of the time Holmegaard is mentioned as the manufacturer.  --Lambiam^Talk 12:23, 1 January 2007 (UTC)

Thanks for prompt answer. I then take it that this is a Nordic invention - since all three of the old Norwegian Glass-producers have had them in their inventory. Wonder who made the first one?--Bjørn som tegner 21:47, 1 January 2007 (UTC)

According to a book on the History of Transylvania, "clucking bottles" were made in the 17th century in the most famous of Transylvania's glassworks, at Porumbák.[3] There is no hint of the origin, although there is a general mention of the influence on glassware of Italian, Czech, and Silesian models. The name in Hungarian is kotyogós üveg, and using that as a search term I found a picture on an auction site (look for item 164) that confirms this is the same type of bottle. So it is somewhat doubtful that this is a Nordic invention unless it can be established that they were produced earlier there than in Transylvania. But even then one might suspect a third, common origin.  --Lambiam^Talk 02:51, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

Surrogate Court

My husband passed away not leaving a will. I was appointed temporary control of his small business two years ago pending the surrogate court decision on the business. The company is an "S" type and on the verge of bankrupcy. Am I responsible for any of the debt incurred by the business including taxes owing? The business is located in New York State. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 67.142.130.18 (talk) 15:22, 1 January 2007 (UTC).

We can give no answer here, as mentioned the first time you wrote this. --Zeizmic 16:06, 1 January 2007 (UTC)

[The above reference is to an earlier posting bankrupcy].  --Lambiam^Talk 16:46, 1 January 2007 (UTC)

Why do the various Wikipedia Reference Desk Contents Lists (in Blue) have different date ranges?

As per the above question. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 81.145.241.161 (talk) 17:24, 1 January 2007 (UTC).

The more popular the desk, the faster it grows to an unmanagable size and so the faster it will be archived. Theresa Knott | Taste the Korn 18:13, 1 January 2007 (UTC)

Subatomic particles

What color are they? Яussiaп F 18:58, 1 January 2007 (UTC)

An object has colour if it reflects visible light with different intensities for different wavelengths. The range of "visible" wavelengths is about from 400 to 700 nm. An object only reflects waves if its size is much larger than the wavelength. Therefore, objects less than 1 µm in diameter have no colour; the concept does not apply. The diameter of the larger subatomic particles, protons and neutrons, is less than 2×10^–15 m. Therefore they fall short of the required size for having a colour by a factor of more than 500000000.  --Lambiam^Talk 19:52, 1 January 2007 (UTC)

To confuse matters though, some particles such as quarks are said to have a special type of charge known as color charge this has nothing whatsoever to do with real colour. It's just a word they came up with :-( Theresa Knott | Taste the Korn 19:59, 1 January 2007 (UTC)

Subatomic particles having no color is quite interesting indeed. --Proficient 20:35, 1 January 2007 (UTC)

I suspected as much. Thanks, Яussiaп F 20:38, 1 January 2007 (UTC).

Subsidiary question: This suggests to me that atomic particles and molecules have no inherent colour either. They would still be too small?--Shantavira 09:43, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

Indeed, except for macromolecules such as polystyrene. A red blood cell is just large enough to have a colour. Anything that can pass through a HEPA filter (including many bacteria) is not.  --Lambiam^Talk 14:43, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

I don't see why you couldn't shoot photons of a range of frequencies at a single atom (practical difficulties of holding the atom steady and aiming aside). Some of those photons will be absorbed by the atom. The human eye can't see it but with suitable detectors you can make a statistical plot of what frequencies are absorbed and deduce what color a visible pile of the atoms/molecules would be. Weregerbil 11:12, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

Would this predict the colour that a macroscopic ensemble of these atoms has? For example, the Na atom has absorption at the twin sodium D spectral lines in the yellow range. Are sodium atoms then blue? I think not; they emit "yellow" photons in the same amounts as they absorb. In metallic unoxidized form sodium has a colourless metallic appearance. While I'm unclear about the mechanisms behind surface colour, I think it is an emergent property of the ensemble, and not a property of the constituent atoms made intense by sheer number.  --Lambiam^Talk 15:00, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

The question verges on the metaphysical. If you'll consider gamma rays a colo[u]r of light, then you may well consider subatomic particles to be coloured as a gamma ray of sufficiently-short wavelength could interact with the particles. But if, by colour, you mean just the visible spectrum, then, no, sub-atomic particles have no colour.

Atlant 15:06, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

Returning back to Weregerbil's issue, an interesting case is offered by nitrosyl chloride: as a gas it is yellow; as a liquid (below −6.4 °C) it is red.  --Lambiam^Talk 15:26, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

The article on nanotechnology provides insights about how different materials have different properties at micro scales. V-Man737 21:06, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

Globsl Warming quote

Is there a quote by Al Gore (either in his movie 'An Inconvenient Truth' or during his speeches) concerning the rate of the shrinking landmass of Antarctica? for example something like: "...Antartctica is shrinking at the rate of 10m per year..." -Al Gore. Thanks. Jamesino 20:08, 1 January 2007 (UTC)

Just to make sure: you do understand that most of Antarctica has land under it, and that can't "shrink", right ? Only the ice shelves can be lost, like the Ross ice shelf. StuRat 20:20, 1 January 2007 (UTC)

Yeah, something about the loss of ice of Antarctica. Jamesino 20:21, 1 January 2007 (UTC)

Psionics

Can a normal person do psionic activities even though he has no psi backgrounds or any psuedo-psi backgrounds?Im trying to say if anyone can do it with practice.Thanks

No, and there isn't even any good evidence that somebody with a "psi background" can do anything special. StuRat 20:18, 1 January 2007 (UTC)

If by "psionic" you mean telekinesis and telepathy, actually nobody in the world can. On the other hand, if you think being a grandmaster of chess, being able to memorize huge lists without repetition or performing lightning-fast mental calculations fits your definition for "psionic", then practice and method definitely IS your friend. --Taraborn 21:25, 1 January 2007 (UTC)

Warrants and Court orders

What is the difference between a court order and a warrant? Bill Silver

Our articles on court order and warrant (law) seems to answer your question. Rockpocket 22:35, 1 January 2007 (UTC)

January 2

Deletion

I have moved this question to the Wikipedia Help Desk and responded there. Rockpocket 08:11, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

environmental studies

please help me by defining the topic cement jungle related to environmental studies. define cement jungle.

points related to the topic are given below.

cement jungle building up due urbanization industrialization deforestation.

This sounds suspiciously like homework, I mean: "points related to the topic..." ??!! 惑乱 分からん 11:30, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

Yes, sounds like homework, so here is a hint rather than a full answer. You could start your research by looking at our articles on concrete jungle, urbanization, industrialisation and deforestation. Gandalf61 11:35, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

Thanks, Gandalf, for providing the original poster with some concrete answers. Hopefully, he'll be able to cement them together into a report for school. StuRat 12:27, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

Sheppard Smith & The Fox Report Mugshots

I noticed at the end of each year on THE FOX REPORT, Sheppard Smith often presents mugshots of celebrities that circulated that internet, and he gives recaps on them. I know that a few years back, Sheppard Smith himself was arrested for battery and his mugshot circulated the internet. How did they deal with when they had the mugshots episode? Did they not mention his mugshot at all, or just quietly drop the mugshot feature for that year?

I can't confirm it because specific dates are not mentioned, but looking at Shepard Smith and Fox Report, it does not appear that Shep was the host of the program at the time of his arrest. It also appears that his arrest was incidental to covering the 2000 Florida vote recounts. --Measure 22:21, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

archived

Would some one please provide me with a link to the ref desk archived pages. thanks —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 81.144.161.223 (talk) 13:55, 2 January 2007 (UTC).

It's actually at the top of the page. Here it is anyways. | AndonicO ^{Talk | Sign Here} 13:58, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

From 2000 to 2010

We refer to the 1920s as the '20s. Is there an expression for the years from 2000-2010? The "Zeros"? Are the years 2010-2020 referred as the teens?— Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.194.22.39 (talk • contribs)

For the first part of your question, see 2000s.--Shantavira 15:15, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

For the second part, the article 2010s engages in some crystal-ball gazing.  --Lambiam^Talk 15:49, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

Tic Tac Toe

In Tic Tac Toe, why is a cats game called a cats game?

--24.39.182.101 15:36, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

Good question, which I couldn't find a definitive answer to. Here are some thoughts and suggestions on the matter, though. --Maelwys 16:01, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

Men/women telephone bills

What do men, compared to women, spend on average for their phone bills? 216.194.22.39 15:47, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

I don't think that anybody has ever done a study on that, sorry. The study would be fairly meaningless anyway, since that varies so much by provider and area. And many people now offer flat rate service now, so somebody that uses a phone for 5 minutes a day could be paying the same as somebody that uses it for 5 hours a day. So basically it would be a combined question of which sex is a smarter shopper and spends more time looking for deals, as well as (possibly) which sex spends more time on the phone, and which sex talks to more people that live far away (to incur possible long distance charges). And when you combine that many criteria, the relevance of 1 sex over the other becomes pretty unimportant. --Maelwys 15:53, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

I don't think that anybody has ever done a study on that, sorry.

I don't believe that for a minute! I'll bet any telephone service provider could tell you the exact answer, but probably won't. Atlant 16:01, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

That assumes they know the gender of the subscribers. And it ignores the fact that this may vary by provider.  --Lambiam^Talk 18:16, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

Let me be more blunt: I'm not assuming that they got the answer by casually data mining their billing records. I'm sure this exact question has been explicitly researched by many carriers and they have used this data to "fine tune" their marketing efforts. Atlant 18:27, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

The question is nevertheless ill-posed, taking no account of geography, for instance. Presumably the average expenditure by Indian females is not the same as of USian females. Even if there were easily available figures allowing such an average to be calculated, it would be somewhat meaningless. I suspect I hear an axe being ground somewhere in the background. --Tagishsimon (talk)

That point is well-taken. What is almost certainly known – for major carriers in developed nations – is the detailed breakdown of telephone users by age, sex, income, and geographic locale, along with their pattern of usage: time of day, total minutes, weekdays versus weekends versus holidays, etc. Presumably one could make a statement about usage by men versus women after you controlled for the other factors. As noted above, the telephone companies view these figures as competetive information that is very closely-held.

As to the amount spent, that's more difficult. You could take the usage figures and plug them into the known prices of various rate plans from different providers to get an estimate of what they might pay. Of course, if you're just arguing with your wife about who uses the phone more you're just going to have to put a stopwatch and a clipboard by the phone. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 20:25, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

Hmmm... I've read all the posts, and I'm still scratchin my noggin trying to figure out how (excluding cell phones) billing info could give telephone companies any reliable information about demographics. Most people do not live alone, and because home telephone service is billed to one individual householder, any data gleaned from the activity of the phone line in that person's name would be IMO hopelessly corrupted. Just a tiny for instance; for the first two years I lived with my ex BF, the phone was in my name, the last four in his. I've lived alone for two years, but my phone is still in his name. I wonder how useful our usage statistics are? It also discounts the demographic impact of the thousands of people (in North America at least) who run businesses out of their homes with residential phone lines. Surely a) business-related phone calls would factor differently in the original poster's question, because much business communication isn't voluntary, and b) employees and others using the residential line would, over time, skew the stats. Anchoress 21:25, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

OK, to simplify my question, any available studies on how much time each gender spends on average speaking on the phone in the US?216.194.22.39 21:12, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

Not the US but there's a lot of data on usage differences between men and women in the UK in 1998/99 here. This file claims that 89% of females and 83% of males have/had a mobile and that females use up all their minutes more often. Maybe you can combine all these with something like this and get some estimates of amount spent for whatever price structures the phone companies have where you live. JMiall 23:58, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

Thank you, JMiall. Very helpful.216.194.22.39 03:11, 3 January 2007 (UTC)

Wind in the Willows - not PC in 2007

As a child, many years ago, I played the judge at the trial of Toad after he had stolen a motor-car and driven dangerously and crashed it. I enjoyed my short acting career and the whole storyline immensely. And I have grown up to be a responsible, law-abiding citizen, notwithstanding the flagrant criminality portrayed by Toad, and others, in the book by Kenneth Grahame. But on reflection wasn't I the lucky one? My question? Having just watched a TV production of WitW with the animal and rodent roles played very well by humans; and having revisited the non-stop criminal actions therein, would WitW be considered today as suitable set-reading for young and impressionable children? I am thinking not only of Toad's car-thieving and dangerous and reckless driving, but also of his conspiracy with the gaoler's daughter and the bribery of the washerwoman to escape from Gaol. And also of his attempt to defraud the railway company by obtaining passage on a train (as a means of escape from lawful custody and arrest) minus a ticket. What about his attempt to fool the bargee into giving him a lift to Toad Hall by pretending to be a washerwoman; and his subsequent theft of her horse? And what of the housebreaking into Mole's burrow by the hedgehogs and the illegal occupation of Toad's Hall in his absence. The carrying of Guns and Clubs and their liberal use in expelling the squatters left me agape. And at the end, in the middle of a huge garden party, we see Toad lusting after his new ambition, an aeroplane. All this would seem to my 2007 senses to suggest to young innocents that they can do whatever they want, including breaking the law, escaping from gaol, and getting away with it. Should not such dangerous books be severely censured in future so that our civilisation is not imperilled by the criminal havoc that might otherwise result?

Translation for Americans: gaol = jail. StuRat 02:31, 3 January 2007 (UTC)

It's possible to frame the same sorts of reservations about the most (seemingly) innocuous books - see the ugly truth about Peter Rabbit ..., for instance, and the ripostes at Murder among the cucumber frames, from recent editions of the Grauniad. I'll not conjecture on The Wind in the Willows, but note that our article lacks a summary of the plot: you seem like an excellent candidate for adding such a thing, if you would. --Tagishsimon (talk)

Wind in the Willows, to me, seems to be a commentary on the silly nature of people (and anthropomorphic amphibians) in general. At the time, the lawlessness you described was unheard of and foolish. The events in the story go to develop Toad's character as a silly, fun-loving creature who gets into trouble for his exploits. As for censuring the book, good luck. ^_^ V-Man737 21:23, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

What about Little Black Sambo? -THB 23:11, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

Cute. Just, ...Cute. V-Man737 23:56, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

Wind in the Willows, in my estimation anyway, is the best children's book ever written. For true shock value you might try reading an unabridged version of Peter Pan. Clio the Muse 01:00, 3 January 2007 (UTC)

sandals in Christmas

During Christmas, I see ladies wear sandals to their friend's house in Canada when it is -18 degress Celsius. How come?

Some more information would be handy, such as the country in which this outrage took place. Why do you think it strange to see sandal wearing females? --Tagishsimon (talk)

Possibly for the same reason that well-off American teenagers would rather stand at the school bus stop freezing their anatomies off rather than wear a coat, especially if their parents suggested they wear said coat. Apparently, it's "un-cool" to wear seasonally-appropriate clothing. See The Fantasticks for more details of why the kids put beans in their ears.

Atlant 00:50, 3 January 2007 (UTC)

Partly that, but also, in my opinion, the eagerness of growing numbers of people to embrace the Los Angeles styles modeled by their favorite celebrities. If the latest pop idol wears it at 25C in Los Angeles, his or her slavish fans will wear it at -25C in Winnipeg, no matter how uncomfortable it may be. Marco polo 02:23, 3 January 2007 (UTC)

alien

ive honestly just been abducted by a alien 3 hours ago, not much happened but i have scars, what should i do, really beinfg serious here, help

saw t in my room (could have been a dream) but i was suurew i was awake, blaced out a few hours just remember a beeping noise and pulsing and seeing scissors that were blurry, have scars ion back of neck

Go to a hospital or your nearest doctor. Get it all checked out. Skittle 21:06, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

Are you sure it was an alien as opposed to a demon or ghost, or perhaps even malicious burglars? I wonder what must have happened for there to be scars on the back of your neck as opposed to new wounds? Do you think perhaps you've always had scars there and only recently noticed them? (I like Skittle's approach to the IANAD policy.) Also, when you get some time, I'd suggest you read our article on hypnagogia. V-Man737 22:20, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

Your experience may have been caused by sleep paralysis: "In a typical sleep-paralysis episode, a person wakes up paralyzed, senses a presence in the room, feels fear or even terror, and may hear buzzing and humming noises or see strange lights. A visible or invisible entity may even sit on their chest, shaking, strangling, or prodding them." [4] Skarioffszky 22:31, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

Watch some X-Files. The truth is out there. -THB 23:09, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

Sounds like a classic case of daemons. Vranak

If they stitched you back up and your cuts have healed to the point where they're scars, then it seems like they know more about human healthcare than we do and you shouldn't worry about it --froth^{T C} 03:49, 3 January 2007 (UTC)

There is a list of support groups at alien abduction.--Shantavira 09:44, 3 January 2007 (UTC)

Type of gun?

What's the gun shown in this [5] video around :58? 67.169.56.188 21:01, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

Looks like some kind of AA gun --froth^{T C} 21:31, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

The sound reminds me most of the MG3. The Germans may have made dual-gun versions of its predecessor, the MG34 (and other versions) and mounted them like this for infantry AA. 81.93.102.185 21:38, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

Edit: I am 78% sure that that is a dual MG3 mount. :) 81.93.102.185 21:40, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

Second edit: I am actually MORE sure that it's an MG81 Zwilling (twin, dual). The MG34 article mentions this in particular, so there's your answer. The third, but as accurate as any I could provide. 81.93.102.185 21:47, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

WP:RfA

Hi there,

Is it possible to delete my own Request for Adminship? I have someone that is willing to nominate me for the adminship, however, for some reason, I ended up nominating myself. Is there a way to revert this? --Smcafirst or Nick • Sign • Chit-Chat • I give at 23:37, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

This question should go on the RFA talkpage or the WP helpdesk page, but I believe you can remove your own nomination. Anchoress 23:06, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

Anyone with a sig like that does not deserve to be an admin. --Tagishsimon (talk)

I wouldn't go that far, but you really should tone it down. It's beyond distracting. -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 23:32, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

Anyone who thinks that a sig like that should keep someone from being an admin does not deserve to be an admin. :-P V-Man737 23:38, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

Try asking at the help desk. Also, just to point it out, you deleted Anchoress's comment when you changed your sig (I've put it back). –The Great Llama^{sign here} 23:41, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

Part of being an admin is about judgement. As I noted when opposing Smcafirst's nomination, the sig indicates to me that he/she shows more enthusiasm than sense. Your cues may vary. --Tagishsimon (talk)

LOL! I didn't know what you meant at first, then I realized that Smcafirst had changed his/her signature. I thought you were overreacting. ^_^ V-Man737 00:28, 3 January 2007 (UTC)

America vs China

I want a no bias answer here. Who would have a better chance if America and China were to start a war aginst each other? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 70.58.48.104 (talk) 07:31, 3 January 2007 (UTC).

I think in an all-out war both wouldn't stand a chance; this would be a total lose–lose situation.  --Lambiam^Talk 09:00, 3 January 2007 (UTC)