::Do you have any reason to believe that there is at least one state that '''does not''' utilize the NCIC? I can't think of any reason why a state wouldn't want to. <span style="font-family:monospace;">[[User:Dismas|Dismas]]</span>|[[User talk:Dismas|<sup>(talk)</sup>]] 01:44, 30 April 2010 (UTC)
::Do you have any reason to believe that there is at least one state that '''does not''' utilize the NCIC? I can't think of any reason why a state wouldn't want to. <span style="font-family:monospace;">[[User:Dismas|Dismas]]</span>|[[User talk:Dismas|<sup>(talk)</sup>]] 01:44, 30 April 2010 (UTC)
== IV ==
== IV = intravenous ==
Would it be possible for a healthy, young adult to live most of their entire life getting their water source from an IV? Like by not drinking out of a cup at all. And when you do have an IV what would happen if you put cold water in it? <small><span class="autosigned">—Preceding [[Wikipedia:Signatures|unsigned]] comment added by [[User:Hereforhomework2|Hereforhomework2]] ([[User talk:Hereforhomework2|talk]] • [[Special:Contributions/Hereforhomework2|contribs]]) 01:50, 30 April 2010 (UTC)</span></small><!-- Template:Unsigned -->
Would it be possible for a healthy, young adult to live most of their entire life getting their water source from an IV? Like by not drinking out of a cup at all. And when you do have an IV what would happen if you put cold water in it? <small><span class="autosigned">—Preceding [[Wikipedia:Signatures|unsigned]] comment added by [[User:Hereforhomework2|Hereforhomework2]] ([[User talk:Hereforhomework2|talk]] • [[Special:Contributions/Hereforhomework2|contribs]]) 01:50, 30 April 2010 (UTC)</span></small><!-- Template:Unsigned -->
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::Ok. Thanks. I was just wondering. [[User:Hereforhomework2|<font color="dodgerblue">Homework2</font>]] [[User talk:Hereforhomework2|<sup><font color="lime">pass a note</font></sup>]][[User:Hereforhomework2/Guestbook|<font color="firebrick"><small>sign!</small></font>]] 16:33, 30 April 2010 (UTC)
::Ok. Thanks. I was just wondering. [[User:Hereforhomework2|<font color="dodgerblue">Homework2</font>]] [[User talk:Hereforhomework2|<sup><font color="lime">pass a note</font></sup>]][[User:Hereforhomework2/Guestbook|<font color="firebrick"><small>sign!</small></font>]] 16:33, 30 April 2010 (UTC)
[I am revising the heading from "IV" to "IV = intravenous" to facilitate watchlist alerts and archive searches, and to apply [[search engine optimization]]. See [[WP:TPOC]], "Section headings". -- [[User:Wavelength|Wavelength]] ([[User talk:Wavelength|talk]]) 16:38, 30 April 2010 (UTC)]
== Snake/spider mix ==
== Snake/spider mix ==
Revision as of 16:38, 30 April 2010
Welcome to the miscellaneous section of the Wikipedia reference desk.
The best answers address the question directly, and back up facts with wikilinks and links to sources. Do not edit others' comments and do not give any medical or legal advice.
Modern US army, going home, then back to war again
Hey guys,
I'm currently planning out a short story that works under the premise that a U.S. soldier in the Iraq War is sent home to the United States for a while, but will be returning to the war at a later date: A "holiday" of sorts. Are there any real-life situations in which this type of arrangement can occur? What would such an arrangement be called? Ideally such a situation will be brought about so the soldier can recover from their injuries.
On a similar note, how is the Medal of Honor awarded to soldiers who are still in active service? Do they fly home, receive the award then fly back? Is it awarded on discharge?
Suggest the publicity value of the Medal of Honor would bring the soldier back for a prestige presentation. Unlikely thereafter that he would return to active front line service.Froggie34 (talk) 10:05, 25 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Yes. All soldiers get leave to return home at some point, and they have to come back when that's over.--92.251.245.188 (talk) 12:25, 25 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I think medals are usually awarded at the end of a tour of duty. The Medal of Honor is probably no different in that respect. Soldiers will almost always get some leave between tours of duty. They will also spend some time training before being sent on another tour. --Tango (talk) 13:41, 25 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Also note that a given military unit may have multiple deployments into the same theater of war. The 3rd Infantry Division (United States) has now been deployed 3 times to Iraq, with stints at home, in between. StuRat (talk) 17:45, 25 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I have not seen evidence that a medal is a ticket out of the war. In the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars, the National Guard and Reserves have been repeatedly deployed in the combat zone, along with the regular professional military. In the Vietnam War, I believe it was regular forces that were deployed, and the National Guard was left home. Of course they had draftees back then. In WW2, the US Army forces in Europe did not get any furlough back home. Edison (talk) 19:29, 25 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
The Medal of Honor is normally pinned on by the President personally. The recipient would almost certainly travel to Washington DC for the ceremony. Zoonoses (talk) 17:23, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
A few separate questions in one from 62.172.58.82
Split into separate questions, how's that? FiggyBee (talk) 03:30, 26 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Eurovision song
1, There is a song that won the eurovisions ong contest a few years ago, it was a youtube hit with some fat guy mimeing it, I heard this version in some eauropean language, the I heard it again but in polish in poland, I heard the same song a 3rd time in south africa, but in Afrikaans, what was this song, the afrikaans lyrics where, Jy's nie die een vir my is it common for songs to be reused like this in different languages? Please provide more info concerning how songs get sold, rewritten into different languages, and who gets the credit? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.172.58.82 (talk) 10:04, 25 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
You are probably thinking of "Dragostea din Tei" by O-Zone, originally in Romanian. I know there was a fat guy who mimed it (Numa Numa), and that an Afrikaans version exists. There might also be a Polish one. It never won the Eurovision song contest, though. Rimush (talk) 17:38, 25 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Non-mythical animals
2, Have there been any animals like the griffin for instance, where everyone knows it does not exist, but then a specimen was found, and the mythical animal was proved to be real. if so, can you please give me examples of these, thanks and... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.172.58.82 (talk) 10:04, 25 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I seriously doubt it. Some people do believe they exist but I don't think there's been any fossils or specimens found of them - they're just mythical creatures. Chevymontecarlo. 10:12, 25 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
there is the story of Black swans, or more specifically Black swan theory) - not sure how accurate the story is but the idea is basically people didn't think Black swans existed - they thought all swans were white, but then they discovered black-swans. ny156uk (talk) 11:16, 25 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Not exactly mythical, but the coelacanth was believed to be extinct for a long time, until one was caught in the waters off South Africa in 1938. That said, I also doubt it was ever known (extinct or otherwise) by "everyone". The story of Ebu Gogo and the speculated connection to Homo floresiensis is also interesting. See Cryptid for more info on mythical creatures. Astronaut (talk) 11:55, 25 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I thought that gorillas were fairly recently known as a myth, but the article gorilla doesn't mention this. I googled "mythical gorilla" and found a list of 10 such formerly mythical animals [1], although the facts stated in this list may themselves be myths. 213.122.43.218 (talk) 15:33, 25 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
The Okapi is often given as an example in this context. Prior to 1901 it was often considered to be either mytical or long-extinct. It was sometimes called "The African Unicorn". Nowadays they're in zoos. APL (talk) 04:04, 26 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
3, There are many articles on actors and actresses on wiki, but many of them are not very good, why do famous people not improve their own articles, for instance, Mel gibson corrects and improves his own article, he wioll be able to ensure that all the info is correct, and it will still be a notable article as he is famous, the only article that I can see where it would appear this has been done is crowbar, a very good band by the way. This will also be a service to their fans, so why do they not do this? It will also help to boost their fame. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.172.58.82 (talk) 10:04, 25 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
They do not have to do this, and many celebrities do not want to. In fact I think there are many good biographical articles of actors/actresses on Wikipedia, and there are whole WikiProjects (groups of Wikipedia editors) dedicated to actor/actress articles. Chevymontecarlo. 10:12, 25 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Wikipedia typically discourages people from editing articles about themselves, due to conflict of interest. It's not outright forbidden, but it's strongly discouraged. You can improve any of the articles you feel is wrong, as long as you have reliable sources to back up whatever you plan to add in the articles. 24.189.90.68 (talk) 10:15, 25 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Nataniel
4, There was a South African singer a few years ago called Nataniel, he was a bald, gay guy with a lovely voice, do we have an article on him or does anyone know where I can download his music. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.172.58.82 (talk) 10:04, 25 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
he has a website (http://www.nataniel.co.za/cd.htm) and it has some MP3 samples you can download. His music is available on the (Uk at least) iTunes Music Store. ny156uk (talk) 11:18, 25 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Type of knot
Resolved
My wife asked me to put a pendant on a chain to use as a necklace but the narrowness of the loop on the pendant would not allow me to slip the chain into the hole because the first link on the chain is large to accomodate the clasp. So I folded the chain in half and slipped the chain (doubled) through the narrow pendant loop and then put the other end thorugh this loop I created. In case there's difficulty in imagining what I'm saying, the pendant is now nearly fixed in the middle of the chain and won't slide because of the friction of the catch-type loop. Anyway, I was wondering if there was a name for this type of tying modality. DRosenbach(Talk | Contribs) 13:07, 25 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
If I followed what you said correctly, the knot that you tied is often called a cow hitch which I've just learned I've been incorrectly calling a cat's paw. Dismas|(talk) 13:31, 25 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Yes, it's a cow hitch, also called a lark's head. You'd use a cat's paw to attach a sling to a hook. DuncanHill (talk) 17:03, 25 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
There's a wordless jazz song -- I say that because the primary instrument is a saxophone -- that I find interesting, and I want to get the name of it. I heard it played while waiting on the phone for some corporate office, and I think it's a popular piece used in movies, but I can't read music and can't describe the song in any way other than humming it, and even that doesn't even properly produce the song enough for anyone to tell me what it is, because the notes are so complex that I end up not even making it sound close enough to the real song for even myself to identify it based on my humming. Anybody have any suggestions on how to find out the name of the piece so that I can YouTube it or something to listen to it at will? DRosenbach(Talk | Contribs) 13:12, 25 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
(ec)The song that comes to mind immediately is Take Five. Could that be it ? I suggest you use the names of the movies containing the music as a method for searching. That is, look through the list of tracks in each, until you find the common tune. StuRat (talk) 14:13, 25 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
BTW, this would have been an excellent Q for the Entertainment Desk. StuRat (talk) 14:13, 25 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
HA!...that's it!!! I was totally asking this question without any hopes of getting an answer -- how in the world did you know what I was talking about? DRosenbach(Talk | Contribs) 01:02, 26 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Even a blind hog finds an acorn now and then. :) Although this number goes back 50 years, I only really became aware of it when it was used in a series of TV ads for a luxury car called an "Infiniti" (probably referring to the payment schedule), with spokesman Jonathan Pryce. ←Baseball BugsWhat's up, Doc?carrots→ 01:09, 26 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Hey, we're good ! Two of us got it, independently, within 5 minutes of each other (ironically, based on the name), due to your description. We have JAZZ, COMMON, SAX, COMPLEX; which really narrowed it down. (The complex part probably relates to the unusual 5/4 time signature used in the piece.) StuRat (talk) 01:09, 26 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Design ideas for an 'alien queens' wardrobe?
I was wondering if anyone on the reference desk had some suggestions on what an 'alien' or 'robot' costume for
a 'female impersonator' should look like?
The 'act' involves a number of fairly energetic dance routines which rules out certain designs,
and a 'modest' design would be preferable because the performer concerned is also
going to be involved in doing external promotion events.
I thought I'd ask here, as Wikipedia has a number of experts on 'Future Fashion from Beyond the Stars!" XD
The classic look would be glam rock (think of Ming the Merciless: [3] or Ziggy Stardust: [4]). A conical metallic bra is also a must: [5], in the case of a (would-be) female. To emphasize the robotic nature, perhaps some metallic face and body paint would be in order. StuRat (talk) 15:05, 25 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I've also been considering reviewing specfic TV sci-fi... Any thoughts? Dr Who in the early 1980's made some intresting costume choices, as did Blakes 7 (Servelan in particular). There are also 'those' uniforms in U.F.O..
NB. I know it might be a cliche but there's Magenta's later costume in 'Rocky Horror' as well... —Preceding unsigned comment added by Sfan00 IMG (talk • contribs) 15:24, 25 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
(As the original poster, you don't need to indent). Assuming you want an "over the top" look, I'd go for Lost in Space, Flash Gordon and Arachnia, Queen of the Spider People: [6]. Also, the female Romulans in Star Trek: TNG and later had a certain "tranny" quality about them: [7], while the original series portrayed them as more feminine: [8]. Villains typically have the most outrageous costumes, but you should probably tell us whether this queen is good or evil, so we can tailor our suggestions accordingly (pun intended). StuRat (talk) 15:35, 25 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Going back to the glam rock suggestion, Patti LaBelle had some costumes you might like, in the 70's: [9], [10]. StuRat (talk) 15:58, 25 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I'm not as familiar with 'drag' tropes as I'd like to be in respect of this, but 'she' is out to spread "universal cosmic harmony, amongst compatible inteligences" ;), Not an evil character, but still one that will go OTT if needed.
Someone else off wiki had suggested some kind of prop whose function was nominally like a wii-mote, so that when certain dance
moves were made, 'sonic transductions' were generated :)
You mention spiders, I'd considered the idea of an 'alien' dragonfly for subsidiary performers, but not the main 'queen'.
This page has some interesting styles from Lady Gaga and others: [11]. StuRat (talk) 16:08, 25 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
If she is to be good, I'd go with white and pastels, mainly. Glowing and/or flashing lights on the costume might be nice, too, say LEDs or chemical lights, but are only effective in the dark. StuRat (talk) 16:08, 25 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
A wand or scepter is a nice touch, too, and you could hide the remote WII device in that. StuRat (talk) 01:17, 26 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Scythe
Which side of a scythe blade is used for cutting, the outside (facing away from the wielder), or the inside (facing towards the wielder)? --71.144.122.18 (talk) 16:18, 25 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
The inside. The scythe is swung from right to left in front of the mower. The blade is tilted so that it can run parallel to the ground. Therefore the <handle> has to be specially shaped to facilitate use.Froggie34 (talk) 16:26, 25 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
And as always, Wikpedia has an article on them. Scythe--Aspro (talk) 16:58, 25 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Can you grow a food forest in a place that gets snow in winter (eg. Germany)? Do you know of any "instructions" to set one up? Aaadddaaammm (talk) 17:01, 25 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I would have thought these could be grown as far north as Deciduous trees can grow. Some, allowance may needed for the 'continental effect' but a few foot of snow is not going going to bring everything to a grinding halt. The Forest_gardening article could do with a bit of expanding. There are some videos on you tube about it. What you read is going to depend a bit on local climate and exactly what your aiming for, as no one book can cover it all. Personal, if I was doing it, I would arrange things so that it would support a few livestock. Look on amazon for a proper book --Aspro (talk) 17:15, 25 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Aren't there some foods you can get out of evergreens, such as pine nuts ? Sticking with the deciduous trees idea, a sugar maple can be tapped to produce maple syrup, during the winter. I do agree with the idea of herding, though, as reindeer and other animals can turn the sparse food produced in such regions into meat for us (sorry Santa :-) ). StuRat (talk) 17:49, 25 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Bullrushes growing round the margins of a deep carp ponds can be harvested for food in the winter too.--Aspro (talk) 18:48, 25 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Yes, and I imagine the Russian Nenets and Sami people find lots to eat in the forests but they also have to eat a great deal of animal protein and fats too. I am presuming that the OP is interested in doing this to reduce the size of his/her foot print on the planet, and I do not think therefore, that this excise would be worth doing north or south of the deciduous tree line (for want of a better term), ( I think northern larch is deciduous and its sap can be fermented into a potent brew but I'm just talking in lose general terms). But I'm sure I will be corrected if I'm wrong on any of these things.--Aspro (talk) 18:08, 25 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
BTW, I assumed you are asking about what food can be produced in winter in climates like that of Germany and farther north. If you meant to ask what foods can be produced in summer, then the answer is "just about anything", as only tropical plants are likely to be killed by frost. StuRat (talk) 17:56, 25 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
In Germany or farther north in Denmark you could develop a landscape like that of Normandy in France, with apple orchards and cattle grazing beneath the apple trees. This is sustainable and productive. Camembert, cider and calvados, mmmm! Further north/up mountains than apple trees like, the maple tree suggestion looks interesting. I think the kinds of pine trees that come pine nuts from only grow in southern Europe. There's always beech mast. Itsmejudith (talk) 21:16, 25 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
“There's always beech mast.” that sounds like nuts to me! Aspro (talk) 22:11, 25 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
You might find helpful information in the article "Orchard". -- Wavelength (talk) 15:22, 26 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
There are people developing forest gardens (edible forests) in Massachusetts, which typically has colder winters than most of Germany. You can certainly grow fruit- and nut-bearing trees in these climates. I'm not sure what the northern limit would be to this kind of permaculture, but I am fairly certain that it would be a bit north of Stockholm or Helsinki. Walnut and apple trees, for example, can grow as far north as central Sweden and southern Finland. Marco polo (talk) 20:18, 26 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
As Rasputin would not tire to mention, pine nuts from the Siberian pine (commonly known to Russians as the "Siberian cedar") used to be a major forest product in southwestern Siberia. Russian wikipedia even has an article about the kolot - a traditional tool used by Siberian villagers for pine nut harvesting. (It says it was sort of like a huge wooden mallet, with a 2-meter-long handle made out the trunk of a young tree; one would raise it and knock on the tree forcefully, to make the cones come down!). A lot of cedars have been cut since, but forest berries, such as blueberries and lingonberries, as well as cloudberries and cranberries in swampy areas, are still picked by locals in large amounts throughout the boreal forest belt and way into the tundra, both in Siberia and in Lapland, although the season is necessarily short (August-September) - so people would make a lot of fruit jams. Wild mushrooms are a popular food ("taiga tucker"? :-) throughout the taiga belt and even in some tundra areas (where dwarf trees still can be found), although of course you need to know your mushrooms, and you need to cook or pickle them properly. I understand that Ramsons, a sort of wild chives plant (known in Russian as cheremsha) are also a popular forest food, commonly used in a pickled/marinated form. Birch trees can also be tapped for sap in the spring (rather like maples), but instead of evaporating the sao to make syrup, the Soviets used to sell the "birch juice" as a soft drink. -- Vmenkov (talk) 12:00, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Taking Surveys for Income
Hello all, I am from the U.S. and I was wondering if taking surveys over the internet is a good idea to make money. Is it safe and secure, or does it vary by survey? I don't know who else to ask, and I thought it might be an easy way to make money. Too easy, actually. Thank you for your help as always, The Reader who Writes (talk) 18:22, 25 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I think it's safe and secure (just don't give out account numbers, have them send you a check). However, you won't make much of an income this way. Perhaps, if you're a kid, the money might seem good, though. StuRat (talk) 18:26, 25 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I am a member of a panel for a large reputable polling company in Canada that pays between 1-4 dollars a survey. They send me maybe 2 surveys a month. Unless you do hundreds of surveys, it's unlikely you'd ever make enough to live off. Also, they surely have mechanisms in place to make sure you don't just churn out random responses for cash. As for safe and secure, they generally don't ask for too much personal identifying info (if they do, skip it; they're out to scam you), but they will likely bombard you with targeted advertising. Aaronite (talk) 19:22, 25 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I've gotten some spam emails lately that promise that you can make some large amount of money (Tens of thousands) by filling out surveys at home. If those are what you're thinking of, I am 100% sure that they are scams. APL (talk) 03:35, 26 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
No, APL, not naive enough for that. Just a small stream of income over the summer. I'm an undergrad. Just found out a friend of a friend does them for cash. She said she uses two reputable websites, one that pays through paypal and the other through giftcards.
I actually tried out Amazon Mechanical Turk for a few weeks (its basically a clearinghouse for this sort of stuff) Its got more stuff than surveys, but its on the same idea; do some tiny bit of work, get a tiny bit of cash. And a lot of it was basically surveys (there was some data entry work as well, but it was mostly "take this survey" type stuff). After doing it for a few weeks, I realized I was basically earning about 2 dollars per hour, and decided it wasn't worth my time. And that was organized. Roaming the internet looking for surveys to take for cash seems like an even less efficient way to do it. As always, "if it looks to good to be true, it probably is". --Jayron32 04:42, 26 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Arbitrary keychain
I have a remote keyless system for my car that has buttons on it to lock and unlock my car doors. It's an oblong, about 1 inch by 1.5 inches by 0.5 inches. The oblong used to feature a plastic loop, to which one attaches a keychain; the loop has broken off. Any suggestions on how I could reattach it to a keychain? I am sure that supergluing a loop to it would fail within a day or two. Comet Tuttle (talk) 23:12, 25 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Maybe you could get another keychain with a big flat part (like these) and glue the remote onto it with all of its bottom? Might look kind of crappy... And eventually also fall off... Maybe you could attach it onto such a flap with zip ties, or maybe use zip ties and glue. I suppose that wouldn't make it look less crappy... TastyCakes (talk) 23:47, 25 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Superglue is pretty strong; why are you so sure? Alternatively, if there's a spot in the case with no electronics behind it, you could drill a hole and put a wire through. Or you could modify some kind of soft plastic mobile phone case so it's about the right size and put the controller in that. FiggyBee (talk) 23:52, 25 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Put the device in a Ziploc bag, just the right size, then pierce the corner of the bag and put the key chain loop through that. You don't need to take it out of the bag to use it, just hit the buttons right thru it. You may need to occasionally change the bag. StuRat (talk) 23:56, 25 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I wouldn't glue the metal key-ring to a plastic device. But you might find another plastic eyelet you could glue to the device, then reattach the key-ring to that. (You could even use a tightened-all-the-way zip-tie.)
Alternatively, you could open the thing up and see if there's any place you could drill through without damaging any of the componants. Probably not, but maybe worth a shot. APL (talk) 03:38, 26 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
You could order a new key. A dealership should be able to get hold of a replacement within a few days. It won't be cheap mind you - the dealership charged a little over €100 for a replacement key for a Renault Safrane. Astronaut (talk) 10:44, 26 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
There's the option of just leaving them separate. When you put your keys in your pocket, hit the button to lock the car. When reaching in to get your keys, to eventually start the car, hit the button to unlock. Although, if yours is like mine, you'd be locking and unlocking the car while simply adjusting your position in the seat. (This happens to me all the time while I'm working in the yard with my keys in my pocket) Dismas|(talk) 11:00, 26 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
You're lucky — in my case, I'm usually setting off the car alarm with the stupid "I want to set off the car alarm" button. Actually your note has made me reconsider whether I want the damned thing in my pocket anymore, for just that reason. Comet Tuttle (talk) 17:07, 26 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I purchased one on eBay for $20 and it came with programming instructions. ---— Gadget850 (Ed)talk 11:50, 26 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
What was required to program it ? The code ? Another working keyfob ? StuRat (talk) 16:54, 26 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
It involves removing and inserting the ignition key, opening and closing the doors, etc.[13]—Preceding unsigned comment added by Gadget850 (talk • contribs) 17:53, 26 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I like the drilling idea and will try to pry this thing open and see if there's a good drilling spot. Thanks for the ideas. Comet Tuttle (talk) 17:07, 26 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
How do you change the battery ?
Resolved
I have a 7-year-old one with a fading battery, yet there's no apparent screw holding it all together. Should I just jam a knife between the two sides and twist to get at the battery ? StuRat (talk) 23:56, 25 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Examine the edges carefully, along the join between the two halves. There may well be a little slot, just big enough for the tip of a small screwdriver. If so, insert small screwdriver in the slot, and twist. DuncanHill (talk) 00:02, 26 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Don't forget to check under any stickers. Usually they hide the screws under those. APL (talk) 03:33, 26 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
You could visit the dealership. They should be able to tell you how to open the keyfob and which battery to get. Astronaut (talk) 10:44, 26 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Usually you remove the ring and there is a slot to pry the case open. The ring locks the case to keep it from opening by accident. ---— Gadget850 (Ed)talk 11:49, 26 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Expanding on Astronaut's point, often watch batteries are used... Chevymontecarlo. 16:34, 26 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks all. Yes, there was an indentation along the seam where I was able to insert a screwdriver blade and twist. No screws were present. It was a common CR2032 battery, which I changed, and it now works much better. Thanks again ! StuRat (talk) 16:52, 26 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
What sea creature/oddity is this?
It was reddish-brown, roughly the size of an adult hand, and firm but yielding like soft plastic. It's a vague drawing, I know, but -- any ideas? http://imgur.com/VqjeS.png202.10.93.229 (talk) 23:42, 25 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
It does look a lot like some of those pictures, actually. Mystery solved! Thanks a lot, FiggyBee. 202.10.93.229 (talk) 00:00, 26 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
April 26
Union
Is there such a thing as the office workers union in the UK? and if so how and where can they be contacted, and how would one join? Thanks —Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.172.59.90 (talk) 12:28, 26 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
List_of_unions#United_Kingdom lists many UK unions. Several have names which could indicate that they serve office workers. You could also contact the Trades Union Congress, which is the national association of trades unions in the UK. --Jayron32 12:36, 26 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Off the top of my head, Unite (used to be TGWU), GMB, and PCS would probably be the main unions for office-type jobs. Many banks have company-specific unions. As Jayron said, the TUC should be able to help. DuncanHill (talk) 13:21, 26 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
It very much depends on the workplace. Unite and the GMB are general unions and would be the best bet if there is no more specific union for your workplace, but many workplaces will have a more specific union which office workers will be able to join - e.g. the PCS for the civil service, Unison for health and education, BECTU for broadcasting, CWU for post and telecommunications, USDAW for retail, etc. I suggest asking whether any of your colleagues are in a union and, unless there's some pressing reason to do otherwise, to join that one. Warofdreamstalk 13:31, 26 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Why would anybody sensible want to join a trade union, these days anyway?
Unions seem to be loosing the power they once had, especially if some recent disputes are anything to go by in the UK :(
It's a sort of glass half full/half empty thing. The half full option is to join and encourage others to join, in the knowledge that the greater the number of members, the more powerful the union will be. The half empty option is to believe that the decline in numbers is irreversible, or if not, you're going to wait for others to reverse it before jumping on the bandwagon. -- Jack of Oz ... speak! ... 21:07, 26 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
At least in the UK, there are many, many good reasons for employees to join trade unions, which have absolutely nothing to do with the political power they may or may not have. Most obviously, there is the ability of union members - but not non-members - to call on one-to-one professional support from negotiators, legal teams and so forth when an employer, or manager, behaves unreasonably in relation to your workplace or conditions of work - as an insurance policy, if you like. On top of that, there is the ability to act together, in an organised and coordinated way, in support of your own workplace interests, such as in negotiating pay and conditions. Many employers (still) only discuss pay and conditions with recognised trade unions through collective bargaining - many would regard it is immoral for those who are not union members to receive the benefits which unions negotiate with employers, without paying union subscriptions. Etcetera, etcetera. Ghmyrtle (talk) 10:48, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Seconding this. Reminds me of an engineering lecture I once had about the professional responsibilities we had, and the extent to which they were policed by the professional body. Essentially, if you were involved in anything morally or legally dubious, it was your responsibility to speak up and, if all else failed, whistleblow. If you didn't, the professional body would strike you from their list and you wouldn't be able to get a proper engineering job. But what if you become a whistleblower and the company sues you, or fires you? What will the professional body do then? That is why you join a union. 86.178.225.111 (talk) 23:22, 29 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Japanese cuisine and soggy salad
I am a foodie and eat out all the time and have for the past thirty years. I eat at lots of different restaurants and lots of different cuisines and all over the U.S., though my home base is New York City. I happen to adore Japanese food so I have eaten in an absurd number of different restaurants. I wanted to know if anyone knows why every single Japanese restaurant I have eaten in, consistently, ruins their salads by serving the lettuce dripping wet. It has got to be a cultural food thing. Always, the lettuce is wet. (For those of you who don't know. in Western culinary circles, lettuce should always be dried before serving in a salad). It really annoys me because I actually think the Japanese have amazingly tasty salad dressings.--98.116.33.87 (talk) 20:36, 26 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
That's an interesting observation. Haven't really noticed when I've been to Japanese restaurants, but I'm pretty sure I've had dry lettuce with ginger dressing more than once... I'll have to be more perceptive in the future. To be honest though, I doubt that sort of thing--were it cultural (very unlikely...)--would be preserved, seeing as we Americans like to shift foreign foods into our comfort zone anyway. · AndonicOEngage. 00:38, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Actually, see Gadget850's reply to the question below; quite relevant, I believe. Cheers, · AndonicOContact. 00:41, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
"Salad" as Westerners understand it isn't really a Japanese thing, and most western-style salads I've encountered in Japan use cabbage rather than lettuce. A more authentic meal accompaniment is tsukemono. FiggyBee (talk) 01:18, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
The article on lettuce notes that the Chinese eat it cooked. I don't know much about Japanese cuisine. ---— Gadget850 (Ed)talk 03:10, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
WAG: Hygiene, or at least the perception. Dry implies unwashed, so wet is better. Just a WAG, however. DOR (HK) (talk) 09:53, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
There are a few things about food in Japan that don't seem to work to well with the tastes of the west, even concerning western-style food. A couple off the top of my head: Fruits are graded for juiciness and sweetness, so a extremely sweet, juicy peach will be considered supreme, even if the "peach" flavor of it is quite weak. Bacon strips are never cooked crunchy. "Freshness" is also of extreme importance, even when eating cheaply. The tomatoes at Subway are much redder and generally firmer than those from anywhere else that I've eaten. I think it's likely that they keep the lettuce wet because they're trying really hard to preserve its "shaki-shaki", the crispiness and the freshness of it, though they might have tried a little too hard. I also agree with HOG's observation on hygeine, and the fact that cabbage is often used in Japanese salads, though that would assume a bit too bluntly that they don't know what to do with iceberg. 219.102.220.42 (talk) 00:20, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Certified ethnic cuisine
Are the various ethnic foods (in grocery stores and restaurants) certified by one or more official organizations as being genuinely representative of their respective ethnic cuisines? I can imagine that economic motivations might cause some vendors to use very large supply outlets with assembly lines and not much human attention. When a store sells Russian salad dressing or a restaurant sells souvlaki, can a Russian or a Greek discern whether they are genuine? -- Wavelength (talk) 22:40, 26 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Presuming you are referring to the US. Russian dressing is American; French dressing is American/British and the red orange version is very American. Much of the ethnic foods sold in the US are US inventions or modified for American tastes. Italian foods in the US are much heavier on sauces than those found in Italy. I have only found German cuisine properly prepared in one restaurant, and it sells American style dishes as well. I think every big Chinese buffet I have ever seen has chicken nuggets and French fries; General Tso's chicken is American/Canadian. American tacos are very different from real Mexican tacos. I think the only foods that are certified are kosher. ---— Gadget850 (Ed)talk 22:57, 26 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks— couldn't remember the term. ---— Gadget850 (Ed)talk 01:24, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
The European Protected Geographical Status marks are a guarantee of authenticity, although obviously they only apply to a small set of local speciality foodstuffs rather than national cuisines as a whole. FiggyBee (talk) 01:35, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
It is highly unlikely you are going to get cuisine identical to a region outside of that region. Peculiarities of food make them travel poorly. Modern mass produced and standardized and stabilized food travels well. But foods dependent on local conditions and artisanal preparation are unlikely to be found far from their region of natural production. Bus stop (talk) 02:57, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Questions
Who is the author of "Wikipedia?" What was the date of electronic publication? What is the name of sponsoring institution? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.60.175.69 (talk) 23:02, 26 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
If you're asking for general reference, see the article Wikipedia. If you're asking because you want to cite a specific article, see Wikipedia:Citing Wikipedia, and the "cite this page" link on the left of articles. But be aware that some educators don't consider Wikipedia to be a reliable source, and many more don't consider it to be an adequate source for anything beyond background information. -- Finlay McWalter • Talk 23:06, 26 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Umm... I don't think Finlay answered your question very well. Anyone who has Internet access and an unblocked IP address and/or an unblocked account can edit Wikipedia. The "date of electronic publication" is whenever someone presses the "Save page" button on the edit screen. Wikipedia is owned, but not necessarily edited, by the Wikimedia Foundation. ScarianCall me Pat! 23:25, 26 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
It's probably not too helpful to ask for the "date of publication", since this can be interpreted as the "Date of last revision" (as Scarian has done, above) or the "Date retrieved" - i.e. roughly, the time at which your browser requested the page. --Tagishsimon(talk) 23:49, 26 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
My apologies to Finley, by the way, I really didn't mean to sound like my answer was x1000 better (which it probably wasn't). ScarianCall me Pat! 23:51, 26 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
The servers and the Wikipedia trademark are owned by the Foundation. The copyright over the content is owned by whoever wrote it. --Tango (talk) 23:58, 26 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't all edits released under the CC-by-SA and GFDL? I remember some discussions about changing that, but I thought they decided not to...? Sorry, haven't been active in a while. · AndonicOContact. 00:43, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
You are right, but that has no bearing on the ownership of copyright. They are both merely licences to make use of copyrighted work, they do not assign ownership of the copyright to the foundation or to any other user. --Tagishsimon(talk) 00:47, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Right. Copyright is still in possession of the author, but the author agrees that under certain conditions (defined by GFDL and CC-by-SA licenses), others can use the material. --Mr.98 (talk) 01:10, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Though the question lacks context, I suspect the person is asking because she wants to cite Wikipedia in a high school or college paper. The 'cite this page' link in the left toolbar is the easiest way to do it. -FisherQueen (talk · contribs) 02:51, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Re: Las Vegas
Hi, basically, I want to organise a trip for my friends and I to get to Las Vegas but without flying [at all]. How much would tickets on a cruise ship cost and then the road trip from California to Nevada cost? Taking into account hotels and petrol [gas] etc. etc. Are there any sites on the web that can organise these sorts of "adventures"? Thanks very much in advance. ScarianCall me Pat! 23:20, 26 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Cruise ships mostly call in at Long Beach. It's 280 miles from there to Las Vegas; you'd generally do that in a day (it's maybe 5 hours drive, depending on traffic). The website of a car rental company will show you their vehicles, which obviously vary in size and efficiency; we can't pick which vehicle you want. Gas in California run at about $2.95/gallon (ref) and about $2.80 in Nevada. The Super8 on Koval (which is perfectly good) in Vegas costs upwards of $40/night depending on what kind of room you want (ref). -- Finlay McWalter • Talk 23:34, 26 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Okay, Long beach is noted. Thanks very much for all that information. Now, how would I get tickets from the UK to Long Beach? All I need is the site that offers that sort of info and I can do the "leg work". Thanks in advance! ScarianCall me Pat! 23:55, 26 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Cunard Liners and other ships from the UK sailing to the USA would generally go to New York, not to Long Beach (I don't know how good your geography is, but sailing to California would mean going a lot further; all the way down the east coast of the USA, across the Caribbean, through the Panama Canal, then back up the west coast of Mexico). If you really don't want to fly, I'd say your best option would be a liner to New York and then Amtrak through Chicago and down to Kingman, AZ, then a midnight connecting bus to Las Vegas. The ship would take a week and the cheapest option is around $2000 per person.[14] The train would take about 3 days and the cheapest option would be around $200 per person (it gets more expensive quickly if you want sleeping accomodation).[15] It'd be a heck of a trip, good luck! FiggyBee (talk) 00:40, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I highly recommend Amtrak sleeping accommodations. Even the cheapest sleepers get you meals included. Edison (talk) 01:11, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I second Amtrak - the transcontinental trains go through some spectacular places. Otherwise, if you take a transatlantic cruise, you'll have to rent a car and drive, which could take two or three very exhausting days from New York if everybody drives in shifts (no hotels at all if you don't mind leaning on each other to sleep), or a week or so if you take the scenic route. US 66 from St. Louis to Arizona is a traditional itinerary. Acroterion(talk) 03:17, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Do note that Amtrak is notorious for not running on time. It is good between New York and Washington DC, but from there, I have personally seen delays on the order of 12+ hours. Also, service is somewhat infrequent, probably 3 trains a week from Chicago westward. Googlemeister (talk) 15:43, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Addendum, it seems they have gotten much better in the last couple of years, with some trains going from 5% on time to almost 75% on time. Googlemeister (talk) 18:26, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
As to the frequency of service, make that one train per day from Chicago to Los Angeles via Kingman. But first you have to get to Chicago, which means another train, and changing trains isn't just a matter of stepping across the platform and waiting 5 minutes the way it sometimes is in Europe. Anyway, see www.amtrak.com for details. --Anonymous, 04:41 UTC, April 29, 2010.
If you want a bit of a different adventure, a freighter might be the way to get there. You can do something an American can't do: you can travel by freighter between American ports. So you can go, say, Southampton to New York to Long Beach and make your way overland from there. Obviously you're not trying to do this fast! --jpgordon::==( o ) 05:46, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Jpgordon, I'm almost inclined to give you a cookie or something as a thank you for that link. Really. This actually is for me maybe not life-changing, but... unfathomably great. Have to process this when I have a bit of time. Really, thank you! --Ouro (blah blah) 10:34, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Guys, all this info is absolutely brilliant. Thanks very much to you all! ScarianCall me Pat! 02:58, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Too bad that direct Amtrak service to Vegas closed several years ago. The station concourse was the casino at The Plaza[16], so you could lose all your money without ever setting foot on real Nevada soil. PhGustaf (talk) 03:24, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
You place greater faith in the Plaza's janitorial practices than is perhaps warranted. --jpgordon::==( o ) 16:48, 29 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
April 27
Ants in my laptop
I don't know if this would be better off in the science section or computer section but hey, when in doubt, put it in misc.
Anyways my laptop (ASUS Eee) was infested with red ants (ants in your lap is a bad thing >_<). Yahoo answers etc. told me to flush them out using canned air but I can't find any in my place. Instead I put in a bag sprayed with bugspray, and left my laptop inside for a while. The thing worked but it left me with some nagging questions.
How can I stop ants from re-infesting my laptop? I neither have any food inside the house nor eat near my laptop so the infestation was weird in the first place.
Could bugspray have damaged my laptop?
How could I get the ant bodies out of my laptop? It's been a few days since this incident so I don't know if they're decomposing bodies will further damage the stuff inside.
I've noticed that ants love to crawl down in my desktop keyboard, too. It's something about having just the right sized gaps between the keys, for them to get in, but to keep predators out, that seems to make them love it in there.
Perhaps freezing them to death might be a better strategy. I'd remove the battery first, then shove the laptop in the freezer overnight. Check the specs to make sure that freezer temps won't damage it.
As for keeping it ant-free, how about storing it in an ant-proof container when not in use ? Perhaps one of those big tins that comes with popcorn in it ? I don't think the dead ants are likely to cause a problem. Blowing them around is more likely to cause one to lodge in a bad place, so I'd either leave the bodies as is or take it to a professional to open it up and clean them out. StuRat (talk) 05:05, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
You get ants when you have Linux. If you had Windows, they'd be bugs... Now seriously, putting your laptop in a freezer may not be the best idea. Different materials tend to shrink or expand differently when cooled, so you may damage something irreversibly. Also, you will need to make sure all the moisture from condensation has evaporated (which may take many hours) before you power it up, or you will kill your laptop. Finally, old motherboards used to have a small battery on them; don't know if the new ones still have it or not. You can't remove it without taking the computer apart. Freeze and thaw it, and Bad Things may happen. --Dr Dima (talk) 08:27, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Definitely don't put it in the freezer... that is a horrible idea that will probably damage the laptop more than the ants. (Insects are very resistant to being frozen in my experience.) --Mr.98 (talk) 13:36, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
For the record, they are also very resistant to great heat. Hardy little guys. Vranak (talk) 14:21, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Personally I'd take it to some kind of computer repair shop and ask them to open it up, remove them all and remove anything which might have lured them there. They also might know how to avoid this in the future. Prokhorovka (talk) 08:37, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
From http://www.sillanumsoft.org/ you can download a free "Visual Analyser" which besides turning your laptop into an oscilloscope includes a neat sine/squarewave generator which makes sounds on the PC speaker. If prolonged sinewave sound is as annoying to ants as it is to humans this is a way to make an insect's life in your laptop intolerable. You would have to experiment with ants and high frequencies to find whether this idea works.Cuddlyable3 (talk) 15:52, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I have to say, this idea amused me. How did you come up with it? Vimescarrot (talk) 19:30, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
True story: I tried loud rock music to scare a mouse out of my house. It didn't work, he seemed to enjoy it. Maybe I should have tried opera. StuRat (talk) 13:49, 28 April 2010 (UTC) [reply]
I can say, anecdotally, that my old Dell laptop survived trips to -20C and back to room temperature without harm (though the battery wouldn't provide much current when cold). Never took a laptop below that. Other electronics we had would work fine at -40 C, though some did suffer permanent damage about -30 C (crystallizing the electrolyte in the capacitors tended to be the dominant failure mode). All that said, I wouldn't recommend freezing your computer. Dragons flight (talk) 09:31, 29 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
What readily available toxic atmosphere could an electronic device be placed in to kill all insects and eggs, without damaging the electronic devices, and for how long? Nitrogen? Helium? Carbon dioxide? Hydrogen? Carbon monoxide? Moth balls? "No Pest Strips?" Various other relatively inert gases? Vacuum might work. In the U.S. and Soviet space programs, the space capsules were exposed to the very "hard" vacuum of outer space when the door was opened during extra-vehicular activities, and the devices and computers did not fail on that account, but ants would presumably have been killed. (That said, in my misspent youth, in high school chemistry lab, I trapped a wasp in a bell jar on a vacuum pump and operated it for all it was worth for several minutes. The wasp stopped flying around when the air was exhausted, but crawled around looking annoyed until I let the air back in and removed the bell jar, at which point he flew away). Wouldn't any of these kill the ants in a few hours? Do the eggs (if any are present) require oxygen to survive? Edison (talk) 05:05, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Lack of oxygen should certainly kill them, but the question is if you can get the oxygen levels low enough to do the job. In the case of the wasp, I imagine it's oxygen requirements were greatly reduced once it stopped flying. Carbon monoxide would work, but that would be highly dangerous for any humans, too, so not a good idea. As for eggs, they do require oxygen, but at an extremely low level.
To get a lower oxygen content, first evacuate all the air you can, then fill the space with nitrogen, helium, or some other gas. Let's say that this reduces the oxygen content by 90%. You can then repeat the procedure to get to 99%, then 99.9%, etc. StuRat (talk) 13:42, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Here in Texas, we have the oddly named "Paratrechina species near pubens" ant which (it is often claimed by local people) are sensitive to - and attracted by - electric fields. I've heard this said by many people, including a local exterminator. Our article claims (without citation) that all ants are somewhat sensitive to electric fields. I'm not sure I believe it - but I suppose if it is true - then that might explain your peculiar infestation - and suggest that the way to extricate live ants in the future is to give them something more exciting (electrically speaking) to swarm around. I'm unconvinced that this is true - it's hard to imagine an evolutionary reason for ants to have this electrical sense. SteveBaker (talk) 05:49, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
It could be that the ants use the magnetic field of the earth to help them find their way back to the nest while they're out foraging. While the pheromone trail they leave is probably their most famous method of getting home, I recall a David Attenborough special where he demonstrated that some species of desert ants use the position of the sun. Perhaps other species use a compass that is sensitive enough to go wonky from going too near a laptop. Conjecture on my part, but I'm less skeptical about the claim than Steve is; really, it sounds like the magnetic version of what happens with moths and night lights. Matt Deres (talk) 17:05, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Compressed air is available in small cans with a thin straw you can attach to the nozzle to direct the blast exacly where it is needed. The place to look is specialist camera shops, the kind of place that does pro/semi-pro equipment rather than a mass market retail conglomerate, or a computer repair shop. You could Google for "canned air" to find a suitable supplier in your area. Astronaut (talk) 19:48, 29 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Key broken in padlock
I would like the padlock off. It doesn’t need to be saved. I would prefer the hasp to be saved if possible. How do I extract the half key please? Kittybrewster ☎ 10:39, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Is any part of the key visible? Maybe the other part of the key and a bit of Krazy Glue would do the trick. Dismas|(talk) 11:00, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
If you have a short stubby screw driver with which you can apply some torque at the same time that you 'bump' it - that might do it. Alternatively, you can cut out a shim and use that. I have chosen these to videos because their production quality proves that you really do not need to posses that many brain cells to do this successfully.[17][18]--Aspro (talk) 12:54, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
And, if all else fails, use bolt cutters to cut the lock off. StuRat (talk) 13:10, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
If the key is fully engaged (i.e. it would unlock the lock if you could just turn it) then a small piece of wooden dowel and something sticky (bit of chewing gum) should be able to turn the locking mechanism to open the padlock. Again, if you don't care about saving the padlock, you can just cut it off with bolt cutters or a hack saw. --Jayron32 15:05, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Thank you. OUTCOME: Hacksaw made no progress on the padlock. Tried to 'bump' it and the hasp broke. Not a dreadful outcome. Kittybrewster ☎ 20:09, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
According to airport officials, the Boeing 777 aircraft that took off from Dubai at 4 a.m. struck a Clear Air Turbulence about 60 nautical miles away from Kochi and descended abruptly to about 4,000 feet from an altitude of 18,000 feet. All passengers not wearing their seatbelts were hurled around and the cabin baggage fell.
If the news were true to state the magnitude of the descent, it would be truly a miracle, wouldn't it be? But the most of the papers said something like 200 to 1500 ft descent. Any chance of happening that miracle of a 14000 ft. swoop?--117.204.90.194 (talk) 10:52, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Having been a pilot of small aircraft, I find a 14000 ft. drop incredibly hard to believe. There must be a typo somewhere. Dismas|(talk) 10:56, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Accoring to the Indian Express.
while cruising at a height of 35,000 feet [...]
was suddenly pulled down by 200 feet.
Yeah, I'm with Dismas on this. I too fly small aircraft, and the atmosphere does not behave in extremes like that unless you are in a major thunderstorm (which is why we don't fly through thunderstorms anymore). Two hundred is much much more plausible. Falconusptc 11:54, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Voice of America report speaks of plunge of "4,600 meters". see--117.204.80.252 (talk) 12:39, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
That's over 15,000 feet. I can't believe an instant drop that far (it would kill all the passengers and crew), but, a plane could lose that much altitude over time. StuRat (talk) 13:16, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
And such a pocket would have to be massive. Assuming that the plane is in free fall the whole time and has a terminal velocity roughly equal to a human (I have absolutely no idea the true value), then falling 15,000 ft would take roughly 1.5 minutes, and by then, the aircraft would have traveled almost 15 miles. Googlemeister (talk) 15:36, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
But the aircraft isn't in freefall in a downdraft. It's still flying, it's just that the air it's flying through is moving downwards. But yes, it would still have to be an abnormally huge downdraft for the aircraft to descend that far, and in any case it wouldn't make any difference to the effect of exiting it (you'd get exactly the same "bump" whether you'd been in the downdraft for a minute or a second). FiggyBee (talk) 22:13, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Check out my awesome illustrative illustration :) -> as you can see, it makes no difference how long the aircraft has been descending in the air pocket; the deceleration on exiting it will be the same. Also, if you can imagine, it makes no difference if the pilots "climb" in the downdraft and maintain the same altitude; they'll get the same bump on exiting, only they'll be transitioning from level flight to climbing instead of from descending to level flight. FiggyBee (talk) 22:47, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Just a reality check: it's not the exit bump that matters in this question. the exit bump would push people down towards the floor of the cabin (or rather, cause the plane to level out, making people in free fall move downwards in a relative sense) as the plane caught air and arrested its decent. people would only hit the roof of the cabin if the plane suddenly lost lift and began to drop - the inertia of the passengers would carry them in a straight line as the plane fell out from beneath them. you're right, though, that that would take a massive downdraft or loss of lift. --Ludwigs2 22:07, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
True, it's the entry bump that would make people hit the ceiling. Perhaps a larger air pocket would be better in that case, since it would be longer between the entry and exit. :) I still maintain that there's no "loss of lift"; if anything the air pressure must be higher in a downdraft, no? FiggyBee (talk) 23:46, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
That just says what the picture is being used for; it doesn't give any indication of who it is (or what the original context was). --Mr.98 (talk) 23:57, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Mechanical Blinker Noises in Cars
I drive a Mercuery Mountaineer and it was recently brought to my attention that something mechanical in my car creates the "tick-tock" sound when I turn my blinker on. I searched the Internet to find what this mechanism is and how it works, but to no avail. What is this mysterious contraption and how does it work?
Gate28 (talk) 12:25, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Traditionally, the sound would come from a relay opening and closing, to turn the lights off and on. In some newer cars, perhaps the sound is generated electronically as a reminder to the driver than the blinkers are on. -- Coneslayer (talk) 12:29, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
If you notice its changes ticking speed when you switch on/off all the lights, then its probably a
Bimetal Flasher Unit. Which is a heat operated relay. Simple and cheap [19]--Aspro (talk) 13:08, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
A change in speed can also be a warning indicator that you've got a burned-out signal light. ←Baseball BugsWhat's up, Doc?carrots→ 15:31, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
By "blinker", I presume you mean the direction indicators. Don't be tempted to by-pass, and place an non-audable one in, for if you forget when driving and go straight-on instead of turning you may have an accident. I've seen some people die because of a driver forgot that his indicator was not switched off. My car, it is very in-audable and I was contemplating putting in an audable indicator on the dash.
What date would a person have to be born in and place in order to have all planets in LEO? Meaning Sun/Leo, Moon/Leo, Rising/Leo, etc. --Reticuli88 (talk) 14:23, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I assume by LEO, you don't mean Low Earth Orbit (which would be impossible for the planets to be in), but instead mean the astrological sign Leo. The first place to look would be planetary alignment#Astronomy and Conjunction (astronomy and astrology) which lists many alignments. You can check each one out, using some suitable astronomy software, to see which occurs in Leo. Set the date to be between mid-August to mid-September for each year to get the Sun in Leo.
As for where you would be able to see this alignment, pretty much anywhere on Earth will do because the planets, the Sun (which is obviously not a planet) and the Moon (also not a planet) do not move sufficiently far during a day to mess up the alignment; do note however, it will be very hard for someone to actually see this alignment if you want the Sun involved as well. Astronaut (talk) 14:57, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Didn't take so long as I thought :-) From just after midmight on 14 August 1007 AD until around 9pm on 16 August, the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn (all the planets that were known at the time) were all within the boundaries of the constellation Leo, except for much of the 15th when the Moon cut across the corner of Sextans (times are GMT). This just happens to be the first I came across, there are undoubtedly other occasions when this happened. Astronaut (talk) 16:01, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Bear in mind that, because of the effects of the precession of the equinox since (the currently used western version of) astrology was formulated around 3 or 4 thousand years ago, the areas of the purported Astrological signs no longer correspond physically to the actual astronomical constellations (chance perspective-created groupings of largely unrelated stars) from which they were derived, and did not do so in 1007 either - celestial objects physically "in" the actual constellation of Leo probably are and also then were, I think, "in" the astrological "sign" of Virgo. If Astronaut is working from an astronomical program, corrections will have to be made to allow for astrological "theory".
Off the top of my head, such complete near-conjunctions are quite rare, especially if you want to include planets (a term originally also encompassing the Sun and Moon and astrologically often including some 'minor planets', etc) only discovered since the classical era and 1007; i.e. Ceres and other asteroids, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto and other 'dwarf planets'. 87.81.230.195 (talk) 16:27, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
My astronomy program is aware of the precession of the equinoxes and accounts for it, but the constellation boundaries are fixed relative to the stars. That is why I explicitly said "...within the boundaries of the constellation Leo". I did a search for Uranus and Neptune both being within the boundaries of the constellation Leo and found such conjunctions very rare. Astronaut (talk) 18:11, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I thought that was probably the case, Astronaut, and intended my remarks for the benefit of the OP, Reticuli88, who might not have been aware of such differences between astronomical facts and astrological theories. 87.81.230.195 (talk) 23:18, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks guys. Astronaut, was that the only year it could have happened? Was there anything recently? --Reticuli88 (talk) 13:03, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
increasing my height
hi! i'm 17 years old, and i seriously want to increase my height, i'm currently 5'2, so that's very low for someone of my age. i've tried that "hanging onto a bar" exercise for about 3 months, but my height hasn't increased. plz help me, guys... anything, any exercise, any sort of therapy would help (as long as it's not expensive)
The only way to increase your height is to have different parents. Your maximum height is largely determined by genetics. There are environmental concerns, like diet, that can stunt your growth, but assuming you have been receiving adequate nutrition as a child, you will grow to your maximum genetically determined height. Also, by 17 years old, you have statistically reached what will likely be your full adult height. It varies greatly by individual (some people continue to grow into their early 20s, others stop in their early teens) but for most people, by the time they are in their later teens, they have reached their full height. You may want to read the Wikipedia article on Human height. The study of human growth is called Auxology, but sadly the article on that topic is little more than a definition. --Jayron32 15:00, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
(ec) Most people have reached over 90% of their adult height by the age of 17. Apart from radical, painful and expensive surgical techniques, there is nothing you can do. If your height really bothers you, I suggest you see you doctor for more professional help. Astronaut (talk) 15:04, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Be seen emerging from small doorways. This is not a joke, it is a principle of set design explained to me by professional movie people. On one side of the street the doorways would be low e.g. for John Wayne to come through, and on the other side they would be high so as to make the female lead seem more petite. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 16:07, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I am also below average height, but I am older than you. You should make sure that you get good nutrition (plenty of vitamins and calcium, hopefully lots of fruit and vegetables) so that your body can make the most of any remaining growth spurt. (It is not unusual for shorter men to gain a couple of inches after age 17.) Aside from that, I strongly recommend making peace with your height. I am happy with mine. You don't have to be big to be happy. That said, you can work on developing a more powerful build through weight training if you like. But there are advantages to being short. You can fit easily and comfortably into spaces, such as airplane seats, that other people find cramped. You won't suffer from the issues that tall people have with joint trouble or issues of balance and falling. Also, I think there is just something cool about being compact. Why not embrace it? Marco polo (talk) 16:08, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Either learn to wear clothes and shoes and hairstyles which make you look tall, or try and get your hands on some form of growth hormone. I had a friend who was so short she was actually able to get this treatment on the NHS, so it isn't a lost cause. Prokhorovka (talk) 17:22, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Actually, once a person has finished their linear growth, exogenous growth hormone will not be successful at increasing height but may result in acromegaly. This is a distinctly bad idea and an example of why we have guidelines against providing treatment advice on the reference desk. --- Medical geneticist (talk) 17:48, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
There are two medical approaches to increasing height, but neither is appropriate for people who are merely short:
1) Administer human growth hormone. Usually done in childhood to fix certain deformities.
2) Cut the bones in your legs, attach them to an external frame, with thumbscrews used to slowly increase the distance while new bone grows in the gaps. (Sounds like fun, doesn't it ?)
As I said, a doctor won't approve either one for somebody at your height. So, perhaps vertical stripes, big hair/hats, and "lifts" are the way to go. StuRat (talk) 17:44, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
You could move to a location populated by pygmies. Googlemeister (talk) 18:24, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
To the OP, there will always be people who are shorter than you. Your attitude towards them will shape how you come to terms with your own height. This (video shows a sick attitude that needs adjustment. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 18:50, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I had a friend through primary and high school who was the shortest guy in the class through 12 years of school, five feet and a few inches at age 18. He lived in a home with a somewhat overcontrolling mother. He graduated and joined the U.S. Navy and grew to 6 feet tall. Maybe it was a random fluke of metabolism, maybe it was a surge of hormones, maybe the Navy gave him enough calcium or some nutrient, or maybe it was just the change in psychosocial environment. Edison (talk) 04:58, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
The Admiral entered the Naval Academy at 6'7" and was 7' by the time he got out. Perhaps the OP has some growing left in him. Hemoroid Agastordoff (talk) 19:54, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Height is less important than the perception that others have of you. If you're confident and self-possessed, people won't really notice your size; if you're defensive or worried about it, it will become a defining characteristic. Keep in mind that a lot of very famous people are much shorter than you realize. If I've heard the story right, Humphrey Bogart had to stand on a footstool to kiss Catherine Hepburn in the movies, and the Artist Formally Known as Prince at his prime was just about the height you are now. --Ludwigs2 22:01, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Why is there a big lake in the middle of Trenton, surrounded by multiple high fences? Is it a chemical plant? Water treatment facility? Public pool? TheFutureAwaits (talk) 16:26, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
According to Google, New Jersey has sinkhole problems also. However, I am not finding anything about this site specifically. ←Baseball BugsWhat's up, Doc?carrots→ 16:37, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
(ec) The straight sides indicate that it's man-made, perhaps a reservoir ? StuRat (talk) 17:00, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Looking at the airphoto and streetview, there's no way this could be a sinkhole. It may started out as a sinkhole as to why the site was selected. But with the manmade berm around the site it's clearly that it's a reservoir or a stormwater detention pond. Also, comparing the streetview and airphoto, the water level is near the top of the berm. After some research, the site is actually called the Trenton Reservoir. See [22]. Also see its history [23] as well.
Built just before the 20th century, this explains the ornate entrance gate columns. Surprisingly, this open-air reservoir has been used for treated drinking water since 1914 and just now they are considering building a floating cover over it. The white stuff in the airphoto you see at one end of the reservoir is water splashing out from the discharge inlet structure you see in the 2009 Report. --Kvasir (talk) 17:59, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Zero Mostelhere would appreciate the two staircases one going up and one going down (video at 1:21). L. Ron Hubbard may have pictured the Trenton reservoir on his second visit to heaven: The pillars are scruffy. The saints have vanished. So have the Angels. A sign on one (the left as you "enter") says "This is Heaven". The right has a sign "Hell" with an arrow and inside the grounds one can see the excavations like archaeological diggings with raw terraces, that lead to "Hell". Plain wire fencing encloses the place.Cuddlyable3 (talk) 08:52, 29 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
How can I get greater mechanical advantage on my caliper bicycle brakes
I have a standard... I guess its a city bike. It uses side-pull caliper brakes (the standard bike breaks up until recently).
I can't seem to find any information anywhere on how to fix spongyness with these brakes. I've replaced the caliper/pads, the linkage and the levers, to no avail. The levers are stiff, but the brakes don't grip and slow the bike down very well. From what I've read, fixing spongyness on other brake styles requires increasing the mechanical advantage. On centre pull brakes, this is simple. How can I increase the mechanical advantage on side-pull caliper brakes though? - ʄɭoʏɗiaɲτ¢ 19:38, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Longer lever on the brake handle. Though you are better off buying new brakes from a bike shop with someone who knows ll about the topic. Graeme Bartlett (talk) 21:48, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Using alloy wheels seems to work much better, especially in wet weather. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 124.190.20.124 (talk) 05:35, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
The Wikipedia article Bicycle brake talks about the maintenance that brakes need and notes that brake pads (brake blocks) are made in various rubber compounds that have different braking efficiencies. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 18:26, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Two Cape Town questions
Hi, I will be passing through Cape Town not too long from now and I have two questions.
As I have so far not seen much of the world's poverty, it would be interesting to see some of the poorer neighborhoods of the city, but I do not intend to go there alone. I could go on a "tour", but I am afraid this will not be a comfortable situation, being a rich tourist sightseeing in poor neighborhoods seems somewhat... tasteless. Is there any way one can get to see a broader picture of the city without engaging in "crisis tourism"? Any "good" organization that does something like a tour that is not a tour? Any way to help a neighborhood without actually being there for long? I understand that I might be asking of a logical impossibility here. By the way, I will only be staying for a couple of days, and so any large-scale "involvement" is out of the question (well, contributing to a charity after going home might be feasible).
I hear that ZA is famous for its diamonds. However, is there any way to buy, say, a diamond ring in Cape Town and be certain that I do not help financing exploitive diamond industries in civil-war-ridden countries?
I apologize if my questions seem superficial, and I do not intend to offend anyone. Another European (talk) 20:12, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
South Africa is a signatory of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, which means there should be no conflict diamonds sold there. But Kimberley is leaky, and diamonds are very difficult to trace or identify, so you can't be sure. And buying gemstones (about which I guess you don't have much technical knowledge) abroad can be tricky, so going to a foreign country and buying something that someone claims is a South African diamond may be a risky prospect. Cape Town has, of course, a jewellery district, but I rather doubt you'll find a significantly better deal there than you would in say Antwerp. -- Finlay McWalter • Talk 20:43, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I visited Cape Town about 10 years ago on the tail end of a lengthy business trip to Johannesburg. From Johannesburg, it was possible to take an organised tour of Soweto, but I was glad to have the opportunity instead to visit one of my co-worker's relatives who lived there. We also went on a drive around the city's districts and visited a couple of popular bars with her cousins. So, if possible, I would definitely recommend getting to know one of the locals and visiting their home, rather than taking a tour. TBH though, I am unsure if the tours are still being run or whether they were ever run in the Cape Flats area. If the tour doesn't happen (or even if it does), you might find the history in the Bo-kaap area of interest, as well as the obligatory view from the top of Table Mountain and the tour of Robben Island. If you have a rental car, the trip down the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula is nice day-trip (though the Cape Peninsula National Park closed surprisingly early the day I visited, so I never got to actually stand at the end of Africa). Astronaut (talk) 22:25, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Which is the largest Internet forum in terms of average logged in users (general discussion if possible)? Many forums, unfortunately, don't provide such information, so the highest I've ever seen is like 15000 simultaneous users. --Belchman (talk) 20:57, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I suspect Something Awful is pretty high for general discussion, but I have no evidence to back that up. 2chan is (or was) supposedly the biggest and most active forum on the internet, but most users post anonymously (and in Japanese; you didn't specify English-language, but is that a requirement?). FiggyBee (talk) 22:21, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Maybe not largest, but 4chan is probably most influential (whether that be good or bad is up for debate...). · AndonicOContact. 03:16, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
The lines between forums and social networking have been blurred more and more since Livejournal gained popularity. That and Slashdot would be my first two guesses. caknuck°needs to be running more often 05:39, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
masturbation myths
Why do people say "masturbation makes you blind", "masturbation makes you lose genital sensitivity", "masturbation makes you crazy" etc? Do they actually believe that (I read about some laste 19th century scientist that did), or do they have an agenda? If so, why do they want to discourage masturbation? And how come so many people believe this stuff without reasoning that it would also apply to vanilla sexual intercourse?--92.251.185.187 (talk) 22:41, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I don't think many people say such things these days. But you might look at our History_of_masturbation article, which among other things explains corn flakes. PhGustaf (talk) 22:49, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Close. "Life is a job. You get $14.50 a day, but after you die, you have to pay for your sins. Stealing a hub cap is around $100. Masturbation is 35 cents (it doesn't seem like much, but it adds up). If there's money left when you subtract what you owe from what you've earned, you can go to heaven. If not, you have to go back to work." "And I came up-a 35 cents short." PhGustaf (talk) 23:53, 27 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
There's an agenda. For example, Joycelyn Elders was removed from her post as Surgeon-General of the US, in part for comment, "I think that it <masturbation> is part of human sexuality, and perhaps it should be taught <as a form of safe sex>." Many religions are... well, "anti-sex" isn't quite the right word, but its close... in that they feel that carnal pleasures, of which sex is surely one, tend to distract people from doing more constructive things, such as working in soup kitchens, healing the sick, and burning people at the stake for believing in a different religion. However, they grudgingly recognize that sex also creates more believers, which is usually seen as good for keeping up recruitment quotas. Sex that doesn't result in more adherents has no such side benefit and can safely be called sinful (as with anal sex, homosexuality, etc.). In places with a Puritan-style moral background, such as the US (and to a much lesser extent, Canada, and to an even lesser extent the UK), the concept of sex for pleasure equating sin is still quite strong. Matt Deres (talk) 01:04, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
There are some people who believe that the Bible prohibits masturbation. See Onan. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 01:47, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Masterbation cuts down on your edit count, that's all I know have been told. Clarityfiend (talk) 06:28, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
IIRC, it's something about "spilling your seed on the ground" being a sin. If that's the case, then probably 90% of men are sinners and the other 10% are liars (which is also a sin). Astronaut (talk) 12:49, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Who was it who had a pet budgie or canary that she named Onan, because it spilled its seed? Dorothy Parker? -- Jack of Oz ... speak! ... 13:59, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I have no idea, Jack, but that's hilarious!! Dismas|(talk) 21:09, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Prior to modern medicine, illness was often associated with imbalances in bodily fluids. Masturbation (done well) stimulates the release of bodily fluids, and if done in excess (so it was believed) could deplete the body's resources and create imbalances that could foster a number of different kinds of sickness. Not very scientific, but mixed with the prevailing religious proscriptions against masturbation the idea took on a life of its own, and still persists as a modern concept. --Ludwigs2 21:48, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Masturbation has also had a place in Egyptian mythology, where Ra-Atum is said to have created the other gods by masturbating [24]. Aleister Crowley developed various rituals in Sex_magic involving masturbation. So it's not a global religious prohibition on masturbation, merely a Christian one. --TammyMoet (talk) 10:48, 29 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I was under the impression that Hinduism or Islam had some kind of prohibition on masturbation, in addition to Christianity. Not 100% sure, but I believe masturbation is looked down upon in Indian culture. 24.62.245.13 (talk) 15:00, 30 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Considering they have temples devoted only to sex, with all kinds of carvings of orgies and beastality, I doubt it.--92.251.185.162 (talk) 23:47, 2 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]
April 28
running a car before driving away
I was recently criticized by a coworker because when leaving work at 6am I simply start my car and drive off. He claims that "you have to wait at least one minute" so that "the fluids can circulate". I think this is crap. Obviously if it's cold out, it makes sense to wait a bit - but if it's not cold, is there a point? Am I "damaging my engine" by not doing this?
For some background by "cold" I mean 4 Celcius and below.
In general, even in cold weather, a modern vehicle (anything with electronic fuel injection, basically) needs no more that one minute – and often closer to 15 to 30 seconds – for an initial 'warmup': [25], [26]. The onboard computer will rev the engine a bit higher for a few seconds after you start to 'get the fluids moving', as it were. Once the revs drop back to regular idle, then you're good to go. Sitting any longer wastes fuel, increases wear and tear, and increases emissions. In warm weather, by the time you adjust your seatbelt, check your mirrors, fiddle with the radio, and check for traffic — you're good to go. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 02:25, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
thanks so much, that's what I figured. In cold weather, I'll normally let the engine run a bit so that windows can defrost, the car can warm up etc. Although my co-worker still says that what you're saying, ten, is not "necessarily" true. flagitious 02:39, 28 April 2010 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Flagitious (talk • contribs)
It's true that modern engines are much better at this than engines of 20 or more years ago. The advice back then was indeed to let the engine idle at low RPM until the water got hot enough to cause the thermostat to open and allow water to circulate - which could take several minutes. Running the engine at high RPM while it was still cold would definitely wear it out prematurely. Modern cars are much better - but they still aren't perfect. It's considered advisable to avoid going above maybe 3000 to 4000 RPM for the first minute or so after starting the engine from cold. For most of us, that's enough to reverse out of the parking space/garage/driveway - to roll down a side street - and get to the nearest main road. By then, you can safely floor the gas pedal to get out into traffic if you need to. So 99% of the time, just behaving normally is enough to protect your engine - and the additional wear from the occasional 1% of the time when you do start the engine and immediately stomp on the pedal isn't going to make much difference. The thing to avoid is habitually starting the engine and immediately flooring the gas pedal...if you do it a lot, that will shorten your engine life, even with modern engine designs. SteveBaker (talk) 05:19, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
This might clarify things still further[27]. It points out that most engine wear occurs during the critical moments following a cold start due to the oil not yet circulating. As Steve says modern cars are better and that's down to better engine oil (see fig one). When cars had proper oil pressure gauges on the dashboard, one could see the initial oil pressure reduces as it circulated and became warm enough to drive off. The owners hand book, should always state how long you need to wait for (for your model) for the oil to liberally coat all surfaces, before driving off. The only other problem from cold start would be in Arctic conditions were one needs to consider thermal shock and uneven expansion. I've heard anecdotal reports that owners that use electrical sump and head heaters suffer fewer mechanical problems in the long term. Cars with hydraulic tappets probably don't have the same problem as those with mechanical ones, were too much of a gap when very cold can cause hammer wear. So in short, read the hand book. --Aspro (talk) 20:49, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
" I shouldn't be alive " on DVD ?
one episode i viewed about a man on vacation at some Island to water ski and fish alone. it rained that night as he sleeps in his sleeping bag when he has a visitor with him ( a snake ). when he moves it startels the snake and it bites him in the face and near his neck. finds his cell phone and runs to a light house for help but NO ONE LIVES THERE. when he gets a good phone signal, calls 911. and is saved by helicoptor hours later. IF anybody KNOWS where I can BUY this DVD... I would love to know. signed autotech7 —Preceding unsigned comment added by Autotech7 (talk • contribs) 04:21, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
How about the internet. Googling "i shouldn't be alive dvd" gives this: [28]. You can peruse the availible DVDs at your leisure. --Jayron32 04:33, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
According to the "World War II" section of Standard Oil, threats of an antitrust lawsuit caused plenty of panic among the companies that were created by the breakup of Standard Oil: "the top directors of many oil companies agreed to resign and oil industry stocks in molasses companies were sold off as part of a compromise worked out" with the US government. Why would oil companies be investing in molasses, and why would the feds care about oil companies owning shares in molasses companies? Most of the text of the section, including the molasses companies, was added in this edit, so it's not driveby vandalism. Nyttend (talk) 04:44, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
It is actually related to the sentance before it: "It also brought new evidence concerning complex price and marketing agreements between DuPont, a major investor in and producer of leaded gasoline, U.S. Industrial Alcohol Co. and their subsidiary, Cuba Distilling Co." Presumably, the Cuba Distilling Company and the U.S. Industrial Alcohol company were making industrial-grade ethanol, likely as a fuel (remember that the Model T originally ran on ethanol as a fuel). Given the connection to Cuba, such ethanol fuel was probably Sugarcane-based ethanol; and the syrup extracted from sugar cane in preparation for making rum and other distilled spirits is molasses. The Standard Oil trust was likely buying up molasses companies to either gain control of the ethanol-based fuel market OR they were buying them up to shut that market down, in favor of their own petroluem-based fuel market. --Jayron32 04:53, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
As an aside, the 1919 Boston Molasses Disaster was caused by a rupture of a molasses tank from an industrial grade ethanol producer, Purity Distilling Company. So it was clearly being used as a industrial grade chemical at the time, and molasses appears to have been a primary feedstock in industrial grade ethanol production. --Jayron32 04:58, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Hmm, okay; I had no idea that molasses was good for anything except human consumption, either as (1) pure molasses, or (2) an ingredient in baked goods. I definitely didn't expect that it could be converted for use as a vehicular fuel. Nyttend (talk) 05:10, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I have a plastic chair with 5 wheels. The 5-arm stand connecting the wheels to the seat has broken in two places (about halfway along two of the arms). I would like to repair it instead of getting a new chair and as it's a cheap chair I can't buy the stand separately.
So how can I repair the chair? Superglue failed instantly due to its low shear strength. Same case with plastic glue. Keep in mind this connection will need to support a 200 lb man. TheFutureAwaits (talk) 11:44, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
For what it's worth, I've gone through many cheap office chairs which unfortunately I found impossible to repair, so I don't hold out much hope. They never cope well with anyone leaning back in them. I don't think any glue will accommodate the tensile stresses; you might have more luck with applying lots of duct tape round and round the length of the arms as a temporary fix.--Shantavira|feed me 12:37, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Try constructing a splint with some wood and some duct tape. Astronaut (talk) 12:59, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
This will work better if the surfaces to which you attach the splints are flat. Put splints on every side of the broken arms. You might also want to do the same thing on the other arms, as a preventive measure, lest they break, too. StuRat (talk) 13:27, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
...or you might just want to get a better chair, rather than spending a lot of time and effort on a ghetto solution that probably won't last a week anyway. :) FiggyBee (talk) 13:32, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
My mother-in-law wanted a favourite computer chair refurbished last week and had 3 quotes between £200 - £220 and £240. We took her to a local charity shop where she got one in really good condition, in green leather to match her carpet, delivered free-----for £25.92.30.100.139 (talk) 13:43, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Agreed. In the US, the Salvation Army runs such stores. My current computer monitor, microwave oven, toaster, and new shirt all came from there, for as little as 10% of the original prices. StuRat (talk) 14:07, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Aha! As it happens, the chair I'm sitting in at this very moment broke in just that way. Each 'arm' is in reality a 'loop' of dense black plastic with some metal bits embedded in it where the bolts go into the back and seat of the chair. Both of the arms broke in the same place one day when I leaned back in the chair. I absolutely hate having to by new things that are likely no better than the ones that just broke - so I decided to repair them.
I took a couple of strips of steel, drilled four holes through both bits of metal and the arm-rest and 'splinted' it together with lots of epoxy glue between the broken edges of the plastic and between plastic and steel splints. That worked for about a week and I was beginning to feel proud of my work when one arm broke in another place - so I splinted it there too and pretty soon it cracked at the weak point I'd created by the drilling holes for the first splint and I couldn't easily repair it again. So I took the remains of one arm, traced roughly around it onto some very thick (3/4") plywood and cut out a pair of arms using a jigsaw. Before cutting it out, I 'thickened up' the arm to make it chunkier than the original - and glued several thicknesses of plywood at the actual point where your arms rest on the armrest. (Drilling holes through the plywood to accept the original bolts into the original seat and back).
I tested them and after they'd survived for about a week of use, I took them off again, painted them matt black and padded them using soft leather from an old coat for comfort. This has resulted in a pair of arms that have (so far) outlasted the original parts by about a year. The result looks a bit 'different' - but it's every bit as comfortable as the original and - so far - seems to be fairly indestructable. The only weird thing is that the bolts that hold the back of the chair onto the arms seem to slowly undo - I've had to re-tighten them several times - so I think I'm going to have to resort to some loctite to prevent that. SteveBaker (talk) 04:34, 29 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Please - this is not a question intended to promote a discussion as such - it is a serious question about what might be the best approach to dealing with the resurrection of the failing Greek economy?
I was in Rhodes last year and was amazed at the laissez-faire attitude of SOME locals (taxi-drivers, bus-drivers, toilet attendants, waiters/esses etc). When I asked why that might be (of a knowing hotel receptionist), she said that as Rhodes had been occupied by the Ottoman Empire for 700 years and were now a part of Greece enjoying its freedom and membership of the European Union, there was a general reluctance by Rhodians and most other Greeks to be answerable to foreign,or even domestic, rulers and their directives. If that truly is so, I was wondering what might their reaction be to having strict controls imposed by the EU bale-out funders and also those of the IMF. I am thinking particularly of tourism, a major economic element for Greece. My gut feeling is that they should take the hit and reduce all their tourist related prices so as to attract ever more tourists (like Cuba, where I was in January). But I also have this empirically based notion that the Greeks will not want to do that because it would mean working longer hours, giving better service, for lower wages and profits. Instead, I suspect they will naively INCREASE their tourism costs and consequently sink even further into the mire when tourists will take their Dollars and Euros etc., elsewhere for their holidays and vacations, paradoxically perhaps, to Turkey. 92.30.100.139 (talk) 13:36, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Do you have a serious question? Post restored. Please do not edit another's post. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 18:12, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
The questions come up: "best for whom ?" and "over what time frame ?":
A) The best thing for Greece, in the short-term, and without concern for others, is if they get a massive injection of funds from other nations, which could be used to create a stimulus package with massive work programs, tax reductions, price subsidies, etc. However, over the long-term, this could result in dependency on foreign aid.
B) The best thing for all parties, over the long run, is probably the austerity program you mentioned.
C) Since we are concerned with both the short-term and long-term, some combo of the above is in order. StuRat (talk) 14:00, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks Stu. I always look forward to your objective and rational analysis. Being a European (loosely - UK), I am going to ask my local "bookie" what odds he will give me on Greece INCREASING their tourist prices in their (anticipated) vain hope that those measures will bring in extra "foreign" currency. BTW - It's all Greek to me. 15:23, 28 April 2010 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 92.30.6.15 (talk)
I don't think Greek tourism is nationalised, so individual businesses will do whatever makes sense for them. Whether that will be increasing their prices, I don't know. There are bookies (big chains only, I would think) that will let people bet on things that they've come up with, so you might be able to get odds on this - you would need to work out a precise way of assessing it (pick a basket of tourism related goods and compare it to general inflation, probably). --Tango (talk) 16:44, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Greece could introduce or increase taxes on tourism-related services and goods (subject to EU and WTO rules). If the Euro remains low, it might be able to do this without pricing itself out of the market. Given that it is a popular holiday destination, this could be a useful way to get more foreign currency. Warofdreamstalk 11:18, 29 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Increasing taxes won't necessarily increase prices. That will only happen if the current profit margin is minimal and the only way to stay profitable is to increase prices. Otherwise, it will usually be better to absorb the taxes, since you are already charging your customers the price that maximises revenue. Exchange rates are only relevant if a significant portion of the tourists are coming from outside the Eurozone - is that the case? Bringing in foreign currency isn't very important, since most of Greece's trade is with the Eurozone. --Tango (talk) 14:17, 29 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Caucasian
Why are white people refered to medically as caucasian? I realize that the Causases are in europe but why not slovakian, as this is central where as the Caucuses are on the bridge between europe and Asia. Thanx —Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.172.58.82 (talk) 14:20, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Our article on Caucasian race summarizes the history of this term and its usage. ---Sluzzelintalk 14:27, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
(e/c)I suggest you read the article on Caucasian race. This states:- "The concept of a Caucasian race or Varietas Caucasia was developed around 1800 by Johann Friedrich Blumenbach, a German scientist and early anthropologist. Blumenbach named it after the peoples of the Caucasus (from the Caucasus region), whom he considered to be the archetype for the grouping." The concept is now, of course, largely discounted in scientific terms. Ghmyrtle (talk) 14:28, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
In the UK, this term is not used, and does not have the same sense as is given to it in USA. MacOfJesus (talk) 09:45, 29 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
EU
Macedonia has been trying to join the EU, but has been blocked mostly by Greece who feel that Macedonia should be part of Greece. With the current headache that Greece is giving the EU, would this increase the chances of Macedonia becoming part of the EU, or how has it affected MAcedonia, if at all. Also why is MAcedonia rarely mentioned as a potentail member when it is so completely part of Europe while Turkey, is often bandied about as soon to become part. Turkey is Asia, and Islamic, which are not in line with European culture, nothing against Asians and Islamicism, bust that it is Asian rather than European. Or am I completely wrong in my views of Turkey Thanx —Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.172.58.82 (talk) 14:24, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
My understanding is that the dispute between Greece and Macedonia isn't over territory, but simply over the name "Macedonia". There is a region of Greece called "Macedonia" and Greece objects to the country of Macedonia using that name (which is why it is often called the Former Yugoslav Republic (FYR) of Macedonia). I think it is unlikely that the current economic situation will make any difference. I haven't heard any mention of France or Germany making Greece dropping its objection to Macedonia's EU membership a condition of the bailout and it doesn't seem likely. The only way I can see it making a difference is if Greece leaves the EU (which is probably the only way they could leave the Euro, which would allow them to devalue their currency, which is one way to help their economic problems). If Greece left the EU then it would no longer have a veto on new members and Macedonia may well be able to join. The reason Turkey gets talked about so much is precisely for the reasons you give - having a predominantly Islamic country join the EU would be a big step towards improving relations between the Islamic world and the Western world (by making them overlap). There is also not much to talk about regarding Macedonia's membership - the situation hasn't significantly changed in years and doesn't seem likely to. --Tango (talk) 16:54, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Please do not post the same question on multiple desks. Googlemeister (talk) 16:55, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Isiah 23
Why does it state, Wail oh ships of tarnish for Tyre is destroyed and left without house and harbour. A Tyre is still a fully functioning city today and B what is meant by ships of tarnish? Thanx —Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.172.58.82 (talk) 14:26, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
First of all, it says "ships of Tarshish" (another city), not tarnish (a form of metal decay)! As to the other reference, I'm not entirely sure: it may concern the Siege of Tyre, at a guess, but you'd have to find a Bible commentary for an authoritative view. ╟─TreasuryTag►person of reasonable firmness─╢ 14:30, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Think about it... Tyre may have been built and destroyed many times through the centuries.Froggie34 (talk) 15:06, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
If you're asking how it is that the Bible predicts that Tyre will be permanently destroyed, when in fact it exists today, one possible explanation is that the Bible was written by human beings who did not know the future, and so some of their predictions did not turn out to be correct. -FisherQueen (talk · contribs) 17:01, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
In the modern critical reading, the Book of Isaiah is not attributed to Isiah, but to several authors. It's quite common for biblical writers to ascribe certain works to an earlier prophet who then, "miraculously", makes correct predictions all the way up to the lifetime of the real author. In fact, the point where prophesies suddenly go awry is one element used in dating these books. In this case, it's quite likely that the author of Isaiah 23 (the "original Isaiah") wrote his books during the siege of Tyre by Shalmaneser V, and simply assumed that Shalmaneser would win (he didn't). --Stephan Schulz (talk) 17:08, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
@FisherQueen: Unless I'm reading this incorrectly, the passage did not say anything about Tyre being destroyed permanently. Verse 17 says:
"And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years, that the LORD will visit Tyre, and she shall turn to her hire, and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth." (KJV)
I'm not a Bible scholar but doesn't that mean the city will rise again after 70 years? --Kvasir (talk) 17:12, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Tarshish is Tartessos in Spain - "the ends of the earth". "Ships of Tarshish" means; great ocean-going vessels.
The literal sense is not meant here.
A prophet is one who speaks God's word, not his own, and usually begins: "Thus says The Lord..."
Hence, the sense is; those who are mighty and great and relying on their own efforts and are smug in their financial greatness are the subject of this oracle, Isaiah 23.
Hence, those who make their pride in their financial greatness and feel protected against any "crash" in the future build, and have no regard for the weak and poor, this oricle is aimed here.
This chapter from Isaiah makes reference to Assyrian dominance of Tyre. When the passage says that Tyre is without house or harbor, I don't think it literally means that the place has been destroyed, but that the former rulers of Tyre no longer control their houses or (the revenues from) their harbor. See our article on Luli, whose dates overlap those of Isaiah. Marco polo (talk) 17:40, 29 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Mass/Weight question
Do pokemone have Mass/Weight when in a Pokeball? —Preceding unsigned comment added by CONDORLORE (talk • contribs) 16:04, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
If they do, it's negligible at best. Pokeballs contain an entire environment for Pokemon to enjoy, all of which they cram into a ball about an inch across in its shrunken form. Characters can still carry around Pokemon such as the 2000-pound Groudon with no noticeable increase in weight. Vimescarrot (talk) 17:10, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
There's an entire environment inside them? I just thought they were stored as energy like a star trek transport buffer 82.43.89.71 (talk) 17:34, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Strange...Slapped wrist for me; I thought I'd read it somewhere but didn't look for references. The Bulbapedia article on Pokeballs doesn't mention the artificial environment at all. Either way...the Pokemon inside are still near-enough weightless. Weight does make a difference to the ball, though, as balls are specifically designed to catch heavy Pokemon. Vimescarrot (talk) 18:59, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
The whole thing seems awfully cruel to me, truth be told. basically, these kids capture wild pokemon, trap them in these tiny balls that make veal crates look comfortable, and only let them loose to force them into combat with other pokemon. Michael Vick looks like a member of PETA by contrast. we really should start PETCaC (People for the Ethical Treatment of Cartoon Creatures) and put a stop to this horrendous practice. --Ludwigs2 21:35, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Apparently, the Pokemon love it. Certain moves are more powerful the more your 'Mon likes you, and they can become extremely potent. And of course, if a Pokemon really doesn't like his or her ball, he might get lucky and never have to use it. Especially if he's a lead character of sorts... Vimescarrot (talk) 21:50, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Why did Steve Wright kill?
I've been watching the BBC Docudrama 'Five Daughters' (which is very good by the way). One thing it doesn't seem to cover, and neither does the Wiki article, is the killer's motive. Did he ever reveal his motive? Or will we never know, seeing as the girls weren't sexually assaulted and had no money worth stealing, removing the obvious motives for murder.
I guess you mean Steve Wright (serial killer). It seems he's never admitted to the crimes for which he was convicted, which means he's not saying (and which makes psychiatric analysis of his motivations difficult). The article says he gambled and drank heavily and had tried suicide, so you might infer that he wasn't in the best mental health. Beyond that it seems you're left with the tabloids' favourite tautologies, "he's mad", "he's bad", and other speculations. -- Finlay McWalter • Talk 18:44, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I do mean that Steve Wright. Thank you. Prokhorovka (talk) 22:56, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
The Sitting Man
I was a one mam theatrical production a number of years ago at the Grahamstown English Festival in Grahamstown South Africa, I would like to know who the actor was that put on this show. Has he done any other acting work? Any information would be greatlyu appreciated. Thanks —Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.172.58.82 (talk) 19:54, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I think what you meant to say is, "I was at a one man...." The way it reads now is that YOU were the actor and you are asking who YOU were. Which, now that I give this even more thought, could just be a witty way of stating a riddle. Dismas|(talk) 21:06, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
This and other sites suggest it was James Cairns. There is a little more information on his work here. Ghmyrtle (talk) 21:40, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Cornered hats
A hat with three corners is a tricorn. A hat with two corners is a bicorn. Does that make a hat with one corner a unicorn? And if so, does such a thing exist? --Carnildo (talk) 22:22, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I can't quite picture a hat with one corner. You mean like tear drop shape? --Kvasir (talk) 22:44, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Number prefix: tri- is a Latin or Greek cardinal prefix, bi- is a Latin multiple prefix, so yes, it seems "unicorn" could be right. Vimescarrot (talk) 23:08, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Some forms of the stereotypical "Robin Hood hat" are teardrop shaped with a single point at the front. I don't know what the correct name for such a hat is. FiggyBee (talk) 23:52, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Which does not list bycoket the general style of the typical "robin hood hat". There is also pointy hat, is a corner a point? meltBanana 02:20, 29 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I'm pretty sure a Bycoket is something entirely different; the description in the article sounds nothing like a Robin Hood hat. FWIW, a quick google search turns up terms like "Woodsman's Hat" (see this link) and "archer's hat" (see this link) Though, neither term seems to refer unambiguously to the Robin Hood hat, i.e. there are other obviously unrelated hats called "Archer's hat" or "Woodsman's hat". The most wide-spread term is literally the term "Robin Hood hat" or alternately a "Peter Pan hat"; both characters used it, but it does not appear to antedate the Erol Flynn portrayal of Robin Hood. Later Robin Hoods simply copied the Erol Flynn character's hat, as did the Disney version of Peter Pan; the original Peter Pan didn't wear a hat. The hat does not appear to have any historical basis. --Jayron32 03:38, 29 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
NM. It looks like Douglas Fairbanks wore one in an earlier Robin Hood movie: [29]. And these earlier filmed Robin Hoods are wearing a similar hat: [30]. OK. Now I am stumped. This hat must have some sort of more formal name. Unfortunately, google is no help... --Jayron32 03:49, 29 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Nevermind everything I said. It is a bycocket: [31]. It seems it was much more associated with Italian nobility than with Midlands outlaws. Not sure how it got to be associated with Robin Hood and Peter Pan tho... --Jayron32 03:55, 29 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Well in Robin Hood's case, if I remember correctly, he was former nobility. · AndonicOContact. 10:51, 29 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
The OED doesn't list the bycocket spelling, although it lists several other versions, and I expect the change in bycoket was influenced by the name of the cocked hat. It is important to point out this spelling irregularity because such mistakes caused the bycoket to be called a abacot for much of its history. As the article says, the name was chosen because the two different hats, the italian and english, both appeared to look like a small castle on a hill, rather that one hat being a direct descendant of the other. One of the early references to robin started "Robyn Hode in Scherewod stod / hodud and hathud, hosut and schod" that is "Robin Hood in Sherwood stood / hooded and hatted, hosed and shod". The point is made that he wore both a hat and hood but, as andonico said, he was thought to be part of the nobility so hooded and hatted was probably used to emphasise his previous rich estate that could afford a nobleman's headgear while also wearing a typically peasant hood. meltBanana 12:11, 29 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Is there a technical name for a dunce cap? Googlemeister (talk) 19:48, 29 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I'm not a coffee drinker and I only stock coffee paraphernalia so that I can entertain guests at home. Even though I'd only make coffee for entertaining purposes, I enjoy the ritual of preparing a pot of moka and steeping with a French press. Which is why I would only buy a manual coffee grinder and I agree with this article. The trouble is, I can't seem to find any for sale having scoured most box stores and special kitchen stores around the city. Do I have to resort to eBay? Will coffee taste better than electric grinder given I grind the beans correctly? (I frankly wouldn't be able to tell anyway) Thx. --Kvasir (talk) 22:35, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I doubt very much that in a controlled double blind study anyone would be able to tell the difference between manualy ground coffee or electrically ground coffee, as long as you don't totally over or under grind it. In either case, which is actually better would probably be a matter of opinion anyway! Having said that however! Drinking coffee is probably about as far away from a controlled double blind experiment as you can get and I do not doubt for a second that the effort you go to MAKE the coffee could directly influence the enjoyment your guests receive from drinking the coffee. I have experienced this myself with the satisfaction you get when it looks like the barista does their job with care and looks like they're enjoying it rather then just slapping coffees out like a chore. So totally, if you enjoy pleasing your guests get a manual grinder, I'd be impressed, just don't hide in the kitchen when you're doing it:) as to where to source one from, I don't think there's anything wrong with ebay if you have tried all the other options you can think of. Vespine (talk) 23:24, 28 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
May I suggest you give a bit more of a think to who you're trying to "impress" (not really the right word here), you or your coffee-drinking friends; who gets the most satisfaction from your effort, you or your coffee-drinking friends; etc. As a coffee-drinker myself, I'm always appreciative when someone is capable of producing a decent cup after dinner -- and the details don't really matter. More along the lines of, "It's the thought that counts", or "I don't need to be impressed by the process if the results are acceptable".
You got me there. I consider it a conversation piece and I usually make it clear to my guests that I know nothing about tasting coffee and they are always happy to help and give pointers. Definitely anything that gets the guests talking is good. --Kvasir (talk) 04:33, 29 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Plus, the quality of the brewing has far more to do with the quality of the final product than the grinding, so unless your friends are really over-the-top coffee snobs, don't sweat it.
I used to own a manual coffee grinder, and it was very hard to adjust it to produce the fine grind I desired. An electric grinder was far more satisfactory. Edison (talk) 03:54, 29 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
One thing I've learned about coffee construction is the crucial importance of keeping everything clean. It's surprisingly difficult - some of the oily stuff is pretty tenacious - but the test is: Does anything you prepare coffee in or around smell of coffee after you've cleaned it. If it does - then you didn't do it right. That being the case, the number one criterion for a coffee grinder is that you can dismantle it easily and attack it with brushes and vicious amounts of detergent! This scupulous attention to cleaning seems to me to have more of an impact on the final flavor than the other tiny details of how the coffee is made - yet it also seems to be one of the most overlooked. SteveBaker (talk) 04:05, 29 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Interesting. I read that with a moka pot you don't wash the oil layer off? --Kvasir (talk) 04:30, 29 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I have come across these in Charity Shops. In fact, most such shops have a variety of them on offer. (UK).
I find the claim that manually ground coffee is preferable to electric-ground to be a little suspect. I drink the latter, and the flavours are still exquisite. I suspect your endeavour will prove more trouble than it is worth -- but what do I know. Vranak (talk) 14:10, 29 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
From my limited exepience of this: If you ground the coffee beans too much the boiling water seems to be inhibited somewhat. I have a combination machine, and I still marvel at the engeneering that went into it!
For all US Armed Forces, DD Form 4 specifies an initial enlistment of at least 8 years (combined active and reserve service). Length of service for officers (particularly commissioned officers) may vary, but I'd expect that it doesn't drop below 8 years. — Lomn 17:49, 29 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
This Air Force FAQ mentions the "National Call to Service" program, which is 8 years minimum as usual, but differs in a few ways from ordinary enlistment. The early news articles about this program like this one from 2003, say that at the time about 1% of recruits qualified. Comet Tuttle (talk) 17:55, 29 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Also, it will depend on your job. Pilots need a 10 year minimum. Googlemeister (talk) 19:47, 29 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
what time to the polls close? and open? to i need to book the time off work to go and vote? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.172.59.90 (talk) 17:39, 29 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
7.00 am to 9.00 pm. It should tell you on your poll card, if you don't have a card you may not be able to vote. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.4.186.107 (talk) 17:43, 29 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Mine reads, "This card is for information only. You can vote without it, but it will save you time if you take it to the polling station and show it to the clerk there." --Homantin (talk) 18:07, 29 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Mine doesn't read at all, it's an inanimate object. I however, shall now fetch my outer level of clothing. Prokhorovka (talk) 18:19, 29 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Yes, but if you don't have a card, there's a good chance you didn't register to vote. Lots of people aren't very clear on what they need to do, and whether they've done it: whether or not you received a poll card is a good simple check of whether you're going to be able to vote. If you did, you can. If you didn't, you might not be able to. 86.178.225.111 (talk) 20:47, 29 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I thought as part of PSHEC most sixth form schools and colleges organise 18-year-olds to register as voters. Local council sends a up-date-the-voters'-register letter to each and every household yearly. Loads of government ads via different media. It is not clear what else could have been done. --Homantin (talk) 22:07, 29 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
What is it that we might do which we might think was registering to vote but actually wasn't? 86.21.204.137 (talk) 22:32, 29 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I don't know. I don't know what else could be done, I just know a lot of people I meet are extremely vague on how exactly one comes to be able to vote, and the actual process isn't always that memorable. Some people live in shared households, and so someone else might register them to vote: they don't always know, and don't always realise they need to actively do something when they move elsewhere. I've met people who think filling in the census in 2001 was enough, and people who expect the authorities to 'just know' since they pay taxes and rates. I've met people who think having valid ID is enough, a passport or drivers licence. People don't always remember which forms they've filled in. I've generally been 'the one' who filled in the form in shared households, and most people have said variations of "Go on then, might as well", acting a bit surprised.
I do know that it wasn't covering at all in my school, and a lot of people still do not attend sixth form or other colleges. I also know that most people I meet have shockingly bad recall of what they were told in school :P 86.178.225.111 (talk) 23:09, 29 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Can you not register to vote at the poll in the UK? I know for a fact that you can in Canada. Thus, if you're a citizen of voting age, you can just show up with your driver's license on voting day at a poll in your area and they'll let you register and vote. flagitious 07:03, 30 April 2010 (UTC)
Wow I thought that sort of thing was relatively universal... my bad. flagitious 07:51, 30 April 2010 (UTC)
You can't even do that in Australia, where we have compulsory voting. You have to get your name on the electoral roll first, and then and only then can you satisfy your legal obligation to vote. If you turn up at a polling booth having not registered for the electoral roll by the deadline, you'll be turned away. But you'll never be fined for not voting; that only applies to people who've registered but failed to vote without good reason. But you may be fined for failing to register, which is a mandatory requirement separate from the requirement to vote. -- Jack of Oz ... speak! ... 13:05, 30 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
You can't register at the polling station? I've done that in Canada...I had just moved, so I think I had to bring two pieces of ID, and a bill or credit card statement with my new address on it. It took awhile to fill out all the forms and make it legal, but it can be done. Adam Bishop (talk) 16:31, 30 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Everything you need to know about registering to vote in the UK is covered here. Basically, if you think you may not be registered, or if you need to update your details because your address has changed, then you call your local electoral registration office, they send you a form, you fill it in and send it back. You can also download the form. Gandalf61 (talk) 10:56, 30 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
It is worth noting, however, that the deadline to register to vote on May 6th has passed. 131.111.248.99 (talk) 12:52, 30 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
This site has Rugby as the fourth team relegated. Dalliance (talk) 11:53, 30 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
April 30
NCIC and US States
I would like to know what US states utilize the NCIC (National Crime Information Center) and those who do not. Phearson (talk) 01:28, 30 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
According to this website (linked from the article), it would appear to be all states and territories:
"Data in NCIC files is exchanged with and for the official use of authorized officials of the Federal Government, the States, cities, penal and other institutions, and certain foreign governments. The data is exchanged through NCIC lines to Federal criminal justice agencies, criminal justice agencies in the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Possessions and U.S. Territories. Additionally, data contained in the various 'want files,' i.e., the stolen vehicle file, stolen license plate file, stolen gun file, stolen article file, wanted person file, securities file, boat file, and missing person data may be accessed by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. "
Nowhere in the article does it specifically mention states that do not use the database, nor does a Google search bring up any useful information. Xenon54 / talk / 01:41, 30 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Do you have any reason to believe that there is at least one state that does not utilize the NCIC? I can't think of any reason why a state wouldn't want to. Dismas|(talk) 01:44, 30 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
IV = intravenous
Would it be possible for a healthy, young adult to live most of their entire life getting their water source from an IV? Like by not drinking out of a cup at all. And when you do have an IV what would happen if you put cold water in it? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Hereforhomework2 (talk • contribs) 01:50, 30 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
What, pray, is an IV? Individual vessel? Irrational vortex? Irreducible variable? -- 202.142.129.66 (talk) 02:31, 30 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
The young adult would have to spend most of their time hooked up to the IV. There would be a risk of infection at the point where the IV was inserted into the person's skin, particularly if the person was allowed to be disconnected from the IV for other activities. Also, normal digestion requires a fair amount of water (or liquid containing water) to be ingested. Without the ability to drink water and other liquids, the person would probably need to live on a diet of soups and purees. The body is also not set up to absorb water near the skin, and I would think that the area around the IV insertion point would start to be stressed from the flow of water, and especially from cold water, which could cause damage to the cells around the absorption point. Finally, I would think that the rate of water flow would not be able to keep up with the body's needs during vigorous aerobic exercise, such that the person would probably be unable to get enough exercise to maintain health. In any case, such an arrangement would not allow a normal life. Marco polo (talk) 15:03, 30 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
[I am revising the heading from "IV" to "IV = intravenous" to facilitate watchlist alerts and archive searches, and to apply search engine optimization. See WP:TPOC, "Section headings". -- Wavelength (talk) 16:38, 30 April 2010 (UTC)][reply]
Snake/spider mix
what would happen if you crossed a snake with a spider? would you get an 8-legged snake? I think it could be possible and was thinking about trying it... —Preceding unsigned comment added by Hereforhomework2 (talk • contribs) 01:54, 30 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Unless you plan on using Photoshop, I suspect you will run into insurmountable trouble when you attempt to encourage one of each species to mate with the other. 218.25.32.210 (talk) 01:59, 30 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I plan on drugging them...Non poison of course. 02:07, 30 April 2010 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Hereforhomework2 (talk • contribs)
Strictly speaking, the genetics wouldn't match, so a conventional cross would fail. But if you could isolate the genes that trigger the formation of legs, you could splice that into a snake embryonic cell and see what happens. ←Baseball BugsWhat's up, Doc?carrots→ 02:12, 30 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
P.S. To be able to do that kind of work, you'll need to have many millions of dollars available, to pay for the equipment and such stuff as that. ←Baseball BugsWhat's up, Doc?carrots→ 02:13, 30 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I know. Just curious. But an 8-legged snake would be cool. 02:16, 30 April 2010 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Hereforhomework2 (talk • contribs)
This is sounding like we are making a monkey with four asses. Its getting silly. No, you cannot cross a snake with a spider. First of all, you aren't comparing single species with each other, you are comparing huge taxa. You might as well ask what you would get by crossing a mammal with a tree. This is just silliness. --Jayron32 03:03, 30 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
You could end up with a bush that squirts milk. Now that would be useful. 90.195.179.138 (talk) 05:48, 30 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Combining genes from totally different species is possible. A bacterial gene was woven into a corn embryo's chromosomes to make the corn produce its own pesticide toxin. It's possible. But it takes gazillions of dollars, and there has to be a stronger justification than "it would be cool". :) ←Baseball BugsWhat's up, Doc?carrots→ 03:15, 30 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
We can splice bits of DNA into cells. That isn't the same thing as a true genetic hybrid. A gene will make the same protein in any environment, so its entirely possible to do some of this stuff. But you're right, there's no impetus to make a snake with arthropod legs, which is why it isn't ever going to happen... --Jayron32 03:27, 30 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Yes, it would take huge amounts of research to figure out the genetics that cause an arthropod's legs to sprout, and then to figure out if it's possible to imbed those genetics into a snake somehow. Someone would have to come with a theory on why such an effort would eventually be a cash cow. ←Baseball BugsWhat's up, Doc?carrots→ 04:04, 30 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
A somwhat more realistic (and still extremely expensive) possibility would be to find a legged reptile that's genetically similar to a snake, and see if they could be crossed or gene-spliced somehow. ←Baseball BugsWhat's up, Doc?carrots→ 04:07, 30 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I'm wondering if there is an optimum focal length for achieving the shallowest depth of field for any given object. So for example, say I want to photograph a person (height 1.8m) standing 10 metres in front of my background (say some shrubbery), at a given aperture (say f/4) what lens on a full frame DSLR would give me the greatest background separation/shallow depth of field
At an empirical level, I know that the level of background separation is proportional to the "amount of turning" you need to apply to the focus ring on the lens to change between the object and the background being in focus. So for example if I were to shoot the above scene with at 400mm lens I'd be guessing the focal distance of the person would be about 25m and the background would then be 35m. On the focus ring of the lens, there's not much between 25m and 35m (you don't have to turn it much to switch between focus). And the background separation is consequently not very great.
If I were then to take the same scene with at 24mm lens (obviously with the same aperture), then the focal length of the person would be around 1.5 m and the background would be 11.5m. In this case you need to twist the ring quite a bit and there is significant background separation.
Is there an accurate way to calculate the best focal length (mm) in order to photograph a person with the shallowest depth of field? --58.175.32.19 (talk) 04:47, 30 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Depth of field has all your answers, in short the longer your focal length, the shallower your DoF will be, there is no "optimum". DoF can be calculated from F stop, focal length and target distance. Decrease the f stop, decrease target distance and increase focal length will all give you shallower depth of field. So to get the shallowest depth of field, select your longest lens, drop the f stop as low as it will go and get as close as you can to your subject. That's assuming your longest lense doesn't have a horribly high minimum f-stop, which cheap lenses tend to have. Here's a calculator I found online which you can use to work it out. Vespine (talk) 05:14, 30 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Hmm I don't think that's true - from practical experience I know that in the example I gave above of the 400mm and the 24mm, the 24mm would give a shallower depth of field (assuming aperture is constant) despite it being a shorter focal length. So the calculator is not really the whole story, because long focal lengths tend to "compress" distance and lead to poorer separation when the objects are relatively close together (near infinity focus) --58.175.32.19 (talk) 07:15, 30 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Using an online DoF calculator (http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html) I put in 2 scenarios - 40 mm lens at 1 m and 400 mm lens at 10 m. In both cases it gave a DoF of 0.09m. So it might well be that using any lens and getting the same sized image of the subject will lead to the same DoF. I was surprised - I expected the long lens to give the shallower DoF. --Phil Holmes (talk) 08:33, 30 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
birth cetificate
I want to know about the Birth Certificate of Maribel L. Lina,for the changes of her middle name "TUCO" change as "LANSANG", shes borned from Sta. Margarita Hilongos Leyte.
I want to know if it is already changed.
Sorry, Wikipedia is an encyclopaedia. It has nothing to do with registering births in any country and holds no official records of that kind. If you have applied to have changes made to an official record, you should contact the registrar's office or government department where the application was submitted. Karenjc 14:48, 30 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
European Cars and Characteristics / Stereotypes
Hi, can anyone explain the differences between Audi's, BMWs, and Porsches'? I was hoping for some insight into the the characteristics and stereotypes of the cars and their drivers. And any other (random!) information. Thanks!
Audi and BMW are generally in direct competition in the 'executive' cars segment. They each sell what are generally considered to be (along with Mercedez) the top marque cars for business-users. They also increasingly sell smaller cars such as the 1-series and Audi A2 and A3. Porsche sell almost exclusively performance sports-cars. Their most famous being their Porsche 911. They are very different to BMW/Audi in that way, though both BMW/Audi do sell performance cars to (BMW M5, Audi R8 for example). The stereotypes are that a lot of the owners are 'posers'. All are German and if my memory is any good Audi and Porsche are part of the Volkswagen group(?). Audi has a rich history in Rally driving, Porsche in Le Mans. 194.221.133.226 (talk) 10:11, 30 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Audi is part of the Volkswagen group, and very many Audi models share a technical platform with a corresponding VW (A3 with Golf/Rabbit, A2 with Polo), but are aimed more up-market, with more exclusive design and different finishing. Audi managed to enter the high-end market, but BMW is, at least in Europe, much more prestigious. Porsche and VW have a long common history (the VW Beetle was designed by Ferdinand Porsche). They also have partially shared ownership, which culminated a year or two back, when (much smaller) Porsche tried a semi-hostile takeover of Volkswagen, failed, and miss-speculated so badly that they had to be taken over by VW in turn to avoid collapse. Porsche cars are, well, Porsche cars. They do not really compete with any other maker very much. Other cars are build for going somewhere, Porsches, while quite adept at that, are more of a macho fashion statement. --Stephan Schulz (talk) 12:04, 30 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
If you want stereotypes, BMW drivers are regarded in the UK as having had at least part of their brains removed, usually that part which allows people to be considerate to other road drivers. (warning - not politically correct here) It has also been claimed that BMW stands for "black man's wheels"! (well you did ask)--TammyMoet (talk) 14:52, 30 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Liquorice allsorts
Can anyone tell me whether Bassett's liquorice allsorts are available in Australia? Note that they must be Bassett's brand; I know you can get other (inferior) brands. My mother makes me take some out to her cousin whenever I visit, because she says you can't get them there. I don't believe her (and it's a hassle taking any kind of food through customs, even packaged candy). Thanks.--Shantavira|feed me 09:04, 30 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I'm no candy expert but doing a quick AU search it looks like you can get them but you might have to go to a specialty lolly shop such as this or this, so unless you are near one of those it might be hard to get them. And no, you should not have any issues taking packaged sweets into Australia, not sure but you might have to declare it, but that's just a formality. Vespine (talk) 10:15, 30 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
This is why Bassets are not sold down under. They were not such a recognised brand as Pascall.[32]1971 Halls joins the Adams family and the launch of Cadbury Creme Egg as we know it today. Pascalls is bought by Cadbury, with Eclairs becoming the second largest brand in the company (at that time). 1989 Sugarfree Dentyne, the first sugarfree breath-freshing gum is launched - the first time a leading gum brand offers a choice between sugar and sugarfree. Cadbury Schweppes purchases both Trebor Group Ltd and Bassett Foods[33] You can always try contacting Cadbury's here in England and have a good moan at them. They might even write to your relative and say that they now use exactly the same recipes and processes today as was used at Bassets. [34] You might even suggest, that them sending her a free years supply would not go amiss either.--Aspro (talk) 10:53, 30 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Quite certain that I have bought Bassetts Liqourice Allsorts here in Oz. But this was around/soon after Christmas when such yummies are likely to be brought in as special seasonal items. If you have any doubts I would bring some with you as they are unlikely to be cheaper here! Can't see any problems bringing them in, just declare anything edible! (Small possibility I am thinking of Beacon brand allsorts). Suggest you try Darrell Leas' version while you're here. --220.101.28.25 (talk) 12:57, 30 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Bassett's are definitely available here, although they can be hard to find except around Christmas. FiggyBee (talk) 13:20, 30 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Typography question: what's an enclosed part of a character called?
I think I've come across a name for an enclosed part of a character (such as the inside of an "o" and the upper part of an "e"), but I can't recall what it is. Does anyone know what it's called? --98.114.146.35 (talk) 12:38, 30 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I have asked about a year ago, what quantity is express when one mentions barrells of oil. I was told that it depends on the size of your barrell. I dont need snide remarks. There is an oil spill of the coast of the USA, and the BBC states that it is leaking 5000 barrells per day. How much is a barrell? 5 litres? 10? 20? Thank you for your useful answers
According to the article Barrel (volume) it varies, but the standard oil barrel seems to be 42 US gallons (34.9723 imp gal; 158.9873 L). This older discussion on oil barrels might also be interesting to you. .tkqj (talk) 13:05, 30 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
No one mentioned the history of "the barrell". Is there an article page on it? It could be understood better if the history were explained. MacOfJesus (talk) 16:36, 30 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Money laundering
I am of the understanding that if one were to pay a very large sum of cash money into ones bank account, it may be flagged as money laundering. My question is this; unless it can be proved the money came from an illegal source, would the person paying the money into their bank account face any repercussions? Calarti laundurr (talk) 12:55, 30 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Money laundering is all about turning 'dirty' money (that is that has a potentially traceable history to a crime/illegal activity) and making it appear 'clean' (by putting it through a legal transaction). The kind of hurdles you can expect to see for large investments of money are most likely to be proving who you are. The person paying the money in will face no 'reprecussions' of paying in (provably) legal money, though higher-sums will be potentially investigated to try minimize the 'cleaning' of money. 194.221.133.226 (talk) 13:05, 30 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
You may be intersested in reading it from the horse's mouth (the IRS) [35]--Aspro (talk) 13:12, 30 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Your question boils down to the burden of proof - you're asking whether the authorities have to prove the money is illegal or whether you have to prove that it isn't. We're used to the burden of proof favouring the accused (see Presumption of innocence). However, in some jurisdictions this has changed in respect of suspected money laundering, because of the recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering and similar initiatives. Under some circumstances the accused may be required to prove the origin of funds to prevent confiscation - for example, where they have a relevant criminal record or what the authorities consider a "criminal lifestyle" and they cannnot account satisfactorily for the funds. If a person pays in a very large sum of cash to a bank account in most European countries, the USA and many others, bank staff will almost certainly ask the source and are obliged to file an official report (see suspicious activity report, for example) if the explanation is unsatisfactory. This will be filed without the customer's knowledge. It may trigger an investigation, and one cannot automatically assume that the burden of proof is on the investigators - it depends on the jurisdiction and the circumstances. If this is not a hypothetical question, you should take legal advice in your own jurisdiction. Karenjc 14:40, 30 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
And of course it will be liable to income tax, even if its a win on the lotto but not if its Premium Bonds! (UK). MacOfJesus (talk) 16:24, 30 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Err no, UK Lottery wins are not subject to tax. -- Arwel Parry(talk) 16:38, 30 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Resolved
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