Wikipedia:Reference desk/Miscellaneous

Wikipedia:Reference desk/headercfg

April 17

grade one hair

His hair had been razored to a grade one. Would someone tell me what it means? Grade one hair means short hair or what? Thanks.61.60.242.186 16:13, 18 April 2007 (UTC)Jenny

Yes. I'm not sure offhand (and Google isn't telling me) exactly how short; a few millimetres. The grades (which go up to eight, I think) refer to the different sizes of guard used with hair clippers. Grade nought means no guard at all. Algebraist 21:09, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

Thank you.61.60.242.186 14:00, 20 April 2007 (UTC) Jenny

Mac & Cheese

Mmmmmm....

<<<<<You could just melt velveta and use that.>>>>>>>>

I've been trying to make Macaroni and cheese and so far they had ended in spectacular failures. I managed the Macaroni part fine but had great trouble with the cheese sauce. Recipes indicate that I need to melt cheese in milk, so I tried with mozarella and cheddar cheese, and both made the milk curdle and form into substances like boiled egg whites. Even if I remove the milk, making melted cheese, it sitll looked different than the store bought version (with all the cheese powder and other things). So, my question is, does it only work with American cheese and not blocks you buy from supermarket? What make the milk curdle like that? Is there a way to avoid it?

yes I'll admit I don't have much experience in cooking --antilived^{T | C | G} 02:16, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

Cheese sauce isn't just cheese melted in milk; what you really need is a good basic white sauce, made from a roux of melted butter and flour, to which milk is added, making what is (more or less) a Bechamel sauce. Once that sauce is thickened, then you add the cheese,resulting in a Mornay sauce. There are probably a million recipes on line; let's see... here's one that looks about right. I've never tried this particular one, but it seems to be similar to the recipe I use. Once you have the sauce, toss it with your cooked pasta, put more cheese on top, and bake the whole thing until it's heated through and bubbly. (Or, just skip the baking and eat it with a spoon.) - Eron ^Talk 02:21, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

I think successful cheese sauces all depend on something acting as an emulsifier. In Eron's recipe, the roux serves that purpose . For a fondue, the alcohol serves that purpose. For recipes based on American cheese (including Cheez Whiz and Velveeta), the cheeses already contain emulsifiers. And so on...

Atlant 13:23, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

Yes, making it manually doesn't work at all well. The basic problem is that oil separates out of regular cheese when it melts. Instead, try using a powdered cheese like parmesan or romano, or use a "cheese" specially formulated to melt nicely, like Velveeta. Of course, since this will end up costing far more than the stuff in the box, why not just stick with that ? I like to use that cheese power but omit the milk and butter/margarine and use spaghetti sauce instead. This results in a much healthier and still tasty treat. You can even add broccoli to make it more healthy. StuRat 02:25, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

So basically the "alternate recipe" in here is just rubbish? I guess I'll just stick the boxed stuff since it's a lot easier than making it yourself... --antilived^{T | C | G} 03:08, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

Well, you can make it from scratch, I just don't see much advantage. Notice that some other things made from scratch, like baked bread, are much better, so I would recommend that. StuRat 06:35, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

This might not be what you're wanting, but when I make homemade mac and cheese, I cook the pasta, then use about 2-3 slices of American cheese per cup of pasta (it tends to depend on my mood, level of laziness, and whether or not it looks like enough when it's melted). I fold the cheese into eighths, then drop it on the pasta (it helps the melting process). Add a little butter, and a little milk, to make stirring easier, and keep adding cheese til it looks right. Then, depending on your preference, you can sprinkle some cheddar in also, and stir that up...add salt and pepper to taste, and it should be pretty good. Seiran 03:39, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

So yes you do need American cheese for that... Ah well then I'll just eat my cheese with my crackers. Thanks guys. --antilived^{T | C | G} 03:50, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

Kraft Dinner is the way to go, if they sell it in New Zealand.--ChesterMarcol 03:58, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

I wouldn't say American cheese is strictly necessary for Macaroni and cheese. It's just my personal preference, and necessary in making it the way I like it =P I assume the same thing could be done with other types of cheese, assuming they were sliced finely enough to melt. It's really a trial and error thing. And hey, your macaroni failures sound less dramatic than some I've had- unless you've managed to set yourself on fire too! Seiran 04:01, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

Normal cheese is not thick when they melt, like American cheese; They are actually quite runny and believe me I got that from first hand experience (wasted half a block of cheese just trying to make that cheese sauce). --antilived^{T | C | G} 04:19, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

If you want good macaroni & cheese, see if your local supermarket stocks Annie's. It's the best. Vranak

I'm reading these answers, but at the same time I'm banging my head against the keyboard. Cheese sauce is the easiest thing on Earth to make. You don't need that crappy greasy overpriced "American" cheese either - any good cheese (except Mozzarella, which is too stringy) will do. Asiago, cheddar, marble, Gouda, Havarti, Gruyere, Swiss - I made it with leftover ricotta once. Make a white sauce, grate your cheese, add it, and whiskwhiskwhisk until it's incorporated.

The trick is not to walk away from the stove when you're making it and to use a whisk, not a spoon. Don't just stir the thing around - whiskwhiskwhisk like mad until it's done. It takes about ten minutes. Most recipes can be doubled. --Charlene 02:48, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

Unfortunately I don't see how you can whisk it when it's like 2cm high in the pot... I shall try again tomorrow with a proper white sauce (not just melting cheese in milk). One thing though, will it work with margarine or vegetable oil? I don't think I have any real butter at home. --antilived^{T | C | G} 03:59, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

Pretty much any oil will do the trick. (Er, cooking oil; don't try this with Pennzoil). I think butter tastes better, but it isn't essential. Equal amounts oil and flour - I use 2 tablespoons of each. Heat the oil in the pan, whisk in the butter and cook for a few minutes. Then add a cup of milk. (It's best to use warmed milk - not boiled, but almost. Maybe nuke it for a couple of minutes.) Whisk it in. There will probably be a few lumps, but as you continue to cook and whisk they should disappear. After a few minutes the sauce will thicken. That's when you add the cheese. - Eron ^Talk 11:27, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

If you want to give the sauce a little bit of extra flavour, I really like to sprinkle in some mustard powder and worcestershire sauce into the mixture. It gives the finished mac and cheese a little extra subtle flavour, try it sometime! --Maelwys 19:28, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

Bacon bits make a nice topping for mac & cheese. StuRat 06:13, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

Well this time it's a lot better. I think I should've put more milk and cheese into the cheese sauce, and probably cooked it a bit longer as I can still taste the flour, but still quite nice, a lot less "artificial" than the boxed stuff. Thanks guys (and girls). --antilived^{T | C | G} 06:41, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

Upper chest injury

Yesterday, I was wrestling with my dad while watching a hockey game, and he got his arms around my chest and managed to squeeze pretty hard to the point where it hurt pretty bad. I know this is not professional medical advice here, but it seems likely that he did something to me around my sternum. Sitting up brings on pain, and I can't breathe deeply without the same pain, which I would describe as somewhat sharp. Yes, I do plan do see a doctor if it continues through tomorrow, but does anyone have any idea what my injury might be? It seems to be completely internal as well.70.51.52.63 02:33, 17 April 2007 (UTC).

Cracked rib? See a doctor to be safe. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 88.109.222.205 (talk) 02:42, 17 April 2007 (UTC).

Likely just seized up muscles. A good blow to the sternum may help un-seize them. Vranak (not a doctor)

The funny thing with that injury is, that it ends instantaniously. The muscles snap back, and in a split second, you are perfectly healthy again. If it is a cracked rib, a good blow to the sternum is probably not the right form of therapy. ^^

Please do not give such advice. If there is a broken rib, such a blow might cause severe injuries. Edison 18:41, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

Agreed. Broken ribs can have sharp ends. --Kurt Shaped Box 18:47, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

Whoa whoa whoa, the lesson here is that two sports mixing creates a dangerous reaction. Combining Hockey with wrestling will never end well, just as watching Basketball while playing football will result in many broken vases and rare collectible Frank Sinatra plates. Croat Canuck Go Leafs Go 19:48, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

Paint my car?

I want to do it myself (the car is worth less than what it would cost to take it to a shop). What kind of sandpaper do I need to use to strip off the old paint? What kind of primer and paint do I use? Is there a web site with instructions? I was unable to find one. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Shindo9Hikaru (talk • contribs) 03:04, 17 April 2007 (UTC).

You need more advice than Wikipedia can easily provide; please consult a book specifically about car refinishing. Getting a really good paint coat will require either very deft use of spray cans or more-professional spray painting equipment.

Atlant 13:28, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

Experience has shown that even with cans of "professional quality" automotive spray paint and very careful sanding and priming and spray technique, problems such as lower pressure from the can than from a compresser driven spray gun and overspray drifting back onto the surface can leave a dull finish. Brush or roller painting can cover the old paint but are not apt to look very showroom quality. It is easy to paint a car so it is all one selected color, but very hard to get a high luster finish like an automotive paint shop achieves. It is also easy to have sags and runs if the technique is less than perfect. Would you settle for a car that looks ok from 40 feet away? On the other hand, the cans of paint run $8 or so compared to a cool thousand or more for professional painting, so depending on wtah the car is worth there is no one right answer. A couple of friend with professional spray equipment have been able to get a good automotive finish. Edison 18:38, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

Long Distance Powerlines

Where was the first long distance (over 20 miles) transmission of electricity from? I have heard the Folsom Powerhouse to Sacramento, CA and others. Teak the Kiwi 03:20, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

I seem to recall one from Niagara Falls to Buffalo, New York in 1896. According to our article, that was just about 20 miles: Niagara Falls#Impact on industry and commerce. StuRat 06:27, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

That's my memory as well.

Atlant 13:31, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

I absolutely love questions like this, because there are so many answers, depending on the exact parsing of the question. Telegraphy transmitted electricity about 38 miles from Washington DC to Maltimore MD in 1844, but it was in tiny amounts and intended only for signalling. Low voltage DC does not travel long distances efficiently, so look to early high voltage AC powerlines. "Networks of Power: Electrification in Western Society, 1880-1930 (Softshell Books) by Thomas Parke Hughes, Paperback: 488 pages. Publisher: The Johns Hopkins University Press; Reprint edition (March 1, 1993). Language: English. ISBN-10: 0801846145 ISBN-13: 978-0801846144 is a great sourcebook for the history of electrical transmission. I do not have it handy, but there were European demonstrations of high voltage AC transmission over respectable distance long before the Niagrara project. They were hampered by the lack of a good transformer, and by the lack of a good motor before Tesla's 2 phase induction motor.Electric power transmission says "The first transmission of three-phase alternating current using high voltage took place in 1891 during the international electricity exhibition in Frankfurt. A 25 kV transmission line, approximately 175 kilometers long, connected Lauffen at the Neckar and Frankfurt." It used 25,000 volts per [1] That same site says "1893 Folsom, California; Three-phase, 60 cycle, 11,000 volt alternators installed at plant on American River. Power transmitted 20 miles to Sacramento." I believe there was long distance transmission of single phase AC before this, in Europe the 1880's but do not have the Hughes book handy. [2] says AC was transmitted in 1886 from Cherchi, Italy, to Rome over a distance of 17 miles, and that the first AC power transmission in the U.S. was a 13 mile line in 1889 between the generating station at Willamette Falls in Oregon City, Oregon, and downtown Portland, Oregon. Edison 18:16, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

Thank you everyone! Teak the Kiwi 03:03, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

recipe for tea cake

what should we do to improve the shelf life of a tea/seed cake? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 202.56.231.116 (talk) 03:43, 17 April 2007 (UTC).

1) Use lots of trans fats. That will, of course, shorten the lives of the people who eat it.

2) Irradiate it (for the sterilization effect), once packaged.

3) Make it fat-free, thus preventing the fats from going rancid.

Actually, this isn't at all true. A fat-free seed cake (if it were even possible to make one at home - the fat emulsion is necessary to hold the batter together without commercial emulsifiers) will dry out and become stale and unpalatable long before the fat would have become rancid. Fat-free homemade baked goods have an average shelf life of 24 to 36 hours. A seed cake should last over a week. --Charlene 03:06, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

4) Use artificial sugars, since microbes can't eat those. StuRat 06:24, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

If I were a microbe, I'd eat whatever the eff I wanted... V-Man - ^T/_C 01:36, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

Again, sugar helps to retain moistness in the cake and aids in keeping the batter from separating, and in the amounts used in cake baking can actually retard fungal contamination. Microbe infestation and fat rancidity are not why most sweet baked goods spoil; the real enemy is staleness.

To keep your seed cake from going stale, it helps to use the full amount of fat called for in the recipe, to use solid fats such as butter and hard margarine rather than soft margarine, to keep the cake covered (well, of course), and (if possible) to replace one of the eggs with two tablespoons of applesauce. This works better if you're making one of those huge recipes containing 10 eggs. --Charlene 03:06, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

You seem to assume it will be left sitting out, while I assumed it would be kept in an airtight container to retain moisture. StuRat 05:21, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

5) Keep it in a sealed, airtight container in the refrigerator (if possible). StuRat 05:23, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

"Who rides the wrecking ball into our guitars?"

I saw this as a cheat code for Heli Attack 3. I also heard some people say this over various multiplayer games. A search on Wikipedia does not bring anything up, and a search on Google brings no lyrics. What is it? Raptor Jesus 05:55, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

a search on google suggests that it's misheard lyrics from "We Built This City" by Starship. --antilived^{T | C | G} 06:53, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

A slight improvement, IMO. Anchoress 07:45, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

Head of international News

What does the head of international news do at a news channel? What are his specific responsibilities?

sibshaSibsha 05:57, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

how do i found a town?

a group of us live in a county but no city and we want to form a city. how? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.198.239.34 (talk • contribs)

So you want to form which? A town or a city? Where? The definition varies according to which country you live in.--Shantavira 08:36, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

Shantavira is right this would be a matter of state law, and would vary from state to state or country to country. Assuming that you are in the USA I would start looking with the office of the secretary of state for your particular state. -Czmtzc 12:24, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

Many hamlets or villages have incorporated in the past, electing a mayor and city council, passing ordinances, hiring a police chief, etc. and then decided it was too expensive and too much bother and given up their status, becoming once again an unincorporated part of the county. Is there an adequate tax base and civic minded people to support a city government? Edison 17:53, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

Based on your IP address, you appear to be in South Carolina. The requirements and procedure for incorporating a municipality are in Title 5 of the SC Code of Laws. Basically, your proposed municipality has to a certain population density and be prepared to offer some municipal services. If you're within 5 miles of another municipality, you usually have to try to get annexed by it before you can incorporate on your own. If you meed all of the criteria and get signatures from 15% of the qualified electors in the proposed municipality, you can get the issue of incorporation on the ballot. Then you have to get a majority to vote in favor. -- Mwalcoff 22:54, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

how do i form a state in the US?

I have moved this question to Humanities Desk for more discussion. You can find it here: Wikipedia:Reference_desk/Humanities#how_do_i_form_a_state_in_the_US.3F. --Parker007 15:42, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

Cape Wilson, Australia?

I've seen several times a "Cape Wilson" being mentioned on the internet as an Australian cape; from what I understand it's supposed to be the southern-most point of the Australian mainland. More frequently, however, this point seems to be called "South Point", which is located in the Wilsons Promontory National Park. Oddly, I haven't yet found a page where South Point and Cape Wilson are described as synonyms or so. So is "Cape Wilson" just another name for South Point? If so, why are there two names (specific historical reasons?)? Or is it a "false name" (due to the name of the national park?), a different cape, ...? Thanks, Ibn Battuta 07:05, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

I live in Gippsland, but have never heard of "Cape Wilson" being the name of anything at Wilsons Prom (or anywhere else in Australia for that matter, but I'm no geographer or cartographer). I can't find any google references to an Australian "Cape Wilson". There is an Antarctic "Cape Wilson", which might be in Australian Antarctic Territory, but this has nothing to do with the Australian mainland. If you ask 100 Australians what the most southerly point of the mainland is, 99 would say "Wilson's Promontory". However the link "Continental Extremities of Australia" at South Point makes it clear that Geoscience Australia consider the most southerly point to be South Point, which is a part of Wilsons Promontory National Park. -- JackofOz 05:19, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

What answer would the other Australian give? --LarryMac 13:45, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

"No f *** in' idea, mate". Possibly followed by "Why are you asking, are you some kind of poof!", or some equally rude remark. Oh yes, we're definitely a nation of sophisticated vulgarians.  :) JackofOz 06:11, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

Thanks! I must have mixed up some search parameters--I had found quite a few pages with what I thought was "cape wilson" and Cape York, but I can't find them anymore, so I seem to have messed up big and/or they were referring to the antarctic cape (which I had thought to have taken out of the search, but I don't remember my exact search)... The only page that I still find now says The whole east Coast of Australia, from Cape Wilson to Thursday Island is strewn with the wreckage of ships lost from time to time over a hundred years. ... which may either be plain wrong or refer to any cape along the coast. Thanks for your help, Ibn Battuta 09:33, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

That text is headed with a reference to August 4, 1907, then proceeds to talk about the wreck of the steamship Gothenburg lost off Bowen on February 24, 1875. This confuses the hell out of me, and I therefore discount the quality of the subsequent text. Maybe it was known as Cape Wilson back then (1875-1907), but maybe it's just an error on the part of the anonymous writer. JackofOz 13:42, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

Cape Wilson, Antarctica is in the part of the continent claimed by New Zealand.

honorary doctorate degree in Humane Letters

What rights and privildges go with such an honor? What kind of regalia is appropriate to wear, if any at all? (cap, gown, hood) I have searched the internet but found no answer.

Thank you

Joseph Joseph0641 09:17, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

Our article on Honorary degrees suggests that the practical use of honorifics (such as "Doctor") is frowned upon in most cultures, allows for postnominal titles (such as in James Fletcher, PhD) only when specified that the title is honorary, and mentions no other benefits. As such, it seems the only "right and priv" here is the pomp and circumstance that go with the conferring of the degree. This pomp and circumstance usually includes the wearing of the appropriate regalia for the conferring ceremony, but it may be considered ostentatious to wear the regalia afterwards, especially if you're just going down to the shops. Jfarber 11:38, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

As for colors and academic regalia: a quick google search of the name of the degree plus the word "regalia" reveals that the color for the LH.D. degree, which is pretty much only conferred as an honorary degree, is brown. This would be the color of the velvet on the hood; the other coloring (satin) would be that of the conferring institution, usually a two-tone. A doctoral-cut gown would be worn, probably in black (but there is some flexibility here), and with brown velvet piping to reflect the hood. Jfarber 13:15, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

... though you should keep in mind that this is just US-American (or Anglo-American?) custom (esp. the pomp). Other countries have no gowns etc. at all, neither for honorary degrees nor for others. (And titles are often indicated differently as well, not necessarily as a postnominal title, but for example before the name as "Dr. h. c.":doctor honoris causa = doctor for the cause of honor.) --Ibn Battuta 16:19, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

It's not just American, or I would have said so; the article specifies the UK, Australia, NZ, and the US as SOME of the places where such honorifics are phrased as mentioned above. But since the querent specified an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters, which is a degree particular to those countries, and since the gown parameters I mention come to the US via the UK, which is the origin of Aussie and NZ academic standards as well, I stand by my answer as comprehensive, factual, and complete.

Incidentally, it is true that honorifics appear different in other cultures; my sense is that this is partially due to differences of linguistics. The concept of "postnominal" does assume english language conventions, I think, but in cultures where the lingustic convention is to use the title before the name, the point still stands: it's not generally considered in good taste to use honorary academic titles unless you're Ben Franklin. See the related links in our article for some examples of DHC recipients, and recipients of honorary doctorates from, say, China, none of whom ever used their honorifics to the best of my knowledge. The title position relative to the name is therefore moot -- since the title never gets used.

Of course, if you have some solid citation for non-western honoraria that would add value to our article, I'd encourage you to add it. Anecdote, however, isn't going to stand up to Wikistandards.

As for pomp: you're telling me that HONORARY degrees don't come with some sort of fanfare or announcement in "other" countries? Then whyever do they give them out? And why is it that this site lists plenty of ceremony and pomp surrounding degree recipients from China and Brasil, among other places? Jfarber 17:12, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

Do you somehow feel offended? Just curious. (...) .

As it happens, there are more countries both in the West and beyond it than just English-speaking countries with traditions originating from the UK plus China and Brazil. And yes, anecdotal evidence (relax, I'm not gonna include it into the article!) shows that some countries are less pompous than the ones you've mentioned. I can best compare the US and Germany, and there you can find a wide difference when it comes to "honor stuff" (excuse my wording, but that kinda describes a certain attitude in one of the two countries, I won't tell which one... :o)). That doesn't mean that there aren't some who wish nothing more than to copy the pomp (and don't always stop at wishing). But the differences do exist, and I don't see anything surprising about different countries having different traditions.

As for the Humane Letters, that point goes to you. If such honorary degrees are awarded beyond the countries you've mentioned, at least I don't know about it :o) ... - Goodoh, let's take a deep breath ;o) and enjoy the day (here it's raining, and I'd lie if I wrote "currently"... should I add that I'm about to leave?... :o) ... ). "It's just a wiki", and "It's just raining", and "Enjoy your day because if you don't you'll miss a day of enjoyment"! ;o) --Ibn Battuta 19:25, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

Having reread parts of my earlier entry, I just want to clarify in case it sounded wrong (it did, right?): I didn't mean to say "No other countries have (gowns, pomp, etc.)", but rather "There are other countries which do not (...)" ... Oh, well. And I've had a look at your user page, Jfarber, and something tells me you might not be much so much luckier with the weather... Oh... well. ;o) --Ibn Battuta 19:32, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

Hehe, this is getting better and better... and I've seen now that "Anglo-American" seems to be restricted to the UK and the US (I intended to include "British influence", thereby coming much closer to your reply...). Ah well, there is such a deeply fulfilling joy in learning... ;o) --Ibn Battuta 19:35, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

Dialling codes

I have a phone number +1 415 xxx xxxx. Where is this? And how do I dial it from South Africa? Zain Ebrahim 09:22, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

It appears from the format to be a phone number for the San Francisco area of the United States. I don't know how you'd dial it from South Africa though as I'm an American and have never needed to call my home country from outside of its boundaries. Dismas|^(talk) 09:26, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

Does 09~091 1 xxx xxxx make any sense to you?--droptone 09:28, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

Did you mean 09091 1 415 xxx xxxx? It didn't work. Is there a different international dialling code for each state in the US? Zain Ebrahim 09:56, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

@ Droptone, did you get that information from this website?

Zain, I've found here that The dialing code to dial out of South Africa is "09" followed by the country code and telephone number (...), so I'd suggest 09 1 415 xxx xxxx. Especially if you want to make a longer call, you may want to check out where from to make that call as prices will probably range widely depending on whether you call from a private phone (using a calling card or not) or a place which offers special fares for international calls, etc.--unfortunately, I don't know what the best offers are in South Africa, but you can probably find that online, too.

BTW, yes, there are different codes within the US, but they're not for entire states, but for "areas" (parts of a state or even just parts of a larger city). As for the 415 code, Area code 415 tells you more. Good luck with your call, Ibn Battuta 10:02, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

As far as I understand it you would dial 00 1 415 xxx xxxx. 00 is international prefix to dial somewhere outside of S. Africa, 1 is the International Code for the U.S.A. If you are using a calling card however it might be different. 38.112.225.84 10:07, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

00 1 415 xxx xxxx worked. Thanks a lot, you guys. Zain Ebrahim 10:25, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

Glad it worked! BTW, I've just seen why we've had the differences between "00" and "09": the dialling prefix for international calls made from South Africa will change from 09 to 00. The last date when the "09" was working was 16 January 2007 (source). Sorry about the wrong advice! Best, Ibn Battuta 10:29, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

Happy to have helped :) --38.112.225.84 11:17, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

I hope you didn't wake them as even right now it's only 5:30 a.m. in San Francisco. Dismas|^(talk) 12:32, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

Nah. Its a 24 hr support service. Zain Ebrahim 12:36, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

One small correction: There are a few U.S. states with small populations that have only a single "area code". But most have several. In the case of California, there are at least 20. Marco polo 12:37, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

... and I was actually thinking that there might be some states with just one area code... yeah, I should've checked! (Apparently even quite a few: Alaska, Delaware, [DC,] Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, Wyoming - i.e. 26% + DC!)... :o) --Ibn Battuta 16:12, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

PS: ... while California is leading with 38 (!) area codes... just to add some more random knowledge ;o) ...--Ibn Battuta 16:14, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

Just few bits of area code trivia:

• Besides the US, country code 1 includes Canada and 15 countries or dependencies in the Caribbean. (Caribbean places usually are in country code 1 if they speak English, but have their own country code starting with 5 if they speak Spanish or another language. There are probably some exceptions to this.)
• The codes were first assigned in 1947, well before direct long-distance dialing was available in most places. At that time all codes that included an entire US state or Canadian province had a middle digit 0. All codes that included only part of a state or province had middle digit 1. This pattern did not persist for very many years.
• Middle digits other than 0 or 1 were not allowed until the 1990s.
• The 15 Caribbean places used to all share area code 809 but now each have their own code. The Dominican Republic got to keep 809.
• Canada's three Arctic territories share one code, 867. Before this code was introduced, different codes from the nearest provinces extended into different areas of the Arctic.
• See North American Numbering Plan for more.

--Anonymous, April 18, 01:26 (UTC).

thanks folks. gina x Gina d82 (talk) 06:45, 29 November 2007 (UTC)

Tektronix Guernsey

Why did Tektronix Guernsey CI close down (before I could get a job there?)

Uhh, it didn't turn out to be the cash cow that Tektronix was hoping for? (Seriously, I don't know. But you probably guessed that already.)

Atlant 17:19, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

Perhaps the owners spotted a better opportunity elsewhere and mooved on ? StuRat 06:53, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

They may have herd you were coming and left for greener pastures. V-Man - ^T/_C 01:44, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

Or perhaps the competition was horning in on their business. StuRat 05:31, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

Maybe were was not enough 'scope' for expansion?

countries of the world

There are five united states in the world, what are they? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Michellecas (talk • contribs) 15:48, 17 April 2007 (UTC).

There are a lot more than five according to Wikipedia. See here. (Ignore those in italics.) --Shantavira 15:56, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

If you are asking about countries of the world they are United States of America and Mexican Unites States. See United States (disambiguation). Duomillia 16:01, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

The standard English form of the official name of the second country is "United Mexican States". JackofOz 04:58, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

Ah! United States (disambiguation) is probably the article that the original poster wants to read. --Anonymous, April 18, 2007, 08:44 (UTC).

holla

1.how much would it cost me to buy like 500 grammes of creatine supplement.and get it shipped to kenya.total cost i would incur is around how much.

2.what was first introduced\invented in 1972 for women who want to look or make themselves beautiful.am not sure if the answer is charlies revlon fragrance

Pong. :) The big inventions that year were the microprocessor, Pong, the TI calculator, the CT scanner, cup noodles, and Pop-Tarts. 'Charlie' was introduced in 1973 according to the Revlon Corporation, which should know. At any rate, perfume doesn't actually make anyone beautiful; it just makes them smell different (and Charlie smells terrible to me). --Charlene 02:12, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

3.which 80s soul group have a name that sounds the same as a red wild fruit. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 130.126.160.180 (talk • contribs)

The Cranberries are NOT a soul group. Jfarber 23:25, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

public domain works of the gov

Are the images below the title of this website public domain?

http://www.eere.energy.gov/ —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 130.126.160.180 (talk) 16:51, 17 April 2007 (UTC).

It seems probable that they are: the copyright notice on the website says that "materials on the EERE website are in the public domain." BUT the probability is not absolute, as the same paragraph also goes on to say that "some materials on this site have been contributed by private individuals, companies, or organizations and include a copyright notice." I see no copyright notice next to those images, but since the images change, it is possible that some are copyrighted, and no one bothered to say so there; due dilligence seems to require that you still contact the webmaster at the EERE before republishing or using the pictures as if they were public domain. Jfarber 17:29, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

If the images were created by the DOE (and not just a contractor) then they shoudl be PD no matter what. But as Jfarber says you need to confirm that the materials on the site were actually created by the DOE and aren't just being hosted by them. Anything which says "DOE picture" or whatever should be fair game no matter what. --24.147.86.187 23:34, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

I would like to expand on the question a little further. Let's say, for example, that I use the CIA World Factbook as a source. Do I need to cite it by law, even though it's in public domain? I believe somewhere on the official page it mentions "citing CIA World Factbook as a courtesy" or something like that; does that mean I can use it without citing it and citing it is just being polite, or do I have to cite it? Please include the information relevent to US copyright laws. Thanks for the help. --71.117.44.98 02:42, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

Every article I can find on Citation or related concepts (such as legal citation, for example) refers to citation as a standard, which is something very different from a law. Each also discusses the various standards relevant to its particular topic and subject area. The legal code which governs fair use and copyright for the US makes no mention of citation standards at all. Thus, I think we can assume the following:

1. There is no legal obligation to cite anything, unless the copyright holder has clearly made such citation or attribution a required parameter of use of that copyrighted material, as in some creative commons citation formats.
2. Since the legal status of works created by government employees as part of their jobs is that of public domain, not of creative commons-esque copyrights, there is no legal obligation to cite those works.
3. However, as our articles on citation make clear, depending on the reason WHY you are using those works, and the format in which you are using those works, your works may not be considered legitimate by the standards of a particular field or arena of material output if you choose not to cite those materials. For example, you might expect that an astute professor with a clear policy about uncited material would fail you for handing in work that used public domain governmental materials without citing them, or that your document might not be eligible for its own copyright protections if it borrows but does not cite. Or that wikipedia editors might delete your photographic or textual additions to a page about the CIA factbook as unattributed (and therefore not valid by Wikipedia standards).

In short, then: yes, you can use without citing, but it would definitely limit what you could then do with that final product. Depending on what you wanted to do with that information, it might make your final product illegitimate by a specific community or field-specific standard, and would certainly make it less valid. Hope this helps... Jfarber 17:58, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

living in Santa fe, New Mexico

Why do people relocate to Santa Fe, New Mexico ? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 69.234.102.110 (talk) 20:04, 17 April 2007 (UTC).

It's warm there. --ChesterMarcol 20:06, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

There may be as many reasons for moving to Santa Fe as there are people who have moved there, and it is impossible for us to know them all. For example, a friend of mine moved there to take his dream job. People other than retirees and the independently wealthy tend to move for economic reasons. For example, Santa Fe has a lively arts scene, and many artists have moved to the area to be able to sell their work easily. That said, Santa Fe has attracted many retirees, independently wealthy, and self-employed people who may have been drawn by the dry, moderate climate (though winters can be cold); the scenic beauty and the aesthetics of the town itself; the proximity of activities such as hiking and skiing; the cultural attractions, such as the music and arts scenes; and the relative safety. Marco polo 22:18, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

And people have heard of it. They aren't likely to move to somewhere like Qiqihar, as very few people have any idea where that is.

I'm sure that plenty of people move to Qiqihar. Just not many Americans. I could have added that Santa Fe is popular among Americans because it does require learning a foreign language and dealing with foreign customs, but that seemed obvious. (For that matter, those few Americans interested in moving to China might not choose Qiqihar, with its January average temperature of -26°C (-15°F)!) On the other hand, there are places in the United States that few people have heard of. But those places do not have the cultural amenities of Santa Fe. Marco polo 12:52, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

Sorry, bad example. People aren't going to move to somewhere like Shikmona as very few people have heard of it.

To open up a restaurant? --Maelwys 17:43, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

April 18

US Subsidize domestic agriculture/manufacturing

How does the decision for the U.S. to subsidize domestic agriculture/manufacturing affect global trade? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 71.35.222.219 (talk) 04:12, 18 April 2007 (UTC).

I'm aware that the US subsidizes farming through agricultural price supports, but am not aware of any US program to subsidize industry. StuRat 05:12, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

Maybe these two texts might help you along: United States - Subsidies on Upland Cotton and Implementing WTO Rules through Negotiations and Sanctions.

And StuRat, yes, the US has been subsidizing auto and oil industries [3] in the past and aircraft industries [4] only recently, for example. -- Meister 09:15, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

Google with search term "US agricultural subsidies" shows news articles about this. The decision certainly generates ill will towards the US amongst Australian farmers.Polypipe Wrangler 03:03, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

Cho Seung-Hui, Isma'il ibn Jafar, and Wikipedia

Greetings,

I ran across an article in Yahoo! News, called “Va. Tech gunman writings raised concerns”. An excerpt follows:

“The Washington Post quoted law enforcement sources as saying Cho (Seung-Hui) died with the words ‘Ismail Ax’ in red ink on one of his arms, but they were not sure what that meant.”

No big surprise that the Washington Post wouldn’t delve further into that item. So, ten seconds later, at about 0030Z 18 April, I had located the following on your site:

Wikipedia’s find feature first listed: “Ismail bin Jafar, the religious figure of which Ismaili Shiah Muslims follow and are named after.”

This link led to the following:

“Isma'il ibn Jafar (Arabic: إسماعيل بن جعفر, c. 721 CE/103 AH - 755 CE/138AH) was the eldest son of the sixth Shia Imam, Jafar as-Sadiq. To protect him from persecution, his father sent him into hiding and publicly declared him deceased.

As-Sadiq had, at one time, designated his son Isma’il as his successor, but Isma’il died before his father. Isma’il Axe is the name historically given to those closest to Isma’il who protected him in exile. Most Shi’i followers turned to the eldest surviving son of al-Sadiq, Abd-Allah, who claimed a second designation. When Abd-Allah died within weeks without an heir, many turned again to another son of as-Sadiq, Musa al-Kazim. This crisis of succession led to doubts about the true designation of Jafar as-Sadiq and many clung to the original designation of Isma’il and proclaimed the son of Isma’il.

Those who believe that Isma'il was the rightful successor to Jafar are known as Ismailis, while other follwers of Musa Al-Kazim are known as Twelvers. They went on to recognize five more Imams after Musa. The Nizari Ismaili Shias follow a living Imam directly descended from Isma'il ibn Jafar & Ali. Those Imams are the Aga Khans.”

I copied this to a Word document and printed it, but did not take a soft copy of the document with me. So, at about 0230Z 18 April, I went to the same link on your site to create a soft copy of your “on Isma'il ibn Jafar” page and at this point in time, the text had become:

“Isma'il ibn Jafar (Arabic: إسماعيل بن جعفر, c. 721 CE/103 AH - 755 CE/138AH) was the eldest son of the sixth Shia Imam, Jafar as-Sadiq. To protect him from persecution, his father sent him into hiding and publicly declared him deceased.

As-Sadiq had, at one time, designated his son Isma’il as his successor, but Isma’il died before his father. Most Shi’i followers turned to the eldest surviving son of al-Sadiq, Abd-Allah, who claimed a second designation. When Abd-Allah died within weeks without an heir, many turned again to another son of as-Sadiq, Musa al-Kazim. This crisis of succession led to doubts about the true designation of Jafar as-Sadiq and many clung to the original designation of Isma’il and proclaimed the son of Isma’il.

Those who believe that Isma'il was the rightful successor to Jafar are known as Ismailis, while other follwers of Musa Al-Kazim are known as Twelvers. They went on to recognize five more Imams after Musa. The Nizari Ismaili Shias follow a living Imam directly descended from Isma'il ibn Jafar & Ali. Those Imams are the Aga Khans.”

As you see, the relevant sentence was omitted. Peculiarly, the page this is quoted from indicated “This page was last modified 16:46, 21 March 2007.” Gentlemen, I’m not one to subscribe to conspiracy theories, but this is definitely a peculiar occurrence. Please explain to me why this relevant sentence was deleted from your entry on Isma'il ibn Jafar. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 71.120.3.123 (talk) 05:14, 18 April 2007 (UTC).

Wikipedia articles can be edited by anyone, including you. Here is the history of edits to the article. You can go back and find the point at which it changes, and identify the author who changed it. It is not peculiar. It is the way this encyclopedia works. I recommend reading of Wikipedia:About. Actually, having checked further, I see it was deleted in the current revision (21:58, 17 April 2007) and the reason given was that the assertion was unsourced. The sentence was first added to the article in the revision as of 17:22, 17 April 2007 (talk). So the assertion lasted on wikiedpia for 4.5 hours. Meanwhle, you might be interested in more speculation on Ismail's Ax on Boing Boing. --Tagishsimon (talk)

Salt on the creature's tail

I've been trying to think of the (mythological?) creature that you can supposedly render immobile if you pour salt on its tail. I remember hearing this tale of the tail when I was a kid but I can't remember what creature it was attributed to. Anyone know? Dismas|^(talk) 06:36, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

This and this talk about putting salt on a bird’s tail. And this tells us there was a 1910 movie called "Salt on the Bird’s Tail". JackofOz 06:48, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

For some reason I thought it was more specific than just "a bird" but then I could be wrong. That would explain though the incident described in the article for Woody Woodpecker. Dismas|^(talk) 08:15, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

What about an army. Since armies used to be paid in salt, giving them more might be a way to stop them fighting you, and the back of an amry is likely to be a safer place to get to than the front.

You can supposedly kill slugs by pouring salt on them. Tomgreeny 11:49, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

Done that many times. Dismas|^(talk) 12:34, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

Yes - that works because of osmosis - the slug's skin is a relatively porous membrane - when you dramatically increase the salt concentration on the outside, all of it's bodily fluids cross the membrane and the poor beast dies of dehydration. But I doubt that's the origin of the story because you have to cover the entire slug - not just it's "tail". SteveBaker 12:36, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

Prevalence of freezing temperatures

Hi

I've asked this question on the science desk, but to no avail, so I'm hoping someone that frequents the misc help desk will know something. I'm looking for some numbers for an introduction about how common temperatures below OC are on Earth. I'd love to be able to say "90% of the Earth's terrestrial environment experiences temperatures lower than 0C each year" or something like that. Does anyone have any insights and/or references about this? Thanks heaps for your help!

Aaadddaaammm 07:54, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

Firstly just some semantics - "Earth's terrestrial environment" can be shortened to "terrestrial environment". Then it would depend what you mean by that. Are you talking about a list of temperatures recorded by all the meteorological stations in the world? Or are you talking about temperatures below the crust (caves etc.) and/or in the atmosphere? What would the cut-off point in height be - the top of Everest? If it's just cities you want, then you would have to source these lists and do the maths. Seasonal variances would come into play as well. I'm sure you appreciate the immensity of this. I would be surprised if such a study already exists. Sandman30s 11:31, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

I would guess they want information about the eaths surface during winter, everywhere that tends to have some time under 0C during an average year. Maps of data like this probably exist, but I wound't expect much information with them. You could work out the percantage by copying the map into an art program and counting how many pixels there are, but this will take hours.

A couple of additional issues. There is a substantial portion of Earth's surface that experiences temperatures below 0°C occasionally, or most years, or even 99 years out of 100, but not "each year". For example, it is conceivable that in a rare year, the temperature in London might never fall below 0°C. It would be unlikely to find a map that shows this datum. Maps generally show climatic means. It might be possible to find a map that shows places with an average annual minimum temperature of 0° or lower. The next issue would be the projection of that map. The method suggested above would work only for a map using an equal-area projection. Marco polo 13:03, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

If you didn't need an exact number but could be satisfied with a very rough estimate, you could use 50° of latitude as a very rough estimate of a line poleward of which the surface, or near-surface, temperature drops below 0°C in an average year. (Land surface minimum temperatures will drop below 0°C much closer to the Equator, particularly at interior or high-altitude locations, but most of Earth's surface is ocean, and in winter the oceans are much warmer than land masses at the same latitude, such that, in many ocean zones far from land masses, ocean-surface winter minimum temperatures will be somewhat above 0°C even at 50° of latitude.) Unfortunately, it is beyond my math skills to calculate what percentage of Earth's surface is north of 50°N latitude and south of 50°S latitude. Maybe you should try this question at the math desk. Marco polo 19:17, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

23.4% Algebraist 20:53, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

(is the proportion of the Earth's surface at >50° latitude) Algebraist 13:19, 21 April 2007 (UTC)

"Marco polo" must be in Europe. In North America, except for the west coast, 50° is way too far north. --Anon, April 19, 01:05 (UTC).

home cinema and cheap petrol

how do movie companies decide which cinemas to show their films at? If you owned a home cinema (perhaps with a few seats for your friends), would it be possible to screen the latest films?

also, given that petrol in the UK is expensive, and that it's relatively cheap in the US, and that the $/£ exchange rate is very good at the moment, would it be possible or even worthwhile trying to import petrol from the US (assuming, of course, that you have somewhere safe to store it etc)

thanks, Spiggy 08:31, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

I don't have any figures to back this up but I doubt very much that you could make it economical on a small scale to import petrol from the U.S. to the UK. All your "profit" would be lost to transportation costs, tariffs, taxes, etc. Dismas|^(talk) 08:35, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

thanks Dismas

• If cinemas in Leicester Square, London are anything like other cinemas around the world, it appears they choose what to screen themselves provided they can pay the money it costs to screen the film. - Mgm|^(talk) 09:09, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

• • Our articles on Film distributor and Movie theater may be of use. --Charlene 09:35, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

On petrol, the difference in price between the UK and US is entirely due to the taxes in the UK. The price of petrol, before taxes and/or subsidies, is the same worldwide, using current exchange rates. If the pre-tax price of petrol were lower in the US than in the UK, then oil companies would profit by importing US petrol into the UK until the US price rose to UK levels. This does not happen because no one is willing to sell petrol for less in the US than they could get in the UK before taxes. Importing US petrol into the UK and then selling it at the standard price or slightly below, while pocketing the difference instead of paying tax to the UK authorities, would be illegal and could result in very hefty fines or imprisonment. Marco polo 13:27, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

Marco, there are also transportation costs involved. Any company would be more than willing to sell oil to X for $5/barrel less if it means $5/barrel more profit. For example, despite being the world's largest oil importer[5], the USA is also the world's 15th largest oil exporter.[6] Why? It's cheaper to move oil from Alaska to places like Japan and western Russia than back into the Lower 48. — Lomn 14:52, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

The US does not currently export any crude from Alaska to Japan or anywhere else (we did export up to 7% of Alaskan Crude to Japan and South Korea from 1996-2000 -- but NONE now) - all Alaskan crude comes to the lower 48. All the crude we export - a whopping 22,000 barrels per day (compare 10,000,000 barrels per day imported) -- goes to Canada, and most comes back to us as refined gasoline. All the rest of the exports on the page cites are of refined products - and about a third of that is petroleum coke, the dregs of refining, most of which goes to Mexico. [7]. Cheers Geologyguy 15:09, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

You are right that I left out transportation costs. This is why Alaskan oil goes to Seattle and not to Japan: because Seattle is closer and it is cheaper to transport there. Because transport costs are lower, profits are greater on Alaskan oil at the port of Seattle than they would be on comparable oil shipped from Indonesia or the Middle East. Whereas the differential is not as great in Japanese ports. Transport costs largely explain where oil from a given source ends up. Marco polo 15:44, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

The actual price of petrol in the UK is largely tax. A typical price today would be 92 or 93 pence per litre, of which Fuel Duty (which is imposed the moment the fuel leaves the refinery, or in your hypothetical situation, at the port) is 51.52p/litre for unleaded petrol (48.35p/l for ultra-low sulphur or sulphur-free petrol, 57.68p/l for leaded petrol);[8] don't forget that VAT at 17.5% is charged on the Fuel Duty as well as on the rest of the price of the fuel. On top of the tax, extraction costs, transport to the UK and refinery costs will typically add 27 or 28p (+17.5% tax) to the price. Then there's the retailers' profit margin, and the cost of transporting the stuff from the refinery to the filling station, which is the part of the price where there's much variability - it's more economical to use a 30,000 litre fuel tanker than a 20,000 litre one, but the price will still tend to increase the further away you get from the refineries. -- Arwel (talk) 19:31, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

Can anyone tell me the location of the most northerly refinery in the UK please.--88.110.160.179 13:48, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

If you are more familiar with the UK than I, you can perhaps determine this from here. Cheers Geologyguy 20:36, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

As the list supplied by Geologyguy indicates, it's Grangemouth, just north of Edinburgh. Although each refinery is shown as owned by one (or occasionally two) oil companies, in practice all of them will draw from all refineries, with slight variations in the formulation of their fuel to suit their marketing strategies although in truth all fuel of a particular technical standard is much of a muchness. -- Arwel (talk) 21:03, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

E

How would I go about creating a new email adress, as well as the one I already have. I want to use them both for different things, so different people can contact me in different ways. Is there any way I can do this just using Internet Explorer as the rest of my internet access had stopped working for a while.~ ~ ~ ~

Yes, you can create a free email address that you only need Internet Explorer for (or any other web browser). The two most popular ones are Yahoo and Hotmail. Yahoo is far better IMHO. Just go to Yahoo or Hotmail and sign up. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 09:59, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

Thanks, I signed up to Hotmail as none of my choices of email adress were left on yahoo.

It's your call, of course, but in my view you'd be better off with a yahoo account and a username you're not 100% happy with, rather than a Hotmail account and a username you like. Yahoo has a simpler, cleaner interface, better spam and virus protection, fewer annoying ads and integration with all of Yahoo's other services. The capacity is the same on both - 1GB. Why don't you open one of each, try sending a couple of emails to yourself and see which one you like best. I'm betting it'll be Yahoo (and no, I don't work for them!). --Richardrj ^{talk email} 12:06, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

I'll send you a Gmail invitation if you want a Google mail address. Dismas|^(talk) 12:34, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

Gmail is probably the best one yet. It has alot of space, good virius protecton, etc. I love it more than yahoo or hotmail, so far.

Agree that Gmail seems to have the most street cred and functionality. Also, I'd not recommend Hotmail, since this report last month, in which a company looking for "expert Internet users" automatically deleted any email queries from Hotmail accounts on the grounds that "You can't pretend being an internet expert and use a Hotmail account at the same time." In other words, Warning: using a Hotmail address may be seen as a sign of technological n00biness. Jfarber 13:00, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

Chalk up another agreement that Gmail is superior. For my own experience, I've found Hotmail to be rather reliable (providing one's address is kept safe) in terms of avoiding spam; only recently have I begun being disappointed in certain flaws about it (read the article The Rape of Lucrece). I've had my current Hotmail address for around seven years now, but would gladly transfer all the contact information and saved e-mails to my Gmail account if I had the time and patience to figure out how to do it. V-Man - ^T/_C 01:59, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

Car brake lights

Why are the car brake lights always red and not someother colour?

Well, to be universally intelligible, they all had to be some one colour ;-). And red, probably because it is the colour of fire (or at least, burning coals) has always been associated with "danger!", "stop!", etc.

Red also has the handy characteristic of not damaging your night vision so it makes the best choice for tail lights/brake lights.

Atlant 13:41, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

The Wikipedia entry on Automotive lighting has a lot of information and links to various laws and standards. Brake lights are red because laws governing automotive safety and construction require them to be red. Now, why was red picked? I think Atlant is probably on to something. The references in Automotive lighting may also help with that. - Eron ^Talk 13:47, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

Red is also 'nature's' classic danger colour because of blood being red, and as humans are one of nature's creatures, we respond strongly to that colour (this hippy dippy answer was brought to you by Perry-mankster 14:02, 18 April 2007 (UTC) peace man)

surely red should mean the car is going as red means hot and engines are hot when they are working. So then break lights should be blue as engines are cold when they have stopped. or it could be red as the breaks get hot when the car is stopping. This is rather confusing, whoever invented it should have organised colour coding better.

Well what would you have picked? I can't see what would be any better than red. It's a strong colour that is easy to see even when the sun is shining brightly, unlike many others, and as mentioned above, doesn't blind you at night. It's the perfect colour for brake lights. --Alex16zx 14:42, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

Red is commonly used in traffic signs and lights. Stoplights and stop signs are both red. Red is the color used to mean 'stop'Ipmin 15:09, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

also red light has the shortest wave length, ergo is least likely to be 'scattered'(defused/dimmed) by air molecules, exhust fumes, fog etc Perry-mankster 15:29, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

Well, "longest", but your main point is correct ;-); colors towards blue are far more strongly scattered by rain, snow, fog, etc.

Atlant 16:13, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

thanks Atlant, answer done in a hurry, should have thought it thru first;-)Perry-mankster 09:47, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

One obvious thing is that they can't be white - you need to know whether another vehicle is coming towards you or going away. Your headlights need to be both bright and as much like natural daylight as possible because you use them to see with - so white makes sense. For tail lights and indicators, the desire is not to dazzle the person behind you - yet still to be visible from a reasonable distance. I suspect this convention dates back to ships, trains and horse-drawn carriages - it's surely a lot older than the automobile. Hence the decision to use red may not have been a particularly well-thought-out scientific thing. SteveBaker 12:31, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

It's not from ships. [I don't remember the exact rules] but a ship shows navigation lights for about 135 degrees on either side of its bow; red for the port side of the ship and green for the starboard side. Under certain circumstances, they may show a white stern light while moving or a 360-degree white "riding light" when standing still or at anchor.

Atlant 13:02, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

hotel rates

What sort of rates can I expect at common types of hotels?Ipmin 14:36, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

Where? City, country... they vary wildly from place to place. - Eron ^Talk 14:40, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

In the Western United States.Ipmin 14:49, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

Even then, the variance is huge. Cities are generally more expensive. Weekends and weekdays may vary. The quality of hotel will drastically affect rates. Why not check out either generic travel websites or specific hotel chain sites and do some sample pricing? At a rough guess, though, anywhere from $30 to $200 a night could fall under "common". — Lomn 14:55, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

I agree with Lomn. With those caveats, my experience is that you can expect to pay about $100 a night for a decent room in a decent hotel in a decent neighbourhood. You can get rooms for $50 or less, but for the most part these will be lesser quality rooms at lesser quality hotels in worse neighbourhoods. At the other end of the scale, the sky is the limit. - Eron ^Talk 14:59, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

$100 is what you will pay for a decent room in a budget hotel in major U.S. cities, such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, Denver, or Seattle. At a more standard business traveler's hotel, such as a Sheraton, you would pay more like $180 in a major metropolitan area. On the other hand, you can have a perfectly decent room in a budget motel, such as EconoLodge, near a freeway at the edge of a metropolitan area, for around $60. Marco polo 15:39, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

Since you said USA, there are also these which may offer a lower per-day rate, but typically assume you will stay for about a week or so. Also Category:Hotel_types has a few things to say, but it looks a tad incomplete. HTH. dr.ef.tymac 17:09, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

Las Vegas is an exception to the normal pricing structure. Since they assume that guests will blow a lot of cash at their casinos, many casino hotels will offer rooms at rather low rates to lure the suckers customer in. So, you might be able to find a nice weekday room for $30 a night, with a good special. StuRat 04:55, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

The regular rate or the special, secret wikipedia rate? Clarityfiend 18:39, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

Let me add to this that the price of a hotel room has very little relation to its quality. The price mostly depends on location (downtown versus suburb) and add-on services such as concierge, indoor swimming pool etc. If you don't care about location and add-ons, you can save a lot of money. Most $50 hotels have the same quality standards as $200 hotels. Chl 17:38, 21 April 2007 (UTC)

US ARMY M1 CARBINE

HOW MANY ROUNDS IN A CARBINES CLIP...AAALIBRIS

According to the entry for M1 Garand rifle, eight. - Eron ^Talk 22:11, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

But you asked about the M1 Carbine, didn't you? It was magazine-fed (didn't use a clip) and the magazine capacity was fifteen. - Eron ^Talk 22:19, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

The article says 15 or 30, actually. --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 01:33, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

From what I read, 30 was for the M2 version, so I didn't include that. As to what the original question wanted, I'm still not sure. M1 carbines used magazines but M1 rifles had a fixed internal magazine that was loaded by means of eight-round clips. I think the desired answer is somewhere in there between the two entries. - Eron ^Talk 02:04, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

The op probably meant Magazine (firearms), as that article explains in the opening paragraph, they are commonly and incorrectly referred to as Clip (ammunition). Vespine 01:37, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

I want to go to Somaliland (Part 2)

So I've found a round trip ticket from Luton to Istanbul for $300. And a sub $300 ticket from Istanbul to Yemen. But I still can't get the cost of going to London down. How do I get a cheap summer fare from LAX to London? I see that Expedia advertises London rates before May 31 for $400 something but the cheapest summer flight I can find is $950. lots of issues | leave me a message 22:09, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

A cheap summer fare from the US to Europe?! Good luck. That's when everyone wants to go, so the airlines charge what the market will bear. I would suggest trying for a last-minute ticket, which can be cheap because the airline wants to fill the seat. But in summer, there are few unsold seats, and you could end up missing your connection in Luton. Marco polo 01:06, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

For this reason, it may be cheaper to fly directly from the US to a hub in the Middle East (e.g. Dubai), rather than via London or anywhere else in Europe, as I suggested last time you asked. Marco polo 13:03, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

Have you tried Priceline? Corvus cornix 16:48, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

If I remember correctly flying to Dublin is much cheaper then flying to London, You can get raynair flights for as little as 1c ex. taxes and charges each way from Dublin to Luton, just watch out for extra baggage and insurance charges if you don't actually need them. Ken 20:40, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

Thanks everyone. And thank you ken for telling me about Ryanair. I can save $50 flying to Dublin and then Luton--and it's probably easier! lots of issues | leave me a message 09:58, 21 April 2007 (UTC)

April 19

kenya

who knows a popular kenyan figure who met his wife while running for office

A number of senior Kenyan politicians have multiple wives, some of whom were married during their political careers. See Vice-President of Kenya and President of Kenya for a few of them. Rockpocket 06:19, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

After you win the trivia contest, will you be sharing your winnings with us?

Atlant 12:33, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

i always share the loot with my buddies by donating part of my bounty otherwise how will i eat tomorrow and the next day.but still i havent gotten the answer.the link still hasnt been of much help.

I'm sorry thats not helfpul, but without more information we cannot be more specific, as as least three of the people in those lists match you description. Rockpocket 17:08, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

give me their names.its not kijana wamalwa.al narrow them down.and another clue he is still alive

Another handwriting question

What is the nature and extent of the link between handwriting and nationality? I've noticed that many North Americans' handwriting is very similar; it's hard to describe, but it looks italic and cursive. Anecdotally, many French people's handwriting also seems to have similar characteristics. In Britain, handwriting styles seem to vary a lot more. I guess this might have something to do with the way handwriting is taught in schools. Anyone else noticed what I'm talking about? --Richardrj ^{talk email} 08:28, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

I certainly have. A number of European-born friends (Germany, Russia, Yugoslavia) of mine seem to have a similar distinctive handwriting, quite unlike that of people from other parts of the world. JackofOz 08:37, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

North America is a big place. What kind of writing are you referring to? English Alphabet--Kirby♥time 08:54, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

I know it's a big place. If I could find an example image file, I'd post it here. I'm just saying that some North Americans' (Americans and Canadians) handwriting is recognisable as being by someone from that part of the world. The same applies to other nationalities, I think. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 09:03, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

I agree with Richardrj, and I suspect it's the template that elementary school teachers use to teach handwriting. Anchoress 09:23, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

hi richard i think it may have something to do with 'fashion' of the time, i remember that at primary school, in the early eighties, nearly everyone espically girls, started writting in a 'bubble' style of writing, curvey and not 'joined up'this was opposite to the style taught, rigid, 'joined up' writing, i think it was due to a bubble like font used in teen magazines but i could be wrong - sorry the area i live in is east coast scotland, but i have noticed this type of writing at uni, in other area's of scotland again, predominatley females using itPerry-mankster 09:54, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

You're quite right Perry, that's another aspect I hadn't thought of - how handwriting differs by gender. I know exactly the style you are talking about, and you're right it's an exclusively female thing - very rounded letters, circles rather than dots over the i, and so on. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 12:24, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

It's absolutely NOT an exclusively female thing. It's not as common in males, but it's definitely there. That having been said, in teenagers certainly handwriting is very recognisable by gender, and if I may say so, by generation too. All my great-grandparents' friends, my grandparents' friends, and my parents' friends had handwriting that looked the same. A lot of my friends have similar penmanship too (I don't say handwriting because it went out of style in favour of a kind of loopy lettering during my generation). Anchoress 22:57, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

or, (any given detiy) forbid little love hearts above their i's...--Perry-mankster 12:51, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

Ramen to that!

Atlant 15:40, 19 April 2007 (UTC) (whose cursive handwriting is probably unintelligible to everyone on the planet, even him!)

I think Anchoress is probably correct that handwriting studies in the US at least are pretty standardized, or at least they were when I was in school. --24.147.86.187 22:52, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

I recall being taught D'Nealian script as a primary penmanship style in preparing to learn cursive; this might be a main contributor. Also, see Regional handwriting variation for some interesting info. V-Man - ^T/_C 02:27, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

(addition) Mostly what I see in my handwriting as well as that of others that is at variance with the D'Nealian script are the letters i, k, and t, those being revised to more closely resemble standard print; the rest has their curves straightened, basically. V-Man - ^T/_C 02:53, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

market planning

1. discuss factors affecting marketing planning 2. discuss key players in market planning

• Please read the instructions at the top of the page. These questions are too general and sound very much like homework. - Mgm|^(talk) 08:54, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

market planning

players in market planning

How about Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, or maybe Ben Bernanke? disclaimer:I've never taken any type of economics class and do not know what I'm talking about.

Market planning is very different from marketing planning. Marco polo 13:13, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

planning marketing

factors affecting marketing planning

I've heard rumor of some sort of invisible hand being a factor...

Books could be written on this subject, and have been, most of them rather boring. For example, there is the newly published Marketing Management: A Strategic Decision-Making Approach by John W. Mullins. You will find this, and many others like it, at your local business school library or on Amazon.com. Marco polo 13:12, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

Percent deaths by race

What is the percent of people by race who have died for America in war? 71.100.175.14 12:34, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

Which war? The percentage of casualties by race will have changed dramatically over time, as the racial make-up of the US has changed and as the military forces have changed their policies regarding who can and cannot serve in combat roles. For example, I would guess that the percentage of military Civil War casualties who were of African descent would be significantly smaller than the same statistic calculated for the Vietnam War. - Eron ^Talk 12:56, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

All countries, all wars, all races, recorded to date. 71.100.175.14 16:53, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

Air conditioners

Where is a good source for free info on air conditioners?129.112.109.252 13:50, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

What type of information are you looking for? Air conditioner would be a good start, of course. --LarryMac 13:55, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

Did you want reviews of available models? Info on how they function? What type of free info were you looking for? If you'd like reviews, and you're in the U.S., there is a magazine called Consumer Reports that is published monthly. They do a lot of tests on various household items and rate them. I would think that they have reviewed air conditioners before, probably very recently with spring in the air, and you should be able to find some good reviews there. Back issues should be available at your local library. Dismas|^(talk) 19:03, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

They also have a significant portion of their archives online. While their site requires a monthly subscription, they have a one-month free trial available. You might consider using that, too. — Lomn 19:20, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

Small caliber cannons on elephants.

In the Wiki article about war elephants, someone makes a passing mention of culverins having been mounted to war-elephant mahouts at one time or another. I have searched and searched databases and journals to the extent of my ability to do so, and absolutely nowhere have I found an account of whether or not this was even possible, let alone a description of its actually having been implemented.

Can someone direct me to a reliable source that might describe the use of cannons on elephants, or a debate as to whether or not this ever could have occurred?

The general consensus among my peers is that it was never used or even possible, but I haven't yet read a peer-reviewed article on the subject.

67.8.42.116 17:43, 19 April 2007 (UTC)Ken

I remember reading in one of my college history books that someone once tried very unsuccessfully to try that, I think it may have been the Persian empire but I'm not sure about that.Ken 20:44, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

MeltBanana posted this link to a picture of a camel with a small cannon on its back in response to a similar question last August. However, the general conclusion of that discussion, as well as my Google search on the subject, suggest that cannons being mounted on elephants is mere speculation and has no immediately visible references. V-Man - ^T/_C 03:41, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

flights

If i were to randomly go to detroit airport on a weekday sometime in june and ask around the desks what is the likelihood i could get a flight to new york laguardia (return for 2/3 days later). Being from england i dont know how busy flights tend to be over there. Would the cost of buying a ticket at the airport be cheaper or more expensive than buying online. Dont worry no exact figures nesecarry, just trying to figure out what ill do seeing as i most likely wont know a firm date ill be going, untill maybe day or two before i go if that makes sense. Rickystrapp 17:47, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

I don't have any data on how busy flights are, but some quick research on Expedia indicates that there are only two airlines that fly non-stop from Detroit to LaGuardia, Northwest and American. If you were willing to fly to JFK, Delta would be added to the list. Two of the US low-cost carriers, Airtran and Southwest, have service in Detroit, but no direct flights to New York. My gut feeling is that using an internet travel site would be less time-consuming and cheaper than buying at the airport. --LarryMac 18:05, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

You can expect to pay many times more if trying to get a last minute flight, unless you fly "standby", meaning you go on the next available flight (when some of the seats are empty because not everyone showed up). If I were you, I'd make online reservations for the last date you may have to leave, and just spend any extra days in Detroit. You can go to the Ren Cen, eat at the revolving restaurant and see Windsor, Ontario across the Detroit River. Then you can go to the Henry Ford Museum, check out the Rosa Parks bus, the chair in which Lincoln was assassinated, the limo in which Kennedy was assassinated (as well as all the other presidential limos), an IMAX film, etc. Go to the Detroit Institute of Arts and check out the Diego Rivera mural. Go to the Detroit Film Theatre and see an obscure foreign film. Then go to the Detroit Science Center: [9]. Let me know if you need any more ideas. StuRat 21:52, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

The price is not much different in person or online. But as Sturat says, tickets bought less than a week in advance tend to be expensive. That said, I just checked the price (online) of a ticket two days from now from Detroit to LaGuardia on Northwest and found that it is only $180. I had expected about five times that. If you flew with US Airways and changed planes in Washington DC (lengthening your trip from 2 hours to more than 4), you could do it for $152 (per Travelocity.com). This is not bad. Whether these relatively low prices for last-minute flights will still be available in peak season is hard to predict. Marco polo 01:12, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

Why is an entry 'redirected' to another entry of the same name?

Hi, I'm looking at the People magazine entry and I noticed that under the title of the article, it says "Redirected from People magazine." When I click on the other entry I noticed that the information is not the same as that of the first entry?

Thank you.

This should probably be asked at Wikipedia:Help Desk, but I'll try to explain it to you. You're talking about the article at People (magazine). You searched for People magazine, which is redirected to the People (magazine) article. This is a convenience for users, and it lets people look for things in Wikipedia which might be known by more than one name. If you click on the link to go back to the "People magazine" page, you see a "Redirect" command, which tells the software which runs Wikipedia to just keep on going to the page in the "Redirect" link. Corvus cornix 18:27, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

As for why the article is named "People (magazine)" and not "People magazine" it's because the actual name of the magazine is just simply "People". If you go to People you'll see that the page is about humans. You, me, everybody. There are also many things that are referred to by the word "People" so to disambiguate between them, words are often put in parentheses to seperate them. The words in parentheses aren't meant to be read as the actual name of that thing, just as a means to tell one from the other. Dismas|^(talk) 19:00, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

And disambiguation (disambiguation) disambiguates disambiguation.--Shantavira 19:25, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

Managerial accounting: treatment, prevention and discouragement of "freebie abuse"

Can someone relay to me the formal name and treatment of "freebie abuse"? Suppose you are a customer of the local photocopy shop for example. You may notice there are "free" paperclips and tape and other incidental items for customers. Obviously, their use is predicated on the fact that you are a paying customer, but what if customers went crazy and started using more than a "reasonable amount" of these incidental items? Im looking for general treatment of this issue, especially as it relates to small businesses that sometimes offer "special conveniences" to distinguish themselves and please customers. NoClutter 19:11, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

Sounds to me like a specific case of the tragedy of the commons. I don't know that any treatment for the propensity to abuse "free" resources has been found; this page would suggest that none has so far. - Eron ^Talk 20:34, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

Architecture

What is the current training required, current courses available to students,local institutions wich offer appropriate training and the nature, length and cost of such training in South Africa?

If you are actually interested in this then you would be much better off actually asking one of the institutions. It shouldn't be hard to find a higher learning institute in south africa and they usually have course councellors and things like web sites and open days which are designed to inform people about exactly the kind of things you are asking. Vespine 00:01, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

Here is a link to the architecture program at the University of Cape Town. Here is one to the architecture program at the University of the Witwatersrand. No doubt other universities in South Africa have such programs. You can start your research with our List of universities in South Africa. Marco polo 01:18, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

3 questions

1. What is the song you hear in the background of advertisements for Fox's new show, Drive?

2. I keep hearing a song on the radio but can't figure out what it is. It's about Alice in Wonderland and has the lyrics "remember... what the doorman said... and ...and the white night". That's about all I can remember.

Sounds like Jefferson Airplane's White Rabbit to me. - Eron ^Talk 20:35, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

3. There was a music video filmed in Butte, Montana about twenty years ago that was about the mines being closed. It had the name "Down the River" or "Sold Down the River" or something like that. I know that the band was British and that supposedly they liked the story about Butte and the mining because it reminded them of their hometown.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks, --69.51.87.130 20:22, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

For #2, it sounds like White Rabbit (song), a quite old song by the Jefferson Airplane. It is dormouse, not "doorman", and white knight. --LarryMac 20:37, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

Thanks. I actually knew that it was white "knight", but I spelled it wrong. --Captain Wikify ^Argh! 20:54, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

For #3, "Sold me down the River," by The Alarm. The video was filmed I think at the Anselmo Mine in Butte. Cheers Geologyguy 23:24, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

Logic: Identity of indiscernibles (two objects possessing the exact same properties are one and the same?)

This is a question about the Identity of indiscernibles article in wikipedia. Does a "property" (or "predicate") of an object include its position in space and time? If not, how are there not objects which have the same properties but aren't one and the same (eg. 2 elementary particles). If so, then isn't the only relevent property of an object its position in space and time? 67.70.29.221 20:36, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

But then you'd be excluding non-physical objects. Recury 20:54, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

see also Pauli exclusion principle. V-Man - ^T/_C 03:46, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

This is a bit 'out there' but you could also think about the idea that (I believe) Feynmann came up with that because positrons have identical properties to what a time-reversed electron would have - then you could imagine that when an electron and a positron annihilate - or when an electron-positron pair materialise spontaneously out of free space - that this is merely a single electron reversing in time and heading off in the opposite direction. Since all electrons are indistinguishable, it would be possible to claim that there is only one electron/positron in the entire universe and it spends all of it's existance shuttling back and forth in time - appearing to be in many places at once. SteveBaker 15:45, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

World map of flags

File:50 States flag.PNG

I am looking for a world map with flags overlayed onto each respective country. Basically, I want the images at right, but for all countries on the same map, rather than individually. If anyone knows of an image like this, that would be greatly appreciated. If you know how to edit pictures, it would be fantastic if you could make one for me. Thanks!!! Reywas92^Talk 21:19, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

I don't have the skills to do what you want but I thought I'd mention something. How big did you want this map to be? The reason I ask is that for countries like Liechtenstein, you could have something as small as a single pixel or if you wanted to actually be able to tell that there was a flag with different colors there, you would need to blow the image up so far that even a mid-sized country like Germany would be absolutely huge! Not to mention the bigger countries such as China, the U.S., Canada, or Brazil. Dismas|^(talk) 21:31, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

I found this - according to the program's site, "Advanced formatting options are easily accessible as each country (or any section of the map) can be customized with different label, background and fill options. Here [it shows a picture] country backgrounds are set to flag images and label sizes and formatting customized." --Ali 21:37, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

I don't really care about the size; smaller countries will just be unseen. Ali, your link seems to be great, but what is already made is only Europe. I could probably do that. Thanks! Reywas92^Talk 22:53, 19 April 2007 (UTC) Oh wait, I have to download it and such. That won't work. Reywas92^Talk 23:16, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

One issue with that map of Europe is that Corsica and Portugal both appear red only, suggesting they are different parts of the same country. And Sardinia appears green only, which might suggest it's a part of Libya. Both of these would be incorrect inferences. I guess the maps of France and Italy respectively would need to be downsized to show all 3 colours. JackofOz 02:23, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

Conjugal Visits

I don't even know if I'm posting this in the right spot, so if I'm not, I'm truely sorry. I have a question about Conjugal visits. Why is it that only 6 states allow them? I would think they would work well in a lot more states. Just curious and if anyone has the answer please let me know.

MommaRyan 21:38, 19 April 2007 (UTC) -- (copied in from Village Pump) - Tony Fox (arf!) 22:26, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

Something to do with prison being meant as a deterrent & punishment. Vranak

That SOUNDS nifty, Vranak, but as an asnwer, it seems to have no basis in fact. Instead, a look at our conjugal visit article and at the state laws which do allow conjugal visits suggests that the function of the conjugal visit, where it is allowed, is to serve the unjailed spouse, not the inmate:

Come now, of course it's meant as deterrent & punishment. Vranak

The generally recognized basis for permitting such a visit is that, even though the inmate has lost their rights with incarceration, their spouse still has the right to enjoy sexual intimacy, and should not be required to divorce or commit adultery in order to enjoy conjugal rights.

They do also mention that providing conjugal visit facilities is pretty elaborate; were we to allow original guesses, I'd also suggest that CJs cost "too" much, since supporting conjugal visits is a bit expensive for the state, and probably hard to sell to budget-watchers.

As for the original question: though Washington does still allow conjugal visits, the case history here alludes to an incident in which a conjugal visit turned into a rape/shootout, which in turn caused the state to significantly tighten the parameters under which they would allow conjugal visits to continue in the state. I wonder, given that, if many states believe that the conjugal visit establishes too high stakes an environment, one which they cannot control, and thus one which they cannot support, lest they be held responsible for what might happen during a conjugal visit. Jfarber 01:10, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

Since this question requires an opinion, I've answered here: [10]. Note that my first opinion matches that of Vranak above. StuRat 05:28, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

Just because you and Vranak hold the same opinion doesn't make this a question which requires an opinion, StuRat. (In fact, your answer at WikiU offers several conjectures, which is not the same as "an opinion".) Though many questions about motive are indeed unanswerable except with conjecture and opinion, this question is not one of those. Questions about why certain rights are/are not afforded to a certain class of government-protected persons will be answerable via reference to legal documents and case law which establishes or changes those rights. Jfarber 12:41, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

Those interested in discussing the ramifications of claiming something is an opinion-based question when it clearly is not are welcome to join me on the talk page...

Everything submitted to Wikipedia is a mere opinion, unless you wish to suggest that objective metaphysical reality, an obvious oxymoron, exists. Vranak

Facebook

Is it possible to join Facebook so that you can see other people's pages at your school but not have a page of your own at all? I'd occasionally like to see what people put about themselves but I don't want a page of my own of any sort. Just curious. --140.247.10.155 22:50, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

Just make a page of your own under a random alias and never use it. Or tell anyone about it. Яussiaп F 01:15, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

Wikipedia reference desk

Hi, I was wondering what sort of qualifications are necessary to help staff the reference desk. Thanks,

Casey 208.140.9.250 23:06, 19 April 2007 (UTC)sunlizard

No qualifications needed. This is totally volunteer. --Fastfission 23:07, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

A desire to help answer questions. We are working on some guidelines, however they are not fully established yet. Feel free to jump in! --LarryMac 23:11, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

Patience, spare time, courtesy and a sense of humour help:) Vespine 23:58, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

Time on your hands, hands (or other methods of typing), and a few neurons that have been used recently. Clarityfiend 00:26, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

----

You must be this tall to help staff the Wikipedia Reference Desks. Jfarber 01:30, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

It helps to have a deep sense of regret that you didn't do enough of your own homework as a child. --TotoBaggins 01:49, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

Aw crap, all of those? That's it; I'm done. - Eron ^Talk 03:06, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

What if I don't have that regret? --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 06:06, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

I think it's important to come here with the expectation that you will spend more time researching questions for other people than you will be able to answer off the top of your head. Hence - whilst theoretically we are here to teach - the practical upshot is that we learn more than the questioners do. In short, it's an excuse to stuff our heads full of trivia! SteveBaker 12:19, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

Ontario colleges

Which Ontario colleges served history course?

I would think that nearly every college in Ontario offers at least one history class. Here is a list of colleges in Ontario. Click on the links to research those that interest you. Marco polo 01:25, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

Few if any of the colleges listed in that link will teach history, since history is generally a university subject, not a college subject. Universities are not called "colleges" in Canada (although at some universities, specific faculties might be called "colleges" for historical reasons). Colleges teach things such as secretarial arts, dental hygiene, welding technology, aircraft maintenance and the like. Try List of universities in Ontario. --Charlene 03:43, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

Image of unknown army voucher

I found and scanned an interesting note, but I do not even know where to start looking to find an appropriate article for it. Can it be identified and dated? J Are you green? 23:14, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

I think this could very well be a BAF-a British Army Forces voucher, issued during the period 1945-1958 for the use of soldiers stationed in Germany. Have a look at item two here [11] Clio the Muse 23:41, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

<Applause> Well done! As a matter of interest, how did you get to that? --Anonymous, April 20, 2007, 00:58 (UTC).

Thank you! I googled 'British Army Forces vouchers' and came up with the Wardrobe site. It was no more scientific than that! Clio the Muse 09:06, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

April 20

Marketing

what does it mean by MARKETING IMPLICATIONS

Who or what is "it"? --Ybbor^TalkSurvey! 01:21, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

No need to be snide, fellow volunteer -- this phrasing has the fairly common structure of a non-native speaker's attempt to say "What does the phraseMarketing Implications mean?" Jfarber 01:27, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

I wasn't attempting to do so (such is the limitations of our medium). "It" could have been a reference to a specific Wikipedia article, or something someone else said on this page. In any event, thanks for the tip, and I'll keep a heads up for this kind of language in the future :). --Ybbor^TalkSurvey! 02:52, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

Marketing implications: A Google search of the term (in quotes) reveals no definition, but the phrase seems to be used to mean "ways in which thing X reframes the underlying market for goods and services". For example, the marketing implications of modern feminism might include a higher demand for pink cordless drills, an increased cultural demand for pre-made and quick-to-prepare foods, and a need to start portraying women as strong, partnered breadwinners when showing familiy units and promoting products for families. (Oh, and if you use my example for your homework, I expect you to attribute it to the Wikipedia Reference desks, as per our license.) Jfarber 01:27, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

Marketing implications must refer to some specific <product or service> in the widest sense. It refers specifically to the implications for the marketer of satisfying the prospective customer's (and/or consumer's) need or want. Thus the marketing implications refer to the use or value as perceived by the customer. i.e. MIs for a motor car may be safety, reliability for an older person, yet - for the same car - speed and pull value for the young male customers. Thus the marketing plan is set with the implications of each market segment in mind. (I'd let you cite me but we must remain anonymous!)90.9.87.148 14:25, 20 April 2007 (UTC)petitmichel

Is Matrixism Cho Seung-Hui's Religion?

I heard that Cho Seung-Hui followed a religion based on the movie The Matrix. Is that true? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 206.124.144.3 (talk • contribs)

There are quite literally dozens of rumours going around right now, far too many for any one to be verifiable or not. Anyone could say anything about him and someone would take it seriously. --Charlene 02:38, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

The Matrix is now a religion? Wow. I really need to get out more. - Eron ^Talk 03:07, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

See Hyperreality. Nebraska Bob 17:05, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

If you want to learn more about Matrixism, after numerous deletions due to poor citation and a lack of notability, a number of legit sources have been published; we're drafting an article here that cites a good half dozen or so.

Some killers, include Lee Boyd Malvo, the Beltway sniper, [12] do appear to have believed to some extent that the movie was real; often this is used as an attempted insanity plea by the defence. Laïka 10:20, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

Are you thinking of marxism? --h2g2bob 18:17, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

56k of spamrant removed (n/t)

Thanks Jfarber, for the memory. ;-) ~ hydnjo talk  06:49, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

Marketing

Kindly give me a name of well known company's portfolio, the product length, the product width and the product line of that same company.

thank you — Preceding unsigned comment added by Brebylina (talk • contribs)

See this or this or even this. ~ hydnjo talk  08:49, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

Weyerhaeuser. 8 feet. 3.5 inches. Lumber.

Atlant 13:07, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

Locked doors in voting lobby

Hello All, Whilst watching the BBC Parliament channel the other day, I do this rather too much so that I can confirm my belief that democrcacy doesn't work, the Madam Deputy Speaker made a statement that she would investigate the incident of some MP's not being able to vote (Pensions Bill. I think) because they couldn't unlock a door. I can't find anywhere that reports what happened and how many votes went uncast. DOes anybody know? many thanks Scraggy4 09:27, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

Attorney Client Privelage

Under what conditions, if any, may the IDENTITY of the client be held privelaged? I.e. if a client would like an attorney to represent him/her on a transaction, but remain annonymous through that transaction, to what extent can that annonymity be legally upheld?

I'm afraid what you're asking is pretty clearly legal advice, which we do not and cannot offer. This is especially problematic here, as Wikipedia is an international tool, and even if it what you ask were generally true/false, the exact conditions under which a lawyer may or may not be able to hold client identity a secret may vary depending on your location. My suggestion: ask a local lawyer this question, or contact your local Bar association. Jfarber 18:29, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

Benefits of a pure-flat CRT, and the quality levels of cheap CRT screens.

I currently use a pure-flat 58cm CRT television, an LG Flatron series that I got a few years ago for around AU$380. I was looking around today and spotted an 80cm budget CRT -- curved, and only AU$150 (USD$125). What are the benefits of using a pure-flat CRT? Why is the latter TV so much cheaper (they are both 576i/480i only), and what can make cheap CRTs crappier? Pesapluvo 17:29, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

DJ Sharpnel song "Gate of Dreams" sample source?

Does anyone know the source for the sample used in the DJ Sharpnel song "Gate of Dreams" from the Album, Mad Breaks? It is a Japanese source, most probably from an anime.

Programming in non-english places like japan

I'm not a programmer, but I know enough java to realize that almost everything you type is based on an english word. Are there versions of programming languages for other languages, or do they learn the commands even though they don't make any sense to them to look at them.

The vast majority of programming languages are based on English vocabulary, but a few are not. See Categorical list of programming languages#Non-English-based languages. Marco polo 18:42, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

So do programmers just learn what looks like random shit? Or do they already know english usually.