Wikipedia:Reference desk/Miscellaneous

May 16

"Direct Descendant"???

This question has been moved to the appropriate desk i.e. Humanities which deals with society. You can find it here: Wikipedia:Reference_desk/Humanities#.22Direct_Descendant.22.3F.3F.3F. --Eptypes 06:49, 16 May 2007 (UTC)

Year 12 Jumpers

Here's an example pic I found on the school uniform article. --Candy-Panda 06:01, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

Hi,
I'm wondering if anyone can recommend a good company (must be in Australia, preferably Vic) to order custom Year 12 jumpers - you know the type, with all your names on the back and stuff. Thanks! --124.181.74.161 07:53, 16 May 2007 (UTC)

As usual, I am of no help. I was just wondering if someone could explain to this Yankee what a Year 12 jumper is. I'm guessing it's some sort of clothing...? Dismas|^(talk) 08:33, 16 May 2007 (UTC)

It is indeed some sort of clothing. It's a recent tradition in Australian state high schools that year 12 students (ie, Seniors) get a Rugby Jersey-style jumper with their name or nickname, the year, the name of the school, and possibly the entire class list for that year printed on it. FiggyBee 08:55, 16 May 2007 (UTC)

Okay, thanks. That helped a lot. It also helps that I looked up jumper and saw that the word has different definitions outside the U.S. I couldn't comprehend a co-ed class full of students wearing what I think of as a jumper.  :-) Dismas|^(talk) 09:19, 16 May 2007 (UTC)

"Two countries separated by a common language" indeed. :P FiggyBee 12:14, 16 May 2007 (UTC)

After that little exercise in Yankee enlightenment, we might get back to the question. I don't think recommendation of particular companies is appropriate here, but you will find dozens of listings under "Screen Printers" in the Melbourne Yellow Pages, either hard copy or online, many with web sites. --Prophys 12:53, 16 May 2007 (UTC)

I got one for my year 6 graduation, too. Froglars the frog 15:30, 16 May 2007 (UTC)

It's a tradition in Brazil as well, but with T-shirts instead. A.Z. 01:44, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

race change

i've heard of sex changes, but is there such thing as a race change? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 75.111.190.135 (talk) 08:47, 16 May 2007 (UTC).

Michael Jackson certainly isn't as black as he used to be. On a less dramatic scale, there is skin whitening and the conk. However, I believe most modern biologists and anthropologists would say that you cannot literally change what race you are, because there's no objective meaning of race in the first place. FiggyBee 09:04, 16 May 2007 (UTC)

It depends on your definition of race. Is it the objective standard of skin colour and body features, or is it the social construct of different customs, beliefs, and attitudes? Either way, I believe it would be possible to "change race". - 2-16 12:14, 16 May 2007 (UTC)

Those who believe in some kind of genetically determined race would also believe you can't change it. There are probably also those who believe that having cosmetic surgery can't really change your sex, which is determined by the chromosomes. So you could change your appearance (like Jackson) and change your actions (like a wigger) but I don't think you can change your genes (although who knows where technology will lead us?). Cyta 12:26, 16 May 2007 (UTC)

I change my genes every day. V-Man - ^T/_C 00:55, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

Michael Jackson had a skin disorder, and despite people calling him "white", he's black. There was a triplet of albino children in the UK, and they were of African descent. Mr. Raptor 13:22, 16 May 2007 (UTC)

A skin disorder and a lot of plastic surgery... FiggyBee 14:29, 16 May 2007 (UTC)

If Micheal Jackson had a skin disorder, then I'm going to proclaim laziness a disease and collect disability on it -- Phoeba Wright^OBJECTION! 01:50, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

To clarify that, they weren't born black and mysteriously started becoming albino when they were getting themselves plastic surgery and trying to become peter pan -- Phoeba Wright^OBJECTION! 01:52, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

And albinism has nothing to do with vitiligo, which is what Jackson claims to suffer from. (Whether he has had tons of plastic surgery is itself not disputable; whether this is responsible for his skin turning pasty white is. It doesn't look much like vitiligo to me — he seems to have gradually lightened over the years — but I'm no dermotologist.) --24.147.86.187 03:42, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

That's what I was saying. They didn't just lose color, they were born with it, so it's unrelated, and from what i've seen, vitiligo is supposed to be in 'patches', not over your entire body, and not all at once -- Phoeba Wright^OBJECTION! 07:48, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

You might want to see our article about the book Black Like Me. There's also Passing (racial identity).

Atlant 12:18, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

Yes Michael Jackson has vitiligo and in one of the documenaries about him they interviewed his makeup artist who explained that in the beginning she was spending all her time covering up white patches to make Michael black, and over the years as the disease progressed she ended up doing the opposite: covering up the black patches to make Michael white. Certainly we can add a long list of oddeties about Michael Jackson, and we can even be inclined to believe he made himself white, but, with this vitiligo in the mix it seems to me that should be giving him the benefit of the doubt. Personally I believe that if he had to take a shower and not have his clothes on you would find he has a lot of 'black' patches and would look more like a black person. Rfwoolf 14:53, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

*shudder* V-Man - ^T/_C 01:44, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

Circa 1967 I read a brief article about a South African White girl who, after some kinda surgery, grew darker enough that she was reclassified as Coloured (i guess) and needed special approval to go on living with her family. —Tamfang 19:52, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

solar system

please help me to find the following. thank you in advance. what i want is all planets, their distance from the sun, diameter, period of revolution, period of rotation, moons and other special characters.124.43.247.222 12:57, 16 May 2007 (UTC)

• You could try our article on Solar system, also our article on Astronomical unit--VectorPotential^Talk 12:58, 16 May 2007 (UTC)

• You might also find Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune useful. We also have an article on Pluto, Ceres, and Eris--VectorPotential^Talk 13:02, 16 May 2007 (UTC)

Table of planets and dwarf planets in the Solar System might be useful as well. Allow to me to, once again, point out one of Wikipedia's beautiful portals, Portal:Solar System in this case. ---Sluzzelin talk 14:39, 16 May 2007 (UTC)

What about Sedna

What about her? The information you seek can be seen in the article you linked to yourself. For comparative tables and diagrams, see the article on Trans-Neptunian object. ---Sluzzelin talk 16:00, 16 May 2007 (UTC)

....and other "special characters".--Shantavira 17:13, 16 May 2007 (UTC)

Uranus even says who was the first person to see the ring around Uranus. Edison 18:28, 16 May 2007 (UTC)

Oh the temptation to add some sort of witty punchline there :) I'll be good and resist... Lemon martini 15:53, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

Census Report for Palm Harbor, Florida

I work for a children's museum and need the following information: where can I find a list of households with children in Palm Harbor, Florida? Is there a Census report that I can purchase? I would appreciate any help you can give me. Thank you. Lbergeest 17:47, 16 May 2007 (UTC)

The census does not release information about specific households (at least not for 100 years or so) - it only releases broad statistical abstracts. Some mail-order marketing companies have lists of people, households, etc., built from other data sources, which they claim can show all kinds of demographic information about specific addresses. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 17:58, 16 May 2007 (UTC)

The last census released with personal data is the 1930 census. It's every 75-80 years, I think. The 1940 census will probably be released sometime after 2010. Corvus cornix 18:02, 16 May 2007 (UTC)

The 1930 census lists 531 individuals in Palm Harbor by name, specifying their address, where they and their parents were born, what language they spoke, whether they went to school during the year, the parents occupation and military service, whether there is a radio in the house, the value of the property, and other interesting variables. Many of the younger person then are doubtless still living now. A "then and now" exhibit might be interesting in your children's museum. Edison 18:26, 16 May 2007 (UTC)

Edgeless City

I am looking for the definition of an "edgeless city", which I've been told is a small scale and scattered form of commercial development. Perhaps even an example would do... —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 75.69.100.190 (talk) 19:10, 16 May 2007 (UTC).

Google search for "edgeless city". Also, compare with Edge city. --LarryMac | Talk 19:20, 16 May 2007 (UTC)

Possibly look at Urban_rural_fringe and Urban_sprawl, too. If this is for homework then your geography book will have a much better definition than looking through Wikipedia articles, unless someone here gives you a good definition. JoshHolloway 17:40, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

The Google search I linked gave several definitions, many which were visible right on the results page. I didn't feel a need to copy and paste them here. --LarryMac | Talk 18:00, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

Identification required: Nissan pickup truck

Mystery Nissan...

While on holiday recently, I took a number of photos of old, rare cars and vans (well, the sort of thing you don't see on Britain's roads very often!). However, I can't positively identify all of them (make and model info, year etc). Last time I uploaded a "mystery car photo" to the Reference Desk, it was correctly identified very quickly, so I'm hoping these won't be too obscure!

Here's the first, then: photographed in Palaiokastritsa, Corfu, it is obviously a Nissan pickup truck of some description; but if anybody could provide a model name/number, an approximate year of manufacture and any other relevant info, I would be most grateful. (I would like to add the image to relevant article/s.) It looks to be late-1970s, at a guess...? Hassocks5489 20:38, 16 May 2007 (UTC)

I believe it's an early model Datsun 720, although obviously badged as a Nissan. Dismas|^(talk) 22:33, 16 May 2007 (UTC)

I also seem to recall Nissan having a economy compact pick up that was called the B2000 or something similar which your photo reminds me of. My mistake, it was Mazda that had the B series of trucks. On a side note, I didn't think that in searching for the name of a pick up truck that I'd so easily stumble across porn... Dismas|^(talk) 22:37, 16 May 2007 (UTC)

• That was naive;teh iintarwebz iz 4 prOn.hotclaws 11:11, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

That's why I don't do any image-searching at work!!  :) Thanks for your advice, Dismas; using that as a starting point, I did some searching and found that the Datsun B120 series may well be the one. It certainly shares styling characteristics with the B110 and 120Y cars. Thanks again! Hassocks5489 18:44, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

Looking for a caricature

Greetings. A year ago or so I came across a caricature depicting a white male whipping some black (?) children with a whip that looked like the Nike logo, and yelling "Just do it!" It was on one of the many "funny image" sites. I would love to find it again, and I was just wondering if anyone might know where to look for it? –mysid☎ 21:11, 16 May 2007 (UTC)

Searching Google images for "Just do it" immediately brought up this page.--Shantavira 07:34, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

CAUTION! McAfee Security Center issued a warning about that site when I clicked on it, and locked it out.Edison 14:35, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

It's an SSL site which offers you a certificate which is not certified by a known certification authority. I'm guessing that freaked McAffee, but AFAIK it's an entirely benign thing. --Tagishsimon (talk)

Great! Thank you very very much. Google Images seems to have updated since.. :-) –mysid☎ 08:14, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

A question I like to ask...

I was thinking about creating my concept of Anime, called "Amerime". Well, some anime series have children getting attacked. Is it okay to have the same thing in amerime, at least without blood?

According to our articles, Amerime is in effect non-Japanese Anime. According to the Amine article, Anime has many genres typically found in any mass media form. Such genres include action, adventure, children's stories, comedy, drama, erotica (hentai), medieval fantasy, occult/horror, romance, and science fiction. This being the case, then attacking children, with or without blood, seems to be entirely okay. --Tagishsimon (talk)

Drum Shells

Im wondering if some of your readers may be able to help me. I have a project that requires the use of 12" of prefereably 14" dia drum shells of at least 6 ply (1cm) thickness. I dont need any special finish or holes or anything: just the shells. I live in uk and wondered if there was any supplier of raw drum shells here. Thanks for any info. Drummer boy

Is there any chance that Sonotubes (very rigid cardboard concrete forms) will do?

Atlant 12:20, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

n/a (Wikipedia history)

Where do i find who made this site for my bibliography?

See the article on Wikipedia. it has some info on the early days.  Adam2288  T  C  23:51, 16 May 2007 (UTC)

See Wikipedia:Citing Wikipedia, or just go to the article you're using and click "Cite this article" in the toolbox at the bottom of the sidebar. Algebraist 00:00, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

Just a suggestion. Don't cite Wikipedia. Good articles should have any important facts cited by reliable sources. Follow those references and cite them rather than Wikipedia. It's usually considered bad practice to use any encyclopedia as a citation in an academic work. -- mattb 01:08, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

There are circumstances where it's acceptable to cite Wikipedia, for instance to provide succinct introductions to area where the writer is an expert in the topic area and wants to provide an accessible summary for non-experts. --Robert Merkel 13:59, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

Perhaps, though I would never cite Wikipedia in anything intended for academic publication. -- mattb 04:44, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

May 17

Career opportunities etc

I am currently finishing my first year in an honours degree in a Biology degree, though I feel.. disatisfied. I am considering changing to a Joint Degree (not honours, a 3 year one at Glasgow university) in Mathematics and a language (such as Russian or Classical Greek etc.) I am unsure of the career options in a non-honours degree in such a subject. I have also looked at the potential of Postgrad degrees and most of these have a requirement of an honours degree so.. aye. Thanks

So, you're considering certain things, and you have looked at certain things. Great. Now, how can we help you? --Tugbug 01:01, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

I found the question. She's wondering what her career options are, if she takes a non-honors joint degree in mathematics and a language. I don't know the answer, but that's definitely the question. And she mentions Glasgow, so I'm assuming we're dealing with a Scottish education system. -FisherQueen (Talk) 01:56, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

Have you tried contacting the Glasgow University Careers Service? Their website is here --Dweller 09:06, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

Model T VIN

I have recently acquired a 1923 Model T Ford Touring Car. I need to find the VIN number on the car so it can be titled correctly.

I have looked through all the manuals I have at hand and attempted to search through Google...no luck.

Can you tell me where this number is located on the car?

Thank you so much for your help.

24.20.150.233 02:25, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

It's reasonable to believe that a car made in 1923 does not have a VIN (since they were only standardised in the 1980s). I would suggest contacting your local Department of Transportation and asking them for advice, as the rules regarding vehicles with no existing VIN (vintage, home-built, etc) vary from place to place; they may issue you with a VIN, or give you a generic number to use. FiggyBee 02:45, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

Check with Model T Ford Club International and the Model T Ford Club of America those guys will tell you what works. If you plan on running the thing - you're going to need the kind of expert advice (and parts!) they have sooner or later! SteveBaker 21:24, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

WORLD COMMUNICATIONS DAY

Which day of the year is celebrated as WORLD COMMUNICATIONS DAY?

I don't know, apparently nobody bothered to tell me there even was a world communications day. :-) StuRat 02:18, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

Please do not write in uppercase text; it is considered to be shouting & hence rude. This year it appears (by inference) to be 20 May, according to [1]. For those like me who were hitherto unaware of it, it seems to be some sort of Roman Catholic initiative. Inter Mirifica may relate, though that seems to deal with World Social Communication Day, which may or may not be the same thing. This sermon gives some more background. --Tagishsimon (talk)

Be fair, maybe World Communications Day and WORLD COMMUNICATIONS DAY are two different things. (I recently transcribed an interview with an African-American-African woman who had adopted the name IMAHKÜS Njinga Okofo Ababio.) —Tamfang 20:04, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

customer role in businees

I would like to fing information on "what is the role of a customer in a business" Thank

A quick Google search turns up some links which might help you out. This is just one mention that I found that may be of interest to you. Dismas|^(talk) 11:23, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

See the guides for posting at the top. We can't help you with your homework, especially if you don't show any signs of looking for it yourself first -- Phoeba Wright^OBJECTION! 11:28, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

song help?

can anyone tell me the song in this video? note:i love lanvin the clothes are so edgy :) [[2]] - video

Yup, I'd like to know, too (having failed to find it via a lyrics search). --Tagishsimon (talk)

I can tell you that the lyrics sung by the woman are likely sampled from the song "Good Morning Heartache". Stop haunting me now/Can't shake you no how are from that old standard. --Charlene 22:16, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

What plugins do you need to see that video? Oddly I can play the trailer for Starter Wife on that same page, but for the main content I see an empty region. (Firefox on MacOS.) —Tamfang 20:08, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

Advice for learning japanese

^{OHMIGAWD! I'm asking an opinion question on the reference desk! Noo!} Does anyone have advice on learning japanese? I'd tried it before, halfassed it, and eventually just kinda stopped. A couple nights ago though, I just got this really strong urge to learn it though. Right now, I only know bits and pieces, like the standard fare at the beginning of those learning kit things, a few kana, and a couple things I picked up from random forums/experiences. Right now, i'm thinking i'm going to get back into those books I bought, but what should I do after I catch back up on that? I figure it'll probably take me longer than I would guess to learn hiragana and katakana (and longer than that to find the damn book), then basic conversational things over again, what should I do after that? I was thinking I could take classes from the local community college (JCCC, if there's an article here), but i'm not sure if that would be worth it without more of an understanding than I have now. Not to mention, when I learned spanish, my biggest problem was learning vocabulary (well, and staying awake...), I could sleep through the grammar sections (and as alluded to in the previous parenthesis, often did) and turn out alright- I'm kinda afraid of that happening again, and paying for a bunch of classes on words I can't keep up with. Also, does anyone know of any good Japanese learning programs for linux? I have one which is basically a kanji dictionary in what seems to be an order to help you learn, and one which is a kana quiz, but that's it. I'm not expecting Rosetta Stone here, but something more edumacational than that would help. I realize that it's impossible to fully learn a language without using it, and I am seriously considering joining the JET programme to help fix that, but in the short term, I would like to get a basic understanding. -- Phoeba Wright^OBJECTION! 13:14, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

fall in love with a japanese person to keep yourself motivated

Heh. Would be a nice idea, I don't think there are many around here anyway -- Phoeba Wright^OBJECTION! 22:11, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

Excuse me for not reading your question fully (I skimmed it), but I'm meant to be looking up something not answering reference desk questions! I would suggest Rosetta Stone, which allows you to learn a language through pictures. I learnt basic Italian that way, and improved my French dramatically before my roadtrip through Europe (yay!). It has both basic and advanced levels, and certainly teaches Japanese.

Also, another way of keeping in touch with the language would be to possibly start reading Japanese anime and keeping up with the story. Hope this helps! JoshHolloway 17:31, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

Could you at least have read the part around the blue highlighted "Rosetta Stone" link? -- Phoeba Wright^OBJECTION! 22:11, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

Try the Slime Forest game, mixing game with studying also helps on motivation. Joneleth 02:50, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

Transportation means in CA

I have been searching the Web for sometime now trying to find a means for traveling from my city of Modesto, CA to my final destination of the San Fransico Bay. Kaiser Hospital to be exact, Address being 2425 Geary Blvd. San Fransico, CA. I only need to find 1 or 2 different opptions for a one way trip. What's the cheapest, and or the fastest? Amtrak, Grey Hound, Bart? How many tranfers, or lay-over's? and where would these transfers or lay-over's be and for how long? I need to know this information as soon as possible please as I am trying to get to my brother who's in the hospital there in San Fransico and I'm planning on picking him up when he is released by the Doctor, only I need to find other means of transportation other than my own vehicle due to the fact I need to drive my brothers truck back into Modesto as he is unable to drive himself at this time. Thank you for your time on this matter and a quick response would be much appreciated. Your new found friend, Michelle.--75.6.173.135 14:15, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

• You can rent a car one-way - get a Taxi from the car rental place to the hospital.
• If the truck is heavy enough, you could rent a car trailer from U-Haul and use the truck to tow your car back home.

SteveBaker 21:19, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

I don't live in California, but I checked on the Internet, and it seems Greyhound is your best bet. You can take Greyhound right to San Francisco, which will take you 2 or 2.5 hours depending on which trip you take. You can then take the 38 bus right from the bus station to the hospital. The bus costs $20.50. If you take Amtrak, it will take longer, because the Amtrak train from Modesto doesn't cross the bay from Oakland to SF. They put you on a bus from the East Bay to SF, then you have to find your way to the 38. -- Mwalcoff 23:02, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

Have you thought about listing it on the ride-share section of the S.F. craigslist[3] or the (far less populated) Modesto craigslist[4]? It is a relatively common drive (from the Central Valley to the Bay Area), I bet hundreds of people make it every day, and if you offered to split the cost of gas that would probably be your best bet in terms of time and money (it would take around an hour and a half, depending on traffic, and cost maybe $15-20 or so). Barring that, Greyhound will be the quickest, though you have to factor in more than the direct travel time (there is always a lot of hullabaloo in arriving, waiting, setting off, arriving, etc.). Don't do the train; not worth it, and you don't want to end up in Oakland looking for a bus across the bridge. BART would only work if you found another way to get to Pleasanton, and even then it's not super cheap or fast. --24.147.86.187 00:09, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

Ridesharing is an option, but driving from Modesto to San Francisco will take more like two hours if there is any kind of traffic, and there usually is. Once you get to San Francisco, the 38 bus is definitely the way to go. It will cost you $1.50 each way from downtown San Francisco. It goes to the Transbay Terminal where you can connect with Greyhound. Marco polo 01:54, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

Edna, Texas

File:Edna, Texas.jpg

Why do the citizens of Edna, Texas call the town "Macaroni Station" —Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.18.90.25 (talk • contribs)

it served as a commissary for Italian railroad workers (first several Google hits for "'macaroni station' texas") — Lomn 15:02, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

internet

how do i ask an internet search engine to search only for things without a certain word in?

• On Google, at least, you can put a minus sign (-) before any words you wish to exclude. For example, to search for "Brighton" but exclude all mentions of "Hove", enter the following:

Brighton -Hove

Hassocks5489 17:10, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

Song "two people touching...

looking for a song sounds similair to love moments by Justin Robertson but the lyrics as far as i can remember a

two people kissing me then kissing each other.

its kinda ambient electronica. pretty obscure song would be happy if anyone gets it! 89.243.57.73 18:18, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

This would be a good question for the Entertainment Desk. StuRat 02:11, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

Polaroid

I woked for Polaroid for many years. At that time it was a strong company. They treated their employees with respect and most people loved working there. I am wondering if there is an organization for former employees since Polaroid no longer exists. 129.112.109.251 19:41, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

Looked around for a while on the Web and I didn't find one. I think you should be the person to start one. All you need is a Yahoo Groups mailing list (free!) and the email addresses of a few people who could spread the word to a few more. Once everyone is talking, the club will probably self-organise if people really need such a thing. SteveBaker 11:43, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

seventeen

Can anyone help me find several songs that include the number seventeen in them? I have only found like 2 so far. Thanks.oh...its also a plus if 17 is refered to as an age. --Kittycat rox 22:32, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

Well, there's "At Seventeen" by Janis Ian, which also meets your second criterion. And there's "Seventeen Seconds" by The Cure, which doesn't. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 22:43, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

There's "Edge of Seventeen (song)" by Stevie Nicks. "Seventeen (song)" four songs by different artists. Dismas|^(talk) 22:50, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

Google "seventeen lyrics" to get another few which mention the age 17 Mhicaoidh 22:55, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

For song titles, your best bet would be to go to The All Music Guide and fill in the seach box; don't forget to change the drop-down box to "Song". There's is a page full of results. Many will not match your criteria, but one I noticed which definitely does is Sexy and 17, made popular by the Stray Cats. --LarryMac | Talk 22:59, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

Don't forget "It Was a Very Good Year" by Frank Sinatra, "I Saw Her Standing There" by The Beatles and "Dancing Queen" by Abba. -- Mwalcoff 23:04, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

And how can we neglect Sixteen Going on Seventeen from The Sound of Music? —Steve Summit (talk) 01:02, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

Ah, I think I got it. Happy birthday. Nice idea.

There's 17 by Bambee, from DDR 5th Mix. -- Phoeba Wright^OBJECTION! 02:57, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

There's also "Seventeen" by ¡Forward, Russia!; one of my favourite songs. Laïka 08:34, 18 May 2007 (UTC)Sorry; the lyrics don't have the word 17. My mistake. Laïka 08:40, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

Check List_of_songs_whose_titles_are_composed_solely_of_numbers. -88.111.35.209 11:35, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

There's also 17 Again by the Eurythmics. --YFB ¿ 14:57, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

Seventeen Come Sunday is quite well known; Ralph Vaughan Williams used it in the beginning of his English Folk Song Suite, and it was recorded by folk-ish groups such as Steeleye Span and Fairport Convention.

--jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 17:36, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

I Love Rock 'n' Roll —Tamfang 20:17, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

Soccer and Basketball

In what ways are soccer better than basketball? --Ninjawolf 23:23, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

A straightforward question with a simple answer not requiring an opinion ; ) Because "the beautiful game" is played by more people in the world and is more widespread than any other! Mhicaoidh 23:47, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

Try this reason too The Simplest Game Mhicaoidh 23:54, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

So you mean to say that soccer inspired American football? --Ninjawolf 00:03, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

Its ball is much more geometrically interesting. —Steve Summit (talk) 01:05, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

(This is my personal opinion) One reason (I believe) for the popularity of Soccer around the world is that the only equipment you need is a ball (or an empty soda can!) - and four objects to act as goalposts - which can be almost anything. It's also fun for almost any number of players - you can play it with 2 people or 22 people. The rules are fairly 'unfussy' - you don't really need markings painted on the pitch - the rules are simple enough (Kick the ball between those two poles!) that anyone can play without knowing the rules. This means that kids can play it anytime there is a piece of flat ground. To play basketball, the ball has to bounce well - so a tincan won't do! The requirement for the ball to be bounced means that you can't play it well on grass - you need concrete or tarmac. You need a basket - and the game doesn't work well with more than a half dozen people on each team and the markings on the court are relatively important. That's not too bad a problem in the USA where basketball hoops are all over the place - but the game isn't going to take off in a small village in Africa in the way soccer has. SteveBaker 11:29, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

Bubi

Is it actually pronounced /bubi/?

(NB: I couldn't figure out if this is a Language or a Humanities question, so I compromised and put it here.) 80.43.84.10 23:26, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

For the Bubi people, try Bube language but this question would be better on those other desks Mhicaoidh 01:03, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

Problem is, that page has no IPA or other phonetic transcriptions on it, so I'd have to guess from the orthography. Seeing as there's a strong Spanish/Portuguese influence on the island, I'd not be surprised if it was /bubi/ or something similar, but without a transcription, there's no way of actually knowing. On the topic of where to put this question: which one should I ask on? I'm under the impression that cross-posting is somewhat frowned upon, so I'd have to pick one or the other. 80.41.20.140 18:40, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

Language Desk, because its a language question. Shinhan 13:30, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

May 18

Is Wikipedia bug prone ?

I was told by a computer expert that Wikimedia was prone to viruses and bugs. Is this TRUE ? 65.163.112.89 04:01, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

No. -- mattb 04:09, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

The expert said that the EDIT function is where the bugs, viruses are planted. 65.163.112.89 04:32, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

No. Tell him to stop calling himself an expert. -- Phoeba Wright^OBJECTION! 04:38, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

Perhaps they meant vandalism. - Akamad 07:22, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

Anyone who doesn't know the differences between bugs, viruses, and simple vandalism is far closer to "idiot" than "expert" -- Phoeba Wright^OBJECTION! 11:31, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

Can't agree more with you, User:Feba. --Taraborn 02:21, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

There certainly aren't any viruses associated with Wikipedia/WikiMedia per-se - it is (I suppose) just possible to deliver malware in a carefully corrupted media image file such as a JPEG or PNG - there have been some alerts about patching image file loaders to avoid these issues - which might be why your "expert" (who is an idiot by the way) is concerned about WikiMedia in particular. But tens of millions of people use Wikipedia/WikiMedia every day and I've never heard of even a single person suffering from anything like this - so if it happens, it's got to be spectacularly rare. If your image viewer(s) have unpatched vulnerabilities then any web site that stores images could potentially be a delivery vector for viruses. Don't worry about it - it's simply not an issue. Your "expert" is talking BS - he/she is not an expert. SteveBaker 11:21, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

There is a possibility that an external link page may contain a virus, but that's nothing that Wikipedia has any control over. Corvus cornix 20:43, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

It's amazing how many people with the smallest amount of IT experience will proclaim themselves experts and pronounce with confidence on things they know nothing about. This is a perfect case in point. Your "expert" has no clue what he or she (actually, I suspect this trait lies somewhere on the Y chromosome) is talking about.--24.147.86.187 02:49, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

"Islamburg" - Al Qaeda

Did you guys know that there are ISLAMIC militia cells, all affiliated with Al Qaeda, all over the US ? Michael Savage, other conservatives have discovered this matter, claimed the liberal "mainstream" media is ignoring the threat. Recruits for this militia are from the US prison system, and they're training to take out the US.

On a related note, once the US hits Iran, the "draft will be initiated. What are the new conscription rules ? 65.163.112.89 05:00, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

1. There are terrorist cells everywhere. Nobody "discovered" this, it's an obvious fact.
2. There's all sorts of recruits. Misguided people who seek out religion from warmongers, criminals with little left to lose, it takes all sorts.
3. There's little reason to believe that the US will even attack Iran (at this rate, M.A.D. will probably keep the US out)
4. There's little chance that a draft would pass in the US, considering at this point we have enough technology to not need nearly as many troops, and the fact that most people disagree with it.
5. There's no way to know what the requirements would be. Chances are "if you haven't left for Canada yet, you're in." would be the main one.

-- Phoeba Wright^OBJECTION! 05:09, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

6. Take a deep breath.

7. See Critical Thinking, apply "liberally".

-- Azi Like a Fox 06:54, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

Phoeba, I hope you are right with number 3, but I wouldn't put anything past Dubya and his gang of warmongers. Corvus cornix 20:44, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

I agree that the probability of numbers 3 and 4 occuring is low, though not because of mutual assured destruction as stated. Iran has a long way to go before they will be able to amass enough atomic weapons for that. The OP (and others) may find the Selective Service article of interest regarding the "rules" of conscription should the draft be reinitiated. I would also add a #8- DON'T PANIC. 161.222.160.8 00:36, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

Recruits for this militia are from the US prison system ... -- Well, at least we've already got them behind bars. :) --TotoBaggins 00:56, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

Michael Savage is an alarmist blowhard who will say just about anything to get attention. There's a good article about him on Salon, if you're interested. But that might force you to actually read part of the "liberal media" rather than just talk about how much you think it is hiding, which I suspect will be a problem for you. --24.147.86.187 02:55, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

In the News

Do we have an artical about this yet? Looks like it's geting lots of press coverage. [5] I also just heard about it on the radio. Really sad. S.dedalus 06:38, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

It is perhaps callous but nevertheless true to say that what appear to some to be judicial or para-judicial disposals such as this, tragic as they may be, are not necessarily notble enough to warrant wikipedia article. The sister website wikinews is the appropriate place for such reports. --Tagishsimon (talk)

It will probably be made into an article though. Look at the number of kidnapping/rape/murder victims we have articles on that only made regional headlines. This made headlines in the U.S. as well as in other countries. Dismas|^(talk) 09:38, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

Yes, I know it may be more in the scope of Wikinews. However, many notable news events do seem to warrant an article on Wikipedia. S.dedalus 18:59, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

As a murder involving thousands of people, in a location which is the center of the world's attention at the moment, that seems sufficiently notable for a Wikipedia article, to me. If you wish to start one, please do. StuRat 02:24, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

Absolutely newsworthy if you ask me. 81.93.102.185 14:42, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

An article has been started at Du’a Khalil Aswad. StuRat 19:20, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

Boarding pass paper

If i were to use online check in for some flights i have coming in june which sort of paper would i need to use to print it off. Would i need a special type?--logger 08:07, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

No, regular white paper is fine. --Tagishsimon (talk)

Whew just want to make sure i have never printed out a boarding pass before. Thanks very much.--logger 08:13, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

Maybe it depends on the airline and the airport, but I recently printed out a "boarding pass" at home. After queueing for 20 minutes at airport security I was turned back and told to go to the airline desk where I had to exchange it for a regular boarding card (which was on the desk waiting for me) that would go through their machines, so it didn't save me any time. At another airport they exchanged my boarding pass printout for a regular boarding card when I checked in my luggage. Also remember you will need a separate boarding pass for each leg of your journey if you are chaning flights.--Shantavira 08:58, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

The last time I flew (couple months ago, all flights within the continental U.S.), I printed off the "boarding pass" from the net, went up to check in at the counter of my smallish local airport, they gave me a regular long card-like boarding pass, and I boarded using that. Coming back, this time at a much larger airport, I just had the paperwork with me and checked in through a kiosk at the airport. The kiosk printed out my regular boarding pass. So basically, the sheets that you print off are just information with your name, flight number, etc. They aren't technically your "boarding pass". Dismas|^(talk) 09:06, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

When I flew DFW to Folsom, CA on American Airlines a few weeks ago, I didn't need the ticket or passes I'd printed out at all. The automated check-in machine wanted my flight number and a swipe of my credit card (presumably to verify my identity) and that was that. As fast as security checks are making life harder at airports, automation is making it easier. But with different airlines and different airports - your experience may be different. But plain white paper will certainly be OK. SteveBaker 11:13, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

In general, through my few flying experiences, if you are not checking bags, in the US you can go straight to the security checkpoint with your Internet-printed boarding pass and valid (government-issued?) photo ID. For US domestic flights, you only have to go to the counter or check-in kiosk if you are checking bags, have a special situation, or were not allowed to check-in online. So yes the sheet you print out from your computer is your boarding pass, but if you are checking luggage, you'll probably have to go the counter or check-in kiosk anyway, and might as well get it there. –Pakman044 18:39, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

Name changing, and other potentially complicated things

Basically, things I might or will do, in order of likelyhood:

• Change my name
• Go to college
• Enroll in the JET Programme (Live in Japan)
• Move to another country (Austrailia, Canada, U.K., Japan, N.Z., and possibly Holland are candidates) [Read: become a citizen]

Should I change my name before I do any of these, or after, will it be more difficult to do it under different circumstances? Also, can anyone who has changed their name tell me how easy it was for them to get used to it, and how much of a pain the legal parts of it were? Thanks, -- Phoeba Wright^OBJECTION! 11:03, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

• I haven't done it myself, but from what I've heard the process is a big pain. Are you sure the change is worth the hassle? As for the before or after. A name change might slow down immigration, changing the name once you're there is probably harder. I'd do the name change in the country where it is easier. - Mgm|^(talk) 12:18, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

I haven't done it myself yet, but I have certainly been seriously considering it for some time. I've investigated the process here in Victoria, got the relevant forms and filled them out, but put them away in my bottom drawer until I am really sure I want to do this. Obviously it will differ from place to place, but here it is far from the big pain Mgm refers to. Here, it's quick, easy and cheap (around $60). But that's just the actual name change bit - however, the ramifications of the change may well be a different story, depending on family circumstances, immigration, inheritances, etc; and the more complex your personal affairs are or may become, the more troublesome a name change may prove. But equally it may not. I think it would be best to get local professional legal advice, about all the things that a name change could possibly affect, taking into account all the countries you may move to and become a citizen of, and take it from there. JackofOz 12:37, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

Obviously it depends where you live. In the UK it is extremely simple to change one's name. Again and again - no problem. But to take just one change - then getting used to it - depends on what and why and when. In my case I had been known as Mike for 20 years, so I adopted it formally as a birthday present. Other countries, however, can be very suspicious of name changes. In France, where I now live, it is extremely difficult to name change. And I have had problems gaining French acceptance of the fully legal change I made under UK law.86.197.45.51 14:53, 18 May 2007 (UTC)petitmichel

If the information on your user page is correct with regard to your current country and state of residence, you may find the relevant information on procedure for name change by looking at Title 19, Chapter 12 of the state code, which you can search here. Information about fees can be found in Title 15, Chapter 6 (specifically, 15-6-77). Carom 14:59, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

er, that's my birthplace, but thanks -- Phoeba Wright^OBJECTION! 02:25, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

I gather that applicants for US naturalization are asked during the process whether they wish to change their name. (See Ted Morgan.) The same may be true in your dream country, you could ask. —Tamfang 05:49, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

Haha, I wouldn't say dream country, I kinda wanna just get out of the states, see something different, have an excuse not to visit family I dislike, etc. It's more about being in a different place than it is the US. If I were born in Canada or Australasia, I'd probably be wanting to be where I am now. I think I don't want to wait that long, I'll probably just get it out of the way ASAP and deal with the other stuff later on.-- Phoeba Wright^OBJECTION! 08:00, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

Has anyone yet mentioned deed poll? Vespine 06:47, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

I changed my name 30-odd years ago. It was a simple procedure, but I wish that I had considered the implications: AKA in my passport for one. When I have to explain to strangers, there is that sour look "You must have had a reason for changing your name". After moving to a new country I know that some of my old schoolmates looked for me but couldn't find me under the name that they knew. I advise you not to change your name unless you have a compelling reason - use a nickname instead. Ian 11:09, 19 May 2007 (UTC)Ian

• I changed my name by declaration over 25 years ago.I found it very easy to get used to my new name,it was others who found it hard to remember it.The initial task of informing everyone,banks,employment,government organizations,health care etc. was a bit of a pain but only took one day of letter writing and posting them.I needed however to get a more legal form of name change when I needed to get a passport but that was simply a letter from a solicitor which took 5 minuetes and cost a few pounds.This is in the UK so I can't speak for anywhere else.I changed my name because I hated it,felt uncomfortable using it and have never been happier since I did.hotclaws 08:30, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

Also, question about Japanese forms

I've read that Japanese government forms usually have a box to put the name in kanji, and in furigana, what is the standard practice for filling out forms like this with western names? And do their forms use the confusing "last/first name" tags, or the clearer "given/family name"? Also with regards to forms, are most important ones availble in english as well, or do they have translation services? Or are you completely SOL? -- Phoeba Wright^OBJECTION! 11:06, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

Postal service shipping time.

I live in the Netherlands and I'm expecting a package from London. Now, it could arrive tomorrow if the sender chose an expensive overnight service, but since the package is already a gift itself, I kind of doubt that to be their first choice. How long should I wait before I can worry about possible glitches in the postal system? - Mgm|^(talk) 12:15, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

Well, I havent recieved a valentine's card sent first class yet (was sent before valentines day), and that just had to get from glasgow to london... It depends how your package is being sent, if it's royal mail then you can routinely expect anywhere up to 2 weeks for a second class delivery. I think on the royal mail website they ask you to wait 15 working days after the post date before claiming losses... But this might only apply to UK mainland mail. I normally get things I order from the US in 2 weeks, so that's how long I would wait before getting antsy. 213.48.15.234 13:27, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

• Will do. Thanks. - Mgm|^(talk) 13:32, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

How large is the package? So that we can tell if it would go with letter post or parcel post. - X201 14:13, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

• I can't find any exact dimensions, but based on the other books (it's a book) I would expect something in the range of 8.3 x 5.7 x 0.8 inches, weight: 10-12 ounces. - Mgm|^(talk) 16:55, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

Gopher Vs. Groundhog?

recently in a class of mine, (we were talking about gophers) a student asked, "what about groundhog's?" We then had 10 minutes of everyone wondering what the difference between the 2 was. Can anyone help me out with this? My brain hurts >.< -max- Maxx4444177 15:26, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

See Gopher and Groundhog, if you haven't already. For one, gophers are generally much smaller than groundhogs. Dismas|^(talk) 15:27, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

...and only a Gopher can become a US Congressman. StuRat 02:09, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

Although I'd bet there are some people who'd vote for a groundhog. V-Man - ^T/_C 03:00, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

Well, every groundhog must have his day. StuRat 04:46, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

A nearly-motionless individual, alert to danger, will whistle when alarmed to warn other groundhogs.

Is it OK to add this cute picture? A.Z. 04:28, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

Actually, one weasel was elected from Washington state!--killing sparrows ^(chirp!) 17:52, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

Policies and proceedures manual for wholesaing mutual funds.

I just need a template or something I can use as a guide in helping to develope our own policies and proceedures manual that can be utilized by wholesalers in the field. Thanks, Franklin

I have no idea what you mean by "wholesale mutual funds"? --Eptypes 23:37, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

Miniumum age to travel internationally

What is the miniumum age to travel internationally by air from the UK to the US? I would think it would be 18, but once you're 16 in the UK, you are an adult and have an adult passport. But this might not be seen as the "of adult age" in the US, so I kindly ask. Thank you. 86.147.69.60 20:36, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

There is no restriction on passports: any British citizen can obtain a UK passport - under 16s get a 5 year child passport. Airlines have policies about how young an unaccompanied child may be - American Airlines says five, for example. US immigration is another matter - clearly a 5 year old isn't competent to fill out an i-94W visa waiver form, so I don't know what the arrangements and restrictions are. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 20:44, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

Ah, AA explains their policy regarding visa/customs forms too, here. You need to have a responsible adult at either end, and the "sending" adult is responsible for the forms. I guess if there's a problem (whether travel wise or at the border) the "receiving" adult will be the one the airline or the DHS will call. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 20:55, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

Another note: it will probably be neccessary for you to know someone over the age of eighteen in the US, as you will otherwise be unable to rent a car or a hotel room. Carom 20:51, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

Some car rental companies won't rent to anyone under 21 or 22 years old... Can't remember which. Dismas|^(talk) 21:24, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

Twnety-Five is actually the norm, I believe; Enterprise is one of the few companies that will rent to younger individuals (I recall renting from them at 19, but that was through a campus branch, and I had to pay an additional fee). Carom 21:30, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

From what I recall, almost all car rental companies will rent to a 21-year-old, but there is a special fee if you are under 25. V-Man - ^T/_C 02:02, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

Looking at the websites of various car rental companies suggests that you are absolutely correct in this respect (although it also suggests that this is a recent development). Carom 03:02, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

According to the same AA site as Finlay McWalter cited, you can fly unaccompanied with them if you are 15 years old (and you need to be 2 days old to fly at all...) --169.230.94.28 22:11, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

No, that's not what it says. It says you can fly as an unaccompanied minor if you're 5 when there's no connection, and 8 if there is a connection. At 15 you cease to be an unaccompanied minor, and can instead fend for yourself. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 22:19, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

Thanks for correcting my moronic formulation. What I meant was that once you are 15 you are considered adult and can travel independently; there no longer needs to be a responsible adult at each end to take care of you. --169.230.94.28 23:03, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

The part about 8 year olds being able to fly unaccompanied when there's a connection is a bit scary. Unaccompanied minors are looked after pretty well on the plane (that's one reason the airlines charge extra for them), but it sounds like they have to make the connection by themselves. In nice airports that's something an 8-year old could do, but in nasty airports that's a tall order. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 22:33, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

The airline accepts responsibility to ensure thta the 8-year-old make the connection. An airline employee will accompany the child from the arrival gate tot he departure gate and hand over responsibility to another airline employee. All very routine and straightforward--until a flight is delayied or cancelled. IN this case, an airline employee will continue to be responsible for the child. Thsi can include taking the child to a hotel and then back to the airport the next day.The airlines do all of this routinely and they do it very well in all but a tiny number of cases per year. -Arch dude 21:31, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

Why Amsterdam as a nice airport? For a place where you can't get lost and are unlikely to meet anyone you wouln't want to, you aren't likely to find much better than Luqa.

Pressure on ears while scuba diving?

This question has been moved to the appropriate desk i.e. Science which deals with the Human Body. You can find it here: Wikipedia:Reference_desk/Science#Pressure_on_ears_while_scuba_diving.3F. --Eptypes 23:35, 18 May 2007 (UTC)

May 19

Bird Poo

Why do birds line up their poop in my backyard? They dont poop it in a straight line. They carry them onto my deck and line them up manually. What causes this behavior/why do they do it?

Probably if they poop when they are perched on the edge of your roof above the deck, the general outline made by their scat will resemble the shape of the edge of your roof. V-Man - ^T/_C 02:01, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

Many birds protect the young in their nests by carrying the nestlings' feces away from the nest area. If the droppings are a golden colour that might be grackles or robins trying to hide their nest site from would-be predators. Bielle 02:53, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

Maybe they're sending you a hidden message. Break out the tin-foil hats! Clarityfiend 21:58, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

Manual vs Automatic

How much faster is a car with manual transmission compared to the same car but with automatic transmission in terms of acceleration? Can an average human shift gears faster than the high-end automatic transmissions found in modern high-end sports cars? Thanks. 74.14.72.139 02:35, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

I think an automatic could hit the ideal shift points more precisely, but there are two other considerations that make the manual faster:

1) The automatic transmission system adds quite a bit of weight to the car, slowing it down.

2) Most automatic transmission systems are not tuned for maximum accel, but rather for some compromise between max accel and good fuel economy. StuRat 04:40, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

Manual gearbox for sure. In addition to the weight and tuning issues, a proficient driver with a performance clutch and gearbox can definitely shift faster than the automatic. Also the ability to double clutch the manual keeps the engine up in its power band. The technique is also useful when cornering at speed. 161.222.160.8 04:59, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

Um, that's sort of beside the point. Any transmission (manual or automatic) strives to keep the engine in its power band! (Some do better than others, of course.) Double-clutching is fine & dandy, but you can get by without it: if you don't mind waiting for them, your synchronizers will take care of a downshift almost as well as an upshift, and of course an automatic transmission needs neither synchronizers nor double-clutching, and can downshift with impunity.

The principal inefficiency in an automatic transmission is in the torque converter, which IIRC wastes about 4% of the power being transmitted through it. But this affects fuel efficiency more than it does "top speed". —Steve Summit (talk) 05:16, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

Aren't some "automatics" nowadays not true automatics, but manuals that are controlled by computers? I think the Smart uses something like this. I'd think this would give the best line between the two extremes -- Phoeba Wright^OBJECTION! 06:13, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

The efficiency loss in the torque converter is a big factor, as mentioned about. Also, typically an auto may have fewer gears than a manual, so the manual may also provide better acceleration for that reason. Then again, a modern auto can generally shift faster than a typical driver. I think the difference in real life will depend on lot on what specific car you're comparing. And yes, there are some modern transmissions that are mechanically like a manual, but still shift automatically. Friday (talk) 19:17, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

Acceleration of a car

When you see in advertisements where the manufacturers are saying for example "The Buggati Veryon can go from 0-60 mph in 3.2 seconds". How do they exactly time that? Do they rev the engine to 6,000 RPM and release the clutch while in 1st gear? 64.230.43.77 02:48, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

I'd expect the wheels to spin if you did that, which, contrary to every bad car chase scene ever filmed, both slows the acceleration and makes the car difficult to steer. StuRat 04:36, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

They time it how you'd expect; they put the car on a racetrack and a driver drives it. If you think 3.2 seconds sounds improbable, the Veyron has an 8L engine which produces around 1000 horsepower: that's twice the horsepower of a current model Freightliner semi-trailer, and as much as some railway locomotives. FiggyBee 06:29, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

It is however done under ideal conditions (e.g., racetrack, dry conditions, driver only in car) by a professional driver, who will drive in whatever manner will get the best time. Your average driver on the street is unlikely to be able to match these figures. --jjron 14:09, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

When you're talking about a fast car, traction is almost always the limiting factor in low gears. In some cars they may use a very aggressive launch similar to what you've described, but in most cars this would be counterproductive since static friction is generally greater than sliding friction and excess wheelspin gives you a sliding friction situation. A better way to measure overall acceleration of a car is to look at the quarter mile trap speed, since 0-60 measurements are so traction-dependent. Friday (talk) 19:13, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

kashrut

I was surprised to find my cough-drops marked "(U)D", meaning certified as kosher and classified as dairy; I expected "P", neutral. Which of these ingredients came from an udder? : Menthol, glucose syrup, eucalyptus oil, flavoring, honey, sucrose, water, yellow no. 5 (tartrazine), soybean oil. —Tamfang 05:41, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

Possibly this product's manufacturing process involves equipment also used for dairy products. If further clarification is required, try contacting the authorizing rabbinate's consumer relations service. -- Deborahjay 07:09, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

They don't tell you what the "favouring" is; it could include traces of milk byproducts such as lactose. Laïka 09:46, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

why ducth men are most found in ocean bussiness?

As i am a good observer and reader i have found and read that most of the dutch men are found in ocean bussiness such as ocean race or in pirates role. as i am a journalist i am writing on ocean race if you find and clue regrading this please reply— Preceding unsigned comment added by Rhutu dave (talk • contribs)

I was under the impression that the British are more historically known as the great sea-faring race.Otherwise,I really don't understand your question.hotclaws 08:36, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

There have been many great seafaring cultures at different points in history, from the Phoenicians to the Romans to the Portuguese to the Spanish to the Dutch to the British. Only landlocked countries seem to be permanently excluded from this club. StuRat 19:01, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

This assertion suggests a title for an alternate history story: Hibernia Rule the Waves. —Tamfang 20:26, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

The Dutch have always been a sea-going race, but so have several others, especially those with an extensive ocean shoreline, good natural harbours, and a plentiful supply of timber. You might want to read our articles on piracy, yacht racing, and the Flying Dutchman.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 10:10, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

For some more historical context, the articles on Dutch Revolt, Dutch empire, Dutch East India Company, Dutch West India Company and further links from these articles might be helpful, though perhaps a bit tortuous in answering your question. ---Sluzzelin talk 12:34, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

Poem sample from "Sheila"

The Jamie T song "Sheila" features a sample of a play or poem, read by someone with a strong RP accent, which goes "Good Heavens, you boys! Blue-blooded murder of the English tongue!". What is this taken from? The NME review of the song claims this was taken from the Betjeman poem "The Cockney Amorist", but this line itself doesn't occur within the poem (although other lines from the song do). Laïka 11:23, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

highly specialized bibliographies

How do I go about submitting bibliographic materials I have collected over the past half century of academic studies?rich 12:06, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

Well, Wikipedia has a policy against original research, so you need to keep that in mind before even begining. Wikipedia is not a place for breakthrough work. That aside, if you have bibliographic information to add, you add them to the articles about the subjects. If the subject does not have an article, then you will need to create one, assuming that the subject is notable enough to be featured in an encyclopedia. --24.147.86.187 13:16, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

Wikiversity might be a good place for that type of material, as original research is welcomed there. StuRat 18:50, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

requesting info on "the algorithm" used to generate marketing names for drug companies

Levitra, Viagra, Protagra, Procylex, Sporanox, Ambien, Seldane, Prilosec, Equanim, Vivitol, Telavor, Tramadol, Panadol, Vulviax, Puselan, Lugubri, Immovex, Zybane, Provox, Symbiax, Amevive, Procrit, Raptiva ...

I need the algorithm that will allow me to automatically differentiate the "suitable" marketing names from the "unsuitable" ones, as well as allow me to generate all the remaining names that will be used in the future until this particular naming convention becomes extinct. Thanks. NoClutter 15:02, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

There's no algorithm per se; the drug company is allowed to call the drug whatever they like, so long as it doesn't clash with anything else, is short, and doesn't promise anything or state anything (Rogaine was originally called Regain, for instance, but this was considered too leading).[6] This article covers the thought behind drug naming nicely; there's a bit of science (Liptor is a "Lipid regulator") and part psychology (Serafem, an anti-depressant for women, is a pun on "Seraphim" and "fem"). For their uncopyrightable generic names however, drugs are named by United States Adopted Name Council or by the International Nonproprietary Name council of WHO based on the functional groups present in the chemical, with an arbitrary string of letters to differentiate it. The WHO has a list of the stems used for naming, the "Stem book". This shows all the different stems which can be used. For example, Ibuprofen contains a -profen group, and the "ibu" is then a string of letters, picked at random, to differentiate it from Odalprofen, or Bakeprofen, or Flurbiprofen. Laïka 16:33, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

Very good answer. Rfwoolf

Additionally, names are rejected as unsuitable if they clash with preexisting trademarks (in theory only for drugs or other medical-type stuff, but in practice for well-known trademarks in general too). Further they'll do a search to see if the proposed name is, or sounds uncomfortably like, an unsuitable word in one of a large name of world languages - so if you decided you wanted to call your new drug Faenpik, you're probably going to have to call it something else in Norwegian. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 17:59, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

I believe Dilbert once came up with an algorithm for something similar, the names of companies after mergers. It randomly combined names from astronomy and electronics and then checked against a database of existing names for clashes. Thus, the old name after the merger of Pathways Electronics and the E-Tech Management Group (Path-E-Tech Management) was replaced by the new name, the Uranus-Hertz Corporation. StuRat 18:39, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

...thus creating an untranslatable comic strip! A.Z. 19:51, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

Music and such

Ok. So, in music, we have 14 major scales, one each starting on C,C#,D,D#,E, and so on, going up in steps WWHWWWH. Each has certain sharps or flats - the C scale has none, the G scale has a B flat, if I recall correctly. There are 7 possible sharp key signatures, 7 flat, and one natural, or 15 total. How are there more key signatures than major scales, and which key signature does not correspond to a major scale? --ST47Talk 17:02, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

• C# (7 sharps) is the same notes as Db (5 flats); F# (6 sharps) is the same as Gb (6 flats.); Cb (7 flats) is the same notes as B (5 sharps.) Which will bring us back to Do. Or 12 keys. --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 17:26, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

If that's not clear, see key signature, where there is also an interesting summary of the mood of each key.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 18:33, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

It is only in the past few centuries that C# and Db came to have the same pitch. See musical temperament. You're thinking in terms of equal temperament but standard notation is more closely fitted to meantone temperament (of which equal is a special case). —Tamfang 20:31, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

Voice Generation

Is there a website where you can type something out and then have a computer generated voice say it?

Yes: [7]. StuRat 19:23, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

Also, Opera is a web browser which allows you to select text on any website and have a voice say it out loud. JoshHolloway 19:36, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

That's so cool! I wasn't the one who asked the question, but I'm definitely going to use the website. I think it might be a useful tool to help with learning English. A.Z. 19:44, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

Unfortunately, it doesn't have a Canadian accent, only American and British. A.Z. 19:54, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

I assume you've already used Microsoft Sam. On Windows XP, you can find it either in Start>Accessories>Accessibility>Narrator or Start>Control Panel>Speech. Laïka 21:32, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

To get a Canadian accent perhaps you could run the source text through a pre-processing program to respell "house" as "hoose" and "about" as "aboot" and throw in an occasional "Eh?" Edison 22:10, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

I havent tried the one linked by StuRat, but AT&T also has one that uses their "natural voices" engine. natural voices. Also note, a google search on "Text to speech demo" will give you dozens if not more links to all sorts of companies extolling their own text to speech solutions. (See also Text to speech, Computational linguistics). dr.ef.tymac 23:25, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

accidental poisoning case: 100 killed

Hi, I bumped into this article today about a case of accidental poisoning of toothpaste. However, interestingly there is a mention of a case last year in which pharmaceuticals were contaminated with mislabled ingredients, resulting in 100 deaths. Do we have an article on this disaster? If not, where might I start looking for sources to write one myself (I can do most of the research, but I can't make out where to start - show me a few good sources and I can do the rest myself). Blood Red Sandman ^{(Talk) (Contribs)} 21:12, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

[8] is a story in the NY Times abut a Chinese firm exporting antifreeze labelled as glycerine which killed a number of people when it was put in cough syrup.Stories like that could lead one to adopt a policy of buying stuff 6 months before you expect to need it, so that it will have time to get recalled if poisonous. Edison 22:08, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

Broadcast zone?

When i went to the hockey hall of fame their was a place where you could broadcast a short scene from a hockey game.The video said that i can go to some kind of website where i can watch it again so if isaved it. I would like to know what the name of the website was. Thank you 4 ur time.

Bean dip

Is bean dip supposed to be served warm or cold?