Wikipedia:Reference desk/Miscellaneous

August 26

Platitude cookies

Our article on Fortune cookie describes the fortune as "a piece of paper with words of faux wisdom or vague prophecy." Unfortunately, it seems that all the fortune cookies I get these days contain only words of faux wisdom and never a prophecy. Of course I don't take the fortune seriously, but part of the fun of a fortune cookie is seeing what your "fortune" is going to be. Is there a reason the manufacturers have moved away from fortunes and toward platitudes? The only reason I can think of is to foil the appending of certain phrases to the end of the fortune. I live in North Carolina (east coast, USA), so this might only be a local thing. Do fortune cookies in Europe, Australia and elsewhere still contain fortunes? 152.16.188.107 02:23, 26 August 2007 (UTC).

I recently bought a fortune cookie at Panda Express in Pasadena, CA. It told me that something unexpected and wonderful was going to happen to me. That's a pretty good prophecy. On the way home I found my bike that I left at my work, which was not unexpected but was good as I got it back! Micah J. Manary 02:48, 26 August 2007 (UTC)

Fortune cookies are unknown in Chinese restaurants in the UK. We only know about them from DC comic books.

DC comic books? LOL! It is amazing the routes by which cultural information is disseminated. 152.16.188.107 05:07, 26 August 2007 (UTC)

I haven't seen an actual fortune in fortune cookies for a couple years. Though I doubt that the companies removed them because of fortune cookie games like the "in bed" game. Dismas|^(talk) 05:36, 26 August 2007 (UTC)

I have a dim recollection of once getting a fortune cookie at a Chinese restaurant in Australia. So dim, it must have been many years ago. They certainly don't happen anymore, to my knowledge. -- JackofOz 05:50, 26 August 2007 (UTC)

So dim, some memories are. --LarryMac | Talk 14:39, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

Ah so. -- JackofOz 21:55, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

Fortune cookies are always given in Chinese restaruants here in Texas - even if you buy food to carry-out. I never saw a fortune cookie in the UK - I have no idea why not. The nature of what they say inside is quite variable. There is one restaurant that we used to go to at lunchtimes once a week - and over the course of a year or two they would change from one brand of fortune cookies to another, some had predictions, others just vague words of encouragements - they varied as to whether they would have recommended lottery ticket numers on them. One set had "Learn chinese" tips on the back side, explaining a word or a grammar point. Another set were full of jokes! ("Help - I'm trapped in a fortune cookie factory!" sticks in my mind). The differences seemed to depend only on where they bought the cookies from. The thing that always bothers me about the predictive ones is that the waitress typically just dumped a handful of them on the table...how do I know which one is mine? If I grab the wrong one do I get someone else's fortune - or does my future depend on which one I grab?  :-) SteveBaker 14:01, 26 August 2007 (UTC)

I'm aware that fortune cookies are a Chinese-American invention, not actually from China, but I still wonder why this practice has never spread abroad. Would those of you from other countries find having fortunes in your cookies to be annoying or disturbing in some way ? StuRat 15:20, 26 August 2007 (UTC)

Here in Europe we have our special fortune cookies that are accessible everyday in the newspapers. We call them horoscopes, and hey, if you don't like what they say you can go and look in another newspaper. Richard Avery 17:45, 26 August 2007 (UTC)

They have horoscopes in America too. Plasticup ^T/C 20:33, 26 August 2007 (UTC)

I once lived a whole month making all of my decisions by fortune cookie. It can be a little hard to interpret the vague wisdom into applicable instructions, but I found it to be a very enjoyable (and tasty) few weeks. Plasticup ^T/C 20:33, 26 August 2007 (UTC)

YES WE HAVE FORTUNE COOKIES IN UK. Don't listen to above. Chinese restaurants have them, you can even buy them in bulk in shops. It's a matter of national pride. Honestly.87.102.11.213 20:42, 26 August 2007 (UTC)

To be fair, I did say "I never saw a fortune cookie in the UK" - not that they don't exist. But in 40 years of eating out - I never saw one. But perhaps they're confined to particular parts of the country - or maybe they are another transatlantic import that's happened fairly recently. SteveBaker 23:29, 26 August 2007 (UTC)

You need to go to a chinese restaurant, french and italian don't count. Seriously I think they were a lot less common 10 years ago than today (in UK).87.102.45.106 12:21, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

In early November 1983 I got a fortune cookie that said Next full moon brings enchanting evening. After that full moon I rarely slept alone for several years. —Tamfang 06:44, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

And the irony is that fortune cookies were virtually unheard of in China (OK they MIGHT give you one if you're a foreigner dining in some tourist restaurant, but otherwise you won't find them anywhere). --antilived^{T | C | G} 08:08, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

Best fortune cookie joke ever; when the Tick is eating in a Chinese restaurant and pops the fortune cookie whole into his mouth; them pulls out the fortune and says "Look! A secret message from my teeth!" Gzuckier 15:58, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

Types of marriage relatiosnhip

Clunky title but once explained you will understand. Within a marriage relationship the parties adopt various pose. Father child where the man talks down to his wife. Mother child where the wife acts the Mother and the husband the son or naughty boy. Theres the Nag and the deaf husband which is well known. I believe these forms of relationship have been classified but I cannot find them or the phrases that would lead to finding them. Everyone knows these relationships, everyone sees them but I cannot find them on Wikipedia !

Thanks

Paul

I haven't been able to find a list of terms for the different types of relationships, but there are some interesting links if you google "marriage+power+relationships". The second link looks like it is especially promising. Also, marriage counselors probably have detailed texts that would answer your question, but adding "counselling" to the search produces a lot of hits for commercial sites instead of informative ones. Is there a marriage counsellor in the house? 152.16.188.107 04:57, 26 August 2007 (UTC)

download

can i get the sites or places from where i can download books on general studies free of cost? Rs sahai 04:54, 26 August 2007 (UTC) ≤≥

See On-line book. Project Gutenberg may be the one you're looking for. 152.16.188.107 04:59, 26 August 2007 (UTC)

books.google.com isn't great but you might want to give it a whirl. Plasticup ^T/C 20:34, 26 August 2007 (UTC)

Also check out MIT's open source learning thingy. Mathmo ^Talk 00:09, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

Search for Utah Miners

Why did they only drill one hole at a time instead of using multiple drilling rigs and drilling holes in several places?

They did drill two at a time. Plasticup ^T/C 05:19, 26 August 2007 (UTC)

Probably initially, they were resource constrained, both for drilling rigs and for manpower. The later was especially true once Robert E. Murray threw all the union workers off the rescue effort. Later, it could be argued that it simply became a "show" effort, with Murray not wanting to spend money but trying to get maximum sympathy for himself.

Atlant 12:20, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

mermaids

I was reading a mermaid article when in it I saw it read: She transformed from human to mermaid..... but i thought how do you do that? please can you tell me how you transform from human to mermaid?

Your legs join together and grow fins and scales and become a fish tail. --124.254.77.148 09:25, 26 August 2007 (UTC)

No.. he wanted to know how? Not what happens! 58.107.237.74 10:37, 26 August 2007 (UTC)

I thought that was 'how' maybe you mean 'why'?87.102.44.85 11:00, 26 August 2007 (UTC)

Uhm, mermaids...don't exist? Or am I missing the question here? Splintercellguy 11:14, 26 August 2007 (UTC)

Sirenomelia exists. Jacques l'Aumône 11:25, 26 August 2007 (UTC)

That specific part of the article references the myth of Thessalonice. The appropriate section of her article doesn't state exactly why it happened (How it happened: stricken with grief after her brother's death, she tossed herself into the sea, hoping to drown. She didn't.), but it may have had something to do with the her brother washing her hair with water from the fountain of immortality, or the fact that the Greek gods were generally both willful and vengeful, and basically did whatever they wanted with the lives (and souls) of humans under their care. She became an instrument of justice and 'the death of many a sailor.' 24.250.32.81 11:34, 26 August 2007 (UTC)

Obviously you need to engage a plastic surgeon90.14.18.147 13:50, 26 August 2007 (UTC)DT

As soon as plastic surgeons figure out how to make a human breath underwater, let me know lol --PolarWolf 20:33, 26 August 2007 (UTC)

That might be a while... don't hold your breath. Plasticup ^T/C 20:37, 26 August 2007 (UTC)

Great, thanks for the warning :D --PolarWolf 20:48, 26 August 2007 (UTC)

I was making a pun on underwater breathing :-( Plasticup ^T/C 23:01, 26 August 2007 (UTC)

So was I --PolarWolf 01:53, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

When human converts to mermaid (by surgery) it is obvious that they have gills in addition to lungs. Any fule kno that!86.197.151.109 14:10, 27 August 2007 (UTC)DT

You'd need a pretty impressive set of gills to keep a mammal alive. Perhaps mermaids could just hold their breath for extended periods like dolphins. 69.95.50.15 15:10, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

And maybe they aren't mammals, but instead are fish! Ack! 24.250.32.81 22:06, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

That's a valid point, but every depiction of Mermaids I've ever seen features prominent mammaries.--69.95.50.15 15:49, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

Is there a special name for somebody who has the bottom half of a human and the top half of a fish? Gzuckier 15:55, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

Don't know, but if you ever find one, fel free to call it "Ethel".  :) -- JackofOz 21:51, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

Maidmer. I know I've seen an illustration of one somewhere. --Carnildo 21:56, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

Smell of burning clutch

I was driving on the highway and as I began to exit, I tried to shift from 5th to 4th gear, however I accidentally put it into 2nd gear =S. The car lunged forward and the engine roared. After I slowed down, I noticed a somewhat stinky smell. Is that the smell of a burning clutch? If so, shouldn't it be my syncromesh that took the punishment as opposed to my clutch when I downshifted? Thanks. Acceptable 21:11, 26 August 2007 (UTC)

Did you squawk your tires? Burning rubber smells bad. Did cars offend you in some way? You seem to beat up on them a lot. :) Friday (talk) 21:19, 26 August 2007 (UTC)

Yeah - that'll be the clutch alright. The engine would have been turning fairly slowly - but the wheels are spinning really fast - when the two sides of the clutch meet with such a huge difference in speed, the material on the clutch plates gets really hot and wears out fast. Try not to do that! SteveBaker 23:24, 26 August 2007 (UTC)

uh-oh. Acceptable 03:17, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

You won't kill it the first time, but don't make a habit of it. Plasticup ^T/C 04:05, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

You won't kill it unless it was about to crap out anyway - but you'll definitely shorten it's life. The synchromesh did it's job correctly - it got the gearbox into the right gear for you and nothing especially bad happened as far as it was concerned. The trouble only started when you took your foot off the clutch after shifting. On my 1963 Mini, as with many older cars, there is no synchromesh on 1st gear (you are not supposed to down-shift into 1st while the car is moving). However, in switching from a modern car with synchros on all of the forward gears to the poor ancient Mini, it's alarmingly easy to forget this important fact! If you try to do downshift into 1st at (say) 20mph, there is an almighty grinding of gear teeth - and there is no way to force the shifter into 1st gear. Only if your speed is very low (or the engine revs happen to be just right) will you actually manage to move the shifter at all. So I doubt you hurt your gearbox's synchromesh - but the clutch is not happy - it'll probably be OK right now - but you definitely shortened it's life by doing this - although it's hard to guess by how much because there are too many variables. SteveBaker 15:37, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

Once upon a time I had been driving a rented car with an automatic for a while, then when I switched back to my regular manual trans car, of course I immediately had to panic stop and my left foot forgot to clutch. The engine stalled, with much stinkage of clutch and tire, but for about the next thousand miles the clutch went 'flapflapflapflapflapflapflapflapflapflapflapflapflapflapflapflapflapflapflapflapflapflapflapflap' etc. all the time i was driving, in time with the engine RPM. It finally stopped. Years later, when i replaced the clutch, sure enough a thin layer of one segment of the clutch facing was floating around in there; I figure it had partially come loose with my idiot act and flapped until the "hinge" finally wore through and it got released. Gzuckier 15:54, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

AHAHAHHAHAAH. I read the topic as "Smell of burning CROTCH". Oh dear god. Capuchin 07:36, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

There is also the small possibility that you tore open a CV boot, which threw grease onto hot engine parts. I'm not sure I buy it, but I've heard that can smell like a burning clutch. --Mdwyer —Preceding unsigned comment added by Mdwyer (talk • contribs) 23:48, August 28, 2007 (UTC)

Italian Hangar

I have just read a joke and it mentioned a sexual position called the 'Italian Hangar' i have looked in various reference books and online but have not come across any explanation of this , could you please explain what it involves please?

86.151.49.188 23:12, 26 August 2007 (UTC)\\\\

You are looking for the Italian Hanger. Plasticup ^T/C 05:07, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

August 27

Name of computer Algorithm for generating foux-text?

I was reading about the "factory Literature+Factory and it really reminded me of an algorithm I read about once. It worked by stringing parts of sentences together such that they had local continuity, and although the grammar was usually correct, the sentences were meaningless and somewhat dadaist. The interface involved feeding it text as a base, usually at least a paragraph. Some people posted on messageboards in the 1990s using this, feeding it political speeches and rants, the name of the user being some sort of pun on the name of the program, and some thought that it was a real person while others did not. HOW can I know all of this without being able to find it? I don't know, but after over an hour with google and wikipedia I decided to ask others for help.

Thanks in advance,

— 69.136.195.152 00:50, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

Cut-up technique has pretty much all the answers you are looking for. Vespine 01:28, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

Markov chains are one way. These things are also called 'travesty generators'. SteveBaker 02:49, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

Here, for no particular reason, are some random links you may find interesting: Sokal Affair Chatterbot Automatic summarization Plot generator Spoetry. The question is, what specifically are you looking for? There are many approaches to doing this kind of thing with computers . dr.ef.tymac 03:19, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

Markov Chains, and Mark V Shaney In particular, were exactly what I was thinking of. Thank you! —69.136.195.152

You might also want to see Lorem ipsum.

Atlant 12:24, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

Retail management

Hi, I m sakshi doing retail management.I hv 2 mk a ppt- i hv 2 tk any one company related 2 retail and make at least 10-15 slides on dat showing its history nd turnover etc.So wich company can i take nd where can i find all this info abt dat? I found info of samsung,lg,maruti on net bt cant get dat info dat i require so plz tel me d company dat i can take wich hv d required info...plz rply fast as i hv 2 make it.....thnx. Sakshi

Would you like to buy a vowel? Plasticup ^T/C 03:43, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

Do your own homework: if you need help with a specific part or concept of your homework, feel free to ask, but please do not post entire homework questions and expect us to give you the answers. Letting someone else do your homework makes you learn nothing in the process, nor does it allow Wikipedians to fulfill their mission of ensuring that every person on Earth – including you – has access to the total sum of human knowledge. Titoxd^{(?!? - cool stuff)} 04:12, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

Your post is exceptionally difficult to read, please use English here, not IM-speak. And, if you are studying retail management, shouldn't you profile a retailer, like Walmart, rather than manufacturers of consumer goods, like Samsung and LG ? StuRat 06:33, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

Isn't it disturbing how many "youth today" think that this is a good way to ask formal questions for assistance? I'm fine, of course, that this has developed into a way for youth to talk amongst themselves — it seems like a perfectly normal evolution of slang into the electronic medium — but the fact that they would use it as a general means of conversating with the rest of the world is a bit painful to consider. It is hard not to imagine them as some sort of broken A.I. algorithm. --24.147.86.187 13:28, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

"Conversating"??? That's slightly painful. -- JackofOz 13:32, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

Yes, clearly it should be "conversifying", or is that "undergoing conversification" ? :-) StuRat 04:38, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

George, where are you, now that we really need you?  :) -- JackofOz 23:01, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

If you are interested in a retail company that got big and then bit the dust around the time it switched from catalog only to retail stores, I'd suggest looking into the J. Peterman Company. (The real company, not the one that was made up on Seinfeld.) I know there is at least one book on the topic, Peterman Rides Again (ISBN 0735201994). Crypticfirefly 03:07, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

dream tracing!

I've got a dream 2 dayz back...my mother was washing dishes after our dinner & suddenly i came out & saw it was raining heavily & the climate was also very unfair...i ran to my mom to tell the matter & before i told her about that she told me in advance that it was raining heavilyu outside & this rain is not going to stop till the world was submerged...i hurriedly turn on the tv news & i found that it was raining heavily all over the world & many scientists predicted this was the last phase of catstrophy...again new world will emerge & for that we had to leaave our traces of blood & D.N.A. in advance...i felt sad then that i still hadn't enjoyed any of the worldly pleasures & i was dying before. then i woke up & asked my sister about climate & she asked me had u got any bad dream..i told her all this 7 she laughed at it & took it ligtly but i was not taking it lightly. now i want to know the meaning of this dream..! Temuzion 04:13, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

The meaning is that your brain is still very active even when you're asleep. As is normal. --lucid 04:21, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

As the meaning of all observable reality is that your brain is very active when you are awake. A.Z. 04:24, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

I wouldn't suggest rushing out to buy a boat, if that's what you are getting at. Plasticup ^T/C 04:26, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

There's an article being written about dream interpretation. According to that article, Sigmund Freud thought that "all dream content is the fulfillment of wishes, conscious or not. (...) Freud listed four transformations applied to wishes in order to avoid censorship:

• Condensation — one dream object stands for several thoughts.
• Displacement — a dream object's psychical importance is assigned to an object that does not raise the censor's suspicions.
• Representation — a thought is translated to visual images.
• Symbolism — a symbol replaces an action, person, or idea." A.Z. 05:14, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

While all that water might be from condensation, and also suggests that water displacement may have occurred, let me float another explanation...

perhaps what you perceived to be a dream is reality, and what you perceive to be real (including this conversation) is just your brain's attempt to deny reality in your last minutes before the flood waters drown everyone. StuRat 06:21, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

By that logic, StuRat, last night I was a new student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and Albus Dumbledore gave me a broken pair of glasses that would allow me through an invisible wall. Of course, after playing around with the glasses and the wall, I was given a stern lecture by Minerva McGonagall, while I, for some reason, had on nothing but my boxers. Of course, if that was reality it's a helluva lot better than this place. --lucid 06:25, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

Am I a Wikipedian dreaming I am a butterfly or a butterfly dreaming I am a Wikipedian?hotclaws 13:08, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

In any case, it probably doesn't have a lot of "meaning". At most it probably means you have been paying attention to the concern with climate change and natural disasters lately (hurricanes and the like), and that somewhere in your head this is something of enough interest that while firing neurons your brain ended up probing the topic. It might mean that it is a topic of concern for you, unconsciously if not consciously, but then again it might also just be random chance that it happened to fire in that direction, or maybe just related to something you saw on television the night before. --24.147.86.187 13:26, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

Standard mainline shrinks, not the "alternative" dream therapy/analysis types, often interpret the common "big wave" dreams as your feelings of being overwhelmed in general with what's going on in your life right now; this sound pretty similar. Gzuckier 15:48, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

I wanna clear you one thing guys....that some of ur assumptions may be helpful....but i didn't watch t.v. (since we had not got cable connection to watch any channel), i didn't read any fiction (i read the last horror novel nearly 18 months ago), i was engaged in my own botherings about my studies, my family's crisis situations etc)..& i forgot to tell u another thing! normally my family members used to blame me for my deep sleep...b'caz even if we sleep on open terrace when it begins raining, they'll wake me up & get me down...but the very next day i'll ask them "how did we got down? as we were on terrace early night"...thus i won't generally have senses activated if i once went into sleep...forget about deep sleep...my initial stage is only compared to deep sleep...thus no chance of having my brain active during sleep! Temuzion 04:27, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

Umm. . . actually the only time your brain is not active in some capacity is when you are dead. When we sleep we alternate between REM and NREM phases. During NREM sleep the people can experience hypnagogic hallucinations, night terror, sleepwalking, and sleep-talking. During REM sleep people often dream. The brain is active in both phases. --S.dedalus 05:30, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

I think the original poster should read Freud's book, The Interpretation of Dreams. A.Z. 03:22, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

Skyauction.com

I have just registered on skyauction.com. what i am wondering is if the packages that are offered and you win are the winning bids the money you pay in order to cover everything you do to travel. or do you still have to pay extra.--logger 05:24, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

Why not contact their customer service? (Most of us have no clue what the answer is) -- Guroadrunner 07:37, 3 September 2007 (UTC)

Fever

Is a forehead temperature of 99 degrees considered a fever? --124.254.77.148 10:30, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

Normal human body temperature says no. --Sean 10:58, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

Unless you're measuring your temperature in Celsius, of course... -- Arwel (talk) 11:27, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

You wouldn't normally measure body temperature on the forehead, but rather orally or elsewhere that won't dissipate body heat so readily. How you'd get an exact temperature measure on the forehead I'm unsure, but if you were able to get a standard thermometer to register 99°F on the forehead then there's a good chance the internal temperature would be considerably higher, in which case there could be a fever (note: this is a hypothetical discussion only and should not be taken as medical advice; please see a qualified doctor if this is other than a hypothetical situation - see Wikipedia:Medical disclaimer). --jjron 13:58, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

I suspect the questioner is using a liquid crystal thermometer strip. These are not accurate.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 15:25, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

There are also thermometers that read infrared signatures from the forehead. Rmhermen 18:54, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

The forehead is likely to be cooler than the core temperature - so we may safely assume that if 99F is measured on the forehead, the core is warmer. Normal human body temperature says 98.8F is the upper limit of the 'normal' core temperature range - so 99F on the forehead is certainly higher than normal. I'd say, yes - it's likely to be a mild fever. But you'd want to get a better reading using an oral or rectal thermometer to be sure - preferably having the measurement done by a qualified medical practitioner since there is some subtlety to taking temperatures accurately. SteveBaker 13:13, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

Madeleine Martin

How old is the kid in Californication? She looks younger than 12. --124.254.77.148 12:17, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

do you mean the music video of Californication (song)? Jon513 15:09, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

I assume OP means Californication (TV series). According to this, her birthdate is 30 November 1999.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 15:17, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

Why would they get an 8 year old to play a 12 year old? (even though a lot of 12 year olds do look like 8 year olds these days.) Don't they usually get older actresses to play younger characters? --124.254.77.148 05:50, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

Marijuana

Is it true that one dose of marijuana can give a person schizophrenia if they have a disposition to it? I know 9th grade health teachers aren't exactly the most reliable source of drug information... --124.254.77.148 12:47, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

No. While there is some evidence that usage marijuana can correlate with higher incidence of schizophrenia later in life[1], it is not clear that correlation equals causation (is the schizophrenia caused by the marijuana, or do people who smoke marijuana have other lifestyle issues that cause the schizophrenia, or does a predisposition for schizophrenia lead people towards marijuana and other similar activities at an earlier age?), and the actual causes of schizophrenia are still rather murky (much of it appears to be passed through heredity). (Personally I also think that schizophrenia can be something of a "bag" term for a variety of likely different conditions, but that's just me.) Anyway, if you have a disposition to schizophrenia you will probably have it anyway, and I doubt that "one dose" of marijuana could have any long-term permanent effect on your nervous system. In any case, the evidence is certainly not there for what your teacher asserted, and it is rather sad that he or she is resorting to outrageous exaggeration as a scare tactic, especially for such a relatively harmless drug (one that is banned for political reasons more than health reasons). Smoking marijuana isn't necessarily the best idea (especially in locales where it is illegal), but it isn't a bogeyman. --24.147.86.187 13:16, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

Also, if you take a look at the data from that study, it is pretty clear that the correlation only exists in a marked way for people who have smoked marijuana 50+ times (a nebulous category—everything from 51 to a million—and inevitably a group of people who do all sorts of other drugs as well,), and even then appears to only be in 25 people out of 1000. For anything less than that, the correlation is statistically nonexistant, barely distinguishable from the baseline (0, far left). --24.147.86.187 13:20, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

You obviously haven't seen that well-researched documentary film, Reefer Madness.  :) Corvus cornix 16:09, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

Salt Water - Toronto, Ontario, Canada

What is the distance and location of the nearest natural salt water lake or river to Toronto, Ontario, Canada ???

Salt water lake, I don't know. Of course there is one in Salt Lake, Utah. However, for rivers, you can easily find them on a map of the Toronto area. There are quite a few, and I myself have been on the French River.

The French River (Ontario) is fresh water. It flows from Lake Nippissing to Georgian Bay.-- Flyguy649 ^talk _contribs 17:57, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

And is there even such a thing as a salt water river? There is saltwater intrusion but Toronto is too far from an ocean for that. Adam Bishop 18:00, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

I can't see how. Saltwater lakes depend on long periods of accumulation with no outlet to build their salinity; rivers have no such accumulation. You could get a short-term saltwater river if, say, you drained the Dead Sea, but its saltwater status would last only as long as the source body. — Lomn 18:52, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

Perhaps not a "salt water river", but a brackish water estuary. In the first linked article, The Saint Lawrence and Saguenay rivers are listed; I'm not sure specifically where the dividing line between fresh and brackish water occurs in either. --LarryMac | Talk 20:02, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

(R to original Q) I suspect Category:Saline lakes is missing several (I just added a couple), but Great Salt Lake is the closest listed to Toronto. Using this calculator with the coordinates listed in our articles, it gives a distance of about 2720 km (1690 mi), a little south of due west. Flyguy649 ^talk _contribs 18:51, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

The closest body of salt water to Toronto would be the estuary of the Susquehanna River where it flows into Chesapeake Bay. This is approximately 550 km from Toronto. The closest area of salt water in the St. Lawrence River would be below Quebec City, more than 600 km from Toronto. As for salt lakes, Old Wives Lake is closer (at 1995 km or about 1225 miles) than Great Salt Lake. Marco polo 21:37, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

I make the mouth of the Susquehanna to be 530 km from Toronto. I have no idea how for upstream you have to go so that the river is no longer salty. But Wikipedia says that most of the Hudson River is an estuary to some extent, with tides being felt as far north as Troy, which is only about 470 km from Toronto. The article doesn't say anything about salinity, so I don't know which river is really the best answer. --Anonymous, August 27, 2007, 22:00 (UTC).

And, just to be thorough, the distance to James Bay (off Hudson Bay) and it's southern estuaries is approximately 1000 km due north of Toronto. StuRat 04:21, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

washing a waterproof jacket?

A waterproof jacket made of 100% polyster has gone a little dirty and it smells a bit. Its about 2 years old and never been washed. Is it safe to wash them using detergents - say washing powder used in the machines? (I am afraid that the detergents might destroy its waterproof properties). Do I need to it to wash it inside out?.

The waterproof ones I have (GoreTex lined) suggest machine washing using powdered detergent, not liquid. See this link. Flyguy649 ^talk _contribs 17:50, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

Did you check the label for care instructions? Also, see if the manufacturer has a website - there might be some information there. If all else fails, hand-wash it with mild soap. Plasticup ^T/C 18:37, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

One good way to clean polyester or nylon water proofs is with a showerhead - if there's any mud etc - just rub it off with your hand. This method is also quicker than a machine and you can pay special attention to any really dirty bits.87.102.85.15 18:44, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

Using this method I would just use hand soap if it was neccessary.

And as far as I know my things are still waterproof.87.102.85.15 18:45, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

Right, first things first, normal detergent, powder or liquid, is generally not great for a breathable waterproof (it blocks the pores and makes it less breathable). If you are using a washing machine to clean the garment first run it on its hottest cycle with nothing in to remove all traces of old detergent. Then use either pure soap flakes or a specially designed cleaner (such as Nikwax Techwash or Granger’s Wash in Cleaner Plus), on a 30C or 40C cycle (warm). Then run the garment through the washer again but without any detergent (just needs to be well rinsed). After this put the garment through the dryer on a low(ish) heat, this helps to reactivate the coating. If you want to reproof the jacket (areas such as the shoulders, back and underarms need doing more often due to wear from rucksacks) the best stuff to use is the spray on as it can be directed to where it is needed most and does not coat the inside of the jacket. There are usually good instructions on manufacturers websites (see Marmot's instructions) with any specific recommendations for your jacket. Xarr☎ 19:42, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

The Turkish Military - what makes it want to be secular?

It appears that the Turkish Military is the guardian of secularism. What makes it so? There must be some organic reason why they maintain this position. And, how is this organic position maintained over time? Is there education of the leadership that constantly elevates secularism to such a level that they are willing to throw out, frequently, an elected parliament. Any thoughts? Please, I'm not looking for a CNN-type answer. I want some depth, if possible, a reference if available. Thank you

They realize how messed up theocracies become? Turkey had a rather checkered history when it was the Ottoman Empire. I imagine this goes back to Atatürk: try reading Secularism in Turkey. Plasticup ^T/C 18:42, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

Kemalist ideology and veneration of Kemal Atatürk are held as sacred principles by the established Turkish business elite and the military. Turkey's educational system and military academies inculcate this. Since the time of Atatürk, the Turkish Armed Forces have seen themselves as the guardian of the Turkish republic and of its adherance to Kemalist principles. Historically, the Turkish military has seen as its duty the removal of governments that, in its view, threatened the well-being of the republic or its adherence to Kemalism (including secularism). According to the Kemalist view of history, conservative religiosity was one of the characteristics that weakened the Ottoman Empire and impeded its progress. Accordingly, secularism is essential to the strength and well-being of the Turkish state. Marco polo 21:15, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

THanks for the insight. I am conjecturing that now, there is a seeping through of the non-secular types, probably caused by lower economic levels for a lot more people than in the past. Likely then, that these folks with lower economic vista's are tempted with the religious wand. Although, if macro comparisons are any good, they said that the Hindu party winning in India would destory their secular democracy, but that didn't happen and the opposition secularists came to power. If the Military ensures, at least regular and fair elections, I feel that any radicalism will be flattened by political needs. Again, thanks! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.131.128.182 (talk) 23:50, August 27, 2007 (UTC)

law enforcement

is department of corrections part of law enforcement?

Usually it's the consequence of having a bad outcome during an interaction with law enforcement. department of corrections = jail, while law enforcement = police Rmhermen 18:50, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

That depends on what country/city you happen to be in. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 18:51, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

I also imagine it depends on what you mean by "part" and "law enforcement". Prisons are certainly part of the criminal justice system, but politically and organisationally they're separate from either police forces or court systems in most Western countries. FiggyBee 02:46, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

Safety in Enugu, Nigeria

What is the level of safety for an American citizen traveling to Enugu, Nigeria?

I first read the Wikipedia article on Enugu, Nigeria and read: "The city's economy has diversified in recent years and is largely dominated by trading, commerce, and small-scale industry. Flying into Enugu today brings no reminders of the capital city that bore the brunt of the military activities in the Nigerian civil war. Enugu is indeed a lovely place. The array of fine resorts and hotels that have sprung up around the city, the natural serenity of its environment, and a near absence of violent crimes have made Enugu a first choice destination for tourists from within and outside Nigeria." However, I then read the U.S. Department of State's Travel Warning issued January 19, 2007 and still current as of today, August 27, 2007. The report is very alarming and can be found at http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_928.html. I then visited Enugu's own web page on safety in Enugu (http://www.enuguweb.com/safety.htm) and that report was alarming as well! I'm wondering if the Wikipedia article on Enugu needs to be edited or if there is information that I am not aware of. Please advise. Thank you. Briandgleason 18:48, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

This question has been answered partly on the humanities section, lets keep answers there and avoid cross-section posts please :) SGGH ^speak! 19:36, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

alcohol

how long does alcohol stay in ones system?

I was going to point you to alcohol metabolism but it's a redirect to a rather technical article. Alcoholic beverage and Effects of alcohol on the body have some relevant info. The short oversimplified answer is that approximately 1 drink per hour is "removed" by your body. Friday (talk) 21:35, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

It's generally considered to be (in the UK, at least) 1 UK unit (10ml pure ethanol) per hour, but it depends a lot on size, gender, activity (slows when you're asleep) and what you've had to eat Benbread 22:57, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

If you're going by rules of thumb, 1 unit of alcohol (as described by Benbread above) is equal to roughly half a pint of beer or cider, or a single shot of spirits. Roughly. Skittle 16:22, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

Yeah, it does depend on what you have been eating. As a girl I know says: "eating is cheating"! Mathmo ^Talk 00:15, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

Our rules also exclude "Tactical chunders", funny I can't find an article for it. Alan. 81.144.241.244 10:48, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

800 numbers

How does one determine the owner and adress of the owmer of an 800 number?

Firstly it'd be useful if you told use what country you're referring to. Benbread 22:55, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

Ring it and see who answers.--88.111.135.209 06:09, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

I suppose you've tried Googling it?--Shantavira|^{feed me} 07:35, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

Navy Seals vs Green Berets

I am join the Army as a 18X(Special Forces Candidate) and i was just wondering, what is the major difference between the Green Berets and SEALs? I know the Green Berets are know for their guerrilla training, thats what sets them apart. but what else is there? And when it comes down to it, which one is better in terms of training and skills?

The first and most obvious difference is that the Green Berets are an Army special force and Navy SEALs a Navy special force. The SEALs training regime focus heavily on maritime combat and survival. Regular SEAL teams (not Team Six DEVGRU) are approximately in par with the Green Berets in terms of training and skills. Team Six is generally considered a notch up from the Green Berets in respect to the aforementioned areas and would be the equivalent of the Green Beret's "older brother"-the U.S. Army Delta Force. However, stereotypically, SEAL training is portrayed as one of the toughest in the world, especially Hell Week of BUD/S. Acceptable 23:31, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

The Toss (cricket)

In cricket, how is it decided which captain tosses the coin and/or calls heads or tails? Is there a set method or is it seen as unimportant and just chosen ad hoc between the 2 captains? I've read the article on the toss but it's not mentioned there. --Ukdan999 23:31, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

I don't know for sure about cricket, but in American football, the visiting team chooses heads or tails. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Railfan242 (talk • contribs) 03:21, August 28, 2007 (UTC)

The Laws of cricket do not specify anything, nor do the Playing Conditions for Test cricket, One-day internationals or the World Cup (link under Rules and Regulations at the ICC website). Ad hoc? -- Flyguy649 ^talk _contribs 06:22, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

Cricket is a gentleman's game, and as such it is only polite for the host (i.e., home) team to toss the coin and allow the visitor to call. Seems to be the same in most sports I know of where there is clearly a home team and an away team, e.g., Australian rules football. --jjron 07:36, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

In televised Tests, ODIs etc, it's some disinterested party who tosses the coin (eg. an umpire, a celebrity, etc). I've never seen a player toss the coin. (What happens in lower-level games could be a different story). This is preceded by the "away" team captain making the call. When they're playing on neutral ground, I don't know how they decide who makes the call. -- JackofOz 01:19, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Lunar Eclipse Tonight ?

Is this tonight or tomorrow night ? 65.173.104.223 23:32, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

Tuesday (ie. tonight) night starting at about 9:00pm here in New Zealand. Lisiate 23:56, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

In the US it's tomorrow morning although still the same date the 28th. Time is around 0952 check out the wikipedia article Nil Einne 00:10, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

28 August 2007 lunar eclipse ^Ariel♥Gold 00:35, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

Sharing folders and files

I have two computers connected by the same router. Is there any way I can share folders and transfer data from one computer to the other through my LAN connection? Acceptable 23:39, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

Yes, but the exact method will depend on your operating systems/s. If you want more information, perhaps this would be better on the Computing Reference Desk, but remember to include appropriate details. --jjron 07:22, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

Where can I find this BG?

I've been looking all over the internet for this computer desktop background

File:Desktopbg.png

, but have been unable to find it. Could someone help me? I'd prefer a resolution of 1280 x 800 or greater. Thanks a lot. Acceptable 23:46, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

The licensing says that you are the copyright holder... did you create it and then lose the file? Plasticup ^T/C 02:00, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

A question was asked before about this picture in march. The link given there was to here. Also Plastic Cup is right. You do not own the image - it should not be on wikipedia. Jon513 08:12, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

August 28

Newfoundland Breed Pull Strength

About how much weight can a fully grown Newfoundland(dog) pull? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.119.61.7 (talk) 00:02, August 28, 2007 (UTC)

That would depend greatly on the surface that the weight was being pulled across and the method used such as with a sled or a wheeled vehicle. Could you be more specific? This link provides some historical references to work that they have done which may give you an idea as to the weight that the average Newfie could pull. I don't know if you'll be able to find an exact or even approximate figure. Dismas|^(talk) 09:22, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

Pornography Industry

When was the Native American midget pornography industry created? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.185.133.23 (talk) 00:39, August 28, 2007 (UTC)

You know what they say, Native American midget pornography is the world's oldest profession. (I hope you weren't looking for serious responses...) Plasticup ^T/C 02:05, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

The start of your quest is you need to look at is when midget porn started. (Gidget the Midget?) Amazon's got porn history books. -- Guroadrunner 09:28, 3 September 2007 (UTC)

gradian

What is a gradian? And is metre the same as meter but with a weird pronunciation? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.185.133.23 (talk) 00:51, August 28, 2007 (UTC)

"Metre" is just the British spelling of "meter" in certain senses: specifically, the "metre" of a piece of poetry or the "metre" that equals 100 "centimetres". It is pronounced the same as "meter".

"Gradian" is another name for the grad, a unit of angle measure equal to 0.9 degree.

--Anonymous, August 28, 2007, 01:15 (UTC).

There's another sense of the word "meter" - a device for measuring certain kinds of things, eg. electricity usage. This is always spelled "meter", never "metre". -- JackofOz 03:17, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

An easier way to think of the grad is as a kind of decimal angle measure where 100 grad is a right angle. This sounds like a good idea until you start to use it in practice. The angles of 30 and 60 degrees come about so often in common usage that having them be recurring decimals (as they are in grads) is a major inconvenience. Incidentally - the reason that most scientists use 'Celsius' for temperature units instead of 'Centigrade' is that a 'centigrad' is 1/100th of a grad - which could be exceedingly confusing!

Also, it's not just the British who spell it metre with an 're' (also litre, etc) - the French (who invented it) spell it that way too. The SI system of units uses the 're' version - the American spelling ('meter') is the odd one out - although I see a lot of British people spelling it the American way (I certainly do). SteveBaker 12:57, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

Steve gives the right reason for the wrong fact. The use of the term "degree Celsius" is part of the SI standard (although I think he's right that the confusion with "centigrad" was given as a reason why it was adopted). But the standard does not specify the spelling of units in different languages; it only specifies their symbols (like "m" for the meter). "Meter" is not spelled "metre" in French; it is "mètre". In German it is "Meter"; in the Scandinavian languages and Dutch it is "meter"; in Hungarian, "méter"; in Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese, "metro"; in Finnish, "metri"; in Russian the Cyrillic equivalent of "metr"; and so on, as you can confirm in the "other languages" section of the metre page. There may be others that spell it "metre", but I don't know of any. --Anonymous, August 28, 2007, 14:59 (UTC), confusing typo removed later.

Smelly Shoes

How do I keep my shoes from smelling? I have clean feet, but for some reason my shoes smell!! And I feel like powders and spray just keep making it worse! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 189.146.84.164 (talk) 02:02, August 28, 2007 (UTC)

Feet and shoes aren't supposed to smell good. Its really not a big deal if your shoes smell, but if you don't wear socks, wear them. It would probably help. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Railfan242 (talk • contribs) 03:18, August 28, 2007 (UTC)

I question the statement that feet aren't supposed to smell good. Surely it depends on what they've come into contact with. If one spends one's days walking barefoot on rose petals - as most of us in the civilised world surely do - they'd be just dandy. -- JackofOz 03:37, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

I also question that statement. Confining feet in shoes which hold in moisture and heat is what allows bacteria to grow that make both the feet and shoes smell bad. Take those shoes off whenever possible (say under the table at a meeting or under your desk at work), don't wear shoes at all when home, and try to get shoes that "breathe". They now make "airator" shoes for kids, with an air pump actuated by walking, I hope they come up with something similar for adults soon. If you can't take shoes off completely, loosening the laces and possibly slipping them part way off can help a lot. StuRat 03:47, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

The whole reason that feet smell is because of shoes! If you never wore shoes, your foot wouldn't smell any worse then your arm. Wearing shoes makes feet sweat, and as StuRat said, allows bacteria to grow. Grango242 03:54, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

Foot odor discusses this. I buy cheap insoles and replace them regularly. Occasionally I throw my trainers in the washing machine.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 07:43, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

Wear sandals - problem solved. They are a good compromise between bare feet (as nature intended) and having some protection against stepping on pointy stuff! Wear socks when the weather is cooler. SteveBaker 12:36, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

People write in to the doctor's column in the paper saying that antiperspirant on the feet works. Not just deoderant, antiperspirant. Haven't tried it myself. Gzuckier 16:10, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

Actually, wearing sandals doesn't always get rid of foot odor. The odor is not as strong as it would be if you were wearing shoes, but there is still a stench.Grango242 16:20, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

Steam Trains

What are some good steam tourist railroads in the Northeastern United States? I'm looking for railroads in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, and Delaware. Grango242 03:44, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

As no one else has come forward, I can you only suggest you browse our list of heritage railways and follow links.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 12:31, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

1. Buy a ticket for the New Jersey Transit. 2. Buy a hot plate and a kettle. 3. Fill the kettle with water. 4. Get on the train, use the hot plate to heat the kettle.

Viola! A steam railroad in the Northeastern United States. --M@rēino 13:47, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

A few that I can think of:

• The Mount Washington Cog Railway in New Hampshire
• The Hobo Railroad [2] in New Hampshire (not always steam, maybe never any more)
• The Essex Steam Train [3] in Connecticut
• Steamtown in Pennsylvania (used to be in Bellows Falls, Vermont)

Atlant 15:19, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

Strasburg Rail Road. For added fun, make it an overnight trip and stay in an actual caboose. --LarryMac | Talk 14:22, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

Also, the Essex Steam Train in Essex, Connecticut. --LarryMac | Talk 14:28, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

I think there's an echo in here. ;-)

Atlant 17:59, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

oops. I got distracted by the thought of getting "Day Out With Thomas" tickets for my nephew. --LarryMac | Talk 18:12, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

Yeah the Strasburg Railroad is definetly the best. Go in the summer whenn they've got 2 steam trains running.Domster22 18:30, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Lunar Eclipse

When will the lunar eclipse begin in Melbourne time? --124.254.77.148 07:12, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

Approx. 6.51pm. See here. --jjron 07:26, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

Its going on NOW!!!! Can someone report this ?! 65.173.104.223 09:44, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

I know this is no forum. Just came in from outdoors. The moon is 1/2 covered in the Earth's shadow. 65.173.104.223 09:46, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

Zzzzzz. See 28 August 2007 lunar eclipse, which will probably turn into something like 3 March 2007 lunar eclipse if anyone's taking photos of it. We do not need a ball by ball account, thanks, 65.173.104.223. The moon is 1/2 covered in the Earth's shadow. Uh-huh. That'd be an eclipse, then. --Tagishsimon (talk)

H.M. Queen Beatrix Of The Netherlands

Where was H.M. Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands born? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 220.233.83.26 (talk) 07:29, August 28, 2007 (UTC)

Don't forget to try using a search engine eg http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=Queen+Beatrix+Of+The+Netherlands+born&meta= for the search "Queen Beatrix Of The Netherlands born" gives http://www.hellomagazine.com/profiles/queenbeatrix/ or http://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/english/content.jsp?objectid=18161 etc

from the hello! link : quote "Born on January 31, 1938, at the Soestdijk Palace in Baarn, Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard was just two years old when her family fled to England" 87.102.13.36 08:12, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

Just two when her family fled to England ? She must have had a bad case of "the terrible twos", if they went that far to get away from her :-) StuRat 11:47, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

African Oil refineries

How do i best find the working condition ( Preferably as a percentage of the nameplate capacities) of african Oil refineries? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Naya c (talk • contribs) 10:20, August 28, 2007 (UTC)

Capitation

Under Capitation and Federal Taxation it says: In Pollock the Court held that income taxes on income from property, such as rent income, interest income, and dividend income (but not income taxes on income from wages, employment, etc.) were to be treated as direct taxes. Because the statute in question had not apportioned income taxes on income from property by population, the statute was ruled unconstitutional.

Finally, ratification of the Sixteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1913 made possible modern income taxes, by removing the requirement of apportionment with respect to income taxes.

These 2 statements dont have anything to do with income from wages. As it says above the pollock case had nothing to do with income from wages, and employment. So how can the sixteenth amendment make it so that the government can tax wages and employment, if all it was meant to do was to overturn the pollock case. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.0.98.101 (talk) 10:50, August 28, 2007 (UTC)

The situation appears to be clarified at our Sixteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution article. The answer to your question appears to be a combination of legal interpretation and political mood. — Lomn 13:06, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

There's also Tax protester constitutional arguments which may be of interest. --Tagishsimon (talk) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Tagishsimon (talk • contribs) 13:07, August 28, 2007 (UTC)

The simple answer is that the 16th Amendment makes it so that the federal goverment can tax incomes because it says "The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes...". --Anonymous, August 27, 2007, 15:03 (UTC).

Apollo Moon Landing

Is it true that at the time of the Apollo Moon Landing the moon was facing Australia but when the astronauts looked at the Earth the film showed America? --124.254.77.148 13:13, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

I believe you're referring to a version of the Parkes Observatory "controversy" about Apollo 11? The article doesn't address your version of the controversy, but the simple answer is that no, nothing like what you describe happened during any of the six Apollo missions to land on the moon. --M@rēino 13:58, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

I can't tell what the poster is describing. "The film showed America"? What film? --Anonymous, August 28, 2007, 15:12 (UTC). —Preceding unsigned comment added by 208.76.104.133 (talk)

...also, the Apollo 11 Lunar Module was on the Moon's surface for nearly 22 hours (see this mission timeline), during which time the Earth rotated through almost a complete revolution - so the Moon was "facing" most of the Earth's surface at some time or other during the landing. Gandalf61 15:26, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

What film are you talking about? I don't know of any film that specifically shows America.Grango242 16:28, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

Presumably he's conflating video footage of the moon landing and Armstrong's initial descent with (separate) video footage showing the Earth from the moon. The two are not one and the same (and there are lots of video/photo materials of the Earth from the moon and its vicinity, taken over the course of years). — Lomn 17:57, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

It's a peculiar claim - from the point of view of someone standing on the Moon, the Earth rotates once every 24 hours (roughly) - so you can't say that the moon was facing a particular point on the Earth's surface throughout the mission. So I'm betting that there is simply some confusion as to precisely when during the mission that photo was taken - and when during the mission that Australia and America were visible from the Moon. Since you can see an entire hemisphere of the Earth at one time, there will be times when both Australia and America were in view at the same time. People who claim that these kinds of things are 'anomalies' and that therefore the moon landings were all faked have been completely and carefully debunked many times over - it's really not worth the effort to do that over again. SteveBaker 23:33, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

Ornithology Question

If Toucan Sam and Sonny the Cuckoo Bird got in a fight, who would win? XM 13:26, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

The reference desk is not a place for debates or forum discussion. Leebo ^T/C 14:00, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

• Cuckoos are carnivorous and occassionally eat other birds. No contest. --M@rēino 14:01, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

One thing is for sure: If they got in a fight, XM would unjustly receive a ticket that he can't afford and therefore shouldn't have to pay. Donald Hosek 17:44, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

Ooooh! Wait! I know this one! ...it's Ninjas. (or maybe Pirates)? —Preceding unsigned comment added by SteveBaker (talk • contribs) 17:54, August 29, 2007 (UTC)

World Service

Is there no watershed on the BBC WorldService? Cos its just past 3.30 and i heard an author read out the 'F-word' from his book. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Naya c (talk • contribs) 14:37, August 28, 2007 (UTC)

As far as I am aware, the watershed applies only to television. (How many kids listen the World Service?) In any case, again as far as I am aware, the BBC World Service broadcasts in different countries simultaneously, so any watershed would be pointless. Please use the "ask a new question" link at the top of this page when asking a new question.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 15:04, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

Doktor Paul Joseph Goebbels

What is this image on his sleeve? Is there a wikiPage on it? [image found here- http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/sheppard/goebbels.jpg ] Thanks Specialagent777 21:46, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

• Just a guess -- it might be an alternate form of the Thule Society logo.--M@rēino 17:47, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

Looks like someone crudely photoshopped it over his swastika. Marco polo 17:52, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

Yes - they did (it's pretty obvious because they did a crappy job of it) - here is an unmolested version of the original photo. It looks to me like this page is the original source of the messed up image. Notice that the same logo appears in the flag and logo at the top of the page. My German is non-existant but from what I can tell using Altavista/Babelfish, ("The combat federation of German socialists is a party - and organization-independent union on the basis of the confession to people and homeland.") this is likely to be some kind of Neo-Nazi organisation who is trying to claim an older heritage than they really have...but I'll happily defer to anyone who can read german and get us the correct answer. SteveBaker 17:50, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

From further nosing around on the web, I see that Thomas Brehl seems to be involved in this group - our article about him makes it clear that this is a Neo-Nazi group by the name of "Kampfbund Deutscher Sozialisten" (Fighting Federation of German Socialists or KDS). The image on the sleeve is their logo. The group was formed in 1999 - so we know that your photo has definitely been tampered with. SteveBaker 19:24, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

The group is not even a party. More a club or association. These guys are absolutely unknown in Germany and I cant believe this weird mixture of Nazi and Communists attracts neither side. The reason they photopped their symbol could just be the law against showing it de:Verwenden von Kennzeichen verfassungswidriger Organisationen--Tresckow 10:11, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

They can't be that unknown - the German Wikipedia has a fairly substantial article about them: de:Kampfbund Deutscher Sozialisten which at least a dozen people have contributed to and which is linked to by a dozen other articles. But yes - it's likely that the KDS photoshopped out the swastika because public display of the symbol is illegal in Germany. However, the fact that they replaced it with their own symbol is telling. I imagine most people wishing to display that photo would simply have blurred the symbol into oblivion and left it like that. Anyway, I think we've nailed this one for the OP. SteveBaker 11:50, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

Windows and Paganism

Window Treatment Expert and/or Pagan Shape Meanings possible Saturnian in Nature

I'm sitting in the Beverly Hills Library Reading Room. I look at the window at the end of the room, reminds me of almost triptic church stain glass windows, although just normal windows. I'm thinking, I see this shape a lot. These 3 elongaged rectangulars with rounded top on center and smaller side panel forms. I made up a superpaint vers. and put on imageshack for question. [image here- http://img129.imageshack.us/img129/7922/tripoh2.png ] What is the name of this style, is there a name for this exact form of window placements?

Also, I see these forms in Comic books, and I read an old Key to Solomon book with odd diagrams on possible spells or summons. I'm thinking summoning a memory locked in our subconscience maybe. I bring up Comics because the boxes are called windows, and in the sense they play on old paganistic ideals, that of course falls into opinion, but a true artists of any kind cannot deny pagan roots in art of all kind. Hence this maybe a question on what is art and what is pagan, but basically, does this same window frame have any link to exact saturn like stuffs? Sorry, I'm trying to connect stuff that maybe just coincedence, but isn't wikiquestioning just this? Possible rhetoric, but valid nontheless. Thank you. Specialagent777 21:47, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

My architecure history professor called these hadriana windows, they have something to do with Hadrian. I am probably mispelling that because I can't find anything on google or wikipedia that uses that name. I think there were other (perhaps more common) names for that configuration also. I wouldn't be suprised if there is pagan symbolism. edit: I added some pics from commons of hadrian's villa. Also I found this picture but I don't know what it is -- Diletante 22:53, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

I do know what it is a picture of, it is a ruin in Ephesus, the Temple of Hadrian. Also, I think that windows in the style you are describing are sometimes called Palladian windows. Crypticfirefly 04:35, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

"Law" page

I'm looking for a page (I was there before) where people have written clever things about Wikipedia. Rules or "laws"
eg. Example's 1st law: If you do something then something will happen
I'm pretty sure that it's one of Raul's subpages. It was quite funny. Could you answer on my talk page?--Pheonix15 18:12, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

User:Raul654/Raul's laws. Jon513 18:32, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

Looking for a Sound Effect

Hello, I'm trying to make a [computer] greeting card and I'm looking for that one sound effect people usually play to symbolize the character snapping back to reality. You know, it sounds like several sounds played together, like buzzing and mixing records. I was told it was on the movie Mean Girls, but I'm not sure since I've never seen it.

I'm also looking for a place to find free background music. Can you guys help me? --JDitto 21:38, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

If I know the sound you mean, usually it is just something like a cymbal being played in reverse, which leads to a fuzzy-lead in and then a quick WHACK before. Take a look at the varieties of reverse cymbals at the bottom of this page and see if it is what you are thinking of. --24.147.86.187 15:15, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

I picture the sound also having an element of "needle being dragged off of a vinyl record". jeffjon 20:15, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Take some sounds, run them on backwards and speed them up progressively. That might make the sound effect you are looking for. Background music? http://www.archive.org for a bunch of stuff in the public domain. -- Guroadrunner 06:43, 2 September 2007 (UTC)

Harvesting Walnuts

I have a voluteer walnut tree growing in my yard with a boutiful crop. The nuts are covered with a reatively smooth green husk. I would like to know if they are edible and how and when to harvest them.

Assuming that your tree is a black walnut, according to this source, from Minnesota, near the northern edge of the black walnut's range, the nuts are ready to harvest in late August or early September. If your growing season is longer than Minnesota's, your nuts should be ready to harvest now. As for how to harvest them, you can try shaking the tree. Otherwise, you can wait until they fall from the tree, or you can go at it with a ladder. If you have a black walnut, the nuts should be edible. The same website offers tips on removing the husk and extracting the nuts. Marco polo 02:11, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

A sports question, why do cyclist in an individual time trial start in reverse order?

Why do they start in reverse order? Is it as a kind of reward for having done well before? Yet while this could kind of hold true during a stage race, during say the world champs or the olympic games this is not the same because neither of those races are part of a larger race. Mathmo ^Talk 22:33, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

I think most competitions where individuals compete one at a time has the leader go last. As the linked article says I think this is just to make things interesting for spectators, If the frontrunner went first no one would stick around to see the lower ranked competitors finish. Also there will be more exciting lead changes when run in the normal reverse order. -- Diletante 22:46, 28 August 2007 (UTC)

I think (and I'm not entirely sure of this) that in races like the Olympics where riders won't hold a place as part larger race such as a Tour, then the starting sequence is determined on current world rankings. --jjron 05:42, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

In motor sport the leader goes first for the obvious reason that slower drivers will unwittingly block a faster vehicle. That's why Formula One establish a grid by each driver setting a best time ahead of the race.86.197.149.142 14:44, 30 August 2007 (UTC)DT

August 29

About the "Rejection Hotline"

Hello,

A friend of mine sent me a number to a hilarious recording called the Rejection Hotline. I called it but afterwards wondered about a service charge or something like that. I looked on their website and the wikipedia article about the Hotline to try to find anything about fees, either good or bad, and came up with nothing in the search.

Was just wondering if someone here might have some better research skills than I, and be able to find it. (Also, adding it to the article about the Hotline might be good.)

142.46.4.94 02:27, 29 August 2007 (UTC)Tyson

Presumably they did not ask for a credit card number, so as far as I know the only way you could be charged a lot is if you called a premium-rate telephone number or made an international call. Does the number that you dialed look like one of the ones listed for your country in that article? Or if it looked like an ordinary North American number, was it one of the area codes in the Caribbean and therefore an international call? --Anonymous, August 29, 2007, 03:17 (UTC).

Oh, look, Wikipedia has an article -- not very well written -- about the Rejection Hotline. Ordinary U.S. phone numbers, so no problem. --Anon, 03:21 (UTC).

Oh, look, the original question mentions that the user looked at the article. Please try to leave the condescenion at the door when replying to Ref Desk questions. --LarryMac | Talk 17:30, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

The condescension was addressed to myself, not the original poster! I missed the bit where he/she referred to the WP article. --Anon, August 29, 2007, 22:00 (UTC).

The article says "the voicemail system was upgraded to allow more cities across America to host a number leading to the recording". To me, that sounds like it is a local call. The website confirms that these are not international calls. Reading through their website they say that is started as a joke, and their revenue seems to come only through their website advertising and merchandise. Nothing seems to indicate that the hotline charges a fee. Plasticup ^T/C 16:22, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

Xenosaga copyrights

Hi. A while back Namco-Bandai sold the majority of its stock in Monolith Soft to Nintendo. Monolith Soft was the developer of a video game series called Xenosaga. I was wondering if anyone could help me find out if the copyrights to this intellectual property stayed with Namco-Bandai or did it move with Monolith Soft over to Nintendo. I tried the official websites of all parties, their wikipedia articles, google searches, and found nothing. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance. Sima Yi 02:53, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

If Monolith is a publically traded company owned jointly by Namco and Nintendo then the odds are that Monolith retains the rights. Buying shares in a company doesn't give you the right to steal their IP! SteveBaker 18:00, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

Terms for two roof shapes

What is the term for a roof that is similar to a Mansard or gambrel roof except that the inner pitch is steeper than the outer? NeonMerlin 02:53, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

ok I've don't think I've ever seen such a thing except in a spire - called a "splay foot spire"87.102.18.14 11:37, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

Yes you have, I daresay: McDonald's restaurants are built with them. Not that I know what they're called, either (I've often wondered). Splay-foot spires are similar but not exactly the same. Surprisingly, even the Wikipedia article on the Mansard roof says McDonald's restaurants have Mansard roofs, which is clearly not the case. I suppose I'll have to correct that.--Rallette 15:06, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

mmh "chinese style roof with upturned eaves" is the best I can do at present.87.102.18.14 16:33, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

It's a pretty impractical style since:

1. It minimises the amount of attic space (the complete opposite of what a mansard/gambrel does).
2. When water or snow hits it, the steep part sheds precipitation easily - but dumps the runoff onto a shallower section that's less able to shed it. So all benefit of the steeper section is lost.
3. It's more complex to build than a singly-pitched roof.

...so we can probably deduce that this style is purely decorative.

(All of which leads up to me having to confess that I have no idea what they are called either!) SteveBaker 17:22, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

Hmmm this page suggests that the McDonald roof (which is the kind that the OP is asking about) is also a 'Mansard' - although almost every other source says a mansard has a steeper lower roof than upper - and McDonalds are the other way around. That page also describes it as 'flared'. The Free Dictionary also offers 'curb roof' as meaning a roof with two different slopes on each side of the ridge - so both the McDonald style and the true Mansard are examples of 'curb roofs' if you accept that definition. SteveBaker 17:36, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

Mmmh looking at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Ch%C3%A2teaudeDampierreenYvelines.jpg these roofs (in this case) do have a slightly pitched eave. That said - has anyone got a photo of the ubiquitous macdonalds from above - I'm guessing that they have flat roofs beind the facade - or am I wrong - and does a steeply pitched roof or eave plus a flat roof on top still constitute a mansard..etc87.102.18.14 19:15, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

There is a written description of the roof here, and there is a picture on this page (scroll down) in which you can barely see over the upper slanted portion. I couldn't find any photos from a higher angle. I'd say yes, the roof is flat, and the upper angled portion is meant to partially hide the equipment up there. --LarryMac | Talk 19:32, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

Ah yes - lots of air conditioning and extracton fans (plus solar heating) (Would make a nice house for me). Thanks.87.102.18.14 19:48, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

I think that the style most similar to the McDonald's roofline is something known in Canada as the "Bell cast" roof. It is/was very popular in the province of Quebec. See this site [4] for photos. Bielle 19:18, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

(outdent) This isn't quite the right answer, but Saltbox houses have this style of roof, in the back at least. Pfly 04:38, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Training module for international BPO

Shweta kathuria Hi my name is Shweta and I am working as the process trainer for an international BPO. I would like to know what should the training module should contain apart from culture, process details, script, rebuttals/ objection handling. Also, how can I start with the business development. What exercises and patterns should be followed? Shweta kathuria —Preceding unsigned comment added by Shweta kathuria (talk • contribs) 03:26, August 29, 2007 (UTC)

Please post questions using the + button, which reminds you to supply a title. I have added one for you. As to your question, I have no idea. --Anonymous, August 29, 04:21 UTC.

I'd spend a great deal of time on language skills (including expression and dialects). I recall an instance where I contacted a French software vendor about a problem and said "when I go into this function, it blows up on me", to which they replied "I'm sorry, if there has been some type of explosion, this must be a hardware issue, our software can't possible be at fault". StuRat 14:17, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

British and American education systems compared

For years I've tried to understand the British education system. I think that with the help of Wikipedia and British friends, I can make the following comparison between secondary school in the US and UK. Am I right in saying:

The GCSE years are not all that different from grades 9 and 10 in the U.S. Students take some required subjects, plus a few electives. At the end, students take an exam that counts for a chunk of their final mark. The differences are that a GCSE "class" takes one or two years rather than one or 1/2 years; the exam generally counts for a bigger chunk of the final mark than it does in the U.S.; and the exam is consistent nationwide rather than drawn up by the teacher.

It's in the last two years where it gets really different. In Britain, if you don't go into a vocational program, the entire goal of your last two years is to perform well on a few A-level exams at the end. In America, grades 11 and 12 are no different from grades 9 and 10; you take a mix of required classes and electives (typically about six total) and get semseter-end grades in each based on coursework, tests and a final exam. Courses geared toward the passage of Advanced Placement exams seem similar to A-level classes, but AP classes (and exams) are optional, not offered everywhere and generally do not make up the entirety of a student's schedule of classes. Because there is no consistent national curriculum or grading standard in the U.S., students take SAT and/or ACT exams so universities can judge them against other students. But the SAT and ACT are separate from the school curriculum and are studied for on the student's own time and budget. States may require that students pass a standard graduation test to get a diploma, but that's a generally easy test to ensure students meet a bare minimum, not anything meant to impress university admissions people. American university-admissions candidates brag about their grade point average, or average semester-end mark from all of their high-school classes. British students, on the other hand, tend to talk about the number of A-levels and GSCEs they've passed.

Yes, I know that Americans call it "college," not "university," and that Scotland is different from England and Wales, but I'm hoping I've got the gist of it. -- Mwalcoff 03:41, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

Your description of GCSEs and A-levels in England is broadly correct, but I can add a few points of detail:

1. Although the curriculum in each subject is set nationally, the exams are not set nationally - they are set by exam boards such as AQA, Edexcel and OCR. Exams from different boards are not the same - but a GCSE is a GCSE, adn an A-level is an A-level, regardless of which exam board was used.
2. Most GCSEs and A-levels are now modular, with each module having a separate exam (and some modules may be evaluated on coursework, not an exam). Module exams may be taken at various points during the course - most boards, I think, set their exams twice a year, typically in January and May. A module exam may be re-taken to try to improve results; the student may be asked to pay a fee for a re-take. The overall grade for the GCSE or A-level is based on a combination of the marks awarded for each module.
3. Each A-level course is split into two halves - AS and A2 - with each half usually taught over one academic year. Students typically take four A-level courses up to AS, get their AS results, and then drop one subject, and continue with three courses to A2. University applications are made after AS results are known, and offers of university places are usually contingent on achieving a certain target in AS and A2 results.

Hope this helps. Gandalf61 10:54, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

A minor point: one doesn't talk about number of A-levels passed, since most people take the same number of A-levels (3) and almost all pass. One talks about grades achieved, e.g. 'I got an A and two Cs'. Algebraist 12:52, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

Starting a school

How do I start my own high school? --124.254.77.148 05:09, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

Now this may be a serious question, but, honestly, if you're looking at doing something as substantial as starting your very own high school, is the Wikipedia Miscellaneous Reference Desk really the place to be going for advice? I mean, maybe you'd start with the Government Education Department in your State or Country for example. --jjron 05:46, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

haven't you seen Accepted? Jon513 12:58, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

In parts of the U.S., individuals or groups can form their own schools outside of the regular public school system called charter schools. You have to meet all the requirements of the state department of education, of course. — Michael J 00:45, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

In the US I'd go with a religious school for two reasons, it won't have any taxes on it, and, if the government tries to shut it down the Constitution is on your side, since they could be accused of interfering with the free expression of your religion. As long as you aren't training suicide bombers in that school, you'd likely win. StuRat 14:08, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Or even if you are training suicide bombers, according to certain people regarding some New York school lately. --lucid 14:17, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

2010

In the year 2010, will people call it two-thousand-and-ten or twenty-ten? --Candy-Panda 06:29, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

There is some discussion of this at 2010. I'm gonna call it two thousand and ten, cos that's what it is.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 06:43, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

Both. --jjron 09:54, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

I'm gonna call it 'Twenty-Ten', but around the intelligentsia I'm gonna go with 'TwoTen'. I got this 'Twenty-Ten' from playing an old Sega game called 'Crazy Taxi' back in 1999 with the music of Greg Graffin with Bad Religion. On their 1996 Album 'the Gray Race'/song track 'Ten In 2010'. You can pull up the video online, great band, great song. --JacobV

I think people are already calling it 'Twenty-Ten'. SteveBaker 17:08, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

When referring to the London Olympics both 'twenty twelve' and 'two thousand and twelve' are used by the UK media. So we'll have to wait and see but my guess is it will be 'twenty ten' because it's easier to say. It also follows the 'nineteen ten' model Richard Avery 17:52, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

I haven't yet heard years prefaced by "twenty" much in the United States. We are still using "two thousand" for the most part. However, I expect to hear "twenty" more often by 2011, because of all of the syllables, if not in 2010. Marco polo 18:42, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

I do a lot of volunteer work in sports, I am in Canada, and so I routinely hear references to the upcoming 2010 Olympic and Paralympic games. Invariably, people say "twenty-ten"; I don't think I've ever heard it expressed "two-thousand-and-ten". - Eron ^Talk 21:14, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

To appease the grammar aficionados, please note that it is "two thousand ten", not "two thousand and ten". The use of "and" is reserved for the decimal point. -- 22:50, 29 August 2007 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.33.121.200 (talk)

That's not true at all - at least not in Australia. We say "two thousand and seven" etc, so I'd be very surprised if we dropped the "and" when it comes to 2010. -- JackofOz 22:58, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

Yep - I agree. We Brits don't drop the 'and' out either. It's an American thing. —Preceding unsigned comment added by SteveBaker (talk • contribs) 00:50, August 30, 2007 (UTC)

In fact, if I recall from an earlier discussion I read somewhere, it's a fairly recent American thing, largely introduced by teachers. Skittle 14:02, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

Is the reason behind dropping the and even correct? So you should say 107 one hundred seven not one hundred and seven? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Antilived (talk • contribs) 08:49, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

This Brit says "Two thousand-seven", and a quick ask around the office suggests I am not alone. I would image once we get past 2009, we'll be onto "Twenty-ten" and so on (a la "nineteen-ten" for 1910, as opposed to "one thousand, nine hundred and ten" or "ninteen hundred and ten"). Neil ム 10:45, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

You actually say "Two thousand-seven"? I have never met a briton who missed the 'and' in the fleshworld; to me it suggest 2000/7 or 2000-7 or some such, although I make the translation when I hear it said in an American accent. Skittle 11:27, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Network subscribers in South Africa

Hey Wikis, i was wondering if any one could tell me how many subscribers are listed on the mobile networks in SA(Vodacom, Cell C,MTN,Virgin Mobile etc)I have already searched on wiki so thanks for that info....Also what would you consider to be luxury features on a cellphone and which are a basic needs. Any added info on this topic would be appreciated!Crazypinkster 12:42, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

Note you have already asked this question on the Science reference desk, but frankly the miscellaneous desk I think would be the better place. I gave you numbers for MTN, not sure about Cell C, Vodacom, or Virgin. I think in particular Virgin's haven't been released. Rfwoolf 05:57, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

Winnie the Pooh

How was it resolved that Winnie and his friends should stay permanently at the New York city public library? They crossed the ocean several times back and forth and then the New York library just kept them. There was some sort of frumous in Parliament which appears to have been resolved. The New York city website just says that it was resolved to unanimous satisfaction that they should stay in New York. That seems so unlikely without some kind of political muscle flexing or something. Some kind of deal? Is this like the Stone of Scone thing where the US said "we got 'em and we aint giving 'em back, so there" or what? Morton000 12:57, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

Island Of Fun

If i were to buy an island and declare it my own country, what would be the consequences of staging an event like Motorstorm or The Arena (in Oblivion)? Also would using prisoners in these events (with a "Last Man Standing Goes Free system) be a breach of human rights? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.76.125.193 (talk) 15:09, August 29, 2007 (UTC)

You can't buy an island and declare it your own country. Most of the islands of the world are claimed by (at least) one state.

But if you would be able to find an unclaimed island, you would not need to buy it, because no one owns it. Declaring it a state is not that simple, you would need international recognition to be a real state.

Then you would want to host a large real life game event there like MotorStorm (racing), The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (rpg focusing on man to man combat) or The Elder Scrolls: Arena (rpg focusing on man to man combat). This is possible but you would need to find people who would want to participate in it.

Using prisoners would be impossible because prisoners are always prisoner of some state, since you want to form your own state you would need to obtain your own prisoners.

Assuming that people would want to live in your state and that they could be able to obtain citizenship of your state, you could then take them prisoner and force them to do any thing your law would prescribe, including man to man combat until one survives. The problem however is whether other states will accept that their citizens lose their citizenship in favour of that of your state. If they do not it would still be legitimate for them to take action in order to protect their citizens.

Assuming that you have been able to become a state without joining the United Nations and entering in its treaties, the question whether it is a breach of human rights (which it obviously is namely the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment) is irrelevant since international treaties do not apply to states which are not member.

So if you are able to claim an unclaimed island, and if you are able get citizens to that island, then you can take them prisoner and force them to kill each other, without breaking international law. Both steps are extremely problematic, if not implausible.

So your killing games are best left virtual. C mon 15:43, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

Worse still - you'd need a police force or military in order to capture and imprison these people for whatever crimes they committed. That means that you need laws - and it's going to be pretty tricky to get a significant number of people to live under (and police) those laws if they say things like "If you steal something, you're (essentially) getting a death-by-gladiatorial-combat sentence." - yet you have to say "It's not illegal to force people to kill each other.". You simply won't find a population who would stand for that kind of thing. Before you know it you have rioting in the streets - the police/army rebelling against your tyrannical rule. International opinion will be strongly against you so you known that (at the very least) the rebels will be well funded - and you won't be. This kind of behavior can't last for long. SteveBaker 17:06, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

See Republic of Minerva for a sad tale of what happened to one micronation project. —Keenan Pepper 17:53, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

Have a look at jus cogens as well. There are some "rules" or "laws" which are internationally recognised even though there may not be a corresponding law in an individual national legislation. Consider this: During the breakup of the former Eastern bloc, several countries "ceased to exist" for an (albeit short) period of time. While the legality of some of the laws of these countries may have been a matter of contention during this transitional period, no sane person would argue that basic rules (what could be simplified as jus cogens) still applied; e.g. it would still be illegal and punishable to murder or rape someone in a country where the legal system was in transition, whatever other non-fundamental rules or laws might be contended. Asav 07:25, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

And then there is "The Most Dangerous Game", which morphed into one of my more interesting high-school classes. Bielle 18:52, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

Bookbinding & papermaking materials resistant to fungus & termites

I would like to know what materials for bookbinding can be used that will have the most resistance to termites and fungus. Paper with high cotton content and glues like methyl cellulose are often used in bookbinding, but would provide little resistance to pests in tropical areas. I am wondering which additives in the papermaking or binding process might be used to increase resistance--would kaolin or other mineral additives be effective, or mixing wool or silk fibers in with cotton? Is wheat paste likely to degrade from pest damage, or are there better alternatives to use for the paste?

130.132.179.160 16:49, 29 August 2007 (UTC)Charles Riley

non natural glues will be much more resistant to fungus than natural glues.

Anti-fungal (fungicide) additives would be the way to go here, at the risk of not really answering your question, further more a synthetic fibre for the manufacture of the paper would help - perhaps some sort of polyvinyl alcohol/polyethene copolymer?.87.102.18.14 17:24, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

Plastic paper (see tyvek or teslin) such as that made from polypropylene probably wouldn't be eaten/rot/go moldy87.102.18.14 20:12, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

I agree that plastic sheets may be the way to go, although fungus can still grow on them, but won't destroy them. An anti-fungal agent may still be coated on them to prevent this. As for the adhesive, I'd go with a non-adhesive binding method, such as stapling sections together at the binding (but then the staples could rust, I suppose) or running nylon strings through them at the binding. Also, you might want to keep the books dry by storing them with a desiccant, like silica gel. StuRat 13:55, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Paper recycler

I saw a small machine that wet waste paper is put into. It gets compressed and comes out as a block that can be burned in an open fire/stove etc. I was wondering what this machine was. It's a bit like a paper shredder

"Paper brick maker" seems to be the common name.87.102.18.14 19:44, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

I recall seeing something of the kind on Tomorrow's World in the '80s. Googling paper brick maker comes up with many links, such as this one [5]. DuncanHill 21:33, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

Wouldn't a standard kitchen trash compactor do the job just as well? They crush things up pretty tight. But I object to describing taking paper and burning it as 'recycling'...it's the opposite of recycling. To recycle it, you have to turn it back into paper or cardboard or something. SteveBaker 00:48, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

Or a tree? Dismas|^(talk) 07:11, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

This item was quite widely advertised on TV in Australia, probably about 1982. It went under the name Combusta Brik. I haven't heard of them for many, many years. In fact, probably the only reason I remember it is that one of the less bright kids when I was at school got rather cruelly called Combusta Brik as a nickname at the height of the advertising. A quick Google search returns a number of results, including ones for sale on ebay (you could also try some variations on the spelling, such as 'brick'). It appears to have been a Kambrook tradename in Australia and New Zealand. --jjron 09:02, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

If you are in the UK, a company called Coopers of Stowe have one, they might have a web page too.--88.110.215.190 10:01, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

I suppose I agree with you SteveBaker. It's just when I asked someone what it was they said it was a "paper recycler" —Preceding unsigned comment added by Pheonix15 (talk • contribs) 19:08, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

transportation

How much money is spent annually on both highway and air traffic control safety planning? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Hollyibs (talk • contribs) 18:40, August 29, 2007 (UTC)

Did you have a specific country in mind? Or were you thinking globally? Dismas|^(talk) 23:56, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

Price of enriched uranium

How much does 1gram of weapons-grade enriched Uranium cost? Please note, I have no intentions of buying or using it in anyway and his is mere curiosity. Thanks. Acceptable 18:41, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

That's going to be 100% dependent on who you are and where you want it delivered. SteveBaker 19:11, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

If you can convince the right people that you're an Islamic terraist state, George W. Bush may be willing to deliver it for free. Of course, you'll only posess it for a few milliseconds...

Atlant 12:26, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

Hey, thats interesting, but here goes an attempt. I hope nobody uses this as a template: -find the uranium ore ($100K)Template:''where would you find it?''? -set up a mine to extract it, and the rig's etc. A small manufacturer size ($5-10Million)Template:''got to capture a country to do this'' -set up an enrichment process as the Iranians.Template:''need a Dr Q to help, but I think they shackled him'' -a) requires power, lets say 1 Megawatt ($1Billion)Template:''that's easy, siphon off the grid, if there is one where you set u''p -b) centrifuges, assuming you are a start-up operator, lots of them. I'm going to assume 20,000 equivalent washing machines, superior grade! ($200 Million) -c) bunch of engineers (500 @100k) ($50 Million) Somehow you crank all this up to create a functioning system. Scale required, so I would say you have to spend a few Billion before you get the first ounce! Wow, totally guesswork, but if anybody knows the answer, I'll be happily corrected. So, for purpose of analysis lets rest on $10B/ounce.

Ah, but once you have the infrastructure in place, what would your marginal cost be? Donald Hosek 21:34, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

http://www.uxc.com/review/uxc_Prices.aspx may help. It makes no sense to me but might to someone! Hope this help, or at leasts is of interest. ny156uk 19:38, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

I think it's not the sort of thing you can buy, and as such has no price, (though see above).87.102.18.14 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 87.102.18.14 (talk) 19:41, August 29, 2007 (UTC)

It is indeed a hard question to answer. Here's one data point: under the Megatons to Megawatts program, the US bought 500 metric tons of HEU from Russia for $12B ($4B for the natural uranium, $8B for the enrichment) in 1993. That's apparently enough for 20,000 warheads, so a single pit would be about $600,000. I wouldn't put too much stock in those numbers, though, since it's a weird deal in a weird market. --Sean 22:14, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

Are we looking at the Thousands of dollars per gram or millions of dollars per gram range? Acceptable 23:46, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

If you accept the (marginal cost) figures I provide above, and accept the nuclear weapon design article's estimate of a 10 kilogram pit, you're talking about $600,000 for a 10kg pit, so $60 per gram. Millions per gram would make a single weapon cost 10 billion dollars, which is ludicrous even by Cold War standards. The whole Manhattan Project only cost 23 billion (2007 dollars), and they had to invent the stuff. --Sean 00:05, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

But I bet that if you were (say) a researcher at some respectiable university - and you had a reasonable experiment that needed just one gram of the stuff - you could get it from the US government pretty cheaply. SteveBaker 00:44, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

It has a price (in the US), if you are approved to buy it (and of course as a private individual you would not, but if you were a nuclear engineer working for a major corporation, perhaps you could). In the US though the price might not be set by the market value, but artificially by the DOE.

If you were trying to calculate it by how much it would actually cost in real terms, you would have to specify what type of enrichment you were performing. Generally speaking enrichment is calculated in terms of SWU, where an SWU is a "work unit" of enrichment. How many SWUs you need depends on how much material you are enriching, and to what level of enrichment. How much it would cost would depend on the cost per SWU for a given enrichment method, plus the raw input materials.

Here's my crack at the numbers: The site linked to above seems to say, if I am not interpreting it correctly, that per SWU of enrichment is currently $140. Using a SWU calculator, we could say that getting 10 kg of natural uranium enriched to 90% would require around 1931 SWU, and thus cost around $270,340. But that's just the enrichment cost; you'd need 2 tonnes of natural uranium to input for enrichment, and at the current spot price of UF6 ($240/kg) that would mean your uranium (milled into U3O8 and converted to UF6) would cost an additional $480,000, putting the total cost at over $750,000, or $75 per gram (very close to TotoBaggins' estimate above). Yowza! Someone correct me if I've messed up or made bad assumptions, as I'm just winging this. --24.147.86.187 00:56, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

$75 per gram...cheaper than pure cocaine! Acceptable 18:13, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

Amor Comprado's Plot

Can somebody from Wikipedia [help]] me find a plot to Amor Comprado so I could write it in my article on Amor Comprado, please? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Ericthebrainiac (talk • contribs) 19:49, August 29, 2007 (UTC)

It is difficult to find a plot for something that does not, yet, exist. I suspect this article may be a candidate for Speedy Delete, which may be why the OP is anxious to write up what it is about. Bielle 23:07, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

It seems that Ericthebrainiac is the sole contributor to that article. Hmmm:

• STEP 1: Find information.
• STEP 2: Write article.

Doing it the other way around is not recommended. SteveBaker 00:42, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

mysterious flying sign

this thing happened at year 1999 to 2000.it's located in several places which i will describe below ;

1. Senawang, Malaysia - Brown
2. Kuchai Lama Route, Malaysia - Coral Red
3. Sri Sentosa Apartment, Malaysia - Coral Red
4. Old Folk House, Klang Lama, Malaysia - Shadow
5. Kuala Lumpur City Centre (Tower 2), Malaysia - Small Object (Fast move)
6. National Castle, Malaysia -Silver (like wearing gladiator helmet)
7. Ampang Route (Naluri Tower), Malaysia - Blue and long size

I concluded that this sign(some kind Fish) and with different colour...Dragon.I can't believe my eyes because all this sign i seen in the morning...or did i go insane myself. For your information i am not taking any medicine or drug...

Can you help me...please explain or advise me to get psycology treatment...Maybe my explaination here not details...Some claims that there is 7 Sign but no ordinary human could seen...What is 7 Sign actually...? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 202.186.17.18 (talk) 20:25, August 29, 2007 (UTC)

7 Sign Regime? Bielle 23:10, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

This question is far too confusing to answer. Slow down - tell us more details. Please describe in more detail what these 'signs' look like. Do you see them only in the sky - or can you see them (for example) hovering in front of nearby objects? Are they visible in daylight or only at night? Can other people nearby see what you are talking about? Do these objects seem very detailed or extremely fuzzy? Do the objects move if (for example) you turn your head or do they appear to stay at the same place in the sky when you do that? SteveBaker 13:25, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

August 30

"Drumming for a song"

For the song "Fading Lights", the last track featured in Genesis's 1991 album, We Can't Dance, what are the percussion fills you would have to follow (like Phil Collins did); what is the musical notation of drumming for that exact song? --Writer Cartoonist 01:50, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

Shipping costs on Ebay

I am a first time seller on ebay. what i am wondering is when i am using a shipping service like United Parcel Service for example, how does the shipping service know that the buyer of an item has paid shipping costs. Do i have to give the shipping service a detail of what has been paid?--logger 04:21, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

No, UPS doesn't care who gets paid what as long as they get their money from you when you ship it. Generally, you sell an item and state that the buyer will pay shipping. So the buyer pays you the shipping and then you use that money to pay UPS to ship it. That's it. UPS just takes it from you and delivers it. They don't care where you got the money. Dismas|^(talk) 05:23, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

All right i think i get it now. Just seemed confusing.--logger 05:26, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

Actually, on eBay, the routine seems to be: The buyer pays "shipping", the seller then takes the majority of that "shipping" money as "extra profit", and then pays UPS or the USPS a pittance to actually transport the thing.

Atlant 12:30, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

Technically it is "shipping and handling", the latter being an entirely nebulous and subjectively defined category (since you can include the price of your "time" in handling). But I agree that it is often far beyond the actual price of shipping and materials. Sometimes you can even find auctions that are super, super cheap but have outrageous S&H costs, which as far as I am concerned are intentionally meant to be deceptive.

But yeah, to answer the original question, figure out how much the object weighs (roughly), figure out how much the shipping will cost (roughly), and add that on the page to the correct place. Then when the buyer pays, that is added to the total price. You don't have to worry about it being exact (as exact rates can vary depending on where it is shipped to), but you want to get it mostly in the right ballpark. If you have overly inflated shipping prices it will cut down on the maximum amount people are willing to bid, as they are taking that into consideration as well. --24.147.86.187 15:09, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

Careful though. I've bought something from a person who listed an item with the postage too cheap, because it turned out that the item weighed a few grams over the boundary between two classes. They explained (after posting it) and I paid the extra, because I'm a nice person and I saw what the weight was listed as when other people were selling this item, but other people might not be so willing to pay if you make the same mistake. Skittle 21:52, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

I haven't bought or sold anything on eBay for a while now but it did used to be the case that sellers were prohibited (under threat of account termination) from listing super-cheap items with super-expensive shipping/handling. I have no reason to think that they'll have changed it (after all, eBay make their money by taking a cut of the final auction price - not including the S+H). If you see someone doing that, report it.

The main reason I got sick of eBay was the sheer number of sellers listing items for sale that they did not physically have in their possession to sell at the time of listing and could not obtain for shipping by the end of the auction. Paying, then waiting in vain for two weeks for a parcel to arrive, only to be told "sorry - our suppliers did not have the item in stock, have a refund" (only after emailing myself to find out what was going on) is just NOT F'KIN ACCEPTABLE. This is prevalent amongst music/book/DVD sellers and is the number one issue I would like to see people being banned for. --Kurt Shaped Box 22:09, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

p/o name

In the context of bookselling, what is "p/o name"? -- Миборовский 07:42, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

Nevermind, it hit me 5 seconds later. Previous owner name. :) -- Миборовский 07:45, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

Right. It probably means that their name is printed on the inside cover. Personally I think that is pretty cool at times — it is nice to know that "John Q. Maguffen, Hollywood, California, 1965" owned this book (or something along those lines); it gives you a little sneak peak into its past life. --24.147.86.187 15:10, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

A thorough manga question...

I like the Naruto manga. I've calculated when Naruto's Part II aura would end by putting in the number of the final chapter of Kakashi Gaiden (244) and the number of the final chapter of Part I (238). I thought that if Part I ended with 238 chapters, then Part II may end with 238 chapters as well. My little math problem with the chapter numbers equaled to an answer: chapter 482. So, would chapter 482 be where the Part II saga ends in Naruto? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Sirdrink13309622 (talk • contribs) 11:10, August 30, 2007 (UTC)

You should ask this question on the Entertainment Desk instead - you'll get a better answer that way. SteveBaker 11:23, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

shrinking clothes

Why do clothes shrink?is there any possible way to bring them back to its normal size?does hot water help in bringing them back to there normal size?

thanks. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Arya237 (talk • contribs) 11:20, August 30, 2007 (UTC)

This[6] seems to answer your question. --Taraborn 11:48, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

As for stretching them, get them wet and then apply stretching force to them, such as by stuffing wet shoes with newspaper. Wearing tight clothes is another way to stretch them out again. StuRat 04:21, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

But don't get your hopes up, since the change is generally on the fibre level. You will never get the clothes back to normal, although you might stretch them a bit. Skittle 11:21, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Chicken Stock

Chicken Stock is usually made with bones. However, does it matter if I just put in a chicken carcass without trimming the meat or the fat? Often, I find my stock tastes a little greasy and I'm wondering if thats why. I still skim the fat regularly and all, but it still has a bit of a funny taste...

--Cacofonie 12:24, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

Stock is made from the bones and carcass leftovers because the meat already went to some better purpose ;-). But there's certainly nothing wrong with making your stock out of the better bits. In any case, as you've realized, you probably want to skim the stock several times as it cooks to remove the excess chicken fat (and sometimes, random scum). But another useful approach is to then refrigerate the finished stock and then mechanically remove the layer of fat that congeals at the top of the container.

Atlant 12:34, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

You won't get the most flavor out if you just put a whole chicken corpse in the water. At the very least, you'll want to whack it with a cleaver enough to break open the larger bones, but that's still not a great way to make stock. It would be cheaper, better, and less wasteful to just buy some good authentic stock from Whole Foods or similar. --Sean 13:48, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

Yikes! I hope that: (a) My wife doesn't read this. (b) Sean's physical address is not traceable via the internet. The violence that can result from telling a French woman that her chicken stock isn't as good as "the crap that Whole Foods sell" is fairly impressive. SteveBaker 14:56, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

Tell her, in my defense, that I thought the poster meant s/he was going to take a whole raw chicken and put it unadorned in a pot of water. I'm also a stock snob, so hopefully she'll give me a reprieve this once. --Sean 16:05, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

I apologize. By Caracas I simply meant the lefftovers of a roast chicken (so its definately not wasteful!). I just wanted to know whether I should scrape off the meat and the fat.... But i think it is good advice to break open the carcass and bones as they cook as that would help! --Cacofonie 15:58, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

What seasoning are you using? Under-seasoned stock can have rather a "flat" taste. DuncanHill 16:10, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

No need to remove the meat/fat on a feasted upon chicken - note - no need to skim the fat - wait until the stock is finished and let it cool - the fat will float to the top and probably solidfy - much easier to remove (a fridge helps to solidfy the fat).87.102.14.233 17:42, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

Somebody can probably give you the definative answer on removing the greasy taste - often people add vegetables to the mix while making the stock - maybe that would help if you don't already do it - like 1 onion, and 1 stick celery.. something like that.87.102.14.233 17:42, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

It's got to be said that chicken stock of itself especially without the other veg/spice ingrediants - doesn't actually taste that good...87.102.14.233 17:51, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

In the method my mother taught me for chicken stock, you don't pick the meat off the carcass until after boiling up the stock, since it makes the stock extra tasty and it's easier to get the bits off afterwards. We make it by putting the carcass in a pot of water with a carrot or two, maybe some leek, potato, seasoning, etc and boiling for a long time. After straining everything out, you can easily get the meat off the carcass to re-add to the soup later (if that's what you're making). Obviously skimming the fat fits in there too :) So this method has worked for us for a very long time, creating tasty soup, leading me to conclude that leaving the meat and fat on during boiling is okay. Skittle 21:48, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

... and by 'Caracas', I meant carcas, not a Latin American capitol city.... Thanks for the advice everyone. Another question though, I notice alot people say 'boil'. I'd always been told thats it best to simmer! To bring to boil then keep just under a simmer for 3-4 hours. What do you think? --65.94.93.53 23:09, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

Definately simmer, that's what Marguerite Patten says and I trust her implicitly. DuncanHill 09:52, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Ah, I think it's semantics. I tend to include simmering as a subset of boiling, possibly others don't? Skittle 11:19, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

I'm shocked. Nigella Lawson uses instant bouillon. Corvus cornix 16:51, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

management of machines and materials

explain how the system concept can be used in explaining the term waste and waste management? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 219.65.196.195 (talk) 17:38, August 30, 2007 (UTC)

As far as I can tell a 'system concept' would be an idea/way of looking at things/managing things with things/proceedures/interelationships being broken down/built up/ described in terms of systems.

And the term 'waste and waste management' is not explained by a 'system concept'

Could you explain again - differently.87.102.14.233 17:56, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

Unless you meant "describe a waste management plant in terms of systems?" or "use the system concept to explain waste management" something like that??87.102.14.233 17:59, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

If so the page Waste management should help - I'll list a few of the systems involved just in case

Waste collection system, waste sorting system, employee wage systems, safety systems, recycling systems.

The page system also gives a good description of the different things that can be a system.

These systems and others wil have to interact (sometimes called 'interface') with other systems such as safety certification systems..

Systems engineering is probably the page to read if you want to know more about the 'system concept'213.249.232.26 18:25, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

Social Security and the death of my Father

This is about what I found out about SS after my Father died. Did you know that the checks are a month behind? Such as the check they recieve in August is for the month of July. Did you know that if the person recieving SS dies before the 1st of the month that SS takes back all of the previous months check. Example: My Father died on July 28, 2007, his SS check for July was deposited (he had auto deposit) on August 1, 2007 and was taken back on August 3, 2007. That's just not right. The money was his, he was alive all but 3 day's of that month. He was living with and taking care of my disabled Sister and had already sent out payment's for his August bill's. If my Sister didn't have me her whole world whould have fell apart. The death of my Father was hard on us, but dealing with the financial aspects was devastating. I can't believe they are aloud to do this. They say more or less that my Father didn't exist the month of July. It's wrong. I want to change it. I think they should at least pro-rate the money. The recievers of SS should get their money for everyday they are alive. I need help. I want to make people aware of this. Everyone I've talked to since my Father's death had no idea the SS system worked this way. I also want to change the law, not sure how to start the ball rolling.I need any and all tip's, hint's, and help. Thank you for your time. Cathy Malone —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.59.141.152 (talk) 18:13, August 30, 2007 (UTC)

I am very sorry to hear of your loss and troubles. Unfortunately, we cannot (and are not qualified to) offer legal advice on Wikipedia, nor is the Reference Desk meant as a forum for political debate or strategizing. That said, I am guessing that, even if the law were in your favor, the cost of hiring a lawyer to recover the money would be greater than your father's monthly check. You might try contacting your congressperson, who could see about intervening on your behalf to recover the money or, failing that, might be talked into sponsoring a law to insure that this doesn't happen to others. Marco polo 18:34, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

There are small claims courts in most states. Since the amount is likely in the 3-4k range, you might be able to take it in and have them rule on it.Its quite cheap to do so and states have pamphlets etc to show you how to file. I realize its frustrating and unfair, however, please note that the Soc.Sec. guys carried your father from at least 65 to his passing away, without missing a beat. Something to be said for Uncle Sam on the positive side (I am not a govt. employee). —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.131.128.182 (talk) 19:04, August 30, 2007 (UTC)

The particular provision that governs the payment of a deceased individual's benefits has been part of the law since 1939, according to the Social Security Administration's website: [7].

"...Social Security benefits are not payable for the month in which a beneficiary dies. This applies whether the person dies on the first or the last day of the month. This provision has been in the law since 1939 and can be changed only by an amendment to the Social Security Act. The legislative history of this provision does not show why benefits are not payable for the month of death. However, the provision complements the provision of the law that allows us to pay survivors benefits for the entire month of death."

The Social Security Administration has a couple of programs for individuals with disabilities (Link here). You should probably check out their website, visit one of their offices, or consult a qualified expert to determine if your sister is eligible.

To change a law requires an act of Congress; as Marco polo suggests, you can speak to your Congressional Representative to get that ball rolling. (Your Congressperson may also be able to offer you other assistance in resolving disputes with the government; their office staff often have experience in navigating the bureaucracy.) TenOfAllTrades(talk) 19:11, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

Incorrect info in a movie plot

I just saw the film The Heart Is Deceitful and today I read the article and there is numerous inconstancies and incorrect information and missing information in the large plot. What should be done? Who do I tell. What do I do? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 170.220.2.13 (talk) 20:31, August 30, 2007 (UTC)

Our usual advice in similar situations is to Be bold! DuncanHill 20:33, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

But, if you don't want to edit it yourself, you can bring up those issues on the discussion page for that article. There's no guarantee that others will agree with you and make the change, though. StuRat 04:13, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Some Commemorative 1904 $20 Gold Coin

My friend at work picked this Gold Coin up on the street. Is there a price guide for it? Is it even worth face value of $20? Sorry, I don't have a digital camera or color copier to show a better pic of the piece. (Used the ole' XeroxWorkcentrePro275 for imaging.) [CLICK HERE] --i am the kwisatz haderach 21:03, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

Well, Paul, a real double eagle or any gold coin of equivalent size would be worth at least the value of the gold in it, which is a lot more than $20 now — in which case I would urge your friend to turn the coin over to the police, as the owner might want it back. But as you can see at that link, this coin does not match either of the designs used for real double eagles. I can't google up anything about a real or fake $20 coin showing the Liberty Bell. If it's not a real coin and doesn't really contain precious metal, it might be pretty much worthless. --Anon, 22:18 UTC, August 30, 2007.

Additionally the eagle is reversed. The Great Seal of the United States has the eagle facing the other direction and with the arrows/olive branch in opposite feet, and other 1904 coins (i.e. [8]) have it in the correct fashion. Very odd. I suspect forgery of some sort, not a very good one at that? I'm no coin expert though. --24.147.86.187 22:32, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

An actual 1904 $20 coin

It's weird though - I mean, making a fake coin is no a small undertaking - you'd have to make dies to stamp them out with and figure out some kind of metal that looks enough like gold. If you were going to that much trouble, surely you'd take the 2 minutes it takes these days to find a photo of the actual coin that you are copying so at the very least you get the eagle facing the right way and the correct picture on the other side! The actual 1904 double eagle is on sale here for $787. —Preceding unsigned comment added by SteveBaker (talk • contribs) 00:32, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Dallas, Texas

How hot can Dallas become? Is it sweltering or moderate? And how flat is the city itself? --Writer Cartoonist 22:15, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

I would guess around 100 degrees. Cheers,JetLover 23:00, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

Yeah - it reliably gets over 100F for a few months every year - fortunately, it's rarely very humid. But you'll certainly want to stay close to freon. In the winter the temperatures are strongly dependent on which way the wind is blowing and temperatures can vary from below freezing to maybe 80F. Spring is tornado season - but otherwise very pleasant. Autumn is possibly the best time to visit - weather-wise. The city is very flat, the only significant hills nearby are off to the SouthWest in Cedar Hill. SteveBaker 23:28, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

See also: Climate of Dallas, Texas. I don't believe the summer temperatures it mentions - we regularly hit 100F. Steve. —Preceding unsigned comment added by SteveBaker (talk • contribs) 23:34, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

This page, the first reference link from Climate of Dallas, Texas gives a more accurate picture of the climate than the "average temperature" chart in our article. I've never really liked lists of average temperatures, instead preferring listings that include "means of extremes", which the external link shows. That will give a truer picture of what the climate is really like. 152.16.188.107 08:24, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Yep - that's a much better link. The temperature here has hit solid 100F's for weeks at a time for at least the past 13 years I've lived here, although it rarely gets as high as 110F. I'm surprised that they report that it gets that cool at night either...one of the oddest things about the climate here is stepping outside at 2am and finding that it's STILL like opening an oven door! SteveBaker 16:16, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

EditThis.info

Soon I'm going to make a Wiki about Ace Combat there, but some of these Wikis get closed down. What is their policy on that? I definatley wouldn't want to have all that work destroyed! Thanks. Cheers,JetLover 22:59, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

August 31

School Certificate and London Matric. (History)

Hi! I've been trying to find out what the content of the old examinations i.e. School Cert & Matriculation before the introduction of CSEs and O Levels etc. was and why they were changed just a general outline of the history. Sorry if this is obvious but I haven't been able to find anything. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.69.91.224 (talk) 00:03, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Being around at the time I can tell you that I gained my Schools Certificate at 16 by passing the required minimum of six subjects including maths and English at the one sitting. I actually took nine subjects and gained three credits (60 - 70%, three passes 50 - 60%, and three fails 49% and lower). The year before me Matric finished (thank goodness for me because that included a compulsory language within the six subjects). Subjects on offer were far fewer than today. No "soft" options: media, sociology, etc. The most "artisanal" were wood and metal working, cookery and home economics. A wide range of science subjects were offered as routine. The GCE came in so that it could be awarded in single subjects. Thus employers began to ask for six good GCEs at the same sitting. But the qualification allowed the subjects to be taken one or more at a time, and then totted up. Not so previously. They also introduced band marking: A, B, C, D, E & F. So one secured a GCE "Pass" at any grade. A GCE grade D, E or F wasn't of much value... but the certificate was issued anyway. Nobody could "fail".86.197.151.198 13:28, 31 August 2007 (UTC)petitmichel

I don't know about your time, but in the mid-70s when I did my 10 O levels and 3 A levels you certainly could fail GCE. In 1974 my O Levels were graded on a scale of 1-6 with anything else being a fail; a few years later they altered the system so grades 1-2 = A, 3-4 = B, and 5-6 = C, and they introduced D, E and F which were supposed to cover the old CSE grades - in my time we were told that a CSE grade 1 was equivalent to an O level grade 6. In 1976 my A levels were graded on an A to E scale, with F for fail. It was when they merged GCE O levels with CSE to create the GCSE around 1980 that we got the "nobody fails" mentality. That said, my actual O Level certificate doesn't say what my grades were, just that I "passed in the following 10 subjects:". -- Arwel (talk) 17:12, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Doctorates

Are lower degrees in a subject usually required if a person wishes to earn a doctorate in a specific field? For example, say Joe has a Masters degree in Mathematics, and he wants to get a Doctorate in Physics. Would he have to take courses equivalent to 4 or 5 years of study in Physics to earn a Doctorate, or could he just start at the Graduate level? Thanks. GhostPirate 00:25, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

It depends on the person, the institution and the topic of the doctorate. If Joe wants to do a PhD by applying a boatload of maths to a physics application, then his maths masters should be fine. My beloved has an economics BSc and a computing PhD. I have an engineering first degree and a maths PhD. However these are from UK universities who have a very much more apprenticeship sttle of teaching PhDs than US universities. SaundersW 09:05, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

This will vary among graduate departments in the United States. Most departments would be unwilling to consider an applicant without significant undergraduate or graduate coursework in that discipline. On the other hand, using your example of Joe, if Joe had an undergraduate degree in physics, then studied mathematics at the masters level, then wanted to apply mathematical principles and methods to an area of physics for which his undergraduate coursework had prepared him, then he might be a strong candidate for a doctoral program. Even if Joe lacked an undergraduate degree in physics, but had taken courses, seminars, or practica in physics during his unversity career, if he could demonstrate the ability to apply math to physics, then some departments might strongly consider him (assuming, of course, that his grades, test scores, and recommendations were satisfactory). In either of these cases, Joe might be required to take some remedial undergraduate courses to fill in gaps in his knowledge of physics, but he would not be expected to complete the equivalent of an undergraduate degree in physics before advancing. If Joe needed that much remedial work, he would almost certainly not be accepted into the doctoral program. If Joe discovered a new passion for physics without much prior exposure to the subject after completing a masters in math, and if Joe were not daunted by additional years of schooling, Joe would be advised to complete some substantial coursework in physics (though not necessarily complete a degree) before applying for graduate study in physics. Marco polo 15:27, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

I did a similar thing, switched fields in the middle of grad school; I took one year of grad studies in the new field as a 'special student' (i.e. out of my own pocket) and when I did OK, I got merged into the regular grad program. Gzuckier 16:03, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Turn It On Again: The Tour in Texas!!!

Is it true Genesis might or not be visiting Texas for their tour? --Writer Cartoonist 01:29, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Yes. Bielle 01:32, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

The way the question is phrased, the only answer is yes. Clarityfiend 01:43, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

...unless, of course the idea was to actually help people rather than (say) to play the oh-hilarious game of being a bloody annoying language lawyer. I'll remind you to read Wikipedia:Reference_desk/guidelines#Content_and_tone which very specifically tells you not to do what you just did. A public apology to our OP would be in order here.

Anyway, it doesn't look like Genesis are coming to Texas - www.genesistourtickets.com has no mention of Texas on their list of venues for the '07 Reunion tour. SteveBaker 02:32, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

I was merely pointing out that Bielle's answer was ambiguous. But if the original poster took it as ridicule, I apologize. On the other hand, I find your tone a bit on the offensive side myself. Clarityfiend 09:52, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Oh, don't be so precious. We have an article on the tour - Turn It On Again: The Tour. Sorry Writer Cartoonist, as it stands it looks like no grooving to Invisible Touch or No Son of Mine for Texans. Neil ム 10:36, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Maybe these sorts of things would be avoided if questions were phrased in a less ambiguous way. This particular question contained 2 sub-questions: (a) Is it true that Genesis are coming to Texas?, and (b) Is it true that Genesis are not coming to Texas? Apparently, the answer to (a) is "No", and the answer to (b) is "Yes". -- JackofOz 11:39, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Or people could just answer the question, since they knew exactly what the OP meant. Saying "oh, I do believe your question is a tad ambiguous there chap" isn't helpful or polite. Recury 14:04, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Many visitors here use English as a second language and/or are Texan, so I think it's fair to assume in cases like this that it's a language/grammar issue, rather than that the OP came here to have a tautology confirmed. --Sean 15:42, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Yes, precisely. It was really obvious what the OP was asking. Nobody - yes NOBODY - was genuinely confused by it. So rather than spend a couple of minutes using our web surfing skills to actually answer the question (thank you User:Neil - your answer was much better than mine) - Bielle thought it amusing to give a literalist answer that would likely have the effect of tricking the OP into falsely believing that there actually would be a Texas tour and Clarityfiend (Doh! Bad choice of username!) tried a rather pathetic attempt at "I'm so superior" humor (which wasn't in the slightest bit funny or original by the way - and nobody here (including Clarityfiend) believes it was a 'clarification'). The big message is "That's not why we're here folks". We are supposed to actually help people. If you can't do that, you aren't welcome here. The ref desk guidelines clearly say that what happened here last night is not allowed. It says: "In particular, don't poke fun at a poorly-written question" - is there anything ambiguous about that? It's perfectly OK to reply with your own clarification of the question if it's truly not clear. If (and I don't believe it) you were genuinely confused by the language of the question, you could still have replied: "If you are asking whether there will be a Texas venue on the tour - then the answer is 'No', they won't be coming to Texas. If you are asking something else, then perhaps you could rephrase the question." The first two answers given were flat-out inappropriate no matter what your underlying difficulty with the question was. SteveBaker 16:03, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

(De-indent) Wow! For a lapse in judgement on my part, which I acknowledge and for which I apologise to Writer Cartoonist, that's a lot of words, anger and time. I picked the wrong time to be elsewhere. Enough said, I think. Bielle 17:29, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Bielle's answer could have been OK. The way I understood it when I read it, she wasn't "poking fun at a poorly-written question" at all. The way I think of it, to poke fun at a poorly-written question implies being rude to the original poster and offending them because of their writing skills. That didn't happen, and had I written that question, I'd find her answer funny. In fact, the original poster could have phrased the question like that to make it funny in purpose. Anyway, my point is that Bielle's reply could have been a joke supposed to make the original poster laugh as well, not be offended, and that's the way I took it. I think she should only apologise if her intention was to be rude and poke fun at the original poster because of their writing skills. A.Z. 01:47, 1 September 2007 (UTC)

Social Security Number for Animals

Is it possible to get a social security number for a pet? I ask this because if it is, then a person could claim their pet as a dependent and get discount on their annual income tax. -- —Preceding unsigned comment added by 208.120.208.186 (talk) 02:36, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Unless Rover has a driver's licence, passport, or state-issued ID card, no. But you can still leave him $12,000,000. - Eron ^Talk 02:53, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

I have heard all sorts of stories about people doing things like this; how true they are I don't know. However I think you are asking whether you would actually be allowed to do this if they knew that you were doing so for your pet, in which case the answer for any country I know of would be no. --jjron 09:29, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Its definetly not legal. Grango242 20:34, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

"Sorry"

Sorry. I was just a question I was asking about. The Turn It On Again was just a question I asked becuase I thought they might be visiting where I live (see my User:Writer Cartoonist user page). I didn't mean to trick people into really thinking that Genesis are coming down, I was just as curious as they were. --Writer Cartoonist 02:48, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Wait, what happened?-- —Preceding unsigned comment added by 208.120.208.186 (talk) 02:58, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

I think there was a misinterpretation here. The criticism was aimed at Bielle (not at Writer Cartoonist) because Bielle answered an "is it possible" question with a simple "yes" (because, of course, anything is possible). This could be taken to be a bit rude to Writer Cartoonist. StuRat 04:04, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

This discussion probably should have stayed up with the original 'Turn it on again' post. --jjron 09:35, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Sorry Writer Cartoonist - no criticism of your question was intended...just some silly ref-desk humor that went beyond the bounds of our guidelines. But as a fellow Texas inhabitant, I concur..."Darn - no tour for us". SteveBaker 16:11, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

See the original 'Turn it on again' post for my apology to the OP. Bielle 17:32, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Water Allergy

I heard it is possible to be allergic to water. Does wikipedia have an article on water allergy? How does someone with a water allergy survive, being that we need water to live? -- —Preceding unsigned comment added by 208.120.208.186 (talk) 03:02, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

See Aquagenic pruritus. I love questions like this. I never knew such a thing was possible, but I learned something while searching for an answer. Thank you for asking this. 152.16.188.107 03:52, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Maybe not exactly an allergy, but I have a friend who experiences severe Aquagenous Urticaria and anaphylactic shock whenever he goes into cold water for more than a couple of minutes. He almost died once when swimming at a secluded beach, and he only survived because he had an epipen on hand. -- JackofOz 11:32, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Forgive the obvious question, but why was he swimming at a secluded beach if he had this problem? Why was he swimming in the sea at all? Or was this his first attack, with the epipen being for some other condition? Or is this too personal a question? Or just too high a question density? :) Skittle 15:47, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Fair question. He'd experienced similar, but much milder, symptoms previously. They only started when he was around 23 years old, for no apparent reason. This was one of the first times he'd been swimming since the symptoms first appeared. The severity of the attacks seems related to the coldness of the water and the length of time he's in it, but it's a bit hit and miss. One time he might just have hives; but another time his breathing is also affected. But never previously anything as bad as on this occasion. Seems he had just the wrong combination of temperature and length of time in the water this particular day, and he had a severe attack of both hives and throat constriction. He had the epipen because his father's a doctor who, after the first (minor) symptoms occurred, gave it to him just in case he might ever need it. He'd never needed it before this occasion. Since then, he's learned how to have a swim in a way that doesn't jeopardise his health, but he keeps the epipen on hand just in case. (And although the beach was secluded, he wasn't alone. He was with a friend, who was able to help him administer the epipen and ease his panic). -- JackofOz 04:34, 1 September 2007 (UTC)

Cajon home built boat.

When I was much younger I lived in the deep south and had several Acadian (Cajon) friends. At one time I received an offer to be taught how to build the small boat that we used on the river and bayous. Unfortunately I did not accept their invitation. We called it a pea-row probably spelled (pe’reau). I’m looking for plans and any other information from my past on this little boat. Smokydawg 03:03, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

I can't help with plans, but it sounds like you are looking for a Pirogue. - Eron ^Talk 03:17, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Telepathy / tarot sites

Can anybody explain to me how the above sites can manage to answer personal questions you ask about what you are wearing, who your boyfriend / girlfriend is, what can be found in your room etc. Its quite spooky! Thanks. Reference askjud.com —Preceding unsigned comment added by 220.225.124.11 (talk) 08:31, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Cold reading. -Wooty [Woot?] [Spam! Spam! Wonderful spam!] 09:24, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

If these are sites where a friend types a question in as you ask it, then the answer appears, they will be typing an answer in secretly. Watch their fingers :) Skittle 11:08, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Aha, and after going to the site in the OP, this appears to be the case! A fun trick, confront your friend about it and they'll tell you how to prank someone else. -Wooty [Woot?] [Spam! Spam! Wonderful spam!] 11:12, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

In the 'petition' box, type . then your answer then . again. Then type enough so that petition is all written out, then a : type your question, then a question mark. Voila. Skittle 11:42, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

UFO Shot @ by SA Police / How Chinese deal with Kidnappers

Where in the UFO article can this be placed ? Link is rense.com/general78/rwebo.htm Primary links may be from the local SA media and the HBCC. Also, here are three photos depicting how the Chinese govt. deals with kidnappers and criminals. Link is rense.com/general78/howchina.htm The pixes depict a cop killing the criminal. Can this be placed anywhere ? 65.173.104.223 08:45, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

I was going to put the 1st one in the UFO article in which a UFO was shot at by police/military police, the 2nd one in one of the China articles and/or the crime articles, but I'm NOT sure. 65.173.104.223 08:56, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

HELP! 65.173.104.223 08:57, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

First of all, people will respond when they do, and tripleposting within 15 minutes is bad form. Second, your question would be better on the help desk, or an article talk page, not on this board. Thirdly, this "rense" place doesn't look like a reliable source to me..at all. -Wooty [Woot?] [Spam! Spam! Wonderful spam!] 09:22, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Edit conflict. Quite frankly the whole rense.com site doesn't exactly appear to be a very reputable source. Have you looked at their homepage for example - hardly something to inspire confidence. To be honest I'd forget about trying to put anything you get from this site into articles until it can be verified from somewhere that does seem to be reputable. --jjron 09:23, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Real Estate Term

In the real estate business, i would like to know what means the word "side" —Preceding unsigned comment added by 200.88.95.58 (talk) 14:52, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Well if it is city-position it is placement of the district in the city (e.g. the 'east'-side of town). It could be the side of the home that entrance is available via (e.g. side-entrance), it could mean a worksurface like a 'granite' side (though that would be a bit odd). It could be the side of deal that you are on, so the buyer's side V the seller's side (again a little odd terminology though). If you put this more in context beyond just real-estate someone else may be able to definie it better for you. ny156uk 16:02, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

I'm going to agree with NYuk, Buyer Side or Seller Side. I'm in the Title Insurance field in Southern California, the realtors that call up don't really use this term openly, Side-Out!, unless they play volleyball on the weekends. 'Who's the Selling Agent? Who's the Buying Agent?' the sort of 'Who's side are you on anyways?' doesn't really apply to corporate end of R.E., maybe on the street it means something else. --i am the kwisatz haderach 17:54, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Amendment to Street Jargon, via real estate world. 'What do you got on the Side?' Sounds like shady dealings. In what context do you hear this "side" being used? --i am the kwisatz haderach 17:57, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

I live in the Uk and always thought that US houses could be protected from the elements by having a "Side" or "Siding" affixed to them, usually made from Aluminium Sheeting? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.145.240.27 (talk) 22:10, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

City of lights

Hey, wondering what The City of Lights is? Google's first result says Paris but I'm not so sure. As shown here (which is, in my eyes, not Paris's skyline!) JoshHolloway 15:27, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

As noted in out Paris article, "City of Light" (singular) is a common nickname for the home of the Eiffel Tower. I can't identify the city on the linked photo, but it seems that whomever titled it was just using the name to describe the picture (similarly, I almost always title my LiveJournal posts with a song lyric or title that is related to the content). --LarryMac | Talk 15:40, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

I don't know whether Paris is the City of Light, but that picture is a night-shot from the Tour Eiffel. --Ibn Battuta 16:28, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Paris is the accepted answer, but remember that in L.A. Woman Jim Morrison says it's Los Angeles.

Atlant 16:49, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Jim Morrison! Gotta love the Doors! Grango242 20:26, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Solar technology

Are any companies which produce technology for the generation of solar power located in Africa? How about use of solar technology in Africa? And what are the main obstacles? Thanks, Ibn Battuta 16:23, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

This is from South Africa. Corvus cornix 16:57, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

• This Economist article is about electricity in general, not just solar electricity, but it will give you a good idea of what the main obstacles are to any business that might want to manufacture or market solar power in Africa. Except in the jungle areas, the problem is not a lack of light (see these maps [9][10]). It's a shaky political/economic environment. --M@rēino 20:05, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

• Solar power has a good potential in Africa, due to lots of sunlight and a lack of electrical grids in many areas which offer cheaper alternative forms of energy. The relatively low start-up costs (say compared with building a nuclear power plant) also favor solar power. StuRat 21:40, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Plasmatronics in Australia produce solar regulators and export at least to Rwanda where lightning strikes have been a problem.Polypipe Wrangler 08:42, 1 September 2007 (UTC)

woodpeckers

I have a building constructed with board and batting siding (pine, smoothed sanded and polyurathane varnish). Woodpeckers keeprillings holes (2" diameter) in the boards. My question is how do they hold on to do their pecking? Can anyone direct me to a good sourse to learn woodpecker physiology? Thanks, WSC —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.74.110.121 (talk) 17:22, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Bird talons can be remarkably effective. Andif you don't believe me, I'll introduce you to my parrot the next time hers get sharp again.

Atlant 18:45, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

San Diego Weather

Are there other locations in the U.S. that have weather similar to the San Diego area????

Thank you, Crabby1. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.159.43.180 (talk) 17:46, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Maybe Santa Barbara? The coastal parts of Orange and Los Angeles Counties, too. And the coastal parts of San Luis Obispo County. Any further north, and it gets to be cooler and foggier. Corvus cornix 18:23, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

• Apparently the climate in Hawaii is similar. --M@rēino 20:09, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

The Hawaiian climate can be more humid, or so I've heard. Grango242 20:24, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

This is true. Corvus cornix 20:36, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

To be the cat's meow

What does "To be the cat's meow mean"?. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.70.65.132 (talk) 19:33, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

And, what is the "cats pajamas"? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.131.128.182 (talk) 20:06, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Did you even try to look?

Cat's meow

Cat's pajamas - Zepheus <ゼィフィアス> 20:23, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Zepheus, that seems a little bitey. Do you think you could reword it to be less mean? (If so, feel free to remove this comment) Skittle 20:34, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

I looked on Wikipedia and did not find it, neither on the Oxford English Dictionary. I also used Google and searched for a long time wthout being able to find it, that is the reason why I had to post a query on Wikipedia, which was very hard to do because there really is a lot of information and rules everywhere.

It would be nicer if people were a little more polite when they answer. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.70.65.132 (talk) 23:33, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Helicopters

Are there any helicopters capable of carrying an Main Battle Tank, either inside or underneath?--Pheonix15 19:52, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

and for the heck of it, what about a Panzer VIII Maus?--Pheonix15 19:54, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

To the best of my knowlege, "no", and "no". An M1 Abrams weighs in at 135,000 pounds -- so heavy that only the C-5 Galaxy and C-17 Globemaster III heavy-lift airplanes can carry it -- while a Panzer VIII Maus weighs in at 400,000 pounds, too heavy for any aircraft in existence. --Carnildo 20:41, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

According to [11] - "10--Sikorsky's YCH-53E, Number 1, flew in a hover at a gross weight of 71,700 pounds. It carried an external load of 17.8 tons and hovered at a wheel height of fifty feet. This was the heaviest gross weight ever flown--and the heaviest payload ever lifted--by a helicopter in the western world." - As current Western MBT's exceed 60 tons in weight and current Russian MBTs exceed 40 tons, there is no way any contemporary helicopter could carry any contemporary MBT. However it is possible that an extremely heavy duty helicopter could airlift a Mobile Gun System or other lesser AFV such as an APC or IFV. Exxolon 21:42, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

For comparison the heavy-lift helicopters S-64 Skycrane and CH-54 Tarhe seem to be limited to about 20,000 lbs each. StuRat 21:35, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Note that the US Navy's MH-53E_Sea_Dragon ("the largest helicopter in the Western world") is listed as being able to lift up to 16,330 kg (36,000 pounds), and the soviet Mil Mi-12 holds the world record at 44,205 kg (88,636 lb). -- 72.33.121.200 21:44, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Hmm - that claim in the Mil Mi-12 article doesn't have a source. If it's true, then conceivably the Mil Mi-12 could just about lift a contemporary Russian model MBT such as a T-72 - a T-80 or T-90 would be a little too heavy, and western MBT's with their 60+tonne weights would be way outside the theshold. Exxolon 21:53, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

How are tanks like the Abrams transported from the US to Iraq? Do they do it through ships? Acceptable 22:43, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Yes, they use ships and, as already noted, the C-17 and C-5 can also carry the Abrams (but not very efficiently!). FiggyBee 00:34, 1 September 2007 (UTC)

Breeders' Cup

Does anyone know where the Breeders' Cup is going to be this year? Grango242 20:23, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Monmouth Park - Monmouth Park Racetrack. Corvus cornix 20:40, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Odd smelling Microwave

When I am microwaving something, my microwave makes an unusual sound and there is a strong smell of alcohol. Could there be something wrong with the electrical wiring of the microwave that is perhaps causing the wires to be microwaved? My microwave is a few years old and this problem just started recently. Thanks, Acceptable 20:31, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Are you sure someone didn't spill something under the glass tray, like glass cleaner ? It may be evaporating when heated, which would explain why you only smell it after operating the microwave oven. StuRat 21:05, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

I just cleaned the microwave and there are no food or any other residue in it. The noise that the microwave makes is different than that it normally makes. Acceptable 22:40, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

What did you use to clean it ? StuRat 16:52, 1 September 2007 (UTC)

PC Health Risks

"What are health risks for someone working on a PC for more than 6 hours nonstop?" —Preceding unsigned comment added by Mapambazukoleo (talk • contribs) 20:52, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Eye strain, obesity, back problems, wrist problems. Corvus cornix 20:59, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Since you already asked this at Wikiversity, let me refer you to my answers there: [12]. StuRat 21:00, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

UFOs

"What is a scientific world stance on the UFOs phenomena" —Preceding unsigned comment added by Mapambazukoleo (talk • contribs) 20:56, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Since you already asked this at Wikiversity, let me refer you to my answers there: [13]. StuRat 21:00, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Firstly let's establish that by 'UFO' we're talking about aliens in spaceships - right? Technically, any object that you can't identify that's flying is a UFO - but I'll assume you don't mean that. I think that science generally points to the very strong likelyhood (from a statistical basis alone) that there are alien civilisations 'out there'. But the numbers suggest that if they are there - they'd be an awfully long way away. So the fact of there being 'aliens' is pretty much an OK assumption - it's certainly not ruled out. However, we also know that it would be almost impossible for a spacefaring alien species to get here from wherever they are. The sheer difficulty of interstellar travel makes it seem REALLY unlikely they'd be here visiting. It's far more likely that SETI will find aliens by radio or laser contact than to have them show up on our doorstep completely unannounced. Even if they were coming - I'd expect to see some unmanned scientific vehicles arriving first. Robot probes could get here and perhaps they'd have some really smart robots. It's not impossible that they'd show up in person - but it's just really, really unlikely. Now we have to add to that the fact that there is a TON of eyewitness reports but absolutely zero solid evidence. Most (if not all) of the photos can be shown to have been faked - and the eyewitnesses don't really stand up to careful investigation. In the end, we can't know for sure but Occam's razor says it's a lot more likely that there are a bunch of nut-jobs out there than that there are aliens here - and "extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence". SteveBaker 01:05, 1 September 2007 (UTC)

Without patronising you in any way Steve, I'd say that was a damn good summing up of the present situation. Richard Avery 07:19, 1 September 2007 (UTC)

Choosing a digital camera.

I had a Samsung Camera a few years ago that went wonky whilst on holiday in San Diego so I bought a Canon Powershot A510 which I brought home to Scotland and which has been fine for my needs since then. But I am getting a bit fed up with the delayed shutter speed and want to upgrade to something that is much faster and more responsive and which also doesn't take an age to recharge the flash. I thought about a Digital SLR but don't fancy the bulky size and shape and also the relatively bulky price (for me). Also, I would prefer to stick with my current stock of SD Memory cards and rechargeable AA batteries. Any advice would be gratefully received. Thanks in anticipation. 81.145.240.27 22:05, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Sounds like you already know quite a bit about digital cameras, but just in case you haven't yet figured it out, "digital zoom" is absolute marketing crap (worse than useless, I'd pay to take it off a camera); only settle for real "optical zoom".

It would help us to make recommendations if we knew what you use your digicams for. For example, if it's just for e-mails (at the low end) or if you are a professional freelance photographer (at the high end).StuRat 22:14, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

If you're shooting sports or anything else where shutter response is important, you NEED a (D)SLR. --antilived^{T | C | G} 01:26, 1 September 2007 (UTC)

The samsung/pentax digital slr's take AA's and SD cards - eg Pentax_K10D or Pentax_K110D samsung models are similar. If you don't want a dSLR I'd imagine you have a huge range to choose from - one possibility are bridge cameras - which fuji make AA/sd compatanle model(s) (amongst others) - these are smaller than the dSLR but a similar shape, and around half the price. You can get these for about (UK)£160 ) - the main problem seems to be getting one which takes AA's - see "fuji s5700" - and tell us if it's too much/not good enough/too big etc —Preceding unsigned comment added by 87.102.87.15 (talk) 11:26, 1 September 2007 (UTC)

Thanks folks for all your prompt and helpful responses. It's a bit like going to a restaurant with an extensive menu and then wishing you had ordered what the person at the next table is eating - there is so much choice out there. My budget would be around £300 max. inclusive of any lenses, flash etc. I am not a professional or sports photographer, just a happy retired family man who used to take zillions of family and holiday snaps with film cameras but moved to digital about 10 years ago. I like spontaneous shots - they produce more natural results than posed, but I can't get that with my current Canon Powershot A510 because of the shutter and flash delay. I rarely print pictures though I do have a good quality printer, but I do like to copy to disk and share them with family and friends around the world - and I do send lots by e-mail. The Nikon D-40 D-SLR I was shown yesterday in a branch of Jessops looked good and the price was Ok, but it did feel bulky, though light, and the manager described it as an excellent intro. level D-SLR but having checked on various websites, it seems to attract a lot of criticism for every compliment it gets. So I am really confused between upper end Digital Compact or lower end D-SLR. Am I being too demanding do you think, or should I just take a chance? Again, any advice will be appreciated. Thanks.81.145.240.82 13:06, 1 September 2007 (UTC)

One site quotes a 0.2sec "click to capture" time for the nikon above, there's definately nothing wrong with it (review sites can be niggly and often in the case of SLR's are comparing to the performance of a hypothetical 'ultimate camera') - I wouldn't be upset to say the least to find that in my christmas stocking..The cheaper of the pentax/samsungs I mentioned above are a little cheaper than that nikon but not by much, argubly the nikon is a better camera (by a small amount).

Your main problem it seems is the flash - herein lies the problem - despite advances in technology flashes require energy to charge up - and that is a drain on the battery - the batteries can only supply a certain amount in a given time - so the 'flash charging' problem is a universal one.. However certain battery types allieviate the problem: see here http://www.dansdata.com/danletters172.htm (reply to first question)

As far as I know the 'shutter lag' or 'start up time' problem is almost non-existent nowadays on the new model cameras - you can take it for granted this won't be a problem.. However some cameras will go into 'menu mode' when you first turn them on - though you can get round this by selecting 'fast start' or equivalent in the options - (will require reading those massive manuals they come with) hopefully you should only have to do it once. Make sure before you buy that it's possible to have the camera go into 'take a picture' mode from off. (there may be a standby mode that hardly takes any power that you can use)

That said a SLR is often overkill for most people, (I used to have one and I never changed the lens - one of the main reasons for getting one)83.100.249.22817:07, 1 September 2007 (UTC)

Given what you've described about the photographs you'd be taking a 'point and shoot' camera sounds far more suitable than an SLR plus you'll save at least £200 - I'd recommend asking another question to see if anyone can recommend a good point and shoot camera - basically most of the named brands are good (though some samsungs and sony's are hideously overpriced) - and just about all take SD cards.83.100.249.228 17:46, 1 September 2007 (UTC)

If you don't often print your photos, then there isn't much point in them being higher resolution than a computer screen - so a 2Megapixel camera should be fine. Getting a camera with minimum delay is really important. My camera sucks at that and it's my biggest problem with it. SteveBaker 15:02, 1 September 2007 (UTC)

traveling overland across Africa

I've heard of people doing this in land-rovers and land-cruisers. Just wondering what the budget was for a party of 3-4 who have done these trips. Or, if that is not available, then an estimate within $5000 please. I haven't given any assumptions, and I know this, so remember that saying "it depends" doesn't answer the question or add any insight. Thanks. -Rob —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.131.128.182 (talk) 22:12, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Can't give you a budget, but here are a couple of guys who did Plymouth to Banjul in an old VW Golf [14]. DuncanHill 22:28, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

I guess you just have to break down the things you need and the costs you're going to incur piece by piece and add up the total. I doubt that anyone here can help you on that. The most best possible thing you could do would be to get in touch with someone who already did this trip. Their knowledge is worth more than anything we could possibly give here - and they'd probably be able to tell you what this cost them. But failing that - since everything you'll take with you has to fit into two land rovers, I'd say that your biggest expense by far is the land rovers themselves. If this is a one-way trip, you've got to consider whether you'll sell them and fly home at the end - or whether you'll put them on a boat and ship them home. If you are going there and back again then that's a VERY different equation! You'll be putting a LOT of miles (and rough miles at that) onto those two vehicles - the effect on their depreciation will be substantial - they may actually be worthless at the end of the trip! I suppose if it were me, I'd factor in the possibility that one of the land rovers wouldn't make it and might have to be abandoned...that would be costly. Then you have fuel, food, water, medical supplies, spares (very important!), tools and the usual camping supplies, emergency equipment, water filtration/purification, radios, GPS's, satellite phone, laptop, cameras, maps, lots of spare batteries and 12v chargers. You'll need a bunch of jerrycans for fuel and water (both for you and for the vehicles). When you get to civilisation, you'll probably want to spend a night or two in a hotel to recover from the ravages of the trip - so I'd factor in the cost of some hotel stays. Of all of those things, I'd expect spare parts for the land rovers to be the biggest part of that because you don't know what you are going to need in advance and you'll need to take a ton of stuff "just in case". I'd guess that stuff like air filters, oil, battery, suspension, wheels and tyres would be the most likely things to need replacement - but you might want to consider taking a spare starter, alternator, fuel and water pumps, lots of spare nuts and bolts, duct tape, hoses, clamps, belts and a REALLY good service manual. You'll want a complete set of tools (make sure they are the right size/type for your vehicles!)...power tools need to run off of 12 volts so you can use them from the truck if you are in the middle of nowhere. If a substantial part of the trip will be off-road then you'll need things like tow chains, sand trays, shovels, jack, winch and cable. I'd hide some very convertible currency (maybe a small number of gold coins) for emergencies of a 'bribing someone to get you out of jail' variety! But overall, I'd imagine that the biggest part of the cost would be the vehicles and their spare parts. All of the other stuff put together probably comes to less than $5000...but you need to sit down with the four of you and make a really comprehensive list. I would want to talk to a land-rover dealership to find out the most likely spare parts and tools you'll need. Make sure at least one of you knows enough about land rover mechanics to do jobs like changing a fuel pump. You may need some things that are normally optional extras on the vehicles - roof racks, off-road suspension kits, tropical radiator fans...who knows? 66.137.234.217 14:57, 1 September 2007 (UTC)

Why are some artists more famous than others?

Why are some artists more famous than others? How does one establish themselves as a famous artist? Thanks. Acceptable 22:38, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Be in the right place at the right time, and have a good sense of self-promotion. Talent doesn't hurt, either. FiggyBee 07:33, 1 September 2007 (UTC)

September 1

LIGHTING

WHY DOES 1 FLUORESCENT TUBE STAY LIT ON A 2 TUBE LIGHT FIXTURE AFTER YOU TURN OF THE SWITCH? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.100.152.42 (talk) 00:56, 1 September 2007 (UTC)

The energy from electrons in the mains power are absorbed by atoms of mercury gas (which is mixed with a noble gas like argon). The mercury atom then gives out that energy as light. The light is absorbed and re-radiated by chemicals in the bulb's coating (fluorescence) to change it from UV light to visible light. All these steps take a little time to complete, and both electrons an light can be bounced around (absorbed and re-radiated by atoms) between atoms in the tube before reaching their destination. See also fluorescent lamp#Mechanism of light production. --h2g2bob (talk) 02:17, 1 September 2007 (UTC)

so why does only 1 tube stay lit in the 2 tube light fixture? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.131.128.182 (talk) 05:30, 1 September 2007 (UTC)

When you say "lit", do you mean that it has an afterglow, or that it actually stays on? If the former, then there's probably some difference in the design or age of the tubes. If the latter, then presumably it's not wired to that switch. FiggyBee 07:39, 1 September 2007 (UTC)

Maybe there is a separated switch for the other tube?87.102.87.15 11:16, 1 September 2007 (UTC)

If this is at your place of work then probably one of the two tubes is a security light that's there so that security staff can do their rounds - or because it's on the route of a fire exit or something. It's certainly not the case that all fluorescent lights do this. We have a two tube fixture in our laundry room and both tubes go on and off at the same time. 66.137.234.217 14:31, 1 September 2007 (UTC)

Can you please help me?

Hello, I am looking for a certain thing. I have searched very hard for it yet I cannot manage to find the right answer for my question! I have many American Bicentennial Coins that are both gold and silver. But what i find most intresting about them is that they are still in their envelopes from the year of 1973! I couldn't believe it myself. But what i am looking for is if they are really worth anything? I also have the stamps of the Americian Revolution Era and i also have the Bicentennial Logo. I would really appreciate it if you guys will take the time and help me with what I am looking for! Thank you so much for your time! I really appreciate it! 01:54, 1 September 2007 (UTC)141.149.244.96Again Thank You,

Google turned up a "Bicentennial Coin & First Day Cover July 4, 1973" on ebay for $12.99, which sounds like what you're describing, so I don't think you're going to make your fortune with it. It's a nice souvenir though! :) FiggyBee 02:11, 1 September 2007 (UTC)

(after edit conflict)There is an article here [15] that talks about the American Bicentenial Coins. It appears they were produced from 1973 to 1986, and that there were nearly 4 million of them sold. Coins are worth their face value for certain; I received the impression that there isn't yet a large premium offered, even for "brilliant, uncirculated" sets. I am hoping we have a numismatist around to provide more professional views. Bielle 02:21, 1 September 2007 (UTC)

The trouble with these special commemerative coins is that everyone who buys them thinks to themselves "I'll keep this because it'll be valuable one day." A consequence of which is that most of the coins made are still being kept in perfect condition - so they have no rareity value. The coins that wind up being the most valuable are the solid gold ones (because the metal itself is worth a lot) and mint-condition coins that were in common usage - but nobody bothered to keep - or coins that are rare simply because not many were made - but which were not considered special at the time. 66.137.234.217 14:26, 1 September 2007 (UTC)

POLITICAL SCIENCE

Sir,

I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IFANY PRESIDENT OFINDIA PRESENT OR PAST GIVEN AMNESTY I.E. PARDON TO A CONVICT SENTENCED TO DEATH I.E. TO BE HANGED TILL DEATH? IF SO I WANT HIS NAME, YEAR AND CRIME?

REGARDS SHAILESH —Preceding unsigned comment added by 122.161.85.20 (talk) 04:28, 1 September 2007 (UTC)

Indian President K.R. Narayanan commuted the death sentence given to a Ms. S. Nalini, one of four persons convicted of the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi.[16] The crime took place in 1991; clemency was granted in April 2001.[17] The current President of India, A P J Abdul Kalam, appears to be opposed to the death penalty and favours clemency, [18] although he did not stop the 2004 execution of Dhananjoy Chatterjee. No one has been executed since this time, and clemency petitions seem to be piling up on Kamal's desk. [19] - Eron ^Talk 12:18, 1 September 2007 (UTC)

disposable income

with a job as an engineer fresh out of college, and similar spending habits, would I have more or less purchasing power now as compared to 50 years ago? By what approx. what percent? basically, was a degree worth more back then or now? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.131.128.182 (talk) 06:00, 1 September 2007 (UTC)

It's hard to say, because there's so many variables. Adjusting for inflation only, skilled workers earn about twice as much as they did 50 years ago; but on the other hand, the kinds of goods you can spend disposable income on today were undreamt of 50 years ago, so it's almost impossible to compare "purchasing power" across that length of time. FiggyBee 07:31, 1 September 2007 (UTC)

free postcards

At an event I was given a postcard which instead of a stamp says that postage is paid b/c it is a nonprofit org. Where can i get more of these postage-paid postcards? Are there international ones too? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.131.128.182 (talk) 06:02, 1 September 2007 (UTC)

These are available across the world. They are used to encourage responses to some form of promotion/research, etc. They are not simply given away! And, yes, international ones are in use.86.197.149.68 10:17, 1 September 2007 (UTC)DT

FHA + Bush

I read that Bush's bailout plan uses some 22 billion dollars stored up from premium insurance payments from borrowers. If borrowers were already paying insurance to the gov'ment, (without getting too detailed) how is this plan changing anything? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.131.128.182 (talk) 06:05, 1 September 2007 (UTC)

Asimov's books

how many words per minute did Asimov write in the adult waking hours of his lifetime?

Has anyone ever tried to show that he could not be accountable for all of his books assuming he had to eat, sleep and socialize in his day-to-day life? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.131.128.182 (talk) 06:08, 1 September 2007 (UTC)

He wrote 10 hours a day, 7 days a week, according to [20] FiggyBee 07:13, 1 September 2007 (UTC)

And the same article says that was 2,000 to 4,000 words per day. So that's about 3 to 7 words per minute. Figuring 70,000 words for a book (as he sometimes did), it'd be 17 to 35 days to write one book, or 10-20 books per year... which is about right. His first book was published in 1950 and if he had maintained that pace from then until 1990 it would be 400 to 800 books. His final total is something over 500, but only about 380 of these are books of his own writing; the rest are collections of other people's stories where his actual writing was only the introductions. --Anonymous, 08:48 UTC, September 1, 2007.

"The worlds hardest riddle"

What is the answer to this "riddle" that pops up on myspace bulletins from time to time?

I turn polar bears white
And I will make you cry.
I make guys have to pee
And girls comb their hair.
I make celebrities look stupid
And normal people look like celebrities.
I turn pancakes brown
And make your champagne bubble.
If you squeeze me, I'll pop.
If you look at me, you'll pop.
Can you guess the riddle?

It appears alongside the dubious claim that "97% of Harvard graduates can not figure this riddle out, But 84% of kindergarten students were able to figure this out, In 6 minutes or less." and that reposting it will send the answer to your inbox (it doesn't). Is there an actual answer to this riddle? --124.254.77.148 13:10, 1 September 2007 (UTC)

The answer is "no". --lucid 13:15, 1 September 2007 (UTC)

Looks like a confusion of the word "riddle" with 'waste of time' - the answer is supposed to be enlightening. Doh!87.102.87.15 13:50, 1 September 2007 (UTC)

The answer is humidity. Recury 14:25, 1 September 2007 (UTC)

If you look at humidity, you'll pop? Humidity turns polar bears white? Trust me, the answer is "no". Think about it-- a bunch of qualities that absolutely nothing linking them, and at the end, the line "Can you guess the riddle?". The answer is "no", you cannot, there is no answer. Harvard graduates would think the riddle through so thoroughly that arriving at the obvious answer is unpossible, kindergarten students would just answer "hm... nope!" --lucid 14:32, 1 September 2007 (UTC)

Piano and Drum Muscial Notation

What type of musical notation would you be required to learn in order to play both piano or percussion? --Writer Cartoonist 13:25, 1 September 2007 (UTC)

You don't need to learn any notation at all in order to play them. I'm sure there are both great pianists and great percussionists who are musically illiterate. If you want to play written music, however, then obviously you have to learn the notation it's written in (usually modern musical symbols). Piano and percussion use practically the same notation. The only difference is that if you play an atonal percussion instrument, you don't have to worry about clefs and key signatures. —Keenan Pepper 17:24, 1 September 2007 (UTC)

English Property Law: Defining a boundary

Two houses are built on separate plots, with 0.5-1.7 metres between them, brick wall to brick wall. One has a soffit at roof level and also rain water gutters, reaching out about 9 inches outwards from the brick wall.

Both buildings are at least 40 years old in their current position.

Is the boundary deemed to be a vertical from the gutter, the soffit or the wall itself?

The old boundary will need to be retraced, but if it cuts through the house with the soffit and gutter, so that the boundary has been transgressed, maybe 40 years earlier, what is the legal position and how would the boundary now be defined? —Preceding unsigned comment added by BobbieNJ (talk • contribs) 17:35, 1 September 2007 (UTC)

BobbieNJ 15:08, 1 September 2007 (UTC)

I'd say none of the above. The location of the house doesn't determine the property line. Perhaps you are going on the assumption that they've each built their houses as close to the property line as legally possible, but that's not necessarily the case. Therefore, you can't figure out the property line from the positions of the houses alone, you need to look up the property deeds and maybe get a surveyor to come mark the line. StuRat 16:42, 1 September 2007 (UTC)

Yellow beans... what are they??

I am in the process of trying to create one of my grandmothers recipes (a vietnamese crepe... banh xeo). Its written in french where she calls for les 'haricots jaune.' I thought it would be simple to find them, but when I asked for 'dried yellow beans' at my local asian grocer, they looked at me like i was crazy and tried to sell me soy beans. The closest thing I could find were yellow Mung Beans.... Are they the same?

Thanks, --Cacofonie 17:39, 1 September 2007 (UTC)

retail tax

will retail stores not charge sales tax if I show them that I live out of state?