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May 8

Government of 1984

In George Orwell's dystopian novel, 1984, is the totalitarian government of Oceania communist or fascist? Their policies appear to be fascist, but yet, seems to bear resemblance to Stalin's communism. Acceptable (talk) 00:11, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

I'm not sure it quite falls into a single category. It's sort of a worst of all worlds thing. -mattbuck (Talk) 00:51, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

See Ingsoc --Tagishsimon (talk) 01:01, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

It's definitely fascist (or, at least, definitely not communist). The articles on fascism and communism should clear up any doubt. — Insanity Incarnate 01:08, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

I don't know... fascism implies nationalism, and Orwell makes it clear that the Party is not identified with any particular ethnic group but rather includes "Negroes," Jews and Amerindians. In that regard, The Party clearly reflects the multiethnic Communist Party of the Soviet Union much more closely than any Fascist party. On the other hand, the antique shop in the prole quarter appears to be privately owned (won't put a spoiler here), inferring that the Party allows at least very small businesses to remain in private hands, unlike full-blown Communist regimes. Whether the Party is left- or right-wing is really irrelevant; it's an extreme example of authoritarian totalitarianism, which is what Orwell was criticizing. As a moderate socialist in a country where moderate socialists were dead-set against both fascism and Soviet Communism, it perhaps makes sense that the Party has characteristics of both forms of totalitarianism. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 01:43, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

You're right that Party may not be purely fascist, and contains elements of Soviet communism. However, the Party is really in complete opposition to the ideals of "original" communism (don't know if it has an official name) as described at the beginning of the Communism article. This version "promotes the establishment of a classless, stateless society" through "the working class, or proletariat, [replacing] the wealthy bourgeoisie." The Party creates and enforces a strict structure of social classes and keeps the proles from ever rising in status or rebelling.— Insanity Incarnate 02:12, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

And I think that's part of Orwell's point. The Party, which represents Stalinist Communism, was originally a socialist party (The "soc" in Ingsoc) but has instead simply replaced capitalist oligarchy with another oligarchy. Goldstein's book (really Orwell's commentary) says the Party "rejects and vilifies every principle for which the Socialist movement originally stood, and it does so in the name of Socialism." Just like Stalin in the mind of socialists like Orwell. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 02:21, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

One ear of earbuds is crackling

Apparently, there's an issue with my earbuds (Shure e2c) such that one of the two sides cuts in and out. It looks like it's an issue where the wire for the right ear meets the plastic interconnect thingy (that splits it from one to two cables for each ear), as wiggling the cable around at that point will cause it to go in and out. Of course, this bit isn't really made for taking apart, being a solid chunk of plastic. Any suggestions here? Should I just attack it with something and split it? What is that part even for / will I damage something? 206.126.163.20 (talk) 02:58, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

Earbuds are extra-low voltage, so at least you are not going to electrocute yourself if you fiddle with them. It sounds as though one of your wires is broken and has a faulty connection. The ends are still held in contact by the insulation at least occasionally. That's why you get an intermittent signal when you wiggle the wire. Since your device is not usable in it's current state without repairs, you lose nothing by attempting to do so. Success is rather unlikely though. The wire broke just above the "chunk of plastic" just like a credit card will eventually break when you bend it to and fro often enough. Stabilizing that part, like one would stabilize a bone fracture with a splint, might get you a little more use out of the device, until the wire breaks again a little higher up. The plastic piece usually only keeps the 2 wires from splitting all the way to the plug. It's fused into one solid piece, if you cut it you are very likely to cut the wires inside, too, (not to mention your fingers). When I was younger the "cure" would have been easy. Cut the wire, strip the 2 ends and twist the ends together. Soldering or a suitable screw terminal would have secured the connection. A little Electrical tape. Done. These days that won't work anymore because the wires you are dealing with are too thin there is little chance you will be able to strip off the insulation without cutting the wire. If you melt off the insulation (NB toxic fumes! Fire hazard!) you won't win anything because the wires inside are so thin. Even if you manage to twist the wires together without breaking them, all you'll create is two or more new points where it will break next. So, yeah fiddle away. Experiment. Just don't expect it to work. --71.236.23.111 (talk) 04:44, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

Earbuds and earphones never last long because the wires are thin and fragile. Repairs never last long. I have to replace mine regularly.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 06:48, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

I'd rather not roll that way. My NES is still working, and I could have given up on it a long time ago. It should be fixable, and the wires aren't *that* thin that I would expect them to break immediately after. Cutting, stripping, and reattaching (electrical tape or solder) the wires doesn't seem that hard. 206.126.163.20 (talk) 01:43, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

Not that I don't admire your willingness to put in a little time and effort instead of just throwing something away (I do, and I wish more people thought that way), but it should be noted that the NES comes from an age where things generally tended to be a little more robust than modern electronics are. Also, earphones are generally subject to constant mechanical wear and tear -- they are constantly moving, people often wrap the wire around the device they're being used with multiple times a day (at least I do that with my iPod all the time, probably at least half a dozen times every day), they get jammed into a pocket, they can get easily caught in things if you're not careful, etc. It just isn't the kind of technology that is going to last very long. Still, if you can get a couple of months of extra use out of them by working on them for an half an hour, that strikes me as a worthwhile pursuit, as well as a good way to avoid spending money on new stuff until you really have to... and you might even learn a thing or two, or at least keep your skills up, if you already know what you're doing. I dig it. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 03:32, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

Ear, nose and throat

who was the first otolaryngologist? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.207.189.150 (talk) 04:22, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

Who nose? --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 21:01, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

lol. Medical pioneers are generally referred to as the Father of (specific field) but I cant seem to find one for ENT. It is possible it developed gradually from either general surgery or respiratory medicine Fribbler (talk) 11:21, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

Look in googlebooks or your library for this one "Offbeat Otolaryngology: What They Didn't Teach You in Medical School By John D. C. Bennett, John Riddington" I think that has your answer, sort of. Before there were onotolgist and there were laryngologists and they seem to have joined. One guy Sir Henry Trenton Bultin is named as doyen of ontolaryngology. Whether there were others before in some other country, is another question. --71.236.23.111 (talk) 04:22, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Hello

hello i expect to know a vilage of city of NEW YORK who is bell port .may you tell me about it very well ? i hope i can got a map of there too .thank you

Moved from WP:HD. PeterSymonds | talk 05:54, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

You may be interested in the article Bellport, New York. 152.16.59.122 (talk) 06:39, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

Expanding security council

It's obvious why Pakistan would not want to see India seated but I can't understand the opposition by these countries against Brazil and Germany:

1. Argentina, Colombia, Mexico - opposed to a bid for Brazil
2. Italy, Netherlands, Spain - opposed to a bid for Germany

Lotsofissues 06:04, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

Looks like regional power plays to me—the sort of thing where countries don't one one other country elevate to a position of prominence above them, making them more minor players as a consequence. But I don't know for sure. Argentina and Brazil have hundreds of years of rivalry. Italy, Spain, and Netherlands have more modern gripes against Germany, but I don't know if those are at play here or if it is just an economic consideration. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 18:31, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

wikipedia photos GNU licence

I am helping a friend to publish a book about dogs, and we used Wikipedia information on a no of dog breeds,and we cited Wikipedia as one of the sources in the Biblioraphy.

We also used some dog photos from Wikipedia Commons and from the Wikipedia free encyclopedia, some as public domain and No with GNU licence. The book is not published yet, but we would like to get a written permission apriori in order to be able to use this photos.

We, however cited at the beginning of the manuscript that "A no of photos under Public Domain and GNU licence are sourced through Wikipedia and through Wikipedia Commons"

My name is Slavica Ivanovic. If you need any more information, and Would certainly liked to be contacted, my email is <removed as per policy for your protection>—Preceding unsigned comment added by 58.107.215.207 (talk) 06:44, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

Hi Slavica, you might like to put your question at the Help desk for using Wikipedia here[1]. If you open an account, you can be emailed without your details being across the net. Julia Rossi (talk) 08:04, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

She is not asking about how to use Wikipedia. She is asking about the copyright licenses on Wikipedia content. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 13:46, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

Hi Slavia—the public domain ones you are free to use without any difficulty at all.

The GFDL ones technically require you to do a few things. The license itself says that you can use them if you label them as being created by whomever made them (not Wikipedia itself, but the actual author), and indicate they are licensed by the GFDL.

Technically you are supposed to include an entire copy of the GFDL license with the book. Personally I think the authors would be happy if you just said it was licensed under the GFDL and had the GFDL hyperlink in the back of the book. The requirement to include the entire GFDL is a holdover from the idea that the files would primarily be used online, and doesn't make a whole lot of sense when talking about printed matter and especially photographs. But I should point out that this is just my personal opinion—technically the GFDL does say you have to include an entire copy of it.

The easiest way to resolve it is to get in contact with the authors of the photos and ask them for special permission to use the photos in your book without including the entire GFDL. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 13:46, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

Better to get it from the horse's mouth, rather than the mouth of a reference desk-ite: The images should have links to their respective licenses to read. Otherwise, see Wikipedia:Copyrights and Wikipedia:Text of the GNU Free Documentation License. 206.126.163.20 (talk) 01:37, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

If it is printed, it is not just links, it is an entire copy of the GFDL. I know the GFDL front and back, I'm just trying to emphasize that it's better when doing a printed book to try and secure alternate arrangements with the authors because the GFDL is very hard to implement correctly or elegantly when you only wanting to use a photo or two. (And while I am all in agreement about reading it yourself, some of it is in a rather legal language and without an accompanying straightforward translation, like the CC licenses have, so I've seen more than a few people get totally confused about it when they aren't used to reading in that language.) --98.217.8.46 (talk) 12:42, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

investigating

How can I find out what was written on the previous page of the notebook? I can see some of the words clearly, but others I can not. I know there is a method that can be used to reveal what it says. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.203.242.142 (talk) 07:33, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

Take a look at [Electrostatics in Forensics]. The oblique lighting is probably the easiest method at home -- Q Chris (talk) 07:55, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

Your easiest way is to use a soft pencil (say a 4B) and gently colour the page that the previous-one (The one you want to read) was below. This should reveal most of what you do, takes very little time and can be removed afterwards with a rubber if you so need. ny156uk (talk) 15:45, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

LRT Excluding Trams

Which is the smallest (population wise) metropolitan area, town, village, hamlet and/or city absolutely with a LRT excluding trams that also operates on the street. It might operate in the air, underground, in the water, but at least, it has to operate in the street.

Which is the smallest (area wise) metropolitan area, town, village, hamlet and/or city absolutely with a LRT excluding trams that also operates on the street. It might operate in the air, underground, in the water, but at least, it has to operate in the street.

Criteria:

• If the LRT connects two or more towns, do you count only the largest (because the system "belongs to" that town) or the smallest (because you mean the question literally)?
  • For both questions: Count the combined total.
• Does it make a difference if the towns do not touch each other?
  • For both questions: Count the towns as if they were one.
• And second, does it count as "in the street" if the tracks are in a semi-isolated median or similar setup?
  • For both questions: It does not count.
• Finally, are you counting only actual public transit operations where the cars run at regular intervals all day and stop frequently for people to get on and off, or do museum railways count, where they might run once an hour and only on summer Sundays, and only allow trips over the full route?
  • For both questions: "...actual public transit operations where the cars run at regular intervals all day and stop frequently for people to get on and off..." = Counts
  • For both questions: "...museum railways count, where they might run once an hour and only on summer Sundays, and only allow trips over the full route..." = Does not count.

If there are any other questions or criteria addenda, please let me know.68.148.164.166 (talk) 08:17, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

5

Cobalt 5 and Rain 5 can come in multi packs of 3; I've seen it and bought 1 each. Does Flare come in multi packsc of 3 too? Has anyone seen it?

And how bout the new Lush flavor? And other future new flavors if any.68.148.164.166 (talk) 08:39, 8 May 2008 (UTC)68.148.164.166 (talk) 08:46, 8 May 2008 (UTC)68.148.164.166 (talk) 09:27, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

How many of you are asking this question-you appear to come as a multipack of 3! Lemon martini (talk) 15:58, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

For those who have no idea what the above question is about, see 5 (gum) Nil Einne (talk) 19:44, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

Our Lady of Fatima

why is MARY called Our Lady of Fatima? what is the origin and history of name FATIMA in this connection? Did MARY herself commanded 3 children to call her Our Lady of Fatima?

i read the wikipedia article on Our Lady of Fatima but coulnt find the answer. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 203.128.4.231 (talk) 10:03, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

It's a form of address to Mary, see Titles of Mary, and it seems the place is attached according to where she appears or where she is connected to, or even what qualities she offers (eg, Our Lady of Guadaloupe, Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrow). As to who invents the title for any time or place, don't know. Julia Rossi (talk) 10:31, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

And see Fátima, Portugal which is where the visions happened. Did you catch our article Our Lady of Fatima? cheers. JR sorry, where is my head? Julia Rossi (talk) 14:39, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

Fatima isn't a very large city; I'd imagine that's one of the more important events in its history. · AndonicO ^Engage. 15:30, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

I'd say it's far and away the single most important event in its history. These visions put Fatima on the map and made it a world-wide centre of pilgrimage. Previously, very few people outside Portugal (and probably a lot of Portuguese as well) had ever heard of it. -- JackofOz (talk) 21:50, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

Gum

Do Freedent Wintermint and Freedent Spearmint come 3 MegapaksTM sizes? I know Freedent Peppermint does, I own a pack. Thanks!68.148.164.166 (talk) 11:11, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

Avril Lavigne a scientist?

Whats all this about Avril Lavigne being a scientist? http://www.avrilbandaids.com/forums/articles-concert-reviews/56868-avril-1st-female-celebrity-named-scientific-method.html —Preceding unsigned comment added by Makey melly (talk • contribs) 11:11, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

She's not a scientist. It's a joke. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 11:26, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

It doesn't look like a joke. Makey melly (talk) 11:35, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

That's because it's a pretty intricate joke. The site in question directs people to arrange their fingers in the "horns" position, which Avril Lavigne appears to be fond of. I don't know a damn thing about organic chemistry, so perhaps this even works for its stated purpose (that of determining a stereocenter's configuration), but if it does, Avril Lavigne didn't contribute to it in any scientific capacity. She just likes to throw up horns. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 12:46, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

I see. So it was named after her in her honor. Makey melly (talk) 13:36, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

There's also a Britney Spears guide to semiconductor band structure, in a similar vein. AlmostReadytoFly (talk) 13:57, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

Well, maybe. I mean, if the method actually does what it purports to, then yes, it's named in her honor. If it doesn't, then it's more of a joke on her (albeit clearly a good-natured one!). Like I said, I'm not knowledgeable about organic chemistry, so I don't know if it works. (I wouldn't recommend assuming that it works unless you understand the subject matter enough to know that it does, or find a credible source that says it works. It could just be a complex geek joke.) -- Captain Disdain (talk) 14:32, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

Anyone else missing planet Xena? Eris just doesn't do it. (Not an opinion poll, merely an observation on naming)  :-)71.236.23.111 (talk) 18:46, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

Stride

Do all Sride gum come in multipacks? Thanks!68.148.164.166 (talk) 11:14, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

I believe Troll gum comes in threes... Lemon martini (talk) 15:59, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

Automobile Painting

I'm buying a new car soon(er or later), and I have a few questions about painting the car before I make another one of my stupid decisions:

1. How much would it cost to paint a small car (i.e. New Mini) in this day and age in the USA?

2. Would it be cheaper to get the car painted at the dealer or a stand-alone professional place?

3. In reference to above, is there a difference in quality between the 2 options?

4. Do painting services offer colour matching? (e.g. I bring in a sweater or something and they can match the colour perfectly).

5. I've heard that the best painting places take apart the car in order to paint it well, is this true? Is it always necessary?

6. How much more would I have to pay to get simple decals such as stripes painted on the car?

Thanks in advance. 206.252.74.48 (talk) 15:33, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

I don't have answers for all those, but I know Maaco will paint your entire car for about $500. However, other auto painters (who convienently charge four times that amount) say you'll wish you didn't go to Maaco about 2 years after the paint job. When I needed to paint the hood of my car, I went to a paint mixing place and had them mix the pain to match the rest of my car, then just spray painted the hood. Sure, it looked real amateur, but the color matched, so I would guess they could match a sweater as well. Useight (talk) 16:18, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

Many dealers will just "shop out" the job, sending your car off to their favorite auto body shop.

As to whether or not the car should be disassembled, well, that depends on how many places you want to find the old color later. There's are plenty of places that can't be painted if the car is fully-assembled (think about door latches, all sorts of rubber weatherstripping, and the like). The no-disassembly job will look okay to the casual viewer, but it will be blatantly obvious to anyone who cares that you changed the color of the car.

Atlant (talk) 17:08, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

Matching color of a different material is more difficult than if you asked them to match the color of another piece of painted metal, e.g. your bike. If you say you want to buy a "new" car but want to get it "painted" are you talking used car or custom color? In any case I'd say that you are getting the better service if they take the car apart. Otherwise you could end up with "seams" where the new paint could start to peel off or allow moisture to creep in. For simple decals you could try to look what your local automotive store has available or look online (gooling for "car decal" order online, will get you lots of choices) If you don't trust yourself with applying those, a local workshop should be able to help you without charging oodles of money. Prices tend to be negotiable. Phone around to get quotes. Also check whether your area has an online review site. (Otherwise ask people who had their car painted.) 71.236.23.111 (talk) 17:31, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

I don't know of a single dealer that has a paint booth of their own. Don't go to Maaco. And Do go to different shops for to get quotes, ask for advice about good and bad shops, etc. Dismas|^(talk) 00:33, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

Narcotics

Why are drugs illegal? i read war on drugs and it told me when and how, but not why. It is a victimless crime so why? I dont mean to start a debate, i am just curious. Thanks 86.18.34.51 (talk) 17:34, 8 May 2008 (UTC)Zionist

Law is something created by society, so at some point in history society has decided that these 'drugs' are bad for society and thus their use needs to be curbed/prevented. Some people have moral reasons for disliking drug-taking, some claim a link to crime/social devastation, some believe for safety/health reasons. Each of the drugs will have been banned/made illegal for a variety of reasons, I suggest picking a drug and trying to understand its history - there is no one reason. The question of 'victimless' is the one that is most disputed by opponents of relaxed laws on drugs. under the influence of drugs people have been known to do things that are far from victimless (this is not to suggest that the drug should be blamed but that is a line of argument oft used). I suspect your question will draw the usual set of 'not a forum' responses (fair enough I suppose), but it is a reasonably interesting question which can 'sort of' be answered. ny156uk (talk) 17:58, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

Well, not everybody believes it is a victimless crime, clearly. There are those who believe that drug users themselves are victims of the drugs themselves (which, from a libertarian standpoint, might be seen as an argument that the effects of the drugs are strong enough to deny rational activity), and those that believe that drug activity leads in most cases to a strong criminalistic lifestyle (some of which is obviously due to the fact that the drugs themselves are illegal, but one could make the argument that drug addicts are in so little control over their abilities that they will have an extremely hard time not resorting to crime to pay for their habits). Which is to say: you seem to be assuming that the only people who want to make drugs illegal do so out of a moral compulsion or out of a desire to regulate the lives of others, deprive them of their own rational choice, etc. I'm not sure that's necessarily true, though it is obviously for some. There are arguments, though, that would favor even someone who believes in libertarian rational choice to lean away from legalization of all drugs.

Of course, the whole debate is quite muddled by the fact that there are many different types of drugs being considered under the same heading here. The effects of marijuana are more on the scale with alcohol and cigarettes than, say, methamphetamine and crack cocaine. Personally I don't think the latter should be legalized, for reasons relating to what I've stated above, whereas I'd have no problem with marijuana being legalized, even though I wouldn't use it even if it was. From a standpoint of rational actors, criminality, and likelihood to get out of control, some drugs are more justified than others to be legal or illegal. (I would personally say that marijuana and alcohol are able to make a stronger case for legality than cigarettes, personally, because of the highly addictive and long-term danger associated with the latter, whereas the former can be partaken in moderation without serious long-term effects or addiction.) (Personal note: I haven't done crack cocaine, though I did, for awhile, do meth, now many years ago. It is fiendishly addictive over the long term, and has horrible health effects. The people that dismiss its dangers and effects in the same way they'd dismiss the dangers and effects of marijuana do not really know what they are talking about, in my opinion. They are qualitatively worlds apart in terms of effects and long-term consequences.)

Note, of course, that much of the "why" today is political: to be "soft" on drugs is political suicide at the moment, though over time this has gotten better and over more time I suspect we will eventually get to a more sensible place (where the "softer" drugs will be decriminalized if not legalized, and treatment, rather than punishment, will become more standard for users of the "harder" drugs). This is, though, just a personal opinion. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 17:59, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

The concept of drug use being "victimless" is problematic. There are always knock-on effects of every action. Discussion about legalisation should not deny the effects occur, but consider whether they are significant enough to warrant continued legislation. On a more specific note, I am always intrigued to hear people refer to marijuana as "harmless". This is certainly not the general belief within the field of psychiatry: anecdotal and peer-reviewed evidence suggests direct links between marijuana use and psychiatric illnesses (this does not mean that every marijuana user will become mentally ill, but that high usage significantly increases the likelihood that they will) . In such a case, even if you discount the individual's problems, the state/health system/tax payer can be considered a "victim" of drug-use, for they must support those who have become mentally ill through their drug use. So, such things must be considered, and weighed up against the benefits of legalising the drug (and there are believed to be some positive health benefits, also). Cannabis (drug)#Health issues considers some of these issues, and it's also worth reading the Beckley Foundation Report, which begins: "There is increasing apprehension about [marijuana's] possible role in triggering or exacerbating mental health problems, or of inhibiting young people’s emotional or social development." Note: "There is abundant research evidence that cannabis can cause shortlived psychotic episodes"; "People who used cannabis on a daily basis were 2.4 times more likely to report psychotic experiences than nondaily cannabis users"; "Regular cannabis use increased the chances of developing later schizophrenia or schizophrenia-like psychotic illness by approximately two to threefold" but also: "the vast majority of young cannabis smokers do not develop psychosis, supporting the hypothesis that a small minority of users may be vulnerable to the effects of cannabis." (all p 5) The report also looks at legalisation (both pros and cons) . Since cannabis is the "safest" drug, you can see that debates about drug legalisation can never be simple. Gwinva (talk) 23:59, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

Very true—though I wouldn't say using cannabis on a daily basis is really what the "safe" benchmark is. I drink alcohol (usually red wine of some sort) on maybe a weekly or bi-weekly basis and it doesn't seem likely to be doing me any real harm. Similarly I think if one were to adopt moderate attitudes regarding marijuana one would not expect to find serious damage. The real point is that the short-term effects are relatively mild (that is, on a scale comparable with alcohol or cigarettes), putting marijuana (for me) more in that category than the other schedule III drugs (the opiates, the amphetamines, etc.) and the addiction is nonexistent (at least compared to alcohol and cigarettes), and thus on the end of the scale that should be up to individual choice. The same cannot be said of most of the others we are talking about. The question isn't whether it is "safe" but whether it is "safe enough" to be considered an issue of individual responsibility rather than social mandate; we allow people to do "unsafe" things all the time (driving a car, by itself, is immensely more dangerous than marijuana), the question is at what level we are satisfied with individuals being responsible for their own choices in such a thing and at what level do we blame the thing itself. (Among other debates one can have.) --98.217.8.46 (talk) 04:14, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

At least sometimes, the motive has been racist: jazz cocaine, marijuana and opium were symbols of the fear of Blacks, Mexicans and Chinese respectively. —Tamfang (talk) 20:59, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

Opposite Attracts

Is there any truth in the saying: Opposite attracts? and why is it truthful? Is there a point were opposite attracting can be dangerous?

Always

Cardinal Raven

Cardinal Raven (talk) 19:10, 8 May 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven

When it comes to immune systems, yes. Researchers have found that there are olfactory processes that let us be attracted to immune systems that are complimentary (dissimilar). 71.236.23.111 (talk) 19:31, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

Well if a human is attracted to a plant, there's unlikely to be a successful mating Nil Einne (talk) 19:38, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

On the other hand, consider the crypto-historical case of Eve and the Apple. Mac users, of course, see it as evidence that their product is a remnant of paradise and the fruit of divine knowledge.

As to the successful mating, let me point out that the global population was 2 (two) prior to this "human has a close encounter with a plant" incident. It has somewhat increased. --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 20:50, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

LOL - valid point :Re$p(_)t}n —Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.9.243.111 (talk) 20:08, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

No, opposites in humans do not attract (one study, others can be found if you require and Daniel Gilbert's book Stumbling on Happiness talks about this). Why is this considered common wisdom? I don't know. Is there a point were opposites attracting can be dangerous? Yes, when your hand is between opposite poles of strong magnets.--droptone (talk) 20:30, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

Magnetically?hotclaws 23:03, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

I'd have to disagree with the conclusion based on the study adduced by droptone. Humans have an enormous number of characteristics, and any two people will have some important ones in common and some important ones that differ. By being selective about the characteristics, you could always find "proof" that it's the ones in common that are attracting them. Equally, you could find "proof" that it's the differences that are attracting them. -- JackofOz (talk) 23:32, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

Lunatic

If the 'pockmarks' on the moon are meteor strikes, and we always see the same side, then by definition these must have come very close to, or from earth, can some one please explain this to me. I realize that alot of them may be glancing blows to the moon, but the thing that made me think of this was a photograph of the moon i am looking at, and just off center to the bottom left is a crater and one can clearly see the debris that was ejected from the impact point and it seems to be spread evenly in all directions, so how is this possible? unless it can from earth, directly into the moon. Thanks 86.18.34.51 (talk) 20:48, 8 May 2008 (UTC)Zionist

This image shows the size and distances to scale. The moon is pretty far away compared to the size of the Earth. Friday (talk) 20:56, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

Bear in mind also that while the moon may appear like a flat disc to you, it's not. For instance, the prominent Tycho crater (which may be the one you're thinking of) is about 45° off the Earth-Moon line shown by Friday. Even if you were to assume that meteors only impact perpendicular to the surface, which is in no way a correct assumption, such an impact path wouldn't get much closer to the Earth than the Moon's distance. While this is astronomically close, it's also trivial -- anything that impacts the Moon passed astronomically close to Earth. — Lomn 21:49, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

Friday, stop trying to destroy the moon with your sodium-laser deathray! -mattbuck (Talk) 11:35, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Thats what happened when Gaia had too much to drink and got intimate with a chameleon. Rockpocket 21:34, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Also, keep in mind that impacts form round craters no matter what direction the meteor came from. --Carnildo (talk) 21:55, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

Why does Wikipedia have a video of a man ejaculating...

...but not one of a woman orgasming? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Spensuch (talk • contribs) 22:26, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

Well this is becuase no one has uploaded one (to my knowledge) Im sure if it was properly licensed it could be put into an article. БοņёŠɓɤĭĠ₳₯є 22:30, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

How do I ask for a Wikipedian to upload one? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Spensuch (talk • contribs) 22:33, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

Probably here: Wikipedia:Requested pictures. I wouldn't hold your breath, though. --Tagishsimon (talk) 22:35, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

It is easier to be sure the male picture is real than it would be to tell whether the female was faking it. Edison (talk) 01:06, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

Ha! Does it really matter? I can see the talk page discussion now: 100k of debate followed by a straw poll on whether the woman is faking it in the video and hence whether it is appropriate for the article. Only on Wikipedia... ! Rockpocket 21:31, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Wouldn't it just be easier to watch When Harry Met Sally...? Or listen to Dark Side of the Moon?

Atlant (talk) 12:56, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

Swords of the highest quality

I was inspired by the "flat of the sword" question above. Who were the best sword makers in the world for different cultures and were there any tests that pitted their works against each other? I'm pretty sure some countries were renowned for their smithing skills. I know that Japanese swords are good but I think the lore is overexaggerated, especially in animes.--Lenticel ^(talk) 23:33, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

No, they really are that good. Their secret is in the folding, which AFAIK, is not found in other "traditional" sword types. The other secret (if you can call it that) is that they take the quality of their blades very seriously indeed - spending months on the creation of a single blade, with different experts overseeing each stage of the process. Check out Katana construction. While I'm sure swordsmiths all over the world have practiced their art with all due attention to detail, the Japanese have really ingrained it within their society, thus bringing more societal support to the process. The only other contender I know of might be the blades made of Damascus steel. Matt Deres (talk) 23:49, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

Spanish swords had a good reputation in the Middle Ages, espcially those from Toledo. On the other hand, if you wanted good armour, then you'd look to Germany or Italy. Gwinva (talk) 00:08, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

Sure, they're good, but they really aren't that good -- by which I mean that they're not anime good. The lore is definitely exaggerated to and past the point of ridiculousness, as Lenticel says. I'm not dissing the skills of Japanese swordsmiths, you understand, but you're not going to be, oh, slicing through solid steel with them, for example. Katanas in fiction deals with some of this stuff. Also, Mythbusters did an episode of movie myths, in which they tested whether swords could cut through other swords, as well as another in which they tested the myth of Japanese WW2 soldiers slicing through machine gun barrels with katanas. Great swords, sure. Absolutely. But also really, really exaggerated, particularly in fiction. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 00:15, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

So Damascus and Toledo blades are good as well. Darn I missed that Mythbusters episode. I want to know what sword beat whom. Anyways, thanks for the info--Lenticel ^(talk) 07:19, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

Solingen was renowned as well (forgot to mention that). But we're talking about a long period, with changing technologies, so the swords differed in strength and flexibility. Also, what test would you devise to pit them against each other? Are you wanting strongest? Sharpest? Most durable? Most flexible? A very hard sword is brittle, so can break; a "soft" sword is flexible but not as strong. Also, different swords were designed for different things: some for thrusting, others slashing and cutting: make-up, width, hardness, shape, edge differs according to use. (and Mythbusters can hardly provide an accurate test, unless they were allowed to use museum specimens: just like the originals, replica swords vary according to the skill of swordmaker and the quality of the steel, and it would be hard to accurately represent precisely a Damascene sword from the height of the Damascene trade, to match against a Toledo sword from the most famous Toledo swordsmith [etc] Gwinva (talk) 08:49, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Yeah never thought of the qualifications since swords were made for different roles. I was thinking of the best of their era.--Lenticel ^(talk) 00:12, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

There's some old, probably apocryphal story about a contest of sword quality between Richard the Lionheart and Saladin. Richard's club-like sword was able to break an iron bar or something, while Saladin's damascus steel scimitar was able to slice through a pillow, thus winning the contest. I'm nearly positive the tale is basically a work of fiction, but it stuck in my mind as an good description of the quality and sharpness of damascus steel. Pfly (talk) 08:20, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

May 9

Finding a girl

I am 19 and still now I haven't being with a girl in an intimate relationship. The girls I know seems to be fascinated about funny guys, guys with cars, or good in sport. How can I make a girl like me? GoingOnTracks (talk) 11:08, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

Probably not here in the Language RF. I'm moving your question to the Miscelaneous.11:33, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

If those are the girls you like then you should maybe pick up a sport and then start saving for a car. Learning some jokes on the way won't hurt.--Yamanbaiia^{(free hugs!)} 11:54, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

The hottest girls like guys who are smart enough to figure out a reference desk isn't the place to ask questions about personal relationships. Doesn't your local radio station have a car-talk or gardening show you could pose this on? Matt Deres (talk) 12:01, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

I suppose the question could have been put in a more formal tone: "How do we choose our partner?" In my opinion the most important trait is vitality. Active people are not just more attractive, but the have a higher chance of being healthy, meeting someone, earning money or being funny. 217.168.1.109 (talk) 12:18, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

And in that formal tone: "How do we choose our partner?" Its simple we choose our partner by who seems healthier, whose chemistry matches whose, and who is more fertile out of my choice. That is how we scientifically choose our partners.Cardinal Raven (talk) 14:54, 9 May 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven

1. CONFIDENCE
2. Clean yourself up. Meaning, wear nice clothes - but be comfortable and true to yourself, groom yourself, exercise, don't smell; basically look presentable.
3. Personality. Don't be a clown shoe. Being funny is swell, but there is an imaginary line that some "funny guys" cross where they stop being funny and come across as dickheads. Same thing with guys who are too into one hobby or interest (cars, work, or anything really). Be well rounded with your shit. Don't let your interests define who you are. You gotta show a serious side as well as a lighter side.
4. CONFIDENCE
5. CONFIDENCE

--Endless Dan 16:01, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

You need to like yourself and to consider yourself "a catch" before someone else will think of you as a catch. Work on achieving these attitudes, and confidence (and interest from girls) will follow. Marco polo (talk) 18:50, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

It might come off as something of a cliché, but confidence matters. If you trust you look reasonable, you will appear better in face of others. Also, it makes the 'waiting' more bearable, as you spend less time doubting yourself. Unfortunately, everything here and above is original research at best. Vanity is part of us all, but there's likely a reason for why we have it. :) Scaller (talk) 21:54, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

Vitality? Confidence? Are these the core of a person? GoingOnTracks (talk) 00:28, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

No, but they are the basis for an initial attraction. Ideally, an initial attraction leads to an appreciation of the attractive person's core goodness. Without an initial attraction, the core goodness may pass unnoticed. Marco polo (talk) 01:07, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

By the way, I'm not convinced that great "vitality" is necessary for attraction. On the other hand, a degree of self-confidence is probably indispensable, particularly when it comes to attracting females. The good news is that self-confidence can be cultivated. You can do this by learning to accept and like yourself, and by projecting your self-comfort. Marco polo (talk) 01:18, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Being natural is nice, when you're not an overt display type of person. I was going to say it helps not to be anxious, but Woody Allen made a career of an anxious quirky type attracting women, so every taste is out there. Julia Rossi (talk) 01:40, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Endlessdan, you forgot rule 6: CONFIDENCE. Ilikefood (talk) 00:43, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Be witty. Don't be desperate, or at least try not to show it! Don't be predatory: I for one never scored by trying to "find a girl", but by paying attention to one at a time. Keep your eyes open: in my youth I missed several opportunities by failing to recognize them. And finally, don't beat yourself up over it: 19 is not remarkably late, despite what your boastful buddies may have you believe. —Tamfang (talk) 21:14, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

At least you didn't ask /b/... Ziggy Sawdust 18:04, 15 May 2008 (UTC)

Use of wikis for posting library reference question answers

Can you give me some examples of libraries use of a wiki to present reference question-and-answer pairs? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Rmazur123 (talk • contribs) 13:27, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

Gini of China and India

I am surprised China has a higher gini (47) compared to India (36). I assumed, since India has many top 10 billionaires, but a per capita poorer than Sudan, it would have a high gini. China has many billionaires too but I figured the large manufacturing base spread wealth more evenly. So how did I make the wrong conclusion?

Lotsofissues 14:30, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

Check out Gini coefficient#Disadvantages of Gini coefficient as a measure of inequality That might be what's happening.--71.236.23.111 (talk) 14:42, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

Rhythm

The expression "you can't teach rhythm" - is this true?? --Endless Dan 14:38, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

Count a pulse, one two three four one two three four. Add the word "and" between each number. Now emphasize or say more loudly the words in caps: ONE and two AND three and FOUR and one and TWO and THREE and four and. Repeat the pattern over and over. There, I just taught you the common clave rhythm. Pfly (talk) 22:25, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

Not so ! You merely gave counting and a timing. (It could be a metronome.) Enforced rhythm is not true rhythm since the person cannot maintain a rhythm without the counting. So, in my opinion (and I would love to be able to dance) if one has not got at least some degree of natural rhythm then the artifical version is not of much help. i.e. Finger off pulse, rhythm vanishes.90.4.117.42 (talk) 15:01, 10 May 2008 (UTC)DT

This sounds more like the difference between teaching and learning. Learning a rhythm takes practice. If it feels "enforced" you just need to spend more time and effort practicing until it starts to feel natural. The amount of practice needed differs among people. Some people have a natural talent and catch on quickly, while for others it will be harder and take longer -- and it helps to have pointers on how to practice this kind of thing. I would say that anyone can learn rhythmic patterns if they want to, but there are some rare neurological conditions that might prevent some small number of people. Oliver Sacks writes about "rhythm deafness" and how it sometimes develops after a stroke. Che Guevara was supposedly rhythm-deaf. But Sacks points out that rhythm deafness is rare, and profound rhythm deafness is extremely rare, and almost never total, "because rhythm is represented widely in the brain". The same thing is true for "pitch deafness", which a lot of people seem to say they have -- usually meaning they have trouble singing in tune. Neurological pitch deafness is more common than rhythm deafness, but still quite rare. For the rest of us, even those like me who lack a great natural talent for pitch and rhythm, it takes practice. Maybe lots of practice. In short, you can teach rhythm, you can teach pitch, you can teach practice, but you can't make someone practice if they don't want to. Pfly (talk) 16:20, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Could Not Live Our Lives?

What mental disorder hinders us from living your lives paranoia or depression?

Always

Cardinal Raven

Cardinal Raven (talk) 15:02, 9 May 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven

When you post a question like this, simply saying "I don't want opinions" doesn't make it appropriate Ref Desk material. Look, I'm sorry your roommate has locked down your computer but you're going to need to find another place for your philosophical musings. --LarryMac | Talk 15:09, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

So you want to know which mental disorder is worse? If so, then do you mean worse on average or worse when the disorder is severe?--droptone (talk) 15:10, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

I don't understand the question. If you are looking for a list of mental illnesses, we do have a List of mental illnesses article. -FisherQueen (talk · contribs) 15:43, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

How could you not understand the question: What mental illness hinders the person more? Paranoia or Depression. So, I guess I am asking: Out of Paranoia or depression, which is of the two is worse so that the suffer cannot live a normal life?71.142.222.245 (talk) 16:09, 9 May 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven

Perhaps -FisherQueen meant she could not understand the question before you edited it, which also served to make my initial reply meaningless. You are moving perilously close to trolldom, and I think you ought to seriously consider what you're doing here. --LarryMac | Talk 16:25, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

Basically everyone that has ever lived has lived with depression, many of them with "normal" lives. So I would have to say that paranoia might be worse. 206.252.74.48 (talk) 16:13, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

If you don't state the degree of mental illness, the question is somehow senseless. You can live normal life with mild depression and some people indeed don't even notice that their bad mood is an illness. 217.168.1.109 (talk) 17:13, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

I'm sorry if it seems I'm a bit rude and trollsome today. I guess I woke up on the wrong side of the bed. I didn't want to sound rude. Well then lets make it that the life they have is with severe depression and paranoia. So we can level the playing fields here.71.142.222.245 (talk) 17:15, 9 May 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven

It's not a reasonable or sensible question. Depression and paranoia can both be extremely problematic, but it's not like breaking your kneecap, which has pretty much the same result every time. Mental problems like this can be very different for different people in their symptoms. Some people cope better than others. Some people have better social support networks than others. For some people, medication works better than for others. People come from different circumstances and backgrounds, which can impact on their illness by making it easier or more difficult to deal with. Some people have better doctors than others. Both depression and paranoia can be debilitating; there's no definitive answer here. If you absolutely insist that one of them must be worse, frankly, that betrays an overall lack of understanding about the nature of mental illness. That said, paranoia is often a delusional state, whereas it's not as common with depression (but it can be a symptom in some cases of depression). Delusional people are often worse off than people who don't suffer from delusions -- but even then, that doesn't necessarily mean that they are hindered more than other people. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 19:04, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

Just give a bunch of people who are diagnosed with Paranoid personality disorder or Major depression inventories in the disorder they have and a quality of life assessment. It's irrelevant whether people vary in how well they deal with mental problems since this character wants to know which one is generally worse unless the variability is astronomically high (which I doubt).--droptone (talk) 20:40, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

Which one do you feel you have?hotclaws 08:38, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Car Dealerships

A completely random question, but I can't seem to figure it out anywhere: when do car dealships in the US close on Saturdays? My mother told me that they are like banks and close early on weekends, but I want to go look at some cars after 3 o'clock. If it varies by dealer, then I'm out of luck - since I haven't found a single dealer website that lists the times. 206.252.74.48 (talk) 16:38, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

It will indeed vary by dealer, there's no regulated times, as far as I know. Surely some of those websites include telephone numbers - just call and ask. --LarryMac | Talk 16:40, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

Well, indeed there may be regulated hours - for instance in Metro Detroit (home of the U.S. auto industry) for years car dealers were always closed on Saturdays - until the courts stepped in.[2][3]. Rmhermen (talk) 00:21, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Well, I guess I'll have to put my fear of using the telephone on the back burner. 206.252.74.48 (talk) 16:45, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

Maybe you could email them? --LarryMac | Talk 19:33, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

Unfortunately that kind of business tends not to be very good at answering email in the sort of timeframe that would be useful. If you're uneasy with the telephone, plan in advance your opening sentence or two.

81.187.153.189 (talk) 22:16, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

Get somebody else to phone them on your behalf. But that still leaves you with the phone problem. Paul

Background Recording Software

Is there any kind of (free?) software on the internet that will allow me to record the sounds being played through my speakers, if I want to record sounds like music from music videos on the internet?

Thank you people!

89.240.86.50 (talk) 17:58, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

Audacity is perfect for this. 206.252.74.48 (talk) 19:00, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

Thanks from me, too. I'd been looking for something like that. I have lots of old audio training tapes that I want to transfer to CD. --Lisa4edit (talk) 00:48, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Just one point, I strongly recommend that you do not infringe copyright by recording sunds like copyrighted music videos on the internet Anonymous101 (talk) 15:53, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

This point is valid, but copyright law is complicated and varies depending on where you live, among other considerations. In almost all cases, if you transform a copyrighted work in this manner and then convey it to a third party, your will be in violation of the copyright laws. In some jurisdictions, you may copy the material for your own use under the "fair use" provisions of copyright law. You must consult a lawyer about this. -Arch dude (talk) 04:03, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Thanks guys, downloaded a simple recorder device off of the internet, but I couldn't get it to record background stuff, so I ran the Line In from my sound card into the Line Out, (where the software was recording from) and this worked a treat, although I cannot hear what is being recorded at the time. Audacity is free right, and it does other stuff if I am not mistaken. 89.240.86.50 (talk) 19:09, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

It also edits sound and has filters and such. Also, if you want to record what the computer is currently playing, there is a little drop-down menu on the upper right that defaults to "microphone" - select the one for output (sorry, I completely forgot its name, but play around and you'll find it). 206.252.74.48 (talk) 13:27, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

For some reason, this doesn't work with all sound cards - in some cases the option just won't appear. In these cases you have no option other than to run a line from Line In to Line Out. Dooky (talk) 14:19, 15 May 2008 (UTC)

Bulova watches and 1st Tv commercial

In reading on Bulova they are credited with the first tv commercial which was a 10 second spot, however, under television commercials Bulova is credited with the first tv commercial that lasted 20 seconds. Which one is correct? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.129.115.68 (talk) 19:28, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

Regions that begin with "X"

Are there any world regions that begin with the letter "X"? I know there are no countries, but are there any other large regions or cities? Abeg92contribs 19:37, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

Historically...Xanadu. --Prestidigitator (talk) 19:47, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

Xenia#Places in the United States--the largest being Xenia, Ohio and its nearby township. --ShelfSkewed Talk 19:53, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

And, it now occurs to me, if translated names are allowed, many places in China. For example, Xinjiang. --ShelfSkewed Talk 19:58, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

Probably the most populated city starting with X is Xiang Gang Admiral Norton ^(talk) 20:03, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

Xinjiang and Xizang.--droptone (talk) 20:21, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

There is also the city of Xi'an. Marco polo (talk) 20:26, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

In Mexico, Xalapa has a population of 387,879 and Xico, 331,321, according to List of cities in Mexico SaundersW (talk) 21:34, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

This question came up a little while ago, and got a bunch more answers. Algebraist 07:54, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Julius Caesar's letters

Where can I see Julius Cesar's (original) letters? Are they in a museum somewhere? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Margot Lowe (talk • contribs) 23:45, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

The originals have not survived. We have only copies, or more likely copies of copies of copies. Marco polo (talk) 00:32, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

I have to correct myself. After some searching, I have concluded that we do not have even extant copies of Caesar's letters. We have copies of some of his writings, but not of his dispatches or letters. There are a few excerpts from Caesar's letters in the writings Cicero, which have likewise survived only in copies. Marco polo (talk) 00:59, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

I have not read it since my school days, but there may be some French letters hidden in "De Bello Gallico". Of course, I do not wish to speculate what they may contain... --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 16:13, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Instructions on how to sheath one's sword properly? Adam Bishop (talk) 16:31, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

May 10

Picture salling.

There a friend of mine, and we sold my Best friend's pictures on the internet, I gavew him some of my pictures to sell too, but i don't know what it's called. The site i mean.

Description- Picture are uploaded, then people pay to have the picture printed out, and the site sends you the check. I THINK theyu said it was an Ebay site, but I'm not sure. can you help me find it. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.12.226.34 (talk) 00:39, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

It sounds like eBay -- maybe a "shop" within the auction site that reproduces art works by arrangement, but on the net, I don't find anything quite like that. Other sites like yessy.com allow people to put up their own work which can be sold as reproductions and there are probably others. Look for sites that act as agents for online sales, maybe. You need to ask your friend for details. Julia Rossi (talk) 04:17, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Sounds like Zazzle or Cafepress. —Tamfang (talk) 21:19, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

car value percentage of net worth

what percentage of my net worth do financial planners recommend should be invested in my car?

for that matter, what's the breakdown in general for where my investments should be (obviously it changes with age, how bout for a young adult?)

Based on a financial planner's OPINION, if you can find this info. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.131.133.111 (talk) 03:48, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

With the exception of a few classic cars, the purchase of an automobile is almost never an 'investment'—at least, not in the sense of having any hope of increasing in value for eventual sale.

When buying a car, a rational individual is deciding that the convenience of an automobile is worth the costs (car payments, insurance, maintenance, fuel, parking) is more valuable to him than the other purposes to which the same money might have been applied (larger home, retirement savings, tuition fees, other luxury goods, annual vacation, etc.).

To be fair, in many communities (particularly in the United States) car ownership is a virtual necessity caused by sprawling low-density development and appallingly underfunded public transit. In practical terms a well-maintained used vehicle provides essentially the same conveniences as a new vehicle; anything you spend over and above the cost of basic transportation is a luxury, and each individual must decide for himself exactly what his budget is for luxuries. In other words, a sensible financial planner will advise you that tying up net worth in a car isn't an investment. How much you can afford to blow on a car is a matter of your personal priorities and budget. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 14:39, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Ten's answer is excellent as usual. To address the second part of the question, a general rule of thumb is that a young person can tolerate more risk than an older person. One question to ask yourself is, how active do you want to be in picking and/or managing the investments? A lot of people just want to put money in monthly and have someone else worry about the details. To get more specific advice to your particular situation, you really should consult someone in the business rather than the reference desk. Friday (talk) 16:05, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

How the heck does Todd do this!?!?!

My best friend Todd and I often browse Wikipedia to keep abreast of first hand knowledge. Anyways, Todd, my best friend and like a brother, God love him, is one of those annoying know it alls. Somehow he's managed to memorize every gosh darned page on Wiki! I click random page and sure eneough, he'll recite it. He'll miss a sentence here and there, but for the most part- he nails it! Does anyone know how the heck he does this? He browses this website every waking moment, but still... Please show me how to get a photographic memory to this degree so I can put Mr. Smartypants in his place.

-Oh, and if you need him for anything, he said he'd be glad to help. Just dont bother him on Tuesdays and Fridays, that's when we watch Star Trek.Live From Mom's Basement (talk) 05:25, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

For information on photographic memory, please see Photographic memory. Weregerbil (talk) 09:22, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

'Everyone has a photographic memory, some just don't have film.' Apparently. I would say you probably just need to link your long term memory, which seemingly remembers almost everything, to the rest of your brain. There's probably a way to do this, but I've forgotten it.HS7 (talk) 19:49, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Soil Moisture Measurement

Which method would be more reliable to measure soil moisture: resistance or capacitance? Does different soil type contribute much to the measured resistance/capacitance? Does capacitance method still work at freezing temperatures? I'm working for a automatic watering controller using soil moisture measurements and the accuracy doesn't have to be very high, but I do want it to work reliably between different soil types. --antilived^{T | C | G} 07:01, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

As no one here has been able to answer your question, you could try the Science ref desk instead.--86.157.11.211 (talk) 16:16, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

I copied it over there, click on the link in 86's note to look for answers. --71.236.23.111 (talk) 16:42, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Avril Lavigne hairstyle

What would you call this hairstyle and this hairstyle being sported by Avril Lavigne? Without taking the pictures to the haircut shop, what would I ask for? Mr Beans Backside (talk) 09:30, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

(i) blow-waved upwards; (ii) ponytail. For the former, tell the hairdresser you want to look taller. (Actually you'll just look ridiculous, but you'll think you look taller till you notice people giggling at you.) In the second photo, her fake eyelashes look truly grotesque. (I hope they're fake; if not, she's a freak.) Well you're full of questions, Bean. Would you care to contribute any content to this encyclopedia? -- Hoary (talk) 09:56, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Is there a quota for the number of questions a user can ask at the reference desk? Does it also apply to anon questioners? -- Meni Rosenfeld (talk) 19:19, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Is there a quota for the number of questions dealing with Avril Lavigne? -- Zain Ebrahim (talk) 23:11, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

I think it makes her look cool, especially the second one as it shows she's not afraid to let down her guard when she's out and about. Of course it depends where you are; I wouldn't suggest the first one if your attending a business meeting or competing in the Olympics! xxx User:Hyper Girl 13:44, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

No idea on the first but the second really just looks like a ponytail. Although, I usually wear my ponytail lower on the back of my head and unless you're trying to be avant-garde or something, I'd suggest the same if your username says anything about your gender. Women tend to put their ponytails higher on their heads than men. Dismas|^(talk) 16:18, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

The first one used to be worn by Hilary Duff, didn't it? (Was that the source of their quarrel?) Adam Bishop (talk) 16:28, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Bird

I saw a bird while I was in Plymouth, MA. it had a hot pink cap on its head, and hot pink on its back and wings. do you know what kind of bird this is? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Btmgm (talk • contribs) 12:49, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Have a look if it's one of these: Purple Finch, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, ovenbird, Pine Grosbeak--71.236.23.111 (talk) 17:29, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

I already checked these out and they are not them. Thank You for your response. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Btmgm (talk • contribs) 15:44, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Pint-sized Midget

Suppose a midget worked in a pub. Would it be discrimination if the management made him / her ware a t-shirt with the phrase "pint-sized" on it, similar to McDonalds having "I'm lovin' it"? Mr Beans Backside (talk) 13:53, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

In which jurisdiction, Bean? (In space?) -- Hoary (talk) 14:07, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

What! In a pub I said. On Earth - its a little blue green planet, you might have heard of it if you didn't have you head up your ass! :~) Sorry, thats a little harsh, I know your just kidding. To be more specific I mean if only the midget was made to ware the "pint-sized" t-shirt, but other staff members wore t-shirts with say "full brew" on them. Mr Beans Backside (talk) 14:30, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Legal definitions of what constitute discriminatory employment practices would differ from one jurisdiction to another, hence the request for further clarification of your initial question. The attitude you've expressed towards good-faith Reference Desk editors attempting to assist you by relating seriously to your query isn't likely to be tolerated here for long. Kindly take note. -- Deborahjay (talk) 14:52, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

I understand I may have been slightly harsh (as I said above), but Hoary's request of "it is in space" was a bit silly, wasn't it? How is that "relating seriously" to my query? I mean, come on, I'm not on the space station. Also, he seems to be stalking me, because he is aware of my other question and linked to it. Or maybe not. Nevertheless, I think it was he who didn't show "good-faith" when he asked that. Mr Beans Backside (talk) 15:07, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Point taken, Mr B B. I'm just so glad to have had the opportunity to read the following response by Dismas which I consider a worthy model to improve my response style. -- Sincerely, Deborahjay (talk) 16:01, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Probably the best answer that we can give you without knowing more details is "probably". If it were the US, the little person (if that's how the rest of us are supposed to refer to them these days) would probably have a very good discrimination case on their hands. Especially if they were told that their employment depended on it. As to whether it's morally wrong to have them wear the shirt... That's a matter for you to decide. Dismas|^(talk) 15:48, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Just to be absolutely clear here: whether it would be considered discrimination in any legal sense depends on the country and/or state the pub happens to be located in, which is exactly what Hoary referred to in his answer... but perhaps that wasn't obvious enough, which is why I'm spelling it out here. Therefore: no one can answer the question unless they know what jurisdiction this is taking place in. (A pub is not a jurisdiction. A pub is located in a jurisdiction.)

However, it should be pointed out that regardless of whether it would be discrimination in any legal sense, it would definitely be the kind of a thing that falls squarely in the "asshole behavior" category -- even if someone were to do it in a place where it would be completely legal. I can only hope that this is a hypothetical question. I mean, as far as acting like a complete jerk towards your employee goes, that's pretty unambiguous. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 02:21, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

I'd guess it wouldn't be an issue if the little person agreed to do this as part of their work if it was in a promotional role, otherwise it's issue-filled. Julia Rossi (talk) 04:12, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

I don't see anything wrong with Hoary's response. As many people have pointed out, this question is probably unanswerable without knowing what jurisdiction you are referring to. In some countries, pubs are banned so it would be irrelevant. Other countries don't even have discrimination laws. The space comment was clearly intended as a playful way to point out your question was unanswerable, and should be taken as such, there's no need to get worked up about it. I don't see how AGF comes into this, how is hoary not assuming good faith? He/she's not accusing your of doing anything bad or wrong and simply pointed out in a playful way that your question didn't provide sufficient information for it to be answerable. If anyone is not WP:AGF, it is the person who is accusing another person of stalking and not trying to seriously help you simply because that person made a harmless joke; i.e. you Nil Einne (talk) 22:10, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Female waitstaff at Hooters haven't been able to claim discrimination when they wear the Hooters logo on their shirts. And men who have tried to be hired there have been denied, and the refusal to hire them upheld in courts. Corvus cornix_talk 21:15, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Is this really appliciable though? Unless they had a pre-existing marketing thing whereby they advertised for 'midgets' to wear pint-size shirts and made it a specific part of the contract, I would say probably not. Of course, if the pub did do so, it would probably usually be fine. Similarly if the pub refused to hire a little person otherwise because they could work effectively in the pub, that would probably be acceptable as well. Nil Einne (talk) 22:10, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Bank payments

Is it normal for a bank to put all payments towards the total APR first and then the remaining payments towards the loan amount? Mr Beans Backside (talk) 14:24, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Yes. Normally, banks will put your payment towards the interest that has accrued on a loan in that pay period (usually one month) first, then whatever is left will be applied to the loan amount. This way you're paying off that month's interest so that it isn't carried over to the next month and then you're paying interest in the second month on the interest from the first month. Dismas|^(talk) 15:43, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Does it matter? It seems like a silly accounting distinction. Interest increases the amount owed. Payments decrease it. At time t1 you owe x1; at a later time t2 you owe x2. x2-x1 would equal interest minus payments during the period. What purpose does it really serve to keep track of whether payments "go toward" interest or principal? (Yes, I am seriously interested in an answer. I want to know what benefits there might be to tracking things like this, to either the loaner or the borrower or both.) --Prestidigitator (talk) 19:16, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Home equity. --Nricardo (talk) 19:24, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

While the home equity article explains it in a technical way, I generally think of it in more basic terms. The bank helps you buy a house, land, a car, whatever. That object or real estate represents a sum of money. So each month you pay off the interest (a monthly fee for the bank allowing you to use their money) and after that, anything that's left, gets used to buy a little more of whatever it is you bought with their money. Dismas|^(talk) 19:43, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Even so, it still seems somewhat irrelevant to me. Ultimately you owe however much money to the bank. Whether you 'own' 50% of your house and owe the bank $300k or 25% of your house but owe the bank $200k does it make any difference in the end? Your house is ultimately the security for the loan and if you are unable to pay off your loan the bank is going to take what you owe them by confiscating your security (foreclosing on your home) Nil Einne (talk) 21:55, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Given the home equity article I'm thinking the distinction might be important mostly for tax reasons. Whether you are "paying interest" or "paying off principal" is treated differently by the extremely artificial tax definitions we all (don't quite) know and (probably don't) love. --Prestidigitator (talk) 08:17, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Summer Olympics

What is the smallest country to win a Summer Olympics medal? Mr Beans Backside (talk) 14:37, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Liechtenstein is "the smallest nation to win a medal in any Olympics, Winter or Summer." See Liechtenstein#Sport. Think outside the box 14:40, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Just to be pedantic. It is people who win medals, not countries. A major Olympic movement's objective is to bring people togther in peace. The drive for countries to total medal wins is a recent phenomenon.90.4.117.42 (talk) 14:53, 10 May 2008 (UTC)petitmichel

That really is pedantic, petitmichel. Of course only people can physically compete, but they do it on behalf of their country, not as independent competitors. They can only compete if their country's organising committee permits them. Which is why their country's national anthem is sung and their flag is raised, and the win is added to the national tallies. -- JackofOz (talk) 23:33, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

To be accurate, the International Olympic Committee does not keep any national tallies, and never has. The tallies are kept by just about everyone else, though. — Michael J 01:11, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Of course they compete against other athletes from their country for the right to compete at the Games. But they compete under the auspices of their sport. Not a State organised competition. Of course several countries have seen some kudos in winning - East Germany, USSR, now China, but they are not working within the Olympic ethos.86.200.4.208 (talk) 10:57, 11 May 2008 (UTC)petitmichel

Liechtenstein only seems to win Winter Olympics medals though, so it still doesn't answer the question. Maybe there's a list somewhere of every country that has ever won a medal?HS7 (talk) 12:26, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

According to the article All-time Olympic Games medal count, Tonga (120k) has won 1 silver in summer games, Virgin Islands (108k) ditto. There may be smaller nations in the list, but you would have to check it. --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 18:23, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

The US although to be more accurate, I don't know of any country which doesn't see kudos in winning medals. Nil Einne (talk) 21:50, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Remote control

Why when TV remote control's batteries become powerless, we press it's buttons harder? 89.146.77.127 (talk) 14:55, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Because we (sub)consciously think that by pressing harder and thus trying to make the buttons make better contact, that what little power is left will be able to make the button work the way it's supposed to. Dismas|^(talk) 15:50, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Well, in my experience it's not because I think it'll increase the signal but it might send more of the same weak signal (though of course the idea that it is pressure sensitive is erroneous). A brief experiment with my own TV remote (aiming it at the little camera circuit in my phone) shows that holding down the button does send out a continuous signal. Pushing harder shouldn't do anything, of course, but holding down the button could. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 18:55, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

In addition to any reasons that have to do with technology, I suspect it has quite a bit to do with the fact that we really tend to be kind of stupid, or at least irrational, about this sort of thing. It's not unlike pressing the elevator call button multiple times when we're in a hurry or yelling at a computer when it's not doing what we want. Frustration can be a pretty powerful motivator. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 02:08, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

I don't know if you can necessarily call it irrational. When people are frustrated, it's helpful if they can let of steam in a fairly innocous way that doesn't damage anything or hurt anyone Nil Einne (talk) 17:18, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Sometimes a remote can miss the push of a button because the push was accidentally too weak or off-center. By pushing the button hard and carefully aiming the remote towards the TV you eliminate the possibility of user-inflicted failure, and confirm that it is the device itself (or the receiver) that is not functioning properly. 84.239.133.86 (talk) 07:31, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

And likewise with the elevator button, if it's not the kind that lights up to confirm that it was pressed. --Anonymous, 09:07 UTC, May 11, 2008.

Yes. Because people never hit the button repeatedly if it lights up, right? =) -- Captain Disdain (talk) 10:28, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Rabbits

My rabbit (buck) matted with another rabbit (doe) and a couple of days later he started to have seizures and died. Will he infect the doe or shoulden't I worry Mr Beans Backside (talk) 15:14, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

I can't give you advice without knowing more about the illness. I suggest you visit a vet as it is hard to give advice over the internet when I don't know anything about the type of illness etc. Sorry I couldn't be of more help Anonymous101 (talk) 15:50, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Yes, you should remove the corpse of the rabbit. It's not healthy to have dead bodies laying around in the same confined space such as a rabbit hutch. Dismas|^(talk) 15:52, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Is this covered in the rulebook?

I hope this question isn't too stupid, but I've always wondered how this would've been called. Just before a World Series game in 1989 there was a major earthquake. My question is; if the earthquake had happened during the game, how would umpires have ruled in most situations?Let's say a guy is running home and loses his balance because of the ground shaking. Could he then get tagged out, or would it be a do over? Or an outfielder falls and drops a routine fly ball? What if a fan panics and runs onto the field disrupting a major play? You get the picture. In all the ballgames that have been played in California there's never been an earthquake during a game, and it would be interesting to know what would happen. --Baseball and and and Popcorn Fanatic (talk) 16:32, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

My guess is that the fact of the earthquake doesn't change what happens in the game. After all, no one can be certain why the man running home fell or why the outfielder dropped the ball.

In 2005, during a cricket test match in Faisalabad between England and Pakistan, an exploding gas canister was taken to be a bomb, and the game was stopped for ten minutes. Unfortunately, nothing was happening on the field at the moment of the explosion. Xn4 21:01, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

It would probably be covered by Rule 5.10 (a): "The ball becomes dead when an umpire calls "Time." The umpire-in-chief shall call "Time" — (a) When in his judgment weather, darkness or similar conditions make immediate further play impossible." Presumably he would have the good sense to call time as soon as the earth starts moving, but 5.10 (c) allows him to stop the game once a player is injured, which might also happen during an earthquake. See MLB official rules, 5. Adam Bishop (talk) 01:28, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

There have been a couple of instances in which crazy stuff has happened during a play in American football, the most famous being The Play between Cal and Stanford. In the 2005 Alamo Bowl, dozens of people, including the guys hauling the awards podium, went onto the fiend unaware the final play hadn't ended. In both cases, the officials treated the play like any other one, waiting until the player scored (in Cal-Stanford) or was tackled (in the Alamo Bowl). There is a football rule that in case of a palpably unfair act, the officials can take any measure they feel appropriate to rectify it. Had the Cal player not made it into the end zone, the officials may have awarded Cal a touchdown anyway under that clause. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 17:00, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

what can we do for Burma?

Tens of thousands of people died immediately in Cyclone Nargis. Thousands more, some say hundreds of thousands, are at risk of death. Mainly these will be babies, children, and old people who die from water-borne diseases and starvation. What can we do? I mean this specifically, as a factual question. What can Wikipedia editors, with our skills of internet collaboration, do to alleviate the existing and growing crisis? What organisations with an online presence need experienced researchers and wiki editors? Yes, there are many worthy charities to donate money to. That is not my question. Are there satellite photos that need to be compared to those of a month ago and labelled, linked, tagged? (Has Google Earth taken new photos, or how can we lobby for them to update their images?) Are their Burmese NGOs (maybe in exile) who need their websites improved, if this data would help save lives? What else can we do? BrainyBabe (talk) 19:11, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

The current problem is that the people running the government won't let others help. (I shall refrain from pointing out the similarities to another hurricane aftermath under a completely different type of government.) It unfortunately seems as though things need to get worse before they can get better. Many organizations have rallied and mobilized their resources and are waiting for the word "Go!" Then I guess there are going to be lots of ways one could help. Lisa4edit (talk) 21:29, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

After Hurricane Katrina, the US government spent a lot of time trying to co-ordinate a response. By contrast, the Canadian government (and specifically the Canadian military) reacted immediately without any formal co-ordination. As a result, The first help that many people in Louisiana saw was from Canada. This worked because the Canadian military could depend on the US to honor pre-existing over-flight agreements. The moral of this story is that we need to get pre-approval to permit intervention during a disaster, even with governments we dis-approve of. -Arch dude (talk) 03:45, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

I know the Burmese government is not going to help. Governments and foreign NGOs are hampered by this. I am thinking about people power -- not money, not feet on the ground, though both of those are needed, but remote information work. There must be something we can do. BrainyBabe (talk) 07:35, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

For a picture on the internet and Myanmar, ghits show blocking, crackdowns etc in 2007 articles; this[4] is May 2008 with a list of articles on the junta, the poll, China's backing, devastation stats, etc. It's not your everyday disaster, but a pretty awful mix of power, politics and brinksmanship (if that;'s the word) and international hand-wringing. Julia Rossi (talk) 12:19, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Concentrate Juice vs Non-Concentrate

<moved to science desk here[5]>

O2

Hi, there an advert in the UK for O2 which features a guy dancing around. If you know what I mean, could anyone tell me what song it is he's dancing to? Thanks —Preceding unsigned comment added by 90.210.91.252 (talk) 22:20, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

O2's current UK ad is the one with "The Animals Came in Two by Two" as the soundtrack, and no dancing guy. You don't mean this [6] ad, do you? Definite dancing guy, soundtrack is Labi Siffre's "It Must Be Love", but it's Vodafone, not O2. -- Karenjc 07:00, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

What is it about termites that bite instead of sting?

A lot of bugs I know even stink up the place and arent of the carniverous kind. But why did nature equip certain bugs with a stinger? Will God ever invent a bug that shoots flames? lol:)--Dr. Carefree (talk) 22:30, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Well, it isn't flames, but the noxious, boiling chemicals spewed by the bombardier beetle are pretty close. As for why certain insects are equipped with stingers, teeth, etc., they are always either defensive or offensive mechanisms, used for deterring enemies and/or attacking prey. Pretty straightforward evolutionary adaptation, one that conveys obvious benefits to the species that have them. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 23:14, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

With such an advantange how come the bombadier beetle hasn't taken over the world? I believe in evolution, dont get me wrong but it seems the time has come that a super duper insect will someday soon TAKE OVER THE WORLD! Wont evolution be fun to watch when they fight -each other? Couldnt bees decide to get together and collectively sting everyone and everything!? Ive always wondered why insects with thier great numbers, weapons, and social structure haven't eliminated man. Maybe because we have Raid?Dr. Carefree (talk) 00:44, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Your peculiar mix of bad faith, xenophobia, and paranoia lead you to conclude that every species wants to take over the world for itself. This is not neccessarily the case.

Oh wait. You were trying to be funny. ha. ha. ha. Vranak (talk) 19:15, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

It's all about energy. A hypothetical flame-throwing insect would need to accumulate enough energy to produce the flame effect. An insect accumulates energy by expending effort to eat plant matter or prey. It's a lot more efficient to manufacture a poison or a repellent than to manufacture a flame. -Arch dude (talk) 03:32, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Talk to the cockroaches in our kitchen about attempts at domination. Unfortunately some other species has developed insecticides. ... but they will win yet.  :-)--71.236.23.111 (talk) 04:19, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Bees can't get together and sting everyone since they die when they sting. If they ever did get a single controlling intelligence so that they could all act simultaneously I for one would welcome our new insect overlords and remind them that refdesk editors can be useful to recruit workers to toil in their underground sugar caves. Mad031683 (talk) 16:49, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Different culture = different personality?

Do people from different cultures have different personalities? Or do they only have different belief systems (in religion, politics and whatever)? 217.168.0.94 (talk) 22:53, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

Depends what you define as culture, but much of what we consider to be "personality" has cultural aspects. As an easy example, those who grow up in Japanese society generally (but not always, of course) have a much more deferential attitude to elders than those who (generally) grow up in American society. Is that personality? It can sure look like it, if you're one of the elders in question! --98.217.8.46 (talk) 23:07, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

No, I don't see a respectful attitude towards elders as a part of my personality, but as a social value. If I travel to Japan, and I want to fit in the society, I probably would also be respectful toward elders. 217.168.0.94 (talk) 23:41, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

The difference is though, it's not simply something that do for 'fun'. It's ingrained in to them this is how they behave. I think you'd fine you have great difficulty at first perfectly emulating their behaviour simply because it comes natural to them but not to you. Similarly, a Japanese person may have difficulty at first referring to an elder in the US or UK by their given name for example because even though they may know and accept it's the norm and completely acceptable, it just makes them so uncomfortable. Similarly, you'll find difference in public displays of affection, male-female interactions, what's considered acceptable 'aggression' etc etc. Part of someone's personality (how they behave with others, what they find funny etc) is always going to be influence by the culture their in. And if someone starts behaving in a different way (i.e. changes their personality) when they are in a different culture, doesn't that mean they are embracing that culture and so adapting a new personality because of it Nil Einne (talk) 17:28, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

How about language? I know someone who becomes quite flamboyant and emotional when he speaks French. Speaking English, he's the stiff upper lip type. Gwinva (talk) 22:30, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Is Mount Edna active?

Does anyone have any updates on this? --Foperland (talk) 23:55, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

I do believe that Dame Edna has recently announced her/his retirement. He/she may be able to answer this. :) -- JackofOz (talk) 00:39, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Since you likely mean Etna, yes, it is very active - see Mount Etna#Recent eruptions. It last erupted in September 2007. Adam Bishop (talk) 01:16, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

May 11

Current Affairs

Who is the present minister of external affairs in India? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 123.201.79.8 (talk) 07:53, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Pranab Mukherjee.--86.145.248.3 (talk) 07:57, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Will the Feds shut down Wikipedia?

I've seen matter that says that "Conservapedia" has charged that the FBI is probing Wikipedia about the posting of a photo of a female subject that may be considered "kiddie porn", Does this mean that Jimbo Wales will be arrested and Wikipedia shut down? If I did not ask, someone else would have and be really nasty about it. 205.240.146.247 (talk) 07:59, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

I think the best course of action is to take everything Conservapedia takes with a pinch of salt. It does intrigue me though how these people have JUST noticed that sex and nudity exist on wikipedia. I'm fairly certain those were about the first articles to be created. Damn internets. -mattbuck (Talk) 10:03, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Conservapedia has previously threatened to report people who vandalise it to the FBI, so I think they're being a trifle optimistic again.-- Diniz(talk) 21:10, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Frankly, no. The image in question was used 32 years ago as an album cover (and despite the ravings of the right-wing fundamentalist organisation which precipitated the current debate, there is no evidence that the image was ever "banned" in the US by any legal authority - it was replaced by an alternate image on grounds of taste, but that appears to have been the decision of the record label, not any legal/judicial body); it has been reproduced all over the place since, so there are plenty of other people who would be sued/prosecuted first, but there is no chance of this happening anyway as in no way does it meet the definition of pornography determined by the US Supreme Court in 1989. It would be hypocritical in the extreme if Wikipedia removed this image as offensive to some Christian fundamentalists when we have already (rightly in my opinion) refused to remove the Jyllands-Posten cartoons of Mohammed or the medieval "images of Mohammed" which have been considered offensive by a far larger number of Islamic fundamentalists. -- Arwel (talk) 21:27, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Some crank website complaining to the FBI about nonsense does not = "the FBI is probing". Corvus cornix_talk 21:19, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

And even "The FBI is probing" does not = "The FBI will press charges against." Given the complaints, I suspect that the FBI has probed this, an investigation which likely consisted of an agent in an office looking at the image, doing a little research about its history, saying, "Nope, not child porn," and closing the file. -FisherQueen (talk · contribs) 23:11, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Lets all go run and hide because conservapedias angry, lol, dont like only 3 people edit that site. Realist² ('Come Speak To Me') 06:46, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

All this fuss over Virgin Killer? This world had gone oxymoronic, with all the things that touted to be trustworthy are actually completely untrustworthy. --antilived^{T | C | G} 07:27, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

In this case the Feds would also have to close Amazon first. GoingOnTracks (talk) 08:38, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

platinum

<moved to science desk here[7]> Please undo if doesn't suit. Julia Rossi (talk) 09:43, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Joseph Fritzl's statements

Re the Austrian incest case, it seems unusual to me that a person charged and in prison (especially before trial) can release statements to the public which could influence a jury. I had the impression people had to wait until their court appearance or legal defence spoke on their behalf during a trial. Is this a first? or is this allowed in Austria? Julia Rossi (talk) 09:53, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Checking the Austrian papers / el. media indicates:

The statement you are referring to seems to originate from interviews the legal counsel of Josef F. (his full surname must not be mentioned by the media) has given to a sensationalist tabloid (which, however, is widely read). This lawyer appears to be a rather controversial practitioner, who - inter alia - has publicly speculated on the potential insanity of his client and has demanded psychiatric experts to evaluate his client´s capacity to stand trial.

Your question, presumably, must be rephrased as: "Can a lawyer publicly quote privileged information entrusted to him by a client?" to which I know no answer.

Josef F. has, as yet, not been charged nor is he in prison. As the prime (and hitherto only) suspect in the case he is in police custody (de: Untersuchungshaft / remand) but must be assumed to be innocent (de: Unschuldsvermutung / presumption of innocence) until he is found guilty by a court of justice. This period of custody was prolonged today (11.05.08) by one month, as Josef F. still is a suspect and, if released, may manipulate the evidence or flee the country.

Also bear in mind that any questioning of the victims / witnesses is in the far future, as they must first learn to cope with daylight, with mobility, with wider and open spaces, with humans and, of course, with their own reality. I can not imagine a trial to take place in the intermediate future.

It may be possible that the counsel´s strategy is to prolong such a period, it may be his aim to reach a time when statutes of limitation come into play (they may have done so already) or when the health of the suspect / defendant has deteriorated to make him unfit to stand trial. His statements, almost certainly, serve a legalistic purpose which can only be speculated upon.

--Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 15:52, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

I guess the rules on this are different in every country, Julia. In the U.S., under the First Amendment, both the accused and the police/prosecutors can say whatever they want to the press before, during and after the trial. A thorough jury selection procedure is supposed to weed out potential jurors who have been tainted by pre-trial publicity. If a trial is covered extensively in the media, the judge can order that the jury be sequestered, or kept away from TV and newspapers, during the trial. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 16:34, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

No Western legal system that I know of prohibits public statements by the accused about his case. Also, Austria (like several European nations) may not provide for trial by jury any more. Sandstein (talk) 17:31, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

The last part of the above should probably read "...may not provide for trial by jury." Period. I'm fairly certain that there are jurisdictions where trial by jury has never been used. /Kriko (talk) 20:13, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Also, Austria, as with a number of European countries has a Civil law (legal system) system so even if they do have a jury, it's likely the jury is part of a tribunal including judges and therefore are advised by and discuss the case with judges probably making it far more difficult for the jury to simply ignore the case and be influenced by out of cour statements. And in any case, the standard of evidence allowed to be presented in court is usually a lot lower, for example what would usually be consider hearsay in a Common law system is likely to be allowed to be presented in court but given little bearing, making the issue of out of court statements probably somewhat moot Nil Einne (talk) 21:39, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

How different it all is in Europe... Here in Australia afaik we still have trial by jury served by members of the public. Media figures face charges when they make statements deemed likely to affect due process (I forget the term) and when people are arrested and held over in preparation for trials etc, they seem to be silent. My impression anyway. It's interesting that the defendant through his lawyer can make self serving statements (without evidence even) that from here appear to be part of a strategy to manipulate public opinion among other things. Thanks all for clarifying, Julia Rossi (talk) 22:57, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

It's my impression that, as a general rule, competent defense lawyers will say as little as possible pre-trial (and will certainly not permit their client to release statements), because the downside is just a lot larger than the upside. Or at least they must think so, and they're in a better position to judge that than I am. At most, and fairly rarely, they will say something like "Mr. Doe vigorously affirms his total innocence of all charges, and looks forward to his day in court". --Trovatore (talk) 01:25, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

I need help, sorry.

I don't usually talk to anyone about this sort of stuff, but now I have to, and you're the only people I can think of that could help.

Now, I'm really shy, I find it very difficult to say anything to anyone, even my family. And this has been the cause of one of the biggest problems between me and my girlfriend. She is a bit annoyed that I don't talk much, and is worried because, well it's hard to explain really, but she doesn't see much future in us being together, something like that. I can't be bothered to try to find out her exact words. Anyway, I was sitting and thinking yesterday about this, and about why i am the way I am, and sort of worked out it was mostly due to the way I acted at school, hiding from myself, just getting through each day without really thinking much or bothering to do anything. I was going through a rather rough time back then. I'm past that it now, but can't seem to break the habit of hiding all the time. There was some other stuff too, but that's most of it. Anyway, I am getting better now, and i think it might be largely to do with her influence on me. But our relationship is suffering at the moment, and I'm not sure what'll happen. She blames herself for a lot of what's wrong, but I'm sure I'm much more responsible for our problems. Anyway, that's enough background for now.

All the time I was thinking this I couldn't stop thinking about her either, and afterwards I went and listened to music for some reason i'm still not quite sure of and anyway long story short it affected me a lot and I knew I had to do something to fix the mess we're in. Now, anyone that has been stalking me and memorising everything I say here probably already knows that we live a long way apart and mostly communicate through the internet at the moment, which obviously makes my not talking a little bit less of a problem for now. So, I somehow got the idea that I could record myself singing one of the songs i had listened to and send it to her, along with a message explaining basically everything i've just said here but a bit differently. it made sense at the time. But the main problem that I have is that I don't know if this is a good idea. Is it? what might happen? is there anything else i can do? You know, that sort of stuff.

I also don't know what to sing. I've narrowed it down to probably either 'sorry' by Chris Daughtry or 'temporary insanity' by The Weekend. I think the first one is more relevent to my problem, but the second one, for a few reasons is sort of 'our song'. And i say sorry to her rather a lot and she sometimes seems a bit annoyed that it doesn't mean as much as it should. But I'm not sure 'our song' should be used to make up for something like this, and it doesn't really get my point across. So, any advice on which one I should choose? Or are there any other songs anyone here knows of that are even better?

That's about it, I think. So yea, which song should I choose, will it work, what else is there I could do, just someone help me with this, I don't know what to do.

Yes, I'm aware that this isn't what this site is for, but it's the only place I can think of that might be able to help, and I really need help. I don't have any experience with this sort of thing, I don't even know what quesions to ask you. I'm hoping people reading this might be able to help me with that too.

HS7 (talk) 14:08, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Have you considered writing your own song? Reciting someone else's lyrics may not be the thing, and no matter what the song is it can never say exactly what you want to say (or that would be what I have found). asenine ^{say what?} 17:55, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

I would like to, but I would be absolutely terrible at it. I really fail at writing poems and songs, for some reason :(.HS7 (talk) 18:02, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

It's pretty common, actually universal, to sing someone else's song (or play it for the hearer) to express your feelings. I thought that's what musicians and music is for, best Julia Rossi (talk) 22:44, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Addition: It's nice when someone sends you the lyrics, somehow it gets across in a meaningful way. The song that moved you sounds like it has the right touch. (PS I hope she doesn't want you to be something you're not -- wasn't that who she liked in the first place? Maybe you could ask her about that sometime. ) JR

It looks like I'll be singing 'sorry' then, so if anyone knows where I can find the lyrics for it, it'll make it a lot easier than listening to it over and over again. I'm not trying to change to something I'm not, I'm trying to dig the real me out from under the mess I've made of myself. And hardly being able to talk makes a lot of things really difficult, so it's something I want to change about myself too.HS7 (talk) 19:25, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Well you talked about digging the real you etc... try giving "Dig" by Incubus a chance... listen to the song a search for the lyrics on google... it's pretty neat. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 201.224.139.247 (talk) 03:11, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Radio in the US like BBC channel 4

What is the equivalent of BBC 4 in the US? (I mean a sender that talks about culture). 217.168.0.149 (talk) 14:22, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

National Public Radio. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 16:26, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

What type of bird is this?

I am going to add this picture ([8]) to an article, but I am not sure what exactly the bird is. Any input would be much appreciated. asenine ^{say what?} 15:47, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

I know I have put the title to 'Baby Dove' as of now, but it might not be. asenine ^{say what?} 17:56, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Feel free to close, identified. :) asenine ^{say what?} 18:29, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

So are you going to let us know? Dismas|^(talk) 20:04, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Baby pigeons appear in google images. All those pinfeathers and a pigeon kind of beak... Julia Rossi (talk) 23:11, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Will there ever be peace on earth?

Where humans of all races, boa constrictors and butterflies all frolic together creating energy that generates rainbows, an end to disease, and permanant "we are all one, lets love each other bullsh*t" euphoria?--Dr. Carefree (talk) 16:29, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Honestly, if you think that everyone loving one another is bullshit, why bother asking such a question? But in case you were serious, we unfortunately have no more insight into the future than anyone else, and this isn't the place to go into speculation about such a matter. -- JackofOz (talk) 16:39, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

My crystal ball says: There will be peace on earth. But not while humans are still on it. In the meantime, we might end up with periods of greater stability and wealth than others. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 16:50, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

There would be peace on earth after some interesting events occurs. Too bad no human will able to see it.--Lenticel ^(talk) 00:17, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

There is peace on earth. Just not everywhere. -- Q Chris (talk) 07:19, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

If your definition of 'peace' is a lack of activity, only after you destroy all life on the planet with nukes. Or somehow nudge it into a black hole. etc. Ilikefood (talk) 00:47, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Name all the songs

Moved to Entertainment desk Think outside the box 18:19, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

What is this?

Could someone tell me what this peculiar looking object is? http://img367.imageshack.us/img367/4655/whatisthisrw0.jpg Mr Beans Backside (talk) 17:07, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

I am reliably informed by my civil engineer father that this is a Petrol interceptor. You don't normally see these bad boys above ground. Fribbler (talk) 17:14, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Breach of trust?

Would it be wrong for a parent to plant a GPS tracking device on their 16 year-olds car - without their knowledge - in order to track their whereabouts and driving speed - or would that be considered a breach of trust? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Mr Beans Backside (talk • contribs) 17:10, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

That may be illegal in certain jurisdictions. Seek professional legal advice. Angus Lepper^{(T, C, D)} 17:26, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

As for the ethical portion of the question (which is what I think is really being driven at here, pardon the pun), that's a matter of personal opinion. There are plenty of editorials and articles in the media that may help inform your decision. — Lomn 17:57, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

If you are planning to do that, there is nothing the breach anyway since the trust is non-existent. --antilived^{T | C | G} 06:05, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Yes, it's wrong. A simple test: How would you have liked it if your parent planted a tracking device on your car? Specifically, it is a violation of the right to privacy and interfering with another's property. Not only is it a breach of trust, it's a breach of the Heisenberg uncertainty principle :) --WikiSlasher (talk) 11:06, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

No clothes

If you had absolutely no clothes in the house, what household items would you use to cover yourself so you could go out and get some? (Extra points for creativity) Mr Beans Backside (talk) 17:22, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Wear the sheets off your bed, then you wouldn't need to go out and buy any. Or order them online and have them delivered.HS7 (talk) 18:05, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

I am going to say that I would make a dress out of a spatula and some wooden soup spoons I use for stirring.71.142.222.245 (talk) 19:46, 11 May 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven

My cat.hotclaws 00:07, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

I wouldn't Hotclaws.You might get arrested for showing your pussy in a public place :D Lemon martini (talk) 13:39, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Yow! I need to start my collection of Ref Desk zingers. bibliomaniac15 01:03, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Birth of a calf

Last week I witnessed the birth of a calf. I have seen this many times in my life time but was curious as to just how many have also seen this. So my question is have you seen any animal give birth? Mr Beans Backside (talk) 17:23, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

This isn't a question, it's an attempt at a poll. Some people here might not like it, sorry.

Sorry I'll refine my question; how common is it for humans to witness animals giving birth? Mr Beans Backside (talk) 18:09, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

If you're a farmer, breeder, researcher of various disciplines, owner of an intact female cat that you allow to go outside, etc., it's very common. I doubt very much that any research or surveys have gone into this at all. Dismas|^(talk) 20:01, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Are you only counting mammals? What about a chick hatching? Nil Einne (talk) 21:30, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Well if we throw that in, we can count the several hundred thousand that have seen a chick hatch in the kid's barn at various state fairs. Dismas|^(talk) 21:35, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

More common than answering pointless questions  on here,..hotclaws 00:08, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Yep troll alert. Sandman30s (talk) 14:49, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

living expenses

How much are living expenses if you live cheap in Los Angeles? Mr Beans Backside (talk) 17:27, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

In San Diego which is near to L.A. you would pay about $700 to rent a room,and might have your own bathroom or have to share.Then in SD you would need a car,paying gas/insurance/repair costs/services etc and food plus going out,I was earning $19 an hour in 2005,now in 2008 you would need to make about $22 or more an hour to keep up with the cost of living. Earning $10 an hour does not cut it in SD or L.A. and you will find it hard to live on that salary probably needing to get another job so you would be spending a lot of time in work.Also forget ever being able to own any property with the high prices in L.A. or San Diego.Best of luck! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 170.86.15.15 (talk) 14:59, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Pokerstars account

Can somebody make me a pokerstars account please? It won't let me make one on my computer. The username I want is: aakkqqlol. Make the password: password. You can just make up the biographical info. Thank y'all so much!!!!!--Stolevel (talk) 17:32, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

What to do now (any advice?)

This seems to be the right place to ask all manor of questions, so here goes... I'm sitting at home on my computer and I'm very bored. I playing with the idea of vandalizing Wikipedia, but I'm holding back in the hope that someone can suggest something betting for me to do. Preferably something on the internet. I've had a look around this website and its all a bit highbrow for me, and encyclopedia editing isn't exactly my strong point. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.35.162.18 (talk) 17:40, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Please look at Wikipedia:Community Portal. We need help with lots of stuff, If you want excitement, try doing anti-vandal work. If you are of a calmer disposistion, help with other stuff. If you think you don't know enough to help, you are wrong: you were able to edit this page and ask a coherent question, so you can edit an article to improve it, if only for spelling and grammar. You should create an account if you are going to do much, though. -Arch dude (talk) 20:57, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

You have a computer, internet access and you're bored?hotclaws 00:09, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Etiquette

If you saw a garage sale sign and looked for the sale but couldn't find it, would you take down the sign? This happened to me. I found the house, but nothing was going on so I rang the bell and was informed that sale had been last week. What is the etiquette on this? Mr Beans Backside (talk) 17:42, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Personally, it would depend on where the sign was. If it were placed in a public place I might take it down, whereas if someone has it in their front garden or on their gate it would be ruder to touch it. Daniel (‽) 18:07, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Suicide

While walking in a wooded area that is known for black bears, I wondered why more people who want to commit suicide don't go off into the woods and taunt black bears so they get mauled to death. Did you ever think anything close to this? Mr Beans Backside (talk) 17:44, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

That would be such a sweet way to go. If I ever get suicidal again, I won't race cars on the highway, I'll fight fucking bears!

Cause it would be very painful? Most people want the quick and easy way to get something done.It could work,but it seems like too much effort.Unless of course,you're wearing a pork chop necklace,which could speed the process along ;) Makey melly (talk) 17:49, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Isn't there such a thing as suicide by policeman that's almost the same as this, just with police instead of bears? I'm sure I read about that somewhere.

And there's no bears here, so we can't. And the zoos all have signs saying Don't feed the animals.HS7 (talk) 18:10, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Where do you mean here when you said here? 217.168.0.149 (talk) 18:58, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Mr. B. B. has said before that he's Canadian. And the use of the police for suicidal purposes can be found at suicide by cop, though I've always heard it referred to as "death by cop". Dismas|^(talk) 19:56, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Where did he say that? Who said that there are no bears in Canada? 217.168.0.149 (talk) 22:41, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Somewhere on the Comp. Ref. Desk. Dismas|^(talk) 23:23, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Indeed if you do want to do this at a zoo, may I suggest something like a tiger instead like these guys did? Likely to be faster then with a bear Nil Einne (talk) 22:20, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

It isn't very reliable. Most people go into the woods and never even see a bear. Maybe we should recommend this as a suicide technique; after a week of fresh air, exercise, and change of life that would come with trying to get mauled by a wild bear, many suicidal people might well be feeling much better. -FisherQueen (talk · contribs) 23:25, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Attacking humans, even ones who taunt, is not normal behavior for Black bears -- they usually run away. See American Black Bear#Attacks on humans. Gizzly's are a little different. See Grizzly bear#Attacks on humans. In Grizzly country, the gift shops often sell walking sticks and other items with little bells on them to decrease the chances of surprising a bear. Bear droppings are called scat. Do you know how to tell the difference between Black bear scat and Grizzly bear scat? Grizzly bear scat has little bells in it. WTucker (talk) 23:41, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

You guys might notice that the question isn't really about suicide or bears, but about whether you ever end up thinking about something like that. It's not really a reference desk type of a question. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 23:36, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Nohotclaws 00:11, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

I can only advise against these items with little bells on them. Grizzly bears are able to learn and they tend to associated humans with food. Ringing the bell will just make them salivate. GoingOnTracks (talk) 08:49, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Is this real - Read first BEFORE clicking the link!

I was just searching around the internet for stuff and I found this picture [9] - I warn you, its a bit freaky. Seriously, I can't believe this is natural, he must have had some sort of operation to get that. Or am I wrong? On one hand I feel at bit inadequate if it is real, but on the other is just looks ghastly. Could someone please clarify the situation. Many thanks. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.35.162.18 (talk) 19:11, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

It's fake. If you look at other pics from the series, you'll see that they never show the base of it very well at all. Notice how the pants obscure it in that pic. It's basically just a plastic/rubber/whatever prop that is held in place somehow. That "somehow" is what isn't shown. Dismas|^(talk) 19:54, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

From a Google, the largest penis on record was 13.5 inches long, 6.25 inches around, as measured by Dr. Robert Latou Dickinson. However it doesn't make sense to feel inadequate by this any more then it makes sense to feel inadequate from being shorter then Robert Pershing Wadlow. You may also be interested in human penis size Nil Einne (talk) 21:24, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Avril's New Album

is there any news on when avril lavigne will be releasing a new album? is she working on one now? i can't find anything on google about her upcoming works. Jibbersayer (talk) 20:36, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

I wonder why Avril Lavigne is mentioned here on the RefDesk nearly everyday? :-) 89.236.214.174 (talk) 07:33, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

I think right now she is touring - although she has lost her voice - hope it gets better soon! I don't think she is working on an album right now, but you never know she might scribble down a few songs while on the road. I can't wait! xxx User:Hyper Girl 08:56, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

This question should be moved to the Entertainment desk. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 17:18, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Style changes

I didn't really like Avril Lavigne's preppy look, but I didn't know why she suddenly went from skater chick to totally preppy. My friend (who loves Avril) didn't know why Avril suddenly made the change to preppy. Does anyone know? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Jibbersayer (talk • contribs) 20:38, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

I do, but if I told you, I'd have to kill you. hotclaws 00:12, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

You think that's drastic? Charlotte Church used to sing opera! People change, get over it. --antilived^{T | C | G} 06:00, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Avril's style changed because she is happy. Nobody seems to understand that. People call her a "poser", but she is happy now and why can't people see that? When she started dating Deryck Whibley she started acting more preppy because her marriage made her happy, yet nobody understands that, and they are all hating her for being happy. No offense to the asker, but why can't you just leave her alone to be happy? xxx User:Hyper Girl 08:52, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

She's a pop star. Her image is carefully manicured to whatever her and her handlers think is going to sell more records and t-shirts. Holding out for something like "authenticity" with a pop star marketed towards teens and pre-teens is rather silly. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 15:12, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

This question should be moved to the Entertainment desk. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 17:18, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Longest wikipedia article

I know you've probably been asked this a million times already, can you answer it?. Someone should post it somewhere or create an article about it. The Vandal Warrior (talk) 20:46, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

But is it notable? Mr Beans Backside (talk) 20:53, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

I don't think it merits its own article, but if you just want to know which article is the longest, Special:Longpages sounds like what you're looking for. Most of the longer ones are lists, but there are some articles there as well. AlexiusHoratius (talk) 20:55, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Thanks! The Vandal Warrior (talk) 21:00, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Bear in mind readable prose is usually considered a better measure of article length nowadays then pure byte size Nil Einne (talk) 21:12, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Yes, that page is very long but has no prose. User:Yetmotega/1 Yetmotega (talk) 21:54, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

I think London has the largest amount of prose. The Vandal Warrior (talk) 21:57, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

It looks like Critical philosophy might be the largest article that isn't a list (from a quick scan of LongPages). I don't know how much that Bibliography is inflating the figure, though, and it needs a whole lot of cleanup. Confusing Manifestation(Say hi!) 04:41, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

I found that Hillary Clinton's Presidential campaign was the biggest non-list article. That's a shame, having a little thing like that at the top. When this was asked a few months ago it was the Second World War that was longest, but that apparently seems to have mysteriously shrunk rather a lot since then. And there is the rather odd case of one article apparently much longer than any other even though it looks tiny, so i'm not sure what's going on there.HS7 (talk) 18:25, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Goatse

Does anyone know how Mr yopyopyop got hold of a code for this act of vandalism? Not that I'm planning on doing so, I find it repulsive. The Vandal Warrior (talk) 20:55, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Presemuably using a program like this [10] Nil Einne (talk) 21:08, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

I tried it out and it works. It lags your computer really bad. I had to alt+F4 it. The Vandal Warrior (talk) 21:27, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Doesn't seem to cause problems for me. What image are you using? Perhaps it's your browser? For reference I'm using IE7. It wouldn't surprise me if IE6 for example doesn't handle it well at all Nil Einne (talk) 22:13, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

[11], I'm using Internet Explorer 7 too. The Vandal Warrior (talk) 22:27, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Seems fine for me using Safari 3.1. Dismas|^(talk) 23:21, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

I just wish it wasn't so fine with Firefox 2.0.0.14!! :-) Fribbler (talk) 00:07, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Racism

Why doesn't Wikipedia have a policy on racism? Either that or I haven't found one. The Vandal Warrior (talk) 22:12, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Why do we need one? WP:NPA and WP:Civility covers every single problem that would arise from racism that I can think of. Nil Einne (talk) 22:14, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Because racism is a ridiculously ambiguous issue.--WaltCip (talk) 14:41, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Well, it's not too ambiguous for many countries to have laws outlawing vilification or inappropriate discrimination on racial grounds. But Nil Einne is right - those 2 policies cover it so we don't need a further policy. -- JackofOz (talk) 23:57, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Wikipedia is supportive of all races. ···日本穣^{? · Talk to Nihonjoe} 04:08, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

May 12

Getting to Greenbelt, Md., on a Sunday

Is there any way to get from Baltimore to the Old Greenbelt section of Greenbelt, Maryland on a Sunday using public transportation without going all the way into DC and backtracking? There are several buses that go from New Carrollton to Greenbelt but none of them seem to run on Sundays. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 00:06, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

I've only been in that area once, and I always rode the subway, "Greenline to Greenbelt" was what came over the intercom and that's what I rode. But that's not going to help. Sorry. Useight (talk) 06:44, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

See our articles Metrorail (Washington, D.C.), Green Line (Washington Metro), and Greenbelt (Washington Metro).

Atlant (talk) 16:11, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

I don't think you guys read the question. I'm asking how to get from Baltimore to Greenbelt without going into DC and backtracking. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 03:08, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Since MARC covers that route on weekdays, maybe their information line would know if there's a company that does it on Sundays without needing to change vehicles.

But I just googled on "Baltimore", "Greenbelt", and "bus", and this was the first hit, and it tells me that you can get from Baltimore to Greenbelt with one change of vehicle, not counting any travel you may need to do within each city. Start by riding the Baltimore light rail system to BWI Airport station, and then at that station you can get the WMATA route B30 "BWI Express" bus direct to Greenbelt WMATA (Washington Metro) station. It says the B30 runs every 40 minutes, 7 days a week. I don't know how near the Greenbelt station may be to Old Greenbelt, though. --Anonymous, 22:44 UTC, edited 22:48, May 13, 2008.

And here's a schedule for the B30 showing where the stops are. --Anon, 23:14 UTC, May 13.

Thanks! -- Mwalcoff (talk) 02:52, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

Coleman Propane Bottles

When opening those propane bottles for the first time for use in a lantern for example how is it possible to make sure the gas stays in the bottle as you connect it to the pipes where it flows through to the lantern. Does the gas stay in the bottle because it is compressed or is there some trick to it. I am a first time propane lantern user so thats why i am asking. One other thing i would like to ask is if propane is cheap to buy. I was amazed a few days ago to get it at $2.00 a bottle.--logger (talk) 02:59, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Tell me about it. Damn shit costs ME nearly $4.00 US. See below WHO Sean Hannity and others blame for the economic fiasco. Damn near shocked the hell out of me.205.240.146.247 (talk) 04:13, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

A small amount of gas will escape as you make the first connection but it is not enough to be a problem. Just screw it on tight and it won't leak any further. Rmhermen (talk) 05:16, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

What works is fine with me i just want to be sure that i am not wasting that gas. indeed the price of it is high but is that not the normal price for propane?--68.54.131.156 (talk) 10:08, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Can any of these be used?

• www.efuel100.com
• www.microfueler.con

• • These are suspected as being part of a scam.

Also on Hannity's America, on 5-11-08, Sean Hannity has actually blamed the Environmentalists AND their leader Al Gore as to WHY food and fuel prices have spiked, yes spiked in two years straight, shown him on a smoke belching jet while HE has the gall and insolence to preach to people about (now debunked, according to Sean Hannity, who listed several scientists who said Global Warming is BS) Global Warming and telling people to quit living like decent people, that people should barely exist like people do in the Third World, worse, and I mean worse. Just had a Goregasm. I have also heard other conservations that the Environmental movement is designed to destroy the US, and that, as Rushie would say, "Eco Whackos" do NOT protest other nations, such as China, or they'd end up being shot, imprisoned as being insurrectionists, rebels in a rebellion. One bit of evidence is that "Earth Day" is on a communist "holiday". I've also heard that, worse from Mark Le Vine(conservative), Michael Savage, others of that ilk. Again, can any of this be used at all? 205.240.146.247 (talk) 03:12, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

I often "eat out" at two truck stops. You'll be amazed WHAT truckers, other travellers discuss. Some of them have 'net access AND HUGE TVs, often tuned into conservative stations. 205.240.146.247 (talk) 03:24, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Since the only question in that whole soapbox rant is "Can any of this be used at all?", I have a couple questions of my own... What are we supposed to use out of all that and where/what are you asking about using it in? Are you asking whether ethanol fuel can be used in cars? Dismas|^(talk) 05:18, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Any verifiable information can be used in articles you may care to edit, however in my experience talk show hosts are long on opinion and very, very short of references to back up their spiels Mhicaoidh (talk) 09:02, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

I hope you are aware that your question is impossible to respond to simply because of the way you worded the messages. In fact, if anything, you are setting up a strawman.--WaltCip (talk) 14:40, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Wikipedia is not a soapbox. Corvus cornix_talk 16:35, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

South-East Asian politician who went missing in Sydney in the 1960s

I asked this question a long time ago but nobody had any idea. It still bugs me, so maybe someone's come along since then who knows what I'm talking about. It's about a politician (possibly the Foreign Minister or even the Prime Minister) from a country in South-East Asia. He came to Australia on government business and received all the usual welcomes and media attention. Then, after his last official duty in Sydney, he went missing. He was due to board a plane to go back home but he didn't turn up. The security and police forces went into overdrive, but couldn't find him. The whole country was talking about it. Then, about 3 or 4 days later, he turned up safe and well. He apologised for the trouble he'd caused but explained that he'd been exhausted or something like that, and just needed some time out away from his minders and his unrelenting schedule. He'd found some friendly nationals from his country in Sydney and had been hiding out with them. Then he went back home and life returned to normal. Does anyone remember who this guy was? I keep thinking he was from Malaysia or Singapore, but that may be my mind playing tricks. I'm almost certain it wasn't Lee Kuan Yew. This happened around about 1964, give or take a couple of years, to the best of my memory. -- JackofOz (talk) 06:03, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

If your question continues to draw blanks here, you might want to try the "humanities" desk. Alternatively try a couple of portals. --Lisa4edit (talk) 21:22, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Sorry Jack, that was 5 years before my lengthy sabbatical in Sydney. Apart from browsing through the back copies of the SMH / Age / Australian / Nation Review (oops, too late), if not scanned than at least on very small fish, I can´t think of a good source.

I can give you the email address of an old friend from Sydney (now living in Katoomba) who may remember, if you want (please leave a message on my user page). --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 00:00, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Could you be thinking of Harold Holt? --Blue387 (talk) 04:36, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

Thanks for the suggestion, Blue387, but definitely not. This guy was ethnically Asian. Holt is still missing and probably became shark food 40 years ago. -- JackofOz (talk) 07:26, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

girl problem

Once during a singing competition my voice went horrendous and led to a lot of embarassment.But I noticed a girl in the audience and she was smiling at me constantly.I dont know why.Whenever I come across her she throws a glance or a slight smile at me and this continued for a couple of months and she stopped doing so.Please tell me what is she thinking about me.Now I cant ask this to her as this will lead to another bout of embarassment. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 218.248.2.51 (talk) 07:32, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

There's no way anyone for anyone to tell you what she was thinking. However, generally speaking, when someone looks at you and smiles at you, do you think it's because she a) likes you and/or is interested in you, or b) hates you and/or doesn't want anything to do with you? Maybe she was just being friendly, or maybe she wanted to jump your bones, who knows? But it sounds like that ship's sailed -- perhaps because you didn't react at all. Or perhaps because she just lost interest. Or perhaps you stopped wearing a funny-looking shirt. Who knows? You could always ask her. Or ask her out for a cup of coffee and see if that smile comes back. That oughta tell you something. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 08:19, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Isn't this the classical situation where one seeks to be "fixed up"? That is, you ask your friends "So who knows what's-her-name or what's her-name's friends?" and they then pass messages back and forth until you find out what what's-her-name's level of interest is? Alternatively, you could try the direct approach and just say "Hi!" the next time you happen upon her. I don't know how old you are, but as I got older, I saw more and more value in the simple, direct, un-mediated approach ;-).

Atlant (talk) 16:09, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

I'm sure if she was paying that much attention to you she was interested. But, it seems as though she may think you're not interested, and may have decided to move on, or wait for you to approach her, or at least show some interest in return. A great deal of girls aren't comfortable with approaching a guy, and so we smile, laugh at dumb jokes, and do what we think will give you guys a hint. Perhaps you should try to approach her, it might still work. SunshineStateOfMind (talk) 16:26, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Age of consent

Can you get arrested for dating a girl who states she is 21 on an ADULT dating site if she lies about her age???? and you find she is 13, pregnant and you are the father? Swan's swimming song (talk) 09:08, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

There are rumors that NBC TV News 'DATLINE - To Catch a Preditor', ran a series on this very subject for several years, however, that cannot be comfirmed. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.225.133.60 (talk) 09:46, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

So, let get this straight... girl says she's 21, you have sex with her without using a condom, get her pregnant and then find out she's only 13? And through all this, you didn't suspect she was 8 years younger than you thought? Well you've been pretty damn foolish, haven't you. The fact she lied about her age is irrelevant; having sex with a minor is a very serious offence in most (all?) countries. I suggest you get yourself a lawyer. Astronaut (talk) 10:13, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

The example is pretty ridiculous in that I find it extremely unlikely that anyone with half a brain could honestly mistake a 13-year old for a 21-year old. But here in Finland, for example, the age of consent is 16, as it appears to be in most US states, so one could conceivably end up in bed with a fifteen-year old and think that she's, oh, eighteen, for example. Sure, if someone seems really young, it'd be smart to ask to see some ID, but even so, we're hardly talking about actually sexually assaulting the minor here if the if the age difference is negligible and act is consensual, regardless what the law says. (And I'm not saying it's a bad law, either, I should probably stress, just that there's a world difference between actual sexual assault and mismatched ages, even if the law (purposefully) declines to take that into account.) It should probably also be pointed out that many jurisdictions raise to the age of consent in situations where the older person is in a position of authority. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 15:35, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Actually many jurisdictions (but apparently not Finland, at least our article doesn't mention any) have additional closeness of age exemptions when the two people are of a close age. Even if not in law, these are sometimes de facto, for example here in NZ it's very rare for the police to prosecute if the age difference is less then 2 years. Of course relying on the police is not the best idea (there was an attempt to formalise it but it was abandoned after a public outcry). Note that one of the reasons why the law often doesn't take into account the difference between sexual assault and 'mismatched ages' is because it's not always far from clear cut. Sure a 18 year old having sex with his/her 15 year old boyfriend/girlfriend is different from a someone who brutally rapes and sodomises a 1 year old toddler. But what about a 60 year old who has sex with his/her mentally disabled 8 year boy/girlfriend who consented to the act and didn't complain about it afterwards because he/she loved the guy/girl? How does this compare to someone who was drunk and had sex with a guy/girl who was drunk who said no several times but was too drunk to actually stop it? To me both of these are wrong but from a simplistic POV the first one is simply 'mismatched ages'. In other words, the boundary is often far from clear cut since there is a large grey area. But laws by their nature tend to be black and white. Note however just because laws are black and white doesn't mean their enforcment is. In most countries the sentence a court hands out is at least partially proportional to the perceived severity of the act Nil Einne (talk) 16:49, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

It's a similar case in the US, from what I understand, Nil. Some states have what they call "Romeo and Juliet" laws that allow for people who are just above the age of consent to have sex with those just below the age of consent. I know of someone who was caught in one of those Dateline-style stings where a cop posed as a 15-year-old girl online, but they dropped the charges when they realized he was just a lonely 20-year-old college student and not a 40-year-old pedophile. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 03:13, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

lol This is not a real situation, just so you know. I think some people were taking it a bit too seriously :) It was a what if question. Thank you for answering. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Swan's swimming song (talk • contribs) 17:52, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Awkward situation

Me and my best friend were playing when he started poking me, so I sat on him to pin him and me and his brother tickled him. He got hard but I didn't say anything. Did I arouse him? Is he gay? He's my best friend so no mater what I would love him. Sticky end (talk) 09:11, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

By tickling him, you might have hit upon some erogenous zone that caused the erection reaction. It's very possible that it was a subconscious reaction. And no, that isn't a surefire test of whether he is gay or not. Dismas|^(talk) 09:55, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Also, if you happen to be teenagers, the erection might not mean anything more than that he's developing along the same as anyone else. Teenagers get hard-ons all the time, often for no reason at all. That's puberty and hormones for you. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 15:23, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

It could also be what's known in high society circles as a "piss hard-on". When you really have to pee, the stimulation and pressure can initiate or help maintain an erection. Getting tickled can promote the feeling of needing to pee, which could start the cycle. And, as mentioned above, it don't take a whole lot to get a teenager hard anyway. Matt Deres (talk) 15:01, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Evan Taubenfeld

Is Evan Taubenfeld the guy the plays the boyfriend on Avril Lavigne's video 'Girlfriend'? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Table top dancer (talk • contribs) 09:13, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

He is according to our article but there isn't a source given for that information. Dismas|^(talk) 09:53, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

No. Evan appeared in the video but the boyfriend is played by Bryan McMullin. xxx User:Hyper Girl 10:01, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

IT-industry

what is the technical progress IT-industry or IT-sectors has done in last 20-25 years?

See List of basic technology topics. That should give you a start for what seems to be a homework question. Dismas|^(talk) 09:58, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Wolves

How did the popular belief that wolves howl at the moon develop? What is its origin? Mr Beans Backside (talk) 10:14, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Perhaps because when a wolf howls, it points its nose upwards. At night, it can appear to be looking at the moon. Astronaut (talk) 11:02, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

I always though it had more of a literature meaning to it. I thought that werewolves because they were born by the moon made people think that werewolves howled at the moon. Either that or maybe it was the mysteriousness of the wolf. The wolf was considered a dangerous creature a pest of livestock. The wolf and the moon were just two mysteries and you put them together. But that is to poetic.

Always

Cardinal Raven

Cardinal Raven (talk) 15:01, 12 May 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven

Instead of uninformed speculation (i.e. guesswork), please could we have at least the guesses of experts. Here is what a wolf scientist has to say: "Popular imagination has long held that they also howl at the moon, but there is no evidence that this is so. Wolves may be more active on moonlit nights, when they can see better, or we may hear them more often on such nights, because we feel more comfortable tramping about in the light of a full moon, but a wolf howling at the moon would be wasting its breath." Fred H. Harrington, Professor of Ethology, Mount Saint Vincent University, Nova Scotia. Found on PBS site here. BrainyBabe (talk) 16:15, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

In the above quotation, Prof. Harrington says "wolves may..." and "we may...". This may be informed speculation coming from an ethologist, but it is still speculation of an academic of Nova Scotia where wolves have become extinct.

A website containing an article of the late Prof. Harrington on howling (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/wolves/howl.html) shows five pictures of howling wolves, each of them throwing back the head and howling towards the direction of the sky.

The answer of Astronaut, therefore, seems fairly accurate. --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 18:04, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Avril Lavigne the geek?

Does Avril Lavigne play both her and geeky girl in her video 'girlfriend'? if not who plays the geeky 1? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Table top dancer (talk • contribs) 10:21, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

The name Avril shows up 23, well 24, times on this page. Is there medical advice available on how to cope with this overdose of entertainment oriented drivel, erm, personalities of global importance? --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 11:07, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

lol Some of the Ref Deskers seem to be suffering from acute Avril overdose syndrome! I personally think we should have a whole Avril Desk ;) As for the question, Avril does play both the rock chick and the geeky girl. They used split screen photography to do that. xxx User:Hyper Girl 11:15, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

And in the process endorsed bullying and stealing somebody else's boyfriend if you think you're better than the other girl. Wonderful message to send to your fans huh Avril? Exxolon (talk) 22:12, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

This question should be banished moved to the Entertainment desk. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 17:18, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

What is this phone?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Ph6mo7KONyg

What is the name of the mobile phone used in the The Click Five's music video for "Jenny" at 00:41 and 02:16? --Candy-Panda (talk) 11:12, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Looks like a type of Palm (PDA). User:Krator (t c) 12:40, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Actually, from [12] it appears to be a "Nokia 5310 XpressMusic". User:Krator (t c) 12:44, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Maps

What is an easting on a map? Do I need to find the meridian first to work it out? Mr Beans Backside (talk) 11:37, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

There is an entry entitled cryptically Easting and northing. There is also some stuff on westing but nothing on southing. --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 14:41, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Maps (part II)

Do the hash marks on the inside of closed contour lines indicate decreasing elevation of a basin or a mountain on a topographic map? Mr Beans Backside (talk) 11:37, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Yes, they do on any topographic map that I have used. - Eron^Talk 15:28, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

So which does it mean, decreasing elevation of a basin or a mountain? Mr Beans Backside (talk) 17:54, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Obviously it depends on which side of the surface of this planet you live on. For folks from Down Under Mt. Everest is just an enormous hole. Sir Edmund Hillary just rolled down the slope and then crawled trough a little gap. --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 19:23, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

I don't understand. When I look at the map there are several concentric red circles. How do I tell if these are indicating a rising feature, such as a mountain, or a lowering feature such as a valley? Mr Beans Backside (talk) 19:28, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Usually from context. Most maps additionally will note particular contour lines (say, for instance, every 500m line would be labeled) and many peak or trough elevations. — Lomn 19:49, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

You might find the article Topographic map useful, especially the section "Map conventions". Pfly (talk) 23:16, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Yet another Avril question

Is Avril Lavigne an atheist? 89.236.214.174 (talk) 11:50, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

No, Christian. All I did was Google "Is Avril Lavigne a Christian?". Why not try Google yourself for all these Avril Lavigne questions - you'll get a faster (immediate) answer. Neıl ☎ 11:56, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Is wikipedia being co-opted by the AvLav fan club? Friendly, but so... *yawn* 12:01, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

This question should be moved to the Entertainment desk. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 17:19, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

What Age did Avril Lavigne start singing

At what age did Avril Lavigne begin singing non-professionally? Ie before she became famous? 195.194.74.154 (talk) 12:26, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

I don't think you can really put an age on that. People begin singing whenever and nobody is usually around to record exactly when. But according to this "she started singing when she was around 12", whereas this puts it at 14. And this says she was 2 when “she accompanied her mother in the church choir.” xxx User:Hyper Girl 12:35, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

The vital question here is...did Avril Lavigne ever do anything illegal whilst wearing a mask(with or without Tim Cahill?) :) Lemon martini (talk) 13:38, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

You really did make my day, Mr. Lemon. Don't forget the gulls. 206.252.74.48 (talk) 18:37, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

This question should be moved to the Entertainment desk. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 17:19, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Avril the Chef

Six degrees of Avril to Raekwon - anyone?

Cardinal Raven (talk) 15:02, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

OK, the Avril trolling ends, now. Any more Avril edits to this page will be removed. Corvus cornix_talk 16:40, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

I have no idea what this question even means. Zain Ebrahim (talk) 17:49, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Zain, see Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon. Corvus cornix_talk 18:35, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Thanks, I see now. I'm sure you can understand my confusion, though. Zain Ebrahim (talk) 19:13, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

I think that's a bit harsh, Are you saying no one can EVER ask a question about Avril Lavigne ever again? I think your going to have trouble enforcing that rule because she is famous and as a result will attract a certain amount of attention. And for that matter will people who answer questions already been posted be punished? I've just come out of a long conversation to get unblocked because my school vandalized a page. If I were to answer this would I be blocked again. I don't wish to take that risk.

In the first place, questions concerning Avril Lavigne should go to the Entertainment desk, not to the Miscellaneous desk. Secondly, the unhealthy obsession here is clearly trolling. Corvus cornix_talk 18:35, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Avril's "I'm with you" music video was directed by David LaChapelle who directed Amy Winehouse's "Tears Dry on Their Own" video who make "You Know I'm No Good" with Ghostface Killah. From there the connection is trivial.--droptone (talk) 18:51, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Also she performed a cover of Green Day's "Basket Case" who contributed a song to the Godzilla (1998 film) soundtrack to which Rage Against the Machine also contributed, and Rage made a song with the Wu-Tang Clan to which Raekwon belongs to.--droptone (talk) 19:00, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

I don't see how this can be called trolling? My understanding was that trolling is one user asking disruptive questions like "I'm gay what should I do?". These Avril questions appear to be coming from different IP address from all over the world (I checked an IP location website) and one from Cardinal Raven, a well know poster. In Avril in the news or something, as I think that would account more for these questions. Makey melly (talk) 18:57, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

And who died and made Corvus cornix lord and ruler of reference desk? Lighten the fuck up. --Endless Dan 19:56, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Follow up: Six degrees of Avril to Kevin Bacon... AHHH! --Endless Dan 19:56, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Avril --> Mathew Broderick (Godzilla - see above)

MB --> Jim Carrey (Cable Guy)

JC --> Jennifer Aniston (Bruce Almighty)

JA --> Brad Pitt (Marriage)

Brad Pitt --> Kevin Bacon (Sleepers)

Zain Ebrahim (talk) 22:18, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Cardinal Raven is being ironic as you can tell. Tim Cahill is famous too, but the welter is the indicator(see the Tim Cahill threads if you can be bothered) and as per above appears to be a neat way of getting her more notice than usual. I'm waiting for, what is Avril Lavigne's IQ, shoe size, longest/shortest video, ... ? No-one own's the page desk as such, but there are guidelines CC invokes if the desk/s are being pwned by AvLav's fans. Can these questions be asked at her official fan site? Julia Rossi (talk) 23:51, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

PS, That;s my comment to endless Dan, but this question was interesting btw. JR

I got a kick out of the Avril questions. They were all light hearted and I think if anyone is offended by the questions, they can ignore them. No harm, no foul. And yes these questions probably could be asked at her website, but that would involve registering for an account which would result in spam. Also, I actually don't have access to the internet (outside of Wikipedia... don't ask).

FYI - I actually started this topic. I have no idea how Cardinal is credited with asking the question.--Endless Dan 12:37, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

What to call this addiction?

What is the name of the addiction where someone likes to make themselves into other people because they like to tell a story? An example of what I am trying to ask is: On an online forum that I was on, a long time ago, someone made over 50 accounts and each account they claimed they were different people. The person who made 50 accounts had different genders and different stories. Well I live in California and I am girl for one account and then another I live in Maine and I am an it. When the administrator finally found out they ask the person to explain themselves. They said they liked making people and making stories for people. So, what is this addiction called?

Thank You

Always

Cardinal Raven

Cardinal Raven (talk) 13:19, 12 May 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven

Imagination / creativity / escapism / bipolar disorder. See also Shakespeare and a few more entries on literature and art. --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 14:17, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Thank you very much. I have read these articles you have provided me.Cardinal Raven (talk) 15:02, 12 May 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven

I'd call that boredom, and not an addiction since they had no negative consequences. Mad031683 (talk) 16:09, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Well I didn't want to put a long story. But they said that they were addicted to telling stories, and creating. They love to create and cannot stop the urge the cretae. They said that it drives them mad, but they needed to create. So is it still boredom, even in that case.

Always

Cardinal Raven

Cardinal Raven (talk) 17:15, 12 May 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven

If creation is boredom, then there are are a few people out there who believe that seven days ennui (give or take a Shabbath) is more divine than having one big bang. --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 17:37, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Something to do with Walter Mitty perhaps? Adam Bishop (talk) 21:08, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Mythomania? --LarryMac | Talk 12:42, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

average GPA's of universities

What publication provides the average GPA's and standard deviation of various universities by major, class, course or other groupings? -- Taxa (talk) 14:33, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

I don't know if anyone does it, at least for the world (which I assume you mean since you didn't specify any specific country) since it doesn't have much use as GPAs are something completely internal to a university, a high GPA may simply mean the university is incredibly generous with their assessement and it likely varies significantly from country to country what a certain GPA means. Nil Einne (talk) 16:20, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Countries using GPAs to figure out their Numerus clausus sometimes publish comparisons. --Lisa4edit (talk) 21:09, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

• The reason for asking is that in the US it is sometimes necessary to compare scores that come from different distributions. For you may need to provide rankings of job applicants based on their GPAs. The applicants all come from different colleges and universities. Some of the applicants come from universities where the grading is very tough, there are a lot of flunk out courses, and its really hard to get an A in any course. Many other applicants come from universities where grade inflation is rampant, almost everyone in every class gets a B and about half of the students in every class get an A. Obviously given a situation like this, you can not rely upon an applicant's GPAs when deciding how to rank them. A student from the first type of university with a 3 point GPA is above average, a student from the second type of university with a 3 point GPA is probably below average. There is a statistical method to deal with this problem but it requires knowing each university's average GPA and standard deviation to use as a yardstick. If you know the mean GPA at each university and you know the standard deviation of the GPAs at each university then you can provide each applicant with an adjusted score, which will indicate the standard deviations above or below the mean on the same scale. -- Taxa (talk) 22:21, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Just a point, but "average GPA" is an example of RAS syndrome. -mattbuck (Talk) 22:38, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

It might appear that way if the last thing on your mind was RAS syndrome. However, "average GPA's" refers to GPA's from different institutions which are not based on the same scale, requiring the GPA's themselves from different institutions to be averaged and standard deviated so as to provide the required information to perform the intended task, i.e., elimination of the differences in scale between the various institutions. An average of a bunch of averages, if you will. -- Taxa (talk) 00:04, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Mountains

Is it true that something has to be at least 1000m tall to be a mountain? 82.33.114.90 (talk) 15:24, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

The article on Mountains suggests that it is not true - see the definitions section. What is called a mountain varies by jurisdiction and there are few areas where it is strictly defined. For the most part, it seems to be determined relative to the surrounding terrain. - Eron^Talk 15:27, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain suggests that 1,000 feet was once the threshold at least in the UK. This is a fictionalized tale of the real Garth Hill in Pentyrch in South Wales.

Atlant (talk) 16:26, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

This height restriction does not translate to other languages. For example: many German "Berg" (mountain) features are way lower. The Spanish wiki seems to currently discuss their definition of montaña. Eron's second definition would apply, though. --Lisa4edit (talk) 21:04, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

There's no authority that has the power to enforce a definition like this, at least in the English speaking world. Pfly (talk) 23:26, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

That's not quite true. For instance, the U.S. Board on Geographic Names standardizes names in the U.S. and Antarctica. Rmhermen (talk) 00:04, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Sorry, I meant to write a longer answer, but had to rush off. The US BGN has the power to set official names for the federal government, but not for the people in general. Of course if federal agencies like the USGS adopt a name change and it is published on things like the USGS topographic maps, people might go along with it. But they might not. In the late 1800s the BGN tried to effect some sweeping (though still rather minor) standardizations for place names in the US. One of their standards was that towns and cities whose name ended in -burgh should be changed to -burg. A lot of towns went along with this, but Pittsburgh did not. There was a battle of sorts between the BGN and Pittsburgh, and in the end, Pittsburgh won. There's info about this at Name of Pittsburgh. Since then the BGN has not tried to enforce any kind of sweeping standardizations like this. They certainly wouldn't try to rename all "mountains" that were less than some elevation to be "hills". There is a similar agency in the UK with similar powers. But in both cases their power is limited by the willingness of the people to accept their rulings. I can't imagine the people in the US or UK would accept a sweeping change of places names based on some arbitrary definition of how high a mountain must be to be allowed the name "mountain". That's more of what I was trying to get at -- in theory the BNG has the power to enforce name changes, although their authority really only pertains to the federal government. In practice their power is quite limited and far from being able to do something like renaming hills and mountains to some standard. The same is true for the use of "river" and "creek" in place names. Sometimes you hear that there is some standard a stream must have in order to be called a river (eg, must be navigable). But in truth there are plenty of rivers that are tiny, and creeks that are huge. There are even rivers and are tributaries of creeks. Likewise there are some very small mountains and some very big hills. Definitions of mountain, hill, river, and creek, are necessary descriptive and not prescriptive, if that makes sense. Pfly (talk) 04:52, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Of course, if you try to please everyone, you end up with the Stoneycreek River. -- Coneslayer (talk) 12:51, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Breeds of dog

Why are different breeds of dogs all considered the same species? Mr Beans Backside (talk) 18:09, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Welcome to Wikipedia. You can easily look up this topic yourself. Please see species. For future questions, try using the search box at the top left of the screen. It's much quicker, and you will probably find a clearer answer. If you still don't understand, add a further question below by clicking the "edit" button to the right of your question title. --Shantavira|^{feed me} 18:29, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Breed is not in the "hierarchy of scientific classification". That is a very long article to read, and most of it doesn't relate to dogs. Well, obviously it relates to dogs in that dogs are a species, but not directly relating to the specific question. Should I ask my question on the species talk page? Mr Beans Backside (talk) 18:42, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Nah. It's easy enough: they're considered the same species because they are the same species. As is the wolf. They're completely interfertile -- a Great Dane and a chihuahua could interbreed, though it might be dangerous or amusing. --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 18:46, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

So a wolf and a poodle could interbreed, forgetting of course the wolf would probably eat the poodle. That makes me think; would a wolf eating a poodle be considered cannibalism? Mr Beans Backside (talk) 18:50, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Right, and yes. Got any poodles in mind? --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 18:52, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

This, from dog, is interesting: A dog is "Canis lupus familiaris. The species was originally classified as Canis familiaris and "Canis familiarus domesticus" by Linnaeus in 1758 [3]. In 1993, dogs were reclassified as a subspecies of the gray wolf, Canis lupus, by the Smithsonian Institution and the American Society of Mammalogists. "Mhicaoidh (talk) 00:24, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

Cell phone

Why does my cell phone make screechy noises when I place it near my computer? Mr Beans Backside (talk) 18:10, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

I'm no expert, but I was drawn to this: Electromagnetic interference. Fribbler (talk) 18:18, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

That is almost certainly the correct answer. Modern computers, well-shielded though they may be, emit enough energy at appropriate frequencies that they overwhelm the very weak radio signals that the cell phone is trying to receive. I have a chart (provenance unknown, sorry) that suggests that a typical wireless signal is received at power levels of 10 to 1000 picowatts; close to the computer, the various clock signals from the PC are radiating at much higher power levels.

Atlant (talk) 19:15, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

I once put my mobile on top of my laptop, that was the end of the phone!--Artjo (talk) 06:18, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Cell phone underwater

What is the maximal underwater depth at which a mobile phone can work (i.e. someone can chat using it with those who are above water, on the land)? Ignore that the phone does not work in the water, it is supposed that it is isolated (maybe in a glass container). I came up to this question when my lil brother asked: "do cellphones work in submarines?" 89.146.66.209 (talk) 18:36, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

I don't have a specific answer, but I'd say "not a lot." If you look at the Communications section of our submarine article, you'll see that radio communication is commonly done with VLF radio, and that only works when the sub is at the surface or just a little below; ELF can be used to penetrate deeper, but then the bandwidth is quite limited. VLF is in the range of 3 kHz to 30 kHz, while cellular frequencies are more like 800 mHz; those higher frequency waves won't penetrate the water very well at all. --LarryMac | Talk 18:50, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Cellphones don't work in submarines for several reasons: 1) The submarine's steel hull forms a very effective Faraday cage. 2) The sea water doesn't propagate high-frequency radio waves very well, so even a very little depth of water forms very effective shielding. 3) And in many environments, the MPs (or equivalents) will probably shoot you if they catch you operating an uncleared cell-phone.

Atlant (talk) 19:09, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

In the San Francisco Bay area, there's a subway that goes under the San Francisco Bay. I was talking on my cell phone when we entered the tunnel. My connection only lasted maybe 10 more seconds. That's the best answer I can give you. Useight (talk) 23:45, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

That's why many tunnels/underground railways have cellphone/radio repeters. 118.90.102.125 (talk) 11:53, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

The skin depth for a 1 GHz signal in seawater is roughly 1 centimeter (about half an inch). At five times that depth (5 cm, 2 inches) more than 99% of the signal will be attenuated. As others have already noted, high-frequency radio waves penetrate seawater very poorly indeed. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 12:12, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Animal stripes

<moved to science desk here[13]>

Trisection

Is it possible to trisect a length of rope by eye and hand alone? Bisecting it is easy enough - grab both ends, pull the middle as far as it can go, and cut it at its furthest end. But how to trisect it without actually measuring the exact lengths? JIP | Talk 19:32, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Make 2 bends in the rope instead of one and line up the sections. That will give three equal lenghts of rope. If you catch my drift? I find it hard to explain. Fribbler (talk) 19:38, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Depending on the thickness of the rope, exceptionally sharp vision or a supreme degree of skill in karate chops would be required. --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 20:44, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Bookmarks

When reading, do most people use bookmarks or just dog-ear the pages? Which is most common? Mr Beans Backside (talk) 19:35, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

I don't know about most people, but I always use bookmarks. I value my books too much to dog-ear the pages. In the past, I used to leave books face down at the page I left them at, but I found that after many days, this tends to leave them permanently open at that page. So I chose to use bookmarks instead. JIP | Talk 19:48, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

My mother used to tear off pages as she finished reading them and throw them into the campfire (when on camping trips). Personally I just memorize the page number. -- BenRG (talk) 20:58, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

I always use bookmarks. Like JIP, I don't like dog-earing, which I consider vandalism; on the other hand, I'm always writing comments in margins and highlighting or underlining things I want to remember. (But this has given me an idea - earrings for dogs. I'll report back on progress.) -- JackofOz (talk) 23:46, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

I use bookmarks too. Though the bookmark itself may be a very unusual item; such as a take-away menu or even a cigarette packet! I even once used a cross-cut saw as a bookmark. Fribbler (talk) 23:59, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

My local bookshop in the Highlands always give you a book mark with the book that you buy.--Artjo (talk) 06:16, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Bookmarks (flat things, scrap paper, sticky notes, string, remembering the page number) as Fribbler without the saw (so far). Not mark books style. Dog-earing seems a touch rough. Julia Rossi (talk) 06:21, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

I never make dog-ears. Usually I place the open book face-down, though sometimes I use an impromptu bookmark. I don't own a "real" bookmark. 81.187.153.189 (talk) 07:18, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

For the longest time I used the bookmarks that Amazon sends with every order of books. Not the whole thing though. I generally read paperbacked sci-fi which is generally shorter than Amazon's bookmarks. So I'd tear it in half and use the part with the quote from whoever (usually Erasmus) as my bookmark. When I'd get new books, the new book marks would generally just be thrown out or recycled since the one I was using would just go from the finished book to the next book. Dismas|^(talk) 10:02, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

I do have some bookmarks somewhere, but generally I use whatever comes to hand. pizza menus, the crap that comes in the middle of magazines, etc. -mattbuck (Talk) 18:51, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

I don't generally use bookmarks (I make the occasional exception because, uh, I dunno why, and then it tends to be some random piece of paper or something), and I never dog-ear pages. I don't memorize the page number, either. I find it doesn't take very long at all to find the spot where I left off just by flipping through the book. This does tend to backfire on me when I leave a book lying around for a couple of weeks or longer, though, as sometimes happens; then finding the spot where I stopped reading can be a bit of a pain. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 11:49, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

Buying Viagra Tabs in Tenerife?

Adult guy going on vacation from UK to Tenerife where UK type prescription drugs are available for purchase over the pharmacy counter without a physician's prescription (such as antibiotics etc., but clearly NOT narcotics). Question, may he buy Viagra tabs. whilst on vacation in Tenerife and bring them legally into the UK (strictly for his own use)? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 92.9.59.249 (talk) 19:37, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

It would seem that this is fine. See: [14] Fribbler (talk) 19:41, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Just noticed this can be considered legal advice Fribbler (talk) 19:44, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

No,no, Fribbler et al - I specifically was NOT looking for legal advice, nor a legal opinion - what I wanted was a straightforward YES or NO, which I interpret as information, and which you have kindly provided, complete with a Link, for which I am most grateful.92.9.59.249 (talk) —Preceding comment was added at 19:50, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Ouch! I was just saying that my advice could be taken as such; and may be out of date. Fribbler (talk) 00:46, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Make sure you get them from a reliable source.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 07:29, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Artistic Hitler

If the Hitler family decided to participate in the immigration trend when Adolf was a child, and immigrated to the United States, would Adolf have indeed gone on to become an artist? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.35.162.18 (talk) 19:48, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Possibly. His parents were. Anything could have made him different. To take it to the extreme, If there were a dust speck that made him cough, baby Adolf could have gotten cold medicine which took from the money his parents would have had to buy him his first book, making him a horrible reader/writer in the future, preventing him from writing Mein Kampf, thus never becoming chancellor. Extreme huh? DarkZorro 20:21, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

He might have become a sci-fi author. Algebraist 21:55, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Even if Hitler had died or emigrated it would by no means have prevented the Nazi party from assuming power or prevented the Holocaust. The social and political forces were so strong at the time that I believe someone would have ultimately filled the role of Hitler.

The assassination attempts on Hitler are another matter however. It seems probable to me that if any of those attempts had succeeded then more moderate figures in the upper ranks of the German army might have been able to steer the country in a different direction.

This thread should be moved to the humanities desk btw.--S.dedalus (talk) 23:37, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

This approach to history is generally frowned upon by historians—it places too much emphasis upon minutiae and coincidence, too little on the larger issues that make up the substrate in which minutiae and coincidence take action. Clearly there's a balance to be had between the large and the small, the individual and the social. This sort of counter-historical reasoning, though, rarely leads to much enlightenment, though it can be a useful bulwark against overly deterministic theories of history. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 00:45, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Deaths p/a

What wild animal in the US causes the most deaths each year? Mr Beans Backside (talk) 20:04, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

• I'm still researching, but my guess is deer. --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 20:10, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

• Oh deer me: Depending on your views on the success of domesticating homo sapiens (I hade a few tame ones at home, once): see homicide / suicide.
• --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 22:39, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Are you signing your post or putting yourself forwards as a candidate for the answer ? ;) Lemon martini (talk) 15:41, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Mosquito? (they still belong to Kingdom Animalia)--Lenticel ^(talk) 00:01, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

Temperatures under glass-lid frying pans

Hi, I've bought a frying pan that has a glass lid on it. However, the carton attached to it makes a point of NOT specifying temperatures. Can I crank a 1200W oven up and let this thing remain there? Won't a horrific pressure build up? Scaller (talk) 20:25, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Check the pan or the carton if it says "oven-safe" somewhere. Otherwise the glass top may not be your only problem. Any knob, handle or seal might melt and give off unhealthy fumes. Unless it is a pressure cooker type pan or you encounter unfortunate coincidences the temperature in an oven increases slowly and will allow any pressure building up to lift the lid and escape. If the glass of the lid is not rated oven safe, however, thermal expansion can cause internal tension in the glass and cause it to crack. Even oven-safe cookware should never be used under the broiler. --Lisa4edit (talk) 20:43, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Pardon me, I meant STOVE. :-| Scaller (talk) 21:51, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

By stove, do you mean hotplate/ring?. Does the lid have a little hole in it to vent steam? If not would it lift up when the pressure became too high like a saucepan lid? Fribbler (talk) 23:56, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

If nothing holds the lid down (except for the weight of the lid), then there's really no chance of a steam explosion. But you would want to assure yourself that the glass lid won't shatter as a result of heat (or being mechanically trapped by the frying pan as they both heat and differentially expand).

Atlant (talk) 14:23, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

I wouldn't expect it to be a problem. Metal generally has a higher coefficient of thermal expansion than glass, so the lid won't be trapped, and glass has an astounding resistance to gradual changes in temperature -- by the time things get hot enough to cause thermal damage to the lid, the pan will probably have melted or caught fire. --Carnildo (talk) 00:20, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

"Detergent suicides" in Japan?

Is there any coverage on en-Wiki about the recent rash of so-called "detergent suicides" in Japan? I've stumbled across a few news stories about it (on CNN and such), and there's a brief reference to the issue in the article on Hydrogen Sulfide, but I find myself being more and more curious about the cultural aspects. It would be great if people who knew more about the Japanese people and culture (perhaps some Japanese folks) would provide insight into why so many people (40+ a month according to one news story I found) in that country are choosing to end their lives in this particular fashion. Maybe it's not as significant as the media are leading me to believe (surprise! the news media blowing something out of proportion!), but still, it struck me as odd. Dgcopter (talk) 20:28, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

There are very small blurbs at Hydrogen Sulfide#Suicide and Suicide methods#Detergent-related_suicide, but I think the topic could rate its own article with reliable sources and details. Corvus cornix_talk 21:27, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

What's with the 'common' electronic sound effects?

There are certain sounds that cheap electronics, children's toys, car alarms, and the like seem to use very commonly. I'm talking about siren-like sounds, the uuuuupp doooowwwn one, the one that sounds like an artillery shell decreasing in pitch then ending with a noisy 'explosion' (wheeeeeeeee BOMMMMMM), and the like. Is there any reason these are repeated so much? Do they have a name or names? 206.126.163.20 (talk) 22:46, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

I do not have an answer. I would just like to chime in that I've noticed this to. About fifteen years ago I Got a keychain that had eight sound effects on it, including the ones described above. Ever since then, I have noticed many devices and toys with some or all of those exact same sound effects. (But never a device that has those sounds and some other additional sounds.) I've always assumed that someone manufactured a chip that had all eight effects built in. I would love to know who makes this chip and what it's called. APL (talk) 02:11, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

It's quite possible there's a common chip that contains the sounds, but it's also likely that all these sounds are just really easy to synthesize in software (so they end up taking very few bits in the microcontroller that runs the toy/keychain/whatever.

Atlant (talk) 14:17, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Some of the ones in the set I'm thinking of are pretty specific. (Like the artillery shell) And as a set they're recognizable. If I was at home I'd record a few of them for the purposes of this discussion, but I'm away and won't be able to until at least Friday. APL (talk) 16:50, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Siren sounds are common because they can be generated by a simple combination of two sine waves. --Carnildo (talk) 00:23, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

Setting of Othello

Where does the Shakespeare play, Othello, take place?--Scofield Boy 22:53, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

As stated in our article, as well as in the play itself, the action starts in Venice and moves to Cyprus. Algebraist 23:07, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

When the play is being performed it usually takes place in a theatre.HS7 (talk) 17:40, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

iTunes

I have Thriller 25 and i want to put the music videos on iTunes and i don't know how216.46.153.68 (talk) 22:59, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

Deleting my post because I realized what they meant Mad031683 (talk) 23:12, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

May 13

Bacardi's old buildings in Cuba

After Castro nationalized all private property in Cuba, making Bacardi owners relocate and leave behind their old destilleries, did Castro start using these buildings to produce a different kind of rum?? if this is the case, what's the brand name? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 201.224.139.247 (talk) 02:49, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

According to this article, the Varadero brand, most likely not available outside Cuba, makes an implicit claim that it is produced in the original Bacardi distillery in Santiago de Cuba. Marco polo (talk) 19:54, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Query on South African Passport (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_African_passport)

As stated, the South African Passport is in English and in French. My question is why is it in French?

I know that seems a wierd question, but as a South African I have no clue as to why my passport is in French. The only logical solution I can think of is that there is some international understanding on common languages to be used in passports - but I doubt this is correct. Please advise.

CB —Preceding unsigned comment added by 196.212.140.161 (talk) 08:11, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

See Passport#Languages. Dismas|^(talk) 09:53, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Silver cloth

How does one make one? Kittybrewster ☎ 09:41, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

More info required... do you mean a silver coloured cloth, a cloth for cleaning silver ornaments/cutlery, or some other type of silver cloth? Astronaut (talk) 12:56, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

If you mean cloth of silver, it's made using the same technique as Cloth of gold, with a core of silk wrapped with a band of metal. -FisherQueen (talk · contribs) 13:03, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

No I meant a cloth for cleaning silver. I imagine it contains ammonia. Kittybrewster ☎ 14:29, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Any questions with "how to" in them are worth checking at the sister project WikiHow. Here is an article on cleaning silver. BrainyBabe (talk) 17:29, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Here is another. Rockpocket 18:18, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Olympic Games

There are rumors which say that 2008 Olympic Games will not be held this year due to the earthquake, is it true? Abdullais4u (talk) 10:02, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

So far, it looks like everything is proceeding on schedule. The following came over the wire services a few hours ago:

..."The Olympics is safe, Beijing is safe and China is safe," said Zhang Jian, project management chief at the Beijing Olympic organizing committee...

Olympic venues and buildings in Beijing weren't threatened by China's strongest earthquake in 58 years because they were constructed to withstand magnitude-8 shocks, Li Zhanjun, director of Beijing's Olympic media center, said today....

The full story is here. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 11:37, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

From what I heard on the news on the radio this morning is that the route of the Olympic torch through China will be altered due to the earthquake. Dismas|^(talk) 14:15, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Avoiding questions

Someone asks you a question whose answer is readily available online. What do you answer? a. just google it?

Someone asks a direct private question (how much do you earn? Are you planning to have children?). How do you avoid these questions? GoingOnTracks (talk) 12:05, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

1. Some people (like me) don't have access to the internet. My location restricts me to only Wikipedia and other encyclopedia websites.
2. If someone is direct enough to ask such a personal question, you can be direct enough to tell them that's none of their business. --Endless Dan 12:39, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Look vague for a moment, then change the subject. Q: How much money do you make? A: Hmm? Enough; have you seen "Iron Man" yet? -FisherQueen (talk · contribs) 13:01, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Just don't answer them if you don't want to. Or give a very generic answer like "58% percent of people earn..." or "The majority of people..." —Preceding unsigned comment added by Dr. Dangerous (talk) (talk • contribs) 13:06, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

OK - lets see -- Q Chris (talk) 13:38, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Of course you could always just provide a quirky response. Dr. Dangerous (talk) (talk) 13:51, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Why avoid the children one? I am one of those rare few who answers consistently in the negative (I'm not having children, it's pretty simple), and while I don't have a problem answering that way, the people asking the question are usually the ones who are the most thrown off by the answer. It's one of those questions that people assume only has one answer, and when you honestly give them another, they get somewhat confused. Amusingly their follow up question usually has to do with whether we plan to own dogs, as if that was equivalent! But anyway, if in doubt, and if unhappy with answering, answer something vague ("Oh, who knows") and change the subject. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 14:38, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

If someone asks me a question which is readily available online:

1) If I know the answer myself, I tell them, and then maybe also tell them that in the future they can get such an answer themselves at www.google.com.

2) If I don't know the answer, I may Google it for them, to ensure that the answers are there, then do step 1. If I know the answer will be there, but don't know it myself (like the atomic weight of the most common isotope of molybdenum), I'd just tell them to Google it.

As for the children question, I'd reply, "No, I'm not planning on halving any children; I don't think anyone since Solomon has considered cutting a child in half, and I certainly don't want to be the first !" :-) StuRat (talk) 16:27, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

To the first question I would answer: haven't you found it online? Then the questioner has to admit that s/he is dumb or lazy.

To the earnings' question: depending on where you are it is okay to ask it. In the US I have notices that many people don't have any problem asking or anwering this question. If you want to avoid it anyway: 'Enough for living', 'less than I want'.

To the children: if it is a job interview nobody has the right to ask this question. Don't bother about a too diplomatic answer to it. In same places you are also allowed to lie about it.

Answers like StuRat's above can be the best way to go. It adds a touch of comedy to a situation that could turn unpleasant. You tell the indiscreet asker that the question was not okay, but you don't cave in. 23:10, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

I've seen the famous in documentary interview footage simply looking back pleasantly and saying nothing (Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Rudolf Nureyev etc). They smile and say nothing. If you can't do that with a personal question you don't want to answer, ask are they hitting on you? Or, Why do you want to know? Shifts the power for one thing, Julia Rossi (talk) 08:25, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

I can write a song a day

I remember reading a magazine some years ago, maybe in 2001, probably during the summer, in which there was a feature involving an interview with a little known singer. In the interview, which spanned a page and a half, the singer was asked various questions, to which they gave a response. For the life of me I cannot remember the content of this interview, except for the rather confident and somewhat big headed quote "I can write a song a day". Could someone who may have also read the interview please tell me who this singer was, and if possible provide an internet link to an online copy where I can read the article. Many thanks. Dr. Dangerous (talk) (talk) 13:16, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

For some reason, I recall Jack White saying something similar to that. I could be (probably am) wrong, thought. --Endless Dan 13:43, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Wikiquote ascribes it to Avril Lavigne! (unsourced) ---Sluzzelin talk 13:45, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

You are kidding me!!! Scaller (talk) 14:18, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

LMAO! *plane flies over my head* --Endless Dan 14:20, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Were one not assuming good faith, one might look askance at this edit and wonder if the original question was asked in good faith. --LarryMac | Talk 14:31, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

:-D Among other, it's quoted in a Rolling Stone article by Jenny Eliscu here. The full quote is

"Songwriting is like that for me," she adds, with a snap of her fingers. Someone can say, 'Go write a song,' and I can do it. I can write a song a day."

---Sluzzelin talk 14:26, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Obviously Dr. Dangerous knew who she was when he wrote the question, Sherlock. It was a funny joke. But, hey, let's assume good faith before things get out of hand.--Endless Dan 14:42, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Well, I don't think the reference desk is here merely for the amusement of Dr. Dangerous and his sockward. The assumption of good faith is one aspect, providing references and answers to the benefit of other interested readers (if indeed they exist) is part of our noble duty here as well. ---Sluzzelin talk 14:54, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Could we please, please, at least move these sorts of questions to the Entertainment desk where they belong, and where people who presumably care about such things could answer them? We have an entire section for this sort of thing, it doesn't need to be spread out all over the whole apparatus. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 17:15, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Jon Foreman of Switchfoot?.--droptone (talk) 16:58, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Perhaps these people can write a song a day, but Billy Childish can write several. I seem to remember him saying in an interview that his groups often record an album in a couple of hours. Warofdreams talk 18:30, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

I'm sure it's possible. Especially when you write crap like Billy & Avril. --Endless Dan 20:37, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Most bought & sold item

What item has been sold & bought most often?

By this, I'm thinking more about a single unchanging identifiable object sold multiple times (e.g. this ring / painting / candlestick at auction), rather than, for instance, rice or wheat where different grains are grown each season & sold). --Tagishsimon (talk) 16:15, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

To clarify, you're asking about a specific item, like the Mona Lisa, rather than a class of items, like "paintings", right ? StuRat (talk) 16:31, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Yes. A single painting, such as Mona, not a class of objects, such as paintings. Happy to include identifiable parcels of land, or buildings, but again, identifiable single objects. The question was put to me by a child, in the context of a discussion on the meaning of second-hand, third-hand, fourth-hand &c. I suppose it is unanswerable, but shy bairns get nothing, as they say. --Tagishsimon (talk) 16:44, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Check out this link and search for "Shtar Mechirah" therein. Apparently the deli is sold every Sabbath, so that it is not Jewish-owned, and can remain open. That's an interesting twist on your question... -- Coneslayer (talk) 16:52, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

I wonder if there is some object in some culture with the reputation that "if you sell this object, it's good luck". Such an object would presumably be sold continuously. StuRat (talk) 13:00, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

Sock it to me, baby

How do you measure the length of socks ? I recently bought some socks that claim to be 27 inches long. When I measure them off my feet, relaxed, they are 23 inches long, but I can stretch them to about 30 inches long. When I put them on, however, they stretch width-wise and shorten length-wise to only 20 inches long. So, are these socks really 27 inches long in the normal way that socks are measured ? And what is that method ? StuRat (talk) 16:41, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Warning: Dyslectics may find the above question offensive.

Answering the question: I have not measured mine since puberty, but I am sure they were not 20 inches long. --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 23:34, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Dyslexics ? You mean as in "sock it" = "socket" ? Or did you misread the "o" in "sock it" as a "u" ? StuRat (talk) 12:33, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

I'm guessing the answer is in here, but not knowing about the topic well, I can't tell exactly where! Fribbler (talk) 01:06, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

Thanks, but I didn't see the answer there. StuRat (talk) 12:33, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

Carp ponds

Sorry about this one but I have looked around and failed to find decent info. I recently bought a house in the SE UK with an man made 12th century carp pond. It has no fish in it and is under a lot of tree shade. I wondered about having some carp to eat. Is it really as easy as mail ordering some common carp and throwing them in the water and waiting or do I need to do other things (like check water quality, depth etc)? I am not sure I could easily dredge the pond because pre 1250 AD construction is protected from disturbance here. --BozMo talk 20:02, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Your local council should be able to povide guidance on what you can and cannot do with your pond (whether you can renovate/dredge it or not, for example). Astronaut (talk) 21:46, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Actually in this case it is a body called English Heritage. --BozMo talk 06:10, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

Carp can tolerate water of marginal quality, but it should not be stagnant or polluted. Besides water quality, another factor to consider in raising carp would be their source of nourishment. If the pond is too heavily shaded, the shade will inhibit the growth of algae or other phytoplankton on which the carp would normally directly or indirectly feed. (Some carp also feed on grasses, which likewise need sunlight, and/or on zooplankton, which feed on phytoplankton, which in turn requires sunlight.) Your carp would do probably do better in a pond that gets some sunlight. You might want to dredge to prevent an excessive buildup of rooted plants that could suck oxygen from the pond at night and endanger the fish. Or, if you dredge the pond deep enough, rooted plants can't grow. The only reason to dredge would be for plant control (which you can also accomplish with other methods), since carp are quite tolerant of shallow water. Here is a [blog post on raising organic carp in the UK]. Marco polo (talk) 02:03, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

Thanks. --BozMo talk 06:10, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

Carp will produce crap. In order to keep your pond from fouling Hypoxia (environmental) and anerobic bacteria from multiplying, you'll almost certainly have to put in a filter. If you are sure the pond was designed as a fish pond and worked in the past, you might be able to keep it stable without. Particularly if it has a freshwater source apart from rain and run-off. But it will take a lot of effort and adjustments and watching what grows or multiplies in excess. If it is 12th century it will have a clay or tile bottom, probably. That makes using a pump a problem because it will silt up. It would be easier to maintain it as a natural garden pond without fish. People at this site [15] will be able to help you. Lisa4edit (talk) 06:37, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

Dragons

How do scientists know that dinosaur bones are actually dinosaur bones and not those of fire-breathing dragons? I'm pretty sure that such dragons existed and are now extinct and would like to know what proof scientists have that they never existed. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.35.162.18 (talk) 20:39, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

I don't think scientists actively engage in dragon denialism. To answer your question, we first need to know what you think a dragon is. Let's assume that your answer is "a fire-breathing creature of some sort, now extinct, shaped somewhat like Tolkein's Smaug". We could now pose your question as "why have scientists not given support to the fact of fire-breathing creatures of some sort, now extinct, shaped somewhat like Tolkein's Smaug". And the answer to that is, they have yet to find skeletal remains of the right shape (somewhat worm-like, with wings) and - more importantly - they have not discovered a mechanism for fire breathing in what remains they have found. That does not mean that T.Rex and chums did not breath fire; but rather that there is no evidence at the moment to enable an assertion that they did breath fire. You might want to check out Falsifiability, which at quick scan seems to deal with the problem of proving a negative. --Tagishsimon (talk) 20:54, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

It's Tolkien. These things matter! Algebraist 21:34, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Well actually I watched a documentary of what would happen if scientist found dragon remains and what they would discovered when they found the dragon remains. It had a CG story that went along with it. But it answered a lot of questions of how they might have breathed fire. I can't remember the name of the documentary though. I know it showed on the Animal Planet. It might be helpful to you once you know the name of the documentary.71.142.222.245 (talk) 21:42, 13 May 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven

It's not difficult to come up with a mechanism for producing fire from the mouth of a beast. The ignition of methane from fermenting food in the gut by, I don't know, a cheek full of flints picked up for the purpose, for instance. The difficulty is in finding any evidence that any such mechanism was ever pressed into action. --Tagishsimon (talk) 21:57, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

You might be interested with this site--Lenticel ^(talk) 23:40, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Homemade Dog Food

Are sheep meat, potatoes, and carrots good ingredients for homemade dog food? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.119.61.7 (talk) 23:45, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

as long as there's no chocolate then I think it is safe. You should vary what you give to them. My dogs gets bored eating when I only feed them the same commercial dog food so I give them 1 part leftovers + 1 part dog food. --Lenticel ^(talk) 23:55, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

Our dogs get raw chicken every day. Occaisionally, we'll get turkey from the same place that we get the chicken but that's usually around Thanksgiving when the farm has a lot of turkey. By concentrating on just those three things, your dogs won't be getting much calcium. Chicken bones are our dogs source of calcium. You should probably check with your veterinarian for a more clinical answer. Also note that cooked chicken bones are bad (possibly deadly) for dogs since they splinter and can injure the dog. Raw chicken bones rarely, if ever, present this issue. Dismas|^(talk) 04:21, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

You have seen Dog food? Lisa4edit (talk) 06:18, 14 May 2008 (UTC) (damn that bot)

May 14

Lexington, Kentucky and suburbs

Does Lexington, KY have suburbs? Heegoop, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

Yes, it does! Ericthebrainiac (talk) 01:08, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

A city of this size will naturally have suburbs, is it that you wish to know what they are; what is the nature of the suburbs etc.? Fribbler (talk) 01:11, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

Since Lexington has suburbs, what are some of them? Heegoop, 15 May 2008 (UTC)

Lexington merged with Fayette County in 1974. Fayette County includes almost the entirety of the Lexington urbanized area. So Lexington has no suburban municipalities like most American cities of its size do. Looking at aerial photos, it appears parts of surrounding counties have some exurban areas, and cities in nearby counties no doubt serve largely as bedroom communities for Lexington workers. But if any city of its size can be said to have "no suburbs" (using the American definition of "suburb"), Lexington might be it. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 03:58, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

Ah, the american definition of suburb would have got me. It seems more "official" than the informal definition we would have (i.e. anything smaller and nearby that people would go from to shop, work etc. in the larger town). Fribbler (talk) 10:43, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

The difference is that the less densely populated areas around a city center may be separate legal towns or may be part of the same legal entity as the population center. Los Angeles or London are both excellent examples of the first case, with the actually "city" of Los Angeles or London being quite small, but surrounded by dozens of suburbs, while Lexington, Kentucky may be a good example of the other case. It may also be possible to have a city with no moderately populated surrounding area, if political or geographic reasons make that impossible. National boundaries don't always have this effect, however, as suburbs can exist in one country for a city in another, provided that the border is relatively open. For example, Windsor, Ontario, Canada can be said to be a suburb of Detroit, Michigan, United States. Singapore, being a small island, may be an example of geographic limitations, where there are no suburbs because the city itself takes up the entire island. For another example, a city surrounded by a national park will sometimes lack suburbs, if it's illegal to build there. StuRat (talk) 12:14, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

There is also an urban growth boundary for Lexington that limits suburban sprawl to the east, west and north, where most of the historic horse farms are located at. To the south are "replaceable" tobacco farms, and where the soil qualities are typically poorer -- i.e. not as calcium enriched. The counties surrounding Lexington are Woodford Co., Scott Co. and Clark Co. that have strict zoning policies; Jessamine Co. and Madison Co. have more lax, and if you look at an aerial, you can see Jessamine County's sprawl begin just south of the Fayette County border (much worse now than in the aerials, which were taken ~2001). seicer | talk | contribs 12:28, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

What's Best

Why are we always searching for the newest, latest, the best? Why are we never happy with what we have? Why are we never satisfied as a human being? Why aren't we happy with what we have?

Thank You

Always

Cardinal Raven

Cardinal Raven (talk) 01:35, 14 May 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven

To quote George Mallory on why he wanted to climb mount everest: "Because it's there". People like to better what's been done in every way. I wonder what would have happened if we hadn't that drive?! Fribbler (talk) 01:41, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

Advertisers have known this for a long time. Ads that scream "It's NEW!!!" attract people to at least try the new product purely because of its newness, even if they're totally satisfied with their current product. -- JackofOz (talk) 02:06, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

Evolutionary, my dear Watson Raven. If we were satisfied with what we had, we'd be roaming the African veldt, eating bugs and carrion. There'd be no Wikipedia (shudder). P.S. There's some question whether Mallory said that. Clarityfiend (talk) 04:18, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

And, while wanting more, bigger, better things has led to improvements in our standard of living (life expectancy, for example), it may ultimately be our downfall, with nuclear and biological weapons now at our disposal, as well as potential ecological disaster as our population and lifestyles may lead to our extinction. However, "being satisfied with less" is a hard sell in Western culture. One sign of this is the greatly reduced number of members in religious orders which require vows of poverty. StuRat (talk) 11:55, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

Long-term document storage

Let’s say a person has a bunch of documents they would like to be released only after their death. Where is the best place to put them? Some kind of safe deposit box I would assume, but I think it’s unlikely that the local Bank of America branch will still be there in 60 years or whatever. Also, can a person pay for a safe deposit box for x number of years in advance, and can they then specify that the contents be transferred to the nearest living relative or some institution? --S.dedalus (talk) 01:47, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

You could deposit them with your lawyer and pay them a retainer as executors of your will. (Disclaimer: This is not legal advice. Talk to your lawyer.)--Lisa4edit (talk) 06:13, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

And indeed it could not be legal advice since I said “a person.” This is entirely hypothetical. What happens if the lawyer dies before the hypothetical client does? --S.dedalus (talk) 06:56, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

Select a lawyer who is part of a practice which looks like it would survive the death of one of the partners. Why do you think the bank will be gone in 60 years? Banks in my town have been been around for longer than that. --Tagishsimon (talk) 07:34, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

They were worried that their local branch may no longer be there or may have been bought out by another bank. While either is quite possible, so long as the bill for the safe-deposit box is paid, I'm sure they would relocate the contents to a new box at their new branch. StuRat (talk) 11:59, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

Non Surgery Tumour Removal

I had read an article I found a while back on the Internet but can't seem to find it now about using lasers to kill tumours in the breast. I can only find an article dated in 1999 when they were just rolling this procedure out and I know many improvements have happened since- does anybody know anything about these techniques or what the latest news on them is? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.120.83.133 (talk) 02:21, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

Using lasers to remove tumors inside the body will necessarily require some form of surgery, probably an endoscopic procedure. There is a lot of information available if you google laser+tumor+removal. If you're more interested in procedures that are completely non-surgical, you may want to ask your doctor about treatments that will kill tumors with radiation or chemicals, depriving the tumor of blood supply, or taking oral medications that might disolve the tumor. Tumors that are on the surface of the skin can also be frozen or cauterized. As always, your doctor should be able to provide you with a complete list of options and is likely to regulary read the sorts of publications that would cover the latest advances in different techniques. 152.16.59.190 (talk) 05:56, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

It's not lasers, but it does have a cool-sounding name: gamma knife. --Sean 13:57, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

Plane Crash

If a plane crahes on the American-Candian border line, where are the dead bodies buried? On American soil or Candian soil? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.152.253.108 (talk) 02:29, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

I moved this into another section; I'm assuming it has nothing to do with the above question. The bodies can be buried in any country the next of kin wants them. You don't have to be buried in the country you die in. If the person had no next of kin, where they would be buried would probably depend on which side of the plane they were on. That is unless the person was paper thin and standing exactly on the 49th parallel. Then there would be a problem. Paragon12321 (talk) 03:30, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

The problem might fall to the International Boundary Commission [16] for which, surprisingly, we don't appear to have an article. But we do have Treaty of Washington (1871).

Atlant (talk) 13:22, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

Also, this question is often asked as a riddle, except asking, 'Where are the survivors buried?', thus trying to trick the answerer into confusing the survivors for the casualties. Dforest (talk) 04:21, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

Why fire is used as a classical element other then magma??

Why fire is and was used as a classical element other then magma??

Fire is the heat and light energy released during a chemical reaction, its not like water, wind and earth that is something found in the nature, well you can say that some of those or all of those are made with a reaction, but those 3 you can find normaly on the nature. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 201.79.63.139 (talk) 03:13, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

Fire is far more common than magma, and your analysis assumes an understanding of fire that did not exist when the notions of the four classical elements were prevalent. It's like saying "why did prehistoric people believe the Earth was flat when pictures from the Apollo spacecraft clearly show it to be round?" — Lomn 04:40, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

note that other than magma, lightning strikes can be a source of fire.--Lenticel ^(talk) 09:35, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

It makes sense if you think of the classical elements as states of matter (solid, liquid, gas, "plasma"). Magma doesn't look like a new element, it looks like a mixture of earth and water (and fire). Fire isn't actually a plasma (not ordinary wood fires, anyway) and I don't see how the ancients could have recognized a plasma if they saw one; I assume they distinguished fire because it moved upward and/or because it produced its own light. If our classical element article is to be believed, the same four-element classification was invented independently in several cultures. -- BenRG (talk) 11:16, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

As well as alien cultures. Dismas|^(talk) 12:38, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

During emergency landing, why blow air in life jacket only after getting out of airplane?

Before takeoff, airline (e.g. Jet Airways, India) crew instructs passengers about how to use life jackets in case of emergency. They specifically instruct not to blow life jacket while inside airplane, and expect passengers to open it only at the emergency exit door or after getting out of plane. Knowing that passengers will be in panic, they may struggle or fail to blow jackets at the last moment and suffer more injury, is it not better for them to be ready with blown up jacket while plane is preparing to land? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 203.129.237.147 (talk) 04:04, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

According to a TV show whose title escapes me, if you inflate your life jacket in the cabin, its buoyancy may push you up to the ceiling when the water enters the plane, making it difficult or impossible for you to get out. Clarityfiend (talk) 04:12, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

Mayday (TV series) episode for Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961? --antilived^{T | C | G} 06:22, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

That was the one. Kudos to you, antilived. Clarityfiend (talk)

Some airlines offer classes for people scared of flying. Try one of those and see what it is like walking with an inflated vest. It would make it very hard for most people to maneuver through the aisles to the cabin door. Lisa4edit (talk) 06:07, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

...particularly if the plane is at an angle (as it well may be), so the aisle may not be level, and if there are, say, a hundred other people who have also inflated their vests struggling to get out of the place. It'll just hinder movement in already difficult circumstances. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 11:39, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

I agree with the previous answers. Also, there may only be a few minutes before the plane sinks, so getting everyone out before that happens is the priority for the crew, not staying inside while working on getting the vests inflated. StuRat (talk) 11:45, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

Not yet noted is that emergency exits, particularly those over the wings, can be cramped affairs. Having an inflated life vest within the cabin can hinder your ability to fit out the exit. — Lomn 14:08, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

Sten gun

I was reading about the Sten gun and was doing some thinking. According to Eric Bergerud in his book on the Pacific War, Touched by Fire, Thompson submachine guns were issued to a small group of soldiers, notably mechanized infantry. American officers carried pistols and some carried M1 carbine. Regarding the Sten gun, were they issued to NCO's like the MP40 or to officers? Did the British Army issue submachine guns like the Americans or like the Germans? (I noticed that I have a toy soldier showing a soldier, presumably an officer, carrying a Sten.) --Blue387 (talk) 04:41, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

The British army has been, and is still, late in taking up automatic weapons. During WWII the issue didn't come up until the enemy showed how effective sub-machine guns were. The the Sten was devised in a hurry. A very cheap weapon to make it was little more than a pipe with a spring loaded firing pin. Notoriously easy to let off a round in error. Standard issue was 2 Stens to a platoon of 10 at the end of WWII. Having used one I can say that I felt safer with a Lee Enfield rifle !86.209.28.101 (talk) 14:15, 14 May 2008 (UTC)DT

Textbook repair

I have to return a textbook on thursday, but the cover is no longer attached to the rest of the book. We tried gorilla glue, but that didn't work. I'm thinking rubber cement might work, but I'm not sure. 71.218.24.22 (talk) 04:44, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

Bookbinding will hold clues. You're in a rush, so here's the layman's clue. Take an old piece of sheet, pillowcase or dishtowel (not the terry-cloth type, the woven style). Cut out a piece that is about a quarter of an inch shorter than the long measure of your bookend. Cut it so that it's width will cover half the front and back pages when you wrap it around the book centered. Take two sheets of big paper (has to measure at least twice as wide and as tall as your book, sturdy, gift-wrap's too flimsy!) Cut each sheet to be as tall as the inside of your book and twice as wide as the first (or last) page. Fold each of these sheets in the middle. Glue up your cloth and wrap it around your inside book centered along the spine. Glue up the book cover inside and the top page of the inside book. Glue up the outside (front and back but not inside) of one folded sheet and insert it between your book cover and the top of the inside book. (So that will open as the first page of the book.) Glue up the inside back of the book cover and the other sheet. Insert the glued up sheet between the back cover and the back of the insert. Close the book and insert it under a pile of other books for pressure. That should do it, at least till you'll return it. Lisa4edit (talk) 06:01, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

If this is a library book, most libraries prefer to use their own repair departments. You could just return the book, apologize for the damage, and let the library repair it, accepting responsibility for any charges. -FisherQueen (talk · contribs) 11:09, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

sufism

can anyone tell me where can i find some material about

Criticisms on sufism —Preceding unsigned comment added by 203.128.4.231 (talk) 06:27, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

Err, just about any ultraconservative Islamic writer or thinker should give you plenty of criticisms on Sufism. . . --S.dedalus (talk) 06:46, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

Or from the other angle David Frawley criticises Sufis for not taling a liberal enough stance[17]. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Q Chris (talk • contribs) 06:56, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

What type of plane might this be

36 foot assault glider armed with an MG15 and two MG 34s? If you do know the answer could you please post its full name here and not its nickname. If you only know the nickname, thats cool too and thanks for your help

Does our list here do you any good? 213.161.190.228 (talk) 11:23, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

DAYS OF BIRTHS

—Do births in the U.K. currently (and in recent decades)spread more-or-less evenly over the 7 days of the week, or are they more prevalent on certain days (perhaps due to interventions and other medical procedures)?ANTONIATZI (talk) 07:04, 14 May 2008 (UTC)ANTONIATZI

I have heard they are less common at the weekend, for the reasons you give, but I haven't got a source for that at the moment. Algebraist 08:29, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

Composite images

Are there any good composite images of Summer Glau naked? Could someone provide some links. Thank you. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Lop lop 7 (talk • contribs) 07:47, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

Generally speaking, most people find Google adequate for such searches. And people who persist in asking this sort of question on our Reference Desks sometimes find themselves admonished by Wikipedia's administrators (hint, hint).

Atlant (talk) 13:13, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

Why?

Why are there so many questions about Avril Lavigne on this page? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Seven seven and eleven (talk • contribs) 07:50, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

They're being added by a troll who finds it amusing. We live in hope said troll will grow up. And who knows; it could be you. See Wikipedia talk:Reference desk#April Trolls in May. --Tagishsimon (talk) 07:59, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

Wooden Coffee Stick Stirrers

Why do cafe's offer a wooden stick to stir coffee?

A number of reasons come to mind:

To reduce cost - Then why do they offer you a metallic spoon with Tea instead?

Eco friendly - Plastic can be recycled now also, so why offer a tall thin wooden stick?

Tall coffee cups - Understandably a long stick will work when stirring a long drink, more than the regular tea spoon, but why a flat ended stick?

Stains - Coffee stains spoons...but so does Tea (if not more).

So:

Has it derived originally from the taste of coffee, and trying to prevent any alteration in the taste possibly made by a metallic spoon? If so, why don't the spoons alter the taste of Teas?

Is it just another conformity that we have adapted to? If not, then what is the answer? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.146.233.171 (talk) 10:30, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

Sure, plastic can be recycled but so can trees. Dismas|^(talk) 10:31, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

The flat end will help to stir it, in that the more coffee you can get moving quickly, the more stirring action you will get. It will also help to pick up any sugar or other particles on the bottom. Some metals can alter the taste, particularly silver. However, stainless steel shouldn't (unless they left detergent on it from the last wash). As for the cost of stirrers, it's a compromise between wanting to keep costs low (disposable stirrers) and wanting to satisfy customers (nice spoons). Spoons do have the additional risk of being improperly cleaned and/or having water spots on them, though. Those vendors which provide metal spoons will also want them back, so they can't give you those for take-out. Wood also has the property of being a good thermal insulator (as is plastic). Metal, however, is a thermal conductor, so spoons will get hot and cool the beverage while wood will not. StuRat (talk) 11:38, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

The wooden stirrer isn't as effective as a teaspoon at capturing the tea bag and "wringing it out" with the tea bag's string. That's probably why a teaspoon may still be offered with tea. Also, McDonald's restaurants once offered small plastic spoon-shaped stirrers but got caught up in embarrasing publicity when their stirrers became popular among the cocaine-abusing crowd. I think this discouraged (at least in America) the further distribution of small spoon-shaped objects.

Atlant (talk) 13:10, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

Human skull

Is it illegal to be in possession of a real human skull? Would displaying it on your mantelpiece also be illegal? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Terror toad (talk • contribs) 10:41, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

IANAL and this is not legal advice, and this may depend on jurisdiction, but I don't see why it should be. Certainly museums and such own them. Algebraist 11:00, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

Most of us (with the possible exception of the AL trollOPs) are in possession of a real human skull. I suspect that NOT having one would be the more likely cause for legal proceedings. Displaying it on the mantle piece would necessitate the wearing of fire proof underwear. --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 11:19, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

This will obviously vary from one legal jurisdiction to another, but in many places they use a serial number attached to each skull, tied in to a database, to establish that the skull was legally obtained (as opposed to being the skull of someone who pissed you off). Some jurisdictions also restrict owenership to those with a "valid need", like medical schools and museums. StuRat (talk) 11:25, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

I should think the age would be a factor too.Having a 15th century skull sitting around probably wouldn't interest the authorities(the archaeologists might want you to put it in a museum or something similar),if the skull was a couple of weeks old,they'd want to know whose it was and how you came to have it Lemon martini (talk) 11:59, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

Yes, but you can't determine the age by simple examination, it requires lab tests like carbon dating. Therefore some form of "certification" is needed to provide the age info more readily. Police often first get called in when a skeleton is found, only to refer it to archealogists once it is determined to be ancient. StuRat (talk) 12:45, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

But there are some obvious clues as to age that may exist in a given skull. For example a healed trepanation injury wold suggest substantial age whereas an unhealed .38 Caliber bullet hole might suggest that the skull isn't quite as old.

Atlant (talk) 13:06, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

It is not illegal in most US states to buy, possess, or display a human skull. There even are online places to buy them, like the amazing Bone Room in Berkeley, California, which has a wide collection of all sorts of bones and skeletons, including human skulls. They have a nice FAQ on the legality of owning human bones in the US. (In the Bone Room's store, there are actually little bottles full of human finger bones, only a dollar apiece or so! It's like a witches' store of yore—check it out if you are even in the area, its one-of-a-kind amazing!) --Captain Ref Desk (talk) 13:45, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

Soft drink shouldn't be banned from schools

What are some points for having soft drink at schools and shouldn't be banned? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 124.182.166.206 (talk) 11:46, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

The only argument in favor of selling soft drinks at school is that the profits from vending machines provide useful money for schools. The argument against selling soft drinks is that soft drinks not only have no nutritional value, but are harmful to the health, and children are not always good at choosing what is healthy for them instead of what is sweet; making sure children are eating healthily is the responsibility of parents (and by extension, schools), since many children aren't yet able to make the right choices for themselves. The argument in favor of selling soft drinks at school only works if your listener agrees that making money is a higher priority than children's health. -FisherQueen (talk · contribs) 11:50, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

The argument is that the money made from the sales can benefit school programs and that this outweighs the negatives. However, I'd say the benefits only appear to outweigh the costs because the good part is immediately apparent, while the consequences are long-term, like bad eating habits leading to obesity, tooth decay, diabetes, and shortened life expectancy. Soda companies will often provide millions of dollars to schools in exchange for placing vending machines. They know they will eventually get the money back if they can hook kids on their products for life, when they are young and more vulnerable to advertising ("everyone's doing it ? Then I'd better do it, too !"). StuRat (talk) 12:51, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

1) There IS nutritional value from soft-drinks. They are not unhealthy consumed in part of a healthy diet. They might not provide nutrients that you would otherwise go without, but that doesn't mean they don't provide them. 2) The biggest factor is a question of 'freedom' - are children allowed to make their own decisions about whether or not to drink fizzy-drinks, or should we protect them from the potential harm? I say educate and set-free, but others do not. 3) The above note school-income reasoning 4) It could be argued (if not hugely successfully) that getting children used to advertising/mass-marketing helps them become more immune/used to it and gives them better ability to deal with it when they encounter it in the future. Personally I find people are ridiculously over the top about things like this. There was a great special-report in the Economist a couple of years ago about this very question, might be worth searching their website to see if it is available to view for free. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 194.221.133.226 (talk) 14:05, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

Haha... Drink Coke or Die! --Captain Ref Desk (talk) 14:15, 14 May 2008 (UTC)