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June 25

Make a check payee a category?

I've always wondered whether, when you're writing a check, if you can make the "Pay to the order of" on a check a category. What I mean is, can you write something like "Pay to the order of... A while male, age 26"? Could someone fitting this description then cash the check if it were found on the street as if it were payable directly to him? There are endless possibilities if this were the case, if someone is looking for a little amusement, and doesn't mind writing out checks for a dollar or so to leave in the park for an unsuspecting passerby. :) Jared (t)  02:39, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

We are not able to give legal adice at Wikipedia Reference Desk. You may find the quaintly spelled article Cheque informative. It says that in the U.S., the Uniform Commercial Code governs checks. An "order check" is payable only to a named payee, but a "bearer check" is payable to anyone in possession of it. Scholarly books have been written on all the details of checks. Rules vary by jurisdiction around the world. Edison (talk) 03:51, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

That spelling is not "quaint". It's the standard British English spelling. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 05:44, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

From the American POV, British spellings are quaint. StuRat (talk) 16:15, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

And often, vice versa! 86.141.89.124 (talk) 18:55, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Well I wasn't looking for legal advise, it was just curiosity. Thank you though. Jared (t)  04:38, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

Perhaps anything like that would be a signature and have to be signed that way? It's a creative idea, anyway. Julia Rossi (talk) 04:49, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

Looks like this is theoretically possible. (Don't know what the bank teller would say, though.) For the US rules, check out UCC 3-110 here. A check is "payable to the person intended by the signer", and the "person to whom an instrument is payable may be identified in any way". Also, "If an instrument is payable to two or more persons alternatively, it is payable to any of them and may be negotiated, discharged, or enforced by any or all of them in possession of the instrument." Mangostar (talk) 09:26, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

COPYRIGHT

I'm writing a book, and I'm wondering if it is against copyright law to use the name wikipedia or information on its pages? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.150.168.208 (talk) 02:41, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

At the risk of giving legal advice... you're okay. A single word (like "Wikipedia") can't be copyrighted, neither can information. Unlike other encyclopedias, you can even copy whole articles verbatim as long as you comply with the GNU license. --D. Monack | talk 02:50, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

If someone published a book called "Wikipedia" wouldn't that tend to make the name generic., so that anyone could then create a website called Wikipedia in competition with this one? Isn't there a trademark issue for the name at least? I would expect that anyone could write a book about Wikipedia, or could quote any of the content of Wikipedia, with proper attribution. Edison (talk) 03:42, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

It's not a good idea to title the book "Wikipedia" as that might qualify as a trademark. I thought the OP was asking if they could use the word in the book should be fine. If you're writing an encyclopedia, I'd consult a lawyer first. --D. Monack | talk 04:06, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

Note that since Wikipedia is licensed under GNU Free Documentation License a person uses any text directly out of Wikipedia in a book (not in a specific attributed quotation) they won’t be able to copyright the book. GNU includes a share-alike requirement. --S.dedalus (talk) 04:43, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

This needs to be said every so often: Releasing a work under the GFDL does not not not' mean that you do not hold copyright. You do. It's just that you no longer can use it in the way people are most used to--preventing other people from copying it, or allowing them to copy it only if they pay you money.

This may seem like a distinction without a difference, but it's not, really. If you hold the copyright to a GFDL work, there are various things you can do that no one else can. For example, you can release it under a license incompatible with the GFDL; no one else can do that. If someone redistributes the work, or a derivative work, without complying with the GFDL, you are (presumably) the one with standing to complain. And you yourself can make a derivative work and release it under any terms you like, including selling it and denying anyone else the right to copy it.

None of this should be taken as legal advice; it's just my personal non-professional understanding of the situation. --Trovatore (talk) 03:40, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

Does that render the entire book without copyright, or does it keep the appropriated material copyright-free and unacquirable in the sense of copyright to the book's author? Julia Rossi (talk) 04:47, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

Neither, really. The misused GFDL portions remain copyrighted by their original authors. Any content added by the new author is copyright to him. (I suppose if there is a derivative work involved, they both hold a copyright in it.) Of course, the new author is violating the original authors' copyright and could be sued for doing so. This is why a bit of free-licensed code accidentally (or lazily) stuck into Windows won't make Windows open source, it would just expose Microsoft to liability. Mangostar (talk) 09:31, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

And to answer the original poster's question, you should really just consult a lawyer about this. As a general rule, you can copy ideas freely, but not sentences. To reproduce the text of Wikipedia, you will need to abide by the GFDL. Mangostar (talk) 09:32, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

The word "Wikipedia" is a trademark and the logos are copyrighted, but the text in wikipedia is under GFDL, so using our text is fine so long as you say you got it from here. That text would be under GFDL, but the rest would be copyrighted to you.--Serviam (talk) 14:35, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

Well, it depends on whether your use of the GFDL material renders your book a derivative work, which is a question I'm not competent to address. If your book is a derivative work, you would be required to release it under the GFDL, or else you would be liable for violation of the copyright of the original work. Even if it is not a derivative work, the GFDL still imposes requirements on you, such as the requirement to include a copy of the GFDL itself. I'm not a lawyer and some of this is based on remembered facts that I haven't recently checked, so take it as free information worth what you paid for it (and not advice of any sort, free or otherwise). --Trovatore (talk) 05:34, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

Hi. Err, I don't think using the name of a website in a book would be infringement, as I have seen it mentioned in at least one book. I'm not so sure about titling the book Wikipedia, though, and if you make a notable book titled Main Page then that might cause some problems here :-) . Besides, if you copyrighted the name of a popular website, how are people going to refer to it in written text? Thanks. ~AH1^(TCU) 21:32, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

Somebody isn't filing Properly

Good evening. In F.E.A.R (First Encounter Assault Recon) they have me search for information and upload it on many different computers. In reality couldn't you just upload all the information from one computer and not six separated computers? And if you couldn't get all the information from that one computer wouldn't it be easier to use one computer to hack through the systems? Does any of these actually work in reality? Thank you for answering my question. I really appreciate it. I hope my question isn't to confusing cause it was hard to phrase. Have a positively wonderful day.Rem Nightfall (talk) 02:58, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

Perhaps the computers were on six separate intranets and not linked together in any way. Useight (talk) 04:12, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

If this is set up like a scavenger hunt, they may intentionally force you to go to 6 different computers by checking the I/P address of each. You might be able to trick it if you have a dynamic I/P address, but they may also use cookies or other methods to determine if you are using the same computer. StuRat (talk) 10:24, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

buy vintage records...cheap

hey, im a college student, looking to decorate my bedroom next year. Im thinking It would look awesome if I got a bunch of old album covers and displayed them on the wall, rather than putting up posters the same way everybody else does. My question is, where can I buy album covers, I dont necessarily even need the album itself? preferably somewhere inexpensive. are antique stores a good bet? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.188.121.45 (talk) 04:45, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

It's a good idea, your bedroom will look great. I've been buying old records for many years, though, and I've hardly ever come across a place where you can just buy the covers. Normally, people want both the record and the cover, so the two are not going to become separated. Just go to a used record store and buy some of the cheapest records you can find that you also like the covers of. If you have a turntable - and you should - you can even play the records as well. Charity shops (called thrift stores in the USA, I believe) are another good source. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 05:49, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

Sometimes thrift stores have some album covers that are empty, but you would be better off just buying the whole album than wasting a ton of your time looking for empty ones so you could ask the clerk for a deep discount. (Or, in the same vein, looking for extremely scratched/unusable ones and asking for a discount.) Mangostar (talk) 09:35, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

How about car-boot or garage sales? They may be advertised in your local newspaper or on the net. AlmostReadytoFly (talk) 13:20, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

Search the net for them and print them off?--Serviam (talk) 14:42, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

That wouldn't look much different then. I'd try ebay. People sell empty game cases, so there has to be empty record cases too. --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 17:07, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

I did this a couple of years back,but used the vinyls as well. I blu-taced both the records and the sleeves to the walls and wardrobe in a checker-board style, and they looked great.79.72.166.102 (talk) 13:31, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

Wind

When there is strong wind near my house, I keep hearing a squeaky noise. What is this noise? Interactive Fiction Expert/Talk to me 10:34, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

High winds frighten mice, causing them to squeak.87.102.86.73 (talk) 12:05, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

More likely it's from trees bending in the wind, or something similar. AlmostReadytoFly (talk) 13:21, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

Yes, trees often "squeak" when tree branches or leaders rub against each other as the tree flexes in the wind.

Atlant (talk) 15:20, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

Specifically one might be rubbing against the side of your house. That would make much more noise inside the house than an ordinary squeaking branch. DJ Clayworth (talk) 18:36, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

Or something metal (and rusty?) like a gate/sign/hanging-basket swinging slightly in the wind. That would make a squeaking noise too. 194.221.133.226 (talk) 13:35, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

Might be something crawling about in the cellar, looked down there recently?87.102.86.73 (talk) 17:50, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

It might be the foundations of your house. Check for subsidence. Moancical (talk) 18:20, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

How about a rusty iron gate moving on its hinges - do you have anything like that?87.102.86.73 (talk) 18:46, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

It might be the wind coming in through a crack in the window or the window frame. Pacific Coast Highway ^{{talk • contribs}} 05:23, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

Pet Odors

Is it harmful to one's health to breathe in or inhale pet urine/excrement odors? Also, apart from side effects such as diseases, etc., does it in any way impair brain function or cognative ability?

Also, what about household cleaning products? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.17.77.208 (talk) 16:18, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

Difficult one to answer. On the one hand, this is the disproved Miasma theory of disease. On the other hand, in sufficient concentrations (and that's the key) certain chemicals have the capacity to impair bodily functions. I think the answer is, it's a matter of degree, but in the normal case, it's a bit pongy but not injurious. --Tagishsimon (talk) 17:57, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

Check out the second paragraph of Toxoplasma gondii. Matt Deres (talk) 20:14, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

WRT cleaning products, a lot of products with bleach have warnings about using them in well ventilated areas. The fumes can get pretty strong. This usually only gives me a headache, but I find it difficult to think well when I have a headache. Steewi (talk) 06:07, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

Effect of Protein

I apologize beforehand if this qualifies as medical advice. Suppose someone introduces a large amount of protein into their healthy diet without changing anything else- no additional exercise, no additional nutrient or other foods. What would be the effect of that extra protein on one's body? By large amount, say previously one was taking 100% of the daily recommended protein intake and is now taking 200% of the recommended protein intake. Acceptable (talk) 17:51, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

See Protein in nutrition#Excess protein consumption for all we have. It's not possible, as you know, for us to make a link between the dosage amount you've specified in your question, and the effects in the case you're describing. --Tagishsimon (talk) 18:01, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

boil or zit

This is not a medical question as I am not asking for a prognosis. I have a large boil or zit or something on the end of my penis and it is really painful to masturbate or move the foreskin over the affected area. What shop available creams might be good to reduce the lump? Moancical (talk) 18:18, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

It is a medical question since you are asking for a suggested treatment. On that basis, it should not be answered directly. I suggest you visit your local chemist/pharmacist and ask them. --Tagishsimon (talk) 18:20, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

I'd skip the pharmacist to be honest. The end of your penis is a mucous membrane, and the occurance of pimples or boils is a medical matter. Fribbler (talk) 22:42, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

Roswell

The cover for the books Roswell High feature the same actors as the television series Roswell (TV Series), however the books were published BEFORE the televisions series and served as inspiration for it. So, my question is, did the actors (or some of the actors) get their roles in the tv series as a direct result of first having been featured on the cover of the books? 79.75.149.90 (talk) 19:07, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

Is it not more likely that the book covers are from reprints published after the TV series? --Tagishsimon (talk) 19:13, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

I though that too at first, but their hairstyles are wildly different and they look a lot younger. Plus only some of the same actors are featured, some are completely different than the show. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.75.149.90 (talk) 19:16, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

Look at this [1]. It looks like there's two different versions of the first book. I'm not sure when the non-photograph version was published, but according to Amazon[2], the version with the photograph is the current edition, and it was published November 1, 1999. One month after the TV show first aired. (And it would have been in production for months before that.) APL (talk) 20:20, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

Actually, if you go to Amazon and zoom in on the covers of the versions of the books with the photographs, they actually mention the TV show. So presumably the books were re-printed so that their covers would be a marketing tie-in with the TV show. (Like how the current edition of "I Robot" has Will Smith on the cover.) Hope this helps. APL (talk) 20:22, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

I'll just note that it's very common, when a movie or TV show is made from an existing book (other than classic literature) for publishers to reprint it with a new cover showing one or more of the actors in character. --Anonymous, 01:03 UTC, June 27, 2008.

Career

Hi, My name is Moses Jackson, I recently graduated from Canoga Park High School, and my question is that i don't know what career to study, please can you help me. Here is a List of the things i want to do: I want to travel around the world[especially on motorcycle or rv],to meet different kinds of people,to record all that i learned,saw and heard,to have a high paying job,to comment and analyze political situations,appeared and worked on television or radio, being famous,to give my opinion on issues,to interview and hang out with globally important people,to draw cartoons and design, to write articles in magazines or newspapers,to create stories,poems and essays,to lie?, to help,teach,inform,serve the community[people],to investigate and solve mysteries,be powerful, have influence over poeple's opinions,to dress good?,to act,be funny and tell jokes,to visit,explore and discover historical,archaeological,natural sites, have my own column in a important newspaper or magazine,to have adventures,to be on the site of the action and conflict, work in groups, to take pictures and film documentaries and movies, to have my own office,to give lectures,reading,speeches and conferences and to have contact with nature and animals.Please help me choose my career. Thank You —Preceding unsigned comment added by 206.170.104.24 (talk) 19:07, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

Archaeologist? 86.131.210.33 (talk) 22:45, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

Possibly a reporter or newsperson like the ones you see on the big national news channels going to Africa and stuff. or you could be some tv show host like the ones on the travel channel. The archeologist was a good idea. I don't know if you would be able to fit all of those things in one career, but you might want to consider some as a hobby. Such as the cartoons and drawings you could draw whatever you see or you could be those people that draw peoples faces in a cartoon kind of way. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.119.61.7 (talk) 02:52, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

Hi Moses Jackson, have you thought about being a photo journalist submitting projects to something like National Geographic? You might want to get a science background with communications thrown in. There's nothing to stop you creating graphics, to write, inform etc as you go along. But why "to lie"? The more you develop yourself the more you'll have to contribute. As 86.131 says, find some role model achievers along these lines to give yourself ideas and see how they handle their own diversity. He was based on real people. It can be done and it takes years -- of fun and adventure hopefully. Julia Rossi (talk) 23:57, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

Rouge admins

How come this page apparently doesn't exist yet still has a list of content in it? 79.75.149.90 (talk) 19:13, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

It's a category page, which combines your common or garden page, and supplements it with a list of articles belonging to the category. It's quite possible to categorise articles, before creating the corresponding category page. The effect is the one you see. (Hope that makes some sort of sense) --Tagishsimon (talk) 19:21, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

(ec)The category was deleted at UCD, but some of the roguish of them refuse to remove themselves from the category regardless of its deleted state. So although it doesn't exist, the category is still populated. --Onorem♠Dil 19:23, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

Not to mention that rogue is spelled r o g u e, yet your link points to "rouge" admins, whom are presumably pinkish in color. --LarryMac | Talk 20:08, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

It is rouge, a play on rogue. See Wikipedia:Rouge admin and Category:Rouge editors. To the OP: it's supposed to be a humorous, tongue-in-cheek "we're not a cabal, because there aren't any" in joke. I can't be bothered reading the CfD, but presumably the joke wore thin. Gwinva (talk) 21:46, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

And don't forget the complementary spin-off eguor admins. ---Sluzzelin talk 16:51, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

The red link is for greater Rouge effect. Sincerely yours, rouge admin · AndonicO ^Engage. 18:26, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

bringing beer on an airplane

I'm going to travel to Europe in a short while, and was wondering if I was allowed to carry beer? Can you have beer in your checked luggage?76.194.67.13 (talk) 19:21, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

Not in this day & age, since the alleged liquid explosive plot. --Tagishsimon (talk) 19:22, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

The fallout of that alleged conspiracy affects the contents of one's carryon bags, not checked luggage. Nonetheless, it is not advisable to place something so fragile into a suitcase that will be handled by barely trained monkeys at the beginning and end of the journey. And if you're thinking cans might be better, sacrifice one to your freezer tonight and check on it in the morning. --LarryMac | Talk 20:06, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

But how much beer can you bring? Can you bring whole 12 packs into your luggage? And what if I used bubble wrap around the cans/package?76.194.67.13 (talk) 20:21, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

Again, think about the luggage hold on an airplane, along the atmospheric pressure and the ambient temperature at 30,000 feet. Consider also that there are strict baggage weight limitations on international flights. They do sell beer in Europe. --LarryMac | Talk 20:43, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

Hi. Although I'm not sure about Europe, in some places such as Canada, you are allowed to bring a certain amount of alcohol, depending on the concentration and source. However, the same might not be true in other parts of the world, so you might want to check the website for the aviation security regulations for your country and/or the places you are travelling to. Hope this helps. Thanks. ~AH1^(TCU) 21:25, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

You can bring beer on board an aircraft as carry-on, so long as it was bought after you passed through the security check. But, that means buying whatever the airport store has available and they are unlikely to sell you a large quantity. You can also put beer in your checked baggage, but don't be surprised if the can or bottle freezes and breaks during. In theory, between countries in the EU, the limit is "personal use" which is normally understood (at least when travelling by car) to be 100 litres, but in practice that is a hell of a lot of beer and you would never be able to take that on a plane even as checked baggage.

But honestly, why would you want to? The various countries of Europe all make great beers, so why not buy a fresh supply when you arrive in a new country? Astronaut (talk) 21:45, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

Isn't bringing beer to Europe like bringing sand to the beach? Why do you want to do this? --D. Monack | talk 21:28, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

Well, he seems to be from San Diego -- maybe he wants to bring along some Arrogant Bastard Ale. I don't think you can get anything like that in, say, Germany, where their taste in beer is very different (and not to my personal liking). --Trovatore (talk) 21:33, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

Yes, you can usually put liquids in your checked-in (hold) luggage. I imagine weight limits will be your biggest limiting factor, but you could do it. However, some brands such as Budweiser are widely available in Europe, and you might not need to bring your own. AlmostReadytoFly (talk) 09:42, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

If you travel from A to B, but insist on bringing your accustomed food / drinks in your luggage and your own culture / expectations in your mind you may as well stay at home. As to the presence or absence of arrogant bastards outside the city limits of San Diego I hold private opinions which have no informational value to the querent. --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 20:07, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

That's true, if you're going just for yourself. But maybe he has friends in Germany, and he'd like to share with them what real beer tastes like. --Trovatore (talk) 20:09, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

But why would someone from San Diego want to show Germans what a label tasted like? :) Zain Ebrahim (talk) 20:15, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

Have you ever drunk an Arrogant Bastard, Zain? Probably not. You're probably not worthy, anyway. --Trovatore (talk) 20:20, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

Touché. Zain Ebrahim (talk) 20:31, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

RAT-TAILED MAGGOTS

What is the best way of getting rid of Rat-Tailed Maggots —Preceding unsigned comment added by ONY44 (talk • contribs) 19:27, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

Hi. Please also see the article on rat-tailed maggots, although other than that I myself am not sure. However, please do not write in ALLCAPS, as it may seem rude to some people. If this is a request for medical advice, please note that Wikipedia is not able to give out any. Thanks. ~AH1^(TCU) 21:20, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

Your local fishing tackle shop is your best bet since these maggots are commonly used as bait. Medical advice? I shudder to think what for :-) Fribbler (talk) 22:39, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

Presumably infection. Angus Lepper^{(T, C, D)} 23:01, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

Total EUI, didn't notice they wanted rid of them. Think I should bow out for the night. Though they were looking for maggots! ....Fribbler (talk) 23:14, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

surely they'll just go of their own volition when they turn into hover flies,although it would help to know where they are at present. Richard Avery (talk) 07:08, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

Soda pop

Will sealed soda pop go bad if it's been warm, then cooled, then warm again? 74.204.40.122 (talk) 19:29, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

Not unless it's so old that the seal has gone bad. It likely goes through a few such changes on its travels to the store where you purchased it. Dismas|^(talk) 20:00, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

I disagree. Plastic bottles aren't ever a perfect seal, and they gradually lose their fizz through the plastic. When the bottle gets warm it also leaches chemicals into the pop more quickly than it would if kept cold. I don't see cycling between warm and cold as being any worse than staying warm, however, unless it gets so cold the pop freezes. If that happens, the plastic is stretched, and that also causes chemicals to be released into the pop. StuRat (talk) 05:28, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

If you have a bottle of soda that has been opened, then resealed, give it a little shake and it will keep its carbonation. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.225.133.60 (talk) 08:27, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

No... agitation releases the carbonation, it doesn't restore it. — Lomn 14:33, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

Not going to debate it, but it DOES restore by using the carbonation that is still inside the bottle.

EXPERIMENT: buy 3 bottles. Pour 1/4 of it out. Reseal them. Shake 2 of the bottles until the bottle becomes hard again, the 3rd, do not shake. With bottle #1, open it, seal it and shake it. Do this until the bottle stops getting hard, about 6 times. The contents are now flat. With bottle #2, leave it sealed for a week. After the week, the bottle will still be hard, which means the contents have not gone flat. Bottle #3, open after it has sat for a few hours. Notice that the contents are flat. FINDINGS: Using the available carbonation has kept the contents from going flat.

Strange Muslim women's face device

When coming back from BoundCon, I saw something strange at Munich Airport. It was a Muslim family, with all the adult women dressed in burkhas, covering everything except their faces. This was all normal, but the oldest woman wore a strange metal gold-coloured thingy that covered the part of her face between her mouth and her eyes, including her nose. It seemed to be mostly decorative, neither helping or hindering her breathing or facial movements in any way. What the heck was that thing? JIP | Talk 19:37, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

A metal veil? Per [3]? Presumably it has another name. --Tagishsimon (talk) 19:50, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

No, it was not a veil. It was a solid piece of metal that covered the middle of her face entirely. It looked a bit like some sort of medical support but I don't think it was one, it looked too decorative for that. JIP | Talk 04:46, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

Did it look something like this? That's an al-battoulah, a face covering worn by many women from Qatar. There's not much information about it online, but there's a few Google hits here'. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 14:57, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

Yes, something like that. Only it was made of metal, not cloth or leather, and it only seemed to cover the middle part of her face, not her eyes or her forehead. I was confused whether it was for decoration or for modesty but I felt it was too inappropriate just to go and ask them what it was. (Besides, I didn't know whether they spoke English or German, and I don't speak whatever their native language was.) JIP | Talk 21:07, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

Were they sequins? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.119.61.7 (talk) 00:21, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

About international mail and this company Nike Central

I ordered some shoes from a website called Nike Central. They are located in China and the shoes were suppose to arrive in 3-7 days. I still haven't received the shoes and wanted to know how long would it really take them to arrive in the U.S. They have an email address at the company but no other way to contact them. I was starting to think this was a fraud. I just want to know is a company and when will the shoes arrive? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.167.59.218 (talk) 20:16, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

It depends when the tide comes in :-)) Seriously though, you don't say how long you have been waiting, but numerous things can happen when ordering stuff from overseas so I would suggest waiting at least a couple of weeks. However, when I visited the site www.nikecentral.com my virus scanner went on high alert. It seems to be riddled with viruses and other malware and I certainly wouldn't shop there. As a precaution, it might be a good idea to ask your credit card company about recent transactions. Astronaut (talk) 22:00, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

Oh - and scan your PC for viruses :-) Astronaut (talk) 22:05, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

Please help with information on Tooloula

I am researching names for a restaurant. I was told that TOOLOULA was a greek god of food and beverages. I can not locate any information on TOOLOULA.

Can you help?

For Lawrence —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.15.38.48 (talk) 23:38, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

Any relation to Tallulah? -- JackofOz (talk) 23:47, 25 June 2008 (UTC)

A search in wikipedia for god of food reveals a number of names from other cultures; there's no trace of Tooloula, though.

• In Māori mythology, Rongo is a major god, the god of cultivated food
• Inari (mythology)
• Goddess of food, Uke Mochi, found in List of divinities in Japanese mythology
• Haumea - Hawaiian
• Edusa - goddess of nourishment
• Edesia - goddess of food who presided over banquets, both from List of Roman deities
• A couple of candidates in Family tree of the Māori gods

There's also List of Greek mythological figures. Good luck hunting. --Tagishsimon (talk) 00:45, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

If it's a vegetarian restaurant you might want to try Ceres or Demeter. Grutness...wha? 02:49, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

It's a long shot, but I wonder if whoever told you that might be trying to make a joke regarding Toula, the subject of a film about a Greek woman who runs the family restaurant. I only even mention it because I happen to know a family of Greeks who run a family restaurant and the name is used as a gag by them. Matt Deres (talk) 02:57, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

Was she the cousin of Noula, Voula, Soula ... and Agape?  :) (Warning: non-Aussies may not understand this reference.) -- JackofOz (talk) 23:43, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

A few of us get it (though it may take a "coupla days" :) She's different from them - Toula, well, she goes, she goes, she goes, she just goes, OK? Grutness...wha? 01:35, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

June 26

Bullheads

Where in Connecticut can I buy live bullhead catfish for my pond? -anon

There's a list of hatcherys here http://www.ct.gov/dep/lib/dep/fishing/general_information/hatcherylist.pdf

Alternatively you could try asking around local live fish shops, as they should know wheer to get fish.87.102.86.73 (talk) 12:33, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

Living on a Magical Pill

Suppose there exists a time-release pill with 100% of the nutrients and vitamins that the body needs that would otherwise be regularly derived from meals. Could a person survive just by eating one of these pills a day? If so, will one still feel hungry? Thanks. Acceptable (talk) 04:28, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

With no caloric content? No. For that matter, "suppose there exists" can almost certainly be replaced by "suppose I go purchase at the health store". It might be 6 pills instead of 1, but I'm certain it's presently achievable. — Lomn 04:43, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

What if it did have sufficient caloric content? Would the body still suffer from hunger pangs? Acceptable (talk) 04:50, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

You'd also need sufficient fiber, and the calories would need to be distributed between carbs, protein, and fats. When you add all that up (and your daily water requirements), they wouldn't be a few little pills any more, they'd be many huge pills. StuRat (talk) 05:22, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

Again, assuming that it's not a matter of getting the stuff out of the pills, and they can cram it all into one pill somehow, then yes. Your body would think it's going hungry for a while, and would run counter-measures (using up body fat, etc.), but it would probably adjust. If I understand it correctly, you body determines a lot of its 'hunger feeling' from portion sizes, i.e. how much you eat, rather than from the nutrition content. But your body adjusts to how much it's used to getting. If you eat half as much as you usually do, your body will complain for a while, but after a week or two, it won't have a problem. Steewi (talk) 06:20, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

All the vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, and fiber you need can be obtained from pills; 4-5 types of pills might suffice. However, many vitamins cannot be metabolized without lipids (fat), so you'd have to consume some of that. In addition, you need to consume all the basic amino acids, normally obtained through protein-rich food (meat, eggs, etc.). Your body has no particular need for carbohydrates (bread, sugar, pasta, etc.), however, which make up the bulk of most Western diets. One more thing your body might need is the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, which are found in the retinas and cannot be synthesized by the body.

Keep in mind, your body needs around 2000 calories of energy a day in addition to whatever essential nutrients you ingest. That works out to at least 500 grams of protein, 250 grams of fat, or 143 grams of alcohol.Paul Davidson (talk) 08:28, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

Perhaps the case of someone being fed intravenously answers your question. My understanding is that they do get hungry, but nothing too serious. You yourself were fed intravenously for nine months, after all! --Sean 14:41, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

Hi. Err, I don't really think it's a good idea to substitute any one of those three for all your daily caloric needs, especially alcohol. Remember, however, that many people in richer countries consume 3000 - 4000 calories a day, and some in third world countries consume less than 1000. Besides, unless it's nessecary for survival, wouldn't it get boring after a while due to not being able to taste or smell food, and what about your daily water needs? Thanks. ~AH1^(TCU) 17:39, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

Good day. I had heard about some scientist who are saying that vitamins actually might not help with increasing your life.(I don't have any sources for this...but I heard about it.) So your "hypothetical" magical pill might not actually help with our lives. Also to much of anything good can still be bad...even magic can be bad. So you have to count those factors as well. Well I hope I wasn't to confusing and I hope I have helped. Have a positively wonderful day.Rem Nightfall (talk) 21:10, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

If you want to extend your life by changing eating habits, eating a bunch of vitamins probably wont do all that much. If you really want to extend your life, calorie restriction is probably your best bet. Caveat: life might be long, but it will be no fun. 217.213.153.218 (talk) 14:37, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

urgent: how to scare mice from under a corner bookshelf??

Hi, folks, Anybody has any thoughts about how to make a mouse (not a pet! yuck) leave from under a bookshelf?? We tried noise & water. SOS!Knyazhna (talk) 04:58, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

How about the "tried-and-true" solution? A cat? (Joseph A. Spadaro (talk) 05:01, 26 June 2008 (UTC))

Pets are not easy to get on short notice. Plus it's kind of wasteful to adopt a cat for that purpose and then send it back. Pacific Coast Highway ^{{talk • contribs}} 05:21, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

Moving the bookshelf is the obvious solution. Of course, the mouse will just run and hide somewhere else. There's poison and glue traps to kill the mouse, but they are both exceedingly cruel. I have to concur with the cat solution. Borrow one from a friend. It will either kill the mouse or scare it so badly it will leave the house and never come back. StuRat (talk) 05:20, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

Though anyone who has seen a cat toy with a mouse would wonder whether that is a less "cruel" option. Rockpocket

Yes, thank you on the cat thing. But a) we're scared of cats (or pretty much animal in close proximity) anyway; b) can't think of any friend I have that has a cat; c) doesn't solve the whole "if I leave this room, the mouse will go SOMEWHERE where I don't know where it is and that scares the living daylights out of me" problem.

We actually did end up taking everything out of the top shelf (it was a one bookshelf standing on top of another, all filled with heavy canned goods & grains in jars - we use it for pantry). We removed the top shelf and tipped the bottom one (carefully holding the doors closed; we really didn't want to unload the bottom shelf unless absolutely necessary). It took several tippings essentially to 45 degrees until the mouse ran out of there and thankfully ran toward & out the door (we barricaded most of other exits). Whew! Now of course, the question is whether it was a random mouse out of the yard or garage OR a part of a huge nest of mice somewhere close or in the house. SCARY! —Preceding unsigned comment added by Knyazhna (talk • contribs) 05:36, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

Under a bookcase, you say. Did it by any chance steal a cookbook? Clarityfiend (talk) 06:12, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

As for item c, you wouldn't have to worry about losing the mouse if you had a cat in the house. The cat would watch that bookcase until the mouse left, then chase it and watch it's new hiding place. Ever hear the expression "he's like a cat with a mouse" ? That means he never gives up, just like a cat on the trail of a mouse. StuRat (talk) 06:22, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

Of course the mouse is going to take over the house, consume or contaminate all the food and chew through your ankles while you sleep. And after the cat has torn all the mice to pieces, it will start on you – not really. Are you letting your fears take over your life? Mean as it sounds, I once used ratsack an anticoagulant I think, only because they outnumbered the household 10 to 1, temporarily. If nothing else works, you could write a kid's book about them – look what it did for William Steig. Best of, Julia Rossi (talk) 09:13, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

I congratulate you, Julia, on having no irrational fears. Oh, you do? Don't cast stones then. (And oh yeah, beside the irrational fear, mice are actually dangerous: "Mice can be harmful pests, damaging and eating crops and spreading diseases through their parasites and feces. In western North America, breathing dust that has come in contact with mouse feces has been linked to the deadly hantavirus." (Wiki) Knyazhna (talk) 20:42, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

If you don't like glue traps, someone has built a better mousetrap that will kill instantly. AlmostReadytoFly (talk) 09:25, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

Humane traps, and of course a watched pot never boils. Is the bookcase easy to move?87.102.86.73 (talk) 12:28, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

What kind of traps are you talking about? The kind I use are not cruel in any way, they just trap the mouse inside an enclosure and I leave them far away (across the highway generally so it doesn't come back). 125.21.243.66 (talk) 13:26, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

That's the sort I meant - though don't be like me and forget to check the trap regularily - as the mice can starve to death inside... Sorry mice-angels..87.102.86.73 (talk) 13:48, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

Give it a cookie. That way it will want some milk too... :-)Ilikefood (talk) 01:53, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Perfect. Julia Rossi (talk) 08:06, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

need information about ashwood university USA

need information about ashwood university USA? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 203.123.21.222 (talk) 07:33, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

Have a look at Ashwood University and follow the links from there. And note in particular the points made by many people that this is not a serious academic institution. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 07:43, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

how many?

wot is the most musical instroments some1 can play in one go? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Pipedpickled (talk • contribs) 14:23, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

Indefinitely extensible. Six at once is the most I've found a reliable reference for that have been played together, but when you consider that mechanical linkages and the like are driving some of those, it's clear that the upper limit is dictated by where the performer wants to stop. — Lomn 14:32, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

Bert (Dick Van Dyke) gives a pretty good existence proof of being able to play quite a few instruments more-or-less simultaneously. Meanwhile, on the Tubular Bells album, Mike Oldfield gives a pretty good proof of how many instruments one can play (one at a time) using multitrack recording.

Atlant (talk) 14:52, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

• reports Atlant to WP:Heinous Vandalism for suggesting that Tubular Bells is a good example of anything* Meanwhile, if you accept that handbells are instruments, then you could presumably manufacture a claim for playing hundreds at a time ... and it would still sound better than Mike Oldfield. --Tagishsimon (talk) 14:56, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

Tagish: Conventionally, handbells are considered to be "one musical instrument that takes 14 people to play". But, that opinion may be held only by ringers :-). (Would you count a piano as 88 little instruments?) --Danh, 67.40.167.124 (talk) 01:38, 27 June 2008 (UTC).

I'm finding myself getting exorcised about your musical opinons. ;-)

Atlant (talk) 15:05, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

The article one man band may be informative. -- 128.104.112.147 (talk) 14:58, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

ants

Answer this: the ant article says "They are polygynous, and can have up to one hundred queens per nest. [3] They are also polydomous, with many nest sites per individual colony.[1] These queens will have gathered together after their nuptial flight and will have formed a nest and laid their eggs in it." Does this only mean the quenns get form a nest together when they fly or can they nest accept new queens of same species laters, like in susequent flights but than nest not because it already formed? Spinage (talk) 14:29, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

The question is a little confused. I think it's asking "In a polygynous ant colony with many queens, do all the queens originate from the same nuptial flight, or do queens from subsequent flights sometimes become part of the colony?" While I can't speak for all species of ant, Formica rufa and other wood ants often allow new queens from subsequent flights into their nests, but usually only if they have similar pheromones and are originally from the same super colony. JessicaN10248 19:11, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

Copyright attribution on Wikipedia

I noticed on Wikipedia images (even the copyrighted ones) don't attribute the copyright on the page they are displayed. Rather, you have to actually click on the image to view any copyright information. How is this allowed? --217.227.87.251 (talk) 15:30, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

The Reference Desk is not the best forum for this question, nor can we give legal advice. Essentially the same question has been raised elsewhere:

• Talk:Creative_Commons_licenses#Issues_with_attribution
• Wikipedia_talk:Featured_picture_candidates#Issues_with_attribution

but I'm not sure it's a fully resolved issue. -- Coneslayer (talk) 15:34, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

This is not "legal advice". --74.223.170.240 (talk) 01:14, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

It does not seem to be a much different model from a paper book which might list the copyright credits for all images in the book in a single section at the front or back. Is there actually a problem here? --Tagishsimon (talk) 16:03, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

There is no requirement that the copyright notice be stamped right on the image. It just has to be easily available in a logical location. Clicking on the image has been determined by those on high to be fine. But it's an interpretation (of the GFDL, in particular). There are requirements under some of the "free licenses" about where you can refer to copyright information—that's the only relevant stuff on it, about how to use aggregated/collected works. (Fair use does not make such a requirement at all—we do so on here in order to be both helpful, ethical, and internally consistent, not because there is a legal requirement.) --74.223.170.240 (talk) 01:13, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

Where is the gas tank on my 66 VW Bus?

I'm restoring a VW bus right now and I've come to a standstill. I need to take out the gas tank on my 66 bus before I can do anything else, but unfortunately I cannot locate it. (or my Haynes tech manual for it.)I looked inside of the engine compartment and noticed that there was a tube connecting to the gas cap that seemed to move forward.

I hope that I was clear enough, and thank you. Mack. 70.248.124.25 (talk) 18:39, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

This page gives you a clue - there's a compartment behind a firewall ... you cannot get to it with the engine in situ. Another site [4] says "in front of the engine behind a fire wall panel". --Tagishsimon (talk) 19:06, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

Looking for old Billboard 200 charts

I'm looking for a site that has preferably complete Billboard 200 charts from weeks and years past. As far as I know, Billboard.com only offers half the current chart for free. Is there a reputable site which has older Billboard 200 charts available for free? Preferably going very far back, like the 1970's to present. Thanks. 70.105.164.43 (talk) 19:27, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

Also, is there a site which has older box-office movie charts? Once again, around 1970's to present if possible (or before, if available). Thanks. 70.105.164.43 (talk) 19:31, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

On the Billboard charts, I don't think you're going to find that information anywhere for free online. It's Billboard's property and they're gonna want to charge you for it; see [5] for example. Or you could go through old music magazines, or maybe Billboard publishes books that list the old charts. But as for getting them for free, forget it. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 13:50, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

I Dub Thee Druid

Good day. I am writing a story about a war against wizards(there are witches as well) and druids. I made wizards have material magic meaning they can heal wounds, control minds, illusions, mysticism,etc. While druids are elemental magic controllers were they can create barriers from water, earth, wind,and fire, they can control those elements to attack(one guy has a tree sword),etc. But my questions is, are druids magical beings? Do druids control magic? Do druids have magic? Btw, I did read the druid article before I asked this question, but I am still a little confused. Thank you for answering my question, I really appreciate it. Have a positively wonderful day.Rem Nightfall (talk) 21:17, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

It's your story; can't your druids be whatever you want them to be? The article mentions that they were believed to have magic powers. Whether they really did or not isn't something that an encyclopedia can give a reliable answer on. Friday (talk) 21:28, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

(after ec)Your Druids are mystical if you make them mystical. Even though it's incredibly one-sided, it might help if you read Druid and Druid abilities at the World of Warcraft wiki. Also try Druid (disambiguation) and Category:Druids and note that Merlin's in that category. Zain Ebrahim (talk) 21:31, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

As Nigel Tufnel put it mysteriously (and eloquently): "In ancient times, hundreds of years before the dawn of history, an ancient race of people: The Druids. No one knows who they were or what they were doing ... " ---Sluzzelin talk 21:48, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

Since you're writing a fantasy novel, you wnat mysticism ideas, rather than WP's facts. This google book on Druid Magic might give you some ideas. Also look at this Druidry Community discussion on magic. Of course, you can adapt these ideas as much as you want. Have fun. Gwinva (talk) 22:10, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

It seems perfectly reasonable to have druids as 'elemental magic controllers', and many fantasy works do the same, - typically though I would expect a druid to be associated with earth or water elements..

In a historical sense - I don't really know the extent to which druids were magicians at all.. and as others have pointed out - nobody else seems to either.

As a potential link for you - the closest character I can think of in literature that fits with my idea of a druid would be Radagast (middle earth).87.102.86.73 (talk) 23:14, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

It sounds like you might get some use out of the religious/spiritual aspect of Druidism. If wizards control magic (or have it inherently), they use it impersonally and as a force. Druids, on the other hand, might access it through mystical or religious means, by supplication to a spiritual force (often a god, or nature itself) and they act as a channel for the magic, rather than controlling it. Steewi (talk) 01:05, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

I have nothing to contribute here, except to say that it feels very odd that this discussion mentions that the questioner has read druid which is about real live historical priest-like individuals, and then goes on to ask a question about magical fantasy characters like you might find in a D&D game. APL (talk) 01:40, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

Good evening. My wizards inherit magical ability from birth. Druids have to gain their powers by being offered to the stars. Or at least in my story. Also my wizards don't use staffs or wands they abilities just come out from whatever they are controlling. They are a force. While druids are the calm. @APL: Well I'm sorry I hadn't realized that they had an article of RPG druids. I would think in the historical druid article they would touch the idea like a thing that says in fantasy or something like that. Thank you everyone for the help and the little links. I really appreciate it. Have a positively wonderful evening.Rem Nightfall (talk) 02:49, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

tax disc colllector- appropriate terminology please!

My other half and I were watching a comedy/news related programme the other day. We heard the proper and recognized term for tax disc collectors beginning with "velo". Unfortunately we can't remember the rest of it. Please, please, please can you furnish us with the remainder of the word. Yours in anticipation, Helen ( and Dave!) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.152.136.98 (talk) 22:07, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

Velology. They even have a magazine: The Velologist: "a fascinating monthly A5 magazine that focuses exclusively on expired tax disc collecting".–Gwinva (talk) 22:16, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

Sounds like a very generous definition of the word fascinating. —Angr 22:59, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

Indeed. But feeling it deserved its own article (rather than a red link on the -logy page) I've started one. If anyone can bear the excitement, feel free to flesh it out. Gwinva (talk) 23:31, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

In case anybody's wondering, Helen and Dave were watching the UK current affairs comedy quiz show Have I Got News For You. A magazine on velology was the guest publication.Hawkisgirl (talk) 22:51, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

June 27

Fireworks in San Diego

I'm staying in a hotel in San Diego, and right now they are shooting fireworks off of the back of the Midway outside my window. Does anyone know what they're for? Does this happen once a week or something? I just thought it was strange since it's not the 4th of July or anything. 12.147.18.2 (talk) 04:49, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

Mmmm. They sometimes have private events on the Midway, occasionally they include fireworks. Alternatively, USS Boxer (LHD-4) arrived in port today, perhaps it some celebration related to that. Rockpocket 05:00, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

Here in Germany people are setting off fireworks to celebrate various accomplishments in the UEFA Euro 2008, but somehow I doubt anyone in San Diego cares about that. 05:29, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

Well, ya never know. Maybe there are some German San Diegans lifting a glass of Arrogant Bastard to celebrate right now. --Trovatore (talk) 05:41, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

Perhaps they are fans of the Spanish team? Adam Bishop (talk) 06:43, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

I saw some people celebrating Canada Day today. They were a little early, but you know Canadians. Plasticup ^T/C 13:29, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

gilded age

Are there peer-reviewed journals that are purely electronic? no or yes! That means they don't put their peer-reviewed "papers" on paper. If so, are there any that put them out once they are available, such as if they are available on TUES, then it will be out on TUES, then on WED there are 3 articles out, on THURS there are none. Next week, WED will have only one article out, even though there were none on on TUES, MON, or the previous FRI. (Not counting Saturdays or Sundays).68.148.164.166 (talk) 09:06, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

If not, why is this so?68.148.164.166 (talk) 09:07, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

What benefit is there of being 'purely electronic'? I can understand the move towards placing things online, but why exclude paper? Generally I have found that people are happy to read things online/on-screen when they are under a few pages long, but beyond this they tend to prefer paper-based reading. As for peer-reviewed journals in particular i'm not sure, but would suspect the above reasons would carry across to those too. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 194.221.133.226 (talk) 09:15, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

There are, no-one seems to go to the library to read journals anymore unless they are looking for very old articles. So it is quite common for new journals to be purely online. For example, Biomed Central publishes a range of journals that are purely electronic. The details are here for BMC Developmental Biology http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcdevbiol/ Under Speed of Publication it states "Articles will be published electronically in manuscript form immediately upon acceptance. A fully structured web version, and accompanying laid out PDF, will be published within a few weeks of acceptance." So articles will at least appear for the first time on any day of the week. However, I am not sure if the 'Fully Structured' versions also appear on any day of the week or if they are released as a weekly 'issue'. The website is playing up at the moment for me so I can’t check. Franmars (talk) 13:49, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

I go to the library to read journal articles all the time, because at least for humanities journals, there is a "rolling wall" of about five years until they put the new ones online. It's extremely inconvenient. Adam Bishop (talk) 04:35, 28 June 2008 (UTC)

Well, most humanities journals these days have e-versions as well for new issues, put out by the publisher. (At least in my field.) The "rolling wall" is only in the big databases. Google Scholar can often pick up articles before they end up in the databases, if you are searching for something in particular. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 03:53, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

I'm pretty sure there are probably some exclusively digital journals, but at the moment paper still holds prestige in academia, while all-digital things do not (in part because the cost for all-digital publication is a lot lower, and if you can't get someone to put any money behind it, then what's the real value? etc.). I have seen on-going debates about whether all-digital publications (books, articles) can even count towards tenure review (and if that's in question—I'm not far enough to really know, myself—then you can see what the disincentive would be). --98.217.8.46 (talk) 03:53, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

German Abitur

Does anyone know what the UK equivalent of a German Abitur is? I think there is some organisation that shows the respective equivalents but I can't find it. Does anyone have any info? I'm grateful for any info! Thanks! --Cameron* 10:55, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

The A levels? I'm not sure how it compares to the Abitur, though.Fribbler (talk) 11:09, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

The article on Matura, the equivalent term used in a variety of European countries states "The equivalent British term (except Scotland) is "A-levels", the Scottish is "Higher", the Irish is "Leaving Certificate", the German is "Abitur", or simply "Abi", the French is "le baccalauréat", or simply "le bac" and the Romanian is "bacalaureat". In Swiss French, it is called La Maturité or, informally, "La Matu'"." --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 12:01, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

The Abitur perhaps more directly fulfils the function of an entrance exam to university or certain professional training courses than A-levels do, although it's taken at the same stage in education. The Wikipedia article on Abitur compares it to Europe's International Baccalaureate (also offered in some UK schools) and to the tests in the US Advanced Placement program, but you could also compare it with the new Advanced Diplomas which the UK government is proposing to introduce as an A-level equivalent [6]. --Karenjc 12:16, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

As an aside, whilst the Scottish Higher may be equivalent insofar as it is the standard university 'tariff' in Scotland, it is not generally considered academically equivalent to a full A-level. Pupils headed for Scottish universities often leave in the 12th rather than 13th year of school, with the university courses a year longer than in England (i.e. a batchelor's degree would be 4 years against 3 in England). English universities will more typically specify entry requirements for Scottish students in terms of Advanced Highers (which, in Scotland, will often allow for direct entry to the second year of a course). Angus Lepper^{(T, C, D)} 13:46, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

By "Advanced Dipomas" Karenjc means the 14-19 Diplomas. Agreed that the nearest equivalent in Scotland is the Advanced Highers. We need more work on these articles. Itsmejudith (talk) 16:28, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

Bees in the chimney

I arrived home from work yesterday afternoon to discover a hive of activity. It seems that some bees have taken up residence in my residence. At first I didn't mind so much, but the creatures have the dreadfully rude habit of dying all over the furniture. I mean, honestly. As best as I can tell their hive is located in the chimney but unfortunatly I have a gas fireplace which precludes the most obvious solution. How would my fellow wikipedians deal with this problem? Plasticup ^T/C 13:38, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

Isn't that what pest control outfits like Rentokil are for? --Richardrj ^{talk email} 13:44, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

I am sure they would love to help me out, but I was hoping for something a cheaper and McGyver-esque. Plasticup ^T/C 14:00, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

Well, personally I would leave that kind of job to the pros. You don't want to make the little critters angry. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 14:04, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

Anything useful here?...Fribbler (talk) 14:04, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

Or here, if you're right about the chimney thing. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 14:07, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

You could try a local beekeeper, they might be quite happy to take them. 161.222.160.8 (talk) 22:02, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

Copyright on paintings

Hi. I have a theoretical question on copyrights. Say a painter sells a painting. Images of the painting are on the internet and some newspaper wants to use it as an illustration. Who do they have to ask permission to? Who do they pay for the use of the image? Does the original artist retain copyright for the image or is it ceded as it is sold? Does the buyer gets the copyright when buying the painting and can he do whatever he pleases with the image afterwards even modify it? Thank you. 200.127.59.151 (talk) 16:35, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

From the legal point of view, the physical painting and the copyright to the image are separate and can be transferred separately: for example it's standard for comic artists to sell their original artwork, but the copyright doesn't change hands. Thus whether the copyright is transferred with the painting would be a matter for the artist and the purchaser to decide. I do not know what the normal practice is for paintings. Algebraist 16:49, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

Yeah, the intellectual property and the physical property can be separated. For normal art transactions (like museums) I am sure this is part of the transaction itself in a fairly systematic way. But there's no automatic legal aspect. Just owning something does not make you the holder of the copyright (just as if I buy your book—even if there was only one copy printed—and I wouldn't own the copyright or be the author). --74.223.170.187 (talk) 02:14, 28 June 2008 (UTC)

Some artists specifically note on their paintings that they retain all reproduction rights, notwithstanding who may own the painting itself. Canadian Lorne Holland Bouchard [7] is one such. (Looks like we need an article there.) ៛ Bielle (talk) 00:48, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

How do you view all your comments on YouTube?

I'm not sure if this is the place to ask this, but recently I've been unable to view the list of all my comments on YouTube. The address used to be -http://www.youtube.com/profile_my_comments?user=whateveryourusernameis

but in the last few weeks it comes up as an unrecognized page. Does any computer geek, or YouTube fan know how to to get around this now, since they dropped this feature (with this address, anyways) without notice? I really miss this, and your help would be greatly appreciated--Sam Science (talk) 17:29, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

You could google it - like this: whateveryournameis site:youtube.com. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 194.171.56.13 (talk) 19:39, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

This is a good question as I too have noticed a change. I can no longer see the message "Clear all viwed videos" or something like that which was quick and simple. Now, I have to go to Help, FAQ, How to Clear viewed Videos, etc., etc., and there is no info. on how to re-create the button on screen. Any help appreciated. 92.18.254.254 (talk) 19:49, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

Boats/Waterline

Assume that some person has just invented a method of lifting every single boat out of all the oceans simultaneuosly. How far would the world wide water level drop? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.64.111.95 (talk) 18:37, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

The difference would be utterly insignificant. If you are ever at sea (open ocean, not boating in Maine) you will see how huge and empty it is out there. Plasticup ^T/C 18:49, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

Per [8], the 2002 merchant marine displacement globally was about 650 million gross tons, or 660 billion kilograms, or 0.66 cubic kilometers. The surface area of the Earth's oceans is about 350 million square kilometers. Division yields an expected average displacement of 2 micrometers, assuming I haven't dropped zeroes in there somewhere. So as Plasticup notes, utterly insignificant. — Lomn 19:04, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

Interesting. I knew it would be small but I didn't think it would be that small.

Interesting, but not surprising. Most feminists - even the odd male one - would agree with your humble statement. --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 20:49, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

How much does a cloud weigh?

How much does a cloud weigh? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.75.249.17 (talk) 19:19, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

How much does a cloud weigh? -- Coneslayer (talk) 19:28, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

pesticides/herbicides

Are weeds killed by pesticides or herbicides? --88.104.167.212 (talk) 20:05, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

The short answer is herbicides. Herbicides kill plants. Selective herbicides target certain kinds of plants that might be considered weeds and leave other plants alone. Whether a plant is a weed or not depends on where it is growing and whether someone wants it to grow there. Pesticides kill "pests", which usually means animals, for example rats. Itsmejudith (talk) 20:23, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

Thanks! --88.104.167.212 (talk) 20:25, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

The slightly longer answer is that a herbicide is a type of pesticide see Pesticide#Types_of_pesticides.87.102.86.73 (talk) 20:45, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

No, yours is definitely shorter. 161.222.160.8 (talk) 04:12, 28 June 2008 (UTC)

Riding Bicycle drunk

In North America, is it legal to ride one's bicycle on public roads while drunk? Acceptable (talk) 23:44, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

Hmm. In Ireland it is definately illegal, as a bicycle is a "vehicle" once used on the road. Fribbler (talk) 23:59, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

It is illegal in California, see this link for example. --Dr Dima (talk) 00:25, 28 June 2008 (UTC)

I'm not a lawyer and can't be arsed to look at 50 versions of state laws, but from what google shows, the states that have laws treating bicycles as vehicles probably treat it as drunk driving. --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 13:59, 28 June 2008 (UTC)

I don't know either for sure but I would think it is probably illegal to be intoxicated in public places or on the street. This is hardly enforced of course and would only ever taken into account if there are disruptive behaviour associated with the drunkenness or if other crimes are comitted. Still, that would make it illegal to be drunk on the street, biking or not. 200.127.59.151 (talk) 18:19, 28 June 2008 (UTC)

This is the case in some but not all US states. According to public intoxication, it is false in Missouri, Montana and Nevada, for example. Algebraist 22:13, 28 June 2008 (UTC)

June 28

Army ants

Are there any good documentaries on Army Ants, preferably ones hosted by David Attenborough? Thanks. Jump gyn (talk) 11:33, 28 June 2008 (UTC)

Episode five "Supersocieties" from David Attenborough's series Life in the Undergrowth has a good feature on Army Ants, but it's quite short. Another good one is episode four "Hunting and Escaping" from The Trials of Life, but again it's just a short feature. I haven't seen a whole dedicated program on army ants by David Attenborough, but I'm sure there are ones by others. JessicaN10248 15:16, 28 June 2008 (UTC)

feet to miles

how many feet are in a mile —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.171.140.139 (talk) 11:56, 28 June 2008 (UTC)

5280. For more info, see the article on mile. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.162.249.44 (talk) 12:05, 28 June 2008 (UTC)

You can also search in Google for "1 mile in feet". The search engine works it out for you.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 17:17, 28 June 2008 (UTC)

Chester University

Does the University of Chester in England have a forensic accreditation? If not what are the standards of forensic science being taught there? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 89.241.206.191 (talk) 13:39, 28 June 2008 (UTC)

Looks like they offer Forensic Biology at undergraduate level. Best place to look for more info is their website http://chester.ac.uk or their prospectus, which you can order here JessicaN10248 15:07, 28 June 2008 (UTC)

Thank you so much. 89.241.206.191 (talk) 20:33, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

nhs advert

I am currently studying an NHS advert Could you please help me find out who funds the NHs anti smoking advert where it shows the fishing hook going through someones cheek. If possible could you also let me konow some background information on the people that funded it and how much it cost etc.

Thanks —Preceding unsigned comment added by 88.111.80.50 (talk) 17:42, 28 June 2008 (UTC)

Looks like it's the Department of Health - see here. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 92.40.49.95 (talk) 06:58, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

What is the oldest joke in the book?

There are so many claimants, which is the real oldest joke in the book? 208.72.124.32 (talk) 19:42, 28 June 2008 (UTC)

Trolling the Reference Desk... 79.76.131.166 (talk) 20:03, 28 June 2008 (UTC)

IIRC, the oldest, most hackneyed, and least funny joke in the book is the one that involves trying to find a specific literal meaning for a common idiomatic phrase. Grutness...wha? 00:12, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

That's the oldest trick in the book.87.102.86.73 (talk) 09:44, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

Thog: Ugh-ugh.

Murp: Ugh ugh?

Thog: Ugh.

Murp: "Ugh" ugh?

Thog: Ugh ugh, ugh ugh! (Laugher.)

Murp: Ugh. (Polite, but insincere, laughter.)

--98.217.8.46 (talk) 03:10, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

I guess the oldest joke was a knock-knock joke. Useight (talk) 03:43, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

On the contrary, knock-knock jokes date from the 1950s. If you Google for "oldest joke" you will find plenty of contenders. User:Ksyrie has their own idea about this question.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 08:56, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

I was referring to the caveman joke above taking the form of a knock-knock joke. Useight (talk) 15:43, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

'Murp: "Ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh!" ("Don't quit your day job!") Edison (talk) 00:37, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

June 29

Has anyone ever seriously considered...

Has anyone ever seriously raised the possibility of transporting seawater to low-lying natural depressions in the Sahara (e.g., in northeast Mauritania and northern Mali, and also close to the Algeria/Tunisia border) as a way of both reducing possible rises in coastlines due to global warming and also encouraging an improvement of the biopotential of North Africa? I realise that it would take considerable energy to get the water there, but there are moderately efficient ways of moving the water - and very cost effective ones when weighed against the potential gains. Grutness...wha? 00:28, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

How is that beneficial to the Sahara? You're basically salting the sand at that evaporation rate. --antilived^{T | C | G} 05:03, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

Much of the Sahara was once a sea. That's why salt is still mined in parts of northern Mali. And having an inland sea in that area would affect the climate of the entirety of North Africa, increasing rainfall over much of what would become the area's new internal coastline. Grutness...wha? 10:57, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

In any case, seawater could never be transported on the sort of scale that would make any noticeable difference. See Sea level rise.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 08:47, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

Filling the depression in northeast Mauritania and northern Mali to its maximum possible would reduce the oceanic depth by almost half a metre worldwide - about 60% of higher estimates for change during the course of the 21st century. As to the transportation of the water, though it seems unlikely it seems no less po9ssible than several of the other ideas that have been mooted for countering climate change. Grutness...wha? 10:48, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

If it's truly a depression than a simple (massive) syphon would work87.102.86.73 (talk) 11:34, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

For use with a syphon here's a List_of_places_on_land_with_elevations_below_sea_level87.102.86.73 (talk) 11:37, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

also Category:Dry areas below sea level - I think it's a splendid idea ...87.102.86.73 (talk) 11:39, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

You'd have to be careful with areas that already contain fresh water, since adding millions of tons of salt water would create a dead-zone (as happened in prehistory with the Black Sea). and most below-sea-level depressions are so small that no practical difference would be made. Mind you, it might solve the border disputes between Ethiopia and Eritrea! Grutness...wha? 11:41, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

A German guy dedicated his life to a scheme to dam the Mediterranean and turn Lake Chad into a giant sea. See [9]. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 11:54, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

Hi. Um, filling all the places below sea level that are dry with water is not a good idea. Consider the Caspian Basin, which is home to about 25 million people (not sure of the exact number). It is below sea level, and may be filled anyway if sea level rises past 25m (see Lake Manych-Gudilo). Also, much of The Netherlands are below sea level, where 10 million live, as well as much of New Orleans, where 1 million live? Filling in the Sahara, which is still dry, might not wet it enough to sustain itself. Also, as sea level rises, natural depressions might naturally be filled, such as some of the depressions in Egypt, The Caspian Basin, The Netherlands, and even underneath West Antarctica and Greenland (such as the 2.5-km deep Bentley Subglacial Trench in West Antarctica). However, this might not help because the land underneath Antarctica could rise, causing more sea level rise, and a high sea level is needed for something like this anyway. Those places you've mentioned are far from the sea, except maybe for the area near the Algeria/Tunisia border. You have to make sure no one lives there first, though. The depression in Mauritania is 600km form the ocean, and only about 1100 km x 500 km x 50m, and the one near Tunisia only 300km x 120 km x 50m, and the one in Lybia/Egypt 300km x 150 km x 100m. The Caspian Sea, on the other hand, has a potential capacity of 1600km x 500km x 50m. Why not fill Lake Chad-Bodele, 300km x 600km x 100m, or Lake Erye basin, 300km x 500km x 200m, or Etosha-Kalahari basin, 700km x 700 km x 300m? Or are those places too dry? It's a plausible scenario, but could unexpectedly have good or bad implications, or could simply evaporate and drain back to the ocean, and cost trillions of dollars? This might protect trillions of dollars in damages that would otherwise have happened, but so would a sea wall around all of the coastlines of the Earth, which would kill millions of species of plants and animals. One problem is, though, either those depressions are very dry or very inhabited, and that could be a problem. Thanks. ~AH1^(TCU) 14:28, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

I don't think anyone was suggesting filing up inhabited places, and they don't necessarily have to be filed to the top.87.102.86.73 (talk) 14:39, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

A massive engineering project I know, but how about a network of canals similar to the Suez Canal or Panama Canals, or the (natural) Bosporus? The canals would need to be excavated to a depth below sea level, so anything with a large mountain range in the way would require either a circuitous route or tunnels under the mountains.

Wouldn't it just drain away? 4.158.219.170 (talk) 22:55, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

Hi. In that case, it should be possible to dam the canal, which could both produce electricity and stop or slow the flow of water. Thanks. ~AH1^(TCU) 23:03, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

Not if it's BELOW SEA LEVEL... I suppose you meant drain into the rocks below - geological surveying would need to be done first to check for obvious problems like this.87.102.86.73 (talk) 11:02, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Alaska Homesteading

Can someone please explain Alaska's Homestead Program? I looked on the Alaska website, but it confused me. It said you could get "free land", but then said you had to bid on it. Can someone help me sort this out? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.119.61.7 (talk) 00:25, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

Thantanology

Thantanology What is it? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.76.178.105 (talk) 04:39, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

Googling thantanology comes up with a Did You Mean for thanatology, which, according to the article, is the study of death. Also, please sign questions on the HelpDesk and RefDesk with ~~~~. Paragon12321 (talk) 04:44, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

Shampoo

Anywhere anyone can point me to to get sodium laureth sulfate, sodium lauryl sulfate, and ammonium lauryl sulfate free shampoo? Anywhere anyone can point me to to get sodium laureth sulfate, sodium lauryl sulfate, and ammonium lauryl sulfate free conditioner? Thanks.75.152.131.91 (talk) 05:59, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

Have you tried somewhere like the Body Shop? Look in health food stores too.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 08:31, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

Johnson's Baby shampoo contains none of the chemicals above, according to the manufacturer page here. However, it does contain a lauric acid compound, so beware. --Dr Dima (talk) 08:45, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

By the way, lauric acid is present in milk, so if you are OK with dairy products you should probably (but not certainly) be OK with it. --Dr Dima (talk) 08:54, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

Hi. It should be possible to examine the list of ingredients on the shampoo/conditioner, to make sure that those ingredients are not present, or is this too difficult because most have those ingredients (a quick look at my shampoo reveals sodium laureth sulphate)? Thanks. ~AH1^(TCU) 14:03, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

Try a search for "chemical free shampoo" at Google. Corvus cornix_talk 21:06, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

There are a few brands around which might suit your purpose, including Duchy Originals. Gwinva (talk) 22:06, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

I get mine from a health food shop nearby. In my experience, the folk at health food shops are good at redirecting you if they don't have the organic/chemical free/GMO free product you're after. Sometimes they'll order it in specially for you. If you're in an urban area there should be a health food shop somewhere nearby. Otherwise, google might help you find one (ask politely :)) Steewi (talk) 01:06, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Boycott shampoo. Demand real poo. 125.21.243.66 (talk) 06:25, 30 June 2008 (UTC)(bored at work)

Hey I use Johnson's baby shampoo (on myself geez). It's amazingh. 125.21.243.66 (talk) 06:27, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Ecover washing up liquid works fine on hair. It is based on vegetable surfactants. Itsmejudith (talk)

dialysis

If a woman with messed up kidneys needs to be on a dialysis machine, then if she gets pregnant will the baby's kidneys filter her blood so while she is pregnant she won't need dialysis? Is this harmful to the child? 79.75.236.52 (talk) 12:48, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

No, because the placenta while allowing transfer of nutrients and oxygen keeps the blood supplies of the fetus and mother separate. Exxolon (talk) 14:39, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

Note that pregnancy is rare for patients on dialysis, as the higher-than-normal levels of waste products in the blood interfere with fertility. For a woman able to successfully conceive while on dialysis, the risks to the child are much greater than for a healthy woman. Miscarriages and stillbirths are common. The child will likely be born prematurely. Survival rates for children who are born are often cited as less than sixty percent. (Source). TenOfAllTrades(talk) 14:50, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

Also note that there is no way that the baby's kidneys could remove the waste products from the mother's blood. Although unborn babies do indeed have kidney function and urinate, the waste products would have nowhere to go, except accumulate in the amniotic fluid. As the unborn baby drinks the amniotic fluid, this would doubtlessly be harmful to the child. --NorwegianBlue ^talk

1901 "merry olds" American air products fort lauderdale fla.

recently got a 1901 olds replica.made about 1958 in florida.need an intuction manual or any info I can get on this car. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 209.244.30.99 (talk) 14:25, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

Oldsmobile? If I remember correctly Chevy owns them. I'd call your local Chevy Dealer (ask for the Parts Department or Service. Not Sales.) Otherwise check Amazon or regularly check eBay. 4.158.219.170 (talk) 22:47, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

General Motors owned Oldsmobile, but the brand was phased out in 2004. — Michael J 01:28, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Gold In Rocks

Is gold found inside of rocks or is it just by itself? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.237.109.119 (talk) 14:42, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

What do you mean by "inside rocks"? Gold is found in ore, sure, if that's what you mean. Elemental gold is not usually just hanging out "just by itself"—but sometimes it is, as nuggets, or flakes. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 15:31, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

We have articles on gold prospecting, gold mining and gold extraction — Matt Eason ^{(Talk • Contribs)} 16:17, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

Both. Sometimes it is found in nugget or dust form like what you get when your panning. When they mine it it is in the form of veins in the rock. I think all forms of gold were originally in the vein form untill they got broken down. - Mofila —Preceding unsigned comment added by Tyler123459 (talk • contribs) 20:03, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

Eve Myles

How would you describe the physical features of Eve Myles, AKA Gwen Cooper? What google search would return results of similar looking women? 79.75.236.52 (talk) 18:08, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

"Striking brunette" (from this page which is referenced in the Eve Myles article) or "sultry" (from this page, also referenced in the same article). Astronaut (talk) 18:25, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

Those are rather generic terms. I was hoping for something which would describe her body and facial shape specifically. 79.75.236.52 (talk) 18:33, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

I very much doubt that any exact terminology that would even remotely reliably bring up pictures of similar-looking women from Google exists -- in part because many of the descriptive words are likely to be extremely subjective, and in part because the vast majority of the picture sites out there are not going to use these words consistently when describing the pictures (if the pictures are described at all), which makes it hard, if not entirely impossible for Google to find what you're looking for. Have you considered trying something like Flickr? People use all sorts of categories and tags to describe their pictures, which are often very specific and may therefore be at least a little bit more useful to you. I don't know what those words would be, but if you find them, you're likely to get a lot of pictures of a similar type. It's still not going to be terribly exact, but I think it'll be a little better than Google. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 19:10, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

How about "Eve Myles lookalike"? JessicaN10248 19:24, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

You can search by bust, waist, and hip size at Chickipedia. I don't know how reliable it is though considering their entry for Alek Wek lists her as having a 40 inch bust. Judging by the picture that they have of her, you would think that she must be ten feet tall to have a 40" bust. But they say she's only 5'1". Dismas|^(talk) 20:26, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

You could perhaps describe here racial characteristics as 'dark celtic', but I can't think of a good thing to google to return. Be careful googling for pictures of women with particular racial types, you're likely to get naked pictures. Steewi (talk) 01:14, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Turning safe search on in your Google preferences may help cut down on the number of images of women in the nude that you get... If you're bothered by it... Although, if you're looking for images that best portray their physical features, as you specified, then this may work against you. Dismas|^(talk) 01:20, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Aqua

Most cosmetic products, shampoos, mouthwash, etc. include the ingredient "Aqua". Now, (I hope) we all know that aqua = water, so why do the manufacturers of these products continue using this fake name for a common substance? Astronaut (talk) 18:12, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

They are using Latin names for some other common chemicals too, AFAICR. I think it's scientific tradition of some sort. JIP | Talk 18:30, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

It is an International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients naming convention [10] It may also be used to distinguish between normal water and deionized water. JessicaN10248 18:31, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

Wiki knows everything!125.21.243.66 (talk) 06:35, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Geography question

Is there an equivalent to Lapland or Alaska in the southern hemisphere, excluding Antarctica where no one lives? Are there places there where people wish "they were down in the north, where it's warm"? JIP | Talk 18:21, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

Tierra del Fuego and southern Patagonia are sparsely populated and have a similar climate. I can't say if the people wish "they were down in the north, where it's warm". Astronaut (talk) 18:36, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

People do live in Antarctica, about 4,000 in summer to about 1,000 in winter, mostly scientific researchers. I would imagine on the coldest of days people at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station wish they were somewhere warmer. JessicaN10248 18:38, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

If you are talking about settlements that aren't "artificial", like the scientists that live in Antarctica, but instead of normal settlements where normal people live, then no, there isn't really a comparison. Svalbard, the northenmost settlement in the world (I believe) is at 78 degrees north, while Cape Horn, the southernmost settlement (not counting Antarctica), is at 54 degrees south. That's more than 20 degrees difference. For comparison, Stockholm (where I live), is at 59 degrees north, and let me tell ya: it can get hot during the summers. And the winters aren't so bad, at least not if you've grown up with them :) One might note that Stockholm is warmer than "it should be", because of the gulf-stream, but the point still stands: it's not like Tierra del Fuego has an arctic climate. --Oskar 22:00, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

The reason why there is no Southern Hemisphere equivalent to Lapland or Alaska is that the corresponding latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere are oceanic or coastal or they are in Antarctica, which is not home to any permanent communities because it produces continental airmasses much colder than occur in the Arctic, where the Arctic Ocean actually moderates temperatures. Marco polo (talk) 00:34, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Puerto Williams, Chile and Ushuaia, Argentina are considered to be the most southerly permanent settlements (not including scientific or military stations). I have heard folklore that women in Puerto Williams go to Puntas Arenas when they are pregnant because it's too cold to give birth there. Steewi (talk) 01:17, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Additional: Southernmost settlements gives you a short list of the most southern settlements. Steewi (talk) 01:21, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Right now I wouldn't mind being up in the north where it's warm, but where I live would hardly qualify as an equivalent of Sápmi (i.e., "Lapland"). Still, it's around 5 degrees Celsius (low 40s F) at the moment and a holiday in Rarotonga sounds very nice. To answer the question, though, Tierra del Fuego, Patagonia, and the Falkland Islands would be the nearest equivalents. Grutness...wha? 01:19, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Salt/Pepper pot

Hi, Why does a pepper pot have more holes than a salt container? --88.104.154.82 (talk) 18:43, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

I have always seen it the other way around. JIP | Talk 18:53, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

I don't think it is set in stone that a pepper pot has more holes. This site for example says that traditionally pepper was more expensive than salt so it was placed in the shaker with fewer holes to reduce usage. However, most salt and pepper pots I've seen have had pepper in the pot with the most holes. As for why this is, I would imagine that many small holes evenly distributed the pepper flavor across the food, whereas salt is usually applied sparingly due to health concerns and the fact that most food is already salted. It might also have to do with grain size, the larger gains going in the pot with bigger holes. JessicaN10248 18:56, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

I doubt that the reason is that logical, it's probably just tradition (and the tradition is probably different in different parts of the world). When the shaker isn't transparent, you need a way to separate them, and the number of holes is a neat way to do it. --Oskar 22:27, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

One could just as easily have put a P and S on the shakers. It seems probably that the different hole configurations came first, and we later used as identification. Plasticup ^T/C 11:58, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Hail Wiki! 125.21.243.66 (talk) 06:18, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

I was taught that it had something to do with humidity congealing the salt, necessitating a larger hole through which to flow - but that may be a lore specific to my latitude. Plasticup ^T/C 12:05, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Yes, and to add to that, if the salt gets wet it will all clump together, so cleaning one large hole is easier than cleaning lots of tiny holes. JessicaN10248 15:29, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Just last week some nutty Council has begun issuing salt shakers with 5 holes instead of 17. They argue that people will thus use less salt. I think they will just shake for longer...?86.209.153.77 (talk) 12:57, 30 June 2008 (UTC)DT

Straw Bedding

If I use straw for livestock bedding do I have to seperate the straw from the manure to make compost or does it not matter? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Tyler123459 (talk • contribs) 19:59, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

Straw's an advantage. Manure can be added to compost, or dug straight into garden. Allow manure/straw to become well rotted before putting around plants, however. Check out [11], [12], [13] for starters. Gwinva (talk) 22:19, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

So, in brief, the answer to your question is no, it's better to leave it in. Marco polo (talk) 00:30, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Leaving the manure in the straw is a huge advantage to making good compost. The presence of fungus in the manure will greatly assist the breakdown of the straw to nice crumbly, brown, sweet-smelling compost. Richard Avery (talk) 07:46, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

I think that one of the reasons leaving the straw in is such a huge advantage is that it creates a much better carbon to nitrogen ratio, promoting more complete decay. The straw contains (more) carbon while the manure contains (more) nitrogen.

Atlant (talk) 14:07, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Methods for IDing gold?

How can I tell what jewelry is gold and what is imitation? Thanks! 4.158.219.170 (talk) 22:44, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

Via the "Acid test". Nitric acid will dissolve silver and other metals but not gold.--Lenticel ^(talk) 23:06, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

Let me rephrase that. How can I figure out if jewelry is gold or not without destroying it if it's not? 4.159.180.233 (talk) 00:55, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Test by water might do the trick.--Lenticel ^(talk) 01:23, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Although it is by no means foolproof, commercial gold jewellery will have a mark on it showing the purity of the gold, either as a number of karats (9k 14k 22k) or as a parts per thousand measure (375 635 925). Of course, any jeweller could put the mark on, and not all gold will have the mark, if it was made by an amateur jeweller or in an area where these marks are not used. Steewi (talk) 01:30, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Not if it's shaped like miniature Eiffel Towers, it doesn't! :) Grutness...wha? 05:35, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

June 30

Royal Navy

After the fairly recent announcment that the seventh and eighth type 45 destroyer will never be built, meaning the number of destroyers will decrese from 16 down to 6, and other continued drops in ship numbers, does the Royal Navy still have the capability to not only protect UK waters but also to project power where necessary? For instance could the UK realistically fight another Falklands war in the near future and win? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.72.61.51 (talk) 01:38, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

That's a question of debate. A well organised small-scale army can be much more effective than a large unorganised one. Realistically it's impossible to say whether or not it 'could' until it 'has' to. What if a bunch of tin-pot dictatorships grouped together and attacked the UK. Could the navy repel them? What about if it was the US attacking? It's all opinion. Less ships doesn't have to mean less ability to defend, but similarly more ships would (at first glance) appear to offer better protection. 194.221.133.226 (talk) 09:33, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

It is hardly a matter of opinion. It is on record that the Falklands War was only just managed, the capacity to ship men materials and equipment that distance no longer exists, so only reasonably local actions can be considered. Then the Chief of Staff just last week warned that the UK is over-stretched to handle two Iraq sized operations. And consider - if the decision was that the UK needed 16 destroyers, how can she now cope with only 6 ? Nobody, of course, seriously expects the UK to have to repel invasion; and she certainly is not equipped to do so.86.209.153.77 (talk) 12:55, 30 June 2008 (UTC)DT

Clearly it's a matter of opinion because nobody knows whether the UK could until it was tested. Yes there are informed opinions based on evidence, but the number of ships a country owns is not going to be an accurate indicator of its ability to repel invasion or to oversee otehr wars. Remember the people on the inside have little to benefit by accepting less amounts of resources, so they will invariably be concerned by reductions. In the modern world is 10 destroyers more going to be worthwhile expenditure? Seemingly not, and whilst that may open greater risk it is, evidently, considered an acceptable amount of additional risk. 194.221.133.226 (talk) 13:57, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

An additional 10 destroyers aren't going to make any significant contribution to the defence. If somebody (other than the U.S.) tried to invade, America would be compelled to send in the USN to squash the threat forthwith. On offence, I'm having a hard time coming up with any situation other than the Falklands (Malvinas) where it could make a difference. Are there any other midsized naval powers that threaten British interests? So, is it worth it to build, maintain and man that many ships for just one potential conflict? Apparently, the government doesn't think so. Clarityfiend (talk) 16:24, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

The United Kingdom has left itself completely dependent upon a declining power, the United States. British interests may well need defending in regions such as the Persian Gulf. And, if the United States were hobbled by domestic economic disaster and unrest and overstretched in, say, the Middle East (neither scenario is farfetched in my opinion), terrorists and pirates (perhaps based in the Middle East or Russia) could decimate shipping to and from the United Kingdom. The UK is of course dependent economically and nutritionally on shipping. It is highly risky for the UK to abandon a commitment to adequate naval self-defense, even if it leaves the government more money for vote-winning expenditure in the near term. 192.251.134.5 (talk) 17:59, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

If the UK suddenly needed destroyers, perhaps they could ask for another Lend-Lease program like the one which began in March 1941, in which the U.S. sent them military equipment on easy terms. And by the way, thanks for finishing the payments in 2006. Or perhaps the U.S. would trade the UK the destroyers in exchange for the right to use British facilities for military bases like the Destroyers for Bases Agreement of 1940. If the U.S is a declining power, then perhaps the U.K. could ask China for help next time. Or perhaps if terrorists and pirates threaten British shipping they could authorize Privateers like William Kidd to combat the pirates (though sometimes privateers turn to the dark side). If the UK government cuts back too far on military preparedness, they could leave the country in the position of having to appease tyrants. Edison (talk) 19:32, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Can sound really bend light?

How powerful is sound anyways, that it can bend freakin' light!? Supposedly the Philadelphia Experiment did this. And if that's the case, maybe sound is a little more powerful than we give it credit for, huh?THE WORLD'S MOST CURIOUS MAN (talk) 02:30, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Well, considering that the Philadelphia Experiment is considered to be a hoax, I wouldn't draw a lot of conclusions based on it. Still, sound can be pretty powerful; if you're interested in the subject, articles like sonic weaponry, infrasound and ultrasound may be of interest to you. That's some pretty cool stuff, right there. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 02:37, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Can't different types of gases bend light? I don't think it's that hard to bend light. 4.159.183.112 (talk) 02:38, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Sound is just waves in a medium. Mediums can refract and reflect light. So sure. You could set it up to "bend light". All that really means is changing the direction of some photons, which is exactly what my glasses do (in order to make them better align up with my eye's wonky point of focus). Bending light is not interesting unless it's something that really "shouldn't" bend light under classical theories (like gravity). --98.217.8.46 (talk) 02:54, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Take a look at Schlieren photography. Small variations of pressure in air cause diffraction, and these can be detected. That's as good as it gets. — Kieff | Talk 05:44, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Haha that Philadelphia experiment thing got me LOLing. 125.21.243.66 (talk) 06:31, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

You might enjoy our articles about acousto-optic modulator and acousto-optics.

Atlant (talk) 14:02, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Members of a small group with the same birthday

I’m looking for examples where 2 or more members (but not twins or triplets) of a smallish notable “group” have the same birthday. This would not necessarily be a formal group such as a rock band; it could be a loose association of like-minded people, such as the Bloomsbury Group, or Les Six. The smaller the group the more interesting the coincidence (to me, anyway; because once we start approaching 20 people, eg. some sporting teams, it becomes much more likely that 2 of them will have the same birthday).

Two I know of are:

• The Monkees (4 members) – Mike Nesmith (1942) and Davy Jones (1946) both born 30 December; and
• The Goons (3 principal members) – Harry Secombe (1921) and Peter Sellers (1925) both born 8 September.

There must be others. Any ideas? -- JackofOz (talk) 03:03, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

A group with twins, triplets, etc. in them? (hope at least that much helps) ~EdGl (talk) 03:31, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Fair point. Let's exclude twins and triplets (amended question). -- JackofOz (talk) 03:49, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

During the 1980s, the New Zealand national cricket team's main bowling attack was Richard Hadlee (b. 3 July 1951) and Ewen Chatfield (b. 3 July 1950). Admittedly a cricket team has eleven members, but usually only two or three strike bowlers (FWIW, their top batsman in that era was John Wright (b. 5 July 1954)). Grutness...wha? 05:23, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

I love cricket 125.21.243.66 (talk) 06:29, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Then you'd like the eliminated twins Mark and Steve Waugh. Dang. Julia Rossi (talk) 08:26, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Must the group be notable for something else? This family have three generations with leap year birthdays. Gwinva (talk) 22:27, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

I wonder if that's more or less likely than 3 children born in different years, all on Leap Day, such as the Henriksens of Andenes, Norway: their 3 kids were born in 1960, 1964 and 1968, all on 29 February. Then there's the Cummins family of Virginia: their 5 natural-born children were all born on 20 February, in 1952, 1953, 1956, 1961 and 1966. Both these cases made it to Guinness as well (1986).

Yes, Gwinva, I'm looking for notable, and not closely related, people who are primarily connected by being part of the same group or association, not because of the coincident birthday. This excludes husbands and wives such as Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones, born exactly 28 years apart; and Nancy Astor and Waldorf Astor, who were born not only with the same birthday but on exactly the same day, 19 May 1879.

Grutness, your NZ cricket example is a good one; it's expanded my list by 50%, so thanks. -- JackofOz (talk) 01:31, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Competitive Intellingence in organisation's operation management.

I need the answers in details for the following questions.

1. The fields where competitive intelligence is used currently. 2. needs, methods, process, advantages & disadvantages of implementing competitive intelligence in organisation's operation management. 3. Future of CI.

Thanks —Preceding unsigned comment added by 198.208.159.19 (talk) 04:53, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Our article Competitive intelligence needs attention but it has an enormous number of references and links to help you in your research. There is even a magazine called Competitive intelligence. Itsmejudith (talk) 12:00, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

What kind of shoe?

There are several kinds of shoes (mary janes, high heels, chucks, boots etc.). But what kind shoe was the lady in the 1993 version of Attack of the 50 Foot Woman wearing at the time she became huge? Though I've seen it in the market a lot, I don't know what it's called. 4.68.248.65 (talk) 07:33, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Apart from when she's wearing bare feet, can you describe them or give a link? Julia Rossi (talk) 08:21, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

They're white in color. They're mainly made of cloth except for the sole. Shoes of those kind are usually worn without socks. If you need a link, I think they have clips of the movie in YouTube. 4.68.248.65 (talk) 20:41, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Sounds a bit like a plimsoll. That article says they are the same thing as chucks, but plimsolls in the UK are a different kind of shoe. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 20:56, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Magic trick

Hello, I'm looking for the article on a magic trick which basically consists of the magician making a coin appear behind the ear of a spectator. Could you please tell me the name of this trick? Leptictidium (mt) 08:39, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

It doesn't seem to have a name in wiki's List of magic tricks, but there's Coin magic and google finds how to in wiki howMake-a-Coin-Dissapear-and-Reappear-Behind-Someone's-Ear and how to is also here[14]. It seems to be known as "coin from behind the ear" trick. Julia Rossi (talk) 09:10, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

See also sleight of hand.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 16:28, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Rights, priviliges, and resposibilities of degree

At my college's commencement, the president says, "I confer upon you the degree of _____, and admit you to all its rights, privileges, and responsibilities." What exactly are these "rights, privileges, and responsibilities"? They never told us. Thanks, --219.136.191.12 (talk) 09:42, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

You have the right to write to them and ask. You also have the right/privilege to put letters after your name and to wear the academic gown of a graduate of your college. Your responsibility is to put to good use the things you have learnt. You probably have the right to join an alumnus association, and although their interpretation may be that that carries the responsibility to contribute to the funds of your alma mater that may not be your interpretation. Itsmejudith (talk) 10:09, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

If you went to an old university the 'rights' probably include some anachronistic curiosities.. such as the right to beat a commoner in town on sunday whilst driving sheep through the quadrangle.. etc.. , the privilidges also probably would include similar such freedoms

In general such rights etc would be similar to those that clergymen had, also you are probably expected to 'defend learning' in the same way a member of a knightly order would be expected to defend damsels..

More pragmatically, certain degrees confer a right to practice certain professions (and to use a title)

I guess the place to start looking would be in the charter of your chosen university, and the charters or any associated colleges.87.102.86.73 (talk) 12:14, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Book

I have a Mario activity book made by a company called "Moo Man". But I can't find any mention of either the book or the company anywhere on the internet. Anyone have a link? 208.76.245.162 (talk) 11:57, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Could it be related to Keene Publishing/Moo Press Inc.? Plasticup ^T/C 12:22, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

You might try searching for the ISBN instead. You should find this above or below the barcode which is usually on the back cover.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 16:31, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Math and its impact/influence on/to 21st Century Architecture

Has mathematics had an impact or influence on/to 21st Century Architecture? (in the areas of designs of buildings/landmarks/houses)

I'm very curious about architecture and how its changed over the century. If someone could provide me with some links to some good articles that'd be nice. Thanks

Happysnaps (talk) 12:10, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

See Geodesic dome, although this is more of a 20th century thing. I'm sure others will be along soon to give a fuller answer. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 12:15, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Any building that stands up is likely the result of some successful maths. Plasticup ^T/C 12:25, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

History of architecture is good for well...the history of architecture. Fribbler (talk) 13:14, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

A lot of modernist buildings (eg see Zaha Hadid) probably woudn't be possible without computer CAD programs, and associated structure analysis programs, which rely on maths.. if that makes sense..87.102.86.73 (talk) 13:26, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

I visited London City Hall only yesterday, and it's internal helical walkway (in fact it looked more elliptical) probably took some fancy maths to design. Across the river, the Gherkin, also has an interesting shape, yet has only one curved panel of glass. Astronaut (talk) 03:49, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Volunteer somehow with Foster Children?

I used to be a foster child. It was a really, really bad childhood, too graphic to explain here. But I made it through hell and back and now I am doing well for myself. I called my local foster care place here in CT and left a message to request to become a mentor or something. No one has called me back after several messages. Does anyone know who I can call to become a mentor for foster children? I want to help those who need help, the help I didn't get when I was in foster care...--Anthonygiroux (talk) 13:05, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

How about the Big Brothers/Big Sisters organisation? Here? Fribbler (talk) 13:12, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Is there something that is just for Foster Children? Especially in the Danbury, Ct area? --Anthonygiroux (talk) 13:25, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

How about this? (I take it CT is connecticut, USA). Fribbler (talk) 13:31, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Thanks! Fribbler! --Anthonygiroux (talk) 13:52, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Mcdonald's

I'm getting a job soon, but I don't know how much i'll get paid.

How much would my pay check be if I (I'll be 16 soon) get a job at Mcdonald's in Desoto, Mo 63020. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Nikrocorp (talk • contribs) 13:50, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

McDonald US job's site says a crew position in DeSoto pays "$6.50 and up depending on work experience" (I assume that is an hourly rate). When you actually get your job (at McDonald's or anywhere else), your actual rate will be written down in your contract of employmnet or your job offer letter. Gandalf61 (talk) 14:21, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Your paycheck will be the product of your hours worked times your hourly rate, reduced by various deductions - income tax withholding (federal and state), Social Security/Medicare, uniform costs (which should not recur), etc. --LarryMac | Talk 14:47, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Does Medicare (United States) provide cover for children? Zain Ebrahim (talk) 19:40, 30 June 2008 (UTC) Damn! Answer's in the article.

So, if you're making $6.50 an hour and you work 40 hours per week, your gross pay (before deductions) would be $260 per week. Your net weekly pay (after tax and Social Security deductions) most weeks (not counting any one-time deduction for a uniform) would be something like $215. If you work 20 hours per week, you will probably take home something like $110. This is assuming that there are no deductions for health insurance. These estimates could be off by $5–10. 192.251.134.5 (talk) 17:45, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Thanks. 70.130.211.88 (talk) 21:10, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Do we capture references to Wikipedia in Academic Books?

Last year I and a couple of other editors brought the Wonderbra article up to a featured article. Two of the key sources were a couple of books by Henry Mintzberg. Just this year, his new book revisits the Wonderbra story and he cites the wikipedia article as source of information. Is this useful/helpful for wikipedia? Mattnad (talk) 16:37, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Answering my own question, after some hunting, I think I found an appropriate spot here Wikipedia:Wikipedia_as_an_academic_source#Published_2007 Mattnad (talk) 17:33, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Robert Mugabe

Did he undergo surgery for a cleft lip at some point in his life, or is that just a weird moustache? Thanks in advance. 80.123.210.172 (talk) 16:55, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

It is a toothbrush moustache. Fribbler (talk) 17:00, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Club Moscow

There has been a lot of talk here in Finland about Sedu Koskinen's latest club feature, "Club Moscow", featuring topless female DJs. So I decided to go to one. At first, there was only a male DJ playing. But after four hours, he was replaced by a female DJ and two dancing girls. The DJ basically did a combination of DJing and striptease. Now I've never been to Moscow, let alone to the original club nights Sedu Koskinen now claims to impersonate. Are they also like this? JIP | Talk 19:20, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

A google search [15] appears to show that topless DJ's at least exist in Moscow and at most are quite frequent. Fribbler (talk) 22:18, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Do the DJs start out topless or strip as they go along? And do they concentrate only on DJing or do they walk around showing their bodies? The DJ in Helsinki did both of the latter. JIP | Talk 05:26, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Weird flashes from Zen Vision W

I might be going mad, but I think that I have seen for about three to four times the screen of my Zen Vision W extremely briefly, for about a hundredth of a second, flash a bright white, when it's turned off. It happens very rarely, and always when I'm not looking at it directly. Am I just imagining things, or can gadgets with LCD displays do such things? JIP | Talk 19:39, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

I have no familiarity whatsoever with the device in question, but I've at times thought that I've spotted both my cellphone and iPod doing the same thing at times. However, I eventually realized that what I thought was a flash of light from the device itself was actually light reflecting off the glass of the screen when I was putting the thing away; I managed to very turn it very briefly to just the right angle for it to hit my eye. From the corner of my eye, it looked like the screen suddenly lit up for an instant. Could you be experiencing the same thing? -- Captain Disdain (talk)

Doubt you're going mad - it's probably the backlight (if anything) , as I don't know more about the backlight eg what sort it is etc I can't say more - you might get more answers on the science desk. (fluorescent backlights can produce a flash of light when turned of - possibly relating to the power supply for them discharging itself - guess)

As an experiment to confirm of disprove the theory above - try turning it off in a darkened room..87.102.86.73 (talk) 20:58, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

It could also be the interference of other electronic items in the house, but I am not sure on that one kinda depends if its on or not.Cardinal Raven (talk) 01:18, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Thanks for the replies. I think it's one of three things:

1. My imagination,
2. An outside light source reflecting off the screen, or
3. Some sort of static electricity discharging itself.

It happens when the device has been turned off for hours, not immediately after turning off. JIP | Talk 05:26, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Got any energy saving electric bulbs? I think I've seen what your describing from those too (usually after I go to bed - at night - switch of the lamp etc..) - some backlights are fluorescent.. Still no idea if i've imagined it myself though.87.102.86.73 (talk) 13:42, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

It's work noting that once a fluorescent light starts up it's a cascade (see Electron avalanche) process - which would explain why it flashes, and not glows...87.102.86.73 (talk) 13:44, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Terms & Services

Hi, I was curious to see if anyone here would know how much a lawyer would charge to write Terms and Services for a website. Just a rough estimate is fine :) Thanks!!

I don't think you'll be able to get a rough estimate without describing the purpose of the terms. I've had clients (in the UK) who have had terms and conditions created for anything between £300 up to £2000 depending on how complex the T&Cs were. Cosmic joker (talk) 22:07, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Do you even need a lawyer? I've noticed that the terms for many sites are very similar in content, so perhaps you could copy the terms from a website in the same area of business and the same jurisdiction and modify them yourself to suit your site. Astronaut (talk) 04:19, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Train into London Victoria

I was on the train into London Victoria a week or so ago, and when we arived at Victoria the driver talked over the intercom and said "Please remember to take all your belongings with you when you leave the train, especially if your a government minister with top secret documents in your breifcase." I know what this is in relation to and that it was a joke, but could the driver have gotten into trouble if someone had reported it or the boss had heard it? Plemis monter (talk) 20:19, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

I suppose that depends on his employers' sense of humor, but it's not too uncommon for things like this to happen. At least here in Finland you can hear train or bus drivers or other people in similar positions to occasionally do things like that, and I've heard similar things when traveling in other countries as well -- several times in a British train, as a matter of fact. It's also not uncommon for airline pilots to have a little fun every once in a while. I'd imagine most passengers find it entertaining. I certainly do. Of course, if an employer has strict regulations in place that forbid this sort of thing, that may be another story, but there's certainly no law or custom that forbids people in customer service from making jokes in Britain that I know of -- or, I suspect, anywhere else. Good thing, too; it'd be a step towards a more boring and banal world. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 21:00, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

I've heard the driver of a train from Kuopio to Helsinki make the announcement of the train's journey in a very laid-back and jocular way. But in the capital region, the announcements are always all business. JIP | Talk 05:47, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Oh, it's not that uncommon to hear pretty surprising announcements in the Helsinki local trains or trams. In fact, just a couple of months back I was sitting in a tram and the driver announced over the PA system that he was new at the job, told us his name and said that he was glad to meet us, and that he was sure we'd all become very close friends during the coming months, because he knew what it was like on the other side of the fence, because just recently he was just like all of us, and he wasn't going to let the fame go to his head. It sure made my morning a little less miserable. =) -- Captain Disdain (talk) 12:22, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

If you work on the tube, it could land you a pretty cushy job... — Matt Eason ^{(Talk • Contribs)} 08:58, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Specifically this was a reference to a recent case of a government minister who had not done precisely that i.e. remembered to take his top secret documents with him when he left the train. See [16] DJ Clayworth (talk) 21:04, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Yeah, I know, and I think that so does the original poster ("I know what this is in relation to"). I doubt that makes the driver any more or less likely to get in trouble for it, though. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 23:48, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

You knew, and the original poster knew, and so did DJ. But let us not forget the whole rest of the audience (like me). --LarryMac | Talk 12:35, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

I've heard a streetcar driver in Toronto announce stops in humourous ways, including pointing out all the local sights you might want to see if you get off at that stop. Usually they just announce them as if they are bored and falling asleep though. The subway drivers sometimes used to be more lively until the stop announcements were all replaced by the friendly Bombardier lady's voice. Adam Bishop (talk) 07:06, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

The Daily Mail said yesterday that 130 laptops have been lost by Ministers and Civil Servants in 2007 alone. So the driver was recording his own protest in the way the British do it best, withy sarcasm.86.209.25.112 (talk) 10:17, 1 July 2008 (UTC)DT

At what age

At what age do you become too old to know better? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Migglebiggle (talk • contribs) 20:21, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Wade Hayes released the album Old Enough to Know Better in 1995 at age 25 or 26. According to the title track, he was at that point simultaneously "old enough to know better", yet "still too young to care". That, therefore, sets an upper limit on the age threshold of not more than 26 years of age. I cannot comment on any reliable source describing when one does become old enough to care. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 20:28, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Oops--misread the question. Not sure about 'too old to know better'. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 21:26, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

When Senility kicks in? Zain Ebrahim (talk) 21:17, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Having been there, I wish to replace the above term with rigor mortis.

When I get to the latter, I will attempt a post mortem message to the RD as to my thanatological aspects. I hope this thread will be in the archives and not the penulatimate one. --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 21:58, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Starting to sound like the promise of a penultimatelaminate, Cooky – somewhere in infinity is possible. Julia Rossi (talk) 06:47, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

I requested a CD on ShipIt and it was not approved

I requested a 64-bit Ubuntu 8.04 CD but I was denied. Two month ago, I request one Ubuntu 8.04 and one 8.04 Kubuntu CD. One month ago, I ordered a Ubuntu 8.04 Server CD and I was accepted. Now, I ordered a Ubuntu 64-bit CD and I not not approved. What should I do? Should I wait for the next release of Ubuntu? Jet (talk) 21:45, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Yes, you should wait for the next release of Ubuntu. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 203.41.139.85 (talk) 22:16, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

It's still quite a way to the next release. Why do you NEED a CD anyway, can't you just download it? --antilived^{T | C | G} 08:31, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

The "Green" Home

I had watched a show earlier about unusual homes. Basically it was about people who made houses of recycles, old tires,etc. Then a thought came into my mind. Is there any structural safety in making a home out recycle soda cans? I mean by structural safety if you are living in earthquake country, would your house survive the earthquake? Is it really practical to make a house out of recycle cans and other stuff? Is this something everybody should do? Should a giant city like New York, for example, tear down there buildings and remake them with recycled cans, tires, etc?. Thank You. Always. Cardinal Raven (talk) 22:48, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Well, the thing about a house built out of cans is that even if it falls down on you, it's not likely to do that much damage simply because cans are very light. It's a far cry from being hit by a slab of concrete. I don't know what kind of a "green" homes you saw in the show, so I can't really comment on them, but generally speaking, it takes pretty specific circumstances for building materials like this to be viable. Obviously, a house built out of used tires or cans is going to be fairly small -- the material isn't strong enough to support a lot of weight, so you couldn't build multi-story buildings, let alone actual skyscrapers from them. Also, they may not be that great for emergencies -- a house built out of cans isn't likely to hurt you, but a fire in a house built out of old tires would probably be a pretty bad deal, as anyone with any experience with tire fires could probably tell you. Also, there are questions like insulation and plumbing -- New York, since you bring it up, gets pretty cold winters, and a wall made out of cans or tires isn't going to keep the heat in efficiently. And finally, even if materials like this would be taken into consideration with future construction, what would be the point of tearing down the existing buildings? That would only consume a lot of time, money and energy.

Still, things like this may well be viable choices in suitable environments -- if the weather is generally nice and other circumstances are suitable, and the construction is sturdy enough, why not? I mean, a lot of the wooden buildings people live in certain warm climates are pretty flimsy, but they're sturdy enough for that particular environment. Still, you should know that recycling materials like this may not be as efficient or environmentally friendly as one might think -- if the end result consumes considerably more energy than a more traditional building would, in the long run that'll definitely be worse for the environment. I guess it really depends on how solid the planning for a project like this is. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 23:45, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Yes, I agree a green home may not be a bad thing. But we could hardly build a house made out of recycled cans in tornado country, we can't build a tire house in fire country, etc. Second, I don't think certain people are ready for a green home. Certain people are addicted to materialism and money a green home may not suit. Of course you also did point out we also have to find materials that are good for the environment. So it isn't necessarily the fact of the green home it's what the green home is made out of and where is it made.Cardinal Raven (talk) 01:14, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

It's worth noting that some of the comments above seem to have neglected to realise that people who make houses out of recycled cans usually start by filling them with compacted earth for structural stability. This increases the ()otherwise virtually nil) insulation and soundproofing of the buildings. It would also have considerable bearing on both the tornado (safer) and earthquake (riskier) concerns. There are certainly plenty of sites out ther willing to provide advice either through their websites of by emailing questions (a quick google found the likes of this site and this site, for instance). Grutness...wha? 04:20, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

You can build a home from recycled materials, but don't expect a shack made of old tyres and cans to be earthquake proof. Whenever there's an earthquake in some third-world country, it is always the poorest in their shoddily built temporary shacks who suffer the most. Astronaut (talk) 04:30, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

I may have misunderstood the question (where you may have meant "is it possible to build walls from alumin[i]um soda cans"), but I started to think about the more-general topic of "how would one use aluminum cans in all of the structural elements of a home". I came up with two possibilities:

• Melt down the cans and make ordinary structural elements (I-beams, metal joists, and the like) out of the aluminum. These would be quite light and strong so they'd be structurally efficient (little dead load compared to their strength). They'd also be highly corrosion-resistant, leading to a long life even in harsh environments.

• Maybe it would be possible to crush the cans in such a way as to interlock them into three-dimensional tesselations? Perhaps you could form domes, arches, and other structural elements using these interlocking cans? It probably won't be as strong as the first option, but it seems closer to achieving your goal without the possible cheat of melting down the cans.

Atlant (talk) 19:28, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

July 1

enrollment as a lawyar in uttar pradesh(under allahabad high court)

Hello sir/madam,i am a fresh law graduate,i would like to become enroll myself in uttar pradesh,under allahabad.i would like to know the proceedure of my enrollment as a lawyar,i would like to know how much money is required for my enrollment,i have passed my LLB from Gauhati University,ASSAM...please give the reply of my queries....thanking you... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 117.201.49.205 (talk) 10:36, 28 June 2008 (UTC)

I suspect, based on your question, that you found one of our over 6.8 million articles and thought we were affiliated in some way with that subject. Please note that you are at Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia that anyone can edit, and this page is for asking questions related to using or contributing to Wikipedia itself. Thus, we have no special knowledge about the subject of your question. You can, however, search our vast catalogue of articles by typing a subject into the search field on the upper right side of your screen. If you cannot find what you are looking for, we have a reference desk, divided into various subject areas, where asking knowledge questions is welcome. Best of luck.

However, I did some research for you. Wikipedia has some useful articles in Category:Allahabad. Also, you might like to contact the Allahabad High Court (official site: http://www.allahabadhighcourt.in/indexhigh.html), or the Faculty of Law at Allahabad University (official site: http://www.allduniv.ac.in/).

Good Luck. Astronaut (talk) 04:44, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Arguing with Referees in Soccer/Football

In international soccer/European football matches such as the recent Euro 2008, players from different countries are frequently seen arguing with the referees. What language do the players and referees speak while exchanging dialogue? Obviously if both the players and referee speak the same language, then that is not a problem, but what if a Japanese-speaking referee was marshaling the game between Germany and Spain? Acceptable (talk) 00:03, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

It's english, generally. You can hear them sometimes and lip read their "filthy talk" other times :-) . Fribbler (talk) 00:06, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Also I suspect that often they are just babbling at the ref in their own language, regardless of whether or not it can be interpreted word for word it's generally easy to get the idea of what they are protesting about (hand gestures go a long way). 194.221.133.226 (talk)

The most effective language is universal... it is coloured red or yellow.86.209.25.112 (talk) 10:12, 1 July 2008 (UTC)DT

I also wondered what language Matarazzi used when provoking zidane into headbutting him. 125.21.243.66 (talk) 10:31, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Those insults were levelled through the medium of Italian. Zidane can speak the language having played in Italy for a number of years. Fribbler (talk) 10:38, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Oh, thank you! I always thought it was in English. Wiki's great. 125.21.243.66 (talk) 10:51, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Identify a form of mahjong

Please help me identify a form of mahjong which I was shown informally by a Chinese lady.

• Four players
• Only 128 tiles used (dots, bamboos, characters, winds, red dragons; no green or white dragons)
• Each player starts with 16 tiles, except first player starts with 17
• One tile is removed from wall and placed on top of wall; the three other tiles that match this are used as jokers
• Hand must consist of suited tiles only; winds and red dragons are treated as "flowers" (i.e. set aside and replaced from wall)
• Winning hand = 5 melds + 1 pair
  • by "meld" I mean either a chow (run of 3) or a pung (3 of a kind); presumably kongs (4 of a kind) are also allowed but this did not come up

What are dragons? I know how to play Canton mahjong at a basic level, and can't think of any tile that can be possibly translated as "dragon"... --antilived^{T | C | G} 08:30, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

This is what I mean by a "red dragon". See mahjong tiles for more info.

social studies

Peruvian flag has this animal that lives in mountainous regions. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Akash2008 (talk • contribs) 06:35, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

In the article, Flag of Peru and Coat of Arms of Peru, I spy with my little eye, a Llama. Julia Rossi (talk) 06:43, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

The llama is a quadruped. Grutness...wha? 09:02, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

business or company

What meant by an incorporated company? or what is meant by Inc. in yahoo inc.? Sang048 (talk) 07:27, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

See Corporation. --Allen (talk) 07:31, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Sex over time

Is it easier to get laid nowadays that it was say 100 years ago? Are people more willing to "give it up" as it were and do the nasty than in previous historical incarnations? Why is this? Cadon Monrel (talk) 09:40, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

I think for the first time in human history whores are out of work. Too many sluts these days, makes whores jobs harder when they could get it for free. The reason: Myspace.

I'd agree. I read a report which said whores in Germany were taking to other professions like caring for the elderly in old age homes because of diminished career prospects. Hail Wiki! 125.21.243.66 (talk) 10:26, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Perhaps what has changed is that we've moved from the more 'puritan' age into a more liberal age sexually. The only way I conceive of it being easier today than before is that there it is easier to travel and find someone willing to, but I doubt that people give it up 'easier' in the past - what I think has changed is the willingness of people to discuss such matters publically. Roman times, Greek times and etc. are all littered with examples of sexually liberal behaviour - it's really just that there seems to have been a period in the 1800-1900s that was more puritan/prudish than other points in history.194.221.133.226 (talk) 10:37, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

It should be noted that sex has both less consequences today than it did in the past. Pregnancy is very easy to avoid if one really wants to avoid it, one can choose when and with whom one reproduces much more reliably than anytime in the past. Additionally the transmittal of STDs can be mitigated greatly with proper use of prophylactics, and of those STDs, many more are curable than in the past as well (yes, AIDS is the big exception, but even the spread of that can be greatly mitigated with the proper use of prophylactics). So some of the great taboos and good reasons for them that developed around sex have lessened. Women are less likely to regard it as totally forbidden, because unlike in the past, they're not likely to produce a child from casual but protected sex.

At least, in the West. I've no idea about other places.

Again, I think 194.221 is right though that it isn't the case that it went from total abstinence to the present. There has always been a lot more sex going on than people thought was appropriate. But it is remarkable that in a world with the pill and latex—both late-20th century inventions—how much about sexual consequences has changed. I do suspect than most people have vaginal intercourse with more partners today than would have been the case 100 or 200 years ago. However it's worth noting that there are other ways to "have sex" than just vaginal intercourse.

Of course, just because abilities are there doesn't mean attitudes change. Notice the above determination about "sluts", which is really just a form of the old way raising its hackles, however meant to be a joke.

There is, as you can imagine, a whole lot of academic work on the history of sex, because there is a whole lot of academic work on just about any topic. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 11:34, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Q: Why do the natives throw the virgins into the volcano? A: Well, they're not going to throw the sluts away! :-) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.119.114.114 (talk) 14:23, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

lol Nice little dog (talk) 15:39, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Corporate Video

How to make an innovative corporate video? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 202.69.10.222 (talk) 09:41, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

By being innovative yourself, of course! Anything else would be false advertising, wouldn't it? --antilived^{T | C | G} 09:50, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

My old company once made a corporate video in which they laid down rails to move the camera thingy on and videoed the employees working. I "starred" in it as they videod me entering the office and going to my desk to work :P. There were other things in it like a message from the CEO, praise from clients etc. Hail Wiki! 125.21.243.66 (talk) 10:23, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

"The one where they let a film crew in" has been a standard episode in soap operas from, I think, M*A*S*H onwards. You could make a corporate video about what happened when you tried to make a corporate video ... Gandalf61 (talk) 13:36, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

What does the word assessment mean?

Manager would like for me to do an assessment on my manage and include any information concerning the avau=ilability of resources, relationship. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.213.146.150 (talk) 10:11, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Assessment means gauging, measuring, estimating or otherwise finding out the quantity or degree of something. You could also look up a dictionary. Could you please restructure your question so that we can better "assess" what you are asking? Oh, and Wiki knows everything! 125.21.243.66 (talk) 10:19, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Sounds as if your manager is asking you to give them a performance appraisal - this may be part of a 360-degree feedback process. There should be a form that you just fill in. Best thing is to ask them to tell you more about what they want - it is not a test ! Gandalf61 (talk) 13:31, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

See! 125.21.243.66 (talk) 14:15, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Inspirational individualist films

Is there a list of inspirational individualist films somewhere? Like Fight Club, I am legend, Into the Wild. Mr.K. (talk) 10:57, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Cast Away leaps to mind. Plasticup ^T/C 12:53, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

For someone who keeps their head while everyone else doesn't, there's The Shawshank Redemption. Julia Rossi (talk) 13:17, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Rocky????--Endless Dan 13:39, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Continuing a theme, how about Rambo? Rmhermen (talk) 13:53, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Hell, what about Over the Top?? Every single dad should watch that movie.--Endless Dan 14:00, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Million Dollar Baby, though it gets somewhat depressing towards the end. Forrest Gump too. 125.21.243.66 (talk) 14:16, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

I guess the OP is asking for a whole list of all of them. 125.21.243.66 (talk) 14:20, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Million Dollar Baby would be good if Mr. K was Mrs. K. --Endless Dan 14:27, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Haha so I guess we should stick with Rocky :-) 125.21.243.66 (talk) 14:29, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

LoL, I was just sayin'. --Endless Dan 14:33, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Help with the initials of bands

a) DJ, MN, MD, PT
b) RT, KC, BY, PD
c) SF, BM, KE, M
d) ST, JP, TH, BW, JK

All refer to the initials of band members within these bands. GreekHeroine (talk) 15:02, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

First one - Davy Jones, Mike Nesmith, Micky Dolenz, Peter Tork, i.e. the Monkees. Trying to get the others... this is a fun game... --Richardrj ^{talk email} 15:19, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Apparently c) is incomplete and is supposed to be SF, BM, KE, MF, NB, which makes it Westlife. Strike that one off, then.GreekHeroine (talk) 15:31, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Westlife, eh? No wonder I didn't get it. Is this "Boy Bands from the Sixties to the Present"? I've racked my brains and I can't get the other two. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 15:35, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

No, the larger list is pretty much standard fare bands, Beach Boys to the Cure, Fleetwood Mac and what have you. There's a peppering of contemporary outfits like the White Stripes and Outkast too, if that's at all relevant. GreekHeroine (talk) 15:41, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

d) would be Aerosmith. Friday (talk) 15:44, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Matchbox Twenty for b). Gantpupo (talk) 16:00, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

how long is a piece of string?

Is there a witty answer to this question? It annoys me when people say this and I want a snap response to bark back at them. Thanks —Preceding unsigned comment added by Nice little dog (talk • contribs) 15:38, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

I did hear one once, from the British comedian Stewart Lee. He gave the question and then pulled a piece of string out of his pocket, saying "Well, this one is 12 and a half inches" or whatever. Pretty funny, I thought. Of course, you'd need to carry a piece of string around with you at all times to make this retort work. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 15:48, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Other retorts include "Twice the distance to its middle". Splash - tk 16:22, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Who says what? What bizarre situation would call for an expression like that? What does it mean? Matt Deres (talk) 18:19, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Is that a retort, Matt, or do you want to know about "how long is a piece of string"? Fribbler (talk) 18:35, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

I like Splash's suggestion. It is witty while at the same time nonchalant. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Nice little dog (talk • contribs) 18:32, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

When I'm asked this question I usually reply "Twice as long as one half its length". Get's em every time!--80.176.225.249 (talk) 19:37, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Meaning of an idiom

Hi! I am not native :) and am eager of the mood or atmosphere of the following idiom: Beware! Someone is about to read the riot act to you. Is it funny? Is it friendly? Or official? Is it well-known for everybody? Thanks, --Zimmy (talk) 16:42, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Conveniently, we have an article on the Riot Act—there's a section lurking down at the very bottom that addresses the question: Riot Act#"Read the Riot Act". Cheers! TenOfAllTrades(talk) 16:59, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

(ec)It means "Someone is about to shout at you", generally for doing something wrong. The idiom comes from an old British law: Riot_Act#.22Read_the_Riot_Act.22. Plasticup ^T/C 17:00, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

My problem is not the meaning (we have also an article in Hungarian), but the atmosphere of the idiom. Pls. read again the second part of my question. --Zimmy (talk) 17:28, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

OK, the title was a bit misleading. --Zimmy (talk) 17:30, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

It can be friendly, threatening, funny or (rarely) official. It depends on context, and tone. In the exact example you give above I'd say it's friendly advice that you've done something that somebody will get worked up over. Fribbler (talk) 18:23, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

I've only heard the idiom used in reference to something outside of the immediate conversation. That is, I've never heard someone say, "I'm gonna read you the riot act now!" In my experience, it's usually used as a gossip term, as in "Boy, he sure read me the riot act that day!" or "Did you hear about Jane? Her boss really read her the riot act over being late every day." That kind of thing. It is widely known among fluent English speakers, so far as I can tell. I would not say it to the person whom I'm planning on yelling at, unless it was completely clear that the entire situation was in good humour. Matt Deres (talk) 18:26, 1 July 2008 (UTC)