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July 18

Ethiopian Wolf Picture

Does anyone have a copy/link to the original version of this [1] portrait of an Ethiopian Wolf. It was based off a picture in National Geographic a while back, I think. 67.169.56.232 (talk) 00:23, 18 July 2008 (UTC)

Meaning of the Proverb

Can any one tell me the meaning of the proverb/idiom "As good as a mile!" its origin and where to use that? --202.83.165.250 (talk) 03:59, 18 July 2008 (UTC)

This would get better/more responses on the Language desk. Dismas|^(talk) 04:05, 18 July 2008 (UTC)

Recorded in Remaines, concerning Britaine, William Camden, 1605 as: An inch in a miss is as good as an ell, and a 3 December, 1825 entry in Sir Walter Scott's journal: "He was very near being a poet—but a miss is as good as a mile, and he always fell short of the mark." Smith, William George. (1935). The Oxford Dictionary of English Proverbs.—eric 04:52, 18 July 2008 (UTC)

"Close only counts with horse-shoes and hand grenades." (Nearness to the target helps to win in the game of horse-shoe tossing, and in the military tactic of handgrenade throwing). If a bullet misses, it just simply misses, and the target is not inconvenienced by being torn asunder or affected in any way at all. A bullet missing by 1/2 inch is equal to a bullet missing by a mile, as if it had been fired in the opposite direction from the target. Edison (talk) 05:02, 18 July 2008 (UTC)

So, it means that, in this case, coming close to the goal isn't good enough. For example, a doctor almost saving a life isn't of much value. StuRat (talk) 16:41, 18 July 2008 (UTC)

Compare also two other sayings: "Give him an inch and he'll take a mile" (alsdo originally 'ell", IIRC), and "to miss something by a mile". In both cases the word "mile" ios simply used to mean any arbitrarily large amount - as is the case here. Grutness...wha? 01:40, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

But note that 'as good as a mile' is not an idiom: the phrase is 'a miss is as good as a mile'. --ColinFine (talk) 00:19, 26 July 2008 (UTC)

Blue chip client base

Does anyone know what a blue chip client base is? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 89.213.240.1 (talk) 11:11, 18 July 2008 (UTC)

A blue chip stock is that of a large company with relatively large shareholders' equity relative to its assets. Your client is an entity you do business with. A client base is a set of clients you regularly do business with. Zain Ebrahim (talk) 11:18, 18 July 2008 (UTC)

To summarise, it means "our customers are successful companies". Itsmejudith (talk) 13:19, 18 July 2008 (UTC)

Or at least their blue chip client base consists of large, successful companies. They may also have a "fly-by-night client base". As long as those customers pay up front, they could still be a source of profit. StuRat (talk) 16:36, 18 July 2008 (UTC)

Important question

Does someone feigning Munchausen's syndrome have Munchausen's syndrome?

Adambrowne666 (talk) 11:43, 18 July 2008 (UTC)

How would someone feign Munchausen syndrome? Zain Ebrahim (talk) 12:08, 18 July 2008 (UTC)

By falsely claiming you have it ? I don't think this would actually qualify as having it, as that requires actively causing symptoms by harming yourself (or others, in the "by proxy" variant). Merely claiming to have a disease you don't have is hypochondria. StuRat (talk) 16:29, 18 July 2008 (UTC)

Hahahaha, awesome. I'm cracking up just trying to figuge out how to approach this question. This reminds me of the Liar's paradox. --Shaggorama (talk) 16:17, 18 July 2008 (UTC)

I think yes, because in order to fake the syndrome, you have to be faking illnesses. Well, technically you have to be faking faking an illness, but fortunately for our brains there's no practical difference. --Masamage ♫ 16:21, 18 July 2008 (UTC)

Well, there's a (somewhat subtle, but really pretty major) difference between faking something for fun, or for attention, or whatever other reason as a conscious and deliberate choice ("well, I got an hour to kill and I'm an idiot, so what the hell, might as well mess with some doctors"), and doing so because you have a strong psychological need or compulsion to do so. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 17:02, 18 July 2008 (UTC)

Why would you go to a mega concert?

Why do people go to megaconcerts like U2 and the like? Isn't it like watching television if you are not in the front?

Mr.K. (talk) 11:47, 18 July 2008 (UTC)

Largely for the atmosphere, also because it is an event to attend. Watching something on tv is enjoyable, but going out the house and having a night-out watching it will be a different experience. So you watch it on the tvs there? So what - you're still at the concert, you're still hearing it live (rather than through your tv) and you're still experiencing the atmosphere/excitement of a live-concert. I can honestly say that i've seen comedians live that were amazing, but on tv come across terribly. Tv coverage is great and i'm not going to say it's 'worse' than being there, but it is definitely a different experience. 194.221.133.226 (talk) 11:54, 18 July 2008 (UTC)

A comedian in a small room is definitely something different. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Mr.K. (talk • contribs) 12:12, 18 July 2008 (UTC)

Granted, not the 20,000 seat stadium affair that you're getting at but comedians do play large halls that seat a couple thousand people. Those in the back can't see the expression on the comedian's face which is, at times, part of the humor of the comedian. And people still attend, the shows still sell out, partly due to the experience of going. Dismas|^(talk) 16:31, 18 July 2008 (UTC)

Mario Shindou

What is the difference between "Super Mario 64" and "Super Mario 64 - Shindou Edition"?

The "Shindou" edition was a Japan-only release of Mario 64 that added Rumble Pak support. Fribbler (talk) 13:18, 18 July 2008 (UTC)

Overfed. See Wikipedia:Requests for checkuser/Case/Avril Vandal and this diff. Zain Ebrahim (talk) 13:35, 18 July 2008 (UTC)

September songs

Why do many songs have the word September in them, like Green Day's "When September Ends" or Evan Taubenfeld's "Best Days of Our Lives" and various other songs which I can't remember?

Well, "Wake Me Up When September Ends" is autobiographical, and concerns an event that happened in September. But there are surely lots of songs about lots of months; you may be experiencing confirmation bias. -- Coneslayer (talk) 13:00, 18 July 2008 (UTC)

Indeed, there are many months mentioned in songs. "November Rain" by Guns'n'Roses, "October" by Dolores O'Riordan, etc. Dismas|^(talk) 13:39, 18 July 2008 (UTC)

Overfed. See Wikipedia:Requests for checkuser/Case/Avril Vandal and this diff. Zain Ebrahim (talk) 13:35, 18 July 2008 (UTC)

September Sun by Type O Negative on thier latest album Dead Again, I think the common usage of this month has to do with the end of summer and the coming winter, in the northern hemisphere, used as a metaphore for the ending of a relationship, as most songs are about love, or about the ending or death of some other thing. Type O negative also did October Rust —Preceding unsigned comment added by 193.115.175.247 (talk) 16:09, 18 July 2008 (UTC)

I agree with 193. But why did nobody mention September? -LambaJan (talk) 17:52, 18 July 2008 (UTC)

Try http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~msmith03/songtitles/songmonth.htm -- SGBailey (talk) 23:06, 18 July 2008 (UTC)

"Longer than I remember/longer than last September (Brian Eno, "By this river"). Yes, all months are used, but September is used perhaps more than most - and my guess would be because of the connotations the month has (in the NH at least) with autumn, a time long associated with wistfulness and memories. The full lyrics of Simon & Garfunkel's "April come she will" make use of this link between autumn and wistfulness well, for instance. It's interesting that many of the songs mentioned above using other months use October - similarly associated. (oh - "January rain", Hunters and Collectors; "February", The Chills; "April sun in Cuba", Dragon; "May 1, 1990", Adrian belew; "Last day of June', Neil and Tim Finn; "July", Babybird; "August was a heavy month", Bob Geldof; "October", U2; "November", David Kilgour, "December", Teenage Fanclub... not to mention my own "Cold July rain" :). I found tons of marches, but none of them referred to the month. Grutness...wha? 02:02, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

A brief check of my iTunes songs (21,626 at the time of checking):

• January — 3
• February — 3 (2 + 1 for the French "février")
• March — 0 – 4 (difficult to tell if the context means the month or the music/walk, the "march" — 29 results total)
• April — 4
• May — 6 – 7 (difficult to tell if the context means the month or the verb, "may" — 23 results total)
• June — 11 7 – 11 (difficult to tell if the context means the month or the female — 12 results total)
• July — 8
• August — 3
• September — 9 (8 + 1 for the French "septembre")
• October — 3
• November — 9
• December — 11

There is a tie between December and June with 11 each, and September is tied in third with November. − Twas Now ( talk • contribs • e-mail ) 09:18, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

September is also the month when American kids usually go back to school after summer vacation. Hence the oldie "See you in September," used in commercials for the National Football League not too long ago. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 01:35, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

You forgot The Twelfth of Never (which may or may not be my birthday).  :) -- JackofOz (talk) 23:00, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

Some of those titles June may have been referring to a woman named June. -LambaJan (talk) 16:35, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

You're right. I've edited the numbers − Twas Now ( talk • contribs • e-mail )

As Dean Martin once quipped, "June is busting out all over. June ought to get a bigger dress". -- JackofOz (talk) 23:15, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

Any castle people in the house?

Can anyone recommend a castle in (preferably southern) Germany that has guest rooms besides this one? I'm looking for a room for two adults in mid August. Thanks, Dismas|^(talk) 20:12, 18 July 2008 (UTC)

Richard I spent an enjoyable holiday in Dürnstein and paid a measly 150,000 marks. You may like to contact user:Ferkelparade, user:richardrj or user:Sluzzelin, all residents of the Deep South. Enjoy your time in Europe, we´ve got more trees than Vermont but no moose... --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 22:32, 18 July 2008 (UTC)

PS: User:Angr is a neighbour from Richmond, NY but lives in Berlin. She may have some contacts, too. --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 22:43, 18 July 2008 (UTC)

http://www.castle-hotel.de/ near Heidleberg -- SGBailey (talk) 23:04, 18 July 2008 (UTC)

I like how that website uses the pre-1801 version of the flag of Great Britain to indicate the English language. —Angr 09:09, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

Say what? I live in Berlin, but I am neither from Richmond, NY, nor a she. And I'm afraid I know absolutely nothing at all about castles in southern Germany. I'm familiar with Schloss Charlottenburg and Sanssouci but AFAIK neither of them has guest rooms available. —Angr 08:08, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

Well, thanks for reading... I'll check out the hotel that was suggested. Thanks again, Dismas|^(talk) 17:47, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

Business Select Travel

For those of you who have traveled on the US airline southwest airlines and have purchased a business select fare i have a question to ask. The airline provides a free drink on boarding the aircraft however i have no interest in having it. Would i be able to skip the drink and just board the plane like normal. I think what counts here is that you paid a high fare to get a good seat. They offer this drink to you as a perk but i just want to skip that.--logger (talk) 21:19, 18 July 2008 (UTC)

You can probably just tell them you don't want the drink and they won't give it to you. 80.123.210.172 (talk) 21:36, 18 July 2008 (UTC)

Ask for a nonalcoholic drink. Airplane air is very dry; you'll probably be glad to have a glass of water or orange juice or something like that. —Angr 08:10, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

I agree. You won't get the price of the drink back anyway, so get yourself a nice nonalcoholic drink. It can also help to cool you down when they leave you sitting in the plane for an hour without A/C. StuRat (talk) 15:33, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

Psychology

What is the name for the phenomenon when, as Lewis Black put it, "the guy next door to you tells you theres a bear shitting everywhere. You say "ohh, thats ridiculous", and the next day the bear is following you around." Another example would be, and I'm sure this happens to some of you, seeing a certain time, such as 9:11, when you look at the clock, as if you instinctively look at the clock at that time. Is there any documented research of this in any psychology journals? Here7ic (talk) 21:53, 18 July 2008 (UTC)

What you've got here is a case of observational selection (we don't seem to have a Wikipedia article on the subject that I can discover), or to be more descriptive about it, counting the hits and ignoring the misses. An example from my own life: because I'm a sad, sad nerd, I always chuckle a little when I happen to notice that my cell phone's time reads 13:37 -- y'know, as in "leet". If I was inclined to do so, I might think that I have some kind of a special ability to look at the time at 13:37 or, indeed, that it crops up all the time. But this is not the case. I probably check the clock about two dozen times every day, so chances are that I'm going to hit that time more often than not. Because the number is, to my sad, sad brain, chuckle-worthy, I notice it more than the other times, but that doesn't mean I factually see it more often than the other times -- meaning that seeing it feels much more significant to me than not seeing it. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 23:12, 18 July 2008 (UTC)

I don't know which is "nerdier", having your cellphone display military time or chuckling aloud over 13:37. Hmm, the chuckling. :P Useight (talk) 00:37, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

Oh, there's nothing nerdy about using a 24-hour clock. (I mean, not that I'm pretending to be anything but a nerd, but this is not an instance of that. =)) Here in Finland we don't call it "military time", either, it's just "the time" -- most of the world doesn't really operate on a 12-hour clock, despite its prevalence in the United States, Australia and a bunch of other countries. I mean, I was probably around ten years old or so before I even understood what that whole am/pm thing was about, and it took me a couple of years to really learn which was which... -- Captain Disdain (talk) 01:19, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

See Postdiction. -hydnjo talk 03:44, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

André Breton called this "hasard objectif" ("objective chance"). DAVID ŠENEK 09:28, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

Postdiction! Yes. Exactly what I was trying to find. Thank you, Hydnjo. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 11:05, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

See Baader-Meinhof phenomenon. zafiroblue05 | Talk 18:48, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

Anti-skating device

The grocery store near my house has signs up saying things like 'anti-skate devices in use, do not skate'. But the sidewalks always look completely normal to me- what am I missing and how do these things work? 70.162.28.222 (talk) 23:03, 18 July 2008 (UTC)

Usually anti-skating devices are little bumps on surfaces to keep people from "grinding" on them (which causes damage to the structure, among other things). Sometimes they are added after the fact and look really obvious (like the ones on the Embarcadero in San Francisco), sometimes they are built into the design from the beginning and aren't obvious—subtle bumps or jutting structures. Those are the only type of anti-skating devices I've ever seen, anyway. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 00:24, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

So that's what those things are!! I've seen those at a local mall and couldn't figure out what they were for. Thanks much! Dismas|^(talk) 07:52, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

It seems to me that for the cost of those anti-skate devices placed on all the roads and sidewalks, they could have built a small skate park and donated it to the city (so they would avoid any legal liability). And having a fun place to skate might very well work better to keep skaters away from their stores, as well as being a PR bonus and perhaps tax-deductible. StuRat (talk) 15:26, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

And then the legal liability falls on the city, which is already financially strapped. The city would be likely to say, "no, thank you." Corvus cornix_talk 16:10, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

They have shield laws to protect the government from lawsuits. Otherwise they would be sued for extreme incompetence all the time. StuRat (talk) 17:37, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

Yes, they could have built a small skate park, but it doesn't mean all skaters will go there. There are public skate parks (well, at least one that I can think of) in my city, and I still see skaters everywhere else. --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 17:27, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

If you put the skate park right next to the shopping center, I can't see why kids would prefer to dodge cars and walkers. On the other hand, if they have to get to the other side of the city to get to the skate park, they may well choose some place closer. StuRat (talk) 17:42, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

These news reports disagree with your contention, Stu. Corvus cornix_talk 21:50, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

That type of link doesn't work well here. It essentially goes out and does the search again every time someone clicks on those links. Unfortunately, Google gives different results to different people doing the same search at the same time (I have no idea why) and also gives different results if you repeat the same search at different times (which makes sense). So, perhaps those searches produced some results related to skating for you, but they don't for me. StuRat (talk) 01:14, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

No, they're links to lots of reports of cities being sued, despite your contention that they're exempt. Corvus cornix_talk 01:45, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

I see. Those cities are in jurisdictions that aren't smart enough to exempt themselves from the law, apparently. StuRat (talk) 02:03, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

Or jurisdictions where the people are smart enough not to let the city do anything so potentially corrupt and corrupting as exempt themselves from the law. Depending on your perspective. I would add that people often continue to use public spaces for skating even when skate parks are available for a wide range of reasons, some easier to understand than others. 79.66.124.253 (talk) 16:29, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

They only have to make the argument that any lawsuit against the city is paid by the taxpayers, and the taxpayers are then happy to exempt the city from lawsuits. StuRat (talk) 15:40, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

July 19

Removed?

I'm not totally sure this question is in the right category, but: If a friend says they are visiting their cousin twice removed, how are they related to them? What does the "removed" part mean? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.169.20.8 (talk) 01:46, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

A cousin once removed is your cousin's son or daughter, or your mother or father's cousin - that is, the "removal' is by one generation. Your cousin twice removed is either your grandparent's cousin or your cousin's grandchild. See Cousin for all the messy details. Grutness...wha? 02:07, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

Of course, I've noticed that some people incorrectly use the term to mean horizontal spanning of the family tree instead of vertical. So they may have meant "second cousin" or even "third cousin". This usage would be completely incorrect. APL (talk) 02:48, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

Conversely, some people use "second cousin" to mean a first cousin once removed. This is also incorrect (according to most people who understand the terms, anyway -- you might find it given in dictionaries, as they just record usage and don't prescribe correct usage). --Anonymous, 04:18 UTC, July 19, 2008.

Mustard

Is mustard a use by or best before food? Because for breakfast this morning, I had sausages with mustard. I couldn't find the date on the mustard bottle. 124.176.160.46 (talk) 01:51, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

By the definitions in the article I'd say best before. -hydnjo talk 03:47, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

I've used mustard in small quantities several years after it expired and it seemed fine. This was stored in the fridge though and was French mustard not that funny American stuff which is more like a ketchup or sauce Nil Einne (talk) 08:05, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

I wouldn't expect mustard to rot, but it may dry out, oxidize (darken), or separate, any of which would make it unappetizing. However, they are also all visually apparent, so you could tell if it had "gone bad" before tasting it. StuRat (talk) 15:11, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

Depends on the mustard, but most mustards are made with a large proportion of vinegar, thus making them a kind of pickle (sort of). The purpose of a pickle is to preserve foods for long storage, usually without requiring refrigeration. That's not to say they'll never go bad - if you have a lot of sugar or other such additives you may have an issue. I'm no expert, but I'd probably agree with the consensus of "best before". -- 128.104.112.147 (talk) 19:54, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

aliens - air and water

I have followed some researches about aliens. Whenever they talk about alien life in other planets, they also refer water, air and climate.

I don't know how these factors also make any sense for aliens.

I doubt there could possibly be aliens in sun and earth too. ;)

--V4vijayakumar (talk) 03:24, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

Well, water is assumed by many scientists to be necessary for the existence of any kind of life, because of it's multiple useful properties, like its high surface tension and ability to act as a solvent on just about anything, that are not shared by many other molecules. Presumably, any kind of intelligent alien life would also need an atmosphere of some form to survive without exploding (except for underwater life, but arguably an entire planet covered in water qualifies as an atmosphere as well). Climate is a natural consequence of the existence of an atmosphere and the movement and rotation of a planet around a star. I have no idea what the last line of your question means, so I won't attempt to answer it. « Aaron Rotenberg « Talk « 03:59, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

Is it just because we breath and drink, we expect the same from aliens? Is it just because we have eye, nose, lungs, heart and brain, we expect the same from aliens? Is it just because we need some kind of vehicles to travel, we expect the same from aliens? We still believe in some kind of weird stuffs aliens could have, like, crystal that attracts gold, or advanced microprocessor technology. Why restricting aliens with in these boundaries?! --V4vijayakumar (talk) 13:41, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

Read Evolving the Alien by Ian Stewart and Jack Cohen. Stewart and Cohen agree with you - they argue that any study or hypothesis about extraterrestrial life that starts with the assumption that life requires conditions similar to those found on Earth is too restrictive. They make a convincing case. Gandalf61 (talk) 14:51, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

While it may be possible for completely different forms of life to evolve in radically different environments, we don't know that for sure or know which environments to look for. However, we do know that it's possible for life to evolve in an environment similar to Earth, so it makes sense to allocate scarce resources to search those places for life first. StuRat (talk) 15:03, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

Plus, life that's evolved in radically different environments may be hard to recognise and relate to. 79.66.124.253 (talk) 16:23, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

Reversi

Hello. When would a player use mobility and parity as described in Reversi#Strategy? Thanks in advance. --Mayfare (talk) 03:30, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

I don't play the game, but I believe these ideas are constantly relevant during play. Algebraist 10:45, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

As a mid-level player I go with trying to get the opponent in the position of taking forced moves, then use that to secure corners and their continguous edges, which are then absolutely safe. Then, at the end, those advantages can be used to flip the most discs and win the game. StuRat (talk) 14:53, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

Dissolving US corporations

Who has the power to dissolve a corporate charter within the United States? --harej 08:03, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

The corporation itself, obviously, and the courts. (Although the courts may only be able to do so indirectly, in certain circumstances, say by seizing all the corporation's assets to pay a judgment against the corporation.) And, perhaps, in the case of corporations like Halliburton, they could be dissolved by Dorothy, using a bucket of water (let's hope Cheney gets splashed with the water, too). :-) StuRat (talk) 01:16, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

girl problem

hi, i just want an answer to my problem

i was talking to a friend of mine when i suddenly splurted out (accidentally) about her ex-boyfriend, and she got emotional and all... and she is very upset what shud i do to make her happy? give her some of her favorite chocolates? or something else? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 122.50.248.79 (talk) 09:02, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

I suspect an apology would go a lot further than chocolates. —Angr 09:05, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

Or maybe chocolates and an apology! Richard Avery (talk) 09:34, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

While you're pondering what to do, ponder this - there are no accidents. -- JackofOz (talk) 09:57, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

There's something else going on there if she's that emotional about an ex-boyfriend. Only you know if what you said was really wrong or if her reaction was out of proportion based on her lingering feelings. I agree with Angr and Richard, but if what you said was an honest mistake and not something you should've known better about, then I think that should be reflected in the type of apology you give. -LambaJan (talk) 15:15, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

Totally agree with the above. Unless you said something truly insensitive or mean relating to this girl's ex, it's really not your fault. She's clearly very sensitive or traumatized about this fellow, and there's nothing you can do to fix her or make her happy. She just needs time to get over him; maybe she should apologize to you for putting you in such an awkward position. If she's truly your friend, she won't make you have to walk on eggshells every time you're having a normal conversation.--The Fat Man Who Never Came Back (talk) 15:21, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

Letter riddle

it's above letter j and i .What am i? i assumed the answer to this riddle would be a dot. Could that dot have a special name .Or if anybody knows the answer to this infamous riddle please assist. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.52.66.10 (talk) 09:05, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

I think the dot over i and j is technically called a tittle, though riddles like this usually have less obvious answers. —Angr 09:15, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

a b c d e f g and h, if you consider the alphabet, but that doesn't seem right, either. 130.56.65.24 (talk) 00:30, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

or the number 8, if you look at a qwerty keyboard. --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 17:22, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

Beale Ciphers

I recently came across this site. It claims to have solved the Beale Ciphers. Does anyone know whether or not it is true? Harland1 (^t/_c) 09:54, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

It's crap. The site has apparently been in operation since 2001, according to the copyright information on their site (the Wayback Machine goes back to 2002). Note that they provide no information about how the ciphers were solved. Why would they hide that? There's nothing to be gained by keeping that a secret, and publishing that information would lend them an instant air of legitimacy and credibility. (They do have a picture that shows the letter substitution they used to "decode" the message, but no information as to how they came to use that letter substitution that I can find.) They have "pre-dig video footage", which shows essentially nothing, as well as a bunch of pictures of their "excavation site", but they have no video footage (or, indeed, any pictures at all) from inside the vault. Why not? What, they couldn't bring a camera in there? Sure, they have some pictures of old things that were supposedly found in there, but none of them have anything to do with Beale -- they could've been found anywhere. Also: this is a fairly famous mystery. If these guys had anything, surely the media would have been interested and reported on it? Yet the world at large seems to consider the Beale cipher unbroken. Nope, it's crap. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 11:03, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

Thanks. I was rather dubious about it but a second opinion is gratefully received. Thanks for taking the time. Harland1 (^t/_c) 11:27, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

Lolicon page on Wikipedia

After opening the page expecting to find an explanation of Lolicon I found an artists drawing of three girls.

This is now illegal in the UK.

How is it still visible on the page? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Torres24 (talk • contribs)

This drawing doesn't violate Florida laws and Wikipedia isn't censored. Admiral Norton ^(talk) 13:10, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

Furthermore, I'm not sure what the UK's definition for illegal material is, but considering that the three girls in the picture are wearing clothing that is less revealing that most swimsuits are and the characters aren't posed in a particularly erotic manner and there's really nothing overtly sexual about the picture, I'm a little skeptical as to the illegality of this picture even in the UK. (Even the erotic context mostly comes from the fact that the caption uses the word "erotic" rather than the picture itself.) -- Captain Disdain (talk) 13:31, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

...also, let me quote the article itself: "Non-photographic images of children have never been illegal in the United Kingdom[.] However, on 13 December 2006 [it was] announced that the Cabinet was discussing how to ban computer-generated images of child abuse — including cartoons and graphic illustrations of abuse — after pressure from children's charities. The Government published a consultation on 1 April 2007, announcing plans to create a new offence of possessing a computer generated picture, cartoon or drawing with a penalty of three years in prison and an unlimited fine." Has this plan now been turned into a law? Is the article out of date? -- Captain Disdain (talk) 13:33, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

As of may 2008 ? http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7422595.stm the proposed law has not been made yet. (I think).87.102.86.73 (talk) 15:15, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

In any case, Wikipedia is not in the UK, it's in Florida. APL (talk) 15:08, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

And more relevantly, the image doesn't depict child abuse. —Angr 15:09, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

schopenhauer identifies pederasty as afflicting those too old or weak to reproduce; in this sense their obsession with loli-porn/fur-suits etc can be considered a blessing in disguise.87.102.86.73 (talk) 16:09, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

May I also point out that the article on platypus contains a depiction of such an animal in voluptuous full frontal nudity, which may motivate people of bestial inclinations to perform disgusting acts whilst lustily ogling this lurid image.

Even worse, the article on stiletto heels shows such a profoundly pornographic fetishistoid tool of slippery leather and vile erotic gleam, potentially luring the innocent cobbler to orgies of depraved lust and sinful obsession.

There is the clear danger, that all shoemakers succumb to hirsuteness of the palms and visual impairment, resulting in suitable footwear to become extinct. Whereupon the last solution is the breeding of genetically engineered platypus slippers.

Warning, this - seemingly harmless - last link contains Satanic viruses! --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 18:51, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

I'll have what he's having! --Sean 13:34, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

Wikipedia copyright

How come Wikipedia copyright rules are so strict? Most websites use any images they want and just credit the copyright (or not even that sometimes). Is this illegal? PS: I am not asking legal advice. --217.227.123.3 (talk) 16:23, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

Yes, that would normally be illegal (IANAL, and there are plenty of exceptions). Wikipedia's policies are strict because Wikipedia is supposed to be free content; anyone should be able to legally copy anything on Wikipedia for any purpose. Of course there is a compromise between the free ideal and the goal of creating a good encyclopedia, and so we have the (hotly contested) Non-free content criteria. Algebraist 16:42, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

Right. We're trying to make it so that people can recopy the content of Wikipedia and do anything they want with it, so the less copyright confusion we have to deal with, the better. --Masamage ♫ 17:05, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

What does "IANAL" mean in English? Edison (talk) 20:18, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

You didn't try IANAL Nil Einne (talk) 20:24, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

It's also the case that as Wikipedia becomes higher and higher profile it opens itself up to greater and greater risk if it had sloppy handling of copyrights. "Most websites" are just tiny affairs—not many readers, not many administrators, not much money exchanging hands to keep it afloat. With greater prominence comes greater scrutiny, and greater possibility of problems. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 17:41, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

See User:Angr#A parable. —Keenan Pepper 18:07, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

Now available as a free-standing essay at WP:VEGAN. —Angr 18:53, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

It would be a weird pot-luck dinner indeed if there was an intention to produce one high quality example of every possible food item. If the pot-luck did have such lofty goals there would have to be many compromises to its vegan nature. Such a massive pot-luck dinner would require a vast number of contributers, many of them would be more interested in completeness than vegan-ness. If you ask me, the metaphor doesn't really scale properly while retaining the moral its writer intended. APL (talk) 00:54, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

Birthdays

Is there a bias in the distribution of birthdays? I mean are there more "spring babies" than "dead of winter babies" in some nod to our primal nature? TastyCakes (talk) 17:03, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

I don't know the "official" answer, but a lot of my cousins got pregnant one winter, and my uncles agreed it was because of a big snow storm we had. So that resulted in several autumn babies. --Masamage ♫ 17:06, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

I don't think we have an article, but there's a brief discussion in footnote 3 of birthday problem. Algebraist 18:17, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

There are statistics for the USA quoted here [2] which give July as having the most births and February the fewest, but it also points out that February is the shortest month. It also says "Generally speaking, the numbers are so close for all 12 months that the National Center for Health Statistics warns there really is no single trend." Another survey, of all births at a particular Dallas hospital throughout one year, found that "most births occurred in the fall, between September and November. Child births were least common in the winter during the months December through February." [3]. So yes, there does seem that there may be a summer/winter bias, but not a big one, and it varies. Karenjc 18:23, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

I'm not sure how much I trust this data: [4], but it has some interesting features. For one thing, it shows a surprisingly strong weekly periodicity, with Sunday being the least popular day. I would have thought the distribution in gestation times would be broad enough to smooth out such weekly variation, but apparently not. Once that weekly variation is averaged out, the data shows a large, broad peak around August-October, corresponding to conception dates during the winter holidays, and a smaller but much sharper peak centered at November 14, corresponding to conception on Valentine's Day. —Keenan Pepper 18:31, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

Here's the paper from which that data is taken; it looks pretty legit: [5] —Keenan Pepper 18:36, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

Sunday is less popular because hospitals don't induce birth out of working hours. Algebraist 18:40, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

At http: //www.sciencenews.org/sn_arc98/11_21_98/mathland.htm is a table of US data for 1978-87 showing average daily birth frequencies for each month, i.e. it is corrected for the month lengths. Here is a graphical presentation of the table.

   MONTH     DAILY FREQUENCY         GRAPHICALLY        9TH MONTH EARLIER
   January      .0026123          *                        April
   February     .0026785             *                     May
   March        .0026838              *                    June
   April        .0026426            *                      July
   May          .0026702             *                     August
   June         .0027424                 *                 September
   July         .0028655                       *           October
   August       .0028954                        *          November
   September    .0029407                           *       December
   October      .0027705                  *                January
   November     .0026842              *                    February
   December     .0026864              *                    March

As you see, this data set shows a small but distinct peak in births from July to September, corresponding to conceptions at the time the weather is getting colder. --Anonymous, 05:26 UTC, July 20/08.

I've been told that if you are in a group of 30 people, it is likely that 2 people will have the same birthday: month and day. We checked this out at work at a staff meeting and another woman had the same birthday as me. The data above is logically sound. My own experience is not. Perhaps I have another case of selective observation.Quakerlady (talk) 05:27, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

If all birthdays were equally likely and leap years did not exist, a pair of unrelated people would have a 1/365 chance of sharing a birthday. Well, a group of 30 people includes 435 different pairs of people. (Person 1 can be paired with person 2, 3, 4, 5, ... 30; person 2 with 3, 4, 5, ..., 30; and so on.) Once you think about it that way, it should not be at all surprising that you would find a pair with the same birthday.

Note: this is not how you calculate the actual probability; see birthday problem for that. It's just a way to help you see how unsurprising it is that the probabilty of a repeated birthday is large even if all birthdays are equally probable. (For 30 people it's actually about 73%.) A slightly uneven distribution of birthdays such as I cited above will raise the probability a bit more, but only a bit. --Anonymous, 19:31 UTC, July 24, 2008.

In the British coal miners' strike of January/February 1974, in an effort to economise on electricity the government decreed that all TV channels had to close down at 10.30 p.m. There was an appreciable spike in births nine months later, which demonstrated what people did for entertainment when there was no TV. -- Arwel (talk) 22:13, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

Cite please? --Anon, 19:31 UTC, July 24.

Making fun of rape

Is it ok to make fun of rape of males, but despictable to make fun or rape of females? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Mr.K. (talk • contribs) 18:08, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

Usually, esp. if rape of males is occurring in prison. This is, I imagine, because rape of females is seen as the powerful taking advantage of the less powerful, whereas rape of males is supposed to be more commensurate (and males who get raped are seen as having failed at being truly masculine). But that's my ad hoc, cheap analysis, and is purely descriptive, not prescriptive. I don't think rape of males—esp. prison rape—is really that funny either. (It speaks poorly of the US justice system that such a thing occurs quite regularly. It is a savage and unlawful, certainly "cruel and unusual punishment", and the fact that it seems practically condoned as part of "serving the time" is, well, unsettling to say the least.) --98.217.8.46 (talk) 18:13, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

It is not okay to make fun of rape ever. --Masamage ♫ 18:14, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

In the opinion of the late great George Carlin, (paraphrasing from Parental Advisory: Explicit Lyrics) "You can joke about anything. Even rape. People say rapes not funny. I say it is. Just image Porky Pig raping Elmer Fudd. Why do you think they call him 'Porky'? ... I wonder if there's more rape at the equator or at the North Pole. I mean proportionally. I know there's more people at the equator. We have millions of people at the equator. How many eskimos do we have? Five? ... Now, the biggest problem that an eskimo rapist has... How to get wet leather leggings off of someone who's kicking!" So, you asked if it's "ok". I'd say it depends on who you ask. Dismas|^(talk) 18:22, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

To be totally honest, I wouldn't ask George Carlin anything, and find that quote pretty intensely horrific. But yes, there are people with whom you can joke around about rape and who would find it hilarious and not be offended at all. Most of them are male. --Masamage ♫ 18:27, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

Rape is as funny as any other horrible subject. See black humor for more examples. For a skilled satirist or humorist, all ugliness/horror/tragedy/absurdity in life is fair game; there are Holocaust jokes, pedophilia jokes, 9/11 jokes, not all of them altogether without value.--The Fat Man Who Never Came Back (talk) 18:31, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

I also would not ask George Carlin anything, but only because he's dead. APL (talk) 18:44, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

Well, you could ask, but he wouldn't have much to say in reply! --98.217.8.46 (talk) 21:15, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

Mel Brooks is another comedian, and a Jewish one, who's said (explicitly, after being asked by Andrew Denton) that it's OK to joke about the Holocaust, because in his view there is simply no subject that is not a fit subject for humour. Hence The Producers. But it takes a skilled comedian to be able to do it and get away with it without offending people. I'm sure he wasn't in any way downplaying the suffering of the Jews when he wrote Springtime for Hitler. It's possible to have a joke the subject of which is rape (whether male or female) that raises a smile even on the face of the staunchest and most obsessive anti-rape campaigner, or on the face of a rape victim. But don't pervert that concept into making it OK to go around willy nilly joking about rape (or pedophilia, or the Holocaust, or whatever). From a moral point of view, there's no difference in degree of harm between the rape of a woman and that of a man - or a child. -- JackofOz (talk) 22:46, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

JackofOz said it well. A clumsy comedian cannot pull off this sort of joke without making mainstream audiences wince in disgust.--The Fat Man Who Never Came Back (talk) 23:38, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

Even if prison rape jokes were ever funny, they're certainly tired by now. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 01:31, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

There is also that consideration, heh. --Masamage ♫ 08:30, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

I definitely agree with User:Dismas. It depends on who you ask. Many people find jokes like that funny and many do not. The Reader who Writes (talk) 13:54, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

But don't forget the guys who go in "straight" and come out (no pun intended) having discovered their true sexuality. OK, they didn't go looking for it - it just found them out - and they never looked back (again, no pun intended). —Preceding unsigned comment added by 92.8.200.239 (talk) 19:14, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

That does happen; and one can discover one's sexuality in the most unexpected ways. But I doubt any of those guys are going to be thanking their prison rapists for helping them find their true nature. It's not like "Stop! Help! .... no, actually, I kinda like that so keep going". Rape in any circumstances is horrific brutality, and has nothing to do with sexuality, or even sex. -- JackofOz (talk) 22:56, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

My experience of black humor is that a person can make fun of themselves or their group with good credentials. Mel Brooks can make fun of the holocaust because he's Jewish. Germans should probably not do the same. I've seen handicapped comedians make fun of handicaps, ethnic comedians make fun of their ethnicity. I don't expect handicapped comedians to make fun of ethnic background. So I guess a person who had been raped would have the credential to make jokes about rape. I doubt that will ever happen. It does remind me of a joke... (I'll refrain)Quakerlady (talk) 05:48, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

I did once hear a German comedian make a holocaust joke, and it was one of the funniest things I've ever heard largely because it was so unexpected and deadpan. But thinking about it, it was sort-of a joke at the expense of Germans rather than the victims. 79.66.124.253 (talk) 16:17, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

Seth Thomas Pocket Watch

I have a Seth Thomas pocket watch which I would like any information on. The watch is an open face 18 size.The only information on the back plate is the date =8.1.99. There is no serial number. The name (model) on the back plate is Railway. There is no indication as to the number of jewels the watch contains. The word adjusted is also shown. The watch is a full plate and appears to be identical to a Maiden Lane model with the exceptions noted above, plus some differences in the regulator which appears to be of the star type.

The face of the watch has a double sunk porcelin Montgomery style dial with the numerals 13 through 24 in red on the center sunk portion of the dial. The seconds bit is in the other sunken portion of the dial

Any help you could give me in identifying this watch would be greatly appreciated. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.211.70.251 (talk) 18:11, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

Did you open the watch and look for a serial number on the mechanism inside? That is where it is on old pocket watches I have examined. Do not attempt this if you are not capable of doing it without damaging it. A jeweler should have no trouble opening it. Edison (talk) 20:16, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

Digital picture frames

From our Digital photo frame article:

Certain frames can also load pictures over the Internet from RSS feeds, photo sharing sites such as Flickr, Picasa and from e-mail. Such networked models usually support wireless (802.11) connections.

Does anyone know which exactly as I've been unable to find them in google? Can this be done remotely. For example uploading pics for your friends display from your own house. Fanx. 190.190.224.115 (talk) 19:26, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

Also, are these just regular LCDs or are they somehow boosted for crisper colors and better viewing angles? I assume that every single depicted example for sale has had the demo photo photoshoped in as they always appear crisp and with intense colours. 190.190.224.115 (talk) 19:33, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

What exactly did you search for? My first Google search http://www.google.co.nz/search?hl=en&q=Digital+photo+frame+network] gave [6] as the first result. I haven't looked into the details, but I don't see any reason why this couldn't be done remotely. Worst case scenario and the device doesn't use TCP/IP, you set up a listen server on a computer (remote desktop, SSL daemon, VNC, or even a customised web server) in your house which is remotely accessible and does whatever needs to be done to update the image. More likely, the device probably just uses standard TCP/IP so provided you have a firewall/router capable of forwarding the appropriate ports and your remote computer has the appropriate software and is likewise set up to send the traffic over the internet it should be fine. If this really doesn't work, use a router with (or run on your computer) a VPN server and connect to the router/computer with your remote computer. Simce you now have access to the remote LAN there's no reason why it shouldn't work. And yes, images 'displayed' on display devices depicted in a photo are nearly always added after the fact be they digital photo frames, TVs, whatever AFAIK. A random guess but AFAIK you can generally make LCDs with better viewing angles and better colours and better contrast if you are less worried about the response time although I have no idea if digital photo frame LCDs are of that kind. Nil Einne (talk) 20:16, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

Oh i guess it was the word "network" I was missing in my search. Thank you Nil. 190.190.224.115 (talk) 20:54, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

Primetime

The primetime article here on wikipedia states that primetime is 8-11 pm eastern and pacific, and 7-10 pm mountain and central. However, this doesn't make sense to me. if the mountain time zone used the east coast feed of a cable channel (obvisously local channels have theirs set up as they wish), than primetime programs would be 6-9 pm. If it used the west coast time, it would be 9-12 pm for the primetime programs. Please help me understand exactly what this is saying.--Ac1983fan 22:16, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

• The hours long predate the existence of cable. It's more a social thing -- I suspect central and mountain time zones had higher proportions of early-to-bed early-to-risers. Predominantly rural vs. predominantly urban. I wonder if the concept of prime time goes back to radio days? --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 01:49, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

I suspect that TV stations in the Mountain time zone record the Eastern feed, and then play it back an hour later.

I found a similar question as an old Google Answers post: TV times in Mountain time zone. The comments there suggest that it's up to each Mountain time station which feed they receive and how much they delay it. It's also pointed out that the Mountain time zone only includes 6% of the population of the continental 48 states, and that time-delay equipment is more economical than a separate Mountain feed.

You can verify the actual times programs are shown by entering different zip codes on a TV listings website. For example, TV stations available in zip code 84101 (Salt Lake City) use the 7p-10p prime time, according to Yahoo TV listings. --Bavi H (talk) 19:53, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

July 20

gravel screening pavement

I have recently heard of a type of pavement called "screening," which apparently is some kind of gravel mixture that hardens with water and appears similar to blacktop. Can you please tell me a little more about it, along with possible alternate names for it? I've been unable to find any information about this type of pavement using the word "screening." What is it made of? If it is as cheap and durable as I've been told, why isn't it used more often? Are there any environmental concerns? Any regulations regarding its use? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.148.189.142 (talk) 04:12, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

Screenings generally refer to a crushed rock which has passed through a screen with holes of a particular size. After levelling and watering it is rolled for roads and footpaths. Weeds will gradually take it over, and water erosion can take it apart too. Here in Aust. its nearly always a light orange colour and mostly quartz. Much less durable than bitumen (blacktop) but cheaper to maintain (with a grader and roller) if the traffic isn't too great. Polypipe Wrangler (talk) 04:53, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

Zimdollars

Can anyone suggest how I might get hold of one of the new Zimbabwean $100 billion notes [[7]]here in Melbourne, Australia? Thanks Adambrowne666 (talk) 05:03, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

Perhaps a travel agency, embassy, AAA, or bank. One in a big city would probably be better. It might take a little time before they're accessible in a foreign market. I'm also planning on looking for one. I read that they're only worth about $1 US. They also expire on December 31. Useight (talk) 21:32, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

Good advice; thanks very much, Useight. Adambrowne666 (talk) 22:14, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

Hey, if you get a hold of one let me know how you did it. I am on the lookout for one too. Plasticup ^T/C 15:06, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

At this rate, they may become worth more than a single US dollar. Useight (talk) 18:17, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

Golf

What is the shortest hole in all of golf? Not just championship courses, ANY course. 121.220.72.99 (talk) 12:24, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

The mini-golf course nearby has one hole that is just 37 inches, but it is over a steep hillock. Does this help?86.211.109.40 (talk) 13:14, 20 July 2008 (UTC)DT

I play golf in my garden sometimes. Because I'm shit, I usually put the ball next to the hole, about 1 cm away. (Actually I don't play golf, but hopefully you get my point akin to 86's point) Nil Einne (talk) 19:54, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

Here are some possibilities. Rockpocket 01:25, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

Philosophia X Known and Earthan Philosopher

moved to User_talk:Earthan_Philosopher#Hello_and_welcome as it is not really a reference desk question.87.102.86.73 (talk) 16:39, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

Mario Puzo Symbol

At the start of each chapter in Mario Puzo's books, there is a small symbol. Similar to a circle / flower. What would this symbol be called and where could I find the symbol on the internet. I searched, but not knowing what to call it really hampers my efforts. JelloTube (talk) 14:42, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

Is it some kind of dingbat?--Shantavira|^{feed me} 16:15, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

A rosette, perhaps? -- JackofOz (talk) 22:47, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

As the King of Siam would say (maybe to Anna), "It is a Puzo-ment." Clarityfiend (talk) 04:26, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

Removing Raccoons in the walls

We have a nest of raccoons that have found an entrance between the walls of our townhomes. Now that they are in there, they scamper between the walls and floors of our 6 units. We have set out traps next to the opening and have caught 4 so far. There are more...we can hear them. We loosely put chicken wire over the opening, so we can tell when they leave the wall. We're afraid to seal it up, since they would die in the walls and ceilings and decay. Is there a way we can smoke or fog them out...so, they leave and we can either catch them...or they can just find another place to live in the nearby woods? Once we stop hearing them move about, we will seal up the opening with a permanent solution. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Jrizzi (talk • contribs) 17:59, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

This is not quite what you asked about, but just the same: I think you might want to have some sort of a pest control specialist come in and take a look at the place -- I understand that raccoons tend to have multiple entrances to their dens, so the one you have found may not be the only way into the house. Also, depending on where you live, raccoons can also be carriers of all sorts of dangerous diseases, so, again, it might be a good idea to call someone who really knows how to deal with them. And finally, you will want to make sure that there's absolutely no way the raccoons can access to your trash once you have this cleared up; you don't want to give them any extra incentive to make themselves comfortable again. -- Captain Disdain (talk)

I think I'd stick with the traps. They have to come out sooner or later to eat, after all. Make it so they can't get out without triggering a trap. You could smoke them out by drilling a hole far from the entrance and pumping something objectionable in. However, beware that the gas will likely make it's way back into your house if you do this. StuRat (talk) 01:10, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

Uh, pumping some kind of gas into your own house in the hopes of getting some raccoons out strikes me as a pretty dumb thing to do. Let me put it this way: this sounds like a situation that has a pretty high probability of someone coming along afterwards and asking, "what the hell were they thinking?" You got a pest problem and you don't know exactly how to deal with it, call a pest control professional -- for a quick consultation, if nothing else. I'm betting those guys are insured, for starters; if they screw up your house, they'll take care of it. If you screw up your house by pumping some random crap in, or killing raccoons within the walls, or not understanding how the raccoons are getting so you don't manage to stop them in time before they turn all spaces inside the walls and in the attic into dens and crap all over the place, or someone gets bit by a rabid raccoon -- or whatever other scenario might conceivably take place -- I'm betting that you're the guy who ends up with the bill. Just saying. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 03:19, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

Professional pest control people dealing with squirrels in the eaves of a house attached a "humane" trap to the hole the animals used to enter the dwelling, so that they were trapped one by one as the exited the place. More safe and effective than attempts to gas the vermin without gassing the humans. Edison (talk) 03:41, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

Religion.

A non-practising roman catholic, I just watched "Goya's Ghosts" with my wife (a fictional tale of non-fictional inquisitorial Spain in the 17th century as blessed by the Vatican and the Spanish monarchy). I knew what to expect ie., torturing people until they confessed to ludicrous charges of crimes such as refusing to eat pork (when they simply didn't like it) giving the impression they were advocating the (then illegal) Jewish practice of not eating pork. My wife, a non-catholic was horrified, hardly surprisingly. Questions - has any Pope ever unconditionally apologised for the utter stupidity and cruelty of the catholic church's behaviour during those terrible times; and secondly, is there, or has there ever been, a peaceful, unitary-God-worshipping, non-vindictive and non-terrorising religion that my wife and I could join in pursuit of the fulfillment of all the graces, talents, and blessings that a true God has endowed mankind with, in tribute to His/Her/Its Glory? 92.8.200.239 (talk) 19:08, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

1. Yes the pope has apologised http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=spanish+inquisition+apology&meta=

2. Maybe the quakers?87.102.86.73 (talk) 19:12, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

In answer to your second question, the Unitarian Universalists? — QuantumEleven 11:25, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

Or just join the Universal Life Church and do your own thing. Algebraist 11:30, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

How about Baha'i religion, which is relatively modern, very civilized, and a "unitary-God-worshipping, non-vindictive and non-terrorising religion". Omidinist (talk) 14:01, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

Do you really need an established religion? Ask yourself what you believe about God, life and the world and act on it -- you don't need to find an existing practice to tell you what to believe or do. 99.245.92.47 (talk) 20:08, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

Some people want the social and cultural aspects which you can't get by yourself. 79.66.13.38 (talk) 21:36, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

Who or what is responsible for all the earth's problems?

The economy, world leaders, or just basic human selfishness? How come I got no problem being a caring, unselfish person? Sometimes I weep for all the starving children, for example. Something must be responsible. Is this how police states think? Are problems just part of life, (Some win, some lose, Earth still spins,...)?--Hey, I'm Just Curious (talk) 19:19, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

I think one of the causes of the earth's problem is that certain people choose to ignore clearly worded directions for no apparent reason. For example, the direction at the top which clearly says "Do not start debates or post diatribes. The reference desk is not a soapbox." Nil Einne (talk) 19:57, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

Maybe I should have asked if anyone's ever published a paper on it Hey, I'm Just Curious (talk) 20:11, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

From a christian pov, it is the devil. --Cameron* 20:01, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

It might be society.87.102.86.73 (talk) 20:16, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

Obviously the cause of all suffering is The Wheel. − Twas Now ( talk • contribs • e-mail ) 22:48, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

An answer must take into account both structure and agency. Itsmejudith (talk) 23:12, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

In Earthanism, all these natural disasters is part of a prophecy of the apocolypse, and humans are paying for there sins, and sadly enough, soon 1/4 of the evil and sinful people on this earth will die as we are infested with disease-ridden cockroaches and other insects for a year . . . O_O. However, for the starving children, that is just an unfortunate circumstance created by the sinful rulers of the world (and all governmental leaders are sinners because they are disrespecting the deities, and not just one out of the few). They shall be rewarded in the afterlife.

Philosophia X Known(Philosophia X Known) 23:34, 20 July 2008 (UTC) --Earthan Philosopher

Frankly, Earthan, considering that "Earthanism" appears to be solely your own creation, I gotta tell you that you're not exactly selling it to us. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 03:10, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

The Flying Spaghetti Monster just thought it would be funny. He was drunk at the time. Black Carrot (talk) 00:10, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

Thanks for bringing that up - if you think it's bad now - wait till Cthulhu turns up.87.102.86.73 (talk) 09:17, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

I am. Sorry. APL (talk) 00:41, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

There is no single-cause. We could blame big-business and government for economic problems, we could blame consumerism for global warming, we could blame dictators and aggressive rulers for war, we could blame religion for promoting social exlclusion, we could blame lack of religion for loss of social cohesion, we could blame capitalist systems for income disparity, we could blame communism for rabid corruption. There is no single cause - every single one of the above ideas is contested, the cause of the world's problems is that maintaining happiness, stability and security for billions of people (with thousands of different morality, ethics and cultural values) is pretty much impossible. It's impressive we function as a society at all. As for weeping about poverty - pity is worthless, it might make you feel a little better/more caring but it's a waste of time. You are putting your idea of 'life' into their situation and assuming massive unhappiness/disillusion. There will be some, but do not underestimate the mind's ability to create happiness and having fun in almost all situations. The starving around the world is a massive tragedy we should try to solve, but we should not 'pity' their existence. AA Gill said the thing that scared him most when visiting poverty-stricken parts of Africa was not the struggle of their daily lives but that these people were laughing, joking, children were playing and having fun. That doesn't mean we shouldn't try help, it just means that we should be careful about projecting our thoughts about what life would be like - because it turns out we are pretty terrible at predicting how happy/unhappy we will be in given situations. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 194.221.133.226 (talk) 08:40, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

(Serious answer) Nobody yet seems to have considered blaming the individual (I'n not suggesting you should - just that it's a possibility)

Is it possible that people in general are just bad?87.102.86.73 (talk) 09:19, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

One of the best answers I've seen is given by Chef on South Park, (from memory): God He's all hung up about something that happened thousands of years ago, and he wants to punish us for it. He gives us life and good things and then takes them away. It's like giving a lollipop to a baby and then taking it away and making it cry. If it didn't have it in the first place it would be fine, but giving the lollipop and then taking it back is really cruel and that's what makes God happy. ... Of course, what I'd say if I were being serious would be the classical philosophical one word answer: Ignorance.John Z (talk) 10:40, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

I'd go with Cameron's "the devil" with a caveat - it's really sin. It can't be God, because the choices from a Christian POV would be to give mankind free will with the option of whether or not to sin, or to make mankind mindless robots incapable of choice. Christians believe He chose the former, and offered Himself as a Savior to save us from our sin. but, we still have many choices within the good that we are allowed to do.

Now, as a Christian, I must say, if you would rather be a mindless robot, that's up to you. I'm glad I have freedom of choice. And, I won't go any further, because this is getting too soapbox-ish already.209.244.187.155 (talk) 19:02, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

Once we find out who it is,surely that's notable enough to have their own page on WP? Lemon martini (talk) 19:17, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

Music question

Have you ever heard of a "Talk-in Box"? It was mentioned in a radio broadcast on KKJZ 88.1 out of Long Beach, CA yesterday morning on a program that deals with the early days of Jazz. I have searched for any mention of it on the internet and sites like yours and found nothing. It sounds to me to be like the old tabletop jukeboxes that were harwdwired to a main jukebox but I would like to learn more about them. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.129.33.32 (talk) 22:41, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

This may elude to a talkie, which was a slang term for a radio in the early days, or to a talkie which later became the slang for a radio soap opera both terms are from the early days of radio, before tv. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 193.115.175.247 (talk) 12:50, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

Phil Collins B-Sides and Tracks

I've moved this question to the Entertainment reference desk, where it is more appropriate. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 07:55, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

July 21

Where can I move to recieve $$$!?

My life stinks and I'm sick and tired of working. And I have asthma. Is there a country in the world where, if I so choose, will financially support me for life? I hear some European countries come pretty close, but ya gotta be a long term citizen there, I'll bet.--Dr. Carefree (talk) 01:40, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

Come to Great Britain,have at least 2 kids,and stay on Unemployment for the rest of your life here like so many people have already done.The system will pay for everything! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 170.86.15.15 (talk) 14:53, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

Citizens of Alaska get a payment every year. It's not enough to live on the whole year though. Why not just see a doctor about your asthma and get a job that you like? Dismas|^(talk) 01:46, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

Sure, there are countries where, if you're a citizen, you can get all sorts of benefits, thanks to various social security systems. In many cases, if you have a disability that's severe enough, you can get a disability pension. They aren't likely to be too ample, but you can generally get by on that. The problem for you is, of course, that no one's going to be eager to give someone a pension just because he moves in -- the idea is that taxes pay for these services, and you haven't contributed to the taxes at all if you're not a citizen. (This is not to say that every new citizen is expected to pay taxes before getting these benefits, but if you're moving in for the sole purpose of getting them, someone is likely to look into the case pretty closely.) And asthma -- unless your case is a very severe one and really makes working very hard or impossible -- isn't like to qualify you for a pension like this anyway. I'm afraid that there's no one on this planet where you can just show up and choose to be paid for for the rest of your life, and if such a place did exist, it would just collapse under its own impossibility -- it's not like there's a shortage of people who would want to live like that. I don't think the state is likely to just pick up the bill for your living expenses anywhere -- well, y'know, unless you go to jail or end up committed in a mental instution or something, but chances are that it's going to stink a hell of a lot more than your life does right now. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 03:03, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

You think your life stinks now? "Try coming to Great Britain, have at least 2 kids, and stay on Unemployment for the rest of your life...", then your life will really stink. To all those who think living on benefits in Britain is well paid, think again. It's a hard life at the bottom of the poverty ladder. In my experience the benefits amount to considerably less than what the government thinks is a minimum wage. And if you're not an EU citizen and you come here illegally, you're likely to be locked up in a "detention centre" (ie. prison) with no social security benefits at all, until they decide to shove you on a plane going back home. Astronaut (talk) 17:34, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

<Medical advice removed> Algebraist 16:15, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

After contemplating the matter, I started to feel like a real heel considering moving to another country to take advantage of thier system. Why do that when there are plenty of opportunities here? I've paid taxes my whole life, so is there a way I can take advantage of this system? Yes, I'm talking about the good ol' US of A! I saw a commercial a while back for a book that claims the government will pay for just about everything. It was hosted by a guy who looked a little like Emo Philips, so maybe you've seen it. Is this true? Will Uncle Sam give me unlimited cash and services? I've paid my taxes for many years, so I see no moral problem here. It's getting me excited thinking about it!Dr. Carefree (talk) 03:50, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

As a matter of fact, I think there is always some 'free' money moving around. In the EU or USA, it is the state that gives you this money, in other countries NGOs can give you some help. The main point is to use this money for making something out of you life, not just leech off these institutions. Mr.K. (talk) 10:28, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

Paying your taxes isn't a pot in which you can save up to live without working - it's your basic year-by-year contribution to the society you inhabit here and now, and depending on your income it may or may not cover your obligations, with perhaps a sum deducted towards the support of those less fortunate or competent than yourself if you're doing particularly well. (The latter may seem annoying, but it's the price you pay to prevent them robbing and murdering you in order to feed their children if they are left destitute and desperate. It's called "society".) If you wanted to retire early, you should have got yourself a savings or pension plan with that goal in mind. By all means live off the system if you can swing it, but it will probably be far more hassle in the long run, not to mention less dignified, than just finding a way to earn enough for your daily needs doing something you like and enjoy. A life spent on hold is just that. Karenjc 22:36, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country, and all that ;) TastyCakes (talk) 22:45, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

Asthma is a manageable condition, and attacks are preventable with proper attention to a regime best worked out with your GP. Taxes not only support other people on hard times, but they pay for roads, transport, hospitals, state (and in Oz, private school) education, policing, government departments, subsidise the elderly, defence forces, the judicial system, the pollies and any public utility. Time to put your head up and look around at the big picture. Ideally you'll as said above get on your feet and improve your life. Best, Julia Rossi (talk) 04:36, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

Under the Heading "Cane"

My name is Llano Gorman,

The definition of the term "Cane" is a bit out dated .. very out dated .. try to find a bamboo cane now .. most are made from aluminum or wood. .. this is what it states in wikipedia at this time ..

"A cane is a long, straight wooden stick, generally of bamboo, Malacca (rattan) or some similar plant, mainly used as a support, such as a walking stick, or as an instrument of punishment. Depending on the use, it is left in its natural state or improved (e.g., smoothened, varnished)."

I am proposing a total re-do . Can I do this with out getting into trouble?

It now should Read :

A cane is long and generally straight mainly used as a support. There are five general uses of canes: 1)Medical Cane / Daily use cane 2)Blind Cane 3)Recreational Cane 4)Collectible Cane 5)Travel Canes.

1)Medical Cane: Is used for weight bearing, or balance issues. This cane must be measured for the individual. 2)Blind Cane: The white cane is the international symbol for vision loss generally, including low vision. "This helps the community know that these individuals have trouble seeing and in turn the "White Cane" helps those with vision impairment interpret their surroundings. 3)Recreational Cane: Fun Cane, or going out cane. Something that is not necessarily for weight bearing, decorative, the main difference .. does not need to be measured for the individual using it. 4)Collectible canes are canes from all varieties such as: Antique Canes, Sword Canes "Which now since 911, are not legal in most states and provinces through out North America, however they can be collected." Daily use and even recreational canes are collectible. Main difference, there is none because collectible means just that, it is the eye of the beholder that makes the type of cane collectible. 5)Travel Canes: Canes that can be folded. Fold-able canes are generally used for the airplane traveler. "Must not be used as a Daily use Cane or Medical Cane for long periods of time"

A cane has 3 components: Handle, Shaft and Ferrule or (bottom)

1. Handles: Canes have many different types of handles. Such as Derby, Fritz, T-handle, ball, Anatomically Correct, Hook/Crook, shovel and Palm Grip handles. These handles again, are made from many different materials such as, Silver, Gold, Brass, Wood, Ivory, Bone, horn and many different types of Polymer.
2. A straight shaft, which is made from many verities of wood, aluminum, fiberglass, and other materials.
3. The Ferrule or (bottom of the cane)which can be made of different materials, depending on the use of the cane. Medical canes generally use rubber tips. However the collectible, or recreational cane tips are made from, rubber, silver, brass, horn, bone, wood, steel and even gold.

I really do not want to hurt anyone .. Its just really out of date .. Many people did not know there are so many different types .. what are your thoughts? I also have many other pages of information about canes ..

2008 CanesCanada.com has given permission. I am the author .. Please google my name .. LLANO GORMAN I am the owner of Canes Canada as well I am handicapped and know this topic extremely well. I use a cane 24/7 for over 15 years. I am on the Calgary Chamber of Commerce Health Board. My Wikipedia Account name is LLANOGORMAN "NEWBEE" ...

Regards,

Llano Gorman "TheCaneMan (r)" Canes Canada Inc PH Direct 403 217 8091 Toll Free 1 866 217 8091 Visit: www.canescanada.com —Preceding unsigned comment added by LlanoGorman (talk • contribs) 01:44, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

• Technically, Wikipedia can be edited by anyone (as it says in our unofficial mottoes of "The encyclopedia that anyone can edit" and "Be bold!". Two caveats to that, though - firstly, such a large alteration to the article is probably best handled by asking this same question at Talk:Cane rather than here before you make any edit to the article itself - that way it will alert anyone who regularly edits or views that page. Secondly, be very careful (given that you work in the cane industry) not to include anything self-promotional. Also, if you're including information directly from a company's website, make sure you state on Talk:Cane that you have permission to do so, otherwise there is the risk that the edits will be removed as they would look like copyright violations. Grutness...wha? 02:07, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

Having "permission" is not really good enough -- it needs to be licensed under GFDL or a compatible license (or, even better, released into the public domain), or else the copyright holder must (irrevocably?) allow the text to be used by anyone for any purpose. --Trovatore (talk) 01:22, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

Agree with Grutness, you need to discuss this in the talk page of the article. A quick read through suggests you have completely missed the use of a cane as an instrument of punishment in your proposed wording, something still quite common in parts of the world. It also sounds to me like you are confusing Walking stick and cane. While these words are sometimes used interchangable, it makes more sense to leave the distincion currently present in the article, perhaps with additional sourced wording clarifying the words are used interchagable in some cases Nil Einne (talk) 17:23, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

The term walking stick is quite rare in the States. Maybe in Canada too; not sure (I lived there for a year but I don't recall that topic ever coming up). --Trovatore (talk) 01:18, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

The walking stick and cane articles are both in poor condition including overlapping and repeating material. A number of things that LG mentions are briefly including in the walking stick article but would more properly be in the cane one. Rmhermen (talk) 18:00, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

Chinese Media companies - foreign companies own?

Hi

I wanted to know if foreign companies can own any distribution rights/content in China media companies. Previously it was not allowed. Want to know if its allowed now. tried searching it but not able to find it. Kindly assist. Thanks 155.140.255.209 (talk) 08:41, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

Here's an article that I think answers your question. Fribbler (talk) 16:35, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

Hi. this article is dated 2004 when it was not allowed. i wanted to know the recent rule/regulation. Many thanks for this nonetheless. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 155.140.255.209 (talk) 05:59, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

shoah

In the film and book shoah concerning the holocaust, what was the name of the boy who rowed a boat down the river every day, and was spared due to his lovely singing voice. he was made to sing for the nazi ss guards. Also, what was the name of the man, who was interviewed, or the men that accompanied him after his liberation from a camp, they went around finding ex camp guards and taking turns at strangleing them? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 193.115.175.247 (talk) 11:42, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

The singer was simon srebnik the other dude ill have to check the book again. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 193.115.175.247 (talk) 15:11, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

Hi. this article is dated 2004 when it was not allowed. i wanted to know the recent rule/regulation. Many thanks for this nonetheless. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 155.140.255.209 (talk) 03:56, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

What? Julia Rossi (talk) 04:09, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

Prostitution as mutual agreement

If a client use a prostitute (sexually) and a prostitute use a client (taking his money), does it makes it fair? One thing would balance the other? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 83.55.243.23 (talk) 12:06, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

Of course it is fair. If a price is agreed and a service rendered then the contract is complete. Only if one side cheats would it be "unfair'.86.209.155.92 (talk) 12:28, 21 July 2008 (UTC)DT

From a legal-standing I understand there's difficulty regarding escorts - people who are paid to be 'company' but where sex is dependent on mutual agreement (not cash paid), and prostitution which is more simply the exchange of cash for sex. As noted above of course that represents a fair-transaction - both parties enter the agreement freely (assuming the prostitute isn't a forced prostitute etc.). 194.221.133.226 (talk) 12:54, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

Some argue that it cannot be fair as the prostitute is forced (economically or otherwise) into the agreement. Please see Prostitution_(criminology)#Feminist_perspectives for more information on this view. AlmostReadytoFly (talk) 15:33, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

That may be an argument why it's not fair that the person has, or feels they have, no choice but to become a prostitute in the first place. But from the perspective of the transaction between the prostitute and the client, who knows nothing of why the person is making their services available, it's fair as long as they honour their part of the contract, i.e. don't abuse the prostitute, and pay them. -- JackofOz (talk) 22:12, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

Jack in a box

Why is he called Jack? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.130.138.231 (talk) 14:37, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

Longstanding tradition: Jack (playing card), Jack and the Beanstalk, Jack and Jill (song), Jack Be Nimble, Jack sprat, Jack O'Lantern, Jack of all trades, You Don't Know Jack Rmhermen (talk) 14:48, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

Or, as discussed in jack-in-the-box, 13th century English prelate Sir John Schorne. — Lomn 14:51, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

new job

One of the above questions prompted me to ask, I am planning on starting a new job part time as a straight male escort. so 1, is it illegal, and if so why, 2, what should i watch out for, 3, any other advice that i should take to heart, and 4 why are there so many questions about prostitution on this page, I see one every two weeks or so. thanks —Preceding unsigned comment added by 193.115.175.247 (talk) 15:44, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

1. What country do you live in?

2. Police, STDs, rapists, pimps, murders, serial killers, the usual. Prostitutes aren't known for their lifespans.

3. Don't be a prostitute.

4. Because these questions are awkward to ask in real life and the internet provides some soothing anonymity. Plasticup ^T/C 15:54, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

Im in the UK —Preceding unsigned comment added by 193.115.175.247 (talk) 16:04, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

Barring the above comments, there are some things to consider. First, you should look at our article on Prostitution in the United Kingdom that outlines some of the legalities of the sex trade in your country. If it's anything like Canada or the US (the laws and situations I'm familiar with), working as a private escort (out of your home or a specific location) is generally frowned upon by the powers that be, but I don't hear of sting operations all that much taking down escorts (most of the time the police are working on reducing street prostitution as that's more visible and affects neighbourhoods far more openly than the escort side of things.

As above, there's a lot to consider when it comes to what to look out for. I recommend searching around the 'net for information posted by working escorts, male and female - it's out there, and they provide advice that those of us who are only passing familiar with the industry can't provide. I'd also suggest not to get your hopes up too much with aiming to serve women clients as a guy - from everything I've seen, that's a very niche market.

Basically, though, do your research to see the experiences of others in the same position, and be very careful if you do decide to try the industry. Tony Fox (arf!) 16:18, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

Male prostitutes can unlikely afford to cater strictly to straight clientele. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 17:12, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

Everyone here seems to assume you want to be a male prostitute, but you only said you wanted to be an escort. Can you clarify your intent, please ? StuRat (talk) 17:26, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

I don't know the situation in the UK, but I have a friend who is a male escort in the US. He advertised his services discretely online, without mentioning sex specifically. One day, he made an appointment with someone responding to his ad. When that person showed up, he was a policeman. My friend managed to get charges dropped in court, but he had to spend all the money that he had saved from 2–3 years of work on an expensive lawyer. So, legal troubles could threaten your income from this kind of work, quite apart from all of the other risks. 192.251.134.5 (talk) 19:06, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

But there's the rub - in the UK there is no crime of "prostitution" - the crime is one of "soliciting", ie, advertising your sexual services as an inducement to prospective clients. Don't forget, even in these liberal times, offering a sex act for sale or reward to an "innocent passer-by" was and still is (by the law at any rate) regarded as an outrageous act against public decency. But there is no UK crime of offering a perfectly innocent professional service such as being a male escort, straight or otherwise. And if the client asks for "extra services" then no solicitation has taken place by the escort. 92.1.240.220 (talk) 09:49, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

Principally don't pay any fees to any internet site promising a job as male escort. That is a known scam. Mr.K. (talk) 11:31, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

bread mould

what would be the effect of ingesting bread mould? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 92.236.80.173 (talk) 17:29, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

The would depend on the mold (or other type of bread decomposer). Some are very dangerous, like ergot, while others could actually be beneficial, like the one which produces penicillin. On average, I'd expect most to cause an upset stomache, vomitting, and diarrhea. Don't try this experiment at home ! StuRat (talk) 17:48, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

I asked my mycologist sister-in-law this very question, and she said don't eat it. It's not even adequate to throw out the moldy parts, since the mold sends out microscopic boarding parties to other parts of the bread. --Sean 18:13, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

Did she say why though? Exxolon (talk) 19:16, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

Our article seems a little unclear, but it appears that up to 10% of the people exposed to penicillin have an allergic reaction to it. I would assume that the penicillin in a loaf of bread is pretty weak and diffuse, but why take the chance? Ultimately, the best reason not to eat it is that you really don't know what the heck it is and molds have the ability to create all kinds of amusingly powerful mycotoxins, such as aflatoxin. Even more benign molds could create opportunistic infection in immunocompromised people. Matt Deres (talk) 20:26, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

As Matt says, you just don't know what it is. Antibiotics have been shockingly powerful for 100 years; there's no reason to think the mold can't use those power for eevil. I am in fact immunocompromised, so maybe a healthy person would have gotten a different answer, but I'm sure a cost/benefit analysis would come out to pitching the bread. --Sean 00:05, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

Who would have thought that C. Claiborne Ray uses the Ref Desk to prepare his columns?! -- Coneslayer (talk) 13:38, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

Queen Victoria

Could anyone please tell me what height Queen Victoria was??

Regards Valerie1955 —Preceding unsigned comment added by Valerie1955 (talk • contribs) 18:52, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

'Barely five feet', apparently, so probably somewhere between 4'11" and 5'. — Matt Eason ^{(Talk &#149; Contribs)} 19:11, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

I'm not sure which country you're from, but it seems a remarkable coincidence that this was posted at about the same time (within minutes, I think) as the UK BBC's The One Show reported that she was 4' 3". Angus Lepper^{(T, C, D)} 19:31, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

That was, 4'3" at age 18. --Tagishsimon (talk) 19:32, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

Being female, she is unlikely to have grown taller after that. 79.66.13.38 (talk) 21:22, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

I'd interpret "barely five feet" as no lower than 5 feet, but very little if any taller. Four feet 11 wouldn't be called "barely five feet", would it?-- JackofOz (talk) 22:06, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

The rules are different if you're the queen. --Masamage ♫ 22:22, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

But interestingly, a pair of her knickers were to be auctioned last week (provenance included) and they measured 60" around the waist, so maybe the barely 5 feet angle referred to her not-inconsiderable belly size ??? 92.1.240.220 (talk) 09:42, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

I wonder what sort of person would be interested in Queen Victoria's knickers!! Great name for a book, though. I can see it now - "A saga of royal romance that will resonate through the ages: Queen Victoria's Knickers". -- JackofOz (talk) 11:50, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

Who owns the Royal Unmentionables? The UK government? I mean, who exactly was doing the selling? TresÁrboles (talk) 19:46, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

According to our article, her height is 205 ft from keel to funnel. Gandalf61 (talk) 14:22, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

People to People Program re: Eisenhower

My sister died recenty and had told me many times about typing something for Pres. Eisnehower to sign regarding charter of People to People. She worked for USIA in this time span, no one has been able to verify this . The following note was found in her papers after she died Quote" As secretary to two Congressional Liaison Officers, I relieved my superiors of difficult and responsible office details in the execution of their daily responsibilities. I took and transcribed highly confidential dictation. I often worked overtime in the Budget Office, compiling and typing the budget for direct presentation to Congress. Extreme accuracy was required as corrections and adjustments had to be made on short notice for Congress. Also typed letters for signature of the President of the United States of America on the "People-to-People" program."

This is something she typed in a resumé on November 23, 1983 I contacted Nation PersonaRecords/Civilian Personnel, they referred me to Stae Dept. they referred me to Eisenhower Library/Archives which is where I started originally, no record there. Nat'l Records & Archives Adm. sent record of her employment with Gov. from 1950 to mid 1976 inclcuding work in France and a Commendation for her work but no one can tell me that she did what I mentioned in quote above. Am at my wits end, 84 years old and I wanted proof of this for my grandchildren before I die. USIA tells me she could have been on loan to White House or temp. duty and they would have no record, you would think there would be a record if she was gone from them temporarily. Was told all records over 25 years oldong but I don't know how to shorten without leaving out important details. I sent death certificate,DOB, Social Security # etc but still no luck —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.75.38.31 (talk) 18:59, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

I have a suggestion for you. See if you can find the original transcripts from that show, and look for initials at the bottom (I believe it is customary for both the author's initials and the typist's initials to be included). While it's technically possible that some other secretary might have shared your sister's initials, I'd call this rather strong circumstantial evidence in your favor. StuRat (talk) 20:16, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

Another suggestion, submit your question to the History Detectives TV show on PBS. This is just the type of thing they like to investigate. And, as a bonus, you and your grandkids might get to appear on TV. Submit the story here: [8]. StuRat (talk) 20:21, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

(I added a link to your title to help explain the program to other readers.) StuRat (talk) 20:27, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

countline?

what is the definition of a countline bar? 99.245.92.47 (talk) 20:01, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

countline or contline? Omahapubliclibrary (talk) 21:12, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

countline. "contline" can be easily found on google -- countline is vague, something to do with a type of chocolate, but the definition is very unclear. 99.245.92.47 (talk) 04:33, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

Originally a Countline was a piece of confectionery not sold by weight. There were a set number of pieces in every retailer's pack. Hence the pieces were counted. Individuals bought so many for a price. i.e. 5 pieces for sixpence. Today the term has widened to include small chocolate (and etc.) bars even though they are sold individually.90.9.80.154 (talk) 09:48, 22 July 2008 (UTC)DT

There are other speculations on this. I haven't found any definative sources. Some speculate it is counter line bar as in a bar usually found on or near a counter. Other specilate it is because it is candy that originally was counted. Omahapubliclibrary (talk) 19:10, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

Weather for the past month

Hi, I've tried for a while but to no avail. Perhaps someone with better googling skills than me would be kind enough to help. I'm looking for the daily temperatures (high/low) of Durban from June 1 2008 to today if possible. All I've managed to find thus far are useless stats and lots of forecasts. Thanks and please don't ask why, it's complicated... Sandman30s (talk) 20:27, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

I use Weather.com for this (when I can stand all their pop-up ads). Here's June: [9]. And here's July: [10]. They list the high and low for each day. They also list precipitation amounts, but they are all zero. So, unless this is typical for the dry season in South Africa, I'd guess they aren't recording that info. (Temps are listed in °F, but you can switch to °C by picking "Metric" at the top, left side of each page.) BTW, weather questions probably belong on the Science Desk. StuRat (talk) 20:57, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

Note that today's temps aren't yet recorded, because today isn't over yet. Go back to the July page after midnight in Durban and they will hopefully have added it. StuRat (talk) 21:03, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

Today is never over, yet. Which leads us to a few miscellaneous deductions on the historical veracity of the yesterdays. --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 21:09, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

I use wunderground.com Here is June in Durban. Pretty much the same as weather.com given by Sturat, but his comment wasn't there when I opened this box :P Plus, you never know; one of the sites might go down when you need info. 79.66.13.38 (talk) 21:20, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

Thanks VERY much! Sandman30s (talk) 21:30, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

July 22

are virgins still around?

This may sound a bit strange but please bear with me:

I don't understand how people can say that virgins are rare nowadays. someone has got to be making love to all the ex-virgins. so my question is, what age has about 50% women virgins(oral counts too) and 50% not virgins. and can i(20 yrs) have sex with a woman that age in the u.s. and successfully defend myself in court if it should come to that by saying my religion requires a virgin and virgins over 18 are rare.--96.227.27.156 (talk) 00:50, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

I'd say that you should contact a lawyer for legal advice, but that strategy is so badly flawed I suspect a lawyer would laugh at you and throw you out of his office. StuRat (talk) 01:07, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

(ec) If you have sex with a virgin, you'd just be contributing to the problem, wouldn't you? Think green: reduce, reuse, recycle, man! Seriously, get a non-virgin; they can show you, uh, stuff. Matt Deres (talk) 01:14,

Block quote

22 July 2008 (UTC)

Having sex is a problem? Atom (talk) 13:08, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

I'm a virgin and I'm 24 (male). 216.49.181.128 (talk) 01:18, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

Most girls lose their virginity by the age of 15. I believe this is illegal for sex in all US states. Your religion has nothing to do with it; I might follow a religion that requires me to starve and beat a goat over the course of two weeks then sacrifice it to Beelzebub but they would still indict me for animal cruelty. My advice is to either find a woman of the same religion as you and marry her, or get a life. 99.245.92.47 (talk) 04:35, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

Yes, the average age in the U.S. for a woman losing virginity is 15. It is not illegal to have sex at age 15. The age of consent laws differ by state, but age 16 and age 18 are pretty common. That is the age a teen can decide to have sex with someone who is over age 18. Under that age they can, and do, have sex with other teens around their own age -- and that isn't illegal. Atom (talk) 13:08, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

But, a serious answer to the question. If you are aged 20, you should seek out women your own age within a couple of years. If you engage in sex with someone age 15 in the U.S. you'll probably end up in jail, and no defense will likely prevent that. Many virgins aged 20 have their first experience with a woman that is older and wiser. Find a girlfriend that is 25. Atom (talk) 13:08, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

BTW, oral does not count -- regarding virginity. It does count toward avoiding STIs. Atom (talk) 13:08, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

15? I would estimate 18, but maybe we can find a source on this one. Plasticup ^T/C 12:49, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

Perhaps it's not as grim as you fear from a legal perspective (at least for much of north america): Ages of consent in North America TastyCakes (talk) 04:45, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

And from the surveys I've seen it's doubtful that "most girls" lose their virginity before turning 15. If your religion forbids premarital sex, the chances are that most unmarried women who follow your religion are virgins. So try to connect with people of your religion. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 11:03, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

As do most religions. By that logic, shouldn't most unmarried people be virgins? --Cameron* 11:21, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

And your logic presumes that most people are religious - and practicing, at that. Plasticup ^T/C 12:46, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

I don't believe that most practicing religious people avoid premarital sex. Much more than simply forbiding sex is needed to prevent it, being a rather powerful drive. That's why religions have resorted to actions like stoning people to death for violating the rules. (They typically only apply this punishment to the women, though, since the men make the laws.) StuRat (talk) 15:31, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

That is tautologically false. If religion requires abstinence and practicing religion requires adherence with the religion's requisites, then all practicing religious people will be abstinent. Unless you want to define "practicing religious people" as people who only practice parts of their religion at which point the distinction of a "practicing religious person" becomes meaningless. Plasticup ^T/C 16:24, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

I wonder how useful that sort of analysis is, Plasticup (not that I don't appreciate its intellectual rigour). Taken to extremes, given that "the just man sins seven times a day - nay, seventy times seven", one could make a case that sometimes even the Pope is not a practising Catholic, merely because he happens to be a human being with human failings. Further, it would exclude all humans from the category of "practising <whatever religion>". -- JackofOz (talk) 17:43, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

Well put. For the purpose of this discussion I would define a "practicing <whatever religion>" member as one who attends services for that religion on a regular basis (say at least once a month, on average). StuRat (talk) 07:43, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

I bet only about 20% of people who call themselves religious, or practicing, attend church more than twice a year in the U.S. Atom (talk) 13:08, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

Don't forget that boys also start out as virgins.90.9.80.154 (talk) 09:50, 22 July 2008 (UTC)petitmichel

I'm a virgin and I'm a few days from being 26. I plan on staying that way till I'm married and I don't think I'm terribly unique. Maybe a little unique but I'm hardly the only one. -LambaJan (talk) 16:26, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

Nothing wrong with that. By being a little unique in this regard, one can avoid becoming slightly pregnant. -- Coneslayer (talk) 16:35, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

Celibacy can also be overrated. Just ask the United Society of Believers. But hurry. OtherDave (talk) 01:11, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

If you're "hardly the only one", you are not unique. Unique means "the only one". AlmostReadytoFly (talk) 08:32, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

Each to their own. I mean no disrespect, but you've been indoctrinated successfully (thanks to the Bush administration!) Virginity is overrated. Once you have sex you'll wonder why you waited. But, on the positive side, maybe you'll focus on finding a good relationship, instead of sex. Well, either that, or a lack of real sexual experience will make it difficult to find a woman to have a relationship with. Atom (talk) 13:08, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

I was using the informal usage meaning unusual. I don't have a problem with sex and I understand to one degree or another why everyone's nuts about it. I just think that if you put some boundaries on it it makes a lot of things easier. My wife'll know I had self control for my whole life so she'll be much less likely to worry about me messing around. I don't have to worry about STDs or having kids before I'm ready. I can go on but I don't think I have to. Just because I made a choice that is similar or the same as one that some zealots advocate doesn't mean that I don't have logical reasons or that I've been hoodwinked by Bushies. -LambaJan (talk) 14:25, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

Vegetarian cooking: Looking for all purpose cookbook

I'd like to explore more vegetarian cooking for everyday meals. I was raised as an omnivore and have a lot of old habits to break. A couple of cookbooks already on my list to check out: "Diet For a Small Planet" and "Moosewood Cookbook". Oh, I'm lactose intolerant. I can eat cheese by taking a pill, but I don't want to depend on cheese as my main alternative. Your experiences would be appreciated.Quakerlady (talk) 05:10, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

There are plenty of vegetarian cookbooks around, but I can't recommend one as I am a vegetarian who just throws stuff together. In practice I'm practically vegan. Cheese and milk products are not particularly good foods anyway, so I suggest you investigate veganism. There are plenty of meat alternatives widely available as a source of protein, especially tofu, quorn, and a wide range of beans, and you can do all sorts of things with eggs.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 07:06, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

My mother always used to swear by Leith's vegeterian cookbook, which certainly weighed a tonne. However, cheese is often a commonly used alternative in vegetarian cooking, so I'd recommend going to a bookshop, looking in their cookery section for a lactose intolerant vegetarian cookbook, and see what takes your fancy —Preceding unsigned comment added by Worm That Turned (talk • contribs) 07:59, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

I'm a big fan of Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. Engaging, clear, tasty, and non-dogmatic (she explains where you can substitute if you don't use dairy products, for example). I bought it ten years ago to make dinner for my new vegan girlfriend. We're now married. (Deborah was not invited to the wedding, though.) OtherDave (talk) 01:14, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

I'm quite a fan of The Indian Vegetarian. I'm an even bigger fan of getting recipes off the internet. -LambaJan (talk) 14:29, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

Not personal experience, as I'm not a vegetarian, but I've heard nothing but good things about Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything" (which is not vegetarian only), and recently noticed that he has a "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian", which I haven't used, but am inclined to believe is good because of the author. (I'd also second the suggestion of browsing at a bookstore.) -- 128.104.112.147 (talk) 23:05, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

I was going to say the same thing, based on my (omnivorous) experience with "How to Cook Everything". -- Coneslayer (talk) 11:31, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

Diet for a Small Planet isn't much of a cookbook, though it does have recipes. It (and the related Recipes for a Small Planet) presents a system of combining "incomplete" plant proteins(i.e. that have several but not all the eight "essential amino acids") from several sources so that they "complement" each other for boosted nutrition, particularly protein, in a vegetarian or vegan diet. While there's nothing wrong with this, the touted value of "complementary proteins" in the same dish or meal has been largely debunked. -- Deborahjay (talk) 16:58, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

Is there any other country other than the Philippines that eats "pagpag"?

I cannot find anything about "pagpag" in wikipedia. This is Recycled Garbage Food for the Poor in the Philippines. Is there anything similar in any of the countries? Visit the below links for reference: katcarneo.wordpress.com/2008/07/09/eating-pagpag/ showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/entertainment/entertainment/view_article.php?article_id=79811 youtube.com/watch?v=Ri5eh_oflok —Preceding unsigned comment added by 210.23.125.114 (talk) 06:12, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

Dumpster diving, but I don't think that food is recooked - or sold. Rmhermen (talk) 13:20, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

I used to live in the Philippines. I wasn't familiar with the term "pagpag", it seemed to me that everyone ate rice (with some type of "ulam" on it), for every meal. Useight (talk) 17:56, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

combat photographers

can you become a combat photographer in the british army? if so what requirements do you need? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 88.106.1.159 (talk) 11:31, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

I would just guess - yes, you can. And beyond knowing how to use a camera, one of the requirements would be that you took the initiative to look it all up yourself. I'm not sure the Army looks for people who just read it on Wikipedia. But please do come back and be an editor once you've made the ranks! Franamax (talk) 12:56, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

We're presuming of course you're a British citizen. It can be rather hard to join an army if your not a citizen of the country the army is intended to represent Nil Einne (talk) 19:05, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

Err, actually that's not the case. It's fairly easy for a foreigner (well, Commonwealth and Irish citizens at least) to join the British Army. I know this article's from The Sun, but at the end of last year about 10% of the British Army's strength were foreigners - 3,000 Gurkhas, 2,000 Fijians, 840 South Africans, 820 Jamaicans, 820 Ghanaians, 550 Zimbabweans, 260 St Vincentans, 220 St Lucians, 150 Malawians, 140 Gambians, 130 Kenyans. The are also 570 foreigners in the Royal Navy and 50 in the RAF. Only this last week there have been reports of the Army planning another recruiting drive in Jamaica. Other people have to have lived in the UK for 5 years and got a UK passport, but this article says quite a few Poles have expressed interest too. -- Arwel (talk) 23:04, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

Go to www.army.mod.uk.90.9.80.154 (talk) 13:59, 22 July 2008 (UTC)DT

Why do we help other people?

You never know what these people are up to. Maybe you are helping a child rapist or war criminal. Anyway, why do we help unknown people? 83.40.13.85 (talk) 11:35, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

I definitively won't help a child rapist or war criminal to rape a child or as the case may be execute and torture civilians. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Mr.K. (talk • contribs) 11:38, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

(ec) :All sorts of reasons, amongst which Enlightened self-interest. --Tagishsimon (talk) 11:39, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

Ignoring, for the moment, the inanity of your question, I would like to point out that you are far more likely to be helping a nice honest fellow than you are to be helping a rapist or a war criminal. Plasticup ^T/C 12:43, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

True, but you're more likely helping yet another SOB than a nice honest fellow. I think there are probably only marginally more of them around than there are war criminals. ;-) --98.217.8.46 (talk) 15:28, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

Our article on altruism (helping other people) provides some information on why. Often it boils down to it being taught as the right thing to do. AlmostReadytoFly (talk) 14:42, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

We even help people who think they're better than other people. I suppose if they got more help along they way they wouldn'tve turned out like that. -LambaJan (talk) 16:32, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

Perhaps the idea of karma has something to do with it; perhaps we figure that if we do something nice for someone, someone might do something nice for us. Useight (talk) 17:53, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

According to this logic, we shouldn't help you.hotclaws 20:25, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

We help people to support them. For example, when I have been in a bad mood and someone helps me with something, I feel better and perhaps will not act as arrogant and rude as I would have. An extreme case of this is the Virginia Tech Massacre. Seung-Hui Cho attacked students at the college, killing 32 and injuring many others. The article notes that he was teased in middle school and high school. Perhaps, if others had reached out to him, the act at Virginia Tech would not have happened and his anger and temperament would not have developed so extensively. Just my thoughts. The Reader who Writes (talk) 20:36, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

Also interesting is the idea of the group lowering barriers to ensure its survival and continuation. Helping is positive in itself but weirds out if used detrimentally or to cause harm. A neat symbol tangling these intentions is the latest example of Radovan Karadžić who would have gone through the whole range of being helped to harm, "helping" to heal, helping himself to a polar opposite disguise and others helping to catch him. Meanwhile he is regarded as a traitor and criminal by at least one group and a hero by another. Julia Rossi (talk) 03:53, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

Why do so many countries trade Sing and HK dollars?

I'm traveling through Africa. I noticed the exchange boards offer an unusual variety of currencies. After reading hard currency I see why I always see the Australian dollar, Swedish kroner, etc. But why do so many central banks here offer rates for HK and Sing dollars?

Lotsofissues 12:14, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

Singapore and Hong Kong are major trading cities. People and businesses in Africa are equally or more likely to buy something from a Singapore or HK trader compared to an Aus or Swede. Franamax (talk) 13:00, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

Another possibility is that this has to do with the large and growing Chinese trade with Africa. China's currency is not freely convertible, so some of this trade may be handled by companies in Hong Kong or Singapore, or Chinese firms may have easier access to currencies from those countries than to other convertible currencies. (Hong Kong is of course Chinese, and Singapore has a large ethnic Chinese population and close trade ties to China.) Marco polo (talk) 15:55, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

staples

what is the correct name for a 'row' of staples?86.134.245.3 (talk) 13:45, 22 July 2008 (UTC)mike

I am pretty sure it's "stick", but my search results are being polluted by the large US office supply chain store. --LarryMac | Talk 14:12, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

My box of staples says it has 210 staples per strip. -- KathrynLybarger (talk) 16:20, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

Dunno but the collective noun for a lot of staples is a 'clench' or 'cinch' —Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.76.157.37 (talk) 23:38, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

Birth records

Is there a website for free access to Indiana birth records from the 1970s? Admiral Norton ^(talk) 14:28, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

That's unlikely, as it would surely violate privacy laws. Corvus cornix_talk 16:12, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

Perhaps some sort of a census record? I don't know if that's public information or not. Useight (talk) 17:51, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

Census records are also under privacy laws and are not accessible for 72 years. Rmhermen (talk) 19:06, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

I need it for the article on Indiana Gregg. I've found out the birth date in the mean time, but I can't find a reliable source to cite it, so I was hoping to take the shortcut. Admiral Norton ^(talk) 18:02, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

I don't know if state census records are available, but US census records after 1930 are not yet available. Corvus cornix_talk 19:02, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

States do not take censuses anymore. I don't see any listed after 1925 1945.[11] Rmhermen (talk) 19:09, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

It sounds to me like you're trying too hard. If the birthdate is not widely available in reliable sources, then it's best to leave it out per WP:BLP. Looking for birth records is definitely not the way to go. Nil Einne (talk) 14:05, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

Snow Shoes

i'm going to new york for my college this fall, i would like to know if there is any need for me buying snow shoes, for use during the winters. is it really needed for the walk on campus n stuff???n would they b available cheaper in the states, than me trying to find snow shoes in a place where it has neva snow- India! temme wat do you recommend!...as snow shoes really needed..n if yes..should i buy em here in India or shuld i buy em in USA?cheers —Preceding unsigned comment added by 123.252.224.65 (talk) 18:26, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

I think someone may have been winding you up. The New York article states that the city receives "about 25 to 35 inches (63.5 to 88.9 cm) of snow every winter season, but often without accumulation because temperatures are not low enough." I think it is safe to say that you do not need snow shoes at all. --Tagishsimon (talk) 18:29, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

Though we should clarify -- do you mean New York City or New York state? If the state, then where? Snowfall is potentially much higher in other areas. As for "snow shoes" -- you are quite unlikely to need snowshoes, though some form of snow-appropriate boots may well be useful. In general, I would think you're fine to wait until you're stateside if you're uncertain of what's needed. — Lomn 18:47, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

If there are significant amounts of snow on the ground, you can expect the city and school to clear the roads and walkways. Obviously they don't have the manpower to do this instantly, but they should do it fast enough that you should never be obliged to walk through more than about two inches(5cm) of snow, and even that would be rare.

You may want some warm boots, walking to class on a snowy day with sneakers on can sometimes be uncomfortable, but If I were you I'd wait until you got to the states. The fall semester probably starts in September. There will not be snow until November at the earliest. Hope this helps.APL (talk) 19:29, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

I grew up near New York City and have lived most of my life in the Northeastern United States. I don't know what snow shoes are. There is such a thing as snowshoes, which you need only if you will be walking through deep snow in an open or wooded area away from roads. You would not need them to get around a college campus. On the other hand, you might want some waterproof boots or walking shoes, preferably ones that extend above your ankle. Taghsimon is not correct in stating that snow does not accumulate in New York City. It certainly does. What is worse, several inches of snow may fall and then be followed by a near-freezing rainfall. The result is several inches of snow soaked like a sponge with freezing water. In this kind of situation, it is very helpful to have some waterproof boots. You can find fairly inexpensive rubber ones in the United States. If you are going to be in some other part of New York State, such as Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo, or Ithaca, you can expect very heavy snowfall. You could easily see 6 inches (15 cm) or more of snow per week from December through March, with lighter amounts beginning in late October, and it can accumulate to depths of more than 3 feet (1 meter). In these places, you may want not just waterproof boots, but insulated waterproof boots, which are more expensive than plain rubber boots. Again, you can shop for these once you arrive, since snow will not fall until October. Marco polo (talk) 20:08, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

Tagishsimon didn't state anything. He provided a quote from the New York City article. --Tagishsimon (talk) 22:48, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

... and all that states is that snow 'often' fails to accumulate. Algebraist 22:52, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

Some of ma friends are going to Purdue n Penn State...so also tell me what will the condition of snow b there. will it too muc or handleable, just like NY. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 123.252.224.65 (talk) 02:55, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

I grew up not very far from Purdue. The middle of Indiana does get snow but not as much as New York City probably gets. At most, they can look forward to a few inches at a time, maybe as much as a foot though that would be rare. Again, the campus and surrounding towns will be kept clear by snowplows. As far as Penn State goes, I wouldn't expect it to get much worse than either New York or Purdue. Though, I've only ever been to Pennsylvania once during the winter. Dismas|^(talk) 04:35, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

crossing the US/Mexico border?

I have a question. I am trying to cross the US/Mexico border to get from Downtown San Diego to Tijuana. However, I don't have a passport. I've heard that you need a passport to cross the border, and that you don't need a passport to cross the border. I have a California drivers liscense, showing who I am. I also heard you don't need a passport until June 2009. Can anyone confirm this?76.194.67.39 (talk) 18:30, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

Call an embassy. Useight (talk) 18:35, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

From the US Department of State - (n.b. WHTI="Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative") - "ALL PERSONS traveling by air outside of the United States are required to present a passport or other valid travel document to enter or re-enter the United States . . . On June 1, 2009, the U.S. government will implement the full requirements of the land and sea phase of WHTI. The proposed rules require most U.S. citizens entering the United States at sea or land ports of entry to have a passport, passport card, or WHTI-compliant document." More information at that link, and also at the DHS site linked therefrom. --LarryMac | Talk 18:42, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

Anschluss

File:Stimzettel-Anschluss.jpg

Anschluss voting ballot.

The article Anschluss shows this voting ballot. Notice it says Wiedervereinigung, meaning recombination. Am I just too ignorant of history, or when was Austria originally part of Germany, before the Nazis came to power? Or is it just Nazi propaganda? JIP | Talk 18:34, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

The history subsection of our Austria article may be of interest. To summarize, it's not really a full lie, but neither is it fully true. Austria has close ties to pre-modern (pre-1871) Germany particularly. While Austria had not ever been part of modern Germany, the association was significant enough that the victors of WW1 forbade the two countries to merge. As such, there was enough of a cultural, if not strictly political, history to make "recombination" a defensible claim. — Lomn 18:41, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

Both Austria as of 1938 and most of the area that became Germany in 1871 had previously been part of the German Confederation and of the Holy Roman Empire. So Austria had not been part of the nation-state of Germany as it existed when founded, but Austria had been part of the vaguely defined cultural region of Germany as it had been conceived before the proposal of a Kleindeutsche Lösung in the mid-1800s. Even in the English language, Austria would have been considered part of the vaguely defined region (but not yet nation-state) of "Germany" prior to the mid-1800s. Marco polo (talk) 19:47, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

You often hear WWII-era Germany referred to as the Third Reich ("Reich" meaning "Empire"). As described in the articles Reich and German Reich, in the Nazis' messed-up psychology the "First Reich" was the Holy Roman Empire and the "Second Reich" was Bismark's German Empire. The Holy Roman Empire contained portions of Austria. Hence, in the minds of the Nazis, it would be a "re"unification of the empire to include Austria. -- 128.104.112.147 (talk) 22:54, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

"Cash redemption value" for coupons

I've noticed that many coupons say that they have a cash redemption value of "1/20th or 1 cent" or something like that. Clearly the idea is to make the redemption value so small that it's essentially worthless, but that begs the question: why have a redemption value at all? Is there a legal reason?

Thanks! — Sam 20:06, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

This site says: Coupon experts say it applies to an old trading stamp promotion law that's still on the books in Indiana, Utah and Washington. In those states, the consumer is not required to purchase the coupon item and may send in 100 coupons for about 50 cents in postage and get back a penny. Some coupons have a higher value, 1/20th of a cent. Manufacturers set their own cash value. Dismas|^(talk) 20:58, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

I always understood it to be something to do with contract law. In order for there to be a valid legal contract (under English law, at least), three elements need to be present: offer, acceptance and consideration. The 0.00001c or whatever represents the consideration given by the customer to the vendor. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 21:05, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

I seem to remember in one of the Imponderables books reading that there is, or used to be, a law in Kansas that said any coupon without a stated cash value could be redeemed for the coupon's value in cash. In other words, a "$1 off" coupon would have a cash value of $1 unless it had another cash value on it. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 00:21, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

Thanks! — Sam 16:34, 23 July 2008 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 63.138.152.238 (talk)

Every coupon I've ever seen (that I can recall) says "This coupon has no cash value." Maybe this is a Canadian thing but I've never seen a coupon with any cash value, not even 0.0001 cents. Cherry Red Toenails (talk) 05:26, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

pirates

Is it a custom amoung pirates to give a peace of paper with a black circle on it to sygnigfie that they were going to kill whomever they gave it too? 82.43.88.87 (talk) 20:40, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

According to our article, it looks like the black spot is fictional and was invented by Robert Louis Stevenson. So no, not in real life. --Masamage ♫ 20:47, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

undertone and overtone

What is the difference between undertone and overtone? The undertone article states it's "An underlying or implied tendency or meaning", but the overtone article is about "frequency of a system". Am I correct in assuming that overtone is the opposite of undertone, ie a heavily implied or declared meaning? Poser horizontalement (talk) 21:07, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

I'd say that they were more-or-less synonyms, and it appears that the (concise) OED agrees: overtone (2) a subtle or subsidiary quality, implication, or connotation. Angus Lepper^{(T, C, D)} 22:24, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

Better to place this Q on the language desk for fuller replies. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.76.157.37 (talk) 23:32, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

Coming from a musical background I originally thought you were talking about the musical terms. This is further confused because you referenced the language arts definition for undertone and then referenced the musical article for overtone. In music the overtone series is 1/2, then 1/3, 1/4 and so-on of the fundamental and an undertone series is what would exist if there was a mirror image of that (but there isn't, physically). In literature an undertone is something that is implied but not outright said. Such as when a mother-in-law responds her daughter-in-law's 'Hi, it's nice to see you' by saying 'Hi, You look thin.' The undertone being the implication that there really isn't anything nice to say about her except that she isn't fat. An overtone can often be construed as the same thing and often times the terms are interchangeable. To me the difference has to do with the heart of the message. You often hear stiff people complaining about 'sexual overtones' in the media. In music a lot of those songs are really getting at something else, like friendship or love, but since sex sells that gets thrown in there. So you could say that the girl with a pearl earring has an undercurrent of sexuality because of the sexual tension, but you wouldn't say it has sexual overtones. Likewise you would say that SexyBack has sexual overtones but he's really talking about being a gentleman, so in this case undertone doesn't work. That's how I see it, anyway. -LambaJan (talk) 20:55, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

Caffeine and shaky hands

Is it true that drinking coffee or consuming caffeine will make one's hands shake and render them unstable? If so, do surgeons, or other professions that require manual dexterity, drink coffee before an operation in the morning? Thanks. Acceptable (talk) 23:10, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

Our article indicates that excessive caffeine consumption can cause tremors. This shouldn't happen with moderate consumption, I believe. Algebraist 23:16, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

The Tremor article describes caffeine as a "trigger" for tremors, that is that it may bring them on if you already, for whatever reason, are prone to them. So a person with Benign Essential Tremor, for example, may experience tremors from high caffeine levels. I can tell you from experience that surgeons do not abstain from coffee....or much else. Fribbler (talk) 23:20, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

People have different levels of tolerance to various substances, and their bodies respond differently to them. A (little more exaggerated) example of this is that if two people of the same size drink the same amount of alcohol, their level of intoxication is going to be pretty much the same, but they can still respond to it differently: some people are more liable to slur than others, for example. The same goes for caffeine: some people can't drink a cup of coffee in the evening or they can't get to sleep; I personally have almost never had any trouble falling asleep, no matter how much of it I drink. Shaky hands are most likely going to fall in the same category; I'd bet most surgeons know their bodies well enough to know whether drinking a cup of coffee before operating is going to make their hands shaky. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 01:34, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

July 23

Lace Curtain Irish

WHAT EXACTLY IS THE MEANING OF LACE CURTAIN IRISH. DOES THIS DENOTE THE "SHANTY" IRISH OR THE "UPPER CRUST" OF THE IRISH COMMUNITY? HOW DID THE TERM LACE CURTAIN IRISH COME INTO BEING? 4.254.67.203 (talk) 03:05, 23 July 2008 (UTC) DEE MC GOWAN

Someone will be along shortly to answer your question, In the meantime, can I ask you to please not use ALL CAPITALS in future. It's the internet counterpart of SHOUTING AT US. -- JackofOz (talk) 03:33, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

...It seems impossible to document the origin of the term "lace curtain," but oral tradition indicates it had come into common usage by the 1890's to denominate those more well-to-do Irish whose rise in the world enabled them to afford, among other prestige symbols, lace curtains on the windows. The radio comic Fred Allen once offered a capsule definition of "lace curtain": "They have fruit in the house when no one's sick." Like similar terms, "lace-curtain Irish," while denoting a certain level of financial achievement, has connotations that go well beyond mere prosperity. It connotes a self-conscious, anxious attempt to create and maintain a certain level and mode of gentility... Shannon, W. V. (1989). The American Irish: a political and social portrait. p. 142. OCLC 61450856

—eric 05:12, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

By the 1930s, Americans used the term "lace curtain" as an adjective to describe "copying middle-class attributes; aspiring to middle-class standing." The derogatory comment referred specifically to people who could never reach American middle-class respectability. In 1934, the author James T. Farrell officially linked the phrase to an immigrant group—the Irish—in his Studs Lonigan trilogy. In a scene from Young Manhood, the young Irish Catholic protagonist took his girlfriend to a hotel dance and felt instantly "determined to become a part of it." After looking around, however, he decided that the glamour of the event was "artificial." "They were trying to put on the dog," he said to himself, "show that they were lace-curtain Irish, and lived in steam heat." Leavitt, S. A. (2002). From Catharine Beecher to Martha Stewart: a cultural history of domestic advice. p. 95. OCLC 49691258

—eric 05:29, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

Bitter aftertaste

Why when I drink pineapple juice or lemons does it taste ok while you're drinking it for however long (a second or ten, doesn't matter) but immediately after you stop drinking it gets the bitter aftertaste? What causes the bitterness to appear only after you stop drinking? 82.43.88.87 (talk) 15:24, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

I believe lemon zest (ground up peel) can have that effect. It's often included in lemonade. Not sure about pineapple juice, though. StuRat (talk) 15:34, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

Right, so why only after you stop drinking? 82.43.88.87 (talk) 18:52, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

Unfortunately our article on aftertaste doesn't explain the physiology. Much of what we identify as the characteristic taste of a food is actually the smell. Without smell (if you have a cold or sinusitis) you can only identify a handful of true tastes - salty, sweet, sour, bitter. I think what happens in the case you mention is that while your mouth is full of drink your nose is not working so well, but after you swallow, the vapour of the liquid passes into your nasal passages and you become aware of the full complex of smells. I might be wrong, but someone will know or be able to add to this. Perhaps they will be able to add to the aftertaste article as well. Itsmejudith (talk) 20:39, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

Somali sex

why Somali girls never get to have sex on the internet? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 192.30.202.29 (talk) 15:49, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

Maybe they're avoiding this http://majorityrights.com/index.php/weblog/comments/muslim_rape_wave_in_sweden/ ? 87.102.86.73 (talk) 16:14, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

Who has EVER had sex on the internet? I know technology is advancing, but seriously, cybersex is a long way off. 89.240.198.174 (talk) 16:17, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

Teledildonics to the rescue, per Time magazine,2000 :[12]. Electromechanical latex things that connect to the computer. Technology is your friend (with benefits). Edison (talk) 17:05, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

What about for males who don't enjoy anal sex? Nil Einne (talk) 17:20, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

References at Teledildonics indicate that bot male and female adapters are available to intergace the computer with the human. {"Jacks and plugs" or vice versa, depending on how you interpret the terminology and on personal preferences). Edison (talk) 11:39, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

flying boats

Are any flying boats still in service around the world? 89.240.198.174 (talk) 16:15, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

Yes. Here is one fighting the recent fires in California. --Sean 16:50, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

Thank you. So they are still in active service and not just historical pieces. 89.240.198.174 (talk) 16:53, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

See the modern versions section of the article. Dismas|^(talk) 17:28, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

I was in Seattle a few years back and there were two flying boats taking off from one of the city lakes - are they still working? Richard Avery (talk) 06:46, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

I was going to say the same thing about Vancouver, but apparently there's a difference between a flying boat and a floatplane, which is what I saw. --Sean 13:54, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

cricketers

When a professional cricketer gets a catch, they throw the ball in the air and start celebrating. Are there any recorded incidents of one of them being hit on the head by the falling ball? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 89.240.198.174 (talk) 16:51, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

I'm gonna say not that i know of - but i have seen a few of them turn their eyes to the skies during celebration as to not get clobbered by said throw Boomshanka (talk) 04:45, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

Which is what I'd expect them to do. They catch balls for a living, so they should really, um, catch the ball and keep their eye on it. Fribbler (talk) 09:10, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

Tim Parker

Anyone know what Tim Parker's full name is? -- SGBailey (talk) 17:42, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

What makes you think it isn't "Tim Parker"? Many people only have two names. 82.43.88.87 (talk) 18:54, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

Because in the 1950s in the UK naming someone "Tim" was very rare. I expect his birth certificate says Timothy Parker and just possibly Timothy John Parker (or whatever). -- SGBailey (talk) 21:24, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

According to his Curriculum Vitae (resumé, for any Americans), his full name is Timothy Charles Parker. Sam Blacketer (talk) 22:58, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

Thanks -- SGBailey (talk) 23:02, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

Both "CV" and "résumé" are used in the U.S., with "CV" being more common in academic settings, and "résumé" in business and industry. A CV is more likely to have a long list of every paper you've written, conference you've presented at, committee you've served on, graduate student you've advised, etc., while a résumé would be more concise. -- Coneslayer (talk) 11:30, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

smoking weed

Why do I feel chilly within about an hour after smoking a lot of marijuana? Moop Fan 17 (talk) 18:25, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

Because you're a troll? Maybe not overfed quite yet, though lets not cook her dinner. See Wikipedia:Requests for checkuser/Case/Avril Vandal 82.43.88.87 (talk) 18:55, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

I'd guess it's because you're standing in front of an open fridge, looking for munchies. StuRat (talk) 02:43, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

Stu, your standing on this ref desk is not enhanced by writing "your standing" where "you're standing" is required.  :) -- JackofOz (talk) 03:49, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

Fixed. I usually catch such typos, but not always. (At least I didn't say "Ur standing", which sounds like something a Babylonian without a chair might have done.) :-) StuRat (talk) 13:59, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

Unless it's a moop with standing... Julia Rossi (talk) 14:07, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

Now that was a sitcom with standing, and that's no lie (as I'm sometimes prone to do, even to the point of rampant lying). StuRat (talk) 03:10, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

Travel Information Needed!

I'm currently in Lafayette-Indiana, i have a situation where i need to travel from Lafayette to State College-PA, every 2 months. Tell me the best mode of making my travel. Would trains be the best option?..how long would it take for me to reach? how much would the tickets be costing, how is the train system like in the states. kindly provide me all the information, that i need to no. thanks a lot! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 123.252.224.65 (talk) 18:34, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

Probably not by train. It can be done but when I ran it through Amtrak it suggested a route which required 3 trains and 27 or 30 hours of total travel time depending on the day chosen. The distance is only 475 miles (so 10 hours or less by car) Rmhermen (talk) 20:29, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

yea this is no direct train on Amtrak, isnt there any other alternate train service available that would have a beginning either from Lafayette or Indianapolis to near by stations of College Station or may be College Station itself? and yes how is the bus service like? how long would it take me to reach college station from lafayette?thnx —Preceding unsigned comment added by 123.252.224.65 (talk) 04:33, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

All long-distance passenger trains in the US (outside of Alaska) are operated by Amtrak. Other agencies operate urban and suburban trains in and around major cities, but not in the sort of places you're talking about. So there are no other options by train. I don't know about buses; the obvious thing, since you're there in Lafayette already, is to phone the bus station there and ask them. --Anonymous, 05:50 UTC, July 24, 2008.

i have looked up a few bus services, they would take me much longer than the train, it would almost take me a day and a half, which i cannot afford to waste, and also, i don't have a car with me, n nor do i no really good driving to start driving on the highways. So i think bus is outta question too. So, then could i be able to hire car with drivers? How muc would this service cost me? I would be needing to stay in State college only for a day or so, so how much would it cum up to? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 123.252.224.65 (talk) 07:16, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

Have you tried looking up nearby airports? Maybe talk to a local travel agent? Rmhermen (talk) 16:24, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

i have tried the AirLines sites for the same, the thing is that, State College has flights only from, DC, NY n Detroit, so i will have to hop a flight which will make it around $700 for me, which i think for a day is quite expensive! that is y i was actually thinking of Buses or Trains. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 123.252.224.65 (talk) 18:14, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

Have you thought about rideshare? See http://tippecanoe.craigslist.org/rid/ and http://pennstate.craigslist.org/rid/. Both are college towns with budget-minded students either seeking rides or seeking someone to chip in for gas. Renting a car may be worthwhile, especially if you can find someone to share expenses & driving duty. —D. Monack ^talk 00:10, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

A quick search on Orbitz shows Indianapolis-State College PA flights on USAirways (via Philadelphia), on Delta (via Cleveland & Cincinnati), & on Northwest (via Detroit) all for under $300 round trip. Total flight times are 4-6 hours depending on length of layover. Flying seems to be the way to go unless you're really price sensitive. —D. Monack ^talk 00:22, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

heyy thanks a lot, yea under 300 is manageable, n when its the quickest of all, thats what is most important!..thnx alot!...

Cuba

I'm an American citizen who'd like to travel to Cuba. Any suggestions? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.111.188.251 (talk) 21:26, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

Look both ways before crossing the street. Don't accept candy from strangers. What other suggestions were you looking for? Things to see in Cuba? How to get permission to go there from the US gov't? You gotta help us help you. This google search should help you out. Dismas|^(talk) 22:18, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

How do I get around the restrictions? And don't be a smartass. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.111.188.251 (talk) 22:28, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

Did you read the articles from the link Dismas provided? -- SGBailey (talk) 23:01, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

Okay, now that we know what you're looking for, a more direct link... This one from the same search looks like it has some good info. Dismas|^(talk) 23:28, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

Wikitravel has plenty of info, especially on the subpage Americans in Cuba. You can link there from Cuba. You might have to go via the Bahamas. Poor you! Itsmejudith (talk) 23:38, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

Be prepared for the time warp by watching the Buena Vista Social Club (film) (nothing much would have changed since 1991) and do you have some Spanish? Julia Rossi (talk) 03:00, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

He he. The thought of the guys from Buena Vista Social Club singing "Let's do the Time Warp again" sends shudders down my spine. Cuba is decidedly a little more than just "a jump the left".  :) -- JackofOz (talk) 12:35, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

Art Community

Where are some good places to share art on the web? Black Carrot (talk) 21:34, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

Yessy.com is an efficient site that gives you a gallery and locks your images to the page. There's Flickr for an online portfolio. And beststuff.com just loves deviantART.com, a contemporary designy progressive art sharing site. Best, Julia Rossi (talk) 03:03, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

Interesting. I'll take a good look at Yessy and Flickr. I'm looking for something like DeviantArt, which I'm a member of, but with more relaxed rules about explicit content. It's the best I've found, but it still draws a pretty sharp line pretty early on. Black Carrot (talk) 04:54, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

Afaik Yessy had levels of exposure/accessibility. There was a competitor site but I forget its name for now, Julia Rossi (talk) 14:12, 24 July 2008 (UTC) Found it -- it's ArtWanted.com

I've taken a look a them. ArtWanted forbids explicit content of any kind. Yessy has no rules against it, but they don't seem to have anyone posting anything very objectionable, so I worry there might be some sort of "unwritten rule". Flickr looks more promising, though it seems to be focused primarily on photography and I like to draw. Any other ideas? Black Carrot (talk) 22:02, 24 July 2008 (UTC) Photographs of your drawings? People do use Flikr as an email link to showcase their art as you know, so... If you have explicit kind of material, there might be a site that supports your genre. I'm thinking of an artist who made comic style books or magazine using unrendered bondage/fetish line drawings – Robert Bishop... is that your line? At Yessy I don't think there was an unwritten rule about three years ago but trust your instincts. You could try getting onto relevant ezines to showcase work, but I guess you're covering all that. JR 11:09, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

This is a GREAT website

Come on people, please DONATE. The Admins on here are very sexy, cool and helpful. One has even helped me out. Will you please donate?65.173.104.138 (talk) 21:42, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

Hi. Uh, well then, what exactly is your question (because that's what the refdesks are for)? Thanks. ~AH1^(TCU) 21:59, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

Astro, 65's question was "Will you donate?".
65, many of us have and will again in the future. There isn't a specific campaign at the moment though. -- SGBailey (talk) 22:56, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

At the moment, I am poor, but I plan to leave all to money to the WMF when I die. Someoneinmyheadbutit'snotme (talk) 23:01, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

Woman orgasm

How to detect woman orgasm by man. Is it best with penis or fingers?

Honestly, I would suggest using other organs entirely instead -- your eyes, ears and brain. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 00:07, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

Ah no no. women can easy fake orgasm. I need to know if its true she has one. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.76.201.254 (talk) 00:10, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

Physical signs include, but are not limited to: Flushing of the Skin, rhythmic contractions of the Vaginal wall (and other pelvic muscles) and increased vaginal secretions. But as with all things, these vary from woman to woman. Fribbler (talk) 00:14, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

Ah so if i have my hand in her woo woo, I can feel it , yes? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.76.201.254 (talk) 00:17, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

I think you are out of luck. And if you are in a relationship in which you are unable to trust the verbal communication you have with the woman, you are doubly out of luck: should you really be having intercourse with someone you do not trust? You'll forgive me for saying that I find the thrust of the question somewhat unsettling. That notwithstanding, the physiological signs of orgasm are described here ... you'd be fooling yourself, if you are already uncertain, if you thought you could make a diagnosis based on these. --Tagishsimon (talk) 00:18, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

Use an Orgasmeter. − Twas Now ( talk • contribs • e-mail ) 01:41, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

I prefer to use penis for orgasm detection. Or fingers.. Not sure really, perhaps orgasm is urban legend; please correct article.87.102.86.73 (talk) 07:32, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

Zapatista Army of National Liberation

Is it true that the United States government considers them a terrorist organization? -anon

They don't get onto the team-sheet-o-terror: [13]. Fribbler (talk) 00:17, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

No sheet. Clarityfiend (talk) 03:04, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

My own page when Im dead?

If I leave all my money to WP when Im dead, can I have my own page saying I did it? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.76.201.254 (talk) 23:37, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

Nope. Well, okay, you might, if the sum was large enough and thus automatically noteworthy -- say, a hundred million dollars or something like that. That would be a pretty major event by any standard and thus a worthy topic of an article. But even then it wouldn't really be because of the money, it would be because the act of doing so would be notable and significant enough. Actually, even if it was only, say, a dollar, but the act of leaving it to Wikipedia somehow made you posthumously famous, that would probably do the trick as well. But you can't "buy" an article on Wikipedia; the act of leaving that money itself wouldn't qualify you for an article. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 00:05, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

On the other hand, if you become a prominent Wikipedian, you can be mentioned at WP:DIED when you die. Useight (talk) 00:40, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

Is someone giving the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation an opportunity? They already have their own page/s, dang, so there's hope for you! Julia Rossi (talk) 03:09, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

If you got written up in newspapers then that would probably give you enough notability for a page. So make sure you do it in a way that gets some press attention! --98.217.8.46 (talk) 15:16, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

July 24

Changing Text Size

How is it possible to change text size on the firefox browser. Normally it would be in the edit menu but i do not see it.--logger (talk) 01:10, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

View/zoom, or CTRL+/CTRL-. Algebraist 01:13, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

Or View/TextSize --Tagishsimon (talk) 01:14, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

That doesn't exist in 3.0.l. Algebraist 01:16, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

3.0: View > Zoom and check zoom text size only, then zoom in/out. -mattbuck (Talk) 01:55, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

Thanks for the reminder that I'm on a locked down machine right now ;) * :( --Tagishsimon (talk) 02:08, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

The CTRL+ CTRL- does the trick thank you.--logger (talk) 01:21, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

Alternatively, Ctrl + scroll mouse wheel. AlmostReadytoFly (talk) 10:42, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

2012

Will the end if the world be in 2012? 66.53.216.132 (talk) 02:21, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

We don't do predictions. Groups which have in the past predicted the end of the world for dates which have now passed have all been wrong. There's no reason to suppose any current group will buck that trend. --Tagishsimon (talk) 02:27, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

I'll bet you a million dollars it doesn't end. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 03:01, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

It's not a "current group" that said it would end in 2012. See Mayan Long Count calendar for more info. Dismas|^(talk) 03:04, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

Which page is puzzlingly titled Mesoamerican Long Count calendar but just 'Mayan long count' finds it. Another metaphysical mystery. ; ) Julia Rossi (talk) 03:14, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

It is a "current group" that is interpreting the MLCC and ascribing their contemporary belief to past generations. I refer the honorable wikipedian to my previous answer. --Tagishsimon (talk) 03:30, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

Their calendar rolled over in 2012, but there is no evidence that they thought the world would end. Any Mayan scholar will tell you that that "prediction" has been falsely attributed by... well, by idiots. Plasticup ^T/C 12:36, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

Nah... probably sometime in the mid to late 2030s. The millennarists were close with their idea of Jesus coming back after a couple of thousand years, but forgot that he didn't leave Earth until the mid-30s AD. Of course, this is simply my theory. Grutness...wha? 03:18, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

nope, it ends next month when they turn on the large hadron collider. Those darn stranglets are going to kill us all. haha —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.188.139.77 (talk) 04:12, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

I think it's spelled strangelet. --Trovatore (talk) 04:15, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

Nothing a redirect can't fix... -- Coneslayer (talk) 11:21, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

Went ahead and added {{R from misspelling}} to your redir. Stranglet sounds like something from a true-crime story. --Trovatore (talk) 19:32, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

Don't Panic, Isaac Newton showed that the world will end no earlier than 2060. Algebraist 07:18, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

Nope it's just an Olympics year, oh and Euro 2012 is in Poland, and i'll be 30 that year :-( 08:51, 24 July 2008 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 194.221.133.226 (talk)

Eskimos

What is the name given to a female eskimo?

If a female indian is a squaw etc etc —Preceding unsigned comment added by 121.222.243.106 (talk) 04:01, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

See Squaw for why you might not actually be looking for such a word. You might instead be looking for "female Alaskan", "Canadian lady", "Inuit woman", "Eskimo girl" or some such. Itsmejudith (talk) 10:29, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

Also see Eskimo for why you might not actually be looking for such a word. Both "Eskimo" and "squaw" are considered pejorative by some people.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 12:56, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

"Arnaq" ("woman") in Inuktuit. OtherDave (talk) 21:19, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

Invisible lines across the skies

I've noticed that if I put my cell phone under my computer screen, it flickers when receiving incoming information (i.e., a text, call, or confirmation that someone received a text I sent). It's actually pretty cool because it notifies me of stuff a couple seconds before the phone does and makes me feel all special (it's like I'm psychic). My question is this: will this kind of interference damage the screen? And could it hinder the cell phone's performance? Unlikely, methinks, but the stupid thing is prone to bouts of rebellion where it randomly sends messages an hour after it was supposed to, confusing everyone (including myself), and then laughs at me by vibrating in my pocket whenever it feels the need to and staying still when I get calls.

Also, although it in no way helps answer my question, I find it interesting that the severity of the flicker changes depending on what exactly is being received: a confirmation that someone has received a message (that is, the "message received at [time]" portion of sent messages) only makes it wiggle for a split second; a text message itself looks like an earthquake. And maybe I'm just imagining it, but I could swear that the longer the text, the bigger the jolt. Weird, eh?

Technical stuff (I doubt it means anything, but what the heck):

- Phone: 'tis a generic Motorola Wsomething... It's the new stock phone. You know, the one that you can get for free and that makes all the uptight phone aficionados cringe in horror? Yeah, that's the one.

- Screen: a Dell... Thingie... That came with my computer. It's not a flat screen, so I'm not actually sure what you'd call it... A fat screen? It's big and ugly, anyway. About four years old, I'd say.

Thanks in advance. I like to think that what the above lacks in conciseness it makes up for in humor, but maybe that's just me. :P --69.146.230.243 (talk) 05:19, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

I foolishly put my mobile phone on top of my laptop overnight and it wiped out the phone. From that point on I have kept them well apart from each other.--Artjo (talk) 06:34, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

I'm a police officer and when the cell phone is next to the siren, before it rings, the siren speaker will buzzzzzzzzzzz. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.225.133.60 (talk) 07:49, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

This is a case of cell phone interference, the reason why you're not supposed to use cell phones in hospitals and aircraft. (Whether it's actually dangerous in those circumstances is a subject of much debate, but that's a different story.) There's a Howstuffworks article on the topic, though it's not particularly in-depth. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 10:16, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

(EC) When the phone receives a call or a text message, it communicates with the cell using electromagnetic radiation in the microwave range. At close range, that is quite enough to induce current in nearby electrical circuits, and cause the effects of which you speak. And yes, the longer the message being received, the more it has to communicate back to the cell (it'll typically be saying "yes, I'm here & listening", "yes, I've got that bit, thanks", "yes, I've got that bit, thanks" &c). And yes, when the cell makes contact with it to say "here's an incoming call for you", it will respond with a "yes, I'm listening" type response ... that handshaking, which is picked up by the external devices being interfered with, happens in advance of he phone deciding it is time to alert the user to the situation by beeping at you. And yes, I think it's pretty cool too (except when I'm wearing headphones, when the periodic "hello, I'm still here" callouts from the phone are a bit vexing. Bose: why are your headphones not better shielded?

In the majority of circumstances, the phone does not pose a lasting hazard to your other equipment; nor your other equipment to the phone. However there are probably regions of greater and regions of lessor incoming signal strength, depending on where you place the phone. I have no knowledge of whether the stray EMF from a CRT monitor will attenuate an incoming signal - I've never noticed such an effect. --Tagishsimon (talk)

I actually managed to piss my sister off not long ago by putting a cell phone near her computer screen. See, I'd noticed that it made pretty colors, presumably because it has magnets and all inside it and the monitor uses magnets to paint the screen. Anyway, the colors stuck. Pressing the degauss button fixed it, though, so no harm done. Black Carrot (talk)

Mmm, very interesting... Thanks, all. I suppose that there's not any reason to really worry about it unless my screen explodes or something, and that seems pretty unlikely. --69.146.230.243 (talk) 02:42, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

Life insurance for people living dangerously

If I know someone who is living dangerously (taking drugs, DUI, practicing extreme sports), can I contract a life insurance for him and choose me as the police holder?Mr.K. (talk) 10:57, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

Firstly, you can't buy insurance on someone else's life. The conflict of interest there is just staggering. Secondly, hard drugs, regular DUI, and extreme sports mean that no insurance company is going to cover your friend or, if they do, his premium will be absurdly high. Plasticup ^T/C 12:29, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

See Life_insurance#Parties_to_contract. Wal-Mart was in the news for buying life insurance policies against a large number of their workers (not just upper management) without their knowledge. (Wal-Mart's insurable interest in such cases was questionable; Mr.K's insurable interest, as far as I can tell, is non-existent.) -- Coneslayer (talk) 12:39, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

As coneslayer notes it is down to insurable interest. Businesses regularly cover their key employees and many insurance firms offer 'keyman' policies. You couldn't take cover on a friend unless you had a financial interest in their continued existance (say you share a business or a loan with each other). Also any individual that takes part in dangerous pursuits would be rated according to their risk by the underwriting department of the firm and thus premiums would be higher to offset the additional risk. 194.221.133.226 (talk) 13:32, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

Disk Defragmentation

I've taken the liberty of mooving your question to the computing reference desk, where it is more likely to get a helpful response. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 11:14, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

Did you use a cattle-prod? ;-) -LambaJan (talk) 13:46, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

No, a whip, a club, and an alsatian. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 193.115.175.247 (talk) 15:17, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

666

Are there any cultures, religions, and/or governments that do not use the number 666 as in accordance with the old testament, eg they are counting how many fields of grain in thier area or comunity and count thus, 664, 665, 667, 668. And if so, how is this rectified. Also, if stick religion organizations do not do this, how do they account for thier disobedience to the old testament. I think this rule was in judges, or in the early book with all the rules on how to live.

Since the number of the Beast doesn't possess specific biblical relevance until the Book of Revelation, no, it has no presence whatsoever in Old Testament law. Note also that even the specific translation of "666" is disputed. — Lomn 15:53, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

IIRC, 666 does make an appearance in the O.T., though - something connected to the amount of gold raised to build Solomon's Temple, though I cannot remember the exact reference. If so, it raises a few interesting possible theories as to what is being referred to by the number... Grutness...wha? 01:44, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

Yup. 1 Kings 10 14: Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred threescore and six talents of gold. --Tagishsimon (talk) 01:55, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

Aah - thanks for the reference - I'll have to remember that one :) Grutness...wha? 02:19, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

Legal terminology in the United States

I am reading a newspaper article about a man who has been arrested in LA, and the legal terminology is somewhat unclear to me. Apparently he has been charged with:

• Rape
• A lewd act with a 15-year-old child
• Sexual battery by fraud
• Sexual exploition

In a legal context, what exactly do these terms mean? The man is a doctor, so do any of them refer to the abuse of trust? Plasticup ^T/C 15:22, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

Looking at the California Penal Code here I found the following definition for "sexual exploitation:"

"311.3. (a) A person is guilty of sexual exploitation of a child if he or she knowingly develops, duplicates, prints, or exchanges any representation of information, data, or image, including, but not limited to, any film, filmstrip, photograph, negative, slide, photocopy, videotape, video laser disc, computer hardware, computer software, computer floppy disc, data storage media, CD-ROM, or computer-generated equipment or any other computer-generated image that contains or incorporates in any manner, any film or filmstrip that depicts a person under the age of 18 years engaged in an act of sexual conduct."

I can't find anything just yet about the sexual battery by fraud charge. Laenir (talk) 15:57, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

CA Penal Code 234.4(c): "Any person who touches an intimate part of another person for the purpose of sexual arousal, sexual gratification, or sexual abuse, and the victim is at the time unconscious of the nature of the act because the perpetrator fraudulently represented that the touching served a professional purpose, is guilty of sexual battery. A violation of this subdivision is punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for not more than one year, and by a fine not exceeding two thousand dollars ($2,000); or by imprisonment in the state prison for two, three, or four years, and by a fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars ($10,000)." --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 16:22, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

first WP article?

i think most of the early content was migrated from NuPedia, but was there a first created article (perhaps other than the main page)? where is that page i used to know about wikipedia milestones in article numbers and so on? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.245.92.47 (talk) 16:44, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

It was WP:UuU, with this edit. See history of Wikipedia for more. Algebraist 17:39, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

Actually it was the other way. Wikipedia was expected to supply articles to Nupedia. And the Nupedia authors were less than enthusiastic about any of their material ending up in Wikipedia. Nupedia never developed any large number of articles anyway. Main Page was originally Home Page, by the way. Rmhermen (talk) 18:04, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

You may have been looking for Wikipedia:Wikipedia's oldest articles, History of Wikipedia, or Wikipedia:Statistics. Rmhermen (talk) 18:09, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

The article about Nupedia states that Nupedia reached about 100 articles, at the most. That's one twenty-fifth-thousandth, or forty millionths, of the English Wikipedia alone, and although I don't know the exact magnitude, I guess it's only a few millionths of the articles in all Wikipedias. I guess mandatory peer review was entirely the wrong idea. JIP | Talk 21:27, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

Pittsburgh International Airport

Have they dismantled the ends of A and B concourses. 71.240.2.138 (talk) 22:08, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

July 25

Portable DVD players

I want to know if there are any Portable DVD Players on the market that will play DVD-RAM.If so what make and model. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.232.225.146 (talk) 00:41, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

Yes. The Panasonic DVD-LS86 does. And that's just the first example I stumbled upon. There's bound to be more! Fribbler (talk) 09:40, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

In general try panasonic models since they are the 'inventors' of DVD-RAM, most other manufacturers seem to ignore it..87.102.86.73 (talk) 09:59, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

New York look and feel

What cities resemble New York most? (with skyscrapers, a huge subway net, modern, ...)83.52.209.197 (talk) 09:54, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

Filmmakers sometimes use Toronto. I read years ago, that several "NY based" cop shows were actually filmed in Toronto because it was cheaper to get filming permits, though they had to hire extra crew to dirty the streets with litter etc. for that authentic NYC look and feel. (edit) And they were under strict instructions to clean it up again when they were done. Astronaut (talk) 10:00, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

I suppose that is a Canadian-born urban legend about America. Mr.K. (talk) 10:02, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

Snopes has a variation, though it's not so much about the garbage as the cleanup. -- BenRG (talk) 11:00, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

What about Liberty City? --Worm | mroW 10:52, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

Liberty City, of course, has a slight handicap in that it doesn't exist. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 11:40, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

I recall reading sometime that Slough could resemble parts of New York for filming? Can't remember where I read that though - probably in a film magazine or online somewhere so take it with a pinch of salt. 194.221.133.226 (talk) 12:56, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

São Paulo (at least the skyscrapers). It's actually bigger than New York. Admiral Norton ^(talk) 13:20, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

Gotham City...Forgive me, I couldn't resist and didn't want Liberty City to be the only fictional city mentioned. cheers, 10draftsdeep (talk) 16:59, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

The OP doesn't say anything about filming. Toronto may resemble New York in certain respects, but that isn't the primary reason it is used so much to stand in for N.Y. Things like financing, quality of film staff and crew, proximity, etc. will influence this as much as resemblance. We also have to know more about what factors the OP considers important. If language and culture are big, then only the biggest eastern (or Midwestern like Chicago) U.S. cities would qualify. If not so important, then I would imagine any of the largest metropolises of the world would have skyscrapers, subways, etc. 98.206.9.211 (talk) 19:26, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

Rail Franchising

Why are passenger rail routes franchised under short term contracts in the UK as opposed to having regional operating companies which own and manage all assets in their region? What is the advantage of this? Clover345 (talk) 11:16, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

We have an article on rail franchising in Great Britain, although it is not very informative. The arguments given in favour of rail franchising are that it keeps the train operators competitive and allows the government to exercise some strategic control over the train operators without having to get involved in day-to-day operations. A less frequently stated reason is that it generates revenue for the government. Arguments against it are that it encourages a short-term approach by franchisees, discourages long-term investment and fragments the railway infrastructure, making it inefficient. Also, if train operators recoup the cost of winning a franchise bid by increasing fares, then this is in effect a stealth tax on rail travel. Gandalf61 (talk) 12:01, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

Continuing that theme - the strange multi-franchising/separation of interests creates thousands of new jobs in administration - helping people into 'work' and hence the jobless figures... Did you know that the railways in britain now employ ten times as many people as they did under British Rail, (and the trains are more often on time but actually run slower on average...)87.102.86.73 (talk) 17:03, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

Bristol Location

Hello, I have searched for an answer to the following question without success. Please may you help me.

For what reason was the city of Bristol, United Kingdom, built?

Thank you —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.162.31.105 (talk) 11:34, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

Have you read our article on the history of Bristol? — Matt Eason ^{(Talk &#149; Contribs)} 11:39, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

Also look at the article New towns in the United Kingdom. Is there a reason you believe that Bristol was built for a reason? A quick a look at List of planned cities#England suggests Bristol isn't recognised as a planned city. 194.221.133.226 (talk) 12:54, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

Well, of course Bristol's not a "new town", since it appears in the 11th century Domesday Book. But it is still reasonable to suppose that a city grew on that site for a reason, even before the advent of modern urban planning. Common reasons for establishing flourishing communities throughout history are transportation links, access to natural resources or defendability (or a combination of these). Gandalf61 (talk) 15:14, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

Bristol was built where the River Avon met the River Frome, thus providing excellent transport links. It was also there that the first bridges were built over the rivers, iirc. Its name is derived from Brig-stow meaning bridge town or something like that. -mattbuck (Talk) 16:21, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

I think a better question would be for what reason did the tiny hamlet of bristol develop into the city it is today? to which the answers is given directly above. Citys often develop on rivers, or at places that are suitable for ports, or at positions that are defensible etc.87.102.86.73 (talk) 16:59, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

Writing a Screen Play adapted from a book?

Hi everybody, I had my book published last year which was a true story,and I would like to adapt the book from non-fiction to fiction for more dramatic purposes that would make the movie appeal to American audiences. I have all the story in my head,and just need to know the correct way to write a screen play so I don"t waste time making mistakes,and it is done right the first time. Thanks, Fluter —Preceding unsigned comment added by 170.86.15.15 (talk) 14:55, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

I believe this site may be just the (cinema) ticket! Fribbler (talk) 14:58, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

You may also be interested in Syd Field's Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting, which is considered to be something of a classic book on the subject. You may find yourself disagreeing with Field's ideas on story structure and whatnot, which tend to be pretty formulaic, but the book'll certainly teach you how to properly format and write a script... as well as a couple of things about the Hollywood mindset. A little over ten bucks at Amazon. Well worth the price. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 16:41, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

I suggest reading some screenplays, too. − Twas Now ( talk • contribs • e-mail ) 16:48, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

Also, talk with your original publisher or check your contract with them. They often retain the rights to adapt what they see as their book.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 19:29, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

Tragic story from the Alps

See this. The question is: what's the point of roping together? It doesn't seem to have made things any safer. TresÁrboles (talk) 17:25, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

It's tragic, for sure. What you don't get to read too often is the many times roping works. If one of those people had been able to get an ice axe into the surface, they might have all been saved. Also, the rope can be clipped onto anchors, as in, lead climber works upward, puts in an anchor and clips on; last climber unclips from the previous anchor and moves up; then everyone on the rope is anchored at all times. Franamax (talk) 17:31, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

So how about a rule where at least one person has to have an ice axe in the surface at all times, or otherwise an anchor has to be set, and if that's not possible then everybody unrope. Or is that too slow and timid? TresÁrboles (talk) 19:36, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

I'm not a climber (I pitch camp overnight just climbing stairs) and I can't comment on that particular climbing party, but I think the anchoring method is the rule on difficult climbs. The point of roping is that everyone works together on a mountain. If you're unroped, then your slightest mistake will result in your almost certain death; whereas by being roped together, there is the best chance that one climber can save everyone. The rule you describe is not much different than just solo-climbing the mountain, which very few people do. Franamax (talk) 19:50, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

Safest Place in Car to Keep valuables

Suppose I'm bringing a valuable item, say a diamond ring or an expensive camera, and leaving it in my parked car. In a regular 4-door family sedan, where would be the safest place to conceal/hide/store this item to render it least susceptible to being stolen by thieves? Would it be in the trunk? Thanks. Acceptable (talk) 19:03, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

There is no safe place, but generally don't put it anywhere it's visible or easily found should someone break in. -mattbuck (Talk) 19:05, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

I would say any place you would normally keep things in, like the trunk or the glove compartment, would be the second-least safe place to put things in -- the worst place being anywhere someone looking through the windows would be able to see. TresÁrboles (talk) 19:32, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

Under the spare wheel? I can't see an opportunistic thief lifting that out. But don't forget "a motor vehicle is stolen in the United States every 26.4 seconds".--Shantavira|^{feed me} 19:35, 25 July 2008 (UTC)