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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 :[1]. 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!... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 123.252.224.65 (talk) 19:51, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

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: [2]. 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)

Everyone knows the world will end in 2017 or 2112 at the latest. —D. Monack ^talk 01:39, 26 July 2008 (UTC)

We recently had a discussion about this over on the science desk. I'm still not sure why. -LambaJan (talk) 04:09, 26 July 2008 (UTC)

If the world does indeed end in 2012,you may feel free to put an article in Wikipedia about it.And yet some people think that we will be here for a good while yet Lemon martini (talk) 19:15, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

It's not going to end in 2012. That's just the date that the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar completes one cycle and starts again. For some reason some have interpreted this as the end of the world. Has made for some good music though.Avnas Ishtaroth (talk) 05:28, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

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)

Do you mean Inuit? Calliopejen1 (talk) 07:00, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

Nope, I just misspelled Inuktitut. OtherDave (talk) 13:06, 29 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)

666 is a lucky number in China: 6 sounds like the word for luck ('liu' if my crappy Mandarin lessons hold true). I am under the impression myself that the number of the beast was actually 616 due to a mistranslationAvnas Ishtaroth (talk) 05:29, 28 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)

Before I lived in TO I had no idea it was such a film city. I remember being fairly startled the first time I saw those star trailers on the street -- flashback to LA. I would imagine that the industry there is feeling the pinch right now from the loonie being so high, but that's just speculation. --Trovatore (talk) 20:16, 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)

Some people consider it undesirable for one company to own the track and operate the trains because they see it as an anti-competitive vertical integration. I remember reading some years ago (sorry, no cite) that the European Union had prohibited such arrangements, requiring several countries to reorganize their nationalized railway systems into multiple companies. In countries whose governments actually believe that competition of train operating companies is desirable, they go further and adopt the sort of arrangements seen today in the UK in order to promote such competition.

A cynical person might say that the British government introduced franchising because they didn't like the passenger trains and hoped to make them go away: they had seen how poor passenger train service had become in North America since the introduction of Amtrak and VIA Rail Canada had separated train operations from track ownership, and wanted to repeat the experience in the UK. A cynical person might say that; I couldn't possibly comment. --Anonymous, 00:10 UTC, July 26, 2008.

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 • 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)

To plug a great site by a great screenwriter, John August has a blog [3] where he provides all sorts of screenwriting information and also answers reader questions. Tony Fox (arf!) 22:33, 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)

I really don't think it's a question of having rules as much as it is a question of following them or using common sense. I mean, not to blame the victims here, but I'm pretty sure that there are established safety procedures that, had they been properly followed, would have prevented this from happening. Of course, it's also possible that these people did everything right and just had very bad luck. Perhaps they were properly anchored, but the anchors slipped or something. It's not unheard of, either. Still... a lot of the time, people don't do the smart thing -- they take risks because they misread the situation, or to save time, or because they think that under the circumstances it will be safe, or to show off, or any number of other reasons.

Also, I think accidents like this are one reason why climbing is popular -- or, more to the point, not the accidents themselves, but the potential for them. It's a calculated risk that attracts a lot of people, and every once in a while, the dice come up nasty. It's an inherently dangerous pastime, which is what makes the challenge thrilling and appealing, but that means occasionally some people are going to get hurt or die. You can't really get around that. -- 20:01, 25 July 2008 (UTC) (Er, apparently I typed five tildes instead of four when signing this, so you only got the date there. I seem to be strangely accident-prone today... Anyway, that was me.) -- Captain Disdain (talk) 20:35, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

I very recently read Lene Gammelgard's account of the 1996 Everest Disaster wherein she mentioned a legendary save by a member of her party. I don't have the book anymore but it looks like we already have it described at Pete Schoening's article. That is why climbers rope together. Franamax (talk) 21:41, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

You may be interested in the book, Touching the Void, or the film of the same name. An absolutely amazing story about what happens when you have to cut the rope. And the dangers of listening to Boney M. Matt Deres (talk) 23:43, 26 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)

Under the spare tire would be a good spot - but only if you hide it there before you get to the parking lot. Parking the car, then opening the trunk, lifting the wheel and putting something under it, then putting the wheel back might turn out to be the best way of getting someone to break into your car.

Hiding the expensive camera under the seat and leaving a cheap camera in the glove compartment would be one strategy. A diamond ring could be left inside a crushed coffee cup on the floor. Franamax (talk) 20:01, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

Trunk is usually the best place. It's not terribly easy to break into and you can't see into it no matter how hard you try so it's going to reduce opportunistic robberies. Your best bet here is security through obscurity—keeping things in a place where no one will see them and know they are there. If someone wanted to steal something and new there'd be something there to steal, they could do it. So don't let them know there's anything to steal. --140.247.240.228 (talk) 20:06, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

Most vehicle breakins involve this situation - someone looking to pay for their next fix sees that handful of change in the cupholder, breaks the window, and takes whatever's in there. Putting valuables someplace out of sight and locked up is the best way to protect them, so just keep them in the trunk. Don't have *anything* of potential value showing in your vehicle, and it won't be broken into. Tony Fox (arf!) 22:31, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

I actually had someone break into my vehicle for the groceries that were inside. I wonder what the street value is on a container of hot oatmeal ? (It's better when it's hot, isn't it ?) StuRat (talk) 23:03, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

Side note: in the higher vehicle-crime areas of Greater Vancouver, it's not uncommon to return to your vehicle and find a form stuck under your wiper with an assessment. This is on the lines of "I could see money", "I could see valuables", "Your window was left rolled down an inch". There may also be a tick-box for "you left the keys in so I took it" but I don't think it's that kind of program. Point is, there was activism from the other side and vehicle thefts are way down compared to five years ago ('tho still off the scale) - worth considering if you are discussing car break-ins in your own community. Franamax (talk) 00:14, 26 July 2008 (UTC)

Next to your pit bull (or a doberman, in a pinch)? Clarityfiend (talk) 11:04, 26 July 2008 (UTC)

I once owned an old convertible VW Rabbit on which I never put the top up, and when my radio was inevitably stolen, I left the guts and wires hanging out of the gaping hole in the dashboard, and constructed a very discreet black fiberglass box with a flip-up lid between the seats for its replacement. That one was never touched! --Sean 69.134.125.191 (talk) 15:50, 26 July 2008 (UTC)

Buying a new car in the US.

Two simple questions on buying a new car in the US: (1) how can one determine where the car was assembled? By determine I mean "find printed somewhere in the car documentation or on the car body proper" when I am at the dealership but BEFORE I buy the car. (2) What should I ask the dealer before I buy the car? I know which model of car I want and which way I am going to pay exactly, so I don't mean the choice of car or the financing options. I mean the stuff the dealer may fail to include without telling me; the standard dealer tricks I may be unaware of; or the common caveats when buying a new car. --OcheburashkaO (talk) 20:53, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

I think they still put where it was assembled on the sticker, along with the MSRP. However, bear in mind that where it was assembled doesn't mean much, as the parts used to assemble it may all come from other nations. I strongly recommend you fully research your car online first, both at the manufacturer's site and also at a neutral site. You should know exactly what you want and are willing to pay for it before you walk into the dealership (bring a print-out). They will, of course, try to get you to buy items with huge markups, such as "dealer add-ons" (aftermarket GPS, underbody rust protection, and fabric protection come to mind here). I stay away from extended warrantees, myself, as they usually exclude anything likely to fail and things which are expensive to repair, or they just claim you abused the car to avoid paying for anything actually covered by the warrantee. The trade-in can be another big rip-off, since they know people will take pennies on the dollar to get rid of the old junker. The more they tell you how honest they are and how much they like you and are giving you a "special deal", the more you should keep your hand on your wallet. StuRat (talk) 22:54, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

Bring a financial calculator with you. It will help you calculate how much you're really going to pay for the car. You can enter the monthly amount, number of months, and interest rate and see what the total cost is going to be. I have one, but I forget exactly what it's called, something like HP 10 II B. Useight (talk) 23:42, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

Don't let them rush you. Take the time to read every paper you put your signature on and don't take their word on what it says. And while you're reading, take some moments to reflect on what they said to you and determine if it's fishy or not. They can be very misleading. I had one guy convince me through his choice of words that a support package for taking it in for repairs and such was included in the price of the car. It was a bit overpriced to begin with so I believed him. What he actually meant was that it was included in the new price of the car after I signed off on it and he tacked it on to the cost. I returned that car and got my money back it was such a rip-off. Those guys can be sneaky. If they have a problem with you taking your time to read stuff you should leave and get your car somewhere else. -LambaJan (talk) 12:35, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

real estate and construction.......HELP

i cant' find a common definition or any definition at all for "structural damage". This boggles me because it is terminology used in my mortgage contract. i have a general idea of what it is but i need a concrete definition. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.95.41.121 (talk) 22:47, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

I would suggest that you contact the bank you have the mortgage contract with and ask them. They can undoubtedly tell you exactly what they mean by that; anybody else's definition is going to be guessing. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 05:06, 26 July 2008 (UTC)

Game site

This site shows every GameCube game in order of Australian sales. Is there a similar site for Nintendo 64 games? 58.165.52.72 (talk) 23:33, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

No. Nessie17 (talk) 15:15, 26 July 2008 (UTC)

July 26

Health insurance benefits in Vermont

Hi guys,does anyone know what type of job or what company in burlington vermont is known for having good benefits for their employees? like coverage of surgeries or hospital fees? and in what type of job would someone be less likely to get good benefits?. thank you! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.91.11.185 (talk) 03:40, 26 July 2008 (UTC)

Original research warning... IBM has decent benefits, though they just laid off 180 people, so you probably couldn't get a job there right now. Fletcher Allen Hospital probably has a decent insurance plan. They are A) a hospital and B) the second largest employer in the state after IBM. Other than those two, I'm not sure. Dismas|^(talk) 11:42, 26 July 2008 (UTC)

Alexander thought himself god?

Did Alexander thought himself god?i read in a book that he believed he had a link with Greek god n Julius Caesar also believed that his family has a descended link with god which make him think that nothing can defeat him.is it true?

can u give a list of people who believed themselves god.

thank you. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 147taru (talk • contribs) 04:18, 26 July 2008 (UTC)

For your last question, see list of people who have been considered deities and self-deification. Algebraist 06:38, 26 July 2008 (UTC)

For Alexander the god, read this article, among many: [4]. And for Caesar, this one: [5]. Good luck. --Omidinist (talk) 12:23, 26 July 2008 (UTC)

Remember also that Alexander the Great lived 300+ years before Jesus, and was a polytheist. It probably wouldn't be correct to say that he thought himself to be God (i.e. the big man himself), but rather that he thought himself to be a god (that is, one among many). This probably wasn't so strange then as it sounds now, as Greek Mythology is full of instances of the gods coming down to the mortal realm and impregnating unsuspecting females. (Heracles is a good example.) The line between mortal and divine was much fuzzier in ancient times than it is in Christian philosophy. -- 128.104.112.147 (talk) 22:03, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

Police breaking down doors

In movies and TV cop shows we often see police kicking in or breaking down a locked door, to apprehend somebody inside, or to help somebody inside who's maybe tied up or beaten unconscious and can't open the door for themselves. This probably doesn't happen so often in real life, but I'm sure it happens from time to time. We never see the door being replaced, and I've often wondered who is (at least financially) responsible for fixing the door? Is this the police's responsibility? And would it depend on whether or not they had a justifiable reason for their action? Would it vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction? Would a person whose door was kicked off its hinges by the police believing he was their suspect, but was later exonerated of any guilt, have a case for demanding the police pay for the repairs? Or even someone who was later proven to be guilty of whatever the crime was? If the police admit liability for the repairs, do they ever organise the fixing of the door themselves, or do they suggest the owner fix it and send them the bill? -- JackofOz (talk) 05:56, 26 July 2008 (UTC)

I heard on one of those "Police - Stop" kind of shows, that when the police forced entry to the wrong house the officers were joking that they would have to get the door fixed for the innocent householder. Probably not the comprehensive answer you were looking for, sorry. Astronaut (talk) 08:22, 26 July 2008 (UTC)

I doubt that someone who was later exonerated would have any increased standing for compensation for police-caused property damage if the damage was part of a legitimate investigation. If the police could convince a judge that they had a good reason to bust the door down, that there was no reasonable alternative available, then I doubt they would be liable to such property damage. In the US you probably have to file a civil suit to get the damages paid for, and then only likely in cases of mishandling or wrongdoing (e.g. a policeman destroying things as a form of intimidation, unrelated to their investigation), but I don't know that for sure. I am sure the police (in the US, anyway) don't fix it themselves or asking for a bill. Property damage in the case of certain types of investigations is inevitable and the US police only compensate if they've done something wrong. (I'm also fairly sure they won't compensate you for lost work hours that they kept you in a cell when it turns out you were innocent, for example. I know they don't do anything if, say, you lose your job while in jail, and then it turns out you are exonerated.) --98.217.8.46 (talk) 14:10, 26 July 2008 (UTC)

I don't know the answer, but something else to consider is that the owner of the door is rarely the suspect. Criminals tend to be renters (or uninvited "guests"), not homeowners, so the homeowner is the one out of luck. In many cases the homeowner or motel renter has no reason to suspect the tenant/guest is a criminal, so it doesn't seem right that they should have to foot the repair bill. StuRat (talk) 14:15, 26 July 2008 (UTC)

Yeah, I would be pretty shocked to hear that, as a rule, innocent people would have to pay for busted doors just because they were broken during a legitimate investigation. I mean, what if it's a really expensive custom-made door that costs thousands of dollars? Or what if they take apart an expensive sports car while looking for drugs? Why would the innocent citizen have to pay for what is a mistake on the police's part? I mean, that really violates my sense of justice.

Still, it seems that in at least some parts of the United States this may be the case. The first thing I came across was this post, which laments a situation exactly like this. On the other hand, that's certainly not the case in all states, as this Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Department order makes clear. I quote: "It is the policy of this department to repair any door or other place of entry that is damaged as a result of a forcible entry by a member, or members of the department, when a member, or members may have acted upon mis­information, misinterpretation, or erroneous judgment." That's pretty straightforward.

On the other hand: "Simply because a search or seizure proves fruitless does not mean in itself that there was misinformation, misinterpretation, or erroneous judge[ment]." That sounds kinda bad, but I understand the reasoning: otherwise any drug dealer who manages to flush the drugs down the toilet in time would be off the hook. Whether someone displayed bad judgment is, of course, pretty much subject to interpretation, but I think the idea here is to say that if someone makes a mistake -- busts down the wrong door by accident or doesn't have strong evidence or valid reason to believe that forcible entry is required and justified -- then the department picks up the bill. That still leaves room for situations where the cops really do their jobs properly and act in good faith and with good reason to believe that forcible entry is required, but the suspect turns out to be innocent. However, I'm pretty sure situations like this are very rare. Which isn't much consolation to the innocent citizen, of course, but still. Anyway, I doubt the Metro PD in Washington D.C. is the only department with a comparable policy.-- Captain Disdain (talk) 16:45, 26 July 2008 (UTC)

Just because someone is innocent does not make the investigation a mistake. There are a lot of procedures and requirements for when police can break down doors (and not knock, etc.) and they have to have a legitimate reason to think that not knocking down the door would somehow really hamper things. If it turns out that they end up exonerating the suspect or whatever, that doesn't mean that making them a suspect was a mistake, or that the investigation was in error. Exoneration is as important a function of police as is conviction! --98.217.8.46 (talk) 23:31, 26 July 2008 (UTC)

Even worse than broken doors are the drug forfeiture laws in the US, which allow the police to take any car "used for criminal activity". I bet rental car companies aren't real happy about that law. StuRat (talk) 04:46, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

So the drift I'm getting is that it would be rare for the police to come to the party for the repair costs. Thank you all. I'll bear this in mind next time I get (or my door gets) busted for nefarious activities.  :) -- JackofOz (talk) 00:00, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

There is a news story about the LAPD's "Wrong Door Unit" who fix doors broken down in error available via google but unfortunately the posting of the URL here hits Wikipedia's blacklist. Google for "Repairs help rebuild LAPD's image when wrong door broken down". Nanonic (talk) 00:23, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

A friend's house door in London was broken down by the police while they were out. After they returned, and a lot of phone calls, the police conceded that they'd been given a false address by a suspect and paid for the door to be replaced. Warofdreams talk 02:00, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

Here in Quebec, a suspect shot a cop and killed him as self-defence for getting into his house brutally. He was found not guilty by the judge though he faced other charges. [6][7] 132.206.22.14 (talk) 18:39, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

Definition of city in India

What is the definition for city in India? A certain size? A charter with the word city in it? A decision of the state government? Sincerely, GeorgeLouis (talk) 06:54, 26 July 2008 (UTC)

Most probably a decision of the state government, like everywhere else. Cities and villages can fluctuate in population over time, so if city would be defined as having min. say, 50,000 inhabitants, it would be a huge hassle having a place hover between 45,000-55,000 for decades. The thing with charter is definitely not used, since any hamlet could be able to publish a charter and become a city. Admiral Norton ^(talk) 23:23, 26 July 2008 (UTC)

In India, it appears the term is municipal corporations and requires 200,000 population. City status is a national decision in many countries and in some, like the UK, it is down to a word in a royally granted charter so there is no reason that that couldn't be possible. In many places an exact population is required and communities gain/lose their status as population changes. See the city article. Rmhermen (talk) 22:17, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

Books are our friends and punctuality

Write a small article on Books are our friends And Also write another small article on punctuality for class '''1st standard''' students. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 59.92.247.193 (talk) 13:15, 26 July 2008 (UTC)

No, I don't want to. You do it.

Also, what?

Poechalkdust (talk) 13:35, 26 July 2008 (UTC)

For "Books are our friends", I suggest you write about how they can keep you warm on a cold night by stoking them into the fireplace. For your article on punctuality, I suggest you take your time and get it right, even if it means handing it in a few days late. If, for some strange reason, these suggestions fail to get you the desired grade, I suggest that you do your own homework in the future. StuRat (talk) 14:07, 26 July 2008 (UTC)

"Books are our friends": Books are our friends. They don't tease us like humans do. They keep us company when humans avoid us, and even tell us stories—sometimes wonderful, sometimes tragic—to keep us from going apeshit. Screw you humans, who needs you anyway? I have books for friends!

"Punctuality": Sure, I could get to class on time, but damn it feels good to be a gangsta. − Twas Now ( talk • contribs • e-mail ) 22:46, 26 July 2008 (UTC)

I would have commented when the question first appeared, but I got mugged by a book and have been recuperating. OtherDave (talk) 02:35, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

Books may be you're friends, but I know they're whispering behind my back. They've stopped talking to me and the piles are beginning to scare me. They loom in a threatening manner; I don't think I should go to sleep until they leave. Why won't they leave? WHY?!

Like friends, you have to choose carefully, they can be a bad influence and some talk a lot of rot. Julia Rossi (talk) 02:22, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

Next time you're late tell your teacher you were reading. Then write an article about lying. -LambaJan (talk) 12:42, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read." --LarryMac | Talk 13:19, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

Marshall Plan poster

Marshall Plan poster

I'm looking for a higher res version of the poster at right. Anybody have a clue where I could find such a thing? --98.217.8.46 (talk) 14:44, 26 July 2008 (UTC)

MI5/6

We all know that intellegence officers/spys regularly break certain laws during the performance of their duties for example fraud, deception, forgery etc, but according to MI5/6 they do not murder individuals. My first question is does a specific public domain document list specifically what laws exactly they can and can't break if needs must or is written into the individual laws that intelligence officers can break them? Secondly can we really take their word that they don't murder people, can they really accomplish their (and the governments) goals without resorting to assasination? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.64.62.11 (talk) 18:23, 26 July 2008 (UTC)

If it were written into the laws then they wouldn't be breaking them. Sometimes the government will grant them exceptions under extraordinary circumstances. Other times they will just have to try and get away with it. I imagine that it is not a matter of regular policy but that rule-breaking occurs on a case-by-case basis. Plasticup ^T/C 23:17, 26 July 2008 (UTC)

squirt water from under toung

when i lift me toung up in my mouth water sprays out like a venum snake from under it. whot causes this? whot is it called? how many peeps have this? ~~`` —Preceding unsigned comment added by Kilop17 (talk • contribs) 18:35, 26 July 2008 (UTC)

Saliva glands do this - I occasionally happens to me, and a friend can do it at will.87.102.86.73 (talk) 18:43, 26 July 2008 (UTC)

gleeking —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.188.139.77 (talk) 19:32, 26 July 2008 (UTC)

Fascinating - I used to be able to do this, but I had no idea it had a name, much less an article. Thanks, 66.188!— Matt Eason ^{(Talk • Contribs)} 22:13, 26 July 2008 (UTC)

I'd like to add: Wow! When I first read the question I never expected an article. Good stuff. Fribbler (talk) 22:15, 26 July 2008 (UTC)

automobile aquisition sales

I keep hearing about car dealerships having aquisition sales, how do they work and whats the catch? i find it hard to believe you can walk into a ealership and plop down $69 and walk away with a car.. is their something more to it ?Mamat1218 (talk) 18:37, 26 July 2008 (UTC)

They could have an auction where few people show up and they end up selling good cars at low prices, but they would try very hard to make sure they don't accidentally do this. Therefore, I suspect that any car sold for $69 is worth considerably less, and quite possibly has a negative value (meaning you'll have to pay more to tow it away than you can sell it for). They could also run but be disgusting, say if someone died and decomposed in it or just had a serious diarrhea attack. StuRat (talk) 01:45, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

Is this a record?

I bought a CD player in 1985. The remote still works with the original batteries. Is this a record, or is it just a CD player? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.76.140.78 (talk) 22:42, 26 July 2008 (UTC)

well, does it play records, or CDs? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.188.139.77 (talk) 23:12, 26 July 2008 (UTC)

About 15 years ago I bought a cheap Chinese watch for what is now 50 cents. It still works and I still haven't figured out how to replace the batteries. Admiral Norton ^(talk) 23:18, 26 July 2008 (UTC)

Yeah but can anyone beat 23 years on the same set of batteries? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.76.140.78 (talk) 23:48, 26 July 2008 (UTC)

I don't know about the same set of batteries, but here are some long-lasting lightbulbs. Useight (talk) 23:52, 26 July 2008 (UTC)

Yes I can believe that. Its the turning on and off that causes the thermal shock to weaken the filament. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.76.140.78 (talk) 23:56, 26 July 2008 (UTC)

It is literally beyond belief that the 1985 batteries still work. Perhaps someone replaced them and you were not aware of it. Edison (talk) 04:49, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

My Tandy multimeter still has the original Radio Shack AA battery it came with, when I purchased it in 1978. Obviously the current draw is very low so the battery will probably last another 30 years, provided it doesn't leak.--TrogWoolley (talk) 10:38, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

I've used the same CR-RW since 1999 every day. In 2005 I formatted it using InCD, which lets me save files to it directly like a floppy disk. I guess it must have had nearly 200 write cycles by now, so it must be near to failing. I don't use it as a main storage anymore by I regularly use it just to see how long it will last. ZigZap (talk) 15:16, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

Bum hair

Whilst looking in the mirror the other day, I noticed that I have rather a large amount of unsightly hair growing out of my anus. As a woman who likes to look her best in that area for her husband and other men friends, I would like to get it removed without visiting a clinic for waxing etc. Any advice? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.76.140.78 (talk) 23:16, 26 July 2008 (UTC)

Somehow I never manage to see my anus when looking in the mirror. :-) As for advice, I suggest you go to a profesional, as that's a very sensitive area and removing hair from anywhere can be painful. StuRat (talk) 01:39, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

er.... "and other men friends" ?--Shaggorama (talk) 03:21, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

Try turning the light out when you are with "other men friends," or girl friends. Then they won't notice. Edison (talk) 04:48, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

Don't feed the trolls. Malcolm XIV (talk) 10:44, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

Uh, they certainly might notice even in the dark. (As for other men friends, I realize that for a lot of people marriage equals monogamy, but that's absolutely not the standard for everyone.) -- Captain Disdain (talk) 12:16, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

I agree with Malcom XIV, so now that it's been shown to men and girls of the entire internet. Julia Rossi (talk) 02:15, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

I've heard the regrowth can be itchy. Removal of hair can also inhibit your body's natural smell reduction strategies. It might be more trouble than it's worth. Steewi (talk) 03:59, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

I can't imagine how hair can grow from a mucus membrane at all, but a troll maybe. Julia Rossi (talk) 05:05, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

To the original poster: I'm sorry you've become the butt of our jokes, but I'm afraid you left yourself wide open. StuRat (talk) 13:59, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

July 27

Phsychology

As a science, what is psychology good for?

Thanks NoEntry8 (talk) 00:07, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

"The purpose of psychology is to give us a completely different idea of the things we know best."

A quote from the French writer and philosopher Paul Valéry. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.76.140.78 (talk) 00:33, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

Nothing. Psychology is not a science. At best it is a social science.90.9.83.192 (talk) 12:10, 27 July 2008 (UTC)DT

Try reading the page on psychology and come back if you have more specific questions. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 13:58, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

It is a science as in study, but not a hard science (as in physics, chemistry etc). Psychology is the study of human behaviour. Julia Rossi (talk) 02:12, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

Fields (of study), arranged by purity. − Twas Now ( talk • contribs • e-mail ) 14:01, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

Keeping Batteries

I heard a rumour that if standard AA batteries are left in their electric appliances, such as flashlights, they will lose their power faster than if removed and left in the open. Is this true? What is the best way to store un-rechargeable batteries to maximize their shelf life? Acceptable (talk) 00:49, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

Not if the device works properly, no. It is advised to remove batteries when the device is not in use for long periods, though, since batteries can leak chemicals and damage the device. If you can't remove them, you can at least store the device with the battery compartment pointed down, so the chemicals will leak out of the device, not into the circuitry, if this happens. (Make sure the device isn't stored in a valuable piece of furniture, either.) As for long term storage of batteries, the fridge may help them last a bit longer. StuRat (talk) 01:34, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

I think you may be thinking of film, StuRat. Cold drains batteries, as any car owner in Canada could tell you. Matt Deres (talk) 03:14, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

That's a common misconception. Oil gets thick and any water in the system freezes up at low temps, which make it difficult to start the car, requiring more of a charge to turn the ignition. Thus, if you have a weak battery, the coldest days are when it will be an issue. However, as stated, it's not due to a lack of charge, but a need for additional charge. Most chemical reactions, including those that ruin film and those which discharge batteries, are slowed by lower temps. StuRat (talk) 04:20, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

Reading Comic Books

I'm new to this (seeing the Dark Knight inspired me) and I was wondering how to read them. I was reading the article on Marvel Civil War and was wondering if the story would make sense if I didn't read the titles without "Civil" in them. For example, if I don't read Amazing Spider-Man #529-538 will there be a major gap in the story for me? --The Dark Side (talk) 02:18, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

No, not particularly. As someone who slogged through that mess when it was published, I can tell you it won't make any less sense if you skip those issues. Marvel has also been repeating the key issues in a series called Civil War Saga, which at least has the bonus of printing the whole thing in order. You can also check out the list of issues here, but I'd check quickly because I doubt that shoddily written list will meet notability requirements. If you don't mind some pure opinion, the Civil War thing was poorly executed and badly written. If you want a really solid story arc, try Annihilation by Marvel - awesome stuff. Or Neil Gaiman's Eternals mini series. And if you like Dark Knight, you should check out the books that inspired it: Frank Miller's seminal Batman work, and The Long Halloween, which was much more accessible. Matt Deres (talk) 03:23, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

Additionally, comics are generally designed to be reasonably accessible by new readers. Sure, there's a lot of history there, and you're going to run into references into events you haven't read about and whatnot, but generally speaking, you'll catch on easily enough. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 12:05, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

Tie-ins are any sort of work that is created to further promote or dwell deeper on core material, such as the Civil War storyline. For example, the animated film Batman: Gotham Knight, and the myriad of websites related to The Dark Knight movie are all tie-ins to the film, and they provide new content that you won't see in the movie; but, you don't have to look at those in order to understand what the movie's about. Like the Civil War tie-ins, they're just a way for people that love the core material to immerse themselves deeper in the storyline through supplemental (but not at all required) works. Kreachure (talk) 15:26, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

Oh, and also, just walking into a local comic book store and explaining that you're unfamiliar with this stuff, but would like to get into it without being confused by all of the past history will probably get you a bunch of good recommendations. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 16:10, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

I agree. I've found comic bookstore staff to be unfailingly good at recommendations, and not at all like The Simpsons' Comic Book Guy. You might also find some of the non-superhero genre graphic novels interesting. I recommend Shaun Tan and Marjane Satrapi. Within the superhero genre, the classics often cited are by Alan Moore: Watchmen, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and V for Vendetta (comic. Other big names are Warren Ellis, Brian K. Vaughn and Neil Gaiman. Steewi (talk) 04:05, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

I would suggest buying a graphic novel featuring the character you like instead to start with. You get a complete story arc in one book and can see whether the whole idea of comics works for you. Exxolon (talk) 00:30, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

Open Design Architecture

I am researching a building to write an article on it. A 1978 magazine describes this building as "an open design" but is there a proper name for the architecture used for the building. The building is the W. Dale Clark Library in Omaha, NE. There are a couple of photos of the building on flicker Inside 1st floor looking up Outside 14th St. View from the Lahey Mall (central park of Omaha) Inside during art project 4th floor looking down Nice or in evil (talk) 04:11, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

I'd call it open plan with a open well incorporated into the design. Roughly speaking the style is 'modern' or 'modernist'87.102.86.73 (talk) 10:29, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

Best Indian Hero Honda Bike

can anyone please tell me that which is the best indian hero honda bike? the bike should have good mileage performance and should consist four stroke engine. Please show me the poster of that bike. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 59.92.246.84 (talk) 05:42, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

I don't which is the best, and it depends on availibility in your country, but Wikipedia is also an encyclopedia which has an article on the Hero Honda. You might be able to get a decent "poster" image of a motorbike from the official site linked from the encyclopedia article. Astronaut (talk) 08:56, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

south african 2010 world cup bid

I have got an e-mail as

FROM THE DESCK OF MRS ANGELA C. ELVIS LOTTERY BID IN SOUTH AFRICA

Congratulation” you have won £800,000.00 (Eight Hundred Thousand British pounds sterling only) in the 2nd category to the draw of South African 2010 World cup bid lottery Award International programs held in Zurich, Switzerland.

Is this bid real ?

Can anyone help me on this topic. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 59.92.249.40 (talk) 05:54, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

Sorry to disappoint you but no, it's not real. It's a scam and you should delete the email. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 05:59, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

Did you buy a ticket in this lottery?. If the answer is 'no' then ask yourself why they are sending this to you. Secondly, Why are exactly the same e-mails sent to millions of other people? Thirdly, I'll bet your e-mail address on the mail is not yours. Richardrj is right, press 'delete'. Richard Avery (talk) 07:26, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

WP has an article on 419 scams, which are typically based on you transferring moneys for sundry bank fees. lawyers´expenses to the originators of the scam. Googling for Agela C. Elvis and the rest should convince you. There seem to be hundreds of such schemes, operating out of Nigeria and other locations. --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 10:20, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

Glad to see Elvis is alive and well and doing something productive with his--er-her time Lemon martini (talk) 14:25, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

Saying No to Court Oath

When the judicial officer reads out the oath the witness is required to say "Yes" or "I do" or something along those lines before the questioning can begin. However, what happens if a witness decides to say "No" or refuse to take the oath (say if they did not want to be involved in the trial). The first thought that jumps to mind is that they would be held in contempt of court and dealt with accordingly, but this doesn't really seem fair, because you can punish someone for lying but you can't really force them to tell the truth. Any ideas on what the outcome would be?

And I just want to make it clear that I have not done this, nor am I planning on doing it nor am I advising anyone on whether they should do it, I'm just curious about what would happen. 58.168.89.226 (talk) 08:32, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

In the UK, a witness refusing to "affirm" that he/she will tell the truth becomes known as a "hostile witness" and the jury must then make their own mind up as to the credibility of any "evidence" the witness may bring forth. 92.8.12.19 (talk) 09:39, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

Hostile witness has a different meaning in US courts. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 13:42, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

Yeah, 12.19 is wrong; Hostile witness means the same thing in the UK as in the US, and, as in the US, any witness refusing to take an oath or affirmation will get done for contempt of court. FiggyBee (talk) 06:37, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

I'm betting they'd be held in contempt of court in the US. If they're there of their own volition then they're disrupting the process of the court; if they've been subpoenaed then they are definitely in contempt of court. One way to look at the answer to this is what happened when non-Christians refused to swear on Bibles in particular (e.g. in ACLU of N.C. & Syidah Matteen v. State of North Carolina), which initially was cited as contempt of court but later got overturned as long as an appropriate alternative text was found that held the same meaning for the witness. Without getting into the entire religious question here, the original punishment—contempt of court—is probably the same as refusing to affirm in general. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 13:42, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

language

Where did the term coogans come from? They are pants with a nap at the front and cross over tapes at the back, for children. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 121.218.196.236 (talk) 10:15, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

OED, urbandictionary and wiktionary do not have this word :( --h2g2bob (talk) 15:28, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

Perhaps from child actor Jackie Coogan? Rmhermen (talk) 21:49, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

What's a nap? It sounds like you might be describing dungarees. I've never heard them called coogans, though - where are you from? It's probably a local term. --Tango (talk) 04:00, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

Solitaire card game, or "reading the cards"

I'm trying to identify what this woman is doing with playing cards. They resemble a standard deck, and the layout reminds me of a solitaire game in which a full deck of cards is laid out face up in four horizontal rows of 13,* then the aces are removed and the cards shifted to successively fill each gap with the card that follows the one to the left of the gap. (* The table in the drawing doesn't look long enough for 13, though.) My query:

• What's the name of that game?
• What other game might this be?
• Alternatively, does the layout correspond to some form of fortunetelling with cards?

The drawing was made in the Theresienstadt concentration camp by Moravia-born artist Bedrich Fritta (1907-1944). -- Thanks, Deborahjay (talk) 10:34, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

I have a very similar game on my Palm PDA. Unfortunately, I don't have it with me today, but IIRC the game is called Montana Solitaire (I'll look for an online link with more info). Astronaut (talk) 15:56, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

Here's a link to an online version of the game I have. A google search reveals several sites with the same game. Also, take a look at Gaps, a similar game with slightly different rules (seems there is a whole family of "Montana type" solitaire games. Astronaut (talk) 16:06, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

Gaps is indeed the name under which I'd learned it long ago. I haven't compared the rules to "Montana Solitaire" (but am happy to have the online link :-) Would still like to know about the fortune-telling option, though. -- Deborahjay (talk) 16:57, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

Green plums

My plum tree fell down yesterday, so I've got a large box (60x30x30cm?) of unripe plums. What can I do with them?! They're unripe - plum-sized but green. --h2g2bob (talk) 14:46, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

There are some websites which claim that unripe plums can be stored at room temperature / on a soft substrate / in good light until they ripen. There is a WP article on Umeshu, which is made of unripened prunes, however, you´d have to check with the authorities in Essex. They may not like the moonshine in your garden in the middle of the day. Apparently you can also make a sort of jam out of it. --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 17:44, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

Cooky2, since when did moonshiners check with the authorities? Disguise it as a plum tree leaning on a tank. There's always the bath... Julia Rossi (talk) 02:08, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

Putting fruit next to (or underneath) bananas (as they ripen, or maybe even over-ripen) is supposed to speed up ripening. I'm not sure if it works with plums or if there's a limit on how unripe they can be to start with. Might be worth a try, though. --Tango (talk) 03:54, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

The ethylene gas that one ripening fruit produces can help make other fruit ripen faster, which is why one rotten apple can spoil the whole barrel, as the saying goes. From our article: "Tomatoes, bananas, and apples will ripen faster in the presence of ethylene. Bananas placed next to other fruits will produce enough ethylene to cause accelerated fruit ripening." I remember one of those "kitchen chemistry" science experiments that involved this idea. shoy (reactions) 16:54, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

We had a prune tree once. (Not a plum tree, a prune tree.) The fruit apparently had some defect where the skins weren't waterproof, causing the fruit to shrivel into prunes on the branches as the water evaporated. I wondered if this genetic mutation might have commercial value as a cheaper way to produce prunes. StuRat (talk) 14:27, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

Changing Your Name

I know that, in the U.S., you can legally change your name to pretty much anything you want. But is it possible to legally change your name so that you actually have no name? Digger3000 (talk) 16:35, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

See Name change. There are limits to what you can change your name to. Having no name seems like a legal impossibility. —D. Monack ^talk 17:40, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

There's Nemo for "no one" if you mean change your name to the equivalent of "no name". Julia Rossi (talk) 01:52, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

Public execution

Is there any country where people are executed on the street? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Mr.K. (talk • contribs) 17:24, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

I will try reading the articles on Saudi Arabia or Iran. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 88.6.158.156 (talk) 17:31, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

Capital punishment in Saudi Arabia, Capital punishment in Iran, Pakistan, Nigeria, North Korea - all have had recent public executions. Taliban-era Afghanistan is another fairly recent one. Rmhermen (talk) 21:46, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

Is there a way to see them online?

Is there?--96.227.17.205 (talk) 01:15, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

Try YouTube. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 02:34, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

I don't think they'd last long up on youtube. They'd probably be flagged and removed. Snuff film might be of interest to you. Steewi (talk) 04:09, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

The evening news? Julia Rossi (talk) 04:54, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

LiveLeak tends to have a lot of that kind of thing. --Sean 14:15, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

Poverty and friendship

Do poor people have more friends (and are friendly in general) than wealthy people, since they need other people? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Mr.K. (talk • contribs) 17:26, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

I think it's impossible to generalise on this.87.102.86.73 (talk) 21:49, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

Sorry for generalising, but a thought: they might be less pretentious, more accepting? Not having material wealth the poor stereotypically value relationships such as family and friendship bonds. Pride, exclusivity, snob values and status symbols are kinds of barriers the poor aren't expected to have. I like a maxim used in an art work: All we need is love/ but the poor know it's money. Julia Rossi (talk) 03:02, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

In the interests of balanced debate: You could go the other way and say wealthy people are likely to have more friends because making large amounts of money often requires good social skills. If you're impossible to get along with people aren't likely to want to do business with you. Of course, there are plenty of poor people with good social skills and plenty of rich people with bad ones, but it's possible that on average, rich people have better social skills. (Obviously, I'm ignoring inherited wealth here, but I think most wealthy people are self-made these days.) --Tango (talk) 04:15, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

No doubt about it, but I think "good social skills" is rather intra-stratum in that social skills tend to falter if not fail between social levels or groups at the personal level though the rich do seem to cross barriers to do business which is to say at the commercial level. And then, at the personal, terms of "success" vary according to one's social context and its prevailing values. Julia Rossi (talk) 04:58, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

Rich people don't have friends. They have associates posing as friends ready to stab them in the back. --mboverload@ 06:53, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

Another factor is that people's wealth tends to increase with age, while their number of friends tends to decrease with age. --Sean 14:08, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

Why do you say that most wealthy people are self-made these days? I don't have a ref but I would imagine the opposite. Zain Ebrahim (talk) 14:22, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

Because the aristocracy is pretty much a thing of the past. Wealthy people are generally earning large amounts rather than having inherited large amounts - take a look at one of the many rich lists and see how it says people made their money, very few say it was inherited. Defining "wealthy" is an arbitrary thing, but lets say it's an annual income of GBP 50,000 (US$100,000). To get that much from an inheritance you would have in inherit about £1,000,000 (assuming a 5% return, after inflation, which is probably a little optimistic). I don't have any statistics to hand, but I would expect there are far more people in jobs paying £50k than people that inherited £1m - remember, millionaires were few and far between a generation ago. --Tango (talk) 17:00, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

And remember, that £1m in cash or other paying investments - the family house doesn't count. --Tango (talk) 17:02, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

Business oligarchs make an interesting read. Bucks seem to flow upwards for some, unlike water. Julia Rossi (talk) 08:21, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

Ann Richards said of George H. W. Bush something that could be applied to many truly rich people ($100,000 / year in the U.S. is not "rich" in my opinion): "He was born on third base and thought he hit a triple." OtherDave (talk) 13:01, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

Suicide thoughts sympton or illness

Are suicide thoughts always a sympton of an illness (like depression) or can they be a illness on their own? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Mr.K. (talk • contribs) 17:28, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

Question moved to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Reference_desk/Science#Suicide_thoughts_sympton_or_illness —Preceding unsigned comment added by 88.6.158.156 (talk) 17:34, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

practies paper for cat 2008

i need practies paper for cat2008 , can u help me —Preceding unsigned comment added by Anujay12 (talk • contribs) 18:38, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

There is this, but you have to sign on to download the stuff. The WP CAT article has a link to the official web site, where you can download the 2007 paper. --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 19:20, 27 July 2008 (UTC)

July 28

I don't know where to put this...

Can someone help me with my question here? HaGamal 09:40, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

Looks like Julia has already answered over there - but maybe they could better help you over at humanities? If you want to know how many letters are in the name, we can help. Or how the name relates to the heat death of the universe, we're all over thatOops, thought I was at SciRef :) :) Franamax (talk) 10:00, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

mh.se

where is .mh.se eg if .co.uk is the uk, .eu is the eu and .co.za is South africa, .co.sa is south america then where is .mh.se —Preceding unsigned comment added by 193.115.175.247 (talk) 11:27, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

You should probably read Top-level domain and Country code top-level domain. In short, it is the final set of characters - in your case .se which is of importance, and the answer is Sweden. --Tagishsimon (talk) 11:35, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

And www.mh.se was the domain previously held by the Mid Sweden University before they moved to their current domain. 86.21.74.40 (talk) 11:39, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

Neither South America nor the EU is a country. .sa is actually Saudi Arabia; .eu does not exist. (The EU does have a domain, but it's .eu.int.) --Anon, 15:11 UTC, July 28, 2008.

.eu does exist since 2005 /Coffeeshivers (talk) 15:44, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

hayward ca land and residential

I cant seem to find anything on hayward ca and the history pertainig to the land and residents of hayward ca.I live here and i would like to know about the houses and land.I want to know about the houses ive lived in.Sometimes I think its haunted and when I try to search for info I cant find anything.I type addresses and nothig.Ive typed cherryland nothing ive typed old newspaper arcticles and I have to pay please help —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.164.85.77 (talk) 11:41, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

Our article on Hayward, California has a history section — Matt Eason ^{(Talk • Contribs)} 11:45, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

WWII

Having done some extensive research into the subject, it would seem to me that alot of survivors of the death camps claim to have had Ukrainian guards watching over them and participating in the killings. So, the article Ukrainian-German collaboration during World War II is a bit disapointing in this field. I wish to know who, what, where, when, and how ukrainians came to be guards at Auschwits and other places, they were/are not german? any info in this field would be greatly appreciated. Thanks —Preceding unsigned comment added by 193.115.175.247 (talk) 14:34, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

They were probably kapos—prisoners used to guard other prisoners, something quite common in the Nazi concentration camp system, as well as in other regimes of repression. Make one group of occupied and persecuted people watch over the others. Of course with Ukraine it is complicated, given that they had the Nazis on one side and the Soviets as the other, so how "persecuted" any given Ukrainian felt by the Germans (compared to previous persecutions by the Russians) varied quite a lot. But any of them at Auschwitz were probably there as prisoners themselves. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 14:49, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

Thabk you but no, I am not talking about Kapos, I wish to know about Ukrainian Wafen SS guards, as mentioned in books such as we wept without tears or Shoah Thanks again —Preceding unsigned comment added by 193.115.175.247 (talk) 15:22, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

This article (from www.auschwitz.org.pl) indicates there was little if any Ukrainian participation at Auschwitz. --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 17:17, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

Follow these links to Treblinka, Sobibor, and Belzec, where you'll find particular mention of Ukrainian guards. They may have been civilian employees rather than Waffen SS personnel, if that matters. Those Nazi extermination camps are all situated on Poland's eastern border (as Auschwitz is not), near Ukraine, which may account for some of the ethnic makeup of a particular camp's guard staff. Consider, too, that there's not likely to be much in the way of testimony from camps that had so few survivors (e.g. Belzec had 2 Jews known to survive out of "at least 434,500 murdered" there). Note that Wikipedia pages on Holocaust topics have little detail (if such pages exist) compared to what you can learn from library or even Web research. -- Deborahjay (talk) 20:23, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

N.B.: Upon rereading the original query, I became aware of the phrase, "...a lot of survivors of the death camps..." -- so I focused my initial response strictly on Nazi extermination camps though by definition these had paltry few survivors. If you extend your search for testimony and documentation of Ukrainian guards at other types of Nazi concentration camps, including those described as "forced labor" camps, you may find more material. -- Deborahjay (talk) 20:33, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

The Trawniki concentration camp's training program for camp guards (to be deployed elsewhere) specifically mentions the "conscripted civilians... primarily young Ukrainians ..." to take part in Operation Reinhard (involving the three extermination camps I linked above). -- Deborahjay (talk) 20:42, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

John Demjanjuk's complicated and ongoing story comes to mind. Rmhermen (talk) 21:21, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

canoeing safety

If I am on a river Grand river Brantford Ontario and a lightening storms hits there is no place to get out where is the safest place to be? on the middle of river keep moving or close to the shore and keep moving If I can find a clearing no trees and can get out is that wise? thank you Hutch co—Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.247.207.202 (talk) 15:19, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

Get out of the boat and off of the water. I don't know of any significant stretches to the Grand that would be completely lacking in a place to bring something as small as a canoe ashore. With all the towers and tall trees, it's not particularly likely for lightning to hit you (it's not like a lake where everything is flat except for you in your boat), but it's still a needless danger. Water is also a fine conductor, so the lightning would probably not have to hit you directly to affect you. There are all kinds of houses along the river; if you don't fancy carrying your canoe back to your pickup point, some kindly soul may agree to let you sit the boat in their yard for a bit. Matt Deres (talk) 17:17, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

Architect of holy family church

i am a priest of holy family church. i am going to build a new holy family church . i want the pictures of holy family church and also the pictures of altar. i want a beautiful architecture of holy family church. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 59.92.244.252 (talk) 15:32, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

Search the web for pictures of churches and altars. Your primary requirement would seem to be an architect.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 16:33, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

Holy Family is the name of many churches. We have article on some: Cathedral of the Holy Family, Church of the Holy Family, Holy Family Catholic Church. Rmhermen (talk) 18:19, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

Cycling

Just enjoyed the Tour de France on Eurosport. Two questions, please. Riders have earpieces (no mikes?). To what are they listening ? Most days a small group breaks away and can build a substantial lead. But it almost always is caught. Why do they do it ?86.209.155.16 (talk) 16:07, 28 July 2008 (UTC)DT

Riders' earpieces go to a team car. They tell the riders time between the groups, distance to sprints, feed zones, etc. Riders break away from the peleton on flat stages because they want to win, but they know they can't sprint. Breakaway specialists like Sylvain Chavanel and Nicolas Vogondy can keep up fast speeds to get away from the peleton, but can't sprint. Stages 18 and 19 were both won by breakaways, as were basically every mountain stage. Paragon12321 (talk) 16:23, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

The riders have microphones as well as ear pieces. The microphones are clipped to the inside of their jerseys'. That's why you sometimes see riders speaking into their jerseys. As for your second question, in addition to what Paragon12321 said, some also do it to get some TV exposure for themselves and the team (in addition to the sponsor). - Akamad (talk) 03:28, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

Many thanks90.9.214.160 (talk) 14:29, 29 July 2008 (UTC)DT

Speed dating...

I'm not sure whether to put this on the Humanities or Mathematics desk, so I'm placing it here. I know how speed dating works, but what if it's held for homosexuals? In a normal speed date, each man will only meet women and each woman will only meet men. So if we have n people (n being an even number), then the total number of meetings is (n/2)² = n²/4 (assume an arbitrary man/woman and cycle him/her through all the women/men - the other men/women will follow behind). In the homosexual case, though, we can not risk an arbitrary bipartition. So each participant will have to meet each other participant, making the total number of meetings n(n-1)/2 = n²/2 - n/2. Is something like this done in real life? How is it handled? JIP | Talk 17:28, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

I don't know how or even if such things are done in real life, but I see no reason why everyone must meet everyone else. If you want to do it that way, though, it's exactly the same as organising a round robin tournament. --Tango (talk) 17:55, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

Well, I thought, that since in conventional speed dating each man meets each woman, and vice versa, then the homosexual case should be no different - everyone should meet everyone they could potentially be interested in. Only this time it's almost twice as many meetings. JIP | Talk 18:22, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

Well, bear in mind that every participant doesn't have to meet every other participant. I mean, if you speed date 20 people, that may mean that there are 19 others that you didn't get a chance to speed date, but 20 is plenty as it is. Guaranteeing that everyone meets everyone might indeed prove to be a little problematic, but if, say, half of all the people involved meet each other, and then those halves are split again, that's going to be a lot of dating. And if a participant is left feeling that they didn't get a chance to talk to someone they really would've wanted to talk to, hey, perhaps they can muster the energy to walk up to the person and say that they'd like to grab a cup of coffee or something. I doubt this is really a problem for anyone... though admittedly the puzzle of how to conveniently organize the thing so that everyone can meet everyone is interesting. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 20:40, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

If I were pedantic I would challenge the premise we can not risk an arbitrary bipartition. If I were cynical I would point out that homosexuals in Western societies have much greater problems than the mechanics of speed dating. But I am not... wait a minute, I am both pedantic and cynical. So there you have it. Plasticup ^T/C 00:59, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

I think I have a solution that works if there is an odd number of tables. It'd be interesting to see if there's a solution that also works for an even number of tables. --Random832 (contribs) 20:26, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

What jobs can you do with foreign languages

I mean translator, interpreter, foreign language teacher, and what else? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Mr.K. (talk • contribs) 18:55, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

Any job which involves working with people in other countries, which includes lots of jobs in any multinational corporation. --Tango (talk) 19:04, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

Many help-desk and order-desk type jobs require or prefer bilingual staff members, especially if you speak the "other" language in a bilingual society (like Canada, for example). Many government jobs in Canada also prefer or require staff that are bilingual. Matt Deres (talk) 19:23, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

You could have interest in a career as a multi-lingual porn actor, synchronising orgasmic squirts into, say, sign language for the blind, Latin for the (oh God, here he goes again)... --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 19:34, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

You're going to translate to sign language for the blind? I don't know if that will work. Coolsnak3 23:44, 28 July 2008 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Coolsnak3 (talk • contribs)

Could be as simple as a farmer needing to talk to his field hands/migrant laborers. Rmhermen (talk) 20:29, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

Perhaps some sort of work in an embassy? An ambassador? Useight (talk) 21:57, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

You usually don't start as an ambassador, but you could certainly get a job in an embassy. You could work with aid organizations; they often need translators. If your second language is Spanish you could work for most companies that operate in South America... or North America, these days. Multi-national companies are where the bi-lingual money is, and with some luck they'll pay you in Euros. Plasticup ^T/C 00:53, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

If you want to specifically work with the languages themselves, translation, interpreting and teaching are the main ones, yes. Consider also linguistics, which is studying the inner workings of languages. If you work with a specific language, say, Spanish, it can be combined with another interest within the community of speakers. For example, it could be combined with community work (counselling, financial advisory, new immigrant resettlement), foreign aid (development, medical care, etc.), teaching (for example, in a bilingual or international school, teaching maths or science in French), law (for multinational companies) etc. Governments often need language specialists for the current 'important' languages. In the US, currently these are Spanish, Arabic, Korean, Farsi/Dari and Chinese. These people work in Foreign Affairs, Defense, Immigration, Customs, as well as the more 'secret' departments, such as the CIA, NSA, etc. Here in Australia, there is a big need in Defense for specialists in Arabic, Chinese, Tetum and Indonesian, as well as general linguists and cryptographers. Cryptography is another area you might find interesting, especially if you also like maths and/or computer science. Multinational corporations and internet companies often need additional help in language processing (translation, culturally and linguistically adapting software, expansion into new markets, etc.). Steewi (talk) 01:16, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

Interpreter, tourism worker etc. I think most personnel on aircraft must be at leastbilingual.Avnas Ishtaroth (talk) 05:55, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

main page

on average, how many people are viewing the main page per second? 79.76.186.83 (talk) 20:23, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

According to Talk:Main_Page#Results_of_main_page_traffic_experiment there were about 60 million hits over 7 days (I've no idea the source for that, though, so take it with a pinch of salt). That corresponds to an average of about 100 hits a second. --Tango (talk) 21:43, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

July 29

Canned tomato or pasta sauce

The question is very simple: Weight by weight, which one product contains more tomato? 100% pure canned/diced tomato in tomato juice or a typical mass-produced inexpensive supermarket-grade non-gourmet pasta sauce (e.g., Ragú, Hunt's)?

• Argument 1: canned tomato > pasta sauce
  Pasta sauce contains thickening agents such as starch, sugar (high-fructose corn syrup in the U.S.), oil and water.
• Argument 2: pasta sauce > canned tomato
  Pasta sauce is made from tomato purée or tomato paste. Even after adding water and other dirt-cheap, low-grade and barely edible ingredients, its tomato concentration is still higher than 100%.

Well, I am clueless. -- Toytoy (talk) 00:46, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

Well, it depends what you mean by "more tomato". Which contains more sea water, sea water or sea salt? 216.135.172.188 (talk) 00:50, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

Huh? Confused this one is... To OP- I think #2 is the answer. 161.222.160.8 (talk) 01:53, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

Higher than 100%? Does the Nobel Prize committee know about this? Clarityfiend (talk) 03:23, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

It sort-of makes sense if you think of a single pinch of 100% pure tomato in 1% diluted (99% water) tomato juice. Now, if you compare an average "100% pure canned tomatoes in tomato juice" with an average jar of Ragú, how many tomatoes would you need to make 100 gallons of each? --Kjoonlee 04:02, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

Assuming all the tomatoes have equal size, of course. --Kjoonlee 04:04, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

Given that a large percentage of a tomato is water, one could even ask "how much tomato is in a tomato". -- JackofOz (talk) 04:56, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

A can of thick tomato paste can easily be much higher than 100% tomato. To make 1 unit's thick tomato paste (in volume), you may need several units of fresh tomato (in volume).

Now, let's assume it takes about 1 cubic meter's fresh tomato to make 1 cubic meter's canned tomato in tomato juice. How much tomato does it take to make 1 cubic meter's typical commercial tomato-based pasta sauce? More than 1 cubic meter or less than 1 cubic meter? -- Toytoy (talk) 17:14, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

There may be one or more indicator chemicals in tomato that does not show up in other pasta paste ingridents. Maybe it's lycopene or maybe it's pectin. Does the pasta paste contain more of these chemicals than regular tomatoes? -- Toytoy (talk) 17:22, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

Ingredients of 5 gum

Does anybody have any 5 gum on them, particularly Rain? I need to know if it contains any xylitol, and if so, how much. Thanks. --76.16.186.86 (talk) 02:03, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

Name of this muscle

What is the name of this triangular muscle on the bottom abs of men that virtually all male models seem to have? Here is a picture of the muscle: [[8]] (Note: features a man without a shirt, may not be work-safe).

And how does one develop this muscle? Acceptable (talk) 02:35, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

That line is the iliac crest and/or the inguenal ligament of his pelvis; it gets obscured pretty easily by fat and other tissue. The muscle directly above that line is the obliquus extrernus. It's difficult to build up safely, but if you have access to the right gym equipment, you can use a rack that allows you immobilize the lower half of your body and either free-bend or lift weights using your various abdominals. I've used it a number of times, but I don't know what the heck that equipment is properly called. Matt Deres (talk) 13:19, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

Just to elaborate, the reason it's difficult to build up safely is that working the abdominals often involves bending or twisting the spine while using weights, which is a risky proposition. Talk to a doctor and a trainer (in that order) before starting an intense regimen. You can mitigate the danger by building up slowly, developing all the abdominals and lower back muscles together, and making sure to never lift or bend in a sudden or jerky manner. That goes for any workout, but goes double in this case. Matt Deres (talk) 13:26, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

map shown on the flag

there are two countries shown the map on the flags of their countries. which are they? thank you124.43.48.65 (talk) 03:26, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

See Gallery of sovereign-state flags. Cyprus seems to be one... Dismas|^(talk) 04:36, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

The flag of Kosovo also includes a map. Whether or not it's a country is a matter of some controversy. —D. Monack ^talk 06:38, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

The flag of Tuvalu arguably is also a map. —D. Monack ^talk 06:40, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

Similarly, the flag of Nauru shows the island's position relative to the Equator. There's also the flag of Bumbunga, though I doubt Bumbunga would be counted as a country! AJHW (talk) 13:54, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

The only countries currently with "real" maps on their flags are Cyprus and Kosovo. Others have stylised represenatations - these include Bosnia and Herzegovina, Tuvalu, and Nauru. Cambodia briefly had a map on its flag (which was vaguely similar to the current Kosovo flag), and a proposed flag of Tokelau which narrowly missed being adopted had stars as islands, as per Tuvalu. Grutness...wha? 23:39, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

distance

what is the exact distance of doyong in calasiao to downtown dagupan

Dagupan and Calasiao are apparently both in the Philippines, and Doyong is apparently one of the barangays in Calasiao. What kind of distance do you want ? Driving distance, great circle distance (shortest route on the Earth's surface), or straight-line distance (shortest distance through the Earth) ? I can only come up with a very rough approximation of 3 miles. StuRat (talk) 13:23, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

I've spent some time in the Philippines, so I'd estimate that it would take you between 30 minutes and an hour to travel on a bus between the two locations. You'll have to wait for the bus to fill up and then it'll drive really slowly. Useight (talk) 14:52, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

Sort of water filter system in US

Can I know what sort of water filter system is most common in US?

Is is Reverse OSmosis, UV, or other sort?

Thanks!

Although we don't think of them as water filter systems, I would think a water softener might be the most common whole-house filter. They replace minerals in hard water with sodium, so do filter out those minerals. Filters at the sink are usually reverse osmosis and/or activated charcoal. Then there are the pitchers that filter water, which are always activated charcoal, as far as I know. StuRat (talk) 13:09, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

Size of Virus and heavy metal

Can anybody show me the picture or scale of virus and heavy metal which exist in our drinking water?

Which sort of filter can actually remove this kind of creatures and contaminant? Thanks!!

A virus is going to be many orders of magnitude larger than a single molecule of any heavy metal. A reverse osmosis filter should remove the viruses and most of the heavy metals. An activated charcoal filter is likely less effective. Note that many reverse osmosis filters have a defective design, in that they lack the cycle which purges the filter of accumulated debris, and this clogs them on a regular basis. Be sure to get one with a purge cycle (or that allows you to manually purge it, at the very least). This doesn't apply to activated charcoal filters, as they must be periodically replaced (and thus usually end up costing more in the long run). StuRat (talk) 13:02, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

Networking technology in restaurants

What kind of fancy technology do they have in restaurants now? I know people can drag their laptops into Starbucks and get free wireless 'net, but what other stuff is there in terms of networking? Also, what's going to happen in regards to Microsoft Surface?Avnas Ishtaroth (talk) 05:53, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

Modifying signature

How does one go about putting fancy fonts, colours etc. into their signature? Is it HTML, BBCode or some Wikimarkup? Does anyone have a list of functions, thanks.Avnas Ishtaroth (talk) 05:56, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

While I'm at it, how do I check exactly how many edits I've got?Avnas Ishtaroth (talk) 06:07, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

It's just HTML. You do have to check the "Raw signature" box though once you modify it. As for the second bit, there was a tool that someone created to check your edit count with but I've forgotten whose it was. It wasn't on site though. Dismas|^(talk) 06:24, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

Edit counter. --CWY2190(talk • contributions) 06:56, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

You don't even need that nowadays, it's in your "my preferences" already, where you can also change your signature. --antilived^{T | C | G} 07:55, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

Thankyou! I'm happy now. Avnas Ishtaroth _{drop me a line} 11:24, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

The "My Preferences" count includes deleted edits while the wannabe_kate tool does not. Just for clarification. Useight (talk) 14:49, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

Bigger than Jesus?

Can anyone tell me Jesus' adult height and weight, I want to be able to claim that I'm bigger than him.... failing that where can I find data on the average height and weight of middle eastern males in that period so I can at least say that I'm more than likely bigger than jesus (was)?

Here[9] are some figures based on Jewish males as well as portraits. Pity is he's got the age advantage according to some. :) Julia Rossi (talk) 08:16, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

map

where can i find the map of small countries in a reasonable large size? thank you.124.43.65.210 (talk) 08:13, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

To see the small countries you need to have a map of each of them alone, unless they are right next to each other, then you can show a group. For example, on any map that shows Russia, the Baltic States will seem tiny by comparison. However, just go to Google + Maps and type in "Latvia" for Latvia alone (you can then zoom out to see all the Baltic nations at once). You can make each map bigger by picking on the "<" symbol on the left side of the map, and by increasing screen resolution to the max on the Windows O/S by using Start (+ Settings) + Control Panel + Display Icon + Settings Tab to slide the resolution slider all the way to the right. StuRat (talk) 12:30, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

If you don't like Google's own maps, you can go to Google + Images and type in "Latvia Map" for a list of all Latvia maps found on the Internet. Select "Extra Large Images" from the pull-down menu to restrict the results. Pick on the map you want, to go to it's site. I found this nice zoomable map that way for Latvia, for example: [10]. StuRat (talk) 12:42, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

Is Obama black?

Is he? I would call him mulatto and it is not meant as an insult, just fact.

"Black" and "White" and social constructs anyway. His father was black Kenyan and his mother was a white woman from Kansas. He is of mixed decent - call him what you will. Oh, and mulatto is not PC these days. There is some other euphemism now. Plasticup ^T/C 11:03, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

Yes, the proper PC terminology is to say "he's got a bit of cream in his coffee". :-) StuRat (talk) 12:51, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

Hahahahaha, I'm still laughing about this one. —Keenan Pepper 13:23, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

The fact is that almost all African-Americans are various mixtures, modern and historical, between African and European populations (along with Native Americans, while we're at it). Historically any child of any sort of mixture of Black and non-Black populations is usually considered Black, no matter how small or large the percentage is, but this just makes the fact that it has little to do with biology all the clearer. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 14:13, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

Agreed, it's more of a sociological than a (scientific) "fact" question. See also the article on one-drop rule for some historical perspective and more contemporary dynamics. ---Sluzzelin talk 15:37, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

Looking cool with scary eyes!

(Request for medical advice removed. Note that saying "this is not a medical question" does not mean that this is not a medical question.) - Eron^Talk 14:19, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

I agree that the question as stated was inappropriate, but the asker might like to check out a more sensible option at Scleral_lenses#Use_in_special_effects. --Sean 14:53, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

First you gotta kill a few people. Then you got to get sent to a slam, where they tell you you'll never see daylight again. You dig up a doctor, and you pay him 20 menthol Kools to do a surgical shine job on your eyeballs. Plasticup ^T/C 16:21, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

driving licences in ireland

can anyone tell me what year driving licences were given out free in ireland.Bigbuffer (talk) 13:39, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

Food for thought...

Has there ever been an attempt to fully automate a fast-food restaurant ? They could have customers enter the number of their choice, say a double cheesburger, then select None, Normal, or Extra for each topping, like tomatoes, and a machine could then create it for them. I'd think it might be popular, just due to the novelty. StuRat (talk) 13:55, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

See automat. They are still very popular in The Netherlands. 195.35.160.133 (talk) 14:11, 29 July 2008 (UTC) Martin.

Except there's still people in the back making the food. I don't think there's ever been an attempt to fully automate the entire process of preparing all the ingredients and assembling a sandwich at a restaurant level. --Random832 (contribs) 17:21, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

Conservapedia

Does anyone take Conservapedia seriously? Most of the articles just seem so ridiculous that it's hard to work out whether they're genuine or satire inserted by the "liberal" conspiracy. I cannot imagine anyone actually suggesting that it should be used as anything other than a source of mis-information. Jooler (talk) 15:36, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

There's probably somebody, but I can't imagine who Emma Hordika (talk) 15:52, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

Poe's Law.[11][12] It's impossible to parody a fundamentalist. --h2g2bob (talk) 16:23, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

There are an ever-increasing group of Wikipedia knock-offs meant to serve specific agendas (of course, they always posit Wikipedia is the one having the agenda, but anyway). There are Conservative ones and White Supremacist ones and probably others I don't know about. As far as I can tell, they have two audiences: the people who write them (usually a handful of people, no more), and people who are unsavvy about the ways of the internet. For example, one of the slanderous political e-mails going around lately is about Obama's mother, and it looks, superficially, like it came from Wikipedia. (My grandmother even forwarded it to me.) But in reality it's from one of the white supremacist Wikis and is authored by an admitted member of a neo-Nazi group. Was I fooled? No, I'm internet savvy, and I know better than to trust ANYTHING in one of those political e-mails, especially without doing a little bit of research into its origins/veracity first. But my grandmother? She has no clue. She only figured out there was a site called Wikipedia a few months ago and she wouldn't have the slightest idea how it worked. As far as she's concerned any site that calls itself an encyclopedia is set up along the same old lines as her print encyclopedias. She's not dumb, but she's very old, and in her lifetime has watched computers go from something that fills entire rooms to something small and strange on a desk. She, unwittingly, is one of the audiences for these splinter encyclopedias. Which is depressing, I guess. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 16:28, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

I'm sure many people do; American neoconservatism and the religious right are very powerful cultural movements. Conservapedia is-or was originally-intended as a resource for and by homeschooled children, which may explain the slightly simplistic nature of many of the articles. FiggyBee (talk) 16:31, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

Neoconservatism and the Christian right should not be conflated; they have some points of commonality but are very different in origins and worldviews. I don't think neoconservatism is a cultural movement at all (in the sense of having much of a footprint in the popular culture--certainly it's a movement that has strong prescriptive views about culture). It's more of an intellectual movement, and basically secular. I doubt that secular neocons have much use for Conservapedia, which really seems to be specifically aimed at the Christian right. --Trovatore (talk) 01:17, 30 July 2008 (UTC)

I can think of another explaination... Plasticup ^T/C 18:59, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

Homeschooling is not synonymous either with fundamentalist Christianity or with simple mindedness. People choose to homeschool for many reasons. Not least of which is that public schools in the US suck right now. Please don’t foster stereotypes here! :) More to the point, I suspect that many of the more extreme articles on Conservapedia have in fact been authored by savvy trolls. --S.dedalus (talk) 21:43, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

To actually answer your question, yes, Andrew Schlafly does want Conservapedia taken seriously. Just maybe two weeks ago, a former WP bureaucrat and developer failed a RfA, partly because he's a CP admin. As for the liberals, all we got is RationalWiki, which takes itself a little bit less seriously. Paragon12321 (talk) 17:16, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

I missed that - who was it? (link?) Exxolon (talk) 18:56, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

S.dedalus; I meant to suggest that the simple writing style was suggestive of highschool-age students, rather than homeschooled people. And yes, I wouldn't be surprised. FiggyBee (talk) 23:04, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

Maybe it'd be taken a little more seriously if he didn't think the Axiom of Choice was a liberal conspiracy. (He doesn't like it, fine, but what the hell's political about it?) --Random832 (contribs) 17:23, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

lol --S.dedalus (talk) 21:45, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

Hmm -- I took a look at Conservapedia's AC page and, while there are some fairly weird statements (like the one about "formulating a constructive axiom of choice" being one of "three major problems" for math-logicians), I didn't see anything suggesting that AC is political. --Trovatore (talk) 23:24, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

After reading Conservapedia's article on the subject, I find it gives a better explanation in layman's terms than the Wikipedia article. − Twas Now ( talk • contribs • e-mail ) 00:51, 30 July 2008 (UTC)

Is Australia really stuck 10 years in the past?

When I last visited Australia it seemed as up to date at the rest of the modern world, so why does the stereotype that Australia is 10 years behind everyone else still persist? Are there any cases where this is indeed still true; fashion, music, industry, etc? Any other countries like this, Egypt, South Africa, Spain? Dark Angel X5 Max (talk) 19:13, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

No no, they are literally 10 years in the past. It takes a while for space-time to stretch around the curvature of the Earth and reach them down at the bottom. In seriousness, I have never heard of this stereotype. Where are you from? Plasticup ^T/C 19:53, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

I've never heard of that stereotype either. --Tango (talk) 20:04, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

It's certainly an old saw (although when talking about Queensland, the state I live in, we tend to say 50 years!), but maybe not as true as it once was. If you want physical and political historical examples of backwardness; Brisbane had large areas unsewered into the 1970s, and Queensland had laws against homosexuality until less than 20 years ago. There are, I can tell you from experience, very strong currents of racism, homophobia and anti-intellectualism in the idealised (white rural) Australian culture, although in a much more laid-back way than you might see in other countries. FiggyBee (talk) 20:22, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

Strong, yet laid-back currents of racism, homophobia, and anti-intellectualism? This I have to see! − Twas Now ( talk • contribs • e-mail ) 00:47, 30 July 2008 (UTC)

(ec) That anti-intellectualism of which you speak is sometimes not as laid back as you say, FiggyBee, but quite in-your-face, and very disturbing for one of the better educated societies on the planet. It's particularly apparent in TV shows aimed at the yuppie market (anything associated with Rove McManus, for example). His guests and game show competitors make an art form out of professing and celebrating their ignorance, and thinking that ignorance is cause for joy and general merriment. The pity is, they're rewarded (sometimes very handsomely) for this, so it gets reinforced in the minds of viewers that it's not only wonderful to be ignorant, but that it's also not OK to actually know something or give a damn about history or "the finer things of life". The ad about the father telling his son the Great Wall of China was built by Emperor Nasi Goreng in order to keep out the rabbits is another example. That was a bit of fun, and nobody would take it seriously as a history lesson, but many viewers could relate to it, which is why it's been shown for years. -- JackofOz (talk) 01:01, 30 July 2008 (UTC)

the mayflower

I couldnt contact you any other ways else. so. Your page about the mayflower is wrong and i cant change it because there is a lock on the page. I have been to where the pilgrims sailed from IN ENGLAND. I am half British. The pigrims sailed from IMMINGHAM england. not southampton. I have touch the rock that is there memorial. LOOK IT UP. thank you. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Kungfu445 (talk • contribs) 20:31, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

As our articles on both the Pilgrims and Immingham note, Immingham was the departure point for the Pilgrims' migration to Holland in 1608. The departure of the Mayflower to the New World was from Southampton in 1620. FiggyBee (talk) 20:43, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

Which Desk to use

Where is the best desk to ask a psychology question? Science, humanities, and miscellaneous all seem to be possibles. Thanks, Wanderer57 (talk) 21:39, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

science or humanities depending on the question.87.102.86.73 (talk) 22:11, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

Thank you. The question is here:

Wikipedia:Reference desk/Language#Thesarus request

Perhaps you or someone else will suggest a better place to pose the question, or answer it directly.

Thanks, Wanderer57 (talk) 00:27, 30 July 2008 (UTC)

Are the old reference desk questions saved anywhere?

I had asked a question some time back and got my answer. I wanted to look up the answer again, as I had the same question, but can't find my question with answer anywhere. Is there some archive of asked questions, or is it gone forever? The Mighty KELP (talk) 00:37, 30 July 2008 (UTC)

There is an archive. What was your question about? Zagalejo^^^ 00:43, 30 July 2008 (UTC)

From what I can tell from your contribution history, it was either this or this. Zagalejo^^^ 01:04, 30 July 2008 (UTC)

Yes. You can find old questions in the archives. − Twas Now ( talk • contribs • e-mail ) 00:44, 30 July 2008 (UTC)

Heads-up

Not a question: Please see Government Service Insurance System.

First paragraph not factual. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 160.83.160.132 (talk) 00:49, 30 July 2008 (UTC)

Homophile

Someone called me a homophile the other day. what is homophile?