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What type of construction is the basic home built witrh in Italy--[[User:192.85.50.2|192.85.50.2]] 20:51, 3 December 2005 (UTC)
What type of construction is the basic home built witrh in Italy--[[User:192.85.50.2|192.85.50.2]] 20:51, 3 December 2005 (UTC)

== Xbox 360 ==

Is it possible to pre-program and redord TV shows (like a DVD recorder with hard drive) to the Xbox 360 hard drive using only the Xbox 360 Premium (not Windows Media Center ect)? [[User:83.252.72.10|83.252.72.10]] 22:33, 3 December 2005 (UTC)

Revision as of 22:33, 3 December 2005

Science Mathematics Computing/IT Humanities
Language Entertainment Miscellaneous Archives
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November 27

Main bodies of water in British Columbia

Please let me know where can find information on the water systems in the province of Britis Columbia,Canada

Here's a list of lakes. Neutralitytalk 04:07, 27 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
Because BC is pretty mountainous, there aren't that many large lakes, so you may also be interested in the rivers, which we have some information on. There's also a good article on the Geography of British Columbia.ByeByeBaby 05:23, 27 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Jose luis felix Chilavert

Hi

The former goalkeeper of Paraguay, who is the all time leading goal scorer keeper, Jose Luis Felix Chilavert at one time was quoted,his plan will be to enter in to politics when whe quits football. At this time by keeping his word is he entered into politics? If not on what activity is he participating or what is he works?

Training horses

allegories to the american civil war

are there any allegories to the american civil war if so how is that particular book,film,art,etc compared to the civil war.

Pittsburg Steelers Salaries

Q: Does anyone know the players salary for the 78-79 Steeler?

November 28

Information about an actress

Hello, I'm not sure if you can help me. I am living in Canada and was looking up one of my favourite movies "The Railway Children" from 1970 and discovered that Ann Lancaster, who played Ruth, died at the age of 50 in the year the movie was made. I never knew this and have been trying to find out what happened but can find no further information despite various google searches. Would you know the answer, or do you know where I can look? I would be very grateful for any information. Thank you. Daphne Saint --70.26.177.79 00:03, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Daphne, if you're really interested, IMDB says that she died in London, England on October 31, 1970. Therefore, given that she appeared in a fair number of prominent acting roles, there was more than likely orbituaries in the major London newspapers - The Times or The Guardian, for instance. If you were prepared to spend some time going through microfiche at your local research library, you could check those newspapers in the days immediately after her death to find reports about it. --Robert Merkel 13:21, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks, I hadn't thought of that, will do.

Daphne

About Viggo Mortensen's address in Venice, California

Hello my name is Nicki Bennett, I need to have Viggo Mortensen's address at Venice, California, so I can write to him? write me back, yours truly, Nicki Bennett

If you do a google search for "Viggo Mortensen address" several sites claiming to have his fanmail address pop up, but have obnoxious registration requirements. Note that Mr. Mortensen probably receives quite a lot of fanmail, and may not have time to reply to yours in detail. Have a look at our article on Viggo Mortensen and explore the links from it. If you have a professional reason for contacting him, you might be able to through his publishing company (see our article).

Singers

Trying to find the name of a popular black country western singer. I know this is very general,but it is all I can remember.

Roland Hunnicutt

annual tv ratings

i am trying to find the highest rated tv programs by year. i have been successful up to 1999; after this i can only find weekly ratings. any ideas or links to help? Richardparker 00:15, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

name in Tibetan

I have a very small Tibettan dog and I would like to call it a Tibetan name meaning small, can you help me please. Thankyou regards Kimberley

I don't know the answer to your question, but I have taken out your email address from your question. Please refer to the top of the page, where it tells you: "Do not list your e-mail address - questions aren't normally answered by e-mail. Be aware that the content on Wikipedia is extensively copied to many websites; making your e-mail address public here may make it very public throughout the Internet." -Parallel or Together ? 04:36, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
According to [1], small = chung chung. It would make a very cute dog's name, by the way! –Mysid 09:07, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
I recommend checking out The Rosetta Project for any single-word translations into uncommon languages. Mareino 19:49, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Austin Powers reference

Although I have never seen any of the movies, I hear my friends reference them. When I was told about Dr. Evil's clone being called Mini-Me, I cracked up, because I drew a parallel between minime (no in Latin) and Dr. No. My friends now think I'm reading way too much into this. I think the pun must be intentional, but I can't find any references to this online. Am I brilliant or am I nuts? --24.17.30.163 05:02, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Somehow, I doubt the Austin Powers films are really intellegent enough to include puns in other languages, let alone Latin. Although, it is possible, and its a good guess. smurrayinchester(User), (Talk) 07:45, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
Writers do that, not audiences, producers, or actors. If you want to give the writer credit for being even more recondite, maybe it also contains an allusion to Lord Minimus. alteripse 12:20, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
But what does Lord Minimus have to do with James Bond? (edit: Ah! I see you're a large contributor to Jeffrey Hudson :) Thank you!) --24.17.30.163 23:11, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Aviation

When Flying, they say you are flying level when you are pointed at the Horizon. Wouldn't theoretically flying towards the horizon actually mean that you are losing altitude, and if you continued non-stop that you would eventually hit the ground?

The world is curved, so as you fly towards the horizon, the ground 'drops away' below you. Plus as you approach where the horizon was, you are now flying towards a new bit of horizon; the combination of these keeps the plane level. smurrayinchester(User), (Talk) 07:41, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

It's actually more complex than that. The 'pointing towards the horizon' is just an approximation, and not really true. The angle the plane's longitudinal axis makes with the ground when in level flight (i.e. not gaining or losing altitude) actually varies with many things, such as weight of the plane, speed and air pressure. You can find out more at Flight controls and angle of attack. DJ Clayworth 17:24, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Gamy

A lesbian in a relationship said the relationship became unstable when it became gamy. What does that mean? I asked am she said her partner masturbating. I looked up gamy in a dictionary and it said anything sexually illicit. I have ask friends but I always get different answers from gamy meaning playing games to acting like an animal during sex. I am very confused. Thankyou for your help.

Gamy as in Gamey or Gamy in polygamy? -- Миборовский U|T|C|E|Chugoku Banzai! 05:23, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
I would guess the former, most likely. Yeltensic42.618 03:10, 3 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

SSH

What's an "SSH" in the context of this column? Neutralitytalk 06:24, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

It's clearly not SSH, the secure remote computer access program, and urbandictionary.com doesn't have another definition. Why don't you email the author and ask? --Robert Merkel 06:31, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
Now, this is mostly a guess, but I think it's a fun stab. He's a jerk, and he's in the sophomore year of college, and it's abbreviated, perhaps because it's vulgar? Considering this combination, I'm going to hazard the guess of sophomore s**t head.--ParkerHiggins 07:49, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
Hmm, maybe, but probably the first word is not sophomore (maybe Swarthmore? or the name of some dorm?). After all, if it was "sophomore", and he's a sophomore now, he couldn't be one of these things last year. --Fastfission 03:14, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Notebook/notebook PC

Hi!!Friends Can someone tell me the difference of notebook and notebook PC? Thanks!!!--133.97.16.31 08:59, 28 November 2005 (UTC)jay (17:55)[reply]

I am not sure if I understand correctly, but: A notebook is simply a small book which one may carry around to make or review various notes. A notebook PC then is named after the paper notebook because of its convenience to carry around. jnothman talk 11:50, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
This is my guess. In terms of computers, a "notebook PC" is a more powerful "notebook". It's characteristics (weight, performance, screen size) are closer to a PC more than a traditional notebook.--Commander Keane 17:44, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
Assuming that you are talking about a computer, then I would say a "Notebook" is simply a shorter way of saying "Notebook PC". I think they're one in the same. --Danner578 20:16, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Carpet cleaning before vacuum cleaners

How were carpets, as opposed to rugs, cleaned before vacuum cleaners were invented? The article doesn't say. AllanHainey 09:05, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Wow, could someone who speaks Dutch please translate that? —Keenan Pepper 16:10, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
  • I ran The Mattenklopper article through a translation engine. Part of it reads....

"Until far in the years seventy of the previous century was in the most keep house well a mattenklopper to find, that except of on the cloths sometimes also on the buttocks of naughty children became uses, on which they a fine formed only painful print left behind."

I just had to share that.... TheMadBaron 00:44, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
That's Google-translator-speak for: "Until 1870 a carpet-beater could be found in most well-kempt houses, which was used not only for cleaning rugs, but also for beating naughty children on the buttocks, leaving behind a distinctive pattern." I believe a carpet-beater was also used in the process of torturing James Bond in Casino Royale, though it was used on a portion of his anatomy close to, but not, the area specified above. - Nunh-huh 05:15, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
It indeed has. It looks exactly like what is known in Swedish as "mattpiska", or in the Scanian dialect as "mattebankare". We still use such a thing at home, although not for buttocks. That makes me wonder if the :nl article wasn't referring to the 1970's instead of the 1870's. After all, my family isn't so old-fashioned... 130.243.135.145 17:08, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]
  • In Italy was used too: I have one at home... it has not been used very often. I think a simple vacuum cleaner cannot clean the carpet if particles of dust are not only in the surface of the carpet but entangled in its fibers. So it was particularly used in the Spring Cleaning
    I remember my mom sayng "if you childs don't behave well I will use a battitappeti " she was only joking referring to times when mothers would use that sistem, spanking a children with bare hands could be painful (!) --Melaen 23:34, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Building with the highest number of storeys

Our article on the world's tallest structures, and the articles on the tallest sky scrapers themselves, don't acutally make this clear. The Sears Tower apparently has 108 storeys, and that looks to be the most, but is the correct? Thryduulf 13:25, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

According to the Emporis Data Committee, Sears Tower has more storeys than any other building at 108, the next are Ryugyong Hotel with 105, and Empire State Building with 102. - Akamad 06:31, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
If we consider most stories, ever, the World Trade Center towers had 110 floors, each. Brian Schlosser42 15:07, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
Burj Dubai [3], under construction in United Arab Emirates, is expected to have the highest number of storeys (160, if we can believe some of the press reports) once it is completed. --Tachs 08:16, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
this article says the Sears building has 110 storeys, so it depends on what youi count, I supose. The term 'first floor' is in the US used for ground floor, but elsewhere for the first floor up, so that will influence how many floors are counted. And then there may be mezzanine floors. Do they count? And a penthouse? And the roof if it is accessible? I was struggling with these things while writing the Glaspaleis article. DirkvdM 17:16, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

flags

what do the colours in the France natinol flag stand for?

See French flag. alteripse 14:10, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Jose Felix Luis Chilavert

Hi

The former goalkeeper of Paraguay, who is the all time leading goal scorer keeper, Jose Luis Felix Chilavert at one time was quoted,his plan will be to enter in to politics when whe quits football. At this time by keeping his word is he entered into politics? If not on what activity is he participating or what is he works?

It seems he has not. Interestingly, I found an article just a couple of days old detailing what he is doing. This apparently includes running a restaurant, hosting a reality show, and real estate investments. The article says he is interested in coaching the Paraguay team in the future. If you know anything about him, you can help start an article at Jose Chilavert. Superm401 | Talk 17:15, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
Scratch that. I found an article at José Luis Chilavert. You can help edit it if you want; I've created appropriate redirects. Superm401 | Talk 17:31, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

French equivalent of "Queens English"

Hi, Do you happen to know what the French refer to as correctly spoken French, as in the way we refer to RP English as the Queens or Oxford English ? and the Germans refer to Frankfurt German apparently. Thanks Ges.

See Académie française and its links. I am not sure what the phrase that describes it, but the Academie certainly defines correct French. alteripse 21:26, 28 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
In Quebec the French of l'Académie is often called International French, as opposed to the local Québécois variety. - SimonP 01:27, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Are you Sleeping (Frere Jaques)

What is the history behind the song Frere Jaques, or Are you Sleeping, the traditional nursery song?

We have an article on Frère Jacques, but it only gives the lyrics, no history. And I was surprised to find no interwiki link to an article in the French Wikipedia. In any case, the song's title probably doesn't refer to the French lithotomist. :-) --David Iberri (talk) 04:10, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
I think it's from Quebec, which may explain why it's not on fr, which surely has more French than Canadian editors.--Pharos 09:48, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
It's also a 'traditional' Dutch song, which makes it somewhat unlikely that it is orginally Quebequan (Quebequian? Quebequese? - help me out here....). About the meaning of the song, I always thought the Dutch translation was wrong, saying the bells are already ringing. But now it turns out the English, German and Danish version say that too. Doesn't 'Sonnez les matines' mean 'Go ring the bells'? 'The bells are ringing' would be 'Les matines sonnent', right? (Excuse my rusty French).
My Danish is even worse, but that article seems to say that the oldest written version was in a French magazine from 1811 and that it stems from the middle ages. So if it were Quebequan there should also be an indian version I suppose. :) DirkvdM 17:36, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
According to our artical, the language is called either Quebec French or Québécois French. Thryduulf 09:19, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

It's definitely a traditional children's song in France. In Italy,i t's "Fra Martino"... David.Monniaux 07:19, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I think I heard about the Quebec origin on the radio show of Oscar Brand, a Canadian-American folk singer and an authority on these sorts of things. Perhaps it is a variant that is from Quebec, or that Quebec is the origin of the English or hybrid French-English version common in North America.--Pharos 10:10, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]
Québec as the origin of this children's song strikes me as highly unlikely. A Canadian songbook states it was French; and see also [4]. Also check "The Book of World Famous Music: Classical, Popular, and Folk", 5th ed., by James J. Fuld, Dover Publications 2000; ISBN 0486414752. Lupo 12:11, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Arturo Peniche

I am picturing in my mind Nicholas Cage and Arturo Peniche working on an English-speaking soap opera. Can that dream be a reality for me in the future?

buck and the preacher [a true story]

is the movie buck and the preacher with sidney poitier and harry belafonte a true story.

The movie's IMDB entry contains nothing to suggest that it is. Typically that would mean that it's fiction, although it's always possible that they just don't know. --Anonymous, 00:10 UTC, December 1, 2005

Anahi

I am imagining Anahi doing a song with Mariah Carey and being on either "One Life To Live", "Guiding Light" or any American soap opera. Is that possible? And could you tell her that I said "Hello" in Spanish for me?

November 29

I need help in completing this Vt. couplet

The couplet is about maple sugaring and goes like this:

"When the wind's in the west, the sap.....?......." --65.151.165.63 04:04, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

runs best. - Nunh-huh 04:07, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
transcends. --HappyCamper 04:09, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
still contains surprisingly little sugar. George 05:52, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
wears its vest? DJ Clayworth 22:28, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
runs through its chest. Neutralitytalk 22:25, 3 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

USA Universities

Can someone tell me the top 5 USA Universities for sport? Thank-you for your assistance, it is appreciated greatly

That would depend greatly on which sport you're thinking of. Dismas|(talk) 12:32, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
The NACDA Director's Cup assigns points for 1st place 2nd place NCAA finishes, etc. across all sports and rank the teams that way. You'll still have to pick a metric though, since whether you take the most recent year's results or an average over 5 or 10 years for example, the results would each be different. Division 1 is generally considered much more competitive than the others. In any case, Stanford is far and away #1 using NACDA's method considering all sports evenly, and I'm a UM fan. If you prioritized sports by public popularity, then the results would again be different. - 15:59, 29 November 2005 (UTC)
The NACDA Director's Cup is definitely the way to go for an overall ranking that treats all sports equally. For individual sports, go to the [www2.ncaa.org/sports NCAA sports website]. They're the organizing body, and the sports page has statistics and rankings. Mareino 19:56, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

kazaa keywords to be filterd

dose anyone know the 3000 words that kazaa will be filtering from its searches thanks

Maybe you should wait until the filter has been implemented. –Mysid 10:14, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

is it possible to increase height after 25 yrs. of age without consuming any kind of medicine.

Dwarfism can be treated surgically using an Ilizarov apparatus. The dwarfism article says: It can add over 6 inches (15 cm) per bone (there are two in the leg), but is expensive, painful, and time-consuming. –Mysid 09:49, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
Wearing taller shoes and learning to stand straighter and piling your hair a little higher. I have just saved you lots of money if you were tempted by any of the "programs" or "systems" advertised on the internet. They are scams and when you send money, will either send you some vitamins that do not change your height or will send you advice like I listed. There are worse things in life than being short, and being short does not preclude success, happiness, or health. alteripse 12:23, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Indian President

Can somebody explain total salary, perks etc of President of India.

Mainland China Film or Mini-series

Ok, here goes. This one is a stretch. My chinese uncle is being hard up on information, treating it like it is a secret. We have been watching a Mandarin speaking DVD collection of his, with subtitles in Cantonese, although I am an English speaker only. Every averaged 1.5 mins., my aunt asks, "Daddy! What did He Say?!!" "Daddy!! What did She say?". So, this translation may be fouled by the many transactions it made to enter the sphere of my conscienceness:

Swordsman, wandering around. Sees two old elders, they come from two worlds on one mountain. Note: On this mountain there are like 7 clans or tribes. (Swordsman/KungFu Hun Dynasty like/WomanMonks/ShaolinMonks/a leader with a changing face when in battle people/...) These two elders are writing a music book together. Ok, he helps them in trouble or something? Meets this witch swordstress that rocks pretty hard, but thinks she's a popo or lulu (grandma styles). He goes back to his master, but master mad that he hung out with the evil ones, per their POV. So then they banish him into solitude for a year in this cave. In the cave the Masters daughter comes to be cute with him all the time, bringing lunch and laughter. She goes back down to spar with a guy that lost his dad, but his dad gave him a book or some knowledge that all the mountain is in a brouhaha about. Back to the main dude...he's up there all bored. Stumbles across secret room with writings on the wall. Old man Elder that looks like Saruman from LOTR busts some crazy Martial moves on him. He learns from this wisecat. Now he gots crazy powers. Comes out of seclusion only to be the outcast of his own master by the masters jealous teenage-like fit. So all these side wars are going on during the story, and after many hours. This must have been a TV show or something in China. Titled 'Something?? Beautiful Song? or something?' I remember asking Uncle Joe about it, and he murmured it, but he's being sly now when I told him I want it in English Subtitles. So the question being. Where can I find this DVD Collection in English Subtitles? Basic concept of the story is that, and I haven't finished watching this warped translated version at my Uncles yet, Swordsman is the Key to this Mountain world/nation. All these feuds are to be quelled by his mastery of martial arts. I'm guessing, they will always be at war, but with him as the heart of the mountain they will live harmoniously? Maybe? Like, he's the only one in the story that isn't in search of mad power and glory, he's just a plain ole' servant. But of course, life is so-called unfair, and the ones that want don't get, and the ones that do not care do get. This is just speculation on the ending..still trying to decipher. Thank you for your time in this. --the void

Widescreen TV's

With a Widescreen TV, how will my Full Screen DVD's VHS, and other tapes work? Will there be black bars on the sides and or top and bottom, or will the image be stretched to fit the widescreen? Or some other way?

When viewing an ordinary 4:3 ratio picture on a widescreen TV, most TVs provide several modes. One is to leave the picture unaltered, which will place black bars at the side. Another is to chop off the top and bottom and zoom up so that the whole screen is filled, but with (rather a lot of) the top and bottom of the old picture removed. Another mode is to stretch the 4:3 picture horizontally - this works okay, but makes everyone on screen look chunky and compressed. And lastly, and most common, there is a compromise mode, which stretches the picture horizontally a bit, and chops off a smaller portion of the top and bottom. Most people leave their TVs in this mode most of the time, and generally you don't notice unless you're watching a sports program which displays scores in the very top or bottom of the screen. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 22:38, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
I should mention that more modern widescreen TVs have an automatic setting too. In this mode the TV looks for black borders and stuff, and picks a mode to accomodate. So if you play a DVD or tape which would be "letterbox" on a 4:3 TV, the fancy widescreen will notice the black borders and will just use the chop-top-and-bottom approach (there's nothing in the black bits you'll miss anyway). And given other pictures of varying proportion the TV will try to accomodate those in a "smart" way too. Mine does that, but it gets confused by the on-screen graphics of "who wants to be a millionaire" sometimes. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 22:43, 29 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

So you are saying full screen DVD's etc will work? It sounds like the Preferred way would be to have Black Bars on the sides?

They'll work, but the letterbox format ones will work better. The only widescreen content most people have available to them (bar a very few widescreen cable or satellite channels) is letterbox format DVDs. If it wasn't for them there would currently be little point in having a widescreen TV. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 14:12, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

November 30

Twilight Sentinel Sensor on 1988 Oldsmobile

Neil has sent the following question to the Wikipedia Help Desk.

I have a question regarding the Twilight Sentinel Sensor in my 1998 Oldsmobile 88 LSS. How do you disconnect the sentinel sensor at the wiring harness? Thank you for the information. Neil

I would be grateful for any assistance that you can give him. Capitalistroadster 00:15, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

nittany lion

i was wondering if anyone knows the exact color of the penn state nittany lion statue.

thanks, andy

There are multiple statues. A picture of one of them is here. Superm401 | Talk 01:12, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]


Elvis 1969 Concert Tour

Elvis did a tour in the united states in 1969, Can you please tell me the date of the concert he performed in Macon Georgia. Thank you, (Email removed)

I'm afraid Elvis Presley didn't play Macon (or anywhere in Georgia) on his 1969 tour. 1969 was his year of residency at the International Hotel in Las Vegas. [5] He played 2 shows in Macon on April 15 1972 [6], a show on April 24 1975 [7], and an April 2 1977 date, which was cancelled, and rescheduled for June 1 1977. [8]
Hope this is useful. Proto t c 16:13, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Restricted Airspace

Why is much of the airspace over Lake Michigan Restricted? Is there a website that shows areas of restricted airspace?

Although I haven't seen the charts for that area in years, I do happen to know that Great Lakes Naval Base is just north of Chicago. Certain altitude ranges are probably restricted for use as training areas. Dismas|(talk) 04:42, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
P.S. There are some charts here: SkyVector Dismas|(talk) 04:48, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Door Window

What is a little window in a solid door called?

After googling for a while, it appears to be a doorlight. The little window on top of the door is a transom. –Mysid 07:26, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
Having worked in the door industry a bit I can confirm the above although the term "doorlight" is usually just shortened to "light" or even "lite". Dismas|(talk) 07:48, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

NFL

Do NFL players get Benefits like Health Insurance or 401K etc?

Yes, they have a very nice benefits package including full medical, dental and life insurance. They are reimbursed 70% of the cost of out-of-network services after a $400 deductible. Their families also recieve these benefits. They also have special disability insurance and career savings plans (with nine investment fund options). They may also get severance pay and may be eligible for worker's comp in some states. Check out the NFLPA (NFL Player's Association) Benefits page here for more information. -Parallel or Together ? 07:36, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Staten Island Ferry

Reader Kevin Tuggs sent an e-mail to the Help Desk. I was wondering if you knew of a site where I can find the names of the buildings that are seen as you come into Whitehall Terminal from aboard the Staten Island ferry.

I have referred him to the links at the bottom of the Staten Island Ferry article but would be grateful if you could help him. Capitalistroadster 05:28, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Reductio ad absurdum

How do I argue, every rule has an exception, using the argument form Rductio ad absurdum?

Well, reductio ad absurdum always begins by assuming the contrary, so you would start by assuming that some rule has no exception, and try to derive an impossible conclusion from that.
To clarify, the contrary of "every rule has an exception" is "there exists a rule that has no exceptions", and it is this second statement that a contradiction would have to be derived from. If you assume a specific rule has no exceptions and generate a contradiction, you have only proven that that specific rule has at least one exception. -- AJR | Talk 17:15, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
Note, however, that the proposition "every rule has an exception" is logically inconsistent, because it is itself a rule and therefore must have an exception by application of itself. Therefore some rule has no exception. —Keenan Pepper 13:58, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
This statmenet is false Jooler 07:45, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

UCC

Question: Does any part of the UCC cover credit card debt or the collection of credit card debt by collection companies?

Thomas Lohman e-mail removed

  • If you're a lawyer representing a debtor, or are yourself a debtor, and it's a major credit card, you'll want to look into Delaware usury law (or use the Delaware Lawyer Referral Service)

If you're just researching the Uniform Commercial Code, it's been a while since I studied it, but I think article 5 should cover it. Mareino 20:15, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

phylum of rice

(no question)

See rice. Dismas|(talk) 10:08, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Tic, tac and toe tap dancers?

Darryl Hewitt sent the following inquiry to the help desk.

When i was a kid i saw old black and white movies such as Laurel and Hardie, Harold Loys etc, in some movies i saw some fantastic tap dancers called Tic Tac and Toe, 3 young Coloured men who were fantastic at tap dancing on tables etc. Is there any footage or info on them or have you heard of them. If not do know where i can look. Thanks Darryl.

I suggested the names Tip, Tap and Toe see [9].

I would be grateful if you could help him. Capitalistroadster 09:57, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

357 ammunition

is there a bullet for a 357 that shoots shotgun type pellets instead of a regular slug? do you have any information on the design and use?

Given the short muzzle of a handgun, wouldn't that be like having a small sawed off shotgun? Doesn't sound very safe (or legal) to me.Brian Schlosser42 15:36, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Ache and Pain

Can some one tell me whats the difference between an ache and a pain?? (Like in headache and headpain).. Can we use the two words interchanginly??

Jayant, 17 Years, India.

They are synonyms, but as with any synonyms there are subtle differences in meaning. I use ache to mean a dull, diffuse pain as opposed to a sharp pain. Webster 1913 defines ache as "continued pain, as distinguished from sudden twinges, or spasmodic pain". So, a headache might result from high blood pressure or muscle tension, but a head pain would result from banging your head on something. —Keenan Pepper 14:06, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
And the difference being that in common usage no one would use head pain as one word, they would say it as you did "a head pain". But I've rarely hear anyone use the term that way either, perhaps because its simply not as common as a headache. Though I do agree with your distinction on the use of the words ache and pain in general. - Taxman Talk 16:21, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Artificial snow..

Can someone explain how artificial snow is created and why doesn't the artificial snow melt??

Jayant,17 years, India

See snow cannon. –Mysid 13:13, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
I live in Florida, where it almost never snows (I remember one snow in my lifetime, and that was just a few flakes), so for the holiday season it's common to see "artificial snow" made of cotton and glitter, which obviously doesn't melt. It's far from realistic though... —Keenan Pepper 14:13, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

It is also possible to simply powder ice from a freezer and scatter it outside (this only works when it is cold enough for snow, but isn't snowing...a situation that not uncommonly is seen in Florida winters. Yeltensic42.618 20:17, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

IPv6 ranges

2001:DB8::/32

what would be covered by the above range?

That's not a range, it's an address, and expands to 2001:0DB8:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000/32. See IPv6#Notation. Proto t c 15:54, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
But wouldn't the /32 prefix mean that it includes all addresses from 2001:0DB8:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000 to 2001:0DB8:FFFF:FFFF:FFFF:FFFF:FFFF:FFFF? —David Wahler (talk) 14:36, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]
I don't think so, but I might be reading the notation guide wrongly. Proto t c 17:00, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

A specific name for this?

Is there a specific name for a person who takes care of, and repairs clocks? I'm curious.

Clockmaker or clocksmith. —Charles P. (Mirv) 17:12, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
Horologist is another. MeltBanana 00:32, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Hair Cutting

Does anyone have any good links or information on the significance of hair cutting in celtic/romano-british cultures after the fall of rome/at the beginning of the dark ages? 216.43.124.150 17:27, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Not much information, but some to get you started; Celtic-Brit men would let their hair grow long until they first killed a man in battle, and from then on would style their hair (and moustache!), using natural resins as gels and animal bone combs. smurrayinchester(User), (Talk) 20:19, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
I'm looking for information about, like, the hair-cutting bit in Culhwch and Olwen. 216.43.124.150

I need help finding scooby-doo characters.

I have a problem my son wants "scobby-dum" "scobby dee" and "scrappy" characters for Christmas.This is his second year to ask for them but i cant find them anywhere.the characters are from scooby doo cartoons that he has seen but im not sure if they are available for retail.Your help would be appreciated even a web site!Thanks for your help. Helen.---159.134.137.233 19:39, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

There is plenty of merchandise available: Warner Bros sell Scooby Doo toys directly on the Warner Bros Shop website. The Scooby Doo plush toys are made by Gund, and while they are not mentioned on the website, they do list retail outlets where their products are available. --Canley 06:24, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]
Well, yes, that's a good source for Scooby Doo, but there doesn't seem to be any Scrappy or other subordinate doggie character merchanise there. Of course, if she wants to get her son a Velma dress-up costume, she could get it there, but I fear there would be psychiatric bills to pay later... - Nunh-huh 06:28, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]
There was previously a Scrappy Doo character available on the Warner Bros store, there is one for sale on eBay at the moment. The other characters might be a bit obscure, but eBay is probably the best bet for finding such toys. --Canley 06:35, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]
Ah, excellent idea. (And that's a nice Scrappy doll.) It inspired me to look at "Froogle", and I did find some Srappy Doo Burger King figures! here. (I used "figure" to screen out all the videos, which is what most of the products seem to be. I'm glad they never got around to making a film with their ne'er-do-well cousin, Doggie Doo!) - Nunh-huh 07:46, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

(no question)


The existence of snuff, and Goldstein's millions.

Does this Observer article mean that someone is getting a million bucks from Al Goldstein? I see that snuff film has an oblique reference to the Russian ring run by Dmitri Kusnetsov, but is there any documentation on the "no such films have been found to date"? Anything? (Well, it's because Goldstein's broke and homeless, but why haven't The Straight Dope and Snopes issued retractions?) grendel|khan 22:04, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Maybe they just haven't heard about it. The article is from October 2000, but the last update of the Snopes page on snuff films was February 1999. Why don't you contact Snopes and ask them about it? Chuck 23:26, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]
They've been contacted, but since they don't say anything about returning mail, it's sort of like pissing into the Grand Canyon. Oh well. Maybe I'll drop a line to The Straight Dope as well. alt.folklore.urban has some discussion as well. grendel|khan 14:05, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Snopes has message boards at http://msgboard.snopes.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi where you can post a question. User:Zoe|(talk) 04:03, 3 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

government

What are the responsibilities of the department of agriculture?

If you mean the federal department in the United States, see United States Department of Agriculture. Chuck 23:54, 30 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

1 December 2005

Hassocks' Camp

A Canadian reader sent the following message to the Help Desk mailing list.

I have a photo (postcard) with the printed date of 1911 and also imprinted with "Hassock's Camp". I believe it was in Sussex, England but would like more details if possible. Some of the men in the photo are in army uniform. One of the men is my grandfather who was age 22 that summer.

I advised her that it may be related to the town of Hassocks near Brighton. However, if you are able to provide more information, it would be greatly appreciated. Capitalistroadster 00:31, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Social Studies

how are coral reefs formed?

Look at Coral reef -- Dalbury(Talk) 02:34, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Soda Can

Why is the standard Soda/Beer can 12 fluid ounces?

No special reason; that's just what it happens to be now, but these things often change over time. You may remember that the next larger size (in the US) of soft drinks was a 16 fl.oz. bottle until it changed to 20 fl.oz. in the 1990s. A company will change the size of their product whenever they think they can make more money that way. They might introduce a 20-ounce bottle at the old 16-ounce price, then when everyone has gotten used to drinking 25% more, raise the price a few cents (most of the price is for the container and handling, not the drink) and come out ahead. That's the way it seems to have gone with soft drinks in recent decades -- with many other products they prefer to keep reducing the size while leaving the price the same.
As to why competing companies will often settle on a single standard size, like the 12-ounce can, that's because the can makers and the vending machine makers can give them a better price if they do that.
--Anonymous, 06:00 UTC, December 1, 2005
Depends on which fluid ounce you mean. Apparently it has been redefined to coincide with 30 ml. That's for 1 fluid ounce, not 12. Is there a mistake in the article? By the way, in Europe it's also 30 ml. Maybe the one is inspired by the other. 30 ml is also the standard beer bottle volume in Europe, and, what's more, all bottles are the same shape, so bottles can be used interchangeably between companies (or how do you say that?). I suppose cans have just followed that. DirkvdM 08:09, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]
It's been a wee while since I bought a can of fizzy juice but they were always 330ml in the UK, as far as I know they still are. AllanHainey 13:22, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]
The fluid ounce (at least in the US) has not been redefined, though 30 ml is a close approximation. My 12 fl oz can of Coke is 355 ml, for 29.6 ml / fl oz. Similarly, a handy 20 fl oz bottle lists 591 ml, for 29.6 ml / fl oz again. — Lomn | Talk / RfC 14:50, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]
I based the fluid ounce thing on the article - point three says 1 fluid ounce is exactly 30 ml. Bottles used to be 330 ml in the Netherlands too, but I thought all of Europe had changed to the standard bottles. Is only the UK an exception? DirkvdM 09:55, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Boxing, non title bout.

As a kid,I was told that my uncle Eddy Trujillo beat Henry Armstrong in a non title bout, it happened in the thirtys,also,Eddy Trujillos picture was on the cover of ring magazine that same year. All I know is that it happend in the thritys.s Please find out if this infromation was recorded in ring magazine history.Thank you very much for your time and efforts, it is appreciated. T J Trujillo from Seattle

This website has a profile of Henry Armstrong which lists that he fought Eddy (spelt Eddie on the site) Trujillo on August 30, 1932 in Los Angeles, and that Trujillo won in four rounds. --Canley 06:42, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I need to find information on "Responsible Government arrives in Nova Scotia" and im not very good at using keywords to come up with good searches. Help!? Thanks a lot

You might want to read our articles on Nova Scotia and Responsible government, and a Google search for +"responsible government" +"nova scotia" will produce many relevant hits. Among the very first ones are a timeline, a speech by Joseph Howe, and "How our government works" ("our" meaning Canadian here). Now that wasn't difficult, was it? If you are looking for more specific information, you'd have to tell us what exactly you want to know for us to be able to help you. Lupo 07:46, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

bansod communty in maharashtra

i belong to north india. my sister is getting marrried in bansod communty in maharashtra.but we do not know much about it.only thing we know is that they call themseles maharashtrian thakur.we r also also thakur but we call ourself rajput which they dnt. it would be very kind of u to give details of it. thanks a lot best regards sanya guleria

You might start with the Maharashtra article, especially the demographics section, although that does not convey much about the people. You might also try the external links and references at the bottom. Alas, Wikipedia has an article on Rajput, but not on Thakur (or Thakore - you might also try that term for a Google search). I'm curious. I don't know much (if anything) about marriages in those parts of India. I'd say that the guy she's marrying matters most. Or is there something in particular you need to know about Maharashtran culture beforehand? Or, inspired by the Rajput article, is it a caste thing? DirkvdM 08:25, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Richard Rahls Mother

Does she have a name? From the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind

Indian cricket

Respected sir,

I want to know the detail facts about indian cricket History specifically about BCCI's inception

and by whom the indian cricket is governed, i,e. by central government or by any other private body? and BCCI is governed by Indian government or by any private body?

And Indian team represents Country or any othet board or Private body?


Please put some light on these Issues.

If You can mail me at (email removed)

Regards and Thanks.

Vinay M Bakale

You might find what you're looking for in the cricket in India article. I've removed your e-mail address to prevent spam. –Mysid 10:26, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Jewish Biblical Jubilee Year

When is the next Jewish Biblical Jubilee Year.

Mike Poindexter Centerville, TX

If I recall correctly, they happen every 50 years, but because we have no idea what year the first occured (if it did at all) on our current calendar, your question is impossible to answer. Sorry. Superm401 | Talk 15:34, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]
According to this site [11], the Jewish year 5765, which ended in October, might have been a Jubilee year. If that's truee, the next one will be in 5815, or 2054-55. But no one knows for sure. -- Mwalcoff 23:57, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

‘12M’ symbol on personal-care products

I have seen a symbol on several personal-care products (from Kingfisher, Palmolive, The Body Shop, etc.) that looks like a small cylindrical container posed sideways, with the cap ajar. On the main body of the container, it is written ‘12M’. Does anyone know what this means? – Kaihsu 13:09, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Ah, finally found the answer: ‘The PAO [period after opening] symbol, an open cosmetic cream jar, looks as follows: [...] The lifespan is designated in months (M) and appears as follows: for example: [12M] or [24M]. The number of months (M) indicated may appear either inside or outside the symbol of the open cosmetic cream jar.’ [12] I did do some research before asking the question, but now finally found the answer! – Kaihsu 13:12, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Lost item

Can anyone tell me where I put my house keys? - Ta bu shi da yu 14:15, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Right there. ナイトスタリオン ✉ 14:18, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]
Or perhaps here?. Thryduulf 14:35, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Try the pockets of the trousers you wore last time you went out. Also check your laundry basket in case they fell out of said pockets when you put your trousers there.-gadfium 21:49, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Does your cat have a favorite hiding place? - Nunh-huh 23:04, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

They're in the last place you'd think of looking for them. So all you have to do is identify where the last place you would look is, and look there. Perfectly simple. -- AJR | Talk 02:35, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Remember, the best search engine known to man is a woman. Ask your mom or your wife (whichever is applicable). alteripse 03:12, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I did ask my girlfriend! She told me it was in the last place I put it. Go figure. - Ta bu shi da yu 06:37, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]
When I lose my keys, I look for the nearest magnet. It sucks living nextdoor to an electromagnet shop. I can't wear a belt, jewellery, or invite my multiple-times-pierced metalhead friends over anymore, and have to use plastic knives to carve the turkey. --Expurgator 13:40, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

List all the countries of the world

List of countries. Thryduulf 14:37, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Help with Russian wikipedia and Donetsk, Ukraine hospitals

I am in need of finding the phone numbers for each significant hospital in Donetsk, Ukraine. However, I don't speak Russian. I've been attempting to use babelfish.altavista.com to stumble through websites in Russian, but the most promising site (www.health.gov.ua) could not be translated by babelfish. I'm running out of options on how to proceed. I thought I might place a question on this at the reference desk of the Russian wikipedia, but I don't have the knowledge to know what page that is. So I need answers to:

  1. What is the URL for the reference desk page for miscellaneous questions like this page?
  2. Does anyone here know enough Russian to work their way through www.health.gov.ua to see if it can provide a list of significant hospitals in Donetsk (and would you do so please)?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. A close friend of our family is reported to be in a hospital in Donetsk, but we lack any other information at this point. We are trying to find out what has happened to her. Thanks in advance, --Durin 15:23, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The best place for this sort of question would be Wikipedia:Reference desk/Language; there's generally someone there who can help you translate the page. smurrayinchester(User), (Ho Ho Ho!) 16:01, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]
You might want to call your Embassy in the Ukraine. They may be able and willing to render assistance. - Nunh-huh 00:50, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

First, the language of Ukraine is Ukrainian. People there might get upset if you think they speak Russian (although I guess many of them would speak that as well).

As to getting the number, one possibility would be to just call your long-distance telephone operator and ask if you can get directory assistance for Donetsk, Ukraine, then explain what you want. You might end up reaching a human who lives there and knows the major hospitals, and speaks English. If you can get through to any one hospital in the city, perhaps the person you speak to there will be able to give you the phone numbers of some others.

As to the www.health.gov.ua web site, Europeans often use a British flag symbol to indicate English language, and this site does that: you're supposed to click on the little flag for English. However, the English version of the site may not have everything there is on it. I don't see a list of hospitals on their English pages (and I don't speak Ukrainian either), but they do have numbers for the Ministry of Public Health, so maybe someone there could help you. I may as well copy them out:

  • [Phone] +380 (44) 253-52-71; 253-61-65
  • [Fax] +380 (44) 253-69-75
  • [Address] 7 Hrushevsky st., 01021, Kyiv - 21, Ukraine
  • [Email] (Email removed)

I'm guessing they don't work on weekends, so if you're trying that route, you'll want to call before Friday afternoon eastern European time.

Hope one of these things helps.

--Anonymous, 03:42 UTC, December 2, 2005

Frome the above comment: First, the language of Ukraine is Ukrainian. People there might get upset if you think they speak Russian (although I guess many of them would speak that as well).
This is actually funny. In Donetsk they will get upset if you speak Ukrainian. So don't, speak Russian. In Eastern Ukraine, especially Donetsk, Ukrainian is only used by government officials and sometimes not even by them. --Ornil 19:55, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

What you want is this list: http://www.partner.dn.ua/catalog/11/83/ --Ornil 19:55, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Scientific style guides?

How do I format a sentific research paper?

See the article Academic publishing. There are some links and tips at the bottom. --Canley 05:39, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

what is the distance between israel and the us

That would depend on what cities you're measuring between. The distance according to this site between Washington D.C. and Jerusalem is 5903 miles or 9497 km. Dismas|(talk) 19:25, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

name of israel prime minister

This info is clearly stated in the article for Israel. Dismas|(talk) 19:00, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

what is a calligram

The article on calligrams explains this quite well. Dismas|(talk) 19:52, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Is Wikipedia a publicly traded company? If so, what is It's symbol?

Is Wikipedia a publicly traded company? If so, what is It's symbol?

No, Wikipedia is a charity, run by volunteers. See our Wikipedia article for details. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 21:41, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]
Thank goodness it is not - else rich shareholders, not the users, would control the content, and subvert Wikipedia. -- Natalinasmpf 21:42, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]
Quite. Subverting Wikipedia is our job :) -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 21:45, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]
Wikipedia would be a poor investment anyway. It makes no profit, can be used for free and all income is from voluntary donations. Not to mention the fact that its value changes almost constantly as information is added, changed and vandalised. You certainly wouldn't get good returns! smurrayinchester(User), (Ho Ho Ho!) 12:50, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]
Most importantly, revenue (besides voluntary donations) could never be made. If they ever started charging or placed ads, people would instantly fork, thanks to the GFDL. Superm401 | Talk 22:28, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Walking

What is the recommended number of steps per day to stay fit. (or get there)?

10,000 Nelson Ricardo 04:58, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]
If that's the steps on a stairway that should certainly keep you fit :) . But seriously, how on Earth can you quantify 'staying fit' (what ever that means) in the number of steps (whatever that means)? Walking doens't seem like an efficient way to stay fit. Unless you mean walking in stead of taking a car - that would eliminate the need for doing sports, and would therefore be more efficient. But still it's a bit of a silly question. Depends on the kind of steps you take - putting your back into everyday things seems like the best way to stay fit. DirkvdM 10:00, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]
  • Only a medical doctor can tell you the recommended number of steps per day to stay fit, becuase it's particular to your health and lifestyle. The recommended number of steps per day to get there depends on where you're going. I recommend Florida. It's lovely this time of year. Mareino 20:23, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Submarines

When a U.S. Submarine wants to go to 100feet. IS that 100 feet from the bottom, middle, or top of the sub?

If my Tom Clancy has taught me anything, I would assume that it was from the bottom for a dive and top for an ascent. It would measure absolute difference. User:Articuno1

  • I would assume it's the lowest point. Note that it's possible to have extreme circumstances where measuring from different parts of the boat can have odd effects - when the Russian submarine K-141 Kursk sank a few years ago, she was lying at a depth of 108 metres - but had she been stood on end, she'd have towered forty metres out of the water... Shimgray | talk | 15:22, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

what does vocals mean?

Context would be helpful, but in a list of credits (on, say, a recording) it's probably equivalent to "singing". - Nunh-huh 23:02, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

December 2

Bibliography

Can you tell me the Bibliography on taste buds?

Do you mean who wrote the article taste buds? You might want to see Citing Wikipedia, but a list of the specific authors of that article can be found by clicking History at the top of the page. IMO, the major authors of the article are Tristanb and 67.66.33.81. jnothman talk 00:48, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]
If you mean the sources used by the authors, a (possibly incomplete) list is at the bottom of the page. If you want to know how to cite the article in your bibliography, try clicking "cite this article" on the left navigation bar when you're on the page. Superm401 | Talk 22:32, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Asian politician who disappeared in Sydney early 1960s

In the early-mid 1960s, there was a minor crisis when an Asian politician (? head of government) who was visiting Australia vanished for some days. He eventually turned up and said something about needing some time off from stressful duties, but the only way he could achieve this would be to disappear for a while. This happened while he was staying in Sydney. Who was the politician, what country was he from, when did this happen, and what happened afterwards? JackofOz 02:08, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

This is probably not that helpful but I seem to recall an English politician do something very similar in the 1960s. A Conservative (whose name I forget) who was considered by some to be leadership material who disappeared one day and thought to have died until he was found in Sydney some time later, saying something very similar to what you have the Asian politician saying. He then tried to return to politics but his behaviour seemed to work against him. I don't know if this rings any bells and if so, perhaps an English wikipedian can help further. --Roisterer 03:28, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks, that sounds a bit like John Stonehouse who faked his death by drowning while surfing in Miami, Florida in 1974, then later turned up in Australia. The guy I'm after was definitely South-East Asian, possibly from Singapore or Malaysia, and a senior political figure in his country, possibly even Prime Minister. He was on some official trip to Australia, conducted his business, then just vanished before he was due to return. He was missing for three or four days, less than a week, then finally turned up and fessed up. This would have been around 1965, very roughly (I'm relying on my ever diminishing memory here). It was a major story at the time. JackofOz 13:54, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Reverse page numbering. World first?

I have recently helped an author publish his book ('Z' by Jonar Nader) and because of the story we decided to make the page numbers run in reverse (ie. from 400 down to 1). I would like to know if this is a 'world first'. If the question cannot be answered here could someone please put me in the right direction to find the answer. 220.236.180.49 04:00, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Punch strength

Is there any way to measure the strength or force of a person's punch? It would be interesting to know how certain boxers match up in this area, and finding out the current world record.

how to reopen an closed vindow?

Use the handle that is generally attached to the window frame (unless you're in prison and the window is barred, in which case you'll probably have to ask a prison guard to open the window for you). Ferkelparade π 08:24, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]
...Or if you mean the browser window kind it depends on the browser. In Opera you can just use Edit -> Undo (or Ctrl + Z) open pages pages you have closed in the current session (or retrieve it from the closed window "trashcan"). You can also use the Tools -> History menu to see a list of recently visisted sites. In most other browses you are limited to using the history approach. Internet Explorer have a "log" button on it's main toolbar, wichs opens it's history. In Mozilla Firefox you use the Go menu and pick "History" for the same functionality. --Sherool (talk) 09:52, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Hard using Wikipedia as a user?

I do not totaly see how I find all the different thing on Wikipedia. Like mail system.

why do the screen got to change when I logg on. I think that is very irritating. and much harder to use.

Do please mail the answear to me. Or I will never find it =)

  • I'm not really sure what you're asking. - Mgm|(talk) 09:49, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]
  • If the screen layout changes significantly for you when you log in, then you may have a skin other than the default selected in your preferences. The default skin in "monobook", and everyone who is not logged in gets this. It's less likely, but also possible, that you have customised your monobook.js in the past and then forgotten about it.-gadfium 18:19, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]
There's no mail system on Wikipedia. 216.43.124.150 19:50, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]
Yes, there is. See Special:Emailuser/Superm401. Equivalent links are found on the left navigation bar when you're on other users' talk pages(or just replace Superm401 with their user name in the URL of the above link) Superm401 | Talk 22:35, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Another Wikipedia user question...-

How to make my own profile? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Brandt (talk • contribs)

In your case go to User:Brandt. If you use the default skin there is a little menu in the upper right corner of every page, your username should be up there, along with links to your talk page, your preferences, watchlist, contribution list and a log out button, so click on your username and you will open your userpage. Once there just write away. Avoid copyrighted images on your userpage, but other than that (nearly) anyting goes there. --Sherool (talk) 09:40, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

confederate flags

Can someone give me a description of the colours of the following: Battle Flag

white------white
blue-------navy blue
red--------????????

Rebel Flag

white------white
blue-------???????
red--------???????

any help would be greatly appreciated

thank you, cookie 18 — Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.48.113.21 (talk • contribs) . (UTC) (Mgm|(talk) reformatted above question)

We have an article on the Flags of the Confederate States of America, although this doesn't actually answer your question perhaps one of the external links will be able to help you. Thryduulf 12:31, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Amazing question?

What is the greatest question ever asked in wp:rd? --Expurgator 13:42, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

What is the greatest question ever asked in wp:rd? --Expurgator 13:42, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]
Perhaps this one? –Mysid 14:29, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]
Or, perhaps the one just asked by Mysid? --hydnjo talk 20:16, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]
I have a lot of respect for Garrett Albright, and he's claimed the banana peel one as the best. However, if you ask me it comes down the the answers. In that case, this marsupial philosphical answer is best in my opinion.--Commander Keane 11:14, 3 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

What is the PMS equivalent of Honolulu Blue?

  • I can tell you two things. One, it's the color that the Detroit Lions wear. Two, this link will give you the color that Benjamin Moore sells as their Honolulu Blue paint. I don't have any imaging programs on this computer, but you can download the picture of the paint swatch and figure it out yourself, I'm guessing. Mareino 20:31, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Pink Floyd

How did the name Pink Floyd come about? Who thought of it? What does it mean?

Nelson

See our fine Pink Floyd article, it's explained in the history section -- Ferkelparade π 16:30, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Internet Book Sources

How do I find web sites that search for a specific book from mutiple internet book stores?

Try Google's search thingy, Froogle. 216.43.124.150 19:52, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]
Try http://www.abebooks.com/ User:Zoe|(talk) 04:08, 3 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Rare Smoking Disease

I have smoked for 30 years and have tried to quit many times with no success. Twelve or thirteen years ago my hands started falling asleep. A Neurologist had a test ran that I was told was very painfull. A needle was put into the wrist to measure to oxygen content. I felt no pain nor the needle. I was told at that time that I had a very rare disease that was caused by smoking and was irreversable and would only progress.Four years ago my feet now go partially numb and my legs are in constant pain. My G.P. states this is imaginary pain and there is no reason for my feet to go numb. What is this disease called? Who do I go to to have this pain stopped? All over the counter pain relievers do nothing for the pain.

Thank you for your help

Still Smoking in California

I checked Google and found these two:

The second one sounds more like your description. (I'm not a doctor, though.) 216.43.124.150 19:57, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

  • It isn't quite that simple. Doctors rarely say or believe, "you are imagining your pain." What they may say that is often interpreted that way is, "I can't find a treatable cause and by every measure I have checked your body seems to be in working order" but this is often an unsatisfactory answer and is interpreted by many patients as "you must be imagining or making this up." It is one of the most frustrating types of problems in patient care from the doctor's end of it and it is even worse from the patient's end of it. You might be right that it's time for referral for new ideas or more pain expertise, but that is not what psychiatrists do. The best next step might be a specialist in peripheral vascular diseases if the pain is arising from that, but if she has already tried that, then most big cities and most big medical centers (at least in North America) have "pain clinics" and "pain specialists" who address that specific problem. alteripse 13:10, 3 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]
    • Somehow I suspect that you were told to stop smoking. If you indeed have thromboangiitis obliterans (Buerger's disease) the only treatment is to stop smoking. There is no substitute, and you need to consult someone who will help you with stopping smoking by any means necessary (nicotine patchs are probably not the best way for Buerger's patients). Nearly half the patients with Buerger's disease who continue smoking require at least one amputation within 8 years. - Nunh-huh 14:42, 3 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Albumin

Name four fish or seafood low in albumin and four high in albumin.

It's going to be tough finding out "albumin" specifically. Here's a source [13] for protein content of various fishes (there's not much variation). It wouldn't be too wrong to say that the highter the protein is, the highter you'd expect the albumin to be. But "low in albumin" and "high in albumin" sounds rather subjective. Maybe others have better sources of information., or look in your text to see how it defines "high" and "low". - Nunh-huh 14:48, 3 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Kevin Mitchel

Kevin Mitchel - Age 12; the youngest prisoner in California history (Incarcerated 2003)

I came across the name Kevin Mitchel in an artical about Stanley "Tookie" Williams. He was listed as the youngest inmate in San Quentin at the age of 12. I can not find any other information about him. Why he was there at such a young age or anything. This may sound kinda lame but I would really like to know what a 12 year old could do to be put in one of Californias roughest prisons. Could anyone asist me?

Felisha

Demons

I am interested to know if there is a demon named DAMIAN? If so what is his significance?

Answers are not emailed. As for Damian, he's bottlenose dolphin significant for being the subject of many homework questions. (kidding, but do your own homework) Superm401 | Talk 22:41, 2 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

December 3

Music in Nissan Murano Commercial.

Can anyone identify the music in the Nissan Murano Commercial? The one with the birds(animation). Thanks

There is a Nissan Murano Commercial available to download at this site. I can't seem to get the visual to work, but is that the one you are talking about? The sound does work for me, but, unfortunately I don't know the song/music. - Akamad 07:12, 3 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]
I couldn't get the visual to work either, but that is the song!! I looked all over but i still can't find a name for it.
Have you tried sending an email to the contact address listed at the referenced website? -- Rick Block (talk) 17:36, 3 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Good idea!

First person shooter games

I am trying to learn how to play first person shooter games "properly". May I request a spontaneous list of simple tips beginners like me can use? Thanks very much!! --HappyCamper 03:42, 3 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

My advice is to memorise the keys for the game. For example, which number on the keyboard corresponds to which gun, because it's pretty bad when you have to cycle through the weapons trying to find the one you want while you are getting shot. - Akamad 06:54, 3 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]
No matter how tempting it is, don't run a long distance to hide while being shot at. Life can drain fast while you are heading for the hiding place, and often you die before you get there. Also, grenade-type weapons work well. smurrayinchester(User), (Ho Ho Ho!) 21:51, 3 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Anarchist cookbook limited editon

HEy. The anachist cookbook has been banned, but a limited/special edition has been released. Where can I download the book for free?????

Aside: What are ararchists eating these days?--Commander Keane 11:00, 3 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Name for piece of wood?

Hello, I am trying to find the name for the piece of wood that a gavel hits. Like that in a court room. I have asked a number of people but they are unable to give me an answer. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. Geoff

It's a block or a sound block. alteripse 12:28, 3 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

purpose of this page?

is this reference desk supposed to be a free competitor to google answers? why does it exist? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Zzzzz (talk • contribs)

It is serveral things at once.
  • It is a place where readers can point out things they had hoped to find on Wikipedia, but were unable to. We can then try to fix those ommissions.
  • It is also a place where editors can directly help people, which supposedly gives one a warm feeling.
  • And here, editors can (have allowed themselves to) relax a little.
  • Finally, its where really uninventive vandals and illiterate people come to mess things up. In fact, hardly anyone bothers ot read the rules. -- Ec5618 16:40, 3 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]
I think of it as being like Straight Dope, only run by the Teeming Millions. =P —Keenan Pepper 19:14, 3 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

the circumstances of one of Augusto Pinochet's photos

File:Pinochetjunta.jpg
Sunglasses!

I came across this a while back, and I was wondering what Pinochet was trying to portray here. It was certainly different other photos, and well, the pose is...interesting. Was this a candid shot, or purposely posed this way? I mean, for someone who would rely on propaganda, assuming such a pose could be counter-productive to assuming power. -- Natalinasmpf 18:37, 3 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Interstate Miles in Indianapolis

I need to know how many miles of interstate there are in Indianapolis total?

Home Conswtruction in Italy

What type of construction is the basic home built witrh in Italy--192.85.50.2 20:51, 3 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Xbox 360

Is it possible to pre-program and redord TV shows (like a DVD recorder with hard drive) to the Xbox 360 hard drive using only the Xbox 360 Premium (not Windows Media Center ect)? 83.252.72.10 22:33, 3 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

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