Who started Wikipedia? <span style="font-size: smaller;" class="autosigned">—Preceding [[Wikipedia:Signatures|unsigned]] comment added by [[Special:Contributions/173.58.153.106|173.58.153.106]] ([[User talk:173.58.153.106|talk]]) 01:33, 19 November 2009 (UTC)</span><!-- Template:UnsignedIP --> <!--Autosigned by SineBot-->
Who started Wikipedia? <span style="font-size: smaller;" class="autosigned">—Preceding [[Wikipedia:Signatures|unsigned]] comment added by [[Special:Contributions/173.58.153.106|173.58.153.106]] ([[User talk:173.58.153.106|talk]]) 01:33, 19 November 2009 (UTC)</span><!-- Template:UnsignedIP --> <!--Autosigned by SineBot-->
:[[Jimmy Wales]] and [[Larry Sanger]]. We have an article at [[Wikipedia]]. — [[User:Bewildebeast|Matt Eason]] <sup>([[User talk:Bewildebeast|Talk]] • [[Special:Contributions/Bewildebeast|Contribs]])</sup> 01:36, 19 November 2009 (UTC)
Revision as of 01:36, 19 November 2009
Welcome to the miscellaneous section of the Wikipedia reference desk.
The best answers address the question directly, and back up facts with wikilinks and links to sources. Do not edit others' comments and do not give any medical or legal advice.
If all goes well, American astronaut Randolph Bresnik will become a father while in space. His wife, who is nine months pregnant, is due six days after the launch of STS-129. Would he be the first person to become a parent while in space, or has it occurred before? 94.212.31.237 (talk) 00:38, 13 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Many groceries may have it next to the vanilla in the baking section. Otherwise you will need a store that sells ckae and candy making supplies. Make sure you know whether you need the more dilute "flavor" (2 fl. oz. bottles) or the much more concentrated extracts (1 dram bottles) 75.41.110.200 (talk) 02:48, 13 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
If a CGAUX award/ribbon/medal is not a * Federal * award, Then what would it be called. Since they belong to homeland security ? And the CG over looks what they do —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.191.151.185 (talk) 01:38, 13 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
since this has happened do stores still display 99 cent items? it is common for resellers to make items 99 cents or 99 dollars as a marketing scheme to make the item appear much cheaper. since this coin reform, would a retailer set a once 7.99$ item to 7.90$ or to a flat 8.00$? have prices overall been rounded off to the nearest dollar, or do they still use strange prices to deceive customers? or did new zealand always have round prices like in japan (1000 yen instead of 999 yen).
Pennies were removes in 1967 along with pounds and all that. Then we moved to dollars, including 1c, 2c and 5c coins. 1 and 2 cent coins were removed in 1990. After this, prices were still routinely $1.99. $1.95 is/was also a common price. In 2006 the 5c coins were removed, and prices still remain $x.99 and $x.95. $x.90 is uncommon. Aaadddaaammm (talk) 05:22, 13 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I live for the day that is done in the U.S., instead of having nuisance cents, of negligible worth. This is not 1900. Just round up/down by computerized cash register. Edison (talk) 05:27, 13 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
In Australia and New Zealand, prices are rounded if you pay in cash (ie, if you buy $4.98 worth of goods you hand over $5 and don't get any change), but not if you pay by electronic means. Rounding is applied on the total when you pay, not on each item. As for Japan's "round prices", Japan, like the US, does not show tax on sticker prices, so when you go and buy your ¥100 items from Daiso, you actually have to pay ¥105. BTW, in case you're not aware, "nickel" and "penny" are not universal terms; in Australia and NZ we say "5 cent coin" and "1 cent coin" (and "10 cent coin" rather than "dime"). FiggyBee (talk) 05:35, 13 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Actually we're just as likely to say "one cent piece" etc. Certainly never "nickel" or "penny" (or dime, quarter, sawbuck, or any of those other quaint terms), though we do talk of bucks. FWIW, some people talk of a $1 coin as a Razoo, a $5 note as an Edmund, and a $50 note as a Chief, but those terms have never really caught on, and in international trade the NZ dollar is often known as the Kiwi. As to the rounding, there's little I can add to what's already been said - if you're using electronic funding (EFTPOS, etc) or cheques, amounts are exact. If you're using cash, the last digit is rounded. Personally, I'd like to see all major world currencies revalue by a factor of 10 - the final digit in the cents column is next to useless for most currencies. FWIW, there was a time when New Zealand went one further than this - there were ½ cent, 2½ cent and 7½ cent definitive postage stamps back in the early 1970s, despite us never having had a half cent coin (they were sold in pairs, I think). Grutness...wha?06:23, 13 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
In the US there are some businesses that round to the nearest nickel in the customer's favor. (To round the other way would bring complaints.) StuRat (talk) 13:32, 13 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
So in a country with no 1 cent coins, anything you buy costs at least .05. Then presumably .07 rounds down to .05 and .08 rounds up to .10? If I want 2 screws at a hardware store at .07 each, I could buy them one at a time and spend .10 total, or I could by 2 of them at once and spend the same .15 (neglecting any effects of a sales tax). Edison (talk) 15:01, 13 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Home improvement store ("big box" store like Home Depot or Lowes), no. Hardware stores (local stores like Ace Hardware, True Value and Do It Best), yes. The decent ones, at least, have a section in the back where there's various screw, bolts, nuts, etc. They're mainly there for repair jobs - like when you've lost a screw or washer on an item and need 1-2 new ones (but not a whole box) for a replacement. -- 128.104.49.120 (talk) 16:28, 13 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
When we eliminated 1 and 2 cent coins in Australia a few stores loudly announced that they would always round down, but I'm not aware of anywhere which still has that policy. I guess if you really wanted to, you could save money by making sure you always got rounded down when you went through the checkout, but is it worth the hassle to save 5c? FiggyBee (talk) 16:50, 13 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
You might be surprised what people will do. I know someone who, when he puts petrol in his tank, always ensures the price is, say, $40.02. That way, he gets 2 cents worth of petrol for free. He reckons it adds up over time, which it does, but still .... -- JackofOz (talk) 19:36, 13 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I live in North America, but I visited Australia and New Zealand in the 1980s when they both had 1 and 2 cent coins in circulation. I observed that prices in NZ tended to end in a random digit -- you might see things costing $1.46 or $1.52 -- but in Australia they tended to be in round numbers, so it would be $1.50 and you didn't use the small coins very much. Both practices were different from the $1.49-plus-tax
that I would expect at home. Of course, in both countries, like everywhere I've been in Europe but
unlike most of North America, any tax was included in the price rather than added later. --Anonymous, 19:54 UTC, Friday the 13th of November, 2009.
thanks for the answers, i was not aware that 99¢ prices are kept for electronic payment. i guess electronic payment will prevent the disappearance of the 99¢ pricing scheme. kind of a shame because i was hoping that removal of small coins would just get all prices rounded properly. i would really like to see a pricing system that includes taxes by law and simply had items priced at 230$ rather than 199.95$ for example. also like the term 'five cent piece', 'ten cent piece'. naming each coin is kind of old school now that i think of it :/ Bonusbox (talk) 20:10, 13 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Bonus, one of us -- could be me -- is still misunderstanding part of this discussion. As I understand it, 99¢ prices at the individual item level are NOT going to go away, EVER, and electronic payment has nothing to do with it. Every place I've ever encountered this situation, the rounding to next-higher-unit is done ONCE at the end of the transaction, not on each individual item. Eliminating pennies does NOTHING to change the price of individual items. (Right?)
With regard to your tax comment, I don't think anyone has considered the following: Yes, you could have individual prices carry the total price inclusive of all taxes IN THE STORE -- but that's only one place that prices are displayed. As soon as you go to national advertising, regional advertising like the color inserts in the Sunday papers, or ANY out-of-store advertising that covers more than one store, HOW are you cover the case where the tax rates are different in two areas?
This is a very common situation in the US. Each state has its own sales tax rate (including zero for some); different states tax different items at different rates (where I live, food-not-sold-in-a-restaurant, clothing, and all services are not taxed); individual counties can levy surcharges on the sales tax to fund baseball stadiums; even cities can impose their own local tax on certain purchases. Posting pricing to include all applicable taxes is not at all the trivial problem that most people seem to think it is.
Where does the tax get paid for mail orders? It doesn't seem practical for the company to pay the taxes to each city a customer orders from. Surely the tax is determined by the company's location, so there is no problem with advertising it. --Tango (talk) 01:24, 14 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
What they're supposed to do, and what they actually do, are frequently two different things :-). More and more such companies, in my experience (OR alert) collect only the base rate for the buyer's state. My other recollection is that an attempt to charge based on the company's state, didn't last very long, for obvious reasons. -- DaHorsesMouth (talk) 03:10, 14 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
In countries which stopped issuing 1 cent coins, and where prices are rounded down or up: what happened if a customer presented old cents thereafter? Did the merchant say "That is no longer money" or "I have no drawer in my cash register for cents" or did they simply accept the cents? Edison (talk) 03:55, 15 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
According to the Royal Australian Mint [2], 1 and 2 cent coins are still legal tender for transactions up to 20c, and indeed pre-decimal coins are still legal tender at a rate of one shilling = 10c. New Zealand, on the other hand, has gone down completely the opposite route; the pre-2006 coins have been demonetised and are no longer legal tender. FiggyBee (talk) 08:30, 15 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Of course, being legal tender has nothing to do with whether or not they are accepted in shops. Legal tender has to do with the payment of debts; when you buy something in a shop the exchange of money and goods happens simultaneously so there is no debt. A shop can decide for itself what to accept or not accept in payment (subject to local discrimination laws, etc.). --Tango (talk) 08:39, 15 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
When the 1 and 2c coins were phased out, shopkeepers stopped giving them in change and there was no reason for customers to carry them, so they disappeared from circulation fairly quickly. They were certainly still accepted for a while after the change, and they're still readily bankable as far as I know, so whether they would be accepted now... who knows? Most shopkeepers have probably not seen them for several years, so they may accept them just for the novelty. FiggyBee (talk) 12:32, 15 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Our smallest coin in South Africa is the 5c and our prices are advertised VAT inclusive. Goods are still advertised as Rx.99 but all the stores with computerised cash registers round DOWN the final price to the nearest 5c, regardless of whether you're paying cash or credit card, however it might not be rounded down if you are buying on your store account (i.e. with a "store credit card"). You could score 4c at a time by buying all your R x.99 items individually, but really, why bother? Zunaid·FOREVER13:43, 15 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
People have already mentioned electronic transactions but perhaps an additional important thing to mention is that both NZ and Australia (thanks to EFTPOS and also credit cards to some extent) a very high percentage of transactions are electronic. I'm lazy to search but I believe the rate is something like 80%. In terms of the elimination of .x9 and .x5 prices as others have said this isn't going to happen even without electronic transactions. Beyond what has already been said, the key issue is that these are use because of the perceived psychological advantage which doesn't disappear. Also in terms of anonymous's observation, this isn't the case in NZ nowadays from my experience. Most prices are either .x9, .x5 or .x0 with .x9 being the most common (.99 being the most common for those especially for higher value items obviously). I don't know what it's like in the US but this doesn't tend happen at the higher price range either. For example you may have a price of $99.99 but you're far less likely to have $999.99 (instead $999). The funny thing was that during the elimination of the 5 cent coin, there was some complaints about prices likely to be going up because of it (I believe there were similar complaints with the 1 and 2 cent coin and it's a common argument in other countries when similar moves are proposed) which was obviously patent nonsense, most retailers were still keeping the .x9 prices which the occasional .x5 without the 1 and 2 cent coin, this was clearly not going to change (if it did, it would likely often be downwards, e.g. if an item was 1.99 they would have made it 1.90 rather then 2.00) Nil Einne (talk) 09:20, 16 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Hi. I don't know why, but for the past hour I've been delaying my sleep to find this coat of arms. I can remember some things about it, but they're mostly visual. I don't think it's a coat of arms of a modern country, but it may be of a country that is no longer existent. Or I may be wrong and it's from some small little town in the middle of nowhere! The coat of arms is definitely from Europe, and I want to find it because it's big. It's been divided many times, which is why it's so interesting to me (no I'm not talking about the coat of arms of the Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville family; it's not as large as that). I also believe that it's from somewhere small, which was ironic owing to its size. This coat of arms has a lot of extra flare, I guess you could say; hanging chains with religious symbols. I am also sure that it has the Medici coat of arms somewhere in it. The quality of the image of the coat of arms isn't that great, too. Lastly, I found a web page specifically about this coat of arms that explained all the different parts of it. It's definitely somewhere on Wikipedia, I just don't know where. If you could think of anything to help me find it, I've been searching here, Wikimedia, and google for it for too long. Any indulgence of my curiosity-turned-OCD would be wonderful! Helixer (talk) 05:11, 13 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Many coats of arms carry many quarterings and the kinds of symbol you described, so you haven't really narrowed it down too far. See (for example) Seize Quartiers. What I would suggest (unless you obsessively scrub your tracks) is pulling up the "history" for the browser you were using when you ran across that web site. With a little tweaking you might be able to find the Wikipedia/Wikimedia page you were viewing, or at least find the path you took. And since you remember it as being on Wikipedia, as well as the rough dates of your search, you should be able to exclude many irrelevant pages from other sites. Also look through the many links and categories at Portal:Heraldry and Vexillology. If you were just going by the vague details you gave above, I might not offer much hope, but the path you took through Wikipedia and the web makes things a lot easier. Good luck. —— Shakescene (talk) 07:16, 13 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Try this link at WikiCommons: Category:Ecclesiastical_heraldry, which has over 600 images. Some have many quarterings and some have the many tassels of a cardinal's hat in the crest, but I didn't see one that had both. But you should also press the plus sign [+] to the left of "Ecclesiastical heraldry" in the little box above "Subcategories" to see other pages. —— Shakescene (talk) 09:25, 15 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Oh thank you so much! It's the Coat of Arms of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies! It wasn't as big as I remembered, I guess... sorry. Thanks for all your help! Helixer (talk) 01:48, 20 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
No calls for JOB ?
what is the next best thing to do in order to fetch a job or even recieve a call fom any consultant after having made an impressive resume and posting them to all the major job portals in india? is there anything am missing?any good advices please —Preceding unsigned comment added by 115.117.129.17 (talk) 10:25, 13 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I'd say the personal touch is missing. Send notes to the companies you are interested in, explaining how you admire their company and would like to work for them. StuRat (talk) 13:09, 13 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
It is sad and rather dis-heartening that many recruitment consultants don't have the good manners to call (or email) you back if your application is unsuccessful. Astronaut (talk) 00:20, 14 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
What makes you think your resume is impressive? As a reality check, ask the opinions of several people who are not specially friendly or related to you. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 12:33, 15 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
In my experience 'posting to the job portals' is a very ineffective way of finding a job. Almost all companies get hundreds of applications for every job they advertise - searching job portals for likely candidates is simply not worth their while. Recruitment consultants likewise.
The best way to find a job is to use any personal contacts you have at companies in your line of work. That can be tough if you are young or new to the field and don't have the contacts, but do it if you have any. After that, go and find companies you might like to work for, or who are advertising jobs you might apply for, and send them a resume directly. DJ Clayworth (talk) 20:30, 15 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Applicants from India (and other places) are often encouraged to send the same resume and cover letter to absolutely anyone who might possibly be interested in them. In Western eyes this can sometimes be considered a sign of desperation and not something that recommends the applicant to a job. It is considered better to have a specifically tailored resume and cover letter for each employer you contact. The specific tailoring addresses the company's own specialities and how the applicant fits the position, with reference to specifics. For example, something like "I will be a benefit to Company because I have Skill, which is a skill Company values according to WebsiteReference." It implies that an applicant has taken time to research the company and has chosen it above others.
It is still not a good thing that companies are not acknowledging their applicants' applications - an e-mail or letter is appropriate here, rather than a phone call, which would be to arrange an interview. When there are hundreds, or perhaps thousands of applicants, this is inconvenient, but is easy to do with form letters. Steewi (talk) 02:59, 16 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Even if your aim is to get your resume to anyone who might be interested, I believe it is going to be a lot more effective to send it to many people than post it on a website and wait for people to look for it. With hundreds of resumes in their inbox, nobody is going to actively go out and look for more. DJ Clayworth (talk) 22:25, 16 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I had to call a certain company about my subscription to their service and was routed to their call centre in South Africa. During the call the handler and I discussed the World Cup next year (which is being held in S.A.). And then out of the blue he told me he supported Liverpool in the UK - so far OK with me. But a few days later I had to re-call the company and again was routed to their call centre in South Africa whereupon the different call handler told me he was an avid supporter of..........Liverpool. Why am I paranoid perhaps? Well, I never told either of them where I was from or which football team I might support, but as it happens, I am from North Yorkshire in England and have a fairly "thick" accent that is made very adenoidal by my early-life adenoids being removed, which often results in me being wrongly identified as a Liverpudlian (coming from Liverpool). Question, can I be forgiven for thinking that the call-handlers in question were somehow analysing my accent, perhaps mechanically, during the call to strike up a warm chummy loyalty-inspiring side-conversation that mistakenly identified my accent as coming from Liverpool? Or am I becoming paranoid? 92.20.97.190 (talk) 12:51, 13 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Salesmen do actually do things like that, so it's certainly quite possible. It's amazing what you can tell from a voice: "I was just talking with an obese, middle-aged black woman smoker who recently immigrated from Jamaica, and she must have accidentally transferred me to you, can you please transfer me back ?". StuRat (talk) 13:05, 13 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
If the averred Liverpool allegiances were not genuine - which they may well have been - I think it's more likely that it has nothing to do with your accent, and the call centre has merely identified "Liverpool" as being a broadly acceptable team, neither obscure nor inflammatory. I'd be very surprised if you'd been tagged by a mk1 auto-scouse-detector. FiggyBee (talk) 17:04, 13 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I'm not an expert on Commonwealth relationships, but I don't think that (average, probably uneducated) South Africans can tell apart regional dialects from England. Rimush (talk) 17:45, 13 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
What the FUCK??? I'm sorry, would you care to retract that highly condescending remark you piece of (insert nationality here) scum ? Can you tell apart a Cape Town accent from a Durban, Port Elizabeth or Joburg accent? How "uneducated" do you presume South Africans to be? Zunaid·FOREVER13:22, 15 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Calm down. This was probably an honest mistake, and I'm sure that the average citizen of most nations could be referred to as uneducated. No need to start shouting at him right away. —Akrabbimtalk13:44, 15 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Sorry, I'll use <sarcasm> tags next time. To be clear, I was using extreme hyperbole to illustrate the ridiculousness of the poster's assumptions. BTW, why on earth would he (and you) assume that the "average, uneducated person" would land a job in the call centre industry? Zunaid·FOREVER14:13, 15 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
At least in the states where I am, a call center worker is not usually a high-paying job requiring any kind of higher education, so I guess it is kind of Americo-centric (or UK-centric as well, maybe, I don't know where Rimush is posting from) to assume that the job has the same standing in other countries. I guess why there are so many of that type of job outsourced to places like India. —Akrabbimtalk22:36, 15 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
While it's true a call centre probably isn't a high paying job, it doesn't follow that they won't be able to tell accents apart. For starters, I'm pretty sure it's quite common they are at a minimum taught to understand difference accents. This training may go as far as to teach them where they come from. Just because someone doesn't know something doesn't mean they can't learn Nil Einne (talk) 08:49, 16 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Zunaid-FOREVER apologised and should have left it at that. I have struck out "you piece of (insert nationality here) scum" because it is personal abuse that is already preceded by "I'm sorry", it is a gratuitous insult that is not part of the question, and it can not be excused as hyperbole. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 17:41, 18 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Many service industries and call centers have scripts that employees are supposed to follow and it wouldn't surprise me at all if this call center gave your location based on the number you called from and gave the operator a list of appropriate topics and answers to talk about. Most call center software also lets employees take notes on customers. Yours may say "Supports Liverpool in World Cup" 206.131.39.6 (talk) 18:46, 13 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I think they've identified "Liverpool" as a football team which is acceptable to support, as opposed to Manchester United which is a football team which completely polarises opinion in England. --TammyMoet (talk) 20:44, 13 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
It could well be that they break it down regionally. They tell people from the north of England that they like Liverpool, people from the south of England that they like Arsenal or something, and people from Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland that they like a team from that person's country. Marco polo (talk) 21:09, 13 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
In know in some Indian call centres they can watch the latest Eastenders episodes or suchlike so they can empathise better with customers. Dmcq (talk) 12:37, 14 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
What you need to realise is that South Africa has a HUGE, ENORMOUS, MASSIVE (can I possibly emphasise this enough?) English Premiership following, with widespread coverage both on Super Sport and in our newspapers. Heck, the Cape Argus even has a pull-out supplement every week dedicated exclusively to European (mainly English) football. The two clubs with the most vocal, polarised and opinionated supporter bases are Man United and Liverpool, as clearly evidenced by the way the Argus's SMS column gets flooded with pro- this club and anti- that club SMSes after every weekend's round of games. (The Liverpool beachball goal fiasco set off a particularly amusing barrage of SMSes between the supporters and haters.) I'm not at all surprised that a conversation about the World Cup next year with an Englishman would have prompted both salesmen to reveal their club allegiance. Your chances of having gotten 2 Liverpool (or Man United, Chelsea or Arsenal) supporters on the line would be extremely high. I doubt it has anything to do with your ACTUAL location or favourite club. Zunaid·FOREVER13:14, 15 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I would not be surprised if many call centres have a note on a customer's entry where information on previous entries have been written, so that patter can be added while information is being looked up. Nothing particularly personal, but a favourite football team, or hobby that's mentioned and brought back gives the feeling of being special (and stalked...). It's also true, by rumour at least, that call centre employees are required to be up to date on things like local football, popular TV shows, weather and news. Some people call this sort of localisation a form of deception, because it can give the impression that the call centre is in the same country. It's very impressive from a marketing perspective. Steewi (talk) 03:08, 16 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Moka coffee sort of brown instead of sort of black
So I have a big Moka coffeemaker and sometimes when I pour its coffee in a glass it has like a diluted brownish color. When it has that color it tastes somewhat bad. Why's that? --Belchman (talk) 13:15, 13 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I'd guess that it's the water you put into it. This could especially be a problem if the coffee is made first thing in the morning when the water has been sitting in the pipes all night. Look at it in a glass and see if it's clear or cloudy white. If white, it might have lots of calcium or some other mineral in it, which ruins the taste of your coffee. You can try running the water a bit before you fill the coffee maker. If that doesn't work, you need to use a water filter, either the faucet type or the pitcher type. StuRat (talk) 14:05, 13 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
"calcium or some other mineral", Stu? Cloudy tap water is usually just air bubbles; let it sit for a few minutes and see if it clears. FiggyBee (talk) 16:55, 13 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Yes, but if it was air bubbles they wouldn't affect the taste and also would bubble out during the coffee prep, so wouldn't affect the color, either. StuRat (talk) 18:39, 13 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
There's a reason they call coffee with no milk or sugar "black". (It's either black or maybe very dark brown, but never light brown.) StuRat (talk) 04:55, 15 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Right. It's not so much that Africa didn't have empires, as those empires didn't leave a written history that survived. --M@rēino20:59, 13 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Is their some way you can convince yourself you are physically attracted to someone when your not?? Like hypnosis? It is necessary so please none of the "Why would you want to do that? That's stupid." answers or the like. Thanks in advance for any help. 86.138.158.223 (talk) 23:08, 13 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
This sounds like a Savage Love question, and I will therefore channel Dan Savage: It's not possible, and the relationship is therefore totally doomed. Do not try this. You need to take a step back and question why it is "necessary", and find some other way out of your problem, whatever it is. Comet Tuttle (talk) 00:11, 14 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
It is certainly possible to make yourself believe a lie to be true (even to the point you forget it was a lie), often presented as the only true way of getting round lie detectors. But as for this particular "untruth"... I doubt it. - Jarry1250[Humorous? Discuss.]13:10, 14 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Sorry to state the obvious, but people in loving relationships often find that they grow increasingly physically attracted to each other. This takes a long time, though. Staecker (talk) 14:09, 14 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks for the help. I was finding I seemed not attracted to someone who I have been intensely physically attracted to for some while. This bugged me until a few moments ago when I decided to look at a picture of someone else I am attracted to and found I wasn't attracted to them. So its not really bad at all, it's just a temporary period of asexuality which should go back to noraml (soon hopefully). It's not actually a loving relationship, as such, more obsessive love. Thanks very much. :D 86.138.158.223 (talk) 14:31, 14 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
So, I got a parking ticket slapped on the windscreen of my car just a couple of hours before I left Hungary during a recent holiday. Now 8 weeks later, a letter drops on my doormat demanding a vastly inflated (4x) payment. Should I bother pointing out the lack of obvious signs or ticket machines in the car park that would have indicated the need to pay?
Don't slap this guy with accusation of seeking legal advice which we cannot do...I think we can legitimately answer this question on what authorities are likely to be sympathetic to...Of course we may want him to waive his rights to sue or subject him to a binding arbitration clause--152.3.240.22 (talk) 00:44, 14 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
It depends on how things normally work in Hungary. If there is a system where you need a parking permit to part anywhere displaying a particular logo, or similar, (which is highly possible) then it would have been very easy for you not to know that rule, however that wouldn't be a defence (ignorance of the law almost never is). --Tango (talk) 01:29, 14 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
All I saw was the white "P" on a square blue background which is pretty much standard throughout Europe, including Hungary, to indicate a car parking area. There was just no indication of a need to pay. Elsewhere in Hungary, I saw prominent signs on the same pole as the "P" with parking tariffs and hours of operation and machines to issue tickets nearby. I was therefore quite surprised to find a ticket on my car. Astronaut (talk) 01:45, 14 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Sadly there's not one law for residents and another for visitors. Residents would probably have known it was a no-parking zone just through familiarity. In my home town of Vienna the parking signs are pretty obscure sometimes and (of course) all spelled out in German. If you don't read the language you've got no hope. In other words, I think you're just going to have to suck it up and pay the fine. --Richardrjtalk email06:08, 14 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Richard and Ron have missed the point. I'm not suggesting I should be immune from the law in Hungary just because I'm a foreign visitor. I think that the signage should have been present, like I saw elsewhere in Hungary. The blue sign with the "P" was obvious, but it did not have the accompanying sign detailing tariffs and hours as seen elsewhere. In my own country, parking that you must pay for is clearly marked, because a lack of signs is often a reasonable case for the fine being waived. I am wondering if the same is true in Hungary. Astronaut (talk) 16:21, 15 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Why don´t you contact the Hungarian embassy in London and explain the matter? They have what I assume to be a helpful website. I have to assume, because it is all in Hungarian. --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 19:06, 15 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
So let me understand. You were visiting Hungary and shortly before you left the country, you got a parking ticket. Several weeks later you got a notice in the mail requesting you to pay the ticket (presumably at your house in another country?). What is to stop you from telling the people who sent you the ticket to shove it where the sun don't shine? I do not think that they have any legal hold over you outside their country anymore. Of course, I am in the US and don't know how that EU thing works, so I might be wrong on that. Googlemeister (talk) 16:14, 16 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I think it is not good advice both A) to confirm to the foreign authority that they have correctly located the car owner, and B) to send a message that is provocative and almost guarantees that the fine will be pursued. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 23:33, 16 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
This suggests there's a EU (I presume) wide agreement allowing fines to be enforced. [4]. Whether this includes parking fines I'm not sure [5]. I agree with Cuddlyable3 that if you want to ignore the fine that's one thing. To purposely piss off the authorities is another and likely a bad idea. Even if they don't have the option to pursue you, what about if you ever want to visit Hungary again? (You may not know, but who know's what will happen in the future?) Nil Einne (talk) 20:11, 17 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
The notice mailed to me came from the UK office of a european parking fine collection agency. I'm tempted to ignore it, but I imagine they won't give up easily (I'm still getting letters from debt collection agencies about the person who used to live in my house before I bought it 10 years ago - but that's another story) and I suspect the fine will just keep on rising the longer I leave it. I'm not worried about extradition, but being tried in-absentia and fined a huge amount should I choose to visit Hungary again, is more serious and something I would rather avoid!
I just think the ticket was issued unfairly and think that I might have reasonable grounds to contest the fine. But being ignorant of Hungarian law I'm unsure if I will just be putting off the inevitable and end up paying a much higher fine. So there's no Hungarian residents on this ref-desk? Astronaut (talk) 21:10, 17 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
In terms of contesting the fine, my first thought is how sure are you there was insignificant signage? From your question and earlier replies, it's not clear to me when you realised you got fined. If it was while in the car park, I presume you had a good look around so can be resonable sure. However if it was only afterwards then I guess you're only going by memory that you didn't see any signs, but there's always a risk they were fairly prominent you just didn't notice them. Unless the area is known to be a problem one I don't know whether just telling them you didn't see any signs is likely to be very effective. If you are able to tell them you had a very good look around and there were no signs or anything suggesting you had to pay. Even better if you took photos of the area to prove your point. In any case, there's still a fair chance you won't succeed but I would presume challenging (perhaps querying is a better word since a proper challenge may require a court case) it won't immediately raise the cost I would presume if you've been in contact with them and are challenging they would at least tell you if you don't pay by whatever date the cost will go up (unless they've already told you). Nil Einne (talk) 08:08, 18 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Spooks or, as it's known in the US, MI-5
In the television series Spooks, when they segue from one scene to another, they often put the location of the new scene at the bottom of the screen. It's usually something like "London, E10". (I'm going from memory, so my apologies if the number is wrong) What is the "E10" part?
And secondly, when the characters go into their office area, they have to go through some sort of revolving door type thing. What does that do? Is it some sort of electronics scanner or bomb detector? Dismas|(talk)03:14, 14 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Abbey Road is in NW8E10 is a London postal district - as well as being postcodes, these districts are used for general orientation in London. The revolving door type thing (which I seem to remember is called a "pod") is a magic everything scanner, I remember one recent storyline where Ros (or was it the other one?) was given some sort of super-duper listening device which could get through it. FiggyBee (talk) 03:31, 14 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks! I've only just started watching the series, so I haven't gotten to any episodes that might explain the pods. In case anyone is wondering, I love it so far. The DVDs are interesting too since the main menu isn't printed on the screen but actually spoken. Dismas|(talk)04:05, 14 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
The BBC seem to have moved to spoken navigation on DVDs, for accessibility. That is, you get a spoken and written instruction at the beginning, giving you the option of audio navigation if you want it. I'm a little surprised that this would be the default without the clear option of a visual menu, since that limits access for the deaf or hard of hearing. 86.149.189.52 (talk) 13:22, 14 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
The revolving door is probably a turnstyle that limits access to one person at a time. Presumably each person presents some form of ID card to get through, and the turnstyle stops a second person from entering on the first person's card, ie preventing the common scenario with a normal door that one person swipes a card and a group of people enter (in which case the access control system doesn't that the other people are in the building). Mitch Ames (talk) 13:03, 14 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I can't think of any BBC series that are that "popular" over here. At least I don't know of anyone that I have met who follows anything on that channel. So I wouldn't think the the "Americans are bad guys" aspect would come into play. —Akrabbimtalk18:29, 14 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I don't know about Americans not following anything on that channel. Just ask any sci-fi fan if they follow Dr. Who. As far as the popularity of Spooks here in the US, I will agree that's it's not that popular insofar as at most it might have a cult status at the most. Until it showed up at the house, I had never heard of it. My father-in-law, who likes the BBC channel, suggested it to my wife who put it on our Netflix queue. I think I'm a bit different than most American viewers. I don't have cable or satellite. I also don't have an antenna to get local broadcast stations. I rely on Netflix for my "television" watching. I also don't fit the mold of the normal American in that I like Dr. Who, Top Gear, and now Spooks. A Venn diagram of the three genres wouldn't have a lot audience cross-over. Dismas|(talk)18:52, 14 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Whereas in the category of "fandom" rather than "norms", you're pretty typical. You just need to find a community of fen to hang out with and you'll find a lot of people who've seen the same sort of thing as you: chances are you'll enjoy some of the other things they like, and vice versa. Just a little disambiguation: the BBC is the not same thing as the channel BBC America, although many of the programmes shown on BBC America were originally made or funded by the BBC. 86.142.231.220 (talk) 20:09, 14 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I'm American and I like many BBC series (like The IT Crowd, for instance). We've watched the entire Spooks/MI-5 series, although it's mainly to see who will be killed each episode due to MI-5's habitual incompetence. So I enjoy it in much the same way as you enjoy watching a bad movie, as in the concept behind MST3K. We'll even make bets at how incompetent they will be: "I say the send the untrained operative out into the field without any backup whatsoever", "No, even they wouldn't be THAT incompetent", "Sure they would !" (and indeed, they were). StuRat (talk) 04:39, 15 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Oh, I know: Spooks is populated with profoundly stupid spies. And you've provided a perfect example of how the BBC (corporation) is not the same as BBC America (a channel in America): The IT Crowd was not produced by the BBC, nor was it funded by the BBC, nor was it shown on the BBC (any of their four TV channels) in the UK. To someone in the UK, it is a Channel 4 programme or, if they give it more thought, a talkbackThames programme, or a Graham Linehan programme. 86.142.231.220 (talk) 17:42, 15 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Oh, and regarding the spoken menu, I don't think it's for accessability at all. Before you get to the menu, it shows a spy in traditional black clothing with a black ski mask sneaking into an office building. There's a voice over which is supposed to be a mission briefing type thing. He arrives at a desk and the briefing turns into a description of what you see on the desk. The voice over basically tells you what those things on the desk do, e.g. "The stack of DVDs to the left have the program files, you can access biographical data of the targets in the rolodex to the left of that, use the telephone to adjust audio settings..." There are no visual menus. Only this voice over and a pointer on the screen which you move around to each item on the desk. The first time I went through it, my wife was talking to me as the menu was loading and I had to stop her by saying, "Wait, I think this is the menu. I'm missing what all this does." It's an interesting twist on the usual menus but doesn't help the deaf or hard of hearing at all. Dismas|(talk)01:12, 15 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Interesting. While fun, that sounds like it goes against current BBC practice for their DVDs over here. I wonder if the region 2 DVDs do the same thing? 86.142.231.220 (talk) 17:44, 15 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Spoken menus are designed to be accessible to blind people. Although if there was no visual option at all, it would be inaccessible to deaf and hard of hearing people, so that does seem odd. --70.129.142.174 (talk) 04:31, 16 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
The Pods do have scanners in them, they once set off the alarms and automatically locked when Jools Siviter was in them, something which amused Tom greatly ("Jolly Japes in the playground Tom!"). As I recall it's series 1 episode 5, Traitor's Gate. EDIT: My error, it was Series 1 Episode 4, The Rose Bed Memoirs. 130.88.171.213 (talk) 12:51, 15 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Answering to the popularity of BBC programes in the USA, I am an American. I did enjoy the first two series of MI-5 (Spooks). However, I was positively blown away by Life on Mars, especially the final episode which was truly remarkable. I also enjoyed Ashes to Ashes.Chief41074 (talk) 19:32, 16 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Edy's "Frozen Dairy Dessert"
Edy's ice cream where I live (Northeast US) is labeled as "Frozen Dairy Dessert" rather than ice cream. Anyone know why this is? The ingredient list seems the same to me as "real" ice creams. Some obscure legal reason? (If anybody knows, this should be added to the article.) Staecker (talk) 14:07, 14 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Also note that Ice cream#United States states "American federal labeling standards require ice cream to contain a minimum of 10% milk fat (about 7 grams (g) of fat per 1/2 cup [120 mL] serving) and 20% total milk solids by weight". The use of skimmed milk would mean there would be a reduced level of milk fat in the end product, thus making and classification as an ice cream doubtful (yet not impossible). Nanonic (talk) 14:44, 14 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I've noticed here in South Africa that "ice cream" is used for the product when made with animal fat, whereas "frozen dessert" is used for the (almost identical) product made using vegetable fat. To get around this conundrum some sneaky marketers simply carry on using the term "ice cream" but then put an asterisk after it and the words "with vegetable fat" in the fine print below. Zunaid·FOREVER12:51, 15 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
This seems to be an ironic case where the healthier product, with less animal fat, is labeled as if it's somehow an inferior product. If I had it my way, traditional ice cream would be called "high animal fat ice cream", and the healthier stuff would just be called "ice cream". StuRat (talk) 15:06, 15 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
"Less animal fat" is not necessarily a good thing. For example, the partially hydrogenated vegetable oils widely used in fast food frying are much worse for you than the beef tallow they replaced. FiggyBee (talk) 15:54, 15 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
If it was up to me, the ersatz version made with vegetable oil would be labelled "frozen industrial vegetable extract with added colourings, flavourings and texture-modifiers" and the real stuff would be called "ice cream". DuncanHill (talk) 19:26, 15 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
My headphone has developed a crack across the top (photo) and will probably break in half soon if I don't fix it. I've tried using epoxy but it just pulls away when stress is applied (ie. putting it on my head) as it doesn't bond to the plastic very well. What other methods/glue can I use to fix this? --antilivedT | C | G23:19, 14 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I'd consider gussets: thin plastic or metal rectangles on the outside and (especially) inside of the strap. Glue them on and, for security, drill a couple of holes and put in machine screws and nuts. You'll obviously have to peel the padding back for access. The problem with gluing without gussets is that there's a lot of strain concentrated in a small area. Just make the atrea bigger. PhGustaf (talk) 00:19, 15 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
When superglue dries, it becomes solid plastic. Perhaps a resin, such as GC resin, would work -- it's used in dentistry and, although it's red in color, did a great job holding my light for 4 years so far. DRosenbach(Talk | Contribs)03:14, 15 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
You need something with a decent tensile strength. Have you tried something as simple as duck tape? As a wise man once said, "if you can't duck it, fuck it"... --Jayron3205:29, 15 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Replacing it with something better would indeed be the best approach. If the editor is short on cash for these increasingly-expensive items, the duct tape answer is a pretty good one. Should make it last awhile. Or any kind of strong tape, really. ←Baseball BugsWhat's up, Doc?carrots→ 04:46, 16 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
It's a pair of Sennheiser wireless headphones so I'm a bit reluctant replacing it if I can fix it. The plastic is PP and apparently all the commonly available glues don't stick to it. Tape definitely won't work since the stress will simply rip the tape off. In the end I welded it with a soldering iron. It's not very pretty but it works. Thanks for the help guys. --antilivedT | C | G03:51, 18 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
November 15
Thai pen: where to buy
Very strange one... I recently found a pen lying around somewhere, and like it a lot. I'd like to buy one, but the label is only in Thai... could someone identify the brand, or a shop in the UK that sells them, perhaps? Picture here – thanks! ╟─TreasuryTag►inspectorate─╢12:38, 15 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
And really, do you need to write "copyright 2009" all over the image? Nobody is going to want to pirate your blurry pen photo. --Mr.98 (talk) 13:57, 15 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
The label has some resemblance of Muji. Can't be sure though without seeing more of the pen or label. --Chan Tai Man 14:05, 15 November 2009 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Chantaiman (talk • contribs)
Well, not too likely. They range of items that a typical Japanese stationary shop carries (or any stationary shop in the Far East with strong Japanese cultural influence) are really staggering. Range of choices in Staples is okay. Sometimes, I wonder if all major UK high street stationers share a single merchandiser behind the scene. Their range of choice is absolutely boring. I wonder what is it like in other places. --Chan Tai Man 17:55, 16 November 2009 (UTC)
The last word appears to be ムラサキ (purple). I'm going by the original, very fuzzy, image since the second one seems to no longer exist. The line below that might have information about the manufacturer, but it's unreadable. -- BenRG (talk) 10:31, 17 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Hi, TreasuryTag: your gel pen has been positively identified in a Muji shop in the UK. It comes with a range of colour with 0.38mm or 0.5mm tip thickness variants. It costs £1.50. Its tag completes with the "Made in Thailand" wording that you haven't shown. Having said that. Muji doesn't usually sell items exclusively to them, so you might able to find an identical pen under a different label or brand. BTW, case solved, but I am not sure the "founding fathers" of the RD envisioned it is to be used in this way. 8-) --Chan Tai Man 20:51, 17 November 2009 (UTC)
Mitsubishi survival/camping tool
I found a very old leather sheath/case that fits onto a leather belt. It contains a "survival tool kit" consisting of knives, fork, spoon, cork screw, scissors, screw driver, bottle opener, etc. for a total of 11 tools. The leather case is stamped JAPAN and on the front metal piece it says MITSUBISHI and shows the emblem for that manufacturer. I can't find ANY information about this tool anywhere and would appreciate some information. Thank you.72.173.64.59 (talk) 17:17, 15 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
You probably know this already, but you can buy tools like that nowerdays. And as you've probably already guessed, it seems it was made by Mitsubishi in the early days - I think they are best known for electronics now. 78.149.122.6 (talk) 20:07, 16 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Mitsubishi, which was founded as a shipping and trading concern of the Tosa Domain in 1870, is one of the largest keiretsu and was the largest zaibatsu in Japan. They build ships, trains, planes, tanks, cars and trucks, they own the country's largest oil and chemical companies, nuclear reactors, mines, breweries, real estate developers, banks and insurance companies. To say they're an electronics company which may have made a leather tool case "in the early days" is something of an understatement. FiggyBee (talk) 20:37, 16 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
NOTE: Company name was "Sportcaster" not "Sportscaster."
November 16
Inducing a past dream or similar dreams.
If you have had a dream that you want to have again, what are the best ways of making it (or a similar dream) more possible? I have read a decent proportion of the Dream article but the sections I read didn't help very much, and I couldn't read it all because it's awfully long. Thanks very much in advance for any help you can provide. I left but now I'm back (talk) 00:09, 16 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
The same way that you get reoccurring nightmares, by thinking about it all day or by repeatedly being exposed to the stimulation that triggered it in the first place such as horror movies for nightmares. --121.54.2.188 (talk) 06:56, 16 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Might be a silly question, but why are modern computer chips made from semi-conductors and not full conductors? What would happen if the latter were used instead? Acceptable (talk) 01:35, 16 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Personally, I have found the HowStuffWorks article to be a better lay explanation of what semiconductors are and how they are used in transistors than the Wikipedia article (which, like many Wikipedia articles on technical things, get too technical too fast). The real advantage, as I understand it, of semiconductors over conductors (e.g., just copper wires), is that you can very carefully control the electrical conductivity of a semiconductor, which allows you create transistors, which act like little electronic switches. --Mr.98 (talk) 01:43, 16 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Possibly the OP thinks Semiconductor just means "poor conductor". As the article shows they are much more than that. The key feature of a semiconductor crystal is what kind of carriers carry an electric current. Useful devices (diode, transistor and more) can be made by putting together different semiconductor materials. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 11:13, 16 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
There are two things we commonly build from semiconductors - switches and amplifiers. In both cases, you need to be able to control the conductivity of the device electrically. That's not something you can do with fully conductive materials. Without the ability to switch - we'd have no computers or other digital devices. Without the ability to amplify - there would be no analog devices. Computer chips are actually made of layers of semiconductor - but there are layers of metal (aluminium) conductors in there too. The semiconductors make the interesting switches and amplifiers - the conductors connect them together. Both are important. SteveBaker (talk) 13:41, 16 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
We can build both with fully doncutive materials, can't we, they just have to be massive (vacuum tubes and so on)? The reason we use semiconductors is that what otherwise would be a huge component can now be almost infinitely reduced, so that thousands of components that would have occupied a big board, for example, now fit on one chip? --PalaceGuard008 (Talk) 22:51, 16 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Limitations such as component failure rate, heat dissipation and signal propagation time make it impossible to build a computer processor like the one you are using out of pre-semiconductor-era components. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 23:26, 16 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Vacuum tubes are not fully conductive, since a diode conducts only in one direction and amplifier tubes (triodes, pentodes) have conductivity (in the plate circuit) controlled by grid voltage, with a small energy signal controlling a large energy signal. "Control" is where a small signal (like your foot on the brake pedal) controls a large force (like the brakes on the car). "Efficiency" is related to your question: some electronic circuits waste more energy than others, while achieving somewhat comparable results. A computer with electromechanical relays uses more electricity than one with vacuum tubes, which uses more electricity than one with transistors, which uses (I expect) more electricity than one with chips, along with each generation being faster and more powerful. Even in electronics with chips, some older circuitry used more power than later CMOS chips, to achieve the same calculating power. Edison (talk) 02:26, 17 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Actually, one needs to be careful with that. The 23% is likely to represent the quantity of beef being produced (say in number of heads or perhaps by weight) that is traded. Since not all of the world production may be open to free traded (say due to export controls and tariffs; health and food regulations, and other barriers) and the non-traded beef may be systematically different in quality compared to the traded-beef, it would be incorrect to naively price the whole world production based on the export-market price levels. Abecedare (talk) 02:32, 18 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
For my French class, I have to answer a bunch of short-answer (one or two sentences each) questions about Le petit Nicolas, but one of those questions, about chapter 19 "Je quitte la maison", has me stumped: "Expliquez le symbolisme de ce dernier chapitre." Can you please help me? --70.134.48.115 (talk) 03:05, 16 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I'm happy to translate the question: "Explain the symbolism of the chapter you have just read." (Not a direct translation, but a clear one, I hope.) Does that help? Marco polo (talk) 03:18, 16 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Anything can be symbolic. For example, "Je quitte la maison" could be a metaphor for leaving home in senses other than the merely physical, e.g. growing up, or giving up.--Shantavira|feed me09:54, 16 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Nicolas runs away when his mother scolds him for spilling ink on the new carpet, intending to amaze his parents by returning in a few years, rich and successful with a plane and a car. He asks his hungry friend Alceste to come, but Alceste refuses because dinner will be ready soon. Reminded of mealtimes, Nicolas eats his chocolate and spends his last few coins on an eclair rather than a plane and a car. He decides to borrow a more humble form of transport to run away, but his friend Clotaire won't lend him his bike, and the toy-shop man won't buy his toys so he can buy the bike from Clotaire. Nicolas bursts into tears and the man gives him a toy car to comfort him, at which point Nicolas goes home happy and decides he'll definitely run away tomorrow instead. Think about the symbolism of trying to sell your toy train and car to fund your escape to adulthood and the acquisition of real cars and planes! Le petit Nicolas is all about childhood. In this last chapter Nicolas tries and fails to exchange the safe world of childhood for a car and a plane, symbols of adulthood. He ends up with a symbolic car instead and goes back happily to childhood. Or something like that ... Que c'est chouette!Karenjc18:16, 16 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
The tale is one of sexual repression. Nicolas is trapped in his Oedipus complex wherein his puerile libido drives a fantasy catharsis of arriving in streamlined (= phallic) vehicles by which he will steal the mother from the father. The superfluity of the two vehicles, car and plane is obvious when one notes their potent symbolisms of the controlling driver Nicolas first steering his mother as passenger, then stimulating her by speeding and finally attaining orgasm in the ecstatic catharsis of an aerial lift-off. There are other deeper issues. Why does the hungry friend Alceste refuse to partake in the adventure? He may suspect Alceste is secretly plotting against him. Nicolas' paranoia finds confirmation when Clotaire the false friend thwarts his escaping by bike and the toy-shop man joins the same conspiracy. At this point occurs a complex secretomotor phenomenon characterized by the shedding of tears from the lacrimal apparatus, see The Primal Scream by Arthur Janov. By this stratagem Nicolas achieves a dual victory: the material reward of a free car plus this lesson in survival: Women cannot be trusted but men can be controlled emotionally. Nicolas is content to await the resolution of his sexual orientation until tomorrow, which for him will be puberty. It is obvious to a psychoanalyst that this is the classic Child development that leads to heterosexuality, homosexuality, both or neither. This could take years of therapy. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 23:08, 16 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I don't really think it fits at all, in terms of the numbers of buildings, the shapes, the placements (even imagining it from a different angle). --Mr.98 (talk) 16:08, 16 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Only a guess I guess but my guess would be London. Look at the much smaller centre front building with 4 chimney stacks and I am thinking Battersea Power Station on the bank of the the River Thames. 92.22.6.186 (talk) 20:20, 16 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I would concur with that, and add Canary Wharf in the background (pointed top), but some of the others look just too tall. I would suspect therefore that it's not a single picture. Ronhjones (Talk)20:48, 16 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
The solid block of high-rises does not look like London to me. I suspect that the power plant could be Philadelphia's Trigen plant. If so, this would be a view of Philadelphia Center City from the southwest, as opposed to from the east, as shown in the view from Camden above. Marco polo (talk) 21:37, 16 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
It might be 2 or three or four skylines put together. I would guess we are talking about the one in the background, although it appears the closest. The lightening is almost certainly not of the same photograph as the most prominent skyline. The same thing for the rays of light emanating from the upper right. It could be Manhattan from Central Park. Bus stop (talk) 21:58, 16 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I don't think that's Battersea Power Station; the smokestacks look too high in relation to the distance
between them. It also isn't a good match for the linked image of the Trigen plant, which has 10 smokestacks that appear to be about equally high. I just did a Google Images search on the terms "philadelphia" and "4 OR four chimneys OR smokestacks", and the only hit in the first three pages that resembled the album image was this power station in New York City; but when it was in use it had that big coal-loading apparatus, and according to the page where the image was linked from, the smokestacks were demolished in 2005. So I doubt it's that one. (Here's another image of it with the smokestacks but without the loading apparatus.) What this seems to show is that this was a relatively common design for big power stations and it will be hard to find the right one. --Anonymous, 00:22 UTC, November 17, 2009.
Well-paid student jobs
In just under 2 years I'll be going back to school to get my MA. I can borrow money to cover some of my living expenses, but probably not everything, and it is an MA so my spare time will be less than most undergrads have. So I'm looking out for student work that's a bit more flexible and better paid than the usual supermarket or bar shifts. Ideally something I could do from home over the internet. I'm working now, but 2 years' worth of evenings and weekends should be enough to pick up some new skills (I hope...). Anyone got some ideas to throw at me, other than prostitution? 89.195.228.168 (talk) 20:52, 16 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
When I was similarly as a student seeking unskilled work I was advised to choose between Trash collector and washing bodies in a morgue. I chose a summer job doing the former but in retrospect the latter might have been more educational. OTOH the clients don't tip so well. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 21:56, 16 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
You should try and find a job that uses the qualifications and work experience you already have. Undergrads need to find unskilled work like bar tending (and prostitution), but a mature post-grad should be able to find a well paid part time job using the skills they have. --Tango (talk) 22:17, 16 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Not really. If you have certain skills you can get more money doing it, but at the lowest level it is pretty much unskilled. --Tango (talk) 23:24, 16 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
A "well-paid student job" is something of an oxymoron, assuming you are unskilled. The difficulty is that with some unskilled jobs, there is an investment by you and by the employer to learn more skills. But a student job is essentially a temp job. It can be very difficult to get a decent temporary job, even if you have a bachellor's degree. If it were me, I would concentrate on finding a job that had something to do with what you were getting the MA in—even if it was just administrative/research work around the department where you will be working and didn't pay well. (It would at least be a decent investment of your time, unlike being a trash collector.) --Mr.98 (talk) 01:51, 17 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Why wouldn't you seek a teaching assistant or research assistant job? They typically pay a stipend plus free tuition. This adds up to more money than other plausible legal entry level jobs, and provide things you can list on your resume besides "bartender," etc. It is a good deal for the student and a good deal for the college, which doesn't have to pay s faculty member. Edison (talk) 02:18, 17 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Depending on what the MA is in and at what university, there may or may not be such jobs available. If there are, then it is certainly a good option. You shouldn't be looking for entry-level jobs if you have a degree and several year's work experience, though. --Tango (talk) 03:06, 17 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
What are you doing now? You haven't made it too clear what experience you've got. I'll add that I don't think finding work need be that easy, regardless of credentials, though (I think) work experience really helps. I've got a physics degree, and despite around 40 job applications my search for work was fruitless, so I decided to take up a fully funded PhD place!--Leon (talk) 06:34, 17 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Well you've got enough time to do some teacher training. I don't know where you're located, but in the UK there is a high demand for one-to-one tuition for schoolchildren, and that's typically self-employed at around £30 per hour. If you had a basic adult education teaching certificate, you could teach adults in your subject at a local college, which pays around £20 per hour less tax and NI. With a teaching certificate you could work in the private education sector. Something else you could start now is some voluntary work, which will give you a feel for paid employment: it may not pay as well as teaching, but home carers work hours to suit, and you could even work nights as a carer which would pay even more. How's that for some ideas? --TammyMoet (talk) 10:07, 17 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I am getting too judgemental on my co- workers and often critcize everything and every one. I understand that it is not good, but I seem to relapse to the same behaviour after few days of abstinence. What is the way out? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 59.93.201.46 (talk) 11:19, 17 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Hard to do I know but try gathering those folk you tend to criticise around a cup of coffee and a tin of biscuits that you will buy, and explain how you feel and ask them how it affects them and how they feel about you. You may get a very rude awakening but I guess people will be impressed at your readiness to listen. But as I said, it's hard laying yourself bare in such circumstances. Good luck. 92.9.156.61 (talk) 13:38, 17 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Try working on your social-skills, your compassion and your empathy. Remember that you are not perfect yourself. Remember that (depending on your job and the people) it's possible some of your co-workers are not really bothered about their work, they just want to do enough to keep the job and get paid. That 'half hearted' approach is not always the case, but it's out there. Similarly laern to understand that just because you have (for instance) a preferred way of doing something doesn't make it the only way, or the (necessarily) the right way. Most jobs have multiple ways of doing the same thing, with pros and cons to each - people will have preferences. Basically, stop being a grumpy person and try to look at things in a positive light, or try to overcome frustrations by accepting them and moving on (assuming you've tried and failed to eradicate/overcome them). 194.221.133.226 (talk) 13:50, 17 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Being open with your feelings is the best way to go. Go ahead and criticize, and see how they respond. Sooner or later you'll work out the kinks in yourself and get to a better place. Vranak (talk) 17:12, 17 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
That's a rather mixed message, Vranak. Being open with your feelings is fine, generally speaking. But there's more than one way of expressing feelings of irritation, frustration etc other than just criticising its source. Explaining to them how you feel and why, is preferable to just criticising them. The idea is that they can be brought in to an understanding of how their behaviour affects you, but in a safe way, where they're more likely to start to see it from your perspective and modify their behaviour. -- JackofOz (talk) 19:31, 17 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
The path of excess leads to the palace of wisdom. So I would recommend being a little coarse and unpleasant for a time so that you get feedback. Eventually, with enough feedback, a person gets their head straight. But there's no feedback if you self-censor your hostile feelings. Vranak (talk) 21:06, 17 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
In the real world, a co-worker who continues to narcissistically impose his coarseness and unpleasantness on everyone else is liable to find himself in an H.R. situation due to creating a hostile work environment, which if uncorrected will eventually lead to dismissal. Doing what you feel like is not the right way to do things. Working as a team requires compromising that stuff. If one is not able to do so, he should seek professional help, which wikipedians are not qualified to give. ←Baseball BugsWhat's up, Doc?carrots→ 22:34, 17 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Well if somebody is so messed-up that it ends up with HR, or they end up unemployed, so much the better. The chickens eventually come home to roost, and whatever demons possess you must be expunged sooner or later. Living comfortably is not conducive to exorcisms. Vranak (talk) 22:46, 17 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I (JackofOz) never suggested one should censor one's feelings of hostility. They should be expressed (otherwise they'll stick around), but there are ways of doing that that work better than just lashing out. Lashing out, believe it or not, puts you in the position of victim (i.e. not in control, i.e. lose, i.e. lose-lose), whereas if you communicate whatever your feelings are, while keeping the other party engaged and on side, then you stay in control and everyone wins. -- 202.142.129.66 (talk) 01:37, 18 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Yeah Vranak - I have worked for bosses who espoused your stance - but not nearly as effectively as I would have done had they been more conducive to knowing how to get the best out of me. Funny thing though - in every case I can recall - they always left under a cloud whilst my star kept on ascending and I was promoted to their job and beyond. Whenever I see one of them in the street now that they and I are retired I am happy to greet their weasel "Hello's" with expletives beginning with "F". 92.9.156.61 (talk) 00:00, 18 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Stance? What stance? That people should reveal their inner feelings, even if they are ugly? I don't think that's a stance so much as being an emotionally-valid human being. But what do I know! I have no wealth to my name, so my opinion can't possibly be worth a second thought! Vranak (talk) 00:05, 18 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Work is never just about the work. The actual activities of pushing pencils and calculating various things of dubious importance is largely window-dressing to the social interplay between persons who would otherwise be bored and alone. Vranak (talk) 02:32, 18 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Excruciating boredom at work, home and school can lead to people editing wikipedia. That the secret of our "success", and also all the vandalism. :-) Abecedare (talk) 02:49, 18 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Without being specific to any unnecessary degree, what are you being "judgmental" about? Is there any theme? Are they (your coworkers) of equal status, or above or below you in any hierarchy that may apply in the work setting? Please do not reveal personal information but can you provide us with any clues as to the nature of the worlplace? Are your concerns only personal, or do they have ultimate consequences beyond you or even your coworkers? Bus stop (talk) 01:56, 18 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Comment: This being a reference desk, I think it would be most helpful if we could provide the OP with links to books, articles or groups that provide advise on office interpersonal relationship. Abecedare (talk) 02:03, 18 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
OP, here are some books I found that address the topic of your question:
If you search Google Books for keywords such as "workpace" and "criticism", you'll be able to find many more references. I personally cannot make a recommendation, since I have not read anything in the area, but perhaps someone else on the board can (although caveat emptor always applies when taking advise and recommendations from anonymous persons on the web, so you should search for book reviews too!). Hope that helps. Abecedare (talk) 02:14, 18 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I'm going to be restricted from my collage courses, and further education on collage campuses, due to an unauthorized search of my vehicle on campus grounds. Where can I find a good pro bono lawyer who represents the NRA, or one who is a firm believer in second amendment rights, in Illinois, preferably in or around Cook County? --HitmanNumber86 (talk) 15:19, 17 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
You don't want a lawyer "who represents the NRA", you want a lawyer who represents you. A "firm believer in second amendment rights" might be great if you want someone to chat with about how you did nothing wrong, but they're not necessarily going to be the best person to present your case to the college or to a judge. Incidentally, the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution (which guarantees against unreasonable searches, not "unauthorised" ones), like the rest of the Bill of Rights, applies only to the actions of the government and to criminal cases, not to private organisations (like campus security) and civil cases or non-legal penalties. Good luck! FiggyBee (talk) 15:58, 17 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Their is no "campus security." They are real police officers, working out of a real police department, on campus. I'm not sure if I need a lawyer yet. I was charged with traffic violations, and will pay my dues for them. I just don't want the unlawful search of my vehicle to hamper my education, especially when campus policy is made unclear. If all colleges had the same policy, gunsmithing courses would have a lot of trouble holding classes. I want to have a lawyer at the ready to represent my standing in not knowing that campus policy overrules county, state, and federal law. I don't want to sue the campus, due to the fact that they have never had a successful lawsuit against them (they've spent 100,000 USD to save 2,000 USD). I only need someone to help present my case, if needed. --HitmanNumber86 (talk) 17:57, 17 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
See motor vehicle exception, and also consider that the college is not a court, so even if the search was "unlawful" that doesn't mean the college can't act on it. I don't know if you'd be able to get a pro bono lawyer if you're not actually going through the legal system. Is there any kind of student advocacy body you can ask for help? Otherwise, all I can suggest is be apologetic and polite rather than combative - you broke the rules, you know better now, and you're asking for forgiveness. FiggyBee (talk) 18:09, 17 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Inferentially, we understand you've been caught with a gun on campus and you write under the pseudonym HitmanNumber86. Nope, I can't see a problem with any of that... --Tagishsimon(talk)18:26, 17 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
You might find additional related information in the Gun laws in the United States (by state) article]]. However, considering the number of murders carried out by disaffected students at US schools and colleges, why on Earth do you think it is remotely acceptable to take a gun to school (or anywhere else for that matter)? I'm surprised they didn't throw you out of school, permanently. Astronaut (talk) 04:09, 18 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I suspect the OP will argue that precisely because of the murders they feel they need the gun. While I don't agree with this view, this clearly isn't the place for such discussions as the header says, no soapboxing or debates please Nil Einne (talk) 08:12, 18 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
You may try contacting your local chapter of the ACLU or the NRA; be aware that both organizations have finite resources, and may also have goals that differ from your own. Is your aim here to be a widely-cited legal precedent, provoke debate among pundits, and spend a significant part of the next few years in court appearances and preparation — or do you just want to put the matter behind you quickly and quietly and go back to being an ordinary student? (That said, it can't hurt to ask. Be aware of proposed legal strategy and likely outcomes before you get started. Is this a problem that can be solved by a couple of messages on legal firm letterhead, will there be meetings for mediation, or is there going to be a trial of some sort?)
Another option is that universities with law schools often operate free or steeply-discounted legal aid clinics. By their nature, these organizations generally have extensive experience in resolving disputes between students and the university administration. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 14:30, 18 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
authentic Katana
iv always been fascinated by the katana, and would love to own a authentic one. i dont mean like an antique, just one made by one of the few licensed smiths that still make them. only thing is i dont know where to look, or how to be sure there actualy an authentic Tamahagane and nabe-gane steel sword.
I also would love to own an authentic sword one day. I was in Japan about seven years ago and visited a store called Japan Sword in Tokyo. The website is a bit dated and crappy. They had both old and new traditionally crafted swords. I was weak at the knees after walking around the store for a few minutes.. From memory I believe the starting price was about US$7000 back then for a newly crafted blade, don't know what it is now. If I was going to seriously consider purchasing one then I would start by contacting the store directly and asking if they had an English speaking agent. Apart from that, you would have to familiarise your self with your local laws regarding owning and importing such a weapon. I live in Australia where importing a sword is actually not very easy. I believe it is easier in the states but if you don't follow the law to the letter you risk having your precious investment confiscated or worse even being charged for importing illegal goods. The alternative to tide you over, is look up local blacksmiths in your area who are making swords. I was surprised that there are a few people who are reviving the art and take it quite seriously as a hobby, and actually make quite good stuff. Sure it's not authentic but for a tiny fraction of the price you can have something you can still be proud to own, not a cheap moulded fake, is quite practical and nice, will fool most people hanging on the wall and you'll be supporting a local crafts person. Vespine (talk) 05:30, 18 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
An antique may actually be cheaper than a high-quality modern sword (and, imo, will be more "authentic" since it was actually made as a weapon, not as an art piece). Many thousands of Japanese shin gunto were exported to the United States after WWII, including many older blades in the officers' versions. FiggyBee (talk) 10:31, 18 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
well i have to thank you both, im actualy an intermediate swordsmen and so far my faverite to use is the katana. it just feels right, problem is i dont own one and im dieing to one day. as for a local smith, i dont think anyone here in the states makes them the way i want it. if im going to pay for somthing i may have to use, i want the realy thing. but a WWII model98 i think its called would be realy cool too :)--Talk Shugoːː 18:54, 18 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
How can I develop two more personalities?
So I was reading Deadpool and it looks like he has a lot of fun, so I'd like to develop some more personalities, but I'm not sure where to begin? I read your article, but it doesn't mention how to develop split personalities, only how to cure it. 150.182.174.111 (talk) 20:08, 17 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
screw around with some demonic stuff like wika or some conjuring book and you'll get some personalitys, although you might not like what you get lol --Talk Shugoːː 20:25, 17 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I tend to agree with both TreasuryTag and Tango, but I believe that attempting to cause yourself severe head trauma would help your goal but would be completely inadvisable as it could also kill you. -- Friend or Foe?! Declare or Die!! - KillergruntRGNL20:29, 17 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Generally (and perhaps universally) speaking, one does not develop psychological eccentricities out of preference or whimsy. They develop when your mind cannot bear a particular aspect of reality. And that sort of situation is forced upon you by malefactors and oppressors. Can you oppress yourself? Can you coax others into doing it? Of course not. Vranak (talk) 22:45, 17 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
If you've followed it long enough you would know , Wade Wilson is not really happy,more sort of manic.He got that way for taking part in a secret military project so there you go..hotclaws23:58, 17 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I'm not sure there is an evidence that head trauma or hallucinogenic substances can induce multiple personality disorder. Long term use of hallucinogenic drugs have been known to apparently trigger mental problems, but only after a long use, and those don't appear to be the kinds of changes desired. --Mr.98 (talk) 02:18, 18 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Some noted Wikipedians have developed multiple personalities, with different user names as well, although this is forbidden. Some are "bad hand" versions of an otherwise respectable user. They are called "sockpuppets." Some bad users have even become administrators or high ranking functionaries by maintaining socks which do "good edits." Edison (talk) 16:33, 18 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
duplicate to question asked at Humanities desk. Please answer there
The following discussion has been closed. Please do not modify it.
Dealing with Addiction (to either drugs, drink, sex, or anything), searching for a cure has been a vexing problem, for often the cure is not adequite and "back-sliding" occurs.
Is there anything on this? Or does anyone have thoughts on this?
I have been following the Conversion History of Saint Augustine in the various Article page and found they did not cover the subject adequitely. I re-studied the Confessions and discovered he found the key to a complete cure! He went from being an addict, to some backsliding, to a complete cure. And discovered his process had a number of key steps.
Am I alone on this?
MacOfJesus (talk) 21:36, 17 November 2009 (UTC)
I don't quite understand your question.Are you asking are you alone in finding a key to the cure for addiction in St.Augustins Confessions?...hotclaws00:01, 18 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
CA 11 to I-110 and CA 7 to I-710
When did the Long Beach Freeway and the Harbor Freeway actually change from CA 7/11 to I-710/110 completely post signs. Is 1981 the actual time when CA 11 sign post change up to i-110 because some maps still have Harbor Fwy as CA 11. What about Long Beach Frwy because some 1984 map still ahve them as CA 7. Could I-710 been fully change up in 1986 or late 1985? When highways change name how long it usulaly take to completely process? Just few weeks or up to a year to fully upgrade?--209.129.85.4 (talk) 21:47, 17 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
The articles you've linked give the dates when the signage was changed, at least on the highways themselves. I imagine that it might have taken a year or more to update all signs on all roads that intersect with these freeways. Map publishers may be slower to reflect the change for at least two reasons: 1) to save money, they fail to revise their maps completely, and/or 2) they leave old route numbers on maps thinking that their audience may be more familiar with those route numbers, especially if they are still used in conversation, traffic broadcasts, and so on. Marco polo (talk) 21:54, 17 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
There can also be cultural and social resistance to adopting a new highway number. The state of Massachusetts has been trying to make Massachusetts Route 128 disappear for years. Most of the route has been absorbed by I-95 and I-93, and the state has intentionally worked hard to minimize signage to encourage people to call it "I-95" instead of 128. Still, locals invariably call the road "128" (or wun-twunny-eh') even though it has become hard to find a "128" sign on or around it. It make giving directions to non-New Englanders tough; people looking for the 128 exit off of I-93 will miss it, since it isn't labeled, but locals stubbornly refuse to call it I-95. --Jayron3200:06, 18 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Many people either don't know or refuse to acknowledge that the storied U.S. Route 66 no longer exists (don't forget Winona!) Hell, try telling any New Englander that the Boston Post Road, usually referred to as the "Old Post Road" or just "Post Road", has long been more a series of disjointed local fragments than a continuous road between major cities. (On the other hand, some of England's great roads, still in use, were first built by the Romans.) —— Shakescene (talk) 04:49, 18 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Hello everybody! I wanna travel from Flagstaff, AZ to Tuba City, AZ but I didn't found flights and (Greyhound) buses. Can you help me, how can I travel? Thanks, Keldvi (talk) 20:08, 17 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I once flew across country where the final leg of the many stops was San Jose to San Francisco. The actual stops were Washington DC - Atlanta - New Orleans - Dallas - San Jose - San Francisco. 99.166.95.142 (talk) 16:52, 18 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Way back when I flew regularly from Oakland, CA, to Orange County. There was an intermediate stop at San Jose — the plane never got above 3'000 feet or so. More recently, there was a "non-stop" flight from San Jose to Tokyo. But the runway at San Jose that time couldn't handle a fully loaded and fueled 747. The plane took off half-gassed, trundled the 30 or so miles to SFO, filled up, and was off to Japan. PhGustaf (talk) 17:08, 18 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
SF and SJ each have a population 100 times that of Tuba City, hence my point. Most short scheduled flights are either between major cities, or between islands where other transport is impractical. FiggyBee (talk) 17:27, 18 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
To get from Abiding Savior Lutheran School in Lake For to orange lutheran high school
To get from Abiding Savior in El Toro to orange lutheran would average driving be 30 minutes. Is it possible to average 45 minutes to orange lutheran. Becasue when my dad once drove this took him 40 minutes to orange lutheran. But to Santa Margarita Catholic High School would the drive be 20 minutes on average? Because the computer teacher said was 25 minutes commute average wise. When map online give time do the time is only accurate when all the lights is green? Mapquest said 14 minutes from ASLS to SMCHS but would actual dirving be 20 minutes?--209.129.85.4 (talk) 22:06, 17 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I believe that programs like mapquest use an algorithm based on average speed of the type of road being traveled to calculate average drive times; thus it may assume that one can average 65 mph on a freeway and 55 mph on a divided highway but only 30 mph on a city street. Of course, since they cannot possibly know what the specific driving conditions are on the specific time you plan to be travelling, YMMV. Some mapping programs and GPS-enabled devices also have the possibility of encorporating real-time traffic information to adjust travel times on-the-fly; however a piece of paper printed off of mapquest does not usually have this functionality. --Jayron3223:15, 17 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
In my experience, estimates of driving time from mapping programs like Mapquest assume that there will be no traffic-related delays. They also don't take into account the density of traffic lights. As Jayron32 says, they may assume the same average speed for all roads of a given category anywhere in the world. However, at least for Google Mpas in the United States, I think that the quoted speed is related to the speed limit. In fact, travel times may be based exclusively on the speed limit, since they don't seem to take into account the frequency of traffic lights. So, I think that they assume that you will be the only car on the road, that you will always have green lights, but also that you will never exceed the speed limit. For that reason, travel time estimates tend to be too low for urban driving but are often conservative for longer drives on which you may exceed the speed limit (but don't tell anyone) on the open highway. Marco polo (talk) 20:59, 18 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
November 18
Expired cell-phone card
I had a cell-phone contract and after I had canceled it, I could still use the SIM card (for emergencies only). For that purpose, a cell-phone with an expired card can still connect to any tower, but does this generate costs for the cell-phone company? --Mr.K.(talk)12:51, 18 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Yes, sort of. You phone will use 'bandwidth' from their towers. The cost will be tiny-tiny-tiny but will have an impact on their traffic and thus on their costs - there'll not be a specific cost attributed to your phones existance - it is more maintainenance costs for the towers, which your phone won't be paying for. 194.221.133.226 (talk) 13:01, 18 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
In many countries they are obligated to by law. In the USA, FCC regulations require that every phone which is physically capable of connecting to the network must be able to call 911; this includes disconnected numbers, cell phones with expired cards, and even cell phones with no sim card in at all. FiggyBee (talk) 13:24, 18 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
This is the main reason why non-profits such as women's shelters will take donations of old cell phones. They give them to women who are getting out of bad relationships where they fear for their safety. As long as the phone is charged, and receiving a signal, they can dial 911 if their abusive ex attacks them. Dismas|(talk)14:07, 18 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I believe that in the UK (and EU?), the ability to call emergency services is a legal requirement for all telephones including mobiles. For example, just after I turn on my mobile, I am able to call 999/112/911 before I have even activated the SIM card with my PIN number - ie. subscription status or minutes remaining is not even checked. I presume the small cost of such calls is absorbed by the carrier. Astronaut (talk) 00:42, 19 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Free education isn't really free; someone has to pay professor's salaries, building and grounds maintenance, etc. etc. In countries with "free" university education, that cost is born by taxpayers in that country, so my guess is that most of those countries still charge tuition to foreign students coming to study; since those students would not be paying the taxes necessary to maintain the system. --Jayron3215:49, 18 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Yeah, except that – as the link I provided says – in Austria, at least, you do not have to pay tuition fees if you are a citizen of a country that Austria grants, due to international treaties, the same rights as Austrians. I have no idea if the USA is one such country or how many such countries there are. --Richardrjtalk email15:55, 18 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
(EC) In the UK, where the situation is slightly complicated*, you will have to pay overseas fees which are significantly higher than 'home' fees and vary from university to university and from course to course (e.g. from mid-single-digit thousands to around 23k for clinical medicine). This sort of information will be available on the 'international' or 'overseas' section of university admissions websites. 131.111.248.99 (talk) 15:52, 18 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
* Scottish university tuition fees are free for Scottish and non-UK EU (or EEA?) students; elsewhere you are guaranteed loans with relatively friendly terms to pay tuition fees. 131.111.248.99 (talk) 15:52, 18 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
When I was in college ([ahem] more than 20 years ago), the situation in Germany was that foreigners did not have to pay more than Germans to attend German universities, but they did have to meet German admission requirements, including proficiency in German. German universities did not charge "tuition" per se, but they did charge fees, which however were much lower than tuition and fees at almost any US university. Students at German universities were also entitled to grants from the German government to offset their living expenses, though apparently since my day, grants seem to have been partly replaced by loans. It used to be that foreign students could also receive German government grants, but per the German Wikipedia article on this, foreigners are now eligible for support only if they have been legal residents of Germany for at least 4 years. Nonetheless, I think tuition remains very low in Germany, even for foreigners. Marco polo (talk) 16:32, 18 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
In Norway, no tuition at all, neither for Norwegians nor foreigners. [6][7]. There is a small registration fee of usually less than (the equivalent of) $100 per semester, that's all. Living expenses can be high, but are lower in remote places (where there are still sometimes institutions of higher learning). Jørgen (talk) 19:57, 18 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
The simplest way to do it is to write at the top of the alternate account, in plain old text "This account is an alternate account of User:XXXXX" where XXXXX is your main account. However, someone has come up with a fancy template that does the same thing, see Template:User Alternate Acc. However, there is no requirement to use that tag, you just need to unambigiously link your two accounts. --Jayron3221:04, 18 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
You don't even have to unambiguously link accounts if you don't want to. Just don't sock puppet. Having multiple accounts that nobody knows about is fine as long as you aren't abusing any of them. --Mr.98 (talk) 22:56, 18 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Spinning black thing on top of vans
Hey
This has been bugging me for years, what are the names and purpose of the spinning black thing on top of some vans? It looks like they are wind powered so i assume they either charge something or do some other kind of job but what?
I tried finding a picture but with no luck :(
If anyone can inform me about these id be truely grateful! Cheers
(ec) I think they are air vents. They work like an (unpowered) extraction fan. Vans don't have windows or anything in the back, so they need some other way to keep ventilated. --Tango (talk) 22:43, 18 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Resolved
