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Best Spy Movies
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: [[Paul of Tarsus#Founding of churches]] could help. -- [[User:Shadikka|<span style="color:#00b0bf">S</span><span style="color:#0090bf">h</span><span style="color:#0070bf">a</span><span style="color:#0050bf">d</span><span style="color:#0030bf">i</span><span style="color:#0030bf">k</span><span style="color:#0010bf">k</span><span style="color:#0000bf">a</span>]] <span style="color:#0040bf"><small><sup>[[User talk:Shadikka|talk]]</sup><sub>[[Special:Contributions/Shadikka|contrib]]</sub></small></span> 2 May 2006, 17:41 (UTC) 17:46, 2 May 2006 (UTC)
: [[Paul of Tarsus#Founding of churches]] could help. -- [[User:Shadikka|<span style="color:#00b0bf">S</span><span style="color:#0090bf">h</span><span style="color:#0070bf">a</span><span style="color:#0050bf">d</span><span style="color:#0030bf">i</span><span style="color:#0030bf">k</span><span style="color:#0010bf">k</span><span style="color:#0000bf">a</span>]] <span style="color:#0040bf"><small><sup>[[User talk:Shadikka|talk]]</sup><sub>[[Special:Contributions/Shadikka|contrib]]</sub></small></span> 2 May 2006, 17:41 (UTC) 17:46, 2 May 2006 (UTC)

== Best Spy Movies ==

What is considered the best three spy movies ever made? (No James Bond, Please)

Revision as of 17:52, 2 May 2006

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April 25

Insurance against nuclear war

My renters' insurance policy has a clause about what isn't covered by the policy (emphasis mine):

We do not cover any loss caused directly or indirectly by any of the following:

...
  • War
  • Undeclared war
  • Civil war
  • Insurrection
  • Rebellion
  • Revolution
  • Warlike act by a military force or military personnel
  • Destruction, seizure, or use for a military purpose

Discharge of a nuclear weapon will be deemed a warlike act, even if accidental.

Now, this clearly means that loss caused by the accidental discharge of a nuclear weapon by anyone other than a military force is covered, but aside from that, what is the history of this sort of clause? When did insurance companies start announcing that nuclear weapons discharges are not covered, and is there a US state or federal law covering this? Is this related in any way to accidents during nuclear testing? --Carnildo 01:12, 25 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

A history of nuclear liability insurance is [here, although it is admittedly from a "nuclear responsibility" organization, so it's not bias-free. Essentially, it seems that as early as the 1950s the insurance industry realized the hazards of even nuclear accidents. For damn sure, every policy that was issued or renewed September 12, 2001 or later contains a nuclear weapon clause. --ByeByeBaby 01:44, 25 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
My dad went over with me his in surance policy and pretty much the same thing shows up. It says that it does cover against fires caused by a nuclear explosion though. schyler 02:06, 25 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

If you look further, you will see that it doesn't cover damage by earthquake. However, it covers a fire caused by an earthquake. So if the building is a big wreck after an earthquake, throw some gas on it... --Zeizmic 02:18, 25 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Hahaha. Does burning a pile of rubble count as arson...?  -- Run!  13:39, 25 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
These are pretty much industry standard exclusions, though the wordings & way of expressing the exclusions will vary. I doubt that if a nuke was accidentally detonated by civillians you would be covered as for them to get one in the first place would probably require rebellion or insurrection. There's also the fact that once its been detonated it would be hard to say who detonated it & why & some politicians would automatically consider it an act of war (after all 9/11 was carried out by civillians too).
These types of exclusion are quite common in the U.K. we have exclusions against sonic booms (from a hold-over from when Concord was being tested) & some still have Y2K exclusions on their policies. AllanHainey 14:18, 25 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

My understanding of the reasoning of this (and similar non-coverages, such as "war declared and undeclared") is to avoid the insurance company being accused of fraudulently charging you for insurance against events which, if they did occur, the insurer wouldn't be able to pay. Say, for example, if I sold you "global atomic holocaust survival" insurance, which said that if you were the survivor of a large-scale nuclear exchange (which killed say 95% of the population of your country) then you'd receive a cheque for a million dollars. Clearly my offering that insurance would be fraudulent, as I'd be unable to pay you in the event that you became elligible (I'd be dead, my company destroyed, my underwriters evaporated, my reinsurers vapourised, and all my records burned to ash). Now, if I wrote you a policy that simply said that in case of something bad happening I'd pay you the cost of damage to your car, but I didn't disclaim the nuclear-megadeath scenario, then you could sue me saying I was fraudulently charging you a portion of the premium for those scenarios were I wouldn't actually be in a position to pay. Indeed, as every clause in a contract has its origin in an earlier lawsuit, it's likely someone has sued an insurer with such a claim. So, as a consequence, they disclaim every liability where they'd clearly be unable to pay. The Canadian law mentioned in ByeByeBaby's link merely institutionalises this understanding, for one particular uncoverably-huge risk. The author of that page is, really, living in a dream world: no private insurer will ever cover such massive liabilities (and as noted above, it would be fraud if they were to collect insurance on the pretense that the did). So the nuclear industry just wouldn't have any insurance anyway (you can't mandate an insurer takes business he doesn't want to). So the Canadian government would be left with a choice - have no nuclear industry, or act as an insurer-of-last-resort itself. And that, really, is what national governments do; although they don't call it insurance, a national government will always end up holding the bill for a nuclear cleanup, and will be left with the electorally touchy issue of whether to pay the medical bills and resettlement costs of its newly irradiated citizenry. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 14:13, 25 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Oh, and another reason: what differentiates being an insurance underwriter from a gambler is that the underwriter tries to change the odds. So if you get fire and theft insurances the underwriter will mandate a certain level of fire alarm and security system. To facilitate that, they sponsor research and standardisation (that's what Underwriters Laboratories and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety are for). They can control some big stuff (they can specify designs for houses in earthquake and tornado areas, and ask for much higher premiums for non-compliant homes) but stuff like revolution, war, major civil unrest aren't something that a normal insurer can influence, so it's a game they don't want to play. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 14:37, 25 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I'm inclined to believe that if one detonated a nuclear weapon accidentally, one would not be able to claim it anyway. Nor would just about anyone within the blast radius. Of course, how a civillian might get their hands on a nuke in the first place to accidentally detonate it is beyond me, but I might imagine an accidental bomb detonation might go down like this:

  • Husband: "Honey, look what I found at work today!"
  • Wife: "Oh, wow, Bob, it's a high-yield nuclear device!"
  • Husband: "Yeah, isn't it great? Come on, let's go take it outside and play with it!"
  • Kids: "-in unison- Can we play with it, too, dad?"
  • Husband: "Have you finished your homework, kids?"
  • Kids: "Yes, dad!"
  • Husband: "Okay, you can come al--oops, I dr--"
  • Later that evening:
  • Local News Media: "A suburban neighborhood and most of the surrounding area was destroyed today by an accidental nuclear explosion; we would have film at eleven, but our traffic helicopter got blown up filming the explosion."

Hope that answers your question, somewhat. And if not, it makes you laugh like hell. Cernen Xanthine Katrena 00:43, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Fat or lean?

I'm a junior on my high school wrestling team. My questions deal with weight gain. My coach advised me to gain some weight at the end of last season but now he thinks I've added to much (I'm six three and went from a rail-thin 163 to a bulky 220, which means I jumped three weight classes). I've actually improved a lot over last year, but my body fat is way higher, and I'd ideally like to have it be lower. But if I burn it off, I don't think I'll be able to stay in the weight class, since I've never been able to build pure lean muscle. See the problem?

For those of us who don't live in Bisonland, it might be easier to visualise the problem by saying that he is 1.90 m tall, and went from a "rail-thin" 73.9 kg to a "bulky" 99.8 kg. Isn't it time the USA stopped stubbornly being different from the rest of the world? JIP | Talk 09:12, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Ignoring health issues (which I already dealt with) and looking at it only from a strategic position as a wrestler, what would be better for my performance? Should I risk losing mass/power or risk losing speed/agility? My coach says fat gets in the way and throw off your balance, but many of my teammates are huge and have no problem. Does anyone here have any experience with this kind of thing? Also, sorry this is a strange question, but can an athlete add fat to one part of the body while keeping another part lean? For example, harden the chest and legs but not the stomach? That one isn't practical, I was just curious because I've seen some wrestlers with strange body types and I thought maybe they were ignoring some exercises and overdoing others. Thanks in advance. 65.97.28.200 01:54, 25 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I don't think that you'll get any better expertise here, than your wrestling coach. He presumably has seen a few things... --Zeizmic 02:20, 25 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Probably, but I thought someone might have a different perspective on it. 65.97.28.200 02:47, 25 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
As a football player (lineman) and person-who-attended-one-wrestling-practice-before-deciding-he-didnt-like-cauliflower-ear, I can tell you that aside from the health issues and the stupidity of losing and gaining weight quickly; yes, it is possible to tone just one part of your body by lifting, but not by eating. You can't really control where the food is going on your body, so you're best left just running and lifting in certain areas. But I'll warn you, not only is it bad for you, a good deal of my teammates do extreme stuff, and they look deformed. If you want to keep looking handsome, I'd recommend you work out, build your base, agility things and the like. Do squats, dead lifts, power/hang clean, and leg press, and you'll be a) stronger, and b) steadier on your feet, not to mention have a better advantage. Just so you know, muscle weighs more than fat (yeah, I forgot I was supposed to be wikilinking things), so that's something you might want to take in mind. If you would have to choose between one or the other, I'd say go with what you're best at, and failing that, go for agility. As my obese pop warner coach told me, "eat lots of cantaloupe." Y'cant go wrong. -Mysekurity [m!] 04:35, 25 April 2006 (UTC)

Short answer: lean. Long answer: it depends on your technique and body type. I have some vague experience with this from playing intermural football, but it probably works a little differently in wrestling. Nevertheless, it seems like most of the wrestlers at my school (especially the underclassmen) are rather small and lean, and restrict their conditioning to weightlifting, running, sparring, etc. They might be asked to lose weight, but I've never heard of them putting on weight on purpose. That strikes me as a bit intensive for high school. Our wrestlers tend on average to be shorter and lighter than the football players. They have a reputation for being wiry.

I can tell you from personal experience that raw body mass isn't always an advantage. In sumo, it's a different story, but I think the standard procedure is to work off as much dead weight as possible before gaining back weight as muscle (I had to do that every spring). Of course, several of our wrestlers are enormous and heavy-set, and they seem to do just fine. I think it has more to do with your personal style and how you handle yourself. I'm sure if you tell your coach you have a problem, he'll be able to work something out. Or simply indulge his request -- if it turns out you don't perform as well after you've lost the weight, no one can say it's your fault. Bhumiya (said/done) 05:12, 25 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Windows XP Home Edition, whatever that is

So, my computer (running XP) was fine until my cousin screwed around with it a few days ago and now the STart menu is much smaller and says "Windows XP Home Edition" on the left hand side. I can't figure out how to change it back to whatever it was before. Help?

Try Start | Settings | Taskbar and Start Menu, then click on the Start Menu tab and change Classic Start Menu back to Start menu. --jh51681 02:58, 25 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
And you are aware there are two versions of Windows XP: Home and Professional, right? Even though SP2 seems to disguise that. -Benbread 17:22, 25 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Help with Game Informers Subscription!

Hi, I know this might sound dumb but, how do I subscribe to Game Informers VIA Mail? I am just 14 years old but I have the money, my problem is where do I get a money order, and what do I do next, because I just came here in the United States 4 months ago, so I'm not yet used to all this stuff. I would appreciate it if someone would help me step by step, starting from the money order, to where to place the subscription card, and sending the mail with stamp! And if you are wondering what if I just ask someone older than me, well they are also unfamiliar with this. Again I will thank everyone who will help me.

Most magazines have a subscription card in them, it's usually made of a thicker paper than all the other pages of the magazine. There is also generally an address on the card saying where to send it to and how much money to send for the subscription. You can normally mail all this in to the magazine and they will then start your subscription. As far as the money order goes, you can get these at any bank or major grocery store although they generally charge a couple dollars for them to print up the money order. There is no minimum age limit to get a money order. Dismas|(talk) 04:51, 25 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The Moon Illuminating the sky

For a Science Badge, I have to find out why the moon does not illuminate the sky. I have not been able to find this information anywhere on the internet and would be grateful if someone could tell me this. --Caleb 03:43, 25 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The Moon does not create any light like the Sun. It only reflects the light from the sun. See also Phases of the moon. Dismas|(talk) 04:47, 25 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Next time maybe ask in the Wikipedia:Reference desk/Science. The moon doesn't illuminate the sky because it is not bright enough. The air is illuminated somewhat, but not enough light scatters to make it a bright blue. Unless you ask why you can see the stars when the moon is there. Then that would be because, again, the moon is not bright enough. -- Mac Davis] ⌇☢ ญƛ. 10:47, 25 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
AH, but when the moon is full, you can see signifigantly fewer stars than when the moon is new! It is not bright enough to make the sky blue, or banish all the stars, but it's certainly the brightest thing in the nighttime sky.Brian Schlosser42 15:10, 25 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
A full moon directly overhead is also bright enough to lighten the sky at the horizon (this is much easier to see over the sea or open countryside). Grutness...wha? 02:53, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Dismas had it right, and I'm surprised s/he's been virtually ignored. The moon has no brightness of its own. It just reflects the light of the sun. Otherwise it's basically a sphere shaped rock that orbits the earth. So to answer the original question, the moon does not illuminate the sky for the same reason that a rock doesn't produce light: it's just a rock, not a light source. (Or you can think of it like a giant mirror orbitting the earth. When the sun shines on it and the light of the sun gets reflected on the earth, it would appear that the "giant mirror" was actually producing light. But in reality it's just a mirror, and has no brightness of it's own.) Loomis51 02:56, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

AFAICS no one ignored him, they just added to his answer. And I think possibly we're overdefining "illuminate" here. Yes, the Sun is ultimately the source of all the light that we're talking about (except the starlight that's being drowned out), but if I use a mirror to shine light into a dark corner it seems silly to say that I'm not illuminating the corner. If the Sun were much brighter than it is, the amount of light reflected from it by the Moon would be enough to overwhelm all the stars and illuminate the sky, just as the amount of light we get from the Sun does now. It's the reflection that reduces the intensity (partly because the Moon's albedo is <1, but mainly because the light incident on the Moon is then scattered rather than pointing coherently at Earth). --Bth 08:33, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
That's exactly the reason I ignored it extended the answer into other areas. Intriguingly, the Moon has an extremely low albedo (only about 0.09, IIRC) so in planetary terms it's very dark indeed. The Sun's apparent magnitude is something like 2.5^14 times that of the full Moon - about 400,000 times as bright. The Moon, though still a very bright object as seen from earth, simply doesn't reflect enough of the Sun's light for the sky to be illuminated by it (by comparison, BTW, the full Moon's AM is about 2000 times that of Venus at maximum, and that's about 16 times as bright from Earth as is Sirius, the star (other than the Sun) with the highest AM. Grutness...wha? 08:28, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you, you've all been a great help.

--Caleb 04:18, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

As I am a complete lamer and have not visited these hallowed grounds in such a long time, I can say this like an idiot: The moon does not light up the sky, but one could walk without lighted aid at night on a full moon. >_> Cernen Xanthine Katrena 07:50, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Mail Recovery Center at St. Paul, Minn.

How do I contact the Mail Recovery Center in St. Paul, Minn.? I'm desperate to have a certified letter to my son returned to me & apparently it is in the Mail Recovery Center in St. Paul (according to my tracking by computer). Thank you.

I would try going to USPS and click on the "Contact us" link. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 07:02, 25 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Credit cookie

Roger Ebert's review of American Wedding says that "Note: In a stunning breakthrough in the raunchy comedy genre, "American Wedding" doesn't have a single credit cookie." My question - what's a credit cookie? 130.91.117.181 06:40, 25 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It's an extra scene or a blooper they put in during the credits. See [1].-gadfium 06:54, 25 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Need for Organization Chart of an Investment Bank

Dear Sirs/Madam,

I am currently employed in a leading asset management company in Turkey, called Finans Asset Management. For a project that I am dealing with, I need:

The main activities and units in an investment bank, preferably the organization chart of such a company.

During my search in internet, I have ran across this association and decided to contact you for this matter.

I would appreciate if you could assist me in this.

Sincerely yours.

Fırat Selli

Excuse me, when you write "this association", what do you mean? Notinasnaid 09:40, 25 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
searched googlimages for "bank organization chart". 235 hits first time : try one of those. --DLL 20:19, 25 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Length of time between crime and punishment...

Does anyone know what the longest time has been between the time a crime was committed and the perpetrator put on trial? Murder has no statute of limitations, and I have heard of people being tried decades after their crimes. What is the record? 30 years? 40? More? Brian Schlosser42 15:19, 25 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Well, taking into consideration some of the massacres committed during the second World War, and the fact that some of those held responsible have been charged this year, the record would at the very least have to be 61 years. --212.202.184.238 17:14, 25 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Pardon my ignorance of current events, but I'm curious, who would that be? They would have to have been very young during WW2 if they're still alive today... — QuantumEleven 21:48, 25 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Most concentration camp guards and members of the SS would have been in their early 20s during the war, so they'd be in their early to mid 80s now, and it's quite reasonable that a bunch of them would still be alive. --Serie 00:18, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Indeed. The Simon Wiesenthal Center, which has offices in 5 countries, continues to seek them out and bring them to justice. JackofOz 08:52, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
And, more often than not, sees them being released because by now they're no longer fit for trial. --Dr. Zarkov 13:13, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Audacity file format...

Hii..

After downloading Audacity and using it....i found that i couldn't save the files as .mp3..when i tried to export as .mp3 i could only save them as some audacity project files... the programme itself told me that i would need to download some special mp3(lame) converter that can convert the audacity project files into .mp3.. I cant seem to find this software.. can anyone tell me where i can find that software? Jayant,17 Years, Indiacontribs 18:23, 25 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

For Windows or MacOS, see the Audacity website FAQs[2], where they answer this very question. If you're using Linux, the best way to get lame depends on your distro and how you installed Audacity (you can either build it from source or install via the distro's packaging system.) -- AJR | Talk 18:50, 25 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I have to ask, where did you look? I Googled "lame mp3" and got the information immediately. Alternately, typing "lame" into the search box here brought up a nice disambig page which clearly offered the LAME page. --LarryMac 19:20, 25 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks a lot for that.. I was actually trying to search for .mp3 converter and stuff like that... i always got programs which couldn't convert audacity file formats.... Thanks a lot again! Jayant,17 Years, Indiacontribs 20:00, 25 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]


This might be a little late, however, you can use the lame dll file in the Winamp directory. Apostate 02:39, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

oh..Cool..! Thanks! Jayant,17 Years, Indiacontribs 09:47, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Outrages! After going to Poland and seeing Auchwitz, These people should be hunted to the ends of the earth with no remorse! No matter thier ages or whether or not they are fit to stand trial, starving slaves were not fit for work but they did it.

Zipper came apart

I have a zipper on my backback. The teeth of the zipper have seperated, and the metal piece which connects them has disconnected, leaving it attatched to only once strip/side of the zipper material. I have tried in vain to jam the teeth back into the metal piece that zips the zipper, so that I can zip it back up again.

How do I repair this? Thanks, Mike 161.45.160.127 18:47, 25 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You have a 90% chance of being unsuccessful. I've tried many times to bend the main zipper closer open, jam in the teeth, and pinch it back with pliers. Do you know that the ductility of zipper metal is zero? Best thing to do is take it to a nice person who sews in a new zipper. --Zeizmic 19:10, 25 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
You might also like to try calling up the company that makes your backpack to see if they can either do anything about it or send you a new zipper. This might be a perfect time to hone your sewing skills! -Mysekurity [m!] 21:39, 25 April 2006 (UTC)
Yes, I have now discovered that the metal used in zippers is about as malleable as a diamond. Perhaps they should use this metal for constructing cars and airplanes? Thanks for your responses, Mike. 68.52.56.111 02:03, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
It's probably grey iron. It's a cheap, easy-to-work metal with low tensile strength and low ductility that's pretty much useless for structural applications. --Serie 23:04, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I agree, you probably have to buy a new zipper and sew it on, or better, take it to a zip specialist who'll do the same. – b_jonas 22:18, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]


Or for a simpler solution (albiet temporary) cut the zipper just where it starts on one side and then zip it as you would a jacket

---|--------- -A----------- A is the little thing that pushes the zippoer together., where the | is cut it so you can zip it together again, though over time your backpack will rip more and more. I just did it once because my bagpack rippper came off in school. You can sew the rippped part back together though

Sore Throat

I've got a sore throat but the weird thing is, it only hurts if I swallow, is this something common or is it something bad and if you know what it is, could you please help me to make it feel better, THANKS!!!

I had the same thing about a week ago. It seems to be gone now, so I'm assuming that it's nothing serious. Flea110 20:58, 25 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Take some cough syrup, drink plenty of liquids, and also try not to swallow too 'hard' - instead of a violent gulp, do it more gently. These tend so sort themselves out after 3-5 days. --Sam Pointon United FC 21:16, 25 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
You are better off going to a doctor than asking around on the internet... But, personally, if you want to take my advice... i'd advice you to take some warm water, add some table salt to it, and gargle in your mouth, and spit it out.. repeat till you are satisfied....It sure tastes like hell...but it should provide you with temporary relief atleast.. I'd suggest you to do it before having a meal or doing something that requires a lot of swallowing.. ;-D ..Jayant,17 Years, Indiacontribs
Oh yes, that was the other thing - some dilute TCP (antiseptic) (not UDP - that's too unreliable) gargling can work wonders on a sore throat. --Sam Pointon United FC 21:53, 25 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
To quote the intro above: If requesting medical, dental, or legal advice, please consider asking a doctor, dentist, or lawyer instead. However, there are many good community health websites, such as this one from BC. Specifically, Sore Throat. Andrewjuren(talk) 00:34, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Most sore throats only hurt when you swallow. In fact it would be more uncommon if your throat was just as sore even when you didn't swallow. In any case, an important factor is how long this has been going on. I occasionally get a sore throat, and give it a few days to go away, which it usually does. But if this has been going on for more than, say, three days, I'd strongly recommend you see a doctor to check it out. This also happened to me several times, and the doctor took a swab of my throat, and it turned out to be strep throat which requires anti-biotics to be cured. But I feel compelled to point out that I'm not a doctor and so my comments are only from a layman's perspective. Loomis51 02:39, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I think I might know the sort of sore throat you mean, as though it is a bit swollen? I get these "throat cramps" every few weeks, and cure them by letting my head fall right back and relaxing my neck for a few minutes. This usually cures the problem right away. It's not the same as a regular sore throat. Shantavira 13:11, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

a famous person from philadelphia

could you name one famous person from philadelphia for me please.

Um, the only one I can think after 5 minutes of really hard thinking is "The Chicken Man" as immortalized in the Bruce Springsteen song. is that helpful? Bwithh 22:16, 25 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Rocky Balboa! -- Slumgum | yap | stalk | 22:28, 25 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Err, Benjamin Franklin, Kim Delaney, Edgar Allan Poe, Betsy Ross, Will Smith, Bill Cosby, Grace Kelly, David Brenner, Walt Whitman, Kevin Bacon, Richard Gere, Patti LaBelle, Wilt Chamberlain, Mario Lanza, Gallaudet, W.C. Fields, James A. Michener, Walter Annenberg, W.E.B. DuBois, Marian Anderson, John Coltrane, "Dr. J." Julius Irving, M. Night Shyamalan, Allen Iverson...--Fuhghettaboutit 22:30, 25 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
isn't Ben Franklin from Boston? Bwithh 22:53, 25 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Did you look at List of people from Philadelphia. Anyway which Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Tennessee, Philadelphia (village), New York, Philadelphia (town), New York, Philadelphia, Mississippi or perhaps Philadelphia (disambiguation)? And Franklin did live in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania but was born in Boston. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 23:03, 25 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yeah, I don't think y'all can claim W.E.B. DuBois, but I agree with CBW that those lists are a nice place to start. Good luck! -Mysekurity [m!] 03:31, 26 April 2006 (UTC)

personal money management advice for my spendthrift Korean galpal, preferably answered in Korean

She thinks "money grows on trees" (so do her 2 teen daughters). Is there a reference titled "personal money management for dummies", written in Korean, which is available? Thanks for your help....—The preceding unsigned comment was added by 70.180.156.8 (talkcontribs) .

You may have a better response if you ask this question at the Korean Wikipedia. However, I'm not sure if they have a reference desk, so I can't direct you to the appropriate place to ask.-gadfium 08:50, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
One piece of advice i can give you is that you can forget your wallet whenever you go out.. ;-) Jayant,17 Years, Indiacontribs 09:52, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Find Korean copies of the Archie comics. She can use Veronica as a role model... Seriously, North American experience indicates that she is not going to read anything, and become suddenly converted to frugality. --Zeizmic 12:22, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

If you want to be very cruel, stop supporting her financially for awhile (I presume she knows about your concerns?), and see how she manages. Lack of money will make most people spend less :) — QuantumEleven 14:50, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
  • Unfortunately, that's not always true. Some people believe that credit cards were created for people that don't have money, so that they can still go buy whatever they want. So instead of teaching her a lesson, this might just result in her quickly accumulating a LOT of credit card bills. --Maelwys 20:17, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

European economy

How did communisim shape the European Economy of the late 19th Century? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 24.239.72.175 (talkcontribs) .

I'm sorry but we don't normally answer homework questions, which is what your question sounds very much like.--Fuhghettaboutit 00:16, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

In any case, the first communist state, the Soviet Union, was only established in 1917. Late 19th century Europe was charactized by quite the opposite, laissez faire capitalism. Marxism was obviously an interesting topic among intellectuals in the late 19th century, but as for its role in the "shaping" of the European Economy in the late 19th century, I'd describe its impact in one word: Zero. If this is indeed a homework question, it appears to be an essay question, and one that would require more than a one word answer. Good luck! Loomis51 02:30, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

That would seem to ignore the impact of mass labour movements (and indeed full-on attempted revolutions) on the economy. Which is definitely non-zero, and a decent fraction of those were explicitly Communist with a larger fraction at least partly inspired by the ideas floating around. The working classes didn't just sit around putting up with their condition while they waited for their betters to debate the pros and cons of different economic systems, y'know, and nor did the more committed intellectual supporters restrict themselves to firing off scholarly articles at their opponents. (Right, that's enough hinting at a productive line of enquiry.) --Bth 08:04, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

April 26

Flamingos

Hello, everyone. I heard once that flamingos are the only animals that can form lesbian groups. Is this true? Are they at least the only birds that can form lesbian groups? Thank you in advance.--64.12.116.199 00:48, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I'll go ahead and mention the bonobo before anyone else does. The bonobo is often cited as an animal that engages in rather free expressions of sexuality. Brian G. Crawford 00:55, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Some species of dolphin are also, um, liberally-minded in that regard. There are two famous swans or geese in a zoo in Canada (IIRC) that were named Gertrude and Alice (after Stein and Toklas) because of their preferences. Penguins have also been known to exhibit lesbian behaviour. A pair of female swans in Boston are also lesbian, apparently (see [3]). And it is occasionally found that if a rooster is removed from a flock of chickens, one hen will "assume the role of the rooster" both in its general behaviour and also - very occasionally - in its sexual behaviour. Grutness...wha? 03:04, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I was reading about gay sheep in the paper a while back, but I do remember the beloved Boston swans' getting it on stirring controversy :). -Mysekurity [m!] 03:33, 26 April 2006 (UTC)
Don't forget humans. Bhumiya (said/done) 04:43, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I've been trying to find an online reference to a claim I once read that every seventh female seagull is a lesbian. No luck but maybe others have heard of this scientific claim. --Roisterer 13:07, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
      • I've never heard of that scientific claim, but in Beavis and Butthead, Mr. Van Driesen sang a folk song called "Lesbian Seagull." Brian G. Crawford 22:54, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
And cows often mount each other. In fact many animals don't really care who they do it with if it feels good, especially with the many species in which the sexes look and smell pretty much alike. But to call this lesbianism seems to me to be anthropomorphism. Shantavira 13:17, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Hey, wasn't there a list of animals that engage in homosexual behavior somewhere on Wikipedia? Cernen Xanthine Katrena 00:44, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Upload a picture

How do you stick a picture onto lets say this, on this question, how would you do it?

thanks.


01:26, 26 April 2006 (UTC)

See WP:IMAGE: you upload the image, then place it in the text of the article (or in this case, the question). --Canley 01:41, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

What do you put in the "destination filename" thing? 02:13, 26 April 2006 (UTC)

whatever you want the file to be called - quite often that will be the same as the name of the file being uploaded, but it may be you want a slightly more descriptive name (especially if the file is straight of a digital camera and currently has a name like DSCF00257.jpg!). if you don't put anything in there it will default to the name of the uploaded file IIRC. Grutness...wha? 03:14, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]


Gold

(1) Why did the price of gold spike in 1980? I've read it was because of the USSR's invasion of Afghanistan [4] , the Japanese trade deficit, OPEC's oil pricing, Nelson Bunker Hunt?? ? No piles of cash [5]? Perhaps a combination?

(2) from E-gold: "Proponents of the e-gold system contend that e-gold deposits are protected against inflation, devaluation and other possible economic risks inherent in fiat currencies."

How do these supposed proponents defend this statement when so little it traded within Digital gold currency that you're bound to have to convert to a fiat currency through a Digital gold currency exchanger to buy or invest in anything useful. And gold fluctuates with the fiat currency, not vice-versa. I mean sure if everyone did it then it would be great... -Snpoj 03:36, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Liberty Dollar is an article about a multi-level marketing scam aimed at people who fear the government's control over money. Of course, such people don't seem to understand that if gold were the principal medium of exchange it too would be controlled and manipulated by governments, banks, and wealthy citizens. Brian G. Crawford 22:58, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

User Page

I want my user page to look cool, but I don't know of any wikipedia resource to find out about doing that. Can someone help, either by directing me to the appropriate resource or giving me a crash course in this? --Matthew 06:57, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

View the source (via edit this page) of those user pages that (in your opinion) "look cool" to figure out how they do it. Copy any good tricks. --Bth 07:19, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
PS Bear in mind that some of the more complicated things may be templates substituted in using {{subst}}.
Yes, I can recommend that. I did the same. - Mgm|(talk) 08:10, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
And if you do choose to include Userboxes, try not to go overboard with them. User Pages look very weird when you have two screenfuls of coloured boxes and more text in your category list than the entirety of most articles. GeeJo (t)(c)  07:47, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I'd have to say that there's nothing cool about pages full of little boxes with odd pictures, and even less cool about pages full of colored text. Notinasnaid 07:52, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Hahaha, I did that. Flameviper12 (not logged in) 216.11.222.21
And you could also make your userpage look a little better if you can arrange the stuff on the page so that it all looks neat and symmetric.. Jayant,17 Years, Indiacontribs 09:50, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
On the other hand you could forget about a cool user page which you cna't be sure anyone except vandals look at and go with a cool signature that everyone will see. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 10:16, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Maybe we should have a Vote for the best Signature thingy ... ;-D Jayant,17 Years, Indiacontribs 10:35, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Wikipedia:Voting is evil. I demand you rename it "Signatures for Appreciation". --Bth 11:08, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Alrighty... Signatures for Appreciation it is then... i nominate myself because this is my idea...;-) Jayant,17 Years, Indiacontribs 12:09, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

creating a page

how do you create a page on this website?

You need to get an account and sign in to be able to create new articles. See Help:Starting a new page. If you're unwilling to create an account, you can go to Wikipedia:Articles for creation and use the more cumbersome process there. Please bear in mind the notability guidelines as to whether your subject is a suitable one for the encyclopedia, and the usefulness of building the web. --Bth 10:28, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

i still can't find where on the help menu where it says starting a new page

I know. I thought that when I joined. Its bizarrely difficult to find.
  1. Type the name of your article, exactly as you want it appear (spelling, any capital letters), in the search box and click on "Go".
  2. You will get a page saying "No page with that title exists". Below that, click on the red link "Create this article".
  3. You should now have a page called "Editing (name of article)". And away you go. Jameswilson 02:51, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

thanks for that james

Am I the only one who can see the little box right there at the top of Help:Starting a new page? But to be honest the best practice is to create a wikilink to your intended new article in an existing article, and then follow that to get to the "we don't have this article yet, do you want to create it" screen? That way you've automatically got at least one link into the wider web of articles. --Bth 07:37, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

4th member?

Hii...

I just watched the video of Green Day's Wake Me Up When September Ends....When the band is playing on some raised white pillar kinda things...there are 4 people playing... Billie, Mike, Tre' Cool, and who's the 4th one? He plays the guitar i think and they never show a close up of his face... Can anyone identify him? Thanks a lot.!! Jayant,17 Years, Indiacontribs 12:13, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Many questions...

I have many questions for you.

One, most important: How the #*%) do you use Photoshop? I have to figure out how to use it for an assignment...or at least point me to something nice.


Two: I want to use my old Game Boy Advance. I dropped my backpack one time and the LCD broke. It's black in some places, has cracks in it, and won't work. However, the game will still play just without the visual. My question is, how can I fix it? Can I go to anyone for help? If so, how much would it cost, and would it be worth it? Thanks.

  • It would most likley less expensive to buy another GBA from ebay

Three: Who's a Peach?


Four: What is the keyboard shortcut for MouseKeys in Windows? Anyone with Windows can find that out, just go to Control Panel, then Accessability Options, then go to the MouseKeys tab. I know how to get to it, I just can't get to it because teh draconian admins at my school won't let you change *anything* to save your life, i.e. when the computer freezes you can't Ctrl+Alt+Del, you have to shut it off. But don't get me even STARTED on my diatribe. Did I use that word right?


Five: Who would win in a fight: George from Of Mice and Men or Winston from Nineteen Eighty-Four?


Thank you very much for wasting your time on me. My eternal gratitude and good karma for j00. 216.11.222.21 12:21, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

1. I believe Photoshop still comes with a nice manual. Have a read. There are also many other books, and a "Classroom in a Book" course from Adobe. It is a professional tool, don't expect to just be able to dive in like one designed for consumers. Notinasnaid 12:57, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Never mind about that. I left the special assignment for the normal one because Photoshop was the work of the devil, and it kept *(#@ing me up. Thanks anyway. Flameviper12 14:44, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
5. :I'll just pick up your last question (and probably cause the others to be buried under a long series of nonsensical posts) and point out that, althogh George could probably whup Winston's scrawny butt (after all, he's used to hard work and a tough life, and Winston is a pathetically unfit button-pusher weakened by malnutrition) or could simply have him beaten up by Lennie, Winston would only have to grab his speakwrite and feed some wrong information into the system in order to completely vanish George, Lennie, all the farms they have ever worked on, the American midwest, and any mice accidently contained therein, along with John Steinbeck and all his ancestors, yeah, back to seven generations. Of course Winston himself would be vanished as soon as someone discovered what he was doing, but by then the damage would be done. --Dr. Zarkov 13:03, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Dr. Zarkov, I want to thank you. That was the funniest thing I have read in over a week. I'm going to put on my talk page when I log in...Flameviper12 14:44, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
2. Maybe you should take it to the guy from whom you bought it... Trying to repair it on your own isn't such a good idea...
It came from Toys R Us...I really dislike going to a non-game store for games. I'm always afraid this will happen...I need some support or to fix something, or something like that, and I just bought it from the worker drone at Toys R Us or Target, instead of the human at EB Games or GameStop, who actually knows a lot about his specialty. I was wondering if there was perchance a kind of shop who could fix this kind of crap, or if I only need to unscrew it, etc.
4. Keyboard Shortcut is left ALT + left SHIFT + NUM LOCK keys .... Jayant,17 Years, Indiacontribs 13:09, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
YES! It works! Now I can use the mouseless computers! (Although I'll have to write that down and stick it in my pocket to remember) Thank you! Flameviper12 14:44, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
3. I presume you don't mean the fruit? Take a look at peach (disambiguation), do any of these match who you were thinking of? Also, "peach" is an American term of endearment, usually used to describe someone sweet and lovely and kind. Hope that helps. — QuantumEleven 14:46, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
As you've mentioned Game Boys, I think it might be Princess Peach. – b_jonas 22:12, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
4b -- that's not the most accurate use of vendetta, no. Diatribe might be better in this context. --LarryMac 15:29, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
3. Regarding the peach question, I must sadly report that no-one is a peach. --212.202.184.238 17:49, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Ty Cobb was known as the Georgia peach. Loomis51 21:43, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Hahaha! Nobody got it right! My dog is a peach! Flameviper12 17:26, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Questions 3 and 5 are hilarious and has earned a Flameviper12's Plusbox for they caused Flameviper12 to shoot chocolate milk out his nose

Soccer players who where street children

Are there famous(known) soccer(football) players who where street children.? If there are can you inform me about 6 or more of them.

Some were also boulevard or avenue children. Does that count ? --DLL 20:01, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I can't think of any that were street children, strictly speaking, but Diego Maradonna, Rivaldo and Ronaldo all come close, according to this page: [6] Phileas 01:40, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Never mind those piddling small-fry. Start with Pele. Grutness...wha? 08:09, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Francis Scott Key

My daughter is writing a report on Francis Scott Key and is using an article from Wikipedia. How do we find the Publisher, where it was published and the copyright for the article? Please help!

See Wikipedia:Citing Wikipedia. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 12:54, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Pronunciation

How is Stieljes pronounced? I appears in mathematics as Riemann-Stieltjes.

Thomas Jean Stieltjes, a Dutch mathematician. I'd pronounce it something like "steel-tyes", with stress on the first sillable. There's a slight possibility that an actual Dutchman might tell you something different, though.--212.202.184.238 17:41, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Is this here because the poster couldn't decide between the Maths and Language reference desks? Anyway, here's a link to the article: Stieltjes. – b_jonas 22:02, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

American law

In San Fransisco, it is illeagal to wipe your car with what?

Another person? User:Zoe|(talk) 20:35, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
According to this site, it's illegal to wipe your car with used underwear, though I would have to ask for a cite. User:Zoe|(talk) 20:36, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Well, NOW I HAVE TO CANCEL MY WEEKEND PLANS. :( 12.183.203.184 04:16, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

coffee...out...nostrils... Grutness...wha? 03:26, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
This question has been BJAODNed and has earned a Cernen's Plusbox for for being completely awesome (and causing Grutness to blow coffee out his nostrils).

That would be STYLE-KEYS from the dutch and similar to the Afrikaans meaning a small steil

Looking for name of a spy movie

This picture was made about thirty years ago, or more. The story takes place in Berlin, of course. It is about a spy ring whose members make all their reports verbally to one man, whose identy they do not know. His face is always coveren. (The audience knows, of course)This man has a photographic memory and never takes notes. I remember one man is always knitting when he makes his reports. This is one of the best spy movies ever made and is a bit complicated, also.Any help I can get will be appreciated.

The Kremlin Letter ? MeltBanana 23:42, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

health

I am writing a book and need a little background on TB and Jamaica I would like to know if there were any cases of TB, prior to the aids epidemic, if so how widespread was it?

How many cases were there?

Thank you

Sylvie

Tuberculosis was a more deadly and feared disease in a time without antibiotics than AIDS ever will be. "Consumption" was a common cause of death, and still is in many parts of the world. Many people don't realize that diseases come into and go out of existence all the time. For example, venereal disease in ancient Greece and Rome was nonexistent. "The grippe" was a mysterious disease that killed many people in Europe in the 19th century. No one is sure what it was. Brian G. Crawford 23:04, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Do you want to know about TB in Jamaica or both of them separately.. In case you want them separately just check the articles on Tuberculosis and Jamaica.. Jayant,17 Years, Indiacontribs 08:37, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

TB kills more people in africa today than aids.

Relativily new to investing

Which stock would be the better buy today?

Budwieser Vodafone Cendant Dell Computer Bank of America XM Satellite Radio Wal-Mart


199.201.168.100 21:16, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

If anyone knew the answer to that simple question they'd be a zillionaire. My suggestion: Put your money into a mutual fund and let the experts decide. Sure, they skim a bit off the top but it's worth it. Loomis51 21:39, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Firstly, I would suggest Sun Microsystems. Nobody could be such a loser forever, and I hear they are coming up with a Sun-pod. Secondly, I would invest in something that made people actually refer to the question, and thirdly I would just read the letters (forget the warnings) in Advance fee fraud, and send me the money. --Zeizmic 22:54, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
First, with regard to Sun Microsystems, the argument that "nobody could be such a loser forever" is a classic example of what is called the Gambler's Fallacy. Second, do you think that the fact that you "hear that they are coming out with a sun-pod" has somehow not been priced into the stock price already? Are you aware of something that hasn't hit Wall Street yet? Do you actually think you can outsmart the street? Third, if you're implying that by suggesting mutual funds that I'm suggesting in any sort of fraudulent scheme you're sadly mistaken. Loomis51 01:52, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Hey, chill. I wrote that before your response (edit conflict). The concept of 'sun-pod' is a joke (apple rose from a sinking morasse with the i-pod). Finally, anybody asking for advice for investing on the Internet brings to mind Nigeria. Finally, finally, will the original questioner ever return? And ultra-finally, I own mutual funds, too. --Zeizmic 11:33, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
My bad, Zeismic. It just seemed like your answers (in particular the reference to Advance fee fraud) was a response to my statement that mutual fund managers "skim a bit off the top." Thanks for clearing it up. Take care. Loomis51 15:02, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Cash from a credit card

I wish to use the 0-interest loan on credit cards to invest in securities. Any ideas how I could do this? Or does anyone know other very low interest loans I could get? -Snpoj 21:45, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

What credit card are you refering to that offers you 0% interest? I'd really be interested in knowing because I can think of a tonne of ways you can profit by it, which unfortunately means it probably doesn't exist. Nonetheless, I'm curious about your question. Loomis51 22:34, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
That sounds like an introductory rate, which is just an incentive for you to get into debt to the credit card company. Using credit cards for anything but true emergencies is almost always bad for you in the end. Credit card companies are very good at getting people into debt, and as with a casino, the house always wins. Brian G. Crawford 23:10, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I think you would be better off trying to get a line of credit or a loan from your bank. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 05:37, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Ok here's what I was thinking. When I borrow with a credit card I don't have to pay for ~1 month (as Brian said, this could be higher with an introductory rate). It's a 0-interest short-term loan. So I'll in turn loan that money to the Feds...I'll buy a 28-day T-bill with my credit card. Come the end of the month, the feds will pay me back 4.5%, which I'll pocket, and I'll send back the rest on to Visa. Make sense?

So what I was saying is that if I can get a loan for 0-percent interest (in truth if I can get a loan for anything below the yield on a T-bill or bond) I can make money on it by just loaning it right back to the Feds. So the problem with the credit card scenario is, how the hell do I buy treasuries with a credit card!?? Cash advances charge up-front interest so they're no good and I don't think treasurydirect.gov accepts Visa...

Now this is playing on the safe side. If I wanted some real excitement I'd get a big loan from the bank for probably more than 8% and put it into stocks or other investments, expecting 10% or more on it. But that's risky, especially when you're inexperienced with that kind of thing.

-Snpoj 21:25, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Buying stocks with a loan is called buying on margin, and it's a very risky way to invest -- if the stock goes down in value, you can lose far more than you invested in the first place. Margin buying was one of the factors that made the Wall Street Crash of 1929 more severe. --Serie 22:27, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
well no kidding, that's why I want to buy treasuries......sorry, guess I'm still not making myself clear here. oh well. -Snpoj 23:05, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
You've answered your own question. Cash advances charge up-front interest, and it's impossible to buy t-bills with a Visa card because Visa charges the vendor a small ≈ 2% fee for the service. Most vendors are willing to pay the fee because it has a relatively insignificant effect on their profit margin, and is good for business because it's a convenience for customers. That explains why Visa charges up-front interest for cash advances (for which it receives no 2% fee), but gives you about a month of interest free credit for purchases (where it does collect the fee from the vendor). However anyone looking to sell a t-bill would certainly not be willing to take Visa as the fee would be far too high to make the exchange profitable. In other words, there's no such thing as a free lunch. Loomis51 02:02, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
aha! You're right. I was making an assumption that vendors using Visa were not charged which is incorrect. I figured Visa made all their money off of the folks who didn't pay them back after the first, zero-interest month. I refine my criteria:
1. credit card with "x" dollars credit limit
2. credit card with 0-interest or payments for 12 months
3. Assumption that Paypal takes off 3.5% for any cash transfer with a credit card (2% fee going to Visa, 1.5% for their business)
4. A close relative or closer friend that will quickly process "x" dollars after I Paypal it to him, and then (more importantly!) write me a check for it.
5. Assumption that I can make a guaranteed 4.5% on T-bills or other treasures for a 12 month period
With this criteria, I will be able to make a clean 1%. Half of that would go to my Paypal friend. For that to be worth my while to establish the accounts and move the money, additional stress, etc. "x" would probably have to be at least $10,000...but hey that's about 8 free-lunches for each of us to go out on ;).
Morale of the story, if all those criteria are possible and everything works as planned: you can beat the system but only for relatively miniscule amounts.
But now, you say that the 2% is relatively insignificant on their profit margin? So when a grocery store prices its items it probably takes into account the percentage-by-price paid for with credit card and then weights that to increase their products proportionally? e.g. if Walmart finds out that credit card purchases make 75%-by-price of their sales, and the credit cards charge a total of 2%, then they would increase the price of all of their goods by 1.5%. Visa shoppers get a "discount" of 0.5% (that is, they use a service costing 2% and only pay 1.5% for it) and cash-customers "get hit" for 1.5% (they pay for other customers using Visa)! Thus, the hegemony of credit cards is perpetuated... -Snpoj 22:04, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Oh, one more thing. According to Google Finance:Walmart:
Net Profit Margin: 3.66%
Operating Margin: 5.87%
I don't know what those terms mean precisely, but does that mean they charge a 5.87% more on all products compared to their purchasing price on those products? Would I be able to see the effects of a credit card's 2% charge with these numbers? I'm guessing not and I'm sure that the 5.87 - 3.66 = ~2 is coincidental. Maybe this is another question for another question for another topic... -Snpoj 22:11, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Your scheme is rather confusing, but if it were plausible and it meant that it could work I wouldn't mind giving myself a mild headache trying to figure out what you're getting at, as I'd use it as well to make a free buck! Unfortunately (but fortunately for my headache!) all I had to do is stop at criterium #2 to realize that it wouldn't work. Credit cards with 0% interest for 12 months on cash transfers simply don't exist. If you can find one, please tell me!

I think your assessment of the Wal-Mart scenario is more or less accurate. Here are a couple things you may want to ponder: 1) Haven't you ever wondered why some gas stations charge you less if you pay cash rather than use a credit card? 2) Haven't you ever wondered why so many department stores, take Sears for example, try so hard by offering you free gifts etc...to push you to get a Sears card? It's both for the same reason...to save on the 2% Visa charge. One more thing: Haven't you ever wondered why so many vendors take Visa and Mastercard, but not American Express? It's because American Express has the nerve to charge the vendors more than the going rate that Visa and Mastercard charge for their services.

As for the difference between Wal-Mart's net profit margin and its operating margin, I'd have to take a real hard look at their financial statements to figure out where the Visa charges come into play, but I'm almost certain that the 2% difference is purely coincidental. One other thing to mention: As a HUGE customer of Visa, and being known for its strong arm tactics, I'm willing to bet that Wal-Mart has the bargaining power to negotiate a better rate with Visa than that which Visa's other customers pay. But that's just speculation on my part. Loomis51 22:11, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

One Capital in the Uk gives you 0% interest for 6months i think, but after that introductory offer you REALLY gotta pay

Donny Hathaway

Anyone know what was the name of Donny Hathaway's high school? (Google and Wikipedia have failed me.) 21:55, 26 April 2006 (UTC)

Wikipedia

Is it possible to get a downloaded version of Wikipedia? (I know it wouldnt be updated but it would allow me to search through it while offline.) - Joneleth 23:32, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

See Wikipedia:Database download. —Keenan Pepper 00:27, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
It's about a 3 gig download if I remember correctly? As my old supervisor would say: "Heh, heh, yeeeeeah, good luck with that." Cernen Xanthine Katrena 07:43, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The Irony of a wikipedia download is that the people who have fast enough connections to download it, probably don't mind just logging onto the net. Philc T+C 16:55, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Breathing underwater through a tube

I'm sure most of you have heard the 5-minute mystery or smoething like that where a guy dies from breathing in and out underwater through a long tube/blowgun/bamboo stick because he is breathing the same air he is breathing back out. My question is that if you inhaled from the mouth where the tube was and exhaled through your nose, would that make you survive since the air in the tube only travels in one direction? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Wizrdwarts (talkcontribs) .

That seems like it would work to me. —Keenan Pepper 00:26, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The issue here is that generally whenever some guy has tried the whole breathe through a tube underwater trick, he is doing it to hide...at least thats how it is in cartoons. Anyway, if he is doing this to hide, then by being in this murky water with nothing but a small reed that looks as though it is floating in the water or growing from it sticking out, he has hidden successfully....however, if he were to breathe out through his nose, that would cause bubbles to float to the surface, which gives away his hiding spot. But, for any purpose other than hiding, yes, exhaling through the nose and using the reed only for inhaling will keep the reed/tube filled with fresh air, oxygen rich and capable of sustaining life.

Also, very deep inhales and exhales might get some fresh air in without the bubbles that give away your position, as long as the tube isn't too long. StuRat 03:02, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
If you're deeper than a few feet (does anyone know just how deep?), the water pressure on your chest will prevent you from breathing in. --Shantavira 15:18, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
According to the snorkel article, the limit is twenty inches. --Serie 22:33, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

April 27

rubber tree plant

is the rubber tree plant poisonus to small children.

Call your state poison control center. The number is in the phone book under emergency numbers. They have a database available to them that will answer your question. Brian G. Crawford 00:31, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I do not believe that it is poisonous, but the sap has the potential to irritate the skin and mucous membranes. — TheKMantalk 00:45, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

According to [7], the latex may cause a rash in sensitive individuals. SCHZMO 23:25, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Staples

Anyone know off the top of their head where I can bring a CD and print a long document (300 pages) for cheap? Does Staples do that sort of thing?

--Shadarian 00:30, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Kinkos is what I use and sometimes Office Depot. I don't know about Staples, but I'd betcha they do. schyler 00:48, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Hmm, says on your userpage you're from New York. I'm sure Google Local would have something to say about that (search for "Copy shops in New York" or "Print Centers in New York") and you're bound to find something. Good luck! -Mysekurity [m!] 03:49, 27 April 2006 (UTC)

Call around. You might be able to find a local digital print shop that can do it substantially cheaper and they can tell you what file formats they can handle. Also ask about the ink and paper types as those can vary in how long they will last, depending on your intended use. Last time I checked it's still pretty expensive to print that much. Let us know if you don't mind what prices you get. - Taxman Talk 22:44, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Staples does print large documents - I got $18 for just over 300 pages. They printed using some weird method, so now I have little boxes on the side of all the paper saying what the formatting is like. As in "Formatted: Indent: First line: 0.25" " Good thing this copy is only for my own reference. --Shadarian 03:53, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Simple question

This'll probably sound really dumb: Who can award barnstars? Only admins? Can I just go on a big barnstaring streak and give people barnstars for miniscule achievements, or is that considered vandalism? NIRVANA2764 00:49, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Anyone can give out a barnstar if they feel a user deserves one. — TheKMantalk 00:55, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
TheKMan's right. Anyone can award as many barnstars as they like, but consider not going too overboard. Like a lot of other things, awarding too many would sort of reduce the effect. Saving them for really worthwhile stuff is probably the way to go. Grutness...wha? 08:14, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I used to give out Cernen's Plusboxes, and look where it got me. A 3 month editing hiatus and a lot of very happy people with ugly userboxes on their talk pages. Cernen Xanthine Katrena 07:42, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

.s3m files

Is there any way that I can convert my random .S3M files into a more friendly format (preferably MP3)? Google provides pages and pages of entirely useless stuff.

Yes - get XMPlay from http://www.un4seen.com/ (it's free & no spyware). It's interface is a little fiddly, but it's a great little player and does by far the most accurate MOD/S3M/XM playback I've heard anywhere.
Fire up XMPlay, right click to get into the options, and set the output device to be wav writer. Then play your S3M in it, and it'll write out a wav. Then just use any software of your choice to convert the wav to MP3/OGG/Whatever. if you need software for that, I'd recommend CDEX, which is open source, from http://cdexos.sourceforge.net/
I assume here you're using Windows, but similar solutions are avaliable for Linux and Mac. You just need a player that'll write to WAV (or even direct to MP3 - XMPlay can do that, but I've found it fiddly) and an MP3 encoder --Noodhoog 01:47, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Thank you. 22:08, 28 April 2006 (UTC)

Identify a movie

Can anyone identify this movie for me.. here's what I know. I remember it's name is a single word, beginning, I think, with O. It's Asian, probably Japanese. It came out within the last 5 years, I think. I've only ever seen the trailer for it, but it's live action with lots of special effects, futuristic - seems to have almost a steam-punk look in places. It appears to be an action film about some kind of ninja type main character with a sword, and the trailer shows large robots, lots of them, and I think the hero is shown leaping from one to another, fighting them. I think there's a bit with an airship too. It has a very manga type feel to it - giant robots, ninjas, all that kind of stuff. Looks like it must've been a pretty big budget production, as the I recall the effects looked really slick I've tried IMDB's power search, putting in various combinations of what I know, but can't turn anything up.

Thanks in advance! --Noodhoog 01:42, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Ah, found it! just a bit extra persistance with google got me there. it was Casshern, if anyone's interested. --Noodhoog 01:56, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Good for you!! Jayant,17 Years, Indiacontribs 08:22, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
It has that look because it's a live-action remake of an earlier anime. See our article Casshern. Night Gyr 04:10, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

i want light catchers on wikipedia

It has come to my attention that while there is a lot on stained glass and that craft, light catchers are not mentioned anywhere in wikipeida.... I however do not know a lot about them so I don't feel as though I am an intelligent enough source to edit or add this. What can be done to fix this issue. I initially searched light catchers because my friend refused to believe that they exist, and when I couldn't find it, my argument was shot down.

I've created the page Light catcher for you, but I dont know anything about it, so up to you LOL Jameswilson 03:02, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Um, what is a "light catcher"? I googled it and it seems like it's just a little doodad made of glass and paper that you hang in your window. Why would your friend believe they don't exist? More to the point, what would you expect to find in an encyclopedia article about them? —Keenan Pepper 03:31, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Ah, so they're called "light catchers"! I must have seen a million of those things hanging on people's windows. Well, now that I know its name, I can conquer it. Now just what can be said encyclopedically on those little stained-glass kitsch pieces?--Pharos 03:43, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Winged Liberty Head ("Mercury") dimes (1916–1945)

I found one of these coins that was dated 1944...I read all the information on the following link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dime_%28United_States_coin%29 and I couldn't find any information about 1944 coins or the market value of these coins. If anyone has any information please let me know through my personal email: <removed> Your information and time are greatly appreciated.

I removed your email address in order to spare you of all the spam its posting was going to bring you. You should return here and check for responses. ×Meegs 06:42, 27 April 2006 (UTC) [reply]
Depending on the condition of the coin, the value of a 1944 Mercury dime is around $2. It's a bit more if it's in mint condition. — TheKMantalk 11:44, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Why do people forward those stupid superstitious chain letters

Forward this to 20 people in 15 minutes or you'll be raped by a mad goat or whatever other unfortunate thing is in the chain lettter....How can people be that dumb?

Many people do not have a very strong grounding in objective reality (see flat earth, holocaust denial, apollo hoax). To such people, there seems to be no cost to doing the forward (as they obviously do not find it so annoying as you do), and there might be a cost to not doing it (the goat rape). Now, the "might" actually has probability 0, but given that many of the same people likely do not know what probability actually is or how to properly gauge it, it's not too surprising that this little "detail" is ignored, and the forwards go on. It's also quite possible that the forwarding merely includes the threat and was not inspired by it; if (for whatever reason) someone finds the chain letter amusing, they should be expected to believe that you will as well. --Tardis 06:50, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
They exploit people's superstitions. Also, note that many of the most successful instances promise rewards for compliance instead of punishment for noncompliance. As suggested above, besides superstition, many people surely participate simply for fun, without belief in the promised result. Take a look at our articles chain letter, chain e-mail and pyramid scheme. ×Meegs 06:59, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
They do it for fun mostly.. Its your choice whether you wanna ignore it or send it... And people can be quite dumb sometimes.... That explains the chain letters in the first place... Jayant,17 Years, Indiacontribs 08:30, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Oh, you my scoff, but my friend's brother's uncle's sister's neighbour failed to send one of those on, and what that mad goat did to him ain't pretty. --Noodhoog 14:22, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Hahaha! I'm all right with the harmless ones, but I really really hate the ones that tell you that everything causes cancer, and the ones that warn you against everything...People are afraid to do anything, because they actually trust these anonymous pieces of crap. Flameviper12 17:31, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

XviD machine?

I'd like to have a machine with a large hard drive and a DVD-reader that plugs into my TV, that would let me copy XviD-encoded .AVI files off DVD-Rs and watch them on my tele. The closest thing I can think of is Xbox Media Center. Is there something that would accomplish the same functions, only cheaper?

Wouldn't a DVD player with XviD support work just as well? Maybe I misunderstand. You have DVD-Rs with XviDs on them, and you want to play them on your TV? Do a froogle search for "DVD player Xvid" to find a number of models of dvd player that support XviD files. --Andrew c 21:10, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I tried this and had three horrible experiences. None of the machines would play even 50% of my files.

Roofing:best material

I am considering of putting a metal roof for my house.The climate here is hot and humid with seasonal rain.I have cut my options down to three materials-aluminium,G.I powdercoat&galvalume(galvanized steel).I would like to know which of these is the most suitable material.I amnot sure whether galvalume,galvanium and G.I powdercoat refers to the same material or not.Heat reduction is definitely a high priority.Also,can aluminium roof be painted?Please advise.--202.191.64.82 07:10, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You will need to take into account the weight of each option, and ensure the roof can be properly jointed and supported. Also local planning regulations might restrict the type of roof you can use. Your neighbours are probably the best people to advise you. What sort of roofs do they have? An aluminium roof can certainly be painted, as long as you use a suitable primer. However, for heat reduction, a non-metallic roof would be better as metals conduct heat quite well. --Shantavira 15:24, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Agreed. Also, the steel might eventually rust. I would go with a slate roof, if you can afford it. StuRat 15:34, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Premier league referees

hi I heard that premier league referees have an obligation to tell the club who they support or to which club they are fancy for. Is this true? If this is true can you tell me the club which they support.

I can't see this as making much sense; if someone admits to fancying a club, they'll only get more criticism for themselves and their decisions. For instance, our article about international and Serie A referee Pierluigi Collina notes that he is a Lazio fan, but didn't admit this until after he retired. Even if it were true, we couldn't tell you which club "they support"; presumably Premier League referees support a wide variety of clubs, since they're recruited nationally. Our article about Mike Dean (referee) notes that he's been moved from the FA cup because of suspicion he might not be impartial to Liverpool. Were he to have an obligation to tell who they support, there'd be no suspicion involved. Personally, I'd claim I supported my team's rivals; then I could give more calls to my favourite team, and people would just think I was being impartial. --ByeByeBaby 18:36, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
It's not a suspicion that he wouldn't be impartial, just that he lives fairly near to Liverpool so to play safe they've chosen another ref for the FA Cup Final. For all we know, Dean could be a Tranmere or Everton or Chester City supporter... -- Arwel (talk) 17:49, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Gabriel Alomar facts

Thanks for the help with finding the facts. I've been looking for about 6 hours and cannot find any. They are all due by Monday.

Does any one have any facts about Gabriel Alomar facts?

Facts about Gabriel Alomar facts? Well, one can say with certainty that Gabrile Alomar facts are facts about Gabriel Alomar and that a number of them can be probably found in the Gabriel Alomar article. -- Ferkelparade π 14:12, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I have looked at those facts. But, they do not have much information about why he was exiled and the years of his life in detail. do you know any site i could find more information about him that is in english?

Well, he was a leftist Spaniard who lived and worked during the Franco regime - I think he had a pretty good reason for going into exile. I agree, though, that our article leaves much to be desired - I don't know much about Alomar, else I'd try and expand the article a bit (if nobody else does so before me, I'll see what i can do over the weekend). By the way, when replying to a specific question on this page, it's better to place your answer (or follow-up questions) under the already existing header instead of creating a new header each time you write something, otherwise the page will quickly become cluttered up and unusable -- Ferkelparade π 14:34, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Franco was a Fascist. Extreme Right winger. Gabriel Alomar was a Leftist. The two do not mix. All Leftists were considered Communists and therefore Godless. It is interesting to note here that Franco and his regime considered Hitler and the Nazis as acceptable allies and therefore requested their aid. The Nazis responded by bombing Madrid. What is even more intriguing is the fact that very recently, the Vatican cannonized six Rightwingers. It seems these Magnificent Six fought bravely against those Godless devils. This means, that the Catholic Church raised to Sainthood, six Fascists.

Expats in Europe

Hello, My name is Isaac Dwek and I am writing to you from the North American Sports Network (NASN). I am doing some research on Expats throughout Europe and I am finding it very hyard to obtain any useful information. I am hoping you can help me with this. Do you have any statistics or tables of info with the population of of expats in European Countries (e.g. How many Spanish live in France, and how many Germans live in France etc.) Any information which might help would be much appreciated. I hope you can aid my enquiry.

Kind Regards Isaac Dwek

Such statistics may be hard to come by, because the EU guarantees freedom of movement to the citizens of its member states; there is no need to register and nobody is officially keeping score. This could be as hard as finding out how many expatiates of Michigan live in Montana. However, some have tried to accumulate such statistics, and a recent UK radio program claimed that half a million properties in France are British owned. Not that not all of these are expatriates; many, perhaps most, are holiday homes, and others are buy-to-let. Notinasnaid 14:20, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
All countries take censuses, which typically ask for birthplaces and other such information. Contact the statistical agencies of each of the European countries. NASN is a godsend for Americans in Europe. -- Mwalcoff 23:20, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks for that information. If you are able to find any more could you please help me? I am having a very hard time writing about him.

  • Eurostat to the rescue!! Actually the European Union does collect estimates of the number of expats (not quite like Michigans living in Montanta, as the EU expats will be a different national citizenship) living in its member states (the statistics themselves are gathered by the national governments but the methodology is harmonized by the EU. "Eurostat" is the name of the central statistical bureau of the EU, and they make many of their data series on a wide variety of areas available online. Follow these steps:
    • Please find the main Eurostat portal at this link.
    • Next select the blue "Data" tab in the middle of the screen. Now select the "Population" link. (incidentally I believe the methodlogical info underlying the data series you will be retrieving can be obtained through the blue "Methodology" link here) You will be taken to a new page. The page says you have to register, but I was unable to use this without registering at all (well, not that I can remember anyway), and I'm based in the US. So never mind that.
    • Open the folder tree (the "+" sign) by the red "International Migration and Asylum" label. **Open the "+" sign by the green "Population and citizenship" label
    • Open the "+" sign by the black "Population by sex and citizenship" label
    • Now click on the blue/white icon which looks like a cartoon computer window that appears
    • A new window will open, which will allow you to customize the data series you want for download.
    • You start off with the data selection menu for geopolicital entity ("GEO"). In the Blue tickbox menu on the right hand side, scroll down and tick all the countries you want information on. There are also regional groupings such as the EU15 (all 15 EU members) and the EUROZONE (countries which use the Euro). There are some non-EU members such as Turkey and Croatia on the list too
    • Next click on the "CITIZEN" button. Select all the kinds of citizenship (the list seems to list every kind in the world) you are interested in. For your purposes, just press "Select All" at the bottom.
    • If you are not interested in the gender breakdown, ignore the "SEX" button.
    • Click on the "TIME" button". This shows that the there are data series reported annually for the years 1985 to 2004 (2004 is the most recent data they have). Unless you are interested in changes over time, just leave it at 2004 being selected for now.
    • Now press "Next" at the bottom
    • The next screen lets you tweak the way the rows and columns of the data output is laid out. I would just leave this as is for now. Press "Next"
    • The next screen asks you for the data format you would like - if the data is to be viewed in a browser, or if you want it downloaded in a spreadsheet or database format.
    • Finally... press "Download"!! (note that not all the data will be complete for all nationalities, but all the member EU countries should have data for expats from other EU countries at least)
  • This EUSTAT how-to as been brought to you by an EU citizen expat, of Asian birth, living in the United States Bwithh 23:53, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
And very impressine it was too. I'll chip in a few bits and pieces. As of 2006 140,000 Polish citizens are registered as living in the Republic of Ireland (3,5% of the population). as of Jan 2004 Spain had 175,000 registered British, 117,000 Germans, 77,000 Italians, 67,000 French and 56,000 Portuguese. There were also 208,000 Romanians and 70,000 Bulgarians (they are so-called "accession countries" which are to join the EU in the next few years). Jameswilson 01:04, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

animal conception

I would like to know what mammel is capable of choosing the sex of their off-spring. I remember seeing a wildlife program, but cant remember the animal.

Thank You

A simple google search comes up with this [8] article, as well as one about certain lizards.--Shandon 17:29, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
This question reminded me of a New Scientist article, so I've gone and digged it up.  -- Run!  19:39, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

newyork city and niagara falls

can you please tell me the distance between newyork city and niagara falls by road and by air? thank you!

Wouldn't it be the same distance either way? 199.201.168.100 18:42, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Well due to the curvature of the Earth it would be slightly longer by air. -- Run!  19:34, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Well, it would be if the road was dead straight. Presumably it goes round hills, connects towns not quite in straight line between the two, etc etc etc. Grutness...wha? 03:27, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Google Maps [9] says 408 miles by car. --Chapuisat 19:53, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
This page says 310 miles as the crow flies. -- Mwalcoff 23:18, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

What if the crow meanders around dragging his ass the whole way by straying from the straight-line path to stop at a starbucks or something? 199.201.168.100 16:35, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

"As a group, the crows show remarkable examples of intelligence." See further details in Crow#Intelligence. They are evidently smart enough to realize that Starbucks is overpriced and they never stop there. JamesMLane t c 09:53, 2 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Seeking Tai Chi class

I am looking for a Tai Chi class - preferably one in the park (Ft. Green). There used to be one in the park that started when the weather turned nice. Any info would be appreciated. Thank you.

What country and city? Do you mean Fort Greene in NYC? --Chapuisat 19:49, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Question (how to rob a bank)

How would one go about robbing a bank. I don't want to rob one, but I was wondering why everyone who tries always gets caught. It seems like it would be relativily easy with a little planning. AGAIN, not wanting to actually rob a bank, just wondering how one would go about it, and why so many percentage-wise are unsucessful?

Banks get robbed a lot, and so they have a lot more security devices and precautions than you might imagine. Experienced criminals know this, so only desperate losers rob banks, as opposed to other places with more money but worse security. This in turn means even more of them get caught. Notinasnaid 19:18, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Let me tell you why I think it's difficult not to get caught. If you enter the bank with a mask on yor face, everyone would immediately see that you're a robber, and they'd probably sound the alarm. If you enter without the mask, the security cameras and people in the bank will see your face, so the police can find you easily. An other problem is the time-limited safes, which open only some time after the code is entered. (Btw, next time you ask a question here, please give it a more descriptive title.) – b_jonas 21:53, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The best that you can hope to do it is to have lots of inside help...and if possible from the president of the bank.... ;-) ... Jayant,17 Years, Indiacontribs 11:04, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Only stupid criminals rob banks. The smart ones know that other crimes are much more profitable, such as robbing an energy trading company. See Enron. Technically, that was fraud, not robbery, but in the end it's the same difference. Chl 12:47, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The safest way to rob a bank would appear to be to co-opt a large paramilitary organisation such as the Provisional IRA, who got a nice haul from the Northern Bank robbery. The mere criminals who did the Securitas depot robbery got away with twice as much, but seem to have had a problem simply disposing of the volume of paper involved - nearly half the proceeds have been recovered already and a lot of people are awaiting trial. The best way might be to persuade a legitimate bank note printer to make extra notes especially for you (see Portuguese Bank Note Crisis, but even then the perpetrator got caught and spent 20 years in the slammer.) -- Arwel (talk) 18:01, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I hope you're using a dynamic or anon IP address, and your boss doesn't read this, because people have a tendency to think you're pretty strange if you ask suck a uestion...Flameviper12 17:32, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I believe I've read that banks lose more money to embezzlement than to armed robbery. Forget the shtick with the ski mask and the gun; get a job in a bank, get them to trust you, learn the system of internal controls and figure out how to circumvent it, and there you are. Ten percent of the net goes here. JamesMLane t c 10:00, 2 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Relativly easily, but the previous guy was right, why bother, rob the mint where the money is printed and steal one of the machines so you can print your own. WHEN you get caught, i did not help. hahaha

Question (CEOs faking resumes)

Would it be possible to deceptivly apply for and get an executive level position like CEO or COO of a medium-large company? The CEO of Radio shack misrepresented himself and got his job, could one do that today? How would one go about doing so? To what extent can they verify one's employement history & accedemic career? I realize they can verify degree/school, but what about GPA? As to employment history how would a prespective employeer know the accuracy of previous positions as they relate to title & salery given? 199.201.168.100 18:37, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

In this age of extensive background checks, referencing and networking, it's very, very unlikely that an unexperienced person would be able to land such a high level job through deception. For an executive position, especially at the levels you're asking about, an employer will likely have some familiarity with the companies a prospective employee have worked at due to things like collaboration/competition in similar fields (i.e. John Doe once worked as Marketing Director at Anytown Bank and is now looking at a CFO position at Bank of Anytown) or through professional organizations that would legitimize a company in the eyes of others, such as Rotary or the BBB. Finally, many upper-level jobs of the sort you mentioned don't have the typical application process you find at lower levels; openings are filled by invitation to individuals the company is interested in. "Don't call us, we'll call you." Ah, and GPA's are rarely investigated by employers after a prospective employee has held a job since college. Tijuana Brass¡Épa!-E@ 19:55, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

So what level position would one be able to obtain though misrepresentaiton? Would one be able to atain a position that has a nice golden-parachutte like severence package? Also, if one were to represent a GPA of 3.9 - 4.0 in the application//interview process, this would not discovered? My understanding is that GPA is private and cannot be disclosed by my university without my premision via transcript. is this correct? Do many people do this? What are the likely consequences if any?? 199.201.168.100 21:03, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You're right in saying that GPA's from universities are typically not allowed to be disclosed without your consent. As "what level position" one could obtain via misrepresentation, that would depend largely on the company and their competence in the hiring process. It would likely not be too high up the totem pole at all. If you're asking for personal reasons, I wouldn't suggest doing it, as it could easily result in job termination or legal consequences. Tijuana Brass¡Épa!-E@ 04:15, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
If you're applying for an executive level position, the people recruiting aren't likely to look very hard at the academic record. The track record of experience in executive level jobs will count for much more: indeed, overcoming a limited education to succeed would count for something. (Everyone likes to see an MBA, though, it seems; but at the very high levels you'd be looking for someone who taught MBA, rather than learned it.). If you have lied completely, you won't get far as CEO if you haven't learned the basic parts of the job, regulatory responsibilities, and you especially won't get far if you think the CEO doesn't have a boss. Notinasnaid 11:03, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

As to legal consequenses, what would they be? I don't think there would be any. Of course, I risk getting fired, but I would be getting fired from a job I wouldn't have otherwise gotten. If I were able to sucessfully misrepresent myself until hired as a CEO, I would recieve a large signing bonus, at least a full quarter's pay before the board of directors discovers their error, and a nice severence package for stepping down quietly. That would be enough. If CEO canidates are screened so thoughally I would be unable to get that level of position, what about others lower on the totem pole, such as middle management, senior engineer, senior buyer/planner, etc, etc 199.201.168.100 16:34, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Daniel Jonah Goldhagen

Please help me contact Mr. Daniel Jonah Goldhagen. I am writing a book. He will be pleased to learn what I am writing about. Thanks. Leslie.

He is a writer, so you could probably send him a letter c/o his publisher (Random House, I believe). --Chapuisat 19:43, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
He is at the Center for European Studies at Harvard. They don't list his contact info but I'm sure if you sent a letter for him at their address it would get to him. --Fastfission 03:33, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

KKK

does any one know what the ku klux klan stands for? i know it has something to do with greek

Check out Klu Klux Klan for the answer. --Chapuisat 19:43, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

who cares/ they are Nazi's and should be in prison

Two Doors

A friend asked me a logic question, and I have not been able to figure it out. It is a classic question, and he insists there is an answer. Any insight?

Question:

There are two doors, one leads to pain, suffering, and death, one to eternal life, wealth, and happiness. You don't know which door is which. There are two guards to help you, one who always lies, one who always tells the truth, but once again, you do not know which is which. They will allow you one question, then you must choose a door. What is your Question?

Thanks -Chris

Open one of the doors. If you see pain, suffering, and death on the other side, close it and go though the other door. Ztsmart 19:07, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Ask one of the guards: "if I asked the other guard, which door would he say leads to pain and suffering?". Whichever door you get in your answer is the door to wealth and happiness. This, of course, assumes that the guards know about how honest each of them are. --Aramգուտանգ 19:19, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Ku Klux Klan

thanks anyways...

i did find the answer

While the above theories deserve merit for their creativity, the true origin of the name Ku Klux Klan is Greek. Richard Reed proposed the name Kuklos meaning circle and with an ear for alliteration, Captain Kennedy added the word Klan. With a little more tweaking the organization knew itself solely as the Ku Klux Klan. The Klan also chose intriguing names for other facets of the organization. Instead of clinging to traditional names for organizational posts, it chose to call the president Grand Cyclops, vice president Grand Magi, and secretary Grand Scribe. Two Nighthawks served as messengers, two Lictors as guards, and all other members would be known as ghouls. The meaning behind these names had no special significance; the Klan chose names based on the peculiar and impressive sound.


No, it does stand for something...it has greek roots

What does Ku Klux Klan stand for?

Nothing, it was originally chosen to sound ridiculous (as were most ranks in the KKK). Try going to the article on the Klu Klux Klan before asking here. Daniel () 20:22, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Well, the Klan part, is, of course, just a variation on clan. StuRat 00:18, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
They got their name from the Greek word for "circle," which is κυκλος, transliterated as "kyklos." Brian G. Crawford 00:50, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Evidence

What's the best way to get rid of a body so there is no evidence? 199.201.168.100 21:05, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Do you want to be a magician? Read Magic (illusion), I bet it has some info for you. Lapinmies 21:38, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
There's no way to know. The films and books only tell the wrong ways, when the detective always manages to find it by the end. There might be good methods, but they are of course kept secret. – b_jonas 21:44, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
"Ebay, the World's Online Marketplace" --Canley 02:04, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

"And I imagine...we get fed to the pigs." [10]--Shandon 22:24, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

(After edit conflict) That may not be true of all films. Snatch offers a method that seems pretty valid:
I hear the best thing to do is feed them to pigs. You got to starve the pigs for a few days, then the sight of a chopped-up body will look like curry to a pisshead. You gotta shave the heads of your victims, and pull the teeth out for the sake of the piggies' digestion. You could do this afterwards, of course, but you don't want to go sievin' through pig shit, now do you? They will go through bone like butter. You need at least sixteen pigs to finish the job in one sitting, so be wary of any man who keeps a pig farm. They will go through a body that weighs 200 pounds in about eight minutes. That means that a single pig can consume two pounds of uncooked flesh every minute. Hence the expression, "as greedy as a pig". -- Brick Top
Though I'm not sure about pigs, but feeding a body (with hair and teeth removed) to animals that can chew through bone, then disposing of their excrement through the sewer system, along with the ground-up teeth, and burning the hair, seems like a pretty valid method. A possible caveat is that forensic examination of the animals may show that they have recently consumed human flesh, but that's nothing a nice big barbecue won't fix. --Aramգուտանգ 22:34, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
You could strip the corpse, wrap it corpse in chicken wire, tie a few cinder blocks (also known as foundation blocks) to the chicken wire, and drop whole thing into the deepest part of a lake or in the ocean. The wee beasties in the water will help break down the flesh and such, some fish may dine on it as well since they'll be able to fit their mouths through the chicken wire. All that will remain is the bones. I don't recommend killing anyone or hiding any bodies. Dismas|(talk) 00:27, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Put body in metal coffin. Drop coffin in deep ocean. Ohanian 09:25, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Put body inside a boat. Sink boat in deep ocean. Ohanian 09:27, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The best way to get rid of a body without leaving evidence is to suitly emphazi it. Cernen Xanthine Katrena 07:39, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Ron Smoorenburg

Hello! I was planning to edit an article on Ron Smoorenburg(martial artists, one of the two assasins in the movie Who am I starring Jackie Chan, seen in the fight near the end), but i don't know if wikipedia has a similar article or something like that. Also, i would like to know if this article would be speedy deleted, so I can start editing it.--Captain ginyu 21:31, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Wikipedia does not have an article about Ron Smoorenburg, you have to start from scratch. Searching for Ron Smoorenburg in google gives thousands of relevant sites and he seems to be on the top of his field of expertise, so I am sure it will not be deleted. Lapinmies 21:43, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
However, if you start the article without providing sufficient detail it might meet the criteria for speedy deletion. Many stubs are posted saying almost nothing ("_____" is a martial artist"), and only after being speedily deleted under, for instance, {{db-empty}}, does it come out that the poster was writing the rest of the text at the time of deletion. So either write enough before posting, or place this tag at the top of the article to show others that you are currently writing the text: {{inuse}} (just click on it to see how it would format in your article)--Fuhghettaboutit 22:24, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I checked everything but i cand find an appropriate infobox, so could someone please name it.(infobox that i should use for a martial artist)(--Captain ginyu 12:40, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Cost of transporting gas

How much will it cost to transport one gallon of gasoline from Venezuela to somewhere in the US, let's say San Fransico. Because I heard on the news that a gallon of gas is only 12 cents there. So let's assume I will buy gas there for $0.12/gallon, and sell them for $3.50/gallon. Will the transportation costs cancel out my profit? Will it make me lose money? Will it make me become rich? Wizrdwarts 22:24, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

In order to make enough from the resale of the gas to pay the shipping company, you'd probably have to import a whole lot of gas. You can't do that because Venezuela is a member of OPEC and is supposed to adhere to the cartel's rules on production and pricing. The 12-cent price is presumably meant only for domestic consumption and may not reflect the actual cost of producing the gas. -- Mwalcoff 23:14, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Well let's assume they let us resell the gas in the US. And what about a pipeline? Would that cost more or less on both long and short term costs? Wizrdwarts 00:14, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Governments and oil companies put enough regulations in place to prevent people from doing what you are thinking about. BTW, the 12 cents a gallon price in Venezuela is subsidized (partially paid for) by the government of Venezuela. Brian G. Crawford 00:38, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Mind you, fuel smuggling to get around such government restrictions is hardly unknown. --Robert Merkel 01:07, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Interesting that, if such a large scale move takes place, the taxpayers of Venezuela would be paying for low gas prices in California. I can't see that being accepted for very long by the voters of Venezuela. Notinasnaid 09:56, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Hmm, since I wrote this, I found that the kind people of Venezuela already are supplying discounted oil to poor Americans, something that all US oil companies declined to do... [11] and [12] give rather different views on this. Notinasnaid 10:29, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The last time I traveled out of the country, customs regulations stated that a person could bring $400 worth of goods purchased abroad into the U.S. duty free. That's 3200 gallons of gasoline from Venezuela. Transportation or shipping may be a problem, though. Venezuela isn't exactly next door. Brian G. Crawford 15:42, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

April 28

light pollution

Dear Sir, I read some time ago that there is a city in USA that have, at night, a fantastic view of the sky due to a special public ilumination to avoid "artificial light pollution". Would you know name of it? I am working on a project to build several houses on a large piece of land (1,500,000 square meters) at the mountains close to Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, because is very dry and it is 1,200 meters high, the view of the sky at night is beautiful. I would not like to spoil it. I would like to get in touch to get some information about this matter. Thank you, Luiz Lopes

You could read our article on Light pollution, which has a section on reduction of the effects. However, you have to realise that light pollution is caused by a very large number of buildings and light sources (such as those in a large city). "Several houses" over a large area are unlikely to have a light pollution effect on the night sky unless they are densely placed and heavily illuminated. --Canley 02:00, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Luiz, you may enjoy Stellarium, a free program which shows what the sky looks like at any time and place, without light pollution. Take a look. Tijuana Brass¡Épa!-E@ 04:11, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I belive Arizona and New Mexico have laws against light pollution. -- Mwalcoff 22:39, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Riding ostriches/emus/rheas

Does anyone know of a place in the UK I can go to experience riding an ostrich, emu or rhea (bird), or even get a chance to ride one in a race? --81.77.159.59 00:35, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I severely doubt that emus, ostriches and rheas would be able to bear the weight of anything more than a small child. --Roisterer 03:04, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
(after edit conflict)You underestimate ostriches. See this picture. it's a moderately common event in southern Africa, though presumably not that good for the birds. Grutness...wha? 03:37, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You could always play the video game Joust, which allows you to ride one. StuRat 03:32, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Search Google images for ostrich riding as evidence that this is not uncommon. Because of the lack of ostriches and laws about animal welfare, I doubt there's anywhere you can actually do this in the UK. But you can rent a costume that makes it look as though you are riding an ostrich, and these are much funnier and safer than the real thing. --Shantavira 08:39, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Oh dear... images of David Brent have been conjured up for many WP editors now, no doubt... Grutness...wha? 10:47, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

.mov editing program!!!

Does anyone know of any program similar to Windows Movie Maker, is FREE, and has .mov capabilities? The reason is that I wanted to do some editing of some .mov files I took with my digital camera, but Movie Maker cannot work with .movs. gelo 23:48, 26 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

That the filename ends in .mov doesn't mean much. The QuickTime file format is a container format that can contain audio and video tracks in many different codecs. You have to know what kind of data is inside the file if you want to do anything with it. - Keenan Pepper 03:05, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Ok... Can you HELP me with that? gelo 03:11, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Sorry for being unhelpful, but you'd be better prepared to look for an editor if you knew what video codec your camera uses. Does your camera's manual say? —Keenan Pepper 03:40, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Anyway, check out List of video editing software and Category:Video editing software. —Keenan Pepper 13:42, 27 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

This is what I know from the specs which I just found over Ebay for my Kodak V550. Video mode continuous MPEG-4 video with audio capture and playback Video resolution 30 fps @ VGA (640 × 480), 30 fps @ QVGA (320 × 240) Video format QUICKTIME, MPEG-4 gelo 01:36, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

If I can't find a program to edit such .mov files, does anyone know of a free program to CONVERT these files to something editable in, say, Movie Maker? gelo 01:40, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Gelo, check out http://www.opensourcewindows.org/. It lists a number of excellent open source programs which can download for free; Media Coder, which is listed there, is an excellent converter program. There's also an open source website linked to there with Mac software. Tijuana Brass¡Épa!-E@ 04:08, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Does anyone know what the purpose/origin of the big poster of some Soviet/GDR-looking military officer right behind the current Checkpoint Charlie replica is? I've always thought it to be a replica of a former propaganda poster, but I've never found any information about it, and the article makes no mention of it. (here's a clear view of the poster) Thanks --Colonel Cow 01:51, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

No, it's not a propaganda poster (it'd be a quite odd one if it were - just a guy in uniform?). It's symbolic. The other side has an American soldier on it. --BluePlatypus 07:56, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Alright, thanks --Colonel Cow 19:40, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Screen Plays / Transcripts for Films

Dear All

I'm doing a research paper on a few films and was wondering where I would be able to find printed versions of various movie transcripts and/or screen plays. The movies I'm particularly interested in are:

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington A Raisin in the Sun Midnight Cowboy Wall Street

Thank you!

http://home.online.no/~bhundlan/scripts/MrSmithGoesToWashington.txt; http://sfy.ru/sfy.html?script=midnight_cowboy; http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/wall_street.html; http://www.script-o-rama.com/movie_scripts/r/raisin-in-the-sun-script.html.

Just google it next time, ok? gelo 03:46, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Dating

What you call this dating tht deals with older women dating younger men, while other is older men dating younger women?

We have a whole article on this subject (the things you find while browsing around Wikipedia...): Age disparity in sexual relationships. The section on slang terms should provide some of the answers you seek. — QuantumEleven 07:37, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Ferrero Rocher jingle

Can someone help me out with the following song lyrics:

This song is played on the ferrero rocher ad ( and raffellos chocolates commercial) and has the words, "Bring on the night, bring on the night" (dance song very repetitious) can someone please tell me what the song is please?

Kind Regards,

Ellie.

PS. My e-mail is: <email address removed to avoid spamming> so you can contact me.

According to this it might be an Alan Jackson song... or according to this theres also a song by Sting with the same name... Jayant,17 Years, Indiacontribs 10:45, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Pastatutes

I suspect that many girls would be willing to have sex in exchange for money. What would be the best way to go about finding one that is willing & setting up an arragement without offending her or exposing oneself to more than minimal legal risks, if one were wanting to do so? 12.183.203.184 04:04, 28 April 2006 (UTC) Note: This is not a request for prostitution (Who would want to sleep with someone who uses Wikipedia? :) ) 12.183.203.184 04:13, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Legality of prostitution varies by area. For example, in the United States, the only place where prostitution is legalized (to my knowledge) is in some counties in the state of Nevada. Soliciting prostitution in a place where it is legal would be the minimum amount of risk. Tijuana Brass¡Épa!-E@ 04:21, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I suspect that many girls would be willing to have sex in exchange for money.
Views of that nature will get you into very hot water in many places, how did you jump to that conclusion? As to 'solving' your problem, go with what Tijuana Brass said, find a local brothel (if necessary in a different state/country, depending on where you live) and purchase their services. — QuantumEleven 07:02, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I'd just as soon that he or she not pursue an experiental knowledge of the issue, really. Tijuana Brass¡Épa!-E@ 07:17, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Pastatutes - is that sex workers who do kinky things with linguini? JackofOz 08:38, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Tee hee...! I hadn't even noticed that! :) — QuantumEleven 12:15, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
You can usually find them at church, and just feel free to ask - no worries about offending them

So, if I were to go up to a girl and ask "how much do you charge for sex?" that would be legal right? I am not scoliciting prostituion, as I am only asking a hooker how much she charges. I don't think prostitution should be illegal. I can pay Olive Garden $20 for a meal so I dont have to do any hands-on cooking, why can't I pay a girl for the convience of not having to do everything myself?? 199.201.168.100 16:27, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Let me spell it out for you as simply and clearly as possible. YOU give her MONEY - SHE gives you SEX - this is called prostitution. Your proposal, in contrast: YOU give her MONEY - SHE gives you SEX. Quite obviously, this is not in any... no, wait! It's still prostituion! D'uh! If it's legal depends on local laws. --Dr. Zarkov 19:21, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
If you go up to a girl and ask how much she charges for sex, that's called "soliciting prostitution" in most places, and legally, it's considered the same as actually paying for the transaction. It's also called "extremely stupid", as most girls will respond by slapping you upside the head. I know I would. --Serie 21:05, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Well, this word is certainly entering my Wiki-wokabulary. --Zeizmic 19:41, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

What if I give her a Wal-Mart gift card instead? 199.201.168.100 20:50, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

  • Q. What's the difference between soliciting a prostitute, and prostituting a solicitor?
  • A. No difference. They're both c---s for hire. (sorry) :--) JackofOz 22:48, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

While I can't understand why anyone would ask sex advice on the Wikipedia reference desk, I will answer the question. Prostitutes aren't that hard to find. Often, they can be found advertising in underground or entertainment newspapers like the Washington, D.C. CityPaper under "Sexual Services." In larger cities, arresting prostitutes who advertise in personal ads isn't top priority, what with all the murders and robberies going on. You will need to familiarize yourself with the lingo to avoid surprises, i.e. "full service" means "vaginal intercourse." I would discourage you from trying to find a prostitute, unless exploiting desperate women with drug addictions appeals to you. It's not that hard to find willing women. Lies and flattery have always worked for me!  ;-) Brian G. Crawford 00:13, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Oooo! Don't forget the people-trafficking. Woo for supporting slavery and abuse of vulnerable women? Just go to a slutty enough bar and you'll find someone who wants to, for free! (Or the price of a couple of drinks) Skittle 19:43, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I too am absolutely baffled as to why people writing an encyclopaedia on the Internet would be asking about how to get sex for money. --Sam Blanning(talk) 11:20, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I'd call Loveline at 1-800-LOVE-191. And, I would love to sleep with a Wikipedian, myself. Cernen Xanthine Katrena 07:35, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You go, girl...--Captain ginyu 11:37, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Who would want to sleep with someone who uses Wikipedia?
Uh, technically, you are a Wikipedia user. Sum0 11:44, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Irony humour self-deprecation. Skittle 19:43, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Perhaps a Pastatute is a Pastafarian who offers sex for money? Alternatively, this could be Pastafarians' form of flirty fishing. JamesMLane t c 10:42, 2 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Train derailment

Dear Sir or madam:

Kindly tell me the details regarding the technical reasons for train derailment.. I am doind a project work on train derailment so that it wil be much helpful to me in my project work...

With regards, R S Ranganathan Government college of engineering salem 636011 INDIA

There are several causes. An obstruction on the line is a common one, but sometimes the rails are broken or a joint comes apart. Did you see our article on derailment? --Shantavira 08:45, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Prominent soap opera fans

I'm trying to compile information to be used on Wikipedia in some fashion, whether it be on the soap opera article, or in individual articles. I'm trying to figure out who prominent, usually in American politics or another non-acting profession, confesses to be a fan of soaps. I've done research and I know John Connally, the former Governor of Texas, would not be interrupted for anything short of a catastrophe while Love of Life was on. First Lady Pat Nixon's favorite soap actor was Larry Haines from Search for Tomorrow. Former Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall would actually recuse himself from hearings just to watch Days of our Lives. I just want to know if there's anyone that you may know of, despite my searchings, that I may have left out. It may borderline on crufty but I am a bit intrigued about it. I know people on this page can be horribly sarcastic so I'm asking this in all seriousness. Thank you for your time! Mike H. That's hot 09:48, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

ISTR Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother was a huge fan of Coronation Street (no pun in the title intended!) as is her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II (who is believed to be a big Doctor Who fan, not that that would count as a soap). Grutness...wha? 10:51, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
That's already noted in the article. You wouldn't happen to know anything about American fans of American shows, would you? Mike H. That's hot 01:33, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Account/Balance sheet

Why in some businesses do they not inlcude personal assets and liabilities on their accounts? is there a reason?--193.63.158.179 13:15, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

question

Can I use some historical Links in my commercial work

Bladder Infection

How long after getting a bladder infection will the pain persist in my side? It has been 5 days that I have been medication but the pain is still there. My fever is gone though. Should I go back to the doctor? Thanks!

Going to your doctor would be the best thing to do. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 13:47, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Rating

Do you know what this site is rated? I couldn't find any rating. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 24.213.67.178 (talkcontribs) .

Do you mean "rated" as in overall quality or as in appropriateness for children? For the latter, see Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not#Wikipedia is not censored. —Keenan Pepper 13:57, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
If you mean the Alexa Internet web traffic rank, it is 17 [13]. SCHZMO 16:30, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Probally R because wikipedia is not censored. ILovEPlankton 17:22, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
If we're using the U.S. film rating system, I'd say it's X, not R. For the fact that graphic depictions of sexual acts are shown as well as cuss words. We also have numerous drug and alcohol references. Dismas|(talk) 01:36, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Alcohol our permanent accessory, our party-time necessity. Perhaps the personage requesting this information is looking for the rating because they found that stupid function in IE that lets you specify content blocking and all that...whassit called again...eh, anyway. Wikipedia is an information site with lots of dirty words and naughty things that you should be sheltering your children from; if you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen. Cernen Xanthine Katrena 07:34, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Crediting images in the article namespace?

Hi there, I deleted someone's name from an article photo, as I understood it was common practice to credit pictures only in the Image description:

Photos should be credited to the photographer who shot them. This is a universal rule. And there are no Wiki rules that suggest the opposite. In the case with the Lipovans, just like with my other photos donated to Wiki, I ask to leave the byline. This is a common rule for any encyclopidia.

Any advice?

Thanks, --Asterion talk to me 17:46, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I don't quite understand what your question is, but in general things related to Wikipedia editing should be directed to the Wikipedia:Village pump, not here. --Fastfission 00:16, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
What he's taking about is the caption in a picture. Such as
Picture of a big elephant take by CambridgeBayWeather
Picture of a big elephant take by CambridgeBayWeather
. I've seen a few like that and removed them because unless you are a notable photographer with an article then why spam? You might want ot look at Wikipedia:WikiProject Writing Captions and also Wikipedia:Captions#Tips for describing pictures (which indicate that it might be OK to have the photographers name). I just looked at a paper encyclopidia and it appears that all the photos are credited. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 05:38, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

How to install a new processor into a desktop..

Hi there,

I have a reasonable knowlege of computers, yet not to the extent to know how to install a new processor in my desktop computer.

I just wanted to know the steps to installing a new processor [Pentium 4 (3GHZ)] into a Desktop Computer.

I would also like to ask; if in order to carry out installing a new processor whether I would need to save all my important files, as the computer would be wiped, therefore resulting in re-installing my Windows XP, Windows Office and other programs. etc. I also have Wireless internet card in my desktop along with graphics card, would these both need to be re-installed, set-up?

Finally i would just like to thank you for your time, and effort in looking at this question.

Thanks,

Burnham Associates

Whether you need to save your important files should be a non-question. You should be doing backups regularly anyway: I start to worry if I haven't backed up every one of my computers, every day. It might be possible to complete this task without needing to restore anything, if all goes according to plan, but don't take a chance.

Your processor is plugged into a motherboard. While motherboards do take a range of processors, any serious upgrade probably needs you to buy a new motherboard, which would contain a new processor. This would include the BIOS and plug-and-play settings so all of that would need to be done again. You may not be able to reuse all of your memory either: a new motherboard might require a new set of RAM.

A crucial point is space. Not all motherboards are designed to fit the same space. Obviously, one that is too big won't fit in your existing case, but one that is not exactly the same size, but smaller, may be difficult to mount securely (it has to be secure because so many things are connected to it).

If you aren't daunted, open up your computer, and measure up the motherboard. Examine all of the connections to it, to see what the new board must support. Also, evaluate whether a new computer would be more cost effective. Look into how much of your existing software could be just copied to a new computer (Windows and Office, if bundled with the original computer, cannot). Notinasnaid 19:29, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

From my experience, and from most people here, we agree with the above, in that it is rarely worth it to replace the main CPU, unless the machine is less than 2 years old, and you really overbought on the main computer. For example, I have a Shuttle server, where I could slip in a new AMD dual processor chip, but the original processor (still really good) goes in the garbage! (boo hoo) --Zeizmic 23:33, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I replaced the processor several times and no you should not have to do a full install of windows, etc as you are not wiping your hard drive. There is of course the possiblity that you may have to re-certify windows depending on how much of your computer you change but I have not had that happen with a processor swap. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 05:22, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Look out for other bottle necks, It is important to realise that upgrading your processor doesnt neccesarily make your computer faster. For example, poor FSB speed, ram, ram speed, hard disk speed etc. If you are doing it to improve performance, if you have little knowledge of computers, it may be best to start anew. Philc T+C 16:25, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Carpathian Mountains - Slovakia

Kozie Mountain in the Carpathian Mountain chain was formerly known as Vikartovsky Mountain. This info taken from a minerals website online: http://www.fns.uniba.sk/prifuk/casopisy/geol/1997mon/cwsu2.htm

That's nice. So ... what's your question? JackofOz 23:19, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Be bold is a motto here meaning that you can update the Kozie article. If you wish, just post your remark on that article's talk page. P.S. I'll see that the article exists! And PPS : it's just listed as Kozie Ridge (to be created) in the Divisions_of_the_Carpathians. --DLL 20:00, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Boardom

I'm board. What is something entertaining that I can do at work? 199.201.168.100 18:53, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You can learn to spell 'bored' (and 'boredom') correctly. This isn't really the place for these kind of questions, but go to I-am-bored.com for ideas. Daniel () 18:55, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Why not play a "bored game"? (Sorry, couldn't resist.) —Keenan Pepper 22:34, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I always like to hang out on the Wikipedia Miscellaneous Reference Desk, answering stupid questions. --ByeByeBaby 23:16, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
You mean, like this one? Cernen Xanthine Katrena 07:30, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Bored Games were a pretty decent NZ band, BTW (oh, and welcome back CXK - long time no see!) Grutness...wha? 08:45, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Thanksmuch. I'm once again able to contribute my half answers to the reference desk, sooo...yes. Also, if you want to do something that is both entertaining at work, as well as something that won't get you fired, try doing your job? Cernen Xanthine Katrena 00:51, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I am bored all the time. Try writing something good for Uncyclopedia (a joke encyclopedia) or actually the best thing evar, screw around with PowerPoint and see what you can do. Actually, it's really good at animations and I can do better movies in PowerPoint than Flash ;) Flameviper12 14:41, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]
BEST THING EVAR! just thought of it. Read BJAODN. 43 oversized pages of nonsense. It will take you, seriously, not even kidding, at least several weeks to read it all given you put at least 2 hours to it every weekday. Flameviper12 14:43, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Persuasive Paper

I am writing a paper in English. It must be a topic to persuade the audience on, but at the same time it must offer solutions and opposite points of view. I had a couple of ideas. One was the subject of whaling. I have heard about the controversy of commercial whaling in Norway and Japan. They keep killing whales and want to increse the amount for "scientific" research. I think this is an okay topic. Another idea was very broad...the subject of juding people based on their appearance. (Age, Gender, Race, Wealth, Religion, Physical Appearance) I am just not sure what is a good persuasive topic. Any examples?

Well, it's pretty easy to be persuasive on things you and all your audience will agree with (I assume you live in a country where whaling is popularly abhored). Can you offer the opposite points of view? There are opposite points of view on whaling which you can find and present, but is there an opposite point of view for the other one (that is, can you find anyone who says it's a good thing to judge people based on their appearance). Think closely about what you have been asked to do. For instance, would you get more marks if you picked a difficult point of view and argued persuasively (e.g. could you argue persuasively from the point of view of a Norwegian whaler)? At a guess, the teacher is looking for you to be able to present both sides of an argument fairly: this sounds easy, but most people need practice at this, for a subject they care about. Perhaps you could practice by picking a controversial subject on which you have no opinion of your own. Anyway, if you want more tips, you probably need to give more detail on the assignment (the exact phrasing is important). Notinasnaid 20:55, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Here and here are some suggestions. -LambaJan 05:23, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Sham 69, The Angelic Upstarts or The Anti-Nowhere League

Which is the best band out of Sham 69, Angelic Upstarts and The Anti-Nowhere League? --84.64.0.71 20:57, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

This isn't the sort of question we can answer here, as we provide facts, not opinions. For the record, I've never heard of any of them.-gadfium 23:06, 28 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
As stated above its a matter of opinion but I'd guess that if you did a poll Sham 69 would come out on top. They certainly had more chart and critical success than the others but in comparison to other punk bands were somewhat second rate as punk was a fading force at this time. -- DPM.

my article sited as "advertisement" and needs cleanup

hi, the article i submitted "Agape World Fellowship" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agape_World_Fellowship was sited as an "advertisement" and needs "cleanup" but im new to wikipedia and i couldn't figure out how to "cleanup" my article so it would be accepted. can someone help me to do that? though Agape World Fellowship aka AWF is Christian based it is totally free and we accept anyone for citizenship regardless of their religion. most of the people in AWF also have citizenships in several other 3D VR worlds or universes such as Active Worlds, Active Worlds Europe and others. I saw that Active Worlds and a bunch of other VR sites (who do make u pay to join) are listed on wikipedia so i wrote an article about us here too. can you help please? ~Bob Shoemaker ((e-mail address redacted to prevent spam)) —The preceding unsigned comment was added by EarthTrex (talkcontribs) 01:06, April 29, 2006 (UTC).

For one thing, it is written in the wrong grammatical person. Articles should generally not use words such as "we". For another, emphasizing things like "FREE" and "NO cost" using capital letters is not only bad style, its tone is more appropriate for an advertisement than an encyclopedia article. Those are just some of the issues that popped out to me. —Keenan Pepper 00:38, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I just googled your organization and got 186 hits. That, combined with many Wikipedians' hostility towards religion, especially Christianity, would probably get it deleted. I participate in far too many deletion discussions, so I have a pretty good idea what stays and what goes. Right now, it could possibly be deleted speedily (without discussion, that is) because you don't assert notability. You're not telling us why your organization is notable to those who wouldn't ordinarily be interested in such a group. In my opinion, Wikipedia unfortunately isn't the place to spread your message. Brian G. Crawford 04:04, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I'm afraid I disagree with you there, Brian: I don't think Wikipedia has a hostile reaction towards Christianity or any religion - the Wikipedia policies apply to everything and everyone. Unfortunately, articles on religious topics tend to be either trying to spread their religion (which is not what Wikipedia is about, I'm sure you'll agree) or very strongly biased and uncompromising, necessitating a difficult cleanup process. By the same token, you could argue that Wikipedia is hostile to pseudoscientific beliefs such as UFOlogy - but it's just a question of holding everyone to the same standard.
I would agree with you that this article is borderline as far as notability goes (Bob: you can read up on our guidelines on Notability Wikipedia:Notability), but may have promise. I am somewhat more skeptical towards it because it was written by the head pastor of the organisation, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and try to clean it up a bit. We'll see what the result is... — QuantumEleven 09:13, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

April 29

laws about salaies in small copanes

is there a set of rules and regulation on how salary pay is done in texas?

Not everyone knows that, in Texas, you have the right to be paid in gallons of good oil. --DLL 19:49, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Can you also clarify, are you referring to the Texas-based Native American tribe (Kopanes) or have you just mis-spelt "companies"? Grutness...wha? 02:55, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Blue vs. Red Links

Hello, What is the difference between the links in blue and the links in red? I attempted to find the answer on my own but failed. Direction to a help page with this information would be great. Thank You --24.20.136.251 00:55, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Red links are don't have articles written for them yet. Blue links go to an article that has been written. For example, Earth is blue while Blunderworth the magnificent is red. Dismas|(talk) 01:29, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
See Wikipedia:How to edit a page#Links and URLs. -- Rick Block (talk) 01:58, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
And just why the heck doesn't Blunderworth the magnificent have an article yet?! Cernen Xanthine Katrena 07:29, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Because they need to be suitly emphazi first. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 07:33, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I want to see an article on pastatutes! --Zeizmic 11:32, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Pastatutes is a corruption of "Pasta Satutes" from 12th century Milan. The statues were formed to help regulate the growing prostitution that was rampant at the time. The city was less concerned with the local prostitutes than the influx of foreign prostitutes. These foreigners were making use of the large pasta production, that was on the upsurge at the time, in their bizzare sex trade. It caused a great scandal and brought down the Milan government in 1345. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 22:31, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I'll take CambridgeBayWeather for the win, Tom. Cernen Xanthine Katrena 00:53, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Wow...Whatever CambridgeBayWeather said makes a lot of sense.. maybe there should be an article for them after all..... ;-D .. Jayant,17 Years, Indiacontribs 17:11, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Positve

Which artists give positive messages to the world?

The artists that do their own homework. Dismas|(talk) 01:28, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Artists are celebrated for their originality, individualism, and self-effort rather than having to ask other people to do their thinking and research for them and copying. Bwithh 02:28, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Which artists give negative messages ? None. They do their best to give sense to the world through beauty. They sometimes make money. --DLL 19:47, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I'd disagree that no artists give negative messages. The person who created this poster, for example, made a work giving a negative message, as do many other artists working on propaganda or negative caricatures. Of course its kind of a subjective decision whether a message is negative or not. GeeJo (t)(c)  20:43, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Small Broken Toe Concern

I broke and dislocated my small toe two weeks ago. I went to the emergeny room. A doctor injected local anesthesia in my toe and placed my toe in the right position. My toe was then "buddy-taped" and I was told to go. I later went to my regular family doctor later, but he really didn't tell me anything. Now that it has been two weeks, I'm worried that my small toe is paralyzed. I still have a numbed sensation in my toe and the toe is still a bit swollen. I tried putting ice and something hot on my toe, but I could feel the temperature changes with a slow reaction compared to my other toe. Will I ever be able to move my small toe again? Will I recover my toe's sensation? If so, how approximatley long will it take? And, when should I stop "buddy-taping"? Please post advice, I am really concered about my toe. Thanks. --Proficient 06:06, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The smart thing to do is togo back to your doctor with your concerns, and state them plainly and see what he tells you, just keep repeating your cocnern, until the point of annoyance, if he doesn't tell you, try a walk-in clinc or such Treleth 06:23, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
It's only been two weeks, give it time to heal. Broken toes take around six weeks to heal - keep taping it, take some painkillers and be nice to your feet. Natgoo 11:19, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
On average, people break their toes 10 times in the course of their life without noticing. It hurts, but unless its one of your big toes, which are the only toes which are essential (for balance), it doesn't really matter. Philc T+C 16:18, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

How do I check if a company name is available for registration?

For example purposes, let's say I want to register a company named Henna Inc. Is there a website where I can check if any company named Henna Inc. has already been registered? --J.L.W.S. The Special One 12:46, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Well assuming that you wish to register in Singapore I would try reading through the Government's Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority Singapore site. If not then try google "company registration name of country". I got some good looking hits using Canada, the US and the UK. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 15:12, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Characteristics of a colt

Our school mascot is a "colt" so I would like to know how to find out the characteristics/qualities of a "colt" to use those ideas in sort of a metaphor type lesson with my students. A colt is a young male horse though I have occasionally heard it used for either sex in America.They are playful and skittish and cute.The adjective "coltish" is sometimes used for young girls,a good example is Audrey Hepburn was often described as "coltish"I think it's to do with elegance and long legs.A colt also represents youth and high spirits also energy and speed,thus is often used for sports teams. hotclaws**==(hotclaws**== 13:54, 29 April 2006 (UTC))[reply]

Try Colt or [14]. Daniel () 19:10, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Excorsisms

Hi i was on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Association_of_Exorcists

and i would like to find out how to find an exorsist in philadelphia. how do i do that?

thanks

dave

I think your first step would be to go to your local church and explain to the priest what you want and go from there. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 15:00, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

And when you find someone willing to solve that kind of problem, call PhACT and ask them to send someone along to observe and document the procedure please. alteripse 16:34, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Steve Mizerak, pool player

What has happened to Steve Mizerak, several-times pool champion? I saw a photo of him on the Web where he was at an awards ceremony. He was in a wheelchair, his face looked distorted, and he appeared to have lost about 200 pounds. He was born in 1944, and so is now age 62, and he was greatly overweight for years. Did he have a stroke or something? How is he doing now? I saw him play straight pool at the world championship in 1972 and his skill was amazing.

Apparently he had a stroke in 2001, see http://poolroom.com/news.asp. -- Rick Block (talk) 16:01, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I met up with him at the Roseland Ballroom in 2000? (around then) when they revived the U.S. Open straight pool championship (for one year, grrrr). He looked very sickly, having ballooned up to such a massive weight that he could barely play. Steve utterly dominated straight pool during his heyday (won the U.S. Open from 70-75 (even though many of his later triumphs went unrecorded as the game was becoming 9-ball and there were not many straight pool tournaments for him to show his prowess to a wider audience). I have heard many times that he had the highest per inning average of any straight pool player in history--somewhere between 30 and 35. What a talent. Last I heard, after his stroke he was wheelchair bound, had slurred speech, and had lost control over some of his facial muscles, but his mind was still sharp. That article posted by Rick Block doesn't make his future prospects look promising. --Fuhghettaboutit 18:41, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Jack Russell Terriers

I have just adopted via rescue, a 2 year old female dog. She looks to me to be a Jack Russell Terrier. However, I can't find a definitive source to tell me whether or not their ears should flop over or stand up, or either or. Also, she has not barked since I got her, although she notices everything going on, is alert to people outside the window or entering the next apartment door. Everything I find says that they are noisy, bark loudly, but she hasn't barked once. Could someone let me know about the ears and the non-barking. I can't find anything to answer my questions at the normal sites regarding Jack Russell's.

Thanks, Diane (Melbourne, FL)

The dog won't bark if it has been told not to during two years. Do you think it is possible ? --DLL 19:42, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I would go somewhere like here or here and ask there. They both seem to have contact email. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 19:49, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Did you see our article on Jack Russell Terriers? Their ears usually fold forward, but this varies, as you can see. If she doesn't bark, count yourself very lucky, unless you were looking for a guard dog. Believe me, when you are trying to drive a car, there is nothing worse than an excited Jack Russell yapping in the back seat. --Shantavira 09:10, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Family Guy

Anyone know a release date (or even just a rough estimate) for Family Guy season 5 in the UK?

April, 2010. Just a rough estimate.  -- Run!  12:05, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]
File:RefDeskMay2006.GIF


Mexico

Does someone know what is the name of the coldest place on Mexico?

Given that countries own the air space above their territory, I'd say about ten miles above the Pico de Orizaba. GeeJo (t)(c)  20:26, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
According to this website, the coldest place in Mexico (assuming you mean on the land) is the peak of the Pico de Orizaba. SCHZMO 20:59, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

American Telephone Directory Services

I'm doing a scavenger hunt and I need to know what happens when an American phones Directory Services. I'm talking about what the operator says and such. Computerjoe's talk 20:40, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Either a computerized or real voice says "City and listing, please." Brian G. Crawford 21:38, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

When I call 411, I get a recorded voice saying, "<Local phone company name> directory assistance." Then a few notes of music, and "For what city?" You say a city, and then it says, "Thank you. What listing?" (It might first ask whether you want a business or residence.) Then it says, "Thank you. Please wait a moment," and after a couple of rings, a live voice comes on and either gives you the number right away or asks for additional information ("I have a John Smith on Elm Street and one on Third Street. Which would you like?") The operator then says something like, "Thank you, please hold for the number," and the recorded voice comes back on to say something like, "The number you have requested <pause> five-one-nine five-five-five one-seven-seven-six <pause> can be automatically dialed for an additional <pause> thirty <pause> cents by pressing one now."
Until recently, dialing 411 would connect you directly to a human operator, who would say, "Directory assistance. For what city and state?" The "and state" part came in several years back when they hooked all the national directory assistance together. It used to be that 411 was only for local numbers, and if you wanted a number in New York City, you'd have to dial 1-212-555-1212 (unless, of course, you lived in NYC). I remember when I was in Manhattan about nine years ago and tried to get a number in Paterson, N.J., or somewhere by dialing 411. The operator yelled something like, "Whadda you mean? That's a Juhzee numbuh! I don't have Juhzee numbuhs!" -- Mwalcoff 06:41, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Are all of the characters on Will & Grace good or bad?

Yes. Slumgum | yap | stalk | 22:33, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
As with almost all characters on sitcoms, the characters on Will and Grace are supposed to be people the audience (ie Americans) can sympathise with, but with some character flaws to make their lives interesting. In short, they're all good, but imperfect.-gadfium 00:58, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Breasts

Why are men so attracted to breats? Also, why is it sexual harrassment to touch a women's breats? Why isn't it just like touching her arm? 71.250.48.233 22:35, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I think it's human nature for people to be attracted to traits in their prospective partner that suggest advantages in parenting. Women look for men who can provide (nowadays it's more likely to be a high earner than a strong hunter) and from a man's POV, breasts are useful in a maternal aspect. The instincts to look for these probably stem from their own childhood. I reckon. -- Slumgum | yap | stalk | 22:57, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Breasts are simply secondary sexual characteristics. Men are attracted to them because they evolved to be attracted to them, and they evolved to be attracted to them because breasts are a characteristic of adult females. Chl 14:21, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
it is sexual assault to touch a woman's breasts, not harrassment, assuming the contact wasn't sought. It is based on why people do it, and how they feel when it is done. The rest I couldn't explain perfectly for you, but I assume you were asking out of general curiosity, rather than indignation at society's attitudes. The Mad Echidna 22:05, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yes. You can touch your friend's Dagmar bumpers, but if you touch Dagmar's bumpers, you'd probably either be a necropheliac (assuming she's dead), or sexually harassing her. Cernen Xanthine Katrena 00:55, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Form and format

First off I love this web site and thank you. However, sometimes it can be a nightmare. E.g., "Contact Wikipedia"? Famous last words. Just try it. Do you have clue what a frustrating labyrinth one most go through to find a place to actually "contact" anyone? Do words have meaning? What part of the word 'contact' are we not aligned on? In any event I find two constant problems:

First the site is great because all links are in blue; however when you print the article there is no distinction so you can't tell what is a link and what is not. When I view an article with blue links and want to print it I would expect to get what I see but this is not so for everything appears boldface in print. This makes no sense. Why do you not just have the links in bold type and the rest in regular type? After all if one wants a print out in all regular type (with no distinction for links) you already have a print version that does just that.

Second there is a problem with elementary punctuation here that is so common it is amazing – indeed rather shocking. For instance consider the following: "A story is told that at a large psychology conference, a "lecturer", actually an actor schooled in mellifluous delivery, uttered a "lecture" that was carefully designed nonsense." This quote is (from all places!) an article on stupidity. (See http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~sousa/STUPIDITY.html)

The rule (according to every reputable style manual) is that the comma always goes inside the quote. E.g., "lecturer," not "lecturer",.... Moreover a quote inside a quote should be in semi quotes so it should actually be " ... 'lecturer,' ..." I won't bother going into the remaining problems with that article on stupidity. Suffice it to say it is, itself, syntactical nonsense. And competent writer would ask, "Who wrote this?!" E.g., the sentence should read "A story is told that at a large psychology conference, a "lecturer" (actually an actor schooled in mellifluous delivery) uttered a 'lecture' that was carefully designed nonsense." If one is going to present hearsay ("a story is told") as authority then he should at least rise to the level of a high school freshman. So so much for this author's credibility on the subject of 'stupidity' -- res ipsa loquiter (it speaks for itself.)

Now I do understand that this article is posted as a link provided by the original Wikipedia article and I do not mean to pick on this writer but I find this particular error (misuse of quotation marks) so common at this web site that I am amazed. It only damages credibility of both the writer and the publisher for if one does not know basic rules of punctuation and grammar readers tend to discount their authority as to subject matter. That is, if the syntax can't get past a high school English teacher can we give much credibility to the substance the author presents? The answer is usually "no." This web site is supposed to have "pier review" but what does that mean -- that one dunderhead passes on and approves the work of another dunderhead? Who writes this stuff? Scholars? Students? Mere children tinkering with words? Are the articles credible? Are they authoritative? Can any dunderhead with a 'credential' (so called) publish his or her work here with so little scrutiny? If so how can it be relied on for truth and veracity any more than graffiti on a public wall?

Please don't be offended. I do love this web site. Unfortunately when, on a daily basis, find so much error in simple elementary grammar then that damages your credibility and tells me I must distrust the materials. A research source that can not be trusted is not of much use. Fun perhaps, interesting perhaps, but certainly not worthy of much credibility.

I urge you to show more scrutiny and make editing more easy. At the very least have a high school English teacher edit them.

And now that I have wirtten all this WHERE is the send button?!!! —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 4.243.176.127 (talkcontribs) .

The Guardian's style manual is clearly disreputable: "Place full points and commas inside the quotes for a complete quoted sentence; otherwise the point comes outside". HenryFlower 23:03, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Where the punctuation goes with regard to quotes differs between American and British usage, for local style guidelines please see Wikipedia:Manual of Style#Quotation marks. Most of your other questions are answered at Wikipedia:Replies to common objections. You might also find Wikipedia:About useful. Note that all contributors are unpaid volunteers. -- Rick Block (talk) 23:07, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Interesting that "res ipsa loquiter" is apparently not an example of itself (I refer to the fact that its meaning needed to be translated). It's in the same class as "monosyllabic". I wonder if there's a term for this. And we don't have "pier review" here", except for this page. Cheers JackofOz 01:29, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
there is, but sadly I can't recall it. I thought the two terms were autonym and autoantonym, but it seems not. Grutness...wha? 03:06, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Am I missing something here? That article on stupidity was on another website, not Wikipedia, was it not? Why is Wikipedia to blame for that poor grammar? Besides, Wikipedia is plagued with grammar far worse than what is described. If the most grave mistake you can find it a point placed outside of a quotation mark instead of inside, then I'm truly amazed.  -- Run!  11:46, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Info on Wikipedia category percentages?

Hi all! I've always wanted to know how very general encyclopedic categories stack up in English Wikipedia, i.e., what percentage of Wikipedia is Geography, what percentage is History, what percentage is Math, etc. (at least like the categories being used for dividing the Reference Desk!), so like any good asker around here, I first started searching for statistics that would refer to this before asking. While I found a lot on overall size growth for the whole Wikipedia, including users, stubs etc., there isn't much on encyclopedic categories. The closest page I could find was this Juggernaut of subcategories (WARNING: 1.1 Mb!!) which is longer than anyone (including me) could care, and basically says nothing about the BROAD CATEGORY RELATIVE SIZES I'm asking about. It's also as confusing as it has been humanly possible to do, so I believe it's as useless for me as it is for anyone else. (And this is the "Concise" version, nevermind the ultra-juggernaut which is the "Complete" version of the list, 18 MB long!!! >.< )

SO, my questions are:

  • Isn't there an elaborate and serious page which can tell me precisely how the english Wikipedia is subdivided into, say, Humanities, Science, Math, etc. and how they compare in size between each other? (things like pie charts would be lovely!)
  • If there isn't, shouldn't there be one?

I believe info like this is important for the Wikipedia project and should be readily accessible, at least if we wanted more people to get the seriousness of this global project, which I consider of great value to humanity (unless the results come out as "54.6% Pokémon pages, 34.2% Star Trek episode info..."; I hope not!!) Sorry about the lenghtiness, and thanks in advance! Kreachure 23:22, 29 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Didn't you know that Wikipedia was created so that poor African kids living in tent villages could learn about toys they could never buy and TV shows they'll never see? Brian G. Crawford 00:05, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Statistics precisely like what you're asking for are very difficult to obtain, because articles can be in many categories and categories do not form a tree (or even a directed acyclic graph). You might be interested in the statistics related to Wikipedia:WikiProject Missing encyclopedic articles. According to User:Dantheox/Stub percentages more than a third of Wikipedia articles are stubs. -- Rick Block (talk) 01:19, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Counts on the population of all the stub categories are kept at WP:WSS/ST - that may give you a rough idea. There are huge numbers of biographies and geographical articles, if that's anything to go by. Grutness...wha? 03:09, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks everyone, but it still seems to me that there HAS to be info on the amount of articles each category has. I'm no statistician, but as for the problem of articles being in many categories, it shouldn't be that big an obstacle:
  • To get a category's minimum amount of articles, you could count each article only once within that category, even if it's in several subcategories; and if it belongs in other categories, you don't count it at all.
  • And to get the maximum amount of articles of a category, you count the same article as many times as it appears anywhere!
This way you can get a (VERY rough) estimate of a category's number of articles, but it'd be something to start with! And if I just made up this process in the last five minutes, imagine what the real statistics guys could do! (And bots for much more complex things have been created, so the process could be painlessly automatic!) And remember, it's much more logical to count only the "official" articles, so why worry about stubs at all! I'm still insisting this is important information Wikipedia should already know, and I think it'd help tremendously in demonstrating the seriousness the Wikipedia Project has and deserves of everyone. P.S. I'll see how I can talk to the Statistics Awareness guys anyway, but any other opinions or support about this idea are gladly welcome. Kreachure 16:07, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You might also find Special:Mostlinkedcategories useful. Grutness...wha? 04:14, 2 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

April 30

A list of roughage foods

I have recently suffered two attacks of ischemic colitis, and I've been advised not to eat roughage foods. Unfortunately, I don't know all foods that are considered roughage, and I haven't been able to find this information anywhere on the internet. Can you help me?

Whole grains, vegetables, fruits, foods with lots of insoluble dietary fiber. Brian G. Crawford 01:20, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Our article on Roughage redirects to Dietary fiber, which has a list of Sources of fibre, which has a sub-list of insoluble fibres including "Whole grain foods", "bran", "nuts and seeds", "vegetables such as green beans, cauliflower, zucchini and celery", and "the skin of some fruits including tomatoes". This website, found while googling for "insoluble fibre", adds "brown rice", "fruits with edible seeds", "lentils", "maize", "oats", "pulses", wholegrain and wholemeal breads and cereals, along with wholemeal pasta. Hope that helps. Jude (talk,contribs,email) 03:15, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Old people

Why do they drive nothing but Buicks and Oldsmobiles? Are they not aware other brands exist? And why do they drive so slow? A Clown in the Dark 01:14, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

  • Actually, it's a good thing that older people tend to drive slower– it's just a sensible adjustment to their slowing reaction time. I would be rather more concerned of older drivers not compensating for their aging reflexes.--Pharos 02:37, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Subjectively speaking, the elderly also tend to favor larger cars as they are often easier to get in and out of, and are typically more comfortable and spacious. Tijuana Brass¡Épa!-E@ 06:06, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Is it actually true that old people in the US do drive those makes of cars exclusively? I would suspect that a number of old people drive other makes. Are Buicks and Oldsmobiles not higher priced cars? In which case it could be a status symbol in their minds. If you had the choice would you pick a Zastava vehicles or a Ferrari?
No, it's not true that old people drive these makes exclusively. It's a stereotype. However it's probably true that a greater proprition of older people drive those makes than the rest of the population. DJ Clayworth 15:36, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Re the speed part of the question, one could turn it around and wonder why many younger people drive so fast when they know that inappropriate speed (not necessarily even exceeding the maximum) is a major factor in so many road deaths. (Oh, that's right, I forgot - "it'll never happen to me"). Maximum speeds are just that. Many drivers seem to regard them as minimum speeds. JackofOz 02:10, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I don't know about other young drivers, but I simply drive the speed that feels right for the road. On the open highway between Spokane and Seattle, if the weather's good, that means I'm doing 100+ mph, and a four-hours-by-the-speed-limit drive is reduced to two and a half hours. On the other hand, if traffic's heavy, or the weather's bad, I'll find a semi in the slow lane to follow, because I know he won't be doing anything unexpected, and nobody'll try to merge in front of me. --Serie 22:52, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]
When the old people of today were young, most high-status cars were those big American cars. So it might be partly nostalgia.TheSPY 16:25, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Recommendation for a CMS?

I'm looking for recommendations for web authoring/management software to use for a church website. I'd like to be able to set up the site once, and not have to worry too much about site management after that. Then there'll be a handful or two people who add/modify content, which will be things like articles, announcements, and photos. Down the road, we'd like to be able to have streaming audio/video. This would not be a high-volume site, and cost is a real issue. My preference would be something open source. Any suggestions or recommendations? -Rholton 03:41, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Try a wiki. Cernen Xanthine Katrena 00:56, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]


TSR Forums!

TSR (The Sims Resource) Forums is down! It wont work for me, I was just wondering if anyone else has the same problem? its the first site on google when you type in tsr forums, does anyone know what happened?

They are currently down, however, I don't know the reason (it's probably something trivial like a database rebuild). Wait a few days, and check the main TSR page for any announcements of longer-term problems. — QuantumEleven 08:12, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks! Would anyone perhaps know some other good sims 2 forums, because Im a bit stuck lol

who is the chatrman of microsoft

brief information about microsoft software company

Go to the article: Microsoft. Daniel () 08:05, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Chatrman - A person who does too much texting. --Zeizmic 19:18, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Or: Chatrman - A person still learning the fine details of how to suitly emphazi something. СПУТНИКССС Р 22:16, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I thought a Chatrman was another name for a pastatute Jayant,17 Years, Indiacontribs 15:30, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Shiawassee River - Michigan

Thought I added some content a week or two ago, haven't seen it pop up yet. Can someone check what happened ? It had quite a few references to back everything up.

Well, you did add something, but it was to Wikipedia:Articles for creation, which is a page for anonymous users to submit ideas for articles. That means that in order for the article to be created, someone else has to actually use the information submitted (or find more), and then do the article themselves. However, given the amount of nonsense that goes through there (people asking for articles on their dog, that kind of thing), the process can be quite slow.
Looking over what you've added, that's enough information there to start an article. I nearly did it for you, but I would rather invite you to do the article yourself as someone who will have more expertise. It's easy to do so, and I (along with a number of other editors) would be glad to assist you with any questions you have. All you'll need to do is create an account, which is fast and free, type in "Shiawassee River" to the search box, click on the option to create a new article, and go from there. I'd suggest looking over Wikipedia:Introduction before beginning to get an idea of some writing basics. Good luck, and if you have a question, leave me an article on my talk page or at the Help Desk. Tijuana Brass¡Épa!-E@ 09:00, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

bachelors of mass media

i m a student of standard 12th arts in mumbai, india. i wish to pursue a degree of bmm ie bachelors of mass media after 12th. could u plz help me with the subect,the best colleges in mumbai providing this course, courses after graduation in the same field in india or abroad? i want to pursue advertising in my last year of graduation so plz answer my queries accordingly. also i would like to know the importance of this course and the salaries available in both india and abroad?is there an mba related to advertising and mass media? if yes plz send all the possible information about it?

Slow down there, my friend! I can't tell you which is the "best" "Bachelor's of Mass Media" offered in Mumbai, or indeed anywhere in the world. What I can tell you is that the "best" course according to published rankings are not always the best course for you. In my country (Australia), universities have "open days" where you can visit the university, chat to staff and students, see what the facilities are like, and so on. In any case, at university, you are responsible for your own learning, far more than you were at high school. An uncommitted student at the best university in the world will learn far less than a diligent student at a less well-known university. For your salary question, in many countries job search websites also have information about salary ranges for various professions. In general, though, people working in advertising are reasonably well paid throughout the world (in relative terms, probably better paid in India than in other places; you certainly won't be able to afford servants if you worked in Europe; you probably could in India because unskilled labor is so cheap); top creative talent is extremely well-paid but are small in number. Finally, for what it's worth in my view MBAs are best taken by people who already have some work experience. --Robert Merkel 22:25, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Savage Garden music video I WANT YOU

Hi, Am looking for the name of the red haired women from the I WANT YOU MUSIC VIDEO, any help appreciated. Cheers.

You might be better off asking this one on a Savage Garden fan forum. If you do a Google search for "Savage Garden fan forum" a number of useful sites turn up. --Robert Merkel 22:12, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Counting visitors

  • Does anyone have any ideas about how we can identfy how many visitors a certain page has received? I can't really think of a better way to determine how effective my off-site promotion schemes are unless I can ascertain how many people are actually popping in for a look!
Hope you're all well, wherever you are in the world today!

D2 09:57, April 30, 2006 (UTC)

Any good web host (but not necessarily a free host) will offer statistics, which is some information that should include a count of visitors. (The nature of the web is that the counts are rather approximate.) Otherwise, some people use hit counters, though these look very amateurish. Notinasnaid 15:22, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Google Analytics is great- you even get a map of where your visitors are from. HenryFlower 15:37, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I was really after some cunning way of ascertaining how many 'views' a Wiki page has received. Are there any incredibly cunning ways of doing this?

D2 17:16, April 30, 2006 (UTC)

Nope. Computerjoe's talk 19:31, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
  • Thank you Joe - simple and to the point.

D2 21:27, April 30, 2006 (UTC)

Please see Wikipedia:Technical FAQ#Can I add a page hit counter to a Wikipedia page?. -- Rick Block (talk) 23:46, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
  • Thanks Rick!

D2 09:22, May 1, 2006 (UTC)

Mulholland drive

Hello! This is a question regarding the Mulholland drive(film). In the film, there is a singing audition, and two songs are played: one is something like 16 reasons why i love you, and it is played by a female vocal and a choire, and the second song is played by a female vocal only(in the film she is named Camilla Rhodes), but i haven't caught any of the text, and the song rythm is much like that of the first, but a bit faster. If someone knows how are those songs called and do they exist outside of the film, i would like you to write it because i like those songs very much.--Captain ginyu 12:48, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I've Told Every Little Star by Oscar Hammerstein II and Jerome Kern? (On the IMDb most films have soundtrack pages that are useful in cases like this.) David Sneek 16:03, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks, you've helped me a lot.--Captain ginyu 21:07, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Am I in trouble?

I think I posted copyrighted content in an article without realizing. I am a new user, and am unfamiliar with copyright laws. Now the article that I edited is on the possible copyright violations page. I did not realize what I was doing was possibly illegal. I am really worried. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Morganismysheltie (talkcontribs) 16:20, April 30, 2006 (UTC).

Don't worry about it (too much)! Looking at your edit history, I'm afraid I can't find the article you're referring to - did you write it under a different username? In any case, there is no lasting harm done - best if you delete (or, better, rewrite :)) the bits of the article which violate copyright, and maybe leave a message on the article's talk page saying you rewrote / deleted the copyrighted material in question. Voilà - all sorted. On Wikipedia, we assume good faith, and in your case, if it was unintentional, all you need to do is remedy the error (as described above) and all will be cherry. If you've got any questions or are unsure about something, feel free to leave a message on my talk page, and I'll do my best to help you out. — QuantumEleven 16:08, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
It's good to see someone caring so much about these things. Daniel () 17:42, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

time zones

hi, can you please tell me the time difference between Yoshkar-ola, Russia and Adelaide, Australia (South Australi). this would be very much appreciated, thank you.

See Time in Russia, Time in Australia and List of time zones. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 17:37, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I think the time difference is 5.5 hours, since Yoshkar-Ola is on Moscow Summer Time (UTC +4) and Adelaide is on Australian Central Standard Time (UTC +9.5). SCHZMO 19:42, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

History of a Subdivision in Montgomery, Alabama

I noticed that of the (17) Neighborhoods listed for Montgomery, Alabama, only the history of two (2)-- (Woodmere Evirons & Cloverdale)) of them were given. As a relatively new comer to the City of Montgomery, and, a resident in one the remaining (15) fifteen neighborhoods, it would be most appreciated if you could provide a brief history of my neighborhood so that I could become better informed.

My question is: Would it be possible to have the history of

                Brighton Estates listed as well?


Thank you, -- " " " "

Sure. You can create it yourself or list it at Wikipedia:Articles for creation if you want registered users to help you create the page. SCHZMO 22:52, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

College inrollment in Austin, Texas

How many college students inroll in Austin's colleges each year?

Enroll as freshman or are enrolled in college? Undergraduates or graduates students also? Our Austin article list four colleges there, although only two have mentions of their students populations. Over 10,000 new freshman each year though. Rmhermen 17:35, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

9/11

Is their any connections between the date of the 9/11 attacks, and that the US emergency number is 911? Philc T+C 17:24, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Probably not. Maybe one of the terrorists got a laugh in his/her twisted mind out of it. But it's unlikely. Daniel () 17:41, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Most likely...the terrorists tried to give it some symbolic meaning. As in 911 calls usually mean someone's in danger or terror, as was the case in 9/11. Flameviper12 14:35, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]
But in the east most of us write the date as dd/mm/yyyy...so the date would have been 11/9 for the terrorists ...so, i guess its just a coincidence..... Jayant,17 Years, Indiacontribs 15:26, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Not really, in the US it is convention to use mm/dd/yyyy, as far as i am aware, hence it is reffered to as 9/11 and not 11/9, if the terrorists did try to give it some meaning, I doubt wether the cared if the rest of the world got it. Philc T+C 19:02, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]
...in the east most of us... not in the US. However, I believe the hijackers were living in the US. However however, I believe the attacks were organised by someone living in 'the east'. Skittle 20:07, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]
By in the east do you mean in the east of the US? Philc T+C 20:45, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]
No, I think he means in the eastern world (such as the Middle East). --Maelwys 21:35, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]
For what it's worth we use the 'east' dating system here in the UK. -- DPM
Yeh I'm in the UK, english born n bred. But although they were from the middle east, the hijackers attended several months flight training in the US didnt they? also, just for the sake of it dd/mm/yyyy, makes sense, i fail to see the lgic in mm/dd/yyyy, it seems so silly. theres no logical order in it. Philc T+C 17:40, 2 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Dams and silt

Do dams create more silt in the rivers? Does this have a negative effect by polluting water or making it murky?

Large dams hold back the natural silt in rivers. They actually make the river clearer downstream. But all that silt in the headpond causes problems for the dam. Some dams actually have silt discharges at the bottom of the dam, but then the river has to cope with a big slug of silt. --Zeizmic 19:16, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

In my day, we filled in our geography problem sheets without any use of computers or internet thingys at all... Bwithh 19:55, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Dams only work because the engineers did their own homework. Imagine, if Wikipedia were available when the built the hoover dam, what would happen if someone asked, "Hey, how do I build the Hoover Dam" at the reference desk! For SHAME. Cernen Xanthine Katrena 00:58, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Oh dear, was I a pastatute for answering that? Perhaps, they aren't diligent enough to look back. --Zeizmic 01:17, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Herm, what's a pastatute? Bwithh 01:28, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Someone you have to pay to suitly emphazi! As to the original question, I was reading an artiicle today which has some bearing on the question: see [15]. Grutness...wha? 06:31, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]
See Wikipedia:Reference desk/Miscellaneous#Pastatutes and Wikipedia:Reference desk/Miscellaneous#Blue vs. Red Links. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 14:10, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]
It also crops up in Google a couple of hundred times. JackofOz 02:10, 2 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Actually I asked the question not for homework or buissness...but because i am curious.

Indian Rice Pudding

I absolutely love the rice pudding at Indian buffets. Its thin, creamy and oh so lovely. Does anyone have a good recipe? Is there a way to make it healthier ( without cream ).

Google it. Daniel () 19:52, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The rice pudding's name is Kheer. It is based on milk, not cream, but does contain a bunch of sugar. I suppose you could use low-fat milk and artificial sweetner. There's a recipe for it at WikiCookbooks: http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cookbook:Kheer

- :Bwithh 19:53, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Text Size

How do I make the text size of the text in Wikipedia bigger or smaller? (I have Internet Explorer and Windows XP, I that helps) --Porsche997SBS 20:41, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Open up Internet Explorer, go into View, text size, and pick whichever size is comfortable for you. Alternatively, hold down the Control key and roll your scroll wheel forward. GeeJo (t)(c) • 21:26, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I thought you ment when editing so after the edit conflict:
Thanks a lot!--Porsche997SBS 01:49, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You could use <<font size=large></font> or <small></small> type tags. Also take a look through Wikipedia:How to edit a page and the others. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 21:34, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

  • You don't want to use that last one in articles. - 131.211.210.16 10:10, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]
You could also edit your monobook.css to increase the font sizes of various classes. Jude (talk,contribs,email) 06:46, 2 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Multiple Image Copyright violations on Hwang Woo-Suk article

Bwithh 21:07, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I would try either Wikipedia:Copyrights or the talk page for the article. This is a much more general page. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 21:21, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Already tried the article talk page. It's been something like 2 weeks or more and no replies. I'll see if there's a copyright problem discussion page. Bwithh 21:24, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]
There is and I've found them helpful. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 21:34, 30 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

May 1

Today's Buffalo-Philly game

What did Mike Grier do to deserve third-star status in today's NHL playoff game between the Sabres and Flyers? --138.88.121.77 00:22, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

embedded videos

what is the wikipedia policy towards embedding video files into articles pages?

Questions about Wikipedia policy should be asked Wikipedia:Help desk, not the reference desk. Thank you. --Robert Merkel 05:14, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]
  • Policy is don't. A short animation from a series of photographs in okay, but videos take too long to load on a some internet connections. - 131.211.210.16 10:09, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I would definetly not recommend videos in artices.. maybe a sub-page containing the video is a better option... and BTW Visakhapatnam has a video thing Coming Up on it for a long time now... Anyone know about it?? Jayant,17 Years, Indiacontribs 15:28, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Origin of name Chaligoj

Does anybody know how the surname Chaligoj came about? I have looked through every page of Google hits and found no clues as to its ethnic origin. I found no records for Chaligojs immigrating to the United States. In the 1920 census the name was confined to Missouri.

Its a complete mystery. My recommendation: cold call every Chaligoj you can find in the phonebook (how many can there be) and ask them. If this is too weird for you, pay a little kid to do it and pretend his/her name is Chaligoj and its for his/her homework. If you are actually a little kid anyway, get a grown-up to supervise your cold calling (that means to phone up someone you don't know and start chatting with them) Bwithh 16:59, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Er, does WP:BEANS apply to the reference desk? :-) Sandstein 19:58, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Herm, okay, how about if you're a kid, you really better go get mum or dad to supervise you before you make the calls, or else Bwithh 22:17, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]
  • I'd venture that it's a Slovenian name. Go to http://www.ellisisland.org and try to search for Chaligoj. You won't find it -- but you'll find Caligoj, Celigoj, Coligoj, Celigaj, and so on. Most of them seem to come by way of Trieste, which would indicate Slovenian and/or Italian; and looking at the records, some of them actually say Italian-Slovenian. --jpgordon∇∆∇∆ 23:44, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]
    • Slight correction -- Trieste could also imply German-speaking. Quite a multicultural neck of the woods. --jpgordon∇∆∇∆ 00:21, 2 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

sports journalist Mr. Goutam Bhattacharyya

I want to know the detail of a sports editor Mr. Goutam Bhattacharyya of Ananda Bazar Patrika of Kolkata , India.Specially information including his birth day, career etc.Please help me out.

Did you mean Gautam Bhattacharyya? Tijuana Brass¡Épa!-E@ 09:32, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Florida Musicians

Do you know any Spanish musicians from Florida

Do you mean a person of Spanish nationality, Hispanic ethnicity, a Hispanophone, someone who sings exclusively in Spanish, or some combination of the factors? GeeJo (t)(c) • 18:46, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Sources

Where do you put information citing a source?

And what if your source is the book that you are talking about, and your own personal experience with it? — Preceding unsigned comment added by AlbertSM (talkcontribs)

Please see WP:CITE on how to cite sources, but you shouldn't "cite", or in other ways refer to, your own personal experience. On Wikipedia, all sources must be verifiable and reliable (see WP:RS). Sandstein 19:39, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

animal ethics

hi, firstly, i know this is a bit disgusiting so i apologise but me and my housemates have been thinking -whats the justification for criminalisng beastiality? i mean,obviously the animal can't consent but then again, cows don't consent to being made into burgers or being pumped full of steroids but thats perfectly ok. is it just becuase it scores pretty highly on the yuck-factor and, if yes, what kind of a justification is that?

In my opinion, the killing of animals IS sickening. But yey again, without the killing of animals we would not have protein which is healthy. Even though we are against animal killing it provides protein. General Eisenhower 21:40, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yes it is a justification. General Eisenhower 21:40, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Baked beans. HenryFlower 21:52, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You can kill an animal relatively painlessly and without needless suffering. Many sexual acts with animals, on the other hand, can cause pain and suffering to the animal that's completely avoidable by not abusing it. It's considered animal cruelty, as well as a moral crime. Night Gyr 21:46, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

But bestiality is (in many places) illegal even if you're a gentle, considerate lover. Looking at the Zoophilia article, it seems remarkably short on mainstream moral judgments (it only seems to cover Old Testament-style condemnations and fringe supporters). I suspect that's because there is no coherent mainstream moral position- just "it's icky". HenryFlower 21:52, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I can't believe I'm responding to this, but I do have some thoughts. 1) Traditionally, most people expect others to be attracted to members of the opposite sex. Finding out that some guy likes to screw shetland ponies makes you wonder if he's crazy (because most men would rather have sex with a woman) or if he's so undesirable he has to screw the pony. 2) Animals are used for food and labor. Maybe the taboo "don't shit where you eat" applies. Most people don't want human bodily fluids, especially those from "down there," in their food, and lots of us look at certain kinds of animals as food. You'd wonder about a guy who masturbates on a piece of pizza instead of eating it, wouldn't you? 3) Some people may erroneously think that a human can impregnate an animal and vice versa. 4) Crazy behavior disturbs people. It strikes a lot of people as completely insane to want to have sex with an animal. Brian G. Crawford 01:28, 2 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Poop

What does it taste like? 72.145.188.234 21:17, 1 May 2006 (UTC) (Sorry if I posted this twice, but it doesn't show up on my computer.)[reply]

We can not tell you what it tastes like because none of us Wikipedians have tasted it. But you can try the links at this disambig page "Poop." General Eisenhower 21:36, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]
That's a fairly bold claim. Wikipedia has a wide-ranging coverage of sexual fetishism, so our editors probably cover a wide range of sexual backgrounds. However, I wouldn't like to speculate on which particular editors know what faeces tastes like. --Sam Blanning(talk) 23:02, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Though come to think of it, if you ask a vandal, many of them will tell you that recent changes patrollers and administrators ingest faeces on a regular basis. Often they feel this is so significant that they must insert this information into random articles, and update the relevant userpages when the coprophiliac vandal-fighters in question have inexplicably neglected to mention their taste for the brown stuff themselves. If you can catch one of them, they might be able to point you in the right direction. --Sam Blanning(talk) 23:08, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Having observed my niece and nephew grow up I'd venture to guess a large percentage of people have tasted poop. Toddlers try to taste everything they can get their hands on, and poop is certainly easily accessible to them... Weregerbil 23:23, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The human sense of taste is mostly smell. I.e. when you think you are tasting something you are really mostly smelling it. So poo (as most things) probably mostly tastes the way it smells! Weregerbil 21:42, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Oh, kinda like durian? --jpgordon∇∆∇∆ 23:27, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Nashville, TN Public Safety Communications

I was wondering what The Nashville Police and fire departments use for communication? I went to Nashville 5 years ago and brought a handheld scanner and heard communications on the regular frequencies. However, I just got back from Nashville and i entered the frequencies i listend to last time and i heard nothing at all. I even tried 800 megahertz Trunking frequencies and heard nothing.

song Wayward wind

Was this the song wayward wind ever used in a movie

Computer Problem

Hello, I am trying to get files off of my hard drive and put them on another computer (I got a new pc) But it tells me that access is denied. How do I fix this problem. Thanks!! --Zach 22:59, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Could you give us a little bit more information? How are you transferring the files? By cable or by CD? Is the old or new computer which is telling you access is denied? I would do this by connecting the two PCs with an Ethernet crossover cable and turn on "Sharing" on the old PC. --Canley 03:07, 2 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]
If you are using Windows are you logged in with administrator rights on both computers? CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 04:55, 2 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Copyright

what is the copyright of Wikipedia?

Wikipedia is used for research, and is copyrighted under Jimbo Wales (I think). If you wish to cite an article from Wikipedia, go to a page and click "Cite this Article". The Ronin 23:34, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Wikipedia is copyrighted under the GFDL, see Wikipedia:Copyrights. -- Rick Block (talk) 23:53, 1 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Will you review my article "Oglebay Park/Temp"?

Does it need improvement? What would you rate it on a scale of 1-10? Feel free to edit the page or add information that I may have missed. Thanks, Morganismysheltie

I haven't really looked at the Oglebay Park/Temp but I did review the Oglebay Park. I saw that only part of the page wa a copyright violation so I reverted it as per Wikipedia:Copyrights#If you find a copyright infringement. You can now merge your temp in with the original article. Let me know on my talk page when you're finished with the temp page and I'll delete it for you. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 04:52, 2 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

article refrence

how do i put up a bibliografy of one of wikipedis's articles that i used in my school papper?

There is a link at the very top of this page that takes you to Wikipedia:Citing Wikipedia.--Andrew c 00:24, 2 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

May 2

Spear

How would I make a spear that looks sort of real that I could hit people with without hurting them. I was thinking I could start with a broomstick.--154.20.89.16 01:57, 2 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You should not hit people with spears, whether fake or not, and whether you hurt them or not. In general, they do not like it, and might call the police, or your parents. If you want to play with friends who agree to play with you, you might use styrofoam tubes. Make sure you do not aim for the eyes, as they are very easily hurt, or wear safety goggles. Sandstein 04:43, 2 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]
And broomsticks hurt a lot more than you think..escpecially if you hit the wrong areas .. Jayant,17 Years, Indiacontribs 11:10, 2 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Crime,Detection, and Technology

Science and technology has helped detectives investigate and discover the person which a particular crime was committed by.But could it also be possible that criminals could be using science and technology to stop policemen,detectives, and the courts,etc from discovering, or make it more difficult or unlikely for them to discover, that a particular crime(s) was committed by them?

Please remember to sign all of your posts on talk pages. Typing four tildes after your comment ( ~~~~ ) will insert a signature showing your username and a date/time stamp, which is very helpful.
Yes, this is certainly possible. Many investigative techniques in forensics can in theory be counteracted by an intelligent perpetrator by taking appropriate precautions, e.g. by wearing gloves to prevent leaving fingerprints. In general practice, however, most criminals are not distinguished by a particularly high level of scientific education (or indeed intelligence), though, and therefore get caught and sent to jail. See forensics for more information. Sandstein 04:35, 2 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Friendly Official Wagers

I have a few questions about an article I want to write (and couldn't find anywhere). Most importantly, what to call it.

In North America, during the hockey (NHL), football (NFL/CFL) and baseball (MLB) playoffs, it's common for the mayors of teams that are playing each other to make a friendly wager. They tend to be either for prestige or for food; an example of the former is during the current NHL playoffs, Calgary and Anaheim are playing. The mayors of these two cities have a bet where the mayor of the losing city will hoist the flag of the winning city above their city hall, while wearing the jersey of the winning club and a hat symbolizing the winning city (a Cowboy hat for Calgary, and Mickey Mouse ears for Anaheim). An example of the food wager was the 2001 NFC Championship game between the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings, when Senator Clinton bet New York cheesecake and maple syrup against Senator Mark Dayton's Minnesota wild rice and cheese. The bets are most commonly made by mayors and governors, and, even though many would technically be illegal gambling, are considered good fun, good PR and good sportsmanship.

My questions are:

  • What would you call this? Political sports wagers? (And do we already have an article; I couldn't find one.)
  • Does this happen for other sports in North America? I could easily google results for hockey, baseball and football, but not for basketball, soccer or lacrosse.
  • Does this happen in other parts of the world? I would think that football rivalries in England are far too strong to permit this sort of thing, for instance, but I could be wrong.
  • Does this commonly happen for minor league sports, or is it a professional sports thing only? While some political figures tend to make more wagers than others, (Gov. Pataki of New York seems to make a lot; Gov. Owens of Colorado "doesn’t enter into bets with other Governors very often", it's pretty common for the major leagues I've identified. Does the same thing happen, say, in double-A baseball, or the East Coast Hockey League? What about college sports?
  • Does anybody know of the history of these bets, where they came from, or any particularly notable bets? (I seem to recall one proposed bet that was refused, because the mayor (?) of one city stated that there was nothing worth betting for in the other city.)

Any help, or even just a suggestion on a name would be greatly appreciated! I've already found a bunch of "typical" bets, and we don't need a full list of all such wagers, just a sampling, plus any particularly notable ones. Thanks! --ByeByeBaby 05:32, 2 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Movie Maker

This error appears when I try to import a video into the collection: "The file C:\ ... .avi cannot be imported because the codec required to play the file is not installed on your computer. If you have already tried to download and install the codec, close and restart Windows Movie Maker, and then try to import the file again."

Why is this happening?

Well, let me state what I do know. The .avi video is a conversion from a .mov video. I converted from .mov to .avi using MediaEncoder.

Then I tried importing the .avi file to Movie Maker and that is the error that comes up.

gelo 05:41, 2 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It's possible that the codec for the AVI file is incorrect, or not recognised by Windows Movie Maker. You could try the free program GSpot to work out which codec the AVI file uses, and then google for that codec and download it. Jude (talk,contribs,email) 06:40, 2 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The Ed Sullivan Show

I have found one reference to a cartoon name onthe show " Jonny" did this little man appear on a TV screen and look like an outline of a man that talked and moved/rolled about? if so what did he do what was is purpose on the show Ed Sullivan had such a nak!

Sea and salt

which sea is in our world with higher content of salt?

The article on sea water should help. (And no, it is not the Dead Sea, which despite its name is a lake.) (I'm assuming you mean highest concentration, not highest total tonnage of salt.) Weregerbil 10:56, 2 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]
On second thought, Dead Sea might also be the answer you are looking for, depending on why you are asking. If this is homework or you are playing Trivial Pursuit, Dead Sea might be what your teacher / the answer card is expecting. Weregerbil 11:01, 2 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]
If it's homework, writing "The Red Sea is the most saline sea in the world. The Dead Sea is more saline than the Red Sea, but is actually a lake, not a sea" will either get you extra marks or a detention for insolence. --Sam Blanning(talk) 16:36, 2 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Did any Australian cinemas refuse to screen Brokeback Mountain?

I'm currently doing a university assignment that involves writing up a piece about "the refusal of some Australian cinemas to screen the movie Brokeback Mountain", but so far I can find no evidence that any cinemas in Australia actually made that decision (American cinemas, yes, but not Australian ones). And I'm terrible at Googling.

Can anyone provide links or urls relating to any Australian cinemas not screening the film?

It isn't necessarily going to be public. I don't know how the Australian cinema system works, but wouldn't it be more a question of "the cinema manager decided not to book..." and as such, impossible to distinguish a commercial from a moral decision, unless the cinema manager decided to make a public stand too. Notinasnaid 12:59, 2 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]
That's a good point, but unfortunately I have to cite my sources. I suppose it could just leave a bunch of references at the bottom. In fact, that should probably do. Thanks.

While we're on the subject, though... exactly WHY were so many "family" and Christian groups offended by the film?

Because the film portrayed a homosexual relationship, and according to a literal reading of the Bible, homosexuality is condemned as a sin. Conservative Christians were unhappy about sinful behaviour being shown in a film, where it might influence their children. Read all about it at religion and homosexuality, and, more generally, homosexuality. (That was my best shot at a neutral answer). — QuantumEleven 13:32, 2 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I've got it down to about 400 hits on Google. But ask yourself this: what made you believe in the first place that there were some cinemas in this category? Was it a reliable source? If so, cite it. If not, suspect it. http://www.google.com/search?&q=%22brokeback+mountain%22+homosexuality+site%3Aau+ Notinasnaid 13:39, 2 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]
You could start by reading our article on Brokeback Mountain, but the basic reason was that it featured homosexual men in love with each other (and having sex, but I think that was a side issue, quite frankly). According to many Christian denominations, homosexuality is a sin (see Christian views of homosexuality). Furthermore, exposure to depictions, particularly positive depictions, of homosexuality will turn people gay. For one variation on this theme, see this article, complete with Bible citations.
I heard nothing in the Australian media about cinemas refusing to show Brokeback Mountain. The closest I could find was the following article on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) website [17] that cites some Australian religious groups wanting it banned from the cinema. A further search of the ABC site reveals nothing, and the ABC would be just about the one media outlet in Australia I would trust to cover an issue like this. --Roisterer 13:57, 2 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]
As to Australian film bans, it was certainly shown in cinemas around Australia, and didn't fall foul of the government classification/censorship scheme. As to private cinema owners not screening the film for moral reasons, I checked Factiva, which has archives of all the major Australian newspapers. I didn't find any reports of Australian cinemas refusing to show the film; it was actually very popular here, and there weren't initially enough prints of the film to meet demand. To give some idea of country Australia's reaction to the film, this article from the local paper where I grew up indicates that while the local lads may have been a bit hesitant to go, there wasn't any protests (though the local God-botherers probably weren't terribly impressed with it). --Robert Merkel 13:42, 2 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The towns which intended to "ban" Brokeback Mountain in Australia were Townsville and Rockhampton in North Queensland. You should be able to find plenty of references by Google searching for "brokeback mountain townsville rockhampton". --Canley 14:14, 2 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Divorse

My son is going thru a divorse and was left with all the bills. His house pmt. and credit card bills are more than what he makes he can never pay them off paying $5 and $10 dollars a month on each one.She wants him to sell the house and give her half the equity he has been paying the house pmt.and wants to keep the house the divorse is finial in June of this year.If the house does not sell and he keeps making the pmts. after the divorse(what happens)or what can he do? Thanks, a concern mother, Love you show and here you every day......

Dear concerned mother, this is the Wikipedia, a volunteer-run web encyclopedia. We are not affiliated with any radio or television show.
While we have some very general information on divorce, we don't and can't provide legal advice specific to his situation or jurisdiction, which is what your son sounds like he needs. I assume that you're an American; maybe some American readers can suggest how best to obtain that advice cheaply. On a personal note, I hope that your son resolves his difficult situation. --Robert Merkel 13:52, 2 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Pronunciation: Dominic O'Brien

How the f*** do you pronounce Dominic O'Brien in Shakespeare's language?

If you mean William Shakespeare, I'm pretty sure his "language" was English. So I imagine it would be pronounced the same way you would f***ing pronounce it. --Canley 14:19, 2 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Good one! 1 buck for discovering that Shakespeare's language was English. Now, I'll be more explicit for morons like you to understand my question. English is not my first language, and since your language is has the most absurd spelling in the world there's no way to know how a word is pronounced just by seeing it written. Now, how do you English speakers (or at least, those people who try to speak English as their native language) pronounce that person's name?
Calm down...! Being rude won't get your question answered, remember that we're volunteers who dedicate our free time to helping you out, so please be polite. And using gratuitous swear words won't win you any friends either.
I'll nevertheless try to answer your question. I'm afraid I'm not very good with IPA, so please bear with me. "Dominic" is pronounced Doh-mee-nik, with stress on the first syllable. For "O'Brien", the "O'" part is pronounced halfway between an "a" and an "o" sound (a bit like the o in "not"). There is a very short pause between the O and the B to indicate the apostrophe. As for "Brien", it's pronounced "Bry-en", with stress on the first syllable. Hope this helps. — QuantumEleven 17:16, 2 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Thank you very much fella. User:Canley's comment wasn't very polite and/or productive either.
Anyway, I've found this: [[18]]; I hope this can help somebody :).
Brien is pronounced differnetly to Brian, it is pronounced Bree - en (the ee is like the ee in cheese, the last e is like the e hen) Philc T+C 17:44, 2 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I would pronounce it Dom-in-ic, not Do-min-ic and with a different vowel for the o sounds than the one mentioned in the first answer. Is that a British English pronounciation? Rmhermen 17:36, 2 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Car maintenence - Am I being ripped off?

Hey folks. I wonder if someone who knows their stuff about cars could advise me here.. I own a Volkswagen Polo which has recently gone in for its MOT (test). I have been advised by the garage that it needs to have the power steering hoses replaced (apparently they're leaking) and two sets of wheel bearings replaced. I have been quoted £530 (approx US $964) to have this done.

Now, I don't really know the first thing about cars, but as best as I can figure out from google, the power steering hoses should be about £25 each at the most, and the wheel bearings about £10. That's a total of £70 in parts, plus £45 for the MOT itself leaves £420 for labour.

So the question is, does that sound like a rip-off? How much work is involved in replacing two power steering hoses, and two sets of wheel bearings? Surely it can't take 10 hours to do that - and even 10 hours would be £42 ($76) per hour, which is pretty steep

Any input welcome, thanks! --Noodhoog 14:29, 2 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

£42 per hour steep? A recent survey found the lowest rate at a franchised dealer was £49, ranging up to £140. Replacing a £4 light bulb can cost £66. http://money.guardian.co.uk/news_/story/0,,1711811,00.html, but notice that it uses a cheap journalistic trick of comparing what some people are paid (doctors) versus what the hourly rate to the customer for other people (mechanics). Notinasnaid 14:44, 2 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Blimey.. well, I guess the good news is I'm not really getting any more gouged than anyone else. Bad news is I went into the wrong career. Oh well. Thanks for the info! --Noodhoog 16:37, 2 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Changes needed in article on Jainism (Years of the Brahma

Hiya,

I was reading your article on Jainism, it ststed that we are now in the 5th downward cyle, however, in some of your other articles and in the book The Holy Science By It is clearly stated and proven that we are now in an upward/positive cycle, hence the discovery of electricity and various forms of technology. I just felt that others reading the article might find this misleading. I visit your site daily. Thank you for expanding my mind.

  • To comment on a specific article, please use that articles talk page, by clicking on the "Discussion" link at the top of the appropriate article. So to discuss the Jainism article, you should post on Talk:Jainism. --Maelwys 15:18, 2 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

autographed baseball

how much is a joe dimaggio autographed baseball worth?

It looks to be anywhere from $400 - $800 but you will need something like a Certificate of Authenticity to prove that it's not a forgery. I would suspect that without one you would get much less. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 16:13, 2 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Umpire state building

Could any one please tell me what's the building thats next(close) to the umpire state building, which is very famous and has been featured in many movies and video songs.

There are lots of buildings close to the Umpire State Building, but I suspect you mean the Chrysler Building. See the pictures at those two articles. --Shantavira 17:03, 2 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Citations

Hello...i am writing a paper on Colombia. I have vistied http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/economy_of_colombia. My question is that i need to cite this for the paper in MLA format and i am having difficulties doing so. How do I find all the information about the online article that i need for the work cited list?

See Wikipedia:Citing Wikipedia, or, for a citation for the article in question, open it, and click on "Cite this article" in the left-hand toolbox (about halfway down). — QuantumEleven 17:04, 2 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Champions of Norrath: Return to Arms Game Help

I need help finding out where the 11 bloodstones are located and how to get the sword in the stone. I am not sure if there is a bloodstone in each planar level. I have also found a key from the bonus level, 'Torment's Furnace', which I do not know what it unlocks.

Any help would be appreciated.

Apostle Pauls churches

I am looking for a complete list of churches Paul started

Paul of Tarsus#Founding of churches could help. -- Shadikka talkcontrib 2 May 2006, 17:41 (UTC) 17:46, 2 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Best Spy Movies

What is considered the best three spy movies ever made? (No James Bond, Please)