User talk:Medeis

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What nature is, then, and the meaning of the terms 'by nature' and 'according to nature', has been stated. That nature exists, it would be absurd to try to prove; for it is obvious that there are many things of this kind, and to prove what is obvious by what is not is the mark of a man who is unable to distinguish what is self-evident from what is not. (This state of mind is clearly possible. A man blind from birth might reason about colours.) Presumably therefore such persons must be talking about words without any thought to correspond. - Aristotle's Physics Book 2, chapter 1

Nothing is so remote from us as the thing which is not old enough to be history and not new enough to be news. - G. K. Chesterton, The End of the Armistice

/Archive 1

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DYK for Dzungarian Gate

— Rlevse • Talk • 18:02, 17 July 2010 (UTC)

DYK for Geography of New Caledonia

— Rlevse • Talk • 00:02, 29 June 2010 (UTC)

DYK for Shetani

BorgQueen (talk) 00:02, 30 May 2010 (UTC)

DYK for Miami cannibal attack

Casliber (talk · contribs) 08:05, 15 June 2012 (UTC)

ITN credit

--Jayron32 03:07, 24 August 2011 (UTC)

A barnstar for you!

	The Graphic Designer's Barnstar
	I love your montages. They are very beautiful. I could look at them all day. Thank you! HoopoeBaijiKite 19:26, 20 October 2011 (UTC)

Thanks, I really appreciate that. I did work hard on trying to get them not only to be biologically broad-based but also attractive. Your encouragement makes me want to create some more. μηδείς (talk) 20:11, 20 October 2011 (UTC)

ITN Credit

--Ks0stm ^{(T•C•G•E)} 23:29, 19 September 2012 (UTC)

Edit warring for beginners.

It takes two, baby. And you revert me every single time I change your image. That is why your image always wins, because I don't edit war. You always win by default because I don't push the rules and you do. So now you accuse me of edit warring? Oh my god that is beautiful! At any rate, please go to your RfC and demonstrate where the consensus you claim comes from. Sabine's Sunbird talk 22:33, 27 October 2011 (UTC)

• I invite you to demonstrate how your image is the consensus image here. Given that you repeatedly revert me because you claim that you have consensus I feel you should have to demonstrate that fact rather than simply assert it. Sabine's Sunbird talk 19:40, 5 November 2011 (UTC)

I have a bad case of the flu. I 'll respond as soon as I feel up to it. μηδείς (talk) 19:49, 5 November 2011 (UTC)

Then rest up and get well. Sabine's Sunbird talk 21:43, 5 November 2011 (UTC)

Miami Zombie

Hi, I have nominated Miami Zombie for a DYK listing with you and those editors who have contributed 1000 bytes or more listed as authors. See Template:Did you know nominations/2012 Miami cannibalism incident if you want to make any changes. μηδείς (talk) 02:21, 3 June 2012 (UTC)

That's great news! Thanks! Thanks for nominating it ... and also for making me aware of the nomination. So, exactly how do we know if/when it will be approved or accepted to appear in the DYK? Thanks! Joseph A. Spadaro (talk) 03:23, 3 June 2012 (UTC)

Of course. This has been a rather pleasant and productive collaboration all around. Look here for comments and updates on the nomination. DYK seems backed up. Nominations used to clear within about a week. You can help the process by reading other nominations and helping with the review process. You can't review a nomination in which you are named, of course. μηδείς (talk) 03:36, 3 June 2012 (UTC)

Thanks for all of the info. I have never been involved with the DYK process before, so I did not know any of this information. Thank you! Also, thanks for all the work you have been doing on the "Miami Cannibal" article. Great job! Thanks! Joseph A. Spadaro (talk) 16:45, 3 June 2012 (UTC)

I see that this entry appeared on the "DYK" for today (June 15). Congrats on your efforts to get it posted at DYK! Thanks. Joseph A. Spadaro (talk) 22:54, 15 June 2012 (UTC)

If only that gentleman hadn't changed the name of the article in the middle of its posting (and I not messed up changing it back) the number of hits would have been posted and we could easily have nominated it for the number of views. That can still be done, but it will take some hard work. I will follow up on it. μηδείς (talk) 23:03, 15 June 2012 (UTC)

Thanks! (Re: Garden hose)

Thank you for your support. 173.28.244.122 (talk) 03:07, 27 June 2012 (UTC)

A little question...

I noticed there was a discussion on the renaming of the article on poison ivy on Talk:Toxicodendron radicans. I was thinking if I could rename Poison sumac as Toxicodendron vernix. Should I do that? And there should be a proposal to rename all organism articles to their scientific name? Fairly OddParents Freak (Fairlyoddparents1234) 21:33, 12 July 2012 (UTC)

I would personally oppose it as violating WP:COMMONNAME. If your purpose is to make a point, see WP:POINTY. I wouldn't do it unless you argue for it in good faith and get consensus for it on the talk page. μηδείς (talk) 21:51, 12 July 2012 (UTC)

A belated response

Please accept my apology for taking so long to respond at User talk: Peter M. Brown#reptiles. I somehow failed to notice your addition there. I have now responded. Incidentally, your recent reversion to the Mammal article was most welcome. Peter M. Brown (talk) 15:17, 13 July 2012 (UTC)

No problem, thanks. I found the situation on mammals most annoying. The edits were obviously good faith. The IP geolocated to Brazil. Perhaps there was a language issue. μηδείς (talk) 15:58, 13 July 2012 (UTC)

Merge discussion for Incidents of zombie-like behavior in 2012

An article that you have been involved in editing, Incidents of zombie-like behavior in 2012, has been proposed for a merge with another article. If you are interested in the merge discussion, please participate by going here, and adding your comments on the discussion page. Thank you. Schmidt, ^{MICHAEL Q.} 17:11, 22 July 2012 (UTC)

I have replaced the {{merge}} tag you removed from this article, as no consensus has been reached in the discussion. Feel free to continue to contribute to the debate, but please do not remove the tag until a community decision has been made and acted upon. Thanks. Yunshui 雲‍水 12:29, 24 July 2012 (UTC)

sorry, that was inadvertent. μηδείς (talk) 12:40, 24 July 2012 (UTC)

No problem; I did wonder if it was a mistake. Yunshui 雲‍水 12:42, 24 July 2012 (UTC)

Ref Desk - A claim to need replacing the PCM on my PT Cruiser sounds fishy

Note that 70.179.170.114 reposted his question to the miscellaneous desk with the BLP stuff supposedly removed. 203.27.72.5 (talk) 03:36, 28 July 2012 (UTC)

what is the problem here??????????????????????

Dude, if your comment is "not a response to anyone's", then your use of the outdent template was inept in the extreme, since the purpose of that template is to label a comment as a follow-up to the immediately preceding comment, but at a different indentation level. Whatever your comment is, it's not a response to mine, and I refuse to let it be positioned where it appears to be a response to mine -- under the general privilege that people are allowed to move comments in discussions in order to make threading relationships clear. AnonMoos (talk) 08:39, 28 July 2012 (UTC)

---

I've made it abundantly clear multiple times that your comment cannot appear after mine unless it is made very obvious that it is not associated with mine (definitely not a reply to it), yet you insist on doing things which will lead to confusion and obscurity on this essential point. I really don't understand what the problem is... AnonMoos (talk) 08:54, 28 July 2012 (UTC)

images

By the way, it could be considered poor etiquette to have multiple large images on your user talk page. I'm sure they're very pretty, but they've never finished loading for me, so I haven't seen them... AnonMoos (talk) 08:44, 28 July 2012 (UTC)

combining my 3 user pages

Can you combined or merge my 3 user pages which are User_talk:Buffyfan84, User:Narwhalgal84 and User:Bulkbot84? That would help me alot. Bulkbot84 (talk) 17:55, 29 July 2012 (UTC)

I have created a request for help for you here on the Help Desk. I am sure it can be done, but an administrator there would be likely to know how; I don't. μηδείς (talk) 18:09, 29 July 2012 (UTC)

Nicholas Roerich

If you're going to restore what still looks suspiciously like a plug to me, could you at least re-format the "reference" to something of utility? --Orange Mike | Talk 17:01, 10 August 2012 (UTC)

Comments redacted

Just to let you know, I redacted part of your recount of an episode of a TV series featuring the case of Margaret Crotty. As Looie496 and me mentioned, there is no evidence for the claim of what happened to Margaret Crotty appearing anywhere else which would seem surprising if it had appeared in any popular source, like a TV show. So in the absence of evidence the claims actually appeared in the TV show, I don't think these claims should appear anywhere on wikipedia for WP:BLP reasons. If you disagree, please take this to WP:BLP/N but only link to the changes rather then repeating the claims there. BTW, I did not attempt to modify you comment beyond redacting the problematic parts, so part of it may not make so much sense anymore. Feel free to clarify or modify your comment as necessary without repeating the redacted parts. I felt this was better then me trying to modify your comments more. I am purposely not linking to my redactings here to try and reduce the impact, frankly if it hadn't been so long I probably would have asked for a deletion. Nil Einne (talk) 10:15, 11 August 2012 (UTC)

It shouldn't be a problem, since what I am looking for is the episode. I'll get around to checking the new wording. μηδείς (talk) 16:16, 11 August 2012 (UTC)

Please

It's nothing personal Medeis, and I would much rather be NOT checking your edits. But please, I warned you before about unannounced editing of other people's signed posts, so once again, don't change other people's signed posts. Please do stop now, whether it's a template or your opinion or anything else. You can expect a block in future if you continue. You of course can go to ANI any time you want to ask for review of my actions as an administrator or editor. The policy/guidelines I am basing this on would be WP:TPO and WP:DE. Franamax (talk) 06:11, 14 August 2012 (UTC)

Just to be sure, you understand that this comment of yours in no way refutes or avoids my final warning to you about changing other peoples posts, right? Don't change anything about the lines where the other editor post is, does that make it clearer? Oh, and the other bit where you mentioned using hidden HTML comments - no, that also is you changing another's post, so, same applies. Franamax (talk) 23:09, 15 August 2012 (UTC)

August 2012

Welcome to Wikipedia. Everyone is welcome to contribute constructively to the encyclopedia. However, talk pages are meant to be a record of a discussion; deleting or editing legitimate comments, as you did at Wikipedia:Reference desk/Miscellaneous, is considered bad practice, even if you meant it well. Even making spelling and grammatical corrections in others' comments is generally frowned upon, as it tends to irritate the users whose comments you are correcting. Take a look at the welcome page to learn more about contributing to this encyclopedia. Thank you. Roger (talk) 07:14, 14 August 2012 (UTC)

NRO Gives NASA Two Hubble-Class Telescopes

http://nasawatch.com/archives/2012/06/nro-gives-nasa.html

--Stone (talk) 08:18, 14 August 2012 (UTC)

Cool, thanks! μηδείς (talk) 23:12, 15 August 2012 (UTC)

Please stop moving my post

Please stop moving my post. If you properly fix your indentation, I will voluntarily move it on request, but I request that you stop moving it yourself given how you've failed two times already to move my post without causing no ends of confusion. As it stands, you not only continued to caused confusion for my post by moving my post (my post was an EC with all posts below including your one you moved which my comment made clear before you moved but not after you moved) but cause further confusion for Someguy1221's post by changing you identation without I think notifying Someguy1221 despite the fact it sounded like they were replying to you and idented their post in reply to you which was no longer clear after you modified your post after they replied. Nil Einne (talk)

What are you talking about? μηδείς (talk) 18:38, 19 August 2012 (UTC)

Sorry someone moved my post again and changed the indentation level of your post on the RD/H U.S. and serial killers thread. I presumed it was you again, but I guess from your reply it was not. Sorry for any confusion and for my mistaken assumption. Nil Einne (talk) 18:47, 19 August 2012 (UTC)

Or perhaps my original assumption was correct. Either way, I've fixed the problem. I also notified Someguy1221 since you did not. Nil Einne (talk) 18:53, 19 August 2012 (UTC)

NPA

Please do not attack other editors, as you did to Wikipedia:In the news/Candidates. Comment on content, not on contributors. Personal attacks damage the community and deter users. Please stay cool and keep this in mind while editing. Thank you. Lihaas (talk) 03:14, 20 August 2012 (UTC)

Please be specific, with a diff, because, although I am quite happy to take you in good faith, I have no idea what you are taling about. μηδείς (talk)

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Did you mean to delete my comments from my talk page ?

If so, I'm baffled as to why. StuRat (talk) 04:12, 24 August 2012 (UTC)

Cheese and effing crackers, how did that happen? I have restored them with my last intended addition. μηδείς (talk) 04:14, 24 August 2012 (UTC)

Your non-Latin signature

Please consider replacing your signature with your username in the Latin (English) alphabet, or simply adding that to your existing signature. I'm illiterate in the alphabet you're using (not even sure what it is), as I'm sure are most other editors. If I can't pronounce your name, I can't re-type it from memory or really remember it, the latter of which is a point suggested by Wikipedia:SIG#Non-Latin_usernames, the guideline on point. Thank you.--Chaser (talk) 03:40, 27 August 2012 (UTC)

My user name is in Latin letters, which represent the Greek letters you see in my signature. Only the second letter, eta, is not the same as the Latin. You see Medeis when you edit. Feel free to refer to me by that name in Latin spelling. The name is well-enough established that I do not, respectfully, intend to change it. μηδείς (talk) 03:55, 27 August 2012 (UTC)

Please indent correctly at the RD

Sometimes wrongly indented answers make it difficult to parse the thread. OsmanRF34 (talk) 12:07, 30 August 2012 (UTC)

If you don't provide a diff I have no idea what you are talking about. If I did not indent at all, then I was not responding to any of the other responses, which is proper, and what I am guessing you might be referring to--but I am not psychic. μηδείς (talk) 15:51, 30 August 2012 (UTC)

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The Olive Branch: A Dispute Resolution Newsletter (Issue #1)

Welcome to the first edition of The Olive Branch. This will be a place to semi-regularly update editors active in dispute resolution (DR) about some of the most important issues, advances, and challenges in the area. You were delivered this update because you are active in DR, but if you would prefer not to receive any future mailing, just add your name to this page.

Steven Zhang's Fellowship Slideshow

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• Background: A brief overview of the DR ecosystem.
• Research: The most recent DR data
• Survey results: Highlights from Steven Zhang's April 2012 survey
• Activity analysis: Where DR happened, broken down by the top DR forums
• DR Noticeboard comparison: How the newest DR forum has progressed between May and August
• Discussion update: Checking up on the Wikiquette Assistance close debate
• Proposal: It's time to close the Geopolitical, ethnic, and religious conflicts noticeboard. Agree or disagree?

Read the entire first edition of The Olive Branch -->

--The Olive Branch 19:16, 4 September 2012 (UTC)

OK.

I'll just ask if we can get along, and that I do sincerely apologies. --Τασουλα (talk) 00:06, 7 September 2012 (UTC)

No problem. μηδείς (talk) 00:09, 7 September 2012 (UTC)

*hugs*. --Τασουλα (talk) 00:11, 7 September 2012 (UTC)

Understood ^_^ --Τασουλα (talk) 00:13, 7 September 2012 (UTC)

Reference Desk Response

The question you asked was archived right after I posted with the book name I promised, since I'm not sure if you saw it, here was the answer: "The book I was thinking of is The Structure and Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics by R. I. G. Hughes, if you're feeling a little more mathematically inclined, you might try the first 7 or 8 chapters of Quantum Processes Systems, and Information by Benjamin Schumacher and Michael Westmoreland from Cambridge University Press." Let me know if these aren't what you're looking for and I can see if I can come up with something better- I have around 500-600 textbooks pertaining to quantum stuff, so there's a decent chance one of them will be of use.Phoenixia1177 (talk) 01:34, 8 September 2012 (UTC)

heh, yes, went to respond there and it had already disappeared into the aether--as you saw at your page I did see it and have read the listing at amazon, thanks. μηδείς (talk) 01:38, 8 September 2012 (UTC)

Uh wuh? ("Mission statement arbitrary break 2")

I was too responding to Wnt. Tell you what, we can all be above the break, OK?  Card Zero  (talk) 21:58, 9 September 2012 (UTC)

I didn't see that, I won't argue against it. The best solution if you strongly object would be to remove the break. It simply seemed that your "here's a thought" was starting a new...'thought. μηδείς (talk) 22:06, 9 September 2012 (UTC)

The break would look nice above Wnt's last post, I think, moving our conversation above the break. Wnt can complain about this later.  Card Zero  (talk) 22:12, 9 September 2012 (UTC)

AN/I

Hello. There is currently a discussion at Wikipedia:Administrators' noticeboard/Incidents regarding an issue with which you may have been involved. Thank you.

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O tempora! O Ref Desk!

Hi, Medeis.

Please don’t quibble when someone says they don’t understand what you write. Please accept that state of affairs at face value, and attempt to explain it using different words. Please don’t raise hypotheticals about them playing any sort of games, unless you have clear evidence that sort of thing is going on.

Nobody is so good with language that all of their utterances are inherently comprehensible. We all sometimes have to have another go. If you have a difficulty with that, well, I’m sorry, but life is tough.

Let me explain my confusion. You did indeed say that the word "o’clock" is generally omitted, as "assumed" and as "understood". But the way you said that was problematical, I think you’d have to agree:

• Half past eight o'clock is standard American usage, although the o'clock is usually omitted as understood.

How do I parse that? That it’s most common to hear people saying “half past eight o’clock”, or just “half past eight”? If the word is usually omitted, how can the full version be standard usage? Maybe I’m a literalist, but when it comes to discussing the precise formulations of exact words, precision in our answers is very desirable. Me, I’m no dummy, but when someone tells me that black is white, or something to that effect, I am confused.

My post stated my opinion that the OP was interested in the use of the word “o’clock” in these expressions of time. You responded by saying it’s “totally normal”. So I figured that was the way to interpret your original remark. That is, if I asked a random American stranger what time it was, I should expect to hear “It’s 20 past 3 o’clock”. This is what I was understanding you to be saying, at this point, despite your earlier statement that the word is usually omitted. In other words, you had clarified your earlier confusing statement.

I alluded to the “totally normal” thing in my post at 3:47. You didn’t respond to it, so I figured that my understanding was now well and truly confirmed.

Then you said “it's rare that you'll ever hear someone say it's half past eight o'clock”. So, I was back to square 1. Hence my request for clarification. I could have gone into all the above on the ref desk itself, but I thought a simple request for clarification would do the trick.

To prove that I am more than willing to give you the time of day, it is now precisely 10:04:37 a.m. AEST. By my watch. Have a nice day. -- ♬ Jack of Oz ♬ ^{[your turn]} 00:04, 15 September 2012 (UTC)

But again, I qualified myself each time, saying, for example, it's also rare that one would hear "it's 32 degrees fahrenheit out" rather than "It's 32 out", but that it would in no way sound weird. Having to say the same thing the third time did strike me as odd. In any case, I think keeping this to the relevant ref desk page instead of here is fine. μηδείς (talk) 00:16, 15 September 2012 (UTC)

Saying that something "would in no way sound weird" is definitely not the same thing as saying that that something is "standard usage". Not in my lingo, anyway. The former means something that would raise no eyebrows but you wouldn't hear it every day. The latter means something you would hear every day. In my lingo.

Having this meta-discussion on the ref desk would have been totally inappropriate, which is why I brought it here. -- ♬ Jack of Oz ♬ ^{[your turn]} 00:37, 15 September 2012 (UTC)

I am not exactly sure what you want me to say. "Colorless green ideas sleep furiously" is a perfectly unobjectionable, grammatically normal sentence that I would never expect to hear. "Half past eight o'clock" is a perfectly unobjectionable sentence that I have heard maybe half a dozen times at most in my life, but at least twice. What more do you want me to say? μηδείς (talk) 01:09, 15 September 2012 (UTC)

Nothing. I just wanted to ask you to respect people's requests for clarification with an acceptance that they're genuinely in need of such clarification. I did that, and followed it up with a detailed explanation of why I was left confused. But you then defended your posts, when my explanation was not an attack on them, merely an explanation of why they didn't work for me. What I would have liked is for you to acknowledge that, no matter what you may have intended in your posts or no matter how well expressed and articulate you may think they were, the inescapable fact is that I was confused by them. No amount of reminding me of what you said in one place or another place changes the fact that the totality of what you had to say did not compute for me. It did not all hang together. That was my experience. Maybe what you can say to round off this little chat, is "Fair enough, Jack, I accept that that was your experience". -- ♬ Jack of Oz ♬ ^{[your turn]} 04:03, 15 September 2012 (UTC)

How are you?

I noted your frustration on the ref desk. I've had at you a couple of times, but I mean you no ill will in general so believe me when I say I am concerned for you wiki well-being, I think you've been making a pretty good effort to keep things straight over there, but it looks like you are getting burnt out a bit. Please don't get too worked up, and don't let it sour you too much. For all the disagreements we are all having, I know you are making an honest effort to do what you feel is best. I know I sometimes get frustrated and take it beyond the walls of wikipedia into the real world. Don't let it get to you, and please believe that we are all trying to do what we think is right, even if it doesn't look like it, and even if it is a pain in the ass. Mingmingla (talk) 03:33, 15 September 2012 (UTC)

Innocence of Muslims

The correct answer to the thread would have been something along the lines of:

No one has publicized a way to view the film, and several journalists have stated their doubts that the film even exists. See [[our article]] as well as [this], [this] and [that] news items that discuss the issue.

I rolled my eyes when I saw the response thread, I really did. It's my reaction to about half of threads to which Stu contributes, actually. But I can't agree with hatting the question. Someguy1221 (talk) 02:35, 16 September 2012 (UTC)

Well, I haven't hatted it recently, lol. μηδείς (talk) 02:39, 16 September 2012 (UTC)

Web Hosting Lyrics

As someone may argue that the following is “legal advice” though it is nothing more than my personal view, I am putting it here, rather than on the Ref Desk. (Of course, by the time I finish typing this, the whole matter may be but a tattered explosion of words, and this too late even for the most fervent interest.) Here's how “fair use” in general is apparently determined, according to the Electronic Frontier Foundation:

“There are no clear-cut rules for deciding what's fair use and there are no "automatic" classes of fair uses. Fair use is decided by a judge, on a case by case basis, after balancing the four factors listed in section 107 of the Copyright statute. The factors to be considered include:

a. The purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes -- Courts are more likely to find fair use where the use is for noncommercial purposes.

b. The nature of the copyrighted work -- A particular use is more likely to be fair where the copied work is factual rather than creative.

c. The amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole -- A court will balance this factor toward a finding of fair use where the amount taken is small or insignificant in proportion to the overall work.

d. The effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work -- If the court finds the newly created work is not a substitute product for the copyrighted work, it will be more likely to weigh this factor in favor of fair use.”

In respect of lyrics hosting cites, I suspect (but do not know) not being a lawyer of any sort or even a self-selected “expert” on the matter, the following:

(a1) Websites are seldom set up as non-commercial ventures. The goal is usually to sell advertising space. Lyrics may be educational, but the site's purpose is to generate hits for advertising revenue (FAIL)

(b1) As far as I know, song lyrics are always creative, even when describing factual matters (FAIL)

(c1) The whole of a lyric is the whole of a lyric (FAIL)

(d1) If you don't have to buy the product to get the lyrics then it is a substitute for a creative work (FAIL)

I don't think one could argue that sites web-hosting lyrics are fair use, but YMMV. The sites stay up because each copyright holder would have to identify and prove a copyright violation and then apply on an individual basis for specific material to be taken down. It would take much deeper pockets than most artists possess to have any appreciable effect. Bielle (talk) 00:09, 18 September 2012 (UTC)

Well, I am not looking to argue the matter. I do agree fair use requires at least minimal commentary or "use", so a site that only provided previously published lyrics and ads with no additional editorial content would indeed be suspect. The fact that the websites are commercial in selling advertising does not per se mean they are harming the copyright owner. Yet the whole of the lyric is not the whole of the work, and user guesses at unpublished lyrics do amount to commentary on the work. In any case, your comments are useful--you should have posted them on the thread and collapsed them but left them there for the curious, linking to our policy. μηδείς (talk) 00:15, 18 September 2012 (UTC)

You did say that you thought "a case could be made" for "fair use". I only wrote this up because I don't think that is so. Whether you actually wanted to make that case, or not, I am uncomfortable letting the suggestion just hang there. The whole issue is tangential to the question being asked, and responses may be considered to be legal advice: those are two, good reasons for keeping this off the Ref Desk page. I would rather see your comment come off than my remarks here go on, but that is your choice.

The fact that the site is a commercial one is, in and of itself, a negative factor in determining "fair use"; that's point (a). If the presence of the lyric on the site is also costing the copyright owner, which is point (d), that's just another separate consideration in determining "fair use". Bielle (talk) 00:29, 18 September 2012 (UTC)

Well, again, I suggest you post you first comment here and my first response as a collapsed addition to the proper thread. Arguing about the application of policy is not legal advice--that would only apply if there were some actual court or legal case. (BTW, I don't know how the thread got erased when I tried to submit this comment before--this is the third time that's happened recently on my talk page. In any case, I don't want to discuss it further here. μηδείς (talk) 00:49, 18 September 2012 (UTC)

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H-List

What is H-List? And could you post a link to Campbell's message that you describe as "shouted down"? Just for my curiosity's sake, not because it matters much for the article.·ʍaunus·snunɐw· 23:02, 22 September 2012 (UTC)

By H-list I meant Histling-l@mailman.rice.edu which you should be able to subscribe to, let me know if you have a problem. You should also be able to access their archives. As for Campbell's call that Greenberg's Amerind forthcoming work should be "shouted down" before it had even been published, see these search results. If you need the exact ref I'll find it. Campbell's call for not posting any historical work that could be associated with Greenberg is in the first or second archive of the Histling list. Nostrtic.net in the English version will have Campbell's criticism. I can also find it exactly for you if necessary. I have studied Greenberg's Amerind and Eurasiatic hypotheses. There are a few flaws in the Eurasiatic hypothesis. Greenberg's notion that Ainu forms a clade with Japanese and Korean is patently absurd, especially given Alexander Vovin's A Reconstruction of Proto-Ainu. Greenberg's Amerind work simply provides good prima facie evidence for Amerind in some sense as a real clade--nowhere near proof, and especially not proof that all' the non-Eskaleut/Na Dene families are Amerind. The problem is that declaring his work has flaws or is incomplete does not amount to a full disproof. My undergraduate work was in biology, and the criticisms of Campbell strike me as the same as Alan Feduccia's attacks on the dinosaur origin of birds theory, back when the Chinese bird pre/proto-bird fossils hadn't yet been found; ad hoc criticisms which start with the premises that the theory is already disproven. I am no expert in an American language, my study except for personally perusing proto-grammars and dictionaries of American languages has been of old-world languages. But I haven't yet come across an "Amerind" language that shows evidence (1) of being more closely related to any family outside the Americas and (2) no evidence whatsoever of at least intimate contact with other than "Amerind" languages. μηδείς (talk) 23:34, 22 September 2012 (UTC)

Thanks, for that. Campbell's criticisms are not just a conservative outlook, but a reluctance to jettison the very claim of historical linguistics of being a scientific discipline. Greenberg's classification method is quite simply pseudoscience. Now, pseudoscience sometimes strike on valid conclusions by chance, but it is important not to take that as evidence in support of invalid methodologies and assumptions. I have not found evidence of any "Amerind" language that shows greater affinities with non-"Amerind" languages than with other languages of the Americas. That is in no evidence of genetic relatedness, or even really suggestive of it.·ʍaunus·snunɐw· 23:53, 22 September 2012 (UTC)

Grenberg's and Ruhlen's responses are all available at Nostratic.net, as are Campbell's, which are in no way exhaustive. If you read them they make it clear that The "Amerindianists" view classification as prior to reconstruction, but not as a replacement for it. The point would be something (in my own words) along the line that based on similarities in pronouns and vocabulary, there seems prima facie evidence for a clade that includes Slovene, Slovak, Yiddish, Polish, Russian, Czech, Romanian, Bulgarian, Rusyn and Ukranian, which we lumpers will call Slavic. The Critics' response seems to be that the evidence for including Romanian and Yiddish is week, and many of the other languages have borrowings from Russian and Latin, so the Slavic hypothesis as a whole is forever disproven as pseudoscientific. There is no way that one can say Greenberg, et al, view Amerind as fully demonstrated--only as a strong starting hypothesis with enough evidence to take seriously. (There is also the fact that Greenberg et al take genetic relatedness as the default position, while Campbell et al take borrowing as the default position.) Perhaps that should be better emphasized in the article. If we are going to continue this discussion it should be on the article's talk page. If you want to respond, please copy me and post your response there. μηδείς (talk) 00:16, 23 September 2012 (UTC)

Actually, I think it is more appropriate to reply here as this is more about our personal opinions than about how to improve the article. I don't buy your Slavic analogy either - it is not the case that there is a core of promising correspondences and that splitters are jettisoning the entire project because of a few languages that don't seem to fit. It is also not the case that there is a need to start by making grand hypotheses which can then be further elaborated by correct methods - there is no dearth of hypotheses, on the contrary. "Splitters" in fact do work actively on showing valid groupings, and reconstructing language families, that is when they have time after they point out the obvious flaws in the dozens of long range or phylum hypotheses made by scholars who have neither the intention or ability to actually make a valid and solid proposal backed with evidence. Taking relatedness as the null hypothesis is of course just bad science. ·ʍaunus·snunɐw· 00:26, 23 September 2012 (UTC)

But it's not something I really want to argue. (I personally know speakers of Nakota and Mixtec. I have, on my own, studied everything from Papago and Algonquian to Tlingit and Eskaleut, to Quecha and Mapudungu, and I know Greenberg's premise is both verifiable in the WP sense and not pseudoscientific.) It would be okay to argue in person, but not here, as it is far too cumbersome. I would recommend you read all the Amerind material at Nostratic,net, including Campbell's original review and Greenberg's response. I do agree that there is no reconstruction of the midlevel families of the purported Amerind sufficient to base a reconstruction of it upon. Nevertheless, Campbell's criticisms are quite weak potshots. A small number of minor flaws and the notion that one might imagine correspondences are due to borrowing or other unspecified "influences" don't amount to actual rebuttals of Greenberg. There's no problem whatsoever giving a fair description of his opposition and pointing out that he does not offer or even have the grounds to offer a reconstruction. There's no reason to deride his position as if it were sheer quackery. μηδείς (talk) 01:01, 23 September 2012 (UTC)

I think there is a reason to describe it unkindly: that is the position taken by the main authorities in the field. But now we are back to discussing how to improve the article. I disagree fundamentally with your somewhat glib dismissal of Campebell's (and many other scholars') very strong criticisms of methodological and theoretical flaws.·ʍaunus·snunɐw· 01:33, 23 September 2012 (UTC)

It's certainly not glib or unconsidered. Read Greenberg and the sources at Nostratic.net at your leisure. I am also familiar enough with your edits to know you are not glib or unconsidered. I have read Campbell's and Greenberg's papers, and Campbell's American Indian Languages: The Historical Linguistics of Native America, and Mithun's classification in full, and plenty of independent, including primary sources. Greenberg's work is preliminary at best--it just can't be dismissed off hand. My basic point is that it's possible to give an objective description of Campbell's and the Americanists' reaction toward Greenberg that even Greenberg's supporters would agree is Campbell's viewpoint. μηδείς (talk) 03:13, 23 September 2012 (UTC)

Yoruba language

Thanks for deleting the section I was trying to convert into sense! I agree that it was dubious, but loan words aren't completely off-topic in a language article. The small number of them provided probably says a lot in itself.

I'll insert my edits into the latest revision and then you can delete it again if you like. ;) ☸ Moilleadóir ☎ 06:36, 5 October 2012 (UTC)

Sure, I will take a look at it again. Those edits were part of a larger trend of inserting dubious material from a source notable for its POV rather than its scholarship. μηδείς (talk) 16:20, 5 October 2012 (UTC)

Mistaken section deletion ?

I assume you deleted this section: [1] by mistake ? I restored it. StuRat (talk) 17:45, 7 October 2012 (UTC)

I added a remark and when I saved it I got a database error message. I think the history actually shows that I sucessfully restored it. μηδείς (talk) 17:52, 7 October 2012 (UTC)

OK. I tried to restore it, but you must have beaten me to it. StuRat (talk) 17:56, 7 October 2012 (UTC)

Blocked for a day

You have been blocked temporarily from editing for abuse of editing privileges. Once the block has expired, you are welcome to make useful contributions. If you think there are good reasons why you should be unblocked, you may appeal this block by adding below this notice the text {{unblock|reason=Your reason here ~~~~}}, but you should read the guide to appealing blocks first. Franamax (talk) 20:49, 8 October 2012 (UTC)

Medeis, I've warned you several times, quite clearly, not to alter other editor's signed posts in any way. I even specified that included putting stars or anything else on the same line as another editor's comments and signature. I was quite clear, and yet you continue to do this [2] and war to restore it.[3] Accordingly I have removed your editing privileges for 24 hours. You need to understand that this is not your personal wiki to edit to your own wishes, it is a community with standards, in this case WP:TPO. If you will agree to stop all editing of other's comments you can be unblocked. Regards. Franamax (talk) 20:49, 8 October 2012 (UTC)

This user's unblock request has been reviewed by an administrator, who declined the request. Other administrators may also review this block, but should not override the decision without good reason (see the blocking policy).

Medeis (block log • active blocks • global blocks • contribs • deleted contribs • filter log • creation log • change block settings • unblock • checkuser (log))

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Request reason:

Other than the blocking admins personal point of view, which was not consensus when the matter was discussed, there is no damage to the project. He should recuse himself for enforcing his personal opinion on the matter as if it were policy, file a complaint, and let an independent admin judge. I also invite User:Pfly to comment as whether he feels my action vandalised his edit. If so, please let me remain blocked. Until then please unblock me as no danger to the project. μηδείς (talk) 20:56, 8 October 2012 (UTC)

Decline reason:

You were warned and directed to WP:TPO (a consensus-backed guideline that Franamax didn't write). Your modification of others' talk page messages, regardless of whether their authors deem it vandalism, is disruptive.
If you wish to be unblocked, you need only agree to stop editing others' comments. If you choose to persist, you can expect future blocks to increase in duration. For everyone's sake, please consider posting barnstars on users' talk pages instead. —David Levy 21:22, 8 October 2012 (UTC)

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If you want to make any further unblock requests, please read the guide to appealing blocks first, then use the {{unblock}} template again. If you make too many unconvincing or disruptive unblock requests, you may be prevented from editing this page until your block has expired. Do not remove this unblock review while you are blocked.

This user's unblock request has been reviewed by an administrator, who declined the request. Other administrators may also review this block, but should not override the decision without good reason (see the blocking policy).

Medeis (block log • active blocks • global blocks • contribs • deleted contribs • filter log • creation log • change block settings • unblock • checkuser (log))

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Request reason:

I am quite happy to take this to RfC and abide by that decision before I act, but I am not prepared to take Franamax's opinion as law without further review. He's said I would be unblocked if I don't use the template again, and I am happy to wait for such a ruling, so please unblock me. μηδείς (talk) 21:36, 8 October 2012‎ (UTC)

Decline reason:

I am quite happy to take this to RfC and abide by that decision before I act,
We needn't conduct an RfC to determine whether the guideline applies to you.
but I am not prepared to take Franamax's opinion as law without further review.
Your unblock request was reviewed by an uninvolved administrator (me). You then initiated another request with the same invalid rationale (the incorrect assertion that Franamax is uniltaterally imposing a standard not backed by consensus). If you do so again (thereby abusing this procedure), your ability to edit this talk page while blocked may be revoked.
He's said I would be unblocked if I don't use the template again,
No, Franamax stated that you can be unblocked if you will agree to stop all editing of others' comments. That offer stands. —David Levy 21:57, 8 October 2012 (UTC)

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If you want to make any further unblock requests, please read the guide to appealing blocks first, then use the {{unblock}} template again. If you make too many unconvincing or disruptive unblock requests, you may be prevented from editing this page until your block has expired. Do not remove this unblock review while you are blocked.

This user's unblock request has been reviewed by an administrator, who accepted the request.

Medeis (block log • active blocks • global blocks • contribs • deleted contribs • filter log • creation log • change block settings • unblock • checkuser (log))

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Request reason:

I have promised not to add stars to other people's comment's unless there is an RfC that says I may do so. I have not otherwise "edited other editor's" comments under any definition, and I do promise not to do so, including his definition. What else am I supposed to promise? Please unblock me, you won't see me editing people's comments. μηδείς (talk) 22:39, 8 October 2012 (UTC)

Accept reason:

I've unblocked you. Please keep in mind that if you don't honor your promise to refrain from modifying others' talk page messages (except in accordance with WP:TPO), you'll be blocked again. —David Levy 22:59, 8 October 2012 (UTC)

I think I have been eminently clear that I am happy to abide by an actual community decision, rather than Franamax's threats and fiat. I don't accept an admin's privilege to unilaterally enforce a POV in an argument in which he has taken part, especially one that reached no such consensus, and by threats and blocks. Thanks. μηδείς (talk) 23:13, 8 October 2012 (UTC)

• Just for the record in response to sentence two of the unblock request, here is an example of "edited other editor's"-ing. Franamax (talk) 23:28, 8 October 2012 (UTC)

Hi

Hello, Medeis. You have new messages at Anc516's talk page.
Message added 03:09, 10 October 2012 (UTC). You can remove this notice at any time by removing the {{Talkback}} or {{Tb}} template.

All or nothing please

If you're going to collapse discussion, please get rid of the initial worthless response. --Onorem♠Dil 17:28, 12 October 2012 (UTC)

He did both give an external link to the data the OP wanted and did explain why the info was not yet in the article. That has to stand, even though I am very sympathetic with the concern of not inviting editors to do it themselves. Please continue this on the ref desk talk page if you like, I watch there and any discussion belongs there. μηδείς (talk) 17:32, 12 October 2012 (UTC)

Read the question again. --Onorem♠Dil 17:34, 12 October 2012 (UTC)

There's a thread at talk now, express your concerns there please. μηδείς (talk) 17:37, 12 October 2012 (UTC)

I have. Thank you. --Onorem♠Dil 17:42, 12 October 2012 (UTC)

Why is my change 'nonsense'? --Onorem♠Dil 18:15, 12 October 2012 (UTC)

If you can cap randomly, so can I. --Onorem♠Dil 18:17, 12 October 2012 (UTC)

Hello, Medeis. You have new messages at Talk:Michelle Malkin#Youtube source.
You can remove this notice at any time by removing the {{Talkback}} or {{Tb}} template.

fête

Do you know the word fête is pronounced fight in Quebec French. Fête (talk) 10:55, 16 October 2012 (UTC)

Québécois

Êtes-vous québécois ? Fête (talk) 00:43, 18 October 2012 (UTC)

Mais, non! J'habite les EEUU, et je n'ai pas de sang francais. Je ne parle pas bien francais. Je parle nativement l'anglais et secondairement l'espagnol et un peut des autres langues. Je peux m'exprimer en francais si necessaire. μηδείς (talk) 02:34, 18 October 2012 (UTC)

Ma langue maternelle

Non, ma langue maternelle est le cantonais. Fête (talk) 22:26, 19 October 2012 (UTC)

Mais ta page user dit que tu ne parles qu'intermédiairement le cantonais. Il faut nous dire quelle langue tu parles le plus bien. μηδείς (talk) 22:51, 19 October 2012 (UTC)

Yue signifie cantonais. Fête (talk) 23:10, 19 October 2012 (UTC)

Entendu. Mais Google Translate dit que "呢個用戶嘅母語係粵語。 b呢个用户嘅母语系粤语" signifie que "This user speaks an intermediate level of Cantonese": <<Cet utilisateur parle avec un niveau intermédiaire de Cantonais.>> Si le cantonais est ta langue maternelle il faut que tu changes ce qu'il dit dans ta page user. μηδείς (talk) 23:29, 19 October 2012 (UTC)

It is possible Fête just writes the truth. I know several people (well, three) who do not speak their mother tongue at all any more, and several others who speak it poorly. All WP:OR, but true, nonetheless. Bielle (talk) 23:56, 19 October 2012 (UTC)

That describes a lot of my late relatives, but they all lost fluency in their mother tongues only as they became fully fluent in English. Fête nous dira. μηδείς (talk) 00:14, 20 October 2012 (UTC)

You've got mail!

Hello, Medeis. Please check your email; you've got mail!
Message added 19:27, 20 October 2012 (UTC). It may take a few minutes from the time the email is sent for it to show up in your inbox. You can at any time by removing the {{You've got mail}} or {{ygm}} template.

Ankh.Morpork 19:27, 20 October 2012 (UTC)

Thanks for confirming my proto-Polish

I appreciate your pitching in on my Language RD query. I did use Google Translate, but with texts by this well-published author I like to get a native-speaker's input. There are a few Ref Desk Regulars who are familiar with my turf and will probably show up within 24 hours - otherwise I'll hail them individually. (Checking recent activity on their Talk pages is usually a good indication :-) -- Cheers! Deborahjay (talk) 07:19, 22 October 2012 (UTC)

volume

I must to ask where to turn up the volume ? Fête (talk) 23:01, 23 October 2012 (UTC)

Try here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Help_desk μηδείς (talk) 23:06, 23 October 2012 (UTC)

tempête

You hear [tãpɛːt] or [tãpaɛ̯t] in the file Media:FR-Tempête (Gaspésie).ogg ? Fête (talk) 18:33, 24 October 2012 (UTC)

It is a weak dipthong, a little higher than [tãpaɛ̯t], closer to [tãpæɪ̯t]. Please don't keep asking me these questions on my talk page. You really should contact the French department of a local university and ask them where you can get information on the subject. μηδείς (talk) 18:41, 24 October 2012 (UTC)

Recent deaths

Do you want to nominate Sunil Gangopadhyay? If that gets support by itself, that would be great. Bzweebl (talk • contribs) 03:52, 25 October 2012 (UTC)

I would only be a very weak support, basically because I am ignorant on the subject from every angle (poetry, Hindu, Bangladesh...). So, no, I don't feel comfortable nominating it myself. But given the reader interest and the good state of the article I would vote support were it nominated by someone who has more knowledge on the issue than I. I hate to sound so critical of your noms. I support the spirit, and appreciate your effort. I just want to stay procedurally kosher and avoid giving ammo to the opposes. μηδείς (talk) 03:59, 25 October 2012 (UTC)

hiver

Do you hear [ivɛːʁ] or [ivaɛ̯ʁ] in the file Media:Fr-hiver-fr CA.ogg ? Fête (talk) 10:28, 25 October 2012 (UTC)

Answer me please ! I Don't hear well. Fête (talk) 20:57, 27 October 2012 (UTC)

I hear the diphthong. Il faut que tu parles avec un prof d'une universite que soit pres de toi. Ils vont savoir ou tu peux encontre les reponses que tu veux. μηδείς (talk) 21:04, 27 October 2012 (UTC)

Disambiguation link notification for October 28

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Reply to your message on my talk page

I have extensive educational background in the subject matter. "Crystalline" and "igneous" do not mean the same thing. I am trying to link to relevant Wikipedia articles that explain the technical terms and concepts, rather than providing "lay" explanations that are misleading or inaccurate. --Orlady (talk) 20:53, 28 October 2012 (UTC)

I do appreciate your efforts to clarify the terminology in the article, but I don't think it's necessary or even possible to write such an article using only language that will be understood by people with only a rudimentary knowledge of geology. Some technical terminology is needed, supported by wikilinks.

As I see it, the problems with the article are not really "too technical", but rather have included poor writing (some parts are still almost completely incoherent), misuse of technical terms, lack of links to other articles, and sometimes the use of multiple technical terms for what is essentially one concept. Efforts by several contributors are resolving these things, bit by bit. --Orlady (talk) 23:05, 28 October 2012 (UTC)

I see it's in flux. The description of the craton in the second paragraph of the lead is helpful. I am not asking for full digressions, All I am suggesting is adding appositives like one would in biology or any other technical science. E.g., "Mammals are 'warm-blooded', or endothermic animals with backbones (i.e., vertebrates) characterized by possessing hair, producing milk, and having three inner ear bones evolved from the reptilian jawbones." This is much better than the equally true: "mammals are trichophorous lactating craniates with a derived incus, malleus and stirrup" which is where the Geology of Russia article had been standing. 23:22, 28 October 2012 (UTC)

Apologies

Didn't even know my fingers had made that edit - apologies! Ghmyrtle (talk) 19:13, 1 November 2012 (UTC)

Climate change and Hurricane Sandy

Why did you remove the climate change section in Hurricane Sandy ([4])? Your edit summary stated "this is undue political commentary by axe grinders with no peer review to back up any specific claim." Ironically, it looks like you removed the only peer reviewed references in this article (Trenberth 2012). Peer review is desirable, but not a requirement for WP:Reliable source. The fact that you left the rest of the article intact and held one section to a different standard makes it seem like you are the "axe grinder" (by the way, it's easier to assume good faith when others do so). Please participate in the discussion on the talk page instead of reverting the article and accusing other editors of axe grinding.--Bkwillwm (talk) 03:58, 2 November 2012 (UTC)

A barnstar for you!

	The Brilliant Idea Barnstar
	This page looks good and is a good idea! Once it gets wikified totally, it should be perfect. Rockstonetalk to me! 05:27, 5 November 2012 (UTC)

What about the children?! Won't somebody please think of the children !? listed at Redirects for discussion

An editor has asked for a discussion to address the redirect What about the children?! Won't somebody please think of the children !?. Since you had some involvement with the What about the children?! Won't somebody please think of the children !? redirect, you might want to participate in the redirect discussion (if you have not already done so). -- Cheers, Riley Huntley 21:50, 6 November 2012 (UTC)

DYK for Geology of Russia

Graeme Bartlett (talk) 00:02, 12 November 2012 (UTC)

Wikipedia:Reference_desk/Computing#randomly_changing_fractal_wallpaper

Hello, Medeis. You have new messages at Wikipedia:Reference_desk/Computing#randomly_changing_fractal_wallpaper.
You can remove this notice at any time.

Kurtsi

I seem to recall you telling about your xxxxxx origins, but I didn't want to mention that on RDL because you didn't want to reveal that yourself (and it would be ahearsay anyway). May I ask, why such secrecy? If you genuinely want the answer, isn't it better that you provide more hints, not hide them? No such user (talk) 00:13, 21 November 2012 (UTC)

What I have is what I have been told without much documentation by elder family; no one closer than my grandparents generation was born in the old country. I have various rhymes, curses, sayings, prayers, jokes, and so forth that I have been taught over the years. I have very few relatives left of that age, and none that remembers living in Europe. So I am hoping to get independent confirmation of the things I have been told. Just coming out and saying "such and such is what I was told is such and such" will be subject to confirmation bias and so forth. The information that "kurtsi" may mean "dick" is not something I would have expected to learn had I just come out and said this rhyme is supposedly from this dialect and I was told it means such and such--and certainly not penis! So, I am actually quite happy with the results so far. I will explain what I have been told in full eventually, but am hoping to hear it "from the horses mouth" so to say before I give my own version. Thanks very much for the interest! μηδείς (talk) 01:14, 21 November 2012 (UTC)

Little temper tantrum over language desk nonsense

I really don't see why why we need multiple queries about misspelled pointless pottymouth pseudo-proverbs in indeterminate Slavic dialects in multiple sections on the ref. desk. My reason for grouping them was exactly the same as for grouping User:Fête... AnonMoos (talk) 05:00, 23 November 2012 (UTC)

P.S. According to Wikipedia policies, this user talk page does not really "belong" to you, and I've still never seen the slow-loading images at the top of this page... AnonMoos (talk) 05:02, 23 November 2012 (UTC)

A barnstar for you!

	The Original Barnstar
	Thanks for finding a good photo for the Héctor Camacho article! INeverCry 20:01, 24 November 2012 (UTC)

• I reviewed it on Commons, and added it to the other articles in interwiki. INeverCry 20:10, 24 November 2012 (UTC)

Thanks. I was concerned because I expected a special prompt for flickr images, but didn't find one while uploading--but I see you caught thta. I am curious how you found Ms. Negron's last name? There didn't seem any obvious way to find it, or I'd have added her full name. (I know I have uploaded images before from Flickr without finding the author's full name. I haven't done too many, so you may want to check my previous uploads, if there is a way to do that. μηδείς (talk) 20:59, 24 November 2012 (UTC)

I only did the Flickr review, which I rarely do. This user added the info you refer to. I don't know much about the subject, as I spend the majority of my time with deletions/restorations. INeverCry 21:12, 24 November 2012 (UTC)

Actually, I did find full her name when I went back to leave a notification at Flickr thanking her and letting her know we used the image. I am not to worried about the user name issue on the other images, no one has told me they wre subject to deletion and they were all in good faith of course. Thanks, again. μηδείς (talk) 21:17, 24 November 2012 (UTC)

You might want to use this for uploading Flickr images in the future. INeverCry 21:26, 24 November 2012 (UTC)

Excellent! μηδείς (talk) 21:31, 24 November 2012 (UTC)

Hurricane Sandy relief benefit concerts

I'm more comfortable talking with you than with VW about creating articles regarding three concerts for Hurricane Sandy relief. Two happened in New Orleans on November 20, 2012. The first one was NOLA Pay It Forward, which played at the Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts. The second one was NOLA for NJ and NY: A New Orleans Hurricane Sandy Benefit Concert, which played at The Howlin' Wolf Nightclub. That one had a connecting raffle and silent auction. Here are a couple significant references; [5] and [6]. A third concert will play on December 12, 2012, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. It's bound to be 12.12.12 - The Concert for Sandy Relief, hence the date and the title. Here are a couple significant references; [7] and [8]. I hope I've provided as much appropriate information as possible for creating articles.142.255.103.121 (talk) 06:53, 27 November 2012 (UTC)

I'll be glad to help you. Find references in local magazines that will be accessible on line. My only problem is I have a certification test Tuesday, a doctor's appointment Weds, a dentist appoint Thurs all on top of my normal duties. Basically as along as two printed refs exist per event we are set, so you can start article on your talk page and give refs, and when I can I'll help you make them up to standard and undeletable. I am very busy and have personal issues, so don't expect to hear back--I'll be distracted. Just get back to me late Wed-Fri when you have concrete info I can work on.

)

μηδείς (talk) 07:03, 27 November 2012 (UTC)

Okay. I think I found one more significant reference when I went to the Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts website. Here's the reference; [9]. (NOLA Pay It Forward was arranged by New Orleans Mayor Mitchell J. Landrieu.) If you want to find more info on The Howlin' Wolf Nightclub, here's their website; [10]. As for the references you asked me to look for, the ones I gave you are the best I can find. The other day, I wrote to the two venues in New Orleans and to Madison Square Garden. So far, I haven't heard back from them yet. Hopefully, somebody at all three venues will write back to me soon.142.255.103.121 (talk) 23:26, 27 November 2012 (UTC)

The problem with the sources you have given so far is that they are commercially or politically self-promotional ones. (Also, the Landrieu one points just to his main site-we'd need a link that pointed to the specific information. Promotional links like these are ok for factual reference, that a certain thing is on a certain date, etc. But to get an article started, we would need something showing independent notability. That is, some reviewer with a name in a big paper or magazine mentioning why they are notable, or a major news paper doing a news piece that is more than just a listing or current event. Without proving notability any article will get deleted extremely quickly, within a week, or maybe even the same hour its posted. What we can do is add this to another existing article if that article is already notable. For example, if there were already a Hurricane Sandy benefits article, we could add these to it so long as the links were verifiable. The truth is there probably won't be anything notable said about these benefits until they happen, so we might just have to wait and see what's written after.

In the meantime, do two things. First, look for an existing article we can add to. Read the Sandy article and comb it for links to an article we might use: benfits, charity response--you figure it out. Second, get better direct links to the exact info you want. The Landrieu page, for instance, may have had a mention when you looked which may have changed in the meantime. If we can find an article and get direct links there should be no problem adding this now. I do want to point out I'll be glad to give advice, but I am already pretty busy here, and my personal life will be very busy through the holidays at least, so I can give advice but you will have to do the research. μηδείς (talk) 03:05, 28 November 2012 (UTC)

Two benefit concerts have already happened. The third one is bound to happen this next month. In the Hurricane Sandy article, there's mention of relief efforts. One was about Hurricane Sandy: Coming Together. The other was about Day of Giving. As for the rest, I did the best I could on finding significant references. Now I have no intention of being commercial or politically self-promotional about anything. I was only trying to give you some ideas, that's all. NOLA Pay It Forward benefitted non-profit organizations dedicated to Hurricane Sandy relief. NOLA for NJ and NY: A New Orleans Hurricane Sandy Benefit Concert benefitted the American Red Cross Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund and New Jersey/New York area non-profit organizations accepting immediate donations. 12.12.12 - The Concert for Sandy Relief will benefit the Robin Hood Relief Fund. 142.255.103.121 (talk) 04:11, 30 November 2012 (UTC)

Thank you, but how can I find an answer to my question

I don't know if either of those women/actresses have official websites. Plus I'm wondering if you can tell me if the musical play Wicked will come to Seattle in the next few years? Neptunekh94 (talk) 05:40, 2 December 2012 (UTC)

I have just as much idea as you about Seattle, and even less personal familiarity with the city. (Only place I've ever been west of the Mississip was Texas and Louisiana.) As for Xena, both she and Gabrielle drive me crazy. But sorry, no personal knowledge here of how to get anyone's signature. μηδείς (talk) 05:47, 2 December 2012 (UTC)

latin

Salve Medeis! Ut vales? Sum scriptor in vicipaedia latina (nam non dico latinam meam perfectam esse!) En tibi, vicipaedia (wikipedia latina) est nimius extremus. Quamquam in classica non sunt cogitationes 'identitas', 'antigravity', etc , sunt qua affirmant nos exprimere in 'classica' pura. Quod possim facere? --Jondel (talk) 09:01, 3 December 2012 (UTC)

Hi, Jondel. I can read it, but my Latin's not that good that I would attempt a long response to you in it. Since Latin was used well into the modern era, many new coinages were necessary. I don't think you should be too concerned if a term didn't exist in the classical era. A word like antigravitatio would seem perfectly acceptable. But I see your comments at the lang ref desk. My response to such an editor would be to ask him if he thinks such articles should be written at all, and if so, what words he would use. You might have to call a firewall a firewall italicized in English in the article and define it in the lead as literally a "parietem ignis", a wall meant to stop the spread of fire [11]. But antigravitatio is so obvious from gravitatio that if it meets resistance you might need to have an RfC followed by an ANI complaint if that doesn't work. If you are going to respond on this topic further I suggest you do so at the lang ref desk, I watch there daily and more people can chime in. μηδείς (talk) 17:03, 3 December 2012 (UTC)

The feeling is antigravitatio would recieve a dubsig like identitas and so many words in similar situations, even if it is obvious these concepts did not exist in Cicero's time. We need to move forward. If the classical word exists in the dictionary, or 'New Latin ' was supplied by the Vatican or some Latinist author then great! However we are forced to coin. The 'identitas' case is not isolated. you say antigravitatio woul seem perfectly acceptable. I (we ) reaaly need support for that point of view, because there are extremists there. Finding the right word for firewall , etc is my(vicipaedia editor's) problem(after all I chose to edit at vicipaedia). I already mentioned this at the lang ref desk. thanks anyway.--Jondel (talk) 00:28, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

I will probabaly use your lead for firewall e.g. Firewall(licet parietem ignis) est ...--Jondel (talk) 01:31, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

Given I don't edit vicipedia, I an not sure technically what a dugsig is technically. And is there some sort of policy that requires fossilized latin only? Sounds unlikely. Could you both link me to the dugsig policy itself and to one of the problematic uses of it? I would certainly be opposed to a strict anti-neologism policy, given the use of such terms as entity and gravitation. μηδείς (talk) 01:06, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

uhh, I'd rather speak to someone outside the vicipaedia. I dubsig looks like this {{dubsig}} . The particular incident, representative of so many similar incident is this.

The reason there is a 'cultic' movement to use fossilized latin is because good latin is assumed to be classical. But it is taken to the extreme now, to the point that a lot of times when they see medieval or new latin, the article gets undermined or rated with a -3 , and I'm supposed to be happy with a -2. Typically, to get this perfect ratings, a lot of core ideas are amputated. It seems the guys who are good in latin tend to use medieval, while those who aren't are the ones who do the policing/censoring.

The dubsigs link to this.--Jondel (talk) 01:55, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

Having looked at the dugsig page it does seem likely that tag might be abused. The problem is no matter who rational your explanation, you have to deal with editor and admins who may have numbers and time on their side. I don't know of any remedy for this. μηδείς (talk) 22:45, 5 December 2012 (UTC)

Your pointiness

Why is it that for somebody who participates in discussions a lot, you appear to know remarkably little about Wikipedia talk page conventions? In the "dual articles" thread, the horizontal line and lack of indentation indicates that I'm starting afresh, and not replying in any way to User:Snow_Rise and User:Shakescene's comments (which to be frank didn't address what was asked too directly), and am instead going back to the original question. In contrast, your comment of "16:57, 2 December 2012" was a direct reply to my comment of "10:43, 2 December 2012", and my comment "17:35, 2 December 2012" is a direct reply to your reply. A horizontal line can appear before and/or after the whole "10:43, 2 December 2012" - "16:57, 2 December 2012" - "17:35, 2 December 2012" sequence, but not in the middle of it (as should be rather blatantly obvious). AnonMoos (talk) 05:11, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

Mahna Mahna. μηδείς (talk) 22:42, 5 December 2012 (UTC)

New jersey question rephrased

Is there any "safe area" parts of Irvington? I know that city/township has a high crime rate bu does it have any safe areas like parks, beaches, or neighborhoods or schools? Venustar84 (talk)`

==Pardon me for asking, but does the Bronx or Manhattan have to do with Irvington?== New York City is not even the sate of New Jersey so what do with the question I'm asking about? Also I heard that Springfield Avenue that main street is safe enough to walk through out the day. Is that true? I'm only asking because I have a friend from that city who is living in a different city right now. Would alot of the population of that town be in crime? Also do you know anything about the crime rate in Abbotsford,_British_Columbia or Dawson_Creek? Thanks! Venustar84 (talk) 03:33, 7 December 2012 (UTC)

You should ask these questions in the mainspace, if anywhere. Please don't post more questions here. I do not want to, but will ask for you to be blocked if I find it necessary. μηδείς (talk) 03:36, 7 December 2012 (UTC)

Thanks

Thank you for your encouraging comment. As a result, I may perhaps not wait the usual 6 or 7 days before making another proposal. But only this time. Esoglou (talk) 21:45, 9 December 2012 (UTC)

Encouragement, when deserved, is a far greater moral imperative than criticism. μηδείς (talk) 22:31, 9 December 2012 (UTC)

avunculus

Hello, Medeis. You have new messages at KTC's talk page.
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Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting

When removing references please also remove the definition in the reflist if it is the last usage of said reference otherwise you cause the large red Cite errors. Werieth (talk) 01:27, 16 December 2012 (UTC)

Oops, sorry. μηδείς (talk) 01:28, 16 December 2012 (UTC)

Re: Jalsha Movies

Thanks, I'll do it. --Tito Dutta (talk) 23:13, 16 December 2012 (UTC)

Excellent! I have to find a nice hook first. Finding a hook has been a very difficult task for me. I have multiple articles ready at this at this moment, for example see much much better and bigger Bibliography of Swami Vivekananda, but without any hook.

This is a joke and don't take it seriously

With a DYK hook like– Did you know... in 2009 Kenyan car company Xomba Tomba Bazumba Hiri Giri Miri Giri celebrated 75 years of their establishment?, I generally respond– No, I did not know and do not want to know too! Yesterday, I first went to DYK zone and posted 2 noms. If you have any pending DYK, you can tell me. I promise, I'll read even if it is on Xomba Tomba..'s success--Tito Dutta (talk) 23:32, 16 December 2012 (UTC)

Okay, well, I have worked as a professional hooker. Just do the nomination, link me to it here, and I will do the hard parts. μηδείς (talk) 23:42, 16 December 2012 (UTC)

I have nominated it --Tito Dutta (talk) 00:45, 17 December 2012 (UTC)

• Thanks for the copyedit.
• They put 400 horadings like this all over the city. I can see one in my nearest main road too!
• For the citation needed tag, please press Ctrl+F and type Mahendra" here, you'll get the quote, since I put 2 direct quotes already, I wrote this one in indirect speech.
• If you have any pending DYK nom, you can tell me! --Tito Dutta (talk) 03:40, 17 December 2012 (UTC)

Business Standard is a newspaper, Capmaign India too. It is covered in Hindu Business Line, Press_Trust_of_India,(link not opening) Yahoo News etc too. "Hoarding" seems to be a British English, see here, the image link I gave above, see the title bar, they are also using the word "Horading". I am not sure if we should write the American English in bracket! --Tito Dutta (talk) 04:17, 17 December 2012 (UTC)

That's very interesting. Americans will think it is a typo or be totally confused, so I will add it in parentheses. As for the sources, I will rely on your judgment, I just wanted you to be aware of the possibility of it being an issue. I don't have any DYK noms now, but thanks for the offer. Given I have editted the article a good bit I cannot do an official review now, but I will put my opinion on the nomination. I will also think about a catchier hook. μηδείς (talk) 18:59, 17 December 2012 (UTC)

DYK TB

I'm not sure if you are watching that page so:

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LadyofShalott 01:06, 19 December 2012 (UTC)

Children Building Forts

Cubby-hole treehouse. [ da:hule http://mads.gemal.dk/blog/221/hulemand hobbit after the Old English Hol-bytla cubby or cubby-house was used as well as fort in Australia, but the materials of choice were rocks, branches, grass and galvanized iron if available, and it sandcastles Children's den Sons of Daniel Boone actually formalized the concept: boys were organized into forts (analogous to a Scout troop) who would build forts in the woods.xkcd strip 219: Blanket Fort calls them blanket forts, which I think you haven't linked yet. Wendy house

full discussion
The following discussion has been closed. Please do not modify it.
Children Building Forts In my experience as a child, and interacting with other children now that I am older, the idea of using furniture, cushions and blankets to build a makeshift shelter, called a 'fort', seems universal. We don't seem to have an article mentioning the phenomenon. Is it indeed universal? Are such things called forts in other countries and regions? Is there historical mention of the activity, e.g., "As a child, the future Mad King Ludwig was fond of building forts"? Thanks. μηδείς (talk) 01:54, 15 December 2012 (UTC) Cubby-hole isn't much in itself, but it might have some useful links. -- Jack of Oz [Talk] 02:02, 15 December 2012 (UTC) I certainly did it largely out of furniture, but when I got older it included local construction debris nearby my house. Unfortunately I never had a treehouse. Shadowjams (talk) 02:09, 15 December 2012 (UTC) Is "cubby hole" what you call a "fort" when constructed by a child in Australia, Jack? The article certainly mentions the phenomenon, but doesn't mention the term "fort". In my part of the US, however, a cubby hole is a nook where one places one's jacket, back-pack, and perhaps shoes in the pre-school and kindergarten years, not something you construct or hide in. As for a tree house, we did build forts down the woods of various kinds with scrap lumber. But the idea of a tree house didn't really appeal to me or my friends after one of the Ward boys drove his Big Wheel out of theirs and broke half a dozen bones, missing an entire summer. μηδείς (talk) 02:30, 15 December 2012 (UTC) I have the same def of cubby-hole here in Detroit as Medeis. As for the tendency for kids to build forts, I'd list "building shelter" as traditionally among one of lifes most important skills, so it's no wonder children want to practice at it. In the current world, our ability to build shelter is less important, but still might save your life if you find yourself lost in the woods some day. StuRat (talk) 02:55, 15 December 2012 (UTC) Danish children don't build forts but caves (da:hule). See for example http://mads.gemal.dk/blog/221/hulemand which shows an example and says "Alle børn elsker at bygge huler" (All children love to build caves). PrimeHunter (talk) 04:09, 15 December 2012 (UTC) OH, what a darling link. If you want to see the spitting image of my sister and her sons (although the boys are a little more dolichocephalic given their Russian roots, and now have a sister) do check out this link to exactly what I am thinking about. Perhaps this is all just a matter of the psychology of scale. See the etymology of hobbit, also mentioned below. Perhaps we are all hobbits. μηδείς (talk) 05:17, 15 December 2012 (UTC) Note that while the name may be different, the result is the same. StuRat (talk) 04:49, 15 December 2012 (UTC) Damn! I've long harboured the belief that Danish kids construct miniature Elsinores and stand on the battlements proclaiming, "At være, eller ikke være, det er spørgsmålet ....".  :) -- Jack of Oz [Talk] 05:03, 15 December 2012 (UTC) Elsinore is actually the city (went to high school there and lives nearby). The castle is Kronborg but Shakespeare called it Elsinore. Hamlet#Plot handles his mess with a piped link. PrimeHunter (talk) 05:54, 15 December 2012 (UTC) Yes, my own OR suspicion is that this is nesting behavior, which is pre-human, and oxytocin-mediated. The two things that most interest me are, is "fort" building as I would call it universal in form among humans, or do some use sheets while other use pillows (or whatever) and what terms are used where for the activity? Do the brits call them forts? Do Californians? Do Enzeders call them lean-tos and build them with bedsheets? Or how about the French? How about tribes inhabiting tropical areas? As for the Danes, I wonder if Tolkien knew about the habbit when he named the hobbit after the Old English Hol-bytla. μηδείς (talk) 05:06, 15 December 2012 (UTC) cubby or cubby-house was used as well as fort in Australia, but the materials of choice were rocks, branches, grass and galvanized iron if available, and it would not be built inside a house but in nearby bushland. Graeme Bartlett (talk) 08:03, 15 December 2012 (UTC) Brit here: not forts although we do a good line in sandcastles. Cubbyholes, in the days when houses had cupboards under the stairs that's where we kept everything from coats to old toys. (We used to call it a glory hole but I understand that that's got an entirely different meaning these days!) Back to the original, I think I used to call it a "hidey-hole". --TammyMoet (talk) 09:47, 15 December 2012 (UTC) Another Brit here - for me growing up it was either a fort or a den, depending on what the game was that was being player. Fort if under attack from friend or sister, den if playing house or something similar... gazhiley 09:42, 17 December 2012 (UTC) Much of my childhood free time was spent in Epping Forest building "dens" (as in lion's den). Sadly, children here rarely have the freedom for that these days. Alansplodge (talk) 12:38, 15 December 2012 (UTC) WHAAOE: see Children's den. Alansplodge (talk) 12:39, 15 December 2012 (UTC) Yes, we call them dens here in the north of England, too, though it's quite a while since I've built one. Dbfirs 17:17, 15 December 2012 (UTC) The Sons of Daniel Boone actually formalized the concept: boys were organized into forts (analogous to a Scout troop) who would build forts in the woods. --— Gadget850 (Ed) talk 18:22, 15 December 2012 (UTC) I doff my coon-skin cap to them. StuRat (talk) 18:40, 15 December 2012 (UTC) I grew up (and still live) in Australia, and our backyard had a "cubby house" (a small, shop bought wooden house on stilts with a ladder to reach it, and approx 2 x 3 x 3m in size) and a "tree house" (a few pieces of wood for sitting in a medium size tree, I think there might have also been some rope involved). Inside the house my brother and I occasionally built forts/bases (we called them both to my memory) out of furniture, sheets, cushions, etc. I'm guessing that depending on the housing densities in wherever people grew up the names might have different meanings (as we've seen to be the case with different countries) HandsomeNick (TALK) (EDITS) 01:36, 17 December 2012 (UTC) xkcd strip 219: Blanket Fort calls them blanket forts, which I think you haven't linked yet. – b_jonas 14:33, 17 December 2012 (UTC) A pre-made house is a Wendy house. Boys are allowed in if they play nicely Itsmejudith (talk) 09:56, 18 December 2012 (UTC) That's fine. Wendy houses are for cissies. We never allowed girls in the treehouse, as they have damp hands and don't keep secrets. Wickwack 121.215.132.106 (talk) 16:42, 19 December 2012 (UTC) If Wendy houses are for cissies, does that mean forts are for transies? μηδείς (talk) 17:21, 22 December 2012 (UTC)

Please restore the text you removed without explanation

([12]) Thank you. --Dweller (talk) 08:30, 26 December 2012 (UTC)

If you see that sort of glitch in the future, feel free also to fix it yourself, thanks. μηδείς (talk) 16:00, 26 December 2012 (UTC)

ITN for Charles Durning

Thanks - Dumelow (talk) 09:43, 27 December 2012 (UTC)

Thanks! μηδείς (talk) 14:41, 27 December 2012 (UTC)

WP:PEACOCK

"Prestigious" is never an appropriate term- it merely attempts to give status without giving any specifics. In addition, it is completely inappropriate in the Popo case as the status of the victims schooling had absolutely zero relevance to the victims only notability: being attacked by a crazed man. Eugene certainly did not say "hey, i think i am going to eat his face because he went to a prestigious high school". We are not here to create hagiographies of victims. -- TRPoD aka The Red Pen of Doom 19:10, 28 December 2012 (UTC)

hard break

Hard

Break

ITN for 2013 Houphouët-Boigny stampede

--I hope I didn't cause you to edit-conflict too much (if at all :P). Spencer^T♦C 19:04, 1 January 2013 (UTC)

Hilarious, I actually remarked to myself, "I can't believe I am not getting any edit conflicts!" μηδείς (talk) 19:06, 1 January 2013 (UTC)

I didn't have any either. Maybe the software's smart enough that if you're working with different text or different sections it won't conflict? I thought it was curious too. Spencer^T♦C 19:08, 1 January 2013 (UTC)

Yes, you will not get edit conflicts if you are editting under sections with separate headings, which is one reason they should be added as soon as logically justified, and why you should edit by section and not the page as a whole when possible. Even then it was unusual not to have any conflicts but to see your changes each time I submitted mine. μηδείς (talk) 19:13, 1 January 2013 (UTC)

I will refrain for asking useless questions in the future. Please forgive my intuition and embarrassment. By the way, I'm female. I think good faith is a good idea. 06:08, 8 January 2013 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Venustar84 (talk • contribs)

Reverted you edits, I think you made a mistake

I reverted your edits here [13] as this edit [14] in particular was I believe a mistake. You restored the RD to as it was early in December which I assume is not what you wanted to do. 07:51, 8 January 2013 (UTC)

Thanks. I wanted to restore the deleted material to the archives, but there were so many such edits it looks hopeless. μηδείς (talk) 15:31, 8 January 2013 (UTC)

100% correct

Hi, Medeis. I edit conflicted with your closure of that silly thread about sanctions on the US over gun control. Great minds still sometimes think alike. -- Jack of Oz ^[Talk] 06:45, 10 January 2013 (UTC)

Still reading Jourdain's book on music. Brilliant, which I don't say lightly. Gave my brother Cox's The Elements: Their Origin, Abundance, and Distribution instead. He'll get Jourdain for his birthday. μηδείς (talk) 06:54, 10 January 2013 (UTC)

Shore nowiki ho

I like to keep all discussions about ref desk content on the ref desk or its talk page, is why I asked there.

I thought I sort of had the gist of your initial post, but I wasn't sure/shore. The 'ho' next to the 'nowiki' threw me, and I had no reason to associate 'ho' with 'shore', or to know that 'shore' meant anything like 'show'. I actually thought you were being mischievous and deliberately mispelling 'sure', but the sense didn't fit. Let's face it, you sometimes make what can only be described as extremely weird posts, one only yesterday. I don't have a problem with weirdness; I'm one of its greatest advocates. But I do like to understand what others are saying.

I ignore all that stuff about not being paid. Nobody's paid here. But nobody's forced to participate either. I don't hold with any approach that's even a 3rd cousin of "I'm not getting paid for this so I don't have to care about the quality of my contributions, and it's the job of my readers to work out what the hell I'm on about". Not saying that's your attitude, but you seem to be hovering around its edges. Bottom line: You may have known what was in your head, but it's folly to assume others are with you, particularly when what proceeds from your pen is somewhat unorthodox use of the language.

Have a nice day. -- Jack of Oz ^[Talk] 11:54, 12 January 2013 (UTC)

Had I caught that I would certainly have fixed it--There's no point in my posting gibberish, unless gibberish is called for. Like I said, neither word was challenged by the spell checker. And I was in no way miffed by your wanting clarification. My point about working for free referred to my deliberate choice in occasional circumstances (unlike that one) not to correct single unimportant misspellings like "unintrested" immediately after I notice them after a post because it won't affect anyone's understanding. (This instance, on the other hand, was just a rather big error I didn't notice.) The comment about working for free was was not meant to say that you as readers were not worth fixing things for, but that I'd rather actually contribute to something else more significant like a translation or to lend you my eyes on the Quiroga article than reopen the same edit box three more times to obsessively polish minor errors as I see them. It was really a side comment on how to understand my editing priorities if you see a minor missppelling on a talk page. Then, Later, if I do come back to that thread and open it to edit again for some other reason, I will usually then fix the error. Kind of like packing the car for a trip, turning the key in the ignition, realizing you left the toilet seat up, but leaving it til you return to go back in and close it.

As for the Alex Kingston free-association riff, that was just for fun, not me having a stroke, and totally unrelated to spelling errors. It's full of meaning but maybe not literally. If you reread the thread with the idea "full circle" in your head you may realise what I was saying.

PS, My use of "mister" in my response was meant to indicate I was being jocular and wasn't really miffed. μηδείς (talk) 19:25, 12 January 2013 (UTC)

OK, then. Fair enough. We all make mistakes we don't notice till later. (I've only just realised I misquoted you, so I fixed it now.)

But please, when someone asks for a clarification, it would be good if you could just tell them straight out, rather than being defensive about it, let alone going the extra mile and making it their responsibility to understand rather than your responsibility to be clear.

Whether you were miffed or not never concerned me.

Nice weather we're having. I'm glad you're enjoying Music, the Brain and Ecstasy. I must get my copy back from my ex-boyfriend and re-read it. Cheers. -- Jack of Oz ^[Talk] 20:35, 12 January 2013 (UTC)

Well, don't tell me you weren't also having your own little joke with that "what language is this?" quip, which is what prompted my "look mister". I am on the "enjoyment" chapter of Ecstasy. The book is very dense, and to be frank I have been using it as bathroom reading, so I have only been getting through a page a day since the summer. It's definitely one of the best non-fiction books I've read. I intend to buy it for my brother-in-law for his birthday. My suggestion is (unless you don't like him having it, or don't think he'll get more out of it--or my favorite don't think going to ask for it would make a good pretext for a quick rekindling) that you let him keep it and buy yourself another copy. I am looking forward to getting the same author's other books out of the library. μηδείς (talk) 20:47, 12 January 2013 (UTC)

No, no chance of a rekindling. We've both moved on. I've moved on twice, from memory. Or three times, depending on how one counts these things. But we're still great buddies and see each other when we can (geographically, we're mutually relatively inaccessible now). -- Jack of Oz ^[Talk] 22:06, 12 January 2013 (UTC)

large quasar group

hi, i noticed your contributions to the article, i was curious as to what you might make out of it. Due to its large size it doesn't seem to fit any pre-thought pattern in cosmology,,,?.thanks--Ozzie10aaaa (talk) 18:03, 12 January 2013 (UTC)

I haven't studied astronomy in university, my interest is a a lay-reader. If you start a thread here asking for info about published information and theories on the topic I am sure you will get a lot of interesting speculation because several astronomers answer questions there. μηδείς (talk) 18:46, 12 January 2013 (UTC)

thanks,,--Ozzie10aaaa (talk) 19:18, 12 January 2013 (UTC)

Just because someone is evil doesn't mean we have to accuse him of everey crime imaginable

I find it hard to believe that you cannot understand the difference between a political scandal like Abscam or the Iran-Contra affair and a sex scandal involving a politician. But rather than respond to your taunts with my opinion of you, I will simply remind you to remain objective and civil. I happen to think that Weiner has long been exactly what he has recently been shown to be. But that doesn't require me to use language non-objectively to attack him as if proving his evility was more important than using concepts properly. As I said, you are quite free to add any referenced material you like about how the matter is becoming politically scandalous. In the meantime, enough with the name calling already. μηδείς (talk) 03:13, 9 June 2011 (UTC)

Please do not attack other editors. If you continue, you may be blocked from editing Wikipedia.

Thanks – albeit, belated – for your input and suggestions. Thank you. Joseph A. Spadaro (talk) 00:22, 14 January 2013 (UTC)

What?

Link?

Point?

This has got to be the most unhelpful edit ever, especially with me apparently having asked someone somewhere to be objective and civil. Please, don't answer me directly if this is serious. Take it to an ANI and let me answer there. Reawakened two-year old comments here will be unwelcome and taken as attacks.... 00:43, 14 January 2013 (UTC)

The Antichrist

The usage of The Antichrist is under discussion, see Talk:The Antichrist (book) -- 76.65.128.43 (talk) 01:04, 15 January 2013 (UTC)

Talkback

Hello, Medeis. You have new messages at Vacation9's talk page.
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Vacation9 02:07, 23 January 2013 (UTC)

BLP warning

Why the threat? I didn't even edit that article. My God... Bye.Kotjap (talk) 12:31, 23 January 2013 (UTC)

Whould this better pictures of the creature help you to tell what it reminds you of

http://stardusting.nekomaki.com/?page_id=664 http://sailormoon.wikia.com/wiki/Thetis?file=CS012-383.jpg Venustar84 (talk) 19:42, 23 January 2013 (UTC)

Sorry, but I have no clue. μηδείς (talk) 19:43, 23 January 2013 (UTC)

ITN for 2013 Uribana prison riot

--Spencer^T♦C 23:16, 26 January 2013 (UTC)

lmfao

I wanted to let you know I got a good laugh out of your comment: "All entertainment at wikipedia such as that above" here. :) Shadowjams (talk) 17:31, 30 January 2013 (UTC)

"One can easily imagine a US tourist wishing that Scotsmen would 'speak English'"

A few years back here in Milwaukee we held a joint congress of the Canadian Esperanto Association and the main U.S. Esperanto group, then called the Esperanto League for North America. Two of the people in attendance were a mother-daughter pair from New Zealand, doing a world tour with a concentration on attending Esperantist events. Their hometown was a village somewhere in the New Zealand Alps whose settlers were apparently almost all Scots. The consensus among the Yanks at the congress was that, pleasant folks though they were, it was far easier to understand the ladies' Esperanto than it was their English! --Orange Mike | Talk 19:51, 31 January 2013 (UTC)

I could imagine. I had the embarrassing experience on a trip with the high school German club to the German parts of Switzerland that it was much easier for me to talk with the locals if we both used ... French. μηδείς (talk) 20:47, 31 January 2013 (UTC)

In "Der Deutsch-Athen" everybody knows that Deutsch comes in a lot of flavors. We don't have a lot of Schweizerdeutsch around here, though; they are more likely to be found around New Glarus, Wisconsin. --Orange Mike | Talk 13:12, 1 February 2013 (UTC)

Mary-Marry-Merry

Hi Medeis,

Thanks for your comment about Mary-marry-merry in the refdesk thread WP:Reference desk/Language#Berry, bury, barry. I find the article section Mary-marry-merry merger vague about how each of these is pronounced for each of the four types of speakers. Could you go into there and put in some IPA?

• When they are all distinct, what is the IPA for each?
• When all three are merged, what is the IPA? In your refdesk post, you say they merge to Mary, but how is that pronounced?
• It says that in variant 3, "Mary" and "marry" are merged -- but to what?
• It says that in variant 4, "Mary" and "merry" are merged -- but again to what?
• It says "In accents that do not have the merger, Mary has the a sound of mare, marry has the a sound of mat and merry has the e sound of met." But what are these sounds in IPA? (In particular I wonder about "mare".)

Thanks for any clarifications you can make there! Duoduoduo (talk) 16:20, 5 February 2013 (UTC)

Greek name

Is your name modern Greek, classical Greek, or koine Greek? What does it mean? Personally, I love Greek names, because they seem to be given with intention and meaning rather than "something that sounds good to the ear". The names from the Illiad and Odyssey and of the Ancient Greek philosophers are, in my opinion, quite lengthy but very beautiful (e.g. Aristophanes, Aristotle, Plato, Socrates, Xenophon, Telemachus, Eurymachus, Eurylochus, Lysistrata, Lysistratus, etc.). Are you fluent in koine Greek as well as modern Greek the same way a Chinese person may be fluent in traditional Chinese as well as simplified Chinese? Do you know how to read the New Testament of the Christian Bible in koine Greek? 140.254.226.240 (talk) 16:26, 5 February 2013 (UTC)

The name comes from Classical Greek, which I can make out with a dictionary and Grammar on hand. I took two semesters as an undergrad, and my prof wanted me to switch majors. Originally I want to use Ουτις, which means "nobody" from the story of the Cyclops whom Odysseus had told his name was "Ουτις", so that when the later blinded the former the Cyclops cried out "nobody has blinded me, no one has stolen my sheep" so that his companions did not come to his aid. But Ουτις was taken. so I picked μηδεὶς, which means the same thing, and sounds prettier.

Mark 11:14 And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it. καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν αὐτῇ· μηκέτι εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ἐκ σοῦ μηδεὶς καρπὸν φάγοι. καὶ ἤκουον οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ

μηδείς (talk) 17:16, 5 February 2013 (UTC)

Oh. I thought you were a Greek Orthodox person on the site, frequenting the reference desks. 140.254.226.187 (talk) 22:21, 5 February 2013 (UTC)