Wikipedia:Reference desk/Miscellaneous

Reference Desk

Science Mathematics Computing/IT Humanities Language Entertainment Miscellaneous Archives
How to ask a question Search first. It's quicker, because you can find the answer in our online encyclopedia instead of waiting for a volunteer to respond. Search Wikipedia using the searchbox. A web search could help too. Common questions about Wikipedia itself, such as how to cite Wikipedia and who owns Wikipedia, are answered in Wikipedia:FAQ.
Sign your question. Type ~~~~ at its end. Be specific. Explain your question in detail if necessary, addressing exactly what you'd like answered. For information that changes from country to country (or from state to state), such as legal, fiscal or institutional matters, please specify the jurisdiction you're interested in. Include both a title and a question. The title (top box) should specify the topic of your question. The complete details should be in the bottom box. Do your own homework. If you need help with a specific part or concept of your homework, feel free to ask, but please don't post entire homework questions and expect us to give you the answers. Be patient. Questions are answered by other users, and a user who can answer may not be reading the page immediately. A complete answer to your question may be developed over a period of up to seven days.	Do not include your e-mail address. Questions aren't normally answered by e-mail. Be aware that the content on Wikipedia is extensively copied to many websites; making your e-mail address public here may make it very public throughout the Internet. Edit your question for more discussion. Click the [edit] link on right side of its header line. Please do not start multiple sections about the same topic. Archived questions If you cannot find your question on the reference desks, please see the Archives. Unanswered questions If you find that your question has been archived before being answered, you may copy your question from the Archives into a new section on the reference desk. Do not request medical or legal advice. Ask a doctor or lawyer instead.
After reading the above, you may ask a new question by clicking here. Your question will be added at the bottom of the page.
How to answer a question Be thorough. Please provide as much of the answer as you are able to. Be concise, not terse. Please write in a clear and easily understood manner. Keep your answer within the scope of the question as stated.	Link to articles which may have further information relevant to the question. Be polite to users, especially ones new to Wikipedia. A little fun is fine, but don't be rude. The reference desk is not a soapbox. Please avoid debating about politics, religion, or other sensitive issues.

January 4

Baby Teeth vs. Permanent Teeth

How can you tell the difference between Baby and Permenant teeth? - A MoM —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 12.154.167.139 (talk) 00:47, 4 January 2007 (UTC).

No idea. Our article on baby teeth is at Deciduous teeth, fwiw. --Tagishsimon (talk)

Presumably a child's tooth would be much smaller than an adult's tooth --froth^{T C} 01:45, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

It's actually not that hard after you have looked in a few mouths. When looking in the mouth of an older child, the secondary incisors have serrated edges and the baby teeth do not. The baby teeth include 2 molars in each quadrant but they are noticeably smaller than the newer secondary molars. alteripse 04:15, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

The size diff is quite dramatic. It's easy to tell based on the size. StuRat 06:37, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

Which ones are secondary incisors?

I'm guessing Maxillary lateral incisor and Mandibular lateral incisor, since these are distal from the midline of the jaw; rather than the Maxillary central incisor and the Mandibular central incisor. --Tagishsimon (talk)

My ones of them aren't serrated, but my teeth between them at the top are. Is this also normal?Hidden secret 7 21:19, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

Joker meanings

What is the description of a news reporter's joker?

Your question is incomprehensible to me. Can you explain what you mean? JackofOz 03:01, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

Apparently he's lost interest. -- Jack of Oz ^[Talk] 08:27, 8 January 2013 (UTC)

Is it possible to have my user name removed?

Is it possible to have my user page deleted? --GMS508 02:36, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

Probably better to ask on the help desk. WP:HD BenC7 03:04, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

I'm not sure about deleting your user page but to answer your first question no it is not possible to have your user name deleted as it would violate terms of the GFDL. See m:Right to vanish. --froth^{T C} 04:11, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

You can have your user page deleted - can't remember how.. This will leave your user name 'red' - however your user name will obviously still appear in edits - as it does above.87.102.23.89 04:35, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

Asking for a 'Delete article' for your page should do it.87.102.23.89 04:36, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

It seems one can have their name and account banned and blocked and protected indefinitely, which seems to be an effective (permanent) deletion... V-Man737 07:56, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

see Wikipedia:User page#How do I delete my user and user talk pages?. Jon513 16:28, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

O.K. corral

Why was the O.K. corral called the O.K? does anyone know what the OK stands for? Thanks - from a curious girl

We had this question (and answer) before. Anchoress 03:40, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

LOL! From now on I am naming all of my sources "sauce." V-Man737 07:50, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

An interesting sidenote: "sauce plz" is a very common way to ask for sources in certain places on the Internet. --Wooty Woot? contribs 08:09, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

Sometime, in the future, they'll have an argument on the tenth-generation Wikipedia why the hell we suddenly changed source for sauce. 213.161.190.228 10:33, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

I think Cleopatra was known to her intimates as "The Sauce of the Nile".  :) JackofOz 20:44, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

Oho, you're a saucy boy! V-Man737 20:52, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

What's a wiki?

why do they call this wikipedia? what's a Wiki?

The articles on wikipedia and wiki have what you are looking for. Vespine 03:51, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

Quote I can't quite remember

There is a quote I'm trying to remember but it's just out of reach. I have done some google searches, but I must not be close enough to the original quote to bring up any relevant hits. From what I remember, it goes something like "Someone who has all friends, actually has no friends at all." or something like that. I would appreciate it if someone could help me find the original quote. Thanks for the help. --71.117.43.72 04:23, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

There's a saying: He who seeks friends without faults will have no friends at all. Since it's a proverb, there's no original wording, so feel free to modify to your own taste. There's also a quote attributed to Doris Lessing based on that proverb: "Trust no friend without faults, and love a woman, but no angel."--Rallette 07:30, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

THere is something wrong with that last quote. Surely most people loving a woman would be men.172.189.77.244 19:46, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

Wikimedia Funding

Does anyone know how the wikimedia foundation manages to stay afloat? I don't imagine they get many donations except during fundraising drives like the one right now, and this drive will cap at 1.5 million. This page says that right now WP costs 75,000 per month to operate, but they plan to buy 1.7 million dollars of hardware next year. They're looking to increase their bandwidth bill tenfold and their payroll threefold, and sponsor an additional 300,000 dollars in events.. how can they afford all of this?! --froth^{T C} 04:32, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

They must get a considerable amount of donations year-round; otherwise... the end of the wiki. | AndonicO ^{Talk | Sign Here} 13:54, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

It's a forward looking & aspirational budget. Based on the Christmas donation-fest, the foundation will not have sufficient funds to carry through its plans. As I understand it, the foundation has raised $850k in the last few weeks, and had about $500k in the bank. It'll have to do any of three things: pare back its aspirations; get the donation can out more regularly; or try to shake down some more servers from the likes of Yahoo or Google. --Tagishsimon (talk)

Hey, look at this! Someone donated over $250,000! | AndonicO ^{Talk | Sign Here} 22:24, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

I think that was the input of some matched funding. Not sure if it was from one or more than one source. I saw a note about it somewhere on the funding site but can;t find it right now. --Tagishsimon (talk)

Wikipedia could obtain billions in funding just by allowing content-related ads to appear when you go to an article. If you look up Hammer and ad for a hardware store would appear. Current policy is contrary to this, but the recent ad is a step down the slippery slope. Edison 15:48, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

And think of the funding if we let companies write their own articles about themselves xD --froth^{T C} 06:32, 10 January 2007 (UTC)

Love

Hi

I fall in love with someone which i don't know physically or facially. I know her only through online chat room.But i love her very much. Is there any term, like sight lovet,hat expresses this kind of love?

Internet romance? Splintercellguy 08:39, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

That term describes the situation, not the love. Long before the Internet, people fell in love while exchanging letters. You might call it "blind love", but most people will assume it means something else (such as senseless love). Additionally, I don't think that when you are in love, that what you're experiencing is love. Love and being-in-love are different things; each is possible without the other.  --Lambiam^Talk 17:15, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

Martial Art - Niyuddha-kride

I've seen 2 different descriptions of this martial art, where one describes it as a type of wrestling (http://www.pvv.org/~leirbakk/rpg/streetfighter/styles/sf_fightingartsofindiaandpakistan.html) and the other as a type of striking art (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niyuddha-kride). As I have limited rsources, it would be muchly apprecited if someone could give me clear infomation or some links to this art, as much as possible too ;). Thankyou —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Kachi (talk • contribs) 09:02, 4 January 2007 (UTC).

Plymouth

How fast does a 1969 Plymouth Barracuda go?

Google is your friend. This sauce says that the top speed was 110 mph or 178 kmph depending on which part of the dial you're reading. Dismas|^(talk) 10:16, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

This would depend on the engine and gearing. 110mph is a low top speed for a vehicle like that, but the source doesn't say anything about how they arrived at that number- it may be for a 6 cylinder engine rather than a v8. Friday (talk) 22:23, 8 January 2007 (UTC)

jan

where is jan 3?

Up there, just before America vs China. JackofOz 10:00, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

At the risk of sounding obvious,have you tried looking between jan 2 and jan 4 :)? Lemon martini 17:30, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

on a calender. you're welcome.

London to New York via Royal Mail Airmail?

What are people's experiences with delivery time via the regular Royal Mail airmail London to NYC? is their official target of within 5 days more or less reliable? I'm curious... thanks! Bwithh 12:04, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

The royal mail couldn't deliver something ten miles away in five days.172.189.77.244 20:17, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

We got something from China to England in two days. Does this help?

I often experience 1 week timescales when dealing with the US (mostly Chicago). Considering it can be a week for mail to move inside the US, this isn't bad.Robovski 01:46, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

Three brains

what is it that is commonly mistaken for having 3 brains when it only has one?—Preceding unsigned comment added by 212.49.87.241 (talk • contribs)

Octopus?--Shantavira 15:22, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

three people172.189.77.244 20:43, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

A vandal and his two sock puppets? V-Man737 21:18, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

Trademarking of colours

Whilst posting my parcels this morning,I saw this at the bottom of one of the leaflets 'ROYAL MAIL,the Royal Mail logo,the cruciform Royal Mail symbol AND THE COLOUR RED are trademarks of the Royal Mail and may not be used without their permission.'

Can someone please explain how on earth this is possible?How did they managed to convince someone legally that the colour red is their idea?Or is this statement just meaningless legally unenforceable gobbledegook?I'm curious as to how they'd even begin pursuing a case against someone for 'infringing their copyright on the colour red' :)

I've checked Trademark but nothing like this appeared there...

Lemon martini 17:36, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

I think you can register colour in a context as part of a trademark, such as Stelios' easyjet & easy???? orange (planes, car hire, cruise ships), none of which prevents Orange (phones) from sharing the colour. Looks like poor wording on the part of the royal mail. --Tagishsimon (talk)

There are trademarked colours out there. The specific colour make-up of the red of Royal Mail is probably what is trademarked (i.e. a specific pantone). The context of where it can be used is also key. Pantone 0607298 is a trademark of United parcel Service EDIT [ON READING THE BROWN PAGE I FIND THIS IS UNTRUE!]. Read trademark, patent, copyright for more insight, the rules vary and can be quite complex. ny156uk

(edit conflict!) "You can register a name, logo, slogan, domain name, shape, colour or sound.". Royal Mail haven't registered just any red, but the particular shade of red they use in that context. Cadbury have registered their purple colour. Harley Davidson have registered the sound produced by their engines. Orange would be prevented from using easyjet's orange, but free to use a different orange. I'm sure breaches would be dealt with as are any others. See non-conventional trademark for further info (which is linked right there in the introduction of trademark). Natgoo 17:48, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

If I was to do something in the same colours as were used in a book or film, could I be sued by its copywrite holder?

No. Trademark is not the same thing as copyright. --Carnildo 21:31, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

colours questions

Why is it that red means hot and blue means cold?

By association, I guess: because very hot things glow red, whilst ice tends to look a little blue?

Also cold causes people to go 'blue' due to blood flowing away from the skin (vasoconstriction) and turn red when they are hot (vasodilation).87.102.8.102 21:13, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

What is the name for the shade of blue Copper Sulphate crystals are?

The anhydrous form of Copper(II) sulfate is a pale green or gray-white powder, while the hydrated form is bright blue. The archaic name for copper(II) sulfate is blue vitriol, which is possibly the answer you're looking for? --Tagishsimon (talk)

Why are pink things pink? Is it because they have less red colour in them, or an actual pink colour.

They reflect less red than a red thing that reflects more red. (the spectrum of reflected light contains a smaller spike of red than does the sp[ectrum reflected form a red thing) --Tagishsimon (talk)

There is no 'pink' as such - it's white with a little red - though near ultraviolet also appears pink.87.102.8.102 21:13, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

Why is pink consedered inappropriate for boys?

Culture is an odd thing (and a thing, apropos nothing, that we appear to be blind to - at least, we're blind to the oddities our own culture). Our article Pink has this to say on the question:

The color pink is now associated with womanhood and little girls, just like light blue is associated with little boys and manhood. However, in 1918 "Infant's Department" (an industry publication) said the reverse was the "generally accepted rule", describing pink as "more decided and stronger" while blue was "more delicate and dainty" [1]. Pink continued to be used for both boys' and girls' clothing through the early 1960s, though it is becoming more and more associated with femininity.

--Tagishsimon (talk)

Why are white things white? Is there something in them that makes them appear this colour, or nothing in them to make them appear any other colour?

By & large, they reflect the whole spectrum of light without absorbing particular colours. It is the absorption of particular wavelengths in the spectrum that causes things to be coloured. I heartily commend our article Color to you. --Tagishsimon (talk)

Why are white things white? That's like asking why →this← word is a word. It just is. Vranak 22:01, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

Some white things (washing powder for instance) are white because the fluorescent chemicals inside them turn ultraviolet light into light in the visible spectrum; the famous advertising slogan "Washes whiter than white!" comes from these chemicals, which make the clothes glow in sunlight. Laïka 17:00, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

172.189.77.244 19:17, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

So there is nothing in things like milk or white paint that makes them that colour?172.189.77.244 20:10, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

Yes there is; there are proteins or pigments which reflect the whole spectrum of light. --Tagishsimon (talk)

White paint typical has chalk or titanium dioxide in which are both white.

Milk is white because it is an emulsion - the compounds in milk would be mostly colourless if they were not dispered.87.102.8.102 21:15, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

what about white hair?Hidden secret 7 21:20, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

Current Purchase Cost of Future Pensions

Maybe this isn't the correct place to ask this, but I can't think of anywhere better, so here goes. My wife and I recently retired from the British Public Service, both aged 60, each with individual inflation-proof pensions, paid monthly; the survivor of either of us pre-deceasing the other will continue to collect 50% of the other's pension benefits for life thereafter. I get £12,000 pa, and my wife gets £9,000 pa, both before tax deductions (we also own our home and have several investments that will supplement our old-age over and above the pensions in question). And we will each collect the British State Pension at the relevant ages (Female 60 - Male 65), though that income should not affect the answer to my query. On the basis of the information given, I wonder if some clever and well-informed Wikipedian could tell me what the approximate cost in cash at today's predictable inflation rate would be to buy such pension benefits given whatever the current actuarial statistics might forecast as our relative ages at death? We both enjoy good health at present but that should not form part of the calculations. And neither of us would re-marry. Any information forthcoming will NOT be used or quoted in any financial discussions or planning exercises - I am genuinely just curious. Thanks in anticipation for any answers . CasualWikiUser 20:08, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

I believe that Wikipedia would carry a liability if we gave an answer to this, much like legal and medical questions. That said, I'm now into those calculations myself, and they're a bitch! --Zeizmic 19:48, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

Thanks Zeizmic, I appreciate your help. And I unreservedly and publicly exonerate and release you and Wikipedia from any responsibility or Liability in respect of any attempts to answer my foregoing pension-related question. Thanks again. CasualWikiUser 20:08, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

Simple Present Value calculation - if you use Excel there is even a built-in function for it: =PV(5%,20,-12000,0,1) where: 5% is the estimated inflation rate

      20 is the number of years you have left on the twig
      12000 is your yearly pension
      0 is the amount left when you drop of said twig
      1 is to do with when during the year you get the money

Get a good accountant and the numbers would be a little more precise, but with 5% inflation 12000pa = 157000 now. PS. Your cricket team is stuffed already. 12/2 after 5 overs!!!

Hand to hand combat

In some martial arts, students are taught a "special move" that suppsedly kills the opponent in one hit. Usually when I hear about this, it is in the form of a palm-heel to the nose, ramming the ethmoid bone into the brain, causing immediate death. Is that really fatal the way combat enthusiasts insist it is? (The article on the ethmoid bone describes that injury, but does not say if it is fatal.) V-Man737 20:29, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

I don't know the answer to that precise question but I have seen that blow being demonstrated when doing martial arts training myself - the only difference being that the instructor, a 6th Dan I think, continued sliding the palm of his hand up the face after striking the nose as described above, sufficiently high enough to permit him to grab a good handful of the recipient's hair and holding on tight, and then to drag the head downwards until the already damaged nose came into violent contact with the hair-grabber's raised and ascending knee. If not altogether fatal, the results would be indescribably dangerous, damaging, and painful.

This sounds like the 'handshake' I read about once, but then he shut the other guys nose in a book instead.

Evidence of the evolutionary value of a receding hairline. Indeed, I theorized with my friend that perhaps this single strike could be eventually fatal via loss of blood, but I was met with insistence that a bone enters the brain and causes immediate death. I asked for sauce, but for some reason the onus was put on me. V-Man737 20:47, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

Isn't there also a way to strike the chest so as to stop the heart? | AndonicO ^{Talk | Sign Here} 22:27, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

You mean like in Kill Bill? Doubt it :) --froth^{T C} 08:49, 8 January 2007 (UTC)

So far it's all sounding like urban legends to me. I NEED SAUCE!! V-Man737 22:35, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

Yes.Coolsnak3 22:57, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

No, the nose bones are not strong enough to break through the skull, they would shatter. I would bve very painful, but not fatal.

Surely it would be much easier just to shoot them.Hidden secret 7 21:22, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

Would a penetrative wound to the brain (if possible) be fatal in that section of the brain? I don't get the impression that theres core brain mechanisms behind there which would be destroyed (unlike for example in the brain stem). And the shards wouldn't be that long, and would not be pushed further in than the surface of the face, which is already some distance from the interior cavity and the brain material itself. hard to see it being fatal unless you do a lot more damage, but thats me as a non-biologistt's thoughts. FT2 ^{(Talk | email)} 22:42, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

The fact that people routinely undergo a frontal lobotomy is what mostly drives my skepticism. V-Man737 00:25, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

What most martial arts courses won't teach you is that there is a special move known to some as the "Touch of Death." I will not reveal the secrets of the Touch of Death here, because its power is too great. I will say though that a trained practitioner can use it to manipulate the life-force of his enemy, instantly killing them. At the very least, the target is put into unconsciousness. It's a vicious move, and is frowned upon even by the highest of martial arts masters. It's widely considered a "dark art", but some practice it for good purposes. However, many claim that using it leads to the very evil that they are trying to prevent. Because people who know the touch of death often kill others who know it as to secure their power, there isn't much documentation of the methods outside the windswept mountains of China and Japan, which house many of the old martial arts masters. I suppose that's a good thing; if the "Average Joe" knew how to perform the move, the results could be devastating. Even though the move takes years of practice to master, the idea that an average person could learn it is frightening to say the least. I hope that helped clear things up. .V. 07:58, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

;_;Sauce... V-Man737 20:41, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

I'm not entirely sure what you mean by that link (Wikipedia as a press source.) If you're looking for a source, my friend, you may be biting off more than you can chew. Sure, walk the streets of cosmopolitan New York asking about this. Maybe among the business-suited crowd you can find some fellow who'll think about it for a few seconds, then dismiss it as fanciful. If you want to know the real story, you'll need to go to the only source that exists: the masters of the ancient unarmed fighting arts. Perhaps when you ask, you'll see a smile appear on their wrinkled face. Perhaps they'll say, "Young one, there is no touch of death. The touch itself is death" before escorting you to the exit of their dojo. Or maybe you'll stumble upon an aspiring practitioner of the dark arts, who might see you as just another instance to practice his death-touch. After all, how many lone travelers are discovered dead from unknown causes on a seldom-used mountain trail? More than you think. A lot more. Many have tried to learn the secret of the touch of death, but then again, many have failed... and in this case, failure means death. You can take the risk, but I caution you -- you may be meddling with forces that are beyond your comprehension. .V. 07:26, 8 January 2007 (UTC)

Reminds me of Bullshido :o --froth^{T C} 08:51, 8 January 2007 (UTC)

It's easy to say that. Although it's best that people live in their own world, unaware of the power that lies beyond it. It's much easier that way, isn't it. .V. (talk) 09:13, 8 January 2007 (UTC)

I want to put something here, but I think it will lead to lots of unwanted questions, so I will just say this. Learning 'martial arts' is mostly just a way of tricking people into thinking you can defend yourself.Hidden secret 7 20:44, 8 January 2007 (UTC)

Multiple sex partners

What is the exact proportion of population in the US, UK etc.. that have multiple sex partners? How is that different from treatment of marriage in Islam i.e. one man having a number of wives? 20:58, 4 January 2007 (UTC)~~

Interesting question, I can't tell you the exact numbers of people who have multiple sex partners but I'll give my opinion on the second part of your question. Firstly, if you define multiple sex partners as having them during the same period of time, then I think it isn't really that high, not in my demographic anyway, most people in developed countries will have had more then one sex partner in their life but not at the same time. The people that do would be called promiscuous and the people who do it while raising a family at the same time would be cheaters, no doubt it does happen but it is not socially acceptable in the western world. Secondly, in the west, females are as free to have multiple sex partners as males, in my experience, where as it is my understanding a woman is likely to be stoned to death or otherwise murdered if she attempted anything of the sort in Muslim culture. Those are the differences immediately obvious to me at least. Vespine 21:31, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

Pretty bold statements there Vespine. I'd add the word "most" to a lot of your statements above. Most people that do would be called promiscuous and most people who do it while raising a family at the same time would be cheaters, no doubt it does happen but it is for the most part not socially acceptable in the western world. Though a small percentage of the overall population, there are people in consensual polygamous relationships, though this is largely frowned upon by both church and civil authorities. Grutness...wha? 23:30, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

Here's a good sub-question: Why do polygamous groups make the news, but people who merely engage in sexual activities with multiple partners don't? The intuition here is that marriage is a way to make sex legit, and extramarital sex is a less-than-legit thing. Better question: If the government makes polygamy illegal, why not multiple sex partners in general? V-Man737 23:36, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

V-Man737, the issues that make polygamy newsworthy and reprehensible in our part of the world (British Columbia) are not the legality or morality of multiple partners, but rather the human trafficking, incest, child sexual abuse, child abuse, neglect, and slavery that are corrolary. I speak, of course, of Bountiful, British Columbia. Anchoress 22:45, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

Yes, of course I agree Grutness!:) I try to speak in as general terms as I can and yes, most definitely fits into where you placed it. Typically I do not expect people to read things like what I have written to mean "absolutely every single person down to the last individual" just because I didn't say "most". Whenever you are describing any culture or group, you can only ever speak in generalities. Even to say humans have two eyes and ten fingers is only a generality, just as I am sure there would even be exceptions to monogamous women in Muslim culture, but those are exceptions. Vespine 00:45, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

You might find Polyamory interesting, as a starting point, although it describes a viewpoint on long term relationships that different people may or may not have. A lot depends what kind of "multiple sex partners" you count. Cheating, swinging, two long distance boyfriends (or one at college, one at home) when studying, holiday romances, things that happened once and not again... it varies so much. And of course, like you would expect, a great many are either not in a sexual relationship, or only have one partner.

Because it varies a lot, the "difference with Islam" will also vary a lot. I imagine people who follow Islam sometimes have multiple partners, or cheat, or are monogamous, and so on. So in a way what you are asking is, "how does this mixed up list vary from that mixed up list". I don't see that this question can be meaningfully answered until you make it clearer what exactly you are asking. FT2 ^{(Talk | email)} 22:39, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

Whats the difference between the attitude of one country exposing every weakness and the others who do things under the name of religion? Does the country that exposes thereafter takes the responsibility for the downtroden. 20:16, 8 January 2007 (UTC)~

A question for anyone who has taken time to upload information to Wikipedia

Hi, I'm researching motivations for voluntary action and you guys have given time to upload information to this site. My questions how are: Why? What was your motivation? (no matter how weak any feeling was, there's probably some driving motivation) Do you volunteer for other causes? What do you think caused this site to create such a huge following? Thank you

About your first question, it's very simple: I think knowledge is the most important thing we (humans) have, so I try to perpetuate, distribute and achieve as much as I can of it. — Kieff 21:16, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

If an article strikes me as both important and lacking, I will modify it. Vranak

If there is something I know that Wikipedia doesn't have, I'll add it, even though there isn't any personal gain. I personally don't volunteer for other causes. Finally, this site has a large following for one reason: most people like to contribute to something others can use; it's psychology from back in the caves. :-) | AndonicO ^{Talk | Sign Here} 22:34, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

I like to show off and annoy other people with my superior knowledge

See also Motivations for Contributing to Online Communities.  --Lambiam^Talk 02:01, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

Lambian's link is interesting. Of the various possible motivations put forward in that article, the one that comes closest to describing my own reasons for contributing is Sense of Efficacy. But mostly I just contribute because it is fun. And no, I don't volunteer for other causes. Gandalf61 10:43, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

I think because I use Wikipedia for information the idea that I should update/improve the parts I know about makes me more confident that others will too (and thus when I use it it will be more accurate/in depth). The drive to volunteer is similar to the drive to work for money, the only difference is the return is not a monetary value. As Joey Tribbiani said in a Friends episode..."There are no good unselfish acts". I tend to agree (philosophically speaking) - there's more reward than money. Incidently I write a blog ocassionally, I post my photos on Flickr and i've even been known to submit an article to digg.com. They are, in a sense, volunteering, because I am provide site-viewers with content without being paid. ny156uk 17:23, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

How is content added?

My question is:

Is all of the information on Wikipedia manually typed in by the volunteers and users, or are there other methods used such as scanning in text, importing text from electronic encyclopedias, etc?

Thank you

Mostly by users, though there was once a bot that added in a series of geographic locations automatically - see User:rambot. Hipocrite - «Talk» 21:38, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

Mostly typed in by volunteers, but cut & paste plagiarism from copyright and non-copyright sources does happen.--Measure 21:44, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

Anata wa jitensha dewa arimasen. V-Man737 21:50, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

Excuse me, but was I supposed to understand? In other words, what does that mean, and what does it have to do with the question? | AndonicO ^{Talk | Sign Here} 22:36, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

ARGH. That was the result of an edit conflict... Someone had made a post in Japanese, and I responded (in Romaji). They were asking if they were a bicycle, and I reassured them of their non-bicycle nature. V-Man737 23:06, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

V-Man737さん、ありがと。わたしはむしんろんしゃですか。わたしはいちじはんですか。　＜＿＜　＞＿＞　すみません。

BJAODN, anyone? Grutness...wha? 23:26, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

Almost, but not quite. | AndonicO ^{Talk | Sign Here} 16:08, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

V-man-san nan desu ka kudasai? Wintermut3 07:12, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

Watashi wa Engrish desu. V-Man737 21:21, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

Also, the 1911 Encyclopedia Brittanica was imported. Superm401 - Talk 00:37, 8 January 2007 (UTC)

Sup and sub on top of each other

Is it possible to have a  section directly on top of a  section? I don't think it is, but it would fit. Thanks! Reywas92^Talk_Sigs 22:02, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

I'm not sure if it would work. I've got them pretty close together here: User:Measure/test and the words look like they would overlap if they were any closer. --Measure 22:13, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

Like this:?

Do ^{_{you mean}} _{^{Like this}} ???

Do ^{_{you mean Like this}} ???

It just seems to shrink the font - -87.102.23.224 22:16, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

Or ^{you mean _likethis} ???

Or ^{you mean _like this} ???>

???87.102.23.224 22:18, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

Wouldn't this question do better at the help desk? | AndonicO ^{Talk | Sign Here} 22:36, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

It did reasonably well here. --Tagishsimon (talk)

I think he/she meant it like:

Is this what

you're looking for?

... But that's probably not practical enough. — Kieff 23:18, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

Wow. That is a lotta sandboxin' under your belt. Props! V-Man737 23:20, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

I think I understand now - sorry you must have meant C¹⁴₆ - but with the 6 under the 14 - didn't get it. Sorry I don't know how - the help desk is probably the place to ask about wiki syntax and markup.87.102.19.164 01:38, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

$C_{n}^{k}$. like this - but more generally - does any one know?87.102.19.164 01:40, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

How about this: $_{Under}^{Over}$ ? StuRat 04:14, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

Or, we can also use the <sub> and <sup> tags to alter the height slightly: _{$_{Under}^{Over}$} $_{Under}^{Over}$ ^{$_{Under}^{Over}$}. StuRat 04:40, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

University/college

In Canada, we generaly use the term university to refer to major educational institutions that grant bachelor (or higher) degrees. The term college is more loosly defined but usually refers to institutions that grant diplomas after 2-4 years of study. Two things that bug me: A) why do Americans use the term college (esp. college sports) to refer to even the most prestigious educational institutions? Why do so many institutions in Canada that offer only technical or trade training (as opposed to academics) call themselves a "college" or even "university"? Isn't there (or shouldn't there be) a legal definition of college/university? One more thing, can anyone tell me if ther are other "real" universities or colleges in the Greater Vancouver area other than the following: University of BC, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver Comunity College, BC Institute of Technology, Capilano College.

You may wish to review our article College#The_origin_of_the_U.S._usage, which contains your answer as to the US/Brit usage of the word! Hipocrite - «Talk» 22:14, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

There is a difference between "college" and "university" in U.S. usage. A university is generally made up of one or more colleges. For example, Harvard College is the undergraduate part of Harvard University. If Bard College had more than one college, it would be "Bard University." Americans use "college" to refer to higher education in general because not all higher-education institutions in the country are universities. The Commonwealth English expression "I'm going to university" sounds awkward to American ears. -- Mwalcoff 00:10, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

and to Pittsburghese ears, anything other than "caw-edge" sounds strange. V-Man737 00:22, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

Others in the area: Kwantlen University College, Langara College, University College of the Fraser Valley (slightly outside in Abbotsford, but there). Tony Fox (arf!)

University of Toronto is also made up of colleges. See The College System on their website. I'm guessing other large universities in Canada have colleges as well. I think the distinction you're thinking is for 'community colleges,' which are more oriented to diploma programs, and as the names above indicate, BC has university colleges to complicate matters. See here for the BC government's definitions and a listing of them all. Bobanny 04:46, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

In the UK, our accepted usage differs again. An institute that teaches to degree level (and near-equivalents) may not have university status, but may instead be a college of higher education. Anyone of at least 18 yrs old (prodigies excepted, of course) would study there. Below that, 16-18 yr olds (and mature students, of course) attend colleges of further education. They are equivalent to the UK's sixth form system. Adrian M. H. 17:36, 8 January 2007 (UTC)

does the earth really rotate?? or is it a myth??

The earth is approx 24000 miles in circumference, which means if it does rotate once in 24 hours it should be travelling at roughly 1000 MPH from west to east.

Which means if a plane is travelling at say 600 MPH from west to east it would never get to its destination, likewise if it was travelling from east to west it would be travelling faster (ie) 600 MPH plane speed + 1000 MPH rotation = 1600 MPH.

Lets say the earth does rotate this means if I were to jump up in the air when i landed I would land further away from where I jumped this surely meand that the earth is static and the sun moon & stars rotate around it. stars

YES, it rotates that fast. NO, you'll land in the same spot because you will also be moving that fast, and since the air is also moving with you two, there's no resistance to slow you down. In the case of airplanes, (probably because of their high altitutude) it does make a difference, but not as big as you think. Crossing the Atlantic ocean in one direction only takes about an hour more than the other direction.

• The only reason there's a difference at all is due to winds. For crossings between Europe and North America, eastbound flights can often take advantage of the eastbound jet stream, giving them an advantage in speed. The fact that the Earth is rotating and the bulk of the atmosphere along with it makes no difference to a plane. --Anonymous, January 5, 01:42 (UTC).

Question for science desk, but in a nutshell I'd say your issue deals with frame of reference. Fully reading that article should qualm your fears about the earth-rotation conspiracy theory. V-Man737 22:28, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

Here is a little experiment you can do. Get in a car, get someone to drive it along quite fast (the faster the better, well the more fun) Now through a ball up in the air. According to your argument above the ball should stay still relative to the ground which means that it should travel backwards inside the car. Try it! You can easily catch the ball. It does not travel backwards. Theresa Knott | Taste the Korn 22:29, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

Allow me to impovise on this experiment. Try it in a train. Since the air inside the train is also moving with the ball and the train, it does not "slow the ball down" and make it land further back. Now, if you dare, try this experiment ON TOP of a moving train. Since the air OUTSIDE the train is NOT moving with the ball, it WILL slow the ball and make it land way farther back.

Of course the atmosphere does rotate along with the Earth. Theresa Knott | Taste the Korn 22:39, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

Would that be because of pressurization? | AndonicO ^{Talk | Sign Here} 22:39, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

Wouldn't it be due to friction, that the atmosphere is carried along in rotation? If it weren't carried along, there would be a heck of a lot of friction between the ground and the air. -GTBacchus^(talk) 22:42, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

If it weren't carried along there would be one hell of a wind at the equator. Whereas in actual fact we have the doldrums Theresa Knott | Taste the Korn 22:46, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

Incidentally, when we launch rockets into space, we take advantage of the velocity imparted by Earth's rotation, and launch them eastward from points in lower latitudes, where available. That's why the US launches shuttles from Florida instead of New York or something, and why the Europeans launch rockets from French Guiana - see Escape velocity for more on this point. -GTBacchus^(talk) 22:40, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

Of course. It's so much more plausible that the entire rest of the universe revolves and the Earth stands still. Of course, the more distant objects would have to travel faster than the speed of light, but that's just a minor detail. Clarityfiend 02:27, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

The train examples may be misleading if the person throws the ball while the train is accelerating or decelerating or turning, which is quite frequent in metro trains, you should specify that the train has to be going at a constant rate, like the earth, for the experiment to work properly. Vespine 04:29, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

Objective evidence that it is the Earth that is rotating and not the rest of the universe comes from the Coriolis effect and Foucault's pendulum. However, according to certain interpretations of Mach's principle, it may not make sense to ask whether the Earth is "really" rotating - all we can say is that the Earth is rotating relative to the fixed stars. Gandalf61 10:33, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

Silly law

There's a sign in my appartment building (in Vancouver, BC, Canada) that says: "Lighting and blackout regulations: all blinds must be drawn between dusk and sunrise" Is this stupid or what? The government can't tell me when to open and close my blinds! What about privacy? I'm not sure if this is set by the municipal, provincial, or federal gov't. Please tell me this law/regulation is one of the silly old ones that are never enforced...;;

It's to protect others from seeing you engaging in your preferred bedtime activities with the lights on silly!!!!!!!!

(Granted that the owner of your building might be the government) the rule is probably one set by the building owner, not by government. And there's probably a reason for it. As to whether it is enforced I couldn't conjecture. --Tagishsimon (talk)

The impending questions would then be: what about free speech? What if I WANT people to see me engaged in my preferred bedtime activities? V-Man737 22:54, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

You'd be advised not to have entered into a contract (e.g. a lease) with a covenant up with which you could not put. --Tagishsimon (talk)

The rule probably dates from WWII. I doubt that the building owner set it, and I doubt that it is enforceable. If you live in a condominium, check your bylaws. Anchoress 23:02, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

You really should take a picture of that sign! It's a classic! --Zeizmic 23:11, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

I think you are not on the right track, the rule is probably made by the body corporate, or UK equivalent. What you can and can't do with windows is actually not uncommon in shared buildings like apartments and high rises, especially within a CBD. You may own office space within a high rise but what you can put in the windows and how you affect the outside appearance of the building you reside in is definitely subject to rules and regulations, sometimes quite strict. I worked in an office once where we wanted a panel of window tinted from the inside and the building wouldn't allow it because only the middle row of windows was allowed to be tinted due to the way it affected the architectural design of the building. You may own your apartment but you do not own the building or the façade, you couldn't also for example remove your apartment, even if you didn't structurally weaken the building. Ok, that's a far cry from using blinds during the night but I think it's along the same lines… Also, as to free speech, there was a case not long ago in Australia where someone was exercising their free speech by watching a porno on their in car DVD player, a youngster in a car beside him at the lights saw the screen and what was on it, the parent driving the car was alerted to what had happened and reported the other driver and they were fined for public indecent display or whatever it is called. Vespine 00:33, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

Hmmm, what would the Canadian equivalent to the 'body corporate' be? You're right about common property in buildings, but (I was on the strata council for my building for four years, and I am very familiar with rental rules in British Columbia) to my knowledge a law requiring residents to 'black out' their windows at night would be unenforceable. Your examples about free speech and modifying building exteriors are not applicable, because one is related to an act (watching porno), and the other is related to common property (the actual windows, as opposed to the interior window coverings). I did a bit of a search and I wasn't able to come up with anything definitive about Vancouver bylaws. Anchoress 01:17, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

It's possible that the intention is to reduce the hazard to birds. Many birds are killed by flying into buildings at night, because they associate light with open sky. --Anonymous, January 5, 01:44 (UTC).

Or perhaps it's to prevent light pollution in general, so people have some hope of seeing the stars at night. StuRat 04:02, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

Not bloody likely around here; Vancouver's one big light dome. We're lucky to see the Sun most of the time... As to the question: my building has regulations about the window coverings that can be used (only the ones they supply), but that's mostly targeted at ensuring a consistent visual quality for the place from the outside. Nothing in my lease says anything about keeping the blinds closed at night, though, and I've never heard about that before, so I'm quite certain that's not a blanket regulation in the city. As for birds flying into the windows, I don't believe Vancouver's got any kind of bylaws about that either. This sounds building-specific. Tony Fox (arf!) 21:19, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

Accurate websites needed for english food crop/ornamentals growing conditions.

Hello,

I am trying to locate good English websites as mentioned in the subject line. I am trying to find sites with optimum growing temps/frost damage threshold temps/ chilling injury temps etc as well as the durations of the frost etc. Even if there a book available, that would be handy. As long as I have a place to start, I do not mind doing the research myself.

I have looked on many sites but it's handy if just one or two sites or a book could supply the necessary information.

The most important crops are the expensive ornamentals and other commercially valuable fruits/salad crops. (Especially peppers, tomatoes with their delicate nature towards chilling/frost.)

Thank you for helping,

Andy123451 22:27, 4 January 2007 (UTC) Andy123451

Picture of an old Parker pen.

Hello
I would really appreciate it if anyone could find the picture of a Parker pen I'm looking for. I can not find it on the Parker website (I assume its out of production), and I can't see to find a picture anywhere else either. The picture I have found so far that has been the best fit is this: http://www.luxus.cz/obchod_pic/nahledy/pen_5267237_velikost_x256.jpg
However, the pen I am looking for is silver where this pen is gold. Licensing of the picture does not matter, as the most I will be doing with the picture is linking people to it. Really appreciate it. Clq 22:43, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

Joker

In the world of television and news reports, What is a joker? Are they the fill in presenter for when the main presenter is away?

I haven't heard that term, but that sounds like a reasonable guess to me. StuRat 03:58, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

What time does Newcastle run to South Shields?

When is this?

Do you mean the Great North Run? If so, then this year it is on Sunday 30th September. JMiall 00:08, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

January 5

Soft Aerogel

Can Aerogel be made from a soft rather than a ridgid material? Barringa 00:00, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

The qualification of Aerogel having friability implies that it would have to be based on a rigid material, although in the world of science I am sure there are many strange exceptions. V-Man737 23:58, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

using Wikipedia to advertise a business

what are the rules for a store like ShopRite being mentioned in an article for example in the Perth Amboy NJ article --Javierbaires1 02:34, 5 January 2007 (UTC)Javierbaires1

The mention in Perth Amboy, New Jersey looks fairly gratuitous / unnecessary / superfluous to me. --Tagishsimon (talk)

I agree. Removed. SWAdair | Talk 04:54, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

Coca Cola arsenic

Hi all!

I read somewhere that a few years ago a law was passed in USA that prohibited excessive amounts of arsenic, lead, uranium and others in food. As the story goes, Coca Cola was forced to change its formula. Is this true? Is it probable? Is it posible?

Thanks all! --Thor Waldsen 03:32, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

Doubtful, improbable but possible. I think arsenic & lead are more likely to be things found in drinks because they were in the water, rather than in the formula. Snopes has nothing on this in its cokelore section, fwiw. --Tagishsimon (talk)

I seem to recall there was discussion a few years ago in the US of changing the maximum allowed level of arsenic in ground water, which would also end up in anything made from that water, like Coca Cola. I don't remember the outcome of those discussions, however. StuRat 03:53, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

• In 2002, the EPA lowered the maximum acceptable level of As from 50μg/L (or parts per billion, if you prefer) to 10μg/L, effective mid-2006. --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 16:35, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

There is poison (cyanide it think) in apples, so there could be poisons in other things. Apparently some vegetables in america are sprayed with carcinogenic chemicals to make them taste better.Hidden secret 7 21:27, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

Not to make them taste better, but to prevent insects, bacteria, fungi, etc. from attacking them. StuRat 15:03, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

They say the mafia had to bribe people so they could use these chemicals.172.200.70.64 20:43, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

They say a lot of things... V-Man737 20:44, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

Why "Wikipedia"?

How did Wikipedia get its name? It sounds vaguely Australian. I've been sent in circles trying to find an answer to this seemingly simple question.207.69.139.6 04:00, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

"Wiki-wiki" is Hawaiian for "quick", and "pedia" is from "encyclopedia". Although, judging from the number of Brits here, perhaps it should be Wikipǣdia. StuRat 04:04, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

See also wiki --Tagishsimon (talk)

I'm Australian and fail to see how it sounds vaguely Australian, if anything it sounds vaguely New Zealandish, obviously because if you swap the syllables around it makes kiwi. Vespine 04:31, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

I believe they meant the Aboriginal languages. For example, how about Wajarripedia ? StuRat 05:39, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

The reason it sounds vaguely kiwi to Vespine Iapart from the kiwi/wiki thing) is probably that Maori and Hawaiian are quite closely related languages. Wiki is the Maori word for "ripple", FWIW. Grutness...wha? 12:41, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

Luxury commodities by country

I'm putting together a piece on luxury commodities, and in associating certain luxury goods with certain countries, Persian rugs from Iran come quickly to mind, while maybe Swarovski crystal from Austria not so quickly, and Laguiole knives from France even less so. Can someone help me out with some other suggestions, preferably along the line of the knives, i.e. not as well-known or obvious as the rugs? I'd appreciate any help. Wolfgangus 04:42, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

Luxury good and Category:Luxury brands may be a good starting point. SWAdair | Talk 05:18, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

Anyone who is anybody simply must have a Sub-Zero Refrigerator from the US and several Ming dynasty vases from China. StuRat 05:17, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

Single malt whiskey and tweed from Scotland(hotclaws**== 19:48, 6 January 2007 (UTC)) ~~

scientists

I am a third grade teacher with students from diverse backgrounds in my class. I am looking for American scientists that I can hold up as inspiration. I am looking for both male and female from these backgrounds in particular: black, hispanic, Asian Indian, Somali, and European. My problem is that I can't figure out the background of the scientists. Pictures/photos are a must-have.

Thanks for your help. Suzanne

Try this for black Americans scientists (I don't know if any are of Somali origin): [1]. StuRat 04:54, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

If you allow social scientists then Abdi Kusow is a Somali with a picture here. JMiall 18:25, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

Another Somali scientist and some Somali doctors. JMiall 18:38, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

Unfortunately, I don't see any Americans scientists which appear to be from India here: [2]. StuRat 04:59, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

Most of the American scientists listed here, both male and female, are of European ancestry: [3]. StuRat 05:00, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

Just guessing from their names, I would say these two might have ancestry from India: Ramesh Jain, Geerat J. Vermeij and this one might be Hispanic: Robert Remez. StuRat 05:11, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

Vermeij is Dutch-born.[4][5][6] He can be held up as inspiration as an American scientist with a European background.  --Lambiam^Talk 13:03, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

OK, thanks, I've struck out his name from my list. StuRat 05:35, 9 January 2007 (UTC)

Among Indian scientists who became American citizens, Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, E. C. George Sudarshan and Hargobind Khorana are probably the most famous. Tintin (talk) 06:25, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

There is a list of Indian-Americans at Category:Indian Americans. I can't say if any of them are scientists without actually reading the articles. But if you include engineers, there are some big some big names there. Tintin (talk) 06:34, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

The following names occur both in Category:Indian Americans and subcategories thereof, and in Category:Indian scientists with subcategories: Category:Indian Americans: Aravind Joshi, Arvind Rajaraman, C. Kumar N. Patel, Gaurav Raja, George Sudarshan, Har Gobind Khorana, Harish-Chandra, K. G. Karthikeyan, Kannan Soundararajan, Madhu Sudan, Manjul Bhargava, Narendra Karmarkar, Sarvadaman Chowla, Sharmila Bhattacharya (scientist), Shreeram Shankar Abhyankar, Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, Thomas Anantharaman, Thomas Kailath, Vinod Dham.  --Lambiam^Talk 13:27, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

Well it's not exactly what you ordered, but astronauts have science degrees. Anchoress 05:19, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

Geerat J Vermeij looks rather Dutch to me. JackofOz 05:40, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

As alluded to by Anchoress, here's somebody that holds a BS in Physical Science, is of Indian descent, and since she's currently in orbit as part of the ISS crew, your students can't help but to "look up" to her. ;-) --Maelwys 14:15, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

I'd have thought Einstein would be good for a European-American scientist; he was born in Germany, but moved around Europe, settling in the US (although he actually held dual US and Swiss citizenship, making him literally European-American!), and everyone knows who he is. Laïka 16:52, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

If you really wish to inspire them, you could go for Sanjay Nigam. An Indian born American who is both a distinguished scientist and an accomplished writer of fiction. [7]. Talk about overachieving. As for Hispanic/European Americans, you could try Nobel prize winners: Severo Ochoa (images) or Luis Walter Alvarez (images), or Latino/Hispanic American Mario Molina (images). Rockpocket 20:48, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

Family History

I'm having a hard time looking up my Family History on my Mother's side, her madan name was Herzog. Her Dads name was Raymond Benjamin Herzog (1908-1966), his Dads name was Benedict Nicholas Herzog and Mothers madan name was Gertrude Richter. If anybody can help me, I would be very thankful to the people who helps me.

Signed GLRasmussen(Herzog)

The names appear to be German. Could you tell us some more about them, like in which country and town they were born, etc? (1908-1966 sounds quite recent, surely there must be sources...) 惑乱 分からん 12:38, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

Without country info, no telling if this is the person, but Ancestry.com shows: Polk's Albany City Directory, 1957 City Information , p176. Polk's Albany (Albany County, N.Y.) City Directory 1957 Including Rensselaer. Boston MA: R. L. Polk & Co., 1957: "Herzog, Nicholas and Leahy, 11 N. Pearl rm 906." But Herzog is a fairly common name. Edison 16:07, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

You might try Rootsweb.com as well. ++Lar: t/c 21:40, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

"Herzog" is German for "duke", Richter is German for "judge", so both names are quite common.

--62.143.9.33 16:14, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

Identification number

i want to find out my natiive american identification number, im from the pueblo of acoma tribe and i know that there is some sort of government assistants out there. I also cannot find out what the officical term for those numbers. pleases help me i would greatly appericate it thank you!—Preceding unsigned comment added by 209.247.23.67 (talk • contribs)

If you are in the USA, you probably want to read Social Security number. --Shantavira 13:15, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

I think it would be the Bureau of Indian Affairs Card Number, Tribal Treaty Card Number, or Tribal Enrollment Number, where the last is the most commonly used identification number. Have you been enrolled, or are you trying to find out how to get enrolled? In the latter case, follow this link. Otherwise, try contacting your tribal representatives. I have found the following contact information:

Jason Johnson, Governor

Pueblo of Acoma

P.O. Box 309, Acoma, NM 87034

Phone No: (505) 552-6604

Fax No: (505) 552-7204

Melissa Gordon, TEWA Social Worker

P.O. Box 309, Acoma, NM 87034

Phone: (505) 552–5151; (505) 552–7522.

These may be out of date but should give you a starting point.  --Lambiam^Talk 16:13, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

Libyan Dinars Banknotes

To whom it may concern:

I have old Libyan Dinars Banknotes, around 5 years, and I would like to know if they are still in use.

Thanks—Preceding unsigned comment added by 194.204.114.143 (talk • contribs)

According to Libyan dinar, they should be fine. Just take them along to a bureau de change.--Shantavira 13:05, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

Internet VS Travel agents

Can you please find out how many people use internet to book a vacation as opposed to using a travel agent?

thank you =)—Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.151.119.66 (talk • contribs)

No, I am sorry, I don't think the Wikipedia Reference Desk volunteers can answer your question. For a start, we would need to know which country or region you are interested in - the answer is going to very different depending on which part of the world you are looking at. Even then, I think it would be very difficult to find any useful and reliable statistics on this. Gandalf61 14:09, 8 January 2007 (UTC)

What percentage of media has political bias

What percentage of media is shown to be controlled by one political party or another per your WP:RS rules? TruthInMedia 14:29, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

I think 100% of media is biased, politically or otherwise. Some is biased toward 'fluffiness', i.e. conscientiouly shying away from political commentary. So to answer your question, the answer will vary with the person you ask, and I don't know, and I don't think anyone does. Vranak

But that wasn't the question, though it was the title. What percentage is controlled by one political party or another? Very few. Now, if you mean biased toward the views of one political party or another, that's a different question entirely. --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 16:40, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

It is usually simple to say the 'red top' newspapers (those with a red badge) have traditionally supported Labour governments and the broadsheets have broadly been in favour of Conservative governments. This obviously isn't a rule as The Guardian is a left-leaning newspaper with columnists that show outright disgust for previous Tory parties and The Sun has supported a variety of political parties over the course of many elections. Percentage wise it would be difficult to say. I don't know about 'controlled', but MPs have to declare their income and certain rules exist about what they can and cannot do. I think Hansard (should be a site link in there) will explain in more detail. ny156uk 17:13, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

The response is very British-centric. Otherwise, the question would need thorough research, and would probably be difficult to answer sufficiently. 惑乱 分からん 17:58, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

In any case, the original question was in relation to the Wikipedia:Reliable sources guideline — there are almost no publications which are direct organs of political parties; those which are usually have to state that they are official publications. As for questions of leanings, there are probably no exact numbers, and as for whether a given source would violate its use as anything but a primary source per WP:RS, it is probably best decided on a case-by-case basis. --24.147.86.187 23:14, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

All media has some kind of bias becuase it was written by a human, by human nature everything we do , say and think is biased in some way. One of the biggest controlling factors is the person or company at the top of the media organisation in question. E.G. The Sun news paper is now owned by Ruper Murdoch's Newscorp and thus has become a Labour paper when previously it was staunchly right wing. I think you name is rather wishful thinking Truth In Media - dream on.AMX 19:57, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

Copyrighted Images

Hi there,

I want to ask you a question. Is it okay if I upload images copied from other websites, such as town logos, as long as I include the copyright tag, stating it is a logo, and provide the website's name?

--Smcafirst or Nick • Sign Here • Chit-Chat • Contribs at 15:56, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

I don't believe it is. From Special:Upload: "Most images on the internet are copyrighted under terms intended to prevent them from being freely used on other sites, making it inappropriate and/or illegal to upload them to Wikipedia." BTW, this question would have been better asked at the help desk. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 16:01, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

No, it could be fine. In that case it would be used under the copyright exemption of fair use, which is the only way we could have any sort of logos here (see Wikipedia:Logos). There are specific criteria that must be followed for all fair use images here, though. -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 21:23, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

MBA Ranking in the UK

Does anyone know where I can find a trustworthy ranking of MBAs in the UK? For instance, there's the US News & World Report which lists all schools in the US. I was wondering if there's something similar for the UK (again, something reliable)? Thanks, V

There are a few well respected University guides in the UK - most notatably published by The Times and The Guardian - though most tend to focus on undergraduate courses. This site links to the relevent information. Rockpocket 20:25, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

On further review, it would appear the Financial Times Global MBA guide might be better, as it compares the actual programmes rather than the University. This seems to rank specialist business schools higher than traditional Universities in the UK. Rockpocket 20:30, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

Many thanks, Rockpock!http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Reference_desk/Miscellaneous&action=edit&section=91 V

Be aware that these kinds of rankings aren't the be-all and end-all. What is important to you, and what is important to the rankers, may be quite different things. --Robert Merkel 02:17, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

berklee boston

is it a good school? My friend is going and he both plays acoustic and electric. any crime trouble on campus?

--Backgroundmusic 18:08, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

The Berklee College of Music doesn't actually have a campus, per se. But it's located in a well-traveled commercial area of Boston which I think of as pretty average for Boston, being neither especially crime-plagued nor exceptionally quiet and safe.

Atlant 18:41, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

I have a similar problem. Apparently Portsmouth, where I want to go to university, is very bad for crime. Is it? (Portsmouth in England)Hidden secret 7 21:30, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

You can usually look up crime statistics online, though I don't know about England. As for Berklee, it is definitely a good school for music, one of the best. --24.147.86.187 23:09, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

As Frank Zappa wrote [8]:

“ You have made it, you are cool

You have been to the Berklee School

”

Skarioffszky 11:24, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

Portsmouth is not bad at all as the UK goes, which is to say, better than most countries. Proto::► 13:59, 8 January 2007 (UTC)

nude photographer

what is the name of the nude photographer who tells people in montreal to get naked and lie down on the streets?

Sounds like Spencer Tunick. Though I don't have a direct source linking him to Montreal, he has done similar in countless other cities. I lie, the article states he did it in Montreal also. Rockpocket 20:15, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

Help needed with corporate grant application

I am in the process of writing a business plan and filling out the applications to receive a government grant for a product in which we have a patent pending status on. We would like to get it manufactured and marketed. My question is: On the grant application I have to tell how much money we need and break it down into categories and tell how much we will need for each categorey. I need to know how to go about finding these estimates. Any information you can give me will be deeply appreciated.

Sincerely, Deborah L. Holloway (E-Mail address removed)

Hi Deborah, congratulations with your company and product. Typically, the source for information for all grants is a business plan (which you're already working on), including a budget. Your budget should cover the production schedule (12-36 months, depending). In order to come up with the numbers you may need to do some leg work, such as getting estimates from vendors, producers and consultants in the different fields. You also need to be clear on what exactly the grant will cover. Is it for all operating and production costs during the startup period? Is it just for elements relating to the development of the new product? Is it a 'matching' grant that covers a portion?

I suggest you contact your local Chamber of Commerce and ask them if they have any entrepreneurial mentorship programmes where you could get guidance from experienced businesspeople. Furthermore, many governmental grantors have officers who are happy to provide guidance to applicants. Have you asked them? They also often have examples of successful applications on their websites.

I have some experience in this area; feel free to post to my talkpage if you wish. Anchoress 21:28, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

I have duel degrees in accounting and business finance. If you have any specific questions relating to these topics, please post them on my talkpage; I'd be happy to help. Rangermike 02:50, 10 January 2007 (UTC)

Number of food service establishments in the US?

Dear Sir or Madam, my name is Paul Faguet, and I just wondered if you could help me find out how many restaurants, bars, and cafeterias are there approximately in total in the USA. I would appreciate you r help! Thanks!

Perhaps you could check an almanac? Яussiaп F 03:04, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

A search at [9] Google maps for category:restaurant says there are about 6,362,116 for category: Restaurants near the United States . (I excluded motels, which Google wanted to include with restaurants when I searched for "restaurants in United States.") It also says there are 14,337 Cocktail Bars & Lounges and 600 Restaurant cafeterias. The U.S. Department of Commerce might have additional information. I would have expected more cafeterias, given the number found in schools and office buildings. Ones lacking Yellow Page listings may have been omitted. Edison 05:24, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

Courtroom: Attack Dogs

I am in Mock Trial and I need some help.

In the case, Chris Matthews (the defendant) bought an attack dog after a fight with Danny Jones (victim) at a pool party, which supposedly involved Danny's ex-wife chatting with Chris. You see, Danny and Chris were high-school rivals, the typical geek vs. jock set-up. So, years later, at this pool party, Danny and Chris got into a battle in which Danny attacked Chris and Chris got a No Contact order that said Danny was not to go with-in 300 ft. of his house and not with-in 100 ft. of Chris himself.

Now, Chris, on the other hand, did something wise/stupid, depending on your point of view. He bought a big rottwieller attack dog to protect himself, and he bought it from a lady named Jo Foltz, who owns a kennel. The kennel was suspected of selling dogs to a dog fighting ring, but charges were not pressed. This particular dog was particularly aggressive, but by the time Chris bought it, it was supposed to be a good dog. It may or may not have been trained to be more aggressive with drug-users.

Anyway, Danny eventually tresspassed on Chris's property, while hyped up on steriods (Performance Enhancing Drugs) and Chris and Danny got into a fight in Chris's garden. Danny was NOT intending to see Matthews. Danny may or may not have been about to attack Chris, and Chris may or may not have given the order to his dog, which was sitting nearby, to attack Danny. Danny and Chris had not actually touched each other, though. Either way, the dog sprang up, jumped on Danny, and started ripping apart his throat. At that point, Matthews says that he first tried to stop the dog with the command "Foos", and then, when the dog refused to stop and bit at Chris, Chris claims he went inside and called 9-1-1. He didn't actually do that, as Police records show.

Two witnesses say that they heard Matthews say something like "Blitz" when the dog attacked Danny, even though one witness could hear too well. The command to attack is "Blitz".

So... What do you think? I am trying to prosecute Matthews for having his dog attack Danny. What would be my best way to go? If you need more info, just ask.

---

Also, I almost forgot... This has absolutely nothing to do with actual law. All Mock Trial requires is acting and manipulating the jury to go your way. So please,... help me!!!

If it were me, and I certainly not a lawayer I cannot see how you could prove Matthews had his dog attack. The witnesses are not sure. I'd go at failing to call 911. Why didn't he do that? Theresa Knott | Taste the Korn 02:31, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

What jurisdiction is this in? Do you have to convince a judge or a jury?  --Lambiam^Talk 05:07, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

I would try to look at the difference in the dog's behavior when Danny was present and when other visitors are present, for example the postman. Show that the dog acted aggressively to Danny and not the postman, and then attribute the difference to Matthews' commands. -anonymous6494 06:57, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

---

Thanks for all the help so far! In response to Lambiam's question, I am appealing to a jury made up of my peers, who also have the case and the fact patterns, and many of them are... shall we say, not easily impressed. Some are just plain stubborn. The themes suggested here so far, though, are very helpful, so thank you!

French Land Registry for Paris

I'm trying to find the ownership and other property details of a particular property in France, in the district of Chatou 78400, a suburb just outside Paris.

The information seems to be held at the French equivalent of the Land Registry, which I believe is called a Cadastre (or Cadastral) in France, but I can't find the actual office dealing with Paris, or for that area, or the official French website for them.

I'm assuming that once I find that, I can apply for information on the property concerned, either online or by surface mail. But first I have to know who to ask - ideally a French official website, or failing which, some kind of contact details.

Can anyone help? FT2 ^{(Talk | email)} 22:25, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

Although I do not have any expertise in this area, I've taken a stab at it; hopefully someone will correct me if I am wrong. I looked up the French article on cadastre, which seems to be more like a geological survey, perhaps combined with a property registry used by the government for tax purposes. I am not sure that its records are open to the public. However, it seems that some of the functions of a registry of deeds in English-speaking countries are handled by the offices of Conservation des Hypothèques. Chatou is in the department of Yvelines, and there are five offices of Conservation des Hypothèques in Yvelines. I'm not sure which has responsibility for Chatou, but the closest are the ones in Versailles. Here are their websites:

Mantes-la-Jolie

Rambouillet

Versailles 1

Versailles 2

Versailles 3

Contact the mairie (Town Hall) for the commune within which the property is situated. They are the key to all property info.petitmichel86.211.239.138 16:43, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

Here is another page on these offices from the Yvelines departmental government.

Marco polo 04:05, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

"I can see you from a mile away"

"I can see you from a mile away" is a line featured prominently in several North American rap/Hip-Hop songs that I've heard. I was wondering of the origin of this line and what song was the first song to use this in their lyrics. I know "Draped Up" by Bun B has this line in it. The Ayatollah 23:44, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

I don't think this line originated in Hip Hop music... 惑乱 分からん 01:16, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

Yes, it's an old expression. StuRat 05:06, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

...meaning "You've put on some weight"?--Shantavira 10:01, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

Well, that some feature is prominently visible, like if they were wearing a yellow jumpsuit. StuRat 14:57, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

Or perhaps that the persons's true intentions are blatently visible despite attempts to hide them. --Maxamegalon2000 06:10, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

Or that their intention to wear a yellow jumpsuit (with baby blue stripes!) is obvious, despite attempts to hide it. V-Man737 20:46, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

January 6

welfare in Canada

Hi. When I graduate, I plan to move to Canada and go on welfare. Is anyone here familiar with Canadian welfare and can tell me what are the procedures and requirements for being on welfare in Canada? Thanks! --131.215.159.11 03:19, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

• ooooh ur in for a rough ride buddy. better make plans B through Z. dont listen to the stereotypical crap from americans. if your able to work, u wont be on welfare for long. if your not able to work, you can barely, barely live off it.

• I'm sure the Canadians will greet you with open arms, or possibly with arms drawn. StuRat 05:09, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

• As with welfare everywhere, it's not like it used to be. You can't make a career of it. --Zeizmic 14:43, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

• Except in the Netherlands, apparently. One of our contributors, User:DirkvdM, has made a career out of it. StuRat 14:55, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

Yeah, whenever he hasn't shown up for a while, I'm always afraid he's mixed his last drug cocktail... :) --Zeizmic 21:57, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

Welfare is a provincial responsibility, so it varies across the country, and can change frequently depending on which party is in power. You should be able to find welfare regulations on provincial government websites. Most money spent on welfare goes into salaries of people whose job is to find ways to kick people off welfare, so expect to spend the equivilent hours of a full-time job fighting welfare workers, going through training programs, and the like. The money is generally terrible, usually not enough to live on, so many people wind up selling drugs or prostituting themselves to be able to afford rent and food. Hopefully you're graduating from law school. Sadly, "Soviet Canuckistan" is an outdated term. Bobanny 04:03, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

• According to the article on chavs, it is also (barely) possible to make a career out of welfare in parts of the UK. V-Man737 04:03, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

New Revolving Restaurant

I got information that a new building under construction in centreville VA is going to have a revolving restaurant, which is important because there is only one other revolving restaurant in VA, and its in arlington. I wanted to know if there is a company in the area that creates revolving restaurants, or the name of the restaurant.--Technofreak90 04:39, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

The restaurant in Arlington is the Skydome Lounge (300 Army Navy Dr, Double Tree Pentagon City, Arlington, VA 22202). Unfortunately I haven't found any information about one under construction in Centreville. --Zeborah 05:41, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

Who is this painter?

Hello,

Who is the artist who depicted the image of Cupid found at this website?

http://www.narisa.com/usr/cupid/

Thanks,

Bridgette Williams Okinawa, Japan

Not sure, but I'd guess he was a Shirley Temple fan. StuRat 14:53, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

For all your nauseatingly cute artwork needs Bessie Pease Gutmann is your woman http://www.bessiepease.com/catalog/Ca/ meltBanana 16:49, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

Thanks meltBanana! And StuRat, I'm fairly certain this painting predates Shirley Temple's fame.

anarchy wikipedia

Isn't there an anarchy wikipedia somewhere? Where everyone has sysop powers? Where is it? Paul Silverman 12:54, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

It might have existed, but not for very long... See Anarchy --Zeizmic 13:27, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

yeah clever answer but no I remember it was around. I cannot remember what it was called. Paul Silverman 14:53, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

You may be thinking of the Unencyclopedia, but this is not nearly as anarchic as it looks. Zeimic is correct in saying truly anarchic wikis don't last very long; genuine users soon get fed up with all the trolls, who all end up bitching at each other.--Shantavira

No not uncyclopedia. The admins on there are even worse than the ones on here with regard to blocking you without apparent reason. That's not very anarchic, that's authoratative. Paul Silverman 15:22, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

Agree. Failing anyone else coming up with an answer, try list of wikis or this index.--Shantavira 16:05, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

I've seen a Swedish language Wiki experiment without any real administation of the input. I wasn't too impressed, though, since most of the material tended to be just a mess of pubertal bullshit... 惑乱 分からん 17:24, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

PRICES IN 1937

CAN I GET A LIST OF THE MAJOR PRICES/COSTS IN 1937 -

• FOR EXAMPLES - THE COST OF THE AVERAGE HOME
• THE COST OF A GALLON OF GAS
• THE COST OF A LOAF OF BREAD
• THE COST OF A GALLON OF MILK

64.61.41.82 13:02, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

Do you mean the costs in the US? | AndonicO ^{Talk | Sign Here} 13:34, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

(http://www.measuringworth.com/calculators/compare/) provides a calculator to compare the relative value of a US Dollar from 1790 up to 2005 (it allows for different costs). This site (http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/surveymost) will show you the consumer-price-index for a basket of goods from various years in history (seems to only go back to 1980 though). Your best bet is to search around google for historic Consumer-prince-index costs. ny156uk 13:56, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

• I'm assuming, from your IP address, that you're in the United States. Here's gasoline: [10]. $0.20 per gallon in 1937 dollars, equivalent to $2.71 in 2005 dollars. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 16:30, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

• This page ([11]) gives Depression-era prices for bread ($0.09 – nine cents – per loaf) and milk ($0.14 per quart, which is $0.56 per gallon), but doesn't specify its source. There are a number of books listed at the end of the article, however. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 16:35, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

light pollution project

I'm doing a science fair project on light pollution. I don't have time too much time to leave my house, so I will be doing it at home. How should I do a project based on the information on the internet? I feel as though the 'earth at night' maps are too unusable and somewhat unreliable. Can anyone help? Thanks.

Light pollution looks like a decent article and it has quite a lot of external links. Skarioffszky 17:40, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

Great, but what should I do?

Dunno, I never did a science fair project. Maybe reading it will give you inspiration? Skarioffszky 18:07, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

Maybe look at a comparison between streetlights of the old design and the newer full-cutoff lights; that should be nice and visual. Check out the International Dark-Sky Association's website for a starting point. Tony Fox (arf!) 23:48, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

I don't see you getting very good marks for a science fair project which you don't plan to spend much time on, especially if you aren't willing to leave your house. Repeating info from websites might be a good part of a project, but some original research is needed if you expect to get a good grade. I suggest you get a light meter and go around town and measure the light level at various places at night, then make a color-coded chart using this info. You can also snap some pics of obvious sources of light pollution in your area, like parking lots. StuRat 03:22, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

<pun>Find a device that monitors Light Current and publish your results.</pun> V-Man737 04:30, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

Cat- Back Exhaust

Is it possible to put a cat- back exhaust pipe in any car?

January 7

Australian Gov. Image Copyright

I recently discovered a prominent Australian botanist does not have an article about him doing a quick internet search I located an image I would like to use. The [image]is here, it noted this condition regarding the image Use of images for non-commercial web sites is allowed on condition that credit is given to the Australian National Botanic Gardens and these words are hotlinked to our home page. The copyright and public access page is [Here]. I would like to know if these conditions would allow publication in a Wiki article as I am a little uncertain even after reading the wiki guidelines on Image uploads, or will I need to email the copyright holders? Many thanks --Matt 00:14, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

Wikipedia does not accept images with non-commercial licenses. But since the fellow is long since dead the picture could possibly be used under Wikipedia's fair use policy. --24.147.86.187 01:44, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

Mombosa Chile

I purchased ground Mombosa chile and I can't find any specific information or recipes that contain it. The label only lists it as being a hot African pepper. What exactly is Mombosa chile and are there any good recipes?

Hot chilies are pretty much interchangeable except for the quantity used. If you don't know how hot the Mombasa chili is, assume it's extremely hot and add a tiny amount, finely chopped, to something you want to spice up, like salsa or chili (Warning: wear rubber gloves and eye protection when you chop them up, then wash the gloves before taking them off). If it's not hot enough, add more, until you get it right. Keep a glass of milk handy in case it gets hotter than you want. StuRat 03:05, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

According to [12] (in the section titled "Doctor, how many varieties of capsicum exist in the world?"), Mombasa chili is "too hot to be eaten, it would blister the mouth!" Clarityfiend 03:46, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

OK, we know it's pretty hot then. I think several chilies would blister your mouth if eaten whole, however. I repeat my warnings about rubber gloves and safety glasses. Also, I didn't actually say it before, but definitely do not taste the pepper straight, even in tiny quantities. You might also want to avoid any preparations which use the raw chilies, instead going for food where the chilies will be cooked, such as chili. This will help to distribute the capsaicin more evenly. StuRat 05:00, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

I just saw that it's already ground, but eye protection and gloves might still be a good idea when handling it. StuRat 05:05, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

I appreciate the information given but I understand the properties of capsaicin and have worked with a large number of chilies in the past. I was wondering if anyone knows the origin, size, color, cultivation, if their dried from another chile etc. (like in the case of ancho vs poblano) and if there are any recipes in which this pepper is traditionally used. Can anyone help me with this information?

Mold around windows

How can mold around the inside of windows in a home be cleaned and prevented in the future? I understand it has something to do with not having enough airflow from the outside but that's all I think I know... Dismas|^(talk) 01:16, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

Try cleaning it with a weak bleach solution on a sponge. StuRat 02:51, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

As for the causes, there are many factors:

• Poor insulation, which allows condensation to form on cold windows. A plastic window liner might be the best you can do to improve the insulation during the winter. In warm weather, you might want to consider getting better insulated windows. Specifically, vinyl windows are better insulated at the edges (assuming they fit properly) than aluminum windows, and won't mold like wood windows will.

• Higher humidity inside than can be maintained with cold windows. If you have a humidifier, turn it down. Other sources of humidity are cooking (cover your pots) and showers (take baths and/or close the door and turn on the fan or open the bathroom window) and leaky steam radiators.

• The temperature differential between inside and outside is also key. If you keep it cooler inside, this will be less of a problem.

• Painted window sills are also far more subject to this than marble sills, since they absorb the moisture. StuRat 02:51, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

Weak solution? Others have told me straight bleach. Why do you suggest a weak solution? Dismas|^(talk) 06:16, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

Science project with minimal involvement?

How can I do a science project with minimal involvement (as in 'do little') on my part? I don't have much time on my hands but I want to do a good experiment. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Member (talk • contribs)

You need to give us some idea of your age. I will assume you are 10. Growing bacteria is pretty easy, you can mix up a batch of gelatin, swab the inside of your mouth to get some bacteria, then rub the swab in the gelatin. Then divide it between jars you put in the fridge (properly marked) and leave out. Then observe the diff in the growth rates in the jars. StuRat 02:40, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

Good God. Don't do that! Trying to go bacteria from the human body is potentially dangerous as you have no idea what it is you are growing. This sort of experiment is banned in UK schools because of this issue. Also I'm not sure this would even work as StuRat describes as the bacteria would have nothing to eat (unless they eat the actual gelatin) Most bacteria are grown on agar gel that has had some sort of nutrient added to it. A safer microbiology experiment to do is to use yohurt bacteria (these are known to be safe) or allow bread to mould. Tie some fresh bread in some polythene bags and place some in the fridge and others in a warm place for about a week. Then examine inside the bags - no need to remove the bread as the mould will smell bad. Theresa Knott | Taste the Korn 17:14, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

10...no, 13. --hello, i'm a member | talk to me! 03:04, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

Have you tried looking up "science projects" or "science experiments" on Google? BenC7 03:13, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

You can do "Does moisture affect the rate of growth of mold on cheese" or something. Jamesino 03:46, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

When I was in middle school, anyone who did a science project involving potential biological hazards like bacteria or mold had to fill out a buttload of safety paperwork. Apparently someone got meningitis from moldy bread and they had to crack down on that sort of thing. I suggest avoiding anything to do with living organisms, especially human subjects. How about a nice safe physics experiment, like measuring the average number of pieces into which a piece of uncooked spaghetti breaks: [13] —Keenan Pepper 04:36, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

Measuring rainfall?Just an open-topped vessel which you measure every day and chart,about 5 mins work.(hotclaws**== 16:58, 7 January 2007 (UTC))

Homesteading help, please?

I am a senior in high school right now but once I graduate from University I plan to pursue my dream of making a homestead in a few miles from the southern shore of Lake Superior. I read how to build a $4,000 cabin on this site, and I already know how to hunt, fish, sew, cook, chop wood, and do basic gardening/lawn care, but there is a LOT that I don't know, so I hope you can help.

First of all, how much land would I need to purchase? It will be just me and maybe my significant other living there, but I might need to use more land if, years down the road, I have children or need to take care of my parents in their old age. Plus, I would be a recent college graduate, so even though I am fiscally responsible and my parents are paying for my tuition, I won't really have a lot of spending money.

Are you talking about building in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan ? My brother lived there (although he was near the Lake Michigan shore). Two problems there are a lack of infrastructure (expect to dig wells, use septic tanks, and either pay thousands to bring in electricity or use windmills, etc.) and a lack of jobs. For communication you may need a satellite cell phone, unless you are near a major freeway or city with cell phone support. StuRat 03:30, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

That brings up the issue of further finances; how much would the rest of the homestead cost? I realise that I don't have to build it all at once, but I'd like to live there year-round as soon after I graduate as possible, so I'd need a cabin, shed, garden, and outhouse. The cabin plans listed on this site say about $4,000, but the materials could cost more, and I'd need to pay for the land, the people that help me build the thing, seeds, and some basic home furnishings.

Also beware that everything will cost more there, as it needs to be shipped in "from civilized areas". StuRat 03:32, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

Speaking of furnishings, what is the best way to heat my cabin? I'm planning it to be about 20x20x15'... about 6000 cubic feet in one room. From what I've seen, solar panels seem way out of my range, and although a wood stove looks like a great idea, I'm worried about the amount of pollution that it could cause. Plus, I have no idea how much wood I'd need.

A wood stove is definitely the way to go. The pollution might be a problem on a global scale, but not locally, since the area is so lightly populated. One problem, though, expect to get up every hour at night to toss another log onto the fire. Cutting up fallen logs will also be how you will spend much of your day. Are you getting the idea that this will be hard work yet ? StuRat 03:40, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

Yes, I still have more questions! As I mentioned before, there would initially be one or maybe two people living in the cabin, and I intend to use the vegetable/fruit/herb garden on the homestead as the primary source of food. How large would the garden need to be to feed the homesteaders year-round, assuming that aside from some fruit trees (how many should I plant?) and the occasional fish or small game animal from Lake Superior/ the local forests are the only other food sources? I need to figure that out before it's the middle of winter and I realise that I don't have enough food.

Living completely off the land is unrealistic for most people. Are you an experienced hunter/fisherman ? Do you know how to clean small game ? How will you store the meat until you are ready to eat it ? A diet of fruits and vegetables would be inadequate, you would also need bread and cereals. Also, are you going to preserve the fruits and veggies for the winter ? Realistically, you should expect to get most of your food, at inflated prices, from the nearest store. StuRat 03:53, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

Speaking of food, would it be a good idea to build a greenhouse at some point (not necessarily immediately) so that I can grow food in the relatively long off-season, or would the blustery cold of the long U.P. winters offset all possible gains from that? Also, would it be wise to build a cellar in which to store food I've canned, wood, and tools, or not? I wonder if a cellar would negate the physical integrity of the cabin, and if the cellar would get too soggy or make the house less heat-efficient. I promise, I'm almost done. I just would like to know how often I need to dig a new outhouse hole, how far that needs to be from the well, if I can dig the well myself or that needs to be a commercial job, and how I can get water from the well in wintertime. Also, how far do the well and outhouse need to be from the garden, and how far does all that need to be from the cabin?

The greenhouse isn't likely to work, as your lot is likely to be heavily wooded. Evergreens will block the few hours of sunlight you get in winter, and falling limbs are likely to damage the greenhouse, too. Also, the heavy lake-effect snowfall would likely collapse the roof. If the water level is high (if you're near the shore), then a cellar is out, but a well will be relatively easy. If the water level is low, say if you're up a hill from the lake, then a cellar would work but the well will need to be quite deep. I think the cellar is a good idea for keeping things cool in summer and warm in winter (you may find yourself sleeping down there). I would put the well adjacent to the cabin with underground pipes into the cabin, below the frost line. The well should use an electrical pump, controlled from the cabin. You could run the pump periodically to fill a tank inside the cabin. Hot water for baths could be a problem, you may have to settle for heating some water on the wood stove and pouring it into the tub. This works best if one person bathes while the other heats. Place the outhouse quite far from the cabin so the smell isn't a problem in summer and the water isn't polluted. Be prepared for long walks in blizzard conditions to and from the outhouse. Hanging a rope between it and the house is a good idea so you don't get lost and die in whiteout conditions. Actually, you'd best make it a series of ropes at various heights, such that the top rope is above the maximum snow depth. StuRat 04:16, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

Finally, how far ahead of time do I need to start working on the homestead so that it's ready to move into when I graduate from university? I will be attending class full-time and working part-time, so I shall have to work on the homestead in my spare time, and that is going to be a LOT of work. Though I will have the summers off from school, I'll be working full-time then. So when do I need to start working on it... the summer between my sophomore and junior years? And what do I need to do to protect the area when I'm not there/through the winter?

I'm afraid you might be biting off a bit too much here. I suggest you do this in steps. First, buy a trailer in a mobile home park near a "big" city, like Houghton, Michigan, so you will have utilities. From there, you can scout out locations, buy a property, and work on improvements. I would expect to spend several years to get it into a habitable condition. As for money, you should expect to spend tens of thousands of dollars, can you manage this ? If not, you should probably work and save up money first. StuRat 04:23, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

Thank you so much for putting up with all of my questions! I hope that you can answer some, maybe even all of them. Thank you so much again. 65.42.241.93 02:16, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

I would suggest purchasing a book on self-sufficiency; it should be able to answer most of your questions. BenC7 03:11, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

You might also try contacting people who have already started a homestead. I'm not really that familiar with the community myself but the first name that pops to mind would be Eustace Conway. In addition to other things, he runs a camp dedicated to skills that would be used in homesteading. Dismas|^(talk) 05:36, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

About the green and red numbers in "My Watchlist"

Recently I have observed in My Watchlist that in each article watched there are green positive and red negative numbers in between brackets between the article's last edit time and the last user to edit it. What are the meaning of those numbers. I have never seen them before a few days ago...? --Francisco Valverde 02:18, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

See Help:Watching_pages#What_do_the_colored_numbers_mean? for more information on this. (Also note, for future reference, that the help desk is the appropriate place to ask questions related to Wikipedia.) Thanks! Flcelloguy (A note?) 02:19, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

Eyes and glasses

Why do my eyes only itch when I have my glasses on? (Serious Q)--Light current 02:54, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

Maybe your eyelashes are rubbing against the glass every time you blink.Jamesino 03:45, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

Do your eyelids itch, or the actual eye? Whenever I have itchy eyes related to my glasses, it's from loose eyelashes that are prevented from falling off completely because of the lens - they stick to my eyes! AAAGH! I feel your pain. V-Man737 04:17, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

No not the eyes themselves, but the skin around the eyes and eyelids. I have to take my glasses off the rub them--Light current 04:22, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

Maybe it has to do with the lack of air circulation? Humidity builds up in the space between your face and the glasses? —Keenan Pepper 04:26, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

I don't suppose you're allergic to light? Too ironic. V-Man737 04:31, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

Try reading something. As you read your eyes move around, and this could help clean them.Hidden secret 7 10:36, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

Revenue from Google AdSense

As I cannot find the information on Google's official site, does anyone know how much monthly revenue I can generate from putting Google Ads onto my webpage? Thanks. Jamesino 03:43, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

This depends on how many time visitors to your site click on the sponsored ads. It will be dependent on both site traffic and the disposition of your visitors towards ads. As for a per-click fee, that is a closely guarded secret.—WAvegetarian•(talk) 04:57, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

PunkBuster question

The EULA for PunkBuster says that it may scan your computer and upload anything at all that it finds (including screenshots of computer use) to its servers. If I have files on my computer that are illegal to posess under United States law, do I have anything to worry about? Does punkbuster detect anything besides cheats? (UTC)

These days, the best bet is simply to not own files that are illegal. Although companies that make software like PunkBuster may not care, there is the possibility that the government may have bugged your computer already. But to answer your question more directly, since its main purpose is to prevent cheating in online games, I'd say PunkBuster is matter-specific enough to not worry about it. At most, perhaps they have a department that deals with finding illegal files with this method, involving Federal reports, etc. V-Man737 05:09, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

At the risk of providing legal advice, I would first find what exactly the company promises about the data it collects in the EULA. Do they promise not to give it to a third parties? Do they say who has access to this data? How long do they keep it? Any answers you want are in the EULA. I'm pretty sure that anything they have can be subpoenaed with good enough reason. If you're talking about child porn, I would suggest not installing the software if you don't want to spend the rest of your life in jail. If you're talking about downloaded music/movies/etc., I wouldn't really worry. -Michael 05:13, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

I'm pretty sure PB won't fetch random things from your HD, only game related things perhaps, like saved screenshots or configuration files. I think people would be up in storm if PB took a bunch of random files off your hard drive and sent them to its servers, such a thing could compromise a business, and would be possibly classified malicious spyware. If you're still concerned, use a virtual disk (I use TrueCrypt, but that's only because that's what I first heard of, I'm sure there's others out there that save "disks" as files and you can mount them). It'd be extremely unlikely PB would read off disks rather than your main HD, and it would not be able to do so at all for passworded or encrypted volumes. --Wooty Woot? contribs 06:16, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

House of the Rising Sun

In which album is "House of the Rising Sun" (by The Rolling Stones) listed in? I can't find it! CL

I'm fairly certain that the song you are looking for is not by the Rolling Stones, but by The Animals.

The House of the Rising Sun article lists The Rolling Stones as having done a cover of the song. Anchoress 08:16, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

I think it might be wrong. All Music Guide shows no listing for the Rolling Stones among the 483 releases of the song. --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 16:27, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

Historic Flags of Yukon (Canadian territory)

Note: my question might only be able to be answered by someone with an extensive knowledge of Canadian flags and vexillology. While looking for information to work on the article Flag of Yukon, I was looking for any information on past historical flags of the Yukon, knowing that the current flag has been around since 1967/1968. I found this website: [14] which has listed two past historical flags of the Yukon, which can be viewed at

• [15] (according to the site for 1934-1956) and
• [16] (according to the site for 1956-1967)

No other information is provided, and so far it is the only site I've found with these flags or any info on past flags of the Yukon for that matter. If anyone knows if these flags are in fact correct, or any information on them or or if they were ever even used, that would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for any help I receive.--Bobo is soft 06:36, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

Volumetric Display Penguin

Does anyone know how to make a volumetric display (as in, a 3d hologram) of a penguin? They're so adorable. .V. 07:43, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

Tiger barbs

I just app two weeks ago, purchased two Tiger Barbs---already had three cherry barbs and one Beta (we have had awhile). The Cherry barbs and beta have gotten along great and also the tiger barbs. But past couple days---smaller tiger barb won't leave bigger one alone. Read where they are nippers toward other fish, but did not say if nipped their own. It looked like he kept nipping same place, behind bottom fin. I know they chase each other to play and read it is better if have five or more---will get three more if that the case (have 20 gal tank. Did not know if maybe mating ritual---but looks like it is all red where the one has been nipping---don't know if blood or what. Got the aggresive nipping one seperated from all other fish. The larger one, think he may die, swimming more with face pointed down---but seems to be a little better since seperated the other one. Looked everywhere for anwsers---the kids at pet store don't know nothing---said they would all be fine together. I know Beta a fighting fish, but he's done just fine---when anyone of others bothers him, he just runs them off and goes bout his business. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks,Leggylulu 14:32, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

Tiger barbs are rather violent little buggers, aren't they? The nipping shouldn't be a problem - they tend to spend most of their time chasing each other around, so if you have half a dozen or so they'll keep each other busy. They make lovely fast-moving groups, swirling around in intricate dances trying to get at each other to establish the pecking order...

As to "swimming face pointed down", this should be okay - our friend Barbus tetrazona is a natural bottom-feeder, and will often feed like this, at about a thirty degree angle, against the bed of the tank. They're quite stable like that, if memory serves. Shimgray | talk | 14:47, 7 January 2007 (UTC)

My account

Dear Wikipedia,It seem as tough I am unable to log in. Can you help?

My email is:dan2man2@yahoo.com 
                               Thank you and
                                            Happy New Year!

Mood Ring Entry

Jan 7, 2007

To; Anyone who can advise me on latest change made to the "Mood Ring" Web-page on Wikipedia,

Someone has recently added a new color to the listed "Mood Ring Color Chart" on the E-article about "Mood Rings". The new color added is "Orange- Guilty Feelings. . .etc". Would appreciate a response from whomever added that color and where they got their information from. I don't necessarily disagree with the mood that is applied to the color orange. I do disagree with where they placed the color orange on the mood chart. "Orange" should be placed inbetween "Gray" & "Amber". Anyone else can respond to my question here as well.

Thank you & respond to me here- or E-mail me: dawnofrabbits@yahoo.com

Signed, Dawn